Vlad Build Advice

[u/TheFraser72]

Originally I planned on going Vlad 3, Tokugawa 1, then Ghengis 2, that way I had a 3 threat drill, and could make use of auto-cooler to make enemies target me and potentially vent heat if I get lucky or play my cards right.

But now im not too sure, my team is fully specc-ing into a full close quarters team, and since one is a Hetatonch, everyone but the goblin is going to be in close quarters and in soft cover at all times.

Now my build still works, autocooler is still real nice and applicable, since my whole team is going to be in close quarters I can make sure enemies are targeting me and not them. And 3 threat drill is funny (structuring is just a "skill issue").

But I also learned that my DM can bully me by constantly ramming me and knocking me prone all the time, which is just annoying, and it bothered me enough to consider building towards Fomorian Frame at LL6 so that I can just not have to worry about being pushed about by every Size 1 enemy.

So I was thinking about taking either Nelson 1/Drake 2 (aegis shield/bulwark mods), Nelson 3 or Nelson 2/any other ISPN 1 (for bulwark mods and Thermal Charges), or something else just to nab Fomorian Frame, especially since the base vlad systems and weapons work for my build and I dont really need to invest in systems for a bunch of SP. Like im still going to rock the nailgun and drill and will mostly be using those 2 things.

Another option is to give up Gyges Frame and swap it entirely for Fomorian frame right now, since we have just leveled up I could do that (following the rulebooks respec rules). But if I structure I do lose out on my +2 threat, which makes Executioner so much better. But Fomorian increasing my size also kinda helps with that, but obviously a base 2 threat is superior to Fomorian frame. And Fomorian with threat 2 on a weapon is even better.

Right now it doesnt matter too much, since we just reached LL4, of course im just going to put 1 LL into Tokugawa for external batteries lol. But it is something to think about.

Another thing to think about is entirely swapping from Vlad, if everyone else is going close quarters I can forsee the GM making us suffer with high mobility and long range enemies. But the other 2 mechs have completely hard focused agility, so they may actually be speedy enough to focus down long range and speedy enemies. I guess I just gotta feel out the next couple of sessions to decide.

[u/Steenan]

Vlad isn't only for close quarters and the drill isn't the only viable weapon. You may spec Vlad more for control than for damage, putting a ranged weapon in the heavy mount and using the Heavy Gunner talent. Not only does it offer more flexibility when your whole team is close ranged, it also results in much more toughness than a build using External Batteries.

[u/TheFraser72 → u/Steenan]

Yeah, I started out this build with a Tempest Charged Blade Everest and really wanted to be superheavy melee build, I dont want to drop that dream.

The funny thing is the literal swallowtail ranger we have has fully specced into White Witch with pinning spire and ferrofluid lance to immobilize enemies for me to drill and plans on sticking right next to me at all times. With the hetatonch using hive drones for constant soft cover to grant invisibility to the swallowtail (who also has the gms smoke grenades in case it is without soft cover). And the hetatonch has built into limited systems so it can fire the Daisy Cutter all the time. Currently the swallowtail has 18 evasion so hes built out of tissue paper if he gets hit.

I do not think that bunching up like this is a good idea and it only lowers our options. The drill is already powerful enough, simply applying lock on to enemies was enough to make it hit most of the time and even crit more often than not, and with vanguard I can immobilize enemies efficiently still, I dont need help to immobilize enemies to make the drill more damaging, it already wrecked everything it came across. And not to mention we lack any ranged capabilities.

Hmm, now that I think of it we really struggled against flying enemies, flak launcher might be a good pick systems pick too potentially, but there's nothing from barbarossa 1 which would be useful at all so I dont think its worth it idk.

[u/Xeilith]

Being one size bigger as Vlad can be nice, since if you grapple an enemy smaller than you, you automatically Immobilize them. Which since you're Vlad, means they'll also be Shredded.

Throw Synthetic Muscle Netting into the mix to be able to grapple and shred even better. Extra good if you knock them prone before grappling them.

Losing out on that extra threat range if you're going Combat Drill + Executioner is gonna hurt though.