THE BATTLETECH UNOFFICIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE


This is the tatical guide that Battletech World has been waiting for. It
covers nearly everything, from battletech basics to battlemech
selection/design tips and to lance/star composition. Even if you are an
expert or if you are a newbie, this is for you.

Download the guide and take a look at it. If you have some suggestions 
please
send them to me, I want to make the guide better, to make it cover
EVERYTHING in the Battletech Universe.

The guide is now on the web, thanks to Michael J. Flynn at the Company 
Store.
the url is: http://www.magpage.com/~flynnmj/strategy/

Please distribute the guide, as long as credit is given where it is due.

The Unofficial Survival Guide was created by:

Evan Jones
Jonathan Bezeau
Gary Kramer

-----
Evan Jones
jonesev@cadvision.com

Legal Stuff: BATTLETECH, 'MECH, BATTLEMECH, and MECHWARRIOR are trademarks
of FASA Corporation, used here without permission.

NOTE TO FASA: It is my belief that PLAYERS make a wargame/RPG what it is,
and in creating this text, I hope that I have not infringed on your
copyrights, but instead have made an addition to the Internet Battletech
Community.

Permission is granted by the author to distribute this text as long as it
remains unchanged, no fee is charged and credit is given where it is due.



Now, without further ado, I am proud to present:

                  THE UNOFFICIAL BATTLETECH SURVIVAL GUIDE

                          Compiled By: Evan Jones
      Contributors: Jon Bezeau (Jonboy!), Lander Williams, Gary Kramer

The battlemech stomps on to the field. The pilot's skill was unmatched. How
  did he manage to become such a fearsome pilot? Years of battle? Hours of
        simulator time? Nope, he just memorized the Survival Guide.

This guide was created when I noticed there was no comprehensive guide to
battletech tactics. Sure, there are some basic texts, but no large guide
that deals with almost everything. This guide tries to achieve that goal.
We (The editor and contributors) know that in the current form this guide
does not deal with everything. With your help, it could become just that.
If you have submissions for this guide, look under the contact information
at the bottom of the guide.

Table of Contents

  1. Rules of Thumb
  2. Unit Type Laws
  3. Mech Construction/Selection Tips
  4. Lance Star Composition
  5. To-hit Chance Tables
  6. Editors Note/Contact Information


                               RULES OF THUMB

   These are rules that will generally help you while playing Battletech

Table of Contents

  1. The Law of Positioning
  2. The Movement Law
  3. The Law of Weapon Fire
  4. The Partial Cover Law
  5. The Law of the Rear Arc

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                          The Law of Positioning

This law is the most important. It is the aspect of Battletech that you
should consider before all the others.

Position is everything in Battletech. Mech combat is like low speed dog
fighting. Behind another mech's back is most often the location that each
pilot is trying to get to. If you do, you have a chance to pierce the
weaker back armour, and get shot at by less weapons at the same time. At
other times, you may wish to be on top of a hill, or run for cover, or head
for water, depending on the situation. Here are some steps to determine
where you want to be.

  1. Determine your overall battle goal
  2. Determine your goal for this turn
  3. Find possible locations that will help to reach these goals
  4. Chose the best position
  5. Do it

Here are the steps in detail.

1. Determine your overall battle goal
This simply means find what do you hope to achieve with this battle. Most
of the time it is simply annihilation of the enemy. With this goal in mind,
formulate a basic battle plan. It could be as simple as "We'll go one on
one" to something more complex. You may also want to have a secondary goal
in mind, so in case you are in position to complete the secondary goal then
you will probably want to do so. Most often secondary goals are things you
want to do, but will only do if the opportunity comes up while trying to
complete the main goal.

2. Determine your goal for this turn
In this step you must keep your battle plan in mind and decide where you
want to be. That is the most important you also will want to figure out
what you want to do with your mechs this turn. You should pick your
targets, and basically where you want to be or whatever else you want to
do.

3. Find possible locations that will help to reach these goals
Now you must test out possible locations that you want to get to. You want
to try to keep the other laws included in this section in mind (especially
Law 2!). Here is a list of good situations you will want to keep your eye
open for.

Offensive Situations:
These are if you want to kill some enemies

   * Back Shot:
     If you can get behind a mech, you probably want to do so. Unless of
     course the hex you would be in is covered by another mech.
   * Side Arcs:
     Often in a long battle you will have badly damaged one side of a mech,
     you want to be on that side to improve your weapon efficiency.
   * Retreat:
     Sometimes cutting off all combat options is a good idea. Retreat to a
     location where no enemy mechs can see you, like behind a hill or in
     deep forest. Then, if you really want to be protected, lie down. It
     will make you harder to find. This can enable you to set up an ambush,
     or else be able to attack the enemy when they don't suspect it or when
     the enemy is being repressed by your lance mates. Another few guns at
     such a crucial time can really make a diffrence and throw the enemy
     formation out of whack.

Defensive Situations:
These are if you want to keep some armour

   * Behind the Back:
     Usually there are less weapons facing rear on a mech so you will get
     hit less if you are behind one, unless it can flip arms. Mechs will
     most often rotate their torso when you are in this position, but they
     will only be able to hit you with one arm. If you can, make sure it is
     the weaker arm.
   * Cover:
     If you are in serious trouble head for forest, deep water or tall
     hills. Get yourself out of a mech's LOS or at least add a modifier to
     his roll.
   * Retreat:
     If you are in deep trouble, it could be a good idea to run. Get out of
     the LOS of all enemy mechs and lie down in some cover. By the time you
     come back out, Your lancemates should have been able to get the
     problem off your back, or else the mechs should be more damaged and
     lower on ammo. They could even think you ran away.
   * Use your range:
     If you have a range advantage, use it! Stay far away from your
     opponent and bombard them with long range firepower while they can't
     hit you. Or you can try to get them in your medium range while you are
     in their long range. It will make a difference!
   * Back to the wall:
     If you have a slower mech, get your back to a steep hill/cliff. That
     way you can fire upon him without worrying about the annoying back
     shot.

Other Situations:
These are situations that are not defensive OR offensive.

   * High Heat:
     Head for Level 1 or deeper water, just remember the Partial Cover Law!
     Another way to lower heat is to retreat until your heat goes down,
     then comeback ready to go.

4. Chose the best possible location
After you have ruled down the choices a bit you must now choose the best
location. Sometimes it is easy to pick, sometimes hard. Basically you want
to find a spot that will achieve your goals for the turn and will fit your
battle plan. You must remember what you want to do with this turn.. There
are no rules for this one. You must pick a location that YOU think is a
good one.

5. Do It!
Move your mech to the spot you picked. Easy eh?

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                             The Movement Law

This law is a law to remember.

The law is based on the fact that, if you want to hit and survive, it must
be harder for your opponent to hit you then it is for you to hit him. It is
inefficient to try to calculate all the terrain modifiers so just calculate
movement modifiers. You can follow this simple chart. It looks ugly in
HTML, better in ASCII.

Mode of Movement | At Least     | Better

Walking         |   3          |   5

Running         |   5          |   7

Jumping         |   5          |   7

The numbers are in hexes moved. The at least column is the target number of
hexes you need to move to get the same movement modifier to attack your
target as your target does to get you. The Better column is the minimum
number of hexes you need to move so your opponent has 1 more point of
movement modifier then you do.

Basically, positioning is more important, but this law will help. Here is
an example:

I'm in a Jenner, as shown in the TR3025. My target is in a Valkarie, as
shown. The terrain is all clear so I can just run towards him. I consult
the table. I want to run 7 hexes for my opponent to get a +3 modifier for
movement and I'll only get a +2. So I run straight towards him. To hit him
I need an 8, he needs a 9.

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                           The Weapons Fire Law

In order to take advantage of your array of weapons in your mech there is
an order you should fire your weapons in. First, I will define the two
types of weapons I will be talking about here.

  1. Punch Through Weapons:
     AC's, Medium Lasers, Large Lasers, PPCs.
  2. Find Critical Weapons:
     LBX AC's, SRMs, LRMs, Small Lasers, Machine Guns.

The Punch Through Weapons are ones that destroy large amounts of armour in
one location. These weapons are good for destroying the armour on a mech.
The best punch through weapon has to be the AC/20. The Find Critical
Weapons are weapons that spread the damage across locations. They have a
higher chance of finding damaged locations because when you hit with one
you make many hit rolls. Medium lasers can be find critical weapons as
well, depending on the number and the main weapon. The order you should
fire your weapons is this:

   * Punch Through Weapons
   * Find Critical Weapons

This order maximizes the efficiency of your weapons. When you use your
punch through weapons first you have a chance to "break" the external
armour and then you have a chance to score many criticals.

Example:

My mech has an LB 10-X AC and a PPC, I am in range for both weapons. I fire
my LB 10-X AC Cluster shot first. I hit and my shot scatters all over the
mech. I fire my PPC and it pierces my target's RA, rolls for critical hits,
and gets none. This could have gone better if I had fired my PPC first. It
may have gone something like this:

I fire my PPC. It pierces the RA armour. I roll for critical and get none.
I fire my LB 10-X AC Cluster and hit. 8 out of the 10 shots hit. The
locations are RT, CT, LA, LL, RA, LT, RT, RA. Two hits in the damaged area.
I roll for criticals and I get one. The critical destroys my opponent's ER
Large Laser, his biggest weapon.

NOTE: the LBX series of autocannons are excellent choices because they are
good punch though weapons and the best find critical weapons. It is
suggested if you have two tons of ammo to pick one of each kind.

Another thing you should keep in mind about your weapon systems is range.
You should never try to fight at a range that your mech is not equiped for.
If you have an archer you should not be within 6 hexes of your target. Here
is the law:

Stay in ranges where you have the same or lower range modifier as your
target for weapons that are:

  1. Require Ammunition
  2. Do lots of damage compared to your other weapons systems
  3. Create lots of heat

These shots should not be wasted, although your minor backup weapons will
suffer.
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                         The Law of Partial Cover

This law is based on the fact that if you have partial cover, there is a 1
in 6 chance of pegging the head, compared to a 1 in 36 chance normally.

Partial cover is a double edged sword. Sure, it gives your opponent a +3 to
hit modifier, but if he does hit, welcome to head hit land. Take a look at
the following chart.

Chance of hitting the head on a location roll with:

   * No partial Cover: 2.78%
   * Partial Cover: 16.67%

As you can see, the difference is quite alot. Here is the rule.

  1. Don't go into partial cover if the opponent has a to-hit roll of 8 or
     lower with partial cover. Its much too risky. The hit chance on an 8
     is a bit lower then 42%, the chances of getting hit in the head like
     that is really high, and that's BAD!
  2. Don't take partial cover if your opponent can hit with weapons that do
     15 or more damage in one location when his to-hit roll is 9 or lower.
     A 15 point hit destroys a head 100%. If he has multiple high damage
     weapons you must think twice. The hit chance for a to-hit roll with 9
     is 27%.
  3. Lots of find critical weapons (See Weapon Fire Order Law) are also
     bad. 6 head hits kill the pilot inside. Don't enter partial cover when
     a mech has many scatter weapons pointed at you. They have a high
     chance of killing you or at least knocking you out.
  4. You can use this law on offence as well. If your to-hit roll is low
     and the enemy is in partial coverthen a good procedure is to "stand
     and deliver" your weapons upon the target in partial cover, expecally
     if you have the aforemention scatter weapons or else the 15+ damage
     weapons.

                            The Law of the Rear Arc

     There is a position that you can stand your mech in and the enemy can
     not hit you. There are some misconceptions and confusions about this
     position however. Many people believe that the hexes marked with an R
     in the following graphic are untouchable. (The # is the mech, F is the
     forward arc, the A are the arm arcs and the R is the rear arc.

     \_/F\_/F\_/F\_/
     /A\_/F\_/F\_/A\_
     \_/A\_/#\_/A\_/
     /A\_/A\_/A\_/A\_
     \_/A\_/R\_/A\_/
     /A\_/R\_/R\_/A\_
     \_/R\_/R\_/R\_/
     /R\_/R\_/R\_/R\_

     This is simply untrue. The reason is because people forget that mech's
     can torso rotate one hexside right or left. The above mech's new
     firing arcs when it rotates one to the left is shown below.

     \_/F\_/F\_/A\_/
     /F\_/F\_/A\_/R\_
     \_/F\_/#\_/R\_/
     /F\_/F\_/R\_/R\_
     \_/F\_/A\_/R\_/
     /F\_/A\_/R\_/R\_
     \_/A\_/A\_/R\_/
     /A\_/A\_/A\_/R\_

     As you may notice, there is one row of hexes that is in the rear arc
     on both hexmaps. The rows of hexes that are in the rear arc in both
     the above diagrams is marked with an R (This will be explained in a
     moment), the ones that are still in the rear arc if the mech rotates
     right are marked with an L.

     \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/
     / \_/ \_/ \_/ \_
     \_/ \_/#\_/ \_/
     / \_/ \_/ \_/ \_
     \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/
     / \_/L\_/R\_/ \_
     \_/L\_/ \_/R\_/
     /L\_/ \_/ \_/R\_

     Now, if your mech was standing in the first hex marked with an R
     before the rotation, obviously the mech would just rotate right,
     instead of left, so you could be hit. But if that mech didn't have any
     weapons on the right arm, or had its arm shot off, your mech would be
     untouchable! So the law is thus:

       1. Try to get into your enemies rear arc, so you can only be shot
          with the weapons on one arm.
       2. If your enemy is missing an arm, or has no weapons on that arm,
          put your mech in an R hex if its missing its right arm and an L
          hex if its missing a left arm.

     Now that wasn't that hard now was it?


                         BATTLETECH UNIT TYPE LAWS

These laws are rules that you should always remember when you are piloting
a specific unit type. They try to use the advantages and eliminate the
disadvantages for each unit type.

Table of Contents

  1. The Light Mech/Vehicle Law
  2. The Assault Mech/Vehicle Law
  3. The Unarmoured Infantry Law
  4. The Armored Infantry Law

                         The Light Mech/Vehicle Law

Light mechs are a very important part of the Battletech Universe. Even
though they are the cheapest, you still want your mech to live as long as
possible.

  1. Speed and Terrain are Your Armour

     Since Light Mechs cannot survive very many direct hits due to their
     weak armour. To make sure that this doesn't kill you, you must use
     speed and terrain as your armour. Use them to your advantage to
     increase the enemies to-hit roll.

  2. Avoid Direct Confrontation

     Light Mechs usually don't stand up against any mech that is more then
     20 tons heavier then themselves. To survive as long as possible, avoid
     direct slug fights. Don't fight like an assault mech, fight like a
     light mech. The hit and run is the fighting style of fast units.
     Strike fast when the enemy isn't ready or has their back to you. Then
     before they can retaliate, run to cover.

                        The Assault Mech/Vehicle Law

Assault mechs and vehicles have a specialized role in the Battletech world.
This law is formulated into four points.

  1. Being Hit is BAD!!

     Even though you may have lots of armour, you want it to last as long
     as possible. Don't go into a battle thinking, "My mech's armour is
     invulnerable!". That kind of thinking loses battles.

  2. Do not move so that your penalty to hit a opponent is higher then your
     opponents!

     After all the point of an assault mech is to:

  3. Hit the enemy with a bigger salvo of weapons then he hit you

     This is the way battles are won between two equal tonnage assault
     mechs. You want to inflict more damage on your opponent inflicts upon
     you.

  4. Your range will generally be longer then your opponents.

     Use this to your advantage. Soften up their armour before they can put
     up a sufficient response.

NOTE: Assault Vehicles should use caution before entering slugfest combat.
Since all it takes is a bad roll on the hit location table to kill it, you
might want to take less in your face action.

                        The Unarmoured Infantry Law

Infantry have many disadvantages and a few advantages. The point of this
law is to use the advantages to the fullest and to reduce the
disadvantages.

  1. Cover is REQUIRED!

     Never ever have your infantry in the open when there is an enemy unit
     in range of your unit. ONLY take your infantry out of cover when there
     are no units that can fire upon you. This is a law without any
     exceptions. Getting hit with double damage sucks big time.

  2. Abushes are Effective

     Infantry are units with no match when it comes to ambush. When you can
     set your infantry up in such a manner DO SO, It increases infantries
     effectiveness immensely!

  3. Retreat is Impossible, Try Hiding

     With unaided infantry a retreat is impossible. When in a situation
     where retreat is required, have your infantry hide in some heavy cover
     until the front ether gets pushed back or passes the infantry. When
     most of the units are gone your infantry can march to where they are
     going without getting slaughtered. If you have infantry transport
     vehicles, retreat is possible.

  4. Do Not Send The Good After The Bad

     When infantry is in trouble, never risk any other unit to try to save
     them. Infantry can save infantry but do not use mechs to save them.
     Mechs cannot be replaced very easily, infantry can. The only exception
     to this rule is if you were planning to attack anyway.

                             The Elemental Law

Elemental are much better then regular infantry, but they still suffer from
some restrictions. To make effective use of infantry follow these
guidelines.

  1. Elementals Need Support!

     Elementals are only useful when supported by mechs or else when
     fighting vehicles or infantry. Even a star of elementals cannot kill 1
     mech when unsupported. When backed up by some mechs they become a
     small threat that pilots cannot ignore.

  2. Ammo Doesn't Last Forever

     The main weapon of armored infantry is of course the SRM packs.
     Without it elementals aren't nearly as useful. You only have two shots
     of this weapon. Make them count!


                    MECH CONSTRUCTION AND SELECTION TIPS

These tips are suggestions on what to look for in a mech. They can also be
used when designing a mech. Basically its an order of things to look for in
a mech design. Each section will be followed by a brief example of a mech
being created.

Mech Choosing/Design Tips

  1. What role(s) will the mech be used for?
  2. Are there any restrictions placed upon your picking/designing?
  3. What features do you like in a mech?
  4. Movement Points
  5. Armour
  6. Defensive/Offensive Armament
  7. Pick a mech!

1. What role(s) will the mech be used for?
The first thing you must do before starting to look at mech designs is you
must choose what is (are) the role(s) that this mech will be used for? Here
is a list of mech roles.

   * Recon
     Fast movement, Good armour, Jump jets and/or active probe if possible.
     Ex: Locust

   * Light Mech Hunter
     Good movement, 5+ damage good range weapons, or LBX with shot and
     scatter. Ex: Phoenix Hawk

   * Infantry Killer
     Lots of machine guns and medium range weapons, Average speed. Ex:
     Stinger

   * Vehicle Hunter
     Average movement, many find critical weapons (see rules of thumb) Ex:
     Jenner

   * Medium Mech Hunter
     Lightly armed, Heavy armour, Fast heavy mech or assault mech. Ex:
     Grasshopper

   * Fire Support
     Many long range weapons, LRMs, ER lasers, etc. Ex: Archer

   * Close Support
     Lots of different weapons, Armour is not a priority. Ex: Hatchetman

   * Front Line
     Good mix of armour and weapons, heat sinks not very important. Ex:
     Warhammer

   * Point Guard
     Assult mech, priority is armour and weapons, speed is slow. Designed
     to trudge ahead while the battle moves around it. Ex: Atlas

After you have chosen the role it will play you must think about the
requirements for this role. If your mech needed to be a fire support mech
it needs long range weapon systems plus some short range things to be able
to hold off attackers that get close until help can come. If it's a light
mech hunter it needs to be fast enough to catch light mechs but with enough
firepower to blow them away. The requirements for the mech's role will
allow you to rule out some mechs as a possibility.

Ex: I wish to design a light mech hunter. I look at the list and find it
requires good movement, weapons that do 5 or more damage and have good
range or else an LBX.

2. Are there any restrictions placed upon your picking/designing?
If there are any restrictions placed upon you, this greatly narrows down
your options and speeds up the search. What's the point of looking at 100
ton mechs when you need a 20 ton one?

Ex: Well, there are some restrictions. The mech must be a light mech (10-35
tons) and must have enough tonnage for good speed with good damage weapons.
I decide that I had better decide upon the main weapon type before going
any further. I decide that the PPC is a good weapon for light mech killing.
It will require 7 tons of weapon space. Looking over other 3025 designs
(this is a Level 1 design), I find that 30 ton mechs have 7 tons of weapon
space with enough left over to have some support weapons. I decide to make
my mech 30 tons.

3. What features do you like in a mech?
If you have certain features you like in a mech, you will probably do
better in a mech that has these features. I'm partial to mechs with Jump
Jets, simply because I like the extra maneuverability options and its a
good way to get away from another mech. I tend to do better in mechs with
Jump Jets because I like them, and I have changed games my fighting style
accordingly. If you are designing a mech, you may not be able to include
the features you like, because they don't fit the role of your mech.

Ex: As stated above I like jump jets. The problem is for a light mech
killer, it probably won't have enough room for them after all the weapons
and equipment it needs for the role. So probably my mech won't get JJs.

4. Movement Points
The speed of a mech is very important and is a good start in ruling out
mechs. You must pick the speed of your mech carefully. Even if you have a
mech that speed is not very important (like a fire support mech) you do not
want a mech that is too slow. You still want to be able to escape or at
least stay your distance from other mechs. You must decide a range of walk
speed, and also weather you want jump jets or not. You can rule out any
mechs that are not in the MP range you pick.

NOTE: MASC is an interesting case. You must not think that MASC speeds are
permanent. They are not. In fact, to use MASC more then 2 turns in a row is
deadly. You must think of MASC as a burst of speed, you cannot count on it
all the time.

Ex: Well, this mech needs to be able to move enough to chase down enemy
light mechs. I take a look in the Technical Readout and I find that most
light mechs have 6 walk MP. I decide that this is a good speed to have my
mech move. Sure, I won't be able to catch the faster ones, but a few solid
hits from my PPC is all I require to put one down.

5. Armour
Armour is another factor that is easy to compare between mechs. You must
consider how important good armour is to your mech's role. If you mech's
role is a "break through" mech, you better have at least average armour for
its weight class. If you mech's armour is below average for its weight
class it must ether be able to move fast, or else have LOTS of weapons.

Ex: This mech needs lots of armour. After looking at other light mechs I
decide to go with 6 tons of armour. I want my mech to have LOTS of
protection, and 6 tons is all I can throw on. It can take a beating
compared to other light mechs.

6. Defensive/Offensive Armament
The next thing you should compare between the mechs/choices you have left
is armament. You want to pick weapons that will fit the best in your mech's
role. You also don't want to pick a mech that relies completely on ammo,
unless you will be able to resupply easily. It is okay to have your mech's
main weapon be ammo reliant, especially if you have enough ammo to go about
15 rounds of continuous firing with it. A nice balance of ammo and energy
weapons is good. Another thing you want to look at is range. You don't want
to be stuck in something that has only short range weapons, unless it can
move fast to close with the enemy. On the other side of the coin is you
don't want to be stuck with a long range weapon that has a minimum range
and no short range weapons to cover it. Another point is heat. You want to
pick a mech that doesn't overheat at all when it fires off it's main
weapons. If it overheats when it fires all of it's weapons that's okay, and
it also mean you must use good judgment. In the end you must pick the mix
between:

   * Ammo Weapons --------------------- Energy Weapons
   * Long Range --------------------- Short Range
   * Low/No Heat --------------------- High Heat

Defensive Armament is a different matter. The anti missile systems are good
if you think you will encounter mechs with missiles. If you expect lasers
and autocannons, not worth the space/weight. ECMs are defiantly a good
thing. They block many electronics and the aid is not just for your mech,
but your whole lance/star. The drawback with them is mechs with ECMs tend
to be fire magnets. If your mech has one, be prepared for it.

For the most part you must judge weather you like a mech's Armament or not,
because you will be the one using it, not me.

Ex: Well, after looking at what I have left, I decide to go with the PPC,
for punch and range.. Then as close in support weapons I decide to go with
the infallible Medium Lasers. This mech will have heat problems at close
range but that's okay. One salvo should be enough to slag a light mech.

7. Pick a mech!
The steps above are for ruling out possibilities while selecting a mech.
Now you must pick between the remaining mechs. What one do you like best?

Ex: Well, now I flesh out my design. I finish all the stuff I'm supposed to
when I design a mech. The Information sheet for it follows.

Permission granted for personal use, as long is credit is given where it is
due.

Level 1 Light BattleMech
Designed by Evan Jones
Name: VKG-1A Viking
Tons:30
Walk:6
Run:9
Jump:0
Heat Sinks:10

Armour Factor:
H:8
CT:16
CT(R):4
LT/RT:11
LT/RT(R):3
RA/LA:6
LL/RL:14

Equipment:
PPC: LT
Medium Laser(X2): RT

Variant:
For a cheaper Viking, remove all arm actuators.


                      BATTLETECH LANCE/STAR COMPOSTION

This section is to help you to decide what types of mech you want to place
in your lance. The mech types are from the Mech Selection/Design tips
section. This section introduces the following lance types:

   * Recon Lance
     This lance has speed as a priority, electronic searching gear helps
     too. A bit of support for the weaker units are required as well.
   * Light Mech Hunter Lance
     This lance operates as an effencient unit to destroy as many light
     mechs as possible. A blend of speed and firepower is a priority.
   * Riot Suppression Lance
     This lance is suited for anti-infantry, anti-vehicle and anti-light
     mech combat.
   * Fire Support Lance
     A lance that supplies long range firepower to front line units. Long
     range firepower with some close support or front line units for
     additional protection.
   * Main Battle Lance
     This lance is designed to do the brunt of the fighting. Mostly front
     line with some close support added in. Mostly Medium-Heavy Mechs.
   * Mixed Battle Lance
     This lance is made for heavy fighting, but is more varied then the
     main battle lance. This lance has some front line/close support units
     but adds a specialty unit (fire support, light mech hunter etc etc)
     for more varied assignments.
   * Assult Battle Lance
     This is a heavy lance, formed with point guards and front line units.
     This lance is designed to trudge ahead and simply crush the front
     line.

Here is the chart. For the different lance types see above. For the mech
types see the mech selection/design tips. The mechs in brackets are for
clan stars.

Lance Type      | Suggestion Lance Composition
________________|_____________________________
Recon           | S,S,S,KL (+KL)
________________|_____________________________
Light Hunter    | S,KL,KL,FS (+KL)
________________|_____________________________
Riot Suppress   | S,KL,KV,KI (+FS)
________________|_____________________________
Fire Support    | FS,FS,FS,CS (+FL)
________________|_____________________________
Main Battle     | FL,FL,CS,CS (+FL)
________________|_____________________________
Mixed Battle    | FL,FL,CS,FS (+CS)
________________|_____________________________
Assult Battle   | PG,PG,FL,FL (+FL)
________________|_____________________________

Legend:

S: Scout
KL: Light Mech Hunter
KV: Vehicle Hunter
KI: Infantry Hunter
FS: Fire Support
CS: Close Support
FL: Front Line
PG: Point Guard


                      BATTLETECH TO-HIT CHANCE TABLES

This section has the tables for all the to-hit rolls you can make. Knowing
what your chances of hitting an opponent are can help you to decide if it
is worth firing your last AC round.

Table of Contents

  1. To-Hit Chance
  2. Location hit chance:
       1. Normal
       2. Punch
       3. Kick

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            To-Hit Chance Chart

This chart simply tells you what the chances of hitting an opponent are
when you have to roll a given number.

Number  | % Chance| Fraction Chance
________|_________|________________
2       | 100%    | 36/36
3       | 97%     | 35/36
4       | 92%     | 33/36
5       | 83%     | 30/36
6       | 62%     | 26/36
7       | 58%     | 21/36
8       | 42%     | 15/36
9       | 28%     | 10/36
10      | 17%     | 6/36
11      |  8%     | 3/36
12      |  3%     | 1/36

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Location Hit Chance:Normal

This chart gives you the chances to hit a given location, in both
percentage and fraction form. This is simply the normal hit location table
on the front. To find the chance to hit a given location, find it's roll on
the chart, and then look it up here.

Roll   | % Chance | Fraction Chance
_______|__________|________________
2      | 3%       | 1/36
3      | 8%       | 3/36
4      | 17%      | 6/36
5      | 28%      | 10/36
6      | 42%      | 15/36
7      | 58%      | 21/36
8      | 42%      | 15/36
9      | 28%      | 10/36
10     | 17%      | 6/36
11     | 8%       | 3/36
12     | 3%       | 1/36

NOTE: The torsos (Center, left and right) get hit more often then thier
roll. THe hit chance of a torso section that is on the side that corisponds
to the column you are rolling against is 61% and 22/36.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Location Hit Chance:Punch

All the locations are the same for punch location.

Chance to hit a given location with a punch: 17% or 1/6

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          Location Hit Chance:Kick

All the kick location to-hit chances are the same.

Chance to hit a given location with a kick: 50% or 1/2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


                     EDITOR'S NOTE/CONTACT INFORMATION

This is the first release of the survival guide, and is in it's development
stage. If you have any one wishing to contact me can do so at the addresses
below:

Evan Jones
jonesev@cadvision.com          Through Internet
Evan Jones,Macremote           Through Onenet

What do you think? I would like to hear YOUR opinion on the guide. Any
additions? Any new additions to the guide (new sections, additions to
sections, what you would like to see, etc etc) are also welcome. Do you
want to be a beta reader, and have your input form the next release of this
guide? Please, contact me.

Credits:

I would like to give a big thank you to my contributers/beta readers, Jon
Bezeau (Jonboy!), Lander Williams and Gary Kramer. Without thier input and
comments, this guide would be a mess and have MANY holes in it!. I would
also like to thank Joshua Damon Bradley, for a message that he posted on
tactics to RGM, and that I found on some webpage somewhere. That text was
the best thing on tactics I have ever found. It inspired me to create this
guide, Thanks Joshua. Lastly, I would like to thank everyone on RGM, and
everyone who has a battletech webpage. If RGM wasn't out there, I wouldn't
have done this, and you guys also gave me some tactic tips.

WANTED:

Do you have a GREAT trick that always gets people, at least the first time
around? Do you want to share it? If so, WE WANT YOUR TRICK! So send them to
Evan Jones at the address above. A trick is simply a little move which can
be done if the conditions are right, and helps you out. The following is a
trick.

If you have 3 mechs against 1 mech, next time your team wins initiative,
arrange your mechs in a triangular pattern, facing inward, with the enemy
mech in the middle. This way, if the enemy turns toward one of the mechs,
two are always firing at the back. If you lose initiative, just back up the
mechs so the triangle is bigger, hopfully so the enemy can't get out of the
middle. This trick works wonders with locusts.

