Certainly has enough bark for its bite. From TRO:3060
After seeing what warfare with the Inner Sphere was to be like, many of the homeworld Clans went through a sort of small technological renaissance. Clan Coyote was no exception, with the Canis walking off production lines in 3058. A 'mech designed specifically to function well during the longer engagements spheroids seemed so fond of, the Canis was supposedly made to rely more on laser weaponry than its predecessors. At least, that's what Coyote scientists told their Warrior caste.
The Canis comes in at a sturdy 80 tons, with a 240 XL engine making it as fast as an Awesome on foot, and three jump jets propelling it up to 90 meters at a time. Interestingly enough, this gives it the same movement profile as the Legacy - a 'mech with enough similarities to be its long-lost cousin. 15 tons of armor offer a wall of armor that is hard to pierce, although its 9, 37/12 (center torso), 23/10 (side torsos), 25 (arms), 33 (legs) armor layout could be better spread to deal with IS or Clan weaponry. The lot left a staggering total of 49 tons for weapons/heatsinks, which Coyote scientists most definitely took advantage of.
First off, we see the two Ultra AC/10s armed with four tons of ammo. This allows for a grand total of 10 rounds of firepower if used at double-speed, which seems a bit anemic when we consider how much weight is going into these guns: a total of 24 tons. Seems like a lot for a 'mech that is supposed to counter "ballistic...ammunition depletion". However, these are complimented by four ER Large Lasers. Wow, you might say, that's actually a lot of firepower! Well..problem is, this only leave the Canis with 16 double heat sinks to dissipate all of that heat. If you enjoy running cool, stay away from this machine.
How to use it? It works at all ranges, thankfully enough. It can snipe well when following a 3-3-2 pattern (if standing still) or a 3-2-3 pattern (if mobile). When at closer range it can brings its ultras into play, and fire two of the ER Larges along with one AC on Ultra and the other AC firing normally with minimal heat build-up. That means that its opponents have to contend with a steady barrage of 10-point hits - which, while lacking the intimidating presence of the Clan headcappers, can still cause a 'mech to sit down and ponder its life decisions a bit. And remember, you can always turn up the dial of pain if you're willing to deal with the heat. It works, but it does feel a bit slapped together, almost as if Coyote scientists wanted to quickly be done with the project to focus on...other matters.
The only upgrade to this machine is the Canis 2, first appearing in 3071. Making use of new technology, the Ultra AC/10s have been swapped with dual HAG/20s, with the four tons of ammo remaining unchanged. One ER Large Laser has been moved to the head to give it extra lasting firepower, while the remaining weaponry has been refitted by two Large Pulse Lasers. This variant actually works great alongside the original: the range brackets match up near perfectly, while the HAGs offer some flexibility in critseeking, anti-air duties and sandblasting. The Pulse Lasers also give the Canis a line of defense against some of the more dangerous lights and mediums out there. Heat is still a bit of an issue, though not nearly as much as it is for the original. Using this variant is simple. Holding back on the ER Large Laser is usually a good idea in most scenarios except at the longest ranges where the Pulse Lasers fall flat. It remains a good bruiser that can take and deal some pain.
As for overall strategies for the chassis...park and bark. This is a defensively-minded machine. Your jump jets should be used to get you into your ideal position, or to get you out of it once you're overheating by ridiculous amounts and are getting banged-up too much. Movement should be kept to a minimum if possible. How to deal with one? They're very slow, and have huge heat woes. Exploiting either of those flaws is a good strategy, and hitting one with a barrage of infernos or plasma can seriously hurt it, even more than most 'mechs.
Camospecs has some spanking examples of the Canis right over here:
http://www.camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=186With the MUL offering its info over here:
http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/459/canis-standardAnd IWM has it for sale for here, although it is unsurprisingly archived:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1854
