5 replies to this topic

[Tal Blackfox]

I'm wanting to get started into community warfare, beyond just responding to scouting calls now and then. Currently the only mechs I own are that NCIX Centurion and a Shadowcat-P, so two questions. Using my cat and trial mechs, what's a good drop deck for now?
What should I be spending my cbills on next, to try and build a decent deck for meta?

[Sixpack]

1. Decide on merc/loyalist for the nice boni (generally merc is better)
2. Get a (big) group. (most are merc, you can also skip step 1 and just find a good merc unit to drop with). You will be better off dropping in 12mans.
3. Swim in C-bills and only buy mechbays once they are 50% off

Alternatively do a loyalist tour for the 1st mechbay of each faction, just do the 10 trainee matches in scouting. Then go merc.

Dropdeck meta is very shifty due to tonnage changes. But 3 Hellbringers + 1 shadow cat will make people like having you along for the ECM.

From there later on you can probably branch out to lights and assaults if you are interested in that, mind you. Drop deck tonnage restrictions can make it a little difficult to choose and as clan the lower tonnage (at least right now) makes bringing assaults a little of a gamble.

[BigScwerl]

Sixpack, on 29 December 2016 - 03:17 PM, said:

But 3 Hellbringers + 1 shadow cat will make people like having you along for the ECM.

Yes, not to mention they are good mechs capable of good damage output. Try a laser vomit HBR, or LBX10 + splat and lots of sml pulse or er smalls. You'll crush brawls.

For starters, work on Mastering 3 Hellbringers. It is a great mech to start with, not as squishy with lots of space for pew pews.

[SuperFunkTron]

With your shadow cat, try to use the quirk to your advantage. The downside of the shadow cat in FP is that its usually a mech that stays out of the fray because its a bit fragile and its low number of hard points means its usually carrying fewer but heavier weapons so its best work is done at a distance. That's not to say its bad, but just make sure that your team is aware of that mech's role and that you are asking how to best assist until you get enough experience.

Next, you want a timber wolf as soon as possible. It is quick, can push out damage, and is never to be underestimated. Try buying the prime variant and load it with 2x Large pulse lasers, 3x medium lasers, 2x lrm5s with 2 tons of ammo (the lrms are great for softening an enemy, messing with their aim, or supporting fire over your allies when you aren't in the front of a group), fill the rest of the space with double heat sinks.

A solid light mech like the Arctic cheetah with 4x small pulse and 2x srm 4 or Jenner IIC with 4xsrm4 and 2x srm2 are great choices for your light slot, but also give serious thought to the ice ferret (the one with an erppc stock or the pulse lasers are both solid mechs) because they fast, can take abuse, and can work well as a distraction.

The 4th mech you will have to choose based on your preferred play style and map. From the options that can be purchased with cbills, you should consider mechs like the ebon jaguar (2 large pulse, 1 medium laser, 1 UAC10 is brutal), Nova prime (10 medium lasers, or 12 small lasers, but it runs hot and is kind of fragile), Hunchback IIC ( 2x UAC 10 with 2 small lasers or 6 medium pulse lasers), hellbringer (i like ECM, 4x small lasers, 3x medium lasers, 2x srm4) , and the gargoyle (most hate it, but you can do devastating damage once you learn to treat it as a heavy mech and learn to torso twist).

Just a quick pro tip with the gargoyles, they require you to play to the strengths of their load outs and you have to make sure that you treat it as a pack animal or harasser, not as an assault! There are 2 that come with great stock builds: the one with the 2 erppcs, large pulse, 2 med laser, and 1 small pulse laser is something you have to think about ranges. Its tricky at first, but when you start to realize that its less about putting out as much damage as possible every moment (over heat too quickly), and more about choosing the best attacks at range, you can really keep this constantly firing despite it running hot. ERppcs for over 500 meters, large pulse for less than 700 meters, medium laser for less than 500meters, and small pulse for that extra umph when you are within 200. If you play it smart, you can regularly pull 800 damage with that mech in FP. The other variant is the one with the 2 Large lasers, 3 medium lasers, and 1 small pulse. the large lasers can be traded for pulse if you want more of a mid range brawler but the idea is the same with treating weapon range with respect.

[Aescwulf]

I'm wondering this as well, trying to put together a quick deck for clans and innersphere so I can get into the fray.
I was thinking of throwing in 2 timberwolfs (because I have 3 of them Prime(l) and s and c from when I brought it two years ago) then for the other two I have no idea.

I plan on doing getting the mech bays from each of the factions before settling for a side.

Edited by Aescwulf, 12 January 2017 - 10:24 AM.

[SuperFunkTron]

Aescwulf, on 12 January 2017 - 10:15 AM, said:

I'm wondering this as well, trying to put together a quick deck for clans and innersphere so I can get into the fray.
I was thinking of throwing in 2 timberwolfs (because I have 3 of them Prime(l) and s and c from when I brought it two years ago) then for the other two I have no idea.

I plan on doing getting the mech bays from each of the factions before settling for a side.

It really depends on the map and game type to choose the best options. If you are on polar, you want ERPPCs so an adder prime, Nova A are great are great dual ppc options, but the Viper and Ice-ferret have great quirks on ERPPCs as well. Arctic Cheetah Prime has ECM and is great for ninja style assassinations and scouting on maps with more cover. If you know the map will allow a for a few salvos to be fired off with a regular chance for cooling off, the Nova Prime with a reduction to 10medium lasers is great, but remember its fragile. Hunstman is generally very solid and Hunchback IIC provide a heavy punch in a soft frame. Shadowcats are good for long range support and harassment, and Mad Dogs are best built to brawl or do long range support.

What it really comes down to is buying some of these mechs and testing them out in quick play until you are happy with what you can do. There are people who will tell you that certain clan mechs are absolute garbage, but I firmly believe that its just a matter of learning to use each mech for their strengths while adjusting your movement and aggressiveness to the mech's speed and armor. Every mech will teach you a new way of playing, some just have better cross over lessons than others.

What FP really breaks down to s making sure you have the right builds for the right maps (long range in the open, and mid/short when spaces are shorter). Be concerned with getting the right weapons to the field, then with team work (remember, even bad orders followed are more effective than no orders or poor cooperation)(also, push means PUSH. 6 mechs pushing in on 3 targets will almost always win, especially when fire is focused to take them out faster).