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Lights are way fast and hard to hit, but have little armor.
Heavies have lots of weapons, lots of armor, and can be fairly fast.
Assaults have tons of armor and tons of weapons, but tend to be slow.
So what good is a medium mech? Slower than lights, less armor than heavies and assaults. It all depends on what role you play in the battle. My guide:
Note: This first part is good for most mechs, not just mediums.
1. Buy a medium mech. Most default weapon loadouts are pretty good as is. Some of my favorite mechs still use close to the default loadout. They do run hot though.
2. Get double heat sinks upgrade. This might be a bad idea in larger mechs with lots of huge weapons, because of the extra slots they take up. For medium mechs, DHS is almost always better than SHS. You now have better heat dissapation and maybe several more free tons.
3. Get endosteel upgrade. This might be a bad idea in larger mechs with lots of huge weapons, because of the extra slots they take up. Most mediums have 14 free slots to spare. The only exception I have found is the HBK-4P (it needs those slots for more heat sinks.) You now have around 2.5 more free tons to play with.
4. Get Anti-Missile System (AMS.) Get 1 ton AMS ammo. Optional. If you don't get it, you get 1.5 extra tons for other things.
5. The final step is filling up those extra tons. It is a compromise between heat sinks and the biggest engine you can get. Try maxing out heat sinks and then experiment. Play some games. Keep removing them until overheating really hurts. Then buy the biggest engine you can fit to max out your tonnage.
Congatulations! You are now a lean, mean, fighting machine.
What? You are still getting killed every time? That's where role warfare comes in.
The best role for a medium mech is support. You don't lead your team. You support your team. Don't try to be the hero. What? You don't want to act like a wimp? Face it. You are a wimp. The big guys have more weapons and more armor. But you have good weapons and you are faster than them.
1. Let the long range snipers and LRM missle boats start the game. Stay behind them and in cover.
2. Scout a bit if you want, but don't wander too far. You don't ever want to get attacked alone.
3. Stay close to the heavies and assaults. If lights and mediums harass them, help them out.
3. When the brawl begins (it always does) let the big mechs move in first. Then, jump in behind them. Don't run in front of them (for obvious reasons.) Run to the side. Try to find a mech focusing on them. Hit and run. Hit from the side. Hit from the rear. Run around cover to attack from the rear. Run like heck when you have to. And twist that torso to take hits to the left arm to avoid rear and right side shots (Hunchback and Centurion.)
The final step is to tweak your mech some more. Add Artemis? Add Tag? Swap some medium lasers for smalls? Swap the AC/10 for LBX-10 or 2x AC/2? Experiment. Try different things.
Remember, the bigger mechs are better, but the current matchmaking rules mean that if you drop in a medium, the other team gets a medium too. Just make sure you are better (and smarter) than him and you will be a true asset to your team.
Edited by Krazy Kat, 22 January 2013 - 07:46 PM.
use this to have it on permanently:
