From TRO:3060
Oh man, y’all don’t know how much I’ve been waiting to do a writeup on this bugger. Not only is the Satyr the LAST Smoke Jaguar Proto I’ll ever have to cover (I can finally start doing introduction that are more interesting than “Dem Kittens did dis, den dey died”), but it’s also my favorite ProtoMech. Quite the claim, huh? Hopefully this article will do a decent job at explaining
why.
I’ve got a pretty intense feeling that the Jaguar thinktank didn’t do their research when they designed the Satyr. I’ve got to say that it’s a fierce competitor for the “looks the least like its mythological inspiration” prize (although the Hydra gives it a run for its money, depending on whether you generally confuse lumps for heads or not). And the name? A bunch of lute-playing, galloping creatures that want nothing more than to have a good time with a woman or two? Yeah, real scary. I’ve shivering in my boots. At least they turned its head into something that can at least be described as “freakishly terrifying”.
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SATYR
INTRO: 3060
FACTIONS: Blood Spirits, Cloud Cobras, Coyotes, Goliath Scorpions, Ice Hellions, Nova Cats, Snow Ravens, Steel Vipers, Wolf (in-Exile) (until Jihad)
ARMOR INTERNAL
(2) (1) Arms -> Cored: 11 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 15 pts
(1 / 5 \ 1) (1 / 4 \ 1) Torso -> Cored: 9 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 6 pts
( 3 ) ( 3 )
On a slightly more serious note, the Satyr
is pretty terrifying. A 7/11 movement profile is more than decent; you should be able to hit a +3 MM (with an additional +1 for woods if you’ve got ‘em) every turn without any difficulty. And you need that speed - armor is light, as in less-than-half-its-potential-maximum light. But really, with that kind of movement its not a big deal. What it does have, is well placed. I’ve got no complaints with its layout. Those two traits - speed, and lack of armor - are your first hints that this is a scout ProtoMech; the Light Active Probe shoved into its torso is another slightly less subtle one. That alone makes it damned worthwhile in my eyes, a dedicated scouting platform that doesn’t waste anything on bells or frills? Yes please.
But then you see the ER Small Laser. Usually nothing more than a slapped-on way to spend half a ton on ‘Mechs, it’s a
highly effective weapon on ProtoMechs. 5-point hits (or larger) are not a common thing to see on Protos, and it gives the Satyr enough of a punch to lay the smackdown on any Proto its size. Start toying around with points, and PSRs are something quite achievable. It’s a very intimidating gun. Really, though, you don’t want to field full points of
just the Satyr. Why? We’ve got a bunch of other variants to play with!
133 BV is dirt cheap for what you get. The Satyr is one of the cheapest ways to field an Active Probe of any sort, and having an ER Small for that cost only makes things better. 5-point hits really add up, and Satyrs can become holepunchers in your formations when used against lighter targets. I can fully understand why the Jaguars designed it; there’s a huge lack of dedicated scouts in the Clan Touman pre-Satyr, and most of the units that do carry an Active Probe are full-fledged OmniMechs that use it offensively. Having an easily fielded way to implement a Probe in second-line forces, using them to flush out guerrilla troops or raiders, is definitely nice. Even when used on the offensive, this easy Active Probe would allow the main meat of the force to focus on what really matters - shooting stuff. As one of the most common ProtoMechs ever seen, it looks like the rest of the Clans agree.
SATYR 2
INTRO: 3062
FACTIONS: Blood Spirits, Cloud Cobras, Coyotes, Goliath Scorpions, Ice Hellions, Nova Cats, Snow Ravens, Steel Vipers, Wolf (in-Exile) (until Jihad)
ARMOR INTERNAL
(3) (1) Arms -> Cored: 14 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 20 pts
(2 / 7 \ 2) (1 / 4 \ 1) Torso -> Cored: 11 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 9 pts
( 6 ) ( 3 )
The Satyr 2 is the first variant, and remains nearly as useful as the standard. Armor is hugely improved (only one complaint - a point from the head to the legs would have been super), while speed is majestically boosted up to 7/11/7; the only ProtoMech able to jump that far besides Society shenanigans or the hobbling Hippogriff. The Active Probe and ER Small are both ditched in favor of a lighter weapon - a single Micro Pulse Laser.
Micro Pulse Lasers are very useful on Protos, and even more so when put on a jumping one. You’ve still got a 3-point strike and -2 to-hit of the Small Pulse Laser, just with reduced range. You can’t forget about the anti-infantry ability of it either; being able to jump 7 hexes before laying down the hurt on an infantry Platoon is enough to give me a chubby. The improved armor also means that you should be able to take a full infantry riposte as well, which is nice in case that infantry connects with you regardless of that +4 MM you’re able to reach.
Once again, 125 BV is a bargain. It’s one of the cheapest jump-7 units you can buy, which makes it attractive as a combat scout in built up terrain. It’s not the cheapest way to field a Micro Pulse Laser, but when your closest competitor is the Cecerops 4 (a Proto with literally half the protection of the Satyr 2), this ProtoMech remains very sexy. It remains just as common as the main design, and it makes sense to combine the two. They make for excellent teammates; the Satyr finds the infantry and packs the anti-armor punch, which the Satyr 2 kills the infantry, and keeps up rapid scouting in built up terrain. Its short range and high jumping range also makes the Satyr 2 an excellent blocker, and it can function well alongside Sirens and Cecerops.
SATYR 3
INTRO: 3065
FACTIONS: Ice Hellions, Wolf (in-Exile) (until Jihad)
ARMOR INTERNAL
(2) (1) Arms -> Cored: 11 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 16 pts
(1 / 5 \ 1) (1 / 4 \ 1) Torso -> Cored: 9 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 7 pts
( 4 ) ( 3 )
I’m afraid that the Satyr 3 is the flop of the bunch. Well, it’s useful, just less so. Armor is nearly the same as the standard, although a single point is added to the legs (arguably useful). Once again, the Probe and ER Small are dropped, this time for 5 jump jets and a Streak SRM-2 with 10 shots. That’s a lot of firepower for something so small - and a lot of range. This movement profile, along with the general features of the Streak, make it the best Satyr at crippling vehicles.
Although anti-vehicular ProtoMechs are a dime a dozen, the Satyr 3 does have the distinction of being on of the few that’s able to do it at such ranges, at such speeds. It’s a hard critter for slower vehicular formations to pin down and destroy, and the Satyr 3 should be able to engage whenever and wherever it wants to. Those same jump jets will keep it mobile even after its legs are destroyed, giving it a touch more durability on the battlefield than the original variant would have.
Streak SRMs are pricy, and the 160 BV of the Satyr 3 reflects that. I’m going to emphasize what I say about any ProtoMech with Streaks - makes use of its improved range, or don’t use it at all. At least there’s no loss in jumping every round with the ammo efficiency of the Satyr 3, so hit and run attacks should be the norm here. Not many Clans enjoy it; I suspect that the Ice Hellions designed it to give their superlight ProtoMech formations a bit more range and punch, but the WiE also chose to use it during the Proto years.
SATYR 4
INTRO: 3074
FACTIONS: Ice Hellions (???, see below), Nova Cats (???, see below), Snow Ravens
ARMOR INTERNAL
(2) (1) Arms -> Cored: 11 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 15 pts
(1 / 5 \ 1) (1 / 4 \ 1) Torso -> Cored: 9 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 6 pts
( 3 ) ( 3 )
After that, we’ve got a return to specialized Satyrs in the Satyr 4. Speed and armor return to the baseline set by its ancestor, and electronics make a firm return. The Active Probe is replaced by a Light TAG - and with the errata on the Sprite 2, this is the ONLY canon ProtoMech to carry a TAG system. And trust me, there are few things that are worse (better?) than a 7/11 ProtoMech formation blinding you with a flurry of TAG every round. This is supported by a single AP Gauss Rifle with 20 shots, maaaassive overkill. At least you’ll be able to shoot literally whenever you want with it, but holy crap, that’s a lot of ammo.
This mating of options gives a properly supported Satyr 4 the ability to take on both conventional and ‘Mech forces. There’s no doubt that your opponent will definitely hate your Satyr 4s if you have a nice battery of homing Arrows backing them up. And if they’ve brought infantry? Tough on them, the Satyr 4 can deal with those too. It’s a scary machine. It fits in well with the general "gloves off" feeling that many battles of the Wars of Reaving had.
The Satyr 4 comes in at a hilariously low 107 BV - and since I’ve been going on a “cheapest way to field X” roll, it’s the most cost-effective way to field TAG. Of course, this will be multiplied up a bit depending on how much guided artillery you bring to the table, but a full point of Satyr 4s costs less than a single Mist Lynx A...ho ho ho ho ho. I’m not sure how well it fits with the general Ice Hellion doctrine, but it mates well with the “rogue” Nova Cats and the sometimes less-than-honorable Snow Ravens.
There are two real questions that remain unanswered. Firstly,
how did it reach the Nova Cats in the first place - is this an example of convergent evolution? Or did some rogue traders somehow give/take the specs from the Nova Cat hands during the turbulent Wars of Reaving/Jihad era? And secondly - how could the Ice Hellions ever make use of it? The official introduction date is 3074, while the Hellions died off around 3072. Were they using prototypes before then? Was their fielding the unit a mistake? Does the Escorpion Imperio now make use of the design? Is there a massive Wolverine coverup involved?
From TRO:Prototypes
SATYR XP
INTRO: 3079
FACTIONS: Nova Cats
ARMOR INTERNAL
(2) (1) Arms -> Cored: 11 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 15 pts
(1 / 5 \ 1) (1 / 4 \ 1) Torso -> Cored: 9 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 6 pts
( 3 ) ( 3 )
The last variant is one of a different breed, classified as a refit for a dwindling, out of production supply of Satyrs fielded by the abjured Nova Cats. The Satyr XP refit is a touch more intensive than any other variant of the Satyr that appeared prior; the engine is reduced to give it a 6/9 profile, but 9 advanced jump jets give it the greatest hop available to any ProtoMech. Armor is unchanged from the standard, but firepower is reduced to an SRM-2 with 10 shots of ammo.
If you know me, you’ll know that the first thing I’ll suggest is taking a few rounds of Infernos just to give it a bit more flexibility. I don’t have much more to suggest beyond that; tactics should remain similar to the Satyr 3, but the longevity of the Satyr XP is slightly reduced since you’re no longer using streaks. Even so, hit and fade attacks should let it last at least roughly 15 turns, more than enough for most battles.
The upside of these changes is that BV is impressively low, with 115 BV per unit making it an amazingly cheap scouting unit with a very decent movement profile. If I’ve got a complaint, it’s that the spooky armor got ditched for *reasons* (bah..). The Satyr XP looks a lot more like your average combat unit. How...passé. Switching from a recon to an infantry close-support role, the Satyr XP was designed to draw targets towards a slower Battle Armored anchor. I find this role to be a bit uninspiring, but if it works, all the power to the Nova Cats. It does allow them to keep their 'Mechs for other roles, while most vehicles will have difficulty with certain different types of terrain.
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Every Satyr has a specific function that suits it well. The suits are generally specialized, but are well though out and designed. Their cheap costs, both in BV and C-Bills, will allow you to fill out a force with the instrument of war that you need. So...yeah! Give them a shot, dudes and dudettes.
CAMOSPECS:
http://camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=103IWM:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4781MASTER UNIT LIST:
http://www.masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/2801/satyr-standard