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[chaz706]

My Guide to the various Hunchback variants and preferred playstyles.

First: The Hunchback itself and it's various variants.

All hunchback variants play on a style of Fire Support. IT's a mech that tends to specialize in one type of damage and one play style (and does it very well) perhaps at the cost of crippling overspecialization. It's a medium mech capable of moving fast enough for good use of cover and armored enough to take quite a few hits. The variant of Hunchback you use will determine what kind of fire support you can perform well:

• HBK-4G (Also the founders variant): focuses on ballistic damage with 3 Ballistic Hardpoints in the Right torso (and 'a gun so big it obstructs your view'). The AC/20 being it's main weapon.
  
• HBK-4H: The 4G's cousin with a smaller starting gun (AC/10 vs AC/20), 1 Ballistic hard point and 2 additional energy hardpoints (compared to just 3 ballistic hardpoints for the 4G).

Both of these mechs derive most of their firepower from their main gun (be it an AC/10 vs AC/20). This is obviously customizable, with builds ranging from UAC/5 or Dual AC/2 builds or even swapping the AC/20 for a Gauss Rifle. Endo Steel is a great upgrade to free up some tonnage but Ferro Fiborous could also be recommended due to the fact that the Hunchback comes at almost max armor.

• HBK-4P (what I call the 'Destroy them with Lazers' variant): 6 energy hard points replace the ballistics of the 4G with three more energy hard points in each arm and the head.

It sounds obvious but: lasers... just lasers... and as much heat sinks as you can carry. I recommend boosting the engine on this build if at all possible as the additional speed will help you dash for some cover whilst your mech cools off. Double Heat sinks are an obvious must and also my first recommended upgrade!


Some daft pilots have gone quite extreme and have mounted loads more energy weapons than most people would consider sane. I can't personally recommend going that route but if you insist on doing some tanning in frozen city while fighting mechs at the same time be my guest!

This mech variant is also known as the 'Swayback'.

• HBK-4J: The LRM variant. 2 LRM 10 Launchers in the right torso make this mech a definite choice for LRM boat pilots. 6 Energy hardpoints also leave you with enough bright death options for close-in work should the jenners come calling (and they will).
  
• HBK-4SP: The SRM variant defaulting with 2 SRM6 Racks and 5 laser hardpoints. Good at hunting big targets but often configured for chasing down light mechs with SSRM2 racks.

The HBK-4SP tends to attract pilots who like a good 50 ton mech specialized in taking down smaller mechs. The 4J tends to be more oriented for providing fire support vs larger mechs. Both are great options if missiles tend to be your preferred primary weapon. One should note that the 4SP variant is the only variant that puts any sort of weapon mounting hard point in the left torso.


If you want more details regarding variant hardpoints let me direct you to Ohmwrecker's guide:

http://mwomercs.com/...s-excel-inside/

I recommend using it.

How to Pilot:

You are a MEDIUM mech which (if you haven't fiddled around with the armor any) is fairly well armored for a mech of it's weight class. While this does mean you can take quite a bit more punishment than most other mechs lighter than you, this doesn't mean you might be all that good at brawling. That's because you have a right torso which tends to be a really big target (unless you're piloting the -4SP variant) and that's where all your firepower tends to be. When most people see a hunch back the right torso becomes a VERY common target. When it's gone you've lost almost all of your firepower and thus become VERY fragile and very quickly.

You'll notice this the first few rounds. Notice it quickly because that leads into principle 1 of of being a good Hunchback Pilot: you are not a juggernaut.

Principle 1) Use cover!

There is one advantage to having all that firepower over your right shoulder: you can protect half of your mech whilst shooting around a corner! Cover gives you 3 things beyond the obvious 'something between you and your enemy's fire':

• Time to cool off: every hunchback mech variant WILL have heat issues. It's much easier to cool off by ducking behind a building than taking fire during a heat induced shutdown. This is especially important with 4P pilots: your life span will increase dramatically if you can use cover well.
  
• Time to think: Fire support relies on you having a clear head so you can make the shots whilst not shooting your friends in the back.
  
• Time to run: You are not a juggernaut. If you find the enemy team then cover will give you the opportunity to run and hopefully get behind your teammates so you can provide fire support. Your rear armor is also incredibly weak.

Remember: you are more fragile than you think. You will be more fragile if your right shoulder goes 'Boom'.


Principle 2) Fire support does not equal going it alone.

The ballistic Hunchback variants excel when being used in a close-in fire support situation. This means roughly:

• Going in with a pack of buddies.
  
• Shooting at a designated target that you're all hopefully focusing down.
  
• Using cover (and if need be your friends) to protect that all important right torso.

You need to be close enough to have your weapons be 100% effective (and there are obvious exceptions).


A good rule of thumb here is 'Close... but not too close.'

Similar principles could be used for LRM based Hunchbacks but you need to obviously keep your distance. Perhaps joins up with an LRM based Catapult? He or She appreciate your extra lasers if/when the Jenners come.

The two exceptions to this are a Ballistic 4G or 4H with a Gauss Rifle and the 4SP with SSRM2 racks. The former could work well as a solitary sniper (so long as you don't stray TOO far from the team). The latter would make an excellent mech to keep light mechs at arms length or remove pesky harassers from the base (or from the back of an Atlas teammate).

Lastly: make your shots count! If you're a 4G stick to larger targets and make each round matter. Likewise for 4H pilots. You only carry so much ammo and your firepower is too far gone once it runs out.

Variant Specific Loadout Suggestions:

4G/4H Variants:

• (4G): Downgrade the AC/20 -- You can use the extra tonnage for more ammo with a UAC/5 or an AC/5 or even an AC/10. My personal favorite is to downgrade the 4G's AC/20 to an AC/10 and use the extra range to keep bigger mechs at just a bit beyond arms reach while still doing full damage.
  
• (4G or 4H): Upgrade to a Gauss Rifle -- You could also just take that advice about keeping people at more than arms reach to an extreme. Ammo considerations should still be taken into account though -- an engine downgrade or use of Endo/Ferro might be necessary to give you enough rounds to play with.

The 4P:

• The Medium Laser Boat: The default configuration alone is scary enough. I make it scarier -- DHS while using 2 small lasers in the arms and having a medium laser take the head slot and upgrading the engine to a 225+. The greater speed will allow for faster 'ducking behind cover' and afford an extra heatsink for greater heat dissipation.
  
• The Skittleback: Why not get a mixup in your coverage ranges with a large laser to strike enemies beyond 300m? Extra small lasers for less heat taxation while still maintaining close range firepower? It's also fun to force the rainbow down someone's throat with an amusing alpha.

The 4J: Some crazy ideas

• The "LRM 20": Replace the 2 LRM 10 racks with an LRM 15 and an LRM 5. You save one ton which you can use for ammo.
  
• The Hunter: The 4J has 1 more energy hardpoint than the 4SP. You can use this mech specifically for hunting lighter mechs by using SSRMs. Be mindful that the 4SP is a little better at this though because the 4J has missile bay doors.

The 4SP: a little better at brawling than his other brothers.

• "The more resilient LRM boat": No reason you can't go this direction. Be mindful
  
• "The bane of light mechs": Use a fast engine (probably XL), 2 SSRM 2 Racks and medium lasers. Now you can not only do well at taking down light mechs but you can also give chase.

Other thoughts on builds:

• XL Engines -- Your right torso is already a big enough target so I couldn't recommend XL engines unless you are really good at not getting hit. If you are than the extra tonnage freed up could be used for things like Ammo but seriously... your right torso really is a really big target!
  
• ...unless you're the 4SP which doesn't suffer from this problem so much. I still don't recommend it if you're going to mix it up with the bigger mechs.
  
• Avoid putting large lasers in the right arm. Once the right torso goes boom your right arm also gets blown off.
  
• No reason to not be symmetrical with a 4SP. Vice versa: no reason to force some semblance of symmetry with the other variants.

If you're fighting a Hunchback:

• Right Torso: Shoot it down. Shoot it down first and quickly!. Not only for your own sake but for the sake of your teammates: eliminate it's main weapons! Also: if he's running an XL engine you can kill him quicker using this method than trying to core his CT.
  
• Left Arm: Get rid of that next. Right torso first though.
  
• If you're fighting a 4SP then go for the side torso's first.
  
• Unless you're suffering from a serious lack of lag the head is a tempting target but isn't always a good idea. If you are suffering from a serious lack of lag then by all means fire away!
  
• Don't let it be a zombie: all Hunchbacks have a laser hardpoint in the head. If you cripple a hunchback then please either finish it off or leg it at least.

Edited by chaz706, 21 November 2012 - 09:35 PM.