54 replies to this topic

[Appogee]

I can see why you and others are recommending the 9M - all those lovely energy hardpoints, especially while missiles are nerfed.

But I want this Mech to be a keeper. I really want the +30% Cbills. And I believe missiles will likely get un-nerfed at some point(?)

[Yokaiko]

Appogee, on 20 April 2013 - 08:24 AM, said:

But I want this Mech to be a keeper. I really want the +30% Cbills. And I believe missiles will likely get un-nerfed at some point(?)

They said they were going to put knockdowns back in to.

The 9M was ALWAYS the better of the two.

[Appogee]

Argh. I just can't seem to make a PB build that I'm comfortable with vs what the 9M offers

Edited by Appogee, 20 April 2013 - 09:18 AM.

[Victor Morson]

FunkyFritter, on 20 April 2013 - 07:11 AM, said:

I'd try something like this:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...30a5a7c9b61ddc0

Don't run builds that aren't properly maxed for tonnage, let alone recommend them.

[Soy]

I use something similar to this when I kit out a 9M for brawling -

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...88181e52a3acc90

Pretty self explanatory, I tried to keep it a little conservative in case the mech or role or weapons are stuff you're unfamiliar with.

[operator0]

Appogee, on 20 April 2013 - 08:16 AM, said:

I'd really prefer to keep the +30% CBill premium if I can. That's what leads me to Pretty Baby instead of the 9M at this point.

Unless you think Fang or Flame are a better platform?

I have never run an Awesome more than a few times. Didn't like them. I don't own a PB, so take this for what it's worth.

I love the Flame. It's a top notch mech if used correctly. And that's the thing. It must be used correctly. The problem with all Dragons is that the CT is super easy to hit. So, must be played as a fast support mech. I run an XL350 and 4LL, although the XL350, Gauss, 4ML is a good build. Those builds will do 104kph.

In comparison with the Awesome, the Dragons have a few things going for them. They are faster, the side torsos are realatively hard to hit, so you can equip an XL without any reluctance and they are significantly faster. Did I mention how fast they were? Also, you mentioned that the Flame and PB are the same price. That's actually not true. The Flame is much cheaper.

The forums had a discussion not too long ago about which Hero mechs were the best and the consensus is that the Flame and Illya are the top tier hero mechs. The X5 is next in line followed by the Death's Knell and Yen LO Wang. The PB brought up the rear. The Highlander wasn't in game yet, but I would put that Hero mech right up there with the Flame and Illya based off of stats (i don't have one).

If your game is fast direct fire support, then the Flame will work for you. If it's not, a Dragon is probably not for you. I cannot think of any reason to get a PB over a Flame, but others who have driven both may be able to give their opinion.

Edited by operator0, 20 April 2013 - 11:00 AM.

[Royalewithcheese]

If you want to get an Awesome, get a heavy mech instead. There's not much a fast Awesome can do that a heavy build can't do better. On the other hand, you can do 65 in a Stalker and 60 in an Atlas or Highlander.

Appogee, on 20 April 2013 - 08:24 AM, said:

But I want this Mech to be a keeper.

Definitely a Stalker or a DDC. Stalkers can ride whatever set of nerfs are around, because it's pretty unlikely that all missiles and all energy weapons are terrible at the same time. The DDC has ECM, which isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

[Budor]

PB is a pretty safe bet. Missiles will get buffed again. I enjoy mine you just need to use the speed.

[MrDerp]

STK-3F

you will never be satisfied with any other assault after using this.

I have scored more 7 kill games with this mech than all my other mechs combined.

enjoy.

[Skyfaller]

Yep. Stalker speed tops out at 64kph. Not fast as you want but its speedy and packs insane damage.

3F and 5S are excellent mechs. The other variants.. just fail.

[Appogee]

I appreciate the damage of Stalkers (and your posts)... but they just drive me mad plodding along.

I'm happiest in my X-5. But I've done about as much as I can in it. So, now onto another weight class.

Operator 0 makes a good case for the Flame...

I will eventually get a Stalker when they go on sale

Edited by Appogee, 20 April 2013 - 11:41 AM.

[Royalewithcheese]

Appogee, on 20 April 2013 - 11:41 AM, said:

Operator 0 makes a good case for the Flame...

If you're considering a Flame, you should get a K2 or a Jager-S. They can do the fast energy platform thing, but don't have the weight issues. (Which, in turn, means more armor/engine/heatsinks.) Their hitboxes are also better - Jager has the good STD hitboxes, the K2 has the good XL hitboxes. In general the K2 and all of the Jagermech variants are great for a balance of speed and firepower.

Edited by Royalewithcheese, 20 April 2013 - 11:47 AM.

[TruePoindexter]

I've been tempted by some of the Awesomes but I've never been impressed and I can't find a third that I like. If I were forced to though this is what I would run:

9M XL385 4 LL
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...9a4b2f9a3ba8189

Pretty Baby: XL400 2 LL 1 ASRM6 2 ASRM4
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...bcc815b23e62ba6

I can attest to the effectiveness of the Flame. It's a good mech when you make sure to capitalize on the speed.

*Shameless plug I have a build & gameplay video of the Flame if you're interested: http://mwomercs.com/...gameplay-video/

Reference Build:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e98c620a6b3f646

Edited by TruePoindexter, 20 April 2013 - 12:11 PM.

[operator0]

Royalewithcheese, on 20 April 2013 - 11:44 AM, said:

If you're considering a Flame, you should get a K2 or a Jager-S. They can do the fast energy platform thing, but don't have the weight issues. (Which, in turn, means more armor/engine/heatsinks.) Their hitboxes are also better - Jager has the good STD hitboxes, the K2 has the good XL hitboxes. In general the K2 and all of the Jagermech variants are great for a balance of speed and firepower.

This is true if you aren't looking to go any faster than 86 kph. If you want to top 100, then only one heavy will do it. The K2 is a pretty good brawler though.

Edited by operator0, 20 April 2013 - 12:21 PM.

[ThePieMaker]

I would say something roughly like this if you want a fast assault that does damage.
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d9b60869a7e4aa8

Or this if your hell-bent on keeping an XL out of it.
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...359f160f2bc9127

[Sheraf]

Whenever you see an Assault that fast, aim for the torso

[Narcissistic Martyr]

Daenyathos, on 20 April 2013 - 06:49 AM, said:

Either AWS-9M or the Pretty Baby. That's pretty much it. Good luck trying to keep an XL engine out of it and still running that fast.

Can too!

[Royalewithcheese]

operator0, on 20 April 2013 - 12:13 PM, said:

This is true if you aren't looking to go any faster than 86 kph. If you want to top 100, then only one heavy will do it. The K2 is a pretty good brawler though.

The issue is that a 100+ kph Dragon is sacrificing a lot in terms of heat/loadout to be able to do that, and it's not exactly going to be dodging anything with those hitboxes.

[TruePoindexter]

Royalewithcheese, on 20 April 2013 - 12:49 PM, said:

The issue is that a 100+ kph Dragon is sacrificing a lot in terms of heat/loadout to be able to do that, and it's not exactly going to be dodging anything with those hitboxes.

It's not really agile enough either to dodge much of anything. Like most of the heavier mechs just because it has a fast top speed doesn't mean it turns quickly. It's more that if you find yourself locked in a long range sniping battle you have the speed to change you strategy to a flanking base cap. Slower mechs tend to not be able to make decisions like that due to their speed.

[Trauglodyte]

I'm running an Awesome 9M and it moves 86kph (81 currently with the silly speed bug) with 1 ER PPC, 3 Lrg Lasers, and an SRM6 and 19 DHSs. And I'm #17 in the Awesome category, atm. Bad games will net me 2-3 kills and 400 damage while good games are more like 4-5 kills and 800+. Its a bit of heat management but if you pay attention to it and pilot well, you'll wreck face.