BATTLETECH: The Cyclops

The #Cyclops is a true monster among #Mechs in #Battletech / #Mechwarrior. It is the ultimate strategic commander, the chair of generals, and an #AssaultMech worthy of being recognized. Let’s talk about how this 90-tonner gets by, and why you should take this machine seriously.
I really enjoyed making this one, I hope you all enjoy this video. :)
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Two pieces of fanart were used from the artist Spooky777:
www.deviantart...
I’d recommend changing out his stuff, and I believe he does commissions as well. Some of his art has also been utilized by Catalyst Game Labs themselves, so it’s worth looking at.
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#Battletech #Mechwarrior #HouseKurita #HouseDavion #HouseMarik #HouseSteiner #HouseLiao #Battlemech #SuccessionWars #Mechwarrior #Assault #AssaultMechs #AssaultBattlemechs #Stalker #CatalystGameLabs #CGL #StarLeague #Sldf
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.

[@CRAZYUNCLE117]

Just like so many, in battletech and real life, you keep hearing, "Why won't this machine do what I want it to?" Immediately hearing the response, "It wasn't designed to do that ASSHOLE!"

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

But then why was that advertised on the package?

[@tehpw7574]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 Advertisers Advertise, not build.

[@bthsr7113]

Advertising is a department you keep on a leash. Or in a muzzle. When they run around and run their mouths, it causes problems for everyone. Customer, customer service, engineering, and more.

[@jamesmorin9966]

In Mechwarrior 5 Mercs, me and a friend were doing a raid against House Liao forces. We encountered a Cyclops that we tore apart. Hilariously enough, we got to salvage it, and the only things left were the critically damaged internals of a Center Torso, and a completely untouched Cockpit. We joke that the pilot's still in the cockpit to this very day, refusing to leave.

[@NonApplicable1983]

Hey, free pilot.

[@ArexusGalia]

Capellan Pilot: 'Tis but a scratch!

[@Kaiju-Driver]

Lol

[@horsemumbler1]

Capellan Pilot: As former property of the State, I am now technically a piece of salvage...

[@vyctorbielski6259]

That's a bloody hilarious idea. Did you hire a new pilot after? XD

[@TheGreenKnight500]

Of someone attacks you with a Cyclops, just tell them your name is "no one" and run away. Works every time.

[@jamesmorin9966]

Just be sure not to tell them your name once you escape.

[@TheGreenKnight500]

@@jamesmorin9966 rookie mistake right there

[@alabasterscarf612]

Man of culture

[@bthsr7113]

@@TheGreenKnight500 I wouldn't say rookie so much as out of intellectual stamina and common sense. After keeping idiots in line during a war he was drafted into.

[@kapitan19969838]

I understood that amazing reference ❤

[@thatorangeguy3646]

the cyclops real problem is its hard to show off in media/tabletop. its not intended to be a local commander or field officer its a strategic link between a fleet and all ground forces. if your encountering a cyclops you most likely managed to push all the way into the enemys orbital supply centre and if your piloting one your most likely the highest rank officer in the region. a far cry from the frontline duels that battletech usually shows

[@GeneralBlaze1991]

When I was learning how to play Battletech for the first time, the Cyclops was the first assault mech I chose, and in my very first game I ever played, it headcapped my friends Atlas on turn 2. While I wound up still losing that game, ever since then I've had a soft spot for the Cyclops. It's been a personal favorite of mine for a while now, and it's now the mech that leads the charge in my custom mercenary company on the tabletop.

[@stevensavage9491]

A fine choice

[@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey]

Just not enough armor for an assault mech.

[@PeachDragon_]

Step 1: take out ac 20​@@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey

[@guitarhausdoesntknowwhatac3285]

The B2000 is just such an amazing peice of fluff lostech in the game; you have a computer that can track and project the movements of literally thousands of units across continents all from the security of an assault mech. There isn't really a good way to make this work in game but as a quest objective in a 3025 game It would certainly be a worthwhile Maguffin.

[@skyvipers]

When the Piranha was released for MWO the "Streak-Clops" became my favorite Assault to run.

[@jake120007]

say goodbye to your components little fish

[@Melinmingle]

You waste the assaults potential for 1 or 2 ligts

[@skyvipers]

@@Melinmingle In theory yes, but when those one or two lights back-stab all your Heavy and Assault mechs getting 6+ kills, it's worth dedicating a single mech for taking them out. This was peak-Piranha season mind you when everyone was running them.

[@WastelandWanderer1216]

@@Melinmingle When the Piranha came out it was a major pain in the ass to deal with I saw many Heavies and Assaults tore apart by them.

[@kathilmechworks4895]

Cyclopse is a backstop. Armor is well not great, but often likes to hang with archers and longbows. Will often put down what ever its fighting fast. Yet able to add its lrm 10 to the rest of the steel rain. Its cheap and find it more than enough to annhilate most skirmishers that will threaten it. Often find it to be a very underestimated mech.

[@DIEGhostfish]

With armor that bad you gotta do whatever you can to save a ton and swap that AC20 for a Gauss if you get one. Just make it as much of a ranged mech as possible

[@kathilmechworks4895]

Ideally yes. But also remember if you did your job right a head hunter should be coming in injured. And ac20 and srm 4 often makes short work of what ever you are facing

[@BoisegangGaming]

@@kathilmechworks4895 well, yeah, but at the same time, you should have bodyguards for that. Something like the Cyclops is going to be targeted, so it should have as much armor and survivability as possible. Honestly, just throw a Compact Engine, Compact Gyro, and maybe Hardened Armor on it, and strip out as many short-ranged weapons as possible, because the cyclops shouldn't be engaging in direct combat. If something has taken out its bodyguards, it needs the extra survivability until reinforcements arrive. One can argue that being able to kill your attacker is the best sort of survivability, but it's likely anything that has taken out the bodyguards is something that would be either too strong for any weapons the cyclops mounts or already injured enough that weaker weapons and good ol' rock em sock em robots can take care of them.

[@kathilmechworks4895]

@@BoisegangGaming Generally do. Tend to put thunderbolts with them. My Rtc command lance is a cyclops, a longbow, archer and thunderbolt. I tend to play 3025 games so the 10z does get used and it does fine against most skirmishers. Exterminators Phoenix hawks, and what not tend not to last long. Again you often aren't facing off against other assaults and if they come in clean from the LRM.fire something went wrong.

[@blue95kun]

Not my first pick for a Command Mech due to it's paper thin armour, but once Lostech gets introduced into the mix, this discount Atlas definitely shines a lot more. Especially in the armour department.

[@malusignatius]

Apparently the Cyclops is the Go-to 'mech the Capellans use to mount command consoles in. That's potentially a formidable command asset (up to +3 initiative if you're using advanced rules and quirks), and if it's one of the more advanced models with a gauss rifle, you can just lurk up around the back-field all day, taking potshots with the gauss rifle and LRM 10 whilst deciding if you want either the big initiative bonus or a satellite uplink. Not to mention, you have a spare pilot in case the first one 'breaks'.

[@SmokersTars]

I really didn't find many playing the games, but it's design is just great, and is my fav among assaults next to the Highlander

[@BigRed40TECH]

Not my favourite, but I still really do like the Cyclops. It's a beast.

[@SmokersTars]

@@BigRed40TECH I prefer to make it into a missle boat, does great in warzone missions where I can stand still, use its superior radar and just shower anything with LRM, letting the heavy boys I'm my Lance to finish off whatever is left

[@BlueSmoke216]

I fell in love with the Cyclops for looks alone, and its less straightforward use is appealing. Glad to learn more about its worth and viability!

[@jonbezeau3124]

I salvaged one of these in my MW5 campaign. While the armor's light, it's focused on the torsos. You'll lose both arms and probably a leg, but none of that shuts up your AC20 and SRMs

[@passgo8507]

I never really gave this mech much time of day until I started using the command rules, and now it’s one of my go to’s. In a straight brawl, give me an atlas or a Griffin any day, but for a campaign, this thing is as necessary as a secured supply chain.

[@NonApplicable1983]

For all its downsides, that +2 to initiative can be a real lifesaver. The variants are also really powerful. The CP-11-G is my favorite, even if it only comes out in the tail end of the Clan Invasion.

[@Melinmingle]

Group identity shit flag

[@MADSAHAD]

The Cyclops is not an Assault Mech, its weight put it in the Assault weight class but it is an "On the ground or In the Field" Command unit with its lancemates as bodyguards. If you take a Cyclops into a toe to toe brawl, you will get slagged pretty quickly up against true Assault Mechs. Great video

[@Bandedcookie]

My first 1000 damage in MWO was in my cyclops. Such nostalgia.

[@meining-mech4378]

I recall both Gerhardt and Wolfgang Hansen of Hansen’s Roughriders fame both piloting their own Cyclops, each with the then rare Tacticon B-2000 battle computer. Aside from that, I’ve always envisioned this mech as either being Capellan or Draconis with the vibe it gives. I think its a neat mech, even with the OG’s notably light protection.

[@faithmcclosky4528]

Great review as always, you hit the key variants and gave a good overview of the mech. I've always been a fan of the Cyclops in Succession Wars era play, the mobility it brings for an assault class mech, combined with that AC/20 just made it a beast.

[@BigRed40TECH]

That AC20 is a big "Go away" stick.

[@fedupN]

I did love the cyclops armed with a gauss rifle, but I'll take a Hollander and Kit Fox with a gauss rifle too. 😄 Always respected the cyclops, even if never a favorite. Grasshoppers, Banshee, and Cyclops. Like em, dig the aesthetics. Also, good to note that the realities of war affect how "good" a mech can be.

[@stephenknizek2651]

My Colonel's Battlemaster couldn't do its job without his Sergeant Major's coordination from the seat of his Cyclops. If the enemy is lucky, they'll never have the misfortune of finding it amidst battle.

[@maxanderson2180]

Honestly it's a bit like a battle cruiser,, it can run away from most things that outgunned it and can beat most of the mechs that can catch it. Which makes sense for its command role

[@BigRed40TECH]

That's a great way to describe it.

[@Engelbote117]

Alright let's do this! Cyclops, the tough slugger

[@BigRed40TECH]

I think it's pretty great. I feel bad for it having not-great armour, but overall, I like the Cyclops.

[@Engelbote117]

@@BigRed40TECH One of the reasons I absolutely love BattleTech is that anything can be useful and it can all be re-designed to be better. For example I have an Assassin which I love, that I modified to fly up to 7 spaces and hit with an ERPPC, because the base Assassin does kinda suck.

[@chaosknight9131]

Personally I'd swap the loadout to be one that mirrors the Orion, replacing the Autocannon/20 with an Autocannon/10 and losing 2 tons of ammo to give it thicker skin in 4 tons of armor

[@bthsr7113]

the -10-HQ variant sounds neat.

[@upandaljm]

Back in the day playing classic table top I had a knack for taking the heads off of these things with ac/20 shots. Completely random almost every time it was the first shot, blew the head right off and get a completely perfect salvage mech.

[@robrib2682]

I can think of a mercenary company that gets famous or infamous for doing that and ends up getting the nickname of the nobodies, and when large scale campaigns start running around you just hire them to make your opponents paranoid

[@elchjol2777]

I have one Cyclops in MW 5 and one in Battletech 2018. Both of them I got from popping the cockpit of Draconis Combine commanders. The one I have in Battletech has the computer still in it but oddly has an energy based load out,It is horribly under armed but the bonuses it gives has won me some battles that I would have lost if I brought a different Assault Mech.

[@wavepool4501]

Yup I run the HQ in Battletech 2018 as well sometimes, as a support mech for my assault lances. Just a snub PPC, SRM6, and a single ER medium, but it also has a TAG. I’d probably even drop the SRM6 for a NARC if I used more missile boats. When you have friends like an Atlas II, Annihilator, King Crab, etc. you don’t need to do lots of damage, just be a supportive friend lol.

[@elchjol2777]

@@wavepool4501 Noted,I had did my usual and tried a large and medium laser light show but the snub PPC might be a better idea

[@RobertWilke]

Now in combined forces. The Cyclops would coordinate. Have one of the other assaults with a C3 master system. Put a slave in your scout and a slave in the Cyclops. Then along with the tactical advantage. He'd be raining Hell on targets from long Range. Now there's a party.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

I'd put the master unit in the Cyclops. Strip out heat sinks and make the 10 into doubles. Gauss rifle instead of the AC-20. It's the commander now.

[@waltermcgarvin8001]

2 C3 Masters and a Slave make it scary good at organizing a company. Endo Steel and Ferro Fibrous armor to get you some of the extra weight needed and add more protection.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

@@MrDmitriRavenoff That is the most Skaven command platform I have ever heard of. "Yes-yes put all support-computer systems in my mech. No guns, only some armor and jets. We fight together friend-sucker, you fight-die up there, I fight-hide back here."

[@pmcollectorboy2929]

One day I bagged the Q variant in the HBS game and my jaw dropped when I realized how many missiles I could cram on the damn thing. 7 hardpoints! And people talk about the Kintaro being a missile monster. Yes nothing will ever replace the sick thrill of watching 80 agents of death fly out from a Stalker, but my Cyclops was going up to mechs that were downed and making sure they stayed that way.

[@treize6832]

BR40K- "Many MechWarriors have stared down the One Eyed Monster..." Me- "Giggity."

[@yourseatatthetable]

Early on I learned to send hunter teams out to take down any Cyclops my forces spotted. If possible, I'd artillery the sh&$ out of them, or make them a priority for aerospace assets. Later on, when I noticed that others often did the same thing, figuring that, if not the ride for a high ranking commander, then a pillar in the OpFor's C&C capabilities, I used the Mech as a lure. Backing it up with several fire support or attack lances in hopes of meting out some serious damage on my foe's inevitable attack on the Mech. In three odd decades of BT gaming, I cannot recall ever seeing a pure lance of Cyclops being fielded, probably for good reason.

[@BigRed40TECH]

It's not meant to be a pure lance of Cyclops though.

[@frankb3347]

It really is great as a commander, in the back, with a gauss rifle. The 10-Z being pushed into a front line fighter role just does not work. If I were limited to only basic tech I would downgrade the AC/20 to an AC/10 in order to armor it up more.

[@GeneralAtomics]

Weak in armor, but looks menacing painted up as The Eye of Sauron.

[@RemTV]

i love this thing, it's my favorite assault mech

[@BigRed40TECH]

It's a cool looking mech and hits hard. What's not to love?

[@michaelman957]

One of my favorite mechs

[@GhostMaker00]

Cool stuff as always.

[@waltermcgarvin8001]

As a Command Mech a lot of the Mechs it SHOULD face are either lighter scouts or Mechs that have used up a lot of ammo and armor fighting their way to it. An AC 20 against even an Atlas short on ammo and beat up by the rest of the company on its way back to the Cyclops would be killed pretty quickly by a fresh and fully stocked Mech. The Atlas MIGHT have held onto a single of its only 5 AC/20 rounds during its run on the command group but how torn up is it's armor and it is only packing a couple of Medium lasers in the forward arc to back it up for sure with maybe a few rounds of the SRM 6.

[@OptimusWombat]

The Cyclops was WD commo officer William Cameron's 'mech. He was never far from Jaime Wolf's side when in the field, and died during the Dragoons' escape from the Draconis Combine during the Fourth Succession War.

[@WolfHreda]

If you wanted to keep the AC/20, I'd probably drop a ton for added armor. But I think the AC/10 is a much better choice for the Cyclops.

[@Plastikdoom]

Ahh yes, the cyclops, or the best way to kill off commanders you don’t like, by putting them in the squishy ‘assault’ mech

[@Nick_Whiskey]

My first use of a cyclops cooked two mechs via ammo explosions. I know it's all random in the end but I'll field a Cyclops as my commander pick until the end of time.

[@BigRed40TECH]

Love me Cyclops. :)

[@PenumbranWolf]

I have to admit, I don't know what the Cyclops is like on the tabletop, but I pilot one almost exclusively in MechWarrior 5, and I love the thing. I swapped the LRMs out for SRMs, gave it an LBX and some MPLs and pilot it like a brawler and it does wonders for smashing stuff quickly.

[@BigRed40TECH]

The lack of armour puts it in a real bind on tabletop.

[@sharlin648]

The Cyclops always struck me as an odd duck. The big 'ol AC-20 is a weapon that encourages the thing to get close, the last thing you want to do with a Battallion or god forbid, a Brigade Commander aboard. So does the AC-20 then serve as a 'keep the fcuk away!' deterrent? A PPC, or large laser and beefing up the LRM-10 to a 15 and slapping on some armour, because the last place a commander should go is into close combat because they're a priority target. Really if a Cyclops is having to fight, something's gone horribly wrong. Great vid on an awesome looking 'Mech.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Or as soon as possible you get a Gauss rifle

[@sharlin648]

@@DIEGhostfish I'd honestly go for an ER PPC and more armour, assuming double heatsinks are already installed. And then put any extra weight into things like an AMS and ECM if there's not enough to beef up the LRM.

[@dynamicworlds1]

The way I see it is that a Cyclops should be in the back with a bunch of LRM boats (covering the long range brackets) and if it is at range where the AC20 can't reach, it shouldn't be shooting but moving to disengage. It's not there to be something to close in and fight with. It's something there to absolutely destroy anything faster that manages to close in on the Cyclops. Or in other words, when the only time you should be using the weapons on the mech is if something like a fast medium srm boat gets in your face, you optimize your loadout to erase it as quickly as possible so you can retreat/get back to commanding.

[@Dracobyte]

The Cyclops: Or how to make a Big Johnson joke in the Battletech universe.

[@bthsr7113]

A wonderful mech for the roleplay system or literature. A mech whose true value can only shine to its fullest in the lore.

[@brothersgt.grauwolff6716]

I remembered there was a Cyclops in our spec-ops reconnaissance lance it was the only assault mech as it was mostly Light to Medium Mechs in the lance and it was only brought out to coordinate hit & run raid missions the only time I remember it being used in a stand up fight was when we got squealed on by a Marik spy alerting the local constabulary so we had to fight of local forces and destroy the docking clamps we managed to escape with little damage but the mission was considered a bust

[@OptimusJedi]

Lmao! One eyed monster! Step right up to see the one eyed monster! Aw man, the cyclops will never be the same again. Great video as always, I like the model and the lore just adds to the charm. So does the dirty jokes 🤣🤣🤣

[@BigRed40TECH]

It needs plasma. Liquid hot plasma variant incoming. :P

[@Bomfunker91]

I feel like the single biggest mistake with the base Cyclops is the inclusion of its AC20. If you're not familiar with the mech, it tricks you into thinking it's something it's not, and the big gun urges you to get the Cyclops close to the action. Remove it, and you get an absurd amount of spare weight to play with; more missile tubes, more lasers more heat sinks, more armor...even just "downgrading" to an AC10 and less ammo gives you a few crucial spare tons to work with.

[@yetanotherrandomviewer]

The head reminds me of the various cyclops like heads from Armored Core, mainly the HD-ONE and HD-REDEYE from the very first AC game.

[@Inquisitor_Lelouch]

I got the IS support box set and so far I'm really liking this assault mech.

[@BigRed40TECH]

It's a fun mech.

[@williamjanak2013]

Great video as always. Always thought Command Units should have more then one 'pilot'. One to Command and one to fight. Since only the most insanely talented can do both at once. But Battletech clearly that is not the case.

[@coldwave007]

The Cyclops is my favorite "bad mech." There's no reason, per the construction rules, to build it at 90 tons. Simply dropping to an 85 ton chassis gives back what? 2 tons of available space, iirc. In my head Canon, it's so big purely because of how large and bulky the IS battle computers are. They NEEDED a chassis that large to make it fit. It just doesn't show up on the record sheet. That said, I BV it's at a happy spot between the HBK4G and the Atlas for mechs with AC20s. Viewed and played like a HBK with extra frills, and the Cyclops does just fine. Play it like a true assault though? Nope, at least until the later variants.

[@michaelmills8205]

Visually, it's one of the most unique mechs from TRO3025/3039. Mechanically, it does have issues, mostly a combination of a lack of armour and way too much ammo for the AC20. It has 4 tonnes of AC20 ammo and only 10 tonnes of armour! I feel that the Cyclops starts getting actually good once you put the guass rifle on it. I know the -11-A still has the thin armour, but it can fight much more effectively at range. While the Clans can still chew it to pieces, it can keep the range open against most IS's mechs much more short ranged attacks.

[@lukedudley5030]

The C3 computer system paired with light and medium slaves and lrm boats makes this mech deadly :-) on its own its great but as part of a combined arms group it works perfectly...costly but great :-)

[@baileybrute5486]

the Atlas K-DC usually does it's job better, but it is more lore friendly

[@BigRed40TECH]

This isn't a video on said Atlas K-DC though. :P Though I'd add, the Atlas doesn't have that sweet sweet B2000 Battle Computer. :P

[@AliasDrakes]

it wassa one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater!

[@ThatJerseyBloke]

My choice of command mech once I got one and had enough parts to field it. Replace the SRM 4 with a Streak 4, replace the medium lasers with pulse medium lasers, downgrade the AC 20 to an LBX-10, install a lighter but more powerful engine, upgrade the heat sinks, and add more armor. I finally had it doing 72kph like I wanted for my guerilla tactics. The Streak handled air threats, Kept the LRM-10 for long range, and anything close got the Medium lasers and the shotgun. The upgraded speed and armor went well for Hit and Run attacks. ;-)

[@EricLinstone]

What about the HQ variant? That always sounded so cool to me. It's got a command post strapped to his back! I mean the little kid in me always envisioned it transforming into a command post but it sounds like it just drops it off. What does the battle computer do in the tabletop? I know it gives initiative in the video game but never figured out what it does on in the table top.

[@ohno8569]

The command console gives the mech a second pilot, and an initiative boost in table top. That's usually as far as anyone goes when choosing a command mech. The mobile hq doesn't usually get used unless you are playing an extended campaign with all of the "extra" rules for player immersion. And it almost never goes on an actual mech. It simply takes too much weight and space, which are very important commodities when playing in a RPG style. The mobile hq serves as a kind of communication relay station, and usually uses things like additional medical facilities and mech bays for when your in-between missions. Aswell as storage for parts and ammo. But in game its mostly just used to; coordinate artillery, air strikes and orbital bombardment, as well as relaying recon info. But that still requires outfitting at least one mech or vehicle in a Lance with additional communication equipment. Communication equipment is scalable by weight to increase its effective range. Scaling from 1t for being able to communicate with other equipped Lances, too 5t to be able to communicate with all equiped friendlies in the solar system. And that's all you really need if, your campaign is only planning to be on a world for a mission or two. The mobile hq, is for planet scale operations and invasions. So if you are seeing one on the battle field, it's probably apart of the mission objectives. (defend/capture/destroy)

[@ohno8569]

Oh yeah... tabletop doesn't have "battle computers" like the video games. We have TAG, Targeting computers, AFCS for vehicles/artillery, and c3 systems. The Targeting computers reduce the modifier for "called shots" from 4 to 2. And allows multi-targeting.

[@EricLinstone]

@@ohno8569 Ahh, so it's basically wasted tonnage on fluff that doesn't really do much. Unless, like you said, special rules are in play. Cool! Good explanation!

[@rmcdudmk212]

Beware the one eyed monster. Cyclops for the win 😁

[@BigRed40TECH]

Many have stared down the One-Eyed-Monster lol

[@edrice2621]

If the sensors/targeting systems get destroyed the pilot should say, "Nobody has hurt me!"

[@51DEMONIC]

Cyclops is just one of those mechs I've never used or seen in action. Sounds like a ok mech maybe use it like as a sniper long range support mech for commanders not willing to dust up in person.

[@SuaveNerd2000]

The one eyed general. It’s not meant to lead from the front, but it’s ready to thrown down If needed

[@Scaevola9449]

Ah yes. A compacted down annihilator.

[@halldak1119]

the mobility and armor makes it sound like another medium mech pretending to be an assault in a similar vein to the Charger, only the firepower is indeed that of an assault

[@ethandye8764]

i used to run a cp-11-p in MWO its a reallly nice mech, very squishy though lol. it had the hardpoint layout that ai wanted at the time and is very versitile.

[@dwanejohnson7359]

Love this mech

[@mr6johnclark]

The Cyclops... One of My Favroites in MWO. If there was ONE mech i'd run 100% of the time it's this bad boy, I ususally load it down with Large lasers and Dual LBX and RAC combination and missiles LOTS of missiles If i'm not mistaken have almost all variants except the Slepnir.

[@jake120007]

i on the other hand only have the sleipnir, and boy was it a good choice for me.

[@robertmarquez343]

I like the Cyclops being my first assault in BattleTech the game not that much armor compared to others and slow I usually keep it in the middle of my formation so the enemy who want to shoot it move in closer and my heavies and assaults in front of it get closer to the enemy without being fired upon because they are focused on the Cyclops allowing them to focus fire without taking any damage on the first assault my cyclops's customized with a ac-20 and six medium- medium-range lasers I could easily destroy lights and mediums so heavy going to assault I just focus fire with the group or Target at certain weapon capitoline the enemy weapon systems with the Firepower it has if it easily tear all set an alarm because it's slow an alarm when you got to use your environment as best as possible and a little more rear armor than you then you used to just in case you need to turn your back if you're taking too much fire as long as your other units can kill whatever trying to kill him you'll be just fine one of his nemesis are liking the striker with multiple multiple lrms that would be a nightmare for the Cyclops so overall I would say it's good

[@psycoape5753]

tbh the cyclops reminds me a lot of the Zaku from the gundam series

[@VexxarAlHara]

Another great video, as always! If I could make a suggestion, might I suggest the Annihilator for the next video? It's one of my favorite Mechs, so it would be great to have some lore about it!

[@BigRed40TECH]

Annihilator isn't in the cards for a while. I do all the mechs in order. It will get covered when I get to around 3039 era stuff. The reason it's done this way, is so there are no favourites in the order it's covered, and it ensures I cover mechs I otherwise wouldn't.

[@VexxarAlHara]

@@BigRed40TECH Makes sense! Well, that just means there'll be a ton of great videos until Annihilator comes, which is a win for me! Haha

[@erikbjelke4411]

The loadout of the 10-Z always reminds me of The Pentagon Wars (as somewhat inaccurate and one-sided account of the development of the Bradley, but a hilarious movie nevertheless). "This is a 'Mech, yes, but it's a command 'Mech. More than a command 'Mech, a high-level, regimental command 'Mech. It isn't made for frontline combat." "But it might get into it." "Well, yes, it MIGHT." "Then the lack of armor is a problem." "Well, we could add more armor, but..." "No, no, armor is reactive. Tell you what, put an AC/20 on that sucker. That'll blast anything coming after it before they can get a shot off!" ". . . and do you want the pilot to wear the shells as a hat?"

[@SeedemFeedemRobots]

the AC/20, too short ranged for it be conductive for its original role of command, that is why gauss carying versions make alot more sense with the range to work with because if it has to use the AC/20, something went horribly wrong. alternatively, the 10-Q variant, despite being a bit anemic in firepower with twin LRM-10s and extra armour, better fit its backline command and fire support role. also the design of it looking like a heavily modified Archer chassis with a head makes me think it should be carrying more LRMs

[@Tatsu_of_Liao]

Nice!

[@joshuamidgette4846]

The Cyclops begs for endosteel to mount way more armor. If there is enough space the advanced armor would help but at least a few more tons of armor would fix this mech.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Or some reconfiguration to a long ranged build.

[@Chris_Sizemore]

The cyclops is a 90 ton mech with 4/6 movement. You'll get way more tonnage from an XL engine than Endo Steel. Anyone complaining about the vulnerability of an XL has to keep in mind that a lot of the tonnage saved should be slapped into armor. Considering the primary purpose of this mech, putting that extra tonnage into electronics warfare and some jump jets so it can play tag with pursuers would be a good idea. 3/5 movement is standard for Assault Mechs for a reason: because the engine weight is outrageous for anything faster.

[@ChaosTicket]

First time I saw the Cyclops was in Mechcommander 2. In that game I like it because it started with a Gauss Rifle and was one of the two game units to have Advanced Sensors(Super Radar). It was poor at combat especially compared to units like a Highlander or Blood Asp, but it was a tough mobile radar dish. 3025 Cyclops is a joke because of its low armor, poor weapons and oversized engine. Its about half as effective as an Atlas for slightly higher speed. Thinking about it its just an oversized Centurion.

[@shakeemsymonds7362]

Now the question is... Can you put an Arrow IV in this thing so it can be its own artillery AND command?

[@BigRed40TECH]

In theory? lol

[@Dinidan]

Talk about being a priority target.

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

I don't get why you'd make a dedicated command mech, designed to hang back and conduct the battle from a safe distance with its valuable battle computer, and not only arguably over-arm it with the most powerful _close-ranged_ weapon available, but strip its armour back to bare minimum. Surely it would have made more sense for the Cyclops to be under-armed and over-armoured instead of the reverse? The CP-10-Q makes much more sense, just for starters.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Too low armour , but in saying that later versions that fix the armour problem a bit and with C3 are very good . I agree in 3025 that medium bullying is probably its optimal role .

[@NotThereJustGone]

"Many Mechwarriors have stared down the one-eyed monster and met their end!" "Sir, this is a Wendy's. Please put your pants back on!"

[@BigRed40TECH]

NEVER.

[@stevensavage9491]

Big fan of the Cyclops. I like to run an srm 16 with 3 great med lasers in the 10-Q. Better hands and maxed armor make this a fine brawler

[@iananderson6530]

Strip it down, give it max armor, 7 tons of communication equipment and a command console and just sit pretty while the rest of yer force rocks a passive +4 initiative.

[@PopeMetallicus]

MW5 did the Cyclops dirty, thing is a glass cannon stock

[@BoisegangGaming]

I don't get why the base configuration/production model has an AC/20. If something gets close to it, it should have bodyguards that can take on the threat better. Seems to me like the weight would have been better spent on an AC/5 or /10, or even just replaced entirely by armor or put into the LRMs (perhaps even a Large Laser or PPC). It's a High-Priority Target, and it's primarily role is command. It shouldn't be directly engaging targets, and if it does, it's focus should be on surviving until reinforcements arrive.

[@dynamicworlds1]

The other way to think about that, though, is that you're going to put it in the rear with a bunch of long-ranged mechs and vehicles. Those would be covering all your long range brackets and if your command mech is at a distance to start getting into sniping duels with other mechs, it should me retreating/moving to cover. That means the range bracket covered by AC20s and medium lasers would be exactly what you want to focus its weapon loadout on, because the only time that it should be shooting at anything in the first place is if the enemy has gotten way too close to not deal with immediately, but not close enough to punch. The body guard mechs, in that case, would be things like the Archer, Catapult, Rifleman, etc which would be trying to keep anything from getting close to the Cyclops in the first place and (when not needing to do that) providing fire support to any forces which may be nearby (as with their range they wouldn't need to move far from the Cyclops to accomplish) Sure, a bunch of medium lasers and srms may do that job ton-for-ton, better than the AC20, freeing up more tonnage for armor, but the general principal of loading it with a lot of damage output at shorter ranges isn't a bad idea.

[@jorgradtke8219]

Starring down this "one-eyed monster" was probably considered quite cocky 😂.

[@vali6717]

For an Assault mech, I prefer an Atlas, Stalker, Devastator or Awesome. For a commander, I prefer an Atlas, Marauder, or Highlander. Might not have been able to get my hands on a Cyclops, but in its proper role as a command mech I think I would appreciate it.

[@deleter1823]

yeah playing online i though its head was easier to oneshot then a atlas eye but it takes a beating espically when other players using ppcs and Guass es

[@blakecrawford-3204]

Shout Out to The Red Eye Head from Armored Core.

[@michaelman957]

Just using ferro fibrous and double heat sinks, you can pack on a lot more armor

[@pauln6917]

Many mech warriors have stared down the One Eyed Monster! LOL.......... I thought we had agreed not to talk about this? It was late, you were drunk. Truth or Dare got out of hand.

[@TomiTapio]

Perhaps a Cyclops version with AC 10 and two large lasers, with either LRM 15 or bunch of short range (SRM/M laser / S laser).

[@OptimusWombat]

Since its role as a command 'mech was only written in as part of the fluff text in the TRO325, is there an actual in-game rule that replicates this capability?

[@BigRed40TECH]

It does with the advanced rules. The Cyclops has the following Design Quirks:[20] Battle Computer Cowl Weak Head Armor (2) Difficult Ejection

[@OptimusWombat]

@@BigRed40TECH interesting. I'm not familiar with those rules, but it's been a long time since I played the tabletop game.

[@kylebarrie2887]

I have never played with this mech it does look interesting and I truly wonder what it is capable of and what you can with it.

[@robrib2682]

when I got one of these I thought that coat hanger was spare spruce..... fak

[@michaelbarclay5016]

Arianna Winston in the thumbnail!

[@donaldcampbell3043]

Dump the SRM and ammo, up the armor and the survivability increases...

[@paulsim7589]

I have always had a soft spot for this Mech, but always though the 3025 version did better with an AC/10 rather than an AC/20. Is there not a varient out there with a Heavy Gauss? [ O'yea, so glad the video game Battletech gave some meat to the 'advanced command computer +1 Init]

[@Captain_Draco]

Outside the command role it's more of an oversized heavy.

[@bigd6398]

Another chassis i think looks badass but kinda lacks but in MW5 the AI does REALLY well with, AI does good with these and GREAT with Maulers, better than with upgunned Atlas's. Cant explain it but im not gonna complain, the AI makes good use of mechs that i always thought looked really cool!

[@mattblom3990]

I agree with CRAZY UNCLE's post - he stole my thunder. I like the Cyclops a lot but I keep trying to over modify it and end up, at best, creating a mediocre 'Mech because i won't embrace its design.

[@Demolitiondude]

It can be useful. Though mechcommander makes the best use of the cyclops.

[@solidshot7849]

Not my go to Assault (That goes to the Victor) but not one that I would turn down either