The Commando - How will it fit into MWLL?

[=KoS= Saber15]

As the MWLL wiki helpfully informs us, the Commando is one of the planned assets (though as far as I know there's no renders of it, so it's probably further down the road than 0.5). It'll be an interesting mech, but when I look at the CBT characteristics of the mech, I can't help but ask "How will it work in MWLL?". It has less firepower than the Owens (MWLL Owens - dual SSRM6s and dual SPLs, Commando COM-7S - dual SSRM-2s, SRM-4 + Artemis FCS, dual ER Medium lasers. Though, the 7S uses a Light engine instead of a XL so it'll have some more space available), and isn't that fast or well armored (CBT Commando has less armor than the CBT Osiris). It's only 25 tons, so it's going to be the lightest mech in the game, limiting it's potential.

I'd say that it'd fit into the main light mech for the IS like the Uller is to the Clans, but it's 5 tons lighter and doesn't take advantage of the Uller's clan tech. I'm guessing that the MWLL Commie will run ridiculously fast even without MASC (140kph?) and have hard hitting weapons similar to the 0.3 Osiris, but its smaller profile will make it a very hard enemy to shoot at. Probably medium energy slots in the arms, a light energy slot in the head, and a medium/heavy missile slot in the left, middle, and right torso. The Osiris could be shifted more towards the CBT Osiris (excellent light battlemech, good for most uses.) when the Commando is introduced by giving it more armor and buffing up the Osiris Prime.

So, how do you think the Commie will fit into MWLL's gameplay, and what do you think some of the variants will be?


I'm not going to bother calculating tonnage for these, since MWLL weapons have different weights (ie MBLs are 2 tons in MWLL). And I'm lazy 
Prime- 2xSRM-6s, 3xSmall beam lasers (one in each arm, one in the head), Jump Jets, MASC - Like an Owens, but harder hitting and more mobile, but sacrificing survivability and adaptability (no guidance on the SRMs)
Alpha - PPC (Right arm), SRM-4 (center torso), Small X-pulse laser (left arm), some heatsinks - Like a Panther. Middle range between a Osiris C and Osiris Prime, adaptable general use mech.
Beta - 2xMRM-10 (Torso), 2xMedium beam lasers (Arms), some heatsinks - Lightweight MRM carrier, more suited for mid-range fighting
Charlie- 3xLRM-5 (Torso), 2xER Medium beam laser (Arms), BHP, Jump Jets - Long range harasser, spam up the enemy with BEPEPEEPEPEs from infinitely firing LRM-5s. Capable of protecting itself from enemies, unlike the Owens Prime and the Cougar LRM boat.

[Arghy]

Man i loved the panther hell yes to the panther variant! also make it super cheap so you have alot of choice at the start and bank options.

[Profane Arbiter]

A 25 ton mech that's slow compared to other lights and poorly armored. Yea, hopefully the devs take their time on this one, maybe release it...never...

I don't know how to calculate the tonnage either, but those weapon loadouts sound rather optimistic with the leftover tonnage granted a 25 ton mech too.

It'll be like an Osiris in terms of armor , but slower, and possibly not as well armed.

[Virt]

It's not a Mech I'm looking forward to seeing, though I'd welcome more Lights and Mediums.

[=KoS= Saber15]

A 25 ton mech that's slow compared to other lights and poorly armored. Yea, hopefully the devs take their time on this one, maybe release it...never...

I don't know how to calculate the tonnage either, but those weapon loadouts sound rather optimistic with the leftover tonnage granted a 25 ton mech too.

It'll be like an Osiris in terms of armor , but slower, and possibly not as well armed.

Yeah. Though for example, the Hollander II in MWLL is technically non-canon; the CBT Hollander is only 35 tons, while the MWLL one is 45ish, though there is a Hollander variant in CBT that is upgraded to 45 tons (through magic!). Maybe the Commando in MWLL could be 'upgraded' up to 30 or 35 tons?

[Spanish Inquisition]

Well, let's pick an iconic light mech that'll probably fit into MWLL's power band, discuss its merits and likely loadouts compared to current mechs, then have the devs come in and tell us we're stupid and they managed to fit a Long Tom on to the Commando and they're rolling with it.

[Frostiken]

               Inner Sphere Locust
[spoiler]
      151.2 km/h [211.6 km/h MASC] - 21,000 base armor
   P: 1x MPL (CT) - 2x MBL (LA/RA) - 2x MGun (LA/RA)    - 0 HS - BAP
   A: 1x ERMBL (CT) - 4x ERSBL (LA/RA)                          - 2 HS - MASC
   B: 1x LPL (CT) - 2x SRM2 (RA/LA) - 2x MGun (RA/LA)   - 1 HS - GECM - -2000 Armor
   C: 1x MXPL (CT) - 2x SSRM6 (LA/RA)                           - 0 HS
[/spoiler]
               Inner Sphere Mongoose
[spoiler]
      130 km/h [182 km/h MASC] - 23,500 base armor
   P: 3x ERMBL (RA/CT) - 1x ERSBL (LA)                               - 0 DHS - GECM
   A: 3x MPL (LA/CT/RA)                                                       - 1 DHS - MASC
   B: 2x SRM4 (LA/RA)- 2x ERMBL (LT/RT) - 1x MPL (CT)       - 0 DHS
   C: 1x MXPL (CT) - 6x SXPL (LA/RA)                                   - 2 DHS (AKA: "Lingchi")
[/spoiler]
               Clan Fire Moth
[spoiler]
      162.0 km/h [226.8 km/h MASC] - 18,000 base armor
   P: 2x CERMBL (LA/LT) - 1x CSRM4 (RA) - 1x CSRM6 (RT)   - 0 DHS - MASC
   A: 2x CMPL (LA/RA) - 2x MGun (LT) - 1x NARC (RT)           - 0 DHS - MASC - BAP - LAMS
   B: 1x CERLBL (RA) - 2x CSPL (LA/LT) - 1x Flamer (LT)       - 0 DHS - MASC - GECM
   D: 2x CHML (LA/RA) - 1x CATM6 (LT) - 1x CSRM4 (RT)       - 0 DHS - MASC - 1x Ammo
[/spoiler]
               Clan Fire Falcon
[spoiler]
      130 km/h - 22,000 base armor
   P: 2x CSSRM4 (LT/RT) - 1x CMPL (LA) - 2x CERMBL (LA/RA) - 2x CERSBL (RA)   - 0 DHS - C3
   A: 2x CSRM4 (LT/RT) - 2x CMPL (LA/RA)                                                            - 1 DHS - MASC - GECM - BAP - C3
   B: 2x CERLBL (LA/RA)                                                                                        - 2 DHS - EOptics
   C: 1x CLRM15 (LT) - 2x CERMBL (LA) - 1x NARC (RA)                                         - 0 DHS - GECM - BAP - LAMS
   D: 2x CERSBL (LT/RT) - 2x CERMBL (LA) - 1x CERMPL (RA) - 1x TAG (RA)           - 0 DHS - GECM - BHP - C3
   E: 1x CLHL (LA) - 2x CERMBL (RA)                                                                     - 3 DHS - GECM - BAP[/spoiler]

Comedy option: 

               Inner Sphere Fireball
[spoiler]
         183.6 km/h [257 km/h MASC] - 18,000 base armor
     P: 1x SSRM6 (LT) - 1x MGun (RT)      - 0 HS - GECM
     A: 2x MBL (LT) - 1x MGun (RT)          - 0 HS - +500 Armor
     B: 1x SRM4 (LT) - 1x NARC (RT)        - 0 HS
     C: 2x SXPL (LT) - 1x MXPL (RT)         - 0 HS - MASC
[/spoiler]

[Profane Arbiter]

Yea, I hear alot of calls for the Firemoth. I'm not sure if the devs are dead set on the Commando or not, but if their open to changing things up, that's a light with a purpose (other than to die horribly for the LOLs).

[Frostiken]

Problem with the Firemoth is it'd be lucky to have the durability of our current Osiris...

[Brutus Caecilius]

The Commando's purpose is simple .
Just srm spam if infernos are add with it, It will be a terror to face in a mech that runs hot .

[KingLeerUK]

At this point, the Commando has had two modeling passes done on it by two different 3-D artists on the team (Defender, Masakari) and the results have failed to meet expectations (through no fault of the artists).  The Commando is just hard to get looking exciting/acceptable within the visual standards set forth for MWLL.  For a very long time now it has been sidelined and moved to the bottom of the development pile, but the truth is it may simply fall off the planned asset list and be replaced with another selection.  I would rather find a more appropriate (and good looking) replacement that our modelers can be excited about than expend artist time for a 3rd round of trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole.

[Spanish Inquisition]

I've always liked the Wolfhound and the Panther, and the 3050 upgrades for Wolfhound and Thorn. Of course, this game tends more towards omni designs.

[(TLL) Heretic]

I've always liked the Wolfhound and the Panther, and the 3050 upgrades for Wolfhound and Thorn. Of course, this game tends more towards omni designs.

WolfHound for sure, I can see it being useful at any point in the game (plus it's so thin and fast it would be a bugger to hit) the Panther is kind of outclassed in every way (except JJs) by the ERPPC Raven, so what's the point (it's expensive and already got an equivalent that does the job better)?

Only role I see for the Commando is if we start the game not at 30-35tons but at 25-30tons with Commandos, SHawks, Harassers & VTOLS v Firemoths and Hephs.......Partisans, Ullers and Owens coming with Rank 2 onwards. (with the Sulla sometime around the SCats in rank 4-6)......but I can just hear the cries from the MW4 "Career Assault" pilots already so I doubt we will see this.

Plus such changes would make the imbalance between starting assets and the Clan Heavies/IS Assaults even worse, so as much as I love the early game I don't see a place for the Commando TBH, better for the Devs to spend their time in other areas and abandon this jalopy of a tin-can for good (Arctic Wolf would be a nice medium, although technically a IS medium, like the MkII is technically an IS Assault....or even the StormCrow/Ryoken in the expensive medium bracket would be a much better use of animator/modeler time).

[Defender]

I spit on the corpse of the Commando Geometry.

As I sat there trying to decipher its geometry from various concept art and painted models, and coming up with some semblance of a low-poly, I said to myself, "this mech was cool when I first wanted to add it, but now it ain't so cool". Of all the mechs we've ever wanted to add, I've never seen a mech that's been tossed between modelers like a read-headed stepchild, and then tossed in a ghetto dumpster.

It's not that it's a bad mech. It's pretty cool in its own way or we wouldn't have agreed upon it to begin with. Personally, I can't see its use, or priority, and I can see many other mechs that should go in first. If we get to it, we get to it. Until then, much cooler shit (at least in my opinion) has priority and I know many of you agree with this.

[sgnl05]

I'm pleased to hear it'll probably be dropped. I've always hated the "giant mechanical man" style mech designs, and anyway I think the IS really needs a more combat orientated light mech, which certainly isn't the Commando.