Primary design goal here was to provide a heavy LRM capability but still retain decent mobility and medium range direct fire capability and I think this variant does a pretty good job in that regard. Upside: - LRM40+Artemis & TAG for excellent back-line support potential. ECM mechs in your line of sight from 750m in are officially on the menu. - Can throw a fairly heavy 28 pt energy punch from 270m in at a very economical heat cost. - 36% cooling eff with the 16 doubles which will allow you to drop multiple 72 pt alphas from 180-270m. LL/ML combo can reach out and touch people from 540m in / LL's out to 900m. It is absolutely no problem to crank off the 20's and then unload the 2LL+2ML into someone as the LRM's are headed in. On cooler maps especially, you are looking at 2-3 alphas easy. Good times!... - XL300 will get you 62.9 kph tweaked, which makes the old girl feel pretty nimble for being 85 tons. Throw it into reverse and circle when the lights come calling and you will be able to keep them in front. The lasers alone can fire for a loooooong time - so anything small and fast that wants to hang around better have some good leg armor... - 480 pts of armor with 16 on your backplates gets you 56 pt side torsos and a 92 pt center. Arms stay maxed @ 56 pts also. Downside: - XL Engine - No BAP - No AMS - 10-tube arms on the 5M mean you are throwing 2 salvos instead of one big one. Obviously this is not optimal, but there is no way to drop 40 on someone in a single shot with a 5M. The torso tubes are 3x6's so the best you're gonna do in one salvo is 35. (2xLRM10/3xLRM5). - A somewhat sub-standard LRM load of 900 rounds - this = 22.5 shots, so making sure that the locks you have will stick is a major priority. Nothing worse here than cranking off 40 LRMs into a hill side because your lock dropped as you fired... :angry: - Maybe a little light in the legs? I can see where 360 LRM's sitting under 49 pts of armor might make some people nervous... - Zero torso weapons. Lose an arm and 1/2 your firepower is now laying in the dirt... Summary: As LRM supports go, I feel like this is a pretty nice package. It can get you where you want to go at a decent clip, can make it rain with the best of them and can quite seriously punch someone in the face if they think staying inside of 180 is a good idea. Here are some results I've had lately: ...and my groupings: As with any LRM support build, you are still highly dependent on your team (for locks and protection vs. light and brawler swarms) and you really need to get a feel for positioning and the timing/judgement of when to unload and when to lay low. Missile boats are primary targets once they reveal themselves and you WILL be hunted once you start doing damage. So just be aware that there is a definite learning curve here, even with all the firepower that this thing can throw downrange. Urban maps especially can be a serious challenge to do well in because of all the available cover. Once you get those nuances down though, this is a fun mech to play for sure and can definitely rack up some big scores when everything comes together. Good Hunting and as always, Thanks for reading!
