Johnny Five Viper - Mechwarrior Online 

Sounds like a monster 👍

if you mean how was his ct damaged without any armour damage, was most likely from overheating.

I would suggest trying out the trail mechs that do not cost any in game currency to get a feel for how the game plays. I would also try to stick to the heavy or assault variants as they are a little more forgiving when taking hits. With the current trail mechs give the Fafnir, Mad cat and Stalker a try 😊

I'd suggest any of the catapults or marauders for beginner mechs, they are decently tough armour wise and can be decently fast with a good number of weapon loadouts across the different variants, Timber wolf is also a good choice due to being fast and tough but it is an omni mech which makes it a bit less beginner friendly due to how omni mechs are built

Stay far away from Omnimechs as a beginner. They're very expensive. Lights:Urbanmech if you're willing to explore the mechlab a bit and dive into customization right away. If not a Locust or Flea is a good cheap light to explore maps mid game. I'd also suggest a Raven. Lights teach map routes and mobility. Sometimes it's best to focus on objectives than kills. It also shows that you can still hurt other mechs even if you're just a fatties escort. Mediums: Hunchback 4H,Centurion or Wolverine. Shadowhawk if you're again willing to dive and experiment. Mediums like these force you to learn armor rolling and spread the damage out across yourself. Heavy-K2 Catapult or Marauder Generally energy focused. The Marauder is a good mech to teach you the importance of armor sharing with your team. The K2 is good at reminding you that heat management is important. Barring the Urbanmech the mechs I listed all teach you important lessons. Armor rolling,armor sharing,map knowledge and the understanding of teamwork is what makes the dream work. Take your time and don't get frustrated.