Cyclops Notes
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 4:43 pm
I realize I've nearly given June a miss for my usual monthly MWO post. Honestly, I'm a touch short of material, since I usually highlight a mech that I've spent time grinding through the elite skill tier, and this month I've mostly been using reliable workhorses (HBK-4P w/ 3LPL, Loki w/ 2UAC5, & GHR-5P w/ 3LPL) to grind out C-Bills and unlock weapon modules in anticipation of the Cyclops arriving in August.
Because I've got the Cyclops on the brain, below are the garbled, disjointed notes that I've cobbled together regarding possible builds for the mech over the past several weeks. They're presented in code tags, because it's a direct copy-paste from an un-word-wrapped text file, and I can't be bothered to sort out the line breaks and tab-stops in a properly-formatted forum post. The raw copy-paste job may also give a bit of insight into how my head works, when I get a first look at a chassis.
When I reference test builds, I used Smurphy's mech lab utility with a Mauler as a surrogate for the 10z, 11adc, and 11p builds. I'd slap in an XL250 to occupy the crit slots for the engine, note the weight difference between that engine and an XL400, and add weapons, ammo, and equipment until that difference was the tonnage free. The 10q test builds were a back-of-the-napkin quality pen-and-paper job, since there are no 90t Inner Sphere mechs with six or seven missile hardpoints. All builds assume the use of endo-steel internals, though I think one or two of the 10q builds would benefit from foregoing endo in favor of more open crit slots. That determination will have to wait until the mech is out or I get bored enough to redo those builds by hand.
Why yes, that is seventeen twenty-three builds for a mech that isn't out yet. And yes, at the end of the day, I probably spend more time building mechs than piloting them.
[edit]I updated the notes and changed the title to better reflect what the majority of the thread content is about.[/edit]
[edit]I've updated the notes again.[/edit]
The worst part about the 10q is that a pure SRM build will have to be named SplatPlops.
Because I've got the Cyclops on the brain, below are the garbled, disjointed notes that I've cobbled together regarding possible builds for the mech over the past several weeks. They're presented in code tags, because it's a direct copy-paste from an un-word-wrapped text file, and I can't be bothered to sort out the line breaks and tab-stops in a properly-formatted forum post. The raw copy-paste job may also give a bit of insight into how my head works, when I get a first look at a chassis.
When I reference test builds, I used Smurphy's mech lab utility with a Mauler as a surrogate for the 10z, 11adc, and 11p builds. I'd slap in an XL250 to occupy the crit slots for the engine, note the weight difference between that engine and an XL400, and add weapons, ammo, and equipment until that difference was the tonnage free. The 10q test builds were a back-of-the-napkin quality pen-and-paper job, since there are no 90t Inner Sphere mechs with six or seven missile hardpoints. All builds assume the use of endo-steel internals, though I think one or two of the 10q builds would benefit from foregoing endo in favor of more open crit slots. That determination will have to wait until the mech is out or I get bored enough to redo those builds by hand.
Code: Select all
Cyclops ideas (pre-quirk announcement)
Cyclops ideas (The quirk announcement changed nothing.)
[STRIKE]Oh, hey.... Ghost heat 2.0 gets implemented in the same patch as introduces the Cyclops.[/STRIKE]
Thankfully, PGI can't hit a deadline for shit.
Alpha strikes over 30 damage get punished. That's *all* of these configs.
* - ideas that can at least be slapped together
Most of these ideas can be improved, since I didn't optimize crit slot usage.
Might consider other engine options too. Ten tons separate the XL360 and the XL400.
Armor shaving - 60pts on each arm; 32pts/ton - most builds can strip at least one arm
Important things neglected: AC10 builds - particularly on brawlly 11p's.
Skip the hero preorder - might buy for MC later - ballistics in both torsos (dual-Gauss stock)
2UAC5+AC5 w/ XL400 as an easy dakka build - plenty of space for ammo & 2 MLs/MPLs
Skip/Sell the CYC11-a - in basic pack - redundant w/ CYC-11adc - unless you want to do a silly 3AC2 build
XL400 acquired in summer grab bag event.
XL400 speeds in 90t mech - 72kph w/o tweak & 77.4kph w/ tweak
XL380 speeds - 68.4kph w/o tweak & 73.5 w/ tweak
XL/STD360 speeds - 64.8kph w/o tweak & 69.7kph w/ tweak
(One hex/turn walk spd is ~16.2kph run spd)
Engine weights (vs. XL400)
XL400 - 33.5t
XL380 - 27.5t (06.0t less)
XL360 - 23.5t (10.0t less)
STD360 - 40.0t (06.5t more)
Quirk Notes - Weapon quirks are pretty minimal. Torso has modest structure quirks, but those meaty legs have no durability buffs.
A couple of chassis have Gauss quirks, so consider Gauss builds on those.
CYC-11a - Gauss cooldown 10%
CYC-10q - Missile heat gen 5%
CYC-10z - AC20 velocity 10% & AC20 cooldown 5%
CYC-11adc - Energy cooldown 10% & missile velocity 10%
CYC-11p - Ballistic & energy range 10% & missile velocity 10%
All - poop weapon quirks.
CYC-11p - ECM, 4E, 2M, 2B - in reinforcement pack (endo & DHS stock)
>* 2PPC+Gauss (3t ammo) 12DHS, ECM, & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS
* PPC+2AC5 (5t ammo) 16DHS, ECM, & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS/weapons
* AC20 (3.5t ammo)+4MPL 13DHS, ECM, & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS
Possible swap of MPLs for SRMs (steps on 11adc's toes)
>* UAC5+AC5 (5t ammo comb.) + 2ASRM4 (2t ammo) + 4ML, ECM, & 11DHS
(armor: 16 HD, 58 legs, & 48 arms)
Drop Art. for two more DHS?
AC10+3LPL+ECM? - too heavy for an XL400, even w/ armor shave from UAC/AC5 build above
XL395 - room for 11DHS
* XL380 - room for 15DHS
CYC-10q - 7 missile & 3 energy (2 usable) hardpoints - in basic pack - less able to test build
68.5t pod space w/ endo-steel & no engine or equipment
>Splat (6 ASRM6) - some ammo in an arm will require DHS to critpad
33.5t for XL400
24t for launchers
6t minimum ammo; 10t prefered
4t in legs
1t in head
2t w/ 2DHS in each arm (4t total)
4t DHS in arms - too crit-starved - these can be shoved in the engine, but then there's no padding effect
Aggressive armor shave to free another 2t - might come up short of crit space - yep
7 ALRM5 (3-5 ALRM5 may actually be optimal for chain firing - alt. 3&3 group fire)
33.5t for XL400
18t for launchers (6)
7t minimum ammo; 10t prefered
4t in legs
1t in head
2t w/ 2DHS in each arm (4t total)
4t DHS in arms
4t free for ???
------------------------------------------
6LRM5+3LL
33.5t for XL400
12t for launchers (6)
5t for ammo (head & legs - 900 damage)
15t for LLs (3)
3t for DHS
------------------------------------------
>LPLs & ALRM5s
33.5t for XL400
21t for LPLs (3)
9t for launchers (3)
4.5t ammo (head & legs only)
0.5t free for ???
Probably armor shave for some added DHS - 3LPLs will run hot
>LPLs & SRM4s
33.5t for XL400
21t for LPLs (3)
8t for launchers (4)
4.5t ammo
1t head
3.5t legs
1.5t free for ???
LPLs & ASRM6s
33.5t for XL400
14t for LPLs (2)
12t for launchers (3)
4.5t ammo
1t head
3.5t legs
4.5t free for ???
Side stacking option: LPLs & DHS on right & SRMs on left - Arm can be stripped for more free tonnage
CYC-10z - 6 energy, 2 missile, 1 ballistic torso - in basic pack
AC20 (2.5t ammo)+6MPL & 10DHS - too hot & too short on ammo, even w/ armor shaving
Drop 2-3 MPL for ammo & DHS
* 3LPL+3ML & 21DHS - fills crits & weight
* 3LPL+UAC5 (4t ammo) 11 DHS & possible armor shaving for more ammo/weapons/DHS
Swap UAC5 in favor of an AC10?
* 3LPL+ASRM6+ASRM4 (3t ammo) 14 DHS & possible armor shaving for more ammo/weapons
>3LPL+Gauss - too heavy for XL400 -> XL380, weapons, 13DHS, & 3t ammo
* 3LL+Gauss - common build on 80t chassis
XL400, 3t ammo, 14DHS - armor shave - 12/18 on head, 64/76 on legs & 12/60 on left arm
CYC-11adc - 2E, 4M, 2B - ballistic energy mix w/ more missiles than CYC-11a - in reinforcement pack
>* AC20 (4t ammo)+4SRM4 (2.5t ammo) 12DHS & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS
I'd like another half ton of AC20 & one ton of SRM ammo
> AC10 (3t ammo) + 3ASRM6 + 1ASRM4 (5.5t ammo) w/ XL400 & possible armor shaving
* 2AC5 (4t ammo)+3ASRM6 (3t ammo) 10DHS & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS
* Gauss (3t ammo)+4ALRM5 (5t ammo) 10DHS & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS
* 2AC5 (5t ammo)+3ALRM5 (5t ammo) 10 DHS & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS/launchers
* AC10 (2.5t ammo)+4ALRM5 (4.5t ammo)+2ML, 12DHS & possible armor shaving for more ammo/DHS
One less launcher saves three tons
CYC-10z note on Gauss configs
XL400 (77.4kph) - 3LL+Gauss+14DHS = 48% heat eff, 4.30 sustained DPS, & 42 dmg alpha
> XL380 (73.5kph) - 3LPL+Gauss+13DHS = 43% heat eff, 4.74 sustained DPS, & 48 dmg alpha
XL360 (69.7kph) - 3LPL+Gauss+17DHS = 53% heat eff, 5.84 sustained DPS, & 48 dmg alpha
versus Zeus w/ XL380, 3LL+Gauss+13DHS -> 46% heat eff, 4.12 sustained DPS, 42 dmg alpha, & 82.7kph
Note on CYC-11p & CYC11-adc dual-AC5 builds - possibly upgrade one AC5 to a UAC5, weight permitting
Start w/ CYC-11adc AC20/SRM build or AC10/SRM build
For four highlighted variants
Cost of DHS upgrade -> 4.5mil
Cost of endo -> 2.7mil
Cost of ferro dg -> 0.2mil
Cost of XL380s -> 6.2mil
Total 13.6mil
Engines - STD360 (40.0t) for AC20 builds & XL400 (33.5t) for everything else, except where otherwise noted.
[edit]I updated the notes and changed the title to better reflect what the majority of the thread content is about.[/edit]
[edit]I've updated the notes again.[/edit]
The worst part about the 10q is that a pure SRM build will have to be named SplatPlops.