Mecha Combat

Mecha Combat is a bit of a misnomer since these rules apply to any kind of battle involving vehicles. That can be offroad buggies through the wasteland, fighter craft in a dogfight, or even the epic scale battleships clashing in orbit. Rules for handling these types of vehicles in a fight tend to follow the same as regular combat. Everyone rolls their Initiative, takes turns performing Major & Minor Actions, and repeats the combat round until one side forfeits or loses. What makes Mecha Combat different is the scale of damage involved, the addition of ablative armors. and a whole world of electronic warfare. Make sure you at least glance through the Combat System before reading this. A lot of principles there are reused on a bigger scale here.

Attack, Damage, & Soak
You still roll to Attack your Targets as before but now the Skills required are different. For ranged weapons mounted on your vehicle, be it a Mecha or a starfighter, you would use Gunnery. Melee attacks, if your vehicle is capable of such, are now a matter of Piloting or Driving depending on what sort of vehicle you're using. Of course if you're just a passenger leaning out to take a shot with a personal weapon that's still your normal skills from the Combat System, probably Shooting.

Damage is now to the vehicle, and only sometimes to the pilot. The Damage Roll is against the Vehicle's Armor Dice and any other appropriate bonuses, like Cover dice. It takes more than three shots to down a Mecha, usually, so vehicles don't suffer Wounds or penalties for Wounds. Instead Mecha Combat is all about knocking off the ablative Armor to break the soft insides. For every Wound sustained by a Mecha, reduce the armor of the struck portion by one level. When the Armor Dice for that piece are gone it can no longer Soak any damage. Note that you will need a weapon rated for Mecha damage to Wound a Mecha. Sidearms will not suffice.

Soaking with a Mecha is different than as a Character. For every die in the Damage Dice Pool rolled higher than the Mecha's highest Soak Die the Mecha suffers a Wound. If the Attack Roll was Overwhelming then the Mecha suffers an automatic Wound. If any Damage Die rolled is Overwhelming then that die counts as two Wounds. A single Alpha Strike from a Mecha can quickly add up to significant damage in a hurry sometimes scoring enough hits to devastate or destroy lighter Mechs.

Critical Hits
In addition to dealing double damage, every Overwhelming Damage Die results in a Critical Hit against the Target Mecha. Critical Hits represent a lucky shot that just happens to penetrate the Mech's armor and potentially hit something vital inside. For each Critical Hit roll that mecha part's Critical Slot Die (1d6 for Head & Legs, 1d12 for all else) to determine what portion of the Mecha's interior is struck. Whatever piece of equipment listed in that slot is destroyed, even if it takes up more than one slot like a PPC. If you roll the same Critical Slot more than once that just means the Critical Hit struck wreckage and did no further damage. Striking a Gauss Rifle or ammo Critical Slot on the other hand results in an explosion. Every Mechwarrior dreads the thought of their ammo cooking off in this fashion.

Ammo Cook-Offs
If the place where Ammo is being stored is hit or the Mech simply overheats beyond safe levels, then unspent ammunition can detonate causing further damage to the Mech. This is particularly troublesome as Armor cannot protect against explosions happening inside the machine. Frequently this cripples Mecha and kills pilots.

First, for every Ammo Critical Slot destroyed roll two more Critical Slot Dice for the part of the Mecha where the ammo was stored, unless you have C.A.S.E. installed. For each additional Ammo Critical Slot rolled continue to roll two more Critical Slot Dice each. It's entirely possible to have a chain reaction that destroys every single Critical Slot in this fashion. Once all Critical Slot Dice have been rolled total up the number of Ammo Critical Slots destroyed.

Now for each Ammo Critical Slot destroyed roll 5d8 Damage against a 3. Every Success counts as a Wound against that Mecha part. Overwhelming Successes count as two wounds against that Mecha part and an additional Wound against every adjacent part. Mecha Armor was not designed to withstand damage from within.

Finally for every Ammo Critical Slot destroyed the pilot must Soak against 2d10 damage as they are thrown about inside the cockpit, possibly burned and definitely battered. The experience of being strapped inside a Mecha that's self-detonating is not something you can train for. Pilots were not meant to be inside bombs and the stress of the experience induces Panic instead of Shaken where appropriate. Most Mechwarriors are understanding when a pilot punches out of a detonating Mecha in a panic. After all, most don't survive such an experience.

Mecha Damage on Infantry
Mecha Damage weaponry is devastating to non-mecha. Characters struck by a Mecha weapon cannot use their Body dice to Soak the damage. Likewise unless their Armor or other Soaking Dice come from sources rated against Mecha Damage they also cannot be used. Even in universes with Mecha this kind of protection is a rarity. Taking Cover is only effective if the Cover can obscure you from Mecha sensors or withstand direct fire. Any character unable to Soak Mecha Damage is considered automatically Incapacitated if hit. The best strategy for Infantry is usually to get out of the way and ask for support.

Melee Attacks
This is not recommended use for a Mecha. You have guns. Still, sometimes pilots find themselves in a tight situation or out of weaponry. In that case a punch or kick is the only option. A few specialized melee weapons have been developed and deal their own damage accordingly. The Attack Roll for Melee Mecha Attacks is always the Piloting skill. The damage depends on either the weapon equipped or the Mech's tonnage according to the chart below.

Death from Above (DFA) is another kind of Melee Attack, a desperate one. Mecha with the ability to jump may attempt to land on another Mecha's head, crushing the target. The unfortunate reality is that robots the size of buildings weren't designed for this. Just as the attack deals damage to the target it also deals damage to the attacker's legs. Additionally both mecha are knocked prone at the end of the attack.

To perform a DFA attack the Attacked must be able to jump to the target's location and still spend 2 Paces from her Jump Movement. The Attack Roll is against the Piloting Skill. Upon landing the hit Melee damage is rolled against the Torso and each arm. Any Overwhelming Successes on the three Damage Rolls also deal a Wound directly to the Target's head. For every Wound sustained by the Target roll 1d10 in damage against each of the Attacker's Legs.

Missiles
Guided weaponry is still a part of Mecha combat like any other part of modern warfare. Usually Mecha just brace and take the hit on their armor but some of the lighter models have an interest in other tactics. This has led to a number of missile and anti-missile systems.

Dumbfire
SRM series launchers are Dumbfire weapons. that means they let their missiles go and the little bundles of boom travel in a mostly straight line until something stops them. Characters using SRM weapons roll Gunnery to attack just like any cannon or laser type. The advantage of these over other missiles is that they don't trigger automatic anti-missile systems due to having no lock-on.

Guided
LRM and STREAK missiles are guided weapons. They lock on using either the mech's sensors or information relayed from a friendly unit. Once locked on the pilot only presses the button to fire. Since no skill is involved no Traits or other Dice Pools unique to the character are used. Instead the guidance system rolls a flat d12 in order to hit the Target, unless 4 or more missiles are in the volley. Targets locked on by 4 or more guided missiles are automatically hit (unless the target has an anti-missile system) and need to Soak the Damage. Each missile can only lock on to a single target at a time. One LRM-5 can launch 5 missiles for unavoidable damage at one target or roll to hit 5 separate targets for less.

Fire Control Systems
Mecha are sometimes equipped with an FCS for guiding missiles. Any missile able to take advantage of such a system rolls 2d8 to hit instead of 1d12 making a miss considerably less likely. Just how the FCS works depends upon the type.
 * NARC beacons must be fired within range of the Target and if they hit, latch on with a magnetic clamp. They broadcast a homing beacon to all guided missiles fired at their latched target.
 * TAG systems use a combination of line of sight technologies to paint the Target for anything from guided missiles to artillery strikes. The drawback is that mecha employing this system light up the EM spectrum enough to be detected even through ECM. Aircraft must fly straight & level while engaging the system to maintain a lock.

Anti-Missile Systems
For every weapon, a shield. For Guidance systems there are Anti-Missile countermeasures. The main purpose of these systems is to shoot down incoming missiles before they can hit their target. They only activate for guided missiles, dumbfire weapons lack the guidance systems that trip these defenses. Once active the system attempts to shoot down the swarm by throwing up a cloud of flak or short range lasers. This adds another 1d12 to the mecha's Soak Dice against Guided Missiles.

Electronic Warfare
Not all weapons break Armor. So much of a mecha relies on electronic sensors that it becomes worthwhile to interfere with those systems and render a 30-ton war machine unnoticed until it strikes.

ECM
Electronic Countermeasure systems have a number of functions. Mainly they're used to render a mecha and any allies within 6 hexes undetectable by sensors. If enemy units are within range, the ECM can also create sensor ghosts and jam communications for their foes turning a coherent lance into an unruly mob. Finally ECM can be switched into Electronic Counter-Countermeasure mode. While it no longer jams enemy sensor systems it does render mecha using ECM within the 6 hex range visible to sensor systems. At the start of each turn a pilot decides if his system will operate in ECM or ECCM mode until his next turn.

Units affected by enemy ECM cannot use guided weaponry against those targets, their guidance systems are being jammed. While ECM can be combined with NARC beacons it cannot operate simultaneously with TAG. The system just can't compensate for TAG's high EM output.

Active Probes
Another counter to ECM is the Active Prode. While an Active Probe won't reveal hidden units it can alert the pilot to ECM use within the area. Additionally the system includes seismic sensors enabling the equipped mecha to identify and target mecha within range. This is particularly useful against sensor ghosts.

Detect ECM is happening but need line of sight

Uses seismic sensors to find moving mecha, ferro-magnetic to detect shutdown mecha

Counters the sensor ghost problem

Mechwarrior Conversion
There is a lot of math that goes into the design of a Battlemech. For those who love charts and huge numbers there is a world of Battletech books on the subject. In the world of KiRPS we're trying to streamline things a little bit so everyone can play without starting a correspondence course in Mecha. Your easy to use tool for outfitting Mecha is going to be Remlab, an online resource that lets you design Battletech style Mecha with most of the numbers handled. Also it allows you to save & share your Mecha designs with the rest of your gaming group. We're going to look at how to take the stats from Remlab and use them in a game of KiRPS.

Mecha Class
Mechas come in many shapes and a couple of sizes. Typically Mecha are grouped according to their maximum possible tonnage into four classes.
 * (20-35t) Light Mecha are fast but fragile. These mecha depend on their small size and swift speed to avoid taking damage. Most often these Mecha are used to scout ahead, as light cavalry strikers, or sometimes as skirmishers to protect larger, slower mecha from other Light Mechs.
 * (40 - 55t) Medium Mecha blend speed with firepower. These tend to excel in raids dealing large amounts of damage before escaping. As skirmishers they have the mobility to get behind enemy lines and the weaponry to make the risk worth the reward. Sometimes Medium Mecha are outfitted with long range weaponry to harass an enemy from a safe distance, keeping ahead of their army.
 * (60 - 75t) Heavy Mecha are made to serve as both bodyguards of high value targets and outright Mech killers. They have the ability to equip a wide mix of weapons making them versatile if a bit slower than their Medium and Light counterparts.
 * (80 - 100t) Assault Mecha are the most devastating weapon short of a nuclear response. They equip heavy weapons in large numbers and more armor than most bunkers. The one saving grace for their enemies is that these Mecha are slow to move and often need protection against lighter, faster Mecha who are able to close the distance. Still if you need a lot of something broken in a hurry then you need an Assault.

Critical Slots
You saw before mention of Critical Slots. Remlab shows just how these slots are used. Each slot within a Mecha Part is one Critical Slot. When you roll count down from the top of the part's list to see what part is affected by the Critical Hit. For example, if you roll a 4 on your Critical Slot Roll on a Right Arm then that corresponds to the Hand Actuator slot for most models of Mecha. Your Mecha is now short-handed. Had a weapon been in that particular slot instead then the weapon would be destroyed instead.

Armor
This is pretty straightforward. Every two (2) points of armor on your Remlab design translates to a level of Armor Dice on your Mecha for that part. Any leftover points are discarded so 7 points of armor has the same benefit as 4 points. On larger mechs this process can seem overwhelming. Just remember that every five (5) levels of Soak Dice translates to 1d12 so if your Mecha has 80 points of armor that translates to 20 levels of Soak dice, which is 4d12. Be sure to write down the dice separate for each piece.

Mecha in Remlab have six whole sections of Torso Armor to track and that's more than we want. Combine all your Front Torso Armor together and mark it down as your Mecha's Front Armor. Do the same for your Rear Armor. In combat hits will strike against either your Front Armor or Rear Armor depending on what direction the shot came from. It's still possible to be hit in the arms, legs, or cockpit if the enemy is specifically aiming for them.

Internal Structure
Even without Armor to Soak Damage, Mecha can still take Damage. Not a lot. In fact they should stop taking Damage at this point. Still, how much damage can be sustained before the Mecha part stops operating or falls off is represented by Internal Structure of the part. Check the chart below to see how many Wounds are needed to destroy each part, it's separated by a Mecha's max tonnage.

Speed
Mecha have Moves just like a character with all the same rules, just on a larger scale. One Mecha Pace is 30 meters, roughly 100 ft. or 20 times a soldier's Pace. A Mecha's Stride is equal to their Engine Rating divided by the Mecha's maximum tonnage. You can find the engine rating by looking for the number at the end of the engine's name. For example, an Atlas with an XL Engine 300 has an engine rating of 300, a max tonnage of 100, so its stride is 3. A Mecha's Dash is equal to its Stride +50% rounded up. So our Atlas would have a Stride of 3 and a Dash of 5.

Jump Jets
Mechs with Jump Jets equipped have a rating equal to one Pace for every 30m listed in Remlab.

Heat
Every Mecha can cool 10 points of Heat at the end of your turn. For every Heat Sink installed your Mecha can cool one additional point of heat at the end of your turn. Double Heatsinks cool 2 points, obviously.

Weapons & Equipment
Finally, something easy! Just take the name of the equipment piece and check it against the charts below. That will give you the KiRPS damage, range, heat, and other information you need. Note that some things like Double Heat Sinks aren't listed simply because their function is basic enough to be included in your other data. Check with the DM if you have any trouble finding things.

Energy Weapons
"*Flamers also raise the target mech's heat by 6 points even if Soaked"

Missile Weapons
"*Denotes guided missile launchers"

Ammo Cases
"*All values are on a per ton basis"

Equipment
"*Can only damage Infantry""**Damage automatically applied to all units in same hex as Attacking Mecha"

Mecha Maneuvers
There are some things you can do better on foot than in a Mecha, but then there's somethings you just need a Mecha to get done. Also Mecha Movement might be similar to being on foot(You get a Pace, Stride, and Dash action after all) but it comes with a few extra rules. This owes to the fact that even the best Mecha isn't quite as natural for a pilot as his own body, whatever the warrior might swear.

Facing, Turning, & Moving
Mechas drive like tanks, big multi-story tanks. Their upper half has 180 degrees of rotation from left to right putting everything before them in harm's way. Their lower half is a little slower to respond, what with trying to balance a small mobile fortress and all. Firstly can only move forward or backwards with respect to its Facing. A Mecha's Facing just refers to which direction the legs are pointed. A Mecha with a due north Facing can only move ahead North or reverse South. It cannot sidestep. The Mecha may turn itself left or right by 60 degrees (one side of a hexagon) at the cost of one Pace from its move. So a Light Mech with a Stride of 8 and facing of Due North can move 8 Paces forward to the North. It could also turn about 180 degrees to face south (3 paces) and walk backwards while firing for 5 paces.

Getting Up
Sometimes it's worthwhile to lay your Mecha Prone, to hide behind trees between battles. Other times you just fall over. The Movement cost of getting back on your feet is 2 Paces. While Prone a Mecha cannot effectively fire weapons, or move. It's just a lump of Armor ready to Soak Damage.

Jumping
Some Mechs are equipped with Jump Jets, thrusters that enable them to not fly so much as drift through the air. These thrusters work in conjunction with the push of the legs so gravity will catch up in time. Mechs with Jump Jets equipped can use Jump as a Minor Action enabling them to travel a number of paces up to their Jump rating. Jumping mecha can raise their final elevation at the cost of one Pace per elevation level. At the end of a Jump Action a Mecha may have any facing it likes without expending Paces.

Evasion Dice
For every 2 hexes your Mech moves on foot or in the air you gain 1d6 in your Evasion Dice Pool. When rolling your Piloting Skill to avoid damage to your Mech include your Evasion Dice in the roll. After each roll you lose 1d6 from your Evasion Dice and at the start of your turn you reduce to zero Evasion Dice. So why is this important?

Fast Mechs are harder to hit and every Mechwarrior knows the key to surviving a Mech battle is to be the one still moving. Naturally things like turning, slowing, and stopping reduce the effectiveness of this strategy. Moving over 2 hexes of rough terrain might get you a single Evasion die for four Paces off your Mech's movement where the same number of Paces would have gotten you 2 Evasion dice on flat terrain.

Heat
Mechas generate heat, some more than others. Heatsinks dissipate this heat to prevent the Mecha from destroying itself. Too much heat can damage internal structure, cook off ammunition, or bake the pilot. Most actions generate Heat depending on what the action is.

Moving your Stride produces one point of Heat, Dash produces two. Using Jump Jets generates one point for every Pace moved, 3 points at the very least. Weapons generate their Heat values every time they fire a volley.

The total heat generated during your turn is reduced by your Mech's Heatsinks at the end of your turn. If you generate 21 Heat on your turn and your Mecha can cool 10 points then at the end of your turn your Mecha has gained 11 points. The effects of Heat are only calculated at the end of your turn after these points have been added, or subtracted, from your total.

As Heat builds your Mecha will start to malfunction, or possibly explode. Safety systems attempt to prevent this by automatically shutting down overheated Mecha. This shutdown procedure can be aborted by the pilot with a Piloting Skill Roll, but it's not meant to do that so really the Pilot is using his knowledge of the machine to induce more malfunctions. When heat is high enough to start cooking off ammunition roll the Critical Slot Die for each Mecha part. If any Ammo slots are indicated then that ammo explodes per the Ammo Cook-off rules. Otherwise nothing happens here. Check the list below for all the fun things hot Mechs can do to themselves.

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