24 replies to this topic

[Bishop Steiner]

Colonel Pada Vinson, on 05 June 2013 - 03:05 PM, said:

Hunchback for mediums. The AC/20 hunchback is a monster if you're a good pilot. The other hunchies all hit nice and hard. Good zombie mech too, though not quite as good as the centurion. For mediums the phract is a solid all round choice, and the Catapult is also an incredible mech all the variants depending on your style.

I want to agree, but that Hunch comes off real fast for most pilots, especially new guys. I wish it didn't, cuz the 4G is still my favorite looking mech in the game.

[aniviron]

The Hunchback 4SP is a fantastic mech to start out with. It's fairly cheap, it's easy to use, and you don't have to modify it to make it good. I mean, it is better if you put in endo, dhs, and a larger engine, but you don't have to do it to make it playable. Most effective mech for the cost, imo.

[80Bit]

A lot of people here are making comments coming from the perspective of 2 months ago's balance, or from a high skill level vantage point. The Centurion is definitely a solid and survivable mech, but much of that suitability comes from pilot skill in torso twisting. And having "at least one of each weapon type" is not a great thing for new players, since it can be hard to handle the convergence and shot leading needed for those different weapons.

aniviron, on 05 June 2013 - 03:45 PM, said:

The Hunchback 4SP is a fantastic mech to start out with. It's fairly cheap, it's easy to use, and you don't have to modify it to make it good. I mean, it is better if you put in endo, dhs, and a larger engine, but you don't have to do it to make it playable. Most effective mech for the cost, imo.

This man speaks the truth. I have long felt the Hunchback-4SP is the ultimate starter mech. This is for several reasons:

1) It is inexpensive. Even when fully outfitted it won't need an XL Engine, and may not even use Endo-Steel depending on your build.

2) It's forgiving. Unlike the Centurions or other Hunchbacks, you don't have a vulnerable point to protect (arm on Centurions right torso on the other Hunchbacks). This leaves you free to learn the other aspects of combat without worrying about twisting away from enemy shots.

3) It only has two weapon types. You can simple use one button to fire your lasers, the other to fire your missiles. This keeps you from having to manage different lead amounts an convergence needed in more complicated builds.

4) It is durable. Because you are using a standard engine and your weapons are spread between both sides of your mech, even losing a side torso does not put you out of a fight. Hunchback 4-SPs will stay alive longer than most other medium mechs.


Buy your 4SP and pull off the small laser, up the armor, and move stuff around so it looks like this: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5227ef976e7fdf9

Then spend your next 1.5 million for the very needed (on any mech) double heat sinks so it looks like this: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...090649cfc2ab3d6

Finally, when you can afford it, buy Endo-Steel internals and drop a few heat sinks, and put in a Standard 250 engine, so it looks like this: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...08a9a7e3d87491f


You are now rocking one of the most solid sub 10 million C-Bill mechs in the game.

[Bishop Steiner]

80Bit, on 05 June 2013 - 04:40 PM, said:

A lot of people here are making comments coming from the perspective of 2 months ago's balance, or from a high skill level vantage point. The Centurion is definitely a solid and survivable mech, but much of that suitability comes from pilot skill in torso twisting. And having "at least one of each weapon type" is not a great thing for new players, since it can be hard to handle the convergence and shot leading needed for those different weapons.



This man speaks the truth. I have long felt the Hunchback-4SP is the ultimate starter mech. This is for several reasons:

1) It is inexpensive. Even when fully outfitted it won't need an XL Engine, and may not even use Endo-Steel depending on your build.

2) It's forgiving. Unlike the Centurions or other Hunchbacks, you don't have a vulnerable point to protect (arm on Centurions right torso on the other Hunchbacks). This leaves you free to learn the other aspects of combat without worrying about twisting away from enemy shots.

3) It only has two weapon types. You can simple use one button to fire your lasers, the other to fire your missiles. This keeps you from having to manage different lead amounts an convergence needed in more complicated builds.

4) It is durable. Because you are using a standard engine and your weapons are spread between both sides of your mech, even losing a side torso does not put you out of a fight. Hunchback 4-SPs will stay alive longer than most other medium mechs.


Buy your 4SP and pull off the small laser, up the armor, and move stuff around so it looks like this: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5227ef976e7fdf9

Then spend your next 1.5 million for the very needed (on any mech) double heat sinks so it looks like this: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...090649cfc2ab3d6

Finally, when you can afford it, buy Endo-Steel internals and drop a few heat sinks, and put in a Standard 250 engine, so it looks like this: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...08a9a7e3d87491f


You are now rocking one of the most solid sub 10 million C-Bill mechs in the game.

and have used almost all the cadet money... with nothing left for the Victor

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 05 June 2013 - 09:30 PM.

[Hans Von Lohman]

The Hunchback 4SP is supposed to be the best all around mech in the game.

Just make sure you ditch the small laser for something bigger or just put that tonnage into other areas.

The mech is perfectly symetrical, which is a plus in surviving. Other Hunchbacks or all of the Centurions often get their big gun targeted for destruction, so they go for your right side. A -4SP doesn't have that issue.

The mech can be setup with a number of builds in just one machine. You can go missile heavy, both short and long range (or a mix of both), or no missiles. You can go energy weapon crazy, either with lots of medium lasers, or lots of bigger energy weapons and no missiles.

Personally, I think 2 large lasers, 2 medium lasers, and a pair of SRM-6's is the way to go with the -4SP.

But the point of all of this is that the Hunchback 4SP is a good mech that you can have fun with.

If your heart is set on having an Autocannon, then I actually would say to get the Trebuchet-K. You can rig it up with an AC-20 in the torso like a hunchback without the issue of everyone always shooting the obvious mega-cannon sitting on top of your right torso (yours is slung in your left armpit).