BATTLETECH: The Rifleman

[@blue95kun]

Ah, Kallon Industries. Their company motto being “If it flies, it dies.” Truly their loathing of anything airborne knows no bounds.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Flying is an affront to mankind and must be done away with. So mankind made the Rifleman.

[@patrickkenyon2326]

Their company headquarters must have been in an area that had a lot of mosquitoes.

[@thaipankatima658]

More like "If I can't fly, NOBODY flies!!!"

[@brianhenry152]

While the Rifleman can cook a pilot with relative ease, the base model of the Crusader (another Kallon Industries design) can cook the pilot even quicker! Any chance of addressing the Crusader?

[@patrickkenyon2326]

@@brianhenry152 If you can't fry an egg on your dashboard, you ain't livin' the Mech life!

[@taranoreilly5101]

The way you say Rifle Man like it's a super hero tickles me deeply

[@n00bfishie]

I think the Rifleman’s heat problems are exaggerated. The solution is to park it in some light woods, and fire away with the 2x AC/5s and ONE Large Laser. That’s 10 heat, to saturate your 10 heat sinks, and completely heat neutral. Think of the second LL as just insurance/redundancy if you lose an arm. I wouldn’t bother to fire the second LL unless you have a great shot lined up and an opportunity to finish off an enemy.

[@BigRed40TECH]

I think I described that fire-discipline in video. :P I still think it's a very hot running machine tbh.

[@TheGreatDayne1983]

@n00bfish Or that the LL are for backup or for defense against mechs or armored vehicles The AC 5 are for its main job and the lasers are only if things go sideways and it HAS to fight or as backup if it runs out of ammo The rifleman wasn’t made for direct combat, it was designed to be a mobile anti aircraft turret or a fire support system that can potentially defend itself if flanked

[@treevenewson]

To steal a quote "one is none, two is one, and three is some..."

[@martinkafka9510]

Also I would argue that Mechs that force you to weigh the advantage of greater firepower vs. heat increase are much more interesting than those that use double heat sinks, thus removing the heat factor almost completely. That is also reason why I would consider the 3-4th succesion war era to be the most interesting to play in.

[@imasspeons]

@@treevenewson a man of culture, I see.

[@OptimusJedi]

The Rifleman is just plain cool and made cooler in the lore by some of the pilots that use them. Gray Noton, Justin Xiang-Allard and my personal favorite Davis McCall.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Captain General Janos Marik, also chose the Rifleman as his ride. Can't be all that bad. :)

[@frankb3347]

Actually it's hot... it's very hot.

[@snakeplissken1754]

Gray noton however was a bit of a cheater running most likely a much heavier version then the regular riflemen without disclosing it. Explains his success at Solaris.

[@MM22966]

I'd add "Gentleman Johnny" Clavell of the Black Widow Company

[@g.d.graham2446]

I also like Silvan Vaughn's version in MW5: double gauss or double ac/20 of death 😁

[@isaacrubin9606]

I've always had a interest in the Rifleman III. 90 tons of Gauss, cloaking, and armor. It serves as a neat counterpoint to Ameris's Folly - the half-built prototype did quite the number on the lance that found it, so I think it might deserve the title Ameris's Triumph.

[@BigRed40TECH]

It's a good defensive mech definitely.

[@NeroLordofChaos]

9 kills in a single battle by itself before being destroyed. That's a feat for most mechs to pull off, especially for a prototype. More so that it was probably fighting other assaults since it was deployed when the retaking of Terra was in full swing.

[@BoisegangGaming]

BTA3062 adds a variant that has 8 LBX-2s, which sounds absolutely hilarious to see in action. Just so much cluster munitions.

[@garlicbread529]

@@NeroLordofChaos It also have a very low amount of ammunition. I think 4 salvos of the guns to conpletely deplete it. That must mean that some of the kilks the mech had only took 1-2 shots from the gsuss rifles.

[@NeroLordofChaos]

@@garlicbread529 yep. It only had enough ammo for 16 shots, but damn if it didn't prove itself effective as a city ambusher, basically an AC20 urbie on steroids.

[@ashaide]

I put FOUR standard LB-2Xs on one of my Riflemans (I think it was a 3C; I'll have to check again) as a funsie. Had jump jets because I like the maneuverability (and so it can get to ideal sniping locations) and a bit more armor. And it was, indeed, a fun mech to run. You could slot new recruits and have them just go alpha on ANYTHING and it would be useful. In the hands of more veteran mechwarriors, it was such an extreme-range sandpaper and a danger to any OpFor that was already savaged by the Rifleman's lancemates. It also did well as an anti-turret unit. I named it the Mr. Flak Ker :D

[@dynamicworlds1]

I went for 2 lb-x2s and 2 uac2s for one I'm running now which gives a nice mix on the damage. Skipped the JJs for a couple m lasers for some extra "f-off" punch at close ranges to help with things that get in close or to provide some extra power in that sweet spot where the range brackets overlap. Also bumped up the armor, of course. Oddly enough for a Rifleman, it runs excellent on heat (especially when the lasers aren't used much) so it's one of my go-tos on missions where heat management is going to be a bigger concern than normal.

[@ogrehaslayers605]

I made one with 4 AC/2's and extra ammo which was all special ammo. Nothing like forcing crits at AC/2 ranges 4x per turn 😂

[@tarron3237]

Most importantly, it is beautiful! Also probably THE mech where a switch from single to double heatsinks has the biggest impact.

[@imnotabotiswear3276]

One of my favorite combat ovens

[@BigRed40TECH]

You need the coolant vest 100% in this ride. lol

[@kilowhiskyforge4337]

That's a nice thumbnail my guy. Edit: Great stuff, very glad I subbed when I did to catch this series as it happens

[@BigRed40TECH]

I think the best part is that it lets people know that the Rifleman is invincible, and can never die.

[@kilowhiskyforge4337]

@@BigRed40TECH Hahaaaa YES SIR! That's exactly right dadgum

[@rmcdudmk212]

The Rifleman ... Good TV show, even better mech 👍

[@BigRed40TECH]

Piloted by the ghost of Chuck Connors himself.

[@rmcdudmk212]

@@BigRed40TECH now that's a TV show I'd watch for sure 😁

[@michaelkimberling7307]

An XL engine in the Rifleman to me is a perfectly reasonable upgrade. If your losing a side torso on a Rifleman either your losing the battle or doing something wrong.

[@sgt_s4und3r54]

I'm enjoying your short and simple breakdowns of the game and its lore. Keep up the good work.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Thank you! :)

[@WolfHreda]

The Immortal Rifleman. Because you will live on in history as yet another victim of too much heat and too little armor. In all seriousness, the Rifleman is my favorite mech ever. I truly adore it.

[@tarron3237]

That's exactly because it has character. It's not some boring heat neutral, max armor marlboro mech. It has great looks, a definite role and some serious drawbacks to work around. It's unique.

[@skyvipers]

JM6-DD pilots after hearing about the long service life of the Rifleman: *stares in disgust*

[@tapioperala3010]

Rifleman goes BRRRRRRR! In MW5: Mercs my go-to heavy is the Rifleman. 2 x AC/2-BF with a shit-ton of ammo 4 x Medium Laser Loads of heatsinks and max armor. What's not to love. Edit: Or were they AC/5-BFs... They go BRRRRRRR, and that's the main thing

[@Dracobyte]

How hot does it run?

[@tapioperala3010]

@@Dracobyte Actually very cool. Almost heat neutral.

[@Dracobyte]

@@tapioperala3010 nice!

[@Chris_Sizemore]

Riffleman is a mech that improves when you remove things. Take out the AC5's, replace with heat sinks and armor. Boom, now you can reliably use the lasers. Remove the lasers and upscale the AC's, the heat problem is gone. Admittedly so is most of the reason you wanted a Riffleman. Remove all common sense and just learn to embrace the burn... honestly the AC ammo is an explosion waiting to happen. Remove the ACs, slap on 2 more large lasers and a few heat sinks. Maybe remove the medium lasers in a desperate bid to reduce heat? This is a bad design, but when the pilot sees a good opportunity the damage is there. Honestly the best upgrade package for the Riffleman would of been to just install double heatsinks in the engine. Solves the heat problem at a very low cost. That should of been the number 1 upgrade package since it is cheap and 100% improves the base model. Adding upgraded weapons tends to make the Riffleman's problems worse, to the point you need an XL engine and Endo steel to free up enough weight to fix the problems the new weapons introduced. And even later, drop the large lasers, upgrade to RAC/5's and up the ammo and armor. Still has a slight heat problem but that is due to operator error.

[@Radagast49230]

It's an area denial tool it doesn't need to move faster tactically than your assault forces. I drop their speed to 3/5 and add armor and HS.

[@ChocorocK]

The 3C is such a good light-meduim killer no slouch against heavier mechs either. Hanse Davion is second only to general Kerensky in terms of conceptual mech design.

[@BigRed40TECH]

It's the best Succession War Rifleman.

[@willdavis3802]

You mistake the king of ineffective dakka for someone competent. Davion slapped ACs on everything for centuries, and Hanse didn't design the 3C. It was made long before he was born.

[@jonbezeau3124]

Unlike the Grasshopper, technology can do so much for the Rifleman. I think the C3 and 7N are my favourite listed variants, just slap some double heat sinks and advanced AC5's in there and it's a great mech without having to resort to dangerous engines or advanced construction materials.

[@enderz7593]

The Rifleman 3 is nuts! 4 gauss rifles and Null systems, I know it would be expensive as hell to buy and field but I want 3 of them!

[@BigRed40TECH]

It's a distinct model, but I will hopefully get to cover it one day. :)

[@robcowboy2713]

Careful. It has speeds to give the Urbanmech a run for its money as slowest mech

[@kilowhiskyforge4337]

Ain't that the Amaris-spec nonsense mech? 4 heavy gauss, stealth, 4 alpha strikes and you're out of ammo?? Edit: Nonsense in a great way, btw, I desperately want this mech as well

[@CharlesUrban]

@@robcowboy2713 That's why its intended role is ambush. Put it in position before a battle, lure the enemy forces into its clutches, watch the fireworks, and pray that you don't need to reposition it on the fly.

[@ruthiekest3218]

@@CharlesUrban I pretty sure it has stealth mode

[@faithmcclosky4528]

Great video as always. I think you gave the Rifleman a fair treatment for what it is.

[@BigRed40TECH]

I always try to be fair.

[@CharlesUrban]

While you're destroying enemy aerospace assets, the dangerous heat means that you can cook burgers in the cockpit! I think that the Lancelot would have replaced the Rifleman had the Succession Wars not destroyed the technology base necessary to keep that line afloat. It pays to be easy to maintain, and the Rifleman does that well.

[@BigRed40TECH]

No RFL pilot is going to go hungry on the battlefield.

[@rmcdudmk212]

Mmmmmm burgers 😋

[@alfalegionnaire3451]

Holy shit red, this is incredible. You're worrying me bro, doing like 3 a day, keep it up

[@BigRed40TECH]

3? My god no. lol. I was working on this last night and got most of the script done. I finished it off and recorded and edited it tonight. As I complete stuff, I put it out. It just takes time. :)

[@LuoSon312_G8]

a very terrifying combination; 2x Blackjack, 1x Rifleman, and 1x Jeagermech

[@BigRed40TECH]

Terrifying for flyers, anyway, lol

[@kilowhiskyforge4337]

@@BigRed40TECH depends on just how many AC-2s are spread throughout the builds, regardless massive ballistic lance, Id run away

[@semperatis]

Arm them all with LAC5's and they become really dangerous.

[@ghoulbuster1]

The family reunion!

[@Seriona1]

You don't like surviving do you Kouher?

[@Reverb154]

The Rifleman, often imitated, never replicated!

[@Atlas3060]

The Rifleman is that one car your buddy has kept for over a bajillion years. When you go and catch up with him, he reveals he still has it and it WORKS; all you an do is scream "WHY and HOW?!"

[@erikbjelke4411]

So glad the Unseen debacle is settled and the Rifleman can return to prominence! It just looks good. Much of the flak (no pun intended) this 'Mech gets is due to being forced into roles it was never designed to fill. It is NOT a frontline combat 'Mech, it's an anti-air and long-range direct fire support 'Mech. It's not meant to be in the thick of combat. Using it well involves it being supported by tankier 'Mechs to get close and take hits while the Rifleman helps wear down enemies from far away, using it's jump jets to stay away from anything big enough to threaten it. The heat is a problem, but it's partly intentional. An 11 to dial the 'Mech up to if something gets in your face, risking the overheat for the chance to land a knockout blow before it can rip through your thin armor.

[@ironboy3245]

This would be a valid argument if it actually did it's fucking job as a fire support mech. I've had games where I just ignored it peppering me with minor annoyances while ripping through its screening force with a lance of brawlers The only threatening variants of these are player made versions that actually have the capacity to hurt you, the stock variants are jokes for the most part

[@connorriggs1518]

You know I never liked my enemies aircraft their loud and have a tendency of destroying my stuff, that’s why you always keep some AA on hand and let me tell you the Rifle man is my favorite kind of AA

[@mr6johnclark]

NOW THIS is a fine mech. i prefer the IIC version with Energy and missiles, When i started MWO you had little choice now its become interesting with RAC-5s in the mix. I have maybe 4 varried rifleman variants. The new skill tree just arrived it will be iinteresting to reskill it.

[@kilowhiskyforge4337]

Oh man, the new skill tree is everything I could have ever wanted with fine-tuning in mind. Have fun brotha. Also, I just sold mine I gotta admit, but I ran (pretty sure a standard 3N, can't recall) 2 LBX-5s and 2 LBX-2s. Was fun but would you say this is an ok build with a LHT eng and max armor? Anything less than at least 2 'AC-5' types was no where near enough damage in general (e.g. four AC/LBX-2s is not enough)

[@mr6johnclark]

@@kilowhiskyforge4337 A rifleman just screams Tanker build this will be interesting to see what happens to the player ecosystem in MWO as people start to find the perfect mech and skill tree loadout the next few weeks will be interesting.

[@kilowhiskyforge4337]

@@mr6johnclark Yeah I'm really looking forward to it, and I honestly opens up the way to skilling any other mech w/o paying the $7 i normally do for the 100gsp; and a tanky rifleman is almost a meme build haha. My meme build before I sold it was simply max armor, range, cooldown, and 2 AC-20s. Many lulz were had when light mechs thought I was a 'normal' rifleman.

[@mr6johnclark]

@@kilowhiskyforge4337 honestly i remember i only sold ONE mech i completely forgot I could do that. the battlefield in MWO just got more complcated expect strange builds!

[@Chris_Sizemore]

I'm still of the opinion: under armored, huge heat problem. Rattling death trap that needs a big redesign to make it decent.

[@sharlin648]

Excellent vid of a pretty decent if pretty tricky to use 'Mech. But plan this thing in some woods, and you can blaze away with both AC-5s and a single large laser without issue. Load up some flak shells and it becomes a real case of Plane-b-gone.

[@bezyn2291]

Say what you want about Amaris, but the man understood Rifleman`s design practice as evidenced by Rifleman 3.

[@BigRed40TECH]

His genius could only be understood by those who loved the Rifleman.

[@johnwiebe8581]

I did a basic modification, trying to keep the costs down while leaning into the AA role. 2x Med Lasers were retained but each arm mounted a RAC2 with a ton of ammo. The heatsinks were doubled and a target computer was added specifically for helping with the AA role.

[@NeroLordofChaos]

Too bad the Rifleman 3 was a one off. Something like that would be fucking _TERRIFYING_ if it showed up. (For the uninitiated: The Rifleman 3 was a one off super prototype developed during the Amaris civil war by Amaris. It was an assault mech with *4* gauss rifles, Null stealth system, and enough ammo to _DELETE_ a lance of mechs from existence before it had to resupply)

[@NeroLordofChaos]

The Rifleman 3 prototype actually had 9 kills before it was rendered inoperable during the retaking of Terra and it's wreck wasn't rediscovered until 3146.

[@CharlesUrban]

It was also very slow, so you had to set it up in a good ambush/sniping spot before a fight.

[@g.d.graham2446]

Wow

[@dubuyajay9964]

@@CharlesUrban And lacking in ammo. It died because the guns went dry.

[@CharlesUrban]

@@dubuyajay9964 Yeah, the design has its flaws. You have to pick its spot on the battlefield very carefully and then pray that its stealth systems keep it hidden both before and after it wreaks its havoc.

[@BoisegangGaming]

The Rifleman III is just... so Stupidly insane it becomes awesome. Yes, it's fragile, yes, it has no ammo for its weapons, but at the same time it's impracticality is exactly what makes it stand out. Giving it Stealth capabilities and gauss Rifles? Probably a smart idea. Giving it so many that it can't even take a light breeze without exposing it's structure? Complete overkill.

[@FlickTakFlakAttack]

I'm reading the Sarna page, and anything that can down 9 SLDF mechs in a single engagement should be worthy of a relook. It's like a 90-ton urbanmech.

[@rotwang2000]

@@FlickTakFlakAttack To paraphrase Patton "It's not about how many you take with you before dying, it's all about making sure you go home and make sure the others leave in a pine box. Every idiot can die for his country, what you need is somebody who can win for their country and live to tell their great-grandchildren." The Rifleman III is stupid, the end. Better invest into something mobile and stealthy with one good gun that will harass the enemy whittle them down over time. Sure it's not as fancy as blowing up 9 mechs, but remember you're just a super-expensive IED by this point, just as effective at many times the cost.

[@VallornDeathblade]

@@FlickTakFlakAttack The thought of a Rifleman 3 variant made with clantech is a horrifying thought that I wish to try and put together.

[@robertroy7818]

I love the Rifleman. I hang back and pick at armor with the autocannons before a kill alpha and drawing it back to cool off for a turn or two. It's not a great duelist by any stretch but as a part of a unit it's solid.

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

Like the song says, "Feeling hot hot hot!!" One of the OG hot boiz, the Rifleman was always fun. In my old Mechwarrior unit the Rifleman was one of the original mechs. Then we learned how the game was actually played and changed our mechs. 😁 There's no real mystery to handling the Rifleman's heat issues though. Only fire all the arm guns when the target status merits it. Use the AC first, then switch to LL to put the hurt on AC hit regions. Use the ML only when enemies get to short range (and why did that happen?).

[@bardylon]

Like many of the early FASA Battletech designs this one was directly taken from the anime series “Macross” (released as Robotech to western audiences) in which it is known as a “Defender”, designed for an anti-aircraft defence role. Loved these designs which is what got me hooked on the 1st edition Battletech as a kid

[@starsiegeplayer]

I know some players dislike it for having a second LL for which it has no heat support, but I still like this mech. The second LL gives you redundancy and flex firepower. You can overheat with both LL and AC, but you have to give yourself a turn to cool off afterwards. This may not be as useful as sustainable fire, but if you can do it to attack things that you have to knock out fast, or to smack a hit-and-run unit (like aircraft) it can help, or if you can use cover it's very useful. I remember one game where i was able to get my rifleman close to cover. I overheated, then next turn just ran behind cover to cool off. My target mech was well heat balanced, but this way I was able to essentially cut his firepower in half (he could only shoot me every other turn), while my "flex" firepower (2 LL+ 2 AC every other round) only effectively only reduced my firepower by 20% compared to the heat neutral baseline (1LL +2AC every round). However, it would be nice to have sustainable long range firepower. I came up with a variant last year that did that... drop the speed to 3/5 and get rid of the Med Laser, and you have enough tonnage to add heat sinks to support the remaining guns as well as get a little more armor.

[@rh352]

Despite it's shortcomings, the Rifleman is still one of my favorite heavy mechs-ESPECIALLY if I'm allowed to modify it. You hit the nail on the head: as long as you keep it to its intended role (in the backfield, taking long-range shots at the enemy and letting your other mechs move up and engage), it's an incredibly deadly and effective unit. My preferred modification (pre-Clan Invasion) is similar to the -4D: swap the autocannons for PPCs (my favorite weapons in the game, though I haven't tried many post-Clan Invasion weapons like the plasma cannon and stuff yet) but keep the medium lasers and swap out the large lasers for two more medium lasers. That leaves me with 11 tons to work with (if I'm working from the -3N), which I would use to add 3 tons of armor and 8 heatsinks. Obviously this doesn't solve the heat problem completely, but it reduces it enough that it isn't too difficult to manage. Plus, the extra armor and 4 medium lasers make it much more of a threat at shorter ranges.

[@elchjol2777]

The legendary one in MW 5 with twin gauss guns was a nasty fight,quick but nasty for all involved. The rest of Vaun's lance was also a quick and bloody fight. It was also the first mission I brought my Nightstar to, so gauss fest all around. Still screw that guy in particular.

[@g.d.graham2446]

Good rifleman hero for that game

[@elchjol2777]

Dueling it with a Nightstar was a rather cool looking fight. Well a quick and brutal fight of gauss guns but overall a fun fight.

[@44R0Ndin]

@@elchjol2777 Dueling it with the Nightstar sounds like a game of "who scores a double headshot first". And with how I aim, that's gonna be me every time. Matter of fact, I stopped playing MW5 because just headshotting everything got too boring. I even switched to heavy rifles and it was still too easy. That hero king crab "carapace" KGC-CAR can fit FOUR heavy rifles in it! Load up on ammo and DHS and you'll have 152 ammo ready to tell the enemy "go somewhere else, or go to a million pieces, it matters not to me". I call that hero king crab build the "Iowa class" because in a mech-scale conflict, the thing hits as if you'd called in orbital bombardment. All 4 heavy rifles hitting any single location will only be survived by a very fresh Atlas in the front torsos (either side or center), or something similarly heavily armored. And even then, a 2nd salvo solves that. With how many heat sinks it can carry, you can alpha strike 3-4 times before triggering overheat shutdown. And you can fire 2 heavy rifles at a time with practically no issues whatsoever.

[@stormcrow28]

The Project Phoenix and RecGuide Rebuilds fix almost all of the Rifleman's issues, especially the 7N in 3133. Two ER Large, Two LB-5xs, 2 ER Medium Lasers, 2 tons of ammo, 11 tons of armor, 13 DHS, Endo Steel and a 240 XL engine. For 1329 BV, it does a nice job of giving you a long range strike platform with anti-air capability. The dual SB-Gauss or 6D with the dual RAC/5s and ER Mediums are also nice refits

[@johnmeyer4789]

Wow! Chuck Connors is way taller than I thought.

[@BigRed40TECH]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpewf2uXaL-Fi7s&ab_channel=GirolamoSavonarola This is unironically my mom's favourite show, so I actually know what this is, lol

[@OmniMontel]

NBA players usually are not short.

[@charlesquigley4383]

The first miniature I ever got, in a little blue ral partha blister pack ❤

[@mattikuokkanen]

Marauder makes a pretty decent AA ’Mech too: load autocannon with flak or LB-X Cluster

[@44R0Ndin]

Not to mention that PPCs or ERPPCs are just as mean to ASF's as they are to Mechs and Vehicles.

[@thestabbybrit4798]

I enjoy this Mech in MW5. Park it on a hill overlooking a base and watch the buildings come tumbling down!

[@robertmarquez343]

I like The Rifleman I like it the art design in the game I had a enemy Rifleman kill my Warhammer by shooting the cockpit and killing the pilot I prioritize them in combat staying out of line of sight until I can get a shot on them I usually run mine as a glass Cannon very very light armor 2 AC10s with 2 long range lasers I just have to stay out of the enemy's range easily killing light-to-medium mecs or focusing on shoulders or arms crippling enemies weapons easily also viable on Heavies and assault if you're just going for a limbs this building is very mobile only weakness is that it's really weak armor so lrms are our nemesis as long and I can stay on the outskirts of the battle it does great of picking off enemies cleaning up wounded enemies or crippling enemies not perfect but in Great mec

[@yourseatatthetable]

This is a Mech that absolutely requires a pilot who is on point with his/her heat management. Far too often the Rifleman finds itself embroiled in combat situations that it was not built nor intended to cope with. As an AA platform, it's adequate, like a lot of designs that are good, but don't excel. Between the lack of heat sinks and subpar rear armor, I'm always forced to 'keep an eye' on any Rifleman I field. Personally, I tend to assign them to overwatch or security lances. Units used to support/protect non-mech assets. Artillery batteries, field logistics trains, field repair and recovery teams, Airfields and Dropship LZs, and HQ units. Otherwise, they'll get regulated to command lances that, by most rights, should not be taking the brunt of frontline combat. (i.e. Battalion/Regimental level CC). Just my opinion, of course.

[@miafillene4396]

Unseen Rifleman IIc with the quad Lg. Pulse Lasers, and 20 Double Heat Sinks. 3/5/3 movement. Max armor. 65 tons.

[@44R0Ndin]

Oh boy. You just said the magic words. Clan large pulse lasers. That's commonly accepted as the Battletech equivalent of finely aged Gouda. In other words, pure cheese.

[@treevenewson]

My favorite personal 3025 variation removes the medium lasers for a single heat sink and 1 ton of AC/5 ammo.

[@Stewdiggy]

It would be cool to hear a section about the notable pilots for each mech.

[@FuriosusD06]

RFL and JM6 are probably my favourite mech

[@robrib2682]

One thing I've always wondered about this mech is why is it always a light tan yellow whenever it's in any fan art that I see? Because it's getting to the point where I'm halfway liable to try and figure out how to make a banana with gun arms that I can field in tabletop alongside it

[@AXE2501]

Great video bear

[@BigRed40TECH]

Thanks 👍

[@operkoi8954]

I don’t care how terrible it is I’m calling dibs on the rifleman if I’m stationed on an arctic planet.

[@EricLinstone]

Just keep an eye out for a body of water.

[@BigRed40TECH]

No water exists in the wake of the Rifleman. It's all boiled away. :P

[@frankb3347]

It's alright in its intended role. Try using it outside of its intended role and you're going to have problems.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Welcome to Battletech lol

[@thorshammer8033]

Its a team player, its got its role.

[@lukedudley5030]

Too slow not enough armour but a great mech :-) I love this mech it has range and a big hit...keep I secret keep it safe and you'll be winning more often than not....even the clans saw this with their IIC which is just devastating, and a mech I will steal any chance I get...I hate the clans but damn they know how to make a direct fire mech :-)

[@JMcMillen]

I've always thought that one of the shortcomings of the Rifleman is that since it's a Battledroids design, it only had access to the AC-5 as the AC-2/10/20 weren't in the game at that time. In fact, it was just called the Autocannon back then. Had the other autocannons been available, maybe instead of AC-5's it would have had AC-2's and the weight saved could have gone towards some more heat sinks.

[@BigRed40TECH]

AC2's.... ewwwwwwwwwww

[@JMcMillen]

@@BigRed40TECH In exchange you have two large lasers and 14 heat sinks to try and keep yourself cool. Plus, you've got double the number of AC rounds so you're less likely to run out in a longer battle.

[@BigRed40TECH]

@@JMcMillen Still runs hot. 2 AC5's + LL = 18 damage with no heat. The twin LL's alone would drive it over 14 heat.

[@JMcMillen]

@@BigRed40TECH That's 3025 for you. Lots of mechs had heat problems. Even the supposed best mech the Marauder had plenty of heat problems. That doesn't stop people from using it.

[@grassycrab]

I would consider the kraken the only competitor to the rifleman even though it’s clan.

[@BigRed40TECH]

No clanners allowed! Embrace sphere! :P

[@BoisegangGaming]

@@BigRed40TECH Reject Inner Sphere, return to periphery. Our rifleman consist of literal rifleman riding a walking forklift.

[@BigRed40TECH]

@@BoisegangGaming With Periphery Rifleman, you can cook for free inside the cockpit without even firing any weapons.

[@44R0Ndin]

@@BoisegangGaming I mean, even in MW5 there's something to be said for using "older" weaponry instead of the modern stuff. Take the standard RFL-3N, strip out the LL's and AC5's, and put in 2 Heavy Rifles instead. Might not shoot down planes as well, but we made flak rounds back in WWII and we probably could do so again for heavy rifles which are basically modern-day tank guns which are pretty much all derived from WWII flak guns anyways in a way. So it all goes full circle. Might have to add a few heat sinks to handle the heat, but believe it or not an AC5 and a Heavy Rifle weigh about the same (8 tons) in MW5, and take up the same "medium" ballistic slot. Heavy rifles in MW5 are... kinda cheezy, actually. Muzzle velocity and range like a Gauss rifle, hits sort of like an AC-20, only problem is slow rate of fire and a sizable heat spike along with each shot, oh and of course it uses ammo that can explode (yeah gauss rifle ammo is inert, but the gun ain't). I feel like the benefits are very much more than the downsides.

[@IronWarhorsesFun]

this thing is basically the shilka in that it simply refuses to die and is used in much the same ways. also: could you do a video about industrial mechs and their combat MODs? or a more in depth video of the Rifleman fitting your newer style?

[@cavalryscout9519]

If your ammo hasn't cooked off yet, you don't have a heat problem.

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

If your Rifleman is generating its own heat mirage, you're doing alright.

[@sardaukerlegion]

The most economic modification of the original 3N: strip the AC5 for 10 heat sinks and armor, making it able to use both LLs without overheating.

[@44R0Ndin]

Even more economical modification, assuming either Star League tech available or the Helm memory core has been discovered: In the engine, switch the SHS for DHS. Simple as that. All your heat problems disappear.

[@demonocolips]

as much as its outclassed by other mechs its a good mech when you get the right model.

[@shadowhunter0176]

I used to run the twin rac5 varient. That mech got nicknamed flyswatter for deleting vtols.

[@semperatis]

The RFL-6D is a decent loadout, with 4xLAC5's and 2 ML's with 6 tons of ammo.

[@tailkinker1972]

My take on the Rifleman: Replace all arm-mounted weapons with four LAC-5s, plus an additional six tonnes of ammo (three tonnes per side). That's 35 rounds of combat, with a max heat of 6 when running and firing all ACs. Plus you still have those MLAS.

[@shakeemsymonds7362]

Basically the OG sniper. Big damage at long range, kinda bad up close.

[@wheturangi]

Iconic mech. But over weaponized. Too many weapons, not enough heat sinks, so-so armor. Also a side note, the arm weapons bend a lot as a mini. But I love the look and you just know that the fly boys cry when they see one.

[@nemamiah7832]

Say what you want about Rifleman, but boy it looks COOL

[@robrib2682]

Who needs the ability to punch, especially if you somehow figure out a way to give the thing buckshot ammo?

[@kevincollier4147]

In the early days of Battletech [yes, I'm a dinosaur] and pre TRO 3050, it was quite easy to cook off your ammo and actually blow yourself up.

[@BigRed40TECH]

It was an amazing time.

[@Dracobyte]

How far are we talking about?

[@kevincollier4147]

@@Dracobyte 1980s! I was one of the guys who actually got to play Battledroids!

[@DwarfElvishDiplomacy]

You forgot to mention that all rifleman have a built in feature that starts playing "heat of the moment" on its external and internal speakers as soon as it fires anything

[@BigRed40TECH]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/onSkfXqifNqJi6M

[@kennenandersen]

Like AeroTech was ever a thing.

[@vikteren8723]

Not sure i agree with the upgrades to add firepower, the Rifleman has decent firepower for its weight, what it needed was double heatsinks and heaver armor with another ton of ac5 ammo if it could be squezed in.

[@eolendes6432]

Double Gauss cannon Sniper build. Pop that cockpit from the other side of the map.

[@BigRed40TECH]

There is a version that is like this, but it uses the scatter-shot Gauss instead of normal Gauss :(

[@mathewkelly9968]

It's iconic that's all you can say about it

[@Evil_Noah]

I love to turn the Rifleman into a sniper. Remove the ACs and replace them with Heavy Rifles or even Gauss Rifles if I have the space for it. Depends on the variant. But yeah, damn thing can really pack a punch with significantly better heat management even if there's not a lot of room for heat sinks. Usually tack on some Small Lasers or SB Medium Lasers for defense if anything gets to close.

[@peterhessedal8539]

Switch out the AC5s to AC2s. Makes it a bit more useful.

[@jonbezeau3124]

This is how I roll in MW5, also dropping medium lasers to small since they have the same damage output.

[@raymondcroteau]

This is my Rifleman, there are many like it but this one is mine!

[@HobbiesGamesChillin]

For when you want to hunt ducks but find hauling a shotgun about too pedestrian

[@billrich9722]

Holy shit. You are prolific.

[@michaelmills8205]

As one of the Unseen, the Rifleman has survived for no other reason than how good it looks. Offensive and defensively, the -3N performance is abyssal. I've seen people talk about the 2 AC-5 & 1 LL firing pattern, but that ignores the issue of having only 1 tonne of ammo for the AC-5s. It's really a mech you can't use effectively without changing the base design. Even just swapping in double heat sinks makes it perform decently, though not great.

[@jonbezeau3124]

On tabletop, one ton of AC5 ammunition will last about as long as your armor & internal structure can hold out. In the videogames where you're generally wading through combined arms it makes more sense to replace the 5's with 2's and give them 2 tons ammo each... even then you're mostly shooting vtols down with large lasers to ensure you've got shells for urgent threats.

[@liljenborg2517]

Ah! The immortal rifleman . . . at least it's immortal until you fire both lasers a couple of turns in a row and the AC5 ammo pops from the heat . . . It actually does have decent damage output if you only ever fire off one of those large lasers. It's worth it just to pull one of the lasers off and replace it with a medium for things that get under the range of the AC-5s and couple of heat sinks and extra ammo and armor. Or, you pull off one of those autocannon and replace it with heat sinks and armor or some jump jets.

[@monostripezebras]

I liked the original robo-tech based design the best

[@snakeplissken1754]

This and the Warhammer iic are among the best looking mechs in battletech, at least in my opinion.

[@BigRed40TECH]

LOVE the Warhammer IIC.

[@snakeplissken1754]

@@BigRed40TECH It´s a shame its exclusive for clans. But they took the already good looking beefy warhammer and just made it look even more beefy and tougher. The model in Battletech - Roguetech (mod) is so amazingly looking.

[@rakninja]

thank the legendary mech designer of macross. this and three other battletech mechs started life as background mechs in macross. the rifleman, longbow, archer, and warhammer i've known for ages as the defender, phalanx, spatan, and tomahawk respectively. there's also a number of batletech mechs based on less background designs, read, the main designs of the show. there's about 8 mechs based on the valkyre/ veritech design, while the marauder and marauder II are based on the zentran/ zentradi officer pods.

[@CRAZYUNCLE117]

The rifleman, the blackjacks big brother.

[@upandaljm]

On the 3025 model drop one AC5 and add 6 heatsinks and three tons of armor. It's pretty decent after that.

[@typhoon743]

I'd imagine there are plenty of mechs that could be just as competent as sky brooms, but none with the same value proposition. Though I wonder why nobody just tried retrofitting the 3-n with just 10 engine double heatsinks which would 90% solve the heat problem.

[@BigRed40TECH]

It'd definitely improve them. Then add some endo-steel and upgrade the AC's to Ultra-AC's.

[@blake7810]

Heatsinks are expensive, and MechWarriors are a dime a dozen most of the time.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Damn. I hadn't thought of that. ;)

[@typhoon743]

@@blake7810 Fair but I was mostly saying that from the perspective of combat effectiveness. A shut down rifleman isn't shooting.

[@Somewhat-Evil]

Runs hot, too slow to evade attackers, and the armor is thin. The Rilfeman isn't a line battlemech it's an AA support unit requiring protection from lance mates. An eggshell armed with sledgehammers it fulfills its AA role, especially when using flak rounds, but is IMO a suicide ride.

[@billtrent6520]

I remember one my better build I'm MWO was a Rifleman that armed with two light guass rifles and and light PPC I think it been wail sence I play that game. Though my best build I would say was the Marauder with LBX-5 two larger laser and two medium and then I add jump jets to It. So it bit of a skirmisher mech.

[@ThugShakers4Christ]

It's heat problems seem sane compared to the Nova = 12 medium lasers? Why the hell not? One shot, one kill!

[@michaelkeha]

Ah the rifleman better known as what if we stuck legs on a world war 2 flak battery

[@paulsim7589]

Ahh the quad C-ER Large laser with double heatsinks, and no other weapons. Retaining the std engine but gaining endo steel, keeping std armour (although a bit more). Keeps repair cost low, mech cost under control and by having only arm mounted weapons it give flexibility for modification of weapon packages for different customers.

[@Horridius]

i once threw dual uac 5 on a rifleman. i was not disappointed in the dakka i could unleash. no heat issues but prolonged engagements could drain ammo reserves. lasers ensured i could still fight after ammunition expendature. not a bad mech though not my preferance.

[@ihaveacookie4226]

I personal use a 3N and just put on four er med lasers instead

[@ihaveacookie4226]

Oh and Rotary AC5s

[@furikuri6585]

Wierdly enough there are a bunch of dedicated anti-air mechs, even thou worse than the rifleman, like the Blackjack or the dreaded jagermech... But lore-wise planes are extremly rare and often there's only a Lance of fighters (Up to 6 Planes) attached to a regiment sized force, If at all... But the rifleman is still cool 😍

[@benlaskowski357]

I HATE fighting these things! They just sit in the back and pummel you with laser and AC fire!! ARGH!!!😵 In two versions of the 3M I did the following: in A I removed the ACs and maxed the armor and heat sinks, kept the LLs and MLs: turns it into a very potent laserboat. In B I traded the LLs for MLs, maxed the armor and added three more tons of ammo and three heat sinks. Sure it's technically a big Blackjack, but it's a beast.

[@Dracobyte]

"When the answer to airborne is NO" - Kallon Industries

[@NemFX]

The Rifleman 2s hat is better though.

[@philipgard6762]

Always fired rt side lt side alternately.

[@harlanquinn5076]

The 5 d sounds like a crappy mad.