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Friday, 28 June 2013

MechWarrior: Online - Thunderbolt Build Speculation

Image courtesy of mwomercs.com

Please welcome to the field; the fantastic, the brilliant, the beautiful, thunder striking, fear inducing BattleMech, the Thunderbolt!!

You can obviously tell I've been eagerly awaiting the Thunderbolt release. I seriously love this Mech! It was the first BattleMech I laid eyes on!! Unfortunately I'm tossed up between the Thunderbolt and the Battlemaster as my number 1 favourite, but whatever!! I'm still getting all 4 Project Phoenix BattleMechs!!

I tell you, I seriously love this new redesign of the Thunderbolt. It just looks beautiful!! It gives an advanced technological feel. As if it was purposely designed to be better than all the current BattleMechs. Lore wise, the older Mechs have always been better than the newer ones; due to technology and the people building these Mechs vanishing.

I can clearly see a few weaknesses it might possess. The first being the "hunch-like" missile pod. It might also be a tad fat (like the Cataphract/Awesome). I just hope to god it isn't fat!! But regardless, I will pilot and master this Mech, and by master I don't mean Mech XP, I mean as a player, I plan to be a good Thunderbolt pilot, regardless of its weaknesses.
Project Phoenix is a go! The Unseen are back! After all these years, they are back! Back with a vengeance! Welcome to the battlefield; Locust, Shadow Hawk, Thunderbolt and Battlemaster!
The Thunderbolt is confirmed to have 8 Hardpoints in total (excluding AMS). It has 4 Energy (1 on the Right Arm and 3 on the Left Torso), 2 Missile Hardpoints in the Right Torso and 2 Ballistic Hardpoints on the Left Arm. This makes the Thunderbolt have very "all-round" (or balanced) Hardpoint loadout.

This is my planned build for my Phoenix Thunderbolt TDR-5S

I've chosen to use a Standard Engine as I suspect the Thunderbolt may have a very easy to hit Right Torso. Similar to the Hunchback's "hunch". In addition, I chose to forgo any Ballistic Weapons since, well I want to make use of that sweet looking missile pod!! No LRMs though; never really been a fan of LRMs.

I basically want this build to keep the same feel of the Thunderbolt (hopefully it proves effective). A Thunderbolt just isn't a Thunderbolt without making use of its missile pod; or use some massive Energy weapon in the Right Arm. It won't feel right without making use of that Medium Laser array either.

So clearly, an ERPPC takes care of the massive Energy weapon. The dual SRM 4s + Artemis IV takes care of the missile pod; and I still get to keep that cool Medium Laser array. Hopefully this is somewhat effective. Least it's a good start for an idea.

I just wish it was October already, I really, really want to pilot all 4 Project Phoenix Mechs!!

Image courtesy of mwomercs.com/phoenix

2 comments:

  1. http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=50002&l=1412dfc5fbf64464b3ba57fb8b292c1383272ea5

    I found a build that I think will work really well, and has the same requirements you said you'd like. Substiting an ERPPC for an ER Large Laser, and the SRM4s for SRM6s.

    It runs cooler and moves much faster, having a larger engine. In my opinion is would make it much better for skirmishing, which is what it appears to be built for.

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    Replies
    1. Not bad, I actually quite like it!! What I might do is change the Engine from a 315 to a 300. It still gives me pretty good speed; but more so allows me to take Artemis and get 1 Ton of AMS Ammo (you forgot AMS ammo :P).

      Messing around with the armour a little bit and this is my version: http://mwo.smurfy-net.de/mechlab#i=50002&l=a4216d57d39dbeeeca104dca22356e1c9d51b4df

      Depending on how this plays out, I can always switch the ER Large Laser for a standard Large Laser.

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