Victor Moody Stahl
Amarr Templars
Amarr Empire
188
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Posted - 2014.12.01 06:20:00 -
[3] - Quote
Forever ETC wrote:Regen over tank 'nuff said.
Generally speaking, this is true of all Commando suits- you'll have excellent built-in buffer from base stats alone, especially when backed with a good investment into core skills.
As an example, I like the Amarr Commando; with Dropsuit Armor/Shield Upgrades maxed out, it has 600 armor and 250 shields before modules.
Unfortunately, the Commando suits generally get stuck with ass regen stats, so skip the shield extenders, and lay on the rechargers instead. As a shield suit, you might also want to invest in shield regulator modules- particularly when considering the sub-par regen stats of Commando suits.
Forever ETC wrote:Sniper Rifle
Assualt RR or STD RR
I'd like to mention that the ARR will be a better general option; at the low end of the spectrum, you can choose from the much lower DPS Militia variant that has nearly no charge delay, but also a reduced capacity, or you can pick the higher-capacity, higher-damage, but LP-store limited State ARR.
The main issue with the regular variety of the RR, IMO, is a combination of charge time and heavy recoil. Or at least, that's what it seems like to me- the charge feels too long to actually catch people at long range (which is more likely to involve cover shenanigans) and the aimed-fire recoil feels pretty harsh.
That is, however, merely my own preference. On the other choice of weapon... try lots of different light weapons, find out which ones you like, and which you don't.
As an example, I would say that the Caldari Commando synergizes very well with the Sniper Rifle... but you might not actually like sniping. So I would then say "throw a little SP into sniper rifles so you can counter-snipe those punks sitting in the redline with a Thales' or a Symb's", and then promptly discuss the merits of other light weapons in the context of the Caldari Commando.
As an example, one of the very handy- if equally unimaginative- ways to take advantage of dual light weapons is to carry swarms or a PLC as your secondary. I find swarms are better if you use your other light weapon as a defensive armament, and generally either hang back or set up in a good vantage point that's hard to access from flanking routes (damn shotgun scouts). I have, however, experimented with a PLC+Swarms pure AV fit- it's surprisingly effective and also entertaining.
I once punched a NK'er to death while in my PLC+Swarm fit too- he'd taken some splash from the PLC, and a swift punch to the face ended his attempt to shank me in the nuggets. Though that particular anecdote is just a reminder- never forget that the Commando is the punchiest of dropsuits. It will probably save you when you least expect it.
Some other secondary light weapons you might consider are: the MD, as the CalMando is primarily shield tanked so can "danger close" itself a little more readily than the armor-based Commandos; the Scrambler Rifle and Assault Rifle, as these can provide some shield damage to complement the armor damage of the RR- though there is the caveat that Scramblers are enormous grid hogs, and the AR/RR ranges are very mismatched.
LRs are generally bad on any Commando*, which then leaves shotguns and CRs. CRs are short ranged (which is nice to complement the RR), but also heavily penalized against shields (not so nice since the RR is also shield-penalized). Most likely it would be a case of RR+ACR, in which case your equipment choice automatically defaults to "nanohives", as both weapons tend to burn ammo like no tomorrow. Shotguns are also short ranged... but they take "short ranged" a little too literally.
That being said, shotguns are actually surprisingly good on Commando suits. The reload bonus will mean that you can theoretically fire+reload and repeat by using the ability to interrupt the reload cycle by firing, thus providing a steady stream of damage onto a target. The other benefit is that a shotgun-"mando" is pretty rare; few are the players who will expect you to pull a shotgun out of your back pocket with a "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND".
However, shotguns on the Commando tend to play out as either a defensive weapon (IE, scout scrubs trying to get in your grill), or as a CQC "let them come to me" kind of deal. The second method, I find, works much better. It's also very surprising, since there's not a lot of people who run Commando, and even fewer who run shotguns on their Commando.
MLT shotguns are cheap, and the long-ish reload is handily compensated for by the Commando role bonus. They also require no skill investment, and are extremely entertaining when you kill that punk-ass scout scrub who thought that they would gun you down like everything else.
Forever ETC wrote:Damage mods and energizers on the highs
Reactive plate on the lows(a basic repaire is pointless since reactive has 1 hp regen and 40hp)
Equipment, since you'll usually be far from the action use scanner or nanohive.
Just to reinforce+reiterate on this:
You should always fit at least one damage mod to your Commando suit. For the Caldari, I would recommend just sticking to one, as you'll want to fit at least one shield recharger as well. If you do use an energizer, however, I recommend throwing on either a militia or basic shield extender- this will more than compensate for the slight shield HP penalty that energizers carry.
I do disagree on the reactive plate vs armor rep- the main advantage I see reactive plates as having is the (comparatively) lower fitting requirements.
As far as equipment, yeah, scanners or hives are pretty much all you'll use. This being said, experiment a little- if you have a squad you run with regularly that includes a logi, then carrying a needle will probably mean that you'll have a new best friend. Links are of dubious value, while the "rep-mando" is rather amusing to see running around- you might try that too.
Buff Logis | Nerf Scouts
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