53 replies to this topic

[Rigiroth]

Bump for answer!

[operator0]

The 2A is better. XL300, 6 med lasers and 18 dbl heat sinks. It's the Jenner everyone wishes the Jenner could be. I used to run this before ECM. It's a truly devastating mech. I ran the 2B, but just didn't like the hard points split between the torso and arms. I would have kept the 2A, but I needed the mech bay.

[Accused]

Ahem.

While I now pilot a Raven 3L, my favorite mech is the Cicada. Now, there is a dirty secret but it's between you and me okay?

Now then, one on one you will win against a Raven 3L if you're a good shot. Ravens use streaks, which go right for the center of mass (torso/back torso). Since that's the case they most often aim their lasers there for maximum effect.

You have enough armor to wither away the storm.

Aim for the legs. Aim for nothing but the legs ever, on any mech. Aim for those legs like a pitbull going after a leg covered in juicy steaks.

You can blast away those legs before a Raven can take out your core. You can never turn and run (although you can twist away rather fast). Aim for one leg and one leg only. Right leg. Aim for the right leg first. Blast that right leg until its gone. Do it. Now you have a crippled Raven. Aim for the left leg. The left leg. Aim for it. Blast it away until it's gone.

You should be able to take those legs before he can core you. The legs. Go for them.

Edited by Accused, 21 February 2013 - 04:16 PM.

[Eric darkstar Marr]

AC/20 with ECM problem solved.

[Vahnn]

Hunchback and Cataphract were my first two 'mechs, and I fell in love with the CTF-2X instantly. I mastered it out right away, and it is still my favorite chassis to play.

But I also just tried out the Jenner, and DAMN, I may love it more than the Cataphract. Very fun little 'mech. I feel like a boss every time I lay out a Raven 3L. JRD-7 w/ 2xSRM4, 2xML, 1xMPL for life!

[Rigiroth]

Vahnn, on 21 February 2013 - 04:39 PM, said:

Hunchback and Cataphract were my first two 'mechs, and I fell in love with the CTF-2X instantly. I mastered it out right away, and it is still my favorite chassis to play. But I also just tried out the Jenner, and DAMN, I may love it more than the Cataphract. Very fun little 'mech. I feel like a boss every time I lay out a Raven 3L. JRD-7 w/ 2xSRM4, 2xML, 1xMPL for life!

Mastered them both

[Ursh]

I mastered, not just elited the 2A and 2B after I mastered my 3M.

Personally, I don't recommend playing it like a super Jenner, but that's my personal preference. I love using the Cicada as a dual ERPPC sniping platform.

In PUGs or four mans, you didn't spawn the Raven 3L on the other team, the lights on your team did.

They signed up to be light mechs, let them go play with the Raven.

As an alternative, if you do want to make a Raven pilot sweat, swap out the two erppcs for 2 Large pulse lasers, and hammer their legs. They'll get the message pretty quick.

Edited by Ursh, 22 February 2013 - 04:27 AM.

[Taizan]

This topic has been moved to the Battlemechs sub forum, where it is more appropriate.

[Blimie]

Steemship, on 19 February 2013 - 06:19 PM, said:

What ballistic would you reccomend?

Depends on what you like, are wanting to do... I am found of the LB-10X (discourages lights) and Ultra AC-5 (right up until it jams in front of an atlas) AC-2 is also useful for removing armor and doing crit's to internals.

[Chrithu]

The ECM Cicada is not quite suited to be played like the 3L. The hardpoints are the main reason for that in my view. I have huge success playing my 3M as a sneaking hit and run midrange Striker (2ML + 2 LL) or currently as a scoutsniper using 2 ERPPC.

As a scoutsniper I try to first find the enemy and maybe draw them to a specific direction by some long range PPC shots. Then I retreat and observe how both teams setup to then run to a position that allows me long range fire support for my team from a flanking position. Even if it is just me keeping a D-DC's ECM shut down with chainfired fire from the PPCs.

The CDA 2A used to be nice with a max XL Engine and 6 MPL's for doing FAST flanking moves into the enemy's back. Haven't tried that in a long time though.

The 3C simply sucks, stay away from it. The 2B with it's arm mounted weapons is closer to the light mechs than the other variants but the arms are gone super fast so this mech is kind of meh too.

[MilitantMonk]

For the Cicada 3M I went 340xl, ECM and 4 Med Lasers. Max armor or near max at least will let you take a lot more punishment then other scouts. You carry ECM and move with the team in this build. Yeah you can run off and cap but if you're not confident in taking on Ravens just stay close (hint: spread that dmg around by torso twisting and shoot Ravens in the legs). When your team engages it's your job to get behind the enemies heavy hitters and burn them down from behind.

2A 6 Medium Lasers set to chain fire or set the two center torso one's to another grouping. Fire all of them and melt people from behind. Use the two CT ones to keep up pressure while cooling down. Chain fire is for chasing other scouts. If people see lots of shots inc they tend to bug out rather than fight you.

2B 4 Medium Lasers (arms) 1 Medium Pulse (CT). Same strategies as the 2A.

Cicada was the first mech I went Elite in and I still loved it. Being able to engage at will and cover the entire map to be your teams troubleshooter is a great way to change it up from being a frontline brawler too.

[Darwins Dog]

Some thoughts on your questions OP.

I personally don't like the 3M very much. It's simply not as good as the Raven 3L as an ECM mech. The 2B and 2A on the other hand are both very good. I usually boat MLs on both with either the 340XL or 325XL. I actually like the 325 a lot, you still have the 3DHS capacity and only lose 6kph, and you free up 1.5 tons.

The 2A has more power, but the 2B has an easier time fighting on terrain because of the arm weapons. It's really up to you there. Both are a good match when fighting 1v1 against a raven.

When I do run a 3M I usually slow it down with about a 275 or 300 XL and use an AC/5. I play that one as a wingman for an assault (like a stalker) rather than a light hunter.

If you do go with the 3C, try 2x AC/2. You might like it better than the MGs.

Feel free to check the link in my signature, there are a lot of great builds that people have contributed there.

[Deathlike]

I personally stay away from the Cic-3C, just because there's nothing that great about ballistics at this tonnage level outside of UAC5s or so.

I know people don't like the 2B because of its hardpoints, but it's actually very much like the Jenner (specifically the F version), and I respect Jenner pilots for that reason alone. The 2B allows you to experiment to the large laser or large pulse laser, which will allow you to get a better feel for other energy based weapons (including the PPC/ERPPC if you want).

The 3M is good for those who use it correctly (occasionally using the ballistic slot for sheer evil). It was great for MM because the matches were weighted by weight class (so no Raven 3L on the other side) but that probably doesn't happen as much now. Still, it's the oversized light (like a Jenner) and you should probably use it as such.

Edited by Deathlike, 22 February 2013 - 11:21 AM.

[mike29tw]

Here are some of my builds. All of them have DHS, ES and FF upgraded.

280XL, ECM, LBX with 2 tons of ammo, and 3 medium lasers.
Stay close to your teammates and look for opportunity to back-stab. Anything heavier than you is an excellent target. Killing light mechs on the other hand requires some skill to pull off though.


280XL, ECM, AC10 with 2 tons of ammo, and 2 medium lasers.
Similar to my first build, but with AC10 you can engage at a farther range.

300XL, ECM, one large pulse laser and 3 medium lasers.
Large pulse laser and medium lasers have roughly the same range and cycle time, so they work together pretty well. It's a fast striker/harasser with ECM.

300XL, ECM, ER PPC and 3 medium lasers.
One of the most versatile builds. You can snipe from afar, you can disable enemy ECM, and you can play as a fast striker too.

There are also some builds that are not so imaginative. XL320 + engine with some combination of medium laser, medium pulse laser and tag if you want to support your LRMs.

Steemship, on 21 February 2013 - 03:17 PM, said:

Next question: 2A or 2B?

2A hands down.
XL320, ES, DHS, 6 medium lasers. Best back-stabber ever, and occasionally a good leg-breaker.

[1453 R]

I use my own CDA-3M in a striker configuration, with ECM, 2x large laser, and 2x medium laser on a 300XL. It deals a surprising amount of damage, and in the current top-heavy metagame there's very little a cagey Cicada pilot can't get away from. ECM lets it drop off the map entirely with a bit of work - I feel a good bit like an evil laser ninja when I play my 3M, ducking in just long enough to slice another ton of armor off some poor fool with an alpha barrage. I haven't tried the ER PPC edition yet, but it sounds positively delicious. The shotgun brawler-type builds using a bunch of lasers and an LBX autocannon are equally tempting, though I don't really have the engine for those just yet.

The 2A can carry heavy 'Mech-level firepower if rigged, and piloted, correctly. It's the next 'Mech on my list, with a rather daring beam configuration designed more for sharp, fight-ending spikes than combat endurance or light hunting. It'll require some pretty serious heat management skillz and battlefield restraint, but when the CDA-DST Destroyer Bug goes live, not even assault-grade assplates will be safe.

Mmm...the entire laser arsenal of a Stalker on something that moves upwards of a hundred-twenty KPH...just smell that juicy high-speed death...

Anyways. Realistically, the Cicada tends to cater to a somewhat narrow range of pilot preferences. I like it because it's fast and I like to be fast, but I'm also a mediocre shot at best and dislike fighting enemy light 'Mechs. Fast 'Mechs that get matched with my favorite li'l Hunchy dueling buddies rather than enemy Ravens - or, as is currently the case, at least skewing the odds towards Hunchy-buddies rather than more 3Ls - and which carry extensive hardpoints for laser-happy pilots like me, get a win vote in my book. If you find yourself disliking the chassis, as well as disliking Ravens...it may be that the lighter end of the spectrum really isn't your style. Jenners are mostly jump-capable Cicadas on a diet, and Commandos have a written requirement for clinical insanity before you're allowed to pilot one successfully.I know - my brother's fond of the damn things and he's nutty as a Planter's farm. Only guy I know who threw two LRM-5s on a Commando and proceeded to troll the ever-lovin' hell out of the enemy. Didn't even care that his scores sucked, he was having too much fun being a tiny, tiny Trebuchet. Oiy.

[ohtochooseaname]

For the 3M, try:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...8754d0b2861142a

It's a UAC5 build with 4 SL's. With the 10% speed boost, it runs at a 131.4 kph. Due to its speed and ECM, it is extremely good at getting behind heavies and assaults, and blowing out their back armor before they even realize someone's there. They then turn around, and your team kills them. I'm not sure with the state of ballistics since the last patch, but this was a very good build for a while. I do almost as well with this as I do with my 3L, but it didn't have the drawback of bringing another 3L to the opposing team, so I actually did better with it. I have over 120000 unused xp on my 3M, and I I regularly had 600+ damage per game. It's actually a ton of fun. Once they fixed most of the lag shield, it was pretty easy to lag shoot ravens to death in a circle strafe because you are close, and the 4 SL's do 80% as much actual dps as 4 ML's do, while generating 67% of the heat. I'd actually recommend storing the ECM in the arm now that it has health: it is extremely rare to have an arm get blown off (just like with the Raven)

[Stringburka]

The 3M is fantastic - it's my primary 'mech and usually outperforms my Craven.

Important with cicadas is that you're not (usually) fit to fight against lights, but excel against slow mediums and heavies (and low-armor/mobility assaults, like stalkers and awesomes).

For the 3M, I vary the loadout between LL/ERLL/2ML (XL300), 4ML/UAC (XL280) and 4ML/LB10-X (XL255). First one is a quick skirmisher with options for range, the last one is a very effective escort/backup for anyone harassed by lights, the second one somewhere inbetween.

Between 2A and 2B I found the 2A easier to level, but not by a wide margin. The 2A I used 6 ML (XL320) which is quite a heavy punch. For 2B I used ERLL/2LL/TAG (ranged support).

[Loc Nar]

Love my 3M, and my 2A & B. Like most mechs, unlocking the pilot skills makes them much more viable.

CICADA

3M
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c07c9500b15fa03 -CDA-3M [AC2, MLas x4, ECM, XL280, Endo, FF, DHS x12] <my fav 3M


http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c783ceec01347f4 - CDA-3M [MLas x4, ECM, XL320, Endo, DHS x16]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...b190b4a334a376d - CDA-3M [MLas x4, ECM, XL325, Endo, FF, DHS x16]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...0fb1c25055ac7d1 - CDA-3M [UAC5, MLas x4, ECM, XL280, Endo, FF, DHS x11]



2A
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5cdb3f106572e54 - CDA-2A [MLas x6, XL325, Endo, DHS x16] <my fav 2A


http://mwo.smurfy-ne...56066afe47c3180 - CDA-2A [MLas x6, XL320, Endo, DHS x16]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...957b89cf1cc5494 - CDA-2A [MLas x6, XL325, Endo, FF, DHS x16]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a93968e74a311a0 - CDA-2A [MLas x5, XL325, Endo, FF, DHS x17]

2B
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...013aed4bf3523bc -CDA-2B [MLas x5, XL325, Endo, FF.. DHS x17] <my fav 2B


http://mwo.smurfy-ne...6edd7a30837f994 - CDA-2B [MLas x5, XL320, Endo, DHS x16]

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5e3dbc070f78dd0 -CDA-2B [MLas x3, ELLas x2, XL300, Endo, FF.. DHS x12]


3C
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...a2b4fd18909835d -CDA-2B [AC2 x2, Endo, XL280, FF, DHS x13] <I don't have a 3C, but this is where I would start...

[Fiachdubh]

Its speed seems to make people forget that the Cicada is a medium not a light so if there are swarms of lights in the battle don't stray from your team mates to go scouting.

[TDR3D]

Steemship, on 21 February 2013 - 03:17 PM, said:

Next question: 2A or 2B?

2-B

If you are proficient in plioting the Jenner, then you can transfer those skills into the 2-B more easily than the other variants. The 2-A has 1 more energy point, but i prefer the 2-B for the following reasons:

1) 2-A with 6 medium lasers will, of course, run hotter and find the burst not as useful versus lights and mediums.

2) 4 of the 5 lasers on the 2-B are arm mounted, giving you that more authentic Jenner style of shooting.

This is, of course, assuming you are running with the biggest engine.