49 replies to this topic

[Henchman 24]

I fail to see the concern for one of the most prolific mechs in production. A veritable workhorse if you will of the Inner Sphere. Only the Raven to my knowledge sees as much use. She's a great balance of speed, scrap, and punch.

Again I see folks relying too much on TT number scales to make judgements when we all know this doesn't work in games involving skilled humans vs. chance of the dice.

That said, a complete POS like the urbie in the right hands can take down assaults with ease in the right environment.

If anything, it's the Founders Cat A1 that I think is a little weak...but then, the build itself has been weak without close support since inception. As a standoff missile boat though, it's tough to beat.

Edited by Henchman 24, 14 July 2012 - 07:35 AM.

[3rdworld]

Planning on trying the HB as a sniper. Change the AC/20 for a Gauss Rifle. Most likely drop the Small laser and convert to Endo steel. The weapon being mounted at the apex of the mech will allow me to put most of the mech behind cover while putting a thumping on enemies at long range.

[Comguard]

All you need is Gauss.

[Huntsman]

The trouble with the hunchback is that it's a glass cannon. The lionshare of the mech's firepower lies in a single hardpoint that everyone is aiming for.

Since 1 month out from launch I still know next to nothing about how matches will play, there's also the question of how valuable a combat specalized medium mech will be if players can roll into a match at the start with heavier combat mechs that don't keep all their eggs in 1 basket. This may not actually be a concern, but as I said, I lack a lot of info.

Edited by Huntsman, 14 July 2012 - 08:00 AM.

[Mal]

Riffleman, on 13 July 2012 - 11:14 PM, said:

But the build possabilities are pretty limited giving how heavy even the lightest balistic weapons are.

If all it has is 2 balistic and 3 energy hardpoints, it is severely outgunned. The best I could come up with was keeping the engine the same to avoid core explosion from xl engines, reeplacing the ac 20 with a gauss riffle and 2 tons of ammo, changing the energy weapons to 3x medium pulse lasers, and the internals to endo steel, and double heat sinks. Lack of variety in builds is kind of hobbling this for me as a founders mech, and likely will have me changing my choice later.

Anyone have an alternative build that seems effective? Also if I add case on the torso with the gauss riffle, will it protect me from the gun exploding like it protects against ammo, or is it useless in the case of the gauss riffle.

The Founder's 'Mechs aren't really supposed to be the 'hold you over till the end of time' chassis.. they're good starts for each weight of 'Mech..

[Zolaz]

Grab the Hunchie if you want to be a brawler. Will you have to sit back and let the big guys mix it up first? Yes. BUT, you are the clean up guy or like Bobby Bocher in the Waterboy. You come in running roughshod blowing stuff up after your guards go in establish the lines. Hey look that Cat took a shot to the ear let me give it an AC. Or look, that Atlas took a shot to its head, wonder how he will like an AC20?

The Hunchie is a killer, dont kid yourself. The only way it could be better is if it was a Hunchie II.

[Riffleman]

Mal, on 14 July 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

The Founder's 'Mechs aren't really supposed to be the 'hold you over till the end of time' chassis.. they're good starts for each weight of 'Mech..

I disagree, the founders atlast at least if you want to switch things around has dozens of viable builds that can switch its roles around, to make things interesting. The hunchback only has a few that over time could make it more boring of a ride. And sticking with the stock IS preferable, if not just for the extra cash made. Still I wish you could drop one of the balistic hardpoints for a missle hardpoint on the founders.

[Jakob Knight]

Latriam, on 14 July 2012 - 07:13 AM, said:

or you could always go this way http://remlab.source...mlab30/mech.lab this build is .5 tons under so I can load case


Type: hunchie Technology Base: Inner Sphere / 3050 Ruleset: Standard (5th edition) Tonnage: 50 Cost: 3,848,500 C-bills Battle Value: 1,113 Equipment Mass Internal Structure: Endo Steel 2.5 Engine: 200 8.5 Type: Fusion Walking MP: 4
Running MP: 6
Jumping MP: 3
Heat Sinks: 11 [22] Armor Factor: 169 11.0 Weapons and Ammo Location Crits Tons Medium Laser LA 1 1.0
Medium Laser LA 1 1.0
Medium Laser LA 1 1.0
Medium Laser LA 1 1.0
AC/20 RT 10 14.0
Ammo (AC/20) 5 RT 1 1.0
Ammo (AC/20) 5 RT 1 1.0

The problem here is that you aren't taking into consideration the MWO setup for customization. If a mech's chassis does not mount Jump Jets in its base configuration, you cannot add Jump Jets to it. Also, we don't know the final hardpoint setup, but as it stands now, it's on a 1-for-1 mounting, so you could only mount three medium lasers which would have to be in the Right Arm, Left Arm, and Head (one each).

There are plenty of options, however. From mounting twin PPCs (one each arm) to going with a Gauss Rifle or LB10X AC. It all depends what you want the mech to do. About the only thing it can't do is be an Atlas (gimme all da guns an' amur I kin walk wit!), or a Jenner (fly like a bumblebee, sting like a....bumblebee, wave as....oh, nevermind...gimme SPEEEEEED!!!). If you are looking for the biggest, most heavily-armed and armored 'mech, then you should probably go over to the Atlas, as you won't understand how to use the Hunchback, or be happy with the ability to modifiy it to suit the mission.

Understand this. From a customization viewpoint, the Jenner is the speed specialist, the Atlas the armor specialist. The Hunchback and Catapult are the multi-role designs, with the Hunchback leaning towards the speed side and the Catapult the armor side. If you are looking for a design you can modify to be speedy and still have some good armor and weapons, then the Hunchback is what you want. If you want a design that can be modified to have heavy armor and only good speed, then you'd go with the Catapult. The Jenner is for pilots who want speed as everything, while the Atlas is for those who only want the heaviest armor. Used those as your guidelines, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Edited by Jakob Knight, 14 July 2012 - 09:13 AM.

[Mal]

Riffleman, on 14 July 2012 - 08:36 AM, said:

I disagree, the founders atlast at least if you want to switch things around has dozens of viable builds that can switch its roles around, to make things interesting. The hunchback only has a few that over time could make it more boring of a ride. And sticking with the stock IS preferable, if not just for the extra cash made. Still I wish you could drop one of the balistic hardpoints for a missle hardpoint on the founders.

While you could use a Founder's 'Mech forever, you're severely limiting your options if you do. Look at all the 'Mechs that have been announced, but aren't choices for Founder's packs... Not to mention the different variants have different hardpoints, which could result in a different play style for the same chassis.

[Riffleman]

Mal, on 14 July 2012 - 10:02 AM, said:

While you could use a Founder's 'Mech forever, you're severely limiting your options if you do. Look at all the 'Mechs that have been announced, but aren't choices for Founder's packs... Not to mention the different variants have different hardpoints, which could result in a different play style for the same chassis.

Yes variety is good, and there are different variants of the same chassis. My complaint was that out of all the variants, the most valuable slot, the founders version, is also the weakest with the fewest options. Not so of the founders atlas, catapult, or jenner. I guess I can just switch my choice and buy the regular hunchback with c bills, and play the variants when I can get them.

[Uri Brauer]

Jakob Knight, on 14 July 2012 - 09:02 AM, said:

The Hunchback and Catapult are the multi-role designs, with the Hunchback leaning towards the speed side...

Bwah ha ha haaah!

The Hunchback isn't a 'multi-role' design. It's built to do one thing - defeat more versatile mechs in a close-range slugging match.

The Hunchback isn't speedy. It's slower than everything else in its weight class.

[Mal]

Riffleman, on 14 July 2012 - 11:41 AM, said:

Yes variety is good, and there are different variants of the same chassis. My complaint was that out of all the variants, the most valuable slot, the founders version, is also the weakest with the fewest options. Not so of the founders atlas, catapult, or jenner. I guess I can just switch my choice and buy the regular hunchback with c bills, and play the variants when I can get them.

Use the Founder's 'Mech to get familiar with the chassis, and take advantage of the bonus C-Bills, to earn the $ to buy the 'Mech you want.

[Alexander Diaz]

I think its important to note that "harpoint" does not = "critical slots". That may be a ballistic hardpoint but it's also a lot of criticals.

[Pvt Dancer]

The whole freaking point to the Hunchback is that your mounting the most dangerous, feared weapon in the game with a reasonable speed to get it into combat to use it and reasonable armor to survive getting into combat to use it. EVERYTHING is about the AC 20. If you do not want to use an AC 20, play a different mech (For the OP, a Catapult. For non-Founders, a Centurion). There is a reason why nothing smaller mounts it and that no other mechs till Assault chassies use it with regularity.

With double armor in this game, the AC 20 will reward you with tearing huge chunks of armor off of enemy mechs from single locations. It is a killer weapon and people will fear it. Remove it and your just another medium with heat problems.

[Tovran]

I'm not sure what you mean about less options really. It has some hardpoints (3 energy and 2 ballistic) just like other mechs, what you do with them is up to you. Plenty of combinations of weapons, armour and engines fit which are very different. You could go PPCs, LLs, a couple AC/2s or /5s, an AC/10, AC/20, Gauss, MGs in all kinds of combinations. Once we get the other weight saving upgrades the fact that this variant of the hunchback tends to have quite a few crits left lends itself well to those too. I expect what you really mean is that you don't like the options this variant has available as much as others, which is fine. It doesn't really have fewer options though.

[Xandre Blackheart]

You are only limited by your imagination (and hardpoints). If you can't think of several viable roles for the stock hunchback chassis, your imagination needs some caffeine and a perhaps a swift kick to get it started...

It's already an excellent close range brawler, and can quickly and easily be converted to a long range sniping mech with minimal customization. Or an ambush hunter, or an excellent command platform. Hell you can even get a very decent medium "scout/recon" out of it if you want to invest the money.

That's the key though, the chassis has a couple of good core roles that it already excels at. What more do you want? A chassis that can be swiftly and easily converted to fill any battlefield role? It doesn't exist, I'm not sorry to say, because if it did that would be all that anyone ever used.

[Telecleez]

all in all the Hunchback is a support mech for the heavy hitters like that atlas or other heavy gunners.
It's like the A-10 of the mech world like it was said before the mech was designed around the gun not the other way and it's designed to cover the area between the lights and the heavy/assault classes and it is full of possabilities... i made a minni-bmaster outta it but that was on the table top cant do it here... at least from what i hear but just keep your mind open and try new things till u find what u like at least w/ the extra earning ablility of the founders mech u'll be able to get the c-bills in order to keep try'n

any how gl and just have fun w/ it

[Red squirrel]

So far I don't like any of the medium mechs in the game.
(but this might of course change once I start playing)

I like the light and heavy mechs though.
It was a really diffcult decission between the Jenner and the Catapult
and I might just upgrade my founders package.

Edited by Red squirrel, 14 July 2012 - 01:20 PM.

[Eximar]

Gauss, AC 10, AC 5 are all great, but as long as you have that AC 20, there is always the chance of...

[Rychard Starheart]

ER LL x2
UAC5
2t ammo
15 dbl hs
endo steel
10.5t armor
standard engine

or

drop 1 dbl hs
drop UAC + ammo
add XL
add LBX + 4 t ammo.

long range sniper that runs a little hot

Edited by Rychard Starheart, 14 July 2012 - 01:50 PM.