14 replies to this topic

[SC1P1O]

Hey, so this new mech comes out looks really shiny and my brain says me want. However, i dont know to much about how it feels to pilots who own it and if its a decent mech for the weight calss. My question is how is the cataphract better than a hunch or a catapult? Also i see how big that head is and it worries me, does this have an effect on the battlefield?

Feedback would be appreciated

[Hood]

I think we should be able to let our friends test drive mechs.. Have a salesman out front he can pitch what a great mech it is and talk us into taking out that 6% loan for 6 years...

[Redshift2k5]

Much more armor and 20 additional tons compared to a Hunckback

+5 tons as compared to a Catapult

Arm-mounted ballistics are a feature neither HBKs nor CPLTs have, this can give you better firing position and let you make 'snap shots' or track targets faster.

The head hitbox is not the entire size of the 'cockpit glass', the head hitbox is certainly not any larger than that of a Catapult despite the design.

The CTF variants can run builds you could never fit on a HBK or CPLT.

[SC1P1O]

is it worth going up against more heavies by using it or are you better off getting into a hunch and going up against other meds?

[Viper69]

How do you like to play? Are you a skirmisher or a blast happy lead slinging person?

[Kernfeuer]

Something like an ´Better´ Mech dont exist the only difference is weight class and hardpoints..so heavier mechs like cataphract is compared to an hunchback as example just better in terms of weapon loading and armor..but lesser good at moving speed and mobility

and in the end its ur skill that makes an mech good..not the weight/loadout or the whole rest..

thats so far from me

[SC1P1O]

i agree alot is on the pilot, however in a pug you cant trust that they know what they are doing. If you go in a cataphract adn the other team has a good pilot too its more likely your pug is gonna get a hurt. so if im in a medium my team is less likely to get hurt if they are poor. Also I like to brawl and is the cataphract good for brawling, im feeling a dual ac20 headshot would be nice but idk if it can dual weild ac20

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

A lot will depend on your build. I have a pair of Cataphracts at the moment, and both have pretty much maxed-out armor. Aside from the somewhat vulnerable head hitbox (after the hotfix for it it has become much less of an issue, though it is still a bit easy to headshot if you know what you are doing) I find that both of my Cataphracts keep going much longer under heavy fire than I would have anticipated.

As for how it compares to the Hunchback, the HB (except for the SP) has that huge shoulder where almost all of its potency resides, which makes it super vulnerable in a fight with someone who knows how to aim. The Cataphract at least has the option to put a meaningful amount of firepower on each side of the mech (though the 3D's hardpoints are a bit weighted toward the right side), meaning even losing half your ride you can still pack a respectable punch. Plus, 20 tons is a non-trivial amount of extra hardware (though some at least is taken up by a bigger engine).

Compared to the Catapult, the three big differences will be its profile (upright v nose-forward), the presence of at least one ballistic hardpoint in each variant, and the moveable arms. The former can be good or bad in different situations, the ballistic hardpoint gives you options that Catapults lack (and even the K2 can be matched/exceeded by the 4x), and the flexible arms are a big boost in several situations (though it means the Cataphract can't turn its torso nearly as far).

The Catapult and Hunchback both tend to be about boating one weapon system, while the Cataphract pretty much requires that you take several. Some pilots would see one build path as better, and others would say that the other is superior, but it's something to consider when choosing your mech.

All in all, if you build your Cataphract with max or near-max armor, don't put an XL in it (that's one thing the Catapult is better for), and don't make it too slow (you need to keep moving to avoid skilled snipers beheading you at range), you should be able to do quite good work with it.

[Hood]

IMHO its easier to hit the CT on a cat even with torso twist.

[Ghosth]

I really think a lot will depend on exactly which varient you choose and how you choose to build it.

Personally I'm happier most of the time In my Catapult.
But I don't think I've found the right balance in my Phract yet.

[SC1P1O]

so a phract is less of an alpha strike mech than a cat, as in you need more lasers and srms instead of just dual ac20 or gaussing it?

[Hood]

I think so, most of the Phracts i have seen so far are chain fire to keep you off balance.

[Redshift2k5]

You cannot dual AC20 in a Cataphract. It only has 1 ballistic in a torso (some variants have 1 in the torso, others have 1 torso/1 arm, or 1 in each arm)

you can do some great 2x Ultra5 builds though

[Buck Cake]

Cats make much better gauss platforms than cataphracts. Sure, the phract can take more armor, but its easier to shoot and lacks agility. Other than that, I can't really compare mechs with different battlefield roles and different loadouts.

[Viper69]

Cataphracts will get everyone used to ACs just in time for the Jagermech

Also, once/if the netcode ever gets fixed look out for ballistic mechs.

Edited by Viper69, 23 November 2012 - 07:42 AM.