@easytarget
You can choose to gain more reputation rather that money or salvage.
True enough, I was interested in hearing from others who have run 5 skull missions what reputation they were at? Because you would think a full reputation bar w/ say the Federated Stars and being in an alliance with them would be indicative of someone who trusts you enough to take on such missions.
Seppey
3048
I have finished the main story keep playing it occasionally. I allied with the Taurans and liked by the Capellans. I am able to do missions for both, but not able to use Capellens store when i am at their planets. I havent tried Fed Suns or Free Worlds League.
Sharpe
3049
One thing to note: if you hang around Coromidir after the campaign you can easily get 5 skull missions from the Restoration. Or at least, that’s how it was for me.
RichVR
3050
Finally! Had a mission with both an Awesome and a Victor. Dekker in his Awesome with 5 LL +++ headshot both of them. So now I have a fourth assault mech. Which do I give to Glitch? Ended up in the Victor. I could put almost the same loadout into it. 2 LRM15 +++ an AC5 +++ instead of the AC10 +++ due to armor needs. Ended up with more armor and one more LRM ammo.
I may just experiment with a second 5LL Awesome as well. It’s a serious assassin.
Sounds like a good haul. I’ve yet to run across a Victor. That’s part of the reason I’m still messing about with this one post campaign is both to play harder missions (just because) and to look for more mechs I’ve not gotten my hands on yet!
I really should try a 4 or 5 Large Laser assault mech out. Since the last patch drastically dropped the Large Laser heat without reducing damage or increasing weight, it’s gone from worst to first in terms of long range weapons. A Large Laser +++ (+10dmg, +3 ACC), which is pretty common in the late game, is a beast of a weapon for the tonnage/heat. Good range and reliable accuracy out to the limits of the range. Stacking them up on an assault mech for a long range fire support unit makes a lot of sense.
RichVR
3053
Yep. And a single LL does enough damage to destroy the head of any mech. So a 5 LL alpha is 5 chances to headshot.
LL now the best laser weapon in BT?
RichVR
3055
Well, LL+++. I don’t know about base LL.
I set up a 1 PPC ++, 4 LL ++ Awesome to check it out. We’ll see.
Ran into two Victors on my very next mission. Looks ok, but not something I’d trade a Highlander, King Crab or Atlas for. What I want is the finale piece for an Awesome.
edit: just got awesome completed on last mission, go to load it out, discovered it has zero missile hardpoints, sigh
RichVR
3057
Well now you have a chance to rock a 5 LL awesome with 1240 armor after heat sinks and jump jets. Go Assassin mech!
RichVR
3058
There is a special pleasure in headshotting a knocked down Highlander for full salvage. Now running 2 Highlanders, mission and salvaged, an Awesome and a Battlemaster. I <3 Assaults.
Having full assaults is a pleasure, but it is a different game. It’s now just about putting everyone at optimum range.
I just got one, but it meant replacing my Highlander Missile Boat. Slightly more tonnage, but fewer LRMs.
I love Highlanders. And i recently picked up an Awesome that has missile hard points! Plus I’ve got two king crabs, just using one as the missile boat. Wish I could find some double heat sinks somewhere.
The last mission I just completed was 4.5 skulls and it was probably one of the hardest I’ve run across. There were 8 assaults and 4 heavies. No matter how I approached it I couldn’t get enough of the initial lance dead before the other two showed up and it turned into a nightmare where they’d take at least half a dozen turns shooting the same mech (because of course one of them invariably gets singled out). I had to run it a couple times to get through it w/o losing Lostech, they love trying to shoot that off of you.
I’m ok with 12 on 4 odds but I usually try to maneuver to avoid having them all come at me at once, but this map didn’t really allow for that (in fact that’s one of my minor issues with the game, the maps are so small that maneuvering is often not much of an option) or I’d like to see them start with some armor missing (these guys were ALL armor’d up).
RichVR
3063
Really? Never heard of it. And now I must have one. What’s the designation?
The name is Awesome AWS-8T Assault.
This thing really would be awesome if I could just find some double heat sinks…haha
As it is though with missiles it’s still pretty cool, I put four ML+++ on it, one PPC+++, jump jets, and two SRM6+++, the rest was taken up with 1,400 armor and regular heat sinks. With some double heat sinks I could max the armor and fill the other laser point I left open.
Really though at this point it’s just messing about to see what you can find and to see how hard 4.5’s are, which if they’re all like that last one is pretty hard and makes me wonder what I’d have to field to handle a 5, guess I’ll take one on soon enough and see for myself.
It’s seems every 4 to 5 star mission just happens to be between 4 and 8 assault mechs / tanks. It’s got me a lot of mechs, but not a lot of cool stuff. I am looking for more LRM 15+++, and AC 5/10 +++
The last mission was 3 King Crabs and a tank, but they came in piece meal, so, I just brought them down one at a time.
So, after touring Taurian space, I am heading back to finish the campaign.
