Why Do We Love The Crusader?

Crusader-3MF: www.dropbox.co...
References: 3025 TRO, 3085 TRO, 3050 TRO, Reunification War, Legends Sourcebook, IlClan Rec Guide 17, Lethal Heritage - Blood of Kerensky Book One, pg.170. By: Michael A. Stackpole, Main Event, pg. 168. By: James D. Long, Second to None, Shrapnel #15. By: Russell Zimmerman, Combat Manual Kurita.
Thank you to Dwane Loose, Anthony Scroggins, Matt Plog, Bishop Steiner, Flying Debris, 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.
Concept Art from Mechwarrior Online and game art from MW5 is owned by Piranha Games.
Imagery from HBS BattleTech
Some imagery/video from Pixabay
Background Music: Purchased rights to use from Fanatical
Intro Music: Purchased use rights from Ovani Sound
#BattleTech #Mechwarrior #CatalystGameLabs #lore

[@atmosdwagon4656]

For those days when you want a missile brawler, and a Dervish or Kintaro isn't enough to get the point across.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Maybe we just need all three and an Archer to make the ultimate missile lance.

[@jlokison]

If your going with missile brawlers, then include the unseen Archer variant carrying a mace.

[@Dokdiamant]

@@MechanicalFrog If it comes to a Missile Boat, I have a Longbow with 2 LRM 20 and 2 SRM6, completed with one Med Laser. Sadly I found out, that the Longbow maybe was the most useless Mech that ever came to Mechwarrior 5, if you only can put one lance in the battle and play solo with NPCs. -.-

[@obsidianrazor]

​@@MechanicalFrogonly if you pose them like the Pillar Men from JoJo

[@BoisegangGaming]

@@obsidianrazor the only Pillar Mechs I accept are the Osts.

[@jamesbeard5513]

"Largely avoided the Clantech." *Crusader 10S has entered the Chat* TharHes show piece of proving they can make all the Clan level equipment without paying for it from Clan Sea Fox, it is essentialy a Crusader IIC. Using a Clan XL engine and Clan endosteel, it moves at a 5/8/0 movement profile, mounts Clan LRM-15 w/Art IV, an ER Medium Pulse Laser, and a Clan Heavy MG in each arm and a Streak SRM-6 in each leg. With 14 Double Heatsinks, it can Alpha Strike at a run and just be only 4 in the red. In both side torsos, each LRM has 2 tons of ammo and 1 ton for each Streak SRM-6 with the Heavy MG ammo in the Right Torso, protected by Clan CASE. Sorry, MechFrog, but I consider one of the best things about this era is that the monopoly on best tech weapons is no longer held by the Clans, and this Crusader embodies that statement.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Fair point.

[@wartmcbeighn]

Respectfully going to say......the Crusader 10S is a mech I find....odd.....While heat levels are low, I find the LRM...SRM.. and MG ammo not pleasant to have in one mech, not a fan of ammo explosions mixed with XL engines, even with case......whenever I think of using a mech of think of what the counter to that mech might be...for this it might be any heavy packing something that might slice through armor and hit ammo..ie Gauss Rifle, Ac/20, Er PPC (clan) and think...what might be a better solution. A Counter to this might be a Crusader with Jump jets, ATM systems that has the benefits of SRM and LRM and 2-4 medium lasers (pick what type you like). Mg;s are not something that are especially great in Heavy mechs, just an explosion waiting to happen and best replaces by small lasers

[@BK2207]

Ah, the Crusader. My best jack-of-all trades BattleMech, destroyer of so many machines above its weight class. Clearly not the main brawler of the lance, but an excellent assist nonetheless.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It can definitely ruin someone's day.

[@psychkosys]

15 tons lighter, does more damage than an awesome, and can actually defend itself at close range....the Crusader is one of the best Battlemechs in the level 1 rules.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I definitely wouldn't kick it out of a lance on sight.

[@DIEGhostfish]

I mean, yes, but the range brackets line up more rarely for that max damage. And clustering rolls.

[@AK_Wargamer]

When I got my first Battletech box back in 87, I fell in love with the 3R, even with all the heat and ammo issues. Always a sucker for the Armored Valkyrie(Veritech) it was modeled after. With all the newer varients, my affair with it has grown, still one of my favorite mechs to use. Thanks for putting this vid together.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I totally understand the love for this one.

[@Dokdiamant]

Grayson Carlyle said once: The Crussader is one of the so called "Zombie Mechs", because to use his Main Weapons, the Arms have to be lifted in the Ellbowes so they show towards the Enemy. This looks often like a Zombie from old Horror Movies. xD (BattleTech: Decision at Thunder Rift)

[@MechanicalFrog]

Brainnnsss....

[@77professional]

Good mech as long as you have good logistics. The SRMs in hip mounts also make close quarters flankers a pain.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Logistics wins wars... Always keep your Crusaders well fed.

[@Echo1608.]

Honestly I love the crusader’s design, it looks very imposing, especially for a humanoid battle mech. The fact that it’s a great close range brawler adds to that. The one downside I find is how many designs have the bulk of the weapons in the arms.

[@dwwolf4636]

We love the special *Fireworks* displays it arranges....

[@MechanicalFrog]

One way or the other, there's going to be a big explosion.

[@Damienx247]

Crusader, crusader, please take me with you The battle lies far to the east Crusader, crusader, don't leave me alone I want to ride out on your quest I'm waiting, I'm waiting, to stand by your side To fight with you over the sea They're calling, they're calling, I have to be there The holy land has to be free

[@benjaminrobertson2990]

Got my first plastic Crusader just a few days ago, gonna paint it up to go with my Rasalhague Drakons force.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Nice! I hope it does well for you.

[@randomnetsurfer]

Always loved the Crusader, mainly because i love the combination of LRMs and SRMs. Yes, I love the Stalker too, but we're not *talking* about that right now. ;-) Also, the uniqueness of having the SRMs in the legs! I once wrote a fanfic where a battle took place in a shallow sea; the hero-Crusader used torpedo-6s to disable a number of the enemy mechs. Notes... MF not using Plasma weapons??? OMG!!! (kidding, kidding. It's interesting. Not sure how well it'd work, but it definitely sounds fun.) Also, why is one hand missing on some of the art?? I know it's one of the Unseen but I'm not familiar with its source material. Thanks as always, Frog. I was super excited when I saw you'd covered this one!

[@jlokison]

Source of the original unseen Crusader, is from the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross (and Harmony Golds hack job called Robotech). It's a special mission armor and weapon package being "worn" by a VF-1 Valkyrie. Like the Phoenix Hawk, Stinger, and Wasp the Crusader is based on the Valkyrie variable fighter. Like the Phoenix Hawk (a surface to orbit Interceptor package with a couple extra weapon pods) it's not a a mech seperate from standard VF-1 models, what we see as a Crusader is a Valkyrie with a special mission package attached. It was basically additional armor and missile pods with a Valkyrie wearing it, the Valkyrie could not fly, nor change modes wearing this armor package (unlike the one we see as the Phoenix Hawk) but it did still have RCS thrusters. Once a Valkyrie pilot used all the extra missiles the armor package provided they would often Jetson the armor and missile pods to regain manuverability. This is not something that can be replicated in Battletech, at least not easily nor without homebrew.

[@randomnetsurfer]

@@jlokison Awesome!! Thank you for the explanation!! Did they mention why one arm was lacking a hand tho?

[@RifterBlade]

@@randomnetsurfer The lawsuit from Harmony gold's timing meant they were still putting out stuff for the new clan invasion stuff, and not knowing how things were going to come out, they altered a LOT of art to be slightly less crisp and shiny. The wasp lost a hand, as did the crusader in some art, so it gets confusing. Mind you, my games? Wasps still have 2 hands and LAMs still exist. Just what I know on that subject from being around back then :)

[@Vulpine407]

The Crusader was the first of the OG 'mechs touted as a "jack-of-all-trades" that actually lived up to the name. Heavily armored, heavily armed with a wide variety of weapons including enough MGs to make any enemy infantry wish they were elsewhere, decent (if unremarkable) speed for it's weight and a very tough brawler that could go toe-to-toe with 'mechs ten or more tons heavier. It had one major flaw... -heat dispersion. This wasn't too much of an issue for long-range engagements as the 10 standard heat-sinks were sufficient to fire the LRMs and maneuver. But attempting a close-range firefight with the SRMs and the lasers would quickly overheat this mech in just a few turns. Heaven help you if you were desperate enough to try an alpha-strike two turns in a row. If you were lucky, your machine would just lock up from the heat spike. If you were unlucky.... BLAMMO! This problem aside, the Crusader quickly became a favorite in my old BT group as it was reasonably priced in both BV and C--bills, had redundant weaponry all over it's structure to keep you in the fight even when you lost an arm or even a torso, and could weather enemy fire very well thanks to it's thick armor. Two important notes (well, IMO): First, the leg-mounted SRMs sometimes caused arguments in my game group. Some believed that a torso twist would also allow the SRMs to fire in the changed arc. But most of us interpreted the rules at the time (this was decades ago) that the SRMs could only fire into the direction of the last facing of movement. Second, none of the "official" variants of the Crusader were ever popular with our group. Except for one fellow. He absolutely loved any variant with an XL engine of ANY mech. He picked up the nickname "Splodey." Gee, I wonder why? Anyway, in games where we allowed simple modifications, the most popular one was simply to make the heat-sinks double. This solved the heat problem completely. Such Crusaders instead had an enhanced ammo problem as they could now alpha-strike multiple times with only moderate heat build-up.

[@Evilpeanuts0]

I quite enjoyed using one of these at a tournament last month (pre-set pairs of mechs each round). Took out the opposing Warhammer via SRMs when closing followed by several punches to the weakened areas.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Nice to hear it performed. It's always moral to bully Warhammers.

[@milesrost6674]

Ahhhhhh, just what a day featuring a Solar Eclipse needs is!! Thanks for the great content and solid laughs along the way!! - Godspeed

[@MechanicalFrog]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@krissteel4074]

You can shoehorn these into any lance, because there's bound to be room for some kind of generalist config that will cover whatever you need it to do. However! Fairly much all of them are hotter than a $5 pistol with the serial number filed off and prone to getting a bit explody 'because reasons' when you start leaning into its fairly comprehensive armament. Mostly a case of knowing which brackets your weapons fall into and leaving out heat/ammo for the stuff that's doing next to nothing with a very hard hit chances.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Absolutely. They're quite useful across a wide variety of situations. Good example of a generalist.

[@georgehillyer7959]

I agree on the Ral Partha metal miniature. One of my favorites. I love the Mech as well.

[@MechanicalFrog]

And easy to assemble!

[@georgehillyer7959]

@@MechanicalFrog LOL, Yes! For those who don’t know, it is one pice (no assembly required).

[@afitz34]

Loved the 22nd Avalon Hussars. Painted up a company's worth back in the day. Might have to do that again with the newer mini's out now.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Very cool!

[@ogrehaslayers605]

One of the coolest LOOKING mechs, made me choose it for my lances when i first started playing 100 years ago... But dang was it difficult to use effectively for my young mind. Had a lot of them blow up under me lol.

[@richardvaldes3959]

The mech that doesnt skip chest day. Ever

[@MechanicalFrog]

Fair point.

[@alexzandermueller29]

There is also a sweet spot where an alpha strike is possible.(on 3r) wich can burn a lightly armored mech in on volley

[@MechanicalFrog]

Can be quite powerful in the right moment.

[@kierdalemodels]

A good all-rounder Mech and looks so good! That 6T variant is insane. I love the idea of the 8S with a big cannon in it’s chest. Lovely painted minis in the vid, too!👍 Thanks again for a great video and the colour plates are as always fantastic, MechFrog. I love the yellow one. You’re always tempting me to paint minis in these colour schemes!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks, as always. I think the 8S is a fun one.

[@frankb3347]

Going back to their Veritech roots I like Crusaders that can jump.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Same.

[@verysilentmouse]

yes we do love the crusader

[@MechanicalFrog]

Ayup.

[@ambientlight3876]

My personal absolute favorite 'mech in the game and the one I've made the most variants for. The standard 3R is an excellent team player, able to fight in the early stages of a battle then finishing off targets with its crit seeking SRMs, and well placed punches. Its missile- centered layout is its biggest weakness, as in sustained battles it's firepower can be reduced to a low end light 'mech. More likely is its tendency to go up in a glorious fireball due to an ammo crit in the center torso. Of secondary concerns is its lack of mid ranged piercing firepower. As I mentioned, I made more variants of this machine than I can count but I'll leave you with one. Using Clan tech, this variant of the machine uses I.S. Endo steel and 12 tons of I.S. Ferro Fibrous armor. I also increase the engine to a 325 Standard allowing it to move 5/8 on the Tabletop. For firepower I add in 2 Clan LRM 15s, one in each arm with two tons of ammo each mounted in case II protected torso. A Clan ER large Laser is mounted in the center torso. 12 double heat sinks keep the machine cool. SRMs were not added as the Clan LRMs have no minimum ranges. This machine uses is mobility and ranged firepower to punish targets at long range while being just as deadly up close. The design is also fairly survivable while keeping costs lower than many contemporary heavies because of its standard engine, Ferro-Fibrous armor and Case II. It's only clan systems are its weapons. I also created a more traditional version that drops the ER Large laser, 2 double heat sinks, and 2 tons of LRM ammo for 2 clan ER Medium lasers and 2 Clan Streak SRM 4s (one in each leg), with a ton of ammo for the launchers in each side torso. Overall, it's one of my little pleasures to create Crusader variants...

[@MechanicalFrog]

Glad to hear it's a fav. I hope I did it justice.

[@ambientlight3876]

@@MechanicalFrog I think you did. So much so that I want to get the updated minature!

[@atmosdwagon4656]

11:35 The XL Engine is an expensive side-grade and really should have been left out if they wanted the 5M to remain cost-effective. As described, the original 3R was a walking ammo-explosion. As such, one might argue that it kind of functioned like it always had that XL engine to start with, as a crit to the ammo bin would normally be it for at least that side of the mech, and extra damage could burn through the structure and into the CT where even more ammo is waiting to cook off...so why not just dispense with pretenses and give it the extra speed? To that, I'd say it pretty well nullifies the point of adding CASE, in addition to making the mech much more expensive. It doesn't really matter if a single crit to a side torso can still easily take the mech out either way. The CRD-8S's Heavy Gauss ammo issue could easily be fixed by splitting the LRM-10s down to a quartet of LRM-5s. This frees up 2 tons at the cost of...absolutely nothing. No extra heat. No loss of damage. Same range. Same critical slots. Just another case of 'Why did FASA Corp make the LRM-10 mathematically useless?' The 7M and 8L are neat, but run way too hot and are easily punished via pushes. (they definitely share a kindred spirit with the Kintaro in that regard, which also frequently finds itself in YOLO situations due to its loadout). In MW5/MWO, the 7M would benefit greatly from TAG or an Active Probe to attain and retain missile lock due to its reliance on Streak/4s for close range deterrence.(Like a Sir) The 9R only makes sense if you assume costs scale downward as high tech production scales upward with time. However, since this is Battletech, that basically doesn't happen so the batsqueak insane price remains hilarious. I know I'd sell it immediately if by some miracle, I managed to get one on a salvage truck. Ideally to some rich house lord with an eager child wanting the latest and "greatest" in engine tech.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Excellent appraisal. The LRM-10 is... odd.

[@ambientlight3876]

I also found the 5M to be an expensive side-grade with the use of the XL engine. Sure, it's heat issues, and ammo (to some degree) are resolved, and jump Jets are added but at the cost of the engine. My version of this variant uses a Standard Engine, Endo Steel, and 10 double heat sinks. I also keep the 4 Jump Jets. The LRM 15s are retained, but both have double the ammo in Case protected side torso. The Steak SRM 2s are also retained with one ton of ammo. The medium lasers in the arms are kept, and I add another to the head. The AMS, flamer and MG are dropped. This variant is cheaper, more rugged and can stay on the battlefield longer. Did I mention it upgrades the 12 tons of armor to Ferro-Fibrous?

[@FlyingWithSpurts]

Thanks for this one, Mech Frog. I love the Crusader, and I loved how you covered the variants.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I hope I did the mech justice. Thanks for giving it a go.

[@bloodraven8020]

I see myself being a Centurion and Hunchy fanboy, but the crusader is a perfect heavy mech. Its the leatherman supertool of the heavy line, while it doesnt do everything better than specific tools for those specific jobs... it does *everything*

[@wraith7989]

I like the Crusader. I mean, I’m not going to pilot the damn thing, but it is nice to have one hanging around.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Put someone expendable in it. No one who owes you money.

[@Bomfunker91]

There she is. My darling, my beloved, my queen. She is perfection itself. Does she have ammo in her center torso? She does, but only because she's generous and considerate. After all, if she didn't limit herself, what point would there be in even looking at other mechs for your forces?

[@MechanicalFrog]

I think this pretty much says it all.

[@tillerzeit]

Not gotten the chance to play one but the arms and armor on that look enticing

[@MechanicalFrog]

It definitely has the look.

[@RalphyNoPants]

I love it for the thick thighs with the missile pods.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It has the razzle dazzle.

[@jasonfarley9025]

Yeah, I think that viewing the light PPC as a medium laser upgrade is a good mentality.

[@mikegould6590]

Back when the game was first released, the Crusader was my clear favorite. I loved the look, the punch, and the variety of options. I say this despite never surviving a match either because of heat or ammo explosions. The 6T really appeals to me, given my love of the Nova Prime. I'll certainly check it out and add it to my forces.

[@Bluehairedgirl89]

Thank you so much for all the effort you put into those video and as always, I enjoyed it! I understand why the Crusader is so popular, it looks good through the ages along with being tough and reliable. It doesn’t hurt that you can’t throw a stone in a junkyard and not hit some ancient broken piece of a Crusader mech basically anywhere in the Inner Sphere. All that being said, it’s just not my kind of mech personally. I don’t like ammo heavy designs and I really don’t like missile heavy designs. If I’ve got nothing else then obviously I’ll use it but out of all the variants I’d have to say my favorite and my choice to pilot would be the CRD-6T. But no surprise there, I’m a part of the Nova fan club.

[@MechanicalFrog]

It definitely has the razzle dazzle and the punch to back it up.

[@Bluehairedgirl89]

@@MechanicalFrog Yeap yeap, disco ball of death in each oversized arm. If only they’d figured out a way to put pulse laser as a targeting computer into it. *Longing sigh of longingness*

[@Bolththrower]

Atlas Vult! Let the crusade begin!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good times had by almost all...

[@kalixascsi66]

I love the 8L and I'm glad you covered it. It's a ton of fun to run :D

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's a wild one.

[@AtreidesT660]

Nicely done. This mech lore noob really appreciates your vids. I really like The Crusaders look. Thank you.😊

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank you for coming by and giving it a shot. There are plenty of fun mechs out there. I hope I can eventually cover them all.

[@Tatsu_of_Liao]

Keep up the great work. Love your content!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks, will do!

[@spotH3D]

Love this mech, and the 6T is a nasty one. With 12 Mlasers you can jump and cut out 1 or 2 of them not be bothered. It's a little too good.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good... a little too good... release the hounds...

[@sebastiang.5032]

I'm really enjoying fielding the Crusader-7D in my latest games of Battletech. It's so fun!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Nice! Glad to hear it's doing well.

[@lordsherifftakari4127]

this well loved mech is one of my staple designs used in numbers in my forces as bodyguards for Longbows & Archers offering up it's LRM's to the long range barrage while packing enough close in heat and mobility to keep smaller and faster units at bay. much of it's loadout is virtually the same, but makes use of clan tech saving space and mass for other uses. a Clan Tech XL engine with Clan DHS. offers up enough spare tonnage and space to improve mobility to 5/8/5 including the relocation of it's Jump Jets. Clan Tech Case prevents ammunition explosions from spreading while the LRM launchers are more compact and lighter allowing the ammo to be stored next to the weapon using it. here the clan missile system comes into it's own as Clan LRM's have no minimum range penalty meaning getting up in my face is a REALLY BAD idea! the MG's and their ammo are deleted completely putting that mass into more Heat Sinks. the pair of SRM 6 packs are naturally Clan Streaks with ammo stowed in the legs. and the JJ's now occupying the torsos. the twin Md lasers are swapped for a quartet of Clan ER Smalls improving close in damage potential while not sacrificing much in Range. Clan Ferro armor and Endosteel again save mass for other uses also going into more Heat Sinks. unlike many other canon designs both I.S. & Clan, heat is an eternal problem! my stance on this is simply what good is Firepower if you Can't Use It! every production model considered for use in my forces undergoes the same treatment. flaws are addressed, heat issues resolved, and unnecessary or detrimental items removed.

[@empoweredshemphoward]

Great content, i have been having fun with the CDR-SA2 in mw5, 2 SRM4+ATRIV w/2 tons ammo, 2 machine guns w/4 tons ammo, 5 flamers and a pair of heavy knuckles. It does the job better than expected.

[@Cadiangrunt99]

Once again I'm painting BT stuff a bunch of Demolishers and Condors today! Also love the crusader my mercs I have played since I was a teen has always had a Cruader of some sort backing up its Marauder, Atlas and Battlemaster :D

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds like a productive plan.

[@SulliMike23]

I've used a Crusader in MWO and I love the loadout that comes with MRM launchers. I have more victories in that mech than any of the other variants.

[@gregkun1]

When I played my first match in the Dark Age era I had to randomly pick a mech and got the Crusader 8L. To be honest, once I got the sheet and saw 40 heat! This thing better have something special. To my my surprise it had MML's, ER-MED's, but I was wary of the Plasma Rifles. As I wasn't too familiar with them. Sure enough, the problem with the mech wasn't the heating but the ammo types as there were a shit ton of enemies running AMS and ECM. The 15 shots of Plasma Rife ammo weren't enough to make up for it's disadvantages. Once I gathered enough of a weapons-hored and equipment cache. I refit the 8L to my personal variant 0Z-1A CRD-OZ-1A Weight: 65 tons BV: 1,903 Cost: 14,105,410 C-bills Source: Dark Age Movement: 5/8 Engine: Clan 325 XL, Clan Double Heat Sinks: 13 [26] HEAT: 32/26 Armor: Internal: 104 (Clan Endo-Steel) Armor: 211/211 (Clan Ferro-Fibrous) Weapons: 3x Streak SRM 6 (Clan) in the LL, CT, RL (2 tons of Ammo in the LT, RT for 30ammo /3 =10 shots) 4x MRM 10 in the LA, LT, RT, RA ( 3 ton of ammo in the 2LT, 1RT for 72 ammo /4 = 18 shots) 4x ER Small Laser (Clan) 2 in the LA and 2 in the LA I was thinking of just going all the way with missiles and CASE but I wanted some backup laser just in case and boy it came in handy a lot on ground BA units. Also, I didn't manage to get my hands on ATM's or I would have used them in place of the MML's instead of MRM's and Streaks. Oh well can't have everything at the ready I guess. The Dark Age campaign sessions didn't last long about eleven sessions compared to the over a hundred in the previous eras. lol

[@MechanicalFrog]

3 streak SRM-6... ow.

[@MKmaki6094]

I really feel CASE II was designed precisely for the Crusader. Having so much different ammunition types really increases the risk of an explosion, because of that the 8R and 6T are my favorite variants since they minimize that risk (and because I did some bulkying in MWO with the 6T)

[@misriaharmory3884]

I loved this sculpt when I saw what CGL did with it. I recently got it in MW5 and I like it even more now.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Awesome!

[@peterkallend5012]

Crusader is an awe inspiring presence on the battlefield. One of these beauties shows up, you know something is getting wrecked. Easily punching above is weight by itself, when surrounded by lancemates, it's a serious threat to any battlefield asset. Love this 'Mech.

[@kathilmechworks4895]

Crusader is one of the most common mechs I have in my collection. When making a new unit its one of those mechs I can always find a spot for whether it be a generalist in a merc lance, body guard for my planetary Dukes royal guards lance or a member of my Davion and Marik house units. I mentioned on twitter the Crusader if you just look at it on paper you'd think the thing was a death trap, but its armor seems to find it though for most of my experience. I've lost more Orions and Thunderbolts than I've lost Crusaders and I've played Crusaders though out my time playing battletech I own one I got about 20 years ago that was an original lead. Its thick armor and most of the time you stay back just behind the main lines seems to find its way though.

[@MechanicalFrog]

The power of the generalists. Useful anywhere you put it.

[@thecommuterzombie]

Love the new layout!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yay, thank you!

[@surfmanfish]

Heard you on the BPL Podcast, Frog. Great video!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@mbr5742]

If you shoot out the Torso it makes a good source of spare parts for the Thunderbolt

[@MechanicalFrog]

**gasp**

[@orkloven]

I'm devastated you left out my favorite Crusader variant... 😢 The 5K. XL Engine, Endo Steel IS, 11 Double Heat Sinks, 2 x MRM30s with CASE, 2 x Med Lasers, 2 x Med Pulse Lasers. and C3-Slave. 60 missiles at close range is just FUN!! 😁👍

[@MechanicalFrog]

How dare I... How dare I... :D

[@Richy0326]

Fireworks for all ranges. One of the few mechs that can still hit hard with only 10 single heatsinks. I got a special build for you today - Shiba Starfire's crusader build: 5/8/3 movement with an XL engine 2 Snubnose PPCs (one in each side torso) 10 small lasers (5 in each arm) 12.5 tons of standard armour 16 double heatsinks, which leave you at +4 heat if you alpha strike while running A good, fast brawling mech.

[@MechanicalFrog]

10 small lasers huh? Quite the light show.

[@obsidianrazor]

Hey, the 6T! I love that one since I'm a laser nerd. I like the idea of switching to a few less pulse lasers for maximum pew pew pew

[@MechanicalFrog]

Quite the light show instead of fireworks.

[@obsidianrazor]

@@MechanicalFrog it's better for the birds :P

[@harbingerx7793]

Wonderful! A nother of my favorites!

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thanks for listening

[@harbingerx7793]

@MechanicalFrog thank you for talking, recording, talking again, editings and research.

[@michealcormier2555]

my preferred model is the 3L. The extra mobility the jumpjets give me is much appreciated.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I am only rarely disappointed to see jump jets.

[@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey]

I spent an entire afternoon rolling up a MechWarrior character. Afterwards we played the actual game. My character had an old fashion Crusader. The armor was punched through and the MG ammo went off. Cascading ammo explosions followed. SRM then LRM cooked off. The resulting explosions were visible from space.

[@MechanicalFrog]

And what did we learn? :D

[@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey]

@@MechanicalFrog FASA's old MechWarrior RPG was a frustrating game to play. It used 2d6 for everything. Don't get out of your mech. Too many things can kill you.......even in your mech. Wound up with two mechanical legs and one mechanical arm. 6 Million Dollar man like.

[@greydeathangel]

This machine is quite nice, thanks for covering it MechanicalFrog, as for the variant that I've been having quite a load of fun with....CRD-7W, it's either you go boom or your enemy will instead, loads and loads of MML goodness, and enough ammo to be seen from orbit should it explode.

[@MechanicalFrog]

My pleasure. Thanks for giving it a go.

[@freeranger00]

I'm extremely fond of the Crusader, though I usually run the 3L or 3D in 3025 games as the risk required to run the 3R is a bit much for me. Anyway, one of my mechwarriors piloted a Crusader in the campaign I was playing in/helping to run. Mars and his Crusader backed up my merc company commander's Orion in many battles, but ran out of luck against a pirate Wolverine one day. My Crusader would be fire support early in engagements, watching the back of the command Orion in my lance then transitioning to brawling as battles developed. Unfortunately a battle went sideways for me right at the end in the last match I played. I had my Crusader mopping up a heavily damaged Wolverine. My SRMs couldn't quite bring down the danged thing, though and we went to what would obviously be a final melee phase. The Crusader had taken a head hit earlier, but hadn't even been breached in any armor location. We go to melee and I get two punches into the opposing Wolverine, he's dead. We immediately go to resolve the Wolverine. One head hit. Ouch, but my expert mechwarrior is still alive. Next swing connects, also to the head. There goes my 3/3 merc with the Sandblaster SPA. How could I complain? The Crusader was doing what it does best, moving from support to brawling and the pilot died as he lived.

[@MechanicalFrog]

What more can we ask for?

[@jasonhenninger8220]

Classic build with scavenged clan equipment. 4/6(8)/0, XL, supercharger, 14DHS, 10.5t FF(C), Clan gear: L-AMS, 2) LRM15 w/A4 2t ammo, 2) Streak6 1t ammo, 4) MdPulse Lasers. (BV2 2532)

[@MechanicalFrog]

Solid build.

[@covahredro8370]

One of my favorite Crusader builds was 10x AP Gauss, 2x Clan LRM10s and 2x Clan ER Med Lasers. A content creator by Teraflame who makes mech content has it on their channel called Fist of Apocalypse (Crusader)(I'd link it but its not permitted). Sound absolutely awesome with all those AP Gauss firing off.

[@haileysaint5443]

The Crusader was one of my favorite heavies to play in MW5, though I often had to make due with a 3R until I could acquire a 3L; I liked the added mobility more than the firepower. Anyways, I actually have 3 variants of the Crusader, all using the 3L as a starting point, although the last 2 should be deployed with one another (kinda like the Mercurius and Vayeate from Gundam Wing). The CRD-3L-ISM works to keep the iconic look of the 3R and 3L variants, but with updated tech. It costs a pretty C-bill at just under 12.1 million, but it could be worth the price. It utilizes a Clan XL engine to free up space at the cost of being vulnerable, uses 12 Clan DHS, and 11 tons of Clan FF armor. This allows it to mount a Clan Medium Pulse Laser, Clan Machine Gun, and IS MML-5 in each arm. Finishing off the firepower is a pair of torso-mounted MML-7s, one to each side torso location. The left torso carries 2 tons each of MML-5 and MML-7 ammo, with CASE II and a Jump Jet filling in the remaining crits; the right torso carries 1 ton of MML-5 ammo and another 2 tons of MML-7 ammo, along with the single ton of MG ammo, CASE II, and a Jump Jet. The remaining 2 Jump Jets are mounted in the CT. The CRD-3SRM basically only mounts SRMs for its missile loadout. While also carrying Clantech like the 3L-ISM, it only applies it to the 12 DHS, 11 tons of FF armor, and some of the weapons. Each arm carries a Clan Streak SRM-6 and an IS Medium Re-Engineered Laser, while an SRM-4/w Artemis IV FCS is mounted in each leg. Each side torso carries a single ton of Streak ammo, and 2 tons of Artemis-SRM ammo, along with 2 Jump Jets can CASE II (also Clan). It's partner design, the CRD-3LRM, is the same for the most part. It only mounts 10 Clan DHS, and 10 tons of Clan FF, which makes it slightly more vulnerable than its close-range counterpart. Like the 3SRM, the 3LRM carries a Medium Re-Engineered Laser in each arm, but mounts a Clan LRM-10/w Artemis in each arm instead of the SRMs. Each leg also mounts a Clan LRM-5/w Artemis in each leg. The ammo, jump jets, and CASE II are all carried in each side torso (1 ton for each of the LRM-5s and 2 for each of the -10s). So if you're wanting to deploy these in a lance, I'd recommend using one of each of the 3 variants, with the 4th spot taken up by some kind of fast, mobile 'Mech mounting a TAG laser.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Solid showing. The Clan SSRM-6 is a menace.

[@FlyingWithSpurts]

If I was to customize a Crusader with Clan tech... -3R with engine replaced with 260 Std w Double Heat Sinks (technically just upgrading to 10 DHS, I know, but still), swap all the missile launchers with Clan Streak variants that take the same mass and space as the standard IS counterparts but have better max/min ranges and will do significantly more damage when they achieve a lock, and being Clan munitions the Ammo bins have CASE built in. Not really much of an upgrade, more of a parts swap, it keeps the feel of the traditional crusader from a gameplay perspective while giving some nice QoL enhancements. To go a little further as an Upgrade, move to Endo Steel and use the saved weight for CASE II and add an AMS.

[@MechanicalFrog]

You can definitely do a lot more when the LRM launchers weigh half as much.

[@peters6345]

I used a crusader in the BT videogame. But i kitted it out with as many MRM as i could fit. It was good at applying sandpaper to enemy mechs

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds like fun.

[@jeremyedwards4426]

It’s tough, has an impressive amount of fire power, I never found the ammo to be much of a liability, the lrms tend to be gone by the time you have taken enough damage that crits would be an issue. It’s a solid generalist and makes a great command mech or babysitter for more dedicated fire support platforms, most lights and a few mediums will shy away from 12 arms and a pair of mediums. The 3050 upgrades feel like they missed the mark somehow, It may have just been better to go to double HS and endosteel slap in case and some extra lim ammo and make it into a zombie crusader that isn’t going down unless you delete it from existence. Definitely in my top 3 heavies from 3025 along with the T-bolt and Warhammer.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yeah, LRM early and often.

[@isaacrubin9606]

Ran some War of 3039 stuff for a friend’s first time with the game last night. Given how he picked his moments to alpha strike his 3K to cripple a Vulcan at one point and punish a Marauder II busy with a Crockett at another, I think he gets it.

[@jasonm1691]

My favorite one is the one with 12 medium lasers I upgraded mine with double heatsinks and it stays pretty cool so long as I'm not jumping around to much

[@MechanicalFrog]

It's an interesting one. Had to include it.

[@SpaceMarine4040]

we love it because it is one of the best looking mechs in the setting. we love it because what else were you going to use the legs for? (don't say jump jets). We love it alot more once CASE was rediscovered. personally I prefer the 8R as it is the 2R classic but someone finally told the designers a total of 8 streak srm is not enough, how about 12 streak. However I am partial to dropping the two IS streak srm 6 for 4x clan srm 6 in the legs to discourage any foolishness about getting in close. the prospect of 24 srms in your future tends to change people's behavior.

[@lukedudley5030]

Another great vid of a classic mech :-) ive had lots of success with the crusader over the years but it took me a little while to realise its not the best brawler with its lower armour so best to empty the lrm buckets before you close that range :-)

[@MechanicalFrog]

Yeah fire those LRMs early and often. Even on 10-11+ rolls.

[@Mortiferu]

The 6T was my lasercutter supreme in MWO

[@readwatchlisten2863]

The Crusader to me embodied what made early battletech great, and that was trade-offs. You use the LRMs early in the fight, close, dump the ammo, and then brawl, all while watching your heat scale. That made it fun. I don't hate, the new mechs, but too many of them don't have the sense of danger that the early ones had. Except for those XL engines 😅

[@MechanicalFrog]

With an XXL, every battle is a white-knuckler.

[@scytheseven9173]

Thanks for the video, and covering so many variants! Wow, that 9R is bad

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sort of went wild with the variants but, this one needed it since they arrived in bursts on the timeline.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

Honestly I like the CDR-4BR in the clan invasion and if I want to get silly the CDR-9BR is a fun mech to do my favorite Wolverine impressions with. I just need to repaint it yellow and black.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Both fun.

[@irongiant6112]

I am partial to the CRD-4BR for a better standard crusader, although I would probably dispense with the MGs in favor of AMS or something, not bad for about 5.8 million C-bills. also, I think a video on the mars assault tank, or merkava would be cool.

[@oleksaderzybis9052]

Crusader CRD-9BR emerged from a smoke cloud and torn Victor's right torso apart via two TSM enhances claws, making 20 damage with each one. Imagine my terror when I understood there are two of those.

[@spartana1116]

Ah the crusader a mech that proved to me real reliable as a tanky 65 ton missile brawler when I gut the srm4s and LRMs for 6 and gut the jets for armor and heat sinks

[@MechanicalFrog]

This is fair.

[@spartana1116]

Yeah like it's fun in MW5 to sandblast the armor and limbs off of even assault mechs with 4 SRM6s

[@s0niKu]

*Slaps the canopy of the CDR-3R* This baby can fit so many TAC ammo crits in it!

[@MechanicalFrog]

True that.

[@TheStraycat74]

blame the second ALT-Config on the engine chart, page 114 in the battletech compendium... 3050 full clan tech rebuild CDR-10A Crusader, 5/8/5, 3.25 endo-steel, 11.75 XL + DHS, 7 tons standard cockpit and gyro, 11ton fero-fiberous armor (maxed) 5 tons jump jets, 27tons pod space. PRIME CONFIG: 2 LRM-15 (R/LT) with 2t ammo each (cased), 2 Streak SRM-6 (R/LT) with 1t ammo each (cased), 2 MPL (R/LA), 2 ERSL (R/LA), 3 DHS. Classic config, solid. ALT-Config A: 8 LRM-5 (R/LT) with 1t ammo each, 2 ERLL (R/LA), 3 DHS. rain in the hate from long range fire support, because screw that guy. Alt-Config X-IIC: 8 MPL (R/LA), 2 ERSL (R/LA), 8 DHS, TARGETING COMPUTER (RT). because 66 points of damage to your CT is a called shot alpha-strike at ONLY 5 over heat while jumping...

[@MechanicalFrog]

Hah.

[@wperdew6078]

I faced a crusader once..I got a CT crit, and scored 2 engine hits. It only had 10 heat sinks, so it couldn't do anything. After about 2 rounds it decided it was time to overheat. Good times

[@MechanicalFrog]

RIP noble Crusader.

[@Yacovo]

"Look out, it is a Crusader! It is a decent mech! The pilot graduated in the upper lower middle percentile of their academy! They live with a two story house with a basement and own 2.3 kids on the EAST side of town!" Thanks for the video.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Does it own a cat or is it a dog mech?

[@Yacovo]

@@MechanicalFrog Worse. They have a middle aged turtle on the road to making it past 40.

[@Ihasanart]

"I don't want this video to be 2 hours long" I however do.

[@AlexDenton0451]

My main problems with the Succession Wars Crusader is the 100% chance of ammo explosion in the STs, and the Leg Mounted SRMs make it extremely awkward to brawl if you're facing a jumpy mech trying to poke at the rear.

[@spacewolfblackmane19]

Believe it or not, my favorite versions, are the two that stitch out the lrm's for claws. It just the most random change, but i love it, and own me a 3d model of the Caral the original Hero version. I wouldn't call either of them good, or even competitive, but good lord they are absolute fun. But then again whenever someone faces them, they tend to draw absolutely all the fire possible from the enemy, even when objectively more dangerous mechs are right Infront of them shooting. But hey at least the Dark Age version gets TsM, and then immediately ruins this with a XXL engine.

[@MechanicalFrog]

XXL engines make me a sad frog.

[@das_gruuben]

The only Crusader I've really gotten behind is Crael II in MW5 Mercs. That thing is a beautiful belt sander.

[@andrewszigeti2174]

We love the Crusader because again, it's one of the original ten BattleDroids, and is loosely based on the armored Veritech/Valkrye of Robotech/Macross. It's a decent brawler... aside from a distressing tendency to explode from torso criticals.

[@MechanicalFrog]

"No matter what, something is exploding today."

[@MaxSabbath666]

Ive been playing MW5 on series X and i recently got a crusader. I love it

[@MechanicalFrog]

I've heard it's quite solid in MW5

[@RF-jh7mb]

If there was one variant you missed that would have been interesting to hear your take on, it would be the Bander Mechworks 9BR model, it wildly enough is equipped with an XXL engine, but also is designed around TSM and a pair of claws.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I could only handle dealing with one XXL abomination per video.

[@madcat3525]

Great Video! Like the Crusader, but dont like to play it. Looking forward to more videos.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Thank you. More nonsense ahead!

[@gregdomenico1891]

Love/Hate relationship. Loved it ever since the early BT novels, and it just looks awesome. Hate the lack of LRM ammo and it's God awful heat management. I found that out the hard way, when I didn't take into account environmental factors, while fighting on an low grav/low air moon. Ammo cooked off after an Alpha strike and running. I think what's left of that Mech is still in orbit around that moon!

[@jefffreese947]

Always loved the Crusader. Just an awesome bracket baby. Just wish LRM's were in the torso's to better protect the ammo. The Crusader looks like a fire-support mech, but it doesn't have the ammo to be in that role. My variant would have move 4/6/4 with endo, 10 DHS, and armed with 4x MML-7, 2x ML, with a total of 6 tons of ammo. Would let you be a legit fire support option while still being a NASTY brawler.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Looks like a good var.

[@neogokiMK00]

For the CRD-3MF: I would have pulled he LRMs and put in bigger or more ATMs.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Tempting.

[@matthewbeale5083]

I love the 3R despite the reputation for explosions. As an avid user of semi-guided LRMs, the lack of NARC or Artemis and lower BV on the 3R lets me use it guilt-free on more advanced battlefields. I just TAG something with my Achileus and let the indirect missiles fly.

[@MechanicalFrog]

I think if you use the LRM ammo early and often, it's not so bad. Shoot 8 times before you close in? Doable.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Always can contribute until the Ammo explodes , plus iconic .

[@riptors9777]

The crusader would be one of my fav 3025 mechs... IF it wasnt so dang explodey... Machinegun ammo, SRM ammo and LRM ammo... you are guaranteed to detonate something eventually and god help you if its the machinegun ammo. Another issue is that its best short range weapons are located in its legs. Meaning it cant fire its SRMs out of partial cover or if you want to kick something, wich considering the crusaders weight and size is something you might very well consider. Its a great brawler. It also has heat issues with only 10 heatsinks so mechwarriors beware. Its barely enough to stay heat neutral when stationary and firing those lrm 15s It does have weapons for every range but except for the medium lasers its all scatter damage, wich makes it great for scoring critical hits on mechs with broken armor, less so against heavily armored oponents. If you want to take a crusader as a merc commander you should ditch the machineguns and its ammo ASAP, they are a huge liability and a crusader shouldnt be used for anti infantry duty anyways, leave that to the light mechs. Instead invest in some more heatsinks so you can keep those LRMs firing and the mech running. You do that and the crusader will make a great fire support mech that can close in for the kill. Perfect as a bodyguard for other long range mechs or in partnership with an armor breaker like the awesome. Logistics wise the Crusader wont give you any problems, its a rugged design thats easy to maintain and is widely available throughout the IS. Just... ditch the machineguns...

[@MechanicalFrog]

Good points. The MGs with their ton of ammo in the CT are a big liability.

[@crusignatioutremer791]

Is/was it just me, or every time Dagoth is on the screen, I think of the CRS-8? Was it his communications array to other dieties in Hyboria? 🤪

[@RaithRichwine]

I'm a simple man. And if I need long range, I need the Crusader.

[@MechanicalFrog]

Sounds like a plan.

[@duanewong1527]

The Crusader - Deus Vult with lots of missiles

[@jasonfarley9025]

Because who doesn't love a missile boat? ❤