Author Topic: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab  (Read 36886 times)

Moonsword

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Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« on: 26 January 2011, 17:13:32 »
'Mech of the Week Update: KGC-* King Crab

(The previous article on this 'Mech is in the archive.  The six week exclusion window on TRO3085 has expired and the KGC-005R has been added.)

Toward the end of the Star League era, General Aleksandr Kerensky was behind the development of an absolute minimum of four 100 ton assault 'Mechs.  The best known of them was the infamous Atlas, a storied veteran of the Succession Wars and one of the icons of BattleTech as a whole, its death's head instantly recognizable to even casual fans.  Just before Amaris launched his spree of murder, death, and mustache-twirling villainy, Kerensky himself designed the Devastator, now a hard-hitting standby of the assault class.  Prototypes of the Titan were run up for him in 2767 at about the same time as the Devastator.  But neither of these was the first of this Kerensky Sereis of 'Mechs.  Instead, in 2741, he was behind a different directive aimed at creating an assault 'Mech that could "cripple or destroy another BattleMech in a single salvo" rather than the Atlas's, which included elements of psychological warfare.  Cosara Weaponries reached straight for the same answer Aldis Industries would later parley into the Demolisher, Slayer of 'Mechs, giving birth to the King Crab and starting its long ride in BattleTech history.  The King Crab also boasts a distinctive style, much like its Atlas cousin and tying into Cosara's earlier Crab medium 'Mech.

A fierce 'Mech in any incarnation, the King Crab's initial appearance in 1989's TRO2750 set the standard for its future models in terms of firepower.  Standard bones and a 300-rated standard fusion engine are cheap, widely available, and free up crits, something the KGC-000 can certainly use.  The armament, as hinted above, centers on a pair of class 20 autocannons, one in each arm stretching into the side torsos, initially identified rather descriptively as Deathgivers, later termed Imperator Ds.  Cosara goofed on something that Aldis would get right, supplying only five rounds per cannon, reminding me unpleasantly of the much later Hunchback IIC with considerably less excuse than that suicide machine.  To supplement these weapons, an LRM 15 and a large laser were mounted in the torsos, although the LRM 15 has a mere eight shots itself.  Fortunately, they did put CASE on, and equally fortunately, the armor was layered on thick enough to let a King Crab driver pick their shots.  15 single heat sinks keep the 'Mech cool when using bracketing and indicate that this model of King Crab was evidently built with an eye toward minimal use of advanced technology, bringing only CASE and ferro-fibrous armor to the fight.  There appears to be some confusion over whether or not the KGC-000 can flip arms - based on the record sheet in RS3050U, it cannot, as it has lower arm and hand actuators.  A bit of poking around reveals this may be a change from the original TRO2750.  Ghost Bear's answer indicates it's here to stay but, hey, Standard Answer #1 applies here.  The baseline design is capable enough, pointing the way to better days, but the ammo endurance means that it needs to operate with a lance.  One combination to look at is combining it with things like Longbows and Awesomes much the way a Demolisher might be used to escort LRM carriers and Schrecks.

That was, however, the "monkey model".  As with many Star League 'Mechs, the Royal Regiments got something a little better to play with in TRO3075 and RS3075 Unabridged, basically a KGC-000 that took a level of badass.  The KGC-000b Royal King Crab fixes several of the original's problems although the actuators are the same.  The armor plating is also the same but the heat sinks were removed and replaced with 12 double-strength versions.  One ton went to Artemis IV for the LRM launcher (paralleling a decision made on the Zeus - there are times it seems like they want to beat the fact Kerensky went to the Nagelring into your head with swinging hammer blows, aren't there?).  The other weapon improvement was something that must have been loudly approved by every MechWarrior who got one in his stocking for Christmas: two more tons of AC/20 ammo, bringing it up to what many consider the bare minimum standard of 10 shots per gun.  Rejoice, fans, for Herb have giveth unto us a blessing of broken 'Mechs and shattered cockpits.

Cosara was working on a model that shows they weren't blind to the flaws of their first offering.  Indeed, this one is one of the nastier models available, described in TRO3050U and TRO3039 and given a home in the latter's record sheet volume.  Produced by Cosara-Mars under a strict secrecy deal, the KGC-010 was developed at some point before Amaris initiated his little party and at least one prototype was in direct combat with him.  General Kerensky was suitably impressed and saw fit to take every surviving example with him on the Exodus, while the ravages of the Usurper and the campaign against him apparently wiped out data records of its existence, leaving even ComStar and the Word of Blake unaware until recently of this member of the King Crab family.  The arm cannons were replaced by LB 10-X autocannons fed by 3 tons each of ammunition, enough to supply each weapon with 15 shots of both types of ammo.  The secondary weapons were completely overhauled, mounting a pair of particle cannons, each with a Holly SRM 6 launcher wrapped around it, both with 15 shots.  CASE was retained, as was ferro-fibrous (although it's a half-ton thicker), but this model uses 10 freezers.  Perhaps a bit undersinked, the KGC-010 model of the King Crab is capable of a powerful spread of 4 10 point hits or a withering hail of 1 and 2 point clusters at close range, the one King Crab to be a generalist (to the point a 3/5 assault 'Mech can be, anyway).  Dangerous to 'Mechs and absolutely brutal against vehicles, the KGC-010 would be a potent weapon on Jihad battlefields, let alone against the vintage of equipment found in its own time.  If you can get your hands on one, you won't be disappointed.  Doing that, of course, is easier said than done at this point in time.  Frankly, the Clans are the most likely ones to be fielding one of these beauties.

The next model to emerge was the KGC-0000 (note the extra 0).  First found in TRO3025 Revised when FASA chose to replace the Unseen with a collection of downgraded Star League 'Mechs descended from those in TRO2750 and included with TRO3039 alongside those 'Mechs they 'replaced', the KGC-0000 King Crab is a product of the way the Succession Wars brutally winnowed down available technology.  The ferro-fibrous armor plate and cellular ammunition storage were stripped, requiring a bit of minor structural work.  Because their deliberately old-fashioned technology required less extensive changes, King Crabs were easier to maintain and, thus, found themselves more frequently caught up in major battles, limiting the number that would survive to the end of the Third Succession War.  This one is very, very similar to the preceding KGC-000, only losing 14 points of armor (this despite the fact that the armor is itself a ton heavier - ferro-fibrous adds up) and gives it the dubious distinction of lightest armor of any King Crab.  The stern plates lost 2 or 3 points each, leaving the limbs and forward armor to absorb a mere 1 point loss to each location, a very smart decision.  Unfortunately, no one took the opportunity to try a bold solution to improve the ammo endurance, so the same constraints from the original apply here.  Of course, as they say, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," and the lower armor and targeting modifiers of the Succession Wars mean that a King Crab pilot who picks his opportunities carefully can have an absolutely devastating impact on the battlefield.

ComGuard operating experience against the Clans showed that while the Imperator Ds of the KGC-000 were indeed a devastating weapon, the King Crab was frequently unable to get into range to use them.  In response, Cosara Weaponries unveiled a new model, one of the so-called "Clanbuster" variants.  (The idea that this is a quick and simple refit is either a joke or another one of those places the rules have changed over time.)  Where the KGC-010 is close enough to the KGC-000 to be converted in a DropShip with the right parts, the KGC-001 is a complete overhaul.  An extra-light Vlar 300 engine drives it no faster but saves 9.5 tons, allowing a near complete weapons refit.  The autocannons were replaced by a pair of M-7 Gauss rifles, the same model found on the Highlander, each fed by two tons of ammunition, tripling the endurance of the main guns.  The laser was upgraded to a pulse version with a pair of Streak SRM 2s added.  The Streaks each have their own ton of ammunition, something that deserves an explanation.  This looks crazy to modern eyes but at the time, there was a method to the madness. Remember the old rule that Streak 2s could carry Infernos which, until Total Warfare, had a potential instant death effect against vehicles.  The launchers are paired because the Inner Sphere didn't have access to the larger Streak types until some time after the KGC-001 was produced.  Finally, the LRMs are still there, soldiering on with their 8 shot load.  Two heat sinks were removed, freeing up the tonnage for the second Streak launcher and a half-ton of armor, most of it on the legs.  The heat balance is fine for most use.  Where the original model is definitely a close-range beatstick, the KGC-001 is more of a ranged combatant, able to stand off at the same ranges the Clans do and meeting some of their advanced hardware head-on from a capability standpoint.  Prospective users should note that this is one of the two King Crabs that can actually flip its arms.  It could certainly benefit from some careful tweaking - far be it from an inveterate tinkerer like me to say otherwise! - but this one is a capable assault 'Mech even if time has revealed a few flaws.

The next King Crab in game and publishing history,  originally published in 2001's Record Sheets: Upgrades and unremarked upon in TRO3050U despite the inclusion in the accompanying record sheets, the KGC-005 is to all appearances a ComStar or Word of Blake upgrade of the KGC-000's spirit that debuted during the FedCom Civil War.  Endo-steel bones provide greater weight savings than the ferro-fibrous armor, making this either a factory model or an extensive, time consuming refit on par with the KGC-001.  The armor was improved in the same general manner as the KGC-001 as well.  The autocannons are replaced by paired class 20 LB-X models fed by three tons of ammo each, the laser was uprated to an extended-range model, the launcher was replaced by a pair of four-tube Streaks, and the heat sinks uprated to 12 freezers.  Finally, someone added a C3i module to the center torso with malice aforethought.  A relentless, brutally powerful brawler with just enough long-range capability to fire at people on its way to getting right in someone's face with twin class 20s and Streaks for all the more fun even as it feeds C3i targeting data, this model is a tour de force.  And with C3i, despite being perfectly suited to up close and personal mayhem, you can also stand off a bit and rain down death from a couple hundred meters away, perfect for those pesky faster 'Mechs that won't just let you get close.

There is no KGC-007.  Fnord!

The KGC-005 wasn't the last upgrade to the King Crab produced by one of the Baby Bells.  The Word is unequivocally behind the KGC-008, apparently starting up production at the Northwind plant in 3069.  The record sheet for this one in RS3050U is mostly incorrect per errata, needing to replaced with the one in Starterbook: Wolf & Blake.  Considering that Herb indicated that the RS3050U sheet is to be banished to the realm of apocrypha, this discussion will focus exclusively on the correct model.  If this one is based on anything, it's based on the KGC-005, sharing the same SFE power plant, same standard armor, and same endo-steel bones.  Three jump jets offer some extra mobility.  Two heavy particle cannons offer the main punch while a pair of LAC/2s provide... well, I'm not really sure what they do other than provide a convenient plinking function, but they're there along with a single ton of ammo (CASE'd, for your protection!).  The head mounts two extended-range medium lasers, meaning there's also a small cockpit.  The gyro is heavy duty.  C3i is present along with ECM, offering a nice grab bag of spotting, jamming, and (depending on rules in play) ECCM in one assault-size package.  Where the KGC-005 is the point man for an assault Level II, this is one of the ranged beat sticks that hangs back and pours fire into the target by exploiting the targeting data.  There are only two times to use the jets in my opinion - maneuvering in broken terrain (including urban, which will probably be literally broken sooner or later knowing CBT combat) and if someone gets close somewhere you can't just move 3 hexes straight back on 'foot' to solve the problem, jerking out of range to put the HPPCs back into their sweet spot.  Those backstabbing are advised to get close if possible - this model features flippable arms.  This is the second (and currently final) entry in the sniper range of King Crabs but it ends in style, rolling out the Dark Age look for the Jihad.

At some point after he took the post in the wake of Sharilar Mori's assassination, First Precentor Dow arranged for mercenaries to hit Cosara and make off with the plans for the King Crab.  He then approached StarCorps Industries and offered them the plans.  StarCorps, recognizing a good thing when they saw it, promptly put their own stamp on this 'Mech, producing the KGC-009 at Son Hoa.  (The description of it as the KGC-007 in the Overview section of TRO3050U is apparently incorrect.)  This King Crab is a continuation of the short-range series.  Primary firepower is located in the arms with each one mounting a class 5 rotary autocannon and a light PPC.  The torso-mounted laser became a plasma rifle with a six-tube Streak SRM launcher in place of the LRMs.  All of this is kept cool by 11 freezers, meaning this 'Mech is frequently going to run a touch hot but nothing too bad.  The RACs have three tons each (60 single shots), the plasma rifle is fed by two tons (20 shots), and the Streaks have one ton (15 shots).  Slightly alarmingly, the RAC and Streak ammo is all piled together in the right torso, but there's also CASE, so this is more of a castration risk than an instant kill risk unless someone just starts racking up crits in there on one salvo and kills the pilot.  Built off of standard bones, this model also has a standard engine and light ferro-fibrous armor, 305 points of it distributed basically identically to the KGC-008.  Where the original 0-series King Crabs relied on the sledgehammer blows of twin AC/20s, the KGC-009 strikes something of a compromise between the KGC-005 (which can operate either by main power or truly awesome crit-seeking) and the KGC-010, combining a RAC's 5-point sandblasting with some pure crit-seeking from the Streaks and the plasma rifle's damage.  This is also, under modern rules, one of the King Crabs best able to handle infantry because of the way RACs and plasma weapons can deal out damage to conventional forces.  Like the other Jihad King Crab and the KGC-001, this model can flip its arms.

The final variant of the King Crab known at this point in time comes to us by way of TRO3085's "Old is the New New" section, an idea derived from the success and popularity of the concept of the Royal refits from TRO3075 - appropriately, the King Crab appears in both.  I'd love to share complete information but, unfortunately, all we have at this point is a short blurb in the TRO that doesn't tell the whole story.  Okay, I've got ONN, so here's the actual end result.  The armor was thinned off on the center torso and legs, but not by much, and the ERLL and one of the Streaks are both gone.  That missing 1.5 tons and crit I mentioned last time around?  Well, Welshman promised we'd see what happened, and he was right.  The joker in the deck is that the C3i unit was replaced with a C3 slave.

You saw the history.  You've read through the variants.  Now you want to field one.  How you do this varies widely.  As pointed out, there are two general 'lineages' of King Crab in tactical terms.  The first is founded with the KGC-000, the one that picks a guy, walks up, and beats him into the pavement.  The second, shorter lineage is that of the KGC-001 and KGC-008, the long- to mid-range pounders which emphasize standing off and pounding someone to scrap from a distance.  The KGC-010 straddles the bloodlines, able to fight out to the longish side of medium range effectively with twin PPCs and LB 10-Xs but also possessing solid close-in power.  If you formed a lance of King Crabs for some reason, this would be your utility infielder, standing between a KGC-001's Gauss rifles of ranged pain and a KGC-000b's face-stomping fury.  The KGC-009 and KGC-005 both prefer closer ranges but don't need to be right in someone's face necessarily - a KGC-009 has some extra reach while a KGC-005 has C3i.  Figure out what range you're using and maneuver to get there.  In anything other than assault vs. assault grudge matches (and even in a few of those - a Phoenix Hawk IIC is maneuverable enough to drive a King Crab pilot to drink) or other slow matches with all the maneuvering of a glacier, these plodding assaults need to be supported with more mobile elements to act as flankers, pin the enemy, and otherwise play hammer to the King Crab's anvil.  If you're in a position to do it, remember that a King Crab kicks just as hard as the AC/20 and can easily snap the legs of some smaller 'Mechs or knock any of them to the ground.

Countering King Crabs is simple.  Not easy but simple.  If you can arrange it, go for the back armor - it's thicker than usual but still not up to the standards of the forward plates and you can usually avoid most of the guns.  If you can't, figure out what range the King Crab wants to be at and do the opposite.  A KGC-000 does not want to deal with someone hanging around at range 12 or so and is only marginally more capable than an AS7-D of expressing its disapproval.  Its two spawn, the Royal and the -0000, are in the same boat.  A KGC-001 is a little more able to respond to close-up attacks but only up to a point (that point is arguably three hexes - do not stand there because you've just invited a massed short range shot from everything but the LRMs).  A healthy mix of crit-seekers and large hole punchers is highly desirable - every single one of these 'Mechs has explosive ammo somewhere, one of them with an XLFE engine attached and another lacking CASE, and it significantly hinders the ones that don't, to say nothing of the effects of gyro or cockpit hits.  As usual when dealing with a C3i 'Mech in a network, disrupt it whenever possible - both C3i King Crabs can do some sick things with targeting data.  Artillery can be helpful if you can pin a King Crab somewhere or have luck with it, as can LRM bombardment if you can set the situation up properly.  Air strikes should stick to level bombing outside of really intense situations - King Crabs generate a lot of damage and most can threshold the front of any fighter bar none and a few DropShips besides.  The two that can't are still not really anything to trifle with, especially the plasma rifle's lovely little heat spike on the KGC-009.  Most (although not all) King Crabs have a pronounced difficulty killing infantry without specialized ammo - if you can arrange it, foot troops can cause one major difficulty.

So there we have it.  A 'Mech that seizes the day in any incarnation, the King Crab has a lot of history and plenty of style.  Going from a flawed brawler struggling valiantly against Amaris to a brutal sniper on the fields of Turkayyid and then zigzagging between sledgehammers at range and face-stomping power, it's been a long strange ride for Cosara's deadliest son.  But what has it done for you, this 'Mech blessed with the power and fury of four Urbies?  What victories have its weapons won to be celebrated in your halls?  What defeats have added tragedy to the legend of this noble 'Mech?

Image Reference: As of this edit, the MUL features the old TRO3050 artwork for all variants.  Sarna has a few other images.  CamoSpecs has some shots of various paint jobs to contemplate.
« Last Edit: 16 June 2011, 21:09:39 by Moonsword »

Moonsword

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #1 on: 26 January 2011, 17:20:40 »
*digs some stuff out of the archives*

Quote from: Iron Mongoose
I love the feel of the King Crab.  Yes, I also love the Atlas, and they have some comonalities, but the King Crab is at once more ballanced (the LRM15 and LL are more potent at range than the single LRM20) and more extreem (you don't invest so much in just two guns if you don't really mean it).  My proudest moment was probably a dual between an 000 and a Burrock, which I managed to eak out a win in.  That was a short ranged slug fest if ever there was one.

More even than the Atlas, which at least predends to have ammo endurance, the King Crab has to be well supported, since it can only really kill one or two other mechs with its ammo.  Yes, they'll be big damn mechs, and very dead, but that's it.  Its the mech that's an assualt mech in the way the old fiction discribed, called on in specal situations to kill other assualts, and leave the other riffraff to the mediums and heavies, and it delivers if you play your cards right.

I like the 005 the best of the new ones, since it retains that feel and really works to make the mech more of what it already was.  The 001 is nice enough, and the HPPC is always fun to have around, but the King Crab was never about being purely functional and powerful.  Take a Stalker or Awesome or Marauder II for that.  The King Crab was about being powerful and awe inspiring in a cool way, a frightening way, a way that only it could manage.  You don't take two AC20s because you want to be well rounded, after all.  You take them because you want to find someone and remind them that you really, really, don't like them.

Quote from: RRCavScout
Very Good article!  Highly informative!  I have always had mixed feelings about this 'Mech.

When TRO2750 came out, I thought that the Highlander was more useful and considerably cooler and did not show it much attention.  That all changed with the Tukayyid scenario pack and the -001 model.  It was double gauss-goodness and one of the better "clanbusters" in the book; but it lost the "in your face" attitude of the original.

I really began to love (and hate) this 'Mech with the emergence of the -005.  It was bad enough on its own; but when paired with a couple of -14C Bombardiers, a Vanquisher, and any other two C3i 'Mechs, it became a must-kill priority target.  Truly frightening and well executed.  I am surprised that the Lyrans never made a variant without the C3i, especially given their love of big boomsticks and the 100 ton weight class.

I haven't played with the newer variants; but I am itching to put the -010 in a Klondike or Wolverine treachery type scenario.

Quote from: Moonsword
Try the Royal: All the attitude, twice the ammo endurance.  It's also not that hard to construct from a KGC-000 if you happen to have one on hand.  As far as it goes, I'm a big fan of the Highlander, too, but it does lack the King Crab's simple, brutal approach to combat.

The Lyrans are the ones building the KGC-009.  It lacks the sheer sledgehammer power of the older variants but it's quite capable of flaying someone alive.

Quote from: Ian Sharpe
Generally a Mech for assaulting fixed positions or holding them, where lack of ground won't hurt it.  I like the clanbuster model a lot, as its yet another gauss boat, although it doesn't have the same feel as the others.  The lack of ammo for the AC/20s or gauss does tend to hurt a bit, as those are its main weapons.  Haven't used the WOB or Royal models, but dual LBs are something the wife likes, so I might point it out to her.

Quote from: Moonsword
Also, the KGC-001 has the exact same Gauss ammo load (2 tons per gun) as many of the other Gauss carriers.  Compared to the KGC-000 ComStar was using as a starting point, that's three times the ammo load but it doesn't stand out in that regard.  For comparison, the only one of the Gauss carriers mentioned in this thread that has more than the usual 2 tons per rifle is the Nightstar which has a staggering 28 rounds per gun.  There are some other heavier loads but there's several Gauss platforms with only eight rounds per gun, too - the MAD-5S is probably the most famous but it's not the only one.  16 is occasionally a bit short but compared to the KGC-000's pitiful ammo load, it's practically unlimited.

Quote from: Maelwys
The 001 has always had a soft spot in my heart due to its appearance in the ComGuards at Tukayyid. It was also a relatively intelligent upgrade, getting ammo endurance as well as range. Its also pretty easy to modify later on, rip out the Streak and ammo from the RT, add in C3i, and then rip out the streak and ammo in the LT and give the LRM Artemis and another ton of ammo.

The 005 has always worked well for me, either as a mid range bodyguard to keep anyone from going after my snipers in a c3i unit, or as a point man. I think the most fun I ever had with it was when someone jumped over a hill chasing after my spotter only to find out I was running to one of these...

Still haven't had a chance to use the 008 unfortunately. I'm not completely sold on the layout as being better than the 005.

Quote from: drakensis
Providentally I discovered the -010 model just today on megamek and came across this article while looking into the history.

For battle honours let the record show that four KGC-010 King Crabs of the Star League Defense Force defeated this day twelve DRG-1N Dragons of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery inflicting 100% mechanical casualties and 50% personnel losses on the forces that are reported to have turned renegade from the service of House Kurita. All four King Crabs walked off the field although one will require some repairs to the reactor shielding. Regrettably only one of the Dragons was judged viable to salvage due to damage done to the other eleven chassis by internal ammunition explosions.

Quote from: Iron Mongoose
The range is nice, but I'll submit that if you want range, you don't want a King Crab.  If you want damage concentration, big, gaiping holes, then you do.  If you could put HGRs in the arms and the Fafner didn't already exist, it would be the ultimate extention of that concept, since 25 points is the biggest single hole you can make.  Two 20s, or four with ultras, is next to that.

Quote from: Moonsword
The KGC-001, -008, and -010 do just fine at range, although the KGC-010 is also perfectly happy to get right in someone's face.

Quote from: Iron Mongoose
That they are, but you'll recall that I don't like them, or feel that they keep with the spirit of the mech.  Yes, its now known that the LB/PPC model existed almost from the get go, but for two decades of its life the King Crab was largely the 000 and 0000, AC20 packing monster that we know and love (suplemented by the 001, which was known to be a slapped together variant for a specal occasion), and I think you have to think about its origins, its history, in thinking about how to view its cherictor.  I couple of johnny come lately PPC packing versions can't detract from what we know in our hearts to be true, that the King Crab is a vessal for the AC20, that it is a short ranged, concentrated damage hole punching monster.

Like I said, thouse new ones arn't bad, not by any means.  But they've got about as much soul of the King Crab as the new four dour Dodge Charger does of the General Lee.

Quote from: Maelwys
The Bane 4 might as well be labeled the King Crab IIC of course

GreekFire

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #2 on: 21 November 2013, 00:40:29 »
Time for a meeega necro here! I recently fielded a variant of the King Crab that I had never used before, the -009, and I thought I'd share.

The -009 is an interesting 'mech. My friends laughed at me a bit for fielding it. It's not an impressive 'mech, it doesn't have a big oomph like a lot of other assaults (and King Crabs) out there. But it is definitely very functional. Vehicles and infantry don't want to be anywhere near this thing, period. It will kill them at a ridiculously fast pace. And it's an evil machine against other 'mechs too, especially once you take that third ton of MML ammo into consideration. The Plasmas combined with inferno MML rounds mean that any 'mech you face will be getting something like 13 extra heat per turn on average (if all three weapons hit), which forces them to be more conservative with their firepower. At the same time, you're connecting with 2 10-point hits, 2 5-point hits (from Precision or whatever-armed LACs) and more MML missiles or a medium laser or two.

When I played it, it came up against a Thunder Hawk and dismantled it within a few turns. The heat quickly became too much for the T-Hawk to manage, and it got worse from there as I switched over from inferno ammo to standard SRM rounds. The King Crab didn't even lose a single limb from the encounter, and went on to take apart a Schildkrote tank. Well worth the BV - although the Small Cockpit makes it a bit iffy to field (it fell once...not a good thing). Of course, it wouldn't be so easy against a DHS-equipped 'mech, but it showed its worth to me and made me want to field it again.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #3 on: 21 November 2013, 02:49:48 »
Ahh the King Crab..the grinning psycho (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/6/61/KGC-King-Crab.png ITS SO HAPPY!) A great review and I had no idea there were this many variants of the damn thing :s I've used the more original versions many a time and its wonderful if the big guns come out to play. It also operates as an area denial machine as you'll find very few folks willing to get within range of the big guns, even with its sedate pace.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #4 on: 21 November 2013, 04:18:37 »
Two things to add:

The idea behind the "Clanbuster" concept wasn't so much devised from ComGuard combat experience against the Clans (which was nonexistent prior to Tukayyid). ComStar had a big cache of 300XL engines on Terra and decided to create simple field refit kits that would swap out the engines on a number of designs and beef up the weapons suite. The King Crab happened to employ a 300-rated engine and thus qualified for such an upgrade. It was a rushed field job, presumably performed in transit while ComStar was drawing together ComGuard forces from all across the Inner Sphere. I don't think Cosara had anything to do with it.
(As an aside, the run-up logistics to Tukayyid pretty much prove that ComStar must have had a JumpShip fleet of their own equalling or surpassing any of the Houses.)

The other point is this: I found myself wondering why this sturdy and useful 'Mech was so exceedingly rare. I felt the explanation had to be some drawback that doesn't translate into game rules, and in my BC story "Proprietary" I inserted a line that says the King Crab is a notorious hangar queen.
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marauder648

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #5 on: 21 November 2013, 04:34:18 »
I like the hangar queen idea, perhaps their guns are maintenance intensive because of their size, bulk and that they are built into the arms which requires a LOT of weight to be put on the shoulder actuators which probably makes the fears about mechs with gauss rifles recoiling their arms off seem quaint as you don't want a King Crab's arm back flipping through the air towards you.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #6 on: 21 November 2013, 21:08:47 »
I've not really gotten to use a modern King Crab.  If it wasn't for WizKids, the design wouldn't have been revamped to look like the Mayor McCheese.  The 009 is powerful, but it doesn't scream King Crab.  It doesn't have the 1-2 knock out, even with those RAC/5s and Plasma Rifles.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #7 on: 22 November 2013, 08:18:18 »
I've always been a big fan of the KGCs, particularly the Clanbuster 001 and the 005 (usually the anchor of my ComStar LvlII, usually partnered up with a Bombardier, Avatar-E, Griffin, Hussar and Phoenix Hawk). The 005's my favorite one, being a total bruiser and a sandblaster par excellence (without the ER Large, you'll have to haul out a lot of dice: 48 potential crit locations? That's gonna hit somewhere painful once you've opened up with the slugs)

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #8 on: 27 October 2017, 11:36:32 »
I had never heard of the KGC-010 before! And some other versions of the King Crab may need to be in my 2nd line formations...

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #9 on: 27 October 2017, 12:20:41 »
One thing that I'll point out that wasn't mentioned in the article: if a weapon is split between an arm and torso location, its firing arc is limited to the torso arc.  That makes most of the King Crab variants even more vulnerable to flankers.
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UnLimiTeD

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #10 on: 27 October 2017, 19:26:34 »
Just skimmed this again, and the 009 in the article seems to actually be the 007?
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #11 on: 27 October 2017, 23:13:15 »
One thing that I'll point out that wasn't mentioned in the article: if a weapon is split between an arm and torso location, its firing arc is limited to the torso arc.  That makes most of the King Crab variants even more vulnerable to flankers.

Which always made me wonder why none of the versions made the AC entirely in the arm by removing the lower and hand actuators, that way it can also flip!

OR do an upgraded one with Uac-20s!!  Though you might need to lose the LRM or large laser to get the ammo needed to make those worthwhile..
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #12 on: 27 October 2017, 23:13:47 »
Also, every time i click on that link to the archives, all i get is a "Time out, this page can't be viewed" message..
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #13 on: 28 October 2017, 01:00:53 »
Also, every time i click on that link to the archives, all i get is a "Time out, this page can't be viewed" message..
That link applies to a page that was posted prior to the latest major crash of the website. Different domain and all.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #14 on: 29 October 2017, 00:19:58 »
Any chance of getting an addition covering the Dark Age variant?
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #15 on: 30 October 2017, 07:47:02 »
Just skimmed this again, and the 009 in the article seems to actually be the 007?
Any chance of getting an addition covering the Dark Age variant?

The 007 variant is a Lyran variant from the early 3070's. It has a pair of RAC/5s, a pair of Light PPCs, a Streak 6, and a Plasma Rifle. Standard engine, but a 7-crit RAC/SSRM ammo bomb in the RT with CASE the only other crit.

The Dark Age variant is the 009, with a Plasma Rifle and Light AC/5 in each arm. Each side torso has a MML7 and Medium Laser. Two tons of ammo for each PR, 1 ton for each LAC5, and 3 tons total for the MMLs. A standard engine, HD gyro, CASE in each side torso for the explosive ammo, small cockpit, and Guardian ECM round out this version. A total of 14 DHS give you plenty of options for weapons fire. The 009 definitely looks inspired by the 007, with some tweaks someone figured were improvements.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #16 on: 30 October 2017, 09:40:07 »
007: Lemon. Straight up lemon. Looks good at a glance, but that torso bomb wantec alluded to? It's amazing how that seems to attract attention. It WILL explode, it WILL put your Mech down, and your pilot WILL turn into raspberry jam in his seat. Messy. Just can't like this one, try as I might.

009: Ohhhhh my. That's a lot of good times going here. Not a big LAC-5 fan, but they're good here- a low-heat backup weapon to the plasma rifles and their hellacious heat. Backup missiles feel a little weird (and I continue to believe the MML is a missile easy-button that took away a lot of the games' charm), but no complaints there as far as use. Hard to knock this thing out. LOTS of fun if you have a good pilot in there to compensate for the tiny seat- this is the KGC to use in the current era if you can pick one.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #17 on: 30 October 2017, 09:50:35 »
The only 'down side' to this is reading it makes it initially hard to spot the variants Perhaps have it like

King crab 1 -  Hello! I am KC1, here's my details and stuff.

Just so it makes it easier to read, for example with the Clanbuster, you have to read quite a bit before finding its the 0001 and so on.

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #18 on: 30 October 2017, 09:58:15 »
I'm still in my King Crab kick too.  Just finished customizing the 007, and the MWO Kaijuu using the standard mini.   I really do not like the DA version, as it looks alot like a toy, with really bad leg placement. 

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #19 on: 30 October 2017, 10:40:17 »
Next thing you know there will be a King Crab Omni.  Grumpier and with terrible pinch.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #20 on: 30 October 2017, 10:57:22 »
Next thing you know there will be a King Crab Omni.  Grumpier and with terrible pinch.

You could probably call the Tommahawk Prime a kissing cousin of the King Crab.  BIG ballistic weapons, lots of armour, laser(s) for long range sniping, 56kph speed.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #21 on: 30 October 2017, 16:32:53 »
The Tomahawk looks more like a super sized Nova or cousin to the Supernova to me.  If it was a Supernova derivative though,  it would have the King Crab lineage.  The Tomahawk's loadout also reminds me alot of the Macross Cheyenne II for some reason.

You could probably call the Tommahawk Prime a kissing cousin of the King Crab.  BIG ballistic weapons, lots of armour, laser(s) for long range sniping, 56kph speed.
« Last Edit: 30 October 2017, 16:36:45 by Luciora »

MoneyLovinOgre4Hire

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #22 on: 30 October 2017, 17:21:07 »
I felt like the Tomahawk was descended from the Masakari.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #23 on: 30 October 2017, 18:46:51 »
I wonder if the MWO version of the King Crab would end up coming in some form to our game.  The appearance, it's especially it's hide-way guns be nice.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #24 on: 30 October 2017, 23:16:59 »
I wonder if the MWO version of the King Crab would end up coming in some form to our game.  The appearance, it's especially it's hide-way guns be nice.

The MWO King Crab looks a damn sight better than our smiling dish and its lil hands.



I mean seriously, paint that pink and yellow, call it Mr Pinchy, give it a horrible yet catchy theme song and he'd be the main star of a kids TV show.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #25 on: 30 October 2017, 23:29:23 »
I prefer painting it orange and calling it The Great Pumpkin.
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #26 on: 30 October 2017, 23:31:31 »
I prefer painting it orange and calling it The Great Pumpkin.

That works too, and is relevant. Happy Halloween you lot!
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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #27 on: 30 October 2017, 23:44:52 »
At least the mini doesn't look like that.   

The MWO King Crab looks a damn sight better than our smiling dish and its lil hands.



I mean seriously, paint that pink and yellow, call it Mr Pinchy, give it a horrible yet catchy theme song and he'd be the main star of a kids TV show.

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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #28 on: 31 October 2017, 00:10:11 »
At least the mini doesn't look like that.

Admittedly that ain't much of an improvement. :s



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Re: Repost: Mech of the Week: KGC-* King Crab
« Reply #29 on: 31 October 2017, 02:11:35 »
Pumpkinish for ya.

 

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