50 replies to this topic

[ICEFANG13]

I would suggest 4 A/C-2s, I use 3 on the Dragon-5N, they run cool enough that their DPS is important, and with a DPS of 16, you can core an Atlas with full frontal armor in 11.625 seconds. That's pretty crazy to think about. It has very long range, and does good fire support, and can hold its own in light brawling, or adding insane damage to a tankier unit.

[BloodTzar]

I run mine with:

Endo,11 Double heat sinks, Std 210 engine ( tho I am thinking to save up and get XL one)

2xUAC5, 2xAC2 (ammo with CASE) , 2ML

I love it, when cycled its just pain for enemy cockpits, very fun at range to mid range.

Previously, I had 2xUAC5 with AC5 2ML and SSRM2, but it was much more Close combat oriented...

~BT

[Flapdrol]

It's a good gauss platform, has 5 tons on the K2, gets a bit more from endo too.

4x ac2 means ridiculous dps if you pack a bunch of double heatsinks and the heat thingy in the pilot lab.

Edited by Flapdrol, 06 January 2013 - 04:23 AM.

[Carrioncrows]

I am enjoying the hell out of my 70 ton Jagermech.

x2 AC2's - x4 tons of ammo
X2 AC5's - x4 tons of ammo
x2 Med lasers
11 DHS
ENDO
STD 210 Engine.

It seriously rocks my world and anyone else's. Only use the Meds on light mechs or when you run out of ammo. Don't even bother trying to use it in a alpha strike. Get so much more potential out of the cannons.

When you start to overheat (and you will overheat) just lay off the AC2's until you cool down enough and then re-engage them.

I've gone toe to toe with Atlas's in this thing and came out the other side with only a Orange CT. Someone else mentioned utilizing UAC5's but I don't see myself making that change, not only is it 2 tons less ammo I could potentially pack but it's 5 less rounds per ton.

[StraferX]

I love the CTF-4x above the other cat variants. 2 x AC5's and 2 x UAC5's makes for a nasty beast with the xl 255, it may be a bit soft and vulnerable to LRM shellings but up close and personal almost every mech turns and runs. My fav thing to do is to locate the LRM boats, flank quickly and discintegrate. Think I will try the 4 AC2 build and give it a go as well. All in All nothing beats a well handed Wang.

[Adrienne Vorton]

just to add something here

2X AC5(chainfire) to "simulate" a not-jamming UAC5 (yep i could use an ac 10, but the doubleshot is often better for aiming)
1X LB/10X
2X Medium Lazrs
11 DHS (believe me, you´ll need a jacket under your cooling vest, brrr this mech is cooold)
260(?)XL (62kph with speedtweak...not sure about the exact engine, too lazy to look now^^)
some armour adjustments

you have a relatively low alpha-damage, but you can alpha the hell out of that (better say: the other^^) mech in close range and have a nice mid - longrange ability...

downside: you have to learn to handle the AC´s, but once familiar with those weapons, its plain fun^^

i still prefere my 1X though

Edited by Adrienne Vorton, 06 January 2013 - 06:35 AM.

[Hayashi]

I don't own one, but offhand I'd recommend 2x LBX-AC/10, SSRM2 in the head and 2 MPLAS, maxed XL, DHS maxed in engine, Endo, and as much LBX-AC/10 ammo you can fit.

Oh, and only one ton of SSRM2 ammo. Upgrade to Artemis for faster lock speed.

Not very sure how much weight that leaves you. Throw in a BAP or AMS if you can afford the weight to support the other Mechs on your team and all. If not, that's all.

Should give you a very strong close-in punch, and you should be very well equipped to handle Light mech targets. You'll be a sitting duck against snipers though, especially with low speed, so use cover as much as possible.

Edited by Hayashi, 06 January 2013 - 06:38 AM.

[ICEFANG13]

Hayashi, on 06 January 2013 - 06:33 AM, said:

I don't own one, but offhand I'd recommend 2x LBX-AC/10, SSRM2 in the head and 2 MPLAS, maxed XL, DHS maxed in engine, Endo, and as much LBX-AC/10 ammo you can fit.

Oh, and only one ton of SSRM2 ammo. Upgrade to Artemis for faster lock speed.

Not very sure how much weight that leaves you. Throw in a BAP or AMS if you can afford the weight to support the other Mechs on your team and all. If not, that's all.

Should give you a very strong close-in punch, and you should be very well equipped to handle Light mech targets. You'll be a sitting duck against snipers though, especially with low speed, so use cover as much as possible.

I'm sorry, what you said makes no sense.

1 Most lights are 3Ls or 2Ds, and don't care if you have a SSRM.
2 One SSRM is not a deciding factor against light mechs, as a light mech pilot, two is when the danger starts, one is not.
3 You cannot add Artemis to an SSRM, it wouldn't do anything, and the launcher is in the head, so you don't have the slot anyway.
4 BAP is not usually a good choice, as ECM very often counter it, and if you are packing 4 ballistics (as the Ctf-4X should probably have 4, otherwise you'd probably be better off with another mech, maybe 3). AMS is better, but LRMs are a lot less common now, however, with a top speed of only 70ish, its a lot more helpful.
5 I made the quad A/C-2 build, 8 tons of ammo, and max STD engine, I don't think you need to place an XL on the CTF-4X, especially at 70 tons.

[Rainbow Unikorn]

like this

[ICEFANG13]

For the record, at this time, you'd be better off removing the machine guns and placing in heatsinks, or anything else, but I'm pretty sure that picture was mostly for the lulz.

[NRP]

Guys, I don't drive Cataphracts but from my experience they are pretty devastating. I always try to pair up with one or two in a match. If you're having trouble, try to stay in a group with other mechs. No mech does that well on its own. The great thing about the ballistic loadouts in most Cataphracts is that it shakes the hell out of the enemy's screen so they can't return fire accurately. Really excellent suppressive fire platforms.

[Rainbow Unikorn]

This morning, i had the same reflection about 4x, how refit my russian heavy weapon guy.

Ya, mariachi lolbuild, but lb10x and OP machin gunz work pretty much.
Don't forget the pulse; and at close range, let's taste some heavy bullet in side torso.

[Hayashi]

ICEFANG13, on 06 January 2013 - 07:59 AM, said:

I'm sorry, what you said makes no sense.

1 Most lights are 3Ls or 2Ds, and don't care if you have a SSRM.
2 One SSRM is not a deciding factor against light mechs, as a light mech pilot, two is when the danger starts, one is not.
3 You cannot add Artemis to an SSRM, it wouldn't do anything, and the launcher is in the head, so you don't have the slot anyway.
4 BAP is not usually a good choice, as ECM very often counter it, and if you are packing 4 ballistics (as the Ctf-4X should probably have 4, otherwise you'd probably be better off with another mech, maybe 3). AMS is better, but LRMs are a lot less common now, however, with a top speed of only 70ish, its a lot more helpful.
5 I made the quad A/C-2 build, 8 tons of ammo, and max STD engine, I don't think you need to place an XL on the CTF-4X, especially at 70 tons.

1/2 - ECM can be countered by ECM from teammates, and the SSRM2 is an anti-lagshield insurance weapon, NOT the main weapon. A single SSRM2 hardly counts for a main weapon. I'm not sure where you even got that idea. Both LBX-AC/10 and MPLAS are exceedingly effective at hitting lagshielded ECM lights, as are SRM - though the size (or lack thereof) of the missile hardpoint here makes SRM not a particularly attractive approach. Not all lights are ECM Commandos or Ravens either, there are still quite a few JR7-D running around.

Twin LBX-AC/10 and MPLAS also can do 32 damage, which would be approximately 16 consistently and rapidly to a lagshielded light, which would be much higher than most setups can achieve - or 25-27 damage at short ranges to heavier, slower Mechs. the SSRM2 when used singly tends to hit the CT relatively often too, so combined with some good aiming with the other weapons that's about 30 damage rapidly to the CT of a Heavy+ without heat issues.

3 - False. LRMs and SSRMs use the same mechanism for lock-ons, so Artemis increases lock speed for SSRMs as well, with no tonnage or critical space drawbacks. You don't seem very familiar with Streak Artemis usage, but basically every SSRM2 boat out there tends to carry Artemis no matter what.

Artemis is of more questionable significance on small SRM or LRM launchers, where the increased weight/critical slots may not be worth the additional accuracy.

4 - It's not a necessity to use every single hardpoint, and fitting Machine Guns here would be a waste of tonnage with the current state of Machine Guns. By all means, if you could fit an AC/2 or 2 in there with an XL, go ahead, but I'm not really very sure how much tonnage we have to play with here since I don't own a Cataphract. It might help give it some plinking power at range, and since you'd be pretty much running cold anyway I don't think heat would be an issue.

5 - Last I heard, Cataphracts were at far more risk of getting their arms/CT shot off than their side torsos. But if you can afford the weight, by all means a Standard would always be safer than an XL. After all, it's not exactly fast.

Edited by Hayashi, 06 January 2013 - 09:31 AM.

[ICEFANG13]

Hayashi, on 06 January 2013 - 09:27 AM, said:

1/2 - ECM can be countered by ECM from teammates, and the SSRM2 is an anti-lagshield insurance weapon, NOT the main weapon. A single SSRM2 hardly counts for a main weapon. I'm not sure where you even got that idea.

3 - False. LRMs and SSRMs use the same mechanism for lock-ons, so Artemis increases lock speed for SSRMs as well, with no tonnage or critical space drawbacks. You don't seem very familiar with Streak Artemis usage, but basically every SSRM2 boat out there tends to carry Artemis no matter what.

Artemis is of more questionable significance on small SRM or LRM launchers, where the increased weight/critical slots may not be worth the additional accuracy.

4 - It's not a necessity to use every single hardpoint, and fitting Machine Guns here would be a waste of tonnage with the current state of Machine Guns. By all means, if you could fit an AC/2 or 2 in there with an XL, go ahead, but I'm not really very sure how much tonnage we have to play with here since I don't own a Cataphract. It might help give it some plinking power at range, and since you'd be pretty much running cold anyway I don't think heat would be an issue.

5 - Last I heard, Cataphracts were at far more risk of getting their arms/CT shot off than their side torsos. But if you can afford the weight, by all means a Standard would always be safer than an XL. After all, it's not exactly fast.

I just opened MWO, if you get Artemis, and equip a missile. SRM-2/4/6 and LRM-5/10/15/20 all increase by 1 ton and 1 slot, and it says, right there, "SRM Launcher + Artemis". The SSRM-2 does not say that. The ammo also says, "SRM Artemis", and the SSRM ammo does not. So what you're telling me, is that, it doesn't add any weight, and it doesn't add any slots (so it does fit in the head), it doesn't say it on the launcher, and it doesn't say it on the ammo, but Artemis still benefits Streak Short Range Missiles?

Baloney...

I don't know if you are reading what I posted correctly, I don't say anything about Machine Guns, and you can easily fit 4 A/C-2s in a Ctf-4X without an XL engine, not just one or two. It doesn't really make sense what you said.

Also, you cannot assume your teammates are bringing ECM to a match, unless you know they are, and if they are, it will take 2 mechs, to fight 1, and if you and that ECM mech are fighting an enemy light ECM, and you need SSRMs to deal the damage (because you cannot do it without?), then you are completely under preforming what you can do.

You do not bring a 70 ton heavy to a match, with the intent of using only 1 SSRM-2, and needing another mech to help you while you do it. That is so inefficient.

The DPS of 2 LBX-10s (assuming full accuracy), 2 Medium Pulse Lasers, and 1 SSRM-2 is 12.63, and requires the LBXes to be firing perfectly, which is rare. A lot farther from 16 from 4 A/C-2s, and then you still can place a SSRM and 2 Medium Pulses if you wanted to.

Edited by ICEFANG13, 06 January 2013 - 09:41 AM.

[ShotgunWillie]

Here's how I run mine: CTF-4X

It is devastating against mediums and heavies and does quite a number on assaults (I can go toe to toe with a brawler Awesome and win, though I'll be close to cored at that point). It doesn't do to well against lights, but the medium pulse lasers allow it to at least try to defend itself.

I went with a standard engine to avoid dying from losing a side torso, and without speed tweak (this is my only 'Phract at the moment), it runs 59 kph.

[Murku]

Began hating my 4X, ended up loving her. Phracts make good brawlers as damage seems to spread across all 3 torsos like on a stalker rather than focus like an Atlas. We got shived when we had an arm nerf without a torso twist buff, which is a bit of a pain. Here's my no-brainer brawling liner:

250Std Engine (with 10DHS), Endo, 412 pts of Ferro Armor (remember to buff CT front a bit from standard)
SRM4(100rds), 2xLBX10(30rds), Large Pulse Laser, AMS.

Uses every slot, just roll forward and shoot. I prefer chaining LBX for a one/two, just use your mouse buttons to roll thru all 4 weapons. Runs at about 64kph with speed tweak. Fun.

Edited by Murku, 06 January 2013 - 10:32 AM.

[Indoorsman]

Hayashi, on 06 January 2013 - 09:27 AM, said:

Artemis increases lock speed for SSRMs as well, with no tonnage or critical space drawbacks...
...basically every SSRM2 boat out there tends to carry Artemis no matter what.

Where is this documented? Or is it? Ninja mechanics!

[Broceratops]

Artemis does not affect ssrms. i remember a post from one of the devs explicitly saying that ssrms gain zero benefit from Artemis. I stopped upgrading my streak mechs with Artemis because of this post, so I remember it clearly! also in the patch notes for when Artemis was put in, it specifically mentions lrms only:


- Artemis improves the lock on time and tracking strength of LRMs
- The Artemis upgrade can be applied to all standard LRM and SRM launchers, but not Streak SRMs


If I'm wrong on this, please do test it and correct me because I'd love to have fast lock-on streaks for 750k.

Edited by Broceratops, 06 January 2013 - 07:56 PM.

[ICEFANG13]

He is wrong, I already checked it. He even down rated me a star for being correct. Excellent moderation!

[Carrioncrows]