Why Do We Love The Atlas?

Today we look at the big boy.
Atlas AS8-MF Record Sheet: www.dropbox.co...
Sources: 3025, 3039, 3050 TROs. Combat Manual Kurita, Field Manual 3145, IlClan Rec Guide 24
Dagger Point. Pg. 139-140. By: Thomas S. Gressman
Measure of a Hero. Pg. 200. By: Blaine Lee Pardoe
No Greater Honor: Strong As Steel. Pg.310. By: Michael J. Ciaravella
Test of Vengeance Pg. 17. By: Bryan Nystul
Binding Force. Pg 259. By: Loren Coleman
Warrior: Coupe Pg. 84-85. By: Michael A. Stackpole
Thank you to Dwane Loose, Anthony Scroggins, Matt Plog, Bishop Steiner, Alan Blackwell, Chris Lowry, Dale Eadeh, Harri Kallio, Loston Wallace, and all the other BattleTech artists that have brought the IP to life through their amazing work.
BattleTech imagery and mech info remains the property of Topps.
Some imagery/video from Pixabay
#BattleTech #Mechwarrior #CatalystGameLabs #lore

[@paladinslash4721]

Always remember, If the Atlas causes your opponent to change tactics, then the Atlas has won.

[@MechanicalFrog]

ABA - Always Be Atlasing

[@Bilskirnir3124]

@@paladinslash4721 I got a buddy I play Mechwarrior Online with. He rocks an Annihilator-1X boating twin Heavy Gausses and medium lasers. I roll an Atlas AS-7D with twin RAC-5s and a pair of MRM30s and three small lasers. I exist to draw fire so that he can drill enemy mechs with the HGausses. Enemies always change their tactics to target me because I'm an Atlas and blasting them with a pair of RAC-5s. And the Annihilator gets to rock unmolested. I'll finish the round a popsicle stick with over a thousand damage taken and usually 8+ kill assists. When the enemy is, "smart," and focuses the Annihilator I get to go to town with my RAC-5s and MRM 20s. There is no right way to fight that pair head on. We need to be flanked and split to take it down.

[@thomasgiles2876]

My favorite Atlas moment is the MWO trailer about a decade ago, where the pilot runs into an Atlas's chest while moving through a cloud of debris, and correctly just ejected rather than fight.

[@MechanicalFrog]

A classic for a reason. :D

[@WolfHreda]

I think you're talking about the original MechWarrior 5 trailer. It's a shame we never got that iteration of the game, but I still watch that trailer now and then just because of how iconic both the Warhammer and Atlas are in it.

[@R4V3-0N]

@@WolfHredawell, technically there was an MW5 trailer before that, though I think teaser is a more accurate term.

[@imglidinhere]

No no, he fought the atlas, he just ended up losing and ejected. :P

[@walt_man]

@@imglidinhere Correct, and the trailer was for Mechwarrior 3015 I believe! A Warhammer, using a spotting drone too!

[@jasonstandlea1784]

Got to love it. The face of the franchise for literally decades. The 7K always bugged me with the untouched heat sinks.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yeah it always leaves me a bit hot under the collar.

[@grimlock1471]

Wasn't there fluff that the Combine had trouble making DHS? Hatamoto-Chi and 3050 Panther all suffer from SHS.

[@DrunkenGrognard]

There was, yeah. Some mechs could work around it. Most could not@@grimlock1471

[@malusignatius]

@@grimlock1471 Yup, they didn't get the tech until later than the other factions... I think there was Davion shenanigans involved.

[@andrewbend9655]

Not only did the Combine have trouble making DHS, the DCA won there greatest victory by getting all of them for for aerospace fighters and not leaving any for the DCMS

[@Darren_Xero]

One should admire the fact that even the baseline AS7-D is still in use by most Periphery nations in the ilClan era, where/when it should have been rendered obsolete by that timeline. I guess Aleks' legacy behemoth is still aging like a fine vodka or like a fine Tiraspol liquor that stood the tests of times

[@ironboy3245]

In it's defense, anything fucking around will find out from an AC20

[@krissteel4074]

It is if nothing else, a huge chunk of armour with enough big ol guns to make smaller, new things dead. Plus sometimes you can punch and stomp people with it and they don't like it at all. It turned up, they have to deal with it one way or another!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sometimes an old shotgun can make the same point that a fancy newer rifle can.

[@bthsr7113]

@@MechanicalFrog And that old shotgun used to be all the rage and outside of your budget until something newer and slicker came along.

[@Logan912]

People in the later Battletech eras may laugh at Late Succession Wars technology, but it stops being funny when an AS7-D slaps you in the face.

[@covahredro8370]

No other Assault mech no matter how many time you've faced it, makes you go "Oh sh..!" in your mind when you come around a corner or see it coming out of cover.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It'll definitely get your attention.

[@elchjol2777]

Had one of those moments when I turned the corner with an Atlas and a Kodiak while in my Raven in MWO. Atlas blew off one of my legs and opened my CT then the Kodiak that was on higher ground jump jetted up and thats how I found out DFA is technically in the game, not coded well but it was good enough to make me go splat.

[@Nostroman_Praetor]

You may spot a Charger. You may notice a Banshee. You may respect a Highlander. You may recognize a Battlemaster. You will fear an Atlas.

[@illogicalbobcat8365]

AS7-K got done dirty. A simpler field-refit of the AS7-D could have been way scarier.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I suspect FASA didn't want to make it "too good" so they reigned it in with the heat sinks.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@MechanicalFrog They seemed to have some weird rule that each IS Upgrade mech could only have like 2 pieces of new weight saving tech max, to further give the Clans an advantage.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@MechanicalFrog Ancient Kuritan techinque to create single heatsinks using only a Double Heatsink, a half ton block of lead, and a Katana. It's just weird that the 2Grand 2Dragon and IIRC one other upgrade the Kuritans did warranted doubles but the Panther and Atlas were just neglected.

[@Ishlacorrin]

@@DIEGhostfish That was a lore thing, the Kuritans got DHS tech much later than other houses. From memory they are had issues with Endo Steel and thus used more FF then ES on most things (that might be another house though).

[@brettwerdesheim9767]

Always see the A as way to see if your opponent rages quits from you choosing to roll each missile one at a time

[@MechanicalFrog]

two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...two damage....two damage....two damage...

[@Stormbreaker613UA]

Small tip: Effective weapon range of Atlas = Length of his Arms with his Assault Battlefists!

[@MechanicalFrog]

"Arms flailing like a whirling dervish... you scream No! No! but all the Atlas hears is who wants cake? And it always wants cake..."

[@christopherpurches2774]

In the RP campaign I've been running, one of my players is an Atlas C pilot. It's been heavily modified into an artillery platform and is named "Matryoshka" because the pilot is an elemental. It has no rear-facing weapons, because if someone actually manages to get past the rest of his star, he'll bail out and jump directly on the flanker.

[@MechanicalFrog]

That sounds like quite the character.

[@christopherpurches2774]

@@MechanicalFrog He certainly is. That entire group is its own mixed bag of hilariously psychotic. Basically a bunch of folks who got captured/bondsmanned by Clan Ghost Bear and are being used to subvert Timbiqui's Clan Smoke Jaguar trade exclusivity deal. They're currently called the Rasalhague Rum-Runners.

[@joolsstoo3085]

I always wanted to see that in the canon, alter mech cockpits so pilots could wear battle armor and perhaps even make that the standard. Every mechwarrior wearing if not an elemental suit, at least an environmentally sealed PA[L] exoskeleton (but hopefully a light class battle armor). With armor, jump jets and even integrated weapons, pilots would have a real chance of survival anywhere they punch out and perhaps even maintain some combat effectiveness. Lore wise I know those are two very different skill sets and there are a ton of in universe reasons that won't be happening (life is CHEAP in the inner sphere if they can't bother to put c.a.s.e. on the Atlas-7S), but damn it'd be fun. Just remembered that they did that in the mechwarrior DS game, but I don't like to think about that.

[@christopherpurches2774]

@@joolsstoo3085 the Bounty Hunter wears a Nighthawk PA in his mechs, so I think the standard cockpits are large enough for up to 400kg, possibly 500.

[@joolsstoo3085]

I forgot about that guy(s). Is he the only example? You'd think any mercenary that could afford it would wear all the protection they can get.@@christopherpurches2774

[@wraith7989]

Nothing is more fun than an Atlas with TSM and a mace.

[@ajax31100]

I beg to differ. Why would you sully an Atlas with such a modification when there is the BRZ-C3 Berserker? Oh right, the face is much cooler....

[@wraith7989]

@@ajax31100 My only complaints about the original Berserker was a lack of TSM and it looked silly. Other than that it was a beast!

[@ajax31100]

@@wraith7989 That's why I used the model number I did. Sadly it drops the MASC, but does have the TSM , which should be in any mech you plan on wading into melee with.

[@dubuyajay9964]

Much like his namesake, he bears the world on his shoulders. Seyla.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Fact Check: True.

[@patrickglaser1560]

​@@MechanicalFrogaff*

[@gsthomas187]

The Karensky Crusher maintains it's place in our hearts.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It sure can make a point.

[@KingInBlack69]

...Karensky?

[@matthewneuendorf5763]

One of my absolute favorite 'mechs. In early days of MWO, I had one of the most tense matches of my time playing the game. It ultimately came down to my Atlas, dry on ammo and with only the center torso lasers, against a Catapult also out of ammo and with just its center torso lasers. The enemy team had wiped my allies hard but taken enough damage that I was able to clean them up (I couldn't support the push because I was dueling a pair of flankers at the time), but the Catapult had managed to put enough damage on my Atlas that a stiff breeze would finish me off. The match ended with simultaneous lasers crossing and killing both of us, leading to perhaps the only honest draw I've ever seen. Zero survivors. It was glorious. If I were going to upgrade a 7-D (always the truest form of Atlas IMO) for the ilClan era, I'd start with the obvious: cDHS. Pack an iHGR or maybe a big HAG as the right torso cannon, supported by MMLs. Put a pair of cERSPLs in the rear CT, and some kind of upgraded medium laser in each arm (I'm a fan of reengineered lasers, but cMPL and cERML both have a lot going for them). If space allows, consider an engine switch to a cXL and bump the armor to hardened and see how much you can stack. I'm away from my mechlab apps so can't have a go at a proper build at the moment, but I think the general theme would probably work just fine. Finally, see if you can slip in some CASEII for emergencies.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The HAG is a perfect weapon for that coveted Atlas side torso weapon.

[@Aceman52]

One of, if not the most well-known Battlemech in the franchise. the Atlas is big, has a frightening weapons load out, and is death incarnate walking the battlefield.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It'll always leave an impression.

[@mirrorsandstuff]

The problem with the Atlas is the lederhosen it's issued with always seems to be a size too small.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It and I have that in common.

[@defiantmechwarrior2397]

I liked the story measure of a hero. Took a second to recognize the quote.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I spent way too much time digging through novels on this one.

[@voidofhope6259]

It’s one of my recent favorites

[@jotarofatso5743]

I love mechs with minimal/no laser weapons.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Just ballistics and missiles for Jotaro. **writes that down**

[@TheHolyKnight932]

One of my fondest memories of the Atlas was during a MWO session with 3 of my friends in a lance. After a long, hard fought battle in the center of the map, it looked as if victory was secured. Our light mech pilot (who recently got into MWO, let alone Battletech) spots 1 of the 2 remaining enemy mechs. "It's a big mech with a skull face" was his words when we asked to identify the target. In unison, myself and the other 2 lance mates in a voice of fear asked, "An Atlas?!" as all of us were at 50% combat effectiveness and below. Luckily, it was not an Atlas, but a Crusader. We secured victory that battle, as if it truly was an Atlas, things would not have gone our way. We love the Atlas for the way its imposing and brooding figure strikes fear into the hearts of our enemies. Even the name alone is enough to cause the anxiety to spike and skin to crawl for just the meer mention of it. Thanks for the amazing video MechFrog, and for the inclusion of a unique variant!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Great story. Thanks for giving the vid a go and for the continuing support.

[@goldone01]

My favourite MWO moment of all time happened in an atlas. I was in the centre of our team with a hill in front of me when suddenly the full enemy force started pushing over the hill which left me in immeidate crossfire. In a faster mech i would have retreated but in a slow atlas, i knew i could only stand and fight. So I would fire, torso twist, fire, twist, being peppered with endless streams of bullets. At the end, the fire stopped, with most of the enemies destroyed, and my atlas had lost both side torsos and pretty much all armour and structure. Just felt good to have done your job as an atlas properly, be the anchor for your team, tank all the damage and dish out loads yourself.

[@lucafrix66]

I discovered your channel in November of 2023 and you have quickly become one of my favorite BattleTech content creators. Keep up the great work!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank you so much for giving the channel a go and for the support. The nonsense must flow!

[@lucafrix66]

@@MechanicalFrog I am on the Hunt for the Vapor Eagle - MF in MW5. And I always spread the word of the Plasma rifle in BTA 3062 😂

[@RealZadNostrom]

It's a cool battlemech. I painted mine in Green Bay Packers colors.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds cheezy. :D

[@bthsr7113]

Neat to see a fellow Wisconsinite.

[@radwolf76]

Wonderful scouting mechs.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Classic.

[@shade8816]

Seeing an Atlas is much like seeing a Mad Cat. If its on your sign, you feel certain that victory is on your side. If its on the enemy side, you now understand why you started hearing boss music.

[@RifterBlade]

I was rather sacriligeous the first time I captured an Atlas. Modding machines was a fun thing for my group, so... lose the ac/20, add jump jets, a ppc, and a few more heatsinks. Seeing an atlas Jump in the days before we knew about Star League designs was rather a surprise to a lot of mechwarriors! Ah, the good old days... My .02 c-bills on the matter.

[@johnmeyer4789]

I literally was about to go to sarna and look up the atlas out of nostalgia just minutes ago

[@MechanicalFrog]

Joyous day!

[@LezzyMania_02]

Some say that the Atlas was based around Votoms due to its unique design, they say some of them just trace the whole thing and add some more features like replacing the Three Eyed Scope for a Skull-Like Face.

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

I'll never forget Big Al from the Mechwarrior 3 opening, SIX heavy lasers in the CT, and purely because it's funny. A machine gun in the right arm. Who knows what he had in his left arm.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good times had by all.

[@voidofhope6259]

That Madcat got smashed hard

[@mikegould6590]

I love the Atlas because it's the metaphorical end dot to any engagement. If an Atlas shows, you know one side is committed. It's their way of saying "here and no farther." No one employs nor engages an Atlas lightly. It's a guarantee that someone on either side isn't coming home. The "skull head" exemplifies this aspect, and reminds us that war is always messy, always tragic, and sadly, necessary in some cases. As war is the last measure of diplomacy, so the Atlas is the last measure of that war.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It does tend to settle an issue, one way or another.

[@tripwire31]

Frog, thank you for acknowledging the Atlas II, while not going into detail on it considering the fact it is a different mech to the Atlas. Trust me, as a guy who's got about 9 Atlas IIs (7 CGL sculpts and 2 original sculpts) it's nice to see it only get touched on, since that means it might get a video at later date! (Also it'd be awesome to hear someone finally talk about the fact that without the WoB taking over Hesperus II during their rampage, we wouldn't have the Atlas II back as an option to non clan Homeworld players. Okay, now I'm gonna talk about the Atlas. It's a mech I rarely use it on the board, I use it far more in the video games than the tabletop or Megamek, since I normally take smaller mechs in the ladder. The AS7-D, AS7-Dr, and the RS are the variants I usually run when I do run an Atlas. Now I'd love to try out the Atlas C3, which has a gauss rifle and Arrow IV, problem is the fact it's a clanner refit, good news is, I'm building some Clanners.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It might get its own thing some day... maybe... :)

[@tripwire31]

@@MechanicalFrog That'd be amazing. I do have one request if that is the case. Consider giving it a Blazer in the left arm for your custom variant, it's a fun weird build that doesn't really have many benefits.

[@JohnDoe-oh7gf]

Finally got time to listen to this one. Why the love? Its 100t in the beginning of my adventure with BT/MW you had so many tons to add extra weapons. After that it was the redesign by Piranha, how wonderful it looks. I fell in love with IS after that discarding clanner tech. Its probably one of the only big mechs that force me to drive assault mechs as I prefer my hunchbacks. Cheers

[@MechanicalFrog]

Glad you enjoyed it. We'll have to do a Hunchback video soon.

[@Max-oi4kj]

Крепкий, хорошо вооруженный, универсальный, может дать отпор на любой дистанции, ну и пинок, последний аргумент в споре парней с большими пушками, но тем не менее, очень важный.

[@MechanicalFrog]

100% Agreed. It's an argument-solver.

[@strcmdrbookwyrm]

Starting the year off right I see! Yeah, the Atlas is one of the two main faces of Battletech. If I were to try and describe it in as few words as possible, I'd say "Staying Power." Sure it's going to take forever to get into position, but once it's there, good luck moving it! And it really says something when your chassis is remade not once, but twice, because it was so good. Upon hearing your comment about the AS7-K's gauss rifle, I knew I had to throw my hat in the ring with a variant that could use the weapon without worry. I decided to try and make this variant as durable as reasonably possible. I took inspiration from the WoBbies Celestial series omnimechs and gave this Atlas a compact engine and gyro. I also added endo-steel to compensate for the tonnage sucked up by those components. It uses a total of 14 double heat sinks, which should be enough to keep it cool (I think?). The armor has been dropped to 19 tons, but the protection remains roughly the same thanks to Light Ferro-Fibrous armor. I haven't distributed the armor yet, though I'd probably move some of the armor from the arms and side torsos to max out the legs and CT, respectively. Both torsos are protected by CASE, so any damage from ammo explosions should be mitigated. Weapons wise, this variant does bring the gauss rifle I promised. It resides in the right torso along with two of it's three tons of ammo. 24 shots might be excessive, but I figured it's better to have it than not. The left torso holds a MML 7, giving a mechwarrior a choice between additional long range and short range firepower. It's two tons of ammo, along with the last ton of Gauss ammo and a Double heat sink, are also in the left torso. Each arm has a Inner Sphere ER Medium Laser, and a Inner Sphere ER Small Laser rests in the head. The real star of the show is the Center Torso. The two rear-facing medium lasers are still there, but the extra slots from the engine and gyro are given to a Snub-nose PPC and a double heat sink. While it's firepower is probably only comparable at best to other variants, I think there's something to be said about this Atlas being able to keep fighting even when reduced to a CT with legs (especially when it still has enough heat sinks to handle firing all remaining weapons, running, and the heat from two engine crits and only hit +2 heat). Zombie Mechs for life!

[@Nostroman_Praetor]

I really love the Atlas. Solid battlemech, to the point where the stock model of AS7-D is still a gigantic threat. My lance in MW5 always keeps at least one in the hanger because even if its not going anywhere fast, or the most efficent unit for the job, or cheap on C-Bills, its easy to keep stocked and sometimes the only unit able to weather damage in a level 85> mission. Bring a wrecking ball to a sword fight, it makes things more interesting.

[@jamesbeard5513]

The Atlas is just a nice mech, and dare I say, gorgeous from a design perspective. Some of the newer variants have their appeal. The AS7-S4 is operation sneaky-sneak to the max level with its stealth armor, and with all its range weapons is like the modern day snipers in camo. The AS8-KE, the side-grade which improves durability using a standard engine with next to no close range weapons and two less DHS. The C2 and C3 variants by Sea Fox refitting some old Atlases with Clan tech are two different variants. The C2 is the traditonal Brawler but having an ERPPC instead of a LRM-20 and having ER Larges in the arms like the 7K, and the LB-20X is a nice hole maker or exploiter depending on how much damage the other mech got from the further reaching weapons. The C3 variant is artillery with enough bite to scare off many lights and fast mediums looking to silence enemy artillery. While I prefer the brawling variants, I do respect the specialized variants as the threats they are and know they will hurt no matter what comes against them.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Stealth armor on an Atlas cracks me up.

[@Vulpine407]

If you pilot an Atlas, you love it. If you're facing an Atlas, you're $#!%%ing bricks.

[@sebastiang.5032]

Love! The! Deaths! Head! I've painted about half a dozen CGL Atlas minis my now and enjoyed every one of it.

[@MechanicalFrog]

They are a treat.

[@hideshisface1886]

Atlas is basically the quintessential Assault mech. It is, in default config, an offensive powerhouse. It is not a long range sniper, like Awesome or Highlander, or a pre-dreadnought on legs that is Stalker. It is a beast designed to get into the thick of it and wreck anything that dares stand in its way and live to tell the tale. When you say assault mech to someone new to the setting, and clear that this is the heaviest of the heaviest kind of deal - this is the type of machine that will immediately come to mind. A monstrosity of steel and myomer designed to punch through any defence, and outlast any foe.

[@omegavulture8379]

If you want a visual aid on all that armor, the Atlas is basically wearing a Locust as a shield.

[@MechanicalFrog]

This is fair.

[@scytheseven9173]

Really loved this video! It is, i do not jest, one of the best Atlas videos on youtube, maybe the best I'm a big fan of the AS8-MF Atlas. It makes sense for it to be a Free Worlds League variant imo, both because M in variants usually means Marik and because the only Inner Sphere manufacterer of Clan-grade endo steel and double heat sinks is Technicron, the venerable producer of the Awesome. The weapons loadout is also distinctly FWL, as they love their Large Pulse Lasers and LB 10-X Autocannons. I can definitely see your variant as a Purple Birdlas.

[@strcmdrbookwyrm]

This is something I want to look into more. I know that different factions have their preferred weapons and or a unique mixing of technology, but I haven't been able to do a deep dive and figure out each house's "tech flavor" yet.

[@scytheseven9173]

@@strcmdrbookwyrm there's not a good guide, but the various rulebooks list tech invented by various factions to give a summary: ● the Free Worlds League likes lasers (specially pulse ones), light gauss rifles, and missiles, and tends to have difficulty sourcing PPCs outside Awesomes ● the Capellan Confederation likes flamers, plasma rifles, hypervelocity autocannons, electronic warfare, and stealth armor ● the Federated Suns like autocannons of just about every kind, but also field a lot of PPCs and energy-heavy 'Mechs to reduce logistical strain ● the Draconis Combine loooooves PPCs (standard, ER, Snub, Light, Heavy), swords, and special armor types like ballistic-reinforced, and for a time had difficulty getting double heat sinks ● the Lyran Commonwealth loves its gauss and heavy gauss rifles, ultra autocannons, and tends towards lots of ER lasers and generally very expensive tech, like XL engines that being said, every faction uses most equipment in at least some capacity, these are just trends

[@strcmdrbookwyrm]

@@scytheseven9173 Thanks for the info! I'll defenently do a deep dive at some point, but this is a great summary.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank ya. I definitely pulled out the max effort for this one.

[@CMDR_B0B]

When the Drek hits the air circulation device... ...the Maidens of the Stars (the 🎶 Amazonian Space Pirates 🎶 like their titles & nicknames) won't hesitate to break out the: "Mary Sue" ... ... an SLDF Atlas that was actually a gift from the big K after the Rimworlds Campaign (yes , we are the other option of what to After the Fall. Kinda like everyone's favorite Rainbow SkyPony Warriors [a certain light calvary RCT]). It was also , according to him, so our future leader could have a "real battlemech to replace her origami toy" , she flew (continuously, others have driven the Mary Sue but never L.C.). Painted with a non traditional face and eventually getting cosmetic head add ons making it look like a bronze age winged helmet/headband (an attempt at proper Amazon helmet based on the regional Bronze Age norm). While The Girls have occasionally (briefly) had others they make prime targets and generally end up as parts for the Mary Sue, still serving when the Space Mutant Invasion began centuries after joining the Sisterhood (our BattleBuddys are people too ;-). Have Fun&Post Dangerous -Keelback Marketing Division - 'Only ship in the Galaxy to come equipped with a soul 😇'

[@MathewJC25]

One of my favorite and all time greatest mechs. You can’t hate it.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's definitely one to make an impression.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

The atlas 8D is really fun in alpha strike, it lunging forward to punch out a lighter mech is great.

[@MechanicalFrog]

"Violence doesn't solve anything except for our problems..."

[@shellbackbeau7021]

"You know what goes well with an Atlas? Pierogi!" -The late Duke of Parma

[@urlond9371]

To slow to be good, under gunned to be scary. The story of the Atlas.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Aww...

[@egaroadkill8701]

The AS8-MF is near identical to my favorite custom Atlas. I love the DDC for that boost to group initiative from the command console, while the A is terrifying in a city brawl. Still, the D is my favorite up until mixed tech is allowed. It's a beast, what's not to love about it.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Great minds, perhaps... or crazy minds...

[@twohorsesinamancostume7606]

It's a line breaker. Who doesn't want to climb into the stompiest of big stompy robots with so much armor and weapons that you don't even need God and anime on your side?

[@haileysaint5443]

The Atlas is very iconic, and definitely has a variant for everyone. I've personally made 3 variants for the Atlas, 2 of them because I wanted alternate weapons that still used the visual look of the AS7-D and the AS7-S. The first one I did was the AS7-DMN "Demon" Atlas, a very pricey custom variant for a Magistracy of Canopus MechWarrior. It utilizes an IS XL engine, Light Ferro-Fibrous armor, Double Heat Sinks, an XL gyro, and 4 Jump Jets. For weapons, it has a Plasma Rifle with 3 tons of ammo in the right torso, 2 rear-facing ER Small Lasers in the same location, an MRM-10 and MML-5 (each with 2 tons of ammo) in the left torso, and an ER Medium Laser on each arm; additionally, a Guardian ECM is carried in the right torso along with a TAG on the right arm. The lack of CASE for the missile ammo is a concern, but the lack of crits in this overpriced 'Mech preclude its addition. The second variant I did is the AS7-STRV "Sturmovik" Atlas, although it doesn't differ all that much from the AS7-S. The only change is the downgrade of the twin Streak SRM-2s to standard SRM-2s. The final variant I created is the AS-ISM Atlas, probably the most expensive variant I've done - if ComStar C-bills meant anything in the ilClan era, that is. It mounts 16 IS double heat sinks, 17.5 tons of IS Stealth armor - along with the necessary Clan ECM, a compact gyro, an XL engine, and a supercharger. To make it even more odd, the AS-ISM also mounts a *second* ECM, 4 Jump Jets and a partial-wing. For weapons, I went Clantech: each arm mounts a Clan ER Large Laser supported by a Clan ER Medium Pulse Laser. And, honestly, that's all the weapons it has. Other than a Clan LAMS in the head. Probably not my best variant, but I suppose it could be fun.

[@merkarion7883]

The AS7-D Atlas is in the End the Ultimate Assault Trooper Mech. Because he is build with relatively cheap, reliable and everywhere buyable technic, perfect for Mass Production !!! Also he has Weapons for all ranges (similar to other Trooper Mechs like the Orion or Centurion) No Double Heatsinks, LBX Autocannons, Artemis IV System or Streaks...no Pulse or ER Laser. It is a Assault Mech that everyone can use and repair (as long as the Money is there)

[@hobbstactv2571]

I first encountered the Atlas in the MW2 expansion Ghost Bear's Legacy. As I had no familiarity with Battletech lore at the time outside the game, I had no idea what the "I.S." prefix meant, or why it seemed so undergunned, being several tons underweight due to there only being Clan-spec weaponry in that game. However, I knew it was something special, and it immediately became my favorite mech in the game, eclipsing the Marauder IIC which was my favorite up to that point. As I learned more about Battletech after discovering the books one day in a bookstore, it just further cemented the Atlas as my vehicle of choice, and as the games went on and got better, so did my love for this hulking brute.

[@DIEGhostfish]

0:50 You could really tell in the warrior story that Stackpole anted tow write First Person stuff, like some of his later magazine bits, or "I, Jedi" for starwars, from how character talking would shift sorta unnaturally into their storytelling.

[@Ironclockwork]

Playing catchup from my time spent doing other things during the holidays! And what a treat. The Atlas has always been a good solid centerpiece of a lot of my lances. Reliable and rugged, sturdy and powerful. A great 'Mech with many great variants. There's little question as to why it's so popular and recognized in the franchise. 10/10, would scout in it with the Steiners anytime again and again and again.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Welcome back! We accomplished very little. Mostly nonsense.

[@malusignatius]

For various political reasons, the Draconis Combine got double heat sinks later than most of the other inner houses, which is why a lot of the Drac Helm Core Refit 'mechs still have single heat sinks.

[@atmosdwagon4656]

Well, that certainly makes the design of the AS7-K less psychotic in hindsight. Installing an extremely expensive and risky XL-Engine but not opting to save the 8-10 tons via swapping the heatsinks is a rather large "What the Hell are they smoking over there?" moment in design without that context.

[@elchjol2777]

I tend to think that behind the right eye is where a passenger would sit,maybe someone with radio communications with conventional forces so the MechWarrior could focus on the mech fight while the guy in the other seat coordinates conventional support for the lance.

[@JackofNothingess]

The fact that the Atlas continues to inspire fear and reverence on the battlefield shows just how awesome yet versatile this mech really is. It's like the equivalent of the modern day shotgun: you can use it with slugs, buck shot, or birdshot, or whatever exotic load you want, all with the same fear it induces when you hear the ker-chak of the pump.

[@stormcrow28]

Hey look, it's a Mechfrog Atlas with plasma rifles! The enemy will never expect that!

[@MechanicalFrog]

No one expects the Frog Inquisition.

[@KillerOrca]

Don't forget the disposable LRM-20 3 pack the Lyrans designed for it. Sure it looked and supposedly sounded like an accordion playing Oktoberfest tunes but hey, when you need 120 LRMs on target without a fire support platform on hand...

[@MechanicalFrog]

Always figured it sounded a little bit like a church organ.

[@Dang_Near_Fed_Up]

There's a reason the Atlas's other name is "THE! Death's Head". If the Atlas does not inspire nightmares in a mechwarrior, then they are either insane or the pilot of another Atlas. The only mech I would regularly consider replacing an Atlas with would be an Atlas II-CBH (my own custom Clan tech version of the AS7-BH Boar's Head). That said well done Frog on the MF Atlas, kudos for an inspired design.

[@Tatsu_of_Liao]

The mighty Atlas, at last! Great job!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Figured it was time.

[@StarShadowPrimal]

The Atlas has never been a mech that I really enjoyed using myself in games, but I could never question the decision of anyone who does love to use it. I adore its iconic look and place in the franchise. That being said, rear-facing lasers will never make sense to me. If the franchise had turret or at least gimballed mounts, ok, I could understand the callback to the tailguns on WW2 bombers and such (my grandfather was a tailgunner). As is, I want FASA to try welding a pair of Glocks to the back of a dumptruck and using the rearview to hit the guy carrying an RPG while running behind it.

[@strcmdrbookwyrm]

I think it's largely a holdover from some of the original battlemech lineup. It was common for mechs, especially assault mechs, to try and compensate for their lack of mobility by using rear mounted weapons. I think it was somewhat effective back in the day due to lower armor values across the board. Some examples include the Battlemaster, Zues, the PPC Banshee variant, Quickdraw, and the Centurion and Wolfhound serving as examples of it happening in light and medium mechs. It also pops up in clan mechs from time to time, though usually only in omnimechs. There's probably more than what I remembered here, but there seems to be a big drop-off of rear weapons after the clan invasion.

[@StarShadowPrimal]

@@strcmdrbookwyrm I do understand the existance of rear-facing weapons in terms of initial game mechanics, even if I still don't think they are a particularly great use of tonnage. They just seem so incredibly unwieldy. And yes, I could make similar arguments regarding whether forward torso-mounted weapons should have larger accuracy penalties than they do, but the rear mounts just feel like they would need an extreme accuracy hit.

[@strcmdrbookwyrm]

@@StarShadowPrimal I get what you mean. My guess is that they'd probably have some sort of gimble mount (at least for lasers) but would still be somewhat unwieldy. I always figured the idea is more that you just spray behind you and hope it scares them off. But in terms of effencey, I think that you can't do much better than a medium laser.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Well, when your 3/5 Atlas gets caught alone by a light mech that keeps circling around behind your back, it's nice to at least have a chance to shoot back.

[@theintern2960]

Why do we love the Atlas? Like many 'Mechwarriors out there, I was first immersed in the BattleTech universe through the Mechwarrior games. Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries drew me into the setting like few before or afterward, and the prospect of purchasing an Atlas in the late-game was one of the highlights. I spent hours piecing together all manner of custom laser boats and enjoying the roomy chassis to create the death-dealing mechanical monster that would stomp any Clan invader into scrap. Turning off heat management might have been a contributing factor to those early days where a young man just wanted to blast 'Mechs and wasn't particular about how tactics worked. Nevertheless, the skull-faced silhouette of the Atlas was something iconic, and that distinct look and capacity for firepower made it popular with fans at every level.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Absolutely a great memory of MW2:Mercs

[@Elkarlo77]

I used to field a modified AS7-D in my Tabletop Company. I did the blasphemous move to reduce the Armor of the Atlas and remove the Backfiring Lasers, together with the LRM-20. I replaced it with 2x LRM 15 to have him more like the old Ral-Parsa Models with the Double rows of LRM left and right with 16 tubes. This Modell only works in 3025 games: With 15.5 Tons of Armor it has still enough Armor to have statistical one or two criticals in CT before the Armor is worn through. Especially as the standard Tactic to fight an Atlas is to stay at 10-12 Hex. But with basically a CPLT-C1 together with the Armor of a AWS-8Q without Heat Problem you have the Choice: Be hammered down in Long Range or try to take it down in a heavy Assault and focus him, when he has to switch down to AC/20, SRM6, 2xML and 1x LRM 15 can move and stays at 0 Temperature as long as it doesn't run. Never had Problems with the lack of Backfiring Lasers, and it was taken down everytime i fielded it, with critical hits not Armor Breach, but the opposition always lost 2-4 Heavies in the Assault on him. With Clan Era Weapons it doesn't work, then he needs it's 19 Tons.

[@gregkun1]

I love my Atlas II design. AS7-II-OZ variant: it's cost is a BV: 3,202 Cost: 25,286,000 C-bills, Movement: 3/5 Engine: 300 XL Double Heat Sinks: 17 [34] Gyro: Standard Gyro, Internal: 152 Armor: 307/307 Weapons: In LA: I have 2 clan ER PPC's + PPC Capacitors In RT&RA: I have 2 HAG/20's 4 tons of ammo. 3tons in the RT and 1 Ton in the RA. Both Ammo bins in RA and RT are protected by CASE II Equipment: Targeting Computer [Clan] (Clan) in the LT Active Probe [Clan] (Clan) in the LT ECM Suite [Clan] (Clan) in the HD Since I didn't have any at the time Clan Endo, and Ferro. I packed the slots as much as I could even with 19.5 tons of armor. I equipped an ECM for more survivability and Active Phobe to see how well the enemy is to make called shots with the Targeting Computer. The reason I love this mech so much is because I soloed 3 nightstars, 2 Jade Hawks, on a Last Stand EVAC Mission with some support from a powering-up Spheroid DropShip. I was planning in building a Spicy! Quad ER PPCs+Capacitors in the LA&RA. 2 ATM6 in LT&RT with a ton of Standard ammo and ton of High Explosive Ammo in the CT. TarComp in the LT. ECM stay in the HD. Added AMS with a 1on of ammo in the RT, increase Double Heat Sinks to 20 [40] the heat is 71/40! Oh I think It still a lot of tonnage left, I would change the Gyro to a Compact. Giving more space for a DHS. I'm doing this from memory. So someone might need to Validate this for me if this build is possible. :)

[@bryanmcmahon8593]

There is a reason Fear is an ally of those who pilot this machine even in an age of new technology.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Truth.

[@XanderDraft]

An iconic mech that I love. It will forever be my IS assault of preference. If I had a refit I’d go clan xl engine and bump the speed a bit but take the weight savings into hardened armor to reinforce that unstoppable wall that simply crushes everything that doesn’t get out of its way.

[@Linkous12]

I think the RS variant is really under-appreciated. The main (and perhaps only) problem with the D is that most of its firepower is at 270 meters and under. The RS gives the mech solid medium-range firepower, making it's slow speed less of an issue. I'd take the RS over the D in almost any situation, except maybe city-fighting.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I can definitely see it having its uses. I sure wouldn't turn it down.

[@h.a.9880]

The Atlas is a really iconic Mech and together with the Madcat, they form the poster children of the franchise. Specialized assault Mechs like the Viking or Devastator might outperform the Atlas, but he's still a might force to be reckoned with. The S7-D is a great brawler for urban areas (preferably hostile urban areas) or canyons. The S7-RS seems to be a quite decent mid to long range version. I absolutely love the S7-S2 version, who can say no to a Heavy Gauss Rifle? It's like an AC20, only with much better range and the ability to knock you right on your ass, which is always hilarious.

[@pete7872]

No1 Light Scout! So stealthy! Atlas ftw!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Zoom zoom* *slowly.

[@h0shidont35]

I love the AS7-A. It's funny SRM time.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It sure will settle the argument, one way or another.

[@jasonfarley9025]

Fantastic writeup Never one of my favourite 'mechs personally, But I do love the sight of one exploding after you grind it down

[@MechanicalFrog]

So long as it's an enemy mech blowing up and not an ally.

[@jameshiggins5686]

Awesome job as always Mechfrog way to bang in the new year!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks a lot. I think 2024 is going to be a great year for BT.

[@bthsr7113]

What is there left to say that hasn't been said? The Atlas has claimed the coveted role of Franchise Face for good reasons. And one could reasonably argue that it is a more deserving design for that most enviable of meta positions than the two before it. The Warhammer was and still is a good mech, but it was an imported design shuffled to the background because of legal troubles. The Timberwolf was a home grown design, but it is absent from the sphere until the Clan Invasion. But the Atlas? It hasn't been absent once since the twilight Star League introduced it. It has been the peak of attainable dreams for generations of mechwarriors. At 100 tons, it was as giant a robot as you could get for a long time, and even when that cap was broken, superheavies are very rare exceptions.

[@MechanicalFrog]

A face only a Steiner could love.

[@TheWuffball]

The OG. The king 👑

[@MechanicalFrog]

It'll leave an impression.

[@bruceford6133]

The Atlas is one of my favorite 'Mechs ever. I think I have around twenty miniatures of it since I started playing the game in 1984. The year I won our league out here, it was the mainstay of my lance for the season. Though it was a custom design. I'll have to see if I can dig out the original design as this was 23-24 years ago. My all time favorite PC also piloted one for most of her career.

[@bruceford6133]

13 DHS, 19.5 tons of armor, standard engine, endo-steel IS, 2 rear-firing MLs, 2 PPCs (one in each arm), 2 MRM 10's (one in each side torso) w/1 ton of ammo(LT for the ammo), a streak srm6 with one ton of ammo in the LT, a gauss rifle in the rt w/3 tons of ammo(1 ton in head, 2 in RT), and case in each side torso.

[@bruceford6133]

I had forgotten I had rebuilt it in SSW.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds like a good time.

[@freeranger00]

I find only a single 3025 assault a bit scarier, that being the King Crab, but the Atlas is just a mean customer to deal with. Early last year I played a match, Classic Btech with 3025 tech level, against two friends, they went heavy controlling a lance each and I countered with a medium-ish company. One of my buddies ran a King Crab and the other had an Atlas, they rolled both in, just grinding it out against my skirmishers. Finally, I had the two in a tight confine and jumped my heaviest mech, a Victor, into position for a rear AC/20 shot. The player running the King Crab replied by headshotting the Victor with his AC/20 twice, a freak occurrence, and technically not even possible as the second hit would travel to the CT, but still. Anyway, the Atlas then proceeded to get into melee range with a Grasshopper, Enforcer, and Panther (tight confines and I was trying for a quick kill on it and the King Crab), I killed the King Crab fairly quickly, but the Atlas was just invincible and mauled my force. Moral of the story, don't underestimate 3025 assaults at close range and even though the Grasshopper is king, that doesn't mean it'll win a boxing match with an Atlas.

[@matthewpena3932]

Another great video. On the longer side but it was a 100 Cameron ton topic.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks a lot. I know tons of people love the Atlas so I needed to give it its due.

[@oneproudbrowncoat]

The Atlas: because those Long Tom and Arrow IV munitions need somewhere to land. 😂

[@snakes3425]

Mechwarrior (after encountering an Atlas for the first time): MOOOOOMMMMMYYYYY!!!!!

[@narethliansgamespace3860]

Have your token Canopus pilot give it cat ears, a tail, paint it hot pink, and equip a mech-scale whip and call it the Catlas. *Ba-dum-tssh* The end result would be a mech that would probably scare you more than the base Atlas.

[@MechanicalFrog]

That would be a thing.

[@Richy0326]

Happy new year, Mech Frog! It occurred to me while looking at the loadout for the MF variant that reactive armour might combine well with plasma rifles - the plasma rifles counter energy-heavy loadouts, while the reactive armour minimizes damage from explosive weapons. I shall have to test this...

[@MechanicalFrog]

Happy New Year!

[@MrMyu]

A bridge too far and you don't even have Monty to reassure you. The judges would also accept "Sgt Oddball". "The bridge is up!" [ka airstrike] "... No it ain't."

[@MechanicalFrog]

Bridges are transitory.

[@derekburge5294]

Came for the MF variant, and was not disappointed. Hey, did you know that if you strip an Atlas down to nothing but two erLarge lasers, you can have 5 improved jump jets, a Partial Wing, and Talons? Less than 2k BV to boot! I'm, uh... Not allowed at some tables any more.

[@MechanicalFrog]

This... this is why I like you.

[@derekburge5294]

@@MechanicalFrog Daww, I like you too, Frog. If I can't support financially right now, the least I can make ya smile here and there.

[@lukedudley5030]

Great vid of a great mech :-) ironically the story bit with the wraith made me laugh as I've often been seen using wraiths to harry atlas to death lol...its speed and easy hit helps when you get behind them :-)

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's a good one to make the attempt.

[@Xynar]

Another "advantage" of an Atlas is that they get the aggro right away. Nobody waits for it to get to optimal range.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yeah it's definitely not a problem you put off until later.

[@steveo9284]

Update: hey-hey great minds! 2x plasma rifle Db-ac 10. Maximum armor XL(c) engine. CASE (is love) Rest of space for ammo and laser AMS.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Just talking the OG it's not that the Atlas has overwhelming firepower at any range , its ability to just keep going that makes an Atlas such a beast

[@MechanicalFrog]

Truth.

[@xerenkeldar]

The face of the franchise!!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good times had by all.

[@brothersgt.grauwolff6716]

sadly I've never used an Atlas in any of my games of TT Battletech as I've always preferred Med/Light Lances/Stars so I'm definitely going to try running one this weekend

[@strcmdrbookwyrm]

Just make sure he has a buddy to watch his back. Don't want any enemy lights getting ideas.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Always take a buddy.

[@OptimusJedi]

Easily one of the coolest mechs in the setting.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It definitely is memorable.

[@Geeko170]

The AS7-RS is my personal favorite, and in my opinion is far more usable in a campaign than the standard D. Also load up the RS with some alternate ammo and it gets really nasty. Precision ammo for that AC10 is nasty, inferno missiles even more so.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's an interesting one, for sure.

[@zenosAnalytic]

Samsonov: "Strip everything to make room for PPCs" Man after my own Heart uwu uwu uwu

[@MechanicalFrog]

ZAP!

[@andrewszigeti2174]

We love the Atlas because it's the first canon 100 tonner in the game; the biggest baddest stompy in 3025.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Technically the Mackie was first but no one uses that thing.

[@SpaceMarine4040]

None of this why we love the Atlas. is is that feeling of mounting horror when you fire off an entire alpha strike into it for it to simply not insufficient; then it winds up to deliver a punch and an AC20.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Ah yes. How silly of me.

[@Terlecki777]

“A Bridge Too Far” “Monty” 😂

[@MechanicalFrog]

I have to sneak in the historical references or my brain will explode.

[@dreci3001]

The perfect scout mech!

[@MechanicalFrog]

No downsides. Pure scout.

[@theangryMD]

Today I've heard an "Airwolf" reference and an "A Bidge Too Far" reference on two different Battletech channels, I am among men of culture. Always love the consistent delivery if the "kerfuffle". Why aren't LFEs more common among the post-Clan Invasion IS mechs I wonder.

[@MechanicalFrog]

If I don't drop in at least one historical reference in every video, I will turn into a pillar of pressed oreo bits.

[@DIEGhostfish]

Atlas 2 having its big ballistic on the arm and the lasers in the middle is so weird. The RS and later Kuritan Atlas layout makes more sense. LLs on the arm, AC in the normal spot.

[@atmosdwagon4656]

Being able to direct your heaviest weapon anywhere is more useful in MechWarrior than in BattleTech, especially MWO where going for headshots or aiming at high/low elevation targets is a common occurrence. That said, I would still run the Kuritan layout with the Large lasers on the arms and the big ballistic in the side torso in MW5, because large lasers are the best "ratting" weapons in that game. (Short Burst LLs are very useful for quickly and decisively swatting vehicles, turrets and VTOLs, where you really want the extra gun traversal and precision. The A.I. is also much better with them than other weapons due to their direct simplicity.)

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@atmosdwagon4656 Absolutely.

[@Elrigger]

My all-time favorite mech. Tho I have many faves, none compare to the Atlas. Be it mwo or table top I love the big stompy

[@MechanicalFrog]

Well I hope I did it justice.

[@Elrigger]

@@MechanicalFrog very much so

[@Gigas0101]

Whenever I hear someone describe the size, weight, and ominous visage of the Atlas, I'm reminded of a quote by Frank Horrigan from Fallout 2: "That's almost as much as yo mamma." Something about the Atlas brings out that kinda brutish sass in me, very fun 'mech. Also, you sold me on plasma weaponry in Battletech, gonna see how my local gaming group likes the MF Atlas.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I wish to hear how this goes.

[@bthsr7113]

I like that camo on the 7-S. Better integration of the skull into the effective(?) camo while keeping it a distinct component. Personally, I'd take the 7-K post-Helm, pre Clan invasion and refit it with doubles. If it lived long enough, refit with clan spec salvage to find tonnage to install CASE. 8-S is... overall good, but that LRM5 is just... not worth it. A head mounted SPL or flamer would have been better for the brawler than a token 5 scatter damage at range. And of course make infantry wary. MF is pretty solid. This video is the first I'd heard of rear mounted weapons being the norm in Atlas designs.

[@MechanicalFrog]

To me, it doesn't feel like a real Atlas unless there is at least one rear-facing weapon.

[@bthsr7113]

@@MechanicalFrogFair. Again, I didn't know that was normal for them, and with them being assault mechs, it makes more sense than on some lights I could name. Though overall, I probably will still lean more towards "intensify forward firepower" since without a tail gunner, that's easier to handle..

[@androssthered1157]

Jupiter next Frog! Keep up the cool 100 tonners!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Our next one is a light, but you never know...

[@androssthered1157]

@@MechanicalFrog love them either way, keep up the awesome videos

[@MechanicalFrog]

Will do. The nonsense must flow.