How do you equip your Hatchetman?

[Jonathan8883]

Stock, it comes too lightly armored to survive.
It's a bit too slow to reach enemies quickly.
It's short on hardpoints.

Right now I'm trying AC5 + 2 ML, 3 JJs, and an arm mod.

Like many IS mechs, it's trying to be too many things at once. It'd be better off if it had Cicada speed.

 

[stjobe]

I'm running mine stock. If I can't get to melee range, the AC/10 makes a persuasive argument

Disclaimer: This is early in Career Mode, I edited the starting lance to switch the Vindicator for a Hatchetman.

 

[Kereminde]

I'm in endgame so . . . it's benched. Almost anything I'm going up against can spend a turn focusing on it and drop it like a discount Triple-F burger.

I think I'd probably use it once Urban Warfare releases, specifically to lean into the melee functionality and slot in a Coventry B20 Extended actuator set (+20 Melee Dmg), drop the AC/10 and fill the rest of the tonnage difference with armor. But in the countryside right now, it's just too open and vulnerable for something with as little armor.

 

[Jade_Rook]

I would drop all of the existing weapons, stick two large lasers on it. Then add an arm mod for extra melee damage with a couple tons to spare for extra armor.

 

[mjbroekman]

So far, I've gotten two of them in my post-story campaign... both are equipped with 4x JJ, LL++, ML+++, Arm+60, Arm+20 (total melee damage is 190).

 

[Jonathan8883]

Update: The Hatchet is a droppable/equippable item, and apparently it can be put on any mech.
My Hatchetman now has two, for a melee damage of 180.

I could probably drop the large lasers (thanks!) and add more damage later if needed. If I can salvage two more hatchets, I'll get up to 320 melee damage.

Hardwiring it may have been the way to go.

 

[unclecid]

was running mine stock (replaced the starting spider with it) until it lost its RA/RT and i didnt have a replacement ac10 and all that planets store had was a ac5.
so downgraded to ac/5 with 1 ton ammo (and moved it out of CT) kept the 2 ML and maxed armour.

 

[mjbroekman]

Update: The Hatchet is a droppable/equippable item, and apparently it can be put on any mech.
My Hatchetman now has two, for a melee damage of 180.

Do you have any mods installed? Because on my Hatchetman, there are dark gray stripes through the Hatchet and I can't pull it out of the right arm.

 

[Didactylos]

Made one with AC5++, 2*ML +++, Gyro ++ (+3 melee hit), Arm mod +40 stab dam. and Arm mod +10 damage. Also nearly maxed armor.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I too had added an AC5 and then added a 40-Damage Arm Mode and bumped up the Armor... but then as I closed with a Target, my AC5 experienced degraded performance.

So I added a series of “Upgunned” Large Lasers, even more Armor and another Arm Mod! This allowed the Hatchetman to participate at Range, but to excel to an even higher degree once it got, “Up Close and Personal!”

Plus when I finally promoted my Surefooted-Bulwark MechWarrior and she gained the 20% Sprint Bonus, I let her pilot the Hatchetman and things REALLY got exciting for a good long stretch.


But eventually the AI became more capable too and Sensor Locks and Weapons Fire wore down both her Hatchetman’s Evasion Chevrons and Armor/Internal Structure.

Before I lost both the Mech and MechWarrior, I took the Arm Mods, MechWarrior and SIX Small Lasers and put them in the Grasshopper I had just salvaged!

Talk about a NATURAL progression!

Right about this time I gained a +60-Damage Arm Mod, between it, the original +40-Damage Arm Mod, 6-Small Lasers and a now Elite Surefooted-Bulwarker at the controls, the impact is astonishingly FUN and effective. : )

 

[Ken-Sw]

Added one to my starting lance in Career mode - replaced the Commando so I start with two mediums.
I dropped the JJ's for 2 tons of armor fight it like I would a Vindicator - stay at range use the AC10 and let the enemy come to me
Just go melee when the opportunity presents itself I do not charge out.
I will have to try that AC5 version I do miss the mobility from the JJ
It seems to be a perfectly useable low/medium mech but would not use it post campaign - too slow
Edit:
One big advantage - it is almost impossible to overheat - very usefull on hot planets

 

[Nakkivene]

I sold it. If I ever need a medium mech, I'll stick with the shadow hawk.

 

[Aleksandria]

Default is just dropping the AC10 to an AC5 and dumping the rest on armor, but for a very brief period it carried a spare Gauss Rifle against my better judgement.

Yeah that came out after a single terrifying mission.

 

[Nakkivene]

Spare Gauss Rifle? Where'd you get that? Is there more stuff like that hidden somewhere?

 

[Aleksandria]

From Flashpoints and such, yes. Really need to reiterate it was a bad idea, but I was blinded by the thrill of making the most comically expensive Hatchetman I could.

 

[Apocal]

Update: The Hatchet is a droppable/equippable item, and apparently it can be put on any mech.
My Hatchetman now has two, for a melee damage of 180.

I could probably drop the large lasers (thanks!) and add more damage later if needed. If I can salvage two more hatchets, I'll get up to 320 melee damage.

Hardwiring it may have been the way to go.

No, this might actually make it worthwhile in the end-game.

 

[mjbroekman]

No, this might actually make it worthwhile in the end-game.

As far as I can tell with my 2 Hatchetmen, it's not possible. Despite what @Jonathan8883 stated, I haven't been able to remove the hatchet in the vanilla game.

 

[Apocal]

As far as I can tell with my 2 Hatchetmen, it's not possible. Despite what @Jonathan8883 stated, I haven't been able to remove the hatchet in the vanilla game.

He didn't say it was removable, only that it could be dropped (as in salvaged) and equipped.

 

[mjbroekman]

He didn't say it was removable, only that it could be dropped (as in salvaged) and equipped.

Fair enough. **now to run off and find some hatchetmen to headcap**

 

[jj284b]

mine is full armor, two medium lasers with +10dmg, and all arm mods i can fix on it.. 190 melee dmg... and jump jets of course... and there was a space even for some leg mods..


it was useful on all flashpoints that required light drops where 50t is a limit...