Why Do We Love The Marauder?

Today, we look at a classic that everyone seems to love...
Marauder MF Record Sheet: www.dropbox.co...
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Sources: IlClan Rec Guide 6, 3025 TRO, 3050 TRO, 3039 TRO, BattleTech Legends, 3075 TRO, Decision at Thunder Rift, Mercenary Star, Price of Glory, Shrapnel Year 1, Battletechnology 0102, Handbook House Davion
Thank you to Dwane Loose, ACS, Chris Lowry, Dale Eadeh, Harri Kallio, and all the other BattleTech artists that have brought the IP to live through their amazing work.
BattleTech imagery and mech info remains the property of Topps.
Some imagery/video from Pixabay
Some iconography in my edit of the battlemech line art was purchased from Ken Turner on ArtStation.
#BattleTech #Mechwarrior #CatalystGameLabs #lore

[@BigRed40TECH]

Excuse me Sir, you missed all of my favourite Marauder moments. I am here to complain.

[@chrisgibson6061]

Purple birds coming to pick on the green birbs about non birb relates mechs. Madness I say

[@rafale1981]

@@chrisgibson6061madness indeed

[@ogrehaslayers605]

If Red came to complain about something i did, i would feel honored just to be noticed 😉 😂

[@MechanicalFrog]

Understandable.

[@BigRed40TECH]

@@MechanicalFrog All jokes aside, great video, and my favourite Marauder is the 11D from the Ilclan era, because it is cancer personified. lol

[@afitz34]

My first look at the Marauder was not from Battletech, but from Robotech in 1985, along with many other 'unseen' designs.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good times.

[@marvthedog1972]

Yup, the Zentraedi Officer Battle Pod.

[@NewsOfTheInnerSphere]

@@marvthedog1972 Yup! This! I still have the Officer Battle Pod toy in storage. Once I discovered BattleTech I started having my GI Joes piloting it like a Mech. It got better when the cartoon released and I was able to get the Bushwhacker, the Axeman, and the Zeus to play with as well.

[@ampgp03d]

Thank General Motors for giving us this war machine. From the small block Chevy to fusion power. From Ma Duce to the whirlwind ac5. From the corvette to the marauder. Gm has always made great products.

[@malusignatius]

... Except the Blackjack. :P

[@ampgp03d]

@@malusignatius or the rakshasa. That thing is like the old Pontiac Aztec. Hated by all

[@HrothgarHeavenlight]

@@ampgp03d Rakshasa is good mech, it is not as good as one it tried to imitate because clantech vs early IS tech. It have potential, like it version with RAC5 showed. And Blackjack is also decent mech.

[@MechanicalFrog]

They're a little behind on the fusion power...

[@brothersgt.grauwolff6716]

are you forgetting the GAU-8 Avenger Rotary Cannon found in the A-10 Warthog it go BRRRRRT!

[@Echowhiskeyone]

Tex at BPL did a good long hour and a half video on the Marauder about 2 years ago. Well worth the time to watch.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yep. Tex is great!

[@Dang_Near_Fed_Up]

I wholeheartedly agree. Frog did a good job here, don't get me wrong, but Tex really knocked it out of the park with the BPL Marauder video. Sorry Frog

[@Eman-720]

@Dang_Near_Fed_Up Credit where credits due, I'm also liking Mech Frogs vids for doing a tabletop overview not just lore.

[@HouseDavieMerc]

Circa-1984. I'm still a little kid. My neighbor came home from college to visit and was playing a new game with his friends. It was called Battledroids. They let me join in on a huge game on their ping pong table. Everyone else was either modding existing mechs or making up their own-I only just got to read the rule book. From the artwork I wanted to use a Marauder. I decided to get rid of the AC and replace it with a large laser and heat sinks so that it wouldn't explode. My first game and I accidentally made a MAD-3D before they existed! The other players couldn't believe they got their buts handed to them by someone half their age. The MAD-3D has been my ride since before it was released in TRO 3025. It's not perfect, but it's my traditional ride.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Excellent story, and pick.

[@duanewong1527]

For the sake of the future, we have to petition General Motors to start research into sustainable fusion power, we must ensure this mech comes into existence by 2612.

[@MechanicalFrog]

We're really falling behind on the timeline...

[@michaellewis1545]

I just love the non human shape mech. I just think they look cool.

[@MechanicalFrog]

"I just think they're neat." :D

[@Dang_Near_Fed_Up]

They always remind me of the tripods from War of The Worlds for some reason. And yes the Marauder is absolutely intimidating, which is why the Mad Cat was likely based off this design's appearance.

[@Brofisticus]

HBS Battletech wasn't the first game in the setting that I experienced, but it was the one that finally brought me into it. The 'mech that got my commander through the Arano campaign was the Marauder. Before I knew anything of the lore, this sexy beast was helping me wade through the battlefields of the periphery and earning a place in my heart. Thanks for the video, chief.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The MAD in HBS BT is quite the pick up.

[@fix0the0spade]

Lance Command Mod goes DECAPITATE!

[@ryandow6953]

Vanilla that MASSIVE bonus to called shot accuracy definitely turns it into a salvage maker......

[@Vespuchian]

I’ve got one with a salvaged Gauss rifle in the top slot in my current playthrough. It isn’t nearly the decapitator its reputation has lead me to believe, but it blows limbs off with satisfying regularity.

[@Raist474]

Love the Marauder. I occasionally check to see if GM put a fusion reactor into a testbed Corvette yet. Just in case the timeline changes.

[@105Gunner]

You scored a 99 out of 100 on this one MF. The discussion of Abdoun Ricol and his -7S is appreciated. He’s a character that I really look forward to seeing more of in the coming year. You lost the one point on that paint sample on the -3D. Those stripes 😮. However you earned a bonus 10 points for each mention of Grayson Death Carlyle and the original GDL because it probably annoyed a certain Canadian. Bravo!

[@MechanicalFrog]

You should see the dazzle pattern that I originally made. The lines were so close together and thin that it caused an instant migraine.

[@DairXV]

So I was running GM for a Mechwarrior RPG campaign for people largely new to the Battletech universe. One of them had gotten in via the HBS game, and was not that familiar with some of the more advanced systems. However, he did create a Marauder variant he called the hopping MAD, which featured jump jets and pulse lasers. He learned why not everything had an XL engine one day when he jumped behind a Combine Atlas and his LPLs breached the rear armor, causing a crit that landed in a nearly full LRM bin. The ammo exploded and took the entire left torso out. He was shocked to learn that the xl engine slots being taken out counted as three engine hits and that the mech was down for the count.

[@MechanicalFrog]

A lesson learned, and taken to heart, I hope.

[@haroldcarfrey4206]

The Marauder 5D is nasty, but needs to lose the Streak SRM-2 for the same reason.

[@Dang_Near_Fed_Up]

@@haroldcarfrey4206 I agree, the Streak SRM-2 is wasted tonnage, add more cooling for a better overall design with higher actual damage output.

[@DIEGhostfish]

4:23 I mean the Helm cote upgrades all showed up at the same time as the clans and were explicitly rediscovered tech. The Royal stuff was just someone putting more than two pieced of rediscovered tech on the same mech.

[@dwwolf4636]

Royal versions were the mechs the Elite divisions used in the Star league.

[@DIEGhostfish]

​@dwwolf4636 I now that.

[@TuntematonX]

That's a good way to justify the builds. I have a slightly different take on the SLDF Royal Variants and Star League relics. I personally like the existence of the Royal Variants as a point of continuity from Star League's Military R&D its advancement to Clan tech and their re-engineering and salvage, because of two narrative details that distinquish the Succession Wars' Dark Age from Warhammer's Arceotech. 1. Star League or rather the subsumed Terran Hegemony under House Cameron had a technological supremacy policy, and funded military R&D to compensate for their limitations in territory and raw resources compared to the other Great Houses by being on the bleeding edge of technology. NATO, and especially the US have had a similar policy since WW2 as a part of a quality over quantity strategy. A lot of the latest developments before Amaris were probably not applicable to the field, so endosteel etc. still required maturation as a technology. If Royal Variants had it, it was because of SLDF threw money at the military industrial complex to produce what they wanted even if it was not cost effective. A low number of orders leads to a stupidly higher price as happened with US' stealth destroyer and its railgun. On a smaller scale, special forces have tendency to ask for adjustments and non-regular kit due to their particular needs. 2. The Royal Variants assigned to Star League's most decorated regiments are a great way to project soft power. It's similar to modern nations announcing new weapon systems, but on a grander scale. They flaunt their achievements to the Great Houses, and actively tell them "we will always have the bigger stick, but we will generously sell you the old stick". Also, the regiments actively recruit anyone willing and able, so stories about SLDF might will eventually trickle dowm to the population. The myth separating Royal regiments from others is an excellent propaganda tool. Battletech omits to a degree the existence of upgrade packages for weapons systems. I would be surprised if the Royal variants upgrade packages released every few years.

[@Tatsu_of_Liao]

The most mythical of the unseen, and icon of the original introductory ‘mechs. Great job, Frog!

[@MechanicalFrog]

The little known Marauder that no one has ever heard of. :D

[@elchjol2777]

I have a Marauder I named the Nevermore in MW5: Mercs and it has become my go to. The first heavy I got,found it torn to shreds in a shop. Only its cockpit was without an armor breach. I didn't have PPCs at the time so I fit it with two large lasers,two mediums and a heavy rifle. Up graded the quality of weapons over time but kept the same weapon types and just switched out the standard heat sinks for doubles. Its an old mech,nearly obsolete weapon load out by the end of that game's time line yet it still fights with the rage of a mech that was brought back from its grave. Its heavy rifle is more like a sawed down artillery gun pressed into a direct fire role as it hits extremely hard and seems to take its max range of 825m as a loose suggestion as it has basically no drop over distance as I've gotten quite a few 1km+ shots to hit and shatter what ever is unfortunate enough to be in my sights.

[@ravingraven2522]

I'm a casual Battletech fan, but a massive Macross fan, so when I finally started looking into the BT universe my first priority was finding out if they ever implemented the Zentradi Officer's Pod and what it looked like now. I'm happy to see one of my favorite mech designs has become an iconic and universally loved machine in the form of the Marauder.

[@defiantmechwarrior2397]

Man that brought me back to when I listened to thunder rift. Thanks for the flashback frog😊

[@MechanicalFrog]

It holds up well. We listened to it in the car on the way to Thanksgiving this year.

[@krissteel4074]

GUNSLINGER! Having worked professionally on computers since 1990, I'm not so surprised that things get lost and forgotten over time. I've seen everything from tape drives and floppies the size of dinner plates to USB sticks and cloud-storage, so if you wanted to kick up something on 30 year old media, you have to have something 30 years old with the necessary hardware and the software to access it. Under ideal conditions media archives would be updated every time to modern media storage and programs, but that can sometimes have all manner of hard and soft problems along the way before you even factor in finding some old grumpy bastard to know how to use the old media. Books and paper stand the test of time for long term storage, but you need the space and its not necessarily accessible, sometimes it also catches on fire and burns down Now, factor in that stuff gets stored in Battletech much the same as we do now. Little bit of this, little bit of that and during this period they decide to launch a lot of nukes, start a lot of fires and reduce a lot of the galaxy to stone age monkeys for a few centuries- so if anything survives, its mostly down to dumb luck and keeping it away from the dumb dumbs who might use blueprints for a double heatsink to start fires or use as toilet paper. We've seen how desperate people can get over TP on the vaguest of threats that they might not have enough over the last 3 years. Never get between a fat chick, her trolley and some double ply. So yeah, I can believe they lost it!

[@MechanicalFrog]

While I'm totally fine with the idea that there was a significant backslide, I'm less comfortable with so much being hidden even at the time from regular house SLDF units. Word would have gotten out.

[@krissteel4074]

@@MechanicalFrog Plus even under good conditions, stuff just degrades as any car or bike restorer will know first hand. So while you might find some old timey machines squirreled away somewhere it's probably complete scrap by the time 300 years has past. If it was maintained over those years, sure that might be possible but that still means 'someone knows' and its unlikely in 10 generations that one of them wouldn't have decided to take the equipment, sold it and retired fat and happy

[@cheuksau]

I’m have just started my Battletech 2018 game a week ago, and this machine became my first favorite. Both alienic and beasty silhuatte, it's really breath taking...

[@scytheseven9173]

I think you forgot the heat from walking or running (+1/+2), which messes with the heat curves a bit. I liked the variants you chose (especially the 5L and 6L, they're personal favorites and it was a good call to avoid XL engines) and the interludes with excerpts from the fiction, it was a good call. The MechFrog variant is nice, I'm a big fan of Clans adopting the light fusion engine to save on cost. Thanks for the video, I really liked it!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Fair point. I originally had Clan Endo Steel on the Marauder MF but then realized the swap back down to IS Endo didn't do any harm and just filled the remaining internals. Saved some cash there.

[@jake4753]

MAD-3R was always on the battlefield when we played. Great channel. Brings back fun memories of a friend who passed away too soon.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank you for giving it a go. Sorry to hear about your friend. I hope those memories stay strong.

[@BryansVideoDump]

Okay I gotta admit, the MAD-MF does look really fun to use. 7 months late but I gotta comment on this one, the Marauder is hands down my favorite design in the setting. I almost always bring one.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Glad you enjoyed it. Even 7 months late. :)

[@Dragonagegearsofhalo]

Civil War era campaign on Steiner side as a Merc unit. Going to kick an enemy heavy mech after alpha striking (and missing) with my commander's Marauder (2/3 skill level) and failing the kick...then the piloting skill roll to not fall. Then my mech fell onto it's left side where it triple crit center torso and cored out the entire engine. Loss for words after that one.

[@gregdomenico1891]

Like alot of Old time fans, the Grey Death novels were my introduction to the Universe. When Greyson faced off against that Marauder in a POS Shadow Hawk, you just knew thing's were not going to end well. My personal ride in BTA right now is a 5L in name only. About the only thing still stock is the Chassis and JJ. Clan XL, Clan DHS kit, light Ferro, 2 Clan ERPPC's, and a RAC 5. I had to make the cardinal sin of dropping the Mediums; I needed the weight for ammo. Oh, and a targeting computer, just to make it all work. And don't ask the price tag.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Dropping...the...mediums... you monster!

[@gregdomenico1891]

@MechanicalFrog well, the Clan ERPPC's don't suffer a minimum range penalty....

[@Atlas100Atlas100]

Sir, you have a good voice for Battletech. Clear, firm and authentic.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank you kindly!

[@Michael-jx9bh]

Gray Death Legion book 1 bought on a vacation in Germany. Epic story of a fallen world fighting over the remnants of a Golden Age. Then this monster Mech with bird legs and heavy weapons that was stolen (err, liberated) by Grayson Carlyle to become his personal ride. I just had to get the next two books asap.

[@peterfromaustria724]

OH my god! a MechFrog video about my favorite stumpy robot! my day just got 100% more awesome! Love that MEch since I first read about it in the GDL books and later from the cover of the TRO 2028 ...

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yay! Happy Thursday!

[@mirrorsandstuff]

Why do I love it? For completely carrying me through the campaign of BattleTech 2016 as my sniper mech.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Nice!

[@virado255]

While I know it is sortof something that needs its own video my favorite canon marauder is the black marauder. Fighting a marauder is bad enough, a jet black one is unnerving. And then the damn thing turn's it's head (not it's torso) to look at you, and it grins. Also personal favorite Marauder build is the MAD IIC cooked up from the hellfires of MWO 1 ERPPC, 8 Mpl(2 per arm, 1 per ST, 2 CT), Tcomp, 18 DHS. It's not got enough to alpha strike but generally you dont want to since the range brackets are so different. But it is able to slowly march up the board and commit disco war crimes, occasionally popping off a ppc blast at anyone who thinks them selves safe at long range.

[@gsthomas187]

There is a good reason that Grayson Carlyle chose this mech above any other. It's legend is well earned.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's the legs... Grayson cannot resist a great pair of legs.

[@SolNacht]

"Don't think you're going to escape without a custom mech frog varient..." Mate, it's why I am here.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Glorious day, then. :D

[@kierdalemodels]

Very good stuff!👏👏👏 Who doesn’t love the Marauder? Fools, that’s who! I’d never seen that art of a damaged Marauder jump-kicking another mech. I love it!😄 Thanks for using my BlackWatch Marauder pics🙇‍♂️

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks again for letting me borrow some of the pics.

[@Brigand231]

Yep, my first Marauder was a 3D and it was exactly as you said - fire the PPCs all you want until something gets too close. It was also easy to have one PPC tag out for the large laser when the heat from moving added up. Thanks GM! I have to wonder which other franchise you were referring to, about all tech advancements were already known. It can fit so many of them!

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's a mystery...

[@Richy0326]

The Marauder is the most aesthetically pleasing mech in the franchise IMO, and there are some truly gorgeous models and artwork in this video. The 7S is probably my favourite, as it feels like a direct upgrade of the 3R, it's just more of everything which made the original great. Why worry about an XL engine, when you can snipe enemies into oblivion before they even get close? :D Watching this video made me realize that you could squish the ideas behind the 3M and 3D together, replacing the original's PPCs and AC/5 with 3 large lasers and 24 heatsinks. It's got enough cooling to fire all 3 large lasers each turn without overheating, and has no ammo to worry about.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's definitely a fun one. 3 LL and 24 heatsinks would be nice.

[@clydeadkins2962]

My favorite machine in the setting,! The MF is really good and works in many eras. Thank you for all your work, you really make a great contribution to the Battletech continuum.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank you very much!

[@EdmondHiggins]

One of the all time greats, the mech and your video on it. My head is old and that "unseen" art speaks to me, but I love the current design and plastic. Also another great variant.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Right on!

[@MervDeGriff]

I love this mech. She is a loyal war machine. A steed for a knight, a pair of revolvers for a gunslinger. SLDF at its best.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's a great one, for sure.

[@christopherpurches2774]

The Marauder is easily my favorite design in Battletech. So much so that I designed a Ghost Bear Dominion omnimech on its chassis. I'll respond to my own comment with the basic lore, because it was a fun project. Anyway, like you mentioned, the heat is a huge problem for the earliest forms. It also has that LT instant explosion issue. However, it gets stupidly potent when using advanced rules. 360 field of fire and either +1 to hit or half damage on MoS 0-1 is exceptionally potent when fighting from cover.

[@christopherpurches2774]

Since MF (and co.) seem to be a fan of custom builds, I figure this bit of fan-lore might be appreciated: The Reaver Ghost Bear rebuilding Alshain wanted to accelerate not only reconstruction efforts, but to foster better ties with their new IS neighbors, so they set a meeting with the CEOs of GM and Bergan Industries where they proposed a trade deal. In this deal, the whole of the IS would gain access to certain clan-spec equipment to reverse engineer, including alloys for structures and armor, and further would have full access to create their own Reaver Omnimechs by way of GM's many affiliates. Clan Ghost Bear would accept initial investments to complete early production runs, gain the rights to reproduce the chassis, and secure shipments of Triple Strength Myomer from Bergan Industries' Ares division. The deal was struck, and by 3062 the Reaver entered production, where it immediately was thrown into battle against the DCMS, Clan Hell's Horses, and eventually in trials against Clan Wolf. It proved itself through these conflicts as a true all-range combatant. While expensive as a mixed-technology omnimech to produce, Bergan Alshain went to great lengths to ensure all on board systems used as basic of components as possible, acting as more or less a pure refit of the Marauder 3R as possible. This meant that short of major component loss or engine damage, maintenance and pod-changing could be done with just about any parts available. The initial investment made it essentially an honor-guard design, so very few were made and it was essentially held as a tech-demo model and custom option for prospective contractors, not seeing true proliferation until the latter Dark Age when Triple Strength Myomer became commonly available outside of the CCAF. Until this period, the only consistent pilots of the Reaver came from Ghost Bear, high ranking officers in the Capellan Confederation, and those with affiliation to the FWL's Ronin Incorporated. It's fun to dream, and this was a design that came to fruition as a result of thinking "What if Ghost Bear and given their new Warden stance some teeth?"

[@MechanicalFrog]

Nice! go Reaver.

[@hamder]

Well personally I love the Marauder because it led to the Marauder IIC *chefs kiss*

[@MechanicalFrog]

My two Marauder IICs from Ral Partha are the pride of my battlemech collection. They're perfect.

[@135forte]

The base Marauder is one of those machines I know I should like, but it's just a little short in every area, under armored, average speed, undersinked and gunned in such a way that it feels undergunned if you care about your heat. And then by the time it starts to not feel that way you have so many other options. It's not even common enough to throw it in because you should have one. Which is a shame because I love the look and the Dark One is such a fun piece of lore.

[@Evilpeanuts0]

Honestly I love this mech. At first it was a 'well it's consistently popular, so it's gotta be good right?' shallow love, but as I've read more about it, I've come to genuinely love it. It fells like what might actually be built as a mech design, and the Quirks it has make it a hard to kill unit (hi there Low/Narrow Profile!) with surprisingly wide fire arcs (no getting sneaky trying to get into the MAD's rear arc, says the Hyper-Extending Actuators). My personal story is when a MAD-5D came in clutch for me as the last mech standing against a King Crab. I got a lucky headshot in that punched through to the internals, critted, and took out the cockpit, winning me the fight in the process. That said, I might have to use the 7S some time in the future.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The lore really takes it from a good mech to a great one. As is so often the case.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

I always liked to headcannon the “royals” as theory and that finding the new Dallas core and big uncle C spreading out information across the inner sphere included a bunch of advanced tech under the cover of “I’m not leaking state secrets, it’s old star league tech!”. In practice it doesn’t matter and works for new players but the part of my brain that is obsessed with lore will never forget the silliness that is the star league royals.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I just think it hurts the game a bit. "What is your favorite variant? Oh, the one that is objectively far superior to all the others for hundreds of years? Neat."

[@TheHolyKnight932]

I do appreciate that you put a second unique variant of the Marauder in this video (behind the MF variant 😉). I do hope you continue to include at least one unique variant of some notable mechwarrior in the setting! The Marauder is not only my favroite chassis but also my most cursed. Despite doing everything I can to make it work, out of the 4 times I have fielded at least one (Marauder II included), it gets headshotted every time before it can really show why it earned it's name. Last time was over Tabletop Simulator on turn 2, and when the dice landed on 12 for a limb destroyed on a headshot, all was heard was my shriek followed by soft sobbing for a few minutes lol. I more than make up for it in MWO however. Bullying assault mechs in my 75t heavy will never not be fun, especially paired with 6 medium x-pulse lasers and a Rotary AC5! (Oh MWO, how builds in-universe would fry a mechwarrior work above average in game lol) Thanks again for the awesome video Mechfrog!

[@nachoneitzscheese]

The first time I ever used a Marauder was a MAD-3R in HBS Battletech, where it was the first heavy mech I managed to get my hands on. I was impressed by the firepower, but worried by the strangely weak side torso armor. I ended up dropping the AC-5 for more armor and heat sinks, and it proved a glorious chariot to carry my commander through most of the game. Not as much range or raw damage, but tough and cool enough to last through almost any fight.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The Marauder is a complete monster in HBS Battletech.

[@JohnDoe-oh7gf]

Never liked the original artwork but the piranha games redesign sold me on that mech immediately. And the lore. I've got a soft spot for the bounty hunter and how its a legend in its self.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The redesign is solid.

[@atmosdwagon4656]

The Marauder is one of those few heavy mechs that I actually think lives up to the hype...but only as long as you know how to exploit its strengths. On paper, it is functionally an uptonned Warhammer with slightly better armor and less ammo-dependent weaponry. (no machineguns, no SRM vs a single AC/5). That's a pretty good place to be. From the Mechwarrior riding in the actual cockpit's perspective: It is a premier sniper-command mech with all of its weaponry mounted superbly, without turning the thing into an overly tall brick. I cannot overstate the absolutely SUPERB field of view overlapping its equally excellent weapon traversal. Unless it's way above or way below you, if you can see it, you can shoot it 99% of the time, and those arms swing out quite a ways to your periphery. On top of that, it has respectable speed and armor, and the lack of reliance on heavy ballistics or missiles means a long operational lifespan per capita. Driving the thing in either MWO or MW5, I can honestly FEEL why this thing was the symbol of the Star League Defense Force and their preferred command mech: No other IS heavy mech makes me feel in control as much as a Marauder does, and that's coming from someone who greatly prefers driving mechs under 65 tons. Consequently, it's also incredibly fertile ground for upgrades and tinkering, though I will state that among heavies, the Thunderbolt and Warhammer do have the Marauder soundly beat here due to their wider weapon hardpoint type variety more than anything. My preferred MW5 Marauder fit packs 4 Clan ER Medium Pulse lasers into the arms, with either a Gauss Rifle or LBX/10 in the side torso shoulder cannon. The rest of the tonnage is devoted to maximum armor, spare heat sinks, and the menagerie of extra tech goodies any proper command mech should have (Battle Computer, Guardian ECM, an Active Probe/UAV, Jump Jets, even MASC). If that loadout seems too light on firepower for the tabletop, I assure you it isn't in Mechwarrior due to the radical differences in damage output when translating from Damage-per-Turn to Damage Per Second. The "secret" lies in the Pulse Lasers main advantage over standard/ER variants: 33%+ less cycle time plus their bump to alpha damage. The Clan Variants of Pulse Lasers are especially lethal, as even their standard pulse lasers match regular IS Medium lasers for range, and Clan Medium ER Pulse Lasers are basically IS ER-Large Lasers that weigh 60% less and cycle over twice as fast. It's patently absurd performance across the board, provided you can handle the excessive heat. For a full-on "brawly" Marauder (closer to what I run in MWO) I run 2x Snub Nose PPCs backed up by a pair of Medium X-Pulse Lasers and a Rotary Auto-Cannon 5 for rapidly cutting through any components the PPCs opened up. And of course, if you want the purest headshot experience in any form of modern Mechwarrior, there's 2x ERPPC + Gauss Rifle with Jump Jets for poptarting. As much as people hate seeing it in MWO, it works for a reason.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I sometimes feel guilty putting clan pulse lasers on things because they feel like an "i-win button"

[@atmosdwagon4656]

@@MechanicalFrog They are man, they really are.

[@TroySeward]

Marauder was the first mech I used when playing Battletech in 1990.

[@MechanicalFrog]

A solid first pick.

[@Knopantz]

Excellent video, Mr Frog! I love the way a lot of ‘mechs sort of spell their names with their designations. MarAuD-3R. It’s cool enough that I will choose that variant over a better one just for the spiffy designation.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I should have covered the MAD-BR-O

[@sim.frischh9781]

One official variant worth mentioning is a Liao version that swapped one PPC for a large laser and two heatsinks, it´s an older version mean to adress the heat issues, but not a good one. Your MF variant is nice with the headmounted Heavy Flamer, this undeniably evokes a Dragon image, lovely touch there XD Let´s call it the "Fire Frog"! I myself would go the war crime route, replacing both PPCs with Plasma Rifles with 2 tons of war crime each while the AC is swapped for a rotary 5 and three tons of ammo. That version would DEFINITELY require DHS and a Light Engine, probably Endo Steel. The medium lasers would stay, they are good enough as they are.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Fire fire everywhere...plenty to go around.

[@riptors9777]

The Marauder, my first love in battletech ever since i picked up Decision at thunder rift (mine had the cover with the cockpit view and the rifleman being blown up).. wich was my first contact with the battletech universe back in the day. Lots of Firepower down range, adequate speed , decent armor... a great command mech for any heavy lance. Though the original has some minor flaws. Its short range firepower of 2 medium lasers is somewhat of a weak point, and it has relatively weak side torso armor (i believe it was 16 points?) wich can get dicey if you face anything with an AC/20 especially with the AC/5 ammo stored in the side torso. Only 17 heatsinks meant the pilot has to keep that heat gauge in mind at all times so best you put a pilot in it that knows how to manage it. Thankfully the Marauder got many many updates and variants over its long and illustrous career. The marauder is also the grand-daddy of alot of chicken walkers we know and love like the dragonfire or even the nightstar wich the marauder paved the way for technology wise. Its one of those mechs that make you go "Oh Sh*t!" when it apears on the battlefield and certainly is the center of attention if nothing heavier steps up. Especially during the 3025s where assault mechs where rarer and more valuable a Marauder could be one of the heaviest mechs on any given battlefield. And thanks to the aforementioned plentyfull variants it stayed pretty high on the foodchain during the ages up to the current year. I allways aim to obtain atleast one of these guys in any against the bot campaign on megamek, on mechwarrior 5 or on HBS Battletech. Its just that good.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thankfully, many of the later variants boost the armor from the relatively paltry 11.5 tons.

[@mikeheimlich1303]

I have used the MAD 5CS as the command mech for my 1st St Ives Lancers force. You can fire both ER PPCs and the LB10X Autocannon without generating heat, with medium pulse lasers (and the LBX's buck shot) as back up or to kill fast moving light mechs. Once the target's armor is open, fire the LBX in shotgun mode to crit them. 208pts of armor and the Narrow Profile quirk shields the XL Engine. It is just great.

[@enthusiasticgrog465]

Thank you Shoji Kawamori and the Macross franchise for the Regult officer's pod.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Indeed.

[@jonbezeau3124]

I'm a "what if the rifleman gave up one autocannon for real heat management" MAD-3M guy. You need a little finesse to match range modifiers with PPC-using models, but you can easily beat them on endurance. The MF model looks fun, no complaints about a plasma rifle instead of an autocannon.

[@jeremysaklad6703]

As a relative newcomer to the franchise, I don’t feel that the SLDF Royal designs make technological progress all feel like rediscovering the past. Rather, it makes *the Inner Sphere in the wake of the Succession Wars specifically* feel like that. They also make Clan-spec technology feel more like natural developments rather than magic pulled out of nowhere. The Inner Sphere had to recover from centuries of self-sabotage just to get to where the Clans started. There *were* a considerable number of technologies developed during the Succession Wars, even so, especially between the Fourth Succession War and the Clan Invasion. I wouldn't call TRO:2750 a complete retcon, either. The early writing in the setting made a big deal about vaguely-described LosTech with miraculous capabilities. That book simply provided hard details. It fits so well, in fact, that when I think of "classic Succession Wars BattleMechs" I often think of designs like the King Crab and Highlander, which both had Star League variants introduced first. The equipment in Interstellar Operations: Alternate Eras does a great job of fleshing out technologies even further: prototype Age of War equipment, production Age of War equipment (aka the nadir of the Succession Wars), prototype Star League equipment, production Star League equipment, prototype Clan equipment, production Clan equipment. And it makes sense that, in the end, the Terran Hegemony’s well-deserved paranoia led to the development of “export models” for House-derived SLDF forces, which successfully stopped them from replicating newer technologies the way they did during the Age of War.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's not a huge deal for me. I do see that they have value to people. I just wouldn't have done them had I been making the call.

[@Yacovo]

An oldie goldie. Like watching the Mackie's prodigal younger brother. Thanks for the video.

[@TsugeSenpai]

Be still my heart. I still remember seeing this thing of beauty as a kid at Babbages

[@MechanicalFrog]

It is quite solid.

[@Xynar]

My favorite variant is the MAD-4X because I'm a sucker for prototype tech. Binary lasers are head cappers.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Living on the edge!

[@GeofftheIronwolf]

Thanks GM. My custom GM is a variant of the 3D. Swap the arms for Large Lasers and in the shoulder mount a PPC. Puts my heat sinks up to 22, still have a PPC for range but also have superior brawling capabilities. And can run very cool up close.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's solid, though I understand why people don't like giving up the PPCs.

[@GeofftheIronwolf]

@@MechanicalFrog PPCs are good weapons. I have a Marauder II 4A with triple PPCs. The slap is real. But I could easily drop the PPC for a third Large Laser and two more heat sinks. Be a really good brawler. But I still wanted one weapon for reaching out and putting PPC on the forehead.

[@keebbles]

My solaris Marauder. All IS endo and FF upgrades. Twin heavt vibroblades/chainsaws fixed in place of ppcs. Heavy flamers below melee weapons. Two SRM6 inferno and acid loads of ammo. In torsos. Main gun in turret mount is a TSMP cannon. Second rebuild added JJ to ct and legs. Talons to feet, partial wing system, flight comp, and TSM. Weapons changed to axes and kept flamers. Torso and turret weapons were now 2 MMS 10s and 1 MMS 20. Ammo standard and inferno. 2 tons of former and 1 ton later. Both owned in arena combat, not so well in open, where closing made it a focus fire target. Ive recreated them in Rogue tech and had success in Solaris 7 heavy matches. Rules for mms make it hell on tabletop games due to numbers of missiles in fire and forget mode. But for Spectacular Action for Spectators it gets you plenty of fame and notoriety. 😊

[@MechanicalFrog]

Twin chainsaws huh... you could get a side job as a loggermech.

[@keebbles]

@@MechanicalFrog pay for cutting mechs is better, and there's salvage in duels. Only took for Spectacle points. Sways crowd and payout if you have viewing shares negotiated.

[@jameshiggins5686]

My favorite youtuber has finally covered my favorite mech. Thanks Mechfrog great video as always.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Hope it was worth the wait. Thanks a ton!

[@jameshiggins5686]

@MechanicalFrog definitely, you do the lords work my friend.

[@MechanicalFrog]

:)

[@STSGingie]

Wow, you really went all out with the MF variant. Its a nasty surprise for the unwary. Well done.

[@jasonfarley9025]

Aaah, The Marauder Love it. And especially love the recent Davion versions of it!

[@ogrehaslayers605]

My favorite variant, was a custom 3025 tech. Remove the AC/5. Replace with a Large Laser. Use extra tonnage for heat sinks. Use PPCs at ramge, and Lasers for medium and close range. ***It seems this was an official variant i somehow missed all these years, lol. For a super upgrade? Up the speed to 5/8. Give it 3 Plasma Rifles and 2 ER Flamers. 15 Double Heat Sinks. BBQ everything on the battlefield. Yeehaw!!! My favorite Capellan variant replaces the Right Leg with a Left Leg and removes all ammunition. The Jade Falcons have expressed interest in this variant. 19:07

[@clarkreamer4560]

The cardboard standee in the V2 box set had a pink hue that cut the "menace" factor slightly.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The pink with purple polka dots paint scheme has caused many to surrender immediately.

[@VaciliNikoMavich]

Marauder 3R is my personal favorite variant; use it in HBS’s Battletech and MechWarrior 5. The 3M is second favorite, it is nice to run cooler. Awesome video!❤

[@tankmech8164]

During my youth I hated the way the marauder looked. However looking into its history and actually playing the game. I fell in love with it. For the actual story. I was facing a buddy who just got into the table top and got the urbanmech lance pack. 4 urbanmechs from different eras vs a Commando, locus and a MAD-3D. Condensing it down, both the locust and commando died early on. Leaving the marauder to back petal for 4 rounds. Due to a lucky ac20 shot to the cockpit the marauder died. At the end it downed one urban, neutered 2 and heavily damaged the remaining one. I’m never going to live down the defeat but it goes to show doesn’t matter the marauder variant. You must respect it always.

[@lexington476]

Well well, another video I did not realize you had not done. we're clearly going back and finishing the OG originals 🙂. For the chancellor.

[@MechanicalFrog]

We're hopping around... the next one is an IlClan design.

[@Ironclockwork]

The 3D variant is a sensible and understandable change to the Marauder's basic layout, although it's still hard to believe that House Davion of all folks were the ones to come up with the idea. Maybe they were just wanting to save all that autocannon ammunition for their other 'Mechs.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Maybe they hit their heads in the shower that morning.

[@franksmedley8619]

Hello, Frog. Nice video on the Marauder. There are a LOT of variants for this machine, as you well know. Some, are gruesomely effective. Although I like your MF variant, I still would choose my own. The Marauder MAD-4L(X) is a total change to the usual Marauder's loadouts. The 4L(x) is totally an IS Mech in its design, although a bit altered. Movement is 3/5/3, with a 300 rated IS Light Fusion Engine. The Mech has the usual Stealth Armor and Guardian ECM suite. It has 10 IS DSHS, and then things take a bit of a turn to the 'odd'. Instead of the 'usual' focus on heavy energy weapons, this one goes the other way. The 4L(X) has 2 Gauss Rifles, one in each arm. An ER-PPC in the Right Torso, 2 medium Lasers in the left and right arms (one in each), and 3 tons of ammo for each of the Gauss Rifles. All, without sacrificing armor protection, Jump maneuvering, or reducing heat sinks to critical levels. In normal operations, the pair of Gauss Rifles and the PPC can be fired for a combined total of 17 heat, thus allowing it to Jump, or run, and remain totally cool. With 3 tons of ammo for the Gauss Rifles each, that is 24 'shots' before the ammo bins run dry. Which, should be enough to make the Mech effective in combat for a general engagement. Once the Gauss Rifles are 'dry' though, the Mech falls back upon its energy weapons exclusively. Those being the ER-PPC and the pair of Medium Lasers. For such a 'slow' Mech, the Jump Jets add maneuvering that should not be discounted. Allowing the Mech to surmount terrain difficulties fairly easily, and can even obtain a 'covered' position by jumping over intervening hills to allow it a few moments to re-orient upon targets, or deal with an unexpected addition to the tactical situation as combat develops. The MAD-4L(X) has a battle value of 2,839, so it is not all that 'expensive' compared to other Marauder variants in use. Of note, though, is that fact that most of the 4L(X)'s 'tech' is not all that 'advanced', other than the IS-DSHS, Guardian, and Stealth Armor, along with the ER-PPC... and the Gauss Rifles, of course. As a personal note: I only assign this design to my 'Ace' pilots. Granting them a better than average chance for cockpit hits, and in general more accuracy than a 'standard' pilot. If there is one thing I would add to this design, if I could, it would the addition of a Targeting Computer. But, 'you can't have everything'. Feel free to 'Yoink' my design if you wish. I won't mind, and I would find it amusing to know that THE Mech Frog is using at least one of my designs. :) Personally, I find this variant far more 'useful' in combat than a 'standard' design, even if it is 'upgraded' a bit with better tech. The fact that it is firmly welded to a 'supply chain' isn't really a factor, since being a Heavy, and thus 'slow', it should never be separated from its logistics train anyway.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

If it's running a 300 engine and moving 3/5/3 you are looking at the Marauder II. Confusing but it's 100 tons, not 75 like the standard.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Light fusion and jumpjets? I'm in.

[@franksmedley8619]

@@MrDmitriRavenoff Humm... I think you're right. Been awhile since I last looked at the Mech or its specs.

[@macrux152__8]

Oh you chose the RIGHT mech to start my Christmas season. The Maraduer is a good mech, not as good as the Warhammer(I like it better than the Marauder) or my personal favorite, the Catapult(cause I love missile boxes on the arms with jumpjets). But it's a GREAT mech. It's a headshot-ing mech in HBS battletech

[@warlynx5644]

Oh? 1% Headshot chance? Oh hoh, you must be mistaken, I think you mean 33%.

[@dwwolf4636]

Catapult = ammo explosion.

[@chekovsgunman]

I always thought House Davion got their priorities backwards with the 3D. Putting Large Lasers in the arms and a single PPC in the right torso would’ve freed up more weight for heat sinks and allowed for more consistent heavy firepower.

[@Jacen32272]

I'm not sure how well it would work on tabletop, but in HBS Battletech I once ran a Marauder with what they called a ++Gauss Rifle (basically a clan tech version from the Black Market), 2 tons of ammo and two medium lasers (no PPCs) with jump jets as a command sniper. I retired it once I built my twin gauss and snub nosed PPC King Crab, but that's another story...

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds like fun. the ++ weapons do tend to leave a mark.

[@Jacen32272]

@@MechanicalFrog In this case, it did the same damage and generated the same heat, but was two tons lighter and used fewer crit slots; thus why I described it as the Clan tech version. So, easy(ish) enough to do on tabletop, I think...

[@matthiasschafer9023]

As usual, the video is well made and entertaining. One thing that is missing (for me, at least) is the use of the Marauder by the Bounty Hunter - I think that is something that belongs in the BT Universe. Other than that - big thumbs up, Sir!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Fair point. It did end up being sacrificed for the Ricol design. Tough choices were made.

[@matthiasschafer9023]

@@MechanicalFrog Well, who is Ricol in comparison to the Bounty Hunter? Just a name under many. The Bounty Hunter on the other hand is a legend and, imho, deserves a mention. Buuut, what's done is done. Keep the videos rolling, Sir!

[@cargo_vroom9729]

>AC5 >120mm three round bursts 2:42 Hmmm...Granted caliber isn't the only factor for ammunition effectiveness, but that's a lot of big shells to be represented by 5 damage! The "Rifle" family of weapons are similar to modern tank cannons, which are single shot ~120mm. And Rifles do 3, 6, or 9 damage (with a penalty vs BAR10 armor) depending on size. The way autocannons are abstracted leads to some odd lore sometimes, depending on the author.

[@MechanicalFrog]

There's always been some... disparity, between how autocannons are presented between authors.

[@fuegohe12]

This story happened about half a year ago. I was playing in a local campaign game set in 3049 against some pirates and were set up on a hill. Somehow the Marauder 3R I was in just kept missing even on a roll of 5. It took me 10 whole turns to hit SOMETHING and from memory that wasn’t even one of the PPCs! That mech was cursed I tell ya cause in the mission after it was completed destroyed from what I heard. Call it dice or fate it was definitely one of my funniest moments in Battletech period and definitely my best in a Marauder

[@MechanicalFrog]

The dice gods were angry at you that day. :D

[@Jackelmandingo]

Oh this one is a ton of fun. Play it better than the Whammy, drop the AC/5 for an SRM 6 one ton of ammo and two small lasers, then add four more HS. Then you have the one where you drop the PPC's and AC/5 for two LL and AC/10, sadly only one ton of ammo. The lazy job, swap the AC/5 for a LRM15 w/two ton of ammo. Now it's hotter, but just one PPC and the LRM 15 hit the same for two PPC's and AC/5 "if everything hit's". Then there is the fast Awesome, swap the AC/5 for one more PPC and two more tons of armor, 16 DSHS. So many ways you can play the Marauder.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I would take an SRM6 over an AC5 any day.

[@speeddemonpainting7050]

MAD-5M for me. At under 1500 BV and full pulse laser loadout, coupled with really solid jumping capabilities, it's one of my favorite brawlers that can still jump to hits heart's content due to the pulse loadout.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It is a nasty one.

[@readwatchlisten2863]

I love this mech. Mostly from the HBS video game. But I love it on the table top too. I have a modest costom Marauder that I use when I play my friends. I took off the AC5, gave it a SRM 6 and extra heat sinks.

[@robertschumacher2707]

To quote the lore: '75 tons of fusion-powered death.' Loved this 'mech so much back in the day when I got a high score on a coin-op game, my 'initials' were PPC.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Practically Perfect Carnage

[@dinoduelist2219]

The 3R is one of the few mechs i dont completely build from scratch on tabletop if anything its just replacing the ac5 with a rac5 instead for a bit extra dakka

[@Dang_Near_Fed_Up]

If you can not get it done with a Marauder you need to rethink your life choices, and if what you want done is truly possible. The Marauder is without doubt my personal favorite Inner Sphere machine. Your MF variant is almost exactly identical to my own personal machine (refit completely with Clan tech, minus 3x Myomer).

[@MechanicalFrog]

Nice! Well I'm glad I was able to show it some love.

[@Dokdiamant]

I normaly rearm the MRD-3D with only one PPC, 2 Large and 2 Med lasers + extra heatsinks, or use 2 Med Pulse Lasers instead of the normal Meds in MW5. Later I "upgrade" the Weapons to ER Variants, if I can find / Buy them. I also often switch the AC/5 of the 3R against a UAC/5... but with refit the PPCs for Large Lasers. The last Variant I once used, was a 3R with an AC/10BF on it's back, and 4 Med Pulse lasers... toasty but Efficient. ^^

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds like it's fun.

[@ArcLightShock37]

I like the 3M but with the AC5 removed for another large laser and four more heatsinks. Can fire all three large lasers each turn and go heat neutral so long as you don't move. Can toss in the two medium lasers when something gets too close for comfort without getting too far into the red. I like the large laser for not having a minimum range, though losing those crit fishing headshots does sting a bit.

[@wartmcbeighn]

From the Marauder 3R to marauder 2C...and all the other versions...maelstrom, dragonfire etc......one of the best swiss army knife mechs to use....many battles played and many victories achieved

[@jasonhenninger8220]

My early variant was a mash of D/FWL. Drop PPCs and AC for 3 Lg Lasers, 14.5t , 21SHS (BV2 1518 ) ILClan Era mixed tech. Clan XL w/ 22DHS, TSM, 14t Armor, 3 CERPPC, 2CER-MdLasers, C L-AMS, targeting computer (BV2 3550)

[@iller3]

To me it symbolizes something even greater... the very concept itself that **you cannot Kill an idea** ...no matter how many civil torts and _professional_ managerial class capitulations you throw at a community

[@harvestblades]

Definitely a favorite especially for the nostalgia. I haven't done a custom for tabletop, but need to!

[@ralphsexton8531]

My first exposure to this glorious machine was my first exposure to the game at all... the cover art of TRO 3025 back in 1990. The old 3R is still my very favorite Mech. The description there says something awesome is missing. Specifically, it was originally armored with Vallant Lamellor armor. The only Lamellor in the game is Clan Lamellor. Thus, it was either armored with this or the predassessor to it. I'll take that any day. One of it's quirks is a battle computer that manages the system so well that heat is reduced by 4 - so firing both PPCs shouldn't put her on the scale... if quirks are in use.

[@MechanicalFrog]

A great entry point, for sure. That designation "Lamellor" didn't exist until later so I think the name was just coincidental.

[@ralphsexton8531]

@@MechanicalFrog Possibly so... I still slap that armor on it any chance I get, though...

[@havoc3742]

I personally Love the Marauder because of it's Big brother, the Marauder II. In MW4 Mercenaries, I stripped out the jumpjets, put 5 Clan ER Medium Lasers into each arm, and 2 RAC-5's in the Dorsal mount, and set each arm to chain-fire the lasers in sequence. in short I created the equivalent of 4 RAC/5's on a 100 ton assault mech, and 2 of them didn't require ammo so I could keep firing for as long as the heat sinks held up. (And sometimes I stripped out the RAC's and crammed a chopped-down railgun into the spine because 58 points of damage at 1000 yards coring anything smaller than an atlas is just funny )

[@burningchrome8622]

i love that chevys still runnin strong in the 31st century

[@MechanicalFrog]

RIP Ford.

[@mareczek00713]

I love how your name is Mechanical Frog - I mean, think about your variants and the terror enemies would feel when their targeting computers tell them they are facing a "Mad Mothefu..." ;)

[@MechanicalFrog]

*gasp*

[@ornerylurker8296]

We love the marauder because it’s an objectively good mech. It’s perfect in every way. It’s not the best super secret ultra mega god machine Uber prototype inexplicably clad in the thickest plot armor of all and powered by anime tropes. But it’s just good at a little bit of everything in that way a master jack of all trades is. The right balance, rugged, spacious, and won’t break the bank or get hung up on gimmicks. If you have the space to take a marauder then you’re not losing out on anything by taking it. You treat it right, give it the correct tool and there’s no job the faithful workhorse won’t pull for you. And that’s just perfect.

[@MechanicalFrog]

"I just think it's neat."

[@marsar1775]

Personally, i agree with you on the royal variants. it also undermines other mechs from the time period that didnt get royal variants, or just cant mount them as well, by making them nonsensical. Why would the SLDF buy in bulk clearly inferior units to what they have for royals? I know in many ways the star league was corrupt or even incompetent, but i have a hard time squaring that. i acknowledge it in canon, even play it time to time. but, i dont include it in my headcanon. its overall a setting weakness imo. Except the Nightsalker battle armor. its technically in the same boat, but it doesnt cause the same setting upsets. stealth tech was already in development, and giving some guy a basic exoskeleton with stealth plate seems pretty plausible and still allows the clans to develop the elemental battle armor without much star league copying. also i think its fun to have a infantryman you cant quite find plinking away at exposed bits

[@jamesbeard5513]

Ah the Marauder, one of the most iconic mechs of early BattleTech. I can accept the Royal Variants and their upgrades, but that could be because my introduction to BattleTech/MechWarrior was MechWarrior 2 and the Blood of Kerensky trilogy where it was an accepted thing. Not a fan of them adding the Snub-Nose PPC to the list of tech the Star League had, leave some for the rest of the eras to create. I can actually accept the Clans not being as advanced as scientifically cause when you get right down to it, their scientist caste, after perfecting their basic military technology (guessing the Golden Century) didn't create anything truly new until after the Clan invasion of the Inner Sphere (yes, I know the Dire Wolf is a later made design in 3010, but it didn't have anything truly 'new' to it). Contact with the Inner Sphere actually forced them to create both new designs for standard BattleMechs, but new technology as well, such as the ATM, Heavy Laser, and the Watchdog CEWS. For me, if I had unlimited resources I would bring the MAD-BR-O to reality in that universe. Yes, I know it was only a feasability study concept and ridiculously expensive, but it would be pretty fun to make.

[@chrisb3585]

Marauder story from HBS Battletech: During a deployment to some blasted pit of sand and rock in the Periphery in the hopes of picking up valuable salvage my heavy lance was engaged with a mixed lance of a local garrison. My Marauder was laying down direct fire support with its Gauss Rifle (I was not playing fair...) when an enemy Locust dashed in for a short range attack on my rear. After a miss with its laser and the machine guns only scratching the paint, the day got significantly worse for the Locust as the Marauder turned and brought its weapons to bare; pairs of ER Medium Lasers to back up the Gauss. However I did not fire, rather the Marauder charged, landing a kick with the full force of the 75 ton warmachine straight in the Locust's centre torso. The heavy impact shattered the core of the 20 ton mech and it keeled over, a flaming ruin. With the distraction adequately delt with, I returned the Marauder back to the business of firing ferro-nickle slugs down range, occasionally backed up with seering emerald green laser fire.

[@haileysaint5443]

I'm a big fan of the classic Marauder-3R, although your MF variant seems fun, too. Naturally enough I've created my own Marauder variants, though for this comment I'm only going to touch on just one. The MAD-ISM is somewhat of a departure from 'typical' Marauder loadouts, I think, as each contains a Clan RAC/5, with 3 tons of Clan CASE-II protected ammo in each side torso location. A Clan ER Large Laser is mounted in the head, just above and behind the cockpit, with a Clan ER Medium Pulse Laser in each side torso. It utilizes an Endo-Composite internal structure, along with an IS XL Gyro and Clan Standard armor. 16 Clan Double Heat Sinks help manage the heat. And according to the Mech Factory app I use, it has a BV1 of 2220, a BV2 of 2557, and costs almost 16.5 million C-bills; which means absolutely nothing in the ilClan era thanks to ComStar being extinct.

[@CMDR_B0B]

ASP recommendations for early Succession War refit::: As per their SOP the Auto-cannon is exchanged for a PPC replacing it's ammo bay with 2 Heat Sinks. Unusually, they actually Remove the arm PPC's replacing them with Large Laser and another pair of heat sinks. This is fairly simple (for mechanics & facilities requirements as it's just swapping existing "holes" for the most part. The build leaves another ton to add an MG or 2 small lasers but requires to install mounts into the chassis (requiring better facilities), or another ton of armor. It's primary trio of weapons now generate 20 Heat for 26 damage and 20 Heat Sinks to deal with it. Touching off the close range weapons as part of an Alpha Strike is still a bit much, but makes a far better heat management profile than the original, a allowing for near continuous fire at range. No Royal variant needed Frogbot ;-), no lost tech, and no major frome mods (other than that last ton). Pretty sure it's slightly cheaper BV wise as well. Massive endurance for extended deployment and no ammo to 'splode. Have Fun&Fly Dangerous -Lakon Marketing Division, Keelback Office -'Only ship in the Galaxy to come equipped with a soul 😇'

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds like a winner. Though in-universe, designers have had issues multiple times with trying to put in non-matching weapons in the arms.

[@TheBloodedCat]

For me the "why" i love the marauder has never been in question.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's the legs, isn't it? No one can resist the Marauder legs.

[@ambientlight3876]

I'm a fan of the 3D. If you bracket your fire using the PPCs and lasers seperately you're typically fine. Plus it gives you better close in firepower with the LL and Med. Lasers together. I also love you can fire the PPCs together far more often than the 3R. Oh and have you seen the new Davionn variant? Frightening.

[@greysonjones5429]

My favorite Succession wars Marauder is the MAD-3D. It was one of the first mechs I've ever piloted, and it works so much better than the original 3R. It runs cooler, and you can run and alternate between both PPCs and a ppc and an LL. Or you can stand still. But i believe it is the best marauder variant of introtech. I haven't played with marauders in the later eras, modtly because my main force for later eras doesn't have a marauder, but its much larger younger brother, the MAD II, but they look great. Honestly, I really want to love the 5D, because Jump Jets and Pulse lasers are great, but its too toasty. I would honestly swap the ER PPCs for standard PPCs, which would fix most of the problem, and the drop the Streak 2 for something energy based, or more heatsinks if they could fit

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yeah keeping the PPCs instead of the ERs would save a lot of grief.

[@cybersmith9398]

Just love the Mech. My favorite is the MAD-3L❤

[@MechanicalFrog]

That's a fun one!