BATTLETECH: The Savannah Master

Well, well, well. If it isn't #HouseSteiner 's most infamous vehicle. The #SavannahMaster is one of the most powerful machines in the history of #Battletech and #Mechwarrior, but few may know its infamous and dangerous reputation.
Incredibly fast, and extremely inexpensive, but still able to do real damage, this 5-ton monster is the bane of anyone it comes across. Even #ClanSmokeJaguar and #ClanJadeFalcon have felt its wrath.
So, let's cover this #SuccessionWars era nightmare...
#StarLeague #LyranCommonwealth #ClanInvasion #DarkAge #Ilclan #WordofBlake #DraconisCombine #Stormhammers #Vehicles #JadeFalcon #SmokeJaguar
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Note: I am not associated with the Battletech / Mechwarrior IP, and create this under fair-use. Ownership of the Battletech IP resides with several companies at this time. I support all official releases.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Primary Resources used to make this video: TRO 3039: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-record-sheet-3039-pdf TRO 3085: (For variant info) store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-3085-pdf Recognition Guide 31: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-recognition-guide-ilclan-vol-31 To get the Savannah Master in metal, it is at IWM here: www.ironwindmetals.com/index.php/product-listing/product/battletech-bt-372/category_pathway-2 They will however, come in plastic soon enough.

[@michaelkimberling7307]

I see you saw that accidentally leaked production video…

[@TheMHoH]

great video!, and yeah i remember having a diskussion with a friend regarding the use of them in campaigns… We opted tofor the START treaty! no side was allowed more then two of them. 😅 btw you failed to mention all savannah Masters are painted red and go faster!

[@ColonelEviscerator]

I'm surprised no enterprising engineers have put RLs on Savannah Masters yet.

[@Dracobyte]

Great video as always!

[@Kurogumo]

The only thing stopping you from running 8,000 BV worth of Savannah Masters is the fact that you probably aren't getting invited back to play again afterward.

[@gmjeremy3627]

If you play with a good mix of terrain options and roll randomly what sort of planet/terrain, then the hovercraft could end up in a map of complete forest (I recall one of the paper maps being nothing but forest across the whole thing back in the 90s. My friends and I never played on it because it would be annoyingly slow, but I remember it being there.) or in a densely populated city, or the good old Canyon Network map.

[@BobTheTrollKing]

And the wheel-barrow you have to lug around that many Savannah Master plastics.

[@davemilner5504]

😂

[@h2835]

And this is why you bring a Warhammer, a Battlemaster and a Marauder for 5000 BV. Then use the rest for say 5 Kestrels with a Piloting of 3 and a Gunnery of 4. And that is 6000 BV. Gives you plenty of shots into the back of any enemy Mechs, or the option to go Kamikaze on any targets of opportunity, as a flank movement of 18 hexes gives you great damage when charging... For 8000 points you could round this up with the required number of Savannah Masters for Maximum fun factor...

[@DIEGhostfish]

I remember reading somewhere that a GM or shop owner or other ref set up a rule that anyone spanning these suicide sled needed to write a backstory for each pilot anc a compelling next-of-kin condolence letter of a minimum wordcount for any casualties. To limit their use in general, and especially as leg-seeking torpedoes.

[@michaelkimberling7307]

I laughed at that more than I should’ve 10/10 shopkeeper 10/10

[@Scriptedviolince]

You know what? I'd fucking do it. Iron Blooded Orphans is my favorite anime

[@HouseDavieMerc]

I remember reading about this also. I think it was back before TW nerfed hovers when you had a better chance of surviving a ram attack under BMR rules.The story may actually predate the official BT sight as well.

[@44R0Ndin]

These days that rule won't last 5 seconds, someone will come in with a flash drive full of AI-generated backstories and condolence letters of whatever wordcount is needed, and then still (by that rule) be allowed to run as many Savannah Masters as they want to. I'm not saying anyone should do that, I'm saying you need to think of a different rule (something more cut and dry with no spurious ways to complete it, no matter how much effort needs to be expended to do so) in order to prevent running swarms of Savannah Masters at your own table, if it becomes a problem.

[@irondarknessdarkness8900]

Laughs in Battlearmor

[@thedocklighter]

"You're being assigned a Savannah Master" _"Great!"_ "You're being sent out alone." _"Why do you hate me!?!"_

[@mikedowd6015]

No problem. I took out 3 assault mechs with one and no backup. You just need to use speed and terrain to your advantage.

[@DonaldWWitt]

@@mikedowd6015 *Engage Eurobeat!*

[@Dracobyte]

RIP

[@adherentofladycolumbia725]

Star Commander Yamashi retched in horror, as his entire Star of Blood Asps looked apon the grazing hills of the Lyran World of Rochester. First, a single one appeared over the hill. Slow, yet followed by torrents like rain, a single Savanah Master was followed by two more. Then Seven, then twenty, as if an endless calculation, the factors only grew and grew, before soon, a herd of hundreds races twords them. In daze of disbelief, the only thing that pierced the fraying psyche of these Clan Hells Horse warriors, was a single chant. It pierced the mind, ringing and echoing like the waves of an ocean, a single defiant scream; YUB YUB, YUB YUB, YUB YUB!!!!!!!

[@dilanbrinkley3587]

I'm not saying it's a good idea morally, but throwing these guys at your enemies in bundles of 500 is both financially do-able and psychologically damaging to everyone involved.

[@dubuyajay9964]

Including your own pilots...

[@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus]

⁠​⁠@@dubuyajay9964 that’s what combat drugs, training, conditioning and good leaders are for.

[@fix0the0spade]

@@dubuyajay9964 The Word of Blake loved these things, can't imagine why.

[@dubuyajay9964]

@@fix0the0spade Because they are nuttier than 🐿💩?

[@LexYeen]

​@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvusmostly the combat drugs.

[@barrychan6308]

As soon as he said 5 tons, I knew what the primary armament was gonna be. Best gun in the game, period, the mighty IS medium laser.

[@0MoTheG]

At one ton it is just too cheap.

[@MoreEvilThanYahweh]

@@0MoTheG The Clan ER medium's pretty up there as well. Basically a one ton IS large laser.

[@WolfHreda]

It is the perfect weapon, and the only reason to replace it with something else is to achieve a specific objective.

[@Dracobyte]

Nothing defeats the classics!

[@MajorTymojo]

I love the savannah master, not even because its a rocket fast hover Toyota Hilux with a laser strapped on, but because of the name. The sheer, unadulterated diss of naming a 5 ton vee the name of the MechWarrior it beat in field testing, and putting master after the name like some BDSM allusion, not killer, king or chief, but MASTER. Damn. Stephen Amaris never received such an insult, and his body is a preserved cadaver at a med school. I've always loved that since I learned the title didn't originate from some vague relation to being some predator or hunter on the African plains. Pour one out for Savannah Johnson, the enduring butt of the joke.

[@Wastelandman7000]

I know, that's the best part of the story. She got so frustrated she put her weapons on full. So did the SM and quickly chewed through her rear armor. Everyone who saw it was stunned.

[@mathiasfischbach4843]

A lone Savannah Master is of no significance, easy prey for and no threat to Mech or tank alike. But a Savannah Master is never alone.

[@Wastelandman7000]

Like wolves, they hunt in packs.

[@Hardbass2021]

Never turn your back when there's a Savannah Master, either. You'll die for doing so.

[@garrickkruis9988]

It’s not the one in front of you that you need to be worried about. It’s the two coming in from the sides that you never even knew were there

[@danmorgan3685]

Thing is even a lone Savannah Master could be a real pain. If you're going moving at max speed every turn you're doing something wrong. So the lone Savannah Master will be hard to hit. In a campaign screening Savannah Masters so they can't scout out every position could eat a lot of time and resources.

[@BlackjackMC1]

Installing a improved heavy medium laser on a Savanah Master is a terrifying thing.

[@tkfsung]

Hey, how did you know about my custom Savannah Master??? :P

[@brooksroth345]

Good idea

[@Dracobyte]

Does it over heat?

[@tkfsung]

@@Dracobyte No it produces 7 heat, a fusion engine has ten weight free heat sinks inside

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

Do you remember in the original Mechwarrior rpg, your character could either be a mech pilot or a scout? This is what you drove if you picked scout......and nobody chose scout.

[@catboxvideo]

looks at the crowd... I loved playing the scout of my MWRPG crew - it was a challenge but worth it imho

[@raymondjacobs1955]

Nobody you knew chose scout. I loved the heck out of being just that kind of maniac. Only to give up my beloved Savannah Master to take the control of specially modified PPC armed variant of the Warrior VTOL.

[@sw33n3yto00]

Third here. My buddies hated my little beast. 😅

[@PeachDragon_]

​@@raymondjacobs1955you have the free world's league grindset

[@gbladewarrior6884]

"And that kids is how I met your mother" -Samuel Lewis inventor of the Savannah Master and husband of MechWarrior Savannah Johnson.

[@grimms1916]

No one would ever pay mind to a single army ant. But together? The colony can kill anything. The same is true of the Savanah master

[@TerribleHeresy]

Sounds like it exists to remind everyone of a proverb from ancient Terra. "Quantity has a quality all of its own."

[@marvinjohnson2488]

I remember reading on of the novels that they removed the med laser and put a point of Wolf Dragoons powered armor as cargo. That means a company of SM was carrying an s---ton of Power Armors. They didn't win the battle by themselves,but put the fear of god into their opponents.

[@stevenclark2188]

That sounds like Wolf Pack. But I think that was built from a different chassis since the factory was *on* Outreach.

[@scytheseven9173]

My favorite thing about the Savannah Master is how it got its name from beating a MechWarrior named Savannah

[@afitz34]

I always remember the ambush of the 5th Syrtis Fusilier's as they dropped into a McCarrons Armored Cavalry ambush during the 4th war. The rush of Savanah Masters was just the opening round of a really bad day.

[@Aladine11]

and a really bad six months for those guys

[@afitz34]

@@Aladine11 Yup. Lashing out in anger over their traitor dukes death and getting wiped out. Which at the same time damaged an elite regiment with questionable loyalty to the First Prince.

[@the_warpwny]

Way back in 2004 when I was 19, I got invited to play Battletech with someone new. This guy even let me use Clan mechs. He brought 10 Savannah masters in addition to his lance of mechs. The first couple of turns were normal with the Savannah masters going wide. He fell back so I put three of my five mechs on a ridge to shoot down at him and then he used those Savannah masters to ram my two remaining mechs on the ground crippling their legs before he focused them down with indirect LRMS using one last SM to spot. I didn't shake his hand after the game and didn't play Battletech again until 2014-2015 at Gencon. He ruined the setting for me and I found out from a friend he NEVER got to play Battletech again.

[@BigRed40TECH]

The Savannah Master is a dangerous tool, to both the enemy, and its operator. Use it too thoroughly, and you'll never fight again XD

[@Dracobyte]

Oof!

[@Szoki86]

I read somewhere that the most cost effective - both in BV and C-Bills - unit in tabletop Battletech would be a dirt dike with a nitro boost and a small laser attached. This thing comes as close to that as possible without being immersion breaking.

[@BigRed40TECH]

100%

[@Chris_Sizemore]

There is a Savannah Master with 2 small lasers. Its 1/3rd less BV than the standard. The thing is, its very difficult to use. The range modifiers basically limit you to being within 2 hexes of your opponent. Optimally 1 hex because of the range modifiers. If you are trying to occupy your enemies rear arc... that is only 3 valid hexes. 6 if you are willing to take a -4 range penalty on 3 Savanna Masters. With a medium laser you can fit 6 Savanna Masters in at short range, and another 15 at medium range. If you happen to have more than 21 Savanna Masters, you might consider shooting at more than one mech per turn.

[@Tallus_ap_Mordren]

Basically a Hound tank hunter bike from Venus Wars.

[@Reoh0z]

"He killed me with a savannah master, Mal."

[@135forte]

The reflective version seems nicer when you remember how common pulse lasers are at that point and that they are one of your biggest threats.

[@bthsr7113]

True.

[@nighthaunter4348]

I play in a Battletech Rpg Game, if you have to face Savannah Masters during an escort mission, you really see what a thread they are when these machines start to hunt down your transports after slipping too your escort lines.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

Some people think the worst environment to face a swarm of Savannah Masters is a dense Urban environment because these things just zip between buildings and come out of parking lots into your rear arc. I disagree. The worst environment would be an open field or over water. Sure, this means the Savannah Masters are going to be subjected to a round of fire where they have to suck it up and take it. And after that round the Savannah Masters will continue to take losses every round. But from that second turn onward you'll have mechs with Savannah Masters drilling their back armor. Urban Environments offer tons of opportunities for Mech to put their back to a building. A mech can easily destroy some light buildings to create rough terrain that is impassible for hovercraft. A smart mech pilot can take as much advantage of the terrain as a tank commander and in an urban environment the Savannah Master's superior movement is the one that gets countered. An open field lets these pests position themselves without worry. The only way to beat a horde of these is to put your back to somewhere they can't go. Even that only slows them down as they have to resort to melting your main armor.

[@CheffBryan]

Being back-to-back means no one can get behind you!

[@HouseDavieMerc]

Back before a hover had to roll a PSR every time it turned and continued at flank I think the worst place to face them was on the old River Delta/ Drainage Basin maps. Mechs had to have jump jets to get anywhere and good arm mounted weapons to even fight back. Improved pilots, lucky hits, or both were a must. Remember-if a hover rams a mech that's standing in lvl 1 water the damage is applied to the Mech punch location table and if it fails a follow up PSR any locations stripped of armor are automatically flooded.

[@mikedowd6015]

I've found that the best terrain is either rolling hills or open plains/marsh with a few scattered copses of trees. The key to hit and fade/ ambush tactics is being able to break LoS when you lose the initiative or have to "reset" the attack.

[@chaz706]

Can't run: too slow. Can't hide: no where to hide.

[@rifleman2c997]

I used the skid rules of Pavement hexes to slam them into mechs, so there's that,

[@paladinslash4721]

So apparently some Lyran engineer got drunk, played a shit ton of F-Zero, and decided to build the Fire Stingray and slap a medium laser on it. Edit: Hold on that’s not the Fire Stingray, that’s the Wild Goose.

[@Reoh0z]

Smoke Jaguars, "They came at us, from... behind."

[@Tallus_ap_Mordren]

The cost of Savannah Master pilots is quite probably much greater than one would think. Consider: imagine training a driver for a fragile vehicle that is not only faster than an F1 race car, has basically minimal braking, a tendency to slide in turns, and will crash if it encounters even minimal rough terrain. For every SM pilot that completes training, two or three probably died or were permanently disabled in training.

[@bthsr7113]

Get real friendly with Canopus if you want to get injured trainees back into piloting condition to recoup costs.

[@Reoh0z]

1 medium laser isn't scary, but 13 of them to the rear sure is.

[@fmailaender]

We had a house rule, that whenever a light hover (especially Savannah Masters or Gabriel Hover) dies all other must make a Pilot check and if they fail, they are in forced withdrawl. Limited the number of them without taking them out entirely. And it makes sense in my point of view, the Pilots might be crazy but seeing others die should give them second thoughts. As always, great video.

[@Fragtastik]

The greatest challenge in fielding SM's is finding pilots both insane and skilled enough to drive them properly.

[@JRufu]

I love those little devils. Thanks Red. Truly one of the most terrifying piece of Lyran wargear. People think of us as the Heavy Metal faction... then the Savannah Masters come out.

[@mattcarper9853]

The Savannah Master is the hero you never knew you needed.

[@ZontarDow]

The best argument in universe for why armour like the Savannah don't swarm the battlefield is production ability limitations. Sure you could buy 100 Savannahs for the cost of a Lance, but by the time your Lance is here you'd only have 10 Savannahs delivered, and you needed both yesterday, and House Armies aren't limited by money while Mercenaries and Pirates are limited by space and manpower.

[@corsariosandrorect5238]

That´s true. Also we need to understand that, how works the space travel in BT universe, is easier and cheaper transport a battalion of mechs that the same cost of Savannah Masters.

[@dynamicworlds1]

This is what happens when your rule system overpowers hovercraft, has the medium lazer be the most powerful damage deeler by weight, and puts no practical minimum size on fusion engines. For a system that wants mechs to be the kings of the battlefield, this little piranha shouldn't be possible to create in the rule system (especially for the price).

[@KillerOrca]

Canonically the engine is probably a stumbling block too. It's Star League tech, you can't just mass produce that before the Helm Core

[@dynamicworlds1]

@@KillerOrca true, but you'd think something like that would affect the price, though

[@DonaldWWitt]

Eh, you probably couldn't churn out four factory fresh mechs in that time either, but like @corsariosandrorect5238 says, you'd need way more dropships to transport the Hovercraft.

[@gearstark2479]

I remember the stream last year that brought forth the Savannah Horde. I believe one of my chats during I said “No Valhalla for the MechWarrior, but for the Savannah Masters.” When the video started with Ride of the Valkyries I remembered that crazy tangent. Great video Red, I put a like on it 10 seconds in. Long Live the Savannah Horde!

[@BigRed40TECH]

I am the man who grabs the sun, riding to Valhalla!

[@lexington476]

I can't wait to hear your take on the test of the Savannah Master when the Locust pilot got irate and turned her weapons hot 🙂.

[@Wastelandman7000]

Then so did the SM. The Locust's reactor made a pretty mushroom cloud as I recall.

[@Somewhat-Evil]

When pulse lasers are a threat, reflective armor is a useful upgrade.

[@dubuyajay9964]

Also doubly vulnerable to everything else.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Though it leaves to weak to a streak.

[@andrewszigeti2174]

It's a great tool to bring in vast numbers to play against someone you never want to play again.

[@seanmcwatt9818]

"Ride of the Valkeries" was a nice touch. However, I think you missed an opportunity to discuss the 5th Syrtis Fusliers on Sarna in the Fourth War.

[@BigRed40TECH]

I just picked a couple examples when putting this one together sadly.

[@Echowhiskeyone]

Used for scouting and spotting, you cannot find a better platform for the BV. We made a TAG variant and used it to great effect.

[@Aladine11]

i recall in a game where we agreed to only use mechs and didnt care too much abt bv and focused on tonnage i made a wisp(10 ton ultralight design) with a tag as a scout- absolute blast and i highly reccomend it

[@mikewaterfield3599]

The story of this things defense trials are hilarious. Named for the mech pilot the thing killed. “How do you like my savanna master” indeed.

[@Enixon869]

even better, Savanah didn't get killed in the trial, and in fact eventually married the Hovercraft's inventor

[@ambientlight3876]

Imagine this puppy with a Clan ER Medium laser, or a Heavy Medium Laser.... Simply horrifying..

[@Cygnus610]

"Quantity has a quality all its own" - Great video Red and thanks for the content!

[@gregolder1713]

yeah, love these little gadflies. One tabletop game back in the day we were given 120 tons to build a lance to fight a mass grand melee minature game. They looked at me like I was crazy when I fielded five vehicles: a slow mobile double sniper tank (using an old Ral Partha supertank) and a bunch of Savanah Masters: two regular ones and two built around TAGs instead of lasers. Sent the little buggers around spotting mechs and tagging them for artillery barages. Never got a direct hit with a shell but the AOE collateral damage added up to gain me the win when time ran out at the end of the tournement.

[@mwhyte1979]

It fills me with joy thinkng of that "what the hell just happened to us" look on a Star Commanders face after having just finished getting swarmed over by of a company of SM's. :)

[@andrewszigeti2174]

When you can choose between four mechs, or three mechs and a company of Savannah Masters...

[@winglessrayven4294]

In the battlefield of Battletech, speed is king.

[@bthsr7113]

Up until you find those areas where speed is excessive or actively detrimental.

[@randyslater199]

Imagine a bunch of Valkyries facing a swarm of Savanah Masters that have loud speakers playing flight of the Valkyries

[@mikedowd6015]

It was the early '90s, and I went to NorWesCon, a sci-fi/ fantasy convention in the Seattle region, that year being held in downtown Tacoma. I was invited to sit down for a 4 player free-for-all, no limits on what we could bring to the table (aside from what we had in the TROs 3025 and 3026). The other 3 players had already sat down -- 2 Atlas and 1 Battlemaster. They laughed when I took a Savannah Master. If I won initiative, I moved in for a back strike. When I lost, I'd bugger off behind hills or forest to ensure that there could be no return fire. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. At the end I had taken a single hit from the Battlemaster's rear medium laser on my front, but I was the only thing still moving.

[@psychkosys]

Personally tested one of these on the Lyran world of Australia. Took two zaps from the medium laser just to kill that giant kangaroo.

[@TheMirkxD]

damn im out here expecting an out of season april fools joke only to get completely lore stomped. banger content as usual good sir.

[@stormcrow28]

I love the Savannah Master. Slap in TAG, C3, or an ER Medium (IS or Clan) and it becomes even more deadly. In later eras pulse lasers, TCs and mines help against such swarms, but the Savannah Master is still deadly. I also love that it's a second hand Steiner product. It pairs well with Harassers and other hover speed demons.

[@Wastelandman7000]

For some reason I have a terrible urge to say, "Dey should allz be painted red den"

[@tkfsung]

I thought hovercraft are only hit on a 12 by mines?

[@georgesulea]

One of the most UNDERRATED weapons platforms, ever. Well done Sir.

[@gmradio2436]

My head says one of the most common field modifications for these demons is the addition of external speaker to play music for phycological warfare. Ride of the Valkyries is both popular and traumatic.

[@wharfrat74]

I love the vehicles and fighters in TR 3026. I dont play but I had it and the classic 3025 back in the 80s from a local toy/hobbie store. Blew my 13 yr. old mind. Even had the poster size blueprints for Warhammer, Battlemaster & Locust. My nose was always in those books with imagination in overdrive. Still love the franchise.

[@lynnpitsinger]

I brought several companies of these guys modded with a single medium laser each and such speed. More than half survived because I max moved them every turn. They were always behind the enemies and the few low point mechs I brought were barely useful. It was AWESOME! They never let me do that again.

[@michaelsudsysutherland5353]

"The Fuzzy Wuzzy Fallacy" from the Ogre Book by Steve Jackson Games... What the SM reminds me of are GEVs from Ogre/GEV, and the manner in which enough of them will humble the most mighty war machines.

[@KillerOrca]

Oh hey, I gave one of these to the governor of my original Canopian planet! She stripped off tbe guns and armor to make it faster and used it as an escape vehicle when someone tried to kidnap her. Turns out hovercraft dont care if its land or water, so long as the cushion has contact you can ride right over it

[@Psychohistorian42]

Being a Savanna Master pilot beats being infantry. At least you've got air conditioning.

[@bthsr7113]

Though if you really want to be a battlefield adrenaline junky, then Jump Infantry can't be beat.

[@MrRwohnig72]

Speed is armor! Savannah Master is life!

[@HouseDavieMerc]

Great video especially considering how quickly it was done. I learned something today. I honestly had no idea that the SM was first produced so late in the timeline. Official production start year is listed as 3025. I think most players (myself included) thought it started production well before that. Looking back I can remember playing quite a few games with SMs fielded by opponents in games that actually took place before it was even produced.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Only one error in the video. I re-recorded a bunch of sections, fixed a bunch of errors on images... and missed the bottom conclusion during the introduction, total oversight. lol

[@snowstalker36]

The Renaissance has already started in the traditional 3025 "LosTech" era, it's just that no one has realized it yet. The long low tempo combat of the 3rd Succession War has allowed some recovery. Sure the tech base is still well below Star League, but the Sphere is recovering with genuine invention instead of reverse engineering recovered tech. The Striker, Savanah Master, Merlin, and Hatchetman are all brand new designs entering production in the last 15 years. There are also a lot of major variants of old chassis coming out in the same time, and the Cataphract, Raven, and Wolfhound are prototyping at the end.

[@Sethry406]

I had a company of these as lead minis back in the 90s. Best way to deal with clanners who like to sit back and snipe. For true charge madness, get a HiScout with its 2 ton cannonball NapFinds. That little bugger could line up a charge across a map board.

[@chaz706]

The only knock I can give to the Savannah master is a critiques on the costs of war that most people don't consider as tragic but rather as another statistic: that of the human cost. For the cost of one locust: you can purchase SIXTEEN Savannah Masters... but the human costs start adding up. Each Savannah Master requires ONE pilot. For the cost of sixteen Savannah Masters, you also must house, feed, and maintain sixteen pilots. For each Savannah Master you lose: you lose one pilot. You replace costs in C-Bills for costs in human lives. Such is the Universe of BattleTech: where technology and metal is expensive... and lives are cheap.

[@WolfHreda]

I haven't been watching much in the way of Battletech videos recently, just the way my brain has decided to go. But you bet your ass I clicked on this one as soon as it popped up in my feed. Love these little menaces. A threatening 'mech pilot: 2/3 A threatening Savannah Master pilot: 5/3 _And_ a Firefly reference? Love you, Big Red.

[@krissteel4074]

Step 1- Raid the children's micro machines Step 2- turn up to game day with 3kg of micro machines .... Step 4- winning!

[@bthsr7113]

Step 5 Being uninvited from the store. Step 6 Having to explain to your kid why their favorite micromachines are missing.

[@Stacalkas-Nomen]

“RULE OF TWO” FOR LIFE!!!! I don’t waste my time with players that “swarm”. Last time somebody tried that with me, I promptly packed up my ‘Mechs and left. There was this real dillhole in my first BattleTech group that would field Savannah Master swarms. He would surround and immobilize units, then hit them with massed fire. He is the reason I rarely field non-jumpers to this day.

[@davidflores2773]

I can see it now. A zergling rush of Savanah Masters. Oh, the horror! 😅😂🤣

[@Stacalkas-Nomen]

A friendly reminder. The quoted “$24M” C-Bill cost of of a mad cat is calculated as though all of it’s clan tech items (ff armor, es structure, LRMs, ERLL, ERML, MPL, MGs, etc…) are the same price/cost as their I.S./S.L. equivalent. Basically saying that $24M is severely undervaluing the actual cost of a mad cat.

[@KageRyuu6]

According to A Time of War, the annual salary for a Regular quality E6/O3 ranked Vehicle Crewman or MechWarrior is 10.8k and 18k c-bills respectively, which is insignificant cost wise compared to the vehicles they pilot. It'd take just about 6.7-8.5 years for the Savanah Master crewman to afford their ride, and 84-87.5 years for the Locust mechwarrior.

[@freeranger00]

I appreciate that you didn't bring up the "Savannah Master as a manned missile" concept. When used as a real combat vehicle it is plenty good enough without pretending that charges are what it's supposed to do normally.

[@MrGrimsmith]

Ah yes, the "Death by a thousand cuts. Now with added artillery!" approach towards fighting the Clans. For the cost of one Timby you can take 8 UMR-AIVs and 120 Savannah Masters. That's 8 Arrow IV launchers (with 10 rounds each), 8 ER medium lasers and 120 medium lasers vs the stock Timby loadout. I believe that translates to "Oh you're so screwed bottle boy!" and I'm here for it :D

[@Stacalkas-Nomen]

According to Campaign Operations, there is a minimum 4x-5x multiplier for the price of clan gear. So, if you just did a straight-up 4x multiplier of the cheapest canon mad cat configuration, you could actually field 16 Arrow urbanmechs and 163 standard Savannah masters for the minimum price of a single mad cat.

[@MrGrimsmith]

@@Stacalkas-Nomen Even better! I stopped paying much attention after TRO 3025 TBH.

[@g3heathen209]

For only a few more c-bills you can upgrade to a er medium laser and they will throw in air conditioning and a rocking sound system.

[@Glitch_Online]

You can't stop the signal indeed.

[@bartlester591]

I remember one Mechwarrior campaign. We had come across a hanger full of savanna masters, everybody started laughing, and that they were all looking at the other at the other hanger. We’re all the max work I have ever just looked at these little devils and smiled Everyone got a battle match even me, but I took the entire hanger of think it was 200 savanna Masters. Everybody kept asking me what the hell I was going to do with these things and I see you’ll see we had a big old union class dropship, so I had a whole deck to myself and I started playing around with these little butt holes. I rigged for remote control and let the lasers intact and I took out an edit not only more fuel capacity, but it also added a self-destruct system and package full of destructive capability, and we were Garistan on the planet. I don’t remember what it was, but we had to defend it against. I think it was two or three stars of clan Jade falcon forces they said all right hotshot in the show me what you’re gonna do with these little devils I said OK so I turned on about 80 of them and went up to the control tower in the union dropship and I took them all information and got in behind them, and started firing and firing firing making plans frustrated did crippled a couple of them so I did what I did was a Cole those two out gotten extremely close to the big assault Mech and decimated them it lost a leg and an arm and everybody’s jaw dropped and then I started doing the same with the rest of them. I lost about 40 and brought the rest of them home, and I turned around to the group message, and now you see didn’t have to lose any personal these bastards can you do wonders

[@alecciarosewater7438]

Good thing this isn't a cyberpunk setting where the savannah swarm might decide that rebelling against its owners is preferable to being sent out to die

[@MrJack556]

"the noble timberwolf" You ok man?

[@mikedunajew6122]

Love the Savannah Swarm :-) my niece is named after this little terror!

[@chrissegee]

I love this vehicle, i ran a double company of these against a heavy star of Jade Falcons and won with less than 50% losses

[@Dracobyte]

Short but very interesting video! I hope you can do another one about how mechs shot backwards, or maybe about the Leopard Transport ship.

[@Redwaltz4]

I looked at this way back in the day and decided that I would try to make a cheaper effective vehicle. 4 tons, wheeled, 2 machine guns. 11/17 movement. 27,200 cost. Called it the El Cheapo.

[@luxordeathbed]

Listening to the video, the first thing I though about this sucker was that pulse laser and TAs will eat it good. Then you informed us about the reflective armor ER Med L and I orgasmed.

[@lalouchevibritannia539]

It's kind of a funny emblem of the notion some people throw around about Battlemechs themselves being essentially so inefficient that the only in universe explanation, in comparison to using more 'conventional' military investment, for their use is that they possess such cultural prestige.

[@zacharygoguen5126]

I think i found a new fiendish way to challenge my campaign player's assault lances

[@Wastelandman7000]

I've always thought that if the clans were really going to be based off the Mongols, then the bulk of their forces should have been something like the SM with a few fast heavy battlemechs to finish when the enemy formation broke.

[@xensoldier]

Fun video, always swatted these things like flies in Mech Commander 2. Breaking down how nightmare these would be to fight as a low cost swarm, has made me much more respect these little things.

[@nono2645]

i love running these in game

[@Tallus_ap_Mordren]

Also, a very good reason to invest in Thunder/FASCAM munitions.

[@ambientlight3876]

Ahh, the poor man's locust...

[@TheManyVoicesVA]

The small laser variant of this is seriously broken. It costs so little BV that you can ensure it will never skid and basically always hit its attacks. The short range doesnt matter. This thing can drive across half the board per turn.

[@rifleman2c997]

I'm so old I remember abusing the skid rules to make The Savannah master into a guided missile.

[@BigRed40TECH]

That still works XD

[@HouseMasterPoDing]

Excellent video as always, Red! I love little annoying hovertanks like the SM, and also the J Edgar! High TMM and high annoyance value make them a Capellan favorite!

[@sunmakergg]

you've gotten so much better with these videos, big props!

[@BigRed40TECH]

I appreciate that!

[@lexington476]

These little buggers can be useful. I played a game one time a few years ago where we had to each bring a vehicle. one of the other guys bought a Savannah master. I blew it up pretty quick with two large lasers for my Hermes 3, but he's then pointed out to me that the Savannah Master done its job by drawing a round a fire from a mech. Which made sense to me after the fact.

[@andyeaton1736]

The only problem with fielding these is obtaining enough minis to represent them all.

[@MrFleem]

I smashed the like button and now I have a cracked screen. I hope you're happy, Bear.

[@BigRed40TECH]

This pleases me greatly. :P

[@spencerjones841]

The sole flaw of these things is that light vehicle bays aren't nearly as light as them. Which means you can only move 3 of them in a combat drop vs what you can put in a mech bay. If you load them up as cargo and have the time to unload them though....well that's a different story

[@44R0Ndin]

There is a variant of this that fits a SRM-2 and a ton of ammo instead of a Medium Laser. Range is less, true, but what it gains is ammo versatility. Did you want war crimes for some reason? Inferno SRM's are right there. There's a lot of other kinds of SRMs besides Standard and Inferno, such as the Fragmentation SRM (useful in an anti-infantry role), Listen-Kill warhead (targeting bonus, but only a very very limited window of usefulness), and many others, so that's worth looking into to tailor the loadouts of your Savannah Masters to their opposition.

[@johnarnold8485]

Glorious to see some more hover tank coverage. I always loved seeing these little suckers living their best lives in our tabletop battles. Felt like some plucky underdogs singing through the battlefield with beers in hand while the mechs hammered each other. Who needs a scout lance when you have these?

[@LokiLaughs2]

A more appropriate name for it would be the mosquito. An irritating annoyance until tropical diseases set in then it's lethal.

[@thomasblunt3404]

i think i need an entire company of them for Alpha Strike

[@Heatx79]

I thought the intro tune was just in my head as I clicked on the video; amazing sir, just amazing to know you appreciate the SMaster just as much

[@Damienx247]

May the Savannah Master ride eternal, shiny and chrome!