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The worst example of autocannon tomfoolery you'll see today...
1453-R and Snowflake0037 come together, collaborating on one chassis...
All to ask you one. Simple. Question.
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EXPLOSIONS?!?!?!
PRESENTING: THE ILYA MADNESSMETS
MORE AUTOCANNON THAN YOUR BODY HAS ROOM FOR
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*Sounds of much throat clearing can be heard for a few moments*
All right then! Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we?
This particular machine is a collaboration between myself and my brother, Snowflake0037, who is the Madnessmets' actual pilot. He and I spent a few hours last night playing the stuffing out of MWO while we caught up with what he's been up to in the Army, and in between going after Fattlemasters in a pair of white-and-red-striped BJ-1©s (“Team Khandy Khane, mother [REDACTED]s!”), we also played with practically every other 'Mech in our stables at some point. Ilya was one of my bro's first 'Mechs – he started in Cataphracts the way I started in Dragons, with significantly better results – and he's always had a soft spot for his first Hero the way I do for my Flame. Difference being, of course, that Moneymets is still a thing, while I have yet to really find a way to reinvigorate my Flame post Gauss chargecycle shenanigans.
Anyways! After an amusing but ultimately disappointing diversion with replacing the Moneymets' traditional UAC/5s with AC/2s (“man, your Shadowhawk outscored me with fifteen less tons...this sucks”), the question emerged. Initially as a joke, but I should have known better than to challenge Snowflake like this.
“Hey, Snowflake. We should totally replace one of those AC/2s in the Moneymets with an AC-cluckmothering-20. DO IT. BUST OUT THAT 100STD. URBANPHRACT, GO.”
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Turns out we didn't need to drop that much weight of engine after all.
Dubbed the Ilya Madnessmets, this particular machine almost instantly became one of Snowflake's favorite configurations for the classic minting press. The steady DPS pressure of the AC/2s rattles fatties and often makes them retreat, while also giving this dismayingly slow machine the ability to contribute during the initial snipey dakka phase of a fight. And, of course, once the range closes...well. Combining the constant damage of the AC/2s with savage knee-kickings out of the AC/20, occasionally lasing off a weakened component, and we have a BattleMech that does not fear any foe. Except the ones that weigh less than 45 tons
While the Madnessmets easily matches or even exceeds the raw RAWRGH potential of an assault 'Mech, it also shares their half-crippling mobility issues. Even with Tweak and double basics, Snowflake's got to haul the Madnessmets around by the nose ring. Dealing with light 'Mechs is mostly a matter of ignoring them until such time as they have the temerity to pass in front of the Madnessmets, at which point they eat however much of an alpha strike Snowflake can manage to hit them with. One particularly unfortunate Spider jumped up a ridgeline in Canyon Network, only to find the Madnessmets standing less than fifty meters away atop it. The Spider did not live to climb the waterspout again.
Piloting the Madnessmets is simple, at least in theory. Dakkasnipe with the AC/2s until such time as you can bring your real weapon into play. As with most machines, glorious charges into the enemy lines are contraindicated...at least during the dakkasniping phase of combat. After battle has been properly joined, the Madnessmets becomes a snarling, hulking avatar of destruction for as long as its AC/20 ammunition holds out. Enemies often react to the Madnessmets incorrectly, seeing the classic Murdermets diamond paint scheme, expecting dakka (and seeing it, from the Madnessmets' arms) and moving to fight accordingly, and instead getting the BAZOOKA. Players who expect to regain the advantage once the 'Murdermets' UAC/5s jam often fail to realize their mistake before they've lost half their 'Mech.
Defensively, the Madnessmets is quite sturdy but hardly indestructible. Shield with the left side where and when possible – losing the left shoulder robs you of significantly less armament than losing the right shoulder. Beware overfocusing with/on the AC/2s – getting off all your AC/20 ammo is a much more laudable goal if you can regularly achieve it, and this usually requires plenty of defensive, DPS-dropping twisting. Don't worry. The little guns will always get their chance to shine.
And above all...realize that you have more firepower than practically anything else on the field. Use it. Get in their teeth and punch 'em out of their skull. Kick them in the shin so hard their leg flies off behind them. Be aggressive; be, be aggressive! Timidity is an insult to the Madnessmets and will result in the gods of victory smiting you, their wrath great and terrible!
So, like...don't do it, brah. Y'hear?
Edited by 1453 R, 31 January 2014 - 07:29 AM.
