4 replies to this topic

[Gandalfrockman]

Has anyone else tried something like this:
DRG-1C

Strip all the armor off one arm to allow more room for heatsinks/engine.
I didn't think I was going to particularly enjoy the dragon, but I had this crazy Idea, and I had about 30,000,000 cbills just sitting there....

And you know what? ITS FANTASTIC! Its fast, its got solid range, decent armor, and quad LL's just eat through armor like it is delicious delicious Cake.

[XSerjo]

Gandalfrockman, on 01 February 2013 - 10:21 AM, said:

And you know what? ITS FANTASTIC! Its fast, its got solid range, decent armor, and quad LL's just eat through armor like it is delicious delicious Cake.

Now, you're wasting slots. Drop a couple of HS, install ferro, 350 engine (4HS inside). DRG-1C

Speed is a life for any XL mech. With 325 engine you have nearly the same speed as non-XL hunchie, less armor, less firepower - WTF?!

[nostra]

Dammit, XL Engines are NOT the end-all-be-all of battlemech customization! Look at what that gets you, an XL 325 Engine gives you a pathetic 6kph bump over the stock Dragon's Vlar 300 Fusion Engine, which is NOTHING in this game. A Dragon is already the fastest heavy 'mech in the game, and when you use the basic (and MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE) endo steel structure and ferro-fibrous armor upgrades, you save just about as much weight.

That said, the quad LL build can be highly effective, especially with double heat sinks (because, let's face it, the Dragon is not the most heat efficient machine stock). I love ballistic weapons, so i'd hate to sacrifice my one ballistic slot, but for an all-energy build until the DRG-1G comes out (which, for those non-battletech fans out there, comes standard with an LRM 10, PPC, and Medium Laser and therefore will likely have a few more energy hardpoints) I'd say this is a good way to run the 1C variant. If you had so many C-Bills lying around though, I'd suggest upgrading those to ER Large Lasers just for the added range boost, the 'mech's one main weakness being that large torso section which is highly vulnerable (even moreso with an XL engine) to return fire.

[Mavairo]

Actually XLs are the top dog for dragon builds. Due to weight freed up, and crit slot efficiency. FF + Endo = less DHS than a Larger XL engine can provide. Let's also not forget the bigger engines get you more built in heat sinks, at the full 2.0 rating. Not only this but bigger engines means faster torso twisting another mandatory skill for dragon pilots to learn, and much quicker aiming capability. And generally you'll still have enough slots left for Endo steel, plenty of ammo, and enough weight to upgrade the lasers to the much needed LLs, or be able to equip a second actually functioning ballistic weapon, and in the case of if you went LLs, an SRM6 or pair of SRM4s to put in the crotch.

Especially since a 360 engine gets you to 106.9 with speed tweak.
Makes that 89 not look so hot now.

Especially when you figure most Vomit Kitties (of the splat, streak, or gauss variety) are going to be moving around 85 anyway. XLs free up -tons- of weight for a great deal less crit slots. Which means more DHS, which are also mandatory on a Dragon if you want a mech that's not going to over heat every 3rd alpha.


89 kph is the -minimum- Dragons should be moving at. (after speed tweak) Anything less than that, against skilled players, you're just so much coffin bait.

Edited by Mavairo, 02 February 2013 - 11:43 PM.

[One Medic Army]

I tend to leave armor on my Dragon arms, even if they're empty, just for the extra shielding for the side torso. If you're fast and twist you'll end up blocking lots of damage that'd otherwise hit your side or center torso.