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Post by S1E1 on Sept 11, 2022 16:05:28 GMT -5
I originally bought Orion just because I got a cheap $2.99 for Rank 2 offer and I enjoy sniping so it seemed like it could be interesting. I had so much stuff to upgrade ahead of it that I wasn't really sure I should bother but there were Specialization Spree rewards and I figured at least I could test it out. I assumed it would be quite a while before I could upgrade it enough for a good test and I was a bit skeptical that I would like it.
Man was I wrong. Even though I currently only have it at Rank 3.2, it is my most useful mech for sniping Spree events. My Stalker is actually R4+ and for both the EM Rifle and Longarm Sprees, I started with it and quickly switched over to the Orion. I mean I was running it with just a single Longarm 10 and the blue sniper pilot at just 4-Stars and with zero LA implants and it still kicked butt. It is ultimately the fifth strongest mech with 106,800 HP when maxed, behind only Juggs, Aegis, Brickhouse, and Ares. And it is in the third highest speed tier with Tengu at 23km. The mark reloads quick, deals double damage, slows the enemy AND pierces shields. This thing is built to be a sniper god and total tank buster.
It's totally throwing all my upgrade plans into turmoil. I still figure I should get my Stalker maxed first as it is more useful for tourney, but really all I want to do is focus on Orion. It is seriously fun to play.
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Post by OU812? on Sept 11, 2022 16:24:23 GMT -5
Completely agree. Orion is serious fun.
Personally, my favorite current build is Missile Racks. I use the mark to slow ‘em down and peg ‘em.
Your post makes me want to try my Orion with Long Arms or Gauss Rifles. I’m not a big sniper fan but the mark would probably make me a better shooter and the same satisfaction.
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Post by S1E1 on Sept 11, 2022 21:23:20 GMT -5
That sounds awesome. I had been wondering about a brawling setup and Missile Racks sound like a really good fit. I also really enjoy playing them, so it'll be cool to find another good mount.
Currently my Orion is only 12EN, so I tried my old RPG6s instead. Didn't really get it to work. Not enough to firepower and too low health. But my MR8s are almost maxed and I have got a great MR implant setup on the purple missile pilot. Just gotta get my Orion to R4 and then I am totally giving this a go.
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Post by salvia on Sept 12, 2022 1:30:02 GMT -5
I'll be following this thread with interest, hoping to add either Stalker or Orion to my lineup in the future.
Can you guys specify how far the mark can be thrown ? Can it go all the way to the other side of the map, like 200m+ away ?
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Post by S1E1 on Sept 12, 2022 14:03:03 GMT -5
I'll be following this thread with interest, hoping to add either Stalker or Orion to my lineup in the future. Can you guys specify how far the mark can be thrown ? Can it go all the way to the other side of the map, like 200m+ away ? There's no distance limit. I had been wondering the same for a while, but really Elon Station Gray (moon) is the only map where you can land the mark at 200m+. Finally came up in the rotation today and I tested it out. Mark hit at 200 and 220m. As an aside - is anyone else having issues scrolling down on certain menus? I was trying to do a custom game on Elon Station but it would immediately pop back to the top every time I tried to scroll down. Had this happen with some other menus. I switched to a new phone right around when the new update hit and I am trying to figure out if it is a phone issue or everyone has this problem. On Stalker vs. Orion - my take so far is that Stalker will be the better mech for tournament earnings outside of maybe sniper maps. Going up against maxed ones, it can really rack up kill streaks with AT12s and it ups the lethality of DL12s a bunch too. Those are some of the handiest weapons on a bunch of maps, so it is more versatile overall. Also while the HP is lower, the heal gives it a lot more endurance. And the damage mark on Orion can only jump 20m after you kill an enemy, while Stalker's damage amplification works on anything you aim at. I am keeping an eye out as Orion is newer, so less folks have it maxed or have figured out the best ways to play it. But so far, while I have seen folks playing it in tourney, no one has really managed to rack up major kills. I suspect that pattern is going to hold. For CPC though I think Orion might end up being more fun to play. |
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Post by salvia on Sept 12, 2022 16:45:21 GMT -5
There's no distance limit. I had been wondering the same for a while, but really Elon Station Gray (moon) is the only map where you can land the mark at 200m+. Finally came up in the rotation today and I tested it out. Mark hit at 200 and 220m. Impressive ! Thanks for the confirmation. As an aside - is anyone else having issues scrolling down on certain menus? I was trying to do a custom game on Elon Station but it would immediately pop back to the top every time I tried to scroll down. Had this happen with some other menus. I switched to a new phone right around when the new update hit and I am trying to figure out if it is a phone issue or everyone has this problem. It's not just you. I have the same problem with the chat menu, when I try to scroll through the list of friends located on the right. It keeps going up. So if I want to go down, I need to click on the lowest visible name, which will proceed to scroll down the list a notch, then repeat the operation until I can click on the friend's name I want to contact 🙄 On Stalker vs. Orion - my take so far is that Stalker will be the better mech for tournament earnings outside of maybe sniper maps. Going up against maxed ones, it can really rack up kill streaks with AT12s and it ups the lethality of DL12s a bunch too. Those are some of the handiest weapons on a bunch of maps, so it is more versatile overall. Also while the HP is lower, the heal gives it a lot more endurance. And the damage mark on Orion can only jump 20m after you kill an enemy, while Stalker's damage amplification works on anything you aim at. I am keeping an eye out as Orion is newer, so less folks have it maxed or have figured out the best ways to play it. But so far, while I have seen folks playing it in tourney, no one has really managed to rack up major kills. I suspect that pattern is going to hold. For CPC though I think Orion might end up being more fun to play. Your impressions are much appreciated. I'm playing at mid-game level and my main mech is a 6-star Ares mated with dual DL8s. My encounters with those two mechs are as follows : I've been unimpressed by Stalkers as opponents - admittedly they weren't maxed out, and I was under the impression that their damage penalty made it especially easier to finish them off. A case of an ability acting against itself. But there's that one guy I sometimes play with, he runs a Stalker with, I think, dual DL12s... and on 5vs5 maps he shreds mechs left and right, constantly ending up MVP. That's the only example of a Stalker that actually impresses me. Perhaps this mech needs to be maxed out to really deliver on its damage promises. I've met less Orions - as expected - and as you point out they tend not to be maxed. But by contrast, I'm already impressed by the shield piercing ability. Combined with powerful weapons, that mech can knock out 50% of my Ares' HP in, like, one or two shots. It's frighteningly efficient. I think you hit the nail with your assessment that Stalker is optimised for tournaments, whilst Orion especially useful for CPC/5vs5 (and indeed, other players can take advantage of the death mark). Looking forward to reading more about your experiences with these mechs in a few months, and hopefully after you've further upgraded Orion. |
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Post by lrob on Sept 12, 2022 18:09:25 GMT -5
salvia I think you probably have been facing the same guy that reconnecting was trying to find the other day. He's reducing his hangar power and playing against everyone with a 3-4k hangar with a maxed Stalker. By any chance did he have a bot name? I play with a maxed Stalker, and yes I can confirm that it's really good against bots. Against human players with other maxed mechs, depends on the weapon/configuration/player, but it's one of the best for sure. Face to face against Orion, the mark it's more powerful, and you need to avoid being marked or you will lose. My impression of Orion is that endgame, it can be a primary mech as a sniper, but that's map dependent; or can be a counter mech, it can literally melt a maxed mech that is complicating your life. In the other hand, midgame, it's really strong, and specifically as S1E1 mentioned, it's remarkable how it can "compensate" and it's able to get a good number of kills with one (or even two) star less than the rest of your hangar.
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Post by salvia on Sept 13, 2022 3:15:28 GMT -5
salvia I think you probably have been facing the same guy that reconnecting was trying to find the other day. He's reducing his hangar power and playing against everyone with a 3-4k hangar with a maxed Stalker. By any chance did he have a bot name? I looked him up again and I don't think it's the same person. His name is DerFlinkeUwe. He's got around 150k XP and a 2900 power hangar. His Stalker is level 6-3, features a DL12+DL8 combo, and a maxed Stefania with epic DL DMG + Radius implants as well as a legendary Predator Drive DMG implant. So it's not as souped up as I recalled, and yet it's already very powerful agains bots. The rest of his hangar is unremarkable. It consists of Zephyr, Surge, Orion and KS ; none of them are maxed, nor are their weapons. I play with a maxed Stalker, and yes I can confirm that it's really good against bots. Against human players with other maxed mechs, depends on the weapon/configuration/player, but it's one of the best for sure. Face to face against Orion, the mark it's more powerful, and you need to avoid being marked or you will lose. My impression of Orion is that endgame, it can be a primary mech as a sniper, but that's map dependent; or can be a counter mech, it can literally melt a maxed mech that is complicating your life. In the other hand, midgame, it's really strong, and specifically as S1E1 mentioned, it's remarkable how it can "compensate" and it's able to get a good number of kills with one (or even two) star less than the rest of your hangar. Thank you for these hands-on observations. I'm curious as to what you fit Stalker with, and whether it's one of your main mechs. I guess ideally one should have both Stalker and Orion in one's lineup... but when a choice has to be made, it can get pretty frustrating 😓 |
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Post by lrob on Sept 13, 2022 7:51:15 GMT -5
salvia I think you probably have been facing the same guy that reconnecting was trying to find the other day. He's reducing his hangar power and playing against everyone with a 3-4k hangar with a maxed Stalker. By any chance did he have a bot name? I looked him up again and I don't think it's the same person. His name is DerFlinkeUwe. He's got around 150k XP and a 2900 power hangar. His Stalker is level 6-3, features a DL12+DL8 combo, and a maxed Stefania with epic DL DMG + Radius implants as well as a legendary Predator Drive DMG implant. So it's not as souped up as I recalled, and yet it's already very powerful agains bots. The rest of his hangar is unremarkable. It consists of Zephyr, Surge, Orion and KS ; none of them are maxed, nor are their weapons. I play with a maxed Stalker, and yes I can confirm that it's really good against bots. Against human players with other maxed mechs, depends on the weapon/configuration/player, but it's one of the best for sure. Face to face against Orion, the mark it's more powerful, and you need to avoid being marked or you will lose. My impression of Orion is that endgame, it can be a primary mech as a sniper, but that's map dependent; or can be a counter mech, it can literally melt a maxed mech that is complicating your life. In the other hand, midgame, it's really strong, and specifically as S1E1 mentioned, it's remarkable how it can "compensate" and it's able to get a good number of kills with one (or even two) star less than the rest of your hangar. Thank you for these hands-on observations. I'm curious as to what you fit Stalker with, and whether it's one of your main mechs. I guess ideally one should have both Stalker and Orion in one's lineup... but when a choice has to be made, it can get pretty frustrating 😓 I use Stalker most of the time with AT12. In certain maps I change to DL12. He is less flexible when you get one of the specific legendary implants, because you really want to use them, and then he'll be attached to a specific pilot/weapon. However, I'm still waiting for any of those to appear in the store... For me, at this point choosing what to include is more about the mech/weapon combo. Early and mid-game both Stalker and Orion will work with anything you put on them. Late game Orion is definitely a great sniper, if you can put a dual EMR10 on him, he can be part of a maxed hangar at 20 energy, and considering how expensive is to max a mech, that's a great perk. He is also good with dual DL12. I have seen a couple of players with Orion and Carbines, is not something that I find particularly impressive, but if you have the weapons probably a good idea to try it. |
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Post by Koalabear on Sept 13, 2022 8:49:31 GMT -5
Just faced a maxed Orion with AT12...geez, this thing is stupid OP.
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Post by salvia on Sept 15, 2022 16:06:43 GMT -5
I've got a question regarding implants : does the Mech DMG implant (the general one, not linked to any specific mech) work with Stalker and Orion ?
I'm asking because I had high hopes of combining this implant with a mech-specific one (e.g. Predator Drive DMG for Stalker), but given it doesn't seem compatible with Brickhouse, I'm afraid it won't work with Stalker and Orion either 😓
On the other hand, it seems possible to combine this implant with Killshot's own DMG implant.
I guess the Plarium devs deemed it fair, given KS ability's short-ish lethal range.
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Post by OU812? on Sept 15, 2022 18:12:26 GMT -5
I've got a question regarding implants : does the Mech DMG implant (the general one, not linked to any specific mech) work with Stalker and Orion ? I'm asking because I had high hopes of combining this implant with a mech-specific one (e.g. Predator Drive DMG for Stalker), but given it doesn't seem compatible with Brickhouse, I'm afraid it won't work with Stalker and Orion either 😓 On the other hand, it seems possible to combine this implant with Killshot's own DMG implant. I guess the Plarium devs deemed it fair, given KS ability's short-ish lethal range. I think I recall someone in another thread mentioning that they paired the mech damage implant with a stalker. I’d be interested in confirmation that it works though. |
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deviant
Destrier
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Post by deviant on Sept 16, 2022 3:53:35 GMT -5
I've got a question regarding implants : does the Mech DMG implant (the general one, not linked to any specific mech) work with Stalker and Orion ? I'm asking because I had high hopes of combining this implant with a mech-specific one (e.g. Predator Drive DMG for Stalker), but given it doesn't seem compatible with Brickhouse, I'm afraid it won't work with Stalker and Orion either 😓 On the other hand, it seems possible to combine this implant with Killshot's own DMG implant. I guess the Plarium devs deemed it fair, given KS ability's short-ish lethal range. I think I recall someone in another thread mentioning that they paired the mech damage implant with a stalker. I’d be interested in confirmation that it works though. In the implant index, if you have the implant you can tap on the word Mech in a different colour to see what mechs are affected by that implant. I've got the Epic Ability Dmg implant and it only lists Killshot Arachnos Cheetah and Redox as being affected. These are all mechs whose abilities themselves do damage. |
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Post by salvia on Sept 16, 2022 10:52:23 GMT -5
In the implant index, if you have the implant you can tap on the word Mech in a different colour to see what mechs are affected by that implant. I've got the Epic Ability Dmg implant and it only lists Killshot Arachnos Cheetah and Redox as being affected. These are all mechs whose abilities themselves do damage. I did just that before posting earlier, however I have neither Stalker nor Orion - and locked mechs don't appear in these sorts of menus AFAIK. So I disregarded it. The question is then, do you own Stalker and/or Orion ? If you do but they don't appear in that menu, it means they should definitely not benefit from the implant. |
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deviant
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Post by deviant on Sept 16, 2022 18:31:43 GMT -5
In the implant index, if you have the implant you can tap on the word Mech in a different colour to see what mechs are affected by that implant. I've got the Epic Ability Dmg implant and it only lists Killshot Arachnos Cheetah and Redox as being affected. These are all mechs whose abilities themselves do damage. I did just that before posting earlier, however I have neither Stalker nor Orion - and locked mechs don't appear in these sorts of menus AFAIK. So I disregarded it. The question is then, do you own Stalker and/or Orion ? If you do but they don't appear in that menu, it means they should definitely not benefit from the implant. I own Stalker but not Orion. If it affected Stalker, it would be listed. The mechs listed have abilities that do damage themselves, not an increase to the damage of the mech's weapons. |
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Post by S1E1 on Sept 16, 2022 18:43:14 GMT -5
I have both Orion and Stalker. I just checked and neither is listed. So the implant doesn't enhance either of them.
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Post by salvia on Sept 17, 2022 3:33:52 GMT -5
I own Stalker but not Orion. If it affected Stalker, it would be listed. The mechs listed have abilities that do damage themselves, not an increase to the damage of the mech's weapons. I have both Orion and Stalker. I just checked and neither is listed. So the implant doesn't enhance either of them. Thanks for the confirmation, guys. My dream of owning an über damage making mech is shattered 😭 |
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Post by S1E1 on Sept 19, 2022 19:54:49 GMT -5
I upgraded my Orion last night to Rank 4 and I've been playing it in CPC ever since. First off, OU812?'s suggestion of using MR8s is brilliant. This build is super fun and effective. Against all AI, I've gotten a few Rampages and Godlikes already. The HP is low enough that you have to be real careful and it overall does better in small/mid-sized maps. AI Longarm Zephyrs in particular can take it out in just 2 shots if they are far enough away, but overall it does really well for just a Rank 4 mech (my top hanger is in the mid-5000s sp for a sense of the AI I go up against). Using the deathmark, it can gulp down an entire Juggernaut with full shields with a couple shots to spare. It's also nice to find a build that makes good use of my MR8s. They've always been a workhorse weapon, so much a that I'm about to max them but in endgame they haven't had any good mount except paired with my single MR12. I've also been trying out AT6+10 and it has done a lot better than I expected. Against humans it hasn't really been effective because of my low HP but I am getting usually around 4-6 kills versus AI. This one does well in areas where you can peak out against a bunch of enemies. Think standing a bit past the middle on the Mesa Verde Annex or Elon Station Gray maps. You throw out the death mark on one opponent in a cluster and then it hops around to each as you zap them all. Done right it srts up some nice Monster Kills. All this has got me thinking that Orion is basically the new Zephyr. Except it's sorta like an AI Zephyr that does better as a sniper and is a little less effective close-in. But the same weapons and the same ambush tactics that work for Zeph seem good for playing Orion too. And it has a somewhat similar dynamic in terms of using slo-mo on opponents and then destroying them before they turn enough to hit you. Also like my Zeph, I'm not in a hurry to max it. I've run out of bps anyway so frankly I image I'll keep it at R4 for a couple months. Anyway, that's my main impressions so far. I definitely feel like if you get the chance to acquire an Orion and bring it to R4 cheap, do it and you'll have a fun CPC mech. Only other thing to note is that the main weakness is stealth because you can't fire a deathmark without lock-on. That makes the AI Surges a bit of an issue. I imagine human players with Shadows could be a real good counter too. |
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Post by dukeofadvil on Sept 26, 2022 17:00:37 GMT -5
 Finally loaded Orion into my hanger. I also picked it up on the cheap a month or so ago. I was planning on waiting till 4-1(16 energy) but I couldn't wait. Sticking duel DL8'S on it when I get the last few hundred A-coins...BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION.. Are there any specific implants for Orion? I plan on a couple for disk launcher, but I have another slot to fill. What would you put in the 3rd slot? |
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Post by OU812? on Sept 26, 2022 17:18:32 GMT -5
Finally loaded Orion into my hanger. I also picked it up on the cheap a month or so ago. I was planning on waiting till 4-1(16 energy) but I couldn't wait. Sticking duel DL8'S on it when I get the last few hundred A-coins...BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION.. Are there any specific implants for Orion? I plan on a couple for disk launcher, but I have another slot to fill. What would you put in the 3rd slot? There are currently two legendary (gold) implants that are Orion specific. One increases the length of the stasis effect caused by the hunter’s mark. It’s 66% longer at max. The other one increases the shield piercing ability of Orion’s mark. It tops out at 40%. |
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Post by dukeofadvil on Sept 26, 2022 18:27:16 GMT -5
Finally loaded Orion into my hanger. I also picked it up on the cheap a month or so ago. I was planning on waiting till 4-1(16 energy) but I couldn't wait. Sticking duel DL8'S on it when I get the last few hundred A-coins...BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION.. Are there any specific implants for Orion? I plan on a couple for disk launcher, but I have another slot to fill. What would you put in the 3rd slot? There are currently two legendary (gold) implants that are Orion specific. One increases the length of the stasis effect caused by the hunter’s mark. It’s 66% longer at max. The other one increases the shield piercing ability of Orion’s mark. It tops out at 40%. Thanks. I have only played a couple 2v2 and it held up well. My teammate needed to take a phone call and sat out about 2 half games. The human red realized he was a sitting duck but I was able to defend him and myself till he got back. |
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Post by S1E1 on Oct 11, 2022 9:38:54 GMT -5
I can't believe it didn't occur to me to try a single DL16 setup until now! Of all the 16EN configurations I've tried so far (2xMR8, Arc6+10, RG16, RM12+Jav4) this might be my new favorite. I switched it over to my other guided weapon pilot to see if the lack of a gold reload implant had a major effect, considering you only have 1 weapon. But overall no, it was still solid.
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Post by S1E1 on Oct 21, 2022 15:08:12 GMT -5
Just had a match that answered one of my questions on Orion. Namely if you shoot Hunter's Mark at a target and it goes into stealth, does it still hit and take effect? Answer is yes - shot at a Surge that then dashed into stealth and mark still hit and was visibly in effect after it came out of stealth.
Other question is whether the mark will automatically jump to a mech in stealth if it is next to a marked mech that gets destroyed. Not sure on that yet - might have seen it happen but not entirely sure the mech was already in stealth. Anyone know the answer?
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Post by S1E1 on Oct 24, 2022 15:15:02 GMT -5
Had it happen again and it seemed like the Surge was already in stealth before the mark jumped to it. So I think that is a confirmed yes - if you destroy a marked mech and another stealthed mech is in the jump radius, the mark will transfer over. Stealth only effects your targeting to shoot off the Hunter's Mark. It doesn't prevent the mark from painting the target.
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Post by dukeofadvil on Oct 25, 2022 7:26:58 GMT -5
Had it happen again and it seemed like the Surge was already in stealth before the mark jumped to it. So I think that is a confirmed yes - if you destroy a marked mech and another stealthed mech is in the jump radius, the mark will transfer over. Stealth only effects your targeting to shoot off the Hunter's Mark. It doesn't prevent the mark from painting the target.  thanks for the information. While it will not stop me on my quest for Surge, it does confirm my decision to keep my Orion. It should be Maxed by "The Fall of 2029." |
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