Excellent Shadowhawk 2D2 Brawler Guide

It is now widely accepted (but not proven) that the Shadowhawk is the most versatile and viable of all the Project Phoenix Mechs. This build is another extremely good argument why this claims are probably true. A Shadowhawk 2D2 equipped with all the 270m range goodness (AC/20, Medium Lasers, StreakSRM2) will make you a fearsome brawler. Speed, firepower, agility, and armor are very nicely balanced making this an absolute bad boy on the battlefield. Smegmw from HBA is one of the first to come up with this build and many have copied it since. I have started to use it myself, and although I am a sh1tty Medium pilot, I melt faces with this thing, doing 400-600 damage without any basic upgrades. If you have ordered a Project Phoenix package which includes the Shadowhawk, I definitely recommend checking this build out. It is also very cheap to build c-bill wise.

The armor distribution on the Smurfy link is close to optimal. Depending on your play style you might want to shift a few armor points from the legs to the arms. However, this won’t probably make too much of a difference. Also note that this build is very cheap c-bill wise. Assuming you have none of the parts you will only need 4.6M c-bills. You might want to add Artemis, as well, in order to improve StreakSRM2 lock-on times.

• Use your arms to absorb incoming fire if you can’t hide fast enough. If you lose one of your Medium Lasers, you are still more than fine.
• Your main damage is coming from your AC/20. Make sure every hit counts and avoid firing it over great distances. Shoulders aka side torsos of your enemies are prime targets.
• If you are running high on heat, stop firing your StreakSRM2s. If you are still on high heat, stop firing your Medium Lasers, as well. Focus solely on placing a couple good AC/20 hits.
• Do not fire while turning with your keyboard. Instead, adjust your Mech first, then use your mouse to place precise shots.
• Use your jump jets! They are not only for easier cliff climbing or poptarting. When engaging enemies, use them to look over small ledges and other obstacles which block your line of fire. You will most certainly get a couple of hits in before you are even there.
• Always soften your falls with Jump Jets in order to avoid unneccessary damage to your legs. Some of your most important components are in your legs.

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What is the best, most optimized, polished, and efficient PPC/Gauss sniper build in Mechwarrior Online?

Short Answer: this one!

Long Answer

PPCs and Gauss Rifles form a unique and powerful combination. High pin-point damage combined with an excellent range. Every chassis which has 2 energy hardpoints and which can equip a Gauss Rifle is theoretically able to use such a sniper build. However, if your Mech is not agile it can’t utilize the weapons. If you have low armor and/or an xl-engine, you will have no chance to withstand counter-sniper fire and LRM salvos. Using an assault Mech seems reasonable and all assault chassis (except the Awesome) have at least one variant which can realize such a sniper build. You don’t want to go too heavy though since you would be wasting tonnage which could be additional speed and manoeuvrability.

The Highlander 733C really is the best variant to build this thing. 40 Gauss Ammo to last you exactly as long as a 12vs12 match. Insanely high heat dissipation allowing you to fire constantly for 10 or more times. Other Mechs will overheat after their 3rd salvo, and you will be the grinning a*shole still blasting their shoulders, legs, and weapons apart. A single jump jet allows you to cross a chasm on Canyon Network and pop-tart effectively. Survivability is extremely high, as well, since you are rocking over 450 armor and using a standard engine. Most other sniper builds will use an xl-engine making them easy prey for you. All weapons are parked on one side of your Mech, allowing you to sneak around corners and using your naked arm as a simple shield. Together with the jump jets you should be able to spread the damage across your whole chassis very easily, allowing you to live more than twice as long as your opponents.

The 733C Highlander Sniper build is used by multiple top tier players, amongst which is the infamous Kaffeangst of Hell’s Black Aces. He scored a first place in all but one tournament so far. Check out his twitch.tv stream and see this build live in action.

If you do not own a Highlander 733C, you can still work with the following builds. They are not that much worse. They are just not as perfect as the 733C. There are also several other variants which can be used to build sniper builds, for example the Cataphract 3D. Here are three more builds for comparison and reference: Dragon Slayer, Misery, and Highlander 732.

The Dragon Slayer sacrifices heat efficiency for mobility. The Victor Hero Mech is much more fragile and uses an xl-engine, making your Mech susceptible to carefully placed shots at your shoulders. If you are looking for a decent Dragon Slayer build, this one is not recommended, since it does not use both ballistic hard points. There are other more powerful builds out there which utilise AC/5s and other auto cannon calibre sizes to be more effective in competitive gaming. This build is just here for demonstrative reasons. After all, it is an effective PPC/Gauss Sniper Build.

Misery, Stalker Hero Mech, suffered a lot from the introduction of ghost heat. The Stalker has no jump jets and is not as agile as, for example, the Highlander. Although, the load-out is almost identical, the play-style is very different. You will have to move slower and more cautiously, acting from behind the front lines. Choose your positions and battles wisely, since you can not easily back out, once you have been spotted or overwhelmed. A good Misery sniper is always shooting, but never eating return fire.

The same load-out with a stronger engine and on a 732. This version of the sniper build plays very similar to the 733C, however, it is not as heat efficient. This build is just here to illustrate a similar load-out, which trades heat efficiency for slightly increased agility. Of course, one can also turn the Heavy Metal, Highlander Hero Mech, into such a sniper. If you own multiple Highlanders or are thinking about getting a new variant, I definitely recommend the 733C.

Conclusion

After all is said and done, the 733C comes out at the top as the sole winner in the contest for the best PPC/Gauss sniper build in Mechwarrior Online. Especially, if you are a skilled pilot and know how to pop-tart, the proposed version here does not hinder you and let’s you do all the nasty stuff you always dreamt about.

Be sure to check out Kaffeangst’s Stream. He plays almost daily in small groups and a lot of 12vs12.

If you would like to read more about the mechanics behind these builds check out the Alpha Strike, Firepower, and DPS Guide or the excellent guide on the new ghost heat system (explained without any math!).

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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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