Is there any guidelines we can follow when designing a mech?

[Azure Emperor]

As it says on the title.  Do we base our build in stats or weapon combination. If it's stats then what are we looking for? ex 78-110 dmg(bad), 134-210 dmg(good) something like this? 

[OKI DOKI]

The answer is both.

 There are different types of mechs. I will not mention all of them but basic:

1- Attack to resistance

2- Attack to HP caps

Those have subdivisions and some of them are. 

1- Overheating

2- Draining

3- Explosive 

For example

This one does have few categories. 

 1- It is a drainer over heater. It is use based to overheat the opponent.  The differences are the use of what type of weapons can help to make the condition faster and keep the opponent close to you. We call this a heat hugger. 

2- The top weapon does not affect directly to the resistance but damage to the heat cap and to the HP is high. The parts it is excellent to help overheat and to keep close your opponent.

3- To help the effect of overheat, it uses a side weapon to damage the heat cap available and will reduce it permanently per attack.

4- Use a side weapon that will help reduce the resistance and that resistance damage is combined with 1-2 heat drainers and the drone that also help to damage resistance. 

   Why resistance drain it is important? Simple, if does not have the attack to do so, it is like hit a wall with your hands so other attacks can work the magic. 

    So, sometimes I call this a resistance over heater hugger.  Just me . The others will call heat hugger as standard name. 

This other it is a jumper based to damage resistance in order can penetrate and start to damage HP. It is hard to destroy this one in the physical way. A bit weaker in energy attack and middle of the ground vs heat mechs different types but it is a good one to use against the first mech if know how to use it. 

1- The 3 side weapons are based on resistance drain in order can start to damage HP faster. To make the attack even more effective, the drone and jumper weapons also helps to damage drain. 

It is an overall resistance drainer sniper. 

 When you build a mech, you are looking normally to maximize a particular effect on damage. Sure, every mech does have a counter mech meaning there is not a perfect mech because all of them can be destroy.  

Those are basics mechs that can give a bit of ideas.

Now, not all mechs will be set in that way as the super Dupper beast mech to annihilate everyone. Some mechs are designed to work on pair or for a triple attack. 

In the 2 mechs illustrated, a player with luck can make 3 of those. Sure, those 2 types of mechs that you might like to have all the parts for 3 of them but is hard to get for the majorities. 

So, some people build mechs to complement the others in ways that can provide that help. 

The order of mechs set ups are important when go to do pvp. 

For example, this mech below, as solo mech it is easy to be bitten if do not know how to use it. Sure, in the hands of Warrmachine is lethal just for saying. Now, as you can see, use different elements making this mech a mix mechs sniper. It is functional, yes does work but the right function per season. It is not good for 1V1 but can be use on 2v2 and 3v3 according to how you will support the other mech. I used and bitten top players for fun. It is grate mech, nope, but the support can be great if know the reason why was built in first place to complement the other mech. 

When you build a first mech, you put the best assets there that can be combined in a way that will be functional for the type of attack you would like to have maximizing that effect like in the first 2 top mechs above. 

Another example is this test mech. It does works? Sure, for low ranks maybe till R5 but it is a mech based for R7-R6. 

I use this one in a cripple way for test on purpose to see damage, match maker and few others. Can help a player to rank up having just limited parts? Yes, it does. All parts are available farming and can be fun to use and I won against top players R1 mechs many times in the pass and my kids I saw many fights against R1 mechs winning against them. Now, for some top players, will be easy to kill like a fly. The things for this one, was based more for explosive damage and chicken out covering almost all ranges. 

In the end, all elements do have similar effects and we combine weapons to maximize the effect as combo attack reason top players always will tell you that you need to build an element mech in full and how much damage can create based on stats. 

Build with logic. Observe properly the weapon functionality with the item description below as example. 

It weights ok at 37 but heat damage cap is low but can help overheat some. It works when the opponents it is away from you one step to 3 meaning if the mech is faced to face it won't work but if is too far it won't work.  It jumps back one space but require having energy to function and will create heat on your mech using the item plus it will eat the HP per attack. 

That information it is crucial to understand because it is the way to control your loss of Hp using the weapon, or how fast will overheat your mech etc. 

I hope I answered your question. 

Edited January 25 by OKI DOKI (see edit history)