Mech Commander: Gold walkthrough - strategy guide
- Mech Commander: Gold
- walkthrough
PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
~ PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY [T3
Joe зи BEL
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Product Manager: Sara E. Wilson
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MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pat, Wi Basits сон waren salon kee tee ona TEMPER |
Chapter 1: The: Battle Continues: „оно rh mm ties tmm htt ва ae Bos 2
Weapons &Equipmett 42 s аа vb CE rU Sie аон Un epe ph 3
(MEGS: eos s niente EP Ya PUMA СО НОВА da mene SC iretur 3
Vehicles & Emplaced Deferses: 223: ewe инанан ао а IS 3
Tactics: Techniques: оо veu meto Decreto rnt а e ees Sano вод надева 4
Mission Walkthroughs - 525 sur eas dato dece eC ea xn ln Rn rte 4
Multiplayer MechComtimander Tips: 2s aste e teed ios Eee Rees ERO heed 5
Chapter 2: Weapons and Equipment .......... ccc ccceccccccccccccccceees 6
Inner Sphere Weapons: «s aoo dtes e aul e Pa tod ende dati dee m ae OE PS 7
Energy Weapons е coated ae M eina mises nbus 8
Projectile: WeapOnSe. sarip zer homme que а 8 cs Er at a e dle us 16
Clari. Weapons vato Ste от обои правна iier d dco e rte ah deste n d Bn 26
Energy Weapons asses dece a petra а en C ZEE 21
Projectile. Weapons cx ood o cede tecto nig ie oam iig nt Dante alte o yii ND e заед 30
Miscellaneous Equipment... «2 аон льо алома ER He Rad 36
Other-Equiprheliloo «215254 Sov eur botas sob desde zeae e acer ec 37
Weapon Choices 3499s DOES eie s o ec e yo OUS ied reu fe oco E do bes 39
Chapter’ 3: BattleMechs «oae i сакало Bare Er eda ey rrt вка 40
Inner Sphere BattleMechs sas asse OR oU Sula RT erp ME PERSA 41
Clan Meélisc oos vos Shaw ERE аа as OE men ав E 54
Vehicle ROTET ода оо tr nice heard oa tn boa ce nanan ac Ove ago о И Ux dien 65
Vehicles Available from Battalion .................................. 65
Other Enemy Vehicles. оаза ваме Sas ЕВЕ QUEM SU TAA A 70
Long-Raüge Tanks: „онаа ва во вади VORA AG sess a Doe REO ALES 70 P.
Medium-Range Tanks. гаа ана deem etn idee cce aces 74 ut.
Short Range Tanks rotere cr roh unes seh Hee ed UA EISE 75 p
Missile.Carriers одаи оа uet ede a HERE EST Te Rb EP ES 78 o еди
Miscellaneous Mobile Threats .................................... 79 "
Non-Comibatant:- Vehicles. 5543.9 о ада Bek om, athe hada nd 80
Emiplaced: Deferses: «usc rea sue Pet voe Савка PRAIA WEE Pa PERRA 82
Walls одо вовела mE aes BGS ACER dad PRU USES 82
Automated Turrets seert ia wie teach eae iecore que Sven iue seres te oq ee eed 83
Vehicles and Non-’Mechs in Summary ........ 0... c cece cence cence eens 85
Chapter»: Combat „ааа ае FEN А ааа etna woke ow Exin Rem Shaye end воа 86
Configuring Mechs and Force Groups ....... 00.00 cece greed ence eee eens 87
Tonnage ConsideratlOnga sss entere Ковано навали 87
Light or Неаўу "Mechs? 2:5. rb RE RR UR ELE RE LEKENDE 88
Special Units: 43 а аан Ch P SUE OA de doe ped dre teris 89
Weapon CHOICES: а ааа eo hace te T E dip LAE RR D RR T чена AR 89
Preferred Weapons. deest be dades eror PY Po e ale qol d 89
Situational Weapons: sarriro еа ть миро a вува NS E 90
Weapon Guidelines 50855 dr tns кна Sn ed реон alan ird eue et petu o Mawes 90
Cluster Your Weapons: а. в ао а а лом ipse cei nim d de bo а 90 i
Concentrate the Damage (But Don’t Overdo К)....................... 91 |
Balance Power and Ammunition ............... cece eee eee eee eens 92 |
Recommendations: 13... para ombre ee Ioa herido dae oie ba lle orit 93 :
Мемо оаа au od oie BASES Per P pee nues Hews’ 93
Hiring and Pirin’: а а rus pit UC IE RS APUEC EA 93
Assigning MechWarriors to "Mechs .......... 00 ccc ee cece eet e ene 94
Salvage Strategies’ ao xa ара wince ale edem Eve tee mal d a eA dre P ede She ES 96
Маици ЗАМАВ: c oun oe ree acd a a al aues HR APRES Sr 96
Captuvine-StHuCtures: соеви земи кива Аз od 97
Taking on Extra Foes «3: wa syne DR ENG Er ten dnd ERO E 97
Using Clan Weapons and Mechs .................................. 97
Sellor Repair y ox. aos cene etn ана аана edo d 98
Non-Combat Strategies traws vo dubie s E Ze Saws aires cute daw RIA REEN 98 RN D Fe
Stick: Together i.e teu OAS US OOO OVES a ern OSA Be 98 ir 4
Watch: Your Sensors: аа erp ETE рано дирек Ra 99
Use: High: Ground eot e tort oa eire Sul reda Qe EP RR Re terme 99
Avold'Unnecessary Combat „оаа оа Д RR ER Re ore a 100
Choose 4 Path (or Burn One) „ааа Ge ee anes ae besa Fee EX 100
Protect the.NonsCombatahnts «ec ker prO US RE PR waren ord Tue 100
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Chapter 5, continued
Elementary Combat: Strategy xc auch раа ааа вр vec Shama PES 101
Fighit.on Avantageoüs Terrain: s. аео аа vp nes DIONE DER 101
Concentrate FIrepoWet х 2а таа аре на са REESE reg wea 102
Keep Моў: аа ома о Pier eue БАРАКАЛИ 102
ConserveAMMUNITON: а ааа УНЬ DONE 103
To Tarsetior Nob to Target. „аа ао ьа e mex eS er 103
Combat: трапа, Tacks а her ERE PER Md dee eee desea E ahs 103
Attache tron Alay «seras ac areae x tete Cas ta awa ba РАТЕ 9 104
Protectitlie WEAK: 2e suse esequi bs eorpore Mee lc od Vra 104
Bait and SWIECH о o atom bea S utu He e e reb re DES 104
Use Artillery and Environmental Effects ........................... 105
раче Сайте а да зара za edet DS escuela te aule 105
Base Attack Strategies: „оаза orga Dense t a pt Pe dece ac e н 105
Pick Away:or Charge nY sic scs v rre urs bsp ied uet Са 106
Attack the Wallor the Gale? ьи dade ru REGGIO RETE 107
Destroy Turrets or Capture Them ................................ 107
Part 2 The Operations sea заседа CRUDO ED t Mad 108
Chapter 6—Operation 1: Beachhead .................................. 110
Mission 1-1: Liberate Work Camps ............ lesse 111
OVERVIEW: е rubrum d dei dad uus ORAM ee ee eret ides 111
Recommended. ROLES: 242v s na ve es sette la а t очите 111
Battle Марг. хок алва дии забо, бодови Meee Be 112
Strategy Blüeprlhb о E TEE E моб cione sto E E cake started 113
Mission 1-2: Rescue Captured Pilots ......... lese 114
OVERVIEW. xs cd ois gS а Beton are ou euadere tira e ete ecco dar wie 114
Recommended ROrces* 224 uxor te E Da ea E ence ngs dau’ 114
Battle: Map. du oed Stc ah aie gie d TONER RE BEI RE HER, es atate a ies 115
Strategy Blueprint serps Ears EEr Reo RR EE a da C des 116
Mission 1-3: Recover Raven Mech .................................... 118
OVERVIEW а TENT al eas AIOT EI the E E Motus MA S taste iol recs 118
Recommended КОГО seca ap isat ROW EP CREE иа во 118
Battle Map ао dpa Marte wee atari arr aii 119
Strategy- Blueprint 1. лека бонови дов анд ento vt aon odis ps 119
Mission 1-4: Destroy Clan Administration Building ....................... 122
ОЕР AS tese vara doit eraser ah ante vitate Olson as aea AU 123
Recommended Forces” ьа e dose ae ETT ERR ES PS 124
Battle. Map cordoane r ameet m sas el eR ааа GC ans ord a 123
Strategy Blueprint «auae ваат оа SR wl wo arene ere одне боранија а Anda 125
Mission 1-5: Defend Farms from Attack ....... 0... ccc cece eee cence eens 126
OVERVIEW: гориво чир ка Еми ФЕ y eeaa sud WR ESA EE eS 127
Recommended Forces: 2... воа аа ачаа a Same ERES Ra 128
Battle Map: а ne du mb sto rb Rr bande a enu dnd her S e Rs 127
Stratesy Blueprint ues evo com do tme e SS RU RT E f US 128
Mission 1-6: Liberate Kaio Industrial Zone .............................. 130
OVERVIEW a, ce e Sond havent Rn ze GR aee S VR e dT qe OO Sees EAE AS 130
Recommended Forcës 14 аа deg rr rem ар Ra sous 130
Battle. Map: ica rest te ka rr E TRU T eI es ue vu do S НЕ 131
Strategy Blueprint- „анара Wee Ra do RECS RET 131
Chapter 7—Operation 2: Skyhook ....... eee nn (PPP 133
Mission 2-1: Escort Hunchback to Safety „гаан e emet 134
OVERVIEW: MM METTE 134
Recommended Восе... bees P Ee yx er are x arae vore 134
Battle; Map „аа rasis s et aie ee ade as Se PM een DX RR RI e s 135
Strategy Blueprint за ae cas RIMO P EX CEU NR EX e a Ree NN 135
Mission 2-2: Destroy Local Power Generators ............................ 137
OVERVIEW? зори bei al Ved Dd y kk bee bulged cused Рај onus BATTU d blind ewes 137
Recommended Borges. eee betae Seer mikes dU PRA АНА Я 137
Battle: Map! ааа hr Qc ATS вр REE Ge ARES AMER See 138
Strategy Blüeprint. гаа аа s ga a tug ges ee RR ques еби a Sr Rau а 139
Mission 2:3: Destroy thé CONVOY sran eed t RE RR X EE ERR E E AE EFE 140
ÜVervléW. sb di QURE POE UEPTCES ERE E Aq EE URN ERIS See 140
Recommended Восе: сао вторава ти код ва Од Aa RR RUN S 142
Battle Mapu.s ou ee n aito SU DR wos locn Rn od Catus un OR e ai Eee rr deta 141
Strategy Blueprint aue ets pee Chath xao pe e rette tate 142
Mission 2-4: Destroy the Hyperpulse Communication Dishes ............... 144
СУБУТ оо очно а аза она кв од а е зе о а ОН ов 144
Recommended отсе. „а ed наа ete netten кум бунар Pie аа 145
Battle Map! «outer ое a avers акт инал а dorm B dotada 145
Strategy Blueprint. v eus ned dou wee eee Oe thet ae Sea on tee Kae 146
Mission. 2-5: Intercept the Train xcs sas eise cee RRÉDLTAE X EEG oe дра ее На 148
QVETVIEW? cacai аа а а идат a see забе убаа Ване PSU 148
Recommended: Forces „оние are een m perm yd emma eroe 149
Battle Map. cus вазна Se a RU HARI S оен aie aho дана а 149
Strategy BIueprIDE sou dup o e te e Ipaa deo eode e bonita 150
Mission 2-6: Capture and Defend the Base .............................. 151
OVERVIEW gunee danene pUS аа у debe АЧ ЛЬ Ay m b EE Ry dh 151
Recommended Коќево: 1.5522 ey gue d en ose tenes es ey are rg ed wavered 4 151
Battle Map: го us cbr E etr ek S IS a he gees bei bays 152
Stratedy ВЕКЕ земена we cer Mx ET ER ESSERE RR aer vens 153
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Chapter 8—Operation 3: Vanguard .......... ccc cece cece cece cere ceeees 156
Mission: 3-1: Escort.Medical CONVOY cerne ossa de oeadeos oa TA ek ws 157
OUCIVIEW азиска id y P E ARA EARS XRRAC DUDEN E M EY 158
Recommended. Forces гот e bh emo wa oe Bi Sel DNO HOR ks 158
Battle Map oa ebat ilta gine i e da a aseo a NN M E edes 157
Strategy Blueprint. i. cane reo ane Soe Re Om eS ET qur pet 158
Mission 3-2: Destroy Enemy Command Unit ............................ 161
OVEIVIEW ix ауа Net ied santa ana on No Reed S erar 161
Recommended TORES s, 2554.5, sio pae e mart diene he web 161
Battle. Map: еа poe arene otal E chc amide Natoma n oh es 162
Strategy Blueprint ves dos eb aed va o ir abe A Ee Ve Wat e фо 161
Mission 3-3: Capture Enemy Convoy ......... 00.0 c cece eee cence tence eens 165
(vor ооа ""————————— M 166
Recommended FORCES queo ats Stowe bee Ba aA EE LP es 166
Battle Мар desir е Mara ya ddd EDI bte NS 165
Strategy Вери 2:3 andere petto eo edere ics uiis 166
Mission 3-4: Liberate Reeducation Camp ............................... 168
OVERVICW: За пови RCRUM wis ulema ae ee 168
Recommended. FOVGeS +. oa eee и о Mex inh a msdn prese Ei 169
Battle Map: огнена ento e rA EI diede а dC e neg RUN 169
Strategy. Blueprilib.-4.euieconts ee ged pube она oh ede peque tide en Ra 170
Mission 3-5: Defend Allied Supply Ваѕе ................................. 171
OVERVIEW: сока atch domos Б Sod Фк cra dim be err se н оао 171
Recommended. Росе: „зеза аа ine teased did pr eese mate hans 173
Battle Maps sis дев he aues елита Isla hoteles dra ааай 172
Strategy Blueprint: s adeo erbe pi pu ds iP E E E 173
Mission: 3-6: Liberate Affendale г.а аа 0 rho recep E Y es 175
(VETVIeW" e Leu cies ERI hte UR VU ES ada was ota Ata ef dpi i s ade tol et Cs 175
Recommended. Forces 43v kv we ase po ORARE PURO фри KT 177
Battle: Map «iie m cu terre co etie cas Ged Padus Me 176
Strategy Blueprint: «ssi ausis demo he а а вале Va dus 177
Chapter 9—Operation 4: Lynchpin .................... ee eee neces
Mission 4-1: Capture Masakari and Destroy Orbital Guns ................... 181
OVERVIEW? аа chewed gears restes ao es ae eR e o eoe ae v 181
Recommended Forces 2. uri coin ro отаде RI LP SEO E S 181
Battle. Map" seeen rardan P ues aos Sfc bte Sox RU e ATO SR ea nee rece 182
Strategy BIüeDEIDE s cere ERR Exe ESS SOEUR TERED 181
Mission 4-2: Interdict Clan Supplies 254r ere meses tree 184
QVERVIEW 2. """""-————— 185
Recommended Forces: 22s deser lone ERE he KOS ие EA EE Ee 186
Battle Map. 4st aioe eas atu ect neath Bude a ates 185
Stratesy- Blueprint «224 veste P rb аА убива на пре олово 186
Mission 4-3: Capture Clan Field Basé... seek meme xw 189
OVetVIe WW". io soccer ERE EV ex eR ERO MCI NEIN EV HR 189
Recommended Forces ааа аа EE quad sea ke SS ETE Td 191
Battle Map 2 erit nit Ce tuba e oO ete yas sie ind xao 190
Strategy BlueprinE «esa Pura sepa e bb onu ER HA ES d 191
Mission 4-4: Capture Industrial Facility scree cessi asarin r rincorsa enis 193
Overview deseszcesrtarers ER ea фа, нураан EAS 193
Recommended. Forces: sacro Re ERR виде UR ere e pln 195
Battle Map? 4 o oma канони dee о ond gS ie tec ae TET T 194
Strategy Blueprint готова ze eese DES CEDE e dde ere ВАЛЕ 195
Mission 4-5: Intercept Enemy Кокев 14524 doce de Ree RR RET 198
СЕТТЕ): Lasso es deut in chan a 48 ов B br RARUS Ques dub de ло 198
Recommended Forces ааа us oe ted de а оф ваа whe Ria дов дв 198
Battle: Map ea va Ex Ко ву вра во ЖАНЕ Аа PETERE cee 199
Strategy Blueprint А eva фе AER EMecUPB DEES 199
Mission 4-6: Destroy Hidden Smoke Jaguar Orbital Guns .................. 202
Ое: dudo bob tesoros о аа Б cae p dei Editeur 203
Recommended Ботсеѕ огромни I EO а deem es ова 204
Battle: Map» asesores ee eens age Ran oa PE DAE eI E INA 203
Strategy Blueprint: ores rrini ment xx RERO MER ORA IX PU EFC 204
Chapter 10—Operation 5: Cutthroat ............. ccce hm n 207
Mission 5-1: Rescue Allied Commander ................................ 208
OVCTIVIEW ол ioco eb rt o EU en Qus e dal Brea oie oo ir а tdi На 208
Recommended: Forces-4.3 25 ege tx ra rS SEE E awe drugs eiie 209
Battle Мар; т ee rh dor e pai P echoes Веро ка 209
Strategy. Blueprint os ts eee ke bi ebay. Re cte a e E EN NS 210
Mission 5-2: Exterminate Clan Presence ................................ 211
OVE EW ccc ied eb 6.8.3 whois ales a ee dare eue S REINES Ка ir dtd BSE ORES 213
Recommended Forces: т.а ume tances ава ei вува онаа нија 213
Battle: Map) „ока woven ERE REDE ear ene Sas pae Rea a БО 212
Strategy ВШерИШЕ «29 vu вики teu o aee ne e Rice voee Cs gd 213
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Chapter 10, continued
Mission: 5-3: Capture Fuel Верос, iex R toe Saco seed Raa eee ees 215
OVETVIEW esca eater duds x ips RE Foe RR ao WES OES 215
Recomménded Forces „гасови dees pele ad ao E NES MUS dV 217
Battle: Map: utut se ex оа ch D ae S IO eco AVE вра 216
Strategy BlüeprIDEe «cose bec mir uie Wits тн но eer ene 217
Mission:5-4: Position Allied Artillery... 2e сетам vr RR CEP Ue 219
OVERVIEW! scenic usas afi e Fra v Oe oie END ARMES ae 219
Recommended Forces Leu ade Soc E Ee Ren vibe ib Ее 219
Battle Map ааа emu mei dant Ede Nc. 220
Strategy Blueprint oos ар нЕ Ауа Арана ЕИ 221
Mission 5-5: Destroy Secondary Power ................................. 223
(OVERVIEW н eu Ehe ante ehe tad аат 223
Recommended, Forces. aderit ee Ee Retos ENDE esee 223
Battle Мар: «ese E Re ke ot awa wae чи ЊЕ SNR Eb c ес 224
Strategy Blueprint: органи usos acto RR CERA ACE C e dg s 225
Mission.5-6: Capture Starbase «i... оаа eua e bn o EE 227
ОЧЕН они лува bea chew be pee DB gta Balak диви бено E eee 227
Recommended -POVGeS гага Ae Ur oan ви oO RR RR sed 228
Battle Мар: аач уе vod e EP ARCU aera E rera e A 229
Strategy ВЕНЕЦ £u os os eRe cas Gee b ente s SUP RC RP EOS 229
Chapter 11— Desperate Measures Operation 1: Hydra ...................... 232
Mission 1-1: Secure Landing Zone c sese e o eR; ER» S ene 233
OVERVIEW PIT 233
Recommended отсе: ‘isd ose diet gatas Co UR de Ronee V ERR 233
Strategy Blueprint za eaa ace teet bale oa Vei 9 Poe E 235
Mission 1-2: Protect Base Nomad. ааа s eva s ee RACER AR 237
OVERVIOW ests gio derbi оно SO ed Um edge i Beanie 238
Recommended BOPGes: «25 2e eost uo IE Id eae dg aig 238
Strategy Blüeprinb заа ntes аль ама дра ане зрео ань й 238
Mission 1-3:5есиге Baitan. Sector ое des er per wr RYE 242
OVERVIEW ааа ато М НЕН аа NER quis 242
Recommended осебе уо а wate а sees ето 243
Mission 1-4: Eliminate Base Ogre aui us bent eek Gece sak Weegee гас © 247
OVerVWIeW Ca Acard. a etie db bash а ач HEC 8063 ано 247
Recommended Forces „55 edi н eae od Vr BG keane rep VERUM 249
Stratesy Blueprint ааа DER NI Врвни ES Rao 249
Chapter 12- Desperate Measures Operation 2: Gorgon ..................... 253
Mission 2-1: Targets ot Opportunity: „аа sees rmm Rm Rx aa 254
OVERVIEW: зедов вака San te te oe RAW ve rU AQ E Ran 254
Recommended. «cz PCENA POM OE es wes e d ase e 256
Strategy Виери. omen eee eer tutte eene se kid n Aware eae is 251
Mission 2-2: Capture Ordnance Convoy ................................ 259
OVerVieW: «ies dien EP ваа водното чна x Qe E eee xw 259
Recommended Forces! ivo coer ocak н EDAM I pep EA 261
Stratesy Blüeprinb: «35 Seas oud ve ad Rio dead nds mr он Nep Фани ed 261
Missiom2-3s Eliminate Orbital GUS a 1-523 40 abes d eto свила овј ова вон а 265
OVeryleW" ало ан BLES RR ВЕЛЕ (Ga YS REE RR AREE 265
Recommended Forces 20.55 seeds deleti te Pew Bip Gia мал Бон 265
Strategy Blueprint oie а EE wis ee pue erem re eid оловен ados 267
Mission 2-4: Capture Enemy Commanders .............................. 271
OVERVIEW зора новава ED EREEREER EEEE 272
Recommended Forces. 2.2.6 3.0% o due inina bae e аана ДЫЛЫ 272
Strategy Blueprint 24.252 x ru Re YR y RR eR neds 272
Chapter 13— Desperate Measures Operation 3: Міпоќёаиг .................... 277
Mission 3-1: Capture Base Kraken ................. „а... eere 278
СМЕТЕ зора ected aha eho te re a due Pc oU UC RU PRU ани nw alerts 218
Recommended Forces oaro tars etr Ra REX bates EAT Sacs 280
Strategy Blueprint са а ааа Н BENATA 280
Mission 3-2: Eliminate Reinforcements .............................0... 283
(ОЎ xv arte aston ette teo a ale opina a ake Ra cadere Bras оа ено 283
Recommended Forces еи dnm oes DER KEW LOEO UM COO A Vel 282
Strategy Blueprint «3225 ees Ex Said Grn aera ER PRESS 285
Mission 3-3: Obliterate Complex ...... 0.0... ccc eee ne 288
OVEWIEW cobre cote Lc einig Ohi ha, Maclay eae et we Em Rees ines 288
Recommended Forces sc. wins abo eR eda RG ајот rea vete dod 289
Strategy Blüeptint «а cee estes t rx aw Se ee вка ба ви be RQ ETETANES 290
Mission:3-4: Destroy Engine РИЦ. cs. et. ah DP RR REX AR ace 292
OVerVIeW S, do зо an Pasteur ако ведена падина aiti ego «D avy N 292
Recommended. Forces... seen ale pea y ee vie eee КЕЈ eg 294
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Chapter 14: Multiplayer MechCommander Tips ........................... 298
The Essence of Multiplayer MechCommander ........................... 299
Teak On Predictability ооо ое otros hb aT ub LEES Nee uei 299
Improved Enemy Telts „а аьа XR УМ CE eS 299
Equal. Footing аа EET. ави E SESS E RES ET 300
The Need for Teamwork «ica resto dre eU oie Sut ne a pale Sin eS 4 300
Patience Required 245 spo dob ES RIS ERA Ee eaid 301
Container: Stacks) acuerdo ent ost bol deos me aed VA EN EE aS 301
СОП? зрачи mas adi dosi s cde Maas i Ind tog порачки 200 301
Understand the Game: 2 uus o aera ratem roe eere 301
New Maps for Desperate Measures .................................... 304
Mele6S usi o utet dev OR ES dave veo ba y бра 304
AssaulEarid Defense: «3» e edu Bist oe bum ns UERBO 305
Capture.and: НО оз ts ceu esed vun ou locos uie oon onde Dto Te we elo бочни 306
Chapter 15: The Mission Editór.. i4... oi uw RR AR RS 308
The:Essentials зе estne Soa diss Rips meds ака Абу Фог пола bte 309
Сее Started. сод ари ines avon dee tote io OU dae Rapt compe d RAD: rS 309
Adjust the; Terrain’. ореви e E и баскет Ов 9 310
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FOREWORD
A message from Victor Davion, Co-Leader of the Clan Counter Invasion Forces:
“The twilight of the Clans is at hand. You, your fellow MechCommanders,
and the MechWarriors you lead have dealt the Smoke Jaguar Clan a fatal
blow. Starting with the retaking of Port Arthur and continuing to the
final challenge on Strata Mechty, each of you has demonstrated the
strength, determination, and ingenuity that defines humanity in every
military action in which you've participated. In many ways, our
strongest weapon has been your creativity; each of you figured out
how to not only deal with, but also soundly defeat, enemy forces of
superior numbers armed with superior technology.
“Thus, it is with great pleasure and even greater pride that I hereby
order you to return to your homes and relax within them, knowing that
it's what you did here that has made them once again secure."
A message from Colonel Reese, Commanding Officer of the 1st Davion Guards:
“As much as I hate to disagree with Prince Davion, I am rescinding
those orders. I am sorry to say that your odyssey is not yet over. Zulu
Company is hereby ordered to move to the planet Cermak and await
my further orders."
Thus begins another adventure for Zulu Company and the MechWarriors that
serve within it.
Desperate Measures takes Zulu Company back into the fray against a Clan
commander unlike any they have encountered before.
The original MechCommander provided a unique perspective into the BattleTech
Universe, a perspective that was both more removed and more immersing. That point
of view provided the commander a more holistic view of the battle and made it possible
to focus on the larger tactical issues of concentration of firepower and the maneu-
vering of large numbers of units. It also demanded that the commanders get to know
their MechWarriors' strengths, weaknesses, and even their personalities.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
MechCommander broke new ground as the first game to provide a true tactics
simulator that concentrated exclusively on the intelligent and creative use of units
rather than the “build and rush” style of gameplay that so many real-time strategy
games employ. This is why we have dubbed MechCommander a “real-time tactical”
game (RTT). MechCommander also offered persistence and growth of resources, and
characters between missions—both firsts in the real-time genre.
We've received countless requests for additions to MechCommander, many of
which are reflected in this new version—Waypoints, Ammo Conservation Fire, a
Mission Editor, and, of course, more 'Mechs.
Thanks for sticking with us and continuing to enjoy the BattleTech Universe.
MechCommander: Gold immerses you within this dynamic universe once again. To
steal a line from Victor Davion, it is your creativity and ingenuity that will once again
determine the fate of Zulu Company, and by extension, the entire Inner Sphere.
Good Luck,
Jordan Weisman
Co-Creator of BattleTech
INTRODUCTION
he landscape of war has changed since you last commanded a Force Group. The
T against the Smoke Jaguars has largely been won; the allied Inner Sphere has
proven itself to be stronger than the Jaguars expected. But the battle is far from
over. A renegade Smoke Jaguar Star Colonel has fled to the planet Cermak, where his
forces seem to be bent on unearthing old Star League technologies. Your task in
Desperate Measures" is to stop him.
Though the war against the Clans is proceeding smoothly, your operations on
Cermak are actually harder than your previous operations on Port Arthur. Your foes
are more numerous and more determined, not to mention more skilled. They also
possess new technologies, both 'Mechs? and weapons, which promise to further
complicate your tasks.
Fortunately for you, though, you'll have new technologies of your own. And your
command interface has been updated to give you more precise control over the
MechWarriors? under your command.
Also in your favor is possession of this strategy guide. It contains all the tips and
information from Prima's original MechCommander™ strategy guide, plus revised and
updated material on the new weapons, ’Mechs, and missions of Desperate Measures.
You'll find it an invaluable companion as you battle your way across the inhospitable
vistas of Cermak.
Read on, then, and prepare yourself for a difficult fight. Even with the help of this
book, you'll need skill and resourcefulness to overcome the challenges that await you.
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PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE.
CHAPTER 1
THE BATTLE
CONTINUES
he rules of engagement haven't changed, but you'll find that the
| missions that lie ahead of you on Cermak are substantially harder
‘than many of those on Port Arthur. This high level of difficulty acts
asa razor, cutting down the number of viable options until only a few
ssful decisions remain. Strategies that may have worked in the
hCommander missions may be less effective now. You'll
ave to strive for efficiency and power in your weapons and
, sound decisions in your grand strategy, and fast, effective
your Force Group in unit-level tactics.
k will show you the path to success. The following pages
ef synopsis of what you'll need to learn, why you should
here to find the relevant information in this book.
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
s a MechCommander, you'll have limited
Mos over your 'Mechs. Because you
won't have access to complete "Mech
factories, you can't change the degree of
armor on your ’Mechs or the location of
specific weapons or equipment. You can,
however, control what weapons and equip-
ment are loaded onto each 'Mech for each
mission—and that's an important decision.
Figure 1-1 gives you a sense of just how many
choices you have.
Chapter 2 contains a complete overview
of the weapons and equipment you'll use
throughout your campaign, including new
weapons specific to Desperate Measures. Read
CHAPTER |: THE BATTLE СЕ
MAIN MENU 1
BRIEFING/DEPLOYMENT
e PURCHASING:
|
ја | STREAK SAM PACK
Figure 1-1. You have access to a wide variety of
weapons and equipment.
it thoroughly to learn each weapon’s strengths and weaknesses.
"МЕСНА
Clan designs are at your disposal. Clan designs are technologically superior to
Та BattleMechs® themselves are at the center of your fight. Both Inner Sphere and
those of the Inner Sphere, though Clan ’Mechs are only available through salvage.
Instead of neat, regimented rows of identical units, you’ll usually find yourself
mustering a patchwork Force Group of completely disparate "Mechs.
Chapter 3 explains the strengths and weak-
nesses of each ’Mech, and offers suggestions
on how to customize each 'Mech to improve
its combat readiness.
VEHICLES & EMPLACED DEFENSES
hile Mechs are the single most fasci-
Westin element of Inner Sphere
warfare—as well as the deciding factor
in most battles—they aren’t the only enemies
you'll face. Though certainly not as powerful
as BattleMechs, assault vehicles and emplaced
defenses will conspire to whittle down your
Force Groups to nothing. As Figure 1-2 illus-
trates, vehicles often pose a threat through
sheer numbers.
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Figure 1-2. Vehicles tend to travel in groups, th
compensating for their limited firepower.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Chapter 4 provides an exhaustive look at the vehicles and emplaced defenses that
you'll encounter throughout your campaign, including detailed notes on how to
attack them.
TACTICS & TECHNIQUES
nce you've assembled the right Mechs and the right gear, you'll be ready to give
IÈ Clan a well-deserved beating—right? Not yet. Before setting foot on the battle-
field, you should learn about the strategies and tactics that can spell the difference
between success and failure. Should you run close to your enemies or stay back?
Should you keep your 'Mechs together or divide them? Questions like these are
addressed in Chapter 5.
Also found in Chapter 5 is a complete roster of BattleMech pilots. This roster gives
you a sense of which MechWarriors to hire and which ones to leave in the bunker.
MISSION WALKTHROUGHS
single-player campaign. Chapters 6
through 13 provide detailed walk-
throughs of every single-player mission,
including Battle Maps like the one in Figure
1-3. These maps show you enemy forces and
provide ideal routes for your forces to follow.
Chapters 6 through 10 discuss the
missions of the original MechCommander,
and Chapters 11 through 13 deal with the
new Desperate Measures campaign.
The walkthroughs in Chapters 6
through 13 supplement the general combat
information in Chapters 1 through 5.
I: heart of MechCommander is its
Figure 1-3. Detailed maps will help you get through
every mission.
CHAPTER |: THE BATTLE Ci
Whereas the early chapters give you general pointers, the later ones provide you with
specific details to get you through the toughest missions.
You needn’t read Chapters 6 through 13 entirely. Rather, we suggest that you use
them on an as-needed basis when missions prove too difficult, then read the walk-
throughs you skipped after you finish the entire campaign. That way you can find out
if you missed anything interesting, and try to catch it on your second time through.
MULTIPLAYER MECHCOMMANDER TIPS
Chapter 14 gives tips on translating your single-player skills into multiplayer
MechCommander games.
THE MISSION EDITOR
We've synthesized some of the essentials of mission editing into Chapter 15. Use it to
get a jump-start on mission building.
CHEAT CODES
Chapter 16 provides some helpful cheats, as well as some fun ones. Read this chapter
in order to learn exactly how to set up the cheats.
t pM
decia se eme did
CHAPTER 2
WEAPONS
AND
EQUIPMENT
fter assigning BattleMechs to a given mission, the Mech-
Commander's next vital decision is choosing weapons. A ’Mech’s
abili es and shortcomings are determined to a surprisingly large
degree: by the weapons it wields; remove a Laser here, add an Autocannon
b. dies and the 'Mech is suddenly much better suited for some tasks and
or others. Indeed, very few MechCommanders use the
ured weapon packages of a newly purchased 'Mech, instead
0 tailor each 'Mech's weapon set to his or her personal
ories, the rigors of a specific mission, or—all too often—the
of weapons in the armory.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
It’s recommended, MechCommander, that you customize your 'Mechs' weapons
with the greatest of care. You can't alter the gross tonnage of a 'Mech, nor can you
alter its armor rating or jump capabilities. You simply don't have the facilities for
these kinds of full-scale customizations in the field. You do, however, have the ability
to overhaul each 'Mech's weapons payload. Seize this opportunity!
Every MechCommander has personal opinions about which weapons are most
effective. The following pages don't try to prove or disprove any of these personal theo-
ries. Instead, they contain hard information on the advantages and liabilities of both
Inner Sphere and Clan weapons and equipment, to enable each MechCommander to
make informed decisions.
ТЕР Some of the weapons discussed in the following pages appear only in
wv the Desperate Measures missions; they aren't present in the original
MechCommander campaign. We make note of these weapons whenever
they appear. i
Also, note that in Desperate Measures, projectile weapons only
have one Load Value listed. This value reflects the total weight of
the weapon including ammunition. This is different from projectile
weapons appearing in the original MechCommander, which have
listed Load Values for both the weapon alone, and the weapon plus
its ammunition (in parentheses after the first value).
INNER SPHERE WEAPONS
fter centuries of internal warfare, the planets of the Inner Sphere drove themselves
А: technological stagnation followed by a gradual deterioration of knowledge.
Science ceased to march forward, and scientists possessing specialized knowledge
became rarer and rarer. Soon, crucial technologies were lost. Even the technologies
behind the BattleMechs themselves, which were crucial to the ever-present wars of the
Inner Sphere, faced extinction. Old factories still churned out BattleMechs, but new
designs were rare—and when the factories themselves needed repair, solutions
weren’t always forthcoming.
In light of these circumstances, we can understand the inferiority of Inner
Sphere weapons. Centuries of neglect and entropy have taken their toll, and left the
Inner Sphere with a technological disadvantage to the invading Clans. Fortunately for
the Inner Sphere, this disadvantage isn’t always pronounced. In the case of some
weapons, it’s incremental. But in general, it’s correct to say that the Inner Sphere’s
weapons are a trifle heavier, slower, and simply less effective than the lean and efficient
designs employed in the Clans’ formidable OmniMechs.
ee
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Energy Weapons
Energy weapons, as their name suggests, fire bursts of raw energy instead of solid projec-
tiles. This class of weapons includes Lasers, Particle Projector Cannons, and Flamers.
Energy weapons typically (but not always) pack less raw punch or feature a
slower recycle speed than projectile-firing weapons of roughly similar weights, but
they make up for this by never running out of ammunition. MechWarriors piloting
"Mechs with multiple energy weapons might not be the most formidable force on the
battlefield, but they tend to have greater staying power than opponents possessing
Heavy Autocannons and Gauss Rifles.
Each weapon listed below has several entries followed by a description. The entries are
as follows:
* Damage is how many “damage points" the weapon causes when it hits the enemy.
In the case of missiles, damage is a bit more complicated, because some missiles hit
their mark while others don't. The Damage values expressed for missile weapons in
this chapter are the average amount of damage done by a typical shot, assuming that
50 percent of the missiles in a given salvo will hit their target.
* Recycle is short for Recycle Time, or the number of seconds between shots. Lower
numbers indicate a faster rate of fire.
* Load Value is the relative size of the weapon. Projectile weapons also have a number
in parentheses, which is the combined size of the weapon and its ammunition.
e Range is expressed in meters and appears as three values: short, medium, and long.
The long-range value is the weapon's absolute maximum range. The short and
medium numbers also are significant because a weapon has its best chance of
hitting when fired at a target inside its short range, an intermediate chance of
hitting a target at medium range, and its worst chance of hitting a target at long
range. Some weapons also possess a minimum range inside of which they can't
target anything.
* Cost is the weapon's full price in Resource Points. Note that you won't get full price
when you sell items back to Battalion.
* Shots tells you how many times the weapon can fire before running out of ammo.
This value doesn't apply to energy weapons, which can fire unlimited times.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
e Power 15 how much damage the weapon deals over a full minute of continuous
firing, assuming that all its shots hit the mark. Some weapons deal great damage
but fire slowly, while others have low damage but fire quickly. The Power rating is
simply a way of combining a weapon’s damage and rate of fire into a single rating.
* Power/Size is a measure of a weapon's efficiency. Higher numbers are usually better,
because they mean the weapon packs more punch for its size.
ТІР Bevery careful when reading the Power and Power/Size values of
any weapon. Each weapon has its own distinct advantages and
disadvantages, so you can't just discount a weapon with poor Power
or Power/Size.
For example, many weapons with extremely long range have a
poor Power/Size value. That's because they ve sacrificed efficiency for
the ability to shoot at longer range. They're not worse because of that;
they've simply made a tradeoff. You have to decide which is more
important to you, efficiency or long range.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannon
has amazing Power and Power/Size values. But before you decide that
it's the best weapon in existence, look at the tradeoffs that weapon
has made to pack such great Power—most importantly in the area
of ammunition.
The bottom line? Consider each weapon carefully, and make your
oun determinations.
laser
Damage: 2 E
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 4
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 1,060
Power: 24
Power/Size: 6.000
The Laser is an economical weapon. It's small enough that you can fit many of them
onto even the smallest 'Mech, cheap enough that cost is never a concern, and highly
efficient when you consider the minimal size. Lasers don't deal too much damage in
one shot, and their rate of fire isn't impressive—but again, their size is small enough
that you can pack them on in bunches.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
If you're of the school of thought that likes to pack Mechs with heavy weapons
that deal concentrated damage, the Laser won’t seem too attractive. But if you’re
looking for efficiency above all else, the Laser is a good candidate. The Laser offers one
of the best power-to-size ratios of any Inner Sphere weapon, and it’s limited only by its
minimal range.
Even if you tend to dislike Lasers, you’ll probably find yourself using them occa-
sionally just to round out a 'Mech's payload. They're useful as “filler” because of their
small size.
ТІР At the hardest difficulty levels, you'll do better with heavy-hitting
wv weapons (like PPCs) than with small yet efficient designs like
i the Laser.
Pulse Laser
Damage: 1
Recycle: 1.75
Load Value: 6
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 1,130
Power: 34
Power/Size: 5.714
Pulse Lasers beg the question: Do you want a weapon that fires quickly and deals
minimal damage, or a weapon that fires slowly but deals heavy damage? The Pulse
Laser falls squarely into the former category.
Many MechCommanders rank the Inner Sphere’s Pulse Laser low on their list of
preferred weapons. It’s large and bulky enough that it isn’t a great “filler” weapon, and
its low damage tends to result in scarred but generally intact enemies instead of
enemies with gaping wounds. Furthermore, its Power/Size ratio isn’t quite up to the
level of the standard Laser.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND
Small weapons that fire quickly are ideal for chipping away at an enemy
BattleMech you want to salvage, as they don’t inflict the massive damage that tends to
make a 'Mech's engine explode. Furthermore, Pulse Lasers are great protection
against small targets that try to swarm your 'Mechs; Elementals come to mind.
Unfortunately, these situations are rare, especially in the Desperate Measures
campaign at the Normal or Hard difficulty levels. In these missions, at these difficulty
levels, standard Pulse Lasers are not a great choice. Your main threats will be
massive, heavily armored 'Mechs and vehicles. You'll need weapons that deal massive,
concentrated damage to a single part of the enemy 'Mech, rather than small, fast-
firing weapons.
large Laser
Damage: 4
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 9.5
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 4,480
Power: 48
Power/Size: 5.053
The Large Laser deals exactly twice the damage of a standard Laser, yet consumes
more than twice the space. In other words, it's not one of the more efficient weapons
you'll encounter. This might initially make the Large Laser seem like a poor choice.
There are, however, definite benefits to the Large Laser. For one thing, the Large
Laser deals more concentrated damage than two regular Lasers. Concentrated
damage, as you'll learn in Chapter 5, is a true ally in tough fights.
Furthermore, the Large Laser has significantly better range than the standard
Laser. This makes it more suited to heavier, slower 'Mechs that can't necessarily get
close enough to small targets to employ short-range weapons.
Ultimately, Large Lasers are a decent choice in the early stages of a campaign,
especially for 'Mechs that need long-range punch but can't afford to run out of ammu-
nition. Later on, more efficient weapons become available and the Large Laser loses
some of its appeal.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Large Pulse Laser
Damage: 2
Recycle: 2
Load Value: 12
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 4,350
Power: 60
Power/Size: 5.000
The Large Pulse Laser is essentially what it sounds like: a bigger version of the Pulse
Laser, with all the associated benefits and drawbacks. It deals better damage than its
smaller cousin and has a better range, but it doesn't deal particularly concentrated
damage when compared to the Large Laser.
The Large Pulse Laser's Power rating is significantly better than that of the Large
Laser, mainly because of its fast rate of fire. But when you figure in the weapon's addi-
tional size, its Power/Size ratio is roughly equivalent to that of the standard Large Laser.
Large Pulse Lasers aren't efficient weapons, but they're decent weapons against
lightly armored targets such as Elementals and light vehicles. Their fast rate of fire
allows the MechWarrior to dispatch small foes quickly and then rapidly move to the
next target.
Again, this is a weapon suitable for the early stages of campaigns, but in later
missions you'll find more effective designs.
Large Extended Range Laser
Damage: 4
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 11
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 5,210
Power: 48
Power/Size: 4.364
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND
The Large Extended Range Laser (or Large ER Laser) is in most regards identical to a
Large Laser, the primary difference being its extended range. It features the longest
possible range of any weapon, but its drawbacks include increased size and a slightly
higher cost. These factors conspire to give it one of the worst Power/Size ratios of
any weapon.
Before you dismiss the Large ER Laser as an inefficient waste of space, though,
bear in mind that most weapons with extremely long ranges make tradeoffs to possess
that range. Thus, the Large ER Laser is in good company.
Is the extra range worth the size? That varies with opinion, tactics, and each indi-
vidual mission. If you like to fight at extremely long ranges and plan to utilize the
Large Extended Range Laser’s range to the fullest, then it’s a very capable weapon. If
you tend to fight close up, then it’s a very bad choice, indeed.
Fight at long range as much as possible, especially in the Desperate Measures
missions, so use this weapon for the early stages of the campaign. Later on, you should
be able to replace this weapon with the Clan variant, which is significantly more effi-
cient and effective.
Large X-Pulse Laser (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 1.5
Recycle: 0.75
Load Value: 13
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 19,570
Power: 120
Power/Size: 9.231
Normally we discourage the use of Pulse Lasers, because we prefer weapons that deal
massive, concentrated damage rather than fast-firing weapons that deal only minor
damage with each shot. However, we make an exception in the case of the Large X-
Pulse Laser. This weapon is, quite simply, a must have. We think it’s the single best
weapon that you can buy from Battalion, and arguably the best all-around weapon,
period. Buy Large X-Pulse Lasers whenever they become available, and use them as
much as possible. They’re truly superior weapons.
The key to the Large X-Pulse Laser’s potency is its hyper-fast fire rate. It only
deals 1.5 points of damage per shot, but it shoots so quickly that its damage output
over a short period of time is matched only by certain massive Autocannons—and
those Autocannons weigh much more than the Large X-Pulse Laser, have extremely
limited range, and carry a limited supply of ammo.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The Large X-Pulse Laser’s fast fire rate is also extremely helpful under certain
circumstances. When you’re facing swarms of small vehicles or Elementals at long
range, for example, the Large X-Pulse Laser is highly effective. Also, mixing Large X-
Pulse Lasers with heavy-hitting weapons like ER-PPCs is a nice combination. The heavy
hitters open gaping holes in enemy armor, and the Large X-Pulse Lasers (ideally) deal
enough extra damage to finish off the enemy without rendering it unsalvageable.
Again, we stress that X-Pulse Lasers are excellent weapons. Obtain them whenever
you can, either through salvage or outright purchase, and use as many as possible.
Heavy Flamer
Damage: 5
Recycle: 7.5
Load Value: 8
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 2,030
Power: 40
Power/Size: 5.000
The Heavy Flamer is a heavy-duty, short-range weapon suitable for Mechs that wish
to carry a big punch. The Heavy Flamer isn’t the most efficient short-range weapon;
you can equip a Mech with two Lasers for the same eight-ton Load Value as a Flamer,
and the Lasers deal more damage than the Flamer because of their faster rate of fire.
So why choose the Flamer? It has the distinct advantage of lumping all its
damage into one damaging, concentrated burst instead of spreading it out into several
smaller shots like the Lasers. This concentrated damage is a very powerful tool, as
explained further in Chapter 5.
The Flamer is a good choice for the MechCommander looking to fit his or her
'Mechs with potent short-range punch. The weapon's reasonably light weight makes it a
heavy hitter that even the lightest BattleMechs can easily wield, and that's truly unique.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
Particle Projector Cannon (PPC)
Damage: 7.5
Recycle: 7.5
Load Value: 12
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 6,900
Power: 60
Power/Size: 5.000
Particle Projector Cannons are among the most sought-after weapons of the Inner
Sphere, and for good reason. Their tonnage requirements are fairly steep and they
have a long down time between shots—but when they do manage to squeeze off a
shot, they’re guaranteed to deal serious damage. Single PPC shots can blow up vehi-
cles and bring ’Mechs to their knees.
MechCommanders seeking to outfit their "Mechs with a potent long-range
weapon often agonize over whether to select a PPC or an Autocannon. The two weapons
are fairly close in terms of abilities; they feature similar range, and although the PPC
weighs less and deals more damage per shot, the Autocannon has a higher rate of fire.
The bottom line is that both weapons are potent. The PPC is a better choice on
extended missions where ammunition shortages are a concern, while the Autocannon
is perhaps a better choice for all-out slugging because of its better rate of fire.
Extended Range Particle Projector Cannon (ER-PPC)
Damage: 7.5
Recycle: 7.5 Ea
Load Value: 14.5
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 7,210
Power: 60
Power/Size: 4.138
The ER-PPC features better range than the standard PPC, at the cost of 2.5 tons. As
with the Extended Range Lasers, personal preference and fighting style must be your
guides in determining whether the multi-ton sacrifice is worth the extra range.
We recommend long-range fighting whenever possible, especially in the difficult
Desperate Measures campaign, so we heartily recommend ER-PPCs despite their rela-
tive inefficiency. They're hard to beat for sheer, concentrated punch at long range, and
that's exactly what you want.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Note, however, that the Clan version of the ER-PPC is vastly better than this
Inner Sphere version. Whenever possible, replace Inner Sphere ER-PPCs with the
Clan version, which deals quite a bit more damage.
Projectile Weapons
Whereas energy weapons have an unlimited supply of energy, projectile weapons
possess a limited supply of ammunition. The exact type of ammunition varies from
weapon to weapon, but the one constant is the danger of running out.
Projectile weapons compensate for their limited ammunition with a somewhat
faster rate of fire (and often, better power) than energy weapons. This makes them
tempting, but be careful not to load your "Mechs with too many projectile weapons—
or they'll be helpless when the ammo runs out.
Light Autocannon
Damage: 1 је |
Recycle: 2
Load Value: 8.5 (9.5)
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 1,410
Ammo: 100
Power: 30
Power/Size: 3.158
The Light Autocannon has excellent range and seldom runs out of ammunition. It also
fires very quickly. However, the large tonnage of the weapon coupled with its
extremely low damage-dealing ability makes it unpopular with many
MechCommanders. It holds the dubious distinction of being the least efficient weapon
in the Inner Sphere in terms of Power/Size, save for the Long Tom, which compen-
sates somewhat by dealing splash damage.
It’s recommended that you steer clear of the Light Autocannon unless you truly
intend to make use of its range and rate of fire—for example, against emplaced
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND EQU
defenses or multiple small vehicles. This weapon is perhaps best suited to medium- t
sized, fast Mechs that will spend most of any given combat fighting at extreme range. -
Even if you decide that you want a weapon of this general description, a Light ут
Ultra Autocannon or Light LB-X Autocannon is a much better choice. a г
Light Ultra Autocannon
Damage: 1
Recycle: 1.33
Load Value: 9.5 (11)
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 2,740
Ammo: 112
Power: 45
Power/Size: 4.091
The Light Ultra Autocannon features an even faster rate of fire than the Light
Autocannon, but at the cost of extra tonnage. This weapon is well suited to dispatching
multiple small targets from afar.
The Light Ultra Autocannon deals substantially more damage per second and is
more efficient than a standard Light Autocannon. If you can afford the extra space and
cost, the Light Ultra Autocannon is preferred over the Light Autocannon. However,
the Light LB-X Autocannon is better still.
Light LB-X Autocannon (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 1.5
Recycle: 1.75
Load Value: 9.5 F
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50) С
Cost: 3,270 E.
Ammo: 260 XO
Power: 51 ee
Power/Size: 5.368
The Light LB-X Autocannon brings a measure of respectability to the typically ineffi-
cient Light Autocannon family. It features better efficiency than the other two Inner
Sphere-made Light Autocannons and carries significantly more ammunition. It works
like a shotgun and is capable of hitting multiple armor locations simultaneously. It is,
therefore, better at shredding armor off of Mechs, possibly making them more salvage-
able. If you use an Inner Sphere-made Light Autocannon, this is the model to choose.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Despite these positives, however, we still recommend using heavier-hitting
weapons in most cases. This is especially the case in the Desperate Measures missions,
which feature uniformly tough opposition.
Autocannon
Damage: 6
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 13.5 (15.5)
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 7,000
Ammo: 40
Power: 72
Power/Size: 4.645
A good all-around weapon, the Autocannon is a favorite among MechCommanders. It
has good range and a moderate ammunition supply, and it pumps out concentrated
damage at a considerably faster rate than the somewhat comparable PPC. Thus, a
BattleMech equipped with an Autocannon is ready for almost any fight.
One of the few real downsides to the Autocannon is its limited ammo. Forty shots
may sound like a lot, but on extended missions it's not uncommon for Autocannons
to run dry. This limitation prevents MechCommanders from making Autocannons the
true staple weapon of prolonged missions.
Use Autocannons in moderation, and you'll find them to be one of the better
weapons available in the early stages of a campaign.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND
LB-X Autocannon (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 6
Recycle: 4
Load Value: 14.5
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 7,890
Ammo: 90
Power: 90
Power/Size: 6.207
The LB-X Autocannon is superior to the standard Autocannon, and should be used
instead whenever possible. It works like a shotgun and is capable of hitting multiple
armor locations simultaneously. It is, therefore, better at shredding armor off of
"Mechs, possibly making them more salvageable. It features better power and efficiency
than the standard Autocannon, plus it carries over twice as much ammo. This makes
the LB-X Autocannon one of the best weapons that you can purchase from Battalion.
Use it in the early stages of the Desperate Measures campaign, replacing it later on
with the Clan version.
Heavy Autocannon [di]
Damage: 15
Recycle: 7.5
Load Value: 17.5 (19.5)
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 10,890
Ammo: 13
Power: 120
Power/Size: 6.154
A true monster of the battlefield, the Heavy Autocannon dishes out more raw damage
per minute than most other Inner Sphere weapons. It’s also highly efficient for an
Inner Sphere weapon. But to balance this power the Heavy Autocannon has downsides
that are both numerous and severe: it’s very expensive, it has short range, its recycle
speed is slow, and it weighs more than any other weapon mounted on a BattleMech,
period. As if that isn’t enough, the unkindest cut of all is its severely limited ammu-
nition supply—a meager 13 shots.
Why suffer all these inconveniences? The answer lies in the weapon’s unprece-
dented power. Few weapons can approach the sheer power unleashed by a single shot
of this weapon. Its concentrated fury is capable of killing a perfectly intact Mech with
a single shot, given a lucky hit. Even a less-than-optimal hit causes a massive loss of
armor and internal structure.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The Heavy Autocannon is a great temptation to many MechCommanders, but it
can’t be used indiscriminately. It must be conserved for worthy targets and, in many
cases, must be left behind altogether in favor of smaller weapons. The ammunition
restrictions are just too severe for you to take it on every mission.
Heavy Autocannons are best used in missions when:
е You want close-range punch
e You don't have access to more efficient Heavy Autocannons, like the Heavy
LB-X Autocannon
e It’s either a short mission, or you have access to Repair Bays, a Refit Truck, or
an Ammo Truck
* You have the discipline to use Ammo Conservation fire mode whenever the
Autocannon isn't needed
Even then, you may want to hold off until you find more practical, efficient
Autocannons, like the Heavy LB-X Autocannon, discussed below.
Heavy LB-X Autocannon (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 15
Recycle: 6
Load Value: 19.5
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 11,530
Ammo: 35
Power: 150
Power/Size: 7.692
The Heavy LB-X Autocannon is an excellent design, and ranks as one of the very best
weapons you can purchase from Battalion. It works like a shotgun and is capable of
hitting multiple armor locations simultaneously. It is, therefore, better at shredding
armor off of 'Mechs, possibly making them more salvageable. It's superior to the stan-
dard Heavy Autocannon in almost every way, especially in the all-important field of
ammunition. Its plentiful supply of ammo greatly relaxes the strict circumstances
under which you should take a large Autocannon, as you won't need to stop for ammo
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
every moment or two with this weapon. Still, the ammo isn’t unlimited, so you should
use this weapon with care in long missions lacking Repair Bays or Refit Trucks. Use
the Ammo Conservation command to save precious shots.
If you want to provide your 'Mech with close-range firepower, this is one of the
best weapons available. We strongly recommend it for Mechs specializing in close-
range combat.
Gauss Rifle
Damage: 7.5
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 15.5 (16.5)
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 15,150
Ammo: 16
Power: 90
Power/Size: 5.455
The Gauss Rifle is often compared to an ER-PPC. The weapons feature identical
damage and range, and similar weight. The Gauss Rifle is heavier than the ER-PPC but
fires faster, and thus it’s one of the most powerful long-range weapons available.
This distinction comes at the price, however, of limited ammunition.
MechCommanders must choose between the staying power and endless shot supply of
the PPC (or ER-PPC) and the rapid-fire fury of the Gauss Rifle. The Gauss is clearly
the more potent weapon over the short term, but it’s also heavier and more suscep-
tible to ammo shortages.
In many respects the Gauss Rifle is like a long-range Heavy Autocannon. It’s one
of the heaviest hitters at its range, but its limited ammo prevents you from taking it
along on every mission. We usually pick the ER-PPC instead.
Light Gauss Rifle (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 5
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 13.5
Range: 75/150/225
Cost: 7,110
Ammo: 50
Power: 60
Power/Size: 4.444
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MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The Light Gauss Rifle deals less damage than a standard Gauss Rifle, but it compen-
sates somewhat by weighing less and having a much more plentiful ammo supply.
The Light Gauss Rifle is actually quite comparable to an ER-PPC. Its weight is in
the same range, and it deals similar damage over a short period of time. However, the
ER-PPC deals its damage in bigger chunks, plus it can fire an unlimited number of
times. Thus, while the Light Gauss Rifle is very comparable, we usually lean toward
the ER-PPC.
Short-Range Missile (SRM) Pack
Damage: 1
Recycle: 4
Load Value: 2.5 (3)
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 410
Ammo: 62
Power: 15
Power/Size: 5.000
Short-Range Missiles are extremely light, and they fire at a moderate pace. They carry lots
of ammunition and possess limited range. They’re comparable to a Laser in efficiency.
All things considered, SRM Packs are the consummate “filler” weapon, offering a
little extra punch at a minimal tonnage cost. Use them to round out 'Mechs with an almost
full payload, or just to add a little short-range power. But don't use them as a main-
stay of your 'Mechs, because they usually aren't capable of dealing a knockout punch.
TIP Missiles of both short-range and long-range varieties deal one point of
damage per missile that connects with the target. However, MechCommander
always assumes that the average number of missiles hit the target —and
the average is half the total number of missiles, rounded up. Thus, an
SRM Pack, which fires two missiles, will always connect with one of the
two. The result is one point of damage with every shot.
An LRM Rack, which fires five missiles, will always connect with three.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
Streak Short-Range Missile (SRM) Pack
Damage: 2
Recycle: 4
Load Value: 4.5 (5)
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 1,300
Ammo: 62
Power: 30
Power/Size: 6.000
Streak Short-Range Missiles deal twice as much damage as regular Short-Range
Missiles. That’s because both Streak SRMs always hit their target, as opposed to
regular SRMs, which tend to hit with only one of their two missiles.
This extra accuracy and damage comes at the cost of extra tonnage, so the Streak
SRM isn’t as perfect as a "filler" weapon as the standard SRM. But on larger "Mechs
with bigger weapon payloads, the Streak SRM is usually the better choice.
Long-Range Missile (LRM) Rack
Damage: 3
Recycle: 10
Load Value: 3 (4)
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 1,760
Ammo: 24
Power: 18 ——
Power/Size: 4.500
Long-Range Missiles deal good damage for their light weight, though their sluggish
Recycle rate means that they're not fired too often during combat. А ’Mech loaded with
multiple LRMs has a devastating first punch to open any combat, but tends to be
vulnerable as the enemy charges in and attacks with faster-firing weapons. It's usually
a bad idea to have LRMs constitute more than 25 percent of a 'Mech's total payload—
though there are significant exceptions.
Despite their slow Recycle speed, LRMs are still effective weapons, and their
extreme range makes them a great choice for destroying stationary defenses (such as
Turrets) from afar.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
А "Mech loaded almost exclusively with LRMs is vulnerable by itself, but can be
an excellent "fire support" 'Mech that hangs back while the rest of the Force Group
fights at close range. In this role, it can dish out missiles from afar and take little
damage in return.
TIP LAMs can be fired over heavy walls that would block the fire of other
weapons. Take advantage of this fact by hiding your LRM-equipped
‘Mechs behind walls, then letting the enemy have it.
Heavy Thunderbolt ae Measures E
Damage: 12
Recycle: 6
Load Value: 21
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 50)
Cost: 9,115 (Salvage Only)
Ammo: 32
Power: 120
Power/Size: 5.712
The Heavy Thunderbolt, which can only be salvaged (it's not available from Battalion),
is attractive because it deals massive, concentrated damage and can be fired over walls
and obstacles. It's also extremely heavy, and it has an unusually long arming distance
for a medium-range weapon, so it's unwieldy against enemies that get too close.
The Heavy Thunderbolt has a reasonable supply of ammo, and its efficiency is
quite good for a weapon that deals such heavy damage. This makes it a very good
weapon overall, though not as desirable as a Large X-Pulse Laser or a Clan ER-PPC.
Use the Heavy Thunderbolt on large 'Mechs that can handle its significant
tonnage and that need mid-range power.
ТІР Because the most effective ‘Mechs are often geared toward either long-
wv range or short-range fighting, the mid-ranged Heavy Thunderbolt is
sometimes hard to use effectively. But, it has a place in Force Groups
equipped with primarily long-range weapons, as long-range battles
often close to mid range whether you want them to or not.
^"
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
Rail Gun (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 20 we
Recycle: 7.5 pine dr
Load Value: 30 "m а
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 16,215 (Salvage Only)
Ammo: 15
Power: 160
Power/Size: 5.333
This relic of the Star League era is not available from Battalion; it must be salvaged.
The Rail Gun fires shots that deal more damage than those of any other weapon.
However, thanks to its massive Load Value (an unprecedented 30) it’s not the most effi-
cient weapon available.
The Rail Gun is a potent weapon, but it must be used in the right situations. It
requires a heavy yet fast 'Mech—heavy enough to carry the Rail Gun, yet fast enough
to maintain separation from the target and thus take advantage of the weapon’s long
range. You’ll also either need a short mission or some method of replenishing your
ammo, because if the Rail Gun runs out of ammo, it effectively becomes dead weight.
And with a Load Value of 30, that’s more dead weight than you can afford to carry. And
finally, you should be sure to have your most accurate MechWarrior piloting the Mech
with the Rail Gun because each shot is precious; you really don’t want to miss.
To summarize, use the Rail Gun only on missions where you have a 'Mech suited
to carrying it, where long-range power is needed, and where reloads are likely to be
frequent, either because the battlefield has Repair Bays or you’ve decided to bring
along a Refit/Ammo Truck. Under these circumstances, the Rail Gun can live up to its
massive promise. Otherwise, you'll think you're doing the right thing by bringing
along a massive weapon, but you'll suffer when the ammo runs dry. У
Long Tom Cannon (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 8 (Splash Damage)
Recycle: 7.5
Load Value: 34
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 33,840
Ammo: 25
Power: 64 (More if multiple targets are hit)
Power/Size: 1.882 (More if multiple targets are hit)
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When we said that the Rail Gun’s Load Value of 30 was unprecedented, we lied. The
Long Tom tips the scales at a whopping 34, making it the heaviest weapon you can
load onto a 'Mech.
The Long Tom looks pathetic on paper. Its Power is pitiful, and its Power/Size is
ridiculous. However, what these statistics don't account for is that the Long Tom's
ammo has a blast radius, and anything within that radius takes damage. Thus, the
Long Tom's effectiveness increases greatly if you target enemies that are clustered
close together.
The Long Tom holds the promise of great results if you can use it against clus-
tered targets. Unfortunately, enemy 'Mechs seldom oblige you by walking side by
side. Indeed, they often end up running amongst your own 'Mechs, in which case the
Long Tom is capable of dealing friendly fire. Stationary targets are vulnerable to the
Long Tom, but quite frankly, you shouldn't waste valuable ammo on Turrets and
enemy structures.
The bottom line is that the Long Tom is tough to use effectively. We recommend
avoiding it on the harder difficulty levels, though it's fun to play with at Easy difficulty.
CLAN WEAPONS
lan weapons typically improve on Inner Sphere designs in one or more ways. Some
р are identical to their Inner Sphere counterparts save for their lesser
weight, while others feature a heavier punch, faster Recycle speeds, better range,
or some combination of these benefits.
The superiority of Clan weapons over Inner Sphere weapons varies greatly from
system to system. The Clan Short-Range Missile Pack, for example, fires a bit faster
than the Inner Sphere variant but isn’t vastly superior. The Clan ER-PPC, on the other
hand, is truly a technological marvel that eclipses its Inner Sphere cousin in terms of
both weight and power.
Generally speaking, Inner Sphere MechCommanders should integrate salvaged
Clan technology into their Force Groups as much as possible. This technology is
simply too powerful and efficient to ignore.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
Energy Weapons
Clan energy weapons tend to fire faster and weigh less than those of the Inner Sphere,
but otherwise are similar to the Inner Sphere weapons that share the same name. 23
Thus, instead of reiterating each weapon's strengths and weaknesses (which we xi
already covered in the Inner Sphere section), here we'll concentrate on how these
weapons are different from their Inner Sphere variants.
Clan ER Laser
Damage: 2
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 3.5
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 2,380
Power: 24
Power/Size: 6.857
The Clan ER Laser fires farther (yet weighs less) than a standard Inner Sphere Laser.
The difference between this weapon and the Inner Sphere Laser is most pronounced
in ‘Mechs that spend most of the battle fighting at medium to long range.
Clan Pulse Laser
Damage: 1
Recycle: 1.75
Load Value: 4 |o X
Range: 25/50/75 40
Cost: 1,700 x | a
Power: 34.3 p E ќ
Power/Size: 8.571
The Clan Pulse Laser is identical to its Inner Sphere counterpart save for its drastically
lower weight. The weight makes a huge difference; a Mech loaded with several Clan
Pulse Lasers is a veritable speed demon, firing Laser bursts at an amazing rate.
The Clan Pulse Laser is hard to beat for raw efficiency.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Clan Large ER Laser
Damage: 5 E
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 10
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 9,690
Power: 60
Power/Size: 6.000
The Clan's Large ER Laser is an excellent weapon that weighs less and deals more
damage than its Inner Sphere counterpart. This makes it a very attractive item for
MechCommanders seeking a heavy-hitting, long-range weapon with relatively
minimal tonnage requirements.
Because we recommend long-range weapons for most Desperate Measures
missions, we recommend the Clan Large ER Laser—especially for times when you
can't get your hands on Clan ER-PPCs or Large X-Pulse Lasers.
Clan Large Pulse Laser
Damage: 2.5
Recycle: 2
Load Value: 11
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 8,010
Power: 75
Power/Size: 6.818
The Clan Large Pulse Laser weighs less and deals fractionally more damage than the
Inner Sphere Large Pulse Laser. Because the Inner Sphere model is already a very
damaging weapon, these modest improvements make the Clan Large Pulse Laser an
often-overlooked powerhouse.
Clan Flamer
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND EQUI
Damage: 5 a
Recycle: 6 pe qt
Load Value: 7 d
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 3,620
Power: 50
Power/Size: 7.143
Typical of the efficiency built into most Clan weapons, the Clan Flamer fires at a faster
rate than its Inner Sphere counterpart yet weighs less, resulting in a highly efficient,
highly effective close-range weapon that can add offensive punch to even the lightest
of 'Mechs. It's recommended for light 'Mechs that need to fight at close range.
Clan ER-PPC
Damage: 11.25
Recycle: 7.5
Load Value: 13.5
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 21,450
Power: 90
Power/Size: 6.667
The Clan ER-PPC is almost too good to be true. It weighs less than the Inner Sphere’s
ER-PPC and deals excellent damage at extreme range. Thanks to its lethal combina-
tion of power and range, it’s a great all-around weapon that you should use whenever
possible.
The Clan ER-PPC isn’t technically the most efficient weapon in existence, but
few other weapons can match its blend of excellent power, excellent range, and unlim- X
ited shots. When you consider the sacrifices that most weapons make to achieve long eA. Na j
range and high power, either in terms of efficiency or ammunition, you'll understand ` ~ >-
the value of this weapon.
Although it’s true that all weapons have their uses, some are indeed better than
others. This is one of the best; use it as much as you can.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Projectile Weapons
The Clan’s projectile weapons carry on the proud tradition of technological superiority
manifested in their energy weapons. Interestingly, though, the Clan weapons don’t
tend to improve on the one area where Inner Sphere projectile weapons are weakest—
ammunition. The heaviest-hitting Clan projectile weapons possess equal or (in some
cases) less ammunition than their Inner Sphere variants. Thus, the truism that
projectile weapons trade extra short-term power for long-term ammo shortages is
especially true when applied to Clan weapons.
Clan Light Ultra Autocannon
Damage: 1
Recycle: 1.33
Load Value: 7 (8.5)
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 3,550
Ammo: 112
Power: 45
Power/Size: 5.294
The Clan Light Ultra Autocannon weighs significantly less than the Inner Sphere
variant. This transforms it from a weapon of dubious efficiency to one of highly
respectable efficiency. It’s still not a heavy hitter by any means, but it’s hard to find a
weapon that deals more damage at extended range for similar tonnage.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
Clan Light LB-X Autocannon (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 1.5
Recycle: 1.75
Load Value: 8.5
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 3,560
Ammo: 260
Power: 51
Power/Size: 6.050
The Clan Light LB-X Autocannon is another solid weapon. It’s generally preferable to
the Clan Light Ultra Autocannon, thanks to its slightly better damage and greatly
enhanced ammunition supply. If you're going to pick a Light Autocannon, we'd
recommend this one over all others.
Clan Ultra Autocannon
Damage: 6 Ea)
Recycle: 4
Load Value: 11.5 (13.5)
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 12,590
Ammo: 30
Power: 90
Power/Size: 6.667
The Clan Ultra Autocannon fires at a considerably faster rate than an Inner Sphere
Autocannon, yet weighs less. Over an extended time, it deals damage equal to a Gauss
Rifle, putting it in the same ballpark as the heaviest-hitting 'Mech-mounted weapons.
This weapon's only deficiency is its curiously low ammunition supply—lower, in
fact, than the Inner Sphere model. Thus, although the Clan Ultra Autocannon is far
superior to the standard Autocannon over the short term, the Inner Sphere model is
in some ways better suited to long missions with multiple targets.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Clan LB-X Autocannon (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 6
Recycle: 4
Load Value: 13.5
Range: 50/100/150 (Min. 25)
Cost: 8,480
Ammo: 80
Power: 90
Power/Size: 6.667
If you’re looking for a medium-sized Autocannon, use the Clan LB-X Autocannon. Its
power and efficiency are on par with that of the potent Clan Ultra Autocannon, but its
greatly superior ammo supply ensures that you won’t run dry at inopportune times.
Bear in mind before you take a regular Autocannon that a Clan ER-PPC offers
nearly identical power and efficiency, deals more concentrated damage, and has better
range. Unless you’re dead set on medium-range combat, therefore, look to the Clan
ER-PPC or Large X-Pulse Laser before turning to medium-sized Autocannons.
Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannon
Damage: 15
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 16 (17.5)
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 27,400
Ammo: 10
Power: 180
Power/Size: 10.286
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND E
The Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannon weighs less than an Inner Sphere Heavy
Autocannon and fires at a faster rate. No weapon in existence can equal the damage
this weapon ladles out over a short time. However, the chronic ammunition shortages
that plague its Inner Sphere cousin are augmented in this weapon because of its
higher rate of fire and its fractionally lower ammo capacity (only 10 shots).
Think of this weapon as a chainsaw with only a few drops of gasoline left to fuel A
it. While the fuel lasts it can rip through anything in mere seconds—but unfortu- ve :
nately the fuel won’t last much longer. и
If you're gearing a Mech toward short-range combat, seriously consider using TOME
this weapon—and if you do, seriously consider using an Ammo Truck or Refit Truck.
Without the portable ammo source, you'll have an extremely hard time keeping the
weapon filled. Even Repair Bays won't completely alleviate the problem; you almost
have to commit to using a Truck, which can tag along and continually re-supply the
Autocannon.
Even with an Ammo Truck or Refit Truck, you must conserve this weapon and
use it only on worthwhile enemies. Learn to use the Ammo Conservation fire mode.
Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannon (Desperate Measures Only)
Damage: 15
Recycle: 6
Load Value: 17.5
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 12,850
Ammo: 35
Power: 150
Power/Size: 8.571
The Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannon doesn’t fire as quickly as a Clan Heavy Ultra
Autocannon, but in typical LB-X Autocannon style, it makes up for this by carrying a
lot more ammunition. We generally recommend this weapon above all other Heavy
Autocannon designs, save for missions where you’re absolutely sure to have a constant
source of ammo.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Clan Gauss Rifle
Damage: 7.5
Recycle: 5
Load Value: 12.5 (13.5)
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 18,520
Ammo: 16
Power: 90
Power/Size: 6.667
The Clan’s Gauss Rifle is another weapon that improves on the Inner Sphere model in
terms of tonnage. As with the IS Gauss Rifle, the Clan variant does great damage at
long range but suffers from limited ammunition.
If you want more ammunition and don’t need the Clan Gauss Rifle’s excellent
range, the Clan’s Ultra Autocannon does comparable damage over a short period of
time. But if it’s potent extended-range marksmanship you’re after, you want either an
ER-PPC or a Gauss Rifle.
Clan Short-Range Missiles
Damage: 1
Recycle: 3
Load Value: 2.5 (3)
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 740
Ammo: 83
Power: 20
Power/Size: 6.667
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND
The Clan’s Short-Range Missiles fire at a slightly faster rate than Inner Sphere Short-
Range Missiles, and they also carry more ammunition. These features make them
extremely efficient and a good addition to any BattleMech requiring light, short-
range punch.
Clan Streak Short-Range Missiles
Damage: 2
Recycle: 3
Load Value: 4.25 (4.75)
Range: 25/50/75
Cost: 1,450
Ammo: 83
Power: 40
Power/Size: 8.421
Clan Streak Short-Range Missiles weigh fractionally less, and fire a bit faster, than
their Inner Sphere counterparts. These improvements transform an already efficient
design into one of the most efficient weapons you can possess. As with all SRMs, this
version lacks massive punch, but this is hardly an issue when the weapon is so effec-
tive. Use one or two of these weapons to add short-range punch to an otherwise long-
range 'Mech, or use multiples to create a short-range powerhouse.
Clan Long-Range Missiles
Damage: 3
Recycle: 10
Load Value: 2 (3)
Range: 75/150/225 (Min. 50)
Cost: 2,340
Ammo: 24
Power: 18
Power/Size: 6.000
The Clan Long-Range Missile Rack weighs substantially less than Inner Sphere Long-
Range Missiles. The weapon itself doesn’t do more damage, but the reduced weight
allows you to pack on more weapons—a substantial asset. Use these instead of the
Inner Sphere version whenever possible.
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MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT
The list of miscellaneous equipment available on your campaign is short and sweet.
Not every item in this list is a sensor, but all of them are sensor related.
Sensors
Sensors come in several varieties. Functionally, the main difference between these
sensors is their range. Note that the effective range of a 'Mech's sensors decreases the
faster the "Mech is moving. The pilot's Sensor skill counteracts this effect, so the better
the Sensor skill the closer to maximum the ’Mech’s sensors operate while moving.
There's not much strategy involved in loading sensors on your 'Mechs. Just bear
in mind that you shouldn't spend inordinate sums on Advanced Sensors, because your
enemies seldom have such powerful sensors themselves. Also, remember that only one
'Mech in your Force Group needs to possess great sensors for all group members to
enjoy the benefits.
Sensar— Basic
Load Value: —
Cost: 1,000
Range: 350 meters
The Inner Sphere Basic Sensor is standard on most Inner Sphere 'Mechs. It has a range
of 350 meters and, like all sensors, it can't detect Elementals or powered-down 'Mechs.
Sensor—Intermediate
Load Value: 0.5
Cost: 2,000
Range: 470 meters
The Inner Sphere Intermediate Sensor weighs a half-ton but possesses significantly
more range than the Basic Sensor.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND
Sensor—Advanced |
Load Value: 1 —
Cost: 6,000 ората
Range: 525 meters E
The Inner Sphere Advanced Sensor possesses unparalleled range. However, it can only
be mounted in the Raven or in light Clan 'Mechs.
Clan Sensor— Standard
Load Value: —
Cost: 1,500
Range: 385 meters
The Clan's Standard Sensor is marginally better than the Inner Sphere's Basic Sensor,
and like the Basic Sensor it doesn't weigh anything.
Clan Sensar—Extended
Load Value: 0.5
Cost: 3,500
Range: 490 meters
Although it doesn't possess quite the range of the Inner Sphere Advanced Sensor, the
Clan Extended Sensor weighs half a ton less.
Other Equipment
The following pieces of equipment aren't sensors, but they all either work like sensors
or have some effect on sensors.
Beagle Probe
Load Value: 1.5
Cost: 1,000
Range: Special
The Beagle Probe detects powered-down units at half the normal sensor range. This is
occasionally useful, as campaign missions frequently take you into Clan territory
where powered-down BattleMechs are on guard.
The Beagle Probe can't detect Elementals.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Guardian ЕСМ Suite
Load Value: 1.5
Cost: 3,000
Range: 525 meters
The Inner Sphere’s Guardian ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) Suite halves the
range of any enemy sensors it contacts. Load this item onto a 'Mech that also possesses
good sensors, and your Force Group is practically guaranteed to spot enemy forces
long before they can see you.
Unfortunately, this system can only be loaded onto Raven 'Mechs or light
Clan 'Mechs.
Clan Active Probe
Load Value: 1
Cost: 1,200
Range: Special
The Clan Active Probe is almost identical to the Inner Sphere’s Beagle Probe, save that
it weighs half a ton less.
Clan ECM Suite
Load Value: 1
Cost: 3,400
Range: 525 meters
The Clan ECM Suite is identical to the Inner Sphere model, save that it weighs half a
ton less.
CHAPTER 2: WEAPONS AND
WEAPON CHOICES
Itimately, it’s up to you to decide which weapons to load onto your BattleMechs.
Some weapons, such as Lasers, are general-purpose staples that you can’t go
wrong with. Others, like Heavy Autocannons, can be a great asset or a tremendous
liability depending on which missions you use them in and how well you conserve
your ammunition.
Generally speaking, the game difficulty you play at will make a difference in
which weapons are effective. At lower difficulty levels, most weapons can be employed
to good effect. But when you're playing Desperate Measures at Hard difficulty, you'll
want the heaviest-hitting weapons available. Experiment with weapon choices, and
pay attention to the differences they make as you proceed through a mission. With the
right weapons, a seemingly difficult mission can be rendered manageable. With the
wrong ones, an easy task can be made formidable.
ce mile
CHAPTER 3
BAT TLEMECHS
| ttleMechs are the foundation of Inner Sphere warfare. Vehicles,
emplaced defenses, and Elementals play significant roles in many
Ў battles, but it’s undeniably the BattleMech that reigns supreme.
, are the final arbitrator of conflict, both throughout the
and beyond.
L its vital for every MechCommander to recognize the
ns employed by the Clan and Inner Sphere, and understand
s and weaknesses. Carefully examine each 'Mech in the
wuse the default configurations are what the player is
ith most often.
Each BattleMech is rated in several different areas. First you'll find these
attributes:
* Weight is the 'Mech's raw tonnage.
• Speed is the 'Mech's top speed, provided in meters per second (m/sec).
e Jump is the distance а Jump-equipped 'Mech of that type can leap. Obviously, this
value doesn't apply to the Armor and Weapon variants.
Other attributes change depending on which 'Mech variant (Weapon, Armor, or
Jump) you're dealing with. These are presented in the form of a small table.
e Armor Points tells you how much total overall armor protects a particular variant.
Different body locations will have differing amounts of armor protection.
e Payload is how much Load Value of weapons and components the variant can carry.
* Alpha Strike is how much damage the variant would deal if it unloaded all its
weapons onto a single target simultaneously. (Note that this value changes if you
modify the 'Mech's weapon payload.)
10-Second is shorthand for 10-Second Damage, and it's another way of measuring
the 'Mech's punch. It's the amount of damage the 'Mech would deal to a target if it
fired continuously with all weapons for 10 seconds. (Again, this value changes if you
modify the 'Mech's weapon payload.)
Cost is the 'Mech's cost in Resource Points.
ТІР The new BattleMechs included in Desperate Measures also appear in
wv this chapter. There is, however, a difference in these ‘Mechs’ data
tables. They're so new to Battalion that the exact numbers for their
Armor Points and jumping distances aren't yet known. (Note that in
your Desperate Measures manual, most of the new 'Mechs' Armor
Sources are listed as “Unknown’—even for Inner Sphere 'Mechs/)
Thus, instead of numerical values representing these 'Mechs' jump
capabilities and Armor Points, you'll find general descriptive adjectives
such as “Long,” “Light,” or “Moderate.”
INNER SPHERE BATTLEMECHS
nner Sphere Mechs are a diverse lot, ranging from small, speedy recon 'Mechs like
| the Commando to the lumbering hulk known as the Atlas. Although not as efficient
as Clan 'Mechs, Inner Sphere designs aren't so inferior that they can't hold their
own when piloted by skilled individuals.
Learn these designs well, as they'll constitute the bulk of your forces throughout
the greater part of the campaign.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
TIP Unless otherwise noted, all Inner Sphere ‘Mechs come with
wv a Basic Sensor.
Commando
Weight: 25 tons
Speed: 27 m/sec
Jump: 83 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 96 16 6 14 14,150
Jump 48 16 6 14 16,250
Weapons 48 19 8 18 13,290
Armor, Jump Payloads: Laser, 4 SRM Packs
Weapon Payload: 2 Lasers, 2 SRM Packs, 1 Streak SRM Pack
The Commando is a cheap, fast scouting "Mech. Because its speed is similar to that of
the 35-ton Raven, however, its diminutive tonnage is no real advantage. Make no
mistake: This is a small, lightly armored 'Mech suitable for reconnaissance or skir-
mishing, not heavy combat. It is, however, very inexpensive—a quality endearing to a
MechCommander on a tight budget.
Commandos are good for filling out a drop payload. They can be used to scout
ahead of your main force or as support ’Mechs that lend a hand in firefights. It's crucial
that they don't attack first and bear the brunt of enemy attacks, as they wither quickly
under heavy weapon fire. Let your other 'Mechs charge in and distract the enemy
while Commandos lend fire support.
Commandos also are ideal for missions requiring your forces to be in two places
at once. For example, let's say you need to destroy a bridge and guard a pass. You can
leave the majority of your forces at the pass to provide a stalwart defense, and mean-
while have the Commando sprint deep into enemy territory and attack the bridge (or
spot it so that artillery strikes can destroy it).
CHAPTER 3: BA |
The Commando’s weapon payload is adequate but not overwhelming. SRM Packs
normally aren’t weapons of choice, but the minimal weapons capacity of the pem
Commando makes them а good selection. Those preferring a heavier-hitting Мес...
could replace SRMs with another Laser or two. A
ТІР 7n Desperate Measures, the ultimate scout ‘Mech is the Stiletto. The e
wv presence of the Stiletto reduces the relative value of the Commando, M
as the Stiletto is so much faster and more capable.
Firestarter
Weight: 30 tons
Speed: 27 m/sec
Jump: 100 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 112 19 11 15.83 17,620
Jump 64 19 11 15.83 19,720
Weapons 64 22 11:5 19 19,530
Armor, Jump Payloads: 2 Heavy Flamers, SRM Pack
Weapon Payload: Laser, PPC, 2 SRM Packs
The Armor and Jump variants of the Firestarter are true to the 'Mech's name, sporting
a pair of Heavy Flamers that deal good damage at close range. The Weapon variant has
standard-issue SRM Packs and a Laser, plus a real surprise: a PPC.
The Firestarter generally outperforms the Commando at both reconnaissance
and fire support. Its extra tonnage allows it to carry surprisingly effective firepower, — |
especially in its Weapon configuration, and its extra armor lets it run through combat ! :
zones without being felled by passing shots. ee \ oe
The default weapon configurations for Firestarters are fairly good. The Armor M xw
and Jump variants are capable of dealing surprisingly severe short-range damage with _ x
their Heavy Flamers, while the Weapon variant's PPC makes it an instant contributor
to battles that develop at long range.
ТІР Because small ‘Mechs tend to fare poorly in close-range combat, you
might want to remove the Heavy Flamers and replace them with long-
range weapons, turning the Firestarter into a fire-support "Mech.
MECHCOMMANDER: 0010 — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Stiletto (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 35 tons
Speed: 36 m/sec
Jump: Long
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor Light 17.5 11 14 22,420
Jump Light 17.5 11 14 26,780 y, да
Weapons Light 20.5 8 16 22,070
Armor, Jump Payloads: Streak SRM Pack, 3 LRM Racks, 1 Sensor-Intermediate `
Weapon Payload: 1 Large Pulse Laser, 2 LRM Racks, 1 Sensor-Intermediate
The Stiletto is an extraordinary new BattleMech that you should make extensive use
of. The Desperate Measures campaign features several missions where it’s of great
importance to scout the terrain, lure enemy ’Mechs out of their starting areas, and/or
jump over obstacles. If you purchase a Stiletto for this task, you certainly won't be
disappointed.
Inner Sphere 'Mechs are normally slower than Clan 'Mechs of comparable size,
but the Stiletto is geared for speed, and it’s by far the fastest 'Mech available to you. It
can outrun any enemy it encounters, making it invaluable for scouting the battlefield
and jumping quickly in and out of enemy bases. It can't handle much punishment,
though, and it can't dish out much damage—so don't expect to use it in a combat role.
If you buy a Stiletto, we strongly suggest the Jump variant. Because the whole
point of the Stiletto is mobility, why not maximize that quality? Also, the Weapon
and Armor variants don't add enough extra payload or armor, respectively, to make
the Stiletto into a great fighter. Don't try to make it something it's not; go with the
Jump variant.
Equip your Stiletto with long-range weapons almost exclusively; the LRM Racks
on the Armor and Jump variants are ideal. These allow the Stiletto to sit well back
from a battle and lend fire support, and to take out Turrets hidden behind heavy walls.
TIP You only need one scout unit per mission (if that), so you should only
wv need one Stiletto. More would be overkill—plus, because the Stiletto
isn't a great fighter, you'd be hampering your Force Group's combat
ability by taking multiples.
Raven
Weight: 35 tons
Speed: 27 m/sec
Jump: 100 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 120 19 8 18 27,640
Jump 72 19 8 18 29,740
Weapons 72 22 10 21 28,900
Armor, Jump Payloads: 2 Lasers, 2 SRM Packs, Streak SRM Pack, Guardian ECM
Suite, Beagle Probe, Sensor-Advanced
Weapon Payload: Large Laser, 2 Lasers, Streak SRM Pack, Guardian ECM Suite,
Beagle Active Probe, Sensor-Advanced
The Raven represents a cutoff point in terms of Inner Sphere ’ Mechs’ speed. The next
heaviest Inner Sphere design, the Hollander IT, is slower than the Raven and also isn’t
capable of jumping as far. Thus, the Raven can be considered the biggest of the Inner
Sphere's scout or reconnaissance Mechs.
The Raven can hold a number of weapons similar to its lighter cousin, the
Firestarter, but its armor is somewhat tougher. Also, the Raven is a high-tech design
capable of carrying the sophisticated Inner Sphere Advanced Sensor or Clan Active
Probe. It's the only Inner Sphere 'Mech capable of holding these two items.
The default weapons loaded onto Ravens are adequate but lacking in punch, and
should probably be retooled by the MechCommander; SRMs are good filler weapons,
but they lack the power demanded by tough battles. Another Laser in place of SRMs is
usually a good tradeoff; LRMs are another option.
ТІР /fyoure playing the Desperate Measures missions, you're better
| off using a Stiletto than a Raven. If you’re playing the original
i MechCommander missions, on the other hand, the Stiletto is
unavailable, making the Raven the best Inner Sphere-made
scout ‘Mech.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Hollander II
Weight: 45 tons
Speed: 24 m/sec
Jump: 83 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 128 25.5 11.5 24 34,240
Jump 88 25.5 11.5 24 35,950
Weapons 88 30 13.5 27 35,380
Armor, Jump Payloads: Gauss Rifle, Laser, Streak SRM Pack
Weapon Payload: Gauss Rifle, Large Laser, Laser
The Hollander II is a curious-looking beast, mainly because of its trademark Gauss
Rifle. Like the Hunchback, the Hollander II belongs to a class of 'Mechs that try to
pack the biggest, deadliest weapons onto the smallest possible frame. The result is
formidable, but not without its drawbacks.
The Hollander IT is somewhat slower than the Commando, Firestarter, and
Raven, so it’s less suitable than those designs for quick strikes and scouting.
Although most MechCommanders agree that there’s a certain beauty to packing
a massive Gauss Rifle onto an economical 45-ton frame, the drawbacks are significant.
If the Gauss Rifle is destroyed in combat or (more likely) runs out of ammunition,
the Hollander II loses the majority of its firepower and becomes little more than a
spectator. The Weapon variant at least has its Large Laser to fall back on, but the
Hollander IT is still a mere shadow of its former self when the Gauss Rifle is inoperative.
A conservative MechCommander could achieve good effects by ripping out the
Gauss Rifle and replacing it with a PPC or ER-PPC, which don’t rely on ammunition
and would leave room for another small weapon.
CHAPTER 3:
Hunchback
Weight: 50 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Jump: 67 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 176 28.5 19 28 33,160
Jump 128 28.5 19 28 33,680
Weapons 128 33 21 32 34,100
Armor, Jump Payloads: Heavy Autocannon, 2 Lasers
Weapon Payload: Heavy Autocannon, Large Laser, Laser
The Hunchback is little more than a platform for the massive Heavy Autocannon.
Because of this weapon, the Hunchback is deadly at close range, capable of defeating
'Mechs twice its size in a matter of moments. It's also a surprisingly limited Mech,
incapable of fighting at long range or participating in sustained firefights because of
the Heavy Autocannon’s limited range and ammunition.
Heavy Autocannon aside, the Hunchback is similar to a tank—tough but slow. It
features substantially better armor than the Hollander IT and can carry several tons
more weapons, but its speed is a large step down from the Hollander II. The result is an
extremely durable mid-sized Mech that’s adequate for missions that don’t require speed.
You'll have to make some tough decisions when you purchase a Hunchback. The
Heavy Autocannon is formidable and oh-so-tempting, but its limited ammo begs the
question: Can you afford to spend over 17 tons on a weapon that'll only fire 13 times
in a mission? Sometimes, when the mission calls for heavy hitters and you have access
to frequent refits, the answer is yes. But other times, when drop weight is limited and
endurance is key, the answer is no.
ТІР The Hunchback is a poor choice for Desperate Measures missions
wv because of its poor speed.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Bushwhacker (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 55 tons
Speed: 24 m/sec
Jump: Short
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor Moderate 29.5 15 24 34,680
Jump Moderate 29.5 15 24 35,950
Weapons Moderate 33.5 17 28 33,260
Armor, Jump Payloads: Laser, SRM Pack, LB-X Autocannon, 2 LRM Racks
Weapon Payload: 2 Lasers, SRM Pack, LB-X Autocannon, 2 LRM Racks
The Bushwhacker, along with the super-fast Stiletto, is the only Mech that’s strongly
recommended for purchase in the Desperate Measures campaign. This is because
speed is extremely useful in most Desperate Measures missions, and the Bushwhacker
is faster than any other Inner Sphere ’Mech of its size. If you want to build a team of
fast, capable 'Mechs, your first and best option is to use salvaged Clan designs—but if
you aren't lucky enough to salvage many of those, a Bushwhacker or two will help
round out a Force Group.
Use the Armor or Weapon variant of the Bushwhacker, as the Jump variant can't
jump particularly far.
Heavy-hitting, long-range weapons like Large X-Pulse Lasers are a great addition
to the Bushwhacker, because its speed allows it to maintain long range with most
enemies, thereby maximizing the value of such weapons.
Centurion
Weight: 55 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Jump: 67 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 184 315 16 26 34,090
Jump 136 31.5 16 26 34,610
Weapons 136 36 19.5 28 36,390
Armor, Jump Payloads: Autocannon, 2 LRM Racks, 2 Lasers
Weapon Payload: Autocannon, 2 LRM Racks, PPC
The Centurion is a relatively nondescript 'Mech with few visible strengths or weak-
nesses. It's particularly useful in early MechCommander campaign missions, where it
tends to outweigh enemy 'Mechs by a sizable factor.
At 55 tons, the Centurion can support a few limited-ammunition weapons (such
as the Autocannon that it comes with in default configurations). However, you might
want to rearrange the weapon payload to make the Centurion less dependent on
ammo, removing the Autocannon and a few small weapons and replacing them with a
PPC or numerous Lasers.
ТЕР As with many Inner Sphere designs, the Centurion is good for the
early stages of the MechCommander campaign but its low speed
makes it unsuitable for the tougher missions of Desperate Measures.
If you're forced to use slow ‘Mechs in a Desperate Measures 2&4 "t
mission, you might as well use heavier ’Mechs that travel just as ХА ye
quickly as the Centurion, such as the Awesome.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Catapult
Weight: 65 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Jump: 67 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 208 36 20 29.43 37,200
Jump 144 36 20 29.43 39,920
Weapons 144 40 22 32 37,070
Armor, Jump Payloads: 6 LRM Racks, 2 Pulse Lasers
Weapon Payload: 6 LRM Racks, Large Pulse Laser, Laser
The Catapult in its default configuration is a particularly well-armored ’Mech. It’s also
something of a paradox, because its tough armor makes it suitable for front-line slug-
ging, but its weapon payload (consisting largely of LRMs) is better suited for a long-
range fire-support Mech.
If you leave the Catapult in its default configuration you'd be well advised to use
it in the fire-support role suggested by its weapons. It’s almost helpless at short
range, though its Pulse Lasers come in handy when the Catapult is swarmed by
smaller, faster enemies such as Elementals. Allow the Catapult to rain missiles on the
enemy while other ’Mechs serve to distract, and you'll find the Catapult a valuable
asset indeed.
If you adjust the weapon configuration, you can use the Catapult in almost any
role, including front-line slugger. Its armor is tough enough that it won’t suffer from
the change of pace.
Jagermech
Weight: 70 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Jump: 67 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 192 41 10 31.38 37,080
Jump 128 41 10 31.38 39,800
Weapons 128 45 8 33.38 36,030
Armor, Jump Payloads: Large ER Laser, 2 Lasers, 2 Light Ultra Autocannons
Weapon Payload: Large ER Laser, Large Pulse Laser, 2 Light Ultra Autocannons
The Jagermech is five tons heavier than the Catapult but actually carries marginally
less armor than its lighter cousin; all that extra tonnage has been devoted to increased
weapon payload. Thus, the Jagermech represents the philosophy that the best defense
is a good offense.
A quintessential heavy ‘Mech, the Jagermech boasts slow to moderate speed and
armor while bristling with weapons. Some might quibble with the default configura-
tions, however, which contain long-range weapons with good fire rates but very little
in the way of true heavy hitters. A PPC in place of one of the Light Ultra Autocannons
and Lasers might provide just that.
Awesome
Weight: 80 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Jump: 67 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 224 54.5 26.5 38 51,490
Jump 160 54.5 26.5 38 54,170
Weapons 160 59 24.5 41 48,310
Armor, Jump Payloads: 3 ER-PPCs, 2 Lasers
Weapon Payload: 3 ER-PPCs, 2 Pulse Lasers
The Awesome is an 80-ton monster that moves just as quickly as a 50-ton Hunchback.
It’s better armored than the Jagermech and Catapult, though not so much that the
difference is overwhelming.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The true difference between the Awesome and those lesser 'Mechs lies in raw
weapon tonnage. With over 54 tons to spend on firepower, the Awesome is a walking
weapon platform capable of reducing smaller 'Mechs to piles of charred rubble in
seconds flat.
MechCommanders who belong to the school of thought that endorses multiple
small weapons instead of a few big ones will retrofit the Awesome’s payload immedi-
ately on purchase, but those in favor of big guns will love it.
The sheer power of the Awesome’s triple PPCs, not to mention their devastating
range, make an Awesome in its default configuration a true force to be reckoned with.
This sort of power almost guarantees a devastating shot in the first few volleys.
All 'Mechs are useful, but the Awesome tends to be more useful than most large
Inner Sphere designs. It features great weapons, and it lies right at the speed cutoff
point; heavier 'Mechs made by the Inner Sphere all travel more slowly. Thus, if you
want a heavy Inner Sphere 'Mech, this is the one we recommend.
Mauler (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 90 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Jump: Short
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor Heavy 63.5 23 46 60,740
Jump Moderate 63.5 23 46 65,220
Weapons Moderate 76.5 34.5 64 66,170
Armor, Jump Payloads: Large Laser, 2 LRM Racks, 2 Light LB-X Autocannons, 2 Light
Gauss Rifles
Weapon Payload: 2 Heavy LB-X Autocannons, 1 Large Laser, 1 Large ER Laser, 1 Light
LB-X Autocannon, 2 Light Gauss Rifles
The Mauler, a new design, lives up to its name. It relies heavily on ammo-dependent
projectile weapons, but thanks to its use of the relatively high-ammo Light Gauss
Rifles and LB-X Autocannons, this limitation isn't nearly as detrimental as it could be. а а
Despite the Mauler’s power, we don’t recommend it too highly for most
Desperate Measures campaign missions—at least, not those that require speed. The
Mauler is powerful, to be sure, but its sluggish speed can be limiting in the speed-
intensive missions you’ll encounter frequently in the expansion campaign. Lf
If you select the Weapon model, bear in mind that Heavy LB-X Autocannons can
be tough to use when your 'Mech is this sluggish—so you might want to use longer-
range weapons. Some foes undoubtedly will be foolish enough to approach the Mauler,
but those that hang back will be able to easily weave out of the Heavy LB-X
Autocannons' limited range.
Atlas
Weight: 100 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Jump: 50 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 288 66.5 29.5 54.43 69,510
Jump 192 66.5 29.5 54.43 73,550
Weapons 192 71.3 37.5 56.71 68,480
Armor, Jump Payloads: Gauss Rifle, 2 Large ER Laser, 4 LRM Racks, 2 Pulse Lasers =~
Weapon Payload: Gauss Rifle, 2 ER-PPCs, 4 LRM Racks, Laser, Pulse Laser № \ P
The Atlas is the heaviest 'Mech on the battlefield, boasting superior armor and unri-
valed weapon tonnage. If there's any downside to this monster, it's certainly the lack
of speed, which—like the 'Mech's formidable tonnage—is practically unmatched.
An Atlas occupies a huge amount of DropShip space, so you'll need to think twice
before taking it on missions featuring limited tonnage. Furthermore, if you know
you'll need a modicum of speed, you might want to reconsider bringing the Atlas. You
can only afford this beast on missions with heavy tonnage limits and no speed consid-
erations whatsoever.
If there was ever a 'Mech suited to carrying massive weapons such as the Gauss
Rifle and Heavy Autocannon, this is it. Still, you need to exercise restraint. Loading up
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
the Atlas with such weapons gives it incredible short-term power, but leaves the Mech
a well-armored husk when the ammunition runs dry. Ultimately, the need to balance
short-term punch with ammunition considerations might be the toughest decision
the Atlas inspires.
Shortcomings aside, the Atlas has a place on the battlefield, especially in the
original MechCommander missions. In Desperate Measures, however, the enemy will
be able to run circles around it.
CLAN МЕСНА
Clan ’Mechs are superior to Inner Sphere designs in several ways. The most significant
areas of superiority are as follows:
* They carry Clan weapons, which are superior to Inner Sphere designs. See Chapter 2
for details.
* Less room is taken up by engines and internal components, leaving significantly
more room for weapons and armor than in Inner Sphere 'Mechs of comparable
tonnage.
* Mid-sized to heavy Clan 'Mechs are considerably faster and more mobile than Inner
Sphere 'Mechs of comparable tonnage.
Whenever possible, you should integrate salvaged Clan 'Mechs into your battle plans.
ТІР Unless otherwise noted, all Clan 'Mechs come with a Standard
wv Clan Sensor.
Uller
Weight: 30 tons
Speed: 27 m/sec
Jump: 100 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second
Armor 112 21 7 22
Jump 64 21 7 22
Weapons 64 25 9 29
Armor, Jump Payloads: 2 Clan ER Lasers,
Clan Streak SRM Pack, Clan Light Ultra Autocannon
Weapon Payload: 2 Clan ER Lasers, 2 Clan Streak SRMs, Clan Light Ultra Autocannon
Though not light years beyond its nearest Inner Sphere equivalents, the (ет shows
its dominance by holding significantly more weapons than the Inner Sphere's
35-ton Raven.
The Uller is a fast 'Mech suitable for both scouting and light combat duties. In its
base configuration, it's most suitable for mid-range combat, but we recommend that
you retool it for long-range combat, which tends to be easier on a light 'Mech's armor.
Ullers are among the most common Clan 'Mechs, and you'll eventually collect
several. As your campaign progresses, you'll want to gradually phase out your
supply of Commandos and Firestarters and replace them with Ullers, which make
excellent scouts. <
Cougar
Weight: 35 tons
Speed: 27 m/sec
Jump: 100 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 128 28 11.5 21:5 33,870
Jump 80 28 11.5 21:5 36,050
Weapons 80 34 17 37 38,280
Armor, Jump Payloads: Clan Heavy Flamer, Clan Large Pulse Laser, 3 Clan LRM Racks
Weapon Payload: 2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers, 4 Clan LRM Racks
The Cougar exhibits even more superiority than the Uller in terms of armor and
weapon-carrying capacity. Its armor is similar to that of the Hollander П, while its
weapon capacity is roughly equal to that of a Hunchback—a 'Mech outweighing it by
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
15 tons! So, when you obtain a Cougar as salvage you shouldn’t consider it a light
'Mech in the same category as Firestarters and Ravens, but rather, the equal of a
medium-tonnage Inner Sphere design.
In their base configurations, the Armor and Jump variants of the Cougar possess
an interesting mix of weapons. The Heavy Flamer deals good damage at close range,
while the Large Pulse Laser and LRM Racks constitute its long-range threat. The
Weapon variant is more focused in its ambitions, pairing Large Pulse Lasers and LRM
Racks for a Mech that's at its best when fighting at medium to long range.
Shadow Cat (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 45 tons
Speed: 27 m/sec
Jump: Medium
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor Moderate 29 9 33 39,650
Jump Light 29 9 33 40,870
Weapons Light 36.5 9.5 41.5 42,000
Armor, Jump Payloads: 2 Clan ER Lasers, 2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers
Weapon Payload: Clan ER Laser, 3 Clan Large Pulse Lasers
The Shadow Cat is a frequent enemy in the Desperate Measures campaign. It's light and
fast enough to serve as a scout, but heavy enough to deal good damage in a fire support
role. Its weapons are efficient but not overwhelming, so in combat it does best as a
member of a large group, especially when it lags somewhat behind the heavier hitters.
When you salvage Shadow Cats, feel free to use them, especially to replace Inner
Sphere designs. They'll rank among the very fastest 'Mechs in your Force Group, but
more than a few is usually a bad idea because of the Shadow Cats’ “in-between” size
and durability. You should initially replace your mid-sized Inner Sphere 'Mechs with
Shadow Cats, then gradually try to replace your Shadow Cats with heavier Thors and
Mad Cats.
A Shadow Cat is functional as a scout, though for pure scouting purposes a
Stiletto is much better; on the other hand, a Shadow Cat is functional as a general
combat ’Mech.
Hunchback Ис
Weight: 50 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Jump: 67 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 160 35.5 25 52 57,530
Jump 96 35.5 25 52 57,130
Weapons 96 45.5 37 72 77,450
Armor, Jump Payloads: Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannon,
Clan Heavy Flamer, 2 Clan ER Lasers, Clan Pulse Laser
Weapon Payload: 2 Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannons, Clan Heavy Flamer,
Clan ER Laser
The Hunchback IIc actually isn’t a true Clan design, but rather a Star League-era model
that has been modified and refitted by the Clans. This accounts for certain shortcom-
ings in the design that aren't present in other Clan 'Mechs of similar tonnage.
For example, in an unusual departure, the Hunchback IIc is actually less
armored than its direct Inner Sphere equivalent, the Hunchback. However, the armor
discrepancy is minor, and the Hunchback IIc more than makes up for this short-
coming with the extra tonnage it devotes to weapons. —_ o
More significantly, the Hunchback IIc is just as sluggish as its Inner Sphere
counterpart. This is in stark contrast to most heavy Clan ’Mechs, which are very
nimble despite their bulk. The end result is a Mech that bears an uncanny resem-
blance to the standard Inner Sphere Hunchback.
The chief difference between the Hunchback and the Hunchback Пс is that the
Inner Sphere design makes great sacrifices in weapon range and diversity just to pack
the Heavy Autocannon on board. The Clan variant, on the other hand, has enough
room to fit the Heavy Autocannon on board and pack a respectable array of support
weapons.
The Weapon variant of the Hunchback IIc is particularly noteworthy, packing an
amazing two Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannons onto a 50-ton frame. While a 'Mech
configured this way is guaranteed to run out of ammunition in no time flat, it's also
guaranteed to be a daunting foe while the ammo lasts.
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
If you see a Hunchback IIc on the battlefield, it goes without saying that you
should keep your ’Mechs as far away from it as possible. Because it doesn’t share the
remarkable speed of other heavy Clan ’Mechs, you’ll have a good chance of main-
taining the desired extreme range.
Vulture
Weight: 60 tons
Speed: 24 m/sec
Jump: 83 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 168 46 29 49 56,910
Jump 136 46 29 49 62,610
Weapons 136 52 36 55.5 61,870
Armor, Jump Payloads: 2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers, 8 Clan LRM Racks
Weapon Payload: 2 Clan Large ER Lasers, 8 Clan LRM Racks, 2 Clan Pulse Lasers
The Vulture in its base configuration is a fire-support Mech in its purest state. It
combines decent armor with the devastating long-range punch of multiple LRM Racks
and Large Lasers.
As with all fire-support Mechs, the Vulture is at its best when it stands well back
from the melee and fires its long-range weapons with a devastating effect. It needs to
be used in conjunction with tough, well-armored 'Mechs that will handle the close
fighting while the Vulture hangs back.
A lone Vulture has difficulty with enemies who get too close because its LRMs
don't fire very quickly—and in its Armor and Jump configurations, it has no weapons
that can fire at a point-blank target.
Like many other medium and heavy Clan 'Mechs, the Vulture demonstrates
remarkable speed for а 'Mech of its tonnage. Whereas the Hunchback Пс is just as
sluggish as its Inner Sphere counterpart, the Vulture and most other heavy Clan
'Mechs are surprisingly fast.
CHAPTER 3: BA
Loki
Weight: 65 tons
Speed: 24 m/sec
Jump: 83 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 192 50.5 29.25 59.3 70,540
Jump 128 50.5 29.25 59.3 74,760
Weapons 128 56.5 29 63.3 80,120
Armor, Jump Payloads: Clan ER-PPC, 4 Clan ER Lasers,
2 Clan Streak SRM Packs, Clan Ultra Autocannon
Weapon Payload: 2 Clan Gauss Rifles, 2 Clan Large ER Lasers, 2 Clan Streak SRM Packs
The Loki is a typical heavy Clan ’Mech. It exhibits the same unusual speed of other
heavy Clan ’Mechs, it has a daunting weapons payload, and it can stand toe to toe with
Inner Sphere 'Mechs that outweigh it by 10 tons.
In its Armor and Jump configurations, the Loki has an interesting mix of short-
and long-range power. These models fight most comfortably at medium range, where
most of their weapons systems can be employed simultaneously.
The Loki’s Weapon configuration is much more geared toward extreme-range
fighting. Its twin Gauss Rifles deliver unbelievable power, but their severe ammo
restrictions make this a risky model to send on prolonged missions.
Nova Lat (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 70 tons
Speed: 21 m/sec
Jump: Short
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor Heavy 54 43 52 61,590
Jump Moderate 54 43 52 66,210
Weapons Moderate 58 39 62 57,490
Armor, Jump Payloads: Clan Heavy Flamer, 3 Clan Pulse Lasers,
2 Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannons
Weapon Payload: Clan Pulse Laser, 4 Clan Streak SRM Packs,
2 Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannons
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The Nova Cat is a potent new Clan design. It isn’t as overwhelmingly fast as many
other heavy Clan 'Mechs, but its speed is still better than Inner Sphere 'Mechs of
comparable size. It also enjoys the typical Clan advantage in weapon payload over
Inner Sphere 'Mechs.
When fighting Nova Cats, stay away; it's as simple as that. If you don't, their
combination of good armor and devastating Heavy LB-X Autocannons will shred your
'Mechs in minutes. Fight from long range whenever possible, and remember: There's
no shame in running away!
If you salvage Nova Cats, they make serviceable additions to your fighting group.
By all means, use them instead of Inner Sphere designs. However, if you have other
heavy Clan designs to choose from, such as Lokis, Thors and Mad Cats, we recom-
mend those designs because of their superior speed.
Thor
Weight: 70 tons
Speed: 24 m/sec
Jump: 83 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 224 53.5 45.25 69.3 74,390
Jump 152 53.5 45.25 69.3 78,130
Weapons 152 58 42.25 69.7 79,870
Armor, Jump Payloads: Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannon,
Clan Streak SRM Packs, Clan Pulse Laser,
2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers
Weapon Payload: Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannon,
2 Clan Streak SRM Packs, Clan Pulse Laser, 2 Clan Ultra Autocannons
The Thor is tough, quite well armored, and carries an unusual mix of weaponry. It's
also just as fast as a Vulture.
Instead of concentrated damage at a single range, the Thor opts for a mix of
weapons. Its Heavy Ultra Autocannon provides incredible power at short range until
its ammo runs out, and its Autocannons or Large Pulse Lasers give it medium-range
punch. Miscellaneous Lasers and Streak SRMs round out the lot.
The Thor is definitely an unusual design. If you opt to use it in its base weapon | ж
configurations, you should try to employ it at close range until the Heavy Ultra
Autocannon’s ammo runs out. Then fight at medium range, where it’s less vulnerable.
Better still, refit the Thor as a long-range threat. With its great speed, it can
usually maintain long range and thus take advantage of such weapons.
Mad Cat
Weight: 75 tons
Speed: 24 m/sec
Jump: 83 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 256 57:5 42 62.8 92,790
Jump 192 575 42 62.8 96,970
Weapons 192 65 40.5 72.7 95,560
Armor, Jump Payloads: 2 Clan ER-PPCs,
Clan Large Pulse Laser, Clan Heavy Flamer,
4 Clan LRM Racks
Weapon Payload: 2 Clan ER-PPCs, 2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers,
4 Clan LRM Racks, Clan Pulse Laser
The Mad Cat is an intimidating foe. It’s extremely well armored and carries a chilling
amount of weaponry. Yet, despite its heavy tonnage, it manages to maintain the same
running speed as a 45-ton Hollander II. It’s this combination of speed and power that
makes the Mad Cat a disheartening opponent—or to put it another way, an opponent
without weaknesses.
The Mad Cat’s weapon payload is beyond reproach. Its ER-PPCs and LRM Racks
allow it to fight at extreme range, exploiting its great speed by maintaining that range
throughout combat. Large Pulse Lasers also are useful at long range, while a Heavy
Flamer (for the Armor and Jump variants) and a Pulse Laser (for the Weapon variant)
handle the occasional short-range target.
Whatever weapons it carries, the Mad Cat is a formidable BattleMech. If you
manage to get control of one, you should use it at every opportunity: it’s а Mech with
many strengths and no liabilities to speak of.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Masakari
Weight: 85 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Jump: 67 meters
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor 264 69 43.5 77.7 102,020
Jump 216 69 43.5 Mad 105,460
Weapons 216 74 53.5 82.7 120,480
Armor, Jump Payloads: 2 Clan ER-PPCs,
2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers, 2 Clan Heavy Flamers,
2 Clan LRM Racks
Weapon Payload: 2 Clan ER-PPCs, 2 Clan Gauss Rifles,
2 Clan Heavy Flamers, 2 Clan LRM Racks
Whereas most heavy Clan 'Mechs maintain a vast speed advantage over Inner Sphere
designs of similar weights, the Masakari is an exception. This makes it less versatile
than the lean and mean Mad Cat, which can be literally brought along on any
mission—even those requiring great speed—without becoming a liability.
Despite this shortcoming, the Masakari is still a formidable BattleMech. Its
armor and ability to carry weapons is squarely on par with the Inner Sphere's 100-ton
Atlas, over which it does enjoy a speed advantage. This makes it a tough opponent.
In their base configurations, the Armor and Jump variants of the Masakari are
geared toward long-range combat. Twin ER-PPCs and twin LRM Racks, plus a pair of
Large Pulse Lasers, enable the Masakari to chew up opponents before they close to
short range and prevent nimble enemies from exploiting the Masakari's lack of speed.
Up close, twin Heavy Flamers pose a formidable threat.
The Weapon variant ditches the Large Pulse Lasers in favor of a pair of massive
Gauss Rifles. This configuration makes the Masakari a master of long-range combat,
but also makes it somewhat vulnerable to ammunition shortages.
CHAPTER 3: BATIL
Make no mistake, the Masakari is an extremely powerful force. It's extremely
useful in certain missions where speed isn't an issue, but many missions in Desperate
Measures do in fact demand speed—so you'll want to mothball it for those missions.
Turkina (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 95 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Jump: Short
Variant Armor Points Payload Alpha Strike 10-Second Cost
Armor Heavy 74 32 72.8 84,110
Jump Heavy 74 32 72.8 90,190
Weapons Very Heavy 81 44.5 75.1 104,710
Armor, Jump Payloads: Clan Pulse Laser,
2 Clan LB-X Autocannons, 2 Clan Large ER Lasers,
2 Clan LRM Racks, 2 Clan Light LB-X Autocannons
Weapon Payload: Clan Pulse Laser, 2 Clan LB-X Autocannons,
2 Clan ER-PPCs, 2 Clan LRM Racks, 2 Clan Light LB-X Autocannons
The Turkina is an unusually wide 'Mech design with extremely potent firepower at its
disposal. As a pure offensive force it's hard to beat; it can carry more tons of weaponry
than the average 'Mech weighs in total.
The Turkina is almost as heavy as the Inner Sphere's Atlas. Although it's clearly
the superior design, it's limited by its extremely low speed. Its plethora of long-range
weapons, however, save it from being vulnerable to faster enemies that remain outside
its firing radius.
When attacking a Turkina, be sure to clear out all other opposition in the vicinity
first. Then group-attack it. If you have 'Mechs that are capable of attacking at short : E
range, do so—because many of the Turkina's weapons won't fire at extremely close `~ 3 3
range. Otherwise hang back at long range and keep moving. iX ЗА ?
If you capture a Turkina, the temptation to use it will be great. But again, bear
in mind that many of the new missions require speed, something that the Turkina
doesn't have. If you decide to use it for a mission, make sure that you maintain the
Turkina's long-range emphasis. If you load it up with short-range weapons, it'll have
a hard time getting close enough to enemies to bring its weapons to bear.
“CHAPTER 4
VEHICLES AND
EMPLACED
DEFENSES
attleMechs aren't the only foes you'll face. Elementals, vehicles, and
ced defenses such as Turrets are commonplace—in fact, in
many. missions theyre more common than BattleMechs. The
ons for this are obvious: BattleMechs are complex, costly units that
~ reguire vast. resources to create and maintain. Furthermore, factories
D as roduc BattleMechs are relatively rare. Vehicles, Elementals, and
ced d /fenses, although not as potent or versatile as BattleMechs,
highly cost-effective way of fighting.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED |
This chapter provides detailed information on the non-’Mech forces you'll
encounter throughout your campaigns. Enemy vehicles and defenses vary widely in
capability, and you'll become a better MechCommander if you learn to distinguish them. —
VEHICLE ROSTER E
he following pages shed light on every common weapon-bearing vehicle you'll
Г" іп your campaign. You’ll also learn about important unarmed vehicles,
such as the Mobile HQ and the Aerospace Spotter. The only vehicles that aren’t
covered in these pages are unique (mission-specific) vehicles and vehicles with no
distinctive capabilities: civilian cars, unarmed trucks, and so forth. Thus, if you
encounter a vehicle that isn’t listed in these pages, it’s likely to be a common civilian
vehicle with no armament and no tactical significance.
ТЕР Vehicles are slowed down by terrain that doesn’t affect BattleMechs.
Specifically, vehicles slow down when traveling up a hill. Keep this
in mind when considering a vehicle's top speed.
Vehicles Available from Battalion
The following vehicles may all be purchased from Battalion. They aren’t always avail-
able, but you can buy them all at one time or another.
The enemy can and does employ these vehicles on occasion. Become familiar
with them so you can command or destroy them with equal proficiency.
Swiftwind Scout Car
Weight: 5 tons
Speed: 21 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 25
Cost: 1,000 RP X
Weapons: Vehicle Sensor А r
dct epic
The Swiftwind Scout Car is little more than a sensor array on wheels. Its name
suggests blazing speeds, but in reality the Swiftwind isn’t the fastest thing on the
battlefield. It'll outrun the majority of opponents but can be overtaken by swift
BattleMechs.
The chief use for the Swiftwind is as an early warning system. You can drive it
into enemy-controlled areas and use its superior sensors to get a good sense of what's
there before committing your main forces to an attack.
Swiftwinds also can be used to distract and confuse the enemy, drawing enemy
'Mechs away from a location you intend to attack with your main army.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТІР /fyou have five spare tons, a Swiftwind can be useful for scouting. But
don’t try to integrate this vehicle into your plans for every mission;
there are other, faster units that can serve as scouts.
Enemy-controlled Swiftwinds sometimes act as spotters for larger forces.
Ammo Truck (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 10 tons —
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Weapons: None
Cost: 1,500 RP
The Ammo Truck can travel along with your Force Group and resupply Mechs’ ammu-
nition. This makes it more limited than a Refit Truck, which restores both ammunition
and armor. However, the Ammo Truck weighs a lot less than the Refit Truck. It is also
combustible and a clever MechCommander can use this as an offensive tactic.
If your 'Mechs use lots of heavy, ammo-eating weapons like Gauss Rifles or
various Heavy Autocannons, an Ammo Truck is a good idea. This is particularly true
in missions featuring low drop weight and few Repair Bays.
If your 'Mechs use mostly energy weapons, or if the mission features lots of
Repair Bays, the Ammo Truck might be unnecessary.
Finally, if you anticipate the need for extra ammo but the mission's drop weight
is quite high, consider a Refit Truck instead. Its ability to repair armor, as well as
replenish ammo, is well worth the extra tonnage.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED
Pegasus Light Scout Tank
Weight: 15 tons
Speed: 21 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Cost: 3,100 RP
Weapons: 3 SRM Packs, Vehicle Sensor
The Pegasus is a moderately fast, lightly armored tank with vehicle-class sensors.
Think of it as a slightly better-protected Swiftwind with minimal offensive capabilities
to boot.
The Pegasus’ three SRM Packs aren’t going to chew a hole in most ’Mechs, but
they’re adequate for destroying small buildings, small vehicles, and very light
emplaced defenses. Thus, a lone Pegasus can be useful for sneaking behind the enemy
and taking out key buildings, bridges, or other vital structures.
ТІР When examining the Pegasus (and all other weapon-bearing vehicles)
af bear in mind that you can’t compare ‘Mechs and vehicles of the same
tonnage on an equal basis. Vehicles simply aren't as potent—and can't
carry as many weapons—as a "Mech. This makes the Pegasus a vehicle
that you should generally avoid taking.
Centipede Scout Car (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 15 tons
Speed: 21 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Cost: 8,580 RP
Weapons: Large Laser, Advanced Vehicle Sensor, Guardian ECM
The Centipede is a superior scout to the Pegasus Light Scout Tank. It’s just as fast, it
carries a weapon with better range, and its combination of Advanced Vehicle Sensors and
Guardian ECM make it better at both detecting and eluding enemies. Thus, if you’re
going to spend 15 tons of drop weight on a scout vehicle, it’s best to take this one.
However, if you’re truly serious about scouting, and your mission features a high
drop weight, you might consider buying a Stiletto J instead. The Stiletto J costs and
weighs more, but it’s much more durable, capable of jumping long distances, and
capable of outrunning any foe on the battlefield, bar none. Plus, it can play a useful
role in combat, particularly when it hangs back and uses long-range weapons in a fire
support role. This makes it the ultimate scout.
и"
а
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Refit Truck
Weight: 35 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Cost: 4,500 RP
Weapons: None
Refit Trucks restock the ammunition of depleted Mech weapons and perform repairs
to Mech armor and internal structures. The repair process requires the ‘Mech to
temporarily power down.
The Refit Truck doesn’t have a glamorous task, but it’s a vital one. Most missions
feature pauses in which you have time to make repairs—and if you have a Refit Truck
you can make the most of that time, repairing your Mechs to nearly pristine condition.
More importantly, Refit Trucks pave the way for you to use potent weapons such
as Gauss Rifles and Heavy Autocannons, which are typically hindered by their low
ammunition. With a Refit Truck, you can safely use such weapons, confident in the
knowledge that you can replenish the ammo supply when it runs low.
Refit Trucks are best used in missions that allow you lots of drop weight and
feature pauses during which you can repair your Mechs. In missions with very limited
drop weights, you might want to skip the Refit Truck and just use those 35 tons to add
another BattleMech instead.
ТІР /fa mission is giving you problems, and those problems seem to stem
from a lack of weapon power, consider using a Refit Truck and loading
your ‘Mechs up with Heavy Autocannons and Gauss Rifles. This often
does the trick.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED DEFENSE
Minelayer
Weight: 40 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 75
Cost: 9,000 RP
Weapons: Mines
The Minelayer is capable of creating vast minefields that damage enemies passing
through them. Friendly units aren’t affected by these mines.
Mines are laid in neat squares that cover a good deal of terrain; once a unit enters
a square, the mines in that square are detonated. Two mine squares can destroy most
vehicles, while three or four can severely damage a medium-sized ’Mech.
Minelayers are extremely useful in defensive missions, as they can effectively close
off certain approaches to the spot you’re trying to defend. Mines work best in locales
with mountains or forest; wide-open plains require lots of time to mine thoroughly.
The Minelayer is a fairly swift vehicle, but when laying mines it automatically
slows down—that’s just how its mine-laying mechanism works. So, if you want to get
the most out of your Minelayer, you should never order it to lay mines at a spot too
distant from its current position. Instead, order it to move at full speed to the spot
where the mines are to be laid, then give the order to actually lay mines.
ТІР The Minelayer is useful in a few missions from the
wv original MechCommander, but isn't needed in any
1 Desperate Measures missions.
Minesweeper
Weight: 40 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 100
Cost: 4,000 RP
Weapons: None
A Minesweeper is the best antidote to a Minelayer. While the Minelayer produces mine-
fields, it’s the Minesweeper’s job to safely clear them away.
Minesweepers automatically detonate minefields as they cross them. Although
they detonate the mines in such a way as to minimize damage, they do take damage
in the process and are destroyed after clearing numerous mines.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
TIP Again, the Minesweeper isn't needed in Desperate Measures missions.
You'll encounter a few minefields in these missions, but they’re small
enough that you can simply avoid them or detonate them with
weapon fire directed at the ground.
Uther Enemy Vehicles
The remaining vehicles detailed in this chapter aren’t available to Battalion, so you
can’t purchase them. Nor can you salvage vehicles from combat as you would salvage
a 'Mech. Therefore, barring any special circumstances, you'll always find yourself
fighting against the following vehicles instead of commanding them.
Because the remaining vehicles are, for the most part, available in multiplayer,
there is a “Cost” entry present. Also, there's a “Behavior” entry that describes what the
driver of each vehicle is likely to do in combat. There are occasionally variations in
behavior based on individual drivers or specific mission conditions, but in general
you'll find that these vehicles behave in the way we describe.
Long-Range Tanks
The Clans and their Bondsmen employ numerous tanks, many of which are special-
ized for long-range fighting. These tanks run the gamut from light weapon platforms
like the Saracen to potent monsters like the Shrek.
Saracen
Weight: 35 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Weapons: 2 Light Autocannons
Cost: 3,920 RP
Behavior: Maintains long range
The Saracen is a pesky beast that’s easy to dispatch if you attack it in force. Its armor
is thin, and its twin Light Autocannons aren’t particularly formidable. The key is
simply to finish off the Saracen quickly because—despite their low damage—the
Light Autocannons fire rapidly.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED
Striker
Weight: 35 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 75
Weapons: 5 LRM Racks
Cost: 10,200 RP
Behavior: Comes to a halt when firing; distributes fire among multiple targets
Strikers are particularly annoying enemies. They’re much like an LRM Carrier, save
that they carry fewer missiles and possess tougher armor. The range of their LRMs
ensures that they'll always get in a shot or two, but it also ensures that they're virtually
defenseless when your forces get too close (inside the LRMs' minimum firing radius).
Worse still, Strikers’ LRM payload allows them to sit behind tall concrete walls
or other reinforced barriers—because, as all good MechCommanders know, missiles
are capable of flying over such obstacles.
When attacking Strikers, try to get as close as possible and maintain a direct line
of fire. If your 'Mechs possess their own LRMs, however, this is less of an issue; they
can dispatch a Striker with their own missile volleys.
Regulator Hover Tank (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 45 tons
Speed: 21 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 75
Weapons: Gauss Rifle
Cost: 17,250 RP
Behavior: Maintains long range
The Regulator is a tough long-range attacker. Although not as durable as some of the
heavier tanks you'll face, the Regulator nonetheless demands attention, thanks mainly
to its damaging Gauss Rifle.
As usual with vehicles packing long-range weapons, the ideal scenario is to
approach so close that the Regulator's long-range Gauss Rifle is ineffective. Barring
that, you should attack quickly and decisively with all of your 'Mechs.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Pilum Heavy Tank (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 70 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 100
Weapons: 6 LRM Racks
Cost: 12,560 RP
Behavior: Snipe from long range
This heavy, missile-bearing tank is a dangerous foe. Think of it as a faster, tougher
version of an LRM Carrier, and you'll see why it's dangerous.
As always with LRM-carrying vehicles, the ideal tactic is to run to close range,
inside the minimum range of enemy LRMs. From there your ’Mechs can safely pound
away at the Pilum and take no return fire. If your "Mechs aren't geared for short-range
combat, fight at long range and overwhelm the Pilum with multiple Mechs’ fire.
Von Luckner
Weight: 75 tons
Speed: 12 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 100
Weapons: Gauss Rifle, Light Autocannon
Cost: 18,260 RP
Behavior: Comes to a halt when firing; never retreats
Von Luckners belong to that rare class of vehicles that Mechs must fear. Although a
75-ton Von Luckner is nothing compared to a 75-ton 'Mech (such as a Mad Cat), its
twin long-range weapons make it a legitimate threat. The Gauss Rifle in particular is
a heavy hitter, capable of tearing holes in even the thickest and most pristine armor.
As with other long-range tanks, a good policy with the Von Luckner is to
approach as quickly as possible and destroy it immediately with concentrated fire—or
at least get inside the minimum firing radius of the dreaded Gauss Rifle. This
shouldn't be terribly difficult for medium or small 'Mechs to achieve, because the
Von Luckner is a sluggish vehicle.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED
Shrek
Weight: 80 tons
Speed: 9 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 125
Weapons: Clan ER-PPC, ER-PPC
Cost: 30,660 RP
Behavior: Comes to a halt when firing; distributes fire among multiple targets
m
a:
и
The Shrek is even more formidable than the Von Luckner, and is one of the toughest
vehicles you'll face. Its twin ER-PPCs (one Clan, one Inner Sphere) are a downright
devastating combination. The Clan ER-PPC in particular is one of the finest all-around
weapons in existence, and the Inner Sphere variant is potent as well.
The SArek fires slowly because of the slow recycle speed of its weapons, but when
it does fire, your 'Mechs are in serious trouble.
As with all vehicles, the Shrek must be destroyed quickly. However, destroying
the Shrek requires concentrated fire because of its potent armor, which ranks as the
thickest on any vehicle.
If the Shrek has any weakness, it's the combination of slow speed and long-range
weapons. Most BattleMechs are fast enough to quickly get inside the PPCs’ minimum
firing radius and stay there, where the Shrek can do no harm.
Alacorn MK УП Heavy Tank da Measures Only)
Weight: 95 tons
Speed: 12 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 150
Weapons: 3 Gauss Rifles
Cost: 47,450 RP `
Behavior: Maintains medium to long range ~
The Alacorn, an old Star League-era design, is the deadliest vehicle you’ll face. You
can’t fall into the trap of thinking “It’s just a vehicle,” because at 95 tons and carrying
three hyper-potent Gauss Rifles, the A/acorn is a legitimate threat to any ‘Mech.
There's no perfect way to deal with an A/acorn, but some tactics are better than
others. If your 'Mechs are geared toward long-range combat, engage the A/acorn at
long range with all 'Mechs simultaneously, but keep them moving at all times to mini-
mize Gauss Rifle hits.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
If any of your 'Mechs are geared toward short-range combat, you'll fare much
better, however. Approach the Alacorn to point-blank range and stay there, pounding
it and moving along with it so it can’t get away. Its Gauss Rifles can’t fire at targets
within 50 meters, so your close-range attackers will be safe.
Medium-Range Tanks
Medium-range tanks can’t match the all-out fury of the awe-inspiring Shrek or
Alacorn, but they include a pair of formidable enemies nonetheless. The Condor,
Manticore, and Rommel all pack a serious punch; the Rommel in particular can give
lone ’Mechs problems.
Condor Heavy Hover Tank
Weight: 50 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 75
Weapons: Clan Large Pulse Laser
Cost: 9,410 RP
Behavior: Sticks close to target
The Condor Heavy Hover Tank is an average mid-range fighter. Its Clan Large Pulse
Laser doesn't pack a huge punch but it's fast and efficient and possesses good range.
Groups of Condors are deceptively tough. As usual, the best defense is simply to
concentrate fire on them and get rid of them quickly.
Manticore Heavy Tank (Desperate Measures Only)
Weight: 60 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 75
Weapons: PPC, Large Pulse Laser, 2 SRM Packs
Cost: 13,870 RP
Behavior: Maintains medium range
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED DEFENSES —
peru
The Manticore is a formidable medium-range threat, with extra punch at short range :
if the battle happens to get too close. As you might expect, the best way to handle
Manticores is to pick them off from extreme range, where they can't fight back. _ None
Thanks to the Manticore’s relatively sluggish speed, this shouldn't be a particularly — A
tough task. : :
Rommel
Weight: 65 tons
Speed: 12 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 100
Weapons: 2 Autocannons
Cost: 15,700 RP
Behavior: Comes to a halt when firing; never retreats
The Rommel is a potent mid-range tank. Its twin Autocannons aren’t as formidable as
the Shrek’s paired ER-PPCs, but they’re devastating nonetheless. Either dispatch this
vehicle from extreme range with LRMs or other long-range weapons, or get close and
destroy it quickly with concentrated fire. Whatever you do, don’t allow it to remain at
mid-range and don’t let it hang around too long.
Short-Range Tanks
The list of short-range tanks includes a number of lightweights (such as the Savannah
Master) but also some true heavyweights (such as the Bulldog). Learn to recognize
each of these vehicles and deal with them accordingly.
APC
Weight: 10 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Weapons: Laser ON Na
Cost: — \ У “х
Behavior: None
The APC is an unremarkable, lightly armored vehicle with one true purpose: to trans-
port infantry from one place to another. APCs have little or no significance as combat
vehicles, but protecting or destroying one is occasionally critical to your mission goals.
The APC is marginally more durable than the Swiftwind, but not as fast—so it
can neither outrun most enemies nor take much of a beating. It must be protected
carefully at all times.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Savannah Master
Weight: 5 tons
Speed: 21 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 15
Weapons: Small Laser
Cost: 1,000 RP
Behavior: Swarms, concentrates fire
The Savannah Master is so miniscule as to be almost a non-issue, even when it
appears in sizable packs. Whereas it’s usually a good strategy to destroy enemy vehi-
cles before concentrating on enemy 'Mechs (simply because the vehicles are more
fragile and can be eliminated quickly), it’s often a good policy to ignore Savannah
Masters until all other threats are gone.
When your ’Mechs are swarmed by Savannah Masters, just stop and let them
target the enemy. If your Mechs have a few decent short-range weapons, they'll take
out the Savannah Masters in a matter of seconds.
The Savannah Master's only real asset is its speed.
Armored Car
Weight: 8 tons
Speed: 27 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 20
Weapons: Laser
Cost: —
Behavior: Attempts rear attacks
Armored Cars, much like Savannah Masters, should be low on your list of priorities.
They’re exceptionally fast, but that’s their only strength.
Destroy Armored Cars at your convenience, but otherwise don’t worry about them.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED
J. Edgar Light Hover Tank
Weight: 25 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Weapons: 2 Clan Pulse Lasers
Cost: 4,500 RP
Behavior: Circles the target
The J. Edgar Light Hover Tank is a marginally effective vehicle sporting moderate
armor, moderate weapons, and good speed. If ignored long enough it can cause prob-
lems. So, unlike the Savannah Master and Armored Car, it should be made a
priority—if only a minor one.
J. Edgars are best destroyed from long range.
Harasser
Weight: 25 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Weapons: 4 SRM Packs
Cost: 3,040 RP
Behavior: “Jousts” (drives toward target, passes it while firing, and turns for another shot)
Harassers are functionally identical to J. Edgars save for their weapon payloads and
their unusual combat style. Treat them as you would a J. Edgar.
Bulldog Medium Tank +
Weight: 65 tons З | А
Speed: 12 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 100
Weapons: Heavy Autocannon
Cost: 12,590 RP
Behavior: Gets close to target and never leaves
The Bulldog Medium Tank is one of the toughest vehicles you'll face, even though it
isn't one of the heaviest. It's a well-armored tank bearing a single Heavy Autocannon,
but that lone Heavy Autocannon is more than enough to make it a deadly foe.
Bulldogs are deceptive; they fire infrequently and possess only one weapon, and
furthermore don't appear terribly threatening (just as most vehicles don't appear
terribly threatening to 'Mechs). But one lucky shot of a Heavy Autocannon can bring
down a 'Mech and change the complexion of a mission.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When facing Bulldogs, try to maintain medium or long range to prevent them
from using their Heavy Autocannons. Have your ’Mechs run if necessary, periodically
turning around to fire. Bulldogs can never be ignored, and should always be among
the very first targets you attack when facing a mixed group of enemies.
Missile Carriers
Two missile carriers are common throughout the Inner Sphere: the SRM Carrier and
LRM Carrier. These vehicles are similar to tanks, save that they’re less armored than
tanks of comparable weight and carry a larger payload.
Because they carry such heavy payloads, missile carriers should be destroyed as
quickly as possible. This job is usually easy because of the carriers’ light armor—but
should you fail for some reason to dispatch these vehicles quickly, the penalty is harsh.
SRM Carrier
Weight: 60 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 25
Weapons: 6 SRM Packs
Cost: 3,210 RP
Behavior: Fires and retreats
A lone 'Mech with decent long-range punch usually can destroy SRM Carriers before
they get close enough to fire their missiles.
The SRM Carriers' extremely light armor makes them easy targets. If allowed to
hang around, though, they can dish out serious punishment.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED D
LRM Carrier
Weight: 60 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Weapons: 7 LRM Racks
Cost: 13,420 RP
Behavior: Comes to a halt when firing; distributes fire amongst multiple targets
LRM Carriers are maddening when situated behind heavy walls or other defenses,
because they can fire their missiles at you from a spot where most of your Mechs’
weapons can’t reach them. So, the main rule when dealing with LRM Carriers is to cut
a path to them as quickly as possible, and not let them pick your forces apart from
long range.
Miscellaneous Mobile Threats
You’ll encounter a few other armed vehicles in enemy hands. They aren’t as easy to
categorize as the tanks and missile carriers, but they can be formidable nonetheless.
Elementals
Weight: 1 ton
Speed: 3 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 3
Weapons: Small Laser or SRM
Cost: — :
Behavior: Swarms the enemy т —
Elementals are not vehicles, but rather, genetically engineered Clan warriors іп № . 2
special powered-armor suits. These warriors don’t present a major threat to a =^ —
company of 'Mechs, but they can damage vehicles and are hard for 'Mechs without \
short-range weapons to handle. They always appear in swarms, and they don’t show
up on sensors—so you have to keep a close watch for Elemental ambushes. The best
policy to guard against Elementals is simply to make sure that one or more of your
'Mechs has a couple fast-firing, short-range weapons; the Pulse Laser is ideal. With
such weapons, you can quickly dispatch a swarm of Elementals. Also, try using the
GUARD command and selecting the terrain near the Elementals. The player AI knows
how to dispatch them efficiently.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Mobile Field Artillery
Weight: 70 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 150
Weapons: Artillery
Cost: —
Behavior: None
Mobile Field Artillery is used to deliver artillery strikes against targets that are kilometers
away. As it takes a great deal of time to set the unit up to fire, it can’t fire when mobile.
Non-Combatant Vehicles
The following vehicles possess no weapons but have strategic significance nonetheless.
Remember that, during certain missions, you’ll encounter vehicles that aren’t
listed here, but they aren’t as likely as these to be significant to your mission. (Civilian
cars and farm vehicles would fall into this category.)
Cargo Truck
Weight: 40 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 50
Weapons: None
Cost: —
Behavior: Follows designated route
Cargo Trucks possess no weapons but are nonetheless vital to some Jaguar supply lines.
Occasionally, you’ll be tasked with protecting, capturing, or destroying Cargo Trucks.
Because Cargo Trucks are very fragile, you’ll have little trouble destroying
them—if you can catch them.
Cargo Trucks usually follow a designated route across the map. Often, they follow
a road. Careful reconnaissance of the local road network usually allows you to
correctly judge where the Cargo Truck is headed.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED DEFENSES
Aerospace Spotter
Weight: 45 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 75
Weapons: None
Cost: —
Behavior: Calls in an air strike; flees if possible
The Aerospace Spotter is a lumbering hulk whose only purpose is to call in air strikes.
Destroy it quickly to prevent Aerospace fighters from targeting key structures such as
bridges and command posts—or your ’Mechs themselves.
Because Aerospace Spotters are capable of calling in air strikes right on top of
your Mechs’ heads, it's good to keep your Mechs moving while fighting a Spotter. You
always have a few seconds to move your 'Mechs out of the blast area, but large, slow
'Mechs have difficulty moving fast enough. It's best if they're already in motion when
the strike marker appears.
ТЕР You can pause the game briefly whenever a strike marker appears,
then assign your 'Mechs destinations that'll take them away from the
blast. Un-pause the game whenever you're through.
Also, try not to let your 'Mechs stand in tight clusters when fighting Aerospace
Spotters. This is a sure recipe for disaster, because the 'Mechs tend to get in one
another's way and practically guarantee that one or more 'Mechs won't make it out of
the strike area.
Mobile HO Vehicle
Weight: 50 tons
Speed: 15 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 75
Weapons: None е и
Cost: — \ Ad *
Behavior: Flees (usually reveals terrain if captured by enemy) : 3
Mobile HQ Vehicles are mobile command posts. They don’t play an active role in most
battles, but if you capture an enemy Mobile HQ, you'll usually be rewarded with infor-
mation, such as a direct view of previously hidden spots on the map.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fuel Truck
Weight: 55 tons
Speed: 18 m/sec
Total Armor Points: 25
Weapons: None
Cost: —
Behavior: Follows designated route
Fuel Trucks possess no weapons but are highly explosive. Attacking them while they’re
close to enemy 'Mechs or structures can be highly profitable, but attacking them while
they're in the vicinity of your own forces can result in disaster. Fuel Truck explosions
are capable of destroying a light 'Mech outright.
If you want to destroy a Fuel Truck, be sure to do so from as far away as possible.
Usually you can just ignore Fuel Trucks, and this is often the wisest course of action.
EMPLACED DEFENSES
“Emplaced defenses” include any type of weapon or defensive structure that isn’t
capable of moving. The most common defenses you'll encounter are walls and Turrets.
Walls
You'll encounter several types of walls throughout your campaigns. Walls designated
as Large Walls block all weapon fire save for missiles, which are capable of flying over
the wall. Other walls aren't as high and can be fired over.
Walls can be destroyed with concentrated weapon fire, though the exact amount
of damage a wall can sustain varies from wall to wall. Most walls feature a gate that
can be opened either by capturing the relevant Gate Control Building or by weapon
fire. Gates are usually a bit weaker than their surrounding walls, and thus can be shot
down more quickly—but gates are typically guarded by tough defenses, so destroying
a section of wall is often preferable to storming the gate.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACED [
Automated Turrets
Most enemy bases are defended by an array of automated Turrets. Most Turrets are
linked to a Turret Control Tower. Capturing this tower allows you to take possession
of the Turrets, and forces them to fire on your enemies. Destroying the tower renders
the Turrets inoperative. (Note that Pop-Up Turrets are independent and never have a
Turret Control Tower.)
Also, in many cases, you can destroy a nearby Power Generator to render Turrets
inoperative.
Laser Turrets
Weapon: Pulse Laser
Range: Short
Armor: 25 points
Laser Turrets are the weakest Turrets you’ll encounter. They can be safely destroyed at
long range, but they're weak enough that your 'Mechs can wade right through them,
ignoring them, if they're in a big enough hurry.
Cannon Turrets
Weapon: Autocannon
Range: Medium
Armor: 30 points
Cannon Turrets are the second tier of Turrets. They’re a bit more fragile than Laser
Turrets and are capable of dishing out good damage—but again, they can be safely
destroyed at long range.
Missile Turrets
Weapon: 4 LRM Racks
Range: Long
Armor: 40 points
Missile Turrets are the best Turrets available. They fire missiles that deal equivalent
damage to multiple LRMs. So, they're fairly heavy hitters and are dangerous to "Mechs
of every size.
Despite their long range, it's indeed possible to shoot down Missile Turrets while
standing outside their maximum firing radius. Just order your 'Mechs to attack and
then inch them ever closer until the 'Mechs start firing. If this isn't possible because
of time restraints or lack of long-range weapons, the next best strategy is to charge in
pu oc
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Sm
P a
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
full speed with a large group of Mechs, and destroy the relevant Turret Control Tower.
The final option is to destroy the Turrets themselves, though this should only be done
if there are no other options.
Artillery Turrets (Desperate Measures Only)
Weapon: Long Tom Artillery Gun
Range: Long
Armor: 50 Points
Artillery Turrets are the most damaging turrets of all. When your 'Mechs get too close,
they'll pop out of the ground and fire damaging artillery shells that affect everything
within their sizable blast radius. These enhanced Long Tom shells are capable of
severely damaging even a medium or heavy ’Mech.
Artillery Turrets look like flat discs until your forces approach too close, at which
time the artillery gun itself pops out and fires. These Turrets can be attacked from
outside their maximum firing range, and they can be attacked even if the artillery gun
itself hasn’t popped up.
You can and should destroy Artillery Turrets before approaching the base they
defend—unless you can sneak in from behind, outside of the Artillery Turrets’ range,
and capture their Turret Control Tower. In this case they make a valuable ally.
Pop-Up Turrets
Weapon: Variable
Range: Variable
Armor: Variable
Pop-Up Turrets come in the same configurations as standard Turrets (except for
Artillery Turrets). The chief distinction of Pop-Up Turrets is that they’re hidden under-
ground until an enemy enters their firing radius, at which time they pop up and
attack. Skilled MechCommanders can learn to identify Pop-Up Turrets before they
reveal themselves, but it takes time to identify the signs.
Pop-Up Turrets are autonomous, and are never linked to a Turret Control Tower.
VEHICLES AND МОМ- МЕСН IN SUMMARY
Itimately, vehicles will never replace BattleMechs—but that doesn’t mean they’re
рене А lone Commando left to handle a pair of J. Edgar tanks, for example,
has its work cut out for it.
Enemy vehicles are seldom heavy hitters, but that’s usually not their role. Their
job is to wear down your ’Mechs to the point where enemy ’Mechs can finish them off.
Your job, on the other hand, is to learn to recognize enemy vehicles, distinguish
among them, and employ an effective strategy to destroy them. An Armored Car is a
much different threat from a LRM Carrier, and a Bulldog is completely different from
a Shrek.
The best thing about enemy vehicles is that they’re specialized. Most carry only
one sort of weapon, and those with multiple weapons tend to have weapons that all
focus on the same range. Thus, you can foil vehicles with extreme-range weapons
(Shreks, LRM Carriers) simply by getting within kicking distance of them, and you can
foil short-range vehicles (Bulldogs, SRM Carriers) by destroying them before they get
close enough to use their weapons.
The other key when fighting vehicles is to remember that concentrated fire will
destroy them even more quickly than a BattleMech. Therefore it’s usually a good idea
to gang all your "Mechs up on an enemy vehicle and remove it from the picture as
quickly as possible.
If you learn to recognize vehicles and deal with them appropriately, your
missions will flow much more smoothly.
CHAPTER 4: VEHICLES AND EMPLACE |
CHAPTER 5
COMBAT
ye ‘combat engagement has a distinct character and its own set of
es. Although you can’t be prepared for every subtle nuance of
mission, you can learn a set of general guidelines that help you
story regardless of the circumstances. This chapter provides you
such a set of guidelines. They'll help you prepare for—and over-
very obstacle that's thrown in your path.
CHAPTER 5: D
CONFIGURING "MECHS AND FORCE GROUPS
Before you even start your mission, you'll have to make several decisions. Chief among
these decisions is which 'Mechs to bring along and how to equip them.
A truly skilled MechCommander can often succeed without giving too much
consideration to these issues, but on particularly difficult missions, it's vital to tap
every last resource available to you—and one of those resources is the ability to
customize 'Mechs and Force Groups to the task at hand.
Tonnage Considerations
Each mission presents you with a maximum drop weight and a limited number of
DropShip slots in which to place Mechs or vehicles. You may choose to send a lesser
tonnage than the maximum, and collect a bonus of 1,000 Resource Points for every
five tons under the maximum you send.
Going under the maximum allowable tonnage m
is often referred to as "low balling." * венно DEPLOYMENT
Most missions can be accomplished M
using 5 to 10 tons less than you’re allocated; :
many missions can be won even if you low ball
them by up to 20 tons. Beyond this, however,
you're venturing into dangerous territory.
OF? 1/3
ТІР The Desperate Measures missions
are typically harder than those
wv of the original campaign, so you
should generally use most of your
available tonnage on these missions.
Also, playing at the Hard difficulty Figure 5-1. This mission's high drop weight is Qu
level makes it a lot harder to win conducive to low balling. pe і
without using all available tonnage.
How much you want to low ball is entirely up to you. Bear in mind, however, that
low balling can be dangerous. Aside from the obvious danger that you won’t have
enough firepower to succeed, there's always the subtler danger that your 'Mechs will
get shot up more than usual because they won’t have the overwhelming firepower
they might have had if you’d used the maximum allowable tonnage. That extra fire-
power could’ve been used to dispatch enemies faster, thus allowing them less time to
cause expensive damage to your Mechs. This, in turn, results in expensive repairs that
sometimes neutralize the benefits of low balling the mission—or causes losses that
can’t be remedied, such as a pilot’s death or the loss of a rare Clan weapon.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Light or Heavy Mechs?
Generally speaking, if you stage a battle between two 50-ton ’Mechs and four 25-ton
"Месһ, the 50 tonners will win. That's because the 50-ton Mechs have heavier armor
and are capable of carrying heavier weapons with more concentrated firepower (PPCs
and such) that can deal devastating knockout punches to the little Mechs.
The smaller Mechs, on the other hand, have armor that’s weak enough to be
completely shredded by one massive weapon strike, and can’t carry heavy-hitting
weapons that allow them to dispatch an opponent quickly.
TIP = Note that the 50-ton ‘Mechs won't always win, but in general
wv they tend to fare better than the smaller Mechs.
Figure 5-2. The Mad Cat combines high tonnage
with high speed, making it a near-perfect Mech.
Thus, you'll usually find that medium to
heavy ’Месһѕ are a good choice in combat-
intensive missions. Missions that require lots
of running and sneaking around, on the other
hand, tend to be easier for light 'Mechs. Often
you won't know just how combat intensive a
mission is until you're in the middle of it, but
usually you'll have some indication before the
battle is under way.
When in doubt, lean to the heavy side of
the 'Mech spectrum. Heavy 'Mechs are a good
choice on all but the most speed-intensive
missions, as their superior punch and armor
let them dispatch enemies quickly while
taking minimal damage in return.
Because the Desperate Measures missions tend to emphasize speed
and because we recommend taking fast Mechs armed with long-range
weapons, we discourage taking the very heaviest Mechs along on most
Desperate Measures missions.
ТІР Our ideal Force Group would be comprised entirely of Mad Cats, which
wv combine excellent size and firepower with excellent speed. Lacking
1 Mad Cats, we'd use Thors and Lokis. If those weren't available, we'd
use the durable Nova Cat, which isn't quite as fast but is otherwise
competent, or Shadow Cats, which are less durable but quite fast.
And finally, if none of these Clan ‘Mechs were available, we'd use v
Bushwhackers, which combine good size with very good speed. pA
Special Units es a
Some missions, especially those from the original MechCommander game, require
you to bring along a special unit, such as an APC to rescue prisoners or a Minesweeper
to clear out minefields. On these missions, you should do your best to protect the
special units.
Other missions don't require you to use special units, but they're recommended.
In these cases, do yourself a favor and take the special units; they'll make your job a lot
easier. Failing to take a Minelayer on a defensive mission where a Minelayer is suggested,
for example, can lead to serious headaches. A Minelayer can effectively block multiple
passes at once and head off enemy incursions before they get a chance to develop. To
deprive yourself of the Minelayer in this case puts you at a real disadvantage.
ТІР Generally speaking, the only non-'Mech units you should take along
wv on Desperate Measures missions are Refit Trucks or Ammo Trucks. The
i others aren't needed. This is different from the original campaign,
which occasionally demanded special units.
WEAPON CHOICES
hat weapons should you bring along on any given mission? There are no hard and
Wes rules to guide you. Certain unique missions might require special weapon
payloads, but for most missions, you'll find that any number of weapon strategies
will work just fine. One MechCommander might wish to load up on long-range
weapons and fight from a distance, while another might choose to attack from close
in. Still others might prefer a mix of long-range and short-range attackers.
In summary, there are two main reasons to select a weapon: because you like it
and because the mission demands it.
Preferred Weapons
The first class of weapons that you should employ includes those you happen to like.
Perhaps you love the long-range punch of PPCs or the sheer devastation of a Heavy
Autocannon. How about the raw efficiency of the Clan's lightweight missile systems?
MECHCOMMANDER: 000 — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
There’s a great deal of room for personal choice in weapon selection, and there aren’t
necessarily any right or wrong answers. There are a few guidelines you'll want to
adhere to, though—at least at first. We'll cover those later.
Situational Weapons
The other reason to take particular weapons
is because there’s some compelling reason to
do so in the upcoming mission. Maybe you
know there’ll be lots of Turrets, so you bring
LRMs to pick them apart at long range. Or
maybe you know a mission will take place in
a particularly enclosed space, so you try to
load up on short-range weapons. Any time
you've got a clue about what you're up
against in your next mission, take full advan-
tage by selecting weapons that excel in the
situation you expect.
>
Figure 5-3. These Missile Turrets will pose problems
if your Mechs don't have long-range weapons to
pick them off.
WEAPON GUIDELINES
Although there’s room for personal choice in weapon selection, some weapons are
much more versatile than others.
Here are the three main guidelines you should take to heart when choosing your
weapons. These aren’t hard and fast rules, but you should still think carefully before
disregarding them. They’ve been proven over the course of many, many missions.
Cluster Your Weapons
The first rule of thumb is to cluster your weapons by range, so that most of them can
be fired simultaneously. Here are two examples.
Example 1: AMechCommander buys a brand new Catapult. Elated, he sticks two
of his favorite weapons in it—a Heavy Autocannon and a Gauss Rifle. This more or less
CHAPTER à
fills up the Mech, so no more weapons can be loaded. (Note that filling a Mech with
only one or two weapons is a bad idea for several reasons, which we'll cover later.)
Unfortunately, however, the Catapult now has two great weapons whose ranges
hardly overlap. The Gauss Rifle has great range but can’t fire at a target inside
50 yards, while the Heavy Autocannon’s maximum range is 75 yards. So, if the
MechCommander wanted his 'Mech to fight at maximum efficiency (which means
using all weapons simultaneously) he'd have to make sure his Mech kept within a very
specific, narrowly defined radius of his enemies during combat—between 50 and
75 yards. That’s tough to accomplish, especially against enemies that move around a
lot. The end result is a Mech that'll probably only get to use one weapon at a time.
Example 2: The same MechCommander buys a new Catapult and loads on a
Heavy Autocannon. He also throws on four Lasers. Now he’s got a bunch of weapons
that all have the same firing range. Once he gets within that range of an enemy, he
can unload them all at once. The enemy isn’t likely to last very long.
Concentrate the Damage (But Dont Overdo It)
A few powerful weapons that deal heavy damage are usually better against heavy
targets than lots of small weapons that deal miniscule damage. Why exactly is that?
Here are a few facts that help to explain.
Fact 1: Your ultimate goal when fighting a BattleMech is to pierce its armor and
damage the vital internal components that make it work.
Fact 2: Unless you aim for specific body parts, your shots usually don’t all hit the
same spot on the enemy ’Mech. One shot might hit the left leg, one might hit the right
torso, one might hit the left arm, and so forth.
Fact 3: Each different location on the 'Mech's body has its own armor.
What can we learn from these facts? Fact 1 says that your ultimate goal is to
puncture the enemy's armor and damage its vital internal components. The most effi-
cient way to do this would be to fire all your weapons at the same location on the
'Mech's body, peel away the armor at that particular spot, and destroy the vital compo-
nents underneath.
But Fact 2 tells us that this isn't likely to happen. What's much more likely is that
you'll end up shooting all different parts of the enemy 'Mech, which is pretty ineffi-
cient. Instead of drilling a small hole right to those internal components, you might
end up peeling away armor from several parts of the 'Mech but not really damaging it
in any significant way.
ТІР Youcan target a particular spot on the enemy "Mech, and thus achieve
concentrated damage. But targeting individual parts of an enemy ‘Mech
wv not only requires your own ’Mechs to stand still while firing, but it's
tricky and leads to lots of missed shots. This introduces a different kind
of inefficiency. We don't recommend targeted shots for this reason.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
There is, however, a solution. By using heavy-hitting weapons that dish out
tremendous damage with a single shot, you guarantee that every time you fire, you'll
have a chance of getting at those precious internal components.
For example, it's possible to walk up to a more or less intact light 'Mech, fire a
Heavy Autocannon at it, hit it in the head, and destroy it on the spot. On the other
hand, if you were using a bunch of Lasers that dealt equal damage as a Heavy
Autocannon, those Lasers would probably hit the target in all different spots. Each hit
would deal only two points of damage, and the result would be a 'Mech with slight
armor damage to several locations instead of a destroyed 'Mech.
ТІР 7e only corollary to this rule is not to overdo it and put all your eggs
in one basket. If your 'Mech can't carry more than one large weapon
3 (such as a single PPC or Heavy Autocannon), you should probably
equip it with smaller weapons instead. А "Mech with only one weapon
runs a significant risk of having that single weapon destroyed —and
then the ‘Mech is useless for the remainder of the mission.
Balance Power and Ammunition
The final weapon guideline is to balance your
thirst for power with the hard realities of
limited ammunition. Generally speaking,
weapons that fire projectiles deal more
damage over an extended period of time than
energy weapons of comparable weight.
Because of this, you'll be tempted to load up
on potent Autocannons and Gauss Rifles. But
beware the dangers of limited ammunition!
'Mechs equipped only with these weapons
tend to be extremely deadly for a short while,
but then run out of ammunition and are
ii
Figure 5-4. This 'Mech's Heavy Autocannon is out of
ammo, so the ’Mech is now almost useless. worthless.
Generally speaking, no 'Mech should carry only projectile weapons unless the
mission is certain to be short, or if Repair Bays or Refit Trucks are available. Those
'Mechs that do rely heavily on projectile weapons should use Ammo Conservation
fire mode when fighting lesser enemies, and use their full weapons set only against
valid threats.
Recommendations
Despite our assurances that most weapons
MAIN MENU
have their uses, we thought you'd probably BRIEFING/DEPLOYMENT — |
PURCHASING
want specific weapons recommendations. REZI
CORSE ET VENE
Here they are.
First, understand that we recommend
long-range combat over short-range combat.
By taking only fast Mechs and loading them
with almost all long-range weapons, you can
avoid confronting enemies with deadly Heavy
Autocannons at short range, and you can keep
the option to escape open at all times.
Our favorite weapons are the Large
CHAPTER
X-Pulse Laser and the Clan ER-PPC. Clan Figure 5-4а. Heavy X-Pulse Lasers and Clan ER-PPCs,
LRM Racks and standard LRM Racks are also Бош seen on this ’Mech, are highly recommended.
favorites, especially for missions requiring
you to shoot over walls.
The Clan Large ER Laser is also very good, as is the Inner Sphere ER-PPC. Gauss
Rifles also can be good if you have access to frequent refits.
If you decide to gear your 'Mechs for shorter-range combat, we recommend the
Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannon. It doesn't dish out quite the damage of the Ultra model,
but its plentiful ammo supply makes it the best all-purpose heavy Autocannon. Clan
Streak SRM Packs are also favorites.
MECHWARRIORS
echWarriors are important to your plans—almost as important as 'Mechs.
M MechWarriors with great skills can hit a target more accurately, dodge enemy fire
better, and get more range out of their sensors and jump jets than less skilled
individuals. They often mean the difference between success and failure.
Hiring and Firing
MechWarriors do all the actual fighting, but it's up to you to decide whom to send into
battle. There are a few simple rules to follow when hiring and firing MechWarriors, all
of which are outlined in the next few sections.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Never Dismiss a MechWarrior
MechWarriors cost nothing to maintain—all you pay is the initial cost to hire them.
Also, there are a finite number of MechWarriors available to you over the course of
your campaign, and firing one of them permanently removes him or her from the
game. Add up these two facts, and you'll realize that there's seldom a good reason to
send a MechWarrior back to Battalion. Sure, you'll get a few Resource Points, but it's
not worth the lost potential.
Although you'll want to keep using the same MechWarriors over and over so
they'll develop their skills, you never know when one of them might get injured or
even killed. Sometimes injuries will deplete your ranks so thoroughly that you'll end
up sending MechWarriors you never thought you'd use on a mission. So keep those
extra MechWarriors around.
When in Doubt, Dont Hire
Battalion periodically gives you the opportunity to hire new MechWarriors. You
should periodically check for new arrivals and hire any with overwhelming skills, but
don’t feel obligated to hire mediocre MechWarriors the instant they arrive. Once a
MechWarrior becomes available he or she will remain available until hired or until the
end of the campaign.
Assigning MechWarriors to ‘Mechs
Which MechWarrior should pilot which Mech? Here are a few simple guidelines that’ll
help you decide.
Match Good MechWarriors to Good ‘Mechs
Your best Mechs are even better when good MechWarriors are handling them. If you
want your Force Group to operate at maximum efficiency, you should give your best
MechWarriors the biggest and most capable BattleMechs.
Bear in mind that the MechWarrior in the point position (leading a Force Group)
gets more experience from a mission than those in other positions. Therefore, even
though you usually want your best MechWarriors to be in charge of a Force Group in
CHAPTER
the biggest "Mechs, you might want to give
slightly less experienced MechWarriors a shot
at leadership once in awhile.
TIP Generally speaking, a Regular
27 MechWarrior is better than a Green
one, a Veteran is better than a
Regular, and so forth. But when it’s
time to evaluate and compare
MechWarriors based on their actual
skills, bear in mind that Gunnery
and Piloting are usually the most
important qualities to look for.
Enhanced sensor range is nice but Figure 5-5. This Atlas, which is packed with potent
unessential, and not all Mechs have weapons, should be piloted by a great MechWarrior.
jumping ability—so Gunnery
and Piloting are the skills that come
into play most often.
TIP Be sure to give your best-shooting MechWarriors the biggest weapons.
"JJ The more damage a weapon deals with a single shot, the more
wv crucial it is that the shot actually hits the mark. This is especially
true when the weapon has limited ammo—so be sure to have skilled
MechWarriors pilot ‘Mechs with large, limited-ammo weapons.
Stick with Your MechWarriors
Once you get a few good MechWarriors on your roster, stick with them unless you can
hire someone better. Because pilots get better with experience, there’s very little
reason to keep switching MechWarriors. Just keep using the ones you like, and they’ll
continue to get better. The exception is if you can hire someone that has visibly better
skills than your current MechWarriors.
Always Allow Time To Heal
MechWarriors are in many ways more valuable than BattleMechs, because their expe-
rience is so hard to replace. Take care of your MechWarriors by letting them sit out a
mission if they get hurt. Then rotate them back into the front lines when they're
healthy again.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
SALVAGE STRATEGIES
anaging salvage is a big part of being a MechCommander. Battalion is notorious
M for providing only the minimum equipment necessary to finance a campaign, and
salvage represents a great way of increasing your arsenal and your supply of
Resource Points. While salvage is really no more complicated than shooting a foe and
picking up the debris later, there are a few important tips to bear in mind as you
acquire and manage your salvaged materials.
Maximizing Salvage
You'll have a better chance of salvaging a 'Mech if you just barely destroy it. For
example, if the Mech has no armor left and you finish it off with a tiny Pulse Laser
blast, you'll have a good chance of salvaging it. If, on the other hand, you level it
with a massive Heavy Autocannon volley, it's almost certain that you'll damage it
beyond repair.
'Mechs whose engines explode aren't salvageable. Sometimes you'll get unlucky
even if you destroy the 'Mech with very light weapons, and you'll damage it just
enough to make it explode. That's the breaks; salvage isn't an exact science.
You won't be able to salvage every 'Mech (or even most), but you can improve
your odds of getting more salvage in several ways. The easiest way is to ease up on a
'Mech that's almost destroyed and only let one or two 'Mechs with reasonably light
weapons finish it off. This is better than letting all your 'Mechs pound it into oblivion.
Another trick is to target the 'Mech's legs, thus disabling it in a way that's
unlikely to ruin it completely. This should only be attempted when the "Mech is so
battered that it no longer poses a threat, however.
ТІР The tougher your opponents, the harder it is to employ these salvaging
wv tricks. In a rough fight you can't worry about keeping the enemy
intact—you must destroy him, and quickly! In these cases, targeting
the legs or having just one of your ‘Mechs fire allows the enemy to
stay alive longer and do extra damage to your ‘Mechs.
Balance your desire for salvage with the necessities of the battlefield.
CHAPTER
Capturing Structures
Keep a sharp lookout for salvage opportunities
in every battle. Some missions feature Clan
structures you can capture for salvage, often
in out-of-the-way places. Sometimes they’re : 2
placed dangerously close to explosive struc- 3
tures that might get detonated during battle— <
so remember to look before you shoot.
Some of the best weapons and items in
Desperate Measures are available primarily
from salvageable structures.
а Figure 5-6. Salvageable buildings are often hidden in
Taking on Extra Foes aut of he way places
Although you can sometimes get away with
avoiding the toughest enemy 'Mechs, you should always consider battles from a salvage
standpoint. Sure, avoiding that Mad Cat or Vulture might seem like a great idea in the
short term—but you should ask yourself: Can I beat it? If so, you might want to give it
a shot. A big Clan 'Mech is a valuable prize, and capturing one in salvage can make
subsequent missions that much easier. Mad Cats, especially, are excellent catches.
Vehicles can't be salvaged, so there's never an upside to fighting vehicles you
don't absolutely have to fight.
ТІР / the toughest missions, taking on extra ‘Mechs might not be a great
wv idea. Measure the potential damage to your existing Mechs against
k the odds of salvaging your enemy, then attack or avoid based on
your assessment. re
Using Clan Weapons and Mechs
As explained in Chapter 3, Clan "Mechs and weapons are flat-out superior to those
from the Inner Sphere. Clan weapons are usually lighter and in all cases better than
Inner Sphere weapons, and Clan ’Mechs can carry а lot more weapons and armor than
their Inner Sphere counterparts.
Just how great is this discrepancy? To put it into perspective, a 60-ton Clan
Vulture-W can carry seven more tons of weapons than a 70-ton Inner Sphere
Jagermech-W. Furthermore, it carries fractionally more armor than the Jagermech.
This isn't an uncommon scenario! A typical Clan 'Mech is equal or superior to an
Inner Sphere design that's ten tons heavier. That makes a huge difference.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The same can be said for the Clan’s ultra-light and super-potent weapons. When
you compare them individually to Inner Sphere models the differences might seem
manageable, but there is a huge difference between a 'Mech loaded with Clan weapons
and one loaded with Inner Sphere designs.
The bottom line then is to save Clan Mechs and weapons whenever possible, and
try to slowly phase out Inner Sphere designs.
Sell or Repair?
Only sell Clan "Mechs or weapons if you have a huge surplus, and even then think
twice. Remember, you can’t just buy a new Clan ’Mech or weapon at Battalion!
Spares come in handy, and that's true both for Mechs and weapons. Hold on to
that Clan technology, and use it as much as possible. If you sell it, rest assured that
Battalion won't give you enough Resource Points to compensate for its loss.
ТІР = The Clan’s ER-PPC and Heavy LB-X Autocannon are true prizes. Never
wv sell these weapons, regardless of how many you already possess.
NON-COMBAT STRATEGIES
ecause combat is at the core of what you'll do as a MechCommander, the following
Вт strategies are actually related very closely to combat. They’re only
referred to as “non-combat” because they don’t pertain to actual fighting. Instead, they
relate to the things you should do before and after combat over the course of a mission.
This advice is quite general; much more detailed advice appears in the individual
mission walkthroughs in Chapters 6 through 13.
Stick Together
The first rule is simple: Have your "Mechs stick together. That's because the combined
firepower of all your 'Mechs can usually dispatch enemies quickly. If you split up your
'Mechs and order them all to fight the enemy individually, they'll take a long time to
gun down opponents. This gives the bad guys extra time to shoot holes in your 'Mechs,
which they inevitably capitalize on.
Sometimes splitting up your Mechs is
profitable or simply necessary. For example,
perhaps you need to defend both the front and
back of a convoy, or you need to defend two
sides of a base simultaneously. Or perhaps you
want to break a small scout "Mech away from
the main group and have it investigate the
other side of the map. All these are acceptable
situations in which to break up your "Mech
group. Just don’t make a habit of splitting up
your Mechs for no good reason.
Watch Your Sensors
Sensors are very useful and often overlooked.
By paying careful attention to sensor contacts
in the black, unrevealed portion of the battle-
field map you can usually get a good sense of
what you’re walking into. How are the
contacts arranged? Are they moving or
stationary? How many are there total?
Here are some of the clever things you
can do when you pay close attention to your
sensors:
* Look for ways to avoid an area filled with
too many sensor contacts, or figure out
which of two paths is easier by comparing
the number of contacts on each.
* Observe a pattern of contacts and approach
in such a way that your forces will only
engage one of those contacts, instead of
plunging into the middle and taking fire from all sides.
e Watch contacts over a long period of time to figure out (and avoid) enemy patrol | :
ied
routes.
Use High Ground
While commanding a mission, it’s easy to get tunnel vision and lose sight of the world
around you. Here’s a tip that’ll serve you well: Always watch the map for high ground.
Ridges, bluffs, hills, and mountains affect your Mechs’ vision more profoundly than
you might expect. Climbing to the top of a mountain, for example, gives you a view of
a very large area around the mountain. This enhanced vision is useful in any number
CHAPTER 5: COM T
um
1 IG H Ц E 2 i i:
Figure 5-7. Sticking together, as these 'Mechs are,
allows your ’Mechs to concentrate their fire effectively.
epa МИА
"фе * iei РИ ТШ
Figure 5-8. These moving sensor contacts аге
patrolling vehicles.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
of ways: It can improve your navigation, reveal key terrain features, give a view of
distant enemies, and even pave the way for long-distance artillery strikes.
Whenever you see high ground, therefore, it’s a good idea to climb it. Remember
that your Mechs, unlike vehicles, are largely unaffected by steep terrain—so there's
no downside to ascending it.
Avoid Unnecessary Combat
While some missions require you to completely eliminate enemy resistance in a given
area, most of them don’t. On the ones that don’t, you need to avoid unnecessary
combat because chances are good that you’re heavily outnumbered.
Even if you’re required to eliminate all opposition, you still need to pick and
choose your fights. Don’t wade into the midst of enemy fortifications and fight multiple
enemies simultaneously. Instead, go up to the edge of the fortified area and then retreat
after firing a few long-range volleys, hoping to lure some of the defenders out.
Choose a Path (or Burn Опе)
MechCommander missions often give you the opportunity to take different paths to a
destination. The obvious path is not always the best one. Instead of striding up a paved
road, you'll often get better results by sneaking around in the wilderness or circling
an enemy hideout to approach from the rear.
Always bear in mind that your BattleMechs have the ability to affect the land-
scape. Burn down a forest that gets in the way with weapons fire, and create alternate
paths for your units to cross. Break down walls that block your path. Destroy bridges
that provide extra escape routes for the enemy.
Protect the Non-Combatants
Occasionally you'll find that missions require you to protect a civilian unit or a fragile
combat unit. In these cases, you should keep the unit(s) that need protection close to
your main force, but somewhat to the rear to avoid enemy fire.
If your mission requires you to keep a more durable unit such as a BattleMech
intact, you can usually get away with using that unit in combat. Just make sure your
CHAPTER
other Mechs attack the enemy first and draw their fire, then let the mission-critical
'Mech join the fray.
ELEMENTARY COMBAT STRATEGY
Here are the basics of "Mech combat boiled down into a few simple tenets. Every
battlefield offers its own subtleties, but certain constants always apply.
Fight on Advantageous Terrain
It goes without saying that you should fight on advantageous terrain. For the purpose
of Mech battles, advantageous terrain has а few key characteristics:
terrain, but you can do your best to make the
battlefield better. Here’s how:
It offers room to maneuver and retreat if necessary.
It doesn’t contain enemy emplaced defenses such as Turrets.
It doesn’t contain features such as walls
that protect the enemies while they fire at
your units.
It doesn’t force your 'Mechs to go too close
to explosive hazards.
You can’t always avoid unfavorable
Be extra careful around bridges and other
choke points. Send a scout across the
bridge to discover enemy forces and lure
them back instead of sending your units
across and letting them fight on the
cramped quarters of the bridge.
ја
D b.
checking —
à
a t USB
Figure 5-9. Don't cross these bridges without
to see what's on the other side first.
Try to lure mobile defenders such as 'Mechs and vehicles away from bases with
emplaced defenses such as Turrets. Destroy the mobile units well away from the
emplaced defenses, then return to chisel away at the defenses.
Destroy emplaced defenses at long range, where they can't return fire. Only when
the coast is clear should your forces attack.
Break holes in enemy walls before approaching and starting to fight. Your 'Mechs
will have a path to go through when the fighting starts, instead of being forced to
break a hole while they're getting shot at.
Avoid or detonate explosive structures instead of walking your ’Mechs too close,
or—better yet—lure the enemy into them.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Concentrate Firepower
This point bears repeating: The best way to eliminate the enemy is to concentrate fire-
power on an individual unit instead of spreading your fire out against multiple targets.
By blasting as much ordnance as possible into a single enemy, you remove it from the
picture quickly and efficiently.
Concentrated firepower is effective because it gets results quickly. If three Mechs
attack your forces, and your forces return fire against all three simultaneously, it’ll
take a long time for your forces to destroy any single Mech. By concentrating on one
'Mech and ignoring the others, you can destroy it quickly. Now there's one less Mech
firing at your forces, and your job is just that much easier.
Keep Moving
Your 'Mechs and vehicles remember your attack orders even after you've told them to
move to a different spot. Thus, you can assign your units a target and then have them
move to a new position; they'll keep firing at the target as they move.
Walking and running reduce the chances that your 'Mechs will get hit. It's always
a good idea, therefore, to have them pace back and forth during combat. Don't let
them stand still.
TIP Walking is usually best, as your 'Mechs will maintain a weapons lock
wv as they walk. Running interferes with aiming and shooting consider-
1 ably more than walking, so you should only run when the fight has
moved to a range you aren't comfortable with.
For example, if your ‘Mechs all have long-range weapons and ап
enemy with a Heavy Autocannon is getting too close, you should have
your forces run until they've opened a large gap with the enemy, then
return to a walking pace.
Conserve Ammunition
If you're employing "Mechs with heavy projec-
tile weapons, you're bound to have ammuni-
tion shortages. This makes it tempting to
avoid projectile weapons altogether. Still,
many missions feature tough enemies that
are hard to dispatch without the aid of
powerful projectiles. The best solution is
generally to conserve ammunition. Use
Ammo Conservation mode when firing on
small, unthreatening targets to avoid wasting
precious ammo.
To Target or Not to Target?
The final combat tenet regards targeting.
It’s up to you whether to spend most of
the battle targeting pieces of enemy ’Mechs,
CHAPTER 3
P
Figure 5-10. In the original MechCommander,
"Mechs that wanted to conserve their ammo would
have to hang back and simply not fight (as the lone
Hunchback ПС is doing here). Now you can use Ammo
Conservation mode instead.
or to allow your MechWarriors to fire indiscriminately at the entire enemy 'Mech. Just
bear in mind that targeting portions of an enemy is akin to gambling. Targeting a
specific body part results in concentrated damage when your shots hit, but a lot more
shots will miss when you target specific locations. You're gambling that enough shots
will hit to make the targeting worthwhile.
The head is the hardest part of the enemy to hit. Arms and legs are also tough,
and sections of torso—while not nearly as elusive as the head—still aren't easy shots.
If you do decide to target specific body parts, bear in mind that it works best if
your 'Mechs have lots of fast-firing weapons like Large X-Pulse Lasers (so you'll get
lots of chances to hit) and the target is at close range (where your chances of hitting
are improved). Also, big, slow 'Mechs are more vulnerable to targeted fire than small,
nimble 'Mechs—so don't waste your time trying to shoot the head off a running
Commando. Just destroy it conventionally.
When in doubt, don’t target specific portions of the enemy. Stick to the basics, — А hs
and only target body parts when you know the battle is well in hand.
COMBAT TIPS AND TRICKS
get the most out of every battle. Most are very situational, so you can’t use them
В: the basics of combat, there are a number of tips and tricks that will help you
all the time—but you should definitely use them whenever possible.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Attack from Afar
If your Mechs have long-range attack capabilities, you should use them to take out
immobile targets from afar. Turrets are the best targets, but vehicles and Mechs
hiding behind barriers are often equally vulnerable to long-range gunnery. Don’t feel
obligated to close to medium range: force your 'Mechs to retreat if they get too close.
Protect the Weak
You can change the leader or point man in each Force Group as often as you like
during a mission. Because the point man tends to encounter the enemy first and take
the most fire, you should always assign a new point man when the current leader’s
'Mech is severely damaged.
If a 'Mech is so thoroughly damaged that a mere scratch could destroy it,
switching it to a backup position may not be enough. You might have to assign it to
its own group and let it lag well behind the others, catching up only after combat is
well under way and the enemy has started attacking other 'Mechs instead.
Bait and Switch
This technique is absolutely crucial in tough missions.
Enemy 'Mechs tend to target a single one of your 'Mechs and pound away at it—
that's just common sense. If enough enemies have targeted the same 'Mech, it'll start
to deteriorate fast. Watch for this occurrence and have the 'Mech that's getting pelted
run away while your other 'Mechs engage the enemy at closer range. Running makes
the persecuted 'Mech harder to hit, and eventually takes him out of danger.
ТЕР you can pause the game to make it easier to issue these orders in the
wv heat of battle.
In the very hardest missions, it's absolutely essential that you monitor your
'Mechs' status during battles and move the most severely damaged 'Mechs out of enemy
range. This prevents any number of needless 'Mech losses and MechWarrior deaths.
CHAPTER
ТІР After the damaged ‘Mech has moved out of enemy range and the
wv enemy has turned its attention to your other ‘Mechs, you can move
the damaged "Mech back into range and have it attack the enemy
from afar.
Use Artillery and Environmental Effects
Some missions give you multiple artillery
strikes. Usually you don’t need these strikes
for any specific purpose—they’re just there to
make your job easier. Take advantage of these
strikes! It’s easy to forget about them, but
they’re a great tool for destroying emplaced
defenses and stationary vehicles. They also can
be used against moving enemies, but you'll
have to use a little guesswork to figure out
where they'll be when the artillery finally hits.
Similarly, always watch for explosive
vehicles or structures that you can detonate
near enemy units.
Pause the Dame
Never forget that you can pause the game in single-player missions, and issue orders
while the game is paused! Pausing the game allows you to control the battle much
more finely than you could without pausing. It's especially useful for evaluating the
position of your 'Mechs in relation to the enemy and assigning them destinations to
move to.
Pausing the game allows you to easily move damaged 'Mechs toward the rear, and
bring undamaged 'Mechs up to the front lines. It also lets you assess the battlefield
objectively.
T IP You can't pause the action in multiplayer games.
BASE ATTACK STRATEGIES
ver and over again you'll find yourself in the position of having to assault a forti-
1 enemy base. This happens so frequently that we thought we’d devote a small
final section to it.
Figure 5-11. This Fuel Truck can be detonated from
afar, damaging everything around it.
MECHCOMMANDER: 0000 — РАІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Pick Away or Charge In?
Although it may be tempting to gather all your "Mechs together and then storm the
enemy base in a lightning-fast strike, in practice you’ll have an easier time if you
attack slowly and methodically. Occasionally you’ll find a mission in which attacking
quickly has real merits—for example, the base is filled with powered-down units and
by attacking fast you can destroy them before they power up—but, generally speaking,
you should enter bases with deliberate patience.
First, keep your Mechs well back and methodically destroy Turrets or Turret
Control Towers with your longest-range weapons or artillery strikes. Even the longest-
ranged Turrets can be shot at and destroyed from outside their effective range.
In the process of destroying enemy Turrets, you might warn mobile defenders of
your presence. If enemy units start to flood out of the base, have your units retreat a
bit and fight them well away from the base itself. Only approach the base again when
all those attacking units have been destroyed. (If you stray too close to the base while
you fight these units, you’ll be in the maddening position of taking fire both from the
base’s mobile defenders and its emplaced defenses—plus any units still hiding inside
the base itself.)
Now, finish destroying the Turrets from afar. Also blast a hole in the base from
afar, then rush inside.
ТІР Picking off Turrets from long range is particularly essential in
| Desperate Measures, because the new Artillery Turret is devastating.
Wading into a cluster of Artillery Turrets is a surefire way to lose
the missions.
CHAPTER
Attack the Wall or the Gate?
Most bases feature a main gate. Gates open
automatically for the side that controls them,
but lock out the enemy. Although gates are
generally more fragile than the walls they’re
set into, you should generally try to shoot a
hole in the base wall rather than storming the
gate. Base defenses tend to be built around
the gates, and you can avoid some of those
defenses by creating an unexpected entrance.
Destroy Turrets or Capture Them?
If there's a possibility that you'll need to defend preferable to storming the gate.
an enemy base after capturing it, take care to
capture enemy Turret Control Towers instead of destroying them. Although this might
result in a little extra punishment for your 'Mechs, it's usually worth it to possess those
Turrets when the enemy counterattacks.
Figure 5-12. Blasting a hole in the wall is usually
Note that you can't capture enemy structures while there are active enemies
nearby. In this case, you might want to draw out the enemies as described under "Pick
Away or Charge In?" before trying to capture the Turret Control Tower.
ТІР Desperate Measures features many opportunities for jump-capable
wv ‘Mechs. Look for places where a jump-capable "Mech can leap over a
wall and capture a Turret Control Tower.
Once the Turrets have been captured, try to defend the Turret Control Tower and
keep your forces nearby, where the Turrets can lend fire support.
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HLOMMANDER: Bi
PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY
OPERATIO
МЕС
BEACHHEAD
“he goal of your first Operation is to establish a beachhead on Port
Arthur. The campaign has begun on a grim note; Battalion has lost
| “contact with X- ray Company, the first company to be dropped on the
als keep a sharp lokaut for remnants of X-ray Company and
48 tha slack caused by their absence.
ou read these mission walkthroughs, bear in mind that they
nly one way of attacking a mission. There are always alterna-
el free to experiment and find your own path to victory.
X:
CHAPTER E—DPERATION I: BEACHHEAD —
pU.
TIP Throughout the campaign you'll encounter a number of enemy
wv structures. Many of these can be captured for salvage parts. These
structures usually have no direct bearing on your mission goals, ee
but capturing them can be quite profitable. 4
Instead of repeatedly mentioning these structures and telling
you to capture them, the following mission walkthroughs assume
that you'll keep your eyes open and capture these structures
whenever convenient.
Always remember: There are salvage opportunities in most
missions, and it’s up to you to exploit them.
MISSION 1-1: LIBERATE WORK LAMPS
he Smoke Jaguars have been placing dissidents into so-called “Reeducation”
Camps. Your task is to liberate two such work camps, designated Alpha and Beta,
by destroying each camp’s headquarters (HQ), any Clan units at Camp Beta, and a
Natural Gas Tower at Camp Alpha.
Also, the local garrison must be dealt with. This garrison is hosted by three main
buildings; destroy the buildings and Clan control in this area will be broken.
You might face Laser Turrets, and a Clan Uller OmniMech has been reported in
the area.
* Destroy Alpha Camp HQ and Natural Gas Tower
e Destroy the three Garrison Buildings at Garrison Base
* Destroy Beta Camp HQ and guard
Overview
This is a simple mission that will ease you into the flow of the campaign. Enemy resis-
tance is limited to two small 'Mechs, a few Armored Cars, and several Laser Turrets.
Enemies tend to be scattered while your forces are concentrated. This makes it easy to
crush the opposition while sustaining minimal damage in return.
The map is littered with structures of various sorts, only a few of which are truly
important. Specifically, you’ll need to destroy two Camp HQ buildings, a Natural Gas
Tower, and three Garrison Buildings.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is 85 tons. If you assign all three of your starting "Mechs
(two Commandos and a Firestarter) to the mission, you'll have a respectable 80
tons. You might want to remove a few SRMs from these 'Mechs and replace them
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fig. 6-1. Battle Map of Mission 1-1.
CHAPTER B — OPERATION |: В
with harder-hitting weapons such as a Heavy Flamer or Lasers, but this is entirely
up to you. The mission can be won with a minimum of 'Mech customization.
If you want to lowball the mission and win with only two 'Mechs, be sure to stock
up on those harder-hitting weapons. If you don't, you'll probably have trouble with the
Uller you encounter at the end.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are all deployed at Drop Point 1.
The only opposition in the immediate area is
a trio of Armored Cars. Start walking your
'Mechs along the path outlined on the Battle
Map, heading for Camp Alpha. Destroy the
Armored Cars you encounter along the way
with concentrated fire.
Soon you'll reach Camp Alpha, which is
labeled on the Battle Map and seen in Figure
6-2. It's defended by a single Laser Turret.
Destroy the Turret with concentrated fire,
then destroy the structures labeled Camp HQ
and Natural Gas Tower. Be sure to stand clear
of the Tower as you destroy it.
1
Fig. 6-2. This is Camp Alpha. The parked Fuel Truck
will drive away as you approach, so be careful!
ТІР As you approach Camp Alpha, a Fuel Truck will depart. Watch out!
The Truck is highly explosive, and shooting it when it’s too close to
your ‘Mechs is one of the easiest ways to take a beating in this
mission. Attacking the Fuel Truck is completely unnecessary.
After leveling Camp Alpha, start moving your 'Mechs toward the spot labeled
Garrison on the Battle Map. The Garrison has slightly better defenses than Camp
Alpha, because—in addition to an Armored Car and its single Laser Turret—a
Commando-A is patrolling the area. Since you possess three 'Mechs of equal or greater
tonnage than the Commando, you should have little difficulty killing it with concen-
trated fire.
Destroy the Laser Turret before fighting the Commando, so that both the
Commando and Turret aren't hitting your 'Mechs at the same time.
When all resistance has been eliminated, destroy the three nearby structures
labeled Garrison Building.
Now proceed to Camp Beta, taking the highlighted path on your Battle Map. By
following the path illustrated on the Battle Map you can avoid a small checkpoint
defended by an Armored Car and a Laser Turret.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
At Camp Beta you'll find an Uller standing guard. Immediately attack the Uller
and destroy it with concentrated fire. Remember to keep your 'Mechs moving as they
fight! When the Uller is obliterated, destroy the building labeled Camp HQ. The
mission ends when this structure is demolished.
MISSION 1-2: RESCUE CAPTURED PILOTS
wo MechWarriors and some supplies have been captured by Clan Bondsmen. The
Г are being held іп а field camp; the MechWarriors are being held captive іп
a barn somewhere in the vicinity. Your task is to locate and liberate both the
supplies and the MechWarriors.
The location of the prison barn is unknown, but if you capture an HQ vehicle
located near the field camp, it will reveal the location of the barn.
Once you've liberated both MechWarriors and supplies you must proceed to the
Extraction Point.
Artillery strikes are available in this mission. The recommended use for these
strikes is to detonate a bridge after your Mechs have crossed, thus preventing enemy
reinforcements from following.
e Capture supplies from Bondsman field camp
* Rescue captured pilots from Bondsman prison barn (using APC)
e Escort APC to Extraction Point for pickup
* Capture HQ vehicle (secondary)
Overview
This mission, unlike the last, features more enemies than you can safely defeat. Thus,
you'll do much better if you pick and choose your fights instead of attacking every-
thing in sight.
Most missions from here on out will feature similarly tough odds. Theoretically,
a supremely lucky and talented MechCommander could defeat every enemy in
the combat area, but it’s best to plan carefully and only fight battles that are abso-
lutely necessary.
CHAPTER E—OPERATION І: ВЕАСННЕА
iet
Fig. 6-3. Battle Map of Mission 1-2.
Despite the enemy's superior numbers, this isn't a terribly difficult mission. Most 1
of the enemy forces are sequestered in a fortified base to the north, and will only > ~. .
emerge gradually. If you proceed south in a fairly efficient manner and destroy the — А х
bridge behind you, you don’t need to worry about getting overwhelmed by these ~ ~
northern forces.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is 80 tons. If you salvaged the Uller from Mission 1 you can
deploy it here along with a pair of Commandos for a total of 80 tons. More likely,
though, you'll be stuck with the same three 'Mechs you started with.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
You'll also get an APC for this mission, which is automatically added to your
forces. Thankfully, it doesn’t count against your 80-ton drop limit.
Again, weapon configuration is left to your discretion. This isn’t a combat-inten-
sive mission if you do it right.
You're allocated two Large Artillery Strikes, useful for destroying bridge
segments.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are dropped into a clearing in the forest. Immediately blast away the trees
to the southeast and escape the clearing as quickly as possible.
Your forces are now on a roadway that’s patrolled by several vehicles, chiefly
Armored Cars and J. Edgars. Proceed southwest along the road, following the path
highlighted on the Battle Map. Dispatch any vehicles that get in your way.
ТІР Ве sure to keep your APC away from combat. If it's destroyed, your
mission is an automatic failure. A good policy is to keep it close to
4 your ‘Mechs, with the ‘Mechs between the APC and any enemies.
Move quickly, because a few Armored Cars and a J. Edgar will periodically
emerge from a northern base.
Eventually you’ll reach a bridge. Destroy any vehicles in the vicinity and have all
your forces cross to the south side of the bridge. Then, select a Large Artillery Strike
and target the bridge with it. Blowing up the bridge prevents forces from the northern
base from easily pursuing you.
TIP Once the bridge is destroyed, patrolling forces from the northern base
wv will have a hard time getting at you. You don't have to worry about
them now—unless you're extremely slow, or you try to attack the
base, which isn't recommended.
Proceed along the path indicated on the Battle Map. Eventually you'll reach the
field camp where the enemy HQ vehicle is parked, along with a J. Edgar and Striker
for defense. Have your 'Mechs target the J. Edgar or Striker, meanwhile sprinting after
eoo
CHAPTER Б — OPERATION |: BEACHHEAD
the HQ vehicle as it tries to drive away. The vehicle is slow, so your 'Mechs should be
able to easily catch and capture it. (Remember, though, if the enemy is too close you
will not be able to capture it.) Once it's captured, the location of the prison barn will
become visible on your map. Now dispatch the Ј. Edgar and Striker.
Also capture the nearby Container Stack. Once you've done that, you'll have
completed your primary objective.
Now go northeast toward the prison barn. A Commando-A and Commando-W
guard this barn. Destroy them with concentrated fire, first targeting the Commando-W
until it’s disabled or destroyed and then targeting the Commando-A. Keep your APC
well to the rear to prevent it from getting damaged in the firefight.
Note that a stray Armored Car or J. Edgar may enter the area from the north. If
so, you'll have to take them out as well.
When the Commandos are destroyed, you can capture the prison barn with the APC,
thus completing your second objective.
Around this time, the Hollander II parked in the northern base will power up and
start approaching. If you move quickly, however, you needn't fight it.
Now send all units toward the Extraction Point marked on your Battle Map. Get
them inside the Extraction Point marker, and
the mission ends successfully.
TIP Before ending the mission, you
may attack the fortified base in
i the northern part of the map. It’s
defended by a Hollander II, as well
as any Armored Cars or J. Edgars
that failed to attack you earlier.
The base is shown in Figure 6-4.
Only the very bold or reckless
should attempt this maneuver, as
it’s a very difficult fight to win.
TEE 2
The main payoff for winning Fig. 6-4. Destroying this base is completely
this battle is a Container Stack unnecessary.
containing two Clan Streak SRM
Packs, and the chance to salvage the n
Hollander II. But again, this battle is practically suicide.
n
.
Another ploy is to send а lone ‘Mech into the base to capture Neu
the Container Stack, then run away. This is also risky, as the X
Hollander II has great range and accuracy with its Gauss Rifle. Wise v Y `
MechCommanders will simply steer clear of the base altogether. X
MECHCOMMANDER: 0010 — РАІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
MISSION 1-3: RECOVER RAVEN “MECH
Raven scout 'Mech that was lost during the initial combat drop has been located.
The pilot was forced to land her Raven near an enemy cargo transfer post, and has
powered down her 'Mech to avoid detection. Your task is to locate the Raven and
escort it to safety. You'll have full command control over the Raven after locating it.
The enemy is well entrenched on this island. Discretion and careful avoidance of
unnecessary combat are key to finishing the mission intact.
e Link up with Raven
• Escort Raven to the Extraction Point
[lverview
This is a difficult mission. It takes place on a map that's virtually crawling with enemy
vehicles and 'Mechs. The suggested path outlined on the Battle Map doesn't keep you
safe from everything, but allows you to avoid a number of vehicles patrolling the
central and northern parts of the island.
Patience is necessary on this mission. Instead of charging from one spot to
another, you'll do well to move your 'Mechs from one spot to the next, carefully
destroying any fortifications you can from long range before moving ahead.
You have access to several air strikes during this mission. It's recommended that
you use them to destroy immobile vehicles and Turrets.
The toughest fight of the mission comes at the very end, so be prepared.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is 115 tons. We recommend that you take the full amount (or
something very close to it). If you’re lucky enough to have enough Resource Points
you can buy a brand new Centurion from Battalion. Its weight and punch will be
worthwhile for this mission. More likely, you can’t buy the Centurion without selling
too much valuable equipment. In this case, at least try to muster four small Mechs.
(Hopefully, you managed to salvage a Commando somewhere in Missions 1 or 2).
CHAPTER 6 — OPERATION 1: BEA
Fig. 6-5. Battle Map of Mission 1-3.
Equip all but one of your Mechs with the usual array of heavy-hitting weapons &
(perhaps including an Autocannon or two). One light 'Mech, however, should possess „№ x.
nothing but long-range weapons. A payload of either four LRM Racks or two Light — : :
Autocannons will suffice for this "*Mech—the Autocannons, with their extra ammo, are
probably best.
You'll have two Small and three Large Artillery Strikes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are all dropped to the spot marked Force Group 1 on the Battle Map.
Capture the nearby building.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Immediately after the drop, an enemy air strike will destroy the bridge leading
south to the Extraction Point. A Saracen will then appear near the Extraction Point.
Move your 'Mechs slightly north so the Saracen can’t shoot them.
There are two paths drawn on your Battle Map that lead away from the drop
point. For now, you want to blaze a path that hugs the coastline, proceeding north-
west. Before you start following this path in earnest, however, you must destroy the
first of three Missile Turrets mounted on tiny islands off the coast.
ТІР /¢’s vital that you destroy the three Missile Turrets located along the
wv coast without taking much return damage. But how?
Keep all of your Mechs out of the first Missile Turret’s range and
drop a small artillery strike on it. This will almost destroy it. Then
finish off the Turret by attacking it with your lone Mech bearing
long-range weapons. Be sure to use the Attack from Current Position
command so the ‘Mech doesn't walk into the Turret’s fire radius.
Repeat this process for the second Missile Turret. You'll be clear of
small artillery strikes when you reach the third Missile Turret, though,
so you ll need to destroy it entirely with your 'Mech's long-range
weapons. Be patient.
Note that the second Missile Turret is initially out of your view, so
you ll have to move your "Mechs into its fire radius to reveal it. Have
your ‘Mechs retreat, running, as soon as the Turret is revealed. This
not only gets them out of the Turret's range quickly, preventing a
second shot, but their movement makes them harder to hit with that
first missile.
Or you can destroy the Turret Control Building located on the first
island. This is certainly the more efficient way, but it does leave your
units more exposed to missile fire.
After following the coast and destroying all three Missile Turrets, you'll approach
a spot labeled Condor Base. There, you'll find several buildings and a trio of parked
Condor vehicles. Destroy all three Condors with a well-placed Large Artillery Strike,
being careful not to destroy the capture-able building they're parked next to.
Now proceed north toward the spot marked Raven on your Battle Map.
CHAPTER Б — ОРЕКАТІОМ I: B
ТЕР Before moving north, look for patrolling enemy vehicles. Stay well
i back from moving sensor contacts and watch the vehicles’ patrol
routes. Wait until they’re headed away before proceeding, then run.
This way, you can avoid the Strikers and Harassers patrolling the
interior of the island.
Eventually you'll reach the powered-down Raven. Send at least one "Mech up to 4
touch the Raven and you'll assume control of it. Now have all your Mechs (including ~
the Raven) backtrack all the way to the spot marked Force Group 1 (the place where ^
your 'Mechs were dropped to start the mission). Follow the same path you originally
took, and again try to avoid patrolling vehicles.
Back at your drop point, take the other path that's outlined on your Battle Map
(the one leading north, toward the center of the island). Dispatch a pair of Harassers
along the way—you can do this easily by detonating a network of fuel tanks near their
patrol area.
Proceed north as indicated on the Battle Map. Eventually you'll reach a small base
guarded by a pair of Commando-Ws. Destroy the Commandos with concentrated fire.
You may have to destroy a Saracen that rolls in from the center of the island, as well.
Attack the forest to the northeast (see the map) to cut a path through it. Proceed
through the new gap and head due south along the illustrated path, sticking near the
coast to avoid a pair of Firestarters stationed to the east.
As you proceed south, you'll encounter a small base guarded by three Cannon
Turrets. Destroy the western two Turrets with long-range fire and continue after
capturing a nearby structure.
Your greatest challenge now awaits you. A Mad Cat is stationed to the southeast, |
and it will try to prevent you from reaching the Extraction Point. The Mad Cat is
incredibly potent. Your choices are to fight it or to run past it. We recommend running.
ie
If you choose to run past the Mad Cat, simply follow the path all the way to the
Extraction Point. Don't stop until you reach it. You'll win when all your Mechs get
within a few meters of the extraction marker.
ТІР The mission only ends when all your ‘Mechs reach the Extraction
wv Point. Therefore, if three of your four Mechs reach the Extraction
Point but one of them gets knocked down or crippled by the Mad Cat,
the mission won't end until that last ‘Mech either makes it to the
Extraction Point or is destroyed.
If you choose to fight the Mad Cat (which is very risky), try to drop a heavy
artillery strike on the fuel barrels near the spot where the Mad Cat attacks you. You
can increase the chances of keeping the Mad Cat inside the artillery strike zone by
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
attacking it while it’s in that area, thus slowing it down. If you manage to catch the
Mad Cat in the explosion, your odds of winning are much better.
Regardless of whether your artillery does the job, have all your "Mechs unload
everything on the Mad Cat and keep moving to avoid excessive damage. Have the
Raven fight, but keep it behind the others until it’s clear the Mad Cat is focusing on a
different Mech. It's entirely possible that your entire force group will be destroyed, but
the battle is winnable—especially if you kept your forces in good shape through the
mission's early stages. Try again if you fail, and this time try to keep your 'Mechs in
pristine condition for the final Mad Cat battle (or else avoid the Mad Cat completely).
Note that fighting the Mad Cat is really only worthwhile if you get lucky and
manage to salvage it. Otherwise, fighting it just gets your "Mechs beat up.
TIP Heavy weapons are useful for defeating the Mad Cat. Large Lasers,
Autocannons, and PPCs are recommended.
If your 'Mechs have Autocannons or other ammunition-powered
weapons, try your hardest to keep them from running out of ammo
before the Mad Cat battle. You'll need all the power you can get!
MISSION 1-4: DESTROY CLAN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
small stronghold containing a Clan Administration Building has been discovered
M Clairesfield, a rural farming community. A temporary Support Building has
been erected nearby. Your task is to locate and destroy the Admin Building, and
ideally defend the Support Building as well.
The Clan stronghold is protected by strong perimeter defenses. Destroying the
base's lone Generator or capturing the Turret Control Towers are two viable methods
of eliminating the threat of Turrets.
The temporary Support Building where you start your mission is vulnerable to
enemy patrols. It's recommended that you leave a small portion of your forces behind
to defend this base (or eliminate all enemies who would destroy it before moving on).
* Locate and destroy Clan Admin Building
e Withdraw to Extraction Point for recovery
* Defend Support Building (secondary)
CHAPTER В — DPERATIDN І: BEACHHEAD -
oe
Overview
This scenario features an enemy base (shown in Figure 6-7) that can be approached
from two directions. Tactically, both directions are practically identical, so neither
offers a great advantage over the other. Both directions are defended by identical
forces (SRM Carriers, a J. Edgar, and an Uller), both require a bridge crossing, and
both require you to deal with a concrete wall protected by Laser Turrets.
This mission walkthrough goes somewhat counter to your orders—and probably
counter to what you’d expect. Instead of splitting up your forces, it instructs you to
keep them all together. And instead of making a direct run on the enemy base, it
instructs you to scour the area and kill the enemies guarding both approaches first.
Fig. 6-6. Battle Map of Mission 1-4.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
There is a logical reason for both
tactics. By keeping your 'Mechs together, you
keep your Force Group strong, and by
destroying the enemy forces guarding both
entrances to the base, you get to deal with
them individually instead of letting them
attack you when you're busy with the Base
defenders. (If left untouched, Clan forces in
outlying areas are smart enough to return to
their base, and then let you have it with all
their firepower at once.)
veli * This isn't a difficult mission if you use
Here's the enemy base. most of your drop weight, keep your forces
together, and above all avoid situations where
multiple groups of enemies are attacking you
at once.
COEM T
Fig. 6-7.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is 200 tons. You can win with 170 tons and not have too much
difficulty. Attempting the mission with a weight under 170 is possible but risky.
You might not have much choice about which ’Mechs to bring on this mission,
as Resource Points and 'Mechs are still scarce at this stage of the campaign. But if you
haven't purchased a medium-sized 'Mech by now, do so—buy a Centurion. Medium-
sized 'Mechs like the Centurion will prove valuable during confrontations with enemy
Ullers, and while you're assaulting the Elemental Base. Lighter 'Mechs are valuable for
chasing down enemy vehicles that seek to escape and alert the base to your presence.
Similarly, both light and heavy weapons will prove useful. The heavy weapons are
great for downing Mechs and blasting holes in the concrete walls of the base, while
small, fast-firing Lasers and SRMs are good for quickly dispatching pesky Armored
Cars. Also, a few LRMs are nice for attacking the LRM Carriers secreted behind the
fortified base's walls.
You'll have three small artillery strikes for this mission.
CHAPTER Б — OPERATION |:
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are deployed near the Support Building. Group them all together and
check your map. A roving Saracen will soon become visible as a sensor contact; wait
near the base until it gets into attack range, then destroy it.
Now proceed along the path drawn on your Battle Map. At the spot marked Scout
Group 1 you'll find a J. Edgar and pair of SRM Carriers parked on the road. The SRM
Carriers will approach and try to distract you while the J. Edgar tries to flee. Go after
that J. Edgar and destroy it quickly! It’s a scout, and the enemy base will be better
prepared for your arrival if you fail to destroy it.
ТІР Though your job is slightly easier if you kill the J. Edgar, don’t worry if
wv it escapes. If you do the mission in the way we suggest, you can win
with relative ease regardless of whether the base is alerted.
After killing the J. Edgar and finishing off the two SRMs, keep moving toward the
enemy base. An Uller-A is your next opponent; engage it and try to destroy it quickly.
Do not cross the bridge that leads to the enemy base—in fact, stay away from it.
Instead, after killing the Uller, continue to follow the path marked on your Battle Map.
It leads you north, to where a pair of Saracens are on patrol. Blow them up as soon as
they enter visual range.
ТІР You couldve avoided these Saracens, but if you don't destroy them
wv now they'll head toward your Field Office and destroy it later, while
you're busy attacking the base.
Now keep following the path until you encounter Scout Group 2: two SRM
Carriers and a J. Edgar. Destroy these vehicles and fight the Uller-A stationed nearby.
(The Uller won't be around if you allowed a J. Edgar to escape earlier.)
When all enemies are dispatched, cross the bridge to the south. Pause for a
moment. This is where you need to make a decision.
If you managed to destroy both Scout Groups' J. Edgars before they managed to
escape and you already destroyed both Ullers, the Clan base is currently unprepared.
Thus, you can attack the base with a certain element of surprise. To do this, pick off a
couple of the closest Laser Turrets, run up to the wall, blast a hole in the wall, and
destroy the three Vehicle Barracks located inside the base. Then clean up any Strikers
and miscellaneous vehicles shooting at you from inside. (Destroying the Vehicle
Barracks quickly is key, because it prevents many of the parked vehicles inside the base
from powering up and attacking.)
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТІР _ There's a lot of explosive material inside the base. Be careful
: or you ll accidentally take out structures you can later capture
3 for salvage.
If you didn’t manage to destroy both J. Edgar and both Ullers, the base is now
prepared for your arrival. (In other words, all vehicles are now manned, so destroying
the Vehicle Barracks is pointless.) If this is the case, station your Mechs well back
from the base walls and wait. Pick off a couple of Laser Turrets from long range if
you're bored. Eventually a stream of Armored Cars and a Bulldog will approach.
Destroy them, trying your best to keep your 'Mechs far away from the Bulldog.
When it seems like no more vehicles are coming your way, blast a hole in the
base wall and march inside quickly. Take over both Turret Control Towers and destroy
any Strikers inside. If you previously failed to kill one of the two Ullers, it'll come after
you when you attack the base. Capturing the Turret Control Towers, however, will
make the fight against the Uller easier—the Turrets will actually turn on the Uller and
help destroy it!
When all resistance inside the base is destroyed, take the two capture-able struc-
tures and destroy the large Administration Building. Then march all your 'Mechs
back to the Extraction Point, located right near the spot where the 'Mechs were
initially dropped.
MISSION 1-3: DEFEND FARMS FROM ATTACK
number of small Smoke Jaguar strike forces are attacking a resistance cell in the
Дт region of Port Arthur. The resistance is based in two Farms. Your task
is to defend both Farms from Jaguar attack.
Each Farm consists of several buildings in a tight cluster. Practically speaking,
“defending” a Farm simply means preventing the Jaguars from leveling every struc-
ture in the cluster. Thus, if you manage to preserve at least one structure from each
Farm, you'll succeed in your mission.
The local terrain is heavily forested. A Minelayer is recommended for this
mission, because its mines will help seal off possible routes of attack.
* Defend both Farms
CHAPTER В — OPERATION |: BEAGHHI
Overview
This is the first mission where a Minelayer really comes in handy. The map is filled
with congested choke points that are ideal for mines.
The essence of this mission—at least, if you follow the strategies in this
chapter—is to foil small attacks with the Minelayer while handling substantial Mech
forces with your own ’Mechs.
Don’t be discouraged if you have to try this mission more than once. Speed and
good mine placement are both required, and a single oversight can send you back to
the drawing board.
Force Group 1
Force Group 2
Fig. 6-8. Battle Map of Mission 1-5.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is 240 tons. It’s a good idea to use all your weight on this
mission because it's pretty difficult—plus, you'll get paid well just for winning, so the
low drop weight bonus isn’t as crucial at it might be otherwise.
You should purchase and use a Minelayer for this mission. The Minelayer can
seal off possible avenues of attack so you don’t have to worry about defending several
locations at once.
Place four Mechs in Force Group 1, the Minelayer in Force Group 2, and a final
'Mech in Force Group 3.
You'll have one Large and five Small Artillery Strikes for this mission.
ТІР Jt’ possible to win this mission without a Minelayer, but it requires
a great deal of scrambling around and chasing small vehicles.
The method outlined in the Strategy Blueprint will help you avoid
Just that.
Strategy Blueprint
After your forces hit the drop area, send the 'Mechs from Force Group 1 toward the
area labeled “C” on the Battle Map. Also, send the lone 'Mech in Force Group 3 toward
Farm 1.
Meanwhile, the Minelayer should quickly lay a row of mines all along the pass
marked “A” on the map.
When Pass A is mined, have the Minelayer hurry to lay mines all along Pass B,
and leave the single light 'Mech from Force Group 3 to defend Farm 1.
Eventually a group of four Saracens will approach from the south and try to filter
north through Pass B in an attempt to attack Farm 1. Watch them approach, and allow
them to detonate most of the mines in the Pass. Use a small artillery strike to help
destroy them if you'd like. If any Saracens get through the mines, use the lone 'Mech
you left behind to destroy it.
Shortly after the Saracens attack, a group of four Condors will attack Farm 2.
Since you've already stationed most of your 'Mechs at Point C, they're now in a good
ја
CHAPTER E—OPERATION |: BEACHHEAD —
position to greet the Condors. Destroy the Condors, meanwhile starting to move your
Minelayer toward area “D”.
ТЕР Leave Force Group 3 near Farm 1, just to handle the lone SRM
L Carrier that straggles up from the south to attack. When your
4 Force Group kills the SRM Carrier, you can have it join the
‘Mechs in Force Group 1.
When the Saracens and Condors have been dealt with, have your Minelayer thor-
oughly mine the pass at Point D. Move quickly! When area “D” has been mined, also
mine area “Е”.
Soon, an enemy force will appear from the northwest. Have your Minelayer
retreat. A pair of LRM Carriers will try to approach from the Point D pass but will be
destroyed by your mines; a pair of SRM Carriers accompanied by a Hunchback-A and
a fleet of Savannah Masters will approach from the Point E pass. This group will be
damaged by your mines, but the Hunchback and a few Savannah Masters will prob-
ably survive. Have your 'Mechs destroy the stragglers.
You should now have a moment of peace. Instruct your Minelayer to lay mine-
fields in the vicinity of Point C and all around the southern edge of Farm 2.
Now you'll face two final threats. An Uller and Firestarter team will attack from
the southeast, and meanwhile an Uller and Cougar team will attack from the south-
west. Both will try to take out Farm 2, taking (roughly) the paths indicated on the
Battle Map. You can use your remaining artillery strikes on them as they approach.
Have all your 'Mechs gather near Point C. When the bad guys get close, meet
them with concentrated fire. Do your best to distract them. This is crucial! Damage
enemy 'Mechs until you've got their attention and they're firing at you, then attack
any 'Mechs that are going after the Farm. Those Farm buildings are very fragile, so it's
absolutely key that you distract enemy 'Mechs by shooting them.
You win when these four 'Mechs are destroyed.
ТІР Jfyou failed, try again and this time try to make better use of your
mines. Lay minefields faster, and make them bigger. Softening up
enemy ‘Mechs with mines makes the mission a lot easier.
Sometimes the final battle does you in. Do your best to make sure
that Farm 2 isn't damaged at all before the final assault, and try to
make sure that you're distracting enemy ‘Mechs instead of allowing P
them to stand near the Farms and fire at them unhindered. Ne eut
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
MISSION 1-6: LIBERATE KAIO INDUSTRIAL ZONE
lan and Bondsmen forces have entrenched themselves in a defensive position near
Е Industrial Zone іп the mountainous Weimar region. This position controls
approaches that are vital to the second stage of the campaign. Thus, you must lead
an assault on this defensive position.
The position you’re attacking is well defended, thanks both to natural fortifica-
tions and man-made barriers. Furthermore, the infamous commander Akodo Haru is
overseeing the defenses in his Catapult "Mech. Expect a difficult fight.
* Destroy all enemy 'Mechs defending the Industrial Zone.
Overview
This mission offers three different paths to the enemy base. The first path is the most
obvious one—along the road that leads right up to the base’s main gate. This path is
barred by a substantial checkpoint complete with Turrets, Saracens parked on a hill
where they can snipe at you, and miscellaneous vehicles parked behind a concrete
wall. (See the Battle Map for its location; it’s labeled “Checkpoint”.) Taking this path
is one possible strategy, but it opens you up to a fair amount of abuse. Since destroying
enemy vehicles is not one of your mission requirements, this is a bad path.
The second path leads through the forest. It’s not readily visible, but if you study
the map you'll see a mostly open path going through the trees. This path seems like a
good idea, but if you take it you’ll be ambushed by several hidden Pop-Up Turrets (see
Battle Map). Taking this path is still a better idea than taking the main road, however.
The final path, the one recommended in the Strategy Blueprint, follows the
southern coastline. This coastline is completely undefended, and offers a straight shot
to the southern edge of the enemy base.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit for this mission is a hefty 300 tons, which should be more
than enough. If you follow the strategy outlined below, you can lowball by as much as
30 tons very comfortably, and get by with even less if you’re skillful.
CHAPTER 6 — OPERATION 1: В
Fig. 6-9. Battle Map of Mission 1-6.
There's really no need for speed in this mission. Big, heavy-hitting 'Mechs are a
good choice. Just make sure they've got weapons with adequate range, because the
Catapult you're trying to kill has lots of LRMs and likes to fight at extreme range.
Therefore your 'Mechs need to have weapons with decent range—or at least be fast
enough to close the gap and fire their shorter-range weapons.
You have one small artillery strike at your disposal.
Strategy Blueprint
When your forces hit the drop site, band them all together into one large group.
Immediately set off to the southwest along the path illustrated on the Battle Map. By
sticking to the coast you'll have a straight shot to the enemy base.
МЕСНСОММАМОЕЕ: 000 — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Eventually you'll find yourself at the edge of the enemy base. A thick concrete
wall guards the base, but there are no Turrets to bother you. Blast a hole in the wall
and proceed through it as quickly as possible.
Inside the wall, you'll have to fight a couple of patrolling SRM Carriers, followed
by the four J. Edgars whose start location is noted on your Battle Map.
As you proceed along the indicated path, a group of six Firestarters will attack.
Fall back toward the coast somewhat before fighting them in earnest. Concentrate fire
on one Firestarter at a time.
When you've given the Firestarters a good beating, the stragglers will run away.
They aren't leaving the area completely, however—they're heading toward the Catapult.
Shoot them as they run away, and hopefully you can pick off one or two of them.
Proceed north toward the Catapult, capturing the quadrant of Container Stacks
marked on your map before initiating the final battle. There are valuable weapons in
those warehouses.
When you reach the spot marked “Catapult,” you'll have to fight the Catapult
itself, any surviving Firestarters, and a pair of LRM Carriers. Figure 6-10 shows the
Catapult atop its hill.
Charge in and take out the Catapult as
quickly as possible, then demolish the
remaining Firestarters to win the mission.
The Catapult and LRM Carriers are on a small
hill, but if you loaded up on long-range
weapons as suggested in “Recommended
Forces," you shouldn't have a problem.
T7»
Fig. 6-10. The Catapult is on a small hill. If you want
to get up there, approach from the west.
CHAPTER /
OPERATION 2:
n Operation Skyhook, you must disrupt the Clan’s supply ab commu- -
nication lines. You'll intercept trains and convoys, destroy | bases em
pe
communications dishes, and generally wreak havoc on the systems
that the Smoke Jaguars have c come e to rely on. Expect Ee but
DM
= USER
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТІР _ the combat in any of these missions seems too difficult, remember
wv that you can always buy a Refit Truck and then load up on Auto-
l cannons, Heavy Autocannons, and other ammo-intensive weapons,
using the Truck to replenish ammo as necessary. This strategy won't
always help, but it’s a viable option in missions where you need
firepower and aren't in a hurry.
MISSION 2-1: ESCORT HUNCHBACK ТО SAFETY
Kurita Special Forces operative has obtained valuable information about enemy
supply and communication lines. Unfortunately, getting her to safety will be diffi-
cult, as she’s currently trapped on the other side of the Clan-controlled Froese River.
Your task is to locate the Kurita operative’s stolen Hunchback Пс and escort it
to the Extraction Point to the south.
Clan air strikes are a possibility; destroy Aerospace Spotters to negate certain air
strikes. Also, watch out for Clan Minelayers.
* Escort Hunchback IIc to the Extraction Point.
Overview
This mission takes place on a map bisected by a river. Two man-made bridges and one
land bridge cross the river, and the man-made bridges are likely to get destroyed if you
are not careful. Thus, your best bet is to take the land bridge.
Your Hunchback Пс is tough but it'll be stuck by itself throughout the early
stages of the mission. You’ll have to learn to juggle two entirely separate groups of
'Mechs simultaneously if you hope to succeed.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is 150 tons. This is a mission where speed and agility aren’t
terribly necessary, so load up on good-sized "Mechs with heavy-hitting weapons.
Hopefully you'll have recovered a few Clan Mechs by now—these, too, are appropriate.
You have four small artillery strikes and one Sensor Probe for this mission.
CHAPTER 7— OPERATION 2 !
Rommels, ie
Strikers ШО
Hollander
Figure 7-1. Battle Map of Mission 2-1.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces start out split up. Force Group 1 is dropped south of the river, while the
Kurita agent in her stolen Hunchback IIc is located to the north (see the Battle Map).
Immediately start the Hunchback Ис moving toward the spot marked “Wait Here"
on the Battle Map. A Harasser will overtake it; kill the Harasser and just keep moving.
Meanwhile, as the Hunchback IIc lumbers toward its waiting place, the Mechs
of Force Group 1 need to follow the path outlined on the Battle Map. Note that this
path leads through lightly forested areas, but two or three weapon volleys are enough
to destroy trees and clear the way.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When the Force Group 1 ’Mechs reach the Saracen marked on the Battle Map,
have them destroy it and then continue along their path. Meanwhile the Hunchback Пс
should simply wait at the spot marked “Wait Here.” Occasional Harassers might attack
it there, but it can hold its own for now.
Use a Sensor Probe to reveal the locations of two Hunchbacks and a Hollander II
whose approximate location is marked on the Battle Map. There are lots of explosive
tanks in this general area, as seen in Figure 7-2. You can use small artillery strikes or
weapon fire to detonate these tanks as the Hunchbacks and Hollander II approach your
"Mechs, thus destroying one or more of them. This requires some timing, but is vital
since these three foes are extremely tough—more than a match for Force Group 1.
TI P You should be able to kill two ‘Mechs flat-out by detonating the
i explosive tanks. Your mission is in serious jeopardy if you don’t
manage to destroy at least one of them in this way.
Fig. 7-2. Use these explosive tanks to destroy
enemy BattleMechs.
After killing these three enemies with
the help of the explosive tanks, send your
Force Group 1 ’Mechs north across the land
bridge as indicated on the Battle Map.
Simultaneously send the Hunchback IIc
south from its waiting spot. Ideally the two
forces should meet in the forest, as shown on
the Battle Map.
The Hunchback Пс undoubtedly will be
attacked by the various Clan ‘Mechs hiding іп
this area as it proceeds south, but it should
just keep moving. Force Group 1 can inter-
cept and destroy these 'Mechs. A few
Harassers or Condors also might be filtering
in from the west around this time, but again,
Force Group 1 can handle them.
Send the Hunchback Пс south across the land bridge toward the Extraction
Point. Have your remaining 'Mechs follow it at a slight distance, destroying anything
that tries to follow them.
CHAPTER 7—OPERATION 2: |
When all your Mechs are huddled around the Extraction Point, you'll win the mission.
ТІР When the mission’s over you'll find that you've got a
Hunchback Пс. И come in handy during subsequent
missions requiring serious firepower.
MISSION 2-2: DESTROY LOCAL POWER GENERATORS
T: Kurita operative recovered in the last mission has informed Battalion that the
Jaguars are using the local industrial base to manufacture parts and fuel. The base
itself must remain intact, so Battalion has decided to destroy the two Power
Generators along the Ai-Ki River that fuel it. It’s your job to take out these Power
Generators.
Your secondary task is to verify the existence of Smoke Jaguar supply caches in
the area. Take control of these caches if you can find them; the rewards will certainly
be worth the risk.
e Destroy local Power Generators.
e Get all units to Extraction Point.
Overview
This is a deceptively simple mission. To reach both power stations, all you have to do
is follow the road—but the road is fraught with perils. Your enemies are, for the most
part, vehicles—but they include heavy hitters such as Bulldogs that can deal a crip-
pling blow to your forces in the blink of an eye. Be careful!
This is a very simple scenario if you ignore the Clan’s supply containers and stick
strictly to the task of destroying the Power Generators. However, the plan outlined
below involves taking over most of these containers for extra salvage—trust us, the
salvage is worth it.
Recommended Forces
You should pack a few large "Mechs into your 200-ton drop limit instead of several
small Mechs. These large Mechs should be able to withstand the punishment dealt
out by the heavy-hitting enemies you’ll encounter in this mission.
Also, try to include lots of energy weapons in your ’Mechs’ payloads. There are
lots of minor targets in this mission, and lots of opportunities to waste ammunition.
If you do choose to pack weapons that run out of ammo quickly, try to concentrate
them on one particular 'Mech and don't let it fight minor threats such as vehicles and
Turrets. Instead, save its ammunition for enemy 'Mechs.
Optionally, use heavy-hitting, ammo-intensive weapons, and bring along a
Refit Truck.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fig. 7-3. Battle Map of Mission 2-2.
CHAPTER 7— OPERATION 2:
Strategy Blueprint
From your drop point, proceed north along the path drawn on your Battle Map. By
dodging the road, you'll avoid a pair of Bulldogs.
Proceed to the spot marked “Container, SRM Carriers, Strikers.” Destroy the
vehicles you find there and capture the Container for loot.
Move on to the next Container, which is guarded by a lone Centurion. Repeat
the process.
Now dip back to the south and visit a Container guarded by three Harassers. If
you don’t venture foo far south you won’t rouse the Bulldogs parked on the road—but
you'll probably end up fighting a pair of Strikers parked nearby. Capture the Container
when you're done fighting.
Loop back to the north, still following the path marked on your Battle Map.
Follow the path carefully to avoid the small minefield located nearby. Destroy any
Perimeter Alarms you encounter along the way, or else several unmanned vehicles at
the Vehicle Base will come after you.
You'll now encounter the spot labeled “Defenses” on your map. It consists of a
couple lines of Turrets, a pair of Bulldogs, a Striker, an SRM Carrier, and a Commando.
Instead of charging into this area, pick away at the defenses and fall back when the
Bulldogs attack. When all mobile defenses have been drawn out and destroyed, pick
away the Turrets and proceed.
North of the well-defended area is a cluster of buildings. Among these buildings
is a Generator labeled “Main Power" (see Figure 7-4) guarded by a Catapult. Destroy
the Catapult and the Generator. i
Now follow the second path outlined on
your Battle Map. It leads away from the main
Power Generator across a long bridge, past a
Rommel and an LRM Carrier you must destroy,
and up to a base with another Generator (this
one labeled “Auxiliary Power”).
Follow the path slowly, and beware the
tough strike force guarding the new
Generator. It consists of a Hunchback, a
Bulldog, and some SRM Carriers. Also, a small
squad of Elementals will harass you as you
close in on the Generator itself.
And keep your eye on the nearby Fuel Fig. 7-4. Destroy the main Power Generator
Tank farm, you may have the opportunity to апа half your work is done.
make good use of it.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Once the defenders have been beaten, blow up the nearby auxiliary Power
Generator and march your ’Mechs to the Extraction Point located somewhat to the
southwest. The mission ends when all your ’Mechs are close to the Extraction Point.
ТІР There's another Container Stack you can capture in the extreme
northwestern part of the map. It’s guarded by a Bulldog and a pair of
wv Harassers. We recommend avoiding this one because it’s off the beaten
path, and your ‘Mechs will probably be battered by the time they've
destroyed the two Power Generators. If you do indeed try to capture this
final container, though, hug the coastline as you approach—otherwise
you'll get caught in the little minefield marked on your Battle Map.
If you have difficulty getting through this mission, try again
and feel free to avoid some of the better-defended Container Stack (like
the one guarded by the Centurion). Also, realize that most of the tough
enemies in this mission can be defeated by specific tactics. Bulldogs and
Hunchbacks can be picked apart at long range, and Catapults can be
picked apart at close range. Try to exploit your enemies’ weaknesses.
A final possible tactic is to use the projectile weapon/Refit Truck
combination we've been mentioning all along.
MISSION 2-3: DESTROY THE CONVOY
our task is to efficiently destroy a lightly guarded Bondsman convoy. You'll be
Үз on the other side of the river from the convoy, which is why Battalion
recomends using jump-capable ‘Mechs.
Bakersville, the nearby suburb, is reputedly seething with pro-Clan sentiment.
Thus, you should be wary of hostile citizens.
* Destroy the convoy.
Overview
At the start of this mission, your 'Mechs' sensors will detect the convoy on the oppo-
site side of the river. The convoy’s ultimate destination is a small base in the southeast
corner of the map.
CHAPTER 7—DPERATION 2: !
Figure 7-5. Battle Map of Mission 2-3.
Although the mission briefing recommends using jump-capable 'Mechs, this is
unnecessary; the Strategy Blueprint explains how to beat the missions without a
single jump-capable 'Mech. There are bridges leading across the river near the south-
east corner of the map. Your task is to lead your 'Mechs to these bridges and have them
cross, then intercept the convoy before it reaches the base. Loitering isn't a good idea,
but the convoy isn't terribly fast—so you don't have to worry about getting outrun.
Just make sure you keep moving toward your goal.
The convoy itself is lightly guarded by a Rommel, two Strikers, an Aerospace
Spotter, two Cougar-Js (that may jump across the river to attack you if you walk along
the shore), and two Hunchback IIc-Ws. It’s possible to destroy all enemy units that
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD—— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
guard the convoy, but this is difficult to do without letting a Truck sneak past you.
Thus, Trucks are your primary concern.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is a substantial 300 tons. As mentioned above, jump "Mechs аге
not necessary or even advisable for this mission. Instead, take several medium to heavy
"Mechs with potent weapons. Speed shouldn't be an issue as long as you don't loiter.
You have two small artillery strikes, one Sensor Probe, and one Camera Drone
for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Your Force Groups are dropped side by side. Unless you decided to try using jump-
capable 'Mechs, have your 'Mechs stay clear of the river and head southeast along the
path indicated on the Battle Map.
ТІР /f you hurry, you can run your forces up to the riverbank as soon as
wv they're dropped and target one of the enemy BattleMechs guarding the
convoy. You'll probably be able to destroy the 'Mech you target. Note
that if you fire at a Cougar, it may jump across the river to get a better
shot at you.
If you do decide to take potshots at the enemy, just be sure not to
waste too much time doing it. Remember, you're under time pressure
to head off the rest of the convoy.
Send your 'Mechs southeast along the path shown on the Battle Map. They'll
soon come across a swarm of Savannah Masters. It’s not necessary to stop and fight
them; your 'Mechs will destroy them as they pass by.
Next your forces will approach the Sensor Tower indicated on the Battle Map.
Here they're met by several enemy vehicles: two Bulldogs, two Strikers, one Saracen,
and two Harassers. They won't cause you much trouble if you keep your 'Mechs
together and concentrate your fire.
After destroying the vehicles, keep following the path into the city.
CHAPTER 7—OPERATION 2:
As you enter the city, capture the Container Stack shown on the Battle Map.
The city itself is occupied by several LRM Carriers. Keep your Mechs together
and take the LRM Carriers out as you find them. Don’t be in so much of a hurry that
you let your fastest Mechs get away from the slower ones; keep them all together for
optimal firepower.
The road leading out of the city is surrounded by gas tanks. Blow them up from 4
a Safe distance. (If you don’t, the Aerospace Spotter ог the Striker just down the road
will.) Alternatively, you could walk around the tanks to the south, but if you do you'll
run into more LRM Carriers.
As soon as the Aerospace Spotter marked on the Battle Map is visible, take it out.
Then deal with the Striker. Once the enemy vehicles have been destroyed, capture the
nearby Resource Warehouses shown on the Battle Map.
Follow the road out of town. As you near the bridge, you’ll be greeted by a pair
of SRM Carriers and a Rommel. Destroy them and proceed toward the bridge.
TIP Around this time you should use your Sensor Probe on the dark area
wv to the northeast. This will give you some advance warning of where,
exactly, the convoy is located.
There are three enemy vehicles to deal
with on the other side of the bridge: a Bulldog
and two Strikers. Instead of crossing the
bridge, try to bait these vehicles into crossing,
thus allowing your forces time to pick them off
from a distance. If they don't take the bait, just
charge all your 'Mechs across in a tight group
and maximize firepower.
On the other side of the bridge, follow
the road north. You'll find a spot where the
road proceeds through a short canyon seen in ERE
Figure 7-6. This canyon is the perfect place to Fig. 7-6, Concentrate. on the trucks in the con
stop and wait for the convoy. After your forces — rather than the escort ’Mechs.
are in position, use your Camera Drone on the
road to the north. This reveals the road, allowing you to accurately drop your small
artillery strikes when the convoy enters the area.
* BM.
TIP Avoid the base marked on your Battle Map. It contains a pair of jump-
wv capable Ravens; if you don't go near the base, the Ravens will leave
you alone.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The only significant structure in the base is a Gate Control. If you
had a jump ‘Mech and wanted to be clever you could order the Меси
to jump inside the base, capture the Gate Control, and thus effectively
lock the convoy out of the base.
The first member of the convoy to arrive is the Aerospace Spotter. Destroy it
immediately, as it will start calling in air strikes if you don’t.
As the rest of the convoy approaches, try to focus on the trucks as much as
possible; destroy them quickly, then concentrate on 'Mechs and combat vehicles.
Always target the convoy trucks that are farthest south.
ТІР _ There’ a highly explosive Fuel Truck near the back of the convoy.
Target it with weapons fire or an artillery strike, and you might
s be able to take out a few nearby vehicles or ‘Mechs as well.
You don't need to destroy the 'Mechs or combat vehicles guarding the convoy to
complete the mission. When the last convoy truck has been destroyed, you win.
MISSION 2-4: DESTROY THE
HYPERPULSE COMMUNICATION DISHES
ntelligence reports that an enemy communiqué requesting additional Jaguar forces
|“ be sent from Hyperpulse Generators (HPGs) within a heavily fortified base at the
edge of Yokohama. Your task is to destroy the HPGs before the message can be sent,
thus ensuring that Jaguar reinforcements are not sent to Port Arthur.
Your Force Groups will be dropped approximately 15 minutes before the HPGs
power up to send their message. If you fail to destroy the HPGs before the 15 minutes
elapse, you fail the mission.
* Destroy Smoke Jaguar Hyperpulse Generators.
Overview
This mission can be played as a full bore slugfest or a quick raid. The Strategy Blue-
print explains the former course of action, though the latter is also feasible. Your
CHAPTER 7— OPERATION 2: SKYHDUK —
Hunchback,
Uller,
BS SRM Carrier МИ
Resource
Warehouse
Figure 7-7. Battle Map of Mission 2-4.
BattleMechs start out at a point southwest of the base, and they can either march
straight up and conquer it, or circle around back and attack from the rear.
Though this is a timed mission, the clock should not be a limiting factor. Even
if you proceed at a fairly leisurely pace, you'll be able to finish well ahead of schedule.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is a massive 400 tons. Thus, you’ll probably be using most of
the "Mechs in your possession. If you haven't already bought an Atlas or similarly
heavy 'Mech, we recommend that you buy one now.
Don't worry about your heavy 'Mechs' lack of speed. As previously stated, speed
is not vital in this mission. What's truly important is that you bring along massive
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
‘Mechs with serious punch, the better to squash the hordes of vehicles and
BattleMechs you’ll encounter as you attack the base. Long-range weapons such as
PPCs are preferred, since you’ll face numerous Strikers and LRM Carriers.
Since this is a mission of full-scale combat, we recommend that you use most of
your drop weight. Low-balling this mission too severely tends to result in extra casu-
alties, and ends up costing you more than you save.
You have two small artillery strikes and one Sensor Probe for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Both of your Force Groups are dropped at the same spot, on a road southwest of the
city. Gather all your forces into one colossal group and march them slowly northeast
toward the city.
A light scattering of enemy vehicles is located inside the city. Capture the
Resource Warehouse indicated on the Battle Map and march through the city,
destroying enemy vehicles with concentrated fire. Move very slowly, concentrating on
keeping your forces together.
There are a number of Perimeter Alarms scattered throughout the city. Don’t
destroy them.
TIP 7e Perimeter Alarms “wake up” two groups of enemy forces within
! the walled base you're trying to attack. One group consists of a
wv Hunchback IIc, an Uller, and assorted vehicles. The other consists
of assorted vehicles. All these ‘Mechs and vehicles are un-crewed as
the mission begins.
Theoretically if you destroyed all Perimeter Alarms you could
then dash up to the base, break inside, and destroy these Mechs and
vehicles before their pilots got to them. In practice, however, the pilots
slowly filter into their Mechs and vehicles as the mission progresses,
so you'd end up fighting most of them anyway.
Feel free to take out the Perimeter Alarms and try a “mad dash”
strategy, but this walkthrough recommends a slow, grinding assault,
in which you'll actually benefit from setting off the alarms.
CHAPTER 7—OPERATION 2
Eventually the Alarms go off. Remain in the city, perhaps moving ever so slightly
toward the base containing the Hyperpulse Generators. Vehicles and BattleMechs will
pour out of the base and charge toward your ’Mechs.
Deal with these enemies methodically,
concentrating fire on one unit at a time.
Killing enemies outside the base is much
easier than rushing the base and attacking it
while the enemies are still inside, because
then you have to deal with walls and Turrets at
the same time.
Keep destroying "Mechs and vehicles,
staying well away from the actual base. When
no more mobile enemies are forthcoming,
slowly approach the walled base and pick off
the Laser and Cannon Turrets guarding the
wall from long range. Then, blast a hole in the
gate and march inside. A few LRM Carriers
and other vehicles are still in there; use your
artillery strikes to help destroy them quickly.
і PRES
Fig. 7-8. These Hyperpulse Generators are defended
by walls. You can either shoot through the walls or
capture the nearby Gate Control Buildings to open
the gates.
Once all vehicles in the base are gone,
capture all available structures inside the
base. This includes a number of structures
containing salvaged parts.
Finally, destroy both Hyperpulse Generators. The mission is a success when
they’re both demolished.
ТІР There is an alternate way of beating this mission. Immediately to
wv the southeast of your ‘Mechs’ initial drop point is a path that leads
through the forest. Have your ‘Mechs take this path until they reach
a paved road, then take the road a few meters northwest. To the
north you'll notice another path that leads the rest of the way
around the base—it’s accessible if your forces destroy a few trees.
This second path is guarded by a few Perimeter Alarms and
Pop-Up Turrets, but little else. It leads all the way around to the
very back of the base.
Have your ‘Mechs follow this path, then punch a hole in the
base's rearwall and dash inside as quickly as possible. They can
destroy the MechWarrior Barracks inside the base to prevent a
dangerous Hunchback Ис from powering up, then quickly destroy
the HyperPulse Generators.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fighting the rest of the enemy forces is not necessary; just destroy
the Generators and you'll win.
Some players may prefer this mode of attack, but bear in mind
that it isn't perfect. You'll miss out on some valuable salvage if you go
right for the Hyperpulse Generators, and if you aren't fast enough it's
easy to get swamped by the base's multiple defenders.
Alternatively, you can slug it out and try to destroy all defenders,
then carefully chisel away at the Hunchback IIc in hopes of salvaging it.
MISSION 2-а: INTERCEPT THE TRAIN
vital Jaguar supply train is moving through the area, escorted by a contingent of
Ae BattleMechs. Furthermore, additional forces have been deployed along the
route the train will take.
Your task is to destroy every car in this train before it reaches its destination.
e Intercept and destroy the enemy supply train.
Overview
From your starting position, there are three ways to get to the train tracks. The
southern route has one Centurion stationed near the river as shown on the Battle
Map. Unless you feel the need to gamble and try for lots of salvage, this route is not
recommended. You'll need healthy 'Mechs to deal with the substantial guard escorting
the supply train.
The middle route follows the road as shown on the Battle Map. If you take this
route, five Rommels await you on the opposite side of the bridge. They are much less
damaging to your 'Mechs than the Centurions, and destroying them should not be a
problem. This is the route recommended in the Strategy Blueprint.
The northern route, while completely unguarded, forces your 'Mechs to walk a
good distance and takes them quite far north while the train is busy heading south.
Thus, taking this route results in a mad dash to catch up with the train.
Theoretically, you can take this route and destroy the entire train quickly, but in
CHAPTER 7— OPERATION 2:
Figure 7-9. Battle Map of Mission 2-5.
practice it’s hard to catch up—and when the train reaches the Rommels you'll have
yet another set of headaches.
There are seven ’Mechs escorting the supply train: four Ullers and three jump-
capable Hunchbacks. Because it takes a while to destroy that many enemy ’Mechs, it's
a good idea to destroy the train engine as soon as possible. This causes the rest of the
train to derail so you can deal with it at your leisure.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is 240 tons, and there’s only enough DropShip slots for eight
'Mechs. You will need medium to heavy ’Mechs for this mission.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
You'll probably want to use as much tonnage as possible. This is a combat-
intensive mission.
You don’t get any artillery strikes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
As you begin the mission, your Mechs’ sensors will pick up three Hunchback-Js to the
north, as shown on the Battle Map. However, the Hunchbacks soon begin to run and
jump toward the east. There's not too much you can do with them now; you'll meet
them later as they escort the train south.
From your drop point, send your 'Mechs southeast along the path drawn on your
Battle Map. They'll soon run into the road. Follow the road until your 'Mechs reach
the bridge.
There are five Rommels waiting for you on the other side of the bridge. However,
they are no match for your 'Mechs. Bait them into crossing the bridge, and you'll have
an easy time destroying them.
ТІР /fyou have fast Mechs or good sensors, you may arrive at the bridge
wv soon enough to also notice a group of four Ullers moving from south-
east to northwest. Again, don't worry about them yet. You'll encounter
them later as they guard the train.
Once the Rommels are destroyed, proceed across the bridge and follow the road
until you encounter the railroad tracks. Unless you wasted a lot of time getting there,
the supply train will still be far to the northeast, out of sensor range.
Head northeast along the tracks until you get to the point marked “Wait” on the
Battle Map. This is an open area that will allow you some maneuvering room in the
upcoming battle. Stay far enough away from the track so that you don't attract the
attention of enemy 'Mechs sooner than you mean to.
The next order of business it to stop the train by destroying the engine, as seen
in Figure 7-10. This will derail the rest of the cars, which you can destroy at your
leisure once you've taken out the enemy 'Mechs.
The four Ullers and three Hunchbacks guarding the train will now attack. They
can deal quite a lot of damage to your forces, so it's important to use concentrated fire
CHAPTER 7— OPERATION 2
to eliminate first one Mech and then another.
Move damaged ’Mechs toward the rear of the
fight to keep them alive.
If you're skillful and lucky, you'll be able
to beat all enemy 'Mechs with all of your
'Mechs and pilots more or less intact,
although a few of them will probably have
taken a serious beating.
Once the enemy 'Mechs are destroyed,
methodically destroy any remaining railroad
cars. The mission ends when the last one is -o
demolished. i WBF A
Fig. 7-10. Take out the train engine, and the rest
MISSION 2-6: CAPTURE AND ена erste Now you don't have to worry
DEFEND THE BASE
our task is to capture an enemy base at Serpent Bay and defend it against possible
| ЕН This mission requires precise timing: You’ll fail if you don’t manage
to capture the Base HQ in under six minutes.
Note that since your task is to capture and defend the enemy base, it’s better to
capture resources such as Sensor Tower Control Buildings and Turret Control Towers
than to destroy them outright. If left intact they can be put to use on your side.
e Capture enemy Base HQ
• Defend HQ from counterattack
Overview
This is not a terribly difficult mission if you approach it methodically. It may be a bit
different than you expected, however: The act of capturing the base, which you might
have expected to be very difficult, isn’t really so tough. The trick lies in defending the
base against the swarms of attackers who seek to destroy it.
The plan outlined in the Strategy Blueprint calls for a bit more legwork than
absolutely necessary, but by scouring the map and destroying potential threats while
they’re still good distance from the base, you can make defending the base signifi-
cantly easier.
There are several ways to approach this mission. We’ll discuss one of them thor-
oughly in the Strategy Blueprint, and suggest a second strategy as well.
Recommended Forces
You get to carry 400 tons of power on this mission. You can low-ball it by 30 tons or
so, but beyond that you might be asking for trouble.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Figure 7-11. Battle Map of Mission 2-6.
CHAPTER 7— OPERATION 2
Most of your 'Mechs can be relatively slow, heavy sluggers (though Atlases are а
trifle too slow). At least one, however, should be extremely quick—an Uller or Cougar
is recommended.
Long-range weapons are good for this mission, since you'll be facing enemies
that are more intent on attacking your HQ Building than your 'Mechs. Long-range
weapons allow your 'Mechs to engage the enemy early, and continue to pepper them
as they try to run past your forces.
You get two small and two large artillery strikes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Force Groups 1 and 2 are dropped to the same spot on the map. Immediately gather
all your 'Mechs and guide them along the path drawn on the Battle Map.
TIP Move quickly. If you delay too long, forces from distant corners of the
map will converge on the base and make your task far more difficult.
Y Also, the clock is ticking.
As you follow this path, stay as far away from the base as possible. Destroy any units
that spill out of the base; it's defended by an Uller, a trio of Rommels, and four Harassers.
Quickly proceed to the spot marked Commandos and destroy the pair of
Commandos you find there with concentrated blasts.
Now send your 'Mechs northwest to the spot marked “Strikers.” There, you'll
encounter a trio of Strikers. Also, any base defenders you didn't fight earlier are likely
to spill out and attack you here. Remain outside the range of the base's Cannon
Turrets as you fight them.
Remain outside the base until you're à
quite sure every defender (or almost every >
defender) has left. Then have a single light
'Mech dash inside the base at full speed and
capture the Turret Control Towers at the
center of the base (see Figure 7-12). The
Turrets are now yours. Also have the 'Mech
capture the Sensor Control Tower.
Look at the clock. If you still have over a
minute left, don’t capture the HQ Building
yet. Wait until your time is almost up, thus
giving your other 'Mechs time to destroy the
J. Edgars and return.
Fig. 7-12. Here's the center of the base. You'll
to enter the base itself from the west, then ci
to the east to get up the base's central hill.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Meanwhile, have the remainder of your Mechs proceed south toward the spot
marked “J. Edgars” at that spot, or somewhere along the road leading to down it.
Destroy all the tanks you find there and send your ‘Mechs back up to the base.
Your captured Sensor Towers will soon give you a view of approaching forces: two
Hunchback ITs from the northwest, and a pair of Hollanders and trio of Centurions
from the northeast. Use your artillery strikes to slow down the enemy.
Have all your "Mechs stand somewhat north of the base. Be sure they're far
enough away from the base that they can initiate combat with the enemy well before
the bad guys get within shooting range of your Base HQ. Meanwhile send a small, fast
'Mech to scout the area north of the base so that you can see the enemy approaching
well ahead of time.
As the enemy 'Mechs approach you must do your best to destroy them quickly with
artillery strikes and concentrated fire. (The Hunchbacks are slowest and thus most
vulnerable to artillery.) At the very least, engage each enemy in combat so it doesn't
attack your HQ. The Hollander IIs are your top priority, as they're reasonably fast and
contain potent long-range Gauss Rifles. They're also very concerned with destroying
your base, while other 'Mechs such as the Hunchbacks are more interested in combat.
Take the Hollander IIs down quickly, therefore, or they'll make short work of your HQ.
ТІР /fyou manage to destroy all but one of the enemy, try to disable the last
wv one by targeting its legs. Then, if you succeed in shooting a leg off and
^ the enemy no longer presents a threat to your base, send a few Mechs
north to the spot labeled *Hollanders, Centurions, Container Stacks"
on your Battle Map. Capture the structures you find there for extra
salvage—but beware the Bulldogs you'll encounter along the way.
That's the essence of the mission. The toughest part is destroying 'Mechs effi-
ciently so they can't demolish your HQ. If you fail, try again and this time try to meet
the enemy farther north, well away from the base.
TIP
v
CHAPTER 7—OPERATION 2:
If you want to approach the mission in a different way, try this.
At the mission’s start, immediately send your ‘Mechs north to the
middle of the map, where a trio of Bulldogs guard two bridges. Destroy
the Bulldogs with concentrated fire, then destroy the bridges as well.
Now return to the base, clean out the defenders, and take it over.
Now, when you capture the HQ Building, you'll have to watch out
for the Commandos and J. Edgars coming up from the south. This
forces you to scramble your forces a bit more in order to cover all
sides of the base. However, there's a major benefit to this strategy: The
Centurions approaching from the north can't jump, so they can't cross
the bridges you destroyed. Thus, you don't need to deal with them to
win the mission.
CHAPTER 8
OPERATION 3:
VANGUARD
Y ow begins Operation Vanguard, the boldest set of missions to date.
N Yankee Company has been severely damaged and is in the process of
rs, and so it’s up to Zulu Company—your company—to strike
у і fo Clan territory and liberate the pivotal city of Affendale. The
vi no doubt be surprised by the decisiveness of the strike, but that's
that they'll roll over easily. Far from it; expect a tough fight.
CHAPTER 8—OPERATION 3:
MISSION 3-1: ESCORT MEDICAL CONVOY
edical supplies are urgently needed at Field Hospital Delta. A convoy of ambu- E
M lances has been loaded with the necessary supplies, but their path is exception- — —
ally dangerous—it involves following a paved road in Jaguar territory. t
The ambulances have orders not to stop regardless of any dangers on their route.
Your mission is to ensure that at least two ambulances make it to the hospital.
e Escort at least two ambulances to the hospital.
e Escort five ambulances to the hospital (secondary).
Force Group 1
e
"A
Fig. 8-1. Battle Map of Mission 3-1.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Overview
Your 'Mechs all start out very close to the ambulances. The ambulances themselves
follow the paved road shown on the Battle Map. Your 'Mechs must stay slightly ahead
of them at most times in order to clear the way.
A number of attackers coming from both front and back will do their best to
sabotage the ambulances during the later stages of the mission. The walkthrough
presented under Strategy Blueprint offers tactics to deal with these two-front attacks,
but executing these tactics requires good timing.
Make no mistake, this is a very difficult mission. You may need to attempt it
more than once to learn the exact timing of the enemies' approaches.
Recommended Forces
You're allocated 150 tons for this mission, and you'll need it all. Since timing is impor-
tant in this mission, you'll want 'Mechs that can move fairly quickly. Cougars and
Ullers are a good choice. They're fast, yet they can carry an impressive arsenal.
If you send one or two slower but more powerful 'Mechs, such as Hunchbacks,
you can still finish the mission, though the slower 'Mechs tend to lag behind at the
times when you need them most. Stick with the little 'Mechs and load them up with
the best available weapons. Be sure to have a number of short-range weapons, though
mid-range and long-range weapons are fine as well.
You have four small artillery strikes and a Camera Drone for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Your 'Mechs and the ambulances start in the northeast corner of the map. Group all
your 'Mechs together immediately and head down the road without waiting for the
ambulances. The first enemy units you'll encounter are two Firestarter-/s and one
Commando-J. Using concentrated firepower, you should be able to destroy them
quickly and without much trouble.
Once you have dealt with the jump 'Mechs, continue down the road. Soon you'll
come upon two Rommels. Again, these are not a problem and your 'Mech Group can
destroy them easily.
CHAPTER 8 — OPERATION 3:
When the Rommels are gone, continue following the road. On the north side of
the road are two Aerospace Spotters. Destroy them as quickly as possible. Keep your
'Mechs moving while you attack, as the Aerospace Spotters will waste no time calling
in air strikes. Pun
At this point in the mission, it's most efficient to split up your forces.
Break off your fastest 'Mech and send it
southeast toward the Mobile HQ shown on the
Battle Map. Have it chase down the Mobile HQ
(seen in Figure 8-2) and capture it as quickly
as possible, then return to the main group.
Allow the main group to continue down the
road instead of waiting for this 'Mech; it can
catch up eventually.
Once the Mobile HQ is captured, you'll
be able to see a small group of 'Mechs waiting
in ambush farther down the road. It consists
of a pair of Ullers; their position is shown on
the Battle Map. Immediately use all four of
your small artillery strikes on them.
Fig. 8-2. Capture the Mobile HQ quickly, before
it can go too far south.
TIP 7e artillery strikes will damage the Ullers and soften them up. They
wv also alert the Ullers to your presence and cause them to attack earlier
l than they otherwise would. This is good, because if you don’t use
artillery strikes they attack much later while you're fighting a
Vulture—and if they attack then, they’re too much to handle.
Have your ’Mechs continue down the road and deal with the Pop-Up Turrets
noted on your Battle Map. There are three of them; destroy each of them in turn, |
staying out of range of the others until you are ready to deal with them. а ur
Have the 'Mechs continue down the road into the City area marked on the Battle p А
Мар. In the City area, there’s a row of barrels set up across the roadway as shown on
the Battle Map. Destroy it and begin firing at the trees that flank the road nearby.
Swarms of Elementals are hiding in the trees near the City, and you can see them
if you look closely. Keep firing at different parts of the trees until you activate them,
then destroy them when they rush out.
Now send your 'Mechs down the road once again. Two LRM Carriers are parked
on either side of the road (see the Battle Map); destroy them as quickly as possible.
Any Ullers from the group on which you previously used your artillery strikes
will probably choose this time to attack. Run down to meet them and finish them off
MECHCOMMANDER: 010 — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
as quickly as possible. Then send all but your smallest Mech back north toward the
ambulances, because a Cougar will try to sneak in from behind and destroy your
ambulances from the rear.
TIP You may experience slight differences in the timing of the Uller attacks,
depending on exactly where the ambulances are and where your
‘Mechs are. We can't anticipate every possibility, so just remember this:
The Ullers you struck with your artillery earlier will attack from the
south somewhere around this time, and a lone Uller will try to attack
the convoy from behind shortly thereafter. Your job is to take out the
southern Ullers first, then go take out the sneak attacker.
Have your larger 'Mechs destroy the lone sneak-attacking Cougar while your
smallest 'Mech stays with the convoy. Then have your large 'Mechs rejoin the convoy
as quickly as possible after they've dispatched the Cougar.
If you haven't destroyed the LRM Carriers noted on the Battle Map, head down
the road until you find them and take them out now. If you already did, just continue
down the road.
The next enemy units you come across are two Armored Cars. Of course these
pose no threat to your 'Mechs, and you can destroy them easily. The only trick is
making sure your 'Mechs get there before the ambulances do, which is easy if you took
out the Ullers efficiently.
The next and final enemy unit you come upon is a Vulture-A. If your 'Mechs are
in reasonably good shape, you'll be able to take out the Vulture without losing any
'Mechs. Remember that you can kill a Vulture very swiftly by crowding up so close to
it that it can't fire its LRMs at your 'Mechs. (The LRMs have a minimum range, inside
which they can't target anything.)
You may not have killed the Vulture by the time the ambulances get close to it,
but if you're harassing it with your 'Mechs, it won't bother to target the ambulances.
Once the Vulture has been destroyed, there are no more obstacles for the ambu-
lances. Wait for them to reach the Extraction Point shown on the Battle Map, and
you've completed the mission.
S v
CHAPTER 8 —OPERATION 3:
TIP Remember, timing is everything in this mission. If you fail, try to move
faster next time and keep a better lookout for sensor contacts. You have
a Camera Drone at your disposal; use it if you think it'll help.
MISSION 3-2: DESTROY ENEMY COMMAND UNIT
ondsman Major Piotrev’s Command Unit is heading toward a Repair Base in the
Jaguars’ rear area after a particularly tough battle. Your task is to preemptively
take over the Repair Base and greet the Major when he arrives.
Also, you are to destroy two Industrial Complexes located inside the base that are
fabricating spare parts.
Before taking over the Repair Base, you should cut off the primary power to the
base’s Turrets. The power source is a geothermal power plant located east of the
base itself.
e Destroy two Industrial Complexes.
e Destroy Major's Unit.
е Destroy primary Turret power.
Overview
You have two main objectives in this mission: take over the Repair Base and defeat the
Major’s Command Unit. Fortunately, the base has Mech Repair Bays. These buildings
allow you to repair any damaged BattleMechs before facing the Command Unit. If
you're careful, the mission will be easy to complete.
The Command Unit approaches the Repair Base after approximately 10 minutes.
You should have more time than you need to prepare for its arrival.
Recommended Forces
You have a drop limit of 300 tons and eight ‘Mechs. You want to use as much tonnage
as possible, as this is a tough mission. We recommend heavy, ammo-intensive weapons.
Though most of your Mechs should be large, we recommend that you bring
along one very small, light Mech as well. An Uller is ideal.
You have one small artillery strike and one Camera Drone for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
From the drop point indicated on the Battle Map, send all your Mechs southwest along
the indicated path. The first units you'll encounter are a pair of Strikers, an Aerospace
Spotter, and a Mobile HQ Vehicle (noted as "Assorted Vehicles" on the Battle Map).
The first order of business is to destroy the Aerospace Spotter and eliminate the
threat of air strikes. The Mobile HQ Vehicle takes off to the south the minute your
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fig. 8-3. Battle Map of Mission 3-2.
"Mechs open fire; assign your smallest, fastest "Mech to hunt it down and capture it
while the other 'Mechs fight. When you capture it, the Repair Base will become visible
on your map.
CHAPTER 8 — OPERATION 3:
Next, head southwest toward the spot marked “Primary Turret Power” on the
Battle Map. You’ll have to destroy several Pop-Up Turrets guarding the borders of the
base. Do not destroy the primary Turret Power Generator yet! Instead, leave your
smallest "Mech behind, right next to the Generator.
TIP You shouldn't blow up the Generator now, because the Turrets it powers
wv only go off-line for a minute or so when it's destroyed. After a minute,
: an auxiliary power source located inside the Repair Base kicks in, and
the Turrets become fully functional again. Therefore, you don’t want to
destroy the Primary Turret Power until your BattleMechs are in striking
position, where they can capitalize on the temporary loss of power.
Send the remainder of your BattleMechs toward the Repair Base, staying out of
range of the Cougars as shown on the Battle Map.
Once all of your units have reached the spot labeled “Wait Here” on the Battle
Map, use the ‘Mech you left behind to destroy the primary Turret Power Generator.
Send your remaining 'Mechs into the base as soon as the Generator is destroyed. Have
them target enemy 'Mechs and vehicles but not Turrets.
Several Clan units are waiting for you inside the base, including two Ullers, five
Condors, a Saracen, and an SRM Carrier. If you didn't capture the Mobile HQ Vehicle
before, it'll be in the base now as well.
The base's Turrets will be off-line only for a short time. To create an advantageous
battleground for your units, take over the nearest Turret Control Tower as quickly as
possible, then have your 'Mechs huddle near the Turrets that Tower controls. Unless
you are ruthlessly efficient, the Turrets will come on-line before you have taken out
all of the enemy units in the base—so your 'Mechs should stay near the Turrets they've
captured and avoid the ones they haven't.
Once all mobile enemy units are destroyed, run your 'Mechs around the base and
capture all remaining Turret Control Towers. Try not to destroy the Turrets you
haven't yet captured; they'll help you out once the Command Unit arrives.
ТІР You can also have your light ‘Mech run into the base at this time.
wv Make sure that it avoids the Cougars marked on your Battle Map.
When all Turret Control Towers are in your possession, capture the two 'Mech
Repair Bays and the Container Stack located inside the base. Start repairing your
'Mechs. Remember that the Repair Bays replenish ammo as well as armor, so even
'Mechs with little apparent damage should repair themselves.
The next step is to wait for the Major's Unit to arrive. Gather your 'Mechs near
the middle of the base. The Major's Command Unit approaches from the southwest
and enters the base through the south entrance.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТІР /fyou want to do a little preemptive damage, send your fastest "Mech
wv (with sensors) through the southern entrance until it picks up the
à approaching ‘Mechs with its sensors. Have your ‘Mech return to the
base when sensor contact is made. Then, when the Command Unit
comes into visible range, drop your lone artillery strike in its path.
yi б E "Y t :
Fig. 8-4. The southern edge of the base has the
most Missile Turrets, so that’s where you should
try to fight the Command Unit.
The Major’s Unit consists of one
Awesome-A (moderately damaged) and four
Jagermechs (two jump-capable, one Weapons
variant, and one Armor variant). Ideally, you
should engage the enemy only after the
Missile Turrets have fired a salvo at them.
Then, before they can destroy any Turret
Control Towers, attack.
While you engage the enemy ’Mechs in
battle, try to keep your units near the
southern edge of the base. That’s where you
have the highest concentration of Missile
Turrets to contribute to your cause (see
Figure 8-4).
Once the enemy ’Mechs are destroyed,
you can demolish the two [Industrial
Complexes located inside the base and you'll
win the mission.
ТІР /fyou want to save on repair bills for the next mission, send your
BattleMechs into the Repair Bays after fighting the Command Unit
but before destroying the Industrial Complexes.
CHAPTER B—DPERATION 3: VANGUARD
Boe oa
MISSION 3-3: CAPTURE ENEMY CONVOY
he Clan is moving seven supply trucks loaded with valuable cargo through the
Kenuk river region near Affendale.
Your job is to capture as many of those supply trucks as possible, thus making
your attack on Affendale easier. You need to capture a minimum of four trucks, but
you'll be generously rewarded if you manage to capture all seven.
e Capture four supply trucks.
e Capture all supply trucks for extra Resource Points.
Fig. 8-5. Battle Map of Mission 3-3.
MECHCOMMANDER: 010 — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Overview
In this mission, there are seven supply trucks to capture. They start out as one large
group on the eastern edge of the map, but quickly split into three separate groups.
This makes them difficult to catch.
There are three paths that the trucks can follow to escape. These routes include
the road that disappears off the northern edge of the map, the road that disappears off
the western edge of the map, and the road that disappears off the southern edge of the
map. Fortunately for you, both the northern and western exits require the supply
trucks to cross bridges. Your goal, therefore, is to destroy all bridges on the map, thus
forcing the trucks toward the southern exit, where your Mechs can simply wait for
their arrival.
Recommended Forces
You’re allocated 300 tons for this mission. We recommend that you take a mix of heavy
and medium ’Mechs to drop in Force Groups 1 and 2, and a light, fast Mech to place
in Force Group З. Make sure you place the fast Mech in Group 3!
Energy weapons, such as Large Lasers and PPCs, are desirable for this mission.
These weapons have the punch required to quickly dispatch the escorts guarding the
supply trucks, yet won’t run out of ammunition at critical junctures.
You have two small artillery strikes and two Sensor Probes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Force Groups 1 and 2 are dropped next to one another, while Force Group 3 is dropped
on the other side of the river. As mentioned previously under Recommended Forces,
you should have deployed your fastest 'Mech in Force Group 3 and all the rest in Force
Groups 1 and 2.
Send the Force Group З "Mech northeast along the nearby road, ignoring the
Striker and J. Edgar parked on a nearby hill. This 'Mech's task is to reach the map's
northernmost spot labeled *Destroy Bridge" on the Battle Map. It needs to hurry.
CHAPTER 8 — OPERATION 3:
Meanwhile, move the rest of your Mechs south, following the path indicated on
the Battle Map. Once those 'Mechs are in motion, you should concentrate on making
sure that Force Group 3 reaches the northern bridge. paler Saee
Once the Force Group 3 'Mech has sighted the northern bridge, send it back to ВО ча o
its original drop point and from there have it rejoin the other 'Mechs, continuing to
ignore the Striker and J. Edgar. e
Drop both of your small artillery strikes on the bridge your light 'Mech just Pas
exposed, destroying it.
While your scout 'Mech is returning from its mission, continue to advance the
rest of your forces south until you reach the spot marked "Base".
There is one Turret Control Tower in
this base, controlling a number of damaging
Cannon Turrets. Destroying the Control
Tower will disable the Turrets much more effi-
ciently than destroying each Turret in turn.
There are also a number of Laser Turrets with
no apparent control. These will have to be
destroyed individually.
There are also two Rommels located in
the southern part of the base. Destroy them as
well. After the Turrets are off-line and the
Rommels are destroyed, capture the Com-
ponent Warehouse located in the base itself.
Fig. 8-6. Destroying the Turret Control Tower is the
By this time your scout 'Mech should most efficient way of disabling these particular Turrets.
have returned from its mission. If either the | A
Striker or the J. Edgar are still giving it chase, have your main 'Mech force destroy 4 05
them. Then destroy the map’s central bridge with concentrated weapons fire. |
Group all of your 'Mechs together in one huge Force Group. At this point there
should be only one bridge left on the map—the southern one. Have all your 'Mechs
cross the southern bridge.
Once all your 'Mechs have safely crossed the bridge, destroy it. Now the only
escape route for the Trucks is the road leading south.
Gather your ’Mechs at the spot labeled “Wait Here” on the Battle Map, then use
Sensor Probes to locate the nearest group of supply trucks. Feel free to move out to
intercept them, but don't get so far out of position that subsequent groups can sneak
past your forces.
This first convoy group contains an SRM carrier, a Rommel, a Hunchback Пс,
and three supply trucks. Destroy all the defending units and then capture the two
supply trucks.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Soon the second convoy group will arrive. (You'll see them well in advance
because your Force Group З "Mech already explored the area they're coming from.)
This second group contains a Cougar, a Rommel, a Striker, and two supply trucks.
Again, take out all of the defending units and then capture the Trucks.
When the second group has been dealt with, look for the third group. This group
consists of two Cougars, a Rommel, and three supply trucks. Once you have taken care
of this group, you win the mission.
MISSION 3-4: LIBERATE REEDUCATION CAMP
our mission is to rescue loyal Inner Sphere warriors from a “Reeducation Camp”
Y: the Mayan Canyons. This will be complicated somewhat by the mazelike quality
of the canyons.
Even as you try to capture the Reeducation Camp's HQ Building you'll need to
guard your Field Base from enemy patrols. This will require you to divide your forces,
which may cause difficulties despite the large drop weight allotted for this mission.
* Capture Reeducation Camp HQ Building.
* Defend Field Base HQ Building.
Overview
In this mission, you must defend your own base and capture the enemy base. This
means you'll need to divide your forces into two groups. Fortunately, you have more
than enough drop weight allotted to get the job done.
You have 12 minutes to get to the enemy base and take over the headquarters. You
should have no trouble reaching the base in time if you proceed at a reasonable pace.
There are several routes you can take to reach the enemy base, and your forces
are strong enough to brave any of them. However, the northernmost path is the
simplest and gets you to the enemy base with plenty of time to spare. This is the path
recommended in the Strategy Blueprint.
If you take long enough to capture the enemy base, many of the enemy units
shown on the Battle Map will mobilize and gradually make their way toward your Field
CHAPTER 8 — OPERATION 3:
TNT ANS?
Fig. 8-7. Battle Map of Mission 3-4.
Base HQ Building. As long as you proceed at a reasonable pace, though, you'll
complete the mission before most of these units decide to attack.
Recommended Forces
You are allowed 425 tons in this mission, but only eight Mechs. We recommend that
you take two heavy, slow ’Mechs to guard your base and six relatively fast Mechs to go
after the enemy base. Blazing speed isn’t crucial, but moderate speed is useful.
You have one small and one large artillery strike on this mission, plus one
Sensor Probe.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Strategy Blueprint
Your units begin the mission just outside your Field Base in the southwest corner of
the Battle Map. Divide your forces into two groups: Two large, sluggish "Mechs that
will stay behind to guard the base, and a number of faster Mechs that will assault the
enemy Base HQ.
Send the two big defending 'Mechs into the Field Base itself. Then group the
remaining fast 'Mechs together and send them north along the path illustrated on the
Battle Map.
As you head north, you'll need to burn down a row of trees blocking your path.
Once the trees are gone, continue north to the top of a hill. Here you're likely to meet
three jump-capable Ullers and two LRM Carriers. At some point, these enemy units
will be in motion and, depending on how quickly your forces arrived at the hilltop,
none, some, or all of the aforementioned units will be waiting there for you.
Keep an eye out for these units if you don't find them on the hilltop. If you don't
destroy them, they'll eventually head toward your base, where your two defenders will
need to deal with them.
Once the Ullers and LRM carriers have been destroyed, head east along the path
drawn on the Battle Map. You won't encounter any more enemy units until you reach
the enemy base.
About this time, two Cougars and two Ullers approach your Field Base from the
east; their path is drawn on the Battle Map. Your pair of defending 'Mechs should inter-
cept them before they can do much damage to your HQ Building. (If you take too long
to capture the enemy Base HQ, a pair of Rommels also will attack along this path.)
Your base has a few Turrets for defense, so wait for the enemy to get within Turret
range before advancing your defenders to fight them. The four enemy 'Mechs tend to
stand in a tight cluster and fire at your forces; this is the perfect opportunity to use an
artillery strike or two to soften them up.
|
CHAPTER 8 — OPERATION 3:
ТІР Neither the forces at the enemy base nor the forces attacking your
base are overwhelmingly tough, but both require your attention.
Therefore, you don't want to be fighting them both at the same time.
It may be beneficial to wait to attack the enemy base until the coast is
reasonably clear near your own base.
When the 'Mechs attacking your base have been taken care of, it's time to attack
the enemy base.
Several Turrets surround and stand inside the enemy base. You can disable them
by destroying the Turret Control Tower located at the base's southern end. Several
enemy units are also present, including three Bulldogs, two Rommels, a Cougar, and
two Ullers. Although this sounds like a lot to deal with, the enemy units are somewhat
spread out. You'll be able to destroy some of them before the others come into range.
As always, use concentrated fire to destroy the nearest enemy and then move on
to the next. Once all enemy units are destroyed, capture the Component Warehouse
for salvage. Then capture the HQ Building to win.
MISSION 3-3: DEFEND ALLIED SUPPLY BASE
Clan force is marching on a pivotal supply base near the embattled city of
Де The defense force already stationed there is minimal, апа your unit is
the closest one in the area. Thus, you’re tasked with defending the base from the
Clan onslaught.
Your primary goal is to defend the Base HQ, but secondary structures such as the
Sensor Control Building and Turret Power Generators are vital to the base’s defense.
Don’t let them fall.
Two 'Mech Repair Bays are available for your use during this mission.
* Protect Base HQ Building.
* Protect Sensor Control Building.
e Protect northern Turret Power Generator.
e Protect southern Turret Power Generator.
Overview
When you notice that you’ve got 480 tons of drop weight allocated for this mission,
you have a clue that it’s going to be a massive slugfest. Add in the fact that you’ve got
Repair Bays and you just know it’s gonna be a big one.
The essence of this mission is to get your 'Mechs into the Supply Base as quickly
as possible and have them defend it against multiple waves of attackers. This is simple
in theory but tough in practice, especially considering the sheer number of
Hunchbacks possessed by the enemy.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Centurions,
Hunchbacks
Fig. 8-8. Battle Map of Mission 3-5.
Despite the ponderous amount of tonnage involved in this mission, finesse is
definitely required. You’ll need to learn how to manage two battles at once, and make
the most of the brief respite time between enemy waves. Your ability to handle these
tasks will determine your success in the mission.
CHAPTER 8 — OPERATION 3:
Recommended Forces
You've got 480 tons but only eight slots in the DropShip. That means you're going to
take your biggest 'Mechs—if your biggest "Mechs don't even approach the weight
limit, you might need to buy a new one. We recommend buying an Awesome, which
has great power but isn’t quite as slow as the Atlas.
Bring along your biggest Mechs with the heaviest hitting weapons you can
muster. Don’t be afraid to use a few Autocannons, Heavy Autocannons, or Gauss
Rifles—it’s all good. You’ll have access to Repair Bays, so those weapons’ meager
ammunition supplies can be restocked midway through the mission.
You have four small artillery strikes and one Sensor Probe for this mission.
You are also placed in command of a Minelayer and two Pegasus Scout Tanks
that begin within the walls of the base you must defend. The Minelayer, if used prop-
erly, could be one of your most effective units. The two scout tanks can either be used
for scouting, or to harass the enemy.
Strategy Blueprint
Your Force Groups are dropped at the south central part of the map. Immediately
select all your "Mechs, and start marching them up the road toward the base. Get them
inside the base quickly.
Once they are moving, send the Minelayer out the northwest gate along the road,
all the way out to where the road bends. Have it lay mines back into the base all the way
to the intersection near the Sensor Control Building. Order the scout tanks to Guard the
Minelayer just in case. If time permits, start mining the area in front of the objectives
you must protect, the HQ Building, the generators, and the Sensor Control Building.
Your 'Mechs are now inside the base.
Run them up to the northern edge of the base,
where they need to intercept and destroy a
quartet of jump-capable Firestarters that
attack the base's northern edge. If you fail
to destroy them quickly еу! take out
one of your crucial 'Mech Repair Bays (see
Figure 8-9).
Now that the Firestarters are gone,
quickly examine your 'Mechs. They're already
Fig. 8-9. Don't panic if this one gets destroyed, there
is another in the far corner of the base.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
in two groups, but you need to tweak those groups a little. Instead of two groups of
four "Mechs, you want to have one group of five and one of three. Make sure both
groups include at least one really big Mech. We'll call the big group Group A and the
little one Group B.
Now position Group A inside the eastern edge of the base walls, at the spot marked
“A” on the Battle Map. Meanwhile position Group B at the spot marked “B” on the
Battle Map, near the base’s northwest corner. If you are comfortable with the amount
of mining along that northwestern road and into the base you can leave a minimal force
here to take care of any straggler tanks that are not destroyed by the mines.
Shortly, a massive attack will punish the walls near Point A. It consists of several
Ullers and Cougars, plus a brutally large group of Centurions and Hunchbacks. These
'Mechs will approach the wall and try to blast a hole in it. This is a prime opportunity
to use artillery to soften them up some. Then, use concentrated fire to take down
'Mech after 'Mech as they mill around outside, then systematically take out the 'Mechs
that break through the wall. It'll be chaotic and brutal, but if you concentrate your fire
on one target at a time and move severely damaged 'Mechs to the rear, you'll probably
manage to survive.
Complicating matters, at the same time the Point A attack is going on, a squad
of six Rommels will attack Point B. You need to quickly flip back and forth between
the Point A and Point B battles, reassigning targets to Groups A and B as necessary.
If all goes well, you'll foil the attacks on both fronts without losing any 'Mechs.
When all enemies are gone, immediately have Group A enter the northern Repair Bay
and repair themselves. Simultaneously have Group B repair themselves in the
southern Repair Bay.
As 'Mechs are repaired, send them down to the southern edge of the base, which
is marked *C" on your Battle Map. Form all the 'Mechs into one huge group.
Eventually a mixed group, including a couple of Catapults, several Hunchbacks,
and several LRM Carriers will appear from the southwest and trickle their way up
toward Point C. Let them have everything you've got as they break through the walls.
As usual, concentrate on one target at a time—and stay inside the base so your Turrets
can do their work. This is another tough battle, but with luck (and enough heavy
'Mechs) you'll survive.
CHAPTER 8—OPERATION 3
The mission ends when this wave of attackers is destroyed.
ТІР 7he directions for this mission are simple because it's so combat-inten-
wv sive. If you fail the first time, try again and attempt to manage your
battles a little better. Or else go back to the drawing board and try
different weapon payloads, perhaps specializing in one particular range
so you can move all your ‘Mechs to that range for maximum effect.
MISSION 3-6: LIBERATE AFFENDALE
our mission is to destroy the Clan Administration Building in the foothills of Mount
Samurai near Affendale.
Intelligence reports indicate that the capture of the Clan's Sensor Grid will be
invaluable in completing this task. The Sensor Control Building is located within a
double-walled facility in the middle of Affendale. Power Generators powering the
Turrets around the Sensor Control Building are located to the southeast.
This mission represents the culmination of Operation Vanguard. Don't expect
a cakewalk.
e Destroy Clan Administration Building.
e Capture enemy Sensor Control.
e Ascend Mount Samurai for extraction.
Overview
There are essentially two parts to this mission: Take over the Sensor Control Tower,
then destroy the Administration Building and all units near the Extraction Point.
The first part is broken into two steps. Step one is to take out the southern Turret
Power Generator, thus disabling all Turrets surrounding the Sensor Control Complex.
Once the Turrets are disabled, the only defenses left are two Catapults. The second
step, naturally, is to attack the complex and assume control.
There are several vital structures for you to capture in the Sensor Control
Complex. The Sensor Control Tower allows detection of all enemy 'Mechs on the
map, while the nearby headquarters reveals two bridges leading to the Clan
Administration Building.
The second part of this mission involves getting to the Clan Administration
Building itself. There are several possible paths to the Administration Building, none
of which is vastly superior to the others. However, if the island is approached from
the southeast, it's possible to destroy the northern Turret Power Generator and
capture a few extra Resource Warehouses. Therefore, that's the path detailed in the
Strategy Blueprint.
ee
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Force Group 1,
Force Group 2,
Force Group 3
Southern Bridge
Fig. 8-10. Battle Map of Mission 3-6.
CHAPTER 8 — OPERATION 3
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit is a massive 450 tons. Speed is a complete non-issue in this
mission, so you’ll probably want to take the biggest and most powerful ’Mechs avail-
able. Don't bother with a Refit Truck, because there are two fully functional “Mech
Repair Bays that you can capture early in the mission.
Lots of LRMs, PPCs, and ER-PPCs will prove most useful for this mission.
You have one small and one large artillery strike for this mission, plus one
Camera Drone.
Strategy Blueprint
Group all your 'Mechs together into one massive Force Group, then send them east
along the path shown on the Battle Map. The first units you’ll encounter are a pair of
Strikers. Destroy them. Next, you'll be welcomed by a pair of Catapults on patrol in .
the area. Again, they are not much of a problem for your forces if you concentrate fire.
Once the Catapults have been taken out, continue east toward the southern
Turret Power Generator shown on the Battle Map. When you arrive, the four resident
Jagermechs standing guard will come out to greet your forces. As long as all of your
forces are together, you should be able to take out all four Jagermechs without losing
any 'Mechs. Remember to rotate damaged units to the rear of the fight.
TIP The Jagermechs’ idea of good fighting technique involves lots of
4 standing around. Feel free to use one or two small artillery strikes on
3 them, but save two small ones and the two large ones for later.
Once the Jagermechs are destroyed, enter the base and take out the Turret Power
Generator. Then capture the Repair Bay located there and thoroughly fix up your
'Mechs. (Remember to restock your 'Mechs' ammo supplies even if they didn't take
any damage.)
Now that you have taken out the power to the Turrets surrounding the Sensor
Complex, it's time to go take over the vital Sensor Tower.
Send your 'Mechs northwest along the path shown on the Battle Map. When they
near a bridge, one of the two Catapults patrolling on the other side will come across
and fire at your forces. The other will hang back and start to blow up the bridge. Allow
the bridge to be destroyed; you don't need it. Just concentrate on destroying those
Catapults quickly and efficiently, while staying on your side of the bridge.
When the Catapults are gone, you can proceed toward the Sensor Complex.
Enter the Sensor Complex through the gate on the northeast side. Avoid
destroying the gate if you can because it may come in handy later. Since you recently
took out the Turret power, the only defenses the Sensor Complex has left are two
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Catapults. Destroy both with concentrated fire, then start capturing buildings inside
the complex.
Be sure to capture the Sensor Tower and the Headquarters Building. The Sensor
Tower reveals the position of all enemy ’Mechs still left on the map, while the
Headquarters Building reveals two bridges that lead to the Clan Administration
Building. Also, if you didn’t destroy the gate, be sure to capture the Gate Control. Next,
capture the Repair Bay and start fixing up your Mechs as quickly as possible.
Taking over the Sensor Complex alerts
the Jaguars to your presence and causes three
of the six Jagermechs patrolling the
Administration Building to march south and
attack. You'll see them crossing the bridge to
the north if you’ve already captured the
Headquarters Building. (The remaining three
Jagermechs continue to patrol the area in
front of the Administration Building.)
By the time the Jagermechs arrive, you
should have at least been able to repair your
most damaged 'Mechs. Leave your forces
inside the Sensor Complex and fight the
2 b t ©
you see all enemy ’Mechs’ sensor contacts.
intact, the Jagermechs won't be able to shoot
at you over the wall as they have no missile
weapons. This buys you time as you blast them with your own missile weapons. Even
if the gate is destroyed, you can use the heavy walls of the Sensor Complex to partially
shield your 'Mechs.
Once the Jagermechs have been taken care of, fix your 'Mechs again at the Repair
Base. When they're once again in great condition send them all southeast toward the
spot marked “Southern Bridge” on the Battle Map.
Cross the Southern Bridge and destroy the Pop-Up Turrets on the other side. Then
head north toward the spot marked “LRM Carriers.” Destroy the three LRM Carriers
you find there, and capture a pair of Resource Warehouses you discover along the way.
CHAPTER 8— ÜPERITIDN 3: VANGUARD —
ТІР /fany of your ‘Mechs have taken some damage or are low on ammo,
you may want to take them back to the Repair Bay at this point.
There's a big battle ahead.
Also, before crossing the bridge to the spot marked “Strikers”, you
might want to use your Camera Drone somewhere close to the Clan
Administration Building or guarded Extraction Point—ideally, some-
where that several enemy ‘Mechs are congregated. Thanks to the
captured headquarters in the Sensor Complex, you can see all enemy
‘Mechs’ sensor contacts and thus pick and choose a good spot.
Then, after the Camera Drone has revealed a few enemy 'Mechs,
drop your remaining artillery strikes on their heads.
Proceed north across a bridge and destroy the two Strikers sitting near the gate
of the main Administration Building base. (Keep at long range as you do this.) Then
destroy the gate from long range and run your 'Mechs through it at top speed.
Then either turn them left and have them locate and destroy the Turret Control Tower
that commands all Missile Turrets nearby, or have them turn right and destroy the
northern Turret Power Generator shown on the Battle Map. Either way, they'll take
the Missile Turrets off-line.
Once the Turrets are out of the picture, immediately turn your ‘Mechs’ attention
to the three (or fewer) Jagermechs that have most likely tried to attack you by this
point. Use concentrated fire to dispatch them.
After you’ve taken out the Jagermechs, continue northwest to the Clan
Administration Building and blow it up. Then visit the nearby Component Warehouses
and pick up some free gear.
ТІР Again, you can return to the ‘Mech Repair Bays at this point, if you
wv want to. It's a long walk, but there's no time pressure.
Next, slowly walk your 'Mechs up Mount Samurai. There's quite a collection of
enemy units waiting for them up there, including a Mad Cat, two Hunchbacks, and
four Bulldogs. That's a lot to deal with. Make the Bulldogs a priority because they're
your least-armored foes, followed by any enemies who get too close. Use any
remaining artillery strikes at this point.
Once all enemy units are destroyed, send all of your 'Mechs up to the Extraction
Point marker and you'll win the mission.
T IP J/fyou fail this mission, bear in mind that you can return again and
again to the Меси Repair Bays. It may be tiresome to keep marching
back there after every combat engagement, but it makes your job a
whole lot easier.
he last few Operations paved the way for a larger assault on Port
_ Arthur, but the powerful Orbital Guns the Clan captured when they
; first took Port Arthur are still an obstacle to an all-out assault. These
за owes are capable of destroying DropShips well before they even have
__achance to land.
ce ~The goal of Operation Lynchpin is to silence these Orbital Guns by
whatever means necessary. In addition to emplaced guns, the Clans have
-deployed а Biptured mobile guns to fortify their defenses—and finding
|.
CHAPTER 9 — OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN
Believe us when we say these missions are vastly more difficult than anything
you've done to this point. They require precise strategies, precise timing, and all the
combat tricks and tactics you've honed throughout your previous missions. Even if you
execute them to perfection you run the risk of losing 'Mechs. Prepare yourself for a fight!
MISSION 4-1: CAPTURE MASAKARI AND
DESTROY ORBITAL GUNS
wo of the Jaguars’ deadly Orbital Guns have been pinpointed by Battalion
Гн They’re located so far behind enemy lines that а large-scale combat
drop is not feasible, but a small-scale raid is.
Intelligence also has located a Masakari undergoing repairs in the area. Your
15-ton combat vehicle will have to be dropped in by plane, after which it will meet up
with an APC carrying Firestorm, an elite MechWarrior.
From here the combat vehicle and APC need to link up with the Masakari, which
Firestorm will pilot. Use the Masakari to take out those Orbital Guns.
e Link up APC with Masakari, then use Masakari to complete the second objective.
* Destroy Orbital Guns.
Overview
The first goal in this mission is to get the APC to the Masakari located in the base to the
east. There are several possible routes, but the most efficient (and safest) is to blast your
way through narrow bands of trees. The biggest pests in this mission are the Aerospace
Spotters, which will continually call in air strikes. Just keep moving as quickly as you
can, keeping the Pegasus and the APC close together for maximum control.
Once you reach the Masakari and activate it, things get easier. But don’t get
too cocky, because a lone Mech without backup—even a monster like а Masakari—
has limits.
Recommended Forces
You're allotted only 15 tons for this mission. Go buy yourself a Pegasus. It moves at
the same rate as the APC you need to deliver, and it has some firepower to boot.
You have three small artillery strikes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
At the start of the mission, an APC joins your Pegasus. This is the vehicle you must
safely deliver to the eastern base.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fig. 9-1. Battle Map of Mission 4-1.
Gather the Pegasus and the APC and send them east along the path shown on
the Battle Map. Once you have crossed the bridge, your best option is to follow the
coast for a while, then veer north into the city. Again, this is the path drawn on your
Battle Map.
CHAPTER 9 — OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN
It’s likely that an Aerospace Spotter or two may notice you at this point. A few
scattered Elementals also are roving through the area. Mostly, you can ignore these
enemy units, though you can stop to destroy an Elemental or two if they’re being a
particular nuisance. Otherwise, keep moving and only alter your course if necessitated
by air strikes.
As you approach the northern edge of the City area, blow up the narrow band of
trees as shown on the Battle Map. Destroy as many as necessary to break through and
into the open countryside; keep moving while the forest burns to avoid air strikes.
Now you're in the clear. One or two enemy vehicles may decide to pursue you,
but they'll lag behind because your vehicles are faster. Keep an eye out—there's a
Resource Warehouse in the City that holds weapons you will want.
Proceed northeast toward the small base containing the Masakari, and enter
through the western gate. There are several enemy vehicles waiting in the base,
including three Saracens and one Condor. Ignore them for now, and get the APC to
the Repair Bay where the Masakari is sitting. Click on the Masakari itself and once the
APC arrives, the Pegasus comes on-line.
ТІР /fyou want to use one of your small artillery strikes on the enemy
wv vehicles, it'll shorten your work.
Make sure the APC gets right up to the feet of the Masakari, or
else it won't come on-line.
Now you're in business. Have the Masakari take out the four vehicles, then
capture the Repair Bay and send the Masakari back into it for repairs and fresh ammo.
Next send all three of your units northwest along the path indicated on the Battle
Map. You'll soon encounter a group of vehicles including an LRM carrier, three
Saracens, a Condor, and a Striker. Destroy them methodically with the Masakari,
keeping the APC and Pegasus well back from the fray.
TIP Once this wave of enemy vehicles has been destroyed, you may want
wv to send the Masakari back to the Repair Bay to repair and reload. This
is a bit of a pain, but it makes the last part of your mission easier.
Now send your forces northwest, toward a small base containing the Orbital
Guns marked on your map. Here you will find the two Orbital Guns themselves, plus
a Rommel and a pair of Ullers.
Dispatch the Rommel and then the Ullers with the Masakari, concentrating first
on one Uller and then the other. Try to stay at medium range as much as possible,
where your Masakari can utilize most of its weapons simultaneously. Also, stay some-
what back from the base itself so the Cannon Turrets and Missile Turrets scattered
throughout it can't attack your Masakari.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
TIP Feel free to throw the Pegasus into the fray after the Masakari
has engaged both Ullers. (It's expendable.) You also can use your
remaining artillery strikes, though the Ullers move around so much
that it's hard to catch them in the blasts.
Fig. 9-2. Stay back from the base with the Orbital
Guns until both Ullers are destroyed.
When the Ullers are gone, you can either
send the Masakari back for repairs if it's in
bad shape, or proceed to methodically destroy
the nearest Turrets with ER-PPC and LRM
fire. You'll be able to take out all the Turrets
without suffering much collateral damage,
because of the Masakari's great long-range
punch.
When the Turrets are gone, jump the
Masakari up onto a ledge overlooking the
Orbital Guns and capture two Resource
Warehouses. Then destroy both Orbital Guns
to end the mission.
MISSION 4-2: INTERDICT CLAN SUPPLIES
supplies for remaining Clan Orbital Guns. We can’t allow those Orbital Guns to
MN number of ordnance trucks have arrived at the Kylemartin Depot carrying
be supplied.
The Clan is prepared for attacks on these Trucks, and the Trucks will scatter to
the west, south, and east when your forces have been detected. This means you'll have
to plan carefully if you wish to catch every Truck.
Capturing the Headquarters Building at the Depot will reveal the current loca-
tions of all Trucks.
* Destroy seven of twelve ordnance trucks.
* Destroy 12 of 12 ordnance trucks (secondary).
CHAPTER 9 — OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN
Turrets
Perimeter
Alarm,
Turrets
Fig. 9-3. Battle Map of Mission 4-2.
Overview
This is a mission that’ll drive you crazy if you’re one of those people who tries to do
everything: Destroy every enemy, capture every resource, and complete every
secondary objective. Although it’s possible to do just about everything you’re asked to
do in this mission, it requires a big time investment. Those ordnance trucks bolt from
the enemy base with lightning speed once the alarm is sounded, and catching them
all is like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands.
The Strategy Blueprint assumes that you’re one of those frenetic types who tries
to do it all. Be forewarned, though, that doing this mission as explained in the
Blueprint requires a lot of time and effort, and the rewards for completing your
secondary objective may not seem worth the trouble. V —
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТІР /fyou want to just get the mission over with, do it like this: Have
Force Groups 2 and 3 take over the Turret Control Tower near the
spots marked “Turrets” on the map. Then return these Force Groups to
their original drop point.
Now, gradually circle Force Group 1 around toward the southern
edge of the base, meanwhile gradually moving Force Groups 2 and 3
toward the northern edge. Then, when the enemy starts to spill out
of the base, charge all your ‘Mechs in at full speed from both sides,
shooting as many Trucks as possible. You should be able to get at least
five of them if you're fast, and your captured Turrets can take out the
remaining two.
Recommended Forces
Your Drop Weight Limit for this mission is a substantial 360 tons. It’s recommended
that you take very close to all of it. Take a large force of reasonably fast 'Mechs—no
Atlases—with good firepower. Also take along a Minelayer.
Stock up on LRMs, ER-PPCs, and other long-range weapons: They'll definitely
come in handy. Don’t take too many ammo-intensive weapons, however.
Also, make at least one of your 'Mechs a Cougar and load it with Advanced
Sensors and an ECM Suite. This will effectively halve the range of enemy sensors,
making it easier to evade detection from the enemy ’Mechs in the base.
You'll have one small artillery strike and two Sensor Probes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
As the mission starts, Force Group 1 is divided from Force Groups 2 and 3. Select
Force Group 1 and march it over to join the other Force Groups as illustrated on the
Battle Map, taking care to avoid the sensors of the Mechs in the enemy base.
ТІР 7he base contains a Hollander Пс, Cougar, Hunchback, Firestarter, and
wv a trio of Rommels in addition to the 12 ordnance trucks. There are
also nine Missile Turrets and a large number of structures that may
be captured for salvage.
CHAPTER 9— OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN
Three circumstances will alert
the base to your presence and cause
the ordnance trucks to leave:
Attacking the trucks, attacking the
‘Mechs inside the base, and setting
off a Perimeter Alarm.
The first case is self-explanatory:
Don't attack the trucks until you
want those ordnance trucks to flee.
The second case is a bit more
complicated. If you get too close to
the base and allow the ‘Mechs inside W TB TQ ETE
to see your forces on their sensors, Fig. 9-4. The base is heavily guarded but contains
those Mechs will come out and a wealth of resources for you to capture.
attack. The instant you return fire
on those ‘Mechs, the base is alerted and the ordnance trucks take off.
Thus, you need to stay out of enemy sensor range until the time is
right. (Also note that standing too close to the bridge directly south-
west of the base causes ‘Mechs to spill out and investigate.)
n
Note that you can safely destroy any ‘Mechs that didn't originate
from the base without alerting the base. To repeat, only ‘Mechs that
actually come out of the base will alert the base when fired upon. So,
you can destroy most ‘Mechs safely.
The final case is self-explanatory: Stand in range of a Perimeter
Alarm for too long and it'll go off, alerting the base. Therefore, either
stay away from these alarms or destroy them quickly.
Now all your 'Mechs are together. Just let them sit there for awhile, waiting.
Eventually a Cougar and a Hunchback IIc will wander up from the southwest. Destroy
both with concentrated fire as soon as they appear.
ТІР There are also a Cougar and a Hunchback Пс wandering around the VM XN
wv southwest part of the map, across the river. Later, a Centurion will | `~ ~
appear in the northern part of the map and another Cougar will start c n
to prowl in the south. These 'Mechs all move around, so you can't
predict where you'll encounter them. But when all your ‘Mechs are
gathered in one huge group, it’s fairly easy to dispatch these loners.
Just keep an eye out for them.
When the Cougar and Hunchback Ис are destroyed, have your 'Mechs explore
the general vicinity (staying out of the base 'Mechs' sensor range, of course). In several
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
spots are Perimeter Alarms guarded by Pop-Up Turrets; these places are noted on your
Battle Map. Often the alarms are protected by forest, so you'll either need to burn
down forest to shoot them or use LRMs that sail over the trees.
While your ’Mechs are exploring, have your Minelayer thoroughly mine the
nearest spots labeled Mine on your Battle Map. These are possible escape routes that
the Ordnance Trucks will follow when they leave the base.
After you finish the nearest minefields, send your 'Mechs along the general path
highlighted on the Battle Map. They'll come across a pair of Missile Turrets in a
clearing, guarded by a Von Luckner tank. Capture the Turret Control Tower between
these Turrets and then destroy the Von Luckner. You now have control of both the
Missile Turrets and a row of laser Turrets on a road to the southwest. They act as an
insurance policy should any ordnance trucks make it all the way down here.
Keep following the general path indicated on the Battle Map, sending your
Minelayer to thoroughly mine every spot shown on the Battle Map. Make sure your
'Mechs always precede your Minelayer to thwart dangers on the road ahead.
Eventually your forces will cross a bridge to the south, then loop up to the spot
marked “Wait Here." (They'll encounter several enemy 'Mechs on the way, but again,
your sheer number of 'Mechs should make it reasonably easy to handle them.)
As your 'Mechs wait at the spot marked "Wait Here," think: Have you forgotten
to mine any spots marked “Mine” on the Battle Map? If you've got them all covered,
you're ready to proceed.
ТІР _ /fyour ‘Mechs are in such bad shape that they can't stand any more
l punishment, just have them cross the bridge and approach the base,
then retreat from the base as soon as the alarm sounds. This gets the
ordnance trucks moving into your mines and allows your ‘Mechs to
stay away from the base and its Missile Turrets.
If your “Mechs can handle some more damage and you want to
try to capture resources within the base itself, keep following the
walkthrough.
Drop a Sensor Probe over the base area and then send all your 'Mechs across the
bridge leading toward the base. Move them at full speed. An enemy 'Mech or two will
CHAPTER 9— OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN
rush out to meet them; don’t initiate fire on the enemy, as you don’t want to trigger
the ordnance trucks until the last moment.
Your ’Mechs will automatically fire back when shot at, alerting the ordnance -—
trucks as you crash the base's gate. Plunge all your 'Mechs directly into the heart of г
the base and take out the central Turret Control Tower, or else your Mechs will get
demolished in no time flat by Missile Turrets. (Ignore the fleeing ordnance trucks.)
With the Missile Turrets silenced, start capturing Resource Warehouses as
quickly as possible, meanwhile fighting the nearest 'Mechs in the base. You only have
a short time to do this, because if you laid your minefields properly all 12 ordnance
trucks soon will be destroyed by mines and the mission will automatically end.
If you missed a spot with your mines, the trucks that got through will take a little
longer to escape. If this happens, the mission doesn't immediately end and you'll have
to fight all enemies in the base. The mission ends when all 12 trucks are accounted
for—either destroyed or escaped.
MISSION 4-3: CAPTURE CLAN FIELD BASE
econnaissance has located a small Clan field base in the Cambridge region.
[ress currently inactive, the base will become important in upcoming battles,
so it’s vital not to let the Jaguars maintain control of the base.
Your task is to seize control of this base by capturing the HQ Building, then
defend it from the Jaguar onslaught that’s sure to follow. This is no easy task, because
you'll have to hurry to reach the base in time.
e Capture Base HQ Building.
* Destroy all enemy 'Mechs in the area.
* Protect all three Base Turret Control Towers.
Overview
This is a difficult mission that requires speed, skill, and grace under pressure. If you
approach it in the wrong way you’re sure to fail, but if you follow the Strategy Blueprint
skillfully you can escape without losing a single ‘Mech. It's hard, but possible.
The essence of this mission is staying one step ahead of the Jaguars. If you allow
them to overtake your forces from behind, you'll pay the price. There's no stated time
limit for the mission, but in essence the clock is indeed running.
The pure combat skills of your 'Mechs aren't tested as much in this mission as in
others. If you do the mission right, automated Turrets will help you dispatch your foes,
reducing the combat load immensely.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD —PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Condors, D
Warehouses Von Luckners, PRSE
Hunchback 11с5,
Swiftwinds
Fig. 9-5. Battle Map of Mission 4-3.
CHAPTER 9— OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN
Recommended Forces
You’ve got 300 tons to play with, and you'll need some very particular Mechs to succeed. E bt
First, all of your 'Mechs need to be reasonably fast. Don't take Atlases or - -
Hunchbacks or anything that slow. Instead, use as many fast Clan 'Mechs as possible —
(Masakaris excluded). If you end up using light 'Mechs—Cougars and even a few uet
Ullers—that's fine. Just make sure you've got some speed in your corner. i
Second, two of your smaller Mechs need to be jump-capable. Although you
technically can finish the mission without jump-capable ’Mechs, you'll take a
pounding. Two small jump-capable 'Mechs are just what you need.
You have two small artillery strikes for this mission, as well as four Sensor Probes
and one Camera Drone.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are all dropped into the same general area. Immediately start them
running along the path drawn on the Battle Map, staying away from the Von Luckners
and LRM Carriers moving into position to the northeast, and the five Hunchback Ис
filtering in from the south.
Soon your forces will find themselves at the spot marked “Wait Here,” just south
of a pass guarded by enemy Cannon Turrets and Missile Turrets. Quickly have your two
small jump-capable 'Mechs leap along the paths marked "Jump" on the Battle Map,
staying away from the Missile Turrets as much as possible. By circling around behind
the Turrets and fortifications, they can capture the Turret Control Towers on either
side of the pass (marked "Control" on the
Battle Map) to assume control of the Turrets
(see Figure 9-6).
Now have the rest of your 'Mechs march
through the pass while your small jump
'Mechs capture salvageable structures near
the Turret Control Towers.
Join all your 'Mechs together in one big
group and send them northeast along the
indicated path, into an urban area dotted with
six Condors, four LRM Carriers, and various
structures you can capture for salvage. Your
'Mechs should still be in great shape, so these | e ;
assorted vehicles should pose little threat. Fig. 9-6. Seize control of the Turret Control To
Destroy them quickly and capture all the and you'll have control of this pass.
Container Stacks and Resource Warehouses.
Hurry!
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТЕР Speed is of the essence here. If you miss one or two Resource
Warehouses, that’s fine. It’s more important to get inside the base
before the enemy does.
Now veer northwest, still following the path indicated on the Battle Map.
Meanwhile the enemy Hunchback lcs to the south are probably passing through the
gauntlet of Turrets you captured earlier.
Run most of your 'Mechs up to the main gate of the base and have them stop at
the spot marked “Wait Here.” Don’t worry about the Missile Turrets guarding the base;
they’re deactivated.
Meanwhile, have a lone jump-capable 'Mech proceed to the southwest wall of the
base, where you'll find a hole. Have it jump through the hole in the wall. Inside the
base, have it capture the Gate Control Building, opening the gates so the rest of your
'Mechs can get inside.
Move your remaining 'Mechs into the base and capture every capture-able struc-
ture, including Turret Control Towers, the Base HQ Building, and a pair of 'Mech
Repair Bays. Quickly repair any damaged 'Mechs in the Bays. Then have your 'Mechs
stand in a cluster near the Turret Control Towers.
Around this time, a swarm of ten jump-capable Ullers will swarm in from the
northeast, followed by three Vultures from the northeast and the five Hunchback Lcs
that have been following you throughout the mission. This sounds overwhelming, but
with the help of the Missile Turrets in the base, it won't be.
First come the Ullers, which tend to jump over the walls. Intercept them near
the Turret Control Towers, and focus your fire on them. Occupying their attention
keeps them from destroying the all-important Turret Control Towers.
Next come the Vultures and Hunchback Ilcs. If you stand your ground near the
Turret Control Towers and fire at nearby enemies, they'll concentrate on your 'Mechs
instead of the Towers. Retreat badly damaged 'Mechs to the Repair Bays.
If you manage to keep the Towers intact, destroying the enemy 'Mechs should
pose very few problems. If the onslaught is over and the mission still hasn't ended, go
explore the city area for any straggling Hunchback Ilcs.
CHAPTER 9 — OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN
ТІР Gaining control of Missile Turrets and moving quickly are the two keys
wv to this mission. If the Hunchback IIcs catch your forces from behind,
or if the Ullers get inside the base before your forces are there, you'll
know you were too slow.
Also, if you took significant damage while taking over that first
group of Missile Turrets guarding the pass, you need to try again and
keep your forces well back from the missiles while your jump-capable
Mechs sneak around back to capture the Turret Control Towers.
MISSION 4-4: CAPTURE INDUSTRIAL FACILITY
ntelligence has located an industrial facility the enemy is using to fabricate replace-
ment ’Mech parts. Your task is to capture the two Industrial Complexes that will give
us access to the facility.
Intelligence also reports that Jaguar forces are currently en route to the
Complexes in an effort to fortify their defenses. You’ve been provided with numerous
Sensor Probes that will help you monitor the battlefield for newcomers and destroy
them before they can reach the facility. If you allow enough reinforcements to reach
the facility, you’ll have a very hard time with your siege.
Also note that the Jaguars would rather destroy the Complexes than let them fall
into your hands.
e Capture Industrial Complexes.
* Defend Industrial Complexes.
* Destroy all enemy forces.
Overview
At first sight this appears to be a mission of pure combat—and for the most part it is.
However, you have to approach the combat in a very particular manner, making sure
that your enemies can’t all assemble in one big group. If you let this happen, your
chances of winning will quickly approach zero.
Bridges are the primary tools you'll use to control the flow of enemies. You'll
capitalize on the fact that they can be destroyed and that enemy forces are vulnerable
when they cross bridges.
This mission might require more than one try, though if you execute the maneu-
vers in the Strategy Blueprint you should emerge victorious. Don't be surprised,
however, if you lose a 'Mech despite a flawless tactical performance.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Industrial |
Complexes
Force Group 1,
Force Group 2,
Force Group 3
Fig. 9-7. Battle Map of Mission 4-4.
CHAPTER 9 — OPERATION 4:
Recommended Forces
You've got 480 tons for this mission, and low-balling by more than a few tons is not |
recommended. This is a mission of intense combat, so shortchanging yourself usually „.
just leads to damaged or destroyed 'Mechs—and high repair bills. e
Its recommended that you take several heavy 'Mechs for this mission, plus at Y
least one smaller, faster 'Mech (preferably a Cougar). Atlases are a trifle too slow and <
aren’t recommended.
Load your ’Mechs with lots of PPCs and ER-PPCs, as well as LRMs and other
long-range weapons. Don’t exclude short-range weapons completely, but make sure
long-range weapons are abundant.
You have one large artillery strike and six Sensor Probes for this mission.
Conserve the artillery strike until you’re directed to use it in the Strategy Blueprint.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are all dropped to the same location. As soon as they hit the ground,
several groups of enemies will start in motion toward the Industrial Complexes noted
on your Battle Map.
ТІР Your enemies will all try to reach the Industrial Complexes and then
guard them. If allowed to do so, they'll gather there in a massive group
and uait for you to arrive.
Your enemies' starting positions are marked on the Battle Map.
These enemies are:
e Two Lokis and two Thors that attempt to cross the easternmost
bridge
e Five Hunchback IIcs—two that can jump—that try to cross the oe ја
central bridge и
e Five Von Luckner tanks and three Bulldog tanks that try to cross N
the westernmost bridge
e Ten Firestarters that approach the base from the northeast
A few additional forces, noted as "Stragglers" on the Battle Map,
periodically will appear from the northeast as the mission continues.
Immediately select your smallest 'Mech and send it northeast. Have it follow the
path on the Battle Map that leads northeast from your drop point—the one that leads
to the spot labeled “Destroy Bridge."
Simultaneously, select all your remaining 'Mechs and have them take the other
path, which leads to a spot labeled “Assemble Here."
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
If you move quickly and don't waste any time, your fast "Mech will reach the spot
labeled “Destroy Bridge" well before the Lokis try to cross that bridge. Have the small
'Mech cross the bridge and then destroy it with weapons fire. (We repeat, don't destroy
the bridge until a/fer your 'Mech has safely crossed.)
Meanwhile your other 'Mechs should gather at the spot marked “Assemble Here,”
somewhat removed from the map's central bridge.
After your small "Mech has taken out the eastern bridge, have it run over to the
spot labeled “Assemble Here" and join its companions.
Now all your 'Mechs are at the spot labeled “Assemble Here,” arrayed just a little
way back from the bridge as seen in Figure 9-8.
Eventually the Hunchback Псѕ will
arrive and begin to cross the central bridge.
Have your ’Mechs attack from their current
position (hold down [C]) as early as possible,
targeting the closest Hunchback Пс first, then
the next, and so forth. Your Mechs’ withering
long-range fire will stop the Hunchback Ics
in their tracks as they try to cross the bridge.
Fallen Hunchback Ис will temporarily block
the Hunchback IIcs behind them, buying you
even more time. If you’re lucky, the
Hunchback won't get in more than a few shots
before they're all completely destroyed.
Fig. 9-8. Enemy 'Mechs are vulnerable when forced
о сена bridge: Now your forces should wait a while.
Eventually a group of two Lokis and two Thors
will arrive south of the “Assemble Here” point.
As with the Hunchback Ics, you should engage them with long-range fire as they
attempt to cross the bridge. Your great number of long-range weapons, coupled with
concentrated fire, should allow you to finish off the enemy ’Mechs with relative ease.
TIP You shouldn't have lost more than one "Mech in this whole exchange.
If you managed to lose more than one "Mech, or you had more than
one "Mech lose the majority of its weapons, you need to try again.
CHAPTER 9 — ОРЕКАТІО 4: L
Next time, start your long-range attacks earlier and make sure you
move wounded ‘Mechs to the back of the group to protect them. This is
key, as the enemy tends to focus on one of your ‘Mechs at a time.
When the Lokis and Thors are gone, briskly move most of your forces toward the
'Mech Repair Bay shown on the Battle Map. Have a lone scout 'Mech explore the =
northeast corner of the map. If any stragglers are appearing from the northeast, you d
might want to have your whole 'Mech group run up to destroy them before your А
'Mechs go to the Repair Вау.
As your Mechs repair themselves, keep watching that northeast corner for strag-
glers, and intercept them as they appear. Over a long period of time, the following
units will appear from that corner:
* Two Firestarters
* Two Lokis
• Two Hunchback IIcs
* One Bulldog
* One Von Luckner
* One Thor
These stragglers will appear in ragged pairs. Keep watching for them and
destroying them before they reach the base, repairing your 'Mechs at the Repair Bay
during slow times.
The Thor is the last enemy that appears from that corner. When you've destroyed
it, you'll know it's time to attack the base.
After destroying all stragglers and repairing your 'Mechs one last time, you | х
should attack the base, which is guarded by ten Firestarters, five Von Luckners, three ~~~
Bulldogs, and any stragglers you didn't intercept.
You can attack the base from the front or through the woods in the southwest.
If you attack through the woods, you should be able to destroy the explosive tanks
marked *Explosives" on the Battle Map and, hopefully, take out a few enemy units in
the process.
Regardless of where you attack from, don't charge into the base with reckless
abandon. Approach just far enough to get some Firestarters to attack you, then retreat
slightly. By attacking in this way, you can usually engage the Firestarters without
rousing the vehicles parked near the rear of the base.
Start targeting and destroying individual Firestarters as soon as they get into
range. Concentrated fire is a must! If the Von Luckners join the fray, use your lone
artillery strike on them; otherwise, wait until you see a swarm of stationary Von
Luckners to use the strike.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The melee is sure to be wild, but you can eliminate targets quickly with your
'Mechs' concentrated fire. When there are only a few Firestarters or vehicles left,
they'll make a break for the Industrial Complexes and try to blow them up. Ве
prepared for this, and move toward the Complexes as the battle winds down. Pursue
any remaining units and destroy them before they manage to blow up the Complexes,
targeting the ones closest to the Complexes first.
When all enemies are gone, capture several nearby structures with salvageable
resources. Then capture the Industrial Complexes themselves. Since the enemy is now
dead, the mission ends when you capture the Complexes.
MISSION 4-3: INTERCEPT ENEMY FORCE
rbital Reconnaissance has located a large force of Jaguar Mechs that has
ІК us and is approaching our vulnerable back lines. If they break through,
they'll cause great damage to our supply lines, support bases, and even our
command structure.
The enemy 'Mechs will be moving from south to north; none may be allowed to
slip through. The majority of your forces will be dropped near the north end of the
engagement area, though two scouts may be dropped further south.
* Destroy all enemy 'Mechs.
Overview
The last few missions have been no cakewalk, but this is one of the hardest yet. Precise
timing and a bit of luck are necessary to beat this mission, so you should expect to try
it more than once.
The key to this mission lies in funneling the enemies into paths where you can
deal with them. This is a fine art, as there are multiple groups of enemies appearing
at various times throughout the mission, and all must be contained. Not a single
'Mech can get through if you hope to emerge victorious.
Recommended Forces
You've got 500 tons at your disposal, and we suggest that you use all of it. Place an
assortment of extremely heavy-hitting "Mechs with PPCs and other potent weapons іп
CHAPTER 3— DPERATION 4: МСНЕН
"
Figure 9-9. Battle Map of Mission 4-5.
the first two Force Groups, and place a single Cougar or Uller in the third group.
Speed is semi-important for this mission, so don't bring any Atlases.
You've got three small artillery strikes, four large artillery strikes, and two
Sensor Probes in this mission. Pay close attention to the Strategy Blueprint for tips on
using these resources wisely; they're the keys to victory.
Strategy Blueprint
The very instant your forces touch the ground, get your lone light 'Mech in Force
Group 3 headed toward the mountain marked on your Battle Map. Simultaneously,
have your Force Group 1 and 2 'Mechs proceed south along the indicated path. Move
both groups at a full run, and don't let them stop.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD —PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When your Force Group 3 'Mech climbs the mountain, it'll reveal a bridge to the
east. Destroy this bridge immediately with two small artillery strikes, then have the
Force Group 3 'Mech continue up to the spot marked “Ambush Here."
ТІР _ Zany enemy Cougars cross the bridge before you destroy it, start
wv over and move faster this time. You must destroy the bridge before
4 the Cougars cross.
Meanwhile, Force Groups 1 and 2 should proceed along their southern path. At
the first point marked “Turrets” on the Battle Map, have them capture the Turret
Control Tower and keep heading south.
Your 'Mechs will pass through a grid of high-pressure explosive fuel tanks
marked “Explosives” on the map, then encounter the second spot marked “Turrets.”
Here, they'll find a couple more Turrets and a concrete wall without a gate (there's just
a hole). Have them capture the nearby Turret Control Tower and then stand squarely
in the hole in the concrete wall. Try to position them so they physically block the hole.
Shortly, a group of six Cougars approaches from the south. Destroy them as they
arrive with concentrated fire, using the “Attack from Current Position” order to force
your 'Mechs to stand their ground as they fight. This is very important, as it allows
them to block the hole in the wall so no Cougars can get through.
ТІР /fthe Cougars get through the hole in the wall before your ‘Mechs
wv can block it, you were too slow. You can still try to destroy all the
i Cougars, but if you fail you'll have a much rougher time of it later
in the mission.
If more than one Cougar slips past your forces, they'll be very
hard to catch, but if only one slips through, you can have your
Force Group 3 "Mech try to cut it off.
Cougars that aren't destroyed will loop north and around the
lake, then proceed south to link up with the Lokis and Jagermechs
marching up from the south. They'll be a real nuisance later on, so
destroy them now!
CHAPTER 9 — OPERATION 4:
When all Cougars are destroyed, send your Force Group 1 and 2 ’Mechs back to
their initial drop point, then from there to the spot marked “Ambush Here.” This spot
marks the beginning of a narrow path leading through the forest.
Pack your ’Mechs into this narrow forest path, trying to block it. Po v g
TIP Again, it’s vitally important that all of your ‘Mechs pack into a small ~
wv section of path as shoun in Figure 9-10. By crowding in, they effec-
tively block the path so that no enemies can sneak through.
Around this time, a group of four
Catapults will slowly start to filter up from
the south on the eastern side of the river.
Keep an eye on them but don't worry about
them yet.
Also, a group of four Jagermechs and
four Lokis will start to march north on the
western side of the river. You'll see them
approach, thanks to having surveyed the
mountain earlier.
Once all your 'Mechs are in place at the =
ambush point, drop all but one large artillery Ё ti
strike on the enemy Lokis. (Save your last Fig. 9-10. Pack your ’Mechs into this small area,
small strike as well) You must target the leaving no room for the enemy to squeeze past.
Lokis and damage a few of them, because
they're the fastest remaining enemy ’Mechs, and they'll find a way to slip past your
forces if you don't damage them. Note that the Lokis will start running after getting
hit by the first artillery strike. Beo e
Meanwhile, on the other side of the river, the Catapults should be approaching : 4
the spot marked “Explosives.” At that spot, а large grid of pressurized tanks flanks the b \ y
road on either side. When the Catapults are all near this grid, blow up the tanks with — ~~
your last small artillery strike, taking all four Catapults with them. e
~% o v
Sox /
Now the only 'Mechs left are the Lokis and Jagermechs. When they approach
your ambush spot, have all your 'Mechs attack from their current position. Attack
Lokis if possible, ignoring the Jagermechs if necessary—remember, the Jagermechs
are slow and are unlikely to sneak through your ambush.
TIP Again, it’s vital to use the “Attack from Current Position" command
Y (the |C] key). This forces your ‘Mechs to stand their ground while they
fight, not budging an inch. If you allow them to move around instead,
they will—and the Lokis will sneak past.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Destroy all remaining Lokis and Jagermechs to end the mission, using your
remaining large artillery strike to deal further damage while the enemy 'Mechs are
standing still. The mission is a success when the last 'Mech is wiped out.
If you did everything correctly, you may still have lost a 'Mech or two—after all,
you were facing rough opposition.
ТІР /fyou failed, chances are good that timing was your downfall. Here's
wv where timing comes into play:
* You need to get Force Group 3 over to reveal and destroy the bridge
before the Cougars get across.
* You need to get Force Groups 1 and 2 into place to intercept the
Cougars.
• You need to time your artillery strike on the Explosives area so that
every Catapult is destroyed.
* You need to damage the Lokis with large artillery strikes, which is
tough because they're moving.
Also, you need to make sure your ‘Mechs fire from their current
position without moving around, or else they'll scatter and allow
Cougars or Lokis £o get through the ambush.
Make no mistake, this is one hard mission. Expect to try it
multiple times.
MISSION 4-6: DESTROY HIDDEN SMOKE
JAGUAR ORBITAL GUNS
ntelligence has located the Mobile Orbital Guns that were responsible for disabling
КА DropShips during the initial attack. These guns must be destroyed before the
main invasion force reaches orbit.
Aerial reconnaissance has located the position of the three Gun Emplacements,
but because of the Jaguars’ air superiority an air strike is not feasible.
Each site (Alpha, Beta, Gamma) contains one or more Mobile Orbital Guns. All
guns at all locations must be destroyed for the mission to be considered a success.
CHAPTER 9— OPERATION 4: LYNCHPIN ~
Warehouse,
Figure 9-11. Battle Map of Mission 4-6.
e Destroy Mobile Orbital Gun at Alpha.
* Destroy Mobile Orbital Guns at Beta. NS
* Destroy Mobile Orbital Guns at Gamma. EX и
Overview
This mission is relatively straightforward, and involves marching your 'Mechs from
one Orbital Gun site to the next in a methodical fashion. Numerous caches of salvage-
able materials are scattered throughout the map. These are noted on the Battle Map,
but the walkthrough doesn’t recommend visiting all of them because of the extra
punishment your 'Mechs will receive. However, feel free to capture these extra struc-
tures if you're feeling brave.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
You'll find that the enemy forces guarding the Gamma site are extremely
formidable. Thus, this walkthrough recommends a mad dash to destroy the guns
instead of a grinding assault that takes on all enemies to the finish.
Recommended Forces
You have 560 tons but only eight 'Mech slots for this mission. Don’t bring any
Atlases, but do try to use any Lokis, Vultures, or other big, fast OmniMechs you
happen to possess.
If you want to take a single small Mech, however, make it a Cougar—and load
Advanced Sensors and a Guardian ECM onto it.
Long-range weapons are again a high priority in this mission; PPCs and the like
will serve you well.
You have three small artillery strikes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are dropped in the western part of the map. Collect all your "Mechs and
guide them along the path drawn on the Battle Map, which leads to the trio of LRM
Carriers noted on the map. Destroy these vehicles. If you’re feeling ambitious, you also
can capture the Warehouse located a bit to the east, which is guarded by Von Luckners.
Now gather your forces and have them approach the lone man-made bridge
leading to the Beta site, which is a well-fortified island base. (Note that there’s actu-
ally a land bridge that leads to the Beta site as well, which serves as a backup if the
man-made bridge gets destroyed.)
A trio of Von Luckners, a Vulture, and a pair of Aerospace Spotters guard the
bridge to the base. Fight them from afar without crossing the bridge. As you fight, a
pair of Thors will join in the fray. Continue to pound your enemies from long range,
then enter the base when all visible forces are destroyed.
Capture the Sensor Control Building at the center of the base after destroying
the two LRM Carriers guarding it. Capturing the building gives you control of
multiple Sensor Towers overlooking the rest of the map. Then, locate the two Mobile
Orbital Guns in the base, one of which is guarded by a pair of LRM Carriers. Destroy
both Guns and their LRM Carrier guards.
CHAPTER 9 — OPERATION 4:
Finally, take over the Mech Repair Bays and thoroughly repair your Mechs
in them.
When your 'Mechs are fully repaired, go back across the bridge and proceed ===
toward the Alpha site, taking the indicated path. This site features tough defenses, ~
including a pair of Aerospace Spotters, an Atlas, a pair of Vultures, four Von Luckners,
and—very noteworthy—a large group of unmanned ordnance and Fuel Trucks.
Approach this encampment slowly,
picking off the closest enemy units and letting
them come to you instead of charging in.
When one or more enemy 'Mechs approach
the Fuel Trucks, detonate a nearby truck to
set off the whole pile and (hopefully) destroy
one or more enemies. If you're patient you
can destroy the Atlas and at least one Vulture
this way.
When all enemies at the Alpha site have
been cleared out, destroy the lone Mobile
Orbital Gun at the center of the area and
capture the Mobile HQ.
When you've done all there is to do in Fig. 9-12. This pileup of explosive Fuel Trucks
this area, send your 'Mechs south along the isa valuable tool. Detonate it while enemy 'Mechs
path outlined on the Battle Map. This path are nearby.
eventually loops east, toward the spot labeled
"Container Stack and Vehicles."
TIP eel free to visit the 'Mech Repair Bays again before taking this path.
wv As you approach the spot marked "Container Stack and Vehicles,"
i be sure to avoid the sensors of the Atlases parked to either side. You
don’t want to alert them to your presence.
If you brought a Cougar with a Guardian ECM, avoiding the 4
Atlases’ sensors is easy. Without the ECM it’s still possible, but you a Ne ,
have to be careful not to let your 'Mechs wander. RU E
At the spot labeled “Container Stack and Vehicles,” you must destroy three
Von Luckners and two LRM Carriers. Capture the Container Stack when all vehicles
are destroyed.
Now gather your 'Mechs, and make a beeline toward the spot marked Orbital
Guns, destroying any trees that get in your way. Remember to steer clear of those
Atlases' sensors!
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
You'll soon hit a ring of Perimeter Alarms. Don’t bother to painstakingly destroy
them, because a couple Thors parked near the Gamma site will detect your forces by
the time you're close to the alarms—and when the Thors attack, the Atlases also start
lumbering toward you.
Ignore the Thors and Atlases as best you can, therefore, and have your 'Mechs
make a mad dash for the spot labeled Orbital Guns. Destroy the three Orbital Guns you
find in a line there, using concentrated weapons fire. Also, use your three small
artillery strikes to speed the process.
When these three Orbital Guns are destroyed, the mission ends.
TIP Your Mechs might have taken a beating from those final Thors, but
wv if they were reasonably fast and made a beeline for the Orbital Guns
instead of fighting back, they should have gotten to the Guns before
the sluggish Atlases could really jump into the act.
peration Lynchpin was a rousing success—so much so, in fact, that :
the Jaguars have retreated to defend the Starbase. Your task in — -
Operation Cutthroat is to foil their efforts and open the Starbase to X
the main Allied invasion force. This is the most decisive Operation ote — AA
entire campaign; your company's failure would mean the failure. of the.
entire invasion effort. |
The balance of the struggle for Port Arthur rests in y
MechCommander. You can tip it one way or the other by you
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТЕР As with the missions in Operation 4, Operation 5's missions are diffi-
wv cult enough that even a flawless tactical performance can't guarantee
a perfectly intact corps of BattleMechs. Expect to take some serious
damage on these missions, and don't second-guess yourself if you fail.
These missions are difficult enough that you're unlikely to succeed on
your first attempt. l
MISSION 3-1: RESCUE ALLIED COMMANDER
aptain Nairn of X-ray Company successfully led a Binary of Clan OmniMechs from
Ге normal post (defending the Starbase) into а trap. However, while executing
this maneuver he was pinned down by Jaguar reinforcements. He’s managed to
maneuver his Atlas onto high ground and defend himself, but he can’t hold out forever.
Your task is to link up with Nairn and escort his Atlas back to the Extraction
Point. You might have to be careful, though, as Nairn is unpredictable and might
attempt to attack the Jaguars instead of simply escaping as planned.
e Escort Allied officer to Extraction Point.
Overview
This mission can be frustrating because it requires you to protect a unit that’s not
directly under your control. Captain Nairn has a tendency to make some rather ques-
tionable tactical decisions, and his poor judgment will get your mission off to a
dangerous start.
As the mission commences, Nairn and company are located at the extreme
northern edge of the combat area while your forces start out at the south. Nairn and
his men are quickly swarmed by Vultures and Hunchback Іс, but instead of taking
a roundabout southeastern escape route (which is free of enemy influence) he
chooses to rush headlong into an enemy base. Thus, your only option is to attack the
base from the south and clean it out before he gets there, otherwise Nairn's Atlas will
be picked apart.
Vultures,
Hunchback lics
Hunchback Ilcs
Shreks,
Bulldogs
Figure 10-1. Battle Map of Mission 5-1.
Recommended Forces
You have 500 tons of Mech to play with in this mission. Avoid taking the very largest
'Mechs, such as Aflases, as they're too slow for the initial rush on the enemy base.
Instead, take substantial Clan 'Mechs, which are much lighter on their feet than heavy
Inner Sphere Designs: Thors and Lokis are ideal if you've managed to salvage any, and
Vultures also are a good choice.
Take heavy-hitting weapons as usual. Long-range weapons are ideal because
you'll face so many Vultures in this mission that you'll need to trade long-range fire.
You have four small and two large artillery strikes for this mission, plus one
Sensor Probe.
MECHCOMMANDER: 0010 — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Don’t take a Guardian ECM, in this mission it sometimes pays to let the enemy
see you ahead of time.
Strategy Blueprint
Your Mechs аге all dropped to the same area. Select them and immediately have them
all start to march north as indicated on the Battle Map. Meanwhile Nairn’s Force
Group of 'Mechs is busy fighting a group of four Vultures and two Hunchback Псѕ in
the northern part of the map.
Following the path drawn on the Battle Map, your 'Mechs eventually will reach
a concrete wall fortified with turrets. Don’t break through it yet.
Fig. 10-2. Detonate these tanks to take out a
pair of Vultures.
On the other side of the wall is a grid of
explosive tanks marked “Explosives” on your
Battle Map. Gather your ’Mechs near the wall
and wait just a moment as two Vultures on
the other side approach. Drop a small artillery
strike on the explosive tanks (or just shoot
them) as the Vultures approach them, hope-
fully destroying both Vultures outright.
Now blast a hole in the wall and march
all your 'Mechs into the base. Capture the
nearby Turret Control Tower and proceed
north through the base, destroying the
Rommels and Von Luckner parked in there.
Also capture the base's northern Turret
Control Tower and destroy its northern gate.
TIP Around this time, Nairn will approach the base's northern gate in his
: Atlas. /f you're incredibly unlucky he'll get destroyed before entering
l the base, but if you're quick to take over those Turrets and destroy the
northern gate, his 'Mech should remain intact—and he'll walk into the
base to join your forces.
As Nairn joins your troops, а pair of Hunchback Ilcs and some heavy vehicles
(Shreks and Bulldogs) will attack from the western edge of the base. Destroy the
Hunchbacks and vehicles, and gather around Nairn.
Nairn won’t stop when he enters the base. Instead, he’ll keep moving south
toward the Extraction Point. You must keep your 'Mechs near him, firing at enemies
as you retreat. Skillful use of your artillery strikes is absolutely crucial here; use the
small ones to destroy vehicles and moving 'Mechs, and use the big ones to destroy
'Mechs that are more or less stationary.
Keep fighting as you follow Nairn, using occasional bursts of concentrated fire to
level enemies and then running back to catch up with Nairn. You should be able to
incapacitate most enemies well before Nairn approaches the Extraction Point.
As Nairn approaches the Extraction Point, have your 'Mechs walk out in front of
his Atlas. A pair of Vultures and a pair of Hunchback Псѕ are parked near the
Extraction Point, and you'll need to destroy them to end the mission. Use concen-
trated fire as usual, but make sure to fire at any enemy that's targeting Nairn’s Atlas,
distracting the enemy so it won't destroy him.
The mission ends when these four 'Mechs are destroyed.
ТІР Dont be surprised if you fail; this is a tough mission that's very
wv combat-intensive. The keys are:
| • Make sure you destroy those two Vultures with the explosives
marked on the map. If you don’t at least send them to the brink of
destruction with the explosion, they'll only add to your problems.
e Make effective use of those artillery strikes, using them to destroy
pursuers. This requires a good sense of timing.
е Stick with Nairn, and don’t allow him to get too far away.
MISSION 3-2: EXTERMINATE GLAN PRESENCE
he Binary of Clan "Mechs that Commander Nairn led into a trap prior to the last
[eso is still wandering around the countryside. However, rescue forces are
expected to be dropped soon—so if we’re to finish them off, it has to be quickly
(within 15 minutes).
These eight OmniMechs are piloted by some of the Jaguars’ very finest
MechWarriors, and destroying them would be a tremendous blow to Jaguar morale.
Unfortunately, the enemy has dug in for a long wait, and they will be extremely diffi-
cult to destroy.
e Seek and Destroy all eight Clan Mechs.
CHAPTER 10 — OPERATION 5: СИ
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD—— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fig. 10-3. Battle Map of Mission 5-2.
CHAPTER 10 — ПРЕКАТІОМ 3: С
Overview
This mission will teach you a little bit about the value of quality versus quantity.
You're fighting a very low number of enemy 'Mechs in this mission but they're all well
equipped, and they're all piloted by the Jaguars’ elite men. As a result, your Mechs are
going to get damaged or even destroyed in a matter of moments, whereas against
lesser pilots they’d only receive scratches.
This is a simple mission, strategically: You must destroy all eight enemy 'Mechs.
The difficult part, however, is the combat itself. Be sure to take your very best Mechs
and pilots, as well as your very best weapons. And don’t forget to keep moving!
Recommended Forces
You've got 400 tons at your disposal. Take large Clan Mechs loaded with the best Clan
weapons you've got. Make sure your very best pilots are in the cockpits, as well.
Potent long-range weapons such as Gauss Rifles and ER-PPCs are an excellent
choice for this mission, so long as you remember to conserve them (don’t waste the
Gauss Rifles’ ammo by shooting trees).
Place your biggest, heaviest, meanest Mechs into Force Group 1. They'll be
doing much of the work. Force Group 2 is almost an afterthought.
You've got nothing in the way of artillery support or Sensor Probes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Your two Force Groups are dropped quite far from one another. Ignore Force Group 2
for now and concentrate on Force Group 1.
Guide Force Group 1 along the path indicated on the Battle Map, blasting trees
as necessary (but holding back 'Mechs with ammo-intensive weapons so they don't
waste any).
TIP You need to hurry through this mission. Bear this in mind, and don't
wv let your Mechs stand still for more than a moment.
This path leads you up a small mountain, which reveals a Thor parked in a nearby
grove of trees. Continue along your path until your forces are northwest of the Thor,
then attack it with long-range weapons. It'll jump out to confront you, but you should
be able to destroy it quickly with concentrated fire.
When the Thor is attacked the nearby Mad Cat will spring into action and will
head for the land bridge leading to the base. Immediately after destroying the Thor,
send your forces north toward the bridge so they can cut off the Mad Cat before it
escapes into the base. Destroy it, too, with concentrated fire.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
With both 'Mechs gone, send Force Group 1 into the base marked on the Battle
Map. Have them quickly take over the Turret Control Tower inside, and prepare them-
selves for a pair of Thors that run down from the north. This will be a tough fight.
Remember to keep your Mechs moving!
When these two Thors are gone, capture all salvageable buildings in the base and
then quickly make use of the 'Mech Repair Bay. When your 'Mechs have been repaired,
send them out the base's southwest gate and down the road as shown on the Battle Map.
They'll quickly reach a manmade bridge. Have all but one of your Force Group 1
'Mechs stop at the bridge while the fastest one crosses and continues south toward the
powered-down Hunchback Псѕ noted on the Battle Map.
As soon as the powered-down Hunchbacks start to power up, have your lone fast
'Mech turn around and run back across the bridge. From the other side of the bridge,
hammer the Hunchbacks with long-range fire. If you're lucky, you'll be able to destroy
one before it gets into Heavy Autocannon range, and destroy the other before it
finishes off more than one of your 'Mechs.
Meanwhile, you should start moving Force Group 2 up from the south so that
they can join Force Group 1. Their path should be clear because around this time the
Mad Cat located south of the Hunchbacks'
starting point will run up to engage Force
Group 1.
By the time the Mad Cat and
Hunchbacks are finally destroyed, your Force
Group 1 ’Mechs are likely in bad shape.
Quickly send them north to the 'Mech Repair
Bay, having Force Group 2 meet them there.
When your 'Mechs are reasonably
repaired, send them all north along the
coastline path drawn on the Battle Map. Have
your undamaged Force Group 2 'Mechs lead
the way.
UP
Fig. 10-4. Avoid the explosive structures littering
the area near the Masakari.
CHAPTER 10 — OPERATION 3: СІЙ
Eventually they'll reach the spot marked “Masakari” on the Battle Map. Here, a
Masakari lurks amidst a field of Natural Gas Towers and other explosive structures.
Destroy the Masakari with concentrated fire, taking great care to keep your 'Mechs
away from explosive structures. If the Masakari gets too close to any explosive struc-
tures itself, shoot the structures to deal some quick, cheap damage.
Your mission ends when the Masakari goes down.
TIP 77e sheer difficulty of the combat in this mission is a bit surprising,
wv thanks mainly to the excellent pilots you're facing. Don't be surprised
i if a precise shot to the head or internal components takes out one of
your ‘Mechs quickly and forces you to start over.
MISSION 3-3: CAPTURE FUEL DEPOT
he Jaguars have captured the Wiesman Fuel Depot and Processing Plant, which is
located just a few kilometers away from the Starbase. Your task is to capture and
defend the Depot, keeping at least two of its four oil derricks intact for Allied use.
Due to the Depot’s great tactical significance, the Jaguars will stop at nothing to
deny you this resource—even if it means destroying it.
The Depot is an extremely volatile and hazardous place for a battle. You can use
this quality to your advantage, detonating nonessential structures that are close to
your enemies, but you must take care not to let your enemies use this tactic. Also, be
careful not to destroy oil derricks in this way.
* Destroy all enemy forces.
e Capture and defend all four oil derricks.
e Capture Clan HQ Building to gain valuable tactical data (secondary).
Overview
This is a brutal mission because the hard part isn’t combat—it’s anticipating when and
where the enemy will try to sneak past your forces and destroy the oil derricks you’ve
captured. Furthermore, the toughest part comes at the end, when you've been lulled
into complacency by the relatively easy combat up to that point.
The essence of this mission is to slowly work your way around the Depot,
capturing oil derricks as necessary and establishing a good defensive position in case
of sneak attacks. The Strategy Blueprint tells you when and from where the attacks
will come, but it’s up to you to defend the derricks.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Force
Group 1,
Force
Group 2
Explosives
е LRM Carriers,
Derrick
1 Derrick
3
J. Edgars, 78
S
Von Luckner Guard
Resources Base
Fig. 10-5. Battle Map of Mission 5-3.
CHAPTER 10 — DPERATION 5:
Recommended Forces 7
You're given 350 tons for this mission. It's a bad idea to take multiple slow 'Mechs, ue
because in the mission's last stages you'll have to give chase to small, fast 'Mechs. A ud
mix of fast and slow 'Mechs can work, but as always, large Clan 'Mechs are ideal ^ ја
because of their great mix of size and speed.
Long-range weapons are a good investment for this mission.
You have three small and three large artillery strikes for this mission.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are all dropped to the same area. Gather them and send them all south
along the indicated path, destroying the explosive tanks at the spot marked
“Explosives” on the Battle Map.
TIP You should destroy those explosive tanks because your ‘Mechs have to
wv walk through that area, and you don't want them to detonate while
Y your ‘Mechs are nearby.
Proceed to the spot marked "Turrets," where you'll find a concrete wall with Missile
Turrets and three LRM Carriers behind it. Blast a hole in the wall from afar, then charge
in and destroy the Turret Control Tower behind it. Then destroy the LRM Carriers.
Now proceed to the spot marked “HQ Base,” taking the indicated path. This base
is surrounded by heavy walls. Again, blast a hole in the walls from afar, then charge
inside and take out the Turret Control Tower with a quick strike. There also are four
Von Luckner tanks for you to destroy in this base.
Once all opposition has been crushed inside the base, capture the Base HQ,
Sensor Control Building, and a pair of Resource Warehouses. Also capture a 'Mech
Repair Bay and repair your 'Mechs thoroughly.
When your 'Mechs are repaired, proceed south to the spot marked Derrick 1.
Destroy the pair of Rommels and the Loki that guard this derrick, then capture it. If
you have one 'Mech that got particularly beat up by the Loki (and you probably do)
send it back to the Repair Bay while leaving the other 'Mechs at Derrick 1.
A small flood of six J. Edgars and three Condors is now likely to emerge south-
west of Derrick 1. You must intercept these vehicles before they reach Derrick 1 and
detonate the Pressure Tanks surrounding it. The vehicles themselves have to pass
through a cluster of explosive tanks to reach Derrick 1, and exploding these tanks will
take out many of them simultaneously.
Now rejoin your repaired 'Mech with its companions and move all your 'Mechs
briskly toward Derrick 2. Have them destroy the pair of Von Luckners guarding
Derrick 2, capture the derrick, and quickly move on.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Proceed to Derrick 3 and destroy the three Bulldogs guarding it. Around this
time a pair of Hunchback 11сѕ will appear from the east; stick around near Derrick З
and intercept the Hunchbacks, destroying them with concentrated long-range fire.
When the Hunchbacks are gone, head
south to the spot marked “Von Luckner Base.”
Have your 'Mechs blast a hole in the wall
of this base, destroying the Vehicle Barracks
as quickly as possible, and then destroying
the Uller inside. Four of the parked Von
Luckner tanks in this base will presently
spring to life, but the other four will remain
inactive if you destroyed the barracks quickly
enough. Destroy any active vehicles.
Finally, send all your 'Mechs north
toward Derrick 4. Have them rush the gate
and destroy the pair of Von Luckners inside,
then capture the Turret Control Tower and
Gate Control Building.
Before capturing Derrick 4 itself, scout
the area east of Derrick 4 thoroughly, revealing all terrain. Then, split your 'Mechs
into two roughly equal groups: slow and fast (or just divide them equally if all your
'Mechs are fairly fast). Send the slow group to stand at the northern spot marked
"Guard" on the Battle Map. Then, have the fast group capture Derrick 4 and quickly
run down to the southern spot marked “Guard.”
Fig. 10-6. The lower four Von Luckners will activate
no matter what you do. The upper four will remain
dormant if you destroy the nearby Vehicle Barracks.
Two groups of enemy 'Mechs will appear from the east. A Masakari will approach
your northern, slow 'Mechs, while a pair of Commandos and a trio of Cougars will
approach your southern, fast 'Mechs.
The key to destroying these 'Mechs is detonating the explosive tanks near them;
we've labeled spots 1, 2, and 3 on the Battle Map because they're significant patches of
explosive tanks that the enemy 'Mechs will walk past. If you're fast and you time your
attacks on the tanks properly, you can take out most of these newcomers with ease.
CHAPTER 10 — OPERATION 3: LUTTE
If any Mechs slip past you, give chase and use your artillery strikes to slow them
down. You can’t let them destroy your oil derricks! (Note that Derricks 1 and 2 are the
most fragile, because they aren’t protected by walls).
The mission is a success when you've finished off all newcomer ’Mechs.
ТІР Jfyou failed, try again and attempt to move quicker. You may just
, have had bad luck catching that last group of 'Mechs—so next time,
reveal more of the map before capturing the last derrick, so you can
more readily see the positions of all the advancing Мес.
MISSION 9-4: POSITION ALLIED ARTILLERY
ur attack on the Starbase has entered its initial stages, and fire support is needed.
fe task is to escort a number of Mobile Artillery pieces through the moun-
tainous Lambert Valley region, and up to the designated spot atop a ridge.
The Jaguars have positioned Air Control Towers along this ridge, and these
towers must be destroyed before the artillery approaches the area—or else air strikes
will make your mission virtually impossible.
The Mobile Artillery can’t fire during transit, so they’ll be of no combat value
during the mission.
You need to complete this mission in under 20 minutes.
* Destroy all three enemy Air Control Towers.
e Move all forces, including artillery pieces, to the top of the ridge.
Overview
This mission requires patience and a well-chosen set of Mechs. It also requires good
surveillance of the surrounding area and a willingness to carefully micromanage your
'Mechs' path in case of rapid air strikes.
Assuming that you’re patient and fairly adept at avoiding air strikes, this
shouldn’t be a backbreaking mission. The unfortunate thing about air strikes, though,
is that they can dash your hopes in a matter of seconds. You'll have to exercise caution.
Recommended Forces
You’ve got 380 tons to play with. You can low-ball by 20 or 30 tons if you’ve got great
'Mechs and weapons.
Take speedy 'Mechs, because they've got to be able to evade air strikes. Ditch your
slow Inner Sphere 'Mechs and Masakaris in favor of Thors, Lokis, Cougars, and the like.
As usual, ER-PPCs, PPCs and other long-range weapons are highly recommended.
You have no artillery strikes or support of any kind in this mission.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Raven, :
oe Hunchback lics,
Centurions
Hunchback Ис,
Ф ewes LRM Carrier,
| Saracen
ke Hunchback Ис,
@ Catault, Saracen
cen
Bulldog
Sara
@
Hunchback llc, e
Catault NA
9,
* Bulldog, Bulldogs,
Saracen Saracens
9 e
Force Group 1, PX
Force Group 2 e m Ue
Rommel,
Condor
Fig. 10-7. Battle Map of Mission 5-4.
CHAPTER 10 — DPERATION 5: СШ
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are all dropped to the same general area. Gather all your Mechs and assign
them all to one group, and leave your Mobile Artillery in the other group. Send both
groups due east toward the spot marked *Rommel, Condor."
TIP Move quickly all throughout the mission, because in addition to the
wv timer, there are enemy forces that will catch you from the rear if you
aren't quick.
Along the way, a pair of Bulldogs and a pair of Saracens might come down from
the north and attack; destroy them with concentrated fire, then destroy the Rommel
and the Condor.
Keep moving your forces east, up into the mountainous terrain, toward the spot
labeled “Bulldogs, Saracen.” Destroy the two Bulldogs and the Saracen located there,
allowing your Mobile Artillery to lag behind somewhat.
Now have your 'Mechs veer north as shown on the Battle Map, leaving the Mobile
Artillery well behind. As the 'Mechs proceed north, several groups of enemies marked
on the Battle Map will mobilize and head toward them. These include the Bulldog and
Catapult to the east, the Hunchback Пс and LRM Carriers to the west, and the
Centurion and Catapult positioned even farther west. Take on all these foes as soon as
they arrive, destroying them with concentrated fire.
When all enemies seem to be gone, send both Mechs and Mobile Artillery toward
the spot marked “Wait Here." Then have the 'Mechs ascend the nearby mountains to
view the surrounding terrain.
ТЕР An enemy group including a Raven, two Hunchback IIcs, and two
Centurions has been gradually looping around from the west, and
eventually will catch up with your group. The first ‘Mech to appear
will be the Raven; the others will follow somewhat later.
While your Mobile Artillery waits at the “Wait Here" spot, have your Mechs back-
track, searching for the enemy 'Mechs mentioned in the tip above. When they've
destroyed all five 'Mechs, have them return to the “Wait Here" spot and then take off
to the north as shown on the Battle Map. Leave the Mobile Artillery behind.
As the 'Mechs proceed north, they'll be pelted with air strikes. Keep a careful
watch over them and steer them away from strike markers, always keeping them in
motion. This is absolutely critical.
Eventually your forces will reach the spot labeled "Tower 1," which is the first Air
Control Tower. It's guarded by six Pop-Up Missile Turrets and a Von Luckner.
Furthermore, four Cougars hiding to the north are likely to jump down and attack
when your 'Mechs approach.
neut
Seeman oO —
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fig. 10-8. Air strikes rain down on your 'Mechs as
they cross this intermediate region. Keep a close eye
on them and keep them moving.
then destroy the Air Control Tower.
Destroy the Von Luckner and enemy
Cougars methodically, staying away from the
Missile Turrets so they can't add to the
damage. Continue to watch for air strikes as
you fight.
When all enemies are destroyed,
demolish the Air Control Tower and move on
to Tower 2.
ТІР Stay away from the site of
E destroyed Air Control Towers,
as they tend to get pummeled
with extra air strikes.
Tower 2 has another complement of
Pop-Up Turrets, plus an LRM Carrier. Destroy
all defenses, still watching for air strikes, and
Finally, proceed to Tower 3, destroy the Turrets and LRM Carrier guarding it, and
destroy the tower itself.
With the threat of air strikes gone, immediately send your Mobile Artillery
toward the Extraction Point near the former site of Tower 2. Have your 'Mechs back-
track and escort them.
ТІР Another group of roving ‘Mechs emerges from the base in the north-
wv west corner of the map around the 12-minute mark. These Mechs
include a Raven, fwo Centurions, and a Hunchback IIc. Like the
previous roving group, this group will loop around and follow the
same path your forces followed.
If you were fast, none of these 'Mechs will catch your Mobile
Artillery from the rear. If you were slow, the Raven will catch up
and you ll have to bring your ‘Mechs down to deal with it. Only if
you were horrendously slow will the Centurions or Hunchback catch
your artillery.
CHAPTER 10— ОРЕКАТІОН 5: CU
When all 'Mechs and artillery are huddled around the Extraction Point, the
mission is considered a success.
MISSION о-о: DESTROY SECONDARY POWER
he Bellum area contains three power stations, designated Alpha, Beta, and Gamma,
To: provide secondary energy to the Starbase. If the Power Generators in these
stations were to be destroyed, the Starbase's defense grid would be forced to
operate solely on local power, which would reduce the overall efficiency of the
Starbase's automated Turrets and sensor grid.
The area is well defended by Bondsman vehicles, plus a scattering of Clan and
Bondsman 'Mechs. Also, an elite Star of Clan OmniMechs reportedly guards this area,
and will no doubt provide a serious challenge: It's reported to contain multiple
Masakaris.
* Destroy Power Complex Alpha
e Destroy Power Complex Beta
e Destroy Power Complex Gamma
Overview
This is a mission that requires you to tiptoe around potential trouble spots instead of
charging in to attack. Specifically, the biggest threat to the health of your mission is
a large group of Masakaris stationed in a base near the center of the map. If you
attempt to storm this base right away you’re just asking for trouble, but if you avoid
it the Masakaris will emerge gradually so you don’t have to fight them all at once.
Also, you can make your job much easier by fighting the Masakaris with environ-
mental effects (such as explosive tanks and Turrets).
Once you've taken care of all the Masakaris, you'll know you're past the difficult
part of the mission. But dealing with these heavy monstrosities is easier said than done.
Recommended Forces
You have 415 tons of drop weight, and as usual it’s difficult enough to win with all that
weight—so don’t try to low-ball by too much.
Also as usual, avoid Atlases altogether and try to steer clear of sluggish Inner
Sphere ’Mechs. By now, you should have a wide variety of superior Clan OmniMech
designs to choose from, so you can take along big "Mechs without having to sacri-
fice speed.
The usual array of ER-PPCs, LRMs, Large Lasers, and other heavy-hitting
weapons are in order.
You've got six small and four large artillery strikes for this mission.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Fig. 10-9. Battle Map of Mission 5-5.
CHAPTER 10 — DPERATION 5: С
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces are dropped in the northwest corner of the map. Gather them into a single
group and send them southeast toward the Shreks indicated on the Battle Map. Have
them destroy the three Shreks they find here with concentrated fire, meanwhile grad-
ually advancing.
As they continue, the trio of Von Luckners noted on the map also will attack,
along with a Thor. Destroy these enemies methodically, sending any damaged 'Mechs
to the rear.
When the Thors and Von Luckners are gone, have your 'Mechs run past the
Alpha site, pausing only to capture the Sensor Control Building (that's right, ignore
the Power Generators for now) and dash down to the spot marked “Explosives” on
your map. There you'll find a line of Gas Tanks and Pressure Tanks. When these tanks
are revealed, have all your 'Mechs backtrack and gather slightly to the north of the
tanks (outside their explosive radius).
Soon, two Masakaris will come up from the Masakari base. As they approach,
they'll walk right past these tanks. Detonate the tanks either with weapons fire or a small
artillery strike, and you should be able to destroy (or nearly destroy) both of them.
Now return to the Alpha site and destroy all three Power Generators. Also,
capture all the valuable structures located near the spot marked “Explosives.” You'll
claim lots of salvage there.
When you're done, proceed east along the indicated path, sticking to the
northern coastline. An LRM Carrier and a pair of Von Luckners will attack from the
south; destroy them and keep on moving.
Soon you'll reach a bridge. Gather your forces south of the bridge and then rush
across it, destroying two Cannon Turrets on the other side. Then charge right into the
area marked Beta and look for two structures labeled MechWarrior Barracks. Destroy
these buildings as quickly as possible. Then concentrate on the nearby LRM Carriers.
ТЕР 7en unmanned Ullers are parked in this base. If you destroy both
MechWarrior Barracks quickly, only two or three of these “Mechs
will actually become active.
When all nearby opposition is gone, destroy the bridge your forces just crossed.
Now send your least-damaged 'Mechs west toward the large area labeled “Turrets.”
Here you'll find a vast field of Missile Turrets and a pair of Turret Control Towers.
Capture the Towers quickly, before your 'Mechs are hit with too many missiles.
-— voee
а
AU
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
TIP Meanwhile, a trio of Masakaris is heading north from the Masakari
base. Since you destroyed the bridge they wanted to cross, they'll have
to loop around and approach your forces from the west—and they ll
get pounded by the Missile Turrets you just captured.
E
you'll claim a vast number of Missile Turrets.
Fig. 10-10. Capture the Turret Control Towers, and
Now have your 'Mechs repair themselves
in the Beta site's two 'Mech Repair Bays. Also
destroy the nearby Power Generators.
When you've done all there is to do here,
approach the captured Missile Turrets and see
how badly they've damaged the attacking
Masakaris. If you hang back and let the
Turrets do all the work, they'll destroy all
three Masakaris..
When the Masakaris are destroyed, send
your 'Mechs northwest through the Missile
Turrets, then south toward the Alpha site,
then east toward the Masakari base, which
now contains only three Masakaris and four
LRM Carriers. It's also guarded by a few
Cannon Turrets.
Attack this base from the west. In the base's western corner are numerous fuel
tanks that you can detonate—and hopefully damage a Masakari or two. If this trick
fails, you can still use your numerous artillery strikes to help destroy the Masakaris.
Don't hold back!
When all base defenses are gone, enter the Masakari base and capture all struc-
tures containing salvage. Then capture a few 'Mech Repair Bays (the base is packed
with them) and get your 'Mechs back into fighting shape.
From here, send your 'Mechs south toward the Gamma site. After crossing a
bridge, they'll have to destroy a pair of Cannon Turrets and a pair of Thors.
When the Thors are gone, have your 'Mechs approach the Gamma site. This site
is surrounded by Cannon Turrets. Pick off the Turrets at long range, blast a hole in the
CHAPTER 1 — DPERATION 5: С
wall, and destroy the Power Generators located inside. The mission is a success when
the last Generator is destroyed. i
TIP The main key to this mission lies in timing: You need to destroy
wv explosive tanks at the right moment to take out Masakaris, and you 9
need to hurry to destroy the MechWarrior Barracks before too many =
Ullers can power up. If you succeed on both counts, this mission isn’t : wt
terribly difficult. 4
MISSION 9-6: CAPTURE STARBASE
his is it: The culmination of all your previous efforts. Your mission is to destroy the
six Mobile Orbital Guns defending the Starbase, thus paving the way for the
primary invasion force.
The Starbase’s outer Turret ring has been temporarily disabled by your previous
actions, but it’ll come back on-line within a minute of your drop. If you hurry, you
might be able to capture the temporary Turret Control Towers controlling these
Turrets before power is restored.
Also, because this is a prelude to the definitive battle for control of Port Arthur,
the Jaguars will throw everything they’ve got at you. In addition to the current
defenders, intelligence reports a group of Thor OmniMechs approaching the base
from the south. If you hurry you might be able to ambush them before they reinforce
the Starbase.
This is your final mission, so hold nothing back. Send your best pilots and your
best ’Mechs, outfitted with your best weapons. Even if you throw everything you’ve got
at the Jaguars, you’re in for a difficult fight.
Your mission must be completed within 35 minutes.
e Destroy center Mobile Orbital Guns.
• Destroy northwest Mobile Orbital Guns.
e Destroy northeast Mobile Orbital Guns.
e Capture or neutralize perimeter Turrets (secondary).
Overview
This is the final mission, and the Jaguars have overwhelming forces guarding the
Starbase—but you don’t need to feel overwhelmed. The Strategy Blueprint shows you
how to avoid many of the worst enemies, and let automated defenses such as Turrets
take care of others.
The first minute of this mission is a mad race against the clock, but after that the
pace relaxes. You should have no difficulty performing the mission in less than
35 minutes—because combat is the real challenge, not time.
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD—— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
1
Force Group 1,
Force Group 2,
Force Group 3
Fig. 10-11. Battle Map of Mission 5-6.
CHAPTER (0 — OPERATION 5: С
Recommended Forces
You’ve got a massive 600 tons for this final mission. By now you should have built up
a large collection of heavy Clan Mechs and impressive Clan weaponry. Ideally you
should send Masakaris, Mad Cats, Thors, Lokis, and Vultures on this mission, all
loaded with high-powered Clan and Inner Sphere weapons.
In addition to these heavier 'Mechs, you need to send one lighter, jump-capable
'Mech with a Guardian ECM Suite or Clan ECM Suite loaded onto it. Ideally, this 'Mech
should be a Cougar. Make sure a pilot with good Jumping skill is in control of it.
You have three small and three large artillery strikes for this mission, plus two
Sensor Probes.
Strategy Blueprint
All three Force Groups are dropped to the same spot. Immediately select your lone
small, jump-capable 'Mech (we'll assume that it's a Cougar) and have it sprint along
the path drawn on the Battle Map, all the way to the spot marked “Gate.” (Leave the
other 'Mechs behind for now.)
TIP You can't waste any time getting your jump-capable Cougar into the
base, because you have exactly one minute before the base's perimeter
Turrets are activated. You'll need to start over if your Cougar is too
slow and gets destroyed.
Have your Cougar jump over the gate,
then jump over the wall protecting the
Perimeter Turret Control Base, which is
marked on your Battle Map.
The instant your Cougar gets inside
that base, have it take over the three Turret
Control Towers located side by side in there.
Also have it take over the Gate Control
Building.
At the 34-minute mark (one minute
after the mission started), the Missile Turrets
guarding the Starbase's perimeter activate. A
few moments later, the group of four Thors
* гт,
gate and get attacked by those Turrets. Allow destroy the Power Generator.
the Missile Turrets to completely destroy all
four Thors.
: : Fig. 10-12. This is the Perimeter Turret Contro
marching up from the south will reach the Take over all three Turret Control Towers, but
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When the Thors are gone, march your remaining "Mechs up to the gate and have
them walk through it to rejoin the Cougar.
TIP Make sure your forces walk along the road as they enter the Starbase.
wv If they stray too far to either side they'll have trouble, because the
ground outside the Starbase's walls is littered with mines. The road
itself, however, has no mines.
Now that your forces are inside the Starbase, have them approach the Turret Con-
trol Tower located near the center of the map, taking the path drawn on the Battle Map.
As your forces approach this Turret Control Tower, which is located near the
mouth of an area that's blanketed with Missile Turrets, a trio of Cougars is likely to
attack from the north. Have most of your forces fight the Cougars while your own
jump-capable Cougar jumps over the walls protecting the Turret Control Tower and
captures it.
TIP Above all else, be sure to capture that Turret Control Tower as soon
wv as possible! A pair of Masakaris guarding the nearby Orbital Guns will
attack your forces as they approach the tower, but by capturing the
tower immediately you'll assume control of a great number of Missile
Turrets. These Missile Turrets will shred the Masakaris before they can
get close enough to your forces to deal damage.
After the Cougars and Masakaris are gone, capture the 'Mech Repair Bay located
slightly east of the Turret Control Tower. Repair all your 'Mechs. Then attack the two
nearby Orbital Guns.
As you attack the Orbital Guns, a group of enemy 'Mechs stationed to the south-
east attacks. This group includes two Vultures, a Thor, and a Mad Cat. Keep your
forces in the midst of your newly captured Missile Turrets as you fight these 'Mechs,
and the Missile Turrets will help you win.
Repair your 'Mechs again after this fight, and make sure you destroyed both
central Orbital Guns. Now return to the vicinity of the Perimeter Turret Control Base,
then approach the western edge of the Starbase, taking the path outlined on the Battle
CHAPTER 10 — ÜPERATION 5: CUT
Map. This path takes your 'Mechs past a long line of Missile Turrets protected by
concrete walls; ignore the Turrets and dash madly toward the Turret Control Tower
and Vultures at the extreme western edge of the Starbase.
Capture or destroy the Turret Control Tower as quickly as possible, either by
jumping your Cougar over the wall for a quick capture or by breaking through the
wall and then taking the tower. After dealing with the tower, destroy the swarm of five
Vultures that jumps down to attack.
Now break through the walls protecting the nearby western Orbital Guns and
destroy the guns themselves, taking care to stay well out of the sensor range of the
Hunchback Псѕ, Mad Cat, and Masakari stationed due east of the western Orbital Guns.
When both western Orbital Guns are destroyed, backtrack to the Perimeter Turret
Control Base along the same path you took west. Then, from the Perimeter Turret
Control Base, return to the Repair Bay near the central Orbital Guns for fresh repairs.
When all of your 'Mechs are repaired, you're ready to make a run on the northern
Orbital Guns. Send your 'Mechs northeast along the path drawn on the Battle Map, past
the Masakaris guarding the way, all the way up to the northern Orbital Guns themselves.
As your 'Mechs run past the Masakaris, five jump-capable Hunchback Псѕ will
leap over to attack. Ignore the Masakaris and the Hunchbacks. Both 'Mech types are
slow; you'll probably lose a 'Mech as you dash past these enemies, but that's not a big
deal at this point. All you want to do right now is reach those last two Orbital Guns!
When a few of your 'Mechs reach the northern Orbital Guns, immediately
target each Orbital Gun with a large artillery strike and a small artillery strike. Then
have all your 'Mechs take evasive action from the pursuing Masakaris and
Hunchback IIcs. When the artillery strikes hit, they'll destroy both Orbital Guns,
and the mission is a success.
Congratulations! You've won the campaign and freed Port Arthur. Kick back and
watch the endgame cinema.
CHAPTER 11
DESPERATE MEASURES
— | OPERATION 1: HYDRA
‘he Smoke Jaguars have been largely obliterated, but a renegade Star
Colonel, Marcus Kotare, has established an outpost on the old Star
ing for long-forgotten technologies. Your task is to discover what
is up to on Cermak, and to stop him.
CHAPTER [| — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
This first set of missions is surprisingly challenging. To succeed, you’ll need to
use sound combat tactics and make good use of your salvage.
MISSION 1-1: SECURE LANDING ZONE uem
our first mission is relatively simple. Your task is to clear the area around your
Џена drop point, capture an HQ Vehicle, then capture a pair of Smoke Jaguar
Component Warehouses. When you’ve completed these objectives, you should
move your forces to the Extraction Point.
Capturing an HQ Vehicle typically reveals part of the map, and this mission is no
exception. If you accomplish your objectives in the order presented here, you should
have relatively little difficulty in completing the mission.
Your objectives are as follows:
e Capture HQ Vehicle (Primary)
e Capture Component Warehouses (2) (Primary)
e Move all units to Extraction Point (Primary)
Overview
As mentioned before, this is a relatively easy introductory mission, especially if you
take your three heaviest "Mechs and load them up with potent weapons.
The strategy recommended in the Strategy Blueprint takes you all over the map,
and instructs you to capture all possible salvage. It’s important to claim as much
quality salvage as possible in these early missions because it will make your later
missions easier.
Salvage includes:
e Southwest Container Stacks: 4 Clan LRM Racks, 3 Heavy Flamers
* Point D Container Stacks: 3 Clan Pulse Lasers, 1 ECM
e Point 2 Component Warehouses: 2 Clan LB-X Autocannons, 2 Clan Large
Pulse Lasers, 6 Clan ER Lasers, 4 Clan Streak SRM Packs
* Point E Component Vault: 2 Heavy Thunderbolts
Recommended Forces
You’re allotted 180 tons of drop weight, plus four Small Artillery Strikes for this mission.
Take your Jagermech, Centurion, and Bushwhacker. Remove some of their
ammo-dependent weapons and replace them with larger energy weapons. For
example, replace Light Autocannons with PPCs and Heavy Flamers. Don’t buy
weapons at this stage; just use what you’ve got.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Shadow Cat J,
Uller Js,
J. Edgars,
948 HQ Vehicle
Battle Map of Mission 1-1
CHAPTER [| — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
NOTE Later in the game, we'll recommend specializing in particular ranges—
for example, we'll recommend loading your 'Mechs with long-range
weapons and then fighting exclusively at that range.
Right now, however, your 'Mechs are big and slow, and you don't Le g
have the resources to get faster ones. With slow 'Mechs, you'll find
yourself fighting at fairly close range whether you want to or not,
simply because your 'Mechs aren't fast enough to separate from the
enemy. So feel free to take short-range weapons like Heavy Flamers
for this mission, in addition to PPCs and Autocannons. ~ ue
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces start at the point labeled F1 on the
Battle Map. Immediately gather them and
proceed west to Point A, the top of a hill.
Walking up here reveals lots of nearby terrain
(Figure 11-1).
Follow the path on the Battle Map that
leads west toward Point B. As you approach
Point B, J. Edgars and Uller Js approach
from the vicinity of Point 1. Retreat slightly
while fighting these enemies, targeting the
Uller Js first.
Figure 11-1. Walking up the hill reveals the HQ Vehicle
TIP As you fight these enemies, the HQ and assorted enemies near Point 1.
wv Vehicle stationed at Point 1 flees to
the west, accompanied by a Shadow
Cat. Don't worry; you'll catch up
with it later. d a
With these enemies gone, go west along the designated path toward Point C.
Near Point C, you’re likely to run into a Striker and a J. Edgar, and you also might
encounter the fleeing HQ Vehicle and Shadow Cat. Destroy all combat vehicles, but
don’t worry about the fleeing HQ Vehicle. Capture it if the opportunity is there, but
otherwise just ignore it for now.
When all foes at Point C have been dispatched, proceed west along the designated
path toward the spot labeled Strikers, Container Stacks. You’ll encounter a pair of
Strikers here, plus the HQ Vehicle (if you didn’t capture it earlier).
Destroy the Strikers and capture the HQ Vehicle if you didn’t do so earlier. Locate
a pair of Container Stacks nearby, and take them for salvage.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Now proceed north along the designated path, toward the spot marked Strikers.
(Along the way you'll encounter a Saracen.) The path leads you to a hilltop with a pair
of Strikers atop it. Destroy the Strikers and make sure that you explore the hilltop;
you'll reveal a good deal of the surrounding terrain from up here.
After scouting the terrain, follow the path that leads north to Point D. At Point D,
you'll encounter a trio of J. Edgars. Destroy all three, and capture a pair of Container
Stacks nearby.
At this point, you're ready to attack the
base at Point 2. Follow the path on the Battle
Map; it sends you into the base from the north,
where there are no Turrets. Immediately take
out the single Bulldog parked inside the base
(Figure 11-2).
TIP You can use your Small Artillery
WA Strikes to soften up the Bulldog
Y before initiating combat; you
won't have much use for the
strikes otherwise.
| as а
Figure 11-2. The Bulldog in the upper left of the screen After taking out the Bulldog, you should
is your main threat at the Point 2 base. either have your Bushwhacker run in and
capture one Turret Control Tower, then
destroy the other from a distance; or have all of your Mechs destroy both Turret
Control Towers from a distance. The first method is probably better, as your newly
captured Cannon Turrets will obliterate a second Bulldog parked just south of the
base. Either way, you should neutralize all Turrets and the second Bulldog.
ТІР _ There are various non-combatant vehicles scattered around the
wv Point 2 base. You can ignore these; they're not mission-critical.
When all threats are neutralized, capture both Component Warehouses in the
middle of the Point 2 base.
CHAPTER 1| — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
At this point, you’re almost ready to exit
the mission. Follow the path that leads north-
east from here, terminating in a spot labeled
Shadow Cat J, Elementals. When you reach
this point you'll encounter—not surpris-
ingly—a Shadow Cat J and several
Elementals (Figure 11-3). Destroy the
Shadow Cat first, remembering to stay on the
move as you fight, and then pick off the
Elementals.
You now have a clear shot at the
Extraction Point at Point 3, but you should ЕГ x oe
hold off for a moment. Are your 'Mechs so Figure 11-3. As you approach the Extraction Point
heavily damaged that you wouldn't risk marker, this Shadow Cat and several Elementals
fighting a couple more vehicles? If so, send intercept you.
them directly to Point 3 to end the mission.
If your 'Mechs aren't on the absolute brink of falling apart, we recommend that
you avoid Point 3 for now and instead proceed southeast, through the forest, to the
spot labeled Burn Forest. You'll have to fight a pair of J. Edgars on your way, but that
shouldn't be tough. At the spot labeled Burn Forest, you should attack the forest and
burn it away until your 'Mechs can cross. Then move to Point E and capture the
Component Vault there.
Now that you've cleared all the salvage from this map, go north and assemble
your 'Mechs at Point 3. The mission ends successfully.
MISSION 1-2: PROTECT BASE NOMAD
his mission requires you to defend a long-abandoned base. This base has func-
Tis Turrets, plus a Sensor Control Building that allows you to detect enemies
well before they reach your base.
Despite that fact that your forces start out in the base they must defend, there
are definite rewards for leaving the base at the appropriate times. We'll cover that in
the Strategy Blueprint.
Your objectives are as follows:
* Defend Base Headquarters (Primary)
e Defend local Turret power (Secondary)
* Defend Sensor Control Building (Secondary)
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Overview
This mission requires you to maneuver two separate groups of Mechs at once, and it
also requires you to move quickly at times. The easiest way to manage this is to occa-
sionally pause the game while you switch between groups and assign new orders. If
you don’t do this, the mission can be quite difficult.
This map contains the following salvage:
* Point B Container Stack: 5 Clan LRM Racks
e Point C Container Stack: 1 Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannon
* Point D Component Vault: 2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
Recommended Forces
You have 245 tons to work with, as well as three Small Artillery Strikes and one Large
Artillery Strike. Take the five Mechs you started the game with, substituting in any
Smoke Jaguar Mechs you were lucky enough to capture in the last mission.
Use heavy mid-range weapons, like the Clan LB-X Autocannons and Heavy
Thunderbolts you should have salvaged in the last mission. Use Clan weapons when-
ever possible, and heavy-hitting weapons whenever possible. You'll have a Repair Bay
in this mission, so ammo isn't a problem.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces start out in a large, sprawling
base in the southeast corner of the map.
Immediately select your Commando J and
have it proceed at full speed, alone, along the
path to Point A. Note that following this path
requires you to jump across a short stretch of
water rather than cross the bridge. (You do
this to avoid Turret fire.)
Figure 11-4. By jumping across the water instead of
taking the bridge, you can capture the Turret Control
Tower without sustaining much damage.
CHAPTER Il — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION Ё
Battle Map of Mission 1-2
ТІР You can't waste a second during these early stages. Make sure
wv the Commando keeps moving at all times!
At Point A, capture а Turret Control Tower (Figure 11-4) and continue to follow =~ ~ X
the path drawn on the Battle Map. It leads you off the road and atop a hill, which gives ^ :
you a view of the surrounding area.
Jump across a section of forest at the spot marked Jump, then loop around the
back of the small base at Point B. Jump over the wall and capture the Heavy Turret
Control Tower inside the base, as well as the Container Stack next to it.
As soon as you capture the Heavy Turret Control Tower, the base's Missile Turrets
attack Column 1, which is on the road to the southeast. Ignore the Column; let the
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
missiles soften it up. Have the Commando jump back across the wall and retrace its
steps all the way back to the starting point (F2).
TIP Your Commando may be pursued by Ullers as it backtracks, but the
Ullers will be stopped short by the Turrets near Point A. If the Ullers
start firing on the Turret Control Tower near Point A, you might want
to drop one of your Small Artillery Strikes on them.
When your Commando returns to the base, move it into the Repair Bay in the
southwest corner of the base.
Meanwhile, the remnants of Column 1 (which originally consisted of two
Harassers, two Manticores, two Saracens, and four Ullers) will attack your base. The
vehicles are likely to approach via the bridge near Point A, while the Ullers tend to loop
to the south and attack near the Repair Bay. Position your main ’Mech group halfway
between the Repair Bay and the base’s northwestern entrance, and move them to
intercept whichever group of enemies arrives first. When one group has been
destroyed, go catch the other.
ТІР Jfboth groups attack simultaneously, the Ullers should be intercepted.
wv They're the ones most likely to break into the base and start attacking
the HQ Building.
The best place to fight is inside the base walls, where the Turrets
can fully support you. If the Ullers stand well outside the base and pick
away at the Turrets, go attack them and then retreat after you've got
their attention, luring them in to fight amongst the Turrets.
The HQ Building is pretty tough, but you want to keep this enemy
Column from attacking it so that it can withstand the punishment
doled out by the second and third enemy Columns.
When this Column is defeated, have your 'Mechs repair themselves in the Repair
Bay. Meanwhile have the Commando run to the northeast part of the base, jump over
the northern wall, and follow the path on the Battle Map that leads to Point C.
Have the Commando capture the Container Stack at Point C, then proceed to
Point D. He'll need to jump across the water to do so. Have him run past the two Pop-Up
CHAPTER I|—DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
Turrets on the other side of the water,
ignoring them, and then capture the
Component Vault at Point D (Figure 11-5).
Finally, have him backtrack all the way to the
Repair Bay for repairs. Don’t let him fight the
Pop-Up Turrets.
Meanwhile, your other Mechs should be
fully repaired.
Eventually, the second Column appears
from the north. It includes a pair of Ullers, a
Cougar, and a pair of Aerospace Spotters. Like
the first group, it splits and attacks in two à
sections—very likely, one from the west and Figure 11-5. Have your Commando capture this
one from the south. Component Vault.
Again, position your main 'Mech group
halfway between the Repair Bay and the base's
northwest entrance, and intercept whichever
group of enemies decides to attack first. Then
take on the remainder of the Column.
When this wave is gone, repair your
'Mechs (Figure 11-6).
A lone Cougar approaches from the
vicinity of Point D. If left unchallenged, it will
halt for a while before approaching the base
along the same path your Commando took
when it visited Point D. As soon as this Cougar
appears, however, you should have your | Dinh - DES
Commando jump over the northern wall and Figure 11-6. Frequent stops at the Repair Bay improve E
run just far enough toward it to get its atten- your chances of success. A uen
tion. Move quickly!
nd E E
As soon as the Cougar moves to attack the Commando, have the Commando
retreat to the base and jump back over the northern wall. Gather your other 'Mechs
here. The Cougar will chase the Commando all the way inside the base, where you can
quickly destroy it with concentrated fire.
As you destroy the Cougar, you'll see the third and final Column start to
approach from the northwest. Repair your 'Mechs and gather them near the center of
the base—by the HQ Building.
This last Column consists of a pair of Cougars and a Mad Cat. It will probably
split up; the Mad Cat may approach from the north, where that last Cougar just came
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
from. Whatever the case, have all your 'Mechs stand ready near the HQ Building. Have
them move to attack whichever enemies get inside the base first. If all 'Mechs arrive
more or less simultaneously, the Mad Cat must be targeted first.
You should be able to destroy these three foes if you use concentrated fire and
if you remember to move particularly damaged 'Mechs to the rear, where they'll take
less damage.
The mission is a success when these three 'Mechs are destroyed.
MISSION [-3: SECURE BAITAN SECTOR
his mission requires you to attack a Smoke Jaguar base that’s essentially three
Г" placed adjacent to one another. Each mini-base contains a Base
Headquarters and other important structures. You may choose either to take over
two Base Headquarters and ignore the third, or capture all three to complete a
secondary objective. The walkthrough in the Strategy Blueprint gives you the option
to play it either way.
Your objectives are as follows:
* Capture/destroy 2 HQs and destroy Defenders
* Move all units to Extraction Point
e Capture/destroy 3 HQs and destroy Defenders (Secondary)
* Capture 2 Component Vaults (Secondary)
Overview
There are several ways to attack this mission, so the method explained in the Strategy
Blueprint certainly isn’t your only option. It’s fairly simple to execute—at least in
theory. Also, it has the benefit of leading you to two different Repair Bays, which
makes your job significantly easier.
Make no mistake, however: this is a pretty difficult mission, especially if you
choose to take over all three HQ Buildings. In particular, the combat with ace
MechWarrior Katherine Furey is brutal, as her Mech is heavily armored and packs a
Rail Gun capable of downing one of your 'Mechs with one lucky shot.
CHAPTER 1---ПЕЗРЕВАТЕ MEASURES OPERATION
ham
Container Stack, -
AE — то
LRM Carrier,
Rommels,
Manticore,
LRM Carrier
Battle Map of Mission 1-3
Salvage is as follows:
e Point 4 Component Vaults: 2 Heavy Thunderbolts
e Container Stack near Point H: 2 Clan Gauss Rifles
Recommended Forces
You have 280 tons of drop weight, two Small Artillery Strikes, and one Sensor Probe
to work with in this mission. It's recommended that you buy a Bushwhacker A to
supplement your forces, unless you had the good fortune to salvage that Mad Cat in
the last mission.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Otherwise, just make sure to take reasonably large "Mechs (no Commandos).
Jump ’Mechs are recommended in the mission briefing, but you won't need them to
beat the mission in the way we recommend.
Also, purchase and use any X-Pulse Lasers, Clan LRMs, Heavy Thunderbolts, and
LB-X Autocannons (especially the Clan variant) you can get your hands on; these
weapons will give your 'Mechs great medium- and long-range punch.
Because you'll have access to Repair Bays in this mission, ammunition won't be
a major concern.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces start out in the southwestern corner of the map. Have them proceed
northeast toward Point A, a hilltop that will reveal a good deal of the surrounding
terrain. Destroy the three vehicles that approach you as you near Point A.
After revealing the terrain at Point A, continue to follow the path drawn on the
Battle Map. It leads you toward Point B, but you should proceed slowly. Along the way,
you may encounter a Manticore, and well before you approach Point B you will
encounter a Hunchback Пс. As soon as the Hunchback gets within firing range, have
your units target it and then start moving
backward, keeping it at long range. Continue
to move backward while firing until it's dead.
The second Hunchback Пс lurking
inside the base will now approach from the
same direction as the first. Again, fight while
retreating to keep the Hunchback’s Heavy
Autocannon at bay.
With both 'Mechs gone, continue to
approach the Point B base (Figure 11-7). Pick
away the Missile Turrets flanking the gate to
this base until the path is clear, then destroy
the gate itself and enter the base. Capture or
Figure 11-7. Destroy the Turrets nearest the gate so
you can safely enter the base.
CHAPTER || — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
destroy all four Turret Control Towers in this base immediately to deactivate any
Turrets you didn’t destroy.
Capture the Base Headquarters at Point B, then capture the nearby Repair Bay.
Repair all of your Mechs.
Now follow the path on the Battle Map
that leads from your current location to Point C.
This path leads you through the north gates of
the small base you're in, past a pair of Pop-Up
Turrets (destroy both) and to a small ridge.
Point C is a spot overlooking a power source
labeled Generator on the Battle Map (if you
put your mouse cursor over it in the game it's
called Primary Turret Power).
Destroy the forest between your 'Mechs
and the Primary Turret Power. Then start
picking away at the wall between your 'Mechs $ 1
and the Primary Turret Power. As you do this, Figure 11-8. Destroy Primary Turret Power from
the pair of Shadow Cats stationed inside the outside the base.
middle base will likely jump out to attack you.
Destroy them with concentrated fire, then turn your attention back to the wall.
Once the wall is destroyed, you can freely shoot at the Primary Turret Power
from Point C. Destroy it. Then return to the Repair Bay near Point B, and repair your
'Mechs once again.
Backtrack as if you were returning to the mission's starting point at F1 and F2,
but instead, take a right near Point A and halt your 'Mechs at Point D. While your
'Mechs stand at Point D, the entrance to a ravine leading to the middle base, scroll
your view over the middle base. You'll see three Bulldogs in there. Drop one of your
Small Artillery Strikes on a Bulldog or two to get their attention, then let the Bulldogs
drive down the ravine toward your 'Mechs. Have your 'Mechs stand at Point D and fire
from their position, destroying the Bulldogs as they approach.
With the Bulldogs gone, send your 'Mechs along the path that leads northeast
to Point E. Capture the Base Headquarters at Point E. Also capture the two
Component Vaults at Point 4 and the Repair Bay in the northeast corner of this base.
Repair your 'Mechs.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When your ’Mechs are repaired, slowly
move them up to Point F, keeping them in a
tight pack. Furey’s Vulture is patrolling up
here. Attack the Vulture with everything
you've got (Figure 11-9), and be sure to
immediately note which of your 'Mechs Furey
is targeting. Have that 'Mech run away! Furey
can dish out unbelievable damage, so you
can't allow her to keep pounding away at the
same 'Mech.
TIP This is a tough combat, but you
wv should escape without losing
any ‘Mechs if you order the
‘Mechs that are getting picked
on to run away, and have the
others fire on Furey from
medium range.
Figure 11-9. Furey's Vulture puts up a tough fight.
Remember to move injured 'Mechs to safety when
fighting her.
With Furey gone, you could now proceed to Point 2 and end the mission.
However, if your 'Mechs are still in reasonably good shape, or if there's still some
energy left in the Repair Bay, you can go repair your forces at the Repair Bay, then
follow the path that leads west toward Point G.
The path leading to Point G is guarded with several Pop-Up Turrets, so you should
move your 'Mechs slowly and in a tight cluster, taking out Turrets as soon they appear.
At Point G, use your remaining Small Artillery Strike on an LRM Carrier behind
the walls of the nearby base. Then have your 'Mechs stand at Point G, destroying the gate
to the south so they can get clear shots at the LRM Carriers and other vehicles inside.
When the flow of vehicles emerging from the gate stops, go through the gate and
follow the path toward Point H. You'll encounter a few more vehicles inside the base,
including Aerospace Spotters and Rommels. Keep your 'Mechs moving at all times to
avoid air strikes, and target the Aerospace Spotters first.
When all vehicles are gone, capture the Base Headquarters at Point H to
complete a secondary mission goal. Also, capture the Container Stack nearby. Then
send all your 'Mechs to Point 2 to end the mission.
MISSION 1-4: ELIMINATE BASE OGRE
his mission requires you to eliminate Base Ogre by destroying its Command
Га This base, like the enemy base іп the last mission, is divided into several
distinct compartments or cells. The defenders of one cell usually won’t come out
to attack you if you’re in the next cell—even if you’re within visual distance. The only
things that will activate individual Mechs within a particular cell are charging into
their cell, firing at them, or triggering a Perimeter Alarm.
This mission is overwhelming if you rush it, or if you allow a Perimeter Alarm to
be triggered. If you follow it slowly and methodically, however, it should be manageable.
Your objectives are as follows:
e Capture Mobile HQ (Secondary)
* Destroy Command Building
* Destroy all enemy 'Mechs
Overview
Base Ogre is divided into several cells or mini-bases. Our method of beating the
mission involves a slow, methodical march from one mini-base to the next, taking
over Heavy Turret Control Towers along the way so that Turrets become your allies
rather than your enemies. However, bear in mind that there are many ways to attack
this mission.
You'll capture a Repair Bay fairly early in this mission. This Repair Bay has lots
of energy, so you can use it quite a lot before it runs dry. Frequently sending damaged
'Mechs back to this Repair Bay is a key to victory.
Salvage in this mission includes:
e Container Stack at тар" eastern edge: 2 Clan Gauss Rifles, 1 Clan LB-X
Autocannon, 1 Clan Basic Sensor
e Container Stack east of Point A: Clan Large ER-Laser
e Component Warehouses at Point F: 5 Clan LRM Racks, 1 Clan ER-PPC
* Container Stack near Point G: 2 Clan ER Lasers
* Component Warehouse at Point H: Long Tom Cannon
CHAPTER Il — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Hunchback lics,
Component Warehouse
pA Turrets,
ос Regulator,
1009
Ва е Map of Mission 1-4
CHAPTER Il — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
Recommended Forces
You get 350 tons and three Small Artillery Strikes for this mission. Hopefully by now
you've salvaged a few Clan Mechs—a few Shadow Cats at the very least, and hopefully Pu
Furey's Vulture as well. Use these Clan 'Mechs as well as Bushwhackers and any heavier ~
Inner Sphere models you happen to have. You only need one Jump-capable 'Mech. em
It's recommended that you take all the usual heavy-hitting weapons, like Large
X-Pulse Lasers, various LB-X Autocannons, Clan LRM Racks, Heavy Thunderbolts, and
ER-PPCs. You'll have frequent opportunities to repair and re-supply your ’Mechs, so
you needn't worry about ammunition.
Strategy Blueprint
Your forces start out in the southeast corner of the map. Follow the path leading to
Point A, which loops north past a Container Stack that only Jump-capable Mechs can
reach, and a second Container Stack guarded by a Bulldog and two Strikers. You're
also likely to encounter a patrolling Shadow Cat. Destroy all opposition and capture
both Container Stacks along the way to Point A.
At Point A, you'll gain a good view of the southeastern fringes of Base Ogre.
ТЕР Two more Shadow Cats are on patrol in this region. They patrol a wide
wv area, and could pop up at any time. If they appear, just dispatch them
with concentrated fire and keep moving.
Now follow the path leading northeast to Point B. This is another hilltop that
shows you more of Base Ogre. Be careful to stay just out of range of Base Ogre's Turrets!
Backtrack from Point B to Point A, then follow the looping path southwest that
leads to Point C. Along the way you'll
encounter a parked Bulldog and Manticore.
Destroy both.
At Point C, another hilltop, you'll see a
cluster of three Rommels and one HQ Vehicle
parked to the south at Point 1 (Figure 11-10).
From Point C, destroy the partially concealed
Artillery Turret next to the four vehicles. Then
start attacking a Rommel. The HQ Vehicle will
try to flee to the northeast. Move your 'Mechs
Figure 11-10. Attack one of the three Rommels from a
distance, staying away from that Artillery Turret.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
due east to intercept it, still firing on the Rommels. Don’t drift to the south as you
fight, because there’s a second Artillery Turret down there.
After destroying the Rommels and capturing the HQ Vehicle, proceed west and
destroy the Heavy Turret Control Tower near Point 1. Don’t stray too far south as you
do so, or the remaining Artillery Turret will attack.
With the Heavy Turret Control Tower gone, repair your 'Mechs in the Repair Bay
near Point 1.
ТІР This Repair Bay has lots of energy, so it can perform lots of repairs.
Throughout the rest of the mission, you should periodically send
damaged Mechs back here for repairs before proceeding to the
next step.
Figure 11-11. Destroy the Perimeter Alarm first, then
a couple of nearby Missile Turrets.
Now approach the mini-base at Point D,
following the designated path. Destroy the
Perimeter Alarm in the southwest corner,
followed by the two closest Missile Turrets.
Slowly advance, staying close to the water.
The Regulator and Bulldog parked inside
this mini-base eventually drive out. Destroy
them with concentrated fire, then send a
reasonably durable, yet fast 'Mech (like a
Bushwhacker) in to capture the Turret
Control Tower at Point D.
Repair your 'Mechs. Now gather them
again in the Point D mini-base. Drop one of
your three Small Artillery Strikes on the
Hunchback IIc and two Ullers parked in the
Point E mini-base (Figure 11-12). This damages them and causes them to run south
toward your 'Mechs. Allow them to come to you, giving your newly captured Turrets
time to damage them. You should be able to dispatch these three 'Mechs with ease.
p
CHAPTER Il — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION |
When these three 'Mechs are gone, send
а 'Mech to capture the Heavy Turret Control Е :
Tower at Point E. Either use a Jump 'Mech to ase
do this, or destroy the Heavy Wall south of the
Control Tower and then run a 'Mech in.
iem
Repair your 'Mechs again. Gather them
in the Point E mini-base, and drop a Small
Artillery Strike on the Hunchback IIc, Uller,
and Cougar parked in the Point F mini-base.
Again, the air strike will force the enemy
'Mechs to attack. Hang back and let your
Turrets do most of the work for you.
Eventually all three Mechs will go down. Figure 11-12. Drop a Small Artillery Strike on this
Have your 'Mechs advance on the Heavy Cluster of "Mechs.
Turret Control Tower at Point F, blasting
down a Medium Wall in the way. Capture it quickly, before you sustain much damage
from the Turrets. A few vehicles from the west may fire on you; fall back into your
newly captured Turrets, and the vehicles will follow to their doom.
ТІР 7ry not to venture too far west. If you do, though, destroy any
Perimeter Alarms that you get close to.
Repair your 'Mechs again. Return to
Point F and capture a pair of Component
Warehouses nearby. Then drop your last
Small Artillery Strike on the Loki in the
central mini-base at Point 2 (Figure 11-13).
The Loki and Cougar stationed in there will
run out, and you should engage them just
enough to distract them from destroying your
Turret Control Towers, then retreat so that
your Turrets can do most of the work. You
should be able to finish both 'Mechs off with
relative ease. i —Á —
e faa РА
Repair again if necessary, then run your Figure 11-13. Target the Loki near the center of th
‘Mechs from Point F into the mini-base at screen with your last Small Artillery Strike. —
Point 2. Have them capture the Heavy Turret
Control Tower there as quickly as possible to
prevent damage. The Missile Turrets will now
destroy any remaining vehicles near Point G.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Now capture the Heavy Turret Control Tower at Point G, as well as the Repair Bay
and the Container Stack there. Allow the Perimeter Alarm north of G to go off when
you approach it. This causes a pair of Hunchback Псѕ stationed on an island at Point Н
to approach you. If you hide among your Turrets, however, the Turrets will take care
of the Hunchbacks.
TIP /fyou destroy the Perimeter Alarm by accident, no big deal; you'll
wv just have to fight the Hunchback IIcs yourself when you explore
the western island at Point H.
After repairing your 'Mechs at the new Repair Bay, proceed to Point H (taking any
route you choose) and capture the Component Warehouse there. If you didn't lure out
the Hunchback IIcs there with the Perimeter Alarm earlier, you'll have to fight them
now. Remember to fight them from a distance! l
Finally, return to Point 2 and destroy the Command Building to win the mission.
CHAPTER 12
DESPERATE MEASURES
OPERATION 2:
GORGON E
his second operation features timed missions. Some have explicit Y -
limit. If you're slow, you'll miss the conver!
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
You don’t need to take fast Mechs for these missions, but they help out a lot. Fast
"Mechs give you a larger margin of error on timed missions, allowing you to succeed
even if you waste a moment here or there, and allowing your 'Mechs to recover quickly
if they wander into a bad position.
Hopefully, you'll salvage a number of speedy Clan 'Mechs to assist you with these
missions. Barring that, however, you can supplement your Clan 'Mechs with the
Bushwhacker design, which is the heaviest 'Mech you can purchase from Battalion
that we'd classify as “fast.”
MISSION 2-1: TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
he only primary objective in this mission is to move your forces to the Extraction
Tos. This is easy to accomplish. However, if you ignore all the secondary objec-
tives, the payoff in potential salvage is low.
Trying to complete all the secondary objectives, on the other hand, is signifi-
cantly harder. Our main strategy for beating the mission assumes that you want to
complete all secondary objectives, but the Overview also gives instructions on how to
complete the mission with only a single, small 'Mech and earn more Resource Points
than you'd get for completing all secondary objectives. (This alternate method mini-
mizes your salvage, however.)
Your objectives are as follows:
* Move all units to Extraction Point
* Destroy OmniMech Star (Secondary)
e Destroy bridge (Secondary)
* Destroy Research Complexes (2) (Secondary)
e Capture Component Vaults (2) (Secondary)
* Complete all secondary objectives
Overview
The method for beating this mission laid out in the Strategy Blueprint allows you to
collect all possible salvage. If you don’t have the patience for all that, however, you can
take one light Jump ’Mech (a Stiletto, Cougar, Uller, or Commando) and complete the
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 2
Hunchback Ilcs,
Component Vaults
Container
Stack
5
Mad Cat,
Shadow Cat,
Hunchback lics
Turrets,
Component
Warehouse
Battle Map of Mission 2-1
mission easily, using only a small fraction of your allotted 350 tons. The compensation
for your low drop weight is actually slightly more Resource Points than you'd get for
completing all of the secondary objectives!
Keeping your light 'Mech out of trouble would be fairly easy as most of the
enemy units in this mission are located in the bases at the edges of the map. If you
choose this strategy, you may want to make a slight detour over to the small island in
the northeast corner of the map, and collect the two Large X-Pulse Lasers from the
Container Stack.
If you choose to go for more salvage, on the other hand, you're in for a tough
fight. The hardest battle (by far) occurs near Point 2 on the Battle Map. It may take
several tries to get it right.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
If you use the strategy outlined here, the base located near Point 3 is never
visited. Although it’s theoretically possible to take out the defenders at Point 3, collect
the salvage (two Clan ER Lasers), and use the Repair Bay nearby within the mission
time limit of 25 minutes, the payoff isn’t worth the trouble.
This mission’s salvage includes:
e Point A Container Stack: 5 Clan LRM Racks
e Point 2 Container Stack: 2 Clan ER-PPCs
e Point 5 Component Vaults: 2 Rail Guns
* Point B Container Stack: 1 Clan Medium Ultra Autocannon
* Point B Island Container Stack: 2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
e Point 3 Component Warehouse: 2 Clan ER Lasers
Recommended Forces
You have 350 tons, plus three Small and two Large Artillery Strikes, at your disposal.
You can either take tough, heavy-hitting "Mechs for this mission, or faster,
lighter designs. If you take slow, heavy 'Mechs like Jagermechs, you'll need to arm
them with potent short-range weapons. (Most of the enemy 'Mechs in this mission are
fast, so you won't be able to get your slow 'Mechs far enough away to use long-range
weapons.) If you go with faster designs, particularly if you've been lucky enough to
salvage lots of Clan 'Mechs, you can arm them with long-range weapons instead.
If you go with slower, heavier 'Mechs, you should complement the heavy hitters
with a faster, long-range 'Mech. A Mad Cat J is ideal for this situation (there is salvage
you can get only if you have a Jump 'Mech but if you weren't lucky enough to salvage
one, a Vulture J or Bushwacker J will also do). Give this 'Mech long-range weapons
such as LRM Racks and ER-PPCs.
Another approach is to use faster and lighter 'Mechs such as Bushwackers. This
approach can be more difficult and will require you to move damaged 'Mechs to the
rear of combat more actively, but it's possible even on the Hard difficulty level.
Finally, take a Refit Truck on this mission. Because the mission is timed and you
have slow 'Mechs, it would eat too much clock to send them back to the 'Mech Repair
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 2
Bays after each battle. Don’t be afraid to use powerful weapons with limited ammo
(such as Heavy Autocannons) because you can reload frequently.
Strategy Blueprint ves
From your start point in the south of the Battle Map, send your forces north along
the indicated path until they reach Point A. Then, arrange your units as shown in и
Figure 12-1, with your heavy short-range "Mechs in front, and your long-range
lighter "Mechs and Refit Truck farther back.
Send your fastest (or only) long-range Mech northwest through the Fuel Tanks
toward Point 2, until the enemy Mechs at Point 2 start to move. (The enemy Mechs
include a Mad Cat A, a Shadow Cat A, a Hunchback Ис A and a Hunchback Ис W.) As
soon as you see the enemy 'Mechs move, run your long-range 'Mech back to its orig-
inal position behind the front line.
Wait until the Mad Cat is standing near the Fuel Tanks before you detonate
the tanks.
ТІР The Mad Cat is the biggest threat to your ‘Mechs. If it won't come
wv close enough to the Fuel Tanks, send your long-range ‘Mech(s) a little
closer, fire at it, then back up again. Don't worry too much about
moving your short-range ‘Mechs during the battle. It's more important
to keep your long-range ‘Mech out of trouble. If one of your short-
range ‘Mechs gets beat up, take it out of the battle and send the Refit
Truck to repair it.
ТЕР The Fuel Tanks have
wv a Gas Tank and Pipe
Junction attached to
them. These structures
are more fragile than the
Fuel Tanks themselves,
and are therefore easier
to destroy instantly. The
destruction of any one of
these structures causes
the whole group to go
up in flames.
Figure 12-1. Position is important in this battle. Be sure
not to place your 'Mechs too close to the Fuel Tanks.
MECHCOMMANDER: 0000 — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
H 5
Figure
12-2. Two Hunchbacks guard the Compone
This battle is tricky, and it may take several tries to get it right. The key is to
injure as many enemy 'Mechs as possible in the Fuel Tank explosion—especially the
Mad Cat.
Once the four enemy 'Mechs have been destroyed, have a 'Mech capture the
Container Stack just to the east. Then send all of your units north to Point 2. Capture
the 'Mech Repair Bay and the Container Stack. Repair your 'Mechs.
From Point 2, head east along the path shown on the Battle Map. Destroy the
forest blocking your route and cross the land bridge to the northern half of the map.
As soon as your 'Mechs cross the water, send them northwest along the shoreline
(to keep them out of range of the Turrets at the base at Point 4), still following the
indicated path.
Gather all of your units on the hill just southwest of the Point 4 base. Then send
your fastest 'Mech into the base to capture the Turret Control. This causes the two
Thors stationed in the base to power up and start fighting the Turrets. Five Regulators
then drive down from the north to attack. The Thors are occupied for a while with the
Turrets, so initially begin destroying the Regulators. Once the Thors decide to come
after your 'Mechs, take them on instead. Most importantly, don't let the Turret Control
be destroyed.
After the battle, use the Refit Truck to
repair your 'Mechs and destroy the Research
Complexes at Point 4.
Next, head east toward Point 5 on the
Battle Map. There are a pair of Hunchback Псѕ
on patrol in this area. Send your short-range
'Mechs ahead until they engage one of the
Hunchbacks. Then, add your long-range
'Mech to the battle. Again, if one of your
'Mechs starts to get in trouble, pull it out and
send in the Refit Truck. When the battle is
over, capture the Component Vaults.
А.
nt
Vaults near Point 5.
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
With the Hunchbacks dispatched, send your units southeast toward the base at
Point B, as shown on the Battle Map. You'll encounter five Bulldogs; retreat as you
fight them to stay out of Heavy Autocannon range.
When the Bulldogs have been eliminated, send your Jump 'Mech into the base
and capture the Container Stack. Then jump across the blown-out bridge leading to
an island north of Point B. Capture the Container Stack there.
Gather and repair all of your 'Mechs at
Point 5, then send them to the hilltop at Point C.
Have your fastest "Mech move far enough
south to expose the bridge to the south. Place
a Large Artillery Strike on this bridge.
(Hopefully you can do this without disturbing
the two Shadow Cats residing nearby.)
Repair your 'Mechs and send them north
toward Point 1. As you approach the Extraction
Point, you encounter two Missile Turrets and a
lone Hunchback Ис on patrol. You should have
no problem destroying these forces.
Continue north to the Extraction Point. Figure 12.3. A Large Artillery Strike takes out the
When all of your units arrive, you win the bridge near Point 3.
mission.
MISSION 2-2: CAPTURE ORDNANCE CONVOY
Tre mission requires you to capture Salvage Rigs that move across the map in a
heavily guarded Convoy. You need to capture at least four Salvage Rigs to complete
your main objective, and you get bonus points for capturing more than that.
The Convoy is guarded by an assortment of heavy ’Mechs and vehicles, including
Mad Cats, Nova Cats and a customized Masakari.
Your objectives are as follows:
e Capture 4 of 7 Salvage Rigs
e Capture 6 of 7 Salvage Rigs (Secondary)
e Capture 7 of 7 Salvage Rigs (Secondary)
Overview
This is another mission in which we recommend pausing the game occasionally. You'll
be moving independent groups of 'Mechs at the same time that the Convoy is busy
trying to escape, which can lead to frustration and confusion unless you occasionally
pause and assign orders.
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Battle Map of Mission 2-2
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 2
The only salvage in this mission is contained within the Salvage Rigs that you
must capture:
e Rig 1: 3 Large X-Pulse Lasers
e Rig 2: 2 Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannons
e Rig 3: 3 Heavy Thunderbolts
e Rig 4: 3 ER-PPCs
e Rig 5: 2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
* Rig 6: 3 Heavy LB-X Autocannons
e Rig 7: 1 Small Laser, 4 Long Toms
Recommended Forces
You have 385 tons for this mission, plus five Small Artillery Strikes and one Large
Artillery Strike.
TIP You have lots of Artillery Strikes for this mission, so feel free to use
1 them—but be warned that it's tough to damage the Convoy's combat
wv units without damaging the Salvage Rigs as well. You should err on
the side of caution when using your Artillery Strikes rather than
destroying Salvage Rigs with accidental artillery blasts.
Things will go smoothly if you take only fast ‘Mechs for this mission: This means
Bushwhackers and speedy Clan designs. Slow 'Mechs won't get you very far; in fact, if
you use slow ’Mechs, you might have to resign yourself to not capturing all the
Salvage Rigs.
Also, be sure to bring along a Refit Truck. This truck is key to success, as there
are no Repair Bays on the map.
Load all of your 'Mechs with potent long-range weapons, and skimp on short-
range weapons. Place your lightest 'Mech and your Refit Truck in Force Group 2.
Strategy Blueprint
The strategy for this mission requires you to be attentive and play it by ear. This is
necessary because you must react to the movement of the Convoy, as opposed to most
missions, in which your enemies are largely static and you can attack them at your
leisure.
Immediately after the mission starts, pause the game. Select your lightest Mech
(which should be in Force Group 2) and assign it a running path (using (F10)) that
takes it to Point A, following the path drawn on the Battle Map.
*.
soci cotes tese iet
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Now select the remainder of your units
and assign them to run to Point B. (They’ll
follow the path drawn on the Battle Map). Set
the game in motion.
As your lone light "Месһ approaches
Point A, have him capture the Heavy Turret
Control Tower there and then run to rejoin
his comrades at Point B.
Meanwhile, the rest of your units find
themselves at Point B. The Convoy is visible,
emerging from the south at the spot labeled
Convoy on your map.
„а
Figure 12-4. Have your 'Mech capture this Heavy
Turret Control Tower.
ТІР The Convoy consists of the following units, in this order:
wv е 2 Mad Cat Js
е Cluster: 2 Salvage Rigs, 1 Nova Cat A, 2 Manticores
е Cluster: 2 Salvage Rigs, 1 Nova Cat J, 2 Strikers
е Cluster: 2 Salvage Rigs, 1 Nova Cat W, 2 LRM Carriers
е Cluster: 1 Salvage Rig, Osis’ Masakari
Your units should target the pair of Mad Cat Js that lead the convoy. Attack from
the vicinity of Point B, with the Refit Truck positioned somewhat farther from the
convoy than your ’Mechs. The Mad Cats are Jump-capable and will jump up to meet
your 'Mechs, so you'll need to move your units backwards during combat to maintain
medium-long range.
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
ТІР Jfyou want to, you can initiate your attack on the Mad Cats with an
wv Artillery Strike.
Remember to immediately move injured
units to the rear of the fight. There, the Refit
Truck can patch them up immediately, and
you can send them right back into the fray.
Feel free to pause the game at any time to
facilitate repairs and 'Mech movements.
When the Mad Cats are gone, return to
Point B and shoot at subsequent 'Mechs and
combat vehicles in the convoy. The next
target is a Nova Cat that can't jump, so it
can't get at your forces. Shred it with long-
range fire, along with the pair of Manticores
accompanying it.
Continue to shred enemy units as they
walk through the valley, moving your 'Mechs
Figure 12-5. Attack the Convoy from the relative
safety of Points B and C.
between Points B and C for the best possible shot. Always keep your 'Mechs close
enough to the Convoy to shoot at it, but far enough away to prevent the enemy from
using shorter-range weapons. Keep repairing 'Mechs that get damaged.
TIP = This early phase of the mission is critical to success. If you manage to
wv get your ‘Mechs down to Point B quickly enough, and destroy enough of
the forces protecting the Convoy, the rest of the mission won't be that
difficult. If you're too slow and let the Convoy pass Point B relatively
unhindered, on the other hand, you'll face tough combat later on.
Eventually the Convoy moves north of the valley. A glance at your mini-map
shows that while part of the Convoy is following the path drawn on the Battle Map (the
one that loops all the way to the east before hooking back to the west), another part
of the Convoy is likely to be heading due north, up the center of the map.
Now you should send your 'Mechs and Refit Truck northwest along the path
connecting Point C to Point A. Your units end up in the small, abandoned base at Point A
(the one that your smallest 'Mech visited at the mission's start).
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
a ZEE ges À
4 Bi | Ке
attention to the remainder of the Convoy.
TIP
‘Mechs at Point A.
Figure 12-6. Capture the Salvage Rigs, then turn your
Now that your forces are at Point A, they
should be able to cut off the segment of the
Convoy that was traveling due north. That
segment of the Convoy will eventually turn
west and pass along the road just north of
Point A. Intercept this part of the Convoy and
destroy any combat vehicles you failed to pick
off earlier. Then capture the Salvage Rigs.
Now you should turn your attention to
the other part of the convoy, which is prob-
ably still following the route drawn on the
Battle Map. Send your 'Mechs and Refit Truck
northeast to Point D, a bridge that the
remainder of the Convoy will try to use.
If you were too slow and it’s clear that your ‘Mechs can't reach Point D
before the Convoy gets there, you can destroy the bridge at D with
artillery strikes, thus forcing the Convoy to proceed south toward your
Intercept the remainder of the Convoy and destroy the defenders.
Capture the remaining Salvage Rigs to win the mission.
Again, we'll stress that the latter half of this mission isn't tough if
wv you did a good job in the first half. The key is to destroy or severely
1 weaken most of the Convoy's defenders from your perch at Points B
and C. Then you won't have to face many enemies later on.
If you had trouble with combat at the end of the mission, try
again, and this time try to damage the Convoy's protectors more in
the mission's early stages.
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 2
MISSION 2-3: ELIMINATE ORBITAL GUNS
our mission is to capture the Headquarters Building located at Point 1, then
Үз» each of the Mobile Orbital Guns (MOGs) апа their nearby Targeting
Computers. This mission is fairly easy if you take a disciplined and careful
approach, following the strategy outlined below.
You have a 30-minute time limit for this mission.
Your objectives are as follows:
e Capture the Base HQ
e Destroy MOG and Targeting Computer 1
* Destroy MOG and Targeting Computer 2
* Destroy MOG and Targeting Computer 3
* Destroy MOG and Targeting Computer 4
* Destroy MOG and Targeting Computer 5
Overview
The first order of business is to take over the southeastern base. It contains a Sensor
Control that will give you sensor coverage of almost the entire map. It also contains a
Headquarters Building (located at Point 1) that reveals the location of all the MOGs.
Finally, this base also contains a 'Mech Repair Bay, which makes things easier if you
sustain significant damage while taking control of the base.
All of the MOGs (except for the one at Point 5) are lightly guarded. Fortunately, |
you're given enough artillery power in this mission to take out the MOG at Point 5 \
without having to actually go there. |
Salvage includes: а
e West Component Vault: 2 Light LB-X Autocannons
e Southwest Container Stacks: 2 Clan Pulse Lasers, 2 Clan Large ER Lasers
e Northwest Container Stack: 2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
e Point 5 Component Warehouses: 3 Clan Pulse Lasers, 2 Clan Large ER Lasers,
1 Probe
Recommended Forces
You’re allotted two Small Artillery Strikes, one Large Artillery Strike, two Sensor
Probes, and two Camera Drones. Your drop weight limit is 250 tons.
Durability is more important than speed in this mission, even though there is a
30-minute time limit. As long as you're efficient, you'll have plenty of time to accomplish
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Condors,
Container Stack
Condors,
P, ња а @ Container Stacks у iud
Wp Hunchback llc es
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 2
all of your objectives. You have 350 tons to work with, so make sure you bring some
heavy hitters. If you want to collect all of the salvage available, also bring at least one
reasonably fast Jump ’Mech.
As usual, bring heavy-hitting or super-efficient weapons, like Clan ER-PPCs,
Large X-Pulse Lasers, and Clan LB-X Autocannons.
Strategy Blueprint
From your start point, head northwest to the nearby base. Blast a hole in the south-
eastern wall and send your units through. (Watch for the Pop-Up Turret near the wall.)
Take over the Sensor Control Building, the Headquarters Building (Point 1 on
the Battle Map), and the Turret Control Tower. Keep your ’Mechs in the northern half
of the base as you capture these structures.
ТЕР The Sensor Control gives you sensor
wv readings over a large portion of the
1 map. The Headquarters Building
reveals each of the MOGs that you
need to destroy.
Once you've captured these buildings, it's
time to deal with the three Thors stationed at
the southwest end of the base (near Point 2 on
the Battle Map). Try to hang back and make
them come to your 'Mechs one at a time, using
a fast 'Mech to lure them out if necessary.
ТІР /fa Pilum patrolling the northeast
wv edge of the base attacks your forces,
q take care of it before engaging the
Thors. If not, dispatch it only after
the Thors are gone.
When the Thors and Pilum have been
destroyed, send your forces southwest to the
southwest end of the base (Point 2 on the
Battle Map). Capture a Repair Bay along the
way, and send your 'Mechs in for repairs.
Figure 12-8. The MOGs near Point 2 are guarded by
three Thors.
Figure 12-7. Capture the Headquarters building to
uncover each of the MOGs.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
As some of your Mechs are repaired, have others take out the MOG and Targeting
Computer at Point 2.
ТІР fat any time during this mission your Mechs get seriously damaged,
wv you can send them back to this Repair Bay. But watch the clock!
Now send your 'Mechs along the path leading away from Point 2, making sure to
capture the nearby Turret Control on the way out of the base.
Follow the path west across the bridge, then turn southwest and follow the river
to Point A, as shown on the Battle Map.
Figure 12-9. The MOG at Point 3 is surrounded by
four Artillery Turrets.
There are only two defenders at Point 3:
A Hunchback Пс and a Pilum. As soon as your
'Mechs reach Point A, the Pilum engages
them. Destroy it. You'l deal with the
Hunchback later.
The MOG at Point 3 is surrounded by
four Artillery Turrets, so don't get too close. If
you can't see the two Turrets closest to you,
deploy a Camera Drone to reveal them.
Instruct your 'Mechs to fire from posi-
tion on the Artillery Turret closest to them.
This causes the Hunchback to engage your
forces. As you fight the Hunchback, be sure to
stay out of range of those Turrets.
When the Hunchback has been destroyed,
take out the two nearest Artillery Turrets, then destroy the Turret Control. Afterwards,
send your 'Mechs in to destroy the MOG and the Targeting Computer at Point 3.
ТІР There are two pairs of Shadow Cats that patrol between Point 3, Point 4,
: Point 5, and Point 6 on the Battle Map. Once you have captured the
1 Sensor Control near Point 1, you will be able to tell where they are
most of the time. You can tell them apart from patrolling vehicles by
their sensor rings. You can choose to engage them or avoid them. If
you chose to engage the Shadow Cats, don't fight both pairs at once.
9
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 2
ТІР = At any point during the mission, an enemy Mech may decide to
destroy a Sensor Tower. If this happens and you’re about to enter
an area that doesn’t have sensor coverage, use a Sensor Probe to
see what lies ahead. A u
Send your 'Mechs north along the path indicated on the Battle Map, and capture 4
the nearby Component Vault. (A pair of Condors parked to the southeast may v
approach as you do this; destroy them if they do.)
Next, send your 'Mechs to the southeast and capture the two Container Stacks
located there. Destroy the Condors now if you didn't earlier.
Now head northeast along the path leading to Point 4; you may encounter a
Pilum along the way.
Point 4 is surrounded by Missile Turrets, and there are Elementals lurking in the
nearby ruins. Get close enough to Point 4 to coax the Elementals out, and destroy
them while staying out of Turret range.
Once the Elementals have been eliminated, either take over the nearby Turret
Control or destroy it. Then, destroy the MOG and Targeting Computer.
ТІР = /fyou plan on fighting some patrolling Shadow Cats, you may
wv want to capture the Turret Control and wait for the Shadow Cats
i to approach Point 4.
From Point 4, head northwest along the path shown on the Battle Map. You'll likely
encounter two Condors. Destroy the Condors and capture a nearby Container Stack.
Send your 'Mechs northwest toward Point B, still following the path shown on
the Battle Map. A pair of Vultures on patrol near Point 6 will engage your forces as they
approach. As long as your 'Mechs are healthy,
you should be able to destroy them without
incurring too much damage.
ТІР Make sure that any remaining
Ў Shadow Cats on patrol are far
from Point 6 when you engage
the Vultures. Taking on four
or six ‘Mechs at once can have
devastating consequences.
Figure 12-10. Two Vultures guard the MOG at Point 6.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When the Vultures have been destroyed, take out the MOG and Targeting
Computer at Point 6.
This leaves only the MOG and Targeting Computer at Point 5. Point 5 is a well-
guarded base, with Turrets, two Cougars, and two Nova Cats. However, you also have
two Small Artillery Strikes and one Large Artillery Strike at your disposal. One Small
and one Large Artillery Strike placed on the MOG is enough to destroy both the MOG
and its Targeting Computer. You can win the mission right now by dropping the artillery
strikes. Feel free to do so now; if you do so, you can stop reading this walkthrough.
However, there are also two Component Warehouses located on the eastern edge
of the base at Point 5. If you decide you want this salvage and you have sufficient
mission time left, you can send one (preferably durable) Jump 'Mech to fetch the
salvage for you.
If you want the salvage, send your Jump 'Mech east to Point C, repairing at the
southeastern Repair Bay if you have sufficient time remaining.
When your 'Mech has reached Point C, drop your Large Artillery Strike on the
Point 5 MOG to soften it up. Then jump your lone 'Mech into the base and have it
streak for the Component Warehouses. Target the MOG with a Small Artillery Strike
just as the 'Mech is reaching the Component
Warehouses. This strike will destroy the MOG
and Targeting Computer, ending the mission,
so youll need to have those components
captured by the time the strike hits.
ТІР We recommend this simulta-
wv neous strike-and-capture
strategy to preserve your Jump
"Mech. If executed properly, it
gives your ‘Mech just enough
time to get the salvage, but
doesn't give the enemy much
time to damage your "Mech.
Figure 12-11. Using artillery strikes on the MOG at
Point 5 allows you to avoid the tough defenders
stationed there.
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 2: B
MISSION 2-4: CAPTURE ENEMY COMMANDERS
This mission requires you to capture a heavily defended Clan HQ Building. The sheer
tonnage of Mechs located in the enemy base makes this a fairly difficult task.
The mission hinges largely on your ability to fight two Masakaris. Your objec-
tives are as follows:
e Capture Clan HQ Building
* Return forces to Extraction Point
e Capture Star League Command Center (Secondary)
e Capture APC (Secondary)
Battle Map of Mission 2-4
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Overview
The general strategy for this mission is to capture the small base to the northwest,
then use the Mech Repair Bay located there throughout the rest of the mission as
needed. Capturing this northwestern base isn't difficult; the hard part is teasing the
defenders out of the main base in the middle of the map.
Once these defenders have been destroyed, you'll enter the base and take over the
base Turrets. These Turrets will help you clean up all remaining enemy units.
The salvage includes:
e Southwest Container Stack: 2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers
* Point 3: 3 Thunderbolt, 2 Long Toms
e Southeast Container Stacks: 1 Clan LB-Xs, 3 Clan ER Lasers
* Eastern Container Stack: 4 Clan LRM Racks
Recommended Forces
Speed isn’t a real issue in this mission, so if you need to, you can bring relatively slow
Mechs. You have plenty of room; your drop limit is 450 tons.
You'll want to take the usual assortment of long-range weapons (Large X-Pulse
Lasers, Clan ER-PPCs, Clan LRM Racks, Clan Large ER Lasers, etc.). Note that there
are several times in this mission when you'll want to fire over walls from long range,
so bring more LRMs than you normally would.
You also have three Small Artillery Strikes, one Large Artillery Strike, one Sensor
Probe, and one Camera Drone.
Strategy Blueprint
From the start points shown on the Battle Map, head northwest along the designated
path. This path takes you close to a Container Stack; capture it along the way.
ТІР = There are two Shadow Cats on patrol in this area. You may or may not
: run into them, depending on your timing. If they come into range,
3 fight them. Otherwise, leave them for later.
CHAPTER [2 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
Continue north along the path drawn on the Battle Map until you reach the
northern half of the map. Walk your Mechs cautiously until they meet a Vulture on
patrol southwest of Point A. Destroy the Vulture and continue along the indicated path.
Gather all of your Mechs on the hilltop
southwest of Point A.
A Shadow Cat is on patrol around the base at
Point A. There are two Cougars stationed inside
the base as well. Be patient and wait for the
Shadow Cat to come to you.
ТІР 7e Cougars emerge when you fire at the
Shadow Cat. Most of the time, you should
be able to destroy or severely damage
the Shadow Cat before the Cougars can
enter the battle.
a velt sl
Figure 12-12. Walking up the hill reveals two
When all three Clan Mechs have been elim- Cougars and a Shadow Cat near Point A.
inated, head northeast into the base at Point A.
Capture the 'Mech Repair Bay and begin making repairs. When all of your 'Mechs have
had their turn in the Repair Bay, send them east to Point B on the Battle Map.
From Point B, you should be able to see the Masakari A and two Alacorns in the
main base to the south. Drop a Small Artillery Strike on each A/acorn, and a Large
Artillery Strike on the Masakari A.
ТІР The Artillery Strikes set the Alacorns
wv in motion. They will leave the base
through the northern exit, then eventu-
ally loop down from the north to attack
your forces at Point B.
The Artillery Strikes also alert a
Masakari W that’s on patrol inside
the base. It, too, will leave the base
through the northern exit, loop west,
and attack your forces from the north.
Figure 12-13. A Masakari W and two Alac
stationed in the north end of the central
The Alacorns and Masakari W are
slow, however, so you'll have a little free
time in which to attack the Masakari A
from your vantage point at B.
You can and should, therefore, attack the Masakari A from Point B
with everything you've got until the Alacorns or Masakari W appear
from the north and engage your forces.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Attack the Masakari A from Point B until the Masakari W or the Alacorns come
into range from the north. Once this happens, target the newcomers and retreat to the
northwest toward Point A.
ТІР Backing toward Point A allows you to fight the newcomers without
wv remaining in the Masakari As weapon range.
Note however that the Masakari A will slowly leave the base as
soon as you stop fighting it, so you can expect it to come after you
eventually, as well.
When the Masakaris and Alacorns have been disposed of, send your 'Mechs in for
another round at the 'Mech Repair Bay.
When repairs are done, send your 'Mechs northeast along the path shown on the
Battle Map until they reach Point C. Be sure to visit each of the hilltops along the way
to maximize visibility.
The next goal is to get the APC out of the
base and away from most Clan defenders. To
do this, divide your 'Mechs into two equal
groups. Send one group to Point D and leave
the other at Point C. (This will block the
APC's escape routes.)
Deploy a Camera Drone at Point 4. This
reveals the APC and two Harassers guarding
it. Use your remaining Small Artillery Strike
to take out the two Harassers, being careful
not to hit the APC.
Figure 12-14. Use an artillery strike to flush out the
APC, as well as destroy two Harassers.
CHAPTER 17 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION
When the Artillery Strike detonates, the
APC will flee the base along with a pair of
Regulators. These vehicles will follow one of
two routes—either a route leading past Point C,
or a route leading past Point D. Fortunately,
you've stationed 'Mechs on both paths. When
the vehicles approach, destroy the Harassers
then capture the APC.
Now send all of your units back to Point B,
making sure to stay out of range of the main
base's Turrets. When all of your 'Mechs have
arrived at Point B, blast through the north- f itp" yl СО 95
west wall of the base (at the spot indicated on Figure 12-15. A 'Mech blockade prevents the APC from
the Battle Map) and send your 'Mechs just escaping, but first the Regulators must be destroyed.
inside the wall.
Send one tough 'Mech over to the Turret Control at Point E and capture it.
Now observe Point 3. If the A/acorn on patrol near Point 3 is near the Turret
Control, wait until it moves away. Then blast through the wall guarding Point 3 and
send a tough 'Mech in to capture the Turret Control. The newly captured Missile
Turrets will take care of the A/acorn for you.
Now move all your 'Mechs to Point 3. Capture the Command Center, Component
Warehouses, and the Gate Control nearby.
Shortly, two Mad Cats, a Shadow Cat, and a Cougar that are patrolling the base
approach. They'll attack either your 'Mechs, your newly acquired Turrets, or both.
TIP Sometimes one of the Mad Cats will go after the Turret Control. | M
A Д7 Watch for this, and if it happens, destroy that Mad Cat as soon as uec
you can with concentrated fire.
When these four Clan 'Mechs have been destroyed, send your toughest and
least damaged 'Mech to capture the Turret Control at Point 1, then capture the
nearby HQ Building.
Next, capture the Turret Controls along the southern edge of the base.
TIP You may want to use a different 'Mech for each Turret Control,
Ø depending on how damaged they get. If necessary you can send ‘Mechs
back to the "Mech Repair Bay at Point А.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ТІР Af some point while you are taking over the Turret Controls, a Vulture
on patrol south of the base is likely to approach. If you've captured
most of the Turrets, you can back off and let them do the fighting. If
not, send your healthiest ‘Mechs to lend a hand.
When all the Turrets are captured and the Vulture is gone, capture the Repair
Bay near Point 1 and send your ’Mechs in for repairs.
When the repairs are complete, blow a hole in the wall near the Repair Bay. If you
feel the need for more salvage and your ’Mechs are healthy, send them southeast
toward the base at Point F. If not, proceed directly to the Extraction Point.
ТІР yf you failed to destroy the patrolling Shadow Cats earlier in the
1 missions, watch out for them now.
If you decide to go for the salvage, send your Mechs toward Point F, by way of a
hill to the northwest of Point F. From here you'll see four Pilums stationed in the base,
and one Pilum on patrol around the base. Eliminate the Pilums.
Once the Pilums have been destroyed, capture the Container Stacks located at
Point F, as well as a lone Container Stack located to the north. Then send your 'Mechs
to the Extraction Point.
When the last 'Mech reaches the Extraction Point, you win the mission.
CHAPTER 13
DESPERATE MEASURES
OPERATION 3:
MINOTAUR
you'll have to follow an effective plan and perform at a vd
beat these missions on Hard difficulty.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
You'll encounter a fairly wide variety of missions in this last operation, including
one that requires defense and another that features extremely limited tonnage.
Prepare to do more, therefore, than simply blast the enemy.
MISSION 3-1: CAPTURE BASE KRAKEN
The objectives in this mission are to capture the Sensor Control in the base at Point 1,
then take over the base at Point 2 and defend it from attackers.
This mission is fairly easy if you follow the strategy described in the Strategy
Blueprint, and use the Turrets at Point 2 to your advantage.
Your objectives are as follows:
e Capture Sensor Control
e Capture Hyperpulse Generator (HPG) Stations (3)
e Defend HPG Base
Overview
The easiest way to beat this mission is to follow the road that runs northeast through
the center of the map. You can work your way up the road, taking out small Smoke
Jaguar bases as you pass.
There is а Mech Repair Bay in the very northeastern base at the top of the map,
so you can repair any damage incurred on the way.
The next step is to approach the base at Point 2 from the northeast, and take over
the Turrets that guard the base. Defending the base then becomes a trivial matter.
This mission’s salvage includes:
* Point 1 Container Stack: 2 Clan LB-X Autocannons
* Point 1 Component Warehouse: 2 Clan ER-PPCs
е Salvage Rigs: 5 Clan Advanced Sensors, 3 ECM, 2 Probes, 4 Clan Gauss Rifles,
and 2 Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannons
* Point D Component Warehouse: 3 Clan Large Pulse Lasers, 12 Clan Streak
SRM Packs
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
? Hunchbacks,
P" — UPGs, Q
“1 Component
9 знаци ит apii i
usen | uw М o j e 5
UN А Turrets Ps
Turrets,
Component
Warehouse
Turkina,
Shadow Cats,
Rommels,
Container Stacks
Battle Map of Mission 3-1
e Point E Component Warehouse: 2 Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannons, 2 Clan LB-X
Autocannons, 2 Clan Light LB-X Autocannons
e Point F Component Warehouses: 1 Clan ER-PPC, 8 Clan Pulse Lasers, 12 Clan
LRM Racks, 2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers
e Point 2 Component Warehouses: 2 Clan Gauss Rifles, 12 Clan LRM Racks,
6 Heavy Flamers, 2 ER-PPCs, 3 Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannons, 3 Clan Heavy
Ultra Autocannons
e Point B: 6 Clan Pulse Lasers, 4 Heavy Flamers, 4 Clan Advanced Sensors,
6 Clan ER Lasers, 2 Clan Large Pulse Lasers, 2 Clan Large ER Lasers, 12 Clan
Streak SRM Packs, 2 Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannons, 2 Clan Gauss Rifles,
2 Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannons, 12 Clan LRM Racks, 2 Clan ER-PPCs
MECHCOMMANDER: 0010 — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Figure 13-1
Recommended Forces
You have 400 tons of drop weight for this mission. Speed isn’t really an issue, though
by now you should have a large complement of large Clan 'Mechs—so speed should be
a given.
The usual array of weapons is appropriate (mostly long range, a few medium
range, all heavy hitters).
You also have two Small Artillery Strikes available.
Strategy Blueprint
From the start points indicated on the Battle Map, head south along the path shown,
and then turn north until you reach Point A. Nearby LRM Carriers are likely to fire at
you as you do this; return fire but don’t stop moving.
There is a pair of Nova Cats in the Point 1 base. Fight them from long range,
backing away and staying away from the Turrets at Point 1.
When the Nova Cats have been destroyed, take out any remaining LRM Carriers.
Then enter the Point 1 base and take over the Turret Control. The Turrets on the
southwest edge of the base activate and destroy two Manticores stationed there.
Now have your forces capture the nearby
Sensor Control, Component Warehouse, and
Container Stack.
ТІР А Convoy of lightly guarded Salvage
Rigs makes its way south, down the
map’s central road, early in the
mission. When you run into them
depends on how quickly you move. `
You may want to wait for them after
taking over the base at Point 1. That
way, you can be sure you won't be
dealing with anything else when
. Walking up the hill reveals the Nova Cats they arrive.
and assorted enemies near Point 1.
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
The Convoy is guarded by an
Alacorn and an LRM Carrier. In
addition to the Salvage Rigs, the
Convoy also includes a Mobile HQ
that you can capture. Doing so
reveals portions of the base at Point
2 and the base in the southeast
corner of the map at Point B.
Now send your forces northeast to Point C.
From here, get just close enough to the
nearby base to reveal two Bulldogs inside it;
destroy them. Then enter the base and take
over the Turret Control and Component
Warehouse. other enemy ’Mechs and vehicles.
Next, follow the path indicated on the
Battle Map to Point D. From Point D, walk slowly west toward the small nearby base
and destroy the Alacorn and LRM Carrier stationed there. Then blow a hole in the
southeast side of the wall surrounding the Turret Control and take it over.
j
1
ТІР 7ereS a patrol consisting of a Vulture and two Bulldogs that travels
wv along the road connecting the base near Point D with the base at
k Point 2. You could stay at the base at Point D and wait for the patrol,
but unless you’re itching for a fight, there’s no reason to stay.
Continue northeast along the path shown on the Battle Map until you reach
Point E. From there, fire at the Gas Pipe located in front of the nearby Turret Control.
This destroys the Turret Control. Then walk into the nearby base and capture the
Component Warehouse.
Now continue northeast, still following the path drawn on the Battle Map, toward
the base at Point F. Destroy the Auxiliary Power located in the southwestern edge of the
base to disable the local Turrets. Also, destroy a lone Nova Cat guarding the base.
When the Nova Cat has been destroyed, capture the Repair Bay and begin
repairing your ‘Mechs. Also capture the nearby Component Warehouses. When all of
your ’Mechs have had their turn in the Repair Bay, send them west toward the base at
Point 2 along the path shown on the Battle Map.
Gather your ’Mechs at Point G. Keeping your units at long range, destroy the
nearby Perimeter Alarm. Next, destroy each of the Artillery Turrets along the north-
east edge of the base as marked on the Battle Map, staying at long range as you do so.
Figure 13-2. Capturing the Mobile HQ reveals the base
to the southeast (Point B) containing a Turkina and
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD—— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Figure 13-3. Capturing the Turret Control in the base
near Point 2 is the key to this mission. Be sure the
Hunchbacks don’t destroy it.
Once you’ve destroyed the Artillery
Turrets, blast through the wall next to the
Turret Control and capture it. Four
Hunchback Псѕ and four LRM Carriers
stationed in the southern parts of the base
will attack. Destroy them with the help of the
newly captured Turrets, making sure to
protect the Turret Control as you do so.
At this point, the Clan units in the base at
Point B exit their base and march toward your
current position. The units include a Turkina,
two Shadow Cats, and four Rommels. It takes
them an extremely long time to reach your
current position at Point 2. In the meantime,
capture and use the Repair Bay in the north-
eastern corner of the base. Also, capture the
two Component Warehouses nearby.
T IP роп? capture the HPGs at this time. If you do, you'll cheat yourself
i out of some salvage later in the mission.
After an extremely long wait, the Turkina and company finally arrive at the base.
Depending on how lucky you are, the Artillery Turrets may take out the entire inva-
sion force by themselves. Just to make sure though, your Mechs should fire on
attackers from inside the base’s walls.
When the last attacker is destroyed, send one or two of your fastest Mechs to the
base at Point B. If one of the 'Mechs is Jump-capable, jump over the wall and capture
the Turret Control. If you don't have a Jump 'Mech, blast through the gate and then
capture the Turret Control. Then, capture the vast number of salvageable structures
in this base.
When you've collected all of the salvage, have the 'Mechs back at Point 2 take
over the three HPGs scattered throughout the base. You win when all of the HPGs
have been captured.
CHAPTER [3——DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
MISSION 3-2: ELIMINATE REINFORCEMENTS
his mission has an exceptionally low drop weight, and should be undertaken with
T: single Jump-capable 'Mech. It's to some degree a “puzzle” mission, requiring you а
to take on superior forces with the help of useful terrain features, captured Turrets, ~
and Repair Bays.
The strategy presented here is by no means the only way to beat this mission.
Your objectives are as follows:
e Take out defenders at bridge
* Destroy Elemental Training Cadre
* Capture Repair Bay
* Eliminate Three-’Mech Patrol
* Destroy forces at Vehicle Depot
* Take out all enemies at land bridge
Overview
Unlike most missions, this one isn't about huge 'Mechs and firepower. Almost all of
the objectives involve capturing Turrets and using them to your advantage.
Also, the strategy presented here focuses on capturing a Repair Bay early on, so
that any damage from subsequent battles can be fixed before entering the next battle.
The mission can be easy to medium in difficulty, depending on when you arrive
at any given location, where patrolling enemy forces currently are, and how lucky
your shots are. If you think you’ve gotten stuck with a particularly unfortunate set of
circumstances, restart the mission and you may have better luck.
Salvage includes:
* Point 1 Component Warehouse: 5 Clan LRM Racks M | a
e Point 4 Component Vaults: 2 Large X-Pulse Lasers, 1 Rail Gun | M Y. a
e Point 4 Component Warehouse: 1 Clan Advanced Sensor, 1 ECM, 2 Clan | Ke ;
Medium Ultra Autocannons x x M ^
* Point 5 Container Stack: 2 Clan Large ER-Lasers Per
Recommended Forces
You have four Small and two Large Artillery Strikes, three Sensor Probes, and two
Camera Drones at your disposal.
You don’t have much drop weight to work with in this mission: only 70 tons. The
optimal 'Mech for this mission is the Thor J. Other possibilities include a Loki J or a
Nova Cat J. If you don’t have a suitable Clan Jump ’Mech on hand, you can buy a
Catapult J or a Jagermech J. Speed isn’t a critical issue in this mission.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Hunchback lics,
Shadow Cat
1 pes
Rommel
Gate C
Control Nova Cats
Battle Map of Mission 3-2
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
You can complete this mission without a Jump ’Mech, but it would be much
more difficult.
It’s best to give your "Mech a well-rounded arsenal. Include a few fast-firing
short-range weapons for fighting off small vehicles, two Large X-Pulse Lasers or Clan
ER-PPCs for long-range combat, and a few LRM Racks for firing over walls.
Strategy Blueprint
Send your ’Mech east from the start point to
Point A. As you approach Point A, you'll likely see
a Bulldog on patrol. Fire at it from long range.
As you fight the Bulldog, you'll hear
enemy ’Mechs (a Shadow Cat and an (ет)
power up. Jump across the river to Point B
and finish off the Bulldog.Then capture the
nearby Turret Control Tower.
Once you've destroyed the Bulldog and
captured the Turret Control, head south EX
toward the bridge at Point C on the Battle Figure 13-4. A Bulldog guards the Turret Control near
Map. Destroy the bridge to prevent the enemy Point B.
from accessing your newly captured Turret
Control. Now jump to Point 1. Destroy the
Shadow Cat and Uller with the help of the
nearby Turrets; you can hide behind a nearby
wall for extra cover.
ТІР There is also a pair of Bulldogs to
wv the east. The Turrets will destroy
them, however—probably before
you even notice them.
Once all nearby enemies have been elim-
inated, capture the Component Warehouse in
the base at Point 1.
Now head south along that path indi-
cated on the Battle Map, hooking east and
then north until you reach Point D.
Figure 13-5. A Shadow Cat and an Uller inhab
base near Point 1.
ТІР As you move around the base at Point 3, be sure to stay out of range
wv of its Cannon Turrets. Don't destroy them, as they'll be a valuable
resource later on.
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD—— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
From Point D, you can see two Strikers
stationed in the base at Point 3. Other Clan
vehicles (two Condors and a Rommel) prob-
ably won't be fully revealed, but may be visible
as sensor traces.
Place a Large Artillery Strike in the
middle of the Strikers and unseen Condors.
This strike will likely take out three of the
four vehicles. Use a Small Artillery Strike to
finish off any remaining visible vehicles.
; Once you've eliminated the vehicles,
Е Кт jump the southeastern wall of the base near
Figure 13-6. Taking out these vehicles with an the Turret Control. A Rommel engages you,
Artillery Strike makes your job easier. but you should be able to overpower it
quickly. When the Rommel is destroyed,
capture the Turret Control and Repair Bay.
Repair your 'Mech.
ТІР A patrol consisting of two Hunchback IIcs and a Shadow Cat will at
some point approach your current location from the northeast and
begin to fire at the Cannon Turrets. This may happen immediately
after you capture the Turret Control, or you may have time to use
the Repair Bay before they arrive. All three 'Mechs may appear at the
same time or they may appear separately, although the Hunchbacks
tend to come together.
When the patrol mentioned in the tip arrives, fight them. If you took LRMs, you
can fight from inside the base's walls. If not, you can jump outside the walls and
retreat as you fight, leading the enemy through the Cannon Turrets.
ТІР There are several Fuel Tanks located near the northern corner of the
wv base. You can lead the enemy into these and detonate them.
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
Once you've destroyed the patrol, you can repair your Mech and move on to your
next task. Head southeast and then northeast, following the path shown on the Battle
Map. This route takes you along a ridge adjoining the base at Point 6, and exposes
most of it.
Continue along the ridge until you reach
Point E. From here, fire at a Striker located
inside the Point 6 base. Other vehicles,
including four Rommels and a Regulator, also
appear. Destroy these vehicles, using the
nearby Fuel Tanks if necessary.
If your Mech is badly damaged after this
battle, send it back to the Repair Bay at Point 3.
Next, backtrack along the ridge as shown
on the Battle Map until you reach Point F. From
here, jump over the trees and capture the Баи x
nearby Turret Control in the base at Point 6. Figure 13-7.Use the Fuel Tanks to take care of the
The Turrets immediately begin firing at atrio of ^ enemy vehicles near Point 6.
Nova Cats stationed just southeast of the base.
Send your 'Mech to the southwest and capture the Gate Control located at the
southwest end of the Point 6 base, effectively locking out the Nova Cats and protecting
the Turret Control.
The Turrets will either destroy the Nova Cats outright, or nearly do so. Finish
them off if the Turrets don't.
Send your 'Mech back to the Repair Bay at Point 3, if necessary, before moving
on to the next task.
Head northeast toward Point 4. There
are two Component Vaults and a Component
Warehouse here; capture them.
Next, head southwest along the path
leading to Point G. From here, you'll be able to
see 15 Savannahs and 3 Strikers inside the
base at Point 5. Place a Large Artillery Strike
in the middle of the Savannah fleet and use
the smaller strikes to take out the Strikers. (Be
careful not to hit the Turret Control nearby.)
Now approach the base from the south-
west corner. Pick off any remaining vehicles,
either with direct fire or by shooting Fuel Tanks.
x Ff
y
Figure 13-8. One well-placed artillery strike
useful here.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
When all the vehicles in the base have been eliminated, capture the nearby
Repair Bay and make any necessary repairs. Also, capture the nearby Container Stack.
Next, head north along the path shown on the Battle Map toward Point 2. At
Point 2, you encounter a group of Elementals on patrol. Gain their attention, then run
back to the base at Point 5. The Elementals follow. Place your Mech amidst the Turrets
on the northeast side of the base, and let the Turrets do most of your work for you.
When the last Elemental is destroyed, you win the mission.
MISSION 3-3: OBLITERATE COMPLEX
he objective for this mission is simple: Destroy all the buildings in the base at Point 1
T» the Battle Map. These buildings include three Engine Drills, two Gantries, a
Research Complex, and four Factories.
This mission is fairly easy if you follow the plan outlined here. However, things
are much more difficult if you want to get all of the salvage. The salvage is spread out
over the map and tends to be well defended.
Your objectives are as follows:
* Destroy all buildings in the complex
Overview
There are three main points of conflict in this mission: the base at Point C, the base
at Point E, and the base at Point 1. The middle portion of the map has many stationary
defenders as well as a moving patrol of Mechs, including three Shadow Cats and two
Mad Cats. It’s best to stay out of their way.
The recommended strategy for this mission is to send your forces north along
the western edge of the map. The patrolling Clan "Mechs don’t come very far west, so
this path allows you to avoid them altogether.
Salvage includes:
• Southwest Container Stacks: 8 Heavy Flamers, 5 Clan ER-PPCs, 3 Clan Gauss
Rifles, 3 Clan Heavy Ultra Autocannons, 10 Clan LRM Racks, 5 Probes, 4 ECM,
3 Clan Advanced Sensors
e Northeast Component Vaults: 4 Thunderbolts, 2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
Shadow Cat,
- Y LL
‘ao
N
Battle Map of Mission 3-3
e North Central Component Vaults: 4 Rail Guns
e Northwest Component Warehouses: 1 Clan Advanced Sensor, 5 Clan SRM
Racks, 1 Clan Heavy LB-X Autocannon, 2 Clan LB-X Autocannons
e Salvage Rigs: 2 Clan ER-PPCs, 1 Rail Gun, 1 Thunderbolt
Recommended Forces
Your drop weight for this mission is 420 tons. This should give you enough working
room to bring a strong Force Group.
Use Medium to Heavy ’Mechs for this mission, but avoid 'Mechs with speeds
under 21 m/sec. You'll also want to bring a light Jump 'Mech.
MECHCOMMANDER: BOLD—— PRIMAS OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Medium and long-range weapons will be the most useful: Clan ER-PPCs, Large
X-Pulse Lasers, and the like are best. You also have two Large Artillery Strikes, three
Small Artillery Strikes, two Camera Drones, and three Sensor Probes.
Strategy Blueprint
When your forces are dropped, immediately send your light Jump ’Mech east along
the path toward Point A. Stay south. Your Mech should be able to approach Point A
undetected.
At Point A, take over all of the Container Stacks, then bring your Jump ’Mech
back to the starting point.
Next, you’ll use your Camera Drones and
Air Strikes to soften up the buildings at Point 1
on the Battle Map. First, deploy a Camera
Drone directly on the Point 1 marker on the
mini-map. This reveals the Engine Drills, the
Gantries, and also a Turkina W. Deploy a
second Camera Drone on the northeast edge
of the area uncovered by the first drone. This
should reveal the Research Complex.
You have two Large Artillery Strikes and
three Small Artillery Strikes. Use a Large
Artillery on each of the two easternmost
Engine Drills. Use a Small Artillery Strike on
the Research Complex, and the others on the
Engine Drills.
Now you're ready to begin the main assault. Group your 'Mechs together and
head northwest as shown on the Battle Map. Destroy the forest blocking your way at
Point B.
Continue north to the base at Point C along the path indicated, being sure to stay
far enough to the west to avoid detection by enemy units.
Figure 13-9. Use a Camera Drone to reveal the
contents of the base at Point 1.
Gather your forces just outside the base at Point C. Two Shadow Cats are on
patrol at the base. Destroy both, aided by explosive tanks if possible.
ut
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
Watch for an Aerospace Spotter arriving from the north. As soon as you see it,
destroy it, even if you haven’t taken out the Shadow Cats yet.
Once the Shadow Cats and Aerospace
Spotter have been taken care of, head north-
east through the base as shown on the Battle
Map. You’ll soon encounter four Component
Warehouses. Begin capturing them, but
watch for a Mad Cat that will appear from the
northeast. Engage the Mad Cat, but be sure to
stay to the southwest, as there are Missile
Turrets just out of view.
Once the Mad Cat is destroyed, either
capture or destroy the Turret Control at Point D
on the Battle Map. j
Now that all immediate threats have Figure 13-10. The Mad Cat is stationed among Missile
been eliminated, destroy the northern Turret Turrets near Point D.
Power Generators near Point D and capture
any remaining Component Warehouses.
Head northeast toward the small base at
Point E. You’ll encounter a few Fuel Trucks
on the way, but you can ignore them.
As you approach the base, you’re greeted
by a Shadow Cat. Fortunately you've
destroyed the Turret Power Generators, so the
Cannon Turrets are off-line. Eliminate the
Shadow Cat and enter the base.
At this point, one or two Shadow Cats
will likely approach from the north. Try to
engage and destroy both of them before
taking over the Repair Bay in the base.
Once you've eliminated the Shadow
Cats, capture the Repair Bay and repair your 'Mechs.
When all of your 'Mechs have been repaired, destroy the forest just north of the
base at Point E. Then send your 'Mechs through the newly created hole in the forest,
moving them east toward Point F along the path shown on the Battle Map. Capture
the two Component Vaults located at Point F, then head northeast.
Approach the base at Point 1, following the designated path. Destroy Pop-Up
Turrets that appear as you advance. As soon as the nearby Turkina starts advancing on
your forces, forget about the Turrets and concentrate on attacking it. The Turkina is
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
likely to pass close by a Factory as is approaches; if you blow up a Pipe Junction
between Factories, thus detonating the Factory near the Turkina, you can severely
damage it with the explosion. Finish off the Turkina with concentrated fire.
Once the Turkina is gone, destroy the buildings near Point 1. Because you used
your artillery strikes on these buildings at the start of the mission, destroying them
now shouldn't take very long.
When the last building in the base is destroyed, you win the mission.
ТІР /fyou take too long destroying the buildings, the Shadow Cats
wv stationed just southwest of the base will approach. Although you
can most likely win this battle, you may lose a ‘Mech or two. So
hurry as you destroy the buildings near Point 1!
MISSION 3-4: DESTROY ENGINE DRILLS
This is the last mission in Desperate Measures, and it’s a fairly hard one. It requires
good combat skills and the discipline to continually repair your "Mechs.
The mission difficulty is such that, even though you'll encounter three Repair
Bays, we still recommend taking a Refit Truck. With the help of the Refit Truck, the
mission should become manageable.
Your goals are as follows:
* Destroy hidden Vault Drill Group Alpha
* Destroy Vault Drill Group Beta
* Destroy Vault Drill Group Gamma
* Destroy Vault Drill Group Delta
Overview
This mission is reasonably hard. Each of the Vault Drills is fairly well protected. The
recommended approach essentially requires you to take a Refit Truck. The enemy
'Mechs are pretty tough and tend to fight in groups, so having your ’Mechs close to or
at 100 percent before each battle is key to completing the mission without casualties.
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3: N
ee eee
eU ј €
e "D
Vultures,
Wirth's Turkina
Battle Map of Mission 3-4
You can complete the objectives in any order, especially at the easier difficulty — i.
levels. In the strategy outlined here, though, you'll take the objectives in order, eM
starting with the hidden Vault Drill in the center of the map and next attacking Points 2,
3, and then 4. This approach allows you to make use of the Artillery Turrets at Point 2
and to avoid dealing with the Vultures on the small island south of Point 4.
There is no salvage in this mission.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Recommended Forces
You’re given 400 tons of drop weight, plus two Small Artillery Strikes and two
Sensor Probes.
Take reasonably fast and sturdy "Mechs (Mad Cats, Thors, and Nova Cats) with
the usual array of long-range weapons such as Clan ER-PPCs, Clan LRM Racks, and
Large X-Pulse Lasers. The mission is easiest if you take at least one Jump ’Mech, but
it’s not necessary.
A Refit Truck will prove invaluable. You’ll be fighting a lot of tough ’Mechs in this
mission, and you’ll need constant repairs.
and Mad Cat near Point A.
Figure 13-12. Walking up the hill reveals the Masakari
Strategy Blueprint
From the starting point, send your units to
the top of the nearby hill to reveal some of the
map. You should now be able to see the
Masakari and Mad Cat stationed in the small
base at Point A.
Send your 'Mechs to the southwest
along the path shown on the Battle Map until
you run into the wall that isolates the south-
east corner of the map. Blast a hole in the wall
and send your units through.
Send your units north toward Point B,
but watch the mini-map carefully. At some
point, the Masakari moves to attack. Once
you start fighting the Masakari, the Mad Cat approaches as well, but you should’ve
either destroyed or severely injured the Masakari by then.
When you've destroyed both enemy 'Mechs, take out the bridge at Point B.
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
ТІР The island connected by the Point B bridge contains three Cougars, as
wv well as a 'Mech Repair Bay.
Unless you failed to bring a Refit Truck, there's no real benefit to
fighting the Cougars. If you don't destroy the bridge, however, the a
Cougars will eventually head north and make a nuisance of themselves : 2
later in the mission. Because none of the Cougars are Jump-capable, a
taking out the bridge strands them on the island.
Next, head east and take out the Turret Control at Point A, then proceed north-
west to the large forest in the center of the map. The hidden Vault Drill is located in
the middle of the forest (at Point C), guarded by a Vulture and a Cougar.
There’s a path through the forest, located on the southwestern side. Send a
'Mech up the path to lure out the Vulture and Cougar. The enemy ’Mechs will chase
your 'Mech out of the forest, and they'll be much easier to hit. When the enemy 'Mechs
have been destroyed, head into the forest and destroy the Vault Drill at Point C.
Now send your units northeast along the path toward Point 2. Line your Mechs
up behind the Fuel Tanks shown on the Battle Map. Be careful not to send them too
far north, as there are minefields beyond the Fuel Tanks.
Send one 'Mech to the east until one or all of the two Vultures and Nova Cat
stationed tó the east start to move. Run your lone 'Mech back to join the others as soon
as the enemy responds. When the enemy 'Mechs are close to the Fuel Tanks, destroy
one of the Gas Tanks. The explosion will hopefully deal significant damage. Continue
fighting until the three 'Mechs are destroyed, using the Refit Truck as necessary.
Next, send your forces north along the
path toward Point D. As they pass by Point 2,
the Nova Cat stationed there likely will
attack. Destroy it.
As you approach the Point D base, the
Alacorn and Regulator defending it attack.
Destroy them while staying away from the
Artillery Turrets guarding the southwest wall
of the base.
Now send a Jump ’Mech into the base
and take over the Turret Control at Point D. (If
you don't have a Jump "Меси, blasting a hole ТЕ ey EX.
in the wall works too.) Send your units in, Figure 13-13. The Vault Drills near Point 2 a
capture the 'Mech Repair Bay at Point D, and surrounded by ridges and guarded by a Nova
repair your 'Mechs.
Send your forces southeast and destroy the three Vault Drills at Point 2.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
TIP 77e drills are surrounded by a ridge, and you may not be able to see
wv all three of them. If you have a Jump Меси, send it over the ridge to
expose the drills. If you don't have a Jump Мес, send your forces
around to the east of Point 3. From there they can walk to the drills.
However, this path is mined. Be sure to fire at the ground before
sending your ‘Mechs in.
A Mad Cat and Nova Cat (located on the small island just south of Point 2) power
up as soon as the last drill is destroyed. Head back to the base at Point D and wait for
these newcomers near the Artillery Turrets. Allow the Turrets to help you win the
battle, then repair again in the Repair Bay.
wi i Mol :
Figure 13-14. The drills near Point 3 are protected
by Kotare’s Turkina.
Send your 'Mechs west toward Point 3,
as shown on the Battle Map, and pause on the
hilltop along the way. This region is
surrounded by Perimeter Alarms and camou-
flaged Pop-Up Turrets. However, as long as the
Perimeter Alarms aren't activated, the Pop-Up
Turrets remain dormant, as do the Pilum and
Alacorn stationed nearby (as long as you don't
get too close). This area is also patrolled by
Kotare's Turkina. Luckily, the Turkina also
won't attack unless you get very close to it or
if the Perimeter Alarms are set off.
Destroy any nearby Perimeter Alarms
and wait until the Turkina is nowhere in
sight. Then head west toward Point 3 and
destroy the two Vault Drills located there.
Now, retrace your steps back to the hilltop and head west along the very top of
the map, destroying Perimeter Alarms as you go. Continue toward Point 4 on the
Battle Map.
CHAPTER 13 — DESPERATE MEASURES OPERATION 3:
As you approach the Point 4 base, you'll
note a battery of Missile Turrets and Artillery
Turrets located in the northern corner of the
base, so approach with caution. Destroy the
two Artillery Turrets from long range, but
ignore the Missile Turrets.
Send a lone Jump ’Mech around to the
northwest side of the base, as indicated on the
Battle Map. Jump over the wall and capture
the two Turret Controls just inside the wall.
(If you lack a Jump 'Mech, bring all your
'Mechs and simply blast a hole in the wall.)
Now bring the rest of your 'Mechs along
the same path the Jump 'Mech followed, and
have them blast a hole in the wall.
Figure 13-15. Destroy the Artillery Turrets, then send
a 'Mech in to capture the Turret Control.
There's a 'Mech Repair Bay located in the northern corner of the base. Capture it
and repair any damaged ’Mechs.
Three Vault Drills are located at Point 4, in the center of the base. Approach them
with your entire Force Group. As you start to destroy them, Wirth's Turkina and two
Vultures power up and head toward your forces.
At this point, you can choose to stop firing on the Vault Drills and fight, or
continue to destroy the Vault Drills. Because the mission ends when the last Vault Drill
is destroyed, concentrating on taking them out is the easiest way to win the mission.
However, if you choose to fight it out, we recommend retreating back into your
captured Turrets to make the fight much easier.
Again, you win when the last Vault Drill is destroyed.
CHAPTER 14
MULTIPLAYER
|: MECHCOMMANDER
И те
r beating MechCommander’s single-player campaign, you'll
ably want to explore its multiplayer options. This chapter gives
a few pointers on getting started in multiplayer
wander, and how to get a leg up on the competition.
CHAPTER (4: MULTIPLAYER МЕСНСОММ
THE ESSENCE OF MULTIPLAYER MECHGOMMANDER
n most games featuring both single-player and multiplayer modes, it’s striking how
| different the two forms of play can be. Often, skills honed in single-player mode are
somewhat related to those needed in multiplayer games, but the complete skill set
is not tested. The result? You enter the multiplayer arena thinking you've got the
game mastered but instead get thoroughly trounced.
MechCommander is different, however, in that the skills you learned while
playing the campaign will serve you in good stead for multiplayer missions. Sure,
there are a few extra nuances when you're playing a real human opponent, but by and
large you already know how to play a multiplayer game if you're familiar with single-
player action.
Here are some key differences between single-player and multiplayer games that
you should watch for.
Lack af Predictability
Humans aren't as predictable as the computer-controlled forces in the single-player
campaign. This is an obvious statement, but you need to consider it thoroughly before
engaging in a multiplayer fray. Humans are capable of luring your forces into traps the
same way you lured computer-controlled forces into traps; they're capable of
retreating and then suddenly going on the offensive or attacking with diversionary
forces while the main force attacks elsewhere.
Just as unpredictable will be the enemy 'Mechs. You'll see Hunchbacks with
LRMs, Hollander IIs with Flamers, and Mad Cats with Gauss Rifles. Enemy forces are
going to be as varied as the units you fielded in the campaign game.
Expect the unexpected while facing human opponents or else you'll be in for a
rude surprise.
Improved Enemy Tactics
There are several techniques covered in Chapter 5 that you, as the human player,
constantly used during the single-player campaign—but your enemies didn't. We're
talking about things like concentrating all your fire on one enemy at once, or
retreating damaged forces to the rear of a conflict. Only the very best computer-
controlled pilots use these tactics, but any human player with a modicum of skill will
use them.
In other words, while playing human players, expect to have your own tricks
used against you.
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MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Equal Footing
In single-player missions you're usually asked to fight against seemingly insurmount-
able odds. The enemy has more ’Mech and vehicle tonnage than you do. You’re able to
prevail, however, because the enemy forces tend to be scattered and poorly coordinated.
In multiplayer games, on the other hand, you typically start with a roughly equal
amount of tonnage as your foe(s)—but there’s the possibility of even greater danger,
because your opponent can coordinate and manage that tonnage very skillfully. The
upshot is a different sort of game, one in which you must match strategy with strategy
instead of expecting to capitalize on the enemy’s poor awareness.
Additionally, we recommend a handicap in the Inner Sphere’s favor of about 20
to 30 percent more Resource Points when playing Inner Sphere against Clan tech-
nology. The reason? Clan technology is inherently superior, and the Inner Sphere
needs the additional RP edge to remain competitive.
The Need for Teamwork
If you're playing a team game, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to lose track of what
your teammate is up to. This is especially true on the Internet, where you can't just
talk to your teammate as you would in a face-to-face LAN setting.
If you don't know your teammate, and extensive coordination and planning is
logistically difficult, either keep your forces close to those of your partner to maximize
fire support, or develop a simple strategy. Examples of simple strategies would include:
“You attack from one side, and I’ll attack from the other."
“You defend our base, and ГП attack theirs."
"At the two-minute mark, we'll both charge the hill regardless of where we are."
If you're familiar with your teammate you can develop even better strategies, but
if you're playing with an anonymous stranger you can get a lot of mileage out of these
tried and proven plans.
CHAPTER 14: MULTIPLAYER MECHCOMMAN
Patience Required
There’s an anecdote about two master swordsmen who agreed to a duel, then stood
facing each other for hours waiting for the other to make the first move. Neither
would make that move, so the duel was called off. The point isn’t that the swordsmen
were foolish, but rather, that they were disciplined. Both swordsmen knew that they'd
put themselves at a disadvantage by making the first move, so they decided not to
make that move at any cost.
Take a cue from the swordsmen and be patient. MechCommander isn’t a fast
action game where your reflexes can bail you out even though you walked into a stupid
situation. If you wander your ’Mechs through a field of enemy Turrets, attack four
heavy ’Mechs with three medium-sized ones, or expose your forces to needless fire by
charging them across a bridge at the enemy, you’ll lose. Learn to match strength to
weakness—and if the situation doesn’t look advantageous, run.
Container Stacks
The one physical change from the campaign game is the Container Stack. In the
campaign game, they hold salvage, but salvage is not that useful for you in a multi-
player battle. In multiplayer games, the Container Stacks hold fire support missions.
Each time you capture a Container Stack, there’s a random chance of you getting a
small or large artillery strike, or Sensor Probe. The stacks regenerate and can be
captured again over time, so defending them or denying them to the enemy is a major
tactic in multiplayer games. Every time the Stack is captured, the kind of fire support
mission generated is randomly determined. In missions where fire support missions
are not pre-set there is a limit of five of any kind of strike. Camera Drones aren’t active
in multiplayer games.
Scouting
Even more than in the single-player campaign game, it’s important to reveal as much
terrain as possible in multiplayer games. Your enemy is capable of feints and misdi-
rection here, so having warning of his plans is essential to your success. Additionally,
many of the multiplayer maps have Turret groups, Repair Bays, Container Stacks, and
other useful items scattered throughout them. Scouting forward not only gives you an
advantage in planning, but also can help you gain resources.
Understand the Game
Each scenario is different and presents different challenges. In the Arena you’re just
expected to fight, while in Capture the Base you have to take over an enemy stronghold,
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MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
and in King of the Hill you need to conquer a Base HQ. Understanding the game you’re
playing is pivotal and prevents you from making stupid tactical mistakes.
Here’s a look at the games you’re likely to play.
Arena
The Arena map is all about pure, unmitigated combat. The combat
takes place in an enclosed area and can feature any amount of tonnage.
The last Mech standing wins. From a tactical standpoint this is the
simplest scenario.
ТІР The Arena is a great place to try out new strategies or refine old ones.
If an opponent can consistently beat you in the Arena, you need to
figure out what he or she is doing that you aren't.
Capture Base
In this scenario, you possess a fortified base and so does your foe. The
trick is to capture the enemy’s Base HQ while holding onto yours.
Complicating the matter is the mazelike terrain, which is highly
conducive to jump-capable 'Mechs.
The “locked” variant of this mission pits an Inner Sphere player
with 360,000 Resource Points against a Clan player with 300,000.
ТІР = The terrain in this scenario is no laughing matter; jump ‘Mechs do
үу indeed have more versatility on this тар.
There are several feasible strategies. You can divide your forces
in half, assigning some to offense and some to defense; you can leave
everyone on defense and hope the enemy is foolish enough to attack;
you can try to sneak into the enemy base instead of taking it by
force. The success of your strategy will largely depend on who you're
playing, and what he or she is trying to do. Even more so than in the
other maps, Capture Base has many useful items sitting outside
the two bases. Scouting is very helpful here.
CHAPTER 14: MULTIPLAYER МЕСНСОММА
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is a classic multiplayer challenge. A Base HQ sits at the
top of the hill, while various contenders start out arrayed along the map’s
perimeter. There's always a mission timer—15 minutes is default—and
the owner of the HQ when the timer runs out is the winner.
The "locked" variant of this game pits an Inner Sphere player with
270,000 Resource Points against a Clan player with 210,000.
TIP One strategy is to ignore the hill until the last minute or so. Conserve
g your forces and pick away at enemies, but don’t engage in full-scale
wv combat that could weaken your forces. Then, make a rush as the timer
runs out. The six Container Stacks ranged around the outside of the
map make this an especially tempting tactic because you can build up
a supply of artillery to use before assaulting. Unfortunately, by using
this tactic you end up allowing the enemy to capture the Turret groups
arrayed around the top of the hill.
The other strategy is to take the hill as soon as possible and try
to hold it.
Many Bases
In this scenario, your goal is to have control of five bases simultane-
ously, out of a total of six. The mission is timed; in the locked variant,
the Inner Sphere player has 450,000 Resource Points and the Clan
player has 360,000.
ТІР 7e two basic strategies for this scenario are to go for speed—taking
wv over bases and then running away—or power, where your strategy
is to attack first and capture bases later.
A lack of speedy ‘Mechs can frustrate you to no end in this
scenario. Don't sacrifice speed, even if power is your main goal!
Otherwise your opponent will never be there when you try to fight.
Power Surge
In this timed mission, one side must protect four Power Generators
while the other tries to destroy six. In the locked variant, the Inner
Sphere player gets 480,000 Resource Points and the Clan player gets
450,000.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
TIP Again, speed is vital for both sides. The defender has to protect
multiple Power Generators and needs the mobility to get from one
to the other. The attacker needs speed because, without it, his plans
become transparent and are easily defended.
With a good plan, smooth execution, and a bit of luck, the
attacking player occasionally can win this one without fighting an
enemy ‘Mech.
NEW MAPS FOR DESPERATE MEASURES
Desperate Measures features more than 30 new multiplayer maps—far too many to
describe in detail. However, these maps feature common elements that we can discuss.
Most of these missions can be lumped into one of three categories: Melees,
Assault and Defense, and Capture and Hold. A few missions may combine elements
from two of these game types or throw in a curveball of some sort, but these three
classifications cover most of the maps in the game.
Melees
Melees are all-out battles. The only real requirement is to obliterate all enemy forces.
Your strategy and choice of 'Mechs for these maps should be dictated partially by
the map, and partially by what you expect from the enemy. If the map has lots of
islands, for example, you might want to load up on Jump-capable 'Mechs with long-
range weapons so you can jump to an island and pelt the enemy from afar. Or, if you
expect your opponent to try to fight at close range, you can either take speedy 'Mechs
to foil that plan, or try to beat him at his own game by using lots of heavily armored
'Mechs and heavy weapons, such as Heavy Autocannons.
The prime rules for battles of this sort are to keep your forces together and to
concentrate fire on one enemy unit at a time. The chief exceptions to this rule are
when you're trying to distract or lure the enemy with part of your force, or when you
want a small, fast 'Mech to break away from the main group and concentrate on
capturing Container Stacks.
CHAPTER 14: MULTIPLAYER МЕСНСОММА
ТІР /5 often a good idea—regardless of the game type—to have a
wv small, fast 'Mech that wanders the map apart from your main group,
revealing maps and capturing Container Stacks. Later, when these
tasks are no longer necessary, this small ‘Mech can be used to harass
or distract the main enemy force, or it can be re-integrated with your
main Force Group.
As always, massive weapons dealing massive damage are better than small
weapons dealing minimal damage. And remember that although heavy 'Mechs are
usually good fighters, fast 'Mechs are also potent, as they can dictate the terms of
battle by running away or fighting at the distance they choose. Mad Cats represent the
ideal combination of speed and power.
Assault and Defense
Many of the new maps place both you and your opponent in charge of a base or a set
of structures, and charge you with both the protection of your structures and the
destruction or capture of the enemy's structures. For these sorts of missions, you have
three basic options, each of which can be effective.
Playing Defensively
The first and most conservative option is to play defense almost exclusively. With
almost all of your forces on defense, you can fight the enemy from a position of
strength, often assisted by friendly walls or Turrets.
You can either play pure defense, or have most of your forces play defense and
assign one or more small units to harass the enemy, picking away at weak spots and
destroying anything that's left undefended. These small units also can serve as scouts
and capture Container Stacks.
We recommend that you play defensively during your first few attempts at this
sort of mission. Of course, the degree to which you commit to defense must vary
according to circumstances. For example, if your holdings are widely spread out and
difficult to defend, playing pure defense is tough, because the enemy can attack in
spots where you can't immediately respond. In these cases, you might want to play
with a more offensive posture.
In missions where your holdings are concentrated in a small area or are heavily
fortified, on the other hand, playing defense can be great. Just be aware that if both
players are highly defensive, the battle may become a boring stalemate as each waits
for the other to attack.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Splitting Your Forces
Another tactic is to split your forces evenly between offense and defense. This tactic
can work well unless the enemy base is extremely compact, in which case enemy
defenders can usually overwhelm your divided forces.
If you choose to split your forces up, you'll probably want to go with fast Mechs.
This is because they'll need to be able to escape if the enemy keeps his entire force
together in a single army, and half of your force runs into this army.
Playing Offensively
The final tactic is to play pure offense, leaving only a token defensive force to slow
down the enemy. This tactic can be extremely effective, unless the enemy is playing
pure defense and has lots of emplaced defenses on his side. Still, even in that circum-
stance, your aggression can sometimes catch the enemy off guard.
Playing pure offense is a lot of fun, and it also can be the most effective tactic—
depending, of course, on how your opponent likes to play. Experiment with offensive
game plans, and note how your opponent deals with them. Depending on your rate of
success, you'll either want to stick with your offensive tactics or shift to a more defen-
sive posture for future games.
Capture and Hold
The final common mission type is the “Capture and Hold” mission, in which neither
you nor the enemy starts the mission in control of contested buildings or resources,
but both sides must attempt to claim them. Often these missions are timed.
In these missions, your biggest decision is usually whether to capture the
contested structures right from the outset, to wait until time has nearly expired and
then capture them, or to fight the enemy as if it were a pure combat mission and only
later capture the contested structures, when the enemy no longer has the strength
to resist.
CHAPTER 14: MULTIPLAYER МЕСНСОММАМ
Generally speaking, it’s good to concentrate on combat first, and capture struc-
tures later. If you spread out your forces to capture each contested structure before
engaging the enemy, you'll spread them so thinly that they're vulnerable to attack
from more concentrated forces. So it’s often best to locate the enemy, beat them in
combat, and then assume control of the contested structures once the enemy can no
longer fight effectively.
ТІР Usually, you should conquer only as many contested structures
wv as are necessary to win. For example, if there are five contested
; structures, you should assume control of three. This is the
minimum needed to win, and by capturing and holding only
this many structures, you won't have to spread your forces as
thinly as if you tried to hold all five.
The terrain or terms of victory can change this strategy, of course. In some
missions, for example, you'll lose if the enemy controls all contested structures simul-
taneously, regardless of the amount of time remaining. In this situation, you'll need
to control at least one structure at all times, or risk defeat. You'd probably do well to
use a more fluid strategy in this sort of mission, attacking multiple structures simul-
taneously with divided forces.
CHAPTER 15
THE MISSION
EDITOR
A: Keds ncluded with MechCommander: Gold is a powerful, fully featured
b i ^ - Mission Editor. The Mission Editor contains extensive Help files that
TIP Refer to the Help files for detailed advice on specific tools. We don't
cover every tool in this chapter; rather, the emphasis is on getting
you started and explaining some of the more difficult tools.
THE ESSENTIALS
here are a few essentials you must learn if you want to build any type of mission,
IE it single-player or multiplayer. We'll look at single-player-specific and multi-
player-specific concepts later. For now, here's a look at what you need to do when
building both mission types.
Getting Started
Launch the Mission Editor by selecting it from your Start
menu. You're immediately presented with a choice:
Multiplayer Mission Editor or Solo Mission Editor. Pick
whichever you want to build.
Next, choose either New Mission or Edit Mission.
Since you don't have any saved missions, pick New Mission.
Now you'll see a dialog box (Figure 15-1) that lets
you adjust the basic properties of the map. It includes the
following features:
* Locale: Port Arthur or Cermak changes which planet
your mission takes place on. This just affects what the
planet looks like, not how the mission will play.
Terrain: Again, this is a cosmetic issue. On Port Arthur
the two choices are Grass and Dirt, whereas Sand and
Ash are your two options on Cermak.
e Water, Forest, and Hill Coverage Sliders: These sliders
affect the percentage of the map to be covered by each
terrain type. They are to some degree linked; for example, if you maximize the
Forest or Hill coverage, you'll automatically minimize Water coverage—because if
the whole map is covered by forest or hills, there's just no room for any water.
Adjust these sliders to your liking, then select OK.
TIP 77e three sliders let you adjust the map in a very general sense, but
you have no control over where each terrain type is located. If you
have strong ideas about how a map should look, you'll probably end
up changing everything anyway—so just minimize the three sliders
by putting them all the way to the left. This starts you out with a
“blank map" that’s easy to work with. ng
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
valleys.
Adjust the Terrain
By itself, a map is not a mission. For it to become a mission it must feature something
for the player to do (i.e. objectives) and places for the player’s forces to be deployed
(i.e. starting points). However, the map itself is an extremely important facet of a
mission, and it’s probably the first thing you’ll want to work on. Here are some tips for
molding it to your liking.
Macro-Level Adjustments:
Hills, Water, Elevation
The first way of adjusting terrain is to raise
and lower it, thus creating hills and valleys
(Figure 15-2). Do this by selecting a square
on the map and then pressing the up or
down arrow, or by selecting the Raise
Vertex or Lower Vertex buttons on the
Standard Toolbar
ТЕР You can also select the Raise Vertex or Lower Vertex buttons while
wv no square is selected. This turns the cursor into a tool that you
can use to raise or lower any point on the map quickly, just by
clicking on it.
Terrain that has been lowered as far as possible will automatically
fill with water.
The other way to effect large changes on the map is to
select items from the Map Features palette (Figure 15-3).
The first tab of the Map Features Palette, entitled
Terrains, allows you to paint different terrain types onto
the map. Most of these terrain types are purely cosmetic;
they don’t haven any real effect on the map’s topography,
just on how it looks. For example, if you replace grass with
dirt, there’s no real effect. Water and cliffs do have a signif-
icant effect, however, which is as follows:
e Add Cliffs, and the terrain elevation is likely to change.
If you don’t put cliffs on a border between two distinct
levels of elevation, there will be an automatic two-level
elevation adjustment. (Try playing with this tool to get a
sense of how it works.)
Figure 15-3. Select anything you want
e Water flattens out the terrain square you're applying it from the Map Features palette, then
to, as well as the terrain in a nine-tile radius around the — Paint it onto the map.
selected square.
The second tab of the Map Features Palette is called Overlays, and it includes
things like trees, rocks, walls, and roads of various descriptions. These items are
called Overlays because they don’t completely eradicate whatever terrain is beneath
them; they just go over that terrain. However, you should realize that most of these
selections—including roads, walls, runways and bridges—will, to some degree,
flatten the terrain they’re placed on. That’s simply to make things match up: if terrain
wasn't automatically flattened, for example, two sections of road wouldn't be able to
connect properly.
TIP Forest and rocks are the only Overlays that don't flatten the terrain
wv beneath them. However, forest placed on a steep slope doesn't always
look right; there will be gaps, as the various sections of forest don't
match up perfectly.
Many Overlays have multiple variants—for example, there are
several types of Forest. Keep clicking on a particular square,
“painting” the same Overlay repeatedly, to cycle through these
different variants.
The third tab on the Map Features palette is Force. It allows you to place all the
items from the Overlays palette, but with two differences. First, it lets you place the
Overlays without affecting the terrain beneath. This sometimes leads to visual
strangeness, like if you place a section of Wall on top of the water—but it gives you
the power to create that strangeness, if you want to.
MECHCOMMANDER: 0000 — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Map Features
Terrains | Overlays Force | Buildings : |
Heavy Wall
Figure 15-4. You can select the exact
piece that you want to place on the
map with the Force tab.
Add Structures
Also, it allows you to place any variant of an Overlay
that you want. For example, Heavy Walls come in a vast
array of different shapes (Figure 15-4). With the Force tab
you can pick out the exact section of wall you want. This is
key if you want, say, a T-shaped wall section in a spot where
the regular Overlay tab will only let you place a regular wall.
Minor Adjustments
Use the elevation adjustment commands and the Map
Features palette to thoroughly adjust the physical topog-
raphy of the land. You'll probably continue to tweak the
landscape as you proceed through later stages of mission
design, either to repair some deficiency in the map, to add
a new element (such as a new path for players to follow), or
simply to make things look "right." You'll probably make
these minor adjustments right up until the time you've
finished the mission.
After the natural topography of the map is largely in place, you'll probably want to add
structures.
Structures are placed with the help of the Map Features palette's fourth tab,
Buildings. As with other Map Features, you can simply select buildings and drop them
onto the map. There are, however, a couple of things to know first.
Many structures are only significant as obstacles. Office buildings, for example,
have no value beyond their ability to decorate and to take up space. Other buildings,
especially those with real tactical significance (like Turrets and Turret Control towers)
CHAPTER (5: THE MISSIO
belong to a side. After selecting these structures but before
placing them on the map, you can select Team 1, Team 2,
or Neutral from a set of radio buttons (Figure 15-5). This
determines who owns the structures at the mission’s start.
NOTE Ina single-player game, Team 1 is the human
wv player. Any structures assigned to Team 1 will be
"friendly," while structures assigned to Team 2
are *enemy." Neutral structures are owned by
neither side.
In a multiplayer game, Team 1 is the Inner
Sphere player and Team 2 is the Clan player.
After a building has been placed, you can right-click e
on it and adjust certain properties. For example, some р gure 15-5. Select which team й
buildings can be rotated 90 degrees. Others сап have their own the structure, using the three
alliance changed—for example, you can switch a Turret radio buttons.
from Player 1 control to Player 2 control.
You can also give a damaged, war-torn look to structures with the hammer icon
in the Standard Toolbar, or the Damage command under the Tools menu. To repair
this damage, use the Repair command under the Tools menu, or the wrench icon on
the Standard Toolbar.
You can link buildings by selecting Link Buildings from the Tools menu (or by
clicking the chain link icon on the Standard Toolbar), then clicking on the buildings
you wish to link. The following list explains what structures can be linked, and what \
effect linking has on those structures. |
e Link a Sensor Control to Sensors. Then, whatever player captures the Sensor =
Control gets the benefit of the Sensors. |
e Link a Gate Control to Gates. Any player in charge of the Gate Control controls
the Gates.
* Link a Turret Control to Turrets. A player in charge of the Turret Control then
controls the Turrets.
e Link Main Power or Auxiliary Power to a Turret Control, then link that Turret
Control to some Turrets. Now the Turret Control has power over the Turrets (as
usual), but with the added touch that the Turrets will go dead if the Power building
is destroyed.
Linking structures allows you to add lots of tactical options for players. For
example, linked Turret Control towers and Turrets encourage players to figure out a
way to assume control of the Turret Control instead of simply blowing up Turrets.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Add Drop Zones
You can select Drop Zones under the Tools menu, and then paint them onto the map
like an Overlay. Every mission requires Drop Zones, which are simply the locations
where player-controlled "Mechs are placed at the mission’s start. In a single-player
game you only need to provide one Drop Zone, though you should provide more if the
mission requires lots of Mechs.
Multiplayer games, on the other hand, require three Drop Zones for each player.
Adjust Settings
Each player needs to have their settings adjusted before the mission can be considered
finished. In a multiplayer mission, select Settings-Team 1 or Settings-Team 2 from the
Mission menu to adjust settings. In
Settings Team 1 _ DUM single-player missions, the Mission
; menu has only one option for the lone
human player, called Settings.
As Figure 15-6 illustrates, the
Settings menu allows you to adjust each
players Drop Weight, Resource Points,
Time Limit (for timed missions), and the
availability of Artillery Strikes and
Sensor Probes.
TIP 77e single-player Settings
: menu also allows the use of
Figure 15-6. The Settings menu lets you adjust a number Camera Drones, and lets you
of key settings for each player. select whether the player has
access to the Inner Sphere or
Clan technology base.
Also, the Settings menu has a button labeled Player Briefing. Click this button to
type in the briefing this player will see prior to mission launch. The player briefing
should include a mission title, a list of objectives that the player must achieve, and a
CHAPTER (5: THE MISSION
general description of the mission. Optionally, you can also fill in the Tactical
Warnings and Tactical Notices section to give the player additional tips.
~
In a multiplayer mission, be sure to adjust the mission settings for both sides. и
DESIGNING MULTIPLAYER MISSIONS e
nce you've laid out a map and decorated it with the appropriate terrain, features, A
1 structures, as well as adjusted player Settings and assigned Drop Zones for T
both sides, you're well on the way to having a complete multiplayer mission. Just
a few more elements are necessary to make your mission complete.
Write a Description
Multiplayer missions need a description that briefly characterizes the mission. Writing
a mission description is as simple as selecting Description from the Mission menu, and
typing in whatever you want the player(s) to see.
Note that the description is no£ the same as the player briefing. The briefing is a
detailed list of an individual player's objectives, complete with warnings and tips. The
description is seen by all players, and is merely a way for players to see what a
mission's all about before actually playing it.
Adjust Objectives
Objectives are adjusted by
selecting Objectives-Team 1
or Objectives-Team 2 from the
Mission menu. Objectives are
the "victory conditions" of the
mission. When one of the
players attains all of his
primary objectives, he wins
the mission.
Each player can have up Figure 15-7. Each player can have up to four objectives.
to four objectives (Figure 15-7).
The default objective for each player is "Destroy all Enemies." If you leave this as each
player's only objective, the mission will be a simple beat-em-up in which the player
that destroys all enemy units wins the game.
After adding an objective, you should type a slightly more descriptive version of
the objective into the Description box following it. For example, instead of just
"Destroy buildings," you should type "Destroy Auxiliary Generators in enemy base."
This helps the player understand what, exactly, must be destroyed.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
You can also check three different boxes associated with each objective:
If Primary is checked, the objective must be completed if the player is to win.
If Marker is checked, the player will see a numerical marker on their Tactical Map
(Mini-map) during the game, which shows them exactly where the objective is
located. Leave this unchecked if you want the location of the objective to be secret.
If Complete Previous is checked, the previous objective must be accomplished
before the player can start on the objective they are currently pursuing.
Here’s a look at the objectives you can set, other than the basic “Destroy all
Enemies.” Some of these objectives can only be used in single-player games; these are
marked as such.
Destroy Units. Single-player only. Forces the player to destroy particular enemy
units. (Redundant if “Destroy all Enemies” is already a Primary objective.) After
selecting this objective, click on the ellipsis button (the one with the “...” on it),
and then select a unit on the map that the player must destroy. Repeat if you want
several units to be destroyed. Up to three units can be targeted.
Destroy Buildings. The player must destroy targeted buildings. Click the ellipsis
button and then click on buildings to be destroyed. Up to three buildings can be
targeted.
Guard Units. Single-player only. Selected units must not be allowed to die. Again,
use the ellipsis button to pick individual units.
Guard Buildings. Selected structures must not be allowed to be destroyed. Use the
ellipsis button to pick which structures.
Capture Units. Single-player only. Selected units must be captured. Use the ellipsis
button to select them.
Capture Buildings. Selected buildings must be captured. Use the ellipsis button to
select them.
Move to Area. All units must move to specified area. Check the “Enemies Allowed
in Area” box if you want enemies to be able to approach the area. Use the ellipsis
button to specify the area.
CHAPTER 15: THE MISSIO}
In multiplayer games, the two players’ objectives should either be identical, or
mirror one another.
For example, with identical objectives, both players can be assigned to capture ——
the same set of buildings. Optionally, both players’ objectives can be to destroy all — Е
enemy units.
Mirrored objectives include a mission where Player 1 has to defend Base А and a
take over Base B, while Player 2 has to defend Base B and take over Base A.
ТІР Note that for missions where the objective is to capture specific base
structures, the “Indestructible” buildings under the Multiplayer
Objectives tab of the Map Features palette can be very useful.
Indestructible Headquarters, for example, prevents one player from
accidentally (or intentionally) blowing up a Headquarters, thus
preventing either player from achieving his victory conditions by
capturing or losing the Headquarters.
DESIGNING SINGLE-PLAYER MISSIONS
nce you’ve tweaked the map, adjusted player settings, and placed a Drop Zone or
Т your single-player mission is well underway. Here are the things you'll need
to do to finish off that mission.
Add Units
When designing a single-player mission, an
extra tab appears on the Map Features palette:
Units (Figure 15-8). This allows you to place
units on the map. Using radio buttons, you can
select whether the unit will be friendly or
hostile, and what variant (Armor, Jump, or
Weapons) it is—if it's a Mech.
Figure 15-8. The Units tab lets you
place units on the map.
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
[Medium ER [Fie from Medium ] [Run : v
Delay [sec] ^ MovekFie - Path (Enter to Finish]
Figure 15-9. This dialog box lets
you adjust how the unit behaves in
the game world.
Once a unit has been placed on the map, you can double-click it to bring up the
Unit Settings dialog box (Figure 15-9). This dialog box lets you adjust how the unit
will behave.
Aside from allowing you to change the unit’s alignment and variant, you can
change the following:
е Color. Changes the appearance of the unit.
e Pilot. Select Green through Elite to adjust the skill of the pilot.
e Orders. Changes the unit’s orders.
е Parameters. Lets you adjust how the unit moves and fights.
Of these selections, Orders and Parameters deserve extra attention.
CHAPTER (5: THE MISSION
Orders
Orders let you change how the unit behaves. Here’s a look at how orders work.
e Attack. Default order. The unit attacks enemies that enter its Engage Radius (see
Parameters.)
Sentry. The unit attacks as usual, but if its enemy exits the Engage Radius or is
destroyed, it returns to its starting point.
Guard. Unit attacks enemies that enter the Engage Radius of the target structure.
Use the ellipsis button to select which structure to guard, and the unit’s Engage
Radius setting to select how close enemies must be to the structure before the unit
attacks.
Go To. Unit moves to designated spot after the Delay time has elapsed. Enter a
number (in seconds) in the Delay box to select Delay time, and use the ellipsis
button to select a path for the unit to follow.
Patrol (Loop). Unit patrols in a circular path assigned with ellipsis button. As with
Go To, you can set a delay before the unit starts moving.
Patrol (Linear). When the unit reaches the end of its patrol path, it turns around
and walks the same path to the beginning.
Destroy Structure. Unit moves to destroy a structure selected with ellipsis after a
delay has elapsed.
Destroy Unit. Unit moves to destroy a unit after the delay has elapsed.
Ambush. The unit is shut down and does not appear on sensors until it engages
its enemy.
Escort. Unit follows another unit. The direction it maintains from the escorted unit
is determined by a box called Relative Direction.
None. Unit neither moves nor attacks. Good for creating a “pilot-less” unit.
ТІР The “Move and Fire" check box sometimes appears, depending on the
order you've selected. If it's left unchecked, the unit will temporarily
break away from its orders to attack enemies it encounters. If it's
checked, on the other hand, the unit continues with its orders (say, to
patrol a given route) despite the presence of enemies. It will fire at the
enemy as it follows its orders but it won't deviate from its path.
Parameters
Parameters includes three selections: Engage Radius, Tactic, and Move Speed.
Engage Radius affects how close the players’ units need to be before the unit
attacks. Pick between Short (12.5 map tiles), Medium (28 map tiles), and Long (52 map
tiles).
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Tactic affects how the unit attacks. Most tactics, like Fire From Short, Flank Left,
and Attack From Rear, are self-explanatory. Joust causes the unit to run or drive past
the target while firing, then turn back for another run. Stop to Fire causes the unit to
halt whenever it takes a shot. Move Speed affects whether the unit walks or runs.
Adjust Objectives
As with a multiplayer mission, you must adjust the player’s objectives in a single-
player mission. Think these objectives through and make sure the player can accom-
plish them. Also, note that you have the option of using objectives involving units (i.e.
Destroy Units, Guard Units, Capture Units) in single-player missions.
MISSION DESIGN TIPS
The tools to create a compelling mission are all in your hands. It’s easy to make a
mission that’s functional; the tough part is making a mission that’s genuinely good.
In single-player missions, always do your best to challenge, not overwhelm, the
player. Make the enemy forces so potent that the player has no chance of winning
simply by wading through the mission with no strategy at all. But simultaneously
provide the player with the option to use strategy and thus, make things much easier.
You can use several tricks to accomplish this:
e Separate enemy units into clusters, so the player can take them out one cluster at
a time. Then add Repair Bays so as to fix damaged ’Mechs between fights.
e Create enemy bases with tough defenses, but leave paths that a clever player can use
to either avoid those defenses (say, by going around them), destroy them quickly
(perhaps by climbing a hill that reveals a Turret Control, then artillery-striking it),
or capture them (perhaps by sneaking a jump-capable ’Mech over a wall).
* Use patrols. The player then has to be careful not to engage the patrols while
fighting non-patrolling units; that would be too many foes to fight at once.
CHAPTER (5: THE MISSIO
* Use powerful but highly specialized enemies, like Bulldog tanks. These enemies are
brutal at close range, but the player can deal with them easily by using fast 'Mechs
and staying well away.
In multiplayer missions, be sure to set either identical objectives or mirrored
objectives for each player. Make the map roughly symmetrical, and ensure that neither
player has a distinct advantage over the other. For example, if each player is tasked
with taking over the other's base, the mission will be unfair if one base is more heavily
defended than the other.
The best suggestion though, is to play-test your creations extensively. Only by
repeatedly playing a map will you discover whether it behaves the way you'd expected.
Without play-testing, your missions will often be “broken.” They might be too hard to
beat, or too easy because of an unforeseen loophole, or unbalanced toward one side of
the other (in the case of a multiplayer mission). Play the mission repeatedly and
always consider how you can fix it or make it better.
The best way to test your multiplayer mission is to create the mission as a single-
player mission. All you have to do is drop one enemy in a remote corner of the map.
Now you can run around the multiplayer map like it's a solo mission and test the
terrain and placement of objects by yourself. Next, select Multiplayer mission. When
it asks if you want to load a saved map, select the mission you've created. Place drop
zones for the two teams and save. Happy mission making!
—. . . CHAPTER 16
= | CHEAT CODES
f you: want to use cheat codes during the game, you must first create a
— inew file i in the directory where you installed the game. Here’s how:
Tem
0 the directory where you installed the game. It’s usually a subdirectory of
click on windows.fit and select Copy from the pop-up menu.
lick somewhere else in this folder and select Paste from the pop-up menu.
le will appear, called Copy of windows.fit.
4. Right-click on Copy of windows.fit and select Rename.
5. Rename the file ixfiriimceourl. That's i-x-t-l-r-i-i-m-c-e-o-u-r-l.
Cheats are now enabled. They'll remain enabled as long as the new file remains
in this directory.
LOGISTICS CHEATS
Type in these cheats during the Logistics Phase (that is, before you actually launch
your mission). There's no need to preface the cheats with anything, and you don't need
to capitalize or punctuate. Just type the letters.
poundofflesh: Adds 1,000,000 Resource Points
rockandrollpeople: Removes Drop Weight Limit on current mission
mitchlovesyou: Repairs all 'Mechs in the 'Mech Bay
hereitcomes: Gives you one of each weapon and component in your player
inventory
GAMEPLAY CHEATS
Type in these cheats while you’re actually playing a mission. Note that you can type
them in while the game is paused.
(Control}+(Alt +W): Automatically wins the mission
osmium: Makes your 'Mechs and vehicles invincible
lorrie: Repairs damaged armor/weapons
lordbunny: Gives you unlimited, near-instantaneous artillery strikes. Press (b)
and left-click on the map to destroy a target
mineeyeshaveseentheglory: Reveals the entire map
Deadeye: Gives all your MechWarriors maximum Gunnery skill
ee |
4 z A
i
*
INDEX
10-Second Damage, 41
A.
Active сее, Clan, 38
stroying Clan, 122-126, 175
Sensor, 37
3 Aerospace potter, 81
: Afendlejn6, 165, 171, 175-179
Towers, 219
VII Heavy Tank, 73-74
allied commander, rescuing, 208-211
Alpha Camp, 111
Alpha Strike, 41
ambulances, escorting, 157-161
Ambush order, 319
ammo. See ammunition.
Ammo Conservation mode, 103
Ammo Truck, 66
ammunition
balancing weapon power, 92-93
Clan projectile weapons, 30
conserving, 95, 103
running out of, 16
APC, 75
Arena multiplayer game, 301, 302
Armor Points, 41
Armored Car, 76
artillery
positioning, 219-223
strikes, 105
Artillery Turret, 84, 106
Assault and Defense missions, 305—306
assault vehicles, 3-4
Atlas 'Mech, 53-54, 95
Attack from Current Position
command, 201
Attack order, 319
attributes, BattleMech, 41
Autocannon, 16-21, 30-33, 92, 93, 98
automated Turrets, 83-84
Auxiliary Power, 313
Awesome 'Mech, 49, 51-52
B
bait and switch, 104-105
Baitan Sector, securing, 242-247
base attack strategies, 105—107
Base Kraken, capturing, 278-282
Base Nomad, protecting, 237-242
Base Ogre, destroying, 247-252
Basic Sensor, 36, 42
Battalion vehicles, 65-70
Battle Maps, 4. See also maps.
Beachhead, 112, 115, 119, 123, 127, 131
Cutthroat, 209, 212, 216, 220, 224, 228
Gorgon, 255, 260, 266, 271
Hydra, 234, 239, 243, 248
Lynchpin, 182, 185, 190, 194, 199, 203
Minotaur, 279, 284, 288, 293
Skyhook, 135, 138, 141, 145, 149, 152
Vanguard, 157, 162, 165, 169, 172, 176
BattleMechs. See also specific Mechs.
assigning MechWarriors to, 94-95
attributes, 41
Clan, 54-63, 97 ER
configuring Force Group, 3, 87-89 е z
contrasted with non-’Mech forces, 64, 85 2
damaging/destroying, 91-92 й
importance of, 40
Inner Sphere, 41-54, 97
light vs. heavy, 88
repairing, 320
salvaging, 96
Beachhead campaign, 110
Battle Maps, 112, 115, 119, 123, 127, 131
mission walkthroughs
Defend Farms from Attack, 126-129
Destroy Clan Administration
Building, 122-126
Liberate Kaio Industrial Zone,
130-132
Liberate Work Camps, 111-113
Recover Raven 'Mech, 118-122
Rescue Captured Pilots, 114-117
Beagle Probe, 37
behavior
unit, 319
vehicle, 70
Bellum, 223
Beta Camp, 111
briefing, player, 314—315
buildings
adding to maps, 97
destroying, 288-292
linking, 313
repairing damaged, 313
salvaging, 97, 111
Buildings tab, Map Features palette, 312
Bulldog Medium Tank, 77-78, 140, 321
Bushwacker 'Mech, 48
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Camera Drones, 301, 314
Cannon Turret, 83
Captain Nairn, 208-211
Capture and Defend the Base mission,
151-155
Capture and Hold missions, 306-307
Capture Base Kraken mission, 278-282
Capture Base multiplayer game, 301, 302
Capture Clan Field Base mission, 189—193
Capture Enemy Commanders mission,
271-276
Capture Enemy Convoy mission, 165-168
Capture Fuel Depot mission, 215-219
Capture Industrial Facility mission,
193-198
Capture Masakari and Destroy Orbital
Guns mission, 181-184
Capture Ordnance Convoy mission,
259-264
Capture Starbase mission, 227-231
Cargo Truck, 80
Catapult 'Mech, 50
Centipede Scout Car, 67
Centurion ’Mech, 49
Cermak, 232, 309
chain link icon, 313
cheat codes, 322-323
civilian vehicles, 65, 80
Clan
Administration Building, destroying,
122-126, 175
Base HQ Building, capturing, 189-193
BattleMechs, 54—63
contrasted with Inner Sphere, 3, 97-98
probes, 38
sensors, 37, 54
weapons, 26-35, 97—98
ER Laser, 27
ER-PPC, 29, 93, 98
Flamer, 29
Gauss Rifle, 34
Heavy LB-X Autocannon, 93, 98
Heavy Ultra Autocannon, 32-33
Large ER Laser, 28, 93
Large Pulse Laser, 28
LB-X Autocannon, 32
Light LB-X Autocannon, 31
Light Ultra Autocannon, 30
Long-Range Missiles, 35
LRM Rack, 93
Pulse Laser, 27
Short-Range Missiles, 34-35
Streak Short-Range Missiles, 35, 93
Ultra Autocannon, 31
Cliffs setting, Map Features palette, 311
clustering weapons/units, 90-91, 320
Color setting, for units, 318
combat
assigning MechWarriors to ‘Mechs,
93-95
choosing weapons, 89-93
configuring 'Mechs and Force Groups,
87—89
handling close-range, 43, 74, 93
managing salvage, 96—98
strategies, 101—103, 105-107
tips and tricks, 103-105
command unit, destroying enemy, 161-164
Commander Nairn, 208-211
Commando 'Mech, 42-43
Condor Heavy Hover Tank, 74
Container Stack, 139, 140, 301
convoy
capturing, 165-168, 259-264
destroying, 140-144
escorting, 157-161
Cost
BattleMechs, 41
vehicles, 70
weapons, 8
Cougar 'Mech, 55-56
customized weapons, 7
Cutthroat campaign, 207-208
Battle Maps, 209, 212, 216, 220,
224, 228
mission walkthroughs
Capture Fuel Depot, 215-219
Capture Starbase, 227-231
Destroy Secondary Power, 223-227
Exterminate Clan Presence, 211-215
Position Allied Artillery, 219—223
Rescue Allied Commander, 208-211
damage, concentrating, 91-92
Damage, 10-Second, 41
Damage command, 313
Damage value EI а
BattleMechs, 41 P
weapons, 8, 22 wt
Defend Allied Supply Base mission, 171-175 :
Defend Farms from Attack mission, 126—129
defensive play, 305-306, 320
design, mission
multiplayer games, 315-317, 321
single-player games, 317—320
Desperate Measures missions, 4
Gorgon campaign, 253-276
Hydra campaign, 232-252
Minotaur campaign, 277-297
weapon Load Values, 7
Destroy Clan Administration Building
mission, 122-126
Destroy Convoy mission, 140-144
мис одо
Destroy Enemy Command Unit mission,
161-164
Destroy Engine Drills mission, 292-297
Destroy Hidden Smoke Jaguar Orbital Guns
mission, 202-206
Destroy Hyperpulse Communication Dishes
mission, 144—148
Destroy Local Power Generators mission,
137-140
Destroy Secondary Power mission, 223-227
Destroy Structure order, 319
Destroy Unit order, 319
Drop Zones, 314
DropShips, 180
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
E
ECM Suite, 38
Electronic Countermeasures Suite, 38
Elementals, 64, 79
elevation, 310, 311, 312
Eliminate Base Ogre mission, 247—252
Eliminate Reinforcements mission,
283-288
emplaced defenses, 3-4, 82
enemies, 64, 321
capturing
base, 151-155
commanders, 271-276
convoy, 165-168
destroying command unit, 161-164
intercepting, 198-202
energy weapons
Clan, 27-29
contrasted with projectile weapons, 8, 16
description of, 8-9
Inner Sphere, 9-16
Engage Radius options, Unit Settings, 319
Engine Drills, destroying, 292-297
ER-PPC, 15-16, 21, 22, 29, 93
Escort Hunchback to Safety mission,
134-137
Escort Medical Convoy mission, 157-161
Escort order, 319
Extended Range Particle Projector Cannon.
See ER-PPC.
Extended Sensor, 37
Exterminate Clan Presence mission,
211-215
Extraction Point, 254
F
factories, 3
farms, defending, 126-129
field base, capturing Clan, 189-193
Firestarter 'Mech, 43
firing MechWarriors, 94
Flamer, 14, 29, 43
Force Groups, 3, 87-89, 94—95.
See also specific missions.
Force tab, Map Features palette, 311-312
Forest Coverage slider, 309
fuel depot, capturing, 215-219
Fuel Truck, 82, 105
Furey, Katherine, 242, 246
[
gameplay cheats, 323
gates
controlling, 313
storming, 82, 107
Gauss Rifle, 21—22, 34, 92, 93
Go To order, 319
Gorgon campaign, 253-254
Battle Maps, 255, 260, 266, 271
mission walkthroughs
Capture Enemy Commanders, 271-276
Capture Ordnance Convoy, 259-264
Targets of Opportunity, 254—259
Green MechWarrior, 95
Guard order, 319
Guardian ECM Suite, 38
Gunnery skill, 95
H
hammer icon, 313
Harasser, 77
Heavy Autocannon, 19-20, 93
Heavy Flamer, 14, 43
Heavy Hover Tank, 74
Heavy LB-X Autocannon, 20-21, 93, 98
Heavy Thunderbolt, 24
Heavy X-Pulse Laser, 93
Help files, 308—309
high ground, 99-100
Hill Coverage slider, 309
hiring MechWarriors, 93-94
Hollander II 'Mech, 46
hospital, 157
HPGs. See Hyperpulse Generators.
Hunchback Ис 'Mech, 57-58, 134-137
Hunchback ’Mech, 47
Hydra campaign, 232-233
Battle Maps, 234, 239, 243, 248
missions walkthroughs
Eliminate Base Ogre, 247-252
Protect Base Nomad, 237-242
Secure Baitan Sector, 242-247
Secure Landing Zone, 233-237
Hyperpulse Generators, 144, 147, 148
icons, Standard Toolbar, 313
industrial facilities, capturing, 193-198 e |
injuries, MechWarrior, 94, 95 7 G
Inner Sphere A
BattleMechs, 41-54
contrasted with Clan, 3, 7
history of, 7 и
probes, 37-38 ee
sensors, 36-37 ^
weapons, 7-26
Intercept Enemy Force mission, 198-202
Intercept Train mission, 148-151
Interdict Clan Supplies mission, 184—189
Intermediate Sensor, 36
J
J. Edgar Light Hover Tank, 77
Jagermech ’Mech, 51
Jaguars, 133, 202, 207, 227
jumping, 41, 107
K
Kaio Industrial Zone, liberating, 130—132
Kenuk River, 165
King of the Hill multiplayer game, 302, 303
Kotare, Marcus, 232 xd Pa
Kraken, capturing Base, 278-282 ! X \ A
Kurita, 134, 137
Kylemartin Depot, 184
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLO—PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
L
landing zone, securing, 233-237
Large Extended Range Laser, 12-13
Large Laser, 11
Large Pulse Laser, 12
Large Walls, 82
Large X-Pulse Laser, 13-14, 103
Laser Turret, 83
Lasers, 9-14, 27-29
LB-X Autocannon, 17-18, 19, 32, 93, 98
Liberate Kaio Industrial Zone mission,
130-132
Liberate Reeducation Camp mission,
168-171
Liberate Work Camps mission, 111-113
Light Autocannon, 16-17
Light Gauss Rifle, 21-22
Light LB-X Autocannon, 17-18
Light Ultra Autocannon, 17
Link Buildings command, 313
Load Value, 7, 8
Locale settings, map, 309
logistics cheats, 323
Loki 'Mech, 59
Long Tom Cannon, 25-26
Long-Range Missile Rack. See LRM Rack.
long-range tanks. See tanks.
low balling, 87
Lower Vertex button, 310
LRM Carrier, 79
LRM Rack, 22, 23-24, 93
Lynchpin campaign, 180-181
Battle Maps, 182, 185, 190, 194, 199, 203
mission walkthroughs
Capture Clan Field Base, 189-193
Capture Industrial Facility, 193-198
Capture Masakari and Destroy
Orbital Guns, 181-184
Destroy Hidden Smoke Jaguar
Orbital Guns, 202-206
Intercept Enemy Force, 198-202
Interdict Clan Supplies, 184—189
M
Mad Cat 'Mech, 61, 88, 89
Main Power, 313
Major Piotrov, 161
Manticore Heavy Tank, 74-75
Many Bases multiplayer game, 303
Map Features palette, 311, 312, 317
maps. See also Battle Maps.
adding structures, 312-313
creating/adjusting, 309-312
play-testing, 321
marksmanship, 95
Masakari 'Mech, 62-63, 181-184, 271
Mauler 'Mech, 52—53
Mayan Canyons, 168
MechCommander: Gold
contrasted with original
MechCommander, 2, 7, 304
data tables for new BattleMechs, 41
mission walkthroughs, 4
(See also specific campaigns)
new multiplayer maps/missions,
304-307
tonnage considerations, 87
weapon Load Values, 7
"Mechs. See BattleMechs.
MechWarriors
assigning to ‘Mechs, 94—95
hiring/firing, 93-94
taking care of injured, 95
medical convoy, escorting, 157-161
medium-range tanks. See tanks.
Melee missions, 304-305
Minelayer, 69, 127
Minesweeper, 69—70
Minotaur campaign, 277-278
Battle Maps, 279, 284, 288, 293
mission walkthroughs
Capture Base Kraken, 278-282
Destroy Engine Drills, 292-297
Eliminate Reinforcements, 283-288
Obliterate Complex, 288-292
missile carriers, 78-79
Missile Turret, 83-84, 90
missiles, 22-24, 34-35, 78-79, 93
Mission Editor, 308-309
assigning Drop Zones, 314
creating/adjusting mission map,
309-313
designing missions, 315-321
using Settings menu, 314-315
Mission menu, 314, 315
mission walkthroughs, 4—5
Beachhead campaign, 110-132
Cutthroat campaign, 207-231
Gorgon campaign, 253-276
Hydra campaign, 232-252
Lynchpin campaign, 180-206
Minotaur campaign, 277—297
Skyhook campaign, 133-155
Vanguard campaign, 156-179
missions
adjusting objectives, 315-317, 320, 321
designing/creating, 308-321
play-testing, 321
timed, 151, 253, 314
Mobile HQ Vehicle, 81
Mobile Orbital Guns, 202-206, 265, 267-2770
MOGs, 202-206, 265, 267-270
mountains, 99-100, 310
move, making first, 301
“Move and Fire" checkbox, 319
Move Speed options, Unit Settings, 320
multiplayer games
contrasted with single-player, 299—302
designing missions for, 315-317, 321
and Drop Zones, 314
mission objectives, 317, 321
new, for MechCommander: Gold,
304—307
pausing, 105
play-testing, 321
and salvage, 301
Settings menu, 314-315
and structures, 313
tips for specific, 302-304
Multiplayer Mission Editor, 309
Nairn, Captain, 208-211
Nomad, protecting, 237-242
Nova Cat 'Mech, 59-60
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — PRIMA'S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
0
objectives, mission, 315-317, 320, 321.
See also specific missions.
Obliterate Complex mission, 288-292
offensive play, 306
Ogre, destroying Base, 247-252
OmniMechs, 211
Operation Beachhead.
See Beachhead campaign.
Operation Cutthroat.
See Cutthroat campaign.
Operation Gorgon.
See Gorgon campaign.
Operation Hydra.
See Hydra campaign.
Operation Lynchpin.
See Lynchpin campaign.
Operation Minotaur.
See Minotaur campaign.
Operation Skyhook.
See Skyhook campaign.
Operation Vanguard.
See Vanguard campaign.
Orbital Guns, 180, 181-184, 184,
202-206, 265-270
Orders settings, for units, 318-319
ordnance convoy
capturing, 259-264
destroying, 184
Overlays tab, Map Features palette, 311
P
Parameters settings, for units, 318, 319-320
Particle Projector Cannon. See PPC.
patience, 301
Patrol (Linear) order, 319
Patrol (Loop) order, 319
patrols, 320
pausing game, 81, 104, 105
Payload, 41
Pegasus Light Scout Tank, 67
Perimeter Alarms, 146-147
Piloting skill, 95, 318
pilots, rescuing captured, 114-117
Pilum Heavy Tank, 72
Piotrov, Major, 161
Player Briefing, 314-315
play-testing, 321
Pop-Up Turret, 84
Port Arthur, 110, 180, 207, 231, 309
Position Allied Artillery mission, 219-223
power, controlling, 313
Power Generators, 137-140
Power rating, 9
power stations, destroying, 137-140,
223-227
Power Surge multiplayer game, 303-304
Power/Size rating, 9
PPC, 15, 21, 22
probes, 37, 38
projectile weapons
ammunition considerations, 92—93
Clan, 30-35
contrasted with energy weapons, 8, 16
Inner Sphere, 16-26
Protect Base Nomad mission, 237-242
Pulse Laser, 10-11
R
Rail Gun, 25
Raise Vertex button, 310
Range, 8
Raven 'Mech, 45, 118-122
Recover Raven 'Mech mission, 118-122
Recycle Time, 8
Reeducation Camp, liberating, 168-171
Refit Truck, 68, 93, 134
Regular MechWarrior, 95
Regulator Hover Tank, 71
reinforcements, eliminating, 283-288
Repair Bays, 93, 320
Repair command, 313
Rescue Allied Commander mission, 208-211
Rescue Captured Pilots mission, 114-117
Resource Points
BattleMechs, 41
and salvage, 96
and tonnage considerations, 87, 300
weapons, 8
rifle. See Gauss Rifle.
Rommel, 75
RP. See Resource Points.
rules of engagement, 2
running, 102
S
salvage
managing, 96-98, 111
and multiplayer games, 301
Salvage Rigs, 259-264
Saracen, 70
Savannah Master, 76
scout Mechs, 43, 45
scout vehicles, 66, 67
scouting, 301
Secure Baitan Sector mission, 242-247
Secure Landing Zone mission, 233-237
Sensor Control, 313
sensors, 36-37, 42, 99, 313
Sentry order, 319
Serpent Bay, 151
Settings menu, 314
Shadow Cat 'Mech, 56-57, 268, 269,
212, 243
Short-Range Missile Pack, 22
short-range tanks. See tanks.
Shots, 8
Shrek, 73
single-player games
contrasted with multiplayer, 299-302
designing missions for, 317-320
and Drop Zones, 314
mission walkthroughs, 4
pausing, 105
Settings menu, 314-315
and structures, 313
MECHCOMMANDER: 000 — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Skyhook campaign, 133
Battle Maps, 135, 138, 141, 145, 149, 152
mission walkthroughs
Capture and Defend the Base, 151—155
Destroy Local Power Generators,
137-140
Destroy the Convoy, 140-144
Destroy the Hyperpulse
Communication Dishes, 144—148
Escort Hunchback to Safety, 134-137
Intercept the Train, 148-151
Smoke Jaguars, 111, 133, 202, 232
Solo Mission Editor, 309
special units, 89
speed, vehicle, 65
Speed attribute, BattleMech, 41
splitting forces, 306
SRM Carrier, 78
SRM Pack, 22
Stack, 301
Standard Sensor, 37, 54
Standard Toolbar, 313
Star League, 232
Starbase, 207, 208, 219, 227-231
Stiletto J, 61
Stiletto 'Mech, 43, 44—45
strategies. See also specific missions.
base attack, 105-107
combat, 101—103, 105—107
MechCommander: Gold contrasted
with original, 2
non-combat, 98-101
salvage, 96-98
Strategy Blueprints. See specific missions.
Streak Short-Range Missile Pack, 23
Streak SRM, 23
Striker, 71
structures
adding to maps, 312-313
destroying, 288-292
linking, 313
repairing damaged, 313
salvaging, 97, 111
supply base, defending, 171
supply train, intercepting, 148-151
supply trucks, capturing, 165-168
Swiftwind Scout Car, 65—66
T
Tactic options, Unit Settings, 320
Tactical Warnings/Notices, 315
tactics, 4, 315, 320
tanks
long-range, 70-74
medium-range, 74-75
short-range, 75-78
targeting, 91, 103
Targeting Computers, 265
Targets of Opportunity mission, 254—259
teamwork, 300
terrain, 99-100, 101, 301, 307
Terrain settings, map, 309, 311-312
Thor 'Mech, 60—61
timed missions, 151, 253, 314
tips. See also specific missions.
BattleMechs
Centurion and
Desperate Measures missions, 49
close-range combat, 43
data tables, 41
Hunchback and
Desperate Measures missions, 47
scout 'Mechs, 43, 45
sensors, 42, 54
Stiletto vs. Commando, 43
Stiletto vs. Raven, 45
combat
bait and switch, 104, 105
capturing Turret Control Tower, 107
ideal Force Group, 89
jump-capable ’Mechs, 107
light vs. heavy 'Mechs, 88
matching MechWarriors and
Mechs, 95
non-’Mech units for Desperate
Measures missions, 89
salvage considerations, 96, 97, 98, 111
selling weapons, 98
single- vs. multi-weapon ’Mechs, 92
targeted shots, 91
tonnage considerations, 87
walking vs. running, 102
general game-playing
handling air strikes, 81
pausing, 81, 104
Mission Editor
Help files, 309
“Indestructible” option, 317
map properties sliders, 309
“Move and Fire” checkbox, 319
Overlays, 311
Raise/Lower Vertex buttons, 310
single-player settings menu, 314
multiplayer games, 302—304
tips, continued
vehicles
overcoming lack of weapon power, 68
speed considerations, 65
using Swiftwind for scouting, 66
weight considerations, 67
when to use Minelayer/Minesweeper, P
69, 70 v
weapons and equipment и
calculating damage points for
missiles, 22
choosing weapons, 9, 10
interpreting Load Values, 7
interpreting Power and Power/Size
values, 9
MechCommander: Gold contrasted
with original, 7
using Heavy Thunderbolt, 24
using LRMs, 24
tonnage
low balling, 87
in single-player vs. multiplayer
games, 300
toolbar icons, 313
Tools menu, 313, 314
train, intercepting, 148-151
Turkina ’Mech, 63
Turret Control, 313
Turret Control Tower, 83, 106, 107
Turrets
attacking, 64, 90, 106
best weapons to use against, 90
controlling, 313
descriptions of, 83-84
destroying vs. capturing, 107
MECHCOMMANDER: GOLD — РЕІМА З OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE
Uller ’Mech, 55
Unit Settings dialog box, 318
Units tab, Map Features palette, 317
V
valleys, 310
Vanguard campaign, 156
Battle Maps, 157, 162, 165, 169,
172, 176
mission walkthroughs
Capture Enemy Convoy, 165-168
Defend Allied Supply Base, 171-175
Destroy Enemy Command Unit,
161-164
Escort Medical Convoy, 157-161
Liberate Affendale, 175—179
Liberate Reeducation Camp, 168-171
Vault Drills, destroying, 292-297
vehicles. See also specific vehicles.
assault, 3-4
civilian, 65, 80
methods of acquiring, 65, 70
mission-specific, 65
recognizing and destroying enemy, 85
salvaging, 97
Veteran MechWarrior, 95
victory conditions, 315
Von Luckner, 72
Vulture 'Mech, 58
W
walking, 102
walkthroughs. See mission walkthroughs.
walls, 82, 107
warnings, tactical, 315
Water Coverage slider, 309
Water setting, Map Features palette, 311
weapons. See also specific weapons.
choosing, 3, 6, 9, 10, 39, 89-93
clustering, 90—91
customizing, 6-7
guidelines for using, 90-93
interpreting descriptions/Load Values,
7, 8-9
recommendations for specific, 93
superiority of Clan over Inner Sphere,
7, 26, 30, 97-98
Weight attribute, 41
Wiesman Fuel Depot, 215
windows.fit file, 322-323
work camps, liberating, 111-114
wrench icon, 313
X
X-ray Company, 110, 208
y
Yankee Company, 156
l
Zulu Company, 110, 156
115 Your Command:
Dave Ellis
John possidente
www-primagames
Electronic Entertainment
