Welcome to the War Room of the MechStrategists.

BattleTech Alpha Strike really comes into its own when the battles get bigger. While Classic BattleTech often focuses on individual lances, Alpha Strike allows us to see the “big picture”: Maneuvers of entire companies and battalions.

In this series of articles, we will focus on the pinnacle of force building: the creation of a complete battalion for the 4th Succession Wars era (3028-3030).

I will guide you through the theoretical basics of army composition and then present you with a ready-to-play, historically plausible force, including tactical analysis, for each of the five great houses and a typical mercenary unit.

The basics: Force Building in Alpha Strike

Before we roll the mechs out of the hangar, we need to understand the rules. Successful force building in Alpha Strike is based on three pillars: point value (PV), era and formation.

1st Point Value (PV) & Skill

In Alpha Strike, we don’t pay with C-bills, but with PV. The base value of a mech is modified by the pilot’s skill. The list composition for the battalions was not based on the PV value, but on a list composition as close as possible to the faction. Depending on the PV limit selected, the skill values can then be adjusted to reach the limit.

Rule of thumb: Improving the skill (e.g. from skill 4 to 3) increases the costs significantly. For a battalion in the 4th Succession Wars, we rely on a core of regular troops (skill 4).

2nd era & availability (Master Unit List)

We are in the 4th Succession Wars. This means:

• Technology: Mainly Level 1 (Intro Tech). LosTech is extremely rare.
• Master Unit List (MUL): I use the MUL to make sure that the chosen mechs were actually available for the respective faction in the “Late Succession Wars” era.

3. formation bonuses

At the heart of the modern Alpha Strike Force build (after Commander’s Edition) are the lance types. A mere collection of mechs is less effective than specialized lances that unlock Special Pilot Abilities (SPAs).

Examples of lance formations are:

• Battle Lance: The standard for line troops. Bonus: Lucky (reroll lucky hits).
• Striker Lance: For fast cavalry. Bonus: Speed Demon (additional movement).
• Fire Support Lance: For LRM boats and snipers. Bonus: Oblique Attacker (indirect fire without malus).
• Recon Lance: For light scouts. Bonus: Maneuvering Ace (movement after shooting).

The standard battalion

For this project series, I’ve chosen a structure for each faction that is both effective in-game and reflects the “fluff” (the backstory).

Important: These lists are deliberately not designed for maximum combat power (min-maxing).

The focus is not on pushing the rules system to the limit for guaranteed victory, but on creating units that are typical of the period and their faction. It’s about historical authenticity over pure mathematical efficiency – we want forces that feel like they’re straight out of a Succession Wars 4 novel.

A typical house battalion consists of:

1. Staff lance (command lance): This is where the battalion commander sits. Often heavily armored.
2. Three to four companies: Each company consists of three lances (a total of 12 mechs/vehicles/infantry per company).
3. Total strength: 40 – 52 units.

I pay meticulous attention to the usual faction characteristics. A Steiner battalion will play drastically differently than a Liao force or a mixed mercenary force.

Choose your color: The units in detail

Click on the titles below to access the detailed breakdown, PV costs and tactical guides for each faction.

House Davion: The Federated Suns

“The spearhead of freedom”
The Davion Brigade Guards and RCTs rely on autocannons and solid compound weapon tactics. We show you a battalion that relies on the flexibility and firepower of the Enforcers and JagerMechs.

To the Davion battalion >

House Steiner: The Lyran Alliance

“A wall of steel”
When reconnaissance is replaced by firepower. Here you’ll find a battalion that redefines the term “heavyweight”. Expect Zeus, Banshee and of course the inevitable Atlas.

To the Steiner Battalion >

House Kurita: The Draconis Combine

“Honor the dragon”
Fast heavy mechs and fanatical discipline. The Kurita battalion is aggressive and mobile. We build a force around the iconic Dragon and Panther, specializing in close combat and fast flanking maneuvers.

To the Kurita battalion >

House Marik: The League of Free Worlds

“Unity through diversity”
Often underestimated, but extremely durable. The League relies on the most robust standard mechs of the Inner Sphere. We present a battalion that forms a line of fire with Orion and Awesome that will break any opponent.

To the Marik battalion >

House Liao: The Capella Confederation

“Victory by stealth”
Hard pressed in the 4th Succession Wars, Liao must take every advantage. This battalion uses electronic warfare (as far as possible in 3025) and the Vindicator as a workhorse to lure stronger opponents into ambushes.

To the Liao Battalion >

Mercenaries: The dogs of war

“Loyalty at market price”
Not every MechWarrior serves a lord. Mercenaries have to think economically. This battalion dispenses with expensive assault mechs and instead relies on the backbone of the Inner Sphere: robust Mediums (such as Wolverine and Shadow Hawk) and fast Lights. The highlight of this battalion is the Combined Arms doctrine: We show you how to effectively mix mechs with conventional vehicles – from Manticore Tanks to SRM Carriers – to overwhelm the enemy through sheer mass and specialization.

Info: Not all units are available for mercenaries according to the MUL. But to get a little more variety in the units, I took the liberty of including other units (e.g. Savanna Master or the KTO-18 Kintaro), which the mercenaries could have captured in a battle.

To the -mercenary battalion >

Instructions for the Alpha Strike Force Building

Force building in Alpha Strike follows a logical structure to ensure fair and thematic games.

1. define framework conditions

Before the first unit is selected, the following points must be clarified:

• Point Value (PV): The upper limit of points (e.g. 250, 500 or for a battalion often 1000+).
• Era: Determines the available technology (here: Late Succession Wars – 3025-3049).
• Faction: Determines the availability of units (here: Federated Suns).

2. choice of formation (lances & companies)

In Alpha Strike, units receive bonuses if they are organized in formal formations.

• Standard lance: 4 units (inner sphere).
• Company: 3 lances (12 units in total).
• Battalion: 3-4 companies + one command lance.

3. select lance types

Each lance type (Battle Lance, Recon Lance, etc.) has prerequisites and grants a bonus.

• Prerequisites: Mostly based on the role of the unit (e.g. Brawler, Sniper, Striker) and sometimes speed or armor.
• Size: At least 50% of the units in the lance must meet the requirements.

4. select units & customize skill

• Choose units that fit the era and faction (Master Unit List is the source for this).
• Skill Rating: The default is Skill 4, which you can upgrade (costs more PV) or downgrade (saves PV) to fit within your points limit.

5. special pilot abilities (SPAs)

If a lance fulfills the formation requirements, it receives a bonus. In most cases, lance units may choose a specific SPA (e.g. Sniper, Speed Demon).

Ready to take command?

The theoretical knowledge is there, the hangars are open. Select your preferred faction at the top and start assembling your troops.