15 replies to this topic

[The Aegis]

Hey everyone, I'm pretty new and I'm not quite sure which assault mech I want to buy. I've played for a couple weeks and fiddled around with medium mechs, but I've more recently used the Trial Atlas and been having a lot more fun than in my medium mech because of the selection of the weapons. Although with all these weapons I still don't want to become a boat in MW...

Do you guys have any recommendations on assault mechs? I was thinking of getting the victor but I'm not really sure whether it compares to the atlas.

Thanks~
Aegis

[Redshift2k5]

What weapons do you want to use?

Do you want a jump-jet capable Assault mech or no? What speed do you want to go at?

[oldradagast]

All the assault mechs are pretty good, though all share a common theme - they are big and slow. Well, okay, a few of them can move fast, but they are all big and relatively slow when compared with mediums, lights, and some heavies.

There's nothing wrong with this, but you just have to understand it when playing an assault mech. You have staggering firepower and great armor, but you aren't indestructible, and since you're big and slow, you tend to draw fire and can't easily run away. On the other hand, you are also great at crushing enemy mechs and can take more punishment than anything else out there.

Which assault mech to get? Tough choice since they are mostly all good.

Awesome: Somewhat trickier to play than most assaults, they are still a good mech. They can carry a nice mix of energy and missile weapons and some can move at a rather high speed. They are the lightest assaults, so aren't as tough as the bigger ones, but they can still pack a punch and take some damage. Good for missile boats and snipers that like to move around a lot.

Stalker: Very popular because of staggering weapons loads and high-mounted weapons that allow for great sniping. They are also a bit smaller than one would expect and have very good hitboxes. The only drawback is they turn like a barge and have no horizontal arm movement. Great for focused alpha strikes, sniping, and missile boating.

Highlander: Largest mech in the game with jump-jets, heavily armed and armored, Highlanders are versatile and dangerous. They carry a wide range of ballistic, missile, and energy weapons. If there's something you want to do with an assault mech, the Highlander can probably do it and provide you with some extra flexibility with the jump jets.

Atlas: The classic. Heaviest armor in the game and covered with guns. Much like the Highlander, the Atlas can do almost anything when it comes to weapon loadouts. They are rather ponderous and lack jump jets, but nothing has equal or higher armor in the game.

Victor: The new kid on the block, I can only speak to what I've seen facing them and the specs listed in the mech lab (Smurfy net). They seem to provide a great mix of energy and ballistic weapons on a fast, jump-jet equipped platform. They do seem more fragile than Highlanders, which is logical since they have less armor, but they are still tough. The only drawback I see is they have very limited missile capability, if that matters to you.

Good luck!

[Skydrive]

I've been killing a few atlas's with the DS, though many of those was because my mech ran cooler. They would overheat, shutdown, and I would aim for the cockpit.

I suppose we can scratch out Stalker and possibly Awesome if you don't want to be a boat. Question is do you want to be mobile. Do you want to be fast and/or have Jump Jets.
As things are right now with the slope mechanic, JJ assaults are strongest in the Urban environment. There is no real loss of speed in River City unless your trying to climb a hill. You can use your jump jets to go over buildings, come up behind enemy mechs with your heavy weapons, get out of fights, etc. Canyon Network isn't all that friendly to even the Victor, might be to the Highlander 733C (733C can have a jump distance of 22m where as the Victor can only have 21 with 4 JJ's), but more likely to be friendly to the Heavy Metal, have yet to get that map while running those two Highlanders. Basically with the Victor, I have had multiple times in Canyon Network where I would try to jump out of the canyon at max speed, hit the tip of the upper area, and be stuck there until I turn my mech in the right direction to get enough momentum to either move forward, or to use my JJ's and get forward thrust. Here's hoping they give more thrust to those mechs that arent just jumping up to poptart.
Eventually I am pretty sure they will add DFA, but that won't be any time soon... well, I do recall someone saying that the new slope mechanic is in the right direction to bringing collisions back, which we would need before DFA.

So, if you don't really want to be mobile, take an Atlas or a Highlander. If you don't want to be fast but have JJ's, take a Highlander. If you want to be fast but don't care for JJ's, take an Awesome or a Victor. If you want to be fast and have JJ's, take a Victor.

Edited by Skydrive, 06 July 2013 - 08:00 AM.

[The Aegis]

Redshift2k5, on 06 July 2013 - 07:41 AM, said:

What weapons do you want to use?

Do you want a jump-jet capable Assault mech or no? What speed do you want to go at?

I'm a big fan of Ballistics like the Gauss Rifle and AC20, but I haven't used a jump-jet capable mech in MWO yet.

[Skydrive]

The Aegis, on 06 July 2013 - 07:59 AM, said:

I'm a big fan of Ballistics like the Gauss Rifle and AC20, but I haven't used a jump-jet capable mech in MWO yet.

In that case, I recommend you atleast try a Trial mech that has JJ's first to see if you would or not want to. You could even just take a spider and slim down the engine size and the amount of JJ's to try and feel out how an Assault mech with JJ's would be like. Don't have to get endo, DHS, FF, nor an XL engine, get a 100 STD for Highlanders and... something abit higher for Victors.

EDIT: 150 max if you want to try it for the effect of a Dragon Slayer having a 400 engine.

Edited by Skydrive, 06 July 2013 - 08:07 AM.

[scJazz]

What is up with all the new pilots wanting to get Assault Mechs?!?

Please don't Please... but if you must there is no rush. The Trial Atlas right now is a fine Assault. Mess with it a bunch.

As for you enjoying Ballistics like the Gauss and AC20 that means the Stalker is right out. It will be a few weeks until the non-Hero Victors are out so that limits you to the Highlander if you want JJs. Awesome's are out as well since they don't mount Ballistics either. So right now you are left with the Atlas and Highlander. You are already enjoying the Atlas.

Stick with it for a bit... think about whether the lack of JJs is really penalizing your playstyle. Then make your choice or wait a few more weeks for the Victor.

[Tor Gungnir]

Hey I turned out fine and I've been in an Assault since day one....

Edited by Tor Gungnir, 06 July 2013 - 08:47 AM.

[The Aegis]

Skydrive, on 06 July 2013 - 07:58 AM, said:

I've been killing a few atlas's with the DS, though many of those was because my mech ran cooler. They would overheat, shutdown, and I would aim for the cockpit. I suppose we can scratch out Stalker and possibly Awesome if you don't want to be a boat. Question is do you want to be mobile. Do you want to be fast and/or have Jump Jets. As things are right now with the slope mechanic, JJ assaults are strongest in the Urban environment. There is no real loss of speed in River City unless your trying to climb a hill. You can use your jump jets to go over buildings, come up behind enemy mechs with your heavy weapons, get out of fights, etc. Canyon Network isn't all that friendly to even the Victor, might be to the Highlander 733C (733C can have a jump distance of 22m where as the Victor can only have 21 with 4 JJ's), but more likely to be friendly to the Heavy Metal, have yet to get that map while running those two Highlanders. Basically with the Victor, I have had multiple times in Canyon Network where I would try to jump out of the canyon at max speed, hit the tip of the upper area, and be stuck there until I turn my mech in the right direction to get enough momentum to either move forward, or to use my JJ's and get forward thrust. Here's hoping they give more thrust to those mechs that arent just jumping up to poptart. Eventually I am pretty sure they will add DFA, but that won't be any time soon... well, I do recall someone saying that the new slope mechanic is in the right direction to bringing collisions back, which we would need before DFA. So, if you don't really want to be mobile, take an Atlas or a Highlander. If you don't want to be fast but have JJ's, take a Highlander. If you want to be fast but don't care for JJ's, take an Awesome or a Victor. If you want to be fast and have JJ's, take a Victor.

I'm wondering whether the Victor's increase in mobility in comparison to the firepower of the Atlas would be worth the cost.
My current play style is supporting with LRMs and using the Gauss Rifle and Medium Lasers when they get within 500m of me.

Would the Victor be comparable to the Highlander in mobility but not in firepower? Or are they about the same?

[The Aegis]

oldradagast, on 06 July 2013 - 07:44 AM, said:

All the assault mechs are pretty good, though all share a common theme - they are big and slow. Well, okay, a few of them can move fast, but they are all big and relatively slow when compared with mediums, lights, and some heavies. There's nothing wrong with this, but you just have to understand it when playing an assault mech. You have staggering firepower and great armor, but you aren't indestructible, and since you're big and slow, you tend to draw fire and can't easily run away. On the other hand, you are also great at crushing enemy mechs and can take more punishment than anything else out there. Which assault mech to get? Tough choice since they are mostly all good. Awesome: Somewhat trickier to play than most assaults, they are still a good mech. They can carry a nice mix of energy and missile weapons and some can move at a rather high speed. They are the lightest assaults, so aren't as tough as the bigger ones, but they can still pack a punch and take some damage. Good for missile boats and snipers that like to move around a lot. Stalker: Very popular because of staggering weapons loads and high-mounted weapons that allow for great sniping. They are also a bit smaller than one would expect and have very good hitboxes. The only drawback is they turn like a barge and have no horizontal arm movement. Great for focused alpha strikes, sniping, and missile boating. Highlander: Largest mech in the game with jump-jets, heavily armed and armored, Highlanders are versatile and dangerous. They carry a wide range of ballistic, missile, and energy weapons. If there's something you want to do with an assault mech, the Highlander can probably do it and provide you with some extra flexibility with the jump jets. Atlas: The classic. Heaviest armor in the game and covered with guns. Much like the Highlander, the Atlas can do almost anything when it comes to weapon loadouts. They are rather ponderous and lack jump jets, but nothing has equal or higher armor in the game. Victor: The new kid on the block, I can only speak to what I've seen facing them and the specs listed in the mech lab (Smurfy net). They seem to provide a great mix of energy and ballistic weapons on a fast, jump-jet equipped platform. They do seem more fragile than Highlanders, which is logical since they have less armor, but they are still tough. The only drawback I see is they have very limited missile capability, if that matters to you. Good luck!

Thanks for the summaries on all the assault mechs, It really helps me narrow down which ones better fit my play style! So far its down to either the Atlas or Victor at the moment. I've heard the DDC is the way to go for the Atlas because of the ECM capabilities?

[Tor Gungnir]

D-DC for EMC (and one more Missile slot I believe)

D for extra punching power (two more Energy slots in the torso)

RS for extra arm punching power (two more Energy slots in the arms)

K for... heck if I know....

I went with the D-DC and haven't regretted it.

Edited by Tor Gungnir, 06 July 2013 - 09:53 AM.

[scJazz]

Tor Gungnir, on 06 July 2013 - 08:47 AM, said:

Hey I turned out fine and I've been in an Assault since day one....

Yeah... alright you did turn out fine but look at the amount of effort we put into making you an effective MechWarrior

With the Trial Atlai of the last two cycles I shudder every time I see more than one on my team. This means I'm shaking like a witch's *** in a brass bra nearly every match. I tried playing this morning... I stopped when 3 Trial Atlai were on my team and 2 on opposing.

[Skydrive]

The Aegis, on 06 July 2013 - 09:45 AM, said:

I'm wondering whether the Victor's increase in mobility in comparison to the firepower of the Atlas would be worth the cost.
My current play style is supporting with LRMs and using the Gauss Rifle and Medium Lasers when they get within 500m of me.

Would the Victor be comparable to the Highlander in mobility but not in firepower? Or are they about the same?

Well lets see. When it comes to firepower, they should be practically the same. Lets see, two out of four variants will be able to mount an AC20 where only the HGN-733C can do that. The HGN-733P can have four energy hardpoints at the cost of no ballistic hard points. The HGN-732, the Heavy Metal, the Dragon slayer and the VTR-9K have three energy hardpoints. The HGN-733 has four missle hardpoints, where all other Highlanders and only the VTR-9S have 3 missle hardpoints, excluding the Heavy Metal which only has two, and the VTR-9B is the only one that has three ballistic hardpoints.
So ya, they are about the same in fire power. Whats more is all Highlander missle hardpoints seem to be somewhat modular, where they can fire either 20 at a time or 10 at a time from one missle weapon. The Dragon Slayer seems to be similar in the regard, so it is likely the other Victors will be as well.

As for being comparable in mobility, all Victors are faster then all of the Highlanders. The HGN-733C and the Heavy Metal have a better jump distance then the Victors excluding the VTR-9K, which will be able to have six jump jets.

The only real downside of the Victor compared to the Highlander and the Atlas as far as I can tell would be armour, but if you can out maneuver those bigger mechs and have as much fire power as them, then you should be able to come out on top.

[The Aegis]

Tor Gungnir, on 06 July 2013 - 09:52 AM, said:

D-DC for EMC (and one more Missile slot I believe)

D for extra punching power (two more Energy slots in the torso)

RS for extra arm punching power (two more Energy slots in the arms)

K for... heck if I know....

I went with the D-DC and haven't regretted it.

Hmm the current Trial one is the RS, I like the DDC's load out but I might miss the RS. But an ECM would definitely help out in the long run... but so far I have around 15,000 Mech EXP for the RS.

Skydrive, on 06 July 2013 - 10:24 AM, said:

Well lets see. When it comes to firepower, they should be practically the same. Lets see, two out of four variants will be able to mount an AC20 where only the HGN-733C can do that. The HGN-733P can have four energy hardpoints at the cost of no ballistic hard points. The HGN-732, the Heavy Metal, the Dragon slayer and the VTR-9K have three energy hardpoints. The HGN-733 has four missle hardpoints, where all other Highlanders and only the VTR-9S have 3 missle hardpoints, excluding the Heavy Metal which only has two, and the VTR-9B is the only one that has three ballistic hardpoints.
So ya, they are about the same in fire power. Whats more is all Highlander missle hardpoints seem to be somewhat modular, where they can fire either 20 at a time or 10 at a time from one missle weapon. The Dragon Slayer seems to be similar in the regard, so it is likely the other Victors will be as well.

As for being comparable in mobility, all Victors are faster then all of the Highlanders. The HGN-733C and the Heavy Metal have a better jump distance then the Victors excluding the VTR-9K, which will be able to have six jump jets.

The only real downside of the Victor compared to the Highlander and the Atlas as far as I can tell would be armour, but if you can out maneuver those bigger mechs and have as much fire power as them, then you should be able to come out on top.

Ah I see! The Victor sounds enticing as well.. The improved mobility with similar firepower as an Atlas or Highlander would be greatly appreciated. I like having a mix of LRMs, with some heavy hitting ballistics, and a couple lasers. I wonder if the Victor would actually be able to carry that much weaponry though.

[Skydrive]

The Aegis, on 06 July 2013 - 10:53 AM, said:

Hmm the current Trial one is the RS, I like the DDC's load out but I might miss the RS. But an ECM would definitely help out in the long run... but so far I have around 15,000 Mech EXP for the RS.



Ah I see! The Victor sounds enticing as well.. The improved mobility with similar firepower as an Atlas or Highlander would be greatly appreciated. I like having a mix of LRMs, with some heavy hitting ballistics, and a couple lasers. I wonder if the Victor would actually be able to carry that much weaponry though.

Try this http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/. See if you can get some satisfying builds from there for the mechs.

Edited by Skydrive, 06 July 2013 - 10:59 AM.

[The Aegis]

Skydrive, on 06 July 2013 - 10:58 AM, said:

Try this http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/. See if you can get some satisfying builds from there for the mechs.

Thanks, I'll try to make some good builds on it!