Build for 1st Assault Mech

[Zergy]

Recently managed to destroy the cockpit of a Blr-1S which gave me access to my first assault mech. Any tips on a build I could make with it? All I see online are builds for the Blr-1G.

[Bovril Brigadier]

If you are aiming to take advantage of the missile hardpoints either a LRM boat or SRM brawler. All depends on your playstyle/ what you need.

[Zergy]

Was thinking of replacing my LRM Griffin since I'm well covered on the SRM side with 2 Shadow Hawks.

Would 2 LRM15 and 3 LRM5 be any good?

[VipreRX]

Less versatile but 2 LRM15's an LRM10, and 4 heatsinks would be heat neutral and allow 5t of ammo and 15 rounds of continuous alpha strikes.

[Zergy]

Originally posted by VipreRX:

Less versatile but 2 LRM15's an LRM10, and 4 heatsinks would be heat neutral and allow 5t of ammo and 15 rounds of continuous alpha strikes.

Would replacing 1T of ammo for a M laser be any good in case I run out of ammo, or should I just start meleeing enemies if that ever happens?

[VipreRX]

It cuts your output down to 12 rounds but seems alright otherwise. You could even trade a heatsink for it if you don't mind the buildup. Might even be the better trade.

With just missiles and three sinks you'd only need to take the 14th round of shooting off to cool in a standard environment.

[Zergy]

Thanks for the tips! Went with your recommendation for now, will see if I ever need to add a laser on it.

[MasterBLB]

Sadly Battlemaster suffers from oversized engine which leaves little spare tonnage for equipment. Nevertheless, here are some builds you could give a shot:
https://imgur.com/akMlWtF
https://imgur.com/y7Tdqio
https://imgur.com/SkzHUsV
https://imgur.com/UXYWnwO

[Alice]

Not sure if you're still looking for ideas, but here's one I started using recently. I've actually had it for a while and have been slowly putting better gear on it. Kind of a side project. I haven't tried it out until recently, since it's all short range and I was afraid it would get chewed up too fast. I normally run a 1G as my command mech/tank with all long range stuff so this is a lot different.

Alpha is 288. You can swap the SRM2 and a heatsink for an SRM4 and have an alpha of 312 but obviously it's hot as hell. You could also lose the pulse laser and gain 2 tons for whatever else. Basically, a lot of options. Enjoy.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2437068103

[Scathe]

Originally posted by Alice:

Not sure if you're still looking for ideas, but here's one I started using recently. I've actually had it for a while and have been slowly putting better gear on it. Kind of a side project. I haven't tried it out until recently, since it's all short range and I was afraid it would get chewed up too fast. I normally run a 1G as my command mech/tank with all long range stuff so this is a lot different.

Alpha is 288. You can swap the SRM2 and a heatsink for an SRM4 and have an alpha of 312 but obviously it's hot as hell. You could also lose the pulse laser and gain 2 tons for whatever else. Basically, a lot of options. Enjoy.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2437068103

by the time you have 7 double heat sinks, you're likely to have lostech chassis as well, that outclass the BLR-1S, but for a more high end BLR-1S along that vein, you could try:

15.5 tons armor, 4 jump jets, 7 double heat sinks, 2 SRM6, 2SRM4, 2 tons SRM ammo, 2 ML, 1 MPL. with fully upgraded weapons, this'll do 360 alpha strike, sink 72 heat per turn, and the alpha strike heat generated is 80 heat.

[Gilius Thunderhead]

Originally posted by Zergy:

Was thinking of replacing my LRM Griffin since I'm well covered on the SRM side with 2 Shadow Hawks.

Would 2 LRM15 and 3 LRM5 be any good?

Just going to throw in, if it was me I like to squeeze a PPC onto my assault class missile boats, that makes it great for long range direct fire as well as indirect fire

[danko9696]

Originally posted by Gilius Thunderhead:

Just going to throw in, if it was me I like to squeeze a PPC onto my assault class missile boats, that makes it great for long range direct fire as well as indirect fire

Adding a single PPC doesn't turn an LRM boat into a great direct damage setup. It still will be bad for pinpoint damage, still terrible for headcapping and it will lose on the Indirect Fire capability as well, very likely losing the one-shot capability against vehicles and potential against other types of targets.

[Gilius Thunderhead]

It's not end-game that's for sure, but if OP just got his literal first assault mech I doubt he has a bunch of UACs or a Gauss lying around

[arntbv]

What I have experienced is that these oversized engine heavy and assualt mech is only good for one thing. Tanking and soak up damage. A Centurion can perform better, as a LRM boat than a Battlemaster 1S !

Swap out one of your shadowhawk SRM brawlers with the Battlemaster SRM/ML brawler. It can take twice the beating and survive much longer under fire. 90% or more armor. Bulkwark and sure footing pilot in it and you can have a good time with it until you get even better mechs.

[Scathe]

Originally posted by arntbv:

What I have experienced is that these oversized engine heavy and assualt mech is only good for one thing. Tanking and soak up damage. A Centurion can perform better, as a LRM boat than a Battlemaster 1S !

Battlemaster 1S has 42.5 tons of space available for weapons and armor. Centurion has 31.5 tons of space available for weapons and armor. Battlemaster can fit LRM45 pretty comfortably. centurion can fit LRM30 pretty comfortably. I'd rather not stress heat, armor, or ammunition, so I wouldn't go higher than LRM45 in the battlemaster or LRM30 in the centurion. Battlemaster is dwarfed by the highlander 733 and stalker, which both can fit LRM65 pretty comfortably, but to say it is not an upgrade to a centurion is going too far.

Originally posted by arntbv:

Swap out one of your shadowhawk SRM brawlers with the Battlemaster SRM/ML brawler. It can take twice the beating and survive much longer under fire. 90% or more armor. Bulkwark and sure footing pilot in it and you can have a good time with it until you get even better mechs.

agree that I'm much more inclined to build battlemaster 1S as a SRM/ML brawler, because benefits more from it's medium speed in that role and gets beat badly by highlander 733 and stalker at LRM boating. also probably gets beat badly at LRM boating by the archer but I don't have the DLC to know that.

[Scathe]

Originally posted by Gilius Thunderhead:

Originally posted by Zergy:

Was thinking of replacing my LRM Griffin since I'm well covered on the SRM side with 2 Shadow Hawks.

Would 2 LRM15 and 3 LRM5 be any good?

Just going to throw in, if it was me I like to squeeze a PPC onto my assault class missile boats, that makes it great for long range direct fire as well as indirect fire

PPC won't save an LRM boat at direct fire. if you are talking about the best of the LRM boats, the highlander 733 or the stalker, you can spend the weight you'd spend on a PPC on more LRM's and more LRM ammo instead(same for the battlemaster too), and have a mech that does more damage and more stability damage. I messed around with a king crab in my mech bay after you made that comment, and I can say, it is acceptable build for a king crab to go LRM50 and 1 PPC, so that is the mech you want. it is more acceptable if you actually use a lance that gets knockdowns with stability damage. otherwise I might rather spend 10 tons on a king crab on 2 LL than spend 7 tons on 1 PPC. 8 tons on an AC/5 and 1 ton on AC/5 ammo might also be better spent weight.