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What Medium To Buy?


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#41 MisterPlanetarian

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Posted 13 October 2013 - 10:38 AM

Don't get hung up with speed. Your first medium should really be the hunchback, It is cheap and very effective and will teach you to protect vital weapons like the big fat weaponpod on your shoulder. It's a great mech to learn the ropes with because of its role as an escort with tons of firepower. It is also the only mech that when fully skilled can shoot directly behind it with its arm weapons.

The only mechs that will reliably break 100kph are lights and mechs designed to hunt lights and cap on conquest. These builds are virtually always limited to XL engines and missiles backed by medium lasers. "Strikers" like the cent and hunchback can expect to break 90 kph with a decent missile and energy based loadout but any ballistic centric build will struggle past 80kph, which is more than enough really as long as you play to support your team and its heavy and assault mechs.

Edit: On the Centurion and Trebuchet.

*The Centurion is really limited because the only thing it does well right now is what you see with the trialmech which is preforming as a durable SRM boat.

*The Trebuchet is basically just a crappy 50t Kintaro with JumpJets. It has way too few missile hardpoints to work well with streaks and it is not heavy enough to boat LRM's effectively. JumpJets are not enough to make it decisively better in any role.

Edited by MisterPlanetarian, 13 October 2013 - 10:44 AM.


#42 Wintersdark

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Posted 13 October 2013 - 11:02 AM

Yeah, don't sweat it. We've all done it - everyone here, I garauntee, has a lovely story about how they accidentally or foolishly wasted millions upon millions of cbills.

Sucks, but it's part of the learning process.

The number one tip I can offer is this: Never sell anything. Nothing.

Imagine, for example, that even after trying more advanced Kintaro builds, you found that even the tooled SSRM2 build just didn't work for your playstyle, and there's not really any other good builds for it now, so you sell it.

Then, at the next patch, SRM damage is increased and missile hit registration/HSR is fixed. Suddenly, the SRM Kintaro is a beast of a medium, one of the best options in the weight class. You could rebuy it, but that's ~8 million c-bills thrown away.

Balance changes happen all the time, and mechs that were mediocre become great, and great ones become mediocre.

Keep everything. You just don't get a large enough percentage of cbills back selling things to make it worth while.

#43 Kjudoon

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Posted 13 October 2013 - 11:05 AM

"Don't get hung up on speed."

Okay, I've noticed something with my new XL engine. It's not the top speed that matters so much as the speed of turning and moving back and forth that matters most. General maneouverability. I won't be able to run away from fast mechs, but I should be able to blow them apart... should being the operative term. So yes, I wasted about 3 million on a Kintaro.

I'm still learning my style of play. I also seem to have an old RPG attitude about mechs: balance the weapons. LRMs for long range and then a mix of lasers and SRMs (or MGs) for the short game. ACs too heavy for too little punch IMHO unless you go whole hog and only the hunchie does that right, and I'm not a great sniper so... yeah. Gimme indirect fire.

Still new here. Still learning.

#44 Lostdragon

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Posted 13 October 2013 - 11:16 AM

The KTO-18 is a beast once you get the hang of it. Here's how I run mine:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...6cb2d465ba629b6

At the beginning of the match I try to seek out isolated enemy lights, which you can easily pick apart with Streak barrages. As the matches progresses I join the main force and focus fire with heavier mechs. At this point I set my SSRMs to chainfire and constantly hammer the enemy with them, which shakes their cockpit and disrupts their ability to pilot and aim. I typically cannot take down a heavy or assault by myself, but using the chainfire technique and my superior speed I can often keep them disoriented long enough for help to arrive and finish them off.

Using this technique I can often do 500+ damage with 3+ kills, and 700-900 damage with 7-12 kills+assists is not uncommon. I've got several screenshots of this build doing 100+ match scores.

The other Kintaros are also fun, I run a 20 with 4x ML and 3x ASRM4 and an XL320. I ran the 19 with 3x LL and 2 SSRM2 just to have something different, but the 19 is my least favorite KTO and I will probably sell it when I need a bay.

#45 Kjudoon

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Posted 13 October 2013 - 11:21 AM

Thanks WD.

Well, I'm not sinking money into this game till I determine that CW is worth the wait. So I am only able to do 4 mechs, and I sell old STD engines right now because I can't conceive yet having them sitting around since upgrading with a STD seems kind weird. I dunno. I'll learn.

So I'll take your advice and sit on parts, but chassis, I'll have to be much more judicious till I choose to spend some money on this thing... and if I do, that's a huge thing because I never spent a dime on an online game. So my hopes and standards are high.

#46 MisterPlanetarian

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Posted 14 October 2013 - 08:08 AM

Understandable. And honestly, don't bother with mastering mechs untill you decide to drop $15 for 10 mechbays. It really pays off in the long run and you avoid wasting cbills. Spend cbills on equipment and engines instead but sell off surplus equipment. It's more fun to use your first 4 slots for some variety instead of mastering mechs. Thats what I did, so look up a few good mechs that can be played very differently. I'd recommend these for starters as part of every weightclass:

Victor: VTR-9B or 9S, Stalker 3F is an option but stalkers are a little harder to play and less flexible.
Cataphract: CTF-3D or 4X. Jagermechs are also fun.
Hunchback: HBK-4G or 4SP as suggested before.
Jenner: JR7-D or F



Save atleast 1 of each standard/XL engine of the following types incase you got one as part of the stock loadout.

STD: 200, 230, 250, 275/280, 300, 340, 350.

XL: 225, 255, 280, 300, 350.

These engines are used in alot of builds across every weightclass. Hands down the most useful XL's are the 300 and 280. KAEP DEM.

#47 Kjudoon

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Posted 14 October 2013 - 08:53 AM

I'll be looking at the hunchies next maybe, or go back to the kintaro and throw in my big engine instead, now that I have done some engine swapping. My Jager has a 295Std iin it after the debacle of the 300XL (which is now in my Jenner D... holy 158kph {Scrap}! ) kept getting me killed with side shots even with maxed armor. The loadout is lighter, but it's a much tougher, responsive mech than it was, and that's apparently what I wanted, responsiveness.
I am also getting better as a brawler out of necessity... not that I like it but... It should serve me well in the future.

#48 Kjudoon

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Posted 14 October 2013 - 09:45 PM

That is the Hunchie I was most interested in, Cody. I know I'll be getting a bigger engine in it than what comes stock quick.

#49 MisterPlanetarian

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Posted 14 October 2013 - 11:57 PM

A STD275 with 15 DHS is perfectly doable. check this build out:


Streak Build

SRM4 Build.

You can drop a DHS for a medium laser in your head if you wish, just don't skimp on armor or ammo.

Its Alphastrike is not as good as the 4G/4H or the 4P, especially with the hit detection issues that plague SRM's right now (although this is getting fixed eventually). But it is alot faster and can stay in combat longer than any other hunchback, tactics are pretty much the same. Stay out of harms way and focus on exposed enemies who are occupied with your heavier lancemates, or defend against light mechs. The 4 arm mounted lasers are also great with the hunchbacks massive torso and arm twist.

Edited by MisterPlanetarian, 14 October 2013 - 11:59 PM.


#50 Kjudoon

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Posted 15 October 2013 - 08:38 AM

I have never used an alpha strike in this game, or any previous versions of Battletech. I chainfire pretty much everything because I cannot afford to get screwed by missing my target with my bad aim.

#51 TripleEhBeef

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Posted 17 October 2013 - 06:38 AM

I'll say one thing about Trebs, they are XL friendly despite being a big mech.

#52 Felio

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Posted 17 October 2013 - 06:44 AM

I clicked on this thread to joke "Jagermech," but the OP sort of ruined it.

#53 Kjudoon

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Posted 18 October 2013 - 11:28 AM

Okay I have enough for a Hunchie SP now... do I bother with it or wait till I can get the Kintaro 19 again and not screw up? I'm really not sure right now.

#54 ZeusAlbatros

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Posted 18 October 2013 - 02:05 PM

Blackjack or nothing mediums are pretty meh

#55 danneskold

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Posted 18 October 2013 - 02:11 PM

View PostToffa, on 10 October 2013 - 09:08 PM, said:

OP,

BJ1. AC20 + 3MLAS. 235XL.



I agree- this is my set up as well. And...you have JJ. I use them extensively, and as a jenner pilot, I have a hard time not having them. The JJ and the arm AC 20 swing it for me over the hunchy. I like my hunchy, but I like the BJ with the JJ a bit more. With 3 ML, you have some back up firepower too, for when you loose your arm, or run out of ammo. Maybe its just me, but I think you need to pilot a light to really understand the full benefits and use of JJ. But once you understand.....its a drug.

As far as the other variants, there is a lot to like. Getting away from JJ, the BJ-1DC can carry the 20 and 4 ML, plus 4 tons ammo. The 3 is like the 1 but energy based, and the X is like the hunchy P, but you have the weapons in the arms rather than torso, and they cant just blow up your hunch.

Overall, I think the BJ is pretty underrated.

Edited by danneskold, 18 October 2013 - 02:12 PM.


#56 juxstapo

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Posted 18 October 2013 - 04:31 PM

Give it a month Kjudoon, Shawks... as much as I didn't want to like 'em because of their borked PGI 55 ton height... kinda sorta rock.

Blackjacks are still my favorite mid, bar none. But I've carved out a special place in my ventricle for the Shadow Hawk :)

#57 Kjudoon

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Posted 18 October 2013 - 10:15 PM

I still count buying the BJ-1 as my biggest purchase mistake and selling my KTO-19 too quickly as my biggest sell mistake.

#58 Heavenly Angel

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Posted 19 October 2013 - 12:08 AM

Blackjacks are kind of unique. They take practice.
I elited it as my first mech and now I can't stand any mech that moves below 85km and doesnt have jumpjets.

#59 Kjudoon

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Posted 19 October 2013 - 09:27 AM

I must admit I'm curious about the Shadowhawk, but the hardpoints kinda concern me as I like much more symmetrical builds or at least better clustering of them. Plus there is the size concern and how poorly they react to getting LRMed... well at least when I'm doing the rain.

Of course, it's the new toy and strategy, build and customization ain't there yet. So time will change it, just like it took time to figure out Crimson Straits.

#60 Oni Ralas

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Posted 20 October 2013 - 02:28 PM

oldschool represent! Hunchies and Cents all day baby.





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