Author Topic: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?  (Read 30240 times)

Colt Ward

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #90 on: 17 November 2018, 22:30:56 »
But the Clan won't be playing by zell if they are fighting mostly tanks and inf.  There's not much honor to be had in toasting vehicles . . .
Which is why a pair of Horses' Mars wrecked the Crusader Wolves in a Trial before they hit the Wolf OZ.  The Wolf side at that Con did not really have Wolves playing, and they ignored the vehicles to chase mechs- and paid for it.
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garhkal

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #91 on: 18 November 2018, 02:59:11 »
And I know it will likely be controversial, but I tend to prefer Introductory Tech/3025 'Mechs vs. the Clans, as I've found that IS XL engines are a death sentence when facing the Clans.  Maybe not all 3025 'Mechs, but there should be a fair number of standard engines in your force if you can swing it.  You may have less guns, but you have much more staying power. 

Staying power won't matter though, if your legs get taken out from under you.

Really? That is more theoretical than practical. There are only a couple of weapons that produce meaningful damage at that range. Also holding said range is largely impractical. Eg. A 4/6 Mech can advance faster than a 5/8 Mech can retreat.

Unless we are talking the old Firemoth with an ERLL game. And of course there are plenty of small fast IS Mechs that can close the range and brawl.

And unless there's no forests or hills, that 24 hex range band, is often a moot point.
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #92 on: 18 November 2018, 03:06:45 »

What about at New_Caledonia?  "Rather than break her bid and call in reinforcements, Star Colonel Lara Ward ordered her forces to retreat, laying ambushes as they went for their pursuers. Eventually the militia forces were weakened enough for the Wolf units to make a successful counterattack at Iron Island, defeating them and conquering the planet."  Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 59.  (actually taken from Sarna.net)

Or Dell, "... Khan Ulric Kerensky kept his forces just outside the defensive perimeter and instead skirmished with the Guards at Issel, Bainbridge and Cossin. These attacks caused little material damage but were psychologically devastating. The end came when Marshal Shremp made the decision to abandon the fortifications and meet the Wolves in Mercer Valley."  Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 62

There are also examples that seem to imply something other than a headlong charge into battle.  At Unzmart: "Initially the defenders made a good show of themselves, holding back the two Novas for three days along the shores of the Hester-Kester Fjord."  CWS 61.  Three days is a long time, and if the Clan didn't break through on days one and two, they must have withdrawn.  They certainly couldn't have been advancing the whole time.

Granted my examples are from Clan Wolf (which is the the one I'm most familiar with), but they also come from 3050.  After 3050, the Clans were much more willing to adapt their customs to fighting the Inner Sphere, especially with Ulric as IlKhan.  Also, both of my first two examples are much more extreme than simply maintaining range and withdrawing from the field after an extended fight.  On many occasions the Clans attacked brigade or even division size forces.  These encounters may not be as cool as mech on mech action, but they are nevertheless part of the lore.

If you are fighting a Clan force that insists on using the tactics you describe, the task becomes vastly simpler.  A very large number of Hetzers ought to do the job.  Demolishers, Axels, anything with armor and an AC/20.  Back them up with Hetzer SRMs.  Even PBI's are good if the Clan is going to just walk right up to you.  Just be sure to deploy your full brigade or whatever.

I think your missing what I'm saying & you made my point.

The only one that supports sniping is Ulric's & its because he faced a full RCT+ that was dug in with field fortifications, artillery & minefields etc etc.

The Lara & Unzmart both show that they retreated at some point, likely from taking too much damage, which they wouldn't have done if they had been sniping like Ulrics example.

I'm not saying they don't retreat after taking losses.

I'm saying they don't sit out at 25 hexes sniping w/ ERLL's & make you chase them.

Ulric did what he did because if he had gone forward it would have been a blood bath for his units.

They aren't stupid.

But if your job is to conquer quickly using shock & speed then taking all day to snipe & retreat isn't how you do it, and as Sartis said, there isn't much glory in it either which is something they all want to bath themselves in.

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #93 on: 18 November 2018, 09:35:55 »

I'm saying they don't sit out at 25 hexes sniping w/ ERLL's & make you chase them.

Ulric did what he did because if he had gone forward it would have been a blood bath for his units.

They aren't stupid.


I agree that the Clans prefer to get in closer and mix it up.  If they can win by doing so, they will, but the Clans were constantly setting aside their self-imposed restrictions when they became frustrated with IS tactics.  So, the Clanners won't sit back and snipe you - unless they might lose otherwise.  And that's exactly the situation I intend to create.  As the IS commander, I plan on making it a blood bath for his units if he tries to advance on my positions.  I trust that my opponents aren't stupid, and so I want to be prepared in case the Clan departs from its preferred tactics.  Maybe I'm facing an Ulric or someone who has learned from him. 
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #94 on: 19 November 2018, 00:55:22 »
In which case all you really need is a boatload of artillery   >:D

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massey

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #95 on: 19 November 2018, 11:05:08 »
I think everyone should keep in mind that zell and Clan honor are the modern day equivalents of Axe body spray.  It's all about giving you an advantage in reproduction.

You've not only got competition between commanding officers, but you've got competition within the star itself.  Let's say I'm mechwarrior Joe, and I'd really like to get a Bloodname.  I'm a 2/3 pilot, so I'm basically good enough, but I need to get some glory and get my name out there so that people will take me seriously the next time a Bloodname comes open.  So I need to take calculated risks to show how awesome I am.  I want to win, but I also want to take on odds that show I cut it a little close a couple of times.  From an in-game perspective, I need to take on challenges that really display my 2/3 piloting, things that a lesser pilot really couldn't do.

So let's say I'm assigned a Black Hawk.  If I take the Alternate A configuration, I've got two ER PPCs.  I can fight these Inner Sphere guys at range very effectively.  I can rack up kill after kill while staying at the limits of their ability to respond.  So if I'm up against a Centurion, I can stay out of his autocannon range, let him shoot at me with his LRM-10, and it's "honorable" because he can shoot back (never mind that I have AMS).  I can whittle him down over the course of a couple of minutes and make an easy kill.  It goes in my codex as a victory and it's one more win in a long tally.  Or I can go with the Primary configuration, rush in close, and kill him in like 30 seconds.  It's riskier, but there's a higher reward.  The faster I kill this guy, the faster I can take on another mech in his unit.  Killing one mech over 30 turns of combat (and coming away with 90% of your armor intact) is a lot less impressive than killing a mech in 3 turns, killing the next one 5 turns later, cooling off for two turns, then killing a light mech in one volley, and then chewing up a heavy mech before you have to retreat because your arms got blown off.

Every battle would be a chance for glory.  In modern day terms, it's a chance to impress the ladies.  Most Clan warriors are in their early 20s and are young, dumb, and full of... guns.  Now, you've still got to follow orders, and a mechwarrior who is just a rabid dog whose aggression screws up his superior officer's chances at passing on genetic material won't last long.  You could be an amazingly skilled pilot, but if you are too stupid to realize that your Dasher is not equipped to fight that Battlemaster, well they can just pop another one of you out of the gene vats.  You've got to be able to work with a team and follow a plan.

Headhunter stars, strategic retreats, hanging back and picking people off at range, calling in reinforcements... these are all things you do after cooler heads have realized that this particular battle can't be won by rushing in and humping the enemy into submission.  They won't be happy about it, but everybody understands that you can't "Hulk Smash" every opponent in every fight.  If you play it off right, however, and learn to brag about your cunning plan (and how foolish you made your opponent look), maybe you can make yourself look like a brilliant strategist.  Being so stupid that you fall for every trick in the book is not a good survival trait, and doesn't get your genetic legacy passed on.

massey

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #96 on: 19 November 2018, 12:06:54 »
As far as the four original invading Clans, they each have different values.  I'd say they work something like this:

Smoke Jaguars value strength and brutality above all else.  A mechwarrior who gets his mech shot out from under him, or a commander who is forced to break his bid, will generally not have it held against him as long as he was aggressive enough.  This is particularly true if they can blame it on Inner Sphere dirty tricks, or an enemy who was "unClan-like".  In other words, they cheated, it's not my fault.  The Jaguars are vicious warriors, highly skilled, and they tend to use big powerful mechs.  You can count on them taking massive risks and completely overextending themselves, but when it works it results in absolutely stunning victories.

The Ghost Bears are almost the polar opposite.  They are much more cautious and methodical.  Being seen as an explosive hot-head is not good for your reproductive chances.  They do things by the book.  Cutting your bid too low or falling for an obvious trap are not excuses for failure.  However, this also means that taking big risks that don't pay off will generally not be forgiven in the same way they would be in other Clans.  As a result they're less likely to be innovative than other Clans, and they miss opportunities to make big gains.  They don't have humiliating defeats like the Jags, but they also don't have those occasions where one star seizes an entire planet.

The Wolves like victory above all else.  Coffee is for closers, history is written by the winners, to the victor go the spoils, etc.  They've got to generally follow the rules of Clan honor or risk being ostracized from the rest of the Clans, but internally they follow a looser approach to honor and zell.  It's more of a guideline than a rule.  With other Clans, they're total rules lawyers.  If you can bend them til they scream, you're still technically following the rules.  Cheating?  It's called winning.

Jade Falcons are in between the Jaguars and the Wolves.  They love the aggression and purity of the Jags, and feel a bit of a kinship with them, but they like the results that the Wolves get.  They aren't as forgiving of stupid mistakes as the Jags, and they are more willing to forgive a retreat in the face of stupid odds.  They don't like bending the rules in the same way the Wolves do, but in the end winning cures all.  They reward creative strategies and lateral thinking, but if you are going to break the rules it's better if you've got a handy quote from The Remembrance or something to show why it's okay. 

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #97 on: 19 November 2018, 12:26:44 »
I think everyone should keep in mind that zell and Clan honor are the modern day equivalents of Axe body spray.

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massey

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #98 on: 19 November 2018, 12:45:09 »
I should have said the future equivalent though.  The modern equivalent of Axe body spray is Axe body spray.

truetanker

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #99 on: 19 November 2018, 14:58:35 »
I'd have said Old Spice...

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #100 on: 19 November 2018, 16:31:47 »
The Wolves like victory above all else.  Coffee is for closers, history is written by the winners, to the victor go the spoils, etc.  They've got to generally follow the rules of Clan honor or risk being ostracized from the rest of the Clans, but internally they follow a looser approach to honor and zell.  It's more of a guideline than a rule.  With other Clans, they're total rules lawyers.  If you can bend them til they scream, you're still technically following the rules.  Cheating?  It's called winning.

And this is why I can't stand the buggers. Clan Wolf is that guy who doesn't respect the bro code but invokes it constantly against everyone else.

And someone right now is reading this comment and doesn't see what the problem is.
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #101 on: 19 November 2018, 21:17:03 »
And this is why I can't stand the buggers. Clan Wolf is that guy who doesn't respect the bro code but invokes it constantly against everyone else.

And someone right now is reading this comment and doesn't see what the problem is.
But really, all the Clans do that to different levels. The entire system is inherently hypocritical and, as seen in the Wars of Reaving, collapses when real pressure is applied. The Wolves succeeded because they acknowledged the hypocrisy of the Clan Honour System, and placed only enough value on it to not be Abjured. Much like the Bro Code, the people who benefit from it the most don't actually follow it, they convince everyone else to while they continue acting how they would have done with ot without the Code.
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #102 on: 19 November 2018, 22:08:03 »
Yup, pretty much. That's why I simultaneously hate the Clans and love playing them. It can be fun shooting for as much "Witness Me!" as possible while sticking to the letter of the rules and at the same time completely violating their spirit. And when the time comes to throw them out they window, I make sure to have a more interesting excuse than "You did it first"/"You're Spheroid and/or Merc scum"/"Tuesday".

Do all that while still not being an actual jerk to the guy across the table, and the Clans can be fun for everyone involved.
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Church14

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #103 on: 24 January 2019, 07:37:28 »
Unless you can very clearly hear from the GM that clans must obey zellbringen, assume they will gleefully toss it out the window at the earliest moment they can. I have never seen anyone obey zellbringen if it wasn’t forced on them.

That’s how you get moments like when they replayed Tukayyid at gencon and 9/10 clan mechs targeted an intro tech crab in turn 1.

You cannot rely on the craptastically stupid rules that zellbringen forces on clan mechs.


So my advice is use terrain. Do whatever you can to get the maps to be the most hilly, wooded, LOS-blocking terrain as possible and negate the huge range advantages.

grimlock1

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #104 on: 24 January 2019, 09:16:11 »
1a: If the Clanners are using Zellbrigen, it is often in your best interest to do so as well, at least up to the point that breaking it means you'll be delivering a knockout blow to a large portion of their force.

Be careful about tying up too much BV in a C3 net.  I was the Clanner in a BV balanced match against a L2 of MD, driving Celestials. Elite pilots + VDNI + C3i worked out to a Binary of 3050-3058 clanners. I spread the duels out over the 2x2 field so the WoB player didn't have good positioning to maximize his C3i. My unengaged units kept a respectful distance, but still within weapons range. If he broke Zell to focus 2-3 Celestials worth of fire on one unit, I was in a position to focus fire from 3-4 of mine.
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #105 on: 24 January 2019, 11:23:15 »
Contrary to CBT rules gaming, they are actually fluffed quite often as opening up at their extremely, better than you range, but they also just keep coming closer & closer getting more accurate as they do.

They don't play the range bracket game.

I didn't see the Goliath Scorpions mentioned upthread.  Their combat doctrine revolves around sniping at extreme ranges, their weapons innovations emphasize accuracy, and they relish the "exquisite kill".  They're definitely not a march-forward-with-guns-blazing kind of touman.

The other end of the spectrum is the Ice Hellions, who are fluffed as charging headlong at top speed into enemy formations without a second thought.
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Colt Ward

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #106 on: 24 January 2019, 12:38:31 »
The other end of the spectrum is the Ice Hellions, who are fluffed as charging headlong at top speed into enemy formations without a second thought.

Second thought?  Not sure they even had the first thought . . .

I think folks are looking too much at the extremes . . . which is not to say the Jaguars would not be happy to press that UAC/20 up against a Drac mech's chest before firing the trigger.  But the way the Clan forces were originally they did take advantage of the range but they closed up to exploit their longer ranges . . . a Clan mech can hang out at mid for their long range weapons (13-15 hexes) while leaving most of the IS they faced at the time with their Large Lasers, AC/10, and PPC returning fire back at the IS long range.
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #107 on: 24 January 2019, 12:54:44 »
They're definitely not a march-forward-with-guns-blazing kind of touman.
I can't find it but I swear I saw a Clan Honor Rules list that said a Clanner under strict Zell MUST close the range whenever possible. TW just says you can't be a tool about breaking LOS and you can't open the range until you have no shot.  There's nothing wrong with an Adder Prime floating at 13-5 hexes if the other fellow is driving a Hunchback IIC.

The other end of the spectrum is the Ice Hellions, who are fluffed as charging headlong at top speed into enemy formations without a second thought.
Well, those are Ice Hellions...  It's a bit of a shame they didn't make it out of the WoR, but it's hardly a surprise, either.
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #108 on: 24 January 2019, 13:18:01 »
TW has the zell rules in the scenario section

You take a strike if you intentionally move out of range or break LOS, but nothing says you HAVE to advance

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #109 on: 24 January 2019, 13:18:16 »
Keep in mind that "Clan honor" is like a peacock showing its plumage.  These guys are competing for breeding rights.  The whole point is to impress other Clan warriors.  Now, there are multiple ways to do that.  Hanging out at extreme range and picking apart your enemy is a show of great skill.  Most people can't hit at those ranges.  Getting up close and blowing somebody away with a short ranged volley looks really cool and it's a quick way to up your kill count.  If you kill three enemy mechs while your rival kills one, you look more impressive.

In a roleplaying environment, you'd probably want to include some kind of charisma-based skill.  "Clan bragging" or something.  It's all a matter of how well you can sell your decisions in combat.  Staying at long range where your enemy can't shoot back, is that a display of skill, or cowardice?  Breaking your bid to call in reinforcements, a sign of weakness or can you pass the blame onto those lying Inner Sphere dogs?

To succeed in the more aggressive Clans will probably require more risk-taking.  If you fight like an Ice Hellion and charge in blindly, that probably doesn't make for a very long career (or a very long life).  But some percentage of warriors will get lucky.  Most will fail, but a handful will succeed.  And since those guys took outrageous risks, their warrior codexes are going to be extremely impressive.  One guy in a Dasher charges a heavy mech lance and walks away with 4 kills?  Well yeah that's blind luck.  But if your Clan has enough morons who go for those big risks, then some of them will succeed, and thus you also have to take those risks if you want to pass on your genetic legacy.  It becomes a repeating cycle.  I don't think it's healthy for the Clan overall, but you would have a handful of guys with absolutely huge kill numbers.

It's like a teenage boy doing a handstand on the roof of his buddy's car as they speed down the street, trying to impress a girl.  Yeah there's a good chance he falls off and dies, but if he doesn't he's probably getting laid that night.  In a society where the number of people who can breed is carefully regulated, it's going to favor the ones who are willing to take the crazy risks.

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #110 on: 24 January 2019, 14:06:41 »
It's like a teenage boy doing a handstand on the roof of his buddy's car as they speed down the street, trying to impress a girl. 

Are girls ever impressed by that?
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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #111 on: 24 January 2019, 14:09:39 »
Are girls ever impressed by that?

I dunno, I can't do a handstand.

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #112 on: 24 January 2019, 15:17:00 »
Keep in mind that "Clan honor" is like a peacock showing its plumage.  These guys are competing for breeding rights.  The whole point is to impress other Clan warriors.  Now, there are multiple ways to do that.  Hanging out at extreme range and picking apart your enemy is a show of great skill.  Most people can't hit at those ranges.  Getting up close and blowing somebody away with a short ranged volley looks really cool and it's a quick way to up your kill count.  If you kill three enemy mechs while your rival kills one, you look more impressive.
And that can vary based on circumstance and how you tell the fish story.
"Yes, yes, you killed 2 Assassins and a Sentinel with a Timber Wolf.  Congratulations. I was busy killing an assault mech. With a light mech!"
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In a roleplaying environment, you'd probably want to include some kind of charisma-based skill.  "Clan bragging" or something.  It's all a matter of how well you can sell your decisions in combat.  Staying at long range where your enemy can't shoot back, is that a display of skill, or cowardice?

I think Patton would call it "doing your job."

Most will fail, but a handful will succeed.  And since those guys took outrageous risks, their warrior codexes are going to be extremely impressive.  One guy in a Dasher charges a heavy mech lance and walks away with 4 kills?  Well yeah that's blind luck. 
If that guy goes out and tags a pair of assaults next week, then you sit up and take notice. If only to know where to aim the Long Toms the next time you that Firemoth.
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Natasha Kerensky

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #113 on: 24 January 2019, 16:45:02 »
I think folks are looking too much at the extremes . . .

That's kind of the point.  I don't think we should broad brush the Clans with a "steady-advance" combat doctrine.  There are clearly differences between the Clans.

The Scorpions are at the long-range sniping extreme.  But between them and whatever "average" Clan doctrine is, there are other Clans that prefer, or would seem to prefer, to fight at longer ranges.  The Coyotes, with their assault mech mindset, would be an example of a Clan that probably prefers to pummel opponents at range and lacks some of the speed to do otherwise.

The Hellions are at the close-at-top-speed-and-blitz extreme.  But between them and "average" Clan doctrine are other Clans, like the Falcons, that like to advance rapidly.  The Falcons are characterized as "aggressive" and like to "strike directly" at the "nathaculor" of a battle, usually the command and control center.

There are also changes in combat doctrine over time.  For example, with the introduction of partial wings, TSM, and physical weapons some Clan designs in the current era are clearly focused on melee combat at point blank range like never before.  That's a whole new element of Clan combat doctrine outside the steady advance.
« Last Edit: 24 January 2019, 16:48:00 by Natasha Kerensky »
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VensersRevenge

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #114 on: 24 January 2019, 19:07:28 »
I think Patton would call it "doing your job."

but then Patton wasn't raised to believe that the only value a warrior had was their ability to win in honourable combat and, ultimately, it really isn't particularly honourable to stay at a range where your opponent never has a chance to hit you. That's why the zellbriggen rules punish players for deliberately moving out of range during a duel.
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Charistoph

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #115 on: 24 January 2019, 20:17:16 »
but then Patton wasn't raised to believe that the only value a warrior had was their ability to win in honourable combat and, ultimately, it really isn't particularly honourable to stay at a range where your opponent never has a chance to hit you. That's why the zellbriggen rules punish players for deliberately moving out of range during a duel.

And why the experienced Clan fighters of the Inner Sphere tended to beat the tar out of the non-Invasion Clans at the Trial of Refusal.
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Colt Ward

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #116 on: 24 January 2019, 23:50:53 »
but then Patton wasn't raised to believe that the only value a warrior had was their ability to win in honourable combat and, ultimately, it really isn't particularly honourable to stay at a range where your opponent never has a chance to hit you. That's why the zellbriggen rules punish players for deliberately moving out of range during a duel.

BS, its out of the warrior's range, not his opponent's range.  Same crap like 'cannot shoot a fallen mech' or 'cannot shoot in the back' or 'cannot shoot a shut down mech.'
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Sabelkatten

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #117 on: 25 January 2019, 04:01:05 »
Ultimately Zell is a roleplaying element. It's about being impressive. Is picking apart a slower, shorter-ranged, unit in a wide open field impressive? Probably not.

If such an approach is OK then you could have a warship gunner challenging a mechjock and demanding the fight to be fought between him in the gunnery position on an orbiting warship and the mech on the ground...

To get some glory out of such a fight you need a "circle of equals". Challenge a Hunchback with a Kit Fox Prime and say "We'll fight within 300 meters of this point, try and catch me!".

massey

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #118 on: 25 January 2019, 09:54:29 »
It's not about pure effectiveness as a fighting force.  It's about separating yourself from all the other vat-grown clone warriors (each Clan is probably churning out tens of thousands of sibkos every year).  It's likely an unintended side effect of the artificial nature of their culture.  They say they value one thing, but really they set up their system to reward a different thing.

So you're a mechwarrior in the Invasion, piloting a Loki Prime.  Here comes Random Joe in a Hunchback, what do you do?  Well you could stay out of his range and blast him with your PPCs.  That's the smart thing.  Whittle him down and wait until that AC-20 is gone before you close.  Nobody is going to really fault you for doing that.  Lokis have notoriously thin armor, might as well take advantage of your speed and range.  The loss of respect that you would get if he takes your leg off with that AC is not really worth the risk.  You don't have to stick your arm in the Great White's mouth to prove you're a great hunter.  Just kill the thing at range.  And it's just some random guy in a Hunchback.

But now let's say that this guy has proven himself to be a great warrior.  He's been playing hit and run in the city for the past few hours.  He's destroyed three of the mechs in your Star, and now that he's cornered he is bravely charging towards you because he's got no other options.  Sure, you could just execute him here with your PPCs.  But now is the chance to get some bragging rights.  And the fact that he's probably really low on AC-20 ammo doesn't hurt.  So you point your mech's arm at him in challenge, thump your chest with it like a gorilla and then pump your arms.  You deactivate your PPCs and decide that you'll fight him with your 3 ER medium lasers and your Streak SRM-6.  You'll fight "fair".  You move towards him and your plan is to keep him in the 6-9 hex bracket, long range for him and medium range for you.  You still have every advantage but you're gonna make it look good. 

You're the Predator, and you're taking off your mask and shoulder cannon to go fight Arnold in hand to hand combat.  The rest of his team were taken according to the rules of the sport (if you're dumb enough to not be able to see invisible guys, I guess you deserve to get shot), but Arnie had proven himself worthy.  You don't have to do a challenge like that with every dude who comes along, only the really special ones.



Of course, thinking about it now, Vlad's victory over Phelan Kell is really unimpressive.  He was in a 75 ton Clan mech and defeated a 3025 Inner Sphere light.  Phelan hadn't done anything impressive yet.  He was a dumbass who charged the first mech he saw and got his mech shot to pieces.  Vlad had a real misplaced sense of superiority there.

marcussmythe

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Re: Strategy for IS fighting Clans?
« Reply #119 on: 25 January 2019, 10:09:45 »
Vlad had a real misplaced sense of superiority there.

Its funny, but when you dig under the shell, the typical Clan warrior is, by human standards, an incredibly abused and traumatized child solider.  While really all one can do (from the POV of the Inner Sphere) is put them down as efficiently as possible, its still a hideous, ongoing tragedy, seeing the ostensible ideals of the Star League reduced to sociopathic child-soldiers and the idea that anyone too old to serve their hive purpose is best dead.