Stay back, use cover, and focus on people in the open. That 35 points of firepower can all come out at once and hit the same location for devastating results. Switch the ERPPC's for PPC's for better heat, but even with ER you can get 2 - 3 alpha's off before overheating. I prefer the ER's because there are very few matches when someone doesn't get within 90m of me. I like to have the PPC's on group one chained and the gauss on group two for ammo conservation, just pot shot with the PPC's if you aren't sure of the shot, but alpha or chain with the gauss if you're sure it'll hit. *Edit: This build can probably be built on all the other (at least) 2x Energy and 1x Ballistic hardpoint Dragon chassis, just throwing the weapons on to the appropriate slots on the 'Mech.
Swapping one of the ERPPCs for two MLASes would give you a better heat curve, and would allow you to equip an XL300 engine.
I don't really like the low firing points of the dragon's arms for sniping. It requires you to go very far up a hill before being able to hit something. It'd probably fit better in a catapult or jagermech.
That's also a good point. Without JJs or a big engine, the 'mech has to expose too much of it for too long to get the alpha strike. Now, there is an argument for keeping both PPCs and using them to work corners. However, I find that when I'm working corners, I'm usually in a close, urban setting and MLASes or MPLASes work just fine.
Even when sniping, I'll try to use cover, so having it on the arms helps, but I agree - it is far more useful to be high up for sniping. I do have a Gauss on one of my dragons, but I use it as a brawling weapon that also works long range.
You are trying to put a Assault build into a Dragon. Its a little faster, but, a whole lot less armor and heat capacity. Dragons that don't do over 90KHP are not a "Real Dragon" - this mech is about getting good fire power into flanking positions quickly. There are better Gauss+2ERPPC Mech out there.
All good points, I was just running this setup to use my Flame when i wanted something for sniping. Yes there are better loadouts out there for the dragon, and yes there are better sniper mechs, but I'm just saying it's possible.
