Best way to feature the highest DPS on any Inner Sphere Light mech and to exploit the unique +25% machine gun RoF. Original idea and design by Pro Secco _ Spoiler: Previous iteration with 1xJJ and +0.5 ton HMG ammo Spoiler: Interesting quirk list Laser Duration− 5 % Machine Gun Rof+ 25 % Base Structure (CT)+ 11 Base Structure (LA)+ 12 Base Structure (LL)+ 16 Base Structure (LT)+ 8 Base Structure (RA)+ 12 Base Structure (RL)+ 16 Base Structure (RT)+ 8 Skills were a tough choice compared to my usual laser vomit skill set, because I had to consider the following points: Spoiler: Mech's features and skillpoint investment bulletin HMGs are the biggest source of damage: thanks to the 25% RoF quirk you will achieve 5xHGM damage and ammo consumption, so 7.5 dmg/s instead of 6. 4xSPL lasers achieve (3.5 dmg/ 2.4s ) * 4 = 5.8 dmg/s Build is almost heat stable, so there is no point at all to skill into coolrun or heatgen Due to HGMs and SPLs range, there is little to no point to skill into range Unluckily Cooldown nodes improves only SPLs cooldown and not HMGs dmg/s, which means DPS benefit from cooldown nodes is very limited Firestarter has very bad agility, but being a light it will benefit from both speed tweak and every mobility node it can get. Firestarter has huge structure quirks, so it can become very tanky by focusing into survival skill tree The following skill tree will turn the firestarter in a chunky but very tanky Piranha, with mediocre to decent agility, excellent speed for a 35 brawler tonner and incredible DPS. Due to this mech's big hitboxes and crappy maneuverability despite the mobility skills maybe you won't get many kills early match, but it hits VERY hard and it can both flank/backstab and hunt lights to some extent. Spoiler: Recommended skill tree Adapt the skill tree as you please, but keep in mind the considerations I talked about in the spoiler section. Spoiler: Why "the prodigy"?
UPDATE: changed title, moved things around, improved description and skill tree. IMHO is a very solid and unexpected DPS light mech once fully skilled. Do not underestimate it.
Be mindful though that this mech works once fully skilled: skilling this mech is actually a chore with the current meta.
5/5, This build shreds! I never got into HMGs before but am a believer now and am using my Ember regularly again. The only thing I changed is moving some points from survival to mobility because it was just a bit too clumsy before.
UPDATE: april 2021 buffed SPLs DPS and HMG ammo per ton, as well as enabling CASE in legs / arms and weight no tonnage... Also, Firestarter mobility has been buffed, so it feels a light again! Yay! _
It can be fun...but man, I just feel like Firestarters can't hang with the gang any more with these types of builds. Even on a good backstabbing run, this guy just feels weaker than just about any other light I play regularly :/