15 replies to this topic

[Gotta Go]

First, THANK YOU, to everyone who left comments, suggestions, and advice on my prior post about getting a video card to play MWO. Among those, but not limited to. Koniving, Tarl Cabot, and Rogue Jedi, who gave advice that helped me figure out my video needs.

After much research, searching and internal debate I settled on a Radeon R7 250 2GB video card. Among all the cards I looked at this gave the best balance of performance, cost and most of all no external power needed.

So I am now playing the game and have found that I am not a big fan, right now, of missiles, so I am looking for advice on which mech to purchase first. I would like to get one that has mostly or all ballistic and energy hardpoints, jump jets are optional as the few times I've used them I was just messing around. Also several drops I ended up destroyed by LRMs before I even got into the fight. I have learned that if I keep moving it negates some of the danger but have seen where the AMS does a good job of protecting, that should be another option I would like to have.

Currently I am using a Commando (trial mech) that has 2 Med Laser, and SRM-4. I like the speed and movement it has, although I have had to tone down mouse sensitivity to track a target while moving.

Anyway after rambling for longer than I expected, I would like to gather suggestions for what mech I should look to purchase.

Light: ?
Medium: ?
Heavy: ?
Assault: ?

By the way, I currently have 20M available to purchase and upgrade a mech.

I realize that I am opening the proverbial can of worms when asking which mech is best but I am just trying to see what is currently giving an average player a chance of surviving and assisting in a drop.

Again, to everyone who read my prior post and posted help in getting into the game
THANK YOU!

[Metus regem]

Hi and welcome!

I would suggest getting a lot of time in the trial mechs to find what you really like, that being said I do have a list of mechs that I consider basic training for everyone that is new to MWO, you don't need to keep them, don't even need to master the mech skill trees with them, just learn the piloting skills they have to teach:


Locust:

The Locust teaches the important skill of not getting hit, as well as map knowledge. Being one of the fastest mechs in the game, while also the smallest (in terms of weight and height), means you will rely on not being hit to make it to the end of the match.


Centurion:

The Centurion teaches the skill of Torso twisting, due to this mechs solid hit boxes it is both Standard and XL engine friendly. These solid hit boxes also allow the mech to roll damage across it very reliably extending your survival rate by as much as 500%. (note: for such results you need to be using a standard engine and roll damage from Left Arm, Left Torso, Center Torso, Right Torso and Right Arm, till all you have left is your Center Torso, head and a leg.)


Hunchback:

The Hunchback family really teach the importance of good Gunnery, as the 4G has a B.F.G. in the form of the AC/20, being a 50t chassis with such a big gun means you have to learn to place your shots effectively and consistently. The second skill this mech teaches is how to use a shield side, another important skill in extending life span in a match.


Dragon:

This mech acts more like a medium than a Heavy, this is due to it being a 60t mech, meaning that for it Speed is highly important. This mech also has a fairly easy to hit Center Torso, meaning that you need to learn how to protect it, as it stands I have yet to find a better mech at teaching the skill of protecting a weakness better than the Dragon.


If you can master the skills these four mechs have to teach, you will find that you will be an effective pilot no matter the mech you use.

[Jables McBarty]

Gonna chime in on lights--Can't disagree with Metus Regem about the locust, but also want to put forward the modest Spider. It can go as fast as the Locust (the two tie for fastest in the game), has jump jets, and is ECM-capable without getting the hero (MC-only) version. It is a little short on the hardpoints, making it less flexible than the Locust, but it does have both ballistic and energy variants (incidentally the SDR-5V and LCT-1V have identical hardpoint layouts).

(ECM makes it much hard for you to get targeted by missiles, and helps those around you too)

[GLaDOSauR]

Metus regem, on 17 May 2016 - 12:13 PM, said:

Hi and welcome!

I would suggest getting a lot of time in the trial mechs to find what you really like, that being said I do have a list of mechs that I consider basic training for everyone that is new to MWO, you don't need to keep them, don't even need to master the mech skill trees with them, just learn the piloting skills they have to teach:


Locust:

The Locust teaches the important skill of not getting hit, as well as map knowledge. Being one of the fastest mechs in the game, while also the smallest (in terms of weight and height), means you will rely on not being hit to make it to the end of the match.


Centurion:

The Centurion teaches the skill of Torso twisting, due to this mechs solid hit boxes it is both Standard and XL engine friendly. These solid hit boxes also allow the mech to roll damage across it very reliably extending your survival rate by as much as 500%. (note: for such results you need to be using a standard engine and roll damage from Left Arm, Left Torso, Center Torso, Right Torso and Right Arm, till all you have left is your Center Torso, head and a leg.)


Hunchback:

The Hunchback family really teach the importance of good Gunnery, as the 4G has a B.F.G. in the form of the AC/20, being a 50t chassis with such a big gun means you have to learn to place your shots effectively and consistently. The second skill this mech teaches is how to use a shield side, another important skill in extending life span in a match.


Dragon:

This mech acts more like a medium than a Heavy, this is due to it being a 60t mech, meaning that for it Speed is highly important. This mech also has a fairly easy to hit Center Torso, meaning that you need to learn how to protect it, as it stands I have yet to find a better mech at teaching the skill of protecting a weakness better than the Dragon.


If you can master the skills these four mechs have to teach, you will find that you will be an effective pilot no matter the mech you use.

Alright, PERSONALLY I find the centurion to be a lackluster first medium. It actually rolls damage quite badly thanks to a gigantic CT hit-box. IF you are very skilled at shielding you might keep it alive, but even then the thing feels like it is made of glass. The dragon is another glass cannon probably not well suited to a new player. May I recommend the humble thunderbolt? At its peak this thing was a monster. Now it has been obsoleted by the black-knights and several quirk nerfs, but it's still very reliable, tanky with good shielding capabilities, and packs a solid punch too. The hunchback is also a good pick.


EDIT: I missed that the point of Metus's post was that if you can master these mechs you're ready for anything. He's right. But I'd suggest trying something easier until you get your feet on the ground.

Edited by GLaDOSauR, 17 May 2016 - 01:13 PM.

[Cifrer]

HBK-4SP.

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...65315d6cd6fc45b

It has always been the mech which I would recommend the most for newer players as an easy to use, balanced, and useful mech.

[Rogue Jedi]

I generally do not recommend Light or Assault Mechs because they require a lot more skill/luck to do well in than Medium or Heavy. and as heavy usually has the longest wait times I usually recommend Mediums.

with your request to avoid missiles ^{(although you did not specify LRMs, SRMs or SSRMs I am guessing you meant LRMs)}, I would look at the following Mechs,

Shadow Cat, thanks to MASC and fixed Jumpjets it is quite agile, it has limited numbers of laser hardpoints bot upto 7 B hardpoints, and is able to mount an ECM, works best as a poker, move out of cover, fire, drop back into cover and relocate, it will teach sneakiness and positioning.

Crab, a durable laser boat, has a jumping variant, can be built with a standard engine, multiple variants come with Double Heat Sinks and/or XL engines already installed.

Hunchback, each variant is suited for a diferant playstyle, including just lasers, lasers and missiles, lasers and balistics, on most variants the bulk of your weapons are in the RT Hunch, you should quickly learn to protect that which is an extremely useful skill.

Griffin, lasers, Missiles and 1 has ECM, can be faster than the Mechs listed above, 2 variants have the bulk of their firepower on one side, as they usually use SRMs and Lasers they do not need much tonnage to pack a lot of firepower, and the way the hitboxes are setup makes it great for sacrificing 1 side without loosing much ^{(or any)} firepower, a standard engine Griffin is one of the best brawling Mechs in the game

Jables McBarty, on 17 May 2016 - 12:36 PM, said:

Gonna chime in on lights--Can't disagree with Metus Regem about the locust, but also want to put forward the modest Spider. It can go as fast as the Locust (the two tie for fastest in the game)

sorry, the Commando Deaths Knell with max engine is 1.8KPH faster than the fastest Spider or Locust variants.

Locust and Spider are both good Mechs but both have significant downsides, the Locust is extremely fragile and has probably the worst cockpit in the game in terms of blocking your visibility, however the Locust is the best armed of the below 30 ton Mechs.

the Spider is much more durable thanks to its humanoid shape and arguably the best hitboxes in the game ^{(being 10 tons heavier also helps because the heavier the Mech the more armour it can mount)}, and is the best jumping Mech, especially the 5V, able to move 165 with 12 Jumpjets however the Spider line of Mechs are the most lightly armed Mechs in the game, with the 5V only being able to mount 1 Large or 2 Small/Medium class lasers.

[no one]

GLaDOSauR, on 17 May 2016 - 01:09 PM, said:

May I recommend the humble thunderbolt?

The Thud is not the most forgiving chassis to due to it's lopsidedness and generally mediocre hardpoint scheme.

Light:
IS -
Spider. The locust's good, but you want JJ on a fast light or you will get tripped up on terrain and lose your legs.
Urbie. Best torso twist. Big badda boom. Mobile cannon.
Raven - Probably the best IS light given it's speed and compact profile. ECM variant's a plus, but a bit hardpoint limited.

Clan -
Arctic cheetah - Still one of the most brutally difficult things to kill when moving. Lotsa laser.
Kitfox. Good little support platform. Perfect for training, survival and team support.

Medium:
IS -
Hunchback. Very good torso twist and mobility with a lot of variety in weapons. Go-to starter 'mech for IS.
Blackjack. very fun if somewhat slow and hot 'Mech with decent variety.
Shadowhawk. A good gunner 'Mech. Tough with good hardpoints.
Clan - Stormcrow. Because Stormcrow. Sometimes nova

Heavy:
IS - Jaggermech. Very good everything, really.
Marauder. Probably a good one. I don't personally own any, but the hardpoint layout seems quite good for ballistics.

Clan - Ebon Jag, Timberwolf, Hellbringer.

Assault:
IS - Mauler, Stalker, Banshee
Clan - Direwolf

Edited by no one, 17 May 2016 - 03:10 PM.

[Rhavin]

I am not going to beat around the bush and suggest somthing that will just let you play and learn a skill. I have made suggestions like that before and it just doesn't work out for most new players. I am going to also assume that you can skip a meal or 2 and dredge up 20 bucks, but if you can't the suggestions I will give are cbill purchasable as well.

If you spend the real life cash of 26 to 20 dollars you get 3 mechs, 3 mechbays for them 30 days premium time, and some cockpit clutter. Maurader, Warhammer and Kodiak packs do not have a cbill earning variant in the 20 dollar package, but are still great deals. But mastery packs for the other mechs have an upgraded community designed Champion that earns extra exp( not much) that is "ready to roll" and a Cbill earning Hero mech, plus one other mech variant. Spending 20 bucks also leaves you with your cbills for upgrades when you need them and allows you to take stock weapons and replace them with whatever you want. It will also leave your initial mechbays open for cbill purchases od mechs down the road when you have a glut of them to spend.

Maurader ,Warhammer and thunderbolt are all solid innersphere heavys that perform consistantly and feature main armaments of ballistics, energy, or a mix of the two on the most successful builds. They have the advantage of being able to use engines they come with. Might not be able to buy 3 of them right off the bat with cbills, but could do 2 and grind a bit for the 3rd. The exp won't be lost as you would be able to unlock elite tier of skills upon unlocking the basics on the third one.

Blackjacks are also solid mediums that meet the ballistic and energy guidelines you asked for. I don't know much about building them, but from facing them in battle I know they are solid mechs with many many fans.

Lights are deceptively expensive, nearly all of them on the innersphere side require serious investments in xl engines to make productive mechs in quick play. Ravens, Firestarters and wolf hounds run great energy builds though. Locusts are fun, but builds often include SRMs.

Assaults, the most bang for the buck would be to grab a Kodiak pack. Honestly the best deal in the game with 3 100 ton assault mechs for 20 .Otherwise you are stuck buying one chassis for cbills and grinding out 2 more. That can get old quick if you like a little variety during your playtime. If you choose to Cbill an assault look at the king crab, great ballistic and energy mech.

Good luck mechwarrior. Hoped that helped.

[GLaDOSauR]

no one, on 17 May 2016 - 03:09 PM, said:

The Thud is not the most forgiving chassis to due to it's lopsidedness and generally mediocre hardpoint scheme.

Says the person who recommended urbie as first light mech. Just kidding lol. Idk. I learned most of the game in a thunderbolt so mayhaps I'm just biased.

[Leone]

Lights: I, Personally, would suggest the firestarter. Whilest I love me my Locusts, and beleive that they will make you a better pilot, the Firestarter, at 35 tonnes can carry more armour, and still get enough speed to move like a light. Also, lotta lasers and one to two ams, but with the option of jumpjets, which the wolfhound lacks. Leone's choice for a starter light.

Mediums: Lotta choices. With your anti missile preference I'mma leave out my usual suggestion of Hunchback, Cuz it has two of the best missile variants out there. The crab, whilest not a bad choice, is all lasers, with little room for variety. A personal fan of the Shadowhawk and the Wolverine, both aren't without missile hardpoints, and it'd be a shame to waste em. Cicada's not a bad mech either, but it plays more like a light. Therefore, despite not having them myself, I throw my vote behind the Blackjack.

Heavies: Probably my worst weight class, I'd suggest marauders. Lasers and ballistics aplenty, with more tankiness.

Assualts: Alotta my favourites carry missiles, even if just SRMs (Which are more rockets really, but I quibble,) Therefore, I suggest the venerable Banshee. There's really no good anti missile assualt, save maybe the Atlas DDC (The assualt with ECM,) but on the whole, the banshee has but two missile hardpoints amongst all four chassis. Also, the BNC-3E ranks in with my most favourite mechs.

These are of course, my IS suggestions. Should you wish to pursue clan mechs and technology, I'd suggest the Arctic Cheetah, the Nova, the Hellbringer and the Gargoyle. Reasons being; good fun with ECM, can carry three ams, more ECM, and fastest Assualt out there. All of which I feel makes the mech most suited to surviving the rain of missiles until you learn to see the battlefield like a foot-soldier and move from cover to cover, rather'n a supply truck driving around in the open, begging to get shot.

~Leone, Who can Bring the Rain.

Edited by Leone, 17 May 2016 - 05:30 PM.

[no one]

Leone, on 17 May 2016 - 05:30 PM, said:

The Firestarter, at 35 tonnes can carry more armour, and still get enough speed to move like a light. Also, lotta lasers and one to two ams, but with the option of jumpjets, which the wolfhound lacks. Leone's choice for a starter light.

My personal objection to the Firestarter is that it's one of the less maneuverable lights. While fast, it has the turning and flight characteristics of a metal sled compared to other IS lights and suffers from inoperable arms-fall-off syndrome. It's got no structure or armor quirks, making it less durable than the spider with worse hit-boxes. It's also not good at poking due to it's low-slung arms and lack of acceleration quirks. That and it's high heat makes it of limited use in a brawl. Most of what it can do, the Locust and Cheetah can currently do better.

Edited by no one, 17 May 2016 - 07:20 PM.

[Koniving]

GLaDOSauR, on 17 May 2016 - 03:22 PM, said:

Says the person who recommended urbie as first light mech. Just kidding lol. Idk. I learned most of the game in a thunderbolt so mayhaps I'm just biased.

I agree that Thunderbolts are really solid heavies.
Just channel all but 12 armor to each of the front torsos, keep the STD engines (or put it back in if removed), and enjoy. Even missile boat rigs can brawl if they're Thunderbolts.

Cannot agree with the Nova though; it isn't all that new player friendly.

--------------

For the energy/ballistic requirements... Hunchback 4G, 4H. Enforcer (any of them, but get the one that comes with double heatsinks first; the engine alone costs nearly as much as the mech and it saves the 1.5 million cbill 'tax' on getting double heatsinks.

If you intend on training with heavies, Thunderbolt, Orion are my preferences due to their inexpensive nature. If cbill expense isn't an issue, pounce on the Jagermech, slap a good size XL engine in and blast things to death! Run the Jagermech double D.

Assault, Battlemaster is the most friendly. Alternatively if you want to tank and don't mind limited torso twisting (or get confused bout twisting in general), get a Stalker. Also 85 tons, great at tanking, not so great against swirling lights (if you encounter them, throw in 1/2 to 3/4 reverse and turn against them until they get in front then change direction to follow them while shooting.

Either way, unless the mech comes with an XL engine, stick to a standard engine to start and get used to it. After a bit of saving, change it out for a faster engine of the XL type.

Good luck.

[JC Daxion]

Shadow hawk is a good first choice, lets you play all weapon systems... great mech..

But that said, i would not buy a mech till i had played at least 10+ matches in every trial, and 100-200 matches total.. Trials are great these days, so just save your money. I just started a new account for clans a while back, and my first 100 matches was in a trial Timberwolf.. By the time i decided to buy it, i had enough to buy 2, the third i bought with MC to get a champion to help speed the GXP grind

[Freeman 52]

Hello Gotta Go.

As someone who rides the poverty line most of the time, I can say I have made some pretty bad and pretty good purchases over time, and I am always looking for reliable mechs for both QP and FP. So I am going to tell you what has worked best for me:

-META MEDIUMS: Stormcrow for sure if you don't mind the prince. Definitely one of my most successful mediums, with really effective laser and SRM builds. Alternatively go for a Blackjack, either the 1X for lasers or 1 for ballistics. These are both considered to be metamechs, for good reason. You should be able to level them up quickly and make some cash in the meantime. An added advantage is that the waiting times are usually best for mediums, which means more matches per hour on quickplay. Try either of these before moving on to more niche or tricksy mediums.

-RELIABLE HEAVIES: If you are comfortable with positioning and moving with the group, I have found reliable heavies to be very solid mechs for someone who is starting out. I have gone full IS lately, but my performance in Hellbringers was way above any other mech in any other class (until Blackjacks...). You get ECM, which is really useful to avoid LRM mistakes, and a solid number of builds around medium lasers, large lasers, ultra autocannons, or LRMs. If you want something cheaper, both Thunderbolt and Marauder are really sturdy heavies with a solid punch; TDR-9SE with 3LPL is just solid, and the MAD-3R is a fun mix of ballistics and ppc/lasers. You should not be a liability to any team with these mechs. Disadvantage: heavies usually have the longest wait time in the solo queue.

I hope this is helpful. All the other posters in this thread have made really good suggestions. This is just what has worked best for me.

[Husker Dude]

no one, on 17 May 2016 - 03:09 PM, said:

The Thud is not the most forgiving chassis to due to it's lopsidedness and generally mediocre hardpoint scheme.

I don't think this is accurate, in the most classic 5SS build, if you get halved you're still left with either 3 or 4 MPL, basically half its armaments, it's only the 9SE where the entire loudout is normally set in one torso (though personally I put one of the three LPL in the opposite arm for asymmetry and anti-UAV purposes). The mere fact that it's almost the only IS heavy that is normally run with a standard engine makes it a bit more forgiving than, say, fragile Jagers.
It also doesn't really lack for hardpoints, either.

[Bud Crue]

OP,

Not sure based on your post what your desires are other than a preference for mixed laser and ballistics. For learning purposes I agree with Metus regem . All of those mechs will teach you valuable life lessons for MWO. That said, I am not sure if that is what you are looking for. Rather than mechs that will teach, I am going to go the opposite route and give you my laser/ballistics choices that will give you the most bang for the buck and get you c-bills. IS only as I have no personal experience running clan mech other than the Mist Linx.

Light: Wolfhound tough energy builds all. Lethal and mobile. Drawback is no jump jets. If that is a deal breaker then go with the Firestarter. No light really does ballistics well simply due to weight limitations (even my beloved Panther 10P)

Medium: Blackjack. It is great for an AC/20 3ML build (with JJ too) to the laser spam of the 1x. Lots of possible combos on a tough chassis with high hard points. Second choice is the Enforcer. Tall and thin it is XL friendly, mobile and can do a lot of great ballistic and laser combo builds.

Heavy: For me you can't beat the Quickdraw but only the hero has ballistics. So for a more reasonable choice for mixed ballistics and energy, I would go with a Jagger. So many builds and those high hard points make life a lot easier. If you want a heavier and tougher choice I would go with a Marauder. You can also do a Cataphract bur the low hard points on most builds are not new player friendly at all. The Warhammer too can do some mixed builds but the best choice there is the BW and that is a hero, so overall I still say the Jagger.

Assault: Stalker. Not a great mixed build choice (but for the hero), it is nevertheless incredibly tough fairly mobile (compared to say an Atlas) and is new player friendly. Second choice would be the Mauler for a true mixed ballistics/energy choice but they are expensive and require a bit of face time for some of the more popular builds.

Just my opinions on some mechs that will give you a good return on your purchase and that are the mixed ballistics/energy builds you mentioned and also new player friendly imo.

Edited by Bud Crue, 18 May 2016 - 12:47 PM.