Clan Invasion OmniMech Review: Iron Cheetah

[Sjhernan3060]

Tau Galaxy was earmarked to receive the best of the best equipment in Clan Smoke Jaguar.  It definitely would have been in line to receive the Iron Cheetah, since it was assembled in 3056-3058 while the Cheetah debuted in 3054 (according to the MUL).  Though as an extremely rare mech, there probably weren't more than 1 or 2 of them in it.

Ah Tau galaxy dead to the last warrior before you could even leave your base! Classic.

I want to add an iron cheetah into my unit of Brandon Howell’s personal bodyguard which fought on huntress. I feel like Howell would have gone for the jumping variant whst do you all think?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Well, the Iron Cheetah is an omnimech, so it can be configured to suit either the expected battlefield or a pilot's preferences.

[wantec]

Ah Tau galaxy dead to the last warrior before you could even leave your base! Classic.

I want to add an iron cheetah into my unit of Brandon Howell’s personal bodyguard which fought on huntress. I feel like Howell would have gone for the jumping variant whst do you all think?

I'm of mixed feelings on that. For Howell's personal bodyguard unit itself I can see a B config (the jumping one) being used. That would be helpful in putting down any fast harassers that try to use speed as armor on Howell or the rest of the unit. Howell I think he would face a lot of challengers or want to be able to put down enemies quickly himself. He should be a skilled enough warrior to not need the pulse/TC bonuses, in which case I think he might want something like D config. Plenty of long range power with the ER Larges and Gauss, and a nice little LB 20-X up close to finish off enemies.

[Sjhernan3060]

I'm of mixed feelings on that. For Howell's personal bodyguard unit itself I can see a B config (the jumping one) being used. That would be helpful in putting down any fast harassers that try to use speed as armor on Howell or the rest of the unit. Howell I think he would face a lot of challengers or want to be able to put down enemies quickly himself. He should be a skilled enough warrior to not need the pulse/TC bonuses, in which case I think he might want something like D config. Plenty of long range power with the ER Larges and Gauss, and a nice little LB 20-X up close to finish off enemies.

Thanks Wantec for the suggestions! For years I have been toying with the idea of building a star from shroud keshik and fill it with very ultra high end mechs. I am finally ready to do so and my head cannon name has been “ the jumping jaguars” as I was thinking of fast and or jump capable mechs like the turkina, nightgyr, iron cheetah etc. Based on your suggestions I am thinking of giving brandon an excutioner and have the cheetah be a bodyguard

[wantec]

Thanks Wantec for the suggestions! For years I have been toying with the idea of building a star from shroud keshik and fill it with very ultra high end mechs. I am finally ready to do so and my head cannon name has been “ the jumping jaguars” as I was thinking of fast and or jump capable mechs like the turkina, nightgyr, iron cheetah etc. Based on your suggestions I am thinking of giving brandon an excutioner and have the cheetah be a bodyguard

That's a good combination. And I like your idea of giving them a theme. With so many options for 'Mechs out there it helps make it at least a little bit of a challenge beyond just picking what's the best out there.

[Arkansas Warrior]

Born from the desire of Elementals to ride into battle on a faster 100-tonner than a Dire Wolf, Khan Lincoln Osis commissioned the Iron Cheetah following the Battle of Tukayyid to supplement the Dire Wolf.  With the need for speed, Clan Smoke Jaguar spared no expense with the Iron Cheetah.  Visually, it seemed to mix the best attributes of three well-known omnimechs: the arms, legs, and combined torso components of the Warhawk and Dire Wolf, and the feet and signature cockpit design of the smaller and faster Timber Wolf from Clan Wolf – perhaps a way of the Jaguars for honoring a cutting-edge heavy omnimech from a rival Clan.  I can’t help but think that the sharing of body components was planned by the Jaguars to help ease maintenance of the omnimech, much like how the Warhawk and Dire Wolf originally shared body components, along with the rest of the TRO3050 Clan omnimechs.  At its heart is a 400XL Fusion Engine, the same model used in the Gargoyle, able to let the 100-ton omnimech run at most 65 kph.  Previously, Clan Ghost Bear’s Kodiak, which debuted in 3001, held the speed record for the fastest 100-ton Clan battlemech.  Clan Smoke Jaguar surpassed that, building not just a fast 100-ton battlemech, but a 100-ton omnimech.  The engine is big enough to house sixteen double heat sinks  Like the smaller Timber Wolf that partly inspired it, an Endo-Steel chassis makes up the bones and Ferro-Fibrous armor make up the skin.  And that skin is the thickest possible for a 100-ton ‘mech, just slightly surpassing the slower Dire Wolf while keeping a similar torso armor profile.  The internal layout of the armor and structure criticals is similar to that of the Timber Wolf.  All these guts leave 39.5 tons of pod space available to configure to the needs of a mission.  While this is about 80% of the Dire Wolf’s available pod space and eight less critical slots, I think the extra speed makes up for it.

I'm not seeing any resemblance to the Warhawk or Timber Wolf, tbh.  Just looks like a Dire Wolf with that weird cowling cut off.  Maybe longer legs, but that could just have to do with its art being mid-step.  The RecGuide also doesn't say anything about it being based on anything besides "Dire Wolf, but make it go faster."

[Sjhernan3060]

I'm not seeing any resemblance to the Warhawk or Timber Wolf, tbh.  Just looks like a Dire Wolf with that weird cowling cut off.  Maybe longer legs, but that could just have to do with its art being mid-step.  The RecGuide also doesn't say anything about it being based on anything besides "Dire Wolf, but make it go faster."

I am very true. I am attempting to kitbash one from the stalker II and the old Daishi arms

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I'm not seeing any resemblance to the Warhawk or Timber Wolf, tbh.  Just looks like a Dire Wolf with that weird cowling cut off.  Maybe longer legs, but that could just have to do with its art being mid-step.  The RecGuide also doesn't say anything about it being based on anything besides "Dire Wolf, but make it go faster."

The cockpit's got a rounded shape that looks more like a Mad Cat's rather than the angular cockpit of the Daishi.  I agree with you that it doesn't really look much like the Masakari.

[wantec]

Don't the Dire Wolf and Warhawk share the same hips & legs? Maybe that's what they're referring to?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Could be.  Or maybe a reference to the twin ER PPCs on the arm.

[Jal Phoenix]

Please note that the official write up makes no mention at all of the Warhawk. It wasn't involved in the creation of the Iron cheetah.

[BATTLEMASTER]

I'm not seeing any resemblance to the Warhawk or Timber Wolf, tbh.  Just looks like a Dire Wolf with that weird cowling cut off.  Maybe longer legs, but that could just have to do with its art being mid-step.  The RecGuide also doesn't say anything about it being based on anything besides "Dire Wolf, but make it go faster."

The cockpit's got a rounded shape that looks more like a Mad Cat's rather than the angular cockpit of the Daishi.  I agree with you that it doesn't really look much like the Masakari.

Don't the Dire Wolf and Warhawk share the same hips & legs? Maybe that's what they're referring to?

This is what I see:



While features across designs aren't exact, the inspiration is definitely there.  That inspiration originated from the model bashing of the original MechForce design... Which I admittedly can't find on the internet.  I must be thinking of what I saw on the Heavy Metal Pro website:



I think it really makes sense from a fluff and visual standpoint that an optimized 100-ton Clan Invasion-era omnimech (400 XL, FF, ES, max engine DHS) looks like a combination of the Timber Wolf (an optimized 75-ton omnimech) and Dire Wolf (an almost-optimized 100-ton omnimech), of which the Warhawk shares visual parts with the Dire Wolf and is kind of an extension of that.

To the point @Jal Phoenix made, indeed only the Dire Wolf basis is mentioned in the RecGuide fluff.  While the Timber Wolf or Warhawk aren't mentioned, the inspiration is definitely there in the Iron Cheetah's visual design.  To the RecGuide entry's credit, I think that at least the mention of the Iron Cheetah's basis on the Dire Wolf is a lot more obvious than saying the Blood Asp was based on the Kingfisher.

EDIT:  Added clarity with respect to visual attributes and merging optimized designs.

[Colt Ward]

The cockpit's got a rounded shape that looks more like a Mad Cat's rather than the angular cockpit of the Daishi.  I agree with you that it doesn't really look much like the Masakari.

New art problem from old art origin . . .



The RecGuide art is harder to tell the difference than Victor's Legends entry-



Old art had the Dire Wolf's nose/cockpit stubbier than new art- and certainly shorter than the Timber Wolf at the time of it's creation.  Depending on the angle, the bottom of the cockpit area was also not round, more like a V as seen the the colorized front view below.

[Arkansas Warrior]

Yeah, sorry, the only notable difference I see between the Dire Wolf and Timber Wolf cockpits is the arrangement of windows, and the Iron Cheetah’s windows aren’t identical to either.  I think it’s a real stretch to say that “the inspiration is definitely there”, especially when the text is pretty explicit about it being a faster Dire Wolf and not mentioning the others at all.

[Jal Phoenix]

Timber Wolf references are there as a nod to the Iron Cheetah's origin in the MechForce magazine, which presented not only the stats and fluff, but instructions for how to kitbash a mini using the parts of a Dire Wolf and Timber Wolf. The feet and cockpit of the Timber Wolf were used on the Dire Wolf mini (requiring some sawing), along with the weapon changes for the arms.

[BATTLEMASTER]

I just did some Googling for the Iron Cheetah mini kitbashes described here and found this thread from 2012:  https://bg.battletech.com/forums/miniatures/iron-cheetah-and-full-trinary-of-aggressive-jaguars/

Reply #26 is apparently that of the design's original creator, David Briedis.

It's pretty funny how one poster there 11 years ago mentioned Clan Smoke Jaguar being reborn in 3250 - so what if they're off by a hundred years?  :D

[VhenRa]

I could have sworn that the original prime variant had the weapons more spread out, including torso-mounted missile racks, and the thing was fluffed as looking like a gigantic MadCat.  Putting everything in the arms and describing it as being optimized for elemental carrying duties gives it more character, assuming I'm not mis-remembering the original.

Only in Heavy Metal Pro / Megamek. [They for some weird reason rearranged everything...]

The original source for this had it in this layout.

[Zeruel]

Yeah, sorry, the only notable difference I see between the Dire Wolf and Timber Wolf cockpits is the arrangement of windows, and the Iron Cheetah’s windows aren’t identical to either.  I think it’s a real stretch to say that “the inspiration is definitely there”, especially when the text is pretty explicit about it being a faster Dire Wolf and not mentioning the others at all.

the text doesn't mention it probably because in-universe, it's not inspired by a merger of Dire Wolf and Timber Wolf...
the inspiration is out-of-universe, based on the kit-bash instructions of old, thus the artwork takes cues from those Mechs' art

the Warhawk is only brought into the conversation because the original Warhawk and Dire Wolf art/mini share parts