57 replies to this topic

[Bagheera]

Please tell me you are not chasing after lights with an Awesome, but just that when they come by you happen to blast them to pieces.

If you are chasing lights in an assault, you are doing it WAY wrong. Shoot the pesky little buggers, and if they run off, that's kinda the point. The only thing that should be actually tailing a light is another light, or a cicada. Anything that can't clock more than 100kph has no business chasing lights, only shooting them as they pass.

Edited by Bagheera, 09 November 2012 - 08:40 AM.

[Matte Black]

I like streaks for hunting lights, but I think the latest patch overnerfed them. Pre patch streaker cat was a beast on lights, post patch not so much anymore.

[Gregore]

Who said anything about chasing them? You should add things to what people said and make it sound like they said. Take ownership of your own actions and comments.

The best way to kill lights is to just sit at base for a couple of minutes. Instead of rushing off to charge the enemy the instant the game starts.
If you sit at base for a couple of minutes the lights usually come right to you. So you just have to sit there and kill them as they run around in circles.

My gripe about the speed is that after you have just killed the 2-4 lights that tried to rush the base you now have to try to catch up to the rest of your pug team, that blindly rushed the other base, so that you are not stuck out there alone.

Then you can start chewing up med & heavies like bubble gum, especially if your team has roughed them up a little bit.
As I said your only real opponent in this set up is the Atlas, but that is pretty much the case for every other mech including other awesomes. This set up has great heat setup and sustained damage. sure it's alpha is lower than others, but this is not Eve and you are not trying to gank before concord shows up.

[Agent of Change]

Gregore, on 09 November 2012 - 08:50 AM, said:

The best way to kill lights is to just sit at base for a couple of minutes. Instead of rushing off to charge the enemy the instant the game starts.
If you sit at base for a couple of minutes the lights usually come right to you. So you just have to sit there and kill them as they run around in circles.

My gripe about the speed is that after you have just killed the 2-4 lights that tried to rush the base you now have to try to catch up to the rest of your pug team, that blindly rushed the other base, so that you are not stuck out there alone.

Then you can start chewing up med & heavies like bubble gum, especially if your team has roughed them up a little bit.
As I said your only real opponent in this set up is the Atlas, but that is pretty much the case for every other mech including other awesomes. This set up has great heat setup and sustained damage. sure it's alpha is lower than others, but this is not Eve and you are not trying to gank before concord shows up.

I hate to say it (and vets will back me up on this i believe) but what you described is not the behavior of a skilled light pilot. I'll grant you the tactic/build you are using may work until more people learn the ropes but an experienced light pilot wouldn't do what you are describing. I have seen people trying to pull this same thing and I'll explain (from my perspective what this is isn't the best way to deal with lights that know what they are doing)

• Hanging back at you base with an assault leaves your front line short an assault mech that the light will be able to relay to his team allowing for them to advance confident a slight tonnage advantage.
  
• A light will see you camping the base on their radar, a smart scout won't run blindly in but will try to spot you and not approach head on. (if you power down the time it takes to power up will generally provide enough warning to someone looking for it)
  
• A light will try to (assuming your awesome) target the back as much as possible, if this proves unviable hit and run tactics will commence which will result in either you be drawn out or you camping the base waiting for them to circle, in any case you will be out of the fight while you duel with a mech half again as fast as you and half your tonnage.
  
• A light that gets in a protracted combat with you that he/she feels they cannot win handily will call in help while you mess with them.
  
• Lastly, tactically speaking a light that keeps an assault out of the main fight has won more than an assault that keeps a light out of the main fight. Even if neither kills the other.

Again I'm not saying what you are doing isn't working right now, I would just keep your mind open to why it is working, why it might not work in the future, and to more optimal approaches to scout killing.

Edited by Agent of Change, 09 November 2012 - 09:04 AM.

[Gregore]

True enough. It has worked for the last 4 months though, and sadly there does not seem to be any variance in play.

Personally, when I play a light and I see anything other than a light with SSRM, I generally look for another target, But as is the case even if the real world people are stupid. That won't ever change, especially if you are playing nothing but pug's. If I dropped in a premade I would not play this tactic as there would actually be tactics. Not just a mad rush to see who can die first.

But even without this tactic and advancing with the rest of your team you can put out substantial sustained dps which is very effective. I would rather take out two heavies (did I mention that for some reason this set up eats up dragons like they were commando's? not sure why but it does, I always got real excited when I saw a dragon coming towards me), than a single assault (read that as Atlas). I just avoid Atlas until the end, I think most people should but they tend to focus on them first.

It is like a test, you do all the easy questions first then focus on the tough ones. The atlas is not as powerful when it has no support.

[Enigmos]

VXJaeger, on 09 November 2012 - 04:44 AM, said:

Catapult CPLT-K2 (mod)
Speed 78.5KPH
Tonnage 63.8/65
Firepower 32
Heat efficiency 1.08
Armor Ferro-Fibrous 422
Structure Endo-Steel

Armament:
Large Pulse Lasers x 2
Medium Pulse Lasers x2
AMS

XL Engine 315
Heat Sinks 21

Let's see how this works on our little but enormously curious nosey friends

Generally speaking, a knowledgable premade presented with an Atlas target and a K2 target will usually call the K2 as primary, with the Atlas relegated to secondary target. Granted this is most likely with a K2 Gauss kitten, but even so...

Just thought I'd point that out.

[Agent of Change]

Gregore, on 09 November 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

Personally, when I play a light and I see anything other than a light with SSRM, I generally look for another target, But as is the case even if the real world people are stupid. That won't ever change, especially if you are playing nothing but pug's. If I dropped in a premade I would not play this tactic as there would actually be tactics. Not just a mad rush to see who can die first.

But even without this tactic and advancing with the rest of your team you can put out substantial sustained dps which is very effective. I would rather take out two heavies (did I mention that for some reason this set up eats up dragons like they were commando's? not sure why but it does, I always got real excited when I saw a dragon coming towards me), than a single assault (read that as Atlas). I just avoid Atlas until the end, I think most people should but they tend to focus on them first.

It is like a test, you do all the easy questions first then focus on the tough ones. The atlas is not as powerful when it has no support.

I wouldn't question the efficacy of your build at any rate, it puts out damage, I was just challenging the "supreme light killer" claim. But yeah in ligth of current situations you could be tearing light pilots up that don't know any better orrr don't care (and in that case more power to you).

personally when i run my raven I have a complicated target priority system, but usually it boils down to:

Is the Mech alone - If Yes shoot it until it dies or help comes, If No find some poor fool dumb enough to be alone.

When it comes to lights however i will always run if they are on my 6, i treat it like a dog fight really. Disengage, look for an opportunity to get behind them, run them down while I have their *** in my gun sights. (oh and shoot the legs if you ever don't have a rear shot)

Edited by Agent of Change, 09 November 2012 - 09:18 AM.

[FerretGR]

Cole Allard, on 09 November 2012 - 05:44 AM, said:

Well...I do agree your build looks like fun...but...

...but I keep saying, this is a team based game. 8 vs 8. Your mechclass is matched on the other side.

So, what you are saying is...you take a heavy mech of 65 tons...and send it against smal mechs? Did you think, that in that case you have another heavy on the other side that is missing an opponent if you so like?

He's freeing up lights to go after that single heavy that he's adding if he's taking care of the lights. I have no trouble with Catapults in my Cicada so if I was teamed with him we'd be a killer combo.

OP: try to make that build with 4LLs. Scary as hell.

[StonedVet]

Use the Cicada as a light killing machine. Full armor/ES/6 x small pulse lasers/XL320 will outdo any light. Even Strk Jenners which are good wont last as long 1v1 as the Cicada will.

[FerretGR]

But but but... the Cicada is so good at dropping the big mechs. It's such an awesome chassis for harassment/skirmishing.

[Agent 0 Fortune]

Large pulse run too hot, I'd switch them to Md Pulse and more HS.
If you want the ultimate scout killer get a CN9-D, drop in an XL 350+ engine and move at 113+ KPH with 2x Md Pulse + 2x SRM6 (or streak) + MG
Or a similar build to what you started with, but with more speed look at a Dragon DRG-1C with a 300 XL (81kph) or 360 XL (97 kph) with 4 Md Pulse + 1 SSRM2.

I've actually had the most success vs scouts with a missiles + TAG, you could try a
CPLT-C1 with 3 Md Pulse + TAG + 2x LRM15
CPLT-C4 with 2x SSRM2 + 2x LRM15 + TAG + Md Pulse
CPLT-A1 with 2x LRM15 + 4x SSRM2 (no tag )

[GioAvanti]

OriginalTibs, on 09 November 2012 - 09:11 AM, said:

Generally speaking, a knowledgable premade presented with an Atlas target and a K2 target will usually call the K2 as primary, with the Atlas relegated to secondary target. Granted this is most likely with a K2 Gauss kitten, but even so...

Just thought I'd point that out.

Mainly due to the Atlas being able to absorb a lot more punishment and the likelyhood of the Cat using an XL engine.

[GioAvanti]

Lowridah, on 09 November 2012 - 09:24 AM, said:

Use the Cicada as a light killing machine. Full armor/ES/6 x small pulse lasers/XL320 will outdo any light. Even Strk Jenners which are good wont last as long 1v1 as the Cicada will.

Problem is that (and the same thing with the op) is that you have a major disadvantage versus a light with jump jets. The jenner can turn a lot faster using a spin + jump and the cicada and k2 are bigger targets.

Not to mention using this approach devalues small lasers in the engagement (ie it turns into a jousting match).

[Bagheera]

Gregore, on 09 November 2012 - 08:50 AM, said:

Who said anything about chasing them? You should add things to what people said and make it sound like they said. Take ownership of your own actions and comments.

Settle down Francis. There's a big difference between "Please tell me you are not.." and "OMG WTF WHY ARE YOU..." Spend any amount of time watching newbies use assaults to chase after lights (read every game with a new player in an assult on your team) and tell me it's not worth pointing out why that is a bad idea in a thread about dedicated light H/K builds and tactics.

Take ownership of your own actions and comments indeed.

Edited by Bagheera, 09 November 2012 - 09:39 AM.

[StonedVet]

GioAvanti, on 09 November 2012 - 09:36 AM, said:

Problem is that (and the same thing with the op) is that you have a major disadvantage versus a light with jump jets. The jenner can turn a lot faster using a spin + jump and the cicada and k2 are bigger targets.

Not to mention using this approach devalues small lasers in the engagement (ie it turns into a jousting match).

Ive never had an issue with JJ lights .. I find it cute when they try using them to outmanouver me.

[FerretGR]

Lowridah, on 09 November 2012 - 09:40 AM, said:

Ive never had an issue with JJ lights .. I find it cute when they try using them to outmanouver me.

Especially when they use the to do the "spin jump", which I totally see coming, and then they run straight at me, and get a faceful of alpha strike instead of some side-on circle-strafe lasers

[Rotaugen]

All I want is a mech that can destroy anything with one alpha, never overheats, faster than every other mech, and has enough armor to go toe to toe against 4 Atlases at the same time and win. Ideas?

[Agent of Change]

Rotaugen, on 09 November 2012 - 09:50 AM, said:

All I want is a mech that can destroy anything with one alpha, never overheats, faster than every other mech, and has enough armor to go toe to toe against 4 Atlases at the same time and win. Ideas?

Voltron?

[SpiralRazor]

VXJaeger, on 09 November 2012 - 04:44 AM, said:

Catapult CPLT-K2 (mod)
Speed 78.5KPH
Tonnage 63.8/65
Firepower 32
Heat efficiency 1.08
Armor Ferro-Fibrous 422
Structure Endo-Steel

Armament:
Large Pulse Lasers x 2
Medium Pulse Lasers x2
AMS

XL Engine 315
Heat Sinks 21

Let's see how this works on our little but enormously curious nosey friends

With that kind of Heat Eff, and LPL's, not well my friend, not well.

[Nirrpit]

Yeah I'm not sure how this is a light mech killer at all. No offense...

With a 1.08 heat eff you would spend more time shut down than taking glancing blows at a 130+ kph Jenner.

As said before the ONLY answer to light mechs are SSRM's. I have a Streakapult that can lay down a Jenner or Raven in about three alphas.

Your build as better suited for a 9SL Hunchee then a light mech.