First, a bit of background. As I am back running a campaign, I needed to give some thought to the actual nature of combat in The Mecha Hack. Specifically, how to present a meaningful challenge to a squad of 7 players. This prompted probability calculations, and deeper thought about how the classes worked. Then I realised that there was probably an article in it. A discussion or review of the Chassis types and Pilots. Of course, the thing I want to stress here is that I am not trying to find the chassis or pilot that is "Da Bestest". I'm trying to provide a resource for Gamesmasters to make combat more engaging, and for players to better understand how their robots actually work. We're all here to have fun, not min max.
Auxiliary
TBH, I almost forgot about this one. The Auxiliary is rooted more in RPG tropes than the Mecha genre, although you do easily find mechs like this in Super Robot Wars. It offers buffs to damage rolls, and reactor management superior to that of the Striker. As its preferred stats are System and Presence, it grows into a nice sensors and face role too, making the Auxiliary into a natural choice for a Commander or Quipster Pilot playing support. On the downside, this chassis absolutely is not a front line fighter, having limited weapon options, a d6 hit die, and a d6 damage die.
Brawler
The best all-round beat-stick. It can actually move and then attack twice on a single reactor roll due to how Charging Strike works. This stacks quite well with the higher chance of critical hits, although the focus on Power and Mobility can create a vulnerability to unconventional attacks and problems which can't be solved with more violence. You do however get a lot of equipment options, and ranged combat is very doable. If a player is aggressive, but doesn't have a set idea of what they want their character to be just yet, suggest Brawler. After that, module choices that favour melee or speed become easy choices.
Colossus
Similar to the Titan, but if the Titan is a turtle, this is more of an angry bear. Its defining feature is Garrison Mode, significantly improving both durability and damage output, at the cost of disadvantage on Mobility tests. How big of weakness that is depends on the foes you face, as while mobility is the common dodge roll, it's not the only one, and the 1d4 can reduce an attack to nothing. On average, a Colossus with starting equipment might expect to ignore 2.5 damage on every attack, while inflicting 8 damage in return, which is devastating in a war of attrition. There's even reason to transform right in front of the foe with Kinetic Reactor, although that's more a happy bonus when it happens than anything to build a plan around. While all of the above is great, a Colossus is brutish and slow, and relies on Garrison Mode to get the job done.
Hybrid
This is a bit complicated and simple at the same time. First off, this is the most immediately lethal chassis type, especially if you go for the Energy Modulator for the d12. Which 3 of my players did independently. This is not necessarily ideal, mind you; Hybrids have low HP with slight tendency to gore themselves, so inflicting D12 damage on yourself is bad news. This chassis is very much about risk versus reward, and being a total berserker. It takes heavy weapons only, no shields, but hits harder than almost anyone when it connects. And you are encouraged to hit as often as possible, as you don't overheat like regular mecha do. True, the side effects are bad news for you and everyone around you, but you aren't defenceless like in an overheat. Mawbeam also has a few odd implications, as it's based off Presence, a stat this chassis does not favour. It works mainly as a roundabout way to get a light ranged weapon, sometimes beneficial at lower levels, but otherwise is likely out performed by any ranged module. I can only assume this is to help low-level Hybrids, as its a Use action without the downsides of heavy weapon, and to provide a way for people to purposefully go feral if they want to.
Scout
Probably the most D&D of the original 4 chassis, although Full Metal Panic exists, the Scout has a lot of utility. You've basically got a giant robot rogue that turns invisible, and there's a call for that in every party. The related abilities for this allow a scout to sucker-punch above its weight, but it's not something you can do in successive actions, and may leave it open for retribution. Going invisible is a reactor roll, and even if you use other methods, setting up and performing an Ambush is a whole turn's work. Fortunately, this chassis favours Mobility and System, so higher level examples don't need to use the Stealth Field as much.
Striker
This chassis is probably the closest to a generalist design, being average in most things, and lacking the Brawler's melee preference. Reactor Charge obviously finds use in every game, although Adaptable Robotics is more of an infrequent safety net. A higher level Striker will find themselves very agile and pass initiative tests a lot, but raw Power can take a while. The chassis does suffer a bit from the lack of an obvious niche, but you can take it places. Recommended for beginners, Commanders, and for System based builds.
Titan
A tank, sometimes literally. A Titan has the highest overall HP, a "shield spell" and can take hits for others via Kinetic Absorbers, meaning it usually gets used as a wall by more delicate mecha. This is doubly true if Barricade Mode is chosen, as the synergy there is off the charts. This is however balanced out by a tendency to act after enemies, and have mediocre damage output. Yes, a Titan does have high Power and a big gun, but the d6 damage die limits things. A Titan can reliably absorb damage, and return it, but heavy hitting is the job of other classes.
Vanguard
With its ability to shift its Reactor and Damage dies on the fly, a Vanguard is the choice for a player whom likes a technical play style, or wants to create a Do-Anything Robot. The usefulness of this ability is something mired in the realms of probability calculations, and that's a choice you'll have to make on the day. Sometimes it's better to hit once very hard, sometimes it's better to attack more, ya know? Some of the risk can be by taking both the Energy Modulator and Super Reactor modules, effectively meaning you can outperform a Hybrid reliably. This is especially true if you are making use of the Utility Appendage to carry a big axe. Alternatively, you could be less boring, an just go for the exotic modules to play support. The inevitable downside is that a Vanguard is a glass cannon, especially as it levels up. Not recommended for beginners, but recommended for people whom enjoy mastering rules mechanics.
Pilot Types
While chassis say what a mecha can do, it's the pilot type which dictates how they are played. I.e. this is where players find their characters, and what they might be good at. As this mainly applies at character creation, with their abilities being subjective in application, pilot choice is more of a role-play thing than a game-mechanics thing. At least once you've levelled up a few times; pilots do boost stats, but the effect looses significance over a campaign. That said, let's look a little deeper.
Bionic
These metal looking dudes offer mainly defensive stat bonuses, and only indirect benefits to offence. The ability to sacrifice armour to prevent reactor mishaps is powerful at lower levels, and has obvious synergy with Hybrids, and less obviously Strikers. It's applicable to many play styles however, and provided AP is readily available, it sidesteps any need for reactor modules.
Commander
These usually take on the role of Team Dad, and in a more tactical style of campaign can be very useful. An extra action is very handy there, especially if applied by fast Commander to a slower player. If you take a looser approach to combat however, the bonus isn't that great. In either case, the penalty for doubling up on actions still applies. Commanders work best in a ranged support role, where they can forego moving to boost other players.
Engineer
Despite the recent addition of the Auxiliary, something notably absent from The Mecha Hack is an obvious healer class equivalent. I think it's because mecha are more usually repaired in hangars. The Quick Fix ability does allow for a limited form of healing, but one that is most useful at low levels due to how it scales. Trading 1AP for 2HP is very much worth it when you have one HD, but not later on. Modules and equipment tying into armour can of course make this into more of a thing, but an Engineer isn't a cleric without homebrew rules. Both GMs and players will need to find a balance as how repair an Engineer needs to do, but I'm inclined to think of it as a happy bonus, not an obligation. Otherwise, this pilot type boosts the System and Mobility stats, which help them stay alive to fix others.
Maverick
The most aggressive of the pilot types, the Maverick is all about the violence, with minimal downsides. Reckless attack does consume AP, but this pilot boosts Mobility and Power, so it needs it a little less, and hits a little more. The additional damage die is also only applied to a successful attack, so you don't waste it, and it stacks nicely with other abilities. Mechanically and roleplay-wise, Mavericks fit most of the d8 damage chassis, although the Scout makes a lot of sense.
Merc
The most open of the pilot types, a Merc can be almost anybody you want them to be, but don't bring anything unique to the table. Their main gimmick is the extra module at level 1, allowing for a player to push towards a specific build much faster, or just being prepared ala Batman. Otherwise, Mercs bring boosts to Power & Presence, which suggests a dakka and intimidation role in the party.
Pariah
Oh look, its a Newtype! Pariahs are adaptable to some extent, but obviously fit chassis that favour Presence. Strange Empathy can in that case compensate for weaknesses in Mobility, greatly improving those chonky boy chassis. Throw in some Presence based modules, and you may not need anything else.
Quipster
Shoutout to Dagger Zero, you glorious loon! Anyway, this is a good example of a handy buff tied to a role playing hook. Quipsters are comedians of a party, the one whom keeps morale up, and this is represented by them granting Advantage to other players. This is a great, "why not? " sort of ability, just remember it can be used to cancel out disadvantage. A Quipster is also a bit chassis agnostic, but a support role is a good place for them.
Vet
Possessor of the best ability on name alone, the Vet is an easy character to both use and get into. Reactor die based builds obviously get the most benefit, but the additional customisation at character creation smooths some bumps.
Conclusion
There's a lot of flexibility here, and what counts as “good” entirely relies on your skills as gamesmaster, or roleplayer. As it stands, the chassis and pilots found in the core rulebooks are the easiest to get into and balance, with the Mission Manual chassis being more specialised. The pilots from the manual can however be used fairly easily, with the possible exception of the Pariah. Ultimately? Use whichever feel right.
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