Cyclops build advice

[necro55]

I love the functionality of the Cyclops, but i haven't found a build that works well for me, most seem really light on overall damage. I also usually try to stay mid or long range.
What builds have you guys found to be effective?

[Lack of Stuff]

Z, Q, or HQ?

[necro55]

Z model.
Do the others have the Battle Computer ?

[Lack of Stuff]

HQ does, Q does not.

[necro55]

OK, have a completed Z but in storage i have 1/3 a HQ.
So being that i have a Z, any suggested builds?

[Lack of Stuff]

It's really down to preference. You can outfit it with LRMs for long range support, TAGs or NARCs and ECM for maximum utility, or something like a UAC20 for close range punch. You can mix but I'd pick a specific direction and lean into it. I prefer the utility.

[MasterBLB]

What other mechs in lance do you have?

[necro55]

Assaults mainly, lots of ACs, and a Marauder with 2 Gauss

im just trying to come up with something med-range to long range that hits hard and doesnt completely suck at heat management.

Anyone use the Z model? Post some builds you use.

[JC]

I had one i loaded up with a crap ton of SRM's. Was a lot of fun. I had a Stalker in the lance as my LRM boat, cyclopes SRM's, a crab with ERLL+ML and i forget what the heavy was. I think it was a thunderbolt. Fun lance!

[wesnef]

Originally posted by JC:

I had one i loaded up with a crap ton of SRM's. Was a lot of fun. I had a Stalker in the lance as my LRM boat, cyclopes SRM's, a crab with ERLL+ML and i forget what the heavy was. I think it was a thunderbolt. Fun lance!

Yeah, I haven't used a Cyclops in awhile, so it's hard to remember the exact builds. But I recall I had a -Q with lots of SRMs (28 tubes?). Meanwhile, the -Z (since I wanted to keep the battle computer safe & it couldn't have a Cockpit Injury Mod) I stuck some long-range stuff on. Large lasers & LRMs? This was back in the original patch/DLC that they came from, so we didn't have all the fancy post-HM and post-shop-revamp gear.

[Lack of Stuff]

The Q can pretty much only do SRM spam but it gets blown out of the water by the Griffin 2N.

[wesnef]

Oh, sure. I was just trying to remember what I did with Cyclops's :)

[JC]

I acutally used the one that had the movement boost with SRM's. Being able to move with the heavies was pretty cool, BUT i even stuck a tactics pilot in it for good measure.

[astrumluxlucis]

I only have the -HQ (and -Q in another campaign). I use it with 3x (or 4x but that's light on ammo) LRM5 to knock over the Unstables the rest of them set up. Otherwise it's all about staying as mobile as possible to keep the Lance bonuses from getting taken out. I tend to put the junior pilot in there and keep them back.

If I could find an ECM suite in this campaign, I'd likely stuff it in there.

The rest of the current smashy lance are:

Atlas - twin PPC/LRM20
Highander-B - twin PPC/twin LRM15
Marauder - Gauss/ER-PPC

Massive stab damage and decaps.

Athough that twin-Gauss Marauder mentioned above would be sweet. O:-)

[Ilshavoh]

It's job is to poke out and absorb hits/finish things off, not to lead the charge and soak damage for a turn.

Use the Battlecomp's 1 initiative bonus to maim things that would chase you, then fade away.

[necro55]

I suppose with the Z model i might have as good of a option as im gonna get for some decentndamage. 4ml+10damage and 2 srm6+4damage.

Hope to find enough parts to make an HQ and try that out.

Thanks for the input everyone, gonna definitely try it with an ecm.