9 replies to this topic

[EJOE]

Hey Guys

I was wondering what i should get as my first mech with my cadet bonus. Personally I like the light mechs, its fun to run away the big guys and take em down. If so which light mech and any build suggestions?

Also if not a light mech than what mech?

[Not A Real RAbbi]

HUNCHBACKS. Start with either HBK-4G or -4P. Once you've gotten BOTH of them, move on to either -4J (LRM boat) or -4SP (brawler). If you're a completionist, you can go back for the -4H after all that.

HBK-4G Pretty vanilla, cheap, good first build. Nice and simple, no need to go blowing the ENTIRE cadet bonus on your first ride.

HBK-4P Fairly straightforward, but a little heavier on the heat management skills. Same engine as the -4G. More out-of-pocket cost, for more DHS and those LPLs. Mess with the order of installation of the MLs and LPLs, to get the LPLs on the top-most spots for best hill-humping results. And don't sweat losing the arms--doesn't cost you anything in that build.

[Unreliable Mercenary]

I need to echo Sister Rabbi here.

In my opinion the Hunchback is THE beginner mech to pick. It teaches you to torso twist to protect your hunch, it has enough speed to get you out of a wrong turn while learning the maps, and it is very powerful! The 4G with an ac/20 is a machine if you can stay fresh until the brawl starts, as is the 4P for surgical dismantling of your enemies with 6 medium lasers.

The techniques you learn in this mech transfer to many other 'Mechs in the game. Once you are consistently surviving matches with 300-500 damage, with your hunch still in tact and everything else blown up, you know you've mastered good twisting for survival.

Here is how I fit my Hunchbacks.

HBK-4G

This is a simple one, twist to protect your hunch between cooldowns of the AC/20, get in close, stay fresh until the brawl, then go to town punching holes through the backs of enemies distracted by your friendly assault mechs.

HBK-4P

Here you also need to twist to protect your hunch, but the 5 medium lasers and the one in the head are used to surgically carve up enemy mechs, with a slightly better range advantage than the 4G. It is great at poking and shaving off critical components once you get accurate with the lasers. The pulse lasers on the arms can be used along with the meds if you have the heat to spare, but they are mainly there to deal with fast moving lights, and pulse lasers with their shorter duration make it easier to get some good leg damage in on them.

HBK-4J

Your main weapon here is your LRMs, the cooldown is insane, and you can basically shoot them nonstop with chainfire to really tick people off. Don't just hide behind a hill lobbing missiles though, try and escort your teammates from the second line and mix in your medium lasers for extra damage, as well as to share your armor and give the enemy something else to shoot at. With your TAG laser you can mark targets for your team and yourself, giving bonuses to your missiles, and also netting you a lot of support c-bills. The TAG is mounted in your head as well, letting you get sneaky and peak your head over a ridge, tag something, and lob a volley of missiles. Just try not to get focused on, your XL makes you explode quite easily.

GRID IRON

This is the sniper of the bunch. Don't get your hunch shot if you can help it, Gauss likes to explode. Your job in this guy is to place accurate shots on damaged components from long range, and assist your frontline friends. Once the push begins you can move in and join the second line like with the 4J, and use your lasers to help out while the Gauss recharges.

You can actually build the two with your cadet bonus pretty easily, perhaps not if you start with the 4j because it needs an XL engine. I started with the 4G and the 4P myself.

I don't know much about lights, I tend to stick with mediums, so I hope someone light savvy will be along shortly!

Good hunting!

Edited by Owen Miller, 09 April 2016 - 10:14 PM.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Hunchie is a good jack of all trades.

For lights your best bets are (in no particular order):

Arctic Cheetah
Firestarter
Jenner (or JennerIIc)

Spider and Raven are also good, a bit more specialized

[Spheroid]

I recommend the Locust-1E. It is fairly combat ready stock and can upgraded in stages cheaply.

All other lights need very expensive XL engine upgrades almost immediately and something like the Arctic Cheetah will set you back 21 million to obtain three.

Also the hero and mastery pack are not outrageously expensive if spending real money. The Pirate's Bane will get you a useful 190XL for only $6. It occasionally goes on sale for under 1,000 MC so it can be had for "free" if you grind faction warfare sufficiently.


In the medium class consider Black Jacks, Crabs or Hunchbacks.

[Rogue Jedi]

while the Hunchback is a great choice you specifically mentioned wanting Light Mechs,

here is a quick breakdown of the Lights I consider to be good for beginners and why as well as a cost breakdown to get them combat ready.

Inner Sphere Mechs
I will start with the Hunchback just to give you an idea of why it is often recommended
Hunchback, 50 tons, cost to get it combat ready, 8 million for the first, 6 million for subsequent variants as you can share the engine, variants offer most playstyles, LRM boat, SRM boat, laser boat, heavy ballistic carrier, has great torso twist, most of your firepower will be in the hunch on the Right Torso, so you will quickly learn to defend that and once you know the secrets of defensive torso twisting you can make any Mech survive much longer

Firestarter, 35 tons the ultimate combat light, rather durable ^{(for a light Mech)} thanks to good hitboxes, can jump, with 7-8 weapons hardpoints on each variant, 2 variants have ballistic hardpoints otherwise all lasers, fairly fast but there are faster and more agile Light Mechs, will cost about 10.5 million to outfit the first, 5.5 million for subsequent variants if you share the engine.

Raven, 35 tons, popular Light Mech, the 3L can take ECM, has some high mounted energy hardpoints on most variants so is popular for a 2 ERLL sniper build, the 3L is expensive ^{(even by Light Mech standards)} to buy and outfit, the 3L has a higher engine cap than the other variants so if you want to use max engine you will need a 295 and 275 engine, I recommend building all 3 around the 275 to save money, if you decide to get the Raven first, cost of outfitting, 2X and 4X will cost about 4.5 million, the 3L will cost about 8.5 million and a XL275 engine will cost 4.5 million

Spider, 30 tons, the most mobile Mech in the game with high max speed and the ability to carry lots of Jump Jets. it has some of the best hat hitboxes in the game making it one of the hardest Light Mechs to take down if you know what you are doing, however like any Light it can be killed instantly if the enemy land a good hit. the Spider is the most lightly armed Mech in the game but makes up for it in speed agility and durability. the 5D can mount ECM, the 5D has a 255 engine cap but the 5K and 5V ^{(the absolute most mobile Mech varient in the game capable of 165 KPH with 12 Jump jets but only 2 lasers)} can mount a 285 engine. outfitting assuming you use a 255 engine on all 3 will cost about 9.5 million for the first and 5 million for subsequent variants.

Locust, 20 tons, the lightest and least armoured Mech currently in game, can be very fast, if you use the Locust it will teach positioning and general sneakyness better than any other Mech, despite its light weight most variants can still carry respectable firepower, often double the firepower of a Spider, the Locust it very fragile, you will frequently go down to 1-2 hits, do not expect to be fighting on the front lines, learning on the Locust will be hard mode, more so than any other Mech ^{(with the possible exceptions of the 100 ton Assaults)} but some people like that, will cost 6.5-7 million to outfit the first, then 3.5-4 for subsequent variants.


Clan Mechs
Jenner IIC, 35 Tons, the most heavily armed Light Mech, 1 variant can carry 6 SRM6 for a 72 point alpha strike, however outfitting will be about 12.5 million for the first, 7.5 million for subsequent variants if you share the engine, it has the rare problem of coming with too large an XL engine, the 315 is just too heavy to carry enough weapons and ammo, you will probably want a 300 or 280 engine, and the 315 is an engine size you are unlikely to want to use so you can afford to sell the XL 315 engines ^{(although keep at least 1 just in case)} the engine will sell for about 3 million.

Arctic Cheetah, 30 Tons, a reasonably fast ^{(but the slowest max possible speed on this list, at least 5 KPH slower than the others assuming max engine)} Light Omnimech with ECM capability, reasonably durable thanks to good hitboxes, this is the only Light Omnimech I can recommend to a new player, it can carry decent firepower for its size and can also take ECM, it has 6 locked Jumpjets so it jumps really well, as it is an Omnimech the engine and upgrades are locked but you can change the weapon hardpoints by buying/swapping Omnipods from different variants. total cost to buy and outfit 6-7 million each

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 10 April 2016 - 06:30 AM.

[Rhavin]

I have to echo Rogue. He is exactly correct in my opinion. I prefer the Arctic Cheetah as my go to clan light., and the Firestarter as my innersphere light.

There are mediums that play like lights as well, the cicadas and shadowcats.

Welcome to mech ownership man.

[EJOE]

I think I'm going to go with the hbk_4g I like the whole idea of battle style with this mech

[EJOE]

After that much I would get a light mech

[Rhavin]

Hunchbacks are a solid choice for a medium mech. If you decide to with a heavy mech later I suggest the Maurader as it has a strong side to be protected like the hunchback. They also need little as far as upgrades being able to share engines and such.

In your hunchback stick with the pack, shoot when not being shot at. I prefer to find an assault or heavy and just have their back when running mine. Sometimes it's not a bad idea to wait till the brawl starts and the longer range mechs have thier attention, this usually when the assault Lance catches up. Then you let the enemy have AC 20 rounds to the face.

Good luck out there in your new ride.