Battletech/Mechwarrior Lore - Tex Talks Battletech : The Hunchback

#Battletech #TexTalksBattletech #lore
The Hunchback is a mighty machine of mythological destruction. It is the turnkey Armageddon solution which puts warheads on foreheads. Join us in diving deep to understand what makes the inner sphere quake in its mighty footsteps.
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER UNDER SECTION 107 of the COPYRIGHT ACT of 1976 , Allowance is made for “Fair Use” for the purposes of Criticism, Comment, News Reporting, Teaching, Scholarship, and Research. Fair use is therefore Permitted by Copyright Statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-Profit, Educational, or Personal use tips the balance in favor of “Fair Use”
DISCLAIMER:TEX TALKS BATTLETECH is a fan-based parody/attempt at education for a setting that deserves much love. Battletech, Mechwarrior, and all other material are owned by CGL, Topps, Tornante, PGI, etc. No challenge to their ownership status is being made or intended by the creation of this work. Battletech is owned by the company, but the fanbase is what keeps it alive. Tex Talks Battletech is a semi-serious take on Battletech, its setting, lore, and history in an attempt to bring people into one of the greatest franchises ever envisioned and should not in any way represent the official stance of any corporation, conglomerate, megacorp, holding company, or cartel which currently owns the franchise.
TL;DR: this is the opinion of one guy who loves a setting, and is dead-set on bringing it to everyone who cares to hear about it.
LINKS:
THE ACTUAL TEX TALKS HISTORY WHICH CORRECTED HISTORY ITSELF: • Tex Talks History: The...
Our Shitposty Headquarters - theblackpantsl...
BPL PATREON (Support us making this stuff) - / bpltex
The Editor’s Own Excellent Channel of Excellence - / @thecourtesyflush
HUTZ FANDANGO! - / @hutzfandango9613
WBPL-76 - / wbpl76
and the Archive at
/ @wbpl76
SPECIAL THANKS TO Hadmar - for superb translation proof-reading
WANT TO BUY ELDONIOUS'S SWEET ASS PRINTS AS SEEN IN THIS MOVIE? astray3.bigcar...
Seriously Check out HIRED STEEL, I CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH! • Hired Steel: A Mech Ma...
THANK YOU SO MUCH BRUINS - • Frihet - A Mechwarrior...
MUSICIANS: Note - if you guys repost their music, ask them first. Don't be dicks. People put a lot of heart into this stuff.
SPUNKY - Soon.
DJ JASON SKYE - / @jasonskye
KUMAKIN MUSIC - / user-738052488
Everything else is from EPIDEMIC SOUND at www.epidemicso...
OR Storyblocks at www.storyblocks.com
Jason Skye sampled from:
infractionroya...
and
infractionroya...
Track: Extra Terra, Infraction- VoidMusic provided by Infraction No Copyright MusicSpotify: bit.ly/3w6Ttcm
SOUNDTRACK:
Moonshiner's Turn - Martin Landström
Tex Talks Battletech Theme - Kumakin
Alligator Skies - Walt Adams
With Tenacity - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Covert Affairs - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
The Atonement - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Enter the Realm of Shadows - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Rivers Run Red - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Beyond Measure - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Solarflares - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Arcaders - Ben Elson
Dissemination - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Aeternum - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
A little Higher (Instrumental) - Sture Zetterberg
Drawn to You (Instrumental) - Vincent Vega
Aeternum - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
The Power of Rock - Jon Presstone
Drawn to You (Instrumental) - Vincent Vega
Komm, Süßer Tod - Kumakin
Bolero Cover - Spunky
I think I Was There - Emil Axelsson
Eighties Bar of the Future - Humans Win
80 S Synthwave - Style da Kid
Bolero Cover - Spunky
P I N K B I K I N I - Kuamkin
Alligator Skies - Walt Adams
Walkman FM - Lupus Nocte
Granny Dance - Scoobadive
Tex Talks Battletech More Big - Kumakin
Bubble Bath - Medite
Smash - Lupus Nocte
The Night After Friday - Medite
Cape Verdean Sun - Medite
Time to Strut - Alexandra Woodward
Don't Snooze, Let Loose - Alexandra Woodward
National Anthem Scotland - National Anthem Worx
Stratosphere Voyage - Spirits Of Our Dreams
And The Sky Shall Unfold 1 - Johannes Bornlöf
Afternoon Swing 1 - Jonas Elander
Freue Uns Alle - Trabant 33
National Anthem Germany Accordion Version - National Anthem Worx
Dark Synth Retrowave - Oleksandr Koltsov
Motor Town Heartbeats 5 - Victor Olsson
Return of the Hunchie - DJ Jason Skye
Bolero Cover - Spunky

[@theblackpantslegion]

This is the culmination of 305.5 days of work from a very dedicated team. There were many hardships along the way, many hard times, many difficult ordeals and many challenges to overcome. Such work is only possible due to the kindness and support you all have provided. So again, I thank you all for your kindness, support and appreciation for the hobby but I want to remind you: This is also a fundraiser. While it would be sure nice to get an upvote, or get some traffic over this video. I want you guys, more than anything, to consider donating to the Fundraiser over on the right. We can fight MS. It can hit anyone, and rob them of their best years and vital energies. With enough support, We can win by vanquishing this monster. We could be the generation that ends a disease. Together, united, we can do good and remind people that the Battletech community gets shit done right. Mechwarriors to your stations. I'll see you when we drop.

[@guitarhausdoesntknowwhatac3285]

As always, thankyou for your hard work and dedication. Also, that preview art just screams "No Davion's allowed".

[@playtesting2317]

So question from me a run of the mill agromech pilot that somehow got employed by pirates and now for some reason got drafted into the Taurian forces. We have the Hunchback and the Hunchback II why is the hunchback II not called 'Quasimodo'?

[@guitarhausdoesntknowwhatac3285]

@@playtesting2317 The hunchback IIC is a clan secondline update to the original model that tries to work with the original concept of the mech's design. There is a quasimodo mech however that was designed in the 3140's and Is quite the vicious murder machine.

[@v3c7r0n]

Congrats Tex & team! Looking forward to another amazing Tex Talks that's sure to have an entertainment factor of 7. Thank you for all of the hard work and the hours of entertainment you've provided to us all

[@mikecampos1193]

Thank you Tex and everyone in the Black Pants Legion who helped this video become possible thank you guys you did it take a break and Tex please take a break when you can Godspeed.

[@TheNerdForAllSeasons]

"On the battlefield, they are a hammer. As such, they will frequently search the world in want of nails." Hunchback players have never been described so poetically.

[@john-paulsilke893]

Stumbling around looking for a heavy or assault on it last legs and desperately avoiding having a sneaky fast medium or light sneaking up behind them. 5 good shots and that ugly thing pays for itself every time.

[@Bacteriophagebs]

The _Hunchback_ was my favorite 'Mech that I didn't design myself once I got the _Mercenary's Handbook_ and started using prices to buy units. Then I discovered the _Saladin_ hovertank and the _Hunchback_ was dead to me. If the _Hunchback_ is a hammer, the _Saladin_ is a nailgun. You could almost get 4 _Saladins_ for the price of one _Hunchback._

[@zacharyhumphries1707]

I always preferred a Nova. I could strip that thing out, slap on a bunch of medium lasers, arrow missile systems and jump jets and not worry about near anything. The jump jets made it very fast and maneuverable, it had a low profile, ya could get close quickly and if able to hit what your aiming at could be absolutely surgical in destroying the enemy.

[@Bacteriophagebs]

@@zacharyhumphries1707 I'd take 3 Hunchbacks and a Saladin against one Nova. For the price, that's what you can get.

[@eddapultstab2078]

​@@Bacteriophagebsyeah but those Saladins have as much armor as a periphery snow blower, I have used a locusts, stingers, and wasps to kill them in high risk high speed battles but even a Lance of these light mechs will have a bad time with a single hunchback.

[@PerunAU]

The work that clearly went into this is incredible; Spectacular piece mate

[@verververververver]

A man of culture I see

[@UndergroundLasers]

Holy crap is Perun! Loved the new military budget video!

[@fallout3fanboy1]

When collaboration with BPL?

[@duncancrickett9212]

Special Edition Battletech-themed PowerPoint on the games channel one day...?

[@moistjohn]

Perun april fools video on the defense economics (or more accurately, lack theroff) of the clan invasion. The 3 day march for terra.

[@zac5370]

I love that, having known none of the history of the Hunchback, finding it in MW5 and it quickly becoming a favorite mech, I apparently embody the default spirit of a hunchie pilot with "I wonder if I can fit a long tom on my hunchback." "There is no way a medium mech can-" "You CAN in fact mount a long tom! Oh this is going to be stupid!"

[@stgjr]

A natural-born Hunchback pilot if I ever saw one. Godspeed, MechWarrior.

[@absalomdraconis]

​@@stgjr : Maybe not _speed._ God's ammo to you Zac.

[@Deridus]

You can mount a Gauss on an Urbie. Let that sink in.

[@DarkRavenhaft]

@@Deridus My MW5 urbie lance is well aware. If only arrow IV launchers were in-game...

[@tavernburner3066]

But do you have style?

[@axiumsa4273]

Float like a brick, sting like a thrown brick

[@EricDKaufman]

HAHAHAHA I'm stealing this

[@IamHattman]

Stick jumpjets on one "For a brick, it flew pretty good" Mechwarrior Johnson, probably

[@PeachDragon_]

​@@IamHattman People talk about the phoenix hawk or the battlemaster but the real master chief is the highlander, a brick that flies... sometimes

[@derekhinger1343]

@@PeachDragon_ when you can easily smash through the wall but choose to fly over it instead and bring 90t of death down on your adversary in the process

[@michelveilleux2075]

"Now hear this. I don't care if this station is God's personal, anti-son of a bitch machine, or a giant god damn hoolahoop!" Mechwarrior Johnson

[@ClockworkEngineer]

"This is a machine which can produce, on demand, a localized Armageddon with one pull of the trigger." This is one of the greatest sentences ever crafted.

[@annabellerice839]

I'm a personal fan of _"It can then find that one last guy who survived and decide to punt him back to his own lines before disapearing, war crimes unexplained, fading into the fog of war like a cryptid made of dying men's nightmares."_ -Tex 2022, on the Charger

[@ryanlott1108]

Tex on the Taurians bull head: "Such is their symbol, because 'We have trained since our founding day to stack bodies like fucking chord wood, so if you insist on fucking around you will most certainly find out' doesn't fit on the money, and probably sends the wrong message to foreign investors."

[@ryanzahn6581]

The hunchback represents a universal human thought process. "I have this big gun. But the enemies are way over there. I sure wish I had some way to bring this gun way over there."

[@HrothgarHeavenlight]

"It also punch hard things, perfect."

[@duongquan4986]

Same thought process in ancient Terra region of Vietnam, there were a siege of Dien Bien Phu back in 20th century. But they used mules , bicycles,... most of time pushed by hands instead.

[@messiah2203]

I feel like the Hollander was built with that as its sole design requirement.

[@absalomdraconis]

​@@messiah2203 : Perhaps, but as I recall the original Hollander threw in a crotch joke for extra buyer value. Or maybe that was a later version?

[@KwadDamyj]

And if that don't work...Use more gun.

[@nathanielgrey4091]

I love that the factory kept saying "use a CASE so you can live to buy another one!" And the pilots just kept ripping them out for beer money and giggles

[@watchm4ker]

Not just that. Ripping out the system designed to protect them from ammo explosions, and adding more ammo, so the inevitable explosion becomes that much bigger.

[@andrewkristensen1396]

@@watchm4ker Like Tex once said before, "If you're gonna be seen dying from an ammo explosion, might as well be seen from orbit." or something along the lines...

[@Reddotzebra]

These guys give Urbie pilots a run for their money in terms of dedication. I prefer just running ECM for them and watch the fireworks in HD from the comfort of my Raven.

[@robertivey7644]

@@ReddotzebraShould I tell you of my glorious Stealth Armor Hunchback IIC? Only an Inner Sphere pilot would take a captured mech and drop its armor even more….

[@iller3]

it's unfortunate that CASE will always be a Meme when it comes to any PC games as long as save-scumming exists. ...would need a "Persistent World" focus (like an MMOFPS) for there to ever be any excuse to change this reality around these logistics

[@WatchTMC]

We have a few of our thingies in there, but the whole team is looking forward to what you have cooked up over the last year. Trust me, I know how it feels to release something youve worked hard on for ~12 months :)

[@ShagShaggio]

woo

[@EricDKaufman]

we are ready

[@boonp.7935]

We are waiting

[@Deridus]

I am looking forward to this!

[@TheBallisticzero]

Sir, may I ask you to translate that time-frame in "pot'so coffai ☕️ ", please?

[@90s_Wizard]

Ah yes, a quick 2 hour lore video on a single mech. I'll watch it multiple times

[@rodioncantacuzene6639]

I think I’m on a 3 rewatch lol

[@Illitha]

​@@rodioncantacuzene6639I think I'm on my 5th lol

[@Deridus]

8, I think. Most of that was background, but it's still good for giggles.

[@et3inuyasha]

Rookie numbers. Tex Talks is my nightly way to pass the night shift at my job.

[@Deridus]

It's good background music, if nothing else. 10th watch.

[@zot8218]

I told my wife I'm watching a documentary, she said she loves documentaries and I she wanted to watch it with me. She was so lost In the content, but as someone who when to school and has worked in the film industry in some capacity for 20 years she was impressed with the episode. Especially when i told her it is done buy a few people in their spare time. I am as always grateful for the effort and quality of the content. Thank you to everyone involved.

[@bombomos]

Your wife must love you to watch a Mech documentary.

[@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus]

@@bombomos the quality of the documentary if high enough can be appealing to the layman, it’s actually the sign that the maker falls into the category of “truly competent” which is rare. A smart person can explain something to everyone from the average pleb to the emperor and have them understand it A gifted person can do that and make it fun in the process.

[@Jizzfrosti]

@@bombomos any story can be good if you tell it correctly

[@Snickersnek]

I just realised how close the hunchback cannon is to the cockpit. Hunchback pilots must live for that thing's thunderous roar, bet you that the easiest way to find a hunchback pilot is to find the mechwarrior who's deaf in their right ear.

[@Nick-hk2vz]

I know this is an old comment and I could be wrong but I believe ear problems are one of the few things that can prevent someone from piloting a mech as the neurohelmet uses the pilots inner ear for balance. Cheers.

[@CharlieNoodles]

…what?

[@KMCA779]

​​@@CharlieNoodlesfound the HBK-IIC pilot.

[@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus]

Swayback pilots are just deaf in both ears then?

[@Stray_V310]

nothing hits like the sound of that a/c20 going off.

[@derekburge5294]

I really appreciate how dedicated Tex is to keeping these talks rooted in-universe. The Periphery 'we' vs Star League 'they' is a beautiful touch in all these works.

[@DHTheAlaskan]

Well the character he plays is from the Deep Periphery.

[@jamesperkins191]

Van Zandt is an independent periphery world, formerly part of the Rim Worlds Republic

[@Korraganitar]

And his ex wife is a clanner.

[@christiancampbell7467]

Holy shit that's wild

[@derekburge5294]

@@Korraganitar A Ghost Bear Elemental to boot.

[@frocat5163]

"You have two AC20s...and they probably don't." Love it!

[@allthenamesiwantedweretaken]

"This is a *monster,* wrapped in the *skin* of a beloved friend" You write the most metal lines, it's insane.

[@DD8842]

The best BPL videos are when Uncle Tex tells us about the world that built the mech. "Let us speak of dead worlds and the men who burned them." Good stuff.

[@Executioner9000]

Such a way with words

[@knowbuddynose]

Listen to his poetry readings. @@Executioner9000

[@parkerdixon-word6295]

House Kurita: "Medium mechs are a waste, we only want lights and Heavies." Also House Kurita: [Buys out exclusive production of the Hunchback]

[@epicstyle1000]

The Hunchback is a light version of a heavy

[@Eserchie]

Dragons are just overweight mediums. A hunchback is an assault with all the deadweight cut out.

[@asajjy]

​@epicstyle1000 Actually It's A Micro Assault Class

[@richardmazkin9994]

@@asajjy Nah, the UM-R60 and UM-R60L are the Micro Assault. HBK-4G is a Mini Assault

[@pierre-mariecaulliez6285]

Well why do you think they only care about acquiring lights and heavies ? they've already got the best medium on the market ! In very, very large supply...

[@Mavairo]

Rewatching this I realized why I like the Fafnir, it's a Hunchback, that Steiner decided needed to become an assault mech, and that it needed a second gigantic cannon. Because sometimes you absolutely need massive firepower dumped into someone at close range and the durability to get there.

[@DarkRavenhaft]

Headcanon: the inspiration for the first Fafnir prototype was the result of a bored/inebriated/insane pilot trying to weld a second Hunchback to his current one.

[@RRVCrinale]

@@DarkRavenhaft"What would it take to make a survivable Hunchback IIC? ... fuck it, if it's gonna be that heavy, it needs bigger guns. Let me think..."

[@Banthisyoutube-zs6sx]

If gun does not work......use more gun. My life mantra and it works......most times. I worked with my gf now wife in college. She couldn't get a cash register open cause it was a piece of crap. I was having a bad day and she asked me for help so i just punched the cash drawer and it popped right open. She had been messing with it for 30 minutes......i fixed it in 30 seconds. She just looks at me and goes "did that really F****** work". I then wandered off like a charger into my video game department domain. Now that we have a 3 year old daughter i smile when i watch her use her father's mentality to solve problems in her father's way. My wife childproofed the house.....kid just ripped the child lock off the drawer. Not good i know but friggin hilarious. She also likes to play with my battletech figures. She has her "robot family" she plays with while i model.

[@judgedread9724]

Apply more gun per gun and bigger gun per gun.

[@PaperworkNinja]

The intro compels me to demand a buddy cop film starring a Hunchback and an Urbanmech

[@ryanlott1108]

And they drive around in a Rotunda. One looks like a trashcan, and one likes taking out the trash.

[@NexPaciscor]

If ttrpg companies with millions of dollars put a quarter of the effort and love into their products as you put into BT as a fan, theyd be unstoppable. Yet another goddamn triumph from you and your team. ❤

[@EdRopple]

The thing is that most of those companies don’t have “millions of dollars”. It’s Wizards and then barrel-scraping. BPL does great stuff - and don’t have a P&L. It’s not about “love”, it’s economics, and how expensive human labor is.

[@CaptainRufus]

​@@EdRoppleWell Games Workshop could also afford it. But they would charge money and lots of it because that is how companies on a stock exchange do. Because Late Stage Capitalism wants to be more evil than your average 20th Century Communist Dictatorship. (Or pretty much every other form of of government and economic system. Just with less direct murdering of people because you can't increase profits or get cheap labor from dead heretics or "treasonous" people. Molly the Spinster isn't a witch for burning. She has money to spend and maybe we can sneak her into a Reverse Mortgage to get her land! OK unless stock goes up faster if we burn witches...)

[@NewsOfTheInnerSphere]

To to be fair to CGL, they work with what they have. They don't have millions of dollars to pump into BT. Loren Coleman's interview with Renegade HPG sheds a lot of light on what CGL is doing and what they are doing is an act of love from old fans and geeks of the universe that want to see it thrive.

[@swampy128]

My soul is ready

[@cpaul562]

So is my anus.

[@SirDeady]

you have my hatchetman

[@Merc034]

My body is ready!

[@cezar9344]

And my Javelin

[@sebastianayala5143]

And my AWS!

[@DubsRoids]

Literally would pay 20$ to watch this in theaters. More excited for a TTBT episode than any blockbuster movies these days

[@imadequate3376]

Killers of the Flower Moon looks decent.

[@claytonhess5512]

​@@imadequate3376?

[@KMCA779]

I'd pay $50 to have a TTBT Marathon in theatres... I know a local theatre that would be on board too if I could get the money together.

[@D-GM-Snyper2]

"Which version of the HBK-2 should you fear?" *takes a deep breath* "ALL OF THEM!" *runs*

[@thomasgiles2876]

The Hunchback faces a mirror before a battle... looks at itself... and says "I'm a star, I'm a star. I'm a star. I'm a big bright shining star."

[@nikoclesceri2267]

And then he proceeded to be seen from orbit during the battle

[@allenbettis8558]

​@@nikoclesceri2267😂😂😂

[@S71xx]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate that Mr. Tex and his crew have made another high quality full length feature film, and he's just giving it to us for free.

[@kidro0314]

My wife has MS pretty bad, and i cant thank everyone enough for donating to the research!!!! I love the tex talks video, and now i have one on my loveable hunchback! Much love to you all!

[@Troubleshooter11]

It was my pleasure to make a humble little donation. A drop in the bucket compared to some of the massive "faith-in-humanity-restored" levels of donations we saw coming in during the premiere. There were some good souls in that audience.

[@brentkalmbacher9092]

We do what we must. Riehnhard says it best, "We have been called....."

[@StevenLandesVO]

Hey there's an article on scitechdaily about a phase 1 clinical trial for a treatment for auto-immune diseases. Read it last night. Might be a cure for her condition coming soon.

[@chrisroberts7000]

1:02:26 "Engine scrub-scrub, burn die!" Glorious. New dialect: Imperial Even-Lower Gothic, aka Skaven

[@jeremiahcook2274]

70 hour work weeks delivering building materials in the blistering sun here in Texas. But it feels like a leisurely stroll in the park with the BPL singing in my ears. I’m really looking forward to this!

[@toysoldiernerio7172]

doing the important and hard work to keep the world turning, keep truckin out there.

[@slchance8839]

doing the real work like a real man. keep it up.

[@sethhale8828]

Kill it friend. Too many Capellans out there. Watch your six please

[@wun1gee]

That credit roll animation was worth the wait all by itself, let alone the rest of this magnificence.

[@dieseljester3466]

OMG... I had flashbacks to my childhood with this intro! LOL 😆🤣😂

[@weldonwin]

And it's a call back to one of the very first TTB videos from way back in the day with the Pimp-Urbie

[@wun1gee]

@@weldonwin THAT'S where I heard the music before. The Urbie TTB. Thank you. That was driving me insane.

[@luclizzard2488]

Please tell me the name of the song is, like "Pimp-Daddy 4G" or something

[@wun1gee]

@@luclizzard2488 The song is Motor Town Heartbeats 5 by Victor Olsson.

[@markkrombacher8369]

The hunchback is like a classic car and it's pilots a special breed. I'd like to think that there are annual fan conventions across the sphere. There hunchback pilots, spheroid and clan, come together, get drunk and discuss the latst trends in hunchback modifications.

[@Banthisyoutube-zs6sx]

As the owner of a classic car......you either get it or you don't. My BIL says he wants a muscle car and then starts conplaining about performance to modern cars and creature comforts......i give him the side eye and just say you don't want a muscle car then bud. Its rough, its loud, its arrogant in all the best ways........and i love my old girl even if she is a cantankerous bitch.

[@LeuvahkTrigger]

I like to think of the Hunchback as a mix of the A-10 Warthog and the 1911. Its built entirely around the gun, its made it through far too many wars, and you will be judged if its not in the 'right caliber.

[@bluemobster0023]

God now I want a BRRRRRRRRRT Hunchback is that an option?

[@darkphoenyx27]

​@@bluemobster0023 Rotary Autocannons

[@SvenVanDerPlank]

Looking forward to what I'm certain will be another stellar video. Congrats to the Black Pants Legion on completing another major project.

[@Dracobyte]

Glad to see you here Sven!

[@theblackpantslegion]

We're all in this together, brother. Each and every one of us.

[@ping9646]

That 70th into was glorious. The production value is off the charts. A big thanks to all talented people involved ❤

[@sonoftheviper__4304]

I felt the Pink Panther energy hit so hard.

[@johnfudali2316]

Insane 70's intro ends... Me: well that's was the whole budget for vfx. BPL: Hold muh beer.

[@8-7-styx94]

That you guys have the actual Duncan Fisher helping out with this still blows my mind. Black pants are legendary and so is Duncan Fisher.

[@farrell1701]

Getting up and close with an AC/20 is fun and all (and you did a great job covering it), and it's even better with the HBK-4FF variant: Scrap the small laser ('cause infantry is squishy anyways) and a ton of armor in exchange for three jump jets. Because nothing says "Hello and goodbye" better in the Succession War era than a Hunchback that can suddenly jump right over its target into the rear arc or introduce its feet into a target's face then pummel the remains.

[@michaelmoolick9419]

It is amazing how a dedicated few like Tex and his crew can outperform mega-corps and their literal billions in producing smart, quality entertainment and build fiction products that internally makes sense rather than being made of stupid..

[@Sorain1]

It's a matter of spending the time and effort required to do the job right.

[@Andrewlik]

Passion and effort can be used to make up for a lack of budget

[@gkr2189]

Three whole days until premiere? Guess I'll go binge the entire series again, ho hum.

[@mortcs]

I love listening to old tex talks while reloading ammo in the garage.

[@robsykes1491]

Where can I find the older ones?

[@tomarmadiyer2698]

Now you must loop it for three days.

[@tomarmadiyer2698]

Hunchback "... Waaagh."

[@dripfeedtothebrain]

Your intro is so stupid I love it.

[@cd-tc6vw]

Now you can get letters from GM and Nissan! Fantastic job to TEX and his team, this series is probably my favorite fan-made series ever!

[@jayive34]

I wonder. Is BattleTech GM and Nissan the same GM and Nissan that exists today?

[@DreamFireNostalgia]

@@jayive34 yes in world they are as far as i know

[@blanetamez532]

In Battletech I always prioritize Hunchbacks for destruction as I learned the hard way in my early days that AC/20 scary… and case usage by hunchbacks pilots is rare so seeing them violently explode after unwisely leaving cover was always funny… unless I missed… then I shat my pants. But they are too slow for my taste so I end up spending an alarming amount of money making them fast and usually armed with a heavy MRM 40 because that is the one thing I will grant the Dragon Turds got right. So I guess I am swayback user but never knew it thanks Professor Tex!

[@33brtl]

As a swaybacker, I really enjoy the eventual evolution to the Quasimodo. Another design to get up close and personal.

[@bthsr7113]

Not a big fan of VSP, but conceptually I like the Quasimodo. I'd install CMPL bank instead.

[@MrJack556]

Heretic!

[@33brtl]

@@bthsr7113 I agree that VSP aren't amazing, but they do reinforce the up close and personal role the Quasimodo wants to play.

[@baker90338]

Hell, me and some of the crew on big red’s discord have been working on crazy things like Binary lasers, or heavy PPC’s with capacitors.

[@krullachief669]

@@bthsr7113 Nah, rip out the MVSPs and Blue Shield and instead mount an X-LPL, three X-MPL and two X-SPL while keeping the heatsinks, 6/9 movement curve, and TSM. Become the obliterator of Light 'Mechs.

[@Deliverator80]

Regular Car Reviews cameo is AMAZING! Well done, this was so worth the long hours you guys spent on it. Great work Tex and the BPL team!

[@gnarwhale]

When I saw RCR in the credits I flipped.

[@youllnevertakemealive2833]

This, so much this. EDIT: but also I saw that Honda, proving that the Rotunda needed scaled up just a titch.

[@GrayDeathSociety]

It is rather refreshing to hear RCR narrate a portion of this video... We didn't know that he was interested in the BT universe ._. Glad to see another Tex Talks guys, you guys knocked it out of the park!!

[@blackc1479]

Lol I was just listening and like "wait...what?" Haven't binged him in a while, need to check back in🤘 Now I REALLY want to hear him narrate a mech review, preferably something crappy.... sorry, random asbestos The more I think about it, he does kinda have a pre-whisky and discovering profanity tex vibe.

[@AboveTheDust]

Seriously. My world just got smaller when I heard RCR starting up with a Battletech review.

[@p_serdiuk]

who is RCR?..

[@blackc1479]

@p_serdiuk regular car reviews, he drives around various cars and does a particularly deep review of em. Pretty funny stuff in a kinda dry understated way.

[@tinfoilhat3268]

​@@p_serdiuksome furry that thinks he witty

[@Culando]

I genuinely love how these have turned from 20 or so minute long overviews of battlemechs and their history to huge, hour plus long history lectures. Just goes to show how cohesive most of Battletech lore is. I might be a bit more of a 40k fan for various reasons, but this is one of the kinds of things that'll always keep Battletech near to my heart.

[@grimmn6038]

What a weekend, I get to play AC6, I get to play a game of Battletech with my mates to celebrate my upcoming birthday, and I get to watch this before bed? Wonderful. Peak, even. Thank you Tex and team, for putting so much work and artistry into these things, they're thoroughly entertaining.

[@jackrogers5712]

Happy birthday fella

[@griffingamer8624]

How is AC6? I heard it was awfully repetitious and over too quickly.

[@grimmn6038]

@@griffingamer8624 I guess you could call it repetitious, but then you'd have to be deliberately reductive to do so. It's great fun if you want fast paced mech combat and a fairly linear story. As for it being over too quickly, AC has always been about replaying the story and taking different paths/hunting for secrets so you can get true endings 'n shit. All in all I recommend it, assuming you want the fast paced mech shooter. Also try not to think about the studio that made it, as you'll probably inadvertently program yourself to approach the game a certain way.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

@@griffingamer8624 It's over too quickly if you're the sort of person to beat a third of a game, see credits, then decide you're done. Which. Fair if that's you.

[@certain_sloth]

Happy Birthday!

[@Valor816]

Fun fact! The Hunchback was first built on the Lyran world of "Australia" and was initially called the "Hughjack" The design was later modified and reworked into what is now called the "Huge Axeman" but was originally called the "Hughjack Man" The Hughjack Man was the first mech to eschew all armor and be built entirely out of Myomer and a singlet.

[@imasspeons]

Huge Jackedman

[@JunkCCCP]

@@imasspeons HYUUUUGE JACKEDMAN?

[@katherineberger6329]

Does that mean the Urbanmech's original codename was "Tiny Ackman"?

[@morrigancollins2092]

I see what you did there.

[@quinnfable2694]

God this was so good. The intro was immaculate. A chassis as prodigious and infamous as the Hunchback deserved no less.

[@ralphcooper236]

That opening was so 80’s, from the vhs-like introduction, to the badass tune. Well done fellas.

[@vonriel1822]

Man, the art assets in this are beyond incredible. I can't believe how much you've stepped up the production value on these, everyone involved did a fucking _incredible_ job - if you'll pardon my periphery jargon.

[@krissteel4074]

Its a wonderful journey though one of the most popular mechs ever

[@ksenolog]

I only did one image, but still - thank you very much!

[@maverickentity9341]

Having just put my Havanese Daisy down mere hours ago after a traumatizing past few days, being able to watch the first half hour of this so far has helped take my mind off of darker things. You always pull through for me in my darkest of days Tex and crew. My last BTA 3062 file started with a hunchback, and after so long I got burnout of playing after getting enough scrap for my first heavy mech, I still rocked that hunchback with a lbx-20 every drop. Tempted to go back some day and rename it Daisy in honor of my girl. Again, thank you for your continual efforts to bring such joy to all of us.

[@Deridus]

... (hug)

[@dmaxcustom]

A hunchback is a YOLO machine. A Tex video is no Tex video without the bagpipes.

[@Hellhound23691]

I’m currently fracking in the buttcrack cold and rain of the Rocky Mountains but this makes me feel warm. Can’t wait.

[@Hieronymous_Flex]

My favorite mech finally gets the treatment it rightly deserves! The TTB team just keeps getting better and better.

[@RobinWhiteTX]

This 70s Funk Intro may be the greatest piece of media ever! Great Work & worth the wait BPL!

[@DeltaFidelias]

This is incredible, as usual! Also the ending credits with the slow buildup of madness is awesome!

[@kosswest]

I feel good that I'm still alive to watch this (Ukrainian military in active service here) Tex, you're the best.

[@WatchTMC]

All the best to you.

[@Spunkhaus]

You're doing real good man. I know words don't fix things, but be safe and be well. We can pick up the pieces afterward. Together.

[@kosswest]

sometimes kind words also do good, thank you, we'll keep going, so do you

[@p_serdiuk]

Слава Україні

[@kosswest]

@@p_serdiuk Героям Слава!

[@williamsimon9036]

As someone who both loves Battletech and works in the nursing field, I continue to raise a glass every time everyone involved with BPL and this line of videos puts out new stuff. Keep being good writers, good orators, good artists, good production specialists and above all else.. good people.

[@bobbydigital330]

Drunkenmonk79 here. The Inner Sphere's 3rd most experienced Mechwarrior and tactical genius. I just have to say THANK you to the folks at this BPL situation. You have not only inspired me to be a better Mechwarrior and content creator but to be a better person in general. I have just become accustomed to your channel in the past few months and have absorbed and re-absorbed it again. Opened my eyes to Sarna! Thanks there for sure. Nice to have all that knowledge that I have been floating around in my head in one easily accessible place eh. Love the inclusion of Duncan....I signed an autograph for him back in 2002 and I am glad he is back in rotation somewhere. Anyways, I have been awaiting this video for a long time and tonight(and probably the next 10 nights) I will stream an OG Hunchback Mechwarrior 4 Livestream in your honor on the Kick. Not a shameless plug. If I can honor, I will. If I can swoon I will. Please keep up the good work. Donation to follow! Hope this finds someone, Scouts Out, Drunkenmonk79 Recon

[@kiltedguard]

2 hours...wow and a noticeable up-tick in production quality. Great job to the whole production team for what you all have accomplished. Another outstanding video guys.

[@TechNinja.1701]

1:15:33 The comic format showing the misadventures of Sandy Porter's Hunchback while Tex describes them drily had me laughing uncontrollably for the first time in a long time. Thank you all.

[@ToozdaysChild]

1. Alright, let's see what this bad boy can- OH SHIT 2. Okay, top-heavy and high-recoil don't mix, noted. Maybe if I brace against this- NOPE 3. Alright, take three. Surely this building will be strong enou- OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE

[@Spore9996]

@@ToozdaysChild I died on watching, and rewatching.

[@reddino4579]

Ohhh yessss! Damn, was about time!😁🎇🎆 Every Text Talks Battletech ist such an event for me. The best and deepest Loretalk there can be!🥰

[@humanhaggis]

These are always so incredibly high-fidelity. If the Inner Sphere made 'mechs like the Black Pants Legion make videos, we'd have even more Hunchbacks.

[@andyb9350]

How does this manage to keep getting better !!! Tex, BPL, Contributors, Thank you for bringing this to life for us.

[@roguefenrir]

This was amazing to watch. Hunchback is the OG “Delete Button.” Well done Mr.Tex and the BPL!

[@adherentofladycolumbia725]

Battletech, Armored Core, new shows & stories, i just love that big stopy robots have finally been getting a fresh breath of life after 20 years.

[@redactedc1928]

The phone messages at the end slayed me.

[@willydstyle]

This is the first BPL video I've seen after hearing a lot of people singing your praises. Your writing and production quality frankly blew me away. You're on another level for BT fan-made content.

[@freedeau]

As always, the team behind TTB brings this entry to the next level! Art, music, writing, animations, editing, the whole thing a master class in what is possible when dedicated, hard working fans come together to create! I hope the team takes a much deserved break. I can't thank you enough for contributing to a fandom I hold dear. o7

[@duncanmackenzie7795]

I'm pretty sure every pilot has a Hunchback story, either because one was coming at you like a brick or because it's your ride of choice. Whichever you are, may your aim be true- or if not, bless your mech fu.

[@mrtspence]

Yet another certified masterpiece. You and yours continue to deliver, Tex. Super entertaining.

[@williamjanak2013]

The fact that there is enough to make a 2 hour documentary on the Hunchback is crazy. And its crazy Awesome you with your mad lads made it. Grand work was done here. Thank you everyone for their hard work, now rest up.

[@Cowboycomando54]

These videos helped me get through a pretty crappy deployment. Thankyou Tex and everyone from the BPL that made these possible.

[@FiauraTheTankGirlGamer]

Thank you for the trust you gave me while working on this, I hope I did not disappoint.

[@user-dq6qx9ym9z]

The intro was veryyy 70s action oriented.....well done, it took me back

[@vykryl65]

I need a ticker to keep track of how many times I've listened to this episode

[@RunsaberSR]

While this finishes its final marinade, I'll be driving cross country to my new home and life. I can't think of a better homecoming gift than to be able to watch this upcoming masterpiece.

[@marvinthomas9897]

Roughly where are you headed?

[@RunsaberSR]

@@marvinthomas9897 warm, balmy Minnesota

[@marvinthomas9897]

@@RunsaberSR nice! Safe travels.

[@coreyfro]

This script was MUCH tighter than the last couple. Very solid writing and editing.

[@DeepBarney]

I saw RCR listed in the video description, but I never would have thought I'd get an extra car review from Mr Regular himself this week. So cool to see you collab with one of my other favorite KZbin personalities. Right fucking on!

[@knowbuddynose]

An absolute masterpiece, in terms of thoroughness, production value, and in showcasing the ideals that Tex of the Black Pants Legion holds near and dear to his heart.

[@tomsimpkins1211]

The Hunchback most reminds me of the A-10 Warthog. For their role, they're super in your face, scrappy, iconic, nearly unkillable, and irreplaceable in their roles despite many attempts otherwise.

[@theatagamer90]

And if you put a RAC on it then it REALLY can remind you of an A-10. (This post was sponsored by the New Avalon Institute for Rapid Autocannons. When you think rapid fire, think NAIRA.)

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

I wonder which has a higher rate of friendly fire incidents...

[@jgraaay18]

@@RipOffProductionsLLC Yes.

[@baker90338]

I’d say that honor goes to the Kintaro. It will get shot at, it will get damaged. But you know why it stays around? It does a job few can do equally pretty good for what you get. Unlike the a10 though, it isn’t the great destroyer of the allied armored column.

[@p_serdiuk]

Not really. The A-10 is super in the face but it's also very imprecise, can hardly kill its primary targets anymore, is extremely vulnerable to MANPADs and fighter aircraft, and had been very much replaced by bomb trucks like the B-1 or the F-15E. Hunchie is more like a Sherman with a 105 mm howitzer. Dependable, reliable, easy to maintain, well-armored, not very quick, but will fuck up anything up close.

[@null6634]

Thank you all for your hard work. This was the most anticipated movie of the year for me, literally. I can't remember when i was so excited for a movie to come out. And it was worth the build up and the wait. You all did an amazing job with the music, animation, narration, editing and things i don't know about. Thank you for all you all do, including outside of the movies and podcasts.

[@childofslaanesh1251]

Amazing work as always BPL, you guys outdid yourselves once again. It’s amazing to think this series started with a 5 min video on the awesome and now it’s 2 hours and has a “spin off” episode. You should be proud of yourselves, this really is amazing

[@reighniz4488]

Swayback fan here. I am proud to say I have taken on and taken out a Battlemaster and an Atlas in the same session without repairs or rearming. 2x SRM 6 and 4 Medium Lasers is one hell of a one-two punch.

[@Xalerdane]

The Hunchback is my favorite medium ‘Mech. The HBK-4SP was the first ‘Mech I purchased in _MWO._ I named it _Igor._ (Pronounced the _Young Frankenstein_ way.)

[@axsprime]

A new Armored Core game and a Tex video in the same week, doesn't get much better than this.

[@thumb-ugly7518]

I’m a week late to the party. The first chance to listen uninterrupted entirely, and I’m floored by the thorough dedication and love in this production. I now want a Hunchback. Which one? Yes. The answer is yes.

[@bombomos]

This made me tear up. The Hunchie is a damn monument to what a Best Friend is.

[@XaviusNight]

My favorite variant of the Hunchie is always going to be the Lefty model, which is just the 4G variant but the hunchbox is on the left side. It feels deeply cursed to look at in a way that is very, very hard to articulate when you realize that it isn't just a flipped image, but a fully functional left-sided Hunchback.

[@lancebakore497]

This Was Choice. ❤ Can't wait to see the BPL treatment on the Taurian Concordant and Clan Wolverine. Thank you for you tireless and wonderful efforts. This is a masterpiece

[@chewiewookthevindicator5657]

As a dedicated 4P Swaybacker, at the 45:38 mark when he talks about how the 4P pilots state that ‘at the proper range and conditions, yadayada, the damage output is higher than the AC/20…’ I thought back to ALL. THE.TIMES. I have done EXACTLY that. I laughed and clapped my hands because it was so scary accurate. Any BT game, whether computer or table, I ALWAYS have at least one 4P. If I could just find a way to turn a hand into a hatchet….

[@Redsaiyan119]

Doing a re-listen while working, and am I hearing a version of "Bolero" around the 40 minute mark? Sweet Jiminy Cricket, that's awesome!

[@DiscoDigi786]

So happy to see Mechcommander footage used in a TTB! That game got me into the universe. Thanks for another great video, team! Be well and please take time for yourselves!

[@amechanicalman5418]

I think this video has converted me into a Hunchback enthusiast. I was piloting a Hunchback in MW5 while watching this and can attest to how fun it is running around and firing a AC/20-BF from the shoulder. Can really feel the passion poured into this video from Tex, team, and contributing artists!

[@Deridus]

Just to prove a point, I had three friends piloting AS7-D's while I picked a random Hunchback. I got more kills then all of them combined, and had only my left leg, left and center torso, plus cockpit.

[@ryanlott1108]

​@@Deridusand who's king of the battlefield? Hunchie will always be king

[@Deridus]

@@ryanlott1108 As demonstrated by the aforementioned Medium in the Assault Lance.

[@thequartermaster2188]

Fantastic work. The best video to date. The Tex Talks series is one of my favorite things on the internet. Sadly youtube decided I didn't need to be subscribed anymore so I'm a day late. I only noticed when I went to watch some older vids.

[@Snowcatsrt]

I love that the whole community has come together to hype this video up! This is going to be awesome... I mean... Hunchback!

[@vlweb3d]

NOTIFICATION ON and an instant THUMBS UP ! Why ? Because I always enjoy Tex's Battletech Documentaries. It's how I found this channel years ago ;)

[@Saltine-ye8so]

I just love the art of the Comstar Acolytes doing a dance. More broadly, thanks as ever, Tex! Less a historical deep dive and more a presentation on the state of modern hunchbachism and the ever-raging holy-war between factions of pilots...

[@ryanlott1108]

Ah, yes, the venerable Hunch-Bach. The most classical of all mechs

[@ih7729]

I’ve watch this so many times. It just keeps on giving. Thanks, Tex and Co. 👍🏻🤖💥🔫

[@obamabiden]

that animation of the hunchback rushing the bigger mech with tex's narration over it was amazing

[@L_Monke]

The ol' reliable of the Inner Sphere, besides the Wolverine, and Bushwacker it is my favourite mech. Doesn't matter if you are a Laser vomit or AC enthusiast, Hunchy got your back.

[@baker90338]

I find the centurion AL generally serves a similar purpose in my tastes, a medium that can punch well above its weight at the cost of being slightly less powerful in unspecialized situations.

[@andrewgonzalez6556]

My favorite mech from my favorite mech archivists! Love to see it