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I am fire! I am... death! From TRO:3075
There was always one Clan that demanded to be thought of when speaking of ProtoMechs: the Blood Spirits. The two developed an almost inseparable identity alongside each other - the ProtoMech had a solid reputation of being cheaper that your conventional BattleMech assets, something that rapidly drew the attention of the Spirit Clan. They quickly began work on multiple concurrent ProtoMech programs, although it would typically take an added surge of exterior resources to get them truly underway. In the Delphyne's case, the Fire Mandrills lent their assistance to help develop what was most likely the most fearsome ProtoMech until the Society uprising.
The Delphyne initially topped the ProtoMech weigh scale at 9 tons - at the time of its development, it was quite literally the best tonnage one could choose for a design. But unlike the sluggish Minotaur, the Delphyne refused to compromise in any of the armor/firepower/speed trinity. It does not disappoint. The Delphyne’s armor is completely maxed out, which made it the toughest ProtoMech possible for the better part of seven in-universe years. This, combined with its speed and firepower, allowed it to completely and utterly surpass the “golden standard” Roc and steal its crown as one of the ultimate Trooper Protos.
DELPHYNE
INTRO: 3065
FACTIONS: Blood Spirits, Coyotes, Fire Mandrills, Goliath Scorpions, Snow Ravens and Star Adders
WEAPONS: Medium Pulse Laser
ARMOR INTERNAL
(6) (2) Arms -> Cored: 33 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 42 pts
(4 / 18 \ 4) (2 / 9 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 27 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 15 pts
( 10 ) ( 5 )
The scariest thing about the Delphyne is how reliably it can bring its firepower into play. Pulse Laser bonuses are amazingly useful on ProtoMechs - machines with limited number of guns and usually adhering to an “all or nothing” philosophy. When that pulse bonus is coupled with a 7-point hit, light ‘Mechs and vehicles have to pay very close attention. Anything in the Clan arsenal under 35 tons will be heavily threatened by a point of Delphynes. For example, the highest-armored light Clan Omni, the Adder, loses a side torso to three 7-pointers. Meanwhile, each Delphyne can survive at least one (sometimes two) ERPPC strikes without worry.
The Delphyne’s speed matches up well with ‘Mechs commonly used by the Spirits. Since those ‘Mechs often have standard engines, the Delphyne is able to keep up or move faster than those staples, giving the Spirits some flanking ability that they’d otherwise have to use their Stooping Hawks or Battle Cobras for. It’s a bit harder to say how the Fire Mandrills could incorporate them into their Touman; I’m not overly familiar with standard Mandrill ‘Mechs. I can say that the Mandrills have a penchant towards accurate ProtoMechs (either through pulse bonuses or long-ranged weapons), so the Delphyne will find itself at home within pure ProtoMech formations.
Putting these three factors together - strong armor, good speed, and accurate and decently-ranged firepower - makes the Delphyne a great option for straight-up combat against BattleMechs. ProtoMech formations can somewhat fall apart in the face of jumping 'Mechs, but the Delphyne is a great stopgap measure. It can keep up with many of those jumpers while having constantly-reduced to-hit modifiers, making it (as I said) a supreme "trooper" ProtoMech.
The key downside of the Delphyne is how its excellence has a price. 384 BV per unit is a hefty price to pay for a ProtoMech, with a pure Point of them running up to 1920 BV. That's roughly the same cost as a Mad Dog A. Delphynes are undeniably effective, but I’d suggest throwing one or two in a Point or Star as Point Commanders or the like instead of going for pure formations. Their impressive firepower, speed and armor for a ProtoMech lets them fit in with many other different Proto types; the jump jets even lets a Delphyne reliably keep up with light Protos such as the Orc and Centaur.
DELPHYNE 2
INTRO: 3067
FACTIONS: Blood Spirits, Fire Mandrills and Goliath Scorpions
WEAPONS: SRM-3 x2 (20 shots), ER Micro Laser x2
ARMOR INTERNAL
(6) (2) Arms -> Cored: 31 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 40 pts
(4 / 16 \ 4) (2 / 9 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 25 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 15 pts
( 10 ) ( 5 )
The Delphyne 2 is a model that 100% compliments the standard version. Gone is the Medium Pulse Laser, replaced by some of the best critseeking you can get out of a ProtoMech. Although the ER Micro Lasers aren’t fantastic, I find that the extra hex of long range can actually be helpful here. Within its "maxed" threat bubble of 4 hexes, each Delphyne 2 can land up to eight 2-point hits in a single volley. The deep bins for the SRMs also encourage inferno use. If used against standard Battle Armor in that fashion, a Delphyne 2 Point runs the chance of completely wiping out a BA Point every round. Yikes.
As I said earlier, the Delphyne 2 is a perfect match for the holepunching, anti-‘Mech Standard. A mix of the two, perhaps in a 2-3 ratio (in whatever direction you prefer), can make for an incredibly potent Point. I believe I can fully state, without exaggeration, that the Delphyne 2 is one of my favorite ProtoMech variants…ever. They destroy vehicles and Battle Armor, and finish off weakened foes like they’re air.
BV is much, much lower, this time at 325. Once again, it works best as part of a mixed point, but this time I’d suggest taking at least two of them at a time. Combining them with Rocs, Minotaurs or Basilisks works well, especially since the higher-armored, shorter-ranged Delphyne 2 will usually draw attention from the (probably) lighter-armed holepunchers.
DELPHYNE 3
INTRO: 3072
FACTIONS: Coyotes, The Society(?)
WEAPONS: ER Medium Laser, Micro Pulse Laser
ARMOR INTERNAL
(6) (2) Arms -> Cored: 33 pts
/ \ / \ Legs -> Cored: 42 pts
(4 / 18 \ 4) (2 / 9 \ 2) Torso -> Cored: 27 pts
| | | | | | Legs -> Destroyed: 15 pts
( 10 ) ( 5 )
The final variant was one created from salvage; surprisingly enough, by the Coyotes. Something that’s worth noticing is the 3072 introduction date - that’s the same year the Society declared all-out war against the Clans. The chances of it appearing in Society forces are pretty high. The streamlining of the main gun is an interesting choice; gone is the pulse bonus, but the 7-point hit remains in place and is supported by a single anti-infantry weapon. This does boost the top damage output of the Delphyne 3 up to ten, especially helpful for forcing PSRs, while range on its primary gun is slightly extended as well.
The fluff states that this variant is typically used as part of command Stars for Procyon-packed forces. I can wholeheartedly get behind this decision, especially if it means the Delphyne 3 gets better pilots inside it. The lost pulse bonus becomes less of an issue if the ProtoMech pilot has a gunnery of 3 or 2. It also gives those Procyons some desperately needed ranged punch that they’ve always lacked. I’d honestly love to see Points of Procyon 5s and Delphyne 3s; they’d have a large array of firepower that they’d be able to bring to bear at a variety of different ranges.
These changes obviously have an effect on BV, and the Delphyne 3 comes in at a whopping 400 BV. That’s high, there’s no way around it. This prevents their wholesale use in a lot of forces, but if used as the fluff (and myself) has suggested in a command role, they can sufficiently beef up a force that could use an extra bit or toughness or firepower.
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To conclude, the Delphyne was one of the most intimidating ProtoMechs before the true monsters appeared during the Reavings. Even then, it remained a potent and powerful foe. A single Delphyne can take out introductory light ‘Mechs on its own - and I’d hope so, since it costs the same as a single WSP-1A Wasp. Massing them might not be the way to go (your force will suffer if you’re playing a BV game), but having one or two can make a single Point a lot scarier than it would be otherwise. If I have BV to spare when making the finishing touches on one of my forces, I’ll typically “upgrade” a cheaper ProtoMech into a Delphyne. If you aren’t playing a BV game, there’s no point in not going nuts on Delphynes. They’re beasts.
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Master Unit List: http://masterunitlist.info/Unit/Filter?Name=Delphyne
Iron Wind Metals: http://ironwindmetals.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6269
CamoSpecs: http://camospecs.com/MiniList.asp?Action=Detail&ID=1348