20 replies to this topic

[Dazzer]

Hello all,

I am a dedicated Medium Pilot, I like they balance between fire power , speed and Armour, just seems to be the sweet spot for me. In a medium I am a average pilot in any thing else I suck ! lol

Any way I have mastered
4 Hunchbacks (still my fav mech)
4 centurions

I am working on the Shadow Hawk (but no a fav I dont know why)

My question is what Med to master next ? BlackJack , Cicada , Kantaro or Trebuchet ?

I have no XP with any of them , any one got any pointers please ?

Thank you !

[Hex Pallett]

I don't know any of them, but I've been playing MWO for quite a while so here are some speculations:

Cicadas are "meh". They certainly packs some punch, but the lack of JJ and its large profile makes them inferior to Lights such as Jenner in my book.

Blackjacks are quite interesting. Their high-up gun arms makes them ideal for cover-shooting. Also if you're planning for going Commando later then buying XL225 for both classes is a good investment. However, I don't like the current "live fast die young" spirit encouraged by the Champion BJ....

Kintaros are kind of pointless. Not enough tonnage to boat multiple SRM without going XL - which defies the whole point of brawling. Boating LRM is an option, but Hunchback 4J and Centurions can also do that.

Avoid Trebuchet at all cost.

[RavensScar]

I've mastered Hunchies and Blackjacks, and I'm currently working on Cicadas.

Hunchies (particularly the 4P) are still my favourite chassis, so I know how you feel on that front.

Blackjacks I found underwhelming. The 1X is quite nice as a 4P stand-in, with good speed and 8 MLas. The 1 and 3 can be run as reasonable snipers, but I found them far less reliable than Hunchbacks. At the moment, they feel a little 'worst of all worlds' - they're fragile, they struggle with weight for ballistics, and struggle with heat for PPCs / LLas. Jump jets are fun, though.

I was very surprised by the Cicada. It's great fun as a (literal) change of pace. The 3M is good fun as an ECM sniper - 2 ERLLas is all you need. The 2A has actually got me my second highest score ever - 910 damage, 4 kills and 6 assists, just with 6 MLas.

[Evil Ed]

BJ. 45 flying tons with an AC20, what moar do you need?

[Burke IV]

I like the trebs, i own 4 of them atm and i still cant quite bring myself to sell any. I hear how terrible they are quite often, i guess thats why i like em Maybe ill pilot an awesome one day.

[TercieI]

Evil Ed, on 08 December 2013 - 08:30 AM, said:

BJ. 45 flying tons with an AC20, what moar do you need?

+1 and you'll have the best of the class all covered, IMO.

Also, Cicadas are one of my favorite chassis, but they're not really mediums, they're more like overgrown lights.

[Darwins Dog]

I've mastered all of the Cicadas, and I would say that if you are considering going to lights, or just want a fast striker, then give them a try. They may actually be the most expensive options because of the big XL engines (up to 340XL). They have a nice niche going 130kph (300XL) with 15 tons left for weapons, ammo, and heatsinks. No other mech can do that. You won't be able to dogfight a Jenner or Raven, but you can do some great hit-and-run tactics.

Blackjacks are the smallest effective jump snipers, and I enjoy them quite a lot. You can actually get a nice variety out of them (just stay away from the 1DC imo). Pure fire support, unless you do the AC/20 route of the trial version. I use the BJ-1 with 2xAC/2s (or AC/5s on occasion), and the BJ-3 with 2xPPCs. The BJ-1X is a different beast with usually 8xML and a fast engine.

Trebuchets are a "lower tier" chassis, but if you're not at a competitive level, then that doesn't really mean much. I have one that I run as a fast LRM boat (2x ALRM15s and TAG), one as a 100kph SRM striker, and one is a SSRM light hunter. I enjoy all of them quite a lot.

I know nothing about Kintaros. I never really see them, and I've never played one. From looking at them, the 5xSSRM version will scare light mechs away, or pack them full of LRM5s and annoy people, but it's just never appealed to me.

[Roughneck45]

Blackjacks. Great little package, either laser boats or packing a ballistic or two, JJ's for two of the variants and the other two have higher engine caps for great ground speed. Very fun mech.

Cicadas are ok. Just a giant light, you can have some good laser builds or bring a ballistic or two if you like. I think they are too easy to hit, even with great speed, so even with the extra armor you can feel more fragile than a light at times.

Trebs are pretty good. Kind of a middle of the road mech, each variant can give you something a little different. Overall I think the mech is pretty bland, not a fan of the look or the size of it.

Kintaros are just about the missiles, so right now they are not very good. You can make a fast streak boat out of it, but other than that they are pretty underwhelming.

Edited by Roughneck45, 08 December 2013 - 09:48 AM.

[RavensScar]

Just a quick note on Cicadas - as mentioned, the price of engines can be a killer, but it occurs to me that you (the OP) are likely to have an XL300 from the CN9-D and an XL275 from SHD-5M. With the XL320 from the CDA-3M, I think you've got all the bases more-or-less covered for Cicada builds.

[Bront]

Cicadas are nice in that you get an ECM variant, and since it's practically a light, for competitions where you have to run a particular number of each chasis, you can turn a medium slot into a light with a Cicada. They're flexible enough as well that you can do a few different builds with them (Gauss sniper, ERLL sniper, harrasser)

Blackjacks are underestimated mini-Jagers. The AC20 builds are effecitve, but so are the swayback equivilents that drop the hunch and size, but otherwise mount nearly as many MLs. They're squishy because they aren't really fast, but they're fast enough and small enough that with clever play, you can get the job done.

Kintaros seem to be the "all streaks all the time" chassis. If you have Shadowhawks, I'd skip them.

Shadowhawk also makes the Treb less desirable at the moment.

So I'd go with one of the top 2 I listed. Cicada's or BJs.

[Jody Von Jedi]

Dazzer, on 08 December 2013 - 06:37 AM, said:

Hello all, I am a dedicated Medium Pilot, I like they balance between fire power , speed and Armour, just seems to be the sweet spot for me. In a medium I am a average pilot in any thing else I suck ! lol Any way I have mastered 4 Hunchbacks (still my fav mech) 4 centurions I am working on the Shadow Hawk (but no a fav I dont know why) My question is what Med to master next ? BlackJack , Cicada , Kantaro or Trebuchet ? I have no XP with any of them , any one got any pointers please ? Thank you !

I've been considering the same question. But from a different angle. I've mastered both 3 Trebuchet chassis and 3 Blackjack chassis.

A little history: I, like most newer players, decided that bigger must be better, so I kept trying to run the assault trial mechs. I learned real quick, assaults and heavies draw most of the fire. So, I stepped back a notch. The Trebuchet is, IMHO, the ugliest mech in the game. I always pull for the underdog, so I decided to make it my pet project. I love my Trebs. I have 3 chassis and can't wait for a Champ or Hero varient to come out. After mastering 3 of these, I went for the Centurians next. You just can't push a Cent to the same speeds as a Treb and still remain effective. So after reaching Elite levels on 3 chassis, I let the Cents go. I just couldn't get in a groove with them.

That brings me to the Blackjack. I had a single chassis early on and decided I'd try running it again. Those high mounted arms are perfect for firing from cover. Whenever I get back in the Trebs after running the BJs, I keep shooting terrain. They are certainly as others have described, a mini Jag. I love the new Champion BJ and have scored over 700 dmg multiple times. I average around 400 damg per match and 2 or 3 kills. That AC/20 is the ticket. In fact, it's the only mech I have more wins than losses with and more kills than deaths. It's my favorite mech right now. Being a more experienced pilot doesn't hurt either.

That gave me a new appreciation for the larger pinpoint weapons, so I went back to my Trebuchet-7K and mounted an AC/20. It does OK, but doesn't have the speed the BJ has with an AC/20. You just can't mount an AC/20 and an XL engine in the 7k at the same time, not enough slots. So the speed is limited, but still effective. Just stick with the Assaults and Heavies and you'll be largely ignored for a while.

So, my meduim roundup would be:

Blackjack-Thumbs up, great for shooting from cover
Trebuchet-Thumbs up, great speed and manuverability.
Centurian-Thumbs down, but probably the hardest medium mechs to kill.

Most players seem to love the Hunchback. I had the Champion early on as an inexperienced pilot. (Not really inexperienced, but had been over 10 years since I'd played any Mech games). I hated it then, but I'm considering trying them again as my next chassis to master.

The bottom line with medium mechs is, stick with a heavy or assault and they will draw the fire, while you pew, pew and daka, daka away. Just remember they are support mechs don't be stupid like me and run off by yourself.

Jody Von Jedi

[jper4]

no cicadas but have played the other three.

Blackjacks i liked even during their "BJ's suck" phase when they first came out and mastered all 4 varients. not the choice for missile lovers but have a nice mix of ballistic and energy if that's your liking. can't really squeeze more than 2 ballistics on them but the BJ 1 with 3ML and an AC20 has become the popular loadout for them. the 1x runs a bit hot so i swapped the 8ML out til i ended up with 4MPLs- nice leg hunters and they're just the right height for shooting at legs. BJ-3 i just use a basic 6ML and do fine with it. they'll be even better once they grow up and become Jagermechs

kintaros are the medium missile boats with a bit more speed across the varients than Blackjacks. the KTO18 and 19 i pretty much just use as light hunters with 5 and 4 ssrms but the KTO20 i have 3LRM10s w/ arty and 4 SPLs/MLs depending on my mood and what just killed me last match great against lights but defintiely needs to work with other mechs for bigger stuff cause streak scatter takes way too long to kill anything undamaged so wait til you find something beat up and go for it- stuff starts flying off everywhere.

trebs i haven't played in a while the 3C i used as a harrasser, the 7K is interesting since you can do a little bit of everything with it. the 7M many people like but it's in the running for my worst mech ever. also got a 5J(?) i think that i only got through basics with and was ok but wasn;t anything special.

cicadas i don;t own any of (no cents either- like my hunchies though) but i always thought of them as jenners that always went back to the buffet table for seconds.

ranking them for me personally
when serious-
1) Hunchy 4sp
2) Kintaro KTO 18
----------------------
just messing around
3) rest of the kintaros
4) Blackjacks
5) Shadowhawks (May move up- only just started eliting them)
6) rest of the hunchies
---------------------
feeling bored
7) Trebbies
---------------------
N/A
8/9) Cents and cicadas

[Buckminster]

Dazzer, on 08 December 2013 - 06:37 AM, said:

Hello all,

I am a dedicated Medium Pilot, I like they balance between fire power , speed and Armour, just seems to be the sweet spot for me. In a medium I am a average pilot in any thing else I suck ! lol

Any way I have mastered
4 Hunchbacks (still my fav mech)
4 centurions

I am working on the Shadow Hawk (but no a fav I dont know why)

My question is what Med to master next ? BlackJack , Cicada , Kantaro or Trebuchet ?

I have no XP with any of them , any one got any pointers please ?

Thank you !

How do you have you Hawks loaded? I wasn't 100% sold on them, because they just seemed to have odd weapon choices. I'd already mastered Centurions, Catapults and Ravens, and was looking for a break from my Locusts, and I decided to challenge myself with the Hawks - set up "super stock" - keeping the same basic flavor of the original mechs, but adding in upgrades.

On my 2H, I upped the AC5 to a UAC5, upped the SRM2 to a SSRM2, added AMS, BAP, and by dropping in a 300XL I could bump up the armor to max and add some extra ammo and heat sinks. So it's the same basic layout, just better. And honestly, I've really loved it. The wide array of weapons that initially turned me off to the Hawks has been what's made them fun. I can have an impact in any situation, and the diverse weapons layout actually compliments itself nicely.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...203eb8cd23ddd2c

[DyDrimer]

Cicada and Kintaro, Cicada for the 3m i run mine as a total support mech. KTO-18 for a light/med killer, my streaktaro is my damage maker i average 500 with it and depending on the other team could be 1 kill and has been as many as 7 when it was lots of lights. Since you masterd Cents and Hunchies those two would balance you out very nicely.

[tucsonspeed6]

I'd recommend the Blackjack because it's got variants I absolutely love (the BJ-1X with 8 MLs and the BJ-1 with an AC20, JJs and 3 MLs.) and the BJ-3 does well with dual ppcs too. Aesthetically, they're pretty good looking and unique as well. Also, on a personal note, I love the cockpit because it reminds me of the cab of an old tractor with the loose wires hanging out of the dash. I imagine sitting in the pilot seat would smell like old grease and dirt.

In any case, you can't really go wrong with the blackjack. It's a popular design with lots of builds out there, and you're likely to find one variant you'll love among the 4.

[xengk]

Dazzer, on 08 December 2013 - 06:37 AM, said:

Hello all,

I am a dedicated Medium Pilot, I like they balance between fire power , speed and Armour, just seems to be the sweet spot for me. In a medium I am a average pilot in any thing else I suck ! lol

Any way I have mastered
4 Hunchbacks (still my fav mech)
4 centurions

I am working on the Shadow Hawk (but no a fav I dont know why)

My question is what Med to master next ? BlackJack , Cicada , Kantaro or Trebuchet ?

I have no XP with any of them , any one got any pointers please ?

Thank you !

With 4 Hunchback and 4 Centurion, I assume you prefer ballistic medium?
If yes, Blackjack are a good next choice.

2 of the 4 BJ, not counting the champion, are ballistic focused mech.
They are flexible in the ballistic department, allowing you to run short range heavy AC and LBX, or provide snipe/support from second line with dual AC/2 or dual AC/5.

However, they are 5 ton lighter than a HBK or CN9, trading amour to carry the same fire power as his bigger medium brothers.
Depending on your play style, and XL engine might be in order to improve the efficiency of the BJ. This of course will increase the CBill cost of running a BJ.

[Spheroid]

Blackjacks by far are the cheapest to start with. My two favorite builds still use the default 180 STD. The Cicada can also use a 250-260 STD if you don't have a 300XL or 320XL. The Treb is not in a good place right now so I would avoid that. The Kintaro is great as a streak boat but needs a 300XL or ideally a 350/360XL. It also can be a competent LRM boat if you downgrade the engine.

I suggest the Blackjack. They are surprisingly tough for their weight.

Edited by Spheroid, 11 December 2013 - 12:39 AM.

[Kai Harper]

Buckminster, on 09 December 2013 - 05:43 PM, said:

How do you have you Hawks loaded? I wasn't 100% sold on them, because they just seemed to have odd weapon choices. I'd already mastered Centurions, Catapults and Ravens, and was looking for a break from my Locusts, and I decided to challenge myself with the Hawks - set up "super stock" - keeping the same basic flavor of the original mechs, but adding in upgrades.

On my 2H, I upped the AC5 to a UAC5, upped the SRM2 to a SSRM2, added AMS, BAP, and by dropping in a 300XL I could bump up the armor to max and add some extra ammo and heat sinks. So it's the same basic layout, just better. And honestly, I've really loved it. The wide array of weapons that initially turned me off to the Hawks has been what's made them fun. I can have an impact in any situation, and the diverse weapons layout actually compliments itself nicely.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...203eb8cd23ddd2c

I'm wondering why you don't up this to DHS, and an extra ton of ammo - it'll perform better across the board just by doing that, with no negatives to the playstyle. Just something to consider. =)

[Buckminster]

Kai Harper, on 11 December 2013 - 01:04 AM, said:

I'm wondering why you don't up this to DHS, and an extra ton of ammo - it'll perform better across the board just by doing that, with no negatives to the playstyle. Just something to consider. =)

It's on my to do list, I just don't have the 1.5 million c-bills yet. The 300XL was something I had laying around in my Catapults.

Although I've actually found Shadow Hawks to run reasonably cool, even stock with SHS. I tend to stick to longer ranges, where the UAC5/LRM5 combination just doesn't make that much heat.

Edited by Buckminster, 11 December 2013 - 04:48 AM.

[Kai Harper]

Buckminster, on 11 December 2013 - 04:40 AM, said:

It's on my to do list, I just don't have the 1.5 million c-bills yet. The 300XL was something I had laying around in my Catapults.

Although I've actually found Shadow Hawks to run reasonably cool, even stock with SHS. I tend to stick to longer ranges, where the UAC5/LRM5 combination just doesn't make that much heat.

Oh I don't doubt that at all - just figure that you'd lose out on a grand total of one SHS, compared to the 10 DHS with those equipped. Why not get the upgrade for no space lost, kind of thing. If you're grinding C-Bills, hope it serves you well soon!