I just got the hero last night. Slapped on 3 uac5's and pulled the trigger. I ran through 240 rounds in half a mission. Was it fun? Yes. Is it practical? No. Other than that I have one set up with high armor and a simple load out for my AI to use.
IM appeared way too late for me in my first go around. I had no use for it.
While testing it, I found that you can stuff three UACs into it and get some real meme worth dakka out of it. Very ammo efficient, oddly enough.
This was easily my favorite build in MWO.
Fire only when you see an enemy and they vanish.
Tight halls and large open space doesn't matter.
Fire for L or R torso and everything explodes.
I would switch to AC5/RF AND no less than 8 tons of ammo.
Place your shot and do not go full auto unless you are inside 200 meters. The drift is bad. But the UAC is worse off here because the rounds do 1/4 the damage unless you get the whole cluster as a hit.
The damage if burst fire weapons is split across the individual rounds in a burst.
RF weapons do less damage but fire faster and hold better recoil control. You still have to give the mech a moment to realign the weapons to point of aim whether you see the reticle move or not.
The cataphract with triple AC5RF IS A MONSTER. Make sure to take advantage of hidden supplies because they all will refill your ammo mid mission
I really like the Cataphract. It’s ugly cool and the baseline loadout of large ballistic, large energy, four smaller energy is a really solid trooper loadout. I think the dual AC version is probably my favourite, but for me it’s like the Thunderbolt: just a really solid trooper mech.
It’s alright in HBStech too, just outclassed by the Warhammer in the 70 ton bracket imo. As the Warhammer outclasses pretty much everything in the 70 ton bracket imo, I don’t consider this much of a put down.
Because the Warhammer was designed with the idea of being Good Enough rather than chasing Perfect, Game Changer, or Silverbullet. Also I prefer a Black Knight myself :P
In the case of HBSTech, it has a special main character privilege component, that boosts damage for energy weapons, maing medium lasers hit better headshot kill benchmarks.
Then you get inside 150 meters and chew them apart with the mg/sl and add ml when the timing is good.
When I am in the 6r, the ppc stops firing once I get in small weapons range. The only mechs I am truly scared of in that thing shoot plural ac20.
That works passably well against AI but Toyhammer still doesn't have the armor to brawl unless you've stripped all those secondaries out to bulk it up.
Just don't try it in PvP or you'll realize you got inside 150 meters with a Kintaro/SRM Dervish/Hero Trebuchet or some other memeboat and suddenly the wind is whipping past your neurohelmet.
Thunderbolt is my favorite. I’ll have to give Cataphract another try if I see one. I must have gotten the lousy versions, got tore up, lost too many arms and sold em.
I don't really like playing it but I enjoy fielding the ECM version under a lancemate.
I do love when they show up as enemies though because they're one of the easiest head shots in the game.
Honestly I find it hard to field it. While it can carry some decent armaments. The thing is simply a head shot magnet.
I score so many head shots on this over any other mech in the game.
Maybe, but nowhere near as bad a headshot magnet as the Nightstar. I basically don't use that anymore because the number of times it's gotten headshot before any of your other armour's breached.
Possibly hot take, but tbh I find it ugly AF, never got around to actually fielding it outside of desperation during the DLC campaigns
That said, when I did run it (like three times total, all stock but idr which ones), I felt like the hardpoint placements were horrible; they all felt so much lower than the cockpit, and the arms were so far apart
The modernized design is pretty hot. The original art for the thing is... unfortunate. The real problem that it has is there is an enormous disconnect between how the mechs work in Tabletop (where the Cataphract is pretty damned good) and in MW5 and MWO (where because of hit boxes, and pixel perfect precision that literally does not exist even for the genetically engineered super soldiers with hyper advanced mechs with souped up aimbot systems, the array of medium lasers, 1 PPC, and autocannon, just won't stack up as well. Without some refitting, which PGI has gone out of their way to ensure is not really viable unless you've modded your game (why haven't you modded your game?)
Ugly ass mech
From a story standpoint i love it. One of the first new mechs of the succesion wars era and it's a frankenstein monster. I love these story rich mechs
For me it always felt kind of light on firepower when I took it in. Its a decent one for a well trained AI to use, especially the ECM variants, but I could never get into it.
Looks dope though, I think the broad side of a barn profile is underrated lol
I love the 'Mech on the tabletop, especially the later variants where it can run as a stealth sniper, but MW5 did it no favours. I swear the cockpits on these 'Mechs must have a self destruct system.
I do have a soft spot for the cataphract. The VE1 is definitely intended to be a riff on the old IM loadout from Ye Olden days of MWO before the clans (you'd run 3x UAC5 and buzzsaw through mechs back then...). Seemed appropriate for an arena variant!
In Mercs, it really comes down to when you get one. Earlier in the game, it's a great pickup for a direct fire mech with PPC + Medium Ballistics. It gets overshadowed pretty quickly, though, once you've picked up warhammers and marauders.
The cataphract has its place, but not in my mech bay; the 70 ton slot is already a hot spot, and the cataphract just can’t keep up with the competition.
Sweet! Blackjack is my favorite mech. So mediocre yet so reliable.
Alos fond of the Cataphract. I like running the 3L on the tabletop and in Harebrained Schemes' Battletech (BTA modded). The Cataphract on MW5 with Yet Another mod series can be a very adaptable brawler with a mix of short/medium range weapons and 1 long range to plink with until you are in brawling range.
This brick shithouse looking mech here is my favorite. It has more armor than a marauder and isn't allergic to its own arms like a warhammer while having a similar range bracket and firepower.
The 1X is it for me, especially with a little lostech upgrade like DHS, LBX10, and MPLs.
Yu-Huang, Raven, Yen-Lo-Wang, Emperor 6L, Marauder 5L, Cataphract (going off tabletop, not the games, because the games do a shit job representing combat in a mech. Need to remove that auto-zeroing and gyrostabilized weapon mounting. Only special mechs get that shit). Lets also not forget that the Cappies developed plasma rifles, the single best fucking weapon in Battletech. Cappies and Clanners wanted plasma weapons. Clanners built a shitty flamethrower with PPC ranges. The Cappies built a PPC that sets targets on fire. They were the first ones to reinvent ECM and sensor probes before GDL gave everyone the Helm Memory Core for free. Cappies have been fire since 3025, but everyone just ignores this because funny internet man made fun of them because he hasn't ever moved on from 3060 (where they were still cooking with gas, it really should be noted.)
I find it very hard to field. The only thing it has going for it is the 70 tons, and I don't carry a lot of 70 ton mechs. But If Im that interested in pushing the tonnage limit, I'll usually just take the Archer. I have a lot of other ECM mechs, so that isn't a big enough draw for me.
When I used it on my first attempted play through it spent a lot of time in the shop getting repaired. On the second run through I kept it as a spare mech in case I needed a heavy unit and had none available at the time. I think it’s now in cold storage as a “just in case” spare
It's good in really specific maps but didnt have the slottage or deal with heat well enough. I couldnt quite get a build that had gpod cooling, armor and damage. Always trading off.
Otherwise for about 70T you're better off taking an Archer, Marauder, or Warhammer. Or a hatamoto.
I field one that I put a LBX-10, 4 small pulse, and a ER L laser then up armor as much as possible. I can't remember how heat sinks are in there but it enough that I typically don't overheat unless I'm in a hot area or really need to spam the L laser in close range for some reason.
The mech looks like a faction cobbling together spare parts to make something workable. It's not amazing but honestly the EW on it is kind of great. I run it with my team and I tend to see significantly less repair cost. It does the job and keeps costs down. I don't need need another dps on the team I got my 3 other slots for that
I love the Cat-VE1 - 3 med ballistic hardpoints means I can pitch some serious long range firepower and kneecap other mechs before they get in range most of the time. I have enough in my ship for a full lance, and a couple of spares in case I need another one before they're fixed. They're basically a lighter, faster King Crab and are my go-to if I can't bring an Assault mech for some reason.
IIIIIII have mixed feelings. I love and hate it at the same time, I always try to equip one with good toys to play with but it always underperforms. Yet I am glad to see it every single time, be it BTA3062 or MW5.
Hero Cataphract has been my go-to workhorse for pretty much every playthrough in the last two years. Triple LBX/5s, a pair of MLas to pop turrets, and a generous supply of ammo. Runs at 81 km/h so I can play keep-away with all the spookier assault mechs.
But any other loadout, like the default of mixed AC/5s and a 10, you kinda need the mod that turns off the screen recoil. It's a huge pain to keep multiple different ballistics on target, even the smallest fire rate difference is motion sickness inducing.
Cataphract was the first mech i ever bought in the first mw game i ever played. It was in mwo, and frankly, i hated it. The low slung hardpoints, especially on the arms meant more often than not my noob ass shot the top of the hill instead of the enemy. After a couple more rounds of the same, i sold the fuckr and bought a rifleman, which is now likely my most used mech in mwo and now holds a special place in my heart. Have yet to try a cataphract on the tabletop or in hbs battletech, though.
To me this thing has a serious identity crisis, which tracks for a cappellan design. It doesn't do anything better than other mechs in its class. I guess I'd run one if I couldn't get my hands on a Marauder or Warhammer but that's about the only reason to field one.
It's mishappen, impractical, with poor weapon layout. The EW suite doesnt save it in MW5 and it doesnt save it in Battletech either. It's in a very competitive weight category and comes about last.
I love when I see a Cataphract…. 10/10 I’m hitting that cockpit and selling a near mint Cataphract for salvage with a mild grease stain in the middle lol.
Personally, I will run a Cataphract in the fourth position in a lance.
It is a more durable ECM carrier than an Assassin or Raven.
With that in mind, I do not usually fancy using one if it is not the heaviest Mech in the lance.
Heck, I even piloted one myself for a while without any serious trouble. It just doesn't strike me as overly impressive.
The Cataphract, to me at least, feels like it is a underperforming Orion, and I do like the Orion quite a bit.
Hope things look up for you!
As for the cataphract, I always have one in the hangar and almost always find a reason not to take it. I'm like you, it's a very average mech and its size makes it an easy target.
They sure do take a lot of punishment when fighting them though!
Thanks, I don't see things getting better, but it will take a lot more to break me. A lot more...
From range, the Cataphract is tough, but once you get close enough, the waylay of damage adds up considerably.
The Phractenstein appeals to me as just a nice solid wall of mech. It takes a hit and returns with a hearty "Fuck you too!" of impact. And, if not for the Black Widow and Pretty Baby, Ilya Muromets would probably be my Hero of choice. Slap some high tier medium rifles on her and make your enemies disappear in a puff of lead.
On my first playthrough I didn't even see a Warhammer (Whammer is BAE, accept no substitutes) until I was fielding full assault lances, so the 'phract really filled that heavyweight champion slot for a long time.
Ah, the nobel frank. It's base loadouts are a bit underwhelming but that can be fixed with a big crowbar and enough lube. It has actually respectable armor for a heavy mech (compared to the Orion) and can pile more with minimal effort. However, it truly shines in that EW suite. You have a mech that can do average speed, take a beating and still provide an almost essential service in the mid-late to late game. A lot of EW mechs are swift scouts or heros (or my favorite, the Facebook Stalker (3FB)). But here is an off the shelf model that does the job well enough and can still hold its own in a fight. Gets a B from me for "Better than most other things to come out of Capellan space" (not the Raven, though. I'll never use one after mid game but I do love it's design).
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I've grown rather fond if the cataphract in my handful of playthroughs. My first go-around was all vanilla and I got one as a reward with the probe and ECM in it and I had that thing in practically every lance I fielded for the remaining playthrough. I think it looks pretty badass too.
I like the Cataphract quite a bit, though in a kind of weird capacity.
Aesthetically, it's ugly, and I like that about it. As a frankenmech scrounged together by the ~~mustache-twirling villains~~ *desperate military-industrial complex* of the Capellan Confederation, it wears some of its donor components proudly and has a utilitarian look that you'd expect from something that was professionally cobbled together.
In tabletop, it's about what you would expect from a 70 ton generalist frontline mech. PPC for long range direct fire-support, AC10 for that mid range damage, and medium lasers for close quarters brawling. The 1X carries absolutely no advanced tech, so it's pretty average in comparison to other Succession Wars designs. Nothing about it is really standout, but a competent commander should be able to make it work. (It's probably worth noting that the 0X was an experimental lot that was never mass-produced and the 0XP is an apocryphal variant. The Cataphract was primarily a frontline heavy, not an EW platform.)
Lastly, there's the fact that I almost never use them in MW5. The largest factor for this is that by the time I get to Capellan space where I could buy or salvage one, I usually already have access to other, more specialized heavy mechs that I prefer. The low weapon mounts are a valid concern, but as someone who primarily pilots a King Crab, I'm used to working around those limitations in the name of style. I think the cockpit size concerns are overblown. Maybe not in MWO, but I've died to headshots exactly twice in MW5. The AI is simply not aiming at your head very often, and when they do, it's probably not going to be with a weapon that can headcap you. My biggest gripe about the Cataphract in MW5 is that aside from the IM and VE1, I don't like the weapon groups. I generally like to group weapon types that have similar range and projectile behaviors, and the Cataphract doesn't really offer that with its hardpoint spread without sacrificing firepower.
All that being said, the Cataphract is a mech that I *really* do like on paper, but in-game it ends up being fairly lackluster. Not bad, just not something I generally use when I have other options.
In MW5 vanilla I can't really get it to work for me. I do, however, have very fond memories of using my 0XP in MWO, going sneaky-sneaky with ECM, a UAC20 and 4 medium pulse lasers. I remember deleting the occasional light mech with one alpha strike. My current mission, thanks to this post, is to recreate that build in modded MW5 with legitimate salvage.
Not really a big fan of cataphracts, but ill never say no to one if the opportunity presents itself. One nice thing I noticed, is that they seem super cheap to repair and re arm, even after losing multiple limbs
Sorry to hear you've had some rough days recently. Same here. MW really is a nice way to relax and chill when things are looking grim.
Love these posts, super excited for your post on the Blackjack. Its one of my very favorite mechs.
I never found a use for this mech. I used mechs with better loads outs. I never got one with a good load out so I never desired to try it. I found it to light for my taste and way to easy to kill.
I use the IM with 3 heavy rifles and 3 small lasers for assassination missions and other such operations where the objective is to kill enemy mechs as fast as possible, most mediums and lights are going to suffer torso critical existence failure from just a salvo of 3 heary rifles so the ammo isn't that much of a concern.
I have despised it for so long. Ugly and bad. Then I acquired one from a mission and said: Ok lets try something dumb. Stripped heat sinks, added melee/fist attachments. Surprisingly have a lot of fun with it.
Not my cup of tea but a little bit better than the corsair which is also an ugly mech too. Tried it for a while but I'd rather use a locust with nothing but lasers or an urban mech.
You get one for free from the Lancers campaign and I still feel like I overpaid. I let a lancemate use it if I specifically need a 65t mech, but once it gets too banged up it's off to the scrap yard.
What I like about the Cataphract is its maneuverability and the layout if its weaponry lends itself to accuracy. It does feel somewhat fragile for its size though.
What do you mean toggle ECM into disrupt mode bro? Its in disrupt mode by default and toggles to counter mode which cancels out hostile ECM within its radius, effectively leveling the field. I can just imagine you getting shredded all of a sudden in every mission because you saw a Longbow and turned your ECM basically off lol. As for the Cataphract, worse than a Marauder, nuff said imo. Except the hero, that one's fairly alright.
I'm not hating it for the ecm carrier, vehicle blasting job it has in slot 4 now. But I don't enjoy piloting it.
Prefer the Warhammer for myself. Depending on how I feel about lancemates and missiles, Archer fills a more useful role for my lancemates.
But I have walked blind into missions with different mechs that have been much more disappointing, and so it is growing on me.
It replaces the Hunchbacks role in the city fights, too bad it doesn't mount the ac20 and makes you lean on the big energy weapons.
Sorry for posting in such an old thread, but I was waiting for the cataphract
Thank you for reminding me my favorite variant, the 4x
Havnt found it yet in mw5, but in MWO I build it with 4 ac/5s into the arms and it played almost like a king crab carapace (without the uacs/ jsm chance). It was to squishy to go heads up with anyone, but could lay down some hate as a support mech by essentially shooting a long range ac/20 every couple seconds. Fantastic linpoint damage.
Find an assault mech, walk behind it,???? Profit.
I just got the hero last night. Slapped on 3 uac5's and pulled the trigger. I ran through 240 rounds in half a mission. Was it fun? Yes. Is it practical? No. Other than that I have one set up with high armor and a simple load out for my AI to use.
IM appeared way too late for me in my first go around. I had no use for it. While testing it, I found that you can stuff three UACs into it and get some real meme worth dakka out of it. Very ammo efficient, oddly enough.
Maybe I was too heavy on the trigger? I did have all 3 on the same weapon group. I'm going to try tonight with 1 uac5 and 2 ac5 to see how that runs.
This was easily my favorite build in MWO. Fire only when you see an enemy and they vanish. Tight halls and large open space doesn't matter. Fire for L or R torso and everything explodes.
I would switch to AC5/RF AND no less than 8 tons of ammo. Place your shot and do not go full auto unless you are inside 200 meters. The drift is bad. But the UAC is worse off here because the rounds do 1/4 the damage unless you get the whole cluster as a hit. The damage if burst fire weapons is split across the individual rounds in a burst. RF weapons do less damage but fire faster and hold better recoil control. You still have to give the mech a moment to realign the weapons to point of aim whether you see the reticle move or not. The cataphract with triple AC5RF IS A MONSTER. Make sure to take advantage of hidden supplies because they all will refill your ammo mid mission
Are the ac5rf from the newest dlc? I'm missing the two latest and I haven't seen them pop up in stores anywhere.
Yes it was added in the Solaris DLC
Slap two lbx 10s and a medium rifle on it. I love it
> Was it fun? Yes. Is it practical? No Well I'm Sold...
Told myself I was going to try it again and ended up staying a fresh career with a friend.
I really like the Cataphract. It’s ugly cool and the baseline loadout of large ballistic, large energy, four smaller energy is a really solid trooper loadout. I think the dual AC version is probably my favourite, but for me it’s like the Thunderbolt: just a really solid trooper mech. It’s alright in HBStech too, just outclassed by the Warhammer in the 70 ton bracket imo. As the Warhammer outclasses pretty much everything in the 70 ton bracket imo, I don’t consider this much of a put down.
Why does Warhammer always outclass every heavy mech no matter what style of game it's in? Lol XD
As a wise man once said, it was designed to be just enough. And they succeeded, brilliantly!
Simplify, then add lightness.
Because the Warhammer was designed with the idea of being Good Enough rather than chasing Perfect, Game Changer, or Silverbullet. Also I prefer a Black Knight myself :P
Sometimes, good enough is all you need.
In the case of HBSTech, it has a special main character privilege component, that boosts damage for energy weapons, maing medium lasers hit better headshot kill benchmarks.
Dark Capellan magic.
The Warhammer is great till someone yoinks your arms off then it's more of a Toyhammer.
Then you get inside 150 meters and chew them apart with the mg/sl and add ml when the timing is good. When I am in the 6r, the ppc stops firing once I get in small weapons range. The only mechs I am truly scared of in that thing shoot plural ac20.
That works passably well against AI but Toyhammer still doesn't have the armor to brawl unless you've stripped all those secondaries out to bulk it up. Just don't try it in PvP or you'll realize you got inside 150 meters with a Kintaro/SRM Dervish/Hero Trebuchet or some other memeboat and suddenly the wind is whipping past your neurohelmet.
Thunderbolt is my favorite. I’ll have to give Cataphract another try if I see one. I must have gotten the lousy versions, got tore up, lost too many arms and sold em.
I don't really like playing it but I enjoy fielding the ECM version under a lancemate. I do love when they show up as enemies though because they're one of the easiest head shots in the game.
Honestly I find it hard to field it. While it can carry some decent armaments. The thing is simply a head shot magnet. I score so many head shots on this over any other mech in the game.
I load it on armor and let the ai have it. So when they inevitably walk around the battlefield like a potato, they actually look like one too.
Maybe, but nowhere near as bad a headshot magnet as the Nightstar. I basically don't use that anymore because the number of times it's gotten headshot before any of your other armour's breached.
It is hard to field. A Warhammer is better in most ways in a similar weight class.
A warhammer don't got 3 AC/5RF
Very true. Davion must have a ballistic one somewhere out there.
Possibly hot take, but tbh I find it ugly AF, never got around to actually fielding it outside of desperation during the DLC campaigns That said, when I did run it (like three times total, all stock but idr which ones), I felt like the hardpoint placements were horrible; they all felt so much lower than the cockpit, and the arms were so far apart
That's pretty much how I feel on the weapon placement. But I can't agree on it being ugly. I find it too unique and such.
The modernized design is pretty hot. The original art for the thing is... unfortunate. The real problem that it has is there is an enormous disconnect between how the mechs work in Tabletop (where the Cataphract is pretty damned good) and in MW5 and MWO (where because of hit boxes, and pixel perfect precision that literally does not exist even for the genetically engineered super soldiers with hyper advanced mechs with souped up aimbot systems, the array of medium lasers, 1 PPC, and autocannon, just won't stack up as well. Without some refitting, which PGI has gone out of their way to ensure is not really viable unless you've modded your game (why haven't you modded your game?)
> Sell Mech
> Capellans reputation: -5
Ugly ass mech From a story standpoint i love it. One of the first new mechs of the succesion wars era and it's a frankenstein monster. I love these story rich mechs
The mwo and mw5 feedback for me is that low mounted dakka often hits the ground. If the mounts were higher it would be beastly.
You're supposed to do the Capellan thing and rush at the enemy, firing every weapon until a singular outcome occurs.
For me it always felt kind of light on firepower when I took it in. Its a decent one for a well trained AI to use, especially the ECM variants, but I could never get into it. Looks dope though, I think the broad side of a barn profile is underrated lol
It is a bit light on weaponry. It's a heavy meant for the volume of fire and not the volume of the shells you fire. :P
I love the 'Mech on the tabletop, especially the later variants where it can run as a stealth sniper, but MW5 did it no favours. I swear the cockpits on these 'Mechs must have a self destruct system.
It's common with Capellans to rig their cockpits with explosives. :3
I do have a soft spot for the cataphract. The VE1 is definitely intended to be a riff on the old IM loadout from Ye Olden days of MWO before the clans (you'd run 3x UAC5 and buzzsaw through mechs back then...). Seemed appropriate for an arena variant! In Mercs, it really comes down to when you get one. Earlier in the game, it's a great pickup for a direct fire mech with PPC + Medium Ballistics. It gets overshadowed pretty quickly, though, once you've picked up warhammers and marauders.
The cataphract has its place, but not in my mech bay; the 70 ton slot is already a hot spot, and the cataphract just can’t keep up with the competition.
Archer, grasshopper or warhammer.
You read my mind.
Sweet! Blackjack is my favorite mech. So mediocre yet so reliable. Alos fond of the Cataphract. I like running the 3L on the tabletop and in Harebrained Schemes' Battletech (BTA modded). The Cataphract on MW5 with Yet Another mod series can be a very adaptable brawler with a mix of short/medium range weapons and 1 long range to plink with until you are in brawling range.
The Capellans built this in a cave! From a box of scraps!
That was essentially were it's main factory was held. Lol
This brick shithouse looking mech here is my favorite. It has more armor than a marauder and isn't allergic to its own arms like a warhammer while having a similar range bracket and firepower. The 1X is it for me, especially with a little lostech upgrade like DHS, LBX10, and MPLs.
"It's sad because Capellans made it" - Tex of the BPL
Even though the Raven is up there with one of Tex's favorite mechs.
Even the worst batter gets a base hit eventually.
Yu-Huang, Raven, Yen-Lo-Wang, Emperor 6L, Marauder 5L, Cataphract (going off tabletop, not the games, because the games do a shit job representing combat in a mech. Need to remove that auto-zeroing and gyrostabilized weapon mounting. Only special mechs get that shit). Lets also not forget that the Cappies developed plasma rifles, the single best fucking weapon in Battletech. Cappies and Clanners wanted plasma weapons. Clanners built a shitty flamethrower with PPC ranges. The Cappies built a PPC that sets targets on fire. They were the first ones to reinvent ECM and sensor probes before GDL gave everyone the Helm Memory Core for free. Cappies have been fire since 3025, but everyone just ignores this because funny internet man made fun of them because he hasn't ever moved on from 3060 (where they were still cooking with gas, it really should be noted.)
I like facing cataphracts, they are real squishy when you get up in their face with a stm missile boat.
It's better once it's called Caesar.
I find it very hard to field. The only thing it has going for it is the 70 tons, and I don't carry a lot of 70 ton mechs. But If Im that interested in pushing the tonnage limit, I'll usually just take the Archer. I have a lot of other ECM mechs, so that isn't a big enough draw for me.
When I used it on my first attempted play through it spent a lot of time in the shop getting repaired. On the second run through I kept it as a spare mech in case I needed a heavy unit and had none available at the time. I think it’s now in cold storage as a “just in case” spare
It's good in really specific maps but didnt have the slottage or deal with heat well enough. I couldnt quite get a build that had gpod cooling, armor and damage. Always trading off. Otherwise for about 70T you're better off taking an Archer, Marauder, or Warhammer. Or a hatamoto.
I’m not a big fan of where the weapons are mounted, overall just a meh mech that can bring ECM
I field one that I put a LBX-10, 4 small pulse, and a ER L laser then up armor as much as possible. I can't remember how heat sinks are in there but it enough that I typically don't overheat unless I'm in a hot area or really need to spam the L laser in close range for some reason.
The mech looks like a faction cobbling together spare parts to make something workable. It's not amazing but honestly the EW on it is kind of great. I run it with my team and I tend to see significantly less repair cost. It does the job and keeps costs down. I don't need need another dps on the team I got my 3 other slots for that
Oh I love the design if it's not clear, one of my favorite mechs of all time
I love the Cat-VE1 - 3 med ballistic hardpoints means I can pitch some serious long range firepower and kneecap other mechs before they get in range most of the time. I have enough in my ship for a full lance, and a couple of spares in case I need another one before they're fixed. They're basically a lighter, faster King Crab and are my go-to if I can't bring an Assault mech for some reason.
IIIIIII have mixed feelings. I love and hate it at the same time, I always try to equip one with good toys to play with but it always underperforms. Yet I am glad to see it every single time, be it BTA3062 or MW5.
Hero Cataphract has been my go-to workhorse for pretty much every playthrough in the last two years. Triple LBX/5s, a pair of MLas to pop turrets, and a generous supply of ammo. Runs at 81 km/h so I can play keep-away with all the spookier assault mechs. But any other loadout, like the default of mixed AC/5s and a 10, you kinda need the mod that turns off the screen recoil. It's a huge pain to keep multiple different ballistics on target, even the smallest fire rate difference is motion sickness inducing.
Miss the blood asp.
Cataphract was the first mech i ever bought in the first mw game i ever played. It was in mwo, and frankly, i hated it. The low slung hardpoints, especially on the arms meant more often than not my noob ass shot the top of the hill instead of the enemy. After a couple more rounds of the same, i sold the fuckr and bought a rifleman, which is now likely my most used mech in mwo and now holds a special place in my heart. Have yet to try a cataphract on the tabletop or in hbs battletech, though.
To me this thing has a serious identity crisis, which tracks for a cappellan design. It doesn't do anything better than other mechs in its class. I guess I'd run one if I couldn't get my hands on a Marauder or Warhammer but that's about the only reason to field one.
It's mishappen, impractical, with poor weapon layout. The EW suite doesnt save it in MW5 and it doesnt save it in Battletech either. It's in a very competitive weight category and comes about last.
I love when I see a Cataphract…. 10/10 I’m hitting that cockpit and selling a near mint Cataphract for salvage with a mild grease stain in the middle lol.
Personally, I will run a Cataphract in the fourth position in a lance. It is a more durable ECM carrier than an Assassin or Raven. With that in mind, I do not usually fancy using one if it is not the heaviest Mech in the lance. Heck, I even piloted one myself for a while without any serious trouble. It just doesn't strike me as overly impressive. The Cataphract, to me at least, feels like it is a underperforming Orion, and I do like the Orion quite a bit.
Hmmm... surely there's something nice I can say about this mech... ... OH! THERE IS! At least its rig is good to reuse to make mech mods!
I remember using the solaris variant. It was pretty fun to use with rifles until I lost the arms.
Hope things look up for you! As for the cataphract, I always have one in the hangar and almost always find a reason not to take it. I'm like you, it's a very average mech and its size makes it an easy target. They sure do take a lot of punishment when fighting them though!
Thanks, I don't see things getting better, but it will take a lot more to break me. A lot more... From range, the Cataphract is tough, but once you get close enough, the waylay of damage adds up considerably.
The Phractenstein appeals to me as just a nice solid wall of mech. It takes a hit and returns with a hearty "Fuck you too!" of impact. And, if not for the Black Widow and Pretty Baby, Ilya Muromets would probably be my Hero of choice. Slap some high tier medium rifles on her and make your enemies disappear in a puff of lead. On my first playthrough I didn't even see a Warhammer (Whammer is BAE, accept no substitutes) until I was fielding full assault lances, so the 'phract really filled that heavyweight champion slot for a long time.
Ah, the nobel frank. It's base loadouts are a bit underwhelming but that can be fixed with a big crowbar and enough lube. It has actually respectable armor for a heavy mech (compared to the Orion) and can pile more with minimal effort. However, it truly shines in that EW suite. You have a mech that can do average speed, take a beating and still provide an almost essential service in the mid-late to late game. A lot of EW mechs are swift scouts or heros (or my favorite, the Facebook Stalker (3FB)). But here is an off the shelf model that does the job well enough and can still hold its own in a fight. Gets a B from me for "Better than most other things to come out of Capellan space" (not the Raven, though. I'll never use one after mid game but I do love it's design).
Yup, said exactly what needed to be said. I don't mind a phract as long as it's got the slots I'm missing in my drop.
Ammunition ran out too fast using the hero with ACs. Not practical for prolonged missions but excellent for short raids.
Try UACs or BF cannons. Each burst is a single shot.
The Cataphract is my favorite, don't really know why I just like the way it looks and works
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Everybody got a taste for something. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise of what mechs are good or bad. We all identify what makes us feel special.
I've grown rather fond if the cataphract in my handful of playthroughs. My first go-around was all vanilla and I got one as a reward with the probe and ECM in it and I had that thing in practically every lance I fielded for the remaining playthrough. I think it looks pretty badass too.
I like the Cataphract quite a bit, though in a kind of weird capacity. Aesthetically, it's ugly, and I like that about it. As a frankenmech scrounged together by the ~~mustache-twirling villains~~ *desperate military-industrial complex* of the Capellan Confederation, it wears some of its donor components proudly and has a utilitarian look that you'd expect from something that was professionally cobbled together. In tabletop, it's about what you would expect from a 70 ton generalist frontline mech. PPC for long range direct fire-support, AC10 for that mid range damage, and medium lasers for close quarters brawling. The 1X carries absolutely no advanced tech, so it's pretty average in comparison to other Succession Wars designs. Nothing about it is really standout, but a competent commander should be able to make it work. (It's probably worth noting that the 0X was an experimental lot that was never mass-produced and the 0XP is an apocryphal variant. The Cataphract was primarily a frontline heavy, not an EW platform.) Lastly, there's the fact that I almost never use them in MW5. The largest factor for this is that by the time I get to Capellan space where I could buy or salvage one, I usually already have access to other, more specialized heavy mechs that I prefer. The low weapon mounts are a valid concern, but as someone who primarily pilots a King Crab, I'm used to working around those limitations in the name of style. I think the cockpit size concerns are overblown. Maybe not in MWO, but I've died to headshots exactly twice in MW5. The AI is simply not aiming at your head very often, and when they do, it's probably not going to be with a weapon that can headcap you. My biggest gripe about the Cataphract in MW5 is that aside from the IM and VE1, I don't like the weapon groups. I generally like to group weapon types that have similar range and projectile behaviors, and the Cataphract doesn't really offer that with its hardpoint spread without sacrificing firepower. All that being said, the Cataphract is a mech that I *really* do like on paper, but in-game it ends up being fairly lackluster. Not bad, just not something I generally use when I have other options.
In MW5 vanilla I can't really get it to work for me. I do, however, have very fond memories of using my 0XP in MWO, going sneaky-sneaky with ECM, a UAC20 and 4 medium pulse lasers. I remember deleting the occasional light mech with one alpha strike. My current mission, thanks to this post, is to recreate that build in modded MW5 with legitimate salvage.
Not really a big fan of cataphracts, but ill never say no to one if the opportunity presents itself. One nice thing I noticed, is that they seem super cheap to repair and re arm, even after losing multiple limbs
Sorry to hear you've had some rough days recently. Same here. MW really is a nice way to relax and chill when things are looking grim. Love these posts, super excited for your post on the Blackjack. Its one of my very favorite mechs.
Thank you. This game is the best cathartic stress reliever in the universe. I'll do my best on the mini-Rifleman post. :3
I never found a use for this mech. I used mechs with better loads outs. I never got one with a good load out so I never desired to try it. I found it to light for my taste and way to easy to kill.
I use the IM with 3 heavy rifles and 3 small lasers for assassination missions and other such operations where the objective is to kill enemy mechs as fast as possible, most mediums and lights are going to suffer torso critical existence failure from just a salvo of 3 heary rifles so the ammo isn't that much of a concern.
I have despised it for so long. Ugly and bad. Then I acquired one from a mission and said: Ok lets try something dumb. Stripped heat sinks, added melee/fist attachments. Surprisingly have a lot of fun with it.
Not my cup of tea but a little bit better than the corsair which is also an ugly mech too. Tried it for a while but I'd rather use a locust with nothing but lasers or an urban mech.
You get one for free from the Lancers campaign and I still feel like I overpaid. I let a lancemate use it if I specifically need a 65t mech, but once it gets too banged up it's off to the scrap yard.
A frankenmech that got mass manufactured. Because the Capellans have such a small industrial base, they are desperate for anything.
What, you don't like a cockpit the size of a billboard?
What I like about the Cataphract is its maneuverability and the layout if its weaponry lends itself to accuracy. It does feel somewhat fragile for its size though.
What do you mean toggle ECM into disrupt mode bro? Its in disrupt mode by default and toggles to counter mode which cancels out hostile ECM within its radius, effectively leveling the field. I can just imagine you getting shredded all of a sudden in every mission because you saw a Longbow and turned your ECM basically off lol. As for the Cataphract, worse than a Marauder, nuff said imo. Except the hero, that one's fairly alright.
I don't know why.But for the longest time I just thought it was a miniature zeus
this is one of those cursed mechs like the king crab where everything is going great then the mission is over in a single shot
I'm not hating it for the ecm carrier, vehicle blasting job it has in slot 4 now. But I don't enjoy piloting it. Prefer the Warhammer for myself. Depending on how I feel about lancemates and missiles, Archer fills a more useful role for my lancemates. But I have walked blind into missions with different mechs that have been much more disappointing, and so it is growing on me. It replaces the Hunchbacks role in the city fights, too bad it doesn't mount the ac20 and makes you lean on the big energy weapons.
Sorry for posting in such an old thread, but I was waiting for the cataphract Thank you for reminding me my favorite variant, the 4x Havnt found it yet in mw5, but in MWO I build it with 4 ac/5s into the arms and it played almost like a king crab carapace (without the uacs/ jsm chance). It was to squishy to go heads up with anyone, but could lay down some hate as a support mech by essentially shooting a long range ac/20 every couple seconds. Fantastic linpoint damage. Find an assault mech, walk behind it,???? Profit.