If you're not using the crazy-hardpoint prime arms, then there's no point in having a Nova at all. Seriously. If you strip then max armor for both the Nova and the Kitfox, the KFX has exactly one less free ton of space, due to the mandated standard structure. Granted, the Nova's armor is heavier, but it's slower, IMO resulting in more overall vulnerability. What has the nova that the KFX has not? Beastly, facemelting numbers of hardpoints, glorious ENERGY hardpoints that cater to the strong energy weapons of the clans. But only on the prime arms. So all these builds strapping on UAC/5's or UAC/10's don't give you an advantage, the only thing that makes you stand out is crazy-level energy goliath builds. I'm just pointing this out so you can play to this mech's strengths and outpace it's weaknesses. The Nova is one mech you never want to meet alone in a dark tunnel. Build it as such.
Did you know those arms have bad quirks ? Well if you want only 3- lasers per arm, you can take the S variants to avoid these bad quirks.
...and with the Heat Nerfs etc. the Laserboating Trick on the Nova is not as good as before. Having 12 ERMLas is not better than having 6 ERMLas, because you can't really use half of them in the battle due to massive Heat Production. And with the Range Nerfs, even the 6ERML+6ERSL is not as good as before. The nearer you have to get to the enemy to deal optimal damage, the faster you get down. Because this Mech is super fragile. Having a "cool" range ballistic Weapon with some Screenshake&Critchance could save your ass in heavy combats, sometimes more often than you wish to like. Also using the ST Hardpoints to load a big gun there, like a LPLas, ERPPC or a Dakka is reasonable for the case you lose the Arms, which happens too often, too fast. So i don't support these "Always use these or that"-Commands on Mechs. Let other Player decide what to do with their mechs. If they can handle high scores with half the hardpoints, WHY NOT? I have all three Novas and i want to have three different weaponsetups. Why do i have to load the same Arms in each of them, leading to the same build? This is nonsense. If you only want to keep one Nova after mastering them, ok there might be a reason to chose the Prime Arms to keep the original concept of the Nova.
I'd say in fact the only time I want to use the prime arms now is for the 12 cERSL and 4 cMG build. Other wise I'm using other arms.
That having said, some "always use" thing can be true. Like how you should always have a ST that allows for JJ in a kitfox (and avoid using those JJ legs unless you really need loads of JJ due to penalty), or how you should use a JJ capable ST/CT on a timberwolf.
Which arms you use are irrelevant. The Nova is the worst clan chassis and if you are looking at it competitively you shouldn't use it at all. The adder and stormcrow are both way better than the Nova at this point, and the incoming laser nerfs only make the Nova even worse. I'm playing through it right now just to try and get all my clan mechs mastered and it is the worst. But to contradict your point the build I seem to have the best success in is a PPC/LBX5 build with both weapons in the torso, I can use both arms as shields and the PPC/LBX5 match up in projectile speed well.
I disagree, but it's the internet and that is to be expected. The Nova is a helluva little chassis. It is sort of a one trick pony, but the way the three torsos are set makes it really good to spread damage across. Also, for a medium, it sits really low. The JJs are pretty peppy and can get you up and down pretty quick. Plus, with that slower engine, you do have the option to pack on quite a bit more weaponry than the Stormcrow or others. I love the Nova. It's a great looking mech and a decent little chassis. You just have to play it right.
Nova with Max Armor has 15.43 tons of free space Stormcrow with Max Armor has 22.86 tons of free space, not to mention that you can mount missile hard points all over it as well. Even the little adder with max armor has 15.8 tons of free space to work with.
In this case, the tonnage isn't as notable as the hardpoints. At best, the SCR can hold 8 separate weapons, while the Nova can actually mount as many as 16. SCR benefits from diversity with missile points, and the ability to mount a bigger ballistic effectively, but the Nova can strap on far more weapons, and potentially more firepower. I'd disagree with Nova being the worst clan mech in the bunch...utilized right, even with the laser nerfs, it can still be a beast on the field.
If the nerf will actually take place I hope for some decent heat quirk for the prime arms, to not totally denaturate the mech.
I've already explained why not. If you wanted to use half the hardpoints, then you would be able to do a similar build, only much better, on one of the other clan mechs. No one here is going to check up on you, try and enforce any "command". If you want to do a ballistic Nova, go right ahead. You can put the build up right next to your XL-engine LRM/ac2 atlas and let everyone know how original and free-minded you are. If you want to throw 2 LPL's on there and not notice that the frigging kit fox does that just as well, be my guest. However, I do want to say that you have a point about screenshake upping your longevity. Using one side of the mech as a shield and the other as a ballistic and prime-arm combo should work okay, letting you peek around buildings without exposing the whole mech. [quote author=fx8230 link=topic=7779.msg52175#msg52175 date=1409809970] If the nerf will actually take place I hope for some decent heat quirk for the prime arms, to not totally denaturate the mech.[/quote] Sadly, I think that the nerf's timing is not an accident: If a Nova Pilot doesn't blow himself up, he can actually take out an enemy mech in record time, he just needs to cool off afterwords. So there wouldn't be any point to "fixing" the weapons and then re-enabling the mech that's using them so effectively to continue doing so.
The 12 ERMLas build doesn`t work anymore on the Nova due to Ghost Heat. Thx PGI. And also the 6ERML + 6ERSL is less powerful now after the latest Clan Laser Heat/Range Nerf. Thx PGI. So all the many E-HPs doesn`t make the Nova shine so much over the other builds, which still can hold the DPS even close at Overheating lvl. I don't argue with you about other Clan Chassis which can run similar builds and perform better. If you see it from this point of view, you can say, we should always run the Timber Wolf and forget all other lighter Clan Mechs. But we want to do the best Game experience out of a given Mech/Omnipods. And for me the 12 E-HP Configuration is not the best, what you can use for the Nova. It was in the beginning, but not anymore. Play the build on Caustic, Tourmaline and TT. You will understand what i mean. I'd prefer a Ballistic Gun or an ERPPC either in the Arm for Firing over the edge, or in the ST for the case you lose the big arms, what happens too often, too fast. So many skilled Sniper Lights can take out the Arms from high distance with ease. So what appears to be a strong point in the Prime Arms, can also become the main weak point - lose one arm and 50% Firepower is gone. Lose another one and you are a sitting duck. It's smart to keep some Firepower in the Torso. Therefor you have an E-HP RT and a B-HP LT. And no i don`t run XL engine LRM/AC2 Atlas. Do you?
I think i'm gonna test this. http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=17&l=63fd35c2c7684413068facfd952f629be5cd3cd3 hear:
Blagg, I think maybe we're talking past each other. I'm not arguing that the nova has a lot of great options, I'm saying that laserboating is the least bad of those options, and the major reason is that massive hardpoints is the only thing that the chassis has going for it. So saying all these things about how difficult it is to laserboat matters not at all. You laserboat, or you pick another mech that does the other thing that you want to do, only does it better.
"Fixed" it for you: http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=17&l=ed61257498ab61f3b6072e006eca868fc27b33bf [quote author=manty5 link=topic=7779.msg52382#msg52382 date=1410041534] Blagg, I think maybe we're talking past each other. I'm not arguing that the nova has a lot of great options, I'm saying that laserboating is the least bad of those options, and the major reason is that massive hardpoints is the only thing that the chassis has going for it. So saying all these things about how difficult it is to laserboat matters not at all. You laserboat, or you pick another mech that does the other thing that you want to do, only does it better. [/quote] Can't actually speak for Blagg, but it sounds like he's saying that with the current changes and the state of CLasers in flux, LasBoating is no longer the least-bad Nova option, at least for now. Even if he isn't, it's a sentiment I agree with at the time of this post (but if they rebuff the lasers or change the Nova somehow that's subject to change). When the Clans first hit, I would have agreed with you...go Prime arms and lasers, or go home, it's what makes the Nova unique/optimal-for-what-it-can-be. But as things stand right now, the least-bad Nova experience may very well not utilize all those laser hardpoints, making a ballistic mix or using things that eat up more slots (like ERPPCs) a better choice. For many, being a poor copycat of another mech chasis is a better choice than being uniquely terrible, and we'll see how things settle.
I don't get why you are talking so bad about the Nova and it's non12xLaser build options. It's not the best Clan Mech, that's clear. But compared to other IS Mediums from the same Weight (50t) it is not a bad Mech at all. Sure it is inferior to the very survivable Scarecrow but it also has 5tons extra. And sure, the 12 Energy HPS was the only true strength for this Mech when Clan Mechs were introduced in MWO. But due to latest Heat/Range Nerfs the 12x Laserbuild is outdated. You can't Alphastrike without Instant Overheating + Selfdestruction. You are limited to fire in Weapongroups, which is effectively not more powerful than having 10x or 8x ERMLas. Even 6x ERMLas is in most cases similarly effective as running 12x ERMLas. Just drop in hot maps and you know what i mean. The 6ERML+6ERSL(+MGs) was a very viable compromise (the only build i got 1K+ Score), but now imo ERSLas got nerfed so hard rangewise, in most games you can`t use them effectively, leaving you only 6x ERMLas for most engagements. For that you can also use the S-Arms. Besides Alphafiring 6ERML+6ERSL also produces massive Ghostheat. So even here there is no real point in using so many Clan Lasers, unless you like to consume Coolshots alot. Besides firing 6ERML produce 36 Heat now instead 30 pre-patch. Firing twice equals 72 Heat instead 60. This is not a joke in a critical combat situation. If there was no Ghost Heat, then yes i agree with you. But now after all the Nerfs, i'd say other Build Options with other Arms are not really inferior. In some cases even better. Take e.g. 6x ERMLas in the Arms and a single ERLLas in the Torso @20DHS. Is it so much worse than the 12x Energy Build? Imo you get a good Trade - less Heat Problems, while still maintaining a nasty Alphastrike with almost no Ghostheat. Give this Loadout into an IS 50ton Medium and you'd say it's Badass. And as said already - the Nova Arms are so sensible. It is wise to keep some Firepower in the Sidetorso instead only having Arms-Weapons.
