Compare it to the damage potential of a longbow. I say potential because once you hit with the JagerMech you know the damage value output- it is consistent- 2/5. Compare to a Longbow, the spread of the missiles can vary- although damage is generally more. Normally, I feel like that if I am going to specialize with a mech, I want it to excel in that specialization- but is damage the only criteria? The JagerMech has a maximum range of 24 hexes on the AC 2, compared to 21 hexes on a LRM-20. Does 3 hexes make a difference? Not in a fluid battle with both side moving toward each other, but in an attack/defend situation, or if a part of the enemy is dug in, the JagerMech can park at range, stay out of range and fire every turn.
Is that worth it for 2 damage points?
Certainly not against heavy or assault class mechs. But what about vehicles or light armor support elements that might be dug in? With the JagerMech you are at least going to be doing something every turn- it is going to be shooting the AC2/5's every turn. It's always good to get some dice on the table. But can we get the same dice for less battlevalue? Consider taking a Blackjack or Partisan tank- the Partisan being especially attractive- for the battlevalue, take two and that is 8 AC 5 attacks. But what about the difference in armor? Certainly the JagerMech will hold up longer, vs. cheaper battlevalue options, BUT if we are talking about a support mech, it should be far enough behind the main assault that it won't come under dedicated fire.
Does the stock JagerMech work or should we go to variants? It's not a bad mech, but for the dedicated role I feel we can get a better damage output with LRM packs, or if we are going to leverage range that can be done better or equal mech wise for less battlevalue. JagerMech isn't a bad mech, but I just feel it should be stronger for a dedicated role