6 replies to this topic

[Marillion551]

I recently started playing mwo after a year long break due to frustration of playing the game a in the state it was then. Im delighted to find the game is now very good so I've been grinding out matches. I want to buy a clan medium and am torn between the stormcrow and the nova. I enjoy playing the stormcrow trial mech but the nova also looks like an interesting mech. What are you current players' opinions on which one will be the best mech (i.e. fun, strong, solid, etc.) for me. I enjoy all forms of engagement though close range brawling is not my strong suit, I prefer medium range engagements if that helps with anything. Thanks.

[Mad Dog Morgan]

The more expensive (and admittedly clearer choice) of the two is the Stormcrow. Its speed, maneuverability, and array of laser hardpoints and/or missile hardpoints (with that one ballistic arm) make it a very solid, well-rounded mech to pilot. Anyone will tell you it is the go-to for clan mediums right now.

The Nova, on the other hand, is a boatload of boating fun... with lasers. One of my favorite builds operates 12 small lasers and 4 machine guns for insane high-alpha ambushing. It is a mech of opportunity, but it should never stray too far from the pack. It can also be a fairly proficient sniper with large lasers backed up by small lasers. PPC + 6 Small Lasers and 4 MGs is decent, too. The jumpjets afford it extra mobility, but it is not a mech to use in the open or on your own.

If you want crazy speed and ludicrous torso twisting... the Engine-On-Legs, the Icebox... I mean... Ice Ferret, is tremendous fun. If you're precise and good at nailing potshots, the Ice Ferret is a speed demon striker. It is currently the fastest clan medium and is likely to remain so, even after the Shadow Cat gets its MASC. The only Clan mech that will compete with its speed is the Hankyu (Arctic Cheetah).

Edited by Vaskadar, 06 April 2015 - 10:44 PM.

[Ace Selin]

The Stormcrow is considered the best mech in the medium class and one of the holy trinity - which includes the Dire and Madcat, due to these being the 3 best mechs in the game.

Get the Crow if you want to slaughter mechs and wipe off damage smugly from other mechs with your broken hitboxes.

[MonkeyCheese]

Stormcrow all the way it can use all the weapon types where the nova has no missiles, sure the nova sounds fun until you cook yourself alphastriking 12 SMALL LASERS... sure u can fire 6 in each arm then the other arm but it just aint fun, you may as well find something faster with 6 energy hardpoints.

[Leone]

So, I'm a Nova Pilot, through and through. I own both, and for me, the nova can out fire the Stormcrow. And it's light enough so in CW I can take two Novas, a Hellbringer and a Timberwolf. (I refuse to get any Clan mech that comes with Ferro Fibrous but not Endosteel out of principle. So inefficient, but I digress.)

Now, that doesn't necessarily make it the mech for you.

If you like the Small laser spam, I have seen a 9 Small Pulse Laser Stormcrow. Which, let's be honest, is gonna be more efficient than the Nova, because it doesn't waste tonnage on Jump Jets. The Stormcrow also has Endosteel and FerroFibrious, which the nova doesn't so, less room for lots of small things, but it has the tonnage for a better engine. Nova is a 5/8 Walk/run. Stormcrow is a 6/9. To use battletech terminology.

I like the nova because if I want to build a sniper, I like being able to jump jet to better locations. If I want to poke, I can poke with Six medium lasers in an arm, and if I want to brawl, I can jump behind the enemy with six small lasers a punch, two punches a recycle, and some solid 6~8 shots in a row before I hafta start worrying about redlining it. My Super Nova puts out 60 Damage a go, with a 2.25 recycle time, before modules or skills. I can duel an Assault with that thing, though it's usually crippled in the fight and I rarely survive after.

But, let's not cloud the bare facts with my own interpretation. Let's look at raw numbers. Fully armoured, the Stormcrow has 22.8 tonnage left. The Nova, 15.4 left. This may be important if you prefer ranged combat to brawling.

Yes, the stormcrow runs faster, and can load missiles, and might be more efficient tonnage, but if you like lasers, don't mind having all your weaponry on your arms, and enjoy some guerrilla warfare, the I'd say, go with the Nova.

Edited by Leone, 07 April 2015 - 02:25 AM.

[Astarot]

Hello fellow closed beta player. Upon you asking, I will now provide a few choices of my own opinions, experiences, and play times to your roster.

First, let me start off with explaining in little a few key differences between clan mechs, and IS mechs.

IS mechs general over-view:

First and in key, they are the most flexable when it comes to mechs. Not only are their load outs non-fix, meaning, that they can change everything about their loadouts. But they gain some interesting quirks and bonuses to work with. A lot of IS mech quirks will tell you what this mech is design for, while you by no means have to fit in those quirks. They will still help you greatly with picking a focus.

Second, IS mechs have much better heat management, typically a well built IS mech will last in engagements far longer then a clan mech, which results IS mechs being a favor in close range engagements in which forces clan mechs to engage in close range battles.

Third and finally: IS weapons are much better at applying their damage faster. Clan missiles are in streams while IS missiles are in clusters, Clan lasers take longer to apply full damage, while the IS lasers apply their damage much faster, allowing to spend less time peaking.

finally, most clan mechs come with low slung weapon systems. So be mindful of that low building, or you might end up shooting it.

Clan mechs: Clan mechs have a greater range then IS mechs, making them in favor for long range engagements. Though missiles are still of equivalent ranges. It mainly in lasers that the Clan mechs excel at.

second: While it takes longer for them to apply full damage, they can dish out much more damage then a IS mech can, of course at the cost of taking longer and generating more heat.

third: Clan mechs do one thing really really well. And that is of long range engagements. If you can keep the enemy IS mechs at range, then you can engage long range, you will win hands down majority of the time.


One the fence: Clan mechs do not have any real light mechs, even a clan mech's lights play as fast, and light mediums. This means IS light mechs can gain intel on clan movements before Clan mechs can gain their own intel. Of course the flip of the coin on that is that every clan mech can dish out consider amounts of damage.

Nova vs Stormcrow? Well depends on the build. Storm crow sits up higher and is a much taller target, but it can see over things that the nova can't. The flip side is that the Nova can pack on massive amounts of laser weaponry, as well as jump jets if you are careful with your weight management. All in all, it depends on what you want to do. Storm crow is more versatile then the nova, but at the same time, the nova is a specialist, it all about dem lasers.

[stalima]

stormcrow has variation, high speed and annoying hitboxes.

The nova has brutally high burst damage with little real variation (but some fun), lasers lasers and more lasers!

Then theres the Ice ferret, its fast... annoying as hell and looks like a walking recycling bin, whats not to like?