Multiple flamers on a melee mech have been done before (Both Firestarter and Grasshopper do this very well), but the 3X Hatchetman does the job, and adds SRMs to make a capable brawler, too. Only 2 Missile slots and 2 laser slots mean this won't be your primary damage dealer, but that's not its specialty. Flamers are notoriously limited in ammo, and the stock Flamers just don't apply enough heat to make them worth using, but if you've gathered any ++ or better Flamers (the ones with (H) increase, not Dmg increase), they make the difference, especially versus hot-running enemy Hunchback 4Ps, Quickdraws, and Grasshoppers. The hatchet's +70 Melee Dmg pairs nicely with an Arm Mod Dmg or Stab increase. Adjustments: Keep the MGs from the stock model or use SLs if you don't have ++(H) Flamers. Trade the Arm Mod for Leg Mods if DFA is your thing, and be sure to max out leg armor in that case. Adding 1 ML to the shield arm costs heat efficiency, but this shouldn't matter once you commit to melee. Pros: Effective damage dealing and brawl support if using + or better weapons, LA shield, more survivable than stock with 840 armor rating, great shutdown or denial mech for hot-running enemies. Cons: Too slow for melee, so this build requires no less than 3JJ, preferably 4JJ. Not effective for forcing heat shutdown without ++ Flamers (which still only have 4 ammo). 45-ton doesn't offer huge armor. Got far better performance from the 3X than from the 3F.
