Cue large dramatic sigh.
I'm supposed to provide a counterpoint to Kenneth's opinion on the Gigus.
It's a good job this design is so ancient, because that actually leaves me with a coprolite, as opposed to the more fresh version. There's the slimmest possibility that I can polish a coprolite.So lets get some things out of the way. What it isn't is the greatest mech since sliced bread. It isn't fast or particularly well shielded. It also isn't a niode mech, so let's not bother comparing it with them.
Let's concentrate on what it is then.
It is a crystal mech, so it's comparatively cheap. It is, or at least was until the advent of the Poryphorus, the first crystal mech with decent fire specialisation you could get. It is also the next missile mech you get since the 65 ton Orester. Yes, other mechs come after that do it better, but the tonnage gives it some mileage.
Kenneth has his relegated to a fire specialisation slot. That's fine, that's his choice. I personally still use mine in the extremely common single and double rainbow and it is of course a shoe in for the odd 80 ton specialist weirdo that you find out there.
And since I've had to learn to live with it in my war formations, I've had to learn to do something decent with it.
Thankfully you can still take Betrus Processors in a Gigus, so you have a good mix of precision and crit kill, a definite issue for larger mechs. Take the built in damage bonuses rather than using precious cockpit space enhancing them, and if you add on a few of the lower power freebie niode fire weapons like the Birthday Fist, you might just bag a few one shot kills.
Delta shielding gives you better protection than anything under 75 tons, and the same as some of the better mechs above that level.
Engines? Not flash, but come to terms with the fact that it is at least half of a missile platform and therefore as slow as Patrick on a good day, and you aren't going to end up too worried about speed.
The saving grace is its chassis capability. The one thing that is going to keep this machine in the fight is the ability to not be there when the shot arrives. Choose wisely, for this is the area where you can make or break the build.
So yes, there are ways to get at least a modicum of respect from this mech under certain conditions, and there are times when you need to come to terms with the fact that its either going to be this or a mech 10 or more tons lighter than it.
Either that or accept the fact that what you are indeed attempting to do is polish a poo.
Submitted by David McCallum #701548