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The Summoner lacks the speed to be an effective hit and run mech, the stock armor is laughable and the fixed left arm and lack of hard points are maddening. In just about every way imaginable, the Timberwolf is a far superior mech. So why bother with the Summoner at all?
Stock jump jets, impressive torso twist, awesome heat efficiency, and a smaller profile all give the Summoner a higher survivability factor. If you max out the armor, you have one hell of a "tank" mech.
My experience thus far has taught me that Summoners work best paired with mechs geared towards long range engagements. They can move quick enough, and torso twist or jump well enough to defend larger and slower mechs, protect a formation's flanks, and even brawl in tight urban environments. My favorite (Prime) setup thus far compliments Timberwolves and Stalkers the best, running an LBX-AC/10 with 2 tons of ammo, a Large Pulse Laser, and a NARC with 2 tons of reloads. With this setup, I keep close to a partner until the distance closes to under 500m. I then rush in, relying heavily on my LPLAS, and popping off AC rounds on exposed internals and mech rear-ends. When I see a target that seems to be a particularly nasty threat, I pop off a NARC and withdraw, letting my team pelt them with LRMs until I can go back to finish them. I've been averaging 3 to 5 kills per match, 6 assists, and 500+ DMG per match, playing this way.
No matter how you mix and match your pods or components on a Summoner, you're forced to play as a member of a team, complimenting the play style of others. No other mechs are truly forced into cooperative game play as much as the Summoner. But, once you get past that, the Summoner can be a very effective, and downright devastating, Omnimech.
Edited by T Decker, 26 June 2014 - 09:31 PM.
