44 replies to this topic

[Captain Polux]

Buy a Hellbringer and equip ECM, 4xERML, and 2xHLL. It tears **** up

[Angel of Annihilation]

First you need to decide if you prefer Clan or IS. Clan mechs will have a higher upfront cost but IS mechs usually come with alot of hidden costs like Double Heat Sink, Endo Steel Upgrades or Engine upgrade costs. Clan mechs tend to allow the most hard point customization while IS mechs allow for more optimization. Exceptions are Clan Battlemechs like the Hunchback IIC.

Overall for a new player like most others I recommend a heavy. They tend to overall be the most forgiving weight class. For IS my preferred choice would be Marauder or Warhammer. For Clan probably a Timber Wolf or Ebon Jaguar. Hellbringer can be really nice as well but I personally don't believe they are as forgiving at a Timber Wolf or Ebon Jaguar mostly due to hit boxes.

If you want to go mediums, for IS the Bushwacker's are pretty amazing and I would recommend the P2 variant due to it having the most balanced load out. Clan-wise, Huntsman or Stormcrow. Crow is probably easier on a newbie if you ask me though but both are good.

[sycocys]

Hunchback-4SP or 4P

235 or xl 270(5) for both

4SP either 5 ML or 5 MPL + 2 SRM6
4P - 3 LPL - 6 ML

I prefer the 4SP because it doesn't have the shoulder mount, but there's something to be said about moving at medium speed and being able to pop and drop all those pinpoint lasers. Both have good to great hitboxes for spreading damage, good mobility and can hold there own even without any skills alotted.

After those two I'd lean on the IIC Hunches but I forget which letter goes to which - the missile one is by far my favorite but engaging at the edge of srm range means you are going to miss a lot until you learn how to really aim them well.

[Valdarion Silarius]

I just came here to say I love your name Donald Kerensky Trump.

*make the clans great again*

[panzer1b]

Viktor Drake, on 11 September 2017 - 02:16 PM, said:

For Clan probably a Timber Wolf or Ebon Jaguar. Hellbringer can be really nice as well but I personally don't believe they are as forgiving at a Timber Wolf or Ebon Jaguar mostly due to hit boxes.

Maybee my experience differs, but i find the ebon to have the worst hitboxes of those 3 by a huge margin. The CT is large, super obvious, and can get hit from sides easily, and probably worst of all if you choose to run any of the shoulder boxes expect to loose the weapon heavy ST from any direction (your milage may vary but i would say i can reliably hit 90% of my laser burn into a missile/laser box regardless of what direction the ebon shields since it sticks out so high). Ebon is so squishy its the ONLY clan mech i have setup for maximum alfa i can get and no care in the world for DPS. My most reliable build for it has to be 1 gauss 5 ERML and 1 HLL (cant have more then 6 energy is i want to avoid those dumb boxes), and even with that i have plenty of games where my CT gets cored out before the game is even half done. That thing can poke out and do some nasty damage, but the second you start getting shot at expect to get the armor stripped entirely off a component or 2 in 2-3 solid hits (or 1 if its a aids-vomit 2HLL6ERML or even worse the aids-strike with over 90 alfa).

As for HBR vs TBR, both their hitboxes are reasonable (TBR better for facetank, HBR better for 90 deg shield since you cant CT from the side easily), but id give a slight edge to the HBR since its got ecm and the TBR tends to both get focused hard and just attracts unnecessary attention (it used to be the best heavy in game for a long time, so many people still consider it a priority target even after its fallen to the point that its no better then the other clan heavys).

Ofc if you want raw firepower, the TBR can do it best and has some of the stronger "brawl" options (ASRM-24 with some backup lasers on something that goes 87kph and has reasonable armor protection), but the EBJ actually does the old laser vomit (2LPL6ERML) much better (more hardpoints and its no more likely to get its LT focused then the trip-energy timber would), and ofc the HBR does "DHS boat" the best since its the only one with neither ferro nor endo upgrades (it has the maximum potential DPS of all 3 if you do the 6 ERML build). Id say these 3 are in a good state of balance actually, HBR has best survivability, and it can actually out DPS the others if you go with lightweight energy weapons, TBR is sorta the middle ground, decent hitboxes and armor, but gets focused way more, and the EBJ is the glass cannon but can do well with the most devastating laser build you can make lpls have way more effective damage due to shorter burn times (id so use them more if they didnt get the nerfbat like 2-3 times, loved em back when they had 1200m range and did 13 damage for but 10 heat).

I really like the ebon (looks fantastic, and it can carry some nasty loadouts), but i gotta say that its a HORRIBLE mech for beginners (unless ofc im overestimating people at lower tiers with the assumption tha they understand how to shoot people's hitboxes, if its all LRM boats then ebon is prolly a good choice). HBR is in my opinion best, but if you want something a bit heavier (and arguably better at brawl), take the TBR...

[Alkabides]

As a fellow new player I got my eye on a linebacker for my next purchase. Man, that thing hauls for being so big. I'm having a lot of fun with a viper since you're interested in medium mechs. Not a front line brawler but can cause a lot of havoc and get away. I recommend it.

[Lil Cthulhu]

Gauss+Laservomit Ebon Jaguar, it's yuge.
#Maga

[DONALD KERENSKY TRUMP]

I was so used to the Nova trial mech that I always thought I have jump jets in my Hellbringer

this is how I fair with my new Hellbringer

[Black Ivan]

For IS I would suggest a Thunderbolt, if you want Clan the Ebon Jaguar or Hellbringer are good designs

[Lykaon]

Appogee, on 10 September 2017 - 04:43 AM, said:

A Heavy Mech is likely to be your best starting point.

I suggest Ebon Jaguar as it offers superior Clan tech, can mount a variety* of loadouts thanks to interchangeable omnipods, and its form factor is new player friendly.

* If you want to go IS you will need to buy multiple separate chassis to try different kinds of weapons, as IS hardpoints are specific to each chassis.

The ebon Jaguar is an excellent choice for a first mech. At 65 tons it will also likely be serving in a faction warfare dropdeck as well if you opt to try that mode out.

The Ebon Jaguar or even the Hellbringer (both 65 ton Omnimechs) are extremely versitile chassis and can accomidate many plays style choices.

[Wil McCullough]

Master the hellbringer and you'll be well on your way to being a credit to team. It's a hella versatile mech, good firepower, ok hitboxes and maneuverable.

Another extremely versatile mech you can try for your 2nd robot woild be the linebacker. Extremely.speedy, extremely agile, can take a punch and has enough tonnage and pod space to pull off multiple effective builds. It's a frigging terror on the battlefield. It tears up everything lighter than it and even gives heavies and assaults a hard time due to how easy it can torso twist to spread damage.

[DONALD KERENSKY TRUMP]

Wil McCullough, on 12 September 2017 - 04:12 AM, said:

Master the hellbringer and you'll be well on your way to being a credit to team. It's a hella versatile mech, good firepower, ok hitboxes and maneuverable.

Another extremely versatile mech you can try for your 2nd robot woild be the linebacker. Extremely.speedy, extremely agile, can take a punch and has enough tonnage and pod space to pull off multiple effective builds. It's a frigging terror on the battlefield. It tears up everything lighter than it and even gives heavies and assaults a hard time due to how easy it can torso twist to spread damage.

I followed almost same setup I saw in youtube which is 2 heavy large lasers and 4x er-medium lasers and its kinda growing into me..finally broken my 500 dmg barrier

[Rayden Wolf]

Well, nice match it seems.

But btt: whats with tha Warhammer? If its pretty versatile, agile(with a bigger engine) can carry powerfull loadouts and rolls the incoming dmg really well.
I didnt play for a year or so and jumped in my old Whammy(2 AC10+ 4 Meds with a XL 340 i think)at the weekend and had some nice matches.

[Luminis]

OP made his choice, so I just want to offer my opinion on some of the recommandations that have been made.

Mediums: Generally speaking, I don't think Mediums are the best weight class to start with. Heavies, at least Clan Heavies, are fast enough, have the armour to get away with mistakes and, more importantly, the firepower to rack up C-Bills. If it has to be a Medium, I'd take a laser vomit HBK-IIC-A. Probably the best multi purpose choice.

TBR: Just no. It's not a bad 'Mech but the HBR is a considerably better pick as a startin 'Mech. Much better agility, higher mounts, ECM, cheaper (I think). I'd also rather take the EBJ (less locked equipment, better agility, better Mounts imho). If I wasn't expecting a nerf, I'd also list the LBK even though it's less "multi purpose".

Last but not least, everyone's acting like Assaults are a big no-no for beginners. While generally true, I find the laser vomit MAD-IIC to be an exception. While expensive, it's fast, hits hard and is generally easy to use. The high firepower results in high match scores, so in more C-Bills.

[Mechfan909]

since you choose the path of the laser vomit there are may mechs you can use to play with lasers more often but generally there are advantages and disadvantages of clan and inner sphere laser technology.

Inner sphere lasers generally have shorter range a bit lesser damage than clan counterparts but they make up for this by lower heat and shorter fire duration.

Clan lasers on the other hand have the range advantage and higher damage potential but they have efficiency issues due to longer laser duration and high heat.

once you get used to your heavy hellbringer i suggest the heavier Marauder IIC as your next laser platform for more firepower and armor but a bit lesser speed or if you want lighter mechs i suggest the hunchback IIC A for a bit high mounted torso lasers or the nova prime due to sheer amount of laser hardpoints.

As for IS suggestions, try the roughneck 3A since it got nice high energy mounts or the battlemaster 1G since it got cockpit level energy hardpoints in the torso in an assault frame. or if you want a very fast light laser mech my bet is the locust 1-E with an XL190.

[mogs01gt]

Crow
any popular clan heavy

[InfinityBall]

So why 2 HLL and 4 ERML on the Hellbringer instead of 2 and 6? Just taking 2 extra heat sinks?

Edited by InfinityBall, 12 September 2017 - 11:42 AM.

[Wil McCullough]

InfinityBall, on 12 September 2017 - 11:42 AM, said:

So why 2 HLL and 4 ERML on the Hellbringer instead of 2 and 6? Just taking 2 extra heat sinks?

Because the torsi only have space for 6 lasers. So not only are you trading 2 sinks for 2 erml, you're also forced to make a choice of either a) dropping sinks to armor your arms or a combination of dropping sinks and leg armor for arm armor. Neither are recommended. You're giving uo too much per arm laser.

If you want a bigger alpha, there is a 4hll hellbie build. But it requires a lot of armor shaving and a certain number of heatsinks (forgot how many) just to make sure you can alhpa without overheating. If big laser vomit alpha is your thing, i recommend that build to experiment with. It can't fight in a sustained engagement but with a good burn, it deletes lights and mediums in a single shot.

[InfinityBall]

Wil McCullough, on 12 September 2017 - 05:44 PM, said:

Because the torsi only have space for 6 lasers. So not only are you trading 2 sinks for 2 erml, you're also forced to make a choice of either a) dropping sinks to armor your arms or a combination of dropping sinks and leg armor for arm armor. Neither are recommended. You're giving uo too much per arm laser.

In my apparently 453 matches in heavies, I'm pretty sure I've never been double legged despite not running full leg armor on most of them. So that's a trade-off I'd make.

23 DHS and basically full leg armor, too, if you drop the probe.

[Wil McCullough]

InfinityBall, on 12 September 2017 - 06:36 PM, said:

In my apparently 453 matches in heavies, I'm pretty sure I've never been double legged despite not running full leg armor on most of them. So that's a trade-off I'd make.

23 DHS and basically full leg armor, too, if you drop the probe.

If it works for you, go for it.