If it was easy, there would be a lot of great pilots out there... and there aren't. There's a lot to keep in mind during intense combat, and the highly successful pilots have earned their way to the top through hard work, concentration and continued development of their skills.

For some battlemech pilots, the desire to be the absolute best is the overriding factor, while many just want to engage in competition for the fun of the challenge. For others the primary motivation is to not suck, though the discipline required to achieve this is similar, but not as intense as that required to master the battlefield environment.

The fact that it's extremely hard to do makes success all the more satisfying. Even for the very best pilots, there is a lot of room for improvement, either in fundamentals or diversification. Learn everything you can, seek out and challenge the most skillful opponents, observe their actions carefully and most importantly... PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

PRACTICE: No pilot, without a great deal training and practice will ever be a serious threat to an opposing force. Unskilled pilots are quickly identified on the field of battle, and quickly become easy prey for the experienced veterans.

No tactic, strategy, or technique will be effective unless it is practiced, polished and honed to a fine edge. The best way to become a good brawler is to stick your nose into the middle of a fight, and battle it out. The same holds true for jump sniping, missile support, artillery accuracy or long range ballistic gunnery. Only through repetition will you gain the skill necessary to become successful. Using long range weapons such as missiles or Gauss rifles effectively requires the same type of discipline and training as close combat tactics.

Some of the pilots you face in combat will be veterans of many thousands of battles, you will seldom get a second chance with them. The most skilled pilots are usually very professional in their manner and conduct, they are very focused on the successful completion of the mission or objective. Insulting behaviour, taunting, toying with cripples or any other action which does not serve the team or mission objective are not a part of their arsenal, for this reason are the best pilots highly respected and sought after.

Keep moving and always be alert! There will be no mercy on the battlefield.
The end comes quickly for those unwilling to maintain constant awareness.

MOVEMENT & SURVIVAL: A stationary mech will be a dead target within 10 seconds. Combat is not the time to enjoy the scenery, scout all areas thoroughly either alone or with teammates prior to battle.

Keep the throttle active, and don't provide the enemy with an stationary target, and an easy kill. Varying the speed of your mech is also an excellent way to disrupt the aim of an enemy warrior, you might find more shots missing close in front and behind your mech. Those are the shots that would have caused severe damage with constant throttle settings. Many pilots have used a "stutter-step" method of movement with great effect, though tactics vary greatly with individual pilots.

Any avoidance of accumulated damage will greatly increase your survivability in a fight, and could well mean the difference between a victory, or a defeat.

SENSORS AND EQUIPMENT: The effective use of available sensors and equipment is one which requires as much skill and practice as weapons usage. ECM and the IFF Jammer help prevent early detection and identification by enemy units, often allowing a close enough approach to deploy weaponry in a first-strike capacity. BAP allows the early detection of approaching units and permits a cohesive defensive strategy to be developed. The configuration of these sensors requires a shift in tactics to make good use of their capabilities, otherwise they become wasted allocation of tonnage.

Standard equipment such as the Zoom function and Light Amplification are also useful tools in the hands of the experienced battlemech pilot. Ensure that they are mapped to the keyboard, mouse or joystick in such a way as to permit their instant use when needed. The Zoom function especially requires a quick action in the heat of battle to selectively target critical sections or weapons of opposition forces at maximum weapons range.

Targeting the most powerful weapons, or damaged sections first
will rob opponents of considerable firepower before engaging closely.

EVASIVE ACTION: The one area that is strenuously avoided by all mechwarriors just happens to be the same one that all other pilots are vigorously trying to get them into, their gunsights. Even the best pilots will find themselves staring down the barrels of loaded LBX 20 Autocannons.

If you have been keeping the other basic rules in mind up till now, you should be moving, weaving, jumping, selecting targets carefully and watching the battle elements closely. The thought here is to recognize the threat of imminent danger. That danger presents itself when the Daishi that you have been stalking finishes off his opponent more quickly than anticipated, suddenly swivels it's torso and focuses it's sights on your mech. Never assume an opposing pilot is unaware of your presence!

The trick to quick reaction in such situations is to always be prepared for the worst case scenario. Throw your mech quickly into reverse and back away in a curving arc, never in a straight line! Fire carefully to disrupt their aim, or damage critical systems and weapons. This is not a retreat, it is a "tactical redeployment of offensive resources" and is a well established military maneuver. The enemy will be forced to track a target that is receding, perhaps jumping as well as having to calculate a lead. Sometimes a fraction of a second delay, or one missed shot by an opponent is enough to win the contest.

Speed, movement and unpredictability will help prevent
a considerable deal of damage over the course of a battle.

TARGETING & AIMING: Simply stated, the goal of any type of combat is to destroy, or disable the enemy before you yourself are destroyed. The quickest means to accomplishing this goal is to target one specific part of an enemy mech, hammering away at it until the target is destroyed.

It is inefficient to scatter damage over an entire chassis, most mechs are pretty well armored, and some carry tremendous amounts of protection. An indication of the amount of armor carried in specific areas of a target mech can be found by the use of the damage display.

Always scan your enemies to look for weak areas, a surprising number of mechwarriors will leave rear torso areas or legs severely under protected, these weaknesses should be exploited whenever possible. Don't be dissuaded by pilots who complain about "legging" or specifically targeting a mechs legs. All elements of a battlemech are fairly targeted and it is contingient on the pilot to ensure that their own mech is properly configured and armored to minimize any weaknesses.

If a particular configuration is determined to have ineffectual leg or rear torso armor, do the pilot a favor and exploit this weakness at every opportunity. This will not only support friendly force objectives but might encourage the pilot in question to rethink their configuration philosophy and help them design a more combat effective battlemech.

Target heavily damaged areas for the quick kill.
In Attrition or Battle games, conserve your resources by
allowing enemies to do much of your dirty work.

ANGLES & VECTORS: Don't approach any threat head on if at all possible, move towards your target at right angles. Cover is usually available, and can easily be employed to strategic advantage if the time is taken to scout the operational area prior to the engagement. Zig-zagging from side to side forces your foe to calculate your lead time into every shot. You will still be hit and take damage, but it will certainly be less than bearing the full brunt of an opponents weapons fire. Used in conjunction with effective throttle control, this tactic goes a long way towards making your mech much tougher to hit and damage.

Try to ensure that your tactics against a particular opponent don't lead you directly into the sights of another enemy. Free-For-All Attrition, Destruction and Battle games are especially dangerous, as threats come from all angles and directions.

Remember that angles are not only side to side, when equipped with jump jets, a mech is able to attack from almost any angle by employing Z-Axis attack strategies. Urban environments are valuable for these units, as they can either fire from the comparative safety of the rooftops, or swoop down vulture-like upon an damaged mech, unload their weaponry and leap to a less exposed spot. Use your jump ability to move yourself into a favorable firing position, or escape danger.

Urban environments are designed to allow rooftop travel,
find the prime jump spots. Structures can be used as
stepping stones to the tops of the tallest structures...
scout your battlefield well and practice!

ENGAGEMENT: Don't be in a hurry to close with an enemy, allow time to maneuver to a favorable attack aspect. In other words, set yourself up to attack a weak or unprotected part of your opponent, i.e. the rear or previously damaged sections of armor. Once engaged, unless the tactical situation requires it (i.e overwhelming odds), don't retreat. A retreating mech is easy to kill and many warriors have met an early death from the mistaken notion that they have gotten into a fight they cannot win.

All fights are potential victories to a pilot that never gives up, conversely, very few victories are had by a dog with it's tail tucked tightly between its legs. Once the decision has been made to fight, prosecute your target with vigorous aggression.

OBSERVATION & AWARENESS: Awareness of your surroundings is vital to your survival. Many warriors are killed while they themselves are in the process of destroying another mech. Firing shot after shot into an opponent, they never notice the enemy mech that has moved into position behind them, ripping away armor and damaging critical systems.

Maintaining constant awareness is vital to survival! Few kills are so important that you can allow yourself to be destroyed. Evade, or destroy your greatest threat first, then return to finish off your damaged foe. Some fighters who, in all other respects, are terrifyingly efficient with their tactics and killing ability, become totally unaware of their immediate environment once they "smell blood". Such pilots become easy prey to others waiting patiently in the wings, calmly observing the developments of the battle, then swiftly rushing in to finish off a heavily damaged victim.

Keeping a close eye on your sensors and surroundings is critical to survival.
This Cauldron Born's pilot is about to experience the joy of forced ejection.

By maintaining awareness of the conditions surrounding you, the chance of overrunning your support and finding yourself in the middle of an enemy force is greatly reduced. Solitary mechs are easy targets, and a lone pilot will be set upon like a crippled cat in a dog pound.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY, KNOW YOURSELF: All mechs and weapons have their individual strengths and weaknesses. Exploit the first, avoid the second. Get in the cockpit and try everything, mechs, weapons, and equipment... experimenting with different configurations until settling on a select few that highlight your individual skills and experience levels.

Use any data available to determine all the performance factors, and plan your tactics accordingly. Slow mechs can be countered with faster mechs, close-in weapons by those with greater range. Some strategies will also be less successful than others, but as options are nearly endless, keep trying different approaches to secure your goals. Knowing your limitations can help keep you out of danger in the first place. Awareness of your own capabilities can get you out of it.

When in doubt as to an effective counter to a particular weapon or tactic, remember that the natural counter to any weapon is it's equivalent, fight fire with fire. In cases where weaponry is roughly equal in capability, then tactics, terrain, and pilot skill become more critical.

Knowing the configuration options of the mechs you face can go a long way towards developing effective tactics to defeat them. Some mechs carry a great deal of their weaponry in their arms, such as the NOVA CAT and LOKI, removing these arms renders the chassis nearly impotent. While the ARGUS in the photograph below can carry powerful ENERGY weapons in both right and left torso, and MISSILES on the left arm, the right arm is by far the greatest threat. 5 contiguous BALLISTIC slots make the Argus a dangerous gunnery mech.

The Argus' right arm is loaded with Ballistic slots, giving it tremendous punch.
Targeting this arm can greatly reduce the combat effectiveness of this mech.
This direct strike with a T_Bolt likely destroyed some weapons.

JUMP JETS: Jets are valuable for evasion but can be dangerous if not used wisely. A mech in the air is much less maneuverable than one with it's feet planted on the ground, and as such, is vulnerable to damage. A common mistake of new pilots is to overuse jump jets in an effort to evade fire. More experienced pilots will calmly position themselves for a shot at a mech which is airborne, striking the moment it touches down. Jump Jets are extremely valuable as a means to access areas which would otherwise be off limits, such as rooftops,steep slopes and mountain peaks. While they can be used for evasion of enemy fire, experienced pilots prefer to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground while fighting as this preserves their maneuverability.

Use your jets sparingly except for navigation of inaccessible areas or dire emergencies, small hops can be more effective than great leaps into the air. "Pulsing" of Jets can extend the distance a mech can jump, and is a very effective technique for precision landings on the smallest rooftops. Smaller mechs can use them to run the roofs of the city, pop out and blast the enemy, then jump quickly to safety. This tactic can be employed with devastating efficiency in even heavy mechs. Though heavier mechs usually lack the agility to become excellent rooftop assassins, there are pilots of heavy mechs who do utilize this type of attack to great effect.

Mechs flying high into the air seem to "float"... time your shot for the top of it's arc.

SNIPER OPERATIONS: A specialized skill, and one mastered by very few Mechwarriors is sniping. A good sniper acts as a force multiplier to his team by engaging enemies at long range, and preventing them from effectively targeting teammates. Experienced snipers will also choose their shots carefully, maximizing their effectiveness. In this way, ammunition is preserved, secrecy can be better maintained, and the time required to get into position need be expended less often. Speed, agility, Jump Jets and a comprehensive equipment capability are highly recommended for sniper operations, and a chassis with excellent crouching capability, such as the Shadow Cat, can make the experience fun and rewarding.

The ability to deploy to unsuspected, or inaccessible locations can be increased by the use of ECM and switching to passive mode radar. Exceptional knowledge of the terrain or cover available, effective configuration, and hours of practice, are required to increase the chances of success during these operations. These facts, together with patience and the difficulty of maintaining a low profile during intense combat, is why many pilots forego the discipline altogether. The best snipers are invariable highly skilled, experienced pilots who enjoy an exceptionally difficult challenge.

Long range weapons are extremely effective here, with Thunderbolt missiles, PPC's and both types of Gauss rifles preferred by experienced snipers. Consideration must be given to the environment, as well as the skill level of the pilot, as some weapons are more suitable than others given tactical restrictions of the mission.

PPC types, with a range of 850 to 925 meters, are excellent weapons, but their highly visible beam makes the sniper's position readily apparent to opponents. Gauss Rifles are a bit less visible, and are extremely fast and deadly, but the fact that they are ammunition dependent and extremely heavy can weaken their suitability for some smaller units. Vengeance Thunderbolt missiles hit extremely hard, are difficult to spot or track, but their relatively slow transit to target, weight, and ammunition requirements limit their use to the most experienced pilots. Mercenaries Arrow IV variants, including the Thunderbolt and Cluster Missile are much faster, with the ability to lock on and track targets. As a result, they are far easier to deploy effectively and much more common on the battlefield.

Superior crouching ability, combined with speed, Jump Jets
and agility make the Shadow Cat a capable medium sniper.

JUMP SNIPING: A further refinement of Sniping is Jump Sniping. After the snipers disciplines of stealth, targeting and positioning are mastered, the addition of this maneuver to a snipers arsenal creates a deadly, and highly survivable battlefield asset.

Use fast warshot weapons, Lasers, PPC's, Gauss rifles... and don't be concerned with reload or recycle times as you'll have to wait for your Jets to recharge after each jump. Thunderbolt missiles are effective against slow, heavy LRM configured opponents (Missile Boats), but a poor choice versus faster mechs.

Practice with the Zoom function, if you have enough buttons on your joystick, map the zoom function to one of them. Best results are obtained by jumping, aiming, and then zooming in for fine aiming adjustment. After firing, immediately toggle the zoom off for a wide field view as you drop down. Zoom should be used only momentarily on an active battlefield, extended use is valuable for long range detection of targets only, i.e. scanning the horizon for advancing units.

It is a good idea to carry ECM, BAP if possible and use passive radar, this will help prevent enemies from being aware of your exact location. Jump Snipers are hated adversaries, and powerful weapons are always trained on the spot just above your last point of jump. Move your position often! This will greatly reduce the effectiveness of counter attack during your jump.

DAMAGE CONTROL: All mechs get damaged, all mechs eventually get destroyed, that's the nature of the game and warfare in general. No one is invincible, though some pilots come surprisingly close to it.

In addition to employing the previously stated strategies to minimize damage, once damage does occur, how it is managed makes a great deal of difference in the outcome of a match. Maintain constant awareness of the condition of your own mech as well as that of the enemy. Torso twisting to constantly present the least damaged sections of the mech to the enemy is an advanced piloting tactic, but one which goes a long way towards increasing survivability.

Maneuvering your mech to protect damaged sections is important in staying alive long enough to obtain a victory, or in support of a teammate in a battle against another enemy. No freshly deployed mech at a distant drop zone, despite it's potential, is more valuable to the team than one which may be heavily damaged, but is in a position to employ it's weapons. Stay in the immediate operational area as long as possible, dealing the greatest amount of damage to opposition forces before being completely destroyed.

Prevention of damage is even more critical with a badly crippled machine. A mech with severe leg damage can manage only a few kilometers per hour. The best option in this case is to continue fighting, concentrating on already damaged enemy mechs, and maneuvering as well as possible until the inevitable outcome.

Another shot like this will probably remove weapons and limbs, turn the
mech to present a stronger armor defense and save offensive capacity.

MULTIPLE THREATS: Facing 2 or more enemy mechs at once is one of the most challenging aspects of the game. When approached properly and with a plan of action, it is also one of the most satisfying and genuinely fun phases of open combat.

It is inevitable that at some time during battle, whether due to separation from other team members, or as a result of being teamed with groups of inexperienced or incompetent pilots, you will be attacked by 2 or more enemy units. Immediately identify the greatest threat, or the most heavily damaged of the opposing mech pilots, concentrating your fire on that unit. This prevents the better pilot from having the opportunity to target you while you are engaged in attack. Or if attacking the damaged unit, will reduce the numbers of foes you must keep track of.

Attempt to keep your primary target between yourself and the secondary enemy mechs, circling at close range and avoiding as much fire as possible. By maintaining a close distance to your target, you will have to maneuver only a few degrees to avoid secondary unit fire, and force that unit to make large course corrections in order to target you.

With any luck, a less skillful pilot will continue to discharge their weapons and will inflict a great deal of damage to their own teammates. With the primary enemy down, the secondary should present much less of a challenge. 3 vs. 1 is much more difficult still, but the concepts are the same.

While this type of fighting can be frustrating, never give up, as this type of exercise is the fastest way towards becoming a superior pilot. After successfully engaging 2 and 3 enemies at once, your basic 1 on 1 fight will seem much easier.

TACTICAL TARGET SELECTION: Select targets that are weak against your particular strengths, and attempt to avoid those that seem specifically designed to destroy you.

For example, a slow Atlas or Mad Cat MKII armed with long range missiles makes a tempting target for a smaller, faster mech equipped with disrupting weapons (those with "shock" value, larger Autocannons, Large ER Lasers and Thunderbolt missiles for example).

Units so configured can use their agility to pick the larger enemy apart while avoiding damage from long range weapons. They can also be valuable in disrupting the careful aim required by units using Gauss rifles, Thunderbolts or any other unguided weapon requiring a stable cursor aim point before firing. A Daishi, heavily configured with large LBX Autocannons however, makes a significantly more dangerous opponent to the smaller mech, as they excel at dealing out tremendous amount of damage at close range.

Any mech, however, can successfully engage and destroy any other mech given suitable piloting skills and tactics. The trick here, especially in team play is to maximize the combat efficiency and killing potential of each team member.

Slowly picking apart a damaged mech is a easy way
to maximize points. Circle the cripple at close
range, eroding his systems before finishing him.

STEALING: "Stealing" kills is an efficient use of resources in Attrition, Battle and Destruction games, but one which requires an extraordinary awareness of sensors and the tactical situation. Scanning opponents while they are engaged in combat will reveal the most likely victims. Selecting the most heavily damaged mech and concentrating fire upon their weakest points can quickly achieve a victory, one that another pilot worked very hard to gain. Attention can then be turned towards the second target, one which in all likelyhood, will also carry significant damage. In this way, a great number of kills can be gained while minimizing damage and preventing ammunition depletion. Patience and skillful piloting are useful qualities when scavenging, though opponents will often lack the appreciation of your hard work. Even when maneuvering and heavily engaged in combat, if a heavily damaged mech presents itself, directing a well paced shot or two into the smoking sections or gimpy leg will often result in a quick victory. Never let the weak or crippled battlemech escape with it's life, and your points!

In team based combat, where specific goals and objectives override individual scores, most pilots welcome any assistance in dispatching a stubborn enemy as a way to avoid unnecessary damage. This is not considered stealing, but merely good teamwork and efficient tactics. One compromise is to assist in crippling your teammate's opponent and then leaving them to finish the kill.

MISSION SPECIFICS: While spending most of your combat time in a single type of chassis has the advantage of familiarity with movement and controls, some missions are better served by having a different approach to the game. The Mechlab section of the TRM4 can assist in developing an optimized and more effective configuration for specific missions or objectives.

For example, slow Assault units equipped with long range weapons are great in the open territories like Central Park, Tumbleweed Pro or Snow Bowl, but the confines of Inner City can eliminate some of their effectiveness as they navigate through the narrow streets. Smaller mechs, loaded up for close range warfare, and armed with an array of Autocannons, will find themselves less capable against missile based designs in an open map.

Choose a design that will maximize the damage inflicted on enemy units, while providing the greatest amount of protection and capability.

TEAM STRATEGIES: The advantages of team play are many and varied. Teammates, after spending some time together in combat will learn to anticipate the movements and strategies of each other.

Effective team play can result from different team members employing different configurations and strategies, designed to enhance the combat effectiveness of each individual. Teams can be comprised of up to 8 players, and many different strategies can be made to work by effective communication and good combat skills. The variety is nearly unlimited, experiment to find what works best for you and your team. Communication of goals and responsibilities to team duties are vital to the success of the team.

A balanced attack force consisting of both long, medium and short range designs will almost always have a significant advantage over less structured forces. The key to such success being the effective deployment of each specific type.

The ability to communicate quickly and clearly is critical for consistent results and battlefield success. Voice over Internet protocols such as "Battlecom" are extremely helpful for team based operations. When combined with experience and practice they can serve to create a dominating battle force.

CIRCLE FIGHTING: An extremely valuable skill to learn is the circle fight, in fact, you might find yourself naturally falling into this particular pattern of engagement. The concept being to keep weapons fire concentrated on a particular target while moving in a circle around it.

With the torso twist capabilities of most mechs, this is not a difficult maneuver to complete. While holding some degree of turning input to the joystick, run in circles around the intended target. Swing the torso to face the enemy and fire as the targeting reticule lines up. Of course, the enemy with be attempting the same maneuver, and the result is the classic circle fight.

Attempt to throw off the enemies aim and concentration by varying the throttle and using jump jets when appropriate. Don't forget to factor lead into your firing solution. Although the range that most circle fights occur will minimize such a lead.

Remember that most fighting starts at long range and ends at point blank range or nearly so. This is because enemies will be hesitant to expose rear areas to your fire, and will keep moving to minimize damage. The natural result is decreasing range throughout a battle. Circle fighting skills much more valuable in these instances, as it is a primary close range tactic.

Practice on static objects while in "Instant Action" attempting to keep them in your sights while maintaining good speed in a circular path around them. As will all techniques described here, it will become much easier with a bit of practice as well as some combat experience.

Timing is everything in a circle fight, after an opponent fires his primary weapons begin to count off the recycle time, unleashing your main weapons a fraction of a second prior to his next shot. Your enemy will most likely be listening for the "reload" sound of his weapons and will generally fire as soon as they are available.

This will often result in a missed shot, and an instant advantage for you. By the same token, if you find your own shots being disrupted, wait for his next salvo and begin your recycle count to regain the timing advantage.

Many dogfights eventually degrade into close range circle fights.
Vary the throttle, aiming carefully to throw off your opponents counter-fire.