Commando

This page is for the 'Mech from BattleTech. If you are looking for the page about the Ork oddboy, please see Ork Kommando. Alternatively, for the special forces from WWII, see Commando Platoon.

Bravo Six, going dark.

"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."

– Sun Tzu, The Art of War

A commando is a soldier that's supposed to raid people and do unconventional assaults, so it's only fitting that the COM-2D "Commando" does just that as the Lyran Commonwealth's premier light striker BattleMech.

Overview

The Commando is one of the oldest 'Mech designs, dating back to 2463 and thus being the first known Light 'Mech. Designed by one Andrew Barcalow and manufactured by Coventry Defense Conglomerate (which would eventually become Coventry Metal Works) for the Lyrans, it started out with its COM-1A variant which was one of the first 'Mechs explicitly designed to be a recon unit. It was much lighter and faster than anything that came before, but since this first variant is so old it's saddled with the use of primitive tech. Despite being designed as a scout, it was able to punch up pretty hard - in 2475, it participated in the first large-scale battle between BattleMechs on Nox and managed to destroy 55-ton Gladiators from the Draconis Combine.

Despite this impressive showing, the fact it only had a Large Laser that had several problems of its own - as well as the fact better scouts like the Wasp and Stinger were being rolled out and spelling the end of the Commando's recon days - would lead to the design being radically overhauled into the more advanced 2D in 2486, now with a short-range missile-heavy loadout to make it the striker we all know and love.

That being said, even if it's a striker that can punch up, its definitely not supposed to get into an all-out fight with a bigger 'Mech - its light armor even for a light 'Mech means its relying on its speed to not get instantly blown to bits. The COM-2D reflects this by being designed to hunt scouts as well as for hit-and-run tactics.

In any case, it'd become a favorite of the Lyran armed forces and wind up being used for six entire centuries. They also made sure to keep the Commando out of others' hands, only finally relenting when the Federated Suns joined up with them to create the Federated Commonwealth. Evidently the Feds saw a 'Mech that looked like G.I. Joe if he was a walker and were instantly sold, as FedCom soon chose the Commando to be one of their standard Light 'Mechs alongside the Valkyrie. They'd also let the Taurian Concordat have some by giving the plans for the 2D (by then replaced with the superior 5S).

Of course, the Lyrans couldn't keep all the Commandos out of enemy possession. Some ended up being picked up by various mercenaries, who proceeded to refit the 2D into a multitude of variants known as then 7-series. The Marian Hegemony would also gain some to turn into the rocket-heavy 4H, while the dreaded Wobbies also made a few in the form of the COM-7B after occupying Coventry from 3068 to 3074 (since conquering the home of the corp that designed them obviously gives you the capacity to make your own). Even the Clans got to make an IIC variant due to some Lyrans jumping ship to Kerensky's SLDF during the whole Amaris Civil War boogaloo.

Specs

The Commando as a whole is a 25-ton 'Mech that is built upon a Coventry Metal Works proprietary chassis while having its power needs met by a GM 150 fusion engine. The latter allows the whole platform to reach a speed of 97 km/h, making it able to keep up with and even overtake several true scout 'Mechs (though a Fire Moth will still run circles around it). As for armor protection, we weren't kidding when we said it was basically nonexistent - only four tons of Lexington Limited armor makes it tougher than the aforementioned Fire Moth and the Spider, sure, but it will still die if a Medium 'Mech or heavier so much as sneezes on it. Its electronics suite, meanwhile, consists of a TharHes Crystal Flower RG-2 comms system and a TharHes Star Shark targeting & tracking module. 10 single heat sinks round out the design, being enough to ensure the residual heat from the weapons don't fry the 'Mech or its pilot.

Speaking of missiles, the standard COM-2D goes basically all-in on spamming them. Its main weapons are a Shannon Six Shooter SRM-6 in the torso and a Coventry SRM-4 on the right arm, meaning other Lights are fucked six ways 'til Sunday if they enter CQC range, Mediums will be feeling the pain, and even Heavies have to worry when multiple Commandoes come at them. As backup for when the SRMs run out of missile reloads, the left arm has a Defiance B3M Medium Laser that can double as a more precise weapon when needed. The overall loadout is definitely stronger than what one would expect for its tonnage, hence the Commando's role being that of a striker that becomes a menace when multiple of them are grouped together. The use of it in hit and run tactics reflect its strengths and weaknesses, with a "speed is armor" approach being needed to keep it from being scrapped; the most common strategy is to have it rush in, perform an alpha strike with all its weapons at once, and GTFO before the target can retaliate. And true to its name this all also makes it a good raider and able to handle situations you wouldn't expect it to be able to.

Design Quirks

If the optional crunch is being used, the following Design Quirks apply to the Commando:

• Narrow/Low Profile - Since it can't rely on armor, it obviously invests in being a small target.
• Exposed Actuators - Making it even more likely to fold like paper to a direct hit, it's pretty damn easy to shoot out an arm or leg motor and disable an entire limb.

Variants

Being a mainstay of a major faction as well as eventually ending up in multiple groups' hands, it's only natural that the Commando has a fuckton of variant designs.

• COM-1A - The original 2463 Commando prototype as mentioned above, being made with the Mackie era's Primitive Technology (or 'PrimTech'). The 'Mech was slower yet more armored than its final version, having five tons of primitive armor and moving at 80 km/h. As for weapons, it only had the hard-hitting Odin Heavy Laser that ate up all its power and was a heat fiend, but let it be a menace to basically anyone if not taken seriously. Overall a slow scout with a nasty sting, but very inefficient. Naturally, it was completely replaced by the better and more ubiquitous 2D.
• COM-1AK - A RetroTech callback to the 1A made by Wechsel Royal Industrial Repair and Heavy Machining on Kaumberg. Instead of a single Large Laser like the original, though, it instead takes two Medium Lasers - one on each arm - as well as a head-mounted Small Laser for more reliability and to free up tonnage for making it not be swatted like a fly by heavier weapons by upping its primitive armor to seven and a half tons. Due to its nature of using outdated tech, it was mainly used as a stopgap cheap design when the main facilities for production on Coventry were taken over by the Blakists during the Jihad.
• COM-1B - Created in 3015 to try and replicate the hard-hitting Large Laser of the PrimTech 1A with the modern tech that was used on the 2D, since the idea of being a threat to much larger machines obviously appealed to Commando MechWarriors. However, they made the mistake of only swapping the right arm's SRM-4 for a Large Laser and switching the SRM-6 for a SRM-2 instead of just replacing both with the Large Laser, meaning the design quickly fell out of favor due to being an overheat fiend. Keeping the Medium Laser on the right arm didn't help either, but the loadout as a whole is insanely dangerous at close range so long as you can keep the temperamental 'Mech from becoming an oven. It was essentially relegated to being used by aces capable of controlling it, so its understandable that production was short-lived.
• COM-1C - An experiment in making the Commando a direct fire support 'Mech, the 1C removes all other weapons in order to mount a single Autocannon/2 with one ton of ammunition. Judging by the fact it was just an experimental prototype, it evidently didn't go well.
• COM-1D - A transition prototype from the 1A to the 2D, but nevertheless has had some presence, if small, in the history of Commando usage over the centuries. It's even more of a glass cannon than its main-manufacture counterpart, having only 3 tons of armor so it can mount both a Large Laser and a SRM-6 launcher as its weapons. If not for the heat and power issues of the Large Laser this would be an extremely nasty striker that in groups could make even Assault 'Mechs sweat.
• COM-2D - The most common and the standard Commando detailed above.
• COM-2Dr - A refit/update of the 2D made during the Blakist temper tantrum that completely overhauls its weapons package, removing the old one in favor of a MML-7 with CASE and a ER medium laser. This makes the 'Mech more of a multirole, as while it can still do well as a striker the MML allows it to hit other 'Mechs at longer ranges. CASE making it harder to blow up its missile reserves and take the 'Mech with them is also a plus.
• COM-3A - The Commando 3A is even more lightly armored than the original, taking only 3 tons of ablative plating. However, this 3025 variant makes up for it by upping its hitting power: its weapons now consist of two SRM-6 launchers, a Medium Laser, and everyone's favorite warcrime maker AKA a flamer. It became quite popular as a result, since deleting infantry via horrible burns is always useful and it still has two SRMs to shred other 'Mechs to bits.
• COM-4H - The aforementioned Marian Hegemony version, which switches the SRMs for six RL-15s and an additional Medium Laser. As one would expect having that many dumb rockets will shred other Light 'Mechs even harder at the cost of not really being able to punch up as hard anymore as well as accuracy since, well, they're dumb rockets. The additional M. Laser also helps with increasing longevity by virtue of upping its firepower when its out of rockets. In short, still a poor man's version but has its own advantages.
• COM-5S - The modernized Commando first introduced in 3050, and the first mass-production variant to utilize what was once LosTech from the Star League thanks to the Helm Memory Core being recovered. The Commando 5S is built on an Endo-Steel chassis and uses four tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor, allowing it to not be a thrower of stones from a glass house since it now has more protection for the same weight. More notable are the electronics and weapons overhauls: a bleeding-edge Cyclops 14 comms system, a Cyclops MultiTasker 10 targeting & tracking system, and a Artemis IV Fire Control System are installed, with the latter two being linked up to brand-spanking-new SRM launchers in the form of a Coventry 90m SRM-6 and a Coventry T4H Streak SRM-2. The Streak in particular makes the COM-5S scarily accurate for a striker, further increasing its kill potential in its typical hit-and-run shenanigans. The Medium Laser is, of course, retained for when the launchers are dry, while CASE is installed to protect the 'Mech in case of one of its missile reload bins being detonated by enemy fire. A worthy successor to the centuries-old OG Commando, that's for sure.
• COM-7A - Starting the 7-series' trend of refits-turned-proper-variants, the 7A uses an endo-steel frame to heap on additional armor at the cost of downgrading the chest SRM to a SRM-4 - though it also has CASE to protect its two-ton bin from ammo blowouts.
• COM-7B - Unlike most of the 7-series, this one was not a field refit at first. The Word of Blake's Commando variant (The 'B' stands for Blake), based on the 7S below and made when they took Coventry and forced Coventry Metal Works to produce for them. The most major change was freeing space by removing 'unneeded' systems like "space" and "non-minimal life support", done by making it have a Small Cockpit. It uses this space to mount an additional ton of armor as well as taking four Jump Jets to allow it to leap up to 120 meters at a time. As for its weapons, it has two torso-mounted SRM-4s, two infantry-deleting Flamers on the right arm, and an ER medium laser on the left arm. Overall fucking nasty to be up against, and it also inflicts untold suffering on unarmored units as one would expect of a 'Mech made by a bunch of amoral sociopaths.
• COM-7J - Another 7-series variants that originally was a field refit, the 7J also departs from the 2D by upgrading the chassis to Endo-Steel. Where it differs from the similar 7A is taking Jump Jumps; otherwise it does the same thing by taking as its weapons two CASE-protected SRM-4s with two tons of reloads and a Medium Laser.
• COM-7S - Another in the 7-series that isn't a field refit turned standardized variant. An update to the COM-5S that switches out the aging power source for a light fusion engine, allowing it to take a heavier weapons loadout. In particular, it has a SRM-4 with an Artemis IV FCS, two Streak SRM-2s, and two ER Medium Lasers. The sheer amount of missiles gained it a similar reputation as its IIC cousin for being a 'sucker puncher' that can take on a Medium on even footing (though still relying on hit-and-run tactics) and even punch up to the Assault weight class if in a group.
• COM-7T - Returning to the 7-series field refits, we have this 'Mech. Also known as the "Blazing Inferno II", the first being the 7Y2 below. It originates from the era of the FedCom Civil War, but only became popular decades after the conflict. To earn its nickname, it goes full hog into being a laser boat: its weapons consist of 4 Defiance Model XII ER Medium Lasers, 5 Diverse Optics ER Smalls Lasers, and a Ompec-J small laser. This naturally makes it an overheat fiend, even with a tacked-on heat sink to bring the total to 11; however, it includes Triple-Strength Myomer so its high running temperature can be made useful. As such its a 'Mech that rewards pilots for living dangerously, keeping themselves barely below being fried by reactor heat.
• COM-7W - Another endo steel chassis refit. This one focuses on having a massive amount of ammo so it can fight for a long time without its missile launchers going dry. It uses a Streak SRM-2 with one ton of ammo and a SRM-4 with two, and to assist with longevity it has two Medium Lasers for the event it does run out of missiles. As it sets out to do it can stay in the fight for a long while, but will always be outperformed by the similar but heavier-armed 5S and 7S.
• COM-7X - Yet another 2D refit, but this one is Succession Wars-era. Mercenaries replaced the SRM-4 with two more Medium Lasers and an extra ton of ammo for the SRM-6 launcher. This increases longevity, both with ammo and without.
• COM-7Y - Like the 7Y, this Succession Wars merc refit replaces the SRM-4 to attach two medium lasers, but this one also adds more armor instead of more SRM-6 ammo. This makes the 'Mech more durable and lets it still hold its own when out of missiles, though the amount of time it has missiles is still the same as the 2D.
• COM-7Y2 - As previously mentioned, this variant was also known as the "Blazing Inferno". Like its successor it's also a heat-fiend of a laser boat: its weapons consist of six Small Lasers and four Medium Lasers. No tacked-on heat sink or heat-using Myomer like the 7T, though you do get an extra ton of armor. It was conceived during the Succession Wars and popular among mercenaries, particularly for not needing solid ammunition and therefore being independent of supply lines (so long as you didn't let it turn itself into an air fryer).
• COM-7Z - A durability-focused refit that changes the loadout to be a single SRM-6 and two Medium Lasers. It also increases the armor to 5.5 tons, and installs CASE to protect the missile launcher from ammo blowouts. Good for engagements where 'speed is armor' won't cut it and you need a light 'Mech that won't disintegrate from a strong breeze. Not that it should be taking too many hits still...
• COM-7Z2 - A subvariant of the 7ZZ refit that neglects the installation of CASE and downgrades to Small Lasers in exchange for mounting a Beagle Active Probe. Essentially returns the Commando to its dedicated scout days, though the retained SRM-6 ensures it still has a punch.
• COM-8S - A speedy fucker, the 8S is built on an Endo-Steel chassis and powered by an eXtraLight engine for a blistering top sustained speed of 110 km/h. It also has a Supercharger that lets it enter a 140 km/h sprint for a short period. For weapons, it has two Stream SRM-2 launchers with CASE II protection on its right arm, while the left has two ER medium lasers. Finally, a C3 boosted slave fills out the otherwise empty chest so it can share and receive targeting data. This variant also works as a scout thanks to the C3 system, though it definitely can still punch up as a striker pretty hard.
• COM-9S - A variant of the 8S, flipped to harass targets at long range instead of a short-ranged scout/striker. Its main gun is now a Light PPC on the left arm, while two torso-mounted MML-3 racks allow it to both simulate the SRM-6 of many Commando models and fire LRMs from afar. Finally, two Improved One-Shot SRM-2s on the right arm serve as its dedicated close-range armament. It also has the increased speed and Supercharger of the 8S still, but had to remove the C3 slave. While a complete departure from what the Commando normally is, the 9S has a loadout powerful enough to threaten Mediums on its own. The old COM-1C is probably crying tears of joy that its efforts weren't in vain.

Commando IIC

File:Commandoiic.png

Looking less like a commando and more like a gangly bug-person with two antennae.

As the Commando was around for the First Star League and its fall at the hands of Amaris, some were taken on Aleksandr Kerensky's Exodus (since some Lyran MechWarriors sided with Kerensky despite their government's neutrality, letting the SLDF finally get their hands on a few) and later developed by the Clans, primarily Clan Goliath Scorpion, into their own variant of the venerable design since its age was showing for them. Still, it'd be relegated to second-line or reserve forces sine the advent of Clan-original OmniMechs made it entirely obsolete for first-line use (again, a Fire Moth can run circles around it and also could transport Clan Elementals in Battle Armor) - though the Scorpions would also give it to pirate-hunter forces. While said Scorpions criticized the "inelegance" of using missiles, they liked the 'Mech for its responsive controls and for the fact it was nasty to be up against: it was known to easily chew through other Light 'Mechs and could even take on heavier Clan 'Mechs such as the Ice Ferret via the typical hit-and-run strats, earning it the nickname of the "Sucker Punch" by its pilots.

The 'Mech has the same tonnage and top speed, but that's about it. The Commando IIC is built on a Model ML-225 Endo Steel chassis and powered by a Fusion 150 Standard engine; comms are provided by a Build 1685/3 Tacticom and target locking & tracking is done by a Mark 11 IHADS. It's also more protected than its Inner Sphere ancestor, four-and-a-half tons of Forging OTR17b armor making it slightly less fragile. 10 double heat sinks are installed to keep the design cool, which is needed due to its heavier weapons loadout. For missiles, a Pattern J7 SRM-6 was installed in the chest while three SEP Class SRM-4 launchers backed it up (one on each shoulder and one on the right arm); all were protected from ammunition detonations by CASE, and while they obviously produced deadly barrages they can quickly expend the IIC's limited ammo - Warriors have to be sparing with their shots since they don't have a fire control system or the Clans' Streak tech to help conserve it. It isn't completely vulnerable when the missiles are dry though, as the left arm now had two Series 2d ER medium lasers. Overall it sticks with what made the original great, but upping its firepower introduced an ammunition conservation issue.

It has the exact same Design Quirks as the original, despite the fact the extra half ton of armor could have been used to solve the exposed actuators issue.

Gallery

This page is needs images. Help plz.

External Links

• Sarna's page on the Commando