Computers - http://maxpages.com/catzmm/Mech_Warrior

No need to lead with these puppies
We all want to be feared MechWarriors, to have Mplayer's denizens tremble at the mention of our name. To that end we search for the perfect mouse, the best joystick, the most efficient hotkey combination. But piloting a BattleMech is only half of the domination combination. To win you must not only pilot well, but also build the proper 'Mech for the job, fire the correct weapons for the target.

BattleMech construction is as much of an art as it is a science. Explaining how to build a 'Mech for every mission could fill an entire volume, but employing the general weapon tips found below with sound construction strategies should put you in the winner's circle more often than not. So grab your neuro-helmet and let's get going.

Pretty, but lethal
Those Wonderful Weapons
One of the most important aspects of both 'Mech construction and 'Mech piloting is weapon selection. A poorly or inappropriately equipped BattleMech can frustrate the most capable pilot. There are a dropship full of weapons in Mechwarrior 3, but they all fit into three classes: Energy Weapons, Projectile Weapons, and Missile Weapons. Let's take a look at the relative merits and demerits of each.

To Lase or not to Lase
Energy weapons include the game's lasers and, for lack of a better place to categorize it, the Particle Projection Cannon (PPC) as well. Lasers are awesome weapons; in addition to running the gamut of ranges and damage levels, they have several other features that both MechWarriors and the Techs who build their machines should appreciate.

Take the plunge that cools
Lasers shoot straight. You don't need to lead your opponents—mostly. There is a short delay between the instant you think "Fire," the act of squeezing the trigger, and the impact of the laser bolt. Because lasers hit what you're aiming for, at the second you are aiming for it, they are a good choice on beginner's first 'Mechs.

Lasers shoot a lot. A laser's ammo doesn't deplete. This is another reason lasers are good beginner weapons. Newbies need lots of shots to take out opposing 'Mechs. Those shots are available if you are packing lasers.

Finally, lasers weigh less than comparable projectile weapons. In fact, they weigh a whole lot less when you add the projectile weapon's ammunition into the equation. For example, a medium laser weighs in at a mere two tons and inflicts medium damage. On the other hand the LB-5X Autocannon, which also deals medium damage, weighs a hefty seven tons, and that's before loading the ammunition onboard. Accordingly, small to medium lasers are the weapons of choice on the smaller BattleMechs.

Love that Autocannon knockdown power
But lasers do have a drawback. Ton for ton they generate more heat than almost any other weapon in the game (the PPC generates the most heat). So although you won't need to carry a lot of ammunition, you will need to buff up a laser-toting 'Mech with more heat sinks than you would if armed with missiles or guns. Use double heat sinks whenever possible. Clan doubles are the best bet; they use fewer criticals than their Inner Sphere counterparts.

On missions with lots of water, you can take off a couple of heat sinks. Wading in the water drastically speeds up heat reduction (anyone from Florida can testify to that) and favors laser toting 'Mechs.

Gauss Rifles will reach out and touch someone from long range
"In the all the excitement I forgot how many shots I took myself."
Guns are not necessarily the best weapons in the game, but knocking a Black Hawk off it's feet with a spurt of Autocannon rounds or taking off an enemy's leg with a single Gauss Rifle shot is awfully amusing. Projectile weapons do have quite a bit going for them, but there are also some cons.

Lethality is projectile weapons greatest advantage. An Ultra Autocannon or Gauss Rifle are two of the battlefield's most deadly weapons. Additionally, the bigger projectile weapons have a tremendous amount of knockdown power. Frequently, Autocannon and Gauss Rifle hits will not only damage the enemy 'Mech, but knock it off its feet.

Machine Guns can kill
Projectile weapons create very little heat. A Gauss Rifle generates the same amount of heat as a Small Laser, but packs much more of a wallop at a much greater range. You can get away with using fewer heat sinks on 'Mechs that use projectile weapons as their main armament.

Although projectile weapons produce less heat than most other weapon systems, they are also much heavier. An Autocannon 20 weighs in at a hefty 14 tons; a PPC weighs only 7. You simply can not fit a Gauss Rifle on a light 'Mech. Moreover, projectile weapons need ammunition, and some of them need a lot of it. Gauss Rifles only get eight shots per ton of ammo, so if you intend to make Gauss Rifles your 'Mech's main weapon, you better set aside some serious room for bullets.

Targeting is also an issue. Projectile weapons hit where you shoot, at range the impact is not immediate, and enemies have a nasty habit of moving after you pull the trigger. Hence, the shells hit where they were, not where they are. Although Gauss Rifles can reach out and touch someone at almost 900 meters, they won't often finger the opponent unless fired by an experienced MechWarrior.

LRMs do a lot of damage
On the flip side of the coin, Machine Guns are easy to lay on target, but rarely damage it. They are useful against the light vehicles frequently encountered in the early campaign missions—why waste Autocannon ammunition when you have a Machine Gun? Machine Guns are useless in multiplayer games, however.

The final projectile weapon is not real a weapon—the AMS, or Anti-Missile System. Similar to the device that has been tested on U.S. Army Abrams tanks the AMS tracks and engages incoming missiles. The system isn't foolproof, if there are more missiles inbound than it can shoot down, you'll still be hit. That's why it's a good idea to take more than one.

I Have Lock
Missiles are the easiest weapons to lay on the target. All missiles are smart weapons, giving them the widest target envelope of all Mechwarrior 3 weapons. They are not, however, infallible. Fast moving 'Mechs must still be led, and targets equipped with the ubiquitous AMS will shoot down some missiles. Nevertheless, most well built BattleMechs should include some type of missile launchers.

Missile lock is not the cure-all for bad targeting...
In general missiles are lighter than projectile weapons and generate less heat than lasers. This is especially true of the Clan launchers (by the way, if Clan stuff is so good, and their warriors are genetically bred, why do they always lose?). A Clan LRM 15 weighs 3.5 tons—approximately half the weight of the Inner Sphere equivalent. That 3.5 ton weight is less than any projectile weapon (Machine Guns excepted) yet deals more damage than all but the Autocannon 20 types (assuming all the missiles hit).

By the same token, the LRM 15 (Inner Sphere or Clan) spews less heat than all but the minor energy weapons. Correspondingly you can fire more missiles, inflicting a greater amount of damage, than you normally can with Lasers.

So, what's the drawback? Missiles lack the instant impact of Lasers—the birds take time to travel to their target, and like their projectile brethren, missile launchers require ammunition. Furthermore, missiles are the only weapons that can be intercepted in flight. So unlike Lasers and cannons, not all missiles will reach their target. To add insult to injury, pilots who favor "missile boats" tend to be shunned by their multiplayer comrades (do you care?).

Concerns aside, most 'Mechs need missiles. Streak SRMs, with their low weight, smart warheads, and minimal heat generation are a good addition to any 'Mech's short-range arsenal. LRMs can often provide some much-needed long-range punch (as can Gauss Rifles, ER PPCs, and ER Large Lasers for that matter).

The Ultimate Weapon
So what's the ultimate weapon on which to build a 'Mech? Sorry, but there isn't one. What weapons work best depend on the gamer's style and the mission or multiplayer game at hand. Examine the map before building your 'Mech-go heavy on the Lasers for coastal missions, use short-ranged weapons when fighting in close terrain, and build 'Mechs with plenty of long range punch for those wide-open battles.

...But Streak SRMs may be
In general, the best 'Mech is a well rounded 'Mech. Each Mechwarrior 3 battle is unpredictable. A player relying on a 'Mech equipped only with long range weapons may find themselves in an up-close and personal slugfest—the BattleMech equivalent of bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Snap a variety of weapons on your 'Mech. Not too big a variety—you still want to amass potent weapon groups—but a solid mix of the three categories and the three ranges. If you lean toward a specific weapon, lean toward the mid-range, mid-damage weapons such as the Medium Laser, LB-5X Autocannon, and LRM-5.

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment. There may be an ultimate 'Mech design, but I haven't found it. Nevertheless, with enough time you may. Good luck, and good hunting.

mmorphon00@yahoo.com

Visitors: 00124

Page Updated Mon Feb 28, 2000 8:25pm EST