The best mediums are far, far more effective than the worst ones. I'd personally rank the 3 best to be Shadowhawk, Griffin, and the ECM version of the Cicada. Shawks have hunchback-like hill peeking without the hunch problem and far more tonnage available, Griffins are the best SRM boats and have incredible torso twist (so much so that you can run away while firing), the ECM cicada has the most payload of all the IS ECM mechs, letting you fight hard and protect at the same time.
And of course, logging into the mediums queue is a lot easier than the heavies and assaults. That changed for a while when the Nova was introduced and may change permanently once the stormcrow becomes available for cbill purchase.
So, if you were looking at other mediums and asking what they were good for... the answer might be different depending on WHICH medium you were comparing with.
** Note: Most of what I'm saying pertains to mechs available for Cbills now.
So, what roles?
* Medium LRM boats like the Kintaro, Trebuchet, Griffin have enough speed to flank the enemy and hit them from the sides, evade most retribution, and more easily keep the enemy out of the minimum LRM range.
* Medium Long-range builds have enough speed to maneuver to a rear sniping position, and unlike lights, have enough firepower to make that shot count. Example: Shawk 3ERLL build, Cicada 2PPC build.
* Mediums can make great use of cover, having enough firepower to peek one part of themselves out from cover, and having enough engine to get back under cover before return fire. Shawk/hunch for peeking over hills, nova or Yen-Lo-Wang for peeking one arm around a corner (do be careful not to get that arm shot off).
* Some mediums can carry enough engine to prosecute lights who venture into range. One example would be a shadowhawk 2d2 which can carry up to 4 SSRM, some arm-mounted pulses.
What they don't do well is tank. They are just slow enough that speed tanking isn't effective, and don't have the levels of armor found in heavy/assault. So you have to decide whether your cover is going to soak the damage, or the assault mech that you're following will.
Edited by Nidalap Live, 10 September 2014 - 09:47 PM.