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Before I get to defining roles of specific 'mechs, I NEED you 'mech pilots (both future and current) to strongly consider what 'mechs you will pilot before you commit to buying, optimizing and fighting with a specific 'mech. An informed choice as far as 'mech pilot roles and the 'mech that interests you will GREATLY serve yourself and your team in wracking up as many victories as possible. Remember that k/d ratios means NOTHING in Mechwarrior what matters most are win/losses and damage--especially where that damage goes in the course of a match.
---------THIS IS THE BORING PART. I ASSUME MOST OF YOU 'MECH PILOTS KNOW THE BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF MECHWARRIOR. IF YOU AREN'T INTERESTED IN READING THIS PART, SKIP TO THE NEXT "BREAK" LIKE THIS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, READ ON!
-----------------So, with that out of the way, I want to give a little bit of exposition on who I am specifically and why I consider myself a valid source on the topic of 'mech strategy and the roles therein.
I'm a long time mechwarrior. I've played since the days of MW2 when the online community of the Battletech universe was in it's infancy. I've seen A LOT of players work different types of 'mechs, builds, and play-styles in every conceivable way possible. Some have been good, some have been bad, but every competent 'mech pilot recognized that with certain 'mechs, weight classes, and load-outs, these aspects brought different roles and things to offer to a team specifically. So, with that said, let's start with a few fundamentals that all 'mech pilots should understand before getting to weight classes and 'mech roles:
1. WORK AS A TEAM!
This is probably the single most important rule of all the 'mechwarrior franchises. There was a saying that I like to use whenever I play 'mechwarrior: "A lone wolf, is a dead 'mech pilot." I'm sure we've all seen that lone light 'mech or (in a few special cases) that heavy 'mech that thinks he can effectively dual an Atlas that is armed to the teeth and has a full lance backing him up. Whether you are a light 'mech, or an assault 'mech understand that, as long as your 'mech is still able to fire and move, that you are an asset to your team and needs you to deliver those assets in the most effective manner possible to win, which leads to the next fundamental.
2. Understand your limitations and the limitations of your 'mech.
There is NO SUCH THING as a jack-of-all-trades 'mech in 'Mechwarrior. Purposing of a 'Mech begins specifically with the 'Mech and the tweaking of the 'Mech in the Mechlab. You may be able to play a variety of roles well, but understand that your 'mech CAN'T. This fundamental is also relevant in selecting 'mechs and equipment that play to your specific strengths. What these strengths are, however, is for you to decide and CAN NOT be decided in the mechlab. They need to be decided in combat.
3. PRACTICE! You can ALWAYS be better, and there will always be someone that can beat you.
Because there are a variety of roles in Mechwarrior, pilots need to realize that the only "end-game" or "metagame" to Mechwarrior is a lance that has mastered these fundamentals and the fundamentals of basic piloting skills. Basic piloting skills being shooting (ex: training shots and heat management), movement (ex: positioning) and communication (ex: electronic warfare and team coordination). A good way to practice aiming, for example, is simple: Go on testing grounds and shoot the dummies. It's redundant, it's boring, and it may seem pointless, sure, but you'd be surprised how much you can learn just by shooting the dummy 'mechs and observing how much damage your alpha does, where damage is calculated, where invisible walls are and how much heat your 'mech generates on certain maps. Master these fundamentals, and I PROMISE you that you will beat a jump-sniping Highlander/Victor EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. and he will wonder how you beat him while you laugh all the way to the c-bill bank.
----------BORING PART OVER; THIS IS THE NEXT BREAK!
-------------------Now that you're familiar with the fundamentals, let's get to the roles. To start, roles are usually defined by weight class. You should know what the four (playable) weight classes of Mechwarrior are, but if you don't, they are these: Light (20 - 35 tons), Medium (40 - 55 tons), Heavy (60 - 75 tons) and Assault (80 - 100 tons).
Before I actually get started on defining the roles of the 'mechs by weight class and model, I want to make an important sidenote: IT IS POSSIBLE TO STEP OUTSIDE OF A 'MECHS DESIGN ROLE BECAUSE OF THE CUSTOMIZATION AND TWEAKING MWO OFFERS! I am simply stating what the weight classes and models roles these 'mechs have been historically the most effective in--based on my own experience, and based on the information offered by Sarna, and a variety of other sources. If there is any inconsistencies or innacurracies in my information, please let me know.
Also, as a disclaimer, I'd like to state that this is simply a reference to the possible roles 'mech pilots can take with their selected 'mechs and load-outs. In no way am I suggesting that certain 'mechs absolutely have to be played a certain way in order to be successful. Again, much of this information is simply based on experience, and the information provided by canon sources.
So let's get started shall we?
Light 'Mechs
Because of the speed and manueverability light 'mechs offer, these small 'mechs are usually relegated to the positions of scouts and harrassers. As a light 'mech pilot, both your lance and your company will expect you to be able to offer valuable data on the enemies position, and may even expect you to draw the attention of the opposing force while the rest of your teammates exploit this, and engage your foes. As far as direct combat goes, however, there are a few of these 'mechs that rely on their manueverability and speed in addition to some measure of durability to keep them from being crippled in the midst of a heated duel, but such light 'mechs are rare as most light 'mech rely on just speed and maneuverability to keep from being destroyed
The Locust (LCT-1V)
Contrary to what people may think, the locust is a very effective light 'mech and not simply because of it's incredible speed, but because it often lived up to it's namesake. Locusts are called "Locusts" because they usually attack in swarms or packs. In MWO, a Locust pilot's role should be a harrasser or reconaissance--and he should travel in a lance of other locusts if he truly wants to be the most effective as a harrasser in a coordinated team. Otherwise, if a Locust pilot attempts to be a lone-wolf harrasser, his 'mech will get eaten by a single, well-placed shot.
The Commando (COM-2D)
Like many of the light 'mechs present in MWO, the Commando's role is often relegated to reconaissance, harrassment and misdirection. However, what makes the Commando unique is it's ability to be a close range ambusher. This is made possible by the 'mech's missile slots and ECM. People often refer to the Commando as the "Trollmando" because of it's small silouette, it's ability to pack hard-hitting SRMs, and it's ability to slip in and out of an ambush position scott-free. A Commando is most effective when it is in a position to sabotage; has the ability to get behind a target, alpha-strike, and run away. Dueling is NOT suggested with the Commando, as it's SRMs have limited effectiveness against moving targets. This can be changed, however, if a pilot arms the Commando with streak SRMs, but then it's ambush damage potential is curtailed, and the Commando's role is then changed to be a counter against other harrassers by giving it the ability to chase down light 'mechs.
The Spider (SDR-5V)
The Spider excels in getting into ambush or scout positions. This is because of it's incredible speed, ECM, and jump-jets. Spider pilots work the best when they are in a position to harrass or pull reconaissance by getting into unexpected or difficult-to-get-to positions. In front-line dueling combat, however, the Spider is sub-optimal because of it's extremely limited armament, and an energy slot that is placed in the torso.
Adenum: Some pilots arm-lock the spiders to "improve" their aim in duels, but I have found very little evidence as to whether this improves the Spider's performance in duels. This "improvement" is probably based on pilot preference.
The Raven (RVN-3L)
As this 'mechs history states, a Raven pilot's first and foremost role is to provide reconaissance, electronic and fire support to the team. This is most effectively done when a Raven acts as a forward scout--either calling down artillary against an enemy team, NARC'ing enemy players, or taking pot-shots against enemies while the team is locked into frontline combat. In dueling and counter-harrassing, however, it is sub-optimal because of it's lack of speed.
I've seen pilots attempt to address the lack of speed by putting a larger engine into the 'mech, but such a modification then requires the pilot to sacrifice support capability or armament.
The Jenner (JR7-D)
Much like the Commando, the Jenner excels at close-range ambush because of the devastating firepower this little 'mech's alpha strike can potentially bring. However, what makes the Jenner particularly devastating is it's additional ability to be a front-line duelist. This is made possible by certain variants missile slots, and compensates for it's lack of electronic warfare capabilities for it's huge speed potential. If you are most comfortable in a high-risk-high-gain situation where you weave in-and-out of the front line while harrassing opponents at close range, then this 'mech is for you.
The Firestarter (FS9-H)
The Firestarter's dueling capability comes from it's whole focus on acting as a forward, counter-ambush, incendiary 'mech (hence it's name). The Firestarter is a hardy Light 'mech and 'mech pilots who are dueling against rival Jenners will find themselves comfortable in doing so, as the Firestarter is fitted with five tons of armor, has a large amount of ballistic slots and energy slots, is fast, and can take some greivous hits before having to retreat. It's only downfall (much like the Jenner) is it's lack of Electronic Warfare equipment.
Medium 'Mechs
Capable of either being as fast as Light 'mechs or as heavily armed or armored as Heavy 'mechs, medium 'mechs are some of the most flexible 'mechs in MWO and are the workhorses of many Inner Sphere and Clan militaries in canon. Medium 'mechs come in all shapes, sizes, and are relegated to a variety of roles, but what all medium 'mechs (and arguably any other weight class) have in common is the fact that Medium 'mech pilots are the most devastating when they coordinate and out-manuever opponents. Medium 'mechs are more durable then Lights, thus, they can take on more front line combat roles, however, most medium 'mechs still have limited durability. Thus, every role that a Medium 'mech pilot takes on needs to be firmly grounded in coordination with his team. Otherwise, lone-wolf pilots will be picked apart far easier then their lighter or heavier class counter-parts.
The Cicada (CDA-2A)
The Cicada was made to compete with the Locusts speed, while simultaneously giving the 'mech greater armor, and armament then it's lighter rival. This makes the Cicada well-suited toward being a durable counter-harrasser, light hunter, and a decently armored duelist. The addition of ECM, ballistics, and missiles gives this 'mech VERY strong long and close range ambush potential. The only downfalls that this 'mech suffers from is the distinct lack of jumpjets, and a rather tall silouette and long legs that can make the 'mech easier to shoot.
The Blackjack (BJ-1)
Often considered a lighter version of the Jagermech with jumpjets, the Blackjack excells at close-range support and close-range jump-shotting thanks to it's high-set arms, and jump-jets. Many have tried to re-purpose the 'mech by giving it longer range weaponry, but often need to sacrifice speed, jump-jets, or armor to do so. Others have tried to re-purpose the 'mech to function as a front-line brawler, but the 'mechs wide torso makes the Blackjack fairly easy to pick apart at close range. The best alternative to a typical close range support that I've seen is a long-range, medium jump sniper. It has to sacrifice a significant amount of speed or armor to pull this off, but it CAN do it and it can function fairly effectively at this job, so long as the pilot has the appropriate support and coordination.
The Trebuchet (TBT-5N)
The "Trenchbucket" is a fine blend of close and long-range support--designed to work as the operational partner 'mech to the Centurion. The idea is that the Centurion closes the distance with enemy 'mechs at the front line, while the Trebuchet hangs back and pummels the 'mechs engaging the Centurion from afar. Because both 'mechs have a similar speed and armor load-out, the 'mechs accomplish this task very well, and to a deadly degree.
Although the Trebuchet works best with the Centurion, it's primary support load-out can prove to be a fast and effective long and close range support 'mech while being decently durable. A solid build is arming the 'mech with a streak SRM, while sacrificing the dual LRM 15s with a single LRM 15 and a large laser. All in all, these variations of the support load-outs make for a solid support 'mech, but the 'mech becomes fairly lackluster when compared to heavier support 'mechs.
The Centurion (CN9-A)
Although the Centurion is considered the operational partner 'mech of the Trebuchet, the Centurion functions extremely well as an independant, fast, durable, frontline brawler. This is so, because of it's center-torso's small hitbox and the solid amount of armor it uses to protect it's torso. In addition to this, it is capable of arming itself with harding-hitting, close-range ballistic weaponry such as the AC-10 (or AC-20 in the Yen Lo Wang's case) or hard-hitting energy weaponry, or missile weaponry. The 'mech is not heavy enough to mount more then one especially hard-hitting weapon type without sacrificing some serious speed or armor.
The Hunchback (HBK-4G)
What is funny about the Hunchback, is the Clans consider their version of this venerable 'mech to be a death sentence because of it's wide silouette, slow speed, thin armor, little ammo, and heavy (although limited) armament. The inner-sphere version is considered an "improvement" but lacks jump-jets, unlike it's Clan counterpart. This makes the Hunchback excel in close-range, city brawls, but, out in the open, it is little more then a slow moving target.
"Swayback" variants have also been introduced to address the 'mechs grievous speed and range, however, the 'mechs thick torso makes having an XL engine a pointed weakness.
The Griffin (GRF-1N)
The Griffin is capable of mounting heavy missile and energy weaponry. In addition to this, the 'mech is fast (an average speed of 86 kph), has an average amount of armor, and is equipped with jump-jets. This means the Griffin excels as a fast, long-range support 'mech, but suffers from one fatal weakness: The majority of it's armament is on it's right side. Which means, if the Griffin's right side is taken out, the 'mech becomes essentially helpless.
The Kintaro (KTO-19)
The Kintaro is a "niche-role" 'mech that was designed to function in a missile-heavy lance. Armed with a NARC beacon, and an array of missile weaponry, the Kintaro is capable of moving very fast. Hence, it is suited to this role rather well. However, another role that the Kintaro is capable of taking on is a close-range support/counter-harrasser. This is done by replacing all of the 'mechs long range missile armament with streak SRMs and a faster engine. With the aforementioned loadout equipped, the 'mech is then capable of going well above 100 kph. Allowing it to chase down light 'mechs mercilessly with it's array of streak SRMs.
The Shadow Hawk (SHD-2H)
Much like the Centurion, the Shadow Hawk is capable of arming itself with a flexible array of weapons. It is also very durable, fast (like the Centurion), and comes with the added bonus of being able to equip jump-jets. In addition to everything else, it has a relatively thin silhouette, which makes the Shadow Hawk rather difficult to pick apart at both close and long range. It's only weakness is that it is not armed with an ECM suite. The Shadow Hawk is arguably the best performing 'mech in it's class.
The Wolverine (WVR-6R)
The Wolverine can be a possible competitor to the Shadow Hawk, but it's major downfall is it's ammo dependency. Certain variants attempt to alleviate this by removing ballistic weapons and it's jump-jets in favor of heavy energy weapons and more heat sinks, but this can potentially hurt the 'mech in combat, more then help it.
Heavy 'Mechs
Heavy 'mechs often take a more direct roll in frontline combat because of their increased armor and firepower. Although the average heavy 'mech sacrifices speed in order to increase their durability and firepower, this matters little considering that most heavy 'mechs can function extremely well in a violent brawl--being able to take damage as well as dish-out damage of their own while still having the flexibility to position themselves in combat with little to no consequence or effort. This is assuming, of course, that these heavy 'mechs move at speeds between 60 and 80 kph. Anything slower, and you have a very vulnerable turret 'mech. Anything faster, and you essentially have a medium 'mech with slightly heavier armament. This can vary, of course, with 'mech design and load-out as Heavy 'Mechs still have the flexibility to make themselves fast or slow; heavily armed/armored or lightly armed/armored.
The Quickdraw (QKD-4G)
While lightly armed or armored, the selling point of this 'mech is that it is fast, and excels as a close or long range missile support 'mech. The fact that this 'mech has jump jets adds to it's operational flexibility and manueverability, but it's lack of significant armament (in comparison to rival heavy 'mechs) and rather wide silouette remain a glaring issue.
The Dragon (DRG-1N)
Fast, tough, and capable of decent, all-around armanment, the Dragon was designed in a bid to replace the Shadow Hawk. It suffers a few glaring design flaws and weaknesses, however. One weakness being the size of it's center torso, which makes the Dragon extremely easy to hit from both the front or side. Another is the fact that the Dragon cannot equip jump jets or arm itself with ECM. Speed is supposed to make up for these shortcomings, but this advantage can be eliminated in close range brawls where the Dragon's movement is limited. Because of this, the Dragon excels more as a long range combatant or support 'mech as opposed to a front line brawler.
The Catapult (CPLT-C1)
The Catapult's armament is mainly directed toward offensive support. More specifically, long range missile, energy, or ballistic weapons. While it has a decent amount of armor, it is on slow side of heavy 'mech average speed, has a slow turning radius, and arms that are relegated to vertical movement. Which makes this 'mech poorly suited to close range, high-manueverability brawling. Direct fire variants are available, though, again, even these variants are far better suited to long-range, direct-fire support roles. Jump jets help this 'mech's limited manueverability, but only to act as a jump sniper, or to help it get out of dangerous situations.
The Thunderbolt (TDR-5S)
I'd consider the Thunderbolt an Orion with it's energy hardpoints on it's chest and it's ballistic hardpoint on it's arm, as opposed to having the ballistic hardpoint on it's torso like the Orion does. The thunderbolt is capable of going at higher speeds then it's other heavier counterparts (which is a must considering that the Thunderbolt has a wide torso) and also capable of arming itself with many energy weapons on it's torso. However, the fact that it's torso is so wide is still an issue. This is alleviated, however, with the 5SE that is equipped with jumpjets. However, the TDR-5SE lacks any ballistic hardpoints or significant missile hardpoints.
The Jagermech (JM6-S)
The Jagermech is the king of direct fire, ballistic support 'mechs. It's below average armor values, slow-average speed, lack of jumpjets and wide torso make the Jagermech a sub-optimal front-line brawler, but it's many ballistic hardpoints, high-placed weapons, ample room and weight capacity to fill these hardpoints with devastating weaponry more then make up for it's shortcomings. A pilot with good aim is capable of wreaking havoc with this 'mech--and rightly so. The Jagermech's success relies on the assumption that the pilot will put fire on and kill his target before the target can return significant fire.
The Cataphract (CTF-3D)
The Cataphract (much like the Jagermech) is capable of arming itself with a blistering array of direct fire weaponry. In addition to this, this heavy 'mech has five more tons to work with in the mechlab then the Jagermech. Meaning that a larger engine, more armor, or more weapons can be placed into the 'mech to direct its roles toward a direct-fire support 'mech, or a long/close range slugger. An added plus is the fact that it has jumpjets, which gives this fearsome 'mech more manueverability, and the ability to jump-snipe. It's only weakness is it's low-hanging arms, which can prove to be a problem to pilots who are used to firing from high-hanging arms, or pilots who do not know where the "invisible walls" are on certain maps.
The Orion (ON1-K)
Called "the poor man's Atlas" in canon, the Orion is rightfully called a pseudo-assault, because of the weaponry that it is capable of taking on. It's hardpoints, weight, and armor values allow it to take on a variety of roles, but I've found that an Orion performs best when it runs at speeds between 60 - 70 kph, while being armed to the max with ballistic, energy, and missile weaponry (more specifically, streak SRMs, which help the Orion against fast-moving 'mechs). It does have some rather typical weaknesses for it's size and weight (such as a lack of jumpjets and a little bit of a wide torso) but, thankfully it makes up for this by being able to take on a lot of heavy weaponry and having enough armor to compete with some assault 'mechs.
Assault 'Mechs
The assault wieght class of 'mechs are the center focus of combat. These 'mechs are big, slow, heavily armored, and armed to the teeth. Unlike the other classes of 'mechs, the assault class has their roles as front line combatants much more clearly defined--moreso then the other classes of 'mechs. This is because all of the assault 'mechs fall under the typical archetype of being slow, heavily armed, and heavily armored. Even the fastest assault 'mechs are only capable of moving barely above 80 kph, and such an optimization is severely curtailing these beasts firepower or armor potential. In combat, assault pilots carry the responsibility of establishing the frontlines of combat, or pushing an enemy line back with their toughness and enormous firepower. It is they who decide where the majority of a lance's firepower is directed. It is they who decide who lives and who dies. Such a responsibility does not make them invulnerable, however, actually, it's the opposite: They may be tough, and packed to the brim with weapons, but assault pilots absolutely need faster, more manueverable 'mechs in their lance to keep harrassers off of them, while the assault pilots direct their firepower and the protection of their wall of armor where it is needed most. Piloting a frontline assault 'mech is arguably one of the hardest roles a mechwarrior can take simply because every movement he makes in this slow-moving class is unforgiving; it can either get himself killed, or lead himself and his team toward victory.
The Awesome (AWS-8Q)
The Awesome is an all energy (or energy/missile depending on the variant) assault 'mech that was designed to function as a front line, long-range brawler for an extended period of fighting. For the most part, it succeeds in this role, but only if the pilot watches his heat and the damage sustained on his 'mech closely, as the 'mech runs extremely hot, and has a wide torso that has a lower armor quotiant then it's heavier counterparts.
The Victor (VTR-9B)
The Victor's rugged durability, manueverability, speed, and decently heavy armament allow it to function in two primary methods of support: Close-range "jump" brawling, or jump-sniping. This 'mech is flexible, and can be suited to other roles as well, but it functions the best along side front-line brawlers--or being the front-line brawler itself. It's only possible weakness is that the 'mech cannot be armed with ECM.
The Battlemaster (BLR-1G)
For being an 85 ton assault 'mech, the Battlemaster is capable of decent speed (an average of 63 kph), manueverability and an incredible amount of direct firepower (alpha strikes are capable of getting all the way up to 70 firepower--and that's if the pilot chooses to sacrifice some equipment or engine speed). With this firepower, speed, and decent armor, comes some fairly significant trade-offs. One is the location of the center-torso hitboxes, which encompass about half of the left and right torsos. Another drawback is the lack of jumpjets, but the Battlemaster makes up for the with the amount of firepower it brings to bear. The last (and probably the most obvious) weakness is the lack of ECM, which can make the Battlemaster especially vulnerable to LRMs. Battlemaster pilots will find themselves the most comfortable as front line brawlers; under the cover of ECM and AMS.
The Stalker (STK-3F)
A venerable 'mech design that is essentially a weapons platform on legs, the Stalker is slow, has armor that rivals the Atlas, and has many weapon hardpoints. As such, the Stalker is extremely capable of surpassing other 'mechs in direct and indirect fire support effectiveness, but has one downfall that keeps the Stalker from being the undisputed king of support 'mechs: Heat generation. As such, pilots who take up piloting a Stalker are STRONGLY advised to stagger their weapon fire, or risk over-heating their 'mech constantly.
The Highlander (HGN-732)
One could consider the Highlander a heavier version of the Victor in regards to roles. Key differences between the Highlander and the Victor, however, is that the Highlander has a wider silouette, moves significantly slower, and certain variants are capable of significantly greater armament and armor. The trade-off for it's greater firepower and toughness, however, are it's lack of speed and larger silouette. Like the Victor, Highlander pilots are usually the most successful in "jump-brawling," or jump-sniping roles.
The Banshee (BNC-3E)
This 'mech is an ancient Terran Hedgemony design. Made in 2445, the Banshee was created to be a fast and heavily armored assault 'mech. Sporting a GM 380 Standard Engine and fifteen tons of armor, this 'mech is very well protected and incredibly manueverable for an Assault 'mech. Even moreso then most 'mechs in it's weight class. However, such a devotion to speed and extremely heavy armor came at a price: Armament. With the hyper-focus on speed and protection, the first variant of the Banshee was armed with little more then 1x PPC, 1x AC/5, and 1x small laser. Luckily, by the time the Clans invaded, a MASSIVELY improved version of the Banshee was made using second Star League tech: The BNC-5S. By giving this 'mech a lighter or smaller engine, the sheer number of ballistic and energy slots on this 'mech's variants have makes this 'mech an easy rival of the Jaegermech and arguably the champion of direct fire ballistic support (it can even serve well in frontline, long or close range slug matches). This is so because it has significantly thicker armor then the Jaegermech, has high-set weapons for easy aiming, and can go at a decent speed for an assault. It weaknesses, however, are it's distinct lack of Electronics warfare equipment, and the fact the the majority of it's firepower is on it's torso. Granted, the Banshee has a faster turn radius then other Assault 'mechs in it's weight class, but turn radius of it's torso becomes irrelevant when light 'mechs are harrassing this 'mech at close range. If you want to wear the hats of both a direct-fire support 'mech, and a frontline slugger, then this 'mech is for you. Just be mindful of 'mech's that can outmanuever your turn radius!
The Atlas (AS7-D)
"A 'Mech as powerful as possible, as impenetrable as possible, and as ugly and foreboding as conceivable, so that fear itself will be our ally." -- Aleksandr Kerensky
The Atlas. Rightfully called, "The Death's Head," this ugly assault 'mech is easily the most recognizable and feared of all the 'mechs in the Inner Sphere's arsenal. The 'mech has the highest armor rating in the game and is capable of arming itself with a dizzying array of ballistic, energy, and missile weaponry. One variant even is capable of arming itself with ECM, which allows the Atlas pilot to cover his lance or team with an anti-missile umbrella that also consists of AMS (if he chooses to equip it). If a pilot chooses the Atlas, he must recognize that, regardless of the load-out he takes, he will be the center of combat and will give any who see him pause. An Atlas works the most effectively when it is fully armed and armored--speed is NOT your ally in this 'mech. A few kilometers here and there can help better manuever your Atlas, but the ability to coordinate with your team, position your 'mech, and direct your firepower will allow you be the most effective in this assault 'mech. My current record of damage dealt in this 'mech is 1,256 damage... if you choose the Atlas, awesome. Don't castrate that damage potential by under-arming your Atlas and remember that by choosing to pilot an Atlas, you ARE your team's shield, frontline, and heavy firepower.
Well, that's all the advice I can give, folks.
See you on the battlefield.
NOTE: This took about twelve hours to make. I typed it through the night, so, if I made a few grammar errors, forgive me. X_x I have no life... but I think if I can inform at least a few prospect 'mech pilots of how to play, then all this work was worth it.
If you have any builds, suggestions, or corrections, post them below! I'd love to read them.
Edited by ReXspec, 16 May 2014 - 07:47 PM.
