Infantry operations is a set of house rules to expand the use of Conventional Infantry in the BattleTech game. These rules may add further complexity to those found in Total Warfare, Tech Manual, Tactical Operations (Advanced Rules), and Tactical Operations (Advanced Units and Equipment)
Mechanized Infantry – Advanced
In the Total Warfare and other books, Mechanised Infantry is described as infantry using small armoured vehicles. This set of optional rules seeks to expand the Mechanised Infantry rules by separating the Infantry and Vehicle aspects. Using these rules you not longer treat Mechanised Infantry as a single unit, but rather as a unit containing separate components.
The linked file contains a TRO of some common Mechanised Infantry Vehicles. These were made using MegaMekLab.
Mechanized Infantry Carriers
This is a special class of small vehicle designed to carry and act in close support with infantry Food Squads. Each Mechanized Infantry Carrier has its own record sheet and weaponry and separate BV and C-Bill cost. The size of the Mechanized Infantry Carrier depends to the motive type.
| Motive Type | Weight |
| Tracked | 6 |
| Wheel | 6 |
| Hover | 5 |
| VTOL | 6 |
| Naval | 6 |
Each infantry squad needs to be supported by one Mechanized Infantry Carrier.
e.g. A typical InnerSphere Foot Platoon (Rifles) contains 28 troopers organised in 4 squads of 7. To become a Mechanized Platoon it would required 4 Mechanized Infantry Carriers.
Rapid Egress
As each Mechnized Infantry Vehicle is small, it allows the Infantry Squad to rapidly deploy and remount the vehicle in combat.
At the end of every movement, the Foot platoon may choose to deployed from their vehicle into the same hex. They can make Weapon attacks in that turn (but not AntiMech attacks). At the start of movement, all troopers are able to remount the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle at the cost of 1 MP and then dismount against at the end of the movement phase.
Mechanized Infantry Units may have AntiMech training but AntiMech attacks may only be made by the Troopers in the turn following their egress from the Mechanized Infantry Vehicle.
They are still considered to be Mechanized for the purposes of damage while their Mechanized Infantry Vehicle is in the same hex as them. e.g. When burst fire weapons are used against Infantry they still require 2 damage for every one damage dealt to the infantry platoon as per Total Warfare.
Mechanized Infantry in Combat
When Mechanised Infantry are attacked, the attacker must state if they are targeting the vehicles or the Infantry Platoon. Damage is recorded separately for each. Damage is considered to be dealt to on squad at a time e.g. if a unit has 8 troopers killed that eliminates 1 squad and 1 trooper from another squad (And not 2 troopers form each squad).
While Infantry are mounted in the Mechanized Infantry Vehicle they may not be attacked separately.
If a Mechanized Infantry Vehicle is destroyed while carrying troopers, treat this in the same way as other infantry carrying Vehicles as per Total Warfare.
While mounted, Infantry may make attacked using gun ports in the vehicle, but only 1/2 of the Troopers (rounded up) are able to make an attack.
Mechanized Infantry Vehicles make their own attacks as per regular Combat Vehicles.
Stacking and Initiative
All members of a Mechanised Platoon (the Vehicles and the Infantry) are considered one unit for initiative purposes. When activated, they must all act in that initiative action.
Due to their small size the vehicles in a Mechnized Platoon and the Foot Infantry Platoon are considered 1 unit for the purposes of stacking.
Separating and Movement
Mechanized Infantry Vehicles and their carried squads may move away from each other. Mechanized Infantry Vehicles may also move away from their Vehicles, but are now considered to be normal Foot Infantry for damage from support weapons. Foot Infantry that are encumbered by Support Weapons, are not considered encumbered while withe their Mechanized Infantry Vehicle, but are considered encumbered if they move to another hex.
Mechanized Infantry Vehicles MAY NOT enter buildings as part of normal movement (as they can in Total Warfare) (unless part of the scenario) but instead are considered to act as normal combat vehicles for all rules for entering buildings as per standard Total Warfare rules.
Dismounted Infantry may also use the Using Non-Infantry Unit as Cover rule TacOps(AR) pg 106, to use the Mechanized Infantry Vehicles as cover from one hexside.
Towing and Field Guns
Field Guns (including Field Artillery) may be towed by Mechanized Infantry Vehicles. Field Guns are considered to be trailers with enough mass to carry gun plus one ton of ammunition. Towing speeds may be calculated by using the rules in Tech Manual pg. 101. Crew requirements remain the same with a number of crew equal to the weapons tonnage being required to fire the weapon.
e.g. A 6 ton Mechanized Infantry Vehicle (Wheeled) w/ Machine gun with an ICE Engine Rating 25 is towing a 17 ton AC/10 Trailer (AC/10 12 Tons, Ammo 1 ton, Structure 2 tons, armour 1 ton, control systems 1 ton). The final MP is found by ([Engine rating 25 + lowest suspension factor of 20]/[6 tons fro the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle + 16 Tons for the trailer]= 55/23 = 2.3 rounded to a Cruise of 2 MP (Flank of 3 MP).
Field guns require 1 turn to unhitch or hitch and once unhitched, have a facing which can be changed by 1 face per turn if crewed. Field guns act like vehicles, so attacks can either be directed towards the infantry manning it, or the Field gun trailer itself.
Field Gun Trailers require Control Systems (1 ton) to fire the weapons and to rotate hex facings).
Example Field Gun Trailer
ComStar 