It’s a fantastic and frankly overpowered mech. The default loadout is hot garbage though so refit it before you drop with it . Up the armor and go for 4xML, 2xSL, and some sort of AC. UAC-2 or UAC-5 is good. 2xUAC-2 is about ideal if you want jump jets and good armor. 3xUAC-2 is ideal if you are willing to pass on the jets and run a bit lighter armor. Makes a hell of a headhunter when paired with a high tactics pilot. Plus of course it decreases damage to itself and the rest of your mechs just by being there, so worth fielding it for that alone.
Thanks for the tips. I took it out with a stock loadout last night and, youre right about that being bad. I had it and a wolverine holding down one side of a defense mission against 2 wasps, a grasshopper and a Dervish. The Dervish peeled off the thin armor and the grasshopper punched through. Made it through the mission, but it was beat to hell and the pilot was injured.
Will try your loadout suggestions.
Speaking of Grasshopper… I loaded that thing out to be a souped up Phoenix Hawk/Firestarter combo. Maxed armor, 2ML, 1 LL, then maxxed out the SLs and armor. Gonna see if I can run it has a brawler/hunter
eliandi
3528
I just got my Marauder, and you are right about the headshots. I got one right off the bat in its first mission. I do not have and UAC’s yet, so its AC5, LL, Med Pulse Laser, and 2 ML. However its overlapping a bit with my Highlander, who was previously my critical-shot mech with the Gauss/LRM20.
Once I finish this playthrough, I’m stocked about doing a 3025 modded playthrough.
David2
3529
I’m still playing my grasshopper with my Assault Mechs. I have 2 Highlanders, 1 battlemaster, and the grasshopper
I have it built to do +30 and -30 to self for DFA, and I have it kitted with +77 melee damage upgrades, I maxed out the Small lasers and its a sprinting DFA killing machine! LOL. I have the armor almost maxed out, so its just as armored as my assault mechs (especially the legs).
I don’t have mine as fully kitted as yours, but I use my Grasshopper in all missions. Jumps in and obliterates the rear torso or side of any mech. Works well with an LRM boat that strips armor off the enemy.
eliandi
3531
Based on some advice from QT3 about the similarly quick Dragon, I skipped the Grasshopper and focused more on firepower (T-bolts and then to the Orion). I think I missed something good tho.
Right now I run Highlander with Guass and LRM20 as longer ranged sniper, Marauder as a long-medium ranged headhunter, a Battlemaster as a flanker, and either an Awesome or Stalker slow-walking massive firepower. I’m at the point where I am about to do the last couple of campaign missions after I finish tweeking them builds with my latest finds (heat exchangers and heat dumps)
David2
3532
Had a glorious battle fighting a awesome, atlas and longbow who where shredding my squad, desperate I used my grasshopper to bounce between the longbow (which is silly deadly) and the Atlas. Managed to take them both down but lost my DFA damage boost. I decided not to replay since I got all three pieces of the Longbow, which is a LRM monster!
The Grasshopper got another melee damage upgrade, making the preview bar peg out. One hit to the side now takes out a arm of a heavy and most assaults.
My new Longbow is slow as freck, but indirect fire is INSANE, 4 20 LRMS (okay maybe only 3 Ill have to check) and a 10 LRM. Shreds armor real quick with the grasshopper jumping into the middle of bad guys with insane evasion and the longbow shredding enemies from extreme range my Highlander and BattleMaster are usually still running into range for a few turns while my grasshopper and longbow ruin some bad buy lances day…
My LB is running two 20LRM and two 5LRM… but It has too much heat management and i’m pretty sure I can remove some heat sinks and some armor to upgrade those to 10LRM’s.
I played a battle last night against 2 assault mechs, when Comstar jumped in with 4 med/heavy. I kept my mechs back while the groups engaged one another, then I jumped my grasshopper in to cap mechs while the longbow softened everyone up. My Orion and Marauder did nearly nothing.
Good times!
Sadly, the Dragon is such a poor choice in Battle tech. All the 55 ton mechs have better free tonnage then the dragon, and lighter jump jets. The dragon can have higher max armor, but that just means even less tonnage.
eliandi
3535
On the last mission now. 2nd to last I fielded a Marauder (headshot king), Highlander (long distance delivery), Battlemaster (relatively quick, and lots of firepower) and a Orion with an AC20 and jump jets. It was pretty challenging based on map layout.
The final battle I can only take 3 so its Marauder/Highlander/Battlemaster plus the NPC Atlas. Just began it so wish me luck!
David2
3536
I’m curious what makes a Marauder your headshot king? It seems like the grasshopper with 7 energy hardpoints and the fact that its a fast mover/jumper, make it more ideal. Add 7 ML++ with 10 damage and you have the perfect headshot beast. Its also got enough space to house a TTL++ for energy weapons and outfitted with a sharpshooter classed mech warrior is the best chance of headshot ive seen.
Though on the right planets my alt grasshopper with arm and leg mods, and all flames (7 of them). shut down any enemy mech for a turn, which i find way more reliable in the right circumstance, as the headshot trick seems to be 1/4 as best as i can tell.
Good luck on your battle, that last mission is a monster as i recall, and still dreading it even with my Kingcrab, Atlas and Highlander decked out.
Marauder has a built in Lance Command Module the literally DOUBLES the called shot chance. I don’t want to take anything away from the Grasshopper, which is a fine mech, but the Marauder is in fact the undisputed head shot king.
David2
3538
…damn… OK getting mech out of mothball! I didnt see that!
Yep. Try it with a couple of UAC/5 and 4 medium lasers and two small lasers. With some heat sinks and jump jets it still leaves room for decent armor. In the hands of a good pilot it just shreds heads. If you have been hoarding good equipment and have it available, you can go to +/++/+++ versions of that equipment. For absolute sickness, if you have double heat sinks you can put in then you can upgrade the MLs to ERMLs for even more damage output.
eliandi
3540
Given its late campaign and you have skilled mechwarriors, the Marauder is basically OP.
David2
3541
Lol, I’ve been playing all the Flashpoint missions in the Battletech 3025: Commanders Edition, and collected a kingcrab, 2 atlas, 2 Highlanders, 3 grasshoppers and just about 1 of everything else in storage, lol. I have kitted out a ton of los tech across my fleet (and a lot still in storage), time for a respec.
Oddly Im still just completed Liberation: Itrom…so i still have some time to make good use of my previously mothballed Marauder! Cant wait, to see how effective this is. I normally avoid looking at crafting guides, preferring to discover things myself, but glad i asked!
vyshka
3542
What year did you start? I’m curious if I will be seeing lostech since I started in 3025.
David2
3543
I did 3050, because i just reread the Blood of Kerensky series. I ran into Morgan Kell in a flashpoint mission, but otherwise not seeing much of the invasion pre campaign end.
David2
3544
Hmmm not seeing this in my build. The grasshopper is having the same chance as my Marauder with same pilot (15%). I wonder if the Battletech Extended 3025 - Commander’s Edition mod disables that advantage…
No idea, I don’t play mods. Just basic Battletech + DLC.
