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Remember, bigger is not always better. Find a mech you like, not a mech you think will have the easiest time winning with. I've seen people take down skilled players in assaults with 3ml commandos and MG hunchbacks. It is more important to get good at a mech you enjoy than finding the easiest mech to play. Without a challenge, you won't get any better. You will just get random kills from players who are worse than you, and get eaten alive by competent players.
Size vs Benefits:
Light: Caps at around 150kmh. Smaller profiles and less weaponry the smaller they get. Often either underarmed or very hot. Attacking the backside or open sections of enemies is usually the best method. With enough practice and eliting, these are some of the most durable mechs in the game. In the right hands, lights can easily win games via cap, and deal upwards of 400+ damage.
Medium: Mediums are usually armed with a wide array of small weapons, or a large weapon and some backup dakka. They are faster enough than heavies to avoid conflict, and have enough speed to outmaneuver assaults with some careful piloting. They are arguably the best light and heavy hunters, depending on their setup. In the right hands, mediums can easily take down more than four times their own weight, and end matches with scores of 600+.
Heavy: Heavies can usually mount dakka on par with faster assaults, but are quicker and have less armor. This makes them excellent fire support mechs, but often frail during a frontal assault. Playing a heavy requires a balance between enough engine size and enough firepower, some some are on par with mediums in term of speed. (Though this heavily reduces firepower)
Assaults: Assaults serve one purpose and one purpose alone in MWO, and that purpose in in their name. Because their firepower is rarely greater than that of a large Heavy (Thanks to engine and armor weight scaling.) What they do have over heavies, is much more armor. For this reason, assaults are used to spearhead pushes and hold the frontline.
Note: Any LRM or boating setup on an Assault can be done equally well (And often better) with a heavy. If you plan to camp in the back with an assault, please reconsider. You represent nearly 100t of you team's battleforce, and the only way to make the best use of this is maximum exposure. Having that much equipment weight looking for free potshots when it can be firing constantly and redirecting damage away from more vulnerable team members is just plain ineffective.
Now, heres a list of basic ways to react to certain weapons.
AC2s: Stay moving, move erratically, wait for them to overheat and take careful shots at one section. Most AC2 boats use an XL.
AC5s/UAC5s: Stay out of LOS. Move towards friendlies, move eratically, sway your torso enough to spread damage out.
AC10s: Carefully time torso swaying to spread damage out, then take shots while they are reloading.
AC20s: Get some distance on them quickly, and try to give them side profiles. Most dualAC20 have a hard time striking a small target with both weapons in one shot. Most single AC20 mechs are flimsy. The vast majority of AC20 builds use an XL. (Except hunchbacks.)
Gauss Rifles: The gauss has a nasty travel velocity, and is very deadly and accurate. Limit the amount of time in which your enemy has a clear shot at you to take advantage of the charge-up required to fire them. Always aim for the section mounting the Gauss, as they will explode when critted enough.
LB10x AC: Face exposed parts away, and use torso sway. If you are critical, find help quickly, and aim for the LB10x's mounting.
SRMs: Move eratically and use torso twisting. The smaller the target, the less missiles will strike. Face exposed areas away. Move out of their 270m range if you are able.
SSRMs: Unless you are in a BJ (which is currently bugged vs SSRMs and being addressed.) SSRMs will automatically spread across your mech. Get out of 270m if you can, otherwise take very careful, precise shots to kill the faster than they can tear apart exposed or weak sections.
LRMs: Keep in tall cover, and don't rush out. Take care of scouts quickly, and stay in cover. Let the lights chase other lights. If the LRM boat is exposed, take potshots at it before it can fire back, but be careful of other players supporting the LRM boat. If you can do so safely or with enough support, close the gap and get within 180m of them. Very few LRM boats have more than a few medium or large lasers as self defense.
Small Lasers/SPLs: Very easy to avoid. Stay at 90m plus and they will hardly deal any damage. With that being said, watch your backside. SLs have the same DPS as medium lasers if they get close enough. SPLs are hardly worse to deal with, but are a bit sharper.
Medium Lasers: These are usually stacked. Limits the amount of time they are able to keep them on you, torso twist to spread damage, and try to stay at 270m+ to reduce damage.
MPLs: These typically run very hot, and require close range. torso twist to spread damage, don't let them get behind you, and watch for overheats.
Large Lasers/ERLLs: These can deal a fair amount of damage ina short time, and a good amount of damage if the target is slow or easy to strike. Stay moving, focus on coring the enemy, and use cover to your advantage. It is very difficult to get out of range of these.
LPLs: These fall between PPCs and ERLLs for heat. They have little more range than an ML, but are far more deadly. Spread torso, stay out of range and watch for overheats.
PPCs: The biggest weakpoints to PPCs is their heat and minimum range. Watch for overheats, time shots between reset cycles and stay within 90m. Don't face exposed areas towards these unless they are waiting for the next shot.
ERPPCs: These are far more threatening than PPCs, and much, much more hot. Dodge plenty, fire only during shot recycling, and expect inevitable overheating. These are often paired with ACs or gauss rifles, giving them a very high potential alpha. It is often a good idea to try blowing off weakened arms, legs or torsos against these weapons. Always get support and dont peek.
