68 replies to this topic

[GizmoGecko]

For your first Awesome I recommend the 8V; it was my first Awesome as it seemed like a balance of lasers and missiles so I could decide which worked best for the 'mech, but it has come to be my favourite variant.

Make sure you get a standard engine (300 preferably), 3 Large Lasers, 1 Medium Laser, 3 SRM6 Artemis with 3 ton of ammo (make sure you only use the medium laser on the head for when you've lost both torsos as you must watch your heat).

If you're tempted to get the Pretty Baby, make sure it has a 400xl, because it's basically an 8V with downgraded hard points but more than makes up for it in speed.

Edited by GizmoGecko, 12 April 2013 - 04:50 AM.

[jeffsw6]

I don't really understand the point of the Pretty Baby since you can put about the same armaments on a Flame and it goes the same speed, but it is smaller. Guess it's a hitbox vs armor trade-off?

[MrTarget]

I have three 8R, 9M and 8V pretty fond of them all. But if stats are to go on the:
9M is my most sucsessful K2D 10 matches and a 1.5 K2D
8R deals the most damage 12 matches with 6k damage
8V is my weakest...

I shall expand on this more when I get near my PCM laters...

Edited by MrTarget, 12 April 2013 - 05:21 AM.

[Lostdragon]

I mastered the 9M and 8R, elited 8Q. The 9M is my favorite but it took a long time to save up the cbills to buy it and kit it out. I tried 3-4 builds before I settled on one with 4 LPL. It is a challenging build but it can be very fun. I loved my 8R prior to the missile nerf, ran it with 4 SRM6 w/ Artemis and 2 LL. The missile based builds are really hurting right now though so I haven't played it much lately. I played the 8Q as a PPC sniper which it is good at but I prefer a more in your face playstyle.

[Arete]

Lostdragon, on 12 April 2013 - 05:44 AM, said:

I mastered the 9M and 8R, elited 8Q. The 9M is my favorite but it took a long time to save up the cbills to buy it and kit it out. I tried 3-4 builds before I settled on one with 4 LPL. It is a challenging build but it can be very fun. I loved my 8R prior to the missile nerf, ran it with 4 SRM6 w/ Artemis and 2 LL. The missile based builds are really hurting right now though so I haven't played it much lately. I played the 8Q as a PPC sniper which it is good at but I prefer a more in your face playstyle.

SRM builds are still quite viable, just that they don't do the insane (and erronous) damage they did earlier. Feel like they're quite balanced at the moment. LRMs are a bit weak though, still usable but compared to other long range they just don't pull their weight.

[John MatriX82]

EvgenS, on 12 April 2013 - 04:26 AM, said:

If compare with other assaults The main difference for awesome is his side torsos hit boxes which are not easy to hit. This means you can go for XL engine and use all speed potential of 9m model which would not be the case for stalker or atlas for example.
Combine 9m mobility with LP lasers high DPs and you may get a solid config which will have a role even in 8 vs 8 games

Small side torsoes? They are fairly bigger than any Stalker (that can't protect them at all) and somewhat wider than those on the Atlases. The only advantage in the Awesome it's the extremely thin shape when you torso twist 90 degrees to the ones that are shooting you and a fairly lower and more covering arm than those you can have in the Atlas. The CT is big and easy to hit, therefore you rather die from CT going off than sides, but experienced players will chew your side torsoes when they smell the big XL due to your speed.

The main point of using XL's on 9M and PB it's speed, firepower and how fast you can torso twist to cover the sides, not certainly because they are small whatsoever.

Later on I've been enjoying STD 325s and 335s in my 9M, you can still have a speed that no assault can have and you are often faster or in-line to Cataphracts and Jagers, still retaining a good arm-tanking capability and sturdiness whether they side core you.

[TheStrider]

9m - HONEY BADGER
AWESOME AWS-9M 28 16 12 1.33 45 14 3.21

Mostly PUG matches. I've broken 1000 damage in the past week, even WITH the SRM damage nerf.


I also have an 8R that features SRM6s, and an 8Q that I can't find a loadout I like for.




If I didn't already have a 9M I would have bought a Pretty Baby. But they're too similar for me to spend the MC...

[Lostdragon]

Arete, on 12 April 2013 - 05:51 AM, said:

SRM builds are still quite viable, just that they don't do the insane (and erronous) damage they did earlier. Feel like they're quite balanced at the moment. LRMs are a bit weak though, still usable but compared to other long range they just don't pull their weight.

Maybe I am spoiled from playing the much faster 9M, but with the missile nerf to me the 8R just isn't as much fun because I feel like it makes too many trade offs. If the 8R was as fast as a 9M I think it would be more viable with the current missile damage, but I would not want to put an XL in it either.

[Jack Lazarus]

Whatever you pick, hang in there with it. They're not exactly common, but there are some Awesome pilots out there that really know how to make the chassis shine. There's been a couple of times where I've seen an AWS-8V just chew up enemies like a champ, using that empty left arm like a Centurion would and landing heavy and precise alpha strikes on the move. I'm also going to be picking one of the variants up this weekend, once I have the c-bills.

[jay35]

jeffsw6, on 12 April 2013 - 04:31 AM, said:

I am going to buy more Highlanders when they come out; but they aren't yet and I might as well play something new while I wait.

Which 4? I am trying to narrow it down to the three I want.

Well, I plan to do them all, I just got the 8V and 8T last and have been grinding other things since Mastering them so I haven't ground out the module unlocks for them yet.
The 9M with an XL385, MPLs and SRMs is pretty sweet. The 8 series I always run with a max Standard engine before working with the loadouts, because it really needs every bit of speed it can have. Usually a mix of MLs, LLs, and SRMs works well on the 8 series. I've found a sweetspot for the PB around the XL340 range, which gives it reasonable speed while allowing enough firepower to make it worthwhile. Hope that helps.

[Ivanzypher]

The 8R, 8Q and 9M are all fantastic mechs. Haven't used the others, so I can't really say. It's true most Awesomes you run into are just XP pinatas, but when piloted properly they are devastating. My best match ever was in an awesome 9M, 1338 damage 8 kills. The problem is you need to have good torso twisting skills to avoid being cored straight away, and good positioning or you will be focus fired down quicker than...well....some things.

Most pilots seem to use them like an Atlas, and you just can't do that. It's a very different mech, and has to be played accordingly. I personally think it is one of(if not THE) best mechs in the game. My Heavy Metal is making me reconsider this though :-P

[Sephlock]

The Awesome is the red headed stepchild of the assault class.

Just compare it to the other assault mechs:

Stalker:


Atlas:


Highlander:

Edited by Sephlock, 12 April 2013 - 09:37 PM.

[jeffsw6]

Sephlock, on 12 April 2013 - 06:45 AM, said:

The Awesome is the red headed stepchild of the assault class.

Even so, I might as well play them. If they suck I will QQ on the forums about how streaks need a buff or something.

[3rdworld]

They are not really worth playing.

Unless you are just completely bored and want to max out a useless chassis, the 9M is the best.

Edited by 3rdworld, 12 April 2013 - 06:54 AM.

[Jakob Knight]

I am currently grinding my AWS piloting. They are good for an assault, but are more like beefier Heavy mechs than true Assault mechs.

The 8Q makes a good budget PPC bombardment mech, and I don't stray from this configuration much. Pile on the heat sinks and let the thunderbolts fly.

The 8T I started to work with as it is the closest to my old favorite...the Warhammer. With weapons in both arms, it can bring alot of hurt to bear quicker than other AWS models. It does tend to lack in torso close-in firepower though.

The 8R is currently my favorite (though I am deadlocked with the 8T for sentimental reasons). My current build has 4 SRM6s, which give it the power to break an Atlas with 3-4 volleys in the right place, and 2 PPCs in the arm. The hidden advantage of putting two PPCs in the arm is that there is no need to worry about convergence...both beams travel exactly the same path and strike together, enabling them to work as though a single weapon.

The 9M is identical to the 8Q, except with more speed.


Above all, -always- fill that head energy weapon slot with a laser. -Any- laser. That is your last-ditch weapon, always there as long as you are alive and ensuring you will always be dangerous, even with empty ammo bays and both arms shot off.

[Tastian]

I just started the Awesome trio myself: 8Q, 9M, and 8R. I've been struggling to find builds I enjoy. These are what I'm currently using (I've tried so many setups)

8Q: 5xLarge Lasers 300 std engine (just finished elite)
8R: 2xPPCs, 4xSRM6s, 300 std engine
9M: 4xLarge Lasers, 310 std engine

The 8Q with 5 Large Lasers is my most successful. But whichever Awesome I use, I get cored so easily; the thing feels like a giant center torso on legs. I'll run a string of games with my Awesome and manage 150 to 250 damage. Then I'll switch to my 6 Large Laser Stalker and manage 700 to 800 damage easy.

I'm sure there are superb Awesome pilots. I am not one of them.

[Sephlock]

jeffsw6, on 12 April 2013 - 06:51 AM, said:

Even so, I might as well play them. If they suck I will QQ on the forums about how streaks need a buff or something.

Its sad.. at least in the early days (with less stringent engine restrictions and knockdown) you could play play an EFFECTIVE red headed step child... Juggernaut!

[TheStrider]

Sephlock, on 12 April 2013 - 06:45 AM, said:

The Awesome is the red headed stepchild of the assault class.

Just compare it to the other assault mechs:
Atlas:

lol - now I want to rename one of my Atlai "Smaug".

[Trauglodyte]

The Awesome is a great mech. People just don't know how to play the thing. Everyone sees "Assault" and thinks that it automatically means that they're a front line warleader/tanker. The truth is, the Awesome has always been designed as a fire support mech. In MW:O, due to the design and weakness of the torsos, it is even more important that youp lay it as a fire support mech. You get into position, fire a round or two, and then move. You have to play it like a boxer - stick and move, stick and move. If you try to go toe to toe with even a heavy, you're going to get cored. You simply don't have the fire power to heat efficiency to maintain that kind of continued combat. And your armor isn't that much stronger than a heavy mech which means you can't take the continued punishment.

So, 8 series: Drop in a 300 engine and stick and move. 9 series: Drop in a 370XL or bigger and stick and move. If you stop to smell the roses, you will be obliterated in a hurry.

[Inyc]

I LOVED my 8R before missiles went all god mode, then I found it stupid broken (1300+ damage every game, sure was balanced) now I can unload all my SRMs and LRMs and barely break 500. Its completely unusable.

I want my AWS-8R back, PGI... fix missiles D:

Also AWS are too easy to core. In my CN9, I kill them faster than any of heavies, down to the Dragon. I'd say they're about as squishy as a Dragon, which is dumb for a 80 ton assault.

Edited by Inyc, 12 April 2013 - 08:24 AM.