13 replies to this topic

[Mad Dog Morgan]

Hello, Mechwarriors, I haven't had much time to dive into the fray with the Thanatos as of yet, but have come up with some aggressive builds to run. I've come to believe that the Thanatos will capitalize the most on one extreme of the spectrum or the other when it comes to engines.

As much as ECM used to have such tremendous importance, it has waned substantially, and while ECM is present, it is merely an optional component of the Thanatos' loadouts, as a means to alleviate harassment from long range, rather than a method to sneak up and stab enemies in the back.

As close to stock as you can go, this particular variant is meant to be on the front lines.
TNS-4S "DEATH DRIVE"

And while it can also handle long-range fights, the Thanatos performs fairly well in medium range engagements from what I've personally experienced.

I've also wanted to roll the Hangover, which I've loaded up with stealth armor, ECM, an xl375 engine, 5xSRM4s, and 5xMPLs. If I were to trade the MPLs for SPLs, I could achieve higher DPS with a larger engine size but kill my range capabilities.

I would like to see what other builds people have come up with.

Edited by Mad Dog Morgan, 16 November 2017 - 01:08 AM.

[nukedog]

I've only built my TNS4P with 2 Heavy PPC's and an AC5. The general opinion I've heard over the few days it's been out, is that it needs an armor buff. With those HUGE hitboxes, it's too easy to kill. Lots of people playing it day one, now, not so much. Lots of buyers regret on this one.

Edited by nukedog, 16 November 2017 - 02:49 PM.

[Karl the Plumber]

I hate this mech. It was in my top 5 in MW4 and it shouldn't suck as hard as it does, but somehow it's been made nearly as tall as a black knight AND wider+deeper than a night gyr. Disgust with it aside, it plays fine with jerkwad builds like this, as long as you're OK with wasting all your tonnage acting like a medium.

It plays like a garbage hellbringer.

edited to be less churlish. I've had fine success with this 4P and, believe it or not, the stock 5P, but I honestly haven't found a loadout other than the aforementioned 2 HPPC that actually suits this mech. I cannot find anything to do with it that can't be done on a different mech with a less detrimental profile.

Edited by Karl the Plumber, 16 November 2017 - 09:01 PM.

[Mad Dog Morgan]

Honestly, you’re better off cutting out the ECM unless you’re dedicating explicitly to it like with my Hangover build. Light fusion engines and standard engines are going to be *the* way to go, otherwise you’ll be wanting a 375+ rating for any XL you throw in there. The torsos are just too essily isolated but the mech is a fairly decent weapons platform.

[MookieDog]

This mech has hit boxes the size of a football field for the side torsos. You can aim at the head and still hit the side torsos. Agree with the rest of the forums.. For a heavy mech.. its way to squishy and needs armor buffs.

[panzer1b]

It was a mech i was considering getting for CB, but i think ill pass...

Its hitboxes are ATROCIOUS, so bad that its impossible not to deliver 90% of your damage exactly where you want it to go (CT is large, STs are massive, arms dont shield very well, ect). That and its not like the thing can do any loadouts that other similar mechs like the warhammer cannot do. That and it has alot of arm hardpoints which are high sure, but so wide and spread out that convergence becomes a major pain (same issue the ebin has). I mean if ECM really really mattered, itd be a mech id get regardless of its downsides, but right now, its nothing more then a LRM counter (not that its anywhere as good as 100% radar derp ofc), pretty meaningless with the exception of slightly lowering the agrression you take.

[Mad Dog Morgan]

PGI typically releases nowadays with underwhelming quirks for mechs so as to be sure they don’t tip the balance too much, but I doubt they anticipated such a poor performance from this chassis. I haven’t spent enough time playing with it to optimize it to maximize performance but I’ve never done really poorly with the mech.

The thing that sucks though is that we won’t see a buff to the mech for a while.

Edited by Mad Dog Morgan, 19 November 2017 - 08:50 PM.

[Mad Dog Morgan]

After the buff I can see it performing better already.

HANGOVER “DEMOLISHER”

[Eisenhorne]

I really wanna try this one - https://mwo.smurfy-n...8c03cc376bb9dfa

Dual Gauss Stealth Sniper.

[Lightfoot]

@OP

I fixed your mech. TNS-4S. ECM is always beneficial, and you only lost 1 heatsink. PGI expects you to spec ECM which is why the Thanny is bigger than an Awesome with no armor quirks (somehow the mech scaling was ignored or tweaked to achieve this).

The TNS-5P got some much needed armor quirks recently and this is the only Thanatos I would use currently, and not with MWO's nerfed LRMs either.

[Lightfoot]

Eisenhorne, on 26 February 2018 - 12:11 PM, said:

I really wanna try this one - https://mwo.smurfy-n...8c03cc376bb9dfa

Dual Gauss Stealth Sniper.

Not sure how effective Stealth armor would be since one hit to either arm would start the mech to smoking and give your location away. Skilled ECM is very effective at long range. Maybe Stealth armor would work, but for a sniper I don't think Stealth armor would come into play that often. You could trade that Stealth armor for a Light engine or XL even and some medium lasers for 'Close Encounters'.

Stealth armor to me means stealth at brawling range, but all battles end up short range so any build would benefit from it.

If I think of any good 5P builds, I'll put it up, so far nothing unusual has come to mind though.

[WildMoustache]

I recently bought the TNS (standard pack so i never actually played the 5p) and i've been running it in many configurations.

IMO this is NOT a frontline mech. This is a second line, engaging targets at a preferred medium to long range. It's armor is decent but should come into play in a later phase of the match where you can hope to cripple/kill targets before you catch too much lead.

I had varied success with my builds, but generally i can deal some decent damage and distract more than one enemy from a daring charge that could tear through our ranks (well, except for an annihilator once that just strolled by, blasting my torsos all over the place). One note, i don't like JJ and avoid them on nearly any mech i play. I like to play with my feet on the ground. One more and final note, i'm not home atm and might post builds slightly different from what i actually use.

4P: best Thanatos overall in my bays. This is intended as a pure suppressive fire platform, blinding my target and stripping it's armor, cutting off open components or scaring off quick targets with lasers. Runs hot if i overdo ERML but i can sustain RAC and MRM fire for quite a while. Ammo is plenty for QP and i only ran out once in a nearly 1200 damage game. Averages 500 damage per game (obviously much less if i **** up my position, end up on the front and detonate uncerimoniously).

https://mwo.smurfy-n...b644f6299a6f2cc

4S: my long range option. 3 ERLL will do some work against closing brawlers and can shoo away some of the lightest snipers around. Combined with ECM this has some potential but the dps is looooooooooooow, basically plays like a weak HBR. MRM adds damage when the fights come closer tho.
I could switch to an LRM but the very concept of LRMs irks me. I also thought of creating a short-to-mid range brawler with M(L)PL/SRM but the chassis is not sturdy enough to support it very well.

Best used while supporting heavy hitters by crippling already damaged mechs thanks to the accurate damage. Still, the worst of the bunch. I didn't try fitting HPPCs yet. But i suppose i could. Averages a bit less than 500 damage per game in my hands but it's more consistent than the 4P since it's not going to come under fire that early.

https://mwo.smurfy-n...96d00d142cd0877

5P: The better brawler of the three thanks to beefier armor quirks on the torso. Due to that and higher and cooler Alpha potential, this is a mech that can get close and let loose. Fat as it is, if you don't scare your target away you will die fast anyway so pick your battles well.
Could drop the ECM in this one since it's short ranged for another ML or maybe upgrading those to MPL, or maybe an AMS for general utility.
Most consistent heavy hitter of the bunch, but as likely to take damage as dealing it so worst survivability overall.

https://mwo.smurfy-n...1ba5dd0239f6027

I think i will add the 5S to my collection upon release. Right now i'm torn between a heavy splat build (biggest LBX/MRM i can fit) and a dual RAC5, both with a couple small lasers for added punch against lights.

Not interested in the 5T as i don't like being completely reliant on ammo.

Edited by WildMoustache, 25 April 2018 - 01:07 PM.

[Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky]

dual heavy gauss

https://mwo.smurfy-n...29866f7f7b85f06

Edited by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky, 09 July 2018 - 08:53 AM.

[JumpingHunter]

WildMoustache, on 25 April 2018 - 01:03 PM, said:

I recently bought the TNS (standard pack so i never actually played the 5p) and i've been running it in many configurations.

IMO this is NOT a frontline mech. This is a second line, engaging targets at a preferred medium to long range. It's armor is decent but should come into play in a later phase of the match where you can hope to cripple/kill targets before you catch too much lead.

I had varied success with my builds, but generally i can deal some decent damage and distract more than one enemy from a daring charge that could tear through our ranks (well, except for an annihilator once that just strolled by, blasting my torsos all over the place). One note, i don't like JJ and avoid them on nearly any mech i play. I like to play with my feet on the ground. One more and final note, i'm not home atm and might post builds slightly different from what i actually use.

4P: best Thanatos overall in my bays. This is intended as a pure suppressive fire platform, blinding my target and stripping it's armor, cutting off open components or scaring off quick targets with lasers. Runs hot if i overdo ERML but i can sustain RAC and MRM fire for quite a while. Ammo is plenty for QP and i only ran out once in a nearly 1200 damage game. Averages 500 damage per game (obviously much less if i **** up my position, end up on the front and detonate uncerimoniously).

https://mwo.smurfy-n...b644f6299a6f2cc

4S: my long range option. 3 ERLL will do some work against closing brawlers and can shoo away some of the lightest snipers around. Combined with ECM this has some potential but the dps is looooooooooooow, basically plays like a weak HBR. MRM adds damage when the fights come closer tho.
I could switch to an LRM but the very concept of LRMs irks me. I also thought of creating a short-to-mid range brawler with M(L)PL/SRM but the chassis is not sturdy enough to support it very well.

Best used while supporting heavy hitters by crippling already damaged mechs thanks to the accurate damage. Still, the worst of the bunch. I didn't try fitting HPPCs yet. But i suppose i could. Averages a bit less than 500 damage per game in my hands but it's more consistent than the 4P since it's not going to come under fire that early.

https://mwo.smurfy-n...96d00d142cd0877

5P: The better brawler of the three thanks to beefier armor quirks on the torso. Due to that and higher and cooler Alpha potential, this is a mech that can get close and let loose. Fat as it is, if you don't scare your target away you will die fast anyway so pick your battles well.
Could drop the ECM in this one since it's short ranged for another ML or maybe upgrading those to MPL, or maybe an AMS for general utility.
Most consistent heavy hitter of the bunch, but as likely to take damage as dealing it so worst survivability overall.

https://mwo.smurfy-n...1ba5dd0239f6027

I think i will add the 5S to my collection upon release. Right now i'm torn between a heavy splat build (biggest LBX/MRM i can fit) and a dual RAC5, both with a couple small lasers for added punch against lights.

Not interested in the 5T as i don't like being completely reliant on ammo.

Hey, the smurfy doesn't work anymore, so could you please tell your build for 4P variant? I never thought about taking RAC primarily for it's blinding effect and not the damage output, so im interested in it. Was it RAC5 or 2?

I'm trying to run RAC5 + MRM40 + 4xERML on XL300 engine, but it's soo damn hot, and also pretty slow. What was your build?

Edited by JumpingHunter, 28 August 2023 - 08:44 AM.