CGL Marauder and other Unseen

[Arch-Heretek]

I'm curious, with the recent end of the Clan invasion kickstarter and my very foolish pledge amount in, what everyone thinks of the Unseen models they're using.

I am relatively new to BT (I thought the Stinger was a Shadow Hawk, and the Valkyrie was an Enforcer), I only got into from games in the last several years or so, and so the "Marauder" has always been PGI's version to me. Absolute favorite mech, from looks to survivability to weaponry. So obviously I picked up the command lance and the direct fire lance. I'm kind of torn on this one. While the model they are using is more of a hybrid between PGI's and the old Unseen, I think it evokes the older model more, what with the dorsal gun. It still looks good, don't get me wrong, I'm just not sure if I prefer it to the MWO version. Looking at the Archer, it looks a lot more like MWO's version.

It leaves me curious as to how they'll be modelling the Marauder II as well. The obvious solution is just stick fins on it and call it a day, but I'd like to think a little more thought goes into it than that.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

I like the PGI version better myself, but that was mostly because I didn't like the lanky limbs and odd proportions of the original artwork.

I do still like CGL's version though (even if it isn't my favorite). I think it does a good job of updating the look to feel more practical in it's design, and at the same time, evoking a lot of the cues of the original (like the dorsal gun position).

As for the Marauder II... Not sure. Its hard to say at this point. In sure it will have more differences than the wings, but I also think it will carry a similar design theme to the regular Marauder.

 

[Marauder3D]

So Anthony Scroggins just posted the Marauder II to his Patreon account (if you are a backer). I'd say it looks a bit more like how I wished the Marauder looked + some wings. A bit like Jetfire from the Transformers cartoons of the 80's.

Not only do I like PGI's Marauder a touch better, I'm one of the very rare folks that like the Project Phoenix Marauder. To each their own, I suppose!

Either way, I'm pumped for the CGL Kickstarter and put in for 2 each of the Inner Sphere Command and Battle Lances.

 

[Hobbes__]

For the older fans here, this is the Marauder we grew up loving and fearing

the Center Torso is a bit more ovoid, and the arms look like toothpicks with PPCs attached at the end of them

 

[Arch-Heretek]

For the older fans here, this is the Marauder we grew up loving and fearing

View attachment 525946
the Center Torso is a bit more ovoid, and the arms look like toothpicks with PPCs attached at the end of them

That's the thing for me. It looks so lanky, almost like a medium clan mech. Doesn't exactly have the predatory hulk and sleekness of PGI's. The new one melds them together and the proportions don't look so... ridiculous. It's odd to me; clearly these are all recognizable as Marauders, but they feel as though maybe they should be different variants or something.

 

[DarkSpade]

I've never been a big fan of any version of the marauder. They're usually just too tall and lanky and the dorsal gun makes no sense. It's never had a turret, there's no room for the ammo to get to the gun, and it's mounted in the side torso, not the head. The clix model wasn't too bad though. Just way out of scale with everything else.

So Anthony Scroggins just posted the Marauder II to his Patreon account (if you are a backer). I'd say it looks a bit more like how I wished the Marauder looked + some wings. A bit like Jetfire from the Transformers cartoons of the 80's.

So it's a phoenix hawk now?

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Being a long time fan of BattleTech, I’ve seen versions of the Marauder come and go...

...but no one has caught the spirit of what the Marauder has come to represent for me better than our very own @HBS_Mazzoni! : )

 

[The Shadowhawke]

I wish that they'd kept the nose portal; that made the Marauder look like it had an overly armored cockpit that it should have as a command mech, and relied more on sensors than plain view. The current model looks too close to the fighter cockpit style of the Battlemaster.

The elbows are definitely an improvement though. The original Macross art would have never been able to support the huge vambraces and weapon pods that are part of what makes the Marauder distinct.

 

[Arch-Heretek]

I've never been a big fan of any version of the marauder. They're usually just too tall and lanky and the dorsal gun makes no sense. It's never had a turret, there's no room for the ammo to get to the gun, and it's mounted in the side torso, not the head. The clix model wasn't too bad though. Just way out of scale with everything else.

This came up in MWO for the Marauder II, the dorsal gun didn't make much sense since any damage could be done to the right torso from literally any angle. I *think* that got patched, though I've also seen complaints about it being a free center torso shot from any angle as well, almost making torso twisting worthless (get on with the nose wiggle though). One person said they saw a Marauder II just turning in circles as it's gun got shot and the damage indicator just went haywire because of way damage is reported. This doesn't mean much for TT, but it goes to show some perfectly fine paper designs just don't work out as well in the field. Same reason the Nightstar ends up shooting its teammates in the back, or having to expose the entire mech by wading way out of cover.

One of the reasons I like the PGI Marauder is the gun is actually set into the torso

Spoiler

MAD

MAD IIC

MAD II

I like the way the MAD II looks, but the kinds of guns its can carry, other than maybe the HGR, don't really justify the massive mount. Even then, it's an RT weapon in a CT/Head slot.

 

[The Shadowhawke]

This came up in MWO for the Marauder II, the dorsal gun didn't make much sense since any damage could be done to the right torso from literally any angle. I *think* that got patched, though I've also seen complaints about it being a free center torso shot from any angle as well, almost making torso twisting worthless (get on with the nose wiggle though). One person said they saw a Marauder II just turning in circles as it's gun got shot and the damage indicator just went haywire because of way damage is reported. This doesn't mean much for TT, but it goes to show some perfectly fine paper designs just don't work out as well in the field. Same reason the Nightstar ends up shooting its teammates in the back, or having to expose the entire mech by wading way out of cover.

One of the reasons I like the PGI Marauder is the gun is actually set into the torso

Spoiler

MAD

MAD IIC

MAD II

I like the way the MAD II looks, but the kinds of guns its can carry, other than maybe the HGR, don't really justify the massive mount. Even then, it's an RT weapon in a CT/Head slot.

When you're doing tabletop on paper sbeets, it's a generalization.

As much as I love TT, that's what's great about BT/MW in computer game form, with the specific quirks, hit boxes and hardpoints. That's what makes three mechs like a Catapult, Jagermech, and Loki in the same tonnage, but end up vastly different mechs.

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

Being a long time fan of BattleTech, I’ve seen versions of the Marauder come and go...

...but no one has caught the spirit of what the Marauder has come to represent for me better than our very own @HBS_Mazzoni! : )

View attachment 526395

I do like that picture. I think the CGL version seems to capture a lot of the feel of that image.

I like the PGI iteration the best still, but I like that look as well.

 

[stjobe]

I do like that picture. I think the CGL version seems to capture a lot of the feel of that image.

As far as I can tell, the CGL model is that picture, or perhaps vice versa. The feet, the arms, the cockpit area, the little vents to either side of the cockpit - it all lines up.

 

[DarkSpade]

One of my favorite images. I could be wrong, but I think it predates Shimmering Sword getting hired by Catalyst.

By the way, does anyone else wish the Archer's cockpit was on the top instead of the nose?

 

[Prussian Havoc]

One of my favorite images. I could be wrong, but I think it predates Shimmering Sword getting hired by Catalyst.

By the way, does anyone else wish the Archer's cockpit was on the top instead of the nose?

For me, it depends on how the Archer”s Cockpit is depicted...

And @SpOoKy777 absolutely nailed the Archer and the depiction of the Archer’s Cockpit as far as I am concerned. : )

 

[gh0s7]

One of my favorite images. I could be wrong, but I think it predates Shimmering Sword getting hired by Catalyst.

By the way, does anyone else wish the Archer's cockpit was on the top instead of the nose?

It does predate; the most obvious detail is the AC/5, as in that image it's visually placed on the RT instead of being set atop the CT in the GDL image on PH's post (#7).
(just noted now, they're both GDL )

 

[stjobe]

By the way, does anyone else wish the Archer's cockpit was on the top instead of the nose?

Only since 1985 or so

 

[MeiSooHaityu]

Only since 1985 or so

Clan Smoke Jaguar must have had similar feelings when designing the torso for the Mad Dog (Vulture) .

 

[Arch-Heretek]

Only since 1985 or so

To interject some MWO, I prefer it on the nose. The high mounts are great for MRMs and minimum exposure from behind cover. I'd rather have high mounts than low mounts, the Black Knight comes to mind with how low its weapons are compared to the cockpit, constantly shooting the dirt and having to expose almost all of the mech to shoot.

There's the Nightstar, also due for a remodel, whose mounts are nice and high, but really spread out and so require moving farther out of cover and away from lancemates than others, trying to not blast someone in the back. That's not to mention convergence issues.