14 replies to this topic

[MechLord71]

I have a bit of MC saved up from the stocking stuffer event (3800 MC-ish). I was thinking of buying a bit more MC to purchase the Rancor, mostly for the torso missile omnipods and the base chassis.

Currently, I own the Blood Asp A, purchased with C-bills. Before the holiday sales, I was considering buying the prime or B model for a non-jumpjet chassis with c-bills, but if the Rancor is something special, maybe now is the time to invest in the very expensive MC mech since it is half off.

Thanks!

[- World Eater -]

Unless you're aiming to get the C-bill boost and love the chassis, you're better off getting something else. Sleipnir is great assault to buy if you don't already own one.

Edited by - World Eater -, 30 December 2018 - 07:18 AM.

[Jay Leon Hart]

If you don't already have one, I would suggest a Deathstrike instead, the Mad Cat Mk II Hero. It's basically a better Blood Asp, but without ECM.

The Scorch (Marauder IIC) and Boiler (Supernova) are also good choice and both of those offer Missile hardpoints.

The Blood Asp was a solid 'mech before the torso gun nerf. Now it is OK, but there are better things to spend MC on first.

[MechLord71]

Thanks. I have the Sleipnir and Deathstrike already (great mechs). I do not own the Scorch yet. I wish the Blood Asp were a bit better. I like the look and the lore, but I have not driven it enough to say as to whether it is better than just okay.

Thanks!

[Vellron2005]

I bought the Rancor specifically for the missile slots..

I made a LRM boat from it, and it works very well.. as well as a comparable Supernova.. I put 2xERLL in the high slots..

The problem with the Rancor (and the Blood Asp in general) is that the high torsos get blown off easily.. so If you want to put all-in missiles, and use the high energy slots, you must count that they will be the first to go.

If however, you want to use the missile slots of the Rancor without the energy slots in the torsos, you will have useful low mounts..

I suggest using the slots for ATM/LRM, and then mix with lasers or more LRM in the arms and risking the high laser slots for secondary weapons.

or you can just forget about the Rancor and take the side torsos off, and mount them on the Prime variant, that way, you have 3 missile slots, and up to 6 energy slots, without risking the high mounts, but you sacrifice the Rancor's ECM..

I do definitely recommend the Rancor.. it's good for me.

Edited by Vellron2005, 31 December 2018 - 01:15 AM.

[Snowhawk]

I think the Bas-A (with jumpjets) or the Bas-B are better…. both have Ecm and thats very usefull. Rancor is good if you really like this variant or you need this omnipods...

[NimoStar]

Quote

[color=#959595]The Blood Asp was a solid 'mech before the torso gun nerf.[/color]

Torso gun nerf, what was that?

Anyways,
that hero mech, as if often happens with omnimechs, was only done so that you need the omnipods which cannot be gotten with c-bills... I would use it to upgrade other Blood-Asp to 4 missile hardpoints for a missile boat with ECM (only way to do it, only 2 available otherwise)

You can use it on the jumpjet variant. And there won't be any high guns that way.

Edited by NimoStar, 31 December 2018 - 04:50 AM.

[Vellron2005]

NimoStar, on 31 December 2018 - 04:48 AM, said:

Torso gun nerf, what was that?

Anyways,
that hero mech, as if often happens with omnimechs, was only done so that you need the omnipods which cannot be gotten with c-bills... I would use it to upgrade other Blood-Asp to 4 missile hardpoints for a missile boat with ECM (only way to do it, only 2 available otherwise)

You can use it on the jumpjet variant. And there won't be any high guns that way.

Yes, true, but then you have 4 missile hardpoints.. and it you put LRMs or ATMs in all of those.. where are your backup lasers gonna go?

And you need those backups.. trust me.

So best you can do without high torsos is BAS-Prime and then use the Rancor torsos and the central prime torso for LRMs, you can do LRM50, and use the arms for backup lasers.. Or you can use the high torsos and do standard ECM CT with LRMs in torsos and arms, and use the high torsos for lasers..

If they ever make a variant that has missile slots and energy slots in the arms, that's gonna be a major seller..

Edited by Vellron2005, 31 December 2018 - 04:57 AM.

[NimoStar]

Quote

[color=#959595]Yes, true, but then you have 4 missile hardpoints.. and it you put LRMs or ATMs in all of those.. where are your backup lasers gonna go?[/color]

[color=#959595]And you need those backups.. trust me.[/color]


[color=#959595]So best you can do without high torsos is BAS-Prime and then use the Rancor torsos and the central prime torso for LRMs, you can do LRM50, and use the arms for backup lasers.. Or you can use the high torsos and do standard ECM CT with LRMs in torsos and arms, and use the high torsos for lasers..[/color]

As you say you can still put lasers on high torsos if you absolutely think you need them, AND still do LRM80; or you can do LRM40+artemis and use the arms for backup SRM12

I think ECM and JJ is more valuable than a single weapon slot in the center torso considerin gthere is only two space anyways. The survavility boost from ECM has been nerfed but is still quite substantial, specially in short range where you scramble their comms and HUD.

[- World Eater -]

Vellron2005, on 31 December 2018 - 01:15 AM, said:

I bought the Rancor specifically for the missile slots..

I made a LRM boat from it,

...

[Jay Leon Hart]

Vellron2005, on 31 December 2018 - 01:15 AM, said:

If however, you want to use the missile slots of the Rancor without the energy slots in the torsos, you will have useful low mounts..

Good to know, I never actually tried it with missiles.

NimoStar, on 31 December 2018 - 04:48 AM, said:

Torso gun nerf, what was that?

Torso gun mounts used to be shorter, lower & thinner, so peeking and shielding were easier.

Some people complained they didn't look enough like the concept art and/or TRO art.

PGI changed them to the current, nerfed ones, but did add 2nd hardpoints to BAS-B LT & BAS-D RT housings, which is why they got thicker.

[Angel of Annihilation]

The Blood Asp is one of my favorite mechs so yes it is worth buying just for the 30% C-bill boost alone, if you need the B-bills. Also the Rancor does give you unique omnipods with missile hard points in the shoulders which is why I ended up buying mine. However I ended up taking the pods off the Rancor and pairing them with the Blood Asp variant with the CT missile slot and run a triple SRM6 loadout combined with 2 LPLs in the high mounts and 4 MPLs, 2 on each arm. That makes for a pretty beefy non-Balastic loadout that I love.

[LT. HARDCASE]

Do you REALLY love your time in the Blood Asp A? Answer than before you buy the hero.

Edited by LT. HARDCASE, 31 December 2018 - 01:41 PM.

[N0ni]

Bought it just to have a C-Bill boosted Blood Asp, haven't regretted it. Although i pod swapped to run x2 cLB20-X / x6 cERML and you really don't need ECM if you can turn your opponents to chunks quickly.

[panzer1b]

unless you REALLY love the chassis not really since the free models run all of the "meta" builds just fine. Only thing the hero has is more missile slots, but if you want to run ATM/LRM, do that on a heavy which takes less tonnage, moves faster, and can carry just as many tubes (good example would be the sunspider, which can do LRM-80 with ECM ontop).

if you want to run dakka builds, take the MCII-B, if you want gauss vomit, take the MCII-1/DS, and if you want lasers, take the MAD-2C. Unless ECM is truly what you are going for then go ahead and go blood arss, its not a bad mech, but it pays a huge price for the ECM, namely in hitboxes, low arm hardpoints and the inability to optimize its loadout 100%.

Anyways, if you decide to get it, i strongly reccomend either 2uac10+2uac5, or 1uac10+3uac5 as the top builds. They dish out crazy damage, and take advantage of the fact the mech has very high weapon mounting options allowing you to hillpeak (almost anything you can physically see you can hit with all shouldery guns). Probably close 2nd is the 2gauss+6erml build, works well if you can work around those terrible low mounted lasers that force you to expose a bit more then would be ideal.

Edited by panzer1b, 31 December 2018 - 05:14 PM.