12 replies to this topic

[Qotl]

Hey folks, as the subject implies I'm considering picking up a Hellspawn, looking at going for stealth armour, armed with a narc in the left shoulder pod, then an rl20 and small pulse lasers. Thinking strategy wise to hang out with the assaults narcing stuff up for the start and middle of the battle, with stealth on to make myself a lower priority target, then later on perl off to use my rockets and pulse lasers to ambush already damaged mechs. Feels like it could be fun, but also looks like it could be expensive. Any thoughts?

[Gagis]

Hellspawn is a rather fragile mech and thus not very popular. The 2 main variants that see use are the hero, which does the 6MPL+JJ+ECM loadout only a bit worse than PXH-2 but has a c-bill bonus and 8E which is pretty okay with 3SSRM6's, mostly for use in Solaris Division 7 where most other mechs are lights vulnerable to streaks.

All in all Hellspawns are not great so you probably shouldnt pick one up until after you have a stable of strong mechs to fall back on.

NARC is mostly only useful on groups where you know your group mates will be carrying massed LRM launchers, and then you usually want a light mech such as a stealth raven, so the group can afford to bring fatter lurm mechs to deal more damage with. A medium for the same role seems wasteful.

Small pulse lasers have been nerfed and have neither the dps nor the alpha to justify their use if you have alternatives. Rocket launchers are also more of a funny meme when massed but not really useful for winning matches.

[martian]

Qotl, on 25 November 2020 - 02:26 AM, said:

Hey folks, as the subject implies I'm considering picking up a Hellspawn, ...
Any thoughts?

What about picking up some other, possibly better 'Mech?

I do not have experience from the Tier 4, but I can tell you that in higher Tiers games similar 'Mechs such as Assassin, Phoenix Hawk or Vulcan are much more common.

Qotl, on 25 November 2020 - 02:26 AM, said:

looking at going for stealth armour, armed with a narc in the left shoulder pod, then an rl20 and small pulse lasers. Thinking strategy wise to hang out with the assaults narcing stuff up for the start and middle of the battle, with stealth on to make myself a lower priority target, then later on perl off to use my rockets and pulse lasers to ambush already damaged mechs.

1. Hellspawn is relatively small, but its wide profile puts it in disadvantage.

2. NARC is essentially a wasted tonnage unless you are sure that you will have a friendly 'Mech or 'Mechs with lots of LRMs at your disposal and that the map is suitable for the LRM use. But in Quick Play? What are you going to do if you narc enemy 'Mechs only to find out that all friendly 'Mechs are armed with Autocannons, lasers and PPC? Or - in case that they are actually using missiles - that they are boating SRMs or MRMs? And that your map is Solaris City?

One-Shot Rocket Launchers are not a great weapon either.

As for SPLs, they are more suitable for lighter 'Mechs, on Hellspawn you could use either standard Medium Lasers or MPLs.

Qotl, on 25 November 2020 - 02:26 AM, said:

Feels like it could be fun, but also looks like it could be expensive.

Dunno. If you plan to move to Higher Tiers, Hellspawn will be probably less and less viable. I mean, what's the point in buying a 'Mech, spending C-Bills and XPs on its upgrades and mastering and then using it less and less because it is not good enough? Wouldn't be more useful to use a good 'Mech right from the start?

But of course, if you are playing for fun and expecting to stay in Tier 4 for some time, then Hellspawn might suit your needs.

[The6thMessenger]

If you want to babysit then play cleanup, there are better mechs and builds for that. SPL is knife-fighting distance, NARC is most useful on a wide an open map with hungry lurmboats -- which is rather situational as it is luck of the draw. Rockets are actually best used at the early stages of the game to better soften up targets IMHO, if you're using it cleanup you're wasting the immense damage they have by overkill.

The PXH-2 with 6x ML would work for your purposes.

Alternatively VL-5T with 5x MPL would work well. Honestly Vulcan is the best light mech in the game right now, ironically.

You can also build ASN-27 2x SRM6 + 3x MPL with Stealth Armor if you fancy that. SRM4As if you want a more synced Cooldown, since realistically you do need to fire SRMs separately for a proper lead. The SRM6s also sync with MPLs, provided you shoot both at the same time though will have poor convergence because Lasers are Hitscan while SRMs are slower projectiles.

Edited by The6thMessenger, 25 November 2020 - 02:59 AM.

[Qotl]

Thanks guys, you've confirmed a lot of the doubts I was having about it. The Vulcan is a firm favourite from the HBS battletech game, so I might take that instead. I love the look of the Hellspawn, but for its cost and weaknesses I might give it a miss for now. I've got four calm mechs I enjoy, and I'm picking up an IS Lance at the moment. My two other IS mechs are my sniper flea with twin light ppcs and stealth and a roughneck with twin lpls and three ermls. I seem to gravitate to second line support. Any other suggestions?

[martian]

Qotl, on 25 November 2020 - 03:13 AM, said:

Thanks guys, you've confirmed a lot of the doubts I was having about it. The Vulcan is a firm favourite from the HBS battletech game, so I might take that instead. I love the look of the Hellspawn, but for its cost and weaknesses I might give it a miss for now.
...

Many people wanted to see Hellspawn in MWO because of some sentimental feelings. You know, they piloted Hellspawn in MechWarrior 4: Black Knight.

Qotl, on 25 November 2020 - 03:13 AM, said:

I've got four calm mechs I enjoy, and I'm picking up an IS Lance at the moment. My two other IS mechs are my sniper flea with twin light ppcs and stealth and a roughneck with twin lpls and three ermls. I seem to gravitate to second line support. Any other suggestions?

What weight class?

Maybe 2*RAC Bushwacker? Of course, the Holy Trinity of Shadow Hawk, Griffin and Wolverine still offers some solid 'Mechs.

[L1f3H4ck]

Bushwacker X1, great little mech for triple RAC2, dual UAC10, AC20/Snub and a few more special builds

[Ekson Valdez]

Looks like this thread was posted in the wrong section, so I've moved it to Medium Mech Builds

[R0gal D0rn]

Qotl, on 25 November 2020 - 03:13 AM, said:

Thanks guys, you've confirmed a lot of the doubts I was having about it. The Vulcan is a firm favourite from the HBS battletech game, so I might take that instead. I love the look of the Hellspawn, but for its cost and weaknesses I might give it a miss for now. I've got four calm mechs I enjoy, and I'm picking up an IS Lance at the moment. My two other IS mechs are my sniper flea with twin light ppcs and stealth and a roughneck with twin lpls and three ermls. I seem to gravitate to second line support. Any other suggestions?

Well, if you want to snipe in a light mech, don´t do it in a flea. And specially dont do it using light ppc, they have low damage, high heath incompatible with stealth armor, and a minimum range making you an easy prey for other lights. Consider the raven or even the Panther ( using 2 ERPPC) for this job. A light ppc flea is more an annoyance that a menace. But definitively the king of IS lights is the Wolfhound. MPL if you like knife fighting, erml if you want poke from second line.

I will sugest you to give a chance to the warhammer 6R, the Is swiss razor. Is a very versatile mech in term of builds, tanky enough and very suited to learn a lot of playstyles... Is maybe the most sure bet for a beguinner.
Enjoy the game. And if you´re cpnsidering to FP, search Yondu udonta´s post about Faction warfare, he has a pretty nice list of builds and mechs, very useful---

Welcome and have fun

Edited by Tirant Lo Blanc, 25 November 2020 - 12:56 PM.

[PurplePuke]

I'll speak up in favour of the Hellspawn hero mech:

6xML
JJ
ECM
2xRL20

Very mobile and jumpy to avoid incoming fire. Like a lot of mechs, one misstep and you can be toast. But I've had lots of great games in it.

Challenging but fun.

[CFC Conky]

I have the hero variant and never used it until the recent hero event where it did better than I thought it would (I was in T3 at the time).

Good hunting,
CFC Conky

Edited by CFC Conky, 25 November 2020 - 01:26 PM.

[ShiverMeRivets]

The 8E with 3SRM6+artemis, ECM, 2-3 JJs and XL295/300 engine (choose engine depending on how many JJs/ammo you’d like) is a fun agile skirmisher. TTB has some good youtube vids of this variant with streaks. It is not noob friendly, but on the other hand, not that difficult to play.

Just remember that ECM is useless without both ecm skill nodes - unlock them asap, use GXP or GS point if you have them.

[VeeOt Dragon]

i don't know i find my HSN-7D does well with (4 MLs, 1 MRM-30, AMS, ECM, running LE-220 with Ando, LFF, and 3 DHS (full armor of course)

its a great skirmisher. pop in alpha them reposition and do it again. 50pt alpha on a 45 tonner isn't to shabby even if some of that is spread.


(i know the 7D is querked for Pulse Lasers but the build works) Honestly i think the Hellspawn could use some attention in the next querk pass

Edited by VeeOt Dragon, 27 July 2021 - 07:10 AM.