19 replies to this topic

[Spikeboybebop]

So I have narrow my choices to two mechs. My first choice was to get the K2 and the second choice would be JM6-S. I hear both are pretty versatile and solid mechs for beginners and both are pretty good stock which is also important because I only have about 6.6 creds.

So with that being said which of the two would you guys suggest and why?

[Earl White]

Heavies or Assaults are generally easiest to play, JMS6 is a good starting point because it has a nice mix of speed, armour and firepower, can't really go wrong with that chassis. As it stands Ballistic and Energy weapons seem to be the most powerful overall and they do not rely on your team protecting to as apposed to having a mech with lots of LRMs. Of course you can use SRMs instead, but they are harder to hit than other weapon types and effective range is very limited.

Cataphract is another strong choice, as well as most of the Assaults (although it takes some time to get used to the slow speed). You'll want 3 million extra to upgrade to double heatsinks and Endo structure, perhaps a bit more if you want to change the weapon loadouts from the stock mech.

JMS6 is a good choice as well because of the weapon hardpoints, it's quite high on the mech so you can shoot over various pieces of terrain or buildings that you otherwise could not in other mechs.

Edited by Earl White, 07 September 2013 - 07:38 AM.

[scJazz]

The choice has to be a Jagermech for new players. The Catapult K2 is a fine mech but the other Catapults are highly missile oriented. The other problem with Catapults is the fact that the best designs are XLEngine based.

The Jagermech DD comes with an XLEngine that so many of Jagermech builds are based upon. The Jagermech DD costs about 10.3m+ when upgraded with DSHS, EndoSteel, and removal of the Ferro Fibrous armor.

[Pastor Priest]

Just keep in mind the JM6 comes with very low stock armor, so you'll want to have some extra c bills to free the weight for more armor.

[Lostdragon]

They are both good, one thing you really want to look at too is the other variants. In order to max out a mech you have to play two other variants of it so picking a mech with three variants you like can make the experience more enjoyable.

I would personally probably pick the Jager because I am not a big fan of missiles and the other Catapult variants are missile heavy. The Catapult also has a huge center torso and a large head, making it relatively easy to kill and difficult to spread damage.

[Hebdomas]

Like scJazz and Lostdragon said the other catapults are highly missile oriented, so if you don't like missiles you'll probably want to stay away. Catapults also frequently run XL engines which can almost double the base price of the mech.

[Spikeboybebop]

I don't mind the LRM version of the Catapult it was the first trial mech I played. Right now I not having fun with the current trial mechs so that's why I prefer to get a solid mech to make the most of the cadet bonus.

[Edustaja]

C1 and K2 give you a lot of versatility while the C4 or A1 are more missile oriented. XL300 or XL280 is probably the engine you want for all of your catapults.

The Jagers are more dependent on the ballistics, but they really can do very well with them.

Of the trial mechs I think the Centurion is currently the best by far.

[aniviron]

The K2 is probably not the best choice right now as its main guns, the PPCs, just got nerfed fairly hard,
The other thing is that if you want to get maxed pilot skills for your favourite mechs, you'll have to get two other variants of the same mech, and the other catapults are all missile-based, which means they aren't that good right now. All the Jagermechs, on the other hand, are very good at this time.

The JM-6S is a pretty good mech with a stock loadout; but it suffers from having a very low armor count (less than half of the max possible) fairly severe heat issues, and limited ammo.
Here is what its stock loadout is: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...ab#i=67&l=stock

You'll probably want to modify it, though. I strongly recommend double heat sinks, which will greatly increase the amount of heat you can build up before shutting down as well as doubling your cooling rate. Endo steel makes the mech's frame lighter, but takes up 14 slots- you can afford to spare them for the tonnage, though. The weight saved by Endo should let you increase your armor count by quite a bit. After you have doubles and endo, I'd recommend getting Ferro Fibrous, which will free up even more weight, but is strictly inferior to Endo steel- it's just that in this somewhat rare case, it's worth getting both of them because the autocannons are heavy but small. Finally, I'd downgrade the engine rating by 10 points, as that won't affect your speed much, but will give you room for a bit more ammo, and with your range, you don't need the speed that badly. The 250 Standard engine is just a good one to have, as it's the smallest 'efficient' engine- with a 250 engine rating, you don't need to mount any external heatsinks on the mech to meet the minimum requirement of 10, so it's just a useful one to have around for use in many mechs. When you're done, it might look something like http://mwo.smurfy-ne...0873a6e1411d735

The other option you have for modification is to use an XL engine instead of a standard engine. XL engines are much lighter but take up space in both side torsi. The downside is that this means losing a side torso is instant death, which makes them riskier than standard engines, but they let you pack a bigger punch while you're still up. If you are willing to take the risk, you can fit an XL 275, which lets you go faster, take more armor, and very importantly, more than double your ammo count, something along these lines: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...d39657039a20903

Play around with the online mech lab- it doesn't cost you in-game money, so you can experiment without cost, and see what looks good to you. Best of luck on the field!

[BlacKcuD]

I concur. Get yourself the Jagermech S. Out of all the Jagermech variants, it is the most versatile. While versatile variants can be "sort of boring" because you can not create extreme builds on it, you will have to ability to test many different viable builds on it.
Since it is your first Mech, the Jagermech S really is a good choice. You can peak around hills without exposing yourself too much and the Jagermech is really fast for the amount of firepower it can carry. The ability twist the upper torso really far also helps with any steering troubles.

[scJazz]

Spikeboybebop, on 07 September 2013 - 08:56 AM, said:

I don't mind the LRM version of the Catapult it was the first trial mech I played. Right now I not having fun with the current trial mechs so that's why I prefer to get a solid mech to make the most of the cadet bonus.

You will get 8m CB for the Cadet Bonus no matter what you do. Plus whatever you earn normally in matches.

As you can see from the above comments regarding Jagermechs it is definitely the way to go. The S is a great Variant. Here is the super duper important part. The DD comes with an XLEngine!

If you have decided on the choice between Catapults and Jagermechs for your first purchase the only one that is sensible is the Jagermech DD. By buying the DD you get an engine worth 4.25m CB and you aren't wasting 1.6m CB paying for the STD260. You can then swap that XL into a Catapult other Jagers and a bunch of other stuff. Will it be the perfect hyper-optimized, competitive player, pwnboat used by people who have earned 100s of millions of CBills playing 1000s of matches? No. It will be the fastest springboard in a min/max route where the primary constraint is CBills.

[Corvus Antaka]

The K2 is a great sniper, so is the jaggermech.

jagger is more vulnerable to side torso XL engine deaths.

K2 loves XL engine, tiny side torsos.

but, jagger snipes over ridges better due to arm locations and can mount more ballistics.

K2 is easier to headshot in close though.

[JC Daxion]

I was told to play a HBK when i started.. I'm so glad i did...


Sure it has a giant Hitbox, but that is a good thing... when you get to the smaller hitboxes.. you are way ahead of the game...

So far i have never played a smaller Hitbox mech... but when i do i will be soo happy!!


hmmm now i wonder, what are the small Hitbox mechs...... maybe i should try that jaeger ..

Colonel Pada Vinson, on 07 September 2013 - 11:19 AM, said:

K2 loves XL engine, tiny side torsos.

They middle is soo huge... I swear i remove almost all armor on my sides.. and i still have issues with center... it is really a team mech..

You must be very carfull with a K2

[Victor Morson]

All of these recommendations are horrible. The K2 is a terrible 'mech with terrible hitboxes, and terrible module slots. The Jagger is extremely squishy, and not very flexible. They aren't good at competitive levels and are also not good for new players. The same, really, goes for the Hunchback: It's subpar.

I'd recommend the following 'mechs, since you sound interested in non-lights:

Centurion 9A + 9D (AL for mastery): The absolute go-to medium, simple to use, effective and good at all levels. 2 ML + 3 SRM6, 2 MPL + SRM4 both work and have their advantages, and since you don't need to armor the arms, you can run ferro + endo for a highly optimized build. The 9D meanwhile works great as a 2x LRM15 1x TAG mech, if you enjoy fire support.

Cataphract 3D: The Cataphract 3D is the best heavy in the game, hands down. Jump capable and highly flexible, these will be preferred by upper players over Jaggermechs every single time, just as the Centurion will be favored over the far slower, easier destroyed Hunchback. 2 Gauss / 1 Gauss 2 PPC are both still highly effective combinations, but it can be worked into a brawler or energy heavy mech without much effort.

While you could look into other 'mechs, I can tell you: Those two are great. Plus despite being newbie friendly 'mechs, they are also competitive, meaning if you decide to join a unit - well, let's just say they will be far happier to see someone with mastered Cataphracts or Centurions than mastered Jaggermechs!

[King Arthur IV]

trebs or hunchbacks because they are so versatile and the variants are different enough to keep you happy for a while.

[MavRCK]

Mech Tier List.

[Earl White]

Victor Morson, on 08 September 2013 - 04:52 AM, said:

All of these recommendations are horrible. The K2 is a terrible 'mech with terrible hitboxes, and terrible module slots. The Jagger is extremely squishy, and not very flexible. They aren't good at competitive levels and are also not good for new players. The same, really, goes for the Hunchback: It's subpar.

I don't know what you mean by "competitive levels" since the player pool is so small and there is no "ranked mode" or anything like that. But who is to say this guy wants to be a "pro" gamer anyway, Jaegermechs are very popular for a reason, because they melt faces in almost every game I see, not to mention the current dominance of Ballistic weapons.

Jaeger is not "extremely squishy" Medium chassis are the weakest because they don't have the speed or size to dodge and they have a lot less armour than heavies and less firepower.

How are they not good for new players? They are one of the most forgiving mechs in the game, you mentioned the Cataphract, yes that is a nice choice too, but it has it's disadvantages in weapon placement.

Edited by Earl White, 10 September 2013 - 02:19 AM.

[Bront]

I went Jenner to start. Low cost Chasis, one of the more durable lights (ignoring HSR issues), and as a result fairly easy to finish your elites in all 3. Plus, since they're good with Capping, you can rake in C-Bills with it pretty quickly in conquest.

Still, that wasn't one of your options, so:

K2 is a nice mech. Lots of firepower, fairly mobile if you want it to be, an OK brawler, but best in a fire support role (second-line direct fire, or brawling with support) or as a sniper.

The other Catapults are missile support or SRM Boat mechs. It's not a bad play style, and does take skill, but can be frustrating on some maps or with some PUGs. When done well, an LRM Boat can wreck havok on the other team, and lead your team in damage though, and in group matches a well done LRM mech can turn the tide early.

Jeagers are more all direct fire mechs. Since they can't mount an XL without serious risk (many still do), so they run into speed/weight issues. However, they can mount weapons in nice spots to hill hump, and there are a few different varieties. Balistics are easy to use from a heat perspective, but harder to aim (need more lead time than lasers, no locking like LRMs), and you have mechs that are reliant on ammo (LRM boats have this issue too).

I think you'd have fun with either. I went Catapult for my heavy, but will probably pick up some Jeagers eventually.

[Phobic Wraith]

We all have our own opinions about the "best" 'mech, And I agree that some variants are sub-par, I don't think that you could go wrong with a lot of these recommendations. To offer a different perspective though, I started with hunchbacks, and I can't say that I have ever regretted it. In hunchbacks, specifically the 4H, the 4P, and the 4SP, I avoid 2 things, being the enemy's focus fire target and getting caught out in the open. 1 on 1 there is no better brawler class. If it's me vs, one other enemy, I only ever have trouble with highlanders, cataphracts, and other hunchbacks. I'm not saying this because I think you should go brawler, but if you're looking for direct fire support, I would go with the cataphract. Not having actually piloted one outside the movement tutorial, I couldn't tell you what kind of experience you'll have, but I know that I'll avoid you... unless I can stab you in the back with an AC/20, of course.

[Pastor Priest]

While I don't fully agree with the others being total junk, the Cataphract is one mean mech. It's not for everyone, but it has the versatility to fit multiple roles. The 1X is a top notch brawler, with a STD 300, AC20, and o believe 5 MLAS, it can wreck faces in close. You can even downsize to an AC10 and fit a bigger engine. The 3D has a good set of hardpoints as well, and jumpjets. After that, it's the oddball 2X, which I never found success with, or the 4X, whatch has a whole lot of dakka, but is low on speed. Finally, if you drop real money, the Ilya is anexcellent mech.