15 replies to this topic

[Brizna]

This is an iconic clan mech that I am sure lots of people were eagerly expecting until its release and would love to play all day long yet despite that you can see very few of them neither in public queue and CW, the later being quite shocking since at 60 tons it is sitting in a very convenient weight place.

So I am very interested in a detailed and reasoned analysis of this mech and what are the reasons that prevent a good mech in paper to deliver in practice -specially in CW- from people who have played it extensively.

Thanks in advance.

[The Great Unwashed]

With its low arms its main use is a missile boat. With LRMs not so very useful in many matches (low arm hurts TAG so the high cockpit usually doesn't give you a targeting advantage) you are left with either a Streak or SRM boat. The Mad Dog is in a tricky situation so close to the Stormcrow; a mech that is more flexible and thus easier to master.

In CW your total dropdeck weight is restricted and you can get nearly the same weapons on a Stormcrow with a lower profile. Even though the weight difference is small, that can make the difference between taking a TBR in your deck or not. I do not think the Mad Dog is a bad choice for CW and we frequently take a few with us; running the missiles and 5 small lasers can be quite funny. But for running a Streakboat I'd still prefer the Stormcrow for its speed.

For normal matches the Stormcrow is a medium and the Mad Dog is not; competition with the ECM Hellbringers and champion Timberwolf make it less ideal in the queue. The latter can also bring 4 missile slots for SRMs..

Edited by The Great Unwashed, 25 February 2015 - 05:03 AM.

[Metus regem]

Very apt rundown Unwashed. I would also add, that running a Mad Dog in a brawl is tricky at best, and a idiotic at worst. The ST hit boxes are rather large. It I'd also rather under armoured in the stock configuration.

[BUDFORCE]

For public queue I think its a great mech, I can easily do 600-700 dmg + on a good round (as high as 1200/1300 a couple of times) with this mech, just gotta set it up properly and use it correctly.



As for CW I have much less experience and I would tend to agree with Unwashed's post above.

Edited by BUDFORCE, 25 February 2015 - 07:59 AM.

[Metus regem]

BUDFORCE, on 25 February 2015 - 07:59 AM, said:

For public queue I think its a great mech, I can easily do 600-700 dmg + on a good round (as high as 1200/1300 a couple of times) with this mech, just gotta set it up properly and use it correctly.



As for CW I have much less experience and I would tend to agree with Unwashed's post above.

In CW, I use her as my KGC killer, I run it as:

MDD-PRIME

Set SRM's to chain, and hit and move, twist like a boss, and once I lose a ST, use it as a 50% damage sheild, once my CT armour goes, swap to useing my other ST as a sheild and weapon.

So far, she has killed 7 KGC's, highest number in one match was two before I took so much damage I was better off getting a new mech out.

Edited by Metus regem, 25 February 2015 - 08:51 AM.

[Dino Might]

I love the giant Mad Dog side torsos. It's clan, so loss of a side torso doesn't kill it. As Metus says above, use those hitboxes to your advantage to soak massive amounts of damage before you go down. I think it's one of the most difficult mechs to CT focus if the pilot is torso twisting properly.

Losing half your weapons when you are running 5 med lasers and 4 srm 4s is not a big deal - you are still putting out 20+ damage alphas with one side.

[Metus regem]

Dino Might, on 25 February 2015 - 09:20 AM, said:

I love the giant Mad Dog side torsos. It's clan, so loss of a side torso doesn't kill it. As Metus says above, use those hitboxes to your advantage to soak massive amounts of damage before you go down. I think it's one of the most difficult mechs to CT focus if the pilot is torso twisting properly.

Losing half your weapons when you are running 5 med lasers and 4 srm 4s is not a big deal - you are still putting out 20+ damage alphas with one side.

That is an option, but I like to run a symmetrical, so that I can lose one side, with out risking losing my "stonger" side.

[Thanatos31]

It is a great LRM spammer with the 6x LRM5 setup, fast reload for CW swell and doesn't use as much space as the WARHAWK LRM Spam build.
Other builds, as mentioned before, aren't that well suited but still doable.

[Corbenik]

Maybe an ELO thing because I see Mad Dogs in every other game i play sometimes two or three in one match on my team or on other. it is an alright mech been lazy to master it :X but I wanna get back on the saddle .

[Brizna]

Thanks for al the replies, it was more or less what I expected to hear when I opened the thread but it's very nice to have confirmation of it by people who have actually played the mech. For the moment the mech will stay in my to buy list but not before I grab the Loki next thursday.

[Metus regem]

Brizna, on 25 February 2015 - 12:17 PM, said:

Thanks for al the replies, it was more or less what I expected to hear when I opened the thread but it's very nice to have confirmation of it by people who have actually played the mech. For the moment the mech will stay in my to buy list but not before I grab the Loki next thursday.

The Hellbringer is a fantastic all-rounder, and is one of the few laser vomit mechs I run.

HBR-PRIME

That is how mine are all set up, when I am found in it, I am usualy near the assualt mechs, or pushing with the other heavies, provided ECM coverage, not really worrying about my damage or kills, but in a support role. And that is where the Hellbringer really shines is as a front line support mech for things like Timber Wolves / Gargoyles, as you move at the same speed.

[NUJRSYDEVIL]

I bought it expecting a faster, more heavily armed Catapult. So personally, I love it as the Mad Dog has exceeded expectations.

I believe the opposite can be true for people expecting anything else. It has the firepower to be a brawler, but not the armor. Additionally, I see no value in a laser vomit build or loading it with ballistics.

[Escef]

The best attribute of the Mad Dog is the A side torsos.

6xLRM5 makes for a fast firing LRM30 that's less prone to AMS than other clan missile set ups because you have 6 streams that are 5 missiles long, as opposed to 2 streams of 15 or 3 streams of 10. Or you can chain fire 6xLRM5 which creates constant screen shake so long as your missiles are unobstructed.

6xSRM6 is kinda' hot running, but it puts out ungodly damage, I run it with 4xERML and it's able to strip the forward CT armor from fresh assaults in 1 Alpha.

6xStreak6... Is kinda' fun, and intimidates lights. But it's a sandblaster build, runs really hot, and is so tonnage intensive that you have to make compromises in cooling, armor, and ammo. Honestly, you are probably better off with SSRM4s or mixing 4 and 6 packs, but there is something to be said for just going over the top with the 6s.

Just remember the Mad Dog's Inner Sphere codename: Vulture. Look for targets of opportunity and avoid protracted fights if you can. Play the short range builds as skirmisher/strikers, not brawlers. If you get in someone's face, dump some damage into them and go, don't hang out to exchange further pleasantries.

Edited by Escef, 25 February 2015 - 05:08 PM.

[Dino Might]

I prefer the quad missile hardpoints, because those torsos don't suffer a cooldown penalty.

I run 5 medium lasers and 3 artemis SRM-6. Great brawling mech. It works as sword and board if you put the 3 meds and 2 srm 6 on the same side. Then you have a strong side and weak side. But if the strong side happens to get destroyed, your "weak side" is still a potent 20 damage alpha.

Makes a great brawler, and if you are twisting and using cover, it can last quite a while. The nice thing is that people go for Mad Dog torsos and tend to avoid the legs (weakest part of any mech).

[Pezzer]

I kinda wanna keep my favorite Mad Dog build to myself, because I don't wanna go against it in the battlefield, but here's a hint.

SRMs and LBX make for a great combination.

There are plenty of ways to fit all of it on the same chassis, you just gotta get a little creative.

[The Great Unwashed]

I wonder why the MDD-B LT doesn't have twin missile slots so that you can fit 2 launchers and some benefits of a quirk; now you have to add the A-LT.

I've also tried the MDD with 6lrm5s, chained-fired in pairs. You can fire forever before you do significant damage...