105 replies to this topic

[KuroNyra]

Hello guy's. I've always been curious about one thing.

Why is the Timber Wolf/MadCat so well know and so feared?


Obviously his look is pretty much incredible. It's the mech by excellence. But, why this one and not another one?
By that question, I would like to know about the Real Life side, about YOU.
And in the MechWarrior universe.


If I had to make a parrallel.
I think that mech is a bit like the German Tiger Tank from the World War 2. One of the most wellknow tank of that area. But also one who have huge flaw when you take a closer look.


I know I'm boring with my question. But since Mechwarrior isn't wellknow in France, and Sarna.Net is just a wikipedia.
I'd like to know the player's version of the story.

[Pariah Devalis]

It is an incredibly well rounded mech. It has indirect and direct fire capabilities. It has more firepower than an Atlas and moves faster than many Inner Sphere stock medium mechs. It is terrifying because it is capable of everything, and doing everything well.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 08 March 2014 - 02:01 PM.

[Monsoon]

Psychological is probably the best word for it, as would be 'association'. For allot of people their first contact with MechWarrior was with MW2 and the Madcat was the infamous mech on the cover on the box (same with the cover of MW3), it's also probably why there is so much love for the Kodiak (cover of MW2:CGB), Mauler (cover of MW2:Mercs) and Uziel (MW4).

Now, I'm not say this is the only reason for the love, but the Madcat was prominently shown and associated with MW2 and for many became the mech of choice. It's a great mech, but for whatever reason, my love has always been aimed more towards the Vulture, Masakari and Nova.

[Daneiel]

Marack Drock, on 08 March 2014 - 02:01 PM, said:

I can break this down so everyone can understand... TIMBER WOLF IS THE BEST MECH EVER!!!!

I think here you are wrong , yes Timber wolf is one of the best mechs in battletech along with Adder , Storm Crow , Warhawk and Dire wolf , but these mechs has something common and its not the look . They are power houses for their classes - heavily armed and armored and Timber Wolf and Storm Crow are very fast .If you abstract from the mech lab there isn't anything that can be compared to them .

[MayGay]

First it is an iconic 'mech. One of the best looking 'mechs that FASA came out with. It was used in their adds after all the other good 'mechs.went unseen. That being said, think of it as an Orion that runs at 81 KM/h, packing a pair of LRM 20s, a pair of large lasers that do as much damage as a PPC (10 damage, 750 range, ERPPC using TT conversion has 630 max range) and only weigh 4 tons and take up just 1 crit, a pair of medium lasers almost as potent as an inner sphere large laser (IS LL 8 damage 450 max range, 8 heat Clan ER medium 7 damage, 450 max range, 5 heat) that weigh 1 ton each a meduim pulse that has better range than an IS standard medium (360m range) and a pair of machine guns to boot (useful in MWO, utterly useless in TT and usually swapped out for ammo/lasers) lastly it has near max armour. It does have some flaws though, the LRMs have only 1 ton of ammo each and heat can become a bit of an issue if not managed correctly.

[Nostram]

For me what made me love the mech was the "D" configuration. 2x ERPPC, 4x Streak SRM 6 (2 of which were rear facing)
Unfortunately for all of us... MWO does not have rear facing weaponry.

[Benjamin Davion]

From the first time the Timberwolf clashed in combat with Inner Sphere forces (Vlad of Clan Wolf vs. Phelan Kell of the Kells hounds), it completely outclassed everything the IS could throw at it. Beyond maintaining Star League era technology, the Clans had improved on it, all while the Inner Sphere was slipped backwards, virtually bombing themselves back to the Stone Age (a point made literal on multiple planets) throughout the course of the Succession Wars. You make the comparison between the Mad Cat and the German Tiger tank, and it's a good one, with IS tanks filling the roll of, say, the first model Sherman and Lee tanks. Outarmored, outgunned, outranged, and out-engined, outclassed in every regard, except one. The Germans were unable to produce Panthers, Tigers, and King Tigers in sufficient numbers to take full advantage of their superiority. Sheer logistics defeated {Godwin's Law} Germany. The Clans suffered no such limitations and in fact, the Inner Sphere had greater difficulty at the outset of the invasion replacing the mechs they lost than did the Clans.

All of that explains the overall superiority and psychological impact of clan mechs as a whole, but the Mad Cat in particular was numerous, efficient, and capable of accomplishing a multitude of rolls. Within the universe, I would also point out that the Daishi is just as feared if not more. Outside the universe (that is to say, with the fans) the Mad Cat has served as one of the symbolic mechs of Battletech for years, featuring on my game and book covers. It's also, as I previously stated, the very first Clan mech ever encountered in the novels, and therefore possesses a certain mystique for that.

[KuroNyra]

I see, very interesting.

So, if the very first clan mech to be seen was let's say the Summoner/Thor.
Would the impact be the same?

Or do you guy's think the madcat/timberwolf would still have been placed on the top?

[Zolaz]

Nostram, on 08 March 2014 - 02:50 PM, said:

For me what made me love the mech was the "D" configuration. 2x ERPPC, 4x Streak SRM 6 (2 of which were rear facing)
Unfortunately for all of us... MWO does not have rear facing weaponry.

Sure it does ... you get 360 target retention module and use Streaks. The Streaks will wrap around and track on your target.

As for favorite mechs ... the Mad Dog from Virtual World's Battletech in the Tesla Pods. A Vulture with 2 CPPCs 2 CLRM 15s, and 2 CSLs. That is what I won my master trial in. Though I didnt smoke 3 Masters in one mech, like Sagoku did in that Dashi. Fear the Dashi guarding its crotch and walking backwards.

Edited by Zolaz, 08 March 2014 - 03:57 PM.

[rolly]

Perhaps in another way, its also been one to have the most exposure.

It was one of the first mechs encountered in the Periphery and Clan Wolf being one of the most successful clans fields plenty of them.

From an old school perspective its got the badass makings and resemblance to the Marauder, and being like a Catapult AND carrying a diverse array of weapons doesn't hurt. The original design has spawned multiple versions and almost every era has had a version or offshoot. From a design perspective its a good blend of sleek, utilitarian efficiency and alien-like appeal.

[KuroNyra]

rolly, on 08 March 2014 - 04:02 PM, said:

Perhaps in another way, its also been one to have the most exposure.

It was one of the first mechs encountered in the Periphery and Clan Wolf being one of the most successful clans fields plenty of them.

From an old school perspective its got the badass makings and resemblance to the Marauder, and being like a Catapult AND carrying a diverse array of weapons doesn't hurt. The original design has spawned multiple versions and almost every era has had a version or offshoot. From a design perspective its a good blend of sleek, utilitarian efficiency and alien-like appeal.

Ho gosh because of you I know I will name my Timber Wolf prime "Xenomorph".

[GalaxyBluestar]

Monsoon, on 08 March 2014 - 02:31 PM, said:

Psychological is probably the best word for it, as would be 'association'. For allot of people their first contact with MechWarrior was with MW2 and the Madcat was the infamous mech on the cover on the box (same with the cover of MW3), it's also probably why there is so much love for the Kodiak (cover of MW2:CGB), Mauler (cover of MW2:Mercs) and Uziel (MW4).

Now, I'm not say this is the only reason for the love, but the Madcat was prominently shown and associated with MW2 and for many became the mech of choice. It's a great mech, but for whatever reason, my love has always been aimed more towards the Vulture, Masakari and Nova.

pretty much this, the timberwolf was spammed the most in advertising whilst the executioner and gargoyle barely got a look in, hense nobody knows what the later mechs are but everyone knows MADCAT! simmillar deal for the tiger tank, panzer6 made the biggest impression even tho the vets and experts agree on the panther, panzer5 being the best tank for most duties. not that there's a problem with that they're all great to a clanner!

rolly, on 08 March 2014 - 04:02 PM, said:

From a design perspective its a good blend of sleek, utilitarian efficiency and alien-like appeal.

and nobody thinks the cockpit area resembles a phallas like the stalker

Edited by GalaxyBluestar, 08 March 2014 - 04:52 PM.

[CyclonerM]

James Griffin, on 08 March 2014 - 02:42 PM, said:

First it is an iconic 'mech. One of the best looking 'mechs that FASA came out with. It was used in their adds after all the other good 'mechs.went unseen. That being said, think of it as an Orion that runs at 81 KM/h, packing a pair of LRM 20s, a pair of large lasers that do as much damage as a PPC (10 damage, 750 range, ERPPC using TT conversion has 630 max range) and only weigh 4 tons and take up just 1 crit, a pair of medium lasers almost as potent as an inner sphere large laser (IS LL 8 damage 450 max range, 8 heat Clan ER medium 7 damage, 450 max range, 5 heat) that weigh 1 ton each a meduim pulse that has better range than an IS standard medium (360m range) and a pair of machine guns to boot (useful in MWO, utterly useless in TT and usually swapped out for ammo/lasers) lastly it has near max armour. It does have some flaws though, the LRMs have only 1 ton of ammo each and heat can become a bit of an issue if not managed correctly.

Its speed stated in the books (i heard approximation was called as the reason for the change) is 86.2 KPH, so even more fearsome!

Of course i could not miss this thread. The Timberwolf is easily my favourite 'Mech. "THIS IS MY 'MECH! I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER 'MECHS LIKE IT, BUT THIS IS MINE! WITHOUT MY 'MECH I AM NOTHING; WITHOUT ME, MY 'MECH IS NOTHING!"


How can you not love it?
It looks by far the coolest 'Mech in MW2 alongside with the Mad Dog:

Spoiler

When i was a child and played MW2, i was so fascinated by the game and Clan Wolf intros, anb the whole "Clan Hall" instead of a textual menu. Even the installation process, back when i was 7-8 was amazing for me LOL. The Jade Falcon and Wolf banners were beatuful, and the main theme soft remake in the installation menu helped a lot. Such loveful memories..And of course it was my fav 'Mech in the game.

Do you still wonder why i love it so much?

It is easily the most iconic 'Mech after the Clan invasion.. And J. Griffin spelled well why Inner Sphere MechWarriors have many good reasons to fear it!

About the machine guns.. I thought it was the opposite. Are they not useful in TT? I mean, they can be useful in games with infantry i guess.. I am not sure if in MWO they will be enough to be used as crit seeker, but they will be cool to see firing

EDIT: in MW4 it is not quite as fearsome as in the other games.. Its CT hitbox is HUGE so you will die in minutes from the start of a mission. Very often, i got ALL my damage in the CT, and seeing a flashing red CT icon while the rest of the damage paperdoll is green is not encouraging..

GalaxyBluestar, on 08 March 2014 - 04:51 PM, said:

pretty much this, the timberwolf was spammed the most in advertising whilst the executioner and gargoyle barely got a look in, hense nobody knows what the later mechs are but everyone knows MADCAT! simmillar deal for the tiger tank, panzer6 made the biggest impression even tho the vets and experts agree on the panther, panzer5 being the best tank for most duties. not that there's a problem with that they're all great to a clanner!




and nobody thinks the cockpit area resembles a phallas like the stalker

I know the Executioner and the Gargoyle; i like the concept of fast but under-armed Assault 'Mechs. I would love a Gargoyle in MWO.. I would put on it 2 UAC/5 (LBX do not have different ammo loading ) , some LRMs and some ERMLs.


p.s. I wonder why you are the only one who thought about it..

Edited by CyclonerM, 09 March 2014 - 02:50 AM.

[KuroNyra]

Damn...
When I think about it. The very first mech I saw wasn't the MadCat, but the Warhammer, on the Mechwarrior 5 trailer.
And after that I've heard of Mechwarrior online... And after that of Living Legend.

The Madkitty wasn't the first mech I saw, and I have to admit I LOVE The warhammer.
But the MadCat got something the other's don't have.

If I had to make a top 3 of my favorite clan mech. It would be something like that:

MadCat
Vulture
Daishy (damn I love that name.)

[Onlystolen]

[KuroNyra]

Onlystolen, on 09 March 2014 - 11:10 AM, said:

Is that a Thor?

[Onlystolen]

KuroNyra, on 09 March 2014 - 12:22 PM, said:

Is that a Thor?

Yup thats a summoner

[CyclonerM]

KuroNyra, on 09 March 2014 - 12:22 PM, said:

Is that a Thor?

It is indeed. A Thor for the Spheroids, a Summoner for us

[Pariah Devalis]

An over fluffed piece of scrap metal, if you ask me. I could never understand the Falcon fascination with such an under-equipped omnimech.

[CyclonerM]

Pariah Devalis, on 09 March 2014 - 01:37 PM, said:

An over fluffed piece of scrap metal, if you ask me.  I could never understand the Falcon fascination with such an under-equipped omnimech.

Noted.
Actually, i have to say i like it. Its weapon combinations are simple, but scary anyway. And those 5 JJs have something fascinating..

But well, i like many 'Mechs. Talking about "Clans are all speed".. Where is my Gargoyle? I guess its redesign would be a major challenge for Alex, but somehow i like it

Edited by CyclonerM, 09 March 2014 - 01:53 PM.