Writing Battletech: The BattleMechs And Combat (Part 1)

 The heart of Battletech is the BattleMech -- everything else on the battlefield is a support to them. They are the tip of the spear, the futuristic Knight, the King of the battlefield. Carrying weapons of mass destruction, they are the core of combat in the Battletech universe since they were created by the Terran Hegemony. For nearly four hundred years, the best defense against these armored behemoths has been another BattleMech.

This post is about what a BattleMech is and is not. It’s too easy to think they are one thing, when they are actually something else. The next post will be about writing about BattleMechs and combat, but this one is start with the basics.

A moment to explain something: The term Mecha is considered the general term for armored suits. They can be anywhere from Battle armor (Bubblegum Crisis OVA's Hard suits), to the hulking multi-part monster Mecha of Voltron, or anywhere in between. The term 'Mech refers to BattleMechs only.

The concept of Giant combat Mecha did not originate here, but in Japan. Mecha has been a common trope in Japanese anime for decades. From multiple Gundam series, the Units from Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Arm Slaves from Full Metal Panic!, Patlabor's Ingram, and of course... Macross (Robotech) are examples of combat Mecha in Anime.

For those who grew up watching such shows (Usually bootleg tapes, subtitled by some fan) these were nothing like we had ever seen before. Even today, giant Mecha rarely shows up in western movies (The Pacific Rim Films and the "Classic" Robojox come to mine. The AT-AT and AT-STs from the Star Wars films are sort of Mecha,).

In Japanese anime, Mecha are quick, nimble with weapons that will destroy ships and other Mecha in the blink of an eye. They are comfortable both in space and on the ground. They are only limited by the skill of their pilot, usually a teenager who has the ability to pilot one of these massive machines.  The Mecha is an armored suit, the modern version of a samurai's armor

Not so in the West. Here, the Mecha are walking tanks. They are slow and ponderous, piloted by people trained for months and years to control. In space, they are almost useless in combat. They are less an armored suit as they are armor to spearhead attacks or to hold a position.

To give you an idea about Mecha is seen in the west, let's look at the 'Mech above -- the Locust, with a weight of 20 metric tons, with a top speed of roughly 130 KPH. In Imperial measurements, the Locust weighs 22 tons and has a top speed of @ 80 MPH. in contrast, the average US car weighs about a ton, and can, in most cases, match or exceed 80 MPH. So, while the Locust is fast for a 'Mech the average car has a decent chance of outrunning it. (Getting out of weapons range though, is a little more problematic). Also, the Locust, like most 'Mechs, can't corner worth a damn on roadways.

So, what's the point of this post? Why talk about the difference between eastern and western views on Mecha?

Like most people, my first experience to Mecha was though anime and I saw the nimble, fluid action of Mecha in combat. The Lions of Voltron, the motorslaves of Bubblegum Crisis, Patlabor's Ingrams, and others showed is Mecha in action. It's real easy to carry that impression into writing a Battletech story.

But it's the wrong impression for Battletech.

The Shadow Hawk to the left here has a top speed of 86 KPH (53.5 MPH) and most variants can jump between 90m (98 yards) and 150m (164 yards). It carries a shoulder-mounted autocannon or a PPC, a small missile launcher and some sort of laser. Despite descriptions in the first couple of novels, there is no way this 'Mech can do a shoulder roll or any other advanced actions that a human could do. No handstands, cartwheels, backflips, pulling itself up by its fingertips up a cliff. Physical combat beyond clubs, hatchets, swords, punching and kicking is beyond a 'Mech's capability.

BattleMechs are not subtle weapons. They are in-your-face vehicles of war, used to attack and defend objectives. They are a wall of steel and mylomar, with enough weapons to level a city in hours.

MechWarriors are one-person tank crews. They are responsible for the 'Mech's movement, firing its weapons, receiving and giving orders with other MechWarriors and soldiers, depending on where they are in the command structure. They work as part of a unit, are assigned tasks and follows orders.

That means that went writing 'Mech battles (and you will), you have to remember that BattleMechs are walking tanks, not nimble battle suits. They walk, run and jump -- they do not do acrobatics, do not do spinning back heel kicks to the enemy's head. They punch, club and kick in close combat, as well as push and crash into their opponent. They don't hip throw their opponents, nor do they leap to their feet after getting knocked down. They do not do complex combinations with their sword/ax/mace --its hit as hard as you can, as fast as you can.

The Warhammer to the left is a walking main battle tank. With its powerful twin PPCs and multiple secondary weapons, it is an iconic BattleMech and has been for most of Battletech's existence. But like any 'Mech, it is vulnerable on the battlefield. It is only as good as its pilot -- or as lucky.

When writing a battle scene, you have to remember these 'Mechs are not quick, nimble or able to perform acts humans can. They are between slow and somewhat quick and the larger they are, the tougher they are to bring down generally. They have massive firepower, but are not invincible. They are weapons of war, with their own advantages and drawbacks.

So, Mecha from the East are generally extensions of the pilot's abilities. Mecha from the West are generally walking tanks.

Part 2 is how to write 'Mechs in combat.

This post was revised slightly, with a few grammar mistakes corrected)

Later!

Craig