68 replies to this topic

[Tarogato]

Herein you will find builds for the Black Lanner. This is a 55-ton Clan medium. Although the mech has Endo, Ferro, and MASC, I haven't run into any slot issues. The speed is 113.4 kph (121.9 Tweaked), with a MASC boost to 139.5 kph (149.9 Tweaked). This is a FAST 55-tonner. No jumpjets, but that's a good thing, because with this heavy engine you need all the tonnage you can get. Thankfully the mech has enough hardpoints to boat light weaponry, so it shouldn't be a bad mech. But it will suffer similar issues as the Shadow Cat, Linebacker, and Gargoyle with feeling slightly undergunned for its weight. It should play kinda like a Shadow Cat without jumpjets with similar but beefier guns than a Viper.

By the way, almost all builds can run ECM, since it comes in a head omnipod. You'll just have to sacrifice a heatsink or ammo to mount it, because I have not included ECM in any builds.

Pretty much all builds strip ~25 points of armour to get to 12 tons of podspace. Empty arms are always stripped to 0. Some builds strip even further, they will be noted below. Being such a fast mech, I would feel rather safe with stripping the cockpit down close to zero, instead of stripping the legs. You won't get headshot in this mech unless you stand still.







BKL-Prime
The base variant and therefore collector variant is pretty typical for an omnimech: it can't do any good/meta builds on its own, but you can make playable builds with it. Remember that because it is an omnimech and none of the variants have CT hardpoints, you can put any build you want on your collector variant and enjoy the C-Bill boost.

Weapons	DHS	JJs	Special	Toggles	Engine	Speed
2x cSRM6a (2.5ton) + 3x cERML or cSPL	11	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cATM6 (3.5ton) + 2x cERML	11	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cATM9 (4.0ton)	10	0	MASC, stock pods, lots stripping	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cHLL + 1x cERML	13	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
all above builds possible w/cECM	-	0	MASC, ECM, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4

BKL-A
This standard variant is completely redundant. It has zero omnipods that are worth anything. Maybe it will get cERPPC quirks because it comes stock with a cERPPC. Or maybe you REALLY want the single AMS hardpoint. Or maybe it will get some Set of 8 quirk that's nice with ECM and ERLL.

Weapons	DHS	JJs	Special	Toggles	Engine	Speed
2x cERPPC	11	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
1x cERPPC + 3x cERML	13	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cERLL or cHLL	14	0	MASC, ECM, stockpods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4

BKL-C
The final standard variant is the one that grants you the ability to do most builds. An arm with 6-energy, and a third missile hardpoint.

Weapons	DHS	JJs	Special	Toggles	Engine	Speed
1x cHLL + 4x cERML	14	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
6x cERML	17	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
5x cMPL	13	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
3x cSRM4 (3.0ton) + 6x cERSL or cUPL	13	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
3x cSRM6 (4.0ton) + 6x cUPL	10	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
3x cSRM6a (3.0ton) + 6x cERUL	10	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
3x cATM3 (3.5ton) + 6x cERSL	11	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
3x cLRM5 (4.5ton) + 6x cERSL	11	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4

BKL-D
The first reinforcement variant is somewhat a machine gun boat. It also gives you a side torso with combo energy+missile, which is kinda handy for a couple builds. Some of the better builds here might benefit from any Set of 8 quirks the variant gets. Running heavier ballistics on this will be a no-go, there's not enough tonnage for ammo. I included them for lulz anyways.

Weapons	DHS	JJs	Special	Toggles	Engine	Speed
5x cERML + 4x cLMG (2.0ton)	14	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
5x cSPL + 4x cHMG (2.5ton)	12	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cSRM6a (2.0ton) + 4x cERSL + 4x cLMG (2.0ton)	10	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cSRM6a (2.0ton) + 8x cERUL	13	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cUAC2 (3.5ton)	10	0	MASC, stock pods, LOTS STRIPPING	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
1x cUAC5 (2.0ton) + 6x cERSL	0	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
1x cUAC5 (2.0ton) + 1x cHLL	10	0	MASC, stock pods, LOTS STRIPPING	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
1x cUAC10 (2.5ton)	10	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
1x cUAC20 (2.0ton)	10	0	MASC, too much stripping	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4

BKL-E
The second reinforcement variant gives you the fourth missile hardpoint, and it gives you another energy hardpoint for mass boating.

Weapons	DHS	JJs	Special	Toggles	Engine	Speed
4x cSRM4a (4.0ton)	10	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cLRM10 + 2x cLRM5 (4.0ton)	10	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
9x cERSL or cUPL	18	0	MASC, lots stripping	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
10x cERSL or cUPL	17	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cSRM6a (2.5ton) + 10x cERUL	12	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4

BKL-BL
The hero allows for more machine guns than the reinforcement variant, but it loses the four energy in the arms. Instead it has one energy mounted in the head, which can be used to optimise a couple of builds and add more massive boating to other builds. I couldn't tell you if there is any pay-to-win concern here without first running some detailed DPS numbers.

Weapons	DHS	JJs	Special	Toggles	Engine	Speed
6x cMG (2.0ton) + 2x cSRM6a (2.0ton) + 2x cERSL	10	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
4x cLMG (1.5ton) + 6x cERSL	15	0	MASC, reinforcement pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
1x cATM9 (3.5ton) + 6x cLMG (2.0ton)	10	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
3x cSRM4 (3.5ton) + 8x cERUL	13	0	MASC	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
5x cMPL	13	0	MASC, reinforcement pods (not deadside vulnerable)	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
11x cERSL or cUPL	16	0	MASC, reinforcement pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
11x cERUL	19	0	MASC, reinforcement pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
4x cERML + 6x cERUL	17	0	MASC, lots stripping	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
8x cERUL + 3x cERSL	18	0	MASC, reinforcement pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
8x cUPL	19	0	MASC, lots stripping	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
2x cERLL	15	0	MASC, stock pods	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4
1x cUAC5 (2.0ton) + 4x cERML	10	0	MASC, lots stripping	cEndo + cFerro	cXL385	113.4

You want my opinion?

This mech is not a *proper* medium. If you were looking for a Clan 55-tonner with proper firepower, don't buy this mech. This fills a similar role to the Linebacker - it's fast, with a lot of health relative to its speed, but relies on boating lighter weaponry. If you want a medium that is faster and maybe tougher than a Shadow Cat, ECM-capable, and boats lots of light weaponry somewhat like a light mech, then this is the mech for you. I think it will be a decent mech, and definitely a fun mech, I just don't expect it to be a staple workhorse medium.

I really can't recommend a choice between the Hero or Reinforcement add-on, but I can say that either of them individually look okay (especially if you want some tiny-dakka) and picking up both does allow for some builds that look attractive to me. If you're not sure, I would just stick with the standard package for now and decide if you want the add-ons later.

Edited by Tarogato, 02 November 2017 - 09:23 AM.

[Y E O N N E]

Tiny dakka == rattatat.

[Jackal Noble]

1 large pulse

[Nightbird]

It's a larger viper or cheeta, in the sense it'll have 30-50% more armor and structure but will be 100-200% larger and 2.5 more tons of pod space.

[Jackal Noble]

Clan really could have used a more humanoid style mech, coz it doesn't have enough. Instead we keep up with the Big giant nose CT theme.

[El Bandito]

"Slightly" undergunned at that weight? LOL. To give a comparison, a Crow has 23 tons of podspace without stripping the arms, and it already runs too fast for 55 tonner.

Edited by El Bandito, 01 November 2017 - 07:36 PM.

[Tarogato]

El Bandito, on 01 November 2017 - 07:34 PM, said:

"Slightly" undergunned at that weight? LOL. To give a comparison, a Crow has 23 tons of podspace without stripping the arms, and it already runs too fast for 55 tonner.

The Çrow also doesn't go up to 122 kph, or 150 in bursts. The firepower of the Blanner is just about what I'd expect from a mech going these speeds. Think of it more like a light mech with 70% more armour. Compared to other mechs going similar speeds, this thing has quite a sting.

The Stormcrow is more of an awkward hybrid mech. It neither fits the fast light-like role, nor does it fit the typical meat-and-potatoes medium mech role. The Black Lanner fits rather nicely into an actual specialist role, and I think it will perform really well in that niche.

Edited by Tarogato, 01 November 2017 - 07:54 PM.

[davoodoo]

Literally nothing, engine too big, masc pointless and not enough pod space(13 tons) for anything but splat, but with 4 missile hardpoints... yeah thats gonna be good.
shc carries more weaponry, is fast enough already and can fly hover

Edited by davoodoo, 01 November 2017 - 08:26 PM.

[El Bandito]

Tarogato, on 01 November 2017 - 07:54 PM, said:

The Çrow also doesn't go up to 122 kph, or 150 in bursts. The firepower of the Blanner is just about what I'd expect from a mech going these speeds. Think of it more like a light mech with 70% more armour. Compared to other mechs going similar speeds, this thing has quite a sting.

The Stormcrow is more of an awkward hybrid mech. It neither fits the fast light-like role, nor does it fit the typical meat-and-potatoes medium mech role. The Black Lanner fits rather nicely into an actual specialist role, and I think it will perform really well in that niche.

But when will that niche ever be useful? Scouting? Conquest? Arctic Wolf already does superb job at 15 tons less. Even more so in FP, where Clanners have only 240 tons to spare.

Given the choice, I'd always pick Arctic Wolf for the job, unless the Black Lamer gets big quirks.

Edited by El Bandito, 01 November 2017 - 08:36 PM.

[Stinger554]

El Bandito, on 01 November 2017 - 08:21 PM, said:

But when will that niche ever be useful? Scouting? Conquest? Arctic Wolf already does superb job at 15 tons less.

Given the choice, I'd always pick Arctic Wolf for the job, unless the Black Lamer gets big quirks.

Pretty much this Black Lanner just doesn't have enough tonnage free to be useful for the 55 ton commitment.

[The Lighthouse]

This mech will live or die by quirks and hitboxes. It needs some serious defensive quirks to be remotely useful.

I mean, super serious defensive quirks because this thing will have about the firepower of light mech... for 25 tons more for god's sake.

My biggest grip is legs. They look just too big, tall AND fat. I conjure they will meet same fate as Arctic Wolf's.... they will evaporate as soon as you go into brawl. Your life expectancy will be way too short on this mech if you stop moving even for a bit.

Edited by The Lighthouse, 01 November 2017 - 08:37 PM.

[Shadowomega1]

It is a light hunter, or a medium weight sniper mech. Maybe a couple streak 4s and erml or ersl to deal with pesky lights nipping at the toes of its bigger brothers.

[davoodoo]

Shadowomega1, on 01 November 2017 - 08:40 PM, said:

It is a light hunter, or a medium weight sniper mech. Maybe a couple streak 4s and erml or ersl to deal with pesky lights nipping at the toes of its bigger brothers.

Light hunter is already covered by acw while medium sniper by shc.

Both carrying more weaponry than black lanner...

[Tarogato]

El Bandito, on 01 November 2017 - 08:21 PM, said:

But when will that niche ever be useful? Scouting? Conquest? Arctic Wolf already does superb job at 15 tons less.

Given the choice, I'd always pick Arctic Wolf for the job, unless the Black Lamer gets big quirks.

Stinger554, on 01 November 2017 - 08:32 PM, said:

Pretty much this Black Lanner just doesn't have enough tonnage free to be useful for the 55 ton commitment.

In solo queue, where you don't queue up as a 55-ton mech, you queue up as a medium mech - if your jam is fast mechs, like mine is, than the Blanner's niche is always relevant, because that's just how you play. It's the medium equivalent of the Linebacker.

In group queue, probably never, because group queue seems mostly about spamming the most overpowered mid-range heavies/assaults and doing it better than the enemy.

In the competitive environment, sometimes you want (sometimes you're even forced to, such as the case of MRBC) to take mediums to fill the lights' role. Now we have a medium that goes faster than a SHC and should be able to out-dogfight a Viper/Cicada/Assassin. That could be incredibly useful.

The Lighthouse, on 01 November 2017 - 08:37 PM, said:

My biggest grip is legs. They look just too big, tall AND fat. I conjure they will meet same fate as Arctic Wolf's.... they will evaporate as soon as you go into brawl. Your life expectancy will be way too short on this mech if you stop moving even for a bit.

I definitely agree. At least its legs are pretty thin, but they'll still be easy targets, almost as much as the Stormcrow. Smart people will aim for the nose on these things. Smarter people will leg them.

Sadly, if you lower its profile by adjusting the angle of the legs, it just ends up giving the legs a larger horizontal profile, making them easier to shoot. Really, to make the legs harder to hit, you want them to be as straight up and down as possible, which looks awful for this mech.

[El Bandito]

Tarogato, on 01 November 2017 - 08:43 PM, said:

In solo queue, where you don't queue up as a 55-ton mech, you queue up as a medium mech - if your jam is fast mechs, like mine is, than the Blanner's niche is always relevant, because that's just how you play. It's the medium equivalent of the Linebacker.

In group queue, probably never, because group queue seems mostly about spamming the most overpowered mid-range heavies/assaults and doing it better than the enemy.

Basically you are confirming that the Lamer will be a "fun" mech. That's just what it is.

Tarogato, on 01 November 2017 - 08:43 PM, said:

In the competitive environment, sometimes you want (sometimes you're even forced to, such as the case of MRBC) to take mediums to fill the lights' role. Now we have a medium that goes faster than a SHC and should be able to out-dogfight a Viper/Cicada/Assassin. That could be incredibly useful.

I saw far more HBK-IICs and Huntsman in comp than Viper/Cicada/Assassin, due to the poke meta that is prevalent in it. Lamer is not gonna be helpful there. And as I said before, for brawls Arctic Wolf already can do the job, more lethal than Lamer could ever be.

We knew a long time ago that the Lamer was gonna be niche, and we knew even the niche will be limited. And that doesn't make for even a decent mech. I just think PGI had wasted their time on another nostalgia mech, that's all. I'd love to be proven wrong.

PGI could quirk the hell out of it, but then quirks are so darn fickle, as almost all IS variants can tell ya.

Edited by El Bandito, 01 November 2017 - 09:02 PM.

[Stinger554]

Tarogato, on 01 November 2017 - 08:43 PM, said:

In solo queue, where you don't queue up as a 55-ton mech, you queue up as a medium mech - if your jam is fast mechs, like mine is, than the Blanner's niche is always relevant, because that's just how you play. It's the medium equivalent of the Linebacker.

Fair enough, but the Arctic Wolf does this better as a medium mech. Though if you don't like missiles I can see a problem with choosing the Arctic Wolf.

Tarogato, on 01 November 2017 - 08:43 PM, said:

In group queue, probably never, because group queue seems mostly about spamming the most overpowered mid-range heavies/assaults and doing it better than the enemy.

Never say never my friend a good number of people seem to just run whatever they want; although the number of HBRs + EBJs with mid range laser vomit is ridiculous I wish PGI would limit the insane alpha from HLL+ERML vomit but that's a different discussion..

Edited by Stinger554, 01 November 2017 - 08:59 PM.

[Jun Watarase]

>55 tonner with 13 tons pod space
>bad hitboxes
>huge arms with most of the weaponry

Oh boy another inferior clan mech that my superior IS mechs will **** all over.

Its like a 55 ton viper...no pod space, oversized engine, MASC instead of JJs to eat up more pod space, easy to shoot off arms.

Would you like to buy a mechpack?

[El Bandito]

Jun Watarase, on 01 November 2017 - 11:41 PM, said:

Oh boy another inferior clan mech that my superior IS mechs will **** all over.

As I said before, join the IS side in FP and see just how superior IS mechs really are.

Black Lanner is purely mediocre, but within Clan lineups.

Edited by El Bandito, 01 November 2017 - 11:50 PM.

[Jackal Noble]

13 tons? what are you stripping 1.5 tons of armor or did I miss something?

[The Mysterious Fox]

i like it, the acceleration buffs given by masc is always fun