What does one need to get to the base quickly? This question has
come up as a result of the new game modes Siege Assault and Strongholds in the Black
Knight MechWarrior 4 expansion. Siege Assault requires one team to take out a base
building and a communications building while the opposing team defends with the help of
many weapon turrets and defense buildings. In Strongholds each team has a base to protect
with similar defensive equipment.
This article's purpose is to outline what mech could haul the most tonnage of electronics,
heat sinks, weapons and armor at a speed of 101 KPH and up. Light mechs are eliminated
because they are incredibly fast but even slowed down they couldn't compete. I'm not
doubting their effectiveness of getting into a base and causing destruction, but this
article is focusing on mechs with some staying power that can stick around long enough to
deal damage and somewhat defend themselves against base defenses.
What Mech should I take?
Loki is normally the first Mech that comes to mind. Incredibly fast for 65 tons, the Loki
can reach just shy of 118 KPH. With the engine upgraded to that speed the Loki can bring
32.6 tons of stuff which is half its body weight. That is a very high amount of equipment
at that speed. What limits this mech? No Jump Jets! To be honest if this mech had Jump
Jets it would be too powerful. However, with ECM installed limiting enemy radar, it is a
great mech for charging right in. You may make it into weapons range long enough to get a
few shots off at the base. One other weakness would be the arms. Most of the weaponry must
be carried in the arms and you may find them shot off before making it to the target
buildings. (many have experienced this in all the Attrition games)
I need that vertical Leap! Here comes
Mickey Mouse.
So what has Jump Jets and can still haul hind end? The largely under-appreciated Catapult.
Many times I've heard, "why take a Catapult when the Vulture is so much better".
I agree but there are a few reasons and Jump Jets is the biggest when raiding the base.
That's right folks, It's Ninja time! Jump over the city wall, right up to their building
and start firing before the automatic turrets can even respond. Although it only makes it
up to about 104 KPH, the 65 ton Catapult can haul 38.6 tons of stuff into battle. Adding
the affordable 4 ton Jump Jets still leaves 34.6 tons of stuff. Sure, the slots are a
little lopsided, but LRMs are pretty good for stationary targets and there are some energy
weapons options that will be discussed later in the article. It's getting past enemy mechs
that is the problem. Watch out for those arms a.k.a. missile racks. (OH NO! Mickey's
ears!) The Ninja analogy is not quite accurate since the Catapult doesn't have ECM
but switching radar off to passive works fairly well.
Another great choice is the 70 ton Thor. At 103 KPH it carries 36.1 tons and has
a 4 ton Jump Jet option; the Catapult is a smidgen faster, has more tonnage at that speed,
and the same Jump Jet tonnage. The Thor's weapons slot configuration is much better. The
arm weakness is a consideration but there are some torso slots to spread the weapons love
around. In all fairness the Thor is the Ninja. With Jump Jets, ECM and a fairly high speed
of 103 KPH all he is missing is the black jammies. The Thor can bring only 2.5 tons less
into battle at a speed that is 1 KPH slower than the Catapult but the ECM and good weapons
slots is tempting. One thing to consider is being spotted. The Thor stands up straight and
tall compared to the Catapult. Really, if spotted which would you shoot first, Mickey
Mouse or the big human thing that is higher tonnage and can put a mean mix of weapons
together in those arms? It may not matter because if you keep the ways of the Ninja you
wouldn't ever be seen.
What of the Smaller Medium Mechs?
55 toners. Ryoken vs. Bushwhacker. Same speed of 106 KPH but the
Ryoken can carry exactly 3 tons more at 31.10 tons AND has 3 ton Jump Jet ability. Before
going Ryoken you may want to consider the 50 ton Uziel.
Uziel can achieve 107 KPH, carry 32.6 tons into battle and has a 3 ton Jump Jet option.
A ShadowCat is better than a NovaCat. Why compare the 45 ton ShadowCat to the
75 ton NovaCat in the first place? Well, they both have Cat in the name (like many other
mechs in the game) but the NovaCat has been considered a decent interference runner in
Capture the Flag. As for storming the base this comparison grossly shows the NovaCat's
inefficient speed. The ShadowCat can achieve the speed of 112 KPH with 27.35 tons and an
option of Jump Jets but the NovaCat can only run 108 KPH and have 25.6 tons left and no
chance for Jump Jets. The ShadowCat has a lower profile and at that amount of tons left
could probably match armaments to the NovaCat. I guess you could pour all the NovaCat
tonnage into armor and make it run with few weapons. Good for CTF, bad for blowing up
buildings. If the Chimera could just run a
little faster or carry a little more tonnage it wouldn't be outmoded by the ShadowCat in
this function as it is now.
Honorable Mentions of Mechs that can't quite get
101 KPH
The 90 ton Sunder can haul
buttocks at 89.75 KPH and brings 56.6 tons with it at that speed! No Jump Jet options but
it has ECM. This is a mech to consider for a base defender or a big old "rush the
base hope you make it but still be a good distraction" sacrifice.
I've seen a lot of Black Knights sneaking in like Ninjas. At 99 KPH it
hauls 37.10 tons which is good but it's sub 100 KPH. The 4 ton Jump Jets are good and ECM
option adds to its Ninja skills. Personally I prefer the extra speed that the Thor and
Catapult provide.
Dishonorable Mentions
It is good for my soul to finally see the 90 ton MadCat Mark II NOT good for something.
I'll give credit that it can crank to 88 KPH but only brings 34.6 tons at that speed. Jump
Jets are available, but for a hefty 6 tons, which is a lot when you only have 34.6 to work
with. Could be a great distraction mech to go up the middle. By carrying just enough
weapons to really rock the defenders, they will come after the big MCMII distraction.
Remember, you have to armor the behemoth with that 34.6 tons too. You can take a Sunder
for the same purpose and also do more damage. I think the MadCat Mark II looks like
Mickey Mouse but more players tend to shoot it. The MCMII is scary for its damage
potential. An excellent use for the MCMII is the slow and steady approach of turret knock
out duty.
What Weapons Should Be Used?
Something to consider is filling these mechs with Medium XPulse Lasers. Cycle by cycle
Medium XPulse Lasers (2.2 damage per cycle) do less damage than Large XPulse Laser (3.1
damage per cycle). However, they are light weight and only 1 slot. Medium XPulse heat
isn't too bad either which means a lot more can be installed on a mech than Large XPulse
Lasers. You will be able to deliver more damage per cycle with the right combination of
Medium XPulse than you will with Large XPulse and most other weapons. The biggest argument
against Medium XPulse lasers is keeping trained on your target so that damage is not
spread out too much. If you can get close enough to the building (Medium XPulse have a 400
range) its not hard to stay trained on it with fast cycling weapons.
If you are not willing to "Ninja" in to the 400 range of a
building deep within a heavily defended base, you can go with 1000 range Clan Long Range
Missiles. They deliver a fair amount of damage per cycle and LRMs don't require locking
time on stationary targets. Don't forget the barely used Medium Range Missiles. Although
it is hard to hit moving targets with MRMs, they can deliver a big punch on unmoving
targets. The big draw back is ammo limitation and you are back to that 400 range. With
mechs of theses sizes running at these speeds, they can barely carry enough ammo. Normally
you will find that there is just enough or just shy of the ammo required to destroy both
buildings.
Artillery Strikes would seem viable too, but I think you will start to
see a trend of them being banned. Apparently when the game is about to recycle after a
base has been restored, Artillery Strikes can be fired at the ground where the buildings
were standing. A couple seconds into the new game they will drop on the new building
sometimes resulting in immediate destruction of the new enemy structures. This is a
definite glitch in the game. Thanks to HappyGamers confidant Phaede for pointing that out
to us.
10/08/2002 Update
Two chassis have emerged from the Mech Paks that have earned their place
high on the list of base charging. Catapult no longer hauls the most tonnage at over
100Kph and faster. See the pros and con of the new chassis for charging.
The 65 ton Cauldron-Born of the Clan Mech Pak beats out the Catapult by
hauling 40.1 tons of armor, weapons and components and is able to do it at 104Kph which is
approximately 1 kph faster than the catapult. Two major disadvantages for the
Cauldron-Born is the lack of Jump Jet option and wide body which has proven difficult to
maneuver through tight areas to take cover.
The 60 ton Dragon of the Inner Sphere Mech Pak is able to reach a speed of
115Kph and carry 31.6 tons of equipment into battle. This is an efficient amount of mobile
tonnage for this size mech. There are no Jump Jets avaialble but the Dragons biggest
advantage is size and stature. It is a thin and short chassis allowing it to fit in tight
alley ways. It is also hard to spot the Dragon above short obstacles. ECM for radar
sneaking and IFF for target redicule suppression allow this mech to be extra stealthy.
Although the Loki has better speed at nearly 118K and ECM, it lacks in IFF and stands very
tall and obvious. The Dragon also has more torso based weapon slots which are better
protection than the mainly arm mounted weapons on the Loki. |
