17 replies to this topic

[Breidr]

With the sale, I was considering purchasing the Stalker bundle, or at least the Misery because I've been reading and researching, and they seem rather fun to play. I haven't gotten a chance to pilot one, however, due to lack of resources, and the sale is limited, so I'd like to get the bonus MC.

I did a little digging on dropdecks for CW and there are some Stalker decks with Wolverines that seem easy enough to get going, and they have a pokey playstyle that I feel I could learn.

How do the more experienced pilots feel about the Stalker, is it a bad choice to start?

[luxebo]

Stalkers are fantastic, especially the 4N and Misery (though 5M for CQC and 3F for other poke options are great).

However, you will want to know the basics in assault piloting. Don't get stuck by yourself. For Misery, get within 500m and always torso twist to the left. For 4N/3F/5S you want to be poking and sniping mid to long range most games. 5M you want to get within 200m for sure. You gotta be sure to be enjoying the assaults in trial (especially Banshee one since it's alike to the Stalker, and maybe the Dire Wolf B too though it plays differently, while Banshee plays very alike to the Stalkers in almost all cases). If you don't like the assault trials then you'd want to take a look at what trials you do like, since Stalkers play just like assaults.

Also, CW has IS and Clans. Clanners only play with blackish greenish mechs with only letters in variant names (all factions named with "Clan") and IS have pure green mechs (until you switch colors), along with more numbers in variant names (all factions named with "House" or is the Free Rasalhague Republic).

Good luck!

[Todeshonk]

stalker 4N is probably the best IS mech at the moment .... in the right hands

Its Largelaser Quirks and superb hardpoints (at the top of the arms) are perfect for hillsniping.

The misery can do a pretty mean asymetrical loadout with its ballistic slot (ac20 + ppc) its alpha and its high torsotwistrate can scare away even an atlas or dire, but it needs practice and is a more advanced approach.


just my 2cents.

Edited by Todeshonk, 25 April 2015 - 05:13 PM.

[Breidr]

Thanks for the input, I'll be taking the Banshee out and see how I do.

I'm more just trying to feel out what to grab since playing random trial mechs isn't getting my much of anywhere, This game is a lot to wrap ones head around. I've read a lot of things on a lot of 'Mechs, but without being able to try most of them first. I'm hesitant to part with C-Bills or MC.

Take the HBK for example. Recommended as a beginner mech,, but what if I can't protect the hunch. Makes it kind of a waste of C-Bills then, doesn't it? Heck, I don't know.

All I know is, 4 'Mechs fit on a deck, so that's what I need.

Edited by Breidr Breidsson, 25 April 2015 - 05:55 PM.

[Todeshonk]

if you want to start to build your deck i would suggest taking a look at the Thunderbolts.



you got energie based chassis with good quirks and different loadouts.
they are not as clunky as assaults and somewhat mobile with a 300std engine.
they dont run especially hot thanks to the quirks and they can take a beating.
one might say, they are beginner friendly.

And you could run a dropdeck with 3 of these badboys and still have 55tons to spare. You would get a brawler with the 5SS (7x mediumpulslasers witch 330m range) a Sniper with the 9S (2x ErPPC on top of your right shoulder) and a good mediumrange support mech with the 9SE or 5S (3 LargeLasers or LargePulslasers + Backup).


as to your "protect the hunch" issue:
You will find that many mechs run an asymetrical Loadout, so in the long run you will have to learn to "protect the hunch" or mostly one of your sidetorsi. For my part i can say, i started with hunchbacks and enjoy them very much to this day (primary the 4P and the 4SP). True they are mediums so you have to pick your fights, mostly escorting some heavy or assault and assisting him with focus fire is a good start .
The Hunchbacks biggest advantage as a begginer mech is probably the fact that most of its variants are playable right out of the box. they get better with upgrades (endo and doubleHS) but they are still viable without them. they are mobile and "forgiving" for some rookie mistakes.

you will eventually buy mechs you dislike after some time, thats pretty normal... just dont buy and sell everything, thats normaly a bad move. you never know what the next quirks or meta changes will be

so far, have fun

Edited by Todeshonk, 25 April 2015 - 06:26 PM.

[TeteSP]

Stalker is one of muy favorite assault mech paired with Atlas,when i máster my Cicada and i want any assault mech i consider the Stalker.

[Koniving]

Breidr Breidsson, on 25 April 2015 - 04:26 PM, said:

With the sale, I was considering purchasing the Stalker bundle, or at least the Misery because I've been reading and researching, and they seem rather fun to play. I haven't gotten a chance to pilot one, however, due to lack of resources, and the sale is limited, so I'd like to get the bonus MC.

I did a little digging on dropdecks for CW and there are some Stalker decks with Wolverines that seem easy enough to get going, and they have a pokey playstyle that I feel I could learn.

How do the more experienced pilots feel about the Stalker, is it a bad choice to start?

As in starting completely raw, or starting with some experience? Stalkers are known for tanking, their ginormous side torsos akin to the Timber Wolves allow them to take a lot of abuse when using a standard engine (all hits on a destroyed side torso are reduced in damage by 50%!).

Back in the day, the Misery with twin PPCs, triple SL, UAC/5 and SRM-6 nearly won in a literal 2 on 1 against a 4 PPC Stalker and a 4 ER PPC + Gauss Atlas at a combat range where the maximum range of the encounter was less than 400 meters. (Stripped the Stalker to bare bones, was a single blow away from killing the Atlas when the enemy Stalker charged in front of the shot from seemingly out of nowhere, blocking it and leaving me unable to fire when the Atlas dealt the killing blow). Fantastically close match.

Stalkers in general are incredibly tanky. Something worth noting however, such large torso sides makes them especially receptive to MG and LBX crit damage -- simply because the cone of fire of MGs and the spread of LBXs are more likely to be soaked up into single side torso sections. You can hear my genuine worry about the LBX build in the first match in the Flamer Stalker 2014 vid.

Flamer Stalker (Awesomely timed MW2 music). <--So OP it's afflicted by ghost heat.
Flamer Stalker 2013. <--discovery of the tankiness.
Flamer Stalker 2014.
Flamer Stalker December 2014. (versus Clan and IS mechs)


Misery is particularly fun. It is one of my two favorite heromechs in MWO (the other being the Heavy Metal).

My condition after taking a Firestarter, the first Banshee I had ever fought, and a Catapult on in a three versus 1 with my team far away. I killed two out of three (the Firestarter was well on his way to death but was chased away by a friendly ally at good timing, the Catapult's LRMs were getting to me. I charged him head on with a broken leg and with only the AC/5 left managed to net that kill and proceed over the hill).

All earned in a single match very shortly after achievements were created.

Edited by Koniving, 26 April 2015 - 01:45 PM.

[InspectorG]

Stalkers are great.

N is the LL lazor boat. Get behind cover, peek and burn. Rinse repeat.

Brawler builds with srm6 are nice as well. I refer the asymmetric builds myself.

[TercieI]

As others have said, Stalkers are great. Starting with assaults is hard, but Stalkers are also a great choice for "first assault" because they sorta do the tanking themselves and you can focus on positioning and shooting. 4N, Misery and...pick really. It's one of the very few chassis without a bad choice.

[DaemonWulfe]

You'll not find a better mech than the Stalker when it comes to hill peeking and tanking, something many mechs cannot do effectively. The tricky part, in the beginning, is knowing how to navigate the battlefield while moving slightly faster than a Direwolf. If you're used to faster moving mechs, the Stalker will feel sluggish until you can get a STD300, which will top your speed at 62.5 with speed tweak, while allowing you to carry enough weaponry and heat sinks to keep you out of trouble. After unlocking pilot skills, the Stalker will be your go-to mech for assaults. It tanks better than an Atlas, moves faster, and in groups can melt through an entire clan firing line while not giving a single %&#*.

The Misery you're gonna love if you love Stalkers in general. For the others, if you need a real simple build try using 4LL and 2ML. It's the build I used to master all but the Misery and 5M. Most variants can fire all four large lasers twice (three times if you build it right and are on a cool map) without overheating. With a steady aim accompanied by team mates, you'll find your foes evaporating before you if they don't stay on their toes. A fun build to try if you have impeccable aim and heat management: Stalker Misery with AC/20, 2 PPCs. The range quirks accompanied by the applicable weapon modules, will make the Misery a down-right nasty mid-range build. 40 point pops are no joke, especially if you're good at hitting legs. Center mass, left, right, or rear torsos on a light mech will kill it in one shot if it doesn't leave internals exposed for your buddies to secure the kill.

One thing though, learn how to use throttle decay and how to "dance" in a Stalker so the lights can't get on your rear CT. You'll need to practice knowing when to stop and spin on your heels. A common mistake for new Stalker pilots, and new pilots in general, is trying to out-turn smaller mechs when they close in to brawl. Reversing speed and counter spinning on your heels will put them right back where they belong, in front of your nose where you can pound the $&#* out of them. In other cases, they'll break their death spiral when they realize that every time they try to out-maneuver you, they lose a component.

But yeah, I love Stalkers. Been my favorite assaults for well over two years now, and I love them just as much now as the first day I dropped in a 3F.

Oh, and I wouldn't try the trial Banshee thinking it's going to be like a Stalker. After you've had a chance to sink your teeth into both, you'll know what I'm talking about. Another thing, STAY AWAY FROM XL ENGINES!!!!. I can't stress this enough. Over the course of time, you'll lose count of how many matches you have where you lose a side torso and go on to wreck several more mechs before the match ends. XL takes your 85 ton badass and turns it into a wet noodle begging for locks (XL engines generally used for Stalker missile boats). This is definitely a front line mech though. Some may disagree, but when you find yourself consistently begging for locks, just remember it's because the enemy is destroying your team because they can't tank damage like you can. Don't get me wrong though. Throwing a couple of 10 packs on as a back up will allow you to keep a steady stream of damage up while closing in to finish your victim. One of my favorite builds from the past were a pair of tens or fifteens with six medium lasers for close range combat. When you're not firing your launchers, the Stalker can handle 6 mediums fired in tandem, multiple times, without overheating. This makes it a perfect companion to brawler mechs if you find yourself in a situation where LRMs can't help you, such as tunnels or low platforms.

Last statement on Stalkers, as mentioned before they have ginormous side torsos. When taking direct, ranged fire, you really only need to gently sway your nose left to right a few degrees to spread damage, unlike other mechs that have to twist a bit more to shield with arms. In fact, many times you'll find your side torsos being shot off long before your arm gets knocked off, so any ammo you take for LRMs, SRMs, place them in the arms, legs, and head. The nose can actually take a bit more damage than expected once the armor is gone, but if your ammo crits say bye bye to your engine and your life. Don't skip leg day on your Stalkers either. Max armor, every time! Most pilots will try to punch you in the nose or side torsos, but smarter pilots will probe your leg. A legged Stalker is a sad sight to see!

Edited by DaemonWulfe, 27 April 2015 - 03:06 PM.

[Insects]

You should join a unit before you worry too much about CW. The unit will guide you into what they think is best for their tactics.
Most of your play will not be CW.

Also beware that CW "best mech" is very flavor of the month. 4N is popular now, but there will probably be a new must have in a months time. A 10% Nerf here, a 10% buff there and the "meta" will shift.

Stalkers are pretty solid though. If you can see it you can shoot it including over the top of teamates heads.
Other assaults like the Crab have serious issues in that regard.

Now a warning on assaults.
The PUGs will run off and abandon you in solo queue games, at least until your Elo gets high, which can be hard when you keep getting killed by lights.
They are slow, you need to know where you are headed, where not to go, where to position yourself, when the team is about to relocate. To do well you sort of need to know what is going to happen ahead of time, because they are so slow that if you play reactively it is too late.

[mogs01gt]

Breidr Breidsson, on 25 April 2015 - 04:26 PM, said:

With the sale, I was considering purchasing the Stalker bundle, or at least the Misery because I've been reading and researching, and they seem rather fun to play. I haven't gotten a chance to pilot one, however, due to lack of resources, and the sale is limited, so I'd like to get the bonus MC.I did a little digging on dropdecks for CW and there are some Stalker decks with Wolverines that seem easy enough to get going, and they have a pokey playstyle that I feel I could learn.
How do the more experienced pilots feel about the Stalker, is it a bad choice to start?

When it comes to Assault mechs, the 100 tonners are the best, however, Stalkers are fantastic mechs in MWO. Their hill humping ability(appearing over hills and shooting) is probably the best in the game. They are also oddly fun to play, probably because they do not get targeted like the 100t's.

IMO they are good starter assault mechs since they do not have to reveal their entire torso to fire, they are very tanky and are versatile. The 4n and the Misery are the best Stalkers, even if their quirks were removed, they would still be awesome mechs.

The Stalkers design is why they excel in MWO, high mounted weapons will always be good in MWO. Stay away from LRM Stalkers, LRM assaults have a lot of troubles winning matches since they are sitting in the back lines not using that armor. Also LRMs are not reliable.

Mogs

Breidr Breidsson, on 25 April 2015 - 05:48 PM, said:

Thanks for the input, I'll be taking the Banshee out and see how I do.
I'm more just trying to feel out what to grab since playing random trial mechs isn't getting my much of anywhere, This game is a lot to wrap ones head around. I've read a lot of things on a lot of 'Mechs, but without being able to try most of them first. I'm hesitant to part with C-Bills or MC.
Take the HBK for example. Recommended as a beginner mech,, but what if I can't protect the hunch. Makes it kind of a waste of C-Bills then, doesn't it? Heck, I don't know.

Fair warning, you will waste a lot of Cbills on mechs that you simply suck in. I know I have. Its simply part of the game. Regarding the HBK, the 4g has a high mounted hardpoint, that typically is a good thing in MWO.

Damn Koniving,
http://assets-cloud....nal/2548161.jpg

That is I think the lowested I have seen on a functioning mech, but I have gotten down to 18% with an XL Cent. Everything was red, no arms and 1 leg.

Edited by mogs01gt, 28 April 2015 - 04:51 AM.

[Catra Lanis]

They are really good mechs. At first I hated them, I felt like whimpering HODOR! HODOR! HODOR! when the mean kids ran in cicrles around me while I tried to get them in my sights. Then I accepted that it was slow and clumsy and started to play to their strengths instead and suddenly things started to work out.

Edited by Catra Lanis, 28 April 2015 - 05:36 AM.

[Breidr]

Thanks for all the information. I'm putting it in my notes for the future. I own the Misery because why not, but I'm going to work on my Hunchback mastery bundle first. When I have a more solid grasp on the game and some C-Bills to burn, I plan on revisiting my Misery and the Stalker Chassis.

[Todeshonk]

good choice.

have fun

[DrSlamastika]

Stalkers are great and Misery was my first assault and third mech. Good choice

Edited by DrSlamastika, 28 April 2015 - 11:41 AM.

[Darwins Dog]

Which variants come with the mastery bundle? I know the Misery and the 3F champion, but what about the third? Are we lucky enough to have the 4N? Been considering those myself.

[TercieI]

Darwins Dog, on 28 April 2015 - 08:19 AM, said:

Which variants come with the mastery bundle? I know the Misery and the 3F champion, but what about the third? Are we lucky enough to have the 4N? Been considering those myself.

5M, which is unfortunate now but when the bundle released the 4N was literally the most pointless variant in the game (3F minus a hardpoint and torso twist with nothing to offset)