8
These builds are not absolute, and totally modifiable. You can put in smaller or larger engines, you can add ammunition or take out or put in different (similar) weapons with extra tonnage, or adjust armour. These designs are, by no means, absolute, and generally quite flexible - to be tailored to your needs. These are not absolute or guaranteed successes, but the are designed to be viable into the current "endgame meta," while being reasonably within reach for any first time purchase for relatively new players. This, by no means, covers every single 'viable' build, and again - these are not absolute, but guidelines for new players to build from.
So without further ado...
LIGHT
(***** Player's Choice)
The Jenner-F (often called the Slas-Jenner or Flashlight), is viable for the high octane twitch gamer. Speed if the largest asset and positioning is key. Good armour for the weight class, complete with jumpjets and good hitboxes - makes it a real menace, and hard to defend against.
(***** Player's Choice)
The Jenner-D offers the advantage of streak missiles, allowing for twitch maneuvers while still landing 'locked' shots and harassing with missiles and respectable damage. A strong alternative to the 6 x Small Laser Jenner.
So you bought a Raven, huh? Well, worse thing have happened. Maybe they will be better once modules and Role Warfare are more implemented. In the meantime, might as well try to make something usable out of that Raven you bought, Well, sadly, this is as close as you are going to get.
The Streak-Commando is one of the few and only things that a Commando can do better than a Jenner. It is important to understand how much more vulnerable and destructible that the Commando is compared to the Jenner, but the 3 x Streak SRM2 build is still a respectable harasser and light hunter.
MEDIUM
The Cicada is basically a fat, substitute Jenner, and the 2A seems to be designed around that premise. The hitboxes are larger, the maneuvering is worse, and there are no jump jets, but this medium can still get the light mech jobs' done.
(***** Player's Choice)
The 4H "Gaussback" can be built in several different ways, but none of them really change what the mech is all about. It functions as a minor sniper for the early parts of the game, and transitions well into a major brawler as lines close in. A powerful threat that should never be overlooked.
It's a shadow of its former glory (the beloved 115 kph Slasback), but the modern 4P is still a force to be reckoned with. Packing a powerful and precise punch, it can deliver good burst damage while harassing and is a powerful addition to any brawl.
(***** Player's Choice)
The 4SP is one of the most flexible and versatile chassis in the game, and the 'zombie' (zombie meaning a standard engine) can dominate close combat and soak damage better than any other medium currently in the game. Makes a nice 'roamer,' able to fill in almost any role as required.
Centurions are not an ideal mech, but if you insist on running one, might as well try to make it effective, Usually, this involves stripping anything important out of the extremely large and 'blow-offable' arms, to make it a functional zombie harasser.
The much faster Centurion - tries to strike a balance between speed and firepower given the extremely large and vulnerable chassis. It has the potency of being an extremely agile 50-ton mech, but without the desirable build of the rival Hunchbacks.
HEAVY
Much more popular in the Euro timezones than the North American timezones, the Dragon can still find a small niche as the only fast heavy. With a decent compliment of weapons, it can really be a decent disruptor, although not an ideal replacement for a K2.
By no means the most perfect of builds (and the legendary player probably deserves a better tribute than this middling design), but a functional use for the Dragon. It can dish out good damage and hold its own while keeping good speed and armour.
The Streak Cat is diminishing in popularity after the rather significant nerfs to SSRM2s, but remains a solid light mech hunter - able to crush lights and mediums in close quarters. It has a lot of trouble against assaults and is very vulnerable to snipers targetting the large ears.
The SRM-Cat or "Flakcat" is a potent Alpha striker that suffers from a very high maintenance cost, heat problems, and ammunition shortages - all in exchange for one of the most devastating left clicks in the game. High risk, high reward mech.
(***** Player's Choice)
An absolutely reliable support build - it can transition well from LRM support into a semi-effective brawler if required. Has enough missiles to last a very long game, and is flexible enough to be aggressive.
(***** Player's Choice)
The Gausscat remains one of the premier, dominant mechs - good armour, strong in brawls, remarkable as a sniper, and totally dependable - really a top notch design with lots of room for customization (larger engine, increased secondary weapons, more armour, etc) - the two Gauss combination is still a powerful force, even if it is finally facing some interesting competition. Really, quite good at everything.
ASSAULT
The infamous 'Honey Badger' is back in the latest incarnation of the 9M Awesome. Other Awesome chassis lack the speed to compete, and the many medium and medium pulse lasers make brawls against it unpleasant. It can outrun anything it cannot outgun.
(***** Player's Choice)
The classic Grinder might be a little outdated, but it is still a respectable Atlas build and able to go toe to toe with any other build imaginable. Lot's of room to customize this design as you like, but reliable enough to get the job done - a real beast in close quarters.
Steel Jaguar pioneered the design, but now it is a common sight on the MWO battlefields. The latest version adds a much larger engine, and replaces the vulnerable XL with a heavy but reliable standard engine. A strong direct fire support mech with decent brawl capabilities.
(***** Player's Choice)
The deadly new Grinder DDC Atlas, even more of a threat in brawls, with almost all of the long range direct fir support of a Jaguar Atlas - it is a brutal piece of opposition, although it does have a few heat management problems. It can still prove devastating in close combat.
