53 replies to this topic

[Flagrant]

The 9M is the only AWS I play now. I have atlas and stalker and the 9M is way more fun. Get the speed up to around 80 kph. And take advantage of the missle hardpoints that creates no spread.
So yes get an AWS 9M. And if you like it, get the other variants to elite the 9M. The other variants are not as strong but their targeting is way more responsive than an atlas or stalker still. Just play like a big scared p u s s y (play like the goal is to be the last man standing), you should be fine.

[Sandra McCrow]

This is by the way a good tip, AWS 8R for instance has an absolutely devastating alpha of 78 and insane DPS of almost 20 and it can deliver it several times before overheating. But you should not try to push enemy positions like a bull hoping that you can just outdamage everything you face. The longer you stay alive the more effective you are, if you dive into a line of enemy fire - you'll insenirated in a blink.

[So Booboolicious]

Roadbuster, on 07 January 2013 - 12:37 AM, said:

Despite all the drawbacks of this chasis I enjoy piloting it. It's a mech that requires more tactical piloting.

Which is fine by me.

It will fit my play-style perfectly.

TexAss, on 07 January 2013 - 04:00 AM, said:

I love my AWS-8R. Have already over 40k XP unable to use And I was a dedicated Hunchback-Pilot before it, eliting all of them.

I'm working on my Hunchback Elite at the moment.

After that it's Awesome time!

Solomon Ward, on 07 January 2013 - 04:14 AM, said:

After i mastered all Stalker/Atlases i thought yesterday i give the Awesome a shot.

My Conclusion :
The Awesome is good for one thing ->

To teach you how to protect your Center Torso.

It is so frikkin big that it will punish every mistake.

Sounds good to me.

It'll teach me how to be a better Mech pilot overall, as well.

FerretGR, on 07 January 2013 - 08:07 AM, said:

I'm a fan of the Awesome despite their issues and the hate they get around here. I do think, though, you'd be better off introducing yourself to the Awesome through the 9M. Get that and try some of the super fast laser builds that have been making folks happy.

Yes'sir.

I'm eye-ballin' the 9M.

Om nom nom....

FrostPaw, on 07 January 2013 - 08:15 AM, said:

I was playing in a team of 4 last night, one of the players was using an Awesome with 3 flamers, 1 srm6, 2 srm4 and a large pulse laser.

Sounds kinda lacking right? dude was at the top of the scoreboard more often than not in about 4 hours of playing with him.

People don't expect flamers at all, they can't figure out how to deal with em once they're in the face. People would ignore him because he was using flamers and his pulse laser and srms where firing stealthy under the wash of the flames.

Ahahaha!

Very interesting.

You're right, though.

I always laugh when I see an enemy runnin' 'round with a Flamer.

NRP, on 07 January 2013 - 09:19 AM, said:

One thing you will notice right away is that you take a lot of CT hits. I'm not sure if the CT hitbox is huge or if people naturally target that area (or both), but when you die it will be from a CT core shot. You will almost never die from a side torso core shot because the Awesome's arms are freakin huge.

I read that the all the torso's hitboxes are buggy.

I don't know if that's been fixed or not.

An' it's not somethin' I really notice when fighting one.

I'll see for myself soon enough....

[Sug]

FrostPaw, on 07 January 2013 - 08:15 AM, said:

I was playing in a team of 4 last night, one of the players was using an Awesome with 3 flamers, 1 srm6, 2 srm4 and a large pulse laser.

Sounds kinda lacking right? dude was at the top of the scoreboard more often than not in about 4 hours of playing with him.

People can do 4 mans with subpar mech configs and get away with it. That mech would be a hindrance in a pug match.

[Wrenchfarm]

Yes you should OP. A lot of the hate for Awesomes comes from a limited imagination to how an assault mech should behave. If you try to play an Awesome like an Atlas, you will lose. If you play as a mobile heavy support fire unit, or a swift high-alpha strike skirmisher, you'll reap the dividends.

You have to remember that the big advantage of the Awesome is its mobility. You get 80 tons to load up a couple of heavy weapons and still maintain a respectable ground speed similar to a medium. Whereas Atlai and Stalkers can load up massive armaments and slug around the map (or risk vulnerabilities and use up valuable crit slots on an XL to keep a modicum of speed) the Awesome is more selective with its weapons and keeps a big fast engine. You want a 290STD in most of them, and in the 9M nothing less than a 350XL.

The 8R makes a fantastic skirmisher with 4xSRM6s and 2xLLAS. You get in, smack a guy with one of the heaviest alphas in the game, and get out. Yes, its true that a Stalker can mount the same and an Atlas can do 3 SRM6s, the LLAS, and add in an AC, but they don't get to choose where and who they fight, you do.

The 8Q is THE laserboat of the game. I keep mine stocked with 4xLLAS and 3xMLAS. The focused alpha on a component is enough to melt almost anything. If you want a mech that can disarm SRMCats before they even get in range, you found it. Heat builds up, but you move fast enough to break into cover and cool down. Slowing down your rate of fire will help keep heat under control and help you make sure you are taking good shots and not wasting energy.

And finally the 9M, a tricky beast. It can be outfitted in a variety of ways - a mix of lasers and SRMs/Streaks, a slightly cooler running 4xLLAS boat, or a PPC platform. The only consistency is a big fast engine. Personally, and I know people will hate on me, I actually LOVE to take mine out with nothing but a XL350, a truckload of heatsinks, and 3 glorious PPCs. 30 damage all in one place is a beautiful thing. Watching mechs panic under the rain of lighting bolts fills me with glee. But I only run that config when I'm with a working Teamspeak team. You don't want to run into a PuG all alone with nothing but PPCs, that will end in tears.

Playing an Awesome properly will make you a great asset to any team and teach you better piloting/gaming skills than just slugging away in an Atlas. They are some of my favourite mechs in the game.

[Jell0r]

I WANT to love my awesome I really do. was my all time fave and I'm sure I had fond memories of PPC's acutally being good on TT did I imagine it? or am i thinking of MC1/2? they seem to be almost pointless in MWO either sailing through enemies or doing no discernable damage (yes im using ERPPC's) i've sat firing volley after volley (last game beofe I rage quit 5x3 blasts into torso of an atlas) and by the time i've been targeted and almost oneshotted by them I see yellow maybe orange armor... definately the weakest assault mech, its got some speed but that really is it... fave mech, destroyed its too shootable and too unwieldy to be of any value against taking stalker/atlas. will be selling mine with a heavy heart

[FerretGR]

Wrenchfarm, on 07 January 2013 - 04:36 PM, said:

awesome post

I love it, Wrenchfarm! I have some funny, fun, great Awesome builds as well. My 9M has an XL385 (I know, it's an e-peen thing I think), LL right arm, SRM6 left arm, 5xML everywhere else. Best brawler in my stable... not because it has a high damage output (even though it's not bad), but because it flies around the map compared to other assaults and lets me choose to engage or disengage.

You didn't mention the 8T, which is the one that I really love... I guess it's pretty similar to your 8R build, but I just love having the two energy hardpoints in each arm. I do 4xLL, two per weapon group, so I can stick my arm around corners on either side and have a shot, and 2xSRM6 + Artemis... nice punch up close.

[Typatty]

I play every AWS variant and make it work. I have fun with them. I wrote a guide about it and there's some gameplay footage of the 9M in case you want to look into it.
http://mwomercs.com/...ariant-covered/

[treemaster]

The 8r does make an excellent LRM boat...if a little slow. The alpha volley on mine is 60 missiles (LRM 15 x 4) with between 5-6 full volleys before overheating (chain firing nearly indefinitely). I had to put DHS on it for it to really shine, with regular HS it could only spit two and a half volleys before shutdown. 3 ML with the space not devoted to missiles...doesn't seem like much, but has saved me from a few light mechs trying to catch me apart from the team.

The 9M and 8V I previously had with similar setups. Large lasers//SSRM on the 8V and Large pulse//SSRM on the 9M. I really liked them both as brawlers, but wanted to try something different.

I messed around with the loadouts a little bit, and wound up with PPCs on the 8V

It does surprisingly well with them, and with the 'extra' laser slot on the head I fit a TAG to help the SSRMs surprise ubiquitous ECM ravens.

I'm having fun anyway, though it is a very difficult mech for the previously mentioned hitbox (read: broad side of barn) reasons.

XL engines mean you die so incredibly fast to a determined alpha strike. However, this forces you to be more aware of facing and cover. The speed can be a worthy tradeoff, given that you are cored pretty easily as well.

P.S. Don't forget that left arm, even if you have AMS, it is your missile shield.

P.P.S. Next, someone points out how another mech can do everything I just listed better =(

[Snowcaller]

Well, call me crazy, but if the CT hit-box is a burden, turn it on it's head...what do you lose mounting an XL?

[NRP]

Yeah, I don't get it either. It's like people see "XL***", stop reading, and start to parrot the whole "XL is crap because you'll die immediately after the match starts due to side torso hits, blah, blah, blah" mantra. In the case of the 9M, it has huge shield arms to protect the sides. I always die from CT hits, never from side torso hits. A big XL engine allows you go fast, to turn fast, and generally get the hell out of dodge in a timely manner. It's not really a vulnerability at all. It's an advantage.

[Guchion]

Im currently running a number of Awesomes, but I think my favorite is the 8Q even now.

7 Medium pulse lasers and a boatload of heatsinks and a nice nippy engine, and you have a fencer of a assault mech, 7 mpl deal enough damage and precisely enough to rip a mech apart piece by piece, and unlike the atlas and stalker your torso can move more freely aiding the aim.

Its not a run at the enemy screaming mech, but a finesse one that can be good entertainment and very dangerous.

It also packs around 40 heatsinks which means you can chain fire for ages if need be, but a repeated alpha is wear it really shines.

i'll add a +1 for the quad srm6 + two large lasers 8r, its very effective with a hit and run attitude.

the 9m? part of me still thinks its the best stock mech in the game. Currently im mucking around with a XL 390, which give it a scary speed, but its early days for me on the 9m

[Snowcaller]

Before ECM, my Awesome was an LRM boat with 4 medium pulses in the arms.
Wiped the smile off of anyone's face when they moved inside LRM range, i tell you

Then we had a wipe...i might buy another.

[FerretGR]

Guchion, on 09 January 2013 - 02:11 PM, said:

Im currently running a number of Awesomes, but I think my favorite is the 8Q even now.

7 Medium pulse lasers and a boatload of heatsinks and a nice nippy engine, and you have a fencer of a assault mech, 7 mpl deal enough damage and precisely enough to rip a mech apart piece by piece, and unlike the atlas and stalker your torso can move more freely aiding the aim.

Its not a run at the enemy screaming mech, but a finesse one that can be good entertainment and very dangerous.

Totally agree with this! My secret build! Well, except I use MLs instead of MPLs. Alphas almost literally nonstop, goes 60ish with speed tweak IIRC, and eats literally anything lighter than it alive as long as you pilot it well.

These days though my 8Q is my PPC platform: my dream was a 4ERPPC work of art, but until they fix the ERPPC's heat issues it was pretty untenable. I currently have a 2ERPPC (torso), 2 LL (arm) 8Q that's kicking serious butt.

Edited by FerretGR, 09 January 2013 - 03:10 PM.