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ECM: Electronic Countermeasures reduces enemiy radar detection range. Extremely valuable for scouts, snipers and insurgency units. Units with passive sensors engaged will not see ECM equipped units on their radar, and will not be able to lock on or access damage. Extremely useful for approaching enemy emplacements undetected. While it can render units more difficult to detect, it reduces the time required for an enemy to obtain missile lock-on. While it's benefits may not be immediately obvious when piloting an equipped mech, it's effect is clear to see when facing ECM equipped enemy units.
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IFF JAMMER: Another type of Electonic Countermeasure, the IFF Jammer confuses enemy radar signals, making equipped units appear neutral. Units equipped with IFF will not cause the targeting reticle to turn red when it passes over them, this is especially useful in long range battles, or those where visibility obscures the target. It will not prevent lock-on of missiles, though is is more difficult to maintain a steady aim until lock occurs without the usual visual cues. The reticle will merely remain green until the lock count is complete and then the computer will generate a tone as usual. Though mainly for scouting and insurgency units, it can provide a needed edge for pilots wishing to infiltrate deep into enemy held sectors. 
Requires Inner Sphere Mech Pack to access.
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ENHANCED OPTICS: Available on a limited number of mechs and added with the Clan Mech Pack, Enhanced Optics increases the size of the zoom window. This can greatly assist snipers and other long range configurations by allowing the pilot to maintain zoom on a moving target. You must obtain the Clan Mech pack in order to access this equipment in the Mechlab.
Requires Clan Mech Pack to access.
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Enhanced optics provide a greatly increased field of view, excellent for snipers. Standard view is on the left, Enhanced view on the right.
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BAP: Beagle Active Probe increases radar range from 1000 meters to 1200. Units equipped with BAP will be able to detect shutdown enemy units, although only within 100 meters. Like the ECM, it reduces enemy lock on time by 30% and should be used with caution in missile heavy environments. Extremely useful for scouting or missile equipped mechs. It can sometimes be useful for sniper operations by allowing units equipped with long range weapons to engage stationary targets well beyond visual range.
Like good eyesight, BAP is extremely valuable for all long range configs, especially missile equipped units.
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AMS: Anti-Missile System engage any missile coming within range, helping to reduce the damage sustained during attacks. While it can be overwhelmed by group fired salvoes, it becomes more effective at range as missiles tend to spread during their flight. Units equipped with Anti-Missile systems, deployed together, will NOT defend one another with their AMS, they will only engage missiles directly targeted at their own mech.
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LASER AMS:The Clan Laser Anti-Missile System operates in the same manner as the standard Inner Sphere variety, but requires no ammunition. Like the standard Inner Sphere AMS, this Clan model will only engage missiles targeted directly at the unit carrying it. Unlike the Inner Sphere type, the Laser AMS generates heat when firing. This usually poses no concern unless added to other heat factors, such as hot map, energy based configuration and missile heavy environment.
AMS/LAMS systems are invaluable for minimizing damage in any environment where missiles are used, make it a standard part of most any configuration. ALL AMS systems in Mercenaries are Laser AMS types.
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LIGHT AMP: Light Amplification is standard equipment bot on Inner Sphere and Clan chassis types, and is available for all mechs. Valuable during night missions, enabling mechs to engage targets in near total darkness. Its primary weakness being susceptabiltiy to saturation by bright lights, flares or explosions, temporarily blinding the equipped unit.
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JUMP JETS: Allow capable units to climb to areas off limits to earthbound mechs. Excellent for snipers or scout mechs, Jump Jets can greatly increase the survivability of equipped mechs. Valuable for Capture the Flag, where it can use it's jump ability to evade pursuing enemy units. Jump Jets can be made more effective through the use of "pulsing". After the mech is airborne, use the Jump button to sustain flight rather than a continuous application, unless greater height is required. Jump Jets recharge rather quickly and smaller units especially can benefit from their use. They can allow equipped units to reach the tops of the tallest buildings in the city using surrounding buidings as "stepping stones", though this requires some practice.
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Jump Jets are extremely valuable in accessing
prime fire support or sniper locations.
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NARC: An active beacon that attaches itself to enemy units, all missiles launched without lock will immediately track towards the beacon. Warning! if launched into the ground, all unlocked missiles will also track into the ground. Also, any missile fired by team members will track to the spot the NARC is attached if no solid lock is obtained before firing. Range is limited to 600 meters with the clan version and only 450 using Inner Sphere, so equipped units must expose themselves to retaliatory fire to use it.
As AMS and Laser AMS systems act only open missiles that have a lock on the target, a well placed NARC beacon renders AMS/LAMS systems ineffective while it is active.
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FLARE: Burn and illuminate large areas without drawing attention to mechs like headlights will, though units with Light Amplification will be temporarily blinded by them. Attched to mechs, flares can be seen at long range, even in foggy environments making them easily tracked and targeted. As an aid in close range combat, they can be chain fired in groups onto the cockpit window of an opponents mech, they can blind the pilot and prevent effective counter fire.
Attach them directly to a target's cockpit window, rendering the target blind. Mercenaries Flares are much longer ranged and provide 300 flares per ton of ammo.
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OVERHEAD FLARE: With a range of up to 1000 meters, the Overhead Flare's rocket motor burns out and the flare falss to earth. Upon impact, it bounces up to it's operating altitude, deploys it's parachute and burns brightly for 8 seconds. These flares are extremely useful during night operations when attempting to target enemies lurking in the shadows at long range. They can also be fired within urban confines and will "bounch" perpendicular to whatever surface the come into contact with. This can result in having an extremely bright, low level flare hovering in place until it burns out.
Bounced off vertical walls, Overhead Flares are useful for blinding multiple enemies equipped with Light Amplification in urban areas.
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Especially useful when fired in groups. Dark operational areas
can be brightly illuminated for short periods, greatly assisting
in maintaining defensive lines and discouraging insurgents.
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HIGH EXPLOSIVE: Useful for destroying structures but often results in the destruction of the equipped unit as well. Servers can be set up to disallow friendly fire, allowing these previously suicidal pilots to obtain kills without being destroyed. HE has been found to be a very effective defensive weapon in CTF games, and avoiding the effects of the blast presents a considerable challenge to targeted mechs. Capture The Flag games do not penalize players or teams for suicides, and destroyed will respawn near their optimum defensive positions, making this weapon choice a "free ride" in some maps and situations.
Not available in Mercenaries due to it's potential for abuse. "Suicide" attacks are most effective when the weapon is detonated close to an opponents head.
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ARTILLERY BEACON: In single player games, a flashing "Artillery" message on the HUD is single player games indicates the availability of artillery fire support. Extremely effective and vital for success in some missions. Approximately four (4) seconds after attaching the beacon, artillery fire will "engulf" the area. The beacon is genrally effective on stationary targets only, as the artillery fire will strike the spot where the beacon was attached, and will not track the beacon after attachment to a mobile target. A quick target will be well clear of the area by the time the supporting fire arrives. The Artillery Beacon can be an effective way for very small mechs to maximize their limited firepower. The beacon is small, has little visible trail and is silent, it can therefore be useful for clearing guards away from flag bases in CTF games, or driving missile units out of support positions. Artillery Strike blast & heat effects are concentrated at the center of the strike and falls off rapidly. In groups, they are deadly against stationary targets and when chain fired, can sweep a large area.
Use in conjunction with Flamers, shutting a target down with heat and planting the beacon directly between the legs. WARNING! Such tactics can be addictive and will quickly corrupt one's game karma.
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The Artillery Beacon is valuable for sweeping jump snipers or missile support units,
such as this unfortunate Catapult, from strategic locations. A fast, manueverable
unit equipped with Artillery Beacons and a fast firing energy or ballistic weapon can
distract enemies with irritating fire while discretely planting the beacon.
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