Never under estimate the power of the Urbanmech!

Simple builds for each Urbanmech Variants available for C-Bills in the shop.
As well as tips/guides for using them!

[Outdated, Discontinued]
EDIT: I was notified this guide was featured on the front page. This guide is NOT FOR NEWBIES to the game, but rather people who are new to the Urbanmech itself. This are example builds to get you started while you get used to it and find your own playstyle.

Introduction

Welcome to my very first ever steam guide!

This guide assumes that you know the basics of MWO but I may reiterate some of the basics which is a must for Urbanmechs.

It is not a must to follow these builds exactly. You can tweak it around to your liking. I would recommend leaving the armour as it is and just changing maybe the lasers around. Or you can remove some ammo to make space for more armour. It's up to you.

The Urbanmech is a strange mech. It is a 30 ton light mech, extremely hard to hit, the slowest light mech and it also have some sweet ballistic quirks.

This guide has been discontinued and may be outdated as I have quit MWO last May. I can confirm however, that the 2 large pulse laser build still works as I played it in a few games last week for old time's sake.

General Things about Urbanmechs

Urbanmechs are the slowest lights and should not be played as a brawler. You will definitely lose in any 1v1 unless the enemy is already quite injured, or if you manage to get a clear shot at another light mech standing still (with the AC/20 only). Your job is to either do consistent damage over time, annoy the enemy or to surpise them with a hard hitting AC/20.

You will definitely want the 180 XL Engine. The stock engine is extremely slow and it's hard to turn/aim at targets close to mid range of you. The 180 XL Engine also allows you to move in and out of cover fast enough to poke the enemy without taking direct hits back.

The Urbanmech has 360 degree torso twist. This is why you should only have 1 armour in the back. Never turn your back to the enemy, use your map to navigate when you're moving backwards and remember to fire back at them while you retreat. If you are using the AC/20, do not waste your ammo unless you are 100% sure you will hit that shot.

Always bring UAV and either Air Strike or Artillery Shot. There is no point in bringing Cool Shot with ballistic builds. With the update of energy builds, bring coolshot instead of the ASs.

People tend to aim the CT of the urbanmech. Also the LT and RT of the urbanmech is kind of hard to hit when it's facing the attacker. This is why the builds i have have less armour on the legs. As an urbanmech, you do not want to be the target. That is why you should never expose yourself to the enemy unless the enemy is at least 1100m away from you. Even then, watch out for PPCs as well as ACs.

There are 2 kinds of people. One kind are those who ignore urbanmechs because they think trash is trash. And the other kind says, "All urbanmechs must die!".

Needless to say, you should hope that the enemy Heavies/Assaults will ignore you. Lights and Mediums will definitely go for you though.

Even though you are a slow light, it is possible for you to scout (only on big maps) but do not leave your team too far behind as you only have a max speed of 97. Putting up UAVs around corners you know where the enemy are can help you get some match score as well. Your hitboxes makes it hard for the enemy to hit you.

UM-R63 "White Rattler"

[Use this build on the UM-R63 instead as it has better Quirks, thanks to Tuprewm for pointing that out]

Will be uploading a new screenshot for this build as to not mislead people.
This is originally a fun build but it worked out. The best map for this build is Polar Highlands.

You will be staying at the back of your team. Just make sure to check your surroundings for other lights and you will be fine. The best way to play this is to find a vantage point that puts you 1100m away from the enemy and you start chain firing non stop. You can get quite a good number of hits before they start moving away. You have lots of ammo so feel free to spam. Also, you should only expose your upperbody at any time.

Peeking over cover is easy too cause of the high mounts on the mech. Also, move left and right consistently when you fire so that the enemy will often miss their PPCs or ACs on you. Make sure the spot you are in only shows the very top of part your CT and the ACs.

UM-R63 "To Be named"

[To be updated]
[Build by Tuprewm]

UM-R63 "Shotgun Rain"

[Built recommended by Grandpa Alan, named by me]
I personally prefer to put ammo with the gun so that the ammo won't blow up in my side torso and kill me but it comes at the risk of the gun being destroyed more easily.
[To be updated]

UM-R60 "Red Striker"

[You can use this on other builds. I listed it under UM-R60 because I'm using this to farm exp on that variant]

This is like the AC-20 Black Death, but a energy version. Pretty much means you have to watch your heat carefully and less pinpoint damage (There is a chance you will end up hitting Side Torso as the enemy turns).

This build should work better on the other urbies as they have better energy quirks.

Fun fact: Managed to Headshot a Mad Dog with this on Frozen City LOL. Also, 1 and a half alpha should be enough to kill a locust.

UM-R60L "Black Death"

You can choose to sacrifice more armour for ammo. Radar Deprivation is good with this too.

This build is meant for close range. Choose a brawler to accompany and use him as a meat shield. From now on, you are not a mech, but an attachment to that mech. So you will fire at whichever mech he fires at but do so only after that enemy mech has fired back at him so that their weapons will be on CD and you are safe. If that brawler dies, quickly move to another brawler and repeat the same thing.

Do not fire at mechs further than your optimal range. With the lack of ammo, you must make every shot count. Only exception is when the enemy is red cored.

It is possible to fight 1 on 1 with another light mech, although not recommended. Firing the AC/20 at the same spot twice on a light mech should usually kill it. If the light is running straight at you, aim for the CT. If the light decides to stop so that they can put the full burn of the laser on you, aim for the CT. If he keeps moving and you're not confident of hitting him, DO NOT FIRE. He will use the cooldown time of your AC/20 to stand still and full burn your leg with their lasers.

[Revived Black Death] from Granda Alan.
This is if you want to commit the engine's price. If you want to share engines between urbanmechs then buy the engine in the first picture.

Sources

Guide's main picture is from:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f0/79/cc/f079ccad55fdcec34364646f094e9407.jpg

[Revised Black Death] Picture is from Grandpa Alan.

The builds were all made by myself, I also took the screenshots myself. Unless otherwise mentioned.

To Do List

-Add more builds
-Update some build's pictures (Eg. Wrong variant used, wrong name, wrong colour)
-Add a 180 XL engine to the "Shotgun Rain" 's picture.
-Ask Tuprewm to name his build.
-Add Reila Oda's dual ERPPC Build.

Change logs

[5th March 2016]:
-"Removed" White Poker as it's no longer variable.
-Added a [Revised Black Death] build.
-Added "UM-R63 To Be Named" as suggested by Tuprewm.
-Added "UM-R63 To Be Named too" as suggested by Grandpa Alan.
-Updated "General Things about Urbanmechs" as I added some laser builds.

Old / Outdated Builds

UM-R63 "White Poker"
[For some reason people started focusing urbies so this build isn't that good anymore]

[Jumping Hunter]

I've been running 3 different urbies with stock STD60 engines recently, and to be honest, that turned out to be leagues better than i anticipated it to be. I did that originally to get down to Tier 5 from Tier 2, but stuck in upper Tier 3, because slow urbies apparently can get their job done pretty well, if your team isn't selfish light mech pack.

It’s very fun alteration of MWO fast-paced gameplay. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the quickly changing battlefield, but when you just accept the “let the battle come to me itself” mentality it just so satisfying to stand your ground with an AC20 no matter what and then win the match when team backs you up. I got up to 800 damage few time, so it’s definitely worth trying out.

[Jumping Hunter]

STD60 engines still give you more tonnage, like in TT or HBS game, it just takes heat sink weight into account, so 8 of 10 required heatsinks do weight their 1 ton, but this is why STD60 weights -2.5 tons. It's 5.5 in lore, but 5.5 – 8 (heatsinks) = -2.5, so total weight is still lowest in MWO.

[Zyguard]

I don't disagree with you on what Urbanmechs are supposed to be, but how Urbanmechs worked in MWO was really screwed up. You gain more.... tonnage from using more powerful engines due to how the MechLab forces you to have a certain amount of heat sinks, and the higher rating engines have more inbuilt heatsinks.

Not to mention MWO had a speed meta for light mechs. I don't know if it is even possible to run stock engine Urbies at all and do anything other than turning it into a 11v12 game.

I liked the urbies in the video game Battletech tho, they are slow yes, but they actually still pack a punch :)

[Jumping Hunter]

There is no UrbanMech spirit in these builds, they are mere copy of other mechs projected in UrbanMech body. Real, true UrbanMech runs 100 rated engine at most, and usually ony 60 rated one, and bears the strongest and most numerous weaponry he could possibly fit. He doesn't need the speed of XL engines, for he is not searching for his fight, he knows that when the time comes, his fight will find him itself.

Jokes aside, sure all these builds are very strong, these are very cool and all, but they will NEVER let you acheive the feeling that stock-engined UrbanMech can provide - when you slowly dwindle towards the frontline at your 32.4 KPH and all of a sudden a fight occurs right around you, and through some unthinkable course of actions you end up shooting off a head of Fafnir or a Cyclops, living though the entire fight and ending battle with pride and honor, while still dwindling towards the frontline at same 32.4 KPH. Slow Urbie is the TRUE Urbie!

[Zyguard]

I haven't played in many years but yeah I've seen actual brawler urbies after all the new updates.

[MIZIZI96]

2 snub nose on an r-80 is really good

[Rosminn]

I just slap a RAC/5 and some small lasers on the Snowball hero and laugh as people facetank me. Easiest 1000 damage in my life.

[BabyCakes]

i am currently running a UM-R60 with a standard sized 100 engine with RAC5 and 2 med pulse lasers and it absolutly shreds people down. best purchase i have made in the game so far!

[Zyguard]

I know there are good brawler urbanmech builds that can take advantage of the armour quirks (as others have pointed out before in the comments) but I didn't research into those and thus I decided to focus only on fire support. I don't know what are the meta brawlers right now but at the time I made this build, a lot of mechs were much better brawlers. There was the artic cheetah, the jenner (and IIC), fire starter for example, which carries way more firepower than a brawler urbie can, and also move faster.

I still don't belive that an Urbanmech can take out a fresh Stormcrows and Novas head on. It's just not possible unless they were already weak or the pilots in them just suck.

[Zyguard]

Game changed too much and I haven't really bothered to play much since the civil war update. Hence I put "Outdated" and "Discontinued" at the very top.

Being caught out in the open is bad for both XL or STD. XLs are better for teaching you your mistakes imo, as what you learnt from XLs can be applied to STD and if you change to STD in the future you'll be more careful than just practicing with a STD directly. In the first place, I would never encourage a new player to pick up an Urbanmech, I also stated at the top this guide assumes you know the basics of MWO.