63 replies to this topic

[Stingz]

Claxus, on March 04 2014 - 02:39 AM, said:

No other B class can throw hellfires to help an ally in combat far away, or fire artillery missiles around cover. They're essentially a 100% hit rate secondary at any range, for full damage. That alone is a merit of great support. Even the enemy just knowing they have to avoid open areas, or cover where you can arc missiles easily, because of you, is a big plus for the team.

The problem wth Hellfires compared to a sniper, is the lock-on warning and travel time compared to a (Ke-)Sabot shot.
When players know how to dodge hellfires reliably, and avoid (some) even in the open they loose lots of their effect.

Snipers have very little issues with hellfires unless they slip up and hit a wall or something dodging.
it only takes a small gap and a few seconds to fire off a Sabot shot and run. Hellfires need much longer LoS and clear path.


I would use a Bruiser but the heat is brutal on Hellfires, and the CRT/Assault exist (and have coolant/TOW).

Edited by Stingz, March 04 2014 - 07:25 PM.

[Krellus]

bruiser ability needs to be longer, or dumbfire hellfires buffed, to make bruiser viable at higher levels

Edited by Krellus, March 05 2014 - 01:47 PM.

[Claxus]

Been thinking about buying the assault rifle for my Bruiser. Any thoughts on how that would affect damage performance_ The vulcan gives the Bruiser a nice option for close combat as the strongest rapid-fire weapon... And it really helps make up for his missile 'deadzone' up close. On the other hand, I've been wondering if the assault rifle would help for its versatility. That's Bruiser's trademark, and the rifle could function more in unison with the missiles in ranged combat... The issue of course, is losing DPS for overall effectiveness, and DPS is the one thing Bruiser is not proud of in the first place.

Can anyone specify better the damage difference_ I feel confident that the AR will let me do a lot more damage overall in matches, but I don't want to struggle a whole lot more than I already do once enemies reach my hellfire deadzone.

On another note... Bruiser with Air Compressor and Fuel Converter is pretty good. Or maybe it's just a preferred playstyle for me so it feels better... Bruiser has the second highest air speed I believe, and attacking from above sometimes while utilizing air dodges and hellfires from the air has had pretty good results. In open area combat you can fight in the air evasively while timing your hellfire shots during dodges. The big problem here is Bruiser's below average fuel regen (though great fuel tank), but the Fuel Compressor helps a lot with that. Fitted in some Basic Deflectors to top off internals.

As for items, I've been thinking about Blockade or Shield, on top of the default turret. I think they're natural utilities for Bruiser. Blockade can shut people away in CQC for just enough time to space a little bit where missiles are most effective, and in general purpose, provides cover for survival for you and allies, and the best part, arcing hellfires over or around your own blockade. Shield works similarly, but I think it's too much of a double edged sword since it invites CQC and enemies can use it, too. But it also allows you to curve hellfires around the shield. It can also save you or allies... But I want to pick one or the other, because I want to fit in a Hologram.

Come on guys, let's give Bruiser some love!

Edited by Claxus, March 11 2014 - 12:01 AM.

[stinkycheeseman]

Was super excited to get the Bruiser. Got Bruiser to lvl4, then went back and played Assault again. Assault blows the Bruiser away, imo.

The Bruiser just seems confused, with a Point-blank primary and a mid-long secondary, it just doesn't do anything well for me. The Assault seems well synergized between primary/secondary/ability, where the Bruiser does not, and with the excessively short Ability Effect, it effectively has no special ability in actual use. Performs better with the SMG (haven't tried Ass Rifle yet), but still pales to the Assault, from my perspective. Maybe a Grenade Launcher would be better in place of the Hellfires, allowing the Bruiser to live up to it's namesake_

Nice to have in the stable I guess, for those limited situations where it shines (or gets buffed), but I won't be playing it much at this point.

[Claxus]

Gonna have to disagree there... The Assault is an extremely solid mech but it's also super plain. It's easy to use, and it's good... And that's it. The Bruiser's name really doesn't fit it at all. It's a mech suited for any combat situation... Well, it's true that it is a bit underwhelming in general, but if it did everything it did and was as good as the assault in direct combat, it would probably be the best mech.

Anyway, I've taken out tons of Assaults in my time with the Bruiser. After I got used to it, though. Actually, that may be moreso ever since I got Air Compressor. But case in point, I feel as pilot skill is what equates the Bruiser vs. Assault matchup. And the key to the victory here is the shield skill. I know a lot of people dislike how short it is, but essentially blocks out a whole attack for that second it lasts. Once you successfully use it to block a tow rocket from an assault and a few of their primary shots, in a game where DPS is a huge deal, you'll likely be able to finish them off. It's a strange ability for a game like this, but you have to think of it as a sort of 'parry.' It's extremely useful to be able to tank a shot better than a Vanguard in turret mode. In a lot of cases, you can beat Assaults without the ability by utilizing cover, too, because when primaries are less dominant in an encounter (like quickdraws behind cover), usually hellfires accurate damage will beat out splash. But with the skill, it's definitely possible to beat Assaults one on one, it just requires good use of the shield and some real good aiming.

About the primary, I started playing again today after a short break from the game, and I'm gonna keep the vulcan now to be honest. Coming back with a clear mind, it's not that terrible in midrange, and I realized today how it can mow down even heavies up close (I realize I was trying to use it too much like a SMC before now)... The same range where dumbfire hellfires are easy enough to hit with, too. It's true Bruiser has some awkward weapon setups, but it's surprisingly strong when played correctly. I think a lot of people are turned off from it because its playstyle is so different from just about everything in the game, but I find it to be a really good mech with a ton of potential, it just requires a lot more input and precision from the pilot than many other mechs, as well as zoning/spacing, which no other mech really has to worry about to Bruiser's extent.

[Stingz]

Claxus, on March 10 2014 - 07:57 PM, said:

Been thinking about buying the assault rifle for my Bruiser. Any thoughts on how that would affect damage performance_ The vulcan gives the Bruiser a nice option for close combat as the strongest rapid-fire weapon... And it really helps make up for his missile 'deadzone' up close. On the other hand, I've been wondering if the assault rifle would help for its versatility. That's Bruiser's trademark, and the rifle could function more in unison with the missiles in ranged combat... The issue of course, is losing DPS for overall effectiveness, and DPS is the one thing Bruiser is not proud of in the first place.

Can anyone specify better the damage difference_ I feel confident that the AR will let me do a lot more damage overall in matches, but I don't want to struggle a whole lot more than I already do once enemies reach my hellfire deadzone.

On another note... Bruiser with Air Compressor and Fuel Converter is pretty good. Or maybe it's just a preferred playstyle for me so it feels better... Bruiser has the second highest air speed I believe, and attacking from above sometimes while utilizing air dodges and hellfires from the air has had pretty good results. In open area combat you can fight in the air evasively while timing your hellfire shots during dodges. The big problem here is Bruiser's below average fuel regen (though great fuel tank), but the Fuel Compressor helps a lot with that. Fitted in some Basic Deflectors to top off internals.

As for items, I've been thinking about Blockade or Shield, on top of the default turret. I think they're natural utilities for Bruiser. Blockade can shut people away in CQC for just enough time to space a little bit where missiles are most effective, and in general purpose, provides cover for survival for you and allies, and the best part, arcing hellfires over or around your own blockade. Shield works similarly, but I think it's too much of a double edged sword since it invites CQC and enemies can use it, too. But it also allows you to curve hellfires around the shield. It can also save you or allies... But I want to pick one or the other, because I want to fit in a Hologram.

Come on guys, let's give Bruiser some love!

This patch SMC is better than AR, roughly the same performance but SMC runs much colder. Vulcan is too hot for Bruiser to use reliably alongside Hellfires, and SMC is essentialy Vulcan-Lite.

Shield/Barrier depends on player preference. Though Barrier is stronger(+) and blocks movment(+/-), it only covers one side.

Hologram can be useful, though mostly to make opponents waste shots. Scanner/Scrambler are better if you can take them.

Edited by Stingz, March 11 2014 - 08:13 AM.

[Claxus]

From what I understand there, the Assault Rifle maintains damage at slightly longer ranges. SMC's 40-160 vs. AR's 60-200 fall-off damage. And for what it's worth, the AR has a tiny bit less spread, too. The reason I was looking more into the AR was because of its range, I know it's weaker, but being able to do full damage at longer range is a big thing I think, for Bruiser who can attack from any distance with hellfires. Is the range effectiveness difference actually negligible_

But again, I think for now I'm sticking with the vulcan... Vulcan and hellfires are two different extremes which can work oddly well together, they make up for the others' weak points, and work very nicely at the perfect midrange. Heat's a big problem, but eh, I've gotten used to it, and the Bruiser is a mech that loves to use cover when possible, which lets him take heat breathers.

Shield and Blockade is a pretty tough choice. Both are similar yet more useful in different situations... I'm leaning towards Shield for now, though. Because theoretically, jumping just outside of the dome's top and arcing missiles around it sounds very fun and effective at the same time, and provide a more teamplay use than a short wall. Or heck, I may just run both, because turret's been kind of 'meh' in usefulness despite how much I like it.

The turret's damage barely even scratches A types and they go down so easy... I love to use them near corners or places people wouldn't normally see, they provide an awesome distraction and when my crosshair flashes yellow while I'm somewhere else, I know where one of my enemies is. It's just... Not a threat at all, though. If I like turrets, would the rocket one be a little better_

And for Hologram, I know it's an odd choice, but it's just a preference of mine. I love being able to create 'afterimages.' They can be a bit confusing even in duel situations. The radars are great but just not my thing I guess. Maybe because I've gotten used to them being used against me and they hardly bother me anymore. Scrambler is actually fairly easy to see past if you examine the circles, and the radar, I prefer overall awareness over having something like that.

In fact, I use hellfire's lock-on scan to see through visibility obstructions (especially the forest stage) and to confirm enemy locations around corners, even made it a habit to scan around constantly because it can detect a cloaked user at any range. By the way, is there any exact info on Bruiser's ability_ The exact time it lasts, and the percentage it absorbs_ From what I know, it's like 1.5 seconds and 70%~, but never been able to tell exactly.

Edited by Claxus, March 11 2014 - 06:00 PM.

[Duralumi]

Bruiser is bad because its weapons mesh together horribly.

The only place it is good in is mid-range combat when no cover is present.

[Stingz]

Claxus, on March 11 2014 - 05:08 PM, said:

From what I understand there, the Assault Rifle maintains damage at slightly longer ranges. SMC's 40-160 vs. AR's 60-200 fall-off damage. And for what it's worth, the AR has a tiny bit less spread, too. The reason I was looking more into the AR was because of its range, I know it's weaker, but being able to do full damage at longer range is a big thing I think, for Bruiser who can attack from any distance with hellfires. Is the range effectiveness difference actually negligible_

But again, I think for now I'm sticking with the vulcan... Vulcan and hellfires are two different extremes which can work oddly well together, they make up for the others' weak points, and work very nicely at the perfect midrange. Heat's a big problem, but eh, I've gotten used to it, and the Bruiser is a mech that loves to use cover when possible, which lets him take heat breathers.
(...)

SMC pumps out enough bullets that the advantages of the AR aren't a factor. Vulcan and Hellfire both loose effectiveness once opponents start using cover, and Air Compressor dodge Hellfires (Up and Sideways).

Scanner and Scrambler affect the whole team, and are extremely useful on choke points/ objectives.
Scanner is extremely useful for flanking, and catching opponents trying to sneak.
Scramblers are extremely effective in the right place, especially for countering scanners on cloak mechs.

Edited by Stingz, March 12 2014 - 07:12 AM.

[Claxus]

^ I see, guess I'll just wait for the next patch then to make my choice if I get a new primary, assuming they'll balance out the two weapons. I'm fine with the vulcan right now, it makes people think twice about sticking close to avoid hellfires and helps his damage output, heat issues aside. Hellfires are very useful in close encounters with cover, though.

The radar items are good but I just don't think they fit the Bruiser, who's meant as a more versatile offensive attacker. I feel he can benefit the team better with more active utility items that can help in the front lines or protecting allies.

Duralumi, on March 12 2014 - 03:19 AM, said:

Bruiser is bad because its weapons mesh together horribly.

The only place it is good in is mid-range combat when no cover is present.

I know why you see it that way, but after playing it a long time, I find it actually works very well. It takes a lot of getting used to and can be awkward, but he's kind of the jack of all trades and master of none. The way I see it, when you learn how to pilot Bruiser effectively, he can attack decently from any range, with a midrange sweetspot. his only real downside is his lower damage output because of those ranges. But it in no way makes him bad, and I can still go toe to toe against other mechs.

[Kaiziku]

As most said, the Bruiser is a harasser, and hellfire's are the main form of such. I LOVE my Bruiser on maps like Last Eco, DEFINITELY on Bunker, and Bazaar, but in areas with a lot of cover, like Origin, I put it down and go with my Raider or Assault.

[Trych]

Bruiser was the first mech I actually bought, and the one I now never use.

I would go with something else. The first mech I ever maxed was the Zerker, back in the days when you obtained mechs by leveling up.

[DarthScorpius]

I just purchased a Bruiser as my first bought mech. It perfectly suits my play style of flushing out enemies so my teammates can shred 'em, and taking out big tough enemies, like the brawler, at close range. However, now I am focusing on what internals to buy. I've bought the deflector armour but now I'm wondering about what else to get.

Any suggestions_

Edited by DarthScorpius, March 29 2014 - 01:39 AM.

[Kaiziku]

DarthScorpius, on March 29 2014 - 01:39 AM, said:

I just purchased a Bruiser as my first bought mech. It perfectly suits my play style of flushing out enemies so my teammates can shred 'em, and taking out big tough enemies, like the brawler, at close range. However, now I am focusing on what internals to buy. I've bought the deflector armour but now I'm wondering about what else to get.

Any suggestions_

You mentioned you want to flush enemies out... I HIGHLY suggest you buy the Incinerator. Perfect for that kind of stuff. As far as internals go, I get Defelctors, Failsafe for my classes with Tow Rockets or GL's, Armor Fusor (te one that regens your health if you kill or get an assist), Reconstructor, and the one that gives more energy and armor repair from orbs and stations, I forget the name. I play with those the most. Berserker, although I don't have it, I'd suggest getting Air Compressor as well. I put it on my Reaper for some odd reason, and it does help a bit, but I don't fly much on it.

[Claxus]

With Deflectors, be sure to make use of that with Bruiser's ability, you'll absorb 85% of damage for that second. Personally, I like to play my Bruiser very mobile. Air Compressor and Fuel Converter. It has an impressive air speed which helps. and a vulcan and missiles raining down can be hard to deal with, while you'll also be air-dashing. The ability also works well with fighting in the air, you can use it when you feel you're a sitting duck in the air (you feel a TOW coming or are out of fuel), to have a safer landing. Just throw in Basic Deflectors on this set, or an Air 180.

Alternatively, I'd probably go with Advanced Armor Fusor and Deflectors.

[DarthScorpius]

Claxus, on March 29 2014 - 09:00 AM, said:

With Deflectors, be sure to make use of that with Bruiser's ability, you'll absorb 85% of damage for that second. Personally, I like to play my Bruiser very mobile. Air Compressor and Fuel Converter. It has an impressive air speed which helps. and a vulcan and missiles raining down can be hard to deal with, while you'll also be air-dashing. The ability also works well with fighting in the air, you can use it when you feel you're a sitting duck in the air (you feel a TOW coming or are out of fuel), to have a safer landing. Just throw in Basic Deflectors on this set, or an Air 180.

Alternatively, I'd probably go with Advanced Armor Fusor and Deflectors.

I don't really fly around much other than for travel and perhaps a little bit of close quarters combat. Should I be_

Kaiziku, on March 29 2014 - 05:05 AM, said:

DarthScorpius, on March 29 2014 - 01:39 AM, said:

I just purchased a Bruiser as my first bought mech. It perfectly suits my play style of flushing out enemies so my teammates can shred 'em, and taking out big tough enemies, like the brawler, at close range. However, now I am focusing on what internals to buy. I've bought the deflector armour but now I'm wondering about what else to get.

Any suggestions_

You mentioned you want to flush enemies out... I HIGHLY suggest you buy the Incinerator. Perfect for that kind of stuff. As far as internals go, I get Defelctors, Failsafe for my classes with Tow Rockets or GL's, Armor Fusor (te one that regens your health if you kill or get an assist), Reconstructor, and the one that gives more energy and armor repair from orbs and stations, I forget the name. I play with those the most. Berserker, although I don't have it, I'd suggest getting Air Compressor as well. I put it on my Reaper for some odd reason, and it does help a bit, but I don't fly much on it.

Thanks for the advice but I think it will be a long time before I invest in another mech. Plus, I still need the range I get from the hellfire missiles.

[Claxus]

Well, it's bad to fly around a lot in general. You don't ever have to, either, it's just a playstyle, but you need Air Compressors if you want to do so since flying targets are laughably easy to hit without it. I like flying in combat with the Bruiser, though. Second highest air speed stat in the game, so that helps. The main thing though, is that you can very easily lock on with hellfires while air dodging. Makes myself more evasive while being able to launch missiles with no accuracy loss. Though you still want to aim the vulcan, you can focus on that and launch missiles while dodging.

I don't fight from the air the entire time, though, but I do make use of Air Compressor a ton with short hops and dodges. In Siege or other instances where I have to take a point, if there's not many enemies around (or have some allies with me), I love to boost and boost-glide in sometimes, while zigzagging with air dodges and raining down some vulcan and hellfires, throwing in an ability when necessary.

Hellfires can be easy to avoid sometimes, and Bruiser is easily outdamaged with the slow hellfire reload, but they're also very accurate without needing much aim, no matter how much you're moving. I think those internals make Bruiser quite an effective evasive aerial/land attacker by maximizing his evasiveness and how long he can keep it up.

Just a playstyle, though. Bruiser is quite compatible with any internals you'd like.

[DarthScorpius]

Claxus, on March 29 2014 - 02:21 PM, said:

Well, it's bad to fly around a lot in general. You don't ever have to, either, it's just a playstyle, but you need Air Compressors if you want to do so since flying targets are laughably easy to hit without it. I like flying in combat with the Bruiser, though. Second highest air speed stat in the game, so that helps. The main thing though, is that you can very easily lock on with hellfires while air dodging. Makes myself more evasive while being able to launch missiles with no accuracy loss. Though you still want to aim the vulcan, you can focus on that and launch missiles while dodging.

I don't fight from the air the entire time, though, but I do make use of Air Compressor a ton with short hops and dodges. In Siege or other instances where I have to take a point, if there's not many enemies around (or have some allies with me), I love to boost and boost-glide in sometimes, while zigzagging with air dodges and raining down some vulcan and hellfires, throwing in an ability when necessary.

Hellfires can be easy to avoid sometimes, and Bruiser is easily outdamaged with the slow hellfire reload, but they're also very accurate without needing much aim, no matter how much you're moving. I think those internals make Bruiser quite an effective evasive aerial/land attacker by maximizing his evasiveness and how long he can keep it up.

Just a playstyle, though. Bruiser is quite compatible with any internals you'd like.

Thanks for the advice. I went with the higher deflectors, armour fusor and the fuel converter as my three internals.

[Gekiganger]

My first mech was the CR-T and I did okay with it. Like a 1.20 K/D ratio. After that I switched to the Scout, and fell in love with the speed and awareness that the superior radar gave me. I probably played the most with the Scout, and I got up to a 1.51 K/D ratio with it. Very enjoyable.

About a week and a half ago I switched to the Bruiser to test it out. At first my play suffered because I had the Scout mentality, and I kept getting myself into bad situations then getting outraged when i couldn't escape in a burst of speed. After a rocky transition, I'm enjoying the Bruiser immensely. My current K/D ratio on the fella is 1.89. I'm a big fan of the Hellfire Missiles. I definitely recommend giving this mech a try.

The Bruiser is a solid piece of robot, but it's a little slow, so you have to rely on good positioning and proximity to teammates, and since it's hard to duck behind cover quickly with your limited mobility, I run with a 3 pack of Shields, and they save my bacon constantly. If your health goes to less than 20% and you shield up in proximity of teammates. You can act like you're taking a knee to repair, and enemies will get the bloodlust and sprint into the ranks of your teammates in an effort to finish you off. It's pretty great.

1.89 K/D may not be impressive to some, but it's by far my most trusty metal steed and I highly recommend it.

[Claxus]

Gekiganger! I love that series!

The Bruiser isn't too slow, though, just average. It's not too bad though because he has nice bulk and a shield ability, while still being pretty mobile. For the K/D, it's honestly not the greatest indication of how 'useful' you are. Pretty sure it only counts straight up kills and not your assists... The Bruiser gets tons of assists, because of his slow refiring secondary. But in general, you help the team a lot more than a good K/D, that's kind of the job of Scouts and such to finish off enemies.

I think the shield item is a great choice. Multipurpose just like Bruiser. Saves yourself or allies, block off choke points, or using it offensively as a 'bunker.' My favorite part about it though, is that Bruiser can actually make probably the best use of it offensively barring the Predator. Have you ever tried locking hellfires on an enemy, and then shooting them so they curve around the shield_ You can also fly up and shoot them so they curve over. It's pretty cool.

Edited by Claxus, March 30 2014 - 06:56 PM.