HawkWolf

Description
Named for a canine predator adapted to Randis IV, the HawkWolf is a unique BattleMech constructed by the Brotherhood of Randis that entered production in 3076.

To help support their activities, the Brotherhood set aside resources to develop production facilities to build "RetroMechs", in order to both fill out its own forces and to sell as a means of generating further capital. Initially starting with RetroTech Firebees and Dervishes, their success led the Brotherhood to develop an entirely new design. Intended mainly for fire-support roles, the HawkWolf was generally assigned to the Brotherhood's "squires" as a means for its youngest warriors to gain experience and avoid placing the primitive design at threat against more advanced opponents in direct combat. Following trade agreements signed between the Fiefdom of Randis and both the Calderon Protectorate and Filtvelt Coalition Grand Knight William Dirac's government was able to upgrade the original Primitive HWK-3F HawkWolf to a new, more modern configuration: the HWK-4F. Hope Industrial Works was able to replace the primitive armor of the original with twelve tons of more modern armor, reducing the weight of the armor by a third and allowing for the engine to be replaced with a more efficient Pitban 320 fusion engine, add an additional heatsink, expand the HawkWolf's ammunition supplies and generally make the 'Mech easier to maintain.

Weapons and Equipment
Designed to provide fire-support for the Brotherhood's more advanced machines, the HawkWolf's' armament consists of a Delta Dart LRM-15 launcher mounted in each arm, supported by a Doombud MML-5 rack in each torso, giving a weapons loadout similar to the earlier Longbow fire support 'Mech. All of the ammunition was stored in the right torso, with four tons of ammunition feeding the LRMs and two tons of ammunition available for the MMLs.

Variants

 * HWK-3F : the original design, introduced into service in 3076, the RetroTech HawkWolf featured a number of primitive components. The primitive engine gave the -3F a top speed ten kilometers per hour slower than its more modern replacement, and used eighteen tons of primitive armor. While this made the 3F as well-protected as the 4F, the 3F ran a little hotter, having just thirteen heat sinks; it also had lower ammunition endurance, as the LRMs were only able to draw on three tons of ammunition in total. BV(2.0) = 1,349

Design Quirks
The HWK-4F HawkWolf variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Easy to Maintain
 * Fast Reload
 * No/Minimal Arms
 * Protected Actuators