8. HEAT

One thing you will have noticed in the status displays are the following headings:

    Excess Heat:
    Heat Production:
    Heat Sinks:
    Heat Dissipation:

The 'Heat Sinks' category determines 'Heat Dissipation' almost directly. One gets 10 "Heat Dissipation" for every heat sink, plus extras (up to 6) for heat sinks which are under water (legs only when standing in water, anywhere when totally immersed).

When you fire a weapon, you generate an amount of heat. This amount gets added to the 'Heat Production' immediately upon firing the weapon. You subtract Heat Dissipation from Heat Production and get Excess Heat. So as you can see, heat sinks allow you to have higher levels of heat without incurring 'Excess Heat'.

Movement heat works differently. As long as you are moving, it is generated and therefore can never be fully disapted until you stop. So, while jumping 8 hexes in a Spider (max range of 8), you will always have 80 heat. Or if running, you will always have 20. And if you incur more heat (by, for example, firing weapons) it will be added to the base movement heat that you have already.

8.1 EXCESS HEAT

Excess heat is generally considered bad. When you perform maneuvers, or fire weapons that causes a heat production greater than heat dissapation, you risk being in grave danger. Heat in excess of 100 degrees celsius will trigger yellow alert, where there is a chance, albeit small of your reactor shutting down. Also, as your heat inreases, your speed may slow down significantly. Excess heat greater than 140 degrees creates a chance of having a reactor shutdown. Excess heat greater than 180 degrees might set off any ammo your unit is carrying, in addition to increasing the probability of a shutdown...

Also note that heat, especially excess heat, gives your enemy a potential bonus BTH modifier if they decide to engage you with IR sensors/locks.

There is virtually nothing worse than being unconscious in a shutdown mech. Controlling heat is a vital aspect of 'Mech combat, and should be understood thoroughly.

8.2 ENGINE HEAT WITH CRITICAL HITS

A Mecha engine can take 3 critical hits before exploding. A critical hit on an engine raises the heat level of the 'Mech.

A critical hit on an engine raises the heat 50 points. So 2 critical engine hits would raise heat 100 points. A third engine critical blow the engine up.

Move on to the next section...