Overview: The Wolfhound is the first original design produced by Eire Mech Co. of ArcRoyal, District of Donegal. Until the Wolfhound appeared early this year, Eire Mech was only known for refurbishing old service 'Mechs for militia or training academy use. Development of the Wolfhound began about a dozen years before its unveiling, though operational models were apparently available as early as 3024. The design was meant to be specifically a challenge to the Kurita Panther, but it turned out to be far more useful. Analysts point out that the Wolfhound has the firepower and armor of a 'Mech normally classed as medium at a weight accepted as light. While, on paper, the design seems prone to overheating, the use of weapons at proper ranges means it actually runs rather cool. The design ran into bureaucratic difficulties because the prototypes had not been inspected or licensed by the Lyran Commonwealth. Archon Katrina Steiner granted the design an "experimental" license early in 3028. It is imagined she did this in preparation for this summer's Galahad '28 exercises, but the fact that the first Wolfhounds appeared in the Kell Hound Regiment has not been ignored as an additional reason for her action. It has been reported, in fact, that Colonel Morgan Kell financed the research and development of the 'Mach design, and that Dr. B. Banzai consulted on the design. The Kell family is a majority stockholder in the Eire Mech Co. and Arc- Royal is a family holding. Capabilities: Designed as a swift yet sturdy 'Mech capable of facing Kurita Panthers, the Wolfhound carries an incredible amount of armor for a light 'Mech. The armor allows this light 'Mech to stand toe-to-toe with some heavier 'Mechs and survive. Computerized simulations have shown the defenses to be viable in battles against even a Dragon, though Eire officials have noted only a fool would engage a heavy 'Mech in a Wolfhound. The weaponry on the Wolfhound is entirely made up of energy weapons. The proliferation of heavy autocannons, like the Pontiac 100 (found in the Vlctor), has made it exceedingly dangerous for a small 'Mech to load itself up with autocannon ammo or missiles. A light 'Mech's restricted carrying capacity also makes it difficult to keep a projectile weapon in full supply during an extended campaign. Reliance on energy weapons means the Wollhound becomes a viable vehicle for extended operations behind enemy lines. The light 'Mech is fast enough to elude many large pursuers and is armed well enough to fight off smaller hunters. The quartet of medium lasers can all be fired in close combat without creating a heat problem for the pilot. The Defiance B3M Medium Lasers are an excellent choice for the Wolf hound because of their durability and reliability. The Setanta Heavy Laser is a unique design manufactured at Eire. It is built into the 'Mech's right arm, with the laser's muzzle replacing the 'Mech's right hand. Engineers note the large laser is meant to be used against distant targets, damaging them enough so that the Wolfhound can easily finish them off when it moves in closer. The 'Mech's left hand is fully articulated and functional. The Wolfhound reportedly uses the ejection system originally created for the Hatchetman. If a pilot is forced to eject, the whole head assembly detaches itself from the 'Mech body and jets off. As with the Hatchetman, the guidance rockets only have 30 seconds of burn, but it is enough to carry a pilot clear of most battlefields. In a modification of the Hatchatman design, the Wolfhound head is equipped with a para-foil that allows maneuverability when descending. (The Hatchetman's cockpit is a bit too heavy to allow for this.) Battle History: As of this writing, the Wolfhound has not been battle tested in a genuine firefight. It has, however, undergone a harsh series of exercises as part of becoming worked into the newly formed Kell Hound Regiment. In computer-adjudicated skirmishes against a lance of Panthers, a single Wolfhound proved elusive and deadly. While details of the battles are sketchy, observers remarked that the Wolfhound often ambushed the Panthers and used the large laser in his initial attack-hitting the targeted Panther from behind and often incapacitating it. The remaining Panthers then ran afoul of the Wolfhound at its optimum range. After the Wollhound had hit the Panthers with medium laser fire, it "would then run off and let the Panthers chase it until it wanted to be caught." The dejected Panther pilots later described the Wolfhound pilot as "lucky." The pilot, Captain Daniel Allard, reportedly liked the Wolfhound design, but mourned the lack of jumpjets. Still this veteran of several Panther battles in the field (including the June 3027 rescue of the hijacked DropShip Silver Eagle) appreciated the mobility and armor on the Wolfhound. Variants: There are no known variants at this time. STATS Mass: 35 tons Chassis: Arc-Royal KH/3 Power Plant: 210 GM Cruising Speed: 64.8 kph Maximum Speed: 95.1 kph Jump Jets: None Jump Capacity: None Armor: Durallex Medium Armament: 1 Setanta Heavy Laser and 4 Defiance B3M Medium Lasers Manufacturer: Eire Mech Co., Arc-Royal Communications System: O/P COM-22/1-147 Targeting and Tracking System: Digital Scanlok 347 Type: Wolfhound WLF-1 Tonnage: 35 Tons Internal Structure: 3.5 tons Engine: 210 GM 9 tons Walking MPs: 6 Running MPs: 9 Jumping MPs: 0 Heat Sinks: 10 0 tons Gyro: 3 tons Cockpit: 3 tons Armor Factor: 120 7.5 tons Location Internal Structure Armor Value Head 3 9 Center Torso 11 16/6 Rt./Lt. Torso 8 11/5 Rt./Lt. Arm 6 12/12 R/L Rt./Lt. Leg 8 16 Weapons and Ammo Type Location Critical Tons Large Laser RA 2 5 Medium Laser CT 1 1 Medium Laser CT(R) 1 1 Medium Laser RT 1 1 Medium Laser LT 1 1 Back to BattleTechnology 6 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1988 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com