21 replies to this topic

[SuperPignouf]

Hi there,

I'm kind noobish in this game and I'm looking for advices for a first mech to buy. I farmed 10 mil cbills by playing around with trial mech's and now I'd like to know what IS medium/heavy/assault mechs are most favored by actual meta and what builds I should run on them.

I'm not particularly attracted by a specific role, but I don't want my mech to be too specialised since I feel like some maps tend to favor some roles over others.

Thanks in advance.

[Redshift2k5]

Sticky question without knowing your preferences or which weapons you're effective with. Can't really go wrong with Shadow Hawk, Cataphract, Victor(plays more like a larger Heavy than an assault) with JJ, a big engine, and PPCs or ballistics. Jump jets are great just for getting to and from places even if you never use them to jump-snipe, and all offer lots of build possibilities. An AC20 Cataphract is a whole different beast than PPC+AC5 but you can build them on the same chassis.

As for assaults, Banshees tend to offer a bit more firepower than Atlases(more energy/ballistic hardpoints at the expense of missile), although the Atlas gives you the unique option of the DDC and ECM. Battlemaster has loads of hardpoints and can have a better top speed. Awesomes have bonus heat dissipation and lower heat for energy weapons if you want to run lots of large energy weapons.

If you want specific speed+loadouts, or if you want high-mounted weapons vs low-mounted ones, that will affect your choices. Jagermech tends to be better with dual-gauss than a Cataphract since the Jager's ballistic are cockpit-level, and Jagers can run dual AC20s, but Cataphracts offer JJ and more overall tonnage. Lots of little things to consider.

Mech specs offers a nearly endless supply of build ideas, and here's a mech tier list from here on the mwomercs forum

Edited by Redshift2k5, 07 August 2014 - 01:51 PM.

[BarHaid]

Take a look at your stats and see which mechs you've performed best in. Then ask yourself; did you have fun using them? Sometimes the "fun" mech is not the "effective" mech.

[SuperPignouf]

Thanks for your quick answer Sir,

So far through trial mechs I had the most fun with the trial Victor and the trial Cataphract. I'm hugely fan of large lasers and UAC5. I was first hesitating between getting a CTF-3D, a Jagermech-DD or going for some assault mech. I was contemplating the Stalkers since I also like missile boating while wanting to keep some lasers for defensive purpose.

I am currently considering this CTF 3D build: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...3d931007a7e36d8

Do you have further advices ?

Thanks in advance.

[Malcolm Vordermark]

The good news about meta is that it developed at a time when you never knew what map you would get. So meta mechs usually work on all maps. Full disclosure, I do not play in competitive matches but I do like to keep up with it a bit.

This list is by no means exhaustive but here are the mechs I see most represented by weight class:

Light - Ember, JR7-D, (special mention to RVN-3L and SDR-5D)
Medium - SHD (not sure which variant is favored, check them all out but I would look towards the 2D, 2H, and K variants)
Heavy - CTF-3D
Assault - Dragon Slayer

The meta builds focus mostly on placing a combination of PPCs and Gauss or AC5s on a jump jet capable mech. The idea is to place the most damage in a single location without a spread mechanic involved to quickly disable mechs. Jump jets allow you to shoot from better locations and help avoid return fire.

The lights don't really have that choice so they usually focus on reaching 150kph and loading up with all medium lasers for the Jenner, medium lasers and machine guns in the case of the Ember. The RVN-3L and SDR-5D will typically use 2x ER LL and ECM and play as a long range harassment mech.

There were some recent changes that are affecting the meta but as recently as a few nights ago I watched as the top teams continued to use these builds and strategies.

Now the Ember and Dragon Slayer are both hero mechs. Those cost real money to buy and can not be obtained with Cbills. If you dont want to spend real money they both have normal variants that are very similar, with slightly less of a competitive edge. In that case check out Firestarters to replace the Ember and Victors to replace the Dragon Slayer.

There are also the Clan mechs, but since they are not allowed in competitive play I have not witnessed them being used in a competitive setting. I'll go out on a limb and say that the Timber Wolf would replace the Dragon Slayer in a mixed team. The Clan mechs will be available for Cbills eventually but for the moment they are only part of a rather pricey package.

Fortunately, meta is fairly uncommon in the pug queue so don't feel that you have to run it.

Edited by Rouken, 07 August 2014 - 02:11 PM.

[Koniving]

If you don't know specifically what you want to do:
Hunchbacks/Shadowhawks/Wolverines tend to be pretty good mediums.

Cataphracts, Orions are also suitable heavies.

Victor, Battlemaster can be quite suitable as well in the Assaults.

Lights, it's difficult as they are essentially role specific. But if you don't mind a little bit of role specificity, then a Kitfox.

[Grey Black]

Koniving, on 07 August 2014 - 02:01 PM, said:

If you don't know specifically what you want to do:
Hunchbacks/Shadowhawks/Wolverines tend to be pretty good mediums.

Cataphracts, Orions are also suitable heavies.

Victor, Battlemaster can be quite suitable as well in the Assaults.

Lights, it's difficult as they are essentially role specific. But if you don't mind a little bit of role specificity, then a Kitfox.

Agree with everything except the Light recommendation. For lights, you generally want something which can be used at a higher engine cap, and the Kit Fox is WAYYYYY too slow for standard light usage. The light recommendation of choice, from my perspective, is either the Spider or Jenner. Both are at the upper end of the speed cap with good profiles, versatile weapon choices, and high damage potential.

EDIT:
However, based on the OP, I don't feel lights should be the first place you look. I would suggest looking into the Shadowhawk chassis first, seeing how it feels, and then modifying based on that.

Edited by Grey Black, 07 August 2014 - 02:29 PM.

[Koniving]

Grey Black, on 07 August 2014 - 02:28 PM, said:

Agree with everything but the light recommendation.

Financial standpoint. Lights virtually require XL engines, making a light mech cost about twice as much as a Kitfox by the time you're done. Also Kitfoxes don't need speed and tend to carry the firepower of a 50 ton medium in a little ECM-capable 30 ton package. To get a Kitfox to be viable all you need to do is switch one arm, add ECM, and bam, done, it's ready to go so once you buy it you spend 400,000 to 500,000 and you're on the field.

Any other light you've got to spend about 5 million for an engine, 1.5 million for DHS, and about 400,000 for at least Endo Steel and all that is before you you even touch the weapon systems.

Gotta remember. New players are typically broke, and 10 million isn't really all that much to work with.

[Jody Von Jedi]

In the light category, I'm surprised no one mentioned the Firestarter?

Edit: Opps, I didn't read all of Rouken's post.

Edited by Jody Von Jedi, 08 August 2014 - 06:14 AM.

[Brizna]

I think one important criteria for a first mech that often doesn't get attention is the differences between the variants of the same chasis. You'll have to master the chasis sooner or later so for a first mech ideally you want very distinct variants that let you experiment with signifiantly different game plays while you are mastering it to decide what you like more.
I sugest Catapult. You'll be able to have LRMs, snipers and brawlers in just one mech type (several variants).

[Frantic Nomad]

Koniving, on 07 August 2014 - 02:54 PM, said:

Financial standpoint. Lights virtually require XL engines, making a light mech cost about twice as much as a Kitfox by the time you're done. Also Kitfoxes don't need speed and tend to carry the firepower of a 50 ton medium in a little ECM-capable 30 ton package. To get a Kitfox to be viable all you need to do is switch one arm, add ECM, and bam, done, it's ready to go so once you buy it you spend 400,000 to 500,000 and you're on the field.

Any other light you've got to spend about 5 million for an engine, 1.5 million for DHS, and about 400,000 for at least Endo Steel and all that is before you you even touch the weapon systems.

Gotta remember. New players are typically broke, and 10 million isn't really all that much to work with.

I've only been playing a month or so, that said what I have to say needs to be taken with that in mind, but i was asking same question as OP a month ago.

I favor lights but they are real expensive by the time you get them build right. I have spent real money and purchased a couple of heroes and some champs, just because I lacked the patience to farm the c bills to buy xl's.

Without spending MC i found the Jenners way cheaper to kit out than any of the others I have bought. 10 million c-bills gets you into a mech and leaves enough for a 300xl. Up side your in a light that runs like a light. I have some fun in my Kit fox buy all in all it don't feel like a light.

On mediums I have spent just as much on my shadow hawks and my hunchbacks. By the time you start changing things around to get load out to fit meta then your buying new engines and weapons so the c bill cost ends up high anyways.

The best purchase I have made with real money is my ember, It effective and when I do have to farm c bills the bonus c bills is nice.

Edited by Hero3, 08 August 2014 - 06:24 AM.

[IllCaesar]

You can't really go wrong with a Hunchback or a Catapult, but based on you sayig you liked the Victor and the Cataphract, I'd recommend the Cataphract-3D. A quite popular choice for autocannon enthusiasts. Then there's the Orion, which when it comes to combat, is probably the most balanced Heavy. The Victor is great too, as being the most mobile Assault-class mech, though personally I've not had luck with them, I've see people dominate Atlas' with them.

Edited by MarsAtlas, 08 August 2014 - 06:55 AM.

[BanditB17]

You could find yourself a solid group of guys to play with. They may have suggestions of what they are looking for in group drops! Then your next purchase could have extra meaning.

[Koniks]

If you like UACs and lasers, then you're on the right track with the CTFs and VTRs. You can also look at the Jagermechs, Orions, Battlemasters, and Thunderbolts. If you want to go mediums, then probably the SHD is your best bet. But could also try Cents, Blackjacks, and Hunchbacks.

Edited by Mizeur, 08 August 2014 - 12:15 PM.

[The Flying Gecko]

In my opinion the BLR-1S is an absolute C-Bill machine.

I have mine loaded up with 2x LRM-15 and 2x LRM-10 with just over 2,000 missiles.
Tag, a single med laser, and heat sinks to fill up the rest.

I don't get a lot of kills with it.
I get a lot of complaints about LRMS and that I'm a noob with no skillz (usually from the enemy team, dying in a fire).
It sucks when I get caught with my pants down: if I'm not running with the herd, or if a clever light mech on the flanks is harassing me.
Often times, it's not as fun. Having to be so patient and sit around all day waiting for a target rather then being highly pro-active sucks. Other times this is a blessing, when I'm feeling lazy or intoxicated I can play this mech and still do reliably well.

However

There is rarely a match gone by where I don't do at least 500 damage with a handful of assists.

To use LRM's well it helps to know the maps. There isn't very many but if you can tell just by looking at a blip on the radar what targets are in cover, and which are out in the open you can score hundreds of points of damage before a poorly positioned assault mech can retreat.

Use the radar, and always try to maneuver yourself into the 'middle' of your team mates and be cautious about moving out to get a better firing line.

If you don't mind the passive-support role of assault LRMS the Battlemaster 1S can make money fast enough to buy a little variety once it's outfitted.

[Griggio]

My first mech outside the trials was a Firebrand. Decent energy hardpoints, a little dakka dakka on the side, with decent speed and high arms. If I hand't gone hero I would have picked up the DD first.

I was also fond of my Phracts and Catapults,but the T-bolt I could never really get comfortable with.

In the end it's what you feel the most comfortable with.

[Barkem Squirrel]

From looking at the posts and your reply, I had to think.

Normally I would say go for a shadow Hawk, but you seem to like the heavies or an assault that acts like a heavy.

So go with the Jaggers, but get the Jagger S first. Why, more laser hard points, and you still have four Ballistic hard points. I would never pass up the high ballistic hard points. Then look at getting the Jagger A, why LRMs. To get better at the game you have to try different play stiles and learning LRMs will make you better in other roles. You will learn where you are more effective at hitting other mechs or where not to move in your other roles. The BLR-1S is a great LRM platform and is great for c-bill and to a point GXP farming.

Remember after you have 3 mechs through the elites then they change due to the 2x the basic level bonuses.

Always find what mechs you like to play and play them, but always try something different. It adds to the game and your knowledge.

Edited by Barkem Squirrel, 08 August 2014 - 05:03 PM.

[TB Freelancer]

I'd have to second the Jagger mechs. IMHO if you aren't getting 3 of a mech so you can master your favorite ride, you're holding yourself back. Opening up the double basics, even the extra module slot and of course the elites give you that extra edge.

Anyway back to the Jaggers. The 3 non-hero variants pretty much let you run just about any role you could want, as well as having a good hero variant. Its a pretty great chassis to choose to learn the ropes in.

Lights and mediums are good, some are even great but to be very effective with them requires not just skill but a solid understanding of the game. Not great to learn in. Assaults are prohibitively expensive to buy and set up, although heavies can be pricey, they're pretty much the sweet spot for performance. There's a reason they usually make up the highest percentage of players most times of day. They give you the option of speed/firepower/durability.

[Rando Slim]

Yea my first mech was a Jenner-K and I made a thread like this and people were like "uh hey man you should start a new account learning in that is gonna be hard". Yep after a month in my Jenners my K/D ratio was like 0.2 lol. That said, I will always have a soft spot for light mechs and in general I find them a blast to play (except the locust).

However for you OP, I hate to admit it but yea it sounds like your gonna be like everyone else and pilot a Jager, Victor, or Cataphract. Those mechs are all great, but 10 million c-bills is only going to buy you ONE of those mechs. I have a Victor on my troll account and its is such a ballache grinding for 30 million c-bills to elite them all I'm probably never going to do it. On top of that, without elite skills, Victors don't pilot like heavies at all, they turn slow as hell and in general I would hate to be a new player stuck going 60 kph in some brick that's too slow to escape from all the lrm spam, also you're going to need a massive XL engine that's gonna cost 5-6 million c-bills to make the Victor work properly, you cant do the "meta" build with the engine that comes with it. I learned on the Jenners so my whole view of the game is inverted. To me, speed and twisting ability is better than armor almost. A few more thoughts:

Anyone who tells you Hunchbacks are a good starter choice is trolling you.......they are inherently gimped because of their Hunch, the only good one is the 4SP and that's precisely because it doesn't have a stupid hunch. Medium mechs in general can be hard, they offer a comfortable speed for new players but in every other aspect they are tough. They are either the best of all worlds or the worst depending on who you talk to. I like them......but I like a challenge and have played the game a fuckton, and I still get pissed at mediums sometimes.. You will probably get your balls served up on a plate by a Timber Wolf if you walk in all fresh faced in a Blackjack. This brings up another point I haven't seen yet, a LOT of chassis have lame duck variants that are just laughably inferior to some other variants in the chassis. This is either because of hardpoint layouts or lack of certain features, or just because theres nothing distinctive about their build possibilities. For instance people say "oh well spiders are good". Actually the Spider 5d is good, the other two suck. Ravens? 3L is great, all the others suck because they have no ecm or no jumpjets (usually neither). Cataphracts you're looking at? Ok cool, the 3d is "meta" cause of jumpjets but the others (not counting Ilya Muro) are just kinda "meh". Aforementioned Hunchbacks, Centurions, Wolverines, Trebuchets, Cicadas, Thunderbolts, Catapults, Awesomes, Dragons, Quickdraws, Orions, Awesomes, Atlases, Stalkers and ALL the Clan Mechs have this problem where theres like one maybe two variants that are worth keeping and the others are comparatively bad (though in the case of the clans every variant is simultaneously all variants in a chassis because pod switching basically makes variants a pointless distinction). So you want to find a mech where as many of the variants are useful as possible. That's why in the end I stuck with the Jenners because even the lowly Jenner-K is still a damn sight better than the lame duck offerings of other light chassis like the Spider 5V or the Raven 4x. By this logic I would say Blackjacks, any of the 55 tonners, Jaggermechs, and Victors/Highlanders would be a good choice. Sorry that was so long, just remember the lame duck thing to save yourself pointless grinding.

Edited by Scrotacus 42, 09 August 2014 - 12:32 PM.

[TB Freelancer]

Nicely put man. That was a large consideration in why I recommended the Jaggers. Not really a lame duck among them.