18 replies to this topic

[Dirty Starfish]

Do they get better once they are fully elited? Right now my fs9 is straight up worse than my wolfhound and locust. I'm running 6 medium lasers and it just can't poke as well as the wolfhound and it can't backstab as well as the locust. After all the hype this mech just seems mediocre.

[Spheroid]

They are great mechs. Stop trying to clone mlas spam on them. You are making some concessions for articulated arms and jump jets. Overall they very good mechs. The large hardpoint variety gives you many options, keep tinkering until you find something that works.

The three are well balanced now. I am glad you sing the praises of the Wolfhound. I too favor it.

[Shadey99]

I actually hate my Wolfhounds, using them is always painful for me... But my most often used tactics involves flanking and ambushes. Those are things the FS series is best at (same with the Locust really though it needs to hit from the rear as it's way more fragile), along with the clan ACH.

[Bud Crue]

This thread caught my eye as I have yet to get Firestarters. My fear is that, in light of how great most people say they are, I will get them and then never play my Wolfhounds and Panthers again. I really like the mobility of Panthers and the firepower of the Wolfhound. Be interested in builds (odder the better), particularly ones with flamers (becasue: "Firestarter").

Shadey99, on 10 April 2016 - 01:34 PM, said:

I actually hate my Wolfhounds, using them is always painful for me... But my most often used tactics involves flanking and ambushes. Those are things the FS series is best at (same with the Locust really though it needs to hit from the rear as it's way more fragile), along with the clan ACH.

Favorite Wolfhound: 1A with an XL255. A LPL in the arm and 5ML in the torsos .Moves you at 126kph with speed tweek and a 36 point alpha. 232 armor is only 6 shy of max. Flanks just fine.

[Starbomber109]

Idk, I loved my fs9-A, but I used small pulse, not med lasers, so YMMV. I have heard that flamers are a little bit op right now. Makes the firestarter able to 1v1 any mech in the game.

I think that's what you need to focus on. Don't try to poke, just focus on finding isolated mechs and shoot them in the back. Also always max engine, with speed tweek it will always be better.

[Shadey99]

Bud Crue, on 10 April 2016 - 02:22 PM, said:

Favorite Wolfhound: 1A with an XL255. A LPL in the arm and 5ML in the torsos .Moves you at 126kph with speed tweek and a 36 point alpha. 232 armor is only 6 shy of max. Flanks just fine.

I never ran a big laser in my Wolfhounds, most were medium laser of SPL builds... To fit a similar role as the ACH or FS, both of which ran those builds better under my hands. Usually anyways... That said I did good in all three mechs, I just didn't like the WLFs as much.

[TercieI]

Dirty Starfish, on 10 April 2016 - 11:04 AM, said:

Do they get better once they are fully elited? Right now my fs9 is straight up worse than my wolfhound and locust. I'm running 6 medium lasers and it just can't poke as well as the wolfhound and it can't backstab as well as the locust. After all the hype this mech just seems mediocre.

They were the top comp light until ACHs dropped. It's gotten more complicated since then. Which variants are you running? Are they all 6ML? Provide a bit more detail and I can give you specific advice.

(And yes all mechs get better elited, lights and assaults the most dramatically IMO).

[salkeee]

I just recently got firestarters(two of tham,1st one I got year and half ago I just got returend) and so far from my experience It is not so easy light to get used to or I m spoiled by my exp from comando or locust or jenner
While firestarters can have a punch worth be really scared of,they feel slugish to me.And becouze of that it limits their use in my ayes.
I dare to say they are a bit overrated not bad mechs at all though.They certainly fit better to teamplay than in pugs I give tham that.

[Gasboy]

Firestarters get better as you elite them. Try pulse lasers. And always go after unsupecting mechs, and perform complimentary rear armor checks. You can even get onto the tails of other light mechs and crack their rear armor before they know what's happened.

[Audacious Aubergine]

Don't want to start up a new thread to ask - how much rear armour should I put on one of these? I revisited one of the ones I've got and it had 9 on each rear side torso and 10 on rear centre torso, which strikes me as ridiculously high. I've since dropped it to 4 on each side and 5 in the centre (haven't taken the mech out for a game yet). That said, is armour itself actually relevant on a light?

[TercieI]

Audacious Aubergine, on 23 April 2016 - 05:33 PM, said:

Don't want to start up a new thread to ask - how much rear armour should I put on one of these? I revisited one of the ones I've got and it had 9 on each rear side torso and 10 on rear centre torso, which strikes me as ridiculously high. I've since dropped it to 4 on each side and 5 in the centre (haven't taken the mech out for a game yet). That said, is armour itself actually relevant on a light?

Armor is definitely relevant, but use it sparingly. My FS9-Ss all run 4 across the back. Basically, it's true for all mechs: your front armor gets used when you're playing well, your back armor when you make mistakes.

[cervelos2]

FS9s don't pack the punch they used to.

I've spent a lot of time in mine (all models, including the Ember), and I gotta say I really don't enjoy them any more. They are definitely sluggish compared to the Locust as the FS9 has no agility quirks, plus it's just slower anyway.

I think with other mechs being quirked up and new ones coming out the Firestarter has been left behind somewhat. Not saying you can't have a good game in them from time to time, but as an indication my KDR in FS9s has dropped from 3 to just over 2 in the last few months.

I used to love the Firestarter, but I much prefer Locusts now.

[epikt]

Audacious Aubergine, on 23 April 2016 - 05:33 PM, said:

how much rear armour should I put on one of these?

That's the billion dollars question.
It's dependant on the playstyle, to a certain extent. But you're right, 9~10 is definitely too high. 4~5 seems good (iirc I have 3~4 on mines).

I've personally noticed the FS9 is very vulnerable on its rear side torsos (I have been one-shot by Oxides, and I have one-shot FS-9s this way), but on the long run I don't think an high rear side armor value is worth it.

[Zarock]

Got 3, The FS9-K with 6 med-lasers, the FS9-S with 5 med pulse and the FS9-A with 8 sml pulse, all with max engine. I think theyre quite tanky compared with other lights. Maybe you just need to get used to them

[Richard Hazen]

The issue with armour spacing is as a light you will show all sides of your mech to the enemy so imo you should give your back armour some so it can weather it, I don't tend to try face down mechs in my lights so as other have said it depends on the way you play.

[Mad Dog Morgan]

It's interesting that the Ember now has a 25% increase on its MG ROF. When did this happen?

[TercieI]

Vaskadar, on 27 April 2016 - 08:56 PM, said:

It's interesting that the Ember now has a 25% increase on its MG ROF. When did this happen?

Last patch, last week. Didn't make any meaningful difference, unfortunately.

[l42yb0y]

Worth to mention: The Champion hat an additional module slot.

FS9s were my 2nd chassis I got and I must say I had really great fun and decent success with 'em. Took 'em out for a ride yesterday and had fun again. Can't compare em with Wolfhounds and Locusts (don't own those) but the advantage over them are the JJs. Get to use em good!

[TercieI]

l42yb0y, on 07 June 2016 - 01:46 AM, said:

Worth to mention: The Champion hat an additional module slot.

FS9s were my 2nd chassis I got and I must say I had really great fun and decent success with 'em. Took 'em out for a ride yesterday and had fun again. Can't compare em with Wolfhounds and Locusts (don't own those) but the advantage over them are the JJs. Get to use em good!

Not just the champion, any S.