11 replies to this topic

[Metro Gnome]

hi guys,fairly new player here. I've been playing for about a month, mainly mediums and heavies, got 3 hunchies-mastered, 3 stormcrows-mastered, couple of cicadas-in progress and 3 thunderbolts also mastered.

I was thinking of grabbing 3 atlases while they're on special amd was wondering which 3 to get. C-bills only please

[Darkspart3n]

3 whole chassis mastered in a month, right on!

Now Atlases are mostly for brawling so my recommendations are going to be based on brawling type builds and such. First you will want to get the D-DC, this is a must buy passing up ECM and overall bad *** two/three shoting machine is just crazy. Nothing crazy here just 3 SRM 6s and a AC/20 to wreck face with. Next will be the S, some people prefer being able to run 4 SRMs to just 3 so take it or leave it, but this will play basically the same as the D-DC if you do build it the same. Now I would recommend the Boar's Head as it is on sale but you said C-bills only so this is a no go. For your last variant you have some options, you can get the D or the RS reasons being is that the D is just a less missile heavy brother to the D-DC and S. While the RS is different because of the different quirks so many people build this with gauss and LLs but you can definitely do some cheeky stuff with full large pulse builds. Lastly we come to the K which is worse than the D with 1 less ballistic and missile hardpoint and worse than the RS on energy quirks so I would just stay away from this entirely unless you are super super into energy boats and you want a weaker RS. So there is really no 3 BEST c-bill atlas as they are all worse than the first two in some way but you have options.

TLDR: D-DC=S>TBH>D=RS>K

~Dark

EDIT: fixed spelling errors

Edited by Darkspart3n, 21 January 2016 - 11:09 PM.

[Wintersdark]

The above post fully answers this question.

[qS Sachiel]

DDC is great for balistic and ECM lovin
R is OK. Seen people use them as LRM boats, but to taste, seems like a general purpose.

Haven't tried the AS outside of those two really. Just make sure your'e very concentrated and sure on your direction . Don't want to be messing around deciding, half comitting to things in a lumbering kill box.

[Rogue Jedi]

I agree with Dark Spartin, but want to add a bit more information.

D-DC and S are the best 2 for ECM of the D-DC and potential firepower of the S, D-DC has 3 M, 2 B and 2 E hardpoints, the S has 4E, 4M and 1 B hardpoint

D and RS are roughly equal, RS has 4 energy in the arms, D also has 4 energy 1 in each arm 2 in the CT ^{(same as the S and K)}, both have 2 missiles, the D has 2 Ballistic hardpoints to 1 on the RS but as most people take an AC20 the extra B hardpoint is largely irrelevant.

K is the worst of the bunch similar to the D but with less Ballistic and missile hardpoints in exchange for a second AMS, it is also the most expensive Atlas because it comes with an XL300 engine, due to the whole side torso death thing an XL engine is a bad idea on an atlas which will still have a lot of firepower after loosing 1 side, and will almost always loose a side torso before the CT, also the 300 engine is in my opinion not enough for an Atlas, you will probably want a 325 or 350 for the extra agility that gives.

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 22 January 2016 - 04:05 PM.

[TheOddball]

Just avoid getting the -K. Other Atlases do everything better. Do not make the same mistake others have made.

...still, the XL300 has been great for other 'Mechs I have.

[Omi_]

Frequent Atlas pilot here.

First reply in this thread is spot on. On a personal note, I prefer the S to the D-DC as the S does the "Atlas" thing best in my opinion. The D-DC has the most similar design to the S, but trades raw damage for ECM. Every other Atlas is second-rate, though I personally prefer the D as the closest in relation to the D-DC and the S. The Boar's Head is probably next or equal to the D, and the RS is essentially (as others have put it) a watered-down Boar's Head.

The only thing I would change in Darkspart3n's reply is recommend the D over the Boar's Head (if you like to Brawl), and place the RS as only marginally better than the K.

But, Darkspart3n's reply really is very rich in experience.

EDIT: My list: D-DC=S>D>TBH>RS>K ...This is more of a brawl-centric opinion.

Edited by Hornsby, 22 January 2016 - 05:39 AM.

[TercieI]

Darkspart3n, on 21 January 2016 - 10:54 PM, said:

3 whole chassis mastered in a month, right on!

Now Atlases are mostly for brawling so my recommendations are going to be based on brawling type builds and such. First you will want to get the D-DC, this is a must buy passing up ECM and overall bad *** two/three shoting machine is just crazy. Nothing crazy here just 3 SRM 6s and a AC/20 to wreck face with. Next will be the S, some people prefer being able to run 4 SRMs to just 3 so take it or leave it, but this will play basically the same as the D-DC if you do build it the same. Now I would recommend the Boar's Head as it is on sale but you said C-bills only so this is a no go. For your last variant you have some options, you can get the D or the RS reasons being is that the D is just a less missile heavy brother to the D-DC and S. While the RS is different because of the different quirks so many people build this with gauss and LLs but you can definitely do some cheeky stuff with full large pulse builds. Lastly we come to the K which is worse than the D with 1 less ballistic and missile hardpoint and worse than the RS on energy quirks so I would just stay away from this entirely unless you are super super into energy boats and you want a weaker RS. So there is really no 3 BEST c-bill atlas as they are all worse than the first two in some way but you have options.

TLDR: D-DC=S>TBH>D=RS>K

~Dark

EDIT: fixed spelling errors

The S with an AC/20 and ASRM24 (2ML optional) is the best Atlas there is (it's the massive structure quirks and bigger alpha...that outweighs ECM). Otherwise, bang on.

S&DDC are the two you want. If you really want to be cheap, you can buy an RS, nor upgrade it and play the trial version.

Edited by TercieI, 22 January 2016 - 05:57 AM.

[Takashi Uchida]

Not else for me to add here to the first response. I personally would not get the Boar's Head though.

I also got three Atlases when they were one sale. At the time, the S didn't exist. I got the DDC and two other ones that I ditched after I got basics (since I had already mastered Battlemasters, I didn't need beyond basic skills for the other two Altases).

I have three Atlases now. DDC, S, and Boar's Head. Bought the BH on sale on a whim. I'm not really succesful with it though, it's hard for me to get good use out of the arm mounts. The XL 400 is a funny gag engine you can stick in Battlemasters and Banshees though.

[SnagaDance]

About 1,5 year ago (when PGI ditched IGP and did some great promos to win people their hearts back) I got myself a K as my third Atlas. Though I admit my reasoning was more like "Hmmm, nice 300XL that I want, and it comes with a dirt cheap Atlas I need and for which I have a Standard 300 lying around....".

Sold it since then, it's really a bad Atlas and I found no reason to use it instead of my DDC or the S that came later with the Loyalty rewards.

[Metro Gnome]

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen, I went with the DDC, S and D. They should keep me busy until the Stalker comes on sale, at which point I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again.

Manffred

[Boulangerie]

Another upshot to the D is that it shares a quirk with the Boars head which is relatively untested in combat.

It has -25% chance to receive critical hits. This means that once your armor is stripped in a location, you are less likely to take damage to your equipment stored there. This can really mean that you keep your weapons for a bit longer and get a couple more shots off with that AC20! With the Internal Structure bonuses, you tend to receive more critical hits than if you had just more armor and less Internals.

Another bonus is that you have 2B, like the DDC, so you could try a double UAC5 build for a little more range, or a double LBX10 build for some serious shot gunning (though the LBX is comparatively weak to mounting an AC20 or 2UAC5s due to the spread nature of the damage).