Endgame Pilot Builds

[Atma]

I'm just curious what pilot setups people are finding useful once the game starts throwing full lances of heavy/assault mechs at you.

I'm not quite there yet, but I've read a lot about how evasion becomes a lot less useful in the endgame, due to using heavier mechs that won't be moving as far or being sensor locked by multiple enemies.

I'd originally planned to make my player character an Outrider (Pilot 2, Guts 1), but it doesn't sound like the evasion will be all that great later.

Now I'm kinda leaning toward 3 gunner/bulwarks and making my guy master tactician/bulwark (like Mastiff from the tutorial).

Just curious what others are finding useful in the endgame.

[megapat2]

I am really enjoy pillot skills also. the move after shooting is nice. but hard to beat guts and gunner is awesome. enjoy

[Nimiria Nova]

I gave them all that skill for +1 Initiative + Sensor lock and Evasive movement. Having 2 Atlas and 2 Highlanders with much missiles and a gauss rifle/ACs is making very fun :)

Sadly one of my elite pilots (3 x 10, 1 x 9 ) got still instakilled - so take care! :D

[Atma]

Isn't having sensor lock on your entire lance a bit of a waste, though? The +1 initiative does sound really nice, especially when everybody begins fielding assault mechs.

[holyburst]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1376596076

Use various setting for each pilot skills.
Need to take a screenshot of each one if you want...

[kkeeffer]

When my pilots get skilled up too much....i fire them and get more newbs....overskileld pilots make teh game not fun for me :)

[Morgian]

Tactics and Gunnery were my main specialties, then Guts and Piloting. I had Gunnery/Pilot, Guts/Tactics, Gunnery/Tactics, and Guts/Piloting on my core team.

Later on you get often hit by LRMs from unseen opponents, so evasion isn't all that great as you say. Gunnery is good, since I could make full use of my weaponry. It loses some when you get the -45/-90 minimum distance modifier, since you can then use everything at close range. The ability that gives you guarded when not moving is also useful later on. Tactics had the most useful stuff overall in my opinion, since it remains useful in all mechs and all situations.

[Darkaiser]

I try for one Scout (Sensor Lock and the extra chevron from moving), two Bulwark (one direct-fire, one missiles) and the last one I sort of play with.

[Tom]

Bulwark was mandatory for me, 50% damage reduction.

[Mudpony]

I like multishot + the second tactician skill. The extra iniative is nice, as is the ability to sensor lock, while multishot allows you to fire a weapon at one target to knock it down, while softening up another target. The first guts skill + 2x tactician is also nice, but I'm more prone to do unto them before they can do unto to me to worry about it too much.

[holyburst]

Evasion with JJ highlander is useful build.
It can run whole match with sustained evasion, Good to use with SRM6 x4 bat.
My medusa is outrider, 2 pilot major skills & 1 gut.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1377198049

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1377198355

[Atma]

I'm honestly not opposed to going master tactician on most of my lance, but having 3 sensor locks seems a little redundant to me, lol.

I do want at least 1 breaching shot / bulwark pilot, which could probably take advantage of all of those sensor lock guys going before them.

It really seems that the passives you get from the trees themselves (not the actual abilities) are the best, things like indirect fire penalty reduction, stability buffs, sprint range, called shot mastery, etc.

Honestly, you can always just hire more pilots, so I guess it's only the player character's skills that I'm really locked into. I just don't want my main guy to feel useless at the end, and I can't imagine getting a lot of evasion pips in a 100 ton mech.

[holyburst]

Originally posted by Atma:

I'm honestly not opposed to going master tactician on most of my lance, but having 3 sensor locks seems a little redundant to me, lol.

I do want at least 1 breaching shot / bulwark pilot, which could probably take advantage of all of those sensor lock guys going before them.

It really seems that the passives you get from the trees themselves (not the actual abilities) are the best, things like indirect fire penalty reduction, stability buffs, sprint range, called shot mastery, etc.

Honestly, you can always just hire more pilots, so I guess it's only the player character's skills that I'm really locked into. I just don't want my main guy to feel useless at the end, and I can't imagine getting a lot of evasion pips in a 100 ton mech.

Sensor lock skill is not that useful at end game. 10 10 10 10 pilots with LRM20 missile rack at each assault mech on atlas / highlander simply remove enemy's evasion less than <<<.

But sensorlock is great vs +4 <<<< or above evasion enemy mech.

[Teralitha]

I use 3 pilots with multishot, bulwark and breaching shot. the 4th is pilot evasion, sensors and +initiative.

[Mudpony]

Originally posted by holyburst:

Sensor lock skill is not that useful at end game. 10 10 10 10 pilots with LRM20 missile rack at each assault mech on atlas / highlander simply remove enemy's evasion less than <<<.

But sensorlock is great vs +4 <<<< or above evasion enemy mech.

It is useful to let you hit mechs before they can hit you, however. It's why I make sure my short range mechs (say an AC-20 focused build) and non-LRM ones have pilots with sensor lock, so they can set up indirect LRM fire.

[holyburst]

Originally posted by Mudpony:

Originally posted by holyburst:

Sensor lock skill is not that useful at end game. 10 10 10 10 pilots with LRM20 missile rack at each assault mech on atlas / highlander simply remove enemy's evasion less than <<<.

But sensorlock is great vs +4 <<<< or above evasion enemy mech.

It is useful to let you hit mechs before they can hit you, however. It's why I make sure my short range mechs (say an AC-20 focused build) and non-LRM ones have pilots with sensor lock, so they can set up indirect LRM fire.

Without sensorlock, Fairly 90% or 95% vs elite (brawler / recon / sharpshooter / etc) NPC who have less than 3 <<< evasion mark.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1376489051
For end game - 4.5 or 5 skulls, Enemy bring assault & heavy mechs only.
Only quickdraw & grasshopper have <<<< 4 evasion marks, rest of them just holding less than <<< 3 evasion marks.

Sensorlock can't inflict damage, But dumping LRM20 can.
Also You can stack guage for knockdown, Free DPS dumping time at certain location.

In brief, Sensorlock is great vs fast small & medium mech with high evasion that more than 3.
In the end, NPC foe do not use small & medium mech.
Simply, Dumping your LRM 20 rack, problem solved.
max 10 out pilot easily hit enemy who got less than <<< 3 evasion marks.

If You love x2 AC20 build with kingcrab as this, Recoil reduction is priority.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1377151465

It's all or nothing - high risk high DPS return, or just stack heat pointless.

I prefer x4 SRM 6 bat build with JJ highlander for better head injury chance on enemy target.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1377198355

It's up to player's style.