Mech of the Week - Flea

[RifleMech]

I wouldn't call 4-6 a big Jenner advantage.  It lacks the heatsinks to use the weapons.
The only advantage the Jenner really has is speed/JJ so it's going to be dependent on getting in close & then praying it wins initiative to get into the back armor of the Firefly.

You're right. It isn't a big advantage but it is an advantage. At that range the Firefly only has it's medium lasers to shoot with.  If the Jenner manages to hit with enough weapons it can knock the Firefly down.  But it's risky.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Not sure what this has to do with the Flea.

[RifleMech]

It came up in the thread. Jenner vs Flea... I lean towards the Jenner. The Flea-4 does have a longer reach but it doesn't have the armor to slug it out. If it can't take the Jenny out in one shot it's scrap. Other Fleas have better armor and more weapons but the Jenny still has speed and maneuverability. Outside the Firefly, I think all Bug Mechs need to work in pairs against a Jenny.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

A Jenner is nearly twice the size of a Flea and is one of the most optimal light mechs in the 3025 era.  Yeah, it's never going to be a matchup in the Flea's favor.

[JadeHellbringer]

I've always had a strong affinity for the Flea, and was VERY amused when my name popped up as its notable pilot in TRO:3050U. If I'm gonna get into a book under my real name, it needs to be in something weird- well, what's weirder than a war-crime version Flea?

Thing is though, for all the head-to-head comparison with the Jenner here (seriously? A Jenner will eat a lot of mediums for lunch!), the Flea isn't really intended for that job. You don't kill other Mechs- at least, not in most versions. The FLE-4's laser gives it a surprising punch, but it can't take a hit back without crumpling, so it's not really a great Mech for the job. Most versions though... as an anti-personnel machine, it shines. It's great for the job- simple, rugged-ish, no frills. It doesn't move all that fast- not Urbie levels of slow, of course, but not FAST either- it doesn't need to, personnel aren't going anywhere in a hurry. Jump jets? Nah, not really a requirement for this job- handy, but not needed, and on a Mech this small that's a lot of tonnage. Weapons? Generally optimal for the job- MGs, flamers, small lasers, exactly the kind of thing for-

...you may notice that I'm using the term 'anti-personnel', not anti-infantry'. Because if you need a Mech for urban pacification and riot duty jobs, getting angry crowds to disperse- like it or not- a Flea is almost perfect for the job. It doesn't have good armor- well, an angry mob doesn't usually have support-weaponry or shoulder-launched missiles, so you don't NEED heavy armor. You need a couple of big flame launchers and a flurry of bullets to let the crowd know that the concert has been cancelled, MOVE ALONG PLEASE. In combat, yeah, it's great for dealing with infantry- keeping it around other units that focus more on armored units means your Flea now acts as a handy bodyguard against SRM-armed infantry, or evne worse the jerks that crawl up on a Mechs' legs and plant satchel charges. Those guys suck- a Flea deals with that problem nicely. But it really is a rare Battlemech that shines less as a wartime unit and more as a non-combat Mech (if riot duty qualifies as non-combat... you know what I mean).

[Weirdo]

Infantry, and any other machines that are 20 tons, 25 at the most.

[Hellraiser]

Most versions though... as an anti-personnel machine, it shines. It's great for the job- simple, rugged-ish, no frills. It doesn't move all that fast- not Urbie levels of slow, of course, but not FAST either- it doesn't need to, personnel aren't going anywhere in a hurry. Jump jets? Nah, not really a requirement for this job- handy, but not needed, and on a Mech this small that's a lot of tonnage. Weapons? Generally optimal for the job- MGs, flamers, small lasers, exactly the kind of thing for-

...you may notice that I'm using the term 'anti-personnel', not anti-infantry'. Because if you need a Mech for urban pacification and riot duty jobs, getting angry crowds to disperse- like it or not- a Flea is almost perfect for the job. It doesn't have good armor- well, an angry mob doesn't usually have support-weaponry or shoulder-launched missiles, so you don't NEED heavy armor. You need a couple of big flame launchers and a flurry of bullets to let the crowd know that the concert has been cancelled, MOVE ALONG PLEASE.

I couldn't agree more. 
The "Fire Ant" from Mech Commander-2 was the typical Op-4 mech along w/ the Urbanmech & while they were just meant as easy "Mook" units the actual thought of them being used as "Garrison Mechs" for Planetary Militia at the CBT scale of the game made a huge amount of sense to me.

[XenopusTex]

Yep, that's an anti-personnel combination abbatoir and BBQ stand.  Odd weapon layout for a game where you could literally run over infantry/power armour with little to no damage, and couldn't start fires for area denial/AoE killing of infantry.

While I could see the Flea as a disposable terror unit, I would be concerned about its weak protection.  Partisans can get really, really creative in their actions.  Drop a bridge under it, IED's, etc.  Urban actions can get ugly fast, and light protection doesn't seem to fit the bill (see Merkava IV).  AT-ST's and Ewoks come to mind with regard to using a flea as a terror weapon...

Might work as a diversion unit.  Fairly light weight and cheap.  Set rear areas on fire until dead? 

[Weirdo]

Who likes killing unarmored humans in job lots and sowing terror?

Pirates.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I couldn't agree more. 
The "Fire Ant" from Mech Commander-2 was the typical Op-4 mech along w/ the Urbanmech & while they were just meant as easy "Mook" units the actual thought of them being used as "Garrison Mechs" for Planetary Militia at the CBT scale of the game made a huge amount of sense to me.

Same thoughts when I was playing! I could picture them walking off from their patrol routes, gantries, etc. or being captured by rebels at some ambush or faraway outpost, and having run of the countryside until running into your mercs. I've used Sentries, Watchmen, and Guns amongst others as guerrilla 'Mechs based on this exact line of thought. 

Who likes killing unarmored humans in job lots and sowing terror?

This gu... I mean pirates. 

[Paul]

Not much to add to this fun thread beyond observing that it's also excellent at doing property damage. And to me at least, that's a huge part of what the smaller 'Mechs should be spending their booked labor on in typical raids.
Putting stuff on fire or blowing it up. Ideally the things the enemy cares about. And a Flea is going to be a lot more effective at that job than many other 'Mechs in its weight class.

I think something people find hard when evaluating 'Mechs, is  considering aspects beyond 1:1 combat. Because it's how we all play the game. Duels. Lance on Lance. *maybe* company on company. This also creates a blind spot on the top side; 'Mechs that become more useful in battalion sized engagements, that's not likely to be a first hand experience for most players.

Meanwhile, what are the odds of 2 players "playing" a game where 1 side is a Flea that broke through, and the other 'side' is a map full of warehouses that need to be a little more on fire, or perhaps slightly more kicked and exploded?
So yeah, a Flea sucks compared to quite a few designs that are good or just decent in 'Mech combat. And that's a big problem when some of them are fast enough that a Flea can't just avoid them. But most days of the week, the Flea doesn't have to worry about how well it can do against hostile 'Mechs and vehicles, because it shouldn't see *any*. And for a regiment or brigade (once upon a time, common), sending a company of Fleas out to put crap on fire means you get to keep your company of Wolverines and your company of Thunderbolts to do the 'Mech on 'Mech stuff.

[Fallen_Raven]

It occurs to me that despite the popularity of scout 'mechs on the table, the majority of recon work would be in the hands of things like the Hover Scout, Darter, and Skimmer.
 (Or even Jeeps and APCs in an infantry formation.) Ultralight vehicles that would crumple under the power of a Large Laser or be severely damaged by a pair of Mediums, and have a medium laser or less to respond with. Elite units might have light tanks and VTOLs, but the bulk of any military is going to be using the more affordable stuff. And in those environments the Flea brings the mix of speed and firepower that allows it to push out the enemies scouts in a way that the other bug 'mechs don't.

[Hellraiser]

It occurs to me that despite the popularity of scout 'mechs on the table, the majority of recon work would be in the hands of things like the Hover Scout, Darter, and Skimmer.
 (Or even Jeeps and APCs in an infantry formation.) Ultralight vehicles that would crumple under the power of a Large Laser or be severely damaged by a pair of Mediums, and have a medium laser or less to respond with. Elite units might have light tanks and VTOLs, but the bulk of any military is going to be using the more affordable stuff. And in those environments the Flea brings the mix of speed and firepower that allows it to push out the enemies scouts in a way that the other bug 'mechs don't.

Agreed.
Light Mechs are actually more "Screen" or "Picket" than "Scout".

[Caedis Animus]

Who likes killing unarmored humans in job lots and sowing terror?

Pirates.

And Scarecrow Mechjocks.

[BrianDavion]

Agreed.
Light Mechs are actually more "Screen" or "Picket" than "Scout".

except light mechs are also capable of scouting in terrain that would be unpassiable by covnentional forces. so you'd sent your conventional scouts out to handle msot of it while using your mech scouts as a screen and to scout out hard terrain

[Weirdo]

In addition to long-range scouting across bad terrain, it's my view that mechs are better suited than conventional units for what I call 'tactical scouting', which is less about ranging far ahead and finding out what zip code the enemy battalion is in, and more about staying on the same mapsheet as your main force and running up to woods, buildings, etc to make sure there isn't an SRM Carrier hidden in that hex. Or a minefield. This is extremely hazardous duty(especially if active probes aren't available), and even 20-ton mechs are a hell of a lot harder to disable in one shot than your typical scout tank. The salvo coming from an ambush shot might reduce them to a shambling wreck, but barring the use of a LOT of firepower or some lucky concentration, odds are it'll still be able to shamble away under its own power, while a tank is more likely to be parked or outright dead.

[The Eagle]

Also recall battlefield conditions.  'Mechs are easier to transport & disembark from one planet to another, and are basically terrain-agnostic whereas there are entire worlds where a VTOL or hover simply cannot operate.  A Flea scouting ahead of a 'Mech company may not be ideal, but you'd be hard pressed to find enough environmentally-sealed vehicles to scout in the Al Nair system for example.  Granted, the overwhelming majority of the inhabited planets in the Inner Sphere meet terrestrial norms, there are plenty of ones with unstable gravity, poisonous atmospheres, no atmospheres, or other strange phenomena that preclude the deployment of most conventional forces.  In such cases, your options for reconnaissance are aerospace overflights. . . or fast 'Mechs that can dip in, gather data, and dip back out to report said data to the main body.

[Starfury]

The Flea is also dirt cheap.  Just like the Wasp, Locust, and other bug designs losing one doesn't break thr bank.  They also work well with other fast ground units such as the better variants of the Cicada, hovercraft, VTOLs, and LAMS.  Yes I said LAMS.

[Hellraiser]

it's my view that mechs are better suited than conventional units for what I call 'tactical scouting', which is less about ranging far ahead and finding out what zip code the enemy battalion is in, and more about staying on the same mapsheet as your main force and running up to woods, buildings, etc to make sure there isn't an SRM Carrier hidden in that hex.

Agreed, this is part of what I meant by Screen though I know that can be seen as defensive screen v/s offensive but either way its out in front of your main battle line.