Which mechs are the "safest" to use XL engines with? Dragons, obviously, but what other chassis have similar small torso hit boxes?
I always felt quite safe in Catapults. They have quite big CT-, Head- and Arm hitboxes, that it is hard to miss 'em, leaving the side torsos intact for a long time... And never ever put an XL into a Stalker, this thing is a walking side-torso :wink:
Catapults / Jenners / Ravens all feel very safe for me. In 500 games using the above I think I've lost my side torso 10-15 times total.
Most lights/ Cicadas should put in XLs, IMO, because generally by the time you lose a side torso you are nearly dead anyways. I use XLs in all my Catapults. I have heard that Dragons are pretty good for XLs, but I haven't used one yet.
I can attest to Dragons. I mastered 3 in closed beta, in the process of doing it again. I have died to side torso core but honestly, I was near dead anyway. I don't think not having those engine critical slots there would have changed the outcome any. Deaths in Dragons, in my experience, are CT core or I'm red all over and just about anything is going to do me in.
Yes, XL engines work rather well in any light mech(speed), as well as the Dragon and Catapault because of the huge CT drawing most of the fire. Chances of getting side-torsoed in a pault or dragon is like 1 in 10 roughly. It also depends on what is attacking you to some extent. If you find yourself in a larger mech and being swarmed by lights constantly, I would stick with a standard. They tend to be more precise when targeting components and are more likely to hit the side torsos to see if you are running an XL to get an easier kill.
I would recommend it on two different occasions: 1) You go over 95 km/h. 2) You have extremely heavy weapon loadouts (Dual Gauss, triple UAC5, etc.) I actually don't recommend it on a Catapult, as I think more people die to side coring than realise it (IE. enemies aim at your ears, then hit your ST's.) Hunchbacks are surprisingly tough to ST core at times, so if you're making a fast brawler, it can work.
I frequently find myself aiming for the instakill on Cicadas through the side torsos with some of my min/maxing builds (50-60 pinpoint ranged damage). Dragons really don't like it when they go dark red or pop on the first hit either, shooting arm mounted weapons for more than a few seconds generally leaves you pretty open to pain and suffering. Ravens are harder, so I go legging. Jenners move fast enough that just 20 points on the side torsos will keep you in the fight for an annoyingly long period of time. And for the love of all that is holy, don't ever run the stock Atlas K. The Gauss+XL stack in the side torso is just a billboard screaming "SHOOT HERE!" and any enemies in a kilometer radius will start dropping their pinpoint weaponry on that section. As a general rule, if you're doing less than 10 damage out of your torso areas and you don't make it obvious you're running an XL, you can armor up and do OK. It's when you start loading up ammo or weaponry in those already vulnerable side torsos that you really start going up like a firework.
