Lupis Volk, on 25 January 2017 - 07:31 PM, said:
If you don't have a Marauder yet, no time like the present. I like the one with missiles in the left torso best, myself, the -5D I think it is.
I personally prefer the KGC over the Stalker, but that's a matter of taste. KGC is mass firepower (dakka dakka), Stalker is laser/missile support (sort of a second-line kinda guy, I feel).
It's never a bad time to buy a locust, but they kinda need an XL engine to work, so outfitting will easily cost twice to three times the cost of the 'mech. Raven-3L can be fun and carries ECM, but the XL it comes with is sloooow, so you have a similar outfit-cost problem there.
Cicada and Crab are similar in my mind, but I personally prefer the Cicada because it's faster, pretty much an oversized light. I recall the crab being just a bit tankier (though not much, still a 50 ton medium). Cicada works best with a new XL for speedy hit and run, so there is a bit more aftermarket cost there. I do feel like the Crab lacks firepower, but that may just be because I never built it right.