Tell me about: Using the Commando

[Neufeld]

There is one mech I just can not figure out how to use right: The Commando. Due to being a 25 tonner, quite slow for a non-jumping light, and mounting short-range weapons it just tends to end up as a crater.

Any hints about using this mech and similar ones?

[martian]

I still remember what Sergeant Unther in MechWarrior 2 said: "Remember, speed is life -  You go slow, you die.". My advice would be fire everything as fast as possible. I never worry about depleting my ammunition because my Commando usually ends as a heap of molten metal long before the moment. In old gameplay it was very useful to use infernos, especially if enemy 'Mech was already running hot ('Hammer or Marauder).

With infernos or even without, Commando worked well for me in anti-infantry role too.

[ItsTehPope]

Any model in particular you're interested in or in general?

[Neufeld]

Any model in particular you're interested in or in general?

Mostly the COM-2D, but in general those that lacks longer ranged weapons.

[Thatguybil]

People tend to use lights as "scouts".... Which has no real meaning in the board game. Lights should be kept back until they can run forward at the right time, or run from cover to cover.

com2d tends to shine when the enemy is alread engaged with your heavies and / or worried about your medium jumpers getting to his flank.


  At that time run, not walk, and blast some one.  High THnumbers for sure but speed is life.

[JPArbiter]

the commando is best used either in built up terrain, or as a fast flanker used to sucker punch heavier machines that have already been engaged by your bruisers.

against tanks and battle armor the commando is one of the best machines out there.

[MadCapellan]

My suggestion is the hold your Commando back, preferably keeping the enemy from even having LOS to it.  Once the Lyran Assaults that I assume are accompanying it have cracked the armor of the enemy's 'Mechs, rather than waste their firepower on crippled and dying 'Mechs, the Commando should rush forward and empty SRMs into the target, looking for good crits.

[Weirdo]

In a 3025-era fight, a Commando makes a great escort for heavier units. Very few people will try to close with your Zeuses and Archers after you play a game or two where they're escorted by a Commando carrying nothing but infernoes. }:)

As others have said, to keep this thing alive in a straight fight, you keep it in reserve until the enemy big boys are engaged with your heavies, then dash the COM out to sow chaos. Heck, this'll still serve you well up through the Clan invasion, as Clan warriors are likely to dismiss such an insignificant target, and those missiles(inferno or otherwise) are a great way to wear down an Elemental point fast. Dash the COM out when the time is right, then stay at top speed and run from one BA point to the next, pumping a single heavy salvo into each one in sequence, leaving them vulnerable to lighter weapons so the heavies can finish them with secondary shots instead of having to focus their attention on them and letting the OmniMechs have their way. This gets much riskier in modern games, where other 'mechs can afford to distract themselves for the single turn it takes to cripple the Commando, and battle armor is increasingly able to take one on head on and come out the winner.

Honestly, your best bet for using a Commando properly is to print out the record sheet, then cross out the name. Underneath, write in COM-2D Sneaky Midget Bastard. This'll put you in the right frame of mind for properly using one.

[Challenger]

My suggestion is the hold your Commando back, preferably keeping the enemy from even having LOS to it.  Once the Lyran Assaults that I assume are accompanying it have cracked the armor of the enemy's 'Mechs, rather than waste their firepower on crippled and dying 'Mechs, the Commando should rush forward and empty SRMs into the target, looking for good crits.

+1

Bit of a git to get the timing right, get it right and its glory all the way home, get it wrong and its a medal and very small casket job.

Challenger

[Orin J.]

most 'mechs are tigers or gnats- the commando's a lone wolf. they can't hope to take anything over your weight in a straight fight because they're too fragile, but they can bite way over their weight class, especially against well-damaged targets.

the best tactic i've used is to keep them just out of LOS with the opposing forces until on of the opposing 'mechs/tanks/BA has taken too much damage then i send the little blackguard in to mop up. as long as you give their other forces something else to worry about, he does very well.

the other tactic i've (Rarely) used is to have in circle the long way around, too far to impact the battle itself. by the time yhey're taking too much fire, they realize that any retreating 'mechs have my Commando ready to block their retreat. it's poor sport and can backfire, but it's a very nice "thank you" for villains in campaigns that just will NOT stop making your day interesting.....

[Demon55]

The Commando does have a good close in punch, but it needs to have its more powerful friends taking the attention away from it.  Broken terrain is a good place to use it.  Keep it out of open areas if at all possible.

[Shijima_3085]

Its a mistake to use it as a medium or light heavy, where it usually ends up making a noisy *splort*.  I've had success using it as counter-recon, where its firepower can quickly cripple or drive off the other sides scouting units before they can get the job done.  Its mediochre speeds is something of a non-issue, provided its close to whatever its guarding.  A good offensive role seems to be using it to quickly demolish pickets or other targets that would delay or sidetrack heavier forces if they were assigned.  The Commando has just enough speed to break off, blow something up real good, then rejoin the advancing units.

[Hellraiser]

As many have pointed out the Commando is not a "do anything & survive" type of mech.

Its not fast, its not big, it doesn't have long range guns.
Is Tiny AND slow-ish (not a good combo) and it has short range guns.

This mech is NOT a Recon or Skirmish unit IMHO.
Its an Ambusher and a Scout Hunter.

It can afford to be slower than a Wasp or Stinger or Locust, because it has the firepower to crush them in a turn or 2 max.
But it can NOT afford to be exposed to long range heavy firepower for even 1 turn in most cases.

Rule 1,  Keep this mech hidden.
Rule 2,  Only engage smaller OR crippled units.
Rule 3,  Refer to rules 1 & 2.

[Neufeld]

Thanks! That helps.

[Martius]

The standard Commando is what I call a finisher. Keep it in reserve until you find a target with its armor mostly gone. Move in to let the SRMs find the gaps in the armor then retreat again.

Also look for opportunities to backstab, it has quite a punch for its size.

[monty]

My suggestion is the hold your Commando back, preferably keeping the enemy from even having LOS to it.  Once the Lyran Assaults that I assume are accompanying it have cracked the armor of the enemy's 'Mechs, rather than waste their firepower on crippled and dying 'Mechs, the Commando should rush forward and empty SRMs into the target, looking for good crits.

IIRC the old Ral Partha Pursuit Lance boxed set contained 2 commandos along with a jenner and a vulcan (all nice crit seekers) and was intended to be used in just this fashion, finishing off an already damaged opponent allowing the main battle line units to move on to other targets.

A lot of the fluff describing Commandos mentions pairs of them and this is how I like to use them as the fire from 2 Commandos will remove most scout mechs as a threat in 1-2 turns, as well as brutalising any heavily damaged heavy or assault. The main thing with a Commando is to avoid combat and taking damage until the right target appears and not to lose it taking damage from long range fire it can't respond to.

As regards its speed its more than adequate for its role in 3025 and even in later periods can still do a job if used carefully.

[Crunch]

It's one of the best buys in the game if you're using hidden unit rules. That's basically what it is, a mugger. Keep it out of the line of fire until you have the chance to run out and pick on a crippled unit or spring an ambush, preferably with friends.

[Thatguybil]

It's one of the best buys in the game if you're using hidden unit rules. That's basically what it is, a mugger. Keep it out of the line of fire until you have the chance to run out and pick on a crippled unit or spring an ambush, preferably with friends.

Hidden units and double blind change the game soooooo much.   Some mech go from good to bad others go from bad to essential.

The fluff and novels Are DBlind ;)

[Beukeboom Fan]

It's one of the best buys in the game if you're using hidden unit rules. That's basically what it is, a mugger. Keep it out of the line of fire until you have the chance to run out and pick on a crippled unit or spring an ambush, preferably with friends.

Agree with this 100%.   If you are playing a decent sized game, and your opponent doesn't have a better target than your Commando - you're doing it wrong. 

[Martius]

Sometimes I don't mind my Commando being the best target like when my -4H just spent all its rockets on some juicy target  :D. The Commando in every incarnation is one of my favourite 'sacrificial' Mechs- its dangerous enough to not get ignored, but still not too valuable.

[JPArbiter]

the other side is that the commando is one of the smallest mechs that can force a PSR.  granted you need to hit with the Medium laser and 8 of ten SRMs, but the potential is quite frightening.

it is a sight to behold when an 80 ton awesome falls on its face cause a commando dared oppose it.

[Doug Glendower]

Robbing banks.

[Weirdo]

Robbing banks.

He's more right than expected. Commandos make great smash 'n grab units, because of their heavy firepower that's well suited to taking light militia 'mechs and tanks or lighting things on fire for terror tactics, high ground speed(relatively), and twin hands for carrying lootbags.

[mensa12345]

While I (much) prefer the Javelin for the same role, the Commando's weapons loadout gives it some really unique abilities.  It has a laser for backup, getting around that pesky ammo problem, and letting it take pot-shots at 11 or 12 to hit.  Under the new rules, you can use infernos in one of the racks, leaving the other one for crit-seeking.  They also turn it into a premiere infantry killer.  Also, I tend to save them until the front line of the enemy is getting holed and are probably overheating, or close, due to several rounds of sustained fire.  The inferno/srm combo can be a major headache then.  The Commando is also a really decent vehicle killer (crits plus inferno).  One can give a lance all of the anti-infantry support they need, or go out an hunt the slow gunboat tanks.

[Doug Glendower]

I really did mean it. It's a perfect unit to send into an enemy city so they call out "Hey, we got an enemy 'mech here robbing our supplies", and they send out the troops, only to fall into some sorta tarp or something. "Distraction" is as good of a role as any. :D

[Fireangel]

Pair it with a hole-puncher; follow up its partner's big gun with 10 SRMs and an ML.

The name describes its use: hit and run.

[JPArbiter]

Pair it with a hole-puncher; follow up its partner's big gun with 10 SRMs and an ML.

The name describes its use: hit and run.

that was why the Wolfhound when it was introduced was such a great companion to the commando a lance of 2 and 2 could seriously wreck the days of heavier machines

[Nahuris]

I never use just one commando --- pairs, or even 3 or 4 at once is the way to go.
Everyone here mentions using them to finish crippled units, or support once the line is engaged, and that's a great role. The one role that people seem to forget is the anti-cavalry role..... The commando is a great way to stop hovertanks or other light fast stuff being fielded in your own backfield. I'll leave a pair back enough that they almost form another battle line, and use them from there.  If my opponent gets some fast stuff back there, then the commandos are just dangerous enough to keep them from turning on the back of my heavies, and just fast enough to play interdictor against most hovercraft.

Nahuris

[House Davie Merc]

I also prefer the Javelin for the same roll but the Commando 2D does have something
over the standard Javelin .
The single medium laser when combined with all those LRMs can give the Commando
a reasonable chance of piercing the rear side armor of most heavies with the first salvo.

For quite a few of the 3025 heavies a single side torso crit can be a high chance of death .

For many others it could mean the loss of important weaponry .


For my own purposes I have found that the Commando often gets left behind
by light mech units or fast mediums .
IMHO it works best with slower mediums or another Commando .
Another good companion for it is the Wolfhound .

[Hellraiser]

Another good companion for it is the Wolfhound .

Agreed, My TRUE Lyran scout lance happens to be my Wolfhound & 3 Commandos.
Not much speed but enough firepower to make a heavy mech reconsider picking on them.
(1 Large, 6 Medium Lasers, 30 SRMs.)  }:)