Notes and resources: Where can you find the Timber Wolf you may wonder, and in plastic? There are a bunch of box-sets. First, the Clan Invasion Boxset, which also comes with 4 other battlemechs: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-clan-invasion Then, the Alpha Strike Box, which comes with like, 12 additional mechs: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-alpha-strike-box-set Finally, a different pose can be found in the Wolf's Dragoons Boxset: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-forcepacks-wolfs-dragoons For Literary Resources used for this video: The Golden Century Era Digest: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-era-digest-golden-century-pdf - Includes most of the information on the Woodsman - And implications for its decline Technical Readout 3050 Update: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-3050-upgrade-pdf - Has most of the technical details on the Timber Wolf and some additional details, including how it was pivotal to the Clan Wolf strike on the Inner Sphere. It has one extra key paragraph over the "Clan Invasion" TRO sourcebook, so this is chosen. Recognition Guide issue 5: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-recognition-guide-ilclan-vol-5 - This includes several variants, but also the Timber-Wolf's return to prominence Battletech Legends: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-legends - For information involving the Deathtrap and Aidan Pryde Battletech: Tukayyid: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-battle-of-tukayyid - for parts of the Jade Falcon Campaign, and Aidan Pryde Technical Readout 3055: The Original, for information relating to the Linebacker Technical Readout 3055 Upgrade: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-3055-upgrade-pdf-1 - For cross-referencing with the original Technical Readout 3145: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-3145-pdf - For Warwolf and Mad Cat IV information Technical Readout Dark Age: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-dark-age - For a fragment of Mad Cat III information Blood of Kerensky Trilogy: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-legends-the-blood-of-kerensky-trilogy-digital-box-set - For quotes and cross-references Jade Phoenix Trilogy: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-legends-legend-of-the-jade-phoenix-battletech-legends-box-set-3-by-robert-thurston - For quotes and cross-references Michael Long's Artwork for the Timber Wolf, used in 2 shots: www.artstation.com/artwork/o2eV8L Thank you Michael! Art of Battletech's Tumblr Blog: artofbattletech.tumblr.com/ Thank you for all your hard work! MOST IMPORTANTLY! Sven's Upcoming SUCCESSION WARS video! Coming out SATURDAY!: th-cam.com/video/E4vycwjRrZk/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=SvenvanderPlank
I haven't watched the whole video yet, just the Woodsman part, but I don't like the on-screen text. That part is a hard miss. The font and color combination is simply too painful to look at for more than a minute.
Other people have commented on this. This is the first time I used the text, I'll take the feedback into consideration in the future, but the text is what it is in this video.
So Tex dropped the Hunchie, Sven is dropping the 1st Succ War, and Red is dropping the Mad Katzen? Will the wonders never cease this week? I need to but a lottery ticket
@@ImBarryScottCSSI’m with ya on that. The Timberwolf was the very first mech I witness ever since I knew about Battletech. The other one that comes close recognition for me, is the Summoner/Thor.
"Dawn is here and there is still argument. Forget artillery cover. Forget how much personnel to assign. I am Star Colonel Aidan Pryde. I bid the Falcon Guard Cluster for the right to take both bridges!” - Star Colonel Aidan Pryde, pilot of the Timberwolf Pryde configuration which he named Deathtrap , addressing the war council on Tukayyid
@@BigRed40TECHI quoted him because to my knowledge he's the only other character to put Jump Jets on the Timberwolf, though I honestly preferred to replace the large lasers with PPCs and the LRM 20s with LRM 15s.
@@BigRed40TECHThe N is closer to what I used, Kept the ER mediums under them and dropped most of the torso mounted weapons for Jump Jets. Of course as previously mentioned my use of clan mechs proper was soon discarded once I gained the ability to manufacture their technology through connections with Ghost Bear and while some of what I fielded was built using pre-existing designs like using the Kodiaks frame to produce the Arctodus, there were some others like my 4 legged Omni Artillery mech t were entirely original. Still, gotta give props to the OG mechs that are heads and shoulders above the rest, like the Timberwolf.
I'd like to put clan large pulse lasers instead of the er large lasers personally :-) the -2 to hit just makes the madcat better and less of a target for a entire lance of lights...which is what you need to try to dent one of these and even then you probably won't leave the battle with any of the lights left
I've said it before and I'll say it again: this might be the most perfect me ever designed; fast, well armored, well armed, huge range and decent heat efficiency. It's a god damn monster.
Agreed. Ive told anyone who asks that the “best” (relatively) mech in the series is the Timby. It’s amazing. I’ve got a Timberwolf build in my group that we call Timbuktu for being the oldest but most reliable and consistent build, one of the firsts we did.
I still love the Timber Wolf, as I am of the generation that began their Battletech journey with Mechwarrior 2, and it was my first sight of a ‘mech at all. I personally find the Alpha configuration to be my favorite. Hilariously, that configuration is much more a Warhammer than either mech the Timberwolf physically resembles. I would like to try the S-configuration at some point, perhaps have it in a Jade Falcon or Smoke Jaguar unit. Excellent work Big Red!
It is Ironic that you are able to near replicate the Alpha Configuration with a Rakshasa (just use Standard Medium Laser instead of Medium Pulse Laser). With this Configuration (and CASE^^) the Rakshasa would probably more liked...for all it´s weaknesses^^
Timberwolf was my very first introduction to BattleTech. Played MechWarrior on the Sega Genesis, and this was the mech on the cover. I had no idea why the health was called heat, that a guass rifle was not an AOE attack, or what a clan was. But i still fell in love all the same, and the Timberwolf was my gateway.
I think beyond just the Aesthetics, it's also the poster mech for the series because it has a skill "Floor" as low as a Stalkers ...but also potentially a *ceiling* as high as the Highlander's
Fun Fact; this is the first mech I ever used. There was an arcade that had Mechwarrior Two set up with VR headsets (Yes, those were around in the 90's) and me and my dad ended up in them. We... ran up to each other, circled and fired because we didn't know what we were doing. XD I do love the Mad Cat; I usually strip the machine guns for more LRM ammo and armor or I swap the LRMs for SRMs.
This is truly the Golden Age of Battletech 3 major videos within a week of eachother, plus all the other amazing content creators are releasing all over. Truly the Golden Age.
@@shadowslayer205 IIRC, Mech Assault was Activision? As was most of the Mechwarrior PC games before Piranha games got their hands on it. Not... really sure what Activision really *did* to Battletech that was bad, besides Mech Assault, which was just a couple of lukewarm games.
The most iconic 'mech of 3050, and one of the faces of the franchise; The Lumberpuppy! I always liked the look of the Woodsman and its place in the lore, though it's a painful 'mech for me. It feels like something that could've been saved from extinction, but its superior progeny relegated it to the dustbin of history.
Hands down my favorite mech. I remember falling in love with it the moment I saw it. It was back when wiz kids made their mechwarrior clicker game and they had one sitting in a display case. I know that game is rather infamous in the community but it was my entry point and I still have that damn model!
It's been a while since I read The Legend Of The Jade Phoenix Trilogy, but my God, your describing of the events at end just brought back the feelings I experienced reading it. Bred For War: A New Dawn's first track brought those feelings back too!
Clan LRM20's are probably one of my favorite weapons... I had a raven in MW5 with a clan ERPPC, 2 heavy small lasers and a clan lrm20 with 4 tons of ammo. The weight savings on clan missile weapons are just wonderful, that raven would take out anything with it's probes and ecm making it nasty in assassination missions.
Perfection. Absolute perfection, in a mech chassis. Fast. Durable. Balanced well in weight classes. Light overall chassis, leading to more firepower. And? Looks damn good. I mean, it’s the first mech the IS attempted to clone with the Rakshasa, if that doesn’t tell how amazing this thing is. I’m proud to be a Clanner.
All of the Jade Phoenix material gave me chills. That was my introduction to Battletech Lore and still has a warm place in my heart. Thank you for this.
About the D config: i think the point of the rear-facing SRMs is that the mech, through arm flipping, can use the same firepower foward or backward... Making running past a mech to blast their backs without having to turn around a very tempting move. Also means light mechs have to really fear that rear arc, and that overall, no matter where the enemy is located, he will always be in the possible firing arc of both PPCs and a pair of SRMs Also I do think the savage wolf is a superior successor, running hotter and more vulnerable internally, but with a durability matching assault mechs in the armor department without giving up mobility and ability to withstand low damage cluster weapons like LBX buckshot that are far more common in the dark age than in the era of the timberwolf, the only thing holding it back as a true replacement being the price tag
I compare the Timberwolf to my beloved Flashman with Clan tech, I find them overlapping. Then realize that aesthetically the Flashman is only pretty next to the Urbanmech. The Timberwolf is an Adonis.
I can't thank you and tex enough for reintroducing me to this setting. I had a few of the mech action figures nearly 30 years ago but knew nothing outside of what was on the packaging of my thor, bushwacker, mauler, and axman and advertisements in the dragon magazines older cousins had. Learning about the scope of the lore and tabletop rules from you guys is such a delight. thanks again for all your hard work.
This weekend is a great one so far! Tons of content from all my favorite creators, The Timber Wolf, Sven's Succession War video, Texas Hunchback, and more content from other series as well! The Timber Wolf, my first and favorite mech from MechWarrior 2!
I think my top 5 favorite mechs would look like this: #5. Annihilator #4. Marauder #3. Mad Dog #2. Fafnir #1. Timber Wolf (not even close to 2nd) I'm one of those people who grew up with the "Mad Cat" being the face of Mechwarrior/ Battletech, I have the Timberwolf K'nex set at home above my headboard. I really wish I had also gotten the Mad Dog one when they had it. One of the main reasons I want to get a 3D printer, is to try to print a Timberwolf model, the size of a Warhammer 40k Imperial Knight (the table top model obviously lol). I NEVER got too into the lore for Battletech, I just grew up playing the games, so still don't see the hate for Clan stuff, like how all the main stream games like to end JUST before the Clan invasion. To me it just seems like they are stopping just before "the good part." A good example how it feels to me, its like ending anything Halo, just before contact with the Covenant at Harvest.
One of my fav mechs but as a kid when MW2 Ghost Bear came out and seeing a beast rise up out of the snow I instantly loved the Kodiak and is still no. 1 for that reason
I really appreciate the level of respect you showed the Timberwolf. It was the Mech I grew up on and piloted throughout my teenage years. There are many pretenders but as my grandfather told me, when it comes to quality, accept no substitutes. Just as the Timberwolf is a mech of quality, so is this video.
I'm not sure if this is a popular thought or not, but i REALLY like how your videos since you've started doing btech content (when i first subbed) went from shorter to much longer and more detailed. I know not every mech needs a long video but the ones that do you can absolutely appreciate why. I love listening and re-listening to some of my favorites while i plug away at work. Battletech sorely needs more content like this imo. What a great few weeks for mech fans in general too.
Great video! I love the Timberwolf, it's very much the mech that got me into the game (probably not a rare statement). When I was very young, my dad got Mech Warrior 2 and I would play it so much. Years later, my friend supported the Clan Invasion kickstarter, and when I saw the Timberwolf mini, I had a huge flashback moment and dived into the game. Also, maybe its a quirk of luck, or some bizarre sign from the universe, but whenever I got one of the Clan Invasion Salvage Boxes, it was like a 50-50 shot of Timberwolf or something else, so I have a whole star of them at this point. Someday I should run them to see how that feels
A great piece of work, both in script and imagery! Now that I've gotten the flattery out of the way, my sole complaint ("This Norwegian Blue Timber Wolf is dead!" "No, no, look, it's just resting.") is about the font being used in this video for describing the various facets (structure, defense, weapons) of the different variants. The text in past videos has been clear and easy to read, important when trying to listen to the narration at the same time. This font is fuzzy, and has strange characters (such as a delta or carrot) breaking up sentences or phrases; I have to work much harder to get all of the details. There is so much good information being presented that it is a shame to lose any of it.
My first glimpse of this harbinger of death was the “Catnap” mission of mechassault many years ago. It’s been the Battlemech of battlemechs for me ever since.
This is pretty much the definitive review of the successor iconic battllemech to the Warhammer. The Timber Wolf/Mad Cat needed a lot of attention, and it got it here. Watch and learn, sibko!
That was flicking awesome! The Timberwolf is one of my favorite mechs. I don't play the game but even know you can't stop one these bad ass'! Thankyou!
Personally, I prefer the A configuration over the D. Same twin ER PPC punch but also dishes out more serious pain on more evasive targets (as well as overall) with the medium pulse shoulder, though granted, eats up a bit more BV.
Inner Sphere: "This mech has been in production for almost 500 years! It's great!" Clans: "This mech kicked ALL the ass last year, but now it's getting onto 50 years old, what a worthless piece of junk! Time to replace it!"
New drinking game: big red 40 hands. Tape a 40 in each hand, then take a sip every time clan wolf is mentioned. Chug 2 seconds every time plot armor is mentioned
Even though I played MW2 first seeing a Mad Cat always makes me think of the SNES and Sega games. Clan Wolf repeatedly trying and failing to replace the Timber Wolf reminds me of the A-10 Thunderbolt and the military repeatedly trying to phase it out but it's just so damn good at what it does.
Ah, Timber Wolf. Every time i piloted you in MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, it was so unfair, even to those who were Word of Blake. (From recovered BattleROM Date Unknown: "I can't believe it, Sarge lost." A fully Overcharged Timber Wolf lost to a standard Timber Wolf stolen by the MechWarrior of Wolf's Dragoons out to rescue Major Natasha from WOB captivity.)
I have 15 Ral Partha Era Timber Wolves. This was the mech that gotnme into battletech in 1992. Thank you for the thorough lore video. I painted some for each of the invasion clans. Though the bulk are Clan Wolf. Need to get back into painting and finish my Galaxy, and inner sphere RCT.
It was circa 94' I believe. I was bored in 3rd period health counting the holes in the asbestos ceiling tiles. My friend Sean Banick had a new monstrous manual with an advertisement for graph paper and mechanical pencils called battletech. That's where I first saw it.
It's hard to undersell the iconic Mad Cat. Even before I knew what BT was, back in the 90's I knew that silhouette. I knew nothing about it, but I knew it was some machine from the MW video games. I use the derpy Mad Cat III on the table, but I've never fielded the Timberwolf itself, despite having 3 painted. Hell, you'd probably be hard pressed to find a BT player who DOESN'T have a Mad Cat somewhere.
Great job Red! The BT content creators have been crushing it these last two weeks & I'm looking forward to Sven's vid tomorrow as with this one I am confident it will be top notch.
I really appreciate the MechWarrior 2 soundtrack in this video. The Mad Cat being on the cover of the game was what got me into BattleTech. EDIT: Funny enough, my computer at the time couldn't play the music for the game. It played all the other sounds.
@@BigRed40TECH I think it was just a super old PC. like even DOOM didn't play music and had different sounds than everyone else. Really wish Microsoft would let GoG put the old MW games and their soundtracks on their site.
If they'd yanked the MASC on the Woodsman and added Jump Jets (or, better, pod space that is often assigned to jump jets), I suspect that the design would have been more effective. 4/6/4 is far better than 4/6 and can allow for some clutch maneuvers that even a higher ground speed doesn't permit. The Mad Cat was the first miniature that I ever owned. I painted it up in a gray base with black tiger stripes and it looked surprisingly snazzy for being a completely no-skill paint job. It's still the scheme that I plan to use for my Clan minis and any extra IS models beyond my 2-of-everything colors. If I were to build an invasion-era Mad Cat config, I'd probably roll with a pair of cERPPCs in the arms, quad cSRM6s in the side torsos, and a pair of SPLs either in the sides or the center, depending on crit space. One of the best Mad Cat experiences ever is in the original MechCommander, where you can encounter one as a boss fight in the 3rd mission. If you get extremely lucky (or save scum with great patience) you can take the thing out with called shots or artillery and salvage it. Doing so makes the bulk of the rest of the game far easier, especially if you can salvage some of its weapons.
To think that such formidable machine could be murdered by mere 4 stats that do not even appear in Tabletop: acceleration, decceleration, turn speed and laser burn time.
This was yet ANOTHER masterpiece, the end with the Jade story was really awesome, touching and just amazing. Also really loved the outro, made me smile. You keep making better and better videos sir
I know you aren't a fan of Clan Wolf. But could we maybe see a video from you about Clan Jade Falcon? They have so many cool and unique mechs. Plus, there well sheer well Jade Falconness makes them fascinating to read about. Still thank you for the video, it was amazing! 🤩
I actually really like Jade Falcon, but their big moment is the Refusal War, which is some of the worst garbage the setting has ever produced. It's just hard to do something like I did for Smoke Jaguar or Ghost Bear, for Jade Falcon, as a result. It's not a lack of wanting to do it. It's more just- how am I going to do it.
@@BigRed40TECH You really do have a point. The refusal war was pretty bad. Still, I know you can do it and thanks for answering back! I just hope we can see better clan plots in the future. I kind of liked the Wolf Empire struggles in 'Empire Alone' and 'Redemption Rites'. Plus the new Jace Falcon plotlines in the hinterlands is very interesting. A 'Question of Survival' was a fantastic book.
@@dessfigures2447 Oh I loved a QOS, that's a great novel. I liked Redemption Rites too, though I found the Wolf part... draining. Honestly, after 30-years, I just don't want to read anything else about them. The damage has really been done for me.
Thank you for the great review of the mech! I appreciated the effort it must have taken for you to review something Wolf related without a bonfire of rage.
For some of the Clan mechs I included their obvious and main precursors, as it makes sense rather then doing individual videos for these primordial mechs tbh.
Just wanted to say that the ending of the video was hilarious, really glad you left it for the last few seconds! Also amazing job once more, made my workshift extremely pleasant.
Beautifully done! A truly proper tribute to the mech, the lore and in real life. Easily one of the best breakdown videos ive seen regarding a Battlemech. This best has always been my ride and like clan wolf ive looked for alternatives but always wind up with another custom alt! Ive been with battletech since the mid Fasa days!
What a video and what a 'mech. You've done the face of the franchise justice. Despite all the pretenders, there is and always ever will be, only one Timberwolf. Well done, Red.
I've always wanted to see the Timberwolf in the four-machine gun version that was presented to us in the opening video of the Mechwarrior II. So some of my funniest variants have that trait. Fortunately, micro pulse lasers came to the rescue... and now there is no Timberwolf, that does not end or with 4 machine guns or 4 micro pulse laser ... A similar configuration with a difference of 4 heat points... something the Timberwolf can do with it. With the advantage that the micro pulse laser, they allow to liquidate the risk of explosion if one takes a few turns in finishing with all the ammunition of LRM before launching into a fiercer combat.
@@BigRed40TECH Yes, the LRM 15 are a good way to reduce weight, although let's be honest, the best is to use LRM5, but even to replace the LRM20 ... in fact it will not be the first or the last time I use 4 LRM5 per torso, although the consideration is 4 more heat generation than the LRM20, but those two tons together are a treasure. It may seem silly, but I find those six shifts optimal releasing LRM especially at medium distances, instead of the 8 with the LRM15 ... although the "deception" of the LRM is that in the end you release the same potential damage unless you download it in more or less turns. With SI the issue changes, because the launchers are so heavy that if you carry one, especially the big ones, it is to use it as long as you can. But in the clans the ammunition "burns me" and I must give it out. I guess that's why I find the Micro Pulse Laser so wonderful to emulate machine guns, if you generate heat, but also one more damage for each, so it does not "hurt" so much. A great video.
It’s ironic that the Woodsman would be resurrected in the Dark Ages/IlClan Era by the Wolves for the same reasons why it was mothballed in the Golden Century. There’s some sort of poetic symmetry going on here, as the great ancestor design serves alongside of its descendants, the Mad Cat MK 2-4 series plus the Alpha Wolf.
Basically the Timberwolf was the Ferrari/the German Panzer IV of Battle Tech. SUPER expensive and the best you could field as a heavy but a bunch of super inexpensive mechs like Urbanmechs/ Patton tanks could jump it and take it out given the cost vs production vs numbers.
Very much so. Great for when you have limited numbers to focus resources on for maximum force multiplication, like elite Mercenary deployments, Solaris Jocks, and especially the FPS Player Characters, but on a grander scale, you will often be better with more cheaper assets.
Why would you compare the timber wolf to a panzer 4? If anything from an armor and firepower stand point it would be more comparable to a panzer V(tiger)
@@TekkaSage The panzer IV is a medium tank that was a mainstay of the German army? Perhaps you meant the Panzer VII king tiger tank? Both the tiger and king tiger are heavy tanks that required a large supply train and were very expensive.
@@andrewwalters9763 no because there was also the mk3/4 and would be German heavy/super tanks. The Timberwolf would of been what would of functioned best and won the most but was not mass produced and too expensive to counter the allies subpar fast built Patton. The Germans built things to last and even at the medium tank level they were too slow at making them due to trying to keep quality high.
Thank you for championing the light mechs. All too often players Overlook these valuable Battlefield assets. They have as much a place on the field as any assault mech or any other size mech , if anything they're even more important that a because they're able to fulfill multiple roles and be able to respond to any battle threat much quicker than any assault ever could.
Great video, I do appreciate the effort you made to explain the history and impact of the Timber Wolf while carefully avoiding being bogged down in Clan Wolf lore, though the note on their hubris concerning the War Wolf was a nice touch. As I was introduced to Battletech in the MW2 era, to me, the Timber Wolf has always been the poster boy of the franchise. This was re-enforced by its prominence in both MW3 & Mechcommander as well as featuring on the cover of the first Battletech novel I read, The Exodus Road, however it never was my favourite mech.
I'm a huge sucker for building Catapults in MW5. Been one of my favorite weapons platforms since I was a kid. They just look realistic as a plausable machine. But when it comes to extra tonnage and omph, I always go Timber wolf.
Been waiting for this video for a long time. The single best mech in all of Battletech. And yes, I was introduced to the franchise by MechWarrior 2, so I admit to bias in this respect. In spite of the gross plot-armor that Clan Wolf employs, and that's coming from a self-professed Clansman (again, I blame Mechwarrior 2), the Timberwolf is mechanically-speaking the optimum combination of all the rules of the game, and unless and until they introduce new technologies that break the powerplant curve, it will never be topped. Although once again, it's not "TOOK-ee-id", it's "tuck-AYE-yid". Arabic pronunciation. Sets my teeth on edge every single time I hear BT fans pronouncing it the former way.
Great video! As for related designs, I always felt the Blood Reaper was a worthy successor, despite the ludicrously grimdark name, in a second line, non omnimech form. The Kodiak to the Timber Wolf's Executioner. Also, had a soft spot for the Linebacker. It feels like the Adder and the Pouncer, just in their middle years. Y'know, bit bigger, let themselves go a little, but still got what it takes to compete! :D
The Timber Wolf is the mech of champions, even in defeat-unless they're unlucky and a PPC bolt or AC/10 shot kills the MechWarrior instantly That applies to most 'Mechs though, even ones with stronger head armor
Notes and resources:
Where can you find the Timber Wolf you may wonder, and in plastic? There are a bunch of box-sets.
First, the Clan Invasion Boxset, which also comes with 4 other battlemechs: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-clan-invasion
Then, the Alpha Strike Box, which comes with like, 12 additional mechs: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-alpha-strike-box-set
Finally, a different pose can be found in the Wolf's Dragoons Boxset: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-forcepacks-wolfs-dragoons
For Literary Resources used for this video:
The Golden Century Era Digest: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-era-digest-golden-century-pdf - Includes most of the information on the Woodsman - And implications for its decline
Technical Readout 3050 Update: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-3050-upgrade-pdf - Has most of the technical details on the Timber Wolf and some additional details, including how it was pivotal to the Clan Wolf strike on the Inner Sphere. It has one extra key paragraph over the "Clan Invasion" TRO sourcebook, so this is chosen.
Recognition Guide issue 5: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-recognition-guide-ilclan-vol-5 - This includes several variants, but also the Timber-Wolf's return to prominence
Battletech Legends: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-legends - For information involving the Deathtrap and Aidan Pryde
Battletech: Tukayyid: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-battle-of-tukayyid - for parts of the Jade Falcon Campaign, and Aidan Pryde
Technical Readout 3055: The Original, for information relating to the Linebacker
Technical Readout 3055 Upgrade: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-3055-upgrade-pdf-1 - For cross-referencing with the original
Technical Readout 3145: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-3145-pdf - For Warwolf and Mad Cat IV information
Technical Readout Dark Age: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-technical-readout-dark-age - For a fragment of Mad Cat III information
Blood of Kerensky Trilogy: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-legends-the-blood-of-kerensky-trilogy-digital-box-set - For quotes and cross-references
Jade Phoenix Trilogy: store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-legends-legend-of-the-jade-phoenix-battletech-legends-box-set-3-by-robert-thurston - For quotes and cross-references
Michael Long's Artwork for the Timber Wolf, used in 2 shots: www.artstation.com/artwork/o2eV8L Thank you Michael!
Art of Battletech's Tumblr Blog: artofbattletech.tumblr.com/ Thank you for all your hard work!
MOST IMPORTANTLY! Sven's Upcoming SUCCESSION WARS video! Coming out SATURDAY!:
th-cam.com/video/E4vycwjRrZk/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=SvenvanderPlank
Don't forget Iron Wind version, five separate types which can be customized, and feature in 5 Clan star builds.
You can also luck out with a Clan Salvage Box, but... just get more Clan Boxed Sets, so much plastic.
I haven't watched the whole video yet, just the Woodsman part, but I don't like the on-screen text. That part is a hard miss.
The font and color combination is simply too painful to look at for more than a minute.
How to spot a Canadian… uses Defence vs Defense
Other people have commented on this. This is the first time I used the text, I'll take the feedback into consideration in the future, but the text is what it is in this video.
So Tex dropped the Hunchie, Sven is dropping the 1st Succ War, and Red is dropping the Mad Katzen? Will the wonders never cease this week? I need to but a lottery ticket
The canopian succ war?
One of the best weeks to be a battletech fan for sure.
Truly this is a Golden Age of BattleTube. ❤
Succ war.
As the devil told John wi....errr... Constantine: "Busy busy busy" th-cam.com/video/wfKzrO_IQJA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rj1hJnNZ5VEDjlOb
Tex summed up the B config best, and i quote: "To me it says; this is for training, See what you like."
The Timberwolf silhouette is one that burns into the mind. Even with one's own preferences, it's hard to argue it isn't THE clan poster child.
The only rival is the Atlas.
Yah some even would say the poster child of the franchise with the atlas in close second (the grognards will kill me for this)
@@thorveim1174It's certainly the poster child for me. MechWarrior burnt it into my mind.
@@ImBarryScottCSSI’m with ya on that. The Timberwolf was the very first mech I witness ever since I knew about Battletech. The other one that comes close recognition for me, is the Summoner/Thor.
As someone who came into BattleTech from MW3, it’s the MadCat.
"Dawn is here and there is still argument. Forget artillery cover. Forget how much personnel to assign. I am Star Colonel Aidan Pryde. I bid the Falcon Guard Cluster for the right to take both bridges!” - Star Colonel Aidan Pryde, pilot of the Timberwolf Pryde configuration which he named Deathtrap , addressing the war council on Tukayyid
There is a bit of Pryde mentioned in this video...
@@BigRed40TECHI quoted him because to my knowledge he's the only other character to put Jump Jets on the Timberwolf, though I honestly preferred to replace the large lasers with PPCs and the LRM 20s with LRM 15s.
Timber Wolf S is real! It has 5 jump jets. It's covered in the video. :)
@@BigRed40TECHThe N is closer to what I used, Kept the ER mediums under them and dropped most of the torso mounted weapons for Jump Jets. Of course as previously mentioned my use of clan mechs proper was soon discarded once I gained the ability to manufacture their technology through connections with Ghost Bear and while some of what I fielded was built using pre-existing designs like using the Kodiaks frame to produce the Arctodus, there were some others like my 4 legged Omni Artillery mech t were entirely original. Still, gotta give props to the OG mechs that are heads and shoulders above the rest, like the Timberwolf.
I'd like to put clan large pulse lasers instead of the er large lasers personally :-) the -2 to hit just makes the madcat better and less of a target for a entire lance of lights...which is what you need to try to dent one of these and even then you probably won't leave the battle with any of the lights left
I've said it before and I'll say it again: this might be the most perfect me ever designed; fast, well armored, well armed, huge range and decent heat efficiency. It's a god damn monster.
Agreed. Ive told anyone who asks that the “best” (relatively) mech in the series is the Timby. It’s amazing. I’ve got a Timberwolf build in my group that we call Timbuktu for being the oldest but most reliable and consistent build, one of the firsts we did.
Minus it got a house sized cockpit, easy target ........
I still love the Timber Wolf, as I am of the generation that began their Battletech journey with Mechwarrior 2, and it was my first sight of a ‘mech at all. I personally find the Alpha configuration to be my favorite. Hilariously, that configuration is much more a Warhammer than either mech the Timberwolf physically resembles. I would like to try the S-configuration at some point, perhaps have it in a Jade Falcon or Smoke Jaguar unit. Excellent work Big Red!
Thank you Meining Mech! :D
It is Ironic that you are able to near replicate the Alpha Configuration with a Rakshasa (just use Standard Medium Laser instead of Medium Pulse Laser).
With this Configuration (and CASE^^) the Rakshasa would probably more liked...for all it´s weaknesses^^
Timberwolf was my very first introduction to BattleTech. Played MechWarrior on the Sega Genesis, and this was the mech on the cover. I had no idea why the health was called heat, that a guass rifle was not an AOE attack, or what a clan was. But i still fell in love all the same, and the Timberwolf was my gateway.
I think beyond just the Aesthetics, it's also the poster mech for the series because it has a skill "Floor" as low as a Stalkers ...but also potentially a *ceiling* as high as the Highlander's
Fun Fact; this is the first mech I ever used. There was an arcade that had Mechwarrior Two set up with VR headsets (Yes, those were around in the 90's) and me and my dad ended up in them. We... ran up to each other, circled and fired because we didn't know what we were doing. XD
I do love the Mad Cat; I usually strip the machine guns for more LRM ammo and armor or I swap the LRMs for SRMs.
I cannot understand why MG's are even in the game, to be entirely honest.
This is truly the Golden Age of Battletech 3 major videos within a week of eachother, plus all the other amazing content creators are releasing all over.
Truly the Golden Age.
THank you! :D
@BigRed40TECH you guys really are undoing all the damage done by Activision and other bad actors
@@warkardz I didn't do anything other than making videos though XD
@@warkardz Out of curiosity, what has Activision done to Battletech?
@@shadowslayer205 IIRC, Mech Assault was Activision? As was most of the Mechwarrior PC games before Piranha games got their hands on it. Not... really sure what Activision really *did* to Battletech that was bad, besides Mech Assault, which was just a couple of lukewarm games.
The most iconic 'mech of 3050, and one of the faces of the franchise; The Lumberpuppy!
I always liked the look of the Woodsman and its place in the lore, though it's a painful 'mech for me. It feels like something that could've been saved from extinction, but its superior progeny relegated it to the dustbin of history.
It's the clan hammerhands.
As a loyal member of the inner sphere, i will call this bad boy by the best name: the mad-cat.
Cope clanners
As a loyal member of Clan Snow Raven, I will call this bad boy by the best name: the Mad Cat.
Cope, Wolves.
As a loyal member of Clan Sea Fox, I will call this bad boy by the most marketable name: the Mad Cat.
Cope mutts.
Eh, I hate the blasphemous nonsense of the clans (specifically the evil of Nicholas), but I think Timberwolf sounds cooler! 😁
As a loyal member of Clan Wolf, I will call a shot on your cockpit with a pair of ER-PPCs. Cope, freebirth.
As a loyal member of the inner sphere, i will call- ACK
Heashotted by C-ERPPC :)
Hands down my favorite mech. I remember falling in love with it the moment I saw it. It was back when wiz kids made their mechwarrior clicker game and they had one sitting in a display case. I know that game is rather infamous in the community but it was my entry point and I still have that damn model!
It's been a while since I read The Legend Of The Jade Phoenix Trilogy, but my God, your describing of the events at end just brought back the feelings I experienced reading it. Bred For War: A New Dawn's first track brought those feelings back too!
Clan LRM20's are probably one of my favorite weapons... I had a raven in MW5 with a clan ERPPC, 2 heavy small lasers and a clan lrm20 with 4 tons of ammo.
The weight savings on clan missile weapons are just wonderful, that raven would take out anything with it's probes and ecm making it nasty in assassination missions.
I still say, the Clans are overpowered Munckin Poo. But the Madcat is iconic, and has the distinct advantage of being Harmonoy Gold lawsuit free.
Perfection. Absolute perfection, in a mech chassis.
Fast. Durable. Balanced well in weight classes. Light overall chassis, leading to more firepower. And? Looks damn good.
I mean, it’s the first mech the IS attempted to clone with the Rakshasa, if that doesn’t tell how amazing this thing is.
I’m proud to be a Clanner.
All of the Jade Phoenix material gave me chills. That was my introduction to Battletech Lore and still has a warm place in my heart. Thank you for this.
o7
Ooh. More Clanner stuff. Always loved this mech for being a poster boy of the Clans.
Only one more Clan Mech before we're back to the Inner Sphere for a loooong time.
@@BigRed40TECH As someone who loves both Clan and Innersphere stuff, I see this as an absolute win.
About the D config: i think the point of the rear-facing SRMs is that the mech, through arm flipping, can use the same firepower foward or backward... Making running past a mech to blast their backs without having to turn around a very tempting move. Also means light mechs have to really fear that rear arc, and that overall, no matter where the enemy is located, he will always be in the possible firing arc of both PPCs and a pair of SRMs
Also I do think the savage wolf is a superior successor, running hotter and more vulnerable internally, but with a durability matching assault mechs in the armor department without giving up mobility and ability to withstand low damage cluster weapons like LBX buckshot that are far more common in the dark age than in the era of the timberwolf, the only thing holding it back as a true replacement being the price tag
I compare the Timberwolf to my beloved Flashman with Clan tech, I find them overlapping. Then realize that aesthetically the Flashman is only pretty next to the Urbanmech. The Timberwolf is an Adonis.
The updated artwork for the Flashman was certainly needed. It went from looking derpy to aggressive in the Thug sort of way.
@@Linkous12^ this. The new art looks vicious.
I can't thank you and tex enough for reintroducing me to this setting. I had a few of the mech action figures nearly 30 years ago but knew nothing outside of what was on the packaging of my thor, bushwacker, mauler, and axman and advertisements in the dragon magazines older cousins had. Learning about the scope of the lore and tabletop rules from you guys is such a delight.
thanks again for all your hard work.
The Angry Kitty is always a welcome site to behold.
I don't know about ALWAYS
except when I am the one getting locked onto and LRM rained on
This weekend is a great one so far! Tons of content from all my favorite creators, The Timber Wolf, Sven's Succession War video, Texas Hunchback, and more content from other series as well! The Timber Wolf, my first and favorite mech from MechWarrior 2!
I think my top 5 favorite mechs would look like this:
#5. Annihilator
#4. Marauder
#3. Mad Dog
#2. Fafnir
#1. Timber Wolf (not even close to 2nd)
I'm one of those people who grew up with the "Mad Cat" being the face of Mechwarrior/ Battletech, I have the Timberwolf K'nex set at home above my headboard. I really wish I had also gotten the Mad Dog one when they had it. One of the main reasons I want to get a 3D printer, is to try to print a Timberwolf model, the size of a Warhammer 40k Imperial Knight (the table top model obviously lol). I NEVER got too into the lore for Battletech, I just grew up playing the games, so still don't see the hate for Clan stuff, like how all the main stream games like to end JUST before the Clan invasion. To me it just seems like they are stopping just before "the good part." A good example how it feels to me, its like ending anything Halo, just before contact with the Covenant at Harvest.
I hope you enjoyed the Mad Cat video :)
@@BigRed40TECH Oh I did, thank you for your time and effort. It was easy and clear to understand, even for a lore noob like me. ^_^
One of my fav mechs but as a kid when MW2 Ghost Bear came out and seeing a beast rise up out of the snow I instantly loved the Kodiak and is still no. 1 for that reason
I really appreciate the level of respect you showed the Timberwolf. It was the Mech I grew up on and piloted throughout my teenage years. There are many pretenders but as my grandfather told me, when it comes to quality, accept no substitutes. Just as the Timberwolf is a mech of quality, so is this video.
The poster boy of BattleTech and MechWarrior for a generation
100% is. The right mech, at the right time.
I'm not sure if this is a popular thought or not, but i REALLY like how your videos since you've started doing btech content (when i first subbed) went from shorter to much longer and more detailed. I know not every mech needs a long video but the ones that do you can absolutely appreciate why. I love listening and re-listening to some of my favorites while i plug away at work. Battletech sorely needs more content like this imo.
What a great few weeks for mech fans in general too.
Thank you Gold! Nope, I appreciate it! :)
Great video! I love the Timberwolf, it's very much the mech that got me into the game (probably not a rare statement). When I was very young, my dad got Mech Warrior 2 and I would play it so much.
Years later, my friend supported the Clan Invasion kickstarter, and when I saw the Timberwolf mini, I had a huge flashback moment and dived into the game. Also, maybe its a quirk of luck, or some bizarre sign from the universe, but whenever I got one of the Clan Invasion Salvage Boxes, it was like a 50-50 shot of Timberwolf or something else, so I have a whole star of them at this point. Someday I should run them to see how that feels
A great piece of work, both in script and imagery! Now that I've gotten the flattery out of the way, my sole complaint ("This Norwegian Blue Timber Wolf is dead!" "No, no, look, it's just resting.") is about the font being used in this video for describing the various facets (structure, defense, weapons) of the different variants. The text in past videos has been clear and easy to read, important when trying to listen to the narration at the same time. This font is fuzzy, and has strange characters (such as a delta or carrot) breaking up sentences or phrases; I have to work much harder to get all of the details. There is so much good information being presented that it is a shame to lose any of it.
Oh man im so hyped. I painted up my Timberwolf last week and i was also part of the filming kf this video (you'll see me explode in a Timberwolf)
My first glimpse of this harbinger of death was the “Catnap” mission of mechassault many years ago.
It’s been the Battlemech of battlemechs for me ever since.
This is pretty much the definitive review of the successor iconic battllemech to the Warhammer. The Timber Wolf/Mad Cat needed a lot of attention, and it got it here. Watch and learn, sibko!
That was flicking awesome! The Timberwolf is one of my favorite mechs. I don't play the game but even know you can't stop one these bad ass'! Thankyou!
Personally, I prefer the A configuration over the D. Same twin ER PPC punch but also dishes out more serious pain on more evasive targets (as well as overall) with the medium pulse shoulder, though granted, eats up a bit more BV.
Inner Sphere: "This mech has been in production for almost 500 years! It's great!"
Clans: "This mech kicked ALL the ass last year, but now it's getting onto 50 years old, what a worthless piece of junk! Time to replace it!"
Which variant has wood paneling in the cockpit? Because, ya know, timber.
New drinking game: big red 40 hands. Tape a 40 in each hand, then take a sip every time clan wolf is mentioned. Chug 2 seconds every time plot armor is mentioned
RED, this is the ONLY reason to do a Wolf lore video 😂
Buddy is out to kill folks with this haha.
Even though I played MW2 first seeing a Mad Cat always makes me think of the SNES and Sega games.
Clan Wolf repeatedly trying and failing to replace the Timber Wolf reminds me of the A-10 Thunderbolt and the military repeatedly trying to phase it out but it's just so damn good at what it does.
The only thing the A-10 excels at is copious friendly fire fatalities. It is a pointless weapon now
I'm sorry, I love the Timber Wolf. But if I had to choose, I'm going with an ATLAS. Because "I take the hits so others don't have to."
I'm an Atlas man myself.
I have the shittest luck with the Atlas or else I'd agree with you. I always end up getting my Atlas domed like five rounds into the battle.
@heirofaniu it do got a big old head
Thanks for the detailed video on the 75 ton timberwolf
Loved the video! You really did the mech justice my friend!
I'm waiting most anxiously for a video on the Grand Titan. This video was excellent.
So what I’m hearing is the Timber Wolf is the 31st century’s Panther and the Hunchback is the 31st century’s Sherman?
Ah, Timber Wolf. Every time i piloted you in MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, it was so unfair, even to those who were Word of Blake. (From recovered BattleROM Date Unknown: "I can't believe it, Sarge lost." A fully Overcharged Timber Wolf lost to a standard Timber Wolf stolen by the MechWarrior of Wolf's Dragoons out to rescue Major Natasha from WOB captivity.)
My favorite mech, I always try to salvage the MadCat every chance I get.
This is my Timby, these are its' guns, one is for Batchallin', all are for fun!
The poster boy mech on mechwarrior games in the 1990's.
I have 15 Ral Partha Era Timber Wolves. This was the mech that gotnme into battletech in 1992. Thank you for the thorough lore video. I painted some for each of the invasion clans. Though the bulk are Clan Wolf. Need to get back into painting and finish my Galaxy, and inner sphere RCT.
It was circa 94' I believe.
I was bored in 3rd period health counting the holes in the asbestos ceiling tiles. My friend Sean Banick had a new monstrous manual with an advertisement for graph paper and mechanical pencils called battletech. That's where I first saw it.
Nice.
One of my favorite Clan mechs.
It's hard to undersell the iconic Mad Cat.
Even before I knew what BT was, back in the 90's I knew that silhouette. I knew nothing about it, but I knew it was some machine from the MW video games.
I use the derpy Mad Cat III on the table, but I've never fielded the Timberwolf itself, despite having 3 painted.
Hell, you'd probably be hard pressed to find a BT player who DOESN'T have a Mad Cat somewhere.
Great job Red! The BT content creators have been crushing it these last two weeks & I'm looking forward to Sven's vid tomorrow as with this one I am confident it will be top notch.
I'm hoping it'll be great!
I really appreciate the MechWarrior 2 soundtrack in this video. The Mad Cat being on the cover of the game was what got me into BattleTech.
EDIT: Funny enough, my computer at the time couldn't play the music for the game. It played all the other sounds.
Interesting. It pulled the music live from the CD, so it must've been some issue with the reader or driver.
@@BigRed40TECH I think it was just a super old PC. like even DOOM didn't play music and had different sounds than everyone else. Really wish Microsoft would let GoG put the old MW games and their soundtracks on their site.
If they'd yanked the MASC on the Woodsman and added Jump Jets (or, better, pod space that is often assigned to jump jets), I suspect that the design would have been more effective. 4/6/4 is far better than 4/6 and can allow for some clutch maneuvers that even a higher ground speed doesn't permit.
The Mad Cat was the first miniature that I ever owned. I painted it up in a gray base with black tiger stripes and it looked surprisingly snazzy for being a completely no-skill paint job. It's still the scheme that I plan to use for my Clan minis and any extra IS models beyond my 2-of-everything colors.
If I were to build an invasion-era Mad Cat config, I'd probably roll with a pair of cERPPCs in the arms, quad cSRM6s in the side torsos, and a pair of SPLs either in the sides or the center, depending on crit space.
One of the best Mad Cat experiences ever is in the original MechCommander, where you can encounter one as a boss fight in the 3rd mission. If you get extremely lucky (or save scum with great patience) you can take the thing out with called shots or artillery and salvage it. Doing so makes the bulk of the rest of the game far easier, especially if you can salvage some of its weapons.
To think that such formidable machine could be murdered by mere 4 stats that do not even appear in Tabletop: acceleration, decceleration, turn speed and laser burn time.
Dear god, a Trinary of Timber Wolves that is nuts.
Keep on with my favorite franchise Red. You, BPL, sven, you all show such love that fans like me are all over it. 👍
This was yet ANOTHER masterpiece, the end with the Jade story was really awesome, touching and just amazing. Also really loved the outro, made me smile. You keep making better and better videos sir
The stompiest of the stompies. The most daka of the daka. THE MAD CAT.
Another amazing video, you and Tex are my favorite producers of BattleTech lore / mech videos. Keep up the exceptional work!
I know you aren't a fan of Clan Wolf. But could we maybe see a video from you about Clan Jade Falcon? They have so many cool and unique mechs. Plus, there well sheer well Jade Falconness makes them fascinating to read about.
Still thank you for the video, it was amazing! 🤩
I actually really like Jade Falcon, but their big moment is the Refusal War, which is some of the worst garbage the setting has ever produced. It's just hard to do something like I did for Smoke Jaguar or Ghost Bear, for Jade Falcon, as a result.
It's not a lack of wanting to do it. It's more just- how am I going to do it.
@@BigRed40TECH You really do have a point. The refusal war was pretty bad. Still, I know you can do it and thanks for answering back!
I just hope we can see better clan plots in the future. I kind of liked the Wolf Empire struggles in 'Empire Alone' and 'Redemption Rites'. Plus the new Jace Falcon plotlines in the hinterlands is very interesting. A 'Question of Survival' was a fantastic book.
@@dessfigures2447 Oh I loved a QOS, that's a great novel. I liked Redemption Rites too, though I found the Wolf part... draining.
Honestly, after 30-years, I just don't want to read anything else about them. The damage has really been done for me.
The MadCat is often imitated, but never truly duplicated. It is as perfect a Battlemech as they come.
Hello, Im right there with you when it comes to the Wolf story! XD Great video!
P.S. There is one more beast of a variant: Mad Cat TC :P
There are a lot more variants. I never cover all of them. lol
Thank you for the great review of the mech! I appreciated the effort it must have taken for you to review something Wolf related without a bonfire of rage.
I knew that sooner or later you would be covering the 90's iconic mech from #Battletech. Thank you for your efforts!
It was covered in order. THat's all. :)
Great job as always. I really enjoyed the expanding scope of the history of the mech by bringing in other mechs that contributed to its design.
For some of the Clan mechs I included their obvious and main precursors, as it makes sense rather then doing individual videos for these primordial mechs tbh.
Just wanted to say that the ending of the video was hilarious, really glad you left it for the last few seconds! Also amazing job once more, made my workshift extremely pleasant.
Beautifully done! A truly proper tribute to the mech, the lore and in real life. Easily one of the best breakdown videos ive seen regarding a Battlemech. This best has always been my ride and like clan wolf ive looked for alternatives but always wind up with another custom alt! Ive been with battletech since the mid Fasa days!
Yea, I got in, in 93/94 myself. :)
pretty sure this is the image i have in my head when i think Mech-War or BattleTech
That was fast. Do not burn yourself out. Okay?
This took forever to make. This wasn't fast at all XD
Remember coming across the toy line for the tv show when I was a little kid. Was obsessed with the timberwolf but my parents got me a sloth instead.
What a video and what a 'mech. You've done the face of the franchise justice. Despite all the pretenders, there is and always ever will be, only one Timberwolf. Well done, Red.
I've always wanted to see the Timberwolf in the four-machine gun version that was presented to us in the opening video of the Mechwarrior II. So some of my funniest variants have that trait. Fortunately, micro pulse lasers came to the rescue... and now there is no Timberwolf, that does not end or with 4 machine guns or 4 micro pulse laser ... A similar configuration with a difference of 4 heat points... something the Timberwolf can do with it. With the advantage that the micro pulse laser, they allow to liquidate the risk of explosion if one takes a few turns in finishing with all the ammunition of LRM before launching into a fiercer combat.
The Timber Wolf N is real!
@@BigRed40TECH
Yes, the LRM 15 are a good way to reduce weight, although let's be honest, the best is to use LRM5, but even to replace the LRM20 ... in fact it will not be the first or the last time I use 4 LRM5 per torso, although the consideration is 4 more heat generation than the LRM20, but those two tons together are a treasure.
It may seem silly, but I find those six shifts optimal releasing LRM especially at medium distances, instead of the 8 with the LRM15 ... although the "deception" of the LRM is that in the end you release the same potential damage unless you download it in more or less turns. With SI the issue changes, because the launchers are so heavy that if you carry one, especially the big ones, it is to use it as long as you can. But in the clans the ammunition "burns me" and I must give it out.
I guess that's why I find the Micro Pulse Laser so wonderful to emulate machine guns, if you generate heat, but also one more damage for each, so it does not "hurt" so much.
A great video.
A masterwork worthy of the Face of the Company. You did Kerensky proud.
I will not be awake at 10am on a holiday but will watch it later.
Just imagine how beautiful it would be, if Clan Snow Raven would try its hand at a variant....
My introduction to Battletech was the Desert Strike clone Battletech SNES/Genesis game, where the Mad Cat was the mech you piloted
Atlas may be the face of Battletech in general, but to me, Mad Cat will always be the mascot of Mechwarrior franchise. ❤
It’s ironic that the Woodsman would be resurrected in the Dark Ages/IlClan Era by the Wolves for the same reasons why it was mothballed in the Golden Century. There’s some sort of poetic symmetry going on here, as the great ancestor design serves alongside of its descendants, the Mad Cat MK 2-4 series plus the Alpha Wolf.
I saw the irony. lol
Basically the Timberwolf was the Ferrari/the German Panzer IV of Battle Tech. SUPER expensive and the best you could field as a heavy but a bunch of super inexpensive mechs like Urbanmechs/ Patton tanks could jump it and take it out given the cost vs production vs numbers.
Very much so. Great for when you have limited numbers to focus resources on for maximum force multiplication, like elite Mercenary deployments, Solaris Jocks, and especially the FPS Player Characters, but on a grander scale, you will often be better with more cheaper assets.
Why would you compare the timber wolf to a panzer 4? If anything from an armor and firepower stand point it would be more comparable to a panzer V(tiger)
@@andrewwalters9763 cause the madcat/timberwolf mk2 exists and is an assault.
@@TekkaSage The panzer IV is a medium tank that was a mainstay of the German army? Perhaps you meant the Panzer VII king tiger tank? Both the tiger and king tiger are heavy tanks that required a large supply train and were very expensive.
@@andrewwalters9763 no because there was also the mk3/4 and would be German heavy/super tanks. The Timberwolf would of been what would of functioned best and won the most but was not mass produced and too expensive to counter the allies subpar fast built Patton. The Germans built things to last and even at the medium tank level they were too slow at making them due to trying to keep quality high.
Wow! This was excellent content! Thanks for all your hard work.
Much appreciated!
Thank you for championing the light mechs. All too often players Overlook these valuable Battlefield assets. They have as much a place on the field as any assault mech or any other size mech , if anything they're even more important that a because they're able to fulfill multiple roles and be able to respond to any battle threat much quicker than any assault ever could.
Finally got to this video. Amazing job, Red. It was a very enjoyable to listen to.
Great video, and the Mechwarrior 2 soundtrack really hit home. Hearing this, I was back in the cockpit of my Nova Prime.
Great video, I do appreciate the effort you made to explain the history and impact of the Timber Wolf while carefully avoiding being bogged down in Clan Wolf lore, though the note on their hubris concerning the War Wolf was a nice touch. As I was introduced to Battletech in the MW2 era, to me, the Timber Wolf has always been the poster boy of the franchise. This was re-enforced by its prominence in both MW3 & Mechcommander as well as featuring on the cover of the first Battletech novel I read, The Exodus Road, however it never was my favourite mech.
I'm a huge sucker for building Catapults in MW5. Been one of my favorite weapons platforms since I was a kid. They just look realistic as a plausable machine. But when it comes to extra tonnage and omph, I always go Timber wolf.
Been waiting for this video for a long time. The single best mech in all of Battletech. And yes, I was introduced to the franchise by MechWarrior 2, so I admit to bias in this respect. In spite of the gross plot-armor that Clan Wolf employs, and that's coming from a self-professed Clansman (again, I blame Mechwarrior 2), the Timberwolf is mechanically-speaking the optimum combination of all the rules of the game, and unless and until they introduce new technologies that break the powerplant curve, it will never be topped.
Although once again, it's not "TOOK-ee-id", it's "tuck-AYE-yid". Arabic pronunciation. Sets my teeth on edge every single time I hear BT fans pronouncing it the former way.
Great Work Big Red!!!!
Finally, been waiting for this one.
I hope it doesn't disappoint! It was a lot of work.
Great video! As for related designs, I always felt the Blood Reaper was a worthy successor, despite the ludicrously grimdark name, in a second line, non omnimech form.
The Kodiak to the Timber Wolf's Executioner.
Also, had a soft spot for the Linebacker. It feels like the Adder and the Pouncer, just in their middle years. Y'know, bit bigger, let themselves go a little, but still got what it takes to compete! :D
The TimberWolf has two weapons for each range brackets so it can hit pretty hard and have reliable damage to dish out
My favorite Heavy! The Shadowcat is my favorite Medium Mech.
Phenomenal video.
Phenomenal battlemech.
The Timber Wolf is the mech of champions, even in defeat-unless they're unlucky and a PPC bolt or AC/10 shot kills the MechWarrior instantly
That applies to most 'Mechs though, even ones with stronger head armor
AC10 is survivable though since yhe weaker head armor brings the head's total health to 11, not a 10 that would be damning
Imagine a Star of these monstrosities bearing down on You 😳
As a Urbie pilot this is truly where my nightmares are spawned from ☠️
19 official variants. Not many mechs can boast that
The madcat was the mech i grew up with being the poster mech!