Battletech Lore - Trebuchet Medium Battlemech

[@Sapper21b10]

The trench bucket has always been my favorite medium fire support mech. It hits hard for a medium. Moves relatively quickly, and makes it rain. If you’re worried about ammo, drop a medium laser and add ammo. Dropping the launcher size makes it a Whitworth. But I don’t care what mech it is. A pair of LRM 15s make any mech pause.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Bring the rain :D

[@akiraguy]

Sure could kill a heavy Lance fast Considering his lancemates consist of 2 archers, and in the age without ECM or AMS.

[@Sapper21b10]

akiraguy absolutely. It’s fun to watch all the bubbles pop and make your own smoke screen!

[@foxdavion6865]

On table top this mech can punch above it's weight. I've seen these core heavy mechs and have given all but the toughest Assault mechs a good pounding.

[@paulhuston9991]

Ah the trench bucket. The Swiss army knife medium mech. Adequate medium lasers power for a medium and decent armor. It really shines long range and is a serious threat to bigger mechs. It's only real fault is, like said in the video, is ammo capacity. The lack of ammo does have the advantage of often having dry bins when armor is eventually penetrated. It's 3025 & 3050 standard configurations are about as good as you can get in the chassis but swapping to SRM launchers is a great second and packs punch out of it's weight. All in all its solid and always performs very well in the table top. It's also a great mech to have in the RPG as an inexpensive and common for support platform. There is almost always parts floating around even if you have to shoot them from under the previous owner. It runs cool, hits hard, can take a licking and can retire from battle easily or relocate to better position as the battle turns. If my brother, who loves his LRM boats, can't take a longbow, Archer or catapult you can bet you will see a trench bucket.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Appreciate your detailed insights as always :)

[@akiraguy]

Swapping an lrm for arm would make it a mini kintaro. Not that's a bad thing, really.

[@Sapper21b10]

I like the 8D dervish better than the Bucket. Unfortunately it is pretty expensive for BV. But if I need a cheap missile boat, this one gets the nod. Particularly, if I want to run better gunners.

[@franksmedley8619]

Hello Grim. During my years playing with the Emperor's Headquarters group, I found occasions to use the Trebuchet quite often. But, in an 'altered' configuration. The Group allowed for fairly extensive modifications of Mechs, so long as it was all 3025 era. And when 3050 and 3055 technical readouts and rules became available, the Group tightened it's internal 'rules' about modifications of Mechs, and creation of totally new ones as well. Mostly, I assume, from my own efforts in those areas, and how 'unpopular' some of my designs became... as well as their effectiveness on the battlefield. It seemed the Group didn't like me nearly always winning using efficiently designed or altered Mechs. But, in any case, my favored version of the 3025 Trebuchet merely moved things around a bit, rather than make extensive changes to it's design. The arm mounted LRM-15 was moved to the torso, and one of the pair of Medium Lasers on the other arm was moved to center torso. I felt, and still do, that arm mounted weapons are a vulnerability and not as much of an asset as some may think. The arms are more lightly armored and easier to destroy, with the almost certainty of losing said weapons mounted there should the arm be shot off by Enemy fire. Thus my versions of the Trebuchet were paired up with Phoenix Hawks, and Crusaders to provide a 'missile umbrella' for the faster Mechs to 'shelter' under as they closed upon Enemy forces. I did field the 'standard' lances from time to time, and a further variant saw my Trebuchets removing the center torso laser in favor of another ton of ammo for the LRMs. The speed of the Mech, compared to non-scout Mechs, meant that the Trebuchet could often maneuver better and relocate on the battlefield faster than the slower, 'average' Mechs. I found that using Trebuchets to target and degrade Enemy Scout Mechs to be it's primary function in most cases. The Trebuchet could rain down enough missiles to make most Scout Mechs wary of closing into their usual weapons ranges, since their armor by that point would rather thin, or non-existent over much of the Mech. By doing this, my heavier 'missile boats' could concentrate on heavier Enemy Mechs, without undue worry about being 'back stabbed' by lighter foes. Once the onboard missile supply was exhausted, the Trebuchet was usually quick enough to hunt down and kill, or drive off those pesky Scout Mechs. And, in turn, they were fast enough to maneuver to pincer Enemy Mechs and threaten their thin rear armor. This usually allow my forces to force other units to surrender in place, rather than to see their valuable Mech destroyed on the battlefield. Ransoming back both Mechs and Pilots often netted more income than the Sponsor offered as payment for the battle in the first place. As you may see, the isolation and separation of the Enemy's Lights from his other Mechs, made the eventual encirclement possible... which led to surrenders more often. Including the Lights that had initially escaped, since once I had obtained the surrender of their heavier forces, the Light Mechs could be hunted down individually if necessary and destroyed. Rather than have their Mechs further damaged or destroyed, the Light Mechs would usually surrender within a day or two of their heavier brethren. Oh, and before I forget... the 'down grading' of the Trebuchet's LRM-15s to three LRM-5's actually saves a ton of mass per LRM-15 launcher. This 'extra' two tons of mass can be used quite effectively to augment the Trebuchet's performance in several ways, depending upon what use you plan for the Mech as a whole. Extra Heat Sinks, extra Medium Lasers, or even extra Ammunition bins for the LRMs. Just my thoughts and memories, spoken Frank-ly

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Much appreciate your additions :)

[@legion499]

I like all-or-nothing builds like the Hunchback with all the weapons in 1 spot or area. Has such the 1 problem I have with the standard ver. of this mech is that the arm mounted launcher is on the opposite side of the torso launcher. Putting it in the opposite torso and making it symmetrical would have made me happy too.

[@tannerrennat7786]

TRENCHBUCKET!!!

[@wallacetillery5557]

I have never used the Trebuchet, but I had a friend who played back in the day and he called it the Jack of All Trades mech. I have seen folks use it effectively in game though and it it a decent medium mech.

[@lawrenceblackwell4905]

Gdn I just wanted to say thank you I don't make too many comments about the Ural or but I do want to say I've been following you since Warhammer for years and I enjoy your BattleTech. I remember playing the game back in the 90s LOL. Just to show my age. however I also want to say because of it I am found your books about the grey skulls and I'm on the 4th one now I just want to say thank you very much for narrating all of them I've enjoyed them tremendously thanks again and please keep it up.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying the Battletech videos :)

[@TheStrayHALOMAN]

I hope this and the cyclops gets added to MechWarrior: Living Legends.

[@tannerrennat7786]

What a game!

[@mbr5742]

The TRO 3050 "Marik" version is one of those that makes one ask the question "Did the designers ever play the game". LRM and NARC in one platform makes no sense unless you only game 1:1 and even then it's of limited use. In this case made even worse since a canon SRM version exists in TRON 3025 and could have been used as a start (combining one SRM/NARC with 3 LRM)

[@jamesricker3997]

It was probably designed to work with 3 other more conventional trenchbuckets in a Lance.

[@starsiegeplayer]

Grim, I like your narration on these battlemech discussions :)

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thank you :)

[@Shadow-Kalbo1]

@GrimDark Narrator thanks for the battletech videos you have been doing

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

You're welcome.

[@inquisitorbenediktanders3142]

I find it interesting how it is built regarding the speed of the mech, especially if you compare it to the centurion, which it is made to work with: 81 kph is relatively quick for a medium, yet as a fire support mech that stays close to the supply lines it shouldn't have to go far, yet the all rounder centurion which is supposed to supplement at mid- to shortrange has to live with below average speed, which makes rapid responses harder than it should be. Tl;dr In my opinion make the trenchbucket slower but give it more missiles, and turn the centurion into an interceptor.

[@matthewbrasel2737]

The heroic Trebuchet makes a fine raiding mech in MW5

[@billrich9722]

Wow. Dark Ages really jumped the shark.

[@schnarre0]

...The Trebuchet is so easily modified, it is a true jack-of-all-trades. I would typically downgrade the LRM-15 rack to -10 racks, & add a flamer (to fry infantry that got too close), & an SRM-4 rack (to handle any vehicles in range); a similar refit substitutes a 4th medium laser for the afore-mentioned flamer. When 3050 arrived, I refitted it with an XL engine & made it jump capable. Fun stuff!

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Sounds great!

[@schnarre0]

@@GrimDarkNarrator Was a well-rounded configuration!

[@gregdomenico1891]

The Trench Bucket is a great medium fire support mech in the vanilla battletech game. Like Chad said, drop a medium laser and add a extra ton of ammo. In Rogue tech, these things are dangerous in the early game; I just ran into one equipped with Thunderbolts, really ruined my day!

[@akiraguy]

You met it too? One headcapped my fresh thunderbolt early engagement. I won but lost an elite warrior.

[@gregdomenico1891]

@@akiraguy it was early game, so my largest was a centurion. Took two t bolt 15s to the chest; kept the pilot, but the mech was unsalvageable. From that moment on, every mech gets a AMS. Sorry about that veteran pilot. I feel your pain in trying to get them worth a damn

[@goliath4802]

I mean the flashman battlemech next please.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I'll add it to the roster of suggestions.

[@goliath4802]

Thank you! XD

[@Shadow-Kalbo1]

The Trebuchet is basically a lighter catapult

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

With hands :D

[@MrHeadphones64]

Chain whipping an assault mech doesn't sound like it should work

[@damienpugh1777]

a good ranged medium mech, but my favorite fire support and or miissle boat medium mech is the Kintaro

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I'll have to get to that someday.

[@IndifferentInferno]

Hey Mr. GDN any chance we can get a BattleMaster video?

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

It was always a planned mech to do. Its just that there's a ton of variants on it and I kept postponing it. I'll add it to a future poll.

[@lexington476]

What do you think? Dervish or Trebuchet?

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Maybe Dervish overall.

[@benkeller4210]

Love the vids.

[@Cbabilon675]

Great job.😁

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks! 😁

[@deph5183]

I want like the trenchbucket but I always found its armor too anemic if you want a respectable amount of firepower. If we are talking the same tonnage, I would take a centurion over it any day for fire support.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Well, the Trebuchet is known for often pairing with Centurions.

[@dubuyajay9964]

I'm going to guess if you're an Inner Sphere Mech Pilot that you are or was a member of the Rasalhague League/Dominion.

[@goliath4802]

Glassman battlemech mechwarrior.