This is gonna be a great series. I really like the format. 3050 is a fun tech readout because in true form for the Battletech universe, many of the upgrades don't actually make for better mechs. With this tech readout the old PPC almost disappeared, replaced by the ER PPC. In a lot of cases I'd rather have a PPC with the minimum range and lower heat than the higher heat of the ER PPC that nerfs your ability to fire your weapons consistently.
Indeed! IS ERPPC'S are only situationally better than the PPC, and usually worse. It's a fun era full of janky designs which have significant trade offs.
@@TrailblazerBT Just because the Dragon is the symbol of the combine doesn't mean the Kuritans should have thrown ALL their Doubleheatsinks into them and left the panther and Atlas massively overheated or over-weighed-down.
The fact it takes an entire episode to get through one letter of the alphabet really underscores the scale of this series. I'm excited to see the rest of it. I do have a question about the rating system though. When I see letter grades like that, my assumption would be that it's the standard ABCDF scale (with maybe an E or S if you want to be fancy). The way the mechs here are described though, it sounds like it's just an ABC scale. That might be something worth clarifying in future videos.
ANH-2A: you need to get 1 DHS into the mech with DHS ARC-5R: you can run every turn, shoot both LRM and one of the ER-Large Las AWS-9M: why putting ammo in an energyboat where you wanne push the heat?! WTF?
Im gonna disagree on the ARC-5R and heat. It can't alpha strike without heating up a lot, but it has the ER lasers thst can fire one downfield every turn along eith the LRMs while stull running cold, anf if domething starts to get inside the minimum range of the LRMs it punches a lot harder than most other archers thanks to the two 8-point shots that cover the entirety of the LRM's blind spot eith their short range. And if you do have a good opportunity to do an alpha strike, even if you run you only go to +12 heat, yoi can go back to just firing the LRMs the next turn at +1 and cool all the way off. If you havent tried the mech i suggest giving it a shot, it's a pretty good mech for the era. I also dont know if you plan to leave out discussion of quirks in general for the videos, but the archers in particular benefit substantially thanks to their incredoble layout of quirks. Battlefist doesnt do much since they tend to mount thwir close-in weapons in their arms, hut command mech and stable are very good and ubiquitous is great in campaigns.
I'm pretty new with Battletech and I learnt about the shortcomings of the Archer playing with my wife (yes, I forced her to play with me). The match started and she came straight to my Archer with her Mad Dog and I decided it was a really good idea to go straight to it too. I know I don't need to tell you how that ended 😂🤦🏻
"Battle value value" That's like saying Mount Fujiyama which is, Mount Fuji Mountain. Or "gif graphics" or "atm machine". Although I will still tease you about it ;) . ~pirate
The Awesome 9M seems quite good. It has to go 3/2 with it's PPCs instead of 3/3/2 but I'll take that in exchange for the much better close self defense/brawling capability. You take -1 move if you fire all the main weapons but it's base speed is up to 4/6 instead of 3/5, and ideally Awesomes don't move. Leg ammo can be kinda meta, it's generally a heavily armored area on a mech, and can be concealed by terrain. And if your leg goes the mech is probably mission killed anyway. The big question is just, do you want an assault with an IS XL? I'm not saying it wouldn't have maybe been better if they just upgrade the 8Q's ERPPC and 23 DHS . But I appreciate the versatility this brings. Sorry this was verbose.
That's why the -9Q is the only answer when you want a post-Succession Wars Awesome. Standard engine, double heat sinks, 4 standard PPCs and 19 double heat sinks. Whether walking, running, or standing still, you can very comfortably volley fire it in a 4/3/4/3 pattern until your opposition either dies or goes home.
Speaking of Awesome 7M: I think AWS-7M is not that horrible. It retains the 3-2 (ER)PPC fining mechanic, you just have to accept the fact that you will also go from 4/6 to 3/5 whcich is still plenty for IS long-range assult. The pulse lasers and Sreak SRM give it more options (and crit seaking) at close range than 9Q/8Q and ER ppc give it a better to-hit value. Its durability does pay with that XL, though. I'd say that it fills a differnet role than 9Q and 8Q. Both of these are better against IS opponents since they fight on a level playing ground. But I will say I prefer the 7M against clan opponents as it both allows it to play on a level playing field with Clan range, and it also mitigates some of the clan speed advantag as it gets rid of the minimum-range vulnetarbility of the other two and bring a 4/6 assault to the table.
For real. It takes so much work to make the Assassin anything other than a speedy nuisance for light 'mechs. Funnily enough, the best thing you could do with an ASN-21 pulled out of storage in the FedCom Civil War era would be to swap the LRM-5 and SRM-2 for an MML-5 and three tons of ammo. Maybe use a Light engine, maybe use Endo-Steel. But get that MML-5 and maybe a Medium X-Pulse Laser and CASE.
@@WolfHredaMMLs are some of my favorite weapons, and they're a godsend for mechs that mount SRMS and LRMs. You're correct that refiting an Assassin with MMLs in place of its mixed missile weaponry is the best thing you can do with it, on the caveat of keeping the "original mech flavor" Don't get me wrong, jump mechs with both long and short range firepower are dope, and an MML assassin is definitely awesome. It's got some versatility too which is always nice to have. But if you want the _best_ Assassin, where that means jumping into a mecha rear arc at close range, then you want oodles and oodles of small lasers. Any flavor of laser, as long as it's small. SPLs, ER smalls, heck, carry 13 of the vanilla model. Now, if you want a jump mech with MMLs, my recommendation is to refit a Dervish. (There's a stock one with 4MML5s and 4ERML with a TC but it has ridiculous heat problems. Ditch the stinkin lasers for another launcher and or ammo)
Atlas AS7-K-DC is a decent command console mech, but it's definitely a disappointment if you don't work that command console hard. Likewise the Awesome AWS-9MA is a decent Command Console mech, showing that information is better than ammunition. (Yes, I know these aren't in the 3050 book)
@@TrailblazerBT not video games. PC is clearly superior there 😅 But yeah, adding a command console to a mediocre long range mech pretty much always makes it better.
When building an Army it is better to field a balance of overall tonnage with shear numbers . When using a Battle Value system , I would rather field a Battalion than a Company .
Assassin could have dropped the LRM, saving 3 tons. Made the ML a MPL for 1 ton, swapped the SRM-2 for a Streak SRM-2, for .5 tons, and added a second Streak 2. For 1.5. It would still be the same junky Assassin, but would hit harder and be just better. I do something like this in HBS Battletech, but with SRM-4's.
Glad to see you’ve already decided to move to Battle Value Efficiency. But, I’m sorry to say all of your BVE rankings are wrong. Hunchback (any variant): BVE S (some S+, some S-) All other mechs: BVE D No matter your goal, more Hunchbacks is the answer
It's definitely a better BV 'buy' than the OG Archer, but that's 100% due to it being able to actually fire both LRM20s without overheating. As to the 5W flaws that are worth complaining about, I'd go with the ammo. It's got ammo in both arms, a full 25 freakin shots for each SRM launcher. Sure there's a case to be made for the utility of different ammo types, namely, inferno, but it's also got a Narc! One ton of narc capable SRM ammo is plenty, a whole 12.5 turns of firing! Less egregious is the ammo for the Narc launcher itself, but it's still bad. 16 shots is also more ammo than it can use, and it makes each torso more explodey than necessary. If it were a dedicated narc platform, or short range only, then two tons is great. But for a mech that's primarily an LRM boat? With the narc launcher in the CT? Single ton of ammo and put it in the head. (The mech can't overheat so the downside of head ammo is that if the mech gets hit, and it's the 1/36 that impact the head and the damage is greater than 9 but less than 12, AND at least one critical hit is rolled THEN the odds that the crit destroys the mech go from 1/5 to 2/6 (cockpit, ammo))
The only think I dislike about the 11H is that it is mixed tech. Yes, I know it makes sense, sorta, to have mixed tech at that time... But then why HPPC instead of clan PPC? Why aren't we seeing an improvement to baseline IS tech?
1. Bang for buck? 2 . Stamania. ?3. Tactical versility. 4. Who cares? ENYOY the game. I m in for BT since the 80th, dislike some lore turningspoints, or merchandising ... BUT still : let s roll for initative!!!
You realize this is part of enjoying the game for many people, right? Just because it isn't how you enjoy the game don't look down on it. Understanding what is and isn't well designed makes it even more funny and fun when you use awful designs.
I love the new dual rating system.
Battle Value Value is fine; Battle Value Efficiency would be a way to get around repeating a word tho.
Will switch to that!
I was just about to say the same thing: BVE (Battle Value Efficiency)
This is gonna be a great series. I really like the format.
3050 is a fun tech readout because in true form for the Battletech universe, many of the upgrades don't actually make for better mechs.
With this tech readout the old PPC almost disappeared, replaced by the ER PPC. In a lot of cases I'd rather have a PPC with the minimum range and lower heat than the higher heat of the ER PPC that nerfs your ability to fire your weapons consistently.
Indeed! IS ERPPC'S are only situationally better than the PPC, and usually worse.
It's a fun era full of janky designs which have significant trade offs.
@@waylonwade1203 Case in point, the 3050 Panther.
@@TrailblazerBT Just because the Dragon is the symbol of the combine doesn't mean the Kuritans should have thrown ALL their Doubleheatsinks into them and left the panther and Atlas massively overheated or over-weighed-down.
Love the new rating system! I might adopt something similar.
@@TheManyVoicesVA Yeah I hope it will make the ratings useful for both competitive and campaign players
@@TrailblazerBT he's stealing your ideas! Batchall that son of a bitch! 😂
Mounting a Gauss Rifle next to the XL engine is a very Kuritan thing to do, win or lose it'll be a blaze of glory.
The fact it takes an entire episode to get through one letter of the alphabet really underscores the scale of this series. I'm excited to see the rest of it.
I do have a question about the rating system though. When I see letter grades like that, my assumption would be that it's the standard ABCDF scale (with maybe an E or S if you want to be fancy). The way the mechs here are described though, it sounds like it's just an ABC scale. That might be something worth clarifying in future videos.
@@gilbat1 I'll be handing out some Ds and Fs eventually!
I agree completely with the Archers. The 4M is pretty good but all the others just leave u scratching ur head wondering why they even exist.
Nice breakdown my guy. Keep it up, I'll keep tuning in.
The lack of Ax-man is highly disturbing. It’s my favorite mech too
Loved the video!
ANH-2A: you need to get 1 DHS into the mech with DHS
ARC-5R: you can run every turn, shoot both LRM and one of the ER-Large Las
AWS-9M: why putting ammo in an energyboat where you wanne push the heat?! WTF?
Agree the Assassin should have dropped the LRM instead and invested in either armour or a second SRM
Im gonna disagree on the ARC-5R and heat. It can't alpha strike without heating up a lot, but it has the ER lasers thst can fire one downfield every turn along eith the LRMs while stull running cold, anf if domething starts to get inside the minimum range of the LRMs it punches a lot harder than most other archers thanks to the two 8-point shots that cover the entirety of the LRM's blind spot eith their short range. And if you do have a good opportunity to do an alpha strike, even if you run you only go to +12 heat, yoi can go back to just firing the LRMs the next turn at +1 and cool all the way off. If you havent tried the mech i suggest giving it a shot, it's a pretty good mech for the era.
I also dont know if you plan to leave out discussion of quirks in general for the videos, but the archers in particular benefit substantially thanks to their incredoble layout of quirks. Battlefist doesnt do much since they tend to mount thwir close-in weapons in their arms, hut command mech and stable are very good and ubiquitous is great in campaigns.
Interesting, this is persuasive. I might have to give it a try!
I'm pretty new with Battletech and I learnt about the shortcomings of the Archer playing with my wife (yes, I forced her to play with me). The match started and she came straight to my Archer with her Mad Dog and I decided it was a really good idea to go straight to it too. I know I don't need to tell you how that ended 😂🤦🏻
Be careful with those minimum ranges!
Oh boy!
"Battle value value"
That's like saying Mount Fujiyama which is, Mount Fuji Mountain. Or "gif graphics" or "atm machine". Although I will still tease you about it ;) . ~pirate
The Awesome 9M seems quite good. It has to go 3/2 with it's PPCs instead of 3/3/2 but I'll take that in exchange for the much better close self defense/brawling capability. You take -1 move if you fire all the main weapons but it's base speed is up to 4/6 instead of 3/5, and ideally Awesomes don't move. Leg ammo can be kinda meta, it's generally a heavily armored area on a mech, and can be concealed by terrain. And if your leg goes the mech is probably mission killed anyway. The big question is just, do you want an assault with an IS XL? I'm not saying it wouldn't have maybe been better if they just upgrade the 8Q's ERPPC and 23 DHS . But I appreciate the versatility this brings. Sorry this was verbose.
That's why the -9Q is the only answer when you want a post-Succession Wars Awesome. Standard engine, double heat sinks, 4 standard PPCs and 19 double heat sinks. Whether walking, running, or standing still, you can very comfortably volley fire it in a 4/3/4/3 pattern until your opposition either dies or goes home.
Speaking of Awesome 7M: I think AWS-7M is not that horrible.
It retains the 3-2 (ER)PPC fining mechanic, you just have to accept the fact that you will also go from 4/6 to 3/5 whcich is still plenty for IS long-range assult.
The pulse lasers and Sreak SRM give it more options (and crit seaking) at close range than 9Q/8Q and ER ppc give it a better to-hit value. Its durability does pay with that XL, though.
I'd say that it fills a differnet role than 9Q and 8Q. Both of these are better against IS opponents since they fight on a level playing ground. But I will say I prefer the 7M against clan opponents as it both allows it to play on a level playing field with Clan range, and it also mitigates some of the clan speed advantag as it gets rid of the minimum-range vulnetarbility of the other two and bring a 4/6 assault to the table.
I feel you are a grade high on the Assassin. Sure, it moves 7/11/7... but it does nothing while doing it.
For real. It takes so much work to make the Assassin anything other than a speedy nuisance for light 'mechs.
Funnily enough, the best thing you could do with an ASN-21 pulled out of storage in the FedCom Civil War era would be to swap the LRM-5 and SRM-2 for an MML-5 and three tons of ammo. Maybe use a Light engine, maybe use Endo-Steel. But get that MML-5 and maybe a Medium X-Pulse Laser and CASE.
@@WolfHredaMMLs are some of my favorite weapons, and they're a godsend for mechs that mount SRMS and LRMs. You're correct that refiting an Assassin with MMLs in place of its mixed missile weaponry is the best thing you can do with it, on the caveat of keeping the "original mech flavor"
Don't get me wrong, jump mechs with both long and short range firepower are dope, and an MML assassin is definitely awesome. It's got some versatility too which is always nice to have. But if you want the _best_ Assassin, where that means jumping into a mecha rear arc at close range, then you want oodles and oodles of small lasers. Any flavor of laser, as long as it's small. SPLs, ER smalls, heck, carry 13 of the vanilla model.
Now, if you want a jump mech with MMLs, my recommendation is to refit a Dervish. (There's a stock one with 4MML5s and 4ERML with a TC but it has ridiculous heat problems. Ditch the stinkin lasers for another launcher and or ammo)
@@StarlightSocialist get away from me, you filthy lasermaxxer... 🤣
_Quietly looks at the Komodo parked behind me_
I said what I said.
All the Inner Sphere 3050 variants, of every Mech, you have to ask what the designers at FASA were smoking
Atlas AS7-K-DC is a decent command console mech, but it's definitely a disappointment if you don't work that command console hard.
Likewise the Awesome AWS-9MA is a decent Command Console mech, showing that information is better than ammunition.
(Yes, I know these aren't in the 3050 book)
@@ObiwanNekody Consoles make everything better!
@@TrailblazerBT not video games. PC is clearly superior there 😅
But yeah, adding a command console to a mediocre long range mech pretty much always makes it better.
When building an Army it is better to field a balance of overall tonnage with shear numbers . When using a Battle Value system , I would rather field a Battalion than a Company .
What happened to the Aws-9Q??
Not invented until the late '50s!
@@TrailblazerBT the only one I like more is the AWS-11H. Can't help it, I love Heavy PPCs.
Assassin could have dropped the LRM, saving 3 tons. Made the ML a MPL for 1 ton, swapped the SRM-2 for a Streak SRM-2, for .5 tons, and added a second Streak 2. For 1.5.
It would still be the same junky Assassin, but would hit harder and be just better.
I do something like this in HBS Battletech, but with SRM-4's.
Where is the Axman?
@@eddon1281 Congrats you're the first person to notice I forgot it! I'll include it in the letter D video.
Glad to see you’ve already decided to move to Battle Value Efficiency. But, I’m sorry to say all of your BVE rankings are wrong.
Hunchback (any variant): BVE S (some S+, some S-)
All other mechs: BVE D
No matter your goal, more Hunchbacks is the answer
Archer 5w is great! 1337 BV, how can you complain about that?
It's definitely a better BV 'buy' than the OG Archer, but that's 100% due to it being able to actually fire both LRM20s without overheating.
As to the 5W flaws that are worth complaining about, I'd go with the ammo. It's got ammo in both arms, a full 25 freakin shots for each SRM launcher. Sure there's a case to be made for the utility of different ammo types, namely, inferno, but it's also got a Narc! One ton of narc capable SRM ammo is plenty, a whole 12.5 turns of firing! Less egregious is the ammo for the Narc launcher itself, but it's still bad. 16 shots is also more ammo than it can use, and it makes each torso more explodey than necessary. If it were a dedicated narc platform, or short range only, then two tons is great. But for a mech that's primarily an LRM boat? With the narc launcher in the CT? Single ton of ammo and put it in the head. (The mech can't overheat so the downside of head ammo is that if the mech gets hit, and it's the 1/36 that impact the head and the damage is greater than 9 but less than 12, AND at least one critical hit is rolled THEN the odds that the crit destroys the mech go from 1/5 to 2/6 (cockpit, ammo))
11:35 Another mech ruined by the Kuritans lagging on DHS and giving them all to the Dragons.
Who the hell puts an Artemis on an LRM5?
9M = :( ... but 9Q = :) (and later the 11H = !!!!).
The only think I dislike about the 11H is that it is mixed tech.
Yes, I know it makes sense, sorta, to have mixed tech at that time... But then why HPPC instead of clan PPC? Why aren't we seeing an improvement to baseline IS tech?
@@ObiwanNekody Because the improvement to baseline IS tech would just be Clantech?
Dude, IS mechs are so bad it hurts my heart. Lol
The clan machines of this era are not better lol
Hunchback, Crab, Thunderbolt, Warhammer are all good mechs,
1. Bang for buck? 2 . Stamania. ?3. Tactical versility. 4. Who cares? ENYOY the game. I m in for BT since the 80th, dislike some lore turningspoints, or merchandising ... BUT still : let s roll for initative!!!
You realize this is part of enjoying the game for many people, right? Just because it isn't how you enjoy the game don't look down on it.
Understanding what is and isn't well designed makes it even more funny and fun when you use awful designs.
Wat?