I'm convinced the real reason for the Savage Wolf is to sell maintenance contracts to keep the XXL engine and FL armor going. Its the smartphone mech. Sell it cheaper, subsidize it with the subscription plan.
That's actually the Dasher II 2. It only exists to fund XXL engines.
I think the Savage Wolf needed to be different from the TimberWolf. As well as seem more advanced. But the TimberWolf is a pretty beast mode mech.
It uses every weight saving feature that the Clans had in 3050. Has maximum armor, is blazing fast for a heavy mech and uses all the weight it has left over to mount weaponry. Which is a considerable amount.
So how do you build a better TimberWolf? Well Ferro Lamellar armor is widely regarded as an improvement. But you don't get nearly as many armor points per ton.
You can't remove the amount of guns or it just doesn't feel like a Timber Wolf. So I think they made the best choice they could really. XXL engines give you more weight. So they kept the armor points nearly the same but made the armor tougher. Case II is a huge improvement. So is Arrow 5. But you can arguably mount those on the old TimberWolf frame.
I'm not sure that I'd have armored the Gyro. I think I'd have just maxed the armor on the thing. Consider that if they're through the armor you're already in trouble.
But I'm also missing a very important thing.
The availability of the Savage Wolf is amazing if you are, say, the Federated Suns.
But what I tend to forget is that the Savage Wolf's availability is also good if you're a Sea Fox. Since its definitely not the most common mech in Sea Fox RATs in the past. So will the XXL engine possibly doom it against its forefather? Its about 50/50. But other than fighting that min/maxed monster its a fantastic mech and we can use it!