MechWarrior Online: JaegerMech Hero, Firebrand (Rifleman build), in Action

Here are a series of videos where I pilot the JaegerMech Hero mech, Firebrand, with 2 ER Large Lasers, 2 AC5, and 2 Medium Lasers. A slightly heavier version of the Rifleman.

Battle in Crimson Strait where I get 3 kills and 7 assists on 428 damage. Not a great game, but it was fun.

Another match in Crimson Strait where I get 5 kill steals and 3 assists on 595 damage.

A match in Alpine Peaks where this build shines thanks to the longer than normal engagement distances. I get 2 kills and 10 assists on 692 damage. Oh, and 303,702 C-Bills (thanks hero mech and Premium time bonuses).

MechWarrior Online: 1000th Match in Atlas AS7-D-DC

This is my 1000th match in an Atlas AS7-D-DC. It's not pretty. It wasn't fun. It really wasn't how I wanted my 1000th  match the D-DC to go, but oh well. :D

The weapon load out is my preferred build for using the D-DC in 4 man groups these days. An AC20, two ER Large Lasers, and three SRM6. It gives me decent damage at long, medium, and short engagement ranges.

I also have a second AS7-D-DC that is my "shotgun" build with two LB-10X, two Medium Lasers, and three SRM4 that I run in 4 man groups. It is a strictly a short range brawler.

In 12 man groups I swap out the ER Large Lasers for regular Large Lasers because I tend to engage the enemy at shorter ranges and the drop in heat from the lasers is needed for better heat management once the brawl starts.

Stats after 1000 matches (blame PGI for inaccurate numbers)
Wins: 539
Losses: 453
Win/Loss Ratio: 1.19    
Kills: 731
Deaths: 512
Kill/Death Ratio: 1.43    
Time Played: 4 days 11:44:59 hours

MechWarrior Online: 500th Match in Atlas AS7-D

Below is my 500th match in the Founder's Atlas, AS7-D(F). The weapons layout is two AC5, two ER Large Lasers, and two Medium Lasers. It's not my favorite build, but it consistently puts out good damage over a match.

This particular match isn't anything special as far as my performance or my team's performance goes, but I wanted to record it for posterity.

Stats over 500 matches (Blame PGI for inconsistencies if their stats page)

Wins: 262
Losses: 234
Win/Loss Ratio: 1.12 Kills: 331
Deaths: 281
Kill/Death Ratio: 1.18
Time Played: 2 days 02:23:30 hours

 

MechWarrior Online: Blackjack, BJ-1X, In Action: Parts 6 and 7

More videos of me piloting the Blackjack, BJ-1X, with two Medium Lasers and six Small Pulse Lasers.

In the video below I get 4 kills and 4 assists on 455 damage in a losing effort on Crimson Strait.

The below video takes place in Canyon Network where I get 4 kills and 5 assists on 561 damage.

MechWarrior Online: Ilya Muromets Hero Cataphract, CTF-IM, In Action

Here are a series of videos of me piloting the hero Cataphract "Ilya Muromets", CTF-IM.

The load out I am using is three AC5 and three Medium Lasers. I used to use three Ultra AC5, but got tired of the guns jamming and since the AC5 now fires at the same rate as the Ultra AC5, the damage output is about the same.

A match in Forest Colony Snow where I get 3 kills and 5 assists on 418 damage.

 

 

A match in Crimson Strait where I get 2 kills and 5 assists on 659 damage.

MechWarrior Online: Atlas, AS7-D, with 2 AC5 and 2 ER Large Lasers In Action

Here is a series of videos where I pilot an Atlas, AS7-D, with two AC5, two ER Large Lasers, and two Medium Lasers.

This is a new build for me. I've tried AC5 and UAC5 builds before on the Atlas, but never really liked them for brawling because of the faster rate of fire. Usually when I brawl with an AC20, I fire my big weapons and torso twist to mitigate incoming damage until the weapons finish cycling for the next shot. With faster firing weapons like the AC5, there isn't much time for torso twisting because, if you do, you sacrifice your damage output. So, consider this an experiment for me. :D

A match in Terra Therma where I get 3 kills and 5 assists on 760 damage.

MechWarrior Online: Battlemaster, BLR-1D, in Action

Here is my Battlemaster, BLR-1D, series of videos. The current build is two AC2, one AC5, and four Medium Lasers. The more popular version of this build has three AC2, but I find it runs a little cooler with an AC5 instead of a third AC2 which allows me to use the Medium Lasers a little more often in a brawl.

This match took place in Crimson Strait where I get 6 kills and 1 assist on 709 damage.

A Conquest match in Frozen City Night where I get 7 kills and 4 assists on 694 damage.

MechWarrior Online: Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with AC20 and 2 Large Lasers In Action

This is a series of videos where I pilot an Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with an AC20, two Large Lasers, and three SRM6. I've liked this particular build for close range brawling since Closed Beta. The Large Lasers give it some mid-range attack, but it excels at ranges under 270 meters due to the AC20 and 3 SRM6.

You'll probably notice I have no problem using the AC20 to hit targets past 270 meters. I started doing this after the change to ACs where their max range was increased from double to triple the optimum range. At 500 meters, the AC20 is doing about 10 points of damage and, I feel, is effective to about 600 meters.

Battle in Canyon Network where I get 2 kills and 4 assists on 673 damage.

 

Battle in Caustic Valley where I get 5 kills and 2 assists on 818 damage. You will probably need to watch in full screen to see what I'm shooting at most of the game. :)

MechWarrior Online: Commando Hunting with a Shadow Hawk, SHD-5M

I get the last kill of the match, a Death's Knell Commando, COM-TDK, with an AC20 at 400m in a Shadow Hawk, SHD-5M. I'm liking the 5M outfitted with an AC20 and 2 Medium Lasers. It's similar in function to the Blackjack BJ-1 with an AC20 and jump jets, but has a little more toughness thanks to the extra 10 tons and armor.

Not a great match for damage and kills, but I do get 1 kill and 5 assists on 364 damage.

Extra Life 25 Hour Fundraising Event

I'm just going to borrow the post our Extra Life team leader, Dark Treader, made to our private boards. YouTube clips of him saying his thank yous and my last match follow.

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Wooo-hoo!

That was an awesome run, everyone! After 25 hours of MWO, with Gimpy running his stream and getting the word out, we were able to meet our goal of $1000! As of 4:13pm EST, 11/3, we're at $1,205!

So, major events during the event:
1. The Extra-Life.org site & associated servers, 4 times during the event, came under a DDoS attack. Why this happened, no one knows, but the general consensus is that whoever initiated it is an asshole of the highest caliber. But in a strange way, I think this did help to increase the support for the program, as the event hit a new milestone this year: as of the time of posting here, they've raised over $3.4 million dollars!

2. A WHOLE lot of people from the unit joined in and participated, giving the group support. We ran 12-mans for a good block of time on Saturday (even did some "training" drops to help out 2nd, and I put training in quotes because if you saw the result of the drops from our end... oi. Taking goofy builds vs. 2nd's comp builds is definitely not a way to have success ), then broke back into 4-mans for the rest of the run. A BIG thank you to everyone who dropped with us, helped support us, and especially during the last few hours when all of us were drained and the energy was gone, kept us going for that last stretch.

3. We made our team goal (as stated above), and two of the team made personal goals as well - and donations are still coming in! So if you're interested in donating, you're more than welcome to do so

4. Thanks to Niko Snow from IGP/PGI for hopping over and dropping with us!

5. We got a shoutout on the MWO Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MechWarriorOnline ), also

I think that pretty well covers the big points of the day, it was a lot of fun overall, and we raised a decent amount of money - a good bump from last year's numbers
Next year, I'd love to see us even more organized and try and double or triple the amount we raise. I know that 24 or 25 hours is a big block of time to set aside, but I think it's worth it - and the numbers we posted and the word we spread about the event showed.

In any case, just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who supported us and donated to the cause.

DHB effin' ROCKS!

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Dark Treader say his Thank Yous

 

Gimpy's last match of playing 25 hours straight.

MechWarrior Online: Phoenix Battlemaster, BLR-1G, In Action

Here is my Phoenix Battlemaster, BLR-1G, series of videos. The current build is three Large Lasers, four Medium Lasers, and two Machine Guns and can be found here: Battlemaster, BLR-1G

The video below took place in Tourmaline Desert where I got 5 kills and 5 assists on 838 damage.

Battle in Caustic Valley where I got 3 kills and 7 assists on 478 damage. Sharing this mostly because I got to kill a Jenner and a Spider when they probably thought I was going to be an easy kill for them. :D

MechWarrior Online: DHB vs DHB 24 Mech Battles

Here are a few videos I recorded during one of our, Death's Hand Brigade, recent training nights. We were sync dropping two 12 man teams against each other and I was lucky enough to be on the winning team 3 out of 4 battles.

I am piloting an Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with an AC20, two Large Lasers, and three SRM6.

A battle in Alpine Peaks. I get 1 kill and 10 assists on 411 damage.

 

 A battle in Tourmaline Desert. I get 1 kill and 10 assists on 745 damage.

A battle in Caustic Valley. I don't get any kills, but have 9 assists on 523 damage.

MechWarrior Online: Phoenix Shadow Hawk, SHD-2H, In Action

Here is my Phoenix Shadow Hawk, SHD-2H, series of videos. The current build is two Auto-cannon 2, one Medium Pulse Laser, and 3 Streak SRM (SSRM) and can be found here: Shadow Hawk, SHD-2H

In the video below, I get gimped and live through it in River City Night. I get 1 kill and 5 assists on 392 damage.

A battle in Terra Therma. I don't get any kills, but there is an epic fight and I end up with 5 assists on 349 damage.

A battle in Canyon Network where I get 2 kills and 7 assists on 477 damage.

A battle in Forest Colony Snow where I get 3 kills and 7 assists on 587 damage.

An Assault match in Canyon Network where I get 3 kills 2 and assists 563 damage.

MechWarrior Online: Quickdraw, QKD-4H, Video Series

Here are a series of videos where I pilot the Quickdraw, QKD-4H, in a variety of builds.

In the video below I am using four Medium Lasers and three SRM6 in Frozen City. Not exactly the best build for today's primarily long range game, but once it gets in range... Watch out.

I get 3 kills, 4 assists on 587 damage in this match on Frozen City.

In this video I am using four Medium Pulse Lasers and three SRM4 in a Canyon Network Assault match. The win comes down to a fight between me and a Cataphract. Who will win? :D

I get 4 kills and 4 assists on  654 damage.

MechWarrior Online: Blackjack, BJ-1X, In Action: Part 5

The Blackjack BJ-1X with 2 Medium Lasers and 6 Small Pulse Lasers in action during a match in Crimson Straight.

This video was recorded during my second day of fund raising for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 4 kills and 2 assists on 656 damage. Not too bad considering I hadn't played the BJ-1X in well over a month and I had been playing for 8 hours straight at this point.

MechWarrior Online: National Multiple Sclerosis Society 48 Hour Fund Raising Event

So, I had decided last week I was going to take off October 3 and 4 to catch up on some reading, relax a bit, and play some MechWarrior Online (MWO). However, on Wednesday, October 2, I received an email from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society notifying me about a 48 hour long fund raising event (I have been doing MS fund raising events for the past 6-7 years). Basically, an organization was matching every dollar donated (up to $10,000 for $20,000 total) through 10PM Pacific Friday, October 4.

Since I didn't have plans set in stone, I decided to try to raise some money for a good cause. I also figured this would be a good chance to get warmed up for the Extra Life 25 hour event on November 2. So, I put in a little over 9 hours of streaming MechWarrior Online on Twitch Thursday and another 9 hours on Friday.

Thursday... I started about 9:30AM Pacific and had to take a 45 minute break due to a MWO hot fix patch at 10:00AM. I started the stream back up around 10:50AM. I wasn't expecting to get much attention because I usually only have about 10 people watching my Twitch stream at any given time, but then Garth Erlam (yes. The Garth) from Piranha Games showed up in Twitch chat. Before long I have 40+ people watching my channel (personal best, by the way).

Bryan Ekman was there for a while and shared some info with the people in chat (Locust cockpit screenshot he posted to Twitter and some stuff most us of already know). Garth dropped with me for a few matches before he had to get back to "work". Phil and Daeron from No Gut No Galaxy (NGNG) made appearances in chat throughout the day and evening. And they were all helping to get the word out about what I was doing through Facebook and Twitter. Phil even put a message up on the NGNG TS server so everyone who logged in would see it.

The highlight of the day (technically evening) was when xImpalerx (Impy) from NGNG came into the Death's Hand Brigade channel on the NGNG TeamSpeak server and asked if it would be ok to do a simultaneous Twitch stream to help get the word out. Of course I accepted and grouped up with him and others to about 10PM Eastern. Impy is a great guy and came across as really wanting to help the cause. I even taught him how to pronounce "Multiple Sclerosis" properly (he kept calling it "Muscular Sclerosis"). :)

Overall, a very good day and our Extra Life goal was helped out some due to Garth getting confused on which event was happening. :D

Friday... I started streaming again a little after 10AM Pacific and things stayed pretty laid back for the day. I didn't have any "celebrities" show up and my viewer count floated between 20 and 35 people. Not very impressive, but it allowed me to group with random people on the NGNG Team Speak server and stay more engaged with the viewers who were there and I had a great time doing it.

I finally stopped streaming on Twitch a little after 7PM Pacific and headed over the official MechWarrior Online stream to thank Phil and Daeron for helping promote the event. They were very gracious and invited me to join them for a few drops. I took them up on their offer, but could only stay for one game. We won, I didn't die, and it was fun.

However, while we talking, Daeron offered to help out on promoting any future charity events, but give them a little warning. So, seeing an opportunity, I told them about the Extra Life 25 hour event on November 2 Death's Hand Brigade will be participating in. Daeron then gave me his email and said to send him the details. So, expect to see some promotions for the event over the next month. :D

Overall, Friday was a good day. Not as exciting as Thursday, but no less productive. The important things are I had fun, met some new people, and raised some money for a great cause.

The downside to this particular MS event was there is no way to track how much money had been donated through my efforts because it is an impromptu event (MS events are usually planned out many months ahead of time and you have personal fund raising pages to take donations). Not a big deal, but would have been nice because people were curious to see how much money had been raised. Oh well, maybe next time.

I would like to thank everyone at Piranha Games and No Guts No Galaxy for helping to get the word out on this event and especially to Piranha Games for the donation to the Extra Life event.

Also, thank you to everyone who watched my broadcast and a special thank you to those who made donations.

I would also like want to thank the other DHB members who dropped with me on Thursday and Friday:
Wynce
Dr Deimos
Batwing
Thermal Scorpion
Uncaused Ryan
Hatchet Jack

There were also a number of people from the NGNG TeamSpeak server who also dropped with me and I would like to thank them as well. I know I'm not remembering everyone, but you know who you are:
Fourth Oracle
Mavek
Bearlysane

Again, thank you everyone. I really, really appreciate it.

If you would like to learn more about Multiple Sclerosis or the MS Society, please visit the National MS Society web site.

Update (October 7): I called the Multiple Sclerosis Society to see how the fundraiser went and they confirmed that they did meet the goal of raising $20,000. Apparently, they were going to be about $2000 short as of 9PM Pacific on Friday, but someone approached them and offered to make up for any difference. So, $20,000 raised in 48 hours. Not too bad.

Again, thank you to everyone who helped out and who donated to the cause.

MechWarrior Online: Mechs We Will Probably Never See in MWO

So, I started playing MechWarrior Online a little earlier than normal today and the servers go down for a hot fix. So, I opened up my old trunk of stuff from my childhood and this is what I found. A Valkyrie model I bought, built, and painted when I was about 14 years old. It is 1/170 scale and is about 3 inches tall. Since the Valyrie is an Unseen mech, it is highly unlikely we will ever see it in MechWarrior Online. So, this is as good as it gets for now. :D

MechWarrior Online: AS7-D with AC20 and 2 ER Larger Lasers in Action

I was grouped with a couple of fellow DHB members when one asked me about the load out of the Atlas AS7-D I was running. He wanted to finish off his Atlas pilot skills but hadn't found a good build for the AS7-D. So, I shared my build with him, AC20, 2 ER Large Lasers, and 2 Medium Lasers, and this is what happened in our next match.

MechWarrior Online: Combined DHB and Aces Wild 12 Man in Caustic Valley

Deaths Hand Brigade and Aces Wild team-up for a match in Caustic Valley. This is the last match of an impromptu event between DHB and Aces Wild. We started with two 12 man groups with members of the two units in both teams. The original plan was we were going to sync drop against each other. However, due to people coming and going it took a long time to get the two groups to sync drop and we eventually just did normal 12 man drops as much as we could.

Overall, it was fun dropping with Aces Wild and everyone had a good time.

MechWarrior Online: Lance of 4 Atlases in Tourmaline Desert

While grouped with another DHB member, Von Kempf, we get placed in a lance with two other Atlases. Result? Fun!

This was complete luck to get grouped with two more Atlases for my last drop of the night. The best part is they realized it was best for the four of us to stick together without anyone having to say it.

MechWarrior Online: Ilya Muromets with LB-10X and 2 AC5 in Action

I was a little bored running a three Ultra AC 5 (UAC5) build in the Ilya Muromets and after the recent changes to the UAC5, I decided to try something different because this excellent Cataphract variant deserves lots of playing time. The result... One LB-10X, two AC5, and 3 Medium Lasers. It doesn't sound like much, but it is a well rounded mech good at dishing out decent damage at range and excellent at finishing off mechs stripped of armor up close (under 300 meters).

Below are some videos of the build in action. Enjoy.

Solo drop in River City: 4 kills, 4 assists, 491 damage

Solo drop in Caustic Valley: 4 kills, 4 assists, 500 damage

Another solo drop in River City: 5 kills, 2 assists, 662 damage

MechWarrior Online: Atlas AS7-D-DC with AC20 and 2 ER Large Lasers in Action

These are a series of videos where I pilot an Atlas AS7-D-DC with an AC20, 2 ER Large Lasers, and 3 SRM6. It's currently my preferred D-DC build in PUG matches when I drop solo or when in a 4 man group with mechs of various weights.

The match below took place while in a DHB four man lance during an epic battle in Tourmaline Desert. Not the best place to be running this slightly warm build with only one Cool Shot, but somehow I manage to get 7 kills and 3 assists on 1063 damage and our lance accounts for all of our team's kills (11).

Battle in Forest Colony Snow where I get 5 kills and 7 assists on 787 damage. This was the last match of a long night where I had mostly very mediocre games in the D-DC.

MechWarrior Online: Pay To Win and Premium Time

With the recent addition of 12 player versus 12 player matches (12v12) and the changes to the amount of C-bills you can earn in those matches, I wanted to make a follow-up to my previous post on "Is MechWarrior Online Pay To Win?" and the issue of earning C-bills with or without Premium Time.

The typical argument I have heard is you earn less now in 12v12 matches than you did in 8v8 matches. Of course, no one has actually backed up their position with any real data. So, this is how I have used Premium Time to affect my ability to earn C-bills...

I have been tracking my daily C-bill earning since MechWarrior Online entered Open Beta on December 4, 2012. On December 28, 2012 I activated my Founder's Premium Time and purchased 30 days of Premium Time three times.

In order to see how playing without Premium Time affected my ability to earn C-bills, I let my Premium Time run out on June 30, 2013. So, I had Premium Time for about 6 months and I have now been running without Premium Time for about two and half months.

The C-bill earnings changes introduced with 12v12 matches occurred on August 6, 2013. So, not a lot of data to work with since then, but it will have to do for now and I am continuing to gather data. Below is a link to a copy of the spreadsheet I have been using to track my earnings, significant events, and costs through March 7, 2016.

Gimpy's C-bill Earnings Spreadsheet

A few things to keep in mind are major purchases like mechs and engines affect my earnings on some days (i.e. huge C-bill losses) and I do use consumables like cool shots and UAVs from time to time (i.e. not huge costs, but costs none the less).

Also, before my Premium Time ran out, I played almost every day because I did not want the Time to be wasted. Since then, I do not feel I HAVE to play every day and don't play quite as much. I play as often as I do because I really enjoy playing the game.

Keep in mind, the data sample size for my Premium Time usage is at least three times as large as the non-Premium Time usage (6 months versus 2 months) and 12v12 matches have only been out for less than 60 days. So, the data is not conclusive, but I think is still useful.

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Note (November 18, 2013): 30 Days of Premium Time was available at 40% off the normal MC cost this weekend. I feel this is one of the best deals they offer and this is only the second time they have had this sale. So, I bought 60 days of Premium Time thinking to add to my current Premium Time in the bank (120 days). However, it activated immediately because it was purchased normally. The Premium Time I have in the bank is from purchasing the Phoenix Overlord package and has to be activated by pressing an "Activate" button in the MWO client. So, I added a new section to the Analysis section of my spreadsheet to account for the change in my ability to earn C-bills. I ran without Premium Time for 135 days.

 Note (April 30, 2014): I activated my bank of approximately 173 days of Premium Time so I could customize Private Matches as needed.

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If you do not want to dig through the numbers, here's the short version of my C-bills earnings (check out the spreadsheet link above for the most up-to-date numbers).

Since Open Beta Started on Dec. 4, 2012
Average per day played	708586
High	7,816,076
Low	-25,333,822
With Premium Time
Average per day played	869898
High	7,816,076
Low	-25,333,822
No Premium Time June 30, 2013 to Aug. 5, 2013
Average per day played	107,332
High	2,224,964
Low	-9,638,248
No Premium Time - 12v12 since Aug. 6, 2013
Average per day played	745,831
High	2,745,524
Low	-14,347,758

Conclusion in regards to MechWarrior Online being Pay To Win:
Premium Time definitely lets you earn more C-bills over time, but this is not Pay To Win. Premium Time allows you to earn C-bills faster to purchase the mechs and weapons you want. It does not allow you to purchase superior mechs and weapons because there are no such things in MechWarrior Online. Everyone has access to the same mechs and equipment. Only your personal experience and skill will make you a better pilot. And, those can not be bought with C-bills or real world money.

Conclusion in regards to earning less C-bills in 12v12 matches:
It's hard to say with only about 60 days worth of data (I have a couple of days between June 30 and Aug. 6 where I only played 2-3 games that are throwing things off), but the 12v12 earnings appear to be slightly superior even when compared to Premium Time. For instance, my average C-bills per day played for 12v12 would be 932,288 after the 25 percent Premium Time bonus. That's 62,390 more C-bills per day than what I earned with Premium Time running.

The reason for the increase is because with more mechs on the field, your chances to earn bonuses for destroying components, getting savior kills, spotting assists, kill assists, and kills are all increased. Yes, your chances of getting killed faster are also increased, but, with some practice, you will learn to avoid those situations. :D

MechWarrior Online: Atlas AS7-D-DC with 2 LB-10X in Action Video Series

This is a video series showing off my Atlas AS7-D-DC with 2 LB-10X, 2 Medium Lasers, and 3 SRM6 with Artemis build. I don't claim to be the person who first ran the build, but I did originally run it back in Closed Beta and see others running similar builds from time to time.

Its major weakness is the lack of pin point damage of the AC20 and the raw damage per second of the Ultra AC5. However, with the fast recycle time, low heat, and critical hit rate on internals, the LB-10X makes for some good fun. Especially when combined with the SRM6s. Strip the armor off the torso armor and watch the light show begin!

Assault match in Canyon Network:

Assault match in River City

Assault match in Terra Therma

MechWarrior Online: Cataphract CTF-3D with 2 ERPPC and Advanced Zoom Module

I'm piloting a Cataphract CTF-3D with 2 ERPPC, 2 Medium Pulse Lasers, and the new Advanced Zoom module while in a Canyon Network Assault game. I really like the new advanced zoom module. The old version was near unusable, but this new version is great. You can actually tell what you are shooting. Big kudos to PGI on this change.

MechWarrior Online: Jagermech, JM6-S, with 2 AC20 in Alpine Peaks

I solo drop in a Jagermech, JM6-S, with 2 AC20 in Alpine Peaks Assault while chatting with people in my Twitch channel, www.twitch.tv./Gimpy21. I only get 4 kills and 1 assist with 366 damage on the loss, but it was still fun.

 

MechWarrior Online: Project Phoenix: Saber Reinforcement

The Project Phoenix page was updated today, August 28, with an additional package called Saber Reinforcement. Once you purchase one of the Project Phoenix packages, you can purchase the Saber Reinforcement package for an additional $30.

The package includes one hero mech variant and two normal variants of each of the 55 ton mechs, Griffin and Wolverine. So, six mechs for $30 and two of those are hero variants (unique paint job and geometry, 30% C-bill and 10% Loyalty boost). As I mentioned in an earlier post, I already have the Project Phoenix Overlord package and I'm very tempted to give myself an early Christmas present. :D

Click on images below for larger versions.

 

And I only made it about two hours before buying the Saber Reinforcements package...

 

MechWarrior Online: DHB vs DHB 24 Mech Battles in Alpine Peaks and Tourmaline Desert

Here are two 12v12 battles between two Death's Hand Brigade 3rd Battalion groups during a training session. We sync drop in Conquest mode to increase the odds of getting matched against each other. The purpose of the training is to work on communication, focus firing, and moving as a group. The overall focus of the training is combat. So, we don't intentionally cap bases.

The mech I'm piloting is an Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with an AC20, 2 Large Lasers, and 3 SRM6s.

Alpine Peaks

 

 Tourmaline Desert

MechWarrior Online: Atlas AS7-D-DC with 2 LB-10X AC in Action

This mech is a slight variation of one of my favorite builds from Closed Beta, Atlas AS7-D-DC with two LB-10X AC, two Medium Lasers, and three SRM6 with Artemis. I get 6 kills and 3 assists on 628 damage. This was also the last match of a nearly 9 hour long MechWarrior Online play session. This was arguably my best match of the day. 

MechWarrior Online: DHB vs DHB 24 Mech Battle in River City

Two Death's Hand Brigade groups face off in River City during a training session. I am piloting an Atlas AS7-D with two PPCs, AC20, and two Medium Lasers.

MechWarrior Online: Cataphract, CTD-3D, with 2 ERPPCs in Tourmaline Desert

I dust off my favorite Cataphract, CTF-3D, with 2 ERPPCs, 2 Medium Pulse Lasers, and 2 Jump Jets for an Assault match in Tourmaline Desert. I hadn't played this mech in quite a while and realized I really need to play it more. It is fun, and although not a brawler like I usually play, I am effective with it. Despite a sub-par sniper alpha strike (only 20 points) I get 4 kills and 5 assists on 460 damage. Oh yeah, one of those kills was a 700+ meter side torso XL engine kill on a Jenner (1:55 in the video). :D

MechWarrior Online: DHB vs DHB 24 Mech Battle in Caustic Valley

Two Death's Hand Brigade 3rd Battalion teams face off in Caustic Valley. This was during our first night of 12v12 training. We had dropped against this same DHB group two times earlier and they kicked our butts, but we make up for it this time. Our teamwork and communication were much better than in previous drops and it paid off.

MechWarrior Online: Atlas, AS7-D-DC with AC20 and 2 Large Lasers in Action - Part 3

While piloting an Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with an AC20 and 2 Large Lasers, and 3 SRM6s, we run into a DHB group in a Caustic Valley Assault battle. Not sure if you can see it in the in-game text chat, but one of my fellow DHB team mates put a bounty on my head if someone would team kill me.

MechWarrior Online: 3rd Person View on Public Test Server

Check out the short video below where I express some of my thoughts on the new 3rd Person View coming soon in MechWarrior Online to the people with me in TeamSpeak and on my Twitch channel.

Additional thoughts not in the video:
They need to pull the camera back some. Of the 7 or so mechs I played during the test, the Cataphract was the only one where you could see the upper legs consistently. With the others, you basically only saw the mech from the waist up unless the terrain slope changed the angle of the camera enough to force the camera to reposition to a higher angle. Of course, this totally screwed with your aiming as the reticle would also adjust to about face height for the mech.

In it's current form 3rd Person is nice because we finally get to view our paint jobs outside of the mech lab, but that's about it for me. What you give up (mini-map, unobstructed view, free movement of arms) is far too much to make 3rd Person more than a novelty. New players will probably find it useful in helping them get oriented to how mechs move, but, for experienced players, it doesn't hold a lot of appeal.

MechWarrior Online: Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with AC20 and 2 Large Lasers in Action - Part 2

While piloting an Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with an AC20, 2 Large Lasers, and 3 SRM6s, we run into another DHB group in a Tourmaline Desert Assault battle. I get a couple of light mech kills and a lucky finishing shot on another Atlas.

MechWarrior Online: Victor, VTR-9B, with AC20 in River City Night

I put up 803 damage with 2 kills and 4 assists in a Victor, VTR-9B, with an AC20, 2 Medium Lasers, and 2 SRM6s in a River City Night Assault match. I might have done more damage if I hadn't run out of ammo. :D

MechWarrior Online: Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with AC20 and 2 Large Lasers in Action

While in a DHB 4 man group, I pilot an Atlas, AS7-D-DC, with an AC20, 2 Large Lasers, and 3 SRM6s in an Alpine Peaks Assault battle. The AS7-D-DC is the mech I have spent the most time in (37 hours time played) and is arguably my best mech.

 

MechWarrior Online: Sarah's Jenner

PGI has finally released "Sarah's Jenner" and, as of this posting, raised over $11,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. For a mere $10, you get a fully upgraded Jenner, JR7-D, with an Endo-steel structure, Ferro-Fibrous armor, double heat sinks, and a 300XL engine. Oh, and a nice 10% experience bonus too. I already own a Founder's Jenner, JR7-D, and, despite not needing it and also sucking at piloting Jenners, I still bought the Sarah's Jenner because I am a sucker for charity causes.

Find out more about Sarah's Jenner here: http://mwomercs.com/sarah

My Sarah's Jenner receipt

Update (July 26, 2013):
PGI released the first batch of Sarah's Jenners earlier this morning. If you donated, be sure to check your Mech Lab. The Sarah's Jenner will be in your last mech bay slot. You can customize the paint job of the mech with up to 3 colors. I changed my colors to Ash Grey, Basic Blue, and PC Gamer Red (see below and click to enlarge).

Important Note: Sarah's Jenner DOES NOT come with jump jets installed. There is room for 5 jump jets in the chassis, but you will have to do some tweaking to make room for the extra tonnage (0.5 ton each).

MechWarrior Online: Atlas, AS7-D, with AC20 and 2 PPCs in Action

Trying out a newer build for me in an Atlas, AS7-D, with an AC20, 2 PPCs, and 2 Medium Lasers in a Frozen City Night Conquest battle. I did OK, but still not a big fan of PPCs in an Atlas because the shots come out a little low and the convergence can be way off when you don't give the arms enough time to align for the distance.

MechWarrior Online: Victor, VTR-9S, with AC20 in Canyon Network

I drop solo in a Canyon Network Assault match with my new VTR-9S with an AC20, 3 SRM4s, and 2 Medium Lasers. It's like a mini Atlas D-DC with jump jets, but without the ECM!

MechWarrior Online: Blackjack, BJ-1X, In Action: Part 4

Part 4 in my Blackjack, BX-1X series of videos showing the overpoweredness of the Blackjack. This takes place in Tourmaline Desert and I only get 1 kill and 5 assists on 330 damage.

MechWarrior Online: 12v12 on Test Server - July 11, 2013

So, PGI made their MechWarrior Online Test Server available to the public yesterday, July 11, for two two hours blocks. (One in the morning and the other later in the afternoon Pacific time) to test the upcoming 12 on 12 battles.The general consensus among the eight DHB members I played with was it was very fun. The game dynamic is definitely changed and is very refreshing. I really didn't want to go back to playing 8 on 8 battles after two hours of 12 on 12 battles. :D

You can view three of the battles below or you can watch the entire two hour session here: http://www.twitch.tv/gimpy21/c/2564971

A DHB 4 man group in a 12 on 12 battle on Forest Colony Snow Assault mode.

 

Another 12 on 12 battle on the Test Server. This time in Canyon Network Assault mode.

Two DHB 4 man groups try to sync drop and end up on opposite teams. For the better. Not much fighting in this battle on Tourmaline Desert Assault mode, but it's still fun due to one crazy Jenner pilot on our team.