294 replies to this topic

[Eddrick]

Selfish, on 18 December 2012 - 09:22 PM, said:

I've been using a 5S. It's my first traditional assault mech, so my builds/playstyle aren't very well honed.

2 PPC
4 Mlas
4 SRM 6 (4 tons)
2 AMS (1 ton)
STD 250
18 DHS

Hot as all hell, but manageable as long as you don't misfire a weapon group when you don't want to. 100 Alpha (40 direct, 60 missile, 80 burst for twisting). I usually use PPCs as sniping before brawls, and as crit seekers after SRMs strip armor. I don't really use the Mlas much given how overbearingly hot they are, but they fill the energy gap in the 90m range, make decent fallback after SRMs are down, and of course have their place in alpha strikes.

My first try at an assault mech, and the stalker:

The Stalker in the video is a good example of a Stalker that is not specialized.

My Stalker is the 4N. Max armore, 6 PPCs, as many double heatsinks as it can hold, and a slightly smaller engine then the defult.

Edited by Eddrick, 27 December 2012 - 09:21 AM.

[HiplyRustic]

Rain Man

5M

3X LRM20 + Artemis w/7 tons of missiles
4X MLA
1X AMS

13 DHS

STD 200 engine

Obviously mobility sucks, but in those rare matches where everyone isn't hiding under the ECM Umbrella it's fun.

[PaintedWolf]

Less alpha strike power and speed and SRM-6 ammo, but with AMS, increased heat efficiency and non-XL: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5ca886299ea3b2e
<p class="mech-bar-stats">Tonnage 85.0


max 85Armor 496


max 526Firepower 100


max 175Heat Efficiency1.05


max 2Cooling Efficiency34%


max 100%Stats<p class="mech-stats-stats">

• Free slots 0
  
• Engine (100-310) STD ENGINE 285
  
• Speed 54.3 kph 59.7 kph
  
• Heatsinks 20 (DHS )

Armaments<p class="mech-stats-weapons">

• MEDIUM LASER 5
  
• SRM 6 5
  
• ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM 1

Ammunition

• SRM AMMO 600
  
• AMS AMMO 2000

[PaintedWolf]

STK-5M

Added a Large Pulse Laser for increased reach, re-added Artemis. XL again, only 500 ammo.
<p class="mech-bar-stats">Tonnage 85.0


max 85Armor 512


max 526Firepower 97


max 175Heat Efficiency1.04


max 2Cooling Efficiency32%


max 100%Stats<p class="mech-stats-stats">

• Free slots 0
  
• Engine (100-310) XL ENGINE 300
  
• Speed 57.2 kph 62.9 kph
  
• Heatsinks 19

Armaments<p class="mech-stats-weapons">

• LRG PULSE LASER 1
  
• SRM 6 + ARTEMIS 5
  
• MED PULSE LASER 2

Ammunition

• SRM AMMO 500

[superteds]

PaintedWolf, on 27 December 2012 - 10:33 AM, said:

STK-5M

Added a Large Pulse Laser for increased reach, re-added Artemis. XL again, only 500 ammo.
<p class="mech-bar-stats">Tonnage 85.0


max 85Armor 512


max 526Firepower 97


max 175Heat Efficiency1.04


max 2Cooling Efficiency32%


max 100%Stats<p class="mech-stats-stats">

• Free slots 0
  
• Engine (100-310) XL ENGINE 300
  
• Speed 57.2 kph 62.9 kph
  
• Heatsinks 19

Armaments<p class="mech-stats-weapons">

• LRG PULSE LASER 1
  
• SRM 6 + ARTEMIS 5
  
• MED PULSE LASER 2

Ammunition

• SRM AMMO 500

XL is a deathtrap for a close-range stalker.

[PaintedWolf]

superteds, on 27 December 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

XL is a deathtrap for a close-range stalker.

Yeah I've seen that opinion a lot, but a lot of it could be superstition, or prejudice, or just general post hoc, anecdotes, isolated incidents over-generalized, people not wanting to spend the C-Bills, etc. It can also depend on if they are relying on support or just rushing in there. When you are in forums or in groups a lot you can see a lot of things just being made up or with a hint of truth becomming enrhsined as absolute dogma a lot more then one would normally expect, not to say that does not happen with individuals but with certain groups it can catch like fire so I would probably want to see some examples of an XL brawler being used right before anything.

Also an XL brawler might work differently in a Pre-Made then a PUG because offense would matter more then defense. Then again, if you win with an XL Stalker Brawler a lot in a pre-made it may be just because you are in a pre-made and using a bad Mech but think it is a good Mech just because you win (even an UrbanMech might win in those situations 90% of the time leading the pilot to think it is the most effective design ever. )

Personally I'm fine with a lower grade engine and slower speed myself.

Also a lot of times I worry more about ammo explosions then my XL going down, but that might be TT prejudice. I think in this game it is way easier to focus fire though.

Edited by PaintedWolf, 27 December 2012 - 01:20 PM.

[superteds]

PaintedWolf, on 27 December 2012 - 01:15 PM, said:

Yeah I've seen that opinion a lot, but a lot of it could be superstition, or prejudice, or just general post hoc, anecdotes, isolated incidents over-generalized, people not wanting to spend the C-Bills, etc. It can also depend on if they are relying on support or just rushing in there. When you are in forums or in groups a lot you can see a lot of things just being made up or with a hint of truth becomming enrhsined as absolute dogma a lot more then one would normally expect, not to say that does not happen with individuals but with certain groups it can catch like fire so I would probably want to see some examples of an XL brawler being used right before anything.

Also an XL brawler might work differently in a Pre-Made then a PUG because offense would matter more then defense. Then again, if you win with an XL Stalker Brawler a lot in a pre-made it may be just because you are in a pre-made and using a bad Mech but think it is a good Mech just because you win (even an UrbanMech might win in those situations 90% of the time leading the pilot to think it is the most effective design ever. )

Personally I'm fine with a lower grade engine and slower speed myself.

Also a lot of times I worry more about ammo explosions then my XL going down, but that might be TT prejudice. I think in this game it is way easier to focus fire though.

nah it's true. i've just about finished eliting 3 brawling stalkers, and probably one in three matches i'm losing a side. this is with twisting to protect them and spread fire, but they're just so ******* big it's impossible. also, given how hot the stalker gets, if you drop an XL in you lose the ability to fit 2 torso DHS's.

really really not a fan of them. rather have half a stalker (still good damage!) that's capable of capping/blocking a cap/spotting/distracting etc than a fairly compromised build that blows up whenever someone sneezes on its side.

[PaintedWolf]

superteds, on 27 December 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:

nah it's true. i've just about finished eliting 3 brawling stalkers, and probably one in three matches i'm losing a side. this is with twisting to protect them and spread fire, but they're just so ******* big it's impossible. also, given how hot the stalker gets, if you drop an XL in you lose the ability to fit 2 torso DHS's.

really really not a fan of them. rather have half a stalker (still good damage!) that's capable of capping/blocking a cap/spotting/distracting etc than a fairly compromised build that blows up whenever someone sneezes on its side.

Yeah I am going by TT rules a lot where there are no hardpoints or engine size limits or jump jet limits and you can put ECM and there are Streak-SRM 6s. I also tend to use Improved Jump Jets to get 7 jump on the Stalker with 6 Streak SRM 6s and Angel ECM (which basically let's you use both ECM modes at once. ) Also heat rules work different in TT, but in TT XL Engine is almost always worth it because you can't aim, so like a certain percent of shots will hit the arm, legs and CT no matter what, and there are Through Armor Criticals AND if you take enough damage you fall over, so there are way more ways to die in TT. So basically TT XL means extra-everything you can even imagine, only a small percent of the time is the R or L Torso taken out before the rest of the Mech or pilot (pilots also die a lot in TT or "blackout" from overheating or falls or head hits or ammo explosions, etc- something like 1/3rd of the time the pilot dies before the Mech does in TT) but in this game there is a lot of focus fire so your R/L Torsos might go way faster. Also you can't put a 340 Engine on a Stalker like you can in TT or Improved Jump Jets, which are awesome.

How worth it is Artemis?

Edited by PaintedWolf, 27 December 2012 - 01:41 PM.

[PaintedWolf]

Okay Artemis seems more pro-LRM then SRM based, also I like how the spread makes it easier to hit lights, and I want the extra space and weight for ammo and DHSs and armor. So new Standard Engine Brawler: STK-5M
<p class="mech-bar-stats">Tonnage 84.9 (0.1 free)


max 85Armor 526


max 526Firepower 100


max 175Heat Efficiency1.05


max 2Cooling Efficiency34%


max 100%Stats<p class="mech-stats-stats">

• Free slots 0
  
• Engine (100-310) STD ENGINE 275
  
• Speed 52.4 kph 57.7 kph
  
• Heatsinks 20

Armaments

• MEDIUM LASER 5
  
• SRM 6 5
  
• ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEM 1

Ammunition

• SRM AMMO 600
  
• AMS AMMO 2000

Also: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...881098323354787

Edited by PaintedWolf, 27 December 2012 - 06:27 PM.

[superteds]

PaintedWolf, on 27 December 2012 - 01:34 PM, said:

Yeah I am going by TT rules a lot where there are no hardpoints or engine size limits or jump jet limits and you can put ECM and there are Streak-SRM 6s. I also tend to use Improved Jump Jets to get 7 jump on the Stalker with 6 Streak SRM 6s and Angel ECM (which basically let's you use both ECM modes at once. ) Also heat rules work different in TT, but in TT XL Engine is almost always worth it because you can't aim, so like a certain percent of shots will hit the arm, legs and CT no matter what, and there are Through Armor Criticals AND if you take enough damage you fall over, so there are way more ways to die in TT. So basically TT XL means extra-everything you can even imagine, only a small percent of the time is the R or L Torso taken out before the rest of the Mech or pilot (pilots also die a lot in TT or "blackout" from overheating or falls or head hits or ammo explosions, etc- something like 1/3rd of the time the pilot dies before the Mech does in TT) but in this game there is a lot of focus fire so your R/L Torsos might go way faster. Also you can't put a 340 Engine on a Stalker like you can in TT or Improved Jump Jets, which are awesome.

How worth it is Artemis?

I actually prefer ASRM4's on my stalkers over SRM6's. better with heat, better grouping, better ammo conservation. And i'm finding unless i'm almost cuddling a mech i won't land even 80% of hits with normal SRM6, so i'm wasting damage anyway. ASRM4 lets me apply all of those missiles much more accurately, with far less wasted damage,

[PaintedWolf]

superteds, on 27 December 2012 - 02:38 PM, said:

I actually prefer ASRM4's on my stalkers over SRM6's. better with heat, better grouping, better ammo conservation. And i'm finding unless i'm almost cuddling a mech i won't land even 80% of hits with normal SRM6, so i'm wasting damage anyway. ASRM4 lets me apply all of those missiles much more accurately, with far less wasted damage,

50% less damage.....also they might have ECM. Also I kind of like the spread because it makes it more likely to hit faster-lighter Mechs. IMO ASRMs might help make coreing easier and could prove deadly with Medium Pulse Lasers.

My version with Artemis: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...eecd5732262527a
<p class="mech-stats-stats">

• Free slots 0
  
• Engine (100-310) STD ENGINE 250
  
• Speed 47.6 kph 52.4 kph
  
• Heatsinks 17

Armaments<p class="mech-stats-weapons">

• MEDIUM LASER 5
  
• SRM 6 + ARTEMIS 5

Ammunition

• SRM AMMO 1000

Compared to the other build it is slower and has no AMS but it does have more ammo plus Artemis.

Edited by PaintedWolf, 27 December 2012 - 03:58 PM.

[Dirkdaring]

Made this last night. Does very well against non-ECM. Probably has too much SSRM2 ammo. I may try switching the SSRM2s out for SRM4s.

STK-5M

- 2 ERPPC
- 5x SSRM2, 5 tons ammo
- 1x AMS, 1 ton ammo
- 1x MPL
- 20x DHS
- Max armor
- STD-255

Edited by Dirkdaring, 27 December 2012 - 05:44 PM.

[PaintedWolf]

Another video of the 6 PPC Lightning God Stalker: aka Stalker of Doom aka Thor's Hammer.

Another Obliterator, very similiar to what I would like to use:

Edited by PaintedWolf, 27 December 2012 - 06:14 PM.

[kilgor]

I revised my STK-5M build a little

Engine STD 255
19 Double Heat Sinks
3 x Large Laser
2 x Medium Laser
2 x Streak SRM-2
1 ton SSRM ammo
1 x LRM-5
1 x LRM-10
2 tons LRM ammo
Beagle Active Probe
2 x C.A.S.E.

My LRMs are more for harrassing and to soften people up and the faster lock on times with the BAP help out.

[Darkun1]

My Stalker 5S build

Stalker 5S stats
Speed = 57.7 with 10% speed boost
Firepower = 66
Heat Efficiency = 1.07
Armor = 482
Weapons
Medium Lasers x4
LRM 10 + Artemis x2
SRM2 + Artemis x2
AMS x2
Equipment
STD Heat Sink x10
STD Engine 275
Beagle Active Probe
Ferro Fibrous Armor
Standard Internal Structure
Artemis
C.A.S.E x2
Ammo
LRM x4
SRM x2
AMS x2

Edited by Darkun1, 28 December 2012 - 02:26 PM.

[Loc Nar]

I'm gonna go ahead and eat my hat here. I initially spoke ill of Stalkers when in fact my problems and subsequent rant about it was purely due to my complete lack of Assault experience, particularly in the loadout dept. After wasting millions of cbills (sigh), I had a worthless 5S and it cost further millions (sigh) to fix it, a problem I at least no longer have to deal with now that smurfy's kickass mechlab tool is there to help figure out those little details on 'paper' first.

More important than specific loadouts, here are guidelines to make what I see as the most the successful builds:

1. Armor max, or 512/526 (legs to 65 is needed) to round out tonnage
2. STD300 in brawlers, XL300 in missleboats/long range/high aplha specialists
3. DHS, with the first two stuck in the extra space of the 300 engine (DHS are 2.0 *inside the engine, and don't waste slots...)
4. STD structrure -Endo gobbles up 14 precious slots, and reduces it to a 1 or 2 trick pony
5. AMS + 2t ammo, LRMs are alive and well and the STK is a lumbering target
6. Sustained fire>Alpha

[NRP]

double post

Edited by NRP, 28 December 2012 - 05:00 PM.

[NRP]

Damn you PaintedWolf for posting vids of the 6 PPC Lightning God stalker!  LOL!  I just bought a stalker to try and recreate this beast.  How do you keep that thing from having a heat stroke everytime you fire it?  I crammed every DHS on it I could, and I can only rock 2 ERPPCs and 2 ERLLAs (still hilariously effective though).  I'm using the chassis variant with 6 energy slots, 5 missile slots, and 2 AMS slots (can't remember what it's called - 5S?).  Can you provide more details?

Edited by NRP, 28 December 2012 - 05:05 PM.

[L1f3H4ck]

So this is my Stalker:

3F for the added Torso Twist

2 LRM15+Artemis with 6t Ammo for some serious rain.
4 Medium Lasers in the Arms for close combat. the high arm mounts are awesome for peeking above hilltops, buildings.
1 Large Laser for additional ranged firepower.
2 Streak SRM2 with 1t Ammo. They are good, right?
1 AMS with 1t Ammo ofc.

300XL for good speed. This is not technically a brawler, so try to keep a healthy distance.
18 Double Heatsinks

The setup leaves one free crit in each arm and one free Energy Hardpoint. I've found that a single Large Laser benefits the build more than 2 Mediums in the torso. It runs quite cool, unless you use the Large Laser in close combat. It has done 1k+ damage, but watch out for those ECM scouts.

Edited by Frechdachs, 28 December 2012 - 09:29 PM.

[Stingz]

NRP, on 28 December 2012 - 04:59 PM, said:

Damn you PaintedWolf for posting vids of the 6 PPC Lightning God stalker! LOL! I just bought a stalker to try and recreate this beast. How do you keep that thing from having a heat stroke everytime you fire it? I crammed every DHS on it I could, and I can only rock 2 ERPPCs and 2 ERLLAs (still hilariously effective though). I'm using the chassis variant with 6 energy slots, 5 missile slots, and 2 AMS slots (can't remember what it's called - 5S?). Can you provide more details?

Make those 6 PPCs count, 60 damage in one spot is enough to down most mechs. My Raven got 1-shot by that build, all CT hits.