5 replies to this topic

[Samual Kalkin]

I have the Atlas mastered and I'm looking for a scond assault mech. What would be the easiest mech for me to transition to?

I have played around with Cataphracts, Dragons, and Cicada's, but I like the feel of the Atlas best of all the mechs I've used. The D-DC is my favorite Atlas.

[rdmgraziel]

I'd probably say Highlanders, as their mixed loadout gives them similar build flexibility, even though only one can mount an AC20. They've got the feel of a more mobile (and almost as durable) Atlas due to the wonders of jumpjets, and they have better missile tube limitations compared to the Atlas, so you can LRM on them if you so desire.

If you wanted something completely different, Victors are excellent fast assaults, and Stalkers are great energy/missile boats minus the brawling capability of an Atlas. Awesomes are probably not worth the effort unless you're really really good with them since they require a LOT more skill (especially at torso twisting).

Edited by rdmgraziel, 09 October 2013 - 11:45 AM.

[Samual Kalkin]

Thankyou for the commentary in your reply. I wound up getting both a Victor and a Highlander to try out. Personlly, I found that the Victor feels more like an Atlas than the Highlander, but I use brawler configurations. In a good brawler build the Atlas is ridiculously agile for all its 100 tons.

I use a a 350 engine in my Atlas and the Highlander feels clunky and slow compared to that Atlas. With my Atlas I actually can corner and apply heavy damage much more easily in a battle. The Highlander jumpjets do give some maneuver tricks that I cannot do with an Atlas, but I find them very situational. If I were to try and get a comparable speed to my Atlas I would have to gimp my Highlander's weapon load.

The Victor in a brawler configuration actually feels very much like an Atlas. Granted, it is more fragile and doesn't have killer punch of the Atlas. However, both mechs do handle and maneuver very much like each other and can easily be built with comparable speeds. The jumpjets make the Victor more maneuverable in the end, which compensates for the lesser payload and greater fragility a bit. Though, I can make some kills with the Victor that I could never make with the Atlas, the reverse also applies.

Edited by Samual Kalkin, 15 October 2013 - 03:10 PM.

[Plaguetongue]

anything whould actually be better than an Fatlas^^

[John MatriX82]

With the current meta I say Highlanders.. It's basically an Atlas with JJs, the most used now it's the 733C thanks for the dual AC5/UAC5, the 733 can be a good srm brawler (although I use it as a jumpsniper), the 732 was the OPness before heat penalties, PPC and GR nerf, it can still be good as a brawler.

On a side note, if you feel that highlanders are sluggish, drop a 325 xl within them. The arms can shield the sides in a decent way and in the end, all landers have the big guns in the RT/RA so if you lose that side, you're basically worthless or even weaponsless if you use a std engine so.. better take the advantage of mobility and add some punch with SRMs.

Other good assaults are Victors, thanks to their speed, albeit I dislike them deeply because of the very wide and low-mounted arms that often the game punishes you with convergence issues, another downside it's the crippled SRM capability due the limited tubes in the LT.

Last but not least Stalkers are still a good choice thanks to their high-mounted arms, leaving them to get a good peek-aboo ability; but later on with the Autocannon meta they don't have any way to shield those sides and they are all energy and missiles, so heat penalties have crippled their deadliness.

[MisterPlanetarian]

Stalker or Victor imo. Highlander does not really add anything that i feel you won't get better from a Victor.


The 1 ton jumpjets on the victor and XL friendly profile is a pretty huge deal.