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In the Classic BT, I used to design companies and was inspired by some scenario supplement books like those of the Grey Death Legion, Wolf's Dragoons, and others. They usually listed the companies as being around 600 tons with 12 BattleMechs being divided into three lances of four 'Mechs each.

The companies usually had a light/scout lance, a medium or heavy lance, and a command or assault lance. Fire lances, consisting of 'Mechs loaded with missiles, were also a choice.

My dream company was a 3025 House Steiner company consisting of just two 'Mech types, 30-ton Valkyries and 70-ton Archers - six of each to be precise.




They would be arranged into three lances: a scout lance consisting of four Valkyries, and two fire lances each consisting of three Archers and a Valkyrie.

This company would hide the Archers behind buildings or terrain and use the Valkyries to scout for the enemy and then act as spotters to rain indirect fire on the enemy. Each fire lance would have an attached Valkyrie but the scout lance Valkyries would also act as spotters if the need arose.

Anyone else have dream companies?

Supply chain for that would be a dream. LRM ammo? Check. Spare Med Lasers? Check.

Are we just doing pre-clan or any timeframe?

Only the CapCon and the Kuritans experimented with massed deployment of the same mech chassis, and the Kuritans only reserved this to the Panthers and Dragons they spammed out at unstoppable rates.

To have a mass deployment it is fair to assume you have the primary factory for that mech in your house. the mechs you hav closen are technically available. You can ship in Archers from Carlisle and Valkyries from the Fed Suns as allies.

However I would recommend a modification.

Take two Fire Lances of three missile mechs and a spotter.

A command lance of four standard line mechs which can include a Valkyrie. However I would include a Zeus and a Banshee-S in that lance. They are very Lyran and under these circumstances necessary. As you have an LRM heavy top any attempts by the enemy to close cold.

My Take:

COMMAND LANCE
Zeus ZEU-6S - Company commander, possibly an early dual cockpit variant.
Banshee BNC-3S - Brutal assault mech.
Archer ARC-2R - Why not sneak one in here too.
Hunchback HBK-4G - Backup infighter.

HEAVY FIRE LANCE
Archer ARC-2R - Heavy LRM fire lance
Archer ARC-2R
Archer ARC-2R
Phoenix Hawk PHX-1 - Heavy spotter, versatile and able to look after itself

LIGHT FIRE LANCE
Valkyrie VLK-QA -Faster LRM support lance
Valkyrie VLK-QA
Valkyrie VLK-QA
Assassin ASN-21 - Quality fast spotter, could be replaced by a more expendible Stinger.

Very Lyran assault lance, very Davion Light Fire Lance. The Lyran version of a light Fire lance would be Commandos, lots of Commandos.

Orlanth wrote:Only the CapCon and the Kuritans experimented with massed deployment of the same mech chassis, and the Kuritans only reserved this to the Panthers and Dragons they spammed out at unstoppable rates.

To have a mass deployment it is fair to assume you have the primary factory for that mech in your house. the mechs you hav closen are technically available. You can ship in Archers from Carlisle and Valkyries from the Fed Suns as allies.

However I would recommend a modification.

Take two Fire Lances of three missile mechs and a spotter.

A command lance of four standard line mechs which can include a Valkyrie. However I would include a Zeus and a Banshee-S in that lance. They are very Lyran and under these circumstances necessary. As you have an LRM heavy top any attempts by the enemy to close cold.

My Take:

COMMAND LANCE
Zeus ZEU-6S - Company commander, possibly an early dual cockpit variant.
Banshee BNC-3S - Brutal assault mech.
Archer ARC-2R - Why not sneak one in here too.
Hunchback HBK-4G - Backup infighter.

HEAVY FIRE LANCE
Archer ARC-2R - Heavy LRM fire lance
Archer ARC-2R
Archer ARC-2R
Phoenix Hawk PHX-1 - Heavy spotter, versatile and able to look after itself

LIGHT FIRE LANCE
Valkyrie VLK-QA -Faster LRM support lance
Valkyrie VLK-QA
Valkyrie VLK-QA
Assassin ASN-21 - Quality fast spotter, could be replaced by a more expendible Stinger.

Just remember that I said there was a 600 ton restriction. Your company is way over tonnage.

Each of my fire lances do have spotters:

COMMAND FIRE LANCE:
Archer
Archer
Archer
Valkyrie

FIRE LANCE:
Archer
Archer
Archer
Valkyrie

SCOUT LANCE:
Valkyrie
Valkyrie
Valkyrie
Valkyrie

That's a 12 BattleMech company at 600 tons. Yes, it is made with logistical concerns in mind in reference to parts, maintenance, and ammo. I like standardization.

If you include an assault lance you will have to lighten your other lances, like making the scout lance all 20-tonners or dropping your heavy lance down to a medium lance.

Mattlov wrote:Very Lyran assault lance, very Davion Light Fire Lance. The Lyran version of a light Fire lance would be Commandos, lots of Commandos.

I agree but Darkwing wants Valkyries and Archers. New Avalon produces 120 Valkyries a year in an automated factory, and is an allied state in 3025. They could get those mechs en masse, backed up with a fair number of Enforcers. You can bet there are some Zeus and Commandos heading the other way.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

DeathwingCrusader wrote:
Just remember that I said there was a 600 ton restriction. Your company is way over tonnage.

You want Lyrans to adhere to a tonnage restriction. Its only 80 tons over, not bad for Lyrans. Besides tonnage is a poor method of balancing mechs, a Charger isnt wortha Hunchback and a Valkyrie. I like using tonnage based games instead of BV, but you need to self regulate taking crap mechs and optimum mechs i equal balance.

DeathwingCrusader wrote:
Each of my fire lances do have spotters:

Spotters need to be faster or heavier than Valkyries, preferably both. Valkyries are shooters not spotters, Locusts and Stingers make good spotters by being cheap. Spiders and Assassins by being very fast. Otherwise a 40ton speed 6 mech, or a 55 tonner speed 5. The only non jump spotter I would consider are speed 8.

DeathwingCrusader wrote:
That's a 12 BattleMech company at 600 tons. Yes, it is made with logistical concerns in mind in reference to parts, maintenance, and ammo. I like standardization.

Battletech doesnt work like normal military logistics, it is implied that there is a lot of cross usage of components, especially during the tech starved succession war era. Standardisation is laudable but it will be seen more like minimaxing because logistics has beebn all butignored by the game and its attendant fiction. In fact apart from passages in Sword and Dagger I haven't seen much logistic focus at all.

Honestly, a company of Archers and Valkyries just isn't that good. Doesn't matter how you arrange them by lance.

A 600 ton company. Let's put it on the Davion/Liao border, probably Davion side with Liao salvage.

Heavy Lance: 270 Tons
Warhammer-D
Grasshopper-5N
JagerMech
Thunderbolt

Combat Lance: 200 tons
Enforcer
Centurion
Vindicator
Dervish

Strike Lance: 130 tons
Valkyrie
Locust
Blackjack
Ostscout

600 tons total. Obviously, the Heavy lance is the anchor. The Strike lance stays between the Heavy and Combat lance to support either, but doesn't push out to be a threat until it can envelope a flank or wolf-pack a damaged enemy out of existence.

Mattlov wrote:Honestly, a company of Archers and Valkyries just isn't that good. Doesn't matter how you arrange them by lance.

A 600 ton company. Let's put it on the Davion/Liao border, probably Davion side with Liao salvage.

Heavy Lance: 270 Tons
Warhammer-D
Grasshopper-5N
JagerMech
Thunderbolt

Combat Lance: 200 tons
Enforcer
Centurion
Vindicator
Dervish

Strike Lance: 130 tons
Valkyrie
Locust
Blackjack
Ostscout

600 tons total. Obviously, the Heavy lance is the anchor. The Strike lance stays between the Heavy and Combat lance to support either, but doesn't push out to be a threat until it can envelope a flank or wolf-pack a damaged enemy out of existence.

I like my odds (with the Valkyries and Archers) against this company if I can get enough cover, like in a city. Out in the open, I'd have some problems, but if I could maneuver my forces in such a way as to negate most of your direct-fire weapons while I bombard you indirectly for a few rounds, I like my odds. My own very limited ammo would actually be my main concern.

Is there a vassal version of BattleTech where people can play online? I'm tempted to try this out. Be warned: I've had a lot of success with Archers and indirect fire.

Yeah, it is called MegaMek.

Actually, I think you would be screwed in a city. Indirect fire is NOT easy to hit with, and since your primary firepower can't jump, you can't maneuver. Once I was under the minimum ranges of your Archers, they'd be toast.

Mattlov wrote:Honestly, a company of Archers and Valkyries just isn't that good. Doesn't matter how you arrange them by lance.

Agreed. But you could afford four or five mechs in a company of those two designs. Personally I wouold not repeat any mech more than once

Mattlov wrote:
Heavy Lance: 270 Tons
Warhammer-D
Grasshopper-5N
JagerMech
Thunderbolt

I would put the Enforcer in this lance, it has staying power the JagerMech lacks.

Mattlov wrote:
Combat Lance: 200 tons
Enforcer
Centurion
Vindicator
Dervish

JagerMech goes here, at the back. Also swap the Dervish for the Blackjack. The Blackjack and JagerMech would work well as a tag team pair, for autocannone fire, however the Blackjack is also good to hold the line.

Mattlov wrote:
Strike Lance: 130 tons
Valkyrie
Locust
Blackjack
Ostscout

Unless this is a lucky merc unit no Ostscout. Any house force Ostscouts would relegated to Regimental Command lances singly or in pairs with a pair of Assault mechs for the regimental commander and aide. Take a Spider instead.
The Dervish would keep this lances speed up in case it neds to work independently and gives the unit some weight to throw about.

Mattlov wrote:
600 tons total. Obviously, the Heavy lance is the anchor. The Strike lance stays between the Heavy and Combat lance to support either, but doesn't push out to be a threat until it can envelope a flank or wolf-pack a damaged enemy out of existence.

I wouldnt otherwise critique your choice of mechs for 3025 as a lot is about using what you have got. You have the rough with the smooth here and the company is fair for the game. With the three changes recommended yout heavy lance is a better anchor and your speed profiles and weapons envelopes on the other two lances are better balanced.

I hear the recommendations. In a 600 ton company, I'd still keep the six Archers but I'd consider swapping the Valkyries for six Spiders:



I can't help it. I like standardization. Like the Roman cohorts marching shoulder-to-shoulder in standardized gear. I just love the Archer and have had great success with Archer lances in the past. They can provide mutual support by hitting enemies who get under the minimum range of each others' missiles.

I could still justify this for House Steiner because the Spiders are made in the Free Worlds League and shipped to the Draconis Combine. The Lyran Commonwealth could either have salvaged these from wars on either border, raided a factory in House Marik territory, or hijacked a shipment on its way to House Kurita. The Spider is actually a favourite of my brother.

The Spider would give my spotters much more mobility to keep enemies in LOS but out of range and chase down enemy scouts and spotters. They could also get in behind enemy 'Mechs trying to close with the Archers, jumping in behind the enemy and firing the two medium lasers and punching the enemy in the back.

I never was a fan of the Archer, it has problems making use of its full missile load. I prefered both the Catapult and Trebuchet, both of which have a better spread of backup laser armament and still keep up a decent missile firepower. Two lasers (per direction) isn't enough backup, three from the Trebuchet is a much better spread and a Catapult can cope with four frontal lasers. Both of the latter designs are also more mobile and thus can reestablish range better. The Catapult especially because of jump jets. Mechs have problems walking backwards, all the dsigns here can only manage two hexes a turn reverse walk, but the Catapult can jump full distance thus opening range by four hexes per turn if needed.
Archers admittedly do have good sized ammo bins.

One final note Archers tend not to be used by the lance full, but if you play Capellans you will find three Catapults and a Raven is a common choice late build for a Fire Lance.

Spiders make for the best combat scouts and spotters until you come to specialised EW suits scout mechs which is beyond the scope of 3025 rules.

Orlanth wrote:I never was a fan of the Archer, it has problems making use of its full missile load. I prefered both the Catapult and Trebuchet, both of which have a better spread of backup laser armament and still keep up a decent missile firepower. Two lasers (per direction) isn't enough backup, three from the Trebuchet is a much better spread and a Catapult can cope with four frontal lasers. Both of the latter designs are also more mobile and thus can reestablish range better. The Catapult especially because of jump jets. Mechs have problems walking backwards, all the dsigns here can only manage two hexes a turn reverse walk, but the Catapult can jump full distance thus opening range by four hexes per turn if needed.
Archers admittedly do have good sized ammo bins.

One final note Archers tend not to be used by the lance full, but if you play Capellans you will find three Catapults and a Raven is a common choice late build for a Fire Lance.

Spiders make for the best combat scouts and spotters until you come to specialised EW suits scout mechs which is beyond the scope of 3025 rules.

Sometimes it's more a matter of taste over tactics.

I play a lot of games and although I don't like to lose, my army choice is always to use what I like over what would be best.

I like the Archer because I like the Spartan/Gladiator Destroid that it is modelled after from the Robotech series:



I like the Valkyrie because of the Robotech Valkyrie Mecha it is modelled after:



Yes, the Wasp is closer but the Valkyrie is bigger and even has the same name. I could just use Wasp LAMs, but those aren't often allowed in casual games.

Check out my armies in my sig - I like to use cohorts: large groups of similarly equipped fighting units. My LotR/WotR army doesn't use Warg Riders or orcs because I like Uruk-hai. It limits my army's maneuverability and mobility and numbers, but I like Uruk-hai. I have a Deathwing army for 40K - no more needs to be said there. For Star Wars minitues I always played Stormtroopers even though bounty hunters, force-users, and other minis were much better. In fact here's a pic of my Star Wars collection when I had fewer Stormtroopers than I do now:



Fun for me is less about winning and more about playing with what I like. I am pretty good though and still do win quite a bit but I prefer lose while having loads of fun rather than win playing minis I don't like. The Spiders would be better for my company but I'm keeping the Valkyries.