Currently outdated due to the Skill-Tree Patch. Stay tuned for an update in the next month or so. (gonna take some time to suss things out - sorry)
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Valhalla awaits all willing to fight.
The process has been long and halting. As impeding patches and even the risk of Energy Draw continued to make any move on our part obsolete. Furthermore while balance is not as bad as it has been it has slowly settled back in favor of the clans recently; especially with the inarguable strengths of the Kodiaks.
But with recent announcements it seemed now was the time to post what we have, for I believe that Community Warfare should have a significant upswing in the coming weeks and even if an insane quirk/module retool looms on the horizon is it not best we put our best foot forward now?
So let me begin first with our design document.
(YO CLICK ON THIS LINK THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO READ!)
With various factors in mind such as; Accessibility, ease-of-use, survivability, dupability and others we have redistributed the best mechs for the general public into a list of tiers.
Tier 1 are solid mechs that most players cannot go wrong in. They wont make a pilot good at the game but what they will do is give that pilot a chance to be better.
Tier 2 are still 'good' mechs but they either more punishing to the player or less proficent at doing something than one of the Tier 1 mechs.
Tier 3 we believe are not ideal mechs. However they are not terrible and with the right pilot in the right situation they may be useful. More then likely a person would only take one of these due to weight restrictions.
Our official recommendation is this: Try to build your deck using three mechs from Tier 1 and one Mech from Tier 2. If you can help it do not use any mechs from Tier 3, and never more than one in a single deck.
Recommended Decks:
Grasshoppers:
While you can build a deck with three Warhammer variants, the -7S is noticeably weaker than the rest, and the dakka Whammy isn't ideal for every map. The Grasshopper deck is more homogeneous, every build is extremely similar and can be played virtually the same. It's simple to learn, and always effective.
A great place to start if you're new to CW and building your first dropdeck. Mind the XL engines, torso twist after every shot to spread incoming fire, and remember that pumping your jumpjets can make you harder to hit.
GHR-5P (opening mech, has a bit more range with LL to get through the poke phase in the first wave) GHR-5H (laservomit alpha-monster. It's fast and nimble, and quirked for heat.) GHR-5N (same as the previous, but built for right-peek. Arguably third best variant.)
40-tonner or less (CDA-3M, RVN-2X, or on some maps the Oxide and CDA-2B are better where there is more brawling)
Grasshopper Alt Deck
For players who own multiple Grasshoppers but don't want a weak 4th mech. GHR-5H GHR-5P QKD-5K (or RFL-5N if you own it) ENF-4R (or an 3x LPL Arrow if you own it)
Warhammer deck:
Warhammers are in a really strong place right now. Good armor, good dps and good mounts they can be devastating in the right hands. They are however a little slow and some builds for them aren't great in all situations. I think running 3 WHM-6D's might be the best, but obviously most people aren't going to have the mechbays or c-bills for such an opulent gesture. The Blackwidow is a beast but sooo slow that I left it out of this grouping.
WHM-6D WHM-6R (use ppc version if you want) WHM-7S (weakest of the WHM's in this group - if you want to replace it with a GHR no one would blame you!)
RVN-2X/CDA-3M/Oxide
Hot Map Special:
These mechs are slower and little more fragile than some of the laser vomit mechs. WHM-BW WHM-6R (Feel free to replace the LL's with PPCs if you are confident with that build) JM6-DD
RVN-2X/Oxide
If you want to duplicate a tier 1 mech, then go for it. We only recommend multiple versions because people usually do not own or want to buy more then one of each version. Our goal here is not to tell you exactly what deck to bring, but to help you build a good deck. QKD's and RFL's are not the greatest mech but because they are only 60 tons they allow you to bring a heavier 4th mech and with some practice they can usually do decently.
There is one 'speciality' dropdeck I would like to try... CPLT-A1 CPLT-C4
CPLT-BB/TDR-5SS/QKD-4H (old brawl build) GRF-3M
This is for what we in the ISENGRIM refer to as 'Goating' that is taking quick SRM/Close range mechs and running head first at the enemy until one team is dead. It is strategy for pure reckless abandon and nothing else. If anyone holds back they doom everyone.
Spoiler
CURRENTLY OUTDATED DUE TO NEW PATCH. THUNDERBOLTS ARE PROBABLY STILL SAFE BUT I RECOMMEND YOU WAIT FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS THREAD IN THE NEXT WEEK AND A HALF.
-From the Desk of the RKA Kvartermester to all Mech Warriors and Independent Commands currently fighting for the FRR-
Hail. At the last Jarlsmoot there was strong support for an official RKA sanctioned Dropdeck and Mech list to be put together and made public. In accordance with this wish we have put together the following guide.
The RKA is a Coalition of like-minded units with-in the FRR, they retain their political autonomy and therefore these builds and dropdecks are not mandatory. They are merely suggestions for new and old pilots of the FRR seeking guidance in ways to better serve their fledgling nation.
The information contained within was not thrown together haphazardly. Nor are they the opinions of a marginal or contrary group. They represent the best builds that the finest ISEN-MechWrights and interested RKA leaders could put together.
We realize that you'll run into people in the streets or some hot shot tier 3 LRM-guru that will disagree with what we have compiled here. We will not, cannot, argue with every d1çk and jane under the sun with a difference of opinion. It is for the reader to take or leave at their discretion. We urge you though, especially if you are new or unsure of what to do, to take careful heed of our suggestions.
The RKA does not have the time nor will to fantasize about "purist" playstyles. We understand that some people out there resent 'meta' and prefer to play the game 'their own way'. As the RKA's only objective is the survival of the FRR, they will use whatever tool and take whatever edge they can in every engagement. That means min-maxing, that means taking the best most competitive mechs, and that means doing whatever it takes to support your team and faction.
The teammate who purposely handicaps himself, purposely lets down his team.
BEGINNER DROPDECK:
The Following Mechs and Dropdeck are recommended for new players to the game, new players to CW, or current players in the FRR who have had lackluster performance (averaging under 1000 damage).
The first 'Mech new players to CW should purchase is the THUNDERBOLT.
The Thunderbolt has been a main-stay of IS forces since CW first launched. Despite having suffered a few minor nerfs it is still one of the most powerful mechs in the IS armory and one of the chief workhorses of the Inner Sphere. The Thunderbolt is cheap, tanky and has impressive firepower. It might not be the absolute best mech out there anymore, but it is the most forgiving and a great start for a new player.
Depending on weight restrictions you can also take 3-4 Thunderbolts in every drop, which is great for new players as they can get most of their dropdeck complete with a single chassis.
Thunderbolt-9SE
With three Large Pulse Lasers this 'Mech can put a lot of hurt on a small area fast. It is best for precision aiming and blowing off specific components. Ultimately this is what we call a 'mid-range build', you want to fight engagements at about 300-500 meters. Much further out and you wont be doing enough damage, and much closer and you'll be out DPS'd by a cooler brawling mech. The Large Pulse Lasers will still wreck in a brawl situation, but you'll need to end it fast or you'll overheat.
3LPL will not generate ghost heat so you're going to alpha every shot.
Torso twisting is huge in this 'mech. You have two shield arms and a shield right side torso. Protect your left side torso and you'll be in the fight for a very long time. If you're dying while you still have arms that means your torso twist game needs work. Lead with your shield arms and hide behind them after every volley.
Thunderbolt-5S
For a long time this was the worst Thunderbolt. However after recent quirk passes it is now the 2nd best behind the 9SE. The weapon grouping for this setup is very simple. One group for your lonely right arm LL and one group for the three lasers on your left torso. It is important to remember that 3LL's will not set off Ghost Heat, but 4 will. So you'll not want to fire both groups concurrently very often.
With the majority of LL's on the left torso you'll be all about Left side peaking. Look around a corner and BAM, then pop back behind it. Do your best to keep your Large Lasers on the same component for the entire burn time to maximize your damage.
Once more torso twisting is huge, you'll want to use your left arm first, then your right arm and right side torso. So long as you have your left torso you'll still be in the fight.
The Other Thunderbolts: Those two Thunderbolts are the best, the other ones just don't cut it as well. In all honesty you'd probably be best off buying two of one of the above variants if you were dropping with three thunderbolts (obviously the one you did the best in). However for guys mastering mechs 'n stuff that isn't the best, and the other Thunderbolt's aren't terrible I just wanted to give you a quick heads-up before we continued.
Thunderbolt-5SS
Casualty of nerfs, this used to be the best TDR hands down (I think I own three!). Sadly its better days are behind it. It still is a decent brawler, if a bit hot. You have a lot of medium pulse lasers and if you fire them all at once you'll shred enemy armor. This is a good 'Mech for pushes into the enemy team. Taiga, Portico and Sulpherous are maps where this baby will still shine a little bit like the golden days of yore.
The SECOND 'Mech new players to CW should purchase is the BLACKJACK.
The Blackjack is just a beautiful 'Mech for CW. It can do a ton of damage, has a great poke profile (you can often take shots at the enemy while barely exposing a hint of an arm) and superb mobility. At 45tons it also is very friendly to your weight-restricted dropdeck. It's damage per tonnage is better than any other medium on the market. It is a little fragile though! You have to play it conservatively and intelligently.
Blackjack-1X:
The king of Blackjacks. I have to warn you though, unlike the TDR's above, these guys are running XL's. You gotta protect those side torsos or you're going to have a bad time. These medium lasers are basically a "chain-saw", you'll cut through other mechs like butter. You don't have jumpjets, but at 114kph you move fast enough that you shouldn't be caught out. When the enemy is busy with larger mechs you can hit them where it hurts and bring them down fast.
Alternate BlackJack-1X
If you don't like the medium pulses and would like to reach out and touch mechs a little futher away you can also experiment with this build.
Blackjack-3:
Some people run a PPC version of this, but I think the LPL is a better fit for new players. You can actually put your LPL on your left or right side so if you're dropping with a friend and each have your LPL's on different sides you can peak the left and right side of a building or rock or whatever. Anyways, you have jumpjets so you can get in fun positions and you'll notice you have the same firepower as the Thunbderolt-9SE above. Aim for the same component and you'll wear an enemies armor down fast. Don't be afraid to constantly reposition to keep your mech fresh. Just keep finding those openings and hit 'em with the 3LPL alpha.
The Other Blackjacks:
Once more, these guys just aren't as strong. But they aren't bad either. You'll probably never run a dropdeck with more then two blackjacks though, so you may never run any of the others except to level up.
Blackjack-1
This..is not a great CW mech. It isn't terrible, but it isn't great. I am including it so that people mastering the BJ's can know what third BJ to get. You can AC-20 on hot maps and maybe wreck a few people's day. Once you've basic'd this 'mech, please don't drop with it anymore.
OMG YOU ARE READY TO PLAY LIKE A PRO!
True story. You should now be able to run a 3x Thunderbolt and 1x Blackjack CW drop. Which is super solid. If the weight is up and you have loose change, you can try out a 4x Thunderbolt drop. Either way these are solid 'Mechs and whatever direction you go in the future you'll also be able to come back to them to help smooth out future dropdecks.
STORMTROOPERS: ADVANCED OPTIONAL DROPDECK
This is not a beginner dropdeck. This for people with established and comfortable drop-decks that would be interested to conforming to a FRR-Faction wide RKA 'standard'. For instance, if you've ran into -MS- lately, you'll notice they are all running the same mechs with the same builds (brawling heavies) and running over 12 mans with it. I've been told by some of my advisors that attempting to encourage that same level of conformity within the FRR would be impossible. But, by Thor, I am optimistic.
In the previous section I recommended the Thunderbolt. I will now recommend the Quickdraw. Two of the Quickdraw builds are actually identical to the Thunderbolt build's above. What we're doing though is replacing some tankiness (hello XL's) for great mobility and some slightly nicer quirks. In other-words these mechs are less new-player friendly, but can do more in experienced hands.
If you take a gander over at Gman's MetaMechs you'll notice that the Quickdaw near the top of three out of four of the Tier 1 categories. What I am trying to say is; I am not making this up. The QuickDraw is a big a deal. So we're gonna grab three of them!
Quickdraw-4G
This is one sexy beast. Its range was recently nerfed a little bit, and I think a lot of people focused on that, without realizing that its turn rate and mobility were actually buffed. You're basically a ninja now in this 'Mech. You have three Large Pulse Lasers (TURN ARM-LOCK ON YOU PHILISTINE!) and with them you are the master of the universe. You can core out Ebon Jaguars and Timberwolves so fast it is amazing. Just remember to work on the same component. You are in an XL so you have to be careful about your side torso's. If one gets opened up, reposition so you are poking from the other side.
Quickdraw-5K
Another great 'Mech, with another similar armament to a Thunderbolt previously posted. You'll need to remember to fire only 3 LL's at once, not all four. Some people move the LL's so they have two in each torso and fire 2LL's at once from each - however you're not optimizing your alpha that way. Another ninja 'mech, find great places to poke and hit the enemy where it hurts. Keep your lasers on them for the duration and they'll quickly shed armor.
In tense situations I'll often alpha strike all 4 out of desperation and do massive damage to an enemy.
Quickdraw-4H*UPDATED*
Intially considered the weakest of the deck - this 'mech has proven itself a standout star as a Stormtrooper. This 'mech is a pack 'mech, best for when you have 6-12 Stormtroopers running it at once - alone it is unlikely to do as much work as any of the other mechs will - but as part of a group it'll be taking a sledge hammer to your enemies. It is fast with a vicious bite, you'll want to strife and swarm enemies..using your speed and jumpjets to keep them reeling. It is a brawling XL mech so you'll want to guard those side torsos and also twist.
Quickdraw-4H Flamer variant
A pack of roving 4H's with Flamers shuts down hot mechs and feasts on them in blood-stained glory.
THE 4TH MECH: Dropdeck no longer works with the BLK, go GHR. BlackKnight-6-KNT A really Great 'Mech. Lots of damage possibilities. Its biggest weakness, however, is its low mounts. You don't really want to stand on top of a hill and shoot at stuff as so much of you will be exposed. You want to stand beside something and shoot at it. 3LPL and 5ML is enough to cut through most enemies at a distance.
OR
Grasshopper-5H
A little less fire power than the Black Knight, roughly the same speed, and with JumpJets.
Grasshopper-5H Savage
Lost some armor, but has a 53 alpha and 2 JJs. Mobility is maintained as the cost of armor and heat, but if you know how to work your GHR you should do fine.
Grasshopper-5H Left Poke
This build is less forgiving than the previous one. I recommend you try this out once you're comfortable or competent with the initial build. There is a missile hard point on the head(?!?) of the GHR-5 that slightly obstructs the view when looking right. Therefore it was determined that having a left peak GHR would be superior. You'll need to use ARMLOCK to keep your LPL's all together, but this'll do work.
In order to for Drop Callers and the RKA to see who has a Stromtrooper deck available I will give all players who have it a 'Stormtrooper' badge in the FRR Hub.
We've set up a Stormtrooper reporting channel (similar to how the 1-5K system works). It is at the bottom of the hub, merely add a Screen Shot of your Stormtrooper deck and you'll get the Stromtrooper badge (currently a white hand).
^ As you can see right now I have posted my deck along with Mechronomicon. Anyone who is either [RKA] or has a unit tag can edit that channel to post a screen shot of their deck.
Here's what my screenshot looks like:
That's it. It is my dream that one day I can do a 12 drop with stromtroopers, but maybe no one will adopt those 'mechs, and that is okay. If the new players or the players seeking guidance can at least work on the Beginner Mechs and Dropdecks that'll be a victory for the FRR and RKA.
As an additional consideration for those pugging, and particularly new players, may I be so bold as to also recommend adding to this list one or more ECM chassis. To be clear, most ECM mechs are frankly not that great. I mention this possibility only because of the recent spike of late in LRM use, particularly by defenders. Being capable of bringing even one ECM mech or even better a whole deck can be a huge benefit to your team.
My particular preference for the fast heavy push is to run a deck of 3 Cataphract 0xps and a Cicada 3M. Load out is a personal preference but for the new pug style player I suggest Std 300 running 3LL, 3LPL or the AC/20 + 4MPL builds on the Phracts. Which, depends on map, mode and assigned role (or plain old personal preference). The 3LPL build is particularly new player friendly. The 3M I run with 2LPL.
As I mentioned, none of these mechs are particularly "good" (the Cataphract's low slung arms are a distinct handicap imo), rather they are good at doing their job of bringing ECM and being tough enough to allow the newer player to get some licks in and stay alive long enough to help the team to victory. Obviously other mechs and decks can provide the ECM support mentioned (Atlas, Griffin, Raven etc.), but the goal of the ECM mech (on attack) is to protect as many mechs as possible with ECM so it is essential that you are capable of keeping up with the push, and be tough enough to stay in the thick of it to provide that support for as long as possible. The Phract does that quite nicely when mixed with Thunderbolts, Black Knights and most Quickdraw lead pushes.
Just my 2 cents.
Leaving this post here in case it answers questions for anybody else that comes along:
While I appreciate the feedback, the above post is intended to provide an 'Official Standard' for dropdecks, not necessarily spur discussion. We've already gathered feedback from the heads of multiple FRR units and decided that the selection of chassis you see above are the optimal choices for both new and experienced players alike.
While maybe ECM is valuable, the IS mechs that are capable of mounting it are deficient in other areas and they are not good chassis to purchase and master specifically for a CW dropdeck (most notably because the non-ECM variants are typically weaksauce). You even said that yourself twice, "most ECM mechs are frankly not that great." Again, the above post is supposed to represent a standard that as many players should strive for as possible - these are mechs that are proven to have the survivability and damage output to be competitive in the game mode and also friendly enough that new players will be comfortable in them. A CDA-3M or CTF-0X will require more effort on part of the player to have a positive impact on the battle with them because they are simply not as strong. An AS7-DDC is ridiculously slow, saps 100 tons out of your dropdeck, and really requires a brawl to be worth bringing, which is something you can't always guarantee, so it can even be complete a waste of tonnage from time to time and is not suitable to every map. ECM lights are generally weak and best avoided altogether - you typically only bring them to balance out heavier assaults in your dropdeck, and again, the heavier assault isn't always the greatest choice because it is slow and more dependent on organised teamplay. It also wastes valuable time waddling to battle, sometimes holding up the entire team that is waiting for it to arrive before a push.
The Chassis listed above however, TDR, BJ, and QKD... are all versatile, strong, reliable, and independent. They are also rather quirk-independent as well, in case of future balance patches. Dropdecks can be built around multiple variants and combinations of these chassis to conform to ever-changing dropdeck weights, and for these reasons they are a good choice of mech for players to purchase all three variants and fully Master in the Skill Tree and employ in CW together.
If you are having trouble with amassed LRMs, you have several options that are better than gimping your dropdeck and mech purchases with ECM mechs:
- You can bring Radar Deprivation on every mech in your dropdeck, which I fully recommend - it's worth the investment even if you aren't facing any LRMs at all.
- You can learn to dodge LRMs more effectively - remember that you have to move perpendicular to their travel.
- You can work as a team and push into the enemy boats and overwhelm them if they are numerous.
- You can mount AMS as a last-ditch effort. It's more of a crutch than anything, and players should strive toward doing away with it.
Hope this helps put things into perspective and explaining the thoughts behind the choices provided. We'd like to see all FRR players in uniform dropdecks as often as possible, working together with maximum cohesion. Last time I watched an -MS- player streaming, he mentioned the FRR 12-mans are just solo pugs that all band together on TS but still play like terrible solo pugs anyways. We can do better than that.
My apologizes. Not my thread. Dane's statement regarding suggestions for those seeking guidance put me in that frame of mind. Was just trying to help, given the many threads of late of folks complaining about LRMS. Didn't mean to step on toes.
Post deleted (Tarogato, delete yours above as well. No worries.).
Lore wise I think it would be pretty cool to also develop an official RKA "Berserker" dropdeck, completely focused on short range brawling.
Not sure how it would look exactly, but I see two ways of going with it.
The first would be a slow to fast approach, where you start with a slow wave and finish with a brawling light. After next patch this could look something like Atlas-S>Archer-5W>Griffin-3M>Oxide, and before that the 70ton mech could be a Warhammer or Grasshopper brawl build. One or two players in the team can bring AS7-D-DC>CTF-0X>GRF-2N>Oxide for the ECM. This approach is quite reliant on having enough people doing it, since you need to match up those increasing speed profiles wave by wave.
Second approach would be a more speed balanced one with perhaps 3 heavies and 1 medium or 1 light assaulst 1 heavy 2 meduims or something. Not sure what mechs to bring there but I would personally like to see a fully jump capable 75kph+ deck for this approach so each wave can swarm push over hills and stuff.
On another note I've personally found that having a cool running dakka dropdeck to switch in is very useful, Mauler-MX90>Jager-DD>Jager-S>CDA-3M for example. Especially for building fire lines defending the hot maps.
Nice basic list anyways, 3 TBR+1 BJ is certainly a foolproof starter deck.
Lore wise I think it would be pretty cool to also develop an official RKA "Berserker" dropdeck, completely focused on short range brawling...
A good idea and one I would be happy to implement, but first I want to see if people are willing to adopt the Stormtrooper dropdeck. If folk aren't interested in a unified dropdeck for the FRR then there isn't any point in brainstorming more alternatives.
Yet.. If stormtroopers start popping up and we actually have stromtrooper drops.. Then berserker will be next.
A good idea and one I would be happy to implement, but first I want to see if people are willing to adopt the Stormtrooper dropdeck. If folk aren't interested in a unified dropdeck for the FRR then there isn't any point in brainstorming more alternatives.
Yet.. If stormtroopers start popping up and we actually have stromtrooper drops.. Then berserker will be next.
I see decks similar to your proposed "stormtrooper deck' quite often. Don't know if the specific load outs that you are recommended are being carried however (I mean I NEVER see Quickdraw H with srm6s in CW but I see lots of folks running the 3lpl G, but no idea if they run an XL 330; I see Ks all the time but more often than not I see the 2LPL 4M build more than the 4LL build you propose; etc). Point is, I see lots of folks running combinations of Quickdraws and Black Knights. Still others combine Tbolts, Grasshoppers and lately a Warhammer here and there. But since they are not the exact decks you are describing I am not sure if such hybrids count as "strorm troopers" and they certainly aren't unified.
I like the idea of a unified deck at least as a recommendation, but beyond a recommendation I don't think many would go for a "unified" deck. Too many people just like their particular builds (be they optimal or not). Also a lot of people have particular builds, and particular decks, for particular maps.
Now if we wanted to do a FRR lore based deck I think we need some Dragons in there...and I just don't see that happening.
I like the idea of a unified deck at least as a recommendation, but beyond a recommendation I don't think many would go for a "unified" deck. Too many people just like their particular builds (be they optimal or not). Also a lot of people have particular builds, and particular decks, for particular maps.
Like I said in my post; even my advisors thought it unlikely to be adopted. But I did it anyway because I'd prefer to try and fail then not try at all. I don't need more people telling me what will or won't happen, what I need is to see what actually happens.
It is certainly easier to believe it is impossible and not go about the effort of trying. But that isn't how I like to operate. The post is up and the experiment is live. And besides, even if it doesn't work, the beginner dropdeck still makes most of the post worthwhile.
Edited by Mech The Dane, 04 March 2016 - 09:16 AM.
LocationVery likely goofing off in a match near you.
Posted 04 March 2016 - 10:24 AM
Mech The Dane, on 04 March 2016 - 09:14 AM, said:
Like I said in my post; even my advisors thought it unlikely to be adopted. But I did it anyway because I'd prefer to try and fail then not try at all. I don't need more people telling me what will or won't happen, what I need is to see what actually happens.
It is certainly easier to believe it is impossible and not go about the effort of trying. But that isn't how I like to operate. The post is up and the experiment is live. And besides, even if it doesn't work, the beginner dropdeck still makes most of the post worthwhile.
^^This
It can't help anyone at all if it's not made available.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
If you don't even attempt to lead the horse to water, you'll never know what would have happened. Would it eventually have found it? Would it have attempted to do so? It's harder to say with certainty than one might think.
Horses (like many of us gamers) are pretty "delicate." It's better to put in the effort to show them where the water is, even if they won't take that drink. At least they (we) will know where the water is when they (we) decide that being thirsty is a real thing.
Just to help out: it might be easier for a new player to level his BJ1 with another build, for simply one fact: with an AC20/MPL build, you truly have to commit in order to deal damage. Especially in random PUG matches, those situations don't come that often and are most certainly hard to discern for a new player. Not fun to fully commit and later on realise that your team ran away into hiding.
In my opinion far easier to adapt to, is this build:
Love it, love it, love it! Hoping to see that stormtrooper deck being implemented! I'll do my part to help promote this as well. I think it'll be awesome if we can move the entire FRR faction towards a standardized professional fighting force. Hoping the experiment comes out a success.
Once people have had some time to pick up the three Quickdraws and get them CW ready, I will host some "Stromtrooper Nights"; we'll get all the Troopers together and do some drops and see how it goes.
I think you've posted some useful decks for the beginners. Great job to Dane for posting, and to the other involved with the FRR. Would you ever expand the "advanced mechs" list to include some other notable mechs?
Would be a mobile as **** deck to drop with. Especially good in IS vs Clan engagements as it voids the Clan mobility advantage. Still going to be comparatively fragile but a better punch at what's historically the Clans bread and butter engagement envelope plus more nimble. I've seen someone doing it with Hoppers but the QKD is better quirked for it. Would also destroy most EBJ/HBR decks at a comparable skill level. Plus that BK wave, that's a really monstrous amount of rainbow hate to drop on someone.
Really a good idea and ballsy. Please give updates on how it plays in the field.
Would you ever expand the "advanced mechs" list to include some other notable mechs?
Aye, Cainen.
What I wanted though, was to do more then just post up some useful mechs/builds. There are build suggestions all over the place, and if nothing else an intrepid player could always go to GMan's MetaMech website and pull together some good things from there.
What I wanted to do was create an easy path for new or struggling players in CW. That is, I think, what the beginner dropdeck accomplishes. I do not want to give them so many options they are overloaded; I feel like too often posts about builds get so much input that it all becomes just noise. Then you have the problem that often times people giving advice aren't giving great advice and a new player isn't able to differentiate between bad advice and good advice.
By going after Thunderbolts and Blackjacks they have a very good foundation in a CW dropdeck and from there they can move on and explore other options on their own.
That was the initial goal of this post. The Secondary goal is more of an experiment on my part and is the Advanced Build. I need to know if the FRR/RKA would actually be willing to pick up a 'standardized dropdeck', if it is something we as a community can actually accomplish or if my hopes in that regard are unrealistic.
If the community responds favorably, and I am able to actually do "Stormtrooper drops", then I'll add more Advanced Dropdecks utilizing other notable mechs. I think the next would likely be a 'Berserker' deck, utilizing elements of Sjorpha's suggestion. But if the community does not get behind it, then well, I'll just leave it at the beginner deck.
Edited by Mech The Dane, 04 March 2016 - 03:43 PM.
I have all the mechs so it is easy for me to quickly make a stormtrooper deck... but as you see I am now with the grey haloween-cats so ... bummer. only 3 more weeks till FRR again.
Thinking the same thing. Maybe I'll do a second week back in FRR after my time spying on... err... coincidentally dropping with MS in CSJ is over.
The idea has a lot of promise and if you can get 12 people willing to put it to practice it just might be the next big thing.
Everyone at 80-90, 3 of them running at about 50% cooling? Thats laservomit on Vitric cool. The SRM boats are 2.5 alphas per turret or about 4 per ogen. That's a dunk wave right there. BKs are hot but you just save the MLs for the finish. With the 3 lpls they're 50%.
Like I said it's a great idea for a synergy deck. About 30 million cbills to get into it, maybe a week of CW. It would be a flat out shame if you can't get a full team or two for this.
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