28 replies to this topic

[Skyfaller]

I'm a dedicated LRM Catapult pilot.

TAG does the following effect:

1- Increases lock time speed. Aka your friends can get missile locks almost instantly.
2- makes the missiles do more damage if TAG is active when missiles hit.

This is because the missiles normally hit the 'square' the mech is sitting on with a spread of 10mx10m. So many missiles from the volley hit the ground rather than the mech. If TAG is active though, the spread is narrowed to 5mx5m and thus more of the missiles in the spread hit the mech.

There is one common mistake done by scouts that use TAG: They dont hold the TAG on target long enough for the missiles to reach target. This is because they make another mistake: They run around the target at close range.

The best TAG scouts call out a target's name for the LRM boats to target him...then he TAGs them from 420~m and tries to fire a few shots at that target to get its attention (so the target ignores the missile warning message) and keeps the target TAG'd as he wiggle-runs towards the target shooting and distracting it.

This tactic alone can result in a scout-lrm boat team be responsible for half or more of the enemy team's deaths.

[FerrolupisXIII]

i have a couple of scouts on my team that always carry a tag for me/ the rest of the Lance. most of them see it as a small price to pay in DPS to be able to call in heavy missile fire from my mech. we always pair up, them calling a target and me acquiring and then opening fire. they let me know when they need to break off so i can hold fire too. so for me, a tag of my own is really not needed. i also don't usually play in the 400m range unless the lance is advancing

[Khobai]

Quote

Except if you're part of a team that coordinates, you can have people fire the missiles, and while they're in the air, TAG the target. TAG it once to flag the LRMs to hit it, then TAG it again right before the missiles come in to give them that accuracy buff.

Also, there is a sweet spot where you can still hit ECM mechs with missiles. Just remember that.

Which would be fine if LRMs were devastating. But they do mediocre damage at best. Its simply not worth jumping through that many hoops to get LRMs to work. Youre better off just building a brawler.

[Flapdrol]

before the last wipe I had a Catapult C4 with 4x LRM15 and tag. Could 2shot a medium mech in the open.

Should work on an awesome too, but the catapult has the advantage of being able to fire all the missiles instantly.

Edit: just tried in on an awesome, all missiles fire instantly on that one too. pretty crazy at 400m.

Edited by Flapdrol, 01 December 2012 - 10:39 AM.

[FrostCollar]

superteds, on 30 November 2012 - 09:40 AM, said:

would be nice if tag was considered neutral equipment (think AMS, BAP) rather than an energy weapon. I've got a feeling it would see more prolific use outside of premades if people generally didn't have to ditch a headlaser (or any dps really) for it.

That might make TAG overused, but I'd be quite glad to try that. I've tried TAG on my Raven 3L build, but I've found that it never benefited me as much as another medium laser, even though I've got two SSRMs on it. If it didn't eat one of the weapon slots, I'd definitely take it.

Though, this could give Jenners a new role as the premier TAG mechs. Of all the light mechs, they're the ones with the most weapon slots to spare.

[CSPshala]

Yeah I only run TAGs in premades. If I'm pugging I don't bother because most of 'em won't utilize it anyways. I'm more of a help to most PUG groups packing in damage for 'em.

[Jay Kroc]

I use one on my Awsome-8R LRM boat.

Imho its a also great tool to highlight a target for people in pugs, not only for LRM support but also for everyone else to see which target should be focus fired.

[Vechs]

MacAddict4Life, on 22 November 2012 - 07:18 PM, said:

So I have to hold my tag firing button?

http://mwomercs.com/...per-easy-to-do/

[Vodrin Thales]

Khobai, on 30 November 2012 - 07:21 AM, said:

Uh Do you know how difficult it is to hold a tag on target for the entire lock-time plus flight time of the missiles? Youre talking 10-12 seconds of continually tagging, while being shot at by the enemy team, and staying 180m away from any enemy mechs that have ECM. Its simply not going to happen. LRMs will be USELESS if ECM is not changed. That is a fact.



Um all you have to do is have two mechs with ECM near eachother, and then a single scout cant counter your ECM ever. We already have plans for pugstomping with a 4-man drop with two D-DCs and two Cicadas/Ravens all with ECM. Because ECM is so good theres no reason not to use a mech with ECM. It effectively makes you invulnerable to missiles, hence why its nickname is the magic missile invisibility cloak.

This isnt even conjecture, the details of what ECM does are in the command chair section of the forum, we know EXACTLY what effects it will have. And the reality is lock-on missiles will be rendered obsolete and the game will essentially devolve into a <200m medieval brawl.

That said I dont really care that ECM is a gamechanger, the problem is that it only weighs 1.5 tons, and has absolutely no drawback or downside to using it. Which is probably a good indication that its not balanced...

The only thing that makes ECM so OP in its current form is the reduction in detection range being so severe. I anticipate the dev's eventually moving that range out to 400 or even 600 meters with the missile lock time being doubled unless TAG is used. That would make it still worthwhile to mount without making it so overpowered. The current 20m window for detection is just a bit too restrictive.

On another note, my group is also planning on running some four mans equipped entirely with direct fire weapons to counter ECM heavy groups until ECM is "adjusted". Using direct fire options for long range fire support is slightly more difficult than LRM's, but it is still doable.