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My Recommendations Regarding Your First Mech (Opinions!)


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#1 L1f3H4ck

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Posted 08 March 2016 - 10:55 PM

Greetings fellow Mechwarriors

And an especially warm welcome to our new players, this one's for you. One question that most new players ask at some point is: Which Mech should I buy first or next? So instead of hopping from post to post, I thought I'd compile a short list of Mechs, one for each class, that I (yes, me personally, y'know, imho) think are excellent choices for new players.

View PostDarkClownIII, on 16 March 2016 - 05:33 AM, said:

long

read -.-

altho in short;

use all trails mechs
-light
-medium
-heavy
-assaulth

And than decide what suits your playstyle for A LONG while.... unless you gonna spend real live money.. (note mech bays and ect ect,, easy and quick whit MC, and ofc not so easy and sure as *$%# not quick whitout MC)


Not the worst TL;DR

Just so we're clear, these are not simply my favorite Mechs, some of those would actually be bad recommendations. For example: The Raven 3L is still an outstanding Light, but as a chasis, the Raven is kinda weak. Sure, some people love their 2X and/or 4X and do amazing things in them, but grinding through those as a new player is rough. Trust me, I did it, all those years ago... No, especially in the beginning, when one or two chassis is all you got, you should go for the ones that offer as many options as possible without those variants which are simply a chore to grind through.

Oh, and It's for Inner Sphere. I have very little experience with Clan Mechs, and omnipods make available hardpoints less of an issue anyway. If I had to start playing Clan though, I'd pick a Hellbringer. It can mount ECM and 4 of those are a CW dropdeck.

But maybe we already got a deal-breaker since it's a Heavy and you don't like those. Eventually, you should get a feel for all the weight classes, but that can wait. Let's have some fun first. At this point, you probably have figured out which one you prefer. Otherwise, why not earn some more cash on trial Mechs? By the way, if you just started, then you have no idea how absolutely AMAZING the selection of trial Mechs is these days. In the olden days, sometimes a stock K2 Catapult was the best you got.

If you decide to fight for the Inner Spehere, chassis selection becomes more important, since you can't just switch out hardpoints however you see fit.

View PostRaso, on 16 March 2016 - 06:23 AM, said:

Some fancy bold headers might be a good idea but a good read over all. I think what you're trying to emphasize is that for your first mech you should pick a chassis that can perform multiple roles so you can explore those roles, at least that's a common trend I noticed with most of your suggestions.


Exactly. Eventually, there will be a second, third, etc. Mech, so a good first Mech and the experience gained on it will inform those decisions, right? And bold headers it is:

LIGHT MECHS
The quick and the dead

Ok, Light Mechs. That's your thing? Going fast? Good news, once you get your own little critter, It'll most likely go even faster. Sudden death by random AC/20 doesn't make you break input devices and you actually perform better under constant fear? Sweet, now go out and get yourself a shiny new Locust.

At merely 20 tons, the Locust is as light as it gets, and therefore as fast as it gets too. Ok, a 240XL Commando can chase you down, but Commandos are not that common and this duel can go either way. But you can't beat the Locust in variety, offering up to 6 energy, 4 missile or 4 ballistic hardpoints on its variants, which is it's first selling point. Unfortunately, only the hero variant offers ECM, but it's cheap and comes with the largest engine the Locusts can carry. You don't need it, but it's certainly not the worst hero Mech out there. And that's the second selling point: It's cheap to buy and cheap to equip. Three of these will cost you about as much as a Medium and mastering the chassis should earn you enough cash to buy your next Mech. The third selling point is actually it's inferiority to pretty much every other Mech. Firestarter, Raven, Jenner, they all weigh nearly twice as much and can end your hopes and dreams in a heartbeat, just like everyone else. To a Locust, everyone is bigger and meaner but slower, so the difficult task of prioritizing threats becomes fairly simple. If the Locust doesn't teach you the dos and absolute don'ts of Lights, no Mech will. Conversely, once you're good in a Locust, you're probably a beast in something 15 tons heavier.

View PostKimberm1911, on 16 March 2016 - 11:48 PM, said:

Nice post, thanks for writing it. However, I disagree a bit with some of the mechs you considered great choices for new players.

I don't think the locust is a good light mech for new players. It dies to a sneeze, and its firepower is anemic. I think firestarters are probably a better bet.


Make no mistake about it, the Locust is a harsh Mistress. Yes, compared to any of them, the Firestarter is a monster. Still, I believe that anyone who masters the Locust will be that much better in a heavier Light. But there's an old problem, illustrated nicely in Critical Hit Comics #11, 3 years ago:

http://www.nogutsnog...php?topic=116.0

We just don't have a Light with jumpjets AND high alpha AND ECM yet. The enemy can strip you of your protective bubble, and solid footwork is essential for any light. As for damage...

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...83936da5edaafb6

This one will hurt you. And since it's got 30% missile cooldown, it will hurt you a lot, unless you kill it. If you don't know the linked site yet, bookmark it.

MEDIUM MECHS
The Bullies, the Packhunters

Let's face it, even high-end Lights are often just one wrong turn away from lacking something vital, like a center torso. Maybe you want something just a little tougher. Running fast is good, but why hurry to deliver a disappointing package, right? No worries, The Hunchback always carries a box of serious pain.

What? Still no jumpjets? Well no. Everyone can get around Canyon Network with jumpjets, but you should be able to manage without them. Maybe on the next chassis. The Crab 27SL is pretty good... But they're just a bunch of boring laser boats. The venerable Hunchback offers everything from huge autocannons to fast-firing LRMS and ofc the legendary OG laser vomit machine 4P. Very little you can't do, or at least die trying with a set of Hunchies, yet loadouts rarely become complicated. Lasers in arms and head plus your one big thing, depending on the variant. Did you know that the Hunchies arms can almost fire in a 360° arc? Cheap too, and you don't need XL engines for them. Do not buy XL engines for them. The Hunchback will teach you to guard the valuable side of your Mech (except for the 4SP, that little cheater). You will also either learn teamwork or ragequit at some point.

HEAVY MECHS
Delivering the punches

Bigger, stronger, in some hands better but not exactly faster are the Heavies. And you know what? I'm as thrilled to see Marauders and Riflemen as the next Mechhead. But some of us were hyped beyond coherent speech when they announced the return of the Thunderbolt. Or was that just me? Anyhow, even with a lot of new shiny goodness around, the old T-Bolt is still a common sight on the battlefield and my recommendation for your first heavy Mech. Again, there's not a whole lot you can't do with a T-Bolt, and some things which it does better than anyone else, thanks to some very good energy quirks. No particular love for ballistics, although it's somewhat impressive that those flimsy machine gun mounts are good for up to 15 tons. At any distance, from sluggish weapon platform to nimble brawler, there's a Thunderbolt that fits the bill. Also, if you want to get into Community Warfare as quickly as possible, 4 Thunderbolts are a 260t drop-deck, and not a bad one. And one of them can even jump. You still better know where all the ramps on Canyon Network are.

ASSAULT MECHS
The Kingpins

Which leaves only the biggest and baddest: Assaults. You ain't running. Wherever you are, that's where the party is at and you brought enough for everyone. Your weapons alone weigh more than some Mechs, and on a Mauler, they're always in a good spot. Is anyone surprised? I hope not. Who needs omnimechs when they got Maulers? AC/20 Brawler? Dakka Machine? LRM-Boat? Your drug-induced build of insanity that makes spectators puke just by looking at it? You can fit all of that and more on one of the Maulers. And apart from its versatility, it's... Pretty good at everything. Ballistic mounts aren't super high, but still pretty high. Hitboxes aren't super good, but still... You get the idea. It's pretty good at everything except twisting its torso. It's pretty bad at that. You should resist the urge to always build them symmetrically, that just limits your options. If you're a nerd... Hang on, SINCE you're a nerd, feel free to impress your friends with your 1337 knowledge by pointing out that your MX90 is in fact not a Mauler at all, but a Daboku.

View PostKimberm1911, on 16 March 2016 - 11:48 PM, said:

Your heavy and medium choices seem good. Hunchbacks are great and Marauders are still pretty good overall.

For assaults, I wouldn't recommend the Mauler. It's a bit squishy, and because it has to facetime the enemy so much to give effective damage, it really requires knowledge of how much your mech can actually take, and what the enemy is putting out.

In the end, I really don't consider assaults or lights to be new player friendly at all. They are more specialized mechs, and have very distinct roles that they have to fill on the battlefield. Medium and Heavy mechs are a bit more user friendly.

Lacking the mobility to just turn away, all Assaults need to shield their innards by torso-twisting while not firing, and the Mauler does actually have quirks to that effect. It doesn't twist a lot, but it does so quickly. However, an energy-based 2P can avoid quite a lot of facetime, and an LRM-boating 1R might not get seen at all. Whether or not LRMs on an Assault are a good idea, at least this one is actually made for it.

CONCLUSION

As for the Marauder: Absolutely, it's a powerful, versatile chassis, but it's also only available for hard cash money right now. And if the dakka is strong in you, then you've probably already salivated over a Jager. Go ahead, buy it. Whatever you buy though, keep in mind that you need to buy three of them to unlock their full potential, so try to get the most out of them. Starting at either extreme end of the spectrum will undoubtedly offer a greater challenge than a more forgiving, balanced approach, so unless you're already hellbent on getting the ultimate speed or firepower respectively, go easy on yourself and enjoy the somewhat gentler learning-curve of Mediums and Heavies.

And that's it. You made it this far, so I guess a "Thanks for reading" is appropriate. Hope I could help with this. And even if you don't agree with my conclusions, I bet I made you think about what you want in a Mech. Don't sweat it too much though, there are no.... Well there aren't too many bad Mechs. If someone offers you a Kintaro, say "No" and find an adult Posted Image

Edited by Twilight Sentry, 27 March 2016 - 09:43 PM.


#2 DarkClownIII

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Posted 16 March 2016 - 05:33 AM

long

long


long

read -.-


altho in short;

use all trails mechs
-light
-medium
-heavy
-assaulth

And than decide what suits your playstyle for A LONG while.... unless you gonna spend real live money.. (note mech bays and ect ect,, easy and quick whit MC, and ofc not so easy and sure as *$%# not quick whitout MC)

#3 Raso

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Posted 16 March 2016 - 06:23 AM

Some fancy bold headers might be a good idea but a good read over all. I think what you're trying to emphasize is that for your first mech you should pick a chassis that can perform multiple roles so you can explore those roles, at least that's a common trend I noticed with most of your suggestions.

#4 Kimberm1911

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Posted 16 March 2016 - 11:48 PM

Nice post, thanks for writing it. However, I disagree a bit with some of the mechs you considered great choices for new players.

I don't think the locust is a good light mech for new players. It dies to a sneeze, and its firepower is anemic. I think firestarters are probably a better bet.

Your heavy and medium choices seem good. Hunchbacks are great and Marauders are still pretty good overall.

For assaults, I wouldn't recommend the Mauler. It's a bit squishy, and because it has to facetime the enemy so much to give effective damage, it really requires knowledge of how much your mech can actually take, and what the enemy is putting out.

In the end, I really don't consider assaults or lights to be new player friendly at all. They are more specialized mechs, and have very distinct roles that they have to fill on the battlefield. Medium and Heavy mechs are a bit more user friendly.

Peace, and have fun
I think if you are going to write

Edited by Kimberm1911, 16 March 2016 - 11:48 PM.


#5 L1f3H4ck

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Posted 27 March 2016 - 02:45 AM

Editing the replies into the original post improves it imho.

Edited by Twilight Sentry, 27 March 2016 - 02:45 AM.


#6 Karl the Plumber

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Posted 10 June 2016 - 09:00 PM

For new players, I say IS mechs. Clan rigs cost to much to start out on.
Light: for starting out as total rookies, wolfhound. Sure, it's slow. But for rookies the zombie ability helps teach them why they shouldn't try to hang out and trade.
Medium: Hunchies, like a hundred people have said before me. If you don't learn to torso twist early, you won't like this game and we need all the new players who come in to stick around.
Heavy: I think people start to learn what weapon system they like and what playstyle they like with the heavies. You can't go wrong with the T-bolt for a beginner, sure, but now that the WHAMMER is out for c-bills, I say Warhammer. It's more flexible than the t-bolt (except for the JJ lack), and it's tougher, which is important for new players. Also, the asymmetry of the T-bolt can really throw some people off.
Assault: It's hard to recommend an assault to a new player, but you've gotta step up to Charlie Lance someday. My pick for a newbie is the Banshee. The Banshee teaches you how to shield with the arms and is just fast enough to keep you out of the kind of instadeath bad positioning you can accidentally walk into with a SpaceWhale or the Atlas. Plus when a new pilot unlocks the basic tree for the 3E and the 3M, the 3S teaches them one last important lesson: sometimes using every weapon slot on your mech is stupid.

#7 L1f3H4ck

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Posted 23 June 2016 - 10:40 AM

Sweet tapdancing Blake, when I wrote this guide, I had no idea what would eventually happen to the Locust. Since the rescale, it went from underdog to vicious ankle-biter. I wonder whether it still belongs here, since going from the Locust to another Light will now be a rather frustrating experience. It's the size of an Atlas leg, and now I have that image of that severed leg, hopping around the map at 150+kph. You could probably replace that leg by welding an entire locust to the hip. Hey, do it for both legs, and you got yourself a quad! But I digress...

Expect to see a lot more Locusts out there, usually being the last Mech standing. They're basically the new Spider.

Edited by Frechdachs, 23 June 2016 - 10:44 AM.


#8 Karl the Plumber

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Posted 25 June 2016 - 06:01 AM

View PostFrechdachs, on 23 June 2016 - 10:40 AM, said:

Expect to see a lot more Locusts out there, usually being the last Mech standing. They're basically the new Spider.


so true

#9 Shockwave214

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Posted 18 September 2016 - 09:07 AM

WHAMMER and Marauder, which one would make a better noob-friendly heavy? I'm into dual AC5 or UAC5
The structure quirk and high mounted ballistics on the 3R look really tempting, but WHAMMER looks way cooler :)

#10 Metus regem

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Posted 23 September 2016 - 07:23 AM

View PostShockwave214, on 18 September 2016 - 09:07 AM, said:

WHAMMER and Marauder, which one would make a better noob-friendly heavy? I'm into dual AC5 or UAC5
The structure quirk and high mounted ballistics on the 3R look really tempting, but WHAMMER looks way cooler Posted Image



HI Shockwave,

As a Warhammer owner, and pilot, I can tell you that the can be very beastly mechs with the right pilot, as well as being fairly forgiving. How ever the Marauder is very tanky from the front due to it's profile with a standard engine, so I would say both are good. But if you want a good ballistic platform I would suggest the Marauder over the Warhammer, as ballistic based Warhammers make me very sad to see... The Warhammer has always been a PPC shooter, and should always be a PPC shooter, in my opinion.





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