The silliest & scariest mechwarrior in the setting | Battletech lore 

Just like how Pelinal Whitestrake is often called "the first ever recorded instance of player character in tamriel", the Bounty Hunter could be fittingly called "the first ever recorded instance of Mechwarrior game player character in Battletech universe".

Fun fact: There was a show called Immortal Warrior (think every action cliche you can imagine) that did some movies based on the Bounty Hunter's stories, but the Hunter himself didn't enjoy the adaptations of his work being credited to this Immortal Warrior character. So he contacted the actor and asked how up to date his life insurance policy was. That subtle threat immediately had the studios come out with a director's cut of the films to show that the Immortal Warrior was totally working with the Bounty Hunter and they're really good work pals and they totally wouldn't steal his credit, no sir, not at all. I love the fact he's such a threat that Space Hollywood is all "Nope, I like breathing, we're making changes."

Ladies and Gentlemen, we've done it..... We've found the Player Character.

The way you described the Bounty Hunter, how every time he's seen a new "incarnation", the need for close support to keep things under control and anonimus, and acces to inner sphere tech, possibly to commstar... Dude, I can't stop thinking "that sounds like the battletech protagonist"

The Bounty Hunter is just the canonical Player Character of that universe with his other PC friends joining in from time to time. And the rest of the sphere and clanners are just the NPC's confused and terrified by said PC's ability to do more than any normal NPC can.

Natasha Kerensky was pretty hardcore, but i think she was something like 85 when she died. For a clanner that's like ancient.

The Inner Sphere's silliest clown, fighting it's funniest battles

It’s the Dread Pirate Robert’s, but with a giant robot and an chip on his shoulder.

The black widow does eventually get the upper hand and kills the bounty hunter, but then hands the armor and his book off to a person with vendetta to Takashi kurita, and so the legend continues. eventually that person then hands the persona and resources to one of his retenue and so on.

I think you meant the bounty hunter in his power armor vs a clan elemental in the soon to be bounty hunter's power armor.

I just finished the encounter with the Bounty Hunter on Mech Warrior 5. It's scary how tactical and lowdown the Bounty Hunter is.

Well since Tex probably isn't going to get around to this for at least 5 years, let's get in on the grand legacy of the character/s who are special enough to have multiple custom mad cats.

Rumor says he ex-clanner or Comstar agent or just a badass that kills and owns the better Mechs in the Inner Sphere.

I never saw The Bounty Hunter as a corporation so much as "The setting's Dread Pirate Roberts" as Tex says (I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere 20 years ago though). Also, can you think of a single instance of him taking a bounty alive? I cant think of one.

The bounty hunter is just the player character playing new game+ and yeah thats a thing in mechwarrior 5. Have a merry christmas

When you want to have Boba Fett in your franchise, but he isn't as easy to just grab and run with as Harmony Gold mech designs...

The way I see it, there's no logical way the Bounty Hunters and Comstar didn't have a longstanding arrangement. A lineage of mercenaries/mercenary groups this good and this professional behind the action scenes, that's quite potentially a threat to Comstar and/or their attempts to finesse the great game. Especially if the Bounty Hunters had reliable access to lostech before the GDL found Helm's prize I don't fully know what to hypothesize for the terms of the agreement, but given when the first Bounty Hunter widely known to have made a splash debuted, their legend was born under the untold eyes and ears of an entrenched and well established Comstar. As for how the Bounty Hunters get around without drawing more attention, I wouldn't be surprised if that book had tables for calculating pirate points.

Sounds like to me this is the BattleTech version of Boba Fett. And once upon a time I created a mercenary unit for Mech warrior in the unit was called the cash and carry Calvary CCC the motto of the cavalry was long as you have the cash we have the time.

This man is the Battletech equivalent of Dread Pirate Roberts. Also I think MW5 might lend some credence to your idea. In that game, the Bounty Hunter is literally contracting your character to get him information on other mercenary units. That's his entire purpose in the game is to provide him with information on the various mercenary units you fight. That implies that your idea of the Bounty Hunter employing a network of allies or agents is quite plausible.

I hope the Bounty Hunter gets the Black Marauder. It would be a fitting "award" for him.

To be fair to Doomguy, he's pretty cool too. Yeah, he's running around on foot, but he's pretty successful at what he does. :)

Love your idea it's a company backing and helping the Hunter.

using PPC's, zipping through and around a whole frontline, chewing up assault mechs, 1 v everybody-ing. it's me when i finally got good at MWO. when i was really in the zone i occasionally managed to take the entire enemy team by hit and running them with my shadowcat, i dont think ill ever find a high better than what i felt back then.

In the BT universe, they make Bounty Hunter jokes instead of Chuck Norris jokes. Although, it's strongly suspected that at least the original Bounty Hunter was a clone of Chuck Norris.

Perfect timing with this since this guy just asked me to send him shit in mech warrior 5

Also Master Chief Jon Halo has been known to pilot the odd giant stompy robot.

TLDR: The bounty hunter is basically the Golgo 13 of Battletech, the Professional that makes the impossible dream possible.

fun fact: I have been .mentoring a youtuber through a playthrough of HBS-Battletech where he put me in as one of the mechwarriors in his outfit. Specifically with a sniper-build geared toward maximum initiative and accuracy on called shots while utilizing a retrofitted MAD-2R with a bunch of lostech built into it. And at some point during the flashpoint-missions you also run into the Bounty Hunter (luring him into a three-way-battle between the Bounty hunter's outfit, the Black Widow Company, and the player's merc outfit.) To say that battle can be very difficult is putting it lightly. Even so, the mission ended in a success and as I have done a couple times during that playthrough, I wrote down a bit of a combat-log in the comments - at the end of which I had my character claim a certain green suit as his prize - therefore implying that now that the playthrough was over, he would take up the mantle of the Bounty Hunter - at least to those familiar with the lore. This is all the more amusing to me considering the backstory for that character was that he used to serve under one Frederick Steiner who got sent on a suicide-mission against the dracs. Only reason why the character survived is that at the time he was seconded to a different unit as instructor and then got lost in Steiner bureaucracy, which allowed him to get away - to embark on a quest for vengeance for his old unit who - to his knowledge - was killed to the last man. So here we have a terrifyingly competent Lyran Mechwarrior who served under the man who would become Anastasius Focht taking up the mantle of the Bounty Hunter.

Actually, that's the Mauser 960 Assault System, a Star League era infantry rifle which is a Pulse Laser Rifle with an integrated Grenade Launcher and retractable Vibroblade bayonet. So wouldn't say it's an anti-mech weapon, but it can still do 1 damage up to 6 hexes away to vehicles and infantry alike. And sadly, in most situations the Bounty Hunter loses against an Elemental as his Nighthawk PAL only has 2 points of Armor and no Jump Jets. So while he can still move 3 hexes on ground, he's an easier to hit, less armored, and less threatening target. Really the only way he could win is in an open field after somehow dodging both SRM 2 volleys coming his way. Then maybe he can use his superior range to whittle down the Elemental.

You know ... with those last word of yours.......... your in green power armour aren't you.

Battletech's version of Dredd Pirate Roberts

The Combine's "death to mercenaries" proclamation only happened in 3028 when Jaime Wolf publicly shamed the Coordinator during the FedCom Wedding on Terra

Ah the Bounty Hunter, one half of my favorite fight in HBS's Battletech game. Takeing on him,his lance, Natasha Kerensky and her lance in a big three way fight was epic. Expect BH went down only firing one volley at an archer, due to being the target of the alpha stikes of two Bull sharks (One custom M3 and one MAZ), a Star League Atlas and a Royal Highlander. Never seen a mech in so many little pieces. Oh and cut Natasha's Warhammer in half at the waist with that custom M3. Two AC-10s,Two AC-5s, four MLs and more armor than a Star League Atlas tend to do that, though it took two rounds to do it.

So the Bounty Hunter is the IRL internet personified. Got it

For seeing how for seeing how you've made this I will give you your real serious props and have total respect for all the details and yet insanely cool stuff you add to it I'm going to be watching hardcore

The Bounty Hunter is basically the Battletech equivalent of the Dread Pirate Roberts.

I´ve been waiting for you to cover "The Bounty Hunter"! Thank you for doing it.

I remember only one incident with the bounty hunter in all books i read and there he worked with natascha to escape from a canyon or so

I always figured The old Hunters and crews became "The man in the chair" masters of technology and combat bring their successors information and aiding in the planning of strikes.

This was awesome. Thanks for doing this!

I surmise that the bounty hunter is a vengeful spirit, born of every mech warrior who died before their time.

so he's basically the player of whatever game just came out in our universe.

I'm convinced that this is the elder AI Skippy just moonlighting in other universes for shits and giggles.

Why no one calls out that bounty hunter is obviously a comstar/blake agent is beyond me.

17:30 he's also dual wielding RIFLE caliber heavy pistols which is just amazing

I've done some contract work for this guy. He's okay. Li'l spooky, but he pays me in Star League-era lostech and gave me a sweet paintjob to slap on my Murdy (the blue-black one, not the money one). Still anticipating the inevitable heelturn; three guesses how that's gonna go for him.

i'm stuck in bed with covid at the moment and let me just say... there's nothing like being sick and miserable but then finding a new-to-you youtube channel that explains lore from sci-fi franchises you've never interacted with 💪

Thanks for this. I wrote a story for BattleCorps featuring the Bounty Hunter called "A Guy Walks Into a Bar on Solaris VII". He was a fun character to write. I had a follow-up started that fleshed out his capture of Kai Allard Liao, but I sort of moved on to other things for a while and never finished it. In my story, he kidnapped Kai's family and blackmailed him into surrendering peacefully, which is, coincidentally, the way the story ended up being written later by another author. At the end of my story, he passed the armor, the 'Mech and the book along to his protégé, then met a glorious end against some Death Commandos... or did he?

I know the joke of The Bounty Hunter being the first Player Character in the setting has been run into the ground but literally the tradition is just a walkthrough guidebook with the most effective Meta strategies in the game.

8:31 If this was before his beef with Natasha it was before the Death to Mercenaries order.

Now we all know the elemental goes down when the first any only shot of the engagement is applied to the back of their head.

I miss Steve. Did you lose the key to his basement cell?

I believe there is a semi-canon story of bounty hunter taking on a clan elemental on foot and basically dunking on em. Also an easy explanation for BH. backing is that he likely has a deal with comstar to facilitate that, something like they keep him a shadow and they get to use him as an attack dog when they need a problem solved

I'm not afraid pf the Bounty Hunter because they can kill anything on sight. I'm afraid of the Bounty Hunter because they have the logistical capacity to yoink their victims' loot *by the volume* xD

Feels like only Comstar would have the stability and scope to create a proxy named bounty hunter. That would add unlimited intelligence to each mission as well.

I like that the Bounty Hunter's mech bares the C bill symbol. Heraldry is meant to show what someone is fighting for, and in the Bounty Hunter's case, the heraldry is honest As for Bounty Hunter v's Elemental. I have to go Elemental

The bounty hunter is a mirror to the players of the many games in the universe, Rocking heavily customized mechs with technology and loudouts fit for the job. this is mostly likely mirroring the endgame players where we just have fun for shits a giggles and being petty assholes in game.

Very fun video considering i just completed his hard as heck mission in Mechwarrior 5.

Bruh the mutha fuckin bounty hunter gilded paint on MW5 is the shizniz it's so boss I love it it's totally absurd fuck yeah

Bounty Hunter never knew about him till recently…

the Dread Pirate Roberts of Battletech

This is amazing

He is the definition of “Yoink”

LMAO I love that pose with two pistols is straight up JoJo territory

No one in the Battletech universe was even 10% as scary as the assassin in the Stackpole novels.

Man literally to greedy to die

Too bad Steve missed this one. Great video!

The Bounty Hunter is that universe's version of Dread Pirate Roberts

When you said that the Bounty Hunter brought a Lance with him, that would mean 3, 4 at the most, other guys to form that Lance if it didn't include him. It's the Clans that drop in 5s, while IS drops in 4s. There are only 2 ways that action could have involved more than 4 Mechs. The first being that the Lance was already planetside when they started the job. Highly unlikely. The other way would be with a DropShip designed to carry more than a single Lance. A small DropShip, for a single Lance, would have been the optimal way of inserting. The only other way I could see him pulling it off and doing so in his style, would be large, modified, Small Craft used to insert a single Mech.

This dude is legit a freaking fallout/elder scrolls/dnd murder hobo protagonist

I think as often as not when the bounty hunter retires those of his staff that want to retire get the change to actually rotate out as well. Their associates know his and his successor's skillset. Only fools would go against them for money when they are likely already obscenely wealthy. Of course there are the psychopath and paranoid bounty hunters and yea, those will shoot you in the back of they suspect you of thinking funny

The Bounty Hunter is Battletech's Raymond Reddington.

Obviously the Bounty Hunter is an Isekai protagonist who had been playing the game from the start and knows all the strats.

The way The Bounty Hunter would win the fight with the Elemental is easy. Landmines. No way would an A Honor Duel minded Clanner would think the Bounty hunter would have 50kg of explosives shaped charge their way through the Elementals crotch. It would be a toss up on whether the clanner even knew the "duel" had even started yet.

I too believe in the power of $money$. And more so in the gear that Scrooge McDuck levels of money can furnish and so I have more gauss rifles than the rest of the periphery combined.

For me, the holder of the titles of silliest and scariest MechWarrior has to be Morgan Kell. The Bounty Hunter is acceptable as a Mafia-like organisation that thrives on it's own publicity but Morgan Kell ... a setting breaking ability like that was so Left-Field and potent that it was never brought up again!

Battletech version of Dread Pirate Roberts....

Do they have a king Crab Mech if so why not use that as one of the best if not outrightly so? (Fan of king Crab)

Love it

"The best mechwarrior in all of battletech." No, that's objectively commander Mason from MW5. >_>;

My head canon is The Bounty Hunter is a Comstar Agent gone rogue or he is part of Comstar.

The bounty hunter is a deniable comstar asset

Am I the only one who thinks naming the Mech Money-shot was a lost opportunity to enhanced the meme-power of the Bounty Hunter?😂

🤣🤣🤣🤣 BRUH!!! 6 seconds in, Roachkeshiana I wasn't ready 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Sleeps with grasshoppers!!!! 💀💀

I'm actually disappointed that they "retire" a lot of their crew, I was hoping for a Dread Pirate Roberts style scenario. Get stupid wealthy, find a successor, tell them "Actually, my name is Ryan, I inherited the title of Bounty Hunter from a gal named Samantha, the real Bounty Hunter has been retired for 80 years and is living fat in the Magestry of Canopus."

Dread Pirate Robert's with a Mech

The dread pirate Roberts

THATS GOING IN THE BOOK

I ran an alternate history of earth RPG using battletech Battlemechs. The clanner mechs were American made. Of course.

"Always two, there are. No more. No less. A Master and an apprentice." (Yoda) Sounds to me like an overtuned fanmade character a la "Boba Fett meets Snord". But is a funny one. Wonder what happens if there would be a bounty on the Il Khan of the Clans.^^ If the newest incarnation suddenly switches his colors to black and has some bats in his cockpit we finally know which secret organization he is working for (League of Shadows). 😃

What happened to Steve? Haven't heard him in a few videos.

So... He's basically the Dread Pirate Boba Fett?

We know the true origins of Wolf's Dragoons and Cranston Snord's Irregulars. What if the Bounty Hunters' origins are something similar, but from a faction OPPOSED to the Dragoons and the Irregulars?

I get it he's the Dread Pirate Roberts.

I have dound very limited content on the bounty hunter, i hope this is good!

Obligatory algorithm comment

Natasha Kerensky, the Queen of Clan Mary Sue.

Could this organization be what is left over of clan wolverine

Hey, I was your thousandth like. Nice.

Why is it always green power armor? Halo, Doom, Battletech, and the ones I probably missed, why is it green?