Meme NSR-10P "DPS Stealth-Star" (2xLGR, 2xAC/2, 2xERML, ECM, LE300)

5/5,

1 rating

Back when the Nightstar first came out I was looking at all the different variants and tried to come up with a build for each one. I wanted to do something more interesting than just 2xGR + ERLL (w/ECM) and so I decided to put Stealth armor on it. I knew I wanted the lowest heat weapons possible which means Gauss Rifles but regular IS Gauss won't fit in the arms with stealth armor. So I went for Light Gauss Rifles which left only 1 critical slot in each arm and only AC/2's would fit. I never really took the build seriously (it originally had an XLE) and had other priorities so it sat untouched until a week ago or so and I decided to see if it actually worked, it worked well enough that I began tweeking it until it reached its current state.

Note: 4xAC/2s are a LOT lighter and have about the same DPS but cause the heat to rise very quickly with Stealth active. The same can be said for 2xAC/5 + 2xAC2 and I wanted to stay in stealth for a longer time. So I stuck with the 2xLGR + 2xAC2 so I could use the stealth armor more, which is the whole idea really.

It's not a great build but it can stay under stealth and fire for a good while (as long as you don't fire the lasers) and it seems to perform well enough that your team shouldn't hate you too much...



The lasers are just there for when you don't need stealth or just in case you run out of ammo.

 

Fascinating. I never realized that AC/2 travels at the same speed as gauss rifle rounds, and has almost the same range. This gives you some options, as you can use the AC/2 as a tracer to better aim the Gauss rifle.

Heat without the lasers is 100%. IE, very viable with the whole stealth armor approach.

I'm not sure how much value the lasers bring. If your main armament was in the torso then I'd want to see lasers in the arms to fend of lights, but that's not an issue here.

Have you considered adding a targetting computer?

 

Thanks for the information... I apologize for not adhering to the format, I posted on a whim and didn't think to look for a format guide. I've done my best to fix the thread but will edit it further if needed.

 

I actually hadn't considered adding a targeting computer. The tonnage constraints are pretty tight and the armor is thinner than I like on the arms and legs already. I haven't actually used them much.

As for the lasers... I'm not comfortable with my 'mechs being entirely ammo dependent. That being said the design originally mounted a pair of ER Small Lasers until I played an Escort match and ran out of ammo before I could kill the VIP 'mech (but not before doing 960ish damage) and lost as a result. After that I shaved a quarter ton off each arm and leg to upgrade the lasers. Also when the Stealth Armor is off the 'mech will cool itself off while firing the ballistics (even with no skills) and I realized that if I wasn't using the stealth constantly I was missing out on potential damage. Hence the ER Medium Lasers, I was trying for the best damage + range for tonnage without worrying about heat.

 

Not bad.

Worth consideration as a standard QP build, instead of troll one

 

So I've re-evaluated the design in light of the Stealth Armor changes... Its sustain under stealth is even more ridiculous; you can actually use lasers somewhat without worrying about overheating and in practical terms the AC/2s and Light Gauss will never cause you to overheat. In testing, without moving, I was able to fire the AC/2s and Light Gauss for 54 seconds with stealth armor active on Crimson Strait before shutting down.

The problem is that the alternatives became much, MUCH better in terms of heat... and they were all much more tonnage efficient to start with.

So I think this niche build is no longer optimal even in its niche. There are now alternatives that while less heat efficient will simply outperform it in nearly anyone's hands. So unless you're on Terra Therma I'd recommend one of the following...

4xAC2... the coolest running and the fastest:


2xAC5, 2xAC2... a middle ground and I think the best all rounder:


2xUAC5, 2xAC2... the highest DPS but actually has heat issues and jams are one more heahache (included for completeness)


Overall I think I might just scrap the Stealth Armor entirely and go with 4xAC5, 1 PPC... but time will tell. For now I'm going to run the Quad AC/2s because I have a spare 340 LFE in stock.

 

I'd like to try much more armor and the option to go zombie, just one less heat sink:

 

That looks good.

I've already dropped the Stealth armor and moved onto a 4xAC5, 1xPPC build for more general performance.

Hats off to anyone who wants to keep playing around with Stealth armor though.

 

Two matches with this build so far, both very good, even though I lost ECM in the second one quite early. But the additional armor was quite important as you can see in above screenshot. I finished the match with 15% health and still all arms and legs