At 85 tons Warhawk is the lightest clan assault mech in MWLL mostly geared towards support variants but as most clan mechs, it is well capable of defending itself and by no means vunerable when caugt out alone or off guard. It dedicates, for its weight, more than most clan mechs to its armor as opposed to firepower so this chassis is rather durable, capable of taking extreme punishment and yet remain functional.
One more characteristic for this chassis is its good heat efficiency. Most iterations of this mech do not go over the top with firepower and are geared to durability on battlefield providing steady firepower, again, good for support rather than short term explosion in firepower like most clan assault mechs.
+15/-15 degrees are granted to its agility from relatively good arm mobility via use of free reticule. Iherited from this, this chassis can focus on smaller targets relatively closely to itself with its arms so it is surpisingly well suited in delivering close range punch if nececary.
Adding to its effectiveness is its well rounded layout although most, but not all, firepower comes from its arms. It is capable of mounting:
LA/RA: 5 Slots (1 assault type OR 2 larges OR 1 large, 2 medium)
LT/RT: 3 slots total (1 omni 6 launcher OR 2 smalls)
CT: N/A
EXTERNAL: Omni mount (any existing mwll pod).
EXTERNAL eq. : 1 external slot.
340 XL engine propels this chassis to 64 kph, enough to keep up with other assaults and to support heavy class while keeping in the range targets engaged.
However, Warhawk does have a few drawbacks. It is unable to mount JJ/IJJ and it has 90 degrees torso twist coupled with relatively poor turn rate. While cockpit of this mech is very hard to focus for a hit, it does have reduced visibility. While one will be able to shoot with no obstructions, it still is hard to gain real visual assesment of the battlefield.
As most top-tier, high-threat mechs, warhawk is rather expensive but it is priced below most Blood Asp variants. While lacking mobility, agility or monstrous firepower, compared to its competiton in clan assault stable it offers survivable, tough and well rounded chassis very deadly in support role. In effect, it is much more dangerous to have warhawk supporting a charge then a blood asp despite the fact that it is more situational.
Playtest screenshots show gameplay on TC Atlay and 3 masakari variants.
Warhawk Prime:
LA: 2 CERPPC
RA: 2 CERPPC
EXTERNAL: CLRM10
LT,RT,CT: N/A
14 dhs
Eoptics
Prime variant is well suited to long ranged combat or support role. 4 CERPPC can provide owerhwelming firepower but the pilot must rely on chainfire to get the most out of this asset. Sole clan LRM10 can reach up to 1000m and thus is a good support for primary armament of this asset without creating much heat issues. High heat weapons make alphastrike a move performed either when pilot is desperate or certain to make a kill. Masakari prime, however, does make it much harder to provide a good punch up close or keep up with the damage levels it can deal out from afar thus making this monster rather succeptable to harassment (safety of the unit harassing is entirely different matter). 14 DHS struggle to keep the design cool but povide good efficiency while unit is not forced to enter close combat and generate more heat from maneuvers.
Warhawk B:
LA: 1 CREPPC, 2 CERMBL
RA: 1 CREPPC, 2 CERMBL
LT:CLRM5
RT:CLRM5
EXT:CLRM15
12dhs
Eoptics
Set to deal out similar damage as the Prime while in a different way, B variant of the Warhawk shines in combat from 1000m to 700m. 2 CERPPC provide a solid punch, while CLRM 15 backed up by 2 LRM5 launchers amass damage if left alone for too long. Array of 4 CERMBL provide precision work in heating fast moving targets as well as exploiting weakness in armor opened up by its primary and tertiary weapons. 12 DHS will keep the design relatively safe from overheating but firing discipline is a must in order not to encounter overheat issues. As a Prime, this is a long range mech but it is somewhat better suited for dealing with fast moving, smaller targets. However, in order to deal damage at range, pilot must remain active and have time on target in order to utilize most of its missile armament and without support of LAMS or GECM it will be prone to LRM/arrow barrages.
Warhawk A:
LA: 3CERMBL
RA: 3CERMBL
LT: SSRM6
RT: cNARC
EXT: CGAUSS
EQ: LAMS
8dhs, 2 free tons
This variant best works on medium range. Although it can reach up to 900m with sole gauss rifle it is relying on 6 CERMBL to deliver most of the damage, Warhawk A is at risk of being otmanuevered. If the opponent closes in, lone cssrm6 will provide a reliable back up weapon to throw opponents off aim while the pilot can focus on precision work with lasers. 8 dhs are plenty to keep the design easy managable even when pressured. While its hight percision armament will make it a huge threat on anything short of heavy it does require more time on well armored targets where precison is less important than sheer firepower. To offset that, this Warhawk is set apart from others with a cNARC missile launcher. Ability to place a NARC beacon on heavily armored targets while eviscerating fast moving units with its precision weaponry make it a challenge for any kind of opponent. Even with all this, one must keep in mind that warhawk is not best suited for close combat and since majority of its weapons require closer engagement ranges than B or Prime make A variant a high risk mech.
Enjoy and discuss
