So I decided to go completely off the fotm train and grabbed an AWS-8T as my third Awesome to finally get everything mastered. Now that I'm done, I really started to love the 8T as a support assault mech right in the second row supporting the advance or keeping an eye out for defense.
Note: Not all equipment may seem necessary to you. The goal was to maximize all crit slots and load out for its role. Some is diminished by ECM, but tbh often enough I get the chance where I benefit from it and at this point it does make have an impact - literally ;-D
Reduce both leg's armor to 53t.
Both arms get 2 MPL and 1 DHS each, in one Arm 1t AMS ammo, 1t LRM in the other
Right and left Torso get an Artemis LRM 15 + 1 DHS each
Head gets TAG
Right Torso gets AMS
CT gets a STD 290 Engine and 1 DHS in the engine + BAP
Legs get 4 LRM ammo
Upgrades: DHS, Endo
How I play this mech:
Spoiler
Following the general advance direction but flanking diagonally, picking out light or medium mechs that are trouble makers for the advance or are trying to run through to the base, especially when they have moved out of the ECM bubble.
I use TAG whenever possible especially on mechs without [ECM] but that are within the ECM bubble. Should anything like a light/medium/heavy decide to approach, backpedal while peppering them with LRMs in chainfire until they are in range of your MPLs, I use them in chainfire mode for each arm as well. Either they will continue their approach or decide its not worth it. In either case they will be hurting badly, often the MPLs deliver the finishing blow.
The Awesome has one benefit in that it is a bit more flexible on the battlefield than an Atlas, with elite bonus you do around 63 kph which makes you flexible in either supporting the advance, flanking or supporting base defense. Keep this in mind. Although it is classified as an "Assault" it actually is a supporter, hence the name I gave this mech.
DO NOT TRY TO SPEARHEAD THE ADVANCE!
The only thing that really blocks me are ECM light mechs that single me out and ECM me consistently. Thanks to the MPL they often can be legged or seriously hurt (Depending on lag shield etc.). Else wise the Awesome is usually not deemed as much of a threat like an Atlas, Catapult or a Cataphract.
The ammo in the arms is a non-issue from my experience, due to the huge torso section that is usually targeted most of the time, in 90% of all fights I die with both arms completely intact or with minor damage.
BAP and AMS of course are debatable and these could be removed in favour of 2XALRM20s and the replacement of the MPLs with normal MLs.
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