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About this mod
Adds a range of lesser-known mechs from BattleTech canon, as well as mechs and variants inspired by BattleTech canon. Each one is custom modelled with 30+ paintjobs, multiple damage states, generous hardpoint variety and multiple variants. Mech designs are consistent with PGI's (Alex Iglesias's) style, or as close as I could manage.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
The goal of this project is to introduce little-known mech chassis from BattleTech cannon into MW5, new chassis inspired by BattleTech canon, and some melee variants for mechs that don’t have them. Every variant or chassis requires significant 3D modelling, texturing and occasionally animation work, all of which I learned from scratch to make this mod. These mechs are essentially feature complete, with 30+ paintjobs, breakable body parts, generous amounts of hardpoints, and multiple variants (including unique hero mechs). Some mechs in this pack use some body parts (legs) from existing mechs (so credit to Piranha Games where appropriate), and recently some mechs have been donated to the mod by other creators (see mech descriptions below for details). Typically these donated mechs still require a fair amount of work to be game ready, but these collaborators still save me huge amounts of time with their contributions.
Collaborators:
Shade (Hollander and Hollander II model)
BrianBanzai (Crockett model)
Support the Mod Development on Patreon: patreon.com/IR0NPENGUIN
My patreon is extremely basic at the moment and does not feature any perks. I do spend money on subscriptions for programs needed to develop the mod, so donations will help offset this.
The mechs in this mod were selected because I think they will add something unique to the game, as both enemies for the player to fight and/or as customizable chassis in the mechlab. This mod will continue to receive updates for the foreseeable future, but since every mech takes several months to finish, I do not take requests for mechs. There will also be very limited additions of new equipment / weapons to the mod, but this is not a
focus of the mod. These will be based off the tabletop, but sometimes rebalanced to ensure viability in MW5.
Required mods: YetAnother Mechlab, Yet Another Weapon.
Recommended Mods: Extra Employers 2 (some mechs may only spawn with factions like ComStar or WOB, which are not in the base game)
OR 'The Known Universe', which is a more detailed mod that also adds in new factions.
Spawn control - Allows toggling off spawns of unwanted mechs or variants from my mod.
Potential mod conflicts: Mod no longer overrides the Jenner hardpoint (HPS) file, so no known conflict with other YAML compatible mods.
New Mech Chassis in the Mod:
Bombard (BBD), 50 tons: Built as a slow, trundling heavy weapons platform, the Bombard was designed to surprise and overwhelm opponents with its absurd firepower in the arenas of Solaris VII. Falling short in most metrics besides firepower, the Bombard is an uncommon sight on the battlefield. Its massive alpha strike should be feared by any that wander too close, but it is easily felled due to its reliance on an XL engine.
Spawns very rarely with House Steiner and Davion, intro date 3054. Spawns most often with arena factions (uncommon).
HawkWolf (HWK), 80 tons: The HawkWolf is a unique BattleMech constructed by the Brotherhood of Randis and is now widely deployed by periphery states. A second-line fire-support mech built using primitive tech, the HawkWolf was envisioned as a cheap, easily maintained alternative to the Longbow or Stalker. Indeed, most variants of this mech can be described as little more than a missile battery on legs. The HawkWolf is one of the cheapest assault mechs to purchase, maintain or repair in the inner sphere, as well as providing potentially overwhelming missile firepower if refitted to a standard
or advanced tech base.
Spawns most often with Periphery states, intro date 3040. Uncommon – common.
Scarab (SCA), 40 tons: Developed in the early 3050s by the Capellan Confederation, the Scarab was originally intended as a stealth-armored variant of the Strider omnimech. Although bearing some loose structural similarities to its predecessor, the Scarab was built as a standard battlemech when the combination of stealth armor and omnimech technologies were deemed too expensive. The final role of this battlemech was also altered, and it now serves as a dedicated anti-infantry / saboteur unit in the CAF. After closing undetected to its target, the Scarab is designed to disable or overwhelm the targeting and cooling systems of its victims in hit and run strikes. As such, this 40-ton mech is often used to delay the advances of much heavier 'mechs, although it requires support from allies to put these targets down effectively.
Spawns nearly 100% with House Liao, intro date 3053. Uncommon.
Devastator (DVS), 100 tons: Produced in minute numbers in the final days of the Amaris civil war, the Devastator was
commissioned by General Kerensky himself. It was the last mech prototype built for the Star League Defense Force before their exodus from the Inner Sphere,
arguably making the Devastator the closest inner sphere relative of Clan mechs. Although so rare as to be considered mythical, the Devastator is one of the
most potent snipers produced for the SLDF. The Devastator relies on advanced sensors, gauss weaponry and other cutting-edge technologies to demolish enemies at extreme range. In the only recorded deployment of the Devastator, a lone prototype Devastator earned its namesake on the Alberta plains of Terra, where it single-handedly destroyed three Amaris mechs, forcing the fourth to surrender. With the resurgence of Star League tech in the 3030s, this mech has
started to resurface in the Inner Sphere.
Lo-tech variant spawns primarily with Federated Suns and Taurian Concordat, intro date 3036. Uncommon. Alternatively, extremely rare star league era variants can spawn at any star year (ComStar / Wolf's Dragoons only). Advanced tech variants spawn after 3048 (FWL, Steiner, Federated Suns).
Hollander (BZK), 35 tons (MODEL DONATED BY SHADE): The Hollander was developed by Coventry Metal Works for the express purpose of carrying a gauss rifle into combat on a light, mobile chassis. The mech was well received by the Federated Commonwealth, in light of their need to counter the fast, long-range capable clan mechs gnawing at their forces. However, the Hollander sacrifices tonnage in many areas to achieve its goal, most notably in terms of its armor plating and ground speed. This mech nonetheless is a tremendous and cheap sniper, so long as its armor holds.
Spawns with House Davion, Federated Commonwealth, House Steiner, and mercenaries after 3054 (uncommon - rare).
Hollander II (BZK), 45 tons (MODEL DONATED BY SHADE): The Hollander II was developed by Coventry Metal Works as a larger cousin to the older Hollander light 'mech. The extra tonnage was put to use to produce a less compromising gauss platform; the Hollander II maintains the groundspeed of its light cousin but dramatically increases its armor coverage. In addition, this fire-support mech carries close-range weaponry to defend itself in a brawl, in case friendly front lines should collapse.
Spawns with House Davion, Federated Commonwealth, House Steiner, and mercenaries after 3058 (uncommon - rare).
Crockett / Katana (CRK), 85 tons (MODEL DONATED BY BRIANBANZAI): Produced by Blankenburg Technologies from 2735, the Crockett was designed as a training Battlemech for the Star League Defense Force. Although the mech is easy to pilot, the SLDF found that the mech was somewhat overengineered for a trainer, possessing combat capabilities well exceeding the minimum requirements. The result was the Crockett seeing wide use on battlefields, up until the early stages of the succession wars. Like most Lostech designs, the Crockett suffered from serious attrition and aggressive downgrades during these conflicts. Thanks to the foresight of Comstar, some mothballed SLDF Crocketts once again march on the battlefields of the latter succession wars, featured almost exclusively amongst the elusive Com Guard forces.
Mercury (MCY), 20 tons: First produced at the height of the Star League's power, the Mercury was intended as a replacement for the older Stinger and Wasp scout battlemechs. The Mercury hosts a number of advantages, being just as well armored and significantly faster thanks to its MASC unit. In addition, the Mercury boasts advanced modular weapon systems, in essence an early prototype of omnimech technology. This ancient predecessor of clan omnimechs is now rarely seen on the battlefield, barring deployment by Comguard forces.
Spawns with Comstar / Wolf's Dragoons (SLDF variant), uncommonly with great houses (low tech variant), or commonly with the Word of Blake (later star years).
Scavenger ‘SCAV’ Variants:
These variants are my take on PGI’s pirate or ‘-P’ variants, which add melee hardpoints to existing mechs. PGI chose to only add melee hardpoints to mechs with hands, but SCAV variants add melee weapons to mechs without hands, like the Catapult. Weapons will include jury-rigged industrial equipment like drills, saws, mining equipment, etc. or self-actuated melee weapons like lances, retractable blades, etc. SCAV mechs also feature the ‘spiked armor’ quirk, which reduces incoming melee damage by 15%, as well as a unique paintjob. Occasionally these variants will have a unique ranged weapon instead of a melee weapon, but that is very rare. For technical reasons, SCAV variant’s custom melee weapons are fixed to the chassis and cannot be removed (they auto repair when the mech is repaired). This is a symptom of the crude way hardpoints are implemented in MW5. These mechs spawn primarily with periphery or pirate factions, sometimes very rarely with independents.
Current Chassis with SCAV Variants:
Warhammer-SCAV: Features an ‘i-beam shiv’.
Catapult-SCAV: Features either ‘War Tusks’ (paired light lances) or a ‘Heavy Industrial Drill’. Variants exist for both missile / PPC catapult variants.
Jenner-SCAV: Features a ‘Light Lance’ or a one-shot ‘Harpoon Launcher’.
Stalker-SCAV: Features either ‘War Tusks’(paired medium lances) or a ‘Siege Ram’.
Kingcrab-SCAV: Features either the 'Assault Lance' or up to 2 'Buzz Claws' (arm mounted circular saw).
New Equipment in the Mod:
Anti-Mech Pod: Essentially a modified LBX autocannon ammunition canister, the M-pod functions like a mech-scale claymore mine. When fired,
it discharges a devastating burst of shrapnel in a wide, short range spread. Can only be fired once.Damage: 30. Tonnage: 1 ton. Optimal Range: 100 meters. Projectile spread of 16 meters at 130 meters range, so ineffective at any range outside
melee. Equips to missile slot.
KNOWN ISSUES:
-Ranges on SCAV melee weapons are not displayed properly on the HUD. Experimentation with the melee weapon is the best guide here, but most reach out to around 10-15 meters or so, even if the HUD says otherwise. Ranges may be tweaked as the mod develops.
-Scarab still needs 3D models for damaged body parts to be added.
-Scarab animations are a little funny due to YAML scaling not playing nice with the model.
-Mechs from this mod are not featured in the mech encyclopedia. Not certain it’s possible to address this without overwriting changes made to the mech encyclopedia by other mods.-Spawn toggle feature (ability to disable unwanted chassis or SCAV variants from spawning) is planned for the future.
Collaborators:
Shade (Hollander and Hollander II model)
BrianBanzai (Crockett model)
Support the Mod Development on Patreon: patreon.com/IR0NPENGUIN
My patreon is extremely basic at the moment and does not feature any perks. I do spend money on subscriptions for programs needed to develop the mod, so donations will help offset this.
The mechs in this mod were selected because I think they will add something unique to the game, as both enemies for the player to fight and/or as customizable chassis in the mechlab. This mod will continue to receive updates for the foreseeable future, but since every mech takes several months to finish, I do not take requests for mechs. There will also be very limited additions of new equipment / weapons to the mod, but this is not a
focus of the mod. These will be based off the tabletop, but sometimes rebalanced to ensure viability in MW5.
Required mods: YetAnother Mechlab, Yet Another Weapon.
Recommended Mods: Extra Employers 2 (some mechs may only spawn with factions like ComStar or WOB, which are not in the base game)
OR 'The Known Universe', which is a more detailed mod that also adds in new factions.
Spawn control - Allows toggling off spawns of unwanted mechs or variants from my mod.
Potential mod conflicts: Mod no longer overrides the Jenner hardpoint (HPS) file, so no known conflict with other YAML compatible mods.
New Mech Chassis in the Mod:
Bombard (BBD), 50 tons: Built as a slow, trundling heavy weapons platform, the Bombard was designed to surprise and overwhelm opponents with its absurd firepower in the arenas of Solaris VII. Falling short in most metrics besides firepower, the Bombard is an uncommon sight on the battlefield. Its massive alpha strike should be feared by any that wander too close, but it is easily felled due to its reliance on an XL engine.
Spawns very rarely with House Steiner and Davion, intro date 3054. Spawns most often with arena factions (uncommon).
HawkWolf (HWK), 80 tons: The HawkWolf is a unique BattleMech constructed by the Brotherhood of Randis and is now widely deployed by periphery states. A second-line fire-support mech built using primitive tech, the HawkWolf was envisioned as a cheap, easily maintained alternative to the Longbow or Stalker. Indeed, most variants of this mech can be described as little more than a missile battery on legs. The HawkWolf is one of the cheapest assault mechs to purchase, maintain or repair in the inner sphere, as well as providing potentially overwhelming missile firepower if refitted to a standard
or advanced tech base.
Spawns most often with Periphery states, intro date 3040. Uncommon – common.
Scarab (SCA), 40 tons: Developed in the early 3050s by the Capellan Confederation, the Scarab was originally intended as a stealth-armored variant of the Strider omnimech. Although bearing some loose structural similarities to its predecessor, the Scarab was built as a standard battlemech when the combination of stealth armor and omnimech technologies were deemed too expensive. The final role of this battlemech was also altered, and it now serves as a dedicated anti-infantry / saboteur unit in the CAF. After closing undetected to its target, the Scarab is designed to disable or overwhelm the targeting and cooling systems of its victims in hit and run strikes. As such, this 40-ton mech is often used to delay the advances of much heavier 'mechs, although it requires support from allies to put these targets down effectively.
Spawns nearly 100% with House Liao, intro date 3053. Uncommon.
Devastator (DVS), 100 tons: Produced in minute numbers in the final days of the Amaris civil war, the Devastator was
commissioned by General Kerensky himself. It was the last mech prototype built for the Star League Defense Force before their exodus from the Inner Sphere,
arguably making the Devastator the closest inner sphere relative of Clan mechs. Although so rare as to be considered mythical, the Devastator is one of the
most potent snipers produced for the SLDF. The Devastator relies on advanced sensors, gauss weaponry and other cutting-edge technologies to demolish enemies at extreme range. In the only recorded deployment of the Devastator, a lone prototype Devastator earned its namesake on the Alberta plains of Terra, where it single-handedly destroyed three Amaris mechs, forcing the fourth to surrender. With the resurgence of Star League tech in the 3030s, this mech has
started to resurface in the Inner Sphere.
Lo-tech variant spawns primarily with Federated Suns and Taurian Concordat, intro date 3036. Uncommon. Alternatively, extremely rare star league era variants can spawn at any star year (ComStar / Wolf's Dragoons only). Advanced tech variants spawn after 3048 (FWL, Steiner, Federated Suns).
Hollander (BZK), 35 tons (MODEL DONATED BY SHADE): The Hollander was developed by Coventry Metal Works for the express purpose of carrying a gauss rifle into combat on a light, mobile chassis. The mech was well received by the Federated Commonwealth, in light of their need to counter the fast, long-range capable clan mechs gnawing at their forces. However, the Hollander sacrifices tonnage in many areas to achieve its goal, most notably in terms of its armor plating and ground speed. This mech nonetheless is a tremendous and cheap sniper, so long as its armor holds.
Spawns with House Davion, Federated Commonwealth, House Steiner, and mercenaries after 3054 (uncommon - rare).
Hollander II (BZK), 45 tons (MODEL DONATED BY SHADE): The Hollander II was developed by Coventry Metal Works as a larger cousin to the older Hollander light 'mech. The extra tonnage was put to use to produce a less compromising gauss platform; the Hollander II maintains the groundspeed of its light cousin but dramatically increases its armor coverage. In addition, this fire-support mech carries close-range weaponry to defend itself in a brawl, in case friendly front lines should collapse.
Spawns with House Davion, Federated Commonwealth, House Steiner, and mercenaries after 3058 (uncommon - rare).
Crockett / Katana (CRK), 85 tons (MODEL DONATED BY BRIANBANZAI): Produced by Blankenburg Technologies from 2735, the Crockett was designed as a training Battlemech for the Star League Defense Force. Although the mech is easy to pilot, the SLDF found that the mech was somewhat overengineered for a trainer, possessing combat capabilities well exceeding the minimum requirements. The result was the Crockett seeing wide use on battlefields, up until the early stages of the succession wars. Like most Lostech designs, the Crockett suffered from serious attrition and aggressive downgrades during these conflicts. Thanks to the foresight of Comstar, some mothballed SLDF Crocketts once again march on the battlefields of the latter succession wars, featured almost exclusively amongst the elusive Com Guard forces.
Mercury (MCY), 20 tons: First produced at the height of the Star League's power, the Mercury was intended as a replacement for the older Stinger and Wasp scout battlemechs. The Mercury hosts a number of advantages, being just as well armored and significantly faster thanks to its MASC unit. In addition, the Mercury boasts advanced modular weapon systems, in essence an early prototype of omnimech technology. This ancient predecessor of clan omnimechs is now rarely seen on the battlefield, barring deployment by Comguard forces.
Spawns with Comstar / Wolf's Dragoons (SLDF variant), uncommonly with great houses (low tech variant), or commonly with the Word of Blake (later star years).
Scavenger ‘SCAV’ Variants:
These variants are my take on PGI’s pirate or ‘-P’ variants, which add melee hardpoints to existing mechs. PGI chose to only add melee hardpoints to mechs with hands, but SCAV variants add melee weapons to mechs without hands, like the Catapult. Weapons will include jury-rigged industrial equipment like drills, saws, mining equipment, etc. or self-actuated melee weapons like lances, retractable blades, etc. SCAV mechs also feature the ‘spiked armor’ quirk, which reduces incoming melee damage by 15%, as well as a unique paintjob. Occasionally these variants will have a unique ranged weapon instead of a melee weapon, but that is very rare. For technical reasons, SCAV variant’s custom melee weapons are fixed to the chassis and cannot be removed (they auto repair when the mech is repaired). This is a symptom of the crude way hardpoints are implemented in MW5. These mechs spawn primarily with periphery or pirate factions, sometimes very rarely with independents.
Current Chassis with SCAV Variants:
Warhammer-SCAV: Features an ‘i-beam shiv’.
Catapult-SCAV: Features either ‘War Tusks’ (paired light lances) or a ‘Heavy Industrial Drill’. Variants exist for both missile / PPC catapult variants.
Jenner-SCAV: Features a ‘Light Lance’ or a one-shot ‘Harpoon Launcher’.
Stalker-SCAV: Features either ‘War Tusks’(paired medium lances) or a ‘Siege Ram’.
Kingcrab-SCAV: Features either the 'Assault Lance' or up to 2 'Buzz Claws' (arm mounted circular saw).
New Equipment in the Mod:
Anti-Mech Pod: Essentially a modified LBX autocannon ammunition canister, the M-pod functions like a mech-scale claymore mine. When fired,
it discharges a devastating burst of shrapnel in a wide, short range spread. Can only be fired once.Damage: 30. Tonnage: 1 ton. Optimal Range: 100 meters. Projectile spread of 16 meters at 130 meters range, so ineffective at any range outside
melee. Equips to missile slot.
KNOWN ISSUES:
-Ranges on SCAV melee weapons are not displayed properly on the HUD. Experimentation with the melee weapon is the best guide here, but most reach out to around 10-15 meters or so, even if the HUD says otherwise. Ranges may be tweaked as the mod develops.
-Scarab still needs 3D models for damaged body parts to be added.
-Scarab animations are a little funny due to YAML scaling not playing nice with the model.
-Mechs from this mod are not featured in the mech encyclopedia. Not certain it’s possible to address this without overwriting changes made to the mech encyclopedia by other mods.-Spawn toggle feature (ability to disable unwanted chassis or SCAV variants from spawning) is planned for the future.