BattleMech

"This is HQ to any available units. We have mechs down at nav gamma. Bravo cadet reports four Summoners on site."

– Mechwarrior II

BattleMechs are legged armored fighting vehicles in the BattleTech Universe. Standing between 8 and 14 meters tall and heavily armed and armored, they are the main heavy ground combat vehicles. A person who operates a BattleMech is known as a MechWarrior.

BattleMechs are what Starfleet Starships are to Star Trek, Lightsabers are to Star Wars and Space Marines are to Warhammer 40,000. They are the specific Battlefield Technology that the setting is named for.

History

The BattleMech is the end result of the Myomer technology's use by IndustrialMechs; the Terran Hegemony saw that on some backwater worlds and colonies that some desperate garrisons would use IndustrialMechs for back-line combat, and wanted to see if the technology was actually viable for long-term combat operations. The Hegemony placed Dr. Gregory Atlas, one of the finest scientists of the time, in charge of the project, as he and an army of Hegemony scientists worked to refine the tech for military purposes. The results of these top-secret projects came the tests of the Mackie of the 2439, which worked so well that the Hegemony almost immediately chose to put it into production, completely changing the face of warfare from that point on. The Hegemony, naturally, tried to keep this shit under wraps for quite some time, trying to amass as many of them as possible before finally getting the chance to use them against the Draconis Combine in 2443, completely devastating the Kurita forces save for one tank, who told the greater Inner Sphere community of this miraculous and terrifying new tech. Naturally, everyone and their grandma tried to get their hands on it, taking less than 12 years before the Lyran Commonwealth's daring raid on the planet of Hesperus II received the plans, and therefore the rest of the Inner Sphere began to make their own mechs for warfare, and the Age of War got some great use out of the new tech, which ironically was actually only a prelude to the real zenith of BattleMech development; the birth of the Star League.

The Star League meant the end of the Great Houses playing grab-ass for power (at least, officially) and that all military technology was in the hands of a single monolithic power in relative peace and prosperity, and therefore development of the tech skyrocketed. The invention of Jump Jets, Gauss Rifles, the LAM mech, and myriad electronic and internal improvements, as well as a massive explosion of Mech variants meant that as humanity saw it's peak, so did the BattleMech, even if it only lasted a few hundred years. All of this however came to a grinding halt with the sudden slaying of First Lord John Nicholas II by Stefan Amaris and his Amaris Civil War, where the SLDF had to use everything at it's disposal to gain vengeance for their fallen lord. This stagnation was further exacerbated by the SLDF largely fucking off to the Deep Periphery where nobody would see them again for almost 500 years, leading directly in to the Succession Wars.

The Succession Wars sent humanity on an increasing backslide of technological progress, and the BattleMech suffered dearly for it, to the point that whole classes of Mech almost went extinct due to the sheer level of cost, lack of resources, and plain old lost plans and factories that ultimately wiped scores of Mechs from battlefields across the Inner Sphere. This was only halted 28 years into the 31st century with an enterprising Free Worlder's unbelievable discovery on the devastated world of Helm; the cave system that spanned much of the underground around the ruined world's old capital held an amazing discovery of a massive Star League-era cache of information stored deep underground that housed life-changing blueprints, schematics of mechs long thought to be rumor or museum pieces, exact material needs, and weapons that hadn't been seen in the Inner Sphere for decades. Naturally, ComStar tried to get their grubby paws on it all with the intention to destroy it, but the Mercenaries that'd been granted access to the world of Helm fought them off and aggressively disseminated copies of the information throughout the Inner Sphere in order to get back at ComStar for blaming them for war crimes. This set off a new renaissance of development of the technology.

And then the Clans showed up and changed everything with what they had been working on with all that time out in the boondocks.

The utility of a BattleMech

An often asked question (usually by smartasses in the BattleTech general threads) is just how useful a Mech is in a universe that is harder science-fiction than say, Star Wars or 40k, given that they share a universe with Tanks, Hovertanks, AeroSpace Fighters, and Powered Armor. The Answer is largely in both the way wars are fought in BattleTech, and also in performance per C-Bill.

The BattleMech has many advantages that Tanks and Fighters simply can't match in open combat; while an AeroSpace Fighter can absolutely fly better and move faster than any Mech, it's expensive, more resource intensive to use in ground warfare, and is generally better served in upper atmosphere trying to tie up DropShips and Bombers and the like. The Tank is venerable, cheap, mounts a lot of the same guns as a Mech, and hasn't been completely replaced by them and probably never will be, but even with the advances in Fission technology, many tanks are still dependent on comparatively archaic fuel sources and design methods (such as structural weakpoints set towards the roof of the tank that suddenly became much less forgivable in a time of big stompy mechs), and ultimately a devotion to how nice the terrain plays that keep them limited to support or artillery roles. The BattleMech, any of them at all, might be expensive and a big target, but they don't have to worry that much about fueling, all of their armaments are usually far more numerous and pack a much more painful punch than anything else can safely carry, and they have the very useful ability to effectively negate most difficult terrain due to their sheer size, weight, and ability to move in a humanlike fashion, and if they happen to run into some they can't immediately pass through, a good majority of Mechs can simply use Jump Jets to get around them. Most can even get shot to pieces and still run if they manage to keep all the vital shit together, though the company the MechWarrior works for will probably be out a good amount of C-Bills and time for repairs.

And regarding the warfare, BattleTech's universe has a mutually agreed upon set of rules of warfare in the Inner Sphere and also from the Clans that typically ensures that something that can hit a target hard, fast, coordinate with other units, and then protect that position better than the other side could, often many at a time, is more valuable than just firepower or maneuverability. Tanks might be able to do that if you sent a bunch of them, and as cool as squadrons of Aerospace Fighters can be, neither are built to handle that kind of combat with clear ground objectives that they must take and then hold like a lance of four Mechs, usually all around the same size and with varied payload description, could do on their own. There is a reason everyone who didn't have the tech at the time wanted one; it saves money in the long run to cut the logistics of a whole company of soldiers and tanks' and fighters' firepower down into four giant robots and their pilots that can shrug off (or at least not be downed by) being shot with an artillery cannon.

Also it's the fucking tightest shit imaginable, and if you seriously need to ask the question "why would someone want to pilot a giant robot" then I'm afraid this game just isn't for you.

BattleMech Systems

"Reactor online. Sensors online. Weapons online. All systems nominal."

– A typical computer startup sequence in a BattleMech’s cockpit - hyping MechWarrior video gamers since 1989

Stemming from their origins from jury-rigged IndustrialMechs being armed for combat by rear line soldiers, BattleMechs share the same general components as their civilian brethren. What makes the former different from the latter is their chassis parts and sensors are generally bulkier, cheaper, and less resistant to combat damage. Additionally, the weapons and piloting mechanisms they carry aren't dedicated to combat and are either less powerful or less responsive. Some BattleMech subsystems are detailed further below.

Weaponry

• Lasers: Basic directed energy weapon. They are fairly cheap, do fairly consistent damage and since they're powered by the mech's reactor they don't need ammo. That said while they do burn into your enemies' armor, they also generate waste heat.
  • Small Laser: Low power and low range, often used on light mechs or as "we got half a ton to spare, what the hell?" add ons to heavier ones.
  • Medium Laser: Your basic laser gun. Main weapons for Light and Medium Mechs and useful secondaries for Heavy and Assault Mechs.
  • Large Laser;: Heavier, long range laser. Serious firepower for laser focused Big Boys.
  • Pulse Laser: Can be small, medium or large. As opposed to a single blast, Pulse Lasers fire several successive times in order to increase damage, though the heat they generate is much higher on average than the normal variants.
• Autocannons: Abbreviated as AC. An enormous machine gun/cannon that fires explosive shells in short bursts. Autocannons have variable ammo caliber sizes and are mostly grouped into categories of default damage numbers. While they don't generate much heat and are often times much better at taking armor off a Mech, they're also dependent on their hard ranges of minimum distance, requiring a lot of maneuvering to make work, and of course they can only carry a limited amount of ammunition.
  • Autocannon/2 - The sniper rifle of Autocannons. While it's next to useless in a close-range firefight, it's good at taking potshots from a distance that even LRMs can't reach. Almost anything that has one usually loads up on special munitions to offset the loss of damage.
  • Autocannon/5 - Arguably the first Autocannon ever made, it does respectable but not especially impressive damage at longer ranges, and can open just the right armor type in a pinch.
  • Autocannon/10 - The gold standard of Autocannons simply due to it's sheer utility; it can do some real damage, has a reasonable range, but critically it also has no minimum range that the MechWarrior has to consider when using it. Most 'Mechs that have an Autocannon will almost certainly default to this or any variant of it.
  • Autocannon/20 - The short-range, big damage variant. Can only shoot about a few hundred yards out, but anything dumb enough to be in it's range is pretty much scrap if the Autocannon lands more than one hit.
• Particle Projector Cannons: The other standard Energy weapon (called PPC’s for short), but generally much spicier than any Laser. A massive Cannon that fires a concentrated stream of ions and protons at a target at such velocity and strength that the Mech it's attached to experiences a kickback from it. The Mech that gets hit can experience serious electrical damage from the volley, and as such they are prized parts of any Mech it's attached to; rivalling Autocannons in terms of overall usefulness. The Mech it's attached to has inhibitors to prevent the cannon from frying it's own circuits, but some mad lads play dangerously and pull that particular thing off in dire straits to see what happens when they let the PPC really cook. Comes in a similar range of sizes and utility similar their laser counterparts. Another new variant is the TSEMP (Tight Stream Electro-Magnetic Pulse) cannon) developed by the Word of Blake and later Republic of the Sphere. It combines the principle technology and range of PPC’s with the disabling effects of the Mech Taser. However, the individual capacitors that charge each shot can blow up like the ones on Gauss rifles if they’re damaged.
• Missiles: You know how these work; a big rocket full of boom comes straight down on your opponent's face. Most Mechs that have them have a dedicated platform designed to deliver the payload; from dedicated missile systems designed to be fired at short, medium, or long ranges aided by fire control systems, or simpler, fixed range missile launchers like the Arrow IV that are designed to even out the terrain of a particularly unlucky stretch of land. Very useful weapons, but they're expensive, and doubly so since they're susceptible to jamming. Special versions include Listen-Kill warheads aimed at electronic signatures or ARAD missiles tracking radiation emissions. Alternatively, the warheads can be swapped with special-purpose munitions.
• Gauss Rifle: A more technologically advanced alternative to the Autocannon among ballistic guns, a Gauss Cannon that has been standardized with powerful electromagnets to shoot a solid metal melon straight into and more often than not through opposing mechs. It generates almost no heat and is quite powerful, but is incredibly energy intensive and often enormous, requiring Mechs to almost be built around that weight limitation rather than the Rifle around the Mech's limitations. Also, if the individual capacitors used to power each shot are damaged, they risk blowing up the same way non-CASE’d autocannon ammo can.
• Flamers: They're in BattleTech too! You use them for almost the exact same purpose as you would in another wargame; melting infantry. This is much less useful in BattleTech however given that almost nobody uses full-on infantry anymore, but it can be helpful to raise the heat of a Mech to intolerable levels. The Capellans later invented a variant called Plasma (no, not that one) which uses ionized & viscous foam bullets launched at infantry or light armor like modern white phosphorus or napalm.
• Machine Guns: For killing squirrels. If you're in a mech primarily armed with these you're mostly just there to keep infantry or restless insurgents tied up, or, and I'm sorry to have to break it to you now, you're in the Mech that's expected to die. Machine guns can also be used in Anti Missile Systems like real life Active Protective Systems on modern tanks or Close In Weapon Systems on ships; blasting those pesky missiles out of the sky before they can mess up the paint job. They're also a component for Anti-Battle Armor modules to keep Clanner Elementals from tearing into your cockpit to shoot you in the face.
• Melee Weaponry: While initially wildly impractical as an idea since a mech can carry giant guns and finish a fight against other Mechs without the use of a hand-to-hand weapon, the Succession Wars were such a resource drain that stuff like PPCs and even some variations of lasers couldn't be reliably manufactured and bolted to the giant robot, so mech-sized melee weapons found themselves making comebacks. As they do a point of damage per a certain amount of tonnage from the attacking mech and generate no heat, they can acquit themselves quite well if given to the right MechWarrior, but being in melee range for BattleMechs is generally not a good idea unless it was built/rebuilt from the ground up to brawl. Jump jets in particular are practically mandatory equipment for melee mechs. Certain types of melee weapons like fists and claws can also grapple opponents, reducing the chances of a successful breakaway from close combat.
  • Punch: Most Mechs in the game have some form of hand actuator, which means the most basic form of harm that a human can do is very much available to their giant metal toys. Games running Design Quirk rules can augment certain mechs with the "Battlefists" quirk, which gives further bonuses to hit on such an attack.
  • Kick: All Mechs have feet, however not all depictions of the game system allow for SERIOUS FOOTBALL (making Urbie lovers all the happier). Like with fists, games running Design Quirk rules can augment certain mechs with extra footie power, leading to the ability to literally remove another Mechs existence with well-placed toes.
  • Push: Again, a melee attack that's pretty much only in the tabletop versions. You have Mech? You have enemy Mech? Put your Mech against enemy Mech and move. Might cause enemy Mech to fall down. May have other effects.
  • Charge: A Push, done at speed. Warning: Running your Mech into another Mech, when the other Mech is bigger, is likely to cause your Mech as much damage (or more) than the enemy Mech takes. Extra points if the damage you take provokes an ammo rack explosion. Somewhat reflected in the computer games.
  • Death From Above: A Charge, as applied to Mechs with Jump Jets. Your Mech takes leg damage, enemy Mech takes upper torso damage. Can lead to extreme headaches for others. Can lead to extreme headaches for you too, if you flub your piloting check. Gravity is no one's bitch. Also, due to a Jump-Jet-equipped 90-ton monstrosity of an assault Mech called the Highlander, yes, "Highlander Burials" exist as canon in the game. You know you're having a bad day when your salvage-and-repair teams have to break out the shovels just to get to the light Mech so 'buried'. Absolutely is in the computer games.
  • Hatchet: A giant meat cleaver pioneered by the Lyrans. Does a point of damage per every 5 tons of Mech. Given that the average mech in the Lyran Commonwealth is probably 70 tons or more, this makes it a much more dangerous thing than it initially sounds.
  • Sword: A standardized sword created as an alternative to the Lyran Hatchet by the Combine. It does a point of damage plus one for every Ten tons of Mech, but thanks to their exceptionally engineered balance, they're easier to hit with than a Hatchet.
  • Club: A Hatchet with no blade, maybe just a tree you found, or possibly just an Urbie-onna-stick. Can also be the leg you just kicked off a Mech. Yes, this means you can literally beat another Mech to death with their own limb. Less accurate than a Hatchet RAW, however tends to do more damage since you don't have to mess around with balance or design considerations. *BONK*
  • Solaris VII Weirdness: The Arena is...weird. If you can make it look flashy and still do damage, some Mechjock has tried it. This includes: Buzzsaws, Chain Whips, Claws, Flails, Lances, Spikes, Talons (Claws for feet; Takes that DfA up to 11), Tasers (which is more like an Electro-Harpoon and a boon to salvagers everywhere), hand-held Shields, and Vibroblades. That said, a wide range of Solaris goofiness has ended up on the battlefield do to the fact that if it reliably works the arena, it usually will reliably work outside of it as well.

Internal systems

• Myomer: A synthetic musculature which contracts in on itself when an electrical current is run through it. It lays snug between the chassis skeleton and the armor on the Mech’s actuator limbs and attaches to the diagnostic interpretation computer (a series of processors and cables like nerve cables) to response to neurohelmet commands to the limb actuators and the gyro. Can be upgraded with other variant tech such as Triple Strength Myomer and Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry (called MASC) to boost either strength or speed at the risk of more frequent limb breakdowns. Apply 9-volt battery, kick foe in the 'nads.
• Engines: Your standard BattleMech is powered by a hydrogen burning Fusion Reactor. Most vehicles are too small for fusion reactors (the excuse in case a hard sci-fi killjoy asks "why don't we just build a bunch of tanks?") so they're stuck with Internal Combustion Engines, Fuel Cells, and Fission Reactors. Yes, the rare Mech (typically an older model or an experimental one) actually used some of these too, but the Fusion Reactor was the default go-to here. Engines come in all shapes and sizes, though the easiest way to keep your Mech useful is to have an engine that doesn't take up too much valuable space. Try not to have it go critical, yeah?
• Gyros: Not a sandwich beloved by greeks, but a spinny hunk of high-tech metal that helps the 'Mech stay upright. A close analogy is the series of reaction wheels used to keep real-life satellites, missiles, and torpedoes pointed steadily at their targets. Losing this means your 'Mech gets to lie down for an extended period of time, namely for the rest of the battle.
• Armor: The yang to weaponry's yin. Depending on the tech level you're playing at, can come in flavours ranging from plain ol' vanilla Standard to double-fudge FerroFibrous, caramel Laser Reflective, stealth cloaked, and whatever demented flavour-of-the year that the New Avalon Institute of Science has come up with. Most Mech armor is ablative, meaning that it's designed to slough off when hit and requires swapping in fresh modules after the fight is done.
• Jump Jets: Systems that make the 'Mech bounce along like little bunny Froo-froo. On 'Mechs, they're a fusion-rocket system, however vehicles and infantry sporting them usually use some sort of jet or chemical/liquid-rocket system. Weirder systems have been developed (think mechanical pogo-mounts). Yes, there is a Jump Jet equipped tank called the Kanga. When used in conjunction with reinforced legs in melee, MechWarriors can perform a Death from above maneuver to crush any unfortunate S.O.B in their landing zone (a favorite of Highlander pilots). Also useful in combination with Drop Pods for combat drops from DropShips onto combat zones that are too well defended to risk a conventional DropShip landing and BattleMech deployment.
• Heat Sinks: Glorified radiators, Heat Sinks are mechanisms (like liquid coolant pumps, tubes, and heat-exchangers found in car radiators or refrigerators) which deal with built up heat, which Mechs can quickly accumulate in combat. Firing lasers, getting hit by flamers, using Jump Jets and so forth can all build up heat which can damage the machine's system and cook a Mech Warrior alive. Double Heat Sinks are more effective than vanilla heat sinks but were also LosTech up until the 32nd century. Due to waste heat, MechWarriors pilot their vehicles in either refrigerated suits or if those are not available (as the blueprints to make them are kept locked up by Space AT&T) in their undies. Some systems dabble with manual flushing fresh coolant into the BattleMech but are fragile and risk blowing up if damaged. Environmental factors like water, vacuum, and atmosphere can also be a boon or bane depending on your situation.
• Ammo Storage: Because you gotta put your bullets and missiles somewhere on your mech before you shoot 'em. If your lucky, you got Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment (CASE) on your mech, which significantly reduces the chances that it will be set off unintentionally during combat.
• Sensors: Alternatively called the Target Tracking System or Advanced Fire Control System, they're the eyes and ears that relay environmental and targeting data to a MechWarrior's cockpit; either in the form of neurohelmet VR feed or a cockpit display. Can be augmented from data from other units via the C3 Network, TAG beacons, or satellite feed.
• C3 Network: short for Command, Control, and Communication. It's a simple tight-beam comms network that can share targeting data between Mechs. It starts with the Command unit that three slave units (or six 3Ci units, if you're lucky enough to have them) connect to, and then all data collected by any one of the units is automatically shared to the other three. While potent, ECMs wreak havoc on C3 systems, and any lance that has one can be blinded in certain conditions if you figure out where the Command unit is, which is almost always in the Heavy/Assault Mech due to the command unit's size.
• ECM Suites: Short for Electronic Counter-Measure, an ECM is an invaluable piece of hardware that can shut down enemy sensors and communications tech. On the tabletop, it produces a bubble around the Mech that can shut down certain bits of hardware like active probes or C3 systems. They're only available in certain Mechs however, as the technology is extremely precise and the Succession Wars completely robbed the Inner Sphere of the ability to manufacture them.
• TAG: Short for Target Acquisition Gear. Composed of a variable spectrum laser for target-marking and rang-finding, it's basically just markerlights for Battletech, developed to overcome ECMs. Just expect to be extremely noticed (either as the targeted if you're unlucky to be painted by it or the targeter once every enemy detects your signal and rushed over to wreck your ride). Some alternative targeting gear includes sticky beacons fired by Scouts and missile fire control systems but those suffer from either shorter range or jamming.
• Active Probe: Basically an enhanced sensor and data processing package, it's one of the few pieces of equipment that can reliably sense units covered by a jamming or active camouflage systems. The downside is that it eats a lot of valuable free space and power to use while also being expensive while being vulnerable to ECM suites.
• Particle Field Damper: an experimental technology used to reduce the damage to BattleMechs from POC weapons by deionizing the electrical charge around the BattleMech. However, due to being easily shut down by dust and airborne debris being sucked into the system, any users tend to then it off if they think their opponents are not using PPC weapons.
• Anti-infantry Pods: basically a mix of remotely activated explosive reactive armor or sensor guided machine guns, they help prevent Jump Jet infantry or Battle Armor infantry from boarding a BattleMech to either attach explosives or break into the MechWarrior’s cockpit.
• Stealth Systems: ranging from passive stealth armor that cloaks heat and electric signatures to the optical camouflage capabilities in the Void Signature System, these experimental technologies enable a BattleMech to hid from sensor-based detection, visual detection, or both. Unfortunately, they’re also just as complicated as ECM and C3 systems while requiring a lot of surplus electrical power.
• Harjel System: Using the fast-drying and tar-like substance called Harjel, the Clan-invented system sprays out a black goop that can harden to withstand the vacuum of space or pressures of underwater combat across a broken piece of armor. A little at a time is fine, but if the Mech receives massive damage all at once, the system will just start spraying it every where and whole parts of the Mech will become useless. Removing it is also a bitch, too.
• Neurohelmets: At base, Neurohelmets allow the 'Mech to borrow the pilot's sense of balance (due to the organic ear and spatial orientation system of a human surpassing any robotic control loop that can be coded). More advanced systems (generally LosTech or ClannerScum) could provide a VR simspace for the pilot and shunt sensor feeds right into the pilot's brain. Also serves as a security system, as they're keyed to the pilot's brainwaves and can fry any pesky intruders’ brains if they don’t bypass the ID validation system. If pilots are not careful and push their Mechs beyond their normal performance, they could suffer neural backlash. Some systems experiment with embedded circuits or neural interfaces inside pilot’s bodies like some Clannner's Enhanced Imaging system or Wobbie cyborg's Vehicular Direct Neural Interface but such tech leaves pilots with a very short lifespans.
• Cockpit: typically mounted in the head of a BattleMech beside some Solaris VII arena ‘Mechs mounting it in the torso, they contain the basic controls, targeting displays, computer interface, toilet, microwave, and life support systems for a MechWarrior. On the other hand, MechWarriors still need to keep an eye on the thermometer to avoid suffering a heat stroke from the reactor heat. More advance versions can include a Dual Cockpit/Command Console for multiple crew or replaces the basic ejector seat with a sealed Full Head Ejector System capsule to protect pilots from shrapnel or hostile environments when they need to bail away from their Mech before it’s reactor explodes.

Types of BattleMechs

There are several ways to sort out each model from its contemporaries as shown below.

Weight Class

The most common classification of BattleMechs in-universe is by weight. How it's actually calculated is up in the air, as it doesn't appear to take into account the complete weight of the vehicle (since many Mechs have almost 10-20% of their tonnage taken up by armor), but it's generally agreed upon that this is the optimal "weight" of a fully kitted out BattleMech.

• Ultralight Mechs: Any Mech under 20 tonnes. Mostly used to man garrisons and patrol colonies out in the boondocks for law enforcement and piracy deterrence, they’re basically an aluminum box on legs with some machine guns or grenade launchers wired to a joystick. Depending on your luck, they might be the fastest thing you have or the worst purchase you ever made. Marginally better than a regular armored vehicle for direct fighting, the difference between one of these and an IndustrialMech strapped with ordinance is very, very difficult to parse.
• Light Mechs: Mechs between 20 and 35 Tonnes. They are normally cheap, easy to deploy, fast and lightly armored and are used for Scouting, Raiding, or in some cases urban defence. In-universe they are usually the most common type of BattleMech known. The Draconis Combine has used a tactic called "The Charge of the Horde": throw a large number of Light Mechs with Rookie pilots at a problem. They can run circles around enemy mediums and heavies, are cheap enough that you can eat the losses and MechWarriors who survive this trial by fire have proven their worth for heavier hitters.
• Medium Mechs: Mechs between 40 and 55 Tonnes. Able to throw down better than a Light Mech while being faster and cheaper than a heavy. Also includes specialized support units, as the medium weight range marks the point where glass-cannon loadouts with the biggest boomsticks become practical. Mostly used for tactical needs on paper, but tend to be wildly flexible in practice. Many of the more useful and iconic mechs in the series are in this category if they aren't Heavy Mechs.
• Heavy Mechs: Mechs between 60 and 75 Tonnes. The workhorses of most armies, affordable heavy power while still being able to move faster than a truck heaving forward. They are also just large enough that they can be used as the command units in any BattleMech formation due to the ability to mount specialty gear like C3 Master command modules. Several of the most iconic mechs in the series are in this class.
• Assault Mechs: Mechs between 80 to 100 Tonnes. The heavy hitters; ponderous and pricey but durable with heavy weapons and armor to both take and dispense a serious beatdown. When these hit the field it means some serious shit is going down, they're not committed casually (Lyran recon lances notwithstanding). Most assault mechs instantly recognizable symbols of their respective factions; all except for the BNS-1S. Nobody respects the Banshee.
• Super Heavy Mechs: Also called Colossal, they’re any Mech that is more than 100 Tonnes. Up until the 31st century, the general consensus was that Mechs more than 100 Tonnes were basically laughably bad penis compensators. After the Clan Invasion people are beginning to make them work, but logistics keep them towards being niche.

Combat Role

In terms of combat utility, BattleMechs can be split into certain categories based on their specifications. While some roles may be filled with conventional armored vehicles, they take either a higher weight class or a larger motor pool to compensate.

• Scout: The fastest of the lot but mounting light armaments while armored with tinfoil. These speedsters rely on agility and small size to scoot from place to place before transmitting intel from their sensors on the enemy back to their bigger partners. They also like to shoot the weak spots of any enemy unit they can outflank before running away to avoid crumpling under returning fire.
• Striker: Second only to scouts in a race while sporting a short ranged arsenal and decent armor. These jocks are meant to run up to enemy units and let loose with all the firepower they can get into range. They work best while charging in a swarm with covering fire as well as concealment from terrain until they can get the jump on an enemy.
• Skirmisher: Fast moving while outfitted with medium ranged weapons and reasonable armor. They’re generalists who can be flexible jacks-of-all-trades. Often times, they partner with other combat roles for both ends to compensate for each other's short comings. They can also be used for running battles where a scout's paper-thin armor is too light to survive but will crumple in sieges from units with a heavier arsenal unless they’re supported with covering fire.
• Brawler: On the slower range of mobility while kitted with medium-to-long ranged weapons and heavy armor. These guys are the main component of an attack wave. While they're not good at long duration fights and running battles, they serve well as escort units for Juggernauts, as either defensive guards or offensive breachers during sieges, and can flush out hidden units out of foxholes.
• Missile Boat: Sitting back from the front lines, these units seek to provide indirect fire in the form of missiles or artillery shells while hiding behind cover. Compared to snipers, they do not need to have a direct line-of-site on their targets but are more dependent on targeting data from scouts.
• Sniper: Similar to the missile boat but with a long ranged weapon that requires direct line-of-sight, these guys are slower than skirmishers or strikers but their platform stability allows them to take pot-shots reliably. While escorts with short-ranged weapons can make up for their lack of CQC capability, they're best used while hidden away from plain view.
• Juggernaut: The slowest of the pack but possessing powerful short-ranged weapons with thick slabs of armor, these mobile fortresses rely in pure inertia to keep the ball moving forward. Tactically, they work in unison with other unit classes to get in range of distracted enemy units or fortifications before using their arsenal to delete said targets from the field.

Other

Beyond weight and combat specialty, there are a few other specialized types of BattleMech, each with their own strengths and drawbacks.

• Bipedal: A mech with two legs, most common type; broken down into three separate subcategories such as Humanoid, Reverse Joint, and Digitigrade, however performance between the three is negligible as all three have both standout variants and regrettable variants alike.
• Tripodal: An experimental three-legged variant that's only rarely been used, even when the design idea gained traction in the 32nd century, only four mechs in the entire canon have ever used this variant. What does make them stand out though is their ability to constantly move in any direction without braking and their proven ability to be built as Super-Heavy tonnage.
• Quadropedal: A mech which has four legs instead of two. They have something of a bad reputation for allegedly requiring more crew and less armor, but on the other hand can loose a leg and still be in the fight. Are far less common than Bipedal Mechs, but are still fairly common as mobile fire-boats. Another transformable variant is "Quadvees" among Clan Hell's Horses that can change back and forth into tanks. While they can still fight if the gyro is damaged in tank form, the extra limbs and servos for transforming gives them the same weaknesses of being stuck in one mode after being damaged as their LAM relatives.
• SecurityMech: Sometimes referred to as MilitiaMechs, PoliceMechs, or (if they’re field-modified off existing IndustrialMech chassis) MOD’s, these are basically up-armored and armed IndustrialMechs. Often used for internal policing, quelling riots, fending off giant wildlife, and anti-piracy deterrence, they're usually used for guarding critical infrastructure or facilities that are far from the front lines. Due to their less robust construction, lighter weapon load-out, and less energy intensive engine, they're marginally better than combat vehicles for front line combat. On the other hand, they’re cheap enough that any backwater planet can buy them if atmospheric aircraft and tank use for security isn’t enough and they’re good enough for preventing covert sabotage, banditry, and insurgent activity. Like mainstream BattleMechs, they have their own weight classes: Light (10-15 tons), Medium (20-25 tons), Heavy (30-35 tons), and Assault (40-50 tons).
• FrankenMech: more formally called HybridMechs, they're basically any ad hoc and non-standardized Mech created by cobbling together any spare parts from a dozen other BattleMechs that a mad engineer or desperate pirate can scrounge from their basement without any corporate support or standardized template. Deep in the Periphery, they're also called Corsairs.
• Land Air Mech: sometimes called LAM's. Basically a light mech that can transform from an Aerospace Fighter into a regular mech. They got invented during the Star League as experimental reconnaissance units, but got phased out due to being more fragile than regular fighters and mechs while requiring way more maintenance (as well as needing pilots with both BattleMech and Aerospace skills). Out of universe, BattleTech developers decided it was too much effort to keep without lawsuits from Harmony Gold (as seen with the infamous "Unseen/Reseen" mech artwork from other IP's), so Max ended up keeping his Veritech all to himself.
• OmniMech: the Lego/Swiss Army Knife variant of a regular Mech. Can change their loadouts as quickly as swapping ammo magazines, and can do other nifty things, like carrying armored infantry in battle. The flip side to all this awesomeness? They're way more expensive: One Mad Cat is roughly the same cost as three early-model Awesomes. That said, Three Awesomes to a single Mad Cat is weirdly comparable as a match-up. Clan tech is a wee bit overpowered.
• ProtoMech: spanning the gap between Battle Armor that maxes out at 2 metric tons and UltraLight BattleMechs below 20 tons, ProtoMechs were created by Clan Smoke Jaguar to make the most out of their shrinking resource base after the Second Star League drove them out of the Inner Sphere. While the Clan ultimately died out in the end at the Great Refusal, the ProtoMech Concept remained in use by the Clans for some time. Instead of using a traditional cockpit, a embedded circuitry system grafted under the skin of the pilot (used by some Clan Warriors for traditional Mechs) enabled pilots to use a ProtoMechs’ limbs like their own in a fancy version of augmented reality hooked to mechanical limbs. Additionally, the smaller size and direct interface with a pilot's senses removed the need for a bulky gyro . However, such interfaces still shortened users’ lives and made them feel the loss of limbs as painfully as if it were their own being sheared off. Naturally, outside the Blakists incorporating the interface tech into their Manei Domini cyborgs, no Inner Sphere faction tried to reverse engineer them due to technical issues and ethical concerns. Thus, they remain an obscure niche within some Clans.

Notable BattleMechs

Over the span of seven centuries there has been like a bajillion different makes and models of Battlemechs, most of which have at least a couple variants ranging from swapping out one brand of armor for another to rebuilds which put it into another weight class and combat role. As BattleMechs can last for centuries and are rather resilient things that can more often than not be at least partially salvaged after their pilot has been removed, there are still plenty of vintage units out and kicking. For a comprehensive list, go to Sarna. Never the less, here's some notable mechs.

Ultralight

• Flea - the lovechild of a AT-ST and a Sentinel walker. Good speed and sensors but avoid being shot, Only was a ultra-light weight in certain early models, while later models have it at 20 tons thus at the lower end of the Light class.
• Celerity - Created by Comstar, it's one of the first drone Mechs. Resembles some quadrupedal drones in the real world.
• Road Runner - Called the Emerald Harrier by its Jade Falcon creators, it has the dubious distinction of being sold to the Republic of the Sphere by the Sea Foxes as a nifty scout.
• Prey Seeker - One of the fastest Spheroid Mechs, it was created by the Feds for raiding during the Dark Age.

Light

Inner Sphere

• Commando - A heavily armed little trooper.
• Firestarter - Walking warcrime that deletes infantry.
• Hollander - Mech with a big gun, or big gun with legs? You decide!
• Jenner - The frontline light.
• Locust - A speedy little mech totally not stolen from Crusher Joe.
• Panther - A slow little sniper.
• Raven - Only I get to decide whose targeting systems work.
• Spider - For fighter pilots who accidentally got assigned a mech.
• Stinger - Really. Believe us. Not stolen.
• UrbanMech - The little trash can/mech that could!
• Wasp - Totally not taken from Macross.

Clan

• Adder/Puma - A light sniper. Naturally, as a clan mech, it outguns inner sphere mediums.
• Cougar - A heavily armed Jade Falcon light. Rumors that it was named after a certain trainer should be reported to your commander.
• Fire Moth - I am speed.
• Howler - Clanner’s first missile boat.
• Kit Fox/Uller - A well-armed clan mech with cute little ears.
• Piranha - It turns out 12 miniguns on something moving 150 km/h will chew through anything.
• Horned Owl/Peregrine - Used to look like a Zaku-II from the original Gundam anime it now looks like the Death/Dark Army suit from G-Gundam otherwise a solid Clan light mech

Medium

Inner Sphere

• Blackjack - Mini rifleman.
• Centurion - Classic, reliable, and dependable trooper.
• Cicada - Overgrown light.
• Crab - Carcinization is all the rage, even among mechs.
• Enforcer - The very picture of “average medium”.
• Griffin - And back to IP infringement accusations. Jumpy sniper.
• Hatchetman - The cutting edge of 31st century tech: a really big axe. Usually min-maxed for jumping.
• Hunchback - The original "My, what a big gun" mech. Available in lots of flavors.
• Phoenix Hawk - Max wants his plane back. No, it doesn’t look like something from Macross, stop asking.
• Shadow Hawk - Definitely not copied from any anime inspired by Suns, Fangs, or Dougrams of such. Surprisingly mediocre.
• Trebuchet - Flings missiles while wearing a stylish little hat. Centurion's BFF.
• Wolverine - A frontline medium that makes clanners froth at the mouth at its mere mention.

Clan

• Coyotl - The first ever OmniMech. A speedy fucker that proved the technology worked, though it would take later OmniMechs to push it to its limits.
• Ice Ferret/Fenris - A fridge with a PPC.
• Nova/Black Hawk - Laser boat famous for melting itself.
• Stormcrow/Ryoken - The clan's GEQ to the MEQ Timberwolf.
• Viper/Dragonfly - A jet that grew legs.

Heavy

Inner Sphere

• Archer - Your standard missile mech, now with fists. Absolutely not from an anime, so stop asking.
• Axman - The Hatchetman's older sibling. Exactly what it says on the tin.
• Black Knight - Frontline command mech that can lose limbs and keep fighting.
• Cataphract - A bunch of broken mech parts glued together.
• Catapult - Proud parent of clanner children. The classic missile mech.
• Defiance - The Warhammer's younger but bigger brother. Has bad rep due to being associated with a coup.
• Dragon - Kurita: I hate medium mechs. Also Kurita:
• Grasshopper - Light mechs got you down? Like piloting Heavy Mechs? Call me.
• Jagermech - Dakka dakka dakka.
• Marauder - Proud parent of clanner children, deported for being an illegal alien from another IP. Than bought back after a redesign to avoid lawsuits. A strong generalist.
• Orion - The poor man’s atlas. If it's good enough for Kerensky, it's good enough for you.
• Rifleman - Proud uncle of clanner children. Was also deported for shooting other illegal aliens despite being an illegal IP alien as well. Has a strange dislike of aircraft.
• Thunderbolt - Have we said the word “Dougram” enough yet? An all-rounder that runs hot.
• Warhammer - Ripped from the cover of the first book, and from Destroid before that.

Clan

• Ebon Jaguar/Cauldron Born - A clan mech that doesn’t know how to die.
• Hellbringer/Loki - When you can’t decide what weapons to bring, so you bring them all. You didn’t really need that armor.
• Mad Dog/Vulture - The clan’s archer, meaning more speed, more firepower, 10 less tons, and 3 times the price.
• Summoner/Thor - Thunder and lightning to bully those smaller than you.
• Timber Wolf/Mad cat - The bastard lovechild that everyone loves. All purpose clan heavy that defines “Omnimech”.
• Woodsman - An Ol' Reliable that would see service alongside the above Timber Wolf that's descended from it designwise.

Assault

Inner Sphere

• Annihilator - You like shotguns?
• Atlas - Big Death! Big Death! Big Death!Lots of weapons, lots of armor, and always ready for Halloween.
• Awesome - A big old all-energy sniper.
• Banshee - The Bradley of the Mech world. Big, fast, lightly armoured, and questionably armed. If you’re assigned it, your commander doesn’t like you.
• BattleMaster - Another all-rounder stolen from Dougram.
• Charger - A big, speedy mech that left its weapons at home.
• Cyclops - Command and control headquarters in the shape of a mech.
• Fafnir - A pair of cannons with a mech built around them.
• Hauptmann - Ripped off the Daishi before it was cool.
• Highlander - 90 tons of mech falling on your cockpit while blaring bagpipes from its cockpit.
• King Crab - Preferred tool for cracking thick shells. Don’t let it get close.
• Mackie - The Original!(tm) Accept no substitutes!
• Stalker - A heavily armed, heavily armored blimp.

Clan

• Dire Wolf/Daishi - The biggest, meanest, protagonist-iest clan mech around.
• Executioner - Surprisingly fast for its size, and surprisingly killable as well.
• Gargoyle/Man o' War - Very fast, very undergunned.
• Kodiak - A giant teddy bear, complete with claws.
• Bane - Unleash the autocannons. Or missiles if you swing that way.
• Supernova - A giant reactor meltdown waiting to happen.
• Turkina - Named after the original jade falcon, and equally as violent.
• Warhawk/Masakari - Sniper, now with aimbot.

Super Heavy

• Matar - Amaris Wunderwaffen gambit. Cripple due to lack of good legs.
• Omega - Superheavy attempt 2, Wobbie boogaloo. First successful prototype no thanks to pillaged ClanTech.
• Poseidon - “War of the Worlds” Tripod meets copious amounts of armor and dakka. 3 man crew required.
• Ares - OmniMech Version of Tripod above. Plug and play configuration modules as needed.