With the latest change to Gauss (primarily it's speed) it has become a much better sniping weapon. So this is my ideal dedicated sniper build. ECM The ECM helps a lot to keep hidden and avoid LRMs and has paid for itself on many drops. Also, if the game demands it, you can follow with the main group to provide extra ECM support. Just don't get draw too much attention. AMMO I have only ran out of ammo once and hit with almost every round. Most drops get me below 10 shots though, so 4 tons of ammo seems to fit nicely. SPEED Definitely not a good speed for a low-weight medium, but for a long-distance sniper you can still position yourself quickly and regroup with the main force if need be. I haven't had too many issues with being too slow. Situational awareness is key. To know when you should change locations and/or catch up with the rest of your force. Keep an eye on lights and distance yourself from any confrontation under 500m ADVANCED ZOOM This has become VERY usable. The new enhanced resolution make it very easy to see detail at extreme ranges. Gauss travels 25% faster and you can accurately place each shot at 1000m+ even on moving targets! It's a must-take for sniping with a Gauss rifle SPECIALTY mech With only 1 weapon, and a very long cool down of 4s and now with an additional .75 sec charge time. This mech is horrible at almost anything other than fire support at long range or pot-shots when running with the main force. You really have to count on your team to support you and take care of the problems you cannot address (such as lights). But we all know how that goes unless you are with a group of friends... OVERALL Not pulling off fantastic drops, but the mech is very fun to play if you enjoy accuracy and long range shooting. Use terrain to your advantage and avoid any direct confrontation whenever possible. Set yourself up with a good field/long field of view and move anticipate moving to new locations long before you actually need to move.
I run a slight variant that adds 1 MLas and drops the BAP. By far this is the most fun mech off all for me. When plugging away using Gauss, I constantly see the target scanning for the source of the blast, to no avail...
I find 40 is sufficient. Sometimes you're "found out" quickly and are pretty much toast when the lights swarm you. Most other times I just get to winchester and the match is already decided, so more ammo is superfluous.
Usually 40 gauss-rounds are enough but on large, open maps you might run out. I added a small laser, so if my ammo is gone or lights get near me, I can pewpew people until I die. I also use the advanced sensor range module instead of the BAP.
Been a while since I've taken this out, the new Industry map is PERFECT for it. Just paint you mech black, and watch as the enemy team tries to figure out where the hell they are getting shot from! Positioning is key, don't let yourself get singled out, chased, or trapped. This map has a lot of places to get trapped.
