34 replies to this topic

[SC1P1O]

I want to buy either a cent or a dragon, I cannot decide which one i want to pick.
I like to brawl but i also like to wait behind the assaults keep the lights off them and wait for the enemy to make a mistake.

I am torn between the 2 because i feel they are similar yet quite different, i want to run an xl engine but a standard is fine too because it gives better lifespans.
I am think i favor lasers more than ballistics just due to weight and ammo limitations

your feedback and help would be greatly appreciated

[hashinshin]

If it helps, because the dragon requires an XL engine to not be terrible and is bigger it generates farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr less money than the centurian. We're talking like 30k a match here.

[Vandul]

When I played the DRG in Closed Beta, I did exactly what you described. I supported the Assaults, adding damage to their targets, or whomping the wee mechs. This worked well within a premade concept. Might be a bit tougher if you are pugging it.

The Centurion has a lot of flexibility for build outs, allowing you to support, fire support or push faces in.

Dont fear the ammo limitations. Either pick up more ammo (Protect it with CASE when possible), and keep a couple lasers hand for pew-pew, or eschew the ballistics and load up on energy and heat sinks. The Dragon is a good brawler, just dont put MG's on it.

Good Hunting!

[Booran]

Dragon is fine with XL-engine due to huge CT. You will have to juggle tonnage around a bit to find a load out that syncs with your play style (as with all mechs, but dragons are not really specialized in one or two areas). 1N has 3 missile points and is good for fire support/light hunting with ssrms. 5N is ballistics monster (when they get buffed).
Best used for blitz-flanking or anti-lights.

Centurions are generally not very good with XLs due to more exposed side torsos. Main advantage is the left shield arm, it covers almost all the top halv of the mech from the side, and with proper twisting and timing you can let the shield soak up the damage and counterpunch with plenty of firepower. Bonus for having MLs in CT so even a zombied Cent is a threat.
Best used for medium range direct fire support (as in, stay on an atlas bro and pop out to shoot)

If you like energy mechs I recommend CN9-AL, it can fit 2xLL in right arm with space left to mount MLs and missiles.
I've mastered both Dragons and Cents during closed and open beta so I hope I know what I'm talking about.

[Murzao]

Dragon CT is massive, therefore Cent>>Dragons all day.

[Bluescuba]

I pilot dragons and thery can be very dangerous brawlers... but they require quite a lot of skill as they are best close in. I personally run with a 300xl 1 x gauss and 4 x ml...

On a good day I can top the leader board with damage ranging from 500 - 800 points, but I rarely manage to make more than 3 kills in a match. Dragons just can't maanage the levels of alpha strike damage avaliable to other mechs so whilst we put out constaint damage it is likely that another mech will steal the kill from under our guns.

However, there is something to remember... on a bad day we can die really easily. This is because the play style requires that you get up close, if you are too quick or your team lags behind you will find yourself target focused and surrounded... with such a large ct unless your team can draw off some of the enemy you will be dead before the excrement even hits the fan.

If you are a hardcore brawler, who doesn't mind the odd death, then I see no better mech than a dragon.

[SC1P1O]

Booran what do you like better cent or dragon?

bluescuba and booran, i also want to unock elite for the cent or drag what one is better to do that in?

also i dont play in premades that much so which one is better for a pug setup?

[Voridan Atreides]

SC1P1O, on 21 November 2012 - 07:09 AM, said:

I want to buy either a cent or a dragon, I cannot decide which one i want to pick.
I like to brawl but i also like to wait behind the assaults keep the lights off them and wait for the enemy to make a mistake.

I am torn between the 2 because i feel they are similar yet quite different, i want to run an xl engine but a standard is fine too because it gives better lifespans.
I am think i favor lasers more than ballistics just due to weight and ammo limitations

your feedback and help would be greatly appreciated

Centurions seems to be more flexible. I get quite a lot of kills with my Cent.

[Daimonos]

I like to brawl but i also like to wait behind the assaults keep the lights off them and wait for the enemy to make a mistake.

Keeping lights off the assaults is a good job for a Centurion: it's a waste of a Dragon. Both make good brawlers but as has been said above, Centurions are easier because they work better without XL engines. They can take more punishment and remain dangerous: they are more forgiving at the cost of reduced damage output vs a Dragon. While a skilled pilot can brawl effectively in a Dragon, they're easier to play as snipers, flankers and fast harassers.

I've been running a CN9-AL with 2 SSRMs and a mix of large and medium pulse lasers. It makes an effective light hunter that can also get stuck in and brawl as needed. (A hunchback 4SP could of course do the same job with the same loadout, but that's not the question you asked.)

[Voridan Atreides]

The Dragon's big nose is pretty easy to hit. The Cent is a lot slimmer and can really pack a punch against lights and other mediums.

[SC1P1O]

(A hunchback 4SP could of course do the same job with the same loadout, but that's not the question you asked.)

I agree that hunchbacks can do this, it just seems to me that it is much easier to kill a hunchback than a cent or drag.
MAybe this is because if a hunch loses its arms its pretty much a useless zombie, a cent seems to have much more redundancy.with the 2 ct lasers. Also the other models if you want to unlock elite always have the majority of thier firepower in one area. In a game if i see a laser boat cent or ac20 cent i automatically target the shoulder. Also this is bad if you have an xl engine because your dead.

[Mu]

That one really fast centurion is cool although I never see the things. And picking one doesn't give your enemy a Gausscat.

The Dragon is a joke that lost its punchline when you couldn't go bowling with it anymore.

[SC1P1O]

that last line was funny, but i do feel the dragon has its uses. atm i am leaning towards the cent.

[Rokuzachi]

The only way I've been able to make the Dragon work is either spamming Gauss (which I find super boring), or dropping a 360XL in a 1C and spamming MPL/LPL and missiles while running around at ~105kph. Even then, it's an uphill battle.

On the other hand, I think the Cent with the 3 missile hardpoints is pretty workable. Triple SRM6's and some MPL in the torso is pretty good. I tend to lose arms and my RT before I die so I always have my weapons till the last moment. Unfortunately in this setup it only goes 64kph, so it can be difficult to get behind people to shotgun them with your SRMs.

[Vandul]

Now that UAC/5's are viable again, the Dragon makes a great sniping/fire support platform. Think its the 1N. Cant remember, too lazy to go look.

[Lykaon]

One thing to take into account as a factor is matched weight class battles.

The dragon is a 60 ton heavy mech 15 tons unders the max weight for heavy mechs.
Essentially taking a dragon will potentially short your team up to 15 tons.

The Centurion is a 50 ton medium and only 5 tons shy of medium mech max tonnage.
Shorting your side by a max of 5 tons.

However I have used a Dragon to great effect and I personaly prefer it over a centurion.Skill can mitigate the tonnage issue.A proficent enough pilot brings more to the game than the raw tonnage of thier mech.

[TG Spoonman]

I've had a lot of fun with my dragons. I just finished getting the master level in my dragons and my final load out had 3 Large Lasers and an SRM 6 with an XL 360 putting me at 104.5 kph. It is an expensive build though. Before I got there, I was running around with a LB 10x, a SRM6, and some Medium Lasers and that worked very well and was a lot cheaper (no XL engine).

[Tickdoff Tank]

I am primarily a Cent and Dragon pilot, running 3 of each chassis. Both the Cent and the Dragon are a lot of fun, do good damage, offer excellent diversability, can take a beating and often surprise people that do not expect them to be tough. My basic rule of thumb: I will not run a Dragon without an XL engine, I will not run a Centurion with an XL

The Dragon is a "fast heavy" and you want to play it as such. Do not reduce the engine too much or you lose the most important aspect of the Dragon (IMO). As others have said, the CT is quite large and you will need to get used to torso twisting to spread out incoming damage. Personally, I am a fan of arm mounted ballistic weapons, though many are not. They are easier to lose if you are not careful, and the convergence can be a PITA, but once you get used to them they are great for their mobility.

My 2 favorite Dragons:

1C: 2 Large lasers, 2 medium lasers, 325XL, 1 SSRM2. Endosteel, DHS, AMS. Runs around 95kph with speed tweak, excellent at killing scouts, has decent range and the heat is not as bad as you might think. Just don't alpha everything all the time. Mainly use the 2 large lasers and the streaks in close. When you have the heat to spare you add in the medium lasers and then hold fire a bit to cool off. Your speed makes breaking an engagement quite easy against anything but a light.

1N: AC10 (4 tons ammo) 2 medium lasers, 2 SSRM2s, 300XL, Endosteel and DHS. This is my favorite Dragon. Fair speed (87kph with speed tweak, like a standard Dragon), the 2 SSRMs keep up the pressure, the medium lasers are your most often fired weapons, the AC10 has good range, decent ROF and good damage.

-------------------------------------

Centurions: Best zombie mech in the game (IMO). Lots of fun things to do with a Cent. Learn to use your left arm as a shield. Many people strip the left arm armor, but I think that is a mistake. I am not a fan of the Wang, but some people do quite well with it, and the 30% c-bill boost is nice. The Cent is not going to be a speed demon unless you run the D, and the D trades damage for speed. I enjoy the D, but not as much as the others.

Cent 9A: UAC5 (3 tons ammo) 3 SSRM2s (3 tons ammo) 2 medium lasers. STD 200 engine. Endosteel, DHS. This mech is a killing machine. The UAC has great damage, good range and the jamming is not such a problem now. The streaks are a constant source of damage, even against lights, and the medium lasers are the standard back up weapon. Make sure you use your arm as a shield, especially against LRMs. This build does not have a lot of heat issues, but in a big furr-ball it may run a little hot. Just keep firing the SSRMs on chainfire while you cool down.

Cent 9AL: 225STD engine, 3 medium lasers, 2 SSRM2s, large pulse laser, Endosteel and DHS. I really like this mech. Good speed, 78.4kph with speed tweak, the streaks work just like the other builds, 3 medium lasers do decent sustained damage. You can switch out the large pulse for an ERPPC, PPC, or large laser and 2 more heatsinks. I usually run it with the large pulse, but recently I have been enjoying the ERPPC. I use it to hit at range and if I get too hot I run just the SSRMs and medium lasers. Skipping the ERPPC and going with the regular PPC is also an option. Use the PPC outside of 90m and when they close in go with the streaks and medium lasers. Also remember that the PPC loses damage as they get closer than 90m, but at 80m you will still hit for around 8 and you hit for 5 at 45m, so you can use it closer than you think in a pinch.

edit: several typos.

Edited by Tickdoff Tank, 21 November 2012 - 09:25 AM.

[Mavairo]

I just got out of a match where I racked up 4 kills and 700 damage in my 5N Dragon.
1AC5 +1UAC5 + 2MPLs and a Streak with XL 300 engine is win.

Also, Ac10+ ER PPC + ML is also pretty sweet thanks to the dragons amazing arms and how you have to use the Dragon. (IE you aren't staying in a firefight long unless you've already practically won the engagement)

People that say the dragon sucks just don't know how to fly or arm it.

The 1C is my next favorite, and on average it gets two to 3 kills and about 400 to 500 damage. It has an XL 360, 2 LLs, 2 MLs and 1 SRM6. It moves at 104.7 kph.

I'm going to be retuning my 1N at some point to get it up to my 5N and 1C

No matter the dragon's loadout it's a Calvary Mech. Calvary works best on the move and on passes either through the furball, or along it's edges.
Also you WANT Dual Heat Sinks on all dragons. Period.

The Centurion is more of a semi brawler. And frankly it's weapon arms tracking is Suck Tastic (well pretty much Every Mech's arms are) compared to the dragons.

My recommendation by the way is to also squeeze endo steel on if possible. And you have to run an XL engine. Stay with the 300 XL or bigger. Never go Smaller on a dragon. It's a Suicide Sentence if you do.

Edited by Mavairo, 21 November 2012 - 09:35 AM.

[Soy]

Sweet, I just posted my personal 1C Dragon build on mechspecs.com and just saw this thread here so I had to post...

...I really like the dragon. At first I disliked everything about it except the mobility. You have to have an XL in it and you must move fast. Otherwise there is no point to the dragon.

My main problems when grinding the dragon trio was the hardpoint layouts presented a lot of options without any of them being boatable. You have to play with a diverse weapon group but the weapons must maintain synergy otherwise you potentially hurt the already weakened alpha strike capability of the dragon by pidgeon holing into one role/range, or you find yourself with too diverse of a layout to be effective when using everything together in a specific situation.

I've experimented with a lot of dragon setups but one... one, by far, is my most effective mech out of all in MWO (besides a laserboat jenner).

ra machine gun, 1t ammo
la flamer, small laser
lt 2x large laser
20 dhs
350 xl
ES structure
ams

It is probably obvious that this is also my most creative build...

Teammates and opponents alike are always confused (which is part of the point, no meta accounts this build), but I tell you it is very effective if you realize how to use it. Laugh it up if you want, but I find it to be both unique and surprisingly trollicious.

Centurion is pretty fun too, I think it is more utilitarian and is quite useful in the hands of a resourceful player. The other thing about Centurions is THEY DO NOT DIE, can't tell you how many all-red zombie cents I've seen meat shielding in a brawl for several minutes without falling.

Edited by Soy, 21 November 2012 - 09:37 AM.