Last Updated: 11-May-2016
Hey guys, and welcome to the Clan Dropship ladder! Instead of doing this as a Tier List(s), I’m putting it into a ladder format. Since there’s not that many drop decks that I feel are really worth mentioning, I think that this is just the most viable way to do it, which also allows me to go into detail on each of the decks. You may also notice that I’m not including blitz drop decks, as they are really super simple and can be organized on a team-by-team basis.
I ordered the drop decks on how good I think each is, but don’t be misled – they’re all monstrous. I also only included the ones that I feel are the best of the best, if you feel like crafting your own deck but feel that you need ideas, I encourage that you check out my Tonnage Efficiency page for ideas.
Drop Deck 1: Laser Vomit
This is the most powerful drop deck I can think of, and I really do mean power. Both of these mechs are capable of absolutely devastating the enemy team, with no ammo limitations, great damage, and decent adaptability to the map. I would pretty much always start off with double Timber Wolf: these mechs will give you the best chance of good, high-damage early trades so that your team will win the opening waves, and the early advantage is crucial. If you need to get back to the engagement area quickly after your first Timber Wolf, you can go for a Hunchie second, but usually that’s not necessary. Your Hunchbacks are great at winning trades in the later game, so that’s what I’d recommend saving them for.
Alternative Mechs & Builds:
- Gauss Vomit Timer Wolf
- Poptart Timber Wolf
- Brawl Timber Wolf
- Dakka Hunchback
- ER Large Hunchback
- Another Timber Wolf & Mist Lynx (swapped in for Hunchback IICs)
Drop Deck 2: ECM
This drop deck is pretty similar to the first one in terms of the types of mechs, but Clans don’t have a whole lot of options. The obvious difference is that 3 of these mechs have ECM, which makes this a really effective drop deck to bring if you fancy yourself a bit of a team player. Since CW is a bit of a haven for LRM boats, these mechs can protect you and your mates from those effects if need be, and even if you’re not worried about LRMs, the enemy team will still be inforekt. I recommend opening with a Hellbringer so that your team has ECM cover on the initial advance, and from then on you’ll need to adapt to the situation. If you really need to get back to the fight, the Shadow Cat is the obvious choice, but the Hellbringer does a better job of giving your teammates ECM cover so I’d stick with that if the enemy team is LRMing like crazy. And if you’re not worried about any of those factors, the TImber Wolf should yield the most devestation.
Alternative Mechs & Builds:
Drop Deck 3: Dire Wolf
While you can fit 2 Dire Wolves into a CW drop deck, it’s not the brightest idea. But one Dire Wolf is absolutely doable. Obviously you’re gonna want to open with the big beast unless you have a specific strat in mind, but after that this deck actually offers a lot of flexibility. If you know the enemy’s going to have a lot of hurt mechs, the Arctic Cheetah is a great choice to drop in. If you want to get back to the fight quickly, but you think you’d be better off doing pokey plays than full committing, the Shadow Cat should serve you very well. And if there’s no rush (or you really don’t give a shit), there’s no beating the Timber Wolf.
Alternative Mechs & Builds:
- Gauss & PPC Dire Wolf
- Gauss Vomit Dire Wolf
- Poptart Timber Wolf
- Gauss Vomit Timer Wolf
- ER Large Shadow Cat
- Hellbringer, Hunchback IIC, Jenner IIC (swapped in for Timber Wolf, Shadow Cat, and Arctic Cheetah)
- 3x Hunchback IIC (swapped in for Timber Wolf, Shadow Cat, and Arctic Cheetah, shoutout to /u/Decency for this one)