Battletech: How To Destroy Light Mechs

See you on the tabletop!

[liljenborg]

Depends on the Light Mech, but normally you don't have to "hunt down" a light mech. Something with only medium lasers or SRMS _has_ to come to you to do any actual damage. But taking out light mechs is also what MEDIUM mechs are for. There aren't many light mechs that can stand up to a Phoenix Hawk: it can move fast enough to actually run down many lights, is nearly as impossible to hit because of its mobility, and has the range and damage of its Large Laser.

[JAllenHammer]

Hovers are definitely a great option. But don't necessarily count out small wheeled vees. I chased down a Mongoose using a Packrat LRPV and while I didn't take the mech down, I definitely pushed it away from the rest of the engagement - and sometimes that's all you need to do.

[johnjeneki]

Thanks for bringing up hover tanks, they're a favorite of mine. I think they're more common in micro armor games, because it's easier to hide the peg. Reaper's CAV is fun if you like hovers, as they get some neat popup abilities to use with terrain. And of course GZGs Dirtside II, which has one about to get blown away on the cover art lol.

[Beatnik]

I like to handle the light, fast moving targets like light mechs in two ways. The typical way is with something packing multiple medium and small lasers. Something out of a barrage like that is going to hit, and against most light targets, I don't need many to hit to do some significant damage. The problem is getting a unit on the table that can do this without getting into heat trouble. You talked about the Firefly before, Fritz, as well as the Flea. To these I'd add in the Galleon tank; it's a little over 300 BV. And while the Charger is at over 900 BV, it can work this role too.

Long range, highly accurate direct fire is another option, but only if I don't have to ante up a lot of heat while doing so. I save my PPCs, LLs, and long racks of LRMs for bigger targets with better odds. This is where those AC5s, AC2s, and short racks of LRMs can become rather useful; they might not do much damage, but against light targets the damage they do is significant, and you don't generate a lot of heat by firing them, so you can put this up turn after turn. Tanks like the Pike, the Partisan, and mechs like the JägerMech that fire multiple small autocannons are ideal for this kind of role. The JM6-S is only 901 BV.

The Clint allows both options. It has the AC5 for the highly accurate, low heat direct fire at range. And it also has two medium lasers to give you the redundancy up close. It's about 770 BV; cheaper than a Jenner and about twice as expensive as the 20 ton bugs.

[FearFrost]

I always think of the medium mech as the body guard for the unit. Your light mech is off doing its thing, while the assault, and heavy are doing their job, the medium protects and adds that extra fire support when not playing body guard. They have the speed to keep on a light, and have the fire power to really do some quick damage to said light.

[KageRyuu]

Vtol are a godsend for countering Light Mechs, honestly, they all but replace Light Mechs in most situations anyway. But really anything with the Hit Mods can do the job, so a Medium with Targeting Computer/LB-AC/Pulse Laser, can probably finish it off more swiftly than another Light or Vtol.

[sundoga]

Hovercraft? The Hammer's Slammers series by David Drake. All the Slammers vehicles are hovercraft, including the Panzers - Main Battle Tanks so heavy that even using hover tech, are too heavy to drive over water.

[scottdelahunt]

My 2 cents...
Terrain matters. A light 'Mech can't maintain speed through rough terrain like woods. It's not going to slow down the lights with jump jets, but it does force the likes of the Locust and Hussar to find another way around if they want to keep their speed.

Hunt lights with lights, like the Jenner, or toss in a Cicada to handle the lights. Committing an assault 'Mech to deal with light 'Mechs takes away from the assault's main mission.

I'll agree on using hovertanks. I'd toss in the Kanga from the TRO:2750 book. A hovertank with jump jets, to get past the terrain limitations and to mess with the Stinger pilot's head. An AC/5 backed up with an LRM10 and SRM4 will nicely keep up with the lights.

Finally, when all else fails, the UM-AIV, the Urbie with an Arrow IV launcher. I don't have to hit directly, I just have to be close.

[bruced]

anything that can ensure leg hits. just like a tank, remore it's mobility and push on to the objective.

[ian]

Thunder. thunder with IFF at my own feet protect me from yo tinies.

[jeffersonjjohnson]

Medium/Heavy/Assault mech used kick attack. It's super effective.

[ArawnNox]

I was bumming around the BT reddit and I saw someone suggest that artillery (mech or vehicle mounted) is also a good way to counter lights. I've never used combined arms so I can't say to the veracity of that comment.

[jogro]

Ac2 with precision ammo is your best option

[ChronicUptier]

The natural followup question to this is, what kind of light mechs are able to counter these hunters? For example, if your opponent starts showing up with hovercraft to chase your recon elements, what kinds of counters can you use with your lights? For example, would it be effective to use something like inferno SRMs on your Wasps and Assassins SRM-2s to maybe scare off some vehicles? I'm fortunate to have never had to deal with a horde of hovercraft but I almost always take inferno SRM ammo in my mechs that mount SRM-2s since those launchers aren't doing much damage anyway, but they can cause some serious annoyance by increasing heat on enemy mechs in the middle of a brawl, or by obliterating enemy infantry and vehicles.

[JosephofWalton]

I like to use Patton and Partisan (ac2 or lrm flavors are my favourite) tanks to hunt lights. They have the armor to stop, if they have a light mech/tank/vtol in range, absorb some damage, and get a nice low BTH on the faster moving target. Partisans also have the added bonus of radar (depending on how your current rule set allows them to effect BTH) for those vtols.

[Spartaner]

the amount of firepower you would use to damage a heavy or kicks, which both depends on the movement of the enemy with the light mechs.
hovers and vtols are a good point, jets might work too. the mechbuster SRM works also wonders.

[Funkin_Disher]

VTOLs with light PPCs or MMLs, my favourite

[Magermh]

Recon and light hunter killers. Yes VTOL are in a nice place. Hovercraft that do good job of hunting lights are the harasser laser variant, J Edger, Savanna Master, Gabriel and Hover Scout. I love the Hussar and use it to escort fast hovercraft like Blizzards and Zephyrs to hunt down light mechs. But the unit that sticks out to me as a good light mech hunter is the Wolfhound. For medium mechs. I like using the Sentinel, Clint, Blackjack, P-Hawk and Wolverine.
I would note that most recon hunter kill machines have weapons that have a long short range bracket like an AC-2 to AC-5 or a modest weapon that may take numerus shots like the large laser. The idea is to be mobile enough and engaging enough to position and deliver a hard kick to the light mechs leg to cripple their mobility.
I have had little success using arty on lights. Normally arty is targeted by light mechs and VTOL's. Mines offer a control to force a light mech to walk lowering the to hit mod. But I consider them more an option. The less likely and less often uses is the hidden infantry. If your ever wondering why many mechs have AMS or anti-infantry weapons. Just walk into a nest of hidden SRM infantry that do not show on beagle active probes. And pray your not stepping on them as the opening shot is a leg attack.

[JAllenHammer]

The game Dirtside II also has hovers. I've come across some Dirtside minis that I'm using as proxies for BT. They're a little small, but will work for maybe Hover APCs.

[vulkhanasennet]

As a light mech pilot who tends to use heavy recon stars and adv ECM/ECCM tech. I couldn't tell you how many times a player assumed that their size advantage meant I couldn't take them down with my mech...only to discover that my stacked modifiers made me almost impossible to hit on 2d6 and my maneuverability plus 2 IMPHVYmed-las(c) and 3ERsml-las(c) made hit and run tactics especially potent. I tend to tear down their heavies and assaults through sustained harassment of their lances rear arcs over the course of the game and they are flabbergasted. To the point where I have to question; is there a "light mech Blindspot" in the hobby? Like do people generally not believe that they are viable options for offensive strategies if utilized properly? Or is it tech or era dependent?