15 replies to this topic

[hordes1ayer2]

Ok, so I have recently bought a Hunchback-IIC. That specific variant. I have it running a xl255 engine, 2 er med laser and 2 uac10s with a jump jet or 2. I am getting like 500 or so damage, 2-3 kills, 7-9 assits but dieing early. I feel like i can be doing way more. I am doing what a medium does, support just still i feel like I could be doing a way better job. What can I be doing to do better

[Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky]

hordes1ayer2, on 13 October 2016 - 01:57 PM, said:

Ok, so I have recently bought a Hunchback-IIC. That specific variant. I have it running a xl255 engine, 2 er med laser and 2 uac10s with a jump jet or 2. I am getting like 500 or so damage, 2-3 kills, 7-9 assits but dieing early. I feel like i can be doing way more. I am doing what a medium does, support just still i feel like I could be doing a way better job. What can I be doing to do better

Looks like your doing well, but let me just add a bit of advice:

Play safe. You can bring quite an amazing amount of firepower to the ballpark, but in the current environment, every body can bring the damage just the same. Use your high mounts and expose as little as possible.

If you get caught in the open, the enemy will evaporate you. (This is true for most mechs in the game; remember your weight class is medium).

[CD0UG]

mediums dont have to support, strictly brawl/ skirmish with my mediums and do great, for instance, last game with my ac20, 2 srm 4 and 1 srm 2 centurion did 750 damage and 6 kills, just know what build and chasis your meant to play like , with the hunchback IIC it is squishy and requires alot of face time, so often staying at a bit of range behind your heavy's /assaults, accompanying them, dont lead the charge or try to solo brawl with that chasis, also try and create angles, attack on a 45 degree angle or greater, hope this helps feel friend to message me dirrectly or add me as a friend and i can help you/ practice with ya in game!

[Ruccus]

You can never go wrong with finding an Assault teammate and sticking by his side. Fire at what he fires at and target any enemy lights that come to attack him (it's much easier for you to target the light than it is for your assault teammate).

[maimaimi]

mediums have multiple roles but esencialy you can break em down into 3 categories

in order of priority for the win:

a ) interceptors - you run to where the enemy it attaching a teammate and provide additional firepower
b ) flank guards - keep your fragile assaults from exploding due to light mechs and other mediums
c ) back stab raiders - when you see an opportunity get behind the enemy line and shoot up their rears

but as stated above it changed depending on the mech, some mediums like nova are excellent raiders, others like the hunchie are better guards, crows work well as interceptors, so on...

that being said I am tempted to tell you to swap the 2xUAC10 for UAC20, LBX5, and 2ERSL(4JJ) or ERML(2JJ)
it will give you better front end damage and you really shouldn't be trying to range with a medium, heavies have more firepower and more armour then you, and most assault will flatten you in 1 salvo at 500m while laughing at your 2 ac10 bouncing of their armour.

Edited by maimaimi, 13 October 2016 - 04:16 PM.

[Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky]

maimaimi, on 13 October 2016 - 02:55 PM, said:

mediums have multiple roles but esencialy you can break em down into 3 categories

in order of priority for the win:

a ) interceptors - you run to where the enemy it attaching a teammate and provide additional firepower
b ) flank guards - keep your fragile assaults from exploding due to light mechs and other mediums
c ) back stab raiders - when you see an opportunity get behind the enemy line and shoot up their rears

but as stated above it changed depending on the mech, some mediums like nova are excellent raiders, others like the hunchie are better guards, crows work well as interceptors, so on...

that being said I am tempted to tell you to swap the 2xUAC10 for UAC20, LBX5, and 2ERSL(4JJ) or ERML(2JJ)
it will give you better front end damage and you really shouldn't be trying to range with a medium, heavies have more firepower and more armour then you, and most assault will flatten you in 1 salvo at 500m while laughing at your 2 ac10 bouncing of their armour.

I recommend against this build.

[maimaimi]

Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky, on 13 October 2016 - 03:30 PM, said:

I recommend against this build.

i concur, its heavily under armed fix

if you bind it to a FCS script that delays the LBX shot until the UAC20 fired it does funny stuff to most other mediums

Edited by maimaimi, 13 October 2016 - 04:21 PM.

[Spheroid]

There is nothing wrong with your stats. If you greatly exceed those you currently get it means your team is a bunch slackers or your opposition is terrible. Neither is desirable.

[LT. HARDCASE]

The axiom of the medium pilot:

If I am the center of the enemy team's attention, I am in the wrong postilion.

[Audacious Aubergine]

LT. HARDCASE, on 13 October 2016 - 06:45 PM, said:

The axiom of the medium pilot:

If I am the center of the enemy team's attention, I am in the wrong postilion.

^ I'll second this.
For a long time, I had no end of trouble with the Shadowcat - regardless of weapons or ECM usage, I just couldn't do any damage nor survive very long, yet I always saw people doing well in them. What was I doing wrong??
Turns out, I was so used to playing heavies and assaults that I completely forgot how to make use of agility. So a short answer to the question would simply be "Learn how and when to run the hell away"
But as others have mentioned, this advice isn't necessarily for all mediums. Things such as the Centurion can take a considerable beating and aren't necessarily agile.
For the Hunchback IIC, I've found that 2x UAC5 + 2x ERLL on the -C variant to be my most successful build. You have considerable striking range and quite high hardpoints, and if you are caught in a close quarters situation the UACs are capable of a more consistent rate of fire than the stock pair of UAC10

[WrathOfDeadguy]

LT. HARDCASE, on 13 October 2016 - 06:45 PM, said:

The axiom of the medium pilot:

If I am the center of the enemy team's attention, I am in the wrong postilion.

^ Thirded. It is also worth noting that the HBK-IIC is very squishy for a 50-tonner (all of the others have durability quirks) and has to be played accordingly. That means either going balls-out and hoping you can output enough damage to make the enemy flinch before they gun you down, or playing it cautious and sneaky, only showing yourself when the enemy is distracted. It is a very good 'Mech, but it favors the extremes of caution or courage.

Your numbers are fine. 500 damage is about what you should see for 2-3 kills... and one 50-tonner for three enemy 'Mechs is a good trade no matter how quickly you die. There is never anything wrong with trying to do better, but you're already more than pulling your weight.

[The Lobsters]

Ruccus, on 13 October 2016 - 02:45 PM, said:

You can never go wrong with finding an Assault teammate and sticking by his side. Fire at what he fires at and target any enemy lights that come to attack him (it's much easier for you to target the light than it is for your assault teammate).

This really is the best way to start, it worked well for me in early days. Just be ready to switch to another friendly assault if your chosen wing leader turns out to be a fat chump.

One of the important roles for a medium is to quickly exploit any gaps and weaknesses in the enemy line. Keeping your speed up on your build in crucial. Don't overload yourself with too much weaponry, ammo or jumpjets, not at the expense of agility on the field.

With the Hunchback 2c I'd recommend putting the xl275 in. The reason being that they don't have any quirks for torso/turn speed or acc/dec, and that can really hurt them. Definitely don't use the xl200 unless it's for a good troll build. With no structure quirks your best defense is speed. The IS Hunchies are quirked out the backside so they can drop engines easily. Not so the 2c's.

HBK-IIC

This is my go-to build. Great fun and can really help the bigger boys out by rattling their targets. It can easily make larger mechs back off and find someone else to shoot too. It works just as well with UAC's. I just prefer the LBX's as they fire in single bursts. I use a joystick to fire my weapons so the whole mouse double click for the UAC's doesn't work as well.



.

Edited by The Lobsters, 17 October 2016 - 12:45 PM.

[Void Angel]

hordes1ayer2, on 13 October 2016 - 01:57 PM, said:

Ok, so I have recently bought a Hunchback-IIC. That specific variant. I have it running a xl255 engine, 2 er med laser and 2 uac10s with a jump jet or 2. I am getting like 500 or so damage, 2-3 kills, 7-9 assits but dieing early. I feel like i can be doing way more. I am doing what a medium does, support just still i feel like I could be doing a way better job. What can I be doing to do better

You're doing it right, based on your numbers, but you're right to worry about survivability - your marksmanship, chassis, and the quality of your opponents may be concealing some bad practices of your own.

I prefer to play Mediums as either a flanker or - by preference - a direct support. The flanker, well, flanks; he stays near the team, but moves to attack enemies from behind whatever cover they are using in order to disrupt their cohesion and split their attention. This is a very dangerous tactic, and if your team is not properly aggressive you can end up like Julius Ceasar, which is never fun even if your team wins.

The other method is to play your Medium as an adjunct to a Heavy or Assault, preferably a brawler. Generally, you follow him around and help him do whatever he's doing: if he peeks around a corner, peek with him; if he brawls, get in there and help - with an eye for turning them away from him - or just stand off a smidge and hammer whoever he's shooting at. The idea in the first instance is to add your firepower to your Big's, while avoiding taking any extra damage - you want to shoot at whatever he shot at/shot at him, and get back into cover before their big guns recycle. In the second instance, you're placing the enemy on the horns of a dilemma: do they shoot at you and ignore your Big, possibly getting turned around in the process, or do they concentrate on the Heavy/Assault threat and let you blast them until your internals melt down - sometimes, they try to do both, with disastrous results.

This is one of the most fun ways to play a Medium, once you get the hang of it. It requires a decent teammate, but only one - and you do need to avoid blocking him out of cover. But when it works, you can really blast people apart while still taking damage and heat for your Big - I call this tactic "The Hunchbuddy," after the HBK-4P I started using the tactic with.

[AncientRaig]

Void Angel, on 17 October 2016 - 02:15 PM, said:

You're doing it right, based on your numbers, but you're right to worry about survivability - your marksmanship, chassis, and the quality of your opponents may be concealing some bad practices of your own.

I prefer to play Mediums as either a flanker or - by preference - a direct support. The flanker, well, flanks; he stays near the team, but moves to attack enemies from behind whatever cover they are using in order to disrupt their cohesion and split their attention. This is a very dangerous tactic, and if your team is not properly aggressive you can end up like Julius Ceasar, which is never fun even if your team wins.

The other method is to play your Medium as an adjunct to a Heavy or Assault, preferably a brawler. Generally, you follow him around and help him do whatever he's doing: if he peeks around a corner, peek with him; if he brawls, get in there and help - with an eye for turning them away from him - or just stand off a smidge and hammer whoever he's shooting at. The idea in the first instance is to add your firepower to your Big's, while avoiding taking any extra damage - you want to shoot at whatever he shot at/shot at him, and get back into cover before their big guns recycle. In the second instance, you're placing the enemy on the horns of a dilemma: do they shoot at you and ignore your Big, possibly getting turned around in the process, or do they concentrate on the Heavy/Assault threat and let you blast them until your internals melt down - sometimes, they try to do both, with disastrous results.

This is one of the most fun ways to play a Medium, once you get the hang of it. It requires a decent teammate, but only one - and you do need to avoid blocking him out of cover. But when it works, you can really blast people apart while still taking damage and heat for your Big - I call this tactic "The Hunchbuddy," after the HBK-4P I started using the tactic with.

That's one of the most useful tactics for leading a push if you're in a medium. Find yourself an assault, let him know that you're now his best friend for the next 15 minutes, and start kicking down doors. It works great with a Centurion (or other mech with a shield side) as you can absorb your share of damage as well, keeping him alive longer than in mechs that have to play more cautiously. I call it being a "Shieldbro".

Edited by Sidefire, 17 October 2016 - 04:23 PM.

[Void Angel]

Ruccus, on 13 October 2016 - 02:45 PM, said:

You can never go wrong with finding an Assault teammate and sticking by his side. Fire at what he fires at and target any enemy lights that come to attack him (it's much easier for you to target the light than it is for your assault teammate).

Hunchbuddy!

[Black Lanner]

I use my Night Gyr the way Void Angle describes the "Hunchbuddy", lol, except I can and do share armor... but then, the Gyr is a slow heavy...

I also love running the Shadow Cat (while I am waiting for the namesake of my account to be released) but the 3 ERLL/ ECM sniper build is such fun! I get free damage left and right... not as much damage as the OP is in the HBKIIC, but I can still get the kills because of the precise hits. My next SC chassis is going to be the splat build... yes my SC's are meta builds, but the meta works... right now, I have a horrid K/D ratio, mostly because my personal Night Gyr builds didn't work as well as the meta and I was taking trial 'mechs out, stock. It is coming back up now.

My point is always work on your game and look for the tricks that work. Also I watch Snuggles Time, Th3 B33f, and others on Youtube to find the tactics that work the best.

In my PUG matches, I do better when the team does better, and that means a team that communicates and keeps together (most of the time). I suggest getting a headset/mic to help organize your team, or learn the short hand... I have a general idea of how things go at the beginning when I do the -Salute- shorthand "o7". If no one acknowledges it, then I have to watch my back because I can't rely on much team work... I still try to organize the team, still do my best, but at the low tier, when the team is like this, your only hope is luck or that the other team is even less organized.

This is my 2 cents, take it as you will.

Edited by Black Lanner, 18 October 2016 - 12:29 AM.