I'm a perfectly capable player and have plenty of my own screens posted in the 1k dmg thread for Phracts and other chassis. The amount of high damage screens or loadouts is irrelevant to how it plays for me. But if faulting me makes you feel better about a favorite of yours then by all means.
Have you tried the AC20 AC2 4MLAS build in the 3D? I didn't like this machine either until I tried this configuration Dakka Dakka Dakka BOOOOM! http://www.mechspecs.com/forum/index.php?topic=3403.0 It's a Beast
In all honesty I was going through some of the build options for the 1X, 3D, and 4X and was strongly considering purchasing them. I think a long time ago I bought the 3D and 4X after the Ilya but sold off the regular variants to move onto another chassis. The AC20 builds for the 3D were definitely intriguing, especially after hundreds of matches in the AC20 BJ-1.
My CTF's as they stand right now. http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=54&l=1eed3d982c545ad35075c8dfcd9e7700dbc09a92 Actually now that I check, I dropped the lasers in this moved the ammo into the CT added AMS, and upped the armor in the legs a bit. All mastered with lot's of XP to spare I did have a 1X at one point, but sold it after elited. Out of all these I think the 3D is the most fun. The loadout is new. I used it in the tournament to bring down assaults and heavys alike. Dakka Dakka while they soak, Boom when they turn to face you... it's also the only thing I used in the tournament that I diddn't die in.