I'm very new here too, and this is what i have learned asking a billion questions on these boards, and what i have learned in game.. My favorite mech so far is the HBK-4G .. stick a 250 std engine, double heat sinks, FF armor, Frame upgrade.. AC-20, 3 tons ammo, 1 ML in head, 1 Small laser in each arm, and AMS with 1 ton ammo, what ever weight is left add to armor, legs last.... (this patch AMS really helps but hardly a save all especially with only 1 ton ammo so be careful where you stand,.. Your entire ammo can be lost from LRM's flying over head when not needed. A dev did respond to a question saying a possible Yes to an AMS off button in the future..)
The play style i have been using is.. With varying degrees of success. Sneak into positions and grab shots in torso to destroy armor, or take off arms. heck, grab a head shot if you are able.. . Also aim for any place that the opponent has already lost armor. You can blow off a limb, leg a Light/medium, or core someone with just a single shot at times.
when you do this be ready to move, cause an AC-20 HBK is a high value target, and you will often get many mechs chasing you.. (you kinda figure out who the guys are with team speak are.. Start blasting on one guy, then suddenly his 3 friends are on you. At that point hope you have friends really close that can save you when you lead the train back to a waiting ambush. (sneaking around and flanking, then falling back is often a tactic that works well)
This mech is also great for sneaking up on Catapults or any LRM boat. You can often get behind then cleanly, especially if they are sorta away from the main assault group. A Awesome, or Cat standing on a hill, or, on the edge of a ridge where he has an outcropping to hide behind. It takes a min, but with your speed you can sneak in, and before he realizes you can shread their arms off. A Cat missing it's arms, is a pretty weak mech, An awesome, if you take off his two Arms, he lost his engery hard points, and if he is a LRM boat, might be defencelss outside of something small.
Stalkers on the other hand, are pretty deadly to a HBK, so be extra careful for these guys. Even with LRMS, they have more than enough energy weapons left to be pretty rough, and the armor on their sides is tougher than it looks. I have yet to find a decent 1v1 strat for these guys other than group destruction and lots of hiding. Unless of course the guy is already blinking like a Christmas tree then it is full on Go mode.
One thing to be careful of I've gone in behind atlas brawling face to face with an other heavy on my own team.. atlas, awesome, what ever.. And the atlas will turn and come after you. I often wonder how they think.. the atlas in front of them is a lower value target than a little HBK one hit wonder.. But they sure do perhaps they think, well if i'm going down, i'm taking that little ****** with me. Just a warning.
Maneuvering is key too, cause when you do make those people angry, getting out of the line of fire, and becoming the target of their anger is part of the job for the hunchie. Take a few cheap shots on someone and make um loose a limb.. when they chase you try to avoid their fire, and let your friends take shots of opportunity. This is risky, but can be well rewarded. You shred the armor of the mechs back, When it turns to chase you, your buddies get clean shots on shredded back armor and hopefully the kill.
the hardest part is learning the patients.. rushing in gets you killed, But waiting to long also can get your whole lance killed.. cause you didn't help out soon enough. I find it is a very interesting balancing act.. I try to hang with the big guys, that are upfront brawlers, let them get the attention, and move into key locations. Be careful though, sometimes your own teammates will not wait for you to move out of the way before firing so be ware, when doing the circle dance with a atlas that you annoyed.
The trebuchet, a good tactic with them is use the AC-20, and leg um. Once legged, all that bonus speed isn't worth a hill of beans. Compaired to the HBK they used all that extra weight for the fast engine, and now are a bit light on the weapons. You now have the upper hand and that treb should go down, like any other legged light mech. Just try to avoid his fire anyway, no need to loose armor from a few of his shots before the next fight.
As far as sniping goes.. well, the bright side of LRM's, you don't have to worry about it as much.. unless of course the other guys has LRM's, and PPC's.. Then, you just have to hope for the best.. Really using terrain is the main thing with these things staying in valleys, getting close, going along with the brawling assaults on your team,
When ya ya die, try learning what you can watching others, and remember there is always the next match...
ecued, on 23 May 2013 - 03:59 AM, said:
thanks guys, its all good, i'm having a blast. i really missed this game, one of my all time favaorites and i've been playing since the pong days, you know when dinasours roamed the earth. ; )
Yes.. and orange shag carpet was the latest rage!
Edited by JC Daxion, 23 May 2013 - 05:12 AM.