23 replies to this topic

[1453 R]

We've got the 2024 Loyalty page, and it includes a few Spicy Bois worthy of discussion. Figured I'd start the Discussion thread, especially since I'm feeling blind here.

Seriously...why can't I recognize the 'mech in the Loyalty banner? The more I stare at it, the more I realize I have no idea what it is. It looks new, but it's not a Bane and I feel like Piranha wouldn't tip their hand on Code: Fastboi literally the same day they dropped Thunder Chungus Twenty-One_Gun Salute on us. What am I missing?

But beyond that, here's what we're getting:

COU-F: This is the 'Warthog'd' version of the Cougar with eight HMGs. Unlike the Warthog, this one comes with three energy hardpoints and a missile launcher, as well as B-Pods they're probably going to turn into HMG ammunition since the stock version is feeding eight guns with a single half-ton ammo bay. Lawl. Really good for a Cougar, categorically worse than the Warthog, but that's okay since the Warthog is really polarizing and probably a little too good.

FS9-C: This is a Rocket Launcher'd Firestarter, with stock 4E/4M minimum hardpoint count. I don't expect more than that, as a Firestarter with access to SRMs is already pretty baller. Nothing game-changing at all, at least outside of any weird quirks it may have, but a neat little toy for fans of the FS9. Firestarters have consistently been excellent performers across all the modern BattleTech games they appear, nice to see one get the Loyalty nod.

COM-IIC A Clantech Commando with minimum of 2E4M hardpoints. So basically a Clan-er version of the basic COM-2B, which ain't nuttin'. Commandoes are notoriously slippery little jerks, and this thing can carry a pretty unpleasant amount of SRM splat for a 'Mech this small and fast, and with the edge a cXL gives it to boot. Not terribly new or exciting, but potentially a great deal of fun for people who really enjoy the zippy skirmish-y SRM lights.

VND-5L: THIS is a controversial little puppy. Comes stock with an ER PPC and a mess of various beams...in order to fine-tune the heat for its Triple-Strength Myomer and its Sword. Obviously we're not getting melee in MWO, but it strikes me as bizarre that they'd choose a weird 7e Vindicator with TSM and a melee weapon without giving it either its melee weapon or TSM. Piranha's been significantly more playful with custom equipment locked to special variants lately...are we gonna see an implementation of Triple-Strength Myomer in an otherwise entirely unremarkable little IntroTech nerd? Curious!

Bane-3: This one is available directly in the Bane pack as well, and is the new go-to standard for Assault-Weight LRM Bloatboats with No Damn backup Guns. Eight LRM-15s with an utterly irresponsible sixteen tons of ammo, and one rinky-dink Streak 4. Certain to be run as a bracket-fire missile build with smegloads of SRM splat and still-entirely-too-many LRMs. The Bane is a ridiculous monster and I'm not sure if I love it or hate it.

BSK-6: We've already got the BSK-6, this is just a C-Boosted version with fancy paint. No surprises here, though hey. At least the 6 is pretty slick.

LGB-12C: Already got this buttery chucknugget too. Longbows have been good since they came out, here's one with a C-Boost.

NCT-P: Huh. This one's a Piranha original variant, and I don't see any 'Mech Specs in the system for the Loyalty stuff yet. No idea what this is, but given the spread so far I can imagine it's gonna be ridiculous. Probably three or four hardpoints in the side torsos rather than being ninety percent arm-centric like the base NCT. Curious to see what this turns into!

Also get one selection each of a light/medium previous Loyalty (for people who missed the C-Boosted Warthog and want to get it only after it gets nerfed, heh) and a heavy/assault previously Loyalty. the page itself also mentions a new pack I presume is coming soon - the Grand Summoner pack, listed as a qualifying purchase for the Prime Reward. Looking it up, the Grand Summoner is basicaly what would happen if you asked a MWO Compy pilot to redesign the Summoner but made them promise to make it still feel like a stock Summoner - Endo internals, no fixed jump jets, and pod layouts that are...less anemic than the SMN but still kinda eh.

Not a bad haul, I'd say. And hey - the worst of the power creep isn't even in the Loyalty offerings this year! That honor goes straight to the freakin' Bane and its effectively infinite hardpoints! Huzzah!

Edited by 1453 R, 12 September 2024 - 04:37 PM.

[Quicksilver Aberration]

1453 R, on 12 September 2024 - 04:36 PM, said:

VND-5L: THIS is a controversial little puppy. Comes stock with an ER PPC and a mess of various beams...in order to fine-tune the heat for its Triple-Strength Myomer and its Sword. Obviously we're not getting melee in MWO, but it strikes me as bizarre that they'd choose a weird 7e Vindicator with TSM and a melee weapon without giving it either its melee weapon or TSM. Piranha's been significantly more playful with custom equipment locked to special variants lately...are we gonna see an implementation of Triple-Strength Myomer in an otherwise entirely unremarkable little IntroTech nerd? Curious!

It's likely MASC and some ballistics/missiles in the left arm (looks like it is 2 magshots in the screenshot). Either way, the whole reason is it will have torso energy, which means it will have better mounts. TLDR, Vindi is getting its PHX-7S

Edited by Quicksilver Aberration, 12 September 2024 - 04:59 PM.

[1453 R]

Sarna's pretty clear on what the VND-5L carries. That and the blue 'Mech in the Loyalty splash does not look a single thing like a Vindicator, unless I'm freaking hallucinating. So weird...

[Quicksilver Aberration]

https://mwomercs.com...ost__p__6546121

It will likely be very similar to what they did with the black knight hero and legendary as both are based on lore variants that have melee, same with the hatchetman

[1453 R]

Ahhh, I had missed the further screengrabs. Derp.

So that mystery blue thing from the splash page is the Commando IIC? Huh. Wonder why it got the privilege of custom geo when the other Clantech rebakes didn't. Really hoping the Commando IIC isn't Code: Fastboi, given it has only one canonical configuration. Seems a thorough waste of resources. Bleh. That Firestarter clearly has more than four rocket packs though, ne?

Msn. I am confuzzled, but intrigued.

[LordNothing]

came to the conclusion that i have all light and medium loyalty mechs already, so the second prize was a bust, ended up getting a second warthog (though now i wonder if its my third).

there were 8 of the heavy/assault loyalty mechs i didnt have, of them i decided to get the warhammer 4l.

will probibly get the bane later. that gets me the clan commando and the extra bane.

got both legend awards.

disappointed that the blackhawk ku doesnt count as a mech pack. especially considering it wasn't sold as a legendary. the otomo pack isnt explicitly excluded either and it costs the same. heroes and reinforcements count but cost less. qualifying for the is award was one of the reasons i bought it. guess that counts as a prime.

i already get the ultimate award.

Edited by LordNothing, 12 September 2024 - 09:03 PM.

[Rhaelcan]

The Nova cat P is the nova cat G. Vindicator 5L was brought in cause it isn't a copy paste variant. 7 energy vindicator is gonna be baller

[Samziel]

1453 R, on 12 September 2024 - 05:41 PM, said:

Ahhh, I had missed the further screengrabs. Derp.

So that mystery blue thing from the splash page is the Commando IIC? Huh. Wonder why it got the privilege of custom geo when the other Clantech rebakes didn't. Really hoping the Commando IIC isn't Code: Fastboi, given it has only one canonical configuration. Seems a thorough waste of resources. Bleh. That Firestarter clearly has more than four rocket packs though, ne?

Msn. I am confuzzled, but intrigued.

Almost all the clantech IS mechs have custom geo. Just maybe not the "base" variants. But at least my (LGD) Hahské and Abaddon do. So do WLF-C(L). Not sure about LGD Gausszilla.

I think Tiy0s already teased earlier that the fast boi will be an entirely new chassis. So Commando IIC aint it.

Edited by Samziel, 13 September 2024 - 04:07 AM.

[Jon Gotham]

Commando IIc = happy squeak

[VeeOt Dragon]

meh nothing really on offer enough to justify buying an overpriced mechpack for me. then again thats rather standard for these Loyalty events.

[Hawk819]

NCT-P: Huh. This one's a Piranha original variant, and I don't see any 'Mech Specs in the system for the Loyalty stuff yet. No idea what this is, but given the spread so far I can imagine it's gonna be ridiculous. Probably three or four hardpoints in the side torsos rather than being ninety percent arm-centric like the base NCT. Curious to see what this turns into!

Well, I can tell ya. Instead of adding the Nova Cat G with ECM Suite, and claiming we have a Nova Cat with ECM, which we don't. They decided they wanted a Machine Gun Heavy with little no effort. In short, if you look at the Cougar F. You'll see what I mean.

Could've add the G variant. Or one that is easily a good one, the F, also an ECM but with Improve JJs, or that matter, the Nova Cat M. Which is the one I would love, but we're never getting. Two LB-x AC/20's, LPL, and Streak SRM 6. But, hey, we're machine gun nutcases, so why not?

Here's the build:

x12 MGs (any, or mix thereof) - x3 RA, 1 LA, x4 to each torso; Laser - 1 in the LT and LA.

[LordNothing]

there were pictures posted in the announcement thread:

https://mwomercs.com...ost__p__6546121

nova cat looks all missiley and machineguny.

Edited by LordNothing, 13 September 2024 - 07:06 AM.

[Samziel]

Hawk819, on 13 September 2024 - 07:00 AM, said:

NCT-P: Huh. This one's a Piranha original variant, and I don't see any 'Mech Specs in the system for the Loyalty stuff yet. No idea what this is, but given the spread so far I can imagine it's gonna be ridiculous. Probably three or four hardpoints in the side torsos rather than being ninety percent arm-centric like the base NCT. Curious to see what this turns into!

Well, I can tell ya. Instead of adding the Nova Cat G with ECM Suite, and claiming we have a Nova Cat with ECM, which we don't. They decided they wanted a Machine Gun Heavy with little no effort. In short, if you look at the Cougar F. You'll see what I mean.

Could've add the G variant. Or one that is easily a good one, the F, also an ECM but with Improve JJs, or that matter, the Nova Cat M. Which is the one I would love, but we're never getting. Two LB-x AC/20's, LPL, and Streak SRM 6. But, hey, we're machine gun nutcases, so why not?

Here's the build:

x12 MGs (any, or mix thereof) - x3 RA, 1 LA, x4 to each torso; Laser - 1 in the LT and LA.

No. Just no. Machine guns in a Nova Cat is terrible. The thing has almost 40 tons free space. Give it some actual weapons to use.

Besides, the NCT-P is basically G without ECM, confirmed by Tiy0s. Btw, the G also has 4B side torsos.

Edited by Samziel, 13 September 2024 - 10:05 AM.

[Canis Black]

Is there somewhere I can find images of the past loyalty reward mechs? I'm assuming they have special skins.

[BlueDevilspawn]

The Master Chief head that confused people is for the Commando IIC.

Per Tiyos, there were a lot of concept art versions of Commando heads from old work and he took one of those as inspiration.

Samziel, on 13 September 2024 - 03:48 AM, said:

Almost all the clantech IS mechs have custom geo. Just maybe not the "base" variants. But at least my (LGD) Hahské and Abaddon do. So do WLF-C(L). Not sure about LGD Gausszilla.

I think Tiy0s already teased earlier that the fast boi will be an entirely new chassis. So Commando IIC aint it.

Tiyos' comments were specifically related to new mech chassis, not tech swaps or variants. So, per him, the next new chassis is a Clan light.

[TheStranger]

Where can I find a description of all the loyalty mechs on offer this year?

[Hawk819]

Rhaelcan, on 12 September 2024 - 10:00 PM, said:

The Nova cat P is the nova cat G. Vindicator 5L was brought in cause it isn't a copy paste variant. 7 energy vindicator is gonna be baller

Minus the ECM.

[1453 R]

Hawk819, on 13 September 2024 - 07:00 AM, said:

NCT-P: Huh. This one's a Piranha original variant, and I don't see any 'Mech Specs in the system for the Loyalty stuff yet. No idea what this is, but given the spread so far I can imagine it's gonna be ridiculous. Probably three or four hardpoints in the side torsos rather than being ninety percent arm-centric like the base NCT. Curious to see what this turns into!

Well, I can tell ya. Instead of adding the Nova Cat G with ECM Suite, and claiming we have a Nova Cat with ECM, which we don't. They decided they wanted a Machine Gun Heavy with little no effort. In short, if you look at the Cougar F. You'll see what I mean.

Could've add the G variant. Or one that is easily a good one, the F, also an ECM but with Improve JJs, or that matter, the Nova Cat M. Which is the one I would love, but we're never getting. Two LB-x AC/20's, LPL, and Streak SRM 6. But, hey, we're machine gun nutcases, so why not?

Here's the build:

x12 MGs (any, or mix thereof) - x3 RA, 1 LA, x4 to each torso; Laser - 1 in the LT and LA.

Nobody is going to make a twelve machine gun Nova Cat. More likely, what you'll see is the typical NCT-B missile bloatboat stripping out some ammo to mount a mess of APG for point defense. or, if you have the Cobra Cat pods, something more like this: NCT-P(CC). Which would be super freaking rude to run into around a corner, lemme tell ya.

[Hawk819]

1453 R, on 13 September 2024 - 04:17 PM, said:

Nobody is going to make a twelve machine gun Nova Cat. More likely, what you'll see is the typical NCT-B missile bloatboat stripping out some ammo to mount a mess of APG for point defense. or, if you have the Cobra Cat pods, something more like this: NCT-P(CC). Which would be super freaking rude to run into around a corner, lemme tell ya.

We shall see. . .

[Ttly]

The COM2C would probably be pretty disappointing because in order to "balance" it due to the "survivability" of cXL engine, it would probably have way less quirks than the IS Commando. Having access to HMLs seems pretty nice though.

I mean you'd probably run it like this?
https://mwo.nav-alph...d7671755_CUSTOM
It's higher alpha than the IS Commando sure, but again, just way less quirks likely.

The VND-5L is whatever, the PXH-7S exists as some guys said in other posts, maybe other thread, might be more durable/jumpier though.

Edited by Ttly, 13 September 2024 - 05:12 PM.