Tell me about...The Ice Ferret/Fenris

[Southern Coyote]

I just bought one of these mechs today, along with an Executioner.  I know its a long time staple mech of the Wolves and Ice Hellions, and has impressive speed and armor for it's size.

So, what is good/bad about this mech? What is your experience fighting with/against this mech? 

Thanks in advance!

[Neufeld]

Well, with only 9.5 tons of pod space it is not going to win any prices for firepower.

Taking a look at the configs it seems to be that the first few are bad, while the rest gets better.

Prime: ERPPC, StreakSRM2, ERSL, Active Probe

A: LB 2-X, 2xERML, AMS

B: ERLL, SRM4, SRM6, SPL

C: 3xLRM5+A4, ERSL

D: 4xMPL, AMS

E: ATM9, ERML, ERSL

H: 2xHML, ERLL, SRM6

L: Plasma Cannon, 3xAPGR, TC

I would say that only the A is bad, the rest seems usable while not optimal. The Prime is odd combining an ERPPC with an Active Probe, that is not a choice that I would have made, but it is at least usable. B, D, E, and H are decent strikers. L is the anti-infantry config. A and C are long-range options that does not seem all that useful on a fast mech.

Overall I would say that the default configs makes it a decent striker. As for flaws, there are two: No jump-jet configs, and no configs that carries ECM or BAP with weapons suited for hidden unit hunting.

[Iron Mongoose]

In flat terrain, its a monster.  Its got a very good mix of speed and armor, so that you have throw quite a bit of fire at it before enough connects to put it down.  Its a bit funny for having thouse bonus fixed DHS when the pod space is already pretty low, since it rarely puts them into action, but its not a deal breaker. 

Its got I think a bit of a bad rep for having a few poor veriants.  The C is a model of inefficancy, with three difrent LRM5s with Artemis, where a single 15 would have saved a ton and a half (though at least it mounts three tons of ammo, so it can fire thouse inefficant guns all day).  The A wastes most of its pod space on an LB2, making it bourder line useless (its saved by the LB2's silly levels of accuracy and range, and by the fact that no mech with Clan ER MLs is ever totaly useless).  The otherwise good B has thouse darn miss matched SRM launchers, the E sinks too much tonnage into its ATM, and the L could reall stand a proper anti mech weapon.

But the Prime is a fast ER PPC, which is never a bad thing, and has some scouting electonics.  The B is a fast ER LL, with a large number of SRMs for in close, while the H improves on that formula by replacing some of the SRMs with HMLs.  And the D is probably the best of them all, with its four MPLs. 

I'm a bit more of a Phantom fan these days in the ground bound role, and I've always liked the jumping Viper better in general, so I don't tend to use more than the D my self.  But, they're not mechs I'm happy to face (the A and C asside).

[Neufeld]

The C is a model of inefficancy, with three difrent LRM5s with Artemis, where a single 15 would have saved a ton and a half (though at least it mounts three tons of ammo, so it can fire thouse inefficant guns all day).

I looked that the C, and got an odd feeling of something being wrong, but it seems like I was too tired to identify that issue.  #P

[LastChanceCav]

I also prefer the Phanton to the Fenris, that extra MP can come in real handy for maneuvering and mantaining high TMMs. Although it has less pod space than the Fenris, the Phantom makes better use of them. I've only used the B and it worked OK for me, although I probably would never have chosen it without the MM RAT making me. In the end, I've never really be fond of it, I generally would rather sit at 7/11 or 9/14.

Cheers,
LCC

[Demos]

I also prefer the Phanton to the Fenris, that extra MP can come in real handy for maneuvering and mantaining high TMMs. Although it has less pod space than the Fenris, the Phantom makes better use of them. I've only used the B and it worked OK for me, although I probably would never have chosen it without the MM RAT making me. In the end, I've never really be fond of it, I generally would rather sit at 7/11 or 9/14.

Cheers,
LCC

Intersting, I don't see the Phantom as a proper replacement for a Fenris.
IMO the better armor and slightly larger pod space fits me more than the ananemic Phantom.

I don't like the 'C' config, but I can live with every other. The 'H' is a great Striker.

The Prime is odd combining an ERPPC with an Active Probe,

Playing double-blind I can state that an active probe is never a bad device.

[Neufeld]

Playing double-blind I can state that an active probe is never a bad device.

Well, my problem is not that I dislike the Probe, it is more that I would prefer that it would be combined with weapons more suited to deal with hidden surprises. I would especially want some anti-infantry weapon.

[Iron Mongoose]

Well, it is a pre-invasion Clan design, so the supprises it would have been expected to deal with were mainly elementals, and some mechs, and almost never PBIs or armor.  The PPC will murder most lights, since its got the reach to keep them from playing their own game and the power to breach most any section, and the little light guns arn't too bad.  I'd rather see a bunch of ER MLs or something, but really in my mind, everything after the PPC is just windowdressing (a bit like no one really minds that the Viper B has SPLs, and most people just dump the ammo on the Warhawk Prime's LRMs). 

As to the Phantom, I think most of the people have casualy mentioned that its not so much the chassis, which are not that much better, and still retain the same fixed heat sinks problem as the Ice Ferret anyway, but the veriants.  The Prime and B address most peoples' concerns about the Prime, by setting up for more pure scouting with ECM and TAG (the Prime) or by using short ranged weapons with the Probe (the B).  Conversly, while there's nothing quite like the Ice Ferret D (which is a monster) the Phantoms C and D are both killers.  The C, crazy though it is, is really one of the 'light' mechs I like to use the very most.