NVA-P "Thin-Crust Strudel" (1x cGauss, 1x cERPPC)

Drop lots of armor, limited ammo, but this baby will jump high and fast with 5x Class IV JJs! 30 Gauss shots paired with cERPPs is a potential of 900+ damage. The smallest mech that theoretically can make this build work. Obviously it cannot engage directly with it's very limited armor, but it might be able to trade well from behind cover.

 

A building performance more than an viable build, I wouldn't take it to the battlefield.

(but for those interested, with 2 PPCs the Nova makes a decent poptart, even if a bit hot)

 

I'll be building and testing the gauss+PPC tonight next in line is cERPPC shoulder and 4 cERML arm.

 

As a jump sniper it's actually performing very well. Couple ~700 point games. Good pin-point damage. VERY easy to jump snipe with it. the 5 JJs gets it up high enough to get a shot just about anywhere. Closest comparison is to the ERPPC+Gauss Shadowhawk.



Plus, it just looks so purdy

 

I'm impressed!

 

It's like playing the old Boomphract in terms of being a glass cannon. Except it is faster and has plenty of jump jets to utilize cover. I probably played a dozen matches with it last night and produced solid results. Nothing SPECTACULAR, but only a couple bad games.

The amount of ammo feels about perfect for a decent game. I only ran out of ammo once, ran down to 1 shot another game. Was semi-conscious about using the Gauss rifle; deciding if a shot was worth the risk of wasting a Gauss round. Most of the time I was just firing as much as I needed, without too much concern (w/ cGauss cooldown lvl 5 module).

Honestly this build fits a role for the clans that currently does not exist: an agile jump sniper.

 

I tried this here before with okayish scores though i'm not the skilled/patient Jump/Gauss-Sniper:



But isn't the Mad Cat (JJ one) better for this Role?

e.g.

 

For sure, however even with 5x JJ on a 75 ton heavy behaves MUCH differently than a 45 ton medium. There is also that last word: Medium. It is the only medium for clans that can jump-snipe with this build. So it becomes a option if you need to lose tonnage from a dropdeck or if the role is not filled by your heavies. This also means you could take 9 mechs with a Gauss+ERPPC loadout: (3 Nova, 3 Timber (or summoner), 3 Dire Wolves) not that it is the most effective dropdeck in the current meta-game.

Another thing to mention is that the Nova is the ONLY clan medium that can do this for the foreseeable future, considering we just got our wave II Ice Ferret which certainly cannot fill this play-style.

Spoiler: non-build topic about competitive play

I'd actually be very interested in testing it's effectiveness in a competitive, clan-only, dropdeck. IMO there is such a thing as too much laser vomit. You have to keep a beam on-target for a duration, that duration blocks friendlies, causes friendly fire, has a loss of damage potential, etc. There are only so many lanes of fire for your team to get a shot in on a specific mech. Thus lazer vomit could hurt your teams ability to focus a target.

Just thinking on-the-fly I would love to test something like:
3x Kitfox w/ ECM and cERPPC jump snipers
3x Nova w/ cGauss and cERPPC jump snipers
3x Timber Wolf w/ Lazer Vomit cLPL and cERML
3x Dire Wolf w/ 5x cUAC5 3-4x cERML

This way, only 6/12 mechs require constant line of sight, the other 6 can use their JJ to jump-snipe for their shots. Of course this is all just theory crafting. I have very little experience playing in a real competitive game, but I know enough about the game and from watching every competitive fight I can find. The biggest issue is I don't know how the deck would play once everyone is engaged in a brawl, or against fast IS lights.

 

You are right about that. Still waiting for a better Medium Option for the Clanner Side. But tell me, do you have more success with this combo than with the 2ERPPC Build?



has less needed weight for approx same firepower, more armor (especially Legs) and infinite ammunition (incl. TC1)

 

I've had great success in the Zeus 2x cERPPC Timberwolf, but that build has ~26 cDHS...

Based on that, I didn't like the idea of the same weapons on a mech with far less DHS, but i'm sure it can work. However, if you find yourself in a large engagement I feel like a lot of your time is spent cooling down. Really hurts when you cannot keep firing. The Gauss+cERPPC build does not have that problem at all.

I'm considering this as an alternative actually:

 

Theoretically you could go up to 21+ DHS if you would drop Rear Armor down to Zero just like you did with your OP build (what i wouldn't do coz you never know who can friendly-hit you from behind). It's clearly inferior to the 26 DHS Mad Cat, but if you are not caught in a nasty Team Brawl, the Cooldowntime for the Heat is more than fair enough for a Dual ERPPC Build.



btw. why is smurfy showing a higher mDPS value with the 2ERPPC than ERPPC+Gauss?

 

I think A) Smurfy considers the cERPPC as 15 damage, not 10. and B) Smurfy might factor the gauss charge time into the cooldown, making the cERPPC cooldown faster

 

Splashdamage right? Agree. But then mDPS would be approx same.

Smurfy shows 4.0 seconds cdt for both. But maybe Recharge time is counted as well..

But cool stuff you are giving some love for the controversial Nova.

 

Yep, Gauss cycle time is 4 seconds of cooldown + 0.75s of charge.

Omagad!

 

Been playing this build for almost a month now and I am very surprised how well it performs despite having ~1/2 armor. When you discount the giant arms (because nothing is in them lol) you can really spread the damage well. I've survived many games with crit everything, both arms gone, leg gone, torso gone, still putting out damage to the very end. I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps the large arm hitboxes reduce enough damage when torso twisting? I know that even when the arms are destroyed they will reduce damage. It's insane how survivable it is, it feels like a griffin with a STD.

 

Had quite a few games where I've survived like this.

 

Yeah, the weapon combination is great, especially since ERPPC were sped up a bit. Build works wonders on the summoner and hellbringer, also on the Timberwolf with backup weapons. Problem is, those are all heavies and none of them can jump as high or as fast as the Nova. Summoner can jump 27m where the Nova can jump 38m. The Class IV jump jets accelerate MUCH faster as well. Jumping with the Nova just feels so natural. I always have this build ready to go in reserve in case I feel like jump sniping or using this weapon combo, but all the group heavy slots are filled. Plus, it's kind of silly that a medium can field the a same firepower as those heavies