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Is The Shadow Cat Any Good? New Player

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#1 OldPoptart

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Posted 15 July 2018 - 09:34 AM

I'm looking for a good medium mech and I'm wondering if the Shadow Cat is good? It was my favorite back in MW4.

#2 Eisenhorne

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Posted 15 July 2018 - 09:48 AM

It's not great. You can do some fun things with it, but it doesn't perform that well. I have fun with mine running 2 ATM 9's and 2 Heavy small lasers.

#3 Lithology

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Posted 15 July 2018 - 09:58 AM

I only have the -Prime, -A, and -B variants (from back in the three pack days), but I can still offer a few comments: it is an acceptable platform, by and large. It is highly mobile (especially when MASC is invoked) and can be a decent to good support mech, but is awfully squishy when drawn down on. I personally have had the best performance in the SHC-B variant, most kills and damage by far over the other two. <disclaimer: I run the SHC-B primarily as an LRM platform, so YMMV.>

It certainly isn't the worst Clan medium out there, in my opinion. But, play style will figure a lot into that.

#4 Dragonporn

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Posted 15 July 2018 - 10:09 AM

It is amazing, definitely not for the new player though...

#5 McCalls Hairy Arse

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Posted 15 July 2018 - 10:32 AM

I play mine with this config. The heat is a pain inthe *** until you get the nodes unlocked but alot of fun.

https://youtu.be/p0ATSUVKf2Q

#6 JC Daxion

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Posted 16 July 2018 - 02:10 PM

View PostDragonporn, on 15 July 2018 - 10:09 AM, said:

It is amazing, definitely not for the new player though...



Yea i agree, it makes for a nice 2 LPL or 2 PPC build, and add some machine guns. It's fast and a great pop-tart style mech.


For a new player and a medium, If you want clans i'd say the huntsman or stormcrow are much better mechs. they both can run SRM or Streak builds alone with MPL or ML builds. Both are hard to go wrong as a newbie

#7 IllCaesar

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Posted 16 July 2018 - 06:08 PM

I've done alright with it but it is definitely not new player friendly. Maybe get one down the line but there are many much more new player friendly medium mechs on both the IS and clan sides. If you want a clan medium that is friendly for new players consider the Huntsman or the Stormcrow. They are both much more forgiving mechs that offer more variety in terms of weapon loadouts and playstyles.

#8 Dragonporn

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Posted 16 July 2018 - 06:56 PM

View PostMcCalls Hairy Arse, on 15 July 2018 - 10:32 AM, said:

I play mine with this config. The heat is a pain inthe *** until you get the nodes unlocked but alot of fun.

https://youtu.be/p0ATSUVKf2Q


Been running it quite some time ago, and I don't think this is very efficient one. Firstly weapons don't synergize very well. Secondly Shadowcat is very-very fragile, so facetime required for HLL full DPS or LMG fire is simply gonna get you killed more often than not, that's not to mention how brutally hot HLLs are. Facetime is literally the reason why Laser Sniper builds won't work on this mech, and I mean any non-pulse lasers, the latter ones require tonnage, which this mech doesn't have and closer distance which SHC cannot get into.

It might work as Streak Boat, but IMO, it's still very risky, because 2-3 Lights can take Shadowcat apart very quickly. Stromcrow or Arctic Wolf are a lot better at this.

Personally running it with dual ER PPC and ECM. Before you skill up heat gen and cool run + max velocity, you gonna suffer hard, but when you do, it becomes a monster. MASC with instant accel in both ways, along with pretty powerful jumpjets allow you to poptart like a boss. But it requires some getting used to. I usually put only few skills in Survival, but most skills go in Firepower, rest in Sensor (to max ECM), Auxiliary (to max coolshot) and Operations. So it's extremely mobile glass cannon you don't want to get close to anything, while unloading serious damage from different angles and constantly reposition.

#9 TheCaptainJZ

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Posted 17 July 2018 - 04:26 AM

I always see the ER LL ECM Shadowcat out there peeking and being annoying but I find it limiting to only a few good weapon loadouts. I generally like the design of the Shadowcat as a Clan Hollander but that just doesn't replicate well into this game. No one plays it with Gauss.

#10 McCalls Hairy Arse

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Posted 17 July 2018 - 10:06 AM

View PostDragonporn, on 16 July 2018 - 06:56 PM, said:


Been running it quite some time ago, and I don't think this is very efficient one. Firstly weapons don't synergize very well. Secondly Shadowcat is very-very fragile, so facetime required for HLL full DPS or LMG fire is simply gonna get you killed more often than not, that's not to mention how brutally hot HLLs are. Facetime is literally the reason why Laser Sniper builds won't work on this mech, and I mean any non-pulse lasers, the latter ones require tonnage, which this mech doesn't have and closer distance which SHC cannot get into.

It might work as Streak Boat, but IMO, it's still very risky, because 2-3 Lights can take Shadowcat apart very quickly. Stromcrow or Arctic Wolf are a lot better at this.

Personally running it with dual ER PPC and ECM. Before you skill up heat gen and cool run + max velocity, you gonna suffer hard, but when you do, it becomes a monster. MASC with instant accel in both ways, along with pretty powerful jumpjets allow you to poptart like a boss. But it requires some getting used to. I usually put only few skills in Survival, but most skills go in Firepower, rest in Sensor (to max ECM), Auxiliary (to max coolshot) and Operations. So it's extremely mobile glass cannon you don't want to get close to anything, while unloading serious damage from different angles and constantly reposition.


I considered running it dual ER PPC with ECM but I really don't like running with no backup weapons. Besides that, I don't play pure sniper very well at all.

Yeah, it's fragile and lights can tear it up but I also try not to run around solo either. I much prefer sticking with the heavier mechs and providing fire support by sweeping back and forth in the second line. Hold back on the MG's until I have an opportunity to take out crit components.

#11 TooDumbToQuit

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Posted 17 July 2018 - 11:38 AM

If you are great with an ER-PPC this is a mech for you.

#12 Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky

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Posted 17 July 2018 - 02:49 PM

I wouldn’t say it’s good or bad, but it is definatelly not a friendly platform for new players.

#13 Anubus15

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Posted 20 July 2018 - 05:09 AM

The shadowcat was my 2nd in-game mech and my current (and probably will remain a longtime) favorite.
It is also one of the only 2 mechs I own to date that is Fully Skilled (I know, I'm working on it Posted Image )

I've ran it with dual heavy large laser w/ ECM; Dual ER-PPC & ECM; and my personal favorite, Dual Large Pulse Lasers and 6 machine guns. I definitely think this mech taught/teaches me a LOT about positioning, when to engage, and when to stay hidden. Great skills to carry over into just about every other build. After a few good games in the shadowcat, I feel like I instantly play better in my Heavy and Assault.

MASC is great, I used to use it just for top speed, but I have learned to use it for peeking, and getting out of trouble quickly. It is definitely more useful in a pinch than out in the open trying to keep up with friendly lights. I say its a GREAT mech, just be ready to DIE until you figure out the play style.

I'm new to the game too, so not sure if this comment carries much weight, but I'm glad I have my shadowcat, and I look forward to dropping in it every time I boot up the game, I cant say the same for any of the other (be it only 4 other) mechs I own.

Edited by JustDave11517, 20 July 2018 - 05:17 AM.


#14 Dee Eight

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Posted 20 July 2018 - 06:34 AM

View PostOldPoptart, on 15 July 2018 - 09:34 AM, said:

I'm looking for a good medium mech and I'm wondering if the Shadow Cat is good? It was my favorite back in MW4.


Its an amazing clan medium. Try 2 ERML (or HML), ECM, 3 streak-6s w/4 tons of ammo. I routinely put up 1k damage matches with mine built that way (by routine I mean a least once every time i take it out for a series of matches). I have used a shadow cat B built that way exclusively on one account for... 592 matches of which 322 were wins and 269 were losses (1.20 wlr). 605 kills 327 deaths (1.85 kdr). I've done 284,220 damage with it and over a million XP generated by it. Jump jets and masc helps immensely. You can do flying poptart missile barrages and just totally mess up everything from lights to assaults with hilarity.

#15 The Basilisk

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Posted 20 July 2018 - 06:52 AM

The only reason why you should ignore the easy kill on a shadowcat in QP is that next to any other mech is more important to take out.

The realy skilled players take this risk assessment as addition to their ECM and get seldomly attacked at all till the game is next to over one or the other way.

The most common way I see untouched sniper S-Cats is at the end of the game as one of the last 2 or three mechs on the loosing team.

Those matches you see Scats with good dmg and matchscore are drawn out matches where no team realy engaged and attrition wins.

#16 DarkFhoenix

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Posted 08 August 2018 - 10:16 PM

My very first 2 medium clan mechs I bought were Shadowcat and Hunchback IIC . Shadowcat is an excellent scout mech but it needs to be played like a scout . I played it like a fighter so naturally my hunchie did it better . I also had no idea it had MASC in literally a year of playing. Posted Image

When most people say a mech sucks its usually because they wanna kill things with it which is understandable since your score ties directly with that .

My basic rule for mechs are regardless of its tonnage if it moves at 100 KPH or more , its a scout and so you should max out its mobility and skill tree . Black Lanners and Shadow Cat are armoured scouts . Of course this begs the question of do you enjoy the scout role ?

Edited by DarkFhoenix, 08 August 2018 - 10:18 PM.






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