BATTLETECH: The Vindicator

The #CCAF didn't always have the best arsenal of weapons, truth be told. For a long time, the #CapellanConfederation was largely considered a joke, and the only thing that vindicated them from that position, was actually our subject for today. Let's talk about the mainline #MediumMech of #HouseLiao, and that is of course, the #Vindicator.
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#Battletech #Mechwarrior #HouseKurita #HouseDavion #HouseMarik #HouseSteiner #HouseLiao #Battlemech #SuccessionWars #Mechwarrior #Medium #MediumMechs #MediumBattlemechs #vindicator #catalystgamelabs #CGL #CCAF #CapellanConfederation #plasmarifle
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.

[@mrbigglezworth42]

Hey, the Vindicator! One of the best mechs ever made by Capellans. Except the AA variant, that was trash but it wouldn't be the Capellan Confederation if they didn't ruin something.

[@eddapultstab2078]

you know, it would not be so bad if the jumpjets were traded out for armor, it might not be so bad. edit, oh wow I repeated my self there lol.

[@darwinsfolly2117]

I think it would have benefited by downgrading the PPC to a LL and removing the SL and possibly a single heat sink. Then all the saved weight could be put back into armor

[@mikecampos1193]

It's the best Mech to kill if you enjoy killing the capellans.

[@GnarledStaff]

In the paradox game the AA is way better than the normal vindicator....because while it has less stock armor, you can increase the armor tona higher max.

[@patrickkenyon2326]

@@darwinsfolly2117 That's what I usually do.

[@Zeeke01]

The Vindicator, Enforcer, Centurion and Wolverine are what I would call grunt Mechs, because they are solid all rounders that are cheap and able to get the job done, nothing flashy or fancy and can be fielded in decent numbers. I love all of those mechs and are good solid workhorses.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Usually those are called troopers but nost people say a trooper caps out at 4/6, and must have at least a LL as one of its weapons if not a PPC or AC10.

[@Zeeke01]

@@DIEGhostfish I hear ya on that, troopers are a perfect term for them too

[@origamiknife7556]

and the Thunderbolt, just remember to dump your machine gun ammo.

[@amw5288]

Griffin 1S too

[@baker90338]

Also the axeman 2n.

[@CRAZYUNCLE117]

Every time I face a vindicator, in tabletop, and I am in a light or medium, all I can think is, "What does it take to kill you?" The durability of this mech cannot be understated. As far as lore goes. If your primary mechs are all armed with PPC's, then that first volley is going to melt more than just infantry.

[@treevenewson]

PPC's suck when you have light armor.

[@Cha-Khia]

What does it take to kill them? Gauss Rifle to the forehead, that usually does the trick.

[@CRAZYUNCLE117]

@@Cha-Khia How many times do you roll double 6's?

[@smastian9576]

Even in MW5 and HBS BT it is sturdier than I would expect it to be.

[@JERRYR708]

@@CRAZYUNCLE117 Once per game and even then, it usually happens on initiative rolls, not attack rolls or number of missiles hit.

[@SeedemFeedemRobots]

the Vindicator is what i think is the gold standard of the generalist medium mechs, does what the shadowhawk tires to do but better and lighter. and as pointed out, while not fast, its as fast as it needs to be. and also one of the few mechs where i consider its lone LRM 5 to not be a detriment (again, does better then the shadowhawk). love the idea of seeing lances of Vindicators supported by a Catapult or providing cover for their Thunderbolt, over supported by a Raven's E-war systems also, i kinda like to compare it to Zeon's Zaku series from Universal Century Gundam, it is iconic to it's faction, which is also a "villain"-type faction that is smaller and of lower industrial strength then their opponents, can be outperformed by other designs yet still instrumental in their successes as a workhorse with how easy it is to mass produce and to train their pilots in using, and the head has that mouth-vent style and visor cockpit that also reminds me of the Zaku II's. (and more often then not, painted green)

[@mattikuokkanen]

If I were a mercenary looking for an affordable 'Mech with a PPC, Vindicator would be somewhere between Panther and Griffin.

[@cameronstrathdee1772]

It's one of the starting mechs in HBS Battletech; it punches just as hard as its PPC, so it's effective at all ranges and it can always do something. It's really quite versatile.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

I believe you really can't go wrong with a Vindicator unless you are looking for a scout. Even then it could scout ahead of an assault lance.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

I... do not care for the Panther. I get what it's supposed to be, but I get major "Medium mech at home" vibes from it. If on an extreme budget or other outside constrictions it's what you have to work with, then fine, a Panther is better than no medium. But, the moment other options come up, its value plummets, I feel. I'm probably wrong.

[@mattikuokkanen]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 You’re not wrong. Panther is meant to be cheap, quantity over quality. Same with Valkyrie and Stinger.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

@@mattikuokkanen Well, the Stinger at least is budget, but laser focused to the strengths of the platform, and leans into the strengths of being so budget. It's a dirt cheap scout, it's tiny investment into something that acts as a pair of hands, eyes, and a potshot, and being cheap means it gets better friends to support. Can't comment on the Valkyrie, never seen one. The Panther is just... I dunno, not that. It's budget and extravagance crammed together in a weird way that leaves the investment you put into it out to dry.

[@survivalisttim]

Becoming one of my favourite mechs thanks to HBS Battletech and now serves as the lead mech for my light/medium merc company

[@BigRed40TECH]

It's a solid design.

[@Funkin_Disher]

Overall id rely on a vindi over a hatchetman or blackjack, before mechlab shenanigans at least

[@eddapultstab2078]

both those mech are highly specialized roles with configurations to prove it. really, the better alternatives to it are also heavier versions, except the Phoenix hawk. for 45 tons you can do worse.

[@ashaide]

For funsies, I turned a -1AA into an overheater mech. Stuffed it with improved Flamers and an improved Inferno launcher :D It was fun seeing the things it could do when fighting in Lunar or Martian biomes in the HBS game :D

[@scotdempsey3897]

My vindicator is the only mech keeping my Lance from going bankrupt right now in HBS Battletech. I know how you feel.

[@Gigas0101]

The Vindicator is much like the Capellan Confederation itself; easy to argue it's inferior to its contemporaries, Tex probably hates it, but it WILL. NOT. DIE. I love grabbing this thing in MW5, though you find the machine gun variant more often than the one packing the small laser in that game. I love how the small laser version came about in-universe; the manufacturer was told to put a non-proprietary weapon on the Vindicator, so they swapped the light weapon out for a third party component.

[@vali6717]

Tex actually kind of likes the Vindicator, comparing it to the T34 tank. Absolutely nothing special but built tough... and a nightmare to get out of in emergency.

[@brandonbackup873]

​@@vali6717You ever notice that Tex seems to have a fondness for PPC based mechs? Like, the Awesome, the Warhammer, the Vindicator... I can't argue against it, I love those things too, but still.

[@nialltealeaf275]

​​@@brandonbackup873It's mainly because Tex likely started back when the Clans were just an idea in FASA's head. Seriously, his favorite game of all time is the Original XCOM, he's likely quite older than most of the modern Battletech/MechWarrior fanbase and the only ones who can match him in fervor for the setting are ELoG, Sven Van Der Plank, this channel, and Razörfist (despite the last's more controversial bent and audience-base).

[@MrGrimsmith]

@@nialltealeaf275 I'm old enough to call Tex a youngling and we definitely had a preference for energy based weapons on campaign way back when, PPCs especially as nothing had the same oomph. Clans were NOT a popular evolution of the game for many of us, especially as it took a while for many folks to realise that it was never supposed to be a 1 to 1 match up.

[@treevenewson]

It's a great trooper 'Mech along the lines of a Centurion or Enforcer, superior to the Enforcer because it has at least one hand actuator for raiding. It's a Jack of All-Trades, Master of None, and is also not horrible at the things it doesn't do well.

[@CountSpartula]

Whenever i get ahold of it i almost always have a certain upgrade package i want to field with it, focusing more on close range firepower. But the core of the mech is always the same, maybe drop an LRM for lasers, trade the LRM for an SRM, drop a small laser for extra armor. But its always minor upgrades or sidegrades that happen fast, even when i get to Helmtech. For helmtech i add DHS and/or Ferro, fill tonnage, and do basically nothing else with it even through the clan invasion. The base 1R is just a reliable brick that i'd never want to fundamentally change because it can form quite a good foundation of a company for cheap. Some people say "Well that doesn't matter make the most of what you have" and shove XL's and shit into everything but those people have clearly not had to budget a company of mechs before.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@CountSpartula Swap the medlas and the small for a safer eject though I think they eventually fixed the eject without resorting to that.

[@treevenewson]

@@CountSpartula 3050 it has too many heat sinks, you can definitely upgrade it by removing heat sinks. My only complaint really is its 4/6/4 movement

[@robrib2682]

@@DIEGhostfish yup I think sarna says that it was fixed after a certain point... although that just makes the AA that much worse because it was the first batch

[@NonApplicable1983]

It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a practical ‘mech for practical ‘mechwarriors. Severely efficient and capable. Never underestimate it.

[@yoloman3607]

Its like a Panther with a more reasonable missile pairing for the PPC, and new secondary weapons plus more armor with extra tonnage.

[@rylian21]

You really can't ask for much more from a standard trooper mech. I really like the later version with the plasma rifle. It's a terrifying weapon.

[@SuaveNerd2000]

The proud Capellan Workhorse, it does it’s job and does it with surprising efficiency. It’s not the most inspired design, but it can fill any role. St. Ives forever

[@tomsimpkins1211]

These things are always little mini roadblocks when my crew is raiding capellan space. Unless I bring out something notably more expensive and heavy, they just don't go down without sustained fire.

[@yourseatatthetable]

A solid Mech design with a lot of scrap built in. Probably has done more to keep the Capellans a viable House as much if not more so then every Chancellor ever hatched.

[@AceVendetta]

The vindicator is one of my favorite medium Mechs, and is just about an autobuy for my forces. It punches above it's weight, and takes damage like a mech ten tons it's superior. Certainly it's speed is nothing to write home about, but when paired with a faster mech or a larger mech to help take the heat off it, it can quickly wreck Mechs. This boy is tied for my second favorite spot in the trooper mech category. First is the thunderbolt, then comes this and the centurion, with only looks holding it back from overtaking the centurion

[@LORDOFDORKNESS42]

When I play the games I typically prioritize taking down Vindicators when I see them. How cool they run (and~ jump) really makes it very easy to underestimate their damage-over-time. There's more damaging mechs even in the weight class, sure... but a Vindicator has NASTY endurance if you let them keep hammering you, and that's shockingly easy to do, if the shiny Atlas or Awesome is drawing all fire.

[@The_Real_Fomsie]

This is the Mech that caught my wife's interest and got her to give Battletech a try. Due to the bill like face and the pose of the original mini that sort of looks like it has spats over its feet, she dubbed it the "Mech Duck" but pronounced with a Scottish burr as "MacDuck" after Scrooge McDuck. After liking the mech, I gave her the old House Liao handbook to read, and she is now a devoted supporter of the Celestial Throne, "Capellan Confederation is BEST Confederation!"

[@stormcrow28]

The Vindicator is an excllent machine. It's focus on an all round capacity a great medium mech for fire lances, command lances, or a line unit. The Taurian Concordat and Magistracy of Canopus snapped up many of them during the latter parts of the Clan Invasion in 3058 and the early FedCom War, especially when they helped the Capellans invade and conquer most of the remaining Chaos March and the St. Ives Compact. However, as new homegrown, St. Ives absorbed and Marik imported units became available to the Capellans, the Vindicator became far less important and was only manufactured in partial runs once the Firestarter Omni came online.The latest variant pops up in 3077 as the 3Lr, which swaps the weapons out for a Snub Nosed PPC, an ER Medium Laser, and an MML 5 with two tons of ammo. Everything else is the same from the 3R. Sadly, we haven't seen any new sculpts yet for this old warhorse, which is too bad because a Republic or Dark Age era Vindicator with a Clan ER PPC, MML 5, Clan ER Large Laser and a Clan ER Small Laser moving 5/8/5 would be a nice customer on post Jihad era battlefields.

[@Funkin_Disher]

Excellent workhorse soldier. Never my first choice, but never a waste

[@roberthill5549]

A very solid mech. It does nothing outstandingly, but it does everything capably. It's kind of a monument to Capellan thinking. "Mechs are expensive. Men are cheap."

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

As someone who has run missions against the Cappies time after time, I have to say some good things about the Vindicator. It does what it needs to do, which is to deliver Heavy-class ranged firepower at a lower price and with enough mobility to deliver it where and when it's needed. And still have enough armor to not immediately melt if it encounters a real Heavy. I used the sample lance builds in Mechwarrior 1.0 many times to build opposition forces, which meant 25% at least of any given random Liao 12-mech company would be Vindicators. We're talking 5-5-2-0 compositions here, with few heavies and no assaults. Three Vindicators often made the difference between "a stiff fight" and "crush 'em like soda cans". The faulty escape hatch noted in the flavor text was a thing my merc unit didn't like, so salvaged Vindicators were usually sold for D-bills or C-bills. I'm sure that the Concordiat or Magistracy has a couple lances' worth of Vindicators they bought from our agents.

[@thomasrose4523]

No kidding about mass produced! Was finishing up a part on Legend of the Kestral Lancers, on a Liao planet, and an almost never ending onslaught of these things! And my lance didn't have my best mechs, I had to go light heavy, medium mechs. But once I beat that mission? Big smile on my face!

[@penis0100]

The Vindicator…teammate of other Liao designs: Cataphract, Raven, Wolverine, Catapult and Jagermech. As the decades wore on, the Vindicator became the predecessor of the Snake, created by sun Tzu Liao…

[@cavalryscout9519]

The Vindicator a good mercenary's mech, since it's cheap, low-maintenance, and doesn't use much ammo but has the armor and firepower to stand-in for a heavy mech until you can afford a real replacement. The Griffin is objectively better, but the Griffin also costs 50% more, and is really too expensive to risk getting pieces shot off of. The Vindicator is far from the best mech for it's role, but it's one of the best for the PRICE, and you're looking at paying the cost of a Wasp extra to get a Thunderbolt before you get inot something that is hands-down better and worth keeping forever. It's an effective "starter" mech, and one that you'll keep until the rest of your company has all been upgraded. The Vindicator's peer-competitors in it's role are the Blackjack, Hatchetman, Centurion, and Enforcer, all of which are good mechs, but all with glaring flaws which require specific tactics to mitigate. In comparison the Vindicator is a much more balanced and easier-to-use design. It's hard to play a Vindicator poorly, and it's a really good mech for new players learning the game. I prefer the Enforcer for the role and price-range, but I'd actually be more likely to recommend the Vindicator, because I'm aware of the Enforcer's flaws and how to play around them but others might be constrained by the low-ammo capacity, and critically-weak rear armor. I consider the Vindicator objectively better, but I don't choose what I play objectively.

[@faithmcclosky4528]

Great video for a great mech. I think you hit the nail on the head in terms of the Vindy's capabilities and its role, and you did a good job with the variants as well. I'm liking the new style of using footage from MW5 as well, it gives more of a flavor for the mech.

[@BigRed40TECH]

There is almost no easily acquired, colour based Vindicator art to use, so the game footage was used instead. lol

[@mrbuzzsaw9340]

I love this flexible mech! It's such a second line beast. In BA 18' you can run a full squad of them and be effective since you can deck em out however you want. Sniper? Light Brawler? Second line Skirmisher? Calvary? You got it! In most customs you gotta swap the PPC for a LL so you don't catch fire lol. And in BTA Ferro helps it so much. I would argue this beast is one of the few pillars keeping the Capellan Confederation running through most of the succession wars.

[@Eulemunin]

This Trooper has a strong place in my heart and on the table, even as a devoted follower of the Dragon.

[@nemamiah7832]

The great Vindicator, or how to make NTT completely irrelevant with the good mech design. While engaging OpFor at it's intended effective range of a PPC and LRM5 it can jump full distance, dish out respectable damage for it's range and weight and stay COMPLETELY heat neutral, while not bothering with facing at all. Because JJts! I love VND-1R to death. One of my all-time favourites. With the errata it's probably one of the best Mediums in 3025 era period.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Though with 4 JJs it's taking more penaltys from jumping than it inflicts on its enemies.

[@nemamiah7832]

@@DIEGhostfish Main purpose of that is the freedom of repositioning with zero costs. Noone expects a 4/6/4 to gain TMM 3, because it's physically incapable of that even in a completely open ground. What it can do, though, is rapidly cover difficult terrain (height changes, forests, rough terrain, buildings) and completely avoid the problem of NTT. When you compare it to the Griffin (the heavier Medium with a similar loadout), it can achieve TMM 3 with it's ability to jump 5 hexes, but it pays for it with wooping 7 heat gain on full jump and alpha strike. Which incurs movement penalty next turn and is just shy of of incurring penalty for Firing. Even worse, it can't really shoot it's PPC to drop the heat. If it runs (and it's a 4/6/5 with movement penalty) and shoots the PPC, it's already loses no heat at all. So it can only rely on LRM10 next turn if it wishes to cool off. Less than ideal. Meanwhile, Vindicator can just hop around until someone shoots it to death.

[@michaellaramee1965]

I am catching up on all your recent videos and I really liked this one, I like many other players probably enjoy dunking on the Capellans a little too much so checking out their workhorse mech is pretty cool. Keep up the great work!

[@michaelallen3894]

Being a player of the CCAF I have to say that I really need to pick up some Vindicator minis. Great video!!

[@jamesmortimer4016]

*flies in, rips off your arm with an alpha strike, disregards incoming fire, doesn´t elaborate further, leaves* Also it´s newest version makes it LITERALLY the swordarm of house liao

[@lane3843]

Ah Yes, the Capellan's go to medium. Funny enough, these things will never run out, so long as Capella remains

[@benlaskowski357]

Virtually my favorite medium mech. It and the Wolverine. Both can do any job. I prefer my 1Rs to sport two Medium Lasers, a Large Laser and an SRM4. At medium range the Vindex, I call it that, is a beast: it's quite capable of fighting anything 20 tons heavier than itself and can crush lighter mechs. Use an ER Large Laser and you have a cheap yet passable sniper. It also shares its name with the Vought SB2U Vindicator, a Navy dive bomber that, in USMC hands, attacked Japanese warships at the Battle of Midway. Semper Fi.

[@rotwang2000]

One of my favorite mechs, it's hardly a great or inspired design, but it's a reasonably solid trooper mech that can hold its own and provide cheap combat power when larger mechs like the Thunderbolt or Warhammer are absent.

[@eddapultstab2078]

it is am oddly flexible design

[@lukedudley5030]

A great overview as always :-) nice medium mech that gives you a heavy punch for low c bills....great zombie mech that is surprisingly more versatile than expected :-) love this mech and its ppc :-)

[@hermes7587]

The Vindicator is an excellent workhorse. It isn´t exceptional in any particular aspect but works really well as a package. It can act as a sniper, bodyguard for a heavy fire suppurt Mech or as a fire support to medium lances. For a light lance it is too slow though. Despite it´s heavy main weapon and good armor for it´s size the pilot should never forget that it is still a medium mech. Going toe to toe with heavier mechs isn´t a go idea and movement is still very important for staying alive.

[@steveharrison76]

Hey hey! One of my favourite mechs! Good to see you, Vinnie! Such a great mech: You can spec it for up close griefing, or snipetastic longshots, or a brawly midranger. It's not ever going to make anyone think 'Oh god this Mech is AMAZING' but at 45 tons, with it's adaptability, I love this one. One of my all-time top three mechs. (I even don't mind the -AA 'Archangel'; it's a pretty mobile deep-field sniper with redeployment value due to it's speed. Yeah, it's made of balsa wood, but if it's getting shot at you've done goofed. THAT'S how much I like the Vindicator)

[@Hammerheadcruiser]

I like the vindicator, though really I like anything with a PPC.

[@Stormeris]

Capellans are disguisingly villainous people, but they sure make some snazzy robits

[@depth386]

The Blackjack that makes sense at long range

[@Linkous12]

As devoid of good mechs the 40 ton weight bracket is, the 45 is brimming with solid designs. The Vindicator, the Wyvern (my personal favorite), the Blackjack, the Phoenix Hawk. You could build a really well-rounded lance with just 45-tonners.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Wyvern is the Vindicator SIC if they threw out the heatsinks and dpwnsized a medlas to a small to cram in an SRM6.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

Legit 40 ton ain't even that bad, it's usually just that most 40 ton mechs are trying to be fat scouts and eating that engine cost from 35 to 40, instead of being stripped down, laser focused mediums.

[@passgo8507]

A perfect mech for the mustache twirling villains. In MW5, I always get a little testy every time they’re on the battlefield, as they seem to take a little longer to go down as compared to it’s contemporaries. Also, let’s go Rasalhague!!!!

[@ashaide]

First saw the VND-1A in the House files as the mech unique to the Capellans. Fell in love with it immediately. And then I met the -1AA in the HBS Battletech game... :3

[@sonofeyeabovealleffoff5462]

Been playing BattleTech since MechWarrior 2 in 1995 when I was 7 years old in September that year. Love the content you put out.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Thank you! :D You're only one year behind me. I got started in 94. :)

[@madmarauder9925]

LOVE the vindy ...good review

[@sebastiang.5032]

For me, the Vindicator is the big brother to the Panther. I bet they get along great.

[@GliderBane]

I love the Vindicator! A solid medium mech. Great as a fire support mech in any lance. The AA with just a little tweaking can be an amazing mech. Drop 3 heat sinks and the small laser, add 3.5 tons of armor. Now you have something with the same flavor, but much more effective. I like this little variant better then the 1r.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

Ran a game with my players and their mercenary company. They were tasked with a deep raid on a Cappellian industrial world. It was easy at first but as the mission developed they quickly grew sick of Vindicator lances volly firing their LRM 5s and PPCs. I've never seen hardy mech warriors so happy to get away from the Confedation as they were, especially after making so many jokes about house Liao.

[@Bomfunker91]

Raven, Vindicator, Cataphract, Victor; the four corners of House Liao

[@Tatsu_of_Liao]

Great video!

[@nobodyspecial9097]

Glad to see you using actual gameplay of the mech for your videos now.

[@BigRed40TECH]

The videos are really more about the TT than mechwarrior. There is very little art for the Vindicator out there, and I cover a lot of mechs that aren't in MW5 or MWO...

[@smokejaguarsix7757]

Good video! And no fake accents. Love it.

[@dantauche7917]

5:17 killed the HECK outta that tree....

[@Gigas0101]

That tree was being a birch, wouldn't leaf things things be. Admit it, if someone said you were all bark and no bite, you wood too.

[@eddapultstab2078]

​@@Gigas0101 someone's feeling lumber

[@Ti-nf4fq]

I've been playing battletech for 40 years. It make me feel good that it is still up and doing good.

[@charlesballiet7074]

Leo mechs are just kurietans with 10 tones of extra armor. aka panther to vindicator and jenner to cicada

[@MrFleem]

I know the company is Ceres Metals, I kept hearing Sears.

[@Nostroman_Praetor]

There's one thing I'll compliment the Capellans for, and its that their walking trash box is pretty durable for a 45 ton thing that looks like a mech.

[@lexington476]

Yes The Vindicator, a compromise design built by committee that's actually good.

[@eddapultstab2078]

because the committee knows their backs are against the wall that they'll be executed if they fail.

[@the_warpwny]

You are turning me into a Cappy lover the more of these lore videos I watch. How could you?!

[@eddapultstab2078]

next up: all the war crimes house liao did, also! Do you remember that time the capellans gassed a few taurian worlds with their trade marked favorite nerve gas, Capellan DDT!

[@the_warpwny]

@@eddapultstab2078 That is why I don't want to like them!

[@BigRed40TECH]

The Chancellor understand how to deal with pests! :P

[@OtherSpartin]

I am so sincerely happy you did a video on the Vindy! it is my favorite mech in the medium weight class and easily in my top 3 in all of battletech. But an ugly design? in tro3020 sure but today its a sexy beast proudly striding across the battlefield. Easily the best things the Capellans have ever made

[@BigRed40TECH]

The book literally calls it ugly, I'm just repeating what the fictional designers of it said, lol.

[@OtherSpartin]

@@BigRed40TECH I know, I know. Maybe I just have terrible taste hahaha.

[@user-cp4ku4gs7q]

I love it and used it in the 1985 it was a cut out because that is all we had till the metal stuff came out

[@jdmmike7225]

Damn that VND-6L sounds serious. I bet its good at facing heavier enemies.

[@mauwalker]

Drop one heat sink on the 1R and replace the small laser with a medium laser. You keep a decent heat profile and increase lethality. It’s my favorite medium mech after the 55 ton Shadowhawk H and the Hatchetman, which is half a 3C Rifleman at 45 tons.

[@TimberWulfIsHere]

Nah, drop a jj

[@NeroLordofChaos]

The Vindicator is proof the Capellens can be surprisingly competent when they put their minds to it. And they continued to prove it with some of their later designs.

[@asimplenobody7797]

For the early models I've always had a preference for the 1X. Trading the small laser for machine guns effectively doubles your damage and let's you deal with infantry.

[@Burnalot87]

Early game in mw5, I will often bring a vindicator if im able to. It may not be the fastest but it certainly does it's job with it's weapon package and armor well above it's size. Not all that costly to repair either should it get cored out. (correct me if im wrong, I might have used lower repair cost mods last I played). When facing it, I go for arms or legs but even then it's going to take a few shots to pop them off.

[@TheStraycat74]

and my version of the 3050 full Clan Tech Rebuild: 45 tons, 5/8/5 movement, Clan Endo-Steel, Clan XL and DHS, 8 tons of clan Fero-Fiberous armor giving it 153 armor points, and 21.25 tons of pod space. Prime Config: Clan ERPPC 2 LRM-5's with 2 tons of ammo, 2 MPL, 6 extra DHS, 3 clan MG's and a half ton of ammo. Alt-Config: 2 ERLL, 2 ERML, 2 ERSL, 9 extra DHA, 3clan MG's and a half ton of ammo.

[@deezboyeed6764]

The way you introduce the mech at start then state its name, is absolute cheese and I love it.

[@BigRed40TECH]

:D

[@erikbjelke4411]

The Vindicator: When you have nothing, but use it well.

[@JosephMitchell-zw3db]

Love the vindicator

[@Deepkeel]

Ah yes closed captions... the compelling confederation indeed...

[@BigRed40TECH]

They're very compelling I hear.

[@williamjanak2013]

These are fun units to have, since they are generally cheap. With a PPC to make it so you can not ignore them.

[@xerenkeldar]

Vindi has always been a great mech.

[@tenchraven]

Ceres. Not Sears like the department store. Sare-ehs, like the asteroid. Also, as sketchy as the CCAF and it's industrial partners can be, I love the Capellan Camel. A trooper designed by committee, doesn't stand out, works well enough, and unless the engine is trashed the pilot can fix anything that can break on it using hand tools, a big rock and duct tape.

[@bezyn2291]

Jenner, Commando, Javelin, here is just a short list of mechs I would rather have in my lance rather than a Vindicator, and the list goes on and on and on.

[@edouardkb2064]

Every time u make a mech vid, it makes me want to buy it lol

[@Kepora1]

I got one in MWO, I do like it. It's pretty tanks for a medium!

[@BigRed40TECH]

Lots of armour, small hit boxes. It's nice.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

I'm honestly surprised there aren't more variants based on 3025 inner sphere technology for such a prolific mech. A radical approach to improve its close range fire without sacrificing long range firepower would be to strip out the LRM5, the medium and small laser and half a ton of armor to add a Large Laser. The combination of a PPC and large laser would retain most of the ranged ability to fight, as well as improve its short range combat ability. This does introduce a slight heat problem, but it is manageable. Switching the PPC for a second large laser would allow 2 more heat sinks to be added which would almost eliminate heat problems. Stripping out the LRM5 would free up 3 tons. This also removes all of the ammo based weapons from the mech which lets it play a little fast and loose with heat. Exchanging the LRM5 + ammo for 3 medium lasers isn't a bad idea. Stripping out the jump jets would free up 2 more tons to play with weapon packages. An easy upgrade for the base Vindicator would be to rip out the jump jets and add a second LRM5. 1 ton of ammo shared between 2 LRM5s would be adequate. Alternatively remove the jump jets and the LRM5 to add a SRM6 + 1 ton of SMR ammo to beef up the Vindicators ability to hunt for crits. Last alternative I'd offer is to remove the jump jets, remove the PPC, remove the LRM and ammo, and remove the medium laser. This frees up 11 tons. Add 2 large lasers and 1 heat sink. Now the Vindicator can fire both large lasers and walk for no heat.

[@GliderBane]

I imagine they didn't have more variations for the same reason the Soviets where loath to make changes to the T34 tank in WW2. They needed all they could get and knew if they made changes and improvements it would slow down production while the tooling was changed out.

[@darwinsfolly2117]

I really like the Saint Ives version of the Vindicator over the 1R. I'm not a big fan of single LRM 5's and the change to a Large Laser helps with heat better

[@Reverb154]

One of the few things the CCAF have ever gotten right!

[@Kaiju-Driver]

I'm actually quite a big fan of this one in the PC game. It's sustained my early game success.

[@DIEGhostfish]

I wish you had covered the SIC vindicator and compared its change in long range weapons to a star league design not yet covered

[@leesh193]

The Vindicator. A mech almost so ugly it goes back to beautiful. My mercenary company "Seonbi's Skirmishers" almost exclusively used the Vindicator as a front line mech due to their CCAF heritage. They ended up working for the Rasalhague Republic. Their clearance sale of 1AA Vindicators (albeit later retrofitted with ferro fibrous and double heat sinks) may have played a part in that decision making process.

[@connorriggs1518]

It’s a good mech, lots of spare parts and their are so many of them no one will notice if you steal a couple

[@captainteutonica5474]

Maybe I'm too new to the setting but the Vindicator makes me think of a baby highlander.

[@IRateVideosInTheComments]

Like how the locust is a baby cicada

[@FrostyThundertrod]

It is not a bad mech but there are so many good medium mechs that I normally just keep any vindicators I may have had a backup if I have drop weight limit to work around

[@stephenknizek2651]

Being that I have a Marik-space merc unit, and a Davion-space merc unit, I can honestly say that the Vindicator is a decent mech…as decent as a Cap is capable of building, that is. XD

[@Koniving]

Dude, the best way to get a starting mech for an illustrious but likely very short mercenary career, literally hang around and wait to be given a free Vindicator Avenging Angel.

[@Ti-nf4fq]

It was designed for defense. That was what they needed. Perfect mech for its role on the battlefield.

[@jogro9769]

Man Leo gets alot of hate but dam they mech some good mechs and tech. Vindies, cataphracts all solid mechs. Not afraid of mixing weapons.

[@garretbrockman2807]

They always give me a bit of a scare in MW5, I always try to take out their PPC arm first

[@rcgunner7086]

I'm a Davion player, but I've always loved the Vindy. It's a great mech for what it is It's also ironic that you picked a Vindy sporting the Sun 'n Sword too! But it's also no surprise, we've captured many of these machines over the years, and you just can't keep a good mech down. ; )

[@rcgunner7086]

So since you've done the Vindy... when can we expect that Cataphract?

[@BigRed40TECH]

Not till I get past Revised 3025. Probably will be covered when I go over a few designs that are "inbetween" TRO 3025, and TRO 3050, or designs that weren't in the core TRO's. Things like the Raven, Cataphract, Mauler, Marauder II, ect.

[@ghulz4545]

Liking the over view of the mechs. Could you go back to giving the movement factors for the table top along with the kph.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Did I miss that in this one? Sorry Ghulz! I thought I had it in there.

[@hughsmith7504]

i tend to find myself replacing the lrm with a srm pack, just seems to work better for me.

[@randomnetsurfer]

Good video. Always liked the VND. Just as a note though, Ceres is pronounced "seer-eez" or "see-reez" not like "seers".

[@jonwooldridge3766]

Vindicator!!! Whoot, Whoot!!!

[@BigRed40TECH]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpfQq2aAr8Z5j7c&ab_channel=WWEE

[@JS-kr8fs]

It's an okay mech, if you're okay with only being able to effectively use about 33% of your weapons at any range. Fortunately, the HBS variant can slap 5 Medium Lasers on, Jump Jets, maximum armor, and the heat sink capacity to use it all quite freely, to be a nimble brawler.

[@terrinils3165]

The Vindicator is based on practicality, due to necessity. The Confederation was barely hanging on by a hairs breath. Then you look at other Houses *Ahem, House Davion* who had the luxury of dumping money into bad mech designs. Is it a wonder that House Liao manage to survive the Succession Wars when that's all they been doing during them. However, when they got back on their feet and started ramping up their mech production, some questionable choices in designs were made.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Like building a giant mecha monkey anx naming it the Yu Huang instead ofcalling it the Wukong

[@terrinils3165]

@@DIEGhostfish Exactly. You can tell that the Confederation had no idea what it was doing in regards to heavies and assaults. Sun-Tzu gave the production facilities a blank check and said, "Just make shit. I don't care what it is or what it's called."

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@terrinils3165 I actually like the design, but I would have gone Gauss instead of thr AC20 or UAC or LB20 it had basically a faster cousin of the highlander with an ERPPC instead of the big LRM pack. But that's partly paranoia about the XL speaking

[@jiiaga5017]

I've loved this hot trash ever since mechwarrior online.

[@Slenkamure]

Vindicator would be a great mech overall if it was not so damn slow compared to other mediums

[@BigRed40TECH]

Lots of Mediums move that speed, it's just the standard frontline speed.