Kodiak.... it's coming

Got the full package. Gotta say, love the Kodiaks, and the concept art was gorgeous. When I double-checked the two canon configurations (KDK-1 and KDK-2) on Sarna, I was thinking the KDK-1 was going to be a monster for laser configs, then they revealed the KDK-5.

ELEVEN. LASER. HARDPOINTS. On a 100 tonne assault mech that moves at 64kph stock. We are staring down the face of the new Wubmaster, people. If one of these things gets close to you, kiss goodbye to your armor, because he's tearing through.

 

:O So pretty! I think i'll try to quell my inner responsible adult and get one.
Are the extra 20$ for the Collector Pack worth it, or what is the general buying advice here?

 

You're functionally paying $20 for the C-Bill bonused version of the 1, an extra mech bay, 30 days of banked premium time, two additional of each of the cockpit items, and the title/badge thrown in on top. It's not bad value if you want it, but much of it is cosmetic and it's not needed for the pre-order early adopter bonuses either.

Buying 30 days premium time would be ~$5-$12 depending on how/when it was purchased, and a mechbay is worth about $1-2 as well. For a C-Bill earning mech that cannot be gained any other way, and would be worth $12-25 if it could be, the Collector's package can be worthwhile if you value the things that come in it. If not, though, it's $20 you could be spending on things you want more.

 

I think the Spirit Bear might have to be my first real hero mech , not counting the Pirate's Bane I picked up on sale with leftovers of my first MC purchase a while back. I'm a big fan of how closely grouped the four missile hard-points are, clustered SRM 24+A coming 'atcha sir, like a beam, like a buzzard, like a ray... or like Howard Moon. Although the KDK-5 does have ELEVEN energy hard-points, they both don't have enough torso mounted points, for my taste at least. I'm probably going to go with the standard pack with the hero add on, as $20 extra for one more variant is a bit much for me. I know it comes with more premium time and whatnot, but whatever.

 

Consider this, according to Sarna, this mech costs 29 million Cbills... that's a lot of grinding. For me all 6 mechs are worth the buy. The collectors... eeh i don't go for those, so not so much.

 

I'm of the mindset that a Kodiak sale means even more chance to save massively, but I can't blame anyone who doesn't want to wait or grind out (since even on the best sale, you're talking essentially 15 million C-Bills per variant).

 

So, here are my thoughts on the 6 variants:

KDK-1: The base variant is often one of the least impressive, and this one follows that usual problem. Still, you can do a few combos (UAC20/6 ERML, or LBX20/6ERML. Gauss/2 LPL/4-5 ERML) that might put some pain out there. I don;t know if the (S) variant is worth getting for $20 more with these hardpoints. 2 missile points doesn't really add much close range, and I see LRMs on this thing as being just as offensive as they are on an Atlas.

KDK-2: This variant has JJs, but the hardpoints are still pretty lackluster. Only one missile point, so it's even more anemic in that regard. JJs give it some agility, MASC would've been good on this variant too. Same builds work here that work in the KDK-1, and you could throw in a NARC just to be annoying.

KDK-3: Now we're talking. 4 energy, 4 ballistic, what can't you do here!? Quad UAC5/Quad ERML, Dual Gauss/2 LPL/2 ERML or MPL, and done. This one will be a beast of a mech, and likely one of the most threatening of the chassis overall.

KDK-4: 4 energy, 2 ballistic, 1 missile...super anemic on hardpoints, but with 2 ballistic you can at least run dual gauss with 2 LPL and 2 ERML, or go gauss/PPC combo easily enough. Capable, in that regard, but the missile point is wasted again.

KDK-5: I'm of two minds on this one. On one hand, 11 energy points with a ballistic backup could let you run something like 11 SPL with an LBX20, but without MASC, it'll have problems closing to effective range. I see LPL/ERML combos being much more effective here, don't try to fill up every hard point or you'll die.

KDK-SB: 4 energy, 4 missile, with MASC. MASC will cost 4 tons, but you can change the engine if you want to make up some lost ground in tonnage. SRM builds could work, but you're really gonna have to mash MASC for it to be worth the build. I'd say that the mid-month MASC patch will decide how worth it this guy is. If the MASC changes make the EXE more viable, then the SB will probably work as well. If MASC still sucks...well, you know how that ends up for the Spirit Bear. Builds will probably be 4xSRM6+A with ERMLs as backup (maybe an LPL if you're feisty?), and you know some knob is going to throw 4 LRM20's on this thing...

 

...Why are people still treating the Kodiak like an Omnimech? It's an analogue to the Atlas. Hell, it's THE analogue to the Atlas that the clans will have, unless they give us the Atlas II or the Behemoth. If anything, we'll see a very similar split as the IS has with it's two 100 tonne assaults.

Kodiak = Atlas: You are the tip of the spear. Like the AS7-S, you can pull off a fairly brutal close-quarters setup, so you shouldn't be hiding up the back with LRMs. You should be in the thick of the fight, opening up targets. The other good role for the Kodiak and/or Atlas is an ambusher, and it's one that I've found the Atlas does surprisingly well. Got high hopes for the ambush bear, we might recreate the opening to MWII: Ghost Bear's Revenge yet.

Dire Wolf = King Crab. You are either in the rear portion of the spear thrust, providing cover fire, or you are just behind the spearhead, focusing fire on the targets exposed by the speartip. Seriously, as much damage as these two mechs can dish out, they aren't quite as... how can I put this delicately... "Nimble"... as the others. Limited torso twist, and in the Dire Whale's case, a turning circle roughly on par with planetary orbit, means that these mechs are better support than they are front-facers.

 

According to Sarna, the Dire Wolf also costs 29 million c-bills. A lot of the mechs are more expensive in tabletop than they are here, so expect to be looking at Dire Wolf price for 'em. Which, strangely, is cheaper than the price of an Executioner.

That being said, the Spirit Bear will be EXPENSIVE. First Clan hero mech, plus the first Hero with MASC. Add onto that the cost modifiers for C-tech and a 400XL. MC price is gonna be obscene.

(Sorry about double post, I realized something with the cost idea)

 

Mostly because the announcement that it was like the IICs was only really pointed out in the town hall, not on the preorder page A lot of people missed that info. That said, people will still LRM it, just like they do the Atlas, because people are idiots.

I'm interested to see how the Kodiak holds up vs the Atlas as a tanky mech though. The biggest upside the AS7 has right now is its structure quirks...without those, I fear the KDK may be very vulnerable, even though it's faster at base speed with the stock engine.

 

Lore-Nerd moment:
The Kodiak 2, 3, and 4 are all post-3060 variants.
So does that mean we can start getting some of the IS 3058 tech: ER Short, Medium lasers; MRMs; Streak 4's and 6's?

 

Doubtful. Those builds are all achievable with 3050 tech, so while the variants may have come from the Davion Civil War era, the tech level they bring hasn't really advanced far enough to say "TIMESKIP".

 

I think you're right about the Kodiak not being as tanky as the Atlas.

Kodiak armor-560 Atlas armor-614

But the agility will help, the XL400 will (hopefully) allow this Ursus to torso twist like a mofo, and being a clan engine lets us lose a side torso, unlike an XL400 in an Atlas, freeing up extra tonnage without making the side torsos kill components. But when it comes right down to it, we will have to see how they distribute the armor between all the components on the Kodiak, and the quirks (if any) it will be given before we can say for sure.

 

Best Bang for the Bucks compared to the Unseen Mech Packs (tonnage-wise), so it's a good deal to get the Standard Package + Hero. The Addon is a bad deal imo (2 Mechs only and hardpoints-wise)

Personally i would run Wubsaw + Shotgun (+SRMs) and the one(s) with 2B -> Dual UAC10 for Aggressive Brawls, just like piloting an Atlas, but with almost everything more powerful (Firepower/Speed/JJ/MASC)

I can understand why ppl bash this Mech - because Direwolf with equal Tonnage Weight can load much more Firepower + Heatsinks due to smaller Engine Size. It's somekind a Mix of the Direwolf and the Executioner = Atlas Killer
The only thing it doesn't have is ECM. But In the end a very good addition to the Collection. Grab it now!

 

SRSly though, the first thing I do will be to take off that cXL400, and replace it with something like a cXL375 or even a STD engine.

You don't need that cXL400, the extra tonnage will make thing like KDK-3 much much deadlier when combined wih that speed. This is atlasII basically, but better.

 

Spirit Bear will be able to run:

• XL400 for 69.7 KPH
• MASC boosting you to 90.61 KPH (Russ hinting at a 30% speed increase in the upcoming MASC buff)
• 4x SRM6+A w/ 5t ammo
• 1x LBX10 or UAC10 w/ 3t ammo (UAC20/LBX20 can fit with some armor changes)
  
• 1 or 2 backup energy
• ~20 C-DHS

Thing is going to be a MONSTER

The KODIAK-5 can run 11x ERML, XL400, TC Mk. 7 (getting buffed significantly apparently), and 35 C-DHS. Without Ferro/Endo it does have the slots for it all, but we'll see if they fit well.