9 replies to this topic

[STEF_]

Premise

So, in a month and half, between CW drops, serious or semi-serious drops with my unit, I did it:


I managed to master all the Highlanders.

It all started with the last HGN sale (along with orions,huncies and jenner sale, celebrating the IIC mechs), and I decided to buy 3.
"Why not" I thought... I had mastered all the chassis I was interest in. I must have an end.
Back in the poptart era, I was a light/medium pilot only. Those HGN were a real danger in the field, ppctarting, or even lurm builds.
I started to level mt first hgn, and I don't know why, but something happened.
There is no reason for true love. So I think mine is true love for the HGN.
This doesn't mean that for me HGN are the best assault or they/I can do better than in a dire or even other assaults.
But I have feeling for them all, and I always have a lot of satisfaction piloting them.
Love is not an easy path.
It must be because they give me the feeling/sensation of piloting a giant and slow 90 tonner.
.... the same reason I love Banshees too, I think. But Banshees are OP.
While HGNs need love. My love.


In mechlab

I decided to follow these simple rules in mechlab:
1) No JJ.
JJ class1 is too nerfed. 2 tons each, and to have enough lifting you need 3-4JJ (6-8 tons) and the lift speed is very very slow. The entire enemy team can play "shooting the sitting flying duck".
So I spare that tonnage for more speed/DHS.
2) Every HGN must be different. Different tastes different flavors, it's better.
3) put an 325 whenever possible. Not for the speed difference, but 3 DHS in the engine instead of 2.
4) being slow, they must have medium/long range weapons.

My Highlanders

HGN-732
Of course that gauss quick. The simple gauss lezors build.
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...c14d45488eb7568
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...63a6e431e78cc34
Peeking with right side. When engaged, the left side is a good shield.

No tips needed. There are so many gauss/3lezors out there!

HGN-732B
My fav HGN.
Those armor quirks make it a wonderful brawler. With cooldown mods installed HGN-732B can wreck, and has more armor than a dire, so it can mount an xl. So, why not?

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...8ba99abd1b67241
(if you feel it a bit hot in susteined engagements, it is possible to switch 1 ton of ammo for 1dhs; doing so, don't waste any shot, every hit must count.)

HGN-733C
Although it can mount an ac20, its quicks are meaningless. Moreover, I don't like to go close in a slow mech, above all if it has big hitboxes.
So, I went for an high risk/high reward build
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...7e6e3da01f7b497
Pretty cool even is short range, it is difficult to overheat. Cooldown modules mandatory.

HGN-733P
When it's not elited, it is better not to go full ahead, but peek and poke with this:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e6a3a953c5fa393
But I'm a brawler, so once elited, having enough speed and cooling eff, I went this this:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...5ee2f67f4a9266b
it is very easy to avoid ghost heat, double tapping 2 groups. 42 instant convergence. Easy.
Like in many other HGN, right peeking, left shielding.

HGN-HM
The heavy metal and the 733 gave me problems in finding builds that fit to me.
In HM, I couldn't use the right peeking/left shielding tecnic.
It has useless arm armor quirks, but at least you can put less armor in arm, thanks to that.
Facing full front the enemy it is too easy to be cored. So no LL or ER-LL.
The only build that gave me short facing time, thanks to LPL, has been this one:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...53b34ce04b13898
330xl gives enough speed to get the lpl range, and also twisting is easier.

HGN-733
Here 1ballistic and 2 energy only; it is mandatory a big alpha using left hardpoints.
I tried and wanted the lurmlander to work well, thanks to El Bandito for tips. But in these days, the sad lrm state, and the ECM uberflow make any slow lurmassault very very dangerous.... for who's piloting it.
So I ended with this:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...f033f4a65b76e6b
Peeking with right side, doing something. But when things go close, dat big alpha is very hilarious.

NB: this is not meant to be a guide, but a love declaration. It's been my personal love path through the Highlanders.

o/

[MacBeth]

That was an enjoyable read, always makes me happy to see other pilots talk about their love for the Highlander, at times I swear I'm the only HGN pilot left. However, when I happen to find myself opposed by another Highlander... I think It's part jealousy and brotherly love , but I swear I hear Sean Connery's voice in my head shouting "I AM THE LAST ONE" and the urge to prove that statement correct

You run a good number of tried and true Highlander builds, many of which I've fondly used over the years. Lately however, I've run my HGN's a little differently, particularly the 732B and 733C, I run those two in a more mid to close range brawl build with 2 to 3 Arty Srm4's and 2 JJ's. Granted the JJ's are a shadow of their former shelves, but the "buff" has made me give into a compromise for two JJ's instead of the usual one, and have helped me surprise certain mechs thinking I couldn't get to them in Canyon or Bog.

This build in particular has treated me well in all but Alpine peaks, with the extra armor and the missile spread reductions I couldn't help but make a close in brawler. Just from my personal experience, even other brawler builds of varying weights have had to pause and consider if a straight up brawl with me is worth it, with JJ's allowing me to negate Lighter mechs from circle strafing, it allows me trade well in a knife fight. And I find the BAP invaluable in dealing with ECM and just getting he paper doll up faster.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...4bd0e59f6286214


I actually haven't owned a 733P in quite some time, after looking at your builds, I'm kind getting urge to get new one... But I kind of also want to try out the Zeus...

Edited by MacBeth, 02 September 2015 - 12:07 PM.

[Sarlic]

Nice post. But i kinda dislike the boating stuff in it. But hey you will not hear my complaining. Atleast it works for the (most) people and i like to see them on the fields again.

It's like the Atlas. You have to sacrifice and drop some things to make it viable.

Edited by Sarlic, 02 September 2015 - 12:03 PM.

[STEF_]

MacBeth, on 02 September 2015 - 11:57 AM, said:

That was an enjoyable read, always makes me happy to see other pilots talk about their love for the Highlander, at times I swear I'm the only HGN pilot left. However, when I happen to find myself opposed by another Highlander... I think It's part jealousy and brotherly love , but I swear I hear Sean Connery's voice in my head shouting "I AM THE LAST ONE" and the urge to prove that statement correct

You run a good number of tried and true Highlander builds, many of which I've fondly used over the years. Lately however, I've run my HGN's a little differently, particularly the 732B and 733C, I run those two in a more mid to close range brawl build with 2 to 3 Arty Srm4's and 2 JJ's. Granted the JJ's are a shadow of their former shelves, but the "buff" has made me give into a compromise for two JJ's instead of the usual one, and have helped me surprise certain mechs thinking I couldn't get to them in Canyon or Bog.

This build in particular has treated me well in all but Alpine peaks, with the extra armor and the missile spread reductions I couldn't help but make a close in brawler. Just from my personal experience, even other brawler builds of varying weights have had to pause and consider if a straight up brawl with me is worth it, with JJ's allowing me to negate Lighter mechs from circle strafing, it allows me trade well in a knife fight. And I find the BAP invaluable in dealing with ECM and just getting he paper doll up faster.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...4bd0e59f6286214


I actually haven't owned a 733P in quite some time, after looking at your builds, I'm kind getting urge to get new one... But I kind of also want to try out the Zeus...

Sarlic, on 02 September 2015 - 12:02 PM, said:

Nice post. But i kinda dislike the boating stuff in it. But hey you will not hear my complaining. Atleast it works for the (most) people and i like to see them on the fields again.

It's like the Atlas. You have to sacrifice and drop some things to make it viable.

HGN are quite rare in the battlefield, indeed.
As soon as I entered in the cockpit and went for a ride, it gave me that sensation I search everytime: piloting an huge robotic warmachine. I don't know to what is related, maybe because of the sound of the engine, of twisting, because it is high enough, maybe the way its legs move...who knows.

I really would like to have a diversified loadout in my Highlanders, such as ac20/ml/srm for short range, and also lrm/LL for medium long ranges.
The fact is that a slow mech loadout must work in every map, and we don't know the map in which we are dropping.
So, it's very probable, statistically, that a mid-long range weaponry can work in quite every map, while faster mechs can mount even short range weapons, because they can go close easier.
That's my main reason of boating, which I don't like very much, though.
Another reason I didn't mount LRM, it's because the state of the game in this recent period: a lot of ECM umbrellas all around the map, the very slow speed of missiles, a lot of brawling map. The game itself suggests not to mount lrm, imo.
It's a pity.
Anyway, my second fav HGN (the first being the HGN732B) is been that one with mixed loadout, 733.

I saw you and your "mixed" Atlas, Sarlic, and it's been very fun (except when you kill me! )

About the 733P, MacBeth, I find the 4LPL builds very effective, although very simple/semplicistic.
It is possible to avoid the ghost heat even in a 2 button mouse, and it's possible to hit the same location easily.
With high hardpoints, this works even better, for instance in the Battlemasters, and in the grasshopper 5P

o/

Edited by Stefka Kerensky, 02 September 2015 - 02:24 PM.

[Cabusha]

I brought out my Heavy Metal last month for the first time in a LOOONG time. 2xAC5, 3xLL, big engine, heatsinks and max JJs. With the recent JJ buff, it flies A LOT better. Dropped on the Bog. Used the JJ's to get high, then when things looked good jumped down to wreck a warhawk and PUSHED! The team followed and even when hot I could keep the AC-5s singing. In the end finished the match with 2 kills and 500+ damage and a win.

When piloted to its strengths, the Highlander is still a very effective chassis.

[Spare Parts Bin]

I am going to see if I still love the Highlander when the IIC comes out.

I think one of my first kills was in a Highlander trial mech.

[Aggravated Assault Mech]

The HGN-732B is almost an entirely different mech. The armor perks and asymmetrical hardpoints really make it stand well above the rest of the variants.

[Escef]

I always run jets in my Highlanders, the battlefield mobility is the primary reason to take it over an Atlas. It's nice to be able to do jump jet assisted climbs in Canyon Network, and they come in very useful in Viridian Bog.

A few monthsback I blew the dust off The Beast, looked over her quirks, and swapped out her PPCs for LPLs. And after a few games proceeded to have my highest kill count game to date.

[Cupid and Psyche _]

Your passion for the Highlander is admirable! My adoration of the Adder and Mad Dog almost come close

[Amsro]

I must say that HIghlanders are still my favorite. But a grounded Highlander isn't my style. Max JJ everytime on every variant. 5 for the HM.

Gotta fly (as unimpressive as they are)