16 replies to this topic

[MechLord71]

Hello all. To hold me over until I get my Warhammer in January, I was thinking of trying out a new Heavy class Inner Sphere mech. I already own the Thunderbolt and Grasshopper and I have tried out several others previously.

Play-style: I tend to fight as a mid range skirmisher or occasional brawler. I am not really too big into sniping. I will use jump jets on occasion, but more to cross terrain than as a tactic when fighting. I enjoy a fairly well balanced mech between damage and survivability. As for weapons, I use almost anything other than Gauss, MGs and flamers.

Inner Sphere Mechs I am considering:

Black Knight (may be too much like my Grasshoppers as an all energy mech)

Orion ( good mix of hard points, but not XL friendly generally)

Marauder (would have to wait until December 1st and who knows if it will be good or not)

Skip the heavy and move up to the Mauler (I already have the Zeus, which I really like)

Skip the Inner Sphere, you just have to try a Cauldron Born (I already have Timber Wolves and Hellbringers)

Thanks!

[Roughneck45]

My feelings on all but the Marauder.
-Black Knight is pretty underwhelming.
-Orion is fun to play with a mini atlas brawling build, but not a great mech overall.
-Mauler is one of my favorites and a great assault mech if you enjoy the class.
-Cauldron Born is one of the best heavies in the game.

[TheArisen]

You might want to consider the Quickdraw. Currently the 5K variant has good quirks.

I would say try the Dragon for it's 1N variant but quirks are getting shifted soonish.

[Phra]

T-bolts are the only IS heavies worth having, with the hoppers coming in at a distant second.

Jags are basicly mini TBRs with better hardpoints, plus a DHS, minus JJs with worse hitboxes. Not much of a brawler.

[Kira Onime]

Given the IS heavies you listed, I'd skip them.
Can't speak for the marauder, has potential on paper.

EBJ is a good mech to pickup if you don't have it.

[Funkin Disher]

Marauder looks like it'll be worth picking up.

Have you tried phracts? They're solid choices.
How do you feel about catapults? They ain't meta, but they aren't slackers either.
Black Knights are just bigger grasshoppers. They are deadly in their element but very much a one trick pony.
The Mauler is fantastic, they wear their name well.
EBJ are good just like the Tiber Wolves and Hellbringers. Summoners are behind other clan options but still ahead of most IS ones, and can be fun to use.

[MechLord71]

Thanks guys! If I already have the Stormcrows and Timberwolves mastered is there a reason to pick up the Ebon Jaguar/Cauldron Born (aka are they different enough to warrant a purchase)?

The Mauler is sounding more and more intriguing...may have to try one out when they release for cbills.

Thanks again

[Void Angel]

MechLord71, on 26 October 2015 - 03:46 AM, said:

Hello all. To hold me over until I get my Warhammer in January, I was thinking of trying out a new Heavy class Inner Sphere mech. I already own the Thunderbolt and Grasshopper and I have tried out several others previously.

Play-style: I tend to fight as a mid range skirmisher or occasional brawler. I am not really too big into sniping. I will use jump jets on occasion, but more to cross terrain than as a tactic when fighting. I enjoy a fairly well balanced mech between damage and survivability. As for weapons, I use almost anything other than Gauss, MGs and flamers.

Inner Sphere Mechs I am considering:

Black Knight (may be too much like my Grasshoppers as an all energy mech)

Orion ( good mix of hard points, but not XL friendly generally)

Marauder (would have to wait until December 1st and who knows if it will be good or not)

Skip the heavy and move up to the Mauler (I already have the Zeus, which I really like)

Skip the Inner Sphere, you just have to try a Cauldron Born (I already have Timber Wolves and Hellbringers)

Thanks!

Thunderbolt. Whoops, you already have that! =) I'd say try the Cauldron Born - I hear good things about that one.

[KuroNyra]

An Inner Sphere Heavy?


The Black Knight. While not meta, that guy can pack heavy punch and will make you enjoy laser boats version.

Or you can take an Orion and create a sort of Warhammer build on it.

[Michal R]

IS - Quickdraw - best IS heavy.
Clan - Loki, for me best Clan heavy.

[SethAbercromby]

Hmm, i'm still struggling to find my personal favorite among the Heavies myself. I've had more fun in Catapults than Thunderbolts, maybe I should try out a Quickdraw eventually.

[Bespoke Cheese Cake]

Phra, on 03 November 2015 - 10:48 AM, said:

T-bolts are the only IS heavies worth having, with the hoppers coming in at a distant second.

Jags are basicly mini TBRs with better hardpoints, plus a DHS, minus JJs with worse hitboxes. Not much of a brawler.

After some one vs one duels between T-bolts and Grasshoppers I have found the two chassis to be evenly matched. Personally I prefer Grasshoppers and I use them to hunt clanners without issue.
The Jagermechs and Cataphracts are still worth a look as well because Ultra 5 Dakka.

Since we're also talking Clan heavies the Cauldron Born is more than just a pocket Timberwolf, but it does a damn good job of being one and a lot of Timberwolf builds drop straight in.

[Chados]

I have 23 mechs, all IS save a Summoner a la carte I got so I could see how the other half lives and one Mad Cat. I have three Thunderbolts and they are the only ones I have that sport a positive k/d ratio, also....they are a good platform.

But they aren't the ones I keep coming back to. My favorite of the 23? The one I'd keep if suddenly we could only have one? My Jester. I hope it gets to keep its Large Laser quirks in the rebalance. It's maneuverable, agile, and has just enough jet to negotiate terrain. It can't fly like my SMN can, but it can run at 83kph and still has dual AMS and a ton and a half of ammo for the LRM storm, and packs four Large Lasers that with a level 5 range module and its LL quirks can reach out almost as far as an unquirked ER LL for much less heat. It has some structure buffs and a big, silly grin, too

The 5D Marauder will be jet-capable, as will the BH, which I still haven't decided on getting or not. The 3R doesn't, and I don't remember whether the 5M will. I've been running tests on the 3R's weapon package using a Catapult K2 as the test platform and the results are encouraging. Plus it's teaching me to manage three weapon groups. It's going to be a heat-challenged package with the PPCs. But if they give it the Timber Wolf's hitboxes and some armor/structure buffs...and especially if the energy package gets some love in the form of the K2's PPC velocity boost and laser quirks...(I suppose a uAC jam-chance reduction on the 3R(S) is too much to ask for)...it ought to be a nasty mid-range brawler.

Edited by Chados, 04 November 2015 - 03:19 AM.

[Mercworks]

Never overlook a good Jagermech. I like the AC40 bomb for sheer destructiveness, but the triple UAC5 is a lovely little direct fire guy.

[Roughneck45]

MechLord71, on 03 November 2015 - 09:13 PM, said:

Thanks guys! If I already have the Stormcrows and Timberwolves mastered is there a reason to pick up the Ebon Jaguar/Cauldron Born (aka are they different enough to warrant a purchase)?

The loadouts are going to be very similar, the actual shape of the mech and hardpoint locations make it feel a little different, not by much though.

MechLord71, on 03 November 2015 - 09:13 PM, said:

The Mauler is sounding more and more intriguing...may have to try one out when they release for cbills.

It is a beast, I'd argue it's the best IS assault mech, certainly my favorite.

[Fulgar]

As a clanner, when I see a Cataphract, I know I am in for a long drawn out fight. I do not know anything about quirks, loadouts or even hardpoints. I just know that it is a knock down fight with them.

Just my thoughts.

Thanks,
Fulgar

[William Slayer]

Cataphract, Brawler friendly!

Never seen a "firehose of damage" like you get downrange from a Cataphract...