Heavy Mech Tier List (BATTLETECH 3025)

today Commander we're gonna rank every single BattleTech heavy Mech and its most notable variant on a tier list from s to f s being the best F being the worst if you watch the end you'll learn which mechs are the top performers for our mercenary company and also how to use each Mech as a member of an effective team for this in-depth analysis we use an evaluation Matrix and measured each Mech based on 27 different factors split into six major categories offense defense utility Logistics cost and availability and to make sure this list is useful to you as a commander no matter where in the inner sphere or contracts take you we're leaving the availability out until the end so we can just get a rating of the max performance that'll tell us which Mech should form the core of your mercenary company while still keeping you aware of regional opportunities with that being said Commander let's kick off our tier list with the first category the battle line mechs battleline Max form the front line that the rest of the team fights around their job is to take and receive damage shielding more lightly armored mechs from harm let's start out with a nice average performer so we can form a good Baseline and that's the universally available Thunderbolt 5S while it doesn't have the most damage it's a Mech with high armor and can fight reasonably well at every range bracket by dumping its ammo it can also raise its defense to levels that rival some assault mechs its flexibility makes it very useful and it scores A 5.6 or a B on our tier list the most notable variant is the Thunderbolt 5se it shifts the mech to a hybrid roll that can fight as both a battle line Mech or a Cavalry Mech it's a bit worse than the original because it no longer does meaningful damage at long range and can't fight infantry it's usable but flawed and raids out to a c plus on our tier list not to worry Commander we'll be taking a look at much better Cavalry and hybrid options for our mercenary company a bit later in the video but first let's continue on with the battle line mechs by looking at the Orion its Loadout is similar to the Thunderbolts but with better piercing and critical hit in exchange for a worse defense the main reason for taking the Orion over the Thunderbolt however is for the Orion's anti-aircraft Quirk instead of having to use a mech-based lot on a fragile anti-aircraft Mech like a Rifleman or jagermech a mercenary unit can use the Orion to cover the anti-aircraft Pro well enough for this rare and very useful Quirk the Orion scores a 6.0 or an A minus on our tier list the best variant the Orion V adds a second srm4 by dropping its armor this is a bit risky for a frontliner but a decent choice if the unit needs additional critical hit the Orion V scores a B plus on our tier list now that we have a good Baseline going Commander let's look at why the compelling confederation's new Mech the catapract misses the mark the cataprak has very good offense with two piercing weapons but has clear defensive issues the mech has only 16 points of armor in the torsos and packs both main weapons on the right side this makes the catapract a bit of a bully Mech rather than a solid Defender it'll perform well as long as the fights are easy but if it takes a few unlucky shots or gets itself into an extended brawl the mech may fall apart early the Prototype 1X is usable but flawed it race to a 5.0 or a c plus on our tier list its variant the 2x I would not recommend under any circumstances it has a 75 chance of ammunition explosion on the left torso which is unacceptable before Mech expected to trade blows on the front line it scores an F on our tier list I suppose the capellans can be forgiven for such shoddy construction Commander the catapract was made out of whatever Parts their failing infrastructure could locally produce after all nothing like our next Mech the rare and exquisitely designed Black Knight it's an all energy build that makes it impossible to be destroyed by an ammunition explosion and because it spreads its weapons across multiple locations the Black Knight will remain a threat until completely destroyed this makes it very reliable as a frontliner its armor is a bit low for a brawler which means it'll draw frequent repair costs but it's a decent command Mech for those that like to fight on the front lines the succession War era Black Knight scores a 5.8 and rates to a b-plus on our tier list the three worlds lead Black Knight 7 Elbert is even better the mech traded PPC for a large laser and two heat sinks this lets it sustain three piercing attacks a turn the highest out of any heavy Mech in the secession War era for this unique ability the kntl rates to a 6.3 or an A on the tier list rounding out the battle line group is the lyrin Commonwealth Flashman it's a reliable energy build with solid combat performance it's only penalized for its rather high cost it rates to A 5.6 or a B on the tier list now that we've covered the battle line mechs who fight on the front lines let's take a look at the group of mechs that fight behind them by moving on to the range group these are mechs meant to sit behind the battle line and do damage from afar or provide some kind of utility benefit to the unit let's look at some poorly designed range mechs first before taking a look at the better ones first off The Rifleman originally designed as a fire support Mech during the star league the rifleman's loadout is outdated the ac5s don't do enough damage to be impactful and the max low armor makes it risky to move into effective range with its large lasers on the modern Battlefield The Rifleman is really more of a utility Mech best attached to command lenses at the company level or higher they are the rifleman's anti-aircraft targeting and advanced communication system can help a commander defend against aircraft and coordinate his units The Rifleman scores a 4.3 and race to a seat on our tier list the original 2N variant with ppcs reduces the number of anti-aircraft weapons and as significant heat limitations it rates to an F next up is the jagermech used by the Federated Suns it's an anti-aircraft specialist with paper thin armor because of the limited role in a drop ship we're usually better off taking multiple generalist mechs over Specialists this allows us to have the highest number of useful mechs for any given situation because it performs so poorly at anything else other than shooting down aircraft the jagermech scores a 3.0 on our scale and rates to an F the jagermec a variant with lrm 15s has better damage but has limited ammunition and the same defense issues it also rates to an F next is the highly desired Marauder while this rare Mech is often used as a status symbol by Mech Warriors in the final analysis The Marauder is in reality a bit average too few heatsinks limit its ability to Output high damage and it's a bit risky to use long term because of the 100 ammunition explosion risk on the left torso when taking in costs as an additional factor and reconsidering long-term risk to the pilot we have to regrade The Marauder a B minus the original variant isn't a bad Mech but but there are cheaper alternatives out there the Davion Marauder 3D which removes the ammunition explosion risk makes it more consistent overall it rates to a B plus not to worry Commander I know you said you were looking for a Mech you can use as your personal command vehicle and after looking at all the heavy mechs available I think the best one is next on our list the Archer it has good armor and defense against critical hits for a range Mech and has a strong easy to understand offense while it doesn't have the legendary history of the marauder the common everyday Archer has consistent and solid fundamentals its scores an A on the tier list opposite to this is the Bombardier a Mech inferior to the archer in nearly every way the Mecca's poor endurance carrying only enough ammunition for six savvos compared to the archers 12. that means the mech will often run out of ammunition mid-fight and have non-impactful damage from then on the Bombardier rates to an F now that we've covered the mechs that fight on the front line and the mechs who fight from afar I think it's a good time to introduce our first hybrid Mech category Commander the range battle line hybrids most of these mechs have have high offense but lower defense they usually start fighting in the range role before moving forward to the battle line later in the fight major benefits to having this type of Mech is that they aren't as reliant on protection as a range Mech but can still do damage from afar their numerous weapons can also fill in anything their Lance might be missing we can see an example of a range battle line hybrid by looking at the lyrin Commonwealth's Archer 2s it starts the fight with its lrm 15s in the range role and then swaps over to the battle line roll with its srms and medium lasers once range is close individual performance of the Archer 2s is lower because of the additional ammunition it has to carry but it scores higher on the Utility side because of its additional critical hit weapons it rates to a 5.5 or a B equipped similarly to the Steiner Archer is the Crusader 3r it fights nearly identically to the Archer but with a bit more offense at the cost of Defense the SRM ammunition in the center torso risks a through armor critical hit that can instantly destroy the mech the Crusader is usable but flawed it must fight very cautiously in order to be successful the mech scores a 4.8 or a c plus on our tier list the Lial 3 l varint shifts the Crusader to a range Cavalry hybrid by adding jump Jets it drops its offensive power a bit too low in order to do so though the Liao 3L scores a 4.4 or a c the heaviest hitter on this list is the Warhammer originally designed as a shock troop during the star league this Mech has tremendous Firepower but low armor the Warhammer has particularly low leg armor which means it should always be behind some kind of partial cover to negate leg hits because its glass Cannon design often makes it a priority Target for the enemy I recommend only taking the Warhammer when the unit has six or more mechs so its allies can defend it better the Warhammer rates to a respectable 5.3 or a B on the tier list the Davion 6D on the other hand is a fantastic example of less is more removing the SRM and machine guns lets the 60 increase its defense to assault Mech levels and helps it manage its heat better it's effectively a smaller awesome with better brawl capability and more maneuverability the Warhammer 6D scores a 7.2 and rates to an s with that out of the way Commander we now have a good overview of how the more static mix rating at each other now let's move on to the category of mechs that are aggressive Playmakers the Cavalry next their job is to disrupt the battle line in range Max using their speed to flank into vulnerable rigors or sides there aren't very many mechs in this category since most of the pure Cavalry mechs are in the medium class but let's take a quick look so that we can understand the arguably more useful hybrid mechs that blend the Cavalry and battleline roles or the ranged in Cavalry rolls first up the Free World League exterminator the original Star League variant was equipped with Advanced cloaking technology that enabled it to perform assassinations but these days the downgraded succession Wars era exterminator is just a Cavalry Mech it has solid armor excellent maneuverability and decent striking power its numerous weapons and tonnage also make it a big threat to light Max one kick from the exterminator will often threaten to teara light mech's leg completely off in a single shot this Mech performs on the battlefield but is expensive and difficult to maintain there are better options available the Exterminator rates to a 4.6 or a c the champion now here's a Mech that suffered more than most since the fall of the star league while damage is good the downgrades from Advanced ferrofibrous armor to standard armor have crippled it 13 armor on the legs is unacceptable for a heavy Mech that's expected to get in close I expect this Mech to be extinct and in the next few centuries it rates to an F the Quick Draw 4G it has excellent speed at 585 but low armor and terrible weapons placement that makes it hit lighter than a number of medium mechs When comparing it to better Cavalry options like the Wolverine 6m and Griffin 1s from The Medium class it's clear that the Quick Draw is a waste of money F the Quick Draw 5 a variant improves damage output but its low armor is still a concern it's barely possible and rates to a c minus okay now that we understand what the Cavalry mechs do we can better understand the benefit of the Cavalry battleline hybrids Cavalry battle line hybrids normally want to get into rear and sides like Cavalry mechs but they also have a high events which means a commander can also bring them in to reinforce the battle line A major benefit to this hybrid is that they're less needy compared to our Pure Cavalry Mech during the initiative phase commanders can activate a Cavalry battle line hybrid early and let it trade knowing that the mech's high armor will keep it safe a lightly armored Cavalry Mech on the other hand will be more greedy wanting the team's later turns to get into position the first of these useful hybrids is the assault it's an energy Mech whose large lasers give it respectable piercing and its medium lasers give it efficient follow-up its weakness is that it's vulnerable to flanks its rear side torsos can be cripped by a single shot of a medium laser and it will also draw a higher than average repair cost because of its low armored arms that being said though the mech will still perform with a bit of looking after the oscill rates to a 5.3 or a B its variant the 4f is a range Cavalry hybrid It suffers from consistency issues because it just carries two ppcs and doesn't have enough heat sinks to maintain a constant barrage the variant rates to a c plus this second Mech is the osrock also produced by Osman Industries it has the same rear and arm issues as the assault but is a better offense because of the addition of an srm4 ammunition is stored in the center torso but the mech's narrow low profile will reduce the chance of a through armor critical hit the osrock rates a bit higher to a 5.9 or a B plus on our tier list the osrock 2m variant is a Cavalry Mech armed with just two large lasers this makes it suffer from consistency issues it rates to a 4.4 or a c a Mac with none of these issues however is the grasshopper it's a Mech with near perfect armor allocation and weapons placement its heatsinks allow it to bring a tremendous amount of damage once it closes the brawl range the grasshopper is a mobile threat that can take a tremendous amount of punishment before it goes down for these qualities it scores a 7.4 or an S harder to find but surprisingly even better is the guillotine it's nearly identical to the grasshopper but with slightly worse weapons placement in exchange for a much better offense the srm-6 gives tremendous critical hit potential instead of the Grasshoppers lrm5 which is only really useful against Vehicles if we ever see a guillotine on the market we should be sure to snap it up if we can afford it the guillotine scores even higher than the grasshopper at a 7.7 or an S its variant the 4p sacrifices armor for PPC which makes it a pure Cavalry Mech it's a bit less flexible but useful nonetheless it rates to a 5.8 or a B plus this brings us to the mechs who are arguably the most useful to a mercenary company the range in Cavalry hybrids heavy mechs in this category are useful in nearly any situation they can join a unit of Cavalry Max providing fire support during the attack but can also join a unit of rangemex fighting alongside them and using their speed and armor to intercept attackers in larger formations they're good as a Commander's quick reaction force or as a rear guard if things go badly first on this list is mountain wolf bottlenecks numac the Merlin I hear nothing but good things about this Mech and quick sales have reportedly saved the entire company from bankruptcy the mech was made specifically for Mercenaries like us and is armed similarly to the compelling confederation's Vindicator with better defense and anti-inforging capability if we're looking for an all-rounder Mech that's affordable easy to maintain and don't want to pay the ridiculous markup for a Vindicator we should consider placing an order with mountain wolf battlemech soon the mech rates to a B on our tier list next up the hot tank that got me exiled from the draconess combine the dragon it's a Mech with bad offense and an even worse defense it's ac5 and lrm 10 give it a combat performance barely over the well-known useless Mech the shadowhawk low damage means it has to often charge into melee rather than act as a fire support platform it was intended to be on top of this the Mecca's inadequate armor on the side torsos and horrendous structural design even with ammunition dumping it has a 50 chance to explode on the left torso and 100 chance to explode on the right torso If It suffers a critical hit the ugly truth is that the original dragon 1n is a downright failure of a Mech it rates to a 2.7 or an F all isn't lost though I'm happy to report the new prototype Dragon 1G is a dramatic Improvement above the original the swap from the ac5 to a PPC improves both damage and defense so the dragon can perform its job properly the dragon 1G now being called the Grand Dragon rates to a 5.2 or a B minus next up is the rare and often misused catapult its double lrm 15s backed by four medium lasers means that the jump capable catapult is best used with finesse clever Pilots will choose the range the victim is weakest and force them to make bad trades the max medium lasers make up for its limited ammunition letting it continue to fight even after its ammo runs out the Catapult is an extremely valuable Mech that can take on nearly any situation it's put into it rates to a 6.7 or an A on our tier list the draconis combine K2 variant with two ppcs but no jump Jets is a decent range Mech and helps the combine make up for its lack of Warhammer it rates to a b before we determine the best heavy mechs to use in a mercenary company Commander I'd like to mention two unusual mechs that don't fit into the normal categories the first is the downgraded stalker 4p it's a line breaker Mech designed to overpower the enemy battle line by having more Firepower and armor in exchange for being slower although it's 75 tons which technically makes it a heavy Mech we'll be holding off rating it until the assault Mech tier list so we can better compare it to its line breaker peers other unusual Mech is the landslot the original Starly glancelet 01 was a deadly Cavalry Mech it had the speed of a Commando and a penetration similar to the Black Knight l so session War era downgrades have resulted in a tragic downfall the modern Landslide O2 now limps along at the same speed as a battle line or range Mech it's now forced into The Bodyguard rule similar to the Centurion for this reason we'll be grading the Lancelot in our medium tier list so we can fairly compare it to its peers with that being said Commander here are how all the heavy mechs of 30-25 raid against each other but what happens to this list when we take the realities of the resource scrap secession Wars into account which of these mix should we choose to form the core of our mercenary companies to answer that question we need to consider availability shown here are the weighted scores of each Mech as well as their availability to a mercenary company there may be different opportunities depending on Regional Salvage available but this is what we should generally expect my research suggests the Thunderbolt and Orion are sensible picks when building up the front line of our mercenary company with the Black Knight L variant and Flashman being lucky pickups if we can find them for rangemex we should rely on the original Archer 2R and if our company needs additional critical hit weapons the boys and I can convert a few of them into the Archer 2s our range piercing mechs should be the hybrid Warhammer 6D or the Warhammer 6r if you don't want to perform refits if we're lucky enough to find any Marauders we should convert them into the more consistent Davion 3D and while it isn't ideal if we find ourselves needing more anti-aircraft mechs The Rifleman 3n is our best bet for Pure cover remix I feel we should pass on the Heavies available there are better ones in the medium class I feel it's a better strategy to spend the cash on Grasshoppers and Os rocks who can be used in both the battle line and Cavalry rolls with Guillotines being instant buys if we can find them we can also consider buying a few Merlin's or grand dragons if we want it all around their Workhorse Mech and should keep our eyes peeled for any opportunity to pick up the incredibly useful catapult C1 if you'd like to learn how to Pilot some of the mechs we've covered to their maximum potential and see improved builds for them please see the commander guides on this channel

Channel: Nerdy Overanalyzed

Views: 71,488

Keywords: Battletech, mechwarrior, battletech tabletop, battletech alpha strike, classic battletech, battletech lore, battletech review, battletech gameplay, battletech tactics, battletech mercenary, mechwarrior mercenary, how to play battletech, battletech guide, battletech game, mechwarrior 5, mechwarrior 5 mercenaries, mechwarrior online, mech warrior online, battletech, tabletop battletech, catalyst games battletech, battletech best mechs, battletech mercenaries

Id: 0wY_eGMLRxI

Length: 18min 36sec (1116 seconds)

Published: Sat May 27 2023