Why Do We Love The BattleMaster?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 лис 2023
- Today, we take a look at the Battlemaster, one of the classic 3025 mechs that has stuck around through thick and thin.
Join this channel to support the creation of future videos and access our Discord!:
/ @mechanicalfrog
BattleMaster-1MF Record Sheet: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k99qm5...
BattleTech imagery and mech info remains the property of Topps.
Some imagery/video from Pixabay
OG Battlemaster art by Dwane Loose
IlClan Rec Guide:
Project Development: Johannes Heidler
Development Assistance: Aaron Cahall, Chris Wheeler
BattleTech Line Developer: Ray Arrastia
Assistant Line Developer: Aaron Cahall
Writing: Étienne Charron-Willard, William Gauthier, Johannes
Heidler, Mike Miller, Luke Robertson, Lance Scarinci
BattleTech Line Editor: Aaron Cahall
Editing: Geoff ‘Doc’ Swift
Production Staff
Art Director: Anthony Scroggins
Assistant Art Director: Ray Arrastia
Cover Design and Layout: David A. Kerber
Illustrations: Alan Blackwell, Aaron Harris, Harri Kallio, Justin Nelson
Some iconography my edit of the battlemech line art was purchased from Ken Turner on ArtStation
#BattleTech #Mechwarrior #CatalystGameLabs #lore - Ігри
A MF variant with a plasma rifle? Must be a day ending in Y!
How can this be...?
@@MechanicalFrogmore Plasma rifles required...please, and thank you.
They're overpowered, underutilized, and throw a wrench into most player's playstyles as many players are not accustomed to playing conservative with heat
Plasma Riflesbare some of my favorite weapons, right after L PPCs and MMLs.
One day they’ll make an official version of a mech with an MF designation. It will be a good day
The Battlemaster is a Mech with staying power over the Eras. You want to play in a specific era? Then there is a Battlemaster variant that is viable for you. AND it has some really cool advanced rule options. Like a double cockpit and an ejectable PPC.
It has some really great variants... probably too many, but... not a bad problem to have.
Ah, yes, the ejectable PPC. Useful for quickly replacing one if it gets damaged, and… that's it, really.
The jettison-capable weapon mounts are arguably an early attempt at OmniPods, but not a very successful one.
@@jeremysaklad6703 more useful if you need more hand actuators and salvage options in campaign. Lol
Played against the Red Corsair BattleMaster this weekend, the mech was a beast putting out 53 damage reliably every turn running heat neutral. A great mech.
It's basically the Battlemaster IIC in all but name. Just a monster.
@@MechanicalFrog It absolutely is a beast of a machine, and I desperately want to get to play WITH it instead of AGAINST it one day.
The OG BattleMaster TRO 3025 artwork was _literally_ my bedroom wall poster, I had my dad take the book to a copy shop and got a poster of it made so yeah, that mech will _always_ have a very special place in my heart.
Awesome! I kept the BattleMaster blueprint up in my classroom for years, and now it's on my hobby cave door.
@@MechanicalFrog I had that old blueprint from the mid 80s
I have always loved the BattleMaster, too. Yet I almost always have removed the rear firing medium lasers and the machine gun system to add four jump jets for improved mobility.
The Battlemaster is a solid brawler, a decent sniper, and just a good all around mech.
with the one weakness of having machine gun ammo to strip the mech with one ammo explosion ... love them mech BUT i ALWAYS remove them machine guns ... too often I have had a pristine mech turned into a skeleton with a lucky shot ... a flamer or laser or armour were the common swaps for the machine guns for me ...
Yeah, the addition of CASE is crucial once the timeline allows it.
CASE is a minimum when it comes to ammo explosion on a mech. Even better is CASE II. Especially if you go all out and be stupid with an IS XL engine. Then CASE II is a must.
@@kaboom-zf2blI always have a house rule about MG ammo, it just does the base damage of a single shot if it crits.
It's just absurd that MG ammo is the most dangerous ammo in the game.
@benthomson1132 it always makes me laugh that you get 200 rounds for a gun you probably only use 5 times all battle lol...the only mech that can eat through a full ton of machine gun ammo is a piranha
Finally a mech I do love! I always call mine "The Fox" for obvious reasons. I'd call it a poor man's Atlas, but that's being unkind.
It's my go to when you need something with good armor and can wreck stuff at midrange and up close.
It's quite good for wrecking stuff... no matter what that stuff is.
Speaking of classic Ral Pathra Battle Master, I had one painted up as a court jester. Contrasting purple and yellow arms with opposite colored arms and a green torso.
I miss it... lost it in a move long ago.
Given how the jester of feudal days could speak wisdom and critique veiled in humor, I could see a neofeudal jester following his lord to war to provide counsel.
I just chuckled at the mental idea just now that, among *ALL* Battletech players, the untold numbers of the old lead-based, seen-unseen, and warped proportion Mini's that we collectively misplaced...
...from them all, we could've reconstituted the classic, ancient-era SLDF all by ourselves!! LOL
I’ve used Battlemasters for a lot of my Battletech games. Though perhaps eclipsed by more modern assault class mechs, I still like it for being a very solid build. The 3M Ive used the most. Its simple and straightforward, and durable. I love the look of the original “scaled” armor version. I had almost ten of those at one point because I loved how it looked. The new CGL one is fantastic as well, and I am glad it retains the bubble cockpit.
Absolutely. The bubble is very important.
Fantastic breakdown. This 'Mech is deservedly iconic, a staple of the franchise, and is as beloved as the American Ford Mustang -- it's always worth bringing back.
The Battlemaster is my favorite assault mech. It's design feels like it's a properly aggressive mech, where only the most concentrated fire will stop it's breakthrough. Definitely one of my favorite brawlers.
A solid pick for many situations.
This is another mech that I love for the aesthetic. It looks so cool. And if you do happen to be in the medium/short range band its not horrible. Its an okay battle line mech thats outclassed by its peers but will do okay if its what youve got.
The OG Beemer is good for a long while and some of the variants do a really good job of bringing it up to date. Solid pick no matter where you are in the timeline.
I can never use the Battlemaster. It is a cursed design to me, taking TACs that cripple it constantly, or missing while looking for 4s.
Objectively great mech that lives on my shelf exclusively.
Well shucks.
A solid and capable design; I've had my fair share of good times with the Battlemaster, and I also like its aesthetics. Considering its history and reputation however, I am rather surprised that the Clans never created a IIC variant.
I like to joke with people who claim "Japanese giant robots are better than the giant robots from Battletech" that the Battlemaster IS a Japanese giant robot due to its roots from an anime known as "Fang of the Sun Dougram". I was rather taken aback when I first stumbled across a plastic model of the Soltic HT-128 "Bigfoot" and realized that I had come across a Battlemaster in its nascent form. Somewhat fittingly, the "Bigfoot" is considered one of the largest and most powerful "combat armors" in its universe of origin.
It definitely has a classic mecha look which aids its longevity.
There was a clan version that was published in Mech magazine back in the 90s. upped the tonnage to90 had 2 clan erppc 2 clan 6 streak srm 6pulse med las and a 4/6/4 movement. Only problem with it, was that it was non canon. crazy good mech.
In Battletech 2018, I made a Battlemaster with PPCs, NARC launchers and stealth suite. It acted as a enemy debuffer and force multiplier for our team.
Excellent. Glad it performed well.
No matter the variant, the most important upgrade to any BattleMaster is a giant shark mouth painted across the chest's angled underside.
My favorite variant is probably the BLR-2C, which leans heavily into its role as the XO's chauffeured front-line ride. The only optional upgrade it might need, depending on unit doctrine, is a TAG system built into the head; I feel like if you're built as a ranking officer's Mech the ability to direct missile barrages is a sensible addition.
Giant...shark...mouth... there. Wrote that down for next time I paint one.
My favorite mech, along with the Warhammer. I have the Ral Partha figures of both on my bookshelf. 😁
I'm a big fan of that Battlemaster BLR-6G (the last one before the MechFrog version), though it runs a little hot. Still, it's well-armed at long range and a beast to put down with its armor, light fusion engine, and CASE II.
The MechFrog variant is fun, that plasma rifle fits well with the Medium Pulse Lasers and Streak SRM-6 to make it a nasty brawler up close.
It'll leave a mark, for sure.
I've really enjoyed the new model from MW5 DLC the dragons Gambit. That thing is dope.
I need to find some time to play that soon.
@@MechanicalFrogIf I may offer a tip. Chain fire the laser systems.
I love the BattleMaster. First Assault Mech I purchased in MWO & MW5. Both did extremely well and sturdy reliable machines.
The only changes I ever make to the base model is removing the MGs & ammo, replacing them with Heatsinks or bit extra armour. Otherwise. Damn solid machines.
Very common field upgrade. Quite solid.
The original Battlemaster was one of the scariest looking mechs in it's early days. Sure, the Atlas was scarier, but the sheer bulk and shape of the Battlemaster was incredibly intimidating. Although it could easily overheat if firing all weapons in a single turn, this would rarely happen as the PPC was erratic at point-blank range. In an urban environment, a pilot would often stick to the forward lasers and SRM 6, keeping their heat in check until an opportunity to hit an opponent at a range of 3 hexes either happened or was arranged. THEN the Battlemaster could alpha-strike one turn, generating 7 to 9 heat. By sticking to either three lasers or two lasers and the SRM, the pilot could get rid of the heat on the following turn and go back to pummeling the target(s) with all four lasers and the SRM 6 until another opportunity to alpha-strike occurred. Thus, a patient pilot that timed their maneuvers and firing correctly could easily manage their heat while tearing opponents apart with continuous firing punctuated by alpha-strikes.
My preferred variant is probably the BLR-1Gb with the pair of ERPPCs and Large Pulse laser backed by 4 Medium lasers. All energy brawler that can really put the hurt on something. Don't worry about the Plasma rifle as I would use one too if I made my own.
Yeah the 1Gb sure tips the scales.
My wife is currently using the k4 in our current game. A good chunk of the map is woods, so, that 5 jump is really helping the mobility.
Nice! Love for the jumpy boomer.
I have read the Warrior trilogy where the NAIS is attacked, it´s a fantastic battle scene. Michael Stackpole is, for that scene and others like it, my favorite BT author.
MWO has no rear-facing weapons, but the mech plays well, i like it and the configurations you can build with the various versions.
The Red Corsair version is an absolute MENACE, i liked the novel.
You MF version is a nightmare as well, especially with the Plasma Rifle, i like that this weapon has ammo that doesn´t explode on hit, though it would still leave the weapon dead weight.
Stackpole is a master of the craft, for sure.
@@MechanicalFrog Yet there are pletny who claim his works suck.
Which only proves you can´t please everyone, but it´s easy to piss off everybody XD
Seriously though, both the Warrior- and the Blood of Kerensky trilogy are written by him, and both are my favorite BT novels.
Plus a couple others, most of which are also written by him.
The BM is sort of a hard sell to some people mixed in with the Awesome, Highlander and Victor's which tend to occupy that sub-100t assault mech market.
While it doesn't have the massive damage output, its tough enough and the command variants I always thought made sense to exist 'in universe' so to speak, where you wanted something rugged enough for an officer to survive for more than 2 rounds after bumbling into something they probably shouldn't have and getting their arse shot off. They're also decently fast which is something worth considering as well, its by no means a rocket but it gets about well enough that you might be able to squeak in some side-shots on a flanking move once in a while going hard at it.
There was also a version with a beagle and ecm at one point too which was kind of cool, so many variants though I wouldn't begin to guess in the line when that started!
Stealth BattleMaster... the true threat.
those who dont like the blr dot know how to use it effectively ... tbh ... it requires a finesse that most brawler warriors cant fathom ...
Battlemasters have always had a place in my lances, on tabletop, HBS Battletech/Roguetech, and MW5. Battlemasters with Clamtech are a god damned menace in particular.
I think lighter IS assaults are underrated for their ability to combine firepower with good speed without spending too much weight on big engines or crits on Endo-steel.
They definitely have value there for being able to keep up with the heavies.
I love the orginal BLR. Such a great mix of weapons and the 2 mediums in the rear mean you have at least the option of turning your back on a flank
Absolutely a fun little mech ability.
I've always loved the Battlemaster, when I get one, I always try to buy the unseen version of the miniature. That double barrel hand cannon is just impressive to look at
Excellent. Somehow the double barrel PPC makes sense.
A long time ago we played a C*/Ronin war campaign. I could not contain my glee at discovering our smuggled shipment was B-master and Crab parts for Kurita. Sure enough, the GM setup a campaign where we got to steal... I mean use them. The first battle played out like the Magnificent 7 vs a bunch of angry Ronin as we defended a Rasalhague town. The Battlemasters were impressive, especially once things got physical. Two survived to be used in the Andurien war. One even made it to be buried in a stash on Lopez when it ended.
Good fun, good memories. Among my favorite 85 ton mechs, very tough and durable.
Now that is a nice shipment...
Am so happy to see you covered the battle master lol it’s one of my dad’s favorite mechs and one I’m hoping to acquire in a battletech campaign im playing in with a group, one thing though is when you got to your version of the BM is when you said “1MF” my mind went “1-Mother F**ker” 😂😂😂 still, love your videos and can’t wait to see which mech you’ll cover next 😂😁
Thanks a lot for giving it a go. Any suggestion that MF has a dual meaning is almost entirely without merit. :D
The Battlemaster: When you want an Atlas, but do not have quite enough to buy one. XD
"We have an Atlas at home..."
The Atlas at home...
The Battlemaster will always be at or near the top of the list for my favorite mechs ever.
Even though on tabletop, or even data sheets, it doesn't really fit my play style preferences (aside from some clan pulse custom refits) there is a kid inside me that remembers the Mechwarrior 1 battlemaster and latched onto it...had a connection with it ever since. When I came back to Battletech in large part due to Living Legends and MWO (pre steam) the design made it look that much cooler for refit style models, but as nonsensical and unrealistic the bubble cockpit is, its the iconic look I'll nostalgically defend.
The Mechwarrior 1 battlemaster was tight. You knew you had arrived once you're rocking those in your lance.
Thanks for another great rundown MF. A Beemer is in the next lance headed for the paint table. I appreciate how you include the fiction vignettes and give clear credit to the original authors. Must come from grading papers. 😁
Here's a toy that I've modified quite a bit over the years... iconic and incredibly cool looking, a BM is a great mech to pilot in most configurations.
Yeah, gotta give credit where it is due.
Long been a favorite of mine. Solid performance all around, GREAT as a command mech for a lance of Warhammers and Marauders or similar long range snipers (just like in the old Ral Partha lance box!) since it has a PPC to add to the barrage and then enough armor to effectively run interference for them for quite awhile.
The Battlemaster is one of my favorite Assault 'Mechs. BLR-G for some reason always makes me read it as Balrog - but love it.
Balrog would be a pretty good name for a personal Battlemaster.
As the short story’s title claims, “Idiots don’t drive Battlemasters”
It’s a bold claim, but it makes a point.
That settles that. :D
Our first assault was a Battlemaster. My brother, who originally started out with a wolverine with the AC switched out for a PPC, found the Battlemaster perfect for him. But it got nailed in the back by a Hunchback and killed the engine and gyro. The only engine we had available was a 300 VOX we pulled of the Marauder we all had pummeled (while ignoring the hunchy that took out my brother). That's when we learned about Battletech's engine/weight curve. The 300 engine is 19 tons (8 tons lighter than the 27 ton 340). The gyro you need is only three instead of 4 tons. The mech was now 9 tons lighter - and since its at only 76 tons, the internal structure is also a ton lighter -
Which gives you a 75 ton mech with exactly the same movement, armor, weapons, (and design quirks - but we didn't have design quirks back in the 80s) as the 85-ton Battlemaster. All you loose is a few internal structure hit points and a bit of melee damage if you start punching. And, you can pull the machine guns and rear facing lasers and pop in four jump jets and you have a Battlemaster that can keep up with our whole company of jumpy, relatively fast raiders.
Those darn Hunchbacks... always ruining the fun.
My favorite one is the Battlemaster-1Gb, the SLDF royal version. The Red Corsair is based of it. Dual wielding ER-PPCs at long range and 4 medium lasers and a large pulse laser for up close. No XL engine, no explosive components but double heat sinks. With the large pulse in the centre torso a real hard to kill zombie mech.
That's a fun one.
I really like using the battlemaster on MW5 with the 6 medium layers. However I think the giant cockpit is such an easy target to hit it’s huge!
The sacrifices we make to look cool...
This Mech was the reason I started reading battletech novels. Natural selection was the first BT novel that I picked up, and it was solely because of that red battlemaster on the cover.
Natural Selection grabbed a lot of people with that amazing cover art.
One of the best parts of MechWarrior 5 was giving a Battlemaster a mace.
Never underestimate the drawing power of being able to hit someone with a stick.
The next one should be a sarcastic "Why we love rear-facing weapons"
Rear-Facing PPCs... the wave of the future.
RA two light ppc IS
LA lrg pulse laser clan
RT 3 mdm pulse lasers clan
LT shoulder turret with streak srm4 and 3 small pulses. Ammo is in Case 2 in same location. 1/2 ton Tandem 1/2 ton infernos.
Turret allows mech to fire front left and rear arcs, with higher accuracy.
Battlemaster Sturmjaeger also carries a clan targeting computer and coolant flush x 2 pod in each leg.
Runs std engine with dhs tech and an additional pair dhs in each arm.
Rest is in FF armor.
This is definitely a mid to close range brawler. Though for another 22 pts you can swap out half ton tandem for magpulse ammo instead. Which use alternating with infernos can offer some control on opponents.
Being turreted also allows a savvy pilot to fire the streak srm4 with said ammo at a secondary target to keep it honest or cause it problems that stack up over time until primary threat isn't a threat anymore.
I have a arsonist version of the Battlemaster too.
Using two plasma cannons , one ach shoulder and 2 tons ammo, split between torsos.
6 pirate heavy flamers in std configuration with two facing rear arc.
LA gets 2 SRM 6s with 1 ton of infernos and half ton HEX ammo.
RA gets a PPXC w/capacitor that allows it to shoot shotgun style.
Only arms have case (not case 2) to protect them.
Heat disipation armor with Solaris Spikes are the rest of the build.
Armor adds but 1 ton over standard, but still less actual protection than std armor. It just sloughs off outside heat sources more effectively.
Enough that running this mech can ignore a lot of environmental or outside applied heat and still function.
Tried to revamp to add 4 jjs later on 1 each leg and 2 in CT.
But what to pull to open weight?
My Solaris 7 version ran a snub ppc in RA
a chainsaw/vibrosword in LA.
TSM improved jump jets and armor plates on arms and torsos (basically extra armor enemies have to plow through before hitting base armor.it also counts as hardened armor. Takes weight and just 1 crit per location. )
8 small pulse lasers fill the right, left and ct. In 3/2/3 configuration.
Mech also sports radical cooling system with 4 or 6 extra hs over standard.
Removing ct laser allows a booster pack to be mounted along with improved jj in legs.
Meant to be showy, flashy and be able to melee in grand battles long enough to count.
Never fired snub in situation I could fire all small pulses.
Dudnt want to end up as brisket.😊
A lot of players in my circle don't really like the Battlemaster, but I find it to be quite reliable, especially by 3025 standards.
Maybe it's not as amazing value as an Awesome 8Q, or as iconic as the (colossally overrated) Atlas, but it has what it takes to make a very solid brawling mech with that rare combination of really good weapon hardpoint locations (something most flavors of Atlas lack) and versatility without being an omnimech.
I've made surgical sniper fits, command mech fits, RAC-attack fits, energy zombie brawler fits...the standard chassis can do a surprising amount of work, and the stock models aren't that bad on the whole either.
The last Battlemaster I personally commanded ran a pair of MML-9s with a backup brace of Light PPCs for a command-and-pelt experience. Being able to pelt targets rapidly over cover directly or indirectly, only to blap them with 18 SRMs when they try to close the gap is surprisingly amusing.
Most Atlas variants are pretty bad stock.
The Samsonov is great though.
Why do you even need to ask? It's literally in the name: Battlemaster!
5 second video next time. :D
My favorite mech, all things considered. Rugged, reliable, versatile. And _damn_ pretty. You can put a Battlemaster in almost any situations and it will perform decently well.
The innumerable variants this thing has are also a testament to the quality of the design, though I'd consider the majority actually inferior to the OG. That said, I do like the 3M and, to a lesser degree, the 6G versions, as they stick to the original intent.
@Mechanical Frog You forgot to tell that the Battlemaster-Red Corsair is in the End a Royal Battlemaster BLR-1Gbc that is updated with Clantech ;)
I personally like the "standard" Royal Battlemaster BLR-1Gb ^^
The horror... the horror... :D
@@MechanicalFrog Sadly No One was able to give the Battlemaster a good Cockpit (it has still the Quirk "Weak Cockpit" ...be it Clan or IS^^)
The Battlemaster is a 'mech whose look I always loved, but which I never liked to use myself.
Best appreciated from a distance, perhaps. :D
In early era play the Battlemaster seems to be faster then everyone expects
it to be even though they all know it's stats.
The OG Assault Lance Box was a Beamer, Marauder, and 2 Warhammers.
I still think this was the coolest lance/box set ever made for Battletech.
I'll never understand why the 1D kept the MGs instead of the SRM-6.
Especially since at that time MGs didn't do special damage to infantry.
Yeah losing that SRM-6 is a big ask.
I used to run a Battlemaster 1D modded by removing the extra armor, the machine guns, and a heatsink to add a pair of jump jets. I rarely break out Assault Mechs Preferring jump capable all energy heavies though. Can you imagine what the MF would be like if you removed the Plasma Rifle and ammo for Jumpjets then removed the SRM-6 and ammo to upgrade the rear laser to an ER Medium plus add a couple of Medium Pulse Lasers and a heat sink?
Edit: Or maybe replace the Plasma Rifle with an ER Large laser, strip the SRM-6, add four jump jets, and then upgrade the rear laser to an ER-Medium
Jump jets are usually a fun idea.
When I first played TT, and the guy I fought and who taught me ran a lance of Battlemasters with nothing but PPCs and Jumpjets. Needless to say, he pasted me easily, and even later on, after I was used to the game, that Lance was something I learned to focus down, or avoid.
Ah, the Battlemaster. My go-to Assault Thunderbolt. Is it the best? Nope. But its still one of my favorites. PPC, SRM 6, two MGs, and four medium lasers.
"It just works."
Time to master some battles. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching.
The Battlemaster is basically an overfed Thunderbolt. You're not giving up much, because of the engine mass, so you lose a ton of armour and maybe a ML depending on how you configure it. Make your loadmaster happy, drive a T-bolt. :P But as far as variants go, which one is best is a matter of when.
It's a fun Hunchback refit, for sure.
The old Blur was always a fun ride. Oomph, staying power, and enough tonage to be be a bluntly rude beast up close. Nothing feels quite as good as a full 6 hex charge from a blur.
Oh, well. The target standing in front of a ledge is better. :)
It can be quite fun.
I got a goofy idea for the 6X's XXL engine. Turn it into a Charger! Drop both the ER PPC and the Heavy PPC and add TSM with that Supercharger to help chase flankers or fast heavies! 6 Heavy medium lasers with 2 facing the rear but keep the Streak SRM-6. Any tonnage left over can go to preferences. I was also thinking about a 6X version that had a bigger XXL engine with jump jets and a Club but I have to do the math on it to see if it's over tonnaged.
I guess... it's just not going to live long no matter what so you better make a strong first impression.
The battlemaster is my go to assault for command mech purposes or general brawling. The Nightstar might be my weapon of choice when I want to straight up murder someone but the battlemaster is my favorite. it was also the first mech I really learned how to play Assault mech in, in MWO.
Totally agree. The Nightstar is a solid pick too... we may have to talk about it soon...
I remember my first encounter with a Battlemaster was in MW2, in the Clan Wolf campaign on Arc Royal iirc. My thought was "Why don't I have something that sounds as cool as a Battlemaster?" That was my only encounter with it until MWO and MW5. There were alright MWO builds that focused on energy, but it wasn't one of the poptart PPC mechs that dominated the game at the time of my playing. In both games I've probably killed more Battlemasters with headshots that all other mechs combined. It's really easy to do with that giant dome, even at range. I never played it myself, much preferring the Stalker and the 5t lighter Awesome to the Battlemaster.
Tabletop, I haven't anything to say. I have yet to run anything heavier than 75t, usually its 60t or lighter with mechs, and I have never encountered anyone playing it. I remember Tex once say it was "ok" in a stream recording and that's about the breadth and depth of my TT knowledge on it. Well, before this video of course.
It's nice that it showed back up in MWO, though I'm not a big fan of the art/model for it.
As a Fan of the Waco Rangers I am intrigued by the BLR-3M (Rogers) Battlemaster from the newer Coventry-Szenario.
I'm not going to turn down a double heatsink upgrade.
The BLR-4S is a fun one that makes great use one the current tech. Light Engine and Ferro Fibrous armor gives it room to swap the PPC for a Gauss Rifle, swapping out the machine guns for small pulse lasers also gives it less ammo worries while improving anti infantry capabilities. That said, still waiting for official record sheets for the SLDF "HellSlinger" costume .
I don't know how I feel about swapping the PPC for a Gauss Rifle.
OOOOHHHHH!! -3M, Found a Battlemaster variant for my Purple Birds. Never knew about that guy.
Atlas is definitely more iconic. But this is still a venerable engine of war which has earned its longevity.
Even if Tex is not a fan.
It's a survivor.
The Battlemaster C is a Jade Falcon clan-tech version, so the Battlemaster ended up being the first assault mech I painted for my Jade Falcons. The C is one of the most expensive variants, but will do some serious work if you don't hate the idea of spending 3K BV on a single mech. Everyone needs to experience firing a HAG 30 with a targeting computer at least once.
That does sound like an experience that would make an impact on someone... :D
It is once again time to squish the frog by dropping my own build right on top of him!
I call this one the Brawlmaster, as it uses the newer tech to increase survivability:
- compact engine & gyro to increase survivability
- endo-steel, 12 tons of Heavy Ferro-Fibrous and 10 double heat sinks to save weight
- replace the rear facing medium lasers with two rear facing ER Smalls in the CT
- move the 4 medium lasers to the CT as well to crit-pad
- replace the PPC with a Snubnose PPC
- CASE II in the LT
How dare you?
...
How dare you?
@@MechanicalFrog don't panic - just take a big gulp of water and you'll return to your original shape.
Loved it from first box set in 84
Classic
WOW! That Red Corsair is a work of art! Just sheer beauty! I've always been a fan of energy weapon-dominant mechs and probably always will be... LOVE your vids, Frog!!!
Thanks a lot! I'm glad someone out there does. :D
In MWO my Battlemaster was one of my favorites mainly because of the built-in c-bill bonus
Yeh that is nice.
Love the Battlemaster! I have a custom I did as a test for Clan hater variant.
So, I wanted to work on some ComStar stuff. I specifically want to theme it around what I do in the Air Force and since ComStar is basically militaristic AT&T and my job is Long-Haul Comms in the military, I figure why not?!
BLR-Gbx Battlemaster (Clanbuster) Prototype:
Movement: 4/6/4
Engine: 340 XL
Double Heat Sinks: 14 [28]
Cockpit: Command Console
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 130
Armor: 263/263
Weapons:
Medium Laser (LA)
Medium Laser (LA)
Medium Laser (RT)
Medium Laser (RT)
Medium Laser (RT)
Medium Laser (RT)
SRM 6 (LT)
SRM 6 (LT)
ER Large Laser (CT)
Equipment:
Hatchet (RA)
Targeting Computer (RT)
CASE (LT)
A one-off build created by the think tank responsible for creation of the Clanbuster variants engineered to face the Clans on Tukayyid in 3052.
This Battlemaster was kitted out with an IS XL Engine to increase available tonnage. This resulted in enough weight to allow for a quartet of jump jets to amplify maneuverability.
The purpose of the machine was to close with its Clan adversaries, using its Targeting Computer tied to an Extended-Range Large Laser to peel half a ton of armor and to deter flankers. The battery of medium lasers, six of them, are tied to the computer as well, providing an accurate and lethal barrage of fire. The two Short-Ranged Missile packs exploit open holes, destroying exposed internals. The final devastating blow comes in the form of a 6-ton hatchet, descending to shear off limbs or crush the enemy's cockpit.
The current pilot is... ME!? A Demi-Precentor leading the 1st Battalion (Water Walkers), 4th Division (Cautious Words), 6th Army (Grim Defiance) facing the Steel Vipers at Devil's Bath.
I have it posted in the Battletech Painting and Customs group on FB as I also did a model for it!
I'm wary of that XL engine on any BM but that does look fierce.
My son is considering joining the air force in the next four years. What advice would you have for him? Do you have any info on the Loadmaster job?
@@MechanicalFrog Hey there, thanks for the reply! I think he can do the job and yes the XL is a pretty scary thing to have on a mech, but those were scary times! Also, I don't min/max, so wanted to ensure there was some risk. I could have gone towards minimizing some risk and removing the XL in place of standard, and work towards some TSM as well. But I opted to play nice lol!
For reference, I have been in for 15 years and came in when I almost 27, after being a Civilian for a while. Just so you know where I am coming from. Regarding the Air Force, I would consider what the initial goal is. If he just wants to do something, essentially figuring out what he wants to do with the rest of his life, I think it is a good choice. At the end of the day, when you get towards the end of your contract of 4-6 years, you had enough time to maybe consider where your priorities lie and can opt to extend/re-enlist or move on. Also, with the new Blended Retirement System, it creates one less thing people consider when deciding to stay in or get out. Also consider that you can move to Guard/Reserve as well if you want to continue to serve.
If you want to see the world a bit, Loadmaster is a good choice. Just know, with jobs like that come some schedule challenges and probably some flying status requirements. Make sure he reaches out to some local Active Duty or Guard/Reserve bases and asks targeted questions to those people. If you need help with that, let me know! If you PM me, I can send you my personal e-mail and might be able to assist further.
I am in a Communications career field and did so with the idea that if I disliked the Air Force but loved my job, I had a way to easily transition to an IT-centric job. Also, clearances granted aren't too shabby for helping get jobs too, so keep that in mind. No matter which career he choses, he can know there is college assistance waiting for him afterwards or during. During service you can tap into AF Tuition Assistance all the way to a Bachelors, of course after initial training for his career and skill-level upgrade training being complete, with supervisor approval.
I have been overseas for my entire career (Japan 3 years, Alaska 3 years, Japan 4 years, England 4 years, and now Korea for another 3 years) and have enjoyed every bit of it! Not saying that is what he will get to do, but it could happen. Also, look into locations his job will have opportunities. Loadmasters are tied to aircraft, so some locations are not going to be places he can go. My job has me able to fill positions at Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force bases around the world, so opportunities are abound in terms of places to go. I know people who are in jobs where they can only go to 3/4 places, which can be pretty heartbreaking, especially if he wanted to travel the world as part of the job.
If you need anything more specific let me know. I might be able to shed some light!
My favorite is the 3M. A low key upgrade that hangs tough even in the ilClan era. Great for provincial units like the Rim Commonality Guard.
Quite solid.
You can always tell when Stackpole's writing. His descriptions always seem to follow a rythm...
It does have a certain cadence to it.
Because the BLR is the OG icon of BIG STOMPY MECH - you answered your own question.
5 second video next time. :D
@@MechanicalFrogWork smarter, not harder.
refit an Atlas to match a BLR add extra weapons and jump jets ... then it becomes a TRUE stompy mech that by sheer fear it keeps enemies at bay for fear of DFA ... aint nothing as satisfying as watching a highlander crumple under the 100 tns of one .. while you swiss cheese a Victor on the way down ...
My favorite mech for the Clix era as it was my first blind box opening. For those playing Battletech, is this mech only available in the "Game of Armored Combat" box? I don't have that one box set, but other packs that have come out within the last year.
Good pull. I think I bought one of those boxes back in the day. There was a logger mech and a tank and I was just, "nope... don't like this."
The 4S is by far my favorite variant . Because guass rifle
Hard to turn down a good Gauss.
potential zombie mech by dumping ammo? check
a long range poke but not so much you feel you have to win at that range range bracket? check
massive amount of damage at shorter range? check
enough mass that punches or kicks will terrify people? check
enough speed to have a reasonable area it threatens with melee violence? check
My favorite way to play a stock battlemaster is to run it as the guard for warhammer, awesome, marauder, archer, or cataupult. Let the guarded mech toss out some decent ranged damage from a good shooting position while stationary. The enemy either makes the trade, retreats, or attempts to rush. The battlemaster makes a rush a bad idea and his ability to help with the trade is useful. If the enemy retreats he can hustle up to the next firing position. All variants are essentially a different take on that basic strategy.
My only custom variant to date:
take a 1G, give it endo steel, add a few tons of armor, 2 medium lasers rear facing, a hatchet, command console, masc and a few heatsinks. remove the ppc and srm. You now have a terrifying brawler who isnt terribly in search of a better gunnery skill. How to use this mech? Hang out outside of los while guarding your shooters. No one will want to rush your shooters if they know this guy is waiting to welcome them.
If you know the enemy cant rush on a given turn use him first to get a better initiative advantage. If your enemy is on the verge of rushing let this guy go last and masc your way right up to them if they rush. His only potential issue is the mg ammo. Dump it if the enemy doesnt have infantry. You wont need it. If he does have infantry of some sort hang onto it.
"Rush the Battlemaster" ... frequent last words.
@@MechanicalFrog I ran a custom version today. Gauss rifle, 6 er medium lasers, with 18 double heat sinks. It can alpha and stay heat neutral. 4 hexes away Im in short range and can potentially dump 45 points of damage on someone. BV with a 4/5 pilot just under 2k. It can take an engine hit or two and keep moving along just fine.
Opposing player had a rough time dealing with it after realizing it could take a massive amount of punishment and just keep walking in.
Great video! Enjoyed the video. Looking forward to more videos.
More to come!
BLR C3: 4/6(8)/0 XL, endo, 19 DHS, supercharger, 16.5t Armor, ERPPC, 6 MPulse, 2 Micro PLasers, LRM15 w/A5(2t A), targeting computer, L-AMS, Angel ECM (BV2 3582)
IS BLR: 4/6(8)/4 XL, 14DHS, supercharger, Endo-composite, 16.5t Armor, R-AC5 (3t A), 6 ER MLasers, Streak6 (1t A), Angel ECM, L-AMS, Targeting computer (BV2 2798)
Angel ECM... interesting... StealthBoomer...
Aw man, Mechfrog my man i thought for sure the Battlemaster C would have made the list for sure. That monster slaps HARD. Anyways great stuff as always stay cool bro.
Oof, it was on the short list... It does pack a whollup.
I agree that we all need a Dana mech. That's why I named my griffin "Garth".
Bubba .. alway Bubba ... because the eemy end up muttering but uh but uh so the name Bubba
@@kaboom-zf2bl I have no idea what you're talking about.
Hah
We would always remove the 2 MGs and a Heat sink to add 3 Jump Jets: The Recon Battlemaster.
"I know how we can make this better... let's slap jump jets on it!"
I still have a love for the original -1G, though the -3M isn't a bad one. The -6R is....not bad. When I was working on my own custom variant, I was tempted to replace the PPC with a Plasma Rifle, though I'm glad I didn't as I saw you added on to your MF variant. My BLR-1ISM retains the right arm PPC, the MGs in the left arm, and 2 of the 6 original lasers (these are the rear facing ones, which are now in the CT). I used a Light Engine to gain tonnage while limiting vulnerability. The heat sinks are upgraded to Doubles, and the SRM is dropped in favor of an MML-3 with 3 tons of CASE II protected ammo. The 4 forward-facing Medium Lasers are of the Re-Engineered variety, and an additional ton of armor is added (it only has 17 DHS for 34 cooling, so with 42 heat if you Alpha Strike, well, I wouldn't recommend Alpha Striking). Use the PPC and MML-3's long-range ammo for distance fighting, then drop the PPC and switch over the R-EMLs and MML-3 (SR) for close combat. And, you know, use the MGs on any unarmored PBI that closes in.
The Re-Engineers laser angle could be a fun one.
The mech under construction, an inanimate and unpowered machine, still looks tense as the techs use heavy lifting equipment to bring the brand new IS XXL engine into place for installation. It's touch-and-go for a while, but the last bolt is tightened and the mech powers up for the first time. Everyone holds their breath. The mech takes its first step. THUMP. A second step... THUMP. The whole factory floor erupts in cheers as the shiny Battlemaster marches towards the exit. "Phew," a tech blurts out with a nervous chuckle. "I swear, those installations make make my guts tighten up more than a Canopian-" The punchline to the crass joke was lost as the mech pilot misjudged a step and accidentally bumped a chain hanging from the ceiling. The Battlemaster's XXL engine immediately detonated and blew the assault mech into scrap metal.
(Thank you very much for all the work you put into this video, I really enjoyed it.)
Thank you. I'm glad you did.
@@MechanicalFrog (Of course, you actually made me appreciate the Battlemaster a lot more than I used to!)
My one complaint about HBS Battletech is that they never managed to integrate rear arc medium lasers like those on the Battlemaster.
Yeah that would be neat.
I can appreciate it as a powerful close range unit. It can easily manhandle most mechs in the 3025 era because of its heavy loadout of close range weaponry, armor, and heat sinks.
The reason or possible result of its design policy is that its has a larger than normal engine. That does give it solid speed for the era. Many units in 3025 are limited to 64kph maximum speed, like a Thunderbolt, Centurion, or Panther. This gives the Battlemaster the same speed as things it can fight.
That said I personally dont like the original Battlemaster as it forgoes the escalating "big gun" philosophy for battlemechs. Most mechs that go up in tonnage have more long range weapons, going from something like a short range Locust to a long range Longbow. The Battlemaster has no long range weapons and only a single PPC for medium range combat. It has a purpose, urban-fighting.
One interesting alternate is the BLR-1S, which uses an odd assortment of missile launchers. At least it has a long range weapon system now.
Now how to upgrade it? Well following the Royal SLDF, there is the BLR-1Gb, which goes in the opposite design direction. It uses 2 long range Extended Range Particle Projection Cannons for all-ranges, adding a Large Pulse Laser for close range combat, and Double Heat Sinks to mount it all. Simply upgrading form Inner Sphere to clan-grade equipment would be a huge leap.
Now the lore of the Battlemaster is interesting. Its a command mech which didnt meant much in early Battletech. Gradually rules changed so a new piece of equipment, the Command Console came out. A complete command consoled-equipped SLDF Battlemaster piloted by Theodore Kurita supposedly turned the War of 3039 against the Federated Commonwealth.
This is the first video I watched from this channel but certainly not the last!
Btw, you voice sounds like the guy from the Freespace 2 cutscenes, so that's a plus lol.
Thanks a lot for giving it a try and welcome to the channel. :D
Another banger video! You're on fire!
Thanks a ton!
Battlemaster it plays average in the game. But it looks so cool. That glass Cockpit made it a stand out in the looks department.
Some Mechs just look cooler than others.
It has the look. Put it on a magazine. Get it a modeling contract in Paris.
The original G is an amazing machine, but I actually like the 1S variant that replaces the PPC with LRM15.
You're going to want to fire that phalanx of Medium Lasers and SRMs at anything within 6 hexes so shooting off a nice volley of missiles at 7 is sort of a step up. You've got a risk of ammo explosions but hey at least nobody's thrown an XL engine in there yet.
I'm not so sure about storing the LRM ammo in the arm, next to a torso with more ammo in it...
@@MechanicalFrog I sort of like arms for ammo storage. There are a lot of other spaces with stuff to eat up hits for free, and on a really bad roll the whole limb just falls off. It's the best of the bad deals.
That dark age variant is NASTY. 35 damage in the 3-18 range bracket is just evil, and it still has anti-infantry and anti-rear mech, and my precious Streak SRM-6.
Also, good job including AMS on that there Battlemaster MF.
I appreciate the AMS more than I probably should.
@@MechanicalFrog Aff Star Captain, but it's truly a glorious piece of equipment, especially in City Brawls or Long range duels, quiaff?
Im liking the look of the MF variant. Could just be my love affair for small and medium x- pulse lasers, but upgrading the standard mediums to X is the only change id make. Im assuming you avoided them for heat issues?
Solid use of a plasma rifle and light engine. Haopy to see the return of the rifle. The last twovideos felt empty without it.
Yeah it's a warm mech even before the x-pulses.
What you called the 6R is the 6G. They were next to each other in the ilClan Vol 3 tech manual, and it is possible a typo occurred in one book or the other (ilClan Classics)
I kinda like the mixed tech 6R, with its Clan RAC-5 and quartet of Light PPCs in the side torsos, two per side, give it a good range punch and the Streak 6 can exploit holes, though to be honest this is the mech you really pair with a Thunderhawk or other long distance, large hole making mech to exploit the holes they make with your weapons. 3 tons of ammo for the RAC and 1 ton for the Streaks is pretty much the standard for both weapons. It also has a Light Engine and CASE II to improve its overall survivability.
Oh, nearly forgot, as a surprise to any lights or fast mediums, it mounts 2 Improved Heavy Medium Lasers as a greeting. It isn't heat neutral, but it can fire all of its ranged weapons and walk for no heat and can fire most of its front weapons and stay coolish if responsible heat management is in play. Granted, you will overheat if you fire everything forwards and back, but even risk of an ammo explosion may not be that big of a deal if you need to shoot that much.
I blame society.
Friggy posted a video, me thumbs up... it's the BattleMaster! Me LOVE the video!
Froggy posting nonsense first thing Monday morning is the only good thing that's going to happen to me today because I have to grab potatoes and drive in Chicago today...
Mondays are rough enough without something to watch. Have a great day!
i grew to love the battlemaster as the first assaultmech i actually like, in MW5
late game, lostech fuckery, 6 M pulse lasers, hardened armor, supercharger, LRM15
the LRM was mainly just so i could do *something* while closing the gap, and not have 2 of my LRM loving friends nick all the kills
I'm glad it performs well in MW5.
@@MechanicalFrog
i dont know how it peforms without lostech
but i cant imagine a default one would ever be bad in MW5
As cool as it looks can we all agree that a cockpit window that big is a huge liability?
We suspend our disbelief because it looks cool.
@@MechanicalFrog Yah, but there is always that breaking point for each of us. This dome makes me feel abused, LOL. :)
Ive got that 3rd Edition BattleMaster still
Ran a variant that dropped two rear firing med lasers and srm6 and added a club, just because 😁
Never underestimate the fun generated by hitting someone with a stick.
I just love the old models best.
They have their charm.
top job mate
Turned out. Thank ya.
Battlemaster needs an official IIC version, the C variants are nice but they could be much more as IIC ones.
It would be interesting to see if one could top the effectiveness of the Red Corsair variant.
@@MechanicalFrog need to check on megamek, but how about this config?: RA-er ppc, RT-plasma cannon + 2 er med laser, LT- iatm + 2 er med laser, LA-plasma cannon, ammo- 2tonnes plasma, 3 tonnes iatm-1std, inferno, mag pulse each. Shut down red corsair variant?
I had hoped against hope you would touch on the K4, gauss, snub nose PPC, LPL and 5 ijjs. Easily my favorite Battlemaster.
Do'h, sorry!
I have yet to play one going past the civil war era. But so far I really like the 3M and 4S.
Unfortunately all my BattleMaster Pilots seem to be cursed. They have a tendency to fall/skid and land on their head. Sometimes in the first round. 😂
Oh no... stay off the ferrocrete! :D