The inexorable march of the SLDF towards Terra in 2771 left an impression on that military- and that impression oftentimes was left in dents and burns. The Star League’s army was the most powerful fighting force ever assembled, but even then it had its flaws. Units that served in large numbers oftentimes were poorly equipped for the tasks at hand (see: Magi), or simply lacked the endurance to survive in the kind of rough battlefields Amaris’ coup created (King Crab). Luckily, a group called Norse-Storm came up with a solution that feels so Lyran it might as well have a mailed fist stamped on the forehead of every machine.
The Thunder Hawk (TDK series) is a big, bruising monstrosity that delivers undeniably scary firepower at long ranges, but to do so it makes some unfortunate (and unavoidable) sacrifices. The League wasn’t in a position to say ‘no’ to a new assault design almost tailor-made to break through tough defenses, but with the massive investment such a machine required in terms of technology resources and straight cash, it’s no wonder the design was soon out of production after the war ended. Norse-Storm brought the design back after the Clan invasion of 3050, however, introducing a whole new generation to the king of glass cannons.
We start by opening up a TDK-7X, the standard model in both Kerensky’s day and again to push his offspring back hundreds of years later. At 100 tons, there’s no question that this is a machine intended to dominate the battlefield, and the looks back that up. The standard TRO:3058 curved armor gives a very sleek, almost aquatic feel to the enormous machine, although one is left to wonder if the perspective of the left arm pointed at the ‘camera’ may have influenced the miniature a bit too much. A hefty and expensive 300XL engine sits in the torso, a massive expenditure in its day but absolutely necessary to accomplish the Mech’s goal. One simply cannot build a Thunder Hawk with a standard engine and still keep the performance sought. Is it worth the money and vulnerability such an engine comes with? That’s debatable.
As befitting a 100-ton crown jewel Battlemech, that curved plating is as heavy as it can get, with 19.5 tons of standard plating, making it basically as tough as the famed Atlas that narrowly preceded it into service. Unlike the Atlas, however, the Thunder Hawk’s armor is increased by its very role- intended to stay back from the fighting, less weaponry can be targeted at a properly-used Thunder Hawk by dint of its very range, which means that plating isn’t tested nearly as often. The other side of that coin, of course, is the vulnerable engine, a problem the Atlas doesn’t have to contend with. It makes for a Mech that will withstand some solid hits early, but which simply cannot be allowed to remain on the firing line for long after those first few hits- otherwise disaster is certain.
That armor WILL be tested, too, because no enemy commander will allow such a machine to survive for long. Parked in each side torso and again in the right arm are powerful Norse-Storm 7D Gauss Rifles. Yes, Virginia, that’s three fifteen-point hits flying out every turn at impressive ranges, making for a terrifying salvo. Not until the appearance of the Masakari in the Clan invasion did we again see a canon design capable of such a feat (and even then at terrifying heat cost)- this is simply the way to open up a target and make it bleed. Each rifle is backed by 16 rounds, plenty enough for most operations, while a trio of Defiance medium lasers provide a respectable punch at closer ranges where the rifles aren’t the best choice. Heat is rarely a problem here, so long as you’re mindful of the lasers now and then (and really, if you’re firing them you made a mistake anyway). There’s only the ten heat sinks in the engine, and standard models to boot, but with the Gauss salvo being as cool as they are that should be plenty.
That’s the good news, of course. The bad news is that a critical hit on a Gauss rifle will cause an explosion inside that location, and the Thunder Hawk combines that threat with the XL engine, meaning that despite that heavy armor a Thunder Hawk is dangerous to its pilot as well as the enemy. Even the right arm mount’s explosion, while likely safe from damaging the engine, will hurt the pilot severely. A Thunder Hawk that loses a significant amount of armor over any of those rifles needs to get the hell out of danger, NOW- which isn’t always a good thing, losing what is likely the most powerful machine in your arsenal at a time when you likely need it most.
Three variants exist, mostly because it’s hard to really improve on something like this- the vulnerable engine and rifles make it what it is, so changes tend to be mostly minor. The TDK-7Y is a good example, trading the four lasers for two medium pulse lasers. This allows for easier targeting of the kind of fast harassers that would bother a machine like this, but less fire put out overall. Your mileage may vary, but I prefer the 7X.
More significant is the TDK-7KMA, which drops the ten heat sinks for double-strength models. A Gauss rifle is removed (whaaaa?) in exchange for an Arrow IV missile battery (WHAAAAA?) with two tons of ammo. This is intriguing- the Thunder Hawk now fits into an artillery battery nicely, adding its own missile to the barrage, and has the ability to provide the remaining pair of rifles to defend the rest of the battery against enemy forces that get too close. This is impressive stuff, and a whole lot of fun to use for a commander that you want to hold back from the front lines.
The advent of the Lyran light fusion engine gives us a variant designed to survive the kind of damage its predecessors couldn’t. The TDK-7S had to shave weight, and did so by losing a ton of armor, two tons of ammo, and two of its lasers. Those losses aren’t fun- the ammo in particular!- but the result is the drop to a 300L engine- which means that if a side torso is lost (or just gutted by an exploding rifle), the machine can survive to hobble home for repairs. The reduced battlefield loiter time before running out of ammo is made up for then by being able to remain in the field a little longer before being disabled.
(The author would like to take a moment to lament the lack of a field upgrade involving the removal of one of the rifles in exchange for an LB-10X, giving the machine an excellent anti-aircraft weapon combined with the ability to crit-seek after the remaining two rifles do their job. Such an upgrade makes too much sense NOT to have out there somewhere, and even saves several tons for new and entertaining ideas)
There’s no question that a Thunder Hawk is one of the most dangerous ground machines in Battletech, bipedal or otherwise. A trio of Gauss per turn is the kind of thing you want opening a hole in the enemy’s forces! However, for all its respectable power, the Hawk is surprisingly easy to disable with a lucky crit (especially if the floating crit rule is in play!), and its power means that its enemy is almost certainly going to throw everything possible at it to get rid of it before the rifles do too much damage. The result is a unit that is walking death for the first few turns of a standard engagement, and likely forced to withdraw before too long- or is left in a smoldering heap. The author honestly isn’t a fan of the design as a result- its firepower and range just don’t make up for the massive cost (money, BV, whatever measurement you use) and vulnerability.
You, however may love the Thunder Hawk- or at least respect it. Probably have stories from using them, facing them, fleeing from them, etc.? You really should tell those stories, because that’s what we’re here for. Get to it, folks!
