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Your First Mech (The Elaborate, Detailed Elp Mech Guide To {Some} Lasting, Functional Builds For New Players)


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#1 Protection

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 08:42 AM

This is a guide, to help new players assemble their first "viable" mech; without wasting C-Bills on an experimental design, or spending money on a chassis that they later regret and sell off. So these are some suggestions for builds, so that new players can assemble something that will still be usable in fiercer environments.

These builds are not absolute, and totally modifiable. You can put in smaller or larger engines, you can add ammunition or take out or put in different (similar) weapons with extra tonnage, or adjust armour. These designs are, by no means, absolute, and generally quite flexible - to be tailored to your needs. These are not absolute or guaranteed successes, but the are designed to be viable into the current "endgame meta," while being reasonably within reach for any first time purchase for relatively new players. This, by no means, covers every single 'viable' build, and again - these are not absolute, but guidelines for new players to build from.

So without further ado...


LIGHT
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(***** Player's Choice)

The Jenner-F (often called the Slas-Jenner or Flashlight), is viable for the high octane twitch gamer. Speed if the largest asset and positioning is key. Good armour for the weight class, complete with jumpjets and good hitboxes - makes it a real menace, and hard to defend against.

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(***** Player's Choice)

The Jenner-D offers the advantage of streak missiles, allowing for twitch maneuvers while still landing 'locked' shots and harassing with missiles and respectable damage. A strong alternative to the 6 x Small Laser Jenner.

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So you bought a Raven, huh? Well, worse thing have happened. Maybe they will be better once modules and Role Warfare are more implemented. In the meantime, might as well try to make something usable out of that Raven you bought, Well, sadly, this is as close as you are going to get.

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The Streak-Commando is one of the few and only things that a Commando can do better than a Jenner. It is important to understand how much more vulnerable and destructible that the Commando is compared to the Jenner, but the 3 x Streak SRM2 build is still a respectable harasser and light hunter.

MEDIUM

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The Cicada is basically a fat, substitute Jenner, and the 2A seems to be designed around that premise. The hitboxes are larger, the maneuvering is worse, and there are no jump jets, but this medium can still get the light mech jobs' done.

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(***** Player's Choice)


The 4H "Gaussback" can be built in several different ways, but none of them really change what the mech is all about. It functions as a minor sniper for the early parts of the game, and transitions well into a major brawler as lines close in. A powerful threat that should never be overlooked.

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It's a shadow of its former glory (the beloved 115 kph Slasback), but the modern 4P is still a force to be reckoned with. Packing a powerful and precise punch, it can deliver good burst damage while harassing and is a powerful addition to any brawl.

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(***** Player's Choice)

The 4SP is one of the most flexible and versatile chassis in the game, and the 'zombie' (zombie meaning a standard engine) can dominate close combat and soak damage better than any other medium currently in the game. Makes a nice 'roamer,' able to fill in almost any role as required.

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Centurions are not an ideal mech, but if you insist on running one, might as well try to make it effective, Usually, this involves stripping anything important out of the extremely large and 'blow-offable' arms, to make it a functional zombie harasser.

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The much faster Centurion - tries to strike a balance between speed and firepower given the extremely large and vulnerable chassis. It has the potency of being an extremely agile 50-ton mech, but without the desirable build of the rival Hunchbacks.


HEAVY

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Much more popular in the Euro timezones than the North American timezones, the Dragon can still find a small niche as the only fast heavy. With a decent compliment of weapons, it can really be a decent disruptor, although not an ideal replacement for a K2.

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By no means the most perfect of builds (and the legendary player probably deserves a better tribute than this middling design), but a functional use for the Dragon. It can dish out good damage and hold its own while keeping good speed and armour.


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The Streak Cat is diminishing in popularity after the rather significant nerfs to SSRM2s, but remains a solid light mech hunter - able to crush lights and mediums in close quarters. It has a lot of trouble against assaults and is very vulnerable to snipers targetting the large ears.

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The SRM-Cat or "Flakcat" is a potent Alpha striker that suffers from a very high maintenance cost, heat problems, and ammunition shortages - all in exchange for one of the most devastating left clicks in the game. High risk, high reward mech.

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(***** Player's Choice)

An absolutely reliable support build - it can transition well from LRM support into a semi-effective brawler if required. Has enough missiles to last a very long game, and is flexible enough to be aggressive.

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(***** Player's Choice)

The Gausscat remains one of the premier, dominant mechs - good armour, strong in brawls, remarkable as a sniper, and totally dependable - really a top notch design with lots of room for customization (larger engine, increased secondary weapons, more armour, etc) - the two Gauss combination is still a powerful force, even if it is finally facing some interesting competition. Really, quite good at everything.


ASSAULT

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The infamous 'Honey Badger' is back in the latest incarnation of the 9M Awesome. Other Awesome chassis lack the speed to compete, and the many medium and medium pulse lasers make brawls against it unpleasant. It can outrun anything it cannot outgun.


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(***** Player's Choice)

The classic Grinder might be a little outdated, but it is still a respectable Atlas build and able to go toe to toe with any other build imaginable. Lot's of room to customize this design as you like, but reliable enough to get the job done - a real beast in close quarters.

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Steel Jaguar pioneered the design, but now it is a common sight on the MWO battlefields. The latest version adds a much larger engine, and replaces the vulnerable XL with a heavy but reliable standard engine. A strong direct fire support mech with decent brawl capabilities.


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(***** Player's Choice)

The deadly new Grinder DDC Atlas, even more of a threat in brawls, with almost all of the long range direct fir support of a Jaguar Atlas - it is a brutal piece of opposition, although it does have a few heat management problems. It can still prove devastating in close combat.

#2 Impossible Wasabi

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 08:48 AM

This guide pleases the Space Pope, for he thinks it will do much good for the new players.

Edited by Merlevade, 10 November 2012 - 08:48 AM.


#3 Elizander

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 08:58 AM

Looks good. Now if only the new people will read it~

#4 Tyzh

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 09:02 AM

I approve of this message.

#5 Basselope

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 09:18 AM

Agreed with Tyzh!

#6 Vernius Ix

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 09:24 AM

This should be pinned.

#7 Red Shrike

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 09:29 AM

Looks good.

Note:

View PostProtection, on 10 November 2012 - 08:42 AM, said:

So you bought a Raven, huh? Well, worse thing have happened. Maybe they will be better once modules and Role Warfare are more implemented. In the meantime, might as well try to make something usable out of that Raven you bought, Well, sadly, this is as close as you are going to get.

I beg to differ.
I did buy myself a Raven 4X, and it's a great mech.

#8 8RoundsRapid

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 09:44 AM

Hey, nice thread.

One question tho: I am a fairly new pilot (started when MWO went to OB,) and I farmed up enough cbills to buy a centurion AL. Now I do understand (somewhat) the opinion that the centurion is not an 'optimal' mech, but why would you ever strip armor off a mechs arms, even if there is nothing there to destroy? Sure, you gain some tonnage for more ammo I guess, or maybe a bigger gun or 2, but I dont see the practicality of removing armor. The less armor you have, the sooner you get destroyed, right? Wouldnt removing armor from a location thats meant to shield and soak damage just mean you get killed all the faster?

Unless one of you can convince me that removing armor is a good thing, I think you should remove taht reference from your guide for new players. It seems like you're giving them pretty bad advice right off the bat. Dont get me wrong, i'm not flaming you at all - I just dont understand, and maybe you can enlighten me and the other nubs.

PS I bought my cent with the theory that I would use it to farm cbills since the repair bill would be small. Seems to me to be working.

#9 Tanki

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 09:45 AM

Whats wrong with you Protection give away our secrets and stuff. Now the Spacepoors will become Spacerich then what will become of this place?!

Edited by Tanki, 10 November 2012 - 09:46 AM.


#10 Protection

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 09:51 AM

View Post8RoundsRapid, on 10 November 2012 - 09:44 AM, said:

Hey, nice thread.

One question tho: I am a fairly new pilot (started when MWO went to OB,) and I farmed up enough cbills to buy a centurion AL. Now I do understand (somewhat) the opinion that the centurion is not an 'optimal' mech, but why would you ever strip armor off a mechs arms, even if there is nothing there to destroy? Sure, you gain some tonnage for more ammo I guess, or maybe a bigger gun or 2, but I dont see the practicality of removing armor. The less armor you have, the sooner you get destroyed, right? Wouldnt removing armor from a location thats meant to shield and soak damage just mean you get killed all the faster?

Unless one of you can convince me that removing armor is a good thing, I think you should remove taht reference from your guide for new players. It seems like you're giving them pretty bad advice right off the bat. Dont get me wrong, i'm not flaming you at all - I just dont understand, and maybe you can enlighten me and the other nubs.

PS I bought my cent with the theory that I would use it to farm cbills since the repair bill would be small. Seems to me to be working.


This is up to the player actually - some like to run them with 'dummy' arms with only one point of armour, others like to give them a full ton of armour to use as a shield and for 'shouldering' damage.

By 'stripping,' I generally mean not running your 'main gun' in the (extremely vulnerable) arms. They are often destroyed early, and not a great place to put a hefty chunk of your tonnage, especially given the (sometimes wonky) convergence, bothersome netcode, and high vulnerability of ballistics. The arm is just a bothersome extremedy for many Centurion pilots, at the moment. (Yes, some can do well with it - and that's great - many do not, and the Centurion is not the most reliable of mechs to have on your team). Your average player would do better playing by the torso and ignoring the arms.

Edited by Protection, 10 November 2012 - 09:53 AM.


#11 8RoundsRapid

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:00 AM

View PostProtection, on 10 November 2012 - 09:51 AM, said:


This is up to the player actually - some like to run them with 'dummy' arms with only one point of armour, others like to give them a full ton of armour to use as a shield and for 'shouldering' damage.

By 'stripping,' I generally mean not running your 'main gun' in the (extremely vulnerable) arms. They are often destroyed early, and not a great place to put a hefty chunk of your tonnage, especially given the (sometimes wonky) convergence, bothersome netcode, and high vulnerability of ballistics. The arm is just a bothersome extremedy for many Centurion pilots, at the moment. (Yes, some can do well with it - and that's great - many do not, and the Centurion is not the most reliable of mechs to have on your team). Your average player would do better playing by the torso and ignoring the arms.



Ah, ok, strip weapons not armor. I get it.

Still, I dont understand the why Cent is no good for teams? I have 2med lasers, 2pulse lasers, 2lrm5s and an ams on mine. I profit 100K+ on a win and 50-80K on a loss. Most matches over 300 damage w/ usually 3+ assists and one or 2 kills. Thats not good for the team?

I'm not tryin to derail your very lovely thread tho, so I'll desist w/ the centurion stuff, hehe.

thanks for your reply!

See you on the battlefield.

#12 Gidonihah

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:05 AM

Some additional info for the Zombie Srmback. If you are on a budget it is a functional mech with single heatsinks and no Artemis, however you will need to drop the head medium laser to a small to cover heat issues. Priotize DHS as an upgrade over Artemis, the Spread reduction is nice but not as huge a dps increase as DHS allows.

You can also remove the medium laser and insert TAG, recommended if you wish to support non Artemis LRM teammates.
Remember to always have a damaging laser in the head and not TAG though, being able to do damage when all your Torsos are gone is important to the design.

Simple changes one can make to this design include: Putting in Streaks and upgrading a few small lasers to medium, Replacing the SRM racks with LRM racks, and adding or removing DHS,

#13 Fajther

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:06 AM

Should repost in guides. Then they should pin it.

#14 MangoBogadog

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:15 AM

View PostFajther, on 10 November 2012 - 10:06 AM, said:

Should repost in guides. Then they should pin it.


this^

A good guide to spending C-bills wisely on good mechs!

#15 Cpt Grunge

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:24 AM

Hey staff members pin this.

#16 Krivvan

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:41 AM

Just a small addition. The Raven does leave something to be desired yes, but its armour and components distribution is superior to the Jenner and in terms of pure punishment it can take it actually has more survivability than the Jenner. Granted it needs that because of its speed, but still.

Also want to add that the Centurion, in the right hands, has better survivability than the Hunchback. Key thing is that's only true in the right hands. They require a good situational awareness and reaction time to use to their full potential so it's true that they aren't ideal for a new player.

Edited by Krivvan, 10 November 2012 - 10:44 AM.


#17 MoonHawk

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 10:50 AM

Very well made post, kudos. I noticed that you dont use C.AS.E. in your builds. Maybe some of them could use it to improve survivability. Take the GaussDragon for exaple. If you blow up the rigth arm or crit the gauss, it has 60 % chance of causing a 20 dmg point explosion, some of that dmg will go to the rigth torso, and given it has an XL engine, chances are it will get critted blowing up the whole mech. Despite having max arm armor, this can happen due to people always shooting at ballistic arms all the time.
All your Atlas builds could benefit from C.AS.E. too, as many of them have gauss rifles or srm ammo in the side torsos. This, combined witht your (INMHO a tad too low) propossed rear torsos armor values could lead to coring from dmg transfer from GR or srm ammo explosions and devaluate your otherwise really cool builds.
Just my opinions, please dont take em as trolling. Good hunt!!

Edit: Grammar XD

Edited by MoonHawk, 10 November 2012 - 10:54 AM.


#18 Gidonihah

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 11:39 AM

You cant CASE arms, and in general CASEing Gauss doesnt seem to be worth it.

SRM ammo is a different case though, when you can you should just stick the ammo in the legs. If your ammo gets hit and its an XL engine, CASE or no CASE the mechs dead.
But for things like the Catapult, the side Torso rarely gets hit anyways.

Rear Armor is mostly preference, the higher your Rear armor the more trouble you will have in a front to front brawl, and the more you will have to turn away to make use of that armor.

#19 MoonHawk

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 12:12 PM

View PostGidonihah, on 10 November 2012 - 11:39 AM, said:

You cant CASE arms, and in general CASEing Gauss doesnt seem to be worth it.

SRM ammo is a different case though, when you can you should just stick the ammo in the legs. If your ammo gets hit and its an XL engine, CASE or no CASE the mechs dead.
But for things like the Catapult, the side Torso rarely gets hit anyways.

Rear Armor is mostly preference, the higher your Rear armor the more trouble you will have in a front to front brawl, and the more you will have to turn away to make use of that armor.

I know you cant put CASE on arms, but I piloted an Xled gauss cent a few months ago, and after a couple of deaths from gauss explosions I added CASE to the RT, and it seemed to stop the "Loose GR arm= you die" scenarios. Maybe I was under the impresion that it worked because that cent was my more successfull build at that time. It would be great if someone can confirm that CASE saves your mech on that particular case (no pun intended XD ).
i agree 100% with you on the Cats. Some mechs have small/difficult-to-hit side torsos wich make CASE almost pointless and XL engines more viable.
You can still make use of CASE in an XLed mech by putting ammo on the arms if your legs are filled.
I think you are rigth on the preference argument concerning rear armor, my perception on the subject may be kind of biased as I pilot meds almots exclusively and the occasional heavy. Distribition of damage bia constant torso twisting and back stabbing are my priorities, and I may be overlooking the frontal assault perspective.
thanks a lot for your post, it got me to think sir :)

Edit: Grammar. I make an overuse of commas in my mother language that seems to transfer when I type in english, Really annoying XD

Edited by MoonHawk, 10 November 2012 - 12:18 PM.


#20 Protection

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Posted 10 November 2012 - 01:48 PM

Now available in the Guides section.





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