20 replies to this topic

[Maineiacal Maineiac]

I am thinking of going beyond Quick Play. I need a 4th mech. I always use the same setup, Ballistic and energy, set up so I only need the 2 mouse buttons. The ones I have for this are an Orion 2C(c), a Hunchback 2C(c), and a Stormcrow SCR-B.

I'd really like to get a 2nd Orion, but I'd have to replace the Stormcrow to stay under the 250 weight limit.

[Skarlock]

Well, your choices, assuming you want to be at least close to the tonnage cap aren't much. You have the following:

Summoner
Linebacker
Hellbringer
Ebon Jaguar
Mad Dog

Personally I would go with a 2 lpl 3 er med Hellbringer. That's a solid, all-around damage dealing machine. High mounts, solid hitboxes, does good at laser vomit but if you get bored you cay try like, uacs or something. Not really the brawling type so SRMs probably won't be viable since you have too few possible missile hard points (3 max) but I guess you could try like, medium pulses if you want a shorter range build... Would probably still be too hot anyways to really be all that great, but it's doable. Could do gauss + er mediums as well if that's your thing, but pure laser vomit probably better overall right now.

Ebon Jag is another decent choice. Not as tanky as the hellbringer since it's pretty easy to CT, but played well it can outperform.

I don't like summoners personally, but dual erppcs and pop-tarting can do well if that's your thing.

Linebacker is neat but I don't have personal experience with it. It's a very over-engined mech so you don't get much tonnage for guns, but if you absolutely have to go fast, it's an option.

Mad Dog I wouldn't recommend unless you absolutely have to have as many missiles as possible. If LRMs or suicide brawling are your thing then go with that.

It's hard to make a recommendation since your only criteria is "best" but that's all relative to what you personally are good at. Don't really know your playstyle or what you do most often. Typically people are good at what they do a lot of and not good at what they do infrequently, so I'd go with whatever mech suits your typical playstyle. If you're well rounded, then I'd just go with the Hellbringer by default.

[Kubernetes]

EBJs and HBRs have been staples of FW decks for a long time. HBR for ECM, EBJ for more firepower. I personally prefer the EBJ, but others love the HBR.

The Summoner is a very underappreciated mech, probably the best Clan heavy pre-ST (except that no one believed it). It's still up there, but its relative advantage has diminished. It's probably disliked because it is not an easy-mode mech-- you have to work to make it work, but once you've got it down it can out-perform Ebons and Timbys.

Linebacker is nice to have because the speed comes in really handy on Conquest drops (especially on Polar). Low firepower, but you just have to play it differently than you would an Ebon or Timby.

Mad Dog is pretty situational. SRMs or Streaks. I wouldn't buy it for a main frontline heavy.

[Audacious Aubergine]

Summoner. It's the unpopular option but I've actually had surprisingly positive results with some of them once you learn to get around how low the arms are. A successful one is one of the loyalty variants, LPL in one arm and LB-10X in the other, ERSL in one side torso and streak 6 in the other. Sounds weird but it worked somehow. Emphasis on somehow.
Otherwise, Hellbringers are pretty bang for the tonnage buck

[Jingseng]

Just want to add, if you are thinking of FW.... those (c) mechs, i hope are champions that you actually own and not trial mechs.

Trial mechs were always bad to take into FW, but the gap between a 91 node mastered mech and a trial got even larger. The lack of heat gen/containment/Cool run, on top of a reduced containment.... is huge. That's not even considering the range, ammo, velocity, ecm, etc.

Honestly, just don't.

Wait until you actually own and can 91-skill 4 mechs. FW is not the means to doing that. It is an entirely different world from QP.

[Bonzai VI]

Don't know why nobody already said this but: Clan only has 240 tons for their dropdeck, so it could get a bit hard with that composition^^

A possibility is a 75-65-50-50 ton dropdeck.
So for example a Mad-Cat, Hbr, Hunchback-IIC, Nova.

If you like the Mad-Dog, you could also take him, since with your dropdeck atm it's the heaviest you can take with you.

I still think that you should at least get 2 dropdecks before you drop into CW, since you will need brawl/midrange/sniper loadouts. All depends on the map.

But a Mid-Range-Loadout (LPL,UAC10(even though they are bugged^^)) can also fight in close-range. If you really HAVE to play CW, then get something that is All-around viable, but get yourself specific dropdecks as quickly as possible.

Well that's it for me, if there are more specific question, you can add me in-game and I'll try to help you^^

Edited by Bonzai VI, 23 May 2017 - 01:11 AM.

[Maineiacal Maineiac]

240?

Oh well, there goes one idea of mine. To answer one question, yeah, I own those mechs. I also own a Cicada and a Raven.
I also have a Catapult, this may have changed, but things didn't go well when I tried it. Just before the big change, I got a Hunchback 2(a) because I thought I was going to need 3 of them. I like the Hunchback2, it's tanky for it's size.

I know I need to put together a group for offensive scenarios. I do have the SCR that could be used for that. It has an AC20 and 3 ml. I've already worked the skill tree on that, and made it almost as tanky as it's possible to be. But the offensive group will have to come later.

I don't think I have any Hero mechs, I thought you could only have one of those. But it's possible I have one and don't know it.

I got the very first real video game card, and MW2 came with it. I loved that game. MWO has possibilities, I hope they keep improving it.

Looks like I should start swapping out my AC10s for LBXs...

How does a Cicada, the Hunchback 2(c), the SCR, and the Orion sound?

Edited by Maineiacal Maineiac, 23 May 2017 - 05:54 AM.

[Rogue Jedi]

Maineiacal Maineiac, on 23 May 2017 - 05:51 AM, said:

How does a Cicada, the Hunchback 2(c), the SCR, and the Orion sound?

assuming you mean a Cicada, Hunchback IIC, Stormcrow and Orion IIC, that will not work, the Cicada is an IS Mech, the other 3 are Clan, and you cannot take IS Mechs on a Clan contract, or Clan Mechs on an IS contract.

for a Clan dropdeck you will need something to replace the Cicada, options to fit a 240 ton dropdeck (I have not played FP as clans for a long time so was not sure of the dropdeck tonage limit) with the 50 ton HBK-IIC, 55 ton SCR and 75 ton ORN-IIC that leaves you 60 tons, so the options are
60 ton Mechs Mad Dog ^{(the ultimate missile boat)}, Linebacker ^{(basicly a bigger Stormcrow with less tonage for guns)}
55 ton Stormcrow
50 ton Hunchback IIC, Nova ^{(laser boat)}, Huntsman ^{(basicly Hunckback IIC as an Omnimech)}
45 ton Ice Ferett ^{(simular to Cicada)}, Shadow Cat ^{(great as a sniper, and thanks to MASC the most manuverable Mech in the game)}
40 ton Viper ^{(basicly the Clan Cicada, but it also has jumpjets, and at current nothing jumps better)}
or Light Mechs

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 23 May 2017 - 06:23 AM.

[latinisator]

It does not sound possible!

The Cicada is Inner Sphere trash. You cannot mix Inner Sphere tech with Clan tech (unfortunately). So if you are going to do CW, choose a Clan faction (preferably Jade Falcon, for we are Clan Jade Falcon). Then you will have to bring all Clan Mechs.
Orion IIC is solid, not great, but good. Stormcrows are always a win but I really do not like them that much. Hunchback IIC is a solid choice, too. To sum up: 75t + 55t + 50t = 180t.
The current drop limit is 240t. So you have 60t left. Get a Mad Dog if you are into brawling: 6 ASRM6 and call it a day.

The Linebacker plays like a Stormcrow, imho. If you drop the Crow and add a Nova (best Mech imho) or a Hunchback IIC or a Huntsman (also nice), grab a Hellbringer.

[DavidStarr]

Skarlock, on 22 May 2017 - 12:58 PM, said:

Personally I would go with a 2 lpl 3 er med Hellbringer.

Just my two cents of a moderately noobish player: I got HBR the other day, and I can't believe how squishy it is. Ebon Jauar is so much better, it's unbelievable how much tankier and how much more versatile in terms of what loadouts you can do it is.

[Maineiacal Maineiac]

latinisator, on 23 May 2017 - 06:25 AM, said:

Nova (best Mech imho)

If you don't mind my asking, which Nova do you have, and what (if any) changes did you make to it?

[latinisator]

Maineiacal Maineiac, on 23 May 2017 - 10:02 AM, said:

If you don't mind my asking, which Nova do you have, and what (if any) changes did you make to it?

Links to Nova build threads:

http://mwomercs.com/...od-nova-builds/

http://mwomercs.com/...-12-c-sml-puls/

https://mwomercs.com...4602-nova-help/

If you want to spend money on a hero, here is something for the Nova hero (Breaker):

https://mwomercs.com...-nva-bk-builds/

And here is the Breaker build I use now (both quick play and community warfare):

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...e15baa6864c2b05

Take all builds with a little caveat since the skill tree respec has finally hit.

edit: Which Nova do I have? All.

Edited by latinisator, 23 May 2017 - 08:39 PM.

[invernomuto]

What Skarlok said, 2LPs 3ERMLs (ECM) Hellbringer is a really solid choice for FW

[JC Daxion]

well if you are talking clans.. Is there even a bad mech in the whole lot from 30-70 tons?

Really only the ice ferret and mist linx get negativity stuff said about um. (well you could add the Adder and Kitfox, which are not top killers, but more have a few really nitch builds that work well)

But the rest, ARC (energy boat), jenner IIC (missile boat), shadow cat (a few weapons, energy mainly, a couple nitch SRM or ballistic builds), nova (energy boat god), HBK IIC, Ballistics+energy is where it shines but does others decently), stormcrow, (energy or missiles mainly), ebon Energy boat, ballsitics+energy, or Missles+energy), Hellbringer, (mainly energy with some missile and ballistic hard points), Mad dog (Missile boat w/energy)


Really you can't go wrong on any of them.

[Kubernetes]

I would recommend dropping with the following deck:

Mad IIC
TBR/NTG
HMN/HBK-IIC
ACH

You can play with the last three drops, but I really recommend a Marauder IIC first because of the prevalence of Battlemaster 2Cs on the IS side. No 65-tonner is going to last 10 seconds against a BLR. Even a 75-tonner is overmatched.

Edited by Kubernetes, 24 May 2017 - 09:11 AM.

[Maineiacal Maineiac]

I'm leaning towards the Mad Dog(a) the SRM6 missile boat.

But I want to replace the ballistic arm with one off the Mad Dog Prime. Can you do that? I want to do 6 srm and 4 med laser or med pulse lasers.

How do you replace an arm?

Edited by Maineiacal Maineiac, 26 May 2017 - 11:45 AM.

[Rogue Jedi]

Maineiacal Maineiac, on 26 May 2017 - 11:41 AM, said:

I'm leaning towards the Mad Dog(a) the SRM6 missile boat.

But I want to replace the ballistic arm with one off the Mad Dog Prime. Can you do that? I want to do 6 srm and 4 med laser or med pulse lasers.

How do you replace an arm?

in the Mechlab go to omnipods, drag the relevent pod onto the relevent section.

the pod costs cbills assuming there is not one in your inventory
also pods are only available for cbill varients, in the case of the Mad Dog this is not an issue but for a preorder Mech you would not be able to get the reinforcement pods and you can never purchase hero pods

edit:
you can replace the pod for anything except the Center Torso

Edited by Rogue Jedi, 26 May 2017 - 12:41 PM.

[Maineiacal Maineiac]

Thanks, guys, got a Mad Dog(a) and put a Prime arm on it. So it's got 5 ml and 6 srms. I have a 2 button mouse, so heat's a problem. But it'll do a lot of damage with a little luck.

[Marius Evander]

Maineiacal Maineiac, on 28 May 2017 - 03:47 AM, said:

Thanks, guys, got a Mad Dog(a) and put a Prime arm on it. So it's got 5 ml and 6 srms. I have a 2 button mouse, so heat's a problem. But it'll do a lot of damage with a little luck.

Learn to move your middle finger between W and 3 or buy a mouse with more buttons, you need to fire those srm's in 2 salvo's

[Zergling]

Alternatively, set the SRMs to chain fire.

You won't get as much alpha damage, but the constant stream of SRMs will make it harder for whatever you are hitting to return fire.