Fenris_Greyclaw wrote:
APortillo wrote:
They would probably be more effective at urban warfare than a tank.
Reasons?
Tactical Mobility.
Picture a tank on tank fight just past intersections a few block sapart with both tanks facing each other at the engagement (the defending tank is assumed to have been in a concealed possition otherwise the attacking tank never would have gotten into this deathtrap). The attacking tank wants to withdraw around the corner so it can call up infantry to deal with the defending tank.
That tank has to first get into reverse gear and start backing up, then while still engaged with the enemy must turn it's hull (presenting his side hull armor to the enemy which is thinner and more easily penatrated than the frontal armor) to back up around the corner - which the driver can't see since it's on the other side of this metal monstrosity and so he has to rely on the commander to tell him when he's clear to turn. Assuming the defnding tank doesn't breach the side hull armor on the next shot and take them out the commander is allready very distracted spotting for the gunner and screaming in his radio and not of great help to the driver. Then, the turret takes a hit and the gunner is wounded, the allready overworked commander has to take over the gun controls and can't spot for the driver any more. Without the extra eyes the driver backs into the building's corner causing a small collapse and trapping the tank. At this point it's down to which tank can put rounds on target faster and more effectivly than the other, the defending tank usually has the advantage.
Now, picture the same scenario with the assaulting tank replaced my a humanoid mecha.
Upon finding the concealed defending tank the walker simply backs up and then sidesteps around the corner, keeping the best armor towards the enemy at all times. It then has 3 options.
1. Do as the tank would have done and call in infantry to deal with the dug in defending tank while trying to cover the probably exits the defending tank would use when pulling out.
2. If no infantry is available and for whatever reason you don't want to damage the city too much, the mecha races down the streets and is hopefully able to flank the dug in tank before it's able to leave it's posistion and get an easy side hull kill. (Dug in and concealed tanks generally have a hard time traversing the turret to engage targets on thier sides without first backing out of the defencive position, so I'd give this aproach about even ods of succeeding.)
3. The most spactacular reason why mecha are king in the city. Infantry aren't available and you don't care what condition the city is in after the fight. The mecha simply sidesteps right into, and through the building next to it. Since it has hands it is able to dig it's way through much more efficiantly than a tank can and if it does happen to get burried, it can dig it's way out quickly as well. After running through a couple buildings you come out next to the enemy tank before it can bring it's turret to bear. You scare that crap out of the crew, and then stomp it to goo.
J/K on the stomping thing. As cool as it is to imagine it would be a bad tactic, though one the tank crew would fear in the pit of thier souls anyway. Stomping the tank would likely set of the ammo, and that would probably still do damage to the mecha. You'ld just shoot it from half a block away and ride out the shockwave.
If this fight featured power armor instead of mecha, they would take it into the third demension by climbing the buildings and hopping from roof to roof. Get to a roof with Line Of Sight on the tank, fire a missile, no more tank.
Last edited by Blizzard36 (2006-11-24 23:02:31)
