So I just started leveling Cicada's. The 3M is a blast being able to sneak around and core people from the rear or helping hide your lance, and makes a great sneaky sniper. The other models though seem pretty alwful. The 2A and 2B just seems like a bigger, slower, no jumpy version of my Jenner F. And the the 3C seems extra awful, once again its like a bad version of the Spider 5K. The extra armor doesn't seem to make up for the fact that its a smidge slower and a bigger target. I feel I will be dumping both the very second they are Elited. Am I missing something, does anyone play anything but the 3m once they are mastered?
I agree, nice snipers which means the ecm version is much superior to other versions. So you are all reinforcing my belief that the others are awful. Mine are especially bad because I refuse to spend the money for Double Heats, Endo and FF for something that will be sold as soon as its mastered. Which means some bad mech driving for a bit.
I would normally agree, but it seems like such a waste if there is no possibility of keeping either. I figure I will just play them when they have double XP and suffer my way through it. I found that at least with the 2A I can run 4 mediums chain fired with a couple small lasers with single heat sinks and it doesn't run to hot. I can just play it like a bad jenner f and put up respectable numbers, 200-300 damage most games, not great but I can live with that.
I ran my other Cadas with 1x LLas + 4x MLas. Simply aim at Weakpoints and then Alphastrike, and get the hell out of there. The only problem is, that they don't have JJs. Else it would make the Cada a good Mech.
I will say that I have had some fair success with a CDA outfitted with an XL330 and 4 MLas; especially with the speed boost unlocked, that little guy can tear up a battlefield on the right map, even without JJs. My 3M alternates between sniping (and a smaller engine) and a similar MLas build, since it can really do well with either thanks to that ECM. Also, using a Mlas build, I've had great success zipping past, getting a shot off, and leaving a UAV behind to convince the people behind me that maybe they don't want to focus on me after all. That said, I keep the X5 around for CB farming when I need it...it does almost as well as a sniper, even without the ECM, and keeps me well supplied in the long run.
I am keeping the 3M and X5. X5 plays like a fatter Jenner w/o JJ though. For those who want 4xMLas and a big engine, that is exactly the same firepower of a jenner at best, at worst a slower meaty TDK. I would say AC2/AC5 with a ERPPC, or 2x PPC with the rest of them. That way you make use of the reasonable speed, and the extra tonnage from the lights. IOW, yeah, mostly as a sniper.
I have both the 3M and the X5... why would you EVER sell a hero mech you paid money for? and the 3M is the only one with ECM so might as well keep it too.
I quite like the CDA-2A. It's like the cool speedy offspring of a HBK-4P and a JR7-F. I picked it up because it's occasionally called for in 12man league drops, and it grew on me. I wrote a review on the standard 6x MLas build (http://www.mechspecs.com/forum/index.php?topic=341.msg36480#msg36480), and it remains one of the mechs I'd likely go to for a Daily Double XP win if I feel like farming GXP, perhaps moreso than the 3M (carrion bird = snore to me). Archived stats are at above 5 KDR and 500 damage per round over 88 matches, with a large (perhaps majority) portion being solo drops.
Dang I took a shower after that post and forgot to edit in a turn of phrase that came to me: I pilot that 2A like a mule with a history of being rented out for beatings.
