Welcome to the Archer ARC-2R Quick Build Guide! The Archer is a rock solid addition to any lance that needs to fire LRMs. This Quick Rebuild guide will show you how to make some simple optimizations that are accessible to new players even in the early game during the 3010s and 3020s before you have access to much LosTech. Remember, the lance that is with the Archer is just as important as the weaponry the Archer is carrying! 🦊Join the Fox Republic🦊 💻RU-vid VODs: www.youtube.com/@gitgudfoxvods 🎮Twitch: www.twitch.tv/gitgudfox ⌨Discord: discord.gg/GitGudFox 🎥Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@gitgudfox 📷Instagram: instagram.com/gitgudfox/ 🐤Twitter: twitter.com/GitGudFox 📘Facebook: facebook.com/GitGudFox
This build is definitely a tried and true build. I've used this same exact setup on my archers for quite awhile now and has always performed well. As a veteran MW5 player if my word isn't good enough this gameplay is a testament to this build's reliability.
Something I usually do, since I like to role play in universe, is keep the ammo in the torsos with their weapons and put the heat sinks in the legs. Not only is this because legs in universe don't really have a way to move ammo into the torso weapons, but also because leg heat sinks allow you to cool down stupid fast if you stand in water.
But then it's totally helpless up close which is common when the enemy either swarms you or lands a dropship right on to of you. 4 medium lasers can do a respectable amount of lance damage.
I gotta disagree with this build a bit. The LRM15 choice is solid but there is no reason to have four medium lasers. If you are in medium laser range- you are in a bad spot for a support mech and your priority should be to reposition so you can re-engage the main battery- missiles. The damage done by the mediums isn't worth standing the ground to shoot it out. Two mediums is enough to punish light mechs that charge in, but beyond that you should be moving your mech not trying to DPS with lasers. Also- removing the lasers from the arms means there is nothing of value on the arms so you can remove the armor from them to re-allocate instead of stripping the leg armor. More ammo- too often i have a lock and the instant I fire a volley the lock breaks and my entire volley hits the ground. I'd rather end a mission with leftover missiles than run low just as a random merc company lance drops in. Essentially I turn it into a Stalker or overgrown Catapult.
I don't agree with that. The enemy dropships can literally land on top of you, so you frequently don't get to choose to fight at a distance. 400m is also a range where LRMs and Medium Lasers can fire simultaneously. 4 Medium lasers is the power of an AC20 and can easily lance off areas of exposed armor. This build has my utmost 100% confidence in the maximum levels of difficulty. It has been proven many times in my streams.
What's more is that the arms are full sized fists capable of dealing significant melee damage. You'd also be virtually helpless if you don't have close combat options which will frequently happen. If you are attacked by mercenaries, they frequently like to land very close to you. You only need about 2 tons of LRM ammo per LRM15 especially considering your medium lasers will be used to dispatch lesser targets. You will only struggle with ammo on missions like Warzone if you choose to stay as long as possible.
@@GitGudFox No doubt it's effective. Just a bit confused on it's primary role. This is why I love MW5 (and your build videos) because there is no 'right' or 'wrong' just varying degrees of efficiency. I avoid having two 'primary' weapon types on a mech. If 4 mediums add up to an AC20, I would categorize that as primary armament, which the Archer already has LRMs. I approach it like a real main battle tank- one primary weapon system, everything else is secondary. You do not employ an MBT with the intention of using it's secondary weapons- they are simply in support of the main gun. I would consider resorting to melee as a failure to employ the Archer platform properly. If you are that close you need to create space, not engage in a slap fight. The only time I want to use a melee attack is when my mech has melee weapons as part of the build. Knuckles, fists, whatever- if all I have is a regular mech hand, I'm better off using my feet--to get out of melee range. I'm a bit of a melee mech fan boy so if I want something pummeled I have mechs just for that. In an ideal mission an Archer barely takes a hit because I try to keep using indirect fire while my lance mates get shot in the face.
That's not going to happen. The way MW5 is designed, you don't get a choice. I'll give you a simple example. You could do an assassination mission, and all assassination targets are in the same place, so there's a full lance there. The assassination lance has 3 additional Mechs protecting it taking you up to 7 Mechs, then as you kill 1 of the Mechs, a drop ship spawns in about 400m away from you dropping off an entire lance meaning you're fighting a total of 11 Mechs. That's not an unrealistic scenario either. Those enemies WILL reach you, and you will be helpless if you don't have close range support, and your AI allies are supplemental at best. If you want to do dedicated long range support? You want long range autocannons because they don't jam up close.
@@GitGudFox However autocannons are direct fire weapons, so you lose the benefit of indirect fire. You may lose that benefit at some point anyway, but your goal is to re-establish it, not simply let the enemy dictate the terms of battle. You'll certainly get shot in the back a few times, but if that gets your main battery back into the fight, it's the proper action. For example- every artillery unit in a real military is still made up of soldiers with rifles, grenades, etc. But if enemy units close range they don't simply say 'forget the giant cannons we brought, we are infantry now'. They will run the heck away using their rifles only to accomplish a retreat. They might have rifles, but it's not for DPS. Likewise an M1 Abrams might have a couple machine guns, but that's not why you brought it to the battlefield. In an extreme scenario like 11 mechs thrown at you- that's just a matter of attrition and everyone is going home with a bloody nose. That often comes down to tactics like kiting the AI out so they can't concentrate firepower. I admit to abusing the AI to survive those situations. I basically have mechs fitted for my AI lance mates, then specific mechs only I pilot. Lance mechs drop support weapons for armor and ammo because the AI isn't too bright and mostly I use them as meat shields. They are medium to short range focused. My mechs are highly specialized like a Firestarter with machine guns and small lasers solely for Demolition missions where I blitz the objective while the lance just keeps the enemy occupied. I am a Raven fan boy and will often take that on high tier missions allowing me to give my lance mates the largest possible mechs which allows them to brute force their way to victory. While I have your ear....what do you think about chemical lasers? I want to do some testing with them. Ammo for lasers sorta defeats the purpose so the payoff better be big.
So I picked up an archer in salvage and watched this video because I was debating how to refit it. While the LRM-15 build makes a lot of sense I already have a Catapult with an identical weapons loadout. I'd just tossed the jump jets for better cooling/ammo/armor. Is there any point in bothering with an Archer at that point?
They are similar, but there are some differences. - Being 70 tons means it can carry slightly more equipment and have a higher maximum armor value - It has melee capability, and since its arms are actually fists, the melee is much more damaging than normal. - The melee means you could theoretically build this for up close combat. You could use an LRM10/LRM15 and an SRM with lasers and close the distance as a brawler. Now the catapult has some advantages though these are fine details. - It's 5 tons lighter meaning it might fit just perfectly into a mission drop weight - It has jump jets... which I personally never use, but you might find a use for it - I think it has a harder cockpit to hit from the AI's perspective. I notice I eat more headshots as an archer since its cockpit is at center of mass height - I personally think it's a bit harder to hit. I don't know if the AI is influenced by this, but I feel like (comparing Catapult K2 to Warhammer) that the K2 is able to evade more gunfire than the Warhammer. Just a few examples of the fine details between them.
@@chavosao3000 Honestly, they're more about "how to pilot" the Mechs rather than how to build them. My changes will be fairly minor, but I will demonstrate how they are used.
@@GitGudFox oh i get It. i dont really like using Full laser mechs because of the heat problem, but they seem Fun to play Thats why o would like to see a vídeo about them :)
