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Unit Roles
Ambushers are typically slow, lightly armored, and prefer short range engagements. They often have to hide behind cover until a target is within range, thus their designation as Ambushers. Many infantry units have this role, but few 'Mechs. Useful traits for Ambushers include stealth equipment or the ability to take cover, the ability to be easily transported, or just being cheap enough to swarm the enemy. Ambushers are often very successful in heavily urban areas. SRM Carriers and the UrbanMech are examples of Ambushers.
Brawlers are line units, commonly deployed among battle lances and Stars. They are fast enough to keep up with a "standard" line, have at least adequate armor, and possess flexibility with range requirements; they are usually able to do some damage at longer ranges but deliver increasing damage as they close range with a target. They should not have to pull out of line to enter combat, but are able to hold the line if it is charged. The Warhammer and the Myrmidon Heavy Tank are examples of Brawlers.
Juggernauts are slow, very tough units that prefer close combat. Juggernauts control their immediate terrain--the difficulty is often in getting them where they need to be. Juggernauts are useful for holding or taking territory, but can be a liability during running battles in which there is no clear territory to control. The Atlas and the Hunchback are examples of Juggernauts.
Snipers prefer to find a good "sniper's nest," sit still and fire at long range. Some Snipers rely on range, stealth or cover for defense, while others rely on armor. Few rely on speed, as this often is detrimental to their own ability to hit at a long range, though some that are meant to provide fire support to faster units may have enough speed to keep up with them. The Zeus and Schrek PPC Carrier are examples of Snipers.
Missile Boats are similar to Snipers, but the majority of their long range damage comes from weapons capable of indirect fire, long range missiles, mortars or artillery. Missile Boats are often grouped together in order to optimize their ability to fire indirectly, without rendering part of their Formation as incapable of firing. The Archer and LRM Carriers are examples of Missile Boats.
Strikers are fast, possess light armor, and usually prefer short or medium range engagements. They rely on their speed (or numbers) to survive while threatening the rear or flanks of the enemy. The Jenner and Harasser Missile Platforms are examples of Strikers.
Skirmishers are fast, but boast adequate or even heavy armor. The flexibility to rely on speed or armor for defense can give Skirmishers the ability to withstand a great deal of incoming fire, but they usually prefer not to have to sit still to hold an objective or deliver accurate fire. Skirmishers often command lighter Strikers, provide a flanking threat alongside slower Brawlers or Juggernauts, or are massed with other Skirmishers as heavy cavalry formations. The Wolverine and Dragon are examples of Skirmishers.
Scouts are fast, equipped with light (or no armor) and very little weaponry. In eras when high-end or recovered technology is available, they often employ advanced electronics as well. The Scout is forced into combat only by necessity, preferring to serve as a spotter or support for other units in the Force. The Raven and Swift Wind Scout Cars are examples of Scouts.
Weapons and Equipment Types
AI: Anti-Infantry
Anti-infantry weapons deliver special damage to conventional infantry in place of standard damage.C: Cluster
Each shot in a cluster attack contains multiple projectiles, not all of which may hit the target. Cluster attacks use the cluster hits table to resolve their damage.- The damage for all cluster attacks has two parts. For example, an LRM 10 has a damage of 1/Msl, C5/10.
- The number to the right of the slash is the attack's weapon size. If a cluster attack hits, the attacker rolls 2D6 and consults the cluster hits table. Weapon size tells you which column on the table to use: cross-reference this with the roll result. The result is the number of projectiles from the attack that hit the target (e.g. rolling a 7 on the cluster hits table for an attack with a weapon size of 15 means that 9 projectiles hit the target).
- The number to the left of the slash is the attack's grouping size. This is how much damage is grouped together into separate damage groupings. This ranges from 1 (i.e. every point of damage is its own damage grouping) to 5 (every 5 points of damage is its own damage grouping).
- Multiply the number of projectiles that hit by the damage per projectile (always 1 damage each unless stated otherwise; Missile weapons state the damage each missile deals). Split the resulting damage total into damage groupings equal to the attack's grouping size; if at any point there's not enough damage to make a full damage grouping, form a single undersized grouping with that damage.
- The attacker rolls a separate hit location for every grouping. For example, for all standard SRM launchers (C2), every 2 points of damage dealt is a separate hit with its own hit location roll. For all LRM launchers (regardless of the launcher size), the grouping size is 5 (C5): every 5 points of damage dealt is a separate hit with its own hit location roll.
- Each grouping that hits only ever counts as one hit. For example, if a group of 5 LRMs strikes a 'Mech's head, that's one hit to the head, not five.
DB: Direct-Fire Ballistic
These weapon types (except machine guns) can use a targeting computer when making attacks.DE: Direct-Fire Energy
These weapon types (except flamers) can use a targeting computer when making attacks.E: Electronics
ECM systems may jam electronic equipment.F: Flak
When used against airborne aerospace units, VTOLs, WiGEs, and dropping 'Mechs, apply a -2 to-hit modifier. This is cumulative with all other modifiers provided by the weapon or its ammunition unless specified otherwise. Treat all other aspects of the attack as normal.H: Heat-Causing
This weapon may inflict additional heat, damage, or both.M: Missile
Missile weapons deliver damage equal to the number of individual missile hits, times the damage per missile (abbreviated as "X/Msl" on the weapon and equipment tables, where "X" is the damage of each missile). Once the attacker has determined the specific number of missiles that struck the target by rolling on the cluster hits table, divide the damage that actually struck the target into specific damage groupings before assigning them to the target; the specifics of how each missile weapon determines its damage groupings are indicated in the damage column on the appropriate weapons and equipment tables. The number to the left of the slash indicates the maximum damage per grouping. The number to the right of the slash indicates what column of the cluster hits table is used. A target's anti-missile systems may reduce the number of missiles from a missile attack. Most missiles are also cluster weapons.P: Pulse
Apply a -2 to-hit modifier to all weapon attacks. This weapon type can use a targeting computer when making attacks, except for aimed shots.PD: Point-Blank
Point-blank weapons can only be used against targets in the same or adjacent hexes.R: Rapid-Fire
Rapid-fire weapons may fire more than one shot in a single weapon attack phase.- The number after "R" in the damage column of the appropriate weapons and equipment tables indicates the total number of rapid-fire shots that can be made (for example, an R2 weapon may fire one or two shots in a single turn, while an R6 weapon may fire anywhere from one to six shots in a single turn).
- When using the rapid-fire option, the weapon consumes ammo and creates heat equal to the shots fired, times the single-shot ammo/heat costs.
- Each time a rapid-fire weapon fires more than a single shot in a single turn, the weapon may jam, making it useless for the rest of the game; the shots are still fired, however. When firing two or three shots, if the to-hit roll result is a 2, the weapon is useless for the rest of the game; for every two additional shots fired, add 1 to that number. This means that for two or three shots, the jamming only occurs on a to-hit result of 2, for four to five shots the jamming occurs on a to-hit result of 3 and so on.
- Rapid-fire weapons deliver damage as cluster weapons, resolved using the appropriate column of the cluster hits table. Each damage grouping is based on the single-shot damage of the rapid-fire weapon (abbreviated as "Sht" on the weapon and equipment tables).
- A rapid-fire weapon is only a cluster weapon when firing multiple shots in a single attack (i.e. "rapid-firing"), and so the attacker rolls on the cluster hits table when making an attack.
- Rapid-fire weapons can use a targeting computer when making attacks, but cannot use the targeting computer to make an aimed shot if firing more than one shot in a turn.
S: Switchable Ammo
This type of weapon may choose from multiple ammo types.X: Explosive
Item explodes when damaged.Weapons and Equipment Tables
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