9 replies to this topic

[CFC Conky]

Hello all,

Turns out I qualify for the IS and Clan heavy mechs that are being given away.

I’m considering these:

IS
- CTF-3L
- Champion Invictus

Clan:
- NCT Cobra Kat
- Summoner

Any ideas on which mech are effective/klunkers in the bunch?

Thanks,
CFC Conky

[Brizna]

Honestly they are all lacklustre mechs. Summoner used to be a good mech, and with good aim still is with a classic 2ERPPC pop tarter but you are looking basically at a +30% C-bill suckoner. I would stay away from both IS mechs, they are just a couple of steaming piles of ***P. And I don't really play NCTs but at least this one carries a bunch weapon hard points so I guess you cna make it work as an ATM boat.

TLDR: There's a lot of more interesting IS and clan heavy mech you didn't list, I suppose you already have them but if not look at: Bounty Hunter, Jester and Blackwidow for IS, and Hellbringer hero, maybe Nightgyr hero (very nerfed but still respectable) and I like Sunspider and Bandit but both are very personal preferences.

[panzer1b]

I cant exactly tell you which is best (dont know ur playstyle preferences), but here are things that i see each of these doing relatively well:

Catafract-3L: very powerful mech back in the day, and its generous armor quirks make it sorta relevant today provided you have a low facetime build. Best things ive seen people running on it include HGR+ERML/MPL, AC10+HPPC poptart, and AC20+5ML/MPL/2PPC. It does suffer greatly when facetanking, so the better builds tend to focus on PPFLD or near PPFLD with very short burns like MPL. Probably the strongest of the bunch when considering builds and the quirks, but takes alot of skill to play effectively (you really cannot stare anything down in this whatsoever unless they dont see you or something like that).

Invictus: focused almost entirely on missiles (there are the 2 energy but 2 energy weapons unless they are heavy PPCs are rarely worth bothering with on any IS mech). The best builds here are going to be MRMs since the mech isnt quite light and agile enough to run 4 SRM-6A all that well (get a griffin 2N for that build or a bushwanker). The only build on here that you cant replicate on a medium is LRM boat, but the viability of that is questionable at best in QP meta. TLDR: good for MRMs or even quad SRM-6A, but not much of anything else useful or worth trying on the mech (general lack of hardpoints tends to push MRMs as the weapon of choice). Im not a missile person so i wouldnt recommend it myself, but MRMs are pretty solid if you are into that sorta thing.

Nova cat (all variants are the same as omni and hero doesnt offer any truly good omnipods, you are actualluy better off with the CB models for their quirks): very high firepower at the expense of like EVERYTHING else. Of all the choices it can bring stupid stuff like LRM-90, very solid dakka setups (ive seen 3 uac5+1uac10 in QP before), and ofc all the lasers in the world. Its actually one of the top LRM mechs in the game (since its paper hitboxes are rarely an issue if you arent staring at people or even visible to them), but its massive and very obvious hitboxes make any facetime weapons suicidal against a good enemy. Dakka on here as well as heavy lasers are a automatic no-no because of that, which leaves the decent setups almost entirely ranged, LRMs, or PPCs/ERLLs since at range your otherwise squish mech becomes very much survivable and able to do alot of damage at said range. Just dont try to bring this within 500m of anyone that isnt entirely SRMs or you will kaput. TLDR: one of the strongest mechs in game offensively, but pathetic survivability, slow, and not very agile makes anything at shorter ranges or with facetime builds suicide.

Summoner: tankiest clam heavy around since it combines extreme agility, speed, and JJs on a mech with solid hitboxes. The most popular builds are 2 ERPPC, and SRM bomber, 1st one being an absolute PITA to deal with if the pilot is skilled at aiming, poptarting in something this tanky at 800+m makes you almost immune to anything but excessively focused countersniping. SRMs are also solid since it is fast and can easily charge into the fray with plenty of alfa strike behind it, but is obviously harder to play since SRMs spread and are not very effective at instantly killing when the enemy is prolly running aroubd in dual gauss 80 alfa strike fatnirs and annis. Still, it does offer decent build variety even if all of the builds are low tonnage. Ive even been able to make dakka work on this thanks to god tier quirks (10% cooldown with 20% uac jam chance quirk), my favorite setup being 1 uac10 and 1 uac5, rarely if ever jams, and spits out 1000 damage if im accurate with my fire and am certain not to miss/waste shots as ammo capacity is a huge weakness of this mech.

For my own preferences, the summoner or catafract come 1st, but all of these except the invictus are solid (im just not a missile person, so any mech that is limited to predominantly missiles will be meh in my book). The novacat isnt all that bad, just doesnt fit well into QP where you rarely get to fight at the 700-800m ranges so its paper armor doesnt end you early game.

[CFC Conky]

Thanks for the advice gents, I have most f the ‘usual suspects’ when it comes to c-bill bonus mechs and I was thinking some of the (L) heavies might be fun. The CTF comes in a non-bonus version so I can always just pick it up for c-bills. I was also looking at the Jade Kite, but I already have the (L) variant, does he JK bring something special to the table? It is an omni after all.

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

Edited by CFC Conky, 23 September 2019 - 06:08 PM.

[FupDup]

Basically either get the Thor and do ERPPC nipples or get the Invictus for a crappier (but still viable) IV-4.

Definitely don't get the Nova Cat unless you want to boat Lurms because that thing is almost worthless using anything else (since it's too fragile and slow for direct combat it relies on IDF to not get splattered).

[Brizna]

The Jade Kite has 4 ballistic hard point spread 2+2 in LT+LA, so it lets you do some stuff otherwise impossible for Night Gyr like asymmetrical AC5 boating or AC2 boating with 6 total hard points. It's kind of interesting to fill some FW roles but nothing impressive.

PS: I can't believe I forgot about Quickdraw IV-4 in my list of alternative options, if you happen not to have it I can't recommend it strongly enough

Edited by Brizna, 23 September 2019 - 11:19 PM.

[General Solo]

Quickdraw is good for sure

[FRAGTAST1C]

CFC Conky, on 23 September 2019 - 06:07 PM, said:

does he JK bring something special to the table? It is an omni after all.

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

The Night Gyr can do dakka or Gauss PPC vomit well and that's about it. Since it being an omni mech, I have outfitted my JK with an ECM + 1 UAC 10 + 3 UAC5. It is a turret that can jump really well but mobility-wise, it is bad. I wouldn't recommend the JK unless you want to do a full dakka at this tonnage range and mount an ECM while you're at it.

That Cataphract can use a MASC according to Mechdb. So, a HGR and MLs with a STD 280 might look like a fun build but the Champion 1N2 can do a similar build after some armour shedding in the head, arms and legs and still be able to run faster without the MASC. So, I wouldn't go for the Cataphract either. Champion Invictus didn't appeal to me whatsoever. The regular variants like the 1N2 and 1NB are better I think.

I'd probably go for the Black Widow, IV4, Bounty Hunter, Legend Killer, Powerhouse or the Warhammer 4L (L) as this one can use an ECM. The Black Widow can do an UAC 10 + 2 UAC5 which is really good (dead slow for QP and needs a lot of armour shedding but it can do a lot of work once you get the hang of it).

As for Clan heavies, the Virago with the full omnipod bonus can pull off 4 ERLL build with a large TC like almost no other mech can. Or you can put an ECM on it and do 4 HLL + 4 ERML which is great as well. The Linebacker is good, Ebon Jag is great. I've seen some people do 2x UAC 10 on the Summoner to great effect if you're thinking of that or the regular 2 ERPPC poptart.

[CFC Conky]

Hi Frag,

I have all the you mechs you’ve recommended, but I appreciate all the advice.

That goes for the rest of the posters too!

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

Edited by CFC Conky, 24 September 2019 - 03:22 AM.

[ShiverMeRivets]

IS heavy heroes that are forgotten/underestimated:

Grasshopper Mjolnir - even more armor quirks than the other hoppers and decent geometry makes it a tank. I even run it with XL engine. The only mech I broke 1400 damage QP with. Ignore the ballistic arm - it’s a trap! and focus on the 8 energy hardpoints. It is a better black knight with jump jets.

Dragon Flame - hardpoints like a small Marauder, shoulder ballistic and arm lasers. Good quirks, very agile.

Orion protector - OK, it is not that good, but it has character! I run it with HGR+HPPC for flavor.