40 replies to this topic

[Donnybrook]

Hey guys, I'd love your suggestions: which Inner Sphere Medium mech should I buy next?

I already have Shadowhawks and Griffins, which have been wicked fun mastering. As for playstyle, I'm fine with being adaptable. I like brawling, skirmishing, sniping, etc. To me, they're all a good time.

Thanks for your thoughts! Much appreciated.

Votes so far:
Hunchback: 8
Blackjack: 5
Enforcer: 3
Wolverine: 3
Centurion: 2
Cicada: 1 (it's gone plaid!)
Crab: 1

Special mention:
Da Urbie!

Edited by Garrick Kael, 10 February 2016 - 05:20 PM.

[Bud Crue]

Garrick Kael, on 08 February 2016 - 04:12 PM, said:

Hey guys, I'd love your suggestions: which Inner Sphere Medium mech should I buy next?

I already have Shadowhawks and Griffins, which have been wicked fun mastering. As for playstyle, I'm fine with being adaptable. I like brawling, skirmishing, sniping, etc. To me, they're all a good time.

Thanks for your thoughts! Much appreciated.

Not much for limitations, so I guess sky's the limit. Black Jack is always good (even after they nerf its structure it will still be good). Can make it into dang near anything (brawler, skirmisher, sniper, etc.). Only thing it can't do is missiles.

Edited by Bud Crue, 08 February 2016 - 04:19 PM.

[ExplicitContent]

I concur with Bud and would definitely recommend the Black Jacks. They are versatile and tank like no other medium in the game. One of my favorite chassis in game and definitely a great medium.

[Leone]

Well.... Have you tried lights yet? Cuz if not, the Cicada is the gateway mech to light piloting.

If you have, or aren't sure that's your thing, I think the HBK is always solid choice, and throw my vote in there.

~Leone.

[stealthraccoon]

Urbanmech!

It's really just a medium mech that shed 20 excess pounds besides, name one medium mech that can fit under the ramps on HPG, and isn't that really what matters?

[TAKTCOM]

Enforcers is good.

[Chadamir Fitzkrieg]

HBK-4P
Why? 9 medium laser scalpel that cuts side torsos off like a carving knife through paper. That and going 94kph is pretty sweet.

[Veolfen]

Blackjack, Hunchback or Crabs.

[Donnybrook]

Leone, on 08 February 2016 - 08:31 PM, said:

Well.... Have you tried lights yet?

~Leone.

I have! Had a lot of fun mastering a couple variants of the Wolfhound and Panther (PPCs were hard to learn on the run!). I think that after I get another Medium under my belt, I'll pick either another Light class or Assault class to add to the mech hangar.

Addendum:

No one's mentioned the Centurion. Is that a mech out of favor?

Edited by Garrick Kael, 09 February 2016 - 12:29 AM.

[InsaneRotta]

FitzgeraId, on 08 February 2016 - 10:40 PM, said:

HBK-4P
Why? 9 medium laser scalpel that cuts side torsos off like a carving knife through paper. That and going 94kph is pretty sweet.

Dat ghost heat doe...

[WrathOfDeadguy]

For my part, I'd always recommend the Hunchback. It's not the king of the meta heap, but it does a lot of very different things very well, from mini-dakka with dual AC5/UAC5, to laservomit, to mixed loadout brawling, to good 'ol AC20 boom. Since nobody's mentioned them yet, I'll also tip my hat to the Centurions for classic sword-and-board brawling action.

While Blackjacks seem to be winning the vote so far, a word of caution: they're currently severely overquirked, PGI is aware of the fact, and they will quite shortly be on the receiving end of some major nerfs. If the chassis speaks to you, then by all means buy it, but if you aren't sure about it hold off until after the next rebalance patch to see where it ends up. Right now they're pretty much the best medium chassis in the game, but historically they've been lower-middle-tier 'Mechs (albeit very fun ones).

[DevlinCognito]

Wolverine. You have a dakka chassis, a laser chassis, and a straight out brawler. Solid Mechs, good variety of playstyles (while the 6R is good for dakka, it also makes a pretty good lurm-isher if you are that way inclined).

Complete the triumvirate!

[Exard3k]

Hunchback for brawling (4G, 4SP), Blackjack for Sniping (BJ-3, Arrow, BJ-1), Cicada for ludicrous speed (scouting, flanking, a light mechs work with a bigger punch, also check 3M for ECM and UAC5).

[DrnkJawa]

For brawling Enforcer 4P especially since its still on sale dirt cheap. You get a mech with a 250 engine, FF, ES and DHS all stock for 4million cbills(without sale)

[Guitar Czar]

For some reason I still do better in my HBK-4SP than any other mech, it's ridiculous what an SRM 12 and 5 Med Lasers can accomplish. But maybe this is because people ignore me for other priority targets? Hunchbacks are good though, surprisingly fast and agile once elited.

[InsaneRotta]

Guitar Czar, on 09 February 2016 - 03:08 AM, said:

For some reason I still do better in my HBK-4SP than any other mech, it's ridiculous what an SRM 12 and 5 Med Lasers can accomplish. But maybe this is because people ignore me for other priority targets? Hunchbacks are good though, surprisingly fast and agile once elited.

The hunchback is a nice versatile chassis. Respectable speed and firepower. The 4SP is currently THE structure monster (160 total) boasting bigger structure quirks than the Atlas (149 total).

[Boulangerie]

Garrick Kael, on 09 February 2016 - 12:23 AM, said:

I have! Had a lot of fun mastering a couple variants of the Wolfhound and Panther (PPCs were hard to learn on the run!). I think that after I get another Medium under my belt, I'll pick either another Light class or Assault class to add to the mech hangar.

Addendum:

No one's mentioned the Centurion. Is that a mech out of favor?

Well, it has lost some of its appeal for people due to the large size, lack of jump jets, and relatively lower engine cap.

That said, it's still one of my favorite mechs. I run a YLW and the AL mostly. YLW is traditional, sword and board style.

The AL runs 3 LL, and the quirks for it are really great. If you want ridiculous, you can grab the D, and run around with an autoshotty blasting fools until you run out of ammo (about 20 seconds or so).

Don't be afraid to XL the Centurions now (even though I don't usually), because their lack of hardpoints generally means you need the extra weight to load up on larger weapons. I've been thinking of upgrading my AL to 3xLPL since their energy quirks were made more generic.

[Leone]

Garrick Kael, on 09 February 2016 - 12:23 AM, said:

Addendum:

No one's mentioned the Centurion. Is that a mech out of favor?

I enjoy, and am still working on mastering my centurions. I suggested the HBK instead because the hunch pulls the weapons in closer to the cockpit, which I like for the ambiance. Also, whilest both have variants that can run dual uac5s, the centurion runs the ballistics in the arm, whereas the HBK-4G keeps them in the safer, closer, hunch. The centurion an the hunchback have the same tonnage, an thus similar build considerations, but I like the loadout of the HBKs more for my playstyle. (Which by the way is 'nasty, brutish and short-lived.')

~Leone

Edited by Leone, 09 February 2016 - 03:23 PM.

[Chados]

I'm like Devlin. Wolverine all the way, the 6R is outstanding and can pack three SRM6 or ASRM4s!

[jss78]

Chados, on 09 February 2016 - 03:55 PM, said:

I'm like Devlin. Wolverine all the way, the 6R is outstanding and can pack three SRM6 or ASRM4s!

Really there are tons of good reasons to play most of the IS mediums, but vote would also be on the Wolverine. I've been having tons of fun levelling up mine, and yep, 3xSRM6 is brutal. The only problem is that I somehow tend to be overly aggressive in my Wolverines, and the results are often embarrassing though occasionally spectacular.

Cannot go wrong with Blackjacks, if direct fire support is your thing. Got autocannon, laser and PPC builds for that purpose. I also wouldn't worry too much about about the nerfs, they'll still be great mechs.

AC20 Hunchback is glorious, and the other variants have an incredible diversity.

stealthraccoon, on 08 February 2016 - 10:12 PM, said:

Urbanmech!

It's really just a medium mech that shed 20 excess pounds besides, name one medium mech that can fit under the ramps on HPG, and isn't that really what matters?

Solid argument is solid. Besides, there's a variant with an AC20 in the stock loadout, so it cannot possibly be a light.