Repost: 'Mech of the Week: Night Wolf

[wantec]

'Mech of the Week: Night Wolf

My last time out here I covered the Blood Reaper, one of Clan Wolf's new heavy 'Mechs. I had hoped to cover the Kuma, but I'm still waiting on the record sheets for the variants, so as soon as RS:3085 unabridged comes I'll get that one added to the rotation. Instead today's discussion is going to cover a bit of an odd design, one that (for better or worse) doesn't have any alternative variants. Today's 'Mech of the Week is the Night Wolf.

Like we learned & discussed with the Sun Cobra, Tundra Wolf, and Blood Reaper articles, Clan Wolf lost most, if not all, of it's 'Mech production facilities when it lost contact with the Clan Homeworlds, when Clan Hell's Horses invaded, and when the Word of Blake struck Tamar. While they were able to get some production up and running and they were able to fill some of the gaps by emptying their stockpiles and buying from other clans, there was still a need to replace their own assault 'Mech production, enter the Night Wolf. While the Tundra Wolf and Blood Reaper are filling gaps in the front-line forces, the Night Wolf was designed to fill the gaps in the Wolves' second-line forces and to be able to combat the increasingly common combined arms forces.

Second-line 'Mechs, particularly heavy and assault 'Mechs, frequently need to be a jack of all trades, able to fight in a variety of conditions against a variety of opponents. The Night Wolf was designed as such, but this has led to many of the criticisms of it's design, it can do a lot of things, but it doesn't excel at much. It's a 90-tonner, using an XL engine and jump jets to move at a 4/6/4 pace. The engine is quite large as a result, but it allows the Night Wolf to keep up with many of the heavy 'Mechs it's likely to work with, as well as some of the common assault OmniMechs. Designers also used Endo Steel to save tonnage, but in order to save crit space they went with standard armor, 15.5 tons of it for an 88.9% armor coverage. For the most part it passes the smart armor placement, 25 points to each arm, 32 points to each leg, 28 to each side torso front, with 37 to the center torso front. Across the rear torsos, we have 10/12/10 points. I wish we could move 2 points from each leg up to the front side torsos, but they are already maxed out.

Not bad for the basics, but here's where people take issue, the weapons. Each arm carries an ATM9 w/ 3 tons of ammo, good. In the right torso is a Heavy Large Laser and an Targeting Computer, short-ranged but still a good combo. One arm carries an ER Medium Laser while the other carries a Plasma Cannon with 2 tons of ammo. Lastly an AMS system and an ECM suite round out the defensive capabilities, with 18 double heat sinks to cool it all. And that's it. While it can work great in an urban or broken terrain setting, many players get frustrated that an assault 'Mech's only weapons to reach past 15 hexes are a pair of ATM9's and a Plasma Cannon, not to mention the AMS ammo getting parked in the center torso.

As a defensive 'Mech, one designed to fight combined arms forces, it's great. The Plasma Cannon can hit hard against non-'Mech forces, as will ATM rounds on HE and the Heavy Large Laser. I think most people get hung up on the lack of long-range firepower on a slower 'Mech and the Plasma Cannon's lack of 'Mech-hunting power compared to the Inner Sphere's Plasma Rifle.

My rating: 8/10, Not the be all, end all of Clan 'Mechs, but a well designed 'Mech for it's intended role.

How I would improve it:
The obvious ways to improve are with the long-range firepower. An ER Large Laser for the Heavy Large Laser is an obvious option. Another is to pull the Plasma Cannon and ammo for some better anti-'Mech firepower. Oh and moving the AMS system to the CT and the AMS ammo to the head would be good too.

How I would use it/fight it:
While the speed of 4/6/4, gives it good mobility for it's size and weight class, it's limited weapons range means it best used to defend a target or in an urban area with limited lines of sight. Like the fluff says about it's design purpose, I would use it against enemy vehicles and infantry as my primary choices.

To fight against a Night Wolf I would do my best to stay at long range where the Night Wolf's firepower is much more limited. With 7 different ammo bins on board going with SRMs/LB cluster ammo and going crit seeking isn't a bad idea either.

[Moonsword]

*spins the Google Cache wheel*

Huh.  I know that's not all that was in there, but it's what the cache has...

Reminds me of the Scylla, in that it firepower is low for its weight due to putting 8 tons into JJs.  Nice write up, I don't think I'd even glanced at this one.  I'd like to hover-drop some of these onto a target.  At least the Wolves seem to have kept to their faster/more mobile focus for assaults.  Overall, I'd probably beg for a Highlander IIC but I could see this mech working pretty well in any sort of built up terrain.  The plasma cannon feels really tacked on to me, like it should have another, but then anti-Mech firepower drops pretty badly, but at least its not more IJJs.  6/10 from me.

Does anyone else besides me think this 'Mech bears some cosmetic resemblance to the Supernova?

I think it resembles being a bit rediculious.  Sort of cool in a way, but pretty all over the place.

I do like it though on the whole.  Yes, range is a problem, but its pretty unified at that 15 hex mark, with the HLL, ERML, and Std ATMs all hitting, which makes piloting it a simple matter.  That it goes as fast as its reasonable for a 90 tonner to go, while resisting the new toy march of IJJs, is a bonus.  Yes, its still a 'short ranged' mech (how sad to think that that is what has become of the LL and AC10's range bracket, but such is the march of technology) but depending on map size, terrain and opposition, there are plenty of oppertunities to employ it.  Plus, its hardly helpless at range.

I'd definatly take this one, if the sitation permitted.

I definitely think it looks like the Supernova, which could have been something the Wolves scientists did on purpose to help get the design completed quicker.

I'm extremely proud of this one. This is one of the few designs that Herb was able to put his own personal pen to the fluff. However given his time constraints (The man was trying to get JHS:Terra out, as well as a half dozen smaller things), he asked that I provide stats that matched the profile created for this unit.

When I sat down to design this, I had one word that drove the entire design. That word was "Chaotic". Yes, I was trying to make a bad Clan Assault 'Mech. This is not as easy as it sounds, it is hard to make a bad Clan assault.

When I gave the stats to Herb, I received what I think was the best compliment I've ever gotten for a design. He said "Great cat, it's a Clan Albatross." I was so proud.

Then Brent Evans took it one step further. The art for the Night Wolf came after the stats had been created. I gave him Herb's comment and Brent delivered a design that looked as chaotic as the stats.

Heck, I'm amazed Wantec gave it an 8 out of 10. I'll have to work harder next time.

To me it looks like it was supposed to be an omni. Just look at those weapon mounts, they looks like they are designed for easy attaching and detaching.

[EDITOR: *snip*]It isn't that bad, really.  You can do worse.  Massed low-end autocannons instead of ATMs and jump jets are a step in the right (wrong) direction.  Also, there's a couple of real dogs in this TRO and a lot of oddballs.  In comparison, a solidly-armored Clan assault with a modest laser battery, a targeting computer, and the ability to apply an unholy sledgehammer at close ranges (an HLL, a pair of ATM 9s firing HEs, and the ERMLs for laughs?  That's gonna suck for the other guy!) actually does seem quite reasonable even if it could be more efficient.

Besides, the art looks pretty decent even if it is very chaotic.

Does anyone else besides me think this 'Mech bears some cosmetic resemblance to the Supernova?

It does but I think mainly because the angle on the torsos masks the length of the CT.

Heck, I'm amazed Wantec gave it an 8 out of 10. I'll have to work harder next time.

Like I said, it it's (fluff) designed role it's great for hunting down vehicles, infantry, battle armor, etc. It's not as great fighting enemy mechs, especially in open terrain, but up close it's pretty good.

It's not at its best hunting other assaults.  Against lighter units, which are more vulnerable to the store of 5 point hits those ATMs can inflict up close, a Night Wolf is going to be a pretty solid performer.

No wonder I like it, if its the Clan Albatross; I liked the Albatross.  That said, if it had traded away a bit more armor and had a bit more potency at range (working an AC of some sort in would probably cover that) it would be both less effective (Clan ACs are not their finest work) and more Albatrossy (though I know that's not the innital goal).

Welshman, I think you succeded in spite of your self.  I might have said 7 out of 10, but I won't argue with 8.  It really is a solid, eminantly usable mech.

Well, Welshman, you pretty much failed in reality. What may have looked like a dud on paper actually fights a lot better than it should.

As I already alluded to in the Onager write-up - the Night Wolf is actdually quite a good 'Mech.

And it is definitely more than the sum of its parts - an absolute rarity in BT. IM is the first to point out the homogenity of its weaponry's ranges. Something that at first looks chaotic on paper suddenly comes together very, very well when you consider heat load and range; and when you add up damage you suddenly get a *very* solid result.

Indeed, this is a D for effort because the design itself gets an A! Cheesy

Of course, those extra two tons of armour helped. A lot...


Oh and Ian Sharpe? You put the finger on it yourself. 8 tons of jj suddenly seem extremely reasonable when put next to the Onager's 20 tons...

The Highlander's on the wrong end of that divide itself and it does very well with its jets.  It's inefficient, yes, but not crippling as long as we're talking standard jets on a decent 'Mech and not improved jump jets.  Those, either go for 100 tons to recoup your losses or go home in my book.

I'm not objecting to JJs on it, if that's the impression I gave.  Just as to why I think it feels undergunned, regardless of actual firepower.

In as much as our familarity with new-tech begs for us to call it a 'short ranged' mech, its really got a nice mid range punch.  Depending on your enemy, right around eight to ten hexes lets it take medium ranged shots with its guns and still be at medium range for most of the big guns (GRs, ER PPCs, etc) which is a nice place to be.  Its a quick mech for an assualt, so it wants to drive the pace of the engagment, pick the range, pick the place, and fight the fight it wants to.  Despite its paucity of guns, I tend to see it as a heavy/assualt killer rather than a bully, since its poor range means that lighter faster mechs can have their way with it (though too light and the ER ATMs can still bring them down all the way out to 27 hexes) and its speed means it can have its own way with big 3/5s.  Against the biggest mechs, it needs the extra punch of HE ATM ammo, but against others it can sit back and spar nicely at mid range.

I actually think this armament is quite neat, with the Plasma Cannon spewing a big ol' blob of heat at enemy 'mechs, which is really nice if they have a delicate heat curve.... or point-and-shoot, and infantry/conventionals just go away, and you don't even have to get close to them!

  When I saw the mech I tought that it is a mass-grave of BV. It is too expensive and odd. Surprinsingly it is a  good mech. There are a ton of clan assault mechs less BV-expensive and better but this mechs has armor and good short range weapons. Plus, the mech looks cool.

  I faced one, it was a terror to my C3i unit thanks to its armor and ECM. I was carrying a mech only unit and the Night Wolf savaged a pair of mechs until concentrated fire took it down. If I have deployed tanks or BA it would have been a gruesome and even more bloody game.