The Ryoken starts with more of hill to climb than the other new
designs. Medium battlemechs (those weighing from 40 to 55 tons)
have more trouble finding a niche in MechWarrior 4 than any other
class. They're a bit too slow to fill the specialized roles of
light mechs and just not powerful enough to fall in as brawlers.
The best of the class from the original game was the Shadowcat,
statistically an exceptional mech, and one that found its success
in being more like a light mech with punch than a heavy mech with
speed. The Uziel succeeded as a brawler, mostly because it is a
good fit for urban combat.
At 55 tons, the Ryoken has to find
its role as a brawler. Just above it is the 60-ton Vulture and the
65-ton Loki and Catapult (one of the most under-appreciated mechs
in the game), which make for tough competition. At a glance, the
Ryoken has little to sell itself in comparison to these mechs.
It's weapons slot total of 12 is average, and the presence of 4
omni slots is offset by the fact that it is unable to carry any
3-slot weapons. Its speed is not exceptional, but it carries a
fair amount of available tonnage, especially when its engine
rating is raised.
The one point of statistical
excellence for the Ryoken is maneuverability. Along with the Black
Knight, it has the best torso twist speed of any mech in the game.
It also has very good acceleration and deceleration values, and
its turn rate is solid. The mech seems to find its niche in urban
environments or other dog-fighting arenas. Overall, though, it's
not an especially compelling design.
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Wolfhound