Mech of the Week: Grasshopper
First off, let me say that it’s good to be back after about five years, and as an aside that I hope you’ll forgive any rust that may have set in, or any failure to have absorbed some of the newest trends in these articles.
That said, I don’t hope to make this about myself, because this week’s topic is a venerable, classic mech that deserves a good look and a lot of careful thought: the Grasshopper. Here we have one of the oldest mechs in the game, debuting in 1986 in TRO3025, and it's long been my thought that looking at such an old mech demands a look at the context; while it is absolutely critically important to be give a sense of what the Grasshopper means to day, it is also desirable to see it as it would have been seen in the late 80s to understand what the Grasshopper should and does mean to many players.
The fiction repeatedly hails the Grasshopper as being very unusual as a jumping heavy, which is a claim that many look at as dubious, not the least coming in a month that has featured articles on the Falconer and Jinggau. TRO25 also featured the heavy Quickdraw and Catapult, and assault weight Victor on its pages, while later variants have firmly enshrined the Thunderbolt (and to a lesser degree the Crusader) as a mech with jumping variants. The later TRO25 revised even adds the extremely similar Guillotine on the very next page! What we must remember, however, is that assault mechs were wildly rare in the 3rd Succession War era, restricted to the Ardan Sorteks of the world, the jumping T-Bolt was used mainly by the Eridani Light Horse, the Catapult is a support mech, and the Quickdraw was terrible then as now (a topic perhaps for its own article). So the Grasshopper can perhaps been seen as the only wide spread jumping heavy.
More over, the Grasshopper offered some other capabilities that made it somewhat unique in its day. The first to point out is heat dissipation. Most jumpers in the single heat sink era noticed a significant spike when jumping. Looking at the Phoenix Hawks and Griffins of the world, they built heat firing just their main weapon on the bounce, and while the AC5 mechs can, even in the 80s AC5s were a bit short on power. The Grasshopper earns its heavy mech reputation mainly on the basis of mounting twelve tons of heat sinks, which equals its tonnage of weapons; a Grasshopper pilot need never fear to jump lest it build up too much heat.
The other key heavy mech aspect of the Grasshopper is its armor, which is positively slab like. In an era where mounting full armor was more of a novelty, it comes frightfully close, being just a bit light in the legs with fairly well rounded torso armor. It is a match for the famously tough Thunder Bolt in tonnage (the rear armor is a bit higher, which is reasonable for the infighting Grasshopper) and inferior only to such mechs as the even more famously tough Orion among heavies. It is meaningly thicker skinned than such well known mechs as the Warhammer and Marauder, and even its competitor the Victor. Even against Clan PPCs or GRs, it should be able to survive five or six torso hits given how crit packed it is, which adds up to quite a lot against old tech PPCs and AC5s. It even mounts its largest weapon in the center torso, enabling it to fight on in at least some capacity until it is well and truly destroyed.
Now, with most mechs you lead with the weapons. I was hesitant to do that here, because I fears that readers would do what I did many years ago: scoff at what seems more fit for a medium mech and ignore what is in fact very worthy of being called a heavy, and what is well capable of standing up to an assault. The Grasshopper features a large laser, four medium lasers, and a LRM5 for support. While on most mechs you call the LL out as the ‘primary weapon,’ I don’t see it as such on the Grasshopper; because it mounts so few weapons and so many heat sinks, the intention of closing quickly with the jets and then using its full battery of lasers all the time becomes clearly ‘primary.’ Sure, against a mech like a Hunchback you can sit back and snipe with the LL and LRMs, and no doubt that is a useful tactic, but you can also use the Atlas’ LRM20 for fire support, or the Archer’s MLs for infighting. The Grasshopper wants to be close and dirty, it wants to use those medium lasers along side the Large. It wants to be three or fewer hexes from its enemy blasting away, because there it can lay down 28 damage a turn, every turn, while itself soaking up all the return fire a mech can offer. A quick look at my TRO39 (more inclusive than 25) doesn’t show me any mech under 85 tons (Battle Master and Stalker) that would regularly win such a pure slugging match.
Of course, the Grasshopper has to be a team player. The single LRM5 is a pretty sad offering as a weapon to cover closing, and in all but the roughest terrain it simply lacks the speed to close against contemporary line mechs (before XL engines, there was a significant homogeneity of speed, a theme I once explored in great depth and just can’t let go). While a Grasshopper that gets in close to a Marauder or Warhammer will tend to be victorious, one that tries to close and must suffer three or four turns of fire may very well still lose, despite its legendary durability. The while actual members of the order Caelifera seem to like plains and fields, the 70 ton mech needs hills and forests and other terrain to mask its approach. With its jets, it can enter such terrain and so long as there are no long sight lines where a Griffin can snip be confidant of being able to out fight or out maneuver any opponent. It also craves, as all mechs do, good support from the sort of mechs that it wants to beat up. A few Marauders or Archers would go a long way. None of this is a huge surprise, as any mech craves support, but more than many mechs of its era it really sells out and specializes in short ranged combat.
TRO50U does offer us one old tech variant, which we’re told is a field variant that only came into being in 3040, despite being an intro tech mech that could have existed for hundreds of years. Quite simply, the 5N removes the LRM5, which is largely an after thought anyway, and adds an extra medium laser and a PPC. On the one hand, removing the ammo from the mech makes it that much harder to kill while upping the LL to a PPC adds power at range and makes the infighting mech that much more of a threat beyond ML range. On the other, the old laser array had a bit of elegance since it had no medium range and was almost perfectly heat matched. The new battery takes the Grasshopper out of its ice box, while the PPC’s minimum range makes it slightly less powerful at knife fighting range. The lost of the LRM is to me enough of a positive that I’ve taken this mech many times, but I can’t help thinking its not what I would have done. A good field refit, perhaps, but just a bit sloppy.
TRO3050’s showroom model and the key modern era upgrade is the 5J, and it is really a shining example of TRO50’s love of new tech and terrible designs. I dare say the 5J may be one of the worst, as it does almost nothing positive. The LRM5 is gone, replaced by a SSRM2, which just might have been good since the Grasshopper is historicly a brawler, but they mounted two tons of ammo. Now, quick historical note, in the 90s Streak SRM2s could infact use infernos, so it’s superficaly plausible that the second ton could have been for that, but buy and large (and definatly in the modern era) two tones in about 1.8 tons too many. Because of the streak nature of the system, it will take probably 200 shots to fire 100 rounds, which should take five or ten battles, and even a behind the lines raider in a guerilla war will take weeks and weeks to expend all that ammo. The 5J also mounts an anti missile system, with only one ton of ammo, which might have also made sense given that the Grasshopper does need extra protection to close with its enemies. Of course, back in the day that one tone of ammo would have gone by in about two turns, so that wouldn’t have been such a bad place to sink that extra ton of ammo.
Or, they could have just not spent that tonnage at all, because they found that weight by sacrificing lasers. The Grasshopper mounts just two MLs, not four, and an ER LL. If there were still four lasers, the ER large would be a mistake for ruining the heat curve, but the loss of the lasers makes it a non issue, while also having a devastating impact on the mech’s power that the addition of the SSRM2 just can’t make up. The ER LL’s range might have paired nicely with the old LRMs, but they’re gone. And since the mech now carries three tones of ammo, two of which will take a month to use, its more vulnerable than before (since CASE was not added). Importantly, the 5J does not use double heatsinks, advanced armor or internal structure, an XL engine, or anything else.
I simply don’t have the words to say how bad this mech is, even if the censortron were turned off. There are quite a few mechs that became worse from 3025 to 3050, but this is one of the few that became nearly unusable. There is a variant that drops a ton of streak ammo for C3, which the vastly more self aware TRO50U notes has absolutely no impact on performance, and I suppose if it’s all you have and you need a C3 spotter is workable (I’d dump the SSRM ammo and count on the Grasshopper’s rejuvenated survivability to keep it alive until its lance mates can win the battle) but its still not a genuinely good mech, but rather a poor mech that has a role it can play; many other mechs could do that job better, unless the role is to be sacrificial, in which case the mech is no huge loss. Even the (also more self aware) TRO39 notes that old Grasshopper 5Hs outnumber 5Js three to one everywhere except the C3 using Combine. The only surprise is that it isn’t 100-1.
But, over the next few years, the question quickly became: was the greater threat to the Grasshopper TRO50, or TRO55 and 58?
Back in the day, the Grasshopper was every bit as mobile as most medium mechs. It could expect to be matched with mechs like the Enforcer or Vindicator or Panther in its 4/6/4 movement category. Starting with the fast 5/8 XL heavies in 55, it can expect to be left behind by mechs with greater power and range that it ever had. While in the 20s few mechs had really overwhelming ranged power and few of them had great range, in the modern era there was a great expansion of ranged power. ER PPCs and ER LLs (like the one mounted on the 5J) and Gauss rifles pushed range and power further, and DHS enabled mechs to mount more of them. The Grasshopper always made its living as a specialist, but its ability to employ is specialization feel just as its ability to employ its specialization was crippled. Sure, an old 5H can still make its living in the same way as the Hunchback, in extremely tight terrain striking from ambush against mechs with thrice the range but not more power. If it can get close to a good modern mech like a Mad Dog or Jinggau it can make a brave go of it (its got less power than either, yes, but if it can keep the battle at very close range it has just enough toughness to just maybe pull it out), but where as it once took a really frightening mech like a Stalker to drive one off, that’s now coming down to mechs in what was once the Grasshopper’s own class, to mechs that are faster than the Grasshopper and can set the terms of engagement.
Quite simply, the Grasshopper was left behind by the progress of technology.
In TRO50U, the Grasshopper made some attempts to evolve, with varying success, and attempts to shake off new toy syndrome, also with mixed success.
The first, and the one I like better, makes the Grasshopper more of what it already was. Most importantly, DHS are used, which frees up weight even while increasing overall dissipation. Seemingly an evolution of the C3 carrying “C” model, the 6K still mounts an ER LL and C3, but also five medium pulse lasers and an SSRM4 with CASE. This corrects most of the key deficiencies of the 5J/C and makes the Grasshopper more of what it always was. Inner Sphere MPLs have terrible range, but their accuracy is perfect for a mech indented to jump into range against some unsuspecting fool and unleash. With a heat curve akin to the golden original, it can lay down as much as 46 damage, which is quite a modern number, even if you really do want to be right up next to your opponent to do it. I really like this upgrade, since I think it keeps very much in the spirit of what the Grasshopper once was, even if the march of time as made it even more of a specialist than it once was. Where the old Grasshopper could really work on any battlefield, given the right support, this new one just lacks the speed to close against most modern mechs, and there’s enough power on the modern battlefield to make trying very painful. It has to fight from ambush, or in extremely built up terrain, or in cities.
The second offering is the jihad era 7K (somehow, the Grasshopper has really become something of a Combine mech, perhaps because they found a use for the accursed modern variants through C3) and it is in some ways the successor to the new toy aspect of the 5J. Trying to reinvent itself, it uses two light PPCs and two snub nosed PPCs, along with a relic ML (and ER model, replacing the old missiles in the head) along with C3 and ECM, a concession no doubt to the Jihad era’s electronic battlefield. Now, if you like the SNPPC, you may like this mech, but I must say no to both. The Grasshopper lacks the mobility to get the snubbies into their sweet spot consistently, and they lack the overwhelming power not to need to be in that sweet spot. Sure, the PPCs are all at short range at 6 hexes and it can hit for 35 damage, but that’s no more than most modern heavies, but the damage falls off quickly into mid range which is unlike many modern heavies. The PPCs just can’t cut it at long/long-mid range, and it isn’t enough of a pure brawler to do what the older Grasshoppers do. I’m not really sure exactly what this mech wants to do with its life. It can be an ok mech for fighting other brawlers, using its PPCs against Hunchbacks and King Crabs, perhaps, but that’s a pretty narrow role to me. I’m sure folks will tell me how they use this and that I’ve just misunderestimated it, but I don’t care for it.
TRO: Prototypes (which I don’t have, so please correct me of any errors I may make) gives us the set of the 7X/P. The genesis X model really tries to modernize the mech and bring it into the ranks of the modern cavalry mechs. First, you’ve got a light engine, which I do think works on the Grasshopper, since the Grasshopper has long been a mech that has relied on durability, but that now exists in an era when a mech that wants to have mobility needs something more than a standard engine. The saved weight permits not an increase in running speed, which is unchanged, but rather improved jump jets. I’ve long had mixed emotions about IJJs, but on the Grasshopper its hard to argue. The X also uses a bloodhound AP, very fitting on a modern Grasshopper given their new infighting and ambush mission, to find enemies to shoot with its two Bombast lasers. Now, Bombast lasers are terrible, objectively and subjectively. This is simply a truth of the universe. That means that this mech is terrible. Yes, its mobile. Yes, it can find enemies. Yes, its got a single MPL just to have one real gun. Yes, its not a 5J (I may have thrown up a little in my mouth thinking about the two mechs side by side). So what is good about the X? That it gave us the P.
The 7P takes the X, strips off the stupid bombasts, and puts on X-Pulse lasers. This is a good choice. The Grasshopper, especially with the IJJs, is a mech that jumps, and that is a great pulse laser application. There’s not that much power, sadly, even with three bonus ER MLs added, but for the first time since the Succession Wars the Grasshopper can actually out maneuver enemies. This mech is a fantastic bully, running down Phoenix Hawks and such, a competent scout in rough terrain with its probe, or even an acceptable skirmisher even against larger mechs, since it retains solid armor (I think?) and combines an ability to hit with an ability to avoid being hit. This mech is a good mech. Its not the same as the old Grasshopper, it has evolved and become more modern, and I’d love to see an IJJ veriant with a bunch of old tech MLs for just blasting things, but time moves on and for perhaps the first time the Grasshopper has moved with it.
The Grasshopper also has two individual variants used by specific Mech Warriors. I’m always hesitant to dwell on such variants, since they really shouldn’t be used too often, but they’re also often some of the most interesting, and they speak to the implied depth of the game, in that there are no doubt hundreds and thousand of such individual variants across the Inner Sphere, and these are just emblematic of that.
The Gravedigger is mentioned in 50U, and is a modified 7K. The C3 and ER laser are gone, two MPLs are added, and most importantly it has TSM. I don’t really like the 7K, but at least Gravedigger knows what it wants to do: get close, and get physical. A TSMed punch can cave in a head, and the only arm weapons are the minimum ranged light PPCs, making punching a good option. The only key problem is that it hasn’t got a great suite a weapons for modulating the TSM, so you have to use heat sink shut down and careful planning, and as with many ad hoc field refits its not perfect, but it promises to be a lot of fun.
The other is a mixed tech, behind the lines mech from Turning Points Luzerne (which I also don’t have). It has three Clan ER LLs (all mounted centerline) and seemingly four Clan ER MLs. Though it does have DHS, it can’t act like a normal Grasshopper and fire all the lasers all time. That said, with three Clan ER LLs it is seemingly the only Grasshopper with legitimate long ranged power, which is perfect for its role as a mech to harass Clan mechs.
So, at the end of the day, what is the Grasshopper? Or is it even one thing?
I think not. Some mechs, the Archer, or perhaps the Marauder, have retained mostly the same character for more than three decades. But what the Grasshopper once was is not what it now is. Where it was once a genuinely mobile mech, it is now relatively average or even below average. Where it was once a bit short ranged, it is now an extremely specialized in fighter.
Mainly, though, the Grasshopper was once a mech that one watched out for. It was a mech that inspired genuine fear and respect. You had to watch out, lest one get too close. Now, that fear is gone. One respects what it can do, sure, and one takes care not to let it do that, but where the Grasshopper was once a mech with unique power to do what it did, it’s now constantly over showed by newer mechs that have been designed to fight in the modern era with modern tactics. Even the best, newest models, while still perfectly workable, don’t recapture the magic that the mech had in its prime.
