Newcomers to FASA's BattleTech combat simulations system sometimes question the ranges listed for various weapons ranges which seem unrealistically short. These rules reflect the fact that, in the 31st century, at least, most combat takes place at relatively close range---close, that is, when the weapons used are capable of dealing death and destruction along a straight line of sight clear to the horizon! The last issue of BattleTech no log y presented optional rules forextending the listed ranges for various personal weapons used in MechWarrior simulations. This set of rules variants does the same thing for the heavier weapons carried by the kings of the battlefield: BattleMechs. The following section discusses the general classes of BattleTech weapons. LASERS Lasers are energy weapons capable of delivering large amounts of energy to the target through a monochromatic or "lased" beam. Most modern battlefield lasers are pulse lasers, which characteristically deliver between .8 and 5 megajoules of energy in ashort, intense pulse lasting less than one one-hundredth of a second. There is no theoretical limit to a laser's range. Under battlefield conditions, however, laser ranges are limited by smoke, dust, and anti-laser aerosols. So long as the target is not obscured by weather or other conditions, however, it is still possible to hit a target as far away as a planet's horizon. At such extreme ranges, the target's movement becomes the chief handicap in laser targeting. Basic Laser Ranges in BattleTech Small Laser (.8-1.5 megajoule): 3 hexes = 90 meters Medium Laser (1.5- 3 megajoules): 9 hexes = 270 meters Large Laser (3-5 megajoules): 15 hexes = 450 meters Obviously, these ranges impose limits on the actual ranges possible for laser weaponry. Throughout the history of engagements with laser weaponry, it has not been unusual for laser-armed infantry or armor to engage targets as far away as the horizon, a distance of-depending on the size of the planet-many kilometers. PARTICLE PROJECTOR CANNON (PPC) This is a general weapons class which includes a variety of related weapons. All are powered from the 'Mech's on-board fusion plant and are classified as energy weapons. They cause damage by using magnetic fields to fire beams of high-energy charged particles-either electrons or protons-at the target. Damage is inflicted on the target by a combination of intense heat, kinetic energy (the physical force of the blow), and by creating a massive electrical overload within the target'Mech which can cause additional damage by discharging as a bolt of lightning. Poorly shielded 'Mech electronics can be burned out and rendered useless by the electrical discharge of a good PPC hit. As with the laser, there is no theoretical limit to a particle cannon's range, though the beam loses energy in atmosphere and attenuates rapidly. On the other hand, particle beams are unaffected by smoke, haze, or aerosols. In practice, particle cannons are limited to line-of-sight ranges, a range which is further restricted, as with lasers, by the difficulty of hitting a rapidly moving target at a range of several kilometers. Basic PPC Range in BattleTech Particle Cannon: Maximum range: 18 hexes = 540 meters Minimum range: 3 hexes = 90 meters Like lasers, PPCs in reality can be directed against targets at ranges considerably greater than half a kilometer. The minimum range listed reflects the fact that PPC weaponry is characteristically bulky and massive. Due to the effects of perspective, it is far more difficult to achieve a positive target lock with a heavy weapon when the target is close and moving quickly than when it is far away and moving quickly. MISSILES (SRMs, LRMs) Missiles in BattleTech are designed to be manufactured cheaply, in very large numbers. The highly technical and sophisticated tracking and guidance systems of a thousand years ago were proven to be too susceptible to jamming, too prone to malfunction in adverse conditions, and far too expensive for general battle-lield use. They are restricted in their range in BattleTech simulations principally because the missiles tend to scatter over ranges greater than a half kilometer or so. Beyond that range there is always the possibility that one missile out of a large cluster will hit the target, but the chance of a hit depends more on luck than on the firer's skill. Basic Missile Ranges in BattleTech Short-Ranged Missiles (SRM): 9 hexes = 270 meters Long-Ranged Missiles (LRM): 21 hexes = 630 meters Minimum range for LRMs: 6 hexes = 180 meters LRMs are among the longest ranged weapons in BattleTech. The minimum range figure reflects the fact that LRMs are actually indirect fire weapons. That is, they are lobbed along an arc which brings them down on the enemy from above. Limitations in the sighting and acquisition equipment generally available to 'Mechs, as well as the practice of arming LRM warheads after they have travelled some distance from the launcher, limits their use in short-ranged encounters. AUTOCANNON Autocannons are descended from the rapid-fire, explosive warhead rounds first developed for use against aircraft and armor during the mid-2011 Century. BattleMech autocannon are rapid-tire weapons ranging from 40 to 120 mm, firing shells designed to cause the maximum damage to BattleMech composite armor. Shells are fed into the autocannon's firing chamber from a shell cassette, inaccurately labelled a "round," usually holding about 100 individual shells. BattleMech AC ammunition inventories refer to the numbers of "rounds"-i.e., 100-shell cassettes-stored aboard. Basic Autocannon Range in BattleTech Autocannon: 18 hexes = 540 meters Minimum range: 3 hexes = 90 meters Some BattleTech sources list separate ranges and damage factors for AC/2s, AC/5s, AC/10s, and AC/20s. The range figures given above are frequently presented as representative of the class. Effective autocannon range is limited by the weapon's ability to track and hit moving targets at extreme ranges. The actual range of the shell, however, is considerably greater than half a kilometer. Autocannons also have a minimum range limit. Like particle cannons, autocannons tend to be massive and bulky, and it is difficult to shift them quickly and accurately to hold target on a rapidly-moving target at close range. MACHINE GUN The machine guns of the 311, Century are direct descendants of the heavy machine guns first used in the world wars of the 2011 Century. Infantry or vehicle-mounted weapons are belt or magazine fed. Those mounted on BattleMechs are usually heavier than infantry-portable weapons and are fed by autoloaded cassettes similar to those developed for autocannons. Some'Mechs mount machine guns which are belt fed. These are prone to jams, and without an operator immediately present, it is difficult to clear belt feed jams in combat. Basic Machine Gun Range in BattleTech Machine Gun (MG): 3 hexes = 90 meters The BattleTech simulator range for machine guns is obviously sharply limited overtheir actual combat range. Even in the 20th century, the effective range (defined asthe range atwhich the operatorcould expect to score 50% hits against a man-sized target) for a heavy machine gun was in excess of 1200 meters. FLAMER There are two basic types of flamers. Vehicle-mounted and hand-held, personal flamers are descended from the flamethrowers of the mid-20th century, and work by igniting streams of highly flammable chemicals directed at the target. 'Mech-mounted flamers trap, channel, and direct a small portion of the super-heated plasma from the 'Mech's own fusion reactor in a deadly, killing cloud of hot gas. Both weapon types are strictly short-ranged weapons with a range limited to less than 100 meters. Of the two, the fusion-powered flamer is far more efficient. Basic Flamer Range in BattleTech Flamer: 3 hexes = 90 meters Flamer weapon ranges have not been limited in BattleTech simulations. A NOTE ON LIMITED RANGES IN BATTLETECH There are various reasons that the ranges of most weapons have been limited in the various BattleTech simulator rules. The most basic reason is that BattleTech is, first and foremost, a simulation of 31st Century mechanized combat, and, for various reasons, modern 'Mech-to-'Mech combat rarely takes place at ranges of more than half a kilometer. (see: BattleMech Weapons: Crisis of Range and Accuracy on page 22). Although the overall level of technology among the Successor States has fallen since the days of the Star League, it is generally accepted that weapons technology during the 31st Century is still at or above the levels common in the late-20th /early-21st Centuries on Earth. Indeed, many of the weapons still in use during the 31st Century are relics of the Star League of three centuries and more ago and represent the peak of human weapons technology. Obviously, then, the ranges listed on the BattleTech Weapons Table do not give the maximum ranges possible for the various weapons. (If they did, a long range missile could be out-ranged by a 20th century assault rifle!) What the BattleTech combat tables do list are ranges typical for most combat. Even with the high-tech, long-ranged laser weaponry of the Star League era, 'Mechs rarely attempted to engage targets as large, as fast, as well-armored, or as maneuverable as other 'Mechs at ranges greater than a few hundred meters. There are situations, however, when it becomes important to engage targets at greater-than-usual combat ranges. BattleMechs holding a line against enemy'Mechs advancing across a broad, open valley might attempt to cause damage or shake the attackers' morale by opening fire long before the attackers close to general ly-accepted combat ranges. BattleMechs might attempt to engage "soft" targets such as infantry or infantry vehicles at ranges of as much as several kilometers, in order to harass enemy movements or to create a diversion. With this in mind, the following optional rules may be used to allow long-range combat. Back to BattleTechnology 3 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1988 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com