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Competetive Spider 5D Build
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Shadowhawk 2H (P) Damage Dealer
23 Oct 2013
gauss rifle tagged posts
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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Ilya Muromets (Cataphract Hero Mech) Dual Gauss Sniper Build
With the recent patch discouraging PPC and AC/20 boats, Cataphracts have been struggling to find new builds. If you are running you a 2X, you can build a brawler following this Cataphract 2X brawler guide. A more popular variant is the Ilya Muromets, the Hero Mech. A friend of mine at the Hell’s Black Aces Merc Corp showed me a build which has quickly become popular amongst competitive gamers. An Ilya Muromets build which is equipped with dual Gauss Rifles, Medium Lasers, and a Machine Gun. High alpha strikes, way above average dps and no heat issues what so ever make this Mech a fearsome opponent.
AMS + Machine Gun for critical hits and survivability
Higher movement speed version with AMS
Higher movement speed version without AMS but 3rd Medium Laser
- Cataphract plus XL-engine makes you very susceptible to frontal damage. If you come under heavy LRM, AC or PPC fire from the front, take cover immediately or you will die in seconds.
- Always use your Gauss Rifles together. The pinpoint damage will make short work of what ever component you are targeting.
- When at close range, keep those Medium Lasers and the Machine Gun fire buttons held down! It is almost impossible to overheat with this build.
- Your damage output is easily focused on one point, and the damage per second at close surpasses most other builds currently in the game. If you are entangled in a brawl, keep firing all the time. Your enemies will most likely underestimate your firepower and only turn around, when it is already to late.
This build was brought to my attention by Smeg of the Hell’s Black Aces Merc Corp. Check out their web page!
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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!| Follow @mwobuildsnet |
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Cataphract 2X Brawler Build
I am a great fan of the Cataphract chassis. I bought a 4X, 2X, and 1X right when they came out. However, the CTF-3D and the Hero Mech variant “Ilya Muromets” are much more popular. While those are really fun and powerful variants, I wanted to beat something with my 2X and 1X. So this guide came to life. See how a Cataphract 2X can easily deal as much damage as the more popular variants. People will only underestimate you until you blasted the second Assault Mech in their team to bits.
This build features everything you need. The Cataphract 2X brawler build is like the whole family fun package. A Gauss Rifle for long range shots and in order to add critical pinpoint damage while brawling. It can also be used in the rare case of running on high heat. Three Medium Lasers will serve as your all-purpose weapons. Finally, double SRM6 will be your melee range blaster. The recent MWO patch buffed their damage even further. Note, that all screenshots where taken before this patch and the damage values were already insanely high. Especially when encountering Assault Mechs, the SRM6s will provide the critical damage needed to take them down quickly.
- Although your Cataphract 2X is equipped with a Gauss Rifle, the most damage can be dealt at close range. Try to engage in brawls early on for maximum output.
- This build is very heat efficient. Do not fear to fire all weapons at all times. In the rare case of running on high heat, continue firing your SRM6s and the Gauss Rifle only.
- The combination of a Cataphract chassis and an XL-engine make you very susceptible to frontal attacks. Try to hug buildings, ledges, and cliffs at all times.
Note, that the following screenshots where taken before the recent buff to SRM damage. You should be able to easily reach or even surpass those numbers.
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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!| Follow @mwobuildsnet |
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The Highlander 732/733C PPC Sniper Build (updated for Alpha Patch July 2013)
The Highlander is one of the best assault chassis and quickly became a favourite of my own. Sniper builds are everywhere, and no match goes by without countless PPCs fired at you. It is time to strike back. Obviously, some variants are better suited for the job than others. If you like a sturdy armor and heavy armor, but don’t want to slack on the mobility side: Congratulations! You just found one of the best PPC sniper builds currently known to the Mechwarrior Online community. This Highlander 732 PPC sniper build combines the unmatched armor and firepower of assault chassis’ with excellent mobility.
Note: this exact same build can be built on the 733C as well.
The recent Mechwarrior Online Patch made PPC boats very ineffective. However, you can use the following build until July 20th 2013. After that you will have to rely on the above build.
Warning: the following builds are not very effective any more! You must use chain fire or multiple weapon groups in order to still use them. It is highly recommended switching to the a fore mentioned builds.
The 3 PPCs and the Gauss Rifle will grant you with unmatched firepower. Alpha strikes of 45 damage at a reasonable heat dissipation will tear enemies to shreds with only a few shots. Light Mechs will die instantly most of the time.
Since LRMs are making a huge comeback you may want to add an AMS to your build. Here is a slight variation on the above build which includes an Anti-Missile-System. This will reduce your damage only very slightly, but the increased survivability is often worth the small cost. This Mech is using an XL-engine after all.
- For maximum efficiency, group your weapons as follows: 1 Gauss Rifle 2 All three PPCs 3 Gauss Rifle plus one PPC (when high on heat) 4 All three PPCs in chain fire (for test shots and disabling ECM).
- All your PPCs and the Gauss Rifle are on one side of your Mech. Whenever you are under heavy fire or LRMs are inbound, turn your upper torso so the other side of your Mech faces the enemy.
- Use jump jets to look over cliffs. Often times you will be able to even shoot Mechs will falling back down.
- Be careful not to harm your legs from excessive jump jet usage. Rule of thumb: when using more than 75% of your jump jet energy, you will take damage to your legs upon landing. Try to reserve some fuel to soften your landing.
- When close to overheating, keep firing your Gauss Rifle plus a single PPC. This will cause very little heat and allows you to continue damaging the enemy with roughly 60% of your firepower. This is always better than overheating or not firing at all.
If you know of an excellent build 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 e-mail, post it in the official looking-for-builds thread, or send us a private message via the official forums.
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Please note: This guide may still be viable, but is very old.
You will probably find better ones or will need to tweak a few things. In addition, some or all meta game information and play style/hints may include outdated information. As soon as an updated version is available, it will be shown here. If you have up-to-date information on how to improve this build, please leave a comment below. Thank you.
I am happy to provide you with a final guide for the regular Cataphract variants. A guy named Wrench from the official forums was kind enough to allow me to use the guide here. Be sure to check out his profile and the original thread in the official forums to drop him a like and thumbs up. Enjoy:
The Cataphract has been a staple of House Davion Lances since it’s construction. A dependable heavy mech that could be relied upon, and The Gershom, a -3D variant piloted by loyalist Nicholas Reffin was no exception. With a pair of fearsome AC10s, four medium lasers and an experimental XL290 engine, The Gershom was a classic design that saw it’s share of battles and always comported itself well on the field, bringing victory and honour to its pilot .But a mechwarrior is never completely satisfied.
While The Gershom was successful, Nicholas was always irritated by its limitations. The mech shouldered the vulnerability of the XL engine, but still moved at a mediocre speed. This sluggishness made close range confrontations unpleasant when the fighting moved in, especially against highly manoeuvrable mechs. This was only compounded by the mech’s inability to quickly dissipate heat. Temperature ratings rested in acceptable tolerances when lobbing shells at range, perhaps with sporadic use of the MLAS. But frequent firing of all four MLAS in a brawl situation had a tendency to build an uncomfortable amount of heat.Still, with limited resources, it was hard to justify any changes on a successful – if imperfect – mech. The Gershom was ran as a powerful, but conventional heavy support unit for some time. But in a changing time of war, more flexibility is desired from a heavy chassis. Flush with an unexpected source of income, Reffin demanded a complete overhaul of some of his older configurations from his engineering team. First among these refits was a project to expand the tactical flexibility of the Gershom.
After much deliberation and several rejected designs, the Gershom was completely striped and rebuilt over a matter of weeks. While unpopular with some, the decision was made to actually reduce the armament on the mech, replacing the dual AC10s with a pair of UAC5s. The argument was made that despite the drop in single shot punch, the rapid firing rate of the combined UAC5s, provided it was properly managed, could bring the total destructive power of the cannons to near parity with the AC10s; and in some use-cases actually exceed them. This fire power could be maintain while projecting a more suppressive effect on the battlefield, laying down a threatening barrage of shells rather than the sporadic hammering of the AC10s. This was though to be more in line with the Gershom’s expanded role as a more active direct fire support unit.
The lighter and more space efficient cannons made way for the upgraded XL320 engine. Capable of moving the large Cataphract at the more impressive speed of 74kph, the engine was further augmented by an additional heatsink over the old design, helping to alleviate what minor heat issues the Gershom had without losing any of the four medium lasers.
However, the most extensive augmentation to the mech’s design was the rebuilding of the internal structural using the new weight efficient Endo-Steel technology and addition of 4 class-III jump jets. While bulky, the new lighter frame brought the mech just in line with the proper tonnage to thrust ratio needed to make the jets worth while.
While the Gershom will never exactly soar over the battlefield, the jump jets give the mech a decent amount of vertical and horizontal movement. This aerial mobility combined with the mech’s higher top speed allow for a much greater range of tactical options. Whether using the jets to reach a high vantage point to fire a storm of UAC5 rounds down on an enemy, to escape an unfavourable engagement, or to short-cut and overtake a fleeing enemy, the jump-jets are a constant surprise to the Gershom’s foes in the field.
The Gershom’s remaining limitations mostly centre around it’s shallow ammunition stores, 100 UAC5 rounds can be used up quickly in an engagement of even moderate length. The XL engine is a constant source of vexation and due concern in the broad chested Cataphract, requiring constant awareness of the mech’s torso condition.
- Cataphract CTF-3D
- XL Engine 320
- Maxed Armor
- 2x UltraAC/5 (4x ammo, best placed in legs)
- 4x Medium Laser
- 4x Jumpjets
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Please note: This guide may still be viable, but is very old.
You will probably find better ones or will need to tweak a few things. In addition, some or all meta game information and play style/hints may include outdated information. As soon as an updated version is available, it will be shown here. If you have up-to-date information on how to improve this build, please leave a comment below. Thank you.
The Cataphract CTF-1x offers 5 energy slots (and one ballistic slot). It will occur to most people to use some mixture of a smaller ballistic weapon (UAC5, AC5, AC10, LB10X) and multiple Large Lasers. However, if you don´t need the range and just want to dish out loads of damage with ease, a Medium Laser centered build usually brings nicer results in regards to the endgame screen. This build provides a successfully tested allround build with an emphasis on high damage dealt utilizing Medium Lasers and a complementary Gauss Rifle as a heat efficient secondary weapon.
CTF-1X Build Overview
- Cataphract CTF-1X
- XL Engine 255
- Max Armor except legs (~39 each) and cockpit (~10)
- 5x Medium Laser
- 1x Gauss Rifle (~4x ammo)
- 1x Anti-Missile-System (1x ammo)
- Despite being a heavy and having a considerable amount of armor: play save, do not lead the charge. Use the increased speed from the engine to outmaneuver your opponents.
- If you find your Gauss Rifle destroyed a lot before you can use up all the ammo, remove 1-3 ammo and replace them with heat sinks.
- If you are at high heat levels, do NOT fire your lasers again and overheat. Instead, fire your Gauss Rifle which produces almost no heat.
- If you overheat and face a strong but slow opponent (Atlas, Stalker, other heavys oder assaults), do the following: override shutdown immediately (hotkey “o”), do not fire, and run for it. Take the fight back to them if you are behind something solid and recovered.
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