MWII BattleMech Combat

1. Before a combat the commander of each side makes a leadership roll. Each two points of success or failure gives a +1 or -1 to individual initiative rolls for that side.If a character is piloting a different 'Mech than in the last battle (even if it's the same type of 'Mech) then there is a -4 initiative penalty. Each month of practice with that 'Mech reduces the penalty by until after 4 months there is no penalty. The penalty starts at -2 if the character is piloting the same 'Mech type (but different 'Mech). The penalty starts at -3 for same 'Mech type, different variant. If someone else uses a character's 'Mech then when the character uses their 'Mech the penalty starts at -2 (same as using the same 'Mech).
2. Individual initiative is 2d6 + piloting skill level + tactics skill level + commander's bonus + different 'Mech penalty. Infantry don't have a piloting skill level so they use 2 x leader's tactics skill level.
3. There is an initiative penalty equal to the square root of the number of people in the subunit (basically, a counter), rounded up. So most vehicles have a -2 initiative penalty and most platoons start out with a -6 initiative penalty. There is no -1 penalty. The penalty applies to players if they insist on talking a lot about strategy during combat; or the GM can make talking a Simple Action as in (Simple Actions #10).

1. Unit declarations go from lowest initiative to highest initiative. Units don't know the initiative of other units. The GM calls out initiatives from 1 (or the lowest initiative of a unit if it is less than 1).

2. Units with the same initiative number go based on vehicle type and then on initiative bonus. Aerospace beats 'Mechs which beat vehicles which beat infantry. Within each group highest initiative bonus wins. For infantry Jump beats Mechanized which beats Foot.
3. Summary of Initiative: 01. Initiative Number 02. Initiative Bonus 03. Vehicle Type (as in section 02 above) 04. Vehicle Walk/Flank Speed 05. Vehicle Size (Smaller is faster)

1. When a unit declares other units can preempt before or after the declaration. A unit can preempt on any number; even ones on which no other units would be forced to declare. Remember, units don't know each others' initiative numbers.
2. Preempting before a declaration allows a unit to act before the declaring unit. The declaring unit is assumed to have the same target movement modifiers as during its last turn. After being preempted the declaring unit can now declare any normal actions.
3. Preempting after a unit declares can be done before the unit moves or after the unit moves. If done before a unit moves then the unit's declared movement is used for target movement modifiers. Once a preempting unit moves the declaring unit can now move.
4. If conditions have changed a unit can fully or partially cancel any declared actions but may not redeclare (i.e. unit does not have to move all declared hexes, unit can fire less weapons than declared). The unit still gets penalties for movement; they declared a move and decided not to do it. For cancelled weapons fire the unit still gets 1/2 of the heat rounded up.
5. See Opportunity Actions for exceptions to the preemption rules.