42 replies to this topic

[TheMightyWashburn]

So I just bought one, I wasnt expecting it to be a damage dealer. I figure I can cap with it.

I have the 5V I think, no ECM. I want to put 12 JJs in it

What is your take on the usefulness of the spider?

[LordBraxton]

usefulness? spider?

[Bilbo]

It's main use appears to be causing me to swear uncontrollably.

[Tarman]

I thought it was to make srs bsns players cry when they see one on their team.

[SI The Joker]

I love the 5V. I find it very useful believe it or not. Because people love to take pot shots on you constantly... you can really make people waste ammo and time by shooting at you while your team whacks away at them. You're going to hear the missle warning very often so get used to it... all the while use 2 MLAS (don't waste time with tag) to pelt away at your enemies as you fly through the air.

Just don't get shot down.

[Vassago Rain]

It's probably the worst mech in the game. Spiders are so bad, they're not even normally considered, and even new players aren't tempted by them.

[Signal27]

TheMightyWashburn, on 18 February 2013 - 11:40 AM, said:

What is your take on the usefulness of the spider?

It's like any other light: Move fast, harass, and cap.

[HighlandCoo]

They look fun as hell.

Depends what you mean by useful? Are you going to be dealing damage and getting kills, Nope.

Will you be having a blast? Probably.

So yeah.. useful for that.

[Merky Merc]

Spiders are used to give the other team a capable light mech.

[Havyek]

Usefulness and Spider do not go together.


I have made mediocre use from the 5D with ECM, 2 MPLAS and TAG.
The 5V can have a decent use for jumping on something REALLY tall, and sniping with an ERPPC, then running away.
The 5K serves no purpose beyond jumping into the air and looking really cool when it's blown apart by SRMs and destroying all the components.

[Solomon Ward]

I still suffer from Trauma mastering my Spiders.

Selling them all was such a relief.

Only recommended for masochists or people with a skill level far beyond.

Edited by Solomon Ward, 18 February 2013 - 12:00 PM.

[Kraven Kor]

The Purpose of the Spider: To make you feel like a complete bad *** when you actually do well in one.

I saw a guy almost solo 4 enemy mechs in one. Just 2 MPulse and jump jets and some downright awesome spatial awareness, using buildings for cover and jumping around blasting robots.

[Tarman]

Solomon Ward, on 18 February 2013 - 11:57 AM, said:

I still suffer from Trauma mastering my Spiders.

Selling them all was a big step towards healing.Such a relief.

I bought one because if I was going to own a dirty ECM mech I needed to get the least useful one. And I did. I dread leveling them or even buying more TO level them, but game OCD will make me eventually. I'm hoping to at least hold out till MGs get retooled. That could add 0.004% more usefulness to the chassis.

[JediPanther]

The spiders can be very fun mechs. The jj's let you get away and get to other places other mechs can't. Stay with your group and use them as harassers. you can scout with them but you'll most likely have to run back to your team if another light with streaks comes after you. That can be good as it might follow after you thus your team can focus on it and bring it down. I'll try and link to the loadout I use of the 5v. getting on top of buildings and firing down on the enemy is also a good tactic.

[Khobai]

Spiders are useless:
1) its underarmed (most of them only have 2-3 hardpoints)
2) its hardpoints are in poor locations (it mostly has center torso hardpoints so cant shoot down while jumping and has difficulty fighting other light mechs)
3) jump distance is inadequate (Even the 5V's 70m is less than 20% the jump distance it has in tabletop, which is 360m)
4) spider does absolutely nothing that other lights can't do better (whether its a raven, jenner, or commando)


To make the Spider viable:
-needs more hardpoints, specifically hardpoints in the arms
-needs greater jump distance
-should rival the jenner as a harassment mech
-jumpjets need vectored thrust so you can thrust in any direction, giving the spider unparalleled ability to dodge laterally with jumpjets
-streaks need to be rebalanced so they don't automatically hit, since theyre absurdly strong against lights without ecm.

Edited by Khobai, 18 February 2013 - 12:23 PM.

[Grumbling Coot]

I love my spiders, they're a blast to pilot because you can irritate the crap out of people (on both teams)...but useful?...umm...well...ya...

At least they're better than non-ecm commandos....

[ei8ht]

Spider? Worst. Mech. Ever.

If you've been entertaining half a thought about buying one just to try it out, stop right there. Or you'd end up regretting all the countless hours of fun driving one instead of plodding around in a "real" mech. See what I did there? ;-)

[Istral]

Kraven Kor, on 18 February 2013 - 12:00 PM, said:

The Purpose of the Spider: To make you feel like a complete bad *** when you actually do well in one.

I saw a guy almost solo 4 enemy mechs in one. Just 2 MPulse and jump jets and some downright awesome spatial awareness, using buildings for cover and jumping around blasting robots.

I've done that before with my 3 medium laser Spider. So intense that it's almost not worth it, you end up having to take a good long break afterward.
Anyone who claims the Spider can't get decent damage, either hasn't played it, or hasn't played it long enough to get good at playing it. I usually average 300-450 damage a match in mine, and have done over seven hundred a number of times.

[Havyek]

My main problem with the Spider right now is the cap on maximum speed.

They should be able to run faster than the Commando, Jenner and Raven. They have survivability and firepower well below even the worst Commando, the LEAST they should be able to do is run away when faced with one.

In my Spider I run from pretty much any light 'Mech. It's half decent at harassing heavier 'Mechs, especially those that have lock on weapons, but lights with SSRMs tear the crap out of them. I think mostly because the small torso means that even strikes on the opposite arm cause enough splash damage to reach the other torso.

[MischiefSC]

I play with a guy who uses one like a champ.

Regularly does 300, 400 damage and gets 2-5 kills.

Go fast, play cautious, stay in cover. Work the backstab. You can get 2 or 3 people to chase you around while your team demolishes the now under-staffed enemy, then pull your chasers into the line of fire when they realize too late that it's 3 vs 7.

The spider is insanely nimble. Know how to use your JJs. Stick and move.

It's the pilot, not the mech.