Must-Try Battle Armor Designs for Your Next Game of Tabletop BattleTech

[@kalixascsi66]

Shoutout to the Marian Hegemony's Marauder battle armor which is just a small Marauder that can mag clamp into another Marauder for Marauder-ception

[@MechanicalFrog]

"This is madness!"

[@Ruggedtoaster]

“We need it intact, so no you can’t clear a bunker with a Marauder!” Unclamps Marauder battle armor with malicious intent

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@Ruggedtoaster And that Marauder battle armor is carrying little marauder drones...

[@LupusGr3y]

Why did I not know about this? This is the best thing ever. "I want a Marauder!" "Those things are expensive, we can't afford one." "What about a tiny Marauder then?"

[@angryscotsman93]

Seriously, you look at the damn thing, and it is to a regular Marauder what a moped is to a Ford F-250. It's such a funny little thing.

[@TygerYasha]

I love how the IS just took to battle armor like a fish to water, and just frickin' ran with the tech and never looked back. The later Combine armors can be pretty wicked.

[@MechanicalFrog]

There are some really cool, and some really crazy designs out there.

[@oneproudbrowncoat]

The 'Sphere innovates better than the Clans, because they aren't restrained by silly concepts like 'honor', 'tradition', or 'physics'.

[@TygerYasha]

@@oneproudbrowncoat Great point! Haha, or morality, ethics...when the Sphere says at any cost, they mean not-just-money!

[@oneproudbrowncoat]

@@TygerYasha Well, "morality" or "ethics" don't really translate into eugeni- sorry, *Clan* language, either. Just ask Clan Wolverine.

[@TygerYasha]

@@oneproudbrowncoat Hah! Right? Maybe they should try religion...oh wait, nope nope nope.

[@ianpopp87]

I clicked on the video cuz the lil frog in the armor is adorable but I stuck around for the everything else.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Hah. Thank you, I appreciate giving the video a shot.

[@beskar66]

Ah little stompy robots suits my favourites the blakist Purifier gotta love spooky scary stealth armour

[@MechanicalFrog]

Always check under your bed for Purifiers before going to bed.

[@malusignatius]

I'm a fan of the Corona. Slow admittedly, but having a clan Mpulse on board gives it one heck of a punch.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Hard to beat the clan medium pulse laser...

[@RattlerNxt]

The Corona is Choice! Agreed.

[@ResaFMkII]

The Corona SRM is a sand-blaster par-excellence

[@sim.frischh9781]

That face on the Oni is me when i first tried coughing syrup XD But yes, the design is impressive. Kalisto looks like someone put a Battle Armor on a cannon instead of the other way around. I love it. Interestingly it´s not yet present on Sarna... that somehow seems to be a pattern.

[@greysonjones5429]

The callisto looks amazing. I wanted standard mini scale elementals and now i want callistos too because that shoulder cannon is beautiful

[@MechanicalFrog]

100% Agreed.

[@voodooloukerensky3884]

Elementals seem to be custom made for Covert Ops. Even without an ECM suite or stealth armor, especially with the Small Pulse laser variants so no ammo logistics is needed.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Totally agree.

[@jadegecko]

I just keep imagining jumping stealth battle armor with some infernos. Seems like you could really put the hurt on a 'mech.

[@Bolththrower]

Nice to see someone highlighting battle armor and power armor light units. But I think you should have mentioned that the Hurricane P17 (PAL) is a variant of the Tornado (PAL) that itself was based on the SLDF Nighthawk (PAL). Hurricane is not its own model but a varinat of the Tornado. Your video makes it sound like the Hurricane is a design on its own IMO, when its a variant of a already existing design. While I think most veterans would know its a varinat of the Tornado, however newer players would probably not be aware that it is. Overall great video, keep em coming!

[@MechanicalFrog]

That's fair though I didn't want to get too bogged down. The Hurricane section was getting to be quite long.

[@guardsmanjones1703]

Just delved into Battle Armor construction rules for a BT campaign. This'll help a ton!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Awesome!

[@harvestblades]

Thanks Frog. I ordered some OS Battle Armor from the KS but haven't had a chance to do anything but the most cursory scanner the models & load outs so getting some lore on them is great. The first time I had even seen IS BA in use was in one of the Grey Death novels post Helm Memory Core when they utilizes the Stealth BA so getting some more lore is much needed & exciting to consider how to utilize them in a Merc Co. I'm looking forward to hearing more!

[@MechanicalFrog]

I'm really looking forward to introducing some Kuritan battle armor in the NEC story in the near future.

[@sebastiang.5032]

I gotta ask my local Sea Fox trader about the Callisto. 🌊🦊

[@MechanicalFrog]

Pick up a point for me if you're going anyway.

[@sebastiang.5032]

@@MechanicalFrog Funny thing is... I don't find the Callisto in the SARNA wiki... could you please show me where I can find it? Thanks!

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@sebastiang.5032 It's in the IlClan Rec Guide 31.

[@jasonscarborough94]

I can get over how much the Hurricane looks like a Tau Battle-Suit

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yeah I can see that.

[@Vespuchian]

I'm just amused by how appropriate it is for a communications company's armour to have a CRT tv for a head.

[@harbingerx7793]

I'm a big fan of light battle armor. I imagine them operating like ODST.

[@TygerYasha]

Man, I love ODST. This is also my head canon now, thank you.

[@harbingerx7793]

@@TygerYasha you're welcome. I've used MegaMek to design PAL armor for ODST and light-medium designs for Spartan and SPI types.

[@TygerYasha]

@@harbingerx7793 This is the Way.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Excellent...

[@troyradford75]

I love the variety and potential that Battle Armour brings to combined arms. Thanks for such a great analysis. I'm looking forward to the next video on this topic. Keep up the great work.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks a lot for checking it out. More nonsense on the way.

[@troyradford75]

@@MechanicalFrog In words of Willy Wonka; "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men!" 😁

[@walt_man]

That Calisto looks totally brutal! And without falling into an acme chem-vat.

[@mikegould6590]

"Looks like you put your GI Joe into a waffle maker". Solid gold.

[@MechanicalFrog]

:P

[@joshuaturnquist5538]

I really like the Corona battle armor. It's pretty early, and it complements the Elementals by being a heavy fire support weapon. If the elementals are clan troopers, the corona are heavy weapon teams.

[@MechanicalFrog]

That's a fun one.

[@Accentaur]

The Oni looks like it survived looking at the Ark of the Covenant...and is mad that it did. Love the little known BAs you covered, but some of these will need an art update...*cough* oni. My personal favourites have got to be the Quirinus, the Phalanx, and the TinStar. That last one doesn't appear to have any info outside master unit list, which is a shame.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The Oni looks like what happens when you leave a 3D printed resin figure out in the hot sun too long.

[@stormcrow28]

The Tinstar is featured in Recguide 28 in both Clan and IS variants. It makes its debut in Historical Turning Point Fronc Reaches, in which the Colonial Marshals, the Fronc Reaches military and their merc allies face down some very nasty and unique pirates.

[@Accentaur]

@@stormcrow28 looks like I need to get my hands on some recguide PDFs then.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

I actually think the Oni was designed to have a ghostly Visage, but just ended up looking melted.

[@randomnetsurfer]

The descriptions of the Oni's appearance had me in stitches!

[@eopatcjo]

I'm listening on my drive and I hear about no.2, the Coo Ku-lin. Then, around the third time I hear it. That's my boy, Cú Chulainn! Just found my new favorite battle armor. Éirinn go Brách!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Joy!

[@KingInBlack69]

Great armor. One of my favourites.

[@paralykeet-]

One day the Battle Armor codex will be updated to make Heavy Battle Claws actually do something, and my beloved Ogre will ascend! It's just a solid, if unremarkable BA that basically wonders how a BA with 26 SRM rounds per suit, would do instead of the Disposable SRM2 pack (DMP) of the Elemental. It's mostly there to fuck up tanks, and remind people that multiple SRM10 volleys from a point hurt, alot.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Some day... some way...

[@squizzlor]

I have little battle armor play, but Im a Ceppelin, and recently for a stratagy dicided to utalize some mag clamp battle armor, and in fact finalized by choosing the original Magclamp battle armor, a Ceppelin disighn… and it thoroughly surpised me, going above and beond the call of duty, even as I gave some poor stats. I highly recommend the Fa Shi or “Fielty” battle armor (rough Chinese translation, I personally have a-lot of fun utalizing translations of unite names in battle tech as a Cepellin) It is no longe surpising to me why they haven’t made many more mag clamp units, as the Fa Shi has great options and coverage. Such as a gauss riffle, plasma riffle, as well ass thier mine laying standard units with loads of weapons options.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I'm definitely planning on doing at least one more battle armor video like this. There are a ton of really cool ones.

[@lagger7772]

One of my favourite battle armor units is the marauder for the Marian Hegemony because look at it and the centaur because man portable light artillery is just so insane

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good times had by all, except the targets.

[@MidnightDream034]

Thanks for this, battle armor or one of my favorite unit types in this game. You should check out the Elemental III, it's quite the beast

[@MechanicalFrog]

BA definitely need more love.

[@thecommuterzombie]

I might have injured myself laughing at your descriptions of the poor Oni

[@mathewfitzpatrick5645]

Hmm, Sarna doesn't even have a page for the Callisto BA, or at least it's a red link.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's pretty new. It's in the IlClan Rec Guide 31

[@MKmaki6094]

RG v.31 was my first Rec guide and the Callisto caught my eye. I was only getting into BA at the time and I'm really impressed by its performance. And who wouldn't be intimidated by an Elemental carrying a giant laser on its back. (Also I don't get how you could screw up designing something called an Oni, one of the most iconic pieces of Japanese myth)

[@MechanicalFrog]

It just needs a beauty weekend and some glamour shots.

[@Takenmynameandmycat]

Big fan of Fenrirs, because after all, they're all just good boys

[@MechanicalFrog]

Well put.

[@bthsr7113]

I appreciate you trying to rep the later eras.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks I think that if Catalyst wants to keep growing and get people excited for the new era, there should be a considerable effort to encourage people to explore outside their comfort zones.

[@bthsr7113]

@@MechanicalFrog I mean, good or bad, the setting advances forward. Or trying ot.

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@bthsr7113 Indeed.

[@bthsr7113]

Had some trouble finding the Hurricane, but apparently it is a variant of the Tornado battle armor.

[@Psychohistorian42]

I love how you could NOT keep yourself from riffing on the Oni. 😆

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's not my fault that it looks like it was flattened by a steamroller and then pumped back into three dimensions with a bicycle pump.

[@theomnissiah-9120]

I feel like if you redesigned the face of the oni to look like a samurai helmet or mask rather than a angry mr. potato head it would be more popular

[@MechanicalFrog]

Agree. It wouldn't take much to fix it up.

[@shagakhan9442]

I love the Demon series battle armors of the WoB. Since Blakist (in all forms) no longer exist. I do love the style and function of many FWL battle armor designs. Currently I am waiting for Death Ray Designs to make an Ogre.

[@MechanicalFrog]

An Ogre would be nice.

[@whitefoxplays]

Great episode! I'm definitely behind on my BA knowledge.

[@MechanicalFrog]

"...and knowing is half the battle."

[@kierdalemodels]

I loved your roasting of the Oni😂🤣

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's not my fault that it looks like a partially deflated Thanksgiving Day parade float.

[@haileysaint5443]

I have to say that these are all pretty cool Battle Armor, but I'm still a fan of the Kage Battle Armor, as far as Kurita-originated Battle Armor goes. I really love the segment about the Oni, even though I have no intention of using the Oni (it looks like a cartoon that had an encounter with a vat of acid of some kind). The Callisto Battle Armor seems like something I'd like. Maybe get some examples of it, along with some Elemental Battle Armor, and paint them up in the colors I'm using for my force of Khan Jiyi Chistu's Jade Falcons.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The Oni is just so ugly it's cute. Like one of those dogs that has a bunch of hair patches missing and messed up eyes.

[@Kasperl88]

I've had a lot of success with the Salamander. Good for BBQ's on the battlefield.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Toasty warm in cold climates.

[@layne9027]

We are trying to get a friend into battletech but they only like the king crab and the plastic elementals. I didn't realize how many types of there were until I started researching the rules on how to use battle armor (still a bit confused lol). I like the shen long armor because it looks like a Weiner dog. A lot off the quad armor is cool like the shendu, rottweiler, and buraq. I'm also a big fan of the marauder armor because duh it's a marauder lol

[@MechanicalFrog]

There are some really cool and really wacky designs out there. Especially the WoB stuff.

[@borklazer5907]

As someone who is building an "Undead Pirate Crab" Lance for an upcoming game, if your friend likes the 100 Ton King Crab, there's also the 50 Ton Crab and 25 Ton Hermit Crab. The carcinisation of Battletech must continue.

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@borklazer5907 Still waiting on the 75 ton Stone Crab with dual Plasma Rifles and Streak LRMs.

[@layne9027]

@@borklazer5907 I showed him the regular crab in both plastic and pewter. He didn't care for either. I haven't seen a hermit crab yet

[@layne9027]

@@MechanicalFrog That's a knoife! I haven't heard of this one yet either but it sounds like it could be the best variant of crab

[@TAVAAR7]

I got another: Oni - When you tried to make a smore out of a transformer

[@MechanicalFrog]

Nice...

[@IronSuns]

Good video. But could you perhaps do a video on the robotics of battletech such as the revenant or sldf drone ships or the Ai the cappies tried to make but W.O.B crashed the party

[@MechanicalFrog]

Possibly, in the future.

[@nukenuked5749]

sweet a new video WOOOT WOOOT thanks mate

[@MechanicalFrog]

*waving in Oni*

[@Dreadwolf3155]

Calisto's firepower is great but man giving up the defensive and mobility bonuses for jumping, that hurts

[@morrigancollins2092]

I view the Oni like I view the A10 Warthog. I'd much rather it be supporting me than the enemy, and I don't give a rat's ass what it looks like because it's good at its job.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good point.

[@nukenuked5749]

top video mate and thank you

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks a ton. Have an awesome day!

[@magimon91834]

I bought and painted some coronas just a week ago

[@MechanicalFrog]

Awesome!

[@williamjanak2013]

Z'Gok is that you!? Jokes aside, another grear video.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank you!

[@williamjanak2013]

@@MechanicalFrog you are welcome.

[@tmorton42]

The oni jokes are hilarious

[@bthsr7113]

The worst part is that they had the perfect template for how to give it classy menace. The Oni is a mythical monster with plenty of classic art behind it. The haniya mask for crying out loud! It is iconic! But no, they get this malformed mutant of a mistake!

[@DonaldWWitt]

What's everyone's thoughts on Custom BattleArmor designs though? I dreamt up two for my Clan of Cowgirls that I think are pretty good, but considering the heavier of the two uses the divisive Mauser 1200 LSS Laser Rifle as it's anti-personnel armament...

[@MechanicalFrog]

They are already so powerful stock, I would be very hesitant to play against customs.

[@DonaldWWitt]

@@MechanicalFrog Yeah, but that's usually the case if you know what you are doing with any kind of Infantry in BattleTech... Mostly I figured I needed some kind of BattleArmor for my Cowgirl Clan/Psudo-Clan, so whipped up one in MegaMek Lab to suit my taste. At least BattleArmor has set Munition Counts, in MegaMek Infantry can apparently keep firing LRMs or SRMs indefinitely.

[@robertwainwright3425]

I'm sorry I kinda like Oni armor because of the flexibility and it's kind of sad face😂

[@MechanicalFrog]

I like it more every minute.

[@louiswilkins9624]

Cool let's do it

[@MechanicalFrog]

Heck yeah.

[@gregdomenico1891]

I swear for the Oni, it looks like some DCMS engineer took a look at a Hydra protomech, said well, since we can't make proto's, we'll just downsize it. And just for good measure, we'll keep the ugly ass head design.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It looks like an Elemental sat on it for a little too long.

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

How do you rate the IS battle armors that debuted in the Dark Age game?

[@MechanicalFrog]

Not sure which ones you're referencing.

[@robertivey7644]

The Hauberk is one such design.

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@robertivey7644 That Stealthy armor with an LRM5 is unusual.

[@robertivey7644]

@@MechanicalFrog there is a dual gauss version

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

@@MechanicalFrog Hauberk, Inner Sphere Standard (aka Clan Battle Armor), Purifier, Centaur.

[@Strill_]

Cu Chullain is pronounced Cu Cull-in. The CH is like in "Loch".

[@RandyTandyy]

Oni! Noooo!

[@irishmadcat]

Named after an Irish hero iuts pronounced coo - cull - in

[@MechanicalFrog]

Indeed.

[@irishmadcat]

@@MechanicalFrog I can make a video pronouning it if it would help

[@MechanicalFrog]

I did the best I could with the wikipedia pronunciation guide. I promise it wasn't a deliberate sleight.

[@irishmadcat]

@@MechanicalFrog oh I know. Irish pronunciation are hard. Death from above and their Donegal guards are as bad not to mention the pronunciation of Inis the baord game. I really enjoy the series.

[@fkntwizted]

I'm not finding any of these battle armors. Can you please point me in the right direction.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It is in the ComStar XTRO

[@kierdalemodels]

It’s also called Tornado battle armor..?

[@fkntwizted]

​@KierdaleModels, you are correct.

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@kierdalemodels It's a different version of the Tornado, yes.

[@jamesshantie1923]

I actually like the oni. It’s just weird and ugly

[@hatework4282]

Im sorry. Did you suggest, at the end of the video, that something happened after the FedCom Civil War and that i should explore those events and technologies? Clearly, these are the ravings of a madman.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I must have hit my head or something.

[@hatework4282]

@@MechanicalFrog Im no helmetologist, but you could try wearing your helmet instead of carrying it. Excellent video though. I never heard of the Callisto. Now, if only Catalyst would make them all in plastic....

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@hatework4282 I'm a little concerned that the plastic/process they have running just cannot handle models that small. The Clan Elementals are pretty bad.

[@hatework4282]

@@MechanicalFrog Thats concerning. All my Elementals and infantry are old metal ones, but i have a company of Inner Sphere battlearmor on order from the kickstarter. Fingers crossed they are of good quality.

[@MechanicalFrog]

@@hatework4282 I don't think we've seen physical prints of the IS Battle Armor which is a little worrisome.