11 replies to this topic

[mistformsquirrel]

So I was thinking, despite having been advised against this many times, and I had an idea.

Specifically I was wondering:

What chassis do you think would be best to try to replicate the Clan Shadowcat in an Inner Sphere machine? The big design goals being to create a highly mobile harassment sniper.

My initial thought of course went to the venerable Hunchback 4G, since it already carries an AC/20 and a pair of medium lasers, and this is fairly easily switched to a Gauss Rifle + medium lasers. Unfortunately I was recently reading on the forums that the sights for the Hunchback are off... that would put a significant damper on my plan.

The Hunchback is also slightly problematic in that it kind of has a reputation for being disproportionately dangerous for it's size, so people know full well to put fire on it ASAP. (This same problem keeps me from even considering the Yen Lo Wang as well)

It's also 5 tons heavier than a Shadowcat, but that's a small issue since the extra weight of an IS Gauss Rifle means that extra space isn't necessarily a problem. No matter what there would be quite a lot of upgrading to do once I have the chassis - Endo Steel and an XL engine being most probable.

An alternative design would be the Blackjack BJ-1DC - which unless I'm misreading can actually mount a Gauss Rifle in one arm, and has plenty of energy hardpoints in the torso for supplemental medium lasers, so that's not a worry either. My main concern with the Blackjack is the weight... at 45 tons it's equal to the Shadowcat, which means using heavier IS components I can see some significant problems; though I might still be able to make it work.

One design I'm considering though that may work best - maybe - is the CN9-A Centurion. I think it has enough slots in the ballistic hardpoint for the Gauss Rifle, it's 50 tons so I think I can deal with the weight of IS components, and it has a pair of torso mounted energy hardpoints for medium lasers. It's also I think easily overlooked, being both a medium and (from what I can see) a pretty mediocre configuration for most purposes.

That said... this is going to be a significant investment in time to get the credits farmed for this thing and all the modifications it will need, so before I do all that I wanted to bring up question here:

Is there a chassis I'm ignoring that might work just as well/better for this kind of thing? My main goal is to create a very mobile long range harasser able to pick at the flanks of an enemy team with high damage and accuracy, and then slip away if it starts to take fire. I really find the Gauss Rifle an ideal all purpose weapon anyway so making it the centerpiece of this build makes sense from my perspective.

Here's the build btw:

Shadowcent

[LastPaladin]

How about a Flame? I know technically, it's a heavy, and you can't get the jump jets, but you could make a build like this:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...ee7191c51e71b59

The BAP might be pointless, even though the Shadowcat would have an active probe. You could drop that and add an AMS, or, dropping a half ton of armor, add 2 more m lasers for extra punch, or just more gauss ammo.

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

[Lord Perversor]

Blackjack, 225 or 235 Xl and still can fit Gauss and 4x med lasers.

Friend of mine used to run this along my Ac/20 and 3x med lasers one

[General Taskeen]

I don't know, its hard to replicate some Mechs due to their profiles. I just want a real Shadow Cat.

Edited by General Taskeen, 06 July 2013 - 11:04 AM.

[Bishop Steiner]

Shadowcat no jump, ain't no Shadowcat.

BJ-ShadowKitten
probably the closest you will come.

Can't match the speed exactly, especially compared to with MASC engaged, but can come within 4 kph of it's base speed with Speed Tweak. The 3rd Medium laser isn't really "correct" either. but allows you to mimic the damage of 2 Clan ERMLasers. Saw no point worrying about more JJS in the current broke system, "Cat usually wasn't noted for trying to be a Spider, anyhow. So just enough for terrain and combat mobility.

Ain't nothing can be done to make the BJ look better though.

[SirLANsalot]

looks like we are forgetting that the shadow cat....had missiles in it.
TBT-SHADOW CAT-A

[Bishop Steiner]

SirLANsalot, on 06 July 2013 - 11:54 AM, said:

looks like we are forgetting that the shadow cat....had missiles in it.
TBT-SHADOW CAT-A

not the Prime. Nice take on the A, though. Now if only we can get a way to make MASC work......

one could make a ShadowCat-A mini-me out of the Jenner tho.....
JR7-D(S)BabyCat

Edited by Bishop Steiner, 06 July 2013 - 12:10 PM.

[mistformsquirrel]

Some great ideas here... maybe I will go for the Blackjack after all, I think that's most suiting my desires really. Shame it doesn't have the same low sleek look of an actual Shadowcat, but it'll be awhile before the Clans arrive yet.

[MuonNeutrino]

The blackjack is the only option, in my opinion.

The reason is because it's the only one of the three you listed that actually has a relatively small profile. You are not going to be able to mount a gauss rifle in any of them without using an XL engine if you're also going to try to mimic the shadowcat's speed. However, the centurion and hunchback are two of the WORST chassis in the entire game to put XL engines on because their side torsos are so gigantic - especially if you're going to be strapping a bomb to the side torso like the hunch would! (Seriously, an XL engine'd hunchback with a gauss rifle is one of the worst non-joke builds I can think of off the top of my head.)

Meanwhile, the blackjack is a smaller target than both of them (more like the shadowcat, though the actual shape is of course not at all similar), and especially has much smaller side torsos. I run XL engines in all three of my blackjacks and it's honestly not a very big liability - sure, every now and again I'll get a side torso vaporized by some absurd alpha strike from a PPC/gauss boat with the rest of my mech intact, but most of the time if I die by side torso loss (which isn't usual) I was getting very beat up and was about to die anyway.

Also, blackjacks have jump jets.

edit: Bishop Steiner's 'shadowkitten' he linked above, apart from the front/rear torso armor balance, is literally *exactly* how I would build it.

Edited by MuonNeutrino, 06 July 2013 - 01:40 PM.

[mistformsquirrel]

Yeah, I picked up a Blackjack BJ-1 - got the Gauss Rifle and 2 Medium Lasers mounted on it; but I've got a bit of a grind before I can get the rest of the equipment. Still, should be fun stuff once I get it up and running.

[SirLANsalot]

Bishop Steiner, on 06 July 2013 - 11:56 AM, said:

not the Prime. Nice take on the A, though. Now if only we can get a way to make MASC work......

one could make a ShadowCat-A mini-me out of the Jenner tho.....
JR7-D(S)BabyCat

Ya its exactly like the A would be with the SSRM6 even (but in 3 SRM2's) granted the clan ER LL is ligher and cooler then the IS one, but meh, its as close as to the A as you could get now.

If we go by BT then yes the variants do matter, but the shadow cat I know and loved came from MW4, which pretty much merged all of them together (plus the one from the MW4 intro vid looked to have multiple SSRMs or lock on MRM's).

[Bishop Steiner]

SirLANsalot, on 06 July 2013 - 06:06 PM, said:

Ya its exactly like the A would be with the SSRM6 even (but in 3 SRM2's) granted the clan ER LL is ligher and cooler then the IS one, but meh, its as close as to the A as you could get now.

If we go by BT then yes the variants do matter, but the shadow cat I know and loved came from MW4, which pretty much merged all of them together (plus the one from the MW4 intro vid looked to have multiple SSRMs or lock on MRM's).

Yeah, I preferred the Uziel though, 2 Clan ER PPC, a SSRM6, and max armor, JJs, and extra heatsinks. Golden!