24 replies to this topic

[Zirakss]

Fast, mobile assault mechs in the inner sphere forces you to use a XL engine or to have a low payload.

You don't want an XL engine, because it makes the mech much more fragile.

Jump Jets makes your mech a lot more mobile. Problem is: There are only two IS assault mechs with jump jets:

• Highlander
  
• Victor

As Sister RAbbi already told, the Highlander Jumps Jets were seriously nerfed, which makes them nearly useless. I liked the mech a lot in the table top game, but my unit comrades told me: Nope, not a good mech anymore!

The Victor has useable jump jets and is light enought (80t) to get some mobility without an XL engine. But the problem is: The chassis is not very good.

Here is the best version I found, which fitted your description:

• Mobile
  
• Jump Jets
  
• Brawler

URL: http://mwo.smurfy-ne...9ad0426a589b5a8

That is as good as it gets. If that is fine for you, good! Otherwise you have to give up mobility or robustness.

For a brawler robustness is very important. So you would have to give up mobility. Then there are a lot of mechs to choose from. As the people before me already told:

• Atlas - There is a ECM version around!
  
• Banshee - Good mech with good quirks
  
• Battlemaster - Good quirks too.
  
• Mauler - Exceptional good for AC
  
• King Crab - Even more AC, when desired.
  
• Stalker - With the Misery you get a ballistic hardpoint. It's considered as one of the best hero mechs.

[Fobhopper]

I have an entire guide for heavy and assault mechs, but if you dont have the time for the entire guide, here is the short end.

King Crab - Best brawler in the game, dual AC20 and SRM6's or pulse lasers with 325 std engine and some heatsinks and about 8 tons of AC ammo. No other mech can out dps it in a brawl other than a Dakkawolf, but since clans has crapper AC weapons, KGC wins in that brawl.

Atlas - A good 'all comers' assault mech. AC20 in the torso, srm's or lrm 15 in the other chest, and then ER or standard LL in the arms. I personally like running the hero mech boars head with stock xl400 engine, and run that with 4 LPLs in the arms. at 70kph, 4 LPL and an attitude, you can ruin someones day. But if you only want to stick to the meta, get the D-DC variant that comes with an ECM.

Highlander - to be honest, only the hero mech is worth a damn. The chassis isnt bad, its just that its not great either, but I run my Heavy Metal with a gauss in the right arm, 3 LPL in the left arm.

Battlemaster - a competent laserboat. The hardpoints in the arms are really low, but the chest hard points are mostly high'ish. Requires a lot of investment to make good. The hero mech is the only mech in the game that has a special quirk that makes the temperature of the map 50% less effective on your heat dissipation. So hot maps dont make you run as hot, but you also dont get as much cooling from cold maps either.

Stalker - great fire support and long range firing mech.

Mauler - not so great for lasers, but plenty of harpoints and quirks for dakka and missile builds. keep in mind though that the torso movement is really limited. So if you are trying to hit a UAV/hill humper or trying to shoot a light mech thats orbiting you, expect to die.

[Davegt27]

OP save your C-bills IS Assaults are much pain for little gain

They are to slow and to under powered

The Atlas got a reprieve with its buffs but it is still a big old target

I am convinced the true purpose for IS Assaults is to give people something to shoot at

[ZeProme]

IMO, I would stick with a class that you have played and considered it to be comfortable and rather compatible for you to reach higher combat potentials with it. Trying out Assault classes would be a wonderful idea but if you are frustrated with them, you should play a lower class that's more suitable for you.

I'm not saying that Assaults are bad but generally, they're very specific in terms of play style. You can diversify them however you want or make them like fast heavies (XL engines), but assaults, especially the Atlas, are prime targets that enemies take down first for many good reasons.

Large, cumbersome. Had plenty of armor and weaponry, all the desirable to get rid of them quickly. Or just C-bill/exp punching bags as how I would see them sometimes. Yummy.

The problem obviously has to do with their ability to re-position and their role on the battlefield. If you aren't an compatible assault pilot (or any of the specific chassis), as in you can't pull up your own weight, you might need to re-evaluate what you want to pilot.

At least for me, I really suck with Atlas. Huge and slow so it's often times difficult to take cover. You can slap a bigger STD engine, but that limits your armor and weaponry. XL engine? Sure... Boar's Head but why for such a large chassis and relies on getting close to deal damage. Of course, you can tweak the build but that's a different matter.

[StumbleBee]

I have three Banshees, and they were a good choice for my first (thus far only) assault. I run them all with standard engines -- typically the -3M with five LPLs, the -3E with three AC/5s and three LLs, and the -3S with three LPLs and an AC/20. Good fun.

For your play preferences, GMan has a suggestion (and with a little work it can be upgraded to a 400 XL).