29 replies to this topic

[Tirralys]

Hello everyone!

I'm returning after a few year hiatus, and though I never got deep into the game, it seems quite a bit from what I remember has changed! I'm going through guides and doing searches, but unfortunately some of the information is a bit dated (probably my google-fu failing).

I used to run LRM's and it was fine and dandy as far as I remember, but recently I joined a game called Mech Arena (I know the games are nearly nothing alike) but I found that, instead of guided missiles or mortar rounds, I rather enjoy getting off a once-every-so-often sniper strike that greatly harms a mech, but has a long cooldown if you mess up on the shot. I was looking through some older information, and I gotta admit, I don't know all the lingo xD PPC or Gauss seemed to be the choices

However, I would not mind laying down suppressive fire either. I keep mechs pinned down so the other teammate can sneak up and get the kill, or fake them out and have an ambush set up when I stop firing and they think I've run out of ammo or some such.

Thing is, there are so many different mechs I don't know what is a good route for a relatively new player. I have one of the old mechs that was supposedly good for sniping (Jagermech) currently still outfitted with years old LRMs

I'm not looking for Meta or anything, just something good to slide into the role(s) and learn how this game handles such situations. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you

[epikt]

Welcome back!

Question: what are your preferred classes? Because there are a lot of long range mechs!
Anyway, there are several popular things at the moment, mostly ERLLas mixed with either gauss or HAGs, or maybe ERPPCs with you're old school and enjoy poptarting.

Here are some suggestions (one for each class):
- Incubus-2
- Shadow Cat
- Night Gyr
- Stalker-5S

But those are only few among many others.

[Void Angel]

/soapbox Don't spend money in MechArena. It's a trap - Plarium gives you a short honeymoon period and then ramps up the pay-to-win to outrageous levels. They try to slide it past you, but a lot of the "players" you'll find in the game are bots - bots armed with premium pay-to-win weapons and 'mechs to farm you with. This isn't the only Plarium game I've heard bad things about, but I've played Mech Arena. It's a fun game, at base, but Plarium's business model seems to be: "hook as many suckers as you can, then soak them for as much money as you can. Roll some of the profits into massive advertising campaigns that steal IP images and have little to do with gameplay, rinse, repeat." /soapbox

In any case, sniping IS meta, so you're stuck with it here. Your Jaegermech is a good sniper, depending on quirks. The key is high-mounted weapons and good hardpoint selection (as with everything.)

Your basic options for long range are:

• Dakka: rapid-fire guns with long to medium range (Rotary Autocannons, Ultra (and normal) Autocannons in /5 and /2 varieties, etc. Find an exposed target and blast away while they stagger desperately for cover.
  
• ERPPCs: high-heat, no ammo, but higher pinpoint damage than dakka, and no charge mechanic. Keep in the fight and hit what you aim at, and you'll do good damage.
  
• Gaussvomit: a variation on "Laservomit" laser boating builds, you couple Gauss Rifles with lasers to achieve a mix of dps and heat efficiency.You can use the lasers to time the Gauss mechanic, or trigger them after your unsuspecting opponent has taken 30 points of pinpoint damage to the side of their 'mech - possibly the biggest damage potential for long-range direct fire, but lasers point both ways.
  
• HAGvomit Exactly the same as Gaussvomit, but use Heavy Assault Gauss instead of Gauss Rifles.

Tactically, you can choose to simply outrange your opponent and laugh at his return fire, or fire from cover then retreat. Which one depends on what return fire you're taking, and what weapons you brought. Dakka doesn't do as well with hide-and-peek, while ERPPCs are strongest for that role, but if the enemy just lets you stand there and maul them, so much the better! Just don't get tunnel-vision; keep moving if and as appropriate to maximize the number of shots you take on targets. Particularly with non-dakka options, you need to take and hit as many shots as you can in order to get your money's worth with these weapons...

Edited by Void Angel, 13 October 2023 - 05:43 PM.

[Void Angel]

As for 'mechs, Many very strong sniper/dakka builds are Assault chassis, since those 'mechs have the space and tonnage to support larger and hotter guns. I'd recommend starting on a Heavy or Medium chassis to learn the ropes, however.

Since you have a Jaegermech with LRMs, tha'd be the JM6-A. This works for a simple Gauss Build (I wouldn't call it Gaussvomit because the ERMLs have much shorter range.) Epikt's Night Gyr build is nearly identical, but the Clantech ERMLs have longer range.

Epikt's Shadow Cat build is an excellent mobile sniper - as well as amazingly fun to pilot. Hit the MASC at top speed, then trigger your jump jets. After that, it'll always have a place in your heart.

My other recommendations are the Dakka Sunspider, Laservomit Timber Wolf, and my beloved Thunderbuddy, kitted for HPPCs (you can swap out for ERPPCs as well

Edited by Void Angel, 13 October 2023 - 05:41 PM.

[Tirralys]

So I would like to start out by saying, thank you both for your reply(ies)! I appreciate the insight.

Second, I am a sucker and I have bought a couple of things in Mech Arena, and just like you have said I have come to a point where most of my fights are losses against bots/people with higher starred mechs and annoying as heck disc launchers >_<

Back to the topic at hand: I ran through the academy again, and got to test out (I believe it was called flame something Jaegermech) some of the long ranged weapons. I really like both PPC and the Auto Cannons, though I did run out of ammo on the AC's real quick like. Then again I was shooting targets and killed like ten or more of them, something I doubt I'd run too much into in a real PvP match. I am interested in the Dakka Sunspider build, as well as Thunderbuddy, but you're right that Epikt's Shadowcat build sounds really fun. I don't think I've done a super mobile mech in this game yet so it would be interesting to try!

I think I'm going to try the gauss build you put together first Void. In this way, I can test them out first to decide which mech I'd like to invest in, but I'm leaning between your Dakka Sunspider and Epikt's Shadowcat tbh. I mean, Thunderbuddy does sound fun too, but the other two are calling to me (can't explain why).

Thank you both for your tips and advice, I will test some things out Thank you for the warm welcome back!

[Tirralys]

epikt, on 13 October 2023 - 05:02 PM, said:

Welcome back!

Question: what are your preferred classes? Because there are a lot of long range mechs!

Sorry I didn't answer this question. So far my hangar has heavy and medium mechs, as I believe I took the advice that is still showing up in the newbie area today about staying away from light and assault mechs until I have a better understanding of the game.

I was looking through the list you presented and I have a few of those mechs. I'm not sure what past me was thinking but I guess I bought a couple of group packs because I have a few catapults and archer mechs, and I noticed I also have that blackjack variant you have listed (I think it was the BJ-1x?)

Its all greek to me right now though. I tend to forget things I don't actively use after a while. However somehow I can still recall the first level of the Yo Noid! game on NES, strange o.O

[Tirralys]

I apologize for replying to myself, but I did have an update on the different types of weapons/mechs I have tried out.

First, I tried the gauss Jaegermech, and I was not good at it, not one bit. I also did not like the feel of the gauss weapons, the charge time, though relatively small, was usually enough for a mech to peek out, get a shot or two off on me, and duck back behind cover. It might also be that I need to learn the maps and such more, but for now I think gauss is out.

I went ahead and bought the Shadowcat Prime and it was like night and day compared to the Jaegermech for me. I even got a kill in one of my matches. However, the PPC doesnt quite feel right in a normal match for me. Sometimes I feel questioning if I even damaged the mechs I hit at all. I realize in this game the mechs can be very sturdy, but that makes me think I'd rather be doing multiple, constant damage to the target while Jump jetting from rooftop to rooftop.

So, in turn I ask, is there a medium mech, with jump jets, that is more ballistic based? I was going through and saw a viper with jump jets and LMG slots, but I was hoping for a longer range, slightly slower but harder hitting Autocannon option. I realize it's really late so I'll try to look it up myself in the mean time, but the veteran perspective I got here is invaluable.

I would like to apologize for changing up my original idea of what I would like, but actual in game experience is showing that I'd like a faster, ballistic based mech (I believe xD)

Thank you once again

Edit: I've seen three different models that seem to fit what I want: UZL-3P, SHC-P, and PXH-1. The one I think I really like is the UZL-3P. It has slightly less jump distance then the other two, however - it has the option for 3 ballistic, 2 energy, and 1 missile. I'm not saying I would use all those, but I'm imagining I get the drop on someone from above, load them up with UAC, and as I retreat letting loose a final salvo of SRMs. I'm not sure the specifics on weight and such but I'm sure some planning and adjusting can get it going. Plus, I like how it looks so there's that. xD What are y'all's thoughts on the Uziel?

Edited by Tirralys, 13 October 2023 - 10:10 PM.

[epikt]

Tirralys, on 13 October 2023 - 09:25 PM, said:

So, in turn I ask, is there a medium mech, with jump jets, that is more ballistic based? I was going through and saw a viper with jump jets and LMG slots, but I was hoping for a longer range, slightly slower but harder hitting Autocannon option.

I suggest you have a go at the trial Hunstman-B (with two UAC/10s).
Actually, there are several trial mechs that could interest you: Night Gyr, Rifleman-IIC, Thunderbolt,...
You won't be able to modify them, but it's free to try and they're really good builds.

(while you're at it, try he other trials, they're made for that)

About the Uziel, I'm not familiar with this particular variant (some energy based variants are quite good, but not idea about balistics), but I guess you could do something like 3 UAC/2s... I fear about the face-time needed to deal damage though...
The ShadowCat-P is nice with 6 LMGs and a bigger ballistic like an AC10 or a HAG, but it's definitely not top tier.
The Phoenix-Hawk-1 is a bit light to mount real ballistics, despite the UAC quirks - usually the ballistic hardpoints are used for MGs.

Edited by epikt, 13 October 2023 - 11:52 PM.

[Horseman]

Tirralys, on 13 October 2023 - 09:25 PM, said:

So, in turn I ask, is there a medium mech, with jump jets, that is more ballistic based?

Hunchback IIC or Huntsman (if you finagle the omni pods a bit: https://mwo.nav-alph...b=c53b6a1b_HMN-.

Quote

I was hoping for a longer range, slightly slower but harder hitting Autocannon option.

You might want to look into HAGs (Clan mechs only).

Quote

Edit: I've seen three different models that seem to fit what I want: UZL-3P, SHC-P, and PXH-1. The one I think I really like is the UZL-3P. It has slightly less jump distance then the other two, however - it has the option for 3 ballistic, 2 energy, and 1 missile. I'm not saying I would use all those, but I'm imagining I get the drop on someone from above, load them up with UAC, and as I retreat letting loose a final salvo of SRMs. I'm not sure the specifics on weight and such but I'm sure some planning and adjusting can get it going. Plus, I like how it looks so there's that. xD What are y'all's thoughts on the Uziel?

Veteran advice: trying to use all the hardpoints you have at the same time is a tactical error. A mech that does one thing well will excel over a mech that tries to do three things poorly.
Shadow Cat might be useful for you in that it has MASC (essentially a speed booster), plus being an Omnimech you can swap its pods for different quirk and hardpoint combinations at will.

[Tirralys]

Thank you both for the further advice!

You are correct, I should really try out the trial mechs again. I will mess with the different mechs and see if I enjoy them.

As for the shadow cat, I really like the prime one I have, but I gotta admit, I had no idea that you could change out those omnipods until you mentioned it and I looked in the warehouse. That is very interesting! I could even swap it out for HAG slots, should I find I like it (through the trial mechs).

Epikt the Shadow Cat P does still sound interesting though, I'm not really looking for top tier just fun to play for me I appreciate your input into the other mechs I saw that might've been interesting!

Just a general thought: If I focus on one kind of ballistic (like HAGs or UAC ect) would it be alright to put one different type (like a missile system) or would it be better to just stick with the same thing? I know Horseman said trying to fill all the hardpoints was folly, but would one backup (even a laser system or something) be bad?

Quick edit: I've tried a few different builds for the shadow cat I saw people swore by on the forums (though some of them are from 5+ years ago). I tried a 2x Streak SRM 6 and 2x Small Pulse Laser, it was interesting but not really what I felt I wanted. I placed a single UAC 20 on it and even when loaded with ammo it runs out quick (in practice, probably wouldn't be that bad in pvp) and I enjoyed it ok. I tried a pair of Rotary AC 5's on the bushwhacker trial (if I remember the mech correctly) and it was fun, though again it runs through ammo quick and getting jammed is probably not so much fun. Right now I have the HAG 20, just one, and four tons of ammo, with my front armor pretty much maxed. It seems very powerful as y'all said, but again with how I have it it's only one gun, I lose that gun I'm just a running target xD I'm looking forward to trying this one out in PvP when I return from my day errands.

Edited by Tirralys, 14 October 2023 - 05:12 AM.

[epikt]

Tirralys, on 14 October 2023 - 02:06 AM, said:

the Shadow Cat P does still sound interesting though, I'm not really looking for top tier just fun to play for me

Oh, that's perfectly fine. This variant (with AC or HAG depending of the mood) is actually a regular in my stable. It's very fun.

Quote

just a general thought: If I focus on one kind of ballistic (like HAGs or UAC ect) would it be alright to put one different type (like a missile system) or would it be better to just stick with the same thing? I know Horseman said trying to fill all the hardpoints was folly, but would one backup (even a laser system or something) be bad?

Some will disagree, but I'm personally in the "no back-up weapon" team. I find that most of the time the tonnage you spent on back-ups should be used better with a bigger engine, more ammo, etc...
That being said, you sometimes can't change your engine (on an omnimech) and have enough ammo, sooo.
The classic backup weapons are (er) medium lasers, maybe er smalls - they're versatile and tonnage efficient. We can for example, instead of mounting a HAG30, imagine something like that.
An important role of backup weapons is when paired with UACs, especially when you don't have jam reduction quirk (though I'd suggest simply not taking a single UAC without jam quirks). It helps not feeling naked when your UAC20 jams ^^
You suggested missiles as backup: they're too heavy for simple backup, they must be a primary part of the build, for example LBX+SRM combo on a brawler.

Anything that makes you comfortable, just try not to do something incoherent and/or with to many weapon groups - a mech should be as easy as possible to use imho.

[KursedVixen]

Nigh Gyr H is a great sniper mech has ecm can load any type of guass plus.

for suppressive fire there's the Rifleman IIC 2 that can carry 6 Ac2's , LBX 2sor Ultra 2's take your pick

ther's also the dire wolf UV or at least it's arms and the b side torso that give you 8 yes 8 ac 2's or lbx2s or
uac2s'

For Lrm support there's the maddog or nova cat B

unfortunatly i'm not familar enough with the IS side to make any reccomendations

Edited by KursedVixen, 14 October 2023 - 08:10 AM.

[Horseman]

Tirralys, on 14 October 2023 - 02:06 AM, said:

As for the shadow cat, I really like the prime one I have, but I gotta admit, I had no idea that you could change out those omnipods until you mentioned it and I looked in the warehouse. That is very interesting! I could even swap it out for HAG slots, should I find I like it (through the trial mechs).

Not all Clan mechs are Omnis, but those that are can benefit from this system a lot. Mind you, you've got three different things to watch out for when you customize the pods: the set bonus from the default pods (which on some mechs can matter), the pod-specific quirks (which can make it worthwhile to lean into frankenpodding to stack specialized quirks) and finally the hardpoints. Omnimech heroes sometimes have their own unique pods which can be exchanged with the other variants.

Quote

Just a general thought: If I focus on one kind of ballistic (like HAGs or UAC ect) would it be alright to put one different type (like a missile system) or would it be better to just stick with the same thing? I know Horseman said trying to fill all the hardpoints was folly, but would one backup (even a laser system or something) be bad?

If you use a backup weapon, make it an energy weapon because they're tonnage efficient. Also, if you do that you might as well consider building a mech with primaries and secondaries rather than only primaries and a piddly single backup weapon .

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I placed a single UAC 20 on it and even when loaded with ammo it runs out quick (in practice, probably wouldn't be that bad in pvp) and I enjoyed it ok.

There's a Kit Fox build which can pull crazy stuff with a UAC20, might be better than the Shadow Cat for that.

KursedVixen, on 14 October 2023 - 08:08 AM, said:

Nigh Gyr H is a great sniper mech has ecm can load any type of guass plus.

Since that's an omnipod, any NTG variant can take it.
Personally I use a NTG-D core for the energy hardpoint with the -H ECM pod added

[Void Angel]

Tirralys, on 13 October 2023 - 06:53 PM, said:

So I would like to start out by saying, thank you both for your reply(ies)! I appreciate the insight.

Second, I am a sucker and I have bought a couple of things in Mech Arena, and just like you have said I have come to a point where most of my fights are losses against bots/people with higher starred mechs and annoying as heck disc launchers >_<

Back to the topic at hand: I ran through the academy again, and got to test out (I believe it was called flame something Jaegermech) some of the long ranged weapons. I really like both PPC and the Auto Cannons, though I did run out of ammo on the AC's real quick like. Then again I was shooting targets and killed like ten or more of them, something I doubt I'd run too much into in a real PvP match. I am interested in the Dakka Sunspider build, as well as Thunderbuddy, but you're right that Epikt's Shadowcat build sounds really fun. I don't think I've done a super mobile mech in this game yet so it would be interesting to try!

I think I'm going to try the gauss build you put together first Void. In this way, I can test them out first to decide which mech I'd like to invest in, but I'm leaning between your Dakka Sunspider and Epikt's Shadowcat tbh. I mean, Thunderbuddy does sound fun too, but the other two are calling to me (can't explain why).

Thank you both for your tips and advice, I will test some things out Thank you for the warm welcome back!
...
Just a general thought: If I focus on one kind of ballistic (like HAGs or UAC ect) would it be alright to put one different type (like a missile system) or would it be better to just stick with the same thing? I know Horseman said trying to fill all the hardpoints was folly, but would one backup (even a laser system or something) be bad?

epikt, on 14 October 2023 - 07:18 AM, said:

Some will disagree, but I'm personally in the "no back-up weapon" team. I find that most of the time the tonnage you spent on back-ups should be used better with a bigger engine, more ammo, etc...

Glad to help out Tirralys, though I understand why the Gauss didn't pan out for you - it takes a while to get used to the charge mechanic. Generally, you want to be the one catching people in the open, by popping up over a hill and hammering them with your Gauss - you can hold the charge before you poke over the hill, but charging is a drawback, and meant to be a drawback, to balance the weapon system. Using lasers with burn times similar to the charge-up time of your Gauss Rifle or HAG will help with timing as well.

On the subject of weapon focus, I'm on Team Supplementary Weapon. You don't usually want "backup" guns that don't fit with your main theme, but if you have guns that are useful alongside your primary systems, it can be a good idea. This Marauder does that, supplementing its MRMs with lasers for close-in fighting - the MRMs are technically effective to much longer ranges, but I often find myself fighting in MLAS range, so I put them in (and eschewed ER versionsto save heat, at least currently) - because the heat dump, extra firepower, and pinpoint damage supplement the MRMs well. Secondary weapons are also a good idea if you could be rendered helpless by someone hugging inside your minimum range, or using Stealth Armor to avoid lock-on. Generally, though, focused is best, and you want your guns to all work together.

What you do not want to do is pick weapons that fight with each other. For example, taking LRMs and AC/5s. As long as they're standing still, moving away, or running at you, you're fine! But the second they start moving side to side, you can't maintain the lock for your LRMs and lead your target with the Autocannon at the same time. You can use lasers and ballistics together (Gaussvomit, UAC/10 and MPLs, etc,) but you want to keep the projectile speeds and firing characteristics of your guns in mind, with the goal of putting as much firepower accurately on-target as you can manage at once.

Edited by Void Angel, 14 October 2023 - 12:05 PM.

[Void Angel]

Additionally - have you looked at GrimMechs? That's the source of the MechDB mechlab we're linking builds in, and it's an excellent source for optimized builds. They tend to be meta, but not entirely, and the site provides an excellent starting point to see what kind of builds are likely to thrive. Similarly the MechDB mechlab has some excellent diagnostic data included, such as how much damage your ammo will do if expended accurately, and how many times your 'mech can alpha before overheat. As I'm sure you noticed, you can import and export builds from the actual game as well - this will help you figure out just how much ammo you should expect to need for your RACs, HAGs, etc.

Edited by Void Angel, 14 October 2023 - 12:01 PM.

[Tirralys]

This is all fantastic, thank you all!

I did not know about the database, I mean I've seen the builds linked to it but I didn't realize there was a full list! This is very informative and it will help me decide on future builds and such.

However, your input is also very valued! Void, I really like that Marauder build, and I might try to get one to try it out. However, first, I'm going to build my Shadowcat the way Epikt has it, as that seems like a good mix of long and close® range fun stuff!

Further, I saw a Shadowcat build on that database void linked, and it just sounds interesting. It's 6xHMG 2xHLL, I want to try that out too see how it works in ambush situations.

I am interested in Horseman's UAC/20 Kit fox, as I do enjoy the UAC/20 though I've never looked at the Kit Fox yet.

Finally, that Rifleman and Dire Wolf sound mean KursedVixen! I'd be interested in trying out something with 8 ballistic weapons going at once!

Y'all have given me much to try out and look forward to! I appreciate your help!

[Horseman]

Tirralys, on 14 October 2023 - 05:06 PM, said:

I am interested in Horseman's UAC/20 Kit fox, as I do enjoy the UAC/20 though I've never looked at the Kit Fox yet.

Here's the build: https://mwo.nav-alph...=d216a72d_KFX-D

The core is irrelevant to the build, but I've picked the -D because if you don't like the UAC in the end you can always retool it into a SRM brawler with relevant set-of-8 quirks.

If you like UAC-20s, Hunchback IIC has a quirk that lets you fire two at a time without heat penalty.

Quote

Finally, that Rifleman and Dire Wolf sound mean KursedVixen! I'd be interested in trying out something with 8 ballistic weapons going at once!

Mind you, you need Ultraviolet (hero) pods to do 8 ballistic DWF. People usually put them on a different DWF core as those let you choose better heat quirk, more armor, ECM or jump capability.

[Void Angel]

This Here is my current Dire Wolf build. Don't be put off by the heat scale penalty - it's a whopping 0.40 extra heat per shot.

Be aware that the reason the Kit Fox has such AMAZING quirks is that its hit boxes and other characteristics are terrible, and it will not survive if people hammer on it - this just means that positioning is key, and you'll need to try to avoid attracting too much attention.

For comparison, look at the Incubus-1's quirks alongside that Kit Fox - and then look at the Marauder-IIC.

Or better yet, compare the meta build for the MAD-IIC and my current Marauder II Build.

Edited by Void Angel, 15 October 2023 - 02:01 PM.

[Tirralys]

I like all of those builds! However, is it just me or does the Marauder-IIC not have any quirks? I did look at the other MAD-IIC variants and they all do, just far less than the others you have both shown.

I see the Kit Fox is a light and the ones Void presented were mostly Assault. I don't think I'm out of the honeymoon phase to move out of the Medium/Heavy zone lol. But as examples I see what you are doing. Capitalizing on quirks and doing the 'one thing well' which does look very nice! As I am mostly poor due to spending all of my in-game cash on different builds to try out, I think I am going to take some time to look through the 'meta' builds, and then my mechs, to see if any are compatible with things I want to try out (for now). I do really enjoy the HAG, and thusly I don't believe the regular Gauss by extension are that bad. You were right I just had to get used to charging, popping out, taking the shot, and retreating. I still got screwed up mostly but its been better xD

Further, I used that trial mech with the I think 2-3x PPC and that was pretty nice too, and I was thinking about getting snub nose PPC so there wouldn't be a minimum range (I got ran up on by someone and I had to shoot far off targets while waiting for the person to kill me xD)

I tried using my mech outfitted with LRM's again and they basically did nothing, just as y'all said. I tried those streak SRM's earlier and they didn't seem to be doing much either. I still want to try out a build much like void's dire wolf with multiple UAC/AC's and I messed around on the database with a hunchback with two UAC/20's, unfortunately it has to move slightly slower then my shadowcat does but it sounds fun too.

Thank y'all once again.

Quick edit though: I found two builds I like in the medium category, This Uziel https://mwo.nav-alph...aebad538_UZL-BE with 4x LPPC and 2x MRM/10, with the quirks to boot! I have not used LPPC before, but it does not appear to have a minimum range, so I thought that would be nice xD

Also found a similar Phoenix Hawk https://mwo.nav-alph...aebad538_UZL-BE but with 3x LPPC and 2x MRM/10, only its quirks are more about its systems than the weapons. The only thing I think I like this better for is the 7 extra speed but I think I like the Uziel better. I haven't gotten through all the medium mechs yet but those two really caught my eye

Edited by Tirralys, 15 October 2023 - 03:55 PM.

[Void Angel]

Tirralys, on 15 October 2023 - 02:59 PM, said:

I like all of those builds! However, is it just me or does the Marauder-IIC not have any quirks? I did look at the other MAD-IIC variants and they all do, just far less than the others you have both shown.

Nope, you're seeing it right - no quirks at all! But look at the stats between it and the Marauder IIC - Alphas to Overheat, Damage Per Second, and even Firepower stats are all pretty similar. But to get there, the MAD-4A needs a lot of quirks. The way it works out, that MAD-4A is slower and tougher (with a jump jet for mobility,) with a higher burst damage. The MAD-IIC is faster and more agile with longer range, plus better sustained damage due to superior Clan heat-dissipation tech.

I picked Assaults for my examples of quirk differentials, rather than as serious 'mechs you should try right now. I used that weight class because lower weight classes tend to all have some quirks, so finding a clear-case example of good 'mechs with both no quirks and lots of quirks would have required more digging. =D

Basically, quirks are given to a 'mech for two reasons: first, to even out its performance, and second, to differentiate it from other 'mechs or chassis variants with similar hardpoints in the weight class. Hunchbacks are a textbook example of the latter - the Kit Fox is the poster child for the former. =]