While the Phoenix Hawk IIC is probably the biggest change between the inner sphere original mech and the clan remake, the Highlander IIC is the smallest. Same weight, same movement, same structure, same armor type (and roughly amount), the Highlander IIC answers the question of “What if we just put clan guns on a Highlander?” Many of them are exactly that, with Clan Wolf refitting many inner sphere Highlanders into IIC versions over the course of the jihad and republic eras. Like the original Highlander, this is a trooper – it can do a bit of everything, while generally not being quite as good at is as something dedicated to a specific role.

Jade Falcon Highlander IIC. Credit: Jack Hunter

Variants

These mechs have all been reviewed based on a standard F through S scale, which you can find described on our landing page here (along with all of our other ‘mech reviews, the name of the box you can buy to get any of the mechs we have covered, and our general methodology).

Highlander IIC

The most direct upgrade of a HGN-732b possible, this variant carries a gauss rifle, LRM 20 (with artemis IV), three medium pulse lasers, and a pair of streak SRM 6s. While the gauss and LRM give it decent long range punch, this is a mech that wants to hang out where it’s in short range on the pulses and SRMs, assuming it can get there. As a 3/5/3 it’s not very good at controlling the range so you’ve gotta hope your opponent wants to be there too, but it still contributes while closing. Heat efficiency is good here, cooling off if neither streak fires and only significantly heating up if both do. The downside is that it costs 2,979 BV – 600 more than a 732b for the same effectiveness at range. If you can get close, it’s worth it. If you can’t, it’s not.

Jack’s rating: B+

Highlander IIC. Credit: Rockfish

Highlander IIC 2

First off, this variant has laser heat sinks. It doesn’t matter, but now you can imagine you’re at a party when you field this mech. The weapon load is both similar and different – almost the same number of holes in the mech, but the LRM 20 is traded for a trio of ATM 6s, one of the streak SRMs is traded for six AP gauss rifles, and the pulses are swapped to ER medium lasers. The big gauss rifle is still there, so something did stay the same. This is a mess of a loadout – ER mediums and standard ATMs pair nicely, wanting to stay at 5 hexes where they can bully medium pulses, but firing all that would leave you at 6+movement heat. The left arm with 6 AP gauss is a dead pilot waiting to happen, though their range does pair nicely with HE ATMs and firing everything but the medium lasers leaves you at 1+ movement heat. Either way, you’re leaving a load of BV on the table – either 225 if you ignore the AP gauss and SRMs, or 402 if you ignore the ER mediums. At a total of 2,928 BV, this is just a mess of individually good weapons that don’t work well together.

Jack’s rating: D

Highlander IIC Wolf's Dragoons Alpha Regiment

Highlander IIC 3

Returning back to normal Highlander IIC land, the only change between the standard variant and this one is swapping the gauss rifle for a HAG/20 and an ecm suite. At 3,001 BV you’re paying just a hair more to do about the same average damage, with a chance to either do a touch more or a touch less depending on the cluster roll, but now it’s in clusters of 5 instead of a single 15 point hit. I’d say vaguely not worth it, but not by a lot, and personal preference probably counts the most between the two. The HAG runs a touch hotter than a gauss rifle, but it’s still only going to overheat if you land streak hits.

Jack’s rating: B+

Hastati Sentinels Highlander IIC. Credit: Jack Hunter

Highlander IIC 4

Still very similar to the standard variant, we now swap the medium pulses for ER medium lasers, upgrade the LRM 20 to artemis V (-1 TN and +3 clusters instead of just +2 clusters), and replace the streak 6s with ATM 6s. Total effective damage output goes up a little bit, but not substantially – you get more damage out of the ATMs and upgraded LRM, but lose some from losing the pulse laser accuracy. The problem here is that these are all weapons that can be fired at the same time, leaving you at 6+ movement heat – the LRM puts out too much damage to want to ignore it at close range like you would an inner sphere LRM. It’s on par with other variants at 2,958 BV, and while I certainly don’t think you’re going to regret taking it I think it’s doing the same thing as the standard but marginally worse.

Jack’s Rating: B

Final Thoughts

The standard, 3, and 4 are all functionally the same mech with some style choices – would you rather have a HAG than a gauss, or would you rather have some ATMs over SRMs. They’re similar enough that none of them are a wrong choice. On the other hand, the 2 variant is the wrong choice. Overheating and without a coherent plan there’s just no reason to take this.

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