Missile Boat Do you remember MWO in the beginning? Back before the days of ECM? Back even before the first LRM patch? Remember how YouTube was littered with videos of Awesomes and Stalkers, sat on top of a hill, raining heavy metal death down on all and sundry? Yeah, that's right. Missile Boats baby! Anyone familiar with my posts on MechSpecs will know that I have a certain penchant for Missile Boats. My Smurfys Mechbay is full of them. Anyway, getting a bit carried away here. On with the task at hand. Missile Boats perform a similar role to that of Snipers, providing long range fire-support from far behind the front-lines. The main difference is that Missile Boats are capable of indirect as well as direct fire-support, whereby the attacking Mech hides behind cover, be it a hill or low building and launches its LRMs whilst remaining completely hidden from view. Missile Boats are great for softening up opposing forces, allowing Lancemates to quickly finish them off. Where they suffer, however, are in close range engagements. In order to maximise the missile based load-out, Missile Boats often mount little in the way of defensive weaponry and as mobility is less of an issue in the intended role, they are often fairly slow too. To this end, they are best guarded by more nimble and suitably armed Mechs. There are several items of electronic equipment that Missile Boats can use in order to improve the effectiveness of their missile salvoes. A Beagle Active Probe, or BAP, improves the launch Mech's sensor range and target acquisition time. Target Acquisition Gear, or TAG, is an infra-red laser module similar to a modern day laser designator. TAG improves the missiles target tracking ability, reduces missile lock time and improves target locking strength. It can also neutralise the effects of ECM if used from outside the target Mech's ECM bubble. The true benefit of TAG is that it can be fitted to another mech, such as a Scout, which can get in closer and lase the target, while the launch Mech remains out of sight behind cover. Another item of equipment sometimes used is the NARC Beacon. This too can be fitted to another Mech, allowing the launch Mech to remain behind cover, yet still receive targeting benefits. A NARC Beacon is a missile equipped with a homing beacon that latches onto the target vehicle. For a short period afterwards, all friendly missiles fired at the target have improved tracking ability, target locking strength and reduced missile locking time. Also, the target Mech will show up as a target to its Lancemates. All of these effects are cancelled out in the presence of enemy ECM. The final and for me most perplexing electronic enhancement is the Artemis IV Fire Control System (FCS). It greatly improves the missiles' lock-on-time and target tracking ability and its abilities stack with those of a TAG module, yet further increasing accuracy. The main issue I have is that in order to receive the full benefits of Artemis, the launching Mech must have Line Of Sight with the target. This seemingly goes completely against the main function of a Missile Boat, that being to provide indirect fire-support. Artemis-equipped launchers are a ton heavier than standard launchers, require an extra critical slot, as well as special Artemis-compatible ammunition. Missile Boat BattleMechs Due to the varying size and weight of the various ratings of LRM launcher, there are examples of Missile Boats from nearly every weight class of Mech. While none of the Light Mech chassis available in MWO have sufficiently large missile hard-points to be effective long range Missile Boats, many can mount a good number of SRM launchers, which when combined with their blistering speed and manoeuvrability turns them into deadly short range killers. The Medium Mech class is more promising. Both the Kintaro and Trebuchet make excellent long and short range Missile Boats. The Centurion can also mounts a good number of missile systems. There's even a couple of Hunchback variants that can mount missiles, but not in sufficient numbers to really be classed as a Missile Boat. In the Heavy Mech class, the Catapult is the go-to Missile Boat chassis, though the Jagermech JM6-A variant gives it a run for its money. Both have sufficient missile hard-points to mount multiple LRM or SRM launchers. The Quickdraw makes a good SRM boat, particularly when fitted with Jump Jets. There are unreleased variants of the Orion that also have great potential as Missile Boats. Finally, the Assault class. Here we find what can only be described as the Masters of Missile Mayhem, foremost of which has to be the Awesome. With the ability to mount FOUR LRM15 packs, the 8R variant has rained death and destruction on many a hapless foe. Not to be outdone, the 733 Highlander variant can launch a 50 missile salvo and has the extra tonnage to mount not only better back-up weaponry but Jump Jets as well, which when the mech is armed with SRMs makes it deadly at close quarters. Stalkers are good LRM/SRM boats too. The 5M variant can mount the largest number of SRM packs of any Mech except the A1 Catapult, while the STK-3H, with its twin LRM20 slots, can spit out a huge barrage of missiles, with plenty of back-up weapons should it run into any enemy Mechs up close. Wow. That was a lot of typing. Who knew Missile Boats were so multi-faceted. Happy hunting! The Watchman
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=48&l=0ec0f9b180c0a3d0ceda6d026e54606efa05deb6 One of my many, many Stalker builds.
For Chainfire Fun + Laserpower: http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=46&l=2b250476b7dd5e4c2374e277778dcfa249f8c9ba
Good job on those "battlemech role" Watchman. I just want to add something, because I see it too much and it always makes me mad: please don't make an LRM boat from an atlas. Please. Atlas are meant to be Juggernauts, lead the pack, tank damage and unleash hell with SRM volleys and large autocanons. Not to sit in the back in their ECM bubble, pissing missiles hardly faster than a Raven. Oh sure, it deals its share of damage. But it does not help the team.
Pure LRM boat for chain fire. You can go for a +A version if you like , but this one does not. http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=15&l=0647797872d92cb5cdb2885022638f9e4faf0fd1
this here from FuzzyBunny is superior: http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=15&l=98c9a7f91c5cdf7095a0685117dd65149567b59f
The biggest problem with Fuzzy's build is the lack of BAP. An ECM scout around and you're basically useless. Anyway, AWS-8S is imho the best heavy missile boat. You can't woof any more, but it still has incredible punch. PS (another general advice): being capable of indirect fire is not a reason to stay behind. Several reasons to stay with the pack (in second line of course): 1/ you react faster to your team movement, and are faster to position yourself, then to fire with optimal results, 2/ you're not a lonely target, begging for a backstab by a light mech (lonely missile boats deserve to die, don't cry on your team that supposedly didn't protected you if you were 500m away) 3/ you're not meant to tank but if you take some damage its good, it spreads the damage over the whole team (if you're still fully armored when all your teammates are dead, you won't stay alive much longer anyway), 4/ Artemis only gives its bonus on direct fire. Another PS: rather than strong heavy missile boats, I prefer lighter and more manoeuvrable mixed weapon builds, like this cat for example: http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=12&l=96ff4c61f309474737a1c6ea850673dc336ae882
Actually my build is modified from FuzzyBunny! The reason I take out ES is basically for the BAP. Also I prefer TAG on the arms, that would allow for tracking on targets faster. But yes I do think a Heavy LRM boat is better. I do not see using Atlas is a good choice, and even for Stalker it would be a waste for it to be a pure LRM boat. I DO TOTALLY AGREE that LRM boats should not hang out WAAAAY BACK. I think going all the way to the front line is way too much, and you cannot support enemy closing in sometimes. I would say stay a bit around the second line. You should be no less than 300m away from the team shooting in the frontline, maybe a bit closer to them than the snipers even, and you should be behind some cover if needed be, esp if you are not +A. That way when enemy brawlers are rushing in you can shoot them also. As for tanking, it really depends. If you have decent weapons then yes, if not try to orderly retreat to a teammate farther away, preferbly while firing. Another thing is to KNOW THE TERRAIN. The map is your friend if you are relatively new. That way you know if an enemy is behind something or not. You do not want to waste ammo firing on someone being protected by a building. Save those for the guys rushing through the plains. You do not have to always fire full volley, sometimes just firing one launcher is enough to preasure into hiding. You can fire one launcher per enemy sniper at long range, that would get them to hide for a while. Also, by looking at the AMS fire you can guess the relative position of the enemies. Enemy AMS is like a giant arrow to your targets! I was using cats for LRM most of the time, but they do run out quite fast, oh well. http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=24&l=c158e652151736067ab2780ea442b51d1e7bbcf0 This will get you some huge damage. Replace with a single MLas if you like, but I think it is not going to save you anyways. Chain fire is fun. If you are brave you can skim off some LT/RT armor and add either AMS or some more ammo at the LT/RT. LT/RT don't get hit anyways unless you break your arms, and without arms you are good as dead anyways.
