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Kahn AttackMode's Greeting
Greetings and welcome to the Goliath Scorpion Command Acadamy. At The Academy the prospective
Mechwarrior will be hurtled into the cockpit of the ultimate walking avatar of war known as a Battlemech. Mechwarriors are
amongst the most highly intensively trained men and women available in the galaxy and our job here is to train and educate
these young men and women and to develop their leadership skills to produce a commissioned leader of character who possesses
the will to win, personal courage, adaptability and mental toughness all of which are essential to the profession of arms
in the first steps in a career of professional excellence as a Mechwarrior.
The professional development and the training received at GSCA prepares our cadets for the diverse
responsibilities necessary to become Mechwarrior. In order to graduate from The Academy the cadet must demonstrate the capacity,
the competence and the courage to command and lead in an operational theatre. They have to develop and demonstrate the necessary
skills to motivate, train and develop those for whom they are responsible. They must master these principles, lead by personal
example and place their concerns, well being and comfort after those of their subordinates.
Honor, integrity and courage above and beyond the call of duty.
"If you do your part, we'll do our part!"
Greetings and welcome to the Goliath Scorpion Command Acadamy. Our job here is to train and
educate young men and women, to develop their leadership skills so that they can take their place on the battlefield as a
Mechwarrior.
At Goliath Scorpion Command Academy you will be hurtled onto the battlefields of the
31st century and into the cockpit of the ultimate walking avatar of war known as a Battlemech. Up to thirty feet tall and
weighing from 25 to 100 tons, these mechanized monsters are the basic elements of battle in a time and place where war has
become a way of life as vast empires and tiny factions battle for control of mankind and human lives are cheaper than water.
Mechs are armed to the teeth with autocannons, lasers, short, medium, and long range missiles,
and particle projection cannons or PPCs some of these fusion-powered war machines of articulated armor also carry hatchets
and axes to attack other mechs in hand-to-hand combat. Weapons are mounted on different parts of the body, resulting in varying
arcs of fire. As a mechwarror you will be amongst the most highly intensively trained men and women available in the galaxy.
Being a Mechwarrior is a great privilege as well as a stimulating challenge.
The GSCA aims to develop
each Cadet into a commissioned leader of character who possesses the will to win, personal courage, adaptability and mental
toughness essential to the profession of arms, and is inspired to a career of professional excellence as a Mechwarrior.
As a cadet at GSCA, your ultimate aim is to become a Mechwarrior. The professional development
and the training you will receive at GSCA will prepare you for your diverse responsibilities necessary to become Mechwarrior.
Fundamentally, you must demonstrate at GSCA the capacity, the competence and the courage to command and lead in an operational
theatre. You Base your decisions on solid moral and ethical values. Allow no discrimination, ill treatment or cruelty, and
welcome the strength that diversity brings. Ensure that the activities of your unit and the actions of your personnel are
in accordance with the rules and regulations as agreed and laid down within the great tomes of war.
Be professional and continually improve your competence as a leader through education,
training, experience and self-improvement. In combat, fight to win and demonstrate skill, imagination, courage and fortitude.
Discharge all your duties in compliance with the regulations the laws of armed conflict and
the appropriate international conventions.
Respect and uphold the customs and traditions of the Star League and of the Goliath Scorpions.
Duty and readiness for risk are at the core of your responsibilities.
Guided by these fundamental principles, you pledge to act ethically and carry out your duties
with :
Allegiance: You will be loyal and faithful to your subordinates,
superiors and peers;
Honor: You act with integrity, truth and candour at all
times;
Courage: You face all challenges with determination, and
strength of character;
Diligence: You will carry out your duties with dedication,
perseverance and competence while striving for excellence.
Fairness: You treat everybody justly, equitably and without
prejudice;
Responsibility: You fully accept assigned responsibilities
and the consequences of your actions.
As an officer cadet you must strive to reach this level of professionalism.
Honor, integrity and courage above and beyond the call of duty.
"If you do your part, we'll do our part!"
| IF YOU WANT TO LIVE THROUGH THIS NOBLE BATTLE- |
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| YOUR ATTENTION CANNOT WAIVER.....AT ALL! |
One of the most important things to remember is "expect the unexpected". Some people are probably
asking, "What is he talking about?" What the saying means is keep your options open, be flexible, don't fall in love with
you own plans and ideas. If you are planning to hide by shutting down you mech until the enemy is at point blank range, don't
expect it to happen. (This tactic works great for battlearmor in a hijack attempt, or mechs that can hide in valleys
or on hilltops...remember, if you are out of the mech, there is no radar signal) Hope that it happens, but don't expect
it to happen. Have an alternate plan or two ready in case your shutdown mech is discovered early or if the enemy takes another
rout and bypasses or kills your pilot. Remember that your opponent is human also. They can think of anything you can, or they
may think of something you didn't. Your opponent can also act pretty dumb. But tend to believe your opponents are smart unless
proven otherwise. Try and observe how the enemies (and your Clanmates) act and react in combat. Do they attack, play sniper,
run around, carefully maneuver or just stand there and shoot? Every style of play has its strengths and weaknesses (Some styles
have more weaknesses than others do, however.) Try to look and find those weaknesses and exploit them. If someone is playing
sniper for instance, maneuver into a position where their cover is compromised (like behind them with a cloaked raven). If
you are careful, you can actually sneak quite close to attack. Many snipers rely on their lack of a radar signature to hide
them from the enemy They do not expect to be attacked much, especially from the rear. But don't be overly confident that you
can take your enemy by surprise. A good sniper will watch their backs and will change position often.
Something important
to know is yourself, your own strengths and weaknesses. If you are good using LRM's, then use a mech like the Vulture
or Catapult. If you have a problem controlling a highly responsive mech like a Raptor, use something a little more sedate
in its handling, like the Uziel. Also, know your mech's capabilities. And try to learn what the enemy's capabilities
are. A mech armed with LRM's will have problems with dealing with certain types of attacks (specifically the "pop up") A mech
with Inner Sphere Large Lasers can be picked apart at range by weapons like PPC's, LRM's and ER large Lasers. So there are
trade offs in every mech design, but you might have to look very carefully to discover them.
The next thing on the
agenda is combat tactics. These are some of the general tactics being used both in single play and in team play.
"The
Charge" As in the Charge of the Light Brigade. All that is done is that you just charge hard and fast as you can at the
enemy guns blazing. If a group does this in mass, against a spread out, disorganized foe, it can be devastating. But if tried
against an organized, tightly grouped foe, the attackers can be devastated. This is an "all or nothing tactic," either it
works or it does not.
"The Sniper" This is a mech that spends its time at the edge of the battle area and takes
pot shots at the enemy. Some snipers deliberately target foes that are heavily damaged to "steal" kills. After firing the
sniper will withdraw under cover (a ridge line most of the time) and then wait a little bit and rise up to fire again. Good
snipers change position after a few shots.
"Fire Support" This mech stands at or near the top of a hill
and pours fire down upon their targets. Most fire support mechs have LRMs or PPCs. Some combine the fire support role
with 'Pop Up tactics'
"Pop Up" also known as "Popanddrop " This is where a mech will fire and duck under cover
until their weapons recycle and 'pop up' to fire. This is different from 'sniping' as the mech is standing in the same place
for the most part, unless forced to move. This tactic is intended to limit the amount of time a mech is exposed to enemy fire.
It is not hiding and using strategy as a sniper would.
"The Circle of Death" There are actually several different
variations on this. The first version is when both mechs have about the same speed and circle around a common center, firing
at each other. The second version is when a faster mech gets on the back of a slower mech. The slower mech tries to maneuver
around to get the faster mech under its guns. A properly handled fast mech as the Raptor or Puma can be lethal The last version
is where one mech does not move at all or moves very slowly while the faster mech runs around it blowing it to pieces. A little
note on weapons. Some weapons jar a target when they hit. The torso will turn to the left (Sometimes the feet will change
position also) and this can be very helpful. The jarring makes it difficult for a mech to target, especially if the target
is moving from left to right (from the targets point of view). So when starting a circle of death on a slow opponent, try
to pass on the other mech's right side.
"The Drive By" This is when a fast mech charges into a large
number of enemy mechs at close range and starts shooting at any convenient target. The intention of the 'Drive By' is disrupt
an enemy. While everyone is trying to kill the fast mech that is in their faces, the other mechs will be firing on them unopposed.
I once got two assault mech kills in about 50 seconds because a group of enemy mechs literally turned their backs on me AND
stood still while trying to kill a mech doing a drive by.
"Stand and Deliver" Also known as "Lets Play Spear
Catcher!". The mech, usually an assault, will just stand there and shoot. I do NOT recomend this in any destruction faze.
This of course means the mech is a very easy target to hit. But the pilot is counting on his heavy armor and powerful weapons
to carry the day. This does have a use in Capture the Flag, but in most cases, it just makes you a better target. Do not mistake
'stand and deliver' with temporarily halting to aim more accurately.
"Maneuver" This is the opposite of stand
and deliver. The mech is always moving, usually at top speed. Very common with light mechs as speed is the only thing keeping
them alive. Targeting is harder, but you usually live longer to get more shots off.
The number of Mechwarriors can vary from map to map, but five or six is most common. Since
the two sides are dropped some distance from each other, this gives time and room for true strategies to develop while being
powered up. Advances, withdrawals, traps and flanking are all a big part of a successful team play. At the heart of team play
is cooperation. Four people working together can defeat an enemy numbering 6 or 7 who do not cooperate. In
team play several general types of units have emerged and these fit into the strategies described earlier. Fire Support, Snipping,
Assault, and Fast Attack (Drive By). Units in open field combat actually tend to form a rough order of battle. The center
of the line is made up of the Assault units. (Not necessarily assault mechs however). These mechs job is to keep enemy mechs
from bypassing them to attack the fire support units behind them and to directly attack the enemy's assault units to break
their line to go after the fire support units. Fire Support stands a short distance behind the Assault line and fires and
any handy target. Snipers are at the edge of the battle firing into it at convenient targets, but tend to stay out of the
heavy fighting. The Fast attack units (raptor, Cougar, Puma, Stilleto, Corvis, etc.)range out into the enemy Assault line
and into the Fire Support units trying to disrupt them. They also on occasion go hunting Snipers. Not all open field combat
is like this by any means. But it does illustrate how units working together can fight. Clans members that have been fighting
together can demonstrate very good teamwork and many times have developed effective combat strategies. In city combat, Fire
Support units rarely appear, the close ranges of city combat mean that mechs are either Assault or Fast Attack units. Combat
is in your face, fast and deadly, but flanking and maneuvers still have their place.
There is one setting that can
have a very great effect on combat. The Last Man Standing Mode. This makes strategy and organization much more important than
in most other games. Trying to kill the enemy becomes less important, survival is what matters in the end. People that don't
show caution and just charge into battle don't last very long. Patience is a virtue in these kinds of battles. For 'No Respawn' fighting
together is a must, long range weapons tend to be favored and staying behind cover is primary.. Battles tend to be short
combat wise. But there can be a large amount of time attempting to locate the enemy and then maneuvering to get into a good
position. In some respects these battle can resemble the battles from the Battletech board game.
Another popular online
mode is 'Capture the Flag' or CTF. As in other games, general unit types have been developed. These are the 'Runner' 'Chaser'
and 'D' or 'Defense'. Runners are usually light mechs that attempt to pick up the enemy flag and race back to their own base
with it. Weapons on a runner are almost an after thought. Forget power ups, get that runner to the oposite teams
flag, if you are good, you will not need weapons. Runners (and their team) get winning points for flag captures, not
killing enemy mechs. Chasers are the next class. They tend to be fast medium or heavy mechs. Their job is to intercept enemy
runners or chase the runner if they do get the flag to kill them. Chasers can also act on as runners at times. The last
major class is 'D', Defense. These are big slow mechs whose purpose is to kill any enemy runner (or chaser) going after the
flag. These mechs sacrifice speed and armor for heavy weapons. On occasions you will see a mech acting as a distraction.
These mechs charge into the other teams area to cause trouble. These can be any kind of mech (Yes, even assault mechs) and
their purpose is to draw attention away from the runner so it can get to the flag. I have even seen a few distracters keep
everyone occupied while 2 runners alternate grabbing the flag.
TO BE CONTINUED
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