I've mixed and matched more than a dozen contending loadouts for the ANH-2A, all of them good, but none of them as good as this one. Top damage so far: 1553 The ANH They call it a mediocre mech. They say it's only good in matches full of PUGs. They say it has mortal weaknesses like grueling speed, and awkward mounts. Regardless, the ANH remains as the highest scoring mech in my entire arsenal. This thing is NASTY. This loadout It's simple. 2 AC10s (5 tons ammo), 2 RACAC2s (4 tons ammo), and 3 double heat sinks. The AC10s rip into armor with brutal, rapid pinpoint damage, while the RACs strike fear into the hearts of foolish contestants, utterly destroying them if they dare try to face you down. I find that using light Ferro and sacrificing a little leg, cockpit, and arm armor frees up enough space for a third heatsink in one of the arms, and this is my preference. The heat management is very solid this way. Max out the survivability tree. The rest is less important. Playstyle The Annihilator can win games when it's used correctly. It can turn the tides. It can also die instantly when caught in the wrong scenario. So here's what to do: Think of yourself as the protector of your team. You are not the tip of the spear (although you can be, if it comes to that). You are not the harasser. You are certainly not a peeker. YOU ARE THE PUNISHER. Start by locating a position (not at the front or back, and not in a particularly low spot) where you can both be supported by your team quickly if you are pushed, but more importantly where you can supervise the enemies' prime peeking spots. Do not rely on moving back and forth around a wall to deal your damage. Instead, let the enemies try to do that to you, and PUNISH THEM as if it were a game of whack-a-mole. Watch the damage rack up as the enemies struggle for a good offensive position. They can't though; you've accounted for every single one, and supressed them back into hiding. Now your team can seek advantageous positions at will, under the sanctuary you provide them. If you can follow these steps, and not do anything stupid, you've just won the match. How to die immediately Many situations in which a heavy mech shines makes the Annihilator rather useless. You have to shake your heavy mech instincts to survive in this thing--it is an unforgiving mech. 1. Finding yourself alone. Don't think the enemy won't notice. They will. And 50% of the mechs can out-maneuver you if you don't have a buddy to watch your back. WATCH WHERE YOUR TEAM IS GOING, AND DON'T LET THEM LEAVE WITHOUT YOU. 2. Taking the long way. Sometimes you may wish you were on the other side of the map. Too bad. You're in an Annihilator, and you work with what you've got. My rule of thumb is not to transition to a better position of it in not less than 500 meters away from where you are. In the time it takes you to travel, the enemy could even or gain the favor of sides. You must be tentative. 3. Exposing. If you don't know what's behind a hill or around a corner, don't throw the dice. Smash S as hard as you can, but in the time it takes you to reverse, you can facetank two alpha strikes. Also, prefer side peeking over top peeking if you MUST peek.
Hey Jordan, welcome to MechSpecs! Make sure to read the FAQ before posting your build, you need to include a Smurfy link. Also, we have a dedicated section for guides if you wish to school us on how to pilot annihilators Please edit your post to conform to the guidelines, and enjoy your stay
Ditto on what Baard said, gotta post a Smurfy link. I like the idea of this build, high-dakka DPS with the RAC2s, and some good AC10 punch thrown in as well. I'll try it out and see how I like it. For what it's worth, you can swap from a LE300 to a STD295 by trading LF-Armor for ES-Structure. This allows you to keep the same number of heatsinks and ammo, but lets you max out your armor (minus 6 points, but w/e). The biggest plus to running STD though, is that despite the reduced overall speed (0.8 kph slower - again, big deal lol) you get to keep that top speed after losing a Side-Torso; whereas running a LightEngine, if you lose a side-torso, you lose a considerable amount of speed, AND your heat efficiency plummets as well. This is how I'd run that build, with the ammo and DHS values you indicated: Edit: This STD engine version also maxes out the slots, which anyone who knows me knows is a VERY BIG DEAL!
You could also run an ultra AC/10 version, but you suffer a bit from increased heat. Also, with the Ultra version firing a pair of shots instead of single shot, you have that as an accuracy malus.
Great dps numbers. I'm going to try putting that on my ANH-1A, which has AC10 cooldown quirks, instead of the quad-AC10 build it has now. (Here it is https://mechspecs.com/threads/anh-1a-slugger-2xac10-2xrac2-lams-lfe300.16347)
