6 replies to this topic

[Capt Jester]

So I recently started using the trial Catapult instead of the Atlas and have been having a lot more better games in spite of the major drop in armor (obviously...) and have changed my mind about my first 'Mech.

I'd like to build a support 'Mech that still has some close-quarters defense, probably just 2 medium lasers and at least 2 missile platforms, preferably LRMs. What would be the best 'Mech to go for? I was looking around and there aren't too many options right now, so the Catapult appears to be the best option. Has anybody experimented with other support builds on other 'Mechs or have any tips for me?

[Elizander]

There is a Hunchback that has 2 missile hardpoints and it's a Medium. It's definitely cheaper than a Catapult and it can carry around 5 lasers. You can look into the Hunchback 4SP model.

You have a lot of options with your Catapult. The C1 can carry 4 Medium Lasers and 2 LRM15s (which actually hurt when you put Artemis). Endo Steel, DHS, and maybe an XL engine (or engine downgrade) will allow you to fire the lasers frequently and maybe get a little bit more ammo.

The C4 has 2 energy points that lets you bring 2 Medium Lasers. It has 4 missile points so you can carry 2 LRM15s and maybe 2 SSRM2s to scare off the light mechs that try to kill you. Endosteel and DHS and Artemis should make it workable. Either consider XL or a slight engine downgrade to fit it in.

A1 works but it's not good to have all your weapons in your two 'cat ear' arms. Once those get blown off it's punching bag time, but you can do with 2 LRMs and 2 SSRMs and 2 SRM6 to handle damage at all ranges. Will probably require Endo, Artemis, DHS too. I'd go with XL on this one but that's expensive to repair.

I can't post any builds at the moment because my money is tied up to buying an A1 so I can't experiment on my C1 for you. Maybe others can give more detailed build info.

[Alalcomenous]

For the support role, it all depends on your budget:

The Hunchback 4J and 4SP both have missile hardpoints and the 4J mounts 2 LRM10's. The only issue is both LRM's are in the "Hunch" on the right torso, so it basically screams "shoot me here". The 4SP doesn't have those problems. Both can be made into great Fire Support Platforms as well as being able to brawl when things get rough. Best thing about these two: they're cheaper than the alternatives.

The Catapult was made for the fire support role, but if people get too close, you only have a paltry amount of weapons to defend yourself. Plus the "ears" make great targets. Otherwise, they are wonderfully designed mechs for their chosen role. If you got enough money, these mechs won't let you down.

Now if you're rolling in the money, you can skip those options and go straight for the Awesome, preferable the 8R, 8T, or 8V. With a few modifications, you can fit 2-4 LRM 20's on the chassis and truly bring death from above. The issue is the chassis is expensive as hell and the big center torso is a big target. Plus if you roll an Awesome, the opposing side will be able to field an Atlas.

[Logi]

all of the centurions (expect of the YLW) have at least 2 laser and 2 missile hardpoints

[Revorn]

Yeah the Cents can make nice LRM15 Missleplatforms. XL Engiene, Endo, and DHS make quite nice Loadouts possible. 2Medlasers and AMS round them up.

[Falanin]

I can confirm that the Awesome 8R does support quite nicely. I run 2 LRM20 with Artemis, a Large Laser and 2 Mediums, with enough ammo to have 1080 missiles at the 75% free rearm rate. Puts up consistently nice damage numbers, easy to farm xp with, even in PUGs.

If you've got a good team in front of you, you can run quad LRM15, but that kills a bunch of your short range defenses.

[Spectre999]

HBK 4SP was a decent misslie boat with dual LRM 15 package. Much better than the 4J variant, because of the better hardpoint distribution (2 laser slots on each arm + 1 missile slot in each center torso). After the recent LRM nerf it got less effective, unfortunately.
With some creative thinking you can even fit a dual LRM 20 in there, maybe even artemis, but I prefer to have the backup option of 2 x MPLAS or 4 x MLAS and enough LRM ammo to take advantage of the free reloads, works good, especially in a PUG.

You can always convert it into a short-range brawler with just a few clicks.