The Scalpel is a fast, precise point shooter for pilots that like to stick and move while having a little more toughness and durability than a scout. Upside: - Speedy and maneuverable (+15.8 Kph over stock 200). - EXCELLENT heat tolerance. Efficiency at 1.29 w/ 20 DHS is a bit misleading because the 5th pulse in the head is a reserve/desperation weapon. Using the 4 MPL's in the arms = an actual efficiency of 1.42. So every 3 sec you can put a 24 point shot into a very compact point and keep it up for a looooong time. This mech is VERY hard to overheat. - Easy to shoot: MPL's have the 2nd quickest shot duration for energy weapons (.75s) so concentrating damage on weakened sections is easier to do while moving at full speed. MPL's are very dependable crit seekers. - Simple and redundant weapon package provides great endurance. Losing an arm for instance still leaves you with 3 of your 5 weapons. Arm MPL's are group 1 / Head MPL is emergency group 2. - Arm mounted weapons provide great lateral articulation and vertical flexibility. Nothing from a medium on up will ever be able to circle out of your weapon arc - you will almost always have a shot. Having expanded vertical shooting capability means you will be able to make shots while moving on vertical terrain that a lot of other mechs can't. Downside: - XL engine provides less durability than standard and will kill you via detonation when you lose a torso (due to the extra XL engine slots being in your torsos - 3 slots in each). - Severe range limitations: MPL's don't register their full damage until you are under 180m. - Not 'bursty' - you need to decide if drilling people 24 pts at a time is something you can live with... - Stock armor @ 320 pts leaves no room to be sloppy. - No AMS. The mental approach is like this: This is not a standoff or sniping weapon so you have to be willing to get personal with people... which with only 320 points of armor and engine slots in your torsos may very well get you killed (depending on how well you can drive mostly). This mech is also not a brawler - it's a knife fighter. Slashing and semi-circling attacks are what it excels at. Being a medium is an advantage for you in this because you are rarely an initially focused target. So having said that, this is NOT the mech for you if don't like to shoot while you move. This mech will reward you handsomely if you remember 2 things: 1. Put the throttle at full and leave it there. 2. Make your shot and get the hell out. Trust me, against anything bigger than a scout you will re-index him faster than he can re-index you once you break the circle or lose sight around terrain. Your advantages are your speed and your heat efficiency - only straight ballistics shooters will be able to stay with you without shutting down - anyone else WILL overheat if they try to match you shot for shot. So your job is to stay alive and put your shots where they need to go - eventually you will either overheat them or bleed them out via crits IF you can make your shots. Necessarily then, this approach also demands that you operate in terrain that gives you the advantage - do not go into places that make it difficult for you to circle or where you will get trapped by structures - that's a very very good way to get yourself smoked quickly versus people that have a burst. Speed is life, etc... So that's it! I don't expect that this will appeal to a wide audience because it is very much a style dependent mech - if you don't have the mindset and discipline to drive it in a very narrowly focused way, then it's probably not going to be your cup of tea - and there's certainly nothing wrong with that either. Just be aware that this mech does not suffer fools. Personally I've had great success with it, but mostly I feel like that's because I understand the mech and (as with any weapon) I happen to be able to wield it effectively. I've built strengths into it that I can employ well. Too often sometimes, I think we build things that in reality don't fit our own personal style and strengths as pilots all that well. This one however fits me GREAT. So I'll leave you with this advice: Next time you decide to get into a knife fight - bring a SCALPEL. Thanks for Reading and Good Hunting!
