SHD-2H "Shadowhawk" for Battletech

A multi-role BattleMech developed in 2550 during the Golden Age, the Shadow Hawk is a powerful fusion of maneuverability and firepower. With a mix of long-range and short-range weapons, good maneuverability thanks to jump jets, and excellent endurance, the Shadow Hawk has long been regarded as one of the best 'Mechs in its weight class. The Shadow Hawk is equally adept whether commanding a reconnaissance company or serving as a spotter for heavy and assault lances.

Lang Industries had technically introduced the Shadow Hawk many years prior to 2550, but this version of the 'Mech suffered from a debilitating fault in its armor plating. The line was recalled and a major overhaul was accomplished in 2550 without any difficulties which solved the issue for most (but not all) Shadow Hawk models. This resumption of production therefore is regarded by many historians as the true debut of the design. For the next few centuries Lang continued to produce the Shadow Hawk for the Star League and the Great Houses until their factory was destroyed with the start of the Succession Wars. Afterwards Earthwerks Incorporated remained the only manufacturer within the Inner Sphere to continue producing Shadow Hawks from their factory on Calloway VI, while in the Periphery Majesty Metals and Manufacturing on Dunianshire built these 'Mechs for the Magistracy of Canopus and other prospective buyers. As many of the secrets of lostech were rediscovered, Earthwerks was able to create an updated variant of the Shadow Hawk, the SHD-5M, in time for the Clan Invasion.

Starting in the summer of 3066 Vicore Industries began promoting their "Project Phoenix" to various weapons manufacturers across the Inner Sphere, promising improved versions of venerable designs like the Shadow Hawk. Earthwerks, Kallon Industries and ComStar all expressed interest in redesigning the Shadow Hawk, however the latter two lacked appropriate facilities to build the 'Mech and so (at the suggestion of the Vicore group) contracted Odin Manufacturing on Orestes to build the components while Kallon finished the process at its factories on Nanking and Talon. The Capellan Confederation later acquired the rights to build Earthwerks' SHD-7M Shadow Hawk variant shortly before the Jihad, which they then sub-licensed to Vandenberg Mechanized Industries to produce.

Model is printed in a grey resin and supplied with a base.

Mech design by Matt Mason.