Let's start this week's sermon with an amusing side note: This article was about 2/3 done, only needing a few notes added here and there and images tacked on, when I found out that the Behemoth/Stone Rhino Clan Battlemech was being covered on the Mech side of the fence this week. There was no coordination on that, nor any clue in advance- it's a total coincidence, and I couldn't be more amused that it worked out that way!
It is a grave mistake to look at a tank and assume that, because it isn't on legs, it's inferior to a Mech. It... well, okay, it kind of is. But to dismiss it as a non-factor is an enormous mistake, as anyone who has ever faced a Demolisher will attest. There are some genuinely scary tanks out there- we cover them on a semi-regular basis in this column, after all, along with lesser units. Among the largest to be found- and also the most polarizing- is a 100-ton leviathan known quite aptly as the Behemoth. What more is there to say? If you want Battletech's attempt at a land-battleship, your dream has come true. But... used incorrectly, you may find the Behemoth to be more of a nightmare.
A product of Aldis Industries, who we've seen produce some of the Inner Sphere's best vehicles over the centuries of the Succession Wars, such as the Shreck and Demolisher. These folks know their big-armor- and nothing is bigger than this one. But unlike those units, which are more of a conventional assault-tank (roll towards target at a stately pace flinging fire and brimstone), the Behemoth is more of a... semi-mobile fortress, I suppose. Much like the Burke of the Star League era, the Behemoth isn't really able to pace even a slow assault force, and on defense is really only able to lumber to a prepared position and stay there in the face of whatever the enemy throws. It's not a tank, it's a pillbox that can reposition itself- just- and that takes some pretty careful planning. If you need it to do any other role, you're in for a very bad day at the office- and should have invested in one of Aldis' other offerings. First rumbling off the assembly lines in 2950, the Behemoth immediately was available to anyone who invested in them and brought reinforced ramps for their dropship loading ramps. Of note, while later we see production move elsewhere, in these early days every component was made right here on good ol' Terra, allowing Aldis to churn these out without any concerns about missing components interrupting production (or Great Houses trying to kill the factory off, lest they irritate Comstar!)
To reinforce that operational plan, the engine on a Behemoth is so comically small that one expects it to be started with a lawnmower pull-string. Well, that might be a little impolite- this is still a large engine, a General Motors 200-rated ICE system that would work fine to propel a modest-size tank at stoic but reasonable combat speeds. On a 100-ton slab of metal though... bring a book along, it's going to be a long commute to wherever you're going. 2/3 is just an abysmal speed, same as with the Burke. It means that you need an entire turn of flank movement just to turn all the way around in your hex, or go up a modest hill- and a single motive hit that removes 1MP, an irritation to most units, is absolutely crippling to the Behemoth... in theory. In practice, a Behemoth isn't moving around in a game anyway- so motive hits are a problem for after the shooting stops, and not really until then. It's mobile enough to propel itself at infantry-esque paces to a defensive position and nothing more- Behemoths are placed at a position you need to protect beforehand and the enemy now has to either remove it the hard way or overrun its position. Neither will be fun.
There is a small flaw in the plan though- the armor on a Behemoth isn't as robust as you might expect from a 100-ton monster. Not 'thin-skinned' either, mind you- you're going to have to do some work to break through. But compared to a brick-with-tracks concept like the Sturmfeur, or even similar offerings of its era like the Demolishers built down the hall, Behemoths aren't overwhelmingly tough- particularly when you consider that only a full-flank charge ahead can produce any kind of helpful movement modifier. That armor WILL get hit regularly, and it's just not that impressive with that in mind. The AC/20 test doesn't really find any weak spots on the first salvo, of course- can you imagine a 100-ton tank that crumples from one hit from an assault-class autocannon? 46 points in the front and turret keep the cannon out twice each with room to spare, but the sides only have 38, so the second shot is probably a kill on a Behemoth- kind of an issue for a unit so easily flanked. The rear bumps to 40 points, interestingly, reflecting the same flanking worries. It's not BAD at all, but with no ability for movement mods and no avenue to escape if it starts getting overrun, a Behemoth's armor gets very dicey very quickly in thick fighting. Using supporting units- infantry in particular- to guard it is vital- the more punishment that armor has to endure, the sooner you have 100 tons of smoldering scrap metal where your defenses were centered.
But hey, we kept the engine absurdly small, and the armor was a bit 'eh', so we have guns, right? Virginia, we have guns. The main battery is, as with many Battletech tanks, twin cannons because that always looks AWESOME. In this case they're AC/10s, and while I know that doesn't have the show-stopping awe of a Demolisher's ChemJets, there's some method to the madness. These SarLon guns have much longer range than the AC/20s, and for a unit completely incapable of bringing the fight to the enemy, it needs to be able to reach out to where THEY are instead- so that's a very helpful feature, despite the loss of raw power. The single ton of ammo per gun is a bit worrying in combat- ten rounds for the big guns goes quick- but it's safe to say your Behemoth isn't waddling far from the supply depot, so reloading on the fly isn't going to be TOO hard to do. It does mean that in later eras your ability to use alternate ammo types is essentially zero, so keep that in mind as you plan for your next wave of attacks.
Backing the autocannons on a Behemoth is a litany of missiles and machine guns out of seemingly every orifice. I said this was a self-portable pillbox, and I meant it- backing the cannons in the turret are two SRM-6 launchers, weapons whose short-range utility and punch are well known. Open holes with the cannons, fill those holes with rockets, hilarity ensues. It's a fantastic one-two punch for anyone who gets close enough to test the Behemoth's gunnery, and will absolutely end a light Mech in one salvo. Two tons of ammo is pretty standard, but don't shoot wildly lest you run dry early. The front of the tank provides a bit more punch as well, with four LRM-5 launchers (saving a couple of tons as opposed to an LRM-20, and providing the ability to split fire), with two tons of ammo to split- like the cannons, a little thin for long sieges, but fine since you probably are near resupply options. Backing the LRMs are a pair of SRM-2s and a pair of machine guns, excellent tools for dealing with light armor and infantry, which are legit threats to an immobile Behemoth. Small dreadnought-style casemate turrets on the sides keep the enemy from exploiting those weak sides, each with an SRM-2 and a machine gun as well. This is handy still, but it does mean that the temptation to put smoke ammo in the SRM-2s to make life a little easier on the pillbox doesn't work as well as we want- all of those SRM-2s share the same single ton of ammo, so smoke ammo means the side mounts lose their punch. The MGs share a ton as well, more than enough for any Battletech engagement as we all know. Curiously there's nothing on the rear, and while the turret can turn back there it is a blind spot for anti-infantry defenses- reinforcing my earlier point about making sure you support the Behemoth properly with your own forces.
So... it's a lot to absorb, right? Weapons at all ranges, sticking out of the sides and all that, almost entirely incapable of really moving about but making life difficult on anyone who comes to where it already is... folks, is it any good, honestly? It's really hard to say. Some units we just look at and say 'yep, that's a winner', and others we just know on first glance are terrible. Behemoths are VERY situational- if you want to make someone miserable as they approach a position they have to go to, this is a great option. Need to keep an enemy from crossing the only bridge within 50km? Communications center under siege? Major downtown intersection needs a checkpoint set up? Behemoths are great for these jobs, again so long as you support it well. In any form of attack situation though, or a defensive front that needs to be able to move back when necessary, they're useless- literally useless. So you really have to think through what the pros and cons of these things really are before committing them to the field, more than almost any other unit I can think of off the top of my head. Failure to properly deploy a Behemoth means it's at best a non-factor in your force, and more likely is getting lit up for no real purpose.
So how do we improve on a self-repositioning bunker like this? Well... for starters, we can make it a little more durable.
Behemoth (Armor) sounds like a good idea at a glance. The SRM-2s, machine guns, and ammo are all removed to beef up the armor plating to levels that make a cliche Steiner general weep. I mean that's ten tons we just saved, and we put it all into plating- no changes ot remaining weapons/ammo or the engine. We now have a staggering 74 points of armor on the front and turret, 61 on the sides, and 66 on the rear. That's pretty amazing- you can pummel this thing all day and it just gets mad. Buuuuut... we no longer have anything on board that will scare off infantry, and that was a huge concern to begin with, remember? So this is a great option in battlefields where you don't expect to deal with that kind of problem, or if you just have other units to take care of the job instead (a spare Firestarter, your own infantry hordes, etc.)- it's interesting that the heavily-armored version actually becomes MORE vulnerable if you're not careful. Oh- you can always bring some flechette ammo for the SRM-6s as well, if you want, but of course that means less stuff to use against armored targets, so... I wouldn't.
But hey, dealing with infantry is important, so let's focus on that a little more. A field modification that has become somewhat popular is the
Behemoth (Flamer), and you won't believe what it now carries. By removing all four SRM-2s and their ammo, we instead install vehicle flamers (because ICE engine, remember), and that's just a hilarious way to tell the unwashed masses to go away. Two each in the front and sides send a very clear message, along with the machine guns, and that message is 'go away or become barbecue'. With 40 'rounds' (squirts? How does one measure flamethrower fuel?) to share, as always we're a little low on endurance, but also as usual we didn't go far from support. This... honestly isn't great. We have all the thin skin of the original, we gained anti-infantry capabilities but only at VERY short ranges where the infantry can shoot back with most weapons, we didn't gain a great deal more than what the MGs already provided... unless you really need incendiary capabilities for some reason, this isn't as useful as the other two- particularly since the SRM-2s on the standard model can just as easily lob inferno ammo at three times the distance as the flamers can.
Every time I look at this image my eyes tell me it's trying to jump over an obstacle like a stunt car. Which would be awesome.
So, that's it, thanks for stopping by- nah, we have newer versions as well. While the Behemoth wasn't ever likely to be a priority for new technologies from the Helm Core the way it was for things like Manticores and the like, letting them languish also would mean important defensive units became less and less useful- a sobering prospect as the new tech allowed heavy Mechs to move as fast as mediums, Gauss rifles changed the ballistic game, and such. The arrival of Kerensky's unruly brood didn't help any, taking those new concepts and turning them to eleven. So the first to refit their Behemoths was the Draconis Combine, who probably were thrilled with having to use these dinosaurs to try to slow down the Smoke Jaguars. Fun times, right?
Behemoth (Kurita) then is a pretty reasonable attempt to improve the unit for modern battlefields, coming about in the wake of the Jaguar's defeat in Bulldog. The speed remains as abysmal as ever, and actually the armor stayed the same as well from the original model. However, a fusion engine was installed to reduce weight a bit, and THAT, along with clearing almost all of the original weapons, allows us to move forward with some new toys- some good, some not so much. The big guns are now Ultra AC/10s, and while these are maybe not the most popular weapons out there with players, we can agree that hurling four ten-point hits per turn rather than two is handy. Two more tons of ammo give us 40 total shots, so we're still a little light, but enough to at least get by for short battles. The author would, as he always does, prefer LB-10Xs, but the hammerblow from these guns is plenty enough to make a Clan medium Mech crumple. The SRM-6s are back, but have had Artemis IV computers installed- maybe not the most effective use of weight, with the amount of ECM on the modern battlefield, but here it is regardless. We also find a new addition to the turret in a pair of MRM-10 launchers, sharing 48 salvos in the ammo bins. Speaking of polarizing weapons... your feeling on MRMs may vary from my own, but the +1 to hit always bothered me. This is a weapon that is supposed to be an inexpensive option for the rank and file (like most Behemoth crews), and yet they're firing a weapon they can't reliably hit with? I'm not a fan. But, here they are regardless. Only two of the LRM-5s remain in the bow, and both have had Artemis grafted to them as well. If you look at an LRM-5 with a one-ton targeting system and wonder what mental illness causes an engineer to think this is a good idea, you're not alone. There's some good ideas on this upgrade, and there's a whole lot of bad- note too that the anti-infantry weaponry is gone again, not as much of a factor against the Clans but still worrying. All in all it's not terrible, but I just can't recommend this as an upgrade to the standard model- the added cannon power is nice, but the other choices leave it wanting.
(OK, so from here we have a bit less to work with since we don't have record sheets available yet... bear with me)
At some point during the FedCom Civil War, an upgrade came along that the author really likes the feel of. Few changes are made, other than pulling the old SarLon autocannons for LB-10X guns, the author's favorite Battletech weapon. Your aircraft suck and I'm going to tell you all about it in stereo. Weight is saved then for CASE to get installed. Quick, simple, and not much to talk about, though at a glance there's a bit of weight unaccounted for from the cannon swap. This seems like a simple enough change that it could be a field upgrade just as easily as a factory version, so I'd expect these to be a bit more common than other upgrades. One can't help but wish for this to be combined with the armor-upgrade model above to create an anti-aircraft emplacement of doom that can't be removed from its parking spot without pummeling it into paste, with ruined fighters all around it.
The Federated Suns got in on the Behemoth upgrading game, but apparently only did so in the wake of the Jihad. With the Terra factory... er, unavailable due to some technical difficulties (we didn't get a WoBehemoth!), production was moved to other sites like Betelgeuse. The Kurita upgrade above was used as a template for Davion to upgrade their Behemoths with fusion engines, but where the Kurita tank was a bit iffy on choices, the AFFS had no such problems with the
Behemoth (Davion). The fusion engine of course is brought over, and ferro-fibrous armor bumps protection a little in most places. The autocannons are replaced by twin Gauss rifles, and already whatever else we do hardly matters, we're done here, we now control the battlefield, run away peasants. With five tons of ammo, for once we have a Behemoth that can just keep shooting all day without fear of running out of juice! One can be forgiven for being surprised by this not being a typical FedSuns RAC/5+TC combo, but this is the right move- range, power, endurance, we've got it all despite not being able to get anywhere still. The rifles are supported in the turret by two Streak SRM-6s, and while the loss of alternate ammo from the old regular SRM systems is a shame the Streaks are VERY handy in close combat. Only one ton of ammo is carried, but being Streaks that's fine for at least short skirmishes. The SRM-2s of yesteryear return, two in front and one in each side, but the machine guns are gone in favor of Magshots in the side mounts- these are now full sponson turrets, so there's always at least one of these firing in any direction. Two ER medium lasers up front use those heat sinks in the engine, always satisfying for the author's OCD and granted a bit of extra muscle, and a couple of RL-10 launchers replace the old LRM battery for a one-time added punch. CASE protects the crew from a potential bad day. This. Is. GOOD, people. We're still tragically immobile, but holy crap we make life unpleasant for anyone who comes near us. We have reached peak Behemoth, people.
But wait- a third Successor State got in on the action! Liao's Behemoth-ing was at this point revolving around their Behemoth II, a somewhat more conventional assault tank (we have an article out there about that monster, in fact, so if you need more info head there!), but it turned out the Behemoth II wasn't always easy to keep in production due to an embargo here, missing shipments there, disruption caused by massive interstellar wars now and then, you know how it is. (It reinforces how lucky Aldis was in the old days to build everything on Terra!) Aldis in this case looked at their Betelgeuse production site and realized they could make Behemoth II turret systems, but the chassis was the hold-up. They did, however, have standard Behemoth production carrying on like always. A plan was hatched to create a Behemoth with a Behemoth II turret (Behemoth 1.5?). The resulting
Behemoth (Liao) then feels very familiar if you're a fan of the newer tank- Gauss rifle in the turret backed by a quartet of RL10s, nothing new there. Then we get wild. The old Behemoth was awash in LRM and SRM launchers, right? Well, now we have MMLs to do both. So Liao installed some of those. And by 'some', I mean A LOT. MML-5s are now sticking out of the front (4), turret (2), and side sponson turrets (1 each). Good lord. Combine this with some Narc ammo and a Raven spotter, and this can get ugly fast. Being that the original Behemoth chassis was used for the unit, the original armor layout and ICE engine are in place, which does actually help here in keeping costs down- not a bad way to go for a cheap garrison unit, in theory at least. Enemies of the Chancellor are in for a rough day and a lot of used-up AMS ammo if they attempt to attack garrisons manned by these nasty recycling projects.
Kurita, clearly not all that thrilled with their 3060s attempt at a Behemoth upgrade, tried again around this same time.
Behemoth (Kurita Upgrade), not to be confused with that earlier mess of a tank, keeps the Ultra-10s in place. Again, that's an iffy move- raw power is nice, but utility can be questionable. But installing a targeting computer to help them aim? That's not bad, fellas. Not bad at all. The computer also helps the two ER medium lasers in the front. A trio of Clan-spec Streak SRM-6 launchers though, that's the real party trick in the weapon bins. 33% more range, lighter weight, what more can you want for your monster-tank? (The classic Behemoth setup would be two in the turret and one up front, but we don't really know as of this writing- they could all be turret-mounted). Ballistic-reinforced armor with CASE means that it's going to take a bit of work to put this thing down. The first try wasn't a great upgrade, but this? This is arguably better than the Davions came up with. In some cases it would be fun to pit the two against each other, but honestly at 2/3 I can't be bothered to want to try it- who has that kind of time?
Abysmally slow, the Behemoth- in any configuration- is just unusable as an attack unit, and attempts to do so should be grounds for a mental welfare check. As a defense, it's... honestly even then a little situational, relying heavily on support to be a factor. Used smartly though- which is to say eschewing tank tactics, parking it in a strategically-intelligent position, and making someone work hard to remove it- a Behemoth can be a nightmare to deal with. They're vulnerable to infantry attacks, artillery can be an enormous problem (it's not exactly a moving target!), air attacks, etc.- so it needs help. It also will casually delete just about anything that strays in front of that turret, and there's not good angles to approach it without getting a face full of backup weaponry as well. It's a mess of a unit, it's not one that most players will want to invest in... and it's a joy for anyone who gets to dictate where the enemy has to attack at. Thoughts? Stories? Upgrade ideas?
See you next week, when we pack the kids for a road trip in the old family van...
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