1 vs 1 - What weapon kills you the fastest?

Just curious about what weapons tend to make for fast kills.
In a 1 vs 1 situation, what do you want to have or not want the enemy to have?

Heavy Laser Vomit?

Pulse Laser Vomit?

Laser Gauss?

Dual Heavy Gauss + MLaser?

UAC / dakka?

RACs?

SRM?

MRM?

ATM?

MGs?

LRMs...ha, ha

 

Mostly anything that can deal pinpoint or nearly pinpoint damage and has nice DPS, namely Dakka (AC and heavy gauss, not LBX) or pulse laser boats... Or both. There are some nasty quad or 6x AC2 / AC5 builds that are very nasty, but you can easily spread the incoming damage (especially when facing AC2 boats), so I'm not really recommending them for this reason, especially in tier 1 despite being the most used build.

My best builds are:

1. ANH-1X: Dual HGR + 6xML
2. Cyclop AC20 + 3xSRM6 + 1xSRM4 artemis
3. Dual UAC10 Bushwacker
4. Dual UAC10 Bushwacker (hero)
5. Rifleman Dual UAC10 + 2xML
6. Hunchback 4G with AC20 + 3xMPL
7. ??? (no good mech in division 7, except for the free uziel, but I'm still looking for a meta build... Maybe dual AC10 non ultra)

Other meta builds worth of notice are SPL / MPL boats (when they can also boat DHS and be very cool or very fast to skirmish properly)... Those were the most annoying builds I had to face.
SRM Artemis boats are slightly better than MRM boats due to lower spread at range, but they still tend to spread out too much damage, especially when facing builds with small hitboxes... Also, they are hot and occupy a lot of slots, so they are not anywhere optimal, but can still deal a nice punch... I'm not really recommending my Cyclop build (or the brawl victor in division 3), but you can work it out by banning any map that could start with a med-long range engagement... Not the best build out there, but satisfying when used properly.

ATMs? LOL.

MRM are kinda a joke: keep your distance and it won't be such an issue... If an MRM boat manages to get close, though, be ready for huge alpha strikes.

Overall, it also depends on your aiming skills: I've noticed that in PUG matches you were very skilled with pinpoint builds, so I would stick with them.

EDIT: some MGs and RAC builds could look gorgeous or be very annoying, but if you manage to torso twist properly and to focus only their CT, you can kill them pretty easily... Prolonged face time means death against low heat pinpoint builds.

 

I was thinking generally 1 vs 1. So Solaris works or duels on maps that aren't small death-boxes would be find too.

 

EDITED to make it more readable and less confused.

My general rule of thumb, assuming both opponents has similar skills (aim, torso twist / shield) and similar mech hitboxes, I would say that the winner will have the highest DPS and pinpoint build.

* Assuming map is flat and without cover, the best DPS pinpoint will win. E.g.: 2xAC10 will always win VS 2xMRM40 at 450 meters, but it will be the opposite below 100 meters

Unless the huge alpha meta can tank all the incoming DPS and kill the target with few well placed shots without losing weapons / cooling while taking damage.

Range is also very important, but I take it for granted that if you drop with a brawler and you have to run for ~600-800 meters while facing an AC2 boat, you have little to no chance to win unless you are really fast (assault vs assault is an easy win for the AC2 boat, light vs light could be a win for the brawler if it manages to dodge most shots).


* Assuming map is relevant and cover can be used to interrupt incoming DPS, cool down, get closer (deal more DPS or focus components better) or take range (reduce or spread incoming damage) it will depends on player skill and the proper usage of the build.

Early DPS is not "granted" and movement / positioning will be used to avoid (take cover) or grant damage (deny cover): huge alpha builds (both short and med-long ranged) are more reliable, but they can't do much if they can't poke properly or when usage of cover is being denied.

Previous rules about pinpoint DPS (AC10 vs MRM40) still applies.

E.g.: solaris dual heavy gauss annihilator VS 6xAC2 plus some ML/LPL build.

If they drop in med-long ranged maps (boreal / steiner) AC2 boat will likely have the upper hand due to range and early DPS. In most other maps, the dual heavy gauss build can manage to get close denying the early DPS and likely win the fight by either poking to death or focusing on CT (depends on target and skills).

If both opponents has the same build, regardless of the map chosen, whoever has better aim / focus will most likely win (this does not apply with builds with "hardcoded" spread, like LBX / MRM: in that case, who better applies the damage at close range and move away to spread the incoming damage will win)

This also applies outside of solaris, but it's unlikely to happen due to intervention from other players.

 

After seeing solaris I am trying dual HGR more and my damage seems much lower per game.
But my kills seem to come much faster and I feel like the winning percentage has gone up.

 

It really depends what I'm bringing, too. In my best winrate mech, the 5xMPL grinner? I don't like seeing AC20s/LB20s and HGRs. Those will ruin my day.

In my sun spider? My winrate is inversely proportional to the number of LRMs on the enemy team. It's a double UAC10 fire support build that, given the side torsos, is very vulnerable to LRMs.

 

Pin-point alpha in the right hands is a scary thing. Sure, they *usually* have heat management problems to go with it but having a location oranged in a single volley puts one on the back foot before you even begin.

Blast damage with solid sustain is almost as scary. LBs in the right hands with the aggrssor dictating range are horrific. The pain never ends.

SRMs are evil in the right hands - they dovetail well with LBs. Heavy lasers with a cool sustain weapon system can be scary too.

The king of the 1v1 has to be Heavy Gauss in the hands of someone who is a good shot and has solid hitbox/variant/weapon knowledge. They combine both the things I mentioned above, that being pinpoint damage and low-heat sustain. Normal Gauss remain horrific too (How I adore my Madcat with twin Gauss, 4xheavymeds and a pair of srm6s), being as they work so well as part of brutal loadouts.

My best 1v1ers are probably my Scorch with lb20s and srm6s, the above mentioned Gauss, hml and srm Mad Cat, my dual heavy Gauss Sleipnir and my 6xlb5x Annihilator. I don't really fear anyone in those four if my eye is in. There are others ofc but those four feel mean as all hell.