Allard Hall
This is where it all counts, cadets. It feels great to destroy an enemy in battle, but your stomache will quickly turn if you find out that you lost the planet. Wars arn't one by one person, that only happens in the holovids. It takes team coordination, tactics, and *I STRESS* the ability to follow orders to defend, destroy, or hold a planet.
Except where noted, the strategies listed are for 3 on 3 teams. When the teams are 4 on 4, the 4th member should hang back to fill in the position of any lost mechs. Also, in all the diagrams, it is assumed you are the BLUE team. The Red Team is the opposing team, and all of the black mountains represent ALL obstacles, be they mountains, buildings, craters, or whatever.)
With Regeneration OFF
Defend/Destroy
In this type of mission, it is your mission to destroy the enemy's base while at the same time defend your own.
Mech 1 should be your largest mech, at least a heavy or an assault mech. That mech should be AT ALL TIMES with the base. He is the first and last line of defence against the whatever the enemy may throw against you. On the diagram, Mech 1 should not leave the perimeter of the base. If an enemy withdraws, DO NOT follow him more than 200-300m away from the base.
Mech 2 should be a medium mech. Hopefully a mech with some firepower, but with the ability to move quickly. This can also be a heavy mech, but I advise against an assault class mech, because it won't have the speed it will need to reposition itself quickly. Once the mission begins, the Mechwarrior designated as mech 2 will be the flanker. His sole mission is to trap whomever trys to attack the friendly base, and pursue fleeing enemies. Hang behind any natural obstacles (or buildings) somewhere around 400-500m forward of the friendly base. When an enemy approaches your base, don't attempt to pursue the enemy until he passes your mech. Then begin to pursue, but do not engage until Mech 1 (main defender) engages the enemy. At this time, proceed to take the enemy apart. He shouldn't last long, because he is getting hit from BOTH sides. However, do not block Mech 1's LOS. HE is the defender, you are the flanker. If the mech is destroyed, return to your flanking position where you started. If he trys to flee, pursue him, but don't follow him all the way into his base. He is by now damaged, and the kill isn't worth losing your own mech over.
Mech 3 is the attacker. He should be a medium or light mech, but a mech that has sufficient firepower to take down a building. Just get in, ignore whatever defences they have (more on that later), and start pounding on the base. By far this is the most dangerous of the mech positions, but it is also the one with the most glory. If the mission has 4 on 4, Mech 4 should accompany mech 3 in this endeavor. NOTE: If 1 (or 2 if this is 4 on 4) of the enemy mechs are destroyed, Mech 2 (Flanker) can also assist in the attack. The attack force shouldn't immediately run towards the enemy base, either, because they will take alot of damage from enemies coming in to destroy the friendly base.
Remeber that you don't know what the enemy is planning, and be prepared for anything. If they send 2 attacking units, you'll have to use your flanker as 1 on 1 against the enemy mechs. But Mech 1 (defender) should always let the flanker have the weaker target, and once one mech is seriously handicapped, the flanker should finish that one off and let the defender take out the stronger one.
ALSO REMEMBER that if you destroy all defending units, you'll win by default. If the enemy is heavily defending the base, this is another way to win. Just lure their men away and tear them down to size with both your flanker and attacker.
Defend
In this type of mission, your task is to defend your base, which means if you kill all opposing mechs, you win.
Get set up like in the diagram. The heaviest mech is mech 1, and the other mechs (mech 2) are the flankers. Move all your units out to at least 500m forward of the base, possibly more. This guarantees that enemies can't fire past you and hit the base. Wait until the enemy is in range, then ALL 3 UNITS should attack the lightest enemy unit. That should take him out right away, and he should also be the first to approach. This will make sure no enemy sneaks past your point, and lessens your opposition. Then the heavier of the remaining 2 should be attacked by both flanker units, and the defender should take on the remaining mech. Once either enemy is destroyed, all the rest of the mechs should take out the last enemy.
MAKE SURE THAT AT ALL TIMES NO ENEMY GETS PAST YOU. Any enemy mech which can avoid your mechs WILL destroy your base. Count on it. So don't let it happen. ALSO don't let yourself get drawn too far away from your base. If you are TOO far from your base, an enemy can sneak a unit around you easier.
Destroy
In this type of mission, your objective is to destroy an enemy base. So long as at least one unit survives, if the base goes down you win.
The trick to winning this type of mission is to get done what you try to prevent in the Defend mission, that is, get past the defending forces long enough to destroy the enemy base.
Select your largest mech to be mech 1. Just take the brute force approach, and walk towards the base. Go full speed, but don't outrun the flanker units. Hopefully this shouldn't happen, because with your larger size you should be slower than the flanker units. Start firing once your weapons are in range. The trick is to get the defending units to target you. If they seem uncooperative, hit each of them and if you have the chance, fire a salvo of missiles at the base too, just to make them see you as a threat. Then hold out as long as you can.
Mech 2 (the flanker mechs) should be light, medium, or large mechs, so long as they are fast enough to take the LONG way around the map and arrive just after mech 1 starts his barrage. Maintain communications and watch your latitude in relation to the other mech 2. Keep yourselves at the same latitude at all times, so that when you arrive at the base, you both arrive at the same time. Then start pounding on the base. NOTE: If one of the Mech 2 units is getting attacked, the OTHER unit 2 should engage the attacker. The one getting attacked should continue to attack the base, because this will throw the defending unit off guard when it gets attacked by the other unit 2. If your flankers arn't punching through the base very fast, have both units attack a single piece at a time.... it is better to destroy each piece quickly then to slowly destroy 2 pieces at the same time. It puts more fear in the defenders, and fear sows confusion, and confusion causes mistakes.
Once the defenders are down to a man, if your Mech 1 is still operational have him also begin to attack the base. Victory is at this point inevitable.
With Regeneration ON:
General Strategy with Regeneration on.... If you lose all your weapons, or lose a leg, don't hesitate to eject... You get your mech back. You'll do alot better in a new mech... Something else to keep in mind is that if you are attacking the base, and then you notice your base is getting pounded without you, the fastest way to get back to base is... you guessed it, to eject. This may sound like a waste of a mech, but whats worth more, one Battlemech or one system.
Defend/Destroy
The same tactics apply with regeneration on as they do without, except for a few changes.
Mech 2 is allowed a greater range of movement... If the attacker looks to need assistance, assist. If the defender looks like he's gonna have a fight on his hands, move into secondary defend position (Line Abreast next to Mech 1) before the enemy gets there.... Remeber that all units are worth alot less with regeneration... You get your mech back when it gets destroyed.
Defend
The best way to win this mission is to get about 500m from the base, and tear everyone apart. There is practically no way to win this mission, but if you hold the base long enough, its possible you can hold it until the enemy gives up.
Destroy
Just send every unit to the base.... Use the general flanking strategy for the first assault, but then on each consecutive assault just go straight ahead... you should win this battle without many problems.
Personal Strategies
Attacking Without Regeneration Make the #3 mech a good speed med. mech and arm him with UAC/s Defender REALLY feels screwed when one mech takes out 2 or 3 targets before it is noticed, and anyways, buildings don't dodge, so you don't need to be a crack shot.
Calan Pryde
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Have the leader and another load a mech with jumpjets but make sure they are flank class mechs that can take out 3-4 buildings within 1 minute.
The third can hold an Assault mech with Long Range weapons. This way he can hit them from long range, and why not load 1 jump jet to dodge those defending archers LRM's. Usually load one or two PPCS and many LRMs. Warhawks can do this job no problem. If you miss with a PPC against a mech standing in front of their base, you will make it easier for for the flank team. Since the enemies will read the two making quick movement toward the base, have them hold off. Move the assault mech first and assault the enemy. Try to use one PPC more against the base, and the other with LRMs to take out the enemy. Now once the enemy has engaged the assault, he is going to need to hold off for about a minute and a half orless depending on the speed of the flankers.
Flankers, once the third has engaged, move FAST to the base. Once in range, get behind it and blast it up from there, so the enemy has to go around giving you more time. If you can try to hide inside, so he has to go through hell to not hit his base. Autocannon 10's can work like termites on super steroids on these buildings, and since it's a fast fire, you will drop building like they were not even there. Plus they make good defending weapons against the enemy if he catches you.
-Landros "DarkWolf" Radick
Clan Wolf
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Get a DIREWOLF and remove the XL engine. Use the standard engine that weighs 19 tons. Now TORSO-MOUNT 2 ARROW IV's and put 3 tons of ammo in the legs. And although putting ammo in a leg may not seem like a good idea, it's got 42 points of armor protecting it. Only the central torso has more (and then, only on the front). Put 2 jump-jets in the center torso. Add a flamer to the last leg slot. Put a medium Pulse Laser in the head. Max out the armor with only 8,10,8 armor on the back. Now put 10 LRM-5's in the arms along with 5 tons of ammo for it, and add 1 double heat sink. The pulse laser is only if they get close. Group-fire 1 ARROW IV and ALL the LRM-5s together and you can get lock-on at 1 KM (and hit with all of them!) So what if they have AMS! How's it going to destroy 51 missiles all hitting in under a second? Plus, it gives your Arrow IV missile an "escort" to lessen the chances that it gets shot down! Now group-fire the OTHER ARROW IV with the LRM-5s. Lost your arms? Use the Medium Pulse Laser in your head and the ARROW IVs (if you have any ammo left), jump-jet in and have fun. Or get in REAL close and just flame em! Jumpjets give you the speed you don't have otherwise. Lag back until out of missiles, then go in and mop up! Enemies will just think you're stupid to only be firing LRM-5s till they notice their AMS is useless and SOME of the LRM-5s are hitting mighty hard.This is an extremely tough mech design that is best suited for defending a base. And while it is defending a base, it can STILL hit targets at 1 KM away! Even badly damaged (no arms, 1 leg gone, one side torso shot off, practically no armor anywhere), it still retains an ARROW IV (and ammo in the surviving leg), a flamer, a Medium Pulse Laser, and 2 jumpjets (to stand up)! This sucker can't be defeated until it's dead -- and that would be mighty hard even in a high-lag (or low-lag) Internet game! Might be quite a battle for 3 mechs to try and destroy just this one!
David Sellick
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Do you have some personal strategies that you use to gain the upper hand in Team battles? Send them to Kommandant Lake and he'll post them here!
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