'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.