(http://img.masterunitlist.info/BattleMechs/Matador.jpg)
Toréador, en garde! Toréador! Toréador! From TRO:3060
Many players, having seen the Matador's specs, will quickly dismiss it as a terrible 'Mech, completely useless on the clan battlefield. I wont lie, I thought the same when I first glanced at it. After all, it's a machine which has ER Mediums as its longest-ranged weapons, and when combined with a low ground speed and its mere 60 tons...well, its prospects didn't look too good. Even the name Matador, generally used interchangibly with bullfighter in English, does not inspire fear. In Spanish, however, a Matador de Toro is a Torero who performs the final highly-skilled act of killing the bull - while the word matador itself translates directly to killer. Let us look at the origins of this killer to better understand it.
First introduced in 2846, the Matador is a member of the first wave of clantech 'Mechs to enter production. Predating the OmniMech, Battle Armored infantry, or even certain staples such as the Griffin IIC, the Matador arrived in a period of transition. Clantech had just entered full production, and the grand majority of Star League technology was dropping out of it. It also appeared during one of the hardest times for Clan Steel Viper. A strict and purposeless Warrior caste caused its lower castes to grow agitated, continuously rebelling and forcing the clan to dedicate more troops towards putting them down. A standard engine, internal structure and armor suggest that Clan Steel Viper was having issues producing higher-tech components at the time as well.
- - -
The Matador features an incredibly wide weapons array. Two ER Medium Lasers and three Medium Pulse Lasers offer the greatest punch, with a Streak SRM-6 and a Streak SRM-4 rack offering back-up firepower. Two Small Pulse Lasers and four Machine Guns complete the package and give the Matador the ability to absolutely demolish infantry formations. Twelve double heat sinks encourage a selective and controlled use of firepower. The lot is propelled by a rather lackluster 4/6/4 movement profile, although having 95.5% of its theoretical maximum armor protecting the standard engine certainly makes closing with the enemy possible. This armor, laid out 30/9, 21/6, 16, 26 (CT, side torsos, arms, legs) could be better optimized, but offers a sturdy shell all the same.
As I touched upon before, this low speed and short-ranged firepower is difficult to use in modern Clan engagements. In 2846, though, this would have been different. Star League designs would have been more common due to the very low number of Clan machines available, with 'Mechs such as the Black Knight, Flashman, Champion and Guillotine filling out second-line (and perhaps certain front-line) formations. The three ER Mediums Lasers share the same range and nearly the same punch as an IS Large Laser, giving the Matador an intimidating presence against these 'Mechs while the remainder of its firepower would easily outrange and outgun most Star League-era back-up weaponry. The expansive anti-infantry weaponry would allow it to deal with the infantry Trinaries standard to many Clusters without a second thought (along with those rebellious Steel Viper civilians), and the large pulse array would tear apart lighter machines such as the Mongoose, Firefly C, Locust IIC, etc. No Clantech Heavy BattleMechs were yet able to outrun the Matador, making it in fact the most nimble Clantech Heavy built up to its 2846 introduction date.
This would come to change come the appearance of the OmniMech and the modern era. Heavies became quicker and longer ranged, relegating the Matador to second-line formations where it could take and hold a defensive posture. Its weaponry would thankfully still be effective even once Battle Armor appeared, but eventually a refit was deemed necessary. Appearing to come from the Jade Falcons, the Matador 2 would replace the ER Mediums with Heavy Mediums, drop the anti-infantry array for three AP Gauss Rifles, and replace the dual Streak racks with an ATM-9. A targeting computer increases the direct weaponry's accuracy, while 3 additional double heat sinks make this Matador a much cooler beast. The biggest sacrifice here is the loss of the two Small Pulse Lasers, meaning that this 'Mech no longer has horns. Terrible.
- - -
Using this 'Mech depends on the era. It can be used as a decent front-line machine for the few years it has before Omnis appear, but should probably be used more defensively later on unless you're expecting heavy conventional infantry opposition. The refit reduces ranged firepower, making it even less of a threat at a distance, but has one heck of a punch under range 9. Urban or very hilly regions look like the only place that might be a home for the Matador 2.
How to kill one? Outrange it. Aiming for one torso or another doesn't really do much good, considering how spread out its weaponry is, although hitting the Left Torso completely removes the ranged laser array and blasting through the right removes all of the ammo-fed weaponry. The Right Torso is also a good place to aim on the Matador, knocking out the AP Gausses and ATM in one go.
As always, you can find more information on the MUL: http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/2098/matador-standard
And some nice painted up models on camospecs: http://camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=59
(http://img.masterunitlist.info/BattleMechs/Matador.jpg)
Toréador, en garde! Toréador! Toréador! From TRO:3060
Many players, having seen the Matador's specs, will quickly dismiss it as a terrible 'Mech, completely useless on the clan battlefield. I wont lie, I thought the same when I first glanced at it. After all, it's a machine which has ER Mediums as its longest-ranged weapons, and when combined with a low ground speed and its mere 60 tons...well, its prospects didn't look too good. Even the name Matador, generally used interchangibly with bullfighter in English, does not inspire fear. In Spanish, however, a Matador de Toro is a Torero who performs the final highly-skilled act of killing the bull - while the word matador itself translates directly to killer. Let us look at the origins of this killer to better understand it.
First introduced in 2846, the Matador is a member of the first wave of clantech 'Mechs to enter production. Predating the OmniMech, Battle Armored infantry, or even certain staples such as the Griffin IIC, the Matador arrived in a period of transition. Clantech had just entered full production, and the grand majority of Star League technology was dropping out of it. It also appeared during one of the hardest times for Clan Steel Viper. A strict and purposeless Warrior caste caused its lower castes to grow agitated, continuously rebelling and forcing the clan to dedicate more troops towards putting them down. A standard engine, internal structure and armor suggest that Clan Steel Viper was having issues producing higher-tech components at the time as well.
- - -
The Matador features an incredibly wide weapons array. Two ER Medium Lasers and three Medium Pulse Lasers offer the greatest punch, with a Streak SRM-6 and a Streak SRM-4 rack offering back-up firepower. Two Small Pulse Lasers and four Machine Guns complete the package and give the Matador the ability to absolutely demolish infantry formations. Twelve double heat sinks encourage a selective and controlled use of firepower. The lot is propelled by a rather lackluster 4/6/4 movement profile, although having 95.5% of its theoretical maximum armor protecting the standard engine certainly makes closing with the enemy possible. This armor, laid out 30/9, 21/6, 16, 26 (CT, side torsos, arms, legs) could be better optimized, but offers a sturdy shell all the same.
As I touched upon before, this low speed and short-ranged firepower is difficult to use in modern Clan engagements. In 2846, though, this would have been different. Star League designs would have been more common due to the very low number of Clan machines available, with 'Mechs such as the Black Knight, Flashman, Champion and Guillotine filling out second-line (and perhaps certain front-line) formations. The three ER Mediums Lasers share the same range and nearly the same punch as an IS Large Laser, giving the Matador an intimidating presence against these 'Mechs while the remainder of its firepower would easily outrange and outgun most Star League-era back-up weaponry. The expansive anti-infantry weaponry would allow it to deal with the infantry Trinaries standard to many Clusters without a second thought (along with those rebellious Steel Viper civilians), and the large pulse array would tear apart lighter machines such as the Mongoose, Firefly C, Locust IIC, etc. No Clantech Heavy BattleMechs were yet able to outrun the Matador, making it in fact the most nimble Clantech Heavy built up to its 2846 introduction date.
This would come to change come the appearance of the OmniMech and the modern era. Heavies became quicker and longer ranged, relegating the Matador to second-line formations where it could take and hold a defensive posture. Its weaponry would thankfully still be effective even once Battle Armor appeared, but eventually a refit was deemed necessary. Appearing to come from the Jade Falcons, the Matador 2 would replace the ER Mediums with Heavy Mediums, drop the anti-infantry array for three AP Gauss Rifles, and replace the dual Streak racks with an ATM-9. A targeting computer increases the direct weaponry's accuracy, while 3 additional double heat sinks make this Matador a much cooler beast. The biggest sacrifice here is the loss of the two Small Pulse Lasers, meaning that this 'Mech no longer has horns. Terrible.
- - -
Using this 'Mech depends on the era. It can be used as a decent front-line machine for the few years it has before Omnis appear, but should probably be used more defensively later on unless you're expecting heavy conventional infantry opposition. The refit reduces ranged firepower, making it even less of a threat at a distance, but has one heck of a punch under range 9. Urban or very hilly regions look like the only place that might be a home for the Matador 2.
How to kill one? Outrange it. Aiming for one torso or another doesn't really do much good, considering how spread out its weaponry is, although hitting the Left Torso completely removes the ranged laser array and blasting through the right removes all of the ammo-fed weaponry. The Right Torso is also a good place to aim on the Matador, knocking out the AP Gausses and ATM in one go.
As always, you can find more information on the MUL: http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/2098/matador-standard
And some nice painted up models on camospecs: http://camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=59
Thank you for the write up I have often wondered about this mech