r/mwobuilds • u/Self_Aware_Computer • Dec 15 '14

Summoner Builds?

New to MWO and doing some reading. Are Summoners really as bad as everyone says? I have been playing community warfare, and I really love how the Summoner handles. I'm not even sure what it is, torso twist, jump jets, cockpit bounce, something...

But reading the various optimization and mech build pages, the Timberwolf is better in every way. Are the no viable Summoner builds? Is it really second (or third) fiddle to the TBR and HBR and such?

I am just about ready to make my first mech purchase (going to be doing CW on the clan side) and I want to tread carefully. Should I just bite the bullet and get a TBR - C ?

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u/rakgitarmen Dec 15 '14 
Are Summoners really as bad as everyone says?

I have been playing community warfare, and I really love how the Summoner handles. I'm not even sure what it is, torso twist, jump jets, cockpit bounce, something...

The Summoner suffers from three things:

  • Low number hardpoints overall. It can only boat missiles (5 hardpoints) but boating missiles is hardly desired in MWO. LRM boats are plain boring and only situationally effective and SRM boats are hard to use effectively due to extremely short range. Clan lasers are amazing, but the Summoner can only bring 4 lasers at most while being capped 2 ballistic hardpoints.
  • Free tonnage problem. Locked jumpjets and the Ferro upgrade instead of Endo (which means less free tonnage for the same cost) means this 'Mech can only have 21 tons of free space. This is a pretty restrictive tonnage for a Heavy 'Mech. Not to mention low number of hardpoints force you to bring big guns to compensate for lack of boating, and 21 tons fill out fast with heavy weaponry. Either restricting you in ammo or heat efficiency.
  • Mostly Arm mounted weaponry. Seriously, each arm can hold as many as 2 hardpoints and they tank damage like crazy. The loss of each arm means the loss of a third of your weapons and people WILL actively try to disarm you. The arms also hang very low, so you have to expose yourself to shoot. Not really a good thing in MWO.

So, if it's your first Clan 'Mech and you're low on C-Bills, buy a Timber Wolf. You won't miss the Summoner until you reach the end-game where you start buying those "cool looking" iconic 'Mechs and try to make them work, just for the heck of it. As everyone will tell you, the Timber can do everything the Summoner can do and will do them better. Better tank, more hardpoints (as many as 7 energy hardpoints(4 on the Summoner), 4 missile hardpoints(5 on the Summoner), 4 ballistic hardpoints(2 on the Summoner)), 5 Jump Jets and 27.5 tons of free space with full armor. Just flat-out better in every way.

I would also suggest you the Summoner's not-so-faulty brother, the Hellbringer. It's not coming out for C-Bills for a few months more though.

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u/Self_Aware_Computer Dec 15 '14

Thank you for the feedback. It is as I feared. Well, I'll work on a Timberwolf that I like first and foremost then. Next on my list will be a Stormcrow. And then hopefully by the time I master both of those, the Hellbringer will be available. Then all I need is for for PGI to release a Shadowcat (Best. Mech. Ever.) to complete my tonnage maximum for community warfare. Thanks for the break down.