18 replies to this topic

[Lavrenti]

Thanks to everyone who offered advice and suggestions last time about the 4G and 4H. As a result of that, my 4H has given good service with it's Gauss and AC20 configurations, and now it's time for a 3rd hunchy so I can finish off the xp tree. I've decided on the 4P, but I'm struggling to find a good loadout for it.

Currently equipped: Endo-Steel, 250 standard engine, 9 medium lasers and as many DHS as I can cram into the space that's left (in other words 8).

This build... works. I mean it's functional, and I've got kills with it, but it overheats like a motherfcuker and constantly teeters on the brink of shutting down if I fire the torso and head lasers in a single strike more than once every 10 seconds or so. It's also bulked out before it's massed out - I'm a couple of tons underweight, simply because I've run out of crit spaces to put things into. I'm a bit dissatisfied with it, and looking for other options.

The obvious alternative is to swap everything for small lasers and put an even bigger engine in to use up the extra tonnage, but I'm not very keen on the limitation on engagement range that would entail. It also occurred to me that taking a couple of large lasers or ERPPCs in the torso would turn it into an energy version of the 4H, but if the numbers at http://www.mwowiki.o...e:Weapons_Table are to be believed that would just make the heat worse for a lower damage output.

So, I'm coming here to ask for ideas. How do others outfit their 4Ps, and has anyone had any success with builds other than "all small/mediums"?

[clanwolf3050]

I use a mech based on this set up http://www.mechspecs...-Zumacroom-quot I ran with all Small Pulse Lasers in the RT and Head, in the arms I used MLAS but i like the design in the above link better. I found it after a saw it in a few matchs before. I use 3 to 4 MLASs instead. The number is bases on heat discipline.

Edited by clanwolf3050, 23 November 2012 - 10:01 AM.

[Redshift2k5]

Lavrenti, on 22 November 2012 - 06:06 PM, said:

Currently equipped: Endo-Steel, 250 standard engine, 9 medium lasers and as many DHS as I can cram into the space that's left (in other words 8).

I used to use 4x MLAS and 4x SMLAS back in the closed beta, worked out ok.

Without Endosteel you should be able to fit a much larger number of DHS in there. I'd try 8 MLAS and more DHS. I know I need 20DHS to run by 4x LLAS K2, and 8xMLAS is similar heat to 4 large.

[Felicitatem Parco]

I like the -4P with a standard 200, ES, DHS, 2ML in the arms, 1 MPL in the head, and 2 (ER)PPC in the shoulder...

[Aware]

Prosperity Park, on 23 November 2012 - 10:43 AM, said:

I like the -4P with a standard 200, ES, DHS, 2ML in the arms, 1 MPL in the head, and 2 (ER)PPC in the shoulder...

That runs hot as hell too though lol.

[Lord Ikka]

Tag in the head, six small lasers in the hunch, and mediums in the arms. AMSand heatsinks fill up the rest, runs cool even on Caustic.

[Depe]

Mine has ES and DHS (8) with 9 mediums and a standard 260 engine with maxed out armor everywhere, and even if i'm a total noob i really do well with this setup once i got used to it (for me better than 4SP and Gauss 4H). Just keep the 6 lasers in your hunch in chain fire or you will overheat soon, you can alpha strike two times and then chain fire the lasers until you cool down a bit. No ammo dependency and no ammo detonation risk will keep you alive, i ended a lot of fights with just my head medium

[Wrenchfarm]

Hum, I love the 4P. I run mine -

DHS upgrade
260 STD engine (84 KPH before speed tweak bonus)
7 SLAS (6 in the hunch, 1 in the head, all linked into one massive fire group)
2 MLAS (each hand, linked)
10 independent DHS (with the internal engine ones it says 20 heat sinks in the loadout screen)
320 armour (shaved a little off the legs)

It runs fast and can handle its heat. I have a dusty old two button mouse so I keep my firing groups simple, but if have extra buttons and want to manage your heat a little more, you can break the SLAS into a group of 3 and 4 and fire them separately. You'll be a knife fighter, use the extra speed to try and sneak up on or flank the enemy and get up close. Once you're on top of them, melt away with the concentrated blasts and don't let em go.

You can drop one DHS and go down to 304 armour if you want to put a AMS and 1 ton AMS ammo in it. Heat management is largely the same, and you can shave that armor from the legs no one will be aiming at (they all WANT dat hunch off you). I can't remember the last time I was legged in a Hunchie. The AMS can be a life saver when you are trying to close the distance.

[Lavrenti]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I just found this thread after it got moved.

Prosperity Park, on 23 November 2012 - 10:43 AM, said:

I like the -4P with a standard 200, ES, DHS, 2ML in the arms, 1 MPL in the head, and 2 (ER)PPC in the shoulder...

I was wondering about something like this, but I'm worried about the heat. It's already pretty bloody marginal, firing both PPCs would be worse than firing all 7 MLAS I have now if the numbers on the wiki are right.
Be interesting to try, though, and so would the version with LLAS in the arms (thanks clanwolf). I guess I'll give them a go when I have a bit of spare cash, and see what happens.

[Hauser]

Lavrenti, on 22 November 2012 - 06:06 PM, said:

This build... works. I mean it's functional, and I've got kills with it, but it overheats like a motherfcuker and constantly teeters on the brink of shutting down if I fire the torso and head lasers in a single strike more than once every 10 seconds or so. It's also bulked out before it's massed out - I'm a couple of tons underweight, simply because I've run out of crit spaces to put things into. I'm a bit dissatisfied with it, and looking for other options.

You can swap a DHS for AMS + 2 tons. I tend to need the AMS more then the DHS. I have the same build and I need the AMS more then the DHS. Yeah. Not the answer you were looking for.

I think this variation is as good as it gets. A smaller engine isn't worth it. Nor is sacrificing medium lasers for heatsinks. So you'll have to look into changing your play style. Or do a complete overhaul of the mech.

Personally I only use an alpha strike when I'm about to hit cover or when the target is. Rest of the time it's chainfire. I try to keep my heat below 50% so I can do a full alpha strike and avoid shut down. When I'm above that I double tap chainfire to get the biggest strike without shutting down.

I'd actually like a module for that. One that computes the maximum of weapons I can fire without overheating and only fires those.

Edited by Hauser, 23 November 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[Hauser]

Wrenchfarm, on 23 November 2012 - 11:59 AM, said:

you can shave that armor from the legs no one will be aiming at (they all WANT dat hunch off you). I can't remember the last time I was legged in a Hunchie.

Yeah, now everybody has been trained to hit the hunch, might also be worth shaving of some armour from the right arm (not the left one, you use that to catch damage still).

[Wrenchfarm]

Lavrenti, on 23 November 2012 - 01:36 PM, said:

I was wondering about something like this, but I'm worried about the heat. It's already pretty bloody marginal, firing both PPCs would be worse than firing all 7 MLAS I have now if the numbers on the wiki are right.
Be interesting to try, though, and so would the version with LLAS in the arms (thanks clanwolf). I guess I'll give them a go when I have a bit of spare cash, and see what happens.

I think maybe some of your dissatisfaction is due to the Endo upgrade. I'm usually a big fan of Endo, but I think it is a waste in the 4P. You need the additional DHSs more than you need the extra weight.

I think you should be trying to scale down to small lasers rather than up to LLAS or ERPPC. The benefit of the 4P is that you can boat a LOT of smaller energy weapons, namely SLAS or MLAS. If you want a pair of LLAS or a PPC carrier, you might as well go with the CN9-AL or a Awesome or Catapult. I'm not a mathmagician, but I bet you can get more damage out of 7 SLAS than you ever would with a ERPPC you can only fire once every 30 seconds. Sniping can be fun, but you might as well do that with a mech better suited for the job.

[Lavrenti]

Wrenchfarm, on 23 November 2012 - 02:18 PM, said:

I'm not a mathmagician, but I bet you can get more damage out of 7 SLAS than you ever would with a ERPPC you can only fire once every 30 seconds.

Fair point - I find the short engagement range of the SLAS quite restrictive, but maybe I need to get better at getting in close. And it's a good point about the ES not being too helpful either; I'm underweight by almost exactly as much as the ES saved me so it's hard to see what good it's actually doing.

[Ryft]

I just got my 4P tonight, it's my second Hunch (after the SP).

I'm not sure how much I like this model so far, but I plan to run it on the cheap towards unlocking HBK elites. Currently running endosteel, a PPC in the hunch, and large lasers in each arm. This gives me a couple of advantages:

1) PPC is cheaper/less hot than the ER PPC, and at sniper ranges the minimum range isn't a big deal
2) within 90m almost never comes up except against lights, and they are hard as hell to hit with a PPC anyway
3) I'm not completely dependant on the hunch... if it gets taken out, 2LL on the arms are solid backups, and they deal well with lights

I'm not going to go with double heat sinks, for a few reasons:

1) I can cram more heat sinks into the chassis without running out of critical space
2) I can cram 4 heat sinks into the legs, which lets me operate in the water cooler
3) I'm a cheap *******, and am already determined to run this chassis kinda cheap

Makes a nice little sniper/support gunner for the tonnage. Versatile at long/medium range, and not useless up close. Happy with it so far.

[John MatriX82]

Sometimes I run 4P with STD 240, 1LL (RT) + 6 SMLAS (5RT 1Head) and 1 mlas per arm. Only upgraded to DHS (18 total) and armor on legs at 31. Heat is manageable, use Mlasers to track fast movers or at medium range along with the LLas; as soon as your targets get within 90m boat the smlas along with the mlas and look at the fireworks.

[Child3k]

I'd say of all HBKs I like the 4P most. Just because - it's simple. I pretty much kept the stock-loadout when it comes to weapons. 9 MLs, DHS, Endo and a STD260. Grouping the lasers like this: Arms one grp, RT and HD Lasers go into to grps which I set on chain-fire and fire them at the same time by pressing both mousebuttons. You have to watch out for your heat a little bit - but I think its pretty effective.

Edited by Child3k, 23 November 2012 - 04:44 PM.

[Lobo Feroz]

It's probably not the most effective way to run a 4P but I run 9MLAS with a STD260 and almost always fire all 9 lasers at a time.

I know I'd probably be better off setting up a few groups and chain-firing but all 9 lasers hitting at once just makes me happy.

[Lavrenti]

Lobo Feroz, on 24 November 2012 - 12:23 AM, said:

It's probably not the most effective way to run a 4P but I run 9MLAS with a STD260 and almost always fire all 9 lasers at a time.

I know I'd probably be better off setting up a few groups and chain-firing but all 9 lasers hitting at once just makes me happy.

I used to do that too, except with the head and torso 7 as a single group. I figured that having a good alpha strike was worth the heat management problems. Now, I've split them into a group of 4 and a group of 3. Easy enough to fire both if I need to, and firing first one group then the other makes the heat a bit more manageable.

[Ryft]

I've found that my 2LLAS setup runs too hot without double heatsinks. However, even with a pair of MLAS instead, it packs a decent punch at range. I've definitely surprised several opponents who were closing with me, and saw only the arm and head lasers working, only to hit them with the PPC in the hunch as they closed. Within 200m that thing is pretty accurate.

I think my next hunchie is going to be the J, and I'm going to play it similarly to this one at first.