'Mech of the Week Addendum: Wasp (2020-08-04): ilClan Recognition Guide EditionSo...we need to talk about the new
Wasps in the
Recognition Guide: ilClan Vol. 04. There's a lot to unpack here.
First off, the Guide makes clear that the
Wasp is, by quite a stretch, the most common BattleMech in existence. It's been so common, and churn on the battlefields have been so common, that the joke is the SLDF classified it as a "unit of ammunition" rather than a BattleMech. We also learned that the tendency of
Wasp legs to shear off during Death from Above attacks wasn't confined to the primitive WSP-1, but also affected the WSP-1A model: it took 110 years for the issue to be discovered, after all, and then another 30 years to fix it. Wow.
The Guide introduces us to three new variants of the venerable
Wasp:
First up, we've got the WSP-5A, and IS-tech
Wasp produced in the reborn Free Worlds League by Irian BattleMechs Unlimited. Building off of the endo-steel frame of the earlier WSP-3M (sometimes quite literally: Irian offers a refurbishment service for older
Wasps), the WSP-5A increases the ground speed of the 'Mech to 8/12, with 8 jump jets rounding out the mobility improvements. Given the faster 'Mechs of the 32nd Century battlefield, this is a welcome change and, combined with 3 tons of ferro-fibrous armor (a half-ton more than the WSP-3M), this is a welcome improvement to survivability. That's important, because we're also packing a standard Inner Sphere XL engine and XL gyro for weight savings. Weaponry is...interesting. An ER medium laser is our longer-ranged weapon here, backed by a Streak SRM-2 launcher for critseeking potential and, presumably, anti-vehicle work. Following the trend in the Recognition Guides to make the design match the mini, the Streak-2 is mounted in the left leg, with its ammo bin in the left torso, protected by CASE II. Like all the new
Wasps, we have three design quirks: Easy to Maintain, Extended Torso Twist, Ubiquitous. Nice.
On the battlefield, this one will play just like your old
Wasps, just faster, with one exception: if you like Infernos, you're out of luck, because the Streak launcher can't fire them. The loss of alternative munitions makes me wish they'd gone with a standard SRM-2 launcher here, which would give you a bit more flexibility and save another ton you could put into armor.
Next up, the one that's attracted the most attention, is the Wolf Empire's
Wasp C, manufactured by Kali Yama of Kalidasa. This is an odd duck, a mixed-tech
Wasp using Inner Sphere endo steel structure (the same Irian Chassis Second Generation the WSP-5A uses), but still uses a standard 120-rating fusion engine and six jump jets for 6/9/6 movement. What? In 3150? Yes. The gyro is also standard, so no weight savings there, or in the cockpit, which is your typical 3-ton cockpit. Where's the Clan tech come in? Three places:
- Clan ferro-fibrous armor: 2.5 tons worth, giving it...the same 48 points of protection arranged just like the WSP-1A. Huh.
- Ten Clan double heat sinks. OK....
- A Clan Strek-2 Improved-Oneshot in the left leg. Umm....
- A Clan ER large laser in the right arm. Wow.
The
Wasp C screams "cheap way to get a Clan ERLL into the field". And, truthfully, it is. That ER large laser and its considerable range is nice, but it's on a 20-ton 'Mech moving 6/9/6 protected by only 48 points of armor. As Baymax would say, "I have some concerns." I'm concerned that the Clan ERLL is writing checks the
Wasp C's body just can't cash, and the writeup even mentions how it's hard-pressed to escape 'Mechs twice its size in 3150. That's fair. I'm not sure it's well-served by having the Streak launcher at all, especially since it's in the wrong leg (RL, not LL - I assume this is an errata issue), and it may have been better off with 2 ER micro lasers if the goal was to keep to the mini's appearance. It's neat, but I don't know that the
Wasp C is the best use of its 755 BV.
Last up is the WSP-4W
Wasp, another take on the Dragoon
Wasp energy boat. Packing a light fusion engine and moving 6/9/6, the WSP-4W is protected by 53 points of ferro-fibrous armor. Packing twin IS SPLs in the left leg, and two IS ERMLs (one in the left torso, one in the right arm), it's got a better weapons and armor layout already than the WSP-3W that preceded it. Ten double heat sinks keep the whole 'Mech running relatively cool, which is nice: under normal circumstances you can jump and fire an alpha strike without going over. Honestly, this is a nice upgrade from the WSP-3W, though it lacks some of the shock value the original WSP-1W had.
So, that's my thoughts on the new
Wasps. What's yours?
