Skills and Abilities

Skills and abilities provide tangible battlefield effects and help specialize your pilot in a specific role.

Skills

Level	XP Cost	Total XP	Gunnery	Piloting	Guts	Tactics
1	-	-	+1% ranged hit chance 10% unjam chance	+2.5% melee hit chance	-5.0% chance to die when incapacitated 3 maximum health
2	100	100	+2% ranged hit chance 20% unjam chance	+5.0% melee hit chance	-10.0% chance to die when incapacitated
3	400	500	+3% ranged hit chance 30% unjam chance	+7.5% melee hit chance	-15.0% chance to die when incapacitated
4	900	1,400	+4% ranged hit chance -5% jam chance 40% unjam chance 15% Chance for +15% stab. dmg	+10.0% melee hit chance +0.1 sprint multiplier	-20.0% chance to die when incapacitated 4 maximum injuries	-1 indirect fire penalty
5	1,600	3,000	+5% ranged hit chance -1 recoil 50% unjam chance Ability: Multitarget or Battlelord	+12.5% melee hit chance Ability: Sure Footing or Phantom	-25.0% chance to die when incapacitated Ability: Bulwark or Shielded Stance	+3 accuracy in min. range Ability: Sensor Lock or Target Prediction
6	2,500	5,500	+6% ranged hit chance 60% unjam chance 15% Chance for +15% heat dmg	+15.0% melee hit chance +1 hit defense +3 melee defense	-30.0% chance to die when incapacitated +3% Heat Efficiency	Called shot bonus
7	3,600	9,100	+7% ranged hit chance -2 recoil 70% unjam chance	+17.5% melee hit chance +0.2 sprint distance	-35.0% chance to die when incapacitated 5 maximum injuries	-2 indirect fire penalty
8	4,900	14,000	+8% ranged hit chance 80% unjam chance Ability: Precision Master or Energy/Ballistic/Missile Master	+20.0% melee hit chance Ability: Ace Pilot or Invisible Target	-40.0% chance to die when incapacitated Ability: Juggernaut or Brawler	+6 accuracy in min. range Ability: Master Tactician or Knife Fighter
9	6,400	20,400	+9% ranged hit chance -10% jam chance 90% unjam chance 15% Chance for +15% dmg	+22.5% melee hit chance +2 unsteady threshold	-45.0% chance to die when incapacitated +6% Heat Efficiency +1 punch hit	Called shot mastery
10	8,100	28,500	+10% ranged hit chance 100% unjam chance Ability: Stone Cold	+25.0% melee hit chance +3 hit defense +6 melee defense Ability: Mech Checked	-50.0% chance to die when incapacitated 6 maximum injuries Ability: Defensive Formation	-3 indirect fire penalty Ability: Eagle Eye

Abilities

A list of abilities in BTA. Some provide passive "always-on" bonuses and others must be activated during battle.

	Level	Icon	Abilitiy	Description
Gunnery	Level 5		Multitarget	ACTION: Fire weapons at up to three separate targets within this 'Mech's current firing arc.
			Battlelord	ACTION: Supercharge your mech for a turn, dealing 15% greater damage and hitting with +2 accuracy for the turn. Generates an extra 30 heat this turn. 4 turn cooldown. Costs 20 Resolve to use.
	Level 8		Precision Master	PASSIVE: Attacks with a single weapon ignore COVER and GUARDED on the target. Additionally, enables called shots on targets.
			Energy Master	PASSIVE: Grants a 10% damage bonus and +1 accuracy to attacks with energy weapons.
			Ballistic Master	PASSIVE: Grants a 10% damage bonus and +1 accuracy to attacks with ballistic weapons.
			Missile Master	PASSIVE: Grants a 10% damage bonus and +1 accuracy to attacks with missile weapons.
	Level 10		Stone Cold	ACTION: Supercharge your cooling system for a turn, gaining +60 heat dissipation for the turn, at the cost of responsiveness in the controls. Your initiative is reduced by 2 for 2 turns. 4 turn cooldown. Costs 20 Resolve to use.
Piloting	Level 5		Sure Footing	PASSIVE: 'Mechs piloted by this MechWarrior gain one bonus Evasion charge after moving (can exceed the unit's maximum). If the move is not a sprint, jump, or charge to melee, the 'Mech also gains ENTRENCHED (50% stability damage reduction).
			Phantom	ACTION: Blur your 'Mech's sensor signature such that you gain +2 evasive charges from movement for two turns. 4 turn cooldown. Costs 20 Resolve to use.
	Level 8		Ace Pilot	PASSIVE: A 'Mech piloted by this MechWarrior can move after shooting if it has not moved yet.
			Invisible Target	PASSIVE: This pilot's evasive charges are immune to being removed by sensor lock effects. Additionally, pilot gets +2 defense at all times.
	Level 10		Mech Checked	ACTION: Superior piloting skill lets you get a little damage out of your mech, dealing 50% more stability damage with melee this turn. 3 turn cooldown. Costs 20 Resolve to use.
Guts	Level 5		Bulwark	PASSIVE: COVER and GUARDED states both provide 40% damage reduction rather than 20% damage reduction. COVER and GUARDED together provide 60% damage reduction.
			Shielded Stance	ACTION: Activate in order to gain a flat 50% damage reduction regardless of cover or positioning as well as gaining 1 initiative. The DR lasts until your next turn, initiative only applies next turn. 4 turn cooldown. Costs 20 Resolve to use.
	Level 8		Juggernaut	PASSIVE: Successful Melee attacks knock your target back one Initiative Phase. Braces after Melee and DFA. Also grants one extra attack using physical weapons such as Hatchets, Maces, and Swords.
			Brawler	PASSIVE: Grants a 20% damage bonus to kicks, punches, and DFAs. Reduces self-damage from DFAs by 50%. Grants ability to kick twice.
	Level 10		Defensive Formation	ACTION: Activate in order to gain a flat 20% damage reduction regardless of cover or positioning for all friendly units. The DR lasts for 2 turns. 6 turn cooldown. Costs 20 Resolve to use.
Tactics	Level 5		Sensor Lock	ACTION: Select a target within sensor range to reveal it until the end of the current round and remove two of its EVASIVE charges. The target also gains +2 SENSORS IMPAIRED effect.
			Target Prediction	ACTION: Advanced heuristics provide your lancemates with +2 accuracy for the remainder of this turn. Does not affect this unit. 4 turn cooldown. Costs 20 Resolve to use.
	Level 8		Master Tactician	PASSIVE: 'Mechs piloted by this MechWarrior gain +2 Initiative, and remove one bar of stability damage when Reserving.
			Knife Fighter	PASSIVE: Gain a +33% boost to all support weapon short and medium range brackets as well as +10% damage with support weapons.
	Level 10		Eagle Eye	PASSIVE: Gain a +25% boost to sensors, sight, all weapon long and max range brackets, and a 2.5% Called Shot bonus.

Roles

Depending on which specialized skill (level 8) and which primary skill (level 5) a pilot has selected determines the pilot's title. This is purely cosmetic, and has no function on gameplay; though it can still be useful, as it clues in what skills an enemy has and may help you guess at their tactics and underlying statistics.

Skill	-	Gunnery 8	Piloting 8	Guts 8	Tactics 8
Gunnery 5	Gunner	-	Flanker	Gladiator	Striker
Piloting 5	Pilot	Skirmisher	-	Brawler	Scout
Guts 5	Defender	Lancer	Outrider	-	Vanguard
Tactics 5	Tactician	Sharpshooter	Recon	Sentinel	-

Revostae's Example Pilot Skill Builds

Expand

Preamble

These builds are not to be taken as the be-all-end-all of what constitutes good skill builds. They are suggestions, and were created from the standpoint of primarily using lots of clan weaponry and FCS ADV TCs. While generally lighter/smaller than their Inner Sphere counterparts, they also typically have shorter range. The Tactics tree helps make up for that shortcoming, which is one reason why I think it's so good. If all of your LRM boats run IS LRMs you might like to spec them Gunnery, for example, if the range increase is negligible to you. For cLRMs though the range increase is huge. Being able to make called shots is extremely important, strongly consider the Precision Master Gunnery build if you do not have access to FCS ADV TCs.

There are many viable pilot skill builds to use but I find that these are the ones that serve me the best.

Standard Damage Dealer Build (Tactics/Gunnery)

Base Build

+ + +

The "I like initiative and/or want my weapons to shoot further build". My go to for anything that's not extreme range and wants to put out damage. LRM boats, ATM boats, anything that isn't insane range (like artillery or Arrow IV, they have enough range so don't need the benefits from tactics, spec those into gunnery for more damage). This build lets ATM boats shoot HE and STD ammo out so far you basically never need to bring ER ammo, which means bigger damage a lot of the time than on a Gunnery build because you can use much harder hitting ammo. More turns spent shooting is more damage done for other weapons as well. Personally, I'm convinced the Tactics tree is the best tree in the game for damage dealers that aren't boating artillery.

Support Weapon Focused Variation

+ + +

Support weapon boats can take Knife Fighter over Master Tactician for some extra punch and extra accuracy in close and medium range bands.

Close Range/Brawling Variation (More Defense Focused)

OR + + + OR

Closer range builds can consider swapping out Battlelord to either Sure Footing (Piloting Tree) or Bulwark (Guts Tree) depending on the speed/evasiveness of their mech. Can also swap Target Prediction to Sensor Lock if your pilot often finds themselves unable to fire due to being out of range or line of sight. It at least gives you a useful ability you can use to help your other mechs put out some damage.

Scouting/Fast Interceptor (Piloting/Tactics)

Base Build

+ + +

My standard Scouting/Fast Interceptor build focused on staying alive and going fast. Sensor Lock as support for your heavy hitters (reveal out-of-line-of-sight targets, reduce evasion, etc.), this build is not designed to be used by primary damage dealers so you care less about their damage in general. Sure Footing over Phantom because I want the boost every turn and I run enough evasion boosters to get very high evasion regardless.

Target Prediction Variation

+ + +

Replace Sensor Lock with Target Prediction if you already have a bunch of sensor lockers, generally I don't run more than 2 sensor lockers but YMMV.

Extreme Range Damage Dealer (Gunnery/Guts)

Base Build

+ OR OR + +

Long/extreme range damage dealer build. Used primarily on AC/2, ER PPC, Gauss, Sniper Arty, Long Tom, or Arrow IV boats. Maximizes damage and cooling (especially nice on low initiative PPC or artillery boats) with a nice survivability boost for staying in cover. Pretty self explanatory, this tree is very straightforward. Take the mastery skill for the weapon type you intend to use of course.

Precision Master Variation

+ + +

Use this variation if you do not yet have access to FCS ADV TC sensor equipment that allows you to target specific enemy locations with the precise shot ability. This is extremely important for quickly taking out/disabling enemies or to have a better chance at getting ideal salvage. Either run FCS ADV TC or get this!

Sure Footing Variation

+ OR OR + +

Replace Bulwark with Sure Footing if you are running a faster mech and/or like to focus on evasion over damage reduction.

Target Prediction Variation

+ OR OR + +

If you're fairly certain the pilot will almost never be shot at you can instead opt for some team accuracy boosting utility from Target Prediction and forego the defensive bonuses. This is a good option for Artillery mechs that can fire indirectly from far away.

Melee/Tank (Guts/Tactics)

Base Build

+ OR + +

Guts Primary builds are basically for melee focused mechwarriors. Pick Juggernaut for a 2nd melee weapon (hatchet/mace/lance/sword) attack or pick Brawler to get a 2nd kick depending on what you intend to do. I took sensor lock as the secondary tree skill because it's useful if you're stuck out of range you can still contribute every turn as you should be in sensor range.

Sure Footing Variation

+ OR + +

Switch out Sensor Lock and take Sure Footing if you would rather be extra defense focused. The extra evasion and lowered stability damage taken can be helpful to give you a boost in survivability although it does leave you often with nothing to do on a turn besides move if you don't also have a number of ranged weapons. This is why typically I prefer Sensor Lock.