213 replies to this topic

[Polymorphyne]

Okay, so it is generally assumed that there will be 12 mechs at released- as they are unveilling one per month. They could of course add more apart from the monthly unveillings, but lets keep it to these 12 for the sake of this threads discussions.

Other threads do discuss this yes, but I felt it would be good to start fresh with a properly structured thread based on logic and rational rather than wild speculation and wishlisting.
It is probably safe to assume that the 12 mechs will be equally divided among the size classes.
Going on that assumption, heres the list so far-

Light

Jenner
Commando
Unknown

Medium

Hunchback
Centurion
Unknown

Heavy

Catapult
Dragon
Unknown

Assault
Atlas
Unknown
Unknown

Now, here is a shortlist of the remaining likely contenders to fill those empty slots- If you think I have missed a mech in the shortlist, post that mech and your reasons why. Remember that all mechs have to be around in the Inner Sphere as of 3049-3050 and cannot be clan mechs.

I have bolded the mechs that I think are the strongest contenders.

Light
Firestarter
Flea
Locust- One of the most common mechs in existence.
Ostscout
Panther- Common Draconis Mech
Wasp
Wolfhound- Common FedCom mech, fills a fast direct combat role as opposed to the jenners scout role and the commandos scout/ambush role
Urbanmech- Dedicated Urban Combat mech. Huge fan support.
Valkyrie
Stinger
Raven- Dedicated ECM/Scout mech.

Medium
Assassin
Blackjack
Clint
Cicada
Dervish
Enforcer- Iconic and common FedSun Mech.
Griffin
Hatchetman
Phoenix Hawk
Vindicator
Wolverine- Good modern design.
Wyvern
Whitworth

Heavy
Archer
Axman- Iconic, great design, good for urban combat.
Black Knight
Cataphract- Very nice Capellan Mech. Very modern looking aesthetics. Easy to update the design.
Jagermech
Marauder- Very popular. Alot of Fan Demand.
Orion
Rifleman- Another very modern looking mech that also has a good design with an emphasis on direct fire support rather than the direct combat and missiles of the confirmed two heavies.
Warhammer- Classic design, appeared in the MW Reboot teaser, very good mech.

Assault
Awesome- PPC boat/sniper, one of the core IS assault mechs.
Battlemaster
Cyclops- Command Assault mech, there are no other mechs listed that fill the command role as much as this one.
Highlander- Very good for urban operations, but the cyclops and awesome fill roles that the Atlas doesn't already.
Stalker



Now, for my personal prediction-
Light: I would say the wolfhound. That gives us one scout, one ambusher/scout and one direct combat light.
Medium: I don't have a prediction for this yet.
Heavy: I would say the Cataphract. It is a very capellan mech with a good design that would lend itself well to the FD treatment. The Axman and Warhammer are close seconds, but out because of one being melee dependant and the other being unseen and covered in controversy after the reboot teaser.
Assault: I would say the Awesome and the Cyclops. That gives us a Brawler, a PPC Sniper and a Command Mech.

[GuntherK]

Untill i see an unseen or reseen released i would eliminate all of them from the list. Thats a bunch of iconic mechs going away.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Unseen

About the Panther and Urbie, i love them but they are too slow for scouting, so i doubt they will be there on release day.Raven or wolfhound would be nice.

On meds, the Enforcer is too similar to the Centurior or Hunchback, maybe a Vindicator. Hatchetman would be odd without melee.

On heavys, Archer has loadout similar to Catapult, Axman has melee wich wont be present at launch. The unseen i would like but so far dont think possible.
So i think Orion, Jaggermech and Grashoper are good contenders.

On assault i think we will see the Awesome and they mentioned the Banshee and Stalker. I personaly think Highlander, Zeus, Cyclops or Victor would be more classic choices.

Edited by GuntherK, 23 February 2012 - 07:01 AM.

[KaiserSoze]

Wolfhound is a great slug it out Mech for a light lance...
Hatchetman is great urban combat up close
Marauder is just too cool to not include
Awesome is great fire support

[Polymorphyne]

I would also consider weapons actually- currently there are only one or two PPCs (Atlas, Dragon if they make it the Grand), and no gauss weaponry on any of the confirmed mechs- that very much strengthens the positions of the Awesome and Cyclops.

[metro]

I see no reason at all, why this thread could not have continued in -----> http://mwomercs.com/...-have-at-start/

Start Date: Feb. 08 2012

[Barantor]

Also consider that I believe all the current mechs are from the TRO 3025, so we might be more likely to see the rest of the mechs be from that list as well. I would also discount unseen since until we see one we cannot deduce that they will be included at all. Drawing from 3025 also doesn't include the Raven or Wolfhound since by the timeline these are still mainly in only one or few houses and since we have learned that all mechs are available to all factions it is easy to not include them.

My contenders would be...

Light - Locust or Spider - Locust because of the overall speed and recon capabilities, Spider because MWT has it and it might be a common mech between the two games

Medium - Trebuchet - it is the matched pair with the centurion and a very good fire support mech for mediums, something that might be needed for that weight class

Heavy - Orion - another mech shared with MWT and one that has a lot of hitting power for its class, another possible could be the Grasshopper as we have yet to see a lot of energy based designs

Assault - Awesome - this has been hinted about but we aren't sure if it was a troll, good mech either way. Cyclops - commander style mech and might be a good choice to go with the 'role' system. Zeus and Victor are both strong contenders too, but a little too 'house-ish' to be stronger contenders.

[Max OConnor]

I think instead of looking at this as representative of each house's iconic mechs we should look at game play options.
For instance, for scout mechs, you could have the Commando for your sneak scouts, the Urbanmech for your defensive light mech and maybe a Wolfhoud or Panther for your Support / Harasser mech in the light mech range.
House Liao uses Commandos often so it doesn't have to be a mech that is symbolically attached to a particular house.

As for Mediums, I would say Hunchback for heavy hitting, Centurion for well balanced and a Griffin or Dervish for mobile fire support. That way you have a nice mix of all three combat methodologies.

Heavy we have the Dragon for harraser / strike, personally I would LOVE the Cataphract for the well balanced jack of all trade mechs and we have the Catapult for mobile fire support.

Assault we have the Atlas for super fire power, that leaves us with a need for a solid command vehicle, which of course is a Cyclops, and a well balanced mech would be a Stalker. We could always substitute the Cyclops for a Battlemaster, either is good for the command mech.

Later we can get the House specific mechs that fill each of these roles for our faction, but starting out we have to take the best of each mech and class no matter where it comes from.

[EDMW CSN]

I do hope ALL 2750 to 3050 era mechs make it in here eventually. Minus LAMS and some sensitive "unseens".

[Robert Knight]

i would like to see

light Panther

Medium Assissian

Heavy Grasshopper

Assault Awesome/ Cyclops

[Big Willie]

I think 12 is way too few for release, especially since PGI doubled up on the 50 ton mechs. I would expect with such a limited release they would try to spread the love a little.

Light - Panther (we are missing a solid command/assault mech in the light category)

Medium - Assassin (I prefer a Blackjack, but scouting options in the mid-range is scarce, I think the Chameleon is a better option but I doubt we will see another 50 tonner)

Heavy - Orion (it has a nice varied loadout, the only real competition is the grasshopper)

Assault - Awesome (is almost a gimme, it is well designed stock mech that every boater can get behin)
Assault - Stalker (This a unique mech at this class, with a wide variety of weapons systems, and its not humanoid, so a good contrast)

Honorable mention - Zeus (I really want to see the Zeus, but as I am almost positive the Orion is in, this very similar mech will probably not make the first cut.)

[El Loco]

I don't see a good reason to not merge this thread with the start 'Mechs thread, Metro mentioned. Though, this thread is likely to have more educated guesses on the topic, rather than wishful thinking. Nonetheless, I think both threads should be merged (we can quickly skim for comments with substantiated guesses... can't we?).

As for the machines that could be available at start...

Light:
The Jenner and the Commando are close range 'Mechs (SRM plattforms with medium lasers), which is in line with an urban combat heavy game. It is likely that we will see another of those urban combat machines, maybe the Firestarter or the Urbanmech. On the other hand side, it would make perfect sense to include a long range light 'Mech to the setup, the Panther might fit the bill best.

Medium:
Again, both 'Mechs are good brawlers and suited for close range, urban combat. A support 'Mech like the Trenchbucket or the Derwish would make sense... but it also could be that we will start with only one true fire support chassis (i.e. the Catapult). The Griffin, in my opinion, is one of the best mediums to learn the peculiarities of the medium class with, therefore it might be included, too.

Heavy:
This is the hardest class for me. There are many great 'Mechs available, that all would contribute a lot to the game at launch. If we're going to see the Unseen in any kind, I would bet on either a Warhammer or a Marauder... both are not only iconic, but they are extremely versatile, too. Another very good choice would be the Orion. It, too, is versatile, plus can be used as a heavy class command 'Mech.

Assault:
I consider the Awesome a logic choice for a spot in the starting lineup. A long range high damage chassis, not the fastest (stock variant), but a good 'Mech to learn the ways around in the assault class. The Cyclops and the Highlander are high-profile chassis, that are worth picking, too. Especially the Cyclops adds a hard punch to a lance's armament, in addition to its usefullness as a command 'Mech. The Highlander might have a lower overall damage profile, but can deliver over a greater distance. Of course, if the devs want another fire support 'Mech added, they could go for the Longbow. It is a LRM boat... and a nasty one, too. Another fair choice would be the Stalker... it has a nice damage over medium distances, when all its weapons can hit a target, which is quite a punch.

edited for improvement of readability

Edited by El Loco, 23 February 2012 - 08:17 AM.

[Nasty McBadman]

No love for the Hussar or the Hermes in the "Light" class? I would love to see a FAST mech in there. By FAST I mean above 119 kph. The Hussar and the Hermes at 151 kph fit the bill well as a fast scouts. The Ostscout and Spider are pretty quick too with the added jumpiness that can benefit a scout.

Edited by Nasty McBadman, 23 February 2012 - 08:16 AM.

[Phelan Adam Davion]

Did the developers ever made any concrete announcement concerning the Unseen Mechs?

I mean... where is the problem today?

The japanese design from the 80`s has nothing in common with the new designs from today...
The tin miniatures were 1:1 copys from Macross etc... also the pictures in and on the early BT Books... but if I see those brilliant re-designds here made by the developers of MW:O I am sure they can prensent us gorgeous new designs for our beloved good old IS Mechs...

It won`t be Battletech without Marauder, Warhammer, Archer, Battlemaster, Rifleman etc... for me these are the best Mechs ever... just loved them at the first sight many many years ago till now.

I generally like the classic style of Battletech... but what we get to see here is even better.
Those actual re-designs here are like the new Battlestar Galactica or the new Bale-Batman.... it is even more technical, more detailed, more realistic.....and it just looks better.

A Marauder in this new style would not look like an old 80`s Macross Marauder... so where`s the problem with the Unseen?

I would be sad if MW:O, settled in the IS before the Clan Invasion, would come out without these wonderful machines.
What the Timber Wolf is for the Clans, that is the Marauder for the Inner Sphere.


ääääähm...... MARAUDER FOR PRESIDENT!

Edited by Phelan Adam Davion, 23 February 2012 - 08:21 AM.

[Cattra Kell]

You forgot the most important light mech, the Thorn!

Anyways lets begin

Light Mech: Thorn, Panther, UrbanMech
Medium Mechs: Trebuchet, Phoenix Hawk, and perhaps the Clint?
Heavy: Thunderbolt, Archer, Warhammer... Make it so!
Assault: Stalker, Awesome, Battlemaster

[Vertous]

There better be a Raven in this game or ill be ticked off!

[Felix Dante]

You forgot to add the Shadow Hawk.

Considered by many to be a premier 55 ton medium since the Star League era,
and most of its future varients just make it better.

[Kenyon Burguess]

it has to be more than 12 at launch...that doesnt even cover all of the inner sphere factions.

for sure there needs to be panther, trebuche, orion, hata moto chi

[revanus]

I'm going to look at this from the perspective of role warfare and class balance.

Lights: I think the next light has to be either the Raven or the Valkyrie

It won't be the Panther--we already have a Drac light. Same for Wolfhound/Firestarter--Lyrans got the Commando. The Raven makes a ton of sense as it is the definitive electronic warfare scout, and it has a big history with both the Davions and the Capellans. It checks a lot of boxes.

The Valkyrie is also a likely option, as its a 35-ton light mech with indirect/long distance fire support capability (LRM-10). That being said its a bit Davion specific.

Wolfhound would be amazing, but I'm biased.

Conclusion: Raven

Medium: I think it's definitely going to be the Phoenix Hawk, assuming unseen are on the table.

We have a brawler and a balanced mech. What we're missing is a speedy, jump-jetting scout. The Phoenix Hawk is basically a 45-ton light mech, and its extremely common across all the Houses. Easy choice.

Heavy: If we only get one, it's going to be the Warhammer. It's a fairly universal mech, and it was featured in the original Mechwarrior 5 trailer. It would be bizarre to not see it included when it was in an earlier trailer, if only for the PR fallout.

But I think the Heavy class is the best argument for why we're going to see a lot more than 12 mechs at launch. I think the Rifleman is begging for an FD remodel--Alex probably won't be able to help himself . And can you imagine MW:O without the Marauder?

The Orion also makes a lot of sense, as it's a versatile mech. We also haven't seen very much FWL love in terms of mech composition--the Orion would throw them a bone .

Assault: Awesome and Battlemaster are my two picks. It gives the Dracs an assault mech, and the Battlemaster is fairly ubiquitous.

But, being biased, I think the Lyrans deserve to see our beloved Zeus get a redesign .

[Damocles]

It is the opinion of this servant of the Lyran Commonwealth that further release of Battlemechs will appear as such:

Light:
Jenner
Commando (Yay Battlearmor!)

Medium:
Centurion
Hunchback

Heavy:
Dragon
Catapult

Assault:
Atlas
Awesome
Highlander
Stalker
Banshee
Zeus


Hail to the Fist!

Edited by Damocles, 23 February 2012 - 10:06 AM.

[Big Willie]

I don't want to be a naysayer, but I doubt we will see any "unseen" mechs. It is not worth the risk to PGI. If this game is shut down they have no box sales to fall back on, and all the developement time would be wasted.

I also do not thing the Highlander will make the cut. By excluding the Highlander at launch they eliminate the need to design and animate the Gauss Gun, and can implement it later.