MECHASSAULT WEAPONS
Created by Shadow Panther
Weapons in MechAssault vary in many ways. Each weapon has its own
distinct advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully
considered when choosing your Mech. The capabilities of your
weapons will often dictate the role your Mech plays in combat.
Some weapons are better close-up while others excel at sniping from
afar. Some weapons can be used while cooling down your Mech,
while others can overheat your Mech within seconds. Knowing how
and when to use your weapons will determine whether you are a truly
great player or just an average one.
WEAPON CHARACTERISTICS
Damage: The amount of damage a weapon can potentially
inflict. Some weapons deal damage in large bursts, while others
deal smaller amounts of damage over time.
Rate of Fire: How quickly the weapon can fire.
Heat: The amount of heat generated by the weapon. Every
weapon generates heat when being fired, and some create additional heat
while being charged up.
Range: Maximum effective range of the weapon, which may be less than the maximum possible range.
Accuracy: How accurate the weapon is out to its maximum
range. Homing weapons have higher accuracy, spread weapons have
lower accuracy.
Homing: While all weapons have tracking systems that fire where
the target is expected to be, some weapons have additional homing
ability which guides the projectiles through the air. This allows
the projectiles to follow the target Mech, even after it makes several
course changes.
Splash: Some weapons have the ability to cause damage in an area
surrounding the point of impact. Splash damage and radius varies
between weapons.
Knockdown: Some weapons have the ability to knock down a
Mech. Knockdown does not apply to Level 1 versions of these
weapons nor does it appear to affect Assault Class Mechs.
WEAPONS
Energy
Pulse Laser: Low to medium damage, high rate of fire, low to medium heat, medium to long range, low to medium accuracy
Pulse Lasers are quick firing lasers that deal little damage
individually, and deal low to medium amounts of damage over time.
Because Pulse Lasers deal damage in small amounts, instead of in large,
single bursts, they can be quite effective against Mechs using Null
Signature, Shields or Target Jamming. With a fast rate of fire
and low to medium amounts of heat, you can hold down the trigger to
provide a continuous assault for a decent period of time.
However, heat will eventually be a problem if you continue firing for
too long. Pulse Lasers are less powerful than Machine Guns at
close range, but are more effective out to medium distances. Although
Pulse Lasers have a long maximum range, their "effective range" is
lessened due to a "spread effect."
Use Pulse Lasers when…
…attacking Mechs using Null Signature, because Pulse Lasers can quickly reveal a hidden Mech's location.
…attacking Mechs that have Target Jamming or Shields.
…piloting a Catapult or Elemental while your opponent is using Chaff to block your only other weapon.
Avoid using Pulse Lasers when…
…attacking small, fast Mechs.
…piloting a Belial, Elemental or Kit Fox, because you have much better weapons in your arsenal.
Laser: Medium damage, medium rate of fire, low to medium heat, long range, medium accuracy
These standard Lasers are slow firing weapons that deal a moderate
amount of damage. Lasers are accurate to a very long distance, but
without homing capability, small moving targets can be difficult to hit
from afar. Due to the amount of heat they create, while having no
special abilities, Lasers are rather unimpressive in combat. If the
Laser is the most powerful weapon on your Mech, then you may have to
rely on it. If you have better weapons, and most Mechs do, then avoid
using Lasers whenever possible.
Use Lasers when…
…piloting an Uller, because you really don't have much choice.
…piloting a Bowman or Thor and your target is too far away to hit with your better close range weapons.
Avoid using Lasers when…
…attacking small Mechs at long ranges.
…attacking Mechs using Null Signature or Target Jamming, because you will hardly ever hit.
…piloting a Prometheus or Vulture, because you have much better weapons in your arsenal.
PPC: Medium to high damage, low rate of fire, high heat, long range, high accuracy, excellent homing ability, charged shot
The PPC is one of the most despised (or loved) weapons in the game.
Combining a healthy amount of damage with an insane homing ability at
all ranges, this weapon appears to be grossly unbalanced when compared
to other weapons. Although this is a very powerful weapon, it does have
its drawbacks, which are:
1. The high amount of heat generated when shooting the weapon
2. The additional heat generated when charging the weapon and/or holding the charge
3. The relatively slow projectile speed, especially at higher levels,
which allows a Mech to *sometimes* dodge or block the attack
4. The slow rate of fire
5. The forced recharge mechanism
6. The inability to lock onto targets during periods of Target Jamming
7. The lack of special abilities like Knockdown or Splash Damage
8. The headlight "glow" they give off when being charged, which makes
PPC Mechs easy to find outside of radar range and greatly reduces the
effectiveness of Null Signature for the Puma.
One would think that a weapon with this many drawbacks would be
balanced, but unfortunately this just isn't the case. Without a doubt,
it is the best of the Energy weapons, and is just as good if not better
than most Ballistics and Missile Weapons. If you want an extremely
effective long range weapon, then look no further. If you prefer
battling close up, the PPC is still a great weapon, but may not
necessarily be "the best."
Use PPCs when…
…attacking small, fast Mechs that are hard to hit with non-homing weapons.
…attacking partially visible Mechs that are using Null Signature.
…piloting an Uziel, because your other weapons are much weaker in comparison.
Avoid using PPCs when…
…attacking Mechs that are using Target Jamming.
…attacking Mechs at a distance who are using a Shield or other obstacles to block your shots.
…piloting a Puma while trying to be invisible.
Flamer: Medium damage, low to medium rate of fire, medium to
high heat, short range, medium to high accuracy, homing ability,
blinding smoke ability
The Flamer is, for the most part, a disappointing weapon. It
deals about the same amount of damage as the Guass X1 or the Autocannon
X2, yet it does not have any Knockdown ability and generates more
heat. Although this weapon has homing ability, it is severely
hampered by its short range. One unique ability of the Flamer is
the "blinding smoke effect" caused when it hits its target. This
effect can partially blind a player while reducing the effectiveness of
Null Signature, but does not last for very long.
Use the Flamer when…
…attacking partially visible Mechs that are using Null Signature.
…fighting in a close-combat situation, and it is your only powered up weapon.
Avoid using the Flamer when…
…attacking Mechs at medium to long distances.
…your other weapons are powered up.
Ballistic
Machine Gun: Low to high damage, high rate of fire, low heat, short range, low accuracy
Machine Guns are similar to Pulse Lasers in that they can provide a
steady stream of damage but with even less heat generated. These
characteristics make the Machine Gun quite useful against Mechs using
Null Signature, Shields or Target Jamming. While Machine Guns can do
more damage than Pulse Lasers, their shorter range probably makes them
less effective overall. Their usefulness as a "cooldown" weapon is
where the Machine Guns' true power shines.
Use Machine Guns when…
…attacking Mechs that are using Null Signature, Target Jamming or Shields.
…piloting a Thor and attacking any Mech at close range.
…piloting an Owens while your opponent is using Chaff to block your only other weapon.
…your other weapons have caused you to overheat.
Avoid using Machine Guns when…
…attacking Mechs at medium to long distances.
…piloting the Uziel or Vulture, because you have much better weapons in your arsenal.
Autocannon: Low to high damage, low to medium rate of fire, low
to high heat, medium to long range, low to medium accuracy, knockdown
ability
The Autocannon would probably be considered an average weapon. It's
better than the standard Laser, but not as good as the Gauss Rifle.
Although it has a long maximum range, the Autocannon lacks any homing
ability and suffers from a spread effect which reduces accuracy and
damage at long distances. At higher levels, the Autocannon has a
noticeable chance of Knockdown, but with this ability comes a
significant amount of heat. If the Autocannon generated less heat, or
dealt more damage, it might be considered nearly equal to the Gauss
Rifle. As it stands, it is still a very decent weapon to have at short
to medium ranges.
Use Autocannons when…
…attacking light and medium weight Mechs, because of the decent chance of Knockdown at Levels 2 and 3.
Avoid using Autocannons when…
…attacking small, fast Mechs at long ranges.
…attacking Mechs using Null Signature or Target Jamming, because you will hardly ever hit.
…piloting a Cougar or Mad Dog, because you have much better weapons in your arsenal.
Gauss Rifle: Low to high damage, low to medium rate of fire,
medium to high heat, long range, medium accuracy, homing ability,
knockdown ability
The Gauss Rifle is a very effective weapon at all ranges. It dishes out
a significant amount of damage with a small chance of knockdown ability
at higher levels. This weapon is quite accurate due to its
lightning-fast projectile speed and homing ability. The Gauss Rifle
generates a moderate amount of heat, but runs relatively cool when
compared to most other weapons used by heavier Mechs. Although not
nearly as cool as the Machine Gun or Pulse Rifle, it can still be used
as an excellent cooldown weapon. The Gauss Rifle is definitely an ideal
weapon to have in just about any situation.
Use Gauss Rifles when…
…piloting a Belial, because your other weapons are much weaker in comparison.
…piloting a Hackman while your opponent is using Chaff to block your only other weapon.
…your other weapons have caused you to overheat.
Avoid using Gauss Rifles when…
…attacking Mechs using Null Signature or Target Jamming, because you will hardly ever hit.
Missiles
Crossbow: Low to medium damage, medium rate of fire, low to high
heat, medium range, medium to high accuracy, homing ability, minimal
splash damage
Crossbow Missiles are rather ordinary weapons. Although they have
homing ability similar to Javelin Missiles, their usefulness is
hampered by a shorter range and lackluster damage. Crossbow Missiles
also run cooler than Javelin Missiles, but just don't pack enough punch
for that trade-off to be worthwhile. Crossbow Missiles deal a minor
amount of splash damage in a very small radius, but it is hardly ever
noticeable. Crossbow Missiles are one of the least effective
homing weapons available.
Use Crossbow Missiles when…
…attacking small, fast Mechs that are hard to hit with non-homing weapons.
…attacking partially visible Mechs that are using Null Signature.
…piloting a Mad Dog, because your other weapons are much weaker in comparison.
Avoid using Crossbow Missiles when…
…attacking Mechs at medium to long distances.
…attacking Mechs that are using Target Jamming or AMS (Chaff)
Javelin: Low to high damage, low to medium rate of fire, low to
high heat, long range, medium to high accuracy, homing ability, minimal
splash damage
Javelin Missiles serve as excellent homing weapons, combining a long
range with a decent amount of damage. Their main drawback would be that
they run hotter than most other weapons. This makes Javelin Missiles
less useful when comparing them to more powerful weapons that generate
similar amounts of heat. Javelin Missiles deal a minor amount of splash
damage in a very small radius, but it is hardly ever noticeable.
However, the value of the Javelin Missile cannot be denied, especially
when attempting to track smaller Mechs and when attacking Mechs at long
distances.
Use Javelin Missiles when…
…attacking small, fast Mechs that are hard to hit with non-homing weapons.
…attacking partially visible Mechs that are using Null Signature.
…piloting a Vulture or Cougar, because your other weapons are much weaker in comparison.
Avoid using Javelin Missiles when…
…attacking Mechs that are using Target Jamming or AMS (Chaff)
…attacking Mechs at a distance who are using a Shield or other obstacles to block your shots.
…you have more powerful weapons that generate similar heat.
Warhammer: High damage, low to medium rate of fire, medium to
high heat, long range, low to medium accuracy, splash damage, timed
shot, sticks to targets
The Warhammer (or the Hammer) is one of the most powerful and probably
one of the most misunderstood weapons in the game. Direct hits by Level
3 Dual Warhammers can deal as much damage as a Lava Gun, but getting
the weapon to hit is the hard part. Unlike any other weapon, the
Warhammer missile has a timer that must be set before firing. Holding
down the trigger does not "charge up" the shot, but rather sets the
timer for this weapon.
The Warhammer is quite accurate out to long ranges, but lacks homing
capabilities. This means that hitting moving Mechs at long distances
can be rather difficult. The Warhammer does have two abilities
that help partially make up for this deficiency. One of these abilities
is splash damage. Warhammer explosions deal splash damage in a radius
of about 1 to 1.5 Mech widths. Higher level Warhammers appear to have a
slightly larger splash radius than Level 1 versions. Regardless of the
weapon level, splash damage is usually around 90% normal damage.
Warhammers also have a "sticky" ability. If the Warhammer hits its
target, the missile will attach itself and explode after the timer runs
out. This sticky ability gives the Warhammer player an edge when
fighting against Mechs with shields (Ragnarok and Ymir). The Warhammer
can stick to the shield, follow the Mech around and hopefully explode
after the shield disappears.
All of these properties combine to make a very complex and powerful
weapon. The power of this weapon is balanced by a considerable amount
of heat, both when firing and when holding down the timer. Still, few
weapons can deal as much damage so quickly. If you enjoy running around
the battlefield yelling "I've got a present for ya!", then Warhammers
are the weapon for you.
Use Warhammers when…
…attacking Mechs that are using Target Jamming.
…attacking Mechs in close quarters.
…piloting a Kit Fox, because your only other weapon is much weaker in comparison.
Avoid using Warhammers when…
…attacking mobile Mechs at a distance.
…attacking small, fast Mechs.
Special
Lava Gun: High damage, low rate of fire, high heat, short to medium range, low accuracy, splash damage, knockdown ability
Lava Guns are one of the most powerful short range weapons in the game.
Although they can fire out to medium range distances, a severe spread
effect causes this weapon to be quite inaccurate when firing beyond
short range. Lava Gun explosions have splash damage to make up for this
reduced accuracy. The splash radius is around 1.5 Mech widths, and the
damage from this effect is about 90-100% normal damage.
Lava Guns also have Knockdown ability which is slightly better than
that of the Gauss Rifle. Lava Guns fire very slowly and run quite
hot, so don't expect to be able to fire this weapon too often. However,
when you do fire it, and can hit in the general area of your intended
target, expect to destroy your enemies rather quickly. If you consider
that Mechs with Lava Guns *always* have a Level 3 weapon at their
disposal, then you will understand just how powerful the Lava Gun truly
is.
Use Lava Guns when…
…attacking Mechs that are using Target Jamming.
…attacking Mechs in close quarters.
Avoid using Lava Guns when…
…attacking Mechs at medium to long distances.
…attacking small, fast Mechs.