166 replies to this topic

[Bishop Steiner]

Medium Mech Pilots.

The few, the scorned, the Masochistic. Those willing to play "Hard Mode" with every card in the deck stacked against them. Brothers. Welcome, you crazy loons!

You could be hiding behind tons of armor and guns, like the Heavies and Assaults, or Buggy Hit Registration, like Lights.... instead, you choose to play Mechs that embrace the WORST attributes of all classes. And I love ya guys for it. SO for my fellow Jocks, I'm just curious, as the title says, what are your "choice" rides, and why do you like them so much?


For Me?

1) GRF-1N Griffin
Not the strongest IS Medium (shadowhawk, anyone?), but a pilot's dream. Great speed potential with almost Light level JJs, and INSANE torso twist. IMO; the best all purpose team support Mech in the game, and as a bonus, one of Alex's best redesigns, bar none. Inside and out, she's a beauty.


2) YEN-LO-WANG Centurion
You've been my backstabbing Assassin of choice, through thick and thin, since Closed Beta. Pure focused, surgical perfection. 107 kph, ac20 toting back alley mugger, perfect for flanking, hit and fade tactics, with insane torso twist speed. Only Mech I have in common on both accounts.

3) ARROW Blackjack
I never liked Blackjacks....till I met you. You took a bit to figure out, as your stock build was good..but not quite.....right for me. Then I made you into a baby crit-master. And painted you green. And you have been insanely fun ever since. Up there with Ilya and YLW as my favorite Heroes.

4) HBK-4G Hunchback
My first mech. Got you with my initial pre upgrade Founders pack. HATED you in CB, which led to my discovery and love of Centurions. But eventually revisited you. And you relative heat management, and good twist ability, along with small profile, almost made up for your huge honking "shoot me" shoulder. Now, with your IS health buff, you actually mostly KEEP your guns till the shoulder pops, instead of losing it the moment your armor was breached. You slow, flat footed, thunderthighs potbellied beast you.

5) SHD-2D2 Shadowhawk
You were once a lot higher, until you became go to cheeze. Even with your limited JJs, and lousy FoV, your combo of hitboxes, and hardpoints, and speed.... are just TOO perfect. Simply put, I had to stop driving you, because you were EZMode, and 1v1ing just about anything, was just too dang easy. You actually HURT my skill development. So I had to put Baby in a corner. But when I have a bad run, and feel like releasing the Kraken.... I know I can always count on you to wreck face and get my win streak back on track. You sultry Minx, stop falling in love with me.

Honorable Mention: CN9-AH Centurion. From the legion of the Fallen. One of the many casualties of Closed Beta. Had they never removed her, I might never have driven another Mech, to this day. So maybe PGI was smarter than I give them credit, those greedy bums.... as I would not own my vast stable of Heroes and Package Mechs had they simply let me keep you.

But because of you...I am honor bound to kill Paul, Bryan and Russ every time I see them in game, to avenge your memory.

Well.... enough about me...let's talk about..... YOU.

[Vassago Rain]

Shadowhawk. Any variant.

I prefer the 2H and 2D2

Edited by Vassago Rain, 26 August 2014 - 07:54 AM.

[Trauglodyte]

Hrm, well:

1) CDA-3M

ER Lrg Laser, 3 Md Lasers, near max engine for 146 KPH, and ECM. Great for scouting, big enough to take the damage that the size is going to invite, fast enough to get away from said damage, and it has some range along with a near equivalent 5 Md Laser short range alpha.

2) CDA-2A

PPC, 5 Md Lasers at 140kph. It runs super hot but I can still pop at range and I do a great job of heavy/assault formation protection and interdiction work.

3) BJ-1

ER PPC, 2 Lrg Lasers, 2 MGs. Does the job for which it was intended: long range fire support. PPC gives me a lot of range and pin point damage, Lr Lasers provide moderate range for when the PPC gets too hot, and MGs are there for the lulz.

4) HBK-4J (Primary build)

6 Md Lasers w/ 2 LRM5s. Essentially a stock build with near max engine and enough heat sinks to run cool enough. Have been running it since I finished my Cicadas in Beta, even when everyone was laughing at the poor missile hump. Who's laughing now?

5a) HBK-4J (Secondary build)

My 50 ton Davion Warhammer. 2 PPCs, 2 Md Lasers, 2 Sm Lasers, and lots of heat sinks. It isn't pretty, especially with the new hard point art causing the missile hunch to disappear, but it is a lot of fun.

5b) GRF-1S

ALRM10, 2x ASRM6s, PPC, and TAG. It shoots, it scoots, and it makes people feel bad for under estimating its prowess. Plus, it actually looks like the original art Griffin unlike that fugly 1N and 3M (looking at you, Bish ).

Edited by Trauglodyte, 26 August 2014 - 07:59 AM.

[Vandul]

Cicada 3M - Good fun mech that can do everything the Raven can do, but fills a spot in the medium category and is a tad more durable.

Yen Lo - Nothing beats fast torso twist and an AC20. Nothing.

Wolverine 6R - For whatever reason, this mech configured with ALRM10's is a blast to play (for me)

Griffin 1N - Fast, maneuverable, and good hardpoints

Arrow - Good lord a fun Blackjack. Ill take two please.

Honorable Mention - Stormcrows. Havent mastered them yet, but love them so far.

[Lefty Lucy]

Shadowhawk 2D2, 4 srm4, 2ML, and a big-ass XL engine. Does hit and run right.

[Satan n stuff]

Bishop Steiner, on 26 August 2014 - 07:38 AM, said:

OP

Hunchback 4G
Shadowhawk 2D2
Griffin 1N
Cicada 2A ( No not the 3M )
Yen-Lo-Wang

[Rhaythe]

*) Light Hunter X-5

*) Dakka Hawk

*) Mini-Rifleman

*) Venom-Crow

*) Hunchback Classic

[J0N3S]

Griffin - All of them :-) - Great Movement and Speed.

Cicada 3M - My 1st Mech was a Cicada ... and since i got the 3M i fell in real Love with'em

Kintaro 20 - Yes Yes i know .... but strangly my best K/D so far. (beside it was my 1st 55 Ton-Mech ... waited so long for this weightclass)

Don't have the Hunch, centi and BJ

PS: i wanted to love the Shadowhawk ... but sry .... iam using a 21:9 Monitor and the lousy FoV is really bad ... furthermore it feels like a Heavy under 105KPH

Edith says: I really forget my beloved Trebuchet's - all Variants.
Fast, agile and JJ (good oll times)

Edited by J0N3S, 26 August 2014 - 10:05 AM.

[Wintersdark]

Ahhh, Mediums. I love you so!

HBK-4P: 6 Medium Lasers, 3 Small Lasers. My favourite knife fighter, this beast is fast, agile, and often underestimated. Those 6 ML's burn through 30 damage in a second, though, and the HBK's awesome torso twist allows me to run right past an assault, spin my torso around and tear off a rear side torso without needing to circle. Engagement window: Tiny. Damage? Crippling to lethal. Played fast and hard, never staying engaged with any particular target but carefully planning a succession of targets, rushing through the fray backstabbing everyone. It's probably my most genuinely successful Medium. Yeah, the hunch is a big target, but it never really matters because I don't allow anyone time to focus on it. The most people get is a snapshot, which 9 times out of 10 is just fired center mass and easily spread.

Griffons. All of them. I'm less successful with them, but truly love piloting them, be they LRM support mechs with an ERPPC or ML/SRM brawlers, speed, agility, massive twist, visibility, jump capability, good damage spreading and shield arms allow the Griffon to do whatever you need it to do.

Yen Lo Wang: I ignored Centurions for a really long time. Then, in one of the sales, I bought a YLW for kicks. Holy hell, is it ever a fun ride. Fast, tough as nails, able to plant volkswagon sized shells into targets with precision unmatched by any other medium. The other cents are as I expected - tough, competent, flexible mechs, but not really spectacular at anything... but that YLW is unique amoungst mediums, and while limited, it's a ton of fun.

Stormcrow: It does everything. Everything. And it does that everything quite well.

Nova: Not nearly as good as others, it's a hopped up 4P capable of dealing twice the damage, cooler (mounting cERSL's), while jumping, but the 4P is still a superior chassis IMHO. The Nova's low slung arms and very wide body make it a much easier target (width is the killer, not height, for mechs) that often struggles to bring it's weapons to bear effectively. Still, while it's absolutely a niche mech, it's a fun ride anyways. It's also pretty awesome to be able to build otherwise legal loadouts that you're not allowed to drop in because they have too many weapons. Damn that 16 weapon limit, I have more hardpoints than that!

[mogs01gt]

1.Griffin-love the looks, agility and cockpit
2. cda-3m,,,,ECM
3. Cent 9a- agility, looks and "tankiness"


I dont have any other favs over than that. I dont like piloting Shawks or Hunchies.

[Wintersdark]

I'm not as good a medium pilot as I am Assault, but if I had to pick just one weight class to play, without a moments hesitation it would be Mediums.

They get such neglect, but there are so many real gems in there.

[Davers]

My favs. They may not be exact builds, but they are close.

Cicada 3M http://mwo.smurfy-ne...8aeb620a052fd66

Shadowhawk 2K http://mwo.smurfy-ne...1c9cc9b6fc912c0

Blackjack 1, the MW:O 'stock' build http://mwo.smurfy-ne...ac6df138faeac05

Griffin 3M http://mwo.smurfy-ne...0da881af2b9bae4

Wolverine 7k http://mwo.smurfy-ne...995d423fcd4ffea

Honorable mentions go to the Hunchback 4G and the Centurion A.

[Wintersdark]

mogs01gt, on 26 August 2014 - 08:09 AM, said:

1.Griffin-love the looks, agility and cockpit

I love how everyone touches on this. The Griffon's cockpit and agility make it a joy to pilot. One of my favourite mechs of all time, easily.

For bonus points, set your FOV really wide while piloting a Griffon. It's awesome.

Quote

2. cda-3m,,,,ECM
3. Cent 9a- agility, looks and "tankiness"


I dont have any other favs over than that. I dont like piloting Shawks or Hunchies.

Shadow Hawks are probably the best mediums from a technical standpoint, but they're way, way less fun to pilot. Clumsy, terrible cockpit.

[Lily from animove]

Nova,

because LAZORS, Laz0rs everywhere.

[Artgathan]

CN9-A
My first medium... Ah, good times. Currently running LBX10 + SRM12 + 2 ML, switching between a STD200 and XL250 depending on my mood. It rocks in CQC.

WVR-7K
My favorite Wolverine, this guy rocks a massive XL Engine (I think it's a 325), jump jets, SRM18 and 3 ML. Before the JJ nerf, I'd vault this bad boy over an Atlas and dump missiles in his back while he struggled to turn around.

SHD-2H
Built like my CN9-A, but with an AC10 and only 1 ML. However, it gains the advantage of JJs.

BJ-3
Dual PPC pop-sniper backed for 4 SL. Not very original, but it's fun.

GRF-1S
4 MPL backed by ASRM6. A fun little jump brawler.

[Malleus011]

My current favorites are two Griffins and two Wolverines, with a Shadow Hawk riding distant 5th.

My favorite Griffin is a 1N with twin LPL and an LRM15. The LRM is for long-range skirmishing, and the dual LPL are essentially a very hot hitscan AC/20 with more range. She can run hot in close, but can do just about anything, and is reasonably fast and maneuverable to boot. The second Griffin mounts a single LPL and all the SRMs I can pack onto a 3M. It's the close-in brawler, better with heat, just as fast, but lacks the ability to engage at range on maps like Alpine.

The Wolverines are similar; the 7K build shares the dual LPL setup, packed with mixed SRM6 and SRM4 launchers. The 6R sports a UAC/5 (for long range poking) and all the SRM launchers I could stuff into the shoulders. Plus the medium laser in the head for both, of course.

The Hawk -2H is kind of the usual 'Hunchback-Hawk' you see, with the AC/20, a smaller engine, supported by a Medium Laser and Streaks. It's actually more lethal than the others, but as Bishop says, playing Shadow Hawks too much makes you worse.

I fondly visit my Yen-lo in the hangar, but rarely take it out; it's a great old 'mech, but I'd rather drive a Griffin.

[DDDs]

HBK-4G because AC20.
BJ-1/BJ-A because AC20.
HBK-4SP because closed beta nostalgia.

[Haji1096]

1. HBK-4G - STD250 - 3 ML 1 AC/20 - The first medium I ever piloted, in CB. When you get speed tweak its an AC/20 that moves close to 90 kph. Packs the most punch out of all the HBK models. Tons of stopping power. Nothing is better than killing a light with it.

2. HBK-4P - STD275 - 9 ML - I love this mech. You will be replacing your override key after a few days of piloting. Hit override and get the kill, or kill yourself. Its hilariously effective. This is the mech I go to when I am frustrated because its pure, unadulterated fun. Used this in the Marik faction challenge.

3. CN9-D - XL305 - 1AC10 2 ML 2 SRM4 - An amazing striker. Zoom up down the battlefield, in and out of cover to tilt mini-engagements in your team's favor. Two tons of ammo for the AC10 and 1 ton for the 2 SRM4s.

4. GRF-1S - XL300 - 4 LL - Simple, elegant, and versatile. The four LLs are on the right arm. Keep it turned away from the enemy when not firing. Chain fire each set of two. The engagement range is suitable for every map. Heat is only a problem on Caustic and Terra Therma, but if you have good trigger discipline and look for high quality shots on high value targets it doesn't matter.

[CDLord HHGD]

1) HBK-4G, loved this mech since I first got into the genre.
2) Griffin, MWO has turned this mech into a very agile fighter.
3) YLW, because AC20 (still pining for my AH back).
4) Vindicator, because she's sexy as hell.
5) Remainder of Phoenix mediums because of their retro/war looks.

[Elizander]

Well, I haven't played in awhile again due to work but:

1) Griffin (all of them)
2) Hunchback 4SP/4G
3) YLW

Griffins just look beautiful so regardless of their hardpoints they are fun to play. I couldn't bring myself to finish leveling my Thunderbolts but I got my favorite Griffin to elite despite the lack of play time!