It's few and far between times that I get to play with these puppies now. That's a shame really, as they are one of the coolest looking machines in production and for their tonnage are a very solid little unit.
Now alas, they are relegated to the odd KotM if it falls that way or to specialists in a Clan or Faction war.
As such, it is very easy to overlook them, either by including them in an appropriate formation or by examining them for the odd equipment boost. We should probably do that at our peril, as the next generation of pilots has far more options than when we first purchased them, and can probably use then far better now than we ever did.
Let's have a quick recap of what the Lui is and where it fits.
For 100 Crystal, 2100 Ferrite and 1500 Bioptics, you are investing in a nice little all rounder that with its intrinsic shielding and high number of shield slots will grow into arguably one of the best point mechs that can take Beta grade shielding (25 - 45 ton range).
I call it a point mech as there are few that can intrinsically fit that slot without expending huge amounts of resources in them. Working up through the tonnage ranges we have the Anzu, Shocklite, Luison, Oggun (at a push) and then the Ammonite. Remember that the point of a point mech is to stay in the fight under fire for as long as it can while you break your opponent's line, on the understanding that there will be no instance when it is not coming under fire. It needs to be tough or agile, or both.
Yes, you could include the Namtar, but that built in kickback precludes any decent autorepair on that chassis size (which keeps you in the fight longer) unless you invest more niodes into it than other mechs.
I'm also assuming that while you may have the odd prize niode mech (and some of those make terrific point mechs), you are still poor enough that you need to fill out your lines with crystal to some degree.
Of course in recent years the mk II refit became available, allowing upgrades all the way up to lvl 160, and a fully fledged Luison will have 4 shields, 3 cockpit, 2 each of chassis and engine mounts plus 11% shielding against all damage types, 12% damage bonus to all weapons, 10% chance of freeze on every shot and a stonking great 60% chance of a double charge shot.
See what I mean about tough?
Of course you have to get up there, and new pilots could do with some pointers on using this thing in the first place while us old codgers should take another look, because options have changed since we first thought our first 'My Little Pony' was cool.
As a point mech, you need to protect it. That means using decent shields, Niode Beta when you can afford them. I'd also be very inclined to pop in a Nanobot Repair kit in one of those chassis slots, even though they are at a premium. At low levels when the weapons don't pack so much of a punch, you be glad of the ability to repair yourself and keep that mech in the fight. Of course when weapons can one shot a mech of this size at higher levels, you will probably want to go for more dodge.
Other than those, I'd be inclined to go all crystal since at the lower tonnage they are some of the best stuff you can get. You can't go too far wrong with Spinal Bracing, Wankel Rotarys and Nux Raids. I wouldn't normally condone going overboard with Niode purchases on a mech that you will outgrow, especially a crystal one.
But you know, we do get lots of little odds and ends through giveaways or medal packs and clickathons, and some of it wouldn't go out of place. And for us codgers, a lot of them weren't available back when we first took Luisons for a spin.
Take those new Beta dual shields. Chances are you've won the odd couple, and where better than to use them to close out any penalties on a point mech.
Speaking of shielding, we didn't have stuff like Calibrated Joints back then, and since every line needs a point mech, those that are in the rear ranks can do with some trample shielding, even if you loose some dodge in the process. Of course if you did have a spare Telemetry Kit handy....
Of course Hip Hopper Hips are an upgrade on basic Spinal Bracing, and the best defence is not being there to be shot...
Engine wise you wouldn't want to drop too far from those speed 20 Wankels, and even though Fourbangers give 17 speed, for a single slow its not worth the effort. Gargons are good though since they give even more damage to the bonus you already have, as do Srubs which also give you a chance at taking out an adjacent target. The only other reasonable choice on this chassis is a Semi-Stable Field that adds to the intrinsic freeze and adds a smidge of trample to boot.
Finally, cockpit wise, at first glance you would be wanting to reserve most of the special stuff for Nifthels since they are most suited to an Ice mech. Except of course an Immersive Neural Rig, but chances are you will have better mechs to put one of those on since they are so hard to come by. The new Targeting Reticles retain most of the Nux precision while adding to the in built freeze.
And then of course there are all those Zirconium Windshields that have been in the Clan War prize packs. Nifthel, yes? The thing is pretty soon your Luison will be relegated to pulling point duty in a 55 ton formation. That's Warg territory, and there will be no space fir Nifthel's there. And the Warg can't have a windshield. It's worth thinking about.
So there you have it. If you are just buying them, take proper care of your Luison's, and if you have had them for a while, have another look to see whats new.
Submitted by David McCallum #701548