9 replies to this topic

[KrocodockleTheBooBoxLoader-GetIn]

Hey fellas,

I wanted to make a quick and concise topic for people to offer opinions on mechs they've mastered. I'm mostly refering to quickplay queue. I screenshot my matches and base my own performance on damage done. I also stick to Gman's builds from Metamechs.com 90% of the time. They just work.

Black Jack: Lots of fun. My favorite thing about this mech is that people generally fire on juicier targets. So pair up with an assault or heavy and play sidekick. 45 tons also makes it very valuable for cw (or whatever we call it now) decks.

Thunderbolt: Not off the charts but solid chassis. 9se w/ 3 LPL will always be my baby. It doesn't have a huge alpha, so basically stick to cheap shots and favorable trade situations. This was my first 1000+ damage mech. I have a 5ss w/ 6mpl and 1 srm6a. Brings down assaults like nobodies business.

Orion: I really wanted to like Orion. Don't let it's monster quirks fool you. It's SLOW and very KILLABLE. I struggle, STRUGGLE to crank out 500 damage in these hunks of junk. A total chore to play.

Black Knight: Beast Machine. god Mech. Vortex of Destruction. Whatever you want to call it this thing eats people. first match after armor nerf I had 6 solo kills. Nice try pgi. Keep in mind I don't have twolves or quickdraws... I also don't have any reason to believe this isn't the best mech in the game. 8 out of 10 matches I do 600-1000+ damage. Whatever flaws this chassis has are easily overcome by being aware of them. Corners, not hills gentlemen.

Only my opinion. Let's hear yours on your mechs!

[Fobhopper]

I Kind of already have my opinions on many heavy and assault mechs in my guide (link in my sig), but I will state a few in here.

KGC-000: Probably best assault mech in the game, easily the best assault mech for brawling. Dual AC20's and secondary weapons of your choice and you can kill almost any mech in the game in just a couple salvo's. The 000B and 0000 arent bad, but suffer from trying to be hardpointed for things its not great at doing. Since the only laser and missile hard points are on the side torso's, you are really limited to what you can do. And while they have really high hard points, with how wide the CT is on the mech makes it terrible for hill humping to snipe.

Atlas-D-DC: Best Atlas variant in the game thanks to having ECM hardpoint. But the Atlas itself is a mediocre assault mech. It is good at being an 'all comers' mech, with decent hardpoints to fight at all ranges, but with how tall the mech is its hard to finf good cover from missiles and lasers. The second best variant is the BH (boars head), the hero mech can fit a 400 engine, and has 6 laser hardpoints in the arms. With speed tweak and XL 400 engine, you can get up to 70kph, which is incredible (but very vulnerable). The rest are simply just middling assaults mechs, not bad but not great either.

Highlander-HM: The hero mech for the Highlander Chassis is an amazing mech (though some may disagree). I run it with a Gauss rifle in the right arm, 3 large pulse lasers in the left arm. With a blocky torso its great for spreading damage, and you can fit jump jets on it (if I remember correctly). The other Highlander variants are decent too, but the Heavy Metal is one of the few good hero mechs.

Stalker- Pretty much all the variants are good/useful at something. I personally get a lot of use out of the Misery, 1 gauss rifle and 3 ER large lasers makes this mech a sniping beast. With very high weapon slots, good armor and decent speed, its an excellent mech. One of the few mechs I would ever recommend buying the mastery pack for if you want a solid chassis with few faults.

Marauder: A completely fantastic heavy mech. Very versatile chassis that really doesnt have a bad build in it. I have 4 marauders and use them all often. I personally like running the BH with a gauss rifle and 6 medium lasers, but I also have another variant with an AC10 and 2 LL, and yet another with 2 LRM15's and 4 medium lasers. Its a very solid mech thats very tanky (with standard engines), good hit boxes, good speed and good layout.

Catapult-C1: Probably the best variant of this primarily missile boat mech. The C1 can fit 4 medium lasers, 2 LRM15's and a good supply of ammo with a standard engine for extra survivability. And after you run out of LRM ammo, just affix bayonets, and start brawling with your medium lasers. Its a really good mech despite nay-sayers.

[Wedge Red Leader]

Well, I only have the Thunderbolts of the mechs on your list. I have 3 elited and I find them good mechs. In my eyes they are the Volvo of mechs, boxy but good. My favorite is the 5SS, I just run 6MPLs to avoid ghost heat. I basically only use it in FW, so I pile on the heat sinks. For some reason running in FW is always hotter than in PuGs. My biggest pet peeve with the chassis is the offset cockpit.

[KrocodockleTheBooBoxLoader-GetIn]

I don't know why but 5ss is always squishy for me. I prefer 9se (as i said) and then 5s with 4 LL. Tbolt is a filler mech for my fw decks.

[BerserkFoundMeBootyLostMeShip]

Thunderbolts are the bread and butter of Inner Sphere mechs... always a solid goto mech any chassis will do really. 9SE with 3x LPL is probably the best for range and decent damage output. Only complaint is you'll find yourself without weapons alot. Most veterans will focus on your torso because they know they can knock out all your weapons. Be sure to use your arms as shields often.

Another heavy Im loving right now is the quickdraws IV, 4G, 5K... all are good but the four is hard to work with. 2laser hardpoints on CT make it tough to use for anything beyond filler weapons 2ml or mpl. The quirks make using an AC10 or two very very useful with such a high rate of fire. And srms are very good on all the chassis due to the missle cooldown quirks. Altho if lrms are your thing they can be very useful too.

And just a shoutout to clan lights and meds
Nova and Adders. Both can pack an enormous punch for their size. Sure Novas hitboxes suck, but its jumpjets make it very mobil and a very good ambush mech. Adders personally are my favorite light to play. Small and mean. No very tough or fast. But a perfect sidekick. One of my best matches in a light was 800dmg QP in a stock adder-prime.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Fobhopper, on 22 April 2016 - 02:18 PM, said:

Atlas-D-DC: Best Atlas variant in the game thanks to having ECM hardpoint. But the Atlas itself is a mediocre assault mech. It is good at being an 'all comers' mech, with decent hardpoints to fight at all ranges, but with how tall the mech is its hard to finf good cover from missiles and lasers. The second best variant is the BH (boars head), the hero mech can fit a 400 engine, and has 6 laser hardpoints in the arms. With speed tweak and XL 400 engine, you can get up to 70kph, which is incredible (but very vulnerable). The rest are simply just middling assaults mechs, not bad but not great either.

I only partially agree with the first part. Could not disagree more about the Boar's Head.

The DDC is fun because it has ECM. However, the undisputed Atlas king is the S model. This is THE brawling mech.
4SRM6's = AC20 = bye bye to anything within range.

Atlas makes for a great brawler for a few reasons, largely (for now) due to its structure quirks. Also, the arms are HUGE, and make for great shields. Alpha your SRMS + AC20 and IMMEDIATELY twist and give em your arms. Arm mounted weapons on an Atlas should be a backup at best. Besides using your arms as shields, the arms are very low and and have a wide stance, both are bad for numerous reasons. This is where the Boar's Head falls apart, as it carries the majority of its weapons in its arms. The only Atlas the Boar's Head is probably better than is the K.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

For starters: CRB!

Might be one of the most underrated chassis in the IS, maybe even the game. Being an energy boat means NEVER running out of ammo. Can boat lasers like a champ. Quick, with a high engine cap. Small/short for its weight. The long snout and beneficial hitbox placement, mean that it can spread damage without having to go full-twist to do it, but simply by the ol' nose wiggle--this lets you keep your target right ahead of you, and basically stare it down even when your weapons are on cooldown, and it also makes the mech relatively XL-safe.

Yeah. Get crabs. Thank me in the morning.

[Karl the Plumber]

I'll concentrate on the chassis I've got that aren't heavily featured by metamechs/people complaining about metamechs.
Assaults

Spoiler

Awesome: Don't buy an awesome. eliting it was the worst time i ever had in MWO.
Banshee: great chassis, big target. learn to torso twist and she'll take care of you. You can pewpew or dakka, but you can't make the 3S work. I don't have la malinche.
Zeus: Underrated. It's lacking in hardpoints compared to other assaults, but you know what it isn't lacking in? Being the size of an atlas at 80 tons (looking at you, Awesome). The 6T has enough energy and missile points to brawl and is tough with a STD engine, the 9S running 3 PPCs is basically as close to a TT Awesome as we can get. I haven't done anything with the 5S to take advantage of the arm quirks but it's solid as a LL sniper. The Zeus is the only properly scaled 80 tonner in the game.

Heavies

Spoiler

Jagermech: Very squishy, but I love dakka and I can't resist spamming AC2s/AC5s. Did my first seven-kill game in a 3AC5 2MPL jager. They're fun, but I don't like them for FW.
Warhammer: I love this mech. I have the collector pack and the Black Widow, and I love them all. You can laserspam with the 6D, you can SRMsplat with the 7S, and the BW and 6R have so many flexible hardpoints that you can come up with something you'll like. High torso mounts offset low arm mounts. Fast enough. Love it.

Mediums (my favorites)

Spoiler

Enforcer: as much as I love medium mechs and ballistics, I wanted to love the enforcer. It's mobile and not completely squishy, but the 4R is really the only one that's worth keeping around. No one needs the quirked LBX on the 5D and the UAC build on the 5P is just stupid. I put out some good DPS with it, sure, but one energy mount isn't enough if you're only running two UACs.

Griffin: the 2N running ECM and SRMs is the new IS meta for FW scout mode, so if you're like me and you love brawling you'll like it. Not as tough as some, not as fast as others, but a good all-around performer in short range fights. I still prefer the 3M to 2N. Hated the others. Hated them.

Hunchback: Come for the AC20, stay for the...AC20. Other mechs can do everything but the 4G's AC20 poke better, so I don't like them for laserspam or SRMing, but I keep the 4G around for that gun.

Shadow Hawk: I love this mech and I do well in it, but I have this nagging feeling that it's not that great. I've got them all except the 2D, so I've played the whole range of styles with them and keep them around. The only one that feels like it excels, to me, is the 2D2 SRM brawler with an AC10. Overall, they do feel slightly squishy at times, but if you use the shield arms it's not a game-ender. Long-range gauss poking with one is fun.

Lights

Spoiler

Firestarter: Nice mounts, awesome speed. Stiff as hell, though. Feels like you don't even have arms.

Wolfhound: Tough. Nice hardpoints. They zombie alright but they're not as fast as most harassers and they don't have ECM, so I end up doing well in them only when I brawl in tight quarters or when I run around as an assault escort. You can't go cat hunting in them, though, so once you've scared the cheetah that's hassing your heavies off, you have to break off pursuit.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

Wolfhounds gonna Wolfhound. Haters gonna hate. I love this chassis. Haven't found a BAD WLF yet. -1A is my favorite. QUITE XL-safe, and can zombie a STD pretty well too. Note in that link, that I am Lord of the Scrubs and kinda said YOLO at the end. Imagine what a REAL mechwarrior could do with that...


***EDIT*** LINK MAY HAVE SOME NSFW LANGUAGE. Text chat in-game. And really, how does any English-speaker NOT know the Charlie Murphy True Hollywood Story episode with Rick James?!?!?!?

Edited by Sister RAbbi, 24 April 2016 - 08:42 PM.

[ImperialKnight]

Jenners: used to be the go-to skirmisher light, outclasses by too many lights nowadays

SHD: One great variant, 2K, the rest are so-so. Good hitboxes but meh hardpoints

TDR: Too big for its weight. Was viable with crazy Quirks, now so-so

BLR: Being played by people now that it has crazy Quirks. Otherwise, size and hitbox doesn't justify its use

JM-6: Used to be go-to ballistic platfor and AC40s. Outclassed nowadays. Side torso vaporises instantly.

Atlas: Great Tanker. Best in the game currently until maybe the Kodiak. DDC and S variants are the best. Don't really bother with the rest.

Spider: Just a joke mech nowadays with hardpoint inflation. Use to be quick and numble, and the ECM justified the use of the D variant.

CTF: Used to be go-to heavy mech. CTF-4X for quad UAC builds, CTF-3D for poptart, CTF-IM for triple UAC.

BJs: Good mechs now with Quirks. Laservomit is the way to go.

Firestarters: Used to be the best Light. Good hit box for rolling damage but poor torso pitch and yaw.

Centurions: the AH is a beast with AC20 and 3xSRM4. The AL is an underrated long range energy based Yen Lo Wang. Retains its nigh-unkillable reputation with proper torso twisting.

Banshee: Go go laservomit assault

Ravens: 3L is useful for ECM, the rest are meh

Catapults: Jester and K2 are decent. But until the model size fix, it's too big. The other variants are crap. If you see an A1 loaded with LRMs, it's almost a guaranteed lost mech for the team

Cicada: A really big light mech

Victors: Used to be darling of comp scene. with JJ nerf, its use is severely hampered.

Stalkers: really good now with Quirks. Side torso hitbox is still crap though.

Timberwolf: Do you really need a description for the TBR?

Stormcrows: Fast, nimble, good firepower. only down side is not jump-capable

KGC: Can't really tank. CT is too big. second line Assault 101 ton mech. yes, it's 101 ton. count the arm armor.

Warhawk: fast fragile clan assault. good SRM brawler to back up something bigger, like an Atlas.

HBR: I argue it contents with TBR and EBJ as the best Clan Heavies, simply because of the ECM

Marauders: Decent IS Heavy. Side profile is too big. need to be extremely careful about positioning

HBK-IIC: Beast Clan medium. fast, jump-capable, survivable, good firepower. really underrated.

Jenner-IIC: Good firepower, not as good as IS Jenner at taking damage. Huge hitboxes.

Shadowcats: Fast, crazy jumping capabilities, ECM/MASC capable. But too fragile to play with any build other than long range poke. lack of hardpoints hurt it too.

Orion IIC: Good on paper. But hitbox is not good. second line heavy mech. good firepower

Grasshopper: I would argue they are better than Black Knights due to Jump-capability. But realistically, they are on par with different trade offs.