CommandoBran, on 15 February 2013 - 09:10 PM, said:
The AH is too close to the YLW and PGI needs to make money from people buying hero 'mechs so they took out the AH.
This is simply not true. The two chassis share the ability to mount an AC/20 (and the corresponding missing actuator), but differed in many other aspects:
-YLW faster
-YLW has better agility perks
-YLW has CT mounts for zombie-mode (AH only CN9 lacking such capability)
AND, most importantly of all, the hardpoint layouts are as different as any two variants of one 'mech are. As different as the K-2 is to the C-4 (very close analogy, in fact):
AH:
3B RA
2M LT
YLW:
2B RA
2E CT
The YLW is phenomenally bad at scout-hunting. The AH is great at it. The AH will benefit more from the MG buff. And so on.
Also, the CN9-AH would be the only 'mech in the game with Missile and Ballistic hardpoints but no Energy (and only one of two 'mechs to lack E hardpoints in the first place).
The AH was a very distinctive 'mech with a specialized role that should really make a reappearance.