Wraith TR2: Battlytics | Classic BattleTech Mech Review | Clan Invasion | DFA Wargaming

Another new mini featured in the upcoming ALPHA STRIKE BOXED SET, the Wraith is a fan favorite - blazing fast, good old fashioned energy weapons, a moderate price tag, and an extremely cool design (and even better redesign!).
Dial in to check out all the benchmarks to see how the Wraith performs, and maybe even find out why the chassis code is TR instead of WR4 or something that makes sense.
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[@matthewneuendorf5763]

I really like the Wraith as a all-jumping-all-the-time battlefield assassin using the pulse bonus to offset the jump penalty and absolutely trashing enemy lights and rear armor. The ERPPC variant seems like a potent jump sniper. In MWO it would be a primo poptart.

[@paulsim7589]

I do like the suggestion of -2 Med P-Lasers, for +3 Med Laser + 1 DHS. Though I would drop the erPPC or Pulse Lrg for a Std Large. The Wraith wins on looks that's for sure. TR2, I would swap the ERPPC to a Snub Nose PPC and add a heatsink as a cheap easy change. For a more significant change, I would go with a TR1-S model. - 1Large P-Laser, -2 Med P-Laser, - Ferro-Armour. +1.5T Std Armour +2 DSH (LT/RT) +3 ML (LA) +3 ML (RA) +1 Beagle Probe (RT) JJ (2RT/2LT/1CT/1LL/1RR) Nice Scout/Light Hunter, and Picket Mech. - Cheaper maintenance after a fight/field repair with Std Armour, and all energy weapons, high speed, high armour & a probe, makes for a nice scout/Guerrilla mech, and can lead formations of other lights. [Drop the Beagle, and 0.5tons of armour for a targeting computer if you feel like it :p ]

[@faithmcclosky4528]

Heresy, sir, the Game Baron speaks heresy!. Decrying the LPL as the worst IS weapon in the game when we all know that title belongs to the ERLL. Not taking the wubwub variant of the Wraith is criminal. It's whole purpose is to jump around crazy pulsing the crap out of things. Pulse life is best life for this thing! The Chancellor wills it!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Gross gross gross! IS erLLas at least has better range brackets. LPL is a lolfestival wrapped in a roflcircus.

[@mathewkelly9968]

8:35 its such a good mech because its a Spider with survivability . Jump right behind someone open up with the pulses and give them a kick . The large pulse laser is far superior to the ER PPC in that situation . If your using this mechs speed to keep at range while sniping with the ER PPC youre using this mech wrong .

[@Dmorris556]

100% Acurate. This is a backstabber. Run to get into position, jump out to get out of trouble, run from mech to beck taking back shots. I cannot recall all of the times I've had it get a through rear armor crit and tag an engine or gyro. That -2 on the LPL is the key. you dont have to use a good pilot to make it work, that 3/4 pilot just makes it alittle less detrmental to jump and shoot or run hot. Also, if hot, throw a punch, every head hit is a conciousness check that can pay off with a auto fall to said gyro hits or pushing that target into the PSR role.

[@jeffs.4124]

This is a fast Ambusher, you live or die by you ability to get in fast ,strike hard and run like hell.

[@AlexDenton0451]

You would like the Venom 9KA then, a literal spider with buffed durability and weaponry.

[@matthewfullmer3035]

I saw the Wraith in the image card and stifled a yell of joy. Then I noticed TR2 and asked "but why?". Then I immediately said "of course." :o) The Wraith always struck me as part of the evolutionary response to the profusion of higher accuracy systems, like pulse lasers. 5/8/5 and 6/9/6 were too slow to dodge shots. So jump 7 for a +4. Don't take a little mech that cannot take the odd hit that gets through. Take a 50/55 tonner with 150+ armour that can generally shrug off a gauss slug or two. And the Wraith was one of the purest expressions of this shift...and saw a tonne of play in my lances and on my group's gaming tables. I also loved the look. Right at the very edge of how organic I thought a top of the line walking tank should ever look. But it is still obviously a walking tank and unable to do kung-fu ballerina stuff. I never could get behind the TR2. I always wanted the TR1 in close and jumping like a madman and the PPC never jived with that at all. That mission was actually a place where the IS LPL (objectively one of the worst weapons from a design/construction perspective) is decent**. The TR2 feels like it is split between trying to be a ranged skirmisher and a jumping brawler(?) and is just not good enough to do either passably. What are you missing? I am not sure I can say you are wrong in your opinions. They lack long range firepower. The appeal to me and my fellow players was mostly anchored in survivability. We basically never ran (or jumped) them straight at the enemy and always spent time (sometimes 3, 4 turns or more) working flanks (the 4+ were usually when we were tangling with the other guy's mobile flanker, like a Wolverine, who was trying to screen the Wraith's flank attempt). But then we were threatening to jump into the rear of heavies every single turn. If they changed their move to take that away, we smiled and jumped somewhere else to set up a threat the next turn - having likely compromised their preferred move. And having an alpha above 20 damage meant ignoring it still risked a knock-down check all by itself. Shooting it usually was no fun because we rarely had 2 gunners or clan pulse lasers. It just survived for turn after turn, dealing a modest, but concerning (PSR) amount of damage like a metronome. Also, don't sleep on the initiative sink aspect. One of my mates took it regularly because any time he lost initiative and felt in a bind he could just jump it to safety and force the other guy to commit something he could react to (rarely does one have something that can go and hunt it in that forest or behind the hill). **I imagine Battlytics would not agree, but a fellow player once observed to me that a lot of IS mechs with LPLs were pretty decent buys by BV***. I found they tended to be correct and suspect that was part of why I stuck with the TR1, rather than pay the 200 BV to overheat at the drop of a hat with the TR2. ***LPLs and mechs that carry them still suck compared to the opportunity cost of having more guns, and/or guns that can shoot further, and/or guns that hit harder. But this, like Battlytics, is in context of paying by BV.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Great feedback and analysis!!

[@Magermh]

I normally get my wraith into melee range on someone's rear or damages side arc and give a good kick. It is a over engineered in its role of flanker. There was a good write up on the TR1 on the classic battletech website for the mech of the week. Agree with many of your highlights in the writeup. And good job listening the prizes by the vets or the game.

[@DIEGhostfish]

I have said it on other videos but I wish rather than shortening the max range amd thus compressing all other rangebands ISPLs just chopped off the long range bracket. Same total max range roughly, but you never take a long range penalty because your max range is your medium range. Also gives you a bigger short range by keeping it the same as standard.

[@AlexDenton0451]

I still remain firm that anyone who believes that the Large Pulse Laser is bad has never actually had to play against a competent player with them. The Wraith without it is neutered, and costs hundreds of BV more for something that does the job worse than it's original equipment. You are supposed to be running and jumping into the enemy and kicking the enemy every turn with this thing, if you're not you're playing it wrong. It has the TMM to not get caught, and the ERPPC is vastly more expensive and unoptimized for a unit that is supposed to be aggressive and in the face of the enemy.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

@AlexDenton0451 it is literally one of the most medicore weapons in the game. The damage:heat ratio sucks, and the range is abysmal. The Wraith can compensate for bad range to some degree, but do the math. The LPL at long range range (10 hexes) has the same hit modifier as a standard large laser (because its a medium range). Your running/jumping concept is great in theory but doesn’t work unless you’re at very, very close ranges. And then the Wraith is too fast to stay there unless you want to give up some of its targeting mod. Change my mind.

[@ngryleprechaun87]

"What does 12 damage?" Binary laser cannon: "this is my moment!"

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

LOL!!!

[@Vaderi300]

The Wraith TR-1 is the generally better variant I think at least for classic, for 2 main reasons: Reason 1: it drops your BV by ~200 Reason 2: IS LPLs and MPLs shine on fast jumping backstabbers like the Wraith where you can reasonably expect to be able to place yourself in short range of your target's back armor any turn you win initiative and potentially even in their front arc with a good jump movement modifier. As you noted the Optimized and Redline damage were basically the same due to the Pulse bonus and the TR-2 misses out on that for it's "main gun" while the TR-1 doesn't. It's also a better scout hunter with the LPL. Just my two cents.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Still… the range. Also “backstabbing” is not a thing if your opponent is actually paying attention? You can’t stealth into 6 hexes.

[@Vaderi300]

​@@DeathfromAboveWargaming At the Gunnery numbers you play and test at fair enough about the range, many of my games feature G:3 or 4 pilots where I basically can't hit outside of Pulse Laser range anyways. As for "backstabbing" not being a thing, in the games that I have played mechs occasionally find themselves with limited movement options and end up with an enemy mech able to jump behind them. This is not usually unforeseen but is often not avoidable. Perhaps at higher player skill levels you are playing at it happens less often.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Well, that’s fair - higher (edited!) gunner scores will drive a closer range engagement.

[@EnderPryde]

10:30 Best I can find, the only 2 ranged weapons that do 11-14 damage are the Large VSP at short range (11) and the Bombast Laser cranked to full (up to 12). There's also the Sword and Hatchet making aimed attacks to the head, but those are tonnage dependant, and will typically take the head clean off regardless of that one extra armor point. (55 ton hatchet does 11, a 100 ton sword does 11)

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Excellent!

[@KeystoneCarcajou]

You must play a lot of open terrain to not like the large pulse laser.

[@Bolththrower]

If you check ou their battle reports that's pretty much all of them, lots of long open spaces.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

Innee Sphere LPL is a big medium laser. Clan LPL is a God tier weapon. Even moreover if you slap a TC on that bad boy. Never miss.

[@KeystoneCarcajou]

and it shows.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Nah. That is an unfair misrepresentation of how we okay. Sorry but the IS LPL is garbage in terms of tonnage heat and BV. Playing on maps where your LOS is 6 hexes at most takes 95% of the thinking out of the game.

[@jessepunch8945]

The only ranges the is large pulse laser is “better” than the Standard large laser for to hit mods is range 1-3, and range 6-7. Arguably range 1-3 doesn’t really matter as much between the two, so its only good range over the standard IS large is range 6-7, which is out of range for the medium pulse lasers. IS pulse weapons are bad, -2 to hit mod doesn’t matter when you’re in your long range, and the standard ids in its medium.

[@TinBane]

In terms of the wraith, the mech visuals are great. That means people love it. But as you point out, a huge engine, and jump jets, mean it has a lot of tonnage not in armour or weapons. Despite the badness of the large pulse, I think that is the better load-outs, otherwise you may as well just take a griffin, if you want to just plink away at range.

[@TrailblazerBT]

These numerical metrics are very useful for battle line mechs that charge into a straight standup fight. I would totally trust these sorts of numbers for something like a Thunderbolt. But when it comes to designs with specialized roles like the Wraith, I don't think you can take the numbers too seriously. Jumping 7 and hitting for 20+ with pulse lasers is a qualitatively different capability from other mechs. Doing all this for a lower BV cost than you pay for a Starslayer, which you correctly rated highly in a previous video,is very special indeed. The TR1 is an all time high performance mech.

[@malusignatius]

(Quick note, the Wraith's a FWL design, though the TR3 was a WoB variant) The Wraith's a specialist design IMO, and the TR2 dilutes that for ranged firepower. It's a scout/skirmisher hunter. All that mobility and the pulse weapons mean it's great for bullying light 'mechs. Yes, it's short-ranged and undergunned for it's weight, but in that role it's pretty effective. The TR1 can also run and shoot everything and remain heat neutral, which the TR2 can't.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Very specialist indeed!

[@mathewkelly9968]

22:25 got the Alpha Strike rulebook and played my first game of it as well . Really liked it you still feel like your playing BattleTech which is mission accomplished . I also think its a better introduction to the Universe that isn't an intimidating amount of bookwork for new players.

[@subtlewhatssubtle]

I've sat down with four other players and not a single one of us can figure out what "TR" stands for in the model number. My favorite answer comes from our local Capellan player, who has affectionately called his Wraith the Tactical Roach because of its long bug-antennas and the fact that it's only ever been destroyed in maybe six games of the dozens where he's fielded it. He puts high-skill pilots in his Wraith to keep his piloting targets down and make TMMs dicey for his OpFor, usually by using something beefier to split attention, such as a Cataphract.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

lol love Tactical Roach. When you play against him, do you find the Wraith effective / something you need to worry about?

[@subtlewhatssubtle]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Very effective when everyone else has committed, actually. I have seen him carve up Marauders with it. Tsaivo is the kind of guy who plays Spy in TF2. He turns the Wraith into a terrifyingly efficient head hunter, scout killer, objective taker, and passive spotter. It's his literal ace in the hole because he often puts something ridiculous like a 4G/2P pilot in there. He also reads map layouts like a book. Short of open terrain, he's very good at finding places to put a Wraith where it blocks primary LOS, and tends to hold off sending it in until he can either grab/stomp on the objective (did you know a Wraith can kill three Mobile HQs in two turns?) or it can ninja a kill. I've started shuffling more units with Streaks into my own deployment pattern because I've been end-run by him before. We all have. It's like my Wolfhound trick, everyone at the table kind of has to learn the lesson for themself at least once.

[@SupermarketZombies]

To the IS large pulse lasers credit, it is worth less than half of the Clan version: 119 to 265 BV.

[@Magermh]

Clan Large Pulse Lasers are often considered under BV. They have a 20 hex or inch range and the highest mod to hit is medium range. Their heat is 10. Your able to take a 5/6 pilot in any mech that has a pulse laser and still do well. With mechs like the Black Python or White Raven 2. Your getting a massive gain for less BV by taking a weaker pilot.

[@weaselwolf]

You know what's a really striking unique design from the clan invasion era? The Hollander.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

You love it

[@weaselwolf]

Just because I've suggested it in literally every battlytics video I've seen? Just a bit lol It's a fun mech, like an Urbie but useful. Not actually my favorite though, it's just under appreciated

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I was going to run an analysis on it but the Patrons voted it down! Maybe in the fall!

[@weaselwolf]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming let me know when it comes to a vote and I'll join up just to back my weird doggy-legged gun machine lol Just put it in every poll and eventually they'll vote just to drop seeing it ;-)

[@matthewbirdsall9518]

Have never really known much about the Wraith. Going to have to try fitting these into new forces.

[@brianhenry152]

I can see how this one doesn't really suit your style of play, since the Lg. Pulse Laser is maligned in your point of view. However, I can see how this can be used as an extremely aggressive design. It's basically a knife-fighter. It has the speed and jumping ability to eliminate lighter mechs quickly, and then spend the rest of the game jumping around and hitting the enemy from behind. That XL Engine does have its limitations, and it may not always get a return on investment in a list. Basically, I'd use this just like a Spider or Assassin. But unlike those mechs, this actually has some punch!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Except like so much more expensive? I don’t see it.

[@jerrywalters8885]

The Wraith Tr2 is my favorite mech in the game. Use it in every battle that fits its timeline

[@klinktastic]

I really like this in a campaign setting, where you can get TAG or C3. This thing shines to holy hell with minor tweak.

[@Ichaerus]

The Urbanmechs R60, R60L certainly have a place. In the scrapyard or landfill. The R90 can either escort or guard that scrapyard. The only variant of Urbanmech that is not some flavor of crap, is the Urbanmech IIC.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Hahah that’s ice cold. Too funny. But also accurate.

[@lukedudley5030]

Great analysis of a great mech :-) gotta love the speed and toughness of this mech :-) the inner sphere pulse aren't great but that easier to hit makes it an awesome scout hunter :-) a lance of these is great at picking any mechs apart as it's speed keeps it alive longer than most expect :-) edited to say the other configuration would be better to be honest....the speed helps it get close, its designed to be with other wraiths and it hits almost everytime...on TT I've had a lot of reward from pairing wraiths and using them to focus down the big mechs and support mechs of the opposition as they are so fast the larger mechs struggle a lot....plus it can destroy scout Lance's easily due to its easier hit and comparable speed :-)

[@briane8627]

Aaron, my man, you need to have a poll on Patreon where we can make a force that you then have to play. I'd make sure there isn't one long range gun in the mix. Not a one! Really surprised to hear you praise the xl engine on this one. Totally agree with your take but I don't think I've ever heard you say those words out loud before! The jumping pulse boat is a really powerful archetype. Some even say it's cheating because it's so good. Obviously you're not a fan though. Is there an *Inner Sphere* pulse boat that you get excited about?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

IS pulse suck. The range is abysmal… unless you play on one mapsheet (which, what is the point?) you are never getting an ROI on short range mechs. Taking no long range is like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

[@briane8627]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming sounds like a really fun challenge that would definitely bring in all the subs and instant KZbin fame!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Two mechs enter. Only one may leave. Sounds like a Solaris special to me 🙂

[@kevincollier4147]

Since the Rasalhague Republic is now joining with Ghost Bear, I am looking forward to a 2C version of this. All you have to do iswap IS weapons for Clan stuff.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

If this thing had a clan LPL, it would be my favorite mech 😆

[@kereminde]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming This seems like something you fix with battlefield salvage and a good 'MechTech team...

[@jamesbeard5513]

I think I liked it after reading the books with Aris Sung. I could also see it being the muscle in a scout lance. In-universe, it is described as a fast raider and skirmisher, which I can see. If you are trying to hit a supply depot fast, but need more firepower/armor than similar movement mechs, I can see this one being used.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

That definitely makes sense to me - I do think some designs that might make sense “in the real world” don’t always translate on the table.

[@wanttobeprivate7466]

I'd rip out the ER PPC as it shouldn't have range issues moving 7/11/7, rip out the med pulses, and put in 2 larges or ER larges. Spend remaining tonnage on armor, backup mediums, DHS in the case of going ER larges, whatever and go to town. Excellent harassing fire potential.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

This is where my head is at 100%

[@dinoapostolakos9076]

Huge fan of the jump ability. Would bounce all over the place to get into optimal shooting position. Then run away like in Monty python.. a good hit and run mech

[@mathewkelly9968]

Getting no solid info when the new stuff will be available in Australia . Guess its going to be a couple of years again before I can buy all the new box sets . Want Wraiths and especially VINDICATORS . Also wasn't made by comstar I believe Curtiss was a water cooler manufacturer before this mech .

[@NRSGuardian]

The TR1 being 1287 BV helps it out in comparison to the TR2. Also, with the low gunnery sensitivity you can throw a 3 or 4 gunnery pilot on it and still expect it to do decent, which saves even more BV. As the survivability analysis shows it tends not to die, because it seldom gets hit so it is more likely than other short-range Mechs like the Hunchback to get into range, plus at 7/11/7 it is going to get into range relatively quickly. As for the low damage output when everything is pulse lasers it is more likely to hit which helps it actually do damage, plus with its high chance of getting into a Mech's back arc it can put that damage where it will do the most good. Also, it's a great disruptor, and forces your opponent to make difficult decisions. Does your opponent focus it at long-range to try to kill it quickly, which may not even happen considering how terrible the to-hit numbers are likely to be, or do you ignore it and let it get into the back of your formation? If you do let it get into the back of your formation, do you still ignore it to focus on the bigger, meaner, easier to hit Mechs in front of you? Or do you turn around and shoot at it, which will either halve your out-going firepower since you will only likely be able to shoot one arm's worth of weapons at it, or if you turn to get all your weapons on it you may end up exposing your back to the bigger, meaner Mechs. So while it may not put out as much damage as other Mechs for the same BV it can add additional utility and options for your force, and the more tough decisions you force your opponent to make, the more likely he or she makes the wrong one and gives you a mistake to capitalize on. Additionally, it gives you a Mech that can do stuff like get up to an objective that a Mech like a Wolverine would be just too slow to get to in the late game, or get to a center field objective that only fast, Light Mechs would usually be able to get to, and with its pulse lasers and decent armor, a Wraith can absolutely bully a Locust or Jenner or other Mechs of similar speed. So for objective play it can give you more utility than some other Mechs would give you. The Wraith isn't a great Mech for a lot of scenarios, but it does have a niche that it fills very well. I will say the Wraith could really use a Snub PPC variant besides the experimental TR2-X. The Snub PPC with its unique range brackets is almost tailor made for the Wraith's capabilities.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Interesting note on the SNPPC!

[@brokenlava518]

I'd swap the Medium Pulses for 2 RE Medium Lasers and have an ER Large (clantech if I can get my hands on one, but IS version is fine) in place of the ERPPC. I'd have 1T to add to armor or heat sinking. (2T if I can use the clantech)

[@Actalzy]

As been said by others, it is a backstabber. I normally agree with your point on IS pulses but it works here to cover the jump penalty. And you do want to be jumping a lot. I used a wraith alongside a Phoenix Hawk and they would constantly be jumping around with at least one almost always in an enemies back arc. This let them both be very hard to hit and punch well above weight class. Some mechs do suck on paper till you find that niche that really works for them.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

For the cost though, it’s like trying to find a round hole for a square peg. When would you want to rely on this for damage output?

[@Actalzy]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I wouldn't exactly want to rely on it for damage. As said, it is tough, does enough damage and with its jump can easily stay in the rears while being hard to hit. It is a mech to me kind of like the Hunchback, you ignore it you are gonna pay but if you focus it to remove it then you lose rounds firing at the bigger boys.(In Warhammer 40k terms, a distraction Carnifex.) Can't much speak to BV, never played using it. Me and my friends always played Merc or a few house Campaigns where the only limit was on how much the dropship could carry and if you were willing to dish out your own money for a bigger one instead. BV to me and those I have played with is more of a rough guideline than a hard thing to go by because it leaves out something it can't calculate, the player using the mech. Can explain more, but this is already long.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

The analysis is based on BV. And I guess if I am paying for something, I want to be able to rely on it to kill something.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Couldnt find out why it was coded the TR , but found out Hellespont Industries picked up a license for this mech . Excuse to field it in my Reserve Cavalry yay !!!!

[@Magermh]

Many of the mechs from 3055 had designations like the Gunslinger. It spells gun nerd.

[@clanorangechicken6648]

I know this is a family channel, but I am just saying the Wraith has an interesting 'hood' head

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

LMFAO

[@jennaside2457]

The 3055 mechs dont get a lot of mention but they are some of my favorites. 1 word. BANDERSNATCH! 😆 Edit: 01B, because screw dying to a destroyed side torso lol.

[@brianhenry152]

I liked the Gallowglas myself...

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Very cool design!

[@brianhenry152]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Yeah, it's like a fancier version of the Grasshopper! Might be a good choice for a battlytics?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

You hold the voting power Brian 😆

[@brianhenry152]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming

[@TinBane]

On the “return on gunnery”, gunnery doesn’t directly aid survivability. The mech will get a return, based on modelling it’s output while under fire from an awesome. If your opponent picks it out as a target and saturates it with fire before it does anything, your investment was wasted. At that point, an additional wasp would have been more useful.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

That particular analysis factors in the survivability. And your point on fire saturation is correct… the data is just there to say “I can squeeze more of of this” or “I dont want all my eggs in this basket”.

[@DIEGhostfish]

10:08 the Binary Laser, and maybe some sort of X-Pulse or Bombast? Otherwise can't think of anything that does more than 10 and less than 15. And I can't think of any 11.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Oh yah - you could be right there!! I do not think of those weaps.

[@derekburge5294]

If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed this was a Clan dueling mech, like the Dragonfly. What an odd design.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

That’s interesting. I never looked at it that way but there are definitely similarities there for sure.

[@jerrywalters8885]

I put 4 in my merc unit for recon. Modified in 3060 with captured Ryoken can xl with clan Lpl 2 can Mpl. Added clan ecm and ap with saved weight. Ya only goes 6/9/6. But it hurts

[@richmcgee434]

Unsurprisingly, swapping on salvaged (or purchased, at late enough dates) Clan tech weapons in place of the IS junk turns the dial up on this thing a lot and does so without really killing the BV. The mech's popularity stems largely from appearance, nostalgia (it was pretty fun when it first showed up) and the hypnotic appeal of a 55 tonner with a 7/11/7 move profile. Also, you guys tend to play with (to me) ridiculously good pilots, with the IS norm being 3 and 2 not being uncommon, which badly hurts every single mech that trades armor off for a better TMM. Run with the gunnery scores where the game started them - IS 4, Clan 3 - and fewer elites than 5-gunnery newbies and chumps and watch what happens to the Wraith. That TMM and the pulse laser -2 means a lot more when you shift the starting point on the curve even one point. Love to know where all these 3-gunnery IS pilots are supposed to be coming from in your games, given the shorter lifespan of mechwarriors post-Clan invasion as decapitator weapons become more and more common. There are vids where you casually recommend going to gunnery 2, pilots who should be so rare they're legendary and other mechwarriors try to make a name for themselves by beating them - or just surviving a fight against them. That's a regimental champion's stats, or a veteran Clanner - and Clanners die to head shots all the time too. Heck, when's the last time you even ran a gunnery 5 pilot, whether they were a raw recruit, a pro with the shakes from a few too many bad ejections, or a burned-out vet who's seen too much and started drinking or drugging their lives (and skills) away? There should be more of those in anything but the most elite and well-rested unit than skill 2 or 3 elites and vets.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Haha alcoholic vet is my next MW:D character. I hear you, and I think that’s fair. I just can’t stand to play a game that is more like craps than a strategy game… when the gunnery gets to 4 or 5, the chance of hitting is so ridiculously low at anything beyond S range. Assume target mod of 2, walking +1, you are at a 7 to hit at short range! That is a 50/50 coin toss. At L range its 11, so sub 10%. Lots of time invested and dice rolling and almost no outcome!

[@richmcgee434]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I get it, but you're really making my point for me. 2d6 bell curves are enormously sensitive to even small mods, and by starting everyone about a point lower on their to-hit rolls through higher gunnery you're playing a very different game than most people are. Your environment devalues the defensive value of high movement, reduces the defensive drawbacks of low movement, actually devalues equipment that offers accuracy (eg pulse lasers, targeting comps) and skews against some tactics hard. When's the last time you stood still with a mech to not suffer that walking mod? That's frequently a valid choice for a big 3/5 or even 4/6 turtle if it's got guns on a target and likes the range its at, but the probability curve moved in favor of hitting it's much less good. You repeatedly mention how BV is all screwed up, and a lot of the time you blame it on overcharging for movement in various ways (eg raw speed, XL engines, jump jets). BV is far from perfect, but your own preferences are as much to blame as the system's flaws are. Armor is always going to win out over target mods when accuracy is being boosted. And really, a 7+ on 2d6 is nothing like a 50/50 coin toss. 21/36 is a lot better than even odds. Don't ever get in a craps game with that kind of thinking in mind.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

It’s 58.33%… that is effectively a coin toss. I disagree with your comments that BV gets messed up because of lower gunnery score - the BV gets adjusted based on skill levels, so it should all come out in the wash.

[@RemTV]

this is why i love battletech. statistically this isn't a great mech for classic BT, but in a game like alpha strike it's actually pretty decent for what it is. like a mech can find a niche in another system and i love that (except the assassin... that thing sucks in every game lol)

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Hahah sick Assassin burn. But I agree - when you can aggregate weapon damage and handle the rules a little differently, it can change quite a bit! I havent looked at this in AS but now you have piqued my interest 🙂

[@WRXSEVEN]

This is not a ComStar mech. It's a FWL mech that was produced during the Clan Invasion era for the FWLM and was available for purchase to mercs and the Capellan Confederation. The Word of Blake later used them when they set up on Gibson and started building up their forces. The Wraith factory (and everything else on planet) was destroyed by the Regulans during the end of the Jihad. During the Dark Age, the Wraith was again manufactured, this time in Capellan space.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Yes. I put a footnote in the video - was confusing the lore with the Grim Reaper!

[@WRXSEVEN]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Oh, that makes sense! Love your show!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

All those 3055 mechs look alike haha

[@lesjames2478]

I like it because it's cool looking but I never field it because it is pretty terrible in actual play. None of the stock varients are that great. If playing with customized units, consider trading out its weapons for 3 ER mediums and 1 ER large + 3 DHSs as well. It makes it a pretty solid skirmisher

[@Ti-nf4fq]

Take off the weapons and mount 10 er sm lasers and targeting computer. Yeah I know innersphere mech with clan tech. What a mech.

[@alexdeeprose2303]

The Wraith is such a weird one. It’s about the only IS mech I will accept a large pulse on tbh haha I think it’s value on the table comes more as a threat and constant danger than an actual damage dealer. Nobody wants a near invulnerable triple pulse backstabber leaping around in their rear arcs….you have to deal with it, which is damn hard, or ignore it and then even it’s paltry firepower will start killing you in the back. Is it with the BV? Nah, probably not. But I do think this is one occasion where it’s better in use than the benchmarks suggest.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I think that is accurate. The right of enemy mechs, mission, terrain (or even a night mission) - I can see this being useful

[@klinktastic]

The simulations probably cannot take into account the ability to jump behind. With a good gunnery rating, you can use called shots to target which rear torso you want to hit. The LPL version is an absolute killer.

[@klinktastic]

As long as you're not on an open field with no LOS blocking terrain or no trees, any time you lose initiative you hide. Anytime you win, you get in the rear. The few times they can actually shoot at you, it should be +6 minimum to hit you.

[@drizztthedrow2525]

going through all your videos which are great so thank you for making them. Can i ask what are the gaming mats you use for your battle reports?

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Deep-cut, PWork, and Frontline Gaming

[@drizztthedrow2525]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming thank you. Sorry how do you make the hills as it looks perfect and stable

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Check our hobby playlist for a tutorial on this! It’s called Battlegrid Setup

[@drizztthedrow2525]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming appreciate it i am returning after 33 year hiatus. New plastic minis are fantastic. Love your channel

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Awesome! It’s a great time to get back into the hobby!

[@DevianID]

Oh man you missed the ball on the ERPPC versus large pulse. The TR1 wraith is one of the best buys around, and the ER PPC version is so much more BV it kills the efficiency. Imagine a 12 turn game. The ERPPC sniping is only 120 damage and you don't have the heat for max jumping each turn. The large pulse can jump and rotate the large every other turn. This is 21 and 12 damage. Unlike most IS mechs, you can close from 21 to 10 in 1 turn with a wraith so you don't have 'downtime'. The LPL increases the lethality so much.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

I mean, maybe I’ll buy it? I don’t think the LPL is good at all - the range is horrific. The whole benefit of pulse is largely washed away by crappy range brackets. 9 damage is ok… but 10 heat and 7 tons? Consider when at 6 hexes, the LPL is at med range and the standard PPC is at short. Same hit mod, but PPC does more damage. And the PPC can hit out to 18 hexes. The erPPC is doing that even better with no min range and a max of 23. Granted the heat sucks. erPPC isn’t great but the LPL is at least just as bad…

[@DevianID]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming so the part that's missing is range 2, which a 7/11/7 can dictate. At range 2, a vet skill 3, with 3 from jump, shooting at a tmm of 2 (or camper in heavy woods) needs an 8 to hit, or a 6 to hit with pulse. This is 26 to 15 damage by ratio. So a mpluse at 6 damage does more then 2 medium lasers totalling 10--156 v 150 in comparrison (plus 2 medium lasers are more heat.) A PPC (ignoring minimum range) is even worse, at 234 lpl vs a ppc at 150. The fair point about trading long range shots doesnt apply when speed is range too... At 7/11, a wraith can cross 2 mapsheets in 3 turns, often getting shots with the lpl on t2 and firing everything on t3. So the enemy with long range weapons only gets 1 turn at range 21, 1 turn at range 10 if they started with 32 hexes apart--after that the wraith is on top of you. Finally, you add in the massive BV discount you get for taking short ranged weapons, and as long as you play the mech to its role its a slam dunk--one of the best BV buys in clan or IS gameplay. Tl;Dr: in a limited turn game, short range pulse lasers grossly outdamage longer ranged guns, and on a fast platform the range issue is actually a blessing as it makes the weapon value lower. Edit: the caveat is when neither party moves or has any evasion. The Annihilator that doesn't move, for example, and has no tmm, needs range above all else, and raw damage second. Such a turret mech sitting still would hate short ranged pulse lasers, as the opponent dictates the range and most of the slow mechs defense comes from range mods. This isnt the case with something like the wraith with its +4tmm. You saw its survivability yourself, an impressively high value for a 1300bv mech (the good pulse version). So the wraith moves right up to point blank (or behind), and trades positively versus any 1300bv mech I know of.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Getting to 2” range isn’t exactly easy though. I still remain unconvinced. 🙂

[@klinktastic]

Binary laser does 12 i think, but no one uses them.

[@madcat3525]

Great battlytic on the Wraith. I looked it up on different TROs, its made in the Free Worlds League.Its a speedy mech. The only way I would play the Wraith is as a flanking mech. I got the Jihad TRO, is there any chance in the future to do a Battlytic on the Hellstar. I like to see how a Clan mech with 4x erppcs does on Battlytics. Aaron ,will you be reviewing Battletech : Empire Alone Sourcebook?Looking forward to more videos.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Maybe maybe and maybe!

[@shaneflickinger]

For a man who named his channel Death From Above Wargaming, you seem to be disparaging the actual DFA maneuver in game. I think I'm slightly disappointed by that. I used to DFA my Phoenix Hawk just about every game when I played back in the day just for the fun of it. My legs only fell off about half the time.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

LOL well 50/50 isnt bad I guess 😆

[@kereminde]

DFA is really a risky maneuver if you're not in a Highlander. The self-damage and difficulty spike means you need really good Piloting to have a chance... at hitting a somewhat stationary target. It's a gamble, if you could do more that way then with your weapons. I mean, that's how I've tended to see it. But it's suck a draw because... what if it works? Man you'll have a story to tell forever about how that Wasp totally kicked that Assault 'Mech in the face and lived to walk away. (Or run. Run like its life depended on it, because it does.)

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

100%

[@mathewkelly9968]

17:59 see this is where your thinking on this mech is wrong , its peak alpha strike is 32 at 1 hex where if you took the large pulse like you should have . I also don't think you can really mod this mech it doesn't have any space the Jump Jets, Endo Steel , Ferro and XL are eating up 41 critical slots , plus not all the doubles fit in the engine I believe so lose 3 more criticals for each of those . I suppose you could drop the Jumping for 3.5 tons and 7 criticals , but why you'd not just take a different mech then puzzles me .

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Maybe the PL variant is better than the PPC - I can see your point there, but also agree in either case I would rather take a different mech entirely 😁

[@sebastiang.5032]

At least the Wraith... looks cool?

[@PhillyT1977]

The hate for the large pulse laser tells me you just don’t play enough regular classic on the CGL neoprene mats! You’re in range of the enemy by turn two at the latest and on a brawler you end up with a cheap big gun that hits constantly and does good damage. On a battle table or big map it’s a whole lot less good for sure…

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Haha fair point!!

[@TheExard3k]

Well I guess I prefer a good old Panther over expensive toys like that.

[@brianhenry152]

Understandable! In BV2, you can field 2 Panthers for the price of this. In C-bills, you can afford about 5 of them for the price of this!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Agree 100%. This review made lots of people mad but I’ll take a reliable mech over a fancy niche design any day.

[@TheExard3k]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I'm not mad. I like to see battleytics of somewhat quirky and suboptimal mechs, if only to see why they aren't really popular. And I never payed attention to the Wraith before, so thanks for that! :) Also great analysis on IS XL Engines and when they're useful

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Oh I didn’t mean you 😁 I agree with you.

[@mathewkelly9968]

5:10 yeh I only DFA when its pretty much all over for me or my opponent , pretty much for the lols . If the game is in balance NEVER DFA , kicking is a legit action though , this mechs most powerful attack is its kick .

[@AdamWhitehead111]

Wraith fails a DFA attack... "OK, we'll call it a draw"

[@teejay91b]

Anyone know where Kevin is? Just noticed we haven’t seen him in awhile. Hope everything is okay.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thanks. We had made an announcement a while back that he was moving away and unfortunately had to step away from the channel. We still keep in touch and as he has time, he contributes behind the scenes. Sucks, and I miss having him around, but such is real life.

[@teejay91b]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming Thanks for that. I missed the announcement. Glad you guys are able to keep in touch. Thanks again to everyone at DFA for helping rekindle my love for battletech!

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Thank you for watching!

[@johntrotter7372]

IS large pulse. Worse than ac2??? Worse than MRM"s? hot take.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Garbage I tell you. Heat/range/damage… awful.

[@jasonrucker4722]

Yeah, not a fan of the Wraith. I mean sure, it looks interesting, but outside of that, damage sucks. Maybe the the TR3 is a better option. It drops the x2 MPulse lasers and adds x2 ER MLasers. For all those that want to jump in close and fight in short and medium range, I think negates its TMM advantage. You want to load this out with LR - MR weapons to pick apart your opponents and keep them at range.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

You get it. ❤️

[@jeffs.4124]

This is a house Liao mech, not comstar.

[@74Grimlin]

To me the Wraith is just a worse Nightsky. The Nightsky is great because it excels with its Large Pulse laser because it has to be in close for the hatchet anyway. The PPC wraith is the way to go.

[@matthewfullmer3035]

I hope this does not come off as snarky, but this might be the first time I have ever seen the Nightsky described as "excelling" in any context.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Hahah love both of these comments.

[@74Grimlin]

@@matthewfullmer3035 I've had nothing but success with that mech. 🤷🏻

[@matthewfullmer3035]

@@74Grimlin I honestly find that interesting. I assume we are talking about the 4S ( there are like 15 thousand variants from just the 3050s - I never could keep most of them straight). I always felt it was closer to an oddly specialised work-horse than actually much good, or in the same mission profile as the Wraith. But looking back at its stats on MegaMek, I see why you argue it is like the Wraith. Very similar armour, the 3 pulse lasers. But the hatchet always made me think it *needed* to close to melee and that that was a real limitation. Particularly with a 50-tonner's swing not being that huge of a smack. I saw the Wraith as having a different MO because of that 7th point of jump. +4 just makes a huge difference in my eyes. The Wraith is just so much better at getting in and out. I had plenty of 'okay' games with the Nightsky but it struggled to get close enough to do the business (and a big part of that included not dodging the incoming shots Aaron assumes will kill these sorts of mechs) in time to really make a mark.

[@74Grimlin]

@@matthewfullmer3035 in my experience the 4S is great at several things. Its movement profile often catches opponents off guard, it's so fast and can jump far enough that they can never know what it will do. I find either opponents ignore it because they don't think it's much of a threat and shoot at my other mechs, or waste time trying to bring it down. If they ignore it, it gets behind them and opens them up with it's lasers. If I'm lucky it gets to hatchet as well. A 10 damage strike to the head can easily kill. If my opponent does choose to shoot at it I just keep running or jumping it around. It then absorbs fire and dodges a lot of it. Even if it dies that's a lot of shooting my other mechs aren't taking. My last match with it was like that. By the time I won the round my Nightsky was in forced withdrawal, but my heavy had only taken a couple of shots and my assault was literally untouched, because my opponent kept trying to kill the Nightsky. Every time he hit it, he thought just one more shot and it'll die, but it never did.

[@Magermh]

TR2? Really bad. Use the pulse laser. The LpL variant is over all way better. :( Hater got to try that swiss roll. ER PPC TR2 sucks so bad I never use it. Pulse laser variant was so good that in many a tournament it was banned or limited to one. Why they added the 2 was to reflect it as being too bad. So TR means tournament regulated 1. But lols none the less.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

TR1 was banned!? I don’t believe it (figuratively). IS pulse weapons suckkkkk.

[@Dmorris556]

You kinda missed the point on this one. Having seen your play style, this is not a mech for you. This is not a line/skirmisher. This is a backstabber. at 7/11/7 this thing can position that LPL into a space where range is irrelevant. at 9 damage, that is going internal on "most" back armor, with the MPLs to add crit seeking, or a punch on rounds you need to dump heat.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Who would ever let this thing backstab? It’d get shot down first, or never get in the fight. Maybe in a city…

[@Dmorris556]

@@DeathfromAboveWargaming you fight in open terrain too much. Thick woods, jungle, urban, rocky/mountainous. Also gotta move it as late in the round as possible. 7/11/7, hard to keep it out, especially if you don’t get to focus it.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Nah dude we do not play in “open terrain” … playing in a board full of dense jungle where your mechs are basically incapable of shooting until they are short range is like setting up the game to favor a specific kind of unit. Why bother? We’ve played in pretty dense urban and forests but there should always be opportunities to shoot at LR.

[@Dmorris556]

​@@DeathfromAboveWargaming I've been watching your games since the early days. You 100% favor open terrain with your board setups. Both sides usually have a hill near thier start, with large, unobstructed approaches with minimal cover. Something I notice alot which is why "range is king" is true to your board setups and matches, long range engagement, minimal terrian is your local meta. Both of the groups I play with tend to mix it up alot, some times open, somtimes a lot of mountains (level 2-4), sometimes mix of urban and woods, or 90% dense urban, or mix of all of the above. All themed based on the scenario/nartive going on in the campaign. We have games where most shots are long to medium range, and others are jumping knife fights at 2-5 inches. Point is, you gotta mix up your meta, that is why you are not really understanding the value of mechs like the Axeman, Wraith or weapons like the LL or ISLPL etc.

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

Sounds like a few hundred points of infantry would wreck anything in a 2-5 inch knife fight. Why would anyone bother to bring a BattleMech with weapons that can shoot 700 meters? Sounds silly to me.

[@gavincross2902]

Hate the wraith. The quintesential Capellan plot armoured and plot gunned mech in the novels. Great video though.

[@dannacarlosramsey6086]

Stop talking and play the game. Bring Kevin back

[@DeathfromAboveWargaming]

We would if we could!