@@12crit I did a custom version that had a Heavy Gauss Rifle as the shoulder weapon. It was. . .rude. Just needed a good pilot to keep from falling over constantly. I was always careful when making custom mech variants to not make changes that would fundamentally alter a design's role or appearance, and kept them lore-explainable. The Steiner Charger that went 5/8[9] with TSM and a Heavy Gauss Rifle, and max armor, was kind of horrifying; saw that thing dismantle a 100-ton custom Clan mech in 3 rounds.
The only way to improve the Shadow Hawk is to remove its main feature...the ac/5. Choose the amount of long range fire you want and add LRM5s or a Tbolt-5s to taste. Spread the rest of the cheese to Short range fires (and 2 JJ probably ). A Less drastic option is to remove the 2 superfluous HS and install some extra firepower in it's place. Like an extra ML and changing the SRM2 to a SRM4. Or stick with the extra ML and add 2 JJ. Personally I think it's main selling point is it's flexibility.
The SHD-2H makes more sense if you remember that it was designed at a time when nations were fielding large homogeneous units of a single mech type. It has serious flaws (9 tons on an inefficient gun, excessive cooling, and disappointing jump) but it can maneuver, hop cliffs and ravines (unlike, say, a Crab), has worthwhile armor, and has a weapon for every application. In the early succession wars when things are falling apart and you're struggling to maintain those homogeneous formations you can drop a Shadow Hawk into any medium/heavy cavalry formation or medium line formation and it'll do okay. It's never the best mech, but it's better than nothing.
Easily one of my favorite 55t mechs. I have developed a fondness for the 2H in pre clan games as it can be used as a wonderful support mech for cheap by using smoke ammunition for the lrm and inferno in the srm
Try this house rule; increasing weapon rate of fire to be like the PC games. Each successive firing of the weapon is at +1 Med laser and LRM 5 can fire up to twice a round and the SRM 2 and AC 5, three times a round. You take full heat each shot. Now the Shadow Hawk can do some damage! This house rule is basically using the Solaris dueling system rates of fires from the old box set.
how do you run UACs or Pulse Lasers? Oh also, more importantly than making the AC5 more useful, making AC2s actually usable, Blackjack my beloved will not be useless.
@@xXMegaUltraNinjaXx Well AC 2's would be a rate of fire of 4. That means however that by the time you get to the 4th pull of the trugger, you're firing at a +3. You would have to have jam rules in play as well, say jams on a 2, then 3, then 4. It's risky to do. Small lasers would be rate of fire of 3, mediums 2 and large 1. a roll of snake eyes might melt the lens barrel. I would think that UAC's and Pulse lasers wouldn't get this rapid fire rule as they're effectively designed to be rapid fire weapons anyway. And lets be frank, pulse lasers are already pretty great weapons as they are already, they don't need a boost! But yeah, a Blackjack would be a much better sniper if it stayed still in cover and just fired away with this house rule!
It's a good video but the first 10 minutes is the same picture. Try grabbing some available mech and Battletech artwork to cycle through as you read of the history.
Thanks for the feedback! For the next one I am planning on using the primitive artwork as well, but maybe I'll dip into some older TROs for some classic art to cycle.
The original 3025 'standard' -2H model suffers from some less-than-optimal design flaws. For starters, it has MORE heat sinks than it needs to perform a full jump and fire every weapon it has. I have heard of mechs that come close to breaking even considered 'good' at heat management, but more than enough? It seems just a waste when an extra ton of armor (or full jump-5 ability) would serve it so much better. Regardless of this minor flaw, I have found Shadowhawks often being one of the last survivors in lance-on-lance battles precisely BECAUSE it is not considered much of a threat. By the time the more well armed mechs are done being prime targets, Shadowhawk is still up and running around, plinking away. It's armor is too thick and movement too quick to be considered an 'easy' target and its weapons too plinky to be considered a dangerous 'priority' target. This is not anything special about the mech, just a flaw in human psychology. (and it often occurs)
There is a wild amount of lore and history in this game.
It's a blast to research though!
Shadowhawk: the mech with weapons for every range that are good enough to anger the enemy, but not strong enough to actually destroy any opponent.
Sometimes all you need is that annoying distraction.
It's a nibbler. Just nibbles away. Never doing enough damage to become a priority target, but enough to just annoy the crap out of the enemy.
@@12crit I did a custom version that had a Heavy Gauss Rifle as the shoulder weapon. It was. . .rude. Just needed a good pilot to keep from falling over constantly. I was always careful when making custom mech variants to not make changes that would fundamentally alter a design's role or appearance, and kept them lore-explainable. The Steiner Charger that went 5/8[9] with TSM and a Heavy Gauss Rifle, and max armor, was kind of horrifying; saw that thing dismantle a 100-ton custom Clan mech in 3 rounds.
These videos have been fascinating. Im pretty new to battletech having been recently playing the 2018 game.
The only way to improve the Shadow Hawk is to remove its main feature...the ac/5.
Choose the amount of long range fire you want and add LRM5s or a Tbolt-5s to taste. Spread the rest of the cheese to Short range fires (and 2 JJ probably ).
A Less drastic option is to remove the 2 superfluous HS and install some extra firepower in it's place.
Like an extra ML and changing the SRM2 to a SRM4.
Or stick with the extra ML and add 2 JJ.
Personally I think it's main selling point is it's flexibility.
The SHD-2H makes more sense if you remember that it was designed at a time when nations were fielding large homogeneous units of a single mech type. It has serious flaws (9 tons on an inefficient gun, excessive cooling, and disappointing jump) but it can maneuver, hop cliffs and ravines (unlike, say, a Crab), has worthwhile armor, and has a weapon for every application.
In the early succession wars when things are falling apart and you're struggling to maintain those homogeneous formations you can drop a Shadow Hawk into any medium/heavy cavalry formation or medium line formation and it'll do okay. It's never the best mech, but it's better than nothing.
Absolutely. The Shadow Hawk is not perfect at anything, but can fill many needed roles. A jack of all trades and master of none.
Definitely digging this series, keep it up!
Thanks a lot! I'm glad you are enjoying them!
Also, I took your previous suggestion about the video order and hopefully fixed it!
The shadow hawk is the coolest looking mech in the game
It's so very *classic*
The PGI Centurion literally exists
Have u seen Victor, Enforcer, Crusader, Centurion, Cicada, Locust, Firestarter, Highlander, Raven or Bushwacker?
Easily one of my favorite 55t mechs. I have developed a fondness for the 2H in pre clan games as it can be used as a wonderful support mech for cheap by using smoke ammunition for the lrm and inferno in the srm
The Shadow Hawk is so flexible! I really enjoy fielding it for early era games as well.
Great video!
Thanks! I appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed it!
Try this house rule; increasing weapon rate of fire to be like the PC games. Each successive firing of the weapon is at +1 Med laser and LRM 5 can fire up to twice a round and the SRM 2 and AC 5, three times a round. You take full heat each shot. Now the Shadow Hawk can do some damage!
This house rule is basically using the Solaris dueling system rates of fires from the old box set.
That's a neat house rule! Would probably shorten games up too.
how do you run UACs or Pulse Lasers?
Oh also, more importantly than making the AC5 more useful, making AC2s actually usable, Blackjack my beloved will not be useless.
@@xXMegaUltraNinjaXx Well AC 2's would be a rate of fire of 4. That means however that by the time you get to the 4th pull of the trugger, you're firing at a +3. You would have to have jam rules in play as well, say jams on a 2, then 3, then 4. It's risky to do. Small lasers would be rate of fire of 3, mediums 2 and large 1. a roll of snake eyes might melt the lens barrel. I would think that UAC's and Pulse lasers wouldn't get this rapid fire rule as they're effectively designed to be rapid fire weapons anyway. And lets be frank, pulse lasers are already pretty great weapons as they are already, they don't need a boost! But yeah, a Blackjack would be a much better sniper if it stayed still in cover and just fired away with this house rule!
It's a good video but the first 10 minutes is the same picture. Try grabbing some available mech and Battletech artwork to cycle through as you read of the history.
Thanks for the feedback! For the next one I am planning on using the primitive artwork as well, but maybe I'll dip into some older TROs for some classic art to cycle.
The original 3025 'standard' -2H model suffers from some less-than-optimal design flaws. For starters, it has MORE heat sinks than it needs to perform a full jump and fire every weapon it has. I have heard of mechs that come close to breaking even considered 'good' at heat management, but more than enough? It seems just a waste when an extra ton of armor (or full jump-5 ability) would serve it so much better.
Regardless of this minor flaw, I have found Shadowhawks often being one of the last survivors in lance-on-lance battles precisely BECAUSE it is not considered much of a threat. By the time the more well armed mechs are done being prime targets, Shadowhawk is still up and running around, plinking away. It's armor is too thick and movement too quick to be considered an 'easy' target and its weapons too plinky to be considered a dangerous 'priority' target. This is not anything special about the mech, just a flaw in human psychology. (and it often occurs)
It really needs an upgrade with an ultra ac5 lrm10 2er, medium lasers, furofibrous armor and XL engine