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New Player, Heavy Mech Recommendation


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#1 cashiimo

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 02:08 PM

Hi all!

Sorry in advance if this is the wrong place to post this. I'm looking for tips as to which heavy mech to choose.

I kind of squandered half of my cadet bonus away, have maybe 4 left to earn, so i'm resting at 11m right now. I prefer missiles and ballistic if possible. I know i can't afford much right now, so i want to know what i should start saving for.

Any tips/advice is deeply appreciated!

cashiimo

#2 InspectorG

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 02:19 PM

Inner Sphere: Marauder, Warhammer, Roughneck

Clan: Ebon Jaguar, Hellbringer, Timber Wolf.

If you wasted your cadet bonus, you could just start another account.

#3 Mad Dog Morgan

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 02:23 PM

Now I may be wrong, but one of the most versatile (if a little boring) heavies out there is the Timber Wolf. 75t, 81kph, packs a punch and some have jumpjets.

Marauder and Warhammer are indeed good mechs as well.

Edited by Mad Dog Morgan, 31 August 2017 - 02:24 PM.


#4 InspectorG

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 02:26 PM

View PostMad Dog Morgan, on 31 August 2017 - 02:23 PM, said:

Now I may be wrong, but one of the most versatile (if a little boring) heavies out there is the Timber Wolf. 75t, 81kph, packs a punch and some have jumpjets.


Timby fell from his throne a bit, engine desynch cost him the ability to torso twist and turn. Still decent but there are better brawlers out there.

#5 cashiimo

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 02:31 PM

Thanks for your input so far, my choice right now is between the Roughneck and Warhammer. I usually hang back and try to shoot at what my teammates are aiming at, as i'm still very new to the game. So if there is one of those two that play more of a support role, please tell me which one :)

#6 Metus regem

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 02:40 PM

View Postcashiimo, on 31 August 2017 - 02:31 PM, said:

Thanks for your input so far, my choice right now is between the Roughneck and Warhammer. I usually hang back and try to shoot at what my teammates are aiming at, as i'm still very new to the game. So if there is one of those two that play more of a support role, please tell me which one Posted Image



Well to be blunt, the Warhammer is the better mech, but being the better mech comes at a cost, it has a higher targeting priority, meaning it will draw fire sooner than the Roughneck will.

To get an idea of how you are going to want to build it, I would spend time with http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab.

#7 InspectorG

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 05:34 PM

View Postcashiimo, on 31 August 2017 - 02:31 PM, said:

... So if there is one of those two that play more of a support role, please tell me which one Posted Image


There really isnt a 'support' role in MWO. The best support for your team is to damage the enemy and minimize incoming damage without camping or getting out of position.

Triple AMS and Narc arent really support.

#8 SnagaDance

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 11:47 PM

I beg to differ, as some weapon systems are more support oriented than others.

LRMs for instance are never a true main weapon as there are too many counters to them, but they can be excellent in keeping enemy mechs in cover, though when used well (300-400m, staying just behind the main line) they can be good damage dealers. Of course the damage is spread, helping to open up mechs for others to exploit, rather support like IMO.

Same with AC/2's, even massed like they are on one of my King Crabs I don't considerer them to be a true mainline fighting weapon (though an 1100 damage game just yesterday was all kinds of fun).

So maybe in MWO the support weapons are the sub-optimal ones, the ones that are less likely to win a 1v1. Try hards may rage against them but god forbid anyone from having fun in a game eh? Posted Image

#9 Koniving

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 08:04 AM

View Postcashiimo, on 31 August 2017 - 02:08 PM, said:

Hi all!

Sorry in advance if this is the wrong place to post this. I'm looking for tips as to which heavy mech to choose.

I kind of squandered half of my cadet bonus away, have maybe 4 left to earn, so i'm resting at 11m right now. I prefer missiles and ballistic if possible. I know i can't afford much right now, so i want to know what i should start saving for.

Any tips/advice is deeply appreciated!

cashiimo


Good morning. Koniving here with 270+ mechs at the moment. (Think it's 272 or 273). Anyway, got plenty of IS and Clan experience and been here since just before summer 2012. Been helping since late 2012.

Normally people recommend medium mechs to help you figure out what kind of player you want to be. I understand you're looking at heavy mechs and the fixation seems to be on the Inner Sphere side.

In addition to the Roughneck and the Warhammer, both being very capable mechs, might I also recommend mechs of similar caliber in the same weight categories (65 and 75 tons) on the IS side:

Thunderbolt (65 tons) is similar to a Roughneck but with a larger focus on energy and more missile options. Most of the weapons are in the torsos.

Orion (75 tons) is similar to the Warhammer but also plays like a lighter, faster Atlas (100 tons). Weapons are reasonably split between body parts rather than heavily focused in the torsos as is the case with the Warhammer.

Marauder (75 tons) is similar to the Warhammer but has the merits of being a chickenwalker. Yes this means larger side torsos, but provided you are not using an XL engine the larger side torsos can act as a shield, reducing incoming damage by 60% after you lose the side torso (hence why it only works if not using an XL engine; as you'd die instantly if you lost it while using XL).

(The Thunderbolt -- despite being humanoid -- also has the same advantage that the Marauder has going for it.)

-----

Don't let people tell you that some roles don't exist. Play the game the way you want.

"Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do." ~ Walter E. Disney

There's plenty of support roles. The issue is that there are no non-combat roles.
Due to the nature of this game, every feasible role is associated with combat in some capacity. Keep this in mind.

#10 JC Daxion

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 08:09 AM

thunder bolt 5SS, STD275, 2 ERLL's + 5 MPL's and some extra heat sinks, is a solid new player mech.. Can be used at long range with the ERLL's and up close with the 5 MPL's. It's one of my best mechs too. I run it in my Faction war drop deck, and it works great in QP. Just a very solid all around mech.

You can also upgrade it to an LFE300 and toss in some extra heat sinks, but that costs more cash, so stick with the stock engine to start.. :)

#11 Koniving

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 08:17 AM

View PostSnagaDance, on 31 August 2017 - 11:47 PM, said:

Same with AC/2's, even massed like they are on one of my King Crabs I don't considerer them to be a true mainline fighting weapon (though an 1100 damage game just yesterday was all kinds of fun).

Due to the nature of MWO, AC/2s are kind of in an iffy spot. Sure they can spam all kinds of damage that would surpass two RAC/2s in Battletech (in fact if you tweak unofficial tabletop "Megamek" a little bit so that a single AC/2 can fire like it does in MWO... you easily have a weapon that surpasses any pair of 3150 technology including the largest Hyper Assault Gauss Rifles and MRM-40s.).. But there's double+ armor and structure on all mechs, plus travel time, plus so many other factors...

In Battletech, AC/2s are used to fight infantry, to fight mechanized infantry, to fight light to moderately armored vehicles, to fight light and medium mechs, to harass heavy and assault mechs, to fight against airborne threats. And it is pretty effective at this, despite the fact that within the advanced rules you can net between 0 to 6 damage from a single AC/2 in tabletop. (Glancing/direct blows and "Rapid fire autocannons" allowing two damage ratings to be achieved at the risk of both a jam and a weapon explosion).

Now how many of those potential targets do we have? Yeah. And a fully armored Hunchback here, without quirks or skill tree is 320 armor points. In Battletech, just 160 armor points.

Even so, pack about 4 and have lots of fun. Even if you fire them like this.

The biggest issues are bullet travel time and leading targets; if you get up close they are superbly effective in groups of 3.

Long before quirks and such, triple AC/2.

Edited by Koniving, 01 September 2017 - 08:24 AM.


#12 AnimePops

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 10:37 AM

I would always recommend Thunderbolts, Roughnecks, Quickdraws, and Grasshoppers to new players. They are fairly rugged, mobile, , fairly high mounts, and relevant in meta if you do go IS Faction Warfare. All but the Roughnecks have jump options. I dont play a lot of clan, but you can't go wrong with Hellbringers or Timberwolfs. Honorable mentions would be Muraders and Evan Jaguars. One thing to mention here unsolicited is get some great mediums also. They farm credits better just because of being a medium and you can use as much credit income as you can get and teach you everything you need to know about how to play MWO. Mobility is survival, torso arm shielding, build efficiency and synergy....every new player should have a few like Cents or Hawks.

#13 Koniving

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 10:51 AM

(Ebon Jaguars)^
[more commonly known outside of MWO as Cauldron Born.]

Talking Phoenix Hawks or Shadow Hawks?
Either way hard pressed for them as new player mechs, but perhaps as early mechs. The thrill of seeing the hands holding guns in a Phoenix Hawk is strangely satisfying.

#14 AnimePops

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 11:15 AM

Shadow Hawks. They have decent mobility, great arm shields, excellent high mounts, and great jump capability. They are excellent mediums to start and learn with. Centorians don't have the firepower or jump jets but they are faster with better hotboxes and also teach arm shielding. Phx Hawk would be one of the last things I would personally recommend. LoL

Edited by Anunaki, 01 September 2017 - 11:16 AM.


#15 Koniving

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 03:34 PM

View PostAnunaki, on 01 September 2017 - 11:15 AM, said:

Shadow Hawks. They have decent mobility, great arm shields, excellent high mounts, and great jump capability. They are excellent mediums to start and learn with. Centorians don't have the firepower or jump jets but they are faster with better hotboxes and also teach arm shielding. Phx Hawk would be one of the last things I would personally recommend. LoL

Decent mobility.
Posted Image
Is what a Shadow Hawk feels like without going into quirks or changing the engine... Admittedly I think that it is one of the few mechs that has a sensation of 'weight' to it... what with the painfully slow acceleration and sluggish torso twisting.

And I say this as a Hunchback pilot with a love for the stock engine. (HBK stock: 64.8 kph. SHK stock: 81 kph.) It's the torso twist and turning abilities. They are okay if you don't need them and capitalize on the high mount, but meh. It makes up for these flaws in a number of ways.

However to say it beats a Centurion in firepower seems questionable, perhaps if we're talking about after putting in the biggest possible engines but otherwise they are pretty on par in this regard.

What I suppose really gets me though is... great jump capability....on a shadow hawk. If you think that is great, might I suggest trying literally any other 55 tonner that has jump capability and a full assortment of 7 (or more) jumpjets rather than the SHK's 3.

(I'm still struggling to find reason for the Shadowhawks occupying my mechbays. I have 7 of them. ...and find it difficult to enjoy 5 of them. Two of them seem okay, but for a scout/recon mech in BT lore... it feels like a slow lumbering artillery piece.)

#16 Koniving

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Posted 01 September 2017 - 04:11 PM

(Might I suggest (to Anunaki) a Wolverine?)
Posted Image

Similar firepower. Better control and mobility. And while they are closer to the same size now, original the Wolverine was the smallest 55 tonner, and the SHK was the biggest. Wolverine is still smaller. It's true, the main gun isn't on a high point. But it's on a very flexible point, making it very suited for mobile horizontal combat.

I need to make new vids with the Wolverines. But since I can see my hand and we don't have the weapon model updates, I get iffy about recording the buggy looking UAC/5 barrel while using any of the new weapons.

The Griffin on the other hand... is pretty suited for vertical combat. Sadly most of my shots were getting shot down before I turned off chain fire. Horizontal combat with Griffin. Shadow Hawks could never hope to do this. Well maybe if they use Streaks. Yet more Griffin. Just don't think this mobility can be rivaled...

I personally think the Shadow Hawk is best behind a hill or building, pretending to kneel and sharp shoot. ...honestly haven't had much luck beyond that. Well there was this build...

#17 Rogue Jedi

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Posted 02 September 2017 - 07:56 AM

View Postcashiimo, on 31 August 2017 - 02:31 PM, said:

Thanks for your input so far, my choice right now is between the Roughneck and Warhammer. I usually hang back and try to shoot at what my teammates are aiming at, as i'm still very new to the game. So if there is one of those two that play more of a support role, please tell me which one Posted Image


View PostInspectorG, on 31 August 2017 - 05:34 PM, said:


There really isnt a 'support' role in MWO. The best support for your team is to damage the enemy and minimize incoming damage without camping or getting out of position.

Triple AMS and Narc arent really support.


there are in fact several diferant support roles you can offer, ECM support, AMS support, fire support (usualy long range with LRMs or long range balistics) you can support the team by flanking or scouting.

cashiimo seemed to be asking about long range fire support,
Mechs which excel at this in the heavy weight class are pretty much anything with high mounted balistic, energy or missile hardpoints, I will give a few examples

most of the Thunderbolts have high mounted energy hardpoints, the TDR-9S especialy for a while was considered an excelent fire aupport Mech with some good PPC quirks (not sure it they are still there)

the Jagermech is another great fire support Mech, it has high mounted arms sutible for taking several balistic weapons, for long range work look at varients of the AC2, AC5 and Gauss Rifle weapon types, the JM6-DD comes with an XL engine and despite having the highest ticket price of all the Jagermechs, by the time you factor in upgrades it will likely work out the cheepest, because the stock engine is pretty good as a compromise between speed and tonage for the Jagermech and you would have to buy that (or a simular) engine seporately.

the Marauder has high mounted balistic hardpoints on most varients

on the Clan side the Ebon Jaguar makes a great fire support platform with its high mounted hardpoints on top of the Mech

the Helbringer is taller and has fewer high mounted hardpoints and less overall tonage but its ECM can make up for some of that.

#18 InspectorG

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Posted 02 September 2017 - 03:23 PM

View PostRogue Jedi, on 02 September 2017 - 07:56 AM, said:




there are in fact several diferant support roles you can offer, ECM support, AMS support, fire support (usualy long range with LRMs or long range balistics) you can support the team by flanking or scouting.

cashiimo seemed to be asking about long range fire support,


Not really.

Groups/Comps who can pickk maps and develop strtas per map....maybe.

But in Solo, only role is:

DO DAMAGE

I could concede AMS 'support' as a factor of morale in Solo, in lieu of skill.

But when it comes time to carry, do you want to do more damage? or more ECM?

ECM isnt what it was, the Jesus Box has met the Age of Reason i guess...

AMS only helps those who lack in skill, or pilot very slow Assaults who havent made it to the battle line yet.

Range is tricky in Solo, you dont want to get left behind to get chewed up by some MG light, do you? Group plans for this, Solo cant even.

Closest i can think of 'Range Support' in Solo is ERPPC jumpsnipe with an emphasis on trying to get enemies to turn away from the battle line.

Or anything that hits hard at 500-600m, which can mean several mechs. just be wary of slow assaults, they are an acquired taste for Solo.

LRMs lead to bad habits and dont promote skill. They can bully the opponent if the opponent is a bad.

Anything else that doesnt do direct damage just delays the snowball.

#19 Koniving

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Posted 02 September 2017 - 04:44 PM

I think until the OP gives us another message, there won't be much point in providing any more information. Some players stick with it, some don't. Of course, it could be that the player just hasn't had a chance to play again. Whatever the case, we probably shouldn't shower an overwhelming amount of info without some sign that it's being consumed.

#20 Mercworks

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Posted 04 September 2017 - 09:32 AM

I would go with the Timber Wolf or the Ebon Jag for the Clan. The Marauder and the Warhammer are good for the IS. The Jagermech is good if you want Ultra-AC goodness because of the quirks. Check out the DD.





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