At ease, cadets. I am Commander Justin Welsh and I will be your instructor for this portion of Tactics and Support. I received my commission in 3023. During my career with the Davion Guards I have served as a fire lance commander, an executive officer, and on battalion staff as the operations officer. This is my second year as an instructor at the academy. I will be instructing you in the specialized employment of fire mechs when used in a supporting role, based on their unique strengths and weaknesses. We will begin with a refresher course in ancient history.
Since the invention of the bow, long-range killing potential has always been an advantage. A lightly armed archer could slay a mounted knight if he could get in the killing shot before the knight got too close. This was true of the English longbowmen and of the Mongols, whose weapon's long range and power gave them victory. Even after the invention of firearms, the progression from musket to rifle and so on proved that the soldier with the longer ranged, more accurate weapon had the upper hand. Today, effective use of long-range firepower during a battle can sway victory to your side.
Artillery is devastating, but has several limitations. Most artillery units are not capable of keeping up with a fast paced offense. Transporting them on planet for raids is impractical. As conventional vehicles, they cannot be used in hostile environments. In the close fight, armored forces easily overrun artillery units. Even if these weren't true, as in the case of the Catapult-mounted Arrow-IV system, artillery still has one major drawback. It is typically an asset that is shared and given to priority efforts. This means that your call for fire is a request. You may or may not get it, and you will spend precious minutes waiting for it. This brings me to the topic of the day: fire mechs.
Quite simply, a fire mech is any mech armed with long-range missiles. Usually a good fire lance will be a mix of mechs equipped with many LRM racks and little else and mechs with a few LRMs, but good close-in defense weapons. Any effective attack needs the ranged support provided by fire mechs. It is your hip-pocket artillery. You can it is responsive, capable of providing direct and indirect fires, and has the ability to keep up with forces on the move. As with any other mech, though, a fire mech can be the worst thing to pilot if you don't have any concept of how to use it.
Many young mechwarriors think that the best way to use a mech is: a. find the target. b. get really close to it. c. pound it to scrap. They also think bigger is better and long to strap on an Atlas. It is a teaching point that a well-piloted Griffin can disable a Marauder. Of course, if you tried to follow those slugfest rules, yes, the Griffin would be a radioactive grease spot. But, what if the Griffin was firing indirectly? Or suppose the Griffin pilot made use of his mobility to stay at extreme range and remain a difficult target. Should the Griffin be coordinating with his lancemates in the attack, chances are he could remain free of the closer fighting and provide fire wherever needed. Learning to use fire mechs properly is invaluable.
One ideal way to use fire mechs is to first find a ridge about 400 meters away from the enemy. You completely conceal the fire-support mechs behind the ridge and use your attacking forces as spotters (Infantry are excellent for this type of duty). Indirect fire has the advantage of leaving your fire lance unscathed while pouring down missiles on the enemy.
This tactic will work for any type of fire mech, but there's one drawback. You had best have a lot of ammo since indirect fire with LRMs is rather inaccurate. Massing fires is the most effective way to use indirect fire. The entire Fire Lance should take down one target at a time. Additionally, it is unnerving to be taking fire from an unseen enemy.
If you force the enemy to come to you, while taking damage the whole way, you're that much better off. If you have the time and forces available, plan for fallback positions and a screening force. Even without a screen you can bound back, laying down suppressive fire the whole way while remaining at the edge of the enemy's effective range. You can play this game until your ammo racks run dry.
In the case of light and most medium fire mechs, you would do well to remember your earlier courses in lightweight tactics. Keep moving. Run and jump your machine to its limits. This will throw of your aim, but it will throw off the enemy's aim more! Also, don't come within 200 meters of the enemy, if you can help it. Doing that would put you in excellent range for their heavier weapons. Since the tracking systems in LRMs need to arm before they hit, you run the risk of throwing off your aim even more. Your speed advantage also means that you can bring fire to bear where it's needed faster than a heavy. Keep moving, skirting the battle and harassing the enemy's flanks. In these tactics lay the strength of the "weaker" fire mechs.
When it comes to keeping the heavies intact, stay behind cover. The heavier fire mechs don't have the speed to dodge fire, and running will just hurt you more than your enemy. Even if indirect fire would be impractical for your situation, find a low ridge or some woods. Many cadets feel that when they're in an Archer they can fight as if they're in a Warhammer, with little change in technique. They are wrong. The added weight of the mech is prone to make you cocky. Say your Archer has spotted a damaged Wolverine, but you're out of ammo. Do not, I say again, do not go "finish him off". Even with your heavier armor, your two medium lasers are no match for his firepower at close ranges. In short, he'll have you for lunch. Why do you think they removed two of the Intek Medium Lasers from the new Whitworths? A rule of thumb: unless you have more than a pair of medium lasers, don't close with your target.
Considering current events, the role of fire mechs has become even more important now than ever. Why? The Clans. End of discussion. Not only do they have weapons that are lighter and deadlier, they also happen to be the soldiers with the longer ranged, more accurate weapons. You remember what that means. This also means that they can draw a bead on us with more weapons than we can carry while half of our weapons are still out of range anyway. The only mechs that don't lose as much of their effectiveness against the Clans are the fire mechs. Overall, though, it's even more crucial than usual to occupy the Clanners with long-range fire until the main force can close to optimum range.
Firepower isn't the only strength of a fire lance. Tactics can sway a battle more certainly than firepower, since tactics are the methods of employing the forces at hand. If you have them at your disposal, specialty missiles can aid many battle plans. Smoke has been used for years to obscure the line-of-sight between you and a target, thereby giving you temporary cover. Smoke rounds have the advantage of being an instant smoke screen wherever you need it. This is particularly effective against forces that have longer ranged weapons than you. Yes, that means the Clans. A smoke screen will force them to do one of three things: go around it, wait for it to disperse, or come through it. If they come through it, you decide at what range you are when they see you! While they approach the smoke screen, move to an optimum range, take cover, hide, or do anything to give them a nasty surprise as they emerge from the screen. Using smoke wisely can give you an immediate tactical advantage.
The rediscovered Thunder LRMs are also another possibility for non-standard missiles. Despite the fact that the enemy often knows where the minefields are that are planted during battle, don't underestimate their use. First of all, they can be used to manipulate where the enemy moves. They will probably avoid the minefield, allowing you to herd them at will. You can then lead them into preset mines, ambushing infantry, or unfavorable terrain. Even if they don't avoid the mines, they'll take damage for making that choice. This is particularly effective since most Clan mechs don't mount jump jets. Thunder munitions are also effective at reseeding minefields that have been breached without risking your engineer assets. Mines are just another of the weapons you can use to even up a battle with your foe.
At the NAIS, our armaments specialists have designed a new weapon to combat the Clan's range advantage. This new munition is the ELRM, or Extended Long-Range Missiles. These rockets have extra boosters attached that power the warheads over 500 meters farther than standard LRMs. This distance surpasses anything the Clans have thrown at us yet. Effective use of these missiles could have a significant impact on the outcomes of future battles. Naturally, there are some drawbacks. The booster rocket creates a very long minimum range. This should only be a problem if a unit is overrun. The other issue is the lack of availability. Any commander would kill for a supply of these. Hopefully, these will soon be commonplace armaments along with smoke and Thunder rounds.
To sum it up, fire mechs are a valuable asset to any force. When used properly based on weight, armament, skill, and mission, a fire lance can be a power to be reckoned with. Keep your mechs intact whenever possible. Always consider your ammunition supply. Stay flexible while using your assets. Don't be afraid to improvise or order some of your mechs to be armed with specialty missiles. There are no guarantees, but, if you follow these rules, you might have a better chance of coming out on top and, more importantly, alive.
Since I don't want your first practical test of these skills to leave you dead, you will be given a simulated mission so you can apply your knowledge. You will be briefed upon arrival, and you will be graded. All right, cadets, on your feet! Double-time it to the simulators...
Jeronimo
Draconis Combine
September 3050
In keeping with our current cooperation with the Draconis Combine against the Clans, we will make use of information on an engagement in which the Dracs used the previously discussed tactics successfully during the invasion. During the fourth wave of the Clan invasion, the Smoke Jaguars attacked Jeronimo with the Third Jaguar Cavaliers, Delta Galaxy. The initial bid pit the defending Fifth Galedon Regulars up against Trinary Assault and Binary Elemental. The Regulars stubbornly held out in their fortifications in the Topside Woods. The Clan commander was forced to break his bid and called down Second Trinary Battle.
The ensuing frontal assault broke the Fifth's lines and left the Regulars with no choice but to abandon the planet. Some forces were assigned to slow the Clan pursuit elements. Among these were elements of Fire Lance, Company A and Fire Lance, Company B, Nakijama's Battalion. Battle Star, Second Trinary Battle, ran headlong into the awaiting hail of the fire mechs. The Fifth's dropships soon lost contact with the delaying units. They have been listed "Missing in Action". Due to their sacrifice, a battalion and a half of the Regulars survived to leave the planet.
You have been ordered to hold your position until the attackers are destroyed, or until you are destroyed. Your mechs may carry standard, Thunder, or smoke LRMs. Good luck cadets.
Setup: Use the Map Set #2, Scattered Woods and Mountain Stream. Set them up so that the stream in the Scattered Woods is attached to the south edge of the Mountain Stream.
Defenders:
Elements of Fire Lance, Company A
Chu-i Tedori Nugami (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3) Crusader CRD-4K
Aleksi Tesaki (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4) Thunderbolt TDR-7M
Richard Long (Piloting 5, Gunnery 3) Grand Dragon DRG-5K
Elements of Fire Lance, Company B
Chu-i Hans Kaufman (Piloting 4, Gunnery 4) Whitworth WTH-2
Nobu Shingen (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3) Trebuchet TBT-7M
Leo Gensi (Piloting 5, Gunnery 4) Griffin GRF-3M
Deployment: Place units anywhere on the Scattered Woods map.
Attackers
Battle Star, Second Trinary Battle
Star Captain Alexander (Piloting 2, Gunnery 2) Man O' War
Mechwarrior Silas (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3) Thor
Mechwarrior Martin (Piloting 4, Gunnery 2) Mad Cat-A
Mechwarrior Gaspar (Piloting 4, Gunnery 3) Puma
Mechwarrior Faust (Piloting 3, Gunnery 3) Ryoken-C
Deployment: Attackers enter the far edge of the Mountain Stream map on the first turn.
Victory Conditions: The Defender must destroy or inflict considerable damage (three mechs disabled) on the enemy prior to being destroyed. The attacker is naturally trying to overrun the defenders. They may do this and exit the opposite side of the map after destroying or inflicting considerable damage (four mechs disabled) on the defenders.