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Now you know I'm not just all talks, let's start the guide. But first, three things:
- I don't do meta builds (mostly), that means no AC40. Those are for *******.
- I don't do poptart builds. Weaklings.
- If a chassis is not included in the guide, it means a) I don't own one; b ) it's either not fun to run with or just plain sucks, the latter of which I will make a separate list and explain below.
And here we go! Click the variants to see the builds on Smurfy's:
I. Light 'Mechs
Spider 5D: Harasser at its best, able to do damage over range and fight reasonably well in close quarters, plus the speed and JJ-capability to make quick escapes. ECM is obviously a great addition - if you place yourself well enough, they won't even know what hit 'em. Some people prefer to have an ERPPC in the arm, but I want my short-range lasers to have the flexibility. Plus I don't wanna sacrifice the mobility.
Jenner 7F: I was a bit late to the Jenner party - just bought one last month - and it immediately became one of my favourite 'mech of all time. Incredibly fast, fully JJ capable and a beautiful 30-dmg Alpha from those six MLas that could easily penetrate any rear armor. Harass, backstab, S&D against enemy Lights, Conquest caps, it does anything and everything. Not mentioning it's 10% shorter than any other 35-toners.
Raven 3L: People need to learn to appreciate a good spotter. After the NARC buff I quickly reversed my 3L into a beefed-up stock build, and it worked out surprisingly well. Not exactly a killer, but your LRM friends will certainly appreciate what you got. Alone it's pretty helpless against Lights, but ECM certainly helps in that regard. You still packs a punch against larger opponents - you're still half a Hunchback 4SP, remember. Circle around your main group like a guardian angel.
II. Medium 'mechs
Hunchback...well, basically all of them: Widely considered as one of the most capable IS chassis, if you don't like Hunchbacks, nobody wants to be your friend. It's giant shoulder pod, while being the biggest weakness, makes you literally head'n shoulder above everyone else of your class. A must-have for everyone.
Yen-Lo Wang: Insert Dirty Harry line here. As long as you don't go full banzai with it, YLW, being a Centurion as it is, will easily live to the end of the match and keep dishing out damage. Just keep an eye out on your gun arm - which, if you're used to Hunchbacks, shouldn't be hard.
III. Heavy 'mechs
Catapult C1: The most complete LRMboat. The lack of ammo is made up by its admirable mobility and all the gadgets you need to accurately smash LRM into enemy hulls. Three MLas is plenty for self-defense and finishing moves. Definitely more fun than most Square-Clicker 3000 builds.
Firebrand: The Rifleman that isn't. Easily one of the best long-range direct-fire platform, best for shooting behind cover, capable of a constant damage output. Ammo and heat are not of concerns. A solid build all-around.
Thunderbolt 5SS: Sometimes overlooked, 5SS is easily one of the best Laserboat out there. It's like a Hunchback 4P plus two LLas, except you don't need to worry about the hunch. Just remember not to get carried away and fire all the lasers together all the time.
Thunderbolt 9SE: Also easily overlooked, it's one of the most fun builds I had. A healthy mix of different types of weapons, just enough ammo, good speed and JJ-capability makes it one of the most interesting - and effective - midfield 'mech out there. Seriously, try it out.
Cataphract 1X: Long shadowed by CTF-3D poptart's popularity, this is one of the most ferocious brawler/midfielder, with five MLas plus an AC20 able to deal damage non-stop. Being a 70-toner, its rather slender hit profile and its STD engine makes it able to sustain a lot of punishment. It's like a Hunchback 4G without a hunch. If there's anything better at what it does, it has to be...
Cataphract 3D: One MLas less, four JJs more. (also, fxxk poptarts.)
Ilya: It has a pair of Gauss rifles. In the arms. 'nuff said.
IV. Assault 'mechs
Awesome 9M: I'll just link it to my other post (video proof included). Seriously, if you don't have one of this, you're missing out.
Battlemaster 1D: 85 tons of glory. Battlemaster itself is a solid chassis, but I think this one takes the top. With three AC2s of dakka power in the arm, a LLas and four MLas, no one does it better at constantly shredding armor from opponents' chest from different angles - it's very fast for its tonnage. Especially effective at dealing with heavier opponents.
Battlemaster 1S: Why settle for a Stalker LRMboat when you could have something MUCH faster? Never worry again that enemies will run for cover, for you have the speed to easily relocate yourself and deal damage from frontline, flank and back. Again, a fast LRMboat is an effective LRMboat, and it's definitely more fun than Square-Clicker 300 when you could actually CHASE DOWN opponents while firing a constant streak of LRMs. Refer to the link in the previous entry for video.
Heavy Metal: The fact that it has energy hardpoints in Left Arm instead of Right Torso makes it flat-out better than any other Highlander - at least for an laser-heavy pilot like me. The arm-mounted long-range weapons are perfect for long-range, accurate damage output. Find a couple of Mediums and you could do magic. Also Jumpjets.
Atlas DDC: Do I really have to explain? A brawler DDC with good mobility means Christmas for your team, and two LLas means you're not completely helpless against ranged targets. (also, fxxk LRM DDC)
And that's all you need (so far) to have a complete MWO experience. Brawler, chaser, mix-builds, LRM builds, sniper builds - I think I included all of them.
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Now, for the chassis I own that didn't make into the list:
- Locust: No. Just no.
- Shadow Hawk: cumbersome aside, who the fxxk in the design team figured that it is a good idea to make Shadow Hawk's cockpit SO NARROW that when you fire your shoulder-mount ACS the muzzle flame takes HALF THE FXXKING SCREEN?!
- Dragon: While I do own Dragons and kept a high-speed Fang, it's still a Dragon, which means it can't take too much punishment. Skipped.
- Orion: Biggest problem with Orion is the size. A little too fat for my taste. I do keep a Protector brawler myself, but unfortunately I find it far less effective that my phract 1X.
That's it so far. Hope it helped.
EDIT: added Orion to the "didn't make it" list.
Edited by Helmstif, 11 June 2014 - 03:32 PM.
