Commissioned in late 2660, the Wyvern was developed as a dedicated city fighter. The Wyvern may fulfill its duties too well, for many pilots dislike the 'Mech's primary tasks of crowd control, garrison duty, security work and urban defense. After the fall of the Star League and the resulting devastation, most military commanders chose to fight not in cities or in the Inner Sphere's few remaining industrial complexes, but farther away from such potentially valuable spoils of war. This being the case, the Wyvern's relatively low speed changed from an asset to a significant disadvantage.
         A few MechWarriors, however, enjoy piloting the 'Mech. In its element-cities or other terrain in which movement is restricted-there are few 'Mechs of any size that the Wyvern cannot handle.

         As a city fighter, the Wyvern does not need much ground speed. With a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour, the Wyvern cannot escape many of its foes by running away. It can, however, use the jump jets in its rear torso and upper legs to jump out of harm's way with considerable ease. Its relatively slow speed makes the Wyvern a sitting duck in the open field, and so most commanders use the 'Mech in heavy woods or mountainous terrain where natural obstacles reduce the movement advantages of faster 'Mechs.
         The arm-mounted Nightwind large laser is the Wyvern's main weapon. As it is an older design, the Nightwind's many system components have been refined through countless hours of battlefield tests. The system is extremely reliable, but most of the components are so bulky and heavy that the Nightwind is one of the largest military lasers ever produced. The Starflash small lasers cradled next to their bigger cousin were added later, after designers discovered that some of the Nightwind's power could be diverted with no loss of effectiveness.
         The Jackson Dart long-range missile launcher has been a constant source of problems for Wyvern pilots. Because the weapon is located in front of the engine core, the heat of the engine often causes an automatic shutdown of the system. Normal coolant jackets have proven ineffective, and if a pilot attempts to override the shutdown, the heat build-up can lead to an ammo explosion as the reloads are passed from the ammo bay in the left torso. The only proven solution is to keep the reactor's temperature as low as possible. The Totschlagen-6 short-range missiles are much more reliable. The entire reloading system is extremely compact, making reloading quick and efficient. If the system jams, the reload tubes can usually be cleared by jumping the Wyvern up and down.
         The Wyvern's relatively simple, robust construction has allowed it to withstand the ravages of lostech better than most advanced BattleMech designs. The inability of Inner Sphere manufacturers to reproduce advanced composite armor has most adversely affected the Wyvern; current levels of metallurgical technology have reduced its protection by about 10 percent. This drop is not seen as a significant disadvantage, however, and those pilots willing to trade speed for firepower consider the Wyvern one of the best 'Mech's in its weight class.