The mini-hump for the auto-canon could very easily make it too easy to destroy a side torso, rendering xls suicidal.
It's hardpoints are unfortunate, because you can't combine a serious ballistic and missiles.
But one ballistic and one medium laser is not nearly enough.
(E.g., 3 streak 2s weigh 8 tons - 1.5x3 + 1.5 for BAP + 2 tons ammo.
3 medium lasers weigh 3 tons.
3 SRM2s still weigh 4-5 tons. But are an option. 3 SRM4s however is at least 8 tons.
I actually think we'll see shadowhawks running heavy ballistic + heavy lasers :-p.
(AC10, PPC;; Large Laser, AC-20 kind of builds, with 240-250 engines).
Large Pulse and 3 SSRM2s just isn't enough firepower, but there won't be enough tons left over for a good ballistic.
And an LRM20 is probably right out. 5 volleys, a single AMS will shoot down the entire volley.
Even on a griffin, 1 LRM15 or LRM20 is nigh useless if the other team has a couple AMS.
YOu need to boat LRMs to be effective, unfortunately. A volley of less than 30 won't even touch my jenner.
ML + 3 SRMs + Ultra 5 = 3 very different aiming points, could be tough to play.
I will be interested to see the other shadowhawk chassis, but the loss of the phoenix bonuses will make me sad if I'm grinding something :-).
Edited by DanNashe, 14 September 2013 - 09:26 AM.