Super-Secondline mechs

[Iron Mongoose]

The "how do you like your second liners" got me to thinking:

Of the verious second line Clan mechs (which is to say, conventional, non-omni mechs) we know that some are better than others.  Some, like the Fire Scorpion, are quite bad.  Many are very good, like the Tundra Wolf or Stone Rhino.  The Great Wyrm is the best of all Clan mechs.

But a few are so good as to rank along side the best veriants of the best front line omni mechs in their class.  The Highlander IIC was debated about this honor in a recent thread, and many agreed that it was in the very top tier of Clan assualt mechs.

What other mechs are like this?  Which other second liners are not just good, but so good that they are at or above the level of not just any omnis, but of the very best ones?

[Neufeld]

Well, looking at the mechs with the highest BV/ton these seems to be candidates:

Light:
Incubus/Vixen 2, 1, 4
Pack Hunter 3, 2
Piranha 3
Howler/Baboon 3

Medium (the top seems to be dominated by omni configs):
Clint IIC 2

Heavy:
Glass Spider/Galahad 3
Rifleman IIC 8, 5, 1
Thresher 2, 1
Guillotine IIC 2
Black Python/Viper 1
Ha Otoko 2
Predator 2

Assault:
Marauder IIC 4, 7
Supernova 3, 4
Warhammer IIC 7, 6
Phoenix Hawk IIC 2
BattleMaster C
Cygnus 2
Canis 2
Highlander IIC 1, 2
Jupiter 2

[Ghostbear_Gurdel]

As long as the ranges are short to medium, I would include the Kodiak.

[wackrabbit]

I don't see the Hellstar here.

[Neufeld]

I don't see the Hellstar here.

Because I have not gone through RS3085 The Cutting Edge yet.

[Daedalus]

I think the following Mechs are at least as good as the omni-mechs in their weight-class...

Light:
Incubus 1 & 2
Jenner IIC 2
Locust IIC 3
= Fast little basterds with a decent long range punch.

Medium:
Conjurer 1 & 4
Vapor Eagle 1
= Nice brawlers

Heavy:
Guillotine IIC
Rifleman IIC 1
Glass Spider 2
= the pulse-boats for the fire-star

Assault:
Marauder IIC
Warhammer IIC
Imp C
= standard engines, ErPPCs, lots of MedPls and enough heatsinks are always a strong and durable combination.

[Hellraiser]

Which other second liners are not just good, but so good that they are at or above the level of not just any omnis, but of the very best ones?

Locust-IIC
Vixen
HornedOwl
Jenner-IIC-2
Griffin-IIC
RabidCoyote
Conjurer
VaporEagle
GlassSpider-2
Rifleman-IIC
Guillotine-IIC
BlackPython
WarHammer-IIC
Shogun-C
StoneRhino
Imp-C

To name a few........

[Stormfury]

Light:

Vixen, Horned Owl, Solitaire, Pack Hunter

Medium:

Vapour Eagle, Conjurer, Arctic Wolf

Heavy:

Black Python, Rifleman IIC, Arcas, Burrock, Guillotine IIC, Orion IIC, Sphinx, Glass Spider

Assault:

Hellstar, BattleMaster C, BattleMaster Red Corsair, Blood Kite, Highlander IIC, Jupiter, Imp C, Bane (sometimes), Warhammer IIC, Marauder IIC.

[Skyth]

Definitely Incubus, Vapor Eagle, Black Python, and Kodiak :)

[ScottSR]

The "how do you like your second liners" got me to thinking:

Of the verious second line Clan mechs (which is to say, conventional, non-omni mechs) we know that some are better than others.  Some, like the Fire Scorpion, are quite bad.  Many are very good, like the Tundra Wolf or Stone Rhino.  The Great Wyrm is the best of all Clan mechs.

B

Perhaps silly question: what makes the great wyrm the best of all clan mechs?  Is it really powerful relative to its BV or something? 

[Ghostbear_Gurdel]

It was made by the Mongooses.

Iron Mongoose is, by himself, the entirety of the official Clan Mongoose fan club.

[Guardsman]

It was made by the Mongooses.

Iron Mongoose is, by himself, the entirety of the official Clan Mongoose fan club.

Are they accepting new members?

[Deadborder]

I'd be reluctant to catagorise the Tundra Wolf as a second-line mech. Its place is in the front lines, supplemting the Omnimechs that Vlad's Wolves can no longer produce or replace.

On the other hand, if you want to class any clan Non-Omni mech as second line, then Blood Kite > all

[Ghostbear_Gurdel]

Are they accepting new members?

Ask Iron Mongoose.   :P

[Fatebringer]

There are SOOO many good 2L mechs and the invasion of the IS has only improved the pool by implementing the "Lessons Learned" mentality. The following is my Short List of what I'd grab given the chance.

Light
Firelfy-C (I've taken down down multiple heavies in trials with this mech)

Medium
Vapor Eagle (Hard to mess with success, but I use a Ferro-Lamellar upgrade to this that rocks.)

Heavy
Rifleman IIC 6 (Fun with HAGs  :D )

Assault
Marauder IIC (It's not the Hellstar, but more Clans have access to it)

[Southern Coyote]

Ive used the Rabid Coyote and Grizzly both to great success.  The Grizzly is pretty tough...

[Guardsman]

I'd be reluctant to catagorise the Tundra Wolf as a second-line mech. Its place is in the front lines, supplemting the Omnimechs that Vlad's Wolves can no longer produce or replace.

On the other hand, if you want to class any clan Non-Omni mech as second line, then Blood Kite > all

Ah, the Tundra Wolf, such a marvellous 'Mech. I am certain, had the Jaguars survived, that they would have done to it what they did to the Dire Wolf.

[Col.Hengist]

Wow,this is such a hard one. There are so many 2L clan mech out there and I can't really think of any bad ones other than the great worm.My favs,in no order other than weight class are

Lights:Pirannah,vixen,jenners,locusts,commando IIc

Mediums: griffon IIc 4,Clint IIc,wyvern IIC,shad IIc 4

Heavies: matador,fire scorpion,guillotine IIc,black python,orion IIC

Assaults: Battlemaster C, highlander IIc, bane 3,phoenix hawk IIc 4,warhammer IIc,mad IIc,  Marauder II C, Bloodkite

[Alan Grant]

It was made by the Mongooses.

Iron Mongoose is, by himself, the entirety of the official Clan Mongoose fan club.

You forgot one. I've been a Mongoose fan for a long time. I'd definitely call Iron Mongoose "Fan Club President" however...

[Arkansas Warrior]

My personal favorites by weight class:
 
Light: Urbanmech IIC.  Yes, I went there.
 
Medium: Rabid Coyote
 
Heavy: Guillotine IIC
 
Assault: Imp C

[Johnny 'NKH' Leyland]

What other mechs are like this?  Which other second liners are not just good, but so good that they are at or above the level of not just any omnis, but of the very best ones?

For Lights, the Incubus and most of the Locust IICs are as good as the omnis.

For Mediums, the Vapor Eagle, Clint IIC 2, Rabid Coyote and usually-overlooked Conjurer 4.

For Heavies, the Arcas, Arcas 2, Glass Spider (all versions), Rifleman IIC (1 and 4), Black Python, Blood Reaper, Tundra Wolf (all versions), Guillotine IIC.

For Assaults: Kodiak, Bane 3, Stone Rhino (all), Warhammer IIC, Imp C, Canis 2, Blood Kite



I'm mostly going tight by weight here. A Canis 2 is as good as a Gargoyle but not as a Dire Wolf.

Some of these mechs are good because they have an awesome configuration (like the Vapor Eagle), others because they combine a good config with a low BV (like the Glass Spider).

[E. Icaza]

Light:  Incubus
Medium:  Conjurer (although I also like the Great Wyrm a lot)
Heavy:  Guillotine IIC
Assault:  Warhammer IIC

[Fear Factory]

Urbanmech IIC.

Accept no substitutes.

[Pa Weasley]

The Supernova 3 and 4 - for when you really, really need to beat the snot out of someone at range.

[Istal_Devalis]

Sphinx, especially the Dark Age variant.  Yes, I AM going to harp on that until we get it. :D

[Marlin]

I wonder why nobody mentioned the Spirit yet?

It is hard to argue with the Incubi, but the Spirit is a total package. I would prefer it to the Hellion anyday. The Spirit is like a half sized Thunderbolt to me. Perfect.

And Incubus is one of the best of course.

[Arkansas Warrior]

The Spirit's just too much of a mishmash for me.  Lights shouldn't try to be that generalist.

[Guardsman]

The Spirit's just too much of a mishmash for me.  Lights shouldn't try to be that generalist.

I've had some fun with the Ha Otoko.

[Rainbow 6]

Meh, as long as the Ravens get to field them who cares  ;)

[ShadowRaven]

Guillotine IIC. One of the best heavy mechs ever