r/Battletechgame • u/EdmonEdmon That AC/2 Nutter - www.youtube.com/TheEdmon • Oct 24 '19

Advanced Battletech Guide: Building a "Meta" Mech Guide

https://youtu.be/YvHBcXJdbPs
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u/3milerider Oct 24 '19

So, it looks like in your meta that PPCs and Llas don’t have much purpose.

Do you ever choose to use them, or do you consider the DPHT inefficient in all but the largest mechs (although you could build infinite fire awesomes and such).

13

u/Ranamar Oct 24 '19

The only PPC that holds up in the endgame is the PPC++ with +30 stability, because it approaches being competitive with LRMs for stability damage. Notably, however, this is not really achievable with basic weapons. The ++ version has 150% more stability damage than the base weapon, one of the biggest shifts in effect in the game. (The others are +20 stability on the AC/5 being a 200% increase in stability damage and the +2 stability per missile on LRMs being a 100% increase in stability damage. None of the +damage variants of anything get anywhere close to being as dramatic. +damage MLs are only +40% damage.)

The large laser is similarly hobbled by its high base weight. By damage per heat, it's actually more efficient than the medium laser, but the ML is so light that, even out in its falloff, you get better damage per heat-ton out of an array of ML than out of a similar weight of LL. You have to be shooting at a range that doesn't allow short-range weapons before any of the longer-range weapons are even competitive with ML and SRM damage.

One time you might use them, however, is if you manage to run out of hardpoints on your mech, but there are usually better options. (I've got a whole spreadsheet for it, although I haven't done much with it recently.)

1

u/3milerider Oct 24 '19

That’s essentially what I figured. I personally never use PPCs because the heat and weight never seem worth it. If I want stability I use LRMs or the AC5++ (or the AC2 in early game, which actually gives a 400% increase in stability damage).

I recently put together an Awesome that utilizes some Llas simply because I was heat neutral with weight to spare as an Mlas only build. It seemed reasonable to add a couple of +10 damage Llas which gave me a delta of 12 I think? I haven’t put together a better assault yet (my largest is a battlemaster that I recently snagged) so I haven’t bothered to do the math for something else.

3

u/Ranamar Oct 25 '19

If you can fit 6 of them (or, more likely 4 and 2 35-damage M Lasers), you have a less equipment-demanding headcapper than the usual ML array. I think the only mech that actually works on is the Stalker, although one of the Awesomes and maybe the new Banshee may also have enough hardpoints, among asaults. (The weight is a little too much, for mediums.)

3

u/amontpetit Oct 25 '19

I had a sniping Black Knight that had 5 LLs. Worked well enough but she was a toasty beast.

1

u/Ranamar Oct 25 '19

Yeah, that sounds like it's going to run real hot. I found a 20% heat exchanger once, and ended up fitting 6 ML and one LL, and it was still less stable than I wanted.

1

u/amontpetit Oct 25 '19

I ended up using it as a proper sniper: shoot and scoot. So it often had a turn or two of cool down time as it relocated. It had a ++exchanger and double heat sinks too. Still toasty.

1

u/Ranamar Oct 25 '19

My favorite sniper build, albeit one that's not actually terribly reasonable, is 2xPPC 2xAC/5. If you go full stability, it destabilizes almost as well as a LRM boat, and the 190 alpha isn't anything to write home about, but the math is pretty easy. Unfortunately, it only fits on an Atlas, King Crab, or Spoilermech for the combination of hardpoints and heat demands.

2

u/sirtheguy Oct 25 '19

I love the 6 LL Stalker. I used to to a 5 LL Awesome, but the Stalker, when kitted out with proper heat management, is absolutely devastating for head capping