ProtoMechs: A Comprehensive Guide
Part 2: Tactics
Now that we’ve gone over force selection I’d like to explore tactics that will help you get the best out of your ProtoMechs. A disclaimer: certain of these tactics not work properly if the opposing force is entirely made up of jumping units. Even so, forcing enemy 'Mechs to jump at the right time can give your overall force an exploitable advantage. Certain of these tactics may seem familiar or common knowledge as well; some may be used with ‘Mechs, vehicles or Battle Armor. I will go into them regardless, hopefully offering a new perspective on some older tactical decisions.
These will be split into three discrete sections: General Tactics, Defensive Tactics and Offensive Tactics. A fourth Miscellaneous Tips section will take a look at other ways to get the most out of your ProtoMechs. The final section will touch upon urban combat and how to best use ProtoMechs within the urban labyrinth.
Boggart ProtoMech, from the Wars of Reaving.
BASIC TACTICS
Tactic 1 - Encirclement
A key advantage of most ProtoMechs is their incredibly low BV/unit ratio. Clan players can easily field entire Points of Protos if they so choose, giving them numerical superiority over other Clan and even Inner Sphere players. Unlike with certain other cheaper forces, such as conventional infantry or battle armor, ProtoMechs can also reliably move at decent speeds, able to engage and disengage on their own.
One of the best ways to use this advantage in numbers is through Encirclement. Basically, an entire Point (or more) of Protos is used to severely limit the movement options of a target unit, cutting down on their to-hit numbers and potentially funneling them towards an unfavorable position. One perk of this tactic is how it is still effective even if you lose initiative - a light ‘Mech that has just backstabbed one of your units can be reduced down to having no movement modifier if done right.
In the example shown, the
Locust IIC can no longer move in a straight line towards its objective. This gives it two options: use the open hole to move in a new direction, or spend 7 MP to continue moving in the same direction as before. If Encirclement is used against slower movements, they can be funneled towards specific parts of the battlefield. Using this illusion of liberty, a player can push the target towards an ambush or minefield, call in accurate artillery fire, or simply move them to a more vulnerable portion of the battlefield. Of course, it can also be combined with existing terrain to completely shut down the targets movement.
This tactic works best in a non-zellbrigen environment, where not only multiple points can work together to keep a target in place, but where heavier allies can take advantage of this drop in target movement modifiers. Heavily armed and armored ProtoMechs can still use it within zellbrigen if they manage to get the drop on their target; it can also help keep an opponent within range of certain near-melee weapons such as the ER or Pulse Micro Lasers.
Tactic 2 - Micro
Micro is something that can be used with every unit, but it truly shines when used with ProtoMechs. This tactic involves keeping all of your units alive, keeping your total DPS as high as possible for as long as possible. If your opponent focuses on a ProtoMech that is easier to hit the first round, make sure it becomes either harder to hit or that there is a more tempting or obvious target on the second turn. Two scenarios can emerge here:
- Your opponent doesn’t pay attention to the micro, and focuses on the easiest unit to hit every turn. Perfect! Your ProtoMech Point just got a lot more dangerous. Keep it up.
- You notice your opponent is going for the kill every time you attempt to micro. This opens the door to using feint retreats. You’ll want to pull the damaged unit back to where the enemy will be put into an uncomfortable position if he chooses to chase it; it can be a deadly tactic although it is one that depends on your opponent losing his/her cool.
The
Spirit here chose to target the ProtoMech directly in front of it on the first turn. The
Gorgon, being a tough unit, survived the assault, and on the next turn moved straight to the rear arc where the
Spirit would no longer be able to bring most of its firepower to bear. This forces the
Spirit to preferably attack a different target, such as those encircled in blue.
Micro is something that should be used all the time, whether on the offensive or the defensive, with very few exceptions. It is an absolute necessity when fighting using zellbrigen. ProtoMechs are fragile units, and using micro is something that will keep them alive that much longer.
DEFENSIVE TACTICS
Tactic 3 - Defensive Backstabbing
Heavily armed ProtoMechs can dissuade your opponent from going in for otherwise easy backstabs if one or more are kept near your main force. This works best if the ProtoMech(s) used are equipped with jump jets or have a high enough ground speed to ensure that they’ll get in the right position to take down their target. Since most backstabbers are light ‘Mechs with extremely limited armor on their rear arcs, this can take them down in a heartbeat.
Although I call this "Defensive Backstabbing", it can be combined well with general Encirclement tactics to overwhelm the backstabber with firepower while your main force can continue focusing on any primary targets. If your opponent makes the mistake of staying in the first hex immediately behind on of your own 'Mechs, you can use Encirclement to take away all movement options and get an easy kill in the next round.
In this example, the
Delphyne was previously adding its firepower to the punch of the
Blood Kite. When the
Incubus moved in for the backstab, the
Delphyne maneuvered in back of it to threaten it with an accurate 7-point hit to the rear. Even if it misses, the memory of this event might discourage the
Incubus from going for another backstab any time soon. Had more ProtoMechs been available, the
Incubus could have been pinned into place and dismantled within a turn.
Tactic 4 - Defensive Wall
In this scenario, one or more ProtoMech points form a literal wall across the battlefield to prevent the enemy from closing with vulnerable fire-support platforms or their objective. The enemy will then have one of three options:
- Bypass the wall, wasting MP and time. This is probably the worst choice. The wall can reform the next turn and continue the block unless the bypasser is in a very fast machine.
- Destroy the wall. If used in conjunction with fire-support platforms, this scenario buys them more time to fight at favorable ranges, hopefully giving you time to deal more damage than your ProtoMechs take.
- Fall back. This can work well depending on the situation, and the Player using the ProtoMechs should be wary of having them baited into areas where the fire-support platforms are no longer able to support them. I would say this is the best option when faced with a wall; try to take apart as many ProtoMechs as possible in the initial turn, while giving the fire-support platforms as few turns of direct combat as possible.
This example shows the potential deadliness of this tactic. By blocking the
Burrock at ranges 6-7, the Blood Spirit player can concentrate on dealing as much damage to it as possible with the
Blood Kite at much reduced risk. The two Adder 'Mechs can attempt to break through the wall, which will give the
Blood Kite more time to shoot with its LRMs and ER Large Lasers. This decision would also cause the Adders to stay within favorable close-quarters ranges with the
Chrysaor ProtoMechs. If the Adder 'Mechs fall back, the to-hit numbers of the
Blood Kite go up, and any pursuing
Chrysaors will be devastated with little reprisal.
This is another tactic that comes into its full potential outside of zellbrigen. If you are using quick, long-ranged ProtoMechs, there exists the option to use them to block a 'Mech currently engaged in zellbrigen with a different ally while still fighting at effective to-hit numbers. This tactic is dastardly, and most definitely falls under the "Opportunistic" category of zell.
OFFENSIVE TACTICS
Tactic 5 - Offensive Wall
We have already looked at the Defensive Wall; this is the other side of that coin. In this case, ProtoMechs will flank the enemy and form a wall that the opponent once again has to break. The difference, however, if that this wall allows slower friendly units - such as heavy ProtoMechs, close-ranged brawling ‘Mechs, or Battle Armor - to catch up and devastate the trapped enemies. This can be absolutely devastating if used to cut an enemy force in half while simultaneously dropping off Battle Armor or conventional infantry in their midst; the enemy now has to choose between targeting the main force pushing up towards them, the ProtoMech force keeping them locked in, or the infantry attempting to swarm them.
We can see here that the
Procyons have cut off a large number of movement options for the Steel Viper 'Mechs. Not only this, but every hex with a green dot is a location that can be reached by an Elemental Point on the next turn; these are to be avoided unless the 'Mechs want to suffer from leg crits or get swarmed. This leaves the two 'Mechs with one effective movement path, one that remains within shooting range of the Elementals and that can be blocked again by the
Procyons on the next turn.
Walls don't always have to be completely solid. In this example, the ProtoMechs could allow the
Kit Fox to escape - only to focus on pinning down the
Crossbow to quickly destroy it. Leaving a gap to allow quicker units to escape, only to close it off behind them, can be an effective way of splitting and destroying an enemy force.
Tactic 6 - Indirect Fire
ProtoMechs stand only one level tall, making it incredibly easy to find cover to put them behind and rain down indirect fire. They also work well as spotters for LRM boats; quick movers like the
Siren are not only some of the cheapest ways of fielding such as fast unit, but also don’t have to worry about sideslipping or skidding, and have the extra “Missed Shot” locations to help keep them alive. Even LB-X rounds (still as much a nuisance as always) are less effective than against hovercraft or VTOLs.
Although mixed points of LRM and Spotter ProtoMechs can be effective, attempt to use pure Points when using larger numbers of Protos. Having both Spotter and the LRM Protos on the same initiative spot is more of a disadvantage than an advantage, and should only be used if you are only using a Point of Protos. However, if you have other sources of LRMs - vehicles, 'Mechs, etc - then investing in
Cecerops or
Siren Protos is an excellent choice. The
Satyr 2 offers a decent and readily available jumping alternative while the
Satyr 4 brings Light TAG to the table and synergizes well with Arrow-IV platforms.
MISCELLANEOUS TIPS
Rear ArcsOne often overlooked advantage of the ProtoMech is its lack of a rear arc. This gives slashing attacks used by them more speed, and allows them to move into optimal positions without having to worry about fragile rear armor. This advantage is best used with ProtoMechs wielding Main Guns; a Main Gun gives a ProtoMech a 360 degree firing arc, allowing them to fire straight behind them with what is usually their largest gun.
Tactical ZellThere are many situations where an army using ProtoMechs will not want to adhere to zellbrigen. There is one - although slightly dishonest - way of pressuring an opponent into breaking zell and therefore causing a melee. When engaging target ‘Mechs or vehicles in zellbrigen, two Points can begin intertwining and maneuvering through each other, causing the maximum amount of confusion for the opponent. This can be made worse by using a longer-ranged ProtoMech Point to create a wall or encircle a ‘Mech they are not currently engaged in zellbrigen with. This gives an advantage to the other friendly unit(s) combating that target, pressuring the opponent to target the ProtoMechs and break zell.
Since this can be a difficult concept to visualize, this picture shows a quick example of it. The ProtoMechs circled in blue are engaged with the
Crimson Hawk with the blue dot, which the red Protos are engaged with the red-dotted 'Mech. By placing a "sacrificial" ProtoMech close to a target it is not engaged with, zell can be broken by an inattentive opponent giving your ProtoMechs to swarm the offender without any prior warning.
Of course, "Tactical Zell" should be used only if:
a) There are ways of differentiating between Points.
b) You remain honest with which Point each ProtoMech belongs to.
This is ultimately a boardgame, and if you or your opponent are no longer having fun then there’s a problem. This still remains a way to fluster an opponent or push him towards engaging on your terms.
Alternate MunitionsProtoMechs have few restrictions as to which alternate munitions they can carry. They can swap any number of rounds of normal ammo for specialized ammo, although they have to pay a 2:1 ratio for all of them except for Infernos. One bonus is that they don’t have to worry about inferno explosions like ‘Mechs do, and don’t have to worry about wiping out the rest of their Point when they die like Battle Armor do. This makes certain SRM-heavy ProtoMechs excellent Inferno carriers, and can make Points of them extremely dangerous to your standard Battle Armor designs.
The two
Minotaur variants with autocannons can also use alternate ammo types; the LB 2-X
Minotaur can easily load cluster ammo to become the cheapest AA platform around, while the ProtoMech AC
Minotaur can instead swap over to precision rounds to allow it to plink away at longer range.
LRM ProtoMechs can each load up on a few Thunder rounds to quickly blanket a small region with minefields at low cost. Alternatively, they can load up on Swarm or Smoke rounds to give the force some added flexibility. The
Sprite and
Hippogriff can be particularly useful here, the Sprite due to its four LRM-5 launchers, and the
Hippogriff with its very deep ammo bins. The
Basilisk can benefit here, using a single round of specialty ammo to either help it close (with smoke) or prevent its target from escaping (with mines). Another 'Mech that I would recommend trying with specialty ammo is the
Centaur; it gains incredible flexibility and it helps use up its deep ammo bins.
Finally, if ever using a ProtoMech with the Fusillade system, remember that any of the ATM or iATM alternate munitions may be used. HE is a good choice, boosting up damage to get the best out of the weapon, but IMP or IIW might be good situational choices.
Minotaur XP, from TRO:Prototypes
URBAN COMBAT
ProtoMechs are, quite frankly, some of the best urban combatants a player could hope for. Having no piloting skill, they cannot skid over asphalt. This is incredible useful for scouting ProtoMechs, giving units like the Satyr an effective ground speed of 11 when maneuvering through twisting roads where faster scouts have to slow to avoid crashing. Trooper Protos should also be able to join combat faster than any ‘Mechs with the same movement profile as them. This "extra" MP is also more readily used with ProtoMechs standing only one level above underlying terrain; they can close in many situations where a 'Mech would have to sit back.
Having the ability to enter medium, heavy and hardened buildings (risk free) for less MP than any ‘Mech gives them yet another advantage. Therefore, they can also move through urban cover at speeds unmatched by any unit except for the fastest of Battle Armor. That many of their short-ranged weapons excel in the close confines of city streets plays into their multiple other urban strengths.
Additionally, the standard formation of five ProtoMechs to a Point makes encircling targets an amazingly easy prospect. This can be used to pin enemy scouts in place, holding them down until heavier friendlies can engage and put down the target through massed firepower. Even if no friendlies are available to provide support, ProtoMechs can slow down an advance by rotating the ProtoMechs blocking the street with ones that were previously huddling in buildings.
The
Basilisks and
Centaurs here have managed to trap a
Stormcrow in place. This Encirclement is made even worse by the presence of blocking buildings, and the
Stormcrow can only effectively damage the
Basilisk standing right in front of it. Once the lead ProtoMech becomes too damaged, it is a simple affair to swap it out with another, while keeping the
Stormcrow trapped in place. The speed of ProtoMechs in urban terrain makes scenarios like this surprisingly easy to accomplish.
Since many urban ‘Mechs are equipped with Jump Jets, it can be better to send ProtoMechs to hunt down enemy vehicles, Battle Armor or Infantry. When combined with Inferno rounds, a Point of ProtoMechs can quickly flush out entrenched infantry positions at little risk to themselves. Minefields and Infernos also pose less of a threat to ProtoMechs in an urban environment, since they can quickly shift through buildings where the mines cannot reach them. Their speed and Encirclement abilities makes them a huge threat to vehicles, and certain ProtoMech strategies - such as the Defensive Wall - become ridiculously effective if used properly.
~ ~ ~
For the next part of this multi-part series we'll go on a bit of a tangent to examine The Society and their ProtoMechs, and how the Wars of Reaving ultimately changed ProtoMech doctrine into something completely new.
PART 1: FORCE SELECTION MAY BE FOUND HERE: http://bg.battletech.com/forums/fan-articles/protomechs-a-comprehensive-guide-part-1-force-selection/PART 3: SOCIETY PROTOMECHS MAY BE FOUND HERE: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/fan-articles/protomechs-a-comprehensive-guide-part-3-society-protomechs/