117 replies to this topic

[Win Ott]

Yep, once elited, these guys get a lot more fun.

[Kmieciu]

Does it stand a chance in a 1vs1 against a Nova? Or a Stormcrow? or even a 2xSRM6+5xML Hunchback?

[jper4]

only played a few matches in the AA (under 10) and it's been hit or miss- get too far towards the front and i'm under 100dmg. if i can stay back and play rear guard vs lights and not get into the main fight til the mid point of the match i can do decently. best so far was 2 kills and 350 dmg. i use LPL/3ML dual AMS w/ 2 tons of ammo and the xl 285- still unlocking basics but i do usually lose both arms before i die so it's got that in it's favor as far as damage spreading goes.

not sure what i'm going to use for the other two though. haven;t bouight them yet. figure they'll make good atlas/direwhale guards given the lower speeds.

[Steinar Bergstol]

I enjoy my VND-1R. Still only in the process of getting the basic efficiencies done on it, but I still enjoy it.

That said it is _not_ a duelist's mech. It's a workhorse. A support mech, at least in my experience. Your job is to help out and back up your bigger, badder brethren when you run a Vindicator. It's solid. It's got good visibility and it handles quite decently, but don't make the mistake of thinking you'll be a 100% badass in this mech. That would end badly.

[xThrottle Geek]

When the Blackjack was released it was all "meh" and hardly anyone ran the thing. Then, a few people got them mastered and all of a sudden people were putting up good numbers w/ the BJ. The Vindy just needs some time for people to master them and settle into solid builds. You will ALWAYS get the "other mechs do this/that better" if for no other reason then other Mediums get another 10 tons within the same weight class. There is no in-game effect for being an "efficient" weight within weight class.

[JonahGrimm]

So far, I've got my 1X committed as a sniper (Gauss, 2xML, big engine - relatively) and my SIB as an SRM boat, and both do pretty well (though I'm not good at 'em yet).

What I think I'm liking about the Vindi is both the look and the versatility; there's a vindi for every fighting style, and it lets me diversify from my brawler Griffons without having to get into Shadow Hawks. My only complaint is the relative speed of the slower 1R and 1X chassis, but I think that's just me used to 113kph griffons and 106kph stormcrows.

So far, I'm tentatively enjoying 'em - and probably will more as I get my feet under me when running them.

[Inflatable Fish]

Kmieciu, on 10 September 2014 - 03:39 AM, said:

Does it stand a chance in a 1vs1 against a Nova? Or a Stormcrow? or even a 2xSRM6+5xML Hunchback?

it's been a loooooong while since I last saw a hunchbro on the field. I must admit though a duel between these two would be interesting, with the SIB at a slight advantage thanks to jump jets and higher heat efficiency.

against a clan medium, the recipe for success is get a jump on 'em and go for the arms - that's where the bulk of their firepower is located. even a 55-ton mech's arm won't last long against repeated SRM barrages.

[Bigbacon]

Still digging these, especially the 1x. Not sure why it is so fun, might be the sound of ac5s. Not a super scoring mech but oh well.

[juxstapo]

bought a SIB... it's pretty all white.

Haven't ran it worth a phram yet. Was drinking and laughing and not really meching too well that night, but it is pretty.

[Elizander]

Have a SIB and I love running it on a 245 standard with 2 SRM4s and 2 Medium Lasers and an ER Large Laser. That thing won't die if you are careful even if I only keep 4 armor at the back.

[TripleEhBeef]

Elizander, on 12 September 2014 - 08:24 PM, said:

Have a SIB and I love running it on a 245 standard with 2 SRM4s and 2 Medium Lasers and an ER Large Laser. That thing won't die if you are careful even if I only keep 4 armor at the back.

The Vindi's are surprisingly durable with standard engines. I just wish it had an arm structure boost since they're a bit on the fragile side.

[Draken X]

Bought the VND-1R and took it for a ride for a few days. I gotta say, it's maybe not the best medium mech, but it does what it's made for, a general purpose workhorse role. It's not made for dedicated brawling or harassing and what-not, it was made to perform almost any kind of roles in the battlefield in a degree of success, from long-range direct and indirect fire support, reconaissance, to ambush and rear guard.

Good number of hardpoints on both arms, with an extra hardpoint on the left arm. I got ER PPC and 3 x MLs in total (excluding the ML mounted on head). It could pack good punch on any mechs at short-medium range. Still runs hot even with 8 DHS, though. I would try ER PPC, ER LL and 2 x MLs for both arms later. Its PPC arm looks badass with a ML added on it.

It's armor provides a modest amount of protection, yet not very resillient to withstand a hell volleys of LRMs. At least I could narrowly survived with one or both arm(s) in a few matches. But most times, unfortunately, I got unlucky that I usually pinned down by a group of LRM boats and sometimes outflanked by a group of ambushers.

I yet to fully master the Vindi and its other variants, I need more time to develop my love for it.

Edited by Draken X, 14 September 2014 - 07:55 AM.

[ShinVector]

The 1R and 1X are pretty bad...
Here I thought I was going to experience the slow kitfox again with worst loadouts....

That until I came across the 1AA !!
The only Cbill one with the high engine cap !!
XL295, 1MLS, 2PPCs.... Happy customer.... Can contribute (maybe carry) in the battle with that thing with the JJs and speed.

Not having a fun time with the other 2... Maybe I might turn them into a NARC machine some one earlier suggest...
More exp to master the damn things...

Edited by ShinVector, 14 September 2014 - 09:36 PM.

[ShadowbaneX]

ShinVector, on 14 September 2014 - 08:32 AM, said:

Not having a fun time with the other 2... Maybe I might turn them into a NARC machine some one earlier suggest...
More exp to master the damn things...

I tried the 1AA with an XL295 as a NARC boat...it didn't go well. It's got the speed, but ECM is rather important for actually surviving the job.

[xengk]

ShadowbaneX, on 14 September 2014 - 07:39 PM, said:

I tried the 1AA with an XL295 as a NARC boat...it didn't go well. It's got the speed, but ECM is rather important for actually surviving the job.

I recently change my 1R to a Narc machine and it turn out better than my previous build for 1R.
STD 235, 4x MPL, 1x Narc.

Due to the lack of ECM, it cannot safely function as a solo Narcboat like the raven or jenner.
I will hang around back of the lights vanguard until they have engage the enemy lance, then I join in and Narc target during the confusion.

Another way is to buddy with a brawler heavy like cataphract or jager and Narc enemy while their attention is on your buddy.
The incoming LRM will start to breach enemy armour, so you and your buddy can go for the internals.

[ShinVector]

ShadowbaneX, on 14 September 2014 - 07:39 PM, said:

I tried the 1AA with an XL295 as a NARC boat...it didn't go well. It's got the speed, but ECM is rather important for actually surviving the job.

1AA doesn't need to be the NARC boat for me.. It is actually the best one. It is even better than the BlackJack to me because BJ-1X has high speed but does not have JJs.
PPCs poptart.. snapshot and hide works well for me on the 1AA...

The Vindicator 1X and 1R however.. Too big, slow and agility is pretty bad even with the 235 engine.
I tend to get murdered at close range due to draw backs of high ping. Meh.

Edited by ShinVector, 14 September 2014 - 09:35 PM.

[ShadowbaneX]

ShinVector, on 14 September 2014 - 09:33 PM, said:

The Vindicator 1X and 1R however.. Too big, slow and agility is pretty bad even with the 235 engine.
I tend to get murdered at close range due to draw backs of high ping. Meh.

While the Vindicators can tank damage pretty well, I find it's much better at range. Granted, it's more support than assassin. I have both the 1X & 1R loaded with an ER PPC as the main weapon, backed up with an LRM10 with a couple of tons of ammo. ML in the head and either a pair of MLs in the arm for the 1R and triple MGs for the 1X.

Not too original, but once you've got the 2x basics, it's ok. Well, when I say ok, I mean that I can run around and do 300-500 damage and get a pile of assists and generally be useful to my team and occasionally get a kill.

[Trevor Belmont]

I run my Vindicator 1AA with 1 er ppc, 3 medium lasers, 1 srm 6, 4 jump jets and an xl 280 with a top speed of 110. I've had numerous 3 kill/500+ dmg games. Fast enough to get out of trouble and packs enough punch to do good damage.

[ShinVector]

ShadowbaneX, on 15 September 2014 - 03:50 AM, said:

Not too original, but once you've got the 2x basics, it's ok. Well, when I say ok, I mean that I can run around and do 300-500 damage and get a pile of assists and generally be useful to my team and occasionally get a kill.

It just gets hard when you get to the stage where SOLO MM expects you to carry teams.
I haven't Elited the 1X and 1R but we will see how it goes. These two just doesn't have what it take to easily survive the front lines.

[ice trey]

Oh, I just use whatever I think my faction would have access to, and what I think is comfortable. Some mechs people claim are good, but I haven't had much luck with. On the other hand, I have had a lot of fun with some mechs that people decry as "Bad mechs".

For example, I'm currently working on getting my Awesomes Basic'd. I'm not using any sort of meta builds. Hell, my 8Q is still running on PPCs and Single Heat Sinks, but I'm just having fun using them.

Likewise, I've had a grand old time with my Dragons. The Fang has been pretty successful for me, and all I did was swap a ML for TAG and shuffle some of the ammo slots to different locations.

As for my Quickdraws, all but the 5K are less about being killy, and more about supporting the team.

On the other hand, everyone's been telling me that the Griffins are really good, but I've not had very good luck with them at all.

In the end, I know that whether I'm using a meta build or not, the real deciding factor in whether or not the match is won or not is how well the team works together. If I get 5 kills and 800 damage in a match, that's fun and well, but I prefer knowing that I'm supporting my team, helping to cover my teammates, spotting for fire, providing distractions and sometimes even just meat-shielding.

So I say, if you want to play a Vindicator, just have fun with it. Besides, what's more impressive, someone driving across the state, or someone running across the state? Having the best mechs all the time ends up being nothing more than a self-limiting crutch.