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Post by Danny Linguini on Jan 27, 2024 17:16:21 GMT -5
Saw an offer, figured why not. Still sticking with just two slots, so I replaced the Tengu with it for awhile. Ranked it up to R4 and running Pulse Cannon 8’s for now, since I have them, they’re leveled up a bit, and I have a legendary assault weapon pilot, though next to nothing for implants for either weapon or mech. So far the best I’ve been able to do with it is 3 kills and a beacon in each of a handful of games. I need to get out of the habit of grabbing beacons with it, because it’s not very good at it. Haven’t decided what I want to do for weapons for the long run - whatever I do, if it’s anything but assault weps, I’m basically starting from scratch. Still getting the hang of the mech and its ability, too … it’s a very different play from both the Lancer and Tengu. A much better collection of implants for both mech and weapons will certainly help things a lot.
Any suggestions on loadouts and/or strategies for this mech?
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Post by S1E1 on Jan 27, 2024 20:46:06 GMT -5
Stalker is my favorite mech but it is pretty much about a few loadouts - Disc Launchers, Rocket Mortars and Helix Racks/Javs (although I haven't played the HR/JRs on it myself). Some people seem to do well with ArcTorrents but I never was better than middling with them and I wouldn't make them a permanent choice. Ditto Missile Racks but you put them into the mix sometimes just for fun. Sustained fire weapons are a no, and sniper weapons aren't really that good either. Disruptors might be good on small maps, but I'm not sure.
I would 110% go for Disc Launchers and then have mortars and missiles as options for when you're looking to rain down fire from a distance. Stalkers are an anti-personnel mech, do it's best to keep to cover and just take down enemies. DL Stalkers are also super useful against problematic human players. When you really need to take down one of their mechs, use a Stalker DL. They won't be prepared for how quickly you annihilate them with just a few shots.
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Post by Danny Linguini on Jan 28, 2024 13:33:06 GMT -5
Stalker is my favorite mech but it is pretty much about a few loadouts - Disc Launchers, Rocket Mortars and Helix Racks/Javs (although I haven't played the HR/JRs on it myself). Some people seem to do well with ArcTorrents but I never was better than middling with them and I wouldn't make them a permanent choice. Ditto Missile Racks but you put them into the mix sometimes just for fun. Sustained fire weapons are a no, and sniper weapons aren't really that good either. Disruptors might be good on small maps, but I'm not sure. I would 110% go for Disc Launchers and then have mortars and missiles as options for when you're looking to rain down fire from a distance. Stalkers are an anti-personnel mech, do it's best to keep to cover and just take down enemies. DL Stalkers are also super useful against problematic human players. When you really need to take down one of their mechs, use a Stalker DL. They won't be prepared for how quickly you annihilate them with just a few shots. Maybe I’ll swap out the Lancer for the Stalker instead of the Tengu - Lancer is already outfitted with well-leveled HR’s and a maxed guided pilot, and I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself with another guided weapon build. Let’s see how that flies. UPDATE: Don’t like HR’s on the Stalker - cut my kills down almost in half, probably because I can only get to a fraction of the good positions that the Lancer can, even though Lancer has less energy. So … I took the plunge and headed down the DL path. 8’s are only 310k credits, and I have another lower-level but well ranked guided pilot just to get things started. The Stalker is still a little squishy at just R4 (it’s ready to go to R5, but I’m out if a-coins!), and without any implants the DL range is kinda crap, but that can be fixed with time. Another new weapon to learn how to use.  |
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Post by S1E1 on Jan 28, 2024 16:20:52 GMT -5
Maybe I’ll swap out the Lancer for the Stalker instead of the Tengu - Lancer is already outfitted with well-leveled HR’s and a maxed guided pilot, and I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself with another guided weapon build. Let’s see how that flies. UPDATE: Don’t like HR’s on the Stalker - cut my kills down almost in half, probably because I can only get to a fraction of the good positions that the Lancer can, even though Lancer has less energy. So … I took the plunge and headed down the DL path. 8’s are only 310k credits, and I have another lower-level but well ranked guided pilot just to get things started. The Stalker is still a little squishy at just R4 (it’s ready to go to R5, but I’m out if a-coins!), and without any implants the DL range is kinda crap, but that can be fixed with time. Another new weapon to learn how to use. DLs are totally worth it. They don't quite hit as hard but they are still a great equalizer and the closest thing the game has to a universal weapon. You can put them on practically any bot and they'll be one its best loadouts. Just remember that target-lock is your enemy unless the target is out in the open. Otherwise break lock and aim behind, beside, above or below and get the damage amplification. Takes getting used to, and it's easy to get out of the habit but keep it up and you'll learn where to aim for all the maps. Thinking about it, for just a 2 mech hangar, I'm not sure Stalker will be the best overall. CPC can depend on the map and when you deploy, and you have less options there. You're going to want to use it when you have cover and strong weapon bounce options. So like Mesa Verde or that 3-beacon construction site map, it will be a good choice to go first and whittle down enemy bots. But open maps are going to be tricky. However, it will be an awesome mech for 2v2 and 5v5. FFA too if deployed right, but that is closed off for you. Still, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Good luck and happy hunting! |
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Post by Danny Linguini on Jan 28, 2024 16:36:03 GMT -5
Maybe I’ll swap out the Lancer for the Stalker instead of the Tengu - Lancer is already outfitted with well-leveled HR’s and a maxed guided pilot, and I don’t want to pigeon-hole myself with another guided weapon build. Let’s see how that flies. UPDATE: Don’t like HR’s on the Stalker - cut my kills down almost in half, probably because I can only get to a fraction of the good positions that the Lancer can, even though Lancer has less energy. So … I took the plunge and headed down the DL path. 8’s are only 310k credits, and I have another lower-level but well ranked guided pilot just to get things started. The Stalker is still a little squishy at just R4 (it’s ready to go to R5, but I’m out if a-coins!), and without any implants the DL range is kinda crap, but that can be fixed with time. Another new weapon to learn how to use. DLs are totally worth it. They don't quite hit as hard but they are still a great equalizer and the closest thing the game has to a universal weapon. You can put them on practically any bot and they'll be one its best loadouts. Just remember that target-lock is your enemy unless the target is out in the open. Otherwise break lock and aim behind, beside, above or below and get the damage amplification. Takes getting used to, and it's easy to get out of the habit but keep it up and you'll learn where to aim for all the maps. Thinking about it, for just a 2 mech hangar, I'm not sure Stalker will be the best overall. CPC can depend on the map and when you deploy, and you have less options there. You're going to want to use it when you have cover and strong weapon bounce options. So like Mesa Verde or that 3-beacon construction site map, it will be a good choice to go first and whittle down enemy bots. But open maps are going to be tricky. However, it will be an awesome mech for 2v2 and 5v5. FFA too if deployed right, but that is closed off for you. Still, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Good luck and happy hunting! I got the Stalker just to switch off for something different. I really like the Tengu/EG build, but I need something else to freshen things up once in awhile. Can’t lose the Lancer, though! As for aiming away from my target, yeah, that definitely goes against my grain and is going to take a lot of time to figure out. Like, how do you aim behind a target? |
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Post by S1E1 on Jan 28, 2024 18:17:43 GMT -5
I got the Stalker just to switch off for something different. I really like the Tengu/EG build, but I need something else to freshen things up once in awhile. Can’t lose the Lancer, though! As for aiming away from my target, yeah, that definitely goes against my grain and is going to take a lot of time to figure out. Like, how do you aim behind a target? You wait til it's in front of a wall and then aim for that. You can do the floor or ceiling behind if the target is close enough or there is a difference in elevation between you. At distance it gets tougher to hit the floor though. If they are hunkered down behind cover then you just have to slowly take practice shots til you hit the right distance. But if they're moving it is best to wait til you get target lock. A lot of it is about waiting for the shot, but with DLs you rarely have wait more a few seconds. That can be part of the trick to them - they're good enough you can want to just charge in a little too much, but with Stalker especially you have to be careful. Also aytime someone lights you up with discs unexpectedly, take note and figure out the shot. That'll be a big help, though you might not have the splash radius yet to do the same until you get/max the implants (totally worth it). There are definitely bank shots I never noticed til someone wrecked me with them. |
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Post by Koalabear on Jan 28, 2024 20:35:33 GMT -5
The Stalker is a very hard mech to like because there are so many other mechs out there that are easier to use. I really should try DLs on mine, but for me it's HR and RM. DLs do require some exposure and with the Stalker's ability in the one shot kill meta, it's really hard for me. I suppose the Stalker centric implants help a lot to mitigate it's ability's disability but I don't have those.
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Post by Danny Linguini on Jan 29, 2024 12:26:15 GMT -5
I did a bad thing. I shot the moon. I needed another good guided weapons pilot, and I figured I’d eventually spend that much ranking her up anyway, so here we are. I guess this means I’m invested in the Stalker now.  |
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Post by Koalabear on Jan 29, 2024 13:42:48 GMT -5
No not necessarily...remember guided weapons can be good on any mech!
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Post by S1E1 on Jan 29, 2024 15:10:54 GMT -5
Whoa! Yeah, Vox will come in handy regardless. I'm jelly. All the guided weapons have 3 implants you definitely need to equip, so 4-slot pilots are a big help. Also, this is a new Smurf account right? Do you have the guided Neymar or are Vox and Stephania the only 4-slot options?
BTW, I did get and use the gold Stalker Predator Drive Damage implant. It is the only mech-specific implant I use and I love it. But I have multiple DL pilots. It is a bit of a hard call on whether to equip it if you only have one. For some mechs like Killshot, Surge, etc it doesn't make that much of a difference that you don't have Ability Cooldown equipped instead. But for tanks like Bastion (which is a beast with DLs) it is a big issue because their abilities take forever to recharge.
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Post by Danny Linguini on Jan 29, 2024 17:52:00 GMT -5
Whoa! Yeah, Vox will come in handy regardless. I'm jelly. All the guided weapons have 3 implants you definitely need to equip, so 4-slot pilots are a big help. Also, this is a new Smurf account right? Do you have the guided Neymar or are Vox and Stephania the only 4-slot options? BTW, I did get and use the gold Stalker Predator Drive Damage implant. It is the only mech-specific implant I use and I love it. But I have multiple DL pilots. It is a bit of a hard call on whether to equip it if you only have one. For some mechs like Killshot, Surge, etc it doesn't make that much of a difference that you don't have Ability Cooldown equipped instead. But for tanks like Bastion (which is a beast with DLs) it is a big issue because their abilities take forever to recharge. Vox and Stephania are my only 4-slot guided pilots. I also have Myna for CQ (maxed organically) and Major for assault. Yeah, this is my ‘Smurf’ account, though I don’t know if I can still call it that, other than just running 2 mech slots.  I’m definitely keeping an eye out for good implants; on one hand I can’t wait to get them, but on the other I’m out of a-coins, and I’ve already dumped way too much money into this sham this week, so I’m also half hoping I don’t see any for awhile! |
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Post by S1E1 on Jan 29, 2024 18:57:45 GMT -5
I’m definitely keeping an eye out for good implants;on one hand I can’t wait to get them, but on the other I’m out of a-coins, and I’ve already dumped way too much money into this sham this week, so I’m also half hoping I don’t see any for awhile! I know that feeling, lol. 😂 |
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Post by Danny Linguini on Feb 1, 2024 11:56:50 GMT -5
Yeah … so guess what showed up in the pilot shop today. Yup, a gold Stalker Predator Drive Damage implant. I bought the a-coins I needed in the paylarium store, cos they’re a bit less of a ripoff than the in-game shop. I’ll settle for some blue DL range and damage implants for now, thank you very much (already got the splash radius).
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Post by nocluevok on Feb 1, 2024 15:55:27 GMT -5
Stalker was the first bot that I finished all the individual tasks. Fun times.
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