14 replies to this topic

[TOG II]

I am about to by my first mech. And it should be an clan mech, because it's like that, and that's the way it is. I have piloted different trial mechs and found out that I suck least with lights, since I have the option to run awa...ehrm... tactical regrouping. I especially like the machine gunners, they sound awesome running around corners all guns a blazin' critting/finishing engaged mechs from behind, or just helping the team by scouting and harassing enemies by hammering on their paint job every now and then.

So I'm thinking about buying a light jump jet clan mech, pack it with machine guns, maybe some TAG or ECM or something to help my comrades. Or would that loadout be to situational? Maybe better to have a ERL so I can do damage from range and against fresh armour? But I like to get close and personal (so I can hit), flamers maybe? Which mech and version would be optimal for my needs? Consider speed and jets essential, as my role models are Brave Sir Robin and Aracuan Bird ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pW9xe77qpw ).

I would be grateful to take part of veteran pilots thoughts and experiences. Maybe you wise guys even have a warfare tip or two!

Let the galaxy burn!

[Koniving]

That might be a bit situational. You have two options for ECM, jumpjets and ballistic slots to fill with machine guns, the Mist Lynx and the Kitfox. Of the two the Mist Lynx would better suit your intentions and role models.

Brave Sir Robin


Here you go. It will not matter which configuration (Clan name for variant) you get. You will simply need to get these specific arms to attach to it.

From your affiliation and what not, I assume you know the specifics of actually equipping the mech. Thus, aside from the limbs I'd imagine you'd want to figure out an armor configuration that'd work well. Make sure to have your lower arm actuators installed.

Good luck.

[Coralld]

I'd recommend looking at the Hankyu/Arctic Cheeta, when it comes out for MC at the earliest, fast and looks like it could hit rather hard. But I must warn you, sense its not out yet, its hard to say how well it will perform in game. If you don't feeling like risking a possible buyers remorse, you should probably wait for when people who have bought the mech with real money to run them first before opening up your wallet.

For current Clan Lights, the Adder is actually not that bad, despite what some people say, an SRM Adder, or "Spladder," as they are some times called, are really nasty against larger mechs, but have a much more difficult time against other smaller and faster Lights.

[GreyNovember]

Light clan mech with ECM is either Kitfox or Mist Lynx at the moment.

And I enjoy ripping the arms off Lynxes when I find them. All their important bits are in there, and they're really easy to hit.

If your desired role is support, while getting close and personal, perhaps an SRM4 Kitfox with ECM will suit you well. I'd stay away from MGs and Flamers. The time you spend trying to hose someone down is more than enough for some passing enemy Timberwolf to shove 50-ish damage into your Center torso.

[dragnier1]

Clan lights are a lot cheaper than IS lights. They so happen to be slower than IS lights too.

Yes, you can increase the speed. Only with speed tweak, no more.

[Spleenslitta]

Kit Fox is really good despite what others say. Not only does my Kit Fox outperform my Firestarters...it outperforms everything in my collection.

I use this config on my Kit Fox C variant with S variant legs/sidetorsos. 2 CERSL (or CSPL), 4MG(1.5tons ammo), ECM, 6 JJ, CERLL, 2-3 extra heatsinks.
Been experimenting lately with targeting computer mk.1 for extra critical hit chance.

I used to have an ER PPC instead of ERLL but with less heatsinks of course. I find the above config does almost everything better.
I use these tactics.
http://mwomercs.com/...-tactics-guide/
It's a textwall and it says mechs under a certain speed can't do it well....i should update that since i've verified it ain't true.....oh well.

[Gremlich Johns]

Whatever Light mech you get should be fine. There's no knockdown, allowing the Light mech pilot to run about with successful impunity.

[Rogue Jedi]

The optimal way to take Jumpjets, ECM and MGs is both arms from the KFX-C, and both torsos form the KFX-S, if you are after jumping high take the KFX-S legs as well.
ether buy the KFX-C and put the S torsos on it for low level jumping or take the S and put the C arms on for high level jumping but 2 tons less payload for weapons/ammo.

As has been mentioned MGs are not the most effectave weapons, they work great aganst structure but are not very good aganst armor.

if you understand the limitations of MGs and still walt to use them (and they are fun, you just need speed and a bit of luck to make them work well) I would suggest 2 ERLLs and 4 MGs.
use the ERLLs early in the game, stick with the big guys, they will appreciate your ECM, then when the brawl starts use the MGs to strip componants from damaged enemy Mechs.

if you look at costs of Clan lights you will see they are far more expensive than IS Lights, what people mean saying Clan Lights are less expensive than IS lights is you will spend a LOT of cbills upgrading an IS light (it is generaly about 3 times the purchase cost to outfit it) to make it combat effective (a big XL engine, DHS, Endo, Fero, weapons) after purchasing it but the Clan Lights are far cheeper to outfit (generaly about 0.1-0.3 times initial purchase cost) so while a Clan Light looks more expensive it is cheep to outfit (just the cost of Omnipods and weapons/equipment) that means it is usualy a lot cheeper to get Clan Mechs combat ready compaired to IS, especialy on the case of Lights

[bad arcade kitty]

>I have piloted different trial mechs and found out that I suck least with lights, since I have the option to run awa...ehrm... tactical regrouping.

if your first option is survivability, buy stormcrow
it can run as fast as kit fox and adder while being vastly more hard to kill and packing a fire power comparable to many heavy mechs

it doesn't have jump jets though and cannot pack machine guns

>So I'm thinking about buying a light jump jet clan mech, pack it with machine guns, maybe some TAG or ECM or something to help my comrades.

if you insist on this there is no other choice but kit fox, it can eaily pack 4 mgs, ecm, a couple of jjs and some heavy weapon like ppc and still have place for a couple of lasers, it also has a great ballistic hardpoint above the cockpit where you can place uac-5 or 10

it's a great mech but definitely isn't the most survivable

[Lord Letto]

Looking at Smurfy there's only 1 Option: Mist Lynx, cause the Kit Fox and Addler got no JJs that's mandatory.
so I'd say get the cheapest, that would be the MLX-D, then get the Left Arm from the MLX-C for ECM (& AMS) and the Right arm from either the MLX-Prime (2x Ballistic and 1x (10 tube) Missile Hardpoints), or the MLX-A (2x Ballistic and 1x Energy Hardpoints), I'd say -A Right arm because you could TAG with 2xMGs and -C Left Arm for ECM & AMS:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...4ec05273932adb7

Edit: After checking and seeing Smurfy was WRONG about the JJs on the Kit Fox, then maybe go with that, something like this:
KFX-S: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...922df02d166c077

KFX-C: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...fac48406e3a1473

Edited by Lord Letto, 30 May 2015 - 04:14 PM.

[Kyynele]

Before Arctic Cheetah comes, Clan lights are honestly pretty bad for traditional light mech roles. The IS mechs do a much better job at those. I'm just making sure you have piloted the Clan light trial mechs, and are basing your decision on those? Because if you played the IS lights and found that playstyle to work best for you, you will likely be disappointed with the current Clan lights we have.

Ice Ferret is the fastest Clan mech that we currently have, but it's a medium, it doesn't jump, doesn't have ECM, and isn't very awesome in general. Especially since Clans have the Stormcrow, which is as fast as a Kit Fox or an Adder, has perhaps the best (most broken?) hitboxes in the game, is better armored, and can carry so much weapons, that it puts some heavy mechs to shame.

Anyway, if you're sure you want a Clan light, the above posts have many worthwhile suggestions.

[mailin]

The best role I found for the Kit Fox is supporting the fatties, so I'm not sure that it's the mech for you if you want fast. By fast, what speed are you talking about? My 5D goes 151.2 kph, and Locusts top out around 170 with full upgrades. They're very fast, but very fragile. Generally, as the speed comes down for IS lights the firepower goes up. You say you want a clan light, but I'll be honest here, I haven't been impressed with any of the current offerings of clan lights. Having said that though, I generally am not a sniper so ymmv. The biggest problems with any sniper setup is that they are often found isolated and once they are discovered, decent drivers will try to get to them. If I am in my 5D I WILL tear them a new one with my 3 mplas.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

Given what you want to build and the current selection available in-game, consider this:

MLX-C

With a pair of cMPLs it's got decent medium-range poke but doesn't lose effectiveness close in. It's payload is a bit light, but given the nature of the mech that's to be expected.

If you insist on MGs, consider the following instead:

MLX-A

I don't recommend this build, as the cERLL and the cMGs don't play nicely together, and generally MGs punish you in multiple ways when you try to use them at all (crap damage against armor, they force you to stare at the target making it a lot easier to kill you, they are super short ranged, etc.). That said, a cERLL with ECM makes for a strong extreme-range sniper/harasser build.

[TOG II]

I'm very grateful for all the wisdom you waste on me!

In the last days I have tried to compare the mechs that appeared in your proposals. Of the available trial versions I probably have the highest average damage dealing and general performance in the Kit Fox, but it might be misleading to compare them with each other when they have different equipment. I like the speed of the Mist Lynx, but Kit Fox often have enough to be able to chicken out. Stormcrow is not bad, but I tend to get into fights with more than I can handle and die in horrible ways, often a couple of alphastrikes in the face before i even get to warm up my own barrels. One might accuse me of this being my own fault, and if I use it more as a Kit Fox it would be superior to the other mechs? Neither can I remember any really good tiimes with the Ice Ferret, but then again, it might be due to a combination of trial weaponry and my trial piloting skills. I have tried the Adder before, but don't really remeber much of it.


I have started to consider the sanity of installing machine guns, it's wonderful when you can flank slow damaged mechs, but limited ammo + the necessity to be unhealthly close = frequent premature death. Perhaps it is healthier to run long distance weapons. Medium Range seems to be a good compromise, one is close enough to be able to hit and do damage, but not too close to get much attention. Actually, it's not as survivability is my biggest concern, it's just that there seems to be a correlation between how much damage I do and how long I'll live. I'd rather have a fast and furious battle inflicting tons of hurt and die young in a big explosion, than sitting on a hill in nowhere waiting for a chance to make a long distance hit, but this far the only part that works in the first plan is the dying bit. Although sniping can be fun, whithout much skill or experience it seems to be limited to some maps and situations. My biggest problem, exept getting lost and wandering into brawls with the whole enemy army, is when other lights comes around and starts to put holes in me, and this makes me think about effective countermeasures. One that have worked sometimes is distrupting with ECM and TAGing them. But killing them myself would also be nice, hence MGs.

Maybe I just get a speedy MG Spider to fool around with on odd dates, and try to build a serious laserish Fox/Ferret/Lynx to preform with. Or a MG Ferret instead of a Spider? Is the Crow functional as a long distance sniper? I think the weapons and cockpit are positioned far to far down to be able to hide behind cover.

And flamers are never worth pondering about?

[Rogue Jedi]

Machine Guns are great weapons for picking off damaged Mechs but they do not realy shine until the end of the game, I have in the past been the last Mech left on my team in a SDR-5K or FS9-E ^{(both fast Lights mounting 4 MGs)} and killed 2-4 damaged enemies winning the game, but for every game like that I will get die with 0 kills and less than 100 damage at least 5 times.

Machine guns are completely useless if your team does not want to close because if you get into MG range without support the enemy will destroy you with focused fire, especially in slower lights like the lights the Clans currently have available ^{(even my slow Ember, the slowest Light I play as a harrasser with 4 MPL, 4 MG and 4 JJs is faster than the Myst Lynx)}.

the reason you take a lot of fire in the Stormcrow is that it is widely recognized as the second best Mech in the game, so only a Stalker, 95+ton Mech or Timber Wolf may be considered a higher priority target than a Stormcrow, for this reason I would never recommend a Crow or Timby as someones first Mech, they are great Mechs but you will attract more fire precisely because they are great Mechs.

the Stormcrow is more than capable as a long range sniper, you can fit a Gauss with a few lasers, prehaps something like this:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...06d9d1be8049075
I usualy run mine as a LRM direct fire support Mech, 2 LRM15+A, 3 ERML and a TAG, it works pretty well.

a Flamer is only really useful for blinding the enemy, I have heard people say they can make flamers work effectively on the Nova ^{(12 flamers, keep releasing the trigger at least once a second and the flamers never get too hot)} but I have never seen someone use that build ingame, I concider Flamers to be a joke weapon at current