1430 replies to this topic

[ImperialKnight]

Grasshopper for jump capability

[Agent 0 Fortune]

It looks like we have hit the bottom of the barrel for IS heavies, although maybe the Lancelot would have been a third option.

The Black Knight has the potential to be a lighter faster Awesome, with better hit boxes. Vs. the Grasshopper, which is at best an overgrown Quickdraw. However the Grasshopper is an old TT staple, with an iconic profile, while I picture the black knight running around with a burger king mask.

[Woodstock]

Zorak45, on 02 October 2014 - 01:33 PM, said:

Grasshopper is a much more interesting mech than the Black Knight. Besides the Awesome is also an energy boat and only 5 tons heavier.

agreed ... both will be slow ... energy boats ... at least the awesome has variants that have missiles!

The blackknight is sooo dull

[Anton Gorodetsky]

Grasshopper, BK is meh.

[Helsbane]

There have been a few folks reply that there aren't enough time line appropriate variants of the Hammerhands to make it in, and that is true. However, the Hammerhands was a precursor to a certain unseen mech. One which replaces the arm mounted cannons with PPCs. That alternate 'non-canon' config would be one hell of a way around the legal issues pertaining to that particular unseen mech, wouldn't you agree? I mean, the Jager makes an acceptable substitute for another of the unseen, so why not use this workaround as well?

[TheFuzzyBunny]

I had to go Black Knight. I just don't like the Orion as my only 75 ton slotter. It was very close though because I have lots of love for the Grasshopper.

[Hastur Azargo]

Big hello to all those who voted for Black Knight, hope your hopes don't follow the Orion's footsteps

My vote easily goes to Grasshopper. Energy + Missile is more interesting than pure Energy. And 70 tons is a lot more engine friendly than 75, gaining more survivability via speed for same engine tonnage, if Cataphract vs Orion is any indication. Of course, well-composed bird-walker has advantage over humanoids in survivability, but I still feel like Grasshopper would be both a more viable and more interesting choice.

Still, here's also a big thumbs up for PGI's implementation of democracy, as these votes really make us feel like we're getting more involved in the development choices. Good going, guys!

[MarineTech]

Sorry. Just couldn't help myself.

[Lightfoot]

Neither. The Mech that best suits MWO and is the best anti-Clan mech is the never-before-seen Hammerhands . 75 tons Ballistic Heavy, might be too much for MWO, but it's the best IS Heavy we don't yet have in this time period. The predecessor of the Warhammer.

Black Knight configs are all energy except for the Hatchet arm which MWO doesn't support. PPCs were just pulled from the game by making them too slow to hit at 500 meters and at sub 400 meters you are better off with cooler more powerful lasers. Just saying. The only reason to take PPCs is they don't share the heat scale penalty of Lasers, but are almost as hot as a heat scale penalized laser so no improvement really. Some later Black Knights can carry Clan tech weapons if MWO is supporting cross-tech. Otherwise the Black Knight is a very hot mech even when the game supports 2.0 DHS which MWO does not. How will you fix that? Will it take two years?

Grasshopper seems uninteresting, but if you make it awesome it at least won't overheat every 10 seconds.

[Solis Obscuri]

[Odanan]

Shredhead, on 02 October 2014 - 11:37 AM, said:

Not enough variants.

The Black Knight would just be another useless IS mech. Grasshopper at least has JJs. The choice is a simple one here.

Hey hey hey, the Guillotine has enough variants:
GHR-4R, GHR-5H, GHR-5N, GHR-5J

But I agree with the second part. As much as the Black Knight looks cool, the Grasshopper would work much better in MWO.

And, BTW, where is the Lancelot?

[Drop Zone]

I'd have to go with the Grasshopper. More agile mechs make gameplay, in and against them, much more interesting.

[Odanan]

TB Xiomburg, on 02 October 2014 - 11:47 AM, said:

FYI...the Black Knight has ECM.

Nope.

[Wing 0]

Marauder3D, on 02 October 2014 - 10:31 AM, said:

What we need is the Marauder. Make it so!

Not going to happen at al. Harmony Gold made sure of that.

[Odanan]

I R O N F U R E Y, on 02 October 2014 - 12:44 PM, said:

Inner Sphere NEEDS the BLACKKNIGHT with ECM/JJ. It is one of the only Heavys that can counter the timberwolf or the Loki.

BLK-NT-2Y Another Dark Age version of the Black Knight, the -2Y is equipped with an XL Engine that drives it to 54km/h. The weight freed by the XL engine is used to add a Beagle Active Probe, Guardian ECM Suite, and C3 Slave unit. It has thirteen and a half tons of armor to protect an Endo-Composite skeleton. It is also equipped with a Targeting Computer, and a Medium Shield is carried on the right arm. Offensively, it mounts a PPC, two large lasers, and three medium lasers. All equipment is ofInner Sphere quality.

You have no idea of what you are talking about.

(the important part in bold) Dark Ages, man. This variant is about 90 years in the future.

Edited by Odanan, 02 October 2014 - 03:22 PM.

[Alistair Winter]

Bront, on 02 October 2014 - 02:46 PM, said:

Except it's all energy only in all variants.

Except the variant with the LBX10.

Which is the Clanbuster variant.

ggclose

[Wolfgang2685]

Looking at both mechs I immediately thought the following...

Grasshopper = Heavier Quickdraw with possibly better hitboxes. Heavier tonnage by 10t

Black Knight = Energy only thunderbolt, while not being as easy to hit as a barn. Possible that they might put a quirk on it to increase its Shield arm armor. heavier tonnage by 10t

Now considering JJ changes on oct 7th or the near future, Grasshopper might be nice but probably very similar to Quickdraw in most respects (with either more armor or better total armament). Quickdraw sucks at brawl, but this mech might do fine in it with an SRM for screenshake while running around.

But then I also have to consider there's only ONE 75 tonner in the game, the orion. And it's a damn good mixed weapons mech that also lacks JJ. This is where the black knight comes in: Focused energy builds with better armor than T-bolt, I can see myself brawling with 2Lplas, 3Mplas in this, or doing 2 ERLLas/2ERppc as a sniper.

If I could, i'd choose both just for more mech choices. But I'm going to go with the Black Knight because we need another 75 tonner, I like the idea of a quirk buffed shield arm, and lasers are my favorite because they require no tonnage for ammo.

While we're on the subject though, is there any 75 tonner WITH jumpjets in the Battletech universe?

Edit 1: And by 75 tonner I'm talking strictly IS mechs since they're all I pilot. The game feels more rewarding to me killing enemies in my IS mechs as opposed to the clan trials I've used, but even back in the day clan mechs just leave me with a stale taste in my mouth.

Edited by Wolfgang2685, 02 October 2014 - 03:32 PM.

[Stonefalcon]

Russ Bullock, on 02 October 2014 - 09:46 AM, said:

Here is a follow up poll for Heavy Battlemechs - I think I know which one is going to run away with this one. Keep in mind the Grasshopper has JJ's and more varied load outs.

It has to be the Black Knight, BUT this vote PGI only applies if you include an automated macro system for it so whenever it loses a limb you say in all chat "Tis but a scratch"

[Arcainite]

I voted Grasshopper.
From Technical Readout 3025:
"Because it was often used to spearhead assaults against heavily defended positions, the Grasshopper gained renown as a storming 'Mech in the First Succession War. The GHR had been designed during the Civil War, but when the Grasshopper finally went into production in 2780, the fighting was over. By November of 2784, most Regular Army regiments had received a number of GHRs. During the chaos of Kerensky's Exodus and the defection of Regular Army units to the Successor Lords, these 'Mechs fell into the hands of one House or another.

By October of 2786, dozens of border skirmishes had already been fought along the Free Worlds/Capellan border. It was during just such a conflict on Lopez that the Grasshopper made its first appearance in battle. House Liao mobilized a heavy company of the Twenty-First Centauri Lancers against an expeditionary force from the Free Worlds League. The Capellan commander, Captain Vincent D. Wen, encountered the Marik force in a forested area near the southern pole. Splitting his force, Wen sent his two Grasshoppers ahead with orders to circle around the enemy and to attack from behind at his signal. Waiting until the enemy force was fully committed to battle, Captain Wen then ordered his GHR-5Hs to move in. Jumping into the center of the enemy, the Grasshoppers spread confusion throughout the troops. Taking full advantage of the situation, the Twenty-First Centauri Lancers pressed their advantage and added another victory to their distinguished record.

While on garrison duty with the Arcturan Guards on Alphecca, a lance led by MechWarrior Steven Greycloud detected a force of 'Mechs advancing slowly from the northeast. The enemy was one of Redjack Ryan's raiding forces: eight 'Mechs of various tonnages. Although outnumbered two to one, the Arcturan Guards took up a defensive position and waited. As soon as the first long-range missiles began falling around them, the Guards started to advance. Within minutes, they were among the invaders, locked in close combat. Unaware of its jump capability, Redjack's heaviest 'Mechs concentrated on the Grasshopper attempting to box it in. Suddenly, the GHR jumped for the first time, travelling a full 100 meters and landing feet-first on the shoulders of the heaviest of the enemy 'Mechs, an ancient Warhammer. The 'Mech fell to the ground with a crushed cockpit. The attack so surprised Redjack's forces that they fell back in panic.

During a routine patrol on Soul, a Grasshopper pilot attached to Kurita's Night Stalkers noticed an unusual reading on his heads-up display. The source of the unusual reading was a BattleMaster, its right side crushed but otherwise very operational. The 'Mech had no indent markings, but made its intentions clear with a blistering salvo of missiles. More interested in being credited with downing a BLR than in asking questions, the Grasshopper pilot threw himself into the fight. Even damaged, the BattleMaster was not an easy kill. It was only by constantly jumping behind the heavier 'Mech that the GHR pilot managed to pierce the 'Mech's center torso and destroy the fusion plant. He gained his victory, but it almost cost him his own 'Mech."

[Xiomburg]

•BLK-NT-2Y Another Dark Age version of the Black Knight, the -2Y is equipped with an XL Engine that drives it to 54km/h. The weight freed by the XL engine is used to add a Beagle Active Probe, Guardian ECM Suite, and C3 Slave unit. It has thirteen and a half tons of armor to protect an Endo-Composite skeleton. It is also equipped with a Targeting Computer, and a Medium Shield is carried on the right arm. Offensively, it mounts a PPC, two large lasers, and three medium lasers. All equipment is of Inner Sphere quality.

I know it is beyond the year we are looking at, but it has the same tech as today and would be a viable candidate.