Tips for FP builds?

Thread in 'MechWarrior Online' started by skribs, Mar 2, 2017.

  1. skribs

    skribs Min-Max Maniac

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    I haven't dabbled much in faction play, both on the scout side or on the invasion side. When I quit the game a while back, it was still called CW, scout mode didn't exist, and there was no middle ground on invasions. Now, it's a lot different, and more mature, so I have some questions:

    For scouting:
    1. Is it generally better to have a fast Mech (i.e. something at 120+) with a moderate amount of firepower, like an Arctic Cheetah, Jenner, or Locust; or is it better to have a max-weight Mech with a lot of firepower (i.e. an 80+ kph Mech like a Nova or a Shadowhawk)
    2. Does whether you're on offense or defense change your opinion on what to bring?
    3. I'm assuming that LRMs, TAG, NARC, and most high-ROF weapons (i.e. AC2s and AC5s) are generally inferior to things that hit hard, like a high-quantity laser battery, AC10 or AC20, and SRMs?
    4. Are lower-ammo builds common here, because you don't need to kill as many Mechs, or do you still want ammo because you might lack the support once you're OOA?
    For invasion mode:
    1. As with scouting, does the game mode (i.e. offense, defense, special teams...er, skirmish) adjust what drop deck you bring?
    2. Do you generally build your drop deck: A) around a concept (i.e. all snipers, all ECM, all crit-seekers, all tanky brawlers), B) around a rock-paper-scissors model (i.e. maybe 1 light, 1 tanky brawler, 1 high dps fire support, one sniper) that you bring in a certain order or in certain times, C) just built around 4 of your favorite Mechs that will fit, or D) something else?
    3. Opposite of scouting, do you tend to take more ammo on your Mechs? I remember (pre-quirks) my drop deck included a Stalker-Misery with 42 rounds of AC20 ammo and an Awesome 8T with 4500 LRMs, but that was a long time ago and we were still figuring that mode out.
    4. Are there any other common traits that change from QP/GP to FP? Engine changes, armor allocation, etc.
    I'd like to get into FP more, and I'd like some advice on building my drop decks for it. Anything not asked here that you think is good advice, please give me!
     
  2. Shock

    Shock Patron of the Underdog Staff Member

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    In general, scouting turns into a brawl. I had my best success with Centurion AH on the IS side and Hunchback IIC-B with SRM+A on the clan side. And I normally went a little lighter on ammo than I would for QP just because there's only 4 mechs to kill.

    I never had much success in Invasion because I was never in a large group so I can't comment too well on what works best.
     
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  3. skribs

    skribs Min-Max Maniac

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    For that brawl do you fibd IS do better with STD or XL engines?
     
  4. Shock

    Shock Patron of the Underdog Staff Member

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    I almost never go STD on a mech 50 tons or less. You'd be too slow.
     
  5. skribs

    skribs Min-Max Maniac

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    Okay. I mean, obviously I think there's a few exceptions at 50 (AC20 hunchback, which I wouldn't bring here, Zombie Brawler CN9-A and a tanky Crab), but you don't see the XL as a liability.
     
  6. Shock

    Shock Patron of the Underdog Staff Member

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    Nah, more like a requirement.
     
  7. CarloArmato

    CarloArmato Professional Potato Carrier

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    Scout mode
    Most of the times it will end up in a brawl 4vs4 with everyone using a medium.
    There are actually 2 variations worth of mentioning:
    1. on the attack side, 3 mediums as a bait and a light to download the data while the others run around
    2. on the attack side 4 very fast lights looking only for the data.
    For these 2 last reason, I think that the defensers should alway have at least one light.

    About the builds, SRMs are the way to go: PPCs, Large Lasers and LRMs more than often are useless, unless you need to leg a fleeing light mech trying to survive. Plus, most of the times you won't be able to consume all your ammo, so boat SRMs, heavy ballistics and short-to-medium lasers (small and medium lasers, better if pulse)

    Invasion mode
    It only depends by the game mode and the map: thanks to the fact I own a lot of mechs, I always bring the right one for the right map (most of the times it depends on map temperature and expected range of engagement)... With that said, on clan side i often use vomit lasers and long range (dakka, gauss and hybrid vomit in hot maps), while on IS side I often used medium range and brawlers, with the only exception of ER-LL for very big maps, like alpine peaks and boreal vault.

    IS brawl VS clan brawl is often better, so if a map allows you to engage at short range, try to use it.

    One word of warning thought: you still have to stick with your team, so you could find yourselves the only one pushing / trying to maintain range and so on. Before you drop, ask what to use or tell the others what you are going to use: having all your team fighting at the same range is often better than having a couple of brawlers hiding (or have a couple of snipers waiting for the brawler's push so they can start peeking to avoid focus fire.
     
  8. skribs

    skribs Min-Max Maniac

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    Carlo, I mostly just queue as a PUG because my unit does FP drops while I'm at work. If I'm dropping as a PUG would you recommend going in specifically as a medium, or would I be okay with a light (provided I have decent speed and firepower)?

    On invasion side, does that mean you pick a style for the map (say sniper on Alpine) and then just go sniper on all your Mechs? (Or say brawler on Crimson and go all-brawl there)?
     
  9. CarloArmato

    CarloArmato Professional Potato Carrier

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    For scouting, it depends.
    If you manage to communicate with the others, decide with them what you should use. If you are still uncertain, go for a medium brawler.

    For invasion, yes: I go with that kind of weapons, maybe mixed a little depending on flavor, like long range and vomit lasers on frozen city because the map is cool and also offer some brawling / medium range engagement.
     
  10. skribs

    skribs Min-Max Maniac

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    I tried 3 builds for scouting, and ended up liking 2 of them.
    1) Shadowhawk 2H with 3xSRM4 and LBX10, with XL325. I may give it another go, but I just couldn't get it to work for me.
    2) Centurion AH with 3xSRM4 and AC20, with XL255. This one did some major work. I'd be willing to try the CN9-A or the YLW, but I think the AH may be the best Centurion for this mode.
    3) Crab 27 with 5x MPL and STD295.

    I've been having a lot of fun with scouting. I may try a few more Mechs. All of my success has been when we have 4 medium brawlers and stick together.
     
  11. Riscy

    Riscy Benefactor

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    I did some scouting for the first time in a while with three other friends (team work is the key). We tried different mechs every second round. We won all games except two, one because we lost focus and the other because we ran in 2x Cicadas, 1x Panther and a Wolverine.

    All brawling SRM IS mediums are a good choice for scouting. I would keep away from XL engines because you need to survive just in case you need to limp back to the extraction zone. My choice mechs are:

    Shadowhawk 2D2, LBX10 with 4xSRM4
    Griffin 2N, 2xflamer 4xSRM4
    Wolverine 7K 2xML 3xSRM6
    BJ-2 2xflamer, 4xSRM4

    Enjoy!
     
  12. Shock

    Shock Patron of the Underdog Staff Member

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    With the event going, I had a few good FP Skirmish drops last night where it wasn't just a big unit steamrolling a PUG. I went 3-1 with the only loss on Forest Colony where the clan side stayed in the water at their spawn with 600m of water and no cover to approach. My dropdeck:

    Awesome-8Q with 2xERPPC, 2xPPC
    Top Dog with 3xLL, 4xMPL
    Phoenix Hawk 1B with 3xERLL and ECM
    Cataphract 1X with 1xGauss, 3xERLL
     
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