Weight Classes

The Gatekeepers Battalion uses a lot of terminology we have appropriated from a few different prominent sources.  Incorporating military documents (both real and imagined) within, our overall battalion strategy rests on our soldiers learning those terms.  We begin today with the most basic of terms relating to battlemechs:  weight class.

General Weight Class Information

In short, each 'mech belongs to a weight class - light, medium, heavy or assault.  The weight of a battlemech's chassis determines what role (mission / position) it will take on the battlefield in it's lance, and what lance it will be assigned to within the company formation.  Gatekeepers should understand how the individual 'mech weights are referred to, and where they are most commonly deployed.

A light battlemech weighs between 20-35 tons, and are generally the fastest and smallest 'mechs in the game.  This makes them harder to hit, but their low armor tonnage means they won't take many hits.  Generally, they won't have much room for weapons either, but their speed and maneuverability ensures they can work around larger 'mechs when properly deployed.  The role that defines Gatekeepers light 'mechs is Interceptor.

A medium battlemech weighs in at 40-55 tons.  These are some of the most versatile 'mechs in the game, being able to carry a good amount of armor, weapons and mount a respectable engine.  Medium 'mechs are generally the first position recommended for new players, but veterans can shine in a 'mech that can deal good damage, keep a low profile and move well enough to dodge incoming fire.  Gatekeepers medium 'mechs are assigned to Close Support, Direct Fire, Missile Artillery or Hunter-Killer roles.

A heavy battlemech is a massive machine at 60-75 tons.  These beasts can move fairly quickly, as well as mounting more weapons than a light or medium chassis.  A heavy 'mech should be piloted by a mechwarrior with a good skill at gunnery, as their weapons are their main strength despite their increased armor capacity.  Gatekeepers heavy 'mechs are assigned to the roles of Battle Line, Direct Fire, Hunter-Killer or Missile Artillery.

An assault battlemech is a behemoth war machine that weighs 80-100 tons.  An assault 'mech is the most valuable asset on the battlefield, able to focus a massive amount of firepower against the enemy.  Boasting more armor and firepower than any other chassis, the weakness of the assault 'mech is its low speed and maneuverability.  Assault 'mechs should be piloted by the most experienced mechwarriors participating in the drop to maximize their effectiveness.  Assault 'mechs in the Gatekeepers Battalion fulfill the role of Battle Line in almost all cases, with Missile Artillery reserved for certain company compositions.

Lance Composition by Weight Class

Now that we know the weight classes of battlemechs and what roles they are assigned to within the battalion, we'll now look at proper lance formation using the weight classes.  These are the most basic building blocks of our new modular strategies, so we will use these compositions throughout all our new standard lance compositions.  Gatekeepers should always use these lance compositions (starting with weight class) when making drops.

A standard lance consists of  2 light or heavy 'mechs and up to 1 of each other weight class.  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 composition will be equipped for Battle Line, Engagement, Direct Fire or Missile Artillery duty.  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 from any other weight class.  These lances are invariably composed of Interceptors, perhaps supported by an Electronic Warfare or Hunter-Killers.  The lance can sometimes are supported by a heavy or assault Battle Line, Direct Fire or Missile Artillery 'mech, creating an Engagement Lance.

A medium lance consists of 2-4 medium 'mechs, with 0-2 light 'mechs and/or 0-1 Heavy or Assault 'mech.  This unit can be configured for a variety of lance roles (except Battle Line or Missile Artillery) due to it's flexibility.  Entirely dependent on loadout and intent, 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 any other weight class.  These lances are always Battle Line, Direct Fire, Missile Artillery or Engagement lances.  Heavy lances should contain well-disciplined pilots, as it represents a massive amount of the total tonnage we are able to commit to action.

An assault lance consists of 2-4 assault 'mechs, with 0-2 'mechs from any other weight class.  These units are only utilized as Battle Line or Missile Artillery Lances and excel at both tasks.  These lances tend to be very slow, so when committing them to battle exercise extreme caution in deployment.  Even more so than heavy lances, assault lances need to contain the drops' best pilots so the investment in tonnage isn't under-utilized.

Putting It All Together

Weight class lance compositions are carried over to our unit from tabletop Battletech, and being one of the basic strategic concepts from that game they are quite suitable for Mechwarrior Online. You will frequently be tested by the Command Staff on using these compositions as they are listed here, as well as how they can be applied to the more complex compositions as you learn more of the battalion's strategic overview. Training and practice within the exact same parameters as your fellow Gatekeepers will build more synergy betwixt you and the other pilots in your lance and drop company.

Use of this model is imperative and required.  For officers, know that a drop must be configured from the top down.  The company composition must be decided first, and then the lance compositions can be determined from available pilots and 'mechs.  The chosen company composition will tell you what lances you need.  In non-competitive drops, weight class lance compositions are the absolute minimum order  of battle that an officer should be organizing, for every single drop.  Ensuring that every drop obeys (at the very least) these guidelines will disseminate the ideas throughout the ranks and lay the groundwork for the more complex strategies.