39 replies to this topic

[Tarogato]

The Sun Spider is a 70-ton clan omnimech, an original design by PGI themselves. In this post I'll be showing builds that are possible with this new chassis.

What's interesting to me about this mech is that it almost builds more like a battlemech than an omnimech - I found myself using the stock hardpoints way more often than is usual, not opting for any omnipod swapping. With many of the strongest builds being Set of 8, I wouldn't be surprised if this chassis gets very menial So8 quirks, if any at all.

Podspace of 29.5, up to 31.5 tons. Goes the same speed as the Timber. No jumpjets. Don't have to worry about mount height at all, they're all decent. Some locked slots means no big guns in the side torsos, but cGauss still fits. It has four heatsinks locked in the engine. One side torso fits ECM. Try to think of builds more in terms of what a TBR/EBJ can do. With the Nova Cat and Night Gyr on my mind so much lately, I kinda expected a lot heavier firepower on a 70-tonner such as this, but it simply can't carry that much, duh. PGI did do a pretty good job at making an omnimech that *cannot* laservomit. You're pretty much forced to run ballistics and/or missiles, so keep that in mind if you were thinking of just slapping boring old vomit builds on it.

SNS-Prime	DHS	JJs	Special	Omnipods	Toggles	Engine	Speed
1x cLB10 (2.0ton) + 4x cSRM6a (5.0ton)	17	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
4x cATM6 (7.0ton) + 1x cERPPC	17	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81

The prime variant can't do very much on its own. The good news is that all Sun Spiders have the same CT hardpoints (none), so you can put literally any build on your Prime(S) if you decide to buy it.

SNS-A	DHS	JJs	Special	Omnipods	Toggles	Engine	Speed
4x cUAC2 (8.0ton) + 2x cERML	14	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cUAC5 (4.0ton) + 2x cUAC2 (3.0ton)	14	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cUAC10 (7.0ton) + 2x cERML	15	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cGauss (4.5ton) + 2x cERML	14	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cERPPC + 4x cLMG (2.0ton)	21	0	TC7	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cUAC5 (4.5ton) + 4x cSRM4a (3.5ton)	14	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cLB10 (5.0ton) + 4x cSRM2 (3.0ton)	14	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cATM9 + 2x cATM6 (7.0ton) + 4x cMG (2.0ton)	17	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81

The second standard variant can do quad-ballistic across the torsos, but I found myself hard-pressed to utilise that capability. A lot of builds are comparable to a HBK-IIC, just with a few extra heatsinks.

SNS-B	DHS	JJs	Special	Omnipods	Toggles	Engine	Speed
1x cGauss (2.5ton) + 2x cHLL + 1x cERML	20	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
1x cGauss (2.5ton) + 2x cLPL + 1x cERML	16	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cLRM20a (7.5ton) + 1x cHLL + 2x cHML	18	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
3x cERPPC	24	0	TC2	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81

The final standard variant is really lame. The unique [1e 1m] arms don't combine well with any other variants, the torsos are redundant, but the So8 can do gaussvomit somewhat okay.

SNS-C	DHS	JJs	Special	Omnipods	Toggles	Engine	Speed
6x cSRM6a (8.5ton)	20	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
6x cStreak6 (8.5ton)	17	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cATM12 (6.5ton) + 4x cSRM4 (3.0ton)	16	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
6x cLRM10 (9.5ton)	19	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
4x cLRM15a (9.5ton)	17	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81

We get to the first reinforcement variant and BOOM suddenly the most attractive builds (to me) shine through. This is a Mad Dog that trades away the uber-tight convergence to be 10-tons heavier, which means more base durability and heatsinks. It's actually a pretty fair analog with the Mad Dog, since it also doesn't have jumpjets, and it goes the same exact speed.

SNS-D	DHS	JJs	Special	Omnipods	Toggles	Engine	Speed
4x cUAC2 (7.5ton)	15	0	cECM	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
1x cLB5 (1.5ton) + 4x cSRM6a (6.0ton)	18	0	cECM	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
5x cUAC2 (7.0ton)	14	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
1x cLB20 (3.0ton) + 4x cSRM6a (5.0ton)	14	0	-	reinforce	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cLB10 (4.0ton) + 1x cERPPC	14	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81

Ballistic arms and ECM. Is a ballistic really worth it when you could do six missile instead? Probably not. Is the ECM worth it? Probably not. But this does give you new options.

SNS-ML	DHS	JJs	Special	Omnipods	Toggles	Engine	Speed
3x cLPL + 2x cERML	24	0	-	So8	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cLB10 or cUAC10 (5.0ton) + 4x cERML or cHML	15	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
2x cATM12 (6.0ton) + 4x cMPL	16	0	-	reinforce	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
1x cGauss (2.5ton) + 2x cLPL + 1x cERML	18	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
1x cGauss (2.5ton) + 2x cHLL + 3x cERML	19	0	-	standard	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81
1x cGauss (2.5ton) + 2x cHLL + 2x cERML	19	0	cECM	reinforce	cEndo+cFerro	cXL350	81

The hero allows for the most powerful gaussvomit builds, also the dakka+lasers and missile+lasers are attractive options. Will the strongest builds, bar none, require this hero? I'm not sure, but it's kinda looking like it. Mind you, it's possible to do nearly identical builds on the Timber already, and people don't. So maybe it won't be worth it on the Sun Spider either.






Opinions and shizz:

This looks like another expensive mech to me. If you want a truly new and unique experience, you'll have to shell the price of a full AAA game to buy both the reinforcement and hero. I would be inclined to skip the hero and just go for the supersplat variant in the reinforcement. The builds with the standard pack are serviceable, but not exceptional in my eyes. I would shy away from buying the standard pack alone unless you really like what you see here. I don't know why you would buy the collector variant (camo pattern rather boring imo) unless you're going for that Premium Time and extra cockpit items that come bundled with it.

I expect it to be a good mech. It's likely to land in a similar place to the Timber, not going to be top of the (present) meta. While its arms can't shield for ****, it does have a rather odd torso shape that I expect to roll damage fairly well. Lacking jumpjets, I would expect decent base agility, comparable to EBJ.

Aesthetically, it's pretty unique. I can't get over that it looks like an overgrown light mech, but I can still dig it. Props to Alex for the original work, thing is funky in a good way.

Edited by Tarogato, 10 December 2017 - 03:37 AM.

[Brain Cancer]

The SNS-D gets to be the Gausspider.

You can just go with the classic version and get at least 5-6 tons of ammo, or trim things down a little on the legs/head armor (just like the Gaussjager) and fit it with ECM.

So you've got yourself classic Gauss sniper with ECM and A+ arm ballistic hardpoints, plus medium-class speed to get it around.

[Y E O N N E]

Fat Locust is fat.

[N a p e s]

You mention that the best builds may require the hero mech. Pretty convenient that you can get it for free by playing just one game on the 27th, assuming that they're not planning a second unknown hero.

[Tarogato]

N a p e s, on 10 December 2017 - 03:01 AM, said:

You mention that the best builds may require the hero mech. Pretty convenient that you can get it for free by playing just one game on the 27th, assuming that they're not planning a second unknown hero.

Seemed pretty clear to me that the Dec.27 reward mechs will be completely new variant of the Roughneck and Sun Spider, and not just the pre-existing heroes. Besides, giving away the pre-existing "Manul" for free would just cannibalise their own sales...

[Brain Cancer]

Tarogato, on 10 December 2017 - 03:14 AM, said:

Seemed pretty clear to me that the Dec.27 reward mechs will be completely new variant of the Roughneck and Sun Spider, and not just the pre-existing heroes. Besides, giving away the pre-existing "Manul" for free would just cannibalise their own sales...

PGI has already confirmed the Holiday Bonus Sun Spider is not the current Hero shown on their sale page. It will be a new one entirely. This also means either people will buy the pack or be stuck with whatever the Hero has for months as omnipods go.

[Tarogato]

WOUPS.

There are now smurfy-style links in the original post up top.

I totally botched the code, so they weren't showing up before.

They look like this:

[C E Dwyer]

As I said in my first comment on this mech.

I have issues with P.G.I's home brews because it's quite obviously designed to be the best in it's weight class, to the extent, it operates better than many mechs of higher tonnage.

They do this while reducing quirks on mechs that obviously need them, to make this mech perform even more so than those around it.

Unlike the Roughneck, because well it's I.S. This one will be appearing in numbers, in the teams that were this years finalists, in next years Mechcon, because it's going to over perform.

It's a policy of P.G.I's I won't support.

[Muujig612]

Five UAC2s run hot. Use regular AC2s instead. Add buzzsaw macro.

Edited by Muujig612, 10 December 2017 - 04:25 AM.

[davoodoo]

30 tons of pod space

1)4x atm9 + 6 tons of atm ammo + 4 x lmg + 2 tons of mg ammo
2)3 uac5 + ecm + 8 tons of ammo + tc1
3)2 gausses + ecm + 5 tons of ammo

Edited by davoodoo, 10 December 2017 - 04:29 AM.

[l33tworks]

N a p e s, on 10 December 2017 - 03:01 AM, said:

You mention that the best builds may require the hero mech. Pretty convenient that you can get it for free by playing just one game on the 27th, assuming that they're not planning a second unknown hero.

How did you find this out?

Where the hell are the mech con streams. I went to ngng twitch and found nothing. Youtube same. Why isn't all this on the front page.

[Tarogato]

Cathy, on 10 December 2017 - 03:49 AM, said:

it's quite obviously designed to be the best in it's weight class, to the extent, it operates better than many mechs of higher tonnage.
[...]
This one will be appearing in numbers, in the teams that were this years finalists, in next years Mechcon, because it's going to over perform.

I very very seriously doubt that. Looks like a pretty run-of-the-mill, non-exceptional clan heavy to me. Probably not going to be better the EBJ, and that's a mech that isn't even used frequently in late WC.

l33tworks, on 10 December 2017 - 04:30 AM, said:

How did you find this out?

Where the hell are the mech con streams. I went to ngng twitch and found nothing. Youtube same. Why isn't all this on the front page.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/208145385

[Jingseng]

have a feeling CT is going to be comparatively small hit box. Should be interesting.

The mech should be unkillable without flamers. Everyone knows that you have it to kill it with fire, that's the only option with spiders.

[Muujig612]

Tarogato, on 10 December 2017 - 04:32 AM, said:

I very very seriously doubt that. Looks like a pretty run-of-the-mill, non-exceptional clan heavy to me. Probably not going to be better the EBJ, and that's a mech that isn't even used frequently in late WC.

You cannot compare it to the Ebon, since the best Ebon build is the one that spams lasers. This one cannot spam as much; instead it is even more specialized towards ballistics and missiles. Not WC material (unless PGI buffs ballistics/missiles), but definitely top tier in terms of faction play and quick play.

[Seranov]

I'm honestly pretty excited about this mech. The Splat Prime will likely be my go-to for this mech until the Reinforcement Omnipods are available for C-bills, because it looks cool and will sort of be a smaller Orion IIC. I can't imagine it'll have quirks nearly as nice as the Roughneck does (or at all, honestly) but it should be a fun ride.

[Shadowomega1]

N a p e s, on 10 December 2017 - 03:01 AM, said:

You mention that the best builds may require the hero mech. Pretty convenient that you can get it for free by playing just one game on the 27th, assuming that they're not planning a second unknown hero.

That is a different hero mech. The hero from the 27th event isn't the hero in the bundle.

[InvictusLee]

So what does this mech do well over the Novacat, Night Gyr, ebj or lbk? I thought splat woyld be a good idea but we already have lots of splatbackers.

[FupDup]

With the free Sun Spider hero's loadout posted, will you be adding builds for that one?

For convenience, it's:
LA: 1M
LT: 1E + 1B
RT: 1B
RA: 2M

[Cy Mitchell]

FupDup, on 10 December 2017 - 04:35 PM, said:

With the free Sun Spider hero's loadout posted, will you be adding builds for that one?

For convenience, it's:
LA: 1M
LT: 1E + 1B
RT: 1B
RA: 2M

So, the Left torso is the only omni-pod that offers a unique configuration for this hero variant.

[FupDup]

Rampage, on 10 December 2017 - 04:50 PM, said:

So, the Left torso is the only omni-pod that offers a unique configuration for this hero variant.

Yup. I was personally hoping for a right torso with 1E though, since that seems to be the biggest oversight across the whole SNS lineup. Heck, maybe make both the LT and RT be 1E + 1B, with just 1M per arm? That would seem fair.

Edited by FupDup, 10 December 2017 - 04:53 PM.