I never minded the original model, but yes, the fluff was dead wrong. Don't look at it like a Wolfhound killer. Look at it as it is: a CN9-D on a weight loss program. The Combine doesn't have regular access to a Centurion plant if I remember right, so if you look at it as the next best thing, it's a fairly decent trooper. For its size it has a nice load of ranged weaponry between the LRMs and autocannon, and it has decent speed for said array. As said above, pair it with a contemporary Grand Dragon (Which it is comparable to, save the thicker armor on the Heavy), or some heavy hitter where cluster rounds and LRMs can take advantage of the holes it makes.