FS9-A "Micro Psycho" (8x SPLaser, 1x JJ, XL295)

5/5,

9 ratings

Aylek is spot on here, just saying. Lights should never be expected to be worth more in a fight than Assaults; tonnage matters. And like he pointed out, tonnage also matters within a weight class: just as an Atlas is better than a Victor, so a Firestarter is better than a Commando. It's simply a physical/scientific/logical fact: more tonnage means more to work with so far as firepower, DHS, armor, and (generally) even speed, are concerned.

Also,

Have you seen Lords run a wolf-pack of 3 FS9-As? It's brutal!
And let's face it, the idea of "meta" and "best 'Mechs" presupposes that some 'Mechs are necessarily better than others. Now, which 'Mechs get quirked or buffed more at a certain time, or which ones fit the current meta more, may change; but regardless, there will still ALWAYS (at any given time) be certain Chassis which fit the then-current meta better than others do. The meta may change, and the favored 'Mechs along with it --- but there will still always be a Meta.
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This little guy is powerful in his role, without a doubt. But again, as Aylek said, it has an EXTREMELY limited range of viability. You have to be dangerously close to the enemy lines to even get a shot off in this thing; but when a good pilot manages to stay alive and running long enough within that close-range, he can be EXTREMELY effective!
It has its strengths and its weaknesses, like any other 'Mech or build.

 

There's really no easy answer to this discussion. Yes, there is always the "better" option (so to speak). Why would you take anything other than the "best" 'Mech/build? Well, in general, I personally don't run anything that can't perform well . . . any 'Mech/build I pilot is designed to be competitive. I'm not saying EVERYONE should be this way. But like Auriel pointed out, in a team setting, you have to be supporting you team; bringing a 'Mech that will be less effective in it's role than another means you're simply not supporting your team as well as you could be.

It's a sad fact, as it means many Chassis (like the Locust) get left out of most matches. And of course, the Locust pilots will show us Screenshots of them doing 800 damage, or even 1000 damage (yes, I have looked through the entire "Highest Damage in a Locust Club" thread ) and they'll say, "Hey, look: Locusts can do great too!" But let's be honest, had they been in a Firestarter that match, instead of a Locust, they likely would have performed even MORE spectacularly and done even MORE damage. Simple truth: certain 'Mechs in the hands of a good pilot will always be better than certain other 'Mechs in the hands of the same good pilot.

"Better" is a hard term to swallow, especially for those who are loyal to certain non-meta Chassis. And please don't think I'm trying to tell people what and how to pilot! I'm not that kind of guy . . .
I just want everyone to have fun playing the game we all love! And if having fun means NOT piloting the current Meta, and instead means piloting your favorite non-competitive-but-still-uproariously-fun Chassis . . . GO FOR IT!

Let's all be friends.

Edit: And yes, perhaps this discussion belongs somewhere else? It's gone a bit beyond the actual Firestarter build . . .

 

Ran this thing pretty much all afternoon, and had a blast in it. Just SUCH a fun little beast, and oh so effective too.
A few memories . . .


I died a split-second before the final kill . . . distracted the last enemy Atlas, turned his back to my friends, he nailed me, my friends nailed his rear (which I had already cored bright orange).


SUCH a close match. Our Mist-Lynx was stripped, he distracted the last two, while I engaged; I went in a bit too hard, and they managed to take me; but our Cicada was able to finish them off in the end.


So sore . . . but I survived!

 

Am I the only one using 3 JJs on this little monster?

 

I don't see the need to use more than one. It's enough to jump up most hills (canyon and whatnot) and enough to turn and maneuver well in hot fights; and I like having as many DHS as I can, 'cause the build does run hot.

 

Two ~900 damage at once. Great run, Leon!

 

Sadly this thing got hit badly by the revised quirk pass, especially when it comes to heat reduction. Prior: -15% SPLas heat & -7.5% energy heat; new: -10% energy heat.

I'd guess this one will go from top notch light mech to something mildly better than average, especially considering the hit box adjustments as well. At worst this means a free mech bay for me.