Mech Spotlight: Blackjack

[RasaNova]

Let's talk Blackjack next! Our starting mech offers good laser & AC2 firepower out of the box. But have people had luck with different loadouts in the early game, or have tips on how newer players can get the most from it? Anyone still using it through mid game, or beyond? I'll sometimes still use it as a replacement when other mechs are in the shop.


The goal here is not to compare mechs or discuss which mech is best for what role. This is about successful ways to use the Blackjack.

All Mech Spotlights:

Centurion
BlackJack
Thunderbolt
Quickdraw
Shadow Hawk
JagerMech
Highlander
Grasshopper
Vindicator
Wolverine
Locust
Catapult
Orion

[Gilius Thunderhead]

It's like a little baby Jager - what a cutie!

[Goul]

1 AC5, 4 jump jets, 2 Small lasers rest Medium lasers and full armour. fill rest tonnage with heat sinks. close range killer with grat melee damge.

with those small lasers early game, you can get 2 Evasion off with melee from light mech ( 1 from melee attack, 1 from weapon attack) making them easier to hit for later mechs to finish them off if not already dead from melee attack.

Jump and overheat while closing in to keep evasion high, then cool down with melee attack.

[snee.scampers]

im running mine under weight at the moment no AC's just ML's with extra JJ's and heat sinks max armor and some SL's to help with punching and kicking ...

[kycol]

Not much you can do with this one. Ditch AC/2 for AC/5 pump up the armor and put some more sinks or use it as stock, it's not terrible.

[ramjbjb]

The baseline stock design is more than good enough early game, specially given that you already have AC5 support in the Shadowhawk the AC2s are perfectly OK. That medium laser battery is very handy on top of the long reach of the autocannons and the JJs give it excellent mobility.

Later on it depends on the mechs you salvage, but the Blackjack doesn't last too long in my lances. Being a 45t mech only the 50 and 55 tonners do anything it does, only better. Shadowhawk is a better long range support mech with the AC5 and the LRM5s (so is, incidentally ,the Vindicator with it's PPC). Hunchback/Centurion do the "bring a big gun to the battlefield" role far better so no reason to stick an AC10 to the BJ-1. Having lots of lasers won't be a problem once you get a hand on the proper Wolverine model so the Blackjack is also inferior to that one. All of them have access to better armor too.

I know some people swear on the twin AC5 Blackjack. I find it a gruesome one trick pony, however (once within medium laser range it's a waste), and at the stages of the game when you're thinking about bringing blackjacks to the fray or not, having a mech able to deal only 90 damage tops is a no go for me.

So the Blackjack is usually the first mech I get out of my starting lance once I get a bigger medium salvaged. It's a great little mech but it's too light for a medium.

[C4Warr10r]

Not one of my favorite mechs from tabletop, but credit where credit is due. It can be real powerhouse for a 45-tonner if the ACs are replaced with large or medium lasers. For all of one phase before it has to cool off.

The BJ-1, with its unfortunate-sounding name, kind of sucks at everything it tries to do. AC/2s are really heavy and don't cause much damage, nor does their range overlap with the medium lasers very well. In tt, it was often derisevely known as "The Plinker" for its pathetic ranged output. Average gunnery to-hit was a 7 on 2D6, so roughly a 50% chance of itting anything and doing a grand total of 2 points of damage. So, like 10 turns to get past the armor of on e location, consistently hit, on an equivalent mech. Lame.

It's a little better in this game with the up-rated AC and stability damage, but still nothing to be proud of. Jump jets are always nice, but it's too slow and hot to be a good scout, while too lightly armored to brawl for long.

I don't know how this could possibly be an ancestral mech in the story, as Blackjacks don't tend to survive very long or be very useful. I sell the damn thing as soon as I have anything better. The lore claims the Blackjack is a jack-of-all-trades. Well, what are trades are those? Crappy sniper, lousy brawler, and heat-hog? A Jenner with an LRM5 in place of the SRM4 can do its job better, for a lot cheaper.

[Strayed]

I couldn't wait to drop the 'Jack

I mean, don't get me wrong, its a nice support mech, but without being able to swap out engines its really limited with what you can fit it with as it's essentially a lighter version of the Jagermech

I struggled to find a fit that suited my playstyle and I ended up using was a similar fit to a default Jenner build and I played the Jack like a Jenner, that is, like a striker minus the SRMs. I got rid of the Jack when I built a hunchie, which was quite early on.

4x MLAS
2x Flamers
4x JJ
Max armour
Rest of weight filled with heatsinks

[Prester]

the blackjack was very strong til i figured out which weapons are best, what to do about heat and if i should max armor.

his loadout capacity is decent for his weight.

he cant carry missiles, but 2 AC slots make him acceptable.

6/10 for his weightclass, gets outclassed by most 50t mechs already

[Rob'sEvilTwin]

Originally posted by Strayed:

I couldn't wait to drop the 'Jack

I mean, don't get me wrong, its a nice support mech, but without being able to swap out engines its really limited with what you can fit it with as it's essentially a lighter version of the Jagermech

I struggled to find a fit that suited my playstyle and I ended up using was a similar fit to a default Jenner build and I played the Jack like a Jenner, that is, like a striker minus the SRMs. I got rid of the Jack when I built a hunchie, which was quite early on.

4x MLAS
2x Flamers
4x JJ
Max armour
Rest of weight filled with heatsinks

Probably the least sucky build, sounds like what I did until I upgraded.

[King Doom]

I slapped an AC/10 on mine, kept it at the back. Think I pulled a couple heat sinks off and a laser or something to make it all fit? Early on it's a nice little gunboat with a solid chance of seriously damaging all lights and vehicles and with a bit of guns and tactics you can seriously harm mediums with an aimed shot as well. Also makes shooting the arms off panthers very easy, those cat faced gits were horrible to see come grinning out of the FoW early game.

[Veritas]

Honestly the stock loadout is fine as long as you put some of the armor on the rear up on the front. For a 45 tonner it performs well in early game. Definitely take off a medium laser and add extra armor before you do the lunar mission where you assault a pirate base, though.

[CommandDork]

I was never able to find any success with different loadouts on my Blackjack. I couldnt wait to unload it for something better - it's such a tweener frame for me and quite limiting for my play style.

[DEY123]

So I'm going to try a build where I strip off the MLs and maybe 1 JJ for a large laser.. basically plug away at long range.. anyone tried this?

[evilauthor]

Take out the AC/2s and put an AC/5 and use the saved tonnage for extra armor makes the Blackjack pretty darn tanky in early game. Not to mention that the four Medium lasers give it the best close range firepower out of all the starter mechs, which is a MUST in the first mission for killing the Turret Generator ASAP when your clients try to jump you.

[DEY123]

I'm at mid get and trying to role play a but and use "weaker" mechs for easier mission s..so trying to up long range power on the blackjack...