Haven't run any of these yet. That said, here's what I'm thinking of going with first:
MAD-3R
All right-side pokey. With the PPC quirks on that chassis, I'd be dumb to NOT use 'em. Works with PPC and ERPPC, so they're interchangeable for this build. It's a slow landlubber, and it takes some practice to get the timing right on the weapons. But those faster PPC shots ARE easier to land.
MAD-5D
NOT terribly heat-efficient. One could ditch one of the JJs for more SRM ammo. One could also turn the SRM6's into ASRM4's, and get a lot more mileage out of 2 tons of ammo. I DO so love the IS LPL, though. The concept here is to use the right side at medium range, and the left up close. Not sure how well it'll work. Guess we'll see soon.
MAD-5M
Don't have a feel for this one yet. I'm like Glenn in "Accepted": "WHAT ARE YOU?!?!?!?!" (If you haven't watched that film, and you've ever been a college-bound kid, you are SO missing out.) The LB-10X is a better weapon than it gets credit for, but it's more of a late-match thing. It's kinda MEH for doing damage at medium range early (though it can be helpful for scaring off squirrels), but when the armor gets stripped down it's a fearsome beast. AGAIN, love the IS LPLs. Right arm for early mid-range engagements, left arm for up-close work, RT for finishing. One could ditch a JJ for more ammo, were one so inclined.
MAD-BH2
So, this one I haven't figured out at all yet. Seriously, the big shortcoming of the MAD chassis is that most don't have anything going on in the LT. That means spreading things out to the arms, and those just aren't great for this game. That said, having THAT many energy hard points kinda leads you off in a certain direction. So, it boats MLs. Sue me. Also, one of the very few IS mechs I have that uses CASE. It's a STD engine, and I can retain half of my MLs if the worst were to happen. It's a 300STD, though, so this is no slower than any other typical MAD out there. And it jumps, because REASONS!
I just don't really have a good feel for this mech yet. Maybe AC/2 IS the way to go. Two of the variants have multiple RT ballistic hard points. That limits you to only one Gauss, AC/20, or AC/10, in that location, though. And the AC/20 is ONLY with a STD. So, perhaps the single-critical-slot AC/2 is a good deal. It's got range and projectile velocity, and the ghost heat isn't what it used to be. Combine that with solid energy backups. Hmm...
EDIT: Perhaps
THIS.
Edited by TheRAbbi, 13 December 2015 - 08:19 PM.