Recognition Guide: ilClan Discussion Part 4 - Now Made From 100% Real ilClan

[Fat Guy]

The kitbash instructions in the magizine were basically a Daishi with a Mad Cat nose and feet.

[MarauderD]

That thing looks like variant of the Daishi.

Probably intentional I'd guess.  A 4/6 hundred ton mech could be based on the slower Dire Wolf, with upgraded Engine and internals.

[GuyIncognito]

I believe it is even literally a mashup of a Timber Wolf and Dire Wolf lore wise, not just the kitbashed model.

EDIT: Ha-HA, phone posting!

[MarauderD]

I believe it is even literally a mashup of a Timber Wolf and Dire Wolf lore wise, not just the lit ashes model.

My question would be do they use EndoSteel to save weight because of the larger XL engine, or do they save the crits but have a tiny payload?

[Hellraiser]

Iron Cheetah, a Mech Force UK Omni from long ago that is now finally official.

I heard it was a theory.
Is it now officially official?

Like RS stats?

And if so is it the same stats from MFUK back in the 90's?

IE.  A 100 Ton T-Wolf,   ES, 400XL, FFA  ?

And all the Min/Max cheese pod configurations from MFUK?

[Fat Guy]

If they keep the B configuration the same I'll be surprised (but not upset as I had a lot of fun with it).  :thumbsup:

[Fat Guy]

Here's one of those kitbashes:

[Empyrus]

Kinda wish that the Iron Cheetah, or whatever its name will be, is actually pre-3050s design. EDIT yes, this would be a can of worms. No, i have no idea how to deal with stuff like that. Variants of existing mechs slot into "past" well enough, as seen with some of the new Thunderbolt variants.

Figured i need one more of those. Let's see, original 16, Shadow Cat, Ebon Jaguar, Grendel... Yeah, the Iron Cheetah would fit in nicely here.
(Other options, the Arctic Cheetah, Huntsman, Kingfisher, Crossbow, Battle Cobra, Coyotl, Lupus and Woodsman don't really interest me.)

[GuyIncognito]

This is the bio I know for it:
http://www.heavymetalpro.com/ironcheetah.html

Whether that's accurate to the original magazine or a RecGuide incarnation, I can't say.

[Fat Guy]

The cover seems to match the Prime configuration perfectly. The magazine has the LRMs in the left arm. The link posted above incorrectly places them in the left torso (and seems to have gotten the arms mixed up).

[Empyrus]

This is the bio I know for it:
http://www.heavymetalpro.com/ironcheetah.html

Whether that's accurate to the original magazine or a RecGuide incarnation, I can't say.

Aware of that, it unfortunately makes the 'Mech post 3052 design. I need/want something for 3050 at latest. Okay, technically 3052 latest because that's when the Grendel debuts but... sigh. Too bad i see the Turkina as way too Jade Falcon 'Mech, not planning Falcons at this time...

[Scotty]

The odds of a Recognition Guide Mech being a backfill retcon back to the early 3050s strikes me as extremely unlikely.  Especially for a 100 ton Clan Omni.

[SteelRaven]

Considering the Iron Cheetah was never hard canon, I'm guessing a soft retcon/rewrite as a newer unit built using existing parts. 

[Greatclub]

I could maybe see something that died in clan space pre-invasion being revived centuries later, that was the Devil's backstory. Inserting it during the invasion seems unlikely.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Yeah, at most it would probably be something about it having reached the blueprints or perhaps prototype stage in the 50s but was never put into production.

[Maingunnery]

I am thinking improvised general design, from the early 3050's during an OmniMech shortage, mostly build from remaining spare parts stockpiles.

[Wrangler]

It will be interesting when it comes out. I don't remember reading about in the fan magazines I collected over the years.

I kept thinking this was fast mech since it has the name Cheetah in it.  ;D

[Empyrus]

The odds of a Recognition Guide Mech being a backfill retcon back to the early 3050s strikes me as extremely unlikely.  Especially for a 100 ton Clan Omni.

I know  :'(

It would just simplify my force building so so much.
Want to avoid duplicates of existing minis.
Since my current thoughts are trending toward Smoke Jaguars (i also had a camo scheme idea, inspired by certain domestic cat), i suppose i could use a Turkina though strictly speaking them having a Turkina for the Battle of Tukayyid is extremely unlikely. This would be cheapest option, as i'd only need to add a Clan Heavy Battle Star pack to my collection.

Of course, jumping to IlClan era... well, that is gonna play with availabilities, and that may end up wreaking havoc to my plans.

Yeah, at most it would probably be something about it having reached the blueprints or perhaps prototype stage in the 50s but was never put into production.

TBH, this could be just enough canon justification for me, possibly.
Of course, given that old fluff -is that from BattleTechnology?- puts the design to 3054 onward, i'd assume the Iron Cheetah canon fluff could well time it in similar manner. Just a tad too late for me.

Okay, regardless of all this, the Iron Cheetah maybe the most interesting upcoming design. Love seeing resurrected designs from earlier days of BattleTech. Sorta window to past, in a sense?
Hope it will get miniature ASAP.

[Luciora]

There are canon mechs just as obscure that still lack minis, and mechs with in universe single digit production numbers that got minis made.

It'll get its turn.

[Empyrus]

There are canon mechs just as obscure that still lack minis, and mechs with in universe single digit production numbers that got minis made.

It'll get its turn.

I'll note that obscure 'Mechs seem to be lower priority than the new RecGuide units.
Some RG 'Mechs were pretty quick, like the... Hierofalcon, i think? That was within, what, half a year, three quarters of a year? (my memory is busted)
Hoping for that kind of timeline.

Though i'll grant there's a bunch of other existing 'Mechs i really wish had minis...

[Jellico]

You can still buy Timber Wolves and Dire Wolves. I am sure the kit bashing instructions are still around.

[Empyrus]

You can still buy Timber Wolves and Dire Wolves. I am sure the kit bashing instructions are still around.

Involves more work than i want. I'll stick to assembling minis and painting them, that is slow enough as it is as i keep getting distracted and whatever else.
May use some of the new plastics i don't need for parts if i want to mod something. Did that with some of earlier plastics, such as the Whitworth losing its an arm to make a gun for a Cicada.

[Hellraiser]

Given the date in that HMP link, I'd guess a good backstory was a prototype in 3054 that never reached full production before the Jags died in 3059.

This is sort of what the Tomahawk was only a few years later with the Wolves for the T-Hawk.

This is basically its real story just adding in "never reached full production" after the prototype trials.

[SteelRaven]

To be fair, speaking as another novice who lakes the time or tools to perform most bashes like magnets, the Iron Cheetah is rather simple. Swapping the cockpit of the Dire Wolf for that of a Timber Wolf would be the hardest part, requiring a saw and perhaps pinning unless you are confidants in you glues. The limbs already exist in the IWM catalog, adding a Small Laser to a Warhawk Prime arm and a missile launcher to the Warhawk B arm would be done. Many bashes I have seen don't even bother with the toes but if you have the tools to swap out the cockpit, then you have the tools to mod the feet if you have the time and want to put in the effort.

... that said, I would be surprised if IWMs isn't playing with the idea already considering bashes already exist proving the demand is already there prior to the Rec Guide.

added: A pic from the old forum prior to nuking due to the security breach. I unfortunately didn't have the forethought of noting the artist name at the time and cannot find more images of this bash but it's a well done work based on old MF art and I believe HMP with a great back story that I wished I also saved. Props to this artist.
 

 

[Empyrus]

TBH, another reason is that i don't want to use more current... err, older sculpts for stuff anymore, not really. While some of the new redesigns aren't to my taste, they're consistent which is important to me.

Don't have enough current generation plastics to chop them apart and combine though (need a bunch of them for painting practice to boot), and some things aren't available for them, such as alternate configuration arms. And this reminds me i really wish there was alternative Gargoyle plastic, A or D model would be superb, and the C would be acceptable.

EDIT Cost is an issue too, as always. Plastics have good price to be sure, but... well.

[SteelRaven]

I wouldn't recommend modding the plastics right now myself with the logistics crunch still on going making restocking so going. I just know IWM has the parts and I was damn near inspired to give it a go myself. That said, don't even have time to paint my minis (maybe if I spent less time on this forum xp ) 

[MarauderCH IIC]

It's been stated that the new mechs in the Rec Guides are going to be made into minis by IWM. Several have already. Maybe the Iron Cheetah will have a mini in the future!

[Wrangler]

It's been stated that the new mechs in the Rec Guides are going to be made into minis by IWM. Several have already. Maybe the Iron Cheetah will have a mini in the future!

Certainly will be.   If as tough as the two it was made from (picture wise)

[Sartris]

It's been stated that the new mechs in the Rec Guides are going to be made into minis by IWM. Several have already. Maybe the Iron Cheetah will have a mini in the future!

A few have. Unless they find a way to dramatically increase the number of sculpts per year (and not flush profitability down the drain), it’s going to be years before we see a substantial number

[Greatclub]

If they concentrate on them to the exclusion of things like microfighters, recovery vehicles, and variants of 3025 mechs we might be done before I paint all my KS minis.

3-5 per year is going to take... half a decade or so? Even I paint faster than that.