If high mounted weapons are a priority for you: http://www.reddit.com/r/OutreachHPG/comments/1uxc5b/hack_to_rearrange_weapon_order/
Trade PPC for ER Large Laser more damage up close and at ac range. long range time to overheat is 28 seconds vs 20 with ppc. Bigger Engine. More effective vs lights. cons: Lose the burst and convergence of ppc / ac
W/ AMS post 3/18/14 Lurmpocalypse: Heat is not an issue with 13 DHS and Double Basics. If you want more DHS, drop engine down to 320: Anything slower and you wont like it.
that was the er large. What I have found is that damage is up from the change but kills are down. The change was primarily made for the inclusion of ams because of the speed buff to lrms. but overall, damage averages sits around 7-900. I've had loads of 1k damage games with this build, that one just happens to be the highest yet.
Ah i gotcha. I've been running 1 ERPPC and 3 AC5 on mine. That set up is has been extremely effective, but i'm trying out yours tonight. Just got home from work so i'll let ya know what i think of it after i'm done!
Of course, this does require the right pilot. We are not all SB. However, this is truly a terrifying mech to run into. The amount of damage this can put out so incredibly fast is devastating. Players that can handle the weapons systems proficiently will be very comfortable in this great mid-range brawler.
Randomly scanning unread posts at 3:30 AM, I'm still not sold on split projectile speeds and ammo stacks of AC2/5 when trip AC5 is a readily available alternative. Back it up with PPC/LPLas/(ER)LLas/MLas as your need for alpha/speed/coolness/range demands, but trip AC5 = Gauss damage on 1.67 second cooldown, no muss no fuss. The reason I shelved my original build was because it was so troublesome getting such a lumbering mech to engage/disengage to take advantage of UAC burst damage. In group play where the BNC would be more of a tank/pusher, having your performance vary wildly on a dice roll mechanic is outright risky. Not to mention AC2 simply not synergizing with said role as well as an AC5 would.
My findings with a mech as slow and large as the Banshee is that the dyssynergy of the AC2/5 becomes a benefit. You have a constant barrage of projectiles hitting your target while pumping out your DPS at full potential (not requiring you to chain fire). The inherent velocity and cooldown differences ensures that a projectile is almost always hitting your target in staggered intervals, capitalizing on the suppression and screen shake. 2AC5+2AC2 puts out more damage per second than 3AC5 which works in this build's favor: sustained fire.
