Why Do We Love The Rifleman IIC?
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2024
- The Rifleman IIC is wild mech. It can ruin someone's entire day.
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The Rifleman IIC is the Rifleman everyone thinks and wants the standard Rifleman to be. It can anti air, it can snipe, it can brawl, it can take everything you throw at it and ask for more while giving better than it gets.
I love this thing. I had a Rifleman IIC 4 go toe to toe with an Atlas 7D and it made that Atlas regret it’s life choices.
Awesome!
Decent, UACs? RACs? What was the focal point of your build there? Don't tell me dual AC 20 cus I'll just think that's silly, then copy that idea
The ability to hit your opponent consistently with what would be multiple standard PPC at longer range is enough to make an Atlas sweat.
If you want to brawl, why are you wasting C bills on a Rifleman? Brawling was never a design consideration.
@@bthsr7113but it can do it unlike it's IS counterpart.
Because it has the best sombrero out of all of the mechs? I personally love it because it's the mech I used to main in Mechwarrior 2 and it's grown on me ever since. Hard to go against the KISS philosophy because in Todd Howard's immortal words "It just works".
Excellent philosophy.
And unlike what Todd was referencing, it actually does.
Same here. I've got a knack for Rifleman IIC in MW2 and it has been with me since then. Even tough I used lighter mechs in campaign due to those sweet extra points, in Trials of Grievance the Rifleman IIC was always a go-to choice.
And... do you remenber *that guy* from the campaign?
The 3050 update was an amazing addition to Battletech but I was always somewhat annoyed at the book designs. Then came 3055 and it blew my mind
Thanks for giving the IIC designs the love they so richly deserve.
The dynamic posing in 3055 more than made up for the 3050's vanilla flavor. Thanks for giving the videos a go. More on the way!
it may not be grounded in anything else, but I like this thing because the clans decided to upgrade an AA platform by giving it a sombrero that has a laser with such short range that it won't hit any aircraft unless its doing a dive bomb on it.
Edit: huh... thought the 2c had a small laser in the head not a large one
In most variants, it's the ER Small Laser in the head. In that one, which I forgot because I'm just waking up, the ER LL is in the head instead.
@@MechanicalFrog gotta love Clan tech. Nobody expects that focusing lens in the head to be a large laser.
This is one of the best heavy weight solaris mechs I've ever encountered...always dread fighting against it one on one in the arena....great firepower and cheap in cbills (which is what we use over bv) another brilliant overview :-)
It really is!
God, guns, and Battletech. Love large pulse
Agreed!
If there's any real downside to the Rifleman, it's a choice between ammunition, or heat. You're ALWAYS short on ammo, short on heat sinks, or short on armor (sacrificed for more ammo or heat sinks).
Otherwise, when it comes to direct fire support or anti-aircraft, very little comes close.
Opportunity cost is a brutal and saucy minx.
Yes! It made you really want to use an alpha strike (All fireworks go off at once) but this would CRIPPLE you for several critical seconds. Kind of a hail mary where you are hoping the other guy goes boom.
It's where I learned the hard way about target fixation blasting a pilot into a pair of smoking legs but forgetting that the rest of his battle star was around him. And now I can't move. D:
I loved that you left the arms open. That is a fine variant. The double heat sinks are, in my opinion, the most important alteration to the design.
Agreed. the DHS are crucial.
The OG Rifleman IIC art is still my favorite. It has that that indifferent monocle stare as it proceeds to carve its enemies with rampant laser fire. Ive used the IIC standard the most, its just a straightforward dependable design. I find it interesting that the Rifleman IIC-3 was the choice mech of Hauptmann Roderick Steiner, which he used during Operation: Hammerfall against the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth.
It has that IIC alien look to it from the 3055 art that I just love.
I once built a rifleman with 4x lbs ac2’s 4 tons of armor, protected by case, and a targeting computer. Was a fun experiment
That's sure something... :D
Ahh... More 2C goodness!!! Even the glory that IS the omnimech can't instill the love in me that the 2C mechs do. An entire star/lance of 2Cs is my flavor of choice EVERY SINGLE TIME. ANOTHER GREAT VID, Frog! Please keep 'em comin'...
Well said! Working on the next one already.
@@MechanicalFrog CAN'T WAIT!!!
That Art of War bit hit hard, cause thats the opening bit of one of Sabaton's songs from the album of the same name.
It's one that leads to some thought, for sure.
The Rifleman IIC 10, compared to the original Rifleman IIC, is faster and more agile, but significantly more vulnerable with an XL engine and supercharger (and ammo, though CASE II helps), has better heat management, but 80% the overall maximum damage potential at half the range and with less accuracy and worse sustain due to limited ammunition. It also costs more than three times as much to produce in C-bill equivalents.
The only scenarios it'd do at all well in is close-quarters or city-fighting on a really hot world or where the enemies use heat-increasing weaponry, and that's super niche.
Yeh... not keen on it.
One correction, but don't feel bad it's a very common misconception. The HAG is not primarily a flak Gauss like the Silver Bullett. Like the LBX it has two firing modes. One in which it shoots a continuous stream of which hits for five-point clusters. The other in which it shoots all of those as individual pellets like a flak cannon. Which effectively makes the default HAG a far superior RAC. It's the closest that BT has gotten to modern weaponry. It's standard firing method could be compared to the MP38/MP40 or the burp gun.
With this HAGa basically let you shoot for five-point clusters or for dozens of tiny 1 point pings. Which makes the hag 30s on up terrifying considering the head shot capabilities. Its like a crazy dual combo of a rac and an lbx but you choose. Best part too is that the range dont change.
Thank you.
I used pair LBX 5s and 2 lg pulse lasers in arms.
Clan endo and FF save a ton of weight.
I did use an XL and improved JJs for 4/6/6 profile.
TC for even more AA and antimech capability
2 A pods on legs
And 2 srm 4 clans in torsos w/1 ton tandem and 1 ton HE.
Much cooler running than expected.
With enough punch for handling tanks, battle armor and infantry up close.
HE strips armor very well, but not so much structure.
Tandem bypasses armor which is awesome to take down movers that have more armor than sense.
Another went er lg each arm along with 1 LMG x4 array too. 1 ton AP ammo in free case in each torso.
CT gets 2 MPL .
Each torso gets a laser ams to take advantage of excess cooling availability. 15 DHS.
Either choose improved JJ to jump same as sprint speed or supercharger and 2 JJ for mobility in city and areas that are vertically challenged.
If Supercharger is take. MPLs need to be moved to torsos.
It's the only clan mech I've played on the tabletop as repaired salvage. Those 4 large pulse lasers were just nasty.
It borders on cheese but, definitely fun.
Rewatching these because why not, and I apparently had missed you saying and never put together myself the inuniverse timing of a lot of IIC refits.
hmm...
Found your channel while looking for a BattleTech audiobook, and boy am I glad I did.
Happy to hear it. I've got a few short stories as well as a longer series called the New Explorer Corps you may enjoy.
Reflective armor is just as effective against missles and standard ballastic weapons, it is more vulnerable to physical, fall damage, artillery, or ammunition that is known for armor penetration.
Also, the IIC 10 sounds like it was designed as a heavy UrbanMech, though it has 20 shots per autocannon unless it uses specialized ammo which will reduce it to 10 per cannon (pretty sure it is the only Clan AC that does). Sorry if I sound nit-picking so I checked my ilClan vol 23 TRO.
No worries.
fun fact the art for the IIC mechs in TRO 3060 were discarded concecept art for an unproduced Macross series
And the art is awesome. So we are lucky.
In defence of the IIC 10, those Protomech AC/8 can fire specialty munitions like standard and light autocannons do. Maybe the Ravens planned to fire Flak or Precision ammo out of them, though Armor Piercing and Flechette would be fun too.
Possible.
I was going to say just use normal AC5's or AC10's....
But clanners don't touch those, and if I remember correctly, UAC's can't take variant ammo. So aside from LBX autocannons, you really are stuck using protomech autocannons to use shell types that would be more effective against aircraft.
When 'More Dakka' meets Battletech.
This would always be my go-to in Mechwarrior 2 due to some artwork making it look like it had a freaky Gaster face. This... Ghoul with guns and guns and guns...
The standard RIfleman IIC is pretty much the fun police with those 4 x LPL's. Sure in theory they don't hit TOO hard, but they will hit you, especially if you put a Clan Warrior into it and pay the points cost because that's the -3 to hit which is horrific. Its tough and absolutely packed with heatsinks and has a standard engine so you can't really crit it out. But i'd not be surprised if it said somewhere in the rules if you plonk more than 1 of these 'Mechs down that your opponent is allowed to hit you with the chair because they are a very cheesy 'Mech :D
Great video as always Mr Frog!
That must be a Total Warfare rule. :D
The Rifleman IIC is basically a re-release of an original product, but with a new hat.
Everyone likes a new hat... *writes this down*
It would be really swell if CGL got off their asses and made an official resource sheet for Roderick Steiner’s customized variant. My local game group prefers scenarios where the mechs can be found on MUL.
Correction: Twycross was occupied by the Diamond Sharks after the FedCom Civil War and the Rifleman IIC 8 was produced by the Sharks.
Temporarily. By 3067 it is Jade Falcon turf.
ALL THE BUTTONS!! E'ery Time my man, e'ery time. Keep up the good work 👍
Thanks! Will do!
What a mellow ending. "Here's some info. Now meditate on it..."
Great stuff as always!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love rifleman IIC for one simple reason - good capability/price ratio. Significantly better than original while only around 700k c-bills more expensive makes it a decent machine for war where procurement is a significant factor instead of typical clan way of playing at war of minimum scale possible and fielding heavies costing more than 2 assault mechs.
It just works.
That red one is absolutely ridiculous. IWM minis are so hit-and-miss, I'm glad that CGL is putting out lots of great sculpts for our favorite 'Mechs.
The metal one is actually an OG Ral Partha sculpt. It's just been sitting around for 28 years waiting for its 15 minutes of fame.
@MechanicalFrog those old Ral Partha Riflemen IIC were notorious for having missing barrels, but I do love its creepily lanky look. At least with the new plastic one we wont fear loosing the barrels anymore LOL
It’s definitely the hat that makes this mech awesome
*writes that down*
Why do we love the Rifleman IIC?
'cause it's broken AF, that's why. :P
Amen.
Love your videos! I was so glad to see you had one out when i got home from work!
Thanks a lot! More to come.
The IIC X seems like a police mech honestly
Could be.
Yikes. That VIII variant is a beast.
Spicy Rifleman.
I loved! This thing in mech 2
It was baller. Such a useful heavy.
Very useful.
What would be funny for someone to use the X variant. I think the rules state that protomech AC's can use special munitions so you can run armor piercing or incendiary. Assuming you don't get destroyed from long range fire.
Sounds like the Clans version of light ACs
They would have to be amazing to justify it.
I love your channel. At some point I would like to send you a mech cast in bronze. I just got an art studio as I do metal and glass art. I'm really excited about getting into my art full time.
Thanks a lot! A bronze mech!? That would be epic.
Protomech ACs make almost as much since to me explosive lasers. You know what I'm talking about.
I really love the Rifleman IIC. Never used it in a TT context, but back in Mechwarrior 2 this thing scared the hell out of me, even more than Marauders and Warhammers IIC.
Oh we'll get to the Warhammer IIC...
@@MechanicalFrog Speaking of which, now I need to make Lego models of both of them (The MAD IIC is coming... sooon...)
@@thecuriousanthropologist Yes please.
Hm, if one were to pull the ER small and half a ton of armor, then the guns could be heat neutral. Though even without it, just some light management will keep the strobe strikes going.
Yeah it's not too bad. 3-4 turns, just cut one laser.
The original Rifleman 2C remains the best version for any role....-2 to hit..4 big guns, there you go
Hard to improve on that.
I think the 10 model was meant for city fighting. Where range is poor and its better to bring a shotgun then a sniper.
Still better off with the prime model or really any of the other options...
You can't really get "more aggressive" than the standard model.
Hot take: The 2 was just to get the ball rolling for Smoke Jags natural selection to start kicking in 😂
Hah!
The IIC-2 can use flak rounds and has better range to engage high altitude targets. However, 6 tons of ammo is over the top insanity, using all 4 guns at ultra rate would last 33 combat rounds.
"That's a lot of ammo..." Yeah...
I think the method to the madness is to stock a bunch of precision ammo along with some other utility ammo types.
That can strain ammo stores in a way stocking all conventional ammo never could.
😮 I just picked one of these up!
Well put it back down! If the mother smells you on it, she won't take it back into the nest!
@MechanicalFrog too late, it helped fry Wobbies with twin plasma rifles at an event I ran this weekend!
If you are being hit with a weapon that out ranges your weapons by 300m or 10 hexes like clan ultra AC-2 compared to range of clan large pluse lasers plus you can't close the range because your slow mobility..the need for equal ranged weapons becomes a necessity.... a star of stock Rifleman IiC will prevent areo space fighters and light scouts mech from intruding into the area they are guarding as long as they aren't targeted 1st ... a single 25 ton koshi with a ER PPC or large laser could harrrass it at will with little threat to itself as long as it attack when it had initiative and retreated when it didn't... put an ultra AC-2 on it and it only has to retreat when it doesn't have initiative twice in a row or when ammo runs out...that's why you have a version of the Rifleman IIC with ultra AC-2. to go along with the stock version...
...
The Rifleman IIC is a tough customer. Deadly against everything. But yes, don't get outranged.
Aw shucks everyone got here before me.
Its been answered already so I dont know if I can bring anything new.
Okay the Rifleman IIC is fairly cheap, well armed, and has enough heat sinks to generally keep firing without issues. It also has Jump jets, just in case. Its a major upgrade to the original Rifleman which both overheated and ran out of ammunition fairly quickly.
Not every Battlemech has to be a jumbled chimera, or a canon Frankenmech, otherwise unbalanced designs like shoulder mounted cockpit(Thunderbolt, Summoner).
The Rifleman IIC is a SPAAG. Nearly everything about it makes it a believable design. Many Battlemech designs are ridiculous with serious flaws like exploding if all its weapons are used or only carrying enough ammunition for 30seconds of combat.
Fair points.
I like the Rifleman IIC much in the same way I like the Masakari (Yes, I'm a filthy Spheroid who refuses batchalls, nobody's perfect): I like 'Mechs with big hats.
Mechs with hats... *writes that down*
My favourite 2c
It may be my favorite, or at least 2nd.
As much as I hate the Rifleman, I find the Rifleman IIC lovable. It fixes the lack of armour and the lack of combat endurance. OK, it's slow for a 65, but bring it downtown and it's got enough mobility combined with range, probability to hit, and sinking without relying on an XL engine. So the sticker price is good, to. The original model is everything an urban defense mech wants to be. Some of the versions are goofy if not down right bad, but it also highlights something I've said in the Clan Invasion books were released. If you can not un-eff your mech without Clantech, it's probably not a good mech. And outside of it's ADA role, which can be fulilled as well for less by vehicles, the RFL is a smoking pile of hype until it turns into a smoking pile of scrap.
How the RIFLEman doesn't have a Gauss RIFLE build is beyond me
Oh simple my friend, the rifleman likes to pair its weapons and gauss rifles are heavy as hell
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women"
Conan in response to "What is best in life?"- Conan the Barbarian
Yeah, it's not half bad at dealing with aircraft and light mechs, especially in cities and other confined areas. Dual plasma cannons... shudder.
I'm digging plasma cannons/rifles more and more.
Because ton for ton, heat point for heat point, nothing is as good as the CLPSL.
Definitely a top tier weapon.
Love the videos n channel bro, can you do a vid on the imp?
Maybe in the future.
It's a prettier design than even PGI's design. That one variant (the X) is just a damage sink, maybe a solahma mech it seems. At least, the HBK-IIC gives those guys a chance and it IS a kamikaze design for solahma pilots. (Another weird Clan tradition.)
I've has a rifleman iic tango with assault mechs and tank disgusting amounts if damage
Definitely cannot ignore it.
@@MechanicalFrog no you cannot. The rifleman iic and the jade hawk have worked their way into a soft ban list.
So...who wants a jump jet powered headbut? If you're going to put a large laser in your head, why not put a jump jet there instead? 😂
About the only excuse I've seen to justify using AC8's on mechs is that they built a surplus and now they need to use them because they fully committed the logistics for making, loading, and maintaining these gun, only for people to then shun protomechs.
As good a reason as any.
I really like protomechs and I only really got to play with the first generation of them.
@@Aleksandrgrc I like them too, but overall, they seem to have fallen out of favor in and out of universe, so their weapons are now being shoved into full mechs to fill space, use up parts and ammo, and generally muck around.
I do think it's a shame about the Protomechs, and unlike Superheavies, I could see more of a good case for using them.
Oh, the purest are going to hate me for this. I like the IIC and will take it if I have to. It's armor and heat dissapation are way better then the Legacy Rifleman. But; (and here is where I get yelled at); I think the Glass Spider is a better Ant-Air/Anti-Mech platform. The twin Gauss Rifles are way better at range against air threats then the Large pulse lasers. Same goes for mechs. Maybe I just like having longer ranged weapons.
The Glass Spider can be quite fun.
You see that storm crow build in the new tukayyid book. 2 lbx5 and lrms.
Snow ravens would make a rifleman as a tax doge/joke/terrible prank.
"This is a write off."
>Do you know what a write off is?
"Yeah it's when you write... something... off..."
>Off of what?
"Doesn't matter. It's off."
You know, like the genetically modified Diamond Shark... that is a write off. I think.@@MechanicalFrog
You keep saying, why do we love... and then you mention some dirty clan mech. I think you hit your head one to many times in all those batchalls.
Dispite your wrong clan bias, I love the videos. Keep up the good work.
I'm inner sphere forever but to be fair I see the IIC as the natural evolution of the mechs so allow for the clanner bias :-)
Just offering a little different perspective to other channels which have a more... IS bias.
Becuse if we don’t Riflehombre will come and poison our wells 😰
Fact Check: True.
I'm sure you will find the tv remote sooner or later
Every day is an adventure to see where it has been stuffed/kicked/pushed.
Because it works
The real question is when do we get to the ultimate IIC variant, the Urbanmech IIC?
You may be waiting a very long time for this.
@@MechanicalFrog All things come in time, especially with the slow steps of the ultimate Clan weapon.
Eh, I prefer the lostech inner sphere variant. LBX AC and SPL make more sense than UAC and ERSL
I am once again asking for a Crab Video.
Maybe I need to build a Crab IIC.
@@MechanicalFrog You mean the Night Chanter?
Night Clacker... Clickity-Clacker...
@@MechanicalFrog I want one. Man I wish CGL would have put out record sheets for those and the Spirit Walker. Oh and the Star League variant of the crab with the Pulsey jump mode.
The 4 large pulse bring the Warriors to the yard.
*Looks at inner sphere*
You are damn right, it is better than yours!
(Edited for clanner lyrics)
Lyrical genius.
Horned Owl video when, Frog?
"soon"
@@MechanicalFrog nice
The origial Rifleman IIC is a simple and extremely effective Mech design.
The cLPL is one of the best, if not the best weapon in the game and four of these on a single Mech with 360° field of fire are terrifying.
There is no way to avoid these weapons once in range. Of course an opponent could try to kite the Rifleman IIC but this would take ages to bring it down.
From a gameplay perspective it is powerful but very boring. It takes absolutely no skill to use this Mech. Just stand and deliver.
Simple, brutal, effective.
Love fear same thing 😅
Scallop or cake?
@arrons5163 don't make me get the pressure washer to wash you out Arron
It has the zap zap.
Seyla!!!
Seylah!
I like the Rifleman IIC, but just too damn bazaar-looking with the toothpick design. MWO did a slightly better job. Made a in universe lore fix to the IS rifleman by making it 75 tons calling it the Rifleman EBR and later renaming it to the Marksmen to avoid legal issues as it was built from an aftermarket company for mechs parts and chassis with a black-market connection. So the mech isn't a mass-production mech. I'll just give an overview: Versatile Multi Role Battle Mech Capabilities: The Rifleman Enhanced Battle Ready is a Premium Grade mech to change the old rifleman from long range and support. To more of a front-line battle mech on par with the Marauder. With newer and improved weapon technologies readily available. The new Riflemen EBR Is superior in every way to the original Riflemen but in price. Able still performs the anti-air role as well as frontline duties. Having Multi Role Ammunition Choices gives the Riflemen EBR versatility like never before. XL 375 engine with two jump-jet gives unparallel mobility traversing all ground terrains. Making the mech able to walk at 53.9 KPH and Run a fast 81 KPH. With its XL 375 Engine, the mechs cooling is at 30 DHS without extra heatsinks needed with this feature counters unit that deploys flamers. Four Light AC/5 with four tons of ammo allocated for hot swapping to different types of ammo without fail. In case to preserve ammo or Out of Ammo situations the Rifleman EBR has four ER Small Lasers as backups and a powerful Targeting Computer linked to all of the Rifleman EBR's Weapons for precision fire where it counts. Its survivability is in the hands of 11.5 tons of Light Ferro-Fibrous Armor and its mobility.
Interesting...
Why would anyone limit the setting yo 3025? All the fun stuff is after that.
There is a sizable portion of the player base that is very comfortable there and are steadfast in their refusal to move forward.
Phoenix Hawk IIC ☺?
"Soon..."
Wait a minute, this mech doesn't hold a rifle...LIARS
*Gasping in Jade Falcon*
Hey Mech, would you take the Cloud Cobra llC 3 over the stock llC?
Uwu flakdaddy
That's living rent free in my head now.
Hah!
The rifleman II X is trash and I’ll tell you why when you bring a gun to a gun fight you don’t bring a Derringer the rifleman was designed to bring large guns large caliber you don’t put a 22 in rifleman you put a 50 Cal or better I would rip those AC eighths out and replace them and if you’re gonna go energy based go big or go home which means you get the biggest ER park in and you get input four of them in that damn thing and you make sure he cools if you’re going to go with it with an actual slug thrower then please just gonna cost rifle or better yet get four of them
Heh.
This is the first time i see the old miniature of the Rifleman IIC. It´s BUTT UGLY, seriously!
Its drawing looks great, especially because of the dynamic pose, but the figurine just doesn´t.
Luckily you showed the new ones as well, they look good, but that just enhances the ugliness of the old model.
Usually i like the ugly ones, but the Rifleman IIC old miniature manages to make me revolt away from it.
The OG Rifleman IIC is an acquired attraction.
@@MechanicalFrog Must be... i didn´t acquire it though.
I thought you had some dodgy mini, so I went to my boxes that I haven't used in 20 years. Wow as much as I loved using the rifleman IIC it is an ugly model.
It's definitely not the prettiest OG design.
We don’t this is clan we propaganda 🤬😡😡😡😡
Cope and seethe. :D