Technical Guidelines: Battle Line

This series replaces the original Intramecha Tactica articles with up-to-date guidelines for outfitting your 'mechs according to battalion doctrine.  Older Intramecha Tactica articles can be assumed to report on tactics used by other Great Houses.

The Role of the Battle Line

The Battle Line is one of the most important and ubiquitous deployments to which a Gatekeeper may be assigned.  These units will be at the forefront of any engagement, and they must be equipped so that the company may rely on them to perform combat maneuvers in a specific fashion.  These 'mechs will make up the majority of the Attack Echelon during deployment, and are critical to the success of many of our more aggressive strategies.

There are several considerations to make while building your Battle Line 'mechs.

• Any Heavy or Assault chassis can be equipped as a Battle Line 'mech.  The tonnage limitation of smaller chassis precludes the use of enough armor to stand on the front line of the engagement.
• A high (85% maximum or more) armor value is paramount.  You will take a lot of punishment.
• A set of balanced weapon systems are likewise critical.  Refer to the Weapon Systems Overview for Gatekeepers Weapon Categories.
• Long range firepower is critical to suppression exercises.  Main Weapon Systems should receive the most attention, and most of your damage output should be from that list of weapons.  Make sure to carry plenty of ammunition.
• If you have quirks or modules that boost another system's range to 450m, that weapon can be used as a Main Weapon.
• Defensive, Missile Artillery and Ancillary systems can be present, but since we rely on the Battle Line to engage at ranges higher than other roles these systems should not be given precedence over Main systems.
• Heat Management should be manageable to the pilot.  Overheating on the Battle Line almost always spells death.
• The Battle Line must still move at 60km or better, in accordance with company doctrine.  This can be tough in some of the heavier chassis, and one of the reasons we don't favor 'mechs over 85 tons.

Ammunition can be a concern, especially in builds utilizing a lot of ballistic weapons.  Carrying enough ammunition for all systems during sustained fire is not just important, but critical.  C.A.S.E. systems can mitigate a lot of damage you may take from exploding ammo stores, so if you're carrying a lot of ammunition a little extra tonnage spent on mitigation might just be what you need.  Consider also weapon placement when distributing ammo - if there's an explosion, will it strip you of critical Defensive systems?

As in other roles, Double Heat Sinks can be a boon.  However, some builds will be able to achieve a higher Heat Management with Standard Heat Sinks due to slot limitations.  Explore your weapon configurations, and decide what's best from there.  Yet since you only need a few specific weapon systems, slots probably won't be an issue.

You will inevitably soak a lot of damage on the Battle Line, so remember not to just charge blindly in.  Where an enemy has firepower on a corner, halt and wait for an order instead of playing peek-a-boo with their Battle Line.  Remember, you're not expendable just because you're on the Battle Line.  Far from it, in fact - the Drop Commander will always feel the loss of one of these units, so protecting them from needless attacks will be first and foremost on the mind of the officer in charge.

When in Attack Echelon, the Battle Line provides a rally point for the rest of the company.  Each lance / echelon will know which Battle Line to be supporting, and the entire Attack Echelon will be coordinating the march together.  To play this role is to be front and center during any engagement, and carries a lot of responsibility.

Novice pilots should play other roles before being assigned to the Battle Line to sharpen their skills and teach them the basics they need for tight formation coordination.  We need our best pilots on the Battle Line to make use of their maneuverability and gunnery skills.  The Battle Line must also be highly disciplined to react to the Drop Commander's orders, which will often require slower chassis to reposition quickly.

It can be a very painful assignment under the best of circumstances.  Often, our Battle Line falls afoul of the worst the enemy has to offer, and must be able to both withstand casualties and return fire during the most dangerous maneuvers of an attack strategy.  It's a very demanding position, but it's no exaggeration that glory awaits a Battle Line pilot on every battlefield.  

Strike Discipline

Tactical Artillery

House Liao has had to rely on many different weapons to combat the threats it has faced in the past.  From aerospace fighters strafing the ground to the ubiquitous Long Tom artillery units, our 'mechs have only been one portion of a combined arms strategy that has left our opponents stupefied.  Along the Fringe, we are no exception - the Gatekeepers make heavy use of self-propelled artillery units, and some of our dropships are modified to act as artillery strongpoints.

In this section of the Battalion Combat Primer, we examine strikes as we use them within the unit.  Strike Discipline is a more advanced discipline, requiring more money and experience to be able to employ effectively and consistently.  However, learning to use strikes effectively is now a priority for any Inner Sphere unit that wishes to be competitive.  We are expected by the game designers to be carrying these armaments in the unit, and we put ourselves at a disadvantage by not addressing how to employ them.

First, some general statistics:

• Air Strike (5 second delay, 6 bombs, 35 damage each)
• Improved Air Strike (Increase number of bombs to 10, reduce delay to 4 seconds)
• Air Strike Accuracy (Reduce bombardment area by 20%)

• Artillery Strike (5 second delay, 6 bombs, 35 damage each)
• Improved Artillery Strike (Increase number of bombs to 10, reduce delay to 4 seconds)
• Artillery Strike Accuracy (Reduce bombardment area by 20%)

Improved Strikes weigh in at 15,000 GXP on the Pilot Tree, but do not require a 'mech module.  Accuracy modules will cost you 5,000 GXP, as well as 4,000,000 C-Bills and a 'mech module slot.  Gatekeepers should endeavor to get both upgrades for Artillery Strikes, as our Strike Discipline focuses on artillery.

When you activate a strike, keep in mind how the shells will land.  Artillery Strikes hit in a wide, round area focused on the target point.  Air Strikes hit in a wide line that goes forward from your vector from the target point.  Of the two types of strikes that can be equipped, only Light chassis (or very maneuverable mediums) should equip Air Strikes, so the vector of the bombs can be finely tuned.

Strike Orders

This set of advanced order calls deal with how we utilize strikes as a team.  One of the most important things is to keep a clear and steady communication stream with your Drop Commander, and thereby the rest of the unit.  Gatekeepers need to know when to seek a target for a strike, and when to focus on other matters, and this transition needs to be fluid.

In order to accomplish this fluid coordination of firepower, we have devised two new Order Calls for the advanced player.  These calls are 'Strike Mark' and 'Strike Down', and can be considered part of the battalion's doctrine.  If the unit stays in proper communications order using these simple calls, it will reduce confusion on strike timing and target areas all together.

The following call is a Command Call.

• Strike Mark
• Using the Phonetic Call Signs, the Drop Commander or Spearhead orders the unit to place a strike on an enemy unit or area of ground.
• Syntax:  Strike on (Phonetic) or (Description) (Grid)
• Example:  "Strike Mark on Alpha!"
• Example:  "Strike Mark on top of the ridge, Grid Echo-Seven!"

The following calls are Response Calls.

• Strike Down
• When a strike is activated, the activating Gatekeeper announces the type, along with the target.
• Syntax:  (Air) Strike Down on (Phonetic) or (Description) (Grid)
• Example:  "Air Strike Down on Alpha!"
• Example:  "Strike Down on the ridge!"

• Enemy Strike
• When an enemy strike is activated, the responding Gatekeeper announces the presence of the strike marker.
• Syntax:  Enemy Strike on (Phonetic) or (Description) (Grid)
• Example:  "Enemy Strike on Archangel!"
• Example:  "Enemy Strike on the street, Foxtrot-Five!"

In addition, a 6th Discipline is added to the formal Battalion Disciplines.

• Strike Discipline
• During combat drops, 66% of the unit must have Strikes equipped.  
• Light 'mechs may equip Air Strikes.
• Medium, Heavy and Assault 'mechs equip Artillery Strike.
• Enemy Assault battlemechs can be marked by any Gatekeeper at any time, without being ordered to do so.
• When a Strike Mark is called, the closest and most readily available Gatekeeper must make the strike.  Check the target's position and your mini-map, as well as the availability of your strike.  Do not hesitate to call Strike Down once you have activated the strike.
• You may target enemy 'mechs, UAV's and other objects as well as the ground.
• You don't have to wait for a cluster.  Target enemy assault 'mechs on sight, and respond to the Drop Commander's Strike Calls.
• Make your hotkey to activate your strike somewhere easily accessible to you.  The default key is not readily available for quick use on most keyboards.  The "E" key or the top-row number keys are usually OK to re-map, as well as any extra mouse buttons you may have.  Make sure it's easy to get to, as you will be activating a great many strikes.
• Strikes WILL be discharged in the course of the drop.  
• The Drop Commander should make sure to call strikes during combat to ensure plenty of targets for the unit to mark.  
• Of those units carrying strikes, at least half should discharge strikes during public matches for practice.  
• During competition matches, all equipped units should discharge their strikes.

We require at least 66% of the drop unit to carry strikes.  If your 'mech has no strikes, make sure to tell the Drop Commander so he can coordinate the unit.  At 40,000 C-Bills per match, it can be hard for new players to make this adjustment.  In order to alleviate some of this pressure, we offer the following methods to generate exemption from carrying a strike (which is otherwise mandatory).

Exemption Criteria
If you are a new player, and you own less than six 'mechs from two different weight classes, you are exempt.  Make sure to announce this to the Drop Commander.  You are always exempt until you're better equipped and experienced.  The unit is better off if you save your C-Bills for equipment at this point.  Plenty of time to worry about strikes later.

If you are saving C-Bills for any favored Gatekeeper 'mech that you will be able to afford imminently, you may be exempt.  This also applies to any equipment or modules for any favored 'mechs you own.  Check with the Drop Commander.  New players still take precedence.

If your 'mech makes use of double Cool Shot to counteract heat during sustained fire, you may ask the Drop Commander to be exempt.  Bear in mind, he can't always grant this request.  New players and favored 'mech upgrades take precedence.

Putting It Into Practice

The Drop Commander still has to fill 66% of the drop units with Strikes.  Remember, this is the one edge we have against the Clans - they cannot use Artillery Strikes.  When used to it's full potential, a practiced and drilled Strike Discipline will even out the damage curve against those monsters.

Area Denial is another way to use strikes.  These will always be called by the Drop Commander, but he may order an exploitation of another strike as well.  Subjecting the enemy to this sort of movement constriction allows us to maneuver while the enemy reacts to the bombardment.  This a good example of what we mean by 'maneuver with firepower'.

We have seen a massive change in what we're able to do with strikes, but they aren't an optional thing anymore.  As stated before, the game designers expect us to use this, so get used to that 40k price tag per match.  It evens the odds with the Clans, and even other Inner Sphere units will punish us with strike modules if we do not match them.

The extra firepower afforded to us by our artillery batteries is exactly what we were missing.  We need to push to the next level of competition, and our drill is getting tighter every week.  Now, we have found what it was that was lacking - and rolled up a bunch of mobile cannons.

Strike Down!

Rock the Thunder

Today's adventure comes to us from our own ArchangelKenko, relating in detail a critical sortie while serving on the Fringe.  It's a hoot, so check it out!

Sketch by VR Eli.

1st Company Barracks
Purvo, Capellan Confederation
13 November, 3051 00:31

“Sao-Wei Blackwood, your presence is requested in the briefing room,” a largely unidentifiable voice buzzed over the intercom.

The dark haired man opened one eye, “Acknowledged.”

The quarters were meager at best. Large enough to fit a bed, a steamer trunk full of Ken’s effects and a small work table that was usually cluttered with scraps of writing. Currently, however the table was cleared of only a scant few items. Behind the table on the wall hung a scrap of hull from Ken’s old Archer 2W. In front, sat Sao-Wei Ken “Archangel” Blackwood, kneeling on his feet in a meditative pose. Rising to stand, Ken aligned his knuckles as he pulled on fingerless gloves.

Briskly proceeding down the corridor as requested, Ken arrived at the briefing room and was met only by one other MechWarrior: Sao-Shao Stoneblade.

“Due to the time-sensitive nature of this mission,” Stoneblade started once Ken had taken a seat in front of the display, “We’ll need you to fly this one solo, Archangel.”

“Understood, sir,” Ken shifted back in his seat, making an effort to hide the excitement he felt at his first solo mission.

Stoneblade continued, “A jumpship originating from Davion space has appeared at the Zenith jump-point of the Purvo system. Unfortunately, the recon teams took a bit to get us the intel, so we only have about a day’s lead to clear the area shown here,” The officer punched up a map of the Mekonig river on his datapad, which in turn was displayed on the large viewscreen in the room. Zooming in on an area roughly a click outside the Planet’s Capital, Ventiane. The officer continued, pausing only a moment to highlight a path through a large cave, “Your mission today will be to establish a patrol sweep. We will need you to secure the area, verifying the target of opportunity, and its load of salvage is clear for our units to retrieve. The target is a freighter that ran aground, and is of interest due to its payload."

A second picture was pulled up for Ken to view at this point, showing an enhanced image of a large ship that had been dashed apart in the middle, presumably by the rocks on which it had run aground. “No hostile contact is expected at this point, but your first objective is to secure this perimeter so the CCAF can set up some… festivities for our guests. The cargo can be secured when you are on the return trip to base.”

“Any questions, Sao-Wei?” Stoneblade, who in the past had struck Ken as a rather amiable sort, was austere and stern.

Ken grinned a little at this, his characteristic smile, cocked to one side of his face. Understanding the need for the rigor and discipline Stoneblade was exhibiting, Ken did his best to regain his composure and match the Officer’s expression before continuing.

“Seems straight forward: Follow the path you’ve outlined, report in and engage any Tangos I encounter.”

“Excellent. Try to get some sleep before sunup, you’ll launch at daybreak.” The Sao-Shao offered a stiff salute.

Ken stood up and returned it, “Sir.” Turning on his heel he left again for his quarters, crisply polished boots clicking against the tiled floor as he departed.

1st Company BattleMech Bay
Purvo, Capellan Confederation
13 November 3051 05:10

Launch went as usual. Crawl into the cockpit of his Hunchback-4G, “Sarna’s Pride.” He flicked the tin and glass bauble he had pulled from his grandfather’s aging and battered Arc-2W on his final eject years earlier. It swung and danced on it’s chain, a vibrant red.

“Reactor On-line,” the ‘Mech whirred and lit up. The neurohelmet interfaced with Ken's mind, turning the mass of servos and steel into an approximation of life.

“Sensors On-line,” Readouts sprang to life.

“Weapons On-line,” Ken afforded himself another cocked grin as the Autocannon to the right of the cockpit slammed a fresh round into place.

“All systems nominal.”

Ken pushed his throttle and began marching out of the Hanger. Watching as some of the crew whistled as the ‘Mech they had helped maintain sprang to life in defense of Purvo. Ever the crowd-pleaser, Ken offered a wave and a wink to the astechs as he walked past.

The trip down the Mekonig was mostly uneventful, even the sound had a particularly muted quality to it that made the lonely march a little more nerve-wracking. Unfortunately, Purvo’s precipitous season had a damnable tendency to experience one final cold snap at the end. Ken wasn’t an enormous fan of snow, though he had to admit to himself the fat flakes falling lazily from the sky were pretty enough from the contrasting heat coming from the fusion engine on which the cockpit sat.

Ken sighed a bit before he toggled the Tac-Comm on. “Archangel reporting in. I am approaching the target area and am beginning patrol.”

“Acknowledged, Archangel,” the Tac-Comm squaked back. It sounded like Stoneblade again. “Patrol commences at oh-five-thirteen hours.”

“Roger, Actual. ”

Proceeding through the cave went quietly, which Ken was grateful for. Fighting in such cramped quarters was always grueling to him. Even with the close-ranged weapons Ken had on his Hunchback, the prospect of facing death down here was especially terrifying given his claustrophobia.

“Tunnel is clear.” Dutifully, he reported in prompting another curt acknowledgement from the Sao-Shao..Ken continuied into mountainous and thickly-forested terrain, small trees snapping under his Hunchback's mechanized feet, punctuating the silence that Ken had found so worrisome on the march in. It started to cause him to become a little paranoid. Almost as if the strange popping of the frozen trees were there to build anticipation on this otherwise silent patrol along the Mekonig.

Walking on his way to the freighter the silence was punctuated by the chirp of sensor readings. Keened reflexes snapped into action as he thumbed the reticle on his Heads-Up-Display. An enemy contact was registered as Ken’s eyes darted from his map readout, to targeting readouts.

“Contact, Actual. Looks like one… Thunderbolt,” Ken hit the Tac-Comm with the excitement of a child preparing to open a present. He looked at the enemy on his display almost hungrily, “Requesting permission to engage.”

“Acknowledged, Archangel,” a response came back swiftly, “Looks like Davion filth. You are free to engage the T-Bolt.”

The characteristic grin travelled to both sides of his face at this, taking on a more malevolent, predatory semblance. The bloodthirsty pilot began to take over. The throttle was pushed to max at once, and Archangel cursed as the target dropped from his sensors.

“Capellan dog, I have no time for these games,” An unsecured comm channel was opened from the T-Bolt. A comment designed to rise anger.

“Come out and play, FedRat,” the Capellan fired back, exceeding the vitriol in the invader’s voice. Flying any flag was a matter of pride, sometimes enough to inspire impassioned warriors to glory on the battlefield. The Gatekeepers were no exception, handpicked from the most steadfast and loyal from throughout the Confederation. Ken's own bilious hatred welled up in his throat, as he remembered watching his native Sana being overrun by the Davion menace years before.

Archangel swung wide, hoping to catch the ‘Mech hiding around the ridge where he had been seen. “Damn, too fast. He realized a moment too late, as SRM fire impacted his back from the wreckage of the ship which lay now behind him. He was happy to notice his shields had taken a lot of the hit. Still, he was quick to spin his Hunchback around, not willing to make the same mistake twice. He levelled his lasers in the direction of the fire in time to see the Thunderbolt fleeing behind the ship.

“Cute.”

Not willing to approach the SRM volleys head on, Archangel followed the enemy ‘Mech’s path around one of the sides of the freighter that was still intact in an effort to catch the Thunderbolt by surprise. Archangel was not disappointed, as the enemy had been hoping for a similar mistake to be made by the single Capellan on patrol.

Jade laser fire scoured the shields from the enemy’s back, leaving internals bare to the noisy, hefty shells of Ken’s AC/20. At this, the Davion pilot ran with his tail between his legs to the other side of the mangled freighter. With practiced reflex, Archangel whipped his legs around a full one-hundred-eighty degrees to perform a “Reverse Thrust” maneuver. Mirroring his enemy, and moving to the other side of the deadly playground the two had created, Archangel was met with what his eyes perceived as a shotgun blast to his face.

“Archangel, report!” Stoneblade piped up again over the comm. His voice was a bit more unmistakable over the static. Louder and more urgent this time after watching the Hunchback’s readout display the damage to it’s middle on the monitors in Actual.

Archangel had to take a breath and regain his composure, the shock of the autocannon had rattled the cockpit. “I’m fine, sir, the Tango is packing an LB-X, the scum,” Present in spite of the jolt, he managed to keep his throttle set to maximum. Ken, continuing the dance the two had initiated, began to circle to the Thunderbolt’s rear. Hunchbacks had rarely been accused of being speedy, even for a medium-sized ‘Mech, but neither had something so cumbersome as the heavier Thunderbolt.

The Davion pilot tried his damnedest to follow Ken’s tightening circle, but was only able to manage this enough to clip the Hunchback once more with autocannon fire. Putting one of it’s medium lasers out of commission in a flurry of thick, black smoke.

As a personal preference, Archangel liked to use direct fire as opposed to scatter-shot. Less collateral damage, more salvage that way. Leave it to a Davion to attempt surgery with a chainsaw. Ken thought, chuckling to himself. His preference was not dissuaded at all when he barrelled into the Thunderbolt with all of his remaining weapons. The autocannon shredded through the Heavy’s rear in a shower of sparks that hung in mid-air like morbid fireflies. At this, the steel behemoth crumpled to one side, not stirring.

“Tango is down.” Ken said into the tac-comm, with a mixture of triumph and relief. “I don’t read any other hostile contact… Just the one?”

“Roger that, Archangel. It looks like they sent a forward unit to feel us out. Guess they won’t be getting any intel from him. We'll need you to wait for our VTOLs to gather up the cargo before you depart. Once that is accomplished, return to Base for debrief.”

“Copy that.”

He waited as the vehicles and their crews arrived to complete their meticulous and tedious work. Once all the salvage had been secured Archangel turned back. He heaved a sigh of relief, both happy, and disappointed at how unremarkably the remainder of the detail had passed. Beginning a lazy stroll back, retracing his earlier steps along the river his eyes were drawn back to the clustered flakes of snow.

Patch Review: November, 2014

A bit sluggish on the repost time, but here it is:  Stoneblade's November Patch Review!

Some nice upgrades all around.  Leading up to the Community Warfare, the updates are looking great...and game has gone up a notch or two as well.

So check out Stone's review, and subscribe to his channel for more House Liao goodness!

Battalion Operations, Section B - Chain of Command

The Chain of Command

Our Command Staff contains officers who are indoctrinated in Gatekeepers tactics and strategy, as well as proper Liao attitudes!  They have a lot of responsibility, and that responsibility increases with every rank.  We take the chain of command very seriously, and will not tolerate repeated insubordination.  This is especially true of large group drops and all company practice nights.

The highest ranking officers will decide who is the Drop Commander.  The officer selected as Drop Commander will make all necessary composition decisions to create the unit he wants to command.  For this reason, you may wish to greatly vary the weight class and role of any battalion favored 'mechs you own in order to widen the range of positions you can fill within a company or maneuver group.

Drop Commanders are there to help us get used to following orders and organized as a unit.  It is their DUTY to create lances when there are enough Gatekeepers online, and it is the duty of every single one of us to answer the call.  Have faith in our Command Staff.  Obey the orders of the Drop Commander without question, and uphold all doctrinal practices without fail.  Save assessments, comments, complaints and recommendations for the after-action report.

In order to help create and maintain a solid chain of command, and in keeping with the Basic Strategic Principles, we are instituting a set of standardized commands.  These commands are basically "keywords" that denote the most common actions that the drop commander will organize in pursuit of the doctrinal map strategy.  These "order calls" are designed to alleviate a number of operational issues, and all Gatekeepers should become intimate with the following information.

Phonetic Call Signs

These call signs are used to properly coordinate attacks against focus-fire targets, as well as many other battlefield tasks.  Identifying targets quickly and maintaining spatial awareness is critical.  Use the following alphabetical list to signal the position of enemy assets.

Order Calls

All Order Calls to be implemented by the battalion are listed and cursorily explained below.  All Gatekeepers will be trained in these, and all Command Staff will issue orders using these expressions.  Time will be greatly saved, as the commander can organize the map strategy without spending too much time explaining why he is issuing the orders.  Gatekeepers should immediately obey all order calls given by the Drop Commander, and with our fantastic discipline and drill method, these will all become second nature.

You are already familiar with the maneuvers and principles behind this list of commands, so don't feel intimidated by the number of calls.  The real challenge will be mastering the syntax of some of these expressions as a commander.  For most MechWarriors, these are easy to understand as they are pretty much self-explanatory (save for a few cases that are similar in title and execution).  As this method of command is implemented, you will see a dramatic increase in large unit efficiency and focus after just a few short drills.

The calls are organized into six different groups:

Command Calls
These calls are used by the Drop Commander to coordinate the unit's basic actions.

• Target Call
• Using the Phonetic Call Signs, the Drop Commander or Spearhead orders the unit to focus fire on an enemy unit.
• Syntax:  Target (Phonetic)
• Example:  "Target Alpha!"
• Grid Call
• Using the Phonetic Call Signs,  Gatekeepers designate a map section during command or response calls.
• Syntax:  Grid (Square / Range)
• Example:  "Company March Grid Charlie-Six!"
• Example:  "Exploitation, Face Grid Delta-Three to Delta-Five!"
• Standby
• Instructs unit to wait until further instruction.
• Syntax:  (Unit) Standby
• Example (as Command Call):  "All units, Standby."
• Example (as Response Call):  "Acknowledged - Standby."
• Report
• Instructs unit to use communication channel to convey requested information.
• Syntax:  (Pilot) Report
• Example (to Spotter):  "Blackhand, Report location and direction of enemy thrust!"
• Example (to Exploitation Echelon):  "You guys are getting hammered!  Wei Guan, Report situation!"

Attack Movement Calls
This set of calls is used to coordinate and direct unit movement.

• March
• The march is the basic order to move and attack.  Gatekeepers are almost always "on attack", and the order to march is synonymous with "attack".
• Syntax:  (Unit) March (Grid)
• Example:  "Battalion March Grid Echo-Five!"
• Halt
• Commands unit to stop and hold position.  This can be an immediate call for a stop, or can be combined with other commands to designate a halt point for the unit.
• Syntax (immediate):  (Unit) Halt
• Example:  "Battalion Halt!"
• Example:  "Alpha Lance, Halt!"
• Syntax (designated):  (Unit) Halt at (Grid)
• Example (issuing new order):  "Attack Echelon, March Grid Bravo-Three and Halt."
• Example (modifying existing order):  "Exploitation Echelon, Halt at Charlie-Six."
• Face 
• Instructs unit to turn to face a grid section and provide covering fire to targets of opportunity while awaiting a target call.
• Syntax:  (Unit) Face (Direction or Grid)
• Example:  "Attack Echelon, Face Grid Delta-Seven!"
• Example:  "Battalion Face North."

Response Calls
These calls are used by any Gatekeeper addressed by the Drop Commander.  Note that usually this will be the only time anyone other than the Drop Commander speaks.

• Acknowledged (also:  Roger / Copy / Confirmed)
• When receiving an direct order (one given expressly to you or your unit), provide this response when executing that order.
• Syntax:  Acknowledgement (optional formality)
• Example:  "Acknowledged."
• Example:  "Roger that, Captain."
• Example:  "Copy that, moving to Grid Alpha-Four."
• Example:  "Order Confirmed, executing."
• Affirmative (also:  Affirm.)
• Reply in the positive.
• Syntax:  Affirmative
• Example:  "That's an affirmative."
• Negative - (also:  Neg.)
• Reply in the negative.
• Syntax:  Negative.
• Example:  "Negative."
• Example:  "That's a neg, Actual."

Evasive Action Calls
This set of calls are utilized when the unit is knocked off attack footing by a cunning or disciplined enemy.

• Wave Off
• This instructs the unit to seek cover during a march advance and move to another grid to re-engage the same enemy formation.
• Syntax:  (Unit) Wave Off to (Grid)
• Example:  "Too many guns!  Wave off to Echo-Five!"
• Withdraw
• This instructs the unit to disengage and move to another grid.  The unit should immediately move to the designated area and await further orders.
• Syntax:  (Unit) Withdraw to (Grid)
• Example (to critically damaged unit):  "Wongdog, Withdraw to Grid Echo-Four."
• Example:  "All units Withdraw to Grid Bravo-Three!"

Specialist Calls
These calls are used to implement Specialists within the drop unit.  Specialists are battlemechs equipped for certain tasks, and will be detailed further in their own section.  They are included here for the sake of completeness during reference.

• Jam 
• Instructs the Jammer to activate Counter Mode on ECM in a designated grid.
• Syntax:  (Specialist) Jam (Grid)
• Example:  "Shotokan, Jam Grid Charlie-Six!"
• Spot 
• Instructs the Spotter to get eyes-on, either a specific grid or direction.
• Syntax:  (Specialist) Spot (Grid or Direction)
• Example:  "Wei Guan, Spot Grid Charlie-Five!"
• Escort 
• Instructs a unit to follow, protect and support another friendly unit.
• Syntax:  (Specialist) Escort (Unit)
• Example:  "Malpheas, Escort Wongdog!"
• Spearhead
• Instructs a unit to take point on the Attack Echelon.  After receiving this order, additional orders will need to be issued to coordinate the echelon's vector and approach.
• Syntax:  (Specialist) is Spearhead
• Example:  "Zhang Liao is Spearhead."

Maneuver Calls
This is a set of advanced calls that can be used to exploit numerous battlefield circumstances, resulting in the unit obtaining and retaining combat initiative over the enemy.

• Reverse Thrust
• Instructs the entire company to change attack vectors around an obstacle or cover to re-engage the enemy at a weaker point on their line.
• Syntax:  Reverse Thrust to (Grid)
• Example:  "Reverse Thrust to Grid Echo-Six!"
• Encircle 
• Instructs the company to perform an Encircle Maneuver at a grid call.  The direction of the encirclement is the portion of the circle that is closed last by the Exploitation Echelon.
• Syntax:  Encircle (Grid) (Direction)
• Example:  "Encircle Grid Delta-Four East!"
• Collapse 
• Instructs the company to disengage current combat and all move to the same grid call.  
• Syntax:  Collapse to (Grid)
• Example:  "All lances collapse to Grid Bravo-Four!"
• Flank 
• Instructs a unit to perform a flank maneuver on a designated grid call.  The direction called is the side of the company formation to flank from.
• Syntax:  (Unit) Flank (Grid) (Direction)
• Example:  "Alpha Lance, Flank Grid Charlie-Three North!"

Putting It Into Practice

Learning and utilizing these commands is the next phase of our Tactical Revision.  No longer will the Drop Commander need to worry about how to express his commands, and all Gatekeepers will appreciate the time we will gain in an engagement after the order calls are drilled and memorized.  The Command Staff will be very serious about implementing this new system, so be aware of this fact.

We obviously don't expect you to learn it all at once.  However, we will be instructing and drilling all personnel rigorously.  Don't expect a relaxed drop anymore with higher level officers.  It's our duty to implement this, and it's your duty to come together.  With this codified list of order calls, we'll be able to direct our rage where it will hurt our enemies the most.  Do your best to make the Gatekeepers warmachine the most feared in the Inner Sphere.

Address to Gatekeepers Battalion by Xu Shenjian

Xu Shenjian, one of our honored Gatekeepers, has labored long to bring us lots of nice pixel artwork for our TS3 server.  He's been with us for a while, and is well acquainted with the fiery vernacular of our XO.  He took a moment to get his thoughts typed out in an address to the battalion, and we present this to you now - Xu's own thoughts about what it means to be a Gatekeeper.

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I would like to address this article towards pretty much everyone, Gatekeepers old and new, and honored guests browsing our blogs, facebook, or just checking out the channel.  This is a topic that is directed to Gatekeepers, but encompasses far more.

It's about treating each other with a certain amount of respect.

House Liao Gatekeepers strive to be a tight-knit but still welcoming group, you're either a Gatekeeper or you aren't.  This isn't about dragging as many random people in as possible to wear a clan tag or padding numbers into a singularity so that kids can feel like they get to be in a club.  We don't go around spamming into the Global channels about how we're totally active and nice and all the loose ends should be considering to join during matches.  We also aren't a high-school clique, despite terms like "tight-knit" perhaps having the ring of one.  Becoming a Gatekeeper isn't about impressing anyone with skills or having to be popular with us, we do expect you try to get along and not be a jerk.  This also means if we act like jerks, something's not quite right.  But being a Gatekeeper is mostly one thing: An act of duty.

Groups, clans, guilds and so forth can exist for many reasons, be it the casual friend gathering or the challenge of competition.  The Gatekeepers exist to act as a well-oiled war machine in service of the Capellan Confederation; we are subscribed to this faction, we want to match it's theme, we want to defend it against threats, we want to fight it's enemies, and we want to work towards it's prosperity in ways we feel appropriate as its' Mechwarriors.  We are those who want it, despite - or perhaps even because that duty comes with rules and restrictions that give us our unique flavor.  Yes, being a Gatekeeper is duty.  When you are among Gatekeepers, you will respect your superiors, you will assume responsibility over peers under your command and you will restrict yourself to Gatekeeper-themed 'Mechs, tactics and playstyle and take part upon employing and refining them.

But what I want everyone to understand, is that at the end of the day, we do all this to enjoy the game in our Gatekeeper way, and our Gatekeeper rules are not laws of life or guidelines in judgment of person.  Other people are not wrong for choosing to side with other factions, using other 'Mechs, or playing in different ways from us.  We are MWO players like any other underneath.  But when we suit up as Gatekeepers, we become part of this war machine, we gain a context in which we have opponents to fight against, allies to stand alongside, and we strive to remain competitive with our level of professionalism.

And this is where my address begins; respect.

Respect towards fellow players - as fellow human beings.  Yes, we have a contextualized aversion against the Davion player on the red team and we absolutely want his pretend death, the complete obliteration of the pixels that are his pretend giant future space robot and the defeat of his fictional Nation for the glory of our own equally fictional one.  Behind our fellow Capellan warrior, the evil Davion scum seeking to destroy us, the Kuritan ally who is the enemy of our enemy and the test-tube born pile of xenos filth that is currently invading the Inner Sphere, is simply another player who happens to enjoy the same game as we do, and wishes to compete and fight alongside us in the contexts they have chosen.

Yes, we have all played for a while and decided for ourselves what seems efficient, what feels fair, what we deem sensible and what we deem foolish.  But again, behind the Atlas who blocks your retreat to cover to burst from cover trying to chase after the Spider, the Catapult running enough LRMs to blot the sun, the poptarting dual-gauss meta Cataphract, the lance of 3 lights and a medium that has bee-lined for a base capture, the Hunchback running 7 Flamers and a TAG laser and even the player who dared to kill us - is just another player, exploring for themselves what they like, what works, and making mistakes.

I am mentioning all this because when Community Warfare Module 2 comes around and we begin to show ourselves to the World of MWO as Gatekeepers, each and every one of us who spouts hate-filled rants, who wines about whether or not someone is playing the meta, who finds it necessary to pin blame around when losing and letting themselves be provoked by any such behavior to drop to that level - behavior that creates in them the image of a general douchenozzle, will be doing so while identifying as Gatekeeper and as such, they will be embarrassing their fellow Gatekeepers and implying to everyone that we Gatekeepers as whole are players that lack respect and integrity expected from civilized and intelligent human beings.

While there is no intention to forbid anyone's emotions from welling, remember that a level of composure and professionalism should be inherent to us.  Don't be a jerk, both out of respect for others who play differently or even seemingly less intelligently, and out of respect to the community you have subscribed yourself to.  Remember: You are a Gatekeeper - act like one.