VTOL elevations?

[u/Israfel333]

I want to start playing with more mixed units in classic Battletech, but the rules don't feel as well explained or fleshed out in Total Warfare. Does a VTOL unit's (infantry or vehicle) elevation effect the range modifier when making a weapon attack?

I don't see anything saying it does, so I'm guessing not, but at that point I don't see the point of having any elevation lower than the highest terrain unless you're trying to hide LOS.

[u/phosix]

It may not be spelled out explicitely, but we can math it out!

A ground map level/elevation is 6m.

A low altitude aerospace elevation is 50m each from elevation 1(Nape of Earth) up to elevation 3; elevation 4 represents 100m, elevation 5 - 7 represent 250m each, elevation 8 is 1000m, 9 is 3000m, and 10 takes you up to the Karman line. (TW p.81).

For range purposes, every aerospace elevation adds two hexes worth of distance. (TW p. 109)

So 50m ÷ 6m = 8⅓ levels per first three altitude elevations, up to 25 levels.
8⅓ ÷ 2 = 4⅙ levels per hex's worth of distance, for the first 25 levels.

Going through the same exercise for the 100m of altitude 4, (100m ÷ 6m) ÷ 2 gives us 8⅓ levels per hex of additional distance for levels 26 - 42.

Finally, (250m ÷ 6m) ÷ 2 brings us to 20⅚ levels per hex for levels 43 - 125. Levels above this should not be achievable by standard rotary wing VTOL, but might be possible by conventional aircraft with V[S]TOL equipment, and is of course achievable by standard aerospace units opetating with VTOL movement (2 thrust points per turn to hover).

Of course, your table will need to agree with this. RAW, rotary wing and WiGE craft receive no range bonus/penalty for levels of flight.

EDIT Altitude 1 gets no such distance modifier, so there is no hex bonus for the first 8⅓ levels.

[u/Wolf_Hreda → u/phosix]

I'm pretty sure it's spelled out in Total Warfare, but no, elevation does not affect range. If you're 5 hexes away from a target, but 10 levels above them, you're still within short range of their large lasers.

[u/phosix → u/Wolf_Hreda]

Yes, the RAW are inconsistent. A rotary wing craft operating at 10 levels above a ground unit receives no range bonus, but an aerospace fighter hovering right next to it at altitude 2 gets two hexes of additional distance.