Author Topic: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?  (Read 4653 times)

MarauderD

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3926
How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« on: 07 September 2017, 11:45:14 »
So I played a game recently where I was trying out the basics of Semi-Guided Lrms. Both sides were using them, and both sides had TAG equipped spotters. There was a good bit of cover on the map, so the missile boats had protection from terrain and time to rain fire.

The thing was, even when the TAG hit, my Regular level pilots were missing a lot of their LuRMing. It made the match long, and slow. What am I doing wrong? What set of circumstances need to exist for Semi-Guided LRMs a fun and effective weapon? Do you need specific terrain, Veteran or better pilots? Anything else? Illuminate me. What works for you, and did you have fun doing it?

Cheers,

Mad

snewsom2997

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2187
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #1 on: 07 September 2017, 14:34:55 »
Veteran/Elite Pilots never Hurt. Maybe try C3 or C3i equipped Mechs.

Kit deSummersville

  • Precentor of Lies
  • Freelance Writer
  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 10397
  • The epicness continues!
    • Insights and Complaints on Twitter
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #2 on: 07 September 2017, 15:40:39 »
C3 won't help you with indirect fire.

What sort of ranges were you at? It really helps to get to medium range where your LRM boats should be needing 6s or 7s. Even at long range 8s and 9s should be decent if you mass fire. What sort of target numbers were you getting?
Looking for an official answer? Check the Catalyst Interaction Forums.

Freelancer for hire, not an official CGL or IMR representative.

Everyone else's job is easy, so tell them how to do it, everyone loves that!

Millard Fillmore's favorite BattleTech writer.

MarauderD

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3926
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #3 on: 07 September 2017, 16:22:11 »
8s and 9s are my target numbers, and I'm whiffing a lot! My spotter was a Wasp 3S jumping like mad to keep from getting hit. Sucks to keep tagging but just have 1 of 4 LRM 15s hit every round!

Weirdo

  • Painter of Borth the Magic Puma
  • Catalyst Demo Team
  • Major General
  • *
  • Posts: 40753
  • We can do it. We have to.
    • Christina Dickinson Writes
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #4 on: 07 September 2017, 16:33:26 »
The Wasp's jumping isn't a modifier if you're using TAG and S-G rounds.

Can you list the full math you used for a sample shot? I'm starting to suspect you might have been throwing some penalties in that you didn't have to...
My wife writes books
"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
"We are the tribal elders. Weirdo is the mushroom specialist." - Worktroll

MarauderD

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3926
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #5 on: 07 September 2017, 16:52:26 »
Not me, megamek with full tacops rules. Mentioning the Wasp because it was stressful keeping dude moving far enough not to get hit, but his jumping does effect whether the tag laser hits. The Wasp was within 5 hexes of about 200 tons of enemy mechs, so I was worried he would eat it and I'd have no spotter.

I always trust megamek to have the right targeting numbers.

Weirdo

  • Painter of Borth the Magic Puma
  • Catalyst Demo Team
  • Major General
  • *
  • Posts: 40753
  • We can do it. We have to.
    • Christina Dickinson Writes
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #6 on: 07 September 2017, 18:13:24 »
S-Gs don't eliminate range modifiers, so if your guys are firing from long range, 8s and 9s are the best you're going to get with Gunnery 4 pilots. As Kit suggested, try closing to medium range. Barring the curse of the RNG gods, that should see your hit ratios go up significantly.
My wife writes books
"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
"We are the tribal elders. Weirdo is the mushroom specialist." - Worktroll

MarauderD

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3926
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #7 on: 07 September 2017, 18:24:09 »
I'll try it tonight when we finish our game. Barring the Liao Marauder eating my Wasp for dinner. 😳

Iceweb

  • Warrant Officer
  • *
  • Posts: 769
  • Lyran Engineer
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #8 on: 07 September 2017, 21:18:50 »
C3 won't help you with indirect fire.
 

While it won't help with indirect it is great against a headhunting mech that goes after the master. 
Since the master can tag you can have two LRM boats dump Semi-G at that target at short range with no movement mods, assuming everything is in your favor. 

Honestly I don't mind direct firing LRM mechs especially if I have C3 to reduce the effective range. 

I even made a custom with the extended LRMs and a C3 slave so that I can be at short range from over 30 hexes away :)

Colt Ward

  • Lieutenant General
  • *
  • Posts: 28957
  • Gott Mit Uns
    • Merc Periphery Guide- Bakunin
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #9 on: 08 September 2017, 17:06:44 »
Couple of things . . . first, mechs are generally not the best TAG units out there.  My favorite is a VTOL, the Sprint Interdictor, which means it can cruise for 13 which keeps your TAG THN low, especially since they can move to ignore some intervening terrain.  Second, you position your LRM equipped units at the mid range bubble (14 hexes or lower) out of LOS and stop moving.  Third, you mass those fires to knock someone down but IMO always keep a guard for those non-moving LRM boats.  Finally Semi-G LRMs shine in the same environment other indirect and long range firing shines . . . battlefields that slow and break up enemy movement.  If its a flat open field your LRM units are going to have less time to pound on a target.

Here is a post-battle of when I used it- http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=55781.msg1287897#msg1287897
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

"We come in peace, please ignore the bloodstains."

"Greetings, Mechwarrior. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Daoshen and the Capellan armada."

Firesprocket

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2945
  • Broke the Bandwagon
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #10 on: 08 September 2017, 21:37:33 »
Colt hit the nail on the head.  In order to use SG LRMs well you have to make certain you can hit effectively.  That means getting a significant amount of TAG chanced on your target(s) to successfully spot and fire for effect.  Cheap and even disposable assets are acceptable for this.  Cheap BV means easier to raise up their gunnery skill.

Disposable in this context doesn't mean throw away.  If it get hits it dies is perfectly acceptable, but if you make it a pain in the butt to kill with something short of a dedicated artillery piece then you have tied up your opponent in more ways than one.  There are more than a few battle armor that if you can get them in the right place can exert heavy influence on the game and be near impossible to hit because of their stealth armor.

Col Toda

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2943
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #11 on: 09 September 2017, 22:37:42 »
So far everyone is correct . I first used Pegasus Scouts , Kage battle armor , and jump infantry with TAG or Light TAG . Odds are that you fire 3 TAG units at one target it gets hit once . Depending on ERA my load out for Ammo is half Semi-guided and the other half Standard or ARRAD Ammo for LRMs . Half Semi-guided and half air burst for mech mortars . Half to 2/3 homing and the rest other types of ammo for Arrow IV . Half Copperhead and half other for Long Tom . If you are using TAG double down with Artillery .


Sartris

  • Codex Conditor
  • BattleTech Volunteer
  • Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 19825
  • Kid in the puddle eating mud of CGL contributors
    • Master Unit List
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #12 on: 10 September 2017, 10:13:02 »
BA/Infantry TAG can make entire bubbles of the map completely no-go. The Achileus with BA stealth is both really entertaining and faction-appropriate for FWL shenanigans. There's also a Purifier TAG squad when I'm feeling particularly uncharitable...

You bought the box set and are ready to expand your bt experience. Now what? | Modern Sourcebook Index | FASA Sourcebook Index | Print on Demand Index
Equipment Reference Cards | DIY Pilot Cards | PaperTech Mech and Vehicle Counters

Quote
Interviewer: Since you’ve stopped making art, how do you spend your time?
Paul Chan Breathers: Oh, I’m a breather. I’m a respirateur. Isn’t that enough?

Hellraiser

  • Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 13011
  • Cry Havoc and Unleash the Gods of Fiat.
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #13 on: 17 September 2017, 15:53:11 »
As mentioned, you need more than 1 TAG.
Plan on having a minimum of 2 TAG units on your side, and add more depending on the size of the total force.
For a full company I'd have at least 4 TAGs.

All you need is for just one of them to hit, then make that unit "Fight in the Shade" as you hit "Macross-Death Blossom" & lob out a veritable swarm of shots at the enemy.

Rinse & Repeat as you plaster a single enemy every turn.

Imagine a vehicle company of 4x LRM Carriers,  4x Sprint Vtols,  4x  Short/Medium Ranged Unit.
The Sprints are out lasing things & the LRMs rain down 240 Damage a turn.
Anything attempting to close with them gets intercepted by the Short/Medium ranged group & slowed down just long enough for a Sprint to spot it from behind & have more LRMs arcing in from over the mountain.
3041: General Lance Hawkins: The Equalizers
3053: Star Colonel Rexor Kerensky: The Silver Wolves

"I don't shoot Urbanmechs, I walk up, stomp on their foot, wait for the head to pop open & drop in a hand grenade (or Elemental)" - Joel47
Against mechs, infantry have two options: Run screaming from Godzilla, or giggle under your breath as the arrogant fools blunder into your trap. - Weirdo

Col Toda

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2943
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #14 on: 17 September 2017, 16:03:11 »
Having a couple of Arrow IV Launchers on the battlefield maximizes results . Homing does 20 points in 1 location and the semi guided munitions clusters exploit that hole . Remember missile launchers work best with a target whose armor is already compromised by a big ballistic or direct energy hit .

Firesprocket

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2945
  • Broke the Bandwagon
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #15 on: 17 September 2017, 17:01:49 »
Having a couple of Arrow IV Launchers on the battlefield maximizes results .

While it fits neatly with what he is trying to do, that isn't what he is asking about.  If he can't hit the target, the solution of taking another weapon, even if it fits in nicely with what he is otherwise trying to do, does not solve the problems the OP is posting with.  The solution to his issue is he either improves it though volume or getting closer to the target.  That is essentially a given when he stated:

8s and 9s are my target numbers, and I'm whiffing a lot! My spotter was a Wasp 3S jumping like mad to keep from getting hit. Sucks to keep tagging but just have 1 of 4 LRM 15s hit every round!

Weirdo (and earlier Kit) answered his question here:

S-Gs don't eliminate range modifiers, so if your guys are firing from long range, 8s and 9s are the best you're going to get with Gunnery 4 pilots. As Kit suggested, try closing to medium range. Barring the curse of the RNG gods, that should see your hit ratios go up significantly.

Hellraiser cited a good example of what a decent company should look like with both a volume of launchers, spotters, and support.  Whether the OP finds this solution helpful or not is entirely based on his comfort level with vehicles and/or infantry.  SGs certainly aren't a complicated weapon system, but playing with them and getting maximum effect out of them does take some work and doesn't require arty to do it.

Kovax

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2421
  • Taking over the Universe one mapsheet at a time
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #16 on: 20 September 2017, 10:29:12 »
Q: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?

A: Install LEDs.

MarauderD

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3926
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #17 on: 20 September 2017, 13:52:58 »
Love the LED response, lol.

grimlock1

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2087
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #18 on: 12 October 2017, 17:48:57 »
While it won't help with indirect it is great against a headhunting mech that goes after the master. 
Since the master can tag you can have two LRM boats dump Semi-G at that target at short range with no movement mods, assuming everything is in your favor. 

Honestly I don't mind direct firing LRM mechs especially if I have C3 to reduce the effective range. 

Do the range buffs from C3 stack with the no TMM from TAG+Semi-Guided?
I'm rarely right... Except when I am.  ---  Idle question.  What is the BV2 of dread?
Apollo's Law- if it needs Clan tech to make it useable, It doesn't deserve those resources in the first place.
Sure it isn't the most practical 'mech ever designed, but it's a hundred ton axe-murderer. If loving that is wrong I don't wanna be right.

Weirdo

  • Painter of Borth the Magic Puma
  • Catalyst Demo Team
  • Major General
  • *
  • Posts: 40753
  • We can do it. We have to.
    • Christina Dickinson Writes
Re: How do you make Semi Guided LRMs shine?
« Reply #19 on: 12 October 2017, 18:42:36 »
If it's a direct-fire shot, yes.
My wife writes books
"Thanks to Megamek, I can finally play BattleTech the way it was meant to be played--pantsless!"   -Neko Bijin
"...finally, giant space panties don't seem so strange." - Whistler
"Damn you, Weirdo... Damn you for being right!" - Paul
"...I was this many years old when I found out that licking a touchscreen in excitement is a bad idea." - JadeHellbringer
"We are the tribal elders. Weirdo is the mushroom specialist." - Worktroll