6 replies to this topic

[FlyingTurtle]

So a while back I was trying to decide between the Orion or the Thunderbolt. I decided to try both and master one before the other. I'd figure I'd let you know my opinions if any of you are thinking the same.


Orion

I bough the Protector when it went on sale. It is overall well rounded and can mount most load outs.

Pros:

• Good hardpoint amounts/distribution.
  
• Lots of armor
  
• Decently small side torsos.
  
• 75 tonnes, plenty of room to use STD engines.
  
• Missile hardpoint side is larger, so it attracts bullets well, if you use a STD engine it can get blown off without too much being lost.

Cons:

• Not very fast
  
• No JJ variants
  
• Not meta-friendly (Not good for 2 UAC/5 builds, cant do 2 AC/20)
  
• Somewhat low number of harpoints, cannot boat.

I like to run 2 ERLL, AC/20, STD 300; or 2 ERLL, 2 AC/2, STD 300





Thunderbolt

I bought the -SE variant for the jumpjets, something the other variants didn't have.

Pros:

• Fast- A 300 rated engine makes you fast for a heavy.
  
• Decent armor - not quite as much as the Orion
  
• Jump jets(-SE variant only)
  
• Lots of hardpoints- great for boating lasers.

Cons:

• Wide - It has good hit-boxes but is still easy to hit.
  
• 65 tonnes - If you don't use an XL you are limited in you weapon payloads
  
• Most of the hardpoints are in the left torso, if it goes you aren't left with much.
  
• Not meta friendly

My preferred builds are either 3 LL, STD 300, AMS, 2 JJ; or 5 MPLAS, 2 SSRM2 (1 ton of ammo), AMS, STD 300, 2 JJ (Light hunter).




There is no clear winner, but both are viable choices if you are looking at heavy 'mechs.

[Ashan An]

FlyingTurtle, on 07 March 2014 - 10:57 PM, said:

Cons:

• Not very fast

How can you say the Orion is not fast? with the XL 360 it's faster than the Thunder with the STD 300.

I don't have the protector but i have the V which is pretty similar (1 less energy but an extra missile hardpoint).
While you can run ac-20 builds on the P i would say don't, both the K and the M variants are better for that (basically doing that on the P means having 1 less hardpoint), don't get me wrong, it's doable but it's suboptimal and i personally think that using the same exact build on 5 different variants it's boring as hell .
If you want to go for the ac 20 get the M (i think it's the best one for that) and use some fantasy on the others, the orion has a huge potential for builds and can run almost anything
on the P i wuold personally run something like this


Regarding the Thunder, i have yet to try it (i will probably get it after the i finish mastering the Orions) but since i don't like JJs a lot i think the 9SE is the worst variant, it sacrifice a lot of firepower for those JJs, but that's just personal opinion and the 9SE is still a fine mech, still i would not call it a "laser boat" with just 5 E hardpoints, get the 5SS if you wanna do that

[Xeno Phalcon]

I thought I would enjoy tbolts especially the jump jet variant but I wasn't feeling terribly into them once I got to playing it so never got around to trying the other variants.

I do however have alot of experience with Orions, having mastered K, VA, P and played the V model out of basic: essentially tiny atlas they have all the problems of their heavier cousin but none of its ECM resulting in a mech that CAN be a metacheese (Notably the V and P can both do 2AC5/2PPC) but lack the jump jets or high weapon positioning to take advantage of this sufficiently for the metadorks to make use of it. Its biggest problem however is its side torsos are suspiciously easy to destroy, on more than a few occasions iv been completely stripped and only the M version can do anything zombie like (with its 6 tube ct missile point) so I find that I either put all my eggs in one basket for speed (xl) or sacrifice one side to protect the other (as with my 2ppc/ac20 protector I often sacrifice the ppcs to protect the autocannon).

The VA however stands apart from the other orions, having four missile hardpoints in the arms it can load up on a substantial amount of LRMs, SSRMs and can fire SRMs with greater accuracy than many other big mechs......if those ever get fixed anyways.

[cleghorn6]

Xeno Phalcon, on 08 March 2014 - 05:16 AM, said:

metadorks

lol

[Bromineberry]

FlyingTurtle, on 07 March 2014 - 10:57 PM, said:

Orion

• Decently small side torsos.

What? I disagree, I always end up as a "stick" when playing the Orion. I wosh it had one or two energy hardpoints in its CT or head...

[Jacon Ceronia]

Bromineberry, on 09 March 2014 - 03:54 AM, said:

[/list] What? I disagree, I always end up as a "stick" when playing the Orion.

Phaha!...nice.

[mogs01gt]

I had both, both were a bit underwhelming.

Thunderbolt, not enough room for DHS.
Orion, wants to brawl but with the small arms, XL engines are risky because the ST's get hit a lot.