![]() Leaping into the air and landing directly on their enemy, a Highlander could literally drive a light 'Mech into the ground. However it was during the design's initial trial runs that pilots began using these 'Mechs in what would infamously become known as the " Highlander Burial". The heaviest 'Mech design to feature jump jets at the time, their original task was to allow the Highlander the ability to jump over inconvenient obstacles such as buildings and outpace other 'Mechs with a faster ground speed, but because of this increased mobility and its versatile weaponry the Highlander proved to be a capable fighter on any battlefield and within decades nearly every BattleMech regiment of the Regular and Royal Armies featured them. Initially designed as a dedicated city and installation defender, the original model featured a variety of weaponry along with fifteen and a half tons of ferro-fibrous armor, but perhaps its most useful asset were the three HildCo jump jets giving it a jumping range of 90 meters. For the conquest of Terra, Clan Wolf created a BattleMech, the Amarok, with a defense system specifically designed to counter and deflect DFA attacks.The Highlander is one of the most well-known Star League Defense Force assault 'Mechs, serving with distinction for almost two centuries since first entering service in 2592. The Northwind Highlanders were specialized in this type of attack.ĭuring the Dark Age, Clan Jade Falcon's followers of the Mongol Doctrine chose DFA as one of their main tactics. In fact, the Highlander was redesigned specially to perform it. When performed by a Highlander BattleMech (or possibly any assault class 'Mech), this attack is sometimes referred to as a " Highlander Burial", because a light 'Mech is crushed and literally buried into the earth by the Highlander's impact. The problem was solved when the designers replaced the stress bars along the actuator paths with monomolecular stress-resistant material, and by 2610 nearly all light 'Mechs had been updated with this fix. The end result was that, after just one or two good jump-kicks, a 'Mech's lower leg assemblies would actually be torn off from their bodies, leaving them dangerously immobilized particularly the Wasp suffered from this. While gaining some popularity among light 'Mech pilots, the designers had never foreseen this use of their 'Mechs and so had never built the machines around this function. Searching for a way to inflict greater damage on their opponents, these pilots began using their jump jets to launch their 'Mechs into the air and smashing their legs into the enemy's head or chest in what was then dubbed the Jump-Kick maneuver. As the war got underway, light and medium 'Mech pilots often found themselves confronted by heavier opponents against whom their standard weapon payloads were insufficient. It was pioneered by BattleMechs like the Wasp during the Reunification War. History ĭeath from Above seems to be as old as jump jets, first fielded on the Wasp which entered service in 2464. Many MechWarriors consider this tactic reckless, but admit it gives a strong advantage to BattleMechs equipped with jump jets. It cannot be performed by 'Mechs without jump jets. Although the details differ depending on the overall ruleset, Death from Above is invariably a risky and difficult maneuver that inflicts a great deal of damage to the target but usually also some damage to the attacker.
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