9 replies to this topic

[Pkunk]

Hi!

I think I need some help with the mech lab. I'm thinking about putting an XL engine in my hunchback but I don't have enough free slots. Is it even possible to put an XL engine in a hunchback? I'm sure I'm missing something here

[Seraphax]

You can put an xl in a hunchback the extra slots flow three into each side torso. Beware though if your side torso blows up it will count as being cored as well as your center so if you lose your side torso's before your core often you can expect to not last as long in matches. ;D

[Kaptain]

The XL engine required 6 additional slots (3 in each side torso)
If you have an ac20 its already taking up 10 of your 12 RT slots.
If you loose a side torso the XL will be damaged and you will be out of the game.
I would recommend not running an XL in either the AC10 or AC20 hunchy... The RT hit box is just too big.

Try ac20+3ML+2DHS+ES+225standard+reduced armor on arms and legs+3tons AC20.

[Lavrenti]

Yes, it's possible... but in my opinion it's a bad idea. This is because XL engines take up three slots in each side torso, and when piloting a Hunchback (of any type) you can pretty much guarantee that people will try to take out your right side torso as fast as they can. When they do that, the XL engine is destroyed and takes the rest of your mech with it. With a standard engine, you can still keep fighting with whatever is in your left torso/arm and head.

If you don't have enough critical slots to put the XL engine in your mech, then you've probably got something in one of the torso sides which is already taking up the space the XL engine would need. Do you have FF armour or ES structure? Each of those requires 14 crit slots, and although they can move around it can be a problem. Another possibility is the weapons on your right side - an AC20 or Gauss takes up a lot of crit spaces, so if you have one of those fitted try fitting something smaller.

[John MatriX82]

most of them should rely on STD engines + endo and DHS. Consider that you are quite weak and if you have any variant (besides 4SP) everyone will be aiming at your right torso, and once armor is gone, you'll blow up in fireworks.

[Golden Sentinel]

As others have indicated, you can fit an XL, but I'd discourage it. With the exception on one variant, the Hunches have the "shoot me!" hunch and thus your odds of losing a torso are high. Which with an XL is death. I'd argue against it for a different reason. On all of my Hunch builds (I have 4 of the variants), I've found the best builds are large standard engines and DHS without endo. The DHS takes up too many slots, and an XL would interfere with that.

My best luck has been a 245 or 260 standard engine, and then moving to DHS and going without endo. You get speed and don't have to sacrifice survivability with the XL. You can get by with what weight remains, unless you're going for large weapons such as large lasers, PPCs, or Gauss rifles or heavy cannons.

Which variant are you running by the way OP? Perhaps we Hunch pilots can suggest builds that are alternatives to an XL based one.

[Pkunk]

Thanks for all the advice guys.. I'm running a 4SP. Right now I have 4ML, 2SSRM, 260 standard and some armor stripped here and there.. It does the job pretty nicely but I'm just curious about the effect of different loadouts. Just to see how it plays.

[John MatriX82]

Pkunk, on 25 November 2012 - 02:49 PM, said:

Thanks for all the advice guys.. I'm running a 4SP. Right now I have 4ML, 2SSRM, 260 standard and some armor stripped here and there.. It does the job pretty nicely but I'm just curious about the effect of different loadouts. Just to see how it plays.

I run that with STD 250, DHS, ENDO, 3 mlas +2smlas (or 1 mlas instead of it) and dual ASRM6 (3 ton of ammo that i don't rearm). Armor lowered of 2 points on arms and If i remind correctly i have 25 on the legs.

With DHS try to mount 225 or 250, the best engine is 250, so that you can fit 10 DHS within the engine without having 3 or more criticals wasted whenever you use ENDO.

I was previously using that with XL 260 and 5 mlas (no endo), but besides the "55" alpha damage it was running hot, it was weak due to the torsoes blowing up and so reverting back to the STD gave me much resistance. Just try to keep 1 Mlas in the head, it can be a life saver if you lose a side torso (and the arm carrying your other lasers).

[Cstriker]

XL is not designed for the Hunchie and I HIGHLY recommended you do not run one. I rock a STD 245 for 79.4 kph and I do awesome as it allows me to keep 2x Artemis SRM6s, 4x Mlas, and 1x Slas. Good speed, amazing alpha strike.

As soon as you loose that side torso mounted gun, you are done...unless you plan on running a 4H with a Gauss and sniping from half the map away, do NOT run an XL hunchie, you will die faster then you can say Krensky.

[David Darkly]

Cstrike is right, only use a XL in a support hunch. I use one only when carrying 2 lrm 20s.