Atlas AS7-D-HT vs. Highlander HGN-732B

[Atomsk]

Is it just me or is the SLDF Highlander significantly better than the SLDF Atlas?

The Highlander does similar DPS and is just alot more mobile. I find that it can actually keep up with heavies for the most part , whereas the Atlas requires the patience of a . It just not fun to slow down your remaining lance to allow the Atlas to keep up... and extending mission turn length by ~10-20 more turns.

[:WTF: Grendel]

I'd turn that Atlas II into a longrange boat loadout and let your other units advance forward. Once the Atlas catches up, shift it forward to tank damage while your other Mechs softened up OpFor units for the Atlas II to kill. I kinda use the same method with my Highlander, slightly modded to an Assault support loadout until I get the Atlas II.

I tend to remove the Gauss Rifle given it's limited ammo when you first obtain it... and have yet to ever find a planet sporting ammo to sell. Just my luck I guess given I've seen plenty of posts where people find lots of lostech stuff... but I also don't run mods so there's that speedbump to contend with, content-wise.

[danko9696]

With custom setups the lostech Highlander is not better than a King Crab, which has better hardpoints. And the Atlas-II is much better than both, with not super good but decent hardpoints and much more available weight.

Also I don't understand your issue with the mobility, don't you add JJs to the A-II?. This mech should allow you to have excellent mobility for an assault, thanks to both JJs and more weight to invest in cooling, plus more firepower.

[:WTF: Grendel]

Originally posted by danko9696:

With custom setups the lostech Highlander is not better than a King Crab, which has better hardpoints. And the Atlas-II is much better than both, with not super good but decent hardpoints and much more available weight.

Also I don't understand your issue with the mobility, don't you add JJs to the A-II?. This mech should allow you to have excellent mobility for an assault, thanks to both JJs and more weight to invest in cooling, plus more firepower.

Some people are discouraged by the weight of JJs for Assault Mechs when it interferes with their ability to stuff as much weaponry, armor, and heatsinks into the Mech. Pros and cons really.

[danko9696]

Originally posted by :WTF: Grendel:

Originally posted by danko9696:

With custom setups the lostech Highlander is not better than a King Crab, which has better hardpoints. And the Atlas-II is much better than both, with not super good but decent hardpoints and much more available weight.

Also I don't understand your issue with the mobility, don't you add JJs to the A-II?. This mech should allow you to have excellent mobility for an assault, thanks to both JJs and more weight to invest in cooling, plus more firepower.

Some people are discouraged by the weight of JJs for Assault Mechs when it interferes with their ability to stuff as much weaponry, armor, and heatsinks into the Mech. Pros and cons really.

Yes, but the A-II is particularly is well suited for using JJs, because you can just use just half of the extra available weight for that, and on top of it a (more than) full assault loadout. But I agree many newcomers may not fully understand how good JJs really are in mechs capable of using them in a high capacity (properly manage the generated heat of jumping + high damage).

[Werecat101]

My build for the Atlas 2 hands out 484 max dmg its a big slow assault tank. it doesn't fly it moves slow and oh no it can core any mech it meets 1 full salvo, it runs with a heat buildup of 6 so yes 15 rounds of firing and it needs 1 turn to cool off.

people need to look at the job of a mech in the case of an assault that job is kill anything fast and lay enough firepower down to hurt multiple enemies with multi target in the case of a defence mission.

[OrbPlaytime]

Originally posted by danko9696:

With custom setups the lostech Highlander is not better than a King Crab, which has better hardpoints. And the Atlas-II is much better than both, with not super good but decent hardpoints and much more available weight.

Also I don't understand your issue with the mobility, don't you add JJs to the A-II?. This mech should allow you to have excellent mobility for an assault, thanks to both JJs and more weight to invest in cooling, plus more firepower.

Agree with you that JJs add much more flexibility and potential game advantages.
However some like myself may decide to play it a bit more like old canon where only certain mechs have JJs based around 3025; for me it is more interesting game if it is limited to a more historical allowance (lore and game back when) on what can have JJs.
Balances out most of the mechs such as the Orion/Black Knight or most assaults later that cannot then have JJs in such a scenario; some mechs are still pretty bad in the game though unless change their weight class and initiative.

Others though prefer more weapons/equipment and the fun it can provide instead of JJs, but like you I find JJs add a big advantage on where one can place their mech for height advantage and map battle position-environment advantage placement,side-rear arc attack to an enemy mech made easier, speed of movement for slower mechs,etc.
Which is why I now prefer to limit myself to which mechs can use JJs as it started to feel a bit too "omni-mech" like with the flexibility allowed with JJs and also weapons allowed/hard points; I decided to apply similar principle to modded-"upgraded" PPCs in my game but that is a different topic.
Personally I was losing quite a bit of fun and diversity until I changed my approach in using mechs and JJs.

[lyrankitsune]

If I have one from the story (or if somehow you could ever find one in career mode), the Atlas II is my centerpiece 'Mech; I can load it out to do different things. In my first post-story campaign, I was running it like this in terms of armament (codename "Kingmaker"):

1 x AC/10 (2 tons ammo)
2 x LL
4 x ML
2 x LRM-15 (3 tons ammo)

Good at mid range and can take a beating. On my second playthrough of the Restoration story, I managed to pick a second Royal Highlander from Illyushin and took its Gauss rifle from it into the Atlas II (via a Cyclops Z I had used the Gauss rifle on plus 2 LRM-10s). The loadout ended up like this (codename: "Daishogun")

1 x Gauss Rifle (2 tons ammo)
2 x ERLL
3 x ML
2 x LRM-15 (I think 3 tons ammo)

This load out (and I still packed it with armor and it has a hit defense gyro mounted) is a terror at long range and could actually use the ER LLs with good frequency (save on a Lunar biome). Also great at surgery.

The Royal Highlander, as far as I used it, is more of my ballistic sniper. Either stock with the Gauss rifle or using it at range with 2 AC/5s with both versions of my sniper using 2 x LRM-15s, I tend to keep my Royal Highlander back at range to snipe and knock around enemy 'Mechs. Oddly enough I never used one with a close range loadout - I find the HGN-733 much better for close assault since it can pack 4 missle hardpoints.

So based on how I play, the Royal Highlander is typically better at long range using the arm-mounted ballistic hardpoints to snipe. And for me, the Atlas II is a flexible behemoth that can cover different range brackets rather well.

[Mohrrunkel]

Originally posted by movedef_highlander_HGN-733.json:

"MaxWalkDistance" : 95.0,
"MaxSprintDistance" : 165.0,

Originally posted by movedef_atlas_AS7-D.json:

"MaxWalkDistance" : 95.0,
"MaxSprintDistance" : 165.0,

This means all Atlas are the same speed as all Highlanders, the difference in mobility therefore is only your own perception (note they also have the same pathing definition,so they have the same modifiers and restriction on slopes). Also the SLDF Atlas has12,5 tons more free space, and has more hardpoints than the 732b, so I don't get where you are coming from. Maybe it's your build that seems more comfy to you. *shrug*

To compare mechs you can have a look at this sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yUqA1CJabsT1rtSRFsJxejjW4CkuEEHJqQcxkBJk6rM/edit?usp=sharing

[RexEviL]

It doesn't really matter, 2x AC 10+++ enough for headshots. Rest just destroys parts.

[Shinobi273]

Originally posted by RexEviL:

It doesn't really matter, 2x AC 10+++ enough for headshots. Rest just destroys parts.

Use the AC10++ (+10 dmg) version, then you can get single headshot kills. If you are firing at mechs in cover or braced, LLaser+++ are better.