With 31 tons of hardened armor, a standard engine, and Case II, this thing's damn-near indestructible, but unfortunately it's extremely difficult for it to get up if it's knocked down, due to the hardened armor and lack of arms.
@@boost2.041 yeah-there's tradeoffs like it moving slowly and being hard to pilot (and vulnerability to Re-engineered lasers), but it's an immense quantity of armor that's harder to bypass even outside of the sheer amount of protection, because it's harder to pierce with specialized ammo or critical hits
Well, if Viking IICs are nasty, then wait until you see a Turkey (aka Turkina(sp?)). One of my family friends loves using these things when the board is a wee bit uneven. Like my Demi-company of mercs featuring an assortment of clan and IS mechs with tank, aerospace, and infantry support... ... although in Alpha Strike, my Guerts scare the shit out of even the local clan player.
Man the Viking is such an amazing but confusing mech. Like it has the armor of an Atlas, but is a missile boat with next to no secondary weapons. Unlike the Longbow that has alright to decent armor but generally is surprisingly able to defend itself in most variants. So it just kinda leaves you like, I gotta play my missile fire support as also my central juggernaut haft of the time. Which unironicly is the absolute best place for the Viking IIC. Aside from the 3W it's probably the 3rd best version of this mech, and the best at holding the line when he should absolutely not be there
Yay for a Rasalhague mech! I like all IIC mechs, but I especially enjoy the ones based on less well known designs like the Viking. As far as alternate designs go, ATMs would also have been my preferred refit, so I went with something I don't see very often. Enter the thunderbolt missile, which as far as I'm aware is the only missile weapon in the game that concentrates damage in a single location, helping to avoid the common missile-boat problem of taking painfully long to breach the armor on tougher targets. Sadly, thunderbolt missile systems are so heavy that swapping in thunderbolt-15s for the LRM-15s would have required unworkable sacrifices elsewhere on the mech, and even thunderbolt-10s were impossible without using an XL engine, composite structure, or shaving off a few tons of armor. It works, but it's not pretty. Ultimately I think the Viking IIC is a mech where you're better off just accepting its limitations and trying to coordinate fire with other units carrying stuff like gauss rifles or heavy PPCs.
I enjoyed this one, interested to see the mixed clan/IS mechs also nice to see a later era Lyran assault as they don't seem to have as many stand out larger mechs in the later eras (at least that I've seen)
I always wondered where the cockpit glass was. This is the missile mech you use to kill the sun just missiles blacking out the sky. The only change I would make is taking out the machine guns and just adding one more heatsink and fill the rest with LRM ammo or vice versa. It may come with lots of ammo already but you can never know when you'll be able to properly resupply so it's better to have more without needing it rather than not having enough.
This one is brand new to me! Love it. Feels a lot like the Longbow 'though. Maybe adding a section on why a Mech Commander might want this over other similar choices would make a good addition to future videos? But, as always, love your work!
Fun video on a niche Clan/Inner Sphere design, yours is rather unique as well. Also, did learn something about Artemis V having a -1 to hit, thought it was just the same as the IV having a +3 instead of a +2. That justifies some ilClan designs that use SRM-6s with Artemis V instead of just using the Streak SRM-6. Barely.
I really like the MF variant concept :A slow metal pillar that becomes more deadly as it dredges closer to it's prey, shrugging off all but the most devastating attacks thrown at it.
Add the fact that mechs attacking it likely will see it as an easy target they're gonna be in for quite a shock when those ATMs start hitting. But being slow doesn't hurt when they're gonna close the distance for you.
More missiles than my beloved Yeoman!😱 And in AlphaStrike it’s a beast. I don’t think I’ve seen that many armour pips before. Hellishly expensive in points though. Ouch. Thanks again for another great vid, MechFrog!👍
@@MechanicalFrog You and I both know there could be more, but with a standard engine, hardened armor, and Artemis V FCS, this is definitely a lot of missiles.
Ahh the Viking IIC, gridsqure removal service with a smile! And the hardened armour makes this thing a beast to knock out combined with CASE II, the Artemis V is a cherry on top, sure the short ranged weapons are pathetic, but you can still flush the LRM tubes at point blank if needs be. Great vid as always!
I love the Viking IIC. I obliderated bases with static defences and poor Urbies. 23 LRM hits to the head on one X_X. I made personal Variant that saddly I didn't get to try out. Let me introduce you to. Viking IIC- 0Z: I lower the Hardened armor to 29 tons. Since its hardened armor. Lets live dangeriously! Replace the engine with an 270 XXL engine! added Clan Endo Steel for structure, 23 (C)DHS. Weaponary: 2 Streak LRM 10 in the LT | RT sharing a ton of ammo in each torso. I choose Streak because I hate wasting LRM ammo so if I miss lock to fire the missiles don't fire. :) As for the little bastards it has 2 Micro Pulse Lasers and 2 ER Micro Lasers 1 in LT | RT. With a cherry on top I put a Clan TAG in the HD. That is it for the Clan goodies. Now in the spirit of being around the IS. It gets a lick on the ice cream in contributing 2 MRM 40's! in LA | RA and 4 tons of ammo1 ton in each arm and legs. Since its a standard Clan Battle Mech CASE is build into the mech. Heat: 38/26 BV: 2229 Cost: 69,032,700 C-bills. (Giggy all~ R~ight!) :D
Seems like a all around solid IIC mech. I'll admit it took me a minute to figure out where all the tonnage saved by using clan LRMs went though. I like the MF variant, though I'd have taken it in a slightly different direction. I would have dropped the LRM 20s down to 15s and pulled out the MGs and Micro lasers. I'd also probably shave off up to four tons of armor to free up tonnage for weapons and heatsinks. First on my list is a pair of Medium Pulse Lasers, one in each arm. With the increased accuracy and ability to arm flip, they'd serve as a good option for if scouts and skirmishers try to run circles around you. For infantry defense, I'd add a Small Pulse Laser to each side torso, with all pulse lasers being clan spec. Any remaining tonnage goes to adding enough heat sinks to keep the Viking IIC heat neutral while firing the LRM 15s and MPLs (and any left after that goes back to the armor). While it lessens the alpha strike noticeably, having pinpoint weapons to reach out to medium range should make foes more likely to give you a little more respect. Plus having a all the launchers match would make ammo management much easier, especially if some of the ammo or launchers starts to suffer from crits.
Interesting take. It's always interesting to see how people come at the problem from different angles with different goals. Yours would make a solid support for a lance of standards that get surrounded by those bothersome lights and mediums.
I do like it about the same as I like the original Viking, especially as it keeps what I call the "T-Rex arms" visual of the torso laser emplacements. I think the Viking IIC ISM variant I created is still kinda niche, though. I mounted 2 ATM9s/w 6 tons of ammo (1 and 3, respectively, to each arm along with CASE II), and each side torso mounts an ER Large Pulse Laser and a standard Jump Jet, and each leg has a pair of Micro Pulse Lasers. I also added a Targeting Computer.
Good video! Swapping the LRMS for ATMs would make the thing pretty scary, for sure. The only big problem I have with the Viking is the name. I'd expect a 'Mech named the Viking to be some kind of close-in fighter with an axe. If you're going to make a super-LRM-boat like this, name it the Agincourt or the Xerxes or something.
As far as i understood that minimum range, it means until 6 hexes the launcher does only 50% damage because only every second missile had already armed itself after launching. That means, 50% of the missiles that HIT. Given the sheer amount of missiles the Viking carries, even if just half of them hit, that still would be a terrifying amount of damage. For a light mech, at least. But the challenge here would probably be hitting the light in the first place. Move 10+ hexes and you are almost untouchable. Which is the golden standard every harrasser aims for. In MWO i had my Annihilator taken down by two lights once because i couldn´t keep up with the rest of the team and got flanked.
@@MechanicalFrog i meant purely rule-wise. That the effective outcome in practice is a different thing, i´m aware. Yet still, a quarter of 70 is still a lot of damage to a light mech.
Similar upgrade to XL, increase to 14DHS, drop 20s, (Clan spec weapons) 4 LRM15 with Artemis V and 2t A each, 4 ER Micro Lasers, 3 ER Md Lasers, targeting computer. 35t Hardened armor. (BV2 3038)
I can see why the LCAF likes the Viking IIC. It's an excellent replacement for the Behemoth, and anything that allows the Lyrans to beat the FWL in an LRM duel will please the LCAF.
as a IIC mech its for defending fortifications and convoys. another IIC mech is the cruicible... with its 4 gauss rifles. together these two behemoths will delete whatever you point them both at in a single turn. and is much stronger as a formation then x2 vikings. another IIC mech to complete this unholy trinity is the Bane, with its near infinite 10AC-2's. similar movement, similar range, and provides the weight of fire to gun down fast movers the viking cant threaten with its few shots. notably the viking can flip its twin lrm20's to shoot out the back arc. meaning that there is no angle it wont be pouring on the lrm fire, and ccan even manage to split fire its forward lrm15's while doing so. the only way i have had this mech destroyed is either overwhelming number advantage. or it gets battlearmor stuck atop it. typically it dies to HD hits knocking out the pilot. a main thing about it is is 18 HD armor. since hardened doubles the points in a single location this makes the mech immune to ERPPC sniping and gauss fishing in the long range war and can stand up to PPC boats easily. If i was to refit it i would try to add blueshield just to apply insult to injury for this role it already excels at.
Knee guns! Though you'd not exactly want to be the first guy in your star to get a confirmed kill with them because something has probably gone very wrong. I don't know why people would really underestimate a very big fire support mech, well I guess they might but they'd only do it once after being pelted with so many missiles.
MML10 vs ATM 9 Atms should win due to only needing to swap ammo for effect. But mmls get LRM range and full utility of a varied srm ammo loadout. I also tried a version with LRM 5s it could fit 14 of them easily, upping redundancy to damage. This saved a lot of weight. Upped engine 1 walk speed. And added defensive gyro plus. Tag and active probe in head Weapons added are 2 spls in each torso and A & B pods in each leg. Spare slots and tonnage allowed for turrets to mount most of the lrm 5s with remaining in arm slots. Still had room and weight for more weapons, but i went with 2 streak 4s w 1 ton ammo split between them for close to mid range combat. 8 tons reg ammo And 4 tons specialty ammo. Swarm, fascam. Incindiary and emp. The party pack, guaranteed to make you targets dance untilnthey fall down.
For all you CGL MINI MODDERS! I've found that if i use Loctite's blue tack poster putty and Gorilla glues extra thick super glue i can repose the arm etc. Just put glue on each part and putty in the middle and squeeze gently.
I'd like to put forward the idea of a Panther IIC. I'm surprised the Clans didn't make their own version of it given that it was an old Star League design. Then again there were probably better mechs out there to IIC.
I am working on a special project for an SLDF mech that did get a C version, sort of, but never a full IIC. It'll have backstory and a 3D model created for it.
@@MechanicalFrog nice. I almost finished a light class timber wolf family mech, just missing the support systems for it's quirks t&t, communications, and sensors...
“Yo frawg, I heard you like missile batteries so we put missile batteries on your missile batteries so you can batter messes messing with your battery on your missile batteries.”
I would change the harden armor for standard armor and see I can put a bigger engine in it for more speed. And if possible see I can put 2 clan er medium lasers on it for keep away, and upgrade the LRMS 15 to 20s.
It's that rare all-in indirect-fire support mech designed to be able to slug it out at range vs other such mechs and win. Of course, there's a reason why LRM boats become nearly extinct from the Clan-Invasion Era onward: With the return of high tech, the combined forces in the Inner Sphere are all sporting higher armor values, higher speed, ECM, AMS, and much better range on most conventional weaponry. All of these things are bad news for LRM laden mechs. LRMs got their Artemis systems back, but it ends up being more of a side-grade than an upgrade due to the added weight cost. Arrow IV is much better if you want indirect fire support between the bulk damage, insane range, and variable munitions that actually matter, but by the same token, Arrow IV systems are better mated to vehicles than battlemechs anyway. The ATM-upgrade is about the only real improvement to be made while keeping in the spirit of the original's intended design, so I have no alternative configurations to offer here. It could transition into direct fire-support, but there are already better mechs for that in every category (Stalker, Mauler, Supernova).
It's definitely a unique take on the heavy fire support. With the armor, it almost seems like it should be closing on targets to absorb some of the fire.
@@MechanicalFrog It actually wins exchanges against conventional Gauss and ERPPC mechs in terms of bulk damage at long range, but the lack of focused damage makes this a moot point despite the mech's incredible durability. It's a strong performer, but goes against all conventions of the winning meta save long range.
I can't help but feel this is another example of the Clans insisting on using a mech when a tank would work better. So much expensive tech in this thing when piles of LRM carriers would do the same job.
@MechanicalFrog also one area I have had good success with the Viking IIC is as a dueling mech. Most of the time, duels between assaults at that tech level look like a race to see who can get a headshot first from like a hellstar or warhawk but the viking can eat a headshot from most big guns. So it just takes the hits and sandpapers down the opponent. I love the idea of this slow ugly missle boat rope-a-doping clan ristars.
Give me three of these modified slightly with a C3 network. Add one stupid fast mech with a node to finish the C3 network and the cheese would be epic!
@MechanicalFrog insert Raven with tag staring down an assault star meme. Bumpersticker- My lance mates are a trio of Vikings. Do you have an umbrella?
Lol BRZ-D4 looks at it giigles and then the cow pushing beginns. Lol I would love to hear you Talk about Those clan Invasion Lyran PowerHouse Mechs like Berserker, Hauptmann and Fafnir
MF - really like your variant. My main issue is that you have a brutally slow mech that really needs to close to be effective. My problem with ATM's is that they're limited damage at LR, the standard/HE ranges are awfully short for the clan (but the ArtV and Long Range quirk would certainly help). I know it's cheese, but I'd rather go with a couple of effective hole punchers (ERPPC, LPL, ERLL) and a boatload of SRM6's if you want make someone pay to get to range 3/6. The raw damage is less, but you have significantly greater endurance and improved crit seeking with the scatter of the SRM's rather than the 5 point groups on the ATM's. Like I said though - it's a very min/max approach. My friends were always good at dropping smoke in front of the slow fire support mechs to limit their effectiveness, so the Viking/Longbow types were never at the top of my old lists.
Don't like anything that moves that slow (and unlikely to get back up if it falls), but can see how it would really effective if it's used in it's limited niche. The problem it's armored to last forever but only has enough ammo for about 2 minutes of combat. If playing the advanced rules - the combo of ArtV and long range targetting bonus is like a pulse LRM - so that's pretty damn nice. That said - too limited from a usage perspective to justify.
Seems like a weird mech with a lot of contradictions. You don't usually expect your fire support mech to be able to tank fire that would blow apart an Atlas. It can survive enemy mechs getting in close, with the no-minimum-range LRMs, and very close-range support weapons, but it also doesn't have the ability to easily get back up if it's knocked down, negating a lot of the benefits of its armor. Still, you also don't see many Clan fire-support mechs, as it goes against their philosophy, and there are definite benefits to having a tanky one, as it blunts attempts to quickly get in and disable the LRM boats. So it's a support that uses armor instead of speed to survive, which works pretty well if it's in a position where speed wouldn't help much (of course, that might imply restrictive terrain, which would be rather dangerous regardless as you don't want to have to do piloting checks in it). Yeah. I'm just not sure what to think of this one. It has a lot of circumstantial positives, but when those positives don't come into play it can either be just another LRM-boat support unit, or an outright liability.
The sweet spot in the missle chart makes the LRM15's average more hits on target than the 20's. so, i go with 4 LRM15's W/ artemis and as i dont have it in the computer i think i was able to give 4MPL's with a t-com. charge me with a light. I dare you. I forgot, all 4 LRM's were in the torso, the lasers were in the arms which could "flip" and deal with pesky mechs that got behind me.
Having played Comstar for.....awhile...lol....I find the Viking 2F good for fire support...but lack of decent secondary weapons (clan or IS) annoying to say the least...for IS i prefer using the 2G if I am using the Viking....the MF version you created...Not too bad though honestly apart from LRM's.....a pair of medium pulse or ER lasers would help
My only experience with this mech was being a target for it. My opponent had 5 mechs with an ungodly amount of missiles, and all sat at the back and played turret tech. It was a dull game that sadly gave me negative views of the Viking IIC, Nova Cat, and Kraken.
As somebody who began wargaming with 40K in the '90s, before moving to BattleTech, I still feel a little revulsion at the idea of a "parking lot" style of play where the mechs sit in the back, slow or nearly immobile, just lobbing LRMs. My instinct is to push forward and try to engage directly with my opponent. So hiding in the back raining LRMs feels non-interactive. I always felt like battles are more entertaining when they are won or lost by courageous pushes and outmaneuvering a foe, rather than just sitting back safe and rolling dice. For better and worse, there's always been a lot of prejudice in the 40k community toward parking lot lists that just rely on fire support and artillery to win. That said, I can't deny the power here, of a missile boat with no minimum range and a mountain of hardened armor. It may not be a mech I would want to field, but I would respect one on the other side of the table.
Say, how many LRM-Carriers can you buy for the price of this thing? I'm asking for a friend, I'm not implying that you can get more output from a much cheaper tank...
And if you were in universe and could pick bloodname, what? Id pick pryde, but love hazen, and even out of clan ward, and howell... Idk just questions for ya buddy
Its not as good as a Missile Boat as it could be. Why? Because it was not quite made to be a artillery missile boat, but a walking missile-armed bunker. Its ammunition stores are fairly low, but its armor level is absurdly high. As part of a combat group there isnt much benefit to go from a Viking assault mech to a Viking IIC assault mech. If anything its a downside because the maximum speed drops and now the group can only move as fast as the slowest element. In small scale battles the Viking IIC has to be protected because it has rather poor close-range abilities. Use up all that missile ammunition and you have a slow unit with very limited energy weapon capability. It would be better to have smaller units with similar payloads, like there is an Adder with 40 long range missile tubes. If that runs out of ammunition, it can retreat. The Viking IIC is a battering ram.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Megamek doesn't like your variant because it's too good? Discount Dan will buy your entire stock!
I think it might be a problem with the armor.
@@MechanicalFrog did you try with ferro or other types?
With 31 tons of hardened armor, a standard engine, and Case II, this thing's damn-near indestructible, but unfortunately it's extremely difficult for it to get up if it's knocked down, due to the hardened armor and lack of arms.
Yeah, you don't want to be doing any fancy footwork while piloting it.
31 tons is absolutely nuts. I thought the marauder 2 was built different, but this thing has 11 tons more than even that monster
@@boost2.041 yeah-there's tradeoffs like it moving slowly and being hard to pilot (and vulnerability to Re-engineered lasers), but it's an immense quantity of armor that's harder to bypass even outside of the sheer amount of protection, because it's harder to pierce with specialized ammo or critical hits
Fun fact a broadsword dropship has 30 tons of armor. So it's very possible for the Viking IIC to have more armor than the dropship it came in on
To be fair, with the hardened armor you have to effectively do 40 points to knock it down or get in kicking range.
By Kerensky's Left Walnut! This thing is a beast in Alpha Stike! Granted, you pay the points for it.
It has all the LRMs... all of them.
@@MechanicalFrog
"How many LRMs does that thing have again?"
"Yes."
Well, if Viking IICs are nasty, then wait until you see a Turkey (aka Turkina(sp?)). One of my family friends loves using these things when the board is a wee bit uneven.
Like my Demi-company of mercs featuring an assortment of clan and IS mechs with tank, aerospace, and infantry support...
... although in Alpha Strike, my Guerts scare the shit out of even the local clan player.
I usually don't like LRMs on BattleMechs, but the Viking IIC utterly kicked my ass in MekHQ once, so it has earned my respect.
Respect through example. I like this.
Man the Viking is such an amazing but confusing mech. Like it has the armor of an Atlas, but is a missile boat with next to no secondary weapons. Unlike the Longbow that has alright to decent armor but generally is surprisingly able to defend itself in most variants.
So it just kinda leaves you like, I gotta play my missile fire support as also my central juggernaut haft of the time. Which unironicly is the absolute best place for the Viking IIC. Aside from the 3W it's probably the 3rd best version of this mech, and the best at holding the line when he should absolutely not be there
A fair appraisal for a unique mech.
Yay for a Rasalhague mech! I like all IIC mechs, but I especially enjoy the ones based on less well known designs like the Viking. As far as alternate designs go, ATMs would also have been my preferred refit, so I went with something I don't see very often. Enter the thunderbolt missile, which as far as I'm aware is the only missile weapon in the game that concentrates damage in a single location, helping to avoid the common missile-boat problem of taking painfully long to breach the armor on tougher targets. Sadly, thunderbolt missile systems are so heavy that swapping in thunderbolt-15s for the LRM-15s would have required unworkable sacrifices elsewhere on the mech, and even thunderbolt-10s were impossible without using an XL engine, composite structure, or shaving off a few tons of armor. It works, but it's not pretty. Ultimately I think the Viking IIC is a mech where you're better off just accepting its limitations and trying to coordinate fire with other units carrying stuff like gauss rifles or heavy PPCs.
The thunderbolt can be fun but often I wonder if it's worth it over switching over to a ballistics or energy weapon.
I enjoyed this one, interested to see the mixed clan/IS mechs also nice to see a later era Lyran assault as they don't seem to have as many stand out larger mechs in the later eras (at least that I've seen)
They really lucked out with this one. RD does the designing, they reap the reward.
I always wondered where the cockpit glass was. This is the missile mech you use to kill the sun just missiles blacking out the sky. The only change I would make is taking out the machine guns and just adding one more heatsink and fill the rest with LRM ammo or vice versa. It may come with lots of ammo already but you can never know when you'll be able to properly resupply so it's better to have more without needing it rather than not having enough.
The cockpit is wherever we put it. The universe is our oyster.
"Does anyone have any sandpaper?"
IIC-MF pilot: "I got you covered."
All you need and a little more.
Perfect motivation to get up and start the day. Thank you Mech Frog!
Get out there and tackle the day like it just took your lunch money.
@@MechanicalFrog day beat me up and took dinner money.
This one is brand new to me!
Love it.
Feels a lot like the Longbow 'though.
Maybe adding a section on why a Mech Commander might want this over other similar choices would make a good addition to future videos?
But, as always, love your work!
A Longbow's older brother, perhaps.
We removed the arms of a Mad Cat and replaced them with more missile launchers.
I like that you do customs for what you cover. Underrated mechanic of the game. Also ATMs rock so hard.
It's a fun little thought experiment that adds some flavor.
Fun video on a niche Clan/Inner Sphere design, yours is rather unique as well. Also, did learn something about Artemis V having a -1 to hit, thought it was just the same as the IV having a +3 instead of a +2. That justifies some ilClan designs that use SRM-6s with Artemis V instead of just using the Streak SRM-6. Barely.
The Artemis V is a big step up with that -1.
I really like the MF variant concept :A slow metal pillar that becomes more deadly as it dredges closer to it's prey, shrugging off all but the most devastating attacks thrown at it.
Add the fact that mechs attacking it likely will see it as an easy target they're gonna be in for quite a shock when those ATMs start hitting. But being slow doesn't hurt when they're gonna close the distance for you.
The unstoppable slightly movable force.
More missiles than my beloved Yeoman!😱 And in AlphaStrike it’s a beast. I don’t think I’ve seen that many armour pips before. Hellishly expensive in points though. Ouch.
Thanks again for another great vid, MechFrog!👍
It is a beast. Thanks for giving it a go!
Sweet missile spam.
The thick coating of hardened armor is just gravy on top.
All the missiles... all of them.
@@MechanicalFrog You and I both know there could be more, but with a standard engine, hardened armor, and Artemis V FCS, this is definitely a lot of missiles.
Ahh the Viking IIC, gridsqure removal service with a smile! And the hardened armour makes this thing a beast to knock out combined with CASE II, the Artemis V is a cherry on top, sure the short ranged weapons are pathetic, but you can still flush the LRM tubes at point blank if needs be. Great vid as always!
Good times had by all. Have a great day!
Gonna be honest. I still prefer the Viking over the Viking IIC, of course this is due to the 3W variant which is a great missile support WoB mech.
It does have some functional variants, if niche.
I love the Viking IIC. I obliderated bases with static defences and poor Urbies. 23 LRM hits to the head on one X_X. I made personal Variant that saddly I didn't get to try out. Let me introduce you to. Viking IIC- 0Z: I lower the Hardened armor to 29 tons. Since its hardened armor. Lets live dangeriously! Replace the engine with an 270 XXL engine! added Clan Endo Steel for structure, 23 (C)DHS. Weaponary: 2 Streak LRM 10 in the LT | RT sharing a ton of ammo in each torso. I choose Streak because I hate wasting LRM ammo so if I miss lock to fire the missiles don't fire. :) As for the little bastards it has 2 Micro Pulse Lasers and 2 ER Micro Lasers 1 in LT | RT. With a cherry on top I put a Clan TAG in the HD. That is it for the Clan goodies. Now in the spirit of being around the IS. It gets a lick on the ice cream in contributing 2 MRM 40's! in LA | RA and 4 tons of ammo1 ton in each arm and legs. Since its a standard Clan Battle Mech CASE is build into the mech. Heat: 38/26 BV: 2229 Cost: 69,032,700 C-bills. (Giggy all~ R~ight!) :D
Now that sounds like fun... not so sure about the Streak LRMs but it would save on ammo :)
Seems like a all around solid IIC mech. I'll admit it took me a minute to figure out where all the tonnage saved by using clan LRMs went though.
I like the MF variant, though I'd have taken it in a slightly different direction. I would have dropped the LRM 20s down to 15s and pulled out the MGs and Micro lasers. I'd also probably shave off up to four tons of armor to free up tonnage for weapons and heatsinks. First on my list is a pair of Medium Pulse Lasers, one in each arm. With the increased accuracy and ability to arm flip, they'd serve as a good option for if scouts and skirmishers try to run circles around you. For infantry defense, I'd add a Small Pulse Laser to each side torso, with all pulse lasers being clan spec. Any remaining tonnage goes to adding enough heat sinks to keep the Viking IIC heat neutral while firing the LRM 15s and MPLs (and any left after that goes back to the armor).
While it lessens the alpha strike noticeably, having pinpoint weapons to reach out to medium range should make foes more likely to give you a little more respect. Plus having a all the launchers match would make ammo management much easier, especially if some of the ammo or launchers starts to suffer from crits.
Interesting take. It's always interesting to see how people come at the problem from different angles with different goals. Yours would make a solid support for a lance of standards that get surrounded by those bothersome lights and mediums.
I love how you test the mechs in MegaMek! I need to get that installed on my laptop for when I'm working on the road. Thanks Frog!
It's a great way to get some battletech in when you don't have a ton of time.
I have a soft spot for fire support mechs. Raining fire from afar is the ultimate power fantasy
The viking is a fun one for sure.
Good times had by all... raining LRMs.
@@MechanicalFrog
Missiles.
More missiles.
All missiles!
I do like it about the same as I like the original Viking, especially as it keeps what I call the "T-Rex arms" visual of the torso laser emplacements. I think the Viking IIC ISM variant I created is still kinda niche, though. I mounted 2 ATM9s/w 6 tons of ammo (1 and 3, respectively, to each arm along with CASE II), and each side torso mounts an ER Large Pulse Laser and a standard Jump Jet, and each leg has a pair of Micro Pulse Lasers. I also added a Targeting Computer.
The targeting computer would be a nice extra bit of kit.
Ok, now this is an advanced era chassis that could potentially sway my opinions regarding clan tech. Fantastic episode, Mr. Frog
Thanks a lot, CFM.
Love the Viking. Haven't played the ,IIc yet. Excellent video
It's a fun one. Thanks for coming by! Have a great day.
fantastic stuff lately!! Would love to see you cover the celestial at somepoint, been messin with em myself recently cool machines if complex :3
Going to ponder how I want to tackle the Celestials.
Been really enjoying all these videos! Please more!
Always working on something.
That Wild-Cat render is very Nightstar-y
Wild-Cat144 does great work.
The viking with light ac2s were fantastic in games I've played with it.
The smaller ACs do tend to do well in the video games.
@@MechanicalFrog it actually was vkg-3w on megamek. Loaded with precision ammo.
Side note ac2 in video games do work well for some reason.
Ah, good times.
Missiles. More missiles. ALL THE MISSILES!
All the missiles, all the time...
Good video! Swapping the LRMS for ATMs would make the thing pretty scary, for sure.
The only big problem I have with the Viking is the name. I'd expect a 'Mech named the Viking to be some kind of close-in fighter with an axe. If you're going to make a super-LRM-boat like this, name it the Agincourt or the Xerxes or something.
Crece, pehaps.
I'd have gone with Calliope.
@@Kasperl88 Also a good choice, but there's a Dark Age 'Mech with that name already. I think one actually shows up in New Explorer Corps.
@@lucendacier6851 Das sind mir neu. I wasn't aware.
It was designed by and for the FRR. Viking is as obligatory as Beowulf.
"Directly address the flaws of the mech" *Proceeds to make it even SLOWER.* Bravo.
Mistakes were made...
As far as i understood that minimum range, it means until 6 hexes the launcher does only 50% damage because only every second missile had already armed itself after launching.
That means, 50% of the missiles that HIT. Given the sheer amount of missiles the Viking carries, even if just half of them hit, that still would be a terrifying amount of damage.
For a light mech, at least. But the challenge here would probably be hitting the light in the first place. Move 10+ hexes and you are almost untouchable.
Which is the golden standard every harrasser aims for. In MWO i had my Annihilator taken down by two lights once because i couldn´t keep up with the rest of the team and got flanked.
Ehh... half of a half, on average...
@@MechanicalFrog i meant purely rule-wise.
That the effective outcome in practice is a different thing, i´m aware.
Yet still, a quarter of 70 is still a lot of damage to a light mech.
I’ve never tried a Viking IIC, but the mechfrog variant is oddly similar to the Osteon Prime, which is a plus in my book.
What could go wrong? :D
Similar upgrade to XL, increase to 14DHS, drop 20s, (Clan spec weapons) 4 LRM15 with Artemis V and 2t A each, 4 ER Micro Lasers, 3 ER Md Lasers, targeting computer. 35t Hardened armor. (BV2 3038)
Accurate and horrifying. Well done.
I can see why the LCAF likes the Viking IIC. It's an excellent replacement for the Behemoth, and anything that allows the Lyrans to beat the FWL in an LRM duel will please the LCAF.
Oh hey, Wild-Cat114's design! Cool!
Always an honor to feature Wild-Cat14's art.
as a IIC mech its for defending fortifications and convoys.
another IIC mech is the cruicible... with its 4 gauss rifles. together these two behemoths will delete whatever you point them both at in a single turn. and is much stronger as a formation then x2 vikings.
another IIC mech to complete this unholy trinity is the Bane, with its near infinite 10AC-2's. similar movement, similar range, and provides the weight of fire to gun down fast movers the viking cant threaten with its few shots.
notably the viking can flip its twin lrm20's to shoot out the back arc. meaning that there is no angle it wont be pouring on the lrm fire, and ccan even manage to split fire its forward lrm15's while doing so. the only way i have had this mech destroyed is either overwhelming number advantage. or it gets battlearmor stuck atop it. typically it dies to HD hits knocking out the pilot.
a main thing about it is is 18 HD armor. since hardened doubles the points in a single location this makes the mech immune to ERPPC sniping and gauss fishing in the long range war and can stand up to PPC boats easily. If i was to refit it i would try to add blueshield just to apply insult to injury for this role it already excels at.
This is what happens when a Longbow and a Catapult had too much to drink and played truth or dare at a Solaris keg party.
Put on some Barry White...
I ran the Viking IIC with a Hammerhead for the lols and it was a hilarious combination
Going to have to ponder that one.
@@MechanicalFrog my plan for the Rasalhague Dominion is the Viking IIC, two Hammerheads and two mechs that will compliment them.
Knee guns!
Though you'd not exactly want to be the first guy in your star to get a confirmed kill with them because something has probably gone very wrong. I don't know why people would really underestimate a very big fire support mech, well I guess they might but they'd only do it once after being pelted with so many missiles.
Not as high profile and glamorous as the Gauss Rifle slingers.
MML10 vs ATM 9
Atms should win due to only needing to swap ammo for effect.
But mmls get LRM range and full utility of a varied srm ammo loadout.
I also tried a version with LRM 5s it could fit 14 of them easily, upping redundancy to damage.
This saved a lot of weight.
Upped engine 1 walk speed.
And added defensive gyro plus.
Tag and active probe in head
Weapons added are 2 spls in each torso and A & B pods in each leg.
Spare slots and tonnage allowed for turrets to mount most of the lrm 5s with remaining in arm slots.
Still had room and weight for more weapons, but i went with 2 streak 4s w 1 ton ammo split between them for close to mid range combat.
8 tons reg ammo
And 4 tons specialty ammo.
Swarm, fascam. Incindiary and emp.
The party pack, guaranteed to make you targets dance untilnthey fall down.
sweet a new video thanks mate
Yep yep. Have a great one!
For all you CGL MINI MODDERS! I've found that if i use Loctite's blue tack poster putty and Gorilla glues extra thick super glue i can repose the arm etc. Just put glue on each part and putty in the middle and squeeze gently.
Thanks for the info!
@@MechanicalFrog your welcome
Mech Frog, any thoughts about trying to make 2C designs for IS mechs that the clans didn't do or for modern IS mechs?
I'd like to put forward the idea of a Panther IIC. I'm surprised the Clans didn't make their own version of it given that it was an old Star League design. Then again there were probably better mechs out there to IIC.
@@Accentaur they made a Stinger 2C. Mic drop.
I am working on a special project for an SLDF mech that did get a C version, sort of, but never a full IIC. It'll have backstory and a 3D model created for it.
@@MechanicalFrog nice. I almost finished a light class timber wolf family mech, just missing the support systems for it's quirks t&t, communications, and sensors...
“Yo frawg, I heard you like missile batteries so we put missile batteries on your missile batteries so you can batter messes messing with your battery on your missile batteries.”
Correct.
I would change the harden armor for standard armor and see I can put a bigger engine in it for more speed. And if possible see I can put 2 clan er medium lasers on it for keep away, and upgrade the LRMS 15 to 20s.
Trading protection for even more firepower. I can dig it.
That ain't a missile boat. That's a missile yacht.
When it gets there, it gets there.
It's that rare all-in indirect-fire support mech designed to be able to slug it out at range vs other such mechs and win.
Of course, there's a reason why LRM boats become nearly extinct from the Clan-Invasion Era onward: With the return of high tech, the combined forces in the Inner Sphere are all sporting higher armor values, higher speed, ECM, AMS, and much better range on most conventional weaponry.
All of these things are bad news for LRM laden mechs.
LRMs got their Artemis systems back, but it ends up being more of a side-grade than an upgrade due to the added weight cost.
Arrow IV is much better if you want indirect fire support between the bulk damage, insane range, and variable munitions that actually matter, but by the same token, Arrow IV systems are better mated to vehicles than battlemechs anyway.
The ATM-upgrade is about the only real improvement to be made while keeping in the spirit of the original's intended design, so I have no alternative configurations to offer here. It could transition into direct fire-support, but there are already better mechs for that in every category (Stalker, Mauler, Supernova).
It's definitely a unique take on the heavy fire support. With the armor, it almost seems like it should be closing on targets to absorb some of the fire.
@@MechanicalFrog It actually wins exchanges against conventional Gauss and ERPPC mechs in terms of bulk damage at long range, but the lack of focused damage makes this a moot point despite the mech's incredible durability.
It's a strong performer, but goes against all conventions of the winning meta save long range.
I prefer the Viking over the over expensive Viking IIC
We can't all be Rockefellers, after all.
I can't help but feel this is another example of the Clans insisting on using a mech when a tank would work better. So much expensive tech in this thing when piles of LRM carriers would do the same job.
That's a fair critique.
MF, I love your videos, please keep up the great job, Side note, how can we join your discord?
Yes!!!! My favorite mech
Yay!, we finally got to it!
@MechanicalFrog also one area I have had good success with the Viking IIC is as a dueling mech. Most of the time, duels between assaults at that tech level look like a race to see who can get a headshot first from like a hellstar or warhawk but the viking can eat a headshot from most big guns. So it just takes the hits and sandpapers down the opponent.
I love the idea of this slow ugly missle boat rope-a-doping clan ristars.
Give me three of these modified slightly with a C3 network. Add one stupid fast mech with a node to finish the C3 network and the cheese would be epic!
So many missiles...
@MechanicalFrog insert Raven with tag staring down an assault star meme.
Bumpersticker- My lance mates are a trio of Vikings. Do you have an umbrella?
I like this. It hurts big
It can pack a punch.
i come with a redemption comment from requesting the urbie, why we love the crab.
I'm working on something involving the Crab.
@@MechanicalFrog nice looking forward to it!
Lol BRZ-D4 looks at it giigles and then the cow pushing beginns. Lol I would love to hear you Talk about Those clan Invasion Lyran PowerHouse Mechs like Berserker, Hauptmann and Fafnir
Who doesn't love a Berserker?
@@MechanicalFrog The Medium Clan Star whos calling Dezgra
Fair.
MF - really like your variant. My main issue is that you have a brutally slow mech that really needs to close to be effective. My problem with ATM's is that they're limited damage at LR, the standard/HE ranges are awfully short for the clan (but the ArtV and Long Range quirk would certainly help). I know it's cheese, but I'd rather go with a couple of effective hole punchers (ERPPC, LPL, ERLL) and a boatload of SRM6's if you want make someone pay to get to range 3/6. The raw damage is less, but you have significantly greater endurance and improved crit seeking with the scatter of the SRM's rather than the 5 point groups on the ATM's. Like I said though - it's a very min/max approach.
My friends were always good at dropping smoke in front of the slow fire support mechs to limit their effectiveness, so the Viking/Longbow types were never at the top of my old lists.
It's a fair critique. I see the MF working in tandem with the original loadout, which can rain at the long range.
Back to the IICs 😎🤓.
Almost done.
I want to see your thoughts on the Spartan.
Going to ponder that one.
@@MechanicalFrog I feel like it really suffers from not having any form of Dark Age variants.
Don't like anything that moves that slow (and unlikely to get back up if it falls), but can see how it would really effective if it's used in it's limited niche. The problem it's armored to last forever but only has enough ammo for about 2 minutes of combat. If playing the advanced rules - the combo of ArtV and long range targetting bonus is like a pulse LRM - so that's pretty damn nice. That said - too limited from a usage perspective to justify.
It's one of those mechs that can really shine in the proper set of circumstances, but be a liability in many more.
Seems like a weird mech with a lot of contradictions. You don't usually expect your fire support mech to be able to tank fire that would blow apart an Atlas. It can survive enemy mechs getting in close, with the no-minimum-range LRMs, and very close-range support weapons, but it also doesn't have the ability to easily get back up if it's knocked down, negating a lot of the benefits of its armor. Still, you also don't see many Clan fire-support mechs, as it goes against their philosophy, and there are definite benefits to having a tanky one, as it blunts attempts to quickly get in and disable the LRM boats. So it's a support that uses armor instead of speed to survive, which works pretty well if it's in a position where speed wouldn't help much (of course, that might imply restrictive terrain, which would be rather dangerous regardless as you don't want to have to do piloting checks in it).
Yeah. I'm just not sure what to think of this one. It has a lot of circumstantial positives, but when those positives don't come into play it can either be just another LRM-boat support unit, or an outright liability.
It sure was a unique take on solving the problem...
The sweet spot in the missle chart makes the LRM15's average more hits on target than the 20's. so, i go with 4 LRM15's W/ artemis and as i dont have it in the computer i think i was able to give 4MPL's with a t-com. charge me with a light. I dare you. I forgot, all 4 LRM's were in the torso, the lasers were in the arms which could "flip" and deal with pesky mechs that got behind me.
How dare you min/max in my video comments... how dare you... :D
Having played Comstar for.....awhile...lol....I find the Viking 2F good for fire support...but lack of decent secondary weapons (clan or IS) annoying to say the least...for IS i prefer using the 2G if I am using the Viking....the MF version you created...Not too bad though honestly apart from LRM's.....a pair of medium pulse or ER lasers would help
Definitely not a mech to be left on its on unsupervised.
good video from a less than Stellar mech
Niche, but people seem to like it.
My only experience with this mech was being a target for it. My opponent had 5 mechs with an ungodly amount of missiles, and all sat at the back and played turret tech. It was a dull game that sadly gave me negative views of the Viking IIC, Nova Cat, and Kraken.
Oof, sounds rough.
@@MechanicalFrog My Atlas got hit with 187 missiles in a single turn. It was the second worst game of battletech I have ever played.
As somebody who began wargaming with 40K in the '90s, before moving to BattleTech, I still feel a little revulsion at the idea of a "parking lot" style of play where the mechs sit in the back, slow or nearly immobile, just lobbing LRMs. My instinct is to push forward and try to engage directly with my opponent. So hiding in the back raining LRMs feels non-interactive.
I always felt like battles are more entertaining when they are won or lost by courageous pushes and outmaneuvering a foe, rather than just sitting back safe and rolling dice.
For better and worse, there's always been a lot of prejudice in the 40k community toward parking lot lists that just rely on fire support and artillery to win. That said, I can't deny the power here, of a missile boat with no minimum range and a mountain of hardened armor.
It may not be a mech I would want to field, but I would respect one on the other side of the table.
Wait… raselhauge think it’s a -punishment-? I fought against this thing… it’s a terror!
The Bears prefer a more direct form of conflict resolution, imho.
Thanks no never new it existed
Sweet!
Did not know
Need the record sheet for the MF version...!
Here ya go!
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7s4ytpmc0cmy2xq22maaw/Viking-IIC-MF.pdf?rlkey=8cl3nwxojb6ue2f10bcrong45&dl=0
Say, how many LRM-Carriers can you buy for the price of this thing? I'm asking for a friend, I'm not implying that you can get more output from a much cheaper tank...
A lot.
And if you were in universe and could pick bloodname, what? Id pick pryde, but love hazen, and even out of clan ward, and howell... Idk just questions for ya buddy
Buckenburger, of course.
Its not as good as a Missile Boat as it could be. Why? Because it was not quite made to be a artillery missile boat, but a walking missile-armed bunker. Its ammunition stores are fairly low, but its armor level is absurdly high.
As part of a combat group there isnt much benefit to go from a Viking assault mech to a Viking IIC assault mech. If anything its a downside because the maximum speed drops and now the group can only move as fast as the slowest element.
In small scale battles the Viking IIC has to be protected because it has rather poor close-range abilities. Use up all that missile ammunition and you have a slow unit with very limited energy weapon capability.
It would be better to have smaller units with similar payloads, like there is an Adder with 40 long range missile tubes. If that runs out of ammunition, it can retreat. The Viking IIC is a battering ram.
It's a unique take on the assault fire support and I kind of dig it for trying something new.
lol, child of the 60s
Good times had by all...