Shadow Hawk

It does everything you could need, just usually not as well as you wish it could.

The Shadow Hawk, also spelled Shadowhawk, is a Medium BattleMech known for being based on the titular mecha from the 1981 anime Fang of The Sun Dougram, which was one of the main inspirations for BattleTech. Being based on Dougram, is heavily respected on /m/. Due to copyright reasons it could not be used until it was redesigned, becoming one of the "Unseen" mecha.

Overview

The Shadow Hawk was created by Lang Industries during the time of the Star League, designed from the ground up as one of the very first BattleMechs ever constructed to serve as a multipurpose war machine, and critically to keep the Terran Hegemony's interests from being exploited. Despite weighing a mere 55 tons, it's exceptionally fast, maneuverable, and jump capable, making it an easy choice over a number of similar Mechs in it's class while being cost-effective. Though while not necessarily the best or most iconic in the game, it is known for being one of the most balanced BattleMechs in the entire game, able to do respectable damage at all distances, and able to take a similarly respectable amount of punishment. It's to the point that one could argue that any 'Mech with the word "Hawk" in it's name is a direct successor to this one design.

While it was made in enormous quantities due to it's relative ease of construction, Lang Industries wouldn't get to make money on it as their factory was blasted to hell, with only Majesty Metals and Earthwerks manufacturing from then on, turning any Shadow Hawk into a precious commodity up until a cache of LosTech made it possible to manufacture new variants. Since then, it's been in any lance that needs just a solid, solid 'Mech.

Alternate Take

Regardless of how iconic it is, the base Shadow Hawk is extremely underwhelming on the tabletop. The AC/5 is a garbage weapon for its tonnage; the mech doesn’t bring significant weight of fire in any range bracket; it can’t even jump its full walking distance; and as the clincher, it stores its SRM ammo in the centre torso, leaving it one TAC away from instant self-destruction. You would be better off with literally any other 55 tonner.

Armament

• Mother fucking 5-tube launcher on the right shoulder
• Mother fucking missile launchers on each side of the head
• Mother fucking laser gun on the right arm
• Mother fucking autocannon on the back mounted on the left shoulder, each ammo round being a fuck your shit ton

Variants

Because the Shadow Hawk is hundreds of years old and has dozens of variants, only the most interesting ones will be shown here.

• SHD-1R - The dark secret of the Shadow Hawk is that it's actually much older than people realize, with this version coming out almost a hundred years before it's "official" debut, which was otherwise kind of useless; having only an AC/5 and a Medium Laser. It got quickly recalled due to a major flaw in the way it's armor interacted with it's body, and therefor most historians don't count it as the "real" Shadow Hawk or merely a prototype.

• SHD-2K - Your prayers for a sensible succession wars refit have been answered. Changing it's autocannon for a Particle Projection Cannon nearly doubles it's hitting power while granting it slightly better range in the bargain. Everything but it's LRM-5 is traded for more heatsinks. Before you cry about losing short range options remember most contenders you'll be fighting are badly undersinked in some way or another, meaning that you can fire every weapon and jump jet you have and even the added heat from a scorching desert, inferno missiles, or even a cracked fusion reactor and at least have a chance to manage those otherwise crippling heat spikes.

• SHD-5M - The first major re-fit and profile change in the entire line, from which all Shadow Hawks afterward draw inspiration. It reinvents the wheel on what the Shadow Hawk is capable of; giving it an Ultra Autocannon/5, an LRM-20, and a Streak SRM-2 in the head, pops two extra jump jets into the body, and swaps out the engine for an ExtraLite variant that can draw more power into its legs, and giving it a 150 meter jump. It also trades out the boxy head for something more akin to Cobra Commander's helmet.

Gallery

• 
  The original anime mecha Dougram (left) compared to the original "unseen" Shadowhawk (center) and the modern Shadowhawk (right), a robot so badass it transcends cultures and 4chan boards

External Links

• Shadow Hawk kicking ass
• Sarna Profile