41 replies to this topic

[Cifrer]

AtomCore, on 24 March 2013 - 02:49 AM, said:

Since hotfix March 21th good chasis are: all cicadas, TBT-7K, TBT-5J, all hunchies, CN9-AL YEN-LO (due to ac20).
Others are crap. Centurions: 2 funny laserslots in CT + max ac10 in arm.

Cicada 3C...Not that good.

On topic however, I personally think the 4SP brings a lot to the table in terms of variety. http://mwo.smurfy-ne...42547c252f35e6a

Have no problems with heat, viable at all ranges which is kind of important these days with the huge maps. The current missile nerf kind of hurts it, but it's still not bad and can still pack a punch in a brawl.

I really like the 4SP more than any of the cents, but I do think it comes down to personal preference. If one chassis feels better to you, run that.

[Raso]

My main reason for turning away from the HBK has been the larger maps. I still have major respect for any 4SP I meet in a dark ally way but the lack of long range solutions on my 4SP have become a liability. I've tried a large laser and SSRM build for a while but it just didn't seem to work. It just wasn't specialized enough.

[Dasein]

HBK-4P is super good with new cool shots and 9 ml you can do 3 alpas now, any mech goes down just get behind it. The only problem is this tourmaline desert which is super hot, but on any other it is deadly as medium can be.

[Wrenchfarm]

They are both dependable mechs. I generally like the Cent more, but it's simple preference.

[Jabilo]

Riktor Voshek, on 24 March 2013 - 05:47 AM, said:

Just one note: The Cent has had it's quirk pass and the Hunchback hasn't, (snip)

This.

Looking forward to the quirk pass.

If I was a betting man I would say that we will get slightly better pitch / yaw (torso movement up and down) and a slightly bigger engine capacity.

Will not be anything drastic but will be all positive not negative.

Looking forward to a hunchback Hero Mech too. Think this will be a long time coming though (as there is a founders Hunchie already).

[Lyoncet]

I seem to be seeing a fair number of builds with really small engines, all the way down to the standard 200. I experimented with that early on, and found that that the firepower just wasn't enough to justify those low speeds. As in, why am I playing a Cataphract with only half the firepower? Are those actually pretty viable? If so, I may need to do some more toying around. More recently, I couldn't get a 200-grade Centurion to feel right either and started running them at 225+, but maybe there's a bit of a niche for the Hunchback as a slower gunboat that I haven't explored yet?

Jabilo, on 25 March 2013 - 12:45 PM, said:

Looking forward to the quirk pass.

If I was a betting man I would say that we will get slightly better pitch / yaw (torso movement up and down) and a slightly bigger engine capacity.

I'd be surprised if it got an engine tweak, for two reasons. First is it's hard to run the Hunchback with enough dakka to fill its role and also support anything over the current engine limit. Second, we already have two 50-ton 'Mechs with surprisingly high engine thresholds on some or all of their variants. Giving all 3 the same quirk kind of makes it not a quirk. But I could be wrong.

I wouldn't be surprised if it had to do with the twist, like you said. Either an increase to the maximum pitch/yaw, or a boost to twist speed. All the Hunchbacks apart from the 4-SP, or the 4-J if you're LRM boating, are supremely dependent on their torso twist given how much of their firepower is located in the shoulder. So helping them line up their shots would be a really welcome boost.

Edited by Lyoncet, 25 March 2013 - 01:21 PM.

[Jabilo]

Yeah , I know exactly what you mean by the engine speed.

They may want to keep it a bit unique from the Centurion which had an increase to a 275.

Have to wait and see!

[Drogum Nethar]

Ezazel, on 24 March 2013 - 04:13 AM, said:

I've had both SP and AL. SP I still have and love it. I usually get good results with it. Cent AL I sold in disgust. For some reason it didn't perform for me as well as SP.

I think the difference comes from hard point layout. The dual med lasers in both hands, combined with good torso twist, allows to shoot very quickly and accurately. Like Helmsitf above I have mouse button 1 for left hand, mouse 2 for right and mouse 3 for missiles. On top of that I have a separate button for head laser. This setup allows me to fire my weapons in a flexible way around any cover and add missile punch when needed. SP is still a nice mech.

I just ditched all my Cents after getting elite with them - well I kept the Wang cause zombies need to eat brains sometimes you know

It was something about the weapons placement and the fact that the left arm has no weapons mounts that just drove me nuts...I'm not looking back...in fact I'm trying to figure out what my next line will be to replace them. Cicada, Dragon, Treb, Jaeger? still not sure - just saving coins until I figure it out.

Edited by Drogum Nethar, 25 March 2013 - 05:53 PM.

[Stingz]

Drogum Nethar, on 25 March 2013 - 05:52 PM, said:

I just ditched all my Cents after getting elite with them - well I kept the Wang cause zombies need to eat brains sometimes you know

It was something about the weapons placement and the fact that the left arm has no weapons mounts that just drove me nuts...I'm not looking back...in fact I'm trying to figure out what my next line will be to replace them. Cicada, Dragon, Treb, Jaeger? still not sure - just saving coins until I figure it out.

That's funny, I sold my -4SP for the lack of range and no empty limb shields. The CN9-AL trial mech got me hooked on Centurions.

[Ravennus]

Lyoncet, on 25 March 2013 - 01:00 PM, said:

I seem to be seeing a fair number of builds with really small engines, all the way down to the standard 200. I experimented with that early on, and found that that the firepower just wasn't enough to justify those low speeds. As in, why am I playing a Cataphract with only half the firepower? Are those actually pretty viable? If so, I may need to do some more toying around. More recently, I couldn't get a 200-grade Centurion to feel right either and started running them at 225+, but maybe there's a bit of a niche for the Hunchback as a slower gunboat that I haven't explored yet?

I've mastered all the Hunchbacks except for the 4G (for obvious reasons), and I refuse to run less than a Standard 250 engine in any of them.
Do I have to sacrifice firepower? A resounding NO.

My 4SP has a 260 engine, 5 MLAS, 2x ASRM6s w/ 3 tons ammo and even AMS.
My 4P runs 7 MLAS, 2 MPLAS and 18 DHS with a 250 engine.
My 4H runs a 250 engine, AC20, 3 SLAS and 2 MLAS.

Many might think it's the speed that I want out of that 250+ engine. That is only partially correct.
Speed and maneuverability is fantastic, and even IMHO required for a medium mech to do well.
BUT the other reason is heat sinks. Specifically DHS.
With a 250 engine, you get the minimum amount of heatsinks (10) all crammed in the engine.
Oh, and if you have DHS they ALL count for 2.0 and not the nerfed 1.4 that all external heatsinks get.

On my 4P, this gets me absolute maximum heat efficiency for my buck.
On my other Hunchbacks, it lets me do crazy things like fit Ferro Fibrous armor, which in turn lets me do crazy things like cram in those few extra goodies like an AC20 without having to sacrifice my speed.


TL;DR? - Run a minimum of a 250 engine in a Hunchback if you want the best experience. Be creative and you will still find LOTS of room for all the other goodies.

[Eviscerador]

Hi guys. I'm a new player who has just bought a Hunchie. I bought the 4J with the LRM, but after a few games I bough two SRM6 and i'm changing the slots between games for one or the other.

My question is: Is there any difference between the 4J and the 4SP? Because when I fit the SRM I have the same loadout that in the 4SP with a 4J.

It is worth to buy both of them? or I can just change SRM and LRM between matches when I want to try long range archer or short range brawler?

[Avardo]

Eviscerador, on 26 March 2013 - 03:26 AM, said:

My question is: Is there any difference between the 4J and the 4SP? Because when I fit the SRM I have the same loadout that in the 4SP with a 4J. It is worth to buy both of them? or I can just change SRM and LRM between matches when I want to try long range archer or short range brawler?

The 4J has one large hunch with more tubes. This allows for a large LRM (Or multiple smaller LRM/SRM) to be fitted. Though once that hunch is gone, most the firepower is gone.

The 4SP has two smaller hunches with less tubes. This helps spread smaller missiles across the body. And losing your first hunch usually means around 50% of your firepower still remains.

[Eviscerador]

Avardo, on 26 March 2013 - 03:35 AM, said:

The 4J has one large hunch with more tubes. This allows for a large LRM (Or multiple smaller LRM/SRM) to be fitted. Though once that hunch is gone, most the firepower is gone.

The 4SP has two smaller hunches with less tubes. This helps spread smaller missiles across the body. And losing your first hunch usually means around 50% of your firepower still remains.

I see. Thanks for the comment. I think I will buy both of them, and I will upgrade the LRM in the 4J to 15 or 20 at the expenses of the medium lasers, and play as a full support archer, while I play the brawler with the 4SP

Meds seems fun. Fast enough, but with a punch.

[Pastor Priest]

Drogum Nethar, on 25 March 2013 - 05:52 PM, said:

I just ditched all my Cents after getting elite with them - well I kept the Wang cause zombies need to eat brains sometimes you know

It was something about the weapons placement and the fact that the left arm has no weapons mounts that just drove me nuts...I'm not looking back...in fact I'm trying to figure out what my next line will be to replace them. Cicada, Dragon, Treb, Jaeger? still not sure - just saving coins until I figure it out.

It just depends on what you like. I went with Trenchbuckets, specifically the 3C, to try and make a fast 4SP. I ended up loving the role of fast LRM striker. While I still want to try the fast skirmisher role, I could see keeping one of my Trees as a LRM mech.

[Mechteric]

Hunchbacks haven't yet gotten their unique quirks, so possibly best to hold out and see how it fares then.


Though currently I will say that the Hunchback's smaller stature can help it quite immensely compared with the Centurion which has a larger profile.

[John MatriX82]

I've been for months an happy HBK pilot, but later on I had to switch to the hatred centurions, which were the mediums I've always avoided. Consider that I've mastered Cicadas and TBTs before bending to the Cents. I got soon rid of the D, to consistenly use that thing you really need to employ ballistics and anything below AC 20 or GR shoots peanuts for me, therefore XL + bugged artemised LRMs made me literally spit on it.

Instead I found that the AL can fare as good as the HBK 4SP, even lacking that laser hardpoint, and the A.. oh well, it's a dreadful machine.

Cents have got a superior hand thanks to the larger engine rating.. I often run them with STD 270 o 275, and you can tank with the shield or the whole right side of the mech when using the cheesy 3xSRM6+2ML in the A.


However now that srms got nerfed I re-discovered the HBKs again, later on cool shots provide quite of a help for 9ML on the 4P and the 4SP still feels better than the AL, probably it's that 5th medium I don't know, or the symmetry . I hope that HBKs are going to get some love in the future patches, right now they are the slowest mediums.

[slayerkdm]

Eviscerador, on 26 March 2013 - 03:26 AM, said:

Hi guys. I'm a new player who has just bought a Hunchie. I bought the 4J with the LRM, but after a few games I bough two SRM6 and i'm changing the slots between games for one or the other.

My question is: Is there any difference between the 4J and the 4SP? Because when I fit the SRM I have the same loadout that in the 4SP with a 4J.

It is worth to buy both of them? or I can just change SRM and LRM between matches when I want to try long range archer or short range brawler?

I wouldnt buy the SP if you have the 4J right away, they are essentially the same. Ya, your weapons are spread out on the SP and I find it better, but not by that much really. If I already had the J, I would then get the P and H.

Above poster talking about the advantages of the 250 for heat is correct. I take larger engines as much for the added heatsinks as for the speed. You can fit about as much firepower in them as you can handle heat. The P is the exception, as you can build it too hot, but its a nice mech. I just find them a bit vunerable on the hot maps.

The G is better than most think. You really cant make use of the lasers on the H if you want to run the AC20. If you run a smaller ballistic, the H is better.

I cant imagine what the hero mech would be, but I will likely get it, unless the config is terrible. I actually hope its either a Ballistic/Missle config, or more spread out ballistic config. The latter would be tough, as it would struggle to make use of it with only 50 tons. My dream would be 55 ton version.

[Sh4dow78]

well on HBK if u loose one of ur side u loose half of ur firepower, but on cent u can use ur whole right side to soak dmg bcoz u have ur 2xML in CT what is better for zombie and all of ur srm are placed in left torso so u can loose ur right side without any problems and still be threat, and even if u loose rockets u still have 2xml and u are hard to put down. 4SP was my 1st mech i get to elite but in current meta i just sold them... i just preffer my cent 9al.

[cman]

Ive been an avid 4-SP player and really like the 2ML and 2-SRM6 build with a 53 point alpha but since the nerf on SRMs the now 38 point alpha has me looking into other options

[JayVrb]

Lord Ikka, on 24 March 2013 - 05:18 AM, said:

Well, I love my 4H with three medium lasers and an AC 20. Great second line brawler/mop up Mech, and the only Cent that can remotely br close is the YLW Hero. Both chassis are good, the Hunch seems more survivable overall while the Cent is a lot faster.

This. Though I run mine with:

2 ML arms
1 SL head
2 SL torso
AC20
Standard 225

Respectable speed and the short recycle time for the small lasers is HIGHLY underrated in my opinion. I do lots of damage with this build.