Kerensky "I came up with this totally new and original invincible battlemech, I call it the Atlas." Mumbling noises Kerensky "What was that ?" "Looks a lot like an embiggened Orion." Kerensky "It's nothing like the Orion, it's completely different." "LRM, check, Autocannon, check, SRM, check, Medium lasers ... yeah totally different." Kerensky "How many stars on this sleeve ?" "Sure, it's a totally new and original invincible battlemech." Slow clap. Kerensky "Son, you'll never get anywhere with that attitude." "So you're telling me I should just come up with random shit and bullshit people until they believe it ?" Kerensky "Exactly ! Worked fine for me !" Nicholas "Actually, you might be onto something there ..." And kids, that's the true story of how we got the Clans !
It is a few heat sinks away from being a near perfect 3025 era mech. Give it double strength heat sinks and it becomes boring, able to shoot everything, every turn. Too few and you always feel constrained and missing opportunities ...
The Orion is such a solid mech, a true jack of all trades. It plays a lot like a lighter Atlas, dangerous at any distance, but becoming much scarier as the distance closes.
Playing the Battletech computer game, my lance of lights & mediums was almost completely wiped out by an enemy lance that included 2 Orions. Finally we managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. A memorable battle for sure!
The Orion is one of my chosen workhorses both in MW5 and tabletop. It's been proven to be a reliable mech especially in my megamek adventures. I'll definitely take your customization into consideration Otto.
It pains me to say it, but Warhammers and Marauders may get the popular vote, the Orion is your no-nonsense, solid, well-armed, heat-manageable frontline mech. I never quite felt wholly comfortable with one, but in 3025 it's the kind of mech that makes assaults take a step back when it enters the field.
@@rotwang2000 the Marauder is painfully clear that it belongs in the Star League and post-Helm era. The official Marauder loadouts scream a need for double heat sinks
The Orion is my favorite heavy mech, because it fits so well into any assault or heavy lance, it has armor on par with many assault mechs, and it can almost always find a range band where it outdamages opponents, due to the mix of long, medium, and short-range weaponry. It flexes well to whatever role is needed, with the only real downside being that as a 75-ton mech it's rather pricey compared to the similar Thunderbolt. I don't typically deploy the Orion as a dedicated brawler, but instead mostly deploy it with a long-ranged mech so the pair can force enemies to overextend or soften them up before advancing. I find the Crusader to be the ideal partner to the Orion, since together they have withering fire at all ranges, they both favor "LRM-then-brawl" tactics, and their strengths compliment one-another's weaknesses. My company currently fields 2 such Orion-Crusader pairings, one in an urban/assault-oriented lance (with a Grasshopper and a Victor), and the other pair in a more long-range-focussed lance (with a Marauder and a Griffin). In the more range-focussed lance the Orion and Crusader fill the brawler role more often, while in the urban/assault lance the Orion and Crusader are more of a fire support element and only push into brawl range to support their lancemates. I find that a well-rounded heavy lance (on the higher-tonnage side) is capable of matching equal numbers of assault mechs, so I've been in no rush to acquire assault mechs. I'd generally rather have an Orion in the company than an assault mech simply for the extra mobility, which makes it easier to focus assets where they are needed. From a company-command level, it's more of an advantage to have two 4/6 lances with 70-75 ton mechs than to have one 4/6 heavy lance and one 3/5 assault lance. It's more of an advantage to be able to keep the company formation tight and the lances in position to support one-another.
Orion indeed is one of the mechs that are easy to overlook. When you check it first, it looks like a poor man's Atlas. But there always comes a moment when you realise - it is a Poor Man's Atlas - this NOT a bad thing. It has horrifying versatile weapon loadout for tonnage, good enough speed, good staying power. You won't always be able to bring Atlas. It is a bit too slow at times and its long rang ecapabilities are limited. But Orion reaches average speed - it can keep up with the standard heavy and medium mechs, meaning it is very likely bring the weapons to bear more often. While it will not outpace more specialised designs, it is a good anchor mech no less.
Ah the orion, since we are proposing custom builds here is mine. ON1-F- trade AC 10 with a PPC, the SRM 4 and ammo for 3 additional medium lasers added to the CT and head to supplement the two in the arms, retain the lrm 15 with 2 tons of ammo, retain the armor, and upgrade the heatsinks to 17. It makes it run hotter yes, but it does make it more durable defensive wise and less ammo defendant.
I personally use the K as a base drop all the weapons but the 2 medlas add 2 more medlas and 2 ppc. Drop the rest of the tonnage into Heatsinks and have a mech that does 20 damage at long range up to 40 at close(12 heat). And yes this makes it just a warhammer. The ppc make up for the range lost by dropping the LRM and no chance for ammo explosion.
@@stanleycard6867 LRMs have indirect fire capabilities that energy weapons can't match. Also too much heat is not something I enjoy, I am a bracket fire mechwarrior, I separate weapons based on which range I'm at alone. Unless I'm dying anyway, I'm not alpha striking
@@lordkommissarpetitt8022 while i find any weapon you cant fire to be a waste of tonnage, yes i know ppc have a min range also, i cant disagree with the benefit of indirect fire. Thats why there is often a LRM boat like a archer in a heavy lance to take that role. For better or worst i normally like to run 2 LRM boats, a brawler like a hunchback and a flanker/sniper like the grf-1n. So yes i do see the benefits of LRMs; just less so on a brawler that is going to be taking fire.
@@stanleycard6867 shutting down your mech to alpga strikes wasting 75 tons in this case. LRMs also future proof the mech when semi guided lrms become a thing, and gives you flexibility if put into a need for indirect fire
The Orion ON1-K is a good and sturdy workhorse. The biggest issue however is the heat management. A penetrating reactor hit or a hit by inferno SRMs will neutralize this Mech faster than almost any other heavy Mech.
It's probably no coincidence that all an Atlas is is a scaled-up Orion if you think about it, and like Kerensky, I do like it. That said, I have tinkered with it in the past and I came up with a loadout that I think improves the mech's longevity and firepower. All it boils down to is taking a basic ON1-K and replacing the AC/10 and its ammo with a PPC, adding a second SRM-4 with another ton of ammo, then increasing the number of heat sinks to 14 (the extra two heat sinks going into the left torso to try and soak crits for the ammo). As long as you cycle the weapons based on range, it's pretty heat efficient. Alternatively, replace the pair of SRM-4s from this loadout with an SRM-6 and a ton of ammo and add more heat sinks in their place.
Kerensky - Wow, I just got shot out of the assault mech I just designed, and the other assault mech I helped design (King Crab) had been almost entirely co-opted by the Amaris faction. Let me think, what heavy mech will literally no one think im piloting? The one with ALL the ammo explosions and the effectiveness of a medium! That's the ticket. Lets "I'm the protagonist" this up and I'm back in business...
Orion is a nice mech, it looks a bit weird but has a highly versatile weapon loadout. Though that also means it lacks specialization, for better or for worse.
It's hard to beat the stock -1K, it's just a fine balance of long and short range with enough ammo and heat sinks to keep it firing. So often, mods involve that SRM4 in some way, upgrading to a 6 pack or dropping it. I like the Knockout getting rid of it for small lasers, that's a creative way to bring a few more chances for critical hits in close.
I never could seem to utilize Kerensky's Chariot effectively. Love to take it into the brawl, but *all that ammo!* 100% agree with the Knockout's dumping of the SRM. Just too much of a liability!
My typical build increases the long-range potential of the -K while not sacrificing too much brawling capability. It downgrades both the AC and LRMs to 5s while mounting a PPC and a second SRM4 and adding two heat sinks. You can now - just - cause a PSR at long range as well as short range, and while the SRMs have half the endurance of the normal -K, I've been known to instead only add ONE heat sink in order to fit a second ton of SRM ammo, though usually 12.5 salvos of effectively SRM8 serves me well enough. It gets better use out of the AA targeting with the increased long-range potential, and can poke decent-sized holes in the enemy before closing to brawl.
That's a pretty good build! The PPC and AC5 make a good pair since they have the same range brackets, and the LRM 5 just sweetens the deal. Plenty of endurance with one ton of ammo for each weapon, and 13 heat total, which is very manageable. It's also _much_ more consistent than the original's LRM15 and AC10. The pair of SRM4s is nice for the same reason, and I'm a huge fan of them. I was drawn to the 1V variant because of that, but that things got some serious flaws. It's got less armor AND carries six tons of ammo! When I thought about how to improve the design I came up with something quite similar to yours. The AC10 and it's ammo were swapped for a PPC. It's still 10 damage, better range, lowers the ammunition explosion risk, and frees 7 tons for armor and heatsinks. Sure it's got a minimum range but that's where the SRMs and medium lasers shine! Btw, I also think one ton of SRM ammo is plenty for a pair of SRM4s, especially on a mixed-range mech. Two tons is too much, you'll run out of armor long before 25 shots. The ton is better spent elsewhere, like on a medium laser.
You had me looking up record sheets online to see the variants 🙂. The VA variant is not a bad compromise, you get more close range firepower and the heat sinks to maintain a high rate of fire, with the same armor.
I personally just use megameklabs to look up all the mechs. it seems to list all the info and page numbers for the rules. I personally think VA is not as good as the k. The LRM 15 can make the difference if your fighting a long range fast snipers you cant get close to, wish is normally the mechs my friends pick when i pick a close range mech.
@@nerdyOveranalyzed I think with the VA model you have to change your tactics a little bit. That's when you invoke The Greatest Warrior of all times yelling his battle cry: Leroy jenkins!
I'm glad to see the Orion, and it's trusty AC10 get some love! What's not to love about a heavily armored heavy mech you can fix overnight and always find parts for?
My first usage of it was in MW3... Fighting an Annihilator in that tight hall... When I use it in the PC Battletech game it's been a reliable heavy that I'll usually add an AC/20 to it, maybe coupled with Large Lasers and an SRM if possible. The Orion is a solid all-rounder that can be modified as you need.
These overviews are really helpful, informative and entertaining. You've earned a new sub in me! In the early days of BT, I was never really impressed by the Orion. Now that I've used it in the HBS video game I'm a believer. It's durable and packs a punch. At times, I've used more than one in my lance.
Hey Nerdy. Since you focus on 3025 era Mechs and such, I thought this might tweak your interest. 'Back in the day', around 1990 or so, I was a few years into playing Battletech with my friends. I was playing a Mercenary Unit leader, and we were all using the results of tabletop battles to create 'backstories' for our characters and units. Well, I was able to lay hands on three Atlas Mechs in 'poor' condition. Meaning, that they had few weapons, hardly any armor, but were otherwise fairly sound. Rather than try to buy expensive equipment and weapons to return the Mechs to 'factory' condition, I set about using the Mech Construction rules in the 1st edition rules to modify them instead. Now, since Mercs really don't have anything like the access to spare parts that House units do, I had to 'make do' with what I could afford. And so, I looked at the various weapons. ACs, Medium Lasers, and LRMs were about the 'cheapest' things I could buy, that were plentiful all across the Sphere. So, I purchased a lot of Medium Lasers and LRM-5s. I put five LRM-5s into each side torso. I put three Medium Lasers in each arm. I then put 2 tons of LRM ammo in each side torso, and a single ton into the center torso. I kept the original Fusion Engine, and sold off all other weapons attached to the Atlas frames. I used up some of the extra tonnage to nearly armor the Mechs fully, and made sure to have enough Heat Sinks to cover walking and firing all the LRMs simultaneously. When I fielded them for the first time, my opposing Player asked: "What Mechs are those?" I was at a loss for a name, until another player leaned over my shoulder, saw the loadout of the Mech, and muttered: 'Gruesome'. I just dropped the first 'e' and wrote: Grusome. A Mercenary does not have access to the huge piles of spare parts that a House can provide. Heck, they are lucky if they have a few spares of any sort on hand. The prices for things like AC-20s, LRM-20s, PPCs, etc... can easily break a unit's budget in microseconds. This is why I went with the most available, low cost, weapons I could put onto the Atlas frames I had on hand. With 5 tons of ammo, and at 24 'shots' per ton, I had 168 'shots'. Divided by 10 launchers, would mean 16.8 full Salvos of 50 missiles down range to the target per salvo. The remaining 'salvo' would only have 40 missiles. I figured that that was more than enough for any engagement, and the six Medium Lasers for close up work would be utterly fine, after showering the enemy with missile fire as they closed to where the Medium Lasers could do their work. A potential 30 damage from the Lasers would garner respect from most foes, and finish off any that had been crippled by the LRM bombardment. And I had THREE of them! Believe me, 150 missiles a turn is nothing to be scorned at. I used those Mechs quite a bit, until other players decided they were 'unfair', and 'no fun' to fight against.
>until other players decided they were 'unfair', and 'no fun' to fight against. Did they also ban the Longbow? Because what you made is just the Longbow 7Q but with more medium lasers and superior quirks (were quirks even a thing when you played?).
@@SirBroadsword : No... quirks were not a 'thing' in B-tech at that time. That came with, or after, Alpha Strike rules. Nope, The Longbow was 'okay' to use, but my 'variant' was not. Go figure. Yeah, the design is a lot like the Longbow, except that each LRM-5 gets a 'to hit' roll of its own. Thus, 10 rolls 'to hit' and then the rolls on the number of missiles per hit of the launchers that did so. I kept around 8 different colored dice in pairs, so I could roll 5 launchers at a time, each having their own colored dice. About 7 or 8 launchers would hit per turn, and an average of 2 or 3 missiles per launcher, still netted a respectable number of missiles hitting the Enemy's Mech, and... even though spread out for locations, the 'sandblasting' effect was pretty effective. Especially if I used more than one Grusome. Three, and things got 'hairy' for the advancing Mech pretty quickly. :)
@@franksmedley7372 The even more hilarious thing is that the Longbow is oversinked to fuck, so you can easily add four more medium lasers to it even though it's 15 tons lighter than at Atlas.
Had the opportunity to buy an Orion off a down-on-their-luck Marik noble once. The price was good and the overall structure was in near perfect condition, but I ultimately passed. This guy had, for whatever reason, replaced every weapon system with flamers. The cockpit also had a pervasive patchouli smell. House nobility are weird, I tell you what.
the knockout could be further optimised by dumping the LRM for 2 SRM6 and some heat sinks for a proper close range monster. It's what I run in HBS Battletech
Hi Mr. Who! I think you're thinking about the ON1-V or VA which has SRMs in the arms. The ON1-K mounts it in the left torso. Hope that clears things up!
I like to replace AC/10s with PPCs and more heat sinks. Just as I like to replace AC/5s with Large Lasers and more heat sinks. It's simple but effective.
In my MW5 playthrough I armed my Orion with 2 ER Large Lasers on both arms, Gauss Rifle on RT, and 2 SRM 6 on LT. Then the remaining tonnage is invested on armor and double heatsinks. Packs quite the punch at long range with 2 lasers and the gauss rifle doing most of the long range shooting while adding more punch with the 2 SRM 6 when up close. Heat is very managable too. Been my go to mech as well even on missions with alot of assault mechs around. (^^)
For the Knockout, it might be better to drop the LRM down to a 10 rack and drop a ton of ammo, instead of dropping the SRM4. Same tonnage freed up, same amount of ammo slots removed, but even more dangerous in a brawl.
Since the K is basically a mini-atlas, it has all the benefits and downsides of an atlas - an all-bracket mech (that throws a mean punch if it has to) that likes to get close but doesn't often get there. In that sense it makes sense to try and fit an ac-20 on an Orion. I'm not entirely sold on ditching the SRMs though (since they complement the piercing weapon so well) but it's probably the right call - downgrading the LRM instead would be more foolish since it doesn't have the speed (or disposability) to try and get into close range quickly and it will need to contribute until it can. side note: You probably also don't want to charge with an Orion - it will usually be more effectively to fire weapons plus two punches/one kick instead.
Oft overlooked and undervalued, this old boot has turned so many skirmishes around for me I can't even begin to count. If you really need to focus it in close or our far playing the LRM down a stage for the two tons needed to up gun the AC10 to an AC20, or swapping the AC 10 for a PPC few heat sinks and another ton of LRM ammo to stagger between and crit pad give you a pile of flex if you're willing to replace the drapes and pull up the flooring a bit.
Looking over what others have said here. it seems like almost everyone here agrees that it need to change the AC/10 for a PPC. I personally go with 4 Medlas instead of the AC/20 but thats just me.
Having used the ON1-K model a few times, it is severely lacking in Heat dissipation, and even though the AC/10 is much cooler than the Large Laser, the Thunderbolt has at least 4 more Heat Sinks to cover for that, making its fire more flexible. Still, having AA ability does help it shine when you need it AND CAN USE IT. My narrative campaign unit has a Rifleman and Lancelot and we've never been able to use this capability as the GM has always gone abstract "Support Card" Style on us, nor has he used VTOLs, WiGEs, or Convetional Aircraft against us.
Hmm, you should be able to manage heat alright if you just ease up on the medium laser or SRM-4. Too bad about the AA ability. Seems pretty useful to take an Orion rather than a Rifleman!
I love the Orion, but I'm not very fond of your suggested refit. The stock variant is much more versatile, it is, in many ways, everything a brawling heavy mech should be. Alongside the Warhammer, it is the mech other heavy mechs should look to emulate. It's stock loadout is well rounded, I consider it a strong contender with the Thunderbolt as my go to heavy cavalry mech.
Mmh I get the feeling speed determines a lot about function for Heavy mechs. So 4/6 is pretty average. Just standard Battle Line mechs. Thanks for the timestamp the other day by the way! It made for an easy clip that ended up being quite popular!
As a newer player, how did you find the availability percentages per house? I find it interesting seeing how common each of the mechs are in each factions! Great video btw!!
Okay, but why is the model 'ON1' instead of, say 'ORI' or something? I can't think of any other mechs it would be confused with, and it makes the main model look like 'Oink'.
What I want to know is if there's any command/communication gear you can install on this or the Crusader to get the initiative bonuses you would from a Wolverine, Marauder, or Battlemaster, but getting it through tonnage, rather than quirks. (For the succession wars era)
@@nerdyOveranalyzed Alas. and if I recall (might be getting mixed up with the dual cockpit) it can also spot for indirect fire lance mates while still firing without penalty.
Maybe its just the mechs that are talked about? Steiners to have alot of hard hitting mechs that are only made in Steiner space. I havent looked over the produce line of all the mech factories but all the rule sets for IS warfare do give Steiners alot more mech factories to work with then the other houses have.
Steiner has the vast overwhelming majority of surviving ASSAULT MECH factories. That's the true key to Steiner's reputation, including the Steiner Scout Lance memes
Steiner has Hesperus II which is the single largest mech factory in existence by 3025. Just its lines produce Griffins, Archers, Atlases, Zeus, Chameleons, Sentinels, Flashmen, Hatchetmen, and Banshees. That's not getting into the tanks they produce, either. Defiance is essentially the Steiner Military Industrial Complex, and their sales to other Houses is one of the reasons why mechs like the Griffins and Archers are considered common. For Marik, they do look safe for how little they get mentioned, but then again there's the saying "The most dangerous thing to a Marik is another Marik" for a reason. There's been multiple coup attempts and low-level raids that've gone on throughout their history. The FWL has a lot of smaller companies: Kong, Kali Yama, Corean, Earthwerks, Oriente, Ronin, Star Corps, Technicron, and Irian. Most of those companies only make a couple mechs each, with some like Star Corps and Earthwerks being multinational. Marik is the other reasons why mechs like the Archer and Wolverine are so common, and they definitely do have a large production base, but they've lost a lot since the fall of the Star League. Oliver (Brigadier) was invaded at least 8 times early in the Succession Wars causing long-term damage, the New Earth (Newhart) factories were destroyed during, and Loxely (Kong) had been utterly destroyed by the end. That damage came close to wiping out all three companies. The Soapstone Mountain factory (Irian Battlemechs) was also fully destroyed during the 3014 Anton Revolt, although that would've only impacted recent history. Just examples of what Marik has faced over the Succession Wars.
"The snub-nose PPC was a star League-era experiment in overcharging the standard PPC design that died before it was fully completed and Deployed....The weapon failed to reach widespread production before the Exodus, and its lessons were integrated with early clan efforts to refine the standard PPC...Combine engineers, however, apparently managed to revive this abandoned concept while developing their light and heavy PPC models."(pg. 234 TM)
Pretty close yeah. Big change is that the LRM-15 lets it do something if the lance needs to stay at range. The Hunchback which sits around doing nothing in those situations.
The Orion seems a bit unfocused to me. It wants to be an Atlas but loses 25 tons. If you have access to Helm Core tech, swap in an LBX-AC for an instant boost. Cluster rounds with the advanced targeting system makes a true ASF killer.
Well, the Orion was designed first, at least from an in-universe perspective. Which means that in-universe the Atlas is an up tonned Orion. But one of the other commenters summarized it beautifully: "The Orion is a poor man's Atlas and a rich man's Centurion."
Kerensky "I came up with this totally new and original invincible battlemech, I call it the Atlas."
Mumbling noises
Kerensky "What was that ?"
"Looks a lot like an embiggened Orion."
Kerensky "It's nothing like the Orion, it's completely different."
"LRM, check, Autocannon, check, SRM, check, Medium lasers ... yeah totally different."
Kerensky "How many stars on this sleeve ?"
"Sure, it's a totally new and original invincible battlemech." Slow clap.
Kerensky "Son, you'll never get anywhere with that attitude."
"So you're telling me I should just come up with random shit and bullshit people until they believe it ?"
Kerensky "Exactly ! Worked fine for me !"
Nicholas "Actually, you might be onto something there ..."
And kids, that's the true story of how we got the Clans !
Poor man's Atlas, rich man's Centurion.
@@Insanemage2001 hey, both of those are complements.
@@baker90338 No insult intended, if anything should play the pokemon evolution music when you get to upgrade your ride.
lel
@@Insanemage2001 now that you've described it like that, I suddenly want more Orions
Go go Orion!
Ka-pow! Ka-pow! Bzzztt! Shoom! :)
It's funny how I get some of the best Battletech coverage from a Slime, a Frog, and a Gecko. Odd, but I couldn't be happier.
@@matthewmarek1467 Sounds like the recipe for quite the Battletech menagerie.
The Orion I never cared for at first, scrapping a couple thinking them weird until I finally got one and was impressed by it.
Yeah! It's quite a solid pick. Just need to manage that ammo!
It is a few heat sinks away from being a near perfect 3025 era mech. Give it double strength heat sinks and it becomes boring, able to shoot everything, every turn. Too few and you always feel constrained and missing opportunities ...
The Orion is such a solid mech, a true jack of all trades. It plays a lot like a lighter Atlas, dangerous at any distance, but becoming much scarier as the distance closes.
Playing the Battletech computer game, my lance of lights & mediums was almost completely wiped out by an enemy lance that included 2 Orions. Finally we managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. A memorable battle for sure!
oh gosh! I'd hate going up against two of them as a light or medium
I also had similar experience... if i may guess, against house Marik/FWL? But i got the bad ending due to skill issue
The Orion is one of my chosen workhorses both in MW5 and tabletop. It's been proven to be a reliable mech especially in my megamek adventures.
I'll definitely take your customization into consideration Otto.
Thank you Commander! o7 Hope your tabletop is going well
It pains me to say it, but Warhammers and Marauders may get the popular vote, the Orion is your no-nonsense, solid, well-armed, heat-manageable frontline mech. I never quite felt wholly comfortable with one, but in 3025 it's the kind of mech that makes assaults take a step back when it enters the field.
@@rotwang2000 the Marauder is painfully clear that it belongs in the Star League and post-Helm era. The official Marauder loadouts scream a need for double heat sinks
The Orion is my favorite heavy mech, because it fits so well into any assault or heavy lance, it has armor on par with many assault mechs, and it can almost always find a range band where it outdamages opponents, due to the mix of long, medium, and short-range weaponry. It flexes well to whatever role is needed, with the only real downside being that as a 75-ton mech it's rather pricey compared to the similar Thunderbolt.
I don't typically deploy the Orion as a dedicated brawler, but instead mostly deploy it with a long-ranged mech so the pair can force enemies to overextend or soften them up before advancing. I find the Crusader to be the ideal partner to the Orion, since together they have withering fire at all ranges, they both favor "LRM-then-brawl" tactics, and their strengths compliment one-another's weaknesses. My company currently fields 2 such Orion-Crusader pairings, one in an urban/assault-oriented lance (with a Grasshopper and a Victor), and the other pair in a more long-range-focussed lance (with a Marauder and a Griffin). In the more range-focussed lance the Orion and Crusader fill the brawler role more often, while in the urban/assault lance the Orion and Crusader are more of a fire support element and only push into brawl range to support their lancemates.
I find that a well-rounded heavy lance (on the higher-tonnage side) is capable of matching equal numbers of assault mechs, so I've been in no rush to acquire assault mechs. I'd generally rather have an Orion in the company than an assault mech simply for the extra mobility, which makes it easier to focus assets where they are needed. From a company-command level, it's more of an advantage to have two 4/6 lances with 70-75 ton mechs than to have one 4/6 heavy lance and one 3/5 assault lance. It's more of an advantage to be able to keep the company formation tight and the lances in position to support one-another.
Orion indeed is one of the mechs that are easy to overlook.
When you check it first, it looks like a poor man's Atlas.
But there always comes a moment when you realise - it is a Poor Man's Atlas - this NOT a bad thing.
It has horrifying versatile weapon loadout for tonnage, good enough speed, good staying power. You won't always be able to bring Atlas. It is a bit too slow at times and its long rang ecapabilities are limited. But Orion reaches average speed - it can keep up with the standard heavy and medium mechs, meaning it is very likely bring the weapons to bear more often.
While it will not outpace more specialised designs, it is a good anchor mech no less.
Yarp for sure for sure! It does seem pretty decent!
Ah the orion, since we are proposing custom builds here is mine.
ON1-F- trade AC 10 with a PPC, the SRM 4 and ammo for 3 additional medium lasers added to the CT and head to supplement the two in the arms, retain the lrm 15 with 2 tons of ammo, retain the armor, and upgrade the heatsinks to 17. It makes it run hotter yes, but it does make it more durable defensive wise and less ammo defendant.
I personally use the K as a base drop all the weapons but the 2 medlas add 2 more medlas and 2 ppc. Drop the rest of the tonnage into Heatsinks and have a mech that does 20 damage at long range up to 40 at close(12 heat). And yes this makes it just a warhammer. The ppc make up for the range lost by dropping the LRM and no chance for ammo explosion.
@@stanleycard6867 LRMs have indirect fire capabilities that energy weapons can't match. Also too much heat is not something I enjoy, I am a bracket fire mechwarrior, I separate weapons based on which range I'm at alone. Unless I'm dying anyway, I'm not alpha striking
@@lordkommissarpetitt8022 while i find any weapon you cant fire to be a waste of tonnage, yes i know ppc have a min range also, i cant disagree with the benefit of indirect fire. Thats why there is often a LRM boat like a archer in a heavy lance to take that role. For better or worst i normally like to run 2 LRM boats, a brawler like a hunchback and a flanker/sniper like the grf-1n. So yes i do see the benefits of LRMs; just less so on a brawler that is going to be taking fire.
@@stanleycard6867 shutting down your mech to alpga strikes wasting 75 tons in this case. LRMs also future proof the mech when semi guided lrms become a thing, and gives you flexibility if put into a need for indirect fire
More energy build huh? Not bad!
The Orion ON1-K is a good and sturdy workhorse. The biggest issue however is the heat management.
A penetrating reactor hit or a hit by inferno SRMs will neutralize this Mech faster than almost any other heavy Mech.
It's probably no coincidence that all an Atlas is is a scaled-up Orion if you think about it, and like Kerensky, I do like it.
That said, I have tinkered with it in the past and I came up with a loadout that I think improves the mech's longevity and firepower. All it boils down to is taking a basic ON1-K and replacing the AC/10 and its ammo with a PPC, adding a second SRM-4 with another ton of ammo, then increasing the number of heat sinks to 14 (the extra two heat sinks going into the left torso to try and soak crits for the ammo). As long as you cycle the weapons based on range, it's pretty heat efficient. Alternatively, replace the pair of SRM-4s from this loadout with an SRM-6 and a ton of ammo and add more heat sinks in their place.
I do like the SRM 6 option. More missiles for critting!
Excited to see the Heavy Tier List!
Sammmme! A handful more mechs to go though!
@@nerdyOveranalyzed Warhammer is my old reliable personally. Thunderbolt is up there too!
Love this guy, glad to see I’m not the only one who puts a AC/20 in it though I did flamers instead of small lasers
I used to do small lasers for close range also. Then i met Infantry. Now i try to get a flamer on all my builds. Just says i agree with you.
It was recommended to me by a viewer actually!
That was very interesting. Thank you weird orange blob!
My pleasure! glad you enjoyed!
Kerensky - Wow, I just got shot out of the assault mech I just designed, and the other assault mech I helped design (King Crab) had been almost entirely co-opted by the Amaris faction. Let me think, what heavy mech will literally no one think im piloting? The one with ALL the ammo explosions and the effectiveness of a medium! That's the ticket. Lets "I'm the protagonist" this up and I'm back in business...
Orion is a nice mech, it looks a bit weird but has a highly versatile weapon loadout.
Though that also means it lacks specialization, for better or for worse.
yep! Pretty much an all rounder, but what really makes it shine imo is the AA quirk.
@@nerdyOveranalyzed only rounds it out even more 😆
It's hard to beat the stock -1K, it's just a fine balance of long and short range with enough ammo and heat sinks to keep it firing. So often, mods involve that SRM4 in some way, upgrading to a 6 pack or dropping it. I like the Knockout getting rid of it for small lasers, that's a creative way to bring a few more chances for critical hits in close.
Yeyeye! Alternatively we could just add another ton of AC/20 ammo instead of the lasers!
I never could seem to utilize Kerensky's Chariot effectively. Love to take it into the brawl, but *all that ammo!*
100% agree with the Knockout's dumping of the SRM. Just too much of a liability!
Yep! Reduce that ammo explosion chance!
My typical build increases the long-range potential of the -K while not sacrificing too much brawling capability. It downgrades both the AC and LRMs to 5s while mounting a PPC and a second SRM4 and adding two heat sinks. You can now - just - cause a PSR at long range as well as short range, and while the SRMs have half the endurance of the normal -K, I've been known to instead only add ONE heat sink in order to fit a second ton of SRM ammo, though usually 12.5 salvos of effectively SRM8 serves me well enough. It gets better use out of the AA targeting with the increased long-range potential, and can poke decent-sized holes in the enemy before closing to brawl.
That's a pretty good build! The PPC and AC5 make a good pair since they have the same range brackets, and the LRM 5 just sweetens the deal. Plenty of endurance with one ton of ammo for each weapon, and 13 heat total, which is very manageable. It's also _much_ more consistent than the original's LRM15 and AC10. The pair of SRM4s is nice for the same reason, and I'm a huge fan of them.
I was drawn to the 1V variant because of that, but that things got some serious flaws. It's got less armor AND carries six tons of ammo! When I thought about how to improve the design I came up with something quite similar to yours. The AC10 and it's ammo were swapped for a PPC. It's still 10 damage, better range, lowers the ammunition explosion risk, and frees 7 tons for armor and heatsinks. Sure it's got a minimum range but that's where the SRMs and medium lasers shine! Btw, I also think one ton of SRM ammo is plenty for a pair of SRM4s, especially on a mixed-range mech. Two tons is too much, you'll run out of armor long before 25 shots. The ton is better spent elsewhere, like on a medium laser.
You had me looking up record sheets online to see the variants 🙂. The VA variant is not a bad compromise, you get more close range firepower and the heat sinks to maintain a high rate of fire, with the same armor.
I personally just use megameklabs to look up all the mechs. it seems to list all the info and page numbers for the rules. I personally think VA is not as good as the k. The LRM 15 can make the difference if your fighting a long range fast snipers you cant get close to, wish is normally the mechs my friends pick when i pick a close range mech.
It's not bad! I do like the LRM-15 for flexibility
@@nerdyOveranalyzed I think with the VA model you have to change your tactics a little bit. That's when you invoke The Greatest Warrior of all times yelling his battle cry: Leroy jenkins!
@@lexington476 he would have had to one of the greatest to still be talked about over 1,000 years after his death.
@@stanleycard6867 of course, the same as the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow 🙂.
I'm glad to see the Orion, and it's trusty AC10 get some love! What's not to love about a heavily armored heavy mech you can fix overnight and always find parts for?
yeyeye
My first usage of it was in MW3... Fighting an Annihilator in that tight hall... When I use it in the PC Battletech game it's been a reliable heavy that I'll usually add an AC/20 to it, maybe coupled with Large Lasers and an SRM if possible. The Orion is a solid all-rounder that can be modified as you need.
Ah yes, that damned MW3 Annihilator... lol
God I wish they could get the feel of MechWarrior back to MW2/MW3 standards...
@@Munky332 I think MW4 was it's peak.
@@kazekamiha I wasn't as big of a fan of MW4, dunno why. It was good, just not MW2/MW3 good for me.
These overviews are really helpful, informative and entertaining. You've earned a new sub in me!
In the early days of BT, I was never really impressed by the Orion. Now that I've used it in the HBS video game I'm a believer. It's durable and packs a punch. At times, I've used more than one in my lance.
Welcome aboard Commander! o7
Solid right up. Build is nice. Nice work man
Thanks!
My favorite slime instructor is back. It is a pleasure. Always. :)
Glad to be of service Commander! Thank you for watching my videos. o7
Hey Nerdy.
Since you focus on 3025 era Mechs and such, I thought this might tweak your interest. 'Back in the day', around 1990 or so, I was a few years into playing Battletech with my friends. I was playing a Mercenary Unit leader, and we were all using the results of tabletop battles to create 'backstories' for our characters and units.
Well, I was able to lay hands on three Atlas Mechs in 'poor' condition. Meaning, that they had few weapons, hardly any armor, but were otherwise fairly sound.
Rather than try to buy expensive equipment and weapons to return the Mechs to 'factory' condition, I set about using the Mech Construction rules in the 1st edition rules to modify them instead.
Now, since Mercs really don't have anything like the access to spare parts that House units do, I had to 'make do' with what I could afford. And so, I looked at the various weapons. ACs, Medium Lasers, and LRMs were about the 'cheapest' things I could buy, that were plentiful all across the Sphere. So, I purchased a lot of Medium Lasers and LRM-5s.
I put five LRM-5s into each side torso. I put three Medium Lasers in each arm. I then put 2 tons of LRM ammo in each side torso, and a single ton into the center torso. I kept the original Fusion Engine, and sold off all other weapons attached to the Atlas frames. I used up some of the extra tonnage to nearly armor the Mechs fully, and made sure to have enough Heat Sinks to cover walking and firing all the LRMs simultaneously.
When I fielded them for the first time, my opposing Player asked: "What Mechs are those?" I was at a loss for a name, until another player leaned over my shoulder, saw the loadout of the Mech, and muttered: 'Gruesome'. I just dropped the first 'e' and wrote: Grusome.
A Mercenary does not have access to the huge piles of spare parts that a House can provide. Heck, they are lucky if they have a few spares of any sort on hand. The prices for things like AC-20s, LRM-20s, PPCs, etc... can easily break a unit's budget in microseconds. This is why I went with the most available, low cost, weapons I could put onto the Atlas frames I had on hand.
With 5 tons of ammo, and at 24 'shots' per ton, I had 168 'shots'. Divided by 10 launchers, would mean 16.8 full Salvos of 50 missiles down range to the target per salvo. The remaining 'salvo' would only have 40 missiles. I figured that that was more than enough for any engagement, and the six Medium Lasers for close up work would be utterly fine, after showering the enemy with missile fire as they closed to where the Medium Lasers could do their work. A potential 30 damage from the Lasers would garner respect from most foes, and finish off any that had been crippled by the LRM bombardment.
And I had THREE of them! Believe me, 150 missiles a turn is nothing to be scorned at.
I used those Mechs quite a bit, until other players decided they were 'unfair', and 'no fun' to fight against.
>until other players decided they were 'unfair', and 'no fun' to fight against.
Did they also ban the Longbow? Because what you made is just the Longbow 7Q but with more medium lasers and superior quirks (were quirks even a thing when you played?).
@@SirBroadsword : No... quirks were not a 'thing' in B-tech at that time. That came with, or after, Alpha Strike rules. Nope, The Longbow was 'okay' to use, but my 'variant' was not. Go figure. Yeah, the design is a lot like the Longbow, except that each LRM-5 gets a 'to hit' roll of its own. Thus, 10 rolls 'to hit' and then the rolls on the number of missiles per hit of the launchers that did so. I kept around 8 different colored dice in pairs, so I could roll 5 launchers at a time, each having their own colored dice. About 7 or 8 launchers would hit per turn, and an average of 2 or 3 missiles per launcher, still netted a respectable number of missiles hitting the Enemy's Mech, and... even though spread out for locations, the 'sandblasting' effect was pretty effective. Especially if I used more than one Grusome. Three, and things got 'hairy' for the advancing Mech pretty quickly. :)
@@franksmedley7372 The even more hilarious thing is that the Longbow is oversinked to fuck, so you can easily add four more medium lasers to it even though it's 15 tons lighter than at Atlas.
Yes! Love your uploads we need more!
Next mech's script is already complete! More to come!
Had the opportunity to buy an Orion off a down-on-their-luck Marik noble once. The price was good and the overall structure was in near perfect condition, but I ultimately passed. This guy had, for whatever reason, replaced every weapon system with flamers. The cockpit also had a pervasive patchouli smell. House nobility are weird, I tell you what.
Who hasnt made/owned a mech that just had flamers?
There's a time and a place for that kind of thing... The time is now and the place is anywhere in the Capellan Confederation.
D:
the knockout could be further optimised by dumping the LRM for 2 SRM6 and some heat sinks for a proper close range monster. It's what I run in HBS Battletech
Would help a lot if you were going for an all in Orion!
I think Orion is pretty much the best general purpose 75 tonner out there. It can do pretty much everything.
Yep! It's a pretty solid mech!
I agree. Call it heresy, but I'd rather have an Orion than a Warhammer.
just finished sven der planks lore series now im here. and i like what im seeing
Welcome in!
I always placed the SRM 4 in the left arm per the very detailed description in the text of the TRO 3025.
Hi Mr. Who! I think you're thinking about the ON1-V or VA which has SRMs in the arms. The ON1-K mounts it in the left torso. Hope that clears things up!
Great video, very informative as usual
Heyy thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
I like to replace AC/10s with PPCs and more heat sinks. Just as I like to replace AC/5s with Large Lasers and more heat sinks. It's simple but effective.
I agree. The only problem is that build makes it too much like a Warhammer and they need the designs to be a bit more different then that.
Doesn't sound like a bad idea!
What a great channel. way better then death from above channel.
In my MW5 playthrough I armed my Orion with 2 ER Large Lasers on both arms, Gauss Rifle on RT, and 2 SRM 6 on LT. Then the remaining tonnage is invested on armor and double heatsinks. Packs quite the punch at long range with 2 lasers and the gauss rifle doing most of the long range shooting while adding more punch with the 2 SRM 6 when up close. Heat is very managable too. Been my go to mech as well even on missions with alot of assault mechs around. (^^)
Go go los tech!
For the Knockout, it might be better to drop the LRM down to a 10 rack and drop a ton of ammo, instead of dropping the SRM4. Same tonnage freed up, same amount of ammo slots removed, but even more dangerous in a brawl.
Possible! I think LRM-15 is the smallest I'd want to go on a heavy though, but that could just be personal preference.
Twas good enough for Old Man Kerensky, so it's good enough for me!
indeed!
Since the K is basically a mini-atlas, it has all the benefits and downsides of an atlas - an all-bracket mech (that throws a mean punch if it has to) that likes to get close but doesn't often get there.
In that sense it makes sense to try and fit an ac-20 on an Orion. I'm not entirely sold on ditching the SRMs though (since they complement the piercing weapon so well) but it's probably the right call - downgrading the LRM instead would be more foolish since it doesn't have the speed (or disposability) to try and get into close range quickly and it will need to contribute until it can.
side note: You probably also don't want to charge with an Orion - it will usually be more effectively to fire weapons plus two punches/one kick instead.
Ye, we basically need space somehow for the AC/20. SRM-4 is the easiest way, it make the Orion reliant on its allies for crit hunting now though!
Oft overlooked and undervalued, this old boot has turned so many skirmishes around for me I can't even begin to count. If you really need to focus it in close or our far playing the LRM down a stage for the two tons needed to up gun the AC10 to an AC20, or swapping the AC 10 for a PPC few heat sinks and another ton of LRM ammo to stagger between and crit pad give you a pile of flex if you're willing to replace the drapes and pull up the flooring a bit.
Looking over what others have said here. it seems like almost everyone here agrees that it need to change the AC/10 for a PPC. I personally go with 4 Medlas instead of the AC/20 but thats just me.
PPC wouldn't be a bad idea!
great video a,m keep them up!
Having used the ON1-K model a few times, it is severely lacking in Heat dissipation, and even though the AC/10 is much cooler than the Large Laser, the Thunderbolt has at least 4 more Heat Sinks to cover for that, making its fire more flexible.
Still, having AA ability does help it shine when you need it AND CAN USE IT. My narrative campaign unit has a Rifleman and Lancelot and we've never been able to use this capability as the GM has always gone abstract "Support Card" Style on us, nor has he used VTOLs, WiGEs, or Convetional Aircraft against us.
Hmm, you should be able to manage heat alright if you just ease up on the medium laser or SRM-4.
Too bad about the AA ability. Seems pretty useful to take an Orion rather than a Rifleman!
The Orion represents a lot of mechs of the setting, kinda dumb/funny looking, but is actually really cool
Glory to Great Father Battlemech!
Star Daddy's favorite!
You might want to double check what mech you put in the description down below. You forgot to swap the "Marauder" for "Orion"
Oops! Should be fixed now!
I love the Orion, but I'm not very fond of your suggested refit. The stock variant is much more versatile, it is, in many ways, everything a brawling heavy mech should be. Alongside the Warhammer, it is the mech other heavy mechs should look to emulate. It's stock loadout is well rounded, I consider it a strong contender with the Thunderbolt as my go to heavy cavalry mech.
4/6/0 is a B for mobility?? Does that scale grade with chassis weight or smth?
Mmh I get the feeling speed determines a lot about function for Heavy mechs. So 4/6 is pretty average. Just standard Battle Line mechs.
Thanks for the timestamp the other day by the way! It made for an easy clip that ended up being quite popular!
As a newer player, how did you find the availability percentages per house? I find it interesting seeing how common each of the mechs are in each factions! Great video btw!!
Xtol RATs!
@@nerdyOveranalyzed Thank you!
The most dangerous onion ever
Nice
Thank yeeeeeee!
Gauss rhymes with house slimebro.
GASS!
I used the Orion until I got my Marauder. Recently I have been enjoying the Warhammer a lot too
I've been trying to figure out the Warhammer for a while and I think I've finally gotten it!
@@nerdyOveranalyzed Ooooo looking forward to seeing it!
The Orion AND his pilot are a great pickup for the mercenary company. *growls* "kids these days".
lol.
This Atlas at home has a name that I keep reading as "onion"
lol. So you know the lore~
Thing is cursed for me, those ammo explosions are no joke
Lol yeah. I was praying my opponent wouldn't hit it when I was playing yesterday
I am rather fond of the Orion ever since it carried me through a lot of Mechwarrior 3.
its pretty good!
The Orion is great for kicking in palace gates! 😂
:D lol
Okay, but why is the model 'ON1' instead of, say 'ORI' or something?
I can't think of any other mechs it would be confused with, and it makes the main model look like 'Oink'.
Dunno either! The Black Knight's designation is BL-7-KNT D:
What I want to know is if there's any command/communication gear you can install on this or the Crusader to get the initiative bonuses you would from a Wolverine, Marauder, or Battlemaster, but getting it through tonnage, rather than quirks. (For the succession wars era)
I think there's a piece of gear called "Command Console" but it's very rare lostech in 3025!
@@nerdyOveranalyzed Alas. and if I recall (might be getting mixed up with the dual cockpit) it can also spot for indirect fire lance mates while still firing without penalty.
Ah yes, one of the most unyielding mechs for its class, i approve
o7
I find it funny how Steiner is supposed to be the industrial powerhouse, but most of the surviving mech factories are in Marik space.
Maybe its just the mechs that are talked about? Steiners to have alot of hard hitting mechs that are only made in Steiner space. I havent looked over the produce line of all the mech factories but all the rule sets for IS warfare do give Steiners alot more mech factories to work with then the other houses have.
Ye, I've been noticing that too. lol
It's pretty close to the border and I wouldn't be surprised if that world has changed hands a few times in the last 3 centuries.
Steiner has the vast overwhelming majority of surviving ASSAULT MECH factories. That's the true key to Steiner's reputation, including the Steiner Scout Lance memes
Steiner has Hesperus II which is the single largest mech factory in existence by 3025. Just its lines produce Griffins, Archers, Atlases, Zeus, Chameleons, Sentinels, Flashmen, Hatchetmen, and Banshees. That's not getting into the tanks they produce, either. Defiance is essentially the Steiner Military Industrial Complex, and their sales to other Houses is one of the reasons why mechs like the Griffins and Archers are considered common.
For Marik, they do look safe for how little they get mentioned, but then again there's the saying "The most dangerous thing to a Marik is another Marik" for a reason. There's been multiple coup attempts and low-level raids that've gone on throughout their history. The FWL has a lot of smaller companies: Kong, Kali Yama, Corean, Earthwerks, Oriente, Ronin, Star Corps, Technicron, and Irian. Most of those companies only make a couple mechs each, with some like Star Corps and Earthwerks being multinational.
Marik is the other reasons why mechs like the Archer and Wolverine are so common, and they definitely do have a large production base, but they've lost a lot since the fall of the Star League. Oliver (Brigadier) was invaded at least 8 times early in the Succession Wars causing long-term damage, the New Earth (Newhart) factories were destroyed during, and Loxely (Kong) had been utterly destroyed by the end. That damage came close to wiping out all three companies. The Soapstone Mountain factory (Irian Battlemechs) was also fully destroyed during the 3014 Anton Revolt, although that would've only impacted recent history. Just examples of what Marik has faced over the Succession Wars.
Purple Birb!!
It is truely the word :)
I prefer the uac 5 or lb x10 ac for my Orion
Wait what, snub in star league? It's not after invasion era weapon?
Los-Tech!
"The snub-nose PPC was a star League-era experiment in overcharging the standard PPC design that died before it was fully completed and Deployed....The weapon failed to reach widespread production before the Exodus, and its lessons were integrated with early clan efforts to refine the standard PPC...Combine engineers, however, apparently managed to revive this abandoned concept while developing their light and heavy PPC models."(pg. 234 TM)
I'm a sucker for the VA variant.
It doesn't seem bad if you want to all in!
Feels like an armored up Hunchback.
Pretty close yeah. Big change is that the LRM-15 lets it do something if the lance needs to stay at range. The Hunchback which sits around doing nothing in those situations.
orion when you dont have C bills for atlas
It looks so ugly it's like the word No stood up, I love it
It's pretty great! I like the ugly industrial feel.
Orion is best mech.
:)
The Orion seems a bit unfocused to me. It wants to be an Atlas but loses 25 tons. If you have access to Helm Core tech, swap in an LBX-AC for an instant boost. Cluster rounds with the advanced targeting system makes a true ASF killer.
It does a bit of everything yeah. :) I do think removing a weapon type to stream line it a bit makes sense.
Is it true that the Orion was the first heavy mech in Battletech's lore?
there was technically one before it called the bellerophon but it was a failed prototype
Oh, I see. Thank you for the answer!@@hmad898
One should never overlook the Orion in that AA role. Nearly lost an SDH-X2 to some good rolls from one.
heh :)
Is the Orion "a poor man's Atlas" or the Atlas "a rich man's Orion"?
heh heh
Well, the Orion was designed first, at least from an in-universe perspective. Which means that in-universe the Atlas is an up tonned Orion.
But one of the other commenters summarized it beautifully: "The Orion is a poor man's Atlas and a rich man's Centurion."
I tend to not use the Orion because it is just to good.
Fair! Gotta play the way you love to play!
The orion, the poor mans Atlus.
I always found it a staggeringly ugly mech....in a good way, it looks like a very aggressive fridge
Am I the only one that sees ON1-K (shouldn't that be a Kurita designation?) and subconsciously pronounces it "oink"? 🐖
lel
My buddy and I always end up calling it an "Onion"
It looks like it has a dumpster for a head
a big ol dumpy