25 replies to this topic

[Gubernaut]

Hey I'm not sure what clan mech to get next. So far I have Kit Fox S, Locust LCT-1E, Raven 2X and Black Jack 3. The mech I'm best with so far is the Kit Fox S configured with LRM 10 w/ Artemis, ECM, 2 ER Large Laser or 1 ER Large Laser and 1 Med Pulse laser with jump jets. Distant 2nd is the Locust, I put 6 Med Lasers on it but it made too much heat so I made 2 of them Med Pulse lasers. Well the only thing that saves it from being totally useless is the speed, but it just dies so easy. My least favorite is the Black Jack, it's just too slow (infact just as slow as it's heavy counterpart Jagermech) and dies super easy with no arms to guard the torso and for me the PPCs are useless and 4 ER Large Lasers make too much heat, have to cut it down to 2, basically making it a slower, less capable Kit Fox. If I could sell this one back I would but 600k vs the 4 mil I paid is just silly. The Raven I haven't upgraded it yet and haven't been compelled to.

I was probably gonna get Stormcrow A but should I consider a heavy clan mech? Do you think the faster speed of the Stormcrow might get me more C-Bills than the extra armor of a heavy like the Timberwolf? What do you think I'm a noobie.

[Elizander]

If you really like ECM then take a look at the Hellbringer. The Hellbringer also has decently high mounted energy and ballistic hardpoints. The Stormcrow might be a bit hard to use with all the recent negative quirks it received but it still works fine with medium pulse lasers. You can wait for other replies before making your purchase so that you can make a more informed decision, but you should head over to Smurfy and play with those mechs in the mechlab (you can also use the mechlab in-game to modify those mechs from the store without purchase but can't take them out on test runs).

[The Basilisk]

It depends on what you are on to.
Do you just want to farm dmg and pug around or do you consider joining a unit and participating a more competetive environment ?
Clan laser vomit and LRM mechs are still constantly seen around and reap high dmg numbers but the higher tier players still use pinpoint frontload dmg for success.

[Gubernaut]

Thanks for your replies. Since I still don't know exactly how targeting works (conditions for getting a target, what breaks the target etc) I'm not sure how much I want ECM but once I find out more I'll consider taking or leaving it.

Eventually I want to have 4 clan mechs to use in CW but I want to be just as effective for the team in public games. I might stick with LRMs and Lasers for a while because that's what I'm used to but if I want to do "pinpoint" damage what weapons are those exactly?

[Rogue Jedi]

the Stormcrow or any of the Clan Heavies should be a good choice. with max armor the Stormcrow has more tonnage for weapons than the Summoner and just half a ton less than the Helbringer.

the Timber Wolfs combination of speed firepower and durability, with the option for Jumpjets makes it arguably the best Mech in the game, however as most players know this you will be the primary target

the Stormcrow has some of the best hitboxes in the game, making it extremely durable provided you are not standing still, this sounds like a good thing but if you have not already learned to spread damage you may become over reliant on the Crows hitboxes causing you trouble later when you switch to something else. also widely concidered the second best Mech in the game, so again you will be a high priority target

I suggest you consider getting another 2 of any of the Mechs you already own and work towards completing the elite skills, eleting a Mech doubles the effectiveness of the basic skills, that gives any Mech a huge performance boost.

[SnagaDance]

A mech becomes targetable when within LoS of an enemy and within 800m. This 800m range can become bigger through equipment like BAP, CAP Command Console etc. or through the Extra Sensor Range module.

When a mech is targetable it gets a red 'dorito' above it. This will be hollow if nobody of your team has targeted that mech yet. Press 'R' to target the mech yourself. You can also use 'R' to recieve targetting info from mechs that have been targeted by teammates but are out of your own targeting range.

A lock is lost by moving out of LoS (of all enemies that are targeting you). After a few seconds the lock will be lost. This loss of lock will be immediate if the mech has the Target Deprivation module installed on their mech. (exception, there's a targeting module that will help cancel that out, so lock will be lost in the regular manner instead of instantly.

ECM is great because any friendly mech within its area will become untargetable. So no missile locks, no tell tale popping up of Doritos (only visual spotting), no load out info etc. ECM may be broken at short range by BAP/CAP, one of those will cancel an ECM on a one-for-one basis. ECM may also be broken by a TAG laser being pointed at a mech (but only for that mech, and only for as long as the TAG hits it) or temporarily broken when the ECM mech itself is hit with a PPC.

[Falcon]

If you're thinking forward about a CW drop dec I would give you this advice. Start out right now with a a pair of hellbringers and a pair of stormcrows. Both chassis are very, very adaptable, but more than that the tonnages will give you the flexibility to switch things out with minimal disruption in the future to already trained mechs as things shift over time.

For example right off the bat you have a pair of ECM capable chassis in the Hellies, while the Scrows can be configured for LRM support/ SRM/ streak brawlers or Laser vomit. Nice. The Cauldron Born has just hit the game and will be coming soon to open market, this gives the capability to slip one or two in in direct exchange to the Hellbringers at some future date simplifying that up. This is always good, but one other thing to consider, Shadow Cats, hmmmm, slight complication there but wait, fancy a Scat at some future date? No real issue this just means dropping the 2 scrows from the dec and switching one up to a 65 ton chassis and one down to the Scat.

As can be seen this results in a potential 3 Hellbringers/ Cauldron Born or any combo there of and a Scat to finish. So possibly being able to run a complete ECM capable drop if required at some future date or having the ability go full in your face brawl or stand off with very little fuss muss and time spent fiddling and messing about.

Others opinions will undoubtedly differ but I thought i would offer my thoughts on the subject. Best of luck in whatever you decide and hope you have many enjoyable hours with whichever direction you take.

o7

[Elizander]

GreedyPoor, on 18 June 2015 - 01:12 AM, said:

Thanks for your replies. Since I still don't know exactly how targeting works (conditions for getting a target, what breaks the target etc) I'm not sure how much I want ECM but once I find out more I'll consider taking or leaving it.

Eventually I want to have 4 clan mechs to use in CW but I want to be just as effective for the team in public games. I might stick with LRMs and Lasers for a while because that's what I'm used to but if I want to do "pinpoint" damage what weapons are those exactly?

You can bring 3 Hellbringers and 1 Kitfox to CW (65+65+65+30=225 tons). That will let you get your HBR to elite/master. HBRs can also have up to 3 missile hardpoints for LRMs. All of them go up to 20 missile slots. They can also carry an Ultra AC20 or a couple of UAC5s on a relatively high mount if you want to do that too. They can have at least 4 high mounted energy weapons (1 head, 3 LT).

[TheCaptainJZ]

If you don't own 3 different variants of a chassis, you won't be able to unlock the skills. Fully eliting a mech makes a BIG difference in how effective it plays. Don't give up on the mechs you own, you probably just need more time to work on them. Definitely don't sell them back unless you've fully elited them and you still hate them (even then, you can easily keep the equipment so that's part of the reason why the selling price is so low, but it's legitmately low anyway).

[LMP]

The Timber Wolf.

[Rhavin]

Storm crow or hellbringer, both can fill any role well, storm crow doesn't pack ecm though, it is faster. Both are terrors when played right

[Fenrisian Wolf]

Get the Timberwolf

[Tincan Nightmare]

GreedyPoor, on 18 June 2015 - 01:12 AM, said:

Thanks for your replies. Since I still don't know exactly how targeting works (conditions for getting a target, what breaks the target etc) I'm not sure how much I want ECM but once I find out more I'll consider taking or leaving it.

Eventually I want to have 4 clan mechs to use in CW but I want to be just as effective for the team in public games. I might stick with LRMs and Lasers for a while because that's what I'm used to but if I want to do "pinpoint" damage what weapons are those exactly?

'Pinpoint' damage are weapons that do full damage at once when they hit, compared to others that do damage over time. Lasers have a certain 'burn' duration, doing damage steadily over time as it fires, but also allowing damage to spread across the target. Currently pinpoint weapons are PPC's (with the Clan PPC also doing a small amount of spread damage), IS AC's, and Gauss. Technically missiles are pinpoint, with each missile damaging the part it impacts on, but tend to spread there damage across the target. LBX AC's also spread damage with their cluster rounds (kinda like a shotgun), while Clan AC's fire in bursts that can also spread the damage they do. If your running Gauss, PPC's, or IS AC's, you do full damage to a single location (as long as you hit the target).

[Deerock]

I've been trying to figure out the same thing as I've been grinding C-Bills. I have about 15 million saved up and am getting antsy to figure out what to get. Currently I have:

Locust: 3V, PB (First mech I ever bought was the $2 Locust just to check out customization)
Kit Fox: S, C
Stormcrow: All 5 (Oops)
I also ordered the Arctic Cheetah the day before the Ebon Jaguar came out because I didn't realize there were staggered release dates, and I am really looking forward to Locust-like speed on a Clan chassis.

I realize I'll need to get a 3rd Kit Fox to max pilot skills but I've been doing a ton of grinding and would like to get something quite different from what I have. What I would really like to have is a Clan heavy mech that is jump and ECM capable, which does not seem to exist. I'm looking for something with slightly less mobility than the Stormcrows but extra tankiness/pod space.

I really liked the Masakari/Warhawk in TT, but it has neither JJ nor ECM so I think I need to rule it out for now. The Dire Wolf seems to give up much more maneuverability than I am comfortable with. I'm scared off of the Timber Wolf after the nerf.

So I seem to be torn between the Summoner and the Hellbringer. I guess I am leaning toward Summoner for jump jets but the omnipod hardpoints seem underwhelming. Does anyone have any strong opinions on what would be more fun to play? I think maybe I've just been a bit spoiled by the Stormcrow (Thank you to those that gave me the recommendation, BTW). I feel like I'm checking out mechs that are 10-20 tons heavier without additional tonnage for weaponry.

Also, is there a way to see which variants come in the ala carte packages? I would like to buy a mech that is not included in the three pack just in case in the future I win the lottery and want to spend $55 to get the C-Bill bonus variant.

Or should I just buy a Timber Wolf?

[Gubernaut]

Well I had bought a Stormcrow B and a few different pods to customize it how I like, started out just changing the Ultra A/C 20 to a Gauss to try it out but wasn't getting much damage (for how much I was receiving) and the Gauss is tricky to use, then I went LRM 15 or 20 with 2 ER Large Lasers and 2 Med Lasers, Clan active probe and Targeting Mod. Was doing ok but after switching to just lasers (10 total, a combination of Med Pulse and regular and 2 small) and Targeting Mod II I get kills more easy, it has 70 firepower is that any good? But I really miss the jump jets dang I don't see why the Stormcrow shouldn't have them, and having to buy 3 variants to get to elite skills is really rough especially when the Stormcrow can make any variant with just one chassis.

I might get the Timberwolf next cause I see it has lots of armor and jump jets and I want to try fitting 2 Guass, 2 A/C 5 or 10 and maybe some other stuff, think that would work? Does anyone have any builds for the Timberwolf that do pinpoint damage and lots of it? Also I need another mech bay, I have a permanent contract with Ghost Bear and I've received 1 mechbay from Community Warfare so far, will I get another one from Ghost Bear or do I have to join another clan to get the next one?

[Leone]

The Angry Feline-
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5db6b203ffc357f

Simple build, best pinpoint damage you'll probably get, and if you put it on a TBR-S chassis, you'll get a jump jet to go with. I still run it in CW from time to time, but I honestly prefer the Gauss-bringer for pin point damage. Thing with pinpoint firing is, you don't tend to get high damage counts, cuz your always trying to hit CT and minimize wastage. And don't let the low armour on the Loki fool you. The Gauss is your armour.

Loki's Gauss-Bringer
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...477b68b8a475217

As for Mechbays, I'd suggest going clan hopping for all the rank two bays, and then sticking with the clan you like. You will get bays every four ranks thereafter (Ranks 6, 10 and 14.)

~Leone, Raid Leader of the Crimson Hand.

[Gubernaut]

How about the best laser vomit clan mech, would that be the Nova Prime? Also do you have any interesting builds for Stormcrow?

[Threndor]

I have a Nova Prime (my only clan mech I own, still too new to the game), and have to say it is a little disappointing in speed and weapon config. You can't change the engine and there are a lot of mechs that are as fast or faster. Weapon config? all the weapons are in the arms and everyone knows this so you can quickly be sans weapons in a match. As for quantity, you have to watch ghost heat firing too many of a type at once, or just regular heat firing too many of different types at once. So: while it looks mean to have them, it is hard to be effective as you might want to be with them.

Again: I am still new to the game and not an expert, but those are some of my observations. (I have to admit I was very disappointed when I couldn't change the engine on the thing, at least it didn't cost me full price!)

[Leone]

As a Dedicated Nova Pilot, I'd be happy to answer all your Nova based questions.

My prime still has the Classic Prime weapons load out, with all the spare heat sinks moved to one side, for torso twisting and shielding purposes. It is a true poking mech, meant to pop out lase and retreat. And yes it's good. You can get off two 36 damage strikes and then retreat to cool off, or just poke one arm out.

Then, for me at least, all my other novas grab Prime arms and equip Er small lasers. The preferred Brawling build has twelve Er smalls and four machine guns. I have face tanked a Daishi in that and won. I also run a three ams and twelve small laser build as well.

As for Ryoken, the Blackhawk Lasers better, so try something else.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c09b3406da7a694

~Leone, Raid Leader of the Crimson Hand.

Edited by Leone, 26 June 2015 - 11:16 PM.

[JC Daxion]

well i say.. get an adder.. cause they look so cool! and yea, learn to play a mech that is not the best... makes ya a better player.. But hey they are still fun!