Don't listen to the rubbish about the HL and their units. IMO the wolves are worse off, but there is FAR less complaining

Welcome Bathawk!

I just started playing about 2 months ago as I came over from YGO. Anyway, as you can see I play BR pure and being biased, I'm going to recommend you play BR. Why? Well, as previously mentioned, they repair the best of all factions. But another reason is as I've found in playing, they are the most forgiving to newer players. An example is that BR is on average probably the cheapest to field an army with. You pick your units carefully and make sure that they compliment eachother nicely and you're almost guaranteed to have more units on the field than your opponent. This gives you one advantage from the get go and that's in numbers. Another thing is BR units also specialize in infiltrating. Meaning you have field advantage right off the bat. That's 2 advantages to you before the first shot is even fired!
Because BR units are cheap and repairable, you can recover from mistakes on the field a lot better than your opponent can. Also, since you'll most likely have more units, you can cover yourself a lot better too.
Lastly, do get the Premier Edition! BR dice too!

Viking

Yes, I would have to agree. BR is a good faction to start out. I also like DF but their lack of good range is annoying. My only complaint about BR is that lack of an assault helicopter.

Join Jade Falcon, when they come out that is. Till then just about any faction will do, just try to get enough units to have some good armies. I think you'll find that infantry are the hardest to get good ones of, it is for me. What ever you do just have fun or it aint worth doin. :)

Bathawk:
Is important that you choose your faction way you want it. At this moment there is too much DF players(i'm one of them) so its not good option. BR(as viking said) is most forgiving faction. SC is good option if you want faction that has good units and that is not DF. From mech side SS and SH are not good options becouse of they bad heat dials. SW is unique becouse of ability to get stronger when damaged but SW units start with low stats. HL is faction to person that wants lot of high defense units and good selection of units. Lio is real dream of faction pure player becouse of its faction abilities. RotS is lot like HL but its units have more SEs than any HL unit.

I hear you, Michael, but once CA comes out with the MHI Defense AA Tank, it won't matter. You agree? Don't get me wrong, it would be great to have our own assault helo, but what's the next best option? A merc helo or just forget about it and plan accordingly? Anyway, there are ways to counter or make up for our weaknesses.

Viking

except that the BR mh1 only has an 8 attack anyways so its still on par with the current run of AA vehicles

Yes the MHI will be nice. I'm just affraid that it's attack won't be good enought to hit something like a DF Donar. Evade and will make a VTOL a little to hard to hit. But oh well. I'll just have to wait and see. Only a few more weeks to go.

Understood, math shows we need a 12 to hit. BUT, when we do hit that's for a whopping 4 damage. I think that would be enough to send it looking for a hole to hide in, because one more hit and he's our points. Also, he's in range at 24" and he can't touch us. For him to hit us, he'd have to expose himself to at least 2 attacks, right?

Viking

Come join the Dragon! In addition, for the love of the Gods, please do not join the Highlanders, the world wide supply of anti-depressants is running low trying to medicate them all. The psychological community could not handle another suicide risk.

wow once again thanks for the welcomes everyone

didn't know that there would be "lobbying" to join a clan ;) my avatar is just because I have more spirit cat units than any other faction (though I have more Steel Wolf mechs than any others)

a lot of props for Bannon's Raider's and Dragon's Fury. Are theese factions relatively rare? after 14 boosters (rember I only spent about 4 bucks each, but no uniques!) my only dragon's fury units are a tank destroyer and kanuzuchi battle armor, and bannon's raiders I have mobile HQ, sprint helicopter, minigun cycle, hovertank and regulator not much to field much of an armey, especialy when someone said ealier than vehicles are mainly good for fire support only

I did notice as I was comparing the DF tank destroyer with the stormhammer version, though cheaper DR had better damage,accuracy, was 50% faster with a grey movement ability (don't have them memorized yet) only sacrifing a click of life, and a quicker fall in the defense so I understand differences like this are the norm between the factions?

also I see "easier to repair" in places over in heroclix a person with heaing "attacks" a nearby unit, if it succeeds they get a click back. is it different in MW where conditons have to be met first?

and lastly while I'm sure I already know the answer but I get that a "c" above a units stats means they can carry other units, but is any unit capable of carrying a mech?

I'll ask about formations later ;)

thanks again for the input all!

the stand out of the SH SM1 is that it has 0 minimum range (ABESOLUTELY VITAL in this game for tanks) and 2 targets. the DF version has infiltrate (the grey square) which allows it to start a ways up at the start of the game.

repair is an attack made by a vehicle in base contact with the target unit. there are some conditions though. no enemy units can be basing the repairer or repairee, and you can either do the damage value in repair clicks, or roll a D6 and use the number that you get.

yes, C is capacity. one capacity point= one infantry unit. 3= one vehicle unit. mechs cant be transported (well, imagine a little 35 ton hover vehicle towing a 100 ton 80 foot tall avatar of destruction...).

for factions, SC are the easiest. they have no weaknesses (average at everything except ballistic weapons, excellent heat). because of their clone like units, efficiency is awesome and tactics are variable. they give you the most choice.

i'll explain formations when you ask ;)

What a load. Everyone knows that House Liao is the way to go for new people. As long as you can effectively use infantry to get the fanatacism for your mech, and hit as many green units as possible with your ruthlessness, you're peachy.

Dangit. Liao is difficult to use at the moment because of the lack of units. That will change soon, and all shall be laid to burnination.

Join us ROTS, please, were dying over here, lol, and you can pick up the faction for practically nothing now :knockedou