Are There Any Good Vehicles in the 3067 Technical Readout? - BattleTech

[@DIEGhostfish]

The Heimdal seems most dragged down by the LB-10s being fixed equipment. LBs are one of the clan tech pieces that benefited the least from Clan advancements.

[@meining-mech4378]

I feel like the artistic direction for these tanks was inspired by Hot Wheels, especially the Manteuffell. It even has an intake grill in the front!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Possibly...

[@BoisegangGaming]

I really love the Manteuffel Prime. Especially when there's pairs of them on the field. Did a ballistics-focused playthrough of BTA 3062 a while back and two of my tank slots were dedicated to these guys. RAC/5s are no joke, especially when they're targeting the back armor. It also means that Ammo expenditure can be tweaked depending on the needs at the time; a shot or two can be used at longer range while a full six-shot Salvo can be unleashed when in position.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I ran a test game with it in MegaMek and the RAC jammed first shot. I'm cursed.

[@dwwolf4636]

Waaaay back I made a small program to roll hitlocations in Turbopascal ( yeah that's DOS based ). Turns out that pascal had a borked lookup table as a RNG 2nd hit location was alwas the head and the 6th was always a floating crit, followed by a roll of 7. The first turn's shooting was exciting and my oppo thought he was cursed.....by the 2nd turn pattern recognition kicked in..... I had to scrap the idea, unfortunately.

[@Somewhat-Evil]

When Catalyst gets around to making Clan vehicles, I hope they do a MAJOR redesign on their appearance.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Some of them need a re-imagining.

[@philippauli8162]

​@Mechanical Frog agreed although PLOG'S art style keeps growing on me. I hated it at first but now....I kinda like it.

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@philippauli8162 I'm glad it has an audience.

[@rotwang2000]

@@philippauli8162 He's good, but his art goes from awesome to "Well Timmy, now you understand why you do need editors in this world."

[@harbingerx7793]

Not all. There's quite a few I am fond of. But I also agree that some are ridiculous.

[@mikegould6590]

Yes, I've used the Mantueffel and the Enyo, but in MWDA context. The little dig at CHH from a CJF player smacks of hypocrisy though. ;) The current (ilClan) era Khan of CHH piloted a Heimdall in their Trial to gain that position, so some are within CHH hands.

[@hermes7587]

I like the Main Gauche light support tank and the Musketeer hover tank. These are simple, relatively cheap vehicles that make very good use of their main weapons, possibly even better than a Mech could.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Simple and fun. Recipe for a good time.

[@professorpants4390]

Man that mech on the cover looks AMAZING. It looks so frickin cool lol. The other mech on the alternate (or original?) cover is the Sagittaire and wow, that thing looks awesome as well. Edit - I was wrong about that first mech, it's an 80t Legacy not a Gurkha. Man that Legacy is a badass lookin mech.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Gurkha is one of my favorite names for a mech... so badass..

[@StarlightSocialist]

To any Heimdall users: include an AMS in any config you field! Sacrifice whatever other equipment you have to, it's a worthwhile trade. If I'm playing OPFOR against a super heavily armored beast of a tank, like a Heimdall, I am going to try to neutralize it in ways that don't involve slogging through its protection. That means directing inferno SRMs against it, even if it'll result in the likely destruction of the launching unit. Javelins can be yeeted pretty far and loosing one in exchange for a 2000bv clan tank is well worth it. AMS greatly improves the tanks odds of survival against this kind of threat! Further, just the presence of the system will factor into opponents calculations of whether to allocate missile fire against the tank. LRM 5s and 10s are just a nuisance to mechs, but against a tank it's a chance for motive crits.

[@defiantmechwarrior2397]

Wasn't paying attention to it but passed 4k

[@MechanicalFrog]

Zooming.

[@matthewneuendorf5763]

I suspect that the Heimdall's fixed guns are meant to complement the thick forward glacis. They "encourage" the crew to make like a claymore mine and keep front toward enemy.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Possible.

[@RecklessFables]

Too much influence from Games Workshop bullshit

[@tripwire31]

Ah, love seeing the Legacy get to be the cover mech of this book. Probably my favorite Assault mech post Star League era made by the Inner Sphere. I know it's a video about vehicles and not mechs, but I still wanted to point it out since it's one of the only good designs in this book for a mech.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I dig the Legacy. It has a unique style without being absurd.

[@MKmaki6094]

I wish they'd redesign it for a new plastic refresh. The OG IWM one is decent but Iglesias' design's just one helluva killer

[@sim.frischh9781]

Francis? Oh, you mean the Ajax TANK! Sorry. Jokes aside though, TRO 3067 had some neat units, among the conventional vehicles, i especially like the Stygian and the Hephaestus. Generally i do prefer mech though. And at last, i would like to point out just how incredibly cute your avatar pic looks.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Heh, thanks!

[@bogatyr2473]

I always feel like these big expensive XL powered omni tanks miss the point of vehicles in CBT. Mechs are better than vehicles in the CBT universe, so if your vehicle costs almost as much as mech youre better off just buying the mech. Vehicles are best cheap and plentiful, standard fusion or ICE engines, big cannons and missile racks.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Applying your rational mind to BattleTech equipment... You know better. :D

[@bthsr7113]

@@MechanicalFrog Some of it is... but these are the clans.

[@bthsr7113]

You know what would make the Manteuffel even more fun? Pulse lasers. Would really aesthetically synergize with the RAC. Might not be an easy swap without clan tech, but I do think the pulsing laser fire would accentuate the dotted line of death from the autocannon. I feel like having one of the Mant's mounting a C3 master was to help market it as a commander to coordinate a lance using other variants. Ajax A definitely sounds like a Fedcom tank that embodies both nations' stereotypes. Huge, expensive, and arguably impractical like a Steiner, heavy emphasis on ballistics like a Davion. And if you're both lucky enough not to jam and smart enough to have resupply ready to swoop in during quiet moments, 3 RAC5's would be one hell of a show. B is also a good show and more practical, but there's just something special about 18 autocannon shots in a single turn. Though I also love a good 45 missiles arcing over a hill every turn. Clan Mechs are their prestigious units, but their other vehicles can be just as vicious. Enyo seems nice. And looking at Sarna, there's a variant with both a plasma cannon and LB10-X autocannon. Sounds like someone got REALLY fed up with infantry. It also carries 3 SRM-6's and 2 AP Gauss Rifles. Yeah, this reads as thoroughly tired of ground threats that aren't mechs. Or this is a massacre machine by way of inflicting heat, which would still be a nightmare for mechs. The Heimdall isn't going to snipe anybody, but I'd hate to be on the receiving end. And if one sneaks up on your rear arc, have your stance on religion settled. Aside from B, these are all brutal at point blank to medium range. And even B still could be a nasty short range surprise.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I'm digging the Enyo.

[@RandyTandyy]

This IS now an art critique channel.

[@DrVanBoom]

I personnally find the Tyr hover-tank/APC a good transport and support vehicle for any BattleArmor unit. It is not perfect, but it is very good at doing its job.

[@MechanicalFrog]

That is a solid pick.

[@huntsman95]

Heimdall monitor tank from my guess is meant to be a defensive line holder so those lbx's don't need to move that much so long as the enemy is in from of them

[@Based_Lord_Humongous]

Just starting to watch this.... 3067? Good vehicles?? Ajax, Musketeer, Morningstar Mobile HQ, Glory Fire, the other assault tank. Enyo Strike Tank, that Clan Recon Vehicle. Those are the best off the top of my head. Let's see how this plays out!

[@Based_Lord_Humongous]

Dammit right off the bat I forgot the Manttack Tank.

[@Based_Lord_Humongous]

Crap and the Ajax! Beast of a tank!

[@Based_Lord_Humongous]

Oh cool the Enyo made it! It's deceptively simple...the Strana Mechty Gazette referred to it as a "playful but mysterious little tank".

[@Based_Lord_Humongous]

Ahhhhhh the Heimdall! That's a Man's Tank, moreso than the Manttack Tank!

[@michaelkimberling7307]

When it comes to the artwork, most of the artists were paid for quantity not quality. Back in the day. Also 8:20 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@MechanicalFrog]

:D

[@franksmedley7372]

Hello Frog. A pretty good video here. Lots of tanks. Most of them useful to a Commander, if used wisely. For myself, I have the most experience with the Manteuffel. I tend to favor the A, B, and C variants. The A variant, is quite nice, especially for city fighting. An AC-20 with 25 rounds of ammo, 2 Medium lasers, and a small laser. It also has a C3 system, and the ability to carry a squad of battle armor for protection. The B variant, armed with a Heavy Gauss and 3 ER small lasers, is also quite good. It is a 'good' Sniper, from cover, and with those 3 Er small lasers, no one is likely to want to get too close to it. CASE protects the tank from an exploding Gauss Rifle, and it carries a squad of battle armor. The C variant, has a Gauss Rifle and a pair of MGs. It also is outfitted with a C3 system to share data with other vehicles and even Mechs. On top of this, it carries its own security force, being able to carry a full squad of battle armor. I was never a 'fan' of the 'Prime' variant of the Manteuffel tank, and thus always spent the funds needed to 'upgrade' each one I obtained to one of the above variants. They served me well in battle on the tabletops for years, even though it was 'hard' to speak their name (best guess: man toy-full, which translates to: Man Devil). Since the tank's name translates to 'Man Devil', I named each tank for a 'famous' Devil or Demon... Satan, Beelzebub, etc., for my Mercenary unit. The Gauss Manteuffels worked pretty good in conjunction with other tank designs, especially when paired up with Shrek battle tanks. Adding a pair of LRM Carriers to set behind the 'sniper' tanks and give them 'fire support' worked pretty well, and the Manteuffel's Battle Armor squad would deploy forwards of the heavier tanks to prevent other Infantry and Light Mechs from approaching too closely. This got 'out of hand' in one game that I remember, where I fielded 4 Manteuffel tanks, 3 Shreks, 3 LRM Carriers, and an additional 4 squads of Battle Armor (this is in addition to the 4 squads of Battle Armor the Manteuffels had). The tanks took up positions on a high ridge, in pre-dug 'firing pits', where only their turrets were exposed to return fire. The Battle Armor took up positions all around the tanks in well dug 'foxholes', While the LRM Carriers were positioned into deeply dug 'tank pits' and fired indirectly, using the data from the Manteuffel tank's C3 systems. The ridge was heavily forested, making even seeing the dug in tanks difficult for the attackers, and obtaining firing solutions harder to get 'target locks'. The fact that the ridge was mostly in the center of a 6 by 6 foot terrain table, made Enemy maneuvers harder to keep 'secret' from the ridge's observational position, and the Enemy Commander expended massive efforts to suppress or destroy the position... unsuccessfully, I might add. Eventually, the Enemy Commander just decided to bypass the position and charge ahead, attempting to break through the Mechs behind and to the sides of the ridge in support of the tank position. This did not go well for him, and the combination of flanking Gauss and PPC fire, LRM fire, and rushing into the teeth of undamaged Mechs, resulted in most of his force lost for no gain. Tactical, Strategic, or otherwise. The feather on the cap for the whole engagement was that it was Clan units attempting to push things, against 'upgraded' Inner Sphere tech (nothing on the table for my side was 3025 tech, other than a pair of Awesomes). For several weeks, the people I had playing with me, made jokes about 'Smoked Jaguars'. P.S. It was gratifying to see just how fast 'Toad' suits 'melted' under the sustained firepower of several squads of Battle Armor, and the short ranged weaponry of the tanks, which would back up out of their revetments to fire upon the 'infantry', only to roll back into cover to fire on Mechs and vehicles.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I find myself frequently saying to myself, "This could be useful if the commander makes good decisions," which is definitely an important caveat.

[@thunberbolttwo3953]

I like the minion advanced tactical vehicle. It has decent speed for a hovercraft. very good armor with 5.5 tons. Two medium pulse lasers and a c3 slave. You can us it as a fast strike craft. Send targeting data to your lancemates.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Solid pick for a vehicle.

[@joshuamidgette4846]

I think I prefer the Behemoth Heavy Tank for my hold this position vehicle.

[@MechanicalFrog]

An excellent choice as well.

[@williamjanak2013]

Can you make a video on good cheap vehicles? This one was great but they are all so expensive.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Will ponder this.

[@lebe5894]

The musketeer is literally my favourite tank of all time, i think your opening remarks are a bit slanderous except if they were directed at literally any of the clan vehicles they do look stupid.

[@MechanicalFrog]

There are... some interesting designs in this TRO.

[@harbingerx7793]

I actually adore the clan tanks more than the mechs.

[@MechanicalFrog]

They have a certain style to them.

[@DIEGhostfish]

I mean for the average 12-turn match most of these aren't actually low ammo.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Fair.

[@paulsim7589]

I though you could choose solid ammo for LBX weapons? (before game start). You also didn't mention how many reloads the LBX-20 has? I wonder if they could be swapped in a proper vehicle change to HAC30's the Idea of even a simple demolisher with an XL engine and two HAC40's is awesome. (throw in a targeting computer and C3S and your laughing)

[@MechanicalFrog]

So long as you have the ammo type in the mech, you can choose which you're firing each turn.

[@schneecoraxx8689]

That first tanks grille reminds me of something 🤔

[@MechanicalFrog]

#Itisamystery

[@schneecoraxx8689]

@@MechanicalFrog good ol bently tank anyone?

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@schneecoraxx8689 Sounds good.

[@battlespace13]

Edsel, it's definitely an Edsel grille. Because we can't say it looks like a euphemism for a woman's parts, right?

[@Eulemunin]

Feeding the algorithm

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank ya!

[@beefbigshot8789]

its a shame Hell's Horses are a joke, their doctrine is actually really cool as far as clans go. Funny how the conceptually smartest clan is in reality the dumbest clan in lore

[@MechanicalFrog]

They just cannot help being bad. I suspect a fault in their genetics program.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Why are the horses awful? I've mostly only read TROs and quite like their tech and doctrine.

[@MechanicalFrog]

They take some flack, mostly unearned, for being the tank-using clan. It's all in good fun.

[@stuartwald2395]

Wonderful work! Just to indulge my natural pedanticism, I believe that the german pronunciation is "Man-Toy-Full"; it is named after this guy: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasso_von_Manteuffel

[@MechanicalFrog]

You're probably right. I'm notoriously bad at pronouncing things. I blame my public school education.