MWO Heat Penalties Comprehensive Guide

A few patches ago, a heat penalty system was introduced to Mechwarrior Online. It generates ghost heat, if a pilot fires a certain amount of the same type of weapons at the same time. The problem is: there is no explanation for this mechanic in the game. You will have to read through a lot of forum entries and do a crap-ton of calculations and experimentation to figure out, how many of which weapons can be used. This guide will provide you with a simple table from which you can see immediately if your desired weapon group is a good idea or not. At the end of this post will be a list with other resources, links, and references which you can read if you want to go more in-depth.

Heat Penalty Easy Table

The following table provides a clean and easy overview of how many weapons you can fire at the same time. The symbols will give you an idea about the heat penalties without overwhelming you with numbers and formulas. Here is how you read the table:

No heat penalty – A green tick means that you can fire this many weapons without any penalty.

 

Low heat penalty – A yellow plus means, that there is already a ghost heat penalty when firing this many weapons. If your build is reasonably heat efficient, you can use this many weapons in special cases. However, you will sacrifice additional heat generation for more fire power. Experiment with these amounts of weapons and if you find yourself running too hot, remove the weapon.

Extreme heat penalty / Have to use Chain fire - A red cross means that you should never ever fire this many weapons of that group at once. If you do, you will generate so much heat that the additional weapon is not worth firing at all. If you still want to use that many weapons, be sure to wait .5 seconds before firing the next one. Setting such weapon groups to chain fire (default hotkey BACKSPACE) can greatly help while playing. If you click a chain fire group once, it will only fire the currently outlined weapon. Wait .5 seconds and then click again. This way, you won’t have to deal with a lot of unnecessary weapon groups. Dual AC/20 builds are an example for this.

Linked Groups – All weapons in a linked group will share their maximum alpha heat penalty. If you fire a mixture of weapons from a group (for example PPCs and ER PPCs) at the same time, you will still receive a heat penalty. In such a case, sum up all weapons and look at the icons in the group’s row for reference. For example, if you use 2 ER Large Lasers and 2 Large Lasers, check the 4th entry of LRG LS Linked Group.

Weapons which do not appear in the table have no alpha strike heat penalty and can thus be used at will in any amount.

 

Examples from the Table

2x SRM2 + 2x SRM4 – SRM2s and SRM4s are not in a linked group. 2x SRM2 is green, and 2xSRM4 is green, as well. No heat penalty when firing these 4 weapons at the same time.

2x Large Laser + 1x Large Pulse Laser – Large Lasers and Large Pulse Lasers are in a linked group. In total 2+1=3 weapons. Look at the 3rd entry for Large Laser Linked Group: orange. It could work out, but is not recommended.

Interesting Links, Resources, and References

If you want to check out the mechanics and actual numbers on a more in-depth level, you might want to have a look at the following resources.

• Heat Scale The Maths – Official Forums entry with formulas on how to calculate the actual heat penalty values.
• MWO Smurfy Weapon Heatscale Tables – A complete listing of all absolute heat increase values for every weapon (lots of numbers).
• Heat Scale Official Feedback – If you want to join the discussion about the current heat penalty system, check out this thread in the official forums.
• Heat Scale Suggestions Thread – Many people have come up with suggestions to improve the heat penalty system. This is one of the best (official forums).

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Jagermech DD Ballistic Build with ACs and lots of Dakka!

Jagermechs are revered and feared for their high amount of ballistic slots. This Jagermech DD build utilises all 6 (in words “six”) ballistic hardpoints. A guide that will blow your mind, enemies, and your headset to bits. The build is a lot of fun to play and still more than effective enough to destroy PUG games. The idea for this build comes from a good friend of mine, Strawberry5. He is a decent pilot, knows how to think out of the box, and pilots his Jagermechs (including a Firebrand) with great skill.

In order to accompany all the heavy ballistic weapons in this chassis, the armor has been reduced to the bare minimum. It is also recommended that you put a high emphasis on the front side torsos and only put minimalistic amounts of armor on your rear shoulders. Downsizing the engine is not recommended, since your Mech will already move very slowly.

• Use the Jagermech’s unique geometry to expose yourself as little as possible. The ballistic weapon hardpoints are mounted on a very high position. Try to get a feeling for how far you must expose your Mech in order to fire. Never go further out than necessary.
• Try to fight at range if possible. The double Machine Guns and Small Lasers increase your close range damage a lot. However, the low movement speed and minimalistic armor values will ensure a quick death if you are caught off guard by other more heavily armored brawlers with SRMs and the like.
• If you become entangled in a fire fight which you would probably lose, retreat immediately, but also try to keep firing while doing so. The screen shaking power of four ballistic weapons will make it impossible for the enemy to aim at your properly and many players will be scared by the special effects shrouding their screens.
• There are some other games that you can practice with your friends like for example Playing Backgammon that is very funny.

 

 

The build which forms the core of this guide was invented and provided by Strawberry5.

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Mechwarrior Online Patch Notes 08/20/2013

Here is a quick summary of all the important things you need to know about the MWO patch, August 20th 2013.

• 3rd Person View is now in the game. It can be toggled by pressing F4.
• Kintaro is now available for c-bills.
• New Champion Mech: Catapult A1(C).
• Weapon buffs: LBX-10, UltraAC/5, StreamSRM2.
• Weapon nerfs: Machine Gun, AC2.
• Medium Mechs now have unique boosts and quirks, making them more agile.
• In Conquest, the losing team gets less c-bills for acquired resources.
• Lava patches in Terra Therma are more dangerous.
• Many places where you could get stuck in River City and Terra Therma have been fixed.

I like the weapon changes a lot. The AC/2 nerf is no biggie, it was more of a timing problem. The increased quirks for Medium Mechs are also nice. The Blackjack, Centurion, Cicada, Hunchback, Kintaro, and Trebuchet are way too rare on the battlefield nowadays. They can now pitch their torsos further, have increased twist speeds and some may even fit a larger engine.

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Official Patch Notes for Reference

Open Beta Update #24

Upcoming Patch – Tuesday August 20th @ 10AM – 1PM PDT

Patch Number: 1.2.139

Change Log

UPDATE

Greetings MechWarriors,

Wow another patch notes intro! I hope I never stop writing these and I hope you never stop reading.

Lots happening in the the world of MWO so first a little recap

- The Launch Event was announced if you can make it we hope to see you there.
– Phoenix Variants were revealed and the Loyalty program is unlocking bonus content adding more and more value.
– Sarah’s Jenner donation drive is over and It raised a lo...

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Hunchback 4G/4H AC/20 Working Brawler Guide

The Hunchback is a very cool chassis. However, many people don’t like it (or struggle while playing), because the hunch, the Hunchback’s signature side torso is such a vulnerable part. The hunch usually holds most of the important weapons and will always be focused down by enemies. This Hunchback brawler guide will show you how to make your hunch less vulnerable enabling a skilled pilot to dish out unseen amounts of damage. The build is centered around an AC/20 and is complemented by lasers. The Hunchback brawler load-out is brought to you by Reslin and was posted in the mwo-builds.net looking-for-builds thread in the official forums. Reslin also wrote a more in-depth guide about several Hunchback variants. Check them out and give him a thumbs up.

Because it is one of the most crucial things about this Hunchback brawler build, I want to point it out first: Pay close attention to the armor allocation on the builds! The hunch has only 2 rear armor and everything else on the front side. Such a distribution will greatly increase your effectiveness on the battlefield. The hunch’s rear torso will almost never get hit, thus, most points of armor should be at the front.

A similar load-out can be done with the HBK-4H, as well. This particular version of the Hunchback brawler build utilises the additional energy slots in the hunch. If you don’t like the reduced range of the small lasers, just go with the 4G build above. However, the small lasers increase the maximum possible alpha strike slightly.

• Pay close attention to the armor allocation on the load-outs. If you are off by only a few points, it will greatly diminish your survivability on the battlefield.
• Always stay in motion. If you stand still or overheat, you are toast.
• If you are eating damage and can’t easily return fire, turn your upper torso to protect it and head for cover.
• Your AC/20 is your main weapon. Try to always hit perfect shots on cooldown. If you are unsure that you can place your shot, don’t shoot.
• Try to focus all lasers on the same component to incapacitate and down enemies fast.
• Weapon grouping hints for first load-out: 1) AC/20 2) All Lasers.
• Weapon grouping hints for second load-out: 1) AC/20 2) All Medium Lasers 3) All Lasers.
• Do not use arm-lock with this build. It might help newer players to optimise pinpoint damage, but you are wasting a lot of the Hunchbacks’s excellent agility and run-by abilities.

 

The builds in this Hunchback guide were kindly provided by Reslin. He also wrote a more in-depth guide about the Hunchback chassis. Check it out and drop him a like.

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What is Alpha Strike, Fire Power, and Damage Per Second?

This guide will explain the important difference between fire power and damage per second. There are a lot of misconceptions about these terms. Many people consider only one of many values or give them no thought at all. The truth, in my humble opinion, is that different weapons excel at different jobs. Somehow, all these three terms refer to the damage of a Mech. On the other hand, their importance is often distorted by players, and they are mixed up frequently. The following short explanations will shed some light on the confusion.

Alpha Strike

An Alpha Strike in Mechwarrior Online is the act of firing all your weapons at the same time. Since the matches in MWO favoured (and in part still favours) bursty builds, this term became very popular. If all weapons on a Mech are very similar, it makes sense to fire them in one huge Alpha Strike. Those builds play very boringly, but can be insanely effective. Popular examples include the Splat-Cat (Catapult stuffed with SRMs) or PPC boats.

Fire Power

This term is one of the stats shown in the in-game mechlab. The number is the theoretical maximum damage dealt by an Alpha Strike with his Mech. Theoretical, because there are several things you have to consider when analyzing this value: If the Mech was weapons with different effective ranges, you won’t be able to fire all of them at the same time. If the chassis has weapons with very different aiming mechanisms, then you probably won’t hit all your weapons on the same target in the same salvo (for example, Lasers need you to stay on target; a Gauss Rifle requires the pilot to lead but hit only one bullet). In addition, the fire power value does not take into consideration how heat efficient a build is or how much ammo is available for all weapons.
Fire Power alone does not make for a very good indicator of how good a build really is. However, if most weapons (or all of the most powerful ones) have similar ranges, than fire power can be an indicator of how bursty a build is. For random PUG games, it is nice to have at least some burst potential. Numbers will change with patches, but at the moment the following rough outline can help with judging these numbers:

• 0-30  No relevant burst potential. Probably a lighter Mech with a very sane armament.
• 30-50  Some burst potential. Many builds, which are not centered around powerful Alpha Strikes, will probably be in this range.
• 50-60  Above the average firepower. Usually found on Heavy and Assault Mechs. A well placed hit will cause serious problems.
• 60+  Insane burst potential. Splat-Cats, Assault SRM+AC/20 brawlers and outdated PPC boats fall into this category. One direct hit and you are toast!

Damage Per Second (DPS) and Sustained DPS

Most people think that they understand what damage per second is and what exactly it means. In my experience as a gamer, this is only partially true...

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Misery (Stalker Hero Mech) Sniper/Fire Support Hybrid Guide

In my long search for finding a good Misery all-round build, I suffered many setbacks. After consulting with several high-level players from the Hell’s Black Aces merc-corp, I finally developed a build which is worthy of this web page. A sniper/fire support hybrid build utilizing a pair of Large Lasers, a single ERPPC, and a Gauss Rifle. All of this while still being reasonably heat efficient and using a standard engine. The only downside, in comparison to other Stalker builds, is its relatively low movement speed. This guide will showcase several variations of the same build. Each build has a slightly different focus. Choose the one whichever suits your play-style and needs best.

The first version of the Misery sniper hybrid build trades leg armor and heat efficiency for more utility. ER Large Lasers replace the regular Large Lasers for additional range. The increased effective range will greatly improve your damage dealt values. ER Large Lasers also received a buff in the recent patch. The original version uses two tons of Gauss Rifle ammo. If you are engaged in drawn out fights (which is more likely since 12 vs 12 hit the servers), 20 shots will be expended very quickly. This version uses the additional space and tonnage to fit in a third ton of ammo. The addition of an AMS rounds the package. This version runs very hot, and you will most likely not be able to carry a cool-shot consumable since the Stalker chassis only allows for two module slots (which are most likely taken by Adv Seismic Sensor and Increased Sensor Range).

The following load-out reflects the original version of the build. It has a lesser range, fewer ammo, and no AMS. However, it runs significantly cooler, allowing a skilled pilot to continuously fire for a long time. This version is recommended for more experienced as it requires more skill to dish out the same amounts of damage of the course of a battle. However, it has the potential to be more deadly in the long run.

• Since you are not very fast and lack jump-jets, positioning is key. Only expose yourself from cover to fire one alpha strike. If enemies have spotted you and are returning fire, double back behind cover and find a different spot to peak out from.
• Weapon grouping advice: 1] Gauss Rifle + ERPPC 2] Both (ER) Large Lasers. Be sure to bind the Gauss Rifle and ERPPC to a single weapon group as well. There are situations when you’ll want to fire only one of them.
• Try to stay on target while firing the Large Lasers. If you manage to hit the same component for the majority of the duration, you will notice a significant increase in efficiency. Large Lasers do a lot of damage, but over a duration. Remember: Lasers in MWO are no light sabres!
• Enabling Arm-Lock is not recommended for this build. However, whenever you can, try to match both crosshairs before firing a sniper shoot (ERPPC + Gauss Rifle) for maximum pin-point damage.
• If you are running on high heat, get behind cover and cool down for a few seconds. If that is not possible, place one or two well aimed shots with your Gauss Rifle. Then finish the exposed target with an alpha strike.

Here are some end-of-round screenshots. They are not the best, but I wanted to include some 12vs12 action!

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Mechwarrior Online Patch Notes 08/06/2013

Here is a quick summary of all the important things you need to know about the MWO patch, August 6th 2013.

• 12 vs 12 players game mode is now live!
• First victory of the day grants double experience for each variant.
• Weapon Buffs: Large Pulse Laser, Medium Pulse Laser, ER Large Laser.
• Weapon Nerfs: ERPPC and PPC (more heat).
• Control points in Assault and Conquest game mode now require more time to be captured.
  
• New Hero Mech: Golden Boy (Kintaro, 55t).
• Scoring critical hits will deal additional damage to the exposed component, as well (more MGs!).

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If you know of an excellent build, resource, or guide, submit it and maybe it will be featured on mwo-builds.net and seen by thousands of players. You can submit builds by sending us an e-mail, post it in the official looking-for-builds thread, or send us a private message via the official forums. You can also submit guides and builds via Facebook or Twitter (see below). Join hundreds of other Mechwarrior enthusiasts and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Receive the latest guides and the best MWO builds directly to your favourite social platform!

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Official Original Patch Notes

Today is patch day – but not just any patch day. Today brings us 12 versus 12 matches! To celebrate, we present to you this video, created by merc corp Bravo Whisky Charlie.

 Many of you have been in the 12 versus 12 test matches, now it’s live for everyone! So go out there, and enjoy!

We’ll see you on the battlefield, twenty-four at a time.

Cheers,
The MechWarrior Online Team

 PATCHNOTES:
Greetings MechWarrior!

I just wrote you folks a week ago but I can’t get enough of you! And you can’t get enough of me right? Anyway I am here to say; ”This patch is Legen … wait for it … dar...

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Atlas RS/RS(C) Classic Brawler Mini-Guide

This is just a minimalistic guide to quickly present another guide which is based on a suggestion in the current MWO forum’s build guide thread. If you have an excellent build yourself, post it in there and we will have a look at it! We read through all guides and post the best ones here. This load-out was originally proposed by DiePrimateDie in said thread. It is an Atlas-RS-build with a heavy emphasis on close range damage. Since the AS7-RS and the AS7-RS(C) have the same hardpoints, you can use this load-out on both variants. An AC/20 and two SRM6s make you an excellent brawler. Add to this four Medium Lasers and enough ammo and heat sinks to fire all of this at a constant rate, you can deal a crap-ton of damage at 270m range. If it is within range, it is dead. You alpha strike will rip through enemy Assaults and Heavies in seconds.

This build works with the RS and the Champion Mech variant RS(C). If you prefer the D-DC, check out this similar Atlas D-DC brawler builds overview.

•  This build is very heat efficient and carries a lot of ammo. Do not fear firing your weapons at all times. However, do not spam aimlessly. Especially the AC/20 hits should be targeted on critical parts of the enemy.
• If you encounter other heavy brawlers, focus fire their center torsos. Turn your upper body sideways, whenever you are not firing. You will be able to down an enemy Atlas without sustaining more than 20% armor.
• Move the larger chunk of your torso armor to the front parts. The stock distribution places too much emphasis on the rear. See the values in the Smurfy-link to get a rough idea of how these numbers should look like. Approximately 20 armor for the rear side torsos is enough. Center torso can even go as far as 100 upfront and 24 in the back.
• Weapon grouping advice: Weapon groups are completely up to you, but the following can serve as a field-proven starting point: 1) AC/20 2) All Medium Lasers 3) Both SRM6s 4) Alpha Strike aka all weapons you have (or bind alpha strike to a more accessible hotkey).
  

  I am not getting any money from PGI for showing their advertisements. I just didn’t find a better RS picture, yet :) However, Champion ‘Mechs are pretty good deals usually (bang for buck wise).

This build is based on a load-out proposed by DiePrimateDie in the official forums. Thanks again for that one.

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Blackjack 1X Brawler Build

We are constantly looking for the good builds through the official forums. Today we will have a look at another build brought to you by the community. A very fast Blackjack brawler build utilizing Medium Lasers. With this Blackjack 1X build you will be able to run as fast as most light Mechs and dish out considerable damage. Being able to fire six medium lasers almost without any heat issues makes this loadout a fearsome brawler. The Blackjack’s hardpoints allow the pilot to fire over cliffs and hills without exposing a lot of profile, similar to the Jagermech. If you can see it, you can kill it! For our avid readers who’s been asking if it’s safe to play real money online slots, you can click now right here to answer the questions.

Six Medium Lasers will make your enemies flee in terror. A lot of other builds have a comparable amount of lasers, but this Blackjack 1X build has enough double heat sinks to fire them constantly. The large engine provides excellent mobility, bringing your pain to wherever your team needs it. Read more at weboworld, have fun reading interesting things in there.

• Use your Blackjack’s high mounted weapons to shoot over cover without exposing too much of your chassis.
• This loadout is very heat efficient. For maximum continuous fire, consider carrying a cool shot consumables.
• The XL-engine provides you with a traveling speed of over 100kph. If you can’t win a fight, pick another one.
• Do not fear enemy SRM and AC carrying Mechs. The Blackjacks silhouette is very small and combined with the high movement speed you will be very hard to hit.

This build was kindly provided by Vulcan888. Check out the original post here.

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If you know of an excellent build, resource, or guide, submit it and maybe it will be featured on mwo-builds.net and seen by thousands of players. You can submit builds by sending us an e-mail, post it in the official looking-for-builds thread, or send us a private message via the official forums. You can also submit guides and builds via Facebook or Twitter (see below). Join hundreds of other Mechwarrior enthusiasts and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Receive the latest guides and the best MWO builds directly to your favourite social platform!

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