I am thinking of building a "missile boat" one day, when i get the cash, and i was wondering how many LRMs, and what size, are meaningful really? Is it better to pack 4xLRM10 or 2xLRM20? Or maybe 4xLRM15 with less ammo? Is there a sweetspot or things to avoid? Also, how much ammo to pack per launcher? I'd say something like 2 tonnes per launcher, but maybe it's too much? Finally - artemis? Should a dedicated long range support invest in artemis or it's not worth it?
http://www.mechspecs.com/showthread.php?191-Awesome-Indirect-Fire-Support-Missile-Boat Here is an AWESOME missile boat (pun intended). I am sure you could squeeze on SOME Artemis by reducing the sheer volume of missiles he carries in that video (9 tons). If your only job is to act as indirect missile support then yes, you will want Artemis. If you have a specialized role then you need to BE a specialized mech! That means make every ton count towards your purpose; missile madness! Adding Artemis on 4 LRM 15s increases the damage you do per volley significantly. So worth it!
It mostly depends on how many missile hardpoints your mech has. Lower LRMs can punch out more DPs than higher ones, because they fire much faster. 2xLRM10 for example have 10.66 Dps, while an LRM20 only has 8.42 But on the other side, LRM20 are more heat-efficient and Artemis is more efficient on few big missiles than on many small ones because you need 1extra ton and slot for each weapon. So if you wanna try Artemis (i don't have any experience with it) or have only few hardpoints, go for LRM15/20. Otherwise try multiple smaller ones. And don't save on ammo. The highest DPs is worth nothing if you run dry in the middle of the match. After a few matches you should know how much ammo you exactly need. 2 tonnes per launcher is too rough. For LRM5 for example you can go with 1t/launcher, but for LRM20 it should rather be 4t/launcher or more. You want to fire everything at least 20 times in a battle, often more. So just count the number of missiles all your launchers fire together and multiply this number with how many salvos you want to spam during a match. Then you get an idea on how much ammo you need.
My LRM-catapult has 7 tonnes of ammo for it's 2x15 and Artemis. With the free 75% resupply that's 945 missiles per match, and I still sometimes run dry but usually that's late in to the match. By then I can safely use my 4x med lasers. Granted I could learn to shoot better, but it's working pretty ok.
Just turn of the auto-rearm and never pay for missiles again. I mean who in their right mind would pilot Artemis-LRM if they'd have to actually pay for them?
