Mech Ban List

If you could prevent the other team from fielding a certain mech, what would you ban?

 

Stormcrows. They're one of the most consistently difficult mechs to handle as a light pilot.

If I could prevent MY team from fielding a mech, I'd probably pick the Atlas. See the "Cringeworthy builds" section for reasons.

 

I'll echo Stormcrows, they are just so nasty to run into! As for my teammates, I am getting more and more miffed at teammates who bring along Stalkers and Catapults, but don't know how to properly operate an LRM machine...then bitch when they die.

 

Urbanmechs.

 

Diredouches.

I am so tired of listening to people in one of the highest pinpoint damage mechs brag about how awesome their skill is. It is like giving someone a nucular bomb and them bragging about how they have crazy mad skillz after they press a single button while sitting in a stationary position and killing people. It's the exact same thing.

Also, if EVERYONE had a diredouche you would see a difference in gameplay. Those with "mad skills" would very quickly find out that their mad skillz were the direct result of the firepower they carry. Being able to nuke a light mech is one thing, being able to level the playing field and still carry is something completely different.

TL;DR : Diredouches.

 

Challenge accepted.

 

I know myself and the rest of A.C.E.S are drafting like a "Captians mode" event, like in Dota 2. Each team gets 3 mech bans for a total of 6, picking back and forth, and then you have to build a drop deck around those restrictions.

I think it could be interesting.

 

I was thinking along the Dota/LoL lines as well.

For example, something like this:
1. Stormcrow Firestarter
2. Timberwolf Thunderbolt
3. Hellbringer Dragon

Three rounds would probably be pretty tough on any clan team at the moment.

 

Clan mechs breakdown, very rough:
Better than or equal to the best IS mech of equivalent weightclass:
Dire
Timber
Hellbringer
Stormcrow
Warhawk
Worse:
Everything else. Especially gargoyle.

So you ban 3/5 of the clanner's good mechs. But IS can't be banned out as easily, as they have multiple options which are still better than each remaining clan mech.
Banned firestarters? Still got Jenners. Banned those? Still got Ravens. Banned those? Still have spiders. Still better than Adders. And kitfoxen. And mist lynxen... And that's not to mention leaving thunderbolts, dragons, crabs, hunchies, cicadas, etc open.

 

I wouldn't say the lights are "better" than KFX or Adder, but different. Treat those clan mechs more like mediums with their speed. The Adder can perform on equal terms with a medium PPC boat like a Cicada, and the KFX can be a pretty decent sniper/narc platform. Oddly, the only clan mech I would compare with IS lights right now is the Ice Ferret and Mist Lynx. The former since it's the only clan mech that can top 140 kph, and the latter because of its jump jets. And unlike the KFX and Adder, they both truly blow

 

Ahh IS lights are much better despite my championing of the Adder. Their weakness is they can't compete speed wise with the IS lights and are therefore far worse at brawling as any competent IS clan pilot just sticks glued to their tail and can't be shaken 1v1. The quirks really tipped things from unbalanced to disastrous in the light side imo.

BTW I disagree on the Ice Ferret as once mastered I ended up getting good results with it - plenty of 4-5 kill battles. The hitbox changes seem to have really helped too from the ones I've been shooting so I'm tempted to try them again. Lets be honest most of the Clan problem is that all mechs just get compared to the SCR, TBR and DWF and two of those can make very good use of clan engines/dhs. The question people are really asking themselves is ... would I take a Stormcrow or Ice Ferret, not how should I use the Ice Ferret?

 

Yep.
Clan lights treated as mediums? Well, they go the same speed as a SCR, so just take one of those. It's the better medium.

I still find the kit fox fun, it's just not a competitive mech. A bit like the locust 1V. Or the spider 5V for that matter.

 

Just realised I forgot to answer the OP...

None really now they've adjusted firestarter and spider hitboxes (not seen a spider all day yesterday which says something).

If i was playing for a competitive advantage though in CW against clans.... Stormcrow and Timberwolf just because that utterly gelds the clan side.

Inner Sphere is harder - Raven 3L and Thunderbolts. Both are easy mechs to be very effective in though at least 3L's need patience and battlefield knowledge. Thunderbolts are like SCR's and TBR's - MWO on easy mode for most players.

 

I have to admit that I expected more people to say Firestarters.

 

They used to be my nemesis..... then the hitboxes were changed and now if i see them outside their MPL/SPL range they're dead.... before they could stand next to me and I could fire repeatedly into them and mysteriously not get killed until I'd taken massive damage. They get a lot better every time PGI screws up laser hit reg though I notice.

 

I don't disagree, but still a fair amount of firepower running around at 150 kph.

 

SHUSH! We're fine, you just focus on that big, scary Dire Wolf.