What are battlemechs, aerospace fighters, armor, and infantry in the Battletech Universe?
Battlemechs are large war machines that usually take on a somewhat humanoid shape. They can look very humanoid, having two arms, to legs, hands, and a head. Or they can look animalistic, on four legs with a large body holding them together. They can be any combination of the two, the only limits are your imagination. In any form, the machine is made for destruction. Each Battlemech stands between 9 and 15 meters tall, and most carry more weaponry than a small nation's entire military has today. Weighing anywhere from 20 to 100 tons, they are the mainstay of the battlefields in the Battletech Universe and have been for hundreds of years. A fusion reactor is the heart of the giant beast, ensuring a long life without the consideration of battle. A Mechwarrior is the beast's brain. These warriors are trained to fight in these giant machines, using their own reflexes and sense of balance to keep the 'mech uprite and fighting. Contrary to popular belief, the Mechwarriors to not "merge" with the machine and control it with their thougths. They sit in a cockpit, using pedals and control sticks like any other machine. However, the most skilled Mechwarriors can virtually bring their 'mech to life, making it seem quite human rather than a machine with a man inside. These are the elite.
An 85 ton Battlemaster Assault Class 'mech standing watch.
A 65 ton CrusaderHeavy Class 'mech bringing its arm-mounted weapons to bear.
Aerospace Fighters are the airborn cousin of battlemechs. The are air-superiority fighters as well as ground and space-superiority. The multi-functional fighters can traverse the boundry between atmosphere and space without a second thought. They carry weapons equally as deadly as a battlemech's, if not as many, and have the speed to hit and run before the enemy even knows they were there. Like thier ground-based cousins, fighters range from 20 tons to 100. Don't fool yourself, however. A 100 aircraft might be large, but it isn't slow, and isn't defensless. The pilots are commonly refered to as "Aero Jocks", and they too link their sense of balance to their machine to give them the utmost control. Most people consider 'mechs king of the battlefield, but many a times we've seen a small flight of hit and run fighters desimate the ranks of battlemechs without losing a single member. They are an invaluable addition to any force.
Armor is the word now used when speaking of tanks. While not nearly as versitile as their mobile brothers, armor can pack a devstating punch. Some armor is capable of taking a 'mech out with a single salvo. Many a commander has overlooked the effectivness of enemy armor and have been dealt great defeats. It's brothers, the battlemechs, are surely more mobile, and often faster. The battlemech can traverse any kind of terrain, while the armor often cannot. This is what has kept the armor from taking the title of King of the Battlefield. Armor comes with varying types of transportation, which does give them a better mobility than modern tanks. The options are treads, wheels, and hover. One of the most dangerous types of armor is artillary. This form of armor can deliver death from the skies while sitting kilometers away from the action, often perfectly safe.
Infantry is, until recently, often looked over. They were virtually useless against 'mechs, only having the power to deliver small amounts of damage with shoulder-mounted rocket launchers. The role of the infantry was often reserved for camp security, and bulding/city infiltration because of their size and mobility. That has all changed with the coming of the Clans. The Clans feilded a deadly infantryman called an Elemental. These genetically bred giants (often over 8 feet tall) would be strapped into suits of power armor and armed a small amounts of missiles and a 'mech sized weapon (usually a laser) In groups of up to five (sometimes only one single man) they have the power to destroy the largest 'mech or armor. Their suit's enhanced strength enable them to simply rip the armor off of these other vehicles and kill the pilot inside. They were highly successfull and extrememly hard to hit due to their speed and size. Once hit, they often did not die thanks to advanced medical science that kept them going almost after any amount of injury. These warriors led the Inner Sphere to develop their own anti-mech infantry, and the even went as far as building their own power armors. The infantry is once again a factor on the battlefield and can no longer be referred to as "Cannon Fodder" or "Speed Bumps" by 'mech and armor pilots. These specialized tactics let a single un-armored man disable a 'mech by placing explosives in key areas as the 'mech passes by. The new armored infantry may not be as strong as their Clan counterparts, but given proper training, can be just as effective. A Free Worlds League produced Longinus Battle Armor asking for a handout.
