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Mercury Concept Sketch (Patreon)

Published:
2020-02-07 13:11:44
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Here's a redesign by Bishop Steiner, the Mercury. Maybe he can come into the comment section and give his thoughts on the design process for this one.

From my end as the design director I can say from the get go the plan was to go heavy on visual improvement at the cost of retaining the old looks. It's such a horribly ugly mech, I was fine with any potential sour opinions here to end up with a design people will want to see on the table.

Could you recognize this mech without being told?

Also while I have official NDA privileges on my patreon, Bishop does not. In light of him not being able to post such juicy content this early, please go check out his page and consider subscribing: https://www.patreon.com/user/posts?u=19757595
I've been seeing the disgusting amounts of extra money some of you have been adding to your pledge managers for the KS, so throwing another $2/mo at him should be easy ;)

Files

Previews only

Comments

wiski

That looks fantastic!

Raymond White

I'm shocked that I could ever love the design of the Mercury.

Andrew Dickinson

That looks absolutely great! I would maybe have brought the cockpit forward a little bit as it always seemed a bit more pronounced in the original, but it's a heck of an improvement!

Anonymous

I like it a lot. Excellent job!

Henning Boessler

Great interpretation of the Mercury! I agree - the old one looked rather strange and not really satisfactory. This one is a cool one - more massive and more "complete" or rather homogeneous. I definetely like it. But for the recognition: I wouldn´t connect this with the old Mercury. Which is, imho, a good thing! ;)

Dan Hegarty

I have no loyalty to the old Mercury design beyond nostalgia and once I move past that I like this design. It fits in with the new line and looks fun to see on the table. It’s a very cool retake!

Anonymous

Nice Work Bishop

Christopher Eastwood

Subscribed. Like this design. I dont know if it looks near enough to the original but that's because I never gave the mercury the time of day to start. But whatever this is, it's good.

Heavyguard
>>32200825

I agree here. Looks great but I think the cockpit could be a bit further forward and possibly the arms raised up slightly more.

Anonymous

I recognized it. Nice work Bishop Steiner.

Maarten Broekman

I would not have recognized it as the Mercury because I hated the old design so much. This redesign is freakin' amazing and I now I want one.

Anonymous

I disliked most of the TRO 2750 designs, so I didn't order the Comstar mech packs with my Kickstarter pledge. This is making me want to reconsider, or at least keep an eye out for them at retail.

MajorTom

While I like the artwork, I think it is too far a departure from a design that has plenty of existing representation; it’s more of a Project Phoenix treatment rather than the exact same mech. It’s nearly unrecognizable as a Mercury, which presents the same problem and confusion as the Phoenix mechs, but at least those we can hand wave as being different models. This is supposed to be the same mech as the one in TROs 2750, 3039, and 3050, which is not the direction we should be taking imho. Again, I like this art, and it would suit a new design just fine, but it has zero callback to, and is inconsistent with, its heritage.

Stewart Spencer

Yeah, I'd have guessed Mercury, but this really is a VAST improvement. Now I don't begrudge the mercury it's slot in my Comstar L2

Alex F

It's an interesting update, but to be honest I'm not sure if it's a good one. I like the design details and the like, but overall I think it's just too much of a departure; so much so that it's really unrecongisable

ShimmeringSword
>>32201409

I can respect your position, and I think most would agree that's usually my position too. But if a mech has so few redeeming aesthetic qualities, should we sentence it to remain unused? The only business focued option within that realm would be to not redesign it at all and pretend it doesn't exist. Leaving it to a few hardcore fans. You are correct the phoenix mechs are an in setting visual redesign of mechs that justifies their heavy visual departures. But this is not that, all of this KS art is a retcon from outside of the setting. Some may feel faithful, but they are none the less retcons, so some are going to be more drastic than others, all on a case by case measure of needing to make a mech marketable as a game piece. In this case, there was no way to retain the core shapes of the mech, because the core shapes on a macro level were awful. Instead of going half way and making it barely passable, we decided to make it good.

ShimmeringSword
>>32201702

We avoid it when possible, and I think our track record is good there, but some mechs IMO really do just need to be this heavily edited. I think a key thing to remember is art can be bad, and things aren't always intentional, in the sense that an artist may not always be in complete control of the outcome they arrive at in a design, sometimes forced by time constraints too. I don't think it would be far fetched to say the original designer of the Mercury would agree the result was regrettable. Hence, retcon time.

Anonymous

First and foremost, this is downright excellent. Full stop, no questions asked, period. I LOVE that you guys are really stepping back, and taking a "rule of cool" look at all of the BattleMechs coming out, and I would say that this kind of mindset is what the brand needs. I think with BattleTech, people have a lot of sacred cows - from the lore, to logos, to whatever else, and I think we as a community need to really let go of our herd of sacred cows, and only pick a few to hang on to. I would argue that BattleTechs flagship 'Mechs are, a.) almost entirely designed and b.) pretty darned faithful to original source material. Since we have the Icons done, and the icons are still Iconic - I am ALL for throwing caution to the wind, and taking the rest of the turd-designs (which is about 95% of the rest of the TROs) and making them look awesome.

Andrew Tate

I wouldn't have known what a mercury looked like so after seeing this monstrosity I looked it up on Sarna (you know, the bible of battletech) and must say... Holy Kerensky what a massive improvement!!! I mean, looking at them side by side it's like looking at a child's drawing then looking at the full artist's rendering ready to go to manufacturer. Well done Herr Myers, well done!

James Bixby

This really hits the spot for me. Not only does it retain the general shape of the Mercury while still displaying “machine of war” quality, but the guns look modular, emphasizing the backstory of the Merc as the grandfather of Omnimechs

Anonymous

Yeah, I recognized it. Damn, the original was like a roomba with arms and legs gone wrong.

Mitchell Berthelson

Amazing. BTW, I love the fact that it looks like it shares DNA with the Shogun. Both were made by Mitchell Vehicles, so that's a bonus.

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner)

Hey. So... not sure where to begin on this. Anyone who actually is familiar with my portfolio knows that I very rarely like to take extreme tangents. I was right here with some who raised Cain over Anthony's "liberties" on the Marauder II, for instance. That said.... and as Anthony has stressed, sometimes there is so little redeeming base aesthetic that it really truly hamstrings us. And TRO 2750, as much as I love it for the lore perspective (I am much more a Grognard than a Scrognard), is chock full of such designs, visually. Hussar. Wyvern. Kintaro. Lancelot. Flashman. Crockett. King Crab. MERCURY. All look like abject, flaming garbage in the original art, and most even worse in the 3025 Succession Wars and 3050 reprints. I understand, even the "worst" designs still have their fans and defenders. But as a business, it's a numbers game. We can't retain bad rt/designs to make 20 (or even 100) people, who likely already have the minis, etc, anyhow, at the expense of providing a product that no one else will want. That's just reality. That said, I always try to change as little as possible. I TRY to make things work with what we have, but sometimes, you just can't. The blasted legs on the King Crab or Flashman, for examples. And most of the Mercury was a hodgepodge of unrelated visual cues slapped together. It was a Hockey Puck with stick leg and arms glued to it, with no 2 people able to agree where the cockpit was, and half the listed weapons nowhere to be seen (or slapped on even more haphazardly in later art). So that is where I was sitting when Anthony offered this to me. As he can confirm, I sent 3 basic concepts in, in pretty early form, 1 very close to the original, one very far removed, and one somewhere in between. Anthony and the Powers That Be, surprised me by telling me to move ahead with the Drastic Redesign, with a few tweaks. Even so, when I can't retain the details, I try as best I can to maintain the overall shape/silhouette. It's still a Flattened Disk with arms and legs, and big Ventral Ports sticking out, and a cute little ball turret sticking out the front. The Original version had more of the rounded dome of the base art in the past, but I was asked to have form follow function and make it match the raised Sensor Masts on some other designs. Increase the size of the Shoulder Vents, etc. Biggest change, for sure is the cockpit glass, which is brand new, whole cloth "why the heck not", that TBH..I didn't think would be picked. It was... and it's a nod to the modern mini painters who freaking LOVE jeweling any and every panel they can. Well, now the Rerc went from no one knowing where the cockpit was, to hopefully a painter's paradise. My other goal was to give some contours and visual distinctiveness to the squared, boring limbs of the original art, and to make the weapons all visible, in their correct listed locations. With that, I sent this in, with trepidation, having seen some of the comments to the Flashman, etc... and told Anthony that folks were probably going to burn me at the stake for this... or at least revoke my GrogNation Membership Card. To which he assured me that the original was s ugly 99% of folks will just be happy to have a (hopefully) good looking robot to use, especially considering how much the design does factor into Comstar and Word of Blake units. And so here it is. So far, more seem positive than negative. And no matter what we do, how "good" any of the designs are, unfortunately, some won't like it. I understand that and wish I could have given you the design you wanted. I really do. But then the opinion would likely be flipped, and we'd have more people either disliking it, or worse, going "MEH", so what. Hopefully this won't stay Super Secret Squirrel Sauce too long, and when it is released, officially, I can maybe post the various early concept stages on my own Patreon, for consumption. Anyhow, thank you for all your support. If we can keep 90% of you happy with 90% of the designs, (which I think we've been doing, mostly? And thankfully which 90% people like seems to vary from person to person) I think we're gonna be alright. Fortunately, my next piece I don't think will be near as drastic a departure. Peace of Blake be with you!

Anonymous

I'm glad I took that leap of faith on the costar packs. I can't wait to see what other improvements happen! Just one request, and I understand if it's not a realistic possibility, please go for the MWO king crab

Nyxus

This is a massive improvement. The character of the original is there but it is a much nicer design. The old one looked like the illegitimate love child of a King Crab and a Komodo.

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner)
>>32203169

that was a huge design goal for me. Along with... well deciding where in Blake's name the cockpit actually was on the darn thing... and where the other half of it's guns were, lol.

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner)
>>32202364

thank you! I think that as more TRo 2750 and eventually 3055 designs come up, we'll see more like this, with relatively drastic changes. Hussar for instance I have a lot of ideas for if it's ever on deck.......

Martin Sweeney

Oh my! This is really, really like. It's a massive improvement and lets face it there are some mechs out there that really need this love and attention. This is brilliant. Bishop, I doff my cap good sir.

Anonymous

I might have upped my pledge but I have been a supporter of bishop’s for a long while now. Great work.

Zachary Parliman

Worlds better than the TRO model, and it reminds me a little of the Mercury II / Coyotl. I still can't say I like the mech (especially the cockpit glass, sorry), but that's just me. Someone mentioned that it has a Project Phoenix vibe to it - I concur with that, but it does still feel recognizable as the Mercury thanks to its "kung-fu-ready-for-action" pose. In any regard, it's some fine work, Bishop!

Carlos Sempere

This looks much, much cooler, but the amount of detailing makes it feel low-tech and Succession Wars-era to me. I guess I came to associate smooth, swoopy shapes with the SLDF and ComStar, even if they didn’t always work. Gentle curves are a nice change of pace when painting, too. That’s all I’m advocating for - the general shape of this guy is totally fine. There’s one image of the OG Mercury that I always liked, and it’s on Sarna - the one showing it from the side, running. It looks like a Cicada (which I like) with arms (which ruin it). If you guys ever redo the Cicada, please keep the dome and the long nose.

Carlos Sempere
>>32203763

Great explanation and insight into the process! Now we’re wondering if the Crab is going to get windows.

Swen Decker

Id be totally using those on the table. For me its recognizable by the chinturret, the vents on the back and the flat torso. Lower arms and shoulders are also really nicely done. Was always a fan of bishops Thug and Vulcan sketches anyways.

Robert Schuster

I am definitely one of the defenders of the Mercury. I didn't "grow up with it", but I have always found it quirky in a charming, strange way that I simply cannot explain (I feel very similarly about the Thorn and the Hermes and Hermes II). I think the drawings of it looked cool, and I like the original mini (though it is *very* static) because it more or less looks like what the art looked like (which is less than I can say for some of the other designs in the first two TROs). THAT SAID, I really do like this redesign, and I don't think it deviates as far from the cues of the original as y'all seem to suggest. Honestly, it looks very clearly like a Mercury: its torso is a flattened oval; it has big shoulder vents; it has those weird grooved paddle feet; it has wide-slung, aggressive "punchy" arms. It has a hilariously bug-like "face". It has a clear lineage to the later Mercury II and Coyotl. I love the original Mercury, and I will never agree that it is ugly or unfortunately designed. But I also think that this redesign absolutely does it justice at the same time that it appeals more broadly to people who previously disliked it. Excellent job.

Anonymous

This new art is a huge improvement. It reeks personality and looks like a war machine instead of, you know, a roomba. Well done!

MechaParade

I really like this redesign, it keeps the look of the original but updates it to the modern ascetic. But also finally displays all of the weapon mounts. The Mercury was never a favorite of mine or one I even liked that much but I really enjoy the extra detail the artist added. Now it finally has a cockpit lol. Too bad a lot of the detail will be lost when it the miniatures get made.

Charles granger

Overall looks great but that cylinder on the rear torso looks a little out of place .

Ryan Voigt

I would not have recognized it; to my eye losing all the curves of the original sacrifices its "Mercury-ness." I would say I do not like it, but that implies a level of emotional attachment to this mech I do not have. Taken alone, I think the concept is fine (my first impression was "Jenner's big brother"), but as a Mercury redesign, I think it misses the mark.

Jordan G Roberts

To me this is like the mwo dragon. It's pretty much an entirely new mech with reference to the og design. I like it better -in every way. Great job guys!

David

I like this redesign, but its a shame to lose the hallmark smooth spacy look that set the 2750 designs apart.

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner)
>>32201404

that makes me feel pretty good TBH. And I totally get that. The base art for most (TRO 2750/3058) could be charitably described as...rough. And then in 3060 we get the downright bizarre, often... Yeoman (I do has ideas for that one though on my Patreon page)? Er?

Anonymous

I agree that these should have more of a smooth spacy look. It's been my only real issue with most of the redesigns from the 2750 book. For the most part those mechs are definitively smooth and round, and/or with sleek lines. I vaguely recall there was a mention of this being due to advancements in shaped armor methods during those times, in some passage somewhere. I think maybe extending the sides of the cockpit and blending it into the torso so it has more of a round flying saucer shape might look better? Maybe not? It still looks pretty damn good as is, so it's a tough call for me. I always visualize the mechs from the 2750 book as being completely chromed out with an art deco meets cyberpunk golden age vibe. I can't visualize this redesign in that manner though.

Ryan de Haas

I love this design, particularly the intakes on the shoulders. It evokes the image of a race car, and really sells the speed of the design.

Mike
>>32213180

I just pored over his whole page and don't remember seeing a Thug. Actually I don't remember a Vulcan either.

Mike

I had to look up the original, because I completely forgot what it looks like. I could get behind this version, though boy do I not like small lasers. (smirk) That isn't your fault though.

Jeffery Smith

this is a radical change to one of my favorite light mechs.

Anonymous

I wouldn't have recognized the original mech. But I think it looks great.

Phil

Love it - though I hated the classic mercury. so I'm clearly biased :D

Steve McNabb

I like how it has a more clearly defined cockpit.

Kanrei13

Love it! Can't wait to see the rest of the 2750 retcons. They all sorely needed it.

Anonymous

It's ugliness is far more charming than the original. Well done Bishop.

Anonymous

That is one ugly SOB. But ugly in a “Run Away!” Kinda way. I love it. The old one is just...ugly in a way that made me never get one. Now I can’t wait to get my paws on this one. Good job Bishop (and whoever else contributed)!!!

Anonymous

I also like how the fists are rotated upwards slightly. A minor touch but so different from all the other hands.

Mike

The more I see it, the more I like this. Will the antennae be on the miniature?

ShimmeringSword
>>32805406

They probably won't. Whip antenna need to be added by ye guys. But we make sure to include good mount points.

Anonymous
>>32688617

The way you have these he looks like a pugilist. Like he’s ready for a fight. That’s why I like it.

Joshua Bressel

OMG! I can't tell you how little I cared about this mech.....until now! Now... I need one!!!!!!

Ben

It's different from the original design, but still got enough of the key features that I knew what it was depicting immediately. I especially like how the vents look more akin to the Mercury II & Coyotl. This is like a missing link that ties two very different designs together nicely.

Joe Wright

I feel like it captures the aspect of the weapons being more modular per its fluff; knowing what a mercury looks like and seeing this, this is a worthy replacement. The mercury is dead! All hail the mercury :)

William B Teter

Figured I would take a look at the Mercury to see if I was doing the cockpit correctly according to the art and... I was not...