@@bthsr7113 Speaking as someone who started out a Davion player, I'd personally have preferred less sparkles, and gone with something in the spirit of "Hatchetman": Yeetman.
Little known fact: Trebuchet comes from the French words "Tres" meaning "very" and "Buchet" meaning "Bucket" which I think we'll all agree explains the original head design
When we played (3025 campaigns, primarily) the Trebuchet was a class-defining mech. Our original meta was focused on slower moving, heavy hitting assault lances composed of mechs like the Battlemaster, Warhammer, Atlas, Stalker, Hunchback, etc. Fire support mechs were no faster, Awesomes, Archers, Catapults, etc. Mechs like the Trebuchet were largely ignored until we pioneered the idea of fast fire support or insurgency lances, composed of mechs like the Trebuchet, Griffin, Valkyrie, etc. These lances combined faster than typical movement (5/8) with long range weaponry, and we used hit-and-run tactics where we would harass enemy lances at LRM or PPC range, breaking off the engagement when we ran out of ammo or when our mechs took significant damage. Then we would reload, resupply, repair, etc. and repeat the tactic, wearing down the enemy. Granted this strategy worked far better when defending but it could also be used on the attack if your enemy was forced to defend a fixed area like a city and you had sufficient supplies that could be protected from enemy attack. At a time when many mechs lacked considerable long-range firepower, these lances could be quite successful (ton for ton) against heavier, slower mechs that were unable to chase them down, the only trick was staying out of Large Laser range.
@@JohnDoe-oh7gfThis started back in the late 80's or early 90's when the first mechwarrior book was released. So you would play an extended campaign, starting as a green mechwarrior who had just inherited (or been given) a mech, joined a unit, along with several other players who were all part of the unit and sent on mission from your commanders. But the missions themselves were simply objectives, and you were given orders from up high like participating in a planetary attack, garrison duty, counter-insurgency (putting down a rebellion), etc. And with most of these missions, how you achieved these objectives was left up to your leader and members of the unit. This was the time when D&D and other similar games were growing so Mechwarrior was FASA's attempt at making their own D&D like game except set in a feudalistic future with mechwarriors playing a similar role to knights, your hope as a mechwarrior was to rise through the ranks of nobility as well as improve your skills, hopefully secure a better mech and so on. And your unit wasn't limited to just mechwarriors, the players had to manage equipment/suppies, and the unit had it's own supply trucks, other vehicles, and drivers (mostly NPCs), technicians, pilots, etc., so as long as the mission was suited for it, and you protected these guys, resupply was definately a thing.
Why do I love the treby? I love it because it means the nice frog elemental warrior will make my monday better by yapping to me about it in a soothing voice
First saw the Trebuchet in the Battletech video game when it rained more LRM than I knew existed at the time. Only problem was I did not see it until after I removed the fog of war with my last living mech. It was my first introduction to the power of the LRM.
Between the clan-rms and the VSP lasers, the 9N not only does the typical "30-tubes of mobile fire support for not that much BV" thing the trebuchet is really good at, it is also genuinely a fearsome knife-fighter, which makes it one of _the_ premier mediums of the era. It combines the lrm support, light mech hunter and striker roles into just one affordable mech. Though it lacks the survivability typically expected of a trooper mech, it's a fantastic re-framing of the concept for the era, applied to a mech that lore-wise already was considered one.
The Trebuchet was the third mech I painted for my 1st St Ives Lancers. It is a solid support mech who always has my beloved Centurion’s back, what more could I want
Ahh the Trenchbucket! We love its speed, range, and in later eras versatility. I hope the 9N is on the list, its such a powerful and versatile 50 tonner that really shows off the benefits of Mixed Tech mechs.
The 9N is great, but it's maximum damage output living at traditional inner sphere engagement range - that is to say, kicking distance, does take some getting used to.
The base mech is surprisingly versatile as well, once the ammo is gone a 5/8 50 tonner with 3 mediums and it's kick is pretty nasty. Once it's out of ammo there's just usually not much left on the battlefield that has much armour to deal with it....
It was weird how much of the older art played into the Darth Vader helmet. Off the top of my head there was the Trebuchet, Vindicator, and Victor. I’m sure I am missing plenty too.
Ah, the Trenchbucket, one of the few 'Mechs that looks like it too is wearing a neurohelmet, to the point where I would not be surprised in the slightest if pilots go out of their way to find helmets that match their 'Bucket's look.
@@tehpw7574 The Treb has them as well, just not the extra weight behind them. The Banshee also costs over twice the price, so you can buy 2 7K's for the cost of a 3E and have 1.5mill left over.
Because it has excellent long range firepower for its size and its designers were smart enough to give it enough medium lasers to make it hurt in close. Yeah I would prefer a Catapult but the Trebuchet is also a lot lighter mech which is impressive. Edit: too bad the 5J did not drop one of those heat sinks for an extra ton of ammo. That would have gone a long way.
I see the Trebuchet 3C with its endo steel, double heat sinks and XL engine and think; the engine is there to make it easier for people to disassemble it. I could use the double heat sinks in 4 or 5 other mechs and the endo steel for some passion project.
It's also 1.5 mill cheaper to build and 15 tons lighter, so you can buy 4 for the cost of 3. 4 Trebuchet will probably beat 3 Catapults in a fight, and they are far easier to get your hands on. The Catapult is a very rare mech after all.
This was one of my Buddy's favorite mechs when I ran a Centurion beside him. Playing 3rd SW era, we did pretty well. The rest of the lance was a pair of Hunchies (big gun and swayback double 6 packs). Ah, I really do miss those days of our Mechwarrior tabletop games. I recall how irritated he got when I moved up to the Crusader.
I was playing that big mod for the Battletech video game, and went into a duel with a wasp and one of these bad boys. Tonage limit 75. The enemy did not get this memo. They came with a wyvern and Marauder. Somehow the wasp cored the wyvern, then the marauder cored it, and finally I was left with my mighty Trebuchet. Knowing full damn well the marauder's gauss cannon would just destroy me. I charged the Trebuchet into the squared circle, and showed the marauder why they put fists on that LRM boat. It punched my arms off... Then they ejected in presumably sheer terror of my now armless Trebuchet kicking then furiously in the shin.
Took it into the table top fray recently. I viewed it as a bit of a t-34 mech. I played t-34 games, and won t-34 prizes; taking a critical hit to that left torso. Where once stood a medium missile boat, there is now a crater, and dreams of dice rolls that could have been. Needless to say, I'll be taking it out for a spin again!
I think that what are the most interesting moments in mw5 i had was finding the 5J early. It actually was pretty fun considering that half the time when you're running missile boats early game you can't necessarily keep the streak launchers stocked, and gave me a handy thing to start uninstalling a little bit of to put more ammo in it
It’s not flashy, but it makes for a nimbler fire support platform than its heavier peers. With some light customization, it can be much more cost efficient and nimble than the Catapult/Archer as well. Having a 5/8 or 6/9 movement profile on a fire support mech helps immensely with survivability.
yeah, one of the problems with the heavier LRM boats is not having the speed to avoid enemies moving in close to where the LRMs can't hit(and where their weapons can). Having enough speed to keep out of range of most weapons but still in range to rain LRM's is what makes me appreciate the trebuchet.
Trebuchet is another mech that's 'fixed' with minimal rework (relatively speaking at least.) *5N refit:* Swap the heatsinks for doubles. Remove the arm LRM15 and replace with an SRM6 with one ton of ammo w/case. Move the LRM ammunition to the right torso, protect w/case as well. Add two tons of armor. Now it's good.
@@onomatopoeia7505 I'd like to apologize for my previous comment. It was rude and idiotic in the worst of ways and really just shouldn't have been posted at all. Also, I don't know why but the comment you made eventually sunk in and... yeah you're right. Too much was changed and it wasn't a trebuchet anymore, it was... like... a wannabe Wolverine 6M or something... except worse in every way. How's this one look instead? (Imagine a new mainstream variant produced in the 3060s and beyond) Swap the heatsinks to doubles. Swap the structure for Endo Steel. Add two more tons of ammo to the left torso. Add Case to the left torso. Doubles battlefield endurance and eliminates the overheating issues pretty much entirely. Left Torso is basically a "shoot me here" target now, but the case keeps the mechwarrior alive at the end of the day. Shouldn't be too too much more expensive.
Speaking of nuanced takes on tabletop games, the old Trebuchet art is better than the new art. I don't always run it, but I always appreciate it when I do. Didn't know they slapped my beloved VSP Lasers on one, though. That might make it mandatory.
Its a premier medium fire support mech with enough firepower to hang with heavies...although, every time we saw one on the tabletop it got bombarded. It was almost a bad luck mech in our circle. It was the "Deathbucket" to us.
Talking to my littles about BattleTech one day the Trebuchet came up and she asked what it was named after and why, we then spent the following weekend discussing medieval siege warfare, built a Ballista Catapult and Bombard out of wood (NatGeo kit) , ah the joys of a curios five year old. she just turned six, so i have to keep coming up with new ways of engaging her brain. She spent her sixth bday building the Jane Goodall Lego set and learning about what she did, how she did it and all of that. it makes a dad proud to have his daughter talk about wanting to be as good of a person as Jane Goodall. The one my mercs was a J with 1 ML and LRM gone for 2-SRM6 2tns ammo, + 1 ton armor ... this is what happens to a J that gets seriously torn up and rebuilt from salvage.
It's one of those mechs that makes a lot of sense, but I've never really run with in a lance. There's always something more exciting in the weight range, or I'd deploy my support mechs in different tonnage brackets.
My first experience with the old Trenchbucket was a random draw, which I was initially not excited about. But it made its mark on me - less so than a Marauder or Blackjack, but still - by proving to be very solid. I have never said no to one as support in a medium lance since.
Engineers, presumably with the knowledge that they were building a war machine, looked at that left torso and said, "yeah, that's fine. Whatever. We'll invent CASE later or something, I'unno. It's lunch time," and sent that sucker to production.
I like the Trebuchet because its a crazy design. Its not terrible, just crazy. Its pretty fast for 3025, and its firepower is quite impressive. 30 Long Range Missiles tubes on a Medium mech is quite a lot. Its flaws are that its quite lightly armored for its weight(a 35ton like a Panther could have as much armor), but perhaps the critical failure is the lack of ammunition. It has enough ammunition for 8volleys, then it has to withdraw. That said its just fun to upgrade. Because its a good if flawed design, better technology just means its easy to improve. Use Double-Heat Sinks, Endo-Steel, and others to improve the armor & lack of ammunition. Its seen much more often than the arguably better Dervish. The Dervish is a 55ton missile boat with fewer long range missiles, but more short range missiles and the addition of Jump Jets. The Whitworth, Trebuchet, and Dervish are the 3 common mechs that come to mind when I think of flawed missile boats from 3025. The Whitworth is slow, the Trebuchet lacks armor/ammo/jump jets, while the Dervish just lacks armor.
The Trebuchet was one of the first mechs I printed my my shiny new resin printer back in 2022 (Syllogy's Mechwarrior Online version, of course). Later I printed out a 5J version of the same sculpt, because I have a soft spot for that variant. Then earlier this year, I picked up the actual CGL model, and my plans are to have all three painted in Marik Militia livery because, at heart, I'm not terribly creative. 😅
As a person who uses a lance of centurions paired with a lance of trebuchets for my "Sarmatians" mercs, I confirm this mech's viability on a battlefield even in latest eras. Using this army list with Direct Fire and Fire Support formations makes you feel powerfull and happy to beat some fancy blakists or clanners with your rough force.
Always loved the treb just as one of those mechs you can't really go wrong with having as long as you use in the in the correct role. It isn't a catapult, it isn't an archer, but for a medium lance in need of something to stop the enemy getting comfortable out to 15 hexes it fits the bill without breaking the bank in BV or C-bills.
Note: pre mml tech or I'd have filled those in instead. My 2C version used 6 Clan LRM 5s in RT and LA. 3 tons case protected ammo 2 in RT and 1 in LA. 2 IS SRM4s in CT with 4 - 1/2 ton ammo bins in case protection. (Inferno/Smoke/Dumbfire/EMP) RA 2 clan mdm pulses Legs have 2 Bpods each LA gets 2 clan sm pulses Excess in an extra DHS and light ff armor. Think I'd aim for mml5s and or IC LRM5s for the ability to use any ammo for field control options. But for the price I can get 3 Hammers clan upgrades instead. I love those little gorillas. 😊
The treby is featured in my stable of mech builds that make people mad. I stripped off so much armor to up gun the LRMs and add more tons of missiles. The whole philosophy being that i do not care where the missile explodes, only that they explode.
The Trebuchet is a "trooper" version of fire support. Made to unload the missiles onto the targets and follow the front line into cqb. It's easy to forget this is just a 50 ton battlemech when it's firepower nearly matches heaver mechs. I'm surprised that more didn't make use of MML's and I intend to try the Trebuchet 1MF if I ever get a chance.
The Trebuchet, the other half of the Corean Brothers routine. Either up engine the Centurion or put a 200-class in the Trenchbucket, and they form an awesome pair. Like the Frog said, the TBT is born for wing and lance based tactics. I know people don't have a lot of love for the 5J because it's a "downgrade", until you see it as a "Super Valkyrie" which is why it might not be the one I use the most it is a nice option to have in the toolbox. 7M is a little goofy, but swap the NARC for an SRM6 and the second ton of ammo for LRM ammo, and it works. While the 7K is just flawed- I love PPCs but with the AC5, not a TBT, and with LRMs in place of the AC it's just another not-a-Griffin. My personal 3SW home build swap the arm LRM for an SRM6 with a ton, puts in a second ton for the LRM, 2 heatsinks and a ton of armour
It's a great review! You basically said it all about the Trebuchet. It's a solid performer, an old school missile boat that can also fight at short range without embarrassing itself. (Notice how many of the 3025 era missile boats can do that?) Yes, it has a lot of tactical flexibility in many lance builds. In my first merc company played so many years ago, my best Fire Lance build was a Crusader, Archer, Trebuchet, and Valkyrie. The Trebuchet was better than at its role there than the other mechs that had filled the cursed #3 slot, and if it exploded, it was easier to replace than something heavier. I do feel that the only variants that are really worth it are the ones that upgrade it to the current-era status of burly missile boat. Unless you are Kurita, then OF COURSE there has to be the 7K sniper version with PPC. And yes, the CGL new version is much better than the second design, which was truthful inferior to the old 3025 design.
Need to start a crowdfunding campaign for an image of MechFrog's mascot conducting some "reconnaissance" upon unsuspecting infantry and armor with plasma rifles and flamers.
As a dedicated medium pilot I've got a special love for any 50t machines. I pretty much loved the trench bucket the very first time I've read about it in Centurions lore. I devoured all the lore about the machine as quickly as I could. Then came the awesome Piranha art, the model in MWO I am hooked. I havent gotten it yet in my campaign but there is gonna be a time when it will be fielded with his bro the Centurion. Cheers
I also would have expected a "cheap and quick" RecoverTech version. Put the EndoSteel back in, relocate all ammo to one CASE protected location and add Artemis fire control
I have to admit, the Trebuchet was never on my radar until the HBS Battletech game. It was annoying - two LRM 15's, but fun to play with once I got one. I do love the CGL resculpt as well, giving it a much needed facelift. Great video, keep up the fantastic work!
I found the TBT-5N to be extremely useful for the early & mid game in HBS Battletech, though I would strip the lasers in favour of more ammunition and armour. Massed LRM fire from my Trebuchets worked really well at witling down both armour and evasion on lighter and faster enemy mech's allowing lance mates carrying punchier weapons, like PPCs or Autocannons, to hit more effectively. Very much a team player 'mech in your lance.
The trench bucket is one the oldest mechs in the game and is always a good pick. I would player the 3025 treb into any of the latter era's. Its a useful mech when having to attack a base in taking out the turrets. Has always been good in semi-guided LRM line-ups. The TBT-5J is one of my favored variants because of the jump jets. When taken with a Catapult the 5J is a mobile matchup for missile mech destroying. The TBT-5S is good mech when loaded with Tandem Charge SRM ammo and maybe fair with NARC SRM ammo. The 3050 upgrade 7M with the NARC is fine in my book as many other players are in opinion of the NARC being useless. I like the TBT-3C. In a campaigns would strip out that extra laser in the CT to replace a laser in an arm. I would consider case and half a ton of armor for the side torsos. I dislike the TBT-7K but understand back in the 3020's mechs with PPC's where hard to find. The 8K really needs a veteran pilot to be able to hit mobile targets but has little issue with targets that are slow or immobile. Building a C3 line is going to be pressing for a new player or a player that has never played C3. I take that for myself as I rarely play clan and know nothing about clan lines. I dislike the armor on the 8B but the weapons are pretty good with special ammos. Its an awkward unit to get used to it and hard to look at but works better on the table. I have never played it in alpha strike. Most B models are limited units as it was ether Battle Magic's variant of WoB that stole lots of designs. Very good video MF.
Thanks for this series on mechs, there are so many and glad to see you "love" them all rather than just bashing weaker models or drooling over the power housese. The lore flavor is good but I really like the thumbnails of various artists paintings, line diagrams, and painted minis in the upper right corner thumbnails! Nicely done.
In 3025 there are a limited number of fast fire-support Mechs. So for me at least the Trebuchet fulfills the roll of an Archer in cavalry/striker lances.
My merc has both consumed and destroyed countless Trebs. It's earned a lot of respect. Good trooper mech. My favorite custom load out had three SRM 6's, three medium lasers, more armor and an in your face attitude. Got beat up a lot, but had fun.
I like to play forces from the FWL, so have a habit of using the Trebuchet. The Trenchbucket is a good mech that requires a bit of finesse to use, but within the confines of 3025 it is basically all of the weapons performance of the Catapult without the jumping or armor, but with more land speed. I think that the Trebuchet has been slept on for a long time, it's a good mech, better in many ways than the Centurion, even if I personally like the Centurion more. You can get a lot out of the Trebuchet if it keeps moving and stays back well into the medium range of those LRMs and those medium lasers and that speed means that light mechs don't find it to be easy eating.
Did you know that the Japanese, I mean the Draconis Combine has a secret technology that allows for their Trebuchets to be packed up superfast? That was especially handy during Operation Orochi in the war of 3039.
The Trenchbucket is a beloved favorite for me. The lance I run (in Taurian colors) is two Merlin's and two Trebs, moving and fighting two-by-two. Opponents, even the occasional clanner, greatly dislike taking me on.
The Tree Bucket??? All I remember of the Tree Bucket is giving one the smoke in a 'stealth' mission in MW2: Mercenaries. Fuck letting that patrol just walk by. Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. I was there to make money, not pusst foot around quietly in a canyon.
I'm late to the party but I always had good luck pairing MRM Trebs with Firestarters packing heavy flamers acting as a screening and lockdown for the mildly inaccurate missiles.
Great vid and a mech I’ve always known of but not much about. 👍Your comments on the melee rules really make me wish we had a single comprehensive rulebook.
I like your version, but what, NO JUMPJETS? I'm shocked!! (of course, we do have a plasma rifle, so...:) Thanks for this exhaustive overview. I've never piloted one of these, but I might have to try one out:) Regards to the Mechfrog and Minifrog;)
Jesus, that intro music. It's just the Trebuchet, Frog xD But then again, maybe I'm just biased. Always been more of a Brawler type guy. I will have to give the 5S a try, though. Genuinely did not know about that variant.
My own TBT mod is to drop the LRM-15 racks to 10's and adding one heat sink, a ton of armor, and two extra tons of ammo. (It's designed for extended duration strike/fire support missions for campaign duration.) The 'Star League' version uses Endo to add A4's to both racks and another 1/2 ton of protection.
I was surprised to find myself liking the TBT-5N in MW5 Mercs. They were reasonablely quick kills when the enemy had them, and fun to get inside the LRM minimum range. But I found the model, just goofy enough to have charm. And it was fun and effective to run (ponderously) around in during defence or hold the line missions. It had the right mix of firepower for swatting vehicles efficiently, and enough LRMs to wear down attacking mechs enough for my AI lancemates to deal with while they stayed parked to protect key approaches.
The Treb was one of our first mechs back in the day. My brother and I had a lance (random die rolling) with a Treb and a Valkyrie and my brother got a Griffin and Phoenix Hawk. I thought, cool, look at all the LRMs! We'll be able to fry mechs before they can even shoot back! And then I discovered my LRM curse. I could not land a hit with those darn missile launchers (to be fair, back in the day, with no Artemis or Streak or anything, you move, the enemy moves, there's a tree on the lawn out front of the house you're playing in, a hill on the horizon, a butterfly flaps its wings in India, and you have to roll a 14 or higher on 2D6 to actually hit anything) and on the rare occasions when I did, I consistently rolled snake-eyes on the "Let's turn your success into a pointless failure" table for determining just how little damage you can do with LRMs. After getting both of my first characters killed, I almost bailed on ever playing the game again.
Solid mech. I used to main treb when i played mwo. When i finally got into table top i use it in my cavalry lance. Dragons and trebs work well together.
I feel like the Trebuchet could be involved in a Battletech take on a Monty Python skit involving Davion taunters holed up in an abandoned Star League fortress lobbing insults and LRMs at Steiners. We could call it... "The Life of Castle Brian".
You can only call it Trebuchet if it comes from the Trebuch region of France. Otherwise, it's just sparkling catapult.
Well played.
Oh, you're one of THOSE Davions...
The proper term is Trench-bucket. Please make the necessary correction.
@@bthsr7113 Speaking as someone who started out a Davion player, I'd personally have preferred less sparkles, and gone with something in the spirit of "Hatchetman": Yeetman.
@@glyrrAt our table, we usually called it a Trash Bucket.
Little known fact: Trebuchet comes from the French words "Tres" meaning "very" and "Buchet" meaning "Bucket" which I think we'll all agree explains the original head design
Wait for it, wait for it....... Yup there's the plasma rifle. Don't ever change Mech Frog.
When it fits, it fits.
If it burn, he no spurn
Mech Frog has good taste, and ain't afraid to show it.
But why do we love the Trebuchet Mr. Frog?
Because the trebuchet loves us 😌
We may never know...
Want lrm 15s, but can't afford a Catapult?
Get a trebuchte.
Who doesn't want a bucket of missiles?
because its called the trench bucket
"The Word of Blake... *pause for effect* ...kerfuffle..."
Always makes me snort air through my nose with amusement every single time
Thats what I call it these days because if mech frog videos.
When we played (3025 campaigns, primarily) the Trebuchet was a class-defining mech. Our original meta was focused on slower moving, heavy hitting assault lances composed of mechs like the Battlemaster, Warhammer, Atlas, Stalker, Hunchback, etc. Fire support mechs were no faster, Awesomes, Archers, Catapults, etc. Mechs like the Trebuchet were largely ignored until we pioneered the idea of fast fire support or insurgency lances, composed of mechs like the Trebuchet, Griffin, Valkyrie, etc. These lances combined faster than typical movement (5/8) with long range weaponry, and we used hit-and-run tactics where we would harass enemy lances at LRM or PPC range, breaking off the engagement when we ran out of ammo or when our mechs took significant damage. Then we would reload, resupply, repair, etc. and repeat the tactic, wearing down the enemy. Granted this strategy worked far better when defending but it could also be used on the attack if your enemy was forced to defend a fixed area like a city and you had sufficient supplies that could be protected from enemy attack. At a time when many mechs lacked considerable long-range firepower, these lances could be quite successful (ton for ton) against heavier, slower mechs that were unable to chase them down, the only trick was staying out of Large Laser range.
How did you play matches where rearming and repair was a thing? Never seen this kind of scenarios anywhere
@@JohnDoe-oh7gfThis started back in the late 80's or early 90's when the first mechwarrior book was released. So you would play an extended campaign, starting as a green mechwarrior who had just inherited (or been given) a mech, joined a unit, along with several other players who were all part of the unit and sent on mission from your commanders. But the missions themselves were simply objectives, and you were given orders from up high like participating in a planetary attack, garrison duty, counter-insurgency (putting down a rebellion), etc. And with most of these missions, how you achieved these objectives was left up to your leader and members of the unit. This was the time when D&D and other similar games were growing so Mechwarrior was FASA's attempt at making their own D&D like game except set in a feudalistic future with mechwarriors playing a similar role to knights, your hope as a mechwarrior was to rise through the ranks of nobility as well as improve your skills, hopefully secure a better mech and so on. And your unit wasn't limited to just mechwarriors, the players had to manage equipment/suppies, and the unit had it's own supply trucks, other vehicles, and drivers (mostly NPCs), technicians, pilots, etc., so as long as the mission was suited for it, and you protected these guys, resupply was definately a thing.
Why do I love the treby? I love it because it means the nice frog elemental warrior will make my monday better by yapping to me about it in a soothing voice
Hope you have a great week. Thanks for coming by.
Agreed. Frog and Tex can talk in my ear any time
Battletech ASMR at its finest! :D
Ah, the Trench Bucket . One of the most beloved starter mechs. The OG missile boat for beginners.
We love the Trebuchet because, every now and then, you just have to fling a stone through the wall of a castle like an arrow through cloth.
Ah, the Trenchbucket. When 'some missiles' just isn't enough to cut it.
First saw the Trebuchet in the Battletech video game when it rained more LRM than I knew existed at the time. Only problem was I did not see it until after I removed the fog of war with my last living mech.
It was my first introduction to the power of the LRM.
LRM rain in Battletech is the way to go.
One is a squishy sniper that gets priority target; two and a competent spotter/tank are a nightmare rain of meteors.
Between the clan-rms and the VSP lasers, the 9N not only does the typical "30-tubes of mobile fire support for not that much BV" thing the trebuchet is really good at, it is also genuinely a fearsome knife-fighter, which makes it one of _the_ premier mediums of the era. It combines the lrm support, light mech hunter and striker roles into just one affordable mech.
Though it lacks the survivability typically expected of a trooper mech, it's a fantastic re-framing of the concept for the era, applied to a mech that lore-wise already was considered one.
The Trebuchet was the third mech I painted for my 1st St Ives Lancers. It is a solid support mech who always has my beloved Centurion’s back, what more could I want
I wouldn't look down on it being picked.
Ahh the Trenchbucket! We love its speed, range, and in later eras versatility. I hope the 9N is on the list, its such a powerful and versatile 50 tonner that really shows off the benefits of Mixed Tech mechs.
TBT-9N is an amazing mech, underappreciated and underestimated constantly, even by people who know what it brings to the table.
The 9N is great, but it's maximum damage output living at traditional inner sphere engagement range - that is to say, kicking distance, does take some getting used to.
@@Orcimedes of course, but it is a little faster to assist with this luckily.
The base mech is surprisingly versatile as well, once the ammo is gone a 5/8 50 tonner with 3 mediums and it's kick is pretty nasty. Once it's out of ammo there's just usually not much left on the battlefield that has much armour to deal with it....
It was weird how much of the older art played into the Darth Vader helmet. Off the top of my head there was the Trebuchet, Vindicator, and Victor. I’m sure I am missing plenty too.
Javelin, too.
Ah, the Trenchbucket, one of the few 'Mechs that looks like it too is wearing a neurohelmet, to the point where I would not be surprised in the slightest if pilots go out of their way to find helmets that match their 'Bucket's look.
The 7K is pretty much a Banshee with a sensible price tag and better speed.
but that Banshee actually has *fists*
@@tehpw7574 The Treb has them as well, just not the extra weight behind them. The Banshee also costs over twice the price, so you can buy 2 7K's for the cost of a 3E and have 1.5mill left over.
It's a medium LEM boat that meets the 3 A's. Affordable (relatively), Adequate, and Available.
Round of Applause for Alan Blackwell's redesign! 👏👏👏
Yay!
Because, when you're in the Trenches, a Bucket can be verry handy.
Because it has excellent long range firepower for its size and its designers were smart enough to give it enough medium lasers to make it hurt in close. Yeah I would prefer a Catapult but the Trebuchet is also a lot lighter mech which is impressive.
Edit: too bad the 5J did not drop one of those heat sinks for an extra ton of ammo. That would have gone a long way.
I always like the Bucket as a budget catapult when I'm running Marik or Periphery Lists. It's cheap for it's value on the field.
Yeah tough call on the 5J
That change to the 5J is absolutely my top change. Either that or another ton of armor.
A fire support mech of superlative quality. Cheaper than an archer, lighter than an archer, but only marginally less deadly.
at 00:18 is a happy crab in its natural environment
Ah, the Trebuchet. Perfect for annoying assault mechs as you stay at maximum LRM range.
Good for making friends and influencing people.
I see the Trebuchet 3C with its endo steel, double heat sinks and XL engine and think; the engine is there to make it easier for people to disassemble it.
I could use the double heat sinks in 4 or 5 other mechs and the endo steel for some passion project.
2:15 a mech so ugly it gets a +1 to hit as targeting computers refuse to lock onto it
Because we really needed a monument to Medieval siege warfare.
We really did...
No, that chain-whip rules rant was not unhinged. It was in fact, completely hinged.
Ah yes, the Catapult We Have At Home. Purp birb is savvy, you see...
It's also 1.5 mill cheaper to build and 15 tons lighter, so you can buy 4 for the cost of 3. 4 Trebuchet will probably beat 3 Catapults in a fight, and they are far easier to get your hands on. The Catapult is a very rare mech after all.
The best thing about Mechanical Frog videos is the showcase of various artists models.
Maybe a tie between that and my randomly mispronounced words.
This was one of my Buddy's favorite mechs when I ran a Centurion beside him. Playing 3rd SW era, we did pretty well. The rest of the lance was a pair of Hunchies (big gun and swayback double 6 packs). Ah, I really do miss those days of our Mechwarrior tabletop games. I recall how irritated he got when I moved up to the Crusader.
Centurion and Trebuchet are a classic combo
I was playing that big mod for the Battletech video game, and went into a duel with a wasp and one of these bad boys. Tonage limit 75.
The enemy did not get this memo. They came with a wyvern and Marauder.
Somehow the wasp cored the wyvern, then the marauder cored it, and finally I was left with my mighty Trebuchet. Knowing full damn well the marauder's gauss cannon would just destroy me.
I charged the Trebuchet into the squared circle, and showed the marauder why they put fists on that LRM boat.
It punched my arms off... Then they ejected in presumably sheer terror of my now armless Trebuchet kicking then furiously in the shin.
There are so many contradictions in this "story", I don't know where to start. But hey, BattleTech is fiction, so why not add your own?
Took it into the table top fray recently. I viewed it as a bit of a t-34 mech. I played t-34 games, and won t-34 prizes; taking a critical hit to that left torso. Where once stood a medium missile boat, there is now a crater, and dreams of dice rolls that could have been.
Needless to say, I'll be taking it out for a spin again!
I think that what are the most interesting moments in mw5 i had was finding the 5J early.
It actually was pretty fun considering that half the time when you're running missile boats early game you can't necessarily keep the streak launchers stocked, and gave me a handy thing to start uninstalling a little bit of to put more ammo in it
It’s not flashy, but it makes for a nimbler fire support platform than its heavier peers. With some light customization, it can be much more cost efficient and nimble than the Catapult/Archer as well. Having a 5/8 or 6/9 movement profile on a fire support mech helps immensely with survivability.
yeah, one of the problems with the heavier LRM boats is not having the speed to avoid enemies moving in close to where the LRMs can't hit(and where their weapons can). Having enough speed to keep out of range of most weapons but still in range to rain LRM's is what makes me appreciate the trebuchet.
The Trebuchet for when you want a catapult but can't afford the tonnage
Thank you for all that you do for Mechwarrior and Battletech!
Thank you for coming by and hopefully enjoying the video.
Trebuchet is another mech that's 'fixed' with minimal rework (relatively speaking at least.)
*5N refit:*
Swap the heatsinks for doubles.
Remove the arm LRM15 and replace with an SRM6 with one ton of ammo w/case.
Move the LRM ammunition to the right torso, protect w/case as well.
Add two tons of armor.
Now it's good.
It's also no longer a Trebuchet. I love how people like you always miss the point of Battlemech construction and lore regarding these "suggestions".
@@onomatopoeia7505 I'd like to apologize for my previous comment. It was rude and idiotic in the worst of ways and really just shouldn't have been posted at all. Also, I don't know why but the comment you made eventually sunk in and... yeah you're right. Too much was changed and it wasn't a trebuchet anymore, it was... like... a wannabe Wolverine 6M or something... except worse in every way.
How's this one look instead? (Imagine a new mainstream variant produced in the 3060s and beyond)
Swap the heatsinks to doubles.
Swap the structure for Endo Steel.
Add two more tons of ammo to the left torso.
Add Case to the left torso.
Doubles battlefield endurance and eliminates the overheating issues pretty much entirely. Left Torso is basically a "shoot me here" target now, but the case keeps the mechwarrior alive at the end of the day. Shouldn't be too too much more expensive.
Speaking of nuanced takes on tabletop games, the old Trebuchet art is better than the new art.
I don't always run it, but I always appreciate it when I do. Didn't know they slapped my beloved VSP Lasers on one, though. That might make it mandatory.
Well, I'm glad someone likes it.
Its a premier medium fire support mech with enough firepower to hang with heavies...although, every time we saw one on the tabletop it got bombarded. It was almost a bad luck mech in our circle. It was the "Deathbucket" to us.
Trench Bucket. The discount Longbow. 😂🤣
More like longbow is an expensive, overpriced, wimpy trebuchet :p
Trenchbucket is love, Trenchbucket is life, Trenchbucket is lurm
Because it wouldn't be an MF build without a plasma rifle.
Talking to my littles about BattleTech one day the Trebuchet came up and she asked what it was named after and why, we then spent the following weekend discussing medieval siege warfare, built a Ballista Catapult and Bombard out of wood (NatGeo kit) , ah the joys of a curios five year old. she just turned six, so i have to keep coming up with new ways of engaging her brain. She spent her sixth bday building the Jane Goodall Lego set and learning about what she did, how she did it and all of that. it makes a dad proud to have his daughter talk about wanting to be as good of a person as Jane Goodall.
The one my mercs was a J with 1 ML and LRM gone for 2-SRM6 2tns ammo, + 1 ton armor ... this is what happens to a J that gets seriously torn up and rebuilt from salvage.
It's one of those mechs that makes a lot of sense, but I've never really run with in a lance. There's always something more exciting in the weight range, or I'd deploy my support mechs in different tonnage brackets.
My first experience with the old Trenchbucket was a random draw, which I was initially not excited about. But it made its mark on me - less so than a Marauder or Blackjack, but still - by proving to be very solid. I have never said no to one as support in a medium lance since.
One mech closer to the Orion video .
Engineers, presumably with the knowledge that they were building a war machine, looked at that left torso and said, "yeah, that's fine. Whatever. We'll invent CASE later or something, I'unno. It's lunch time," and sent that sucker to production.
"We can fix it in post."
I like the Trebuchet because its a crazy design. Its not terrible, just crazy.
Its pretty fast for 3025, and its firepower is quite impressive. 30 Long Range Missiles tubes on a Medium mech is quite a lot.
Its flaws are that its quite lightly armored for its weight(a 35ton like a Panther could have as much armor), but perhaps the critical failure is the lack of ammunition. It has enough ammunition for 8volleys, then it has to withdraw.
That said its just fun to upgrade. Because its a good if flawed design, better technology just means its easy to improve. Use Double-Heat Sinks, Endo-Steel, and others to improve the armor & lack of ammunition.
Its seen much more often than the arguably better Dervish. The Dervish is a 55ton missile boat with fewer long range missiles, but more short range missiles and the addition of Jump Jets.
The Whitworth, Trebuchet, and Dervish are the 3 common mechs that come to mind when I think of flawed missile boats from 3025. The Whitworth is slow, the Trebuchet lacks armor/ammo/jump jets, while the Dervish just lacks armor.
The Trebuchet was one of the first mechs I printed my my shiny new resin printer back in 2022 (Syllogy's Mechwarrior Online version, of course). Later I printed out a 5J version of the same sculpt, because I have a soft spot for that variant. Then earlier this year, I picked up the actual CGL model, and my plans are to have all three painted in Marik Militia livery because, at heart, I'm not terribly creative. 😅
Finally, my favorite medium mech. Thanks for this bro.
As a person who uses a lance of centurions paired with a lance of trebuchets for my "Sarmatians" mercs, I confirm this mech's viability on a battlefield even in latest eras. Using this army list with Direct Fire and Fire Support formations makes you feel powerfull and happy to beat some fancy blakists or clanners with your rough force.
Always loved the treb just as one of those mechs you can't really go wrong with having as long as you use in the in the correct role. It isn't a catapult, it isn't an archer, but for a medium lance in need of something to stop the enemy getting comfortable out to 15 hexes it fits the bill without breaking the bank in BV or C-bills.
Note: pre mml tech or I'd have filled those in instead.
My 2C version used 6 Clan LRM 5s in RT and LA.
3 tons case protected ammo 2 in RT and 1 in LA.
2 IS SRM4s in CT with 4 - 1/2 ton ammo bins in case protection. (Inferno/Smoke/Dumbfire/EMP)
RA 2 clan mdm pulses
Legs have 2 Bpods each
LA gets 2 clan sm pulses
Excess in an extra DHS and light ff armor.
Think I'd aim for mml5s and or IC LRM5s for the ability to use any ammo for field control options.
But for the price I can get 3 Hammers clan upgrades instead.
I love those little gorillas. 😊
The Trebuchet is one of those designs I just can't help but love, even the wonky OG look by Duane Loose lmao
I love Duane Loose's work, but I think even he will admit they're not all solid gold.
The treby is featured in my stable of mech builds that make people mad. I stripped off so much armor to up gun the LRMs and add more tons of missiles. The whole philosophy being that i do not care where the missile explodes, only that they explode.
The Trebuchet is a "trooper" version of fire support. Made to unload the missiles onto the targets and follow the front line into cqb. It's easy to forget this is just a 50 ton battlemech when it's firepower nearly matches heaver mechs. I'm surprised that more didn't make use of MML's and I intend to try the Trebuchet 1MF if I ever get a chance.
It is the 31st Centruy,
and Man has finally invented the fully automatic assault trebuchet .
The Trebuchet, the other half of the Corean Brothers routine. Either up engine the Centurion or put a 200-class in the Trenchbucket, and they form an awesome pair. Like the Frog said, the TBT is born for wing and lance based tactics. I know people don't have a lot of love for the 5J because it's a "downgrade", until you see it as a "Super Valkyrie" which is why it might not be the one I use the most it is a nice option to have in the toolbox. 7M is a little goofy, but swap the NARC for an SRM6 and the second ton of ammo for LRM ammo, and it works. While the 7K is just flawed- I love PPCs but with the AC5, not a TBT, and with LRMs in place of the AC it's just another not-a-Griffin. My personal 3SW home build swap the arm LRM for an SRM6 with a ton, puts in a second ton for the LRM, 2 heatsinks and a ton of armour
It's a great review! You basically said it all about the Trebuchet. It's a solid performer, an old school missile boat that can also fight at short range without embarrassing itself. (Notice how many of the 3025 era missile boats can do that?) Yes, it has a lot of tactical flexibility in many lance builds. In my first merc company played so many years ago, my best Fire Lance build was a Crusader, Archer, Trebuchet, and Valkyrie. The Trebuchet was better than at its role there than the other mechs that had filled the cursed #3 slot, and if it exploded, it was easier to replace than something heavier. I do feel that the only variants that are really worth it are the ones that upgrade it to the current-era status of burly missile boat. Unless you are Kurita, then OF COURSE there has to be the 7K sniper version with PPC. And yes, the CGL new version is much better than the second design, which was truthful inferior to the old 3025 design.
Need to start a crowdfunding campaign for an image of MechFrog's mascot conducting some "reconnaissance" upon unsuspecting infantry and armor with plasma rifles and flamers.
Heh. "I bring you good tidings...and flame!"
@@MechanicalFrog Christmas art confirmed. 😊
As a dedicated medium pilot I've got a special love for any 50t machines. I pretty much loved the trench bucket the very first time I've read about it in Centurions lore. I devoured all the lore about the machine as quickly as I could. Then came the awesome Piranha art, the model in MWO I am hooked. I havent gotten it yet in my campaign but there is gonna be a time when it will be fielded with his bro the Centurion. Cheers
I hear Discount Dan is offering one of those -9R’s for 10% off! That’s only 36 million c-bills! What a deal!
I also would have expected a "cheap and quick" RecoverTech version. Put the EndoSteel back in, relocate all ammo to one CASE protected location and add Artemis fire control
The Trebuchet is one of my favourite fire mechs for a medium mech.
But I’ve never understood some of the variants.
The Trebuchet, when you couldnt afford an archer and arent too mad at the alternative
Yeesh, that early art makes the treb a hard nope.
I have to admit, the Trebuchet was never on my radar until the HBS Battletech game. It was annoying - two LRM 15's, but fun to play with once I got one. I do love the CGL resculpt as well, giving it a much needed facelift.
Great video, keep up the fantastic work!
100% Thanks for coming by.
I am very fond of the Trebuchet thanks to the PC games. The joy of slapping something like 60 Clan-tech LRMs into the chassis simply does not fade.
The Trebuchet is the superior siege battlemech. Capable of launching 30 LRMs over 900 meters.
I found the TBT-5N to be extremely useful for the early & mid game in HBS Battletech, though I would strip the lasers in favour of more ammunition and armour. Massed LRM fire from my Trebuchets worked really well at witling down both armour and evasion on lighter and faster enemy mech's allowing lance mates carrying punchier weapons, like PPCs or Autocannons, to hit more effectively. Very much a team player 'mech in your lance.
Making the Trebuchet, because the Inner Sphere wasn't Roman Empire enough.
The trench bucket is one the oldest mechs in the game and is always a good pick. I would player the 3025 treb into any of the latter era's. Its a useful mech when having to attack a base in taking out the turrets. Has always been good in semi-guided LRM line-ups. The TBT-5J is one of my favored variants because of the jump jets. When taken with a Catapult the 5J is a mobile matchup for missile mech destroying. The TBT-5S is good mech when loaded with Tandem Charge SRM ammo and maybe fair with NARC SRM ammo. The 3050 upgrade 7M with the NARC is fine in my book as many other players are in opinion of the NARC being useless.
I like the TBT-3C. In a campaigns would strip out that extra laser in the CT to replace a laser in an arm. I would consider case and half a ton of armor for the side torsos.
I dislike the TBT-7K but understand back in the 3020's mechs with PPC's where hard to find. The 8K really needs a veteran pilot to be able to hit mobile targets but has little issue with targets that are slow or immobile. Building a C3 line is going to be pressing for a new player or a player that has never played C3. I take that for myself as I rarely play clan and know nothing about clan lines.
I dislike the armor on the 8B but the weapons are pretty good with special ammos. Its an awkward unit to get used to it and hard to look at but works better on the table. I have never played it in alpha strike. Most B models are limited units as it was ether Battle Magic's variant of WoB that stole lots of designs.
Very good video MF.
Thanks for this series on mechs, there are so many and glad to see you "love" them all rather than just bashing weaker models or drooling over the power housese. The lore flavor is good but I really like the thumbnails of various artists paintings, line diagrams, and painted minis in the upper right corner thumbnails! Nicely done.
Every mech has its charm. Except the Urbanmech.
The Trebuchet the mech you want when your told "we have Trebuchet at home"
In 3025 there are a limited number of fast fire-support Mechs. So for me at least the Trebuchet fulfills the roll of an Archer in cavalry/striker lances.
My merc has both consumed and destroyed countless Trebs. It's earned a lot of respect. Good trooper mech. My favorite custom load out had three SRM 6's, three medium lasers, more armor and an in your face attitude. Got beat up a lot, but had fun.
Ah Trenchy. We miss you.
The Centurion brother
I like to play forces from the FWL, so have a habit of using the Trebuchet. The Trenchbucket is a good mech that requires a bit of finesse to use, but within the confines of 3025 it is basically all of the weapons performance of the Catapult without the jumping or armor, but with more land speed. I think that the Trebuchet has been slept on for a long time, it's a good mech, better in many ways than the Centurion, even if I personally like the Centurion more. You can get a lot out of the Trebuchet if it keeps moving and stays back well into the medium range of those LRMs and those medium lasers and that speed means that light mechs don't find it to be easy eating.
Did you know that the Japanese, I mean the Draconis Combine has a secret technology that allows for their Trebuchets to be packed up superfast? That was especially handy during Operation Orochi in the war of 3039.
Best reason to put the rules for the weapon in another book is to sell another book. I might be a cynic, but I may also be right.
It's just extremely annoying to hunt down the one book that has the stats of a weapon that's mentioned in almost every other book.
Trench bucket is love and life
The Trenchbucket is a beloved favorite for me. The lance I run (in Taurian colors) is two Merlin's and two Trebs, moving and fighting two-by-two. Opponents, even the occasional clanner, greatly dislike taking me on.
The Tree Bucket??? All I remember of the Tree Bucket is giving one the smoke in a 'stealth' mission in MW2: Mercenaries. Fuck letting that patrol just walk by. Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. I was there to make money, not pusst foot around quietly in a canyon.
I'm late to the party but I always had good luck pairing MRM Trebs with Firestarters packing heavy flamers acting as a screening and lockdown for the mildly inaccurate missiles.
Great vid and a mech I’ve always known of but not much about. 👍Your comments on the melee rules really make me wish we had a single comprehensive rulebook.
I like your version, but what, NO JUMPJETS? I'm shocked!! (of course, we do have a plasma rifle, so...:) Thanks for this exhaustive overview. I've never piloted one of these, but I might have to try one out:) Regards to the Mechfrog and Minifrog;)
I like the old school 5N its a good support mech for the era if kept out of the main battle successfully
I use it with my Hunchback 4G and a Raven 1X and whatever the Lance Commander happens to be it.
Useful with some tweaks
Indeed.
Nice! First time i have seen a chain whip :)
kapow!
Why do you have so few subscribers? That is an absolute travesty. I love all your work.
I'm too adorable so people feel shy about hitting the subscribe button.
Jesus, that intro music. It's just the Trebuchet, Frog xD
But then again, maybe I'm just biased. Always been more of a Brawler type guy.
I will have to give the 5S a try, though. Genuinely did not know about that variant.
It seemed to fit.
My own TBT mod is to drop the LRM-15 racks to 10's and adding one heat sink, a ton of armor, and two extra tons of ammo. (It's designed for extended duration strike/fire support missions for campaign duration.) The 'Star League' version uses Endo to add A4's to both racks and another 1/2 ton of protection.
Loved By Blood Betrayed. Really sad we didn’t get more stories with Ables Aces
I was surprised to find myself liking the TBT-5N in MW5 Mercs.
They were reasonablely quick kills when the enemy had them, and fun to get inside the LRM minimum range.
But I found the model, just goofy enough to have charm. And it was fun and effective to run (ponderously) around in during defence or hold the line missions. It had the right mix of firepower for swatting vehicles efficiently, and enough LRMs to wear down attacking mechs enough for my AI lancemates to deal with while they stayed parked to protect key approaches.
The Treb was one of our first mechs back in the day. My brother and I had a lance (random die rolling) with a Treb and a Valkyrie and my brother got a Griffin and Phoenix Hawk. I thought, cool, look at all the LRMs! We'll be able to fry mechs before they can even shoot back!
And then I discovered my LRM curse.
I could not land a hit with those darn missile launchers (to be fair, back in the day, with no Artemis or Streak or anything, you move, the enemy moves, there's a tree on the lawn out front of the house you're playing in, a hill on the horizon, a butterfly flaps its wings in India, and you have to roll a 14 or higher on 2D6 to actually hit anything) and on the rare occasions when I did, I consistently rolled snake-eyes on the "Let's turn your success into a pointless failure" table for determining just how little damage you can do with LRMs.
After getting both of my first characters killed, I almost bailed on ever playing the game again.
Solid mech. I used to main treb when i played mwo. When i finally got into table top i use it in my cavalry lance. Dragons and trebs work well together.
I feel like the Trebuchet could be involved in a Battletech take on a Monty Python skit involving Davion taunters holed up in an abandoned Star League fortress lobbing insults and LRMs at Steiners. We could call it... "The Life of Castle Brian".