Battletech Lore - Vulcan Medium Battlemech

[@UCSPanther20]

From its general appearance, the Vulcan kind of gives me the same vibes as I get when I look at an older row-crop tractor: Tall and spindly.
All the better to give a mechwarrior a better view of the field when harvesting infantrymen with a Browning M2 and a flammenwerfer...

[@georgesulea]

A very under appreciated mech. With heat buildup being an issue, the Vulcan could not only smoke out enemy troops, wreck enemy installations and cause general havoc, but it could increase the heat profile of potentially brush choked battlefields and make it hard for enemy mechs to manage. A really cool design.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I agree. More dangerous than it seems.

[@Peter_Morris]

Excellent video as always, GDN. One thing for those not familiar with Battletech to note is that “machine guns” in Battletech are not the anti-infantry weapons we think of. These are weapons that most certainly are not allowed by signatories of the Geneva convention for anti-infantry duty. We’re talking .50 cal on the small end, and including 20mm scale weapons.
In this future of total war, brutality is the starting point.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

That's a good observation. Thanks for pointing it out. Someday I'll hopefully make a video on these weapon categories.

[@Peter_Morris]

@@GrimDarkNarrator When I first started playing the Mechwarrior computer games in college in the 90s, I was talking to a friend of mine and I said, “What good are machine guns against building-sized weapons?” He had played the tabletop game some and was like, “No man, let me tell you what they mean by machine gun.”

[@franksmedley8619]

Hello Grim.
During my years playing tabletop against other players of the game, I met my fair share of Vulcan Battle Mechs. Although, I only fielded three variants myself. The VL-5T, the VT-6M, and my own 'house' variant. House here meaning 'player made mod'.
My Vulcan design took advantage of Clan salvage, in that most players didn't want to utilize Clan MGs for some odd reason. I took all that I could get my hands upon and used them in quite a few upgrades to my existing Light and Medium Mech designs, and especially in the Vulcan.
My Vulcan, designated the VL-10-XM (XM standing for Experimental Model). The 9XM removes the flamer, MG, and Medium Pulse from a VT-6M model Vulcan. In replacement, it is armed with the 6M's Gauss Rifle, two 'standard' Medium Lasers, and TEN Clan Light Machine Guns, all feeding from a single ton of Ammunition. I also added hand actuators to the Mech. Mostly due to wanting the ability to pick up especially valuable salvage from a battlefield, or large shipping containers of ammo or other goods during a deep penetration raid upon the Enemy's supply chain.
The first time I fired all 10 MG's into an infantry unit, the opposing player squawked and claimed I was 'cheating'. He called over the 'Battle Master' for that particular game, and I showed the BM my Mech's stat sheet as well as it's Mech Sheet. The stat sheet showing each item in the Mech, it's tonnage, and placement, and total tonnage, as well as C-Bill cost.
The Battle Master looked over the current game turn, noted placement, combat to that point (explained by both of us players) and told my opponent that the 'math worked out', so it was 'legal'.
Needless to say, the Opponent was NOT happy that I was deleting Infantry units with single salvoes of multiple MGs. Yes, 10 MGs run through 200 rounds of ammo fairly quickly, but 20 'salvoes' is more than enough to suppress Infantry in most cases.
And in cases where a single salvo of 10 MGs was NOT enough to wipe out an Infantry unit, the two Medium Lasers were usually enough to ensure it's deletion. Leaving the Gauss to target more important targets.
I also found that the VL-10-XM was very useful in Urban settings for getting behind large Mechs making their way through city streets to backstab them at very close ranges with their pair of Mediums and multiple MGs.
Needless to say, the VL-10-XM was almost immediately 'banned' by the Playing Group after only the third or fourth time I fielded it. It seems that even though 'legal', it was considered to be 'too dangerous' to face.
Sort of a 'slap to the face' type of compliment for me, on my ability to take a Mech most did not favor, and use it effectively.
Enough for now,
spoken Frank-ly

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

That's a very entertaining story with the machine guns. Thanks for sharing :D

[@franksmedley8619]

@@GrimDarkNarrator
My posting was a bit 'messy'. I should correct that.
I started out creating the VL-9-XM Vulcan. Which swapped the standard Medium Lasers for ER Medium Lasers, removed the Flamer, and old MG. In replacement, I added eight Clan Light Machine Guns with the two tons thus saved.
The VL-10-XM removes a half ton of armor for an additional pair of Clan Light Machine Guns, pushing the total to 10 such weapons.
My reasoning was that the Vulcan was slated as deep penetration, raiding Mech, and for use mostly against Infantry formations, and potshotting Enemy Light and Medium Mechs from extended ranges with the Gauss Rifle.
Thus, I could dispense with a half ton of armor across the entirety of the Mech, which just happens to keep most of the additional armor on the arms gained by the swap in Engine and weapons types.
Although eight clan light MGs worked just fine, the added pair of the 10-XM would 'ensure' the Infantry's destruction in a single firing phase.
Pairing up a Vulcan with an updated Stinger Mech ( 1 ER Medium Laser, 4 Clan Light MGs) would make Infantry hunting far quicker and easier to deal with while harassing and raiding an Enemy's rear areas and supply chain.
I even found that making up a unit of a single Vulcan, a pair of Stingers, and an updated Locust (basically a LCT-5T, but replacing the Inner Sphere MGs with Clan versions, which enlarged it's MG complient from 3 per arm, to 6 per arm), to be an Infantry Hunter's dream team. (enough so, that I was forbidden to use Clan Light MGs for a time by the Playing Group. Again, it seems my Mechs were TOO efficient).
Oh, and while being honest here. I must admit that someone else turned my ideas against me. Taking a Hunchback Mech and arming it with a serious number of Medium Lasers, and later on, ER Mediums. The first time I 'met' on on the battlefield, it cooked several of my Mechs and basically left them piles of smoking metal in it's wake. I was NOT happy, and was surprised, but on reflection upon the events, I was pleased that at least one other Player was looking into 'non-standard' Mech designs like I was.

[@louiswilkins9624]

Dude you make really interesting stuff, Thanks for sharing this 😊

[@louiswilkins9624]

@@franksmedley8619 Dude you make great stuff 😊

[@lexington476]

Always loved the Vulcan, I like these 40 tonner's for some reason. I don't remember ever playing with or against it.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

A 40 tonner is like a beefy light mech.

[@lexington476]

@@GrimDarkNarrator I agree, to me the 40 toners are more light lance leaders than proper medium mechs, or the lighter component of a proper medium or heavy Lance.

[@77Arcturus]

Vulcan is one of my favorites alongside the Firestarter for their flamethrower weapons. When i played the tabletop BATTELETECH game i painted my Vulcan miniature a reflective sky blue to fit in with the urban settings in CITYTECH. It was a dark thrill frying infantry and overheating enemy battlemechs. In the computer version of BATTLETECH by HBS it is one of the first enemy mechs i target with my Archer's LRM 20's to take it out before it gets close enough to overheat any of my units.
Thanks for the great video as always GrimDark Narrator and happy gaming!

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Have a good day.

[@77Arcturus]

@@GrimDarkNarrator Thanks i am ha ha and hope you are doing well health wise since your last video about your acid reflux etc.

[@douglasbaker4562]

It seems that you have forged another excellent video of Battletech Lore!
This vid is as hot as lava, and flowed smoothly!
It was a very urban discussion of a deadly Mech and one I often encountered working directly with Urbanmechs. The Vulcans would try to herd us into ambushes of entire lances of Urbies, Sadly, I learned all this after loosing my WHM-6R, MAD-3D and my pride.

[@77Arcturus]

Ouch, sounds like you went to the circus and got beat up by funny looking mechs in clown camo :) I feel your pain, many are the mechs mighty in weight and power that have fallen to the more swift and lighter.
Have a good one and game on!

[@douglasbaker4562]

@@77Arcturus Yeah, that's pretty much what happened.
I was arrogant and figured that sending my Warhammer and Marauder off alone to scout was a good idea...It wasn't.
The setup, as I recall it, was a City Tech fight (so about 1997 when I got it) and we agreed to an anything goes as long as it is the same weight totals. Was agreed to 300 tons and I had a lance of a Warhammer, Marauder, Archer and a Battlemaster.
He had Vulcans (3) and the rest were Urbanmechs (6).
I got PASTED!
The Warhammer was the first to drop as I was suddenly surrounded by the little trashcans and obliterated by 3 AC10's. plus the Vulcan's weaponry...
After that It was too late to reign in my Marauder as it was already being surrounded...
We were using the double blind rules, so i needed to have a spotter to us my Archer effectively. That is why I was using Heavy Mechs to scout. I had no idea where he was, no he about me-until his Vulcans spotted my scouts...
The (painful) end.

[@starsiegeplayer]

Sometimes our stories of losing a game make the most awesome stories 🙂

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@douglasbaker4562]

@@GrimDarkNarrator You are welcome. It was an education. I never underestimated Urbanmechs or Vulcans again!
In fact, I have grown to love Urbies and grudgingly respect the Vulcan for its excellent Hit-and-Run abilities (Especially in an Urban Setting).

[@andreykuzmin4355]

I have a weakness for light, spindly mechs, like Spider, Assassin and Javelin. Now it's time to welcome Vulcan in this club!

[@boneshaman8912]

It is the most logical mech of choice when you fight infantry.

[@wallabing]

I always thought it would a quadpedal mech shaped like a tiger, or wolf armed with pulse lasers and flamethrowers.

[@brianvulcan9839]

This Vulcan Approves

[@paddymcpimpin5872]

Great video Mr. GDN as always. I have to admit my ignorance concerning this mech, however from your information I can deduce that this mech would have to be part of a mixed lance. I believe if left unsupported it would be shot full of holes. As always I'm here to support my favorite loremaster. Keep them coming sir its appreciated!!

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

We can now both watch out for the Vulcan waiting in the tree.

[@brothersgt.grauwolff6716]

there was one time I used a Vulcan in the TT game it would be the only time I would use the Vulcan I was never allowed to use the Vulcan ever again after what happened as it was one of the most WTF? moments in Battletech history as a single crit to my flamers ammo storage managed to kill 5 other players mechs as I went up like a 4th of July fireworks display gone horribly wrong

[@lordcypher7922]

Great video as always and actually makes me want to add a few Vulcans to my Battletech armies

[@gregdomenico1891]

I thought my Vulcan on the Table Top was great against Infantry, then I ran into a point of Elementals!☠

[@starsiegeplayer]

I actually hate elemental rules. The sheer amount of damage they take combined with the way hits are scored against the point and randomly distributed amongst the members make them too hard to take out, imho. A vulcan should be at least a minor threat to them.

[@gregdomenico1891]

@@starsiegeplayer Yeah, I was able to take out one, but two others got in my rear arc, a lucky roll with the SRM's, combined with the toilet paper thin rear armor, plus a critical hit on my AC ammo, and that was all she wrote. They caught me in a wood hex, so jumping out wasn't a option.

[@josephmitchelljr.4354]

Thanks

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

No problem

[@suifan6503]

I like this mech.

[@WolfHreda]

So gangly...

[@77Arcturus]

I like that gangly appearance. Gives it a industrial military look you might find in the real world.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I like it more than the humanoid ones.

[@michaelfrank2951]

does Battletech have a version of Aegis? it seems strange that these future high tech walking engines of destruction would run without any kind of networking.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Well there's the C3 targeting computer/network.

[@michaelfrank2951]

@@GrimDarkNarrator be a pretty cool episode...going in depth with FCS. Does it have any similarities? a missile can be fired off shore, guided by GPS, and attack a troop designated target with Aegis. does C3 do that?

[@starsiegeplayer]

@@michaelfrank2951 C3 has small slave units and a big master unit. The slave is not to heavy but the master is very heavy. The slaves link up to the master and form a network so that the lance can fire at one unit and use the range of the closest unit for to-hit calculations. It doesn't increase the range of the weapon. Essentially, if one slave unit is at close range, the entire lance shoots at the target with accuracy as if they are all in close range, even if they are barely within range.

[@user-cp4ku4gs7q]

It is a worker mech

[@homelessEh]

your still not grim or dark but damn it your just good at it good stuff

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks.