Howdy and welcome back to Mech Overview! Continuing our coverage of the Mercenaries box, the Chameleon is the iconic training mech. Not really built for combat, the Chameleon is designed to teach new mechwarriors in universe and new players out of universe how to manage heat, bracket fire, and maneuver around on a battlefield. Chameleon VS Chameleon fights are a good way to teach the game, and it is iconic for a different reason than most other iconic mechs. With that said, it does have some variants that genuinely can see good use on a table, so let’s get into it!
Chassis
The Chameleon is a training mech first and foremost, carrying a range of weapons in most variants and not really being built for front line combat. A lot of variants can see good use on a battlefield though, or were rebuilt as combat units due to desperation or personal preference. A fun quirk of the mech in universe is that it can easily be dressed up to roleplay as an assault or heavy mech in training exercises, which I think is hilarious. Weighing 50 tons and generally moving fast, I actually do love this mech and use it a lot, just not the base models.
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).
TRC-4B/4C
Near as I can tell these mechs are identical. Moving 6/9/6 and carrying mediocre at best armor, these mechs exist to teach heat management and nothing else. For weaponry, we have a large laser, 2 medium lasers, 4 small lasers, and 2 machine guns, just to put the fear of ammo explosions in you. It can only sink 10 heat because it is built to overheat unless the pilot is very careful with what they are shooting. At 999 BV this is not the worst mech ever because it does genuinely bracket fire alright, having a large laser at range and dropping high heat weapons for more efficient ones as it closes in. It isn’t great though, and really isn’t built for combat in any way shape or form. I’ll still give it a rating but this just bluntly isn’t a mech built to fight.
RATING: D
CLN-7V
The 7V is nearly the same as the 4B/4C, trading a small laser for marginally more armor. Everything said above applies.
RATING: D
CLN-7W
The first attempt to make the Chameleon into a combatant, the 7W costs 1243 BV and carries better armor, an ER large laser, a medium pulse laser, and a medium laser. This isn’t terrible for the cost, the armor is adequate, the movement is pretty decent, and this functionally is used as a slightly heavier Phoenix Hawk with better armor, which is far from a bad thing to be. It manages heat OK and is overall fine, not an all timer but it is perfectly usable in a cavalry role if you run out of Pheonix Hawk minis but still need more 6/9/6 laser goobers.
RATING: C+
CLN-7Z
Another combat refit model, the 7Z costs 1527 BV and carries an XL engine and a deeply weird set of weapons. It has 2 large lasers and an ER large laser, and this is to my knowledge one of the only mechs in the game that combines basic large lasers with ER large lasers. At least, I can’t think of any other one. (Editor’s note: The Night Hawk, Falcon Hawk, and several dropships do as well) It is heat neutral running and shooting the ER and a basic large, or jumping and shooting both basic large lasers. I mean, it isn’t bad really but god this is a weird fucking mech, completely built different and I have no goddam idea why it is the way that it is. I kinda like it though, and you could 100% get great use out of this thing. Having the option to overheat and force a PSR on an enemy is also situationally good, but like, maybe we should check on whoever came up with this?
RATING: B-
CLN-8V
All of these companies and nations making their own combat refits of this training mech is funny as hell to me for some reason. At 1426 BV the 8V carries OK armor and a good spread of guns, with an ER large laser, 3 medium X-pulse lasers, 2 medium lasers, and 2 machine guns that you should dump the ammo for to prevent ammo explosions. It maintains heat ok, has good weapons for any range, and honestly does a pretty scary amount of point blank alpha damage for the price you spend on it. Good machine, I like it.
RATING: B-
CLN-9V
Another one. For 1276 BV you get less armor than the 8V and much worse weapons, with a light PPC, 2 ER medium lasers, 3 small X-pulse lasers, and 2 machine guns. Skip this one and use the 8V instead.
RATING: D-
CLN-7V “Q-Mech”
A deeply funny variant, the Q mech was designed to pretend to be a training mech and sneak up on instructors at military academies, killing them and then scampering away at speed. This canonically only worked once before the academies tightened security and kept it from happening again. At 2105 BV this is an overly expensive nightmare, but it has some fun traits. It has an Angel ECM if that matters, a heavy PPC with capacitor for a big 20 damage hit, and 3 medium improved heavy lasers. It has more or less enough heat sinks to shoot either set of weapons, but like, having used this on a table before for the meme it really is funny as hell but it isn’t very good and 100% is not worth 2105 BV. Great for narrative play and really funny to try to assassinate people with a glorified training mech, but not really that good
RATING: D+
FUN RATING: B+
Conclusion
The Chameleon is a goofy little guy, a training mech with delusions of grandeur. The 8V and 7Z are both fine combatants though if you like the miniature, which I do because it is cool as hell. You also really should use the Q mech at least once, it is a very funny little mech and I love him. One of the less high quality mechs from the Merc box but by no means a bad mech, just surrounded on every side by insane mechs.
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