I equipped my Shadowhawk to better fulfill its original role: combination direct and indirect fire support. If you feel this build needs AMS, It can be squeezed in by swapping out the JJ and ML: Strategy I tend to stay behind the main battle group, using my LRMs for fire support until I position myself with LoS on the enemies. Sometimes positioning myself requires I find higher ground, and one JJ helps with climbing small hills and buildings. Once I have LoS, I will almost exclusively hammer away with my dual AC2s. Latter in the battle, when my team has lost some units and needs help in closer ranges, I find the AC2s still have enough punch to hurt big mechs, but the LRMs become useless inside 180m, so I don't use them much anymore (althought i will watch the range meter and if it is above 170m, I will fire so I can maximize my damage output) Loadout The dual AC2s provide excellent sustained fire for suppresion and long range damage. Even though the optimal range of the AC2s is 720m, you can still deal reasonable DPS under 1200m (or snipe across the ring of death on Terra Therma.) Most my damage comes from the dual AC2s. The 2 LRM5s provide some indirect fire, but when I pilot this mech, I only use them as secondary fire support. I have had success with the LRMs for assisting against light mechs stuck out in the open, and adding my fire to allied LRM boats, but I rarely fire them when hammering away with my dual AC2s The medium laser really stems from my opinion that any ammo dependent build should have at least one energy weapon for backup, but it honestly remains cold throughout most fights. The only time I have used it was when I was fighting lights in close quarters or the occasional brawl with a weak mech. Overall, I have been quite successful with this build, and it has become one of my favorite fire support builds.
I'm definately going to have to try one of the mech variants with a large XL engine to see how I like it vulnerability wise, so far been scared to go XL for this one because of how vulnerable the shoulder guns are
I personally haven't found the side torsos to be too much a problem. I usually get focused on the CT, and cored through that. Occasionally, I have seen people focus fire my 2 guns, but usually they just shoot the middle of the mech. I have a feeling this attitude might change, and meta will shift to shooting the guns, just like everyone knows to shoot the hump on hunchbacks, but I'll be hopeful and untill my side torsos get focused 2/3 matches, I'll most likely be running XLs.
