18 replies to this topic

[Winnie The Pew]

Hi !

I am what I consider a brand new player, about 5 weeks “old” as it were. In my reading/research, it would appear that I will need to get heavies and/or assaults for faction play in the future or when I find a unit. I have read other threads on similar subjects to try and save another similar post, but I did not get enough info. Apologies for being detailed/length, but I prefer to give all the info I think anyone might need for informed advice.

Playstyle: I prefer IS mechs. I really dislike using srm’s, lrm’s, PPc’s and Gauss. They just aren’t my thing and I can’t get the feel for them. So I stick with dakka and lasers. I will practice more as time goes on.

First mech: cicada. Best mech ever! Fast, scouting n hit and run attacks from the flanks. With ecm and radar dep I can snipe from the back and run with LLs, this will be the mech I play forever!!! So I mastered them. Kill rate on my best cda 1.21.

Until I tried the cheetah. Yes, I know a clanner but still. Similar speed which is great, jump jets..who knew!? They really are handy. Plenty of Sl’s just tear up the backs of people & I still scout, hit and run etc. I just have to get close. No prob. I will play this one forever now! So I mastered them. Kill rate on my prime 1.19.

Until I tried the Locust. Once I could squeeze my arse into it that is and recover from having a windshield the size of a pants zipper. When I got used to it.. yes. Best mech ever. Wicked fast, perfect for hit n run, backstab, scouting and dogfighting. I am almost mastered on the last one of my locusts. my kill rate is an even 1.0 with my fav locust, not horrid for being “new” in an aluminum can I hope.

My limited play with heavies and assaults are poor as I am used to being exceptionally mobile. Taking 4,362 seconds to turn around causes my eye to pop out of my head stress wise, especially when I am used to being the one behind those big boys chewin on their armor. I do understand I will need to learn and adapt to the limitations speed wise, hence my asking for help and being detailed as possible without writing a novel.

So, if you made it through all of that, any ideas? I have looked around but truth be told, on paper they all look about the same. I do not need to be in a forgiving mech. Hell I started with lights n small mediums, I don’t get better if things are handed to me easily.I would appreciate any info you might have and thank you kindly for your time.

0157H7 (most just call me 7)

Edited by 0157H7, 14 April 2017 - 10:43 AM.

[Rogue Jedi]

as you noted most Heavy and Assualt Mechs are realy slow compaired to Cicada, Arctic Cheetah and Locust, there are not many which do two thirds the speed of one of those with max engine, most of the IS Heavies max out at about 84, the Clan Heavies can usualy get to 89.

if you want faster heavies look at Dragon and Quickdraw for IS or Linebacker for Clans, those 3 can do 104kph with max engine and speed tweak, the Quickdraw benefits from Jumpjets and is (with 1 exception) Energy maybe with missiles, you say you do not like missiles so you do not have to use them, several large class lasers would work fine.

I am also a Light Mech adict, I started in the Cicada, graduated to the Jenner, then the Firestarter and Spider, now my goto fast ride is the Viper ^{(replacing the Spider, which had been my goto light for almost 2 years, soon after Viper was released)} and my prefered heavies are the Warhammer and Marauder, Maraduer is tankier and has jumpjets but the Warhammer just feels better ^{(sorry I cannot better quantify it)}, both are mostly energy with options for missiles and/or balistics.

if you like Cicada and Jumping there is a varient able to take Jumpjets, the CDA-3F, and if you take all 8 nothing ^{(including the 30 ton SDR-5V with 12 jets)} can jump higher ^{(it is only matched bythe 40 ton Clan Viper)}

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 14 April 2017 - 11:17 AM.

[PiperJ3]

The Hellbringer Prime and or F(C) are my goto heavies. They are Clan however, but rate well in all the aspects that are important to me....They are equipped with ECM, and built in c.a.s.e. They have decent speed (87 when mastered) nice yaw rotation speed, can get up a good armor count, and you can Pod together several varieties of firepower depending on what you are in the mood for...I have three mastered Primes and an F(C) all configured differently.

I also like the Linebacker. Specifically the Hero...if memory serves, I believe you have access to more pods with the Hero. I podded mine to 9 energy hardpoints for a 60 alpha ( or two quick 30's)....and mastered speed at 104, and 403 armor....all a great combination.

[Insanity09]

If you are going for FW, once you've decided to whether to go IS or Clan, for invasion, yes, it is typically recommended to go with heavies, considered to have the best balance of speed, firepower, and armor.
However, a medium/light or two doesn't go amiss, depending on your personal strengths and playstyle. You got 240+ tons (265 IS) to divide between your four mechs, so a mix is typical.

I can certainly understand the desire to stay mobile. It is possible to go with quicker heavies, just look for higher engine caps and turn rate quirks (until the skill tree changes, then who knows?). I started with QKD's myself (barely a heavy, but they worked well for me).

One set of folks I dropped with for a while requested that all mechs go at least 70kph, esp. when on offense.
Some folks recommended to me to stick with jump capable mechs as much as possible.
I'd strongly recommend that your early mechs have long range weaponry (say at least 1200m+), later mechs in your deck might be shorter range (scouts excepted, mostly). This is less important now with siege maps less common, but is still a good guideline.
LRMs are not well thought of in FW, though I've been seeing more of them, especially on the clan side.

If you go IS, there is no reason not to use your CDA as one of your mechs.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Easy, Warhammer. Best IS heavy period.

[Winnie The Pew]

Thanks y'all, i will take a look at those and pick n play. i appreciate the time and input !

7

[Leone]

Also, I would suggest taking a look Over Here for gameplay suggestions.

I also suggest the marauder or warhammer for your first heavy, and then maybe a battlemaster if your looking to go assault.

~Leone.

[Koniving]

Look into 60, 70, 75, 80 and 85 ton mechs. You'll find something you like among them.

60 tonners tend to play as oversized lights.

[Cichol Balor]

You sir want a linebacker. Though that means clan for fw


I'm not sure why you think you need heavies and assaults for fw a good deal of my drop decks are mediums. Sometimes I'll have heavies or lights and hardly ever do I have assaults. So don't feel like you need assaults and heavies for it if you don't like piloting them

Edited by Cichol Balor, 14 April 2017 - 06:16 PM.

[Audacious Aubergine]

Marauder for the dakka. 3x AC5 -3R is all kinds of fun if you can stare at someone long enough from 500m away

[Jingseng]

I... are you sure you 'need' an assault/heavy?

Like the most fitting for you from what I have read would be the Linebacker (clan). On the IS side, a grasshopper, maybe?

in all honesty, I think it is way too soon for you to be thinking about heavies and assaults specifically for faction play. If your weapon biases are so strong, there's no point to moving onto platforms and gameplay modes that revolves so heavily on those weapons. If by chance you still suicide from overheat more frequently than once in 10 matches, faction play is way too soon =x
If all mechs look about the same to you on paper... too soon.

I would say keep playing with the mechs you like, build your skill and bank roll, and develop an appreciation for other tactics and weaponry... or it really wont matter what mech you get in.

[Winnie The Pew]

I don't "know" that i need a heavy/assault, just from what i have read it seems most people (rather the people that i have read info from) use 3 heavies almost all the time and either a med or assault for the 4th. i dont even know how the dropdecks work or what faction play is... but i am a quick study. if i stop playing lights and play heavies or whatever for a week..i will be good with them. the gauss and ppc.. i just cant get that timing to target down. likely just a learn through use thing.

I have never committed "suicide from overheat" to date that i can recall. I am pretty careful to avoid even shuttingdown (it hurts as I tend to be close at the time) .

still digging and playing with mwo mechlab to see what of all of your suggestions trigger my fancy more than another. i am a number cruncher before purchase. thanks everyone for the info so far. it is helpful and appreciated.

Edited by 0157H7, 15 April 2017 - 08:42 AM.

[Rogue Jedi]

0157H7, on 15 April 2017 - 08:40 AM, said:

I have never committed "suicide from overheat" to date that i can recall. I am pretty careful to avoid even shuttingdown (it hurts as I tend to be close at the time) .

the most common way to "commit suicide by overheating" is to override shutdown then keep shooting, you will never shut down but when the Mechs heat is over 100% you randomly suffer internal damage to a torso until eventuraly the Mech will just die.

other ways are to alpha strike in a stock Nova Prime ^{(you may suvive if done on a cool map)}, or to use a silly build like the Giga Drill, or Dire Star, which have insane heat levels if alphad

[Winnie The Pew]

Um. ok so the Orion isn't a good mech? the loadouts looks right for me, i can get the speed up enough "on paper" but in reading ..they cannot absorb enough damage? i don't see that as in issue but the low mounts would make fighting in open terrain more difficult. am I missing something that would make Orion a really bad choice?

Ive been practicing with srms. guess they aren't THAT bad... just takes practice.

[Cichol Balor]

http://pugsunited.or...d=245&type=orig


That's what is wrong with the orion. It's arms are useless as shields and focusing fire into side torso is amazingly easy. This causes the mech to drop fast

[Winnie The Pew]

Cichol Balor, on 15 April 2017 - 04:30 PM, said:

http://pugsunited.or...d=245&type=orig


That's what is wrong with the orion. It's arms are useless as shields and focusing fire into side torso is amazingly easy. This causes the mech to drop fast

good tip ! thanks

[chucklesMuch]

Warhammer or Hellbringer would probably be my picks if not for the sale.

With the sale on at the moment (on jumping mechs) I would recommend getting one of them (save cbills).

Grasshoppers or Marauders for IS and Timberwolves or Night Gyr for clan. (Timberwolves the most flexiable).

Though if you like fast mechs why not get a fast mech... locust, cheetah, cicada, viper are fun lights (or fast medium mechs). I personally haven't really clicked with the line breaker (as to recommend it)

[Winnie The Pew]

Wanted to formally sign off.

thank you all for the information and advice! nice to see an active forum community indeed.

I picked up a warhammer and a marauder. I strongly dislike the marauder .. it just doesn't "feel" right? no explanation. similar tonnage, loadout and speed after upping the engine, but I die a LOT in that bad boy as it just isn't intuitive (which is bizarre as the same controls move all of the mechs). going to wait to go past basic skills until this mythical tree-revamping takes place as I cannot see doing three of them.

Warhammer.. "yes yes..very nice" and I took the subtle constructive criticism about being biased with weapons and went from all laser vomit to PPC and ML's. short lernin curve and now I can hit down range 80% of the time and rising. already basic'd and have almost 30k xp additional for when the tree changes come or I decide to buy 2 more as patience is not a strength I have much of.

I still get all sexually excited over my locust, cheetah an cicada...... and play them most often, but it is nice to branch outside of the comfort zone. (plus...playing heavies will likely help me kill heavies as I will learn from how I die. )

Thank's everyone! Hope to see you on the battlefield!

0157H7 (just 7 in voip - makes it easier)

[Koniving]

0157H7, on 15 April 2017 - 10:55 AM, said:

Um. ok so the Orion isn't a good mech? the loadouts looks right for me, i can get the speed up enough "on paper" but in reading ..they cannot absorb enough damage? i don't see that as in issue but the low mounts would make fighting in open terrain more difficult. am I missing something that would make Orion a really bad choice?

Ive been practicing with srms. guess they aren't THAT bad... just takes practice.

Orions are not bad. In fact they are pretty good. However they are a bit unusual in that they do not have even hitboxes. One ST is easier to hit from the front, the other ST easier to hit from the side.

They are like mini Atlases, and like Atlases they are simply a LOT better without XL engines. However most players shove XL engines into everything...

Here's 2 matches in an Orion K.

--

Warhammer is a good choice. Nice, classic design. Good luck in the field.