[Non HM DLC] 4.5 Skulls and 5 Skulls, What You Deploy?

[gunner]

This is for Vanilla Game Discussion.

Hi guys, I currently can play up to 4 Skull Missions and my Current Campaign Mission is Grave Robbing.

I have 1 Marauder, 1 Grasshopper, 1 King Crab and 1 Atlas II. I played a 4 Skull Mission and won my first 4 Skull Ambush Convoy Mission with not much problems.

Here is what I have in my Mech Bays:

1. GHR-5H
2. MAD-3R
3. SHD-2H
4. ON1-V
5. QKD-4G
6. VTR-9B
7. HGN-733
8. AS7 D-HT
9. KGC-0000

In my Storage I have 1 More Full KGC-0000 and a BL-6-KNT.

I was thinking for 4.5 Skull and 5 Skull Missions my 1 Marauder, 1 Grasshopper, 1 King Crab and 1 Atlas II setup might have problems but I am was also thinking I might be okay if I play to the Strengths of my Lance, I have not reach 4.5 and above Skulls Missions yet so I do not really know though. Would need some advice and words of experience to help me get through the Campaign.

[Gorok Delvedeep]

4 100t's since even then you'll still be outtonned 4 : 1

[gunner]

Gorok Delvedeep původně napsal:

4 100t's since even then you'll still be outtonned 4 : 1

@Gorok, can you elaborate, I am not sure what you are saying?

[danko9696]

Probably a Marauder + HGN + KC + A-II.

The Marauder as headcapper & support, HGN as pure LRM boat (with +2 dmg tubes) the KC as medium range brawler and the A-II as LL based harasser with 6xLL 1xAC5 with RF++ and JJs

[MechBFP]

My squad is an atlas and 3 highlanders with jumpjets. The 1 highlander is a missile boat, while the atlas is a short range brawler with 2 ac20’s and a bunch of SRMs with a few m lasers.
The other 2 high landers have a mix of long/short range weaponry for versatility.

[gunner]

Okay, thanks for the input but Is it possible to survive with my 1 Marauder, 1 Grasshopper, 1 King Crab and 1 Atlas II Current Lance on 4.5 and 5 Skulls Difficulty? Has anyone tried using this Lance before?

[craigmercer60]

i play 2 highlanders atlas 2 and ether annilahtor or marauder highlanders have jump jets one armed as was when recived it just + wepons other as ppc and lrms this to me kicks everything 12 ways to sunday not lost anything not even a wepon since used this

[danko9696]

gunner původně napsal:

Okay, thanks for the input but Is it possible to survive with my 1 Marauder, 1 Grasshopper, 1 King Crab and 1 Atlas II Current Lance on 4.5 and 5 Skulls Difficulty? Has anyone tried using this Lance before?

If you have enough DHS + TEX you can cheese the majority of five skull missions with an A-II 6xLL+++ 2xAC2++/1xAC5++ as the only mech in the lance. Of course easier if you have more mechs. With what you have you should be able to do easily any mission, even if you don't have DHS/TEX in all of them.

The A-II, KC and HGN are top/high tier and the M3R is the best mech of the game once you have high level PS. So mostly yes, you have all you need, doesn't get much better than that unless you get HM and add some UACs to the mix.

[Scathe]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/637090/discussions/0/1745643015570195854/

in the thread I linked, I shared screenshots of the full lance I deploy for 5 skull missions. I've done a bunch of 5 skull missions with that lance no problem. it includes a marauder, an orion v, and two highlanders. I did some minor upgrades to the highlanders since making those screenshots, they both have a 2ton missile target tracking system now. you could easily do well with 100 toners in place of the orion v and the second highlander.

[Gorok Delvedeep]

gunner původně napsal:

Gorok Delvedeep původně napsal:

4 100t's since even then you'll still be outtonned 4 : 1

@Gorok, can you elaborate, I am not sure what you are saying?

even with four atlases or king crabs. you will still face so much enemy tonnage that you are outonned by at least x4. because HBS suck at AI, so they just didn't bother. and instead throw ludicrous enemy forces at you. its moronic.

[Scathe]

Gorok Delvedeep původně napsal:

gunner původně napsal:

@Gorok, can you elaborate, I am not sure what you are saying?

even with four atlases or king crabs. you will still face so much enemy tonnage that you are outonned by at least x4. because HBS suck at AI, so they just didn't bother. and instead throw ludicrous enemy forces at you. its moronic.

you are exaggerating. last 5 skull mission I did was an assasination mission. assasination target was in a banshee (95ton) initial covering lance was 2 80 ton vehicles, an orion (75ton) and a warhammer (70ton) enemy reinforcement lance was a banshee (95ton) a battlemaster (85ton) a thunderbolt (65ton) and a dragon (60ton)

maybe my math is bad but I think that only adds up to 705tons, less than double against a 400ton lance. my lance was 330tons (75, 75, 90, 90) so it was slightly more than double.

[wesnef]

Gorok Delvedeep původně napsal:

even with four atlases or king crabs. you will still face so much enemy tonnage that you are outonned by at least x4. because HBS suck at AI, so they just didn't bother. and instead throw ludicrous enemy forces at you. its moronic.

You would have to be playing Attack & Defend or Target Acquisition for that to happen. For "at least 4x your tons", you'd need at least 4 enemy lances. Regular missions don't do that. And A/D or TA only do that if you sit there and let more enemies spawn at you. (i.e, you'd have to be really bad at the game, or deliberately trying to give the enemy an advantage)

----
OP: Pre-HM, for a 5-skull mission, I'd normally field a Grasshopper, King Crab, regular Atlas, and Highlander. With the addition of the Marauder, I'd probably replace the Highlander with it. And it would work fine.

But, then, I don't see any reason to farm up a lance of Assault mechs for the early Campaign, either. Mediums & Heavies are more than enough for that. /shrug

[Big mean bunny]

There is nothing wrong with the lance for those difficulties what matters is load out and pilots. Both the crab and atlas are quite flexible for design options and combined can cover most missions. One of them should have jump whilst the other can max out on firepower either with LRM's or large lasers/ longer range ballistics, Both the grasshopper and marauder perform way above their tonnage with minor tweaks (grasshopper replace LL and lrm5 with 6 ap and add armour and medium lasers), (marauder , give to tactics 9 pilot replace as many weapon variables of > than 30 damage or >60 types) as long as you don't walk them up to two heavy lances and hang them out to dry they can carry for you.

[Gorok Delvedeep]

wesnef původně napsal:

you're purposefully not counting the hordes of heavy and assault vees you get drowned with in later missions

[gunner]

@ Gorok, what you mean by Vees, as in Vehicles like LRM Carriers and SRM Carriers?

@Wesnef, thanks for the info, this means that my current Lance is what you would use even in 5 Skull missions. Thats Good to know.

[JC]

found a screenie.. here is an example of my end game mech bay set up.. and yes i use mediums and lights on 4+ skull missions..

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/784122499759057301/A648ECF6D946AE16186D9BCFBFAE9BBB23946B87/


But for example, a hot map i might load up my highlander, Jager, Enforcer, commando, A ranged drop, Stalker, catapult, enforcer, panther or commando. Brawl drop atlas, thunderbolt 5ss, HBK 4g and firestarter. a mixed base defence Battlemaster, catapult K2, Crab, Jenner (though this lance i wouldnt drop on a hot map for example, though might go highlands or jungle with 4 Coolant Vent pilots)


this gives you an idea of builds and set ups.. Sure if i go on a 5 star, i might drop the light, and say use my Crab and enforer, with a heavy and assault, or maybe go dual assaults, with a heavy and med. It really all depends on the mission type, and the biome. Hot maps are actually sometimes better to go with quicker mechs, so perhaps i'll go lighter than normal on a base destory, as you can move out of range, and cool much easier.. a Polar base kill, i could go on the heavier sides as i would need to push more, and kill faster to avoid taking as much damage. Often those big assaults can't fire as much on hot maps and sometimes will put out the same DPS on turn average as smaller mechs because of heat issues, or needing full turns to cool that also resets your recoil while a cooler running medium can keep going full alpha every turn, and then just need a turn to do a full move and then 4 more turns of full alphal. So many ways to play really.