Beyond MAD - A Headshot Guide

You already know that the Marauder is the king of headshots. But why is it like that and how do you get it working in your games? This guide goes beyond the common prescription of “Get a Marauder with LosTech weapons” and goes into detail on how to set up the called shots, how to do the math, the best weapons to aim for, and the best mechs to include in a headshot lance.

Getting Started

So you’ve heard about headshots and the legendary Marauder from the forums or from other guides. But you’re a busy mercenary commander and want to give your mech techs something to do while you read the guide. Before going into too much detail, here’s are some tasks you can delegate to your officers so that you can get some headshot experience while you assimilate the rest of the data.

Vanguard training pods for Murad

• You need Called Shot Mastery to effectively use headshots. Prioritize getting Tactics-9.
  
• Overheat threshold increases are very helpful for handling a high heat load. Guts-6 and Guts-9 are important.
  
• Your first headshot specialist will almost certainly be a Vanguard. Aim for minimum stats of Gunnery 4, Piloting 2, Guts 6, Tactics 9.

Marauder setup for Yang

• Get a Marauder-3R using parts from salvage or purchased from unaligned worlds.
  
• The stock Marauder can score headshots 58% of the time (math later) but it runs super hot. Trade the PPCs for Large Lasers and balance heat sinks and armor to your taste.
  
• There are better headshot builds - both Marauder and non-Marauder - but this will get you started using only standard weapons and equipment.

Called shot tactics for Darius

• Your Marauder gets priority for using Resolve on Precision Strike. This lets you choose the target location.
  
• Aim for the head. If you kill it, great. If you don't, either keep trying or defeat the mech normally. Headshots are very susceptible to RNG streaks so have a backup plan.
  
• Be aware of cover, guarded, and bulwark on your target as well as the presence of enemy Marauders and Cyclops HQ. These will increase enemy damage reduction and make it much harder to secure a headshot.
  
• Remember that a Marauder is good at all sorts of called shots, even those that target a side-torso or leg. If you don't get a headshot, you can still help the lance secure a leg kill or a pilot kill.

Travel agenda for Sumire

If playing Campaign or if skipping the Career rep grind:

• Maximize reputation with the Pirates. Open and visit the black market.

If playing Career or if you've already ruined your Pirate rep in Campaign:

• Ally with the Canopians. Buy Magna MLaser++ (+10 dmg) from their faction store.
  
• Ally with the Federated Suns. Buy Imperator UAC2++ from their faction store.
  
• Break alliances once you have what you need from each faction so that you can start earning reputation with Pirates. Open and visit the black market. Buy more advanced items as you find them.

Note that there are far more optimal ways to do headshots as well as intricacies in mechwarrior training, weapon selection, and lance composition. Consider this an intro for someone just starting out. We'll go down the rabbit hole shortly.

What are Headshots?

The path to success in most Battletech missions involve defeating enemy mechs. There are several ways to do this. You can destroy the center torso, destroy both legs, knock out the mechwarrior, or destroy the head. Simply adding more firepower in hopes of decreasing the time needed for a center torso kill is the least efficient use of time and resources. Tactics like flanking and called shots are effective at increasing the efficiency but they still lose effectiveness against heavier mechs with more armor and more structure. Headshots are especially effective because they completely bypass armor and structure, allowing you to easily defeat even the heaviest and most dangerous enemy mechs.

The head of a mech has at most 45 armor and 16 internal structure meaning that it takes 61 points of damage to destroy. Destroying the mech in this way results in 3 salvage parts and is therefore highly profitable as well. The headshot lances from my Ironman Kerensky careers could reliably complete hundreds of back-to-back 5-skull missions and pull in loads of assault mech salvage with little risk of failure using simple battlefield tactics. Since headshots are essentially a random phenomenon that has less to do with raw damage output and more to do with specific weapon characteristics, some background is required in order to build a lance that is optimized to do this.

Calling the Shot

The first part of any headshot method is to generate called shots that let you select a target location. The game provides four ways to do this.

1/ Precision Strike (PS). You can spend 30 resolve in combat to make a Precision Strike. This grants a 20% bonus chance to hit and allows you to select the target location. You should have enough resolve to take 1 PS on the first round of combat and at least 2 PS on every subsequent round. PS is good, use it whenever you can.

2/ Knockdown. If you deal enough stability damage to a mech that is already unstable, you will knock it down, allowing you to select the target location. Note that knockdown targets present a different called shot profile than other called shot methods. It takes a minimum of two turns to knock down one enemy so this is one of the weaker methods for generating called shots.

3/ Break a Leg. If you destroy a mech’s leg, you will knock it down, allowing you to select the target location. This is better than knockdown from stability damage because you can do this in 1 turn if you hit the leg with enough damage. However, it generally takes one PS to target the leg.

4/ Shutdown. If you force a mech to overheat (e.g. with Infernos and Flamers), you’ll cause it to shut down, enabling a 20% bonus chance to hit and removing all mechwarrior effects (including Guarded, Entrenched, and Bulwark) in addition to allowing you to select the target location. It takes only one turn from a suitably-equipped mech to shut down an enemy and you can also combine this with TAG to increase the threat level of your weapons.

The best way to generate called shots is with a combination of PS and shutdown. This gives the ability to kill or disable up to 3 mechs in one round. No mech is safe from shutdowns. Even special mechs that are immune to headshots can be shut down by infernos and killed with a CT called shot.

Headshot Math

Headshots are fundamentally a function of probability and using it effectively requires you to trust the game's RNG. A full treatise on headshot math is out of scope for this guide. However, I can provide a brief foundation and some few useful tools for predicting the effectiveness of your headshot builds.

The default chance of a single-shot weapon hitting the head on a called shot is 2%. With Called Shot Expert from Tactics-6, the chance increases to 6%. With Called Shot Master from Tactics-9, the chance increases to 18%. The Marauder’s Lance Command Module further increases this chance to 35% for a Tactics-9 mechwarrior. The actual chance to hit the head also varies based on the attack facing. Flank and prone facings have a slightly reduced chance to hit the head while it’s not possible to target the head from a rear facing. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume front facing and tactics-9.

Multiple shot weapons such as MGs, SRMs, UACs, SPPCs, and LBXs have a reduced chance to hit the head for each successive attack.

Multiple shot weapons

# of shots	1	2	3	4	5	6
Tactics-9 Marauder	35%	22%	13%	7.3%	4.4%	2.8%
Tactics-9 Other mechs	18%	11%	6.2%	3.8%	2.5%	1.9%

Clustering weapons such as LRMs set the targeted part on the initial attack and every other attack has an improved chance to hit the same region. However, hits on the head are only possible if the head was the target of the initial hit. Subsequent hits on the head only have a 0.5% chance no matter the initial called shot bonus. This effectively renders LRMs useless as a headshot weapon.

Weapon damage is important to consider. It takes 61 damage to destroy the head. This can be dealt by a single big weapon or by multiple hits from smaller weapons. It is also important to consider damage reduction. A guarded unit or a unit in cover has 20% damage reduction. When both guarded and in cover, the unit has 40% damage reduction. Mechwarriors with Bulwark add 20% to any cover bonus. Furthermore, if there is a Marauder in the enemy force, all units gain an additional 10% damage reduction.

There are also ways to increase the amount of damage dealt to the enemy. One way is by hitting the enemy with TAG / TAG+ / TAG++ that provides a +10%, +15%, or +20% damage bonus. Another is by using a mech with a built-in damage bonus such as the Phoenix Hawk, Warhammer, or Annihilator.

Weapon Damage vs Damage Multiplier

% Damage	120%	100%	90%	80%	60%	40%
1-hit kill	51	61	68	77	102	153
2-hit kill	26	31	35	39	52	78
3-hit kill	18	21	24	27	35	53

Most mechs including the Marauder mount multiple weapons and the chance that you will score a headshot kill is equal to the chance that you will deal enough damage to destroy the head in a single alpha strike. In general, we can simplify the problem by classifying weapons by how many hits it takes to destroy the head. The 1-hit and 2-hit probabilities are easy to compute so here are some tables to help get a sense of how the probabilities work.

Headshot Table (Marauder)

# of attacks	1	2	3	4	5	6
No hits	65%	42%	27%	18%	12%	7.5%
At least 1 hit	35%	58%	73%	82%	88%	92.5%
At least 2 hits	0%	12%	28%	43%	57%	68%

Headshot Table (Other Mechs)

# of attacks	1	2	3	4	5	6
No hits	82%	67%	55%	45%	37%	30%
At least 1 hit	18%	33%	45%	55%	63%	70%
At least 2 hits	0%	3%	9%	15%	22%	30%

As an example, we'll use a MAD-2R shooting 2x LPulse++ (1-hit) and 4x ERMLaser++ (2-hit). Against an undamaged target with 0 damage reduction, the chance for one of the two LPulse to hit the head and kill the target is 58%. The chance of two ERMLasers hitting the target is (100% - 58%) * 43% = 18%. Therefore this mech has a 76% chance to kill its target with an alpha strike. Against a target that has already taken one hit to the head, any of the 6 weapons hitting the head would result in a kill or 92.5%.

Headshot Weapons

Headshot efficiency is my primary criteria for determining how good a weapon is at generating headshots. I calculate this value based on the number of hits required, the number of shots fired, accuracy modifiers, weapon weight, 8 shots of ammo, and the number of double heatsinks to manage the heat.

For example, the ERMLaser++ serves as the benchmark against which I will compare other weapons. It is a 2-hit weapon that weighs 1-ton and generates 20 heat which requires 3.33 double heat sinks to neutralize. Therefore its efficiency comes out to 100 / (1 + 3.33) / 2 = 11.54.

The LPulse++ is a 1-hit weapon that weighs 6 tons and generates 30 heat. Its efficiency comes out to 100 / (6 + 5) = 9.09 which is 79% of the ERMLaser++. Despite being less efficient, its increased range and the extra value of being a 1-hit weapon puts it on the same level as the ERMLaser++.

While efficiency is important, so are other factors. Range is very important since headshot fights are fast and it is important to be able to engage an enemy from further away. Also, some weapons work better in specific situations or with specific mech quirks. Finally, it's important to note that early game players will not have access to top-of-the-line gear and will have to work with the choices that are available.

Early Game Weapons

This is the early game tier consisting of weapons that do not perform as well but get a pass because they are easy to obtain and use without endgame heat management like double heatsinks or exchangers.

AC2++ (+10 dmg)

35 damage | 6 tons | 4 heat | 720 / 480 / 120 range | 60%

A 2-hit kill autocannon with very long range. It’s not as good as a UAC2++ but it is easy to find and works without double heatsinks. This is a great choice to put in the ballistic slots on your first Marauder. There are multiple ++ variants so make sure to get the +10 dmg one (Kali Yama). Look for these on Advanced Mining worlds.

AC10++ (+10 dmg)

70 damage | 12 tons | 12 heat | 450 / 300 / 0 range | 52%

The first one-hit kill weapon a new player is likely to come across. The AC10++ is pretty inefficient but it does the job. I’d recommend passing this one up in favor of AC2++ since early Marauder 3Rs have plenty of ballistic hardpoints. There are multiple ++ variants so make sure to get the +10 dmg one (Kali Yama). The +5 dmg version (Kali Yama) only deals 65 damage but that's still enough for a 1-hit headshot. Look for these on Advanced Mining worlds.

Gauss Rifle

80 damage | 15 tons | 5 heat | 660 / 360 / 180 range | 51%

The regular Gauss Rifle is a competitive replacement for the Kali Yama AC2++ or AC10++ if you are unable to find one of those on an Advanced Mining world. You can obtain one of these from the campaign after the mission sequence on Artru. In career mode, you can obtain up to four of these from the Head Hunting flashpoint by pursuing Whistler (headshot his custom Jagermech and salvage all 3 pieces). You can find ammo on SLDF worlds.

PPC++ (+10 dmg)

60 damage | 7 tons | 35 heat | 540 / 360 / 90 range | 34%

The best non-LosTech energy weapon can do 1-hit headshots if equipped on a Phoenix Hawk or Warhammer or if used against an enemy debuffed by TAG. There are multiple ++ variants so make sure to get the +10 dmg one (Donal). Look for these on Advanced Research worlds.

Large Laser

40 damage | 5 tons | 18 heat | 450 / 300 / 0 range | 54%

Large Lasers are 2-hit kill weapons with good range that are available immediately. This makes it a good choice for those who obtain a Marauder early in their campaign or career. You’ll replace this with better weapons as you get them. There are +10dmg variants that does not help raw headshot efficiency much but are still worth it for the extra damage and ability to negate a few pips of evasion.

Medium Laser

25 damage | 1 tons | 12 heat | 270 / 180 / 0 range | 96%

This ubiquitous weapon can score a headshot kill in 3 hits and has short range. The only thing that recommends it is its relative efficiency and usefulness compared to other early game weapons. Load these up on your mechs and replace them with better weapons as you get them.

Late Game Weapons

These are the best headshot weapons for the late game, bringing the best combination of efficiency and range on advanced mechs kitted out with double heat sinks and/or exchangers.

UAC2++

2x35 damage | 5 tons | 8 heat | 720 / 480 / 120 range | 93%

The UAC2++ is totally overpowered as a headshot weapon. It has a ridiculous 720 range and works well even without double heat sinks. Even factoring in the multishot penalty, UAC2++ still posts a benchmark that far outclasses all other ballistic weapons. Ammunition tends to be a non-issue since headshot battles end quickly. You can buy unlimited quantities of this weapon in the Davion faction store. A Marauder 3R can mount 3 of these making it a deadly long-range sniper.

LPulse++

65 damage | 6 tons | 30 heat | 450 / 300 / 0 range | 79%

The LPulse++ is the best 1-hit kill weapon boasting good efficiency and range as well as an accuracy bonus. Its weaknesses are that it is expensive, difficult to find, and requires double heatsinks and/or exchangers. Needless to say, you’ll need to visit a lot of SLDF and black market worlds to find a pair of these for your Marauder 2R.

ERMLaser++

45 damage | 1 ton | 20 heat | 360 / 270 / 0 range | 100%

The ERMLaser++ strikes the best overall balance for a late-game headshot weapon. It has decent range, low weight, and fits on common energy hardpoints. The high heat generation can be offset with double heat sinks and exchangers. 45 damage allows it to remain a 2-hit-kill weapon against enemies with 20% damage reduction and to become a 1-hit-kill weapon when shot by a Phoenix Hawk or Warhammer against a target debuffed by TAG. It can be hard to find enough of these since they are only rarely available on SLDF worlds and the Black Market. Fortunately, you can also obtain 4 of these from one of the mechs you get as a reward in the Heavy Metal flashpoints.

SPPC++ (+10 dmg)

5x25 damage | 6 tons | 35 heat | 360 / 270 / 0 range | 56%

The SPPC++ is an unusual weapon. It looks like a 3-hit weapon but it has a special synergy where one hit will complete a kill on something that has already been hit by an ERMLaser++. There are multiple ++ variants so make sure to get the +dmg version (Donal). This weapon is good on anything that runs ERMLasers but especially the Warhammer 7A.

Situational Weapons

These weapons are situationally useful, whether it is at close range, with specific mech quirks, or as a replacement for something harder to get.

MLaser++ (+10 dmg)

35 damage | 1 ton | 12 heat | 270 / 180 / 0 range | 144%

The MLaser++ is a very efficient 2-hit headshot weapon hampered only by its short range. This is a solid choice on any mech. Its advantages are that it’s lightweight and energy hardpoints are common. You can buy unlimited quantities of this weapon in the Canopian faction store. There are multiple ++ variants so make sure to get the +dmg version (Magna). There is a +++ version out there but it does not have +dmg and is therefore only as effective as a regular medium laser.

ERSLaser++

40 damage | 0.5 tons | 10 heat | 150 / 150 / 0 range | 208%

The ERSLaser is the most efficient headshot weapon in the game but suffers from a very short range. If you have extra support hardpoints and can get the mech into range, it will improve your chances of scoring a kill. Since it is a support weapon, its accuracy is not affected by evasion making it an ideal weapon against light mechs. You can only find these in SLDF and Black Market shops and they are very useful for many applications so hoard them when they show up. This is an especially good weapon for fast mechs like the Phoenix Hawk.

ERPPC++

70 damage | 6 tons | 45 heat | 690 / 510 / 0 range | 64%

Though less efficient than the LPulse++, the ERPPC++ holds its own as a 1-hit headshot weapon. Its range is comparable to the UAC2++ and the extra damage lets it remain a 1-hit kill weapon against a Marauder’s 10% damage reduction. Even the sensor impairment can be useful by disrupting return attacks if you get unlucky and fail to secure the kill. The main weakness is the enormous amounts of heat it generates and the huge price tag. It can work well on a Marauder 2R if you're having trouble getting LPulse++.

UAC5++

2x45 damage | 7 tons | 16 heat | 540 / 360 / 90 range | 61%

The UAC5++ is usually worse in every way than the UAC2++. The only exception is when it’s equipped on an Annihilator due to its ballistics damage bonus. Against an enemy debuffed by TAG, an Annihilator with 5x UAC5++ has 10 chances to destroy the head - 5 at full accuracy and 5 at reduced accuracy. Even if the enemy were to somehow survive, it would have taken a huge amount of damage and lighter mechs are likely to be outright destroyed.

MPulse++

50 damage | 2 tons | 16 heat | 270 / 180 / 0 range | 93%

The MPulse++ is inferior to the ERMLaser++ in both efficiency and range. However, it is a suitable replacement for when you don’t have enough ERMLasers to go around. This works well on mechs like the Phoenix Hawk that are not impacted by its shorter range and can make use of the improved accuracy and damage for called shots against other parts. Note that MPulse on a Phoenix Hawk will 1-shot a target debuffed by TAG.

SRM2+++

2x12 damage | 1 tons | 4 heat | 270 / 180 / 0 range | 100%

It may take 6-hits on its own to score a kill but the SRM2+++ has a niche use as a finisher when it delivers just enough damage to finish off what other weapons started. It is also the only headshot weapon for missile hardpoints and therefore good on mechs like the Warhammer 7A that carry a mix of weapons.

Gauss Rifle++

80 damage | 13 tons | 5 heat | 660 / 360 / 180 range | 58%

Big, expensive, and hard to find, the upgraded Gauss Rifle has poor efficiency but it is good for sniper builds that use Breaching Shot and also as a weapon for hardpoint-limited mechs like the Atlas II.

UAC20++

2x120 damage | 12 tons | 48 heat | 270 / 180 / 0 range | 39%

The UAC20 is big, heavy, and inefficient. However, it has the best headshot rating for a single breaching shot weapon so finds its place on builds that focus on using close-range breaching shots to bypass enemy damage reduction.

Headshot Mechs

When comparing the effectiveness of different mechs, one typically considers their damage output. However, when it comes to headshots, the key property we want to consider is the chance of making a headshot kill. While I could have done some fancy math or spreadsheet magic to come up with this score, I just wrote a script to do 10000 alpha strikes for each weapon attack using 95% accuracy, the computed headshot chance for the weapon, and the weapon damage adjusted by the target's damage reduction. Two scores are presented, the first for 0% damage reduction and the second for 20% damage reduction which is commonly seen. Other key considerations include range, heat, armor, and the ability to jump.

In general, I'll present sample builds that you can adjust to your own play style. For example, I won't be adding jump jets unless I think it is critical for the mech to jump in order to make its concept work such as for long range snipers that need to control elevation or close-range brawlers that need to control distance and facing. If you need jump jets to make a mech work in your lance, you can typically drop some armor, heat sinks, or weapons to make it happen.

Marauder 3R

This will likely be the first Marauder you obtain. Parts for this mech can be found at the shop in systems controlled by Local Government or Taurian Concordat. It is the gold standard for headshots and makes the best use of UAC2++, the most overpowered weapon in the game. However, it is limited by its poor heat management and will struggle to mount longer range energy weapons.

Basic Marauder 3R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
AC5, 2x LLaser, 2x MLaser	68 / 42 (-16)	1400	53% / 33%

When you get your first Marauder, exchange the PPCs for LLasers, remove 2 heat sinks, and max out the armor. It has a good headshot score given that it uses only standard weapons and should be considered the baseline for what a competent headshot mech should be able to do.

Feel free to trade armor for heat sinks if you're worried about running hot. It might be possible to trade out enough armor for jump jets but I'm not about to recommend kiting at this level.

Early Marauder 3R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
2x AC2++, 4x MLaser++	56 / 54 (-2)	1400	67% / 34%
1x Gauss, 4x MLaser++	53 / 45 (-8)	1400	63% / 42%	Breaching Shot
1x AC10++, 4x MLaser++	60 / 54 (-6)	1400	63% / 37%	Breaching Shot
2x AC2++, 2x LLaser+++	44 / 36 (-8)	1400	43% / 37%
1x Gauss, 2x LLaser+++	41 / 30 (-11)	1320	42% / 42%	Breaching Shot
1x AC10++, 2x LLaser+++	48 / 36 (-12)	1400	42% / 27%	Breaching Shot
4x LLaser+++	48 / 36 (-12)	1400	43% / 43%

Early game weapons are obtainable from a typical campaign or career without using faction stores or the black market. With these weapons, several options open up to customize your Marauder. Marauders based on MLaser will have greater headshot chance while those based on LLaser will lose some headshot chance in exchange for the ability to engage from further away.

Of the ballistic weapon options, the AC2++ is the most efficient choice. However, the Gauss Rifle and AC10++ open up a new tactical option to have a mechwarrior with breaching shot take flat 35% headshots against any amount of damage reduction. The AC10++ is slightly more efficient but has less range than the Gauss. This is a good time to start experimenting with Jump Jets to fire at range or to kite the enemy.

Standard Marauder 3R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
3x UAC2++, 4x MLaser++, Jump Jets	72 / 42 (-30)	1160	86% / 64%
3x UAC2++	24 / 42 (+18)	1160	56% / 23%

This is the standard build that most people refer to when discussing Marauders. It has an amazing headshot rate, remains effective against enemies with damage reduction, and can shoot halfway across the map. Despite its effectiveness, the standard Marauder suffers from some disadvantages. It needs to get close to use its MLasers and it has poor armor and heat management. This is not too big of a disadvantage though if you primarily use it for kiting and reserve the MLaser++ for emergencies or to finish off a disabled enemy.

Alternately, trade out the MLasers and heat sinks for more ammo and use it as a dedicated sniper.

Breaching Marauder 3R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
UAC20++, 2x TTS+++ (ballistic), Jump Jets	72 / 48 (+30)	1400	47% / 47%

This is the Marauder build for those who like to use Breaching Shot to negate extremely high DR (60%). Since the UAC20++ hits twice, it has a better headshot chance than Breaching Shot weapons that only fire one shot. Use TTS+++ (ballistic) to counter the effect of recoil. It's possible to mount an additional pair of medium lasers but they're not likely to contribute much.

Marauder 3D

The Marauder 3D variant can be found at shops in the Federated Suns or as salvage on the battlefield. It cannot use the overpowered UAC2++ and it also gets outclassed by the 2R so it's not very popular for the late game. However, it is still a reasonable effective in the early game where it can take advantage its extra energy hardpoints.

Basic Marauder 3D

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
3x LLaser, 2x MLaser	78 / 54 (-24)	1400	53% / 33%

Basic setup for a Marauder 3D is similar to the 3R. Exchange the PPCs for LLasers, remove 2 heat sinks, and max out the armor. This variant runs hotter than the 3R.

Brawler Marauder 3D

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
5x MLaser++, 2x SLaser++, Jump Jets	72 / 75( +3)	1400	75% / 46%

This variant of the Marauder 3D takes a different approach to the early game. It completely abandons any semblance of staying at a distance in favor of maximum headshot efficiency at close range. Jump Jets and max armor are required but it also has enough heat sinks to sustain round after round of jumping and alpha strikes.

Marauder 2R

The Marauder 2R gives up the triple UAC2 cheesemaker of the 3R in exchange for being a much better platform for energy weapons - specifically the ERMLaser. Because of this, it will typically have a longer alpha range and better effectiveness against enemies with DR. It is relatively difficult to obtain with the easiest source being the Black Market.

Advanced Marauder 2R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
UAC2++, 6x ERMLaser++, Jump Jets	102 / 90 (-12)	1400	79% / 78%

This mech is an introduction to advanced Marauder tactics. Though it has less range and headshot compared to the standard Marauder 3R, it still has enough of both to be effective and comes with superior heat management and armor as well. One particular callout is that this build is very effective against enemies with 20% DR.

SPPC Marauder 2R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
2x SPPC++, 4x ERMLaser++	96 / 66 (-30)	1400	80% / 64%
UAC2++, SPPC++, 5x ERMLaser++	114 / 84 (-30)	1400	82% / 72%

This variant of the advanced Marauder uses SPPCs to complement the ERMLasers. This will boost the headshot rate by a few percent at the cost of increased heat and losing the jump jets. Of note is that the SPPCs debuff enemy accuracy and deal a lot of spread damage, both of which help when attempting mech surgery.

LPulse Marauder 2R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
2x LPulse++, 4x ERMLaser++	89 / 66 (-23)	1400	76% / 67%	57% at 450 range
3x LPulse++, Jump Jets	90/ 78 (-12)	1400	72% / 28%
4x LPulse++	96 / 60 (-36)	1160	82% / 43%

This variant of the advanced Marauder uses LPulse to engage enemies from beyond MLaser range. Its optimized for medium-range efficiency, performing better than the advanced 2R from 360 to 450 range and better than the standard 3R between 270 and 360 range.

A more cautious variation of this approach adds jump jets and improves heat management while replacing the ERMLasers with one more LPulse.

An more extreme variation of this approach sacrifices armor and heat management to replace the remaining ERMLasers with 2 more LPulse for ultimate firepower at 450 range.

Sniper Marauder 2R

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
Gauss++, 6x ERMLaser++, Jump Jets	100 / 60 (-40)	1160	79% / 79%	Breaching Shot
ERPPC++, SPPC++, 4x ERMLaser++, Jump Jets	102 / 60 (-42)	1160	79% / 65%	Breaching Shot
ERPPC++, 5x ERMLaser++, Jump Jets	92 / 90 (-2)	1160	72% / 68%	Breaching Shot

These variants of the Marauder mount one big, long-range weapon to enable long-range optimization for breaching shot. Replacing the UAC2 with a Gauss enables breaching shot while still maintaining the same headshot capability closer in. This comes at the cost of greatly reduced armor and heat management.

The ERPPC variant has slightly longer range than the Gauss and can snipe all day without concern for ammunition. It can keep the same headshot capability by replacing a second ERMLaser with an SPPC or it can allocate the saved tonnage towards heat management or armor. Note that good heat management is important because a mechwarrior with Breaching Shot cannot also have Coolant Vent.

Other Shooters

Marauders are not the only mechs that can generate headshots. Fire enough weapons and RNG eventually works in your favor. Some mechs also have quirks that can convert a 2-hit weapon to a 1-hit weapon, further improving the chance of scoring a headshot. Many of these mechs have advantages over a Marauder in areas such as speed, firepower, or unusual lance bonuses that make them worth bringing.

Phoenix Hawk 1B

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
2x MPulse++, 3x MLaser++, 3x ERSLaser++, Jump Jets	78 / 72 (-6)	920	45% / 45%	53% with TAG, 390 damage

The Phoenix Hawk 1B brings the best headshots for the tonnage. Its vectored thrust kit turns MPulse++ and ERMLaser++ into 1-hit headshot weapons against a tagged enemy. Its mobility allows it to make good use of short range weapons and is great at backstabbing enemies when you don’t feel like taking a chance on the headshot. Even though it’s not a Marauder, its mobility, versatility, and firepower makes the Phoenix Hawk a great wildcard to fill the fourth spot in a headshot lance.

Warhammer 7A

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
7x ERMLaser++, 2x SRM2+++, 2x ERSLaser, Jump Jets	107 / 90 (-17)	1320	63% / 53%	80% with TAG, 506 damage

Optimized capacitors turn the ERMLaser++ on a Warhammer 7A into a 1-hit headshot weapon against a tagged enemy. Armed with a mix of 7 ERMLaser, 2 ERSLaser, and 2 SRM2, this mech is a beast at close range and its poor headshot accuracy ensures that arms and torsos will take plenty of damage on a flanking headshot. If things aren’t working out so well, it also has great damage output and it has enough damage output to kill an Atlas with a CT called shot.

Cyclops 1Z

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
2x ERMLaser++, 4x MLaser++, 2x SRM2+++	96 / 81 (-15)	1680	31% / 26%
2x ERMLaser++, 4x MLaser++	UAC2++	96 / 72 (-24)	1680	42% / 28%
5x MLaser++, 1x SPPC++	86 / 72 (-14)	1600	26% / 26%

The Cyclops Z is mainly brought for the initiative bonus but it sometimes finds itself contributing to headshots. Armed mainly with 2-hit kill weapons like MLasers, SRM2s, and a UAC2, it is unlikely to kill an undamaged opponent. However, if the enemy has already been hit, the Cyclops can bring enough shots to finish the job. It’s also fairly messy and pairs well with assault mechs making it a good choice for the aspiring mech surgeon.

SPPC++ is another interesting choice for this role since it will complete a kill if it follows up a hit by an ERMLaser++ - for example, if you use it in a lance with Advanced Marauders.

Annihilator

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
5x UAC5++	64 / 66 (+2)	1880	43% / 43%	79% with TAG, 520 damage
5x UAC2++, 2x ERPPC++	83 / 78 (-5)	1880	59% / 52%	560 damage

Ballistic siege compensators turn the 5 UAC5s on an Annihilator into 1-hit weapons against a tagged enemy generating an incredible 10 chances to get a 1-shot kill. This mech is extraordinarily messy and will splash damage across the entire target facing. It is slow so the best way to set up a flank is by using a scout to provoke the enemy into turning away from the Annihilator.

A less radical build relying on UAC2++ and ERPPC++ has longer range and is better in lances without TAG or shutdown.

Atlas II

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Headshot	Notes
4x ERPPC++, Gauss++	94 / 84 (-20)	1840	63% / 30%
3x ERPPC++, 2x Gauss++	116 / 90 (-26)	1840	63% / 38%
4x ERPPC++, 2x UAC2++	96 / 81 (-15)	1840	60% / 35%
4x LPulse++, 2x Gauss++	130 / 78 (-52)	1840	70% / 43%

An Atlas II can be anything it wants to be. If it can be a scout, it can also be a Marauder doing headshots while masquerading as an Awesome. These builds serve as proof that if you throw enough tonnage at a problem, you’ll get something out of it.

Support Mechs

Support mechs help the rest of the lance by providing abilities that do not substantially contribute to damage. Since headshots are powerful but usually restricted by PS, there is room in the lance for 1 or 2 support mechs that increase the effectiveness of the shooters.

Inferno Supports

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Shutdown	Notes
Griffin 2N, 4x Inferno++, 2x Flamer++, 2x TAG++, 1x TTS+++ (missile), Jump Jets	22 / 60 (-38)	1080	95% vs 3EC	95% vs 3EC w/o flamers
Jagermech 6A, 4x Inferno++, 2x Flamer++, 2x TAG++, 3x TTS+++ (missile), Jump Jets	22 / 30 (-8)	1280	95% vs 6EC	95% vs 5EC w/o Flamers
Catapult 4C, 4x Inferno++, 2x Flamer++, 1x TAG++, 3x TTS+++ (missile), 1x TTS+++ (energy), Jump Jets	17 / 30 (-13)	1280	95% vs 6EC	95% vs 4EC w/o Flamers
Battlemaster 1S, 5x, Inferno++, 2x TAG++, 2x TTS+++ (missile), Jump Jets	25 / 30 (-5)	1560	95% vs 4EC

Inferno supports cause the shutdown condition by inflicting heat damage on enemy mechs. In order to cause a shutdown, an inferno support needs to deal at least 100 heat damage in a single alpha strike. Any less and the opponent will stay active. It is critically important for an inferno support mech to hit with its weapons - at least 7 inferno or flamer hits. Redundant weapons and TTS are very much worth it. Any inferno mech worth the name will shut down a 0-evasion enemy over 99% of the time, therefore the metric I use is how much evasion an enemy can have and still get shut down 95% of the time. In addition, an inferno mech is a good carrier for TAG since that will debuff the enemy, allowing the shooters to get better shots. Finally, infernos are close-range weapons and inferno mechs benefit greatly from jump jets to get around the melee and to rapidly change facing.

The Jagermech 6A is the standard for inferno mechs. It has plenty of space and can carry up to 3 TTS in a standard configuration giving it the best shutdown performance against evasive enemies.

The Catapult 4C is similar to the Jagermech but has a slight disadvantage because it can only carry a single TAG in the CT which also prevents it from equipping a Gyro.

The Griffin 2N is notable for its increased initiative and speed. This inferno mech can quickly zip around the battlefield and makes up for its single TTS by being able to employ its Flamers more often.

The Battlemaster 1S is a difficult mech to find but it is a beast of an inferno mech with its massive armor and ability to stay further away with its 5 infernos. Its main disadvantage is low initiative which is limiting because you typically want your inferno support to act before the shooters and on a count where the enemy cannot immediately restart.

LRM Knockdown Supports

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Stability Dmg	Notes
Bull Shark, 80x LRM+++	57 / 48 (-9)	1240	320
Cyclops HQ, 40x LRM+++	40 / 30 (-10)	960	160	+1 Initiative, +1 acc (all), -10 dmg (lance)

I am not an expert on stability damage so instead, I'll link to a post by someone who is: Stability and You: A Handy Guide to Using Stability for Winning Battles and getting Salvage by darkfireslide from r/Battletechgame

The key takeaway is that knockdown is a 2-step process and generally requires two mechs (or one mech acting consecutively). First, one mech has to destabilize the target by dealing enough damage to overcome its unsteady threshold. Once the target is unsteady, it can be knocked down if another mech deals enough damage to exceed the knockdown threshold. Here is a table of the thresholds from the post I linked above:

Weight	1-3 Unsteady	4-8 Unsteady	9-10 Unsteady	Knockdown
Light	41	61	91	100
Medium	53	79	105	130
Heavy	65	97	129	160
Assault	82	123	162	200

The Bull Shark M3 is one of the best missile boats in the game capable of carrying 80 tubes of LRMs. That is enough to destabilize anything except for entrenched assault mechs with elite pilots. Like most missile boats, it sacrifices armor for firepower and should be kept away from the front lines.

The Cyclops HQ can also be configured to bring a decent amount of missiles and also brings the usual initiative bonus as well as the accuracy and defensive bonuses from the Adv Command Module. This variant has very low armor and should be kept away from the front lines.

TAG Supports

Configuration	Heat	Armor	Pilot Hit	Notes
Marauder 3D, 5x TAG, 2x MG++, Mortar, ECM, Jump Jets	25 / 36 (+11)	1400	88%
Marauder 3R, 4x TAG, 2x MG++, LB2X++, Mortar, Jump Jets	22 / 39 (+11)	1400	82%
Cyclops HQ, 4x TAG, 2x NARC	20 / 30 (+10)	1600	70%	+1 Initiative, +1 acc (all), -10 dmg (lance)

Mech surgery is the concept of maximizing salvage by destroying as many components as possible before destroying the head or killing the mechwarrior. The purpose of a TAG support mech is to score pilot hits with a 1-damage weapon (TAG or NARC) while dealing the least amount of collateral damage to the rest of the target.

The Marauder 3D has the best chance to score a pilot hit with its 5 TAGs. It also carries MGs to help destroy components, a Mortar to soften up enemies, and an ECM because it has nothing better to do with the leftover tonnage.

The Marauder 3R has slightly less chance to score a pilot hit but exchanges the ECM for an LB2X for additional component damage.

The Cyclops HQ is less efficient than either Marauder but brings the usual initiative bonus as well as the accuracy and defensive bonuses from the Adv Command Module.

There are other possibilities out there. For example, the Rifleman 4D can bring 8 TAGs for an impressive 80% pilot hit rate.

Acknowledgements

@revenantsknight for the excellent Kerensky Career Guide.

@traedog93 for gathering all the game data into One Spreadsheet to Rule Them All

@danko9696 for helping to correct the multi-hit table, providing a lot of build suggestions, and a different perspective on playing headshots.

darkfireslide from r/Battletechgame for Stability and You: A Handy Guide to Using Stability for Winning Battles and getting Salvage

HBS for making game with far more depth than I could have expected.

[Quint Deckim]

Request clarification on which ER M Laser ++ are optimal. Is a +1 acc and 50% crit sufficient, etc.
I also found out from poulanc's BBQ King Crab guide that infernos are only for missile hard points, so maybe clarify what to look for in shutdown builds, or reference poulanc's guide.

[Wayward Raven]

vs 3EC means against an enemy with 3 evasion chevrons from movement. A really solid inferno support is good enough to not just shut down a stationary enemy, it will also bypass enough evasion or have enough extra attacks to reliably shut down enemies on the first round before they've had a chance to attack.

[StopGuard (Мертвый)]

We need only one AC20 (not UAC) or Gauss gun in Marauder for headshot (this weapon + sns + 2-3t ammo + 4jj + max armor and best headshot killer is ready). This weapons can oneshot with 33% in any time with shooting perk 8lvl and tactical 9lvl.
Any others weapons for 2+ shots to kill is bad choice - every damage reduction drop kill chances with 1 strike to 0.00000001%. Enemy mech in forest with bulwark is typical picture in every battle.

Nice headshot guide for mech farm is ready. Don't thank me)

[CheekBeaker]

An absolutely wonderful guide, thanks for this!
Could you explain what the "vs 3EC" means in the support mechs table? Think i've overlooked something big.

[Raptor_1596]

Wow this changes the game. Did not realize you could get that high of headshot chance, so I never went for it. Just did a few 5s and they were so easy and quick, with only one Marauder even.

[Wayward Raven]

@Vincefeld. Fixed the column on inferno mechs to say Shutdown.

The setup I've had the most success with has been 2 MADs, 1 inferno support, and a "wildcard" that is okay at headshots but also does something else. I can technically take 3 MADs since infernos are reliable enough for me to count on 3 called shots on every round after the first. However, I'd rather replace the 3rd MAD with something like a Phoenix Hawk for the mobility or a Cyclops for the initiative. Note that both of them are good enough at called shots to finish off what a MAD started.

[Vincefeld]

also why inferno mechs have "headshot" column in table? is it by mistake?

[Vincefeld]

so the ideal lance composition for headshots would be 3 MADs with single inferno/flamer mech?
this implies resolute morale and 4x +++comm mods ofc.

[Wayward Raven]

Finished revising the Headshot Mechs section to also include Support Mechs and Marauder 3D

[Wayward Raven]

Added new build-specific sections for Marauder 3R, Marauder 2R, and Other Shooters. I'm still working on the new Support section.