24 replies to this topic

[CFC Conky]

Hello all,

Not much traffic on the forums about the Hellfire, and you don't see too many on the battlefield.

I picked up the standard pack and at the moment I'm still trying to figure out effective builds and tactics for them. Right now I'm mainly loading up with lrms, tag and backup ermls, or Gauss and ermls. I'm trying out the HLF-1 as a pure laser boat and so far it's a bit disappointing. I suppose I'll have to learn how to use ATM's and heavy lasers. None of the mechs are fully skilled yet so that may make a difference.

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

[Prototelis]

Don't have one, but it seems like they get folded pretty easy.

[Mole]

I think a pile of people refunded their Hellfires when the clan laser changes went up on the PTS. Nobody wants to sink money into a 'mech that was built around clan laser vomit right before a huge clan laser nerf.

[El Bandito]

CFC Conky, on 20 July 2018 - 09:12 AM, said:

I'm trying out the HLF-1 as a pure laser boat and so far it's a bit disappointing. I suppose I'll have to learn how to use ATM's and heavy lasers.

I thought lurms are the new hotness post patch. Take 3xCLRM20 HLF-1 and make it rain.

[N a p e s]

I noticed that too, no chatter about this mech. I even asked in-game a couple times and didn't get a single reply.

It's definitely a cool looking mech, that squat stance is reminiscent of an EBJ though it looks different overall. Functionally can't say much about it. I remember shooting one... but it was just a peeking poke and didn't really pay attention to how the hitboxes reacted.

Still a 60 ton Clan battlemech is kinda cool and different. Hopefully the laser nerfs from the PTS are dialed down and this doesn't completely screw over the mech.

[Nightbird]

I noticed a few ingame, saw they were much easier to kill than Ebons. Thoughts: great mech for farming cbills! (From, not with)

[CFC Conky]

El Bandito, on 20 July 2018 - 09:58 AM, said:

I thought lurms are the new hotness post patch. Take 3xCLRM20 HLF-1 and make it rain.

Hey El,

I tried LRM20’s on it but I seem to do better with LRM10’s, firing time and cool down are lower, which I prefer because I have to keep moving in it HLF or else I’m dead. Artemis helps.

Oh, by the way, I bring my own tag, never ask for locks, and try to stay close to the front line, firing from ~350 meters ; ).

It’ a hot mech so heat management nodes are a must, as well as the survivability tree.

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

[Bud Crue]

I think I saw maybe a couple last night in GQ but I honestly didn’t notice their performance. Probably killed me just as easily as any other mech, but who knows?

Since I stopped buying mech packs I just don’t pay that much attention to new mech performance unless they really upset the state of the game (like the Piranha), and it seems like lately unless they are really balance upsetting I hardly notice them (What’s a Thanatos, or a Hellspawn? Fafnir anyone? No? You’d rather stick with a Cyclops or an Anni? Ah.).

Then again maybe it is just that there is less interest in the newer-ish mechs for whatever reason (people pissed, art not tripping one’s trigger, confusion over the giant growths coming out of the shoulders of the latest clan assault mech that appears to need a colostomy bag and perhaps a support animal of some sort, etc.)? Might also explain why PGI keeps running non-stop sales; gotta raise revenue if no one is buying packs.

Anyway, if I notice a Hellfire, I will report back with an assessment. Thus far, though...beats me.

[Kubernetes]

The torso mounts are nice, but there are too few of them. The hero would be sweet for gauss+ ERPPC (nice high mounts) if we could still do that. I ran gauss vomit for a bit, then switched out to MPLs and lbx20. It's fast and can take a few hits. The other variants... maybe an Atm carrier?

[Cy Mitchell]

Bud Crue, on 20 July 2018 - 10:22 AM, said:

Then again maybe it is just that there is less interest in the newer-ish mechs for whatever reason (people pissed, art not tripping one’s trigger, confusion over the giant growths coming out of the shoulders of the latest clan assault mech that appears to need a colostomy bag and perhaps a support animal of some sort, etc.)? Might also explain why PGI keeps running non-stop sales; gotta raise revenue if no one is buying packs.

Saturation. There are nearly 1K variants. Most of the things that are being released are just a different skin doing the same function of something that you already own. Unless the looks really grab you or you have a nostalgic attraction to it, there is little point in buying another chassis.

[Stridercal]

Rampage, on 20 July 2018 - 10:39 AM, said:

Saturation. There are nearly 1K variants. Most of the things that are being released are just a different skin doing the same function of something that you already own. Unless the looks really grab you or you have a nostalgic attraction to it, there is little point in buying another chassis.

This can't be restated enough.

[Bud Crue]

Rampage, on 20 July 2018 - 10:39 AM, said:

Saturation. There are nearly 1K variants. Most of the things that are being released are just a different skin doing the same function of something that you already own. Unless the looks really grab you or you have a nostalgic attraction to it, there is little point in buying another chassis.

Yup.
Too bad they see quirks that might otherwise make a dull mech into something interesting or even unique as a bad thing that forces us into specific builds. At this point, given the saturation, I wouldn’t mind seeing a return to the bad old days of making this variant the ERPPC one and that variant the AC10 one and that variant the whatever one. But nope, with the generalization of most variants these days wherein offensive quirks are minor and typically only directed to secondary hardpoints there is, as you say no real point into buying another chassis especially if you have a variant here and there that cumulatively can do anything the new chassis can do. Oh well.

Edited by Bud Crue, 20 July 2018 - 10:57 AM.

[Battlemaster56]

I'm having fun with mine right now with just HLL and 6x erml on the 1, poke with an alpha masc back into cover. Or just use masc to re position or flank when the chance open itself up, plus I find lrm Hellfires so funny to hunt in mine own.

The other 2 4x spl and 4srm6 w artemis is nice little brawler/ flanker, with the 2 it's a nice little atm platform running around at MDD speeds w/o masc.

[Mystere]

Rampage, on 20 July 2018 - 10:39 AM, said:

Saturation. There are nearly 1K variants. Most of the things that are being released are just a different skin doing the same function of something that you already own. Unless the looks really grab you or you have a nostalgic attraction to it, there is little point in buying another chassis.

Hold on a second! Isn't this exactly what the current player base demands, more mech packs in a "Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em" generic robot arena shooter game where adherence to lore is only literally skin-deep?

Edited by Mystere, 20 July 2018 - 11:09 AM.

[Dogstar]

Mystere, on 20 July 2018 - 11:07 AM, said:

Hold on a second! Isn't this exactly what the current player base demands, more mech packs in a "Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em" generic robot arena shooter game where adherence to lore is only literally skin-deep?

I think the player base would be fine with fewer variants of each mech, we don't really need 6 different mechs that vary only by a couple of hardpoints for each chassis

but PGI either can't or won't change their 'buy a mechpack each month' monetisation

[CFC Conky]

Battlemaster56, on 20 July 2018 - 11:06 AM, said:

I'm having fun with mine right now with just HLL and 6x erml on the 1, poke with an alpha masc back into cover. Or just use masc to re position or flank when the chance open itself up, plus I find lrm Hellfires so funny to hunt in mine own.

The other 2 4x spl and 4srm6 w artemis is nice little brawler/ flanker, with the 2 it's a nice little atm platform running around at MDD speeds w/o masc.

I'll have to try those builds .

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

Edited by CFC Conky, 20 July 2018 - 11:57 AM.

[Tordin]

No doa thread... what this then?

Also more variants the better. Standart battlemech IS and Clan side are dependant on that. Omnis, not so much.

[process]

It's not on Smurfy yet, therefore doesn't exist.

[Shadowomega1]

Saw load of them last night, between 2 to 3 per match. Most of the pilots seemed to be a little brain dead, and were not attempting to shield their cts, or going into a staring contest with a mech that could burst through most of its armor quickly. Maybe in a couple days we might hear from someone who can put the mech through its paces.

[Jon Gotham]

They look very cool. they go squish very fast. They are not a competitor vs Is heavies.