28 replies to this topic

[Monroe the Pinhead]

i'm relatively new to mwo and am going to buy a mech, its not my first real mech, i foolishly squandered my cadet bonus on an Orion which for me as a total noob was not the best choice. so now I've grinded my way up to a sizable amount of c bills and it comes down to 2 mechs
The Nova NVA-S and
The Cataphract 3D.
Both have desirable hard points and i feel comfortable in both mechs so its a coin toss for me but i don't want to waste all those c bills again.
Is there any thing i should be aware of or any advice on making the decision i should know of?

any feedback is appreciated. thanks

[n r g]

depends what play style you like.

for me easily, the Cataphract 3D with dual gauss, or something like 2ppc1guass or 2ac52ppc or even something prototype like 2largepulse2ac5 or uac5

[Appogee]

Phract is far more versatile in terms of weapon loadout combinations. XL or standard engines, to go fast or tank/zombie, at your preference.

Nova is mostly an energy boat and runs too hot since PGI increased weapon heat. It has a fixed engine and that means its top speed is forever limited to what it comes with (after tweak).

No competition, really.

Edited by Appogee, 23 September 2014 - 12:27 PM.

[Cranial Enigma]

Go for the cata, right now the nova is extremely underwhelming because of the nerfs. Or you could wait another 2 weeks and get the stormcrow which is considered the best medium right now. (besides the shadowhawk).

[The Trumpet of Gabriel]

I would say it depends. Are you planning to participate in community warfare? Do you have a preference for Inner Sphere or Clan factions? The reason I ask is that you will be limited on what you can use based on your faction (you can use whatever you want in the public cue though).

A few things you should keep in mind:

1.) The Cataphract and Nova are different weight classes and will play differently.

2.) The Cataphract has 4 variants whereas the nova only has 3.

3.) The nova is considered to be not as good as the other clan medium, the stormcrow, whereas the cataphract is considered one of the best (most competitive) heavy chassis in the game. Probably considered the best IS heavy hands down.

4.) The nova is very customizable with the ability to change omni pods. The cataphracts have a good variety in what you can do with each variant, and all of the variants can be built to perform competitively in different roles.

So, all that said, as a newer player it would probably be better to go with the cataphract, the 3D in particular. If you are interested in a hero mech the Ilya Muromets is a great choice and is a very effective cbill grinder. Just wait for the next 50% off sale. If you really want a clan medium, I would personally wait for the stormcrow to come out for chills...

p.s. I love all of my orions. Tough mech to start with, but can be a lot of fun once you get used to them.

[MarineTech]

Of the 2 choices you listed, I would also have to advocate the Cataphract.

It's a MUCH more flexible chassis to start with and much more forgiving to new users.

[Virlutris]

Probably Cataphract.

The Nova will force you to learn fire discipline and manage heat if you want to pilot it well. If you can, it will benefit you on every other chassis you play. Otherwise, that's going to be a long grind because the Nova's laser builds are can be unforgiving on heat buildup. FWIW, 4 or more weapon groups of differing numbers of lasers will help manage heat on the Nova.

Early in your "career," as long as you can aim those autocannons and lead your target a little, the Cataphract is probably a better pick between these 2 chassis IMHO.

You'll learn something from either chassis, but a better fit will make for a better grind towards upgrades and the next mech in line.

You can always come back around to the other one.

Edited by Virlutris, 23 September 2014 - 01:00 PM.

[Spheroid]

I don't recommend the Nova. I suggest you try the trial Cicada or Hunchback and see how you handle hex mlas. If you do well with those consider a Blackjack-1X.

[Krostif]

i suggest you got cataphract to its still easely the best IS heavy in the game and the nova well it rly took the laser nerf hard also its not as agile as any other 50tonner rly ...

[Anassi]

The Nova is a coffin if you don't do it right. And I totally love the little bugger.

This is one mech that tends to run really, really, really hot. It's primarily designed to boat tons of smaller energy weapons and those can stack their heat very quickly. It will teach you proper positioning, trigger discipline and over everything else it teaches you not to panic. You've got to lurk, you've got to hide, jump out at the right moment and unload your ridiculous firepower into an enemies weak spot, then fade again.
On the other hand, if you *do* panic and fire both arms at the same time you get roasted - quite literally. The current stock Prime build is pretty much unplayable after the recent nerf to energy weapons heat, so you will have to modify it. My personal favorite is Prime arms with 3x ERML, 3x ERSL per arm and -S side torsos with 2x MG per side. Doesn't lose much of the classic Nova punch at close range but the heat is more manageable and the MGs give you something to fire when you wait for the heat to drop down. They are also pretty awesome as crit seekers.

So in short - the Nova is and has always been my favorite Clanner. It's not easy to pilot but it looks awesome and is incredibly rewarding if you manage to pull it off. If you are a total beginner and are just looking for a good time then the Nova is probably not for you as it has a very steep learning curve. You will overheat and die frequently. It's not exactly lumbering but (especially compared to the Stormcrow) it is somewhat lacking in agility. It's short but very wide and has often times most if not all the firepower in the arms, which tend to get shot off. The arms are mounted very low and make ridge peeking difficult (although that's the case for the 'Phract too, and that one has several variants that can't jump).

If you are however looking for a machine that can teach you a lot of important tools and techniques that will be very handy for your future MWO career and don't have a problem with a hard-to-master mech, then by all means go buy the Nova. If not - the Cataphract is a great machine, a ton of fun, still one of the best heavies in the game and will probably give you a great time anyway.

Edited by Anassi, 24 September 2014 - 03:04 PM.

[ImperialKnight]

You can't just buy one variant of a mech. I mean, you can, but you're not maximising it without Mastering it.

So realistically you are looking to blow CBills on 3 mechs. Advantage of Clan is that you can't do upgrades, on IS mechs, you have to factor in the cost of upgrades as well.

For Medium, I would say go for a Shadowhawk, Griffin or wait another month for the Stormcrow. These 3 far outclass any other chasis in the Medium category.

For Heavies, I would say wait for the Timberwolf. Cause there really isn't much point of using any other Heavies. Yes, the Cataphract is a great IS mech (I have 3 including the Hero myself). But that's just it, it was great until the Clan invasion. The Timberwolf outperforms also any other mech in the game.

[E O Blazer]

Haha. I bought the nova first ( after having many 500 dmg matches in the stock) and yes I will havebad matches. I haven't played with the cataphract (considering I am new). Play with the stock, and if it doesnt work go cataphract.

[Lily from animove]

cataphract

if you are new to the game I doubt you will have fun in a Nova. Its a hard mech. Serveral newbies I tried to explain and ffind love for the Nova left it.

Anassi, on 24 September 2014 - 03:01 PM, said:

The Nova is a coffin if you don't do it right. And I totally love the little bugger.

This is one mech that tends to run really, really, really hot. It's primarily designed to boat tons of smaller energy weapons and those can stack their heat very quickly. It will teach you proper positioning, trigger discipline and over everything else it teaches you not to panic. You've got to lurk, you've got to hide, jump out at the right moment and unload your ridiculous firepower into an enemies weak spot, then fade again.
On the other hand, if you *do* panic and fire both arms at the same time you get roasted - quite literally. The current stock Prime build is pretty much unplayable after the recent nerf to energy weapons heat, so you will have to modify it. My personal favorite is Prime arms with 3x ERML, 3x ERSL per arm and -S side torsos with 2x MG per side. Doesn't lose much of the classic Nova punch at close range but the heat is more manageable and the MGs give you something to fire when you wait for the heat to drop down. They are also pretty awesome as crit seekers.

So in short - the Nova is and has always been my favorite Clanner. It's not easy to pilot but it looks awesome and is incredibly rewarding if you manage to pull it off. If you are a total beginner and are just looking for a good time then the Nova is probably not for you as it has a very steep learning curve. You will overheat and die frequently. It's not exactly lumbering but (especially compared to the Stormcrow) it is somewhat lacking in agility. It's short but very wide and has often times most if not all the firepower in the arms, which tend to get shot off. The arms are mounted very low and make ridge peeking difficult (although that's the case for the 'Phract too, and that one has several variants that can't jump).

If you are however looking for a machine that can teach you a lot of important tools and techniques that will be very handy for your future MWO career and don't have a problem with a hard-to-master mech, then by all means go buy the Nova. If not - the Cataphract is a great machine, a ton of fun, still one of the best heavies in the game and will probably give you a great time anyway.

Most things are true, but not the conclusion. A new player will have too many other things to lern to undertsand why the Nova he sits in will fail quite often. Nova is not a beginner mech. You need to know the games basics first before you should try a Nova.

Edited by Lily from animove, 25 September 2014 - 01:49 AM.

[Monroe the Pinhead]

I Decided to go cataphract after all and i don't regret it. thanks for the advice it made a big difference in choosing the only problem i have now with my mech is the engine, its an xl 280 and every time i die its because of the engine i didnt have this problem with the trial mech. Should i buy an STD engine instead? ( i think im gonna post the question in a new thread) anyways thanks for all the advice for someone new to mwo.

[MasterBLB]

Check armor distibution - you should not put more than 10 to the back of side torsos.

[Lily from animove]

Monroe the Pinhead, on 25 September 2014 - 11:24 AM, said:

I Decided to go cataphract after all and i don't regret it. thanks for the advice it made a big difference in choosing the only problem i have now with my mech is the engine, its an xl 280 and every time i die its because of the engine i didnt have this problem with the trial mech. Should i buy an STD engine instead? ( i think im gonna post the question in a new thread) anyways thanks for all the advice for someone new to mwo.

try to get used to it, if it stays an issue, chanage it. Torso twisting works well on the catapharact

[DrSlamastika]

I dont have Nova, but Cataphracts are one of the best mechs in the game!

Edited by DrSlamastika, 26 September 2014 - 01:33 AM.

[Rogue Jedi]

if you are usualy dying to side torso loss, then it is probabaly a good idea to change to a standard engine, but bear in mind the engine size is not just about walking speed, it also affects torso twist and arm movement speed, if you want to keep the speed and agility you will loose about 12 tonnes, this means loosing a significant part of your firepower, or you can go for a smaller standard engine and keep most of the firepower but the mech will be slow and sluggish compaired to how it is now.

Also I strongly recomend you keep the XL280 engine even if you are not going to be using it for a while, the XL280 is one of the most useful engines in the game (most light, medium and heavy Mechs can make good use of that engine), and you only get half the item value if you sell it.

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

Phract wins by a billion trillion margin.

Good brawler with AC20+lazors,can do gauss sniping and anything energy/ballistic-related stuff and excel in it.

[Brody319]

Nova is garbage, it has too many lasers. You core yourself from heat before the enemy does. I see it a lot. 3 Novas. 4 minutes into the game, player 3 has killed player 3. player 5 has killed player 5. ect ect.