Misery "Wings of Destruction" (1xLBX10, 4xLL, XL310)

5/5,

1 rating

This is my all-time favorite Misery build. Simply use the LLs to tear through their armor, and then let the crits from the LB10-X do the rest.



Max engine, max DHS, max armor (except for the legs). It runs extremely well. And though this isn't my top damage match with the build, it tells the story anyway:



Alternate STD engine variant:

 

XL engines are a big no-go for Stalkers in my view. MAYBE - just MAYBE - a 3H LRM-boat can take one. It's just too easy to loose one of the side torsos, especially on the Misery where many people will go for your ballistic ST anyway.

Looking for this specific (and sweet!) combination of weapons? Take a look at my 'Huntsman' approach.

 

Sorry about the title, guys, I honestly just registered for Mechspecs yesterday evening and this was my first original thread. Thanks for the link, Lan, I will definitely keep this in mind in future.
Again, very sorry for the mistake, guys, and thanks for the heads-up.

 

Honestly, considering how many awesome matches I've had with this build --- XL Engine included --- I was shocked to discover that this build has only received a rating of 1 star (from a single vote).











And then of course, there's the screenshot I already showed in the OP, with 1000+ dmg and 8 kills. Is that really performance worthy of just 1 star?

Yes, this thing does have an XL Engine, which I know most people disapprove of in Stalkers. But any competent pilot should be able to torso twist to the point where the enemy has to get both your STs and your CT open before you let them take that kill.

I have personally never had a problem running this build with an XL engine, and I'm not likely to stop any time soon. It's just way too fun!
So if you see me on the enemy team running a Misery with 4 LLs and an LBX10, go ahead and come at me, and we'll have a good brawl . . .

 

It happened again . . . this build just doesn't stop! hear:

 

I recognize the validity of choosing a STD engine over an XL; obviously it can increase one's survivability in nasty situations.
However, I disagree that switching out to a STD engine for this build would at all improve my scores, or anyone else's. The fact is, switching out to the build you posted, Blagg, would lower my speed (both walking and turning), my ammo count, and most importantly, my heat efficiency, all of which would lower my overall performance at any given time.
As an example, in the last screenshot I posted, our lance managed to bring the match back from being 4 down, to a victory. I used up nearly every one of my 45 shots (I think I had 2 or 3 left after the last kill) and there were many times when I was forced to lay off firing the Lasers due to heat problems (Tourmaline is a hot map). Had I brought the build you suggest, I would have been a ton down on ammo, and would thus have missed those last ~12 shots (120 dmg + crits + low heat production), and I would have been able to fire my Lasers even less often, due to the reduced heat reduction from dropping 2 DHS. And as it was, the enemy never managed to take either of my torsos, so the STD engine would have been little help to me.

I'm not saying people should never bring a STD engine in their builds, simply because an XL will enable them to carry more firepower/DHS/ammo. Quite the contrary, I run STD engines in several of my loadouts, especially my Stalkers (all but this one, and the occasional LRM boat). But for this loadout, I find that the extra ton of ammo and 2 DHS makes a huge difference in the majority of matches (the ammo especially, as that LB10X quickly becomes the primary weapon when the heat starts piling up). For these reasons, I don't think I would ever swap that XL310 out for a STD300 in this build. Most matches, losing a torso isn't what I'm worried about; it's getting swarmed by enemies because I couldn't handle the heat well enough to hold them off, or to kill them before they could get to me.

Sorry for the long response; just wanted to explain my philosophy in continuing to run this build.

 

Dakka, yes, the inevitable problem of losing a side torso to a nasty hail of ballistics. I agree, Stalkers do have insanely large STs --- when viewed from the side.

I think most dedicated Stalker pilots would agree with me here that, as a result of the side torsos on these things being so huge when viewed from the side, it is necessary to generally always be facing the enemy straight on. Turning one side fully to the enemy is a very bad idea, as you will likely lose it in under 10 seconds. Because of this, it is necessary to load firepower and manage your weapon groups in such a way that you can keep a constant fire going while facing the enemy and taking their fire. In essence, you have to be scarier than they are; you have to have enough suppressive fire that their suppressive fire 'Mechs will turn away and leave you be.

This is not to say that when you do get one of your STs opened up, you should just ignore that threat. On the contrary, losing a torso can be devastating for Stalkers, which is why you should prevent this at all costs. But you should never turn your entire body away from them, as this renders you incapable of returning fire, besides which you will likely lose the opposite torso just as quickly. Unlike most other 'Mechs, a simple 20 degree twist is all that is really necessary to shield a ST on a Stalker. Twist a tiny bit, and once you get an opening between their salvos, or when they have started to lose interest in that ST, then you can turn back and return fire with a good salvo, before once again twisting 20 degrees to shield that ST.
(This quick twisting is why it is advantageous to load the biggest engine possible, as it enables one to twist, fire a quick salvo, and then twist back, with ease.)

Hence the need for quick cooldown weapons like the LB10X, and weapon groups such as chain-firing large lasers, which enable you to keep up a good constant fire, though also permitting you to give a heavy blast when necessary. And that's what this build provides.

 

As an aside, and simply out of curiosity . . .

How many matches can you come up with where you lost a ST on a Stalker, and still survived long enough afterwords to be a significant help to the team. (This obviously excludes any time you were reduced to Zombie mode with no weapons, such as in a 3F or 5S.) For myself, I can honestly think of only 3, possibly 4, that come to mind --- out of roughly 600 matches in those two variants combined. Most of the time, if I lose a ST in a Stalker, my CT follows shortly afterwards, simply because I'm facing impossible odds.

As I have stated before, a competent Stalker pilot knows how to keep all of his torsos attached, at least until two, if not all three of them are open at once. If you've already lost your left torso, and your right torso still has nearly full armor, you have either been smashed in the right side by several pop-tarts/dakka within 3 seconds of each other; or else you need to change your piloting methods, 'cause you're doing something seriously wrong!

 

I've stayed alive and gotten kills with my STK-3F after a side torso was popped pretty often. The power of having 2LL or even better 2LL+1LBX10 left should not be underestimated. If you're playing at least somewhat safe (which you can as LL have optimal range up to 450m, and LBX strangely enough too) cover should be nearby to hide your CT / destroyed ST behind. I'd go with the STD300 build. I don't have experience in this exact loadout as I don't own a misery, but I'm judging from my STK-3F experiences.

 

Just checked the ratings on this one, out of curiosity. And um . . . now I can finally see who rated it so low. Seriously, guys, no hard feelings but . . . LOL!

Guess I'll have to pull a few more 1000+ dmg matches with this one, and post screenshots on here.

PS: Updated OP with a STD engine variant. I still run it with XL, but that doesn't mean everyone should.

 

As do I, Gasboy.

It's still the build I keep sitting in my Misery, I still take it out and have a blast doing so, and it still kicks butt, even against Clans . . . XL Engine and all! It will never stop being a favorite for me. Never.

(Edit) Here's a good run I had, though we lost the match. As always, this build destroyed things.

 

I only played 2 matches tonight, in the Solo-Queue, so I figured I'd take my all-time-favorite Misery out for a spin. These are the results of those two matches. The build tore up as usual, XL and all.

(Included with the End-of-Round Screenshots I have also posted images showing my health at the end of each respective match. I hope this demonstrates how XL Stalkers can work, when you know how to tank with them.

(No consumables in either match)

First Match:



Second Match:

 

THERE IS NO OTHER MISERY!!! At least, not for me anyway. Just felt like pointing that out.

Seriously though, I never feel a need to take this guy off. It's just way too effective, and way too much fun. And I still run it with an XL310.