Ammo Detonation, Evasion Chevrons, and UAC

[TheMoe]

To-Hit modifiers: ±1 to ±10 mods step up in 5% increments (ex. +5 is 25% -3 is -15%) once the total modifier goes to ±11 or more the percent set changes to 2.5% (ex. +13 is 5x10=50% for the first 10 and then 2.5x3 =7.5% for a total of 57.5%). The Base to-hit is 75%.

Thanks! This really helps.

 

[Ursul]

Recoil doesn't stack,

A bit late to the conversation, but there is some text in game (cannot recall if it was in the tutorial or just a tip on the loading screen, or on a tooltip for the AC/UAC) that says something like "The more you shoot your auto cannons, the more recoil they get".

 

[Doctor Machete]

A bit late to the conversation, but there is some text in game (cannot recall if it was in the tutorial or just a tip on the loading screen, or on a tooltip for the AC/UAC) that says something like "The more you shoot your auto cannons, the more recoil they get".

It's easy to test. Take any UAC (including the UAC2) and fire for three consecutive turns looking for the modifiers applied to the weapon.

 

[MarkDey]

A bit late to the conversation, but there is some text in game (cannot recall if it was in the tutorial or just a tip on the loading screen, or on a tooltip for the AC/UAC) that says something like "The more you shoot your auto cannons, the more recoil they get".

I belive that is just fluff text, and does not represent a change to the game mechanics.

 

[LongRange]

The recoil debuff from autocannons does not stack. You have it, because you shot last round or you don‘t have it. UACs simply have a much higher recoil effect. And the bigger the UAC the more dramatic it gets. I think the UAC/20 has a +9 recoil modifier.

Thus the reason they are almost useless in the game. The weapon is very awesome with extreme damage at the impact location, but it is such a burden in tonnage and heat for the weapon + ammo, that using it only every other turn is frustrating. I'd rather go with the UAC10++ and add a TTS plus whatever you want to do with the extra tonnage.

 

[Aluminium Gerbil]

Thus the reason they are almost useless in the game. The weapon is very awesome with extreme damage at the impact location, but it is such a burden in tonnage and heat for the weapon + ammo, that using it only every other turn is frustrating. I'd rather go with the UAC10++ and add a TTS plus whatever you want to do with the extra tonnage.

UAC20 has +8 recoil. With the GUTs pilot -2 recoil buff and 2 ballistic TTS+++ the recoil is completely negated, expensive but very doable. Since the UAC20++ only weighs 12 tons you come out to the same weight as an AC20.

 

[Insahnity]

LBX are good for crits not so much because the +50% crit but because they have lots of hits, particularly the lightest ones. A 2xLBX2 have 24 hits, each one with its roll to crit (after hit the mech and after hit the exposed location). Then SNPPCs are quite good, because they have multiple hits and also are good weapons besides that (the +10 dmg variant), with good damage, decent-good range, no ammo dependency, and a small debuff. The bad side is that in principle (also matters how damage/weight efficient it is) the more hits a weapons has the worse it becomes for Precision Shots. The LBX2++ would be terrible for precision shots, but its damage/weight is such that it is okish for that, and very good for non-PS.

This is the most relevant comment for what the OP is looking for. MGs technically do great crit at 50% and are very light, but their range sucks. If you are angling to make a crit mech it would basically have LBXs to strip off armor at Medium distance (since MG shots wouldn't do anything fully armored). Once the armor is gone, each 3 damage the MG bullet does is negligible but each shot in the burst has a 50% crit chance. So as you get to MG range, one assume all the armor is sanded off by the LBX(s) while closing in, and then the MGs go to town fishing for crits (in addition to continuing to fire the LBXs, and presumably pounding away with +crit LRM Boats by lance mates far away).

Honestly this is just horribly slow and inefficient, better to just take them out. A mech with no left/right torsos does little damage (even a Spider which mounts all its pitiful weapons in its CT). If salvage is what you want then better go for headhots or legshots.

 

[TheMoe]

This is the most relevant comment for what the OP is looking for. MGs technically do great crit at 50% and are very light, but their range sucks. If you are angling to make a crit mech it would basically have LBXs to strip off armor at Medium distance (since MG shots wouldn't do anything fully armored). Once the armor is gone, each 3 damage the MG bullet does is negligible but each shot in the burst has a 50% crit chance. So as you get to MG range, one assume all the armor is sanded off by the LBX(s) while closing in, and then the MGs go to town fishing for crits (in addition to continuing to fire the LBXs, and presumably pounding away with +crit LRM Boats by lance mates far away).

Honestly this is just horribly slow and inefficient, better to just take them out. A mech with no left/right torsos does little damage (even a Spider which mounts all its pitiful weapons in its CT). If salvage is what you want then better go for headhots or legshots.

Thank you for the explanation. I'm still looking into different aspects of play, and this type of info is very helpful.