Aside from practice, how do I make the Locust a viable mech to run with?

I need help, guys... I must have tried numerous builds offered here for the Locust, but I just can't seem to provide the kind of support that my (pug) teams need. What do I do?

I feel utterly useless. I die too quickly, too often, and I don't feel like I'm carrying my weight to help the team. Other light mechs appear far more useful. Hell, I've scored more wins with my Jenner than my Locust (regardless of variant). I must have tried various strategies ranging from guns-ablazing to hit-and-run. I think the highest XP I've ever gotten in a match with the Locust was about 200 XP or so... It makes maxing out even the Basic skills a grind.

I feel like this is probably the worst mech they've released in this game. I don't even know why it was forced upon us to buy this mech just to get the higher tiered ones from the Phoenix package. :angry:

 

Have you tried using it as a pure Scout? Load it out with TAG, BAP, Active Targetting, Drone, all those? Maximum speed, of course. NARC if you can (is there a Locust with missile slots?) Don't even try to deal damage- simply find the enemy, let your team know where they are, spot and TAG and Narc and BAP and do information warfare- if you can figure out which enemy Mech has the ECM, tell your team to focus fire on it. Scout the cap points and bases without capping first to figure out if the enemy has a Light Wolfpack going. On Canyon, figure out which path the majority of the enemy is on.

People underestimate how much information can help in a game, even in a PUG.

 

Good point... I've never done a full scout run with it. You're suggesting "maximum speed" so I guess it'll be about time I invest on an XL 190... I'm running low on c-bills but I hope it'll be worth it if it means I'll survive more. (I currently run on an XL 170.) My only thing is, if I don't try to deal damage then won't I gain only a small amount of XP even if my team wins?

 

Truthfully, for the LCT-3S, I got so fed up with it I just equipped a single ERLLas and stayed back taking potshots at the enemy every match until I finished off the basics.

For the LCT-3M, equip it with 4x MLas or 4x SPLas, and never stop moving. Never go off by yourself. Wait for your heaves to engage, then run though shooting anything you can. Heavies will ignore you if they have another heavy already targeted, and they underestimate how fast you can core them through the back.

 

@ Vergere: Damn, now THAT is what I'd like to see on my Locust runs for once. I'd even be happy if I got a good percentage of that XP.. Clearly I'm not utilizing the mech for what it's meant to do.

@ Sassafras: The ironic thing is that I think I would be more successful with the 3S and 3M only because they seem to offer the most utility out of the three variants (especially the 3M), but I'm trying to max my 1V first and it just fails in every way (as far as my own personal experience goes). However, Vergere's screenshots prove otherwise and clearly it's my fault here (and possibly just bad luck). Thanks for the tips regarding the other variants though, I'll keep that all in mind... And you're right about heavies ignoring me, it was a common experience when I ran my Jenner.

UPDATE: So I somehow got on my 1V and finished the Basic skills for it (it was a nightmare of a grind) so next I moved onto my 3M to start building it up... and just when I felt like all hope was lost again, THIS happens... DAMN.