34 replies to this topic

[Victor Morson]

While I highly recommend the Shadow Hawk, it sounds like you might want something a little heavier.

Really, I highly recommend you check out a Victor. A fast moving 80 tonner, it sits between a full assault like the Highlander and the maneuverability of a Cataphract, and is slightly more durable than the latter, too.

It'll bring a lot of firepower and different playstyle options to the table for very little drawback. I highly recommend checking it out with 2x UAC5 2x PPC or the like.

[DEMAX51]

Couple of things...

- JC, you mention that you don't have Elites on your three Cats yet - when you finish the Elite tree the effects of your Basic skills are doubled, so that's a huge bonus and not something you want to pass up.

- If you're using a Hunchback with an XL engine, you're doing it wrong. Some people might tell you "well, once your Hunch is gone you're not going to be effective anyway, so why not?" but they're wrong. You can still cause a world of hurt with only 2 medium lasers, especially late in the game when your enemies are pretty badly tore up.

- The Shadowhawk might be exactly what you're looking for. It's got nice high-mounted ballistic slots in the side torso (which isn't nearly as easy to destroy as the Hunchy's hunch), it's safer to use with an XL engine, and jumpjets make a HUGE difference in your mobility as well as opening up new strategies (such as jump-sniping or jump-brawling). The -2D2 in particular is incredibly versatile. It makes an excellent Light-killer loaded out with a bunch of streaks, you can use it as a mobile LRM boat with a bunch of LRM5s, it can be a good jump-sniper with 2AC5s & an ERPPC, or can pack a mean punch up close with an AC20 & ERPPC.

- If you don't know about the SMURFY website, check it out here. It's a browser-based mechlab you can use to design your 'Mechs before you actually put 'em together in game. It also has a bunch of other very useful information about mechs, weapons, heat scale and a bunch of other stuff.

- Others have already mentioned it, but this one cannot be overstated - TWIST YOUR TORSO! Any time you're in danger of being hit by an enemy, and you aren't shooting back at them (because they're out of range, or your weapons are recycling, or your heat is too high, or whatever) you need to be showing the enemy the side (profile) of your mech so that they'll shoot your arms instead of your torsos. If your weapons are predominantly on one side of your mech (as is the case with the Hunchy) you need to be presenting them with your opposite-side arm. This really is an invaluable skill, across all chassis. Being able to spread damage around and use all of your armor will keep you alive significantly longer.

[JC Daxion]

I'm not using an XL engine.. I have a 250, and a 260, though my current build, i could drop a 255 in, but i would need to buy, and i'm not gonna waste the money at this time. i do have Master unlocked on my 4G, and 4SP.. the 4P i am still about 12k away.. I just don't like the mech, perhaps no master is why.. heat is a bear on it. My cat's are still only basic but i have a lot of XP banked, as i need a third and just not interested in buying another. Maybe ill get a jester down the road.


I am doing much better twisting in my 4SP with streaks and am doing 10x better with this mech paying more attention to the twisting, and taking my time.I beat a victor in a 1v1 brawl to end a match earlier with 24 secs left, and all watching.. Was a total adrenaline rush not letting the team down. Forums strats helped in that victory!


FYI, the only module i have unlocked is seismic, but i would love to get the 360 retention, or decay.. or both!

Edited by JC Daxion, 09 January 2014 - 10:29 AM.

[DONTOR]

Turist0AT, on 08 January 2014 - 04:09 PM, said:

Dude, you want Stalker, they are durable.

Hes right! Tough as nails, and alot of interesting loadouts. Also the victor has great hitboxes.

[Voivode]

Torso twisting is majorly important. No matter the mech you choose, an experienced player will know the best place to shoot you. Most of the assaults feature much weaker armor on the side torsos than on the center so people will attempt to disarm the assaults before going for the CT kill shots. If you don't learn to protect your mech then you won't succeed at a higher level in the game.

Spiders, Centurions, Quickdraws, and Victors are arguably the best hitbox setups for each weight class. However, relying on hitbox setup alone for protection will make you a player who doesn't protect their mech well enough. Even in the "ideal" mechs you will not have huge success.

[Kjudoon]

JC Daxion, on 08 January 2014 - 12:50 PM, said:

Ok, so i have been playing almost a year now.. But since this game went 12v12, my death rate has doubled.. Part of it has been lag related i'm sure, which in turn has kept me from playing as much. But playing a few times today, it seems like the game is a bit more optimized and i'm not having such an issue. Not to mention my new rig will be finished some time this week, and i should no longer have that issue all, which leads me to wan't to try something new.

I have played HBK's and Cat's as my main mechs. I'm just sick of losing my hump every single match i die or getting CT cored on my cat.. I really wan't to try something that is a bit more hit box friendly meaning, Every match losing the exact same way has gotten extremely old. I'm sure my play has something to do with it.. But having a barn door to hit can't help.

People have said, give the shadow cat's a try, which they do seem some what appealing, But perhaps it is time i try a heavy to get to elite. (my cat's i only own 2, with missiles in such flux i have avoided buying a third). Maybe a jager Or catphract? Though being an old school mech warrior player, the idea of the Thunderbolt, aka thor, and being a heavier armored HBK might work.. I did like that missile version which seamed like a beefy 4SP, or perhaps a ballistic model Though i have to wonder if they have the issue i'm trying to avoid.

I just wan't something that has a fighting chance of dying in another way.... dying from losing left torso for once.. Or maybe be legged!, even a head shot might be nice after 300 deaths by RT... (and no that is not an exaggeration) (edit, had to remove 125 deaths in the 4SP, forgot, those were not all RT).. But being a short ranged mech, that one get's really old being Out ranged, especially on large maps like alpine.



Thoughts? I have some MC saved, and it might be time to splurge and buy a mech i don't think i can force myself to grind any more money in either of these mechs...

Try running an Orion. Run an XL engine in it, you'll get side torso killed, but not with a standard. Since the hitbox fix, they got a LOT tougher and do most things a Jager or Cataphract can do, but better.

[TheCaptainJZ]

I cannot stress this enough:

You really want to fully elite your existing mechs before moving on.

You have 2 catapults? Get the third and elite all three. Once elite level is complete, the basics are doubled which means your cooling is better, your speed is higher, and your turning is better. It's really like a new mech.

Edit: which cat variants do you own?

Edited by TheCaptainJZ, 09 January 2014 - 12:31 PM.

[Parappaman]

Get Shadow Hawks. A 2D2 with two medium lasers, four streaks and an LB10-X will crunch through light mechs. The 5M makes a great platform for a huge AC. The 2H is good both when loaded with ACs and when used as a mobile LRM platform. It's the best 'Mech on the battlefield right now.

[JC Daxion]

TheCaptainJZ, on 09 January 2014 - 12:27 PM, said:

I cannot stress this enough:

You really want to fully elite your existing mechs before moving on.

You have 2 catapults? Get the third and elite all three. Once elite level is complete, the basics are doubled which means your cooling is better, your speed is higher, and your turning is better. It's really like a new mech.

Edit: which cat variants do you own?

Year i know that, but thanks. Like i said, i have masters in my HBK's.. I own a K2, and a C4, the C4 i have barely used, the K2, i have enough XP banked to fill half the elites.. I just havent felt like spending the money on another cat. I was working on it last summer and even bought the extra bay for it, but i stoped playing when the game went 12 v 12. the game lagged way to much on my computer and was getting ilke 4-8 FPS.. Having just come back, the same computer, i am getting 30-40 FPS now.. they must have done some major optimization since last summer.

But, honestly, i am just not interested in spending the time to get cat's going at this time.. I need something different

Parappaman, on 09 January 2014 - 01:37 PM, said:

Get Shadow Hawks. A 2D2 with two medium lasers, four streaks and an LB10-X will crunch through light mechs. The 5M makes a great platform for a huge AC. The 2H is good both when loaded with ACs and when used as a mobile LRM platform. It's the best 'Mech on the battlefield right now.

Holy {Scrap}, you can run a load out like that on a shadow hawk???? Are you saying they have 4 SRM 2streaks? Or are they 2 SRM 2's? Cause man, that sounds like a lot of fire power for a 55 ton mech. What kinda engine can you drop in something like that.. aka (speed)


I will take this as great advice, and honestly the shadow hawks did look like the mech i wanted since they were announced last summer. Had you been able to buy just one, i would of picked up the founder mech, but seeing it was a package, i did not have the cash. This will be a mech that get's added to my bay one day down the road.






I guess one last question on this whole subject... Brawler mechs... Would you say the Cataphract be the best to fill this option? I really was thinking Jager, or cata,, Sorta stay away from the new mechs right now even though a couple look like they might be a lot of fun.

[Buckminster]

JC Daxion, on 10 January 2014 - 05:44 AM, said:

Holy {Scrap}, you can run a load out like that on a shadow hawk???? Are you saying they have 4 SRM 2streaks? Or are they 2 SRM 2's? Cause man, that sounds like a lot of fire power for a 55 ton mech. What kinda engine can you drop in something like that.. aka (speed)

The -2D2 has 4 missile hard points. I run mine with 4 SSRMs and a gauss, BAP, XL280 and 1 JJ, but there are plenty of other options out there if you don't like the gauss.

It's really why the Shadow Hawk has been such a popular mech lately - it can jump, has a decent max speed, and a wide variety of hard points. If you haven't been there yet, head over to Smurfy's and play around.

[JC Daxion]

Buckminster, on 10 January 2014 - 06:09 AM, said:

The -2D2 has 4 missile hard points. I run mine with 4 SSRMs and a gauss, BAP, XL280 and 1 JJ, but there are plenty of other options out there if you don't like the gauss.

It's really why the Shadow Hawk has been such a popular mech lately - it can jump, has a decent max speed, and a wide variety of hard points. If you haven't been there yet, head over to Smurfy's and play around.

I can understand why now... and here i thought my 5ML, 2 streak HBK was something unique and kick ***..

[Victor Morson]

Just to clarify OP, there is literally no reason to buy an Hunchback over a Shadow Hawk, or an Orion over a Victor. Make these low priority purchases.

[Buckminster]

The Hunchback can energy boat better, and has better torso twist. But I'd still rather have my Hawk.

[DEMAX51]

JC Daxion, on 10 January 2014 - 05:44 AM, said:

I guess one last question on this whole subject... Brawler mechs... Would you say the Cataphract be the best to fill this option? I really was thinking Jager, or cata,, Sorta stay away from the new mechs right now even though a couple look like they might be a lot of fun.

If you're actually going to play it as a brawler, the 'phract is the way to go - more armor and more firepower. The -3D is probably the best one to start with, as its jumpjets give you added versatility.

[JC Daxion]

DEMAX51, on 13 January 2014 - 11:56 AM, said:

If you're actually going to play it as a brawler, the 'phract is the way to go - more armor and more firepower. The -3D is probably the best one to start with, as its jumpjets give you added versatility.

Yea.. that is what i was thinking too. For some reason the Jagers seam a bit weak on the armor. I say this because i fear them much less on the battlefield. (though the dual AC-20 load outs are pretty darn scary!)




But the funny thing, Since i made this post, i started playing my 4SP, as it is the hunchless HBK, and most hitbox friendly mech i own outside of the raven.. New set up with ML+streaks+bap, and wow i am in love with this mech... grinding money for my cataphracts will be a pleasure. i Spent a little MC, and converted some XP, and grabbed advanced sensors.. and the mech is really starting to shine.

thank you to all that have posted in this thread.. and hope to see you on the battlefield! One day i will have that cata!