33 replies to this topic

[BeauHindman]

So I am not new to MMOs or multiplayer games, or even "shooter" style games, or even to MechWarrior. Having said that, I am not a good player. Due to lack of time and to the fact that over the years I had to play SO many games for work, I never honed my skills.

I like to stay back, provide some support, but then be able to run away like a wimp.

I need a mech with some decent long range support, some good up-close defense, and tough as a turtle. Oh, but fast like a rabbit.

Any ideas? I have been playing with loadouts lately, but can't seem to find THE one.


Beau

[Ranhorst]

http://metamechs.com...es/timber-wolf/
http://metamechs.com...es/firestarter/

Edited by Ranhorst, 15 October 2015 - 06:10 PM.

[sycocys]

Well. There's going to be nothing that comes close to fitting most of what you want in a package.

The closest thing I can come up with off the top of my head is the Jester but that's going to require money, and you are new so you should probably hold off on spending until you are more accustomed to the game.

Maybe the Hellbringer or Timberwolf could fit the bill for most of what you are looking for, a few of the Thunderbolts can operate at both long and medium range and take a decent beating.

End of the day, being that you are a new player I'm going recommend that you actually do something different than what you are imagining at the moment.

Buy 3 Lights. Firestarters would be a pretty decent entry point for a new player. They have reasonable firepower for a light and decent hitboxes. Running these until they are all fully mastered and rigged out + enough money for the next mechs I suggest will give you a VERY good grasp on how to play the game, fast matches so you'll play more, and a lot of experience in avoiding/taking damage and how/where to put damage on enemies.

After you fully master those -
Buy 3 Hunchbacks. The 4J, 4G, and 4SP. These will be your next step in learning how some of the other weapons systems work, and an incremental step up in learning to protect parts of your mech that are targets for destruction.

You will learn a LOT from mastering out these two sets of mechs. From these two you can keep branching upward or outward and have a pretty firm grasp on most if not all of the games current mechanics other than ECM (which is going to be a huge change soon anyhow so I'd recommend not picking it up and getting used to its broken features).

[BeauHindman]

Awesome, thanks. Money is not an issue... I have some left over from earlier purchases. I'll try these mechs out. I love the "try it out" feature as well.

I'll pick up the Firestarters tonight.

Thanks!

Beau

[InspectorG]

BeauHindman, on 15 October 2015 - 06:01 PM, said:

Awesome, thanks. Money is not an issue... I have some left over from earlier purchases. I'll try these mechs out. I love the "try it out" feature as well.

I'll pick up the Firestarters tonight.

Thanks!

Beau

I wouldnt start with lights. Very unforgiving. You can get one-shotted easily as a new player by not knowing how/when to STOP moving.

Thunderbolt for IS, Timber or SCRO for Clan.

Heavies are the best all around mechs in the current meta. And StormCrows which might as well be heavies.

Now, for the style you want to play you want direct fire support and keep about 500m back. Sniping is too aim/skill demanding.
LRMs are terrible. Brawling requires that you accept you will likely die early.

You want to think in terms of positioning, getting angles on the enemy, and winning trades. You cant really be a scaredy cat in MWO because new players tend to get scared of getting hit. This leads to camping which is when your team balls up and stops in one spot. if the enemy pays attention, they get good position from from many angles and you get chewed apart with nowhere to hide and too many enemies to shoot at.

A Heavy allows you to tank some damage, punch out decent damage, and move at a decent clip.
Mediums would be a good second mech, like Hunchbacks/Wolverines/Blackjacks.

Assaults are powerful but very punishing if you dont position well. And if you Solo drop prepare to get left behind a lot.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

BeauHindman, on 15 October 2015 - 05:42 PM, said:

I like to stay back, provide some support, but then be able to run away like a wimp.

I need a mech with some decent long range support, some good up-close defense, and tough as a turtle. Oh, but fast like a rabbit.

I humbly recommend the Shadow Cat. With the SHC-B LT omnipod, you can haul ECM. Drop ERLLs in the RT and RA for long-range snipey-ness. LA? 3x MG (SHC-P is FINALLY available for C-Bills!), or ERML, or SPL, or SPL and ASRM-4. Don't forget the TCompI and as many DHS as you can fit, and all with max armor on a reasonably quick 45-ton mech with MASC and 6x Jump Jets.

***EDIT***
Also, you can run 2x LPL and some DHS and ECM and a TCompI, and have a ton or two left for a backup weapon. Again, it's flexible.

You can even run the Gauss in one arm, and have a LITTLE bit of tonnage for secondaries.

You can LURM with it. Not REALLY well, but you can.

You can actually SURM-stomp with it a bit, too.
***EDIT: We now return you to your regularly-scheduled program, already in progress***

First five-kill match I can remember, maybe ever, was in one of the above-suggested loadouts. And I'm similarly NOT talented and NOT particularly courageous. Works out fine for me.

Yes. I recommend to you, sir, the Shadow Cat.

Edited by TheRAbbi, 15 October 2015 - 09:17 PM.

[Rogue Jedi]

I strongly recomend not running off on your own, especially when damaged because if a fast Light notices any Mech running off on its own it is likely to chase you down and finish you off

For survivability you want a heavy, for speed you want a light. While pretty much any Mech can take long range firepower.

Lights have minimal armor but can be survivable thanks to speed, if you do go for a Light Mech it will likely be cheap to purchase but expensive to outfit, figure total cbill cost to buy and outfit will usually be 3-4 times purchase price, half that orice is usualy an XL engine, which can be swopped between multiple Mechs, at minimum I would use an XL255 assuming the Mech can fit it, with XL280, 295 and 300 usualy being better choices it the Mech can use them.

If you like the look of the Firestarter and are willing to spend real money I humbly recommend the mastery pack.
Complete basic skills on all 3 then complete elite skills, take the XL295 which comes with one of the mastery pack varients and swop it between all 3 after you unlock the speed tweek elite skill you can move at 150kph with that 295, build your loadout around that engine.

As others have said the Stormcrow a fast, heavily armed medium, and Clan Heavies, Mad Dog, Ebon Jaguar, Hellbringer, Summoner, Timber Wolf, and the Assualt Class Gargoyle are all pretty fast for their weight, but only around half the speed of a Light Mech, however they are all more than capable ot taking some long range firepower

[xengk]

Starting out in light mech can be brutal for new player.
Suggest getting a medium or heavy instead.

The Hunchback should fit most of your bill.
They are cheap to buy & equip, relatively fast, tough and packs a variety of weapons.
The 4J will be your LRM support, 2x LRM10 with 2 to 3 medium lasers as backup.
Grid Iron Hero Hunchback is made for sniping, with it's bonus to using Gauss Rifle.
Take either the 4SP mix brawler or the 4G dedicated AC20 brawler/skirmisher to round out the chassis.

Alternatively, the Shadowhawk can offer much of what a Hunchback can, plus access to Jump Jets.
But at the expense of having bigger hitbox than an Hunchback.

On the heavy side of thing, a Dragon is fast and vicious in the right hand.
They excel in hit and run tactics or act as a support/suppressing fire for bigger mechs, particularly the 1N and 5N.
The 1C would be an energy version, running at least a pair of Large Laser or Large Pulse Lase.

Edited by xengk, 16 October 2015 - 01:15 AM.

[SnagaDance]

BeauHindman, on 15 October 2015 - 05:42 PM, said:

I need a mech with some decent long range support, some good up-close defense, and tough as a turtle. Oh, but fast like a rabbit.

Seems like you're looking for a mech that's both Fast, Tough and has Firepower.

Unfortunately you can only pick 2.

There's always a trade-off. That's not to say you can't try and approximate this. Going for a heavy Medium up to a Heavy mech will, still give you movement but also protection. But you'll need free weight for weapons as well so that means an XL. IS XL-engines reduce your survivability so they're out.

So we end up at Clan mechs. I'd say either the Stormcrow or the Timberwolf. Where the Stormcrow has more speed but the Timberwolf more protection and firepower.
Both mechs also have excellent hitboxes and their walking animations even help to spread damage further. They're not considered the 2 best mechs in the game for nothing you know.

Warning. Because they're so good you could consider them a crutch. Most other mechs will feel worse, even when they represent the average.

[recsa]

HI,

Im a noob too, started playing a week ago, so im not an experienced player to give advice to anyone, but i have spent A LOT of hours in this week and do a lot of research and asking here (amazingly friendly and helpful community) and i can tell you this one thing:

DONT GET A HEAVY OR LIGHT as your first mech.

The most important thing to learn in this game is not how to aim, nor how to build your mech, nor ... the most important thing is (imho) to learn maps to anticipate where the danger uses to be. In a light is very easy to find yourself out of position because how fast they are, in a heavy its easy to find yourself out of position because how slow they are, mediums have the right speed to stay with your team mates, the right amount of armor to soak some damage and enough tons to wear a fearsome punch.

As i said im not experienced enough to talk about specific mechs, but i can tell you my story, first mech i bought was a Firestarter ... was a nightmare, but luckly i came here to ask and decided to replace it by a Hunchback, best decission ever, ive got a great time mastering it, its pretty fast and VERY versatile, so you can experience almost all kind of playstyles with him. My first 8 kills game was with an AC20 Hunch, some of my most fun games were with a 4xERLL Hunch, .... and its is cheap enough so you can buy 3 chasis just with a few days of playing, my advice is 4J or 4P (i would get the 4J because it can both Long Range Lasser and LRM), then 4G (for some AC20 fun) and then 4SP for medium range Lasser/SRMs fun.

Edited by recsa, 15 October 2015 - 11:57 PM.

[B L O O D W I T C H]

what resca said, so full of truth. Learn to stay alive before anything else.

Alternative to hunchies would be cicadas (they pack a punch, have highmounted weapons and have the speed to bail out of unwanted situations).
Next in line would probably be crabs (the new mediums, not the assault class). They are quite tanky and have near lightclass speed.

[Appogee]

BeauHindman, on 15 October 2015 - 05:42 PM, said:

I like to stay back, provide some support, but then be able to run away like a wimp.

This is probably the biggest mistake you can make in MechWarrior.

All it takes for a team to lose is a few guys hiding and then running away, and the team loses. Because this is a game which see-saws very significantly based on the number of Mechs firing.

You need to be part of the deathball, shooting consistently at the enemy, while torso twisting to spread damage, and using cover intelligently.

Don't hide. You won't score well, you'll cost your team the win, and you won't get any good at MWO, either.

BeauHindman, on 15 October 2015 - 05:42 PM, said:

I need a mech with some decent long range support, some good up-close defense, and tough as a turtle. Oh, but fast like a rabbit.

If that existed the game would be even more imbalanced.

I suggest you go for a "fast Heavy" Mech ... Timberwolves and Hellbringers are particularly good, and omnipods mean you can equip them any way you like. Storm Crows are cheaper but still good.

If you can't afford Clan tech, go for Shadowhawks, which are tanky Mediums that offer a good variety of chassis options.

Battlemasters can be made into fast Assaults if you invest in an expensive large engine. They are my signature Mech and made me the CBillionaire I am today

Mastery Packs offer a 50% discount off the three Mech you will need to Elite and Master a chassis, including a CBill-accelerated Hero Mech. They are by far the best value in the game, even exceeding the discount offered by spot sales, and they're available all the time. If you buy Mech Credits during the current sale, you get bonuses AND can then use the MC to buy a Mastery Pack - double win.


Things to Avoid

1, Don't buy Lights. They are fun, but require higher skill than you have right now.
2. Don't get Dragons. They're only good at the moment due to Quirks, which are about to be removed.
3. Don't go LRM boating. It's not worth it, you won't learn how to fight, and your team will despise you.
4. Don't get Cicadas. They play like a better-armored Light, but they are a bigger target, too.
5. I can't endorse Hunchies for new players. Too much firepower is located in one big easy-to-hit component. Maybe in Tier 4 you can get away with that for a while, but in Tier 3 you will come up against Tier 1 and Tier 2 opponents who will strip your weapons in two shots.
6. Don't get a Shadow Cat. They are fragile and limited in their loadouts vs other Clan Mechs.
7. Don't get an Assault to start with (unless it's the one I recommend above). They are big, priority targets for the enemy and you need to develop excellent situational awareness and positioning in order to survive and do well in them.

Edited by Appogee, 16 October 2015 - 02:00 AM.

[Cataclysm315]

If you run away then you are taking your guns out of the fight. Playing support is a great role and I prefer it, but just make sure to push up with your fellow team mates otherwise they will be outnumbered and killed.

Another tip is to always make sure that you are doing as much damage while receiving as little as possible. A good example of this is to use a hill to cover you from the mechs on the left while you fire on the mech dead ahead of you. You can also peak in and out of cover to provide hard cover while your weapons reload, but don't peak the same place too much as someone maybe waiting with a nasty surprise!

The final bit of advice that helped me get good is to use your armour. By that I mean turn and twist to take damage across all of your mech, don't let them just core you as this doesn't take long even in the fatlas.

[Rhavin]

You can rarely have everything you want in a mech, you can have everything you need though.

I used to endorse the hunchback, but truly you are better off with a stormcrow even if the cost of one is the same as 3 hunchbacks. Speed, agility, plenty of loadouts that have firepower to help your team. people in the know tend to splode them up fast when they are out of position though, and that is the biggest problem with a fast mech and a new player, you get ahead of your team and never make it back.

Only the best players operate away from the group with great success. Stick and move snipe play requires a certain knowledge of the maps and how a battle will evolve as one team or the other starts to spiral into a loss. You dont want to be caught doing it, so you need to have a grip on where everyone is going to move too to get the next advantage. Knowing that lets you stay out of the way of their team repositioning entire lances by coming up on you unaware and killing you with a few alphas. Some new players get it quickly, some don't ever get it. Good mechs for this are ravens with ER large lasers, shadowcats with guass/ppc/ lasers, all with ECM. However, since you feel you are a bad player, chances are you are not getting it yet. So my best advice is that no matter what your mech choice is just stay with your group till you see and know what tactics are winning on each map. When you die, find another player and spectate until they die and maybe you can learn something that you can put to good use in your next game.

[Koniving]

Quite literally, any mech that can equip Missiles or Ballistics. If Ballistics, then in high areas on the mech, preferably near cockpit level. If missiles it doesn't matter where.

LRMs, Gauss, AC/2s.

Jagermech example AC/2s and 5s.

Enjoy.

I should note: It seems that most weapon and heat quirks are getting removed from mechs in the near future. So it really won't matter in the near future. (What will matter is sensors; hard to lock onto enemies with missiles without being able to detect what is in front of you.)

Edited by Koniving, 16 October 2015 - 05:07 AM.

[InspectorG]

Appogee, on 16 October 2015 - 01:44 AM, said:

Things to Avoid

1, Don't buy Lights. They are fun, but require higher skill than you have right now.
2. Don't get Dragons. They're only good at the moment due to Quirks, which are about to be removed.
3. Don't go LRM boating. It's not worth it, you won't learn how to fight, and your team will despise you.
4. Don't get Cicadas. They play like a better-armored Light, but they are a bigger target, too.
5. I can't endorse Hunchies for new players. Too much firepower is located in one big easy-to-hit component. Maybe in Tier 4 you can get away with that for a while, but in Tier 3 you will come up against Tier 1 and Tier 2 opponents who will strip your weapons in two shots.
6. Don't get a Shadow Cat. They are fragile and limited in their loadouts vs other Clan Mechs.
7. Don't get an Assault to start with (unless it's the one I recommend above). They are big, priority targets for the enemy and you need to develop excellent situational awareness and positioning in order to survive and do well in them.

+1 on all except 5.

HBK i think are good for beginners BECAUSE it teaches you a valuable lesson: twist that damage, peek just enough. They normally run a STD engine. Speed is ok. P,G, and J are solid but different.

[InspectorG]

LOADED, on 16 October 2015 - 01:25 AM, said:

what resca said, so full of truth. Learn to stay alive before anything else.

Alternative to hunchies would be cicadas (they pack a punch, have highmounted weapons and have the speed to bail out of unwanted situations).
Next in line would probably be crabs (the new mediums, not the assault class). They are quite tanky and have near lightclass speed.

I would avoid Cicadas for beginners. They have their own style of play, they arent light, nor are they medium.

Currently, one good alpha from most mechs will core your ST/CT. The hitboxes are unforgiving. To Cicada well you need excellent timing to peek. Plus, the optimal engine, 300XL will cost a bit.

Crabs seem pretty good but arent out for Cbills yet.

HBKs only need endo to start and an STD 260 is cheaper than xl's needed for other mechs. Only the J would use a xl one the player got survivability down.

[Torezu]

Appogee, on 16 October 2015 - 01:44 AM, said:

If you can't afford Clan tech, go for Shadowhawks, which are tanky Mediums that offer a good variety of chassis options.

I can't recommend a Shadow Hawk for a new player. If they weren't nearly as tall as a Banshee, maybe, but as it stands, they're too easy of a target. Heck the Orion I started with (yeah, I know, no mocking) is shorter. The only advantage the Shadow Hawk has is a high mount ballistic, and the Hunchback does that just as well, with a much tougher mounting point for it.

[SnagaDance]

Koniving, on 16 October 2015 - 05:06 AM, said:

Quite literally, any mech that can equip Missiles or Ballistics. If Ballistics, then in high areas on the mech, preferably near cockpit level. If missiles it doesn't matter where.

I beg to differ on the last part, have you tried a Zeus with an LRM fist? You'll be hitting even small humps with your volleys. But I'll grant it's an exception (We've got a saying in Dutch where we state the exception merely confirms the rule)

[BeauHindman]

Holy moly.... so much to digest.

Thanks all!


Beau