97 replies to this topic

[CK16]

So it has been about a week since these two have dropped, both having fabled predictions before even having thier concept art finished.

So is the Mk II the second/third coming of the OP Clam assault, following the Kodiak and Marauder IIC? Or is it tamer?

Is the Annihilator truly DOA? The IS Direwolf? A Daka powerhouse?

How are we feeling so far on these, I know some what numbers will be inflated at first (the ammount of assaults per game latelt is rather insane....)but following past curves how do these stack up?

[R Valentine]

The MKII is one of the best clan assaults to release in like, a month, lol. The Anni is slow, tall, and ridiculously easy to hit. About what you'd expect from PGI. IS can't have anything nice.

[CK16]

Kiran Yagami, on 24 July 2017 - 06:12 AM, said:

The MKII is one of the best clan assaults to release in like, a month, lol. The Anni is slow, tall, and ridiculously easy to hit. About what you'd expect from PGI. IS can't have anything nice.

About as tin foil hat worthy as saying Russ hates Clans and wants IS to always win....Real conversation here please, leave the late night conspiracy theories for late night talk shows please.

[Juodas Varnas]

CK16, on 24 July 2017 - 06:14 AM, said:

About as tin foil hat worthy as saying Russ hates Clans and wants IS to always win....Real conversation here please, leave the late night conspiracy theories for late night talk shows please.

Where are people even coming up with the whole "Russ hates Clans" Bullocks?

The only mechs, i'm aware of, he has claimed to hate are Quadrupeds.

Now, from what i've seen of the mechs (i own neither), the Mk2 is an extremely competent chassis, definitely one of the better Clan Assault mechs (i'd argue it's better than the MAD IIC), while the Annihilator is... Pretty mediocre.
Better than being completely DOA, but to be honest, there's not much one can do with its hitboxes and size to make it any better.

Edited by Juodas Varnas, 24 July 2017 - 06:20 AM.

[DGTLDaemon]

MkII is in a weird spot. On the one hand, it can support a number of excellent loadouts. On the other, it got saddled with the same abysmal mobility as the post-nerf Marauder IIC. So... let's put it this way: before engine desync, it would probably have been OP. Right now it's simply a good mech. Not too good, but definitely no slouch either.

[R Valentine]

CK16, on 24 July 2017 - 06:14 AM, said:

About as tin foil hat worthy as saying Russ hates Clans and wants IS to always win....Real conversation here please, leave the late night conspiracy theories for late night talk shows please.

Oh please. All of the latest clan assaults have had to be nerfed EXCEPT for the Supernova, and that one is still good. Meanwhile, IS assaults either release unnoticed or need buffs. The Annihilator and the MKII are no different. The MKII is amazing. Engine cap of 400, all hard points are {LT-MOB-25} pit level or higher, hard points work well with multiple weapon types, and it even gets jump jets. Meanwhile, the Annihilator had its arms slumped downwards instead of out to the side like the initial artwork. It's engine cap is 300. It is taller than the MK. II. Hell, it's taller than just about anything. It has decent hardpoints, but the size and speed make it extremely easy to hit. It pales in comparison performance wise.

[Bud Crue]

Kiran Yagami, on 24 July 2017 - 06:12 AM, said:

The MKII is one of the best clan assaults to release in like, a month, lol. The Anni is slow, tall, and ridiculously easy to hit. About what you'd expect from PGI. IS can't have anything nice.

Can't speak to the Anni, but I don't much care for the MKII. Its a pretty tall target for a clan mech and the builds I would prefer are on the Deathstrike, which of course I don't have. The rest of them...the Scorch build is better on a Scorch (and looks far less ridiculous on a Scorch as well). Gauss/whatever is better for me on a Mad-IIC as well (despite the height advantage of the MKII). Been having limited success with a 2UAC20 and 4ERML build but the GH on tha cannons sucks so I feel gimped (seriously thinking of going to a 20 and a 10 or maybe 2 10s and doing something else with the energy points). Best results I am having is 4ERPPCs.

[SmokedJag]

Mad Cat II is as brutal as everyone thought it would be. 60+ damage loadouts in line with the cockpit with good mobility and build flexibility.

Annihilator is for troll, that's like its mission in life.

[CK16]

Juodas Varnas, on 24 July 2017 - 06:18 AM, said:

Where are people even coming up with the whole "Russ hates Clans" Bullocks?

The only mechs, i'm aware of, he has claimed to hate are Quadrupeds.

Now, from what i've seen of the mechs (i own neither), the Mk2 is an extremely competent chassis, definitely one of the better Clan Assault mechs (i'd argue it's better than the MAD IIC), while the Annihilator is... Pretty mediocre.
Better than being completely DOA, but to be honest, there's not much one can do with its hitboxes and size to make it any better.

Rumor has it, he said it during a townhall awhile ago. My guess probably a sly joking jab cause "evil Clanner trash borne scum, ect ect." But just like his island and cheap skates comments....taken so far and people freak out over it...either way I atleast try to be central(although yes my.loyalty colors do fly and get in the way at times I admit)

[ScreamingSkull]

Both are in a good spot. I do very well in my Mad Cat IIC and I see Anni's doing well consistently. They do have a OH **** FOCUS THAT THING effect though that makes them fire magnets, but they're so tanky that they can handle it if the team backs them up.

[Widowmaker1981]

The Annihilator is actually far, far better than i expected it to be, thanks to the crazy armour quirks .. i expected DOA, and got ... pretty damn good, but only if you bring Dakka, because once you start a fight you better end it, since running away aint gonna happen...

MCII released with better agility than i hoped for tbh (no 60 degree twist angle) and is pretty good.. one of the good Clan assaults, but im not sure it would be better than the MAD-IIC if it wasnt for the incredible agility hammering that mech has taken.

[Y E O N N E]

The Annihilator looks to be a good power position 'Mech thanks solely to its armor bonuses and the ease with which it rolls damage. You will not win a DPS war with one, you have to be more cagey. If the team backs it up, it is a powerhouse. Even under focus fire, it takes long enough to bring down that its allies will cut up the attackers. I dunno. I don't think a chassis that regularly and almost trivially posts in excess of 1000 damage can be "bad". It is nearly perfect for what it is and a pleasant surprise.

The Mad Cat Mk. II is not a surprise at all, it is performing very well as per expectations. There is very little it can't do. I do think the Heavy Laser builds are getting pilots killed; this 'Mech cannot face tank. ERML are as long as I would recommend going.

[Pariah Devalis]

I find the MKII a useful tool. Great mounts, and it isn't a bad looking mech. However, it just doesn't speak to me. Just like the Timberwolf, it seems so... vanilla. No personality. It simply does what it does. To be honest, I find the Supernova a more enjoyable mech. Yeah, it's slower, but it seems to armor roll better, and has at least two stupidly good builds between pulse laser spam and ATM hell. SNV has that personality. That spark. MKII just doesn't.


I find Anni stupidly tanky, though. It's ridiculous. They take a hell of a beating, and dish out one too. I wish the DWF had those sorts of durability quirks!

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 24 July 2017 - 06:56 AM.

[Roadbuster]

From my personal experience ingame:

MCII: nothing spectacular, doesn't look very intimidating to me, not as tanky as MAD-IIC, firepower is not bad but nothing exceptional, threat level: medium

Annihilator: slow but intimidating, very tanky, don't want to get in front of it, ballistics really hurt, threat level: high

Of these two, I have more respect of the Annihilator.

[Y E O N N E]

Pariah Devalis, on 24 July 2017 - 06:55 AM, said:

I find the MKII a useful tool. Great mounts, and it isn't a bad looking mech. However, it just doesn't speak to me. Just like the Timberwolf, it seems so... vanilla. No personality. It simply does what it does. To be honest, I find the Supernova a more enjoyable mech. Yeah, it's slower, but it seems to armor roll better, and has at least two stupidly good builds between pulse laser spam and ATM hell. SNV has that personality. That spark. MKII just doesn't.

My thoughts exactly.

Quote

I find Anni stupidly tanky, though. It's ridiculous. They take a hell of a beating, and dish out one too. I wish the DWF had those sorts of durability quirks!

The DWF could use some, yeah. I don't think it deserves the same amount - it goes faster for the same payload and it is the most powerful burst damage 'Mech in the game - but half would be a good place to start.

What I am not convinced is necessary is a nerf to the Anni.

[Pariah Devalis]

Yeonne Greene, on 24 July 2017 - 07:02 AM, said:

My thoughts exactly.



The DWF could use some, yeah. I don't think it deserves the same amount - it goes faster for the same payload and it is the most powerful burst damage 'Mech in the game - but half would be a good place to start.

What I am not convinced is necessary is a nerf to the Anni.

Agreed. I am not sure if the Anni needs a nerf or not. However, the DWF could use some love. Anni has three things, defensively, going for it that the DWF does not:

• It can actually torso twist, while the DWF twist is highly limited
  
• The CT hitbox is more of a narrow strip, whereas the CT hitbox of the DWF is a larger slice of the mech
  
• It has those gigantic armor/structure quirks, which compounds the first two issues, defensively

DWF with full Anni defense quirks would be fine, if they didn't improve the torso twist and hitbox breakup. 50% of the durability quirks might be fine, but only if they gave the DWF the ability to torso twist and/or shrunk the CT hitbox a little.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 24 July 2017 - 07:06 AM.

[Y E O N N E]

Pariah Devalis, on 24 July 2017 - 07:06 AM, said:

Agreed. I am not sure if the Anni needs a nerf or not. However, the DWF could use some love. Anni has three things, defensively, going for it that the DWF does not:

• It can actually torso twist, while the DWF twist is highly limited
  
• The CT hitbox is more of a narrow strip, whereas the CT hitbox of the DWF is a larger slice of the mech
  
• It has those gigantic armor/structure quirks, which compounds the first two issues, defensively

DWF with full Anni defense quirks would be fine, if they didn't improve the torso twist and hitbox breakup. 50% of the durability quirks might be fine, but only if they gave the DWF the ability to torso twist and/or shrunk the CT hitbox a little.

Alternatively, they give it half and increase its accel/decel by a lot, so it can poke well.

With the ERML max range restoration, the Space Whale is effective again. In my opinion, being Poke Master Supreme is the DWF's true calling and I'd rather lean it a little more in that direction.

[Pariah Devalis]

Yeonne Greene, on 24 July 2017 - 07:12 AM, said:

Alternatively, they give it half and increase its accel/decel by a lot, so it can poke well.

With the ERML max range restoration, the Space Whale is effective again. In my opinion, being Poke Master Supreme is the DWF's true calling and I'd rather lean it a little more in that direction.

Either way, it needs some serious help. It has not aged well.....

[Skanderborg]

I think Godzilla has replaced the Atlas for the "juggernaut" role. It's useless at range but pray you don't find one at less than 400km face to face.

[Koniving]

Kiran Yagami, on 24 July 2017 - 06:12 AM, said:

The MKII is one of the best clan assaults to release in like, a month, lol. The Anni is slow, tall, and ridiculously easy to hit. About what you'd expect from PGI. IS can't have anything nice.

Annihilator can easily have more than 500 health on the torsos and arms alone (nevermind the 100+ per leg).

Just need to max out that mobility tree and sport a 300 engine....the biggest engine you can fit.