Why Do We Love The Condor HoverTank?
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- Опубликовано: 18 дек 2023
- Today, we look at the Condor, one of the best examples of medium hovercraft in the BattleTech universe.
Condor MF Record Sheet: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k0q5ou...
Resources: 3026 TRO, Reunification War, 3039 TRO, House Steiner Handbook, IlClan Rec Guide 26, XTRO: Republic I, 3145 TRO.
Thank you to Dwane Loose, Anthony Scroggins, Matt Plog, Bishop Steiner, Alan Blackwell, Chris Lowry, Dale Eadeh, Harri Kallio, and all the other BattleTech artists that have brought the IP to life through their amazing work.
BattleTech imagery and mech info remains the property of Topps.
Some imagery/video from Pixabay
#BattleTech #Mechwarrior #CatalystGameLabs #lore 
Игры
0.3 tons is 600 lbs of cargo space. I believe that would hold the entire crew’s collection of Funko pops and beanie babies. Maybe even a few binders of Pokémon cards.
I'm confident beanie baby prices will rebound. Frog needs to retire some day.
Sounds like something the Snord’s Irregulars would be interested in.
Or a particularly large miniature collection
Gross 🤢
Source books and mini's. 🤣
One of my best Battletech stories involves a Condor crossing water. Depth 2 water. That my Hunch was hiding in. The ref ruled I could punch the Condor.
Hunchback smash!
Kapow!
Shoryuken!
Im sure Clan Green Turkey was more than happy to keep the Condor production lines going because it was named after a bird and thats probably 90% of the design process for their stuff.
Probably accurate.
This is slander
I find hovertanks like the Condor to be deadly in games, mauling an opponent's light mechs and even mediums. Their sheer mobility can throw off other players.
It's a great wild card unit. It'll probably die horribly, but when it works, it works!
Many thanks for covering a hover tank this week. Sadly, we lost David Drake earlier this month, one of the premier modern military science fiction writers and Vietnam Veteran. His primary stories were his "Hammers Slammers" mercenary stories about a merc regiment driving fusion powered hover tanks and combat cars. When I first got into Battletech, and read his stories, I knew that his influence on BT was there with many of the hover vehicles and mercenary culture. Intentional or otherwise, this is quite the fitting tribute...
...and no, sadly David Drake never seemed to write any Battletech stories. But his influence is certainly there.
I have not read anything from Drake but plan to soon.
@@MechanicalFrog I think Tank Lords, his first published collection of short stories, still in the Baen Free Library; it's a solid starting point (even if chronologically not in order compared to a recent omnibus).
I will check it out.
I did like the Hammer Slammer series. I may only read one book, but it was a great read, and I do think that the mercenary unit would work really well in the BattleTech universe.
Condor Pilot: Cake or death?
Wolverine Pilot: CAKE.
mmm... cake.
Why do we love the Condor? Well first of all, the new art is very cute. Maybe not the most optimal hover tank, but it's served me well.
It can be a fun wildcard unit, and it's cute. Double threat.
It can be quite fun. And that's the most important thing.
I like the Ultra variant too. Adding ten tons for heat sinks for the Condor (Laser) with 4 ER Medium Lasers instead makes me sad-with that weight, you could add a lot.
QuikScell making it into a regular tank is hilarious.
Glad to see the return of MegaMek gameplay!
"Let's take this hover tank and put tracks on it."
"Why not just take one of the dozens of tanks in existence and build from there?"
"I said... let's take this hover tank and put tracks on it..."
"...yes sir..."
Can you imagine if they let vics mount doubles? At LEAST up to the base 10? Have the limiting factor kick in there. Hell, maybe don't allow it at all on cores too small to have all 10 inside.
Quikcell was doubded bt Discount Dan's anscestors before they lost control of it in a lawsuit.
The Condor C just feels weird to me. Combining Clantech with an ICE engine feels like something someone made in an HBS Mod. Thanks for the video.
It's a really lackluster clan upgrade. Probably one of the most "Meh" I've seen.
I personally find energy weapons on ICE tanks a bit weird but they're not all bad. Especially if you do later add a fusion engine
I'm partial to fuel cells.
I would prefer to see chemical lasers on ICE vehicles... It makes more sense, since they are an exceedingly high energy load, so firing them would necessarily cause the drivetrain to slow down, unless they're just being hella inefficient with the engine output.
My favorite hovercraft of TRO 3026 is the Pegasus.
That's a fun one.
Another fun one.
I like the Condor a lot, it's a very useful and speedy little devil that can plug holes in a battle until a bigger (and probably better) unit can lumber on in to do its thing. I particularly like the Liao variant; four medium lasers on such a mobile platform shouldn't be underestimated, unless you want a Condor to suddenly materialize in your rear arc and go "Nothing personnel, kid."
Yeah if you are going to invest in lasers, go all in. Crazy Capellans...
I think one of the reasons the dual AC/2 version was popular with the FedSuns is because they have more great plains style farming worlds than any other State. Imagine trying to stomp your macha across 100s of kilometers of open, flat wheat fields while a lance of these is doing donuts around you, at full speed, plinking you at extreme range. Few weapons could touch them, and the few mechs that could chace them would get shot up fast. And excellent kiter.
The art for this video looks like a little Advance Wars tank happily puttered into Battletech.
It does have that look to it.
Another great job MF. I always think that the AC-2 was built as a counter to Hover vehicles with the great range brackets you improve your chances for the lucky hit and motive crit. Never really liked the Condor, but there are some effective options.
It's definitely not for everyone. Thanks for giving it a go!
Searching for motive hits. Slow them down and then close in to take them out.
Or use the range to kite and annoy while bigger allies do damage.
This is a great little unit, and the all laser or AC10 options are solid
Love me a Battletech tank!
Woo! Yes!
I'd still love to hear your take on the Ontos. It's got a serious hit in the brawling range when you really need to wreck someone's day all at once.
We'll have to cover that one next year... **pondering**
The best worst tank.
First post, before the Premiere! That is all....
You win the prize!* *no prize.
Im ok with this. Enjoy the boost to your analytics and hit of dopamine. I know I do.@@MechanicalFrog
Thank you!
Just a point of note; The image used for the Condor Multi-Purpose Tank was originally used for a Quikscell Condor that retains that Hover capability (MP 9/14) with the same weapon loadout as the MPT you reviewed, with slightly better turret armor (since it uses Ferro-Fibrous); just no reactive armor option (see TRO 3075; p. 54-55 for details).
There is also a noteworthy (and more expensive) variant;
"In a bid to reduce the Condor’s dependence on ammunition, Quikscell has produced a variant that replaces the autocannon with a Cyclops extended-range large laser. The vehicles have been augmented by adding a turret-mounted anti-missile system, a ton of armor, and an ECM unit."
Like with so many units in BattleTech, we don't have a ton of art. On a totally unrelated note, the 40,000,000th drawing of an Urbanmech was just completed.
I'm not a fan of the Condor outside of the LAC variant. I greatly prefer a standard LTV-4 when it comes to hover tanks.
This was a really well done video as always, hope to see more Battle armor soon!
Thanks a lot. We've got a few mechs on deck first but we will revisit the battle armor in the new year.
Absolutely love that you're giving these slidy lads some time and narration! Also the purple/blue camo coloration is fantastic. Might have to add some silly hovertanks into my ranks
Glad you enjoyed it!
The Condor just cries out for an AC/20. I'm going to have to play around with that in MekLab.
Might be possible...
6:30 Cappies emulating their fellow Soviet forbearers history of nuclear sub accidents but on land.
Another experimental variant was the "Trans-Track" where lyrans tried to have both a retractable track and hover skirt with predictable horrendous results
When you try to do two things instead of one, and end up doing both badly.
I actually like the vehicles and ships as they get overlooked in Mechas like Gundam.
Glad you do. We will definitely keep covering vehicles on the channel.
@@MechanicalFrog Can I suggest a criminally overlooked ship that is possibly one of the most vital ships in Battletech.
The Humble Dropship.
Love hearing people bring up MegaMek. It needs more love. Or maybe I just need more people to play against.
What is megamek anyways?
Considering the sheer size of the barrel for the turret gun, it surprised me a lot to learn that it was an AC5. I'm contuinally wondering what some BT artists were smoking when they are drawing autocannons.
There seems to be a lot of variation in what an autocannon should look like.
I always thought it was a shame that they never made one with a couple of SRM-6's hanging off it and some kind of big old blaster. Apart from that, you learn quickly that hovertanks can be extremely dangerous things in Battletech that have a nasty habit of going right past the 'in your face' stage of combat and ended up somewhere in the rear and finding out who cheaped out on armour in that location.
Have a good christmas
Definitely can be a wildcard. Thanks for giving the vid a go and enjoy your Christmas!
You can always try out the SRM Drillson. Large laser and something like 5-6 SRM 2s.
I own a couple of the 3075 Upgrade versions of the Condor (still retaining the hovercraft motive system). It’s a decent mini - well scaled and looks good alongside JES I’s and Joust tanks - just haven’t used them yet. I have them slated for my 21st Centauri Lancers company once I finally get to them. I hope to use them and other vehicles soon, as I think having a couple as support can help give your opponent some anxiety.
I remember the Condor from Mechwarrior 4 Mercenaries! You saw it a lot on Halloran 5, fighting Militia troops and the Black Cobras. ❤
I'm glad it got some use.
@@MechanicalFrog In Mw4, it was the typical stock loadout -the AC5 one. It could shoot you from long range and be annoying.
The BattleTech version on a Zurg Rush.
Great work sir! Enjoying your work. Especially anything vehicle related.
Glad you enjoy it! There will definitely be more vehicles in the new year.
Merry Christmas Frog! Get some rest, & enjoy time with family!
Thanks, you too!
Coupled with battle armour for spamming sensor lock, I’ve found that a few hovers such as condor or better yet the Pegasus is an ideal way to get early kills in HBS Battletech. Thanks to the speed you’re probably getting rear shots and with sensor lock you’re getting through evasion.
Quite useful.
Heh good times I had a few variants of Condors, The ones I remember I gave it the 165 Fusion Engine. 7.5 tons Ferro-Fibrous armor. For weapons I gave it. 1 Bombast Laser, 1 MRM 10 in the turret (1 ton of ammo), and 1 Medium Pulse Laser on the front haul.
The other one had 2 MML 5's and 2 MML 7's on the turret. (imagine a Owens turret mounted to a condor's hovercraft haul! ^_~) I love MML's with different types of ammo. So loaded it up with. MML 5 LRM Heat-Seeking Ammo 12 shots
MML 5 LRM Smoke Ammo 24 shots
MML 7 SRM Inferno Ammo 14 shots
MML 7 SRM Tandem-Charge Ammo 7 Shots
I'll give a hint how to play this one: "The blindman's blind world." ^_~
*slaps hood* We can pack so many missiles in this thing...
I prefer the Pegasus personally. Four in formation. Running and flanking as a group at full tilt. Deadly.
The Pegasus is another fun one.
Always a joy to watch your videos.
Thank you! Have a great day!
Great video. I gained a new respect for this little tank! Merry Christmas mech frog!
Thank you! I'm glad I could give it 15 minutes to shine.
Red Devil, most deadly hovertanks and vacuum cleaners in the Galaxy!
(And yes, I want cake...)
Vroom... Now I want cake too... Dang it.
Of course Quicksell has version, also we love it for being fast as hell and just dangerous enough.
Plasma rifle goes... Errrrmmm... What does a plasma rifle sounds like?
I know that aren't as popular, but as primarily a combined arms AS player, I really do appreciate you doing them.
I like to imagine it as a whooshing burning splat sound.
I've always thought the original Condor missed it's mark.
It wastes a lot of tonnage/C-Bills to mount lasers with an ICE engine.
I'm a combined arms fan.
I would have rather it mounted some SRMs and used the rest of it's
weight to carry infantry. Back when 3026 came out not a lot of Hovers
could carry a full infantry platoon and that would have given it a specific role.
Missiles and/or ballistics seems to be the way to go with ICE.
Have a Merry Christmas Mech-Frog- Always loving the content. Excited for the Condor coming in the new packs.
Thank you for the support. Have a great Holiday and new year!
wohoo second Citytech second addition vehicle
Huzzah!
CMPT and the first thought was "Ah Compost"
Aww...
I have to admit, while watching this video, I was thinking of making a Condor variant that used a Plasma Rifle. Then it got to your Condor MF and I was like, "Well, crap," lol. I went ahead and did one anyway, though the Condor ISM utilizes a Flamer in both the front and rear of the craft, with the turret-mounted Plasma Rifle having 2 tons of ammo. The remaining tonnage was spent placing an Angel ECM in the body and adding 2.5 tons of additional FF armor. Unlike the MF variant it's similar to, the Condor ISM mounts an XL engine instead of a Fuel Cell. I do like the Condor MF, as well as a few of the official variants - not the Fission or Davion variants, though.
Not a fan of the fission? It'll keep your feet warm in the cold winters. A few gamma rays never hurt anyone.
@@MechanicalFrog I'm sure Bruce Banner would agree with you.
45t and 50t are the best weights for combat vehicles, since a dropship engineer can fit 3 Light Vehicle Bays where 1 Mech Bay would go. A 50t vehicle is the heaviest allowed in a Light bay, while a 45t vehicle is almost as heavy but only needs 3 crewmen instead of 4.
Good to know!
The Condor partners well with the Savanna Master and Harasser.
Of its variants I would favor the ones with long range weaponry, namely LRMs.
Can't combat vehicles use MMLs? Those seem like great weapons of CVs, consolidating short and long range missiles.
I don't think there's anything keeping them from using MMLs.
That art makes it look like its packing a ac20.
But it's adorable!
4am here mate cant sleep so thanks you for uploading this video nice
well i had as us aussie say a C$nt of a day
i got sacked from my job
but your video has helped cheer me up
thanks you mate
Sorry to hear about that. I'll go ahead and assume that it'll be the impetus for a much better opportunity on the horizon. Hold the line.
thanks mate
over here in austraila work can be a real bitch to find
im 42 and this was my 1st job out side of my familys bizz@@MechanicalFrog
It is a bird machine, The Collectors must have especially the MF...ahhhh yes
"caw!" - Condor?
Caw Yes Indeed@@MechanicalFrog
I love Mechanical Frog
That's understandable. I am adorable.
Plasmafrog is going brrrrr 💚😁
I know what people want.
It's fairly ubiquitous, that's like asking why do we love the F150? It's kind of the standard generic hovertank across the Inner Sphere.
I would like a F150... I miss my old pickup truck.
And here comes the fun police. You said 55 tons, max weight for hovercraft is only 50, aside from the 90-ton Hexareme that only works on water.
The Condor itself strikes me as best being a harrasser or support unit with specialized weapons depending on the House or even the border worlds within the House. For example, I would expect the Condor with 3 Re-engineered Medium Lasers would be more effective in the Draconis March and that section of the Periphery March due to all the mechs with Hardened or Ferro-Lamellor armor than it would in the Capellan March (still wondering why it has 3 tons of missing space in the SAW program). It isn't a bad machine, but I wouldn't call it a great machine either.
Awesome video !! I have three of these tanks (tho untested as of this moment in a game ) but I have high hopes :-) . Say , do you have plans on covering the j.edgar hover tank?
I'm sure we will in the new year.
MP's Jump Circus, huh? Sounds like something completely different. 😆
It's Tuesday. I have no idea what is going on.
Plasma Weapons are becoming your version of nutmeg (see Townsends)
It's a battle as if I don't toss one on every once in a while, the commenters get spicy.
One of my favorite tanks. It’s great for chasing off light mechs and annoying bigger ones.
It can be a speedy pain, for sure.
Quite true.
It looks like it would sound like : phuuunt : when it fires
It's small but it's fierce.
Hovercraft are good and all but have you seen WiGEs ? Im in love with the Nisos
Gesundheit.
Hovertanks are a personal favorite, vehicle wise at least. And I like you would not really consider the refitted tracked version as a part of the Condor family.
I like the plasma rifle MF version and see it as a good refit option for some future salvaged machines.
Your megamech battle shows the weakness of the hovercraft platform, tight corners where speed can not be used are to be avoided at all costs. But in all fairness a Marauder is not something a hovertank should be facing alone any way.
Yeah, going into the city to chase that Marauder down is NOT something I'd recommend in a serious business game.
I still don't see why I would take this over the perfect hate machine that is the mars
Hrm... because it's adorable?
Proceeds to liquidate every mars in the unit.....
MechFrog Jumpship Confirmed... batteries need recharging
We're taking this thing to... that direction. Let's go!
Hovertanks.. gotta go fast. Just watch out for those trees!
Its weapons loadout is pretty standard for a medium tank (even if its called a "heavy" hover tank), pretty bread and butter all things considered. The AC/5 is great to take potshots, and the medium lasers are for drive-bys... just dont get into kicking range. Personally i prefer something like the harasser or saracen to get those SRMs into a mechs rear arc, wich can threaten even heavier units.
Hover tanks overall need some fine control on the battlefield since speed is your best survival strategy, so make sure you got your best (or most reckless) Drivers behind the wheel so you dont end up in some trees or skid right off the battlemap. (Totaly not speaking out of experience here.. nope.. never happened)
Condors are great for pursuit and harassment asignments, able to keep an enemy busy for long enough for other units to catch up, at wich point they can fall back a bit and take those potshots in a fire support role. This works great against raiders, especialy of the pirate kind. The price tag might be a bit steep, especially if youre just starting out as a merc but with the right crew its gonna bring in its cost in no time. Its also difficult to maintain so you might hear your mechanics use some flowery language when working on it... comes with the territory though XD
Also merry frogmas!
Trees, large rocks, people, buildings...
4 Condors for two medium mechs, whats the C-Bill value for this exchange?
Nice video, but you forgot to mention the Ultra variant has reflective armor.
Well then. **flips desk**
*800th thumbs up!*
Do we love the Epona? I love the Epona
Do we, though?
Funny name for a hover tank. You'd almost think it could fly. Imagine. A hover tank that can jump. Haha, what kind of lunatic would make one of those. 👀
A lunatic... yes. or, a genius!
@@MechanicalFrog 🙏🦘
That there is no variant called "Big Bird" armed with an ac/lbx 20 and four tons of ammo plus a trageting computer while also goes 9/14, is both a travesty and a tragedy. A scout mech killer annd backstabber that never was...
Life is full of little tragedies.
It reminds me of tanks from metal slug
It definitely has that look to it.
So why not put thrusters on it and use it for space combat? It certainly would be more effective then the "cant fire mgs for two seconds without overheating" fighters found in Starsector
Sounds like a plan.
@@MechanicalFrogWhat loadout would you give it? Starship combat demands either decent kinetic or energy damage for suppressing shields, a high-yield explosive or energy weapon for cracking armor (has to be a big gun!), or a very good PD suite to protect the parent ship.
Hmmm
Froggy
Do we love the WiGE?
The what now?
Condors have spines?
I would hope so.
Metal Slug Tank?
It definitely has that look to it.
CRY CONDOR CRY AND FLY
"Caw..."
Not a big fan of hovercrafts much prefer the tanks :-) but cheers for the fun watch :-)
Fair enough! We'll do a tracked one soon.
merry ho ho!
Have a great one!
Why do we love the Condor? Ask me again in 3 days.
What is going to happen in 3 days? *Paranoid*
Why Autocannons can even be put on hovercraft is beyond me, as if the person designing them had zero understanding of physics.
Even if the 50 tons of the tank will hold well agaisnt the recoil of a single shot, there is NO GROUND FRICTION to act against!
Unless you move in the direction you shoot, the recoil WILL be noticable and needs to be corrected against, bad enough on an AC5, but an AC10? Too risky in my opinion.
Missiles, lasers, recoilless cannons, nothing else should go on hovercraft. Or VTOLs, for that matter. Though the tank DOES look good, the new artwork is really cool.
Weapons on BT tanks are silly things... they seem to have some really wonky rules.
@@MechanicalFrog Fits the wonky ideas behind BattleTech XD
Still, we love it, despite, maybe even BECAUSE of the wonkiness.
Truth.
Putting an AC on a hovercraft seems to be...problematic. The recoil would throw that poor craft all over the place. Cannons work on tracked vehicles because friction pretty well anchors the thing to the ground. But on a hover-vehicle? Not so much...
How dare you bring physics into Battletech. Next thing you know you'll be asking where all the missile reloads are stored.
@@MechanicalFrog Touché!
I don't believe in using power amplifiers, or leaving free heat sinks unused. Seriously, why did you use a Plasma Rifle with a Fuel Cell‽
Speaking of inefficient choices, I'm pretty sure fission engines are actually *more* expensive and rare than fusion engines at every point in the timeline. Chalk that up to economy of scale, perhaps.
Because it's my personal mission to make you scratch your head with every video.