34 replies to this topic

[deathbr1ngr93]

Hey

Been playing the game for the past few days and am coming to the end of my cadet bonus with 2-3 more games to play of it. I think im going to be best going for a assault mech as that seems to fit my playstyle the most. I have just over 10k cbills at the moment and was looking for advice on which mech to buy. Iv been looking at both the Atlas and the Stalkers but have no idea which variant is a good choice if any. I think ill be looking to pick up either the Talon or Storm Phoenix package if that holds any relevance to what I should be picking up now. Looking for advice.

Thanks!

[Dawnstealer]

Atlases are fun and you can grind them out really fast (like...a day). What's more, you earn a lot more money with them. The downside with them is that, in any and every match, YOU are the center of attention. If you go the Atlas route, start with the DDC because then you will actually reach the front line (and get used to moving that big boy through cover).

My first real stable of mechs were Stalkers and they still hold a special place in my heart. My favorite is the Misery, but it took me a while to find a build I liked. For Stalkers, pull whatever engine is in them and never, ever run an XL (the one exception being if you are going to be an LRM boat, and even then...). Ideally, put a STD 300 or 310 in it. Not for the speed, but the for the ability to torso-twist quickly.

Good luck!

[scJazz]

deathbr1ngr93, on 02 September 2013 - 06:39 AM, said:

Hey

Been playing the game for the past few days and am coming to the end of my cadet bonus with 2-3 more games to play of it. I think im going to be best going for a assault mech as that seems to fit my playstyle the most. I have just over 10k cbills at the moment and was looking for advice on which mech to buy. Iv been looking at both the Atlas and the Stalkers but have no idea which variant is a good choice if any. I think ill be looking to pick up either the Talon or Storm Phoenix package if that holds any relevance to what I should be picking up now. Looking for advice.

Thanks!

We need more info You mention them fitting your playstyle but then never tell us what it is. Do you like LRMs? Missiles in general? Are Gauss Rifles more your style? Right now the Trial Assault is a Victor 9K which isn't really an assault it is an overgrown heavy with JJs. Did you play the Victor a lot, or the Catapult? Which Trial Mechs did you use and/or what makes you like the Assaults?

[Barrett]

Atlas. Pure, simple fun.
It puts the fear into heavies and assaults and creams the pants of the light mechs armed with a medium laser.
The latter is not a good thing.

[aniviron]

If you enjoy pain, take an Awesome.

If you want to brawl (close range, heavy hitting style), a victor, highlander, or atlas will do well for you. The stalkers can all brawl too, but only the STK-3F has enough torso twist range to do well at it.

If you want to snipe, the stalkers are all excellent, and there are a few good highlander variants for that as well.

Good luck to you!

[arghmace]

10k cbills? Surely you mean 10 million or you're not gonna afford any mech.

Anyway even with 10 million you're only gonna get one assault. Also note that you need 1.5 million for DHS and some more for weapons and maybe Endo Steel. Now the problem is that you need 3 variants of the same mech. Ideally you do not wanna play a single match with a mech after opening its basic efficiencies until you've opened up the basic efficiencies with 2 other variants. To achieve this with assaults you need around 30 mil.

So I would really recommend to all new players starting out with something cheaper. Hunchbacks are good, just buy a STD250 engine and you're good to go. Then when you've mastered all of them, think about buying something bigger.

[Joey Tankblaster]

Atlas-D-DC is probably a very well-balanced atlas chassis.

[Appogee]

You need to tell us more about your preferred play style and weapons loadout before we can assist you further.

(The only thing we know at this point is that you don't mind moving s-l-o-w-l-y!)

[deathbr1ngr93]

I played both the Victor and the Capapult but didnt like the Catapult nearly as much. I guess I think my playstyle is more suited to assaults from what I have seen of youtube videos etc. I like to be able to take a good chunk of damage and dish it out and dont mind the mech being slow as a result. That and as a i mentioned I think ill be picking up the Storm Phoenix package and that includes lighter mechs i believe? so with that and a assault ill have a fairly well rounded set of mechs in theory. I enjoyed using the Gauss Rifle and the lasers although they seemed to lack on the range.

Thanks

[scJazz]

Use Smurfy to design your mech before you purchase it whatever you do! Pay special attention to the price. You will need Double Strength Heat Sinks at a minimum. After that you'll need a bigger engine (Standard 300 or so for the Stalker and Standard 325 for the Atlas), Artemis (depending on design), and Endo-Steel (depending on design).
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab

A brawler Atlas DDC will run well over 15m CBills with upgrades, engine, and weapons.
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...1c4a6daf45dbfac

and check out the MechSpec boards for fitting suggestions (ignore any Build that uses XL Engines)
Atlas
http://www.mechspecs....php?board=22.0

Stalker
http://www.mechspecs....php?board=24.0

Edited by scJazz, 02 September 2013 - 07:09 AM.

[deathbr1ngr93]

And yes I meant 10 million sorry about that

[John MatriX82]

deathbr1ngr93, on 02 September 2013 - 07:07 AM, said:

I played both the Victor and the Capapult but didnt like the Catapult nearly as much. I guess I think my playstyle is more suited to assaults from what I have seen of youtube videos etc. I like to be able to take a good chunk of damage and dish it out and dont mind the mech being slow as a result. That and as a i mentioned I think ill be picking up the Storm Phoenix package and that includes lighter mechs i believe? so with that and a assault ill have a fairly well rounded set of mechs in theory. I enjoyed using the Gauss Rifle and the lasers although they seemed to lack on the range.

Hmm the talon grants you only the Locust, the papermech. I'd go for that pack unless you want to unlock the Saber for the Griffin and the Wolvie.

Besides this about the assaults avoid Awesomes. They are for the strong-hearted. Victors? Hmm I'd leave these as well.

We're left with Atlases, Highlanders and Stalkers. So if you like the Gauss Rifle no Stalkers, we're left with Atlases and Highlanders.. trouble is that Atlases side torsoes blow up like there's no tomorrow with a GR inside.. Highlanders have it in the arms so they are the best bet for you imho.

And all Landers are good, 733C, 733, 732 can do well as brawlers, snipers, lrmboats, whatever. I'd go with those.

The cheapest though are probably Stalkers, most of the times you can live well only with the DHS upgrade and Standard engines in the range of 280-300 and while the 3F is the best one, you can replicate most of the good builds on all of them.

[Barrett]

A million here, a million there, soon we are talking about MC.

[bayoucowboy]

D-DC Atlas, run stock (well take out the command console and put in another HS) until you save up for Endo-Steel, replace medium lasers with large/ER large (for more direct fire range), save up for double heatsinks - you will need lots of patience to get Master level (most expensive mechs to buy the 3 variants needed) but eventually having 4 module slots and ECM is fun

[Zordicron]

So, you liked the gauss rifle, and think the lasers were a little short on range.

You want a mech that can take dmg, and dish it out. Slower is ok.


For the love of all things mech, do NOT buy an Atlas. If you think lasers are too close range, you will never put an Atlas in a range beneficial to your team. Atlas is for FACEWRECKZ. and what I mean is, litterally in the enemy FACE, like within 300M. If you buy one, and load it out with LRM and a gauss rifle and stand back at 1000M to snipe or try to LRM boat, puppies will die. Your team mates will despise you when they see an undamaged Atlas standing in th middle of nowhere trying to line up a guass shot through some buildings while half his team is dead.

DONT DO IT!

If you like the gauss, and want to be tough, and are planning on spending some real money on MWO(good for you, support the game you like) then I would pony up for a MIsery. Put a gauss in it and some support lasers for brawling. You will love it, and you will be tough, and slow, and even eran extra C-bills to buy more Stalkers so you can elite the thing.

I would suggest a smaller mech too like a Phract, but I know a lot of people see the big tonnage numbers and get their heart set on that no matter what. I suggest a phract, because you will find a REAL assault will handle NOTHING AT ALL like a Victor does. The difference between even an Awesome(sorta nimble with a big engine installed) and an HGN or ATlas is staggering.

Honestly, a phract would be cheaper to get one mastered, all the variants are good(4x can be a tricky one, dont start with it) and do well with cheaper STD. engines. They take a beating(dont stop, dont stare your enemy down face on) and can hold a wicked loadout, including gauss if you like those on I think every variant. The 3D has JJ. The Ilya is basically the best hero mech, though more recent additions give it a run for that title.

I just worry you will fall into the new player trap of "bigger is better" and then burn your whole cadet bonus on not even one full mech(it takes like 4-5 million to really do up an atlas right on top of the purchase price) and then have something that isnt versatile enough to discover what really works well for you.

[arghmace]

What Eldagore said. Just noticed that you think lasers lack range. Atlas is a brawler so not you cup of tea. Now if you like Victors why not them? You can use Gauss and PPC's in them to get the range you want. Also if you're thinking of spending money might I suggest you buy some MC's and get that Victor 9K now that it's half price for one more day. Then get premium account to grind CB fast. And maybe even buy another Victor with MC so you have CB to spend on equipment like XL engines. I really think that the best way to start this game is to spend money at the start to get going with speed. Once you do that, later on all your money problems are a thing of the past.

[Kes Moreau]

Most all the widdle timmy power gamers go Victor or Highlanders for the Gauss/PPC combo so they can "pwn" with the least amount of skill required. Personally I find the Stalker the most fun out of all the Assaults.

[arghmace]

Time Has Come, on 02 September 2013 - 08:53 AM, said:

Personally I find the Stalker the most fun out of all the Assaults.

So you can "pwn" with its miniscule CT and huge weapons payload mounted up high?
I've never bought the Stalker since to me it actually looks like a very boring mech. No speed, no twist, no arms, just weapons pointing one way. Never bought Victor nor Highlander either since I find jump sniping idiotic. Atlas is the only assault that turns me on. Well, Battlemaster is sure gonna be nice, that I expect a lot. But other than that, lights, mediums and heavies are much more fun to me. Especially mediums.

[Unnatural Growth]

Eldagore, on 02 September 2013 - 08:27 AM, said:

I just worry you will fall into the new player trap of "bigger is better" and then burn your whole cadet bonus on not even one full mech(it takes like 4-5 million to really do up an atlas right on top of the purchase price) and then have something that isnt versatile enough to discover what really works well for you.

THIS^^

And, more emphasis needs to be on the fact that in ANY assault mech, you will be focused on by the enemy team. They will single you out and turn all guns on you. This is a bad thing. Even a bad *** assault can be taken down quickly by 4 or 5 enemy mechs all focus firing on you. I think you should wait and get some more game experience under your belt before you pilot an assault mech.

Your own team will gravitate towards it's own assault mechs, making them the "center" of the formation. You, as the assault pilot, need to KNOW what to do, where to go, when to push and when to hold back. I'm sorry, but as a new player, you are more of a liability than an asset in an assault.

You are better off in a heavy or medium to start with. I would recommend either a Hunchback (medium), or a Cataphract (heavy). I've mastered both, and they're good chassis. They are also cheaper to start with, since whatever you get, you'll need 3 of them to elite.

[Caspian111]

Hello,
Assault are very powerfull, only if they are played for the team and with a proper build (for which i recommand you www.mechspecs.com).

I want to say, that with an assault, you will have a "role", which is to "lead" the fight and show the direction where to fight.
I have seen to much assault player thinking that playing assault is like playing medium /heavies or lights. Your impact into the fight balance is huge, and only if you know your role, your team will gain for this.

As a beginner into this role, i would recommand you a stalker 3F to start. You can play plenty of different builds, and you are very powerfull in comparison oft he other class . (I also join Elgorade, who said that playing a cataphract would be a better start before playing an assault).

So if you definitely want to play an assault, take a Stalker 3F. This mech will teach you how to move, to shoot properly and to manage your heat.

I do not recommand you an atlas as starter, for many reasons:
1. It is the slower assault mech
2. It is the biggest target of the game, and people will focus you all the time
3. As the big daddy of your team, people will tend to follow you. if you do not know where to move, and you do not know what to do, average players could be misslead by your play, and it will results a defeat for you team.

I really insist by this role, because it s a key stone to the winning path. It really makes me crazy, when i m seeing Atlas capping, while the team fight into the middle, or Atlas that fear to move forward and hide behind the medium. As an assault, you have a LOT of amour, which mean you can „tank“ to push forward, lead the fight and take down the other big guys. Learn all of this with a stalker, and then you will be ready to play an Atlas (properly if i can say it).

Good luck !

Edited by Caspian111, 02 September 2013 - 09:20 AM.