Tactics

[Trailblazer]

This is my preferred strategy when we play any Clan versus IS scenario and I'm playing as the IS. Mob the Clan heavies and assaults at point blank range. Land multiple kicks and force PSRs. It plays out well if I can avoid taking too much of a beating while closing the distance.

Although if you're playing this strategy against front-line Clan units with canon-level piloting skill of 2 or 3, you can't necessarily count on them failing even a single PSR the whole game...

[Jeyar123]

Axle and wheel.

Slow core up the center, faster units on arcs to distract (or failing that hit flanks).

[OatsAndHall]

I find I rely on aggressive cavalry tactics and movement, but it means with the wrong terrain I can't use to break LOS with heavier units i lose.  Mind you, i can't remember the last 1 VS 1 game I won, actually.

We ran into this on Saturday. It was a 2v2 game and one of the opposing players brought two mediums and a light. They were all fast units (mix of MASC, superchargers, and jump jets) but the map wasn't kind to him. He did a fair amount of damage early on but they got picked apart by units that were parked in cover.

[AlphaMirage]

The above is why I will bring artillery and smoke rounds (SRM-6 is best) if available to back up my cavalry tactics. The funny thing is always players that really love to camp invest a lot of BV into their Campers. They really hate it when you don't give them shots and pick apart all their spotters only to pound them to pieces at close range where that extra BV isn't as worth it.

[Red Pins]

Yeah played this weekend and the GM wouldn't let me start a fire to generate smoke.

[OatsAndHall]

The above is why I will bring artillery and smoke rounds (SRM-6 is best) if available to back up my cavalry tactics. The funny thing is always players that really love to camp invest a lot of BV into their Campers. They really hate it when you don't give them shots and pick apart all their spotters only to pound them to pieces at close range where that extra BV isn't as worth it.

We don't play with a lot of artillery in our regular games. Smoke rounds are always on the table though. We do open things up quite a bit when playing pick-up games, though. My regular group has found a fairly comfortable groove (i.e. they like their high BV campers). I circumvent the lack of arty by tying various IDF strategies into most of my lists.

[Daryk]

If you can't get proper artillery, Artillery Cannons can work... ;)

[OatsAndHall]

We played with arty for about a month. But... My regular group trended the way we always do: we spammed arty every game until it was obnoxious.  We tend to beat things to death when we branch out, which can be expected. We have pretty specific parameters for our regular group but the gloves come off when we play pick-up game.

[Col Toda]

My tactics are radically different by ERA . Star League had the most use of WMDs during the Reunification War. 

Succession wars I used standard lance of Centurion and Trebuchet  as well as some heavy hitting Tanks or Mechs.  Heavy installation and use of Hitches, Trailers, and recon cameras .

Clan Invasion ERA : C3 ; TAG ; Homming Arrow to make holes and Semi - Guided  LRMs to Exploit them.

Jihaad much the same as Clan ERA but Expect an ECM rich situation .
3058-3078 dropped Artemis IV FCS as too many stock mechs have ECM installed even to its detriment. 

Republic ERA heavy Wight use in Urban combat .
Nearly all experimental  tech becomes Advanced.  ECM becomes gradually less prevalent Artemis IV more viable

Dark Age this ERA was reflected by having all this shiny new tech getting their ass kicked by tried and true tactical doctrines. ECM becomes one or two per company at best .

Il Khan nearly all experimental and Advanced becomes tournament legal . Mature I know hiw ro use the new tech tactical doctrines have happened so getting wrecked by 80 + year old equipment happens less.

[OatsAndHall]

Although if you're playing this strategy against front-line Clan units with canon-level piloting skill of 2 or 3, you can't necessarily count on them failing even a single PSR the whole game...

True. But, their legs will take a beating and they'll go down eventually. It typically only takes two rounds of landing kicks to go internal on their legs and then life gets rough for them. That 3 PS turns into a 6 in a hurry after some actuator hits. Also, I'm going to be able to field a mountain of IS mechs with low G/P if they're bringing 2/2 or 2/3 level Clan pilots. 

[garhkal]

Although if you're playing this strategy against front-line Clan units with canon-level piloting skill of 2 or 3, you can't necessarily count on them failing even a single PSR the whole game...

Plus its gonna be heck, to get in close to DO all those kicks..

[OatsAndHall]

Plus its gonna be heck, to get in close to DO all those kicks..

I make sure I get a whole lot more IS units on the table than Clanners in these games. I typically choose cheap IS units, play my pilots at 4/4 and get a two-one advantage over the Clans. I get chewed up a bit on my approach in but always have enough left to put a hurting on someone. It's pretty much a banzai-charge: a wave or two of fast mediums, screening for a group of heavier and assaults.

[garhkal]

How many have you won that way?

[OatsAndHall]

How many have you won that way?

I've lost one, decisively, and it was on a map with very little cover. There was LOS everywhere and I got butchered on my approach. There have been matches where it's come down to the wire and I've eeked out a win with a few extra hundred BV on the table.