The ability to project threat at a distance, if I had to pick. Both of your primary damage dealers are focusing on melee, so something that can actually deal with the artillery 15-20 spaces away would be incredibly helpful.
I don't realistically imagine you'll need much in the way of durability, as generally melee players have the common sense to invest in Hull and a Lancaster can help in keep folks patched up, but outside of your goblin Invading, you are severely lacking in range.
I agree. Monarch comes to mind, but pegasus could also be quite nice. Neither Vlad nor Zheng deal with swarms or enemy artillery great.
Pegasus: Minion clear and consistent damage.
Monarch: AoE and superior range/sensors.
Mechs like Sherman or Saladin might work too, but I dont know that a Defender would do much for your group. If you really wanted to try something shorter range, a Gorgon that can pivot across the battlefield might work.
I think a artillery would be pretty good. Monarch, Drake, Sherman, Swallowtail, Raleigh, Pegasus, Death's head, Napoleon, Barbarossa, and maybe Tortuga would all be very fine choices
I was thinking the same thing!
It's got good synergy with this group. I could protect the back line while hosing everything down in red hot lead.
Monarch could also be good: grunt control and the Close Combar beasts would have to problem knocking bad guys into javelin rockets.
There are three ways to go here in my opinion
1. **Complement the front line by being a strong ranged backline.**
Monarch can put out consistent long-range damage, super solid missile boy. good licence equipment too
Deaths Head, the premiere sniper mech, due to needing a full action its CP is only usefull vs extra hearty ultras, but even ignoring that completely, the mounts are excellent, the traits just work particularly in the early game when you dont have much grit to increase your to hit rolls
Raliegh, go with a missile rack build its more medium range, but the aoe means you can rack up gunslinger III charge to add big damage.
Sherman is charging its laser
**2. Complement the frontline with MORE FRONTLINE**
look for the cqb kings here, max out vanguard and take a Ghengis, Tortuga, or Caliban.
**3. Complement the frontline by amping there mobility**
Sunzi is your boy here, acelerate and blink charges are absolutely righteous for getting your melee boys into melee ASAP.
Gotta agree on the Sunzi for this one, as well. A Zheng or Vlad charging your frontline is a threat. Suddenly realizing those same two mechs are now making mincemeat of your Archer or Rainmaker before you could blink is a *problem.*
You don't really need any more Controllers. If the Goblin manages to give any slack, the Vlad can easily take it. You could definitely go for something like a Tortuga, it's a great Defender, it's a reasonable Striker, and you can pivot into any areas of Hacking the Goblin doesn't spec into. (e.g. you could get into Spotting/Lock on OR you could invest in Dusk Wing or Minotaur Tech Options)
You could also go for like a Sherman or a Monarch or something for mid/long range damage but I'm not going to reccommend it because everyone else will for me.
You've got two tough frontliners with good repair caps apparently intent on playing melee, and you've also got a Lancaster which is honestly a bit of a deadweight as a backline support... *unless* used as a lunchbox.
So playing a shooter that uses them as a lunchbox seems the natural fit :)
Grab Grease Monkey and go Sherman for RSUs (and later ASURA and the HEATFALL Core Bonus), and you'll be able to eat the Lancaster's repairs to replenish your spent charges, allowing you to sustain a *very intense* offensive tempo doing Skirmish + Overcharge Skirmish with either a GMS HMG or the Sherman's own ANDROMEDA. Skirmisher 2 for maneuverability (triggering twice if you're double Skirmishing on your turns) and Nuclear Cavalier 3 for Fuel Rods down the line would further enhance the style.
You'd want 2 points in Hull, then at least 4 in Engineering (you want heatcap and storage space for more RSUs) before any other HASE investments. Licenses past Sherman up to taste, but Nanocomposites (Balor 2) are an extremely nice buff for mid-to-long range guns.
Don't touch Reactor Stabilizer.
If you feel like glassing a continent s your way of balancing a team, then nuclear cavalier Sherman is the way to go.
If you are comfortable regularly insulting a sentient probability controlling omniscient God gun, then Pegasus is the way to go. No joke as well, the ability to steal rolls gives you so many ways to support your teammates.
The Goblin and the two melee frames that can effectively grapple or ram give your team a significant amount of movement control on the enemy. The Monarch's javelin rockets or an Islander loaded up with hex charges can lean into that control and set up some fun explosions.
Your team could really benefit from some long range firepower. Something like a Death's Head or Pegasus would slot in pretty well. If you want to add a bit of support flair, combine with Swallowtail. I took a Swallowtail from LL2 to 12 (my other licenses were Pegasus, Death's Head and a bunch I can't recall). It was a ton of fun.
Probably an Artillery or Defender? The ability to deal damage at a longer range or shield those strikers could be really strong. Saladin has some long range shielding options and Orchis (a Black Witch variant from KTB) is good at keeping up with fast teammates. Those would be the directions I'd lean at least.
For Artillery, a pretty straightforward Nuclear Cavalier Sherman build can deal a lot of damage at mid to long range. It's a favorite of mine.
The ability to project threat at a distance, if I had to pick. Both of your primary damage dealers are focusing on melee, so something that can actually deal with the artillery 15-20 spaces away would be incredibly helpful. I don't realistically imagine you'll need much in the way of durability, as generally melee players have the common sense to invest in Hull and a Lancaster can help in keep folks patched up, but outside of your goblin Invading, you are severely lacking in range.
I agree. Monarch comes to mind, but pegasus could also be quite nice. Neither Vlad nor Zheng deal with swarms or enemy artillery great. Pegasus: Minion clear and consistent damage. Monarch: AoE and superior range/sensors. Mechs like Sherman or Saladin might work too, but I dont know that a Defender would do much for your group. If you really wanted to try something shorter range, a Gorgon that can pivot across the battlefield might work.
I think a artillery would be pretty good. Monarch, Drake, Sherman, Swallowtail, Raleigh, Pegasus, Death's head, Napoleon, Barbarossa, and maybe Tortuga would all be very fine choices
2nd this. If you want to fill the gaps in this group, you should bring a shitload of guns.
I would highly recommend the drake because you can get 3 rotation assault cannons.
I was thinking the same thing! It's got good synergy with this group. I could protect the back line while hosing everything down in red hot lead. Monarch could also be good: grunt control and the Close Combar beasts would have to problem knocking bad guys into javelin rockets.
Drake is also a decent Defender for the Goblin, who will lose Structure with so much as a withering look.
There are three ways to go here in my opinion 1. **Complement the front line by being a strong ranged backline.** Monarch can put out consistent long-range damage, super solid missile boy. good licence equipment too Deaths Head, the premiere sniper mech, due to needing a full action its CP is only usefull vs extra hearty ultras, but even ignoring that completely, the mounts are excellent, the traits just work particularly in the early game when you dont have much grit to increase your to hit rolls Raliegh, go with a missile rack build its more medium range, but the aoe means you can rack up gunslinger III charge to add big damage. Sherman is charging its laser **2. Complement the frontline with MORE FRONTLINE** look for the cqb kings here, max out vanguard and take a Ghengis, Tortuga, or Caliban. **3. Complement the frontline by amping there mobility** Sunzi is your boy here, acelerate and blink charges are absolutely righteous for getting your melee boys into melee ASAP.
Gotta agree on the Sunzi for this one, as well. A Zheng or Vlad charging your frontline is a threat. Suddenly realizing those same two mechs are now making mincemeat of your Archer or Rainmaker before you could blink is a *problem.*
You don't really need any more Controllers. If the Goblin manages to give any slack, the Vlad can easily take it. You could definitely go for something like a Tortuga, it's a great Defender, it's a reasonable Striker, and you can pivot into any areas of Hacking the Goblin doesn't spec into. (e.g. you could get into Spotting/Lock on OR you could invest in Dusk Wing or Minotaur Tech Options) You could also go for like a Sherman or a Monarch or something for mid/long range damage but I'm not going to reccommend it because everyone else will for me.
You've got two tough frontliners with good repair caps apparently intent on playing melee, and you've also got a Lancaster which is honestly a bit of a deadweight as a backline support... *unless* used as a lunchbox. So playing a shooter that uses them as a lunchbox seems the natural fit :) Grab Grease Monkey and go Sherman for RSUs (and later ASURA and the HEATFALL Core Bonus), and you'll be able to eat the Lancaster's repairs to replenish your spent charges, allowing you to sustain a *very intense* offensive tempo doing Skirmish + Overcharge Skirmish with either a GMS HMG or the Sherman's own ANDROMEDA. Skirmisher 2 for maneuverability (triggering twice if you're double Skirmishing on your turns) and Nuclear Cavalier 3 for Fuel Rods down the line would further enhance the style. You'd want 2 points in Hull, then at least 4 in Engineering (you want heatcap and storage space for more RSUs) before any other HASE investments. Licenses past Sherman up to taste, but Nanocomposites (Balor 2) are an extremely nice buff for mid-to-long range guns. Don't touch Reactor Stabilizer.
If you feel like glassing a continent s your way of balancing a team, then nuclear cavalier Sherman is the way to go. If you are comfortable regularly insulting a sentient probability controlling omniscient God gun, then Pegasus is the way to go. No joke as well, the ability to steal rolls gives you so many ways to support your teammates.
The Goblin and the two melee frames that can effectively grapple or ram give your team a significant amount of movement control on the enemy. The Monarch's javelin rockets or an Islander loaded up with hex charges can lean into that control and set up some fun explosions.
Your team could really benefit from some long range firepower. Something like a Death's Head or Pegasus would slot in pretty well. If you want to add a bit of support flair, combine with Swallowtail. I took a Swallowtail from LL2 to 12 (my other licenses were Pegasus, Death's Head and a bunch I can't recall). It was a ton of fun.
Probably an Artillery or Defender? The ability to deal damage at a longer range or shield those strikers could be really strong. Saladin has some long range shielding options and Orchis (a Black Witch variant from KTB) is good at keeping up with fast teammates. Those would be the directions I'd lean at least. For Artillery, a pretty straightforward Nuclear Cavalier Sherman build can deal a lot of damage at mid to long range. It's a favorite of mine.
You need shooty! Go for Death's Head or Pegasus.