This section is for "what the FAQ is about" and things like that.
Feel free to skip this section.
0.1 A word from the author
A quick browse through the gamefaq.com shows that there is no MW3
FAQ, so here's my version.
This is a FAQ, NOT a manual. You won't learn how to play the game
with this document, and I'm NOT about to add it to ease the life
of software pirates.
This USG only covers the PC version since that's the only version
that I have (and existed).
Some of you may recognize my name as the editor for the XCOM and
XCOM2: TFTD FAQ's, among others.
This USG/FAQ covers version 1.2 of MW3. There is a separate USG
by me that covers Pirate's Moon expansion pack.
0.2 Terms of Distribution
This document is copyrighted by Kuo-Sheng "Kasey" Chang (c) 2000-
2003, all rights reserved excepted as noted above in the
disclaimer section.
This document is available FREE of charge subjected to the
following conditions:
1) This notice and author's name must accompany all copies of
this document: "Mechwarrior 3 Unofficial Strategy Guide and FAQ"
is copyrighted (c) 2000-2003 by Kasey K.S. Chang, all rights
reserved except as noted in the disclaimer."
2) This document must NOT be modified in any form or manner
without prior permission of the author with the following
exception: if you wish to convert this document to a different
file format or archive format, with no change to the content,
then no permission is needed.
2a) In case you can't read, that means TXT only. No banners, no
HTML borders, no cutting up into multiple pages to get you more
banner hits, and esp. no adding your site name to the site list.
[Small exception: a "small" toolbar on the top of the FAQ is
acceptable]
3) No charge other than "reasonable" compensation should charged
for its distribution. Free is preferred, of course. Sale of this
information is expressly prohibited. If you see any one selling
this guide, contact me (see below).
4) If you used material from this, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE the source,
else it is plagiarism.
5) The author hereby grants all games-related websites the right
to archive and link to this document to share among the game
fandom, provided that all above restrictions are followed.
Sidenote: The above conditions are known as a statutory contract.
If you meet them, then you are entitled to the rights I give you
in 5), i.e. archive and display this document on your website. If
you don't follow them, then you did not meet the statutory
contract conditions, and therefore you have no right to display
this document. If you do so, then you are infringing upon my
copyright. This section was added for any websites that don't
seem to understand this.
For the gamers: You are under NO obligation to send me ANY
compensation. However, I do ask for a VOLUNTARY contribution of
one (1) US Dollar if you live in the United States, and if you
believe this guide helped your game. If you choose to do so,
please make your US$1.00 check or $1.00 worth of US stamps to
"Kuo-Sheng Chang", and send it to "2220 Turk Blvd. #6, San
Francisco, CA 94118 USA".
If you don't live in the US, please send me some local stamps. I
collect stamps too.
0.3 Voluntary Contribution
Gamers who read this guide are under NO obligation to send me ANY
compensation.
However, a VOLUNTARY contribution of one (1) US Dollar would be
very appreciated.
If you choose to do so, please make your US$1.00 check or $1.00
worth of stamps to "Kuo-Sheng Chang", and send it to "2220 Turk
Blvd. #6, San Francisco, CA 94118 USA".
If you don't live in the US, please send me some local stamps. I
collect stamps too.
For the record, out of ALL the FAQs I wrote (35 at least count),
I've received exactly 2 dollars, and 2 sets of stamps, as of
release of this guide. So I'm NOT making any money off these
guides, folks.
0.4 How and when to contact me
PLEASE let me know if there's a confusing or missing remark,
mistakes, and thereof... If you find a question about this game
that is not covered in the USG, e-mail it to me at the address
specified below. I'll try to answer it and include it in the
next update.
Please do NOT write me for technical support. I do NOT work for a
game company and thus I do NOT provide support.
Please do NOT ask me to send you a list of controls, the manual,
etc. If you borrowed the game without borrowing the manual, curse
at your own stupidity. If you bought the game without a manual,
please blame your own stupidity as well. If you copied the game
without copying the manual, you're scum in my book.
Please do NOT ask me to answer questions that has already
answered in this guide. It makes you look REALLY idiotic.
I will NOT answer stupid questions like the ones above unless I'm
in a really good mood. If you send questions like that, do NOT
expect a reply.
The address below is spelled out phonetically so spammers can't
use spambots on it:
Kilo-Sierra-Charlie-Hotel-Alpha-November-Golf-Seven-Seven AT
Yankee-Alpha-Hotel-Oscar-Oscar DOT Charlie-Oscar-Mike
To decipher this, simply read the first letter off each word
except for the numbers and the punctuation. This is "military
phonetics" or "aeronautical phonetics" in case you're wondering.
This document was produced on Microsoft Word 97. Some editing was
done with Editpad (editpadclassic.com).
0.5 The Author
I am just a game player who decided to write my own FAQs when the
ones I find don't cover what I want to see. Lots of people like
what I did, so I kept doing it.
Previously, I've written Unofficial Strategy Guides (USGs) for
XCOM, XCOM2:TFTD, Wing Commander, Wing Commander 2, Wing
Commander 3, Wing Commander 4, Privateer, Spycraft, 688(I)
Hunter/Killer. Mechwarrior 3, MW3 Expansion Pack, Mechwarrior 4,
Mechwarrior 4: Black Knight, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed,
The Sting!, Terranova, Fallout Tactics, Starfleet Command Volume
II, DS9: The Fallen, Dominion War, Driver, and a few more.
To contact me, see 0.4 above.
0.6 Disclaimer / Copyright Information
Mechwarrior is copyrighted by FASA, licensed to MicroProse.
This USG is not endorsed or authorized by FASA or MicroProse.
The information compiled in this USG has been gathered
independently through the author's efforts. While the Prima MW3
guide and the Gamespot MW3 guide have been used to verify
information accuracy, no information has been used from those two
sources that did not come from the game itself.
0.7 Assumptions
This USG contains spoilers about all MW3 missions. I assume you
are reading this guide becuase you want HELP. Only get enough
help to get past the hump, so you don't spoil the sense of
accomplishment.
This USG is written with default difficulty level with default
settings (i.e. no cheats like "no heat", "invulnerable",
"infinite ammo" and such).
0.8 History
12-OCT-2000 Initial release
17-OCT-2000 Second release. Fixed the heatsink and compatible
technology mistake. Added another observed bug. Added more notes
on mech design. Updated terms of distribution. Made some misc.
changes.
03-DEC-2001 Updated info about MW4, MW4 Black Knight, and a
few fixes here and there.
24-JAN-2004 Some updates about MW3 Gold and MW4 Mercs, added
new section about mech construction, misc. fixes.
1 Mechwarrior 3 Information
This section is about the game itself.
1.1 The Most Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you send me the game (or portions thereof)?
A: No.
Q: Can you send me the manual (or portions thereof)?
A: No.
Q: Can you tell me how to play the game?
A: Read the manual.
Q: What's the latest version?
A: V1.2.220 (V1.2 patch) for MW3. No patch for the expansion
pack. The "gold edition" does not need a patch.
Q: How do I tell what version I have?
A: Start the program. At the MW3 main menu, look in the lower
right corner.
Q: How about a sequel?
A: Mechwarrior 4: Vengeance and Mechwarrior 4 Expansion: Black
Knight were published by Microsoft. MW4: Mercenaries has also
been released. There are also two "mech packs" containing
additional mechs for multiplayer.
Q: I killed everything but the mission does not end!
A: There are TWO possible reasons for this... 1) You enabled a
cheat, like no heat, or unlimited ammo or 2) you forgot to call
the MFB to their final nav point on the map.
Q: Why can't I get any repairs done at the MFB?
A: Did you order the MFBs to deploy? You must deploy them every
time you want to do repairs, even if the MFB's have not moved.
Fix, deploy. Fix, deploy.
Q: How do I get past mission X?
A: Read the walkthrough
Q: Which mech is the best?
A: It depends on your playing style. My personal favorite is Mad
Cat (a.k.a. Timberwolf).
Q: Which weapon is the best?
A: It depends on your playing style. I'm partial to ER LLAS and
ER PPC.
Q: Why can't I add any more armor?
A: Each mech has an armor limit. You can see the limit by looking
at the point allocation. If all the areas have the max points
allocated, you can't add any more armor. The type of armor
(regular vs FF) will affect the amount of armor in each location.
Q: Why can't I add a bigger engine?
A: Some engines require more critical spaces in left/right/center
torso sections, esp. the XL engines. If you don't have space
there, you can't add a bigger engine.
Q: What's the difference among the difficulty levels?
A: Accuracy/skill of the enemies, and the amount of salvage you
get.
Q: What about some cheat codes?
A: This is a STRATEGY guide, not a cheat guide. Besides, I don't
know any.
Q: Why do I get a note about incompatible heatsinks?
A: You can only have one type of heatsink per mech. No mix-and-
match is allowed. Remove all existing heatsinks before adding a
new type of heatsink.
Q: What's the difference between Clan CASE and Inner Sphere (IS)
CASE?
A: Clan CASE takes up ZERO critical slots, while IS CASE takes up
one slot. This can be critical in customizing your mechs.
1.2 Mechwarrior history
The original Mechwarrior was created by Dynamix (later acquired
by Sierra, and later disbanded), and published by Activision. It
was a full 3D game that actually runs fine on a 286. You are the
leader of the Blazing Aces, a mercenary lance. You're actually
investigating your family's death and loss of the heirloom, and
there's a time limit. You can hire drophips and jumpships to
travel among the systems in the Inner Sphere, and maintain
reputations among the five Houses. Go to fixers and get mercenary
contracts. Different houses have different reputations (some pay
little but are honest about intelligence, others pay good, but
can give you bad intelligence). Missions were randomly generated.
It was a very good game for its time.
As Dynamix was then absorbed by Sierra, Activision had to start
from scratch when they went on to create Mechwarrior 2: The
Clans. You play as either the Wolf Clan or the Jade Falcon Clan,
as you fight each other and Inner Sphere forces in two
"campaigns". There's no role-playing, but the graphics are much
improved. Later the game was re-issued in special 3D accelerated
versions for different video card. Then yet later it was re-
released as Platinum Edition, which added Direct3D support and
better textures. An expansion pack: Ghost Bear's Legacy was
added, and then a semi-sequel, MW2: Mercenaries was released. In
this game, you take a mercenary lance through missions, where
your performance affects salvage and payments to keep the company
afloat. You will also participate in some of the famous battles
both for and against the Clans.
FASA, holder of Battletech license, have then somehow awarded the
license to MicroProse, but the game was actually developed by
Zipper Interactive, with help from FASA Interactive. Thus
Mechwarrior 3 is born.
1.3 Mechwarrior 3 requirements
Based on the box, the requirements are:
I would personally recommend: 400 MHz CPU, 12 meg 3D accelerator,
64 megs of RAM, 500 megs of free HD space.
Latest patch is dated September 29, 1999, MW3 V1.2. (V1.2.220
inside the game). You can download the patch from gamespot.com.
1.4 Some Mechwarrior 3 Background
MW3 takes place roughly in the "Twilight of the Clans" era. Clans
have been contained, but not fully defeated yet. Inner Sphere has
learned from their experience, and has managed to incorporate a
lot of the Clan technology into their latest Mech designs. The
first major counter attack will be against the Smoke Jaguars, and
Operation Democles, headed by the Eridani Light Horse, will take
on the Smoke Jaguar garrison at the planet Tranquil (sometimes
written as "Tranquility"). You, Connor Sinclair, have been
assigned as a lance commander on this raid.
1.5 Bugs
1.5.1 I want another mech!
In the next-to-last mission (Op 4 Mission 5), where you tackle
the underground facility alone, you can't use your lancemates'
mechs. You can only use one of the unassigned mechs or your own.
So if you gave one of the nice mechs to your lancemates, you
can't ask for it back, even for that critical mission.
1.5.2 Occasional "drop to desktop" error
Sometimes, as you play, you simply get dumped to desktop. The
music still plays in the background. This occurs esp. if you are
short on disk space.
1.5.3 Stuck in crater
If you hit a mech from long range with a big missile volley,
you'll crater the ground they're standing on. Sometimes, that'll
cause the mech to be STUCK in the crater until you UNSTUCK it by
blowing apart some more of the ground it stands on.
1.6 Bloopers
If you know of more bloopers in the game I want to know about
them.
1.6.1 Goofy Names
Brandon Corbin, or Brandon Corbitt? You can't tell from the
pronunciation. Sometimes they say one, other times they say the
other.
1.6.2 Goofy Names 2
While initial movie stated the op was on the planet Tranquil, the
ending movie stated planet Tranquility.
1.6.3 Taking a bath?
In the next to last mission (Op 4 Mission 5), one of the last
Elementals you kill seems to be stuck in one of the lava pools.
1.7 Expansion packs? Sequels? Related titles?
1.7.1 Expansion pack Pirate's Moon
After surviving Operation Democles, your lance have been assigned
to the planet Veil, to protect Federation Commonwealth Germanium
deposits against a new threat called "The New Belt Pirates". Of
course, the threat may be more than just a simple bunch of
pirates...
This expansion pack introduces two more 10-mission campaigns,
more multiplayer maps, night-missions, and more weapons and more
control options.
Please see my Pirate's Moon FAQ for info on that game.
1.7.2 Mechwarrior 4
Since Microsoft bought FASA Interactive, Microsoft will publish
Mechwarrior 4. MW4 is subtitled Vengeance. You are the hereditary
duke of Kentares IV. When Lyran forces moved in and killed all of
your family (that you know of) on the planet, you return to seek
vengeance against the transgressors... or die trying.
The graphics are improved, but the mech customization was
simplified to certain limited number of hardpoints on specific
mechs. The combat pace is a bit faster.
Please see my Mechwarrior 4 FAQ for info on that game.
Mechwarrior 4 itself was followed by an expansion pack titled
"Black Knight". As the leader of the Black Knights Mercenary
group, you will lead your troops on a campaign that is filled
with retribution and big payoffs... Almost the same campaign play
(except no more little video windows and video briefings) and you
get "black market", which allows you to trade unused items for
stuff that may be more useful (albeit random availability).
Please see my MW4: Black Knight FAQ for into on that game.
The Clan Mech Pack and Inner Sphere Mech Pack have been released.
They are mainly meant for multiplayer action but could be used n
the gauntlet and other challenge modes. They cannot be used in
the campaigns, however.
A new title: MW4 Mercenaries has been released. Join one of the
4 mercenary units, gain access to different levels of technology
and mechs, and make your way in the world... You can also use
your mech packs in the game, but only in multiplayer. Even more
mechs are available, as are more new weapons.
1.7.3 Related Titles
MechCommander is a relative of MW3. It is a semi-realtime
isometric-view strategy game with some RPG elements. A new
edition, MechCommander Gold, adds new set of maps and missions.
MechCommander was followed by a sequel as well, MechCommander 2,
from Microsoft.
Please see my MechCommander 2 FAQ for info on that game.
1.8 Caveat
Please note that with multiple versions of the same game out
there, the enemy count CAN be a little off from version to
version. If you find some discrepancies and wish to update me,
please note which version you are using
2 Common Tactics
These are tactics any Mechwarrior should know by heart, no matter
your origin.
2.1 Go for the Limbs
Chopping off limbs of enemy mechs is the quickest way of taking
them out of action. Taking off the arms will reduce firepower
significantly, as most weapons are arm-mounted. Taking off a leg
and the mech's crippled or killed. Best of all, the limbs are not
as heavily armored as the torso.
Shooting the torso area has an increased chance of blowing the
fusion powerplant, which means the mech simply BLOWS UP, which
also means no salvage.
If you are REALLY good, go for the head. If you score a critical
hit on a mech that mech's pilot will eject. And you can salvage
the mech virtually intact.
The less you damage the mech, the more likely you'll salvage it
for your own use.
2.2 Keep the Range Open initially
Most enemy mechs are armed with a mixture of weapons, usually
leaning toward medium range. If you are armed with primarily long-
range weapons, you can shoot them before they can shoot you. The
longer you can keep the range open, the most unanswered volleys
you get.
The opening shots are also great for sniping. Zoom in with your
PPC, Gauss, or LLAS, and see if you can "plink" the enemy mech
cockpit!
2.3 Keep moving laterally
It's true in any form of combat: if you're moving, you're less of
a target, esp. if you move laterally and/or diagonally. Doing so
complicates the other guy's firing solution, so keep moving
laterally. That's why mechs have torso twist.
2.4 Circle of Death
Most of the mechs in the game has the ability to torso twist,
i.e. walk in one direction and point the weapons in a different
direction. Circle of death is basically turn 90 degrees off the
enemy bearing, then torso twist to face the enemy, and start
moving. This is extreme lateral movement. You're generating
lateral movement so the enemy will miss, while you constantly
correct the course so you end up circling the target, pouring in
fire. In First-Person Shooters, this is known as circle-strafing.
Just beware that NOT ALL mechs in the game can do 90 degree torso-
twist.
Also beware that SOME mechs can do a full 360 degree torso
rotation, not just limited side-to-side twist.
2.5 Patience
MW3's AI is based on trigger points and ranges. If you only
trigger one enemy at one time, you then only have to fight one at
a time. Unless there's a timed objective (like chasing a convoy),
you can ALWAYS retreat to the MFB's for repairs, then resume the
advance.
2.6 Use the Lancemates Smartly
Your lancemates are relatively smart, as they know what to shoot
when they see red on the scanners. However, they always attack
all out, even when it's best to hold the range open, if you
ordered them to attack. Therefore, be careful when attacking
enemy mechs. Most of the time, just have the lancemates join on
you and they'll shoot at anything within range automatically.
Only if you need a specific target taken out quickly should you
order them to attack.
Similarly, if you need to spare a certain target, do NOT bring
your lancemates into range. Remember also to order them to get
repaired if they're damaged. They do not ask for repairs.
2.7 Repair, repair, repair!
You have MFBs, which can repair all damaged items and replace
ammo, so use it! You can repair after each encounter, therefore
do so!
3 Mech Design
Mech design is usually a lot of compromises. Usually you want a
certain objective, like minimal of 70 kph, or at least 2 ER Large
Lasers, etc. After that, it's just a lot of back and forth as you
determine how much armor vs. weapons you are willing to trade
off.
In MW3, the designs are trade-offs between the number of critical
slots vs. tonnage taken, and of course, the amount of heat the
weapons generate.
3.1 Mech Design Steps
Here are some steps to create the mech you really want.
* Strip the mech down to NOTHING except engines. Remove
EVERYTHING, all weapons, armor, heatsinks, equipment, etc.
* Add engines until desired speed has been reached
* Add jumpjets until desired jump distance has been reached,
if any. In general, put jumpjets in the legs.
* Add special equipment like TAG, BAP, AMS, Artemis, etc. if
needed. AMS can be used as "filler items" later so don't put too
many. Usually those go in the head or leg, leaving arm and torso
for weapons and ammo.
* Add armor until "desired" armor level has been reached
* Check number of critical spots remaining vs. weight
remaining. If you have more weight than critical slots, convert
to regular tech vs. advanced tech (i.e. use regular armor, not
Ferro-Fibrous. Use regular engine instead of XL engines. Use
regular skeleton instead of endoskeleton). If you have more
critical slots than weight, then go with more advanced tech.
* Start adding weapons. Torso-mounted weapons are preferred
over arm-mounted weapons, as arms have less armor than torso. Use
Clan weapons wherever possible as they weigh less and usually
takes up less critical spaces.
* Try to retain a balance between critical slots left vs.
weight remaining. Switch among the 3 chassis options (skeleton,
armor, engine) and see if you can maintain the balance. The IDEAL
case is you use up last of the weight just as you run out of
critical spots.
* If you add energy weapons, you will probably need to add
heatsinks. All mechs have built-in heatsinks. Choosing between
regular and double is again, balance between weight and critical
slots. Energy weapons typically weigh little and take up little
space, but the heatsinks take up more space. Change the chassis
options (skeleton, armor, engine) if necessary.
* If you add missiles and ballistic weapons, remember to add
ammo, at least two tons per weapon, maybe more. Generally those
weapons takes a lot of space and criticals, both the weapons AND
the ammo.
* Try to fit ammo for missile/ballistic weapons into a single
chassis area so you can cover all of them with just one CASE.
Else, minimize the number of torso locations you store ammo in.
Remember to add CASE or internal ammo explosion will kill you.
* Once desired weapons load has been reached (reduce
engine/armor as needed), add the remaining tonnage in either
speed (bigger engine) or armor, and sometimes AMS. Remember to
redistribute the armor points.
3.2 Some design questions answered
3.2.1 Should I go endo-steel or regular?
That depends on how many critical spots does endo-steel skeleton
take on your mech. On some, it takes 14 slots, which is a bit
much, as that leaves virtually no room for mounting other
equipment, while only saving a few tons (about 5% is average).
Consider how many slots are you giving up for the tonnage you
save before making the choice.
3.2.2 Should I go ferro-fibrous or regular?
Again, that depends on how many critical spots does FF take on
your mech. If it only takes about 7, you have more than that
free, and you need the weight to mount something else, then by
all means go for it.
3.2.3 Should I go regular or XL engines?
Again, that depends on how many critical spots does XL take on
your mech. If it only takes about 6 or so, and you have more than
that free, and you need the weight to mount something else, then
by all means go for it.
3.2.4 Should I go normal or double heatsinks?
Most of the time you'd want double heatsinks. While they take
double the critical spots, they weigh only 1 ton each, thus
reducing the overall weight. On the other hand, if your mech has
few critical slots, then you may want to go singles.
3.2.5 Should I go energy or projectile or missiles?
That depends on your fighting style. Most of the time, you want a
balanced mix. Missiles to soften up the enemy, shoot energy
weapons alternating with projectile weapons to give the heat a
little time to dissipate.
3.2.6 What should I use as "filler" to fill up that last ton
or so?
Armor is always good. Other possibilities include heatsink, AMS,
CASE, medium laser, and so on.
3.3 Suggested general types
Here's some suggested configs:
3.3.1 Sniper Design
Snipers generally equip themselves with ER LLAS or ER PPCs, and a
lot of heatsinks. ER LLAS has longer range and is generally
preferred. Gauss Rifle is also good for sniping, but consumes
ammo. Speed is not that important.
Try to find enemy on an open terrain, then use the zoom to hit
the head and/or legs.
3.3.2 Slugger Design
Sluggers are designed to fight it out at medium to close range,
so you'll need lots of heavy-hitting mid to low-range weapons.
Usually you want a medium/heavy autocannon (any type, Ultra, AC,
or LB-X), maybe two if you can fit them.
You will probably need a cluster of MLAS or MPLAS for close-range
limb work.
L-PLAS is also pretty good, but it lacks the range, and you need
to hold down the trigger and keep the target painted.
Add lots of armor in the front, and a decent speed (to get in
range).
If you can fit in some LRMs, they're useful to soften the enemy
up. Put those in a separate group.
3.3.3 Knockout Design
Knockout designs carry some extremely heavy weapons for their
shock effects. AC20, Ultra 20, or LB-20X is good, as are ER LLASs
and/or ER PPCs. Go in, knock them down. Then aim for the
head/cockpit.
3.3.4 Chopper Design
Choppers are designed to shed enemy mech limbs. First soften up
the enemy with some LRM salvoes, then close in and concentrate
MLAS salvoes on a limb to take them off fast. Or even skip the
LRMs completely.
3.3.5 Fire Support Design
Fire support mechs are mainly missile boats filled with LRMs and
lend fire from a distance. It should have a couple LLAS for
protection once the ammo runs out.
3.3.6 Scout / Ankle-biter
Smaller mechs DO have a chance against larger mechs if they can
get into range and have a sufficiently heavy weapon to do some
significant damage. A medium / heavy mech with jumpjets and a
heavy autocannon can do surprising amount of damage to a clumsy
assault mech. Emphasize mobility and jumpjets, along with a
couple heavy hitters. Add some long-range weapons just for kicks.
3.4 Some more suggestions
In general, you want your lancemates to be a little FASTER than
you are, so they can keep up with you. Lancemates don't run at
full speed.
Your weapon choices will depend HEAVILY upon your salvage (see
next section). Remember to CONSTANTLY modify your mechs (all of
them) to use available weapons and ammo.
Grouping the weapons can be tricky. Generally, you want each
group of weapons to produce just enough heat so by the time the
other group is ready, the heat would have dissipated. Usually you
group the weapons by type, though it can also be done by range.
Still, in MW3 you can remap weapon groups while in-cockpit, so
weapon grouping is not a major concern.
If you do store ammo in the torso area, PLEASE add CASE. Else if
you have an ammo explosion, your engines will be damaged, or
worse, your entire mech blows up due to fusion bottle containment
failure.
4 Salvage
MW3 makes you keep track of the mechs, the weapons, the
equipment, and ammo you want to keep from the salvage of battle.
Each of the MFB's can carry 300 tons, so you should have 900 tons
carrying capacity unless you lost one or more of the MFB's (which
CAN happen if you're not careful).
You gain salvage by disabling mechs, usually by blowing a leg
off. Sometimes you get salvage when you "capture" an enemy base
of facility, but that's mainly scripted and depends on difficulty
level.
Managing the ammo and weapons and equipment are a real nightmare
in MW3, since the weapons are NOT sorted in any fashion, and
often there's multiple variants of the same weapon (Clan vs.
Inner Sphere, for example). Most weapons have their own type of
ammo pack. As you capture more and more weapons and ammo,
figuring out what to keep and what to dump can be a real problem.
Your first instinct is probably keep everything. That is fine
until you run out of room. Then what do you keep and what do you
dump? Here are some suggestions.
4.1 Keep the Heaviest Mechs
As you advance through your campaign, the lighter mechs will
become useless. The enemy always outnumbers you, and you will
need the heavier armor and weapons to survive. Keep the heaviest
mechs you can find, and dump the lighter ones when you run out of
carry slots. Refer to the technical supplement for the mech
tonnages.
4.2 Don't keep too much equipment
Equipment can take up a lot of room unless you clean house
periodically. Some equipment you'll almost never use, like C3
Computer, BAP, NARC etc. Keep one or two around just in case.
Keep the Clan CASE though. Those don't take up any space on a
mech.
You only need to keep ONE type of heatsink, the Clan double
heatsink. Beware that you'll need to remove ALL heatsinks from a
mech before you can add a new type. Early on, you may need to
keep some of the older type heatsinks around until you have
enough of the Clan doubles to go around. With salvage later, you
should have no problem keeping your mechs supplied with the
latest tech.
You only need to keep two types of armor, the regular, and the
Clan Ferro-Fibrous. You'll need both since the former takes up a
lot less critical slots, depending on the model, at the expense
of a few tons. The Clan FF armor is slightly more effective on a
ton-by-ton basis than the regular FF armor, so keep the Clan FF
instead.
4.3 Keep just enough weapons and ammo
Keeping 30 medium lasers is a waste of space when you don't ever
use them. Similarly, there's no reason to keep six AC20's when
you only have 10 rounds of ammo for them. You also don't need
1000 rounds of SRMs when you hardly fire 100 in a single battle.
Keep just enough weapons to be able to use the ammo, and vice
versa.
After a few battles, you should know which weapons would be the
primary weapons, and which ones would be secondary. As you only
have so many mechs that need primary weapons, keeping too much
beyond that would be a waste of your carrying capacity.
4.4 Dump the useless weapons and their ammo
There are some weapons you'll probably never use. Small lasers
are a joke. Machine guns. Forget it. SRM2's? Too light. So on
and so forth.
If you have the Clan version of a weapon, you don't need the
Inner Sphere version. The Clan version takes up less critical
spots and weighs less.
And of course, dump the ammo that go with those useless weapons.
Keep just enough to run the weapons you do keep.
Try to keep things organized by doing only ONE type of weapons at
a time. If you dump EVERYTHING to the salvage, then back, you'll
group them together, and they appear at the 'bottom" of the list.
By constantly cycle through the inventory like this, you can
"sort of" sort the inventory.
5 The Mechs
You may not get access to all the mechs on the list. This depends
on your salvage, which is semi-random.
5.1 Bushwacker
Bushwacker is a medium mech that is pretty balanced. It carries
enough weapons to fit a wide variety of styles. On the other
hand, its default config is too much of a mix to deliver good
knockout punch, and the ER LLAS can give you heat problems.
Consider replacing the MGs with more heatsinks instead. The LRMs
can stay. Add more ammo for the AC as it runs out fast during
heavy battles.
5.2 Annihilator
An old assault mech, its main problem is you can't fit too many
energy weapons on them. There's not enough room to hang the heat
sinks. The problem is relieved if you have enough clan double
heatsinks, but then you run out of critical slots. Keep the
default autocannon config and it's quite deadly, until it runs
out of ammo. It's also hard to fit in enough weapons and armor to
make it really deadly.
5.3 Avatar
Impressive piece of reverse engineering, the Avatar is heavy
enough to go toe-to-toe with most mechs, while fast enough to run
away, and versatile enough to fit heavy weapons. This mech is
pretty good in the default config.
5.4 Blackhawk
Looks like a shrunken Supernova, it's another jack-of-all-trades.
Default config of 12 ER MLAS can be a real killer in the right
hands, but rookies will overheat constantly. Consider take out 3-
4 of the ER MLAS and replace with missiles and/or guns.
5.5 Cauldron-born
With twin gauss rifles plus a mix of other weapons including AC,
LRMs and LAS, it has heavy long-range firepower. Use the gauss
rifles to snipe at enemy mech's vulnerable parts, then charge in
and take them apart with the rest of weapons.
5.6 Champion
Old mech, it enjoys a resurgence of popularity with discovery of
double heatsinks. There are nothing too remarkable about this
mech otherwise.
5.7 Daishi
As an assault mech, Daishi is not very well protected, but it
gets the job done. It's also slow, so you can avoid most of its
firepower if you stay far away. The default config of 4 PPCs can
be a real killer, as you keep shooting double. Daishi means
"great death" in Kurita-speak.
5.8 Firefly
A scout mech, it's extremely fast, but not well armed (at least
compared to heavier mechs). Run really, really fast, sneak in a
few shots, play guerilla warfare.
5.9 Mad Cat
Known as Timberwolf by the Clans, this is one o the most balanced
and recognizable mechs ever appeared on the battlefield. The
default config has too many weapons, but the alternate configs,
like the PPC plus LRM combo are extremely deadly.
5.10 Orion
Ah, the venerable Orion. The old favorite is still around. It's a
little short on critical spots to use a lot of energy weapons,
but is otherwise balanced. You should add a good cannon to
balance it.
5.11 Owens
Just slightly heavier than the Firefly, you should have no
problem killing it the same way. Relies mainly on speed and
missiles to survive. It's a small missile boat with a few lasers
for backup. Learn how to use the missiles effectively first.
5.12 Puma
Light mech with quite a bit of armor, but no torso twist. They're
low and it's hard to get at the limbs if you're too close. Hit
them from a distance and they'll go down easily.
5.13 Shadowcat
A medium mech that's well balanced for normal use. The gauss
rifle can be surprising in some configs.
5.14 Strider
Basically a bigger Owens, treat them the same way. LRMs can be
annoying.
5.15 Sunder
Inner Sphere copy of the Thor, it's bigger and less efficient,
but still a very powerful assault mech.
5.16 Supernova
Supernova has lots of lasers, but not enough heatsinks to cool
down, esp. if you don't shoot as accurately as the computer does.
Remove a few of the lasers, or learn to fire them only two at a
time.
5.17 Thor
Named because it yields a PPC and Autocannon like thunder and
lightning, this mech has excellent mobility for its size (usually
jumpjets), and big weapons with big shock effects. On the other
hand, the armor is a bit thin.
5.18 Vulture
Generally armed with 2 LRMs, 2 LLAS, and 2 MLAS, it's a bit
light, but still well balanced. The LRM's are good for fire
support, and there's still enough lasers to chop up any enemies
that comes closer.
6 The Weapons
The weapons in MW3 falls into three basic types: cannons (use
ammo), energy weapons (lasers and PPCs), and missiles (fires
salvoes, limited seeking). They each have their uses. Optimize
the loadout depending on your availability and tactical needs.
I am NOT going to list all the weapons since you can read that in
the manual (pg 43 and 44).
6.1 Guns and Cannons
There's a lot of different projectile weapons, ranging from the
exotic gauss rifle (the one area Clans are not too far ahead), to
autocannon series, LB-X series, the Ultra series, and the machine
guns.
When you run out of ammo, the weapon's useless. The heavier
cannons use ammo like water, and it's VERY easy to run out.
However, when they do hit, they do HEAVY damage. They don't
general much heat (compared to energy weapons). The recoil can be
a problem unless you learn how to compensate for it.
Gauss cannon has long range but long reload times. AC is your
general-purpose chain-fed cannon. Ultra, mainly from the clans,
fires a "sabot" round that has better range and penetrating power
(some model this as firing "two shots" at a time). Finally, the
LB-X series is also known as "scattershot", i.e. a mech-sized
shotgun, but of course, low-range.
In general, the heavier the cannon, the more damage it does, but
shorter the range and heavier the ammo (i.e. less shots per ton).
6.2 Energy Weapons
Energy weapons include lasers, pulse lasers, ER lasers, and PPCs.
These generate a lot of heat, but otherwise can fire unlimited
times subject to heat and recycle time.
PPCs have great shock effect. Pulse lasers have a LONG pulse and
it's rather hard to keep on target, but causes a lot of damage if
you can keep the target painted. If you don't track well, use
regular lasers. ER lasers have longer range for more heat
generation.
If you have a lot of energy weapons, look for water. Standing in
water allows you to fire the weapons as fast as they recycle.
Even just "ankle-deep" water (ankle-deep for a MECH, that is) is
very helpful.
A mech with all medium lasers can be very deadly. Fire them three
at a time and you'll take a limb off in no time, esp. with a lot
of double heatsinks.
ER LLAS is a very good sniper weapon. If you stay out of the
enemy's range, you can use the LLAS to aim for specific body
parts. LLAS is better than pulse lasers in this regard since you
don't have to keep the beam on target while the target moves.
PPC is an energy weapon that behaves a lot like a projectile
weapon. It generates recoil like a projectile weapons, the shot
travels at a slow speed (like a projectile), but it doesn't run
out, it just generates a lot of heat.
6.3 Missiles
Short range or Long range, they come in different sizes. SRMs
come in 2, 4, or 6 pack. LRM's comes in 5, 10, 15, or 20 pack.
Each launcher can fire that many missiles on one salvo.
LRM's run out really fast, but their long-range capability is
great. LRM's are great for softening up the opponent. With enough
LRM's, you can chop off some arms from lighter mechs before you
even get close.
One trick with LRMs is get a lock-on, then point your mech into
the sky THEN shoot. The salvo will arc into the sky THEN drop
onto the target. You can use this trick to shoot LRM's OVER a
hill, and get at some targets that you normally cannot reach
directly.
SRMs on the other hand have short range (less than 500 meters) so
you'll have to get close. Otherwise they rarely run out of ammo.
There's also the Streak SRM, which has a better seeker, which
almost guarantees a hit if locked.
Launching missiles produces serious heat, and their damage spread
all over the place.
LRM and Streak SRM can be enhanced by using NARC, Artemis, and so
on to improve the hits.
7 Campaign Op 1 Walkthrough
MW3's campaign is a nice piece of work. The missions fit together
very well.
You are Connor Sinclair, part of the elite Eridani Light Horse.
Assigned to a raid into Clan Smoke Jaguar's remaining assets. As
expected in war, nothing ever goes right. Your other dropship was
shot down upon orbital entry. Some mechs made it out, but the op
is FUBAR.
I'm not going to list the objectives since you can easily access
that during the mission using the hotkey. Just make sure you
complete all objectives that you can before quitting the mission.
If you STILL cannot complete the mission, you probably forgot to
call the MFB to the last nav point.
7.1 Op 1 Mission 1
Your drop pod has landed, but not in the target area. There's no
response from the other drop ship. You have no lancemates at this
time, as they're spread all over the place. You'll need to fight
back into the target area, disrupting the enemy, hopefully
rendevous with the lancemates in the area.
In this mission, you'll take out the missile emplacements in the
area, and remove the comm center.
Your mech: Bushwacker. You must use the default config as you
don't have access to config screen yet (and there are no parts
there either).
As the mission starts, you can see the two APCs immediately. Take
them out. One LLAS shot each should do. Head west and you'll see
the SRM turrets. SRMs range is only 500 meters, so you can take
them out easily from long range. You'll see some trucks. As you
approach, they move onto the bridge, and they explode, destroying
the bridge.
As you approach the broken bridge, an Owens will appear. Let the
Owens come to you, as you need some room to maneuver. Kill it.
Once Owens is gone, keep going west, you'll see the comm center
protected by two more SRM turrets. Take out the turrets, then
destroy the comm center by shooting out the dish way on the top.
Head for Point Baker, summon your MFBs to rendezvous, and that's
it.
7.2 Op 1 Mission 2
You need to go north, but the way's blocked by two heavy missile
platforms (HMPs), so you need to take them out, and escort the
MFB's over. Those HMPs can be really annoying though.
Your mech: Bushwacker again. More enemies this time, so you may
want to use a somewhat more powerful config than the default.
Take out the MGs and replace them with a MLAS. Then regroup the
weapons. If you have a Clan LRM 10 with ammo, use it, as it's
just barely heavier than your LRM 5. The saved tonnage is best
used on more heatsinks.
Follow the path out of the depression, and destroy the 2 APCs and
the Owens that pop up.
Continue toward Point Able, be careful about coming into missile
platform's range. There should be some hills that block their
firing arc in some places. Watch the radar for the incoming
missiles. Find a good place where you can spot the 4 APCs while
not get hit by the missiles. Kill the APCs. If you're damaged, go
back for repairs.
Keep going toward the next nav point. You'll run into the
Bulldogs, kill them. If you see the Strider, kill it too.
Remember not to expose yourself to the missile platforms. If
you're damaged, return for repairs, then come back. Do NOT call
the MFB to you before the missile platforms are destroyed.
Once the Bulldogs are gone, you should be in the missile
platform's blind arc. Head up to them and wipe out the two heavy
missile platforms. Once they're gone, order the MFB over, and
you'll win!
Fun thing to try: step on some of the people walking around in
the barracks area at Point Able. (Doesn't work in the German
version, from what I'm told...)
7.3 Op 1 Mission 3
You're still moving north and more enemies bar your way. Remove
them and escort the MFB's north.
Your mech: Bushwacker again, though you need more firepower.
You'll also need some LRMs for long range sniping.
Enemies include 1 Firefly, 2 Bulldogs and 2 APCs, 1 Strider, 2
SRM turrets, 2 Bulldogs, 1 Bushwacker.
A Firefly pops up almost immediately. Kill it. Follow the road.
When you see the two Bulldogs and two APCs, destroy them. Follow
the path to Point Able. When you see the Strider, backup and kill
it without getting any closer. If you're seriously damaged, this
is a good time to repair.
Head for Point Able, and take out the SRM turret that pops up
from the ground. Point Able should be clear. Point the mech at
the structure, hit Q multiple times as you "scan" across the
structure. When you find something you can target, destroy it.
(You're looking for the six support columns holding the three
sections up. Destroying one in each pair will collapse that
section. Destroy all three sections and the objective is met.)
Continue to next Nav. Take out the Bulldogs and Bushwacker. There
may be two LRM turrets, take them out too. Run your cursor over
the structure. Whichever part turns the target cursor yellow is
not destroyed yet. Wipe out the structure at Point Baker.
Go to Point Charlie, tell the MFB to come over. When they're
here, your job's done.
7.4 Op 1 Mission 4
You've found the "problem", two laser towers on the island. Those
towers shot down the other dropship. If they're still
operational, you'll never get off this planet. God knows how many
more are out there.
Your mech: Bushwacker again, but you finally get a lancemate:
Dominic Paine. He'll join the action as you start attacking.
Enemies: Firefly and Blackhawk, 4 SRM turrets, Strider and Owens,
Orion
Head toward Point Able to the west. Firefly and Black Hawk should
appear. Take them out. Destroy the five greenhouses near Point
Able with lasers only (don't waste ammo!).
Head toward Point Baker. Take out the power station when you come
to it (Dominic may beat you to it). Take out the 4 SRM turrets
around the bridge, then head toward next Nav. Strider and Owens
should challenge you. Stop in the river, and let that help you
fire lots of lasers and take them out. Now's a good time for
repairs.
Go to Point Charlie over water, then remove the Orion guarding
there. Try to take out the legs only to salvage it. Take out the
two laser towers there, then the Mech factory, and your job's
done.
Congratulations, you've survived Op 1. That was the easy part
though.
8 Campaign Op 2 Walkthrough
Op 2 has increased difficulty, but by now you should have learned
how to chop mech limbs. Maybe not with ease, but you can do it.
You'll need to do that a lot in this scenario.
8.1 Op 2 Mission 1
Dominic Paine has finally joined up, so you get a lancemate. The
other Democles commandos that dropped in this area wiped out the
dam, revealing an underground facility. In the first mission,
you'll secure the elevator that reaches down there.
Your mech: If you salvaged the Orion from the previous mission,
use it. Otherwise, the Bushwacker works fine.
Enemies: 4 Harassers and 2 Bulldogs, Strider, Owens, 3
Elementals, minefield, 2 laser platforms, 2 AC platforms,
Shadowcat, and Thor (the local commander)
The Harassers and Bulldogs are close enough that you should
attack immediately. The Strider and Owens may join the fun as you
take care of them, so be careful and not to let MFB come under
fire. Once all enemies are destroyed, you'll probably need some
repairs. Do so.
Approach the lakebed slowly. Move up the path slowly and take
care of the fixed weapon platforms. When you see the Elementals,
don't panic. Stay at long distance and nail each one using zoom
mode. Call your lancemate to help. Do the same to the weapon
platforms. You may have to take a few shots from the AC
platforms. Go back for repairs.
Now look carefully at the ground around Point Baker. See some
silver rectangular objects on the ground? Try shooting it with
laser. Boom! Yep, minefield. Keep shooting and clear the path
toward Point Charlie.
You can do a long-range fire exchange with the Shadowcat, but
you'll probably have to charge in. Just as you approach the
elevator, a ship takes off, and a Thor pop up. The local
commander decided to come out and play. Take a few shots at him
while he's still on the platform. Try to chop off his legs, as
you can use a Thor. Let Paine take care of the Shadowcat.
Once you clean out the enemies, sweep the area again for mines,
then summon the MFBs to Point Charlie. When they arrive, go to
Point Charlie yourself, and the mission is done.
8.2 Op 2 Mission 2
You're going underground, and things can get dark pretty quickly.
The trick here is NOT to do things the expected way when there's
alternate ways available. And there's a surprise underground. Be
careful.
Your mech: You probably salvaged the Thor and/or Orion back
there, use it (them).
As you start, Orion in front will charge you and a Shadowcat will
charge in from your right. Go forward and take care of the Orion
together, then take out the Shadowcat. You'll need repairs after
this fight.
Now head for the tunnel the Shadowcat came in through. You'll
probably notice two laser platforms. Kill them from long range.
Scan around, and you'll see a Firefly that's not powered up yet.
Zoom in and kill it. Turn back toward where the Orion came from.
As you approach, the enemies will probably retreat with the
trucks. Follow them at a distance. If any one stop to fight, take
them out. You'll probably take out the 2 Bulldogs with long-range
laser shots. Then you should see the enemy Bushwacker patrol the
Barracks Area. As you walked by the shuttle area, Paine should
destroy the shuttle automatically. If the Bushwacker attacks,
kill it. Repair if needed.
Approach the Barracks area, and you'll see the 3 Elementals. Kill
them with LLAS shots. Walk up to the Barracks area, which you had
previously swept of enemy presence. Go up the ramp, then take out
the trucks.
Come back down, then go toward Point Charlie. The Blackhawk will
attack, kill it. The radio suddenly warns you that the Clanners
are going to take out the toxic gas storage. Charge toward point
Charlie, and distract the Orion (but shooting it!) that's trying
to destroy the gas storage. Kill the Orion, and your job is
almost done.
Head for that "door" in the wall just beyond the toxic gas
storage, destroy the door, go inside, get into the elevator, and
the mission's over.
You MUST prevent the destruction of the toxic gas storage (that
green glowing thing) near Point Charlie. Don't even bump into it.
If the gas storage goes, you have to start over.
8.3 Op 2 Mission 3
Back to the surface again, as you didn't find the mech factory.
Apparently it's in this next area, but first you have to survive
to get there. Also need to capture the storage yard for salvage.
Your mech: you should have a Thor by now. If you got the Orion,
use it. Otherwise use the heaviest mechs you got, and assign the
second heaviest to Paine.
As you start, the 2 Fireflies charge you. Assign Paine to kill
one while you work on the other. The Harassers would join the
fight. Kill them too. Repair now if needed. Paine should kill the
elevator shaft at Point Able as he passes. If not, take it out
yourself.
Continue toward Point Baker, and you'll see a Strider powering
up. Kill it before continuing.
As you continue toward Point Baker, you'll see the APC's milling
around the hills, and multiple Pumas running around. As you snipe
them with your long-range weapons, 3 Donar choppers make an
attack run at you. You can kill them easily with lasers or
missiles. Continue sniping at the Pumas until you damage them and
you wiped out the APCs. If you need repairs, do it now. The Pumas
won't attack unless you get really close.
When you're ready, close in and take out the Pumas. Paine should
take out the structure at Point Baker from long range. If not, do
it yourself.
Continue toward Point Charlie, the Champion should power up.
Snipe at it as it approaches. Then chop its legs off, and that's
all the enemies. Call MFB to final nav point. Head toward the
tunnel at Point Charlie, go inside, and that's the end of this
mission.
8.4 Op 2 Mission 4
Underground again, as you're about to take on the guards at the
mech factory. This is a good salvage mission, but you'll meet up
with an Annihilator, so be extra careful near the end.
Your mech: the heaviest you got, probably Thor or Orion. Second
heaviest mech goes to Paine (Thor or Champion, depending on your
salvage). You'll need some heavy hitting weapons. Range is not a
factor, since the tunnels are quite crampy. There will be no long-
range sniping shots in here, so bring close-in weapons.
Go down the tunnel. Despite the briefing, there is no ambush,
just that Owens as guard. If you're fast, you can kill it before
it runs away. In any event, it doesn't matter that much. The path
leads to the opening of the mining cavern, where the path turns
right.
As you approach the opening, two Thors power up (plus the Owens
if you haven't killed it), one to the left and one to the right.
Have Paine join in and kill them all. Be careful not to destroy
the conveyor belt, you'll need it to get to the next area.
Consider teasing the enemies back to you.
Once the enemy mechs are taken cared of, you can summon the MFB
and perform repairs. Then turn toward the end of the cavern, the
side to your left as you entered the opening. There's a ramp
there (and one of the dead Thors should be there too.) Have Paine
follow closely, as if he did not follow you, he'll likely bump
against the rocks and destroy his mech.
Follow the ledge, and you'll see the opening where the MLAS
turret inside the complex is shooting at you. Kill the turret. Go
in, and there's a door to the left. Open it with a few shots.
Follow it in, as it makes a right turn. There's the mech factory,
along with a Puma, and Epona Rei (in a Bushwacker) playing tag
with an Annihilator. You can probably take out the Puma in a few
shots as it's busy dodging Epona. Charge into the cavern, and
while the Annihilator is distracted by all three mechs, take its
leg off. Bravo, you've destroyed all enemies. Destroy that big
column in the sky (the factory core), and the mech factory is
destroyed.
Congratulations, you have completed Op 2. There's LOTS of salvage
here, esp. if you're careful with your shots.
9 Campaign Op 3 Walkthrough
Epona Rei joins the lance, after surviving that Annihilator.
Unfortunately, you now get into really hot stuff. You're now
taking on targets that original planning had assigned two to
three lances of heavy mechs. And you'll need six missions to get
through this op. You should have some pretty heavy hitters by
now, and you can get more in this Op.
9.1 Op 3 Mission 1
You're approaching the training grounds of the Clans. You'll need
to take out the HQ, eliminate the opposition, then make your way
through the tunnel and secure the other entrance.
Your mech: If you have an Annihilator, do NOT take it yourself.
It's hard to fight that mech well. Take something you're
comfortable with. I use a Thor with 2 LLAS, 1 MLAS, and 1 AC10
with extra ammo.
You start in a valley, while the target you want is over that
other valley. As you head for the valley entrance, you notice an
Orion, then two Striders charge the MFB's. Take them out, then
take a couple shots at the Orion, who'll retreat beyond that
ridge into the NEXT valley over. Take out the laser turret next
to the "platform". You'll see a lot of mechs, but those are
holograms. Ignore them. If you have jumpjets, jet to the top of
the platform, and you can snipe at the enemies on the other side.
Otherwise, head around the corner. If you can snipe at the enemy,
do so. If you can't, and keeps getting hit by missiles, retreat,
repair, then come back and charge in as a group. Take out all the
defending mechs (Bushwacker, Avatar, and Orion), and your
lancemates will take out the HQ.
Head for the next nav point, through that tunnel, and you'll
emerge on the other side. There are no more enemies behind you,
so you can order the MFBs to MFB 3. Repair now if you need it.
Continue east, then north, as you approach Point Charlie. In the
distance are the last two defenders: a Vulture and a Mad Cat.
Star Commander Drake in the Mad Cat challenges you to single
combat. Feel free to ignore him, though you can probably take him
on. Send your lancemates to take out the Vulture, while you take
care of the Mad Cat. After that's done, confirm all enemies are
destroyed, then order the MFBs to Point Charlie. When the MFB's
arrive, the mission is done.
9.2 Op 3 Mission 2
You need to capture this base to the north. It's too dangerous to
leave behind, and you could use the supplies.
Keep the same mechs from the previous mission, and reequip as
necessary. Consider a lot of medium lasers, as you'll be fighting
point-blank a bit. You WILL need some long-range weapons though.
As you attack the base, you find the three defenders, Mad Cat,
Annihilator, and Shadowcat. The Annihilator is dangerous with the
quad autocannons, but it has low-range. Stay far back and snipe
it to death. Stay at long range until the Annihilator goes down.
Then charge in and deal with the others.
As soon as the last mech go down, the last four mechs charge in,
trying to destroy the base, while Alan Mattila also charges in
from a separate direction with a Sunder to help your lance out.
NOTE: If you take too long to kill the base, the other four mechs
may find Matilla and take him out.
Assign one mech to each enemy mech, and you take on the last one
personally. You must protect the captured base. Once all four
enemy mechs are down, the mission ends successfully.
9.3 Op 3 Mission 3
Allan knows where the wreckage of the Black Hammer dropship is,
and there was a lot of useful stuff in it. Though probably by now
the Smoke Jaguars have carted off most of the loot. Still, it's
worth checking out.
You should have a Mad Cat by now, so use it. If not, you can take
Alan's Sunder. You need a bit of speed, but not too much. Others
can keep their slow but hard-hitting mechs.
Three Donars will harass you throughout the mission until you
shoot them down. They will appear randomly without warning, at
almost any time. Use long good lasers or PPCs to take them out.
There's actually TWO WAYS to accomplish this mission. They start
the same way.
Just as you head over the bridge, an Avatar charges over the
hill. Two Striders appear to the south as you face the Avatar,
and a third Strider appear to the north. All the Striders are
actually heading for the dropship. Your lancemates will join in
as you take out the Avatar from long range. Jump into the river
if you need to deal with the heat. Assign one mech to each
Strider and you'll get them in no time. If you don't chase down
the Striders, they'll retreat a bit, then circle back, so you can
always get them later. Repair now if you need it.
When you cleaned out the area, approach Point Able, and as you
get close, you'll see five Elementals approach the drop ship as
well. Just blast them from a distance.
The normal way: Go ahead and summon the MFB's in. Just as the
MFB's approach Point Able, two Owens attack from the South. They
may hit the MFB's a few times unless you're REALLY quick. Send
two heavy mechs to deal with them (one each), but you MUST stay
just north of Point Able, since a second attack is coming. The
Owens' are just bait.
Another attack is coming from the north down the valley, and they
start as soon as the last Owens is destroyed. If you're out of
position, expect to lose at least 1 MFB, which is BAD NEWS.
(Alternate approach: You can take out one Owens, then leave one
mech to deal with the other while you set up the reception just
north of Point Able.) When the Owens is gone, the main attack
consisting of 2 Avatars and an Orion will roll in. With three
(maybe four) mechs at your disposal, you should have no problems
taking care of business. When all the enemy mechs are dealt with,
the mission ends.
The easy way: Do NOT call the MFB's in. Instead, head north along
the path. You'll come to a ridgeline, behind which are the attack
force consisting of 2 Avatars and 1 Orion. As you get close
enough they'll activate, but they won't come out until you get
really close. (You can see the ridgeline better if you use the
map mode instead of the radar mode). Take your lancemates up
there, then take them out, leaving your MFB's out of danger. You
can probably snipe at the enemy before they come out.
Now head back to Point Able, go south a bit, THEN summon the
MFB's, and deal with the Owens that come to visit. When you
destroy them, the mission ends.
9.4 Op 3 Mission 4
There is a convoy with the goods you need. You can prevent it
from escaping by zapping a few bridges, or by eliminating all the
enemies before they get out of range.
You'll need mainly long-range weapons this time. Lots of LRM's,
ER LLAS, etc. You'll also need some speed, so use 75-ton mechs
instead of the 100-ton behemoths. At least 70 kph top speed would
be good. Mad Cats would be perfect.
Lots of enemies around this time: Shadowcat, AC turret, 2 SRM
turrets, Blackhawk, Cauldron-Born, Mad Cat, Vulture, AC turret,
Thor (piloted by Ratashe Osis)
The trick of this mission is deal with all the targets swiftly.
While it would be ideal to trap the convoy by blow up the bridges
before they escape, you can "capture" them by blowing up all
enemies before they escape off the map. However, keep in mind
that you won't have time for repairs in this mission.
Don't get too close to Point Baker or your lancemates will
destroy the convoy. Stay away from the convoy! (On the other
hand, it's NOT a mission objective. strange, isn't it?)
You start near Point Able, as a Shadowcat heads around a hill and
come toward you. A few shots should convince it to retreat, or
you can kill it where it stands. Approach slowly, and wipeout the
turrets in the area. Blackhawk and Cauldron-Born are in the
distance. The convoy itself should be near-by, guarded by a Mad
Cat. STAY AWAY FROM THE CONVOY!
Send your lancemates after the two smaller mechs, while you
handle the Mad Cat. Once that's done, your lancemates should have
wiped out the structures at Points Able. Hold them there.
Approach Baker and take out the Vulture there, and the turret.
Take the group toward Point Charlie, and Osis in his Thor should
pop up. Kill him, then end the mission before the convoy makes it
off the map.
Alternate approach (untested!): When starting, drive off that
Shadowcat on the ridge, then head for Point Charlie. Take out the
bridge, then head back to Point Baker, take out the other bridge.
Head south, then east, and take out the enemies at Point Able.
Now you can take your time about the objectives, as the convoy is
now trapped. Leave your lancemates behind as you take out each
enemy one at a time. If you're damaged, go back for repairs.
Finally, take the lance to Point Charlie and take out Osis.
9.5 Op 3 Mission 5
You will need to break through the gate using a TAG laser after
you made it through the city. The city of Durgan is heavily
defended, of course. Spaceport is just beyond, and maybe the ride
home.
No speed is needed in this mission. Use the heaviest mechs you
got, with lots of armor and long-range weapons. You WILL need to
take a TAG though. Save room for it.
NOTE: SOME versions of the game allow you to blow apart the gate
with conventional weapons, but you really SHOULD bring along a
TAG just in case.
I am partial to Mad Cat, so I used a Mad Cat with 2 PPCs, 2
Streak SRM6 with extra reloads, TAG, and lots of double
heatsinks. My lancemates get 2 Annihilators (with AC10's,
LRM15's, and 2 MLAS) and a Sunder with Gauss Rifle and 2 LLAS.
As you start, you're near the fortress. Walk toward Point Able a
little, and Vulture and Annihilator will attack. The Owens's
(from left) and Puma (from Point Dog) may also join the fun. All
mechs should stand in place and engage with long-range weapons.
You should take down all the enemy mechs in no time, though you
should concentrate on taking out the Annihilator first. Those
autocannons can be real killers. Vulture is your second priority.
Your lancemates should take care of the rest easily.
Once that's clear, repair yourself. Then order your lancemates to
stay in place and get repaired one at time while you take out the
2 Bulldogs at Point Dog and capture the dock.
Now head toward Point Able, stop before you start climbing the
slope. Order your lancemates to stop, then climb up yourself, and
watch out for that hole near the summit. From that high vantage,
it's perfect to take out those three Bulldogs that want to come
out and play.
Once the Bulldogs are gone, head down the other side, then have
the lancemates to join on you. Line the lancemates up near the
eastern entrance to the city. Take out the Puma that keeps
walking back and forth. Your lancemates may beat you to it. If
the Vulture across the river starts to shoot LRM's at you, get
out of range, then approach it from the east via the river and
take it out. Repair as necessary.
See if the other Puma will come and play. If not, you'll need to
head into the southeast or southwest corner of the city. Line up
there, and start sniping. When the Puma retreats, heat north
through the entrance, stop before you go two blocks. You should
be able to destroy the Puma from long range, as it just keeps
patrolling back and forth if you don't get close enough.
Now line up facing WEST on the most open area you can find.
There's some building to the west you can take out. When you take
out those buildings, the Annihilator and Avatar should appear.
You should be able to snipe them from here. If not, walk back and
forth a little. If Annihilator receive heavy damage, it'll
retreat toward the gate. The Avatar will probably attack and you
can kill it. When there are no more enemies in the city, kill all
the buildings (shoot those that you can target), and the city's
destroyed. Call in the MFBs and repair now.
Head for the gate by crossing that bridge. Those autocannon
turrets will have range on you, be careful not to hit the bridge.
It may collapse and dump you in the river. Take out the turrets
from long range (LRMs or ER LLAS are very useful, PPC slightly
less so). You can then summon the MFB's to repair you just south
of the gate.
You should be able to snipe at any enemy mechs that retreated to
the gate after you get repaired. The last Annihilator is hiding
in a cul-de-sac next to the gate, you don't have a shot at it
yet. Go in slowly. When the Annihilator decided to come out and
play, back up and keep hitting it, and order your lancemates to
attack. With 4 against one it won't last very long.
Now aim the TAG at the gate, fire one shot, and watch the
artillery destroy the gate.
Fun thing to try: go into the fortress at Point Able by shooting
the gate or drop in from the top. Shooting the poles, cranes, and
lights inside Durgan city, shooting anything else that blows up
in the city (lots of them)
9.6 Op 3 Mission 6
Ah, the spaceport. Ratashe Osis returns to make your life
miserable. Can you make it off this planet or not?
No speed is needed in this mission. Use the heaviest mechs you
got, with lots of armor and long-range weapons.
This mission is not hard, just tedious. Leave most of lancemates
at the startup location, as you (and maybe one lancemate)
approach Point Able slowly, take out the Strikers and Elementals
from the distance. LRM's works best, as they produce a lot of
splash damage. When you get close to Point Able, Avatar and
Madcat should appear behind you. Send your lancemates to attack.
Take them from long distance. Once they're down, clean out the
Elementals at Point Able, then wipe out the base. Repair now.
Approach Point Baker slowly, take out the enemies from long
range. As you approach, 2 Cauldron-Born should join the fray. Let
your lancemates take care of them. Kill the Avatar first.
Continue toward Point Baker, and you can take out the turret.
There's another Avatar in the spaceport. Take it out too. Take
out the laser towers in the distance. Take out the rest of the
spaceport, and Ratashe Osis, now in a Supernova, will appear from
the North. He also tells you the bad news: there's no dropship
around here. Take him out, for the last time, and you win the
mission.
Unfortunately, there's no ride home from here. Brandon Corbitt is
now really mad at you. With more Clanners arriving soon, chance
to escape is shrinking.
10 Campaign Op 4 Walkthrough
The Jags are getting really mad at you guys. Brandon Corbitt
himself is leading a group to hunt you down personally. There's a
lot of Clanners around, mostly heavies. Can you make it out
alive?
10.1 Op 4 Mission 1
This one needs speed. Use 70-tonners. Mad Cat would be best, but
Orion, Thor, or Avatar is good also. Fit long range weapons, with
some mediums in the mix. LRMs, PPCs, ER LLAS, etc. The hard part
is to survive the fight until you destroy the train. After that,
you can retreat and repair as needed.
Enemies include: 2 Cauldron-born (patrol), 2 AC turret (Point
Able), 3 Harassers (Point Able), 2 Thors (Point Baker), 1 Thor
and 1 Avatar (train guard), Avatar and Bushwacker and Shadow Cat
(Point Charlie), Bushwacker and Shadowcat (Point Dog)
Power up and move out toward Point Able at a decent speed (70 or
80%). You'll run into 2 Cauldron-Borns as a patrol group. Take
them out.
Cross the river, and go straight at Point Baker at 90% speed. 3
Harassers and 2 Thors will meet you in the middle. Wipe out the
Harassers, and the Thors will retreat toward the train station at
Point Baker. Approach and take out the Thors.
If you're fast, you'll see the train moving toward Point Baker,
escorted by an Avatar and a Thor. Take them out. Otherwise, just
head toward Point Baker, they'll be there. Blast the train (your
lancemates may beat you to it), then wipe out all the resistance
in the area. Now, you can summon the MFBs for some needed
repairs.
After that, things are much easier. When all the mechs are
repaired, approach Point Charlie. You'll find Shadow Cat,
Bushwacker, and Avatar, retreating toward Point Charlie. Keep
shooting at them from long range, and kill them slowly. If you
take a lot of damage, retreat, repair, then come back. When you
clear the area, wipeout the comm tower at Point Charlie.
Approach Point Dog, and just a Bushwacker and Shadow Cat stand in
your way. Wipe them out, takeout the laser tower, and the
mission's complete. Summon the MFB if you need to do so.
10.2 Op 4 Mission 2
While the mission says attack, you'd better off just stay in
place, maybe even crouch, and just keep shooting. Most of the
enemies will charge you. Go for the legs if you can. It's best to
use ER LLASs. Leave PPCs or L PLAS and the large cannons to your
lancemates. Try to salvage the Supernova and the Daishi by doing
the legs.
Take out the AC turrets nearby, then move away from the MFBs a
bit so stray shots doesn't hit them. Then Champion will attack,
followed by 2 Mad Cats from the other direction. Take them out
from long range. You may have just enough time to repair one mech
before Annihilator comes in from the North. Kill it, and you've
earned a respite. Repair all mechs.
Walk toward Point Able. Stop just as you crest the hill. Take out
all buildings in the village. One PPC shot per building should do
it.
A Champion and Supernova will stay on the other side of the
river. Repair all mechs, then approach and take them out.
Repair all mechs again, then cross the river and head for Point
Baker. Supernova should pop up. Kill it.
Continue approach, and the Daishi should power up. Kill it. Take
out the tower at Point Baker, and that's it for this mission.
10.3 Op 4 Mission 3
You need to capture some supplies. Patience is needed on this
next mission. All the enemies stay in their area, so you can take
on each group slowly and individually. Repair when you can, and
you should make it through. Take at least two AMSs per mech, as
there's a lot of LRMs coming at you. Take LONG-range weapons as
you'll need to do a LOT of sniping. ER LLAS, PPC, etc.
Move toward Point Able. Take out the SRM turrets. Two Vultures
will pop up. Backup toward the river, let your lancemates soak up
some of those LRMs, while you take them out with long range
lasers. Repair now if you need it, as taking on those Vultures
with LRMs can be painful.
Continue toward Point Able. There are 3 AC turrets, 4 Strikers,
and 2 Supernovas. There's also an Annihilator and Orion to your
southeast. Approach close enough to engage one mech at a time.
Take them all out slowly. Repair if necessary. Retreat if too
many enemies start shooting at you, then try a different angle of
attack. When you wipe out all the enemies, the supply depot's
yours. Repair now.
Continue toward next nav point, and you'll see 5 Elementals
coming out to meet you. Gun them down with zoom mode. Then take
out the turrets from long range. Repair now.
As you finally get to Point Baker, the shuttle you're thinking
about borrowing flies away. And two Annihilators attack. Start
backing up, and keep shooting at them from long range.
Annihilators are slow enough so you can keep the range open if
you back up fast enough. When you destroy them, you win the
mission.
10.4 Op 4 Mission 4
You're fighting in cold climate, so emphasis on energy weapons
would be good. You'll need lots of heavy mechs again.
Annihilator, Mad Cat, Sunder, etc. are good. Your first priority
is to get to your MFB's. Once that's done things are simple if
tedious.
Enemies include: Thor, 2 Mad Cats, Thor, 2 Orions, AC turret, AC
turret, Thor, Mad Cat, 2 Daishi, 3 Elementals, AC turret. 3 Donar
choppers.
You start in the middle of snowy plains. Elementals to your west,
then Thor and 2 Madcats will attack. Stay in place and kill them.
Do NOT approach Point Baker, as that will trigger more attacks.
Once that's done, run for Point Charlie (skip Point Baker for
now). Even if you notice a Thor and 2 Orions powering up, do NOT
stop. Keep going.
As you get close to Point Charlie, you'll notice an AC turret
near your MFBs. Take it out and move into that valley. You'll be
safe at your location as those three mechs won't come close
enough. Repair all mechs.
Once all repairs are done, exit the valley and take out those
three mechs (2 Orions and a Thor) loitering around. Repair all
mechs again.
There are 3 Donar choppers making random patrols. Kill them when
they approach.
Continue toward next nav point, the fortress. You may or may not
see the turrets. Those turrets tend to pop up once you get on
top. A Thor and a Mad Cat patrol the top of the fortress. Use
lasers and kill them from long range. The Thor has LRMs so you
may need to go back for repairs if you got hurt bad. Your lasers
have longer range than their PPCs, so you should not take too
much damage once you kill the Thor. Repair all mechs.
Find the ramps that allow you to walk to the top of the fortress.
Stop at the bottom, tell your lancemates to hold position, as you
don't want them to fall off or wander into the arena and get
blasted. Go up alone. If you see turrets pop up, kill them.
The Daishi's are inside the "arena", and you're up on top. Walk
to the west, and you'll find a hill, from where you find a good
place to shoot at the Daishi's "head". Kill both. If you're
damaged, retreat and repair. Those Daishi's aren't going
anywhere. When they're gone, find a ramp that allows you to walk
into the Arena, or just drop in. Kill the generator. Behind you
is the door out. Repair now.
Go down and summon your lancemates. Approach Point Baker, kill
the Elementals and the AC turret, and you win the mission.
10.5 Op 4 Mission 5
You're doing this one solo, no repairs. You're taking out the Jag
geothermal plant by taking out the 4 core taps.
A heavy mech with lots of MLAS and heatsinks is good. You can't
afford to blow up the bridge you need to walk across, so no
missiles, and watch your shots. Consider a targeting computer to
help your accuracy. At least 2 AMSs would be good as those
Elementals shoot a lot of SRMs.
Enemies: 3 Sunders, and 10 Elementals.
You're in a corridor leading into the cavern. The cavern is
pretty big, but the middle is all lava. You can only travel along
the ledges and the bridges. Don't shoot the bridges! The
Elementals walk around a LOT. Shoot Elementals as they come into
view.
When a Sunder appears and coming toward you, kill it. With the 10
MLAS you should take out legs easily. Take out a couple more
Elementals if you can.
When there's no more targets, it's time to venture out of the
corridor. First check the MAP for the position of the 2 Sunders.
Walk up to the first nav point. Take out the Sunder and a few
Elementals visible from there. Then do the same to the last one,
probably by heading to the next nav point. Then just clean up the
Elementals. (Why is one of them stuck in lava?)
With all enemies gone, shoot the core taps at the four nav
points, then head for Point Echo, walk through the elevator door,
and you're done.
10.6 Op 4 Mission 6
You've made it through the caverns. And Brandon Corbitt with his
elite team is waiting in the arena. The shuttle is up there. If
you win, you get to go. What will it be?
Your team should have all heavy stuff now. The fight will be in a
dry volcano bed. Use the best weapons you got. You probably
salvaged a Sunder or two from that last mission. Use the heaviest
mechs you got, and the best weapon/ammo you got. There's no
saving it for next time. AC20's, Gauss Rifles. Bring them all
out.
The Jag forces consists of Mad Cat, Supernova, Cauldron-Born, and
Daishi.
You start far away from the Jag forces, but you can't stay. The
shuttle's next to you, and Corbitt will gladly shoot at the
shuttle instead of you. You have to head out there and fight.
There's no trick to this mission. Just go out there and kill all
of the Jag mechs. There's some volcanic rock on the lakebed that
can slow you down. Use the map to avoid them as you move. You'll
probably want to head east-southeast along the edge of the arena,
which also lines up your lance to "cross their T".
Concentrate your fire upon one enemy mech at a time. The Mad Cat
will charge in first, then the Cauldron-born. Daishi and
Supernova will loiter a little as they get stuck on the rocks.
Your lancemates should take care of things. The only trick is to
survive until they do, and that means NOT being in front.
Consider tell the other mechs to hold position while you backup
after you get them into place. Then they will automatically shoot
at the closest mechs and engage as necessary. Follow them in,
kill everybody, and you win the campaign!
Good job, operation Democles is a success despite the disastrous
beginning. Prince Davion is pleased.
11 A short note on multiplayer
Multiplayer in MW3 is supported by MS Zone and through Gamespy
Arcade. However, players are a bit hard to find nowadays.
