What do you think of the Vindicator Variants?

Leery of too few jump jets having played on the new map. The St Ives works well if you can avoid damage but unless they sort the "hood" hit box then these are deathtraps and (imo) to be avoided. They are fun on that map though. I'll get and master them but that's just because they're the only mechs I don't have yet. Oh... the arm mounted ballistics are lower than they look.....

 

Was thinking of the AC10 + ERPPC combo also.

 

For speed, mostly.
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=207&l=255a43c9bba6d89c2ffb96e9c41cd7852f7fe4ba

 

You are bad and should feel bad.

 

I think the St. Ives and the -1AA are where it's really at. I don't really like those other two variants and don't really see what they can do for me that a Blackjack can't.

This build does look fantastic. I'm also toying with a build that will have a LRM15 slapped in there along with medium lasers. Some interesting flexibility with this variant.

 

If the 1X had more missiles, that'd be great. There are few things I love more than LBs and SRMs.

 

On Vindicator vs BJ:
1) BJ have more slots, while vindicator have arms. Both pros and cons, really.
2) The fast version of BJ does not have JJ, so this makes SIB and 1AA worth it I guess.
3) If you just want some energy slot and mybe a couple Ballistic, then BJ does it better.
3) Missile slot of the Vindicator is a selling point. Use them!
4) 1AA and SIB have engine at 250+, which is a much better deal. (even though XL250 is annoying to get compare to XL255)

Basically you can comparing to mainly JJ capable BJ, namely arrow, BJ-1 and BJ-3. The other 2 BJ does not count. They are non JJ mech with a different setup, granted, one of them can have huge engine.

When compared to the three BJ /w JJ, vindicator 1AA and SIB are great, if only on the engine size alone. 1AA is much faster, though it is a bit more lightly armed, you will nees some LL to boost the damage output. SIB seem to be quite good with the mix of missile/energy hardpoint.
(Iknow about the hitbox glitch problem, but think it will be fixed someday.)

All vindicator comes with a 5% discount on energy heat. Good thing for Pulses or LL.

As for the slow variants, they have a 5% boost on CT armor. Not helping much, but it is at least something.

 

This and an AC20

 

6) the Vindicator's torso and arm are more mobile than the Jack's (125°+35°, compared to 110° or less for the BJ)
7) weapons are higher on the BlackJack (especially on the arms)

 

This is also the reason why BJ can do some builds better. There are more crit slots, allowing for FF+Endo.
As said, the high arm mount is great, even though they do have limited movement. Ballistic-wise i is all BJ, with seperated ballistic hardpoints if needed be, not to mention AC20 or 2x UAC5 when it comes to ballistics.

Example:
http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=77&l=78d9275ebadff2e9ea4244463bf37c25093d2dc5

 

2xUAC5? I double-dog dare you to come up with a reasonable BJ build that utilizes this. If that were possible, I'd never run another mech ever again. Heh.

 

http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=77&l=fa73219b2ec52c50fdb7fcb6e5cbaff12a6c9f60

 

It hurts maaaa eeeyyyeess! I guess my mandate was "reasonable" and this totally fits that criterion. But... the BJ with max engine is barely fast enough for its weight, scaling it back to 79.2 KPH is just like dropping my pilot in a lumbering coffin.

 

Honestly, maxing the engine in the BlackJack only really worth in the -1X, in the others, with a reasonable heavy speed u are fine, anyways the best u can get is a base medium one, better fit the speed so u never forget ur role: support line for heavy mechs, nothing more, nothing less. Lets see the bright side of it, they are ur meat-shields

This same goes for the Vindicator. Maxing it only really worth in the -1AA, in the others u are most likely fine with an engine in the 200 range

 

SIB is great maxed also. No external DHS needed. The rest can sit on 225 or even 200 in some case.

 

Running the -1AA last night on the test server I must say that that is one tough little mech. Wow! My first match I got down to 12% on it, and I was consistently spreading damage all over that mech all night. I didn't try the other variants, but I imagine that they're just as good. Heck, even better since they have that 5% armor boost. These things do have a helluva time fighting in the era of the clan mechs, though. At least they can outrun every clan mech out there with a maxed engine.

 

They arent. I tried all them. The 295 engine is just enough, makes the chassis worth a try, but the 235....is painfull, like the Spider chassis, that have a great -5D and a horrible -5V.....235's Vindis are -5V, and -1AA is the -5D :blush:

 

EXCEPT that SIB is actually an ok hero, the spider hero is a bit... oh well.
Unfortunately to complete the series you need to take one of them 235. And I have yet to find a build that attracts me, Those 1x LRM20 build does not count.

 

IMHO, this mech only works in the books. But I do find this build this most effective to my play style.

 

Does it only work on the books because it's an inner sphere medium and intrinsically underpowered, or is there something wrong with the build?