92 replies to this topic

[Johnny Reb]

I think most Hunchbacks and mediums are viable, same with lights. IF tonnage limits are introduced in game. I hope this will be the case eventually, especially when CW is released.

[Silentium]

When I still drove hunchbacks, I preferred the SP, but 4P was a close second. I ran an all mlas build, even the head beam. The engine was big enough to get me up to 94kph, and it was filthy in combat. Ultimately, I found the SRMs to be more gratifying in a visceral way and found myself in the SP more often.

As a dedicated Jenner pilot now, I can say this much; it had better be a no **** emergency, or they are at death's door for me to tangle with a 4P. They are fast, well armored, and those lasers are seriously ******* dangerous. I salute you, and those that make the 4P shine have my everlasting respect.

[Blackfire1]

I sold my Swayback. When they "fixed" laser heat, it killed any sort of customization for the Swayback. Mediums run too hot. Larges don't fit well without tons of Single heat sinks (You get higher heat ratings with single then double on the sway back.)
They nerfed small lasers into machine guns. (I loled)

Forget putting pulses on that thing. I wish 200 weight engines automatically came with 10 heat sinks.

[Iscariott]

The hunchback just isn't a 'great' mech. It does exactly what it does and nothing more. the G is a walking atlas right torso with half the armor. The P has too many lasers for its size. I don't really know what people are expecting them to be capable of. Complaining that you lose too much of your firepower when the hunch is gone is a little silly.

I enjoyed my G just fine until I got rid of it.

[WANTED]

I don't use the SP but might in the future. I've been piloting Hunchbacks for most of the game since December. For some reason I do best in them. My 4G still has his AC20 and 2 MDL and Standard 260 Engine so I can go 92.7kph with tweak. Helps also to have the 2x Basic variants unlocked as well as Elite. He's my best killer. The 4J is the one I have run for the longest and I mostly use him to farm C Bills for myself for damage and also kill assist. He also goes 92.4kph and has 5 Medium Lasers and 2 SRM6+Artemis. I sold off my 4P for a new mech and so I didn't use him much.

I've taken down more lights with that AC20 to their legs even without Ballistic State Rewind than I do with other mechs using lasers.

[Johnny Reb]

Iscariott, on 13 April 2013 - 09:50 PM, said:

The hunchback just isn't a 'great' mech. It does exactly what it does and nothing more. the G is a walking atlas right torso with half the armor. The P has too many lasers for its size. I don't really know what people are expecting them to be capable of. Complaining that you lose too much of your firepower when the hunch is gone is a little silly.

I enjoyed my G just fine until I got rid of it.

It was the greatest mech when we did not have engine limits! 9 small lasers at 130+ ruled!

Edited by Johnny Reb, 13 April 2013 - 09:58 PM.

[Iscariott]

Johnny Reb, on 13 April 2013 - 09:57 PM, said:

It was the greatest mech when we did not have engine limits! 9 small lasers at 130+ ruled!

And the Jenner was an invincible death ray. And everyone walked to mechwarrior uphill both ways.

[Johnny Reb]

Iscariott, on 13 April 2013 - 10:02 PM, said:

And the Jenner was an invincible death ray. And everyone walked to mechwarrior uphill both ways.

NOT WITH THE FAST HUNCHIES! We could knock them down and give them one four!

[Walk]

Laser hunchback is still as deadly as ever. 45 damage pintpoint to a single location? ****. Yes. Also, with 91 kph you are fast enough to flank, and a 4P behind an enemy means that enemy will be dead before the paperdoll finishes flashing, though usually it's better to just pick an assault and become its buttbuddy, because if the enemy allows you to go unchecked you can burn through armor like it's paper.

[Iscariott]

Johnny Reb, on 13 April 2013 - 10:08 PM, said:

NOT WITH THE FAST HUNCHIES! We could knock them down and give them one four!

i like the cut of your jib sir. +1 internets

Edited by Iscariott, 13 April 2013 - 10:56 PM.

[Sephlock]

Yeah that's the way I tend to end up with my designs when I get tired of playing cowardback- although I generally skipped the laser in the head. I guess I'll give that a try. Thanks.

[Sean von Steinike]

I still use my 4SP from time to time and do ok with it. I have been thinking about pulling the P out of retirement and giving it a go again.

[aniviron]

I pilot a 4H, 4SP, and 4P, all mastered. 4SP is okay, but it really feels the missile nerf. I used to average 400-500 per match with occasional 700ish, but now I am at 300-400, and rarely over 600. 4H is set up like a 4G but with more lasers, and while it's the worst of the bunch by far, I am still pulling a 2 kd ratio with it. I've tried so many builds, but most of the ballistics are far too heavy for the amount of damage they (don't) do, and losing the hunch leaves you with nothing but 2mlas.

4P, however, is a monster. With HSR I can prey upon lights all day, and while 90kph doesn't let me keep up with them, it only takes a shot or two to leg, usually. In low-light games (which is most of them) if you just stay with the assault force you're a low-priority target, and against those big slow targets you can easily burn for 40-80 damage on one section, so even atlases need to be careful. Six ppc stalkers are especially good targets, as you're fast enough to get close where they can't hurt you, and when they shut down one alpha kills the cockpit. The one downside is that huge hunch, but I've had much more success with the 4P than the 4SP despite that, managing a 6kd.

[kitteh]

That 4g. The margin of error is so tiny that it rarely gets the chance to shine.



upload foto

[Kurayami]

love to see those trashcans on the field - reminds me of good times of cbt.

hate to see so many noobs piloting them - its like some evil force showed them cbt article about swayback true ownadge without reminding them about nerfs. cant maneuver, cant hit even stationary target, constantly overheating.

personally prefer cent - never piloted hbk after cent introduction (seriously thing is UGLY)

[The Blazer of Lasers]

I currently run a 4SP with 4 mdpls, a flamer and dual SRM 6. It goes at about 80 kph. the pulse lasers are great for killing those irritating cravens and trollmandos and the flamer and SRMs kill and distract heavier mechs. I've done 700+ damage in it. Having said that its heat is high and you cant fight alone.and the SRMs are becoming less potent with every patch.

[Talrich]

Hunchbacks are powerful enough and lots of fun to pilot. Lots of offense, but they have to move smartly and constantly to avoid drawing too much enemy attention. If there were class limits per drop, they'd be plenty popular.

I suspect you see them little now partially because people XPed them up awhile ago, and a busy advancing Jaegers and such.

[Random Incarnate]

Shepherd, on 13 April 2013 - 06:21 AM, said:

I piloted my HBK-4G(F) the other weekend when Founders mechs got a double C-Bill bonus. I had just come off of a long stretch in my Jenners so I didn't use that chassis, the Atlas just isn't my style, and for what ever reason I didn't feel like using my Catapult too often that weekend.

At first I found myself suffering the typical HBK failures. Early on in a match my right torso gets knocked down and I'm reduced to being a slow Spider with two little lasers. That lasted for a few rounds, I got sick of it, and I started to think of ways to ensure that I'm not losing my AC/20 in the first volleys of the match. Here's what I came up with:

• Don't engage right away. Stick with the group but stay in cover until there is at least 2 kills on the board. A medium with an AC/20 is an unholy terror to a damaged mech, but it's only an inconvenience to a fully armored mech.
  
• Don't don't DON'T Leeroy Jenkins straight at the enemy. The HBK is a city fighter. It's intended to be used in a hit and fade manner. Sure it feels awesome to charge somebody pumping AC/20 rounds into their chest, but it also feels awful to get your AC/20 blown away, so... round a corner while an enemy is fighting one of your allies, pop them with your AC/20, then fade back into cover. Swing around the other side of the building and hit them again.

That's basically it. Pretty simple I think. I went from doing maybe 100 damage and ending the match dead or crippled to doing around 300-400 damage and ending with an intact AC/20. My AC/20 often turned the tables in an allies' favor. In an Atlas vs Atlas fight, having a Hunchback wingman makes a huge difference. And if the enemy Atlas decides to kill your AC/20, that's five seconds it's not tearing into your ally Atlas' armor, so your teammate still wins.


HBK is not a terrible chassis, but you DO need to play cautious with it.

For the record my build is pretty much stock. AC/20, 2 tons of ammo, 2 medium lasers and a small laser. Doesn't even have double heat sinks. 200 STD engine. I imagine that putting in double heat sinks and Endosteel would make it an even better rig.

By god man, get ES, DHS, FF and a STD 250. Up the small to a med and get an extra ton of ammo. It becomes this unstoppable monster. I started playing again on the double XP weekend, now up to 55 matches played, 1.39 W/L (it was better, then I played in the Aus TZ and it's just PUGstompers), and a KDR of 2.14. I've legged and backshotted lights, stripped Atlas sides, and popped AC20 Jagermechs from behind...

[MeiSooHaityu]

Swayback is one of my favorite mechs. A good light killer and still good at putting damage down on bigger oponents.

With double heatsinks, the heat is manageable (although you still really need to be on top of it).

IMO, probably the best Medium out there

[Loler skates]

The Blazer of Lasers, on 14 April 2013 - 04:55 AM, said:

I currently run a 4SP with 4 mdpls, a flamer and dual SRM 6. It goes at about 80 kph. the pulse lasers are great for killing those irritating cravens and trollmandos and the flamer and SRMs kill and distract heavier mechs. I've done 700+ damage in it. Having said that its heat is high and you cant fight alone.and the SRMs are becoming less potent with every patch.

a flamer

A flamer

Flamer

Whhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyy?