Early-in-the-round strategies for ranking up quicker...?

[Virt]

For whatever reasons (aging reflexes and bad pings amongst them) I seem to do my best MechWarrioring in heavy Mechs.

But too often it takes me aaaaages (or kind cash donations) to rank up to the point where I can buy a heavy.

So: what strategies do you use early in the round to get promoted to where you can afford medium and heavy classes?

Tips appreciated!  Cheers.

[CHHš Sturmadler]

My first pick is usually a glass cannon like the Osiris A or Kitfox A.  Sometimes the SSRM Harasser is fun.  my goal is usually to avoid an all-out brawl.  If things are getting bad, I look for my nearest allies and try to let them distract the enemies.  The longer you survive, the better chance of scoring enough points to rank up.  This doesn't always mean kills, sometimes an assist is good enough.

[~SJ~ Atlessa]

When I feel like getting in a heavy asap, I just go out in my Elemental-suit, plink away at some targets with my FREE Laser and SRMs... eventually die, rinse, repeat, until c-bill amount is sufficiently high for the mech of my choice.

[xInVicTuSx]

I usually just grab an Osiris Prime and run screaming like a madman into the entire enemy team and run around like a greased up deaf guy until my team finally shows up, at which point I run back to base with my all my torsos in the dark red, somewhere in this process I get a kill or two and a few assists.

Sometimes I will repair several times to save up for a heavy, most of the time though I will just get a medium as quick as possible as I enjoy playing every weight class in a game.

[Spanish Inquisition]

Legit strategies? Not sure. I like running around in the Owens B, spraying SRMs into people then running away.

Dick move strategies? Grab the Kit Fox A and just kill steal with the gauss.

[=KoS= Eldragon]

1) have someone give you 1000 c-bills
2) Buy Raven C
3) Find the enemy APC (Don't shoot it!)
4) Find a place to hide with a clear view of the left side of the APC.
5) Fire the ERPPC at each BA that spawns.

 

[snooggums]

Buy an APC and park it a short distance from the center of the map.
Get out and buy a microheavy laser and manpack PPC.
Kill light mechs faster than if you had your own lightmech.
Rank up to desired amount or collect cbills from kills to get the mech you want.

[zombat]

I usually grab a cougar and chainfire spam LRMs, or use an uzriel - it's very good at killing bailers and works reasonably well against light mechs (try and stay on the edges on the battle though, the horde sees your medium mech tag on the radar and has a tendency to focus fire on you).

[=KoS=Zeus]

This is what I do: Buy a Raven B. Go out and locate the enemy and utilize your C3 to transmit the data to your allies. You will begin gaining C-bills just for having them in range. Additionally, you have an ELRM-15. Find the enemy missile boats (usually cougars with 4 LRM-10s) Bomb on them beyond the range of their radar and weapons. Cause them to run around like mad looking for you. Use your Machine Guns on any enemy BA, VTOLs, or Aerospace. If you can manage consistent hits with your LRMs you will probably have nabbed a kill or two.

You can then return to base, sell your completely undamaged Raven B and use the cash you've accumulated to buy a bigger mech. I don't usually do this because I'm the type of player who wants to make sure his team is as strong as possible, so I will generally dole out cash to guys like you who need to get into a bigger machine before they can start wrecking the enemy. I'm totally cool with that. I generally stay in a Raven B for about 15-20 minutes on a normal 45 minute match. I take it back to hangar about 3 times, and on the 3rd is when I usually upgrade to a Catapult Prime, or, if I have the cash, I get into the Warhammer Prime. If I don't have the cash, I usually find that the guys I helped get into heavy mechs earlier are more than happy to kick some cash my way.

[dsi1]

Right now I just go BA if I need cash, you can get a full loadout at rank 1 with enough C8 to take down 2 of anything for only a few 'k more than the Osirises.

Otherwise I choose the AC20 Osiris, hit and run.

[dCK-Ad_Hominem]

I usually start my match in either a Kitfox A or Holly C. I stick together with my team and try to scan the area not only by radar, but also visually (zoom). With the Kitfox things are pretty skill dependent sometimes and also it depends on what I'm going up against. Enemy Kitfoxes, Uziels and Osirises I usually shoot in the CT, enemy Cougars in one of the side torsos same as Hollies and Owens in the legs. My main focus is damage output rather than kills so I usually don't waste my time killing the ejected BA in a 2min pursuit, but leave it for a team member and go for the next mech. I usually end up Warrior or Pointcommander after the first encounter.

With the Holly C I usually go for AA or Ba hunt. It is also nice against enemy missile campers and dark red enemy mechs that you can finish off quickly. I do not go for brawl though since the mech is destroyed too easily.

I usually return then and either get a Puma (love the prime on wide open maps) or a Scat B. With those I am usually able to stay alive quite long. If I was going for a heavy as fast as possible I would not donate money to others, but I usually do. If I however am killed at some point I usually ask others for money and see what I can get. On a shitty team I get like 3 or 5k which really do nothing. On a good team I usually get enough for an assault. I pick the Hellbringer C and make the team 80k per run then. Depending on how the battle progresses I will eventually get another mech, but as for now the Hellbringer C is as good as it gets IMO.

[[MPB]OM_Sannyasi]

i think my way in pretty genuine and it almost always works properly: get an uller/kitfox A on almost any map and brawl with the beast... works almost every map and every game

[Colonel Drego]

I just get an Owens B and run around with radar on for C3 money and SSRM some Ullers, Uziels, and Hollanders into the dirt.

[Profane Arbiter]

I'll almost always use an Owens B or an Uller A with a strong preference towards the first unless the map doesn't give me much elbow room to maneuver. If reflexes are a concern you do have the benefit of a lockable weapon with the Owens, though it does require you to scoot about quite a bit whereas you can snipe more with the Uller.

The last 2 possibilities for cadet are the Osiris A (jump sniping specialist) or spawn that APC and do some vandamage as BA with the microlaser!

Lastly, I don't typically like LRMs in any situation, but they're particularly idiotic at the start of the game so ignore those who call for them off the bat and don't take starter mechs bearing them unless your joining late to a game already in progress and you'll be targeting larger mechs. Hitting small fast moving mechs with LRMs, unless the target pilot is borderline retarded, is mostly a waste of time.

[Squibby]

I find using the Osiris prime to be quite profitable at the start for some reason. It's cheap and you can deal good damage with the lasers and SRMS. Although you've got to be very carefull not to die because of your horribly weak armour. Best to run like a little girl if anyone turns their attention to you, and don't get target fixated.

Kills are a bonus, the main point being to just do damage, you've already got a 14k headstart on the guys that pull out the more expensive starter mechs. Once you rack up 20-35k or so get back to base and sell the Osiris for a Bushwacker A or an Uziel A and go rape some face