-Variant Tier List -

[xInVicTuSx]

Yet another Variant thread from yours truly!

This time however I have taken the system from a few other games I've been playing, (including league of legends) the tier system is quick and elegant, unlike my previous long winded review attempts.
And it is easy to move variants up and down depending on trends, patches,  communal skill development, and game mode. Thus it should be easy to continually update this thread as the mod grows.

I will use a Five Tier system
I will argue my positions upon request, they are part my opinion, part what I see most used.

TIER 1: Puma C - Owens B - Kitfox A - Raven Prime - Bushwacker A  - Scat A - Novacat C & A - Madcat B & C -  Vulture C - Catapult C - Atlas C  - Mauler C - MKII A - LongTom Prime -Demolisher Prime - Huit C

TIER 2:Puma Prime - Cougar A - Scat Prime & B - Bushwacker C - Madcat Prime - Novacat Prime - Thanatos C - Vulture A & B - Catapult B - Loki C - Awesome Prime - Mauler Prime - Huit Prime

TIER 3: Osiris Prime & A - Cougar B & C - Uziel Prime & A - Bushwacker B - Scat C - Hollander C - Madcat A - Thanatos Prime & B - Warhammer Prime - Catapult A - Loki Prime - MKII B & Prime - Harraser B & C & Prime - APC Prime - Oro A & C - Demolisher A - Partisan A

TIER 4: Osiris C - Raven C & B - Cougar Prime - Puma B - Owens Prime & C - Kitfox Prime - Hollander Prime & B - Uziel B - Thanatos A - Warhammer C & A - Vulture Prime -  Novacat B - Thanatos A  & C - Awesome B & A - Mauler A - Atlas B & Prime - MKII C - Harraser A - Oro Prime & B - Demolisher B - Partisan C - Huit B

TIER 5: Kitfox B - Osiris B - Raven A - Puma A - Owens A - Uziel C - Hollander A - Warhammer B - Catapult Prime - Loki A & B - Awesome C - Mauler B - Harraser E- Demolisher C - Partisan B - Huit A

TIER FAIL: Bushwacker Prime <3 - Atlas A - Partisan prime - Harasser D

Explanation if you want it.
[spoiler]Tier 1: Srs bzns time variants, when you want to win you use these because they are simply the best at their respective price level and role.
Dev note: Might want to tap each of these with the Nerf bat just to make sure they're each Legit. 

Tier 2: Game changers which excel on the field, but with specific purposes which make them less common than the top tier and also not as flexible or just not quite as good.
Dev note: Think about each of these and compare them to the role you intended, might tell you how they are being used in real combat.

Tier 3: Solid, front of the pack assets, never a bad choice, but each requires a unique discipline which the higher tier mostly lack, as those are so good they lean more towards "press button win game"
Dev note: This should be your target area, all the lesser variants should make it between 3 and 4.
With minute tweaks some of these could easily make it to Tier 2.

Tier 4: Mid and back half of the pack, overall pretty good designs which have yet to shine or special situation variants that while still very effective in the right hands, are easily counter-able and difficult to use. 
Dev note: Nothing wrong with many of these really, its just SA mode does not favor them, TC will change this list significantly, but a few of them have serious problems.

Tier: 5: Bad variants which simply have design flaws, sometimes due to favoring poor performing weapons, other times to due to concepts that do not play out in reality the way they were intended on the drawing board.
Dev note: Should probably look at all of these carefully and either rethink the design a bit, or look into the problematic weapon they are carrying.

Tier FAIL:   Roflbadly useless! [/spoiler]

Note: Since I do not fly, if you want air assets included in this, PM ME YOUR LIST and I will sort the common denominator.

[DracheM]

Why is the Warhammer Prime listed twice?

[xInVicTuSx]

Because it is that awesome. 

Fixed.

[Reiel]

I argue the entire list and deem it wrong. 

[-AAA-]

Quite a few arguable listings there, but before I take on any of them...what's the point of this thread, exactly?   

[dCK-Warheart]

I argue the entire list and deem it wrong. 

same.

[MatthewPryde]

nothing good can come of this thread.

[xInVicTuSx]

The point has been entirely lost.
  oh well nvm.

[Sesambrot]

tbh, I also don't really see a point in this list...
this one may very well work for you, but actually I for example use exclusively "tier 3" assets and may still easily rule with them, while on the other hand not surviving a minute in a so called "tier 1".

eg I don't understand why Bushy B, Raven C, Madcat A and Harasser Prime are in tier 3/4, if used right, they kick ass!
even the warhammer b (which was ranked tier 5) can be very deadly.

Though, I acknowledge that you probably put some work in making that list, but to me it displays only your personal preferences.

Also, attempting to make them all equall would probably be impossible, and I guess no matter how minimal the diferences in skill-requirement/success-in-battle between the assets might become, you could always make a list like that.

don't get this wrong, that list is still interessting, but from a very specific point of view imo.

[Nitro_R]

My picks would not be far from your categorization, Invictus.
I think there would be a lot of debate between Tier 1-3 because people have different playstyles.

I think we should focus on Tier 5 and Fail mechs.
Most of them are on the whole pretty fail-like.

Bigtime agree with:

- Warhammer B
   - A very situational mech... a situation where you have light-medium mechs that are stationary... which never happens.
   - Low armor and low speed means light mechs that have pilots who stay on the move are very hard to hit over time with the AC10s
   - and once again the AC10 just sucks right now

- Bushwacker Prime
   - AC10 just sucks right now... Maybe a decent medium-long range mech, but many mechs out-class it in firepower (Scat C for example is faster and out-ranges)
   - Only good in groups when you have a NARCer so everyone can fire off the LRMs

- Harasser D
   - Anything with light armor that doesn't have a "big punch" weapon makes it hard to hit-and-fade
   - You have to fire many rounds over time to do any real damage to mechs.

- Harasser E
   - RAC2s are garbage
   - Since the hovercraft sways, you can't hit anything at range, so it makes it an unstable AA platform

- Oros
   - Too expensive for something this slow and poorly armored



Disagree with:
- Atlas A
   - AECM in a group of big short-range mechs is deadly
   - Fantastic for stealth group rushes

- Uziel C
   - Did you mean Uziel B?
   - You can't go wrong with Lasers + SSRM6


The rest, I haven't analyzed.



Also, strategy and team loadout preferences and strategies will change over time.
Strategies and counter-strategies will always be changing.  This is true for any game that meta-game can be applied.

When Terrain Control comes, everything may do a 180.
Since there will need to be mechs stationed to capture an area, perhaps the value of AC5s and AC10s will go up since they are good against stationary targets. As we can see, the Harasser D and Warhammer B would be more viable.

[[CW] Lictor]

I <3 Raven C. Generally Ignored on the battlefield, MASC, Guardian ECM, BAP, C3, turn off your radar and disapear off of their screens, run away to fight another day. My favorite light mech hands down. . .

[(TLL)Sky_walker]

tbh, I also don't really see a point in this list...

New players can really benefit from such a list. More joy from game before they learn how to use more specific variants. Tier 1 - good for learning how to kill opponent, Tier 2-3 - good for learning how to use Mech in more specific conditions, Tier 4+ - good when you are bored of winning

[KSerge83]

I'm going to make khan in a game using the bushy prime exclusively, just to spite you

[=KoS=Zeus]

KSerge!

Yeah, I'm actually a proponent of ONLY using primes. Try it sometime, it is a totally different game.

I've been using the Bushwacker prime lately and it is fun. Note that I didn't say deadly, but it is fun.

[~SJ~ Blhurr]

Ooooo Colors.