Mech Warfare

First, let's define what a Mech is: Mechs are bipedal, and sometimes quadrupedal, machines that walk upright. They were originally designed for maneuvering heavy loads in warehouses and construction sites in place of cranes and forklifts, which are still the primary use today. They come in various sizes, ranging from Huge 1 ton Power Loaders to Gargantuan 60 ton Reaper Heavy Fire Support units.

It wasn’t long for some enterprising backyard engineer to strap a gun to the side and use one as a mobile weapons platform. Mech combat technology is still relatively new and underdeveloped to the point that using vehicles is still more practical.

The modern Main Battle Tank (MBT) is still able to outperform a mech in most aspects; in open ground an MBT can outperform a Mech due to speed and ability to deliver rounds to target. Mechs are able to excel in dense environments such as jungles and urban centers. They are also capable of equipping a wider variety of armaments with more hardpoints, but all except the largest of Mechs will struggle to carry and fire the equivalent of an MBT's main gun.

Contrary to popular fiction mechs do not have hands, and if they do it is for decorative purposes only. Instead they have claws, hooks, and winches designed to be attached to and lift heavy objects.

When combat mechs are deployed, they are often done so by mercenaries attempting to look cool or by military groups as support. Due to their unique maneuverability and lift capacity they are able to establish supply lines and reinforce infantry in a variety of environments.

### Light Mechs

Light Mechs often fit in the Huge size category, weigh around 1 ton, and are little more than M317-5 exoskeletons. Combat variants such as the XO-a37 ‘Dart’ are only lightly armed and armored. This type is the most common type of mech encountered with their ability to operate in extremely crowded environments such as a warehouse, hangar, or a cargo bay. Light Mechs typically range from 3.5 to 4 meters tall and are able to be piloted by Large or smaller characters.

### Medium Mechs

Medium Mechs are frequently deployed as construction equipment to construct outposts and bring supplies to those in otherwise difficult to reach locations. Medium mechs are around 4.5 to 6 meters tall and weigh from 5 to 10 tons.

### Heavy Mechs

Heavy Mechs are almost exclusively for military purposes, frequently accompanied by infantry, vehicles or even MBTs. Their armor is able to rival that of MBTs and they are able to carry a greater arsenal. Unfortunately they tend to become the main focus of enemy fire as most find the lumbering form intimidating. Heavy Mechs range from around 7 to 10 meters in height and are anywhere from 25 to 50 tons depending on the arms and armor it is equipped with.

## Common Misconceptions

### Grasping Hands

While we have the technology available for cybernetic limbs that come complete with fingers and thumbs, scaling that technology up for a mech is not so simple. Due to the square-cube law, increased size means significantly more mass, putting more strain on joints and servos. Better materials or reinforced designs is not as cost effective as a simple hook or claw.

### Mech-Held Weapons

Even if there was the ability to equip mechs with hands like we see in other popular fiction and have them be effective, we run into a number of other mechanical issues. Having weapons held by a mech rather than being attached to a hardpoint carries the risk of it being dropped or, even worse, stolen by an enemy. You also have to worry about how the weapon is reloaded; if you add a removeable magazine, then you are just adding more moving parts and potential points of failure.

Then there is the concern of size: Who is going to regulate and standardize the hand size of mechs so they fit all mech guns? It is in a company's best interest to only build parts that fit their own brand of machinery. The hand of one company's mech is never going to realistically fit the grip of another company's gun.

Mounting the guns to hardpoints avoids all of these issues.