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Mechwarrior 4 Strategy Guide

Mission 1

Operation 1: "Optimism" Missions

Set on the cold Kentares IV moon where 'Mech heat management is not critical, the first campaign operation sets the stage for the subsequent, more dangerous missions. During "Optimism" you will operate in a support role and won't direct other BattleMechs. The goal is to greatly hamper Steiner's ability to easily deploy BattleMechs over the planet. By the time the mission ends, you will hopefully also have wiped out Steiner's lunar and far-orbit reconnaissance capabilities.

This excerpt includes complete walkthroughs for the four missions that comprise the "Optimism" operation. Though you are participating in live combat, enemy 'Mechs aren't particularly tough and you should use these missions to further familiarize yourself with the game controls, 'Mech and weapon selection, and combat maneuvers.

Mission 1: Destroy Communications Relay

Mission Briefing: Destroy lunar communications relay. Our rebellion starts here. We are going to raid and destroy the key component of the Steiner communications net. Enemy forces are light and resistance should be minimal. Destroy the three communications relay stations, and Steiner's communications will be cut off from Kentares IV.

MechLab

Since this is the game's first mission, you aren't offered any selection of 'Mechs to choose from. Select the Shadow Cat from the 'Mech menu. If you wish, head to the MechLab and customize its armor layout.

You're facing weak enemies in this first encounter-APCs, Bulldog tanks, Short-Range Missiles (SRMs), and turrets present the greatest danger. With the MechLab, you could modify the Shadow Cat's armor positioning and place more armor near the front. If you do, attempt to keep all hostile targets in sight. Your armor will be weaker from the rear, so avoid turning your back or side to an enemy vehicle or stationary foe.

Battle Plan

Objective: Destroy all three communications towers.

You begin the mission within a cutscene where you watch you and your two lancemates (not under your control) launched from the dropship to the moon surface below. As you descend, command elaborates on your mission objective. Ahead of your current position lies the main communications station. Expect light defenses as you approach. You're then shown the communications relay stations. According to command, these structures are more durable and will require heavier weaponry to destroy.

As soon as you gain control of your 'Mech, your two lancemates will start toward the primary objective ahead. Increase your 'Mech's speed to full. Follow the road into the crater that contains the listening post and communications buildings. There's only one navigation point available in this mission. Locate your NAV point in your directional finder. Alternatively, you can simply follow your lancemates and be led to the primary objective target (see Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1 Follow your lancemates into the crater containing the listening post and light vehicle guard.

Your lancemates will have already begun annihilating enemy targets before you enter the crater. Join them by targeting the nearest enemy vehicle or turret. You'll encounter many foes inside the small communications base, though none should provide much resistance. Bulldog tanks and Long-Range Missile (LRM) emplacements (which surround the crater) will offer the most trouble. Target them, then approach and blast away with lasers or missiles.

As you move through the camp, try to avoid smashing into buildings or stationary vehicles-it's practically the only way you can suffer moderate amounts of damage here. Use this relatively basic mission for additional training. Practice cycling through enemy targets, grouping and using your available weapons, and so on. This mission's targets are smaller than the enemy 'Mechs you'll face later on, so take the time to work on your hit-to-miss efficiency.

During your rampage through the communications base, several enemy transports will begin retreating. Command alerts you to the developing situation and orders you to intercept the moving transports and prevent them from escaping the area.

Mid-Mission Objective: Destroy escaping enemy units.

Several transports begin fleeing the crater communications base. These transports immediately head toward the exit roads that lie opposite from the road where you and your lancemates entered. As soon as you're ordered to neutralize the mobile units, cycle through available enemy targets until you locate the nearest enemy labeled "transport." More than one escaping enemy unit must be taken care of, so remember to work quickly. Lock onto the nearest transport and increase your 'Mech's speed to full.

Fire your weapons at the transport as you approach. If you fail to destroy the transport on the first pass, consider smashing your 'Mech into it. This will destroy the fleeing vehicle. You may take minor damage, but ramming the transport will save you the time and bother of circling around for another pass. Alternatively, follow close behind the transport and decelerate your 'Mech. Once you're slowed down, it becomes extremely easy to line up your crosshairs and annihilate the vehicle with your weaponry.

Once the fleeing transports are destroyed, begin your assault on the communications towers and listening post. Cycle through enemy targets until you've locked onto one of these buildings. There are three communications towers to destroy in addition to the lone listening post, which resides between the triangle formed by the three communications stations.

Approach the stations and listening post closely and fire off your weapons. Destroy the three communications stations, and the listening post in between will explode in a huge ball of shredded metal and flame (see Figure 5.2). The mission ends in success once its primary objective has been completed.

Figure 5.2 The durable communications towers and listening post require some heavy pounding with your weaponry.

Mission 2

Mission 2: Destroy SCUD Convoys

Mission Briefing: Destroy SCUD convoys. Steiner is moving missile vehicles through an operation area in preparation for an attack. Sweep the area and destroy the Steiner launch vehicles. The vehicles will be accompanied by an escort, which may include enemy 'Mech forces.

MechLab

Since you only encountered enemy vehicles and tanks in the first mission, you weren't able to salvage any enemy 'Mechs. Thus, you only have one choice this time around. Again select the Shadow Cat from the 'Mech menu. Just as you may have done in the first mission, you can head to the MechLab and customize the Shadow Cat's armor layout.

The stakes are a bit higher for this mission. Along with a collection of enemy vehicles, including Vedettes and SRM Carriers, you'll face off against your first and second enemy BattleMechs. Both are light 'Mechs, however, and you'll have one (uncontrollable) lancemate along for the ride to make things a little easier. The targeting and weapon grouping practice you gained from the first mission should serve you well here.

Battle Plan

Objectives: Destroy all enemies at NAV Alpha. Destroy all enemies at NAV Beta.

Omega Control relays your mission objective: locate and destroy the SCUD mobile missile launchers currently in convoy formation somewhere in the ravine. Maintain active radar and patrol the NAV points (NAV Alpha and NAV Beta) to intercept Steiner's convoy. You have one lancemate for the mission, Gonzalez, who begins slightly ahead of your starting position.

Accelerate your 'Mech to top speed and ready your weaponry. Regroup your weapons to desired presets and prepare for your first combat encounter with an enemy 'Mech-an Osiris light model. Gonzalez will remain ahead of your position and will be the first to spot the foe. The Osiris will be found waiting in the ravine, just before NAV Alpha. Gonzalez announces he has a visual on an enemy 'Mech and orders you ahead to take it down (see Figure 5.3).

This first battle against a live enemy 'Mech shouldn't be too tough with the help of Gonzalez. Maintain your distance from the enemy Osiris, and aim your laser and missile weapons for its legs. Gonzalez should also circle and attack the 'Mech with his own lasers and missiles. Avoid shooting Gonzalez (he'll spout off a verbal warning if you strike his 'Mech with weapons fire!) by monitoring your radar. If you notice your ally moving into your line of fire, avoid shooting him by strafing to the opposite side.

Figure 5.3 You'll encounter a light enemy 'Mech before you reach NAV Alpha.

Though you don't need to rush the enemy 'Mech's destruction, remember that the SCUD convoy will continue to move slowly away from the first NAV point as you do battle. Balance taking your time-and scoring consistent, punishing blows-with blasting away as quickly as you can. Like the first mission, this one takes place on a moon where monitoring your BattleMech's heat output isn't critical to mission success. Once the enemy Osiris has been destroyed, resume course toward NAV Alpha.

Accelerate your 'Mech to top speed and head toward NAV Alpha. Red enemy blips will appear on your radar as you approach. Cycle through these targets to locate one part of the enemy SCUD convoy. This portion of the convoy includes one SCUD mobile launcher, Humvees, hostile Vedette tanks, and a few miscellaneous vehicles.

You're much faster than the SCUD launcher. When you reach the convoy, ignore the SCUD for the moment and concentrate instead on the Vedettes. Target the nearest enemy vehicle and blast away with your lasers; it might require a couple of passes to destroy the lightly armored vehicles. Ramming them should also prove effective. Switch targets to your first objective, the SCUD launcher, only after all other vehicles have been destroyed (see Figure 5.4). Annihilate the SCUD and prepare to move to the next NAV point.

Select NAV Beta and head toward it using the directional finder on your 'Mech's head-up display. NAV Beta is the location of the second portion of the SCUD convoy. Red enemy blips appear on your radar once you near this point. You'll find the second SCUD mobile launcher among this second convoy group. Once again, you'll also encounter several other vehicles, including SRM Carriers and artillery loaders. Destroy the loaders from long range. Avoid being too close when these vehicles explode-the explosion could damage your 'Mech!

Figure 5.4 A group of Vedettes and Humvees follow the SCUDs.

Target the vehicles first-once you approach, the SCUD launcher won't escape your wrath. Destroy each enemy in turn with your lasers. This should be sufficient to eliminate the lightly armored foes. Turn your crosshairs on the second SCUD mobile launcher once all vehicles have been cleared. Destroy it with your weaponry.

A final enemy 'Mech, another Osiris, will also enter the battle at NAV Beta. If possible, destroy the vehicles and SCUD mobile launcher before moving against the light 'Mech. Once again, Gonzalez should offer sufficient support against this relatively weak opponent. Avoid shooting Gonzalez and finish off the enemy 'Mech. Its destruction will conclude the mission with complete success.

Mission 3

Mission 3: Dropship Hunt

Mission Briefing: Destroy Steiner dropships. We have an opportunity to cripple Steiner's activities on and around Kentares IV. Three dropships are preparing for takeoff. If we strike quickly, we can deliver a decisive blow. Be careful if they get powered up; dropships can be devastating. Target the mobile APUs to slow down their launch procedure.

MechLab

Speed certainly helps in this mission against the clock, but so does equipping a 'Mech with the most powerful weapons available. Choose firepower over speed. You won't lose much time when traveling from waypoint to waypoint. Just remember that taking too long to destroy the dropships could jeopardize mission success.

Select your favorite available 'Mech (you should have new selections thanks to last mission's salvage efforts) and equip it with the best weapons available for its slots. Medium and Small Lasers work well against the APUs, but you'll want Large or Pulse Lasers for use against the dropships. Save ammo-based weaponry for the dropships, and group lasers for use against the APUs and base defenses.

Battle Plan

Objectives: Destroy all Steiner dropships. Destroy all mobile APUs.

You begin the mission just outside Steiner's three dropships. Each is parked on a landing pad and surrounded by three APUs. Destroying the APUs slows down the dropship's power-up procedure and damages the dropship as the APUs explode when killed. If allowed to power up, the dropship can activate weapons (which are extremely powerful) and then its engines to initiate launch. A small intel group moves ahead of your position and enters the base to gain recon on the static and mobile defenses that are protecting the dropships and APUs. You're also joined by a lancemate, though he's uncontrollable for the duration of the mission.

Accelerate your 'Mech to top speed and move forward. Automatically target the nearest dropship pad and one of its APUs. Align the target in your crosshairs and approach. The dropships are placed at three different NAV points-Alpha, Beta, and Gamma-inside the base. All three points are visible from each other. You don't have much time to complete the task before the dropships escape, so go in quickly. Go for the APUs first in order to slow down the launch procedure, and then concentrate on annihilating the dropships. Speed is key!

 

Warning

There's no time to hesitate. If a dropship powers up its powerful weapons, the mission becomes much more difficult. And take too long against the APUs, and the dropship will engage its engines and flee the mission area. Stay close to the dropship so its turrets can't fire on you. If you're close, though, when the dropship launches, you can take serious damage.

Once over the rocky hill, the nearest dropship at NAV Alpha appears in your view. Maintain the closest APU as your target and continue to approach. Laser turrets and Vedettes are scattered around the base. Ignore these targets. Allow your lancemate to deal with the stationary and mobile defenses as you concentrate on the APUs, first at NAV Alpha and then at the other navigation points. As mentioned, there are three APUs at each NAV point. Two lie on the landing platform with another on the ramp. Destroy the APU on the ramp, ascend the ramp, and take out the other two (see Figure 5.5). Alternatively, you could use Jump Jets to leap onto the landing platform. A few blasts with laser weaponry should be sufficient to blow apart each APU.

As soon as the three APUs at NAV Alpha have been destroyed, cycle through targets until you locate an APU at NAV Beta, where the second dropship awaits. Adjust your 'Mech's heading and accelerate to top speed. Don't bother descending the landing platform at the ramp; just drop off or use your Jump Jets to leap off. Don't stop to bother with the base defenses as you move to NAV Beta. Twist your torso to fire upon any available targets, but don't slow down or stop your 'Mech. An enemy Osiris 'Mech will also be spotted moving around the base at this point; ignore it as well until the APUs are destroyed.

Take out the APUs at NAV Beta as you did at NAV Alpha. Use Jump Jets to leap up onto the landing platform or simply ascend the ramp, destroying the APU there along the way. If possible, move to the other side of the dropship as soon as possible to escape the base turrets and vehicles' line of fire. Destroying all APUs at NAV Beta triggers a message from command informing you that there are three APUs left around the dropship at NAV Gamma.

 

Figure 5.5 Destroy the APUs quickly to slow down the dropship's power-up procedure.

Cycle through targets until you're locked onto one of the APUs at NAV Gamma. Drop off the landing platform and move quickly to the final navigation point. Target the APUs here and destroy them as quickly as possible. Finishing off the ninth APU (three at each dropship) completes one mission objective. Unfortunately, you're far from finished! Target NAV Alpha once again and adjust course to intercept. With the APUs out of the way, it's now time to target the dropships themselves. As you move back to the first NAV point, target any turrets, vehicles, or 'Mechs within your view. As you did before, however, don't stop to attack these enemies.

Once you reach NAV Alpha, ascend the ramp onto the landing platform and remain on the other side of the dropship (the opposite side from the center of the base), blocking the base turrets and vehicles' line of fire with the dropship. Target the dropship and start discharging all weapons at it (see Figure 5.6). Don't hold back. As soon as a weapon charges, fire the grouping into the dropship. You may receive various reports from command regarding the power-up condition of the vessels. It's also advisable to back off (set your 'Mech in reverse) after firing on the dropship for a few rounds. Avoid sticking around once the craft explodes, as this explosion could overheat your 'Mech dramatically, forcing a shutdown and costing valuable time.

 

Figure 5.6 Eliminating the APUs is only half the battle. Now, target the dropships and prevent them from escaping!

If you're too slow, either with eliminating the APUs or destroying the dropships, one of them might escape. If one does manage to get away, you'll hear orders telling you to remain in the mission area and finish off the remaining two dropships. Destroying these vessels will complete the mission with success. You can't allow two dropships to escape, however, or you're returned to the mission briefing and forced to attempt the task again. The APUs are key to mission success. Destroying them quickly gives you more time to finish off the ships. The mission concludes once you have destroyed all available APUs and enemy dropships.

Mission 4

Mission 4: Base Defense

Mission Briefing: Defending landing facilities. Steiner has taken an increased interest in our activities. We must escape, and you need to provide cover until we can power up our dropships and escape. Make sure the APUs that are powering up the dropship survive. Enemy forces may be heavy and will include 'Mech assets.

MechLab

You won't be moving very much in this mission. Consider a smaller engine in order to free up tonnage for additional ammunition or weaponry. Most action takes place near the friendly landing facilities you're ordered to defend. Missile weaponry will come in handy against the LRM and SRM Carriers that remain back and fire upon the allied dropship from long range. Equip some lasers for the scattered vehicles you'll face, and use missiles or ballistic weaponry against the incoming 'Mechs.

Depending on your salvage efforts from previous missions, you should have several 'Mechs available. The Osiris is a bit too light for use in defending the base, so opt for the Cougar, Shadow Cat, or Hellspawn, depending on their availability.

Battle Plan

Objectives: Defend the APUs while the dropship powers up. Destroy all hostile units to clear for takeoff.

The mission begins with allied command securing cargo vessels in the dropship. Multiple targets have been spotted on radar heading toward the dropship and its vulnerable support units. The primary objective of the mission is to protect the APUs that surround your dropship. As you discovered in the last mission, defending the APUs allows the dropship to successfully charge for launch.

Guarding the APUs is more difficult than expected, largely because they are not all visible at the same time. You can't simply stay on one side of the dropship and protect the APUs on that side, as doing so will leave the other side vulnerable to attack. Therefore, you must continually monitor your BattleMech's radar to locate the nearest incoming threat, even if that threat lies on the other side of the dropship. Stay near the front of the dropship so you can quickly move to a threat coming from either flank (see Figure 5.7).

Figure 5.7 Stick close to the friendly dropship and vulnerable APUs.

After the opening cutscene, you'll gain control of your 'Mech. Your lancemates have already entered the field and are targeting hostile units. Locate the nearest enemy unit and accelerate your 'Mech to top speed. Although there are several vehicles on the way-including LRM Carriers, SRM Carriers, Bulldogs, and Vedettes-it's to your advantage to target the nearest enemy 'Mech first. There are four incoming enemy 'Mechs; all are lightly armed and armored, though fairly quick. You'll face Osiris, Hellspawn, and Shadow Cat varieties here.

These are much quicker than the opposing vehicles and will likely reach the friendly APUs first. Don't let an enemy BattleMech approach the dropship unopposed. Locate the nearest enemy 'Mech, likely a light one, and gather all your weapons into a single attack grouping. Fire on this 'Mech, aiming for a leg or the chest. Attacking with all weapons at once is called an alpha strike and, since you're on the moon, you shouldn't have to worry about heat management. Follow up this first blast with another and another until you've diverted the 'Mech's attention away from the dropship.

Continue moving through the base seeking the nearest targets. The base buildings and vehicles, which can provide cover in most search-and-destroy missions, will prove to be a hindrance here. All will block your line of fire on incoming 'Mechs and vehicles. As soon as you cycle to a new target, move away from the buildings to gain a direct line of sight on the enemy vehicle or 'Mech you're currently battling. Target the enemy and fire all your weapons, including any missile-based ones. Weakening or even destroying the 'Mech or vehicle from a great distance will save you precious time and allow you to move on to another enemy target more efficiently.

If you wander too far from the dropship, turn around, locate the big vessel on your viewscreen, and head back-especially if it's announced that an APU is taking damage! Though roaming the field allows you to target and destroy enemy targets quickly, the APUs will be in danger if just one slips by.

As mentioned previously, enemy 'Mechs should be your primary targets unless you have clear line of sight on an opposing vehicle and can eliminate this threat with a single shot. As soon as you've crippled one enemy 'Mech (monitor its damage levels on your head-up display), cycle to the next one and engage it. Keep an eye on the dropship and valuable APUs at all times and challenge any enemy 'Mech targeting either vehicle (see Figure 5.8).

Figure 5.8 'Mechs provide the greatest challenge here. Intercept them before tackling the enemy vehicles.

To successfully complete the mission, all enemy threats must be destroyed before you lose the three APUs. Once two enemy 'Mechs are down, quickly cycle to the nearest enemy vehicle and intercept it. If possible, gain long-range line of sight on the vehicle by moving away from obstructing buildings and nonmoving vehicles. Attack with long-range weapons; once destroyed, cycle to the next target and engage.