StarCorps Engineers: Okay, we've designed this supremely sophisticated and expensive assault mech to be a mobile Command unit, boasting state of the art targeting and communications technology and cutting edge weaponry to be a threat at all ranges. We've also included Jump Jets to provide extra mobility and tactical flexibility in rough terrain." Mechwarrior: "I'm gonna jump on top of the enemy!"
StarCorps Engineers: Fine. Fine. Back to the drawing board. Maybe we need to reinforce the legs to brace them for the impact and give the thing a visor in case these idiots decided to start headbutting too....
@@rcgunner7086 Well, different universe, but the Titans in Wh40k are usually _much_ bigger than the puny things in Battletech, they have void shields and whatnot... and then an Ork brings a 33m Warlord down, simply by jumping into the Warlords cockpit with his motorbike.
And on Gorst Flats, to this day, they say, you can see all thats left of the Black Watch; the single hand of a Highlander, its middle finger raised in vicious mockery to the man who TRIED to kill them, so doused with radiation that even Amaris simply decided to leave it where it was.
For those with a keen eye the Highlander is an Atlas with jump jets and a Gauss Rifle. It may not have the AC/20 bubble of doom, but it can decapitate any mech and fight at range as well as up close and personal. The Highlander IIC and the Royal version are particularly nasty.
In the HBS game, I made something I dubbed the Hellboy, a Star League Highlander with the closest thing to a right arm hand cannon in a world of giant robots, and a Highlander with AC20s was precisely what I made. One UAC20 and one AC20, effectively making it capable of shooting 3 AC20 slugs at once. So I had to make sure I had room to pack enough ammo crates to at least last a medium length battle. The heat sinks being double strength helped, but I ultimately took out all the missiles and left its lasers as its backup weapons. The gauss rifle saw usage on my Marauder.
In Battletech 2018 I have a SLDF (Probably a royal due to Double Heat Sinks and extra Gauss ammo) Highlander I call Bellum Draconis. It has been fitted with a Gauss that weighs two tons less,one ton went to extra armor and another went to mounting a flamer. (Mostly for a laugh but it has come in handy a few times) After facing down two other Highlanders at once it lost one of it's double heat sinks that I couldn't replace so I put a second flamer in it's place. Still stays mostly cool but it now cooks Stalkers and other hot running mech in close combat. It's an old and scarred dragon of war,but they as they say beware the old in a profession where many die young.
I too mounted a flamer on a heavy tonner. For me, it was a baseline Awesome, the one with three PPCs. I gave it a flamethrower, because the design kept reminding me of a Dreadnaught from 40k. Surprisingly useful too.
One of my favourite Assault Mechs. It's just so flexible and effective. In HBS Battletech, I often take four of these with different jobs - a LR support mech with PPCs and LRMs, and a close-range obliterator, with SRMs, Small and medium lasers (seriously, this thing has regularly one-shot an Atlas, it's that destructive). Gauss-rifle brawlers round out the roster with LRMs and Large lasers. Superb machine.
If I take three of these machines I follow the same tactics but include a Marauder for tactical support or maybe a LRM Stalker to rain down missiles to create softened targets for the Highlanders' LRMs and other long range weapons
@@vali6717 the LRM stalker is an absolute firework display of a machine. Love that ‘mech. Normally in an assault lance I take one myself, but to be honest, with this lance, I was pissing about to see how it worked. The Highlander variant that doesn’t have a ballistic hardpoint is an absolute demon of a close range ‘mech - like I say, put medium lasers, small lasers and as many SRMs on it as you can and it deletes an undamaged ‘mech each turn. The stalker though… probably my favourite assault mech. You’ve made a good call there, in my view.
Used this a lot in MW5. Always tore out the jump jets as they're basically useless in that game. With the weight saved, more armor and sinks. The result is a beast that can blow out an Atlas in a handful of seconds, then turn and blow out its escort without breaking stride. Doing that to "March of Cambreadth" was one of the high points of the game.
My friend didn't know how good these things were playing MW5 and he got blindsided in a Kintaro by a Jeager and a Thunderbolt I tanked them both without hesitation. This beast is a flying brick with enough fire power to mop anything in a lighter weight bracket.
@@BigRed40TECH I just got into the tabletop! The only mech I got you hadn't covered was the Exterminator. Your video on it came out as I was putting the finishing touches on my Wolverine. I am painting this real assassin in Com Gaurd colors.
DO YOU HEAR THE BAGPIPES TOO???😁 Got to love the IIC it is so true to the original, unlike several other IIC offerings, but with a significant hike in firepower thanks to clan streamlining. Sometimes you just go with what works.
This mech stayed the truest to it´s earliest artworks especially with the characteristic hood around the cockpit windows. But i´m glad they updated the image, the other ones haven´t exactly aged well. I really like how MWO/MW5 depicts the Highlander as well, it looks strong and tough.
Agreed! The Highlander and the Centurion are the best resculpts PGI has given us, and I adore they’re out in Catalyst’s miniatures now too. SO excited to buy the Northwind pack!
I remember someone roleplaying as a wandering northwind highlander with this as a mech he ended up fighting with my Merc company in a city defense lucky enough The GM let him keep his shiny SLDF model but he ended up being focused on by the dracs itching to head shot him, and using him as the decoy we ended up wiping out half of em and cornering their superior then calmly saying his only out was sudoku as we would most definitely prisoner exchange him and his chain of command would most definitely punish him for the failure. As this was takashi combine era. He pussed out like a bitch. And that is how we got a shiny new Atlas. Hard to try and solo enough heavy Mechs to make a lyran cry and the Highlander Gauss. Thank God he was a da!n good shot with it.
@@sockmonkey6666 "Commit Sudoku" is an expression intentionally confusing the Japanese word "seppuku" for suicide by disembowelment with the Sudoku puzzle game. It is often associated with the engrish catchphrase "shamefur dispray".
The bit that confused me is saying that the gauss rifle was chosen specifically for urban defense... right, because the long range sniper rifle is key for house fighting.
@@scottmacgregor3444 Well the fact alone that feudal societies fighting over what is basically infinite resources is where humanity is at in this universe never made me think they possess much intelligence in the first place
I mean if I was in control of city defense. I would definitely want Highlanders and Urbies. I’m sure there are other Mechs but I’m still learning which are for city defense or urban fighting.
*SCOTLAND THE BRAVE INTESIFIES* IMO one of the most tactically flexible I.S. assaults available, able to engage at any range and incredibly resilient. It's slow, but the excellent selection of weapons means it's got something for almost any situation (it can be a little weak vs. infantry and BA though). It's a titan of war, wading into battle like a walking battleship and unleashing hell... And then it jumps on you.
A good note about infantry. A lot of people overlook infantry because of course a mech with proper weaponry instantly remove them. But a mech not properly armed will instead waste most their ammo just trying to delete one platoon.
@@codyraugh6599 meanwhile if that one platoon is in good cover and has portable SRM launchers or medium lasers, or even emplaced AC2s and 5s, they can be a genuine threat to a mech! That's not even accounting for elite jump infantry who swarm all over your mech and start slapping satchel charges in your joints! A mechwarrior who discounts infantry may one day have a sudden and VERY rude wake-up call!
@@codyraugh6599 Thank you. I can't recall if the Highlander has one t or SRM ammo or two. If it has two, taking a ton of inferno ammo would resolve most of the infantry issues.
I really like the inclusion of the extended history and setting surrounding this mech. Even more enjoyable! Also, please do speculate. All of us can read tech readouts and availability lists; the inclusion of your informed extrapolation is actually extremely useful.
My favorite assault, in both HBS and MW5. There's just something about the appearance that makes it so striking and appeasing. The rest is just icing on the cake.
Running the Royal Highlander in the HBS game, swapped the LRMs and a medium laser for an upgraded AC/20, double heat sinks mean more ammo and armor. The result is an absolutely insane brawler, nothing like jumping behind an atlas and coring it out with a full alpha strike to the back.
But Red, you already talked about Star Corps immortal design, the Warhammer. A mech so good, it's base model was in use for longer then some nations in universe existed.
I love the Highlander and its mighty gauss rifle. For those times when you need to hurl a brick at subsonic speeds from across the battlefield into someone's cockpit. Nothing else quite gets the job done like a Highlander.
The Highlander is a solid, solid design. Like most every mech, it can do a lot with a capable pilot but it certainly isn't the almighty god-mech some believe it to be. A favourite of mine in the IS assault class though for sure. And my opinion is exactly that.
@@thatonecarguy_bg2701 No Mech is godlike just because of what it is ... If it's played right and smart it can reach a godlike status ... Have seen too many players think because they choose a certain Mech they can wipe the field .... Only to see them scream & cry when their Mech is reduced to slag or salvage by smarter players in same or lesser Mechs
My introduction to the highlander was on a snowy planet killing Taurian’s. That 732B became my favorite mech in the series and since then. I try to get every highlander I can get my grubby little hands on. The reason these things are rare isn’t because of los tech. It’s because every mercenary company I run can field 2 full lances of assorted models including PP and RS’s though I mainly use 732B’s and 733C’s I just love the flexibility and the ability to do a burial.
I went out of my way to protect the one I got in the HBS game. In MW5 it's the assault mech that I keep the jump jets in. And yes, I landed a couple DFAs.
The Royal Highlander is probably the first SLDF mech for many first time players of HBS BattleTech. Nothing quite like the first time of being gifted an assault mech with a Gauss Rifle, double heatsinks, and jump jets all at once.
The Highlander is easily my favorite of all Assault Mechs that I know of. There's just this simple majesty of its loadout combined with the flexibility of actually being able to jump at its tonnage. Plus it's one of those mechs where the Succession Wars and the creation of Lostech didn't hinder it that much. Compared to most other mechs of its tonnage, the downgrades did very little to harm its damage output. Sure it can't headchop with an AC/10 or regular PPC, but it doesn't need to when those and downgrading to single heat sinks is all that's changed from its loadout. Marvelous mech.
All the Highlander film franchise references made me smile. Definitely my second-favorite 'Mech in the whole of BattleTech, and it's even sometimes a coin toss whether I like this or the BattleMaster better. Partly because I'm also a fan of the Highlander films and series, partly because it's just a damn solid machine, able to do everything. It may not excel in any one area, but it rarely overheats or finds itself with nothing to do. The only flaw I can think of, and it's a very minor one, is that it's hard to pair with my other favorite 'Mech, the BattleMaster moving 4/6 and the Highlander 3/5/3, making hard to keep them in formation on the tabletop. But that's probably not something I should be doing anyway. Never said I was any good at the game, just that I like it. The Highlander: It is the one, the only one. It is the god of kingdom come. Just give it the prize. It's a kind of magic.
I appreciate the nice long form video. I've been a Highlander driver since forever, and this machine holds a special place in my heart. My main unit has the maximum amount of armor the chassis will support. Everything else has been stripped out, in favor of two AC fives, in the right arm. 3 large pulse lasers in the left. All else is CASE, ammo, and an AMS, and an upgraded engine. The rest of the available tonnage is taken up by double heat sinks. It has been built, and refined with the sole purpose that when it begins firing, it has no need to stop, under any circumstances.
i must say, the HGN-732b is my absolute all time best battlemech, because it can do just about everything, and the royal variant (if MW5 had programmed it correctly) its like near impossible to overheat, and i prefer this over an Atlas any time because its long range fire power is a lot better than an Atlas with its Gauss Rifle. And if it must get into a brawl, it has the weapons to do it with if it must, though long range is its preferred strategy. Those Jump Jets really help mitigate its slow speed and give it a better ability to fight on mountainous terrain. Its a mech that can just do about anything...except for outrunning most mechs but it doesn't have to do that.
Highlanders, one the best SL Era assaults, (and SW for that matter) period. I personally love the SW Era 733P, and 733C variants. A PPC is a great substitute for a gauss if you care more about endurance than heat. And as for the 733C, AC/20 'nuff said 😎
Awesome job Bear. I love the opening shot of the Highlander Burial of an Atlas. And the badassness of this vid gives me very high hopes for the Black Knight. Keep up the great work bro!!!
Great mech. It was actually the first ones my unit used at their very beginning. Found them complete with Star League era tech as part of a hidden cache/factory used by Kerenski during the Amaris Civil War that was left behind under the guard of a part of the family that would go on to found Ghost Bear. We lost them after a contract with the Draconis Combine in which they didn't pay us and stole the mechs and us to leave at gun point. We basically were down to two dragons and a blackjack which we sold and parted out to get what would turn out to be an incredible line up of an Atlas, an Awesome, a Commando, and a Catapult that rarely had two missile pods often swapping the other out for lasers or auto cannons. Eventually found an Archer in the wreck of a ship to replace the catapult but the pilot died and the unit outside of the commander pretty much dissolved. Guy in the Commando retired and the guy in the awesome joined a different group. He ended up finding the Highlander the one that died had and got ahold of us, we stole it back but the other guy died in the effort. We salvaged another after a fight with Combine forces but it was heavily stripped of its Star League tech. The other two we got back by various means one of which was still in the hands of the of the guy that stole them from us. It was after a joint job between FedCom and the Dracs against smoke jag, we stayed behind to celebrate while the FedCom rushed off, the Dracs commander didn't recognize us and thought we were FedCom. We ended up stealing the clan salvage which included a few mechs AND our highlander (last of the four) back, blew the engines on a Crab and a couple of Dragons, exposed the Drac Commander for what he was, then issued a challenge to the Smoke Jags under his name on the way out pinning the blame for what happened next squarely on him. Those four highlanders were patched up back to how they were when we found them and put into storage. A statue of them however is on display on the planet. Such a good mech, it's like if the Commando (another incredible and well designed and built mech) grew up to be an assault mech.
What I always love the most about this mech is the portrayal of what likely is a mega-corporation in a sci-fi setting. In that when they realize that people who use their military equipment are doing a very specific thing that is a horrific way to die for the person you're doing it on... They didn't officially address it and instead just made it to where it damaged the internals less to that would make this risky venture even sturdier so that people would buy more of them
Had a well intact Star League era Highlander with lostech intact in MW5 by sheer luck in 3026, Gauss Rifle, Artemis Fire Systems and all. ...And it was all trashed in a contract gone horribly wrong. The Highlander now sits in cold storage waiting for proper replacements. I actually face palm upon looking at my losses.
I fell in love with the HGN-732 early on in my Battletech experience. I was able to upgrade to the 732b later on, and took that machine into the Clan Invasion era. It was one of the few designs that could stand up to many of the Clan invaders. Even the non-royal 732 was a match for many Clan machines. This and a modified Marauder II are the two machines I almost always play.
Excellent as always. Though I do have a pet peeve. A lot of people say "HighlandER Burial" but the phrase is actually just "Highland Burial" as it's a reference/joke about the Scottish funerary custom of having a highland burial. Getting jumped on by a Highlander gives you a highland burial. Calling it a Highlander burial ruins the joke because it obfuscates the reference, IMO But I'm also old and language drifts over time, so who knows. Doesn't matter that much, I just felt like I needed to say it lol. Again, not a knock on the video. It was fantastic as ever. Keep it up
I played a game with one team comprised of a King Crab, an Orion, and some light mech with jump jets (I don't remember what) VS a Marauder, and a Highlander. It was fairly equal in BV at first. But relatively early on the MAD and HGN got separated letting the King Crab and Orion beat on the MAD. I was about to have the MAD jump out of there, but the King Crab shot it's AC20 at the MAD's arm, the MAD failed the PSR and fell on the same arm, destroying it completely. The next turn the King Crab got another shot with the AC20, on the head. The MAD was instantly dead. That same turn the Highlander kicked off the light mech's leg, making it a fresh Hobbler. It was now a two against one, the HGN could only jump about and wait out the expenditure of the KGC's AC20 ammo. This paid off, the time to strike had happened. Through a series of SRMs, ML blasts, and kicks, the KGC was devastated by failed PSRs, losing a leg and it's head by critical damage roll of 12. The Orion's destruction was quickly followed by an ammunition explosion blasting it. Finally, the the Hobbler was left. The Highlander performed it's trademark DFA, crushing it under heel. God, I love Battletech! It's so dynamic.
It is quite funny listening to the tabletop specification of the 8 shot gauss and at the same time looking at the mercenaries 5 footage where it has 80 shots total.
Far and away my favorite assault mech. I never had a highlander mini because I only played 3025-3050 inner sphere. I need to find a nice highlander mini.
@@gkeaton9755 Yeah, I liked the look of the FASA sculpt, but never got one. Now I am really interested in 3D printing mechs. As for a 3025 version, the 2750 TRO was always my favorite to read, just never got around to playing any of it.
Really dude?! Good insertion of Queen lyrics at 5:50. Props on that. This video is so packed with PUNS for those who notice the callbacks LOL. They're from "Lots of different places."
@@DIEGhostfish nice! I also forgot the "One Vision" card with the Confederation logo, which just happens to be an arm wielding a katana. Very nice double meaning on that one.
Never played with it and very rare to find in the battletech video game as you have to get 4 or 5 parts to make the mech complete. It seems very powerful.
Aaaaah... The venerable HGN-732...Totem Spirit of Northwind. If the Atlas is a Hammer, the Highlander is a Scalpel (being hit from behind by a hammer.)
The SLDF commissioned a school to train its pilots in the Highlander Burial technique, it was known as the Special Tactical Redeployment and Weapons School, but to the Pilots it was better known as TOPFOOT.
Love the highlander, although, while a solid design, does sacrifice for those 6 tons of jump jets compared to other fightier assaults. That said, those jump jets give it amazing flexibility in dense terrain, useful for urban and command roles. And that reinforced leg quirks, and the cowl, yes yes yes. It also seems to kind of be a poster boy for the SLDF in that its literally in the posters, being front and center in alot of the CGL and other official and fan art with the SLDF or offshoots of it, you often see it in comstar art or others like the northwind highlanders or eridani.
i so love this mechs design, its epic and very intriguing to me, and honestly if i had to pick an Assault mech (and there was no Atlas available) i would almost always pick a Highlander, its just such an awesome and versatile maschine ^^ thx for the absolute detailed Vid ^^
Yes the Highlander at last! This mech has been by baby ever since I was introduced to it back in Battletech 2017. A veritable Jack of All Trades of an Assault Mech that I would argue is superior to the Atlas mobility wise.
An Atlas will typically stop a Highlander. But if you're in the Highlander, you're last job is to stop they Atlas. Your job is to disrupt him, and kill his friends. lol
While it is true that the Highlander in that game's campaign is better than the typical Atlas, that Highlander comes with lostech attached to it giving it advantages not inherently given very many mechs in the campaign. The lostech Atlas from the campaign is much more frightening than the Highlander.
I pulled off a Highlander burial on an Atlas in MW5 last night! Probably my proudest gaming moment hahaha damn near hucked my controller out of excitement.
Huge fan. Can you please eventually do a series of videos detailing the lesser known groups. Magistry of Canopus, Local Gorvernments, Pirate Utopias, etc.
Sweet! I love your videos because you bring a professional flair to the universe we love, while other tubers ... not so professional in their profanity etc. The Houses lore have been done to death. Some tubers have obviously touched on clans and such. Rasselhague always has a soft spot in my heart because ya know, who doesnt like an under dog. But the true under dogs are local governments and pirates right?
In tabletop, i love this assault mech the most because it has range, armor, and jump capability. In MechWarrior Online, I love it for the same reason, my Highlander 733P is my signature mech, the one I have the most hours (literally nearly a MONTH of in-game time over 10 years) in and the most kills in. Were I a MechWarrior in the Northwind Highlanders, my 733P, the "Crom Dubh", would be my baby.
Hello Red. The Highlander is another favorite Mech of mine. Although, like most, I do tend to modify it a bit. The most radical change is to the 694 and 734 models. With these, I tend to do away with all, or most other weapons systems, in favor of a 2nd Gauss Rifle and ammo for it, as well as adding a Supercharger to the design. And in the case where the basic model does not have jump jets, I add those as well. I have even modified the Clan's Highlander IIC-3 model. Again going for dual Gauss, but in this case, dual HAG weapons. With the Highlander IIC-3, I keep the LRM-20 and its ammo, delete most other things, add a supercharger, a 2nd HAG with ammo, and finally, an Anti-Missile system and a ton of ammo for it in the Head. Right before I ceased playing Battletech around 2008, and before the old Emperor's Headquarters closed its doors, I fought an Inner Sphere vs Clan battle that saw me making one of those 'one in a million' Headshots on a Highlander IIC-3. The battle ended in an IS win, and I was able to salvage the Highlander (got lucky on the dice rolls). I was able to trade with another player for his salvaged HAC-20 and ammo, by trading away a Mech from my own forces that he desired. This gave me the wherewithal to modify the Mech to my design. After that, I pretty much was not able to field the Mech, due to players seeing it as 'too powerful' to use. And the few times I did field it, the Mech served with distinction. Stripping 2 1/2 ton of armor (1 1/2 FFA) from a Mech with each shot landed by each HAG, caused many players to retreat, rather than see their expensive Mech destroyed. For those willing to brave the firepower, the 14.5 tons of armor on the Mech enable it to stand up to withering fire and dish out 20-point hits each with its two main weapons, and the raining of LRM-20 salvos. Although the Mech has no 'energy' weapons, and limited ammo, it rarely lets me down in battle. Usually having more than enough ammo to win a battle, and in the rare cases of running out, the Mech charges in using its supercharger to move 6 hexes per turn, to deal punishing blows, kicks, and of course, Highlander Burials.
I have a personal favorite build for merctech modded MW5 with the Highlander. Clan 350xl engine, RAC5, 3 medium pulse lasers, a clan LRM20, And clan srm6s and _AN_ improved jumpjet. It's made to bully anything smaller and fights well against the few things bigger...it has an unfortunate habit of coring mechs thanks to blowing up ammo. _VERY_ expensive to set up, but I've done max difficulty missions relatively unscathed For HBS, I actually like the P variant, usually switching out the PPC for either a Large laser or a snub PPC for more of a brawler role.
Works well in tandem with the Atlas, IMO. That gauss rifle is great for making holes for the Atlas's LRMs, and a highlander burial or a steel fist with 90 tons of righteous indignation can be comparable to an Atlas's AC20 in the right circumstances. The HGN-740 is an absolute beast, though. I'm not too familiar with the new tech in the later settings but Capacitor PPCs sound like a real treat!
This mech is the basis for one of the most famous, awe inspiring, and fear inducing quotes from all of Battletech. "But Sir, The Atlas... The Atlas... IT JUMPED!!!!" Though accredited to an Atlas in the quote, the Highlander must have inspired exactly that same dread in any who saw it take flight, and then flatten and bury another mech under it's massive feet.
StarCorps Engineers: Okay, we've designed this supremely sophisticated and expensive assault mech to be a mobile Command unit, boasting state of the art targeting and communications technology and cutting edge weaponry to be a threat at all ranges. We've also included Jump Jets to provide extra mobility and tactical flexibility in rough terrain."
Mechwarrior: "I'm gonna jump on top of the enemy!"
Marauder design team: You too huh? Except it was the arms for us.
Royal Black Watch: But can it survive nukes?
StarCorps Engineers: Fine. Fine. Back to the drawing board. Maybe we need to reinforce the legs to brace them for the impact and give the thing a visor in case these idiots decided to start headbutting too....
@@rcgunner7086 Well, different universe, but the Titans in Wh40k are usually _much_ bigger than the puny things in Battletech, they have void shields and whatnot... and then an Ork brings a 33m Warlord down, simply by jumping into the Warlords cockpit with his motorbike.
Shouldn't have given it to the Scots, then. You know full well they'll get excited and try to beat a bastard to death with it.
And on Gorst Flats, to this day, they say, you can see all thats left of the Black Watch; the single hand of a Highlander, its middle finger raised in vicious mockery to the man who TRIED to kill them, so doused with radiation that even Amaris simply decided to leave it where it was.
Not to be that guy, but the Northwind Highlanders did recover the hand, and pretty much (rightfully) treat it as a holy relic.
@@TheSlamburger When did they grab it?
@@KillerOrca Post Exodus.
Commander: "Pilot, why did you paint your mech red with blue... coveralls?"
Mechwarrior: "Heeere we goooooooo!"
@@ryanjones6384 "WAHOOO!"
"...fighting to survive in a war with the darkest powers." Oh... ohhhh, you magnificent bastard, well played.
For those with a keen eye the Highlander is an Atlas with jump jets and a Gauss Rifle. It may not have the AC/20 bubble of doom, but it can decapitate any mech and fight at range as well as up close and personal. The Highlander IIC and the Royal version are particularly nasty.
Until the guass-rifle explodes.
@@TheArchaos ya gotta get close for that. Not easy.
It was pretty common to replace the gauss rifle with an AC/20 when replacements were in short supply.
In the HBS game, I made something I dubbed the Hellboy, a Star League Highlander with the closest thing to a right arm hand cannon in a world of giant robots, and a Highlander with AC20s was precisely what I made. One UAC20 and one AC20, effectively making it capable of shooting 3 AC20 slugs at once. So I had to make sure I had room to pack enough ammo crates to at least last a medium length battle. The heat sinks being double strength helped, but I ultimately took out all the missiles and left its lasers as its backup weapons. The gauss rifle saw usage on my Marauder.
@@pmcollectorboy2929 That's hilarious.
In Battletech 2018 I have a SLDF (Probably a royal due to Double Heat Sinks and extra Gauss ammo) Highlander I call Bellum Draconis. It has been fitted with a Gauss that weighs two tons less,one ton went to extra armor and another went to mounting a flamer. (Mostly for a laugh but it has come in handy a few times) After facing down two other Highlanders at once it lost one of it's double heat sinks that I couldn't replace so I put a second flamer in it's place. Still stays mostly cool but it now cooks Stalkers and other hot running mech in close combat. It's an old and scarred dragon of war,but they as they say beware the old in a profession where many die young.
Who wants to live forever?
I too mounted a flamer on a heavy tonner.
For me, it was a baseline Awesome, the one with three PPCs. I gave it a flamethrower, because the design kept reminding me of a Dreadnaught from 40k.
Surprisingly useful too.
One of my favourite Assault Mechs. It's just so flexible and effective.
In HBS Battletech, I often take four of these with different jobs - a LR support mech with PPCs and LRMs, and a close-range obliterator, with SRMs, Small and medium lasers (seriously, this thing has regularly one-shot an Atlas, it's that destructive). Gauss-rifle brawlers round out the roster with LRMs and Large lasers.
Superb machine.
If I take three of these machines I follow the same tactics but include a Marauder for tactical support or maybe a LRM Stalker to rain down missiles to create softened targets for the Highlanders' LRMs and other long range weapons
@@vali6717 the LRM stalker is an absolute firework display of a machine. Love that ‘mech. Normally in an assault lance I take one myself, but to be honest, with this lance, I was pissing about to see how it worked. The Highlander variant that doesn’t have a ballistic hardpoint is an absolute demon of a close range ‘mech - like I say, put medium lasers, small lasers and as many SRMs on it as you can and it deletes an undamaged ‘mech each turn.
The stalker though… probably my favourite assault mech. You’ve made a good call there, in my view.
Used this a lot in MW5. Always tore out the jump jets as they're basically useless in that game. With the weight saved, more armor and sinks. The result is a beast that can blow out an Atlas in a handful of seconds, then turn and blow out its escort without breaking stride. Doing that to "March of Cambreadth" was one of the high points of the game.
Idk battlemaster be crushing it
@@BLOODKINGbroYeah the Battlemaster was my go-to when I couldn't get Atlases. Named it _Black Monday_ because it made everything crash.
there a mod that greatly improves the jump jets
Loved the royal Highlander in HBS Battletech. My most memorable kill was a Highlander burial on the head of an otherwise pristine Atlas.
My friend didn't know how good these things were playing MW5 and he got blindsided in a Kintaro by a Jeager and a Thunderbolt I tanked them both without hesitation. This beast is a flying brick with enough fire power to mop anything in a lighter weight bracket.
It's a beast. It can fight other assaults pretty well too. Especially in the Tabletop.
@@BigRed40TECH I just got into the tabletop! The only mech I got you hadn't covered was the Exterminator. Your video on it came out as I was putting the finishing touches on my Wolverine. I am painting this real assassin in Com Gaurd colors.
Nice.
Comstar was one of my favourite factions when I first got into the setting too. All too cool :)
@@BigRed40TECH Stiener for life. Who needs tactics when you have logistics!? ...then the Clanners came :,(
@@BigRed40TECH My Merc Companies are always named "ComStar Collections Agency"...
DO YOU HEAR THE BAGPIPES TOO???😁
Got to love the IIC it is so true to the original, unlike several other IIC offerings, but with a significant hike in firepower thanks to clan streamlining.
Sometimes you just go with what works.
This mech stayed the truest to it´s earliest artworks especially with the characteristic hood around the cockpit windows.
But i´m glad they updated the image, the other ones haven´t exactly aged well.
I really like how MWO/MW5 depicts the Highlander as well, it looks strong and tough.
The cockpit has this badass locomotive/control tower look to it
The new Catalyst mini for it is it's peak so far I think, but the MW5/O one is pretty damn cool
Agreed! The Highlander and the Centurion are the best resculpts PGI has given us, and I adore they’re out in Catalyst’s miniatures now too. SO excited to buy the Northwind pack!
I remember someone roleplaying as a wandering northwind highlander with this as a mech he ended up fighting with my Merc company in a city defense lucky enough The GM let him keep his shiny SLDF model but he ended up being focused on by the dracs itching to head shot him, and using him as the decoy we ended up wiping out half of em and cornering their superior then calmly saying his only out was sudoku as we would most definitely prisoner exchange him and his chain of command would most definitely punish him for the failure. As this was takashi combine era.
He pussed out like a bitch. And that is how we got a shiny new Atlas. Hard to try and solo enough heavy Mechs to make a lyran cry and the Highlander Gauss. Thank God he was a da!n good shot with it.
Umm, I think you mean seppuku. Sudoku is that number grid puzzle.
@@sockmonkey6666 "Commit Sudoku" is an expression intentionally confusing the Japanese word "seppuku" for suicide by disembowelment with the Sudoku puzzle game. It is often associated with the engrish catchphrase "shamefur dispray".
@@kythebengzon8023 I know. Just teasing. There's a comic somewhere showing a samurai carving a number grid on his torso.
The 'Ultimate urban defence mech"?! Only until the Urbie starting rolling off the production lines. 😎
ONCE THE BIG URB IS MASS PRODUCED!
The bit that confused me is saying that the gauss rifle was chosen specifically for urban defense... right, because the long range sniper rifle is key for house fighting.
And his Big Bro - Annihilator
@@scottmacgregor3444 Well the fact alone that feudal societies fighting over what is basically infinite resources is where humanity is at in this universe never made me think they possess much intelligence in the first place
I mean if I was in control of city defense. I would definitely want Highlanders and Urbies. I’m sure there are other Mechs but I’m still learning which are for city defense or urban fighting.
*SCOTLAND THE BRAVE INTESIFIES*
IMO one of the most tactically flexible I.S. assaults available, able to engage at any range and incredibly resilient. It's slow, but the excellent selection of weapons means it's got something for almost any situation (it can be a little weak vs. infantry and BA though). It's a titan of war, wading into battle like a walking battleship and unleashing hell...
And then it jumps on you.
If you aren't BLARING bagpipe music the entire time this video is playing, you are doing it WRONG.
@@Archris17 To be fair, you could instead be blaring classic heavy metal in your hot pink Highlander.
A good note about infantry. A lot of people overlook infantry because of course a mech with proper weaponry instantly remove them. But a mech not properly armed will instead waste most their ammo just trying to delete one platoon.
@@codyraugh6599 meanwhile if that one platoon is in good cover and has portable SRM launchers or medium lasers, or even emplaced AC2s and 5s, they can be a genuine threat to a mech! That's not even accounting for elite jump infantry who swarm all over your mech and start slapping satchel charges in your joints! A mechwarrior who discounts infantry may one day have a sudden and VERY rude wake-up call!
@@codyraugh6599 Thank you.
I can't recall if the Highlander has one t or SRM ammo or two. If it has two, taking a ton of inferno ammo would resolve most of the infantry issues.
I really like the inclusion of the extended history and setting surrounding this mech. Even more enjoyable! Also, please do speculate. All of us can read tech readouts and availability lists; the inclusion of your informed extrapolation is actually extremely useful.
It was a blast to make it. :)
My favorite assault, in both HBS and MW5.
There's just something about the appearance that makes it so striking and appeasing. The rest is just icing on the cake.
I love the appearance and the function.
It looks menacingly utilitarian
Running the Royal Highlander in the HBS game, swapped the LRMs and a medium laser for an upgraded AC/20, double heat sinks mean more ammo and armor. The result is an absolutely insane brawler, nothing like jumping behind an atlas and coring it out with a full alpha strike to the back.
But Red, you already talked about Star Corps immortal design, the Warhammer. A mech so good, it's base model was in use for longer then some nations in universe existed.
I love the Highlander and its mighty gauss rifle. For those times when you need to hurl a brick at subsonic speeds from across the battlefield into someone's cockpit. Nothing else quite gets the job done like a Highlander.
You mean super sonic right? Subsonic is less than 1,130 feet per second. Gauss rifle in universe is well over 3000 feet per second.
@@Ratkill9000 gauss ballistic tables must be nuts
*Coughs in Fafnir*
@@nicolasgodines1129 UwU daddy Fafnir would like to have some words with us all.
He's not angry, just disappointed
@@ian5395 If he was angry, we would have all been cored by now, lol.
The Highlander is a solid, solid design. Like most every mech, it can do a lot with a capable pilot but it certainly isn't the almighty god-mech some believe it to be.
A favourite of mine in the IS assault class though for sure. And my opinion is exactly that.
It's one of the great standouts from 2750 imo.
If it isn't then what is?
@@thatonecarguy_bg2701 maybe there isn't one.
@@thatonecarguy_bg2701 No Mech is godlike just because of what it is ... If it's played right and smart it can reach a godlike status ... Have seen too many players think because they choose a certain Mech they can wipe the field .... Only to see them scream & cry when their Mech is reduced to slag or salvage by smarter players in same or lesser Mechs
Reputation mixed with capability and a overwhelmingly terrifying weapon, does that make it a god? Maybe not but fear is a god like power.
My introduction to the highlander was on a snowy planet killing Taurian’s. That 732B became my favorite mech in the series and since then. I try to get every highlander I can get my grubby little hands on. The reason these things are rare isn’t because of los tech. It’s because every mercenary company I run can field 2 full lances of assorted models including PP and RS’s though I mainly use 732B’s and 733C’s I just love the flexibility and the ability to do a burial.
I went out of my way to protect the one I got in the HBS game.
In MW5 it's the assault mech that I keep the jump jets in. And yes, I landed a couple DFAs.
It didn't matter if we were down to the last enemy in a mission. If they damage my Gauss Rifle, that's an instant restart.
The Royal Highlander is probably the first SLDF mech for many first time players of HBS BattleTech. Nothing quite like the first time of being gifted an assault mech with a Gauss Rifle, double heatsinks, and jump jets all at once.
The Highlander is easily my favorite of all Assault Mechs that I know of. There's just this simple majesty of its loadout combined with the flexibility of actually being able to jump at its tonnage. Plus it's one of those mechs where the Succession Wars and the creation of Lostech didn't hinder it that much. Compared to most other mechs of its tonnage, the downgrades did very little to harm its damage output. Sure it can't headchop with an AC/10 or regular PPC, but it doesn't need to when those and downgrading to single heat sinks is all that's changed from its loadout. Marvelous mech.
... best-boy. Love this machine...
All the Highlander film franchise references made me smile.
Definitely my second-favorite 'Mech in the whole of BattleTech, and it's even sometimes a coin toss whether I like this or the BattleMaster better. Partly because I'm also a fan of the Highlander films and series, partly because it's just a damn solid machine, able to do everything. It may not excel in any one area, but it rarely overheats or finds itself with nothing to do. The only flaw I can think of, and it's a very minor one, is that it's hard to pair with my other favorite 'Mech, the BattleMaster moving 4/6 and the Highlander 3/5/3, making hard to keep them in formation on the tabletop. But that's probably not something I should be doing anyway. Never said I was any good at the game, just that I like it.
The Highlander: It is the one, the only one. It is the god of kingdom come. Just give it the prize. It's a kind of magic.
My favourite Assault Mech! Love me a good Highlander burial! Such an iconic Warmachine.
Ah, the Highlander - it's a kind of magic.
Did you catch the "Who wants to live forever anyway" line? Nice touch 😉
The fact that this thing can actually jump via jump jets is mindboggling and terrifying.
It's the 90-metre jump that many mechwarriors see only once in their lives really :P
I appreciate the nice long form video. I've been a Highlander driver since forever, and this machine holds a special place in my heart.
My main unit has the maximum amount of armor the chassis will support.
Everything else has been stripped out, in favor of two AC fives, in the right arm. 3 large pulse lasers in the left.
All else is CASE, ammo, and an AMS, and an upgraded engine.
The rest of the available tonnage is taken up by double heat sinks.
It has been built, and refined with the sole purpose that when it begins firing, it has no need to stop, under any circumstances.
Sounds like the Highlander IIC(C)
@@Red-S-267 no way. Inner sphere for life!
@@taxman3749 I understand the Inner Sphere pride. But if I’m gonna have any Clan mechs it might as well be Highlander and Bullshark variants.
i must say, the HGN-732b is my absolute all time best battlemech, because it can do just about everything, and the royal variant (if MW5 had programmed it correctly) its like near impossible to overheat, and i prefer this over an Atlas any time because its long range fire power is a lot better than an Atlas with its Gauss Rifle. And if it must get into a brawl, it has the weapons to do it with if it must, though long range is its preferred strategy. Those Jump Jets really help mitigate its slow speed and give it a better ability to fight on mountainous terrain. Its a mech that can just do about anything...except for outrunning most mechs but it doesn't have to do that.
Stand and die, or run and die tired.
Highlanders, one the best SL Era assaults, (and SW for that matter) period.
I personally love the SW Era 733P, and 733C variants. A PPC is a great substitute for a gauss if you care more about endurance than heat. And as for the 733C, AC/20 'nuff said 😎
Love how you slipped in lyrics from the Highlander song by queen. Top knotch.
It was a ton of fun making this one lol
Awesome job Bear. I love the opening shot of the Highlander Burial of an Atlas. And the badassness of this vid gives me very high hopes for the Black Knight. Keep up the great work bro!!!
Great mech. It was actually the first ones my unit used at their very beginning. Found them complete with Star League era tech as part of a hidden cache/factory used by Kerenski during the Amaris Civil War that was left behind under the guard of a part of the family that would go on to found Ghost Bear. We lost them after a contract with the Draconis Combine in which they didn't pay us and stole the mechs and us to leave at gun point. We basically were down to two dragons and a blackjack which we sold and parted out to get what would turn out to be an incredible line up of an Atlas, an Awesome, a Commando, and a Catapult that rarely had two missile pods often swapping the other out for lasers or auto cannons. Eventually found an Archer in the wreck of a ship to replace the catapult but the pilot died and the unit outside of the commander pretty much dissolved. Guy in the Commando retired and the guy in the awesome joined a different group. He ended up finding the Highlander the one that died had and got ahold of us, we stole it back but the other guy died in the effort. We salvaged another after a fight with Combine forces but it was heavily stripped of its Star League tech. The other two we got back by various means one of which was still in the hands of the of the guy that stole them from us. It was after a joint job between FedCom and the Dracs against smoke jag, we stayed behind to celebrate while the FedCom rushed off, the Dracs commander didn't recognize us and thought we were FedCom. We ended up stealing the clan salvage which included a few mechs AND our highlander (last of the four) back, blew the engines on a Crab and a couple of Dragons, exposed the Drac Commander for what he was, then issued a challenge to the Smoke Jags under his name on the way out pinning the blame for what happened next squarely on him. Those four highlanders were patched up back to how they were when we found them and put into storage. A statue of them however is on display on the planet.
Such a good mech, it's like if the Commando (another incredible and well designed and built mech) grew up to be an assault mech.
What I always love the most about this mech is the portrayal of what likely is a mega-corporation in a sci-fi setting. In that when they realize that people who use their military equipment are doing a very specific thing that is a horrific way to die for the person you're doing it on... They didn't officially address it and instead just made it to where it damaged the internals less to that would make this risky venture even sturdier so that people would buy more of them
I did not know a thing about battletech lore
But when I read a wiki about every mec- Highlander is by far my favourite
My favorite Mech! A great command steed. Good mobility for an assault, great weapon options. And looks intimidating to boot.
It's a mean bastard and looks the role. lol
Had a well intact Star League era Highlander with lostech intact in MW5 by sheer luck in 3026, Gauss Rifle, Artemis Fire Systems and all.
...And it was all trashed in a contract gone horribly wrong. The Highlander now sits in cold storage waiting for proper replacements.
I actually face palm upon looking at my losses.
Oooooof
And this is how Tech became Los. Now you've experienced it first hand xD
Very well done dude. Great writeup of one of the best Inner Sphere Assaults ever.
Truly an excellent assault mech for its time (and beyond).
I fell in love with the HGN-732 early on in my Battletech experience. I was able to upgrade to the 732b later on, and took that machine into the Clan Invasion era. It was one of the few designs that could stand up to many of the Clan invaders. Even the non-royal 732 was a match for many Clan machines. This and a modified Marauder II are the two machines I almost always play.
There can only be one! Great upload!
th-cam.com/video/sqcLjcSloXs/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=RobNYYankees
Excellent as always. Though I do have a pet peeve. A lot of people say "HighlandER Burial" but the phrase is actually just "Highland Burial" as it's a reference/joke about the Scottish funerary custom of having a highland burial. Getting jumped on by a Highlander gives you a highland burial. Calling it a Highlander burial ruins the joke because it obfuscates the reference, IMO
But I'm also old and language drifts over time, so who knows. Doesn't matter that much, I just felt like I needed to say it lol.
Again, not a knock on the video. It was fantastic as ever. Keep it up
If I didn't see you say it, I was going to.
Thanks for finally reviewing my favorite assault mech!
44 minutes. This pleases me. I'll have to give this beast a chance soon
I love the Highlander platforms. It is a great all purpose mech with great flexibility and range.
This is a personal favorite of my group.
I played a game with one team comprised of a King Crab, an Orion, and some light mech with jump jets (I don't remember what) VS a Marauder, and a Highlander.
It was fairly equal in BV at first.
But relatively early on the MAD and HGN got separated letting the King Crab and Orion beat on the MAD.
I was about to have the MAD jump out of there, but the King Crab shot it's AC20 at the MAD's arm, the MAD failed the PSR and fell on the same arm, destroying it completely.
The next turn the King Crab got another shot with the AC20, on the head. The MAD was instantly dead.
That same turn the Highlander kicked off the light mech's leg, making it a fresh Hobbler.
It was now a two against one, the HGN could only jump about and wait out the expenditure of the KGC's AC20 ammo. This paid off, the time to strike had happened.
Through a series of SRMs, ML blasts, and kicks, the KGC was devastated by failed PSRs, losing a leg and it's head by critical damage roll of 12.
The Orion's destruction was quickly followed by an ammunition explosion blasting it.
Finally, the the Hobbler was left.
The Highlander performed it's trademark DFA, crushing it under heel.
God, I love Battletech! It's so dynamic.
It is quite funny listening to the tabletop specification of the 8 shot gauss and at the same time looking at the mercenaries 5 footage where it has 80 shots total.
45 minutes dedicated to one of my favorite mechs? Yes please.
People voted for it. I keep my word. lol
This is my favorite battlemech! Thank you for this :) !
Love the Highlander :D
Far and away my favorite assault mech.
I never had a highlander mini because I only played 3025-3050 inner sphere.
I need to find a nice highlander mini.
Highlander operated in 3025. The video within shows this.
The Capellan Confederation will not be denied!
I like the MWO version. The minis ARE available if you have access to a 3d printer, and know where to look for the files.
@@gkeaton9755 Yeah, I liked the look of the FASA sculpt, but never got one. Now I am really interested in 3D printing mechs.
As for a 3025 version, the 2750 TRO was always my favorite to read, just never got around to playing any of it.
Really dude?! Good insertion of Queen lyrics at 5:50. Props on that. This video is so packed with PUNS for those who notice the callbacks LOL. They're from "Lots of different places."
I couldn't help it. lol
Battletech 2018 made me fall in love with the Highlander.
As a fan of both Battletech and I certain movie involving swords and losing your head... bravo sir.
There can be only one!
You really stomped the landing on this one, great job!
Thanks a lot!
The movie references had me chuckling, especially the Queen quote. 😄👍
There are 3 quotes hidden within (at least!) :P
@@BigRed40TECH I spotted two, will check again while I'm at work tonight. Keep up the good work, love your mech breakdowns.
@@duncantiv I got Darkest powers and who wants to live foreverz plus of course the title card's "there can only be one"
@@DIEGhostfish nice! I also forgot the "One Vision" card with the Confederation logo, which just happens to be an arm wielding a katana. Very nice double meaning on that one.
One of my favorite Mechs!
This was great. I really enjoyed the extended format and the Highlander is definitely one of my favorite mechs.
Oh my, one of my favourites!
Thanks for this. Was such a great video!
Never played with it and very rare to find in the battletech video game as you have to get 4 or 5 parts to make the mech complete. It seems very powerful.
Aaaaah...
The venerable HGN-732...Totem Spirit of Northwind.
If the Atlas is a Hammer, the Highlander is a Scalpel (being hit from behind by a hammer.)
Easily my favorite mech in any version of BattleTech!
Great video. Love it! As Tex said, get Foched.
I loved hearing the Mechcommander 2 music in the background!
My favorite IS assault mech! What a beast.
It's definitely brutal.
@@BigRed40TECH funny enough though. I think the 733c is actually nastier than the 732. That ac20 is just nasty.
most excellent. such mech, so lore. loved listening to this during my workout.
Awesome :D
The SLDF commissioned a school to train its pilots in the Highlander Burial technique, it was known as the Special Tactical Redeployment and Weapons School, but to the Pilots it was better known as TOPFOOT.
Very well done, this vid! Thank you!
Thank you :D
Awesome video. I enjoy the Highlander. Informative as always. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! This one took a ton of time and research.
Incredible Vibe
Beautiful presentation
Good work Man
Found a melee equipped Highlander in MW5 and that was fun but later I ran into the hero version which had a assault claymore by default and oh boy.
Love the highlander, although, while a solid design, does sacrifice for those 6 tons of jump jets compared to other fightier assaults. That said, those jump jets give it amazing flexibility in dense terrain, useful for urban and command roles. And that reinforced leg quirks, and the cowl, yes yes yes. It also seems to kind of be a poster boy for the SLDF in that its literally in the posters, being front and center in alot of the CGL and other official and fan art with the SLDF or offshoots of it, you often see it in comstar art or others like the northwind highlanders or eridani.
Those jump jets have come in clutch for me on several occasions. Absolutely worth it
i so love this mechs design, its epic and very intriguing to me, and honestly if i had to pick an Assault mech (and there was no Atlas available) i would almost always pick a Highlander, its just such an awesome and versatile maschine ^^ thx for the absolute detailed Vid ^^
Loved the way you just wrecked that atlas at the end . It never stood a chance.
i remember calling this the mister roboto mech because of the rectangular head that reminds me a lot to the robot designs from the 60s
Yes the Highlander at last! This mech has been by baby ever since I was introduced to it back in Battletech 2017. A veritable Jack of All Trades of an Assault Mech that I would argue is superior to the Atlas mobility wise.
An Atlas will typically stop a Highlander.
But if you're in the Highlander, you're last job is to stop they Atlas. Your job is to disrupt him, and kill his friends. lol
While it is true that the Highlander in that game's campaign is better than the typical Atlas, that Highlander comes with lostech attached to it giving it advantages not inherently given very many mechs in the campaign. The lostech Atlas from the campaign is much more frightening than the Highlander.
And Glitch always gets the Highlander. “Did you see that? Did you see it?” =)
Love the references to the movie.
It's almost born to be a King with the Princess of the Battlefield XD
Highlander IIC's only flaw is that we never saw enough of them!
I still love the 2750 TRO book Highlander. The art really shows off what it should be.
Mechwarrior 2 music still slaps. It's still my favorite game soundtrack of all time.
Liking the long-form content!!
I love the short vids, I love the long vids, keep 'em coming! 🙏🏼💪🏼
I pulled off a Highlander burial on an Atlas in MW5 last night! Probably my proudest gaming moment hahaha damn near hucked my controller out of excitement.
Huge fan. Can you please eventually do a series of videos detailing the lesser known groups. Magistry of Canopus, Local Gorvernments, Pirate Utopias, etc.
Would love to. But that's not the easiest series of things to cover. In the future, maybe.
Sweet! I love your videos because you bring a professional flair to the universe we love, while other tubers ... not so professional in their profanity etc. The Houses lore have been done to death. Some tubers have obviously touched on clans and such. Rasselhague always has a soft spot in my heart because ya know, who doesnt like an under dog. But the true under dogs are local governments and pirates right?
@@invictusanimi Agreed! There really are only two Battletech creators worth watching that I've found. Big Red 40k and BlackPantsLegion.
really enjoyed the There Can Be Only One Reference.
Good timing I happened to be painting a highlander when this dropped
My envy is real :(
In tabletop, i love this assault mech the most because it has range, armor, and jump capability. In MechWarrior Online, I love it for the same reason, my Highlander 733P is my signature mech, the one I have the most hours (literally nearly a MONTH of in-game time over 10 years) in and the most kills in. Were I a MechWarrior in the Northwind Highlanders, my 733P, the "Crom Dubh", would be my baby.
Awesome video loved the history you did for those mech.
Thanks! I always do my best to make these things the best that they can be :)
Hello Red.
The Highlander is another favorite Mech of mine. Although, like most, I do tend to modify it a bit.
The most radical change is to the 694 and 734 models. With these, I tend to do away with all, or most other weapons systems, in favor of a 2nd Gauss Rifle and ammo for it, as well as adding a Supercharger to the design. And in the case where the basic model does not have jump jets, I add those as well.
I have even modified the Clan's Highlander IIC-3 model. Again going for dual Gauss, but in this case, dual HAG weapons. With the Highlander IIC-3, I keep the LRM-20 and its ammo, delete most other things, add a supercharger, a 2nd HAG with ammo, and finally, an Anti-Missile system and a ton of ammo for it in the Head.
Right before I ceased playing Battletech around 2008, and before the old Emperor's Headquarters closed its doors, I fought an Inner Sphere vs Clan battle that saw me making one of those 'one in a million' Headshots on a Highlander IIC-3. The battle ended in an IS win, and I was able to salvage the Highlander (got lucky on the dice rolls). I was able to trade with another player for his salvaged HAC-20 and ammo, by trading away a Mech from my own forces that he desired. This gave me the wherewithal to modify the Mech to my design.
After that, I pretty much was not able to field the Mech, due to players seeing it as 'too powerful' to use. And the few times I did field it, the Mech served with distinction. Stripping 2 1/2 ton of armor (1 1/2 FFA) from a Mech with each shot landed by each HAG, caused many players to retreat, rather than see their expensive Mech destroyed. For those willing to brave the firepower, the 14.5 tons of armor on the Mech enable it to stand up to withering fire and dish out 20-point hits each with its two main weapons, and the raining of LRM-20 salvos.
Although the Mech has no 'energy' weapons, and limited ammo, it rarely lets me down in battle. Usually having more than enough ammo to win a battle, and in the rare cases of running out, the Mech charges in using its supercharger to move 6 hexes per turn, to deal punishing blows, kicks, and of course, Highlander Burials.
Another great mech video.
Glad you enjoyed it
My favorite assault mech ❤
I have a personal favorite build for merctech modded MW5 with the Highlander.
Clan 350xl engine, RAC5, 3 medium pulse lasers, a clan LRM20, And clan srm6s and _AN_ improved jumpjet.
It's made to bully anything smaller and fights well against the few things bigger...it has an unfortunate habit of coring mechs thanks to blowing up ammo.
_VERY_ expensive to set up, but I've done max difficulty missions relatively unscathed
For HBS, I actually like the P variant, usually switching out the PPC for either a Large laser or a snub PPC for more of a brawler role.
Works well in tandem with the Atlas, IMO. That gauss rifle is great for making holes for the Atlas's LRMs, and a highlander burial or a steel fist with 90 tons of righteous indignation can be comparable to an Atlas's AC20 in the right circumstances.
The HGN-740 is an absolute beast, though. I'm not too familiar with the new tech in the later settings but Capacitor PPCs sound like a real treat!
Basically means it can charge its PPC and do more damage.
Nice Highlander references! There can only be one!
and Queen references too!
after listening to this story now is my favorite assault mech
This mech is the basis for one of the most famous, awe inspiring, and fear inducing quotes from all of Battletech.
"But Sir, The Atlas... The Atlas... IT JUMPED!!!!"
Though accredited to an Atlas in the quote, the Highlander must have inspired exactly that same dread in any who saw it take flight, and then flatten and bury another mech under it's massive feet.