DUST Search - A Heavy's Autobiography (A Guide for Aspiring Heavies)

Megaman Trigger wrote:

Audacious Mandate wrote:

I appreciate the encouragement. Just so you know where I sit right now:
Amar Heavy DS, Lvl1
DS Upgrades, Armor, Lvl1; Armor Plates, Lvl1; Armor Repair, Lvl2
Grenades, Lvl1
Weapon Upgrades Lvl3
HMG, Lvl1

And 87,500 SP unspent, I'm intending to level up my Repper then do plates. I'm kind of torn because that HMG Lvl2 is just staring at me, I'd need 124K to get Lvl3 though... Does that sound reasonable for a starter build until I figure out my play style?

It sounds good if you don't know how you want to run your Heavy.

Personally, I recommend putting points into the core Armour and Shield upgrades when you can, since your base HP maxes at 600 each. If you find PG and CPU an issue later on, then put points into the Electronics and Engineering skills.

Maybe go for Grenade lvl2 so you can use Flux Grenades, they make a lot of difference when you can hit a target with one of those as it strips their shields completely, so you only need to chew through their armour. Grenade lvl 2 would also give you the option of AV Grenades to take out LAVs and HAVs, and even Dropships if your throw is good enough.

What sidearm are you using? Since the HMG is short range, having a good sidearm is a must.

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Megaman Trigger Beyond Gravity.OTF Only The Famous 7	Posted - 2013.08.10 14:20:00 - [31] - Quote Novas got replaced by super-fast Flaylockers prior to 1.3 and were less common before that due to Shotgun being the weapon of choice; get in close and 1-shot Assaults and Logis.
Megaman Trigger Beyond Gravity.OTF Only The Famous 9	Posted - 2013.08.11 18:16:00 - [32] - Quote Megaman's guide to Armour Heavies NOTE: This is a work in progress and it based on my observations and experiences. Thanks to Damus for letting me put this here and help out. I run an armour based Heavy and I've been doing pretty well with it. This is actually my second account, originally intended to be an Alt to my Assault for when I hit the SP cap or wanted to go "Megaman" and charge shot stuff for the hell of it. It's now edging closer to being my main in terms of play time. My SP count is only about 4.5 million right now, and I botched a couple of skills early on, so take this guide with a pinch of salt. First off, the Dropsuit. Anyone who runs Heavy knows that, right now, we only have the three Amarr Heavy Dropsuits to choose from; Amarr Basic, Sentinel and the Commando. I'll touch on the Commando from an Assault's perspective a little later, but I'll be focusing on the Sentinel and Basic more. The Basic at Proto level gives you 3 low slots and 2 high slots, while the Sentinel gives 4 low slots and only 1 high slot. For this reason I use the Sentinel for the HMG and the Basic for the Forge. Is this madness? Maybe. Fact is it works for me and my style. Regardless of the Suit, the basic skills are the same. Core Upgrades, Engineering and Electronics for the boosts to my PG and CPU for my fittings and Armor and Shield Upgrades to enhance the base levels. After those, if you have your weapon(s) sorted and have the SP to spare, you can put points into the Electronics sub-skills for scan profile etc. I don't have those, haven't need them, but they might be helpful to some. My Sentinel set-up is only Advanced level right now but the basic set-up will run over into Proto with a greater effect. The Sentinel's high number of low slots lends perfectly to Armour Plates; 3 Complex Plates and an Enhanced Armour Rep on a Proto would give a staggering amount of armour and a decent repair. If you have a dedicated Logi, you could forgo the Rep for a 4th Plate. You're gonna be slow as hell, you lose 10% speed per plate, so this tactic is ideal for holding/pushing into objectives. This is the polar opposite of Damus's build. If you're running a Boundless HMG with level 5 Proficiency, you can probably get away with not using any damage mods. If you're running anything lower than Proto level HMG, a Complex Damage Mod in your high slot is pretty much a must if you want your HMG to drop targets with minimal fuss. Lead with a Flux grenade to strip their shields and then hose 'em with the HMG. If you don't like Flux, a well placed Locus can take a chunk out of shields and help out, if not kill outright. Either way, cook properly, then serve. Forge Guns take a bit of practice and aren't overly accurate at long range, but they can be devastating when used right. The standard model is the lowest powered but has a quick charge. The Assault charges in a couple of seconds but you can't hold the charge, it fires off the moment the charge is done. If you hold the fire button, it'll cycle into the next shot, giving you slow but automatic fire. The Breach is a monster in terms of power, but the slow charge and the fact you can't move and fire means that you would be a target if you try using one out in the open. When it comes to Basic suits and Forge Guns; two Complex Damage mods, two Complex Plates and either a third Plate or an Armour Rep are what I recommend. I recommend Locus over Flux, so you have a quick kill option if someone gets close, but Flux and an SMG would work if you prefer. An Assault Forge or a standard Forge with Complex Mods will do nearly as much damage as a good Swarm Launcher, with the bonus of being Anti-Infantry. General tactic is to get up high and take your shots from above the target. Even if you don't get a direct hit, the splash damage will take out a chuck of shielding on even a Caldari and sow enough panic to give your team time to move in. Note: This will be updated as and when new info and tactics come up. It's incomplete, so if you wanna point out any errors or add anything, feel free.
Bears Beets Subdreddit Test Alliance Please Ignore 683	Posted - 2013.08.11 22:03:00 - [33] - Quote I've actually never really done much armor tanking, so it's interesting to hear your take on it, Megaman. I've for the most part found that the Complex Armor Plates just aren't worth my time as I - like Damus - like to be as mobile as possible as a Heavy. With a 30%-40% reduction in speed, I'd like to see how you act on the playing field. You can't really run from point to point without it taking ages, so do you just camp on one point as long as possible? It's interesting how you run both Basic and Sentinel. I was considering running solely Sentinel, though. For Forge Guns, by losing 1 Complex Heavy Damage Modifier, your shots go from 2286.8 to 2103.9 (Ishukone Assault Forge Gun with level 5 Proficiency) which is a hit of 182.9 per shot, or 731.6 per clip. This means that anything that wouldn't have otherwise died will take one more shot to kill. However, with the extra low slot, you can introduce a bigger buffer against snipers (my worst enemy as a Forge Sniper), biotics (for getting to tanks faster), or local reps. In this case, the extra low slot might be more beneficial. Kinda regretting getting PRO Basic suits now I would also like to add that I am absolutely in love with my SMG. I grabbed an ADV Assault SMG (the M209) and added it to my Forge Gun fit, and now I can actually hold my own when reds get up close and personal. You don't necessarily have to skill in to SMGs, but I definitely recommend taking more of a look at sidearms if you find yourself running Forge Guns even close to often. I am loving mine and will be grabbing PRO and Proficiency ASAP. Anyway, sorry for blabbing, I'm just really intrigued by all of the diversity going on here. I'd really like to squad up with you guys some time to see how you behave differently from me with your different setups.
Megaman Trigger Beyond Gravity.OTF Only The Famous 10	Posted - 2013.08.11 23:15:00 - [34] - Quote I'm not as 'static' as you might expect; I tend to patrol an area and hunker down if I find an enemy. I tend to provide a lot of overwatch or be the first to "breach" an area with a Flux Grenade or two. If the points are really spaced out, I might defend one point if the team can spare the body. If I'm needed elsewhere, I just pull out a Bolach and speed off to help. I've also noticed that I don't seem to show up to enemies, since 90% of them completely bypass me while running around and I'm sneaking up on their position from behind. Dunno if this is because of my movement speed or just the enemy being oblivious. I may not be as mobile as you or Damus, but my high eHP makes me a nightmare in the right situation. Especially against other Heavy suits. When I do when aiming at a strafing target is to back up while turning. This seems to let me keep up. That or it's my aiming speed in options. I learned long ago where to place grenades in an FPS and, with Locus, get my kill 9/10 times. As for the Forge Gun, I'm only at Advance level. The twin Complex Damage mods are needed for me. If I drop one, I tend not to be able to drop things as quick as needed. Often this means an extra shot or two that I don't have time or ammo for. Once I get the skills up I might migrate over to Sentinel, but for now I find that the extra Complex is needed. I also don't worry so much about my armour while using Forge, so I have a Rep and a Plate on and run fairly well either taking out vehicles or overwatch/infantry suppression so long as I'm not charging in to a hail of Blaster fire. As for Snipers, I tend not to suffer too much since I tend to return fire with a vengeance; if I don't hit them, I force them into cover. I offered up my guide, as incomplete as it is, so that anyone thinking of going Heavy had another option beside mobility.
Megaman Trigger Beyond Gravity.OTF 14	Posted - 2013.08.13 11:24:00 - [35] - Quote Bears Beets wrote: I'd really like to squad up with you guys some time to see how you behave differently from me with your different setups. It would be interesting to get a bunch of different Heavies in a squad and compare their behaviors and tactics based on their fittings. Just need to make sure we have a Logi or two on hand.
Damus Trifarn The Yellow Lantern Corps 18	Posted - 2013.08.13 14:38:00 - [36] - Quote Great guide Megaman, really gave me some insight on how armor tanking Heavies work. I'd love to get in a squad with all of you sometime and see how it goes. Bears and I are definitely more focused on mobility, so having you around would very interesting and a deadly combo to say the least. Thanks for putting the guide up, by the way. I'll be sure to refer others to your guide if they are interested in armor tanking a Heavy.
Megaman Trigger Beyond Gravity.OTF 18	Posted - 2013.08.13 22:56:00 - [37] - Quote Damus Trifarn wrote: Great guide Megaman, really gave me some insight on how armor tanking Heavies work. I'd love to get in a squad with all of you sometime and see how it goes. Bears and I are definitely more focused on mobility, so having you around would very interesting and a deadly combo to say the least. Thanks for putting the guide up, by the way. I'll be sure to refer others to your guide if they are interested in armor tanking a Heavy. Thanks for the kind words. The guide isn't complete, and I'm not the most experienced Armor Heavy in this game in terms of SP or gameplay, so anything there should be taken with a pinch of salt. I'd like to get together with the both of you and see what kinds of damage we could do; just don't expect a mic unless it's a weekend.
Damus Trifarn The Yellow Lantern Corps 19	Posted - 2013.08.13 23:09:00 - [38] - Quote No problem, and you have some great insight. Inspired me to put up a thread comparing Armor tanking Heavies vs. Mobile Heavies if you'd like to look into it.
Megaman Trigger Beyond Gravity.OTF 19	Posted - 2013.08.13 23:14:00 - [39] - Quote I already saw the thread; here's hoping it gets some good discussion going.
Fox Gaden Immortal Guides 1556	Posted - 2013.11.11 23:12:00 - [40] - Quote The was just about to be locked for inactivity! Every post after it was locked! Can't have that can we?

Megaman Trigger Knights of Eternal Darkness 48	Posted - 2013.11.11 23:43:00 - [41] - Quote Fox Gaden wrote: The was just about to be locked for inactivity! Every post after it was locked! Can't have that can we? Thanks Fox. There's very little help out there for a Heavy. Look out! Here comes the Megaman!
XxWarlordxX97 Ancient Exiles. 5399	Posted - 2013.11.12 04:02:00 - [42] - Quote Give me some range and a sharp shooter skill Level 5 forum warrior Minmatar rule Warrior of bacon and defender of the bacon
Fox Gaden Immortal Guides 1558	Posted - 2013.11.12 17:11:00 - [43] - Quote Sharp Shooter Skill referring of course to the skill that the SMG has now that reduces dispersion, which if applied to the HMG could actually make it do damage approaching what it is supposed to do on paper out to its optimal range. As for range, lets have the Dispersion issue fixed first, and then see if we have enough range. Our current range cap is a factor of our Dispersion rather than our actual Optimal Range. At our max Optimal range (the range within which individual rounds do full damage if they hit) we are only doing a small fraction of our max DPS due to dispersion (rounds not hitting even when we are on target). If CCP gave the HMG a range of 500m we would not be able to tell the difference from our current range while standing, because our range is currently restricted by dispersion rather than weapon range. We would see a difference while squatting though, as squatting reduces dispersion, so I am certainly not asking for a 500m range. That was only an exaggerated figure to make a point. Edit: Also, on my heavy I have switched to using a Dren Assault rifle (I have no Assault Rifle Skills) because it gets me twice as many kills as my HMG with Proficiancy 3. I am doing this as a protest, as I want CCPGÇÖs graphs to show Heavies getting kills with AR instead of HMG so that they can see that there is something wrong. Something is not right when a downgrade from a heavy weapon to a light weapon is actually an Upgrade! Heavies give up speed and an equipment slot to carry a more bad-ass weapon, so make the HMG bad-ass again!
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.12 18:32:00 - [44] - Quote Out of curiosity, is there a chat where most of you hang out, other than Heavys Only? This is a new alt and dedicated heavy (almost 1mil SP), I'd love to learn the craft a little better.
Megaman Trigger Knights of Eternal Darkness 48	Posted - 2013.11.12 23:57:00 - [45] - Quote I don't have a chat I hang out in as a Heavy. I have "Heavys only" but just lurk there. Perhaps we should start a Heavy Discussion chat. Quote: Sharp Shooter Skill referring of course to the skill that the SMG has now that reduces dispersion, which if applied to the HMG could actually make it do damage approaching what it is supposed to do on paper out to its optimal range. This. 100% this. The HMG needs this more than the AR and SMG do, yet we're left to suffer with a weapon that's barely usable beyond 25m due to dispersion while the AR is free to easily rip apart even armour tanking Proto Sentinels at ranges of around 60m. 80m if they're Tactical Rifles. The only maps the HMG can work as intended are Skim Junction if you're holding A, B or C and the map with the mushroom top (that Forgers camp on) and you're holding A, B or C there. These only work because the points have defensible choke points leading into the Null Cannons so the dispersion isn't a factor as they have to come at you. Look out! Here comes the Megaman!
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.13 02:19:00 - [46] - Quote Yeah, I tried Heavys Only 2 days in a row and all I found were a couple resident Trolls that believe since the Heavies before had to learn by trial and error, all new Heavies should too. They also seem to think only an idiot would teach someone knowledge they could one day use against you, and anyone becoming a Heavy now is just because of the buff, what a couple of idiots. If that's the only chat for Heavies, guess I'll keep looking the old-fashioned way...
Megaman Trigger Knights of Eternal Darkness 48	Posted - 2013.11.13 02:29:00 - [47] - Quote Stick to this thread and feel free to post regularly. I run an armour tank Heavy, which means I run a lot of armour plates and a rep and try to hold a point in Skirmish. I do fairly well solo but can do exceptionally well with a Logi for support. I primarily use a HMG but have a good level of Forge for AV use or sniper shotting. A lot of the Heavies who posted in here in the past run more mobile set-ups, which means using stamina boosters to allow longer sprinting. Look out! Here comes the Megaman!
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.13 02:47:00 - [48] - Quote I appreciate the encouragement. Just so you know where I sit right now: Amar Heavy DS, Lvl1 DS Upgrades, Armor, Lvl1; Armor Plates, Lvl1; Armor Repair, Lvl2 Grenades, Lvl1 Weapon Upgrades Lvl3 HMG, Lvl1 And 87,500 SP unspent, I'm intending to level up my Repper then do plates. I'm kind of torn because that HMG Lvl2 is just staring at me, I'd need 124K to get Lvl3 though... Does that sound reasonable for a starter build until I figure out my play style?
Patrick57 GunFall Mobilization Covert Intervention 1425	Posted - 2013.11.13 03:14:00 - [49] - Quote I feel sorry for any and all heavies. ö/\ö :D
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.13 03:16:00 - [50] - Quote Patrick57 wrote: I feel sorry for any and all heavies. In AR514 it's hard not to, but it's also pretty fun in the right circumstance.

Megaman Trigger Knights of Eternal Darkness 48	Posted - 2013.11.13 12:30:00 - [51] - Quote Audacious Mandate wrote: I appreciate the encouragement. Just so you know where I sit right now: Amar Heavy DS, Lvl1 DS Upgrades, Armor, Lvl1; Armor Plates, Lvl1; Armor Repair, Lvl2 Grenades, Lvl1 Weapon Upgrades Lvl3 HMG, Lvl1 And 87,500 SP unspent, I'm intending to level up my Repper then do plates. I'm kind of torn because that HMG Lvl2 is just staring at me, I'd need 124K to get Lvl3 though... Does that sound reasonable for a starter build until I figure out my play style? It sounds good if you don't know how you want to run your Heavy. Personally, I recommend putting points into the core Armour and Shield upgrades when you can, since your base HP maxes at 600 each. If you find PG and CPU an issue later on, then put points into the Electronics and Engineering skills. Maybe go for Grenade lvl2 so you can use Flux Grenades, they make a lot of difference when you can hit a target with one of those as it strips their shields completely, so you only need to chew through their armour. Grenade lvl 2 would also give you the option of AV Grenades to take out LAVs and HAVs, and even Dropships if your throw is good enough. What sidearm are you using? Since the HMG is short range, having a good sidearm is a must. Look out! Here comes the Megaman!
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.13 13:42:00 - [52] - Quote Megaman Trigger wrote: Audacious Mandate wrote: I appreciate the encouragement. Just so you know where I sit right now: Amar Heavy DS, Lvl1 DS Upgrades, Armor, Lvl1; Armor Plates, Lvl1; Armor Repair, Lvl2 Grenades, Lvl1 Weapon Upgrades Lvl3 HMG, Lvl1 And 87,500 SP unspent, I'm intending to level up my Repper then do plates. I'm kind of torn because that HMG Lvl2 is just staring at me, I'd need 124K to get Lvl3 though... Does that sound reasonable for a starter build until I figure out my play style? It sounds good if you don't know how you want to run your Heavy. Personally, I recommend putting points into the core Armour and Shield upgrades when you can, since your base HP maxes at 600 each. If you find PG and CPU an issue later on, then put points into the Electronics and Engineering skills. Maybe go for Grenade lvl2 so you can use Flux Grenades, they make a lot of difference when you can hit a target with one of those as it strips their shields completely, so you only need to chew through their armour. Grenade lvl 2 would also give you the option of AV Grenades to take out LAVs and HAVs, and even Dropships if your throw is good enough. What sidearm are you using? Since the HMG is short range, having a good sidearm is a must. Forgot to mention I have SMG Lvl1, and flux unlocks at Lvl1, I've been using them extensively after reading Bears Beats guide, great tip.
Fox Gaden Immortal Guides 1560	Posted - 2013.11.13 16:52:00 - [53] - Quote Audacious Mandate wrote: Yeah, I tried Heavys Only 2 days in a row and all I found were a couple resident Trolls that believe since the Heavies before had to learn by trial and error, all new Heavies should too. They also seem to think only an idiot would teach someone knowledge they could one day use against you, and anyone becoming a Heavy now is just because of the buff, what a couple of idiots. If that's the only chat for Heavies, guess I'll keep looking the old-fashioned way... I am trying to find some experienced Heavies to help out in Learning Coalition chat. See my Heavy Instructors needed post. We have all the other roles covered, so hopefully we will get some Heavies soon as well. Anyone wanting to Learn or Teach are welcome in Learning Coalition chat channel.
Fox Gaden Immortal Guides 1560	Posted - 2013.11.13 17:02:00 - [54] - Quote Audacious Mandate, once you have basic plate/repair I would definitely recommend maxing out your Armour and Shield skills to increase your base Armour and Shield stats. That will probably benefit you more than upgrading your weapon at this stage. Besides, you can save up some ISK while you are running cheap gear.
Lanius Pulvis Bojo's School of the Trades 47	Posted - 2013.11.13 17:52:00 - [55] - Quote Fox Gaden wrote: Audacious Mandate, once you have basic plate/repair I would definitely recommend maxing out your Armour and Shield skills to increase your base Armour and Shield stats. That will probably benefit you more than upgrading your weapon at this stage. Besides, you can save up some ISK while you are running cheap gear. Thanks for the advice. Not new, just new to you.
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.13 20:32:00 - [56] - Quote Much obliged.
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.13 20:40:00 - [57] - Quote Fox, if I recall correctly your alt Crash is a Heavy. Can you cover down on that role in LC chat?
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 0	Posted - 2013.11.13 20:45:00 - [58] - Quote On another note, had an awesome hour of play last night with 3 other heavies and 2 Logis. Skirm, Dom, Ambush...we mauled everybody. I did notice that my kill to assist ratio was highly skewed toward assist, is that typical?
Megaman Trigger Knights of Eternal Darkness 48	Posted - 2013.11.13 23:46:00 - [59] - Quote Audacious Mandate wrote: On another note, had an awesome hour of play last night with 3 other heavies and 2 Logis. Skirm, Dom, Ambush...we mauled everybody. I did notice that my kill to assist ratio was highly skewed toward assist, is that typical? That depends entirely on the map, mode and who you're with\up against. Typically my kills are at least double my assists with a HMG, but I'm running mostly advanced gear and am more point-defence/living turret in my style. Look out! Here comes the Megaman!
Audacious Mandate Fraternity of St. Venefice Amarr Empire 1	Posted - 2013.11.14 02:01:00 - [60] - Quote Megaman Trigger wrote: Audacious Mandate wrote: On another note, had an awesome hour of play last night with 3 other heavies and 2 Logis. Skirm, Dom, Ambush...we mauled everybody. I did notice that my kill to assist ratio was highly skewed toward assist, is that typical? That depends entirely on the map, mode and who you're with\up against. Typically my kills are at least double my assists with a HMG, but I'm running mostly advanced gear and am more point-defence/living turret in my style. That may just be it, other than holding a doorway in Ambush, I think I mostly did roving fire support. I was pleasantly surprised with my K/D, though I don't tend to worry about that usually. I think I only went negative one match, it was 3K/12A/5D if I recall correctly.



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