18 replies to this topic

[DaddyG]

Hi guys, just want to ask, seeing 9M is faster than 8X variants, does this mean it also turns torso faster? How abaut turning legs?

I dont like atlas, too slow, stalker is bad brawler and also slow, seeing 9M is faster, maybe its ok to make him kinda "all ranges covered mech"? I want to have at least 2PPCs (a must), then either 3xSSRMs or 2xSSRMs + 1xLRM15, other slots filled with 2xlaser, ammo and DHS. Would this be nice?

Also,

1. should i equip endo steel on him, i think playing on mechlab, i get better setup without endo? Your advice?

2. To equip AMS or not?

3. Any other suggestions? Other mech to replace this 9M? As i said, im looking for something more manouverable than atlas/stalker, BUT less fragile than catapult or CTF (already have DDC and A1, my ideal mech would be "something in the middle"....would this 9M work? (I hate CTF because i hate ballistic weapons)

Thnaks guys a lot!

[NRP]

Yes, the 9M is considerably faster in every way than any of the 8-series Awesomes. It feels very much like a Dragon in practice.

You can equip multiple PPCs and 3 SRM4s, and a couple of MLs, depending on the engine. I don't recall if the 9M comes with Endo or not, but if it doesn't don't automatically equip it. The 9M is limited by critical slots, and Endo takes 14 of them.

With all that said, I don't feel like the 9M can pack enough punch to finish enemies. You're great at hit and run skirmishing and you will inflict a lot of damage, you probably won't get many kills. At least I don't. However there are vids here that show people absolutely destroying with a 9M, so it is possible. I guess I'm just not that good with it.

[Flapdrol]

I'm not a fan of any awesome, the huge front profile is impossible to miss and they have the least armor of all the assault mechs.

9m's can be made fast but standard engines are very heavy and xl's mean you die very easily, also, the weapon hardpoints are such that you cant use all of them.

Edited by Flapdrol, 31 January 2013 - 10:19 AM.

[NRP]

I don't find I die any more easily in my XL385 9M than in any other of my STD engine Awesomes. Most of the time when I die, I'm the last guy standing. In that case, what type of engine you have is not relevant because your fate is sealed.

If you choose a 9M, you should build it for speed, which means big XL engine. The 9M doesn't have as good a hard point layout as the other Awesomes (8Q and 8T are better imo) so if you aren't concerned with speed you shouldn't be looking at a 9M. If you want to boat a lot of PPCs in an AWS, the 8Q is your ride.

[DaddyG]

So if i buy 9M, i should throw out XL that comes with it stock, and buy standard engine? Because some say you die faster. Also, i want 9M only because i cant stand how other assaults are slow, in running and turning....also, dont want to have boat, i want all ranges covered, 2ppc, 3ssrm, one or two lasers...would that work? Is 9M my mech?

Edited by DaddyG, 31 January 2013 - 12:42 PM.

[Stingz]

DaddyG, on 31 January 2013 - 12:39 PM, said:

So if i buy 9M, i should throw out XL that comes with it stock, and buy standard engine? Because some say you die faster. Also, i want 9M only because i cant stand how other assaults are slow, in running and turning....also, dont want to have boat, i want all ranges covered, 2ppc, 3ssrm, one or two lasers...would that work? Is 9M my mech?

A STD engine can work in an Awesome if you use a 300-325. I suggest trying Medium/Heavy mechs if you don't like how slow Assaults move.

Medium/Assault mechs have less weapons to worry about, and can concentrate more on mobility.

[Templair]

DaddyG, on 31 January 2013 - 12:39 PM, said:

So if i buy 9M, i should throw out XL that comes with it stock, and buy standard engine? Because some say you die faster. Also, i want 9M only because i cant stand how other assaults are slow, in running and turning....also, dont want to have boat, i want all ranges covered, 2ppc, 3ssrm, one or two lasers...would that work? Is 9M my mech?

definitely yes.
here is mine:
xl 370 (82 KPH *speed tweek*)
2 ER PPC
1 LL
2 SRM6

Edited by Templair, 31 January 2013 - 01:37 PM.

[The Amazing Atomic Spaniel]

I've been having a good time with a 9M using 4LL and an SRM6. Can't remember the engine, but it goes 80 kph with speed tweak. I've not really noticed any decrease in survivability because of the XL. The Awesome's CT is so enormous that people just shoot them there first anyway. The main thing to do is to remember that it can do full damage from the lasers at 450m, so there's no particular need to close and brawl until it's forced on you. The speed and agility are good and can often be used to position the lasers behind an unaware Stalker, for instance.

I wouldn't really recommend trying to build a mech that has weapons with non-overlapping range. In my experience they are just frustrating because they can't deliver useful firepower at any range. Better to just pick short, medium or long. Of course, you might be luckier .

Awesomes are an acquired taste. Some hate them. I love them.

Edited by RocketDog, 31 January 2013 - 02:04 PM.

[Wrenchfarm]

I think the 9M should always be built for speed. The advantage the Awesome has over other Assault mechs is its speed, and the 9M is the best variant to leverage that advantage, you don't want to pass that up. That means a big motherlovin' XL Engine, no less than XL350 IMO.

Why 350? Because of the 4 engine heatsink slots. As NPR mentioned, the 9M can get tight for critical slots, and not only will the speed of a 350 be a huge boon, the extra slots for DHS are a godsend - especially when you're slinging lighting like nobodies business.

Now, it is a matter of personal taste and playing style, but in my 9M I like to go ALL IN with PPCs. If you can reliably hit with 3 PPCs at once, those 30 point hits to a single component will flatten mechs from far range and middle distance. You have to rely on your awareness, speed, and teammates to steer clear of super close range encounters.

Right now I run a XL385, 3xPPC, 21 DHS and Endo-steel to fit it in. I ONLY have Endo because I have the massive 385 engine that comes with 5 DHS slots.

Before that I ran an XL350 (which can also be used in your Dragons to good effect if you have any), 3xPPC, 22 DHS, NO Endo, and BAP. You have an extra ton or so you can use to fit an MLAS or TAG in the head or a BAP, whatever.

There are plenty of more versatile and well-rounded builds out there for the 9M. You can go with just 2 PPCs and a mix of SSRMs or MLAS to give yourself better close range brawling ability, or LLAS and SRM, or what have you. But for pure hell on wheels terror, nothing beats an 80 ton sniper kicking out 30 damage alphas every 3 seconds, moving at 85KPH with speed tweak.

[SniperCzar]

NRP, on 31 January 2013 - 10:14 AM, said:

With all that said, I don't feel like the 9M can pack enough punch to finish enemies. You're great at hit and run skirmishing and you will inflict a lot of damage, you probably won't get many kills. At least I don't. However there are vids here that show people absolutely destroying with a 9M, so it is possible. I guess I'm just not that good with it.

Can't get killshots with a 9M, you say? Try boring through somebody's chest and pretending you're an AC20 Cat.

http://www.mechspecs...64-Laser-Grazer

[Eximar]

DaddyG, on 31 January 2013 - 12:39 PM, said:

So if i buy 9M, i should throw out XL that comes with it stock, and buy standard engine? Because some say you die faster. Also, i want 9M only because i cant stand how other assaults are slow, in running and turning....also, dont want to have boat, i want all ranges covered, 2ppc, 3ssrm, one or two lasers...would that work? Is 9M my mech?

One thing to keep in mind is that this is not tabletop. Covering all ranges just makes you mediocre at all ranges. Figure out your playstyle and build for it. If you have 2PPC, 3SSRM and a laser or two, then at close range with ecm around, all you have is a laser or two.

Too many people build mechs for range, and then figure out it can be extremely difficult to stay at range and not have light mechs buzzing you.

[John MatriX82]

It's possible to find decent builds with STD 325 + endo, otherwise very big XLs such as 375 (I don't find much sense in the 385) to move fast and strike..

[Saint Scarlett Johan]

My 9M has an XL385, Endosteel, AMS, 4 Large Lasers, and 21 DHS. With speed tweak it moves over 85kph, and its great for skirmishing. Play it like it's a heavy mech and it excels.

I do have an 8Q with 3 Large Pulse1 Med Pulse, a standard 290, and 21 DHS. It's a pretty good brawler because it lacks the XL engine, and the LPLs have a good recycle. They hit as hard as PPCs, recycle faster, and are far more forgiving than the PPCs if you're off just a hair on your aim.

[Troggy]

This build is a Jack of All Trades, but a Master of None.

That's bad news at any range. If I'm in a dragon/centurion/hunchback etc. I will chest-butt this and actually beat it in a brawl. If I am in any range mech (say a 3LL, Gauss 'Pract), I am dealing 42 alphas to your twenty-something (a single LRM15 will be cleaned up by AMS). If I'm in a small mech, I will stay behind you, (you're not that fast). Honestly, try to fill a roll that you think you can play, and build a mech to focus on in on that.

--
Troggy

[NRP]

I've basically mastered the 9M twice over now, and I'm still fooling with builds. As others have suggested, I found my play style to be relatively close range. I love PPCs, but I can never seem to keep the fight at range and my success with PPCs is very much dependent on my team. So far, I feel I've had the most success with:

XL385
1 LPL
5 MLs
1 SRM6

I think I've got 21 or so DHS, but it still runs a bit hot. I might try the suggested 4 LL build. I tend to do well with LLs on my other mechs.

[Templair]

Few days ago I switched to 4LL build, just to hunt this annoying LRM noobs.
XL380, 21DHS, +armor, 1.43 heat efficiency. Gaining 1100 dmg (4 frags) in a first match.

[Rippthrough]

Any mech that has 3-4 weapons systems to cover different ranges is a walking pile of useless.

All that means is that at any one range you can only bring half your weaponry to bear.

[RickySpanish]

I currently run mine with:

XL380
DHS
Endo-steel

2 x ERPPC
2 x MLAS
2 x SRM4
1 x SRM6

I snipe with the PPCs until a brawl starts that requires me to soak up damage away from lighter mechs, then I close in with the lasers and SRMs while popping people occasionally with the PPCs. It's a pretty good mech but super easy to die in. For straight up brawling the 8R is superior with 4xSRM 6's and its shield arm.

Edited by RickySpanish, 01 February 2013 - 06:26 PM.

[RickySpanish]

Rippthrough, on 01 February 2013 - 12:44 PM, said:

Any mech that has 3-4 weapons systems to cover different ranges is a walking pile of useless.

All that means is that at any one range you can only bring half your weaponry to bear.

It's useless when you don't get a chance to use those weapons at their ideal ranges, but you should never under-estimate a continuous stream of damage raining down on you. If someone is able to keep dealing damage to you as you close over 800m, by the time you get to them they're not going to need a strong short ranged alpha to finish you off.