44 replies to this topic

[Tiger Shark]

Hi All,
I have been piloting mostly mediums since closed beta. I don't have the hand eye coordination for lights, and I get too impatient with heavies / assaults and I can't remember more than 3 weapons groups when the fighting starts. My current favorites are:
- BJ-1 with AC20 and 3ML
- BJ-1X with 6ML
- CDA-2A with 6ML
- HBK-4G with AC20 and 3ML (deprecated by AC20 BJ-1)

My question to the community is that are there any other medium builds that are similar in nature in terms of speed, heat generation (I'm not so good at that either), and simplicity in playing style as an effective fire support medium?

Edited by Tiger Shark, 27 October 2013 - 05:09 PM.

[Phlinger]

You have the Overlord pack, take a look at some fo the ShadowHawk builds floating around. Most only take two or three weapon groups.

Also, Centurians are really fun.

If you enjoy the Jumpy BJ-1, the ShadowHawk plays similar, only faster and with an AC-10 a little less punch, but can take a better beating. As for AC/20 on it, my personal belief is the BlackJack does it better.

The 2d2 with 4 SSRM's, AC/10 and 2 Medium Lasers is a really fun mech.

[NRP]

I like Kintaros. Load one up with 5 streaks and a BAP, and kill every light a-hole on the enemy team, then switch to chain fire and go help your big guys by shaking cockpits and obscuring visions.

[Tiger Shark]

NRP, on 26 October 2013 - 05:21 PM, said:

I like Kintaros. Load one up with 5 streaks and a BAP, and kill every light a-hole on the enemy team, then switch to chain fire and go help your big guys by shaking cockpits and obscuring visions.

Trying out the Streaktaro on an KTO-18. I think I will have to adjust my playing style for sure to use this build correctly.

[Tiger Shark]

Ronyn, on 26 October 2013 - 05:01 PM, said:

You have the Overlord pack, take a look at some fo the ShadowHawk builds floating around. Most only take two or three weapon groups.

Also, Centurians are really fun.

If you enjoy the Jumpy BJ-1, the ShadowHawk plays similar, only faster and with an AC-10 a little less punch, but can take a better beating. As for AC/20 on it, my personal belief is the BlackJack does it better.

The 2d2 with 4 SSRM's, AC/10 and 2 Medium Lasers is a really fun mech.

Trying this build now too, similar to the Streaktaro build on here. I think my playing style will have adjust with the streak mechanics and role of the build a little. Also trying different engine sizes and see which ones is a sweet spot.

[xengk]

If you want BJ with only 2 weapon group, I run these.
BJ-1DC
2x AC/2 w 5t ammo
2x MLaz or 4x SLaz or 6x Slaz
XL 235
Endo Steel
DHS

This is like a mini jager, get adv. zoom module and sensor range module and pling target from afar or behind team line.
Lazer as backup when you are out of ammo or shooting at light close range.
The number and type of lazer is up to you, depending on how well you can manage heat.

BJ-3
2x LLaz
1x erLLaz
STD 180
1 JJ
Endo Steel
16 DHS

As long as you don't try to alpha all 3 LLas you will be fine with the heat.
Place and group the 2 type of lazer on different arms of the mech so you can fire from cover, ie: 2 LLaz on left and erLLaz on right.
This mech is only lightly faster than the fastest assault so you should stay with them and focus on their targets.

Edited by xengk, 27 October 2013 - 11:01 PM.

[Hex Pallett]

http://mwomercs.com/...unchback-guide/

[Ingga Raokai]

Yenlo! you know. Or the fast D.

I like the Hawk though.

[Bhelogan]

If you like brawling with mediums, this one has worked well for me. SHD-2H Only 3 weapon groups (I map MGs to 1, LL to 2, Streaks to 3), it's fast (103.4 with speed tweak) and has surprisingly good heat and DPS. With a sustained fight on the hotter maps, I have to keep of constantly firing the LL and streaks as soon as they come off cool-down, but not by too much. Make sure to up that leg armor though. They will take quit a few hits and you jump around your targets to spread damage out.

Edited by Bhelogan, 28 October 2013 - 03:13 AM.

[Mabru]

That's not bad but the CASE does you no good, not only does it not work with the XL since it limits an ammo explosion to the torso that has case, but you have no ammo there to protect. Ditch it and add a half ton of armor since you are maxed on jump jets. Or as an alternative you can move up to an XL325.

[oldradagast]

If this hasn't been mentioned:

Hunchback G:
- Standard 250
- DHS, Endo, Ferro
- 3 Medium lasers
- 2 Machine Guns + 1 ton of ammo
- 1 AC 10 + 3 tons of ammo.

Not as much of a can-opener as the AC20 version, but it can last longer since it basically has more ammunition - you don't have to be as careful to avoid wasting ammo. The 2 machine guns provide a nice way to annoy lights and deal with super-hot maps, too.

[Rift Hawk]

Kintaro KTO-18

Standard engine 275 (81kph or 89.1kph with speed tweak.)
DHS: 13
Endo-Steel
C.A.S.E. 1
Armor: 352/370

Group one: 2 SRM6
Group two: 2 SRM4
Group three: 2 Med. Lasers

Firepower: 50
Heat: 1.36

Centurian CN9-A


Standard engine 250 (81kph or 89.1kph with speed tweak.)
DHS: 10
Endo-Steel
Ferro-Fibrous
Armor: 320/338
Group one: LB 10-X AC
Group two: 1 SRM4
Group three: 2 Med. Lasers
Firepower: 28
Heat: 1.50

This is not a head to head mech. Try to support your team. Wait till someone is engaged and help them out. If you want to add more firepower, swap out the engine for an XL.

Edited by Imperial X, 31 October 2013 - 09:25 AM.

[Revorn]

The Cent Yenlo or 9-D, with 2 AC2 + 7t Ammo, 2 Medlaser, BAP, XL 300. Endo, Ferro.

Not a Killer, but it can do some funny things at Long Range. Simple and Straigth.

Edited by Revorn, 05 November 2013 - 02:10 PM.

[SUSTINET]

Standard Centurion CN9-A:
The good ol' trusty Centurion Kept the standard engine, the medium lasers, and the AC-10, dropped the LRM's in favor of a single SRM6, endo steel chassis, beef up the armor and add double heat sinks, with room left over for AMS and 1 C.A.S.E. I find this to be a very effective support build for duking it out with the main battle. Excellent for backing up your heavier allies. I have ran this build since beta days, it's always been reliable. I usually stock about 4 tons of AC ammo so I can make liberal use of the AC. I prefer most of my mechs to have no more than 3-4 weapon systems for simplicity's sake.
320 armor, 32 firepower, 1.38 heat

Edited by SUSTINET, 08 November 2013 - 12:04 PM.

[Wrenchfarm]

The Hunchback-4P is still a real contender as far as mediums go. I had a particularly great match (on Torumaline, a hot map, of all places) with over 800 damage and 7 (!) kills earlier tonight using this build -

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...1bb0337159b6216

Note that Ghost Heat will penalize you if you fire more than 6 at once. The obvious solution is to just map the hunch cannon to one click, and the arms to the other. Leave the head empty; it will spike your heat if you try to fire with the hunch, and be too much hassle to use with the arms or map to another key. Might as well just have the extra heat sink.

Move fast, melt stuff with the lasers, try to keep your hunch out of harms way. Not a complicated mech to pilot, very effective.

[zagibu]

Personally, I would never remove that zombie laser from the head.

[Tiger Shark]

While not as consistent in terms of damage and kills as AC20 Blackjack, the 6ML Blackjack or 6ML Cicada, I have started to warm up to the Kintaro-18. Escorting the heavy and assaults.

XL300 with Endo and 352 armor
15 DHS
2 LL (weapons group 1)
5 SSRM (weapons group 2)

The 2 Large Lasers give me some range on the larger maps, and the heat is usually manageable as long as I remember to chain fire the SSRMs when it gets hot (weapons group 3). Good long range and short range damage output.

[juxstapo]

Run two of my ShadHawks with an XL 300, dual AC/5's, and a pair of mLas.
Rapidly became one of my goto damage dealers. On par with my BoomJack.

heh, and add another pair of mediums to that BJ-1X and manage heat through careful trigger grouping. (1st trigger = left arm, 2nd trigger = right arm, 3rd = alpha).

[Victor Morson]

Tiger Shark, on 26 October 2013 - 04:44 PM, said:

My question to the community is that are there any other medium builds that are similar in nature in terms of speed, heat generation (I'm not so good at that either), and simplicity in playing style as an effective fire support medium?

While I've been recommending the Shadow Hawk over the Centurion, the Centurion sounds like it's what you want. Highly durable, simple to play and pretty heat friendly. Recommended setups:

9A: 3x SRM4 2x MPL
9A: 3x SRM6 2x ML
9D: 2x LRM15+A 1x TAG+BAP
9AL: 4x SPL/ML, 2x SRM6

Skip the YLW, it's easy to neuter. All of those builds don't use the arms, so you can setup Endo+Ferro, except the 9D (Endo only).

Very very reliable 'mech, very easy to play, and still one of the best brawlers in the game.

EDIT: 3 launchers, not 4. Typo. I apologize!

Edited by Victor Morson, 17 February 2014 - 01:27 PM.

[Inflatable Fish]

Victor Morson, on 27 November 2013 - 11:27 AM, said:

9A: 4x SRM4 2x MPL
9A: 4x SRM6 2x ML

eh, are you sure you can mount 4 missile launchers in a Centurion?

I assume you meant three launchers in those two builds, in which case it's alright and they're okay loadouts, though I wouldn't say they're easy to play by any means.

the other two, on the other hand... dear LAWD they're horrible! I wouldn't let my worst enemy pilot either of them.

Edited by Inflatable Fish, 27 November 2013 - 02:34 PM.