102 replies to this topic

[Bishop Steiner]

So, last night, playing in the private Stock Mech Madness matches, I had more fun than any time since Closed Beta ended. There was a hiccup or two, as expected, but overall, I am hooked.

I have 2 Stock mechs already owned, the SHD-2H I spent most of the night in, and a BLR-1D.
I don't run Lights not named "Ember", so it's really down to what mech to use should my team need a Heavy Mech.

The finalists, based off my playstyle are: (drum roll please!)
the CPLT-K2 !
Always a favorite, even with horribly silly looking PPC arms now, the PPCs give long range punch without ammo dependence, while the medium lasers and MG let it fight up close, relatively cooly. And MGs are just a skosh more effective than when I used this thing stock in Closed Beta!

Our next contestant, is the often misunderstood CTF-4X ! Which while slow, is a low heat killer, with plentiful ammo reserves, by stock standards!

And our last finalist, the ever popular ON1-K !
Heavily armored, it is often derided as the "poor man's Atlas", but with it's nearly 20 kph higher speed, all purpose, all range armament, it is more than capable of standing on it's own merits!

So, good citizens, trolls and tryhards, please lend me your opinions on which option to add to my Mechbay!

Edited by Egomane, 07 May 2014 - 02:47 AM.

[DocBach]

The K2 is pretty beastly, the CTF-4X while slow goes well in an assault lance. It has max armor, and four tons of AC/5 ammo which is a lot for a stock loadout. The ON1-K is a pretty jack of all trades 'Mech, I think of it more as a big Centurion than a small Atlas. Also a fan of the VA Orion, which adds more heat sinks but loses the LRM function for a second SRM-4 - which makes it a pretty competent brawler.

[Alaskan Nobody]

I am kinda torn between the phract and the orion....

[Bishop Steiner]

DocBach, on 06 May 2014 - 03:59 PM, said:

The K2 is pretty beastly, the CTF-4X while slow goes well in an assault lance. It has max armor, and four tons of AC/5 ammo which is a lot for a stock loadout. The ON1-K is a pretty jack of all trades 'Mech, I think of it more as a big Centurion than a small Atlas. Also a fan of the VA Orion, which adds more heat sinks but loses the LRM function for a second SRM-4 - which makes it a pretty competent brawler.

yeah, I love the VA. A lot. But I figure that LRM15 rack is very handy..... and I already own 2 VAs (locked into by Brawler Config and my LRM config...and I refuse to modify either, lol) and feel a little silly buying a 3rd.........

[InRev]

ON1-K, man. I love mine. It's definitely a hot-running beast, but generalists excel in Stock Matches. It's tough as nails, can hold a line, is fantastic at medium range, can toss LRMs to support scouts and skirmishers and the AC/10 is a fantastic source of DPS, even when red-lining your heat. The SRM-4 is a bit meh, but it can be handy at point blank, especially when you're running too hot to bring the MLasers into the fight.

Other than that, I have indeed seen the K2 mess things up, but if you get the wrong map, those PPCs will cook you alive. It's easier to sustain DPS with an Orion, imo.

[Sybreed]

oh god, is there a way to revert some mechs back to stock so I don't have to rebuy all my DHS-upgraded mechs?

[Bishop Steiner]

Sybreed, on 06 May 2014 - 04:23 PM, said:

oh god, is there a way to revert some mechs back to stock so I don't have to rebuy all my DHS-upgraded mechs?

Yes. It's call buy them fresh. In most cases it cost less than downgrading the mechs..... especially if you don't have the stock engine laying about anymore!

InRev, on 06 May 2014 - 04:05 PM, said:

ON1-K, man. I love mine. It's definitely a hot-running beast, but generalists excel in Stock Matches. It's tough as nails, can hold a line, is fantastic at medium range, can toss LRMs to support scouts and skirmishers and the AC/10 is a fantastic source of DPS, even when red-lining your heat. The SRM-4 is a bit meh, but it can be handy at point blank, especially when you're running too hot to bring the MLasers into the fight.

Other than that, I have indeed seen the K2 mess things up, but if you get the wrong map, those PPCs will cook you alive. It's easier to sustain DPS with an Orion, imo.

yeah, I feel in hot maps, the K2 doesn't really come into it's own til late in the match when ammo starts to run out.... then a fresh mech with PPCs can make some noise. But I recall a LOT of fights where I had to chain my Mediums and run the MGs ragged, especially in the caldera.......

[Silentium]

The stock K2 was always too hot for my tastes. It's giving me flashbacks of my first trial grind to buy a mech.

[Sybreed]

Bishop Steiner, on 06 May 2014 - 04:27 PM, said:

Yes. It's call buy them fresh. In most cases it cost less than downgrading the mechs..... especially if you don't have the stock engine laying about anymore!


yeah, I feel in hot maps, the K2 doesn't really come into it's own til late in the match when ammo starts to run out.... then a fresh mech with PPCs can make some noise. But I recall a LOT of fights where I had to chain my Mediums and run the MGs ragged, especially in the caldera.......

jesus, I don't enjoy the game enough anymore to regrind my favorite mechs so I can play them stock, but playing stock matches really sound like more fun. Ugh... talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[A banana in the tailpipe]

I'd take anything with a guass considering most stock mechs carry the ammo in the shoulders.

[Bishop Steiner]

Sybreed, on 06 May 2014 - 05:04 PM, said:

jesus, I don't enjoy the game enough anymore to regrind my favorite mechs so I can play them stock, but playing stock matches really sound like more fun. Ugh... talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

well not like you have to regrind anything...if you unlocked them, they are unlocked.......

lockwoodx, on 06 May 2014 - 05:09 PM, said:

I'd take anything with a guass considering most stock mechs carry the ammo in the shoulders.

Yeah, just an exploding capacitor, lol. Naw, I am not touching tier 2 tech if I can help it. Might not be explicitly in the guidelines, but I am hoping it will gravitate more toward tier 1, so that the MetaLords don't just force everyone into Tier 2 Upgraded Stock mechs to compete.

[InRev]

Sybreed, on 06 May 2014 - 05:04 PM, said:

jesus, I don't enjoy the game enough anymore to regrind my favorite mechs so I can play them stock, but playing stock matches really sound like more fun. Ugh... talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Trust me when I say that stock matches will utterly reinvent the game for you. I have not had this much fun in a very, very long time. It adds a level of complexity and balance that is completely absent from regular matches. Every mech has a strength and a weakness and finding the mech that plays to your own strengths and weaknesses is such a blast.

For instance, I have learned that I am a natural born trooper. I love, and excel in, the generalists like the Centurion and Orion. This surprises me because on the main server I almost always play a skirmisher. But the flexibility and ability to react to various battlefield conditions is very attractive to me.

Discoveries such as that, and playing the juggling act of firepower, mobility and armor that is necessary in stock matches is super intriguing. You can't just max armor, max engine and load up on whatever the FotM is. You really have to think, and it's beautiful.

[Lootee]

What is this about stock mech matches?

I'd play those. I'm thinking maybe a stock Dragon with the AC/5 could be fun.

Is it 3025 tech only? Or did people just bring nothing but 3050 variants for the DHS. That sounds pretty lame if it's the latter.

Out of the 3 choices you listed, I'm going with the Orion.

Edited by PanchoTortilla, 06 May 2014 - 06:01 PM.

[80sGlamRockSensation David Bowie]

TBH I would probably pick the CTF-1X.

Standard engine, and it has a PPC/AC10. No jets though, but it has a pretty solid loadout for what it is.

[Sybreed]

so, I didn't really ask, but it's really "stock" stock? As in, no DHS to make up for the messed up heat system?

[Rhaythe]

Sybreed, on 06 May 2014 - 06:01 PM, said:

so, I didn't really ask, but it's really "stock" stock? As in, no DHS to make up for the messed up heat system?

Absolutely correct. No DS. Same loadout as when you bought it.

http://mechforceclas...17961#p67317961

[Bishop Steiner]

mwhighlander, on 06 May 2014 - 05:56 PM, said:

TBH I would probably pick the CTF-1X.

Standard engine, and it has a PPC/AC10. No jets though, but it has a pretty solid loadout for what it is.

way hotter than I prefer to run though. I considered it, because the 4X is a little slow for me, but the 2 ac5s with comparatively copious ammo and large laser make for a good line holder.

[Rhaythe]

My Atlas RS is looking awfully tempting to be retrofitted for Stock Monday.

[Bishop Steiner]

Sybreed, on 06 May 2014 - 06:01 PM, said:

so, I didn't really ask, but it's really "stock" stock? As in, no DHS to make up for the messed up heat system?

heat system works surprisingly good when NOBODY can run around dropping alpha after alpha. I forget if you were around for Closed Beta, but once i got used to the heat scale, I never really thought about it again until DHS were released, and of course with GH and the return of full heat to PPCs.

But yeah, no crutches, full thinking mans shooter Btech. You need that teamwork to cover each others shortcomings, be it range, ammo issues, heat endurance, etc. No one man really can take over a match because if you try, you overheat in front of 5 bad guys, and die. You really have to be a lot more thoughtful and patience, because a twitch alpha doesn't cover any sins in stock mode!

But I do hope we largely veer away from tier 2 tech, or you will just get someone in a Galahad (or similar mech), eventually, going all GaussJager on people, and it'll be the Gaussapult in CB, all over again!

Rhaythe, on 06 May 2014 - 06:23 PM, said:

My Atlas RS is looking awfully tempting to be retrofitted for Stock Monday.

I'm going to be running a little late for mondays in the future due to IRL obligations, but I'll run with your RS anytime!

[Butane9000]

All are excellent choices.

I myself run the ON1-K to great effect. Yes it's a jack of all trades but it ends up being a juggernaut in comparison to many mechs. I know I lead multiple charges in this unit and survived.

I currently run my K2 in a modified stock build (upgraded engine, DHS, Endo but stock weaponry). I feel that it's stock load out is still very strong. Just have to chain fire those PPCs.

The 4X was apparently extremely solid last night. Normally a LRM5 is scoffed at but with AMS being a rarity and no ECM it's effectiveness is drastically increased since nearly all missiles hit their target.

I have the Thunderbolt 5S I myself am going to give a go with next weekend. I hope it works out with it's unconventional load out. I also prepared a Highlander 733C and Hunchback 4J. Should prove interesting.