177 replies to this topic

[Reacher78]

Hi Folks,

I'm wondering what kind of builds you seasoned veterans are using for this mech? I've read through a couple of threads in the forums, tried a few of the suggested builds but have yet to find a groove suitable for my playstyle.

I'm currently running the following build

EndoSteel
Std 220 with (1 DHS RT, 2 DHS LT)
PPC right arm
AC20 RT
Med Laser, AC2 ammox 1t RT
Med Laser, AC20 ammo x 1t LT
AC2 left arm
AC20 ammox 2t right leg
AC2 ammo x 2t left leg

Not getting cored as easily as when I was running the 280XL engine but still feeling fairly vunerable. Finding it a bit harder to track lights/meds due to poor turning speed. With my latency up to 260ms, those pesky lights are hard to hit! I'd have to settle with my med lasers taking pot shots at them while they strip my armor bare. Maybe its a case of L2play but am happy to take more advice to improve my gameplay/mech.

Cheers.

[Arete]

Reacher78, on 16 December 2012 - 04:12 PM, said:

Hi Folks,

I'm wondering what kind of builds you seasoned veterans are using for this mech? I've read through a couple of threads in the forums, tried a few of the suggested builds but have yet to find a groove suitable for my playstyle.

I'm currently running the following build

EndoSteel
Std 220 with (1 DHS RT, 2 DHS LT)
PPC right arm
AC20 RT
Med Laser, AC2 ammox 1t RT
Med Laser, AC20 ammo x 1t LT
AC2 left arm
AC20 ammox 2t right leg
AC2 ammo x 2t left leg

Not getting cored as easily as when I was running the 280XL engine but still feeling fairly vunerable. Finding it a bit harder to track lights/meds due to poor turning speed. With my latency up to 260ms, those pesky lights are hard to hit! I'd have to settle with my med lasers taking pot shots at them while they strip my armor bare. Maybe its a case of L2play but am happy to take more advice to improve my gameplay/mech.

Cheers.

I've fiddled around a bit with different builds for IM, but what you end up with depends largely on your playstyle. Your build seems to be a bit of a jack of all trades build, with weapons for all ranges. Problem is, with that engine you'll be too slow to position yourself good, and will be an easy kill coming up against any ranged focused build.

Personally I like to make full use of the speciality for each mech, and for the IM it's the three ballistic spots. The builds I've found to work well so far are the shotgun build and UAC build. Shotgun build is 3xLBX10 and some lasers, once you close in you can do some tremendous damage. Drawback is that you have nothing for long range fighting.
The UAC build works best imho, with 3 UAC5 on chain fire. On chain fire they rarely jam, and you can doubletap them when in a tight spot. Can do some massive amounts of damage with it, even being able to go toe to toe with assaults it they haven't gone for a real brawler build.
If you're ok with a smaller engine, you could possibly go for a 3xAC10 build, but you'll need to sacrifice armor or beam weapons for that.

Personally, I think the XL280 engine fits it perfectly. Good balance of speed/weight.

Oh, and if you're going for the XL engines, make sure you have CASE for your ammo.

[Reacher78]

Arete, on 17 December 2012 - 02:04 AM, said:

I've fiddled around a bit with different builds for IM, but what you end up with depends largely on your playstyle. Your build seems to be a bit of a jack of all trades build, with weapons for all ranges. Problem is, with that engine you'll be too slow to position yourself good, and will be an easy kill coming up against any ranged focused build.

Personally I like to make full use of the speciality for each mech, and for the IM it's the three ballistic spots. The builds I've found to work well so far are the shotgun build and UAC build. Shotgun build is 3xLBX10 and some lasers, once you close in you can do some tremendous damage. Drawback is that you have nothing for long range fighting.
The UAC build works best imho, with 3 UAC5 on chain fire. On chain fire they rarely jam, and you can doubletap them when in a tight spot. Can do some massive amounts of damage with it, even being able to go toe to toe with assaults it they haven't gone for a real brawler build.
If you're ok with a smaller engine, you could possibly go for a 3xAC10 build, but you'll need to sacrifice armor or beam weapons for that.

Personally, I think the XL280 engine fits it perfectly. Good balance of speed/weight.

Oh, and if you're going for the XL engines, make sure you have CASE for your ammo.

I ran with the XL280 engine for quite some time before I decided to switch over to a std220. I was feeling squishy with the 280 and the swap out enabled my IM to take more punishment but with a trade off of speed/turning ability. Lights really do me in. Might switch back if I can get a run n' gun setup going.

I'll try the 3 LBX10 build and see. Personally I like sniping from range but with my latency so high I don't see myself doing it with any consistency.

[Arete]

If your mind is set on a standard engine, then I'd opt out the torso ballistic spot and going for two large lasers instead. Then you'd have 2xLBX in the arms and 2xLLAS in the torso. If you have any weight left after that, consider upping to a faster engine or squeezing in an AC2 in the torso.

That build would give you some decently reliable midrange to soften the targets while closing in to the LBX effective range.

Edited by Arete, 17 December 2012 - 06:47 AM.

[Pariah Devalis]

Std 225 Engine (52 kph before speed tweak, 56 exactly with it).

Two gauss rifles - one in each arm - with six tons of ammo spread out between the head, center torso, and legs. 60 rounds of ammo, 30 salvos. Almost never run out of ammo with it. And, even if I do....

Three medium lasers as backup weapons.

Armor is almost maxed out, except the legs which are only about 50% covered. Most people just go for the center mass of the thing and do not mess around with a non-lethal leg hit on it.

Endosteel and double heat sinks - though the DHS are not strictly needed it does help with sustained medlas fire.

Yes she is slow, but she is also tough as can be. People keep shooting my side torsos hoping I have an XL to no effect except the loss of half my weapons. Gauss in the arms gives me a great firing arc and minimizes gauss explosion damage. If you can keep the medlas on target it also does the damage of a third gauss rifle. Plus it is good for harassing lights when you do not have a good shot to squish them with the rifles.

Alternatively you can drop in an XL 280 instead, if I remember correctly. Quite an upgrade in speed but I detest the side torso death that comes with extra light engines.

The lack of speed honestly is not that big an issue with it, however. Especially considering its role puts it in the mid to rear lines putting down direct fire support. The front line is not where it was meant to operate.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 17 December 2012 - 08:41 AM.

[MadPanda]

There is only one build:

Standard 250.
3x UAC5
3x ML

Anything else is just weaker build, but I guess someone can say even a crap build is "fun" and thus justify using it.

[Pariah Devalis]

Because opinion is fact, and a better then thou approach to stating it must make it true, right?

Some people like AC spam. I like shooting AC spammers who think just because my screen is shaking I cannot aim. Only the pilot view shakes. The crosshairs do not. I detest them at the same level as Ssrm cats. XD

AC spam will work great on new players. They are worthless against someone who has any experience or aim. Well, not worthless. But easily countered by ignoring the screen shake. In any case it is far from the best build. Not the worst. But no way the be all end all build.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 17 December 2012 - 10:09 AM.

[Elizander]

I'm liking the Ilya 3x UAC/5 3x ML with 280XL. It teaches me how to be more careful when playing and stay near cover/allies.

[Budor]

MadPanda, on 17 December 2012 - 09:20 AM, said:

There is only one build:

Standard 250.
3x UAC5
3x ML

Anything else is just weaker build, but I guess someone can say even a crap build is "fun" and thus justify using it.

not enough ammo

[MadPanda]

Budor, on 17 December 2012 - 10:09 AM, said:

not enough ammo

6tons = 150ammo not enough for you? Mate, you don't need more ammo, you need a lesson in aiming.

[TruePoindexter]

MadPanda, on 17 December 2012 - 09:20 AM, said:

There is only one build:

Standard 250.
3x UAC5
3x ML

Anything else is just weaker build, but I guess someone can say even a crap build is "fun" and thus justify using it.

No where near enough ammo and unless you're macroing you're going to jam the majority of your firepower constantly. Also 58kph w/o Speed Tweak and 62kph with? Yikes.

Here's my personal favorite:
3 AC5 3 ML 320XL

Spoiler

Chassis Name: Cataphract
Model Name: CTF-IM
Variant Name: 3 AC5 3 ML

Engine Cost: 5,120,000 C-Bills
Heat Sink Cost: 12,000 C-Bills
Armor Cost: 130,208 C-Bills
Weapons Cost: 990,000 C-Bills
Equipment Cost: 0 C-Bills
Ammo Cost: 31,500 C-Bills

Engine: 320 XL Engine
Internal Type: Endo Steel Internals
Armor Type: Standard Armor
Heat Sinks: 11 (12) Double Heat Sinks

Tonnage: 70.00
Speed: 79.6 kph
Armor Total: 416
Alpha Strike Damage: 30.00
Alpha Strike Heat: 29.18%
Firepower: 12.57 dps
Heat Efficiency: 44.91%
Effective Range of Loadout: 540m

Head: 18/18
Right Torso: 44/60
Right Rear Torso: 16/60
Center Torso: 68/88
Center Rear Torso: 20/88
Left Torso: 44/60
Left Rear Torso: 16/60
Right Arm: 44/44
Left Arm: 44/44
Right Leg: 51/60
Left Leg: 51/60

Weapons Locations
Right Arm:
AC5
Medium Laser
Left Arm:
AC5
Right Torso:
AC5
Medium Laser
Left Torso:
Medium Laser

Heat Sink Locations

Equipment Locations

Ammo Locations
Center Torso:
(2) AC5 Ammo
Head:
AC5 Ammo
Right Leg:
(2) AC5 Ammo
Left Leg:
(2) AC5 Ammo

I'm going to be publishing a video of it later.

MadPanda, on 17 December 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

6tons = 150ammo not enough for you? Mate, you don't need more ammo, you need a lesson in aiming.

I eat 150 rounds on my Cataphract 3D in a hurry with just 2 UAC5. 3 UAC5 blow through that even faster.

[MadPanda]

TruePoindexter, on 17 December 2012 - 12:06 PM, said:

I eat 150 rounds on my Cataphract 3D in a hurry with just 2 UAC5. 3 UAC5 blow through that even faster.

You are pretty much bragging about being a bad shot. Kinda weird.

[Volts]

MadPanda, on 17 December 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

6tons = 150ammo not enough for you? Mate, you don't need more ammo, you need a lesson in aiming.

6 tons?

I run 12 tons.

edit: I use a alternating fire macro, which will eat through a lot more than otherwise.

Edited by Volts, 17 December 2012 - 12:14 PM.

[TruePoindexter]

MadPanda, on 17 December 2012 - 12:08 PM, said:

You are pretty much bragging about being a bad shot. Kinda weird.

Buh... no. Not in the least. Cool it with the assumptions. You and I don't have anything to prove on the internet and comments like that are unnecessary.

UAC5's are about double firing for the extra damage in clinch situations and burst volleying at range. It's not uncommon for a single exchange to dump 20 rounds down range. When you're only carrying 150 shots total you really only have 7 solid volleys. It's sufficient for most games but it's not unusual to run out of ammo before the end of the match.

Edited by TruePoindexter, 17 December 2012 - 12:23 PM.

[MadPanda]

Stockpiling ammo because a small percentage of games go into the long run is pretty novice thinking. The build has 3 ML's for a good reason.

[Ryebear]

Every round that I run out of ammo I'm surprised at how quickly it went. But with the damage done and kill/assist records at the end it makes sense. I am siding with the notion that that is light when it comes to ammo.

I find 2.66 tonnes per weapon of ammo, round up is usually a good amount to be able to use your weapon until the end of the math without ammo concernes.

That said, the UAC is great for suppressing fire. No matter how much your puff your chest out and come off like a ****, you are still claiming to be able to consistently hit a moving target (on both X and Y axis no less) with a medium speed projectile that requires you to lead your target while your weapons are converging in the distance while the target may be moving faster than your arm/torso/mech turning rate allows.

Those are a lot of outside variables that you are claiming mastery over.

[Hammerfinn]

I just blew all my cbills because I was tired of a slow Phract on a chassis that can carry a slightly larger engine than any other Phract. SO I jumped up to an XL 380. I loaded it with 2 LB-10X ACs in the arms and two MLAS in the torsos. It goes 75 KPH and can oneshot scouts with the ballistics. Of course, you can play with hsinks and amount of ammo, but I tank up on 8 tons. It's like playing a fast shotgun.

[ScrapIron Prime]

I'm having success with an AC/10 in each arm and medium lasers in the torsos. Throw on a 280XL engine (because the cataphract rarely dies to side torso shots, it loses CT first) and an ample 7 tons of ammo for the autocannons and you have an -easy-to use bruiser which can snap shots at speeding light mechs with ease.

I've found that the heavier hits of the 2 AC/10 balance out the greater DPS done by 3 AC/5, and they're easier to use since you don't have to line up torso and arm targeting for a salvo. And chalk me up for loving ample ammo supplies for autocannons. It means you don't have to mother your shots.

[D34K]

Anyone taking only 6 tons of ammo to feed three UAC5s doesn't understand how to double-shot. The damage output of single-fired shots is actually quite low; more annoying than deadly.

The IM can run 3x Large Lasers and 1x Gauss Rifle, but that build is not unique to this chassis.

Given the very wide profile of the IM's side torso hitboxes, running an XL engine should be considered extremely high risk.

Really, this mech is only good for farming cbills against pugs.

ScrapIron Prime, on 17 December 2012 - 01:37 PM, said:

Throw on a 280XL engine (because the cataphract rarely dies to side torso shots...

Easiest side torsos to hit in the game.

[ScrapIron Prime]

D34K, on 17 December 2012 - 01:54 PM, said:

Easiest side torsos to hit in the game.

Opinions vary, then. Personally, if I have a side-on shot to the cataphract, I'll hit the CT rear armor every time. The thing's CT is laughably easy to hit, even easier than a catapult in my opinion.