9 replies to this topic

[DavidStarr]

As you guys know, there's a 50% hero mechs sale ongoing, combined with 20% extra MCs deal. Seems a great time to treat myself with my first hero mech(s) purchase in MWO.
I've asked about this in the "quick question" thread and got some great response, but I still can't finalize a list of heroes I want to purchase and I feel this discussion both requires and deserves its own thread.

I'm now struggling with the mechs that are not covered by MetaMechs. These include:

• Trebuchet "Loup de Guerre". I would probably run LPLs and SRMs, that ought to be fun on a mech with JJs...
  
• Kintaro "Golden Boy". Seems unique in the Kintaro lineup due to its 3 quirked ballistic hardpoints, but I have reservations about usability of a 45 ton medium mech.
  
• Viper Medusa. Has the most energy hardpoints among its siblings, and even has quirks (odd for clan chassis), but at 40 tons it might as well be a light, I suppose? Its speed, though... And seems to be able to boat 6 SPLs. Looks like fun.
  
• Dragon Flame and Dragon Fang. Both seem unique each in their own way, but I have no idea what to make of Dragons in the first place. Really wish MetaMechs had an article on them. I read the Wiki (http://mwo.gamepedia.com) and it's not bad at all (thanks to whoever worked on it), but it's not nearly as detailed as MetaMechs.
  
• Cyclops "Sleipnir". Even the Wiki pages for this mech are stubs. Some of its variants seem like a very fun mech and I will be getting 3 Cyclopses (Cyclopes?) in time, but I just don't see any reason why the Sleipnir variant would be a desired purchase. I'm probably missing something.

What's your opinion on the above heroes, and the mech lines in general? Which of them, if any, are worth the purchase from the gameplay standpoint and not just for the sake of collecting?



Additionally, there are some hero mechs I did find some info on, and the info didn't suggest they're bad, but it's unclear if any of these are worth a purchase for someone who has no heroes yet:

• MAD-BH2 - "BOUNTY HUNTER II". Just a Marauder, and not nearly the worst one. I have yet to play Marauders but they already seem like a great chassis, so why not go with a hero and earn extra C-Bills while enjoying the mech?
  
• BLR-1GHE - "HELLSLINGER" - brawler with a 50% reduction on environmental heat effects could be fun, it seems to me.
  
• BNC-LM - " LA MALINCHE". This is just another Banshee and I already have three of them, but this is the only one with a quirked AC/10. It could be a decent alternative to a brawling AC/20 BNC-3S. I like AC/20 for its bang, but I don't like it for short range and slow projectile velocity. AC/10 addresses both concerns.

Of these 5+3=8 mechs I've listed, what would be your top 3 picks? Please try not to take your bias towards the chassis in general into account. Assess the specific mech on two points:
a ) its gameplay viability;
b ) how unique it is in the line. Because why pay hard cash for what you can get with C-BIlls.

P. S. Thanks in advance for any recommendations. And if you think this is too much analysis for such a trivial decision - you're probably right, but I have a tiny justification: living in a 3rd-world country, I do have to work quite a few hours to earn this cash so the desire to make optimal choice is not entirely silly. Otherwise I'd just get them all

Edited by DavidStarr, 28 December 2016 - 02:07 PM.

[NRP]

Right now, it's more about how many mechs you are willing to buy (need 3 variants to unlock 2x efficiency bonuses) as well has how many good variants are in each mech line.

I own almost all of the heros. From your list, my rating for those i own would be:

Sleipnir
Bounty Hunter II
Hellslinger
La Malinche
Golden Boy (only good for LRMs)
Flame/Fang (Dragons really aren't that good)

With that said, the all the Marauders and most of the Battlemaster variants are good, so I guess I recommend either the BHII or the Hellslinger.

Edited by NRP, 28 December 2016 - 02:55 PM.

[Bellum Dominum]

Honestly... I'd say put the money towards the Marauder II-C and add the ECM variant -D.

I agree with NRP that the dragons are sadly not worth it today. Own them all and don't play them.

Bounty Hunter II is a fun mech and has some very playable builds.

Environmental heat effects quirk is garbage. Other than that I'm not a fan of the Hellslinger myself but I see others do well with it.

Of your primary list I'd suggest the Sleipnir. First hero mech should be something you can easily average 600 dmg with. You will use it as your CBill earning mech so it should be one that can and will earn you tons.

Other than that the Viper is a great mech and a lot of fun but from reading your post I would have to go back to saying the Sleipnir sounds to be by far your best choice out of what you listed. Also the Sleipnir is going to earn you more Cbills more easily than the Viper would. (I play the Viper and not the Sleipnir any myself if that adds any worth to the opinion I'm giving you here.)

Kintaro and Treb are way past their prime and really not very good mechs these days imho, sadly.

[DavidStarr]

Thanks, guys!

Bellum Dominum, on 28 December 2016 - 03:22 PM, said:

Honestly... I'd say put the money towards the Marauder II-C and add the ECM variant -D.

That is a good suggestion and I'm pretty hyped about Marauder-IIC as well, but I feel that I'm getting much more value for my money with the 50% hero discount. I'd rather wait till they become available for C-Bills.

I should have probably added that I've already picked my two main hero mechs that I will most certainly buy unless you talk me out - Spirit Bear and Tempest, so I'm now picking the 3rd and 4th (and possibly 5th). But seeing that you both ranked Sleipnir and Bounter Hunter II highly - that's what I'll go with!

[DavidStarr]

What's good about Sleipnir? I'm looking at it, and just can't see anything special about it at all. An IS 90-tonner with almost no quirks and nothing special about its hardpoints. What am I missing?
I almost decided to go with Misery instead, for an IS assault. Too bad there's no King Crab hero.

[PaquIS]

DavidStarr, on 29 December 2016 - 03:03 AM, said:

What's good about Sleipnir? I'm looking at it, and just can't see anything special about it at all. An IS 90-tonner with almost no quirks and nothing special about its hardpoints. What am I missing?
I almost decided to go with Misery instead, for an IS assault. Too bad there's no King Crab hero.

Whats special about Sleipnir? Put 4xUAC5's on it and start raining some serious dakka around. Not as good as Kodiak 3, but then again nothing beats Kodiak anyways.

[DavidStarr]

PaquIS, on 29 December 2016 - 05:22 AM, said:

Put 4xUAC5's on it and start raining some serious dakka around. Not as good as Kodiak 3, but then again nothing beats Kodiak anyways.

But Is it better than Mauler MX-90?

[TercieI]

I own (and have mastered) every hero on your list (as well as pretty much every hero in the game save Pretty Baby, Nanuq, Scorch and Ultraviolent). Of your list, only the Sleipnir should be considered for a first hero. The BH2 is decent, but there are better heavy hero options (Black Widow, Warrant, Jade Kite, Jester and possibly Butterbee and Top Dog). Hellslinger is just inferior to other Battlemasters, sadly (amazing paint though!). The Medusa is fun if you like Vipers, but it's only a so-so chassis (I love it, but it's not great. If you insist, max armor your legs please). LG, GB and the Dragons are unable to rise above their junk chassis. La Malinche is the third-best BNC...and only the 3M is a even good any more.

If you want a first hero, I'd pick from this list:
Pirate's Bane: I rank this the fourth best LCT, but in lower tiers, ECM is huge. No MGs, poke all day with 4ML.
Purifier (not on sale): If you can drive a KFX, this doubles the options for the chassis, at least. <3
Sparky: Flexible energy based variant of the excellent GRF chassis. IMO, there is no other serious choice for a medium hero.
Black Widow: Your choice of dakka or dual gauss.
Warrant (not on sale): It's a hero Timberwolf. Do I need to explain that?
Misery: Very meta-proof, always at least good.
Sleipnir: Dakkadakkadakka.
Spirit Bear: Not as PUG-friendly as some, but BEAR SMASH

Edited by TercieI, 29 December 2016 - 06:57 AM.

[DavidStarr]

TercieI, on 29 December 2016 - 06:51 AM, said:

I own (and have mastered) every hero on your list (as well as pretty much every hero in the game save Pretty Baby, Nanuq, Scorch and Ultraviolent).

Thanks for the great rundown. I'm not considering mechs not on sale (too bad about Warrant) and I'm not considering light mechs, but otherwise I'm taking your advice very seriously.
What can you say about Tempest? It seems somewhat versatile in terms of loadouts it can boat, and it has ECM!

[TercieI]

DavidStarr, on 29 December 2016 - 08:16 AM, said:

Thanks for the great rundown. I'm not considering mechs not on sale (too bad about Warrant) and I'm not considering light mechs, but otherwise I'm taking your advice very seriously.
What can you say about Tempest? It seems somewhat versatile in terms of loadouts it can boat, and it has ECM!

The Archer chassis has some inherent issues: The hitboxes aren't great (especially post-embiggening), the mounts aren't real high and it's usually stuck with missiles, which is tough for SRMs in light of the first two things (and LRMs are just poor). The Tempest avoids the missiles issue by being able to run respectable laser vomit. I actually like it pretty well as a PUG mech because ECM does help you avoid notice, especially if you play cagey to begin with. This is the most "standard" laser vomit fit for it, but I actually prefer and run this for quick corner peeks with the 3LPLs which allows me to be firing more than if I was stuck with having to expose the whole mech to get all my LPLs firing. So, I like the mech and I think in lower tiers the ECM probably helps a lot, but it still has the inherent weaknesses of the Archer chassis. For a vanilla laser vomit hero, the Bounty Hunter II is probably superior, its rather impressive hitboxes outweighing the ECM (low engine cap means it'll still be a STD and tough as nails as a result).