tutzdes, on 11 December 2017 - 10:58 AM, said:
I'm new here (first post!) and my only mech is BSW-X2. My current builds are 2xUAC/5+2xMPL and 2xRAC5 ones. The engine is stock XL275. Works ok, it seems.
Dual RAC/5 on a Bushwacker work indeed, albeit will all the limitations that a RAC means. You can use a bigger engine though, if you are using XLs. I am running the XL300 when I mount dual RAC/5, but much comes down to preference. But don't forget light ferro; with 2x RAC/5 you can easily switch to LFF.
Never use the 275 anyway. The XL280 has exactly the same weight, but provides greater speed.
tutzdes, on 11 December 2017 - 10:58 AM, said:
I plan experiment a bit with BSW-X2 loadouts and want to ask which are viable (for a newbie). 2xGauss? 2xAC/20? A mix of these with something maybe? Putting the missiles into side torso looks like a neon sign: 'I got an XL and want die, shoot me here!' - is that so?
Some say so. Technically your STs are easier to hit, especially from the front, but in actual games I don't notice a difference neither when piloting, nor when fighting one. Try it out for yourself and see if it works.
As far as dual gauss and dual AC/20 are concerned, they are too heavy for my taste. The engine needed is really small and I am not comfortable with those speeds on a medium Mech.
Mixing a single AC/20 with SRM makes for a good brawler. Also: SNPPC. It's usually not a great weapon but it syncs very well with the AC/20.
Due to the great variety of hardpoints, you can do a lot of builds. If you earned some C-bills you can have great fun experimenting.
tutzdes, on 11 December 2017 - 10:58 AM, said:
Some weapons and playstyles would require to convert to LE (any SE is crazy heavy for our BSW, is it?). Engines cost a lot, so does any other mech go with LE stock, so I could just buy it and swap around parts while having a two mechs at once. Is it even possible to swap parts like that?
The LFE makes the Bushwacker incredibly tanky. That's the main advantage, besides being able to use the AC/20s. I don't see any use for STD-engines; you give up too much speed/firepower for very little in return.
And yes, you can swap around engines of BattleMechs (not possible with OmniMechs), no problem. However, the Nightstar-10P and Annihilator-1P are the only stock Mechs with LFE. And only the Annihilator is available for C-Bills. That's an expensive way, and you get a 300 LFE. Depending on your build this might not be the rating you want.
I'd just play around with what you have for a while and upgrade the Mech piece by piece. However, if you
really like the Bushwacker, I'd say buy the basic pack: you not only get three fully equipped Mechs (which means you can sell a lot of equipment from those Mechs, including their engines; or the whole Mech), you also get premium time to increase your income. It's the best value for real money.
https://mwomercs.com/bushwacker
But it is just as well possible without spending real money; it just takes longer.