Just got the game from the Paradox's sale...
- Thread starter Casko
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Can't argue with that.Playing stock is all well and good until you get a SHD-2D which has great base stats, but an absolutely horrible stock loadout.
Or the crate contains a Vulcan VL-2T. Or you get your first Dragon.Playing stock is all well and good until you get a SHD-2D which has great base stats, but an absolutely horrible stock loadout.
Try stock out, by all means. But also try using the customisation tools we do have. Then decide what balance between the two you think is the most fun (for me, some 'Mechs stay very true to stock, and some wouldn't be recognised by their own design team).
Also, try out new 'Mechs from time to time; some might surprise you with how fun/useful/cool/awesome they are. Some, of course, you might not get to work for you and your play style, but hopefully you at least had fun trying.
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The Vulcan 2T. A Mech specifically made to be anti infantry...so of course it needs an A/C2
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I actually kind of like the stock Dragon. It is by no means a great mech and suffers significantly from the initiative disadvantage in this game. A Dragon is a fat medium with better melee. If it had 1 more energy hardpoint I think it would actually be reasonable.
Stock mechs do make for a good challenge, but I like modding my mechs too much to leave mine stock.
Stock mechs do make for a good challenge, but I like modding my mechs too much to leave mine stock.
But what better weapon to use against infantry than an anti-air cannon?The Vulcan 2T. A Mech specifically made to be anti infantry...so of course it needs an A/C2
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It was mounted to give the 'Mech some additional anti-'Mech capability over what the MG and flamer (which are the 'Mechs actual main weapons) provides:But what better weapon to use against infantry than an anti-air cannon?
"The Vulcan's primary weapons are a Firestorm Flamer mounted in the right arm and a Sperry Browning Machine Gun in the left arm, fed by one ton of ammunition stored in the left torso. To give it some anti-'Mech firepower the Vulcan was given a reliable Armstrong Autocannon/2 with one ton of ammo, both mounted in the right torso, however it performed poorly in this regard and was most often employed as an anti-building weapon. A Randell Medium Laser in the left torso served as a back-up weapon for the autocannon"
- sarna entry for Vulcan
And looking through history all the way back to WWII, anti-air guns have regularly been used for anti-armour and anti-infantry as well as anti-air. See e.g. the 40 mm Bofors or even the German 8.8 cm Flak - both mounted on vehicles, both also used in anti-tank and anti-infantry roles. The 40 mm Bofors is even used in that role today, as main armament of Sweden's very capable AFV CV90.
The real problem with the Vulcan VL-2T isn't with the fluff, it's that it's a medium 'Mech with an alpha of just 70, which is less than the alpha of many light 'Mechs.
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One mech that is a pleasant surprise in early games is the Firestarter. Learn to use it and soon your enemies run in fear...
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It's arguably the best light in the game, able to either shutdown or outright kill anything on the field, including assaults.
I tend to run mine with six MGs and a pair of MLs (for the dakka! And also it crits out anything without armour protecting it), but some people swear by six SLs instead (and who am I to argue? Punchy-punchy-pew-pew is also fun!). Its only real drawback is that it doesn't have any missile slots, so you can't make a six-flamers-plus-Infernos fire-breathing shutdown monster from hell - at best it's only going to be a six-flamers fire-breathing shutdown monster from hell
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Don't be afraid to mod a mech. Example Shadow Hawk H, I remove then SRM2 & ammo and add a small laser, 2 jump jets, & .5 tons back armor. Read the Update notes if you have not.
Above all have fun!!
Above all have fun!!