A waning tide of decrepit ‘mechs and ancient tanks, flagging and faltering as they are crushed beneath the boot of the Dominion. 

How wasteful.

Anastasia rumbled beneath me, the Marauder’s thunderous footsteps echoing off scorched and pockmarked walls as we prowled along the smoke filled streets. Burning tanks, stricken ‘mechs, and shattered infantry positions clogged every alley, storefront, and sidewalk, the crackle and pop of their roiling fires almost felt removed from the distant, sporadic pop of gun and cannonfire that rumbled throughout the war-torn city. 

The Star of APCs at our back rumbled along in our footsteps, weaving between the wreckage and rubble as their turret panned erratic sweeps of the buildings above us. They were beaten, scraped, dented, and scorched. The livery of Omega Galaxy’s colors barely showing through the collective soot, dust, and grime that coated their hull.

We pushed on, advancing down the cluttered artery that fed this district of Novaya Mensk, scanning the low windows of every passing building for anything more than the huddled, scared faces of the city’s citizens. Anastasia bore more than a few spots of blasted away paint and pockmarked armor from the militia’s constant harassment over the last two days. Each one a reminder that, stubborn militia or not, every step here was borrowed. Every step a danger. Every step a new set of eyes watching us pass, whispering where we were- what -we were to their families. To their friends. To their neighbors. To their Comrades.

Every step just brought us that much closer to the next ambush. 

We would be ready for the next one. Even with the rest of Beta Star waived off, broken on the pavement, or dead we would be ready. Alone or not we had our task, a mission handed down by Star Colonel Isis herself: seize the central power plant and hold it. Rassalhague once again demanded success of my family, and I would deliver in kind. My father had conducted his service to the Dominion well, my grandfather the same, and my grandmother before them both had served the Republic in the face of the invasion. I would not be the first of my family to fail our people.

The Dominion’s will would be done, or I would die trying.

Anastasia’s seismic sensors trilled, pulling me from my thoughts and stealing my attention from the buildings around us as she displayed a pair of signatures moving along an upcoming sidestreet. A pair of sixty-five ton heavies were weaving down the road and fast, pushing a hundred.

Dragons.

The pair kept up their pace as Anastasia and I slowed, the soft whirr of loading trays shifting new ammunition into the breech whispering through her frame as I raised her arm, pointing to the next intersection, signalling to the trailing vehicles of the coming threat. A steadying breath filled my lungs as I checked that the Marauder’s systems were all green, both PPCs charged, rack loaded, armor still holding true.

 The pips closed down the street, the rolling clap of vast iron treads coming down on the pavement replacing Anastasia’s as we came to a halt and hefted her arms up and on target against the corner the pair would sprint past.

A blob of blue and silver filled the reticle in my neuro-helm, the Dragon it belonged to, looking the wrong direction as I tracked him for just a moment. A twin spear of crackling energy lanced from Anastasia’s arms, slamming into the Dragon’s side with a starburst of slagged armor that showered the smoke filled intersection in a brilliant lightshow. Anastasia bucked and shuddered as I let the rack on her back’s contents fly free, the heavy warheads corkscrewing through the air before engulfing the Dragon, and the face of the store behind it, in a brilliant gout of flame and shattered armor. The wreck of the machine took a few more steps, each slower than the last before finally stumbling to the ground, crushing down atop a burning tank with a cacophonous crash.

The cockpit of the Dragon behind them panned over Anastasia’s bulk in a panic, continuing past us for a moment before snapping back to stare in stark terror. The warrior within hauled the ‘mech around, turning too hard as their left foot dug into the asphalt beneath them, digging a furrow before collapsing to the pavement and skidding into the face of an adjacent building with the terrible screech of rending metal and overextended myomer.

My duty would be done.

— Star Commander Madelin ‘Maddie’ Alamat, Rasalhague Dominion, 357th Assault Cluster, Dyev, April 12th 3150.

Howdy Mechwarriors and welcome back to another Mech Overview! I’m still out here in Clan second line land and I am loving it! They keep rolling out these absolute gems and then giving me weird looks when I go crazy over them. Someday they’ll realize that what they’ve got garrisoning their backline is probably angrier than their mainliners. Until then I’m gonna keep rooting around in their sheds until they have a Trial of Grievance about it or some shit and kick me out.

This week we get to take a look at one of my absolute favorite Clan second liners to ever roll out of a factory: The Marauder IIC.

That’s right, my love for the Marauder is far from unfounded and, much like the IS’ Marauder II, the Clans saw fit to take their very own crack at beefing up my beloved Heavy. General Motors has got shooters everywhere and that includes Clan space, it would seem.

So, without further ado, it’s time to take a look at the baddest IIC in town in the biggest movie event of the Fall; Marauder IIC: The Triumvirate.

Chassis

Marauder IICs are another attempt at fixing the basic Marauder’s general flaws. Namely the whole ‘packing an assault’s worth of guns into a heavy’ problem. It fixes this problem by, much like the Marauder II, turning the MAD into an assault; though this time it’s only packing on 10 tons to become an 85 tonner, not a 100.

This choice in weight class, plus the glory of light weight Clan tech, leads to nearly all of the MAD IICs clocking in at 4/6 with only one variant rolling out at 3/5. Much like the other ‘MAD but big’ the MAD IIC retains the OG MAD’s general layout of two big hitters in the arms backed up by some form of underslung support weapons and some third big gun up in the torso. But there is a difference. This time, unlike with the MAD and MAD II, the MAD IIC puts its big torso gun in the left torso.

How scandalous.

This sacrilege will be reported to General Motors’ upper management who will almost certainly be filing a lawsuit against the Clans who build them. My Clan Advisor has informed me that that’ll probably get turned into some weird ass trial or something, somehow, but that’s not my problem, I just handle the analysis.

Anyhow.

This means that, much like her family, the MAD IIC really is a quite simple machine when it comes down to it. All of them are well armed, relatively alright on speed, and well armored. Ranging from being about as thick as a normal late-model MAD to a brick that reminds you that this is, infact, a fucking 85 tonner coming after you.

Man, the Clans really do get to have it all, don’t they? Shame there’s no funny mixed tech ones.

Variants

These mechs have all been reviewed based on a standard F through S scale, which you can find described on our landing page here (along with all of our other ‘mech reviews, the name of the box you can buy to get any of the mechs we have covered, and our general methodology).

Standard

Let’s set the fucking tone. It’s MAD time in this house and you’re gonna get the most Maraudery of Marauders the Clans ever did think up.

The MAD IIC is an angry fire support platform that can dish some pretty oppressive hate down range on its target. With three ER PPCs, one in each arm and one in the left torso, an MPL in each arm, and a whole pile of ERSLs strewn about the torsos the Standard has some real capacity to beat things to death at range and when they try to get in close.

With 21 double heat sinks the Standard is a touch undersinked, going up 3 heat firing off all 3 ERPPCs while standing still, but that’s well and all perfectly manageable. When someone gets in close on it you drop an ERPPC or two, depending on your heat tolerance as firing two ERPPCs and all the support guns builds 4 heat + movement for 64 close in damage.

Honestly, not bad.

The Standard is also quite tough. The loadout lacks any explosives, helping it to retain its more important bits, and preventing another vector of ‘Pilot-beat-to-deathitis’ that a lot of long range ‘mechs can run into with Gauss rifles or LRM bins. Add that its got AC/20 proof armor all over, a standard fusion engine, with ERSL padding, and well packed side torsos and you’ve got a recipe for a ‘mech that’s gonna take some real work to beat to death. Do kind of wish the ERPPC was in the CT, considering it’d fit and it really looks like it should be. Would be pretty cool.

As well this is a lot of head choppers, the same as a Thunder Hawk actually. The MAD IIC Standard actually doesn’t do too bad on the old Thunder Hawk-Hellstar scale of headchopping ultra-violence; coming in only slightly more expensive than a basic Thunder Hawk at 2,680 BV for a ‘mech with a touch less armor, more speed, an angrier secondary compliment, a standard engine instead of the TH’s IS XL, the capacity to not get obliterated by anything with heat building weapons and no explosives that are liable to instantly kill you!

Liberty’s Rating: B+. I love MADs and the basic MAD IIC is no different. This thing hates and will beat you to death from range given the chance.

2

Heavy Laser time? So soon? Is it my birthday already?!

The 2 is a simple change over the standard: drop all three ERPPCs and the ERSLs, grab some extra armor, make it jump 4 hexes, three more heat sinks and then pop a Large Heavy Laser in each arm next to the Medium Pulse laser and an ERLL into the CT.

This is a wonderfully funny variant that I love. Weird, kinda mobile LHLs are incredibly entertaining and having a pair of them on a ‘mech capable of actually handling their heat? For 2,358 BV?

I’m in love.

Heat neutral with both LHLs on the run the 2 really wants to be slinging speculative shots with the ERLL  the whole way in, adding the MPLs once they’re in range and saving the LHLs until you’ve got a cherry shot that even they can’t screw up.

For this effort you are rewarded with serotonin and one extra damage over the ERPPCs they are replacing.

Honestly they should probably have stayed as ERPPCs but eh, we’ve got what we’ve got.

Liberty’s Rating: C. I love LHLs, I really do, and I think this is an alright way to get them into the brawling situation they want to be in but without a T-Comp to take the malus off those LHLs it’s kinda disappointing.

3

This machine makes rain, sleet, and hail. Really. Really big hail.

Clocking in at 2,445 BV the 3 isn’t cheap, but it’s not expensive either, at least as far as Clan Assaults go. That said it’s definitely not lacking for damage, or protection. Still packing a standard fusion engine the 3 takes a Standard and drops one of the ERPPCs, both MPLs and a pair of ERSLs to get an extra heat sink that it doesn’t actually need, bringing it to 22 doubles, and an ATM-12 with 3 tons of ammo in the left torso.

This thing kills people and never gets hot doing it. A running alpha strike is heat neutral. It doesn’t need to be and I’d gladly trade going up 4 heat when I add the ERSLs for another 2 tons of protection but she, unfortunately, is not perfect. That said, that heat neutral alpha has a potential 76 damage in it when the ATM is set to HE.

It will do this turn after turn after turn until either it is killed, the opponent is dead, or the bins are empty. In my opinion that last one shouldn’t happen, take one ton of ER, or standard if you have a more constrained map, and two tons of HE. If you expend 10 rounds of HE fire and one of the other two conditions aren’t met then I don’t know what to tell you other than… congratulations, I guess?

I don’t know how you’ve done this but it must’ve been very funny!

This is the MAD IIC I use the most, it just kills people. Well, when its head isn’t removed from its shoulders but that’s like… a general problem.

Liberty’s Rating: A. I love this fucking thing. It’s probably the best MAD IIC and an absolute banger of a brawly line ‘mech that carries an ATM-12. True machine that hates behavior. Run it, you won’t be sorry.

4

I’d bet this thing sounds like a really loud sewing machine.

Take a 2, do you have it? Yes? Good. Now, rip everything that’s not armor out of it, yes, that means all the guns and the heat sinks, put an XL engine, 3 jump jets and the standard 10 total double heat sinks in it.

Ok, got your empty weirdo MAD IIC? Cool, stick two HAG/40s in the arms and 10 tons of ammo strewn about the place.

That’s it. That’s the ‘mech.

-1 heat on a jumping alpha. A shitload of gun and a relatively tough frame, someone lessened by the fact that it does have explosives in it. But with only two guns in here I’m sure it’s a pretty reasonable price! Here hold on, lemme go get the BV, where was i-

Oh.

3,447 BV

Liberty’s Rating: D. Holy fuck that’s expensive. It’ll do work and rip armor off things from range but good god is that a lot of BV to hedge on something that’s liable just kinda tickle things sometimes. HAGs are nasty, and the close in bonuses are good but this is not a nearly 3.5k BV ‘mech.

5

The better sewing machine!

The 5 looks at the 4, realizes it had an idea but just failed to execute and works to make it better. With a cool 19 double heat sinks the 5 does a great job of handling the heat generated by its 2 ERPPCs, 2 AP Gauss Rifles in the arms, and singular HAG/20 with 2 tons of ammo up in the left torso. Back to a standard engine the big flaw here is certainly the explosive weapons sprinkled across the arms and torso but they’ve got some alright enough padding to go with them which helps.

Also this one is only 2,386 BV for a ‘mech that, in my opinion, will probably outfight the 4 in most instances while still having no heat problems. An alpha on the run here is heat neutral which is nice, if overkill considering the APGRs only do so much and building movement on an alpha is not a big problem. Personally I’d rather have dropped a heat sink, probably one in the right torso, for an extra ton of armor.

The two big hitters paired with the spray and pray crit-seeking of the HAG is quite nice to have in its own bespoke little package!

Liberty’s Rating: B+. Great ‘mech and an efficient, durable way to get these guns to the field. I like it, will probably have to start using it!

6

The identity crisis variant has arrived.

The 6 is… doing shit. Mounting a Large Heavy laser in the right torso, a Gauss rifle in the right arm, an LB 10, and 3 tons of ammo, in the other and an ERML in both this is an absolute mess of weapons in a real weird fight for ranging that I don’t entirely get.

With 24 heat sinking the 6 can be ripping off all 3 big guns on the run while down 1 heat, which is fine enough, even if the shots are gonna be all over the place. Also it has 6 IJJs in it? This thing feels like the kind of thing the Foxes would make to sell to whatever sucker they could hook on the promise of ‘Clan Assault’ but it’s a Jade Falcon/Clan Wolf ‘mech so… I dunno.

For 2,646 BV this is functional enough but I would really rather have a 3 or a 5.

Liberty’s Rating: C-. Just… Doin’ Marauder shit weird and, possibly, wrong.

7

Oh no it’s expensive again. And slow? HOW DID YOU GET SLOW??? WHY DO YOU HAVE ALL THESE WEIRD ASS GUNS TOO?

The 7 is dumb. And Stupid. And weird.

The armor is as thick as its been, with 36 on the legs, 28 on the arms, 27 on the side torsos and 41 on the CT which is good and cool, it’s an 85 tonner after all. But the guns are… all over the place again.

The left arm has a gauss rifle and a Streak four. The Right arm has a HAG 30 and a streak four. The Right Torso has a Large Pulse Laser. There’s an emotional Support ER Small laser in the head, for some fucking reason, and an ECM suite in the CT to tell missiles they’re dumb, or something.

Also the XL engine is back.

And it costs 2,843 BV. At least there’s a targeting computer in here helping this menagerie of mutilation find their targets and it is far from having heat problems it just… It’s doin’ shit that feels wrong. Heat is fine, only going up 3 heat if both streaks lock on a running alpha, but for the price you could get any number of better MAD IICs that are probably on the same avail as this thing and, more importantly, go 4/6 instead.

Liberty’s Rating: C-. It’ll do good damage and take an alright beating but I just think it’s not as good as some of the cheaper options.

8

Blinking lights and flashing colors!!!

The 8 once again returns to form, taking a 2 and trading out the left arm ERPPCs and three of the ERSLs for another pair of MPLs, putting one in the left arm next to the old one, one in the CT and moving the right arm one into the right torso for some reason? It also grabs an LRM 10 with one ton of ammo to park next to the left torso ERPPC.

This is an odd, but fine, shuffle, resulting in an alright long range pop of both ERPPCs and the LRM-10 for -6 heat and an alpha strike of 10 + movement which scales down real quick if you do some weapons management to drop the LRM and ERSL or just an ERPPC.

For 2,554 BV I’d probably either still foot the extra bill for a Standard or save the money and take the more effective 3 or 5.

Liberty’s Rating: C+. Perfectly fine ‘mech, if a bit odd in application.

9

Standard two, new backup guns boogaloo.

The 9 is exactly a Standard with 3 differences:

• The MPLs and ERSLs are gone.
• It has 2 SSRM4s, one ton of ammo, and an extra heat sink.
• It now only costs 2,595 BV.

This thing is even better on the Thunder Hawk – Hellstar scale of headchopping ultra-violence; coming in at only 18 BV more than the old Hawk!

There is… one problem though.

For some reason they put that one ton of SSRM4 ammo in the CT. This is a slight issue but can be corrected by just dumping the bin as, standing still, you build one heat salvoing off all of the ERPPCs. This is not bad and, as well, in a close in fight will do fine to beat something apart. Having the streaks is nice but man do I wish they stuffed them all in the right torso instead.

Unfortunate.

Liberty’s Rating: B. It’s a weird Standard and there’s still something to be said for 3 cERPPCs with this kind of heat management on a tough frame for only slightly more than the Thunder Hawk. I like it, just keep an eye on the bin and ditch it if it wigs you out a little bit.

10

Oh now it’s really time for the laser light show.

The 10 is an angry bastard and an absolute evolution of the 6’s weirdness. The 10 takes the six and drops all those weird ass guns, using the weight to buy one helluva loadout:

• 20 Double Heatsinks
• 2 Large Pulse Lasers
• 2 Medium Pulse Lasers
• 2 Er Small Lasers
• 2 Small Pulse Lasers
• 1 ER PPC

This is a wall of accurate close-in guns on an assault that jumps 6 with absolutely no heat problems when operating in its bands. At long range fire off the LPLs and ERPPCs on a jump and be down 2 heat. Close in drop the ERPPC and ripple everything off and you’re still down 1 heat. Terrifyingly angry and probably the only way a Jade Falcon MAD IIC could ever truly be built.

I love it!

At 2,877 BV it’s quite expensive but these guns and that movement profile it is going to get you its money worth barring a real weird gauss slug to the head or something.

Liberty’s Rating: A. This thing is fighting the 3 for first place in MAD IIC land and it is only just barely not outright winning it based on fight. Fuck this thing is nasty.

Final Thoughts

MAD IICs are wild, almost all incredibly angry, and sick as fuck looking to boot! I love the thing and, if you share my play philosophy, you probably will too! I’d say take the Standard, 3, 5, 9 or 10. The rest are alright enough for purpose but those 5 are the real shiners.

I honestly can’t think of anything special we’re missing here, a Plasma Cannon variant to sate the infantry man, maybe? Or a Mixed Tech Plasma Rifle one, perhaps? Honestly the MAD IIC is great and I love it, thing’s sick as all hell.

Until next time! Fair weather, good seas and happy Maraudering!

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