Armor is fairly decend, heat efficiency as well, and the speed is nothing to sneer at. I managed to get behind the enemy in a -3C with a similar build, no reason this shouldn't work in an ECM mech. Set up 3 groups: (1) 2x MLAS (2) AC10 (3) ALPHA ALL /3xMLAS, AC10 That way, unless you use Alpha, you'll never run hot. The build is heat stable for 2 MLAS (once you have the elites). You don't have much ammo, so pick your targets carefully. Even so, it's good for 2-3 kills (scored that many with a Rapier -3C which is pretty much the same build)
I was playing around in smurfy and made an AC10 Cicada. I go to mechspecs to look for other AC10 Cicada's and there are! Nice! This is my version of it. Call me crazy for not equiping ECM but i was looking for firepower Can't wait to get home and try this in a real game. The build in the OP looks like it is terribly short on ammo. I can't equip a 12 ton weapon on a 30 ton mech and only bring 15 shots :S. What if you'd take one ton out of the engine and put in 2 tons of ammo?
What a waste to drop ECM! If you really want to load an AC10 in a Cicada, do it better on the 3C: http://www.mechspecs.com/forum/index.php?topic=3778.0
I was going to create my own build thread and came across this. I like to run full armor on my mechs so its a bit slow, but that certainly hasn't stopped me from racking up the kills. I run this strictly as support and always have at least 2 other mechs by my side, or just follow the herd providing ECM cover. Almost every pilot I have come across doesn't suspect a ECM Cicada with an AC/10, so I routinely catch them off guard, same thing with lights too. They usually see a Cicada as an easy target, but throw a couple rounds their way and they start running in the other direction. I can't tell you how many lights I have legged I haven't had this much fun with a mech in a long time!
The version above is what I run, and it is by far the most fun I've had in the game. You really need 3 tons of AC10 ammo minimum. If I could squeeze in 4 tons I would, but I decided I can't drop the speed, lasers, or armor any further and still be effective. It's surprising good at taking out lights, so the relatively slow speed isn't a huge drawback. It's still plenty fast for getting around the battlefield and taking opportunistic shots. It's mostly a mid range sniper, but you can actually brawl with it pretty effectively for short periods. On long games I will run out of ammo, but for the most part 3 tons is just right if you don't waste them. I've had other 3M builds that get more total damage (AC2/4ML), but this model gets me the most kills (by a fair margin), and has the best targeted damage of the ones I've tried. I highly recommend it.
This looks like a really good build, I used LBX+ML instead of the AC10, but it's basically a Blackjack loadout with ECM in torso mount.
