14 replies to this topic

[MechLord71]

Hello all! I have the following Clan mechs from the first wave:

- Novas
- Stormcrows
- Summoners
- Timber Wolves
- Warhawks
- Dire Wolves

I really like the Stormcrow and Timberwolf chassis. Recently, I have considered adding to my Clan stable by purchasing:

1) A single variant of the Mad Dog with MC (leaning toward Prime or D version)

or

2) Purchasing the Hellbringer variants a la carte.

Due to expense of doing both, I am really not considering that right now unless there is a great reason to do so. Right now I am leaning toward the Hellbringer since it adds something new in a Heavy ECM-capable mech. The Mad Dog looks great and is iconic, but it seems like the TWolf or Stormcrow could do what the Mad Dog does. I appreciate any advice you have.

Thanks!

Edited by MechLord71, 21 December 2014 - 09:18 AM.

[Lsq78]

Maddog is getting released for cbills next month or so. Get the HBR.
As for the maddog variant, it doesn't matter, but you want the side torsos with 3 missile hardpoints.

[gl0w]

I don't have any Mad Dogs, but the Hellbringer is a lot of fun to ambush with. It's nice having a decent amount of firepower with the ecm because you can usually tear through rear armor pretty quickly. The HBR doesn't have a lot of armor, but I've heard the mad dog is squishy too. The HBR quickly took over the top spot in Kill ratio on my mech stats page.

[MechLord71]

Thanks guys!

[Repasy Cooper]

Mad Dog Prime is a great 2nd line mech for CW. It's got the lrms for long range fire support, and if you control your heat the medium and large pulse lasers tear apart light mechs during the ling rush. I recommend getting that when it's available for C-bills.

[MechLord71]

Thanks will do. Two matches in the Hellbringer. So far, regret the purchase but it is early. Mech feels very sluggish and not hard to kill. Must practice.

[Repasy Cooper]

If you look over the description for the Hellbringer on Sarna Battletech Wiki, it mentions how the mech got it's IS callsign "Loki". It's design is loco, CRAZY, lol.

The mech brings an unconventional amount of weapons to the battlefield for its size, but at the cost of armor. So it was never a popular mech with the clans to begin with, as lore would have it. However, I will say that with sufficient practice the Hellbringer rains death and destruction on the battlefield. Coupled with the fact that it can equip ECM, it's definitely not a worthless mech.

Try experimenting with loadouts, it's got something for everybody.

[Reaper One Nine]

You will definately have to keep trying the to get the right mix for load outs on the the Hellbringer. If I would have seen this before I would have cautioned you. I have great luck with the MDs in CW, running two of them on the drop deck. I built up an HBR also for CW, but I still think its squishy so dropped it back out along with the Crow and went with a TBR and a Myst Lynx. The HBR has a place, but I find it hard to be consistent with it like I am with the MDs

[Lsq78]

MechLord71, on 21 December 2014 - 04:57 PM, said:

Thanks will do. Two matches in the Hellbringer. So far, regret the purchase but it is early. Mech feels very sluggish and not hard to kill. Must practice.

Try this configuration.
Stupidly simple, stupidly effective.
HBR-A
Group 1 : arm-mounted lasers
Group 2 : Torso and head-mounted lasers
Group 3: chain fire
The heat load is very manageable, especially mastered. I run the cooldown module along with the range module for maximum effectiveness.

[MarineTech]

The thing to remember about the Hellbringer is that it is NOT a front-line fighter. It's fragile compared to other Clan heavies.

What it's great at is as an ambusher and support mech.

Stick slightly behind your front line to shield them with your ECM, and lend your fire to finishing off wounded mechs. It also works great as a flanker in the mid-to-late game. Work your way off to the side of the enemy from where they're engaging your friendlies and focus fire on damaged areas of wounded mechs.

I did that on HPG yesterday and wound up with 5 kills and 6 assists by picking off wounded mechs out of their firing line. You want to stay about 300 meters out to avoid anybody with an Active Probe defeating your ECM and picking you up.

[LordMelvin]

MarineTech, on 22 December 2014 - 09:07 AM, said:

The thing to remember about the Hellbringer is that it is NOT a front-line fighter. It's fragile compared to other Clan heavies.

What it's great at is as an ambusher and support mech.

Stick slightly behind your front line to shield them with your ECM, and lend your fire to finishing off wounded mechs. It also works great as a flanker in the mid-to-late game. Work your way off to the side of the enemy from where they're engaging your friendlies and focus fire on damaged areas of wounded mechs.

I did that on HPG yesterday and wound up with 5 kills and 6 assists by picking off wounded mechs out of their firing line. You want to stay about 300 meters out to avoid anybody with an Active Probe defeating your ECM and picking you up.

MarineTech nailed it on the head. The Hellbringer doesn't have the armor or hitboxes to tank damage like the Timber Wolf or Stormcrow so you'll want to let them do the bulk of the frontline fighting.

I like to sit back with my stock Prime and lob PPCs at people to soften them up while giving ECM coverage. Once the clean-up phase starts I'll waltz in and start stripping components with the SRMs and MGs.

[MechLord71]

I will give those a try...the Clan UAC/20 is getting me in trouble so going to change that out for a 10 or 5s in that variant for now as well.

[gl0w]

2xc-UAC5 is quite effective most of the time. It lends itself to second line fire support. As others have mentioned, the HBR just isn't much of a tank. It's most effective when ambushing. I usually wind up using pretty similar load-outs, a bunch of medium lasers and some other weapon, usually a ballistic, 2xASRM6, or a cLPL to finish the laser vomit build.

Some of the most fun I have had with HBRs was in the Hell Finger build. Since it's left loaded you can actually brawl and soak damage with your right side. You also have an lbx20 with actuators until you lose the right arm. Excels later in the fight, but always keep your eyes open for critical components. I also like to use the gauss rifle in the same way, but it benefits slightly more than the lbx20 from being in the RT since you can do some great hill humping at range, while taking very little return fire.

Edited by gl0w, 30 December 2014 - 07:31 AM.

[Shade4x]

They are both good mech's. Vulture aka mad dog goes for c-bills in a week or two. That does not make it a prime with c-bill bonus though. The hellbringer ala cart does.

My suggestion, get the hellbringer unless your absolute favorite mech of all time is the mad dog and you need to farm c-bills with it.

Both are extreamly good. I've gotten multiple 1k damage games with multiple builds from all. The hell bringer works as a good energy platform, where the mad dog works as a good hybrid.

Hellbringer : 6 MPulse 2 SRM 4's, UAC20, 6SPLasers, 6mLaser's and a gauss.

Maddog: 6 srm 4's and a gauss, 6 LRM 5's and 5 mLaser, 6LRM 5's 2x llas, 2xmlas.

all of those builds play extreamly well. It basicly comes down to missiles vs ecm.

[Bows3r]

If your running the Hellbringer, always max the armor, or strip a bit on the right side to fit something bigger and use that side for a shield, as for the Mad Dog, boats missiles like no one's business, will beat any config of the Timber Wolf in a Missile heavy role, but it's squishy as hell.