All Systems Nominal

 The defence platform from Forgeworld arrived with the sexy missile pods and my MadCatLite is up and running.  There's definitely a faint whiff of heresy about it though so I'm not sure the Omnissiah will be pleased.  Can CSM use Stormtalon Gunships?  Probably not.  I suppose Blight Drones are their gunships of choice.

Torso twist comes as standard

Anyway, the mini mech ended up being a lot more spiky than originally intended.  The boxy, utilitarian look of SM vehicles isn't carried over to the legs here and my chicken walker is much more curvy.  I doubt that the blueprint is STC at any rate.  This looks more like experimentation by Mechanicus radicals.

The model stands an inch or two shorter than a flying toaster mounted on flight stand and its weaponry is not entirely WYSIWYG.  The twin Assault Cannons are ok but the missile launcher is a bit of a mystery.  Forgeworld didn't bother to include the rules in the kit so I'm not actually sure what it is.  A Hyperion missile launcher?

Whatever, I'm using it as a Typhoon launcher and fervently hope that 'rule of cool' overrides any concerns that my opponents may have.  I'll just remove it from the list if anyone objects.  Should make for a short game and it will free up an hour to wander around the hall taking pictures and chatting to other gamers.

From a Battletech perspective its not really optimal either.  I decided to do a bit of research by playing Mechwarrior Online (yeah right).  I did so much research in fact that it took a week longer than it should have done to finish the model.

Mechwarrior Online is free to play. I just had to buy this ShadowCat Hero Mech however.  Still cheaper than plastic crack addiction tho

In the Battletech universe, a MadCat Timber Wolf weighs in at 75 tons which puts it firmly in the heavy mech class.  In 40k terms, I estimate that my little MadCat has a bit more mass than a Chimera or a Rhino which weigh 38 and 30 tons respectively.  It definitely looks lighter than a Land Raider at 72 tons.  So I reckon I've built a 35-45 ton mech which puts it in the light/medium category.  Too small for a MadCat.  What I've built is probably closer to a Bushwhacker or a Shadow Cat although I can't find anything which matches my weapon hardpoints exactly.

Now thats an AC-5 Ultra

I think AC-5 Ultras match the Assault Cannon best and the missile pods are LRM-10s.  I've fitted ammunition in the arm slots which is probably a bit silly and will get my arms blown off.  Also, there don't appear to be too many heat sinks on this variant.  I've mounted ECM on the centre torso which can be switched out for another AC-5 Ultra that actually looks like the Mechwarrior version.  The mech has got 360 degree torso twist as well as extra elevation on the missile pitch angle.  So thats a bit of an advantage.

There's even a bit of tech heresy with the extra armour plating.  Those knee protectors are from the Necron Triarch Stalker kit and there's a couple of Gauss blaster muzzles on there too.  Although they are no longer living metal, they have retained their resiliency and hardness.  I had to use them because I lost one of the knee pads from the original Dreadknight kit.  I can still fit the remaining one but it doesn't really look right.

So I've had a ton of fun building this.  I really ought to finish the base off and start painting it.  I might just have one more 'quick play' match on Mechwarrior first.  I can nearly afford a Bushwhacker X1 and that premium time bonus is steadily ticking away...