The Mad Cat Mk IV, AKA Savage Wolf. From TRO3145: Mercenaries
Love it or hate it, MechWarrior: Dark Age introduced many new designs and design paradigms to the larger BattleTech universe. One of the first - and arguably the most prevalent stylistic choice - would be the various reimaginings of classic older designs. A few 'Mechs would simply see their appearances slightly changed, such as with the Spider or Centurion, but a few others would hint at a gradual improvement of technology via numerical suffixes. The Ryoken II and Mad Cat III would pave the way, with other designs quickly following and eventually leading to the Mad Cat Mk IV’s appearance in the
Wolf Hunters novel and the
Wolf Strike expansion pack.
The game and background to the Dark Age setting would quickly paint the new Savage Wolf as a Clan Sea Fox design. Originally spawned from an underground deal between Clan Jade Falcon and rogue ovKhan Sha Clarke, further dossiers would suggest that the Savage Wolf was a mostly aesthetic upgrade to the original Timber Wolf; after all, how could you improve on what was widely accepted to be one of the best-designed BattleMechs in the game? This obviously was not necessarily the case in universe. The Savage Wolf had improved and better-protected hips, advanced targeting for the missile launchers, sturdier and more flexible actuators…all by and large untranslatable to the tabletop. Even so, the Timber Wolf and its configurations weren't completely perfect - there were a few potential ways to improve the base design, choices that we can mostly see in the Mad Cat Mk IV prototype models that were introduced in the early 3130s.
The first prototype (PR) would emulate the original Timber Wolf D, dropping a ton of Streak ammo in order to fit in an extra heat sink. More interestingly, an endo-steel critical was shifted from the CT to the Head, allowing this extra heat sink to better pad the Engine and Gyro criticals. The second prototype (PR 2) would then replace the four Streak SRM-6 launchers with two fore-mounted ATM-6s and two aft-mounted ATM-3s. These two variants are fielded by both collaborating Clans - the Sea Foxes and the Falcons - but chances are that neither have ever seen actual mass production. Why? Because of the production design, of course.
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The similarities between the Timber and the Savage Wolves are few, but important. The Savage Wolf, making a return to the classic tonnage, comes in at 75 tons. Endo-steel makes a predictable return, along with the fifteen double heat sinks mounted in the 375-rated engine. But that’s where similarities end. The engine was upsized to an XXL, giving the Savage Wolf unprecedented weight savings at the cost of more vulnerable side torsos. In a move to almost compensate for this flaw, the gyro is completely armored. Finally, and most importantly, the Ferro-Fibrous composites of the old Timber Wolf were replaced with a hefty 16 tons of Ferro-Lamellor armor. The lot gives this new OmniMech 28 tons of playing space, a half-ton more than the original Timber. Never forget, however...even an extra half-ton can come in handier than you might think. More on that later.
Let's dwell on the armor a bit. For those not in the know, Ferro-Lamellor armor reduces any incoming fire by one point for every five points of damage. Single points of damage are reduced to zero, and lose the ability to cause TACs or pilot hits. In addition, armor-piercing munitions lose their secondary armor-defeating effects, although their full damage potential is dealt upon every hit. To put this into numbers, the most common damage blocks of the most widespread weapons (5/10/15 damage) get reduced by 20% each, while 7-point hits common in Clan warfare get knocked down by 28.6%. Missile munitions find themselves hurt the most through this damage reduction; SRMs get their damage reduced by 50% per missile, while LRM or MRM clusters find their secondary clusters (of 1-4 damage) reduced more than usual. But by simply assuming the bare minimum of a 20% damage reduction, the Savage Wolf has an effective armor layout of:
FRONT REAR
(11) ( )
/30|44|30\ / 9|10| 9\
(30/ || \30) ( | | )
/ /\ \ / \
(39/ \39) / \
TOTAL: 281 points of armor
Compare this layout - and total - with other designs and you’ll quickly see that it’s largely comparable to fully-armored 90-ton ‘Mechs. This gives the Savage Wolf more effective armor than, say, the standard Mad Cat Mk II, Executioner, Supernova…or frankly, most designs found on the battlefield. It also propels the Savage Wolf into a role that has up until now been scarcely populated - a heavily armored but quick-moving ‘Mech; a command ‘Mech for faster formations that doesn’t lose out on armor like many traditional heavy cavalry ‘Mechs would. The Foxes made something truly special here - but like every OmniMech, one must also take a look at its configurations.
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The Prime goes the route of the older Timber Wolf D; it’s a near-perfect copy-paste. Twin ERPPCs, Quad SSRM6 racks with two fore-mounted and two aft. But the somewhat superfluous ER Small Laser and a ton of Streak ammo are sacrificed in a move to streamline the configuration; both are good choices. This (along with that extra half-ton) leaves two extra tons to use when compared to the older D, and they’re both smoothly spent on extra heat sinks. With the added heat put out by XXL engines, this is quite a good idea. Verdict? It builds up heat a bit slower than the older model, deals the same damage as the older model, and in my opinion will outperform the older model four times out of five - especially in a one-one-one fight. BV cost is basically the same, too. Not a bad config.
For the A, we have a clone of the Timber Wolf E. Twin ER Large Lasers supported by dual ATM9s. Some streamlining happened again, with two tons of excess ATM ammo (leaving four tons - 14 shots per launcher - left) dropped alongside the Light TAG. The seventeen double heat sinks of the Timber Wolf E are reduced by one, leaving this Savage Wolf four tons to spend on four Small Pulse Lasers. These changes are, on the surface, a bit less attractive; the old Timber Wolf E builds up only movement heat when alpha-striking, while our new A spikes up by 8 if attempting to fire both ERLLs and ATM racks while running. That just shows where the A performs best - at point-blank range. Shooting an ER Large Laser, both ATM/9s with HE ammo and three Small Pulse Lasers gives almost the same damage potential (61 dmg vs 62 dmg for the Timber E) for the same heat increase when running (or less when walking) and more options for juggling the heat burden. BV is a good 31 points lower than the older model this time, but the loss of ranged damage is slightly annoying. It is no deal breaker, though...losing an ATM/9 at extreme ranges will rarely win or lose a battle. I personally mostly bemoan the loss of the Light TAG, but the addition of AI firepower is a welcome sight.
The B is an interesting configuration, largely in part because of its unique nature. It doesn’t have a shared background with any Timber Wolf configurations, instead bearing a weapons loadout somewhat reminiscent of those old Summoner configs the Falcons love to use. Three weapon systems are carried here: an Improved Heavy Large Laser in the left arm, a HAG/30 with three tons of ammo (12 shots) in the right arm/torso, and an ATM/9 with two tons of ammo (14 shots) in the left torso. CASE II in the left and right torsos protect against any ATM ammo/HAG/potential iHHL explosions. This things isn’t subtle, and it isn’t delicate. It can slam targets with up to 75 damage at close range, all while bringing dual threats of a headcapper/anti-air to the battlefield and always giving itself decent firepower even if its target has Reactive or Reflective armor. The only downside is that it builds up movement heat - and on an XXL ‘Mech that adds up fast. The heat isn't easy to deal with either; either you drop the HAG or ATM rack to keep things neutral, or else you ditch the iHLL every other turn to keep the heat manageable. It's one fierce customer, though, and underestimating it is a recipe for disaster.
Our final config to date, the C, is a new take on the oldest and most common Timber Wolf formula. Two ER Large Lasers in the arms with two ER Mediums underneath, twin LRM/15 racks in the side torsos, and two Medium Pulse Lasers mounted centerline for a finish. The LRMs showcase the interesting “modern” addition to this config, with Artemis-V heavily increasing the accuracy of the missiles while CASE II in both torsos gives the three tons of LRM ammo much better protection than before. The downside, though, is that no heat sinks are added beyond the base fifteen. Still, ranged damage output remains fairly consistent when compared to the Timber Wolf, if a bit less concentrated. The endurance at range (12 turns of fire vs the traditional 6 for the LRMs) and the added accuracy of the LRMs might even slightly increase damage potential. Close in, damage is slightly reduced (31 for the C vs 38 for the TW-Prime) but only if ignoring the use of LRMs. This can partially be attributed to the lack of machine guns (accounting for four damage), a weapon system with terrible range and an accompanying ammo bomb. Still, it's definitely not a bad configuration for what it does, it just takes a bit of finesse. It is 59 BV more expensive than the old Timber Wolf Prime, but that’s not much of a difference. I give it a pass, and would still consider fielding it over the original if given the choice.
~ ~ ~
The Savage Wolf has a beautiful base chassis even if the canon configurations aren't your cup of tea. Its combination of armor, firepower and heat dissipation make it an upgrade over a surprising number of competing omnimechs - all in exchange its heightened internal vulnerability. Its improved armor make it an easy choice over older Mad Dogs or Gargoyles, where it can claim most of their configurations and use them better than the originals ever could. While it loses the internal durability to the Kingfisher, it can act as a quicker delivery platform for most of those configs - barring those heavy in external heat sinks. The Summoner or even the Septicemia are two other potential sources of inspiration, although the Savage Wolf’s inability to use jump jets well keep it ground-bound save for the most heat-efficient configs. Even the original Hellbringer configs can be fielded better by the Savage Wolf. It can even take the Warwolf’s less heat-efficient loadouts and steal them - for example, making the Warwolf H significantly better in nearly every way.
This isn’t to say that the Savage Wolf can replace any XL’d 5/8 OmniMech. As we’ve already seen, a certain ironic twist has it struggling with the heat dissipation for many of the Timber Wolf’s traditional loadouts. The Cauldron Born is too much of a gunboat to mimic without sacrificing firepower, while the Karhu’s mobile doctrine prevents the Savage Wolf from copying things too closely. And two of the newer “iconic” Heavies - the Mad Dog Mk III and Grand Summoner - invest too much into weight-saving technologies for the Savage Wolf and its heavier armor to completely copy.
Interestingly enough, the Savage Wolf doesn’t make many Spheroid Omnis fully obsolete. The Vandal and Templar III are two obvious ‘Mechs that can be pushed aside via proper Savage Wolf marketing, but there are few other heavier Inner Sphere OmniMechs with less than 30+ tons of podspace. The Avatar, Sunder and Perseus can all have certain of their configurations made better through ClanTech, but the moment those ‘Mechs start carrying their own Clan weaponry they transform into gunboats of a completely different breed. As such, the Savage Wolf would hold a rather large market share to itself (and the Mad Dog Mk IV), one where most Inner Sphere states simply don’t have any competing heavy cavalry OmniMechs of its kind to fight against it.
Finally, the Foxes themselves can put the Savage Wolf to good use. No strangers to fast-attack Assault 'Mechs, the Foxes has many heavier lancemates to pair with this new OmniMech: the Phoenix Hawk IIC 6/7/8, the Warhammer IIC 8/9/12, the Mad Cat Mk II 4/5/6/Enhanced, and even the Jade Hawk or Mad Dog Mk IV all fit into this high-durability, high-speed doctrine. If they ever have to launch a larger campaign or a trial on a greater scale, any and all heavy combat will occur when the Foxes want it, where they want it.
It’s through all of this that we can really start to get an image of how the Savage Wolf could become such a bestseller within every state of the Sphere. It’s a solid replacement for many older (and even certain newer) OmniMechs in Clan space. It’s a new and frankly as-of-now unmatched commodity in Successor space. And if a Periphery state somehow gets its hands on a few? It cuts through IntroTech like a hot knife through butter. Melted butter.
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I know the Savage Wolf was one of - if not
the most anticipated 'Mech out of the entire 3145 line-up. It had extremely high expectations to live up to, and a heritage that few other 'Mechs ever had to compete against. Certain players might have been disappointed with it, others might have a new machine to use whenever possible. The only certainty is that this 'Mech is one that should be fielded at least once by every player - Spheroid, Clan or Apathetic - as the harbinger for a new age of BattleTech.
Master Unit List:
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=mad+cat+mk+ivCamoSpecs:
https://camospecs.com/iwm/mad-cat-iv-savage-wolf/Iron Wind Metals:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=8517
