Hello, warriors of House Liao! Today we begin a series of articles called Exomecha Tactica, wherein we examine the fine art of battlemech tactics and strategy, as applied to the larger group of lance or company. This is an introduction to Inner Sphere warfare for mech commanders, specifically tailored to the Gatekeepers.
To begin, the smallest formation of battlemechs used by the Inner Sphere is the lance. A lance is four battlemechs of various capabilities grouped together with a tactical objective or role. Though a lance is only four battlemechs, many regiments are supported by infantry and armored vehicles. For our purposes, we can consider the following categories of lance types the only valid military formations, until such time as infantry or armor becomes a factor: standard, light, medium, heavy and assault.
Other than type, a lance will also have a role. The role the lance has been designated will dictate its tactical action during battle. Indeed, it's these tactics that will be practiced until we nail them down without effort.
The lance role is determined by the role of the mechs that comprise it. For our purposes, we'll consider the following mech roles in this discussion: Recon, Hunter-Killer, Fire Support, Front Line, Point Guard and Close Support. We'll discuss specific configurations and tactics of those mechs in Intramecha Tactica.
Lance Types (Weight Class)
A standard lance consists of 1 light mech, 1 medium mech and 2 heavy mechs. This is a good grouping of battlemechs that has a wide range of options, depending on the role that it's been designated. Typically this configuration will be designed for Engagement or Fire Support. The Gatekeepers seldom field this sort of lance, however, as we favor the more specialized variants below.
A light lance consists of 3-4 light battlemechs, with 0-1 mech of another weight class depending on the lance's tactical role. These lances are invariably Recon or Hunter-Killers, but sometimes are supported by a heavy or assault Fire Support mech.
A medium lance consists of 2-4 medium mechs, with 0-2 mechs from any other weight class. This unit can conceivably be designated with Recon, Hunter-Killer, Fire Support and Engagement roles. Entirely dependent on loadout and intent, so these lances need to have a coordinated drill ready when they drop against our enemies.
Heavy lances consist of 3-4 heavy mechs, with 0-1 mech from another weight class. These lances are almost always Front Line, Fire Support or Engagement lances. Depending on the designation of the lance, these mechs are matched with either a Recon, Fire Support or Close Support as needed.
An assault lance consists of 2-4 assault mechs, with 0-2 mechs from any other weight class. These units are best utilized as either Front Line or Fire Support lances, and excel at both tasks. These lances tend to be very slow, so when committing them to battle exercise extreme caution in deployment.
Lance Role
In the current version of the game, we are allowed to focus more on lance role than on lance type. However, tonnage limits are on the drawing board for competitive gaming in MWO. When that occurs, you'll already have a grasp of lance type and company configurations.
A Recon lance consists of several fast mechs, with speed being the key. Any mech capable of doing 70+ kph can join a recon lance, though most formations will focus on light mechs with a 90+ kph. The purpose of the recon unit is primarily to reveal the enemy mechs and their movement. However, the secondary missions of these fast moving formations is taking enemy objective and engaging the enemy at their flanks.
A Hunter-Killer lance is dedicated to killing a certain type of unit. For our purposes, the two main objectives of a Hunter-Killer is either light mechs or medium mechs. In Battletech, this included anti-air, anti-armor and anti-infantry roles as well. For Hunter-Killers seeking light mechs, a fast medium or heavy mech good speed and armor is required, with multiple or LBX weapons systems. For mechs whose targets are medium mechs, a lightly armed fast heavy or assault with lots of armor is the key.
A Fire Support lance is dedicated to supporting the Front Line and Engagement lances with firepower. This includes LRM dedicated lances, but also includes certain energy and ballistic weapon builds that focus on ranged engagement. Most of the time, a Fire Support lance will include a smaller, faster mech equipped with various electronic equipment to support it in some way, such as acting as a spotter (Recon) or using advanced targeting equipment (Fire Support).
An Engagement lance is the main battle unit of the Inner Sphere. A lance with this role is tasked with a map objective, and given support from the other lances. It will typically be comprised of Front Line, Point Guard and Close Support mechs. It shouldn't be too slow, and is focused more on being in the right place at the right time to put weapons on the enemy.
A Front Line lance is a slow formation made up mostly of large Front Line mechs. The Front Line is charged with meeting the enemy according to the team's battle plan, usually in the thickest area of fighting. Support is coordinated so that the Front Line strikes at the same time as the other force elements, thereby maximizing our firepower and mitigating that of the enemy.
Example Lances
Below are some examples of the lances we've been fielding and a tactical rundown of how we've come to operate them. Battle plans are developing, and the Gatekeepers are sharpening their skills. These examples reflect some of our most current drills.
- Light Recon Lance
- Raven RVN-2X (Recon)
- Raven RVN-3L (Recon)
- Jenner JR7-D (Recon)
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Medium Engagement Lance
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Medium Fire Support Lance
- Centurion CTN-9D (Hunter-Killer)
- Hunchback HBK-4J (Fire Support)
- Catapult CPLT-A2 (Fire Support)
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Medium Fire Support Lance
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Hunchback HBK-4J (Fire Support)
- Raven RVN-3L (Recon)
- Highlander Heavy Metal (Fire Support)
- Medium Recon Lance
- Raven RVN-2X (Recon)
- Raven RVN-3L (Recon)
- Hunchback HBK-4J (Fire Support)
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
- Heavy Engagement Lance
- Jagermech Firebrand (Close Support)
- Jagermech JM6-DD (Close Support)
- Stalker STK-5S (Front Line)
- Hunchback HBK-4G (Close Support)
We'll be trying out new formations in the future as we add members to the ranks. Now you have a solid grasp on how mechs are designated and lances formed, and we can apply this knowledge immediately in game. In a future installment of Exomecha Tactica we will examine company formations and their corresponding basic strategies.
Until then, all hail the Chancellor!
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