245 replies to this topic

[Yarvoo]

I only have the Flame at the moment, will probably be buying the Fang at some point in the near future.

I've tried a fair number of builds now, main differences being engine sizes.

Having a gauss in the torso with 4 medium lasers and an SRM or SSRM in the CT worked out fairly well, but I am currently having fun with this:

Works best if you are the type to stay back out of combat or you just enjoy some sniping from time to time.

XL300
Endo Steel
DHS

LA - 1x PPC and 1x Large Laser
RA - 1x PPC and 1x Large Laser

16 double heatsinks.

I group the PPCs to my right mouse in chainfire, and the lasers to the left mouse, also in chain fire. You can shoot the PPCs in chainfire all day and not worry about overheating, and the lasers are naturally quite effective at both long and short ranges.

Since I have already completed elite on the existing 3 dragons, I converted some xp and now have elite completed on Flame as well.

Moving at 90kph while having that kind of long range firepower is just awesome, you can bounce between cover areas and constantly poke away, softening up whatever you can hit.

Seems like assaults like to get fed up and charge, which means you can juke around your cover and they get torn up by your team, or you just harass them when their back is turned, gotta abuse that speed!

Light swarms are annoying as usual, but I've managed better running this than most other dragon builds. Not needing to worry about ammo and heat being quite manageable if you don't get overzealous helps out a lot.

So what does everyone else find most effective?

EDIT: This was my latest game with this build. I stood back sniping everything I could, relocating as needed. Our base was being capped later in the game, I go back, killing a cataphract along the way. Then I finish off the two wounded atlas on our base. Then I head back to their base where our last member, a commando was fighting a raven and another atlas. Chase the raven down, staying behind him as I ran faster, and then finally finished off the last atlas for the win.

Edited by Voo4386, 19 December 2012 - 12:22 AM.

[Tenri]

XL 350
Endo
17xDHS
RA & LA -1xLL and 1xML
CT - SRM 6 w/ 1ton
All but the legs are at max armor
Weapon groups are LL are bonded to left and right mouse clicks, and both ML on one, and srms on two.

Running at 103kph in and out of battles melting armor and spewing srms only time.

I'm thinking about getting the XL 360 and dropping two DHS and adding armor back onto the legs and seeing how that will run I dunno don't have the C-bills for it atm xD.... Either that or I'll get a stalker.. choices choices...

Edited by Tenri, 18 December 2012 - 11:48 PM.

[Mahws]

STD 300
Endo
12xDHS
4xML
1xAC20 (4 tonnes ammo)

Tossing up whether it's worth the XL engine. Run it like a wild dog, stick just behind the lines and use that speed to get to wherever the fighting is thickest and your allies are gathered. Keep moving constantly, pop out of cover to slap someone in the face with the AC20 and be behind another building before they can react. Then circle back around and smack them in the head again. Runs quite well, getting 1-3 kills most matches.

[Elizander]

I'm hesitant to get a fast engine right now due to my latency (I rubberband if I got too fast) so I'm sticking with a 280XL to make my Fang go at 75kph.

Currently using:

Endo
DHS
Medium Laser (x3)
UAC/5 (x1) + UAC/5 Ammo (x4)
AC/5 (x1) + AC/5 Ammo (x2)
SRM6 (x1) + SRM6 Ammo (x2)

Not sure if it's what I really like, but it seems to handle okay so far. I'll experiment with a bigger engine after I decide what speed I want to run at.

[IceWeasel]

Running the Flame, with

XL300,
Gauss, and 3 tons ammo
SRM 4 and 1 ton ammo
4x Medium Lasers

BAP, and AMS +1ton
Double HS I think +3 including 2 in engine.
fully armored except for legs

I'm wrecking **** up left and right. I love my basic dragons, this thing is even more beast.

Edited by IceWeasel, 19 December 2012 - 12:03 AM.

[Ursh]

Same as Tenri, but swapped srm6 for ssrm2 + ams.

[Artifex 28]

Then again you could be moving 82.7kph with Awesome 9M with 3x PPC, with 1.3 heat eff. :>

[Ursh]

Artifex 28, on 19 December 2012 - 02:22 AM, said:

Then again you could be moving 82.7kph with Awesome 9M with 3x PPC, with 1.3 heat eff. :>

Isn't that the only Awesome you can do that with though? In order to get elites you would still need to buy and level two other Awesomes.

At least with the Dragon you can use the same engines in all the variants, which makes it more cost efficient I think.

[Waking One]

How is the fang different from other dragons already in the game? Can it fit an AC20? if not... uhhh... :/

[Elizander]

Waking One, on 19 December 2012 - 03:20 AM, said:

How is the fang different from other dragons already in the game? Can it fit an AC20? if not... uhhh... :/

Fang cannot fit an AC/20.

Fang is generally the 5N with 1 Ballistic hardpoint removed from the right arm to get 1 Energy hardpoint in the left torso. It's better than the 5N but not by much. It would have been great if they took out the Shoulder Actuator on the right arm to make room for an AC/20 or 2x UAC/5 or just trade 1 more Ballistic hardpoint from the right arm for a Missile hardpoint to the right torso.

[GT Hawk]

Mahws, on 18 December 2012 - 11:48 PM, said:

STD 300
Endo
12xDHS
4xML
1xAC20 (4 tonnes ammo)

Tossing up whether it's worth the XL engine. Run it like a wild dog, stick just behind the lines and use that speed to get to wherever the fighting is thickest and your allies are gathered. Keep moving constantly, pop out of cover to slap someone in the face with the AC20 and be behind another building before they can react. Then circle back around and smack them in the head again. Runs quite well, getting 1-3 kills most matches.

What did you have to do to armor to get 4 ml and 12 double heat sinks

[Fudowara Hakeido]

The Flame is a really nice dragon, I enjoy having him with a similarr build as the OP. Mine is:

XL300, endo steel, dbl sinks
2 ppcs in the RA
2 mpuls in the LA
1ssrm in the CT with 1t ammo
ams with 1t ammo
17 dbl heat sinks

He plays similar to the Sniper build you have, but the smalelr weapons are great for when the fight manages to reach you. Even then, if you realize you are not being focused and may be able to slide closer without being notcied, go ahead and unleash all your weapons. the heat should be enough for 2 alphas, then chain it up.

I'm interested in the Fang though, I also have one, but I just can't figure out how to build him. I have all variants, and this one doesnt seem to have anything special over the others. The flame at least has interesting laser placement in the arms and a torso ballistic slot that can hold an ac20 if you feel like it. The Fang will probably be built as per standard variants.

[Tremendous Upside]

I went against the grain and bought Fang. Yes, it's hardly any different than the other DRG's, but I always loved the 3 variants as they were - but just wanted one that didn't cost a fortune to run and could give me a bonus.... So problem solved . I'm running a pretty standard DRG build on it. Default loadout + 1xML, DHS, endo, XL325, shifted the ammo around and dumped the remaining points into armor. Works great... Might swap the AC10 out for a UAC5 and bump the engine up though. You can never have too much speed. Should be at 96kph after speed tweak, but I'd love to be about 10 kph faster than that...

[Vosenbergen]

Currently using Flame as a Grand Dragon (of sorts)

360XL (with speed tweak I'm running 104!)
Endo-Steel
18 DHS
1 ERPPC in the right arm
1 ML in the right arm
2 ML in the left arm
1 SRM6 in the CT with 3 tons of ammo

It works very well

Edited by Vosenbergen, 19 December 2012 - 07:40 AM.

[Ursh]

AC10
SRM6
4 Flamers.

I will build this tonight and run it in at least one match, just to have a firebreathing dragon.

[Elizander]

Changed up my Fang with my new 360XL Engine. Running a low heat build with the following:

LT - Large Laser (x1)
LA - Medium Laser (x2)
RA - Machine Gun (x2)
CT - SRM6 (x1)

I managed to pull up 3 kills and 400 damage on the initial run though a lot of that damage is spread because I'm just mindlessly peltering the enemy while doing the 360 dance on them. I still overheated in Caustic but that's mostly my fault for not letting go of the Large Laser fire button.

Most games were played in Conquest mode (easier to Rambo there in pug games).

[Broceratops]

Flame - 4 ML, AC10, 360 XL, 1.22 HE

Fang - 2 LL, Gauss, 300 XL, 1.35 HE


both are pretty solid, for dragons, but they're not good enough to be competitive mechs. they need to bring back knockdown so that a heavy mech that can move faster than most medium mechs can really shine.

Edited by Broceratops, 19 December 2012 - 07:58 AM.

[merzon]

I am running Flame, also Grand Dragon style

XL engine 360
Endo-Steel
3 medium laser
1 er ppc
1 lrm 10
1 ton of lrm ammo
17 dbl heat sinks

[Grimlox]

Currently running

XL 315 (Leftover from Catapults)
Endo-Steel
2 Mlas
2 PPC
1 Streak SSRM2 (1 ton ammo)
18 DHS
400 armour (ran out of crit space for any more DHS's)

Similar to OP, but I decreased long range punch for better heat efficiency and a streak to dissuade obnoxious lights.

Best round so far was just over 600 dmg, easy to get into 400-500 range and typically 2-3 kills when you do (a lot of pinpoint dmg with the PPC's).

Takes some practice to run and gun with PPC's. Don't commit to a brawl and wait for opponents to tie up with your brawlers and offer them some nice fire support.

Edited by Grimlox, 19 December 2012 - 08:32 AM.

[Lanessar]

I'm running a Flame, grand dragon style as well.

300XL engine (going to upgrade to a 360XL soonest)
17 DHS
ES
ERPPC/ML in left arm,
2xML in right arm
SRM6 + 1t ammo in CT
Max armor

It works pretty well, but I'm probably going to go back and forth swapping out an LRM10 to play with it. Haven't been impressed with 1xSSRM with this guy; they work better in 2 or more.

I may also play more with LL instead of ML. ML do okay, but I feel like I need a bit more punch.