SRM question

[necro55]

With the exception of the ssrm-2's which actually track pretty well, my understanding was the srm's are dumbfire weapons.
Artemis IV is a tracking system.
What does a tracking system for a dumbfire rocket offer?

[Bovril Brigadier]

It reduces spread thus improves accuracy same way it does LRM's.
Art+IV on stream SRM's are near enough pinpoint accurate.

[Clever Name]

I'd also like to add that if you get the right missile upgrades (extra range and velocity), SRM-STs plus Artemis are usable out to ~500m.

Extra velocity for missiles (both SRM and LRM) is something most people probably overlook. Having that extra speed makes aiming and hitting moving targets easier. The more range/velocity upgrades you stack, the better. Though the 15% one by itself is okay.

[Valen]

SRMs - Well, here is my one cent... If you use them at short range - you really do not have to worry about dumb fire and accuracy.

[necro55]

OK, thanks for the clarification guys.

[Clever Name]

One more test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=050qAdoH4UM

Believe it or not, I've never tried using all possible missile upgrades. I usually have 1 run speed and the 10% bonus to structure in all of my mechs.

So, in the above example, I have the 15% + 7.5% for missiles, and the overall 10% range/speed increase for all weapons. Plus 10% damage and -7.5% spread.

It appears that any time you increase the maximum range of an SRM, you not only increase the range it travels before the missiles start to drop, but you increase the range before they lose cohesion. They maintain a tighter firing pattern out to longer ranges, in other words.

When you pair this 'hidden' accuracy bonus with Artemis and stream firing, you get very good accuracy out to ~650m.

Even at more normal combat ranges (300m or less), you still notice the tightness of the missile pattern. If you're specializing in an SRM boat, and you've got a hero mech with at least 8 upgrade slots, there's pretty much no reason you shouldn't use every missile range upgrade available.

[necro55]

wow thats really good info, thanks for that!

[Clever Name]

Originally posted by necro55:

wow thats really good info, thanks for that!

Yeah, and one more thing. I'm a little surprised by how worthless regular SRM6-STs are without Artemis.

I have a hero Catapult (Butterbee or whatever) which has 9 upgrade slots. So I did the bit where I give it all possible missile range/velocity bonuses. Even with all upgrades and tier 4 SRM6-STs, the effective range (before major accuracy loss) is only around 300m. It looks nothing like that laser-tight pattern with my Dervish in the above example.

There is something to be said for the inherent accuracy of chest-mounted weapons versus arm-mountings (for the same reason nose-mounted guns in airplanes are more accurate than wing-mountings), but I wager Artemis is still the key factor.

If you want the absolute most accurate SRMs, you'll want to do everything I already mentioned, and use Artemis, and use either a Dervish, Kintaro, or maybe an Archer. If you've got at least 2 SRMs mounted in the torso, you'll have that perfect firing axis.

[necro55]

And AGAIN, thanks that is some more great info! Appreciate you taking the time.