Rock Paper SRM - Mechwarrior Online Tactics/Mech Loadouts

Okay, so. I felt it was long past time we have a thread specifically for this.

Your favourite loadout w/ commentary on why it's the best and how it performs. Not just the stuff on it, but what you do with it and how you roll with it.

http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab <--- Great utility for looking over builds and thinking about them.

In the interest of starting things off, here's my current LRM boat build:

http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=1...0333255fc7e185

AWS-8r,
4 LRM 15s
2 Medium Lasers
1620 LRM rounds

And it creaks along at 56.7 KPH.

It feels slow. Slower than it should at 56, which is fast for an assault. Part of that is because of the LRMs -- heat isn't usually a problem if I slow down here and there, but there is literally nothing I can do with this thing except find somewhere, sit, and launch LRMs.

And those 1620 rounds? Those don't last long. It's 27 flights, roughly, which gives me just under two minutes worth of LRM fire before I'm dry. Often I wind up missing targets more than I hit them, and it's generally safe to assume I will get mobbed and killed off the moment I get away from the safety of the rest of the lance. (Inevitable, because they zoom ahead!) The TAG helps, though, and once or twice I've managed to chase off an ECM light with my LRMs. When it all comes together, though, and the stars align and I wind up with teammates who'll hang onto targets for me? I wind up doing 800 + damage, and I'm not even that good with LRMs yet. (Yes, LRMs do take skill. Mostly in terms of timing and picking your targets.)

One of my favourite things to do, though, is find a target who's standing still, not locking onto them, and firing my LRMs at them. They don't (I think) get a ping, but they do get hit with close to sixty LRMs. >:D

Also some notes on AC/LRM/SRM ammo:

1 ton of AC ammo equals:

AC20 - 28 seconds of fire
AC10 & LBX10 - 37.5 seconds of fire
AC5 - 51 seconds of fire
UAC5 - 27.5 seconds of fire (maybe less, with double-fire)
AC2 - 37.5 seconds of fire
Gauss - 40 seconds of fire
MG - ???

1 ton of LRM ammo (180 misisles) equals:

LRM 5 - 117 seconds of fire
LRM 10 - 67.5 seconds of fire
LRM 15 - 51 seconds of fire
LRM 20 - 42.75 seconds of fire

SRM ammo (100 a ton)

SRM2/SSRM2 - 175 seconds of fire
SRM4 - 93.75 seconds of fire
SRM6 - 66.6666 seconds of fire. (That must be intentional. 66.666666666666666666666!!!!!)


My current thinking is to suggest that you have (at minimum) about one minute's worth of ammunition, if not two. Two seems unlikely to get burned through unless you're boating, most of the time, but your mileage will vary.

I currently run one of those DRGs

FLAME : 4xML, LB-10X AC, SSRM, 350XL
1N : 2xML, LB-10X AC, 2xSSRM, 350XL
1C : 2xML, 2xPPC, SRM6, 350XL

Have some HBKs at the bench too

4SP : 4xML, 2xSSRM, 260
4H : 4xML, UAC5, 245
4J : 4xML, 2xLRMA10, 200

Oh man. Okay, I don't have a mechlab thing set up, but, I managed to fit a CTF-1x with:

2x PPC
2x Medium Pulse Lasers
1x Large Pulse Laser

340 XL engine

And it barrels along (speed-tweaked) at around 88 kph.

And it's _very heat forgiving_ so long as I don't alpha too frequently and occasionally drop down to just the large pulse laser while I cool off.

Running with it feels AMAZING. It likes all ranges, but the PPC thing helps encourage me to keep moving and avoid engaging 'too close' while still staying within about 150m of opponents. I think I have a new favourite.

Okay.

Here is my MYTHICALLY AMAZING CTF-3D BUILD.

http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=4...2bd4dba814b521

It is, basically, just an upgraded + tweaked stock CTF-3D, making use of Endo Steel, Double Heat Sinks, and an up-sized engine to improve the heat profile, trade the LBX-10 for a regular AC-10, and add in a Beagle Active Probe. (You can swap that out for a straight-up AMS system, if you want.)

The additional speed + jump jets makes this thing boing-tastic, which may or may not improve my mobility any, but does make me extremely cool. Note that the rear armour has been downgraded in favour of frontal armour, but not entirely -- I find that I can shrug off one, sometimes two, mid-size LRM volleys on my back if I remain on the move.

This build does tempt me, however, into getting up close and perosnal to the detriment of my survival -- charging after a damaged 'mech to finish it off in the midst of the enemy lance FEELS like the right thing to do, but it never is... one of the best ways I've found to play this machine is to hang slightly back, keep an eye out for enemy mechs that seem slightly isolated, and then move in to help isolate them/hit them in the back. But I find that I really need to be positioned fairly centrally or on a nearby flank, and getting that sorted out is trickydifficult.