A friend of mine painted my crab mini as a taxi. So yes, I had a taxi crab.

All Shall Become Crab 🦀

From a pure esthetic perspective, chicken-walker mechs with lowslung arms just look so good, and the Crab is easily top10 in the looks department imo.

Pulse Laser Crab: "It's crab rave time" We really need a 75-ton Heavy Crab to complete the family.

The Crab is one of the smartest-designed mechs in the setting and has literally never done me wrong. Also bonus points for mentioning the Pueblo Initiative, Clan Coyote doesn't get enough love from the wider community imo

An honor to see one of my models in a video of yours. Kuddos! Tahnk said, the Crab is an interesting model that I never got the chance to use on my own. Seems solid, though.

We need a heavy crab! We already have a light, medium, and assault crustacean. Make it 75 tons so they are all in 25 ton increments.

In Battletech 2018, I pulled up both large lasers, crammed in jump jets, armor, medium lasers and heat sinks. The last thing many enemy saw was a Crab, gracefully flying through air to land and affix the pincers on their mech's neck

The crab paper doll was a nice touch 🦀

The Inner Sphere demands a Coconut Crab Superheavy. ALL SHALL BECOME CRAB!

Laser boats are rad, zombie mechs are rad, line mechs are rad, and shellbacks are rad. All hail the mighty Crab!

I like to think my pilots scratch the Crabs under their chin after an engagement. They are all just adorable.

CRAB BATTLE!

The crab is what i always imagine the 31st century version of green berets using on LRRP patrols

Will say my main reason for loving the crab is that it is a 50 tonner thats comparably armored to a centurion, but faster than one, and if managed well can both operate for very long engagements AND punch above its weight reliably.

The crab is the mech equivalent of a 60's era Chevy truck: it ain't fancy, but there's a reason you still see them driving around fifty years later: they just work. Doesn't need ammo, doesn't need fancy positioning or special tactics, you just walk it over and shoot stuff until it's dead, and it'll take a good amount of punishment for it's size. When you drive a heavy, this is one of the mediums (along with the Hunchy and a couple of other common ones) that you respect. Because it will bite you.

I was drawn to the Crab's ease of maintenance in the lore, as well as its laserboat status meaning it was easy on supply lines. the idea of an economically minded giant death machine just feels right.

the crab armor diagram instead of your normal frog one is an absolute delight

Kneel before the perfection that is the mighty yet reliable Crab. 🦀

I would run an all Crab company, and call it the Crustacean Nation, just because I can.

The Crab has never let me down, no matter the era.

Reject humanoid mech designs, return to crab.

Crab is love. Crab is life.

I always thought it looked more like a lobster. I used to not like it at all but the crab really has grown on me

In all honesty, this might be the ‘mech I enjoy the most both on tabletop and in the video games. The design and loadouts are simply iconic.

I must take this chance, as I do any time the beloved Crab appears, to stand up for the CRB-27sl. Relegated to the annals of not-quite-canon, but an absolute beast of a design that really merits a revist in the modern era. 5/8/*5*, twin large pulse, single medium pulse, and single medium Laser. and 14DHS! Even with the IS XL engine, that thing has never underperformed for me; it's a great light-hunter and raider. But it exists only in a passing reference in the 2750 Era report. Sea Foxes, I don't ask for much, but please put this thing back in production, it really feels like it's close to the Crab for the IlClan era.

The Crab 27sl has been my go-to for awhile. The jump jets in conjunction with the pulse weapons just makes it such a deadly machine. Even into late eras I tend to want to bring along a Crab 27sl despite being outdated, I know it can perform well especially if the environment is rough

The crab is just a solid medium battlemech. I had one hold its own (albeit with a hefty repair bill after) against a pair of heavy mechs long enough my assault (a Battlemaster) to come in for the rescue. Two to three turns of drawing fire and giving back with those large lasers is honestly more than I would have expected of most 50 ton mechs against a Black Knight and Hatamato Chi. By all rights it should have been dead, guess the dice can be kind sometimes.

Solaris oddities aside, I must always ask this question in regards to every ‘Mech with Crab in its name: “Why no pinch?”

The Crab is a really cool design, both aesthetically and functionally. It is perhaps the perfect mercenary ride, needing exactly zero ammunition to keep running while being easy to repair and maintain. Being the King Crab's little brother helps too.

CRAB CRAB CRAB CRAB Oh god am so happy to see my favourite little tanky guy here! (Also I saw that crab critical location lol)

One loadout I've experimented with which was interesting was a variant I called the CRB-33F "Fiddler Crab", named because of the asymmetric weapons loadout in the arms. Designed for...let's just say post-FedCom era gameplay to avoid tripping the censorbots, I thought of this as something the Blakists might issue to hunter-killer units tracking down insurgents on occupied worlds. It has ten double heat sinks, a light engine and 8.5 tons of heavy ferro-fibrous armor. Weaponry is a bit eclectic and designed to give it a weapon for every occasion, with a heavy PPC in the right arm for fighting hostile battlemechs, a large X-pulse laser in the left arm for engaging fast movers, and two ER flamers in the side torsos for roasting infantry. An Angel ECM Suite makes it harder to track and also lets it disrupt C3 networks. Oh, and just in case it gets into trouble, it has triple-strength myomer which can let one deliberately overheat their machine for a speed boost.

That little guy got me through a solid chunk of MW2: Mercenaries. I tended to stick with all-energy loadouts to cut down on ammo costs, and the Crab was a solid pick. It also has the most straightforward Royal variant that just upgraded the heatsinks and used ER large lasers.

The best medium mech of all time.

I have to say I prefer the the Royal and SLDF variants as the best cannon upgrades. The Royal variant replaces the 16 regular Heat Sinks with Double Heat Sinks and trades the Standard Large Lasers for ER Larges. A relatively simple upgrade that stays heat neutral until you Alpha Strike with that Small Laser. The SLDF variant turned it into a vulnerable brawler with an XL Engine. The Large and Medium Lasers were replaced with Pulse variants and the Small laser was upgraded to a Medium. Add in 5 Jump Jets for in close mobility and you have a decent medium brawler that can deliver accurate fire with out going to far into the red when jumping and Alpha Striking. Simple upgrades that work, though they likely won't 'wow' with their firepower. Also, I appreciate the notification on the Night Chanter as this is the first I've ever heard of it. I appreciate the acknowledgement that the Crab was a solid design, but understand why they couldn't go full on production because of the design.

I love how youtube recommended me this before I could even search it up because it knows I love crab. We meet again Frog...

Decent speed, decent armor, decent cost, decent default firepower, decent heat management, decent flexibility in load out and role, virtually all stock parts, and before the catalyst era retcon limiting them to about a thousand to have ever existed in the first production run, had a pretty good chunk of the positive design quirks as standard, not the least being ubiquitous, easy to maintain, rugged, and reinforced legs and protected actuators. This in the earlier incarnation of the game basically let you bring a lot of mech for a low cost. And with a very visually distinctive design that was easier to effectively play then many other medium mechs in the old school game, too. Though the fact that it's a relatively simple to paint mech design in comparison to a lot of other medium mechs even back then probably didn't hurt, either. Used to be you'd see players running entire crab only lances in the tabletop game, because they knew this combination of traits would pretty much ensure they'd be able to outflank, and effectively outgun newer players putting more of their resources into heavies and assaults.

This mech always reminded me of a modified Marauder.

I normally only listen to your videos while taking care of other things and I'm happy and delighted that I came back to this tab for the glory of the crab armor diagram!

What?! LOGISTICS is Evolving! Congratulations! Your LOGISTICS Evolved into CRAB!

Oh hell yeah This is my favorite medium mech, I'm glad you covered this

being new to the setting, having gotten my teeth wet by the HBS Battletech game and the modding scene behind it, upon seeing the crab and its intended role, i dunno it just spoke to me. mid range in tonnage, not exorbitantly expensive, simple in design & effectiveness. From what was written about the mech, it filled my head with long term patrols / guerilla operations. A rugged design, fairly short and squat (perfect for hiding behind buildings in an urban setting, or crouched in the forest or jungle). 2 claws for close range fisticuffs, long range damage with the large lasers the only issue was the heat build up, but dropping a large for a round or letting a turn go by for full heat purging, the mech i would say should make for a decent defensive unit, capable of dishing out damage, taking some, but more importantly, just outlasting the enemy & their munitions - especially with the range on the large lasers.

That Crab 'Mech armor diagram, though. Haha

I love the design of it because I fiddle with STLs all the time and like to make physical representations of non weapon components for pure aesthetic reasons. It's fantastic for figuring out "what looks good"

I love the crab its visual design is memorable in a fun way. And its intended roll sounds compelling.

The CRB-27B is my original mech of choice. I really kicked butt in MWO with it.

This week begins CRABFEST at Red Lobster!

Really solid medium mech; decent firepower, no ammunition, good range, good damage. Hard not to appreciate.

Elegant in its simplicity, powerful in its functionality, beautiful in its form.

The most fun I've ever had in MW5, is running a full lance of those Star League CRB-27's. They're almost as fast as light mechs, and hit like heavies! 🦀🦀🦀🦀

Crab strong. Crab reliable. Crab is life.

Thanks for CRAB!

This is one of my all time favorite star league mechs. I'm so happy you finally put out a video honoring this capable crustacean.

The crab is an excellent budget medium mech. So its easy to upgrade this machine, replacing the 16 heatsinks and its Large Lasers with 11 double heat sinks, and 2 PPCS. Increase the armor to 10 tons of FF Armor and you've got yourself a decent beast. Its a cheap, solid trooper.

Glad to see my top pick Medium mech featured!

🤣 THAT ARMOR DIAGRAM LMAO.

Why do I like the Crab? It's all-energy, a solid medium mech, decently easy to paint, and I keep getting them in salvage boxes! (Well, them and phoenix hawks)

The Crab: The Big Zam of Battletech. Thanks for the video. "Once the Crab is mass produced. We'll put an end to Amaris' goons in no time!" - A random Star League commander.

The upgrades for the Crab past the 3rd succession war are just a unnecessary heat mess. My thoughts on upgrading the Crab. 3050ish: Based on Inner Sphere technology, take the 2750 Crab and install 10 double heat sinks. Remove the 5 other heat sinks. Add 3 medium lasers to the side torsos (bringing the total to 4), upgrade the small laser to a small pulse laser and add 5 jump jets. Retain the standard large lasers. While this crab can't afford to alpha strike, it is a very potent brawler that isn't afraid to close with anyone. 3150ish: Take that same base crab, upgrade to 15 double heat sinks. Use inner-sphere Endo Steel frame. Upgrade the large lasers to clan-grade ERLLasers. Remove the medium and small lasers. Add 4 clan-grade ER Medium Lasers with a pair in each side torso, and 2 clan-grade small pulse laser in the head and center torso. While the clan-grade weapons will significantly raise the cost of this mech, its core systems remain relatively cheap. The lack of an XL engine will keep this mech fighting longer than many of its rivals.

The frankencrab in HBS's Battletech game is fun to tinker with. Putting urbie internals into a crab somehow worked. Though its strays from a regular crab in weapon hardpoints. Its a fun and chaotic mech.

May The Crab Never Be Poached!! (Frenetic maraca sounds intensify...)

One has to respect the raw K.I.S.S. in all Crab designs.

CRAB GANG !

My favorite medium mech, followed closely by the Centurion. It's my main in MWO- The Crab(R), with twin AMS hardpoints.

I have found it an irony of sorts that the Night Chanter was ultimately superseded by the Nova which is a distance cousin design of the Crab. Thanks for posting the video.

Craaaaaab pe-pole craaaaaaaaab pe-pole. Walk like crab, talk like people.

I have been feeling really crabby today.... I definitely needed this video to unwind.

Great episode. My favorite Crab is a bit of an obscure one, the CRB-27sl. It's 5 jumping movement combined with its 2 Large Pulse Lasers is just fantastic.

Always thought it was weird the crab uses ferro fibrous armor and not endo steel. It's not like it's hungry for critical space. Combine it with an XL270 you've got room for twin ppcs, 10 tons of armor 4 jumpjets 3 medium lasers 5 double heatsinks . That gives you one hell of a guerrilla fighter perfect for any terrain and great at hit and fade tactics. The ppcs give serious punch to a good distance and the trio of medium lasers will make anything fast enough to catch up wish it didn't. Pretty sure my math checks out on that. Just don't alpha strike unless it's life or death, it's a very toasty crab.

I fell in love with this mech while playing MW2 Mercs !

took a break from making my way through the rest of the playlist to watch this one, cheers!

1:31 Barrel Crab is love! Barrel Crab is life!

For me its that old art design, and also the feel like I'm piloting a plane whenever I drive one in the mechwarrior games

The Crab is the Master Race.

Great intro quote, and I felt the same way reading that TRO for the first time!

You didn't have to mention my boy Starslayer, but you did. And the Night Chanter was a special treat. Very well connected overview of a well designed mech.

Judith was a main character but she only used the crab for a minute. She did fight a Timberwolf and a Warhawk at the same time in it and impressed one Smoke Jaguar. Enough for him to turn against his own people and the clan homeworlds...and he didn't even sleep with her.

The original Solaris box cover Crab was *chef kiss*

As someone whose experience with Battletech is mostly the 2018 game with BTA 3062 installed, and some MW5 in there as well, the crab appeals to me for one reason: it's a good starter mech. There is nothing to go KABOOM if a shot goes internal, it hits pretty well, and it's just a solid mech overall. Now, I personally will always add in dual heat sinks and an XL engine with ferro so I can up armor the crab and add jump jets, and maybe some clan grade ER large lasers. Turns the mech from a good all arounder to a nightmare for the enemy.

Thank you for letting us know where to find the Night Chanter. I had no idea it existed before this video.

I do love putting at the end your own MF variant. Have to admit your choice on the Crab is very good - might keep it for later use.

All shall become Crab in the end.

🦀🦀🦀, the crab has always carried me in the table top solid mech

The Maryland Battletech community is pleased.

I always loved the crab. I really wish there was a larger variant, maybe 65 tons. Thanks Frog.

3050 Full Clan Tech Rebuild of the Crab. 50 tons. 2.5t endo-steel, 8.5t fero-fiberous, 6.25 XL+DHS, 6t cockpit+gryo, 2.5t Jumpjets, 25.25t podspace. Prime Config: 2 LPL (r/la), 2 MPL (r/lt), 2 SPL (r/lt), mg (h), mg ammo (cased, lt, 200), targeting computer (5t, rt), DHS. AltConfig: 2 ERLL (r/la), 4 ERML (r/lt), 4 ERSL (r/lt), 10 DHS, 0.25t unallocated.

The little Crab has always served me well. I think my megamek build used endo steel, double heat sinks, 2 large lasers (one per arm of course) and 2 medium lasers in the center torso, one in the head and 5 jump jets, I think it also ran ferro fibrous armor as it probably would have needed to.

Literally got into battletech cause my friend bought himself a Clan Invasion box set a several months ago, and we both bought the Comstar battle level II box set. I specifically wanted it cause another friend suggested it, also because when I first saw the crab I really loved the way it looked and felt when I used it on Megamek.

Love the Crab. A durable, brutal little duelist that is good in pretty much any configuration. Ooh, love your MF version. I'm a sucker for PPC Capacitors.

The crb-27b with Er larges and double heatsinks has always been an easy fit into any inner sphere lance that needs a well priced, rugged piece of firepower. The crb-30 has been an mvp during my occasional foray into a c3 list, providing 2 large lasers a turn on 6's from 15 hexes away in safety. The crb-20 was one of the first mechs I chose in my original 3025 company when I began playing bt around a year ago, and was a savior to my wolverine/company commander in my first ever match. Right as my opponents Guillotine jumped in to close on my smaller, and weaker wolverine, the brave crab pilot downed prone(missing a leg and 80% of its other armor) propped itself up and headshot the heavy mech with its large laser, killing the pilot and winning me the game.

I nominate “Imitation Crab” for the heavy model. ❤

(Finally got a chance to sit down and watch this. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this video, it’s deeply appreciated especially since it’s always nice to see one of my favorite mechs getting the spotlight. I loved the video and I’d never heard of the Night Chanter but I love the basic idea for it! I can’t wait to see more.) Okay, so I’ve already told this story around here but I might as well tell it again since it pertains to this mech. My families regiment was contracted for garrison duty along the Magistracy/FWL border when I was a girl. So I spent a lot of my youth on this border planet that was the site of several major battles during the Freedom War and the local population was proud of their struggle against the SLDF. In the city near our base there was a museum dedicated to the Periphery Uprising and the Freedom War. One of the big exhibits was the remains of a Crab mech which had been destroyed by guerrilla fighters on the world. It had basically been a burned out husk with everything valuable or useful salvaged long ago. But they still collected it, dragged that pile of scrap back to the museum, and painstakingly rebuilt the exterior to look as much like its old self as they could including a SLDF paint job. I remember visiting that museum a lot as a kind and staring at that prettier up pile of scrap metal and dreaming about what I would be like to pilot a machine like that. The design, the weapons loadout, and the look were just so different and I was in love. It began a minor obcession of mine. But that was back in the day when Crabs were an endangered species of mech especially out in the periphery. It would be many years before I got to pilot one myself and I’d already lost my Mechwarrior cherry to my other beloved Battlemech the Hatchetman. Still I jumped a chance to volunteer to pilot one when I unit came across a Crab among battlefield capturers and it rapidly became a second favorite of mine.

We all love crab.

I enjoy all of Mechanical Frog videos

For a Star League design, the Crab is surprisingly simple. It's a laser boat, no more, no less. I can't say I'm a massive fan of it (I like jump jets on my mediums), but it's still a respectable 50 tonner that stands up well next to other 'mechs of it's same weight and era like the Enforcer, Hunchback and the Centurion.

The crab is a mech I can add to a force and not wonder if it will pull its weight.

Crab 27b, it's a crab with the expensive parts, for the discerning MechWarrior, but basically the same as a bog standars 27, just with better heat management and ER large lasers, so it can start shooting sooner

Once again i sit down to paint mechs and listen and now all I can see in my mind's eye is a lance of two crabs and two king crabs of which I actually have. Dare I call it the CRAB BATTLE?!