To quote a certain Texan. “How am I going to stop some big mean mother hubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? The answer is a gun. And if that don’t work, use more gun.”
Before TR3050 was released, I was playing a classic BattleTech game against a friend, and we were fielding a lance each of Mechs and vehicles. My friend fielded a Demolisher he named "Moses". I asked him why he named it that, and he replied, "Because when you encounter him, you're going to beg me to let your people go!" He was right.
@@bumblingbureaucrat6110 Oh yeah! And when those weapons cut loose, they speak with a mighty roar, lay down the law, and put the fear of God into most mechwarriors!
In HBS Battletech I dismissed a Demolisher and it removed the head of my most experienced pilot. I felt like King Author in Monty Python's Grail movie when they saw what the rabbit could do.
My favorite story involving the demolisher has to be one from the TRO's; a group of pirates were trying to raid the warehouses of a Combine star port, but while they had a full company of mechs and an assault lance... there was only one way they could credibly approach from and it was guarded by 4 demolishers. Unable to bait them into the open or outflank them, the pirates decided to try and bulldoze their way in with their assault lance, guessing that they could use them to absorb the firepower and distract the tankers long enough to allow more units to simply storm in. The plan failed utterly as the tankers concentrated their 8 heavy AC on each mech as they rounded the corner, tearing the 85 ton rampages to peices, and ultimately forcing the pirates to retreat with the brutal losses they'd incured.
I recall one fun (for me, not the opponent) encounter between a Crusader and a Demolisher. The Crusader managed to get partial cover behind a low ridge and was laying waste to my tank lance with its missiles. The Demolisher rolled up and let go with both barrels. I hit and rolled a pair of sixes on the punch table... One AC/20 hit the head, the other went through the space the head formerly occupied....
@@hammer1349 Partial cover. The legs were unavailable to be hit, being covered by the ridge. Back in the OLD days (pre- Total Warfare), if the legs were covered, the to-hit was more difficult, but you used the Punch table to determine the hit location. Nowadays, you still use the normal hit table, but ignore the legs for any hits. What can I say? I played when rocks were still soft.
I would use a matching pair of these, painted to appear identical. One is the double Gauss Rifles model to lure enemies in to kill it, only to lead them into the close range with its double AC-20 partner.
@@samphadhavihara4035 My old merc unit from back in the day had a lance from the assault company that was Shrek + Demolisher + Patton x2. Very much an effective linebreaker & lineholder unit. 😄
@@samphadhavihara4035 good in the day. But if your out ranged by all the ER stuff your to slow to close in. So switching up to the head clippers that still have the PPC's minimum range as a lure seems wise come 3055. Although i love the Shrik....
@@samphadhavihara4035 I had a schrek in my armor unit as well for my merc battalion. It was a wicked li'l beast. Long range and judicious retreats into an urban environment then powering down after driving into a shopping center building and the pursuing mechs are roll up in their heavies and assault mechs thinking they have a easy target in an urban environment. alternately do the same into heavy woods. I like to picture the opposing forces chasing the schrek as its crew drives into heavy woods, jump out and start pulling camo netting over the tank. I was fond of saying as I launched my ambush "Your audio sensors suddenly pick up PA systems from numerous sources cranking up an ancient terran music style called heavy iron or something to that effect a moment before you hear BOOM!" My demolishers, my single schrek, and my lighter vehicles where among my favorites to play back in the 90s. (IIRC it was 93 or 94 when I got my first armored units though I had been playing since 88)
My buddy is very proud of his Demolisher. He scored the old BattleDroids 4-treaded version in a eBay sale, and always deploys it when he can. I’ve felt its caress a few times, and ooof, that hurts!
More than once in HBS Battletech, I've been cavalier about sending my lance into a terrain-heavy area, only for one of those red blips to turn into a pair of AC20s eager to say hello. Horrifying little monster, this thing.
@Kevin D I disagree. It's a vastly superior cost-effective platform of destruction. UM-R60L has 4 tons of armor, and the Demolisher has 10. UM-R60L has 32km/h Top Speed, and the Demolisher has 54km/h. UM-R60L has ONE AC/20, and the Demolisher has TWO AC/20. I fail to see how my statement is ridiculous. ☕️
When mech pilots gather together and start telling horror stories, the Demolisher is the boogeyman. A monster that stalks the concrete jungle. The beast that barks from the forest. The lone gunman haunting the hills. The legend of the Demolisher is its biggest weakness. Even when mech pilots have other more vulnerable targets, they will focus on the Demolisher first. That is the kind of respect the Demolisher has earned. The Demolisher is one of the few vehicles that would make a clan warrior lament that this tank isn't fair. It would raise fear amongst the clanners, who more than death fear the dishonor of being bested by a tank. In a galaxy dominated by mechs, this is one of the few tanks that get treated as an equal.
The Mechwarrior games don't necessarily do vehicles justice, but the Demolisher has been terrifying in every iteration. Damned thing will tear mechs to pieces. Also I love seeing the tcg image again after all this time. So many memories.
This thing is as terrifying as an Atlas to some. Having playing with and against these monsters, if properly employed they simply outgun most older tech mechs for a fraction of the cost.
@@Eulemunin Tell me about it! It was no assault mech that showed me my Warhammer had pretzel legs! A Demolisher hit BOTH legs on successive turns, and left me to hobble around for the rest of the battle. While my so called friends laughed, called me Captain Silver, and made jokes about ordering fish and hush puppies.
"There is a fairly awkward weapons system that can, if a pilot is crazy enough, stumble into, take a hit from and then say 'hi' to a Demolisher. This same system can then roflstomp it into 2 dimensions. It can then find that one last guy who survived and decide whether or not to punt him back to his own lines before disappearing, warcrimes unexplained, fading into the fog of war like a cryptid made of dying mens nightmares."
Interestingly The Clans learned from their initial encounters with these tracked monsters. In 3058 a new version of the Demolisher entered production. This one was armed with twin LB 20-X cannons, a pair of co-ax medium pulse lasers, and a six machine guns to keep enemy infantry away. My best guess is that some Elementals pointed out just how vulnerable tanks are to determined powered infantry, and it spooked the design staff.
Except that was a clan variant. so they more likely saw a battle armor killer that could be made, then relearned the fear that determined and crafty infantry can cause.
@@youtmeme I don't see how. It can still do the same job perfectly well with regular ammo. That it has used the weight saved by clan-tech for some defensive firepower hardly detracts from its battlefield potential. The extra weapons aren't a substitute for proper combined arms operation, they're a safety-net for when things go sideways in a pinch. After all, they're rather sneaky, those Blakeist types.
The Demolisher, Schrek were the vehicles that taught me to respect the tank when I was starting to properly delve into BattleTech starting with the HBS game. It certainly was a scare after getting used to fighting Strikers and Bulldogs.
Played a couple of games with double blind rules. Our Gamemaster luckily didn't include one of these but I run into a SRM Carrier and got deleted. So I fear hidden Tanks even more than hidden Mechs.
Have to watch out for the people piloting the weapon system that doesn't gain all the glory or fame, because they will and can fight dirty due to no one cares
Walking past a building or piece of cover only to have a Demolisher casually roll up behind you would make even the most war hardened pilots sweat with fear. Even the Awesome's impressively thick back armor would crumble under such devastating blows.
I admit my knowledge of the armored vehicles of Battletech is limited save for hovertanks, given my father's tendency to favor them over scout mechs for his lances. The Demolisher is a glorious exception. The raw fear of seeing one on the battlefield and having to account for it or even knowing that you already got unlucky when instead of a 40 ton chump you got this monster from the Opfor Generator. Love the heck out of it and learning more of its lore was even more delightful.
@Ironclockwork "There's always a road son, right where the battlemaps meet. Never take your foot off the throttle, never bite off more than you can chew, and fire your SRMs every round you can."
Ahh, the Demolisher. I have more than a few unpleasant memories of encountering this monster in MW4 Mercs - typically encounters in which there are so many vehicles around that I end up distracted, then suddenly I'll be struck by a large impact, my torso is twisted in a completely different direction, and several formerly-green or yellow components on my 'Mech are suddenly flashing red.
I ran a campaign a long time ago. The group took out 2 demolishers, but with little body damage, the turrets were blown off both of them. so they salvaged the 2 hulls. shortly after that, they were in an engagement where LT artillery was flying in towards them, their recon found the source - a river gunboat on the nearby lake (I used my 2400 scale mini of USS New York ACR-2) I made the fore and aft turrets twin LT turrets and the sides bristle with AC-5 and AC-2s so they decided to ignore it and fought under bombardment. after the battle they sent an air unit to track the ship down river where they set up an ambush, crippled its engines then pulled back till night. That's when they did a commando raid and sabotaged the aft magazine, blowing the aft end of the ship to pieces. They were then able to salvage part of the foreword section of the ship, including the 2 forward LT mountings. They then used the salvager Demolisher hulls to mount these pieces on, giving them heavy mobile artillery support, till they ran out of ammo, anyway.
There's nothing funnier or more satisfying in a city fight than a successful ambush. And no ambush is funnier or more satisfying than an ambush by a Demolisher.
This thing is a monster. I love it. All the pain of an SRM carrier with none of the pain of finding dice for it. Also a great dodge now that I’m not allowed to custom build things anymore.
Hmm i have a fear of AC/20's. Much like a hunchback, you want to kill it at range. Or make sure you have enough mates/firepower for DRT. (Dead Right There). This beast has only got more deadly with new tech making it harder to keep at range. I fear the day they put clan HAC on it and give it a ridge line to hold... never mind a targeting computer.
Hmm, no mention in the video of the twin LBX-20 IS version, keeps it cheap, give it more options when fighting in pairs (ie solid + shotgun) and better overall range. A cheap and effective upgrade I suspect you could even retro-fit it to the original turret. The last version in the video, will prevent me sleeping tonight, in case there is one under my bed waiting to get me!😱
@@MoreEvilThanYahweh I punched the numbers, at 100tons, you can create a dualxHAG40 with 6tons of ammo, backed up with an ER-flamer & targeting computer, with light a light probe (for route finding and mine avoidance). 12 tons of Stealth armour + Angel ECM. Its from a vehicle perspective if you go Ferro-Laminar armour (reduced critical risk) and armoured drive train, I think its more effective. I would note the cost is 22+, so you could buy an Assault Mech at these costs. [Shame you can't get reinforced structure like you can for mechs :) ]
Actually and realistically tanks should be even worse in open spaces as irl open country is perfect for large scale tank operations. It would provide plenty of room for fast moving vehicle columns and they are much smaller targets then even the smaller mechs.
@@Executioner9000 Yeah, you want Schreks and Alacorns for open plains. Heavy LRM carriers for long range indirect is also funny. For the person sending 80 LRMs from behind cover with every trigger pull.
@@bthsr7113 I GMd a game, the players were Mercs, and for a mission they were attacking a LRM ammunition factory. I had hidden infantry in a bunker spotting for a company of LRM carriers hidden in a trench behind a low rise. They savaged several of the players Mechs before they got close enough to silence the batteries.
There is one in Mechwarrior Living Legends with a Improved Heavy Gauss with 36 rounds and a Heavy PPC. If you're a good shot like me you can take out Battle armor and air assets with it.
@@cmstrlisteningpostno.1269 I pick the double light gauss 2 hvac 2 rifleman instead because of the arms being able to pitch over 200 degrees up. The 2 Hvac10 Demo does more dps than the gauss one but it's trickier to aim and requires you to maintain fire on a target.
This thing is the Devil incarnate. This, the Schrek, and the Alacorn are why vehicles should be stomped at every oppurtunity and never, EVER, underestimated
Well funny thing? Aldis also builds the Schrek. And missile carriers. And the Behemoth, the Zhukov, and later the absolute asshole design known as the Regulator.
I think everyone remembers the first time a Demolisher one-shoted one of their Mechs. I'd prioritize taking out a Demolisher over any mech, the fear-factor and pain-conditioning is real 😅
Our merc company back in the day got a hold of a Behemoth and that was a game changer, if you can, later obviously could you cover the Behemoth? Thanks lve the channel keep up the great job 😎🤘🍻
The older designs were some of my favorite tank designs in the whole of Battletech, and in my very humble opinion, is significantly cooler than the 40k tank variant of the same name
The moment when you enter a city with your lance and suddenly have to decide: Do i prefer the fight with a hunchback and two commandos or the two demolishers and the von luckner behind me... No good choices to make here... poor marauder...
Anytime this tank shows up on the battlefield, in any configuration, I can't help but change my targeting focus to the Demolisher. The longer it sticks around, the less chance I have of surviving. There's just nothing else on the field that can do that.
Hello Red. The Demolisher is an excellent tank. Especially in City fighting or in forests. Its one weakness is its range, due to the pair of AC 20s it carries. Although, a wise Commander will use them with care and take that shorter ranged combat into account to utilize the tank to its fullest extent. When the Clan Invasion was introduced into the game, Demolisher and Shrek main battle tanks were the mainstay of most defensive fighting. I used them as well, often to much success. Even against the dreaded Clan Mech forces. It is about the worst nightmare of a Mechwarrior, pressing an attack through a city, or into a forested area, to suddenly be confronted by a pair of Demolisher tanks. And, often, the last surprise of their lives.
I run these paired with LRM carriers, 2 of each in a Lance. It's funny watching people torn between hunting down the LRM Spammers and facing 4 AC/20s. Quite often they'll finish games without firing a shot, which to me is even funnier, they're like the massive spider in the middle of the room, everyone edges around. Or if it's allowed, the SLDF Gauss Rifle variant, because why not?
While the twin AC20 model is terrifying, I find the MRM model of the Demolisher is also a scary opponent if it has help. That thing will toss 90 missiles down range every turn for 12 turns. While MRMs are not that accurate they do have reach and if c3 is used, a scout can bring some serious hurt with it.
Personally, I'd say any mech class in the Demolisher's shooting range would chuckle about danger. I've been unlucky enough to have some of my assault 'mechs headshotted by these little rascals.
I've seen more than my share off Assault Mechs get new Exhaust Ports torn through them from a Demolisher hidden in a Building. and just to add Insult to Injury. I have a Friend who used one and crippled an Atlas by Calling a Leg Shot and ripping it's leg off with a Boxcar's Crit roll! he then proceeded to drive his Demolisher ONTO said Atlas and parked there sitting on the Mech's Back.
im honestly more scared of this thing than an atlas in the video games, an atlas is a big target to hit, but a demolisher comes up to about knee height on an atlas, and it is a lot easier for the demolisher to hit me than it is for me to hit it
Ah yes priority number one on a battlefield. Because if left unattended you will quickly be enlightened as to why that was a mistake. One few live to correct.
Ah, the "Blap blap" nightmare engine. i've seen them reduce my recon assets to wreckage forcing an ejection to avoid the repair bill or mangling the main line mechs by a sneaky hit in BT2018, and humbling co-op teammates in MW5. Truly the tank to cure the Mech Snob Syndrome, because nothing can laugh at taking two AC-20 slugs to the noggin.
My favorite tank company is a lance each of normal Demolishers, Gauss Demolishers, and Arrow IV Demolishers. Makes for a cheap and very rude defensive force
I think it's actually kind of funny that some of the more cost-effective designs are still essentially 'primitive' tanks and traditional armor. Goes to show how self-aware the game is honestly.
Another absolutely mint video, as usual. I'd love to see you do a deep dive into some of the enduring mysteries in the Battletech universe... Green Ghosts, the Minnesota Tribe, Vandenberg White Wings, rumors of surviving Camerons, and the Disappearing Battleship of Merope, to name a few.
The Demolisher. A simple, effective low cost design that everyone loves to have on their side, and hates to face. It's also the purple bird's main assault tank outside of the Ontos, so I love it even more. The new art is excellent l. Great video.
the Demolisher is a solid workhorse in my Tank forces and deployed in numbers supported by Po II, Alacorn's & Schrek's when used on the offensive or in a layered line on the Defensive. this formation is commonly augmented by swarms of Savannah Masters running in to harass hostile mechs and distract them while another swarm of Yellow Jacket VTOL's bring death from above. pretty much doesn't matter who you are or what you are strapped into, it's going to HURT, a LOT! with Gauss Rifles and PPC's fired from prepared positions, those who foolishly advance trying to push into the minimum range suddenly find even more death awaiting. lurking unseen. lies my Demolisher III. so named because this bigger brother of the Demolisher hosts not 2, but THREE AC-20's in it's base model. the main concession to make room = a Fusion Engine in a 100 ton chassis. 6 tons of ammunition for 10 rounds of steady undeniable devastation even a Clan Dire Wolf can't withstand. as technology advances, so does my Demolisher III. Ferro-fibrous armor, Ultra AC's, and extra ammunition stowed in a small disposable trailer which is used first. when this nightmare speaks, people run in abject terror! away, as fast as their feet will carry them. even hardened well fortified buildings succumb in short order. and any Mech that blunders into the gun sights of this beast will wish they had gone to "Sick Call" when they hear the triple roar of the most powerful autocannon ever made. this Tank Deletes Mechs. effectively and brutally!
When the first 3 tanks appeared in a Dragon magazine I was the first of our group to play Armour. Had a Demolisher and a Shreck PPC Carrier ambush a couple of guys who hadn't seen the magazine... after my laughter and their wtf looks, tanks appeared oftentimes when I game mastered...
I wonder how you would make an Apocalypse Tank from Red Alert 2 in Mech Warrior universe. The Demolisher is pretty close to that tank already just need LRM launchers on the side and its the nightmare.
@@samphadhavihara4035 Very true, that would be an nightmare if you had all the armaments of the Apocalypse, Battle Tech versions, and the platform of the Demolisher. I think AMS, LRM, and AC20's all on the same tank would be an nightmare to fight.
I am loving the vehicle videos. These things are so over shadowed by the charismatic mechs, but I have taken disturbing damage by LRM tanks from surprise attacks. Respect the big guns or pay the price
- Demolisher? What a stupid name! Do they call it a Demolisher because it demolish mechs?
- Actually, yes. It does.
I imagine that reply came after the first guy (nearly?) got blammed.
Demolisher? I hardly know her!
To quote a certain Texan. “How am I going to stop some big mean mother hubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? The answer is a gun. And if that don’t work, use more gun.”
The Engineer, nice.
An ICE engine means no "power up detected" warning from your mech's on-board computer assistant. 💀
Thankfully it needs regular refueling. ⛽
Demolisher are the only things in the battle tech universe that a Steiner scout lance will actually make a plan to attack.
Plan? Shoot it and shoot it now.
Before TR3050 was released, I was playing a classic BattleTech game against a friend, and we were fielding a lance each of Mechs and vehicles. My friend fielded a Demolisher he named "Moses". I asked him why he named it that, and he replied, "Because when you encounter him, you're going to beg me to let your people go!"
He was right.
I thought it would be because that Demolisher split mechs like Moses did the red sea.
@@bumblingbureaucrat6110 Oh yeah! And when those weapons cut loose, they speak with a mighty roar, lay down the law, and put the fear of God into most mechwarriors!
In HBS Battletech I dismissed a Demolisher and it removed the head of my most experienced pilot. I felt like King Author in Monty Python's Grail movie when they saw what the rabbit could do.
My favorite story involving the demolisher has to be one from the TRO's; a group of pirates were trying to raid the warehouses of a Combine star port, but while they had a full company of mechs and an assault lance... there was only one way they could credibly approach from and it was guarded by 4 demolishers. Unable to bait them into the open or outflank them, the pirates decided to try and bulldoze their way in with their assault lance, guessing that they could use them to absorb the firepower and distract the tankers long enough to allow more units to simply storm in.
The plan failed utterly as the tankers concentrated their 8 heavy AC on each mech as they rounded the corner, tearing the 85 ton rampages to peices, and ultimately forcing the pirates to retreat with the brutal losses they'd incured.
Waiting for Long Tom Artillery Platform. Because fuck that grid in particular.
I recall one fun (for me, not the opponent) encounter between a Crusader and a Demolisher. The Crusader managed to get partial cover behind a low ridge and was laying waste to my tank lance with its missiles. The Demolisher rolled up and let go with both barrels. I hit and rolled a pair of sixes on the punch table... One AC/20 hit the head, the other went through the space the head formerly occupied....
I heard the UNREAL TOURNAMENT announcer voice say DOUBLE HEADSHOT.
If I may ask why were you rolling on the punch table?
@@hammer1349 Partial cover. The legs were unavailable to be hit, being covered by the ridge. Back in the OLD days (pre- Total Warfare), if the legs were covered, the to-hit was more difficult, but you used the Punch table to determine the hit location.
Nowadays, you still use the normal hit table, but ignore the legs for any hits. What can I say? I played when rocks were still soft.
When you simply must give the enemy the old one-two punch.
"Good enough is fucking perfect." --Professor Tex
I've been trying to explain this concept of military acquisition to civilian friends for months
I would use a matching pair of these, painted to appear identical. One is the double Gauss Rifles model to lure enemies in to kill it, only to lead them into the close range with its double AC-20 partner.
That's twisted. I love it.
@@samphadhavihara4035 My old merc unit from back in the day had a lance from the assault company that was Shrek + Demolisher + Patton x2. Very much an effective linebreaker & lineholder unit. 😄
@@samphadhavihara4035 good in the day. But if your out ranged by all the ER stuff your to slow to close in. So switching up to the head clippers that still have the PPC's minimum range as a lure seems wise come 3055. Although i love the Shrik....
@@samphadhavihara4035 I had a schrek in my armor unit as well for my merc battalion. It was a wicked li'l beast. Long range and judicious retreats into an urban environment then powering down after driving into a shopping center building and the pursuing mechs are roll up in their heavies and assault mechs thinking they have a easy target in an urban environment. alternately do the same into heavy woods. I like to picture the opposing forces chasing the schrek as its crew drives into heavy woods, jump out and start pulling camo netting over the tank. I was fond of saying as I launched my ambush "Your audio sensors suddenly pick up PA systems from numerous sources cranking up an ancient terran music style called heavy iron or something to that effect a moment before you hear BOOM!" My demolishers, my single schrek, and my lighter vehicles where among my favorites to play back in the 90s. (IIRC it was 93 or 94 when I got my first armored units though I had been playing since 88)
My buddy is very proud of his Demolisher. He scored the old BattleDroids 4-treaded version in a eBay sale, and always deploys it when he can. I’ve felt its caress a few times, and ooof, that hurts!
More than once in HBS Battletech, I've been cavalier about sending my lance into a terrain-heavy area, only for one of those red blips to turn into a pair of AC20s eager to say hello. Horrifying little monster, this thing.
Like, "oh, we're you attached to those limbs? Shame"
"So you have chosen death" *blap* *blap*
PFFT AC's never hit anything in HBS BT. You have evasion pips and Hit Defence...
ACs never hit except when they do.
@@Bomfunker91 They only time AC's hit in HBS BT is when they stray shot. You have insane Hit Defence and Evasion Tokens the AI never hits with ACs.
Demolisher is everything the Urbanmech UM-R60L was supposed to be, but twice as effective (or more)
Can it jump or pew though?
@@bthsr7113 nope
Just "Pow Pow!"
Its also three times the weight and arguably less mobile despite being better armoured. :P A rediculous statement.
@Kevin D I disagree. It's a vastly superior cost-effective platform of destruction. UM-R60L has 4 tons of armor, and the Demolisher has 10. UM-R60L has 32km/h Top Speed, and the Demolisher has 54km/h. UM-R60L has ONE AC/20, and the Demolisher has TWO AC/20.
I fail to see how my statement is ridiculous. ☕️
@@michaelmorford3932 Urbie can kick.
Nothing says "Get Off My Lawn" better than a Demolisher Heavy Tank.
When mech pilots gather together and start telling horror stories, the Demolisher is the boogeyman. A monster that stalks the concrete jungle. The beast that barks from the forest. The lone gunman haunting the hills. The legend of the Demolisher is its biggest weakness. Even when mech pilots have other more vulnerable targets, they will focus on the Demolisher first. That is the kind of respect the Demolisher has earned.
The Demolisher is one of the few vehicles that would make a clan warrior lament that this tank isn't fair. It would raise fear amongst the clanners, who more than death fear the dishonor of being bested by a tank. In a galaxy dominated by mechs, this is one of the few tanks that get treated as an equal.
Too many young pilots fight Scorpions and APCs and think, "a vehicle will never threaten me" little do they know that those are the least of the bunch
There is 1 more veh im scared of other then e demolisher. The alacorn MK.VII🥶
@@sohmingjianThree *Gauss Rifles* would give anyone pause...
The Mechwarrior games don't necessarily do vehicles justice, but the Demolisher has been terrifying in every iteration. Damned thing will tear mechs to pieces.
Also I love seeing the tcg image again after all this time. So many memories.
This thing is as terrifying as an Atlas to some. Having playing with and against these monsters, if properly employed they simply outgun most older tech mechs for a fraction of the cost.
I'd rather see an Atlas than a Demolisher
oh trust me every time our old GM back in 98-09 placed 1-2 of these on the table we players had PTSD flashbacks
Yeah its a boogeyman if ever there was. He's just out there ending some dreams and taking souls.
king crab for a 3erd the price
I like hiding these things behind heavy and assault lances.
Two Demolisher+SRM Carrier pairs staged on either side of an urban crossroads are a Worst Case Scenario for many mechs.
Back off and have the Chippewa flight do a strafing run instead! :D
Hell, it's a worst case scenario for some smaller dropships
@@elroyscout Talk about a hot LZ!
Been there, have the scraped Warhammer to prove it.
@@Eulemunin Tell me about it! It was no assault mech that showed me my Warhammer had pretzel legs! A Demolisher hit BOTH legs on successive turns, and left me to hobble around for the rest of the battle. While my so called friends laughed, called me Captain Silver, and made jokes about ordering fish and hush puppies.
A Demolisher on the left and an SRM Carrier on the right. Screw your mech.
One of the...if not THE TANK of BattleTech.
Hey the Steiner assault squad is coming!
Demolished Lance: LET THEM
"There is a fairly awkward weapons system that can, if a pilot is crazy enough, stumble into, take a hit from and then say 'hi' to a Demolisher. This same system can then roflstomp it into 2 dimensions. It can then find that one last guy who survived and decide whether or not to punt him back to his own lines before disappearing, warcrimes unexplained, fading into the fog of war like a cryptid made of dying mens nightmares."
...A Charger?
Prof. Tex. Member of the Van Zandt Milita.
@@jamesbuckner4791 Yeah, I know it's Tex who made those statements. I was simply guessing at the weapons system that he was remarking upon. :P
The Stalker II? With its 35 TONS OF HARDENED ARMOR? I cannot stress enough how much hardened armor this thing has.
@@Ironclockworkit was in the Charger video, yes.
Interestingly The Clans learned from their initial encounters with these tracked monsters.
In 3058 a new version of the Demolisher entered production. This one was armed with twin LB 20-X cannons, a pair of co-ax medium pulse lasers, and a six machine guns to keep enemy infantry away.
My best guess is that some Elementals pointed out just how vulnerable tanks are to determined powered infantry, and it spooked the design staff.
Except that was a clan variant. so they more likely saw a battle armor killer that could be made, then relearned the fear that determined and crafty infantry can cause.
Is there an illustration Of that one?
@@JeanLucCaptain Not that I know of.
interesting but totally takes away from the purpose and strengths of the tank. that's why its best used with support.
@@youtmeme I don't see how. It can still do the same job perfectly well with regular ammo. That it has used the weight saved by clan-tech for some defensive firepower hardly detracts from its battlefield potential. The extra weapons aren't a substitute for proper combined arms operation, they're a safety-net for when things go sideways in a pinch.
After all, they're rather sneaky, those Blakeist types.
"The Lyran military folded" the most damning statement ever uttered about the Lyran Commonwealth...
In a mech-centric universe the Demolisher is one of the few vehicles that absolutely commands respect.
Oh heck no. I hate these things. A squad of demolishers in a city fight is a nightmare
At least they're not Demolisher 2's?
@@MechInterest Someone decided to fit both UAC 20 and LB20X on the same turret. Sounds like my kind of lunatic designer.
so is a squad of Demolishers in a city fight when supported by Axemen mechs!
nowhere is Safe!
The Demolisher, Schrek were the vehicles that taught me to respect the tank when I was starting to properly delve into BattleTech starting with the HBS game. It certainly was a scare after getting used to fighting Strikers and Bulldogs.
Played a couple of games with double blind rules. Our Gamemaster luckily didn't include one of these but I run into a SRM Carrier and got deleted. So I fear hidden Tanks even more than hidden Mechs.
SRM Carriers are brutal. I've made the mistake in HBS Battletech several times. It's rough to see a medium scout get sand papered to death.
Have to watch out for the people piloting the weapon system that doesn't gain all the glory or fame, because they will and can fight dirty due to no one cares
Would love to play a MechWarrior game where you can choose Tanks and other military vehicles besides the regular mechs
There 2 things I fear in mech5, a quick Hunchback with Ac20, and these big irons
even one ac20 is scary at pre-clan era tech-levels, and thaths beast have two and low cost.
2 even during the Clan Invasion, at such a low cost, is pretty scary tbh.
Walking past a building or piece of cover only to have a Demolisher casually roll up behind you would make even the most war hardened pilots sweat with fear. Even the Awesome's impressively thick back armor would crumble under such devastating blows.
I admit my knowledge of the armored vehicles of Battletech is limited save for hovertanks, given my father's tendency to favor them over scout mechs for his lances.
The Demolisher is a glorious exception. The raw fear of seeing one on the battlefield and having to account for it or even knowing that you already got unlucky when instead of a 40 ton chump you got this monster from the Opfor Generator. Love the heck out of it and learning more of its lore was even more delightful.
Your father has good taste.
@Ironclockwork "There's always a road son, right where the battlemaps meet. Never take your foot off the throttle, never bite off more than you can chew, and fire your SRMs every round you can."
Aldis Industries engineer: *looks at a snapping turtle*
Also Aldis Industries engineer: "Boss, I have an idea."
"The Demolisher. We called it Baba Yaga."
"The Boogeyman?"
"It was not the Boogeyman, per se. It is the one you send *after* the Boogeyman."
"Oh."
Ahh, the Demolisher. I have more than a few unpleasant memories of encountering this monster in MW4 Mercs - typically encounters in which there are so many vehicles around that I end up distracted, then suddenly I'll be struck by a large impact, my torso is twisted in a completely different direction, and several formerly-green or yellow components on my 'Mech are suddenly flashing red.
Turn the corner to find a Demolisher or an SRM launcher...
I can think of few things more scary
I ran a campaign a long time ago. The group took out 2 demolishers, but with little body damage, the turrets were blown off both of them. so they salvaged the 2 hulls. shortly after that, they were in an engagement where LT artillery was flying in towards them, their recon found the source - a river gunboat on the nearby lake (I used my 2400 scale mini of USS New York ACR-2) I made the fore and aft turrets twin LT turrets and the sides bristle with AC-5 and AC-2s so they decided to ignore it and fought under bombardment. after the battle they sent an air unit to track the ship down river where they set up an ambush, crippled its engines then pulled back till night. That's when they did a commando raid and sabotaged the aft magazine, blowing the aft end of the ship to pieces. They were then able to salvage part of the foreword section of the ship, including the 2 forward LT mountings. They then used the salvager Demolisher hulls to mount these pieces on, giving them heavy mobile artillery support, till they ran out of ammo, anyway.
There's nothing funnier or more satisfying in a city fight than a successful ambush. And no ambush is funnier or more satisfying than an ambush by a Demolisher.
I thought he was hyping this vehicle up quite a bit, what could it possible be armed with. Oh Blake's Blood, that's monstrous.
This thing is a monster. I love it. All the pain of an SRM carrier with none of the pain of finding dice for it. Also a great dodge now that I’m not allowed to custom build things anymore.
Oh, so you're that one guy in the group that loves to push customization to the legal but breaking point? 😆
What did you do?
Hmm i have a fear of AC/20's. Much like a hunchback, you want to kill it at range. Or make sure you have enough mates/firepower for DRT. (Dead Right There). This beast has only got more deadly with new tech making it harder to keep at range. I fear the day they put clan HAC on it and give it a ridge line to hold... never mind a targeting computer.
Honestly just gimme an Alacorn lol but this thing is a cheap alternative for city fighting
Imagine if ComStar had put voidsig on some of these instead of just IFVs.
Hell's Horses would be the ones most likely to do it
Hmm, no mention in the video of the twin LBX-20 IS version, keeps it cheap, give it more options when fighting in pairs (ie solid + shotgun) and better overall range. A cheap and effective upgrade I suspect you could even retro-fit it to the original turret. The last version in the video, will prevent me sleeping tonight, in case there is one under my bed waiting to get me!😱
@@MoreEvilThanYahweh I punched the numbers, at 100tons, you can create a dualxHAG40 with 6tons of ammo, backed up with an ER-flamer & targeting computer, with light a light probe (for route finding and mine avoidance). 12 tons of Stealth armour + Angel ECM.
Its from a vehicle perspective if you go Ferro-Laminar armour (reduced critical risk) and armoured drive train, I think its more effective.
I would note the cost is 22+, so you could buy an Assault Mech at these costs.
[Shame you can't get reinforced structure like you can for mechs :) ]
It's okay. It's super-slow, short-ranged, and has limited ammo. We can just go around.
Convoy: "We're driving right towards it."
ARE YOU INSANE!!
Ah yes the HOW DID THIS MANAGE TO SNEAK UP ON ME AND WHY DOES IT HAVE TWO AC20s AND WHERE DID MY HEAVY MECH GO?
Rounding a corner in a city and coming face to face with one of these beasts is an absolute pucker moment.
round a corner in a city and realize that one is BEHIND you!
Between this and the anti-mech claymore (SRM carrier), vehicles in built up terrain are terrifying
Actually and realistically tanks should be even worse in open spaces as irl open country is perfect for large scale tank operations. It would provide plenty of room for fast moving vehicle columns and they are much smaller targets then even the smaller mechs.
@@JeanLucCaptain the problem in game is that these weapons have quite short ranges. Sure Gauss Tanks are awesome on open plains, but not AC20 tanks.
@@Executioner9000 Yeah, you want Schreks and Alacorns for open plains.
Heavy LRM carriers for long range indirect is also funny. For the person sending 80 LRMs from behind cover with every trigger pull.
@@bthsr7113 I GMd a game, the players were Mercs, and for a mission they were attacking a LRM ammunition factory. I had hidden infantry in a bunker spotting for a company of LRM carriers hidden in a trench behind a low rise. They savaged several of the players Mechs before they got close enough to silence the batteries.
There is one in Mechwarrior Living Legends with a Improved Heavy Gauss with 36 rounds and a Heavy PPC.
If you're a good shot like me you can take out Battle armor and air assets with it.
Oh yeah, love the double GR Demo on MWLL. A great tanky sniper when I last played.
@@cmstrlisteningpostno.1269 I pick the double light gauss 2 hvac 2 rifleman instead because of the arms being able to pitch over 200 degrees up.
The 2 Hvac10 Demo does more dps than the gauss one but it's trickier to aim and requires you to maintain fire on a target.
This thing is the Devil incarnate. This, the Schrek, and the Alacorn are why vehicles should be stomped at every oppurtunity and never, EVER, underestimated
Well funny thing? Aldis also builds the Schrek. And missile carriers. And the Behemoth, the Zhukov, and later the absolute asshole design known as the Regulator.
@@magni5648 I forgot about the Zhukov...fuck that thing
YES! TANKS! And Demolisher embodies what I as a FDF combat engineer do.
Arrive. Raise hell. Leave.
I think everyone remembers the first time a Demolisher one-shoted one of their Mechs.
I'd prioritize taking out a Demolisher over any mech, the fear-factor and pain-conditioning is real 😅
Along with the SRM carrier, the Demolisher is something you'd want to kill at long range.
One of the most appropriately named tanks out there.
I see the demolisher as a sort of cross between an IS-2 and a Jagdtiger. Operationally speaking.
Its name is literally what it does and does well.
Old mechs: "I fear no man...
But THAT THING scares me!".
The demolisher is the inner sphere’s personification of hippy hoppity get off my property.
twin AC-20's because sometimes Eff-You needs an exclamation point...
Our merc company back in the day got a hold of a Behemoth and that was a game changer, if you can, later obviously could you cover the Behemoth? Thanks lve the channel keep up the great job 😎🤘🍻
The older designs were some of my favorite tank designs in the whole of Battletech, and in my very humble opinion, is significantly cooler than the 40k tank variant of the same name
reminds me of the mammoth tanks from command and conquer
The moment when you enter a city with your lance and suddenly have to decide:
Do i prefer the fight with a hunchback and two commandos or the two demolishers and the von luckner behind me...
No good choices to make here... poor marauder...
Anytime this tank shows up on the battlefield, in any configuration, I can't help but change my targeting focus to the Demolisher. The longer it sticks around, the less chance I have of surviving. There's just nothing else on the field that can do that.
My favorite anti-clan tank.
UAC 20 and a Gauss.
So much fun.
I remember not having too many good mechs to field, but I had many tanks. That brought down a nice heavy Lance of clan tech mechs.
Hello Red.
The Demolisher is an excellent tank. Especially in City fighting or in forests. Its one weakness is its range, due to the pair of AC 20s it carries. Although, a wise Commander will use them with care and take that shorter ranged combat into account to utilize the tank to its fullest extent.
When the Clan Invasion was introduced into the game, Demolisher and Shrek main battle tanks were the mainstay of most defensive fighting.
I used them as well, often to much success. Even against the dreaded Clan Mech forces.
It is about the worst nightmare of a Mechwarrior, pressing an attack through a city, or into a forested area, to suddenly be confronted by a pair of Demolisher tanks. And, often, the last surprise of their lives.
I can practically hear the eye roll in the "this would UNFORTUNEATELY change."
Twin 185mm cannons. It’s literally a red alert apocalypse tank
I run these paired with LRM carriers, 2 of each in a Lance. It's funny watching people torn between hunting down the LRM Spammers and facing 4 AC/20s. Quite often they'll finish games without firing a shot, which to me is even funnier, they're like the massive spider in the middle of the room, everyone edges around. Or if it's allowed, the SLDF Gauss Rifle variant, because why not?
The HillyBilly tanks - Oversized, guzzles fuel and has oversized guns. Guess it also runs on Moonshine if needed
Is there a LBX model? For that double barrel shotgun.
Man I don’t need that king crab, this thing has two AC-20s on em!
While the twin AC20 model is terrifying, I find the MRM model of the Demolisher is also a scary opponent if it has help. That thing will toss 90 missiles down range every turn for 12 turns. While MRMs are not that accurate they do have reach and if c3 is used, a scout can bring some serious hurt with it.
Demolisher: *exists*
Any mech under 60 tons: Haha I'm in danger
Personally, I'd say any mech class in the Demolisher's shooting range would chuckle about danger. I've been unlucky enough to have some of my assault 'mechs headshotted by these little rascals.
I've seen more than my share off Assault Mechs get new Exhaust Ports torn through them from a Demolisher hidden in a Building.
and just to add Insult to Injury.
I have a Friend who used one and crippled an Atlas by Calling a Leg Shot and ripping it's leg off with a Boxcar's Crit roll!
he then proceeded to drive his Demolisher ONTO said Atlas and parked there sitting on the Mech's Back.
im honestly more scared of this thing than an atlas in the video games, an atlas is a big target to hit, but a demolisher comes up to about knee height on an atlas, and it is a lot easier for the demolisher to hit me than it is for me to hit it
Ah yes priority number one on a battlefield. Because if left unattended you will quickly be enlightened as to why that was a mistake. One few live to correct.
Ah, the "Blap blap" nightmare engine. i've seen them reduce my recon assets to wreckage forcing an ejection to avoid the repair bill or mangling the main line mechs by a sneaky hit in BT2018, and humbling co-op teammates in MW5. Truly the tank to cure the Mech Snob Syndrome, because nothing can laugh at taking two AC-20 slugs to the noggin.
The first time I ever encountered one of these in MW5, I turned the corner, and immediately got headshotted by both AC/20s. I fear these things.
ugh these tanks always gave me trouble back in 98-09 I'd sweat profusely every time the GM set 1-2 of these little monsters on the table
can't catch the premiere, dude. I'll have to watch it this evening. Can't wait, buddy.
My favorite tank company is a lance each of normal Demolishers, Gauss Demolishers, and Arrow IV Demolishers. Makes for a cheap and very rude defensive force
That is a badass tank. It’s like an E-100 got combined with the fb215/183…. Just a kickass monster.
Love swapping out those AC20s for Gauss, then no one is safe from you.
I remember the story about Big Bertha, this demolisher went thru four different crews and there are bets on how long the current crew would last.
I think it's actually kind of funny that some of the more cost-effective designs are still essentially 'primitive' tanks and traditional armor.
Goes to show how self-aware the game is honestly.
Another absolutely mint video, as usual. I'd love to see you do a deep dive into some of the enduring mysteries in the Battletech universe... Green Ghosts, the Minnesota Tribe, Vandenberg White Wings, rumors of surviving Camerons, and the Disappearing Battleship of Merope, to name a few.
I covered Clan Wolverine.
the OG distraction carnifex of the BT world
The Demolisher. A simple, effective low cost design that everyone loves to have on their side, and hates to face. It's also the purple bird's main assault tank outside of the Ontos, so I love it even more. The new art is excellent l. Great video.
"Double the Gun, double the fun" -Tank Commander Sam Stone (call-sign: "Serious")
the Demolisher is a solid workhorse in my Tank forces and deployed in numbers supported by Po II, Alacorn's & Schrek's when used on the offensive or in a layered line on the Defensive. this formation is commonly augmented by swarms of Savannah Masters running in to harass hostile mechs and distract them while another swarm of Yellow Jacket VTOL's bring death from above.
pretty much doesn't matter who you are or what you are strapped into, it's going to HURT, a LOT!
with Gauss Rifles and PPC's fired from prepared positions, those who foolishly advance trying to push into the minimum range suddenly find even more death awaiting. lurking unseen. lies my Demolisher III.
so named because this bigger brother of the Demolisher hosts not 2, but THREE AC-20's in it's base model.
the main concession to make room = a Fusion Engine in a 100 ton chassis.
6 tons of ammunition for 10 rounds of steady undeniable devastation even a Clan Dire Wolf can't withstand.
as technology advances, so does my Demolisher III.
Ferro-fibrous armor, Ultra AC's, and extra ammunition stowed in a small disposable trailer which is used first.
when this nightmare speaks, people run in abject terror! away, as fast as their feet will carry them.
even hardened well fortified buildings succumb in short order. and any Mech that blunders into the gun sights of this beast will wish they had gone to "Sick Call" when they hear the triple roar of the most powerful autocannon ever made.
this Tank Deletes Mechs. effectively and brutally!
Love your content I’ve known of battle tech and played some of the video games but you’re channel was what got me into the books and lore
Awesome! :D
When the first 3 tanks appeared in a Dragon magazine I was the first of our group to play Armour. Had a Demolisher and a Shreck PPC Carrier ambush a couple of guys who hadn't seen the magazine... after my laughter and their wtf looks, tanks appeared oftentimes when I game mastered...
"Come on, what are you all worried about? It's just one more treadhe-" -Last words of a green MechWarrior
I wonder how you would make an Apocalypse Tank from Red Alert 2 in Mech Warrior universe. The Demolisher is pretty close to that tank already just need LRM launchers on the side and its the nightmare.
@@samphadhavihara4035 Very true, that would be an nightmare if you had all the armaments of the Apocalypse, Battle Tech versions, and the platform of the Demolisher. I think AMS, LRM, and AC20's all on the same tank would be an nightmare to fight.
Kinda like the M61A5 from Mobile Suit GUNDAM
Square of death isn't real, it can't hurt you.
I am loving the vehicle videos. These things are so over shadowed by the charismatic mechs, but I have taken disturbing damage by LRM tanks from surprise attacks. Respect the big guns or pay the price
Amazing work. Your content is always getting better. Your hard work is showing. Damn I love this tank!
You got to love a tank with 80 points of "GO AWAY NOW!!!"
So long as it's on your side of course.
We heard you like big guns and tanks so we put a turbo and rapid fire big guns on it some engineer somewhere in the inner sphere
That was a great tale and a loving rendition of Sgt.Dead Eye.