I was doing the flashpoint for the Hatchetman and Yang says ingame "that is one hell of a machine" or something like that. I take one look at it and thinks meh. I had 12 mech bays so kept one up and running in case wanted to give it a try. Ended up being sold. So what is the chief engineer seeing about this machine that I do not? Sure fun to have if are a melee fighter but I am more autocannon fighter.
Hatchetman
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The new x model hatchetman is much better. It has two missile hardpoints and four support that let you stock up on short range weapons that will overheat your mech where you then will use melee to cool.
Max armor, four jump jets, two SRM6 with one ton ammo, two mLaser and four MG with one ton ammo. 205 points of pointblank damage and 110 melee.
The original model has only two energy and a ballistic hardpoint which doesn't let you build a hot running short range mech that can make the most out of its melee.
Max armor, four jump jets, two SRM6 with one ton ammo, two mLaser and four MG with one ton ammo. 205 points of pointblank damage and 110 melee.
The original model has only two energy and a ballistic hardpoint which doesn't let you build a hot running short range mech that can make the most out of its melee.
Think about it in these terms... do you have some hobby you really like... something that gets you so excited you'd drop just about everything else you're doing if something new in your hobby came up? That's Yang with mechs. It doesn't matter how deficient the thing is, he'll find something positive about it. To add to that, IIRC, lore-wise the Hatchetman was one of the first newly designed mechs the Inner Sphere had seen in a long, long time...so he was really, really excited.
The Hatchetman does assault 'Mech-levels of melee damage with its hatchet (110 damage as opposed to the 45 its tonnage would imply). That's a reason for you to be excited about it. The reason Yang is excited is because it's the first new 'Mech chassis created in the last couple of centuries:
"Introduced in 3023 during the Succession Wars, the Hatchetman is a very distinctive BattleMech because, as its name suggests, it carries a 'Mech-sized Hatchet. As well as being the first design to carry one, the Hatchetman itself was the first totally new 'Mech produced in the Inner Sphere in over a century, and was also the first production 'Mech to use a Full-Head Ejection System. Despite being first manufactured in the Lyran Commonwealth the Hatchetman was actually designed by the enigmatic Dr. B. Banzai of Team Banzai, a mercenary unit associated with the Federated Suns' New Avalon Institute of Science. Thus the 'Mech was also a signal of the growing cooperation between these newly-allied Successor States.
At its heart, the Hatchetman is an urban combat 'Mech. Once it has safely escorted friendly forces out of a city, the 'Mech assumes the role of guerrilla fighter, ambushing from hiding places to blast an enemy apart at point-blank ranges with its impressive weaponry or cleave them in two with its hatchet."
- sarna.net entry for Hatchetman
At its heart, the Hatchetman is an urban combat 'Mech. Once it has safely escorted friendly forces out of a city, the 'Mech assumes the role of guerrilla fighter, ambushing from hiding places to blast an enemy apart at point-blank ranges with its impressive weaponry or cleave them in two with its hatchet."
- sarna.net entry for Hatchetman
The Hatchetman is fantastic in tonnage limited missions. Especially if you swap the AC for an Lbx...
The Hatchetman and its 3-ton Hatchet (IIRC) is just so darn imposing and menacing!
Of course I prefer our very own @Colonel Flamestalker ‘s:
Mechs are AWESOME!
Mechs in Kilts are MINDBLOWING! : )
Of course I prefer our very own @Colonel Flamestalker ‘s:
Mechs are AWESOME!
Mechs in Kilts are MINDBLOWING! : )
The Hatchetman is truly one hell of a machine. It is a bit tricky to use due to it's fragility (at least stock), and it's low speed, but with some tactical play, it hits hard and can be quite the 'finisher' of mechs.
I still haven't had a chance to play the 'Ecks' version. I may have to edit one in to a starting lance and give it a try.
I still haven't had a chance to play the 'Ecks' version. I may have to edit one in to a starting lance and give it a try.
As an Early Game BattleMech the Hatchetman truly shines.
But as BATTLETECH enters the Mid and Endgames, even a 70-damage Hatchet just can't keep the Hatchetman competitive in 4 and 5-Skull Missions for like 99.9% of us. : )
Yeah, I agree. I think that is why I should edit one into a starting lance. I tend to play 5 pieces of salvage, so by the time I can salvage one (since they tend to be a bit rare), I normally am moving past mediums. Of course I could play a medium lance career anyway, so in that case it wouldn't matter.
I might do that. Then again, I have been thinking about a medium mech campaign run again. This time with stock-like loadout. With all the campaign balancing since the last time I tried, it might be fun to see if I could still do it (especially with stock like loadouts).
I agree that the Hatchetman's usefulness drops off as we get into heavies. I think they did a bit better with the Raven by giving us one at the end of the flashpoint. That guarantees that we have access to one early.
If Joint Venture gave the player a Hatchetman as a reward, it would guarantee we could have access to it while the mech is still useful.
If Joint Venture gave the player a Hatchetman as a reward, it would guarantee we could have access to it while the mech is still useful.
I'm surprised the Hatchetman wasn't a FP reward. I guess the Steiners didn't feel like sharing their prototype, and unlike the Raven, we didn't steal a Hatchetman
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Rather than “give” us a Hatchetman, I think it is more in character for House Steiner that our favorite House Steiner Contracting Officer immediately offer to sell us one. And then if we turn it down, periodically thereafter a Pop-Up Event could revisit the offer to purchase a Hatchetman, at educed price... or maybe reduced price and just one more Mission for them.I'm surprised the Hatchetman wasn't a FP reward. I guess the Steiners didn't feel like sharing their prototype, and unlike the Raven, we didn't steal a Hatchetman
Thoughts?
Only in the Inner Sphere. Don't forget the Merlin, produced from 3010.
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Merlin_(BattleMech)
but back on topic : in it's weight class, the Hatchetman is a very dangerous mech with it's melee damage and an autocannon. The problem is, that when you get it you most likely already have a bunch of heavier designs. Also, tabletop and the computer game works differently, so the lack of support hardpoints hurt it a lot, and you can't effectively use it in a way (urban ambush/skirmish) as it was often used historically.
All this talk of mechs being introduced in the IS during the Succession Wars inspired me to check on some build dates.
- Hatchetman: 3023
- Cataphract: 3024
- Raven: 3025
True.
And by the early stages of the Fourth Succession War as those BattleMechs began to see a Combat and become notorious amongst the Enemies of Houses Steiner and Liao, these Mechs became more widely known and appreciated for the Advancements in BattleMech Design and Construction that they were. (Yes, even the FrankenMech known as the Cataphract. It’s scale of production and Combat Record while not necessarily as innovative as ECM or Standard Issue Hatchets, were highly effective and instrumental in House Liao’s desperate Defense of Capellan Confederation.)
I believe some of the cause for the advancement was the finding of halstead university in 3014. Combine this with the semi reinstitution of the Ares Convention during the 3rd succession war and it leads to some technological recovery in the fed suns, who share it with the Lyrans and Leak it to liao
I would love to get it as start mech, but at the point i usually do the flashpoint, not even mentioning actually getting it, it's about as useful as mech size paper weight.
Got one last night and thought should give it a try for a change.
It's OK I guess? As stock had way too little armour, but after tweaking it a bit it's certainly not bad - just too late in the game and not enough tonnage or hard points to be really useful.
Amused me that despite the name more often than not the melee animation was of it kicking it's opponent (which somehow still gets the bonus from the hatchet!)
It's OK I guess? As stock had way too little armour, but after tweaking it a bit it's certainly not bad - just too late in the game and not enough tonnage or hard points to be really useful.
Amused me that despite the name more often than not the melee animation was of it kicking it's opponent (which somehow still gets the bonus from the hatchet!)
For me, this is how it feels. The HCT-3X shows up after the Flashpoint, and if you're too close you get an axe and machineguns. If you're not close enough for that, it's SRMs and lasers. It was a wonderful nuisance out of a 45t machine and led me to stop going "Oh, just a Vindi" when seeing blips of those types on contracts.
It also makes the Big Steel Claw 'duel' a joke with only minor modifications.
It also makes the Big Steel Claw 'duel' a joke with only minor modifications.