16 replies to this topic

[Toast001]

About 20 years ago i picked up a book from a friend called Main Event. The main character Started with a hatchet man in solaris 7, then won a charger. His first contract to defend a city he salvaged a warhawk. This book was really one of the first books that got me interested into reading, So i am really interested in the warhawk right now. But with the state of the PPC, it would so hurt my image of the warhawk not having 4 ppcs, Does this mech even stand a chance as being as useful as a direwolf? I don't have much experience with assaults, i bought the phoenix package and have the battlemaster, but to me that mech seems only 1 notch above a heavy, and i don't feel confident going up against something heavier then it. I mean i have looked at the dire wolf hardpoint sheets and i could just as easily put 4 ppcs on it and its 15 tons heavier. In terms of the group finder thing a assault is a assault.

Edited by Toast001, 03 November 2014 - 04:04 PM.

[Mad Ox]

LOL Yup Main event then D.R.T. hmmm Jeremiah Rose and the Black Thorns if I remember right fun books.

Warhawk one of my faves from battletech days

Just started on my Warhawk in MWO but do like its a bit more nimble and faster then dire Whale for sure, its called a whale for more then its just big. It turns faster and has better range of motion making its rear less vulnerable to sneaky lights. Default DW has 60 degree torso twist left to right the Hawk 90 degrees makes quite a difference.

More limited load outs and only 2 ballistic slots so the famous dakka wolfs you wont' be able to pull off with Hawk.

Weapons are very Arm related with only the RT taking up to 2 Missile launchers and CT allowing 1 Missile Launcher.

I personally try and keep them close to stock layouts to make each a bit different grinding up. With me downgrading here and there to get a little tonnage to play with like drop the LRM 10 to LRM 5, LPL to ER LL, etc.

Just about done with Basic on 2 of them and while bit tough starting out think going to turn out pretty good. So far reminds me of grinding up my Summoners painful to start but once settled in and at least elited turned into a real nasty mech. But that does require all 3 bought and researched to really get the most out of the mech which isn't a cheap prospect. Neither Hawk or Dire are cheap at all.

But if you find Battle Master lacking at 85 tons its an assault heavy bit faster but more weapons. Its would be the closest comparison to Hawk ya have. But keep in mind skills do really change a mech.

Edited by Mad Ox, 04 November 2014 - 08:49 AM.

[Appogee]

If the Dire Wolf didn't exist then the War Hawk would be a premier Mech.

However the Dire Wolf does exist, and as we don't have weight matching, only class matching, War Hawk will remain second choice amongst the Clan Assaults.

Edited by Appogee, 04 November 2014 - 09:01 AM.

[process]

Warhawks lack the crit space for the kind of weapon boating that the Dire Wolf excels at. They're sort of like faster, less durable Stalkers, or maybe Battlemasters. You can make SRM brawler loadouts, but I think you'll find you're better off with a mix of LRMs and lasers.

[MisterPlanetarian]

The Warhawk is a good mech. However, The fact that you have to spend so much weight on heatsinks kinda limit you to single ballistics, or a missile/laser combo.

Some Examples:

Single Ballistic:

Laser/Missile:

Edited by MisterPlanetarian, 04 November 2014 - 12:01 PM.

[Kain Demos]

I like the Warhawk, always have. For some reason it seems a lot of people dismiss it in this game (maybe because as it was alluded to above class matching will favor the maximum tonnage in a class) but it is a very good mech.

Currently it falls in between the Timberwolf and Dire Wolf but since it is an assault it gets directly compared to the DW instead of the Timberwolf though it is closer to the latter in weight.

75t mech with 28t free space
85t mech with 33t free space
100t mech with 51t free space

Numbers with mostly maxed armor: just enough removed from the legs to get to a whole number, typically 10-11 per leg.

As far as speed/agility goes......I feel like the Warhawk is a lot more similar to the Timberwolf than the Dire Wolf. After piloting the Dire Wolf for a bit then getting into my Warhawks I feel like I'm in a race car.

I like to use the following builds:

2 x C-ERPPC 1 x CGauss I know you might think "WTF, you can do this in a Timberwolf" which is true. However, the Warhawk does it with more armor, more heatsinks (better PPC fire rate) and a Mk VI TC (13.5% faster PPC projectile). I use this loadout in my Timberwolf to easily take out assaults so being even more potent in the Warhawk means you are NOT undergunned even though on paper your alpha is a measly 35pts.

4 x C-LPL aka "Wubhawk" not a great build for a ton of upfront damage but its sustained DPS is very good with its massive amount of heat sinks.

Default PRIME loadout of 4 x C-ERPPC but I remove the LRM10, max armor and move to a MK VI TC.

The main disadvantage is the hardwired heatsinks and limited amount of hardpoints. The most amount of energy hardpoints you can get is 5 so you can't even make an uber-laserboat to take advantage of the massive cooling. The LT is completely unable to mount ANYTHING at all and if you do a ballistic build (I've seen people running dual gauss) you have all that wasted weight.

No, you'll never mount the firepower of a Dire Wolf but what 'mech does? If you'd rather pilot an assault 'mech that ISN'T a plodding sitting duck and still have a respectable loadout of weapons the Warhawk is for you.

I think with the 240t limit in CW people will be hard pressed to fit a DW in their dropship. If they do that will severely limit what else they can take so I think that will be the Warhawk's place to shine. Think about it--with the Warhawk you can potentially take 3 very potent 'mechs into your dropship and go Warhawk, Timbwerwolf, Stormcrow, and the Mist Lynx. The Mist Lynx doesn't look like it is going to be too great but at least it mounts ECM so no matter what you will be able to contribute in it even if it will be slow for its size and lacking in firepower.

[Peter2k]

I pilot a Dire when I feel the need to simply shred some enemy's, but its obviously slow, so u need backup for your back and be good when it comes to positioning
but there's nothing like seeing other Direwolfs turn away from you're endless Dakka fire

my warhawk is a more flanker/hit n run mech for me
or ppc's sniper kinda

fast enough to reposition if you get pressured or made a mistake
though if a Direwolf has you in youre focus you just dont have the firepower to oppose him, but the speed to outflank him

so it depends on what you like really
and if you do solo only play

[LordKnightFandragon]

Warhawk is a good one. Pretty agile for an assault, moves pretty well, 71KPH with speed tweak id say is some nice speed for a big ass mech.

Its mostly energy......but atleast it comes with a mountain of heatsinks....

Ive finally had a number of good games with it, where I managed to deal over 500dmg hahaha...and even a 770.....

It's armor seems to hold up ok, though it's ST go out almost instantly.......so it loses it's guns alot....but when its not being shot up, it can really dish some pain.....

I likes it, plus it looks cool.

[Kain Demos]

LordKnightFandragon, on 04 November 2014 - 07:49 PM, said:

Warhawk is a good one. Pretty agile for an assault, moves pretty well, 71KPH with speed tweak id say is some nice speed for a big ass mech.

Its mostly energy......but atleast it comes with a mountain of heatsinks....

Ive finally had a number of good games with it, where I managed to deal over 500dmg hahaha...and even a 770.....

It's armor seems to hold up ok, though it's ST go out almost instantly.......so it loses it's guns alot....but when its not being shot up, it can really dish some pain.....

I likes it, plus it looks cool.

I've been loving Wubhawk today. These C-LPL buffs really make it work.

[Temptis]

I love my Warhawks
for one, you are always underestimated, because you are not a Direwhale
for second, you are fast enough to actualy get somewhere before the lights catch you alone
and for third, you actualy can have some diversity in your builds instead of the Dakka, more Dakka and Gaus-Dakka Direwolfs...

[Kain Demos]

Temptis, on 06 November 2014 - 04:20 AM, said:

I love my Warhawks
for one, you are always underestimated, because you are not a Direwhale
for second, you are fast enough to actualy get somewhere before the lights catch you alone
and for third, you actualy can have some diversity in your builds instead of the Dakka, more Dakka and Gaus-Dakka Direwolfs...

Agreed.

I used this build for the first time last night:

http://mwo.smurfy-ne...571da256aa3034c

But I wasn't boating LRMs in the ineffective, cowardly way of hanging back and indirect firing them. I get my own locks and try to maintain LOS while mixing in lasers and chainfiring the LRMs for maximum screen shake. I easily solo'd some fresh Dire Wolves (including one at 100% health when I was in the mid 60s) as well.

[Mad Ox]

Played some more this weekend trying to find a setup on Warhawk B I like but with all those built in DHS makes builds very hard to do.

Warhawk only has 25/26 slots open versus DW 40/41 slots. Left Torso is full of hardwired DHS. Ends up making Big Ballistics very hard to use, or even getting decent amount of ammo a real pain as most likely has to go into an arm and big ballistic will eat arm space alive limiting you even more.

Though with that many DHS its a mech that screams run hot very handy for PPC/Laser builds. Other then fact Ghost heat is sooo nasty for PPC/Lasers was very annoyed to see how much nastier GH is vs Missiles.

In the end finding I am liking it more and more as I play it requires its own finesse where as anyone can slap a DW together and be somewhat effective. Though B version will drive me nuts tryign to really use all its hardpoints.

[theta123]

The key advantage is ofcourse mobility. And it also has the same archetype of a heavy instead of "huge" wich also gives it better mountain fighting capability

I love my warhawks. It took me awhile to find the proper builds tough
Prime= 4 LPL + DHS and TGC MK 3
A model= 2 LPL + 2 SRM 6 + UAC 20
B model= 2 ER PPC + 3 SRM 6 + UAC 10

[AssaultHatori]

Coming from a dedicated warhawk pilot,

I reconfigured all my 3 variants to this singular build. with the following alternative.

Prime: 4 er ppcs, BAP, TC.Mk.1 Additional heat sinks and armor at 499/526
Alternate build: Warhawk C build: 2 er ppcs, 2 LPL BAP TC /mk1 with additional heat sinks. heat mgmt at 1.2/1.3

end result is a nippy assault mech that either blasts out light mechs from extreme range or within city ranges can set up a volley fire system of about 4 salvos of ppc fire before shutting down for about 3-4 seconds

Killing those lights that just love to stand still for capture/snipe, and they get blasted to pieces by a single alpha.

BAP was added in cause i found it annoying when ecm lights swarmed me, so the BAP went in for negation purposes and sensor range.

advanced zoom is almost always a must for this mech.

Edited by AssaultHatori, 29 November 2014 - 10:59 PM.

[Nightshade24]

Warhawk is faster then a dire and thus it automaticly makes it more viable in MW: O and thus making it a bigger threat as the chances of finding a Direwolf alone on the other side of the map from the team because the team ditched them will be more likely then having a warhawk.

The warhawk prime also seems pretty viable stock, first game in the trial (prime) got me a 700 damage game. I then bought the B and A, which I turned into ( 4 Cl LRM 15, 3 cl er med las, 2 er med pulse. It gets damage like wildfire if the team actually locks.

My other build is struggling a bit (copy of the Warhawk Alt.Config E (2 Cl ER PPC, 1 Cl LRM 20, 1 Cl LRM 10, 1 Cl UAC 2, this is the MW4 Mercs stock warhawk as well). However it has some promise and It isn't even basiced out like my other warhawk. So will tell you after I get the 3 mastered. I will make my warhawk prime turn into a Warhawk Tarra (remove LRM 10 for more heatsinks)

I think it'll be pretty viable then.

I think it's a great fire support mech and is definitely worth it if you have a good sense of heat management.
To me the Warhawk in MW: O takes the spot light and the Direwolf follows in it's shade.

I never seen a game yet where a Warhawk did less damage then a Direwolf unless the warhawk is a trial. (or I'm in a dire... rocking my Widowmaker.)

I personally still use ER PPC's and PPC's alike pretty well.

Edited by Nightshade24, 30 November 2014 - 06:47 AM.

[Rear Admiral Tier 6]

sidetorsos are cardboard,its not a frontline mech or brawler

excellent missileboat tho

[C E Dwyer]

The warhawk would be a very good assault, if it wasn't so arm related weapon wise, most good pilots that can aim know to knock a warhawks arms off rendering it less than useless.