I've started MWO recently, and after playing averagely a CTF and a BlackJack I decided to try the trial Jenner. I beat all my previous damage records on 4 consecutive games and had way more fun than with any heavier mechs. Which brings me to this question :
Which light mech should I buy first ?
Frankly i'm hesitating between Jenners (JR7-D) and a Raven (RVN 4X)
Jenner is faster but the raven offers more variety in terms of weaponry (2 machine guns on a light has to be good right ?)
Has anyone been through the same choice ? any help or advice is welcome
The 4X Raven will require certain skills that you probably don't have just yet. The Raven 4x is slow for a light, and works better as a cunning brawler or a tag along to an Atlas than any 'normal' light mech role. I would suggest going with the Jenners.
(Ironically I say this as someone who prefers the Raven 4x over any Jenner).
To elaborate: Light mechs are generally not for new players. They are agile -- requiring solid knowledge in piloting such as inertia, the way terrain affects the mech, etc. Lights are fragile and thus easily destroyed over the simplest of mistakes. Combat is fast, difficult, and even doing well the scores are typically in the high 400s for damage where the average highly skilled player in a medium to assault is much higher. So a not-so-skilled player just starting out in a light may find themselves in the lowest ends of the spectrum every time.
Each light chassis has its own merits that a skilled player can exploit.
The Jenners are the most balanced of these. Their weakness is the center torso size, which the front end can be hit from the front and from the side with ease. Keep your torso facing the enemy at all times, and your front armor high. If a new player were to use a light mech, the Jenner would be the most ideal. Note: If you equip streaks as your missiles, also equip a BAP to be able to attack ECM-using enemies within 0 to 150 meters.
Ravens have the most dynamic variants (each variant has extremely unique play styles that are generally incompatible with one another; this is why many players dislike the less-common Raven 4x and 2x models, as they can't be played like the other lights and the 3-L). The Raven's weakness is their legs.
Spoiler
Raven 2x
Raven 4x
Raven 3-L
The Commandos have a bit of a trade in armor, speed, and tonnage for superior turning ability and ease of aim by using their arms separate of their bodies. This allows them to get missile locks for streaks easier even at full speed since they can lock to the left and the right to 30 or so degrees past their torso twist limitations. Commandos may be short but they are stocky (fat), so they are easy to hit as they cross by an enemy's side.
Spoiler
Commando 2-D
Spiders are the most skill-based mechs there are, able to go as fast as heavier light mechs (Jenner and Raven 3-L), yet are taller (seriously they are the tallest light mechs), skinny and low profile (side thickness) keeps them difficult to keep a good hit on them at any time other than when they go airborne. Their builds excel as snipers, harassment, and "gundams."
Spoiler
Spider 5-D.
All screenshots taken by Lordred.
All mechs except the following are piloted by Koniving: Laser Spider, Raven-Shark Victim Spider, Plain-Jane Green Spider, Destroyed Raven, Catapult, and Jenner.
Honestly, I'd go with the Raven 3L - because the 3L is one of the best lights in the game. However, all of the Raven variants except the 3L are very slow for a light 'mech, which will cause a bit of difficulty for you starting out (this is why you always want to have the money for Endo-steel, Double Heat Sinks, and possibly an XL engine upgrade before you buy a new Light.) The thing is, ECM is a huge benefit to a light 'mech: it helps keep them safe from Streak-whoring, noskill basta savvy pilots who use fire-and-forget missiles, as well as forcing enemies to visually spot and target you when you scout.
In the end, you can learn to use any light 'mech well - the Ravens generally have ECM and/or a bit more weapon flexibility, while the Jenner has more maneuverability and raw firepower available (more weapon hardpoints.) Check out Smurfy's excellent guide, if you haven't already.
PS: I second Hayashi's advice - machineguns aren't terribly good, even with the latest buff. It's a situational weapon.
I don't advocate starting new players out on any ECM chassis though. People tend to do better after learning how to live without ECM and having it after, rather than relying on it at the start to have a rude awakening later. =P
I just come out of a game in which I took out a Jager and a Highlander with a total of 822 damage in the game.
And as you guys said I think Raven is better suited for recon rather than dogfighting.
I just have one concern : the trial mech is actually the Premium jenner which has max armor, Double heat sinks and a XL engine. buying a regular jenner means less armor, less tonnage and more heat issues ... So I guess I should save the cash to buy an XL engine and dble heat sinks right away ?
If I were you, I'd purchase the mech, or the Jenner, that you did well in.
You have earned Mech Experience for that that model that you can apply immediately after you purchase it.. Not to shabby.
Consider the Death Knell also, it will cost for some MC's but if $10-or $15 isn't breaking your bank, the Death Knell is wicked cool with all the bells and whistles..
Well, the Raven can fight or scout well - it's hitboxes are so close together on a small model that it's hard to hit it in the same place twice. ECM always makes a good scout, but after a while scouting becomes secondary, and you need to get in and fight. Where the Raven 3L really excels over other lights is its ability to combine ECM with Streaks in order to bully other lights - with the BAP now available to counter, I think the Jenner will be the premier light hunter again.
Honestly I find the Raven 4x to be superior in terms of flat-out brawling..so long as its victims are Assaults and Heavies and its carrying an AC/20. It's a matter of how they are used. In the hands of a new player, however, it's a walking coffin.
orangedoc, on 24 May 2013 - 12:27 PM, said:
I'm definitely going for the Light mechs ^^
I just come out of a game in which I took out a Jager and a Highlander with a total of 822 damage in the game.
And as you guys said I think Raven is better suited for recon rather than dogfighting.
I just have one concern : the trial mech is actually the Premium jenner which has max armor, Double heat sinks and a XL engine. buying a regular jenner means less armor, less tonnage and more heat issues ... So I guess I should save the cash to buy an XL engine and dble heat sinks right away ?
Regular will be fine. It can do the same thing. XL engine, endo steel, and double heatsinks. Get DHS immediately the rest you can save up for as you play.
If I were you, I'd purchase the mech, or the Jenner, that you did well in.
I just checked and surprisingly the Premium jenner does not show up in the pilot lab, the Xp I've gained was awarded to the JR-7F, which is cool I guess, I'm still worried about the Xl engine/Double heat sinks thing
EDIT : Koniving answered this question. Thank you for the detailed post regarding each light mech.
Flak Kannon, on 24 May 2013 - 12:35 PM, said:
Consider the Death Knell also, it will cost for some MC's but if $10-or $15 isn't breaking your bank, the Death Knell is wicked cool with all the bells and whistles..
I don't really want to invest money in the game just now (although considering the quality of the work on the game I probably will some day). I've never considered the Commando, and I rarely see it, can you give me a bit more info on it ?
Also Void Angel got my attention on the Raven, but I think it requires a bit more skills to master considering the variety of arrays.
Yeah, Jenner are the way to go when starting out with lights. They're the most balanced overall, and extremely capable. Also, all three variants are good Mech without wildly divergent playstyles.
As koniving said, DHS immediately - it's critical. Everything else is just gradual improvements.
Umm.. the 3L raven is one hell of a dogfighting/scouting Machine. you just have to be a bit quicker in reacting to the mech you are attackings reaction to you alpha or first strike. If you can master seeing how its gonna play out then the wider turn radius and 150.2 kph can be god im most situations. Just my .o2. I've only been at this for a month so I know how you feel. Good luck
Im a dedicated "light or fast" mech pilot. I am not a fan of the Jenner's, but in your case the Jenner is the better of the two. The Raven 3L is by far the best of the lights out there but its an 11.5 million C-Bill total investment when it comes down to engine, double heat sinks artemis etc. The Commando 2D is also a great learning mech for the lights and the hardest to pilot and survive is the Spiders. That said if you really want to learn lights the Spider is the aim as it forces you to learn movement, quick and accurate aim at high speeds and situational awareness.
I like the commando for a starter mech, its really cheap (letting players move out of the trail mechs faster for greater cbills and gxp) and its low tonnage means in the grand scheme of things you are less likely to hamper your team then if you were a noob in a atlas.
While generally they arnt as adept at brawling with other lights as the jenner is they can still do some pretty mean damage for their size and depending on their build can also be used as a cheap bodyguard for slower assault mechs. Until I upgraded to a CND-3C I was using a 3xSSRM2+tag/ECM/AMS COM-2D and did my best to play sidekick to any atlas or stalker that needed ECM support.
Coming from someone who has all the lights mastered, I think the Jenners are the best bet for beginners. Jenners have more armor, speed and firepower than Commandos or Spiders and have Jump Jets, which Commandos lack. And they certainly aren't as twitchy as Spiders. (Honestly, I hated the Commandos. I was glad when I had them mastered and I sold them off immediately.) If you decide to buy a mech with missile hardpoints, get streaks and BAP (Beagle Active Probe). I disagree with buying any mech with ECM right off the bat. There is a lot to know about when to counter and when to disrupt. First focus on piloting, hitting, and staying alive. Once you are consistently alive at the end or at least the last friendly mech standing, then when you have the c-bills, get a Raven 3L or Commando 2D. In the meantime, work the Jenners. Buy all three and get those mastered.
At the moment since BAP can shut off ECM, the JR7-D has overtaken the RVN-3L once again due to its jump jet capability. However, the JR7-F is still the strongest light mech in the hands of the best.
Id say a comando 1b is a nice cheap place to start, If you are willing to spend the cash the deaths knell can also be fun.
Both have their energy weapons in the arms for easy aiming, can reach the cap of 150kph with speed tweak.
Here is a quick 1B example http://mwo.smurfy-ne...1c44a496b26ed92
the pulse as one weapon group, 2 med lasers as 2nd, and the streak as a third would be the way to go.
I went for the Jenner. Althouh the "only laser" Jenner to spend the i had already grinded. I bought double heat sinks which was a fabulou improvement. The main issue I have is that switching from premium to regular I lost that fabulous XL300 engine and thus my own jenner is slower and I can't carry as much weapons.
I'm grinding the engine then I'll switch it on the 3 jenners to master all 3 of em. then after I'll prbably go for the Raven 3L as everyone seems to love it ^^
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