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- Raven RVN-2X, -4X:
- Increased maximum engine size to 275
- Increased turning rate by 10%
- Increased maximum engine size to 275
- Increased turning rate by 10%
Well, that's it. So is it enough? I'd give that a pretty definitive no. While it's great to finally be able to take ten internal engine heatsinks, the RVN-2/4X are still pretty definitively worse than the Jenners, Spiders, and probably even COM-2D. To try and give you an understanding of the problems facing these mechs, I will explain what the problem with the RVN-4X is, and compare the RVN-2X to the JR7-K, a mech that is considered to be worse is virtually every way than the other variants for its chassis.
To start, the simple things: The RVN-4X has actually benefitted from this change. While it's still impossible to run a sensible loadout on this mech due to a dearth of useful hardpoints, trolling just got a little faster. The stock loadout is probably the best 'serious' build for it, which is 2xmg, 2xmlas, and 1xsrm6. This is pretty underwhelming firepower, though that's at least partially due to the SRM's woes right now; but mainly, it leaves the mech almost completely unequipped to deal with other lights, as non-streak SRMs are a crapshoot against bad pilots and a terrible choice against good ones, while 2mlas + 2mg is too short-ranged and too low damage to deal with anything on its own. It also has the benefit of requiring the user to balance three weapons with very different firing mechanics for a very low-damage payoff.
That said, the AC20 raven is now even faster, and that can only mean more fun for everyone. If you're willing to forego armor and heatsinks and skimp on the ammo a bit, you can manage an XL275 with an AC20, and maybe even one mlas if you're fine with removing the armor completely.
The RVN-2X is a little trickier. It doesn't seem as tough to make it work at first, especially given that it can run a pretty traditional light-style loadout with 4mlas + srm6. But compare it to the JR7-K, which is widely considered to be worthless as it is strictly inferior to the JR7-D in every way save for the one extra module slot it gets.
RVN-2X: 4E hardpoints, 1M
JR7-K: 4E hardpoints, 1M.
Advantage: JR7-K. The K and 2X share the same hardpoint configuration and tonnage, which makes them ideal comparisons. The RVN-2X is on fairly level footing here, but loses out to the K as even though it has two more missile tubes, most of your damage in either of these mechs will come from the lasers and the 2X has its energy hardpoints split between the torso and arm, whereas the K gets them all in the arm, allowing for better aiming flexibility and convergence.
RVN-2X: 275 engine max
JR7-K: 300 engine max
Advantage: JR7-K. The K clearly beats the 2X here again, gaining an additional 25 engine rating which equates to 12kph, or 140.0 vs 152.7 (with speed tweak). This not only makes the Jenner more suitable for scouting and capping, it also gives it a significant survivability advantage; any light pilot will tell you that speed and agility are the only things keeping you from becoming best friends with AC20 rounds. Adding insult to injury, this also lets the K store another internal heatsink, and freeing crit slots is always precious on a light mech that has to mount both Endo and Ferro to survive.
RVN-2X: 120 degrees of twist, 20 degrees of torso pitch, 30 arm pitch
JR7-K: 120 degrees of twist, 20 degrees of torso pitch, 30 arm pitch
Advantage: Neither! Though it is worth pointing out that the JR7-K gets to take better advantage of the higher arm pitch due to having more arm-mounted guns.
RVN-2X jumpjet max: 0
JR7-K jumpjet max: 5
Advantage: JR7-K, silly goose. Having jumpjets is vital to being able to outmaneuver your opponent in a light. They allow the user to change directions suddenly, twist very rapidly, cross long gaps at high speed, and escape vertically where mechs without jjs are trapped. No competition here.
RVN-2X module slots: 2
JR-7K module slots: 3
Advantage: JR7-K. You can take more modules with the K, which might not matter to many mechs, but given that lights are often required to scout, cap, and engage in combat, that extra module slot is often the difference between winning from cap accel or failing by a little bit, or getting that extra edge in frantic 1v1 light combat where you can keep lock thanks to 360 target when your opponent can't.
The final point I'd discuss is a bit subjective as there are no hard numbers to compare here, but it is an important point: hitboxes. Both mechs have a pretty serious weakness; the Jenners have a large center torso, while the Ravens have gigantic legs. Overall I'd say that the balance between the two was relatively even until the introduction of ghost heat and the buffs + tweaks to SSRM2s.
While there was a point when having the huge CT made Jenners a walking snack thanks to the common 40-60 point alphas being tossed around, ghost heat has dropped the average pinpoint alpha down to about 20 (ac20, 2ppc, 4xac5, etc). This gives the Jenner a much better chance to spread damage away from the CT, where a shot that would once kill now just maims. The Ravens, on the other hand, are much more likely to lose the more lightly-armored legs, as they can't be covered by twisting in addition to being more fragile. While this would be easily in Raven's favor in a larger mech that can armor up, losing a leg in a light is a death sentence, which means that it's far preferable to have the section that gets you killed when blown up have less armor.
The preference of SSRM2s to seek limbs in concert with their bananas 2.5 is also a pretty significant disadvantage to the Raven. When the missiles were evenly distributed to various components, the Raven maintained a bit of an advantage, but with most of the shots going to the leg and the extreme squishiness of the Raven's legs, the 2X is streak bait for all the much faster lights and even the mediums that can keep up with SSRMs- they don't have to chase long before it's a stationary target.
So yep, this post got a bit longer than I intended. The TL; DR? The Raven 2X and 4X are both still terrible mechs and there's no reason to pilot either of them unless you want to troll with heavy ballistics or you're roleplaying as someone who hates Jenners.
