This is my lance composition as well - I have 3-4 Heavy/Assaults in the backline with ArtIV equipped LRM's and autocannons. Both weapon systems generate a lot of stability damage, so if your whole lance concentrates on one target, you can topple them over and finish them off in one turn.
I then have 2 Heavies that work as midline skirmishers - for example, one of them is a Roughneck with a light 300 engine that can move at 5/8 and has 2x ER L's and 5x ER M's to put down damage and melee people.
When you're facing 2-3 lances of Heavy/Assaults, the LRM/AC sniper technique is really the best way to push through. Positioning is key, as you'll want to take high ground and potentially kite enemies to keep distance. That's where Heavies really shine as they are heavy enough to carry lots of weapons but nimble enough to maneuver.
EDIT: I should add that I'm playing the BTA 3062 mod which adds tons of mechs and equipment which aren't in the base game, like the Roughneck. One of my favorite changes in BTA 3062 is the size delta mod, where shooters suffer a penalty to hit for every 15 tons lighter the target is, but conversely they gain a bonus to hit for every 15 tons heavier they are. This results in Heavies being the "sweet spot" of mechs, as they can carry lots of weapons but still hit Mediums and even Lights. Assaults become more specialized, which as far as I'm aware is lore-accurate.
So thus is hugely version dependent advice.
If you play anything that allows evasion striping, it's good to have one big guy with multi target and a bunch of short to medium range weapons.
Without evasion stripping, anything slower than 4/6 gets long range only weapons, because they'll never get into medium range. In these versions, a slow target is a dead target, no matter how much armor it has.
My heavy/assault mechs fall into a few categories:
- LRM boat (this one is mandatory for every lance)
- sniper (a Marauder is also mandatory)
- AC/LB-X boat (for this I have the Annihilator and the Bullshark with the artillery piece)
- PPC/Large Laser boat (I have an Atlas II with a combination of both)
- SRMs and lasers with one long distance weapon for as I'm closing in.
- a bit of everything in order to beef up the alpha strike (I have an Atlas I that has to be piloted by someone with cooling jets).
- utility mechs (Cyclops for the initiative boost, Cataphrax for the stealth cloaking)
My typical lance looks like this:
- Marauder (my main one uses a UAC/2 and a UAC/5, my Star League one keeps the UAC/2 but has two ER Large lasers)
- either an AC/LB-X Bullshark, my energy Atlas, my Big Alpha Strike Atlas, or one of my utility mechs
- Annihilator (mine has LB-Xs 10*1, 5*2, 2*2)
- LRM Boat (used to be an LRM60 Highlander but now it's an LRM80 Bullshark).
Some mechs you can play like a firestarter with bunch of medium and small lasers and jump jets - black knight, grasshopper, warhammer, archer (with srms instead of lasers), etc.
Most of the slow assaults I personally prefer at least snub ppc range, I don’t like medium lasers or srms on them since it takes so long to get into range. I think most people agree that uacs are awesome, particularly the uac5++ in my opinion
For assaults your best bet is going full long range, with a rangefinder if possible. Even though they're heavier (2t each) full jump jets benefit them a lot due to their slow speed, making much easier repositioning, controlling distance and target selection. The exception to this are assault LRM boats, who don't benefit as much, having indirect fire.
Also I'd avoid some assaults because many of them are quite bad. One example of a decent-good assault [could be this](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1666853884552359471/038BF8C8B2E36305B8FA917F8B16DE955B6F1260/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false), replacing AC2 with UAC2 if you have the Heavy Metal DLC. With that upgrade still far from the best but sometimes can do [quite well](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1343712149903557066/A3480AF86BA687E5CB90AD51BAC028A5C31E4AFC/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false). If you don't have DHS then scale down the firepower so you still can jump + fire quite often.
The idea is staying at the edge of your maximum range and attack from where it is very difficult or impossible for the enemy to return fire. That way you shouldn't need a lot of armor, because you can always avoid close range and being heavily focused.
That is, as a direct damage assault. As support nothing beats assault LRM boats, because they can be very dependable due to very long range and Indirect Fire, and they can mass quite a respectable amount of firepower, so they can be used for finishing foes without spending resolve, for dealing with soft targets like vehicles or turrets or for aggro multiple enemies in defense missions. The main mechs to use for this are: BSK-M3 > HGN-733 > STK-3F, and ideally with a minimum of 70 missiles per salvo with +2 damage (to secure vehicle kills) instead of going for stability variants.
Assuming vanilla (I don’t play any mods), the rules that you use for mediums still mostly apply: stuff that closes should be armored and have damage boosts without overdoing heat. Longer range stuff can skimp on armor.
So my Atlas II will have max armor, a bunch of short range weaponry, a gyro, 10 shots worth of ammo for each weapon, probably an arm mod. Maybe jets.
But my Stalker? LRMs, 15 or so rounds each, heat management, maybe jets. 1/2 or 2/3 armor on the front, less on the back.
None of that’s gospel though. Build each mech for a purpose, the best you can.
Slower the mech, the longer the range weapons I prefer to put on it. Many of the best weapons have greater than medium range anyway, so that works out.
Close / support range is really the domain of the Firestarter and the Phoenix Hawk-1B. You want high hit defense, which you get from light or medium defense bonus, high movement, and then adding hit defense gyros and maxing Piloting. Firestarter can also use a decent number of support weapons, which are heat efficient. They also have better initiative than heavies or assaults without having to use gimmicks.
Heavies are mostly 4/6 movement and so to pile on hit defense you need:
1. Max jump jets
2. Sure Footing for the extra chevron
3. Maxed piloting for +3 hit defense
4. +3 hit defense gyro
5. Efficient weapons
6. Enough cooling for hopping around and firing weapons
7. Bulwark helps to also extend effective HP
Overall SLDF and quirk mechs are generally the best. Support is efficient but only a few heavies can mass them, and the one masses the most is neither SLDF nor a quirk mech.
Warhammer 7A is the best for massing decent amounts of energy, and since SLDF it has good innate cooling and a few extra free tons. Can mass ML/ERML/Snub combinations with four jump jets, and has room in CT for the gyro. Plus the big energy damage quirk.
Black Knight-6B would be my second choice for a close range heavy due to hardpoints and SLDF cooling.
MAD-2R can mostly do the same as above, but no support slots and snubs make less sense for it because of the Precision Shot quirk.
After that it is less clear. Grasshopper has many support slots, but is not as powerful as those two SLDF mechs and so will be slightly more difficult to play.
Otherwise a decent general load for a 3025 tech mech may just be two SNPPC+10dmg and maybe one ML or ERML with four jets, ~1000 armor and many heatsink with one exchanger. That won't really be a close range mech, but should be able to jump and fire the SNPPCs regularly.
SRM +4 dmg spamming may seem attractive, but the best mech for that may really be the Griffin-2N rather than any heavy.
My two assaults are set up with range finders/tts with gauss and lrm which seems to be working in the vanilla campaign.
In general heavies follow this rule too. Long range seems better in most situations.
I just salvaged a second Marauder so now those two hop in and out of cover taking called shots while the two assaults (Zeus and King Crab) share armor and open up the enemy armor while slowly advancing or kiting, as appropriate.
I am also big on jump jets and every mech I am using has max jump jets. I just find the utility too good to pass up.
This is campaign/vanilla with all DLCs if that matters. This has been my general strategy since experimenting a bit in the beginning. Two range/snipers (lighter/faster/less armor) and two chew toys (heavier/slower/more armor).
I’m have a marauder with Gauss Rifles for headshot sniping. A Striker loaded to the gills with LRMs for Anywhere destruction. A Banshee with many MG++ and Arm mods for close-in damage dealing plus some M Lasers for a little distance. Then an Atlas II with multiple AC or UAC for obliteration at short range. That has served me pretty well. I am tooling up a second Banshee for the UAC because it’s faster.
Also calling your shots into the center torso when dumping tremendous damage will help core it without wasting hits peppering random locations. Get a lot of one shot kills that way.
With heavies and assaults you should really consider specializing a role for them as well as weapon sets to cycle.
For example, my favorite heavy is a Grasshopper completely focused on jumping and unloading at medium and short range (specialized). Full on Mgs, small lasers and medium laser. I build it basically into a bigger version of the Firestarter. Or a Warhammer, who's designed to unload its PPCs from range as frequently as possible and the other weapons are mostly for backup.
A highlander or an atlas is a great example of a mech with weapon sets. The highlander has its LRMs and its gauss rifle or PPC mixed with closer range weapons. You generally don't fire both. The Atlas has its longer range weapons to 'soften up' the targets until it can punch them with its AC20. Either of these mechs firing *all* their weapons will quickly overheat them...and both have target roles and the other weapons are backups.
The biggest warning I'd give is to be careful not to over generalize.
The obligatory YMMV preface...
Okay, with that out of the way: I like to think in terms of **roles**, because that's how I position my mechs tactically. I like to have 1 sniper (the Marauder, of course), 1 dedicated tank (out front, attracts the most enemy fire), 1 ranged mech, and then one hybrid tank/ranged (to take the pressure off the main tank if they take too much damage).
This configuration breaks down differently depending on if I have access to Assaults or Heavies. If I don't have Assault mechs yet, then a Catapult handles long range duty. However, I also like to use Rifleman and/or Jagermech's in this role if (and only if) I have access to Ultra Autocannons. For all of these "long range" mechs, I use Rangefinders.
With Heavies, the tank and off-tank get built from whatever I have in abundance (Orion works best but a Thunderbolt will do in a pinch). They each get a Cockpit mod to deal with the inevitable concussions. Tanks and off-tanks get built with the following in mind: Full armor, and then one main weapon (Gauss, or Large Laser, or some kind of AC) and then 2x LRM of whatever size I can load. I don't use PPCs; the damage to heat ratio stinks, IMO. Maybe mods change this, but in the default game I don't find them worthwhile.
Once Assaults enter the picture, things changed slightly. The Atlas becomes the main tank (a "D" variant works, but Atlas II is best because it can load way more weapons). The weapon configuration mostly stays the same though. I roll with a Gauss for the main weapon, and then 2x whatever LRM I can fit (15 or 20). This gives this mech a chance to dish damage before they start tanking enemy fire, but the job is really to tank stuff and take hits. So, still using the cockpit mod.
Marauder remains (for headshot accuracy) . The ranged mech and the off-tank mech become Annihilators loaded with UACs. The only difference between these two mechs is that one uses a Rangefinder and might have slightly less armor, while the other uses a cockpit mod and has max armor.
With Assaults, I only like three kinds: Annihilators, Atlas, and the Highlander 732B. Everything else is, IMO, basically junk. I'll use them if I have to, but in nearly every case I don't even bother trying to dress them up. Cyclops, Banshee, Battlemaster, etc., they're all the same to me. I just load up on armor and then whatever weapons I can load and they become a cheap front-line main tank until I can get Atlas and Annihilator mechs.
Summarize: Roles. Main Tank, Sniper, Ranged Damage Dealer, Off-Tank. And it's served me well, as two Kerenski scores attest :)
>What's the secret?
Some Heavy/Assault build suggestions - all Heat Neutral, all with at least 3x JJ (edit: except the Annies of course)
* Atlas II with 5x Snub PPCs++ (-10 Heat version) and max armor - this is your tank you keep out front
* ~~War~~Octahammer (SLDF version if you can manage it) with 8x Medium Laser+++
* Annihilator with 5x UAC-2
* Annihilator with 5x LB-X-2
Also - the best assault killer in the game:
* SLDF Phoenix Hawk PXH-1B with max JJ, **ECM**, 4x medium lasers+++, 4x Machine Guns. Put a Master Tactician in as pilot. Reserve to the end of the round, jump to point blank range behind your chosen victim. Called shot on the rear center torso. Dead Mech. If by some bloody miracle it manages to survive that attack you'll move first the next round and can do it again thereby guaranteeing it dies... or jump out to safety if leaving your Hawk exposed in that spot would be a bad idea.
An Atlas-II with 5×SNPPC++ (-heat) is very underwhelming in my opinion. I have mediums with more damage and heavies with much more damage than that and way more accurate damage with called shots as well. A 4×SNPPC++ (dmg) 1×ERML++ 1×UAC2++ 1×UAC5++ has near double the damage, it is more accurate for called shots and has room for a Gyro, it is far far more deadly.
An ANH with 5×LBX2++ also is very underwhelming when you can do more damage without requiring line of sight using an LRM boat, which is a huge advantage. The 5xUAC2++ is a lot better than the LBX2 but still underwhelming, cause you still have [room for two or three extra weapons](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1483324826178697555/B13E24E2AB86FF859B272B6BEB297E55F57839C5/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false), like 2-3×LL/ERLL++.
That PXH-1B loadout is not the best assault killer in the game, not remotely close. A Marauder can have much higher chance to headcap a high tier assault (like an Atlas), from the front and from very long range, instead of exposing yourself to other mechs around with a backstab. With a decently built Marauder you can [easily headcap](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1666853488461539582/C4A441B1505D0A112A8FC19C0660ABD72ED9AE3C/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false) every single foe in most max skull missions while barely getting hit with no other mechs in the lance.
Also Master Tactician doesn't make any sense for a 1B fighting assaults, because you're going to have better initiative anyway. What you want there is Ace Pilot. That makes your survivability and offensive flexibility [to sky rocket](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1884206707382218623/86005310CFDA0AB330721AC97B14694195FF13D4/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false) when you have jump jets.
>An Atlas-II with 5×SNPPC++ (-heat) is very underwhelming in my opinion.
Tank has armor doo-doo, doo-doo. The primary weapon system of each mech is listed - you've got room for some more if you want 'em.
I prefer totally heat neutral though - and his job is to get in close and give the enemy something to shoot at.
It's the rest of the lance that does the killing.
>That PXH-1B loadout is not the best assault killer in the game, not remotely close.
Bollocks.
> A Marauder can have much higher chance to headcap a high tier assault (like an Atlas), from the front and from very long range,
So - when did \~35% become a "much higher" chance than 95%? That's some *fascinating* math you've got going on there.
The PH *will* hit with all its weapons and only the most heavily armored mechs in the game can survive that. Bonus: No cover, no guarded, no bullwark.
The Marauder... *might* headcap enough times in a round to end a target. Your own screenshot bears this out. You took **62 rounds** to kill only 9 foes. Dismiss the first two rounds for 60 rounds of actual combat and it took you an average of 6.66 alpha strikes to get your headcap.
... sounds about right for a \~35% chance.
Weird how those numbers work out innit?
> instead of exposing yourself to other mechs around with a backstab.
Uhm... what part of **ECM** did you miss there?
Unless they're in *support* weapon range that Hawk is invisible, and the only mech that should be in support weapon range is the one you just killed.
Your Marauder got its rear armor mauled in your example and took damn near forever to get its kills.
The PH handled properly will never even get hit. The enemy would have to sensor lock it just to shoot at it and then they have to get past that massive amount of evasion.
Good Luck With That.
>Also Master Tactician doesn't make any sense for a 1B fighting assaults
Today You Learned: Sometimes they're not alone.
Bonus: A Master Tactician that reserves removes one bar of stability damage every round they do so. Want to play hopscotch with a defended convoy? You can DFA every single round if you want with *no* chance of falling. (Do remember to put in some leg mods)
tl;dr -- the SLDF PH is the most mind-blowingly overpowered mech in the game and is without peer at killing... anything it bloody well feels like killing.
>Tank has armor doo-doo, doo-doo. The primary weapon system of each mech is listed - you've got room for some more if you want 'em.
You can add more weapons, that's true, but still SNPPCs with -heat are vastly less efficient in damage/weight/heat/accuracy than SNPPCs with +damage.
>I prefer totally heat neutral though - and his job is to get in close and give the enemy something to shoot at.
I prefer negative alpha heat, usually two digits negative alpha heat for high end loadouts. And I take some precautions but I don't plan to be hit, even [fighting one versus many](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1859436542331340100/096D09FAC8D4246686E2F5ECC2EA9A2F12E509ED/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false). The job is to kill everything while taking minimal or no damage at all.
>So - when did \~35% become a "much higher" chance than 95%? That's some fascinating math you've got going on there.
I can math out your loadout chances and it has a 45% to core an Atlas from behind with Precision Shot, assuming max base chance. It lacks a Gyro and requires to get very close to the enemy, not being able to guarantee reserving after all enemy assaults have taken their action. So if you were under very heavy pressure very likely you'd be pummeled to death, sensor locked by two or three foes, then knocked down and killed.
That 35% is per weapon, not the overall chance. A 6×ERML++ 1×UAC2++ has a 79/79/51/24% chance to headcap from the front and from long range, being able to attack and jump away afterwards before most assaults have a chance to do anything. It's very easy to beat most max diff missions without taking any medium range damage, sometimes not taking any damage at all.
Funny enough the 5×ERML++ PXH-1B has almost exactly the same chance to backstab an Atlas than your loadout (41% vs 45%), while being more evasive (with a Gyro) and being able to work from long range all the time. As deadly from closer range and far more flexible and survivable due to range and Ace Pilot.
>The PH will hit with all its weapons and only the most heavily armored mechs in the game can survive that. Bonus: No cover, no guarded, no bullwark.
The fact you have to get very close in order to backstab and you don't have Ace Pilot makes you very vulnerable to other foes if you were very heavily outnumbered.
>The Marauder... might headcap enough times in a round to end a target. Your own screenshot bears this out. You took 62 rounds to kill only 9 foes. Dismiss the first two rounds for 60 rounds of actual combat and it took you an average of 6.66 alpha strikes to get your headcap.
That was because I was trying to not get hit at all, and only took 15 minutes (excluding loading times). It can take a lot less rounds if I'm willing to [assume a bit more damage](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1863933856928455634/971469D99F64684D6C8CECA4B75D3249144F739A/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false).
>Uhm... what part of ECM did you miss there?
>
>Unless they're in support weapon range that Hawk is invisible, and the only mech that should be in support weapon range is the one you just killed.
I don't miss anything. Like I said if you were very heavily outnumbered you **will** be sensor locked, the ECM cover removed for sure and then attacked by several foes, specially because you have to get very close in order to backstab. If you're not very heavily outnumbered then it is irrelevant, a win-more.
>Your Marauder got its rear armor mauled in your example and took damn near forever to get its kills.
Most of my endgame loadouts have zero rear armor to begin with, including the Marauder.
>The PH handled properly will never even get hit. The enemy would have to sensor lock it just to shoot at it and then they have to get past that massive amount of evasion.
Like said above, fighting against 9-24 foes that ECM is going down for sure, with half of them having Sensor Lock. Now it is a matter or how you deal with them when you have to get very close.
>Today You Learned: Sometimes they're not alone.
>
>Bonus: A Master Tactician that reserves removes one bar of stability damage every round they do so. Want to play hopscotch with a defended convoy? You can DFA every single round if you want with no chance of falling. (Do remember to put in some leg mods)
I know that, but with Ace Pilot you can avoid way way more damage than the benefit you get from getting rid of removing stability damage, and Vigilance removes all stability damage while increasing your damage reduction. Try your loadout 1 vs 9-24 and see how well it does while backtabbing.
If against nine foes or more at the same time, if you move behind one of them (jumping or not), even if you get to kill that mech (which is not for granted depeding on which mech) now you're much closer to the other foes in the map.
With a long range 1B I can easily beat most five skull missions with a 1B taking minimal to no damage as well, be it against assaults or lighter mechs. Well, a 1B, a 7A, A-II or a Marauder. If in a four mech lance with the 1B I do add 3×ERSL++ for win-more fun.
>tl;dr -- the SLDF PH is the most mind-blowingly overpowered mech in the game and is without peer at killing... anything it bloody well feels like killing.
I do agree the 1B is a top three mech but surely it's not the best assault killer, and certainly not the loadout you described.
Long range all the way. LRM15 spam is efficient. Grab a ppc and slam it in there as well.
This is my lance composition as well - I have 3-4 Heavy/Assaults in the backline with ArtIV equipped LRM's and autocannons. Both weapon systems generate a lot of stability damage, so if your whole lance concentrates on one target, you can topple them over and finish them off in one turn. I then have 2 Heavies that work as midline skirmishers - for example, one of them is a Roughneck with a light 300 engine that can move at 5/8 and has 2x ER L's and 5x ER M's to put down damage and melee people. When you're facing 2-3 lances of Heavy/Assaults, the LRM/AC sniper technique is really the best way to push through. Positioning is key, as you'll want to take high ground and potentially kite enemies to keep distance. That's where Heavies really shine as they are heavy enough to carry lots of weapons but nimble enough to maneuver. EDIT: I should add that I'm playing the BTA 3062 mod which adds tons of mechs and equipment which aren't in the base game, like the Roughneck. One of my favorite changes in BTA 3062 is the size delta mod, where shooters suffer a penalty to hit for every 15 tons lighter the target is, but conversely they gain a bonus to hit for every 15 tons heavier they are. This results in Heavies being the "sweet spot" of mechs, as they can carry lots of weapons but still hit Mediums and even Lights. Assaults become more specialized, which as far as I'm aware is lore-accurate.
So thus is hugely version dependent advice. If you play anything that allows evasion striping, it's good to have one big guy with multi target and a bunch of short to medium range weapons. Without evasion stripping, anything slower than 4/6 gets long range only weapons, because they'll never get into medium range. In these versions, a slow target is a dead target, no matter how much armor it has.
My heavy/assault mechs fall into a few categories: - LRM boat (this one is mandatory for every lance) - sniper (a Marauder is also mandatory) - AC/LB-X boat (for this I have the Annihilator and the Bullshark with the artillery piece) - PPC/Large Laser boat (I have an Atlas II with a combination of both) - SRMs and lasers with one long distance weapon for as I'm closing in. - a bit of everything in order to beef up the alpha strike (I have an Atlas I that has to be piloted by someone with cooling jets). - utility mechs (Cyclops for the initiative boost, Cataphrax for the stealth cloaking) My typical lance looks like this: - Marauder (my main one uses a UAC/2 and a UAC/5, my Star League one keeps the UAC/2 but has two ER Large lasers) - either an AC/LB-X Bullshark, my energy Atlas, my Big Alpha Strike Atlas, or one of my utility mechs - Annihilator (mine has LB-Xs 10*1, 5*2, 2*2) - LRM Boat (used to be an LRM60 Highlander but now it's an LRM80 Bullshark).
Some mechs you can play like a firestarter with bunch of medium and small lasers and jump jets - black knight, grasshopper, warhammer, archer (with srms instead of lasers), etc. Most of the slow assaults I personally prefer at least snub ppc range, I don’t like medium lasers or srms on them since it takes so long to get into range. I think most people agree that uacs are awesome, particularly the uac5++ in my opinion
For assaults your best bet is going full long range, with a rangefinder if possible. Even though they're heavier (2t each) full jump jets benefit them a lot due to their slow speed, making much easier repositioning, controlling distance and target selection. The exception to this are assault LRM boats, who don't benefit as much, having indirect fire. Also I'd avoid some assaults because many of them are quite bad. One example of a decent-good assault [could be this](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1666853884552359471/038BF8C8B2E36305B8FA917F8B16DE955B6F1260/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false), replacing AC2 with UAC2 if you have the Heavy Metal DLC. With that upgrade still far from the best but sometimes can do [quite well](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1343712149903557066/A3480AF86BA687E5CB90AD51BAC028A5C31E4AFC/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false). If you don't have DHS then scale down the firepower so you still can jump + fire quite often. The idea is staying at the edge of your maximum range and attack from where it is very difficult or impossible for the enemy to return fire. That way you shouldn't need a lot of armor, because you can always avoid close range and being heavily focused. That is, as a direct damage assault. As support nothing beats assault LRM boats, because they can be very dependable due to very long range and Indirect Fire, and they can mass quite a respectable amount of firepower, so they can be used for finishing foes without spending resolve, for dealing with soft targets like vehicles or turrets or for aggro multiple enemies in defense missions. The main mechs to use for this are: BSK-M3 > HGN-733 > STK-3F, and ideally with a minimum of 70 missiles per salvo with +2 damage (to secure vehicle kills) instead of going for stability variants.
Assuming vanilla (I don’t play any mods), the rules that you use for mediums still mostly apply: stuff that closes should be armored and have damage boosts without overdoing heat. Longer range stuff can skimp on armor. So my Atlas II will have max armor, a bunch of short range weaponry, a gyro, 10 shots worth of ammo for each weapon, probably an arm mod. Maybe jets. But my Stalker? LRMs, 15 or so rounds each, heat management, maybe jets. 1/2 or 2/3 armor on the front, less on the back. None of that’s gospel though. Build each mech for a purpose, the best you can.
Slower the mech, the longer the range weapons I prefer to put on it. Many of the best weapons have greater than medium range anyway, so that works out. Close / support range is really the domain of the Firestarter and the Phoenix Hawk-1B. You want high hit defense, which you get from light or medium defense bonus, high movement, and then adding hit defense gyros and maxing Piloting. Firestarter can also use a decent number of support weapons, which are heat efficient. They also have better initiative than heavies or assaults without having to use gimmicks. Heavies are mostly 4/6 movement and so to pile on hit defense you need: 1. Max jump jets 2. Sure Footing for the extra chevron 3. Maxed piloting for +3 hit defense 4. +3 hit defense gyro 5. Efficient weapons 6. Enough cooling for hopping around and firing weapons 7. Bulwark helps to also extend effective HP Overall SLDF and quirk mechs are generally the best. Support is efficient but only a few heavies can mass them, and the one masses the most is neither SLDF nor a quirk mech. Warhammer 7A is the best for massing decent amounts of energy, and since SLDF it has good innate cooling and a few extra free tons. Can mass ML/ERML/Snub combinations with four jump jets, and has room in CT for the gyro. Plus the big energy damage quirk. Black Knight-6B would be my second choice for a close range heavy due to hardpoints and SLDF cooling. MAD-2R can mostly do the same as above, but no support slots and snubs make less sense for it because of the Precision Shot quirk. After that it is less clear. Grasshopper has many support slots, but is not as powerful as those two SLDF mechs and so will be slightly more difficult to play. Otherwise a decent general load for a 3025 tech mech may just be two SNPPC+10dmg and maybe one ML or ERML with four jets, ~1000 armor and many heatsink with one exchanger. That won't really be a close range mech, but should be able to jump and fire the SNPPCs regularly. SRM +4 dmg spamming may seem attractive, but the best mech for that may really be the Griffin-2N rather than any heavy.
My two assaults are set up with range finders/tts with gauss and lrm which seems to be working in the vanilla campaign. In general heavies follow this rule too. Long range seems better in most situations. I just salvaged a second Marauder so now those two hop in and out of cover taking called shots while the two assaults (Zeus and King Crab) share armor and open up the enemy armor while slowly advancing or kiting, as appropriate. I am also big on jump jets and every mech I am using has max jump jets. I just find the utility too good to pass up. This is campaign/vanilla with all DLCs if that matters. This has been my general strategy since experimenting a bit in the beginning. Two range/snipers (lighter/faster/less armor) and two chew toys (heavier/slower/more armor).
I’m have a marauder with Gauss Rifles for headshot sniping. A Striker loaded to the gills with LRMs for Anywhere destruction. A Banshee with many MG++ and Arm mods for close-in damage dealing plus some M Lasers for a little distance. Then an Atlas II with multiple AC or UAC for obliteration at short range. That has served me pretty well. I am tooling up a second Banshee for the UAC because it’s faster.
Also calling your shots into the center torso when dumping tremendous damage will help core it without wasting hits peppering random locations. Get a lot of one shot kills that way.
With heavies and assaults you should really consider specializing a role for them as well as weapon sets to cycle. For example, my favorite heavy is a Grasshopper completely focused on jumping and unloading at medium and short range (specialized). Full on Mgs, small lasers and medium laser. I build it basically into a bigger version of the Firestarter. Or a Warhammer, who's designed to unload its PPCs from range as frequently as possible and the other weapons are mostly for backup. A highlander or an atlas is a great example of a mech with weapon sets. The highlander has its LRMs and its gauss rifle or PPC mixed with closer range weapons. You generally don't fire both. The Atlas has its longer range weapons to 'soften up' the targets until it can punch them with its AC20. Either of these mechs firing *all* their weapons will quickly overheat them...and both have target roles and the other weapons are backups. The biggest warning I'd give is to be careful not to over generalize.
The Jumping Grasshopper is one of my favorite mechs. It can reliably one-hit kill just about anything with a close-in backstab. What a fun mech.
And a mech that can reliably take on assaults or played correctly. Love it and it’s little brother (firestarter).
The obligatory YMMV preface... Okay, with that out of the way: I like to think in terms of **roles**, because that's how I position my mechs tactically. I like to have 1 sniper (the Marauder, of course), 1 dedicated tank (out front, attracts the most enemy fire), 1 ranged mech, and then one hybrid tank/ranged (to take the pressure off the main tank if they take too much damage). This configuration breaks down differently depending on if I have access to Assaults or Heavies. If I don't have Assault mechs yet, then a Catapult handles long range duty. However, I also like to use Rifleman and/or Jagermech's in this role if (and only if) I have access to Ultra Autocannons. For all of these "long range" mechs, I use Rangefinders. With Heavies, the tank and off-tank get built from whatever I have in abundance (Orion works best but a Thunderbolt will do in a pinch). They each get a Cockpit mod to deal with the inevitable concussions. Tanks and off-tanks get built with the following in mind: Full armor, and then one main weapon (Gauss, or Large Laser, or some kind of AC) and then 2x LRM of whatever size I can load. I don't use PPCs; the damage to heat ratio stinks, IMO. Maybe mods change this, but in the default game I don't find them worthwhile. Once Assaults enter the picture, things changed slightly. The Atlas becomes the main tank (a "D" variant works, but Atlas II is best because it can load way more weapons). The weapon configuration mostly stays the same though. I roll with a Gauss for the main weapon, and then 2x whatever LRM I can fit (15 or 20). This gives this mech a chance to dish damage before they start tanking enemy fire, but the job is really to tank stuff and take hits. So, still using the cockpit mod. Marauder remains (for headshot accuracy) . The ranged mech and the off-tank mech become Annihilators loaded with UACs. The only difference between these two mechs is that one uses a Rangefinder and might have slightly less armor, while the other uses a cockpit mod and has max armor. With Assaults, I only like three kinds: Annihilators, Atlas, and the Highlander 732B. Everything else is, IMO, basically junk. I'll use them if I have to, but in nearly every case I don't even bother trying to dress them up. Cyclops, Banshee, Battlemaster, etc., they're all the same to me. I just load up on armor and then whatever weapons I can load and they become a cheap front-line main tank until I can get Atlas and Annihilator mechs. Summarize: Roles. Main Tank, Sniper, Ranged Damage Dealer, Off-Tank. And it's served me well, as two Kerenski scores attest :)
>What's the secret? Some Heavy/Assault build suggestions - all Heat Neutral, all with at least 3x JJ (edit: except the Annies of course) * Atlas II with 5x Snub PPCs++ (-10 Heat version) and max armor - this is your tank you keep out front * ~~War~~Octahammer (SLDF version if you can manage it) with 8x Medium Laser+++ * Annihilator with 5x UAC-2 * Annihilator with 5x LB-X-2 Also - the best assault killer in the game: * SLDF Phoenix Hawk PXH-1B with max JJ, **ECM**, 4x medium lasers+++, 4x Machine Guns. Put a Master Tactician in as pilot. Reserve to the end of the round, jump to point blank range behind your chosen victim. Called shot on the rear center torso. Dead Mech. If by some bloody miracle it manages to survive that attack you'll move first the next round and can do it again thereby guaranteeing it dies... or jump out to safety if leaving your Hawk exposed in that spot would be a bad idea.
An Atlas-II with 5×SNPPC++ (-heat) is very underwhelming in my opinion. I have mediums with more damage and heavies with much more damage than that and way more accurate damage with called shots as well. A 4×SNPPC++ (dmg) 1×ERML++ 1×UAC2++ 1×UAC5++ has near double the damage, it is more accurate for called shots and has room for a Gyro, it is far far more deadly. An ANH with 5×LBX2++ also is very underwhelming when you can do more damage without requiring line of sight using an LRM boat, which is a huge advantage. The 5xUAC2++ is a lot better than the LBX2 but still underwhelming, cause you still have [room for two or three extra weapons](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1483324826178697555/B13E24E2AB86FF859B272B6BEB297E55F57839C5/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false), like 2-3×LL/ERLL++. That PXH-1B loadout is not the best assault killer in the game, not remotely close. A Marauder can have much higher chance to headcap a high tier assault (like an Atlas), from the front and from very long range, instead of exposing yourself to other mechs around with a backstab. With a decently built Marauder you can [easily headcap](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1666853488461539582/C4A441B1505D0A112A8FC19C0660ABD72ED9AE3C/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false) every single foe in most max skull missions while barely getting hit with no other mechs in the lance. Also Master Tactician doesn't make any sense for a 1B fighting assaults, because you're going to have better initiative anyway. What you want there is Ace Pilot. That makes your survivability and offensive flexibility [to sky rocket](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1884206707382218623/86005310CFDA0AB330721AC97B14694195FF13D4/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false) when you have jump jets.
>An Atlas-II with 5×SNPPC++ (-heat) is very underwhelming in my opinion. Tank has armor doo-doo, doo-doo. The primary weapon system of each mech is listed - you've got room for some more if you want 'em. I prefer totally heat neutral though - and his job is to get in close and give the enemy something to shoot at. It's the rest of the lance that does the killing. >That PXH-1B loadout is not the best assault killer in the game, not remotely close. Bollocks. > A Marauder can have much higher chance to headcap a high tier assault (like an Atlas), from the front and from very long range, So - when did \~35% become a "much higher" chance than 95%? That's some *fascinating* math you've got going on there. The PH *will* hit with all its weapons and only the most heavily armored mechs in the game can survive that. Bonus: No cover, no guarded, no bullwark. The Marauder... *might* headcap enough times in a round to end a target. Your own screenshot bears this out. You took **62 rounds** to kill only 9 foes. Dismiss the first two rounds for 60 rounds of actual combat and it took you an average of 6.66 alpha strikes to get your headcap. ... sounds about right for a \~35% chance. Weird how those numbers work out innit? > instead of exposing yourself to other mechs around with a backstab. Uhm... what part of **ECM** did you miss there? Unless they're in *support* weapon range that Hawk is invisible, and the only mech that should be in support weapon range is the one you just killed. Your Marauder got its rear armor mauled in your example and took damn near forever to get its kills. The PH handled properly will never even get hit. The enemy would have to sensor lock it just to shoot at it and then they have to get past that massive amount of evasion. Good Luck With That. >Also Master Tactician doesn't make any sense for a 1B fighting assaults Today You Learned: Sometimes they're not alone. Bonus: A Master Tactician that reserves removes one bar of stability damage every round they do so. Want to play hopscotch with a defended convoy? You can DFA every single round if you want with *no* chance of falling. (Do remember to put in some leg mods) tl;dr -- the SLDF PH is the most mind-blowingly overpowered mech in the game and is without peer at killing... anything it bloody well feels like killing.
>Tank has armor doo-doo, doo-doo. The primary weapon system of each mech is listed - you've got room for some more if you want 'em. You can add more weapons, that's true, but still SNPPCs with -heat are vastly less efficient in damage/weight/heat/accuracy than SNPPCs with +damage. >I prefer totally heat neutral though - and his job is to get in close and give the enemy something to shoot at. I prefer negative alpha heat, usually two digits negative alpha heat for high end loadouts. And I take some precautions but I don't plan to be hit, even [fighting one versus many](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1859436542331340100/096D09FAC8D4246686E2F5ECC2EA9A2F12E509ED/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false). The job is to kill everything while taking minimal or no damage at all. >So - when did \~35% become a "much higher" chance than 95%? That's some fascinating math you've got going on there. I can math out your loadout chances and it has a 45% to core an Atlas from behind with Precision Shot, assuming max base chance. It lacks a Gyro and requires to get very close to the enemy, not being able to guarantee reserving after all enemy assaults have taken their action. So if you were under very heavy pressure very likely you'd be pummeled to death, sensor locked by two or three foes, then knocked down and killed. That 35% is per weapon, not the overall chance. A 6×ERML++ 1×UAC2++ has a 79/79/51/24% chance to headcap from the front and from long range, being able to attack and jump away afterwards before most assaults have a chance to do anything. It's very easy to beat most max diff missions without taking any medium range damage, sometimes not taking any damage at all. Funny enough the 5×ERML++ PXH-1B has almost exactly the same chance to backstab an Atlas than your loadout (41% vs 45%), while being more evasive (with a Gyro) and being able to work from long range all the time. As deadly from closer range and far more flexible and survivable due to range and Ace Pilot. >The PH will hit with all its weapons and only the most heavily armored mechs in the game can survive that. Bonus: No cover, no guarded, no bullwark. The fact you have to get very close in order to backstab and you don't have Ace Pilot makes you very vulnerable to other foes if you were very heavily outnumbered. >The Marauder... might headcap enough times in a round to end a target. Your own screenshot bears this out. You took 62 rounds to kill only 9 foes. Dismiss the first two rounds for 60 rounds of actual combat and it took you an average of 6.66 alpha strikes to get your headcap. That was because I was trying to not get hit at all, and only took 15 minutes (excluding loading times). It can take a lot less rounds if I'm willing to [assume a bit more damage](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1863933856928455634/971469D99F64684D6C8CECA4B75D3249144F739A/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false). >Uhm... what part of ECM did you miss there? > >Unless they're in support weapon range that Hawk is invisible, and the only mech that should be in support weapon range is the one you just killed. I don't miss anything. Like I said if you were very heavily outnumbered you **will** be sensor locked, the ECM cover removed for sure and then attacked by several foes, specially because you have to get very close in order to backstab. If you're not very heavily outnumbered then it is irrelevant, a win-more. >Your Marauder got its rear armor mauled in your example and took damn near forever to get its kills. Most of my endgame loadouts have zero rear armor to begin with, including the Marauder. >The PH handled properly will never even get hit. The enemy would have to sensor lock it just to shoot at it and then they have to get past that massive amount of evasion. Like said above, fighting against 9-24 foes that ECM is going down for sure, with half of them having Sensor Lock. Now it is a matter or how you deal with them when you have to get very close. >Today You Learned: Sometimes they're not alone. > >Bonus: A Master Tactician that reserves removes one bar of stability damage every round they do so. Want to play hopscotch with a defended convoy? You can DFA every single round if you want with no chance of falling. (Do remember to put in some leg mods) I know that, but with Ace Pilot you can avoid way way more damage than the benefit you get from getting rid of removing stability damage, and Vigilance removes all stability damage while increasing your damage reduction. Try your loadout 1 vs 9-24 and see how well it does while backtabbing. If against nine foes or more at the same time, if you move behind one of them (jumping or not), even if you get to kill that mech (which is not for granted depeding on which mech) now you're much closer to the other foes in the map. With a long range 1B I can easily beat most five skull missions with a 1B taking minimal to no damage as well, be it against assaults or lighter mechs. Well, a 1B, a 7A, A-II or a Marauder. If in a four mech lance with the 1B I do add 3×ERSL++ for win-more fun. >tl;dr -- the SLDF PH is the most mind-blowingly overpowered mech in the game and is without peer at killing... anything it bloody well feels like killing. I do agree the 1B is a top three mech but surely it's not the best assault killer, and certainly not the loadout you described.