BATTLETECH – Tips & Tricks

Focus Fire – The more of your Mechs that can range and fire on a single enemy unit, the quicker you are likely to take it and its Weapon Systems out of the Match. The use of terrain is essential to both maximizing your ability to Focus your fire against enemy Mechs while at the same time limiting your opponent’s opportunities to Focus Fire against your most vulnerable/damaged Mechs.

Target enemies which have already activated this round to ensure maximum opportunity for Stability Damage (possibly even achieving a Knockdown) before the enemy has an opportunity to activate that Mech and lessen/eliminate its Stability Damage. The same principle applies to removing evasive pips.

Crit Seeking – The sequencing of attacks can pay high tactical dividends. High Damage Attacks can punch holes in Enemy Armor, permitting low damage, multiple hit location attacks from Support Weapons and Missiles to then “Crit Seek.” Crit Seeking is made possible by attacks that damage Internal Structure. The first successful Crit damages the component, while a second successful Crit destroys the component. Machine Guns are especially effective since they roll 5 separate locations and have a bonus to crit chance.

Line of Sight – Use Line of Sight to your advantage. If you use terrain and other obstacles to block LOS to your units, you restrict the enemy’s options. If they don’t have LRMs, they won’t be able to shoot at you. If they do have LRMs, they will be able to use Indirect Fire to target you at a penalty. A popular tactic is to use Sensor Lock to reveal a unit, and then use your long-range units to engage before the enemy can see you.

Defensive Positioning – Offer your front to the enemy until one side is more damaged than the other. Then turn the other cheek and show your undamaged side to him. Alternately a Mech can be built with no weapons or components in an Arm or an Arm/Torso-Side. From the very beginning of the match, this side can be presented toward the Enemy, soaking Damage and serving effectively as a Shield. Whenever employing Defensive Positioning, care must be shown toward that side’s Leg or risk its loss. Also, be mindful of quicker enemies that may be able to move fast enough to get a rear shot.

Wingman / Mutual Support – Try to position your Mechs so their Rear Armor can’t be exploited. And if your opponent does maneuver to achieve Rear shots, try to make them pay for it as they have likely overextended their own lines and are themselves vulnerable to Melee or Ranged Attacks.

Lance Composition – Take advantage of useful Combat Roles when choosing Mechs for your Lance. A fast Light Scout Mech can permit you to make the most of Indirect Fires from any LRMs your remaining three Mechs may carry. A dedicated LRM Mech may permit you to sacrifice some Armor or other Weapon Systems from this Mech with the understanding it would need to be safeguarded while in combat. A Brawler Mech may max out its Armor and focus on short-range weapons (AC20, SRMs, etc) in order to Tank and deal as much damage as possible.

A Scout, 2 Brawlers and a dedicated LRM Mech can make for a very well-rounded Lance Composition. Alternately, risk can be assumed and all 4 Mechs may be of a single type, for example, four Brawling Hunchback-4G’s (AC/20) with the player looking toward Sprint and Brace to best close the distance to Enemy Mechs before pummeling them to scrap. Of course, if the Enemy manages to keep out of AC/20 range, it is going to be a lost effort.

Location, Location, Location – While planning to move, you can see your hit chances before confirming your move’s facing by mousing over enemies. Sometimes even moving a single dot closer to or further away (and out of Minimum Range) from a target can bring a significant amount of firepower to bare. Taking the time to plan for the best Move/Fire combination can realize decisive tactical advantage.

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