60 replies to this topic

[FiveDigits]

Any engine rating not divisible by 25 is a waste - because you waste valueable 2.0 in-engine DHS potential. A 195 rated engine (10 tons) with 7 internal HS is much worse than a 200 (11.5 tons) with 8.

[Codejack]

FiveDigits, on 05 December 2012 - 07:40 AM, said:

Any engine rating not divisible by 25 is a waste - because you waste valueable 2.0 in-engine DHS potential. A 195 rated engine (10 tons) with 7 internal HS is much worse than a 200 (11.5 tons) with 8.

Not necessarily; it depends on the specifics of the build, and whether or not you need open slots or less weight more.

[Stormur Herra]

I use a 200 with 3 SSRMs, 4 tons of ammo (which I don't pay to reload so it's effectively 3) and ECM. No room for anything else. It can't even be close to full armor, but ECM is so crazy OP right now that it really doesn't matter.

[Justa Dogtrooper]

With Ecm on counter Commando turns into a mini sreak boat...who would have thought.?

[Jason1138]

i run the same thing much cheaper with a medium pulse laser, 2 SSRMs and the ecm, with 2 tons of ammo

it works fine and you get kills with the streaks vs damaged stuff or lights. repair costs are far lower although obviously its a better mech with all that extra gear on it

[Codejack]

Justa Dogtrooper, on 05 December 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

With Ecm on counter Commando turns into a mini sreak boat...who would have thought.?

I call mine the Halfcat, because it's like half a streakcat.

[Viper69]

Intresting build.

[Stormur Herra]

Justa Dogtrooper, on 05 December 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

With Ecm on counter Commando turns into a mini sreak boat...who would have thought.?

Anyone who ran a Commando before? Seriously, on my Commando enemy Commandos were always my primary target simply because they go down so fast to streaks, it's stupid. A Jenner or Raven can take more than twice as many volleys of streaks before blowing up.

[stjobe]

I run something quite similar:

XL195, ES, DHS, full armour, 3xSSRM-2 with 2 tons ammo, TAG+ECM. It's quite effective, although the EW role is quite different to the Striker role I used to play when it was fitted with a MPL instead of the TAG+ECM.

The only thing you need to watch out for is running out of ammo, since you have no backup weapon, but having the TAG is golden (and will be even more so when they up the range from 450 to 750 in an upcoming patch) and the EW role does prohibit a lot of the hunting I used to do as a Striker.

[Lykaon]

Hyperdrive, on 05 December 2012 - 06:02 AM, said:

I finally figured out a nice build for the ECM commando that feels very powerful.

COM-2D

Ferro Fibrous
Endo Steel
XL 195 engine-- 126.3kph (without speed tweak)
11 heat sinks
Beagle Active Probe
ECM
Medium Laser
Streak SRM 2
Streak SRM 2
2 tons of Ammo
Sensor Range +15% Module

25 tons of Lightning quick, ECM stealthed, long range scout. Most maps I am able to get across the terrain so fast and spot the whole team while being stealthed near a rock or something. I average 20k to 30k spotting bonus every match, 1 to 2 kills with the streaks, and I can sit behind an Atlas and Jam his ECM all day long with ease. If I get into a bind, I just weave in and out of the enemy mechs so they shoot each other and make for the nearest cover and disappear from their screens.

Just thought I'd share a very reliable and ridiculously fun commando build with you all.
I hope you enjoy!

Pull the BAP
Pull 1 heatsink
Add a third Streak-2
Add a TAG

Now you have a Raven hunter to counter ECM and streak kill the enemy ECM

[Felicitatem Parco]

These builds look fun! I'll move them over to the BattleMech guides section to go along with the rest of the Community's build library

[akirhol]

Currently using:

COM-2D

SHS / FF / Endo
XL 195 (+3 SHS)

3x SSRM2 (3T Ammo)
TAG
ECM

25.00 Tons
1 open crit slot
1.70 heat efficiency
162/178 Armor

---

I'm not sold on the FF hate for this little guy. It's the only way I can maintain a decent speed / armor and 3T of SSRM ammo. Dropping FF means sacrificing speed, armor or ammo with the only perceivable gain being better heat management where I have no issues currently. I *was* running this build with 4x SHS + max armor, but had to make room for the ECM.

Edited by akirhol, 05 December 2012 - 11:35 AM.

[Qarnage]

To those who called for "long range" and such things as Sensor Range, BAP. What is the Streak SRM range again? What is the sensor range again?

(and you don't need BAP even for the oh so quicker target lock, really)

Edited by Qarnage, 05 December 2012 - 11:33 AM.

[PapaKilo]

Djarid, on 05 December 2012 - 07:05 AM, said:

also endosteel only saves you 1.25t (IS = 10% of mech weight, and endosteel halves that) still better than FF though

It's less than that. The game doesn't do fractional accounting for internal structure, as that was a little-used optional rule in tabletop. I don't recall any of the computer games using it. A Commando with Endo Steel has a chassis weight of 1.5 tons. It saves one ton, not 1.25 tons.

But in any case, these are good COM builds, fully taking advantage of the ECM FOTM.

Edited by PapaKilo, 05 December 2012 - 11:55 AM.

[ViKingOmega]

FiveDigits, on 05 December 2012 - 07:40 AM, said:

Any engine rating not divisible by 25 is a waste - because you waste valueable 2.0 in-engine DHS potential. A 195 rated engine (10 tons) with 7 internal HS is much worse than a 200 (11.5 tons) with 8.

Your statement makes no sense.
Follow the math here:
A 195 engine that weighs 10 tons + the weight of 3 heatsinks (3 tons) = 13 tones.
A 200 engine that weighs 11.5 tons + the weight of 2 heatsinks (2 tons) = 13.5 tones. <== not better in any appreciable way, as it only gives you a tiny increase in speed and wastes a half ton.
On a Commando a half ton is a lot.
Math, it's so crazy...

Also, engine slots DO NOT give you 2.0 heat dissipation, as far as i know they equalized them. If I'm wrong please let me know.

Edited by ViKingOmega, 05 December 2012 - 10:07 PM.

[Ewigan]

you are wrong in the last statement Viking: Engine heat sinks are 2.0

YOur math still makes sense though, especially cause my build (what is identical to stjobes) rund with a 2.02 heat dissipation.
i would LOVE to drop some heat sinks ^^

am actually thinking about dropping them, and adding ferro instead. another half a ton what could go in armor....
just dunno if i have the neccessary crit slots.

[PapaKilo]

ViKingOmega, on 05 December 2012 - 10:05 PM, said:

Also, engine slots DO NOT give you 2.0 heat dissipation, as far as i know they equalized them. If I'm wrong please let me know.

Ewigan, on 06 December 2012 - 12:25 AM, said:

you are wrong in the last statement Viking: Engine heat sinks are 2.0

The double heat sinks built into the engine are 2.0 dissipation.
The double heat sinks you manually put in (either in extra engine slots or outside criticals) are 1.4 dissipation.

[jazger]

ViKingOmega, on 05 December 2012 - 10:05 PM, said:

Your statement makes no sense.
Follow the math here:
A 195 engine that weighs 10 tons + the weight of 3 heatsinks (3 tons) = 13 tones.
A 200 engine that weighs 11.5 tons + the weight of 2 heatsinks (2 tons) = 13.5 tones. <== not better in any appreciable way, as it only gives you a tiny increase in speed and wastes a half ton.
On a Commando a half ton is a lot.
Math, it's so crazy...

your maths right, but you left out one thing..

it's fairly minor but the 200 w/ 2 heat sinks.. has 1 more crit slot free.. 3 if you're useing double heat sinks..

[jazger]

I built one like this, i was doing 3 streaks, TAG and an XL170 (110 speed w/o speed freak) i went with a TAG laser as i heard it can help get lock on through ECM, so i could stay in disrupt mode. let folks JAM me all they wanted, but i could hopefuly still get a lock.. while they would have issues locking on me.. figured that be a win-win situation

but for some reason i suck w/ Streaks, play heck getting a lock. even with TAG. (i had trouble before ECM, i'm pretty good at leading my target, but hard for me to keep on target when i'm running, turning, and such to avoid getting hit my self, so played heck getting and keeping missle locks )

So i've switched it around, useing 1 SRM 6, 2 SRM 4s and i bounce between useing a TAG or a ML.

So far i'm likeing it, I still have a bit of issues with lights, but over all i like it. I try to stick with the group, useing them as free armor while giveing them my ECM. then once the fights truely starts, I try to run around and try to fire 14 SRMs into folks backs.

[Spaceghost]

I have spent so much time earning xp on the Jenner (1 box from having all 3 elites complete) and I should have been doing the Commando. With the Jenner, my biggest threats were missiles and after that were the Commandos as they are so damn hard to hit.

Finally I broke down, and followed your template (OP) and bought me a commando...Then launched into my best game yet!!! 3 kills, 4 assists, and over 400dmg...That's first game with no XP mods!!!

Thanks for your template!!! I am one satisfied customer!