Here’s how I think of forums: I read a lot, I compile the information, and then I write a “guide”. This guide is read by people, and they either A) learn from my wisdom or B) thanks to the reply button, I learn from theirs. Usually I hope for A, but quite often B happens. Anyway, I’ve been trying to figure out for a while what exactly to do with my ballistic slots, and I think I’m starting to figure out exactly what I want for each situation, and how they work with my builds. Plinkers vs. Thumpers I’ve broken Ballistics into two groups: plinkers and thumpers. These are my own definitions and not anything official I've seen. Plinkers shoot fast and weak, and are generally good for sustained fire on target (i.e. firing from the back of the group at a near-stationary target). Thumpers are the big guns, which are generally better for the high movement demands of the game. Well, then there’s machine guns, which are virtually useless. To give a little perspective on what I mean, let’s take dual AC/2s vs. a single AC/10. Both combinations weigh 12 tons (before ammo). The AC/2s will do 8 DPS total if you can remain on target, the AC/10 will do 4. That seems all well and good, until you try it in practice. In the brawl, you generally want to be torso turning between shots. In the skirmish, you want to be weaving in and out of cover (and your enemy is as well), meaning you only get small windows to deal damage. If your enemy is torso turning (or you just suck at aiming), the AC/2s can spread the damage out. I also can’t count how many times I’ve spectated someone with AC/2s to watch them carefully line up each shot, wasting the speed of the weapon. Yes, the AC/2 is theoretically higher DPS, but if you only get a shot off every 4 seconds due to the above factors, dual AC/2s will do 1 DPS, and an AC/10 will do 2.5. Plinkers: Plinkers includes the AC/2, UAC/5, and AC/5. All three of these have pretty good range and fire fairly fast, but do light damage. Despite their range, these are not very good sniper weapons (the time it takes to line up your shots generally lowers the rate of fire). If you want a lightweight sniper, the ER PPC is a much better option than the AC/2 (1x AC/2 + 1 ton ammo is the same weight, and you shouldn’t be too bad on heat with only 1x ER PPC), and if you have the weight: go gauss. Where plinkers excel is in sustained fire against a target, be it from the back of a group (where you’re not getting targeted), from out of range of enemy ballistics, from the enemy’s flank/rear, or simply in a heavy, slow turret. AC/2: For its base weight, the AC/2 is the highest DPS ballistic weapon in the game, but more than any other, it requires time on target to make the most of its capabilities. The AC/2 turns the mech into a glass cannon; capable of dishing out a lot of damage, but the playstyle that capitalizes on it leaves yourself vulnerable. UAC/5: Including ammo (for 2 minutes of fire) and enough heat sinks for neutral heat, the UAC/5 is the most efficient ballistic weapon in terms of DPS-per-ton, even factoring in jams. It also has pretty decent range. The big disadvantage to this weapon is the fact that it can jam, often after the first shot, which usually leaves you pretty defenseless. However, good piloting can overcome this; when it jams, take that time to torso turn, use your other weapons, or seek cover. The UAC/5 is probably one of the hardest ballistic weapons to pilot around, due to its random nature, but if you can hack it then this is a very powerful tool in your arsenal. AC/5: The AC/5 is the slowest of the plinkers, and it can be used between maneuvers with significantly less DPS drop than twisting around an AC/2. It’s more of a balanced weapon than a powerhouse in any one area. Thumpers Thumpers include the AC/10, LB-10X, AC/20, and Gauss rifle. With the exception of Gauss, these are generally close-up weapons, and all are heavy hitters with long reload times. These reload times may seem like a hindrance, but I look at them as an opportunity to perform defensive maneuvers. In sustained fire, they make up for the low rate of fire by dealing a significant amount of damage. Sidenote: this high damage leads to a lot more kill steals than what plinkers provide. While some may think the fast rate of fire with the Plinkers makes them better at hunting lights, I’ve seen many a yellow crosshair while someone fires dozens of rounds from an AC/2 or UAC/5 at a light, and I’ve nailed plenty of hits with my Gauss and AC/20. People take the time to aim the bigger weapons and tend to waste less ammo. AC/10: The AC/10 is on the fast end of the thumpers. If you look at the efficiency spreadsheet, the AC/10 is the lowest on the totem pole, but it is a nice option if you can’t fit an AC/20 and don’t want the weight of the AC/20 or the Gauss. This is essentially the poor man’s thumper. LB-10X: The LBX is the shotgun. It makes it easier to hit mechs, but harder to hit specific components. If you’re good at nailing exactly what you want to hit, this is probably not for you. If you want help hitting lights or if you want to make quicker snap-shots, this is a good option. If you’re just out to deal damage, and don’t care where exactly it hits, the LBX will do the job of the AC/10 for 1 less ton and crit slot. The LBX is also good for a finishing blow, with a higher critical chance than most other weapons. AC/20: The AC/20 requires a STD engine to fit it in the side torso, and only a handful of mechs can fit it in an arm. It’s slow. It’s only got 270m range. It weighs more than anything but a Gauss, and only gets 7 shots per ton. It’s also the hardest-hitting weapon in the game (not counting the splash damage on missiles). Using this weapon will generally cost you a combination of speed and armor, but it is probably the scariest weapon in the game to go up against in a brawl. Gauss: The Gauss rifle is the best sniper weapon in the game, and is still very good in the brawl. You do not need to worry about the ammo exploding (although you do have to worry about the rifle). Unlike the AC/20, any mech can fit this in the arms or in the side torsos with an XL engine (provided the ballistic slot is available). This is a very good substitute for an AC/20, even in the brawl, and the only thumper with any real range on it. Machine Guns: Machine guns require 1.5 tons and 2 slots to be effective, including 1 ton of ammo. 1 ton of ammo probably works for 2 machine guns. These do very little damage unless the target has the armor removed already, and then they do a decent amount. Personally, I do not think the limited range and the specific conditions required for these to be useful make them worth a ballistic slot. I’d rather fit some more heat sinks or a bigger engine than load up on machine guns. Syncing Weapons: I find that if I’m going with a Plinker, medium and medium pulse lasers are generally a good compliment. Plinkers are generally higher on heat, so the efficiency helps, but also having everything on a shorter cooldown means all of my weapons are good for that sustained fire. Similarly, with the Thumpers, large lasers or PPCs tend to synchronize well, if I can make the weight work. Alternately, doing the opposite can provide some nice balance (i.e. large laser to weave between torso turns and AC/2 for direct fire). Sometimes you simply don’t have the weight (i.e. putting an AC/20 on a 50-60 ton mech pretty much requires medium lasers as a backup). Conclusions: If I had to say there was a “best”, I would probably say the UAC/5 is the best plinker and the Gauss is the best thumper (obviously the LBX is the best shotgun). However, all of these weapons have builds that work well around them. There are only 4 weapons in this game I wouldn’t get in any serious build: the machine gun being the only that applies to ballistic weapons (the other 3 being SPL, as it’s only better between 0.5 and 0.6 seconds an target compared to a ML; flamer, and SRM2, which doesn’t offer much over SRM4 IMHO…regular PPCs are also iffy with their minimum range). The important thing, however, is to know how each of these weapons work to know if it fits the playstyle you want a build to fulfill.
