To me the Wraith is a rare example of something that is out of the box dangerous to the annoying Firemoth type clan mechs. It’s fast enough to counter clan light mechs, and its short range matters less in interdiction duty.
The Wrath is an interesting design for sure, its very fast, its very agile and can zip in there to go after scouts or run around mauling other 'Mechs whilst being a pain to hit. Plus its unique looks make her really stand out among the crowd with all those smooth rounded edges.
The TR2-X Alexander is one of my absolute favorite mechs and a prime example of how useful partial wings are, it's a shame we don't see more chassis with them.
The Wraith is a mech I did not know existed until it showed up in the Alpha Strike box. Love this mech as a fast light hunter and am glad basically anyone can get it.
The Wraith is just a cool mech and a logical counter to super fast Clan light mechs. I adore the art you showed off in the video with the cool custom paintjobs!
It's a high speed-low drag operator of a mech. Don't stop to engage, hit the enemy on the run, don't stop. Get clear, then turn around and do it again. Stay mobile and whittle the enemy down. Great light mech hunter too.
The Wraith is one Mech that stood out to me largely because of its appearance. The cover art for Binding Force really made it look sleek and rounded, in a way that a lot of Mechs just weren't. Although, it seems like the art reverses the Mech's weapons lol.
Ahhh the Wraith. A mech design that's exactly how i like to make my own designs! Ive always wanted to like it more... But i thought it was so ugly. 😢 Funny you posted this great video though, as last weekend i finally had a chance to run with one in an Alpha Strike lance. Dang, it did so well that now i think it looks kinda cool, lol.
Why do we love… Mechanics Frog? Because he fu$&!ng ROCKS! Congrats on your perpetual growth, it is wholeheartedly well earned!! You have at least on dedicated follower for the duration. Keep up the great work!
I usually hate anything that resembles a roach or waterbug, but the Wraith is such a good looking mech. It looks like a fun mech to tickle toes with the lasers then kick a mech in the shins, specifically in that order. On a serious note this would be a good mech to do competitive melee with since its 55 tons with good mobility and decent armor
Always loved the Wraith as a anti-Harasser mech. It is fabulous at tracking down those other light, fast Harasser POS that backshoot you assaults or fire support mechs. And if your opponent doesnt bring harassers, the Wraith makes an awesome one itself. Never deployed one that didn't earn its BV back either by outright damage or by distracting way more than its tonnage represents.
On paper I definitely like the TR2, as you put it. That ER PPC definitely allows you to reach out and touch someone, and it has no minimum range so you can still get up close and personal. That loadout you could turn it into a light Griffin. The tr2 is definitely a better overall variant.
One of my surprise favorites in the BTA 3062 mod for HBS Battletech. I stripped the jump jets, added Stealth Armor, ECM, TSM and a Supercharger, and left a single ERLL in there. It's job is to run up and punch things in the in head hard enough to kill them, and it does it well! It's also crazy hard to hit, and a great toy. It's cool to hear where the Mech came from!
"Because a 7/11/7 with a large pulse and two mpulses is just about the perfect recon mech, cavalry striker, or bug hunter." It's in my personal pantheon of ideal 'Mechs.
Playing around with partial wings and speed profiles can yield some very interesting results on the Wraith. A mech that moves 5/8/10 and mounts pulse lasers with a targeting computer can threaten nearly any mech, as well as any chance of being invited back for another game.
I need a model of one of these, it will get painted blue, and have the warcry of "SPOOON!" on that large laser... Thank you CGL for making it look that way and scream SPOOON! to me.
When I saw this in the alpha strike box i gave to my dad, my first thought was "Thats an ugly bugger" my next thought after seeing the stats was "Holy crap i need one" i need some money so i can get it...
The Wraith is a personal favorite for 2 roles, raider (grabbing supplies to support guerilla fighting behind enemy lines) and as a light mech eradicator. I also use the C3 unit as a spotter for artillery and LRM's occasionally. Your MF Wraith variant looks promising, and it will see field trials whenever I can justify the mech's presence on the battlefield.
Hello Frog I have only used the TR1 Wraith once on the tabletops. In that battle, I used it as the 'command' Mech for a 5-unit 'light' Mech force (meaning that the other four Mechs were all 35 tons or less in mass). The Wraith did well keeping up with the combined force and was able to maneuver well around the broken terrain of the battlefield we played upon. I found that the Wraith was a bit more 'sturdy' than the Phoenix Hawk I was originally going to choose as 'leader', and the added benefit of the pulse laser's to-hit bonus was very nice in enabling me to hit my targets more accurately and more often. The ability to leap 7 hexes often got me on the other side of hills, to where the enemy could not advance to fire upon me for a turn. Allowing me to cool my Mech, and often allowing me to run to meet the engagement and alpha strike without issue or further heat buildup. I cannot stress how useful a 7-11-7, 55 ton Mech can be in combat. I would take another for use as a Light Mech Lance Commander any day. Sign me up as a 'fan' of the Wraith, and if you don't agree, well... we can 'talk' about it... on a battlefield. :) Addendum: I feel that the Wraith with Clan Tech is a good idea, but I don't really like the variant listed in your video. I tend to agree with your idea of swapping the Pulse Mediums for ER versions. That would 'free up' 2 tons. One of which I would expend for more armoring, and the other for an additional Heat Sink. Although this makes the mediums less likely 'to-hit' than the pulse lasers they replace, the range brackets nearly match the Pulse Large Laser's. The additional armor would help armor the torsos a bit more, with the 'extra' going to the arms. I would even shave a couple of points off the legs to max out the torso and arm armor. The additional Heat Sink would go a long ways to making sure the Mech 'runs cool', or at least, be less of a heat burden to bear when multiple alpha strikes are needed while maneuvering. Just some thoughts.
@@MechanicalFrog 😂 Mood ring paint would work too One of the weirdest research papers I've read in the last month confirmed that iridescence was actually decent camouflage for bugs, at least when compared to glossy solid colors or a fixed rainbow pattern. ...I'm still betting that actual *camouflage* would work better, but what do I know lol
That MechFrog Wraith is terrifying! I wouldn't want to be infantry anywhere near it, it's like a flying Piranha. And the phrase "flying Piranha" should scare anyone.
I love the inclusion of a brace of machineguns on the Wraith-MF. Obviously they're going to ruin the day for infantry but that 14 heat-free extra damage could even take a battlemech by surprise.
The Wraith fills a niche I found myself quite enjoying. I once ran one in an Extraction op against my brother. Despite having most of his forces ahead because of his initiative, I was able to screen most of them with my Wolverine and get the speedier Wraith in there for extraction. I ended up winning the game by having the objective closer to my zone. It's amazing how fast this medium can be at times
This is one I've actually got to play a few times, and it's never really done me wrong! Highlight of its carrier has been jumping behind a dervish on a building and pushing it off onto his own infantry!
Most of my favourite mechs are just the Wraith over and ovet again. The Nightsky, the Phoenix Hawk 3PL, the Goshawk and Goshawk II... I have a problem.
I am very "Team Wraith"! The TR2-X Wraith is the Solaris mech that sees the most play in our FLGS weeklies. Keep up the good work. So I know it is not "Optimal" or even "Good", but Dola when lol? It looks so cool!
In the late game in 3062, and just retired my very heavily modified TR2( more like a TR5 by this point). This was my scout and tank killer. Since you can't change the internal structure in game, I went pretty much Clan tech to save weight and Criticals. Clan XL, Clan Ferro, Clan Double HS. Weapons are, IS Plasma.Rifle W/ 2 tons of ammo, and 2 MXPLS. Added an ECM and Active probe for the Scouting role. Nicknamed it Zippy. Since in the late game you need more firepower, I replaced it in the Scout role with a Berserker( how very Steiner).
I really want to run one of these once my CCAF Warrior House company is done. It is definitely a unique design among the hundreds of other mechs with its hooded, ghostly look and smooth features. The only other mech coming to mind competing directly with this is the Phoenix Hawk-3PL, which can jump 6 and fire its pulse Large and twin Mediums at the same go (I just used one, it was fun). In any case, I really like the Wraith’s aesthetic, and look forward to deploying one in a future game.
I remember having the IWM Wraith I had painted up I named "Nocturne" I can't remember how but I had it equipped with an Angel ECM so it could be a pest now I have the plastic Wraith from the Alpha Strike set that l'm trying to get painted up in the deep purple I had Nocturne painted in
The Wraith is one of my all-time favorite 'Mechs and is very affordable when filling out a lance with BV2 with the TR1. Most of my long term opponents curse when they see me pulling one out. I once did a tournament where you could customize your unit and it was fairly open on IS tech up to 3080 even if it no longer existed. So I played around with it and created the annoying sniper. 13 DHS, 11.5 tons of armor, 7/11/7, Weapons: Light PPC, 2 MLs. Equipment: Chameleon LPS and Null Signature System. It could be a tag heat intensive but it became the mosquito in that tournament that everyone wanted to swat!
@@MechanicalFrog The hardest thing to learn for most players is the need for patience and to practice it. To take the moves you need to get into an advantageous position before striking and to pull back when it no longer is to set it up.
Personally i like the Wraith, i enjoyed the Aris Sung novels a lot, but the mech is very specific in its strengths and weaknesses. Ideally it should be used in pairs to hunt down enemy scouts and circle the bulk of the enemy´s forces to get in the rear, attacking the long range support machines like Catapults, Longbows, Archers and the occational, surviving Bombardier. The "Alexander" is quite the extreme build but i like it, it´s like the final evolution stage of the Wraith, despite the loss of accuracy for all weapons. Amazingly, i like pretty much ALL the artworks on the Wraith. Your MF version is another extreme, but the "frogginess" of the Wraith definintely fits for you XD One homebrew version i had come up with replaces all the pulse lasers and two jumpjets (due to the mech being battlefield salvage) for regular a large and medium laser in each arm.
I am making a FWL unit (haven't decided which one yet, im still researching.) However, I have a Wraith and an Eris earmarked for the first lance. I would like to have a speedy heavy, and a long range assault to finish it up, just have to identify them. As always, good vid, but the Audio did drop for a few seconds!
Can’t help but think that this sort of ‘Mech would be absolutely terrifying in an urban environment. Shoot and then scoot behind some skyscrapers before jumping back in again.
The Wraith is one of those mechs I love as a backstabber... I generally used one to be that quick little nasty bugger that ran behind the enemy to shoot them in the back... Also to occasionally kick a tank
How did I miss this? Yeah, the Wraith is straight out deadly, period. It's straight - many light 'mechs obsolete and it's very survivable thanks to its combination of speed, jump capability, and solid armor. It's also a scary knife fighter that can prove to be a threat to most designs.
I've found the TR-1 surprisingly effective in Classic. It plays like a big Spider/Venom that does twice as much damage and three times more armor. It's just so obnoxious to take out, but you can't ignore pulse lasers and kicks from the rear. ...Wait, is naming the Spider successor Venom a joke about Spiderman and the character Venom?
The Wraith in all versions is great fun in a standup game for a good tactician. In a campaign it's often rendered into a hanger queen when that rare crit strikes it in something hard to find. Been there, done that. In our WOB mercenary campaign we thought we were smart having a LvL 2 of TR3 headhunters. It was loads of fun until, over time, attrition hit, and we cannibalized our LvL 2 down to TR3's, a Jenner -F, two Wasps, and a Mirage. The remaining TR's were kept in storage for spare parts and tinkering. Still, it was an absolute blast of a campaign! The MF variant is nice. I tend to enjoy fast knife fighting mechs. Now if there was only a way to put a Plasma Canon in it. I bet you thought about it.
I honestly think there was a missed opportunity to call this mech "The Roach", because the antennae and hood really looks like one. Maybe if some madlad were to install some Harjell III and a Clan-spec XL Engine, then it could work.
The TR-1 Wraith is an excellent anti-light bully and light lance leader. It's fast enough to run with the likes of the Jenner, well armoured and packs enough of a punch to make it a threat to any light 'mech it could come into contact with.
One of my all time favourite medium mechs :-) fast, hits easy and does enough damage to worry most opposition :-) ive used and fought against this thing in so many battles and campaigns...its hard to get into a company when looking for specialists but its a great scout hunter :-) cheers for the fun watch
I ran a TR5 in my supernatural themed ilClan Merc forcé. It was a blast. So hard to hit it. I would run and jump to get back shots. And it was almost always going last
We have a guy at the FLGS who runs the TR1. He generally uses it to flank and forces the opponent to either take shots to the rear armor or turn to try and deal with the speedy mech, thus splitting fire from his real damage dealers. Works well most of the time, but it tends to with under concentrated LRM or Streak fire. Clan pulse lasers usually also cause it to vaporize pretty quick. Though the most insidious killer of at least that particular TR1 is failed pilot checks. I can count at least 4 times he has slipped, tripped, or got knocked over and immediately became the center of attention for a couple of units to make sure it stayed down. Also, the audio cut out during at 10:57 and returns 11:00.
This is one of my favorite 3055 battlemechs. I would run with a load out containing one ER PPC or ER Large laser and 2 ER medium lasers with a targeting computer to assist. It'll run a little hot, but it will be deadly accurate.
One of the reasons why the Wraith is popular in tabletop is because it's a rare example of an inner sphere medium mech that is fast, agile, hard hitting, has decent protection for it's role and heat management and most useful of all... Isn't really hard to get replacement parts for under advanced campaign rules due to it's use of the ubiquitous modifier. It's only real downside is it's pretty close to being as expensive as some clan mechs, but this is less of an issue then it looks on the surface, as the mech makes a great spotter, vertical fighter or distraction for cheaper but more heavily armed and armored mechs, all while having enough speed to make it viable in more open terrain, a historic weakness of a lot of inner sphere mech designs in the medium heavy bracket. But me, I just like it for how it invokes the sometimes intentionally a bit silly 80's era art for a lot of mechs. It just fits with the whole aesthetic of the game from when I got introduced with it, and basically serves as a constant poke in the eye on these newer gamers that basically want you to stop treating a literal game like what it is, a game. It'll always be one of my favorites for that reason alone.
First time someone brought the Wraith against me it jumped farther then I thought it could and one or two shot my mediums back armor. It’s pretty cool, I bought one soon after
The Wraith is such a fun mech to play! The only upgrades I like involve Clan energy weapons, or swapping in a Snubnose PPC and a pair of ER Medium Lasers for one extra heat sink and two tons of armor. It's pretty good in Alpha Strike or CBT.
Thanks for doing this video. I really must get a Wraith sometime. I love the look. 😍 I only play AS and with that in mind, with the mech’s speed I’d choose the TR1 over the ‘2. I don’t need that range if I’m moving that fast (TMM3 makes rather hard to hit too). The 2-X looks mad as hell😆 (I’m sure my son would choose this one), and damn it’s fast when you jump it. In AS the ‘5 is just one point more than the ‘1 and gives you two inches more ground movement so I think it’s well worth it. 👍 I like your MF version! That left dakkafist would be hell for the PBI!
I've never used the Wraith in game, but the speed, jump distance and the weapons make it look pretty fearsome to me. Sure, it's not going to tear through anyone anytime soon, but the mobility will give it a pretty decent chance to either hunt down lighter units and overwhelm them with superior firepower and armor or it'll jump into really inconvenient places to take potshots at heavier mechs. Even an assault mech will start sweating bullets, when a Wraith suddenly plops down in its rear arc.
Those Improved Jump Jets are better than they seem, because they jump at half heat-the TR5 only generates 4 heat jumping 7 meters, which is more easily manageable. Still, with double heat and space, Improved Jump Jets are very mich a niche choice (usually for 'Mechs that move slower on the ground)
The wraith is one of those cool mechs that is not just all show and no go. The weapons mix makes sense and mods can just make it better. In a harasser/scout situation this would be a nightmare to hit. Pair it with a lance if more heavy hitters and do the words make it rain come to mind. In all this can a be a very fun mech to play in the game.
It can absolutely be a riot on the tabletop so long as you don't treat it like a mainline mech and march it out into the middle of the field. You have to go full Operation Sneaky Sneak with it.
@@MechanicalFrog yep that's the play. Then when they're dealing with the serious (well to them at least) threats. Then the Wraith becomes a nasty backstabbing surprise. Oh look at all that paper thin armor.
I think the TR-MF might be a bit butter with Stealth Armor but that is just me. That would of course raise the cost a bit though... Great videos as always.
I travel into the past to listen while I finish up the last company of mechs i have BWahaha also always recalled this one novel that had a Wraith on the cover and never forgot the mech evern though I never really got to use it.
Love the thing because it has no ammo dependency and is an amazing bully of coward mechs, like Stingers, Wasps, Locusts, and other flitting thinga. And it skirmishes well with bigger mechs. Biggest weakness, outside of heat management, is other mediums methinks. Not gonna trade too economically. I do love the ER PPC variant, though couldn't say its better. Simply love me a PPC.
Good video. The only real problem with the OG Wraith is that the I/S Large Pulse is a lackluster weapon at best. It does what it's supposed to do but it's range limits it's usage significantly. The ER PPC variant gives it a great deal more options for the main weapon but it's heat limits the use of the mech's secondaries. The OG Wraith is great in the right situations but often struggles to contribute outside of them. It's still usually worth it's BV as a countermeasure .
Yep. Unfortunately, the latest update to Audacity has caused that issue in multiple locations. I thought I found them all but apparently not. I'm sorry.
You are correct, the TR1 is a good close range brawler. I don't think I've ever played any Wraith on the board. I would see this one from the paper stats see it pretty much in the same row as the Phoenix hawk, a heavy scout, a light or medium lance leader, or the lighter component of a heavier Lance. It would also be great in the pursuit Lance role.
If the Wraith had an ECM, and could sustain 7/11/7 movement, it would be absolutely insane. Maybe with the medium pulse lasers downgraded to ER Mediums, you could fit an ECM in there and possibly an additional ER Medium. That would be the IS equivalent to a Shadow Cat
If I ever have an extra $70 in my budget (sigh... Maybe when the kids are in college) I might grab a second alphastrike box. Partially because I'd love to paint another CGL wraith. ironwind has a model of the Alexander that looks pretty cool for significantly cheaper.
Specialist designs do have their place in larger units, battalion level and above having a lance or company unit being specialized I'd say. (Prime examples of this are the Sevens and Zeta in the Wolf's Dragoons) Lance and company units, unless they bill themselves as specialists, will most often prefer generalist designs like most militias probably do as well. For the Wraith, it is very good at what it does when in the hand of a proper pilot and given the proper mission. It just is a very expensive investment at over 13 million C-Bills for the original design.
i really hope they have some kind of ilclan variant for it because this is one of the FEW medium mechs (and a 55 tonner at that) that is absolutely NASTY
Got one of these in a bta3062 run as salvage and man it lasted me all the way to the higher difficulties just having it jumping and backstabbing with 7 evade. I should really grab one for my next overide game.
Because sometimes we believe the lore and hype before we ever play with a design and, no matter how bad the experience was, the stuff we read in the TRO overrides in our mind what really happened with the mech.
@@MechanicalFrog...and the lore will always trump actual experience. If the lore says mechs can vanish from sensors, teleport around the battlefield, perform graceful acrobatics despite their size and interface, and explode even though nuclear reactors don't actually explode as described then by golly those things happened.
I did get to run a Wraith with upgrading the weapons to clan. The saved ton went to an additional clan Small Pulse Laser. Worked really well the times I got to use it.
To me the Wraith is a rare example of something that is out of the box dangerous to the annoying Firemoth type clan mechs. It’s fast enough to counter clan light mechs, and its short range matters less in interdiction duty.
Absolutely agreed.
Speaking as someone who has tried using Fire Moths, I think almost anything is a threat to them. They’re made of paper.
An official mechanical frog variant that does not contain a plasma rifle?
Are you okay, sir? Do you need to talk to someone? We are here for you.
I have to keep you on your toes.
I was really surprised on this one. From the get go i was wondering what other weapons you would pair with the rifle and still maintain its flavor.
The Wrath is an interesting design for sure, its very fast, its very agile and can zip in there to go after scouts or run around mauling other 'Mechs whilst being a pain to hit. Plus its unique looks make her really stand out among the crowd with all those smooth rounded edges.
It just looks so angry... and adorable... Angrdorable...
...All these traits make it one of my favorite Mechs of all time
The TR2-X Alexander is one of my absolute favorite mechs and a prime example of how useful partial wings are, it's a shame we don't see more chassis with them.
Awesome. I'm glad it got some limelight. I'm sure we will see more Partial Wings in mechs in the future.
I just finished Gundam 0080 War in the pocket and I gotta say, something about Mechs named Alex that are just cooler
Love the Wraith! This was the mech that taught me how scary/annoying a fast, jumpy mech armed with pulse lasers can be.
Excellent!
I love your variant, It's like combining the Wraith with a Piranha.
Spot on.
How come I've never heard about invasion tactics in my water resources engineering classes?
Cutbacks.
I blame Biden's politically correct BS for that. Thanks Obama
Big Water Company controls the media.
It wasn’t in my plumbing education either…
Curtis doesn't want you to know.
My favorite mech in the entire franchise. My personal refit would be replacing all weapons with a H-PPC + capacitor.
Going all in on the HPPC... hmm.
@@MechanicalFrog counter-recon is easy when you punch holes through enemy recon
do that to my assassin 30 in BTA
The hppc+ would be ridiculous. Have 3 wraith with that build. If it's your lucky day and all 3 hit...ouch
mine replaces the weapons with their clan equivalents and an extra hs
The Wraith is a mech I did not know existed until it showed up in the Alpha Strike box. Love this mech as a fast light hunter and am glad basically anyone can get it.
While I don't have the Alphastrike box, the Wraith in it has tempted me several times. It just sits in my Amazon checkout bin taunting me.
The Wraith is just a cool mech and a logical counter to super fast Clan light mechs.
I adore the art you showed off in the video with the cool custom paintjobs!
I'm glad you appreciate the effort to add some color. I think it brings the mechs to life a little more.
It's a high speed-low drag operator of a mech. Don't stop to engage, hit the enemy on the run, don't stop. Get clear, then turn around and do it again. Stay mobile and whittle the enemy down. Great light mech hunter too.
One of my all time favourite mechs and one i picked for my very first lance. Underappreciated and underestimated
It's a fun one, for sure.
210 meters is a great jump distance, it gives a very nice bonus-7 heat to jump is a lot with only 10 double heat sinks, though
You can still fire most of your weapons and the heat isn’t too bad thankfully.
Yeah just have to go light one laser that turn.
I love this mech! While the Tempest is my 3055 best girl the Wraith still leaves me feeling all fuzzy and tingly.
The Tempest may show up in a video in the future.... "Soon"
The Wraith is one Mech that stood out to me largely because of its appearance. The cover art for Binding Force really made it look sleek and rounded, in a way that a lot of Mechs just weren't. Although, it seems like the art reverses the Mech's weapons lol.
Oops...
@@MechanicalFrog NOT opps. Left-Handed pilot... :D
It's very alien looking. Especially in silhouette.
Ahhh the Wraith. A mech design that's exactly how i like to make my own designs! Ive always wanted to like it more... But i thought it was so ugly. 😢
Funny you posted this great video though, as last weekend i finally had a chance to run with one in an Alpha Strike lance. Dang, it did so well that now i think it looks kinda cool, lol.
I love how angry the initial artwork looks. Pissed off jumping bug.
Why do we love… Mechanics Frog? Because he fu$&!ng ROCKS!
Congrats on your perpetual growth, it is wholeheartedly well earned!!
You have at least on dedicated follower for the duration. Keep up the great work!
Much appreciated! The nonsense must flow.
I usually hate anything that resembles a roach or waterbug, but the Wraith is such a good looking mech. It looks like a fun mech to tickle toes with the lasers then kick a mech in the shins, specifically in that order. On a serious note this would be a good mech to do competitive melee with since its 55 tons with good mobility and decent armor
Always loved the Wraith as a anti-Harasser mech. It is fabulous at tracking down those other light, fast Harasser POS that backshoot you assaults or fire support mechs. And if your opponent doesnt bring harassers, the Wraith makes an awesome one itself. Never deployed one that didn't earn its BV back either by outright damage or by distracting way more than its tonnage represents.
It can absolutely be both a harasser and an anti-harasser.
On paper I definitely like the TR2, as you put it. That ER PPC definitely allows you to reach out and touch someone, and it has no minimum range so you can still get up close and personal. That loadout you could turn it into a light Griffin. The tr2 is definitely a better overall variant.
The TR2 is definitely the more utilitarian pick.
One of my surprise favorites in the BTA 3062 mod for HBS Battletech. I stripped the jump jets, added Stealth Armor, ECM, TSM and a Supercharger, and left a single ERLL in there. It's job is to run up and punch things in the in head hard enough to kill them, and it does it well! It's also crazy hard to hit, and a great toy. It's cool to hear where the Mech came from!
When you see it, you immediately pause and think, yeah, I should probably salvage that large pulse laser
"I want to put that LPL on my Valkyrie..."
"Because a 7/11/7 with a large pulse and two mpulses is just about the perfect recon mech, cavalry striker, or bug hunter."
It's in my personal pantheon of ideal 'Mechs.
It works for its intended purpose and is hard to refine short of going Clan tech. Not too shabby.
Playing around with partial wings and speed profiles can yield some very interesting results on the Wraith. A mech that moves 5/8/10 and mounts pulse lasers with a targeting computer can threaten nearly any mech, as well as any chance of being invited back for another game.
I need a model of one of these, it will get painted blue, and have the warcry of "SPOOON!" on that large laser... Thank you CGL for making it look that way and scream SPOOON! to me.
Holy hell, that Wraith-MF is a *monster*! I've always loved the Wraith, but you have improved upon it, no question...
Glad to hear it!
When I saw this in the alpha strike box i gave to my dad, my first thought was "Thats an ugly bugger" my next thought after seeing the stats was "Holy crap i need one" i need some money so i can get it...
A little bird told me I could expect an Alpha Strike box for x-mas, so I shouldn't buy one between now and then...
The Wraith is a personal favorite for 2 roles, raider (grabbing supplies to support guerilla fighting behind enemy lines) and as a light mech eradicator. I also use the C3 unit as a spotter for artillery and LRM's occasionally.
Your MF Wraith variant looks promising, and it will see field trials whenever I can justify the mech's presence on the battlefield.
On a side note, I'm enjoying your coloring of the black and white line art from the old manuals.
Thank you. I think it livens things up a bit.
Water Management types getting ready to become the Water Barons when things fall apart lol
So nefarious...
I love the wraith, its so funny to bounce around taking potshots
I saw the title and thought "of course people love this mech! its an 8 jumping pulse boat"
"Of course people love it. That's just science."
I always thought the original art looked like a bad guy from the old Space Ghost cartoon.
Hello Frog
I have only used the TR1 Wraith once on the tabletops. In that battle, I used it as the 'command' Mech for a 5-unit 'light' Mech force (meaning that the other four Mechs were all 35 tons or less in mass). The Wraith did well keeping up with the combined force and was able to maneuver well around the broken terrain of the battlefield we played upon. I found that the Wraith was a bit more 'sturdy' than the Phoenix Hawk I was originally going to choose as 'leader', and the added benefit of the pulse laser's to-hit bonus was very nice in enabling me to hit my targets more accurately and more often. The ability to leap 7 hexes often got me on the other side of hills, to where the enemy could not advance to fire upon me for a turn. Allowing me to cool my Mech, and often allowing me to run to meet the engagement and alpha strike without issue or further heat buildup. I cannot stress how useful a 7-11-7, 55 ton Mech can be in combat. I would take another for use as a Light Mech Lance Commander any day. Sign me up as a 'fan' of the Wraith, and if you don't agree, well... we can 'talk' about it... on a battlefield. :)
Addendum: I feel that the Wraith with Clan Tech is a good idea, but I don't really like the variant listed in your video. I tend to agree with your idea of swapping the Pulse Mediums for ER versions. That would 'free up' 2 tons. One of which I would expend for more armoring, and the other for an additional Heat Sink. Although this makes the mediums less likely 'to-hit' than the pulse lasers they replace, the range brackets nearly match the Pulse Large Laser's. The additional armor would help armor the torsos a bit more, with the 'extra' going to the arms. I would even shave a couple of points off the legs to max out the torso and arm armor. The additional Heat Sink would go a long ways to making sure the Mech 'runs cool', or at least, be less of a heat burden to bear when multiple alpha strikes are needed while maneuvering.
Just some thoughts.
Appreciate your thoughts, as always. The Wraith could absolutely do well in a pack of lights as the default heavy hitter.
If any 'mech was perfect to paint in iridescent colors, like a weird rainbow beetle, it's gotta be this one.
>It's an OK mech but can you paint it like a crayon box threw up on it for me?
@@MechanicalFrog 😂 Mood ring paint would work too
One of the weirdest research papers I've read in the last month confirmed that iridescence was actually decent camouflage for bugs, at least when compared to glossy solid colors or a fixed rainbow pattern. ...I'm still betting that actual *camouflage* would work better, but what do I know lol
That MechFrog Wraith is terrifying! I wouldn't want to be infantry anywhere near it, it's like a flying Piranha. And the phrase "flying Piranha" should scare anyone.
It can sure leave a mark.
@@MechanicalFrog or, more likely, a splatter
All I can see is the cyber ninja who didn't have time to change out of their cyber beetle hoodie
I love the inclusion of a brace of machineguns on the Wraith-MF. Obviously they're going to ruin the day for infantry but that 14 heat-free extra damage could even take a battlemech by surprise.
The Wraith fills a niche I found myself quite enjoying. I once ran one in an Extraction op against my brother. Despite having most of his forces ahead because of his initiative, I was able to screen most of them with my Wolverine and get the speedier Wraith in there for extraction. I ended up winning the game by having the objective closer to my zone.
It's amazing how fast this medium can be at times
before now i didn't even know about the wraith but i'm already in love with this little bastard.
This is one I've actually got to play a few times, and it's never really done me wrong! Highlight of its carrier has been jumping behind a dervish on a building and pushing it off onto his own infantry!
Glad to hear it performed well for you.
Most of my favourite mechs are just the Wraith over and ovet again. The Nightsky, the Phoenix Hawk 3PL, the Goshawk and Goshawk II...
I have a problem.
It's only a problem if it isn't fun. #Enabled
I am very "Team Wraith"!
The TR2-X Wraith is the Solaris mech that sees the most play in our FLGS weeklies.
Keep up the good work.
So I know it is not "Optimal" or even "Good", but Dola when lol?
It looks so cool!
In the late game in 3062, and just retired my very heavily modified TR2( more like a TR5 by this point). This was my scout and tank killer. Since you can't change the internal structure in game, I went pretty much Clan tech to save weight and Criticals. Clan XL, Clan Ferro, Clan Double HS. Weapons are, IS Plasma.Rifle W/ 2 tons of ammo, and 2 MXPLS. Added an ECM and Active probe for the Scouting role. Nicknamed it Zippy. Since in the late game you need more firepower, I replaced it in the Scout role with a Berserker( how very Steiner).
Zippy is a good name for it. Or Zap Brannigan.
I really want to run one of these once my CCAF Warrior House company is done. It is definitely a unique design among the hundreds of other mechs with its hooded, ghostly look and smooth features. The only other mech coming to mind competing directly with this is the Phoenix Hawk-3PL, which can jump 6 and fire its pulse Large and twin Mediums at the same go (I just used one, it was fun). In any case, I really like the Wraith’s aesthetic, and look forward to deploying one in a future game.
It's good to have a wild-card mech around to cause some chaos.
I remember having the IWM Wraith I had painted up I named "Nocturne" I can't remember how but I had it equipped with an Angel ECM so it could be a pest now I have the plastic Wraith from the Alpha Strike set that l'm trying to get painted up in the deep purple I had Nocturne painted in
It looks very much like a 1990s punk depicted in movies with the fluorescent colors you had the artwork painted with
Yeah it definitely has that vibe to it.
The Wraith is one of my all-time favorite 'Mechs and is very affordable when filling out a lance with BV2 with the TR1. Most of my long term opponents curse when they see me pulling one out. I once did a tournament where you could customize your unit and it was fairly open on IS tech up to 3080 even if it no longer existed. So I played around with it and created the annoying sniper.
13 DHS, 11.5 tons of armor, 7/11/7, Weapons: Light PPC, 2 MLs. Equipment: Chameleon LPS and Null Signature System. It could be a tag heat intensive but it became the mosquito in that tournament that everyone wanted to swat!
I'm glad you've had luck with it. As a wild-card, the Wraith can definitely throw a monkey wrench into plans.
@@MechanicalFrog The hardest thing to learn for most players is the need for patience and to practice it. To take the moves you need to get into an advantageous position before striking and to pull back when it no longer is to set it up.
The Wraith is one of my favorite fast mechs in the CCG.
Personally i like the Wraith, i enjoyed the Aris Sung novels a lot, but the mech is very specific in its strengths and weaknesses. Ideally it should be used in pairs to hunt down enemy scouts and circle the bulk of the enemy´s forces to get in the rear, attacking the long range support machines like Catapults, Longbows, Archers and the occational, surviving Bombardier.
The "Alexander" is quite the extreme build but i like it, it´s like the final evolution stage of the Wraith, despite the loss of accuracy for all weapons.
Amazingly, i like pretty much ALL the artworks on the Wraith. Your MF version is another extreme, but the "frogginess" of the Wraith definintely fits for you XD
One homebrew version i had come up with replaces all the pulse lasers and two jumpjets (due to the mech being battlefield salvage) for regular a large and medium laser in each arm.
I am making a FWL unit (haven't decided which one yet, im still researching.) However, I have a Wraith and an Eris earmarked for the first lance. I would like to have a speedy heavy, and a long range assault to finish it up, just have to identify them. As always, good vid, but the Audio did drop for a few seconds!
The newest version of Audacity introduced a bunch of audio flubs. I thought I fixed them all but missed one.
I got 10 of the new plastic mechs, I really love this mech, I made a 100 ton version called the Spector.
The Wraith.
The mech of choice for the short, angry Goth Gal.
The angriest and yet most adorable 60 tonner.
Pairing two Wraith TR1s with two Black Hawk-KU O Primes is also quite nasty.
Going to ponder that... could be quite fun.
Can’t help but think that this sort of ‘Mech would be absolutely terrifying in an urban environment. Shoot and then scoot behind some skyscrapers before jumping back in again.
Oh it could be a nightmare.
The Wraith is one of those mechs I love as a backstabber... I generally used one to be that quick little nasty bugger that ran behind the enemy to shoot them in the back... Also to occasionally kick a tank
AKT - Always Kick Tank
How did I miss this? Yeah, the Wraith is straight out deadly, period. It's straight - many light 'mechs obsolete and it's very survivable thanks to its combination of speed, jump capability, and solid armor. It's also a scary knife fighter that can prove to be a threat to most designs.
I've found the TR-1 surprisingly effective in Classic. It plays like a big Spider/Venom that does twice as much damage and three times more armor. It's just so obnoxious to take out, but you can't ignore pulse lasers and kicks from the rear.
...Wait, is naming the Spider successor Venom a joke about Spiderman and the character Venom?
I wouldn't put it past them.
The Wraith in all versions is great fun in a standup game for a good tactician. In a campaign it's often rendered into a hanger queen when that rare crit strikes it in something hard to find. Been there, done that. In our WOB mercenary campaign we thought we were smart having a LvL 2 of TR3 headhunters. It was loads of fun until, over time, attrition hit, and we cannibalized our LvL 2 down to TR3's, a Jenner -F, two Wasps, and a Mirage. The remaining TR's were kept in storage for spare parts and tinkering. Still, it was an absolute blast of a campaign!
The MF variant is nice. I tend to enjoy fast knife fighting mechs. Now if there was only a way to put a Plasma Canon in it. I bet you thought about it.
I resisted the urge to put a Plasma weapon on it.... this time.
I honestly think there was a missed opportunity to call this mech "The Roach", because the antennae and hood really looks like one. Maybe if some madlad were to install some Harjell III and a Clan-spec XL Engine, then it could work.
Might seem a bit cheap with that name.
this thing strikes me as a phenomenal light mech hunter, a good guard or assist to heavier, slower mechs to keep away those pasky back biter mechs
mine leaves everything the same except add T Com, ER Large in the right, ER Mediums in the left. sniper role makes this mech awesome
Heck yeah look at all those backers. Another absolutely great video.😊
Glad you enjoyed!
Without a doubt, the wraith is my fav FWL mech. An efficient fencer and hunter
Specialized but with some ways to play it that can be nasty on the tabletop.
@@MechanicalFrog Specialist units will always be needed, even if they are niche units. Finding ways to fit niche units in a game is part of the fun
One of my favorite mechs. I love mobile, tough mechs that can fulfill multiple roles. And it looks great to boot.
The TR-1 Wraith is an excellent anti-light bully and light lance leader. It's fast enough to run with the likes of the Jenner, well armoured and packs enough of a punch to make it a threat to any light 'mech it could come into contact with.
One of my all time favourite medium mechs :-) fast, hits easy and does enough damage to worry most opposition :-) ive used and fought against this thing in so many battles and campaigns...its hard to get into a company when looking for specialists but its a great scout hunter :-) cheers for the fun watch
It's just well armed enough to be a problem. And fast enough to be a problem quickly.
Always thought it was an interesting 'Mech when I first read the TRO. Enjoyed the vid, too.👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
I ran a TR5 in my supernatural themed ilClan Merc forcé. It was a blast. So hard to hit it. I would run and jump to get back shots. And it was almost always going last
Nice! Glad to hear it did well for you.
We have a guy at the FLGS who runs the TR1. He generally uses it to flank and forces the opponent to either take shots to the rear armor or turn to try and deal with the speedy mech, thus splitting fire from his real damage dealers. Works well most of the time, but it tends to with under concentrated LRM or Streak fire. Clan pulse lasers usually also cause it to vaporize pretty quick. Though the most insidious killer of at least that particular TR1 is failed pilot checks. I can count at least 4 times he has slipped, tripped, or got knocked over and immediately became the center of attention for a couple of units to make sure it stayed down.
Also, the audio cut out during at 10:57 and returns 11:00.
I got the one from the AS box set painted as W.H. Imarra and it looks fantastic.
Yeah it's made me put the AlphaStrike box in my cart several times...
This is one of my favorite 3055 battlemechs. I would run with a load out containing one ER PPC or ER Large laser and 2 ER medium lasers with a targeting computer to assist. It'll run a little hot, but it will be deadly accurate.
Quite warm but could hit hard at range.
It feels like someone decided to make a 55 ton phoenixhawk.
One of the reasons why the Wraith is popular in tabletop is because it's a rare example of an inner sphere medium mech that is fast, agile, hard hitting, has decent protection for it's role and heat management and most useful of all... Isn't really hard to get replacement parts for under advanced campaign rules due to it's use of the ubiquitous modifier.
It's only real downside is it's pretty close to being as expensive as some clan mechs, but this is less of an issue then it looks on the surface, as the mech makes a great spotter, vertical fighter or distraction for cheaper but more heavily armed and armored mechs, all while having enough speed to make it viable in more open terrain, a historic weakness of a lot of inner sphere mech designs in the medium heavy bracket.
But me, I just like it for how it invokes the sometimes intentionally a bit silly 80's era art for a lot of mechs. It just fits with the whole aesthetic of the game from when I got introduced with it, and basically serves as a constant poke in the eye on these newer gamers that basically want you to stop treating a literal game like what it is, a game. It'll always be one of my favorites for that reason alone.
Love to see other variations of the TR2-x love the partial wing and looks more threatening. Overall love this design.
It's a mech where the partial wing makes sense, just have to find the space and cut even more from weapons to make it happen.
First time someone brought the Wraith against me it jumped farther then I thought it could and one or two shot my mediums back armor. It’s pretty cool, I bought one soon after
Wild card in action!
The Wraith is such a fun mech to play! The only upgrades I like involve Clan energy weapons, or swapping in a Snubnose PPC and a pair of ER Medium Lasers for one extra heat sink and two tons of armor. It's pretty good in Alpha Strike or CBT.
It's a fun wild-card mech. It can really throw a wrench into the works.
@@MechanicalFrog It’s a phenomenal recon lance member, or skirmisher
Thanks for doing this video. I really must get a Wraith sometime. I love the look. 😍
I only play AS and with that in mind, with the mech’s speed I’d choose the TR1 over the ‘2. I don’t need that range if I’m moving that fast (TMM3 makes rather hard to hit too).
The 2-X looks mad as hell😆 (I’m sure my son would choose this one), and damn it’s fast when you jump it.
In AS the ‘5 is just one point more than the ‘1 and gives you two inches more ground movement so I think it’s well worth it. 👍
I like your MF version! That left dakkafist would be hell for the PBI!
It's a fun one. Hoping to get a new model without having to buy the AlphaStrike box.
I've never used the Wraith in game, but the speed, jump distance and the weapons make it look pretty fearsome to me.
Sure, it's not going to tear through anyone anytime soon, but the mobility will give it a pretty decent chance to either hunt down lighter units and overwhelm them with superior firepower and armor or it'll jump into really inconvenient places to take potshots at heavier mechs. Even an assault mech will start sweating bullets, when a Wraith suddenly plops down in its rear arc.
It can definitely ruin a light and medium mech's day.
Those Improved Jump Jets are better than they seem, because they jump at half heat-the TR5 only generates 4 heat jumping 7 meters, which is more easily manageable. Still, with double heat and space, Improved Jump Jets are very mich a niche choice (usually for 'Mechs that move slower on the ground)
Good times had by all.
The wraith is one of those cool mechs that is not just all show and no go. The weapons mix makes sense and mods can just make it better. In a harasser/scout situation this would be a nightmare to hit. Pair it with a lance if more heavy hitters and do the words make it rain come to mind. In all this can a be a very fun mech to play in the game.
It can absolutely be a riot on the tabletop so long as you don't treat it like a mainline mech and march it out into the middle of the field. You have to go full Operation Sneaky Sneak with it.
@@MechanicalFrog yep that's the play. Then when they're dealing with the serious (well to them at least) threats. Then the Wraith becomes a nasty backstabbing surprise. Oh look at all that paper thin armor.
I love the Wraith. Just finished painting one for my Mercenaries. Quick, stabs hard and looks the part.
I do not yet own one but it has tempted me in that AlphaStrike box many times.
I think the TR-MF might be a bit butter with Stealth Armor but that is just me. That would of course raise the cost a bit though...
Great videos as always.
Something to ponder. Thanks for giving it a go!
I travel into the past to listen while I finish up the last company of mechs i have BWahaha also always recalled this one novel that had a Wraith on the cover and never forgot the mech evern though I never really got to use it.
Love the thing because it has no ammo dependency and is an amazing bully of coward mechs, like Stingers, Wasps, Locusts, and other flitting thinga.
And it skirmishes well with bigger mechs.
Biggest weakness, outside of heat management, is other mediums methinks.
Not gonna trade too economically.
I do love the ER PPC variant, though couldn't say its better. Simply love me a PPC.
Chews up lights good... And never underestimate the drawing power of the PPC. :D
Good video.
The only real problem with the OG Wraith is that the I/S Large Pulse
is a lackluster weapon at best. It does what it's supposed to do
but it's range limits it's usage significantly.
The ER PPC variant gives it a great deal more options for the main
weapon but it's heat limits the use of the mech's secondaries.
The OG Wraith is great in the right situations but often struggles to
contribute outside of them. It's still usually worth it's BV as a
countermeasure .
The solution is to go fight the Clans and steal a CLPL at the first opportunity.
IS pulse weaponry in general is middling
Anyone else got an audio problem at 10:58?
Yep. Unfortunately, the latest update to Audacity has caused that issue in multiple locations. I thought I found them all but apparently not. I'm sorry.
You are correct, the TR1 is a good close range brawler. I don't think I've ever played any Wraith on the board. I would see this one from the paper stats see it pretty much in the same row as the Phoenix hawk, a heavy scout, a light or medium lance leader, or the lighter component of a heavier Lance. It would also be great in the pursuit Lance role.
I can absolutely see it having a ball as a hunter killer of light mechs.
This thing is a demon to fight against. It can move fast, and has a good bit of armor.
Played right, it can be quite irritating.
Tales from the Cracked Canopy: The Red Wraith. Nice!
Good times had by all.
If the Wraith had an ECM, and could sustain 7/11/7 movement, it would be absolutely insane. Maybe with the medium pulse lasers downgraded to ER Mediums, you could fit an ECM in there and possibly an additional ER Medium. That would be the IS equivalent to a Shadow Cat
That would be pretty nasty.
This sounds like a mech that I would LOVE to see in MWO!! Fast and jumpy with some damage output.
If I ever have an extra $70 in my budget (sigh... Maybe when the kids are in college) I might grab a second alphastrike box. Partially because I'd love to paint another CGL wraith. ironwind has a model of the Alexander that looks pretty cool for significantly cheaper.
Specialist designs do have their place in larger units, battalion level and above having a lance or company unit being specialized I'd say. (Prime examples of this are the Sevens and Zeta in the Wolf's Dragoons) Lance and company units, unless they bill themselves as specialists, will most often prefer generalist designs like most militias probably do as well.
For the Wraith, it is very good at what it does when in the hand of a proper pilot and given the proper mission. It just is a very expensive investment at over 13 million C-Bills for the original design.
Big risk, big reward if you play it right and are lucky.
i really hope they have some kind of ilclan variant for it because this is one of the FEW medium mechs (and a 55 tonner at that) that is absolutely NASTY
It is a great wild-card mech.
Got one of these in a bta3062 run as salvage and man it lasted me all the way to the higher difficulties just having it jumping and backstabbing with 7 evade. I should really grab one for my next overide game.
Because sometimes we believe the lore and hype before we ever play with a design and, no matter how bad the experience was, the stuff we read in the TRO overrides in our mind what really happened with the mech.
Sometimes the idea of the mech is fun enough to justify the chaos on the tabletop.
@@MechanicalFrog...and the lore will always trump actual experience. If the lore says mechs can vanish from sensors, teleport around the battlefield, perform graceful acrobatics despite their size and interface, and explode even though nuclear reactors don't actually explode as described then by golly those things happened.
TR-3 is a fantastic forward c3 mech.
I'm sure it would do well. Being close like that.
I did get to run a Wraith with upgrading the weapons to clan. The saved ton went to an additional clan Small Pulse Laser. Worked really well the times I got to use it.
A great design, and the fact that it looks like a giant cockroach only makes it cooler in my head:)
It definitely has that look to it.
I used this in a game of Alpha Strike with an objective to retrieve. Boy oh boy did I make people mad 😂
I bet.