Post by higgs on Dec 16, 2016 17:48:57 GMT -8
GMan's Guide is here.
The Hellbringer is a 65-ton Omnimech with a base speed of 81 kph on an XL engine, standard internals, and standard armor. It carries 3 internal heat sinks, and with 416 armor (strip 2 off the head and 2 off of each leg) it can carry 23.5 tons of weapons and has free critical slots in every location. It's the Clans' only heavy 'mech to carry ECM and is a strong enough chassis all around that it neither has nor needs quirks - meaning that there's no difference between the various chassis and Omnipods can be selected for just the weapon hardpoint choices they give.
Special Omnipod Notes
Head: Use the HBR-A head. The Prime offers AMS, but the circumstances where you'd rather have AMS than an energy hardpoint don't exist.
Left Torso: Use the HBR-Prime left torso. It's got 3E and an ECM slot. Some builds might require a different LT. Those builds are wrong. Of course, the down side to this is that losing the LT tends to REALLY hurt most builds.
Builds
Short-Range Critseeker: This is for accompanying a push of other heavies and short to mid-range brawls. The lasers are your primary weapons; if firing on a weakened opponent, use the LBX-10 and the SRMs to try and get yourself some critical hit goodness on open locations or to finish off a damaged torso or leg. This is a very good build for hit and run attacks on slow assault 'mechs, and the high-damage, low-duration alpha means that IS heavies are taking a risk facing you down.
Pros: 74-point alpha strike, a good counter to IS medium laser vomit.
Cons: Very ineffective outside short ranges.
Modules: ER Small Laser Range; LBX-10 Cooldown; Seismic Sensor; SRM6 Cooldown
ER Large Laser Sniping: A classic, your goal is to find a place close enough to your team to be supportive, pick your targets, and fill them full of lasers at 600+ meters, firing in groups of 2. If you start taking fire (or once you start riding your heat shutdown), take the time to reposition; ECM means not having to worry much about LRMs. The Clan Active Probe and the Advanced Sensor Range module also make you a great spotter for your team's LRMs if they have any, and mean that you have the ability to determine which damaged locations to shoot out to ~1000m. Additional tip: go for the legs; the long burn time on the lasers means that a torso twist will spread damage all over, but they can't twist legs away as easily.
Pros: Can lay down 20-point burns out to 740m and can still deal damage out at nearly 1500. Lasers, unlike ballistics or PPCs, will do SOME damage even to a dodging target.
Cons: A 2-ERLL poke isn't awful, but it's also not devastating; this is definitely a build that needs face time to generate high damage numbers. This mech is fairly vulnerable at close quarters.
Modules: ER Large Laser Range; ER Large Laser Cooldown; Advanced Zoom; Extended Sensor Range.
ERPPC Sniping: "But Higgs!" you say. "Bracket Builds are awful!" Well, no, they're not, really. This requires the Loyalty HBR (you can do a 5xERSL build with a bit more armor if you don't have that) and plays a lot like the ERLL sniper - find a position, lay down fire, continue until either the incoming fire gets hot or you do - but it does it with two ERPPCs, and it's a really nasty piece of work at short range too. It isn't a brawler, but it can defend itself reasonably well. The same notes regarding the Clan Active Probe and Extended Sensor Range modules from the ERLL build apply.
Pros: The usual pros of a bracket build: effective at every range. 2 ERPPC is really quite good, and 6 ERSL is competitive with IS laser vom at short ranges, especially if you slam a PPC in there as well.
Cons: The lack of PPC velocity quirks means that it's harder to make this work than some other PPC snipers; you'll miss more shots.
Modules: ERPPC Range; ERSL Range; Advanced Zoom; Extended Sensor Range.
ERML Vomit: With the nerf to LPL ranges (and, frankly, their extra weight) I feel that this performs better than the traditional 2LPL/5ERML build. Once again it requires the loyalty variant of the Hellbringer; I can't really recommend doing this with just 7ERML. This does what ERML vomit does: engages at 300-400m, fires in groups of 4 to avoid ghost heat, does loads of effective pinpoint damage. Shield right; even if you lose that arm and torso, you've still got 6 lasers.
Pros: Runs nice and cool, and simple weapon groupings are easy to play. Better range than MPLs.
Cons: The burn time of the ERML means you do NOT want to stand and trade with IS laser vom builds; try to keep your distance (their damage drops off sharply at 300m; yours doesn't) and poke or shield to avoid losing that critical left torso.
Modules: ERML Range; ERML Cooldown; Radar Deprivation; Seismic Sensor
WubWub: MPLs solve some of the burn time issues of the ERML build, but trade off range and run a little hotter due to the faster cycle times. Still, this can alpha for a LOT of pinpoint damage; it shreds legs very well. This build doesn't require the Loyalty variant.
Pros: Quick burn time. Excellent DPS.
Cons: Quite a bit hotter than the ERML build. This is also completely wrecked by losing the LT - being left with one MPL because the enemy knew where to shoot you really hurts.
The Hellbringer is a 65-ton Omnimech with a base speed of 81 kph on an XL engine, standard internals, and standard armor. It carries 3 internal heat sinks, and with 416 armor (strip 2 off the head and 2 off of each leg) it can carry 23.5 tons of weapons and has free critical slots in every location. It's the Clans' only heavy 'mech to carry ECM and is a strong enough chassis all around that it neither has nor needs quirks - meaning that there's no difference between the various chassis and Omnipods can be selected for just the weapon hardpoint choices they give.
Special Omnipod Notes
Head: Use the HBR-A head. The Prime offers AMS, but the circumstances where you'd rather have AMS than an energy hardpoint don't exist.
Left Torso: Use the HBR-Prime left torso. It's got 3E and an ECM slot. Some builds might require a different LT. Those builds are wrong. Of course, the down side to this is that losing the LT tends to REALLY hurt most builds.
Builds
Short-Range Critseeker: This is for accompanying a push of other heavies and short to mid-range brawls. The lasers are your primary weapons; if firing on a weakened opponent, use the LBX-10 and the SRMs to try and get yourself some critical hit goodness on open locations or to finish off a damaged torso or leg. This is a very good build for hit and run attacks on slow assault 'mechs, and the high-damage, low-duration alpha means that IS heavies are taking a risk facing you down.
Pros: 74-point alpha strike, a good counter to IS medium laser vomit.
Cons: Very ineffective outside short ranges.
Modules: ER Small Laser Range; LBX-10 Cooldown; Seismic Sensor; SRM6 Cooldown
ER Large Laser Sniping: A classic, your goal is to find a place close enough to your team to be supportive, pick your targets, and fill them full of lasers at 600+ meters, firing in groups of 2. If you start taking fire (or once you start riding your heat shutdown), take the time to reposition; ECM means not having to worry much about LRMs. The Clan Active Probe and the Advanced Sensor Range module also make you a great spotter for your team's LRMs if they have any, and mean that you have the ability to determine which damaged locations to shoot out to ~1000m. Additional tip: go for the legs; the long burn time on the lasers means that a torso twist will spread damage all over, but they can't twist legs away as easily.
Pros: Can lay down 20-point burns out to 740m and can still deal damage out at nearly 1500. Lasers, unlike ballistics or PPCs, will do SOME damage even to a dodging target.
Cons: A 2-ERLL poke isn't awful, but it's also not devastating; this is definitely a build that needs face time to generate high damage numbers. This mech is fairly vulnerable at close quarters.
Modules: ER Large Laser Range; ER Large Laser Cooldown; Advanced Zoom; Extended Sensor Range.
ERPPC Sniping: "But Higgs!" you say. "Bracket Builds are awful!" Well, no, they're not, really. This requires the Loyalty HBR (you can do a 5xERSL build with a bit more armor if you don't have that) and plays a lot like the ERLL sniper - find a position, lay down fire, continue until either the incoming fire gets hot or you do - but it does it with two ERPPCs, and it's a really nasty piece of work at short range too. It isn't a brawler, but it can defend itself reasonably well. The same notes regarding the Clan Active Probe and Extended Sensor Range modules from the ERLL build apply.
Pros: The usual pros of a bracket build: effective at every range. 2 ERPPC is really quite good, and 6 ERSL is competitive with IS laser vom at short ranges, especially if you slam a PPC in there as well.
Cons: The lack of PPC velocity quirks means that it's harder to make this work than some other PPC snipers; you'll miss more shots.
Modules: ERPPC Range; ERSL Range; Advanced Zoom; Extended Sensor Range.
ERML Vomit: With the nerf to LPL ranges (and, frankly, their extra weight) I feel that this performs better than the traditional 2LPL/5ERML build. Once again it requires the loyalty variant of the Hellbringer; I can't really recommend doing this with just 7ERML. This does what ERML vomit does: engages at 300-400m, fires in groups of 4 to avoid ghost heat, does loads of effective pinpoint damage. Shield right; even if you lose that arm and torso, you've still got 6 lasers.
Pros: Runs nice and cool, and simple weapon groupings are easy to play. Better range than MPLs.
Cons: The burn time of the ERML means you do NOT want to stand and trade with IS laser vom builds; try to keep your distance (their damage drops off sharply at 300m; yours doesn't) and poke or shield to avoid losing that critical left torso.
Modules: ERML Range; ERML Cooldown; Radar Deprivation; Seismic Sensor
WubWub: MPLs solve some of the burn time issues of the ERML build, but trade off range and run a little hotter due to the faster cycle times. Still, this can alpha for a LOT of pinpoint damage; it shreds legs very well. This build doesn't require the Loyalty variant.
Pros: Quick burn time. Excellent DPS.
Cons: Quite a bit hotter than the ERML build. This is also completely wrecked by losing the LT - being left with one MPL because the enemy knew where to shoot you really hurts.
