Released in 1999, Mechwarrior 3 puts players in the seat of towering warmachines known as Battlemechs (or simply 'mechs'). The Mechwarrior franchise is set within the detailed and lore-rich Battletech universe, with Mechwarrior 3 giving players a well presented, engaging and highly immersive story to go along with the complex simulations of battlefield chaos that fans of the series have enjoyed since 1989.

Whilst linear in terms of missions and objectives, speedrunning the game presents many challenges, with the gameplay and extensive options for mech customization allowing runners a great deal of freedom and possibilities. Run planning is as important as you would expect for any speedrun, but of particular note is the way that runners can use multiple varying strategies or gameplay styles to achieve their goals, based upon whatever best suits the individual player.

The game is made up of 20 missions divided up into 4 operations areas played through in sequence, forming a single campaign. Player progress is tracked through the game from mission to mission – equipment, mechs and other inventory items are carried over from one mission to the next, with the player managing their inventory and mech roster from mission to mission across the entire campaign.

The campaign has the player taking part in a commando mission behind enemy lines, as a small unit is dropped into hostile territory as part of a larger ongoing in-universe conflict. Things go wrong before the fighting even starts, as enemy defences shoot down one of the dropships, seeing the player and other survivors scattered and hunted down as they fight their way off the planet, whilst attempting to complete the original mission as they go.

And now, onto the game itself.

There some important mechanics to keep in mind when viewing this speedrun. The player is piloting large vehicle that functions as something like a giant walking tank. Mechs are heavy, sluggish, slow to change direction, and impacted by momentum. Smooth piloting is essential to maintaining speed.

Regarding gunplay, accuracy is impacted by the movement of the mech, as well as the location that the fired weapon is mounted from. For example, a mech could have 4 lasers mounted across the left and right arms, and left and right torsos, which results in the beams being fired from four different angles at the same target. It is a subtle detail, but does need to be considered when taking shots, as despite having the same targeting reticule, 1 weapon may hit whilst other miss.

Mech performance is extremely variable, with the player given the ability to customise mechs with a high level of freedom. Mech weight is represented in tons, with heavier mechs being able to carry more weapons, armor and equipment at the cost of speed, whilst lighter mechs trade offensive and defensive capabilities for manoeuvrability and agility. With the game featuring 18 different mech chassis there are countless different possible combinations of weapons, engines, armor and more for speedrunners to take advantage of.

Speed is displayed in the form of a vertical bar on the centre right hand side of the screen, reading in KPH.

On the centre left hand side, a vertical bar represents the mechs current heat level. Actions such as firing weapons, using equipment and even moving itself generates heat, which is then dissipated at a rate that varies based on multiple factors, including the number of heat sinks the mech is carrying. When the heat level is pushed too high, the speed of the mech is reduced, and overheating can result in the mech shutting down or even exploding. The blue bar shows available coolant, which can be used in the form of a coolant flush to quickly reduce the heat level on command.

Top left of screen is the map, top right is the weapons loadout, bottom left shows health and armor of the current target, bottom centre is the mission status and objectives, with bottom right being player mech health and armor.

Inventory management and mech customisation takes place in the menus between missions. This won't feature in the speedrun very much at all, as preparation for the run includes creating the all of the required loadouts in advance. Inventory management becomes almost irrelevant when speedrunning due to an item duplication glitch that will be used for effectively the entire run.

And finally, missions are ended manually by the player once all required objectives are complete.

That covers the basics of understanding Mechwarrior 3, so now let us begin the run.

The video begins on the menu screen, where we then take a look at the game options. The Invincible, Infinite Ammo and Heat Management options are effectively cheats that the game allows the player to use. However, the game does not allow campaign missions to be successfully completed when these cheats have been enabled. To progress through the campaign, they cannot be used.
The other options shown are personal preferences for the runner, and difficulty is set to high.
The difficulty settings have an impact on the accuracy and aggression of enemy mechs, as well as on the hit points of enemy vehicles and structures.
High is not the default, but is the difficulty used in this run so as to maintain consistency with an earlier SDA featured speedrun.

The SDA user Pendrokar completed a segmented 42 minute speedrun of Mechwarrior 3 in late 2008, which is the earliest example of a MW3 speedrun that I can find and also served as the benchmark for this speedrun.

----------------------------
Operation 1, Mission 1

Mech used:
Bushwacker, standard loadout, 81.0kph
----------------------------

We begin our first mission with 3 very simple objectives. We have 4 enemy turrets and a radar dish to destroy, and then must reach a final navigation point. The objectives present us with almost no challenge at all, so efficient movement becomes the key to achieving a quick time.

We begin in the water near a fishing village. Elements of the village are destroyed so that we don't lose speed by running into them. Taking a direct line to the bridge, the first two turrets and the radar dish are destroyed from long range. Coolant flushes are used to keep heat down and speed up. We're intercepted by a pair of enemy APCs. These are not mission critical and as such, are ignored. You will also note that when aiming at the second turret I hold fire for a moment whilst the APCs pass in front of me. This is relates to the weapon location detail I mentioned in the introduction. Even though the targeting reticule shows a clear shot to the turret, the weapon I'm firing is mounted at a lower point that the cockpit and would actually hit the APC if fired at that moment, despite it not being in front of the reticule. Just another thing to consider!

Shooting out some of the objects near the bridge is done for the same reason as the fishing village at the start – to ensure our momentum isn't halted. Staying at maximum speed during the turn is important and achieved by not making contact with any of the debris or other objects. Once the turn is complete, we aim for the final nav point and take out the remaining turrets along the way. The AC10 we use on the final turrets is a ballistic weapon. Projectile momentum means that we need to lead our shots, which makes for some fun shooting, but this is the only time we'll use this weapon type in the run. With the turrets down, the mission can end as soon as we reach the final nav point.

*Mission time: 1 minute 41 seconds*
Efficient movement is key, this time is able to repeated relatively easily. I see no obvious opportunity for further improvement.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 50 seconds*
With no real difference in strategy between the two runs, the saved time comes down to tighter routing and better heat management.

----------------------------
Operation 1, Mission 2 - Timestamp 2:13

Mech used:
Bushwacker, 9 LRM5 (360 rounds), 11 Heat Sinks, 114.9kph
----------------------------

Mission 2 is our first opportunity to customise our mech, with relevant information being shown on the screen between missions. Our chosen mech is shown in the centre of screen with mech name on the right, and Chassis Data and Load-Out on the left giving important information about the build we're using.

At this point, you may also note that the loadout used shows zero armor being carried (look to the “Chassis Data” for this information). This doesn't mean that we will die with a single hit (armor protects the internal components of the mech, which is what must be destroyed to score a kill), however it does mean we're very fragile – but also very fast, thanks to the saved weight being put towards a bigger engine instead. This style of build will be used extensively throughout the run.

This is also where we first take advantage of the inventory glitch. The glitch is simple and unspectacular: when loading a saved mech, the game checks if the player has the items needed in the inventory, but does not check the quantity. My saved loadout has 9 LRM 5. The game checks the inventory to see if it we have the items needed for this loadout. At the start of this mission we have 2 LRM5 in our inventory, which the game interprets as meaning we have the weapons required to complete the saved loadout, which then increases the quantity we have to match the saved loadout amount. This glitch will be used for effectively every mission here after.

Our objectives are relatively simple once more. We capture a base by destroying 6 APC units and then making contact with the base itself, and then we have 2 missile platforms to destroy. Mission 2 is also the first mission that the AI starts to impact our times. The APCs we need to destroy can move in many different ways when attacking. Some of these patterns make things easy for us, other times they immediately kill the speedrun.

The first 2 APCs spawn to the left of our position, travelling towards us from behind a large rock formation. If we begin moving at full speed they will still be behind the rocks when we pass them, so we need to move at a slightly slower pace so that we can launch our missiles without them being obstructed by the terrain. If we're lucky, these first 2 APCs will be running close enough to each other that the splash damage from a single missile salvo will kill them both and that's exactly what happens here. This is a very low percentage occurrence. In the 113 attempts I recorded for this run, I had only 5 instances where the first 2 APCs were where I needed them.

Moving straight towards the enemy base, we take out 2 APCs from long range, with a coolant flush used to keep our speed up. Our path takes us directly into contact with the other 2 APCs, which allows us to simply run them over. Taking them out this way keeps our heat down, which is always important. From there it's a run to make contact with the base which will trigger completion of the first objective, whilst firing at the first missile platform.

Managing heat is important here, as we need to keep pushing forward to reach a position to fire at the second missile platform. It takes 2 missile salvos to destroy each platform and entering the water allows us to take those shots without overheating.

*Mission time: 1 minute 16 seconds*
Achieving this run was much harder than it appears when watching back. The positioning of the APCs is critical. The first two APCs often spawn too far apart to take out in one shot, which costs time, and if the second group aren't close together it becomes much harder to take them out whilst still moving forward. This mission has also seen many different strategy variations used, such as a faster mech with shorter ranged weapons. This mission was more challenging than it appears, but that is mostly down to the unpredictable nature of the AI.

*2008 mission time: 2 minutes 13 seconds*
I was able to save significant time on my run by using a much faster mech build (114kph vs 97) and a large number of LRMs. The missiles mean that I'm able to attack the targets from a much longer range (and even with indirect fire, as shown with the first two APCs and the second missile platform), which then allows me to take a more optimal path through the mission. To achieve this, I had to use the inventory glitch, as this strategy only works because of the number of LRM5s being used. Judging by the loadouts and comments of the 2008 run, it seems as if the runner was not aware of this glitch at the time.

----------------------------
Operation 1, Mission 3 - Timestamp 3:48

Mech used:
Bushwacker, 1 ER Laser (L), 4 LRM10 (Clan, 480 rounds), 21 Heat Sink, 94.3kph
----------------------------

O1M3 sees the first use of the Mobile Field Base (or MFB, for short). The MFBs are our support vehicles for the campaign, carrying our inventory and allowing the player to make mid-mission repairs. Whilst we won't be using that function at all during the run, this is the first of a number of missions that require the MFB's to be moved to a certain point of the map.  

Completing the mission is simple, we have to destroy two separate groups of buildings and then have the MFBs reach nav point Charlie. The player also needs to have reached nav Charlie, but this can be done at any point of the mission and the player does not need to be there when the MFB's arrive. Achieving these objectives is almost trivial, with the journey of the MFB from the mission start to nav Charlie taking far longer than anything the player needs to do. The MFBs move through the map at the command of the player, and ordering them to their objective at the moment the mission starts is the most important part of achieving a quick time.

After sending the MFBs to nav Charlie, we're met by an enemy Firefly. We can ignore this enemy and still complete the mission with the same final time, but we want to capture this mech for use in future missions. Mechs, weapons and other items are gathered by the player in the form of battlefield salvage. Some items are provided to the player at predetermined points of the campaign, but the salvage system is dynamic, meaning that the player can influence what mechs and weapons they gain access to depending on their actions in the previous mission. For example, if an enemy has a weapon we want to use, destroying that mech may allow us to salvage that weapon for later use. And the same goes for the mech itself. Each time we destroy an enemy mech, there is a chance to salvage that mech. Destroying the leg or head gives the highest chance, but this is never guaranteed.

After using our ER Laser to leg the Firefly which we will hopefully salvage, we move on to the mission objectives. A pair of APCs are destroyed along the way. This isn't required for the objectives, but can help keep a clear path for the MFBs. Their biggest factor for timeloss is obstructions from terrain, debris and other units. The facilities we need to destroy are two groups of buildings. The first group of 3 come down with 2 LRM10 shots each, the second group of 4 each only needs a single shot. From there, we continue on to hit nav Charlie and at 1:40 mission time we've completed all our mission objectives. The rest of the mission is just waiting for the MFB to reach Charlie.

From a speedrun perspective, this would all be rather boring an uneventful. However, there's something more we can do to mix things up...
As mentioned previously, the 20 missions in Mechwarrior 3 are grouped into 4 operations areas. You may have noticed that each of the missions we've completed so far have been direct continuations of the previous. We're about to take full advantage of that.

Instead of waiting around, we continue North and take out 6 buildings with our LRM10s and two turrets with our ER Laser. We're right on the edge of the mission boundary in doing this. Leaving the mission area results in an instant mission fail, however we're still able to attack targets that are beyond our current mission area.
With that complete, we head back to the enemies we ran past earlier, just in time to see the MFBs reach their destination and end the mission.

*Mission time: 3 minutes 22 seconds*
The slowest mission of the entire run, I can see no reliable way to reduce time within the strategy I've used. Eliminating enemies from the main area may possibly prevent them from obstructing the MFBs, but any timesave there would be negated by not being able to destroy the buildings to the North, which is critical for breaking open the next mission.

*2008 mission time: 3 minutes 26 seconds*
Due to the nature of this mission, there is very little opportunity for timesaves. I do employ a very different strategy, but as mentioned this has no bearing on the final time. In fact, the 4 seconds difference between the two runs may come down to nothing but the moment that the MFB's are ordered to their objective, with the 2008 run taking a number of seconds to complete this act.

----------------------------
Operation 1, Mission 4 - Timestamp 7:30

Mech used:
Firefly, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 240 rounds), 10 Double Heat Sinks,  151.2kph
----------------------------

Immediately we're notified of completed mission objectives, and we haven't even done anything yet! The additional buildings we destroyed in the last mission were 2 of the objectives for this mission. The maps in Mechwarrior 3 are large and continuous, broken up into smaller areas. By destroying those buildings in the previous mission, they stay destroyed in the next. As we were waiting for the MFBs to reach their objective whilst doing this, it effectively costs us zero time to do this in mission 3, whilst saving over a minute of time in mission 4.

With those objectives no longer being relevant, it's a straight run to the final target. This allows us to make use of the lightest and fastest mech in the game, the Firefly we salvaged. As well as taking out the buildings, we also destroyed 2 enemy turrets that would have been in our way. With no enemies in our immediate path, the Firefly can be set up for pure speed, with as much excess weight removed to allow us to fit a much bigger engine.

Our objectives are 2 laser towers and 2 buildings. Each will come down with a single salvo from our missiles. After firing at the first tower we use a coolant flush so as to not overheat. Waiting until hitting the water to fire on the second tower allows it to come down without us overheating. We can then carry on a full speed, launching at the first building as soon as possible with a high arc to ensure our missiles clear the other objects in our way, before a final coolant flush allows us to fire the last shot of the mission.

*Mission time: 40 seconds*
I love this mission. The combination of completing half the objectives before the mission even starts, with the full speed blast to finish is a lot of fun. Mission time comes down to keeping the line to the end as straight as possible whilst avoiding water when we don't want it, as well as firing on the final buildings as quickly as possible. Prior to making use of this strategy, my best mission time was 1:53. Gotta be happy with a timesave like that.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 55 seconds*
This is where things get very different. My run used time in the previous mission to destroy objectives from this mission, where the 2008 run did not. This means that the 2008 run needs to take a very different approach, with many more targets needing to be destroyed. This means that a heavier loadout and slower mech is needed, whereas I'm able to head directly for the final objective without any concern along the way.

----------------------------
Operation 2, Mission 1 - Timestamp 8:45

Mechs used:
Shadowcat, 8 ER Laser (M, Clan), 13 Double Heat Sinks, 2 Jump Jets, MASC, 131.4kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

We've now gained access to a few new elements that will be major parts of our run.
Jump Jets are used to launch mechs into the air. Carrying a higher number of Jump Jets provides more fuel which allows for higher/longer jumps.
MASC is effectively a sprint function. It works on an on/off toggle and provides greater acceleration and top speed. There is no recharge or timer, it can stay on indefinitely. However when running, it reduces heat dissipation which is why you will see it being toggled on and off at various times, depending on the conditions.
And finally, lancemates. Lancemates are our friendly mechs that follow us around the battlefield. The player can customise lancemate mechs the same as they do their own, and can instruct lancemates to follow some basic orders. This command function is going to become critical to our run due to a peculiar detail. We can instruct our lancemates to attack or defend a target. This target can be an enemy mech, a building, turret etc. But it can also be a nav point, or a spot on the ground. When we instruct a lancemate to attack or defend a nav point or spot on the ground, the game converts that point of the map into a target...which the enemy identifies as being hostile. The enemy units in Mechwarrior 3 are programmed to attack their nearest target, so with this, we can effectively neuter our opposition. Isn't that useful?

O2M1 functions in much the same was as O2M3, in that the MFB must reach a nav point whilst we destroy a few objects. However, there is a lot more going on this time.

The mission begins and we immediately order the MFBs to their destination. We also then instruct our lancemate to defend that same nav point, which will send him there independent of us  and result in nearby enemies attacking that nav point rather than us. Our first objective is to destroy a pair of turrets, which is easily done. Then we just need the MFB to reach nav Baker, which we also need to reach at some point in the mission.

Using our Jump Jets to cut across into the main area, we trigger the enemy Thor that is waiting for us. The Thor is armed with a deadly Ultra AC20, a short range weapon that we do not want to be on the receiving end of. The quickest and safest way to take out the Thor is by legging from range. Whilst this is happening, you can see an enemy Shadowcat in background, firing lasers and missiles at our nav point. Beautiful.

After taking out the Thor, dropping into the lake area allows us to distract the remaining enemies. We want them out of the way of the MFB. We quickly take out a Strider and 2 Elementals before running towards the final nav point. I take out the Shadowcat that is still diligently attacking empty dirt. From there it's onto nav Baker where I deal with the final Elemental and then wait for the MFBs to arrive.

*Mission time: 2 minutes 1 second*
Another mission dependant on the MFBs, I have achieved countless runs at the same time with no obvious opportunity for improvement.

*2008 mission time: 2 minutes 14 seconds*
As this is another MFB escort mission, times are limited by their ability to reach the objective. I save time over the 2008 run by ordering them to the end point as soon as the mission starts, and then by ensuring that there are no enemy units blocking their path.

----------------------------
Operation 2, Mission 2 - Timestamp 11:23

Mechs used:
Firefly, 10 ER Laser (S, Clan), 12 Double Heat Sinks, 2 Jump Jets, MASC, 172.8kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

O2M2 has a lot going on. It's complex and has us relying on our lancemate to achieve mission objectives whilst we're off doing our own.

Part of the challenge with this mission is just how many moving parts there are. The first objective requires us to destroy 2 stationary shuttles, the second objective is to destroy a building, the third objective we must destroy all enemy forces – 6 mechs and 2 tanks (which actually isn't all the enemies in the mission) – and then reach a nav point at the end of the mission. To speedrun this effectively, it all needs to be happening at the same time.

When the mission starts, our lancemate is ordered towards the building objective. For this to work, he's going to be doing half the objectives on his own. As that happens, we push forward and take out an Orion. Headshots in this game are difficult and rare, but this is too perfect of a setup to ignore. Then it's onto the first objective, the 2 shuttles. These are destroyed by playing a bit of Mario. In Mechwarrior 3, things are killed when other things land on top of them. These shuttles are no different. Taking them out smoothly is a challenge, but critical for a fast time. We need to land on the first and then be immediately heading over to the second without being caught in their debris or actually landing on them, which would kill our momentum and potentially even destroy our mech as well.

After destroying the shuttles, we take out an enemy Bushwhacker. The convoy of vehicles here includes the 2 tanks that must be destroyed, but we don't have time to sit around killing them, we have to keep moving as fast as possible. There is a lot of ground to cover.

In the next chamber, we take out the Shadowcat and see our lancemate doing his job. As we're attacking the Shadowcat he destroys an enemy Firefly and the target building. Continuing forward, we're greeted in the next chamber by a Blackhawk and then an Orion. The Blackhawk is taken out with another headshot, then onto the Orion. Unfortunately, one of our weapons was destroyed earlier in the run, which means it takes 3 shots to leg the Orion instead of 2. With the Orion down, it's a sprint to the finish. We destroy a blast door and run through a passage towards the final elevator. At this point, our objectives are still outstanding, but then our lancemate takes out the final tank, clearing us to end the mission once we reach the end.

*Mission time: 1 minute 29 seconds*
There it is, the run killer. The most difficult, challenging and frustrating mission of the entire run (in my opinion, of course). But getting it right, oh so satisfying. Reading these comments back, it's possible that I haven't properly communicated the challenge of this mission. First we need to make sure we are accurate in taking out the Orion, whilst taking minimal damage ourself. Headshots are extremely difficult to make due to the tiny hitboxes and the challenge of firing from one moving mech at another. Running into Orion causes both it and I to come to a halt, which is where the headshot is then available. If we were both moving, there'd be too much swaying about and it just wouldn't be reliably possible. On top of that, every enemy mech we're going to face can take us out in a single shot, so missing our shots is disastrous. The jump to take out the shuttles requires precise timing. We need to be hitting the first shuttle at the top point of our jump. If we're falling down we won't be able to jump across to the second shuttle. If we're too high we'll fly right over it, if we're too low we'll lose all momentum when making contact. The second shuttle needs to be lightly brushed over, hitting it with any real weight makes us likely to get stuck within it, killing all momentum and potentially destroying our mech. The Bushwacker also needs accurate shooting to take out quickly. Then once we've nailed all of those elements, we hope that our lancemate has made it into the next chamber. If our lancemate and the enemy Shadowcat start shooting each other at the start of the mission, they trigger a rock collapse at the doorway between the two areas. If either one of them is stuck in the first chamber, it's run over. If both mechs do make it back into the barracks area, we then need the Shadowcat to be directly in our path. After that we need to be accurate with the Blackhawk and Orion, and then carefully navigate the final tunnel - it's very easy to get stuck on the debris and terrain there, costing multiple seconds. And then if it's all gone well and we've made it to the end, there's still the objectives we left for our lancemate. We need him to take out the building, the Firefly and the two Bulldog tanks. He can do all of this before we reach the end, but he's just as likely to sit there without attacking anything. So many runs lost due to reaching the finish but not having the objectives complete. In this particular run I lost time due needing an extra shot on the final Orion. There's maybe 3-5 seconds in it, but just about everything else in the run was as close to ideal as I could ask for. It took me 362 attempts to achieve 1:29, after which I kept pushing to try and make up for the lost time. After another 111 attempts, I decided that was it. It's not perfect, but it's still a major win to me.

*2008 mission time: 2 minutes 59 seconds*
As mentioned above, the hardest mission in the run, no matter what approach is used. The 2008 run shows signs of a similar way of thinking to some of the strategies I used, such as using the friendly AI to destroy objectives (the second shuttle and the Bulldog tanks, in this case), but we go about it in very different ways. By effectively splitting objectives between myself and my lancemate, as well as attacking mission critical targets only, I'm able to safely use a much faster light mech.

----------------------------
Operation 2, Mission 3 - Timestamp 13:12

Mechs used:
Strider, 2 LRM10 (Clan, 120 rounds), 12 Double Heat Sinks, 2 Jump Jets, MASC, 147.8kph
Thor, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1080 rounds), 19 Double Heat Sinks, 87.9kph
----------------------------

Our first time in the Strider. One of the things to consider when choosing mechs is their torso twist range. A mech functions like a tank, with the torso (including arms, weapons etc) pivoting independent of the legs. However, some mechs do not have this feature. A Firefly can run faster than the Strider and still carry the same weapons as used in this mission, but is unable to face one way whilst running the other, which is what we need here.

We have 3 simple objectives. Destroy a building at the start, destroy a building in the middle, and then reach the final nav point. We sprint right past the first target building, our lancemate will take that out for us. We're going to use our Jump Jets to cut straight across half the level. The designers didn't want us doing this and have planted mines all over the terrain we're going to bypass, but that won't stop us.

It's 3 salvos of missiles to take out the building, which we need to fire off whilst running towards the mission end. Our final objective is in water. Water slows us down, so Jump Jets are used to keep us flying forward at top speed whilst staying out of the water. Afteer flying past the enemy Champion and through the tunnel, we drop to the ground to end the mission.

*Mission time: 42 seconds*
This mission requires a bit more precision that it might look like. Heading straight towards the target building takes us too far away from the exit. Heading straight for the exit doesn't give us the angle to take out the building. Good fun.

*2008 mission time: 53 seconds*
Both runs use an identical strategy, however I save time by using a faster mech and taking a different approach angle towards the exit. This allows me to fire all of the necessary missile shots without losing any speed or momentum.

----------------------------
Operation 2, Mission 4 - Timestamp 14:25

Mechs used:
Firefly, 12 ER Laser (S, Clan), 10 Double Heat Sinks, 1 Jump Jet, MASC, 180.9kph
Thor, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1080 rounds), 19 Double Heat Sinks, 87.9kph
----------------------------

The final mission of Operation 2 is a great speedrun. Without the need to take out any enemies, it's all about speed and movement. The mission starts with a series of tight corners to be navigated at high speed. This leads us into an open chamber. We need to reach the opening at the end of the conveyor belt, which we do by Jump Jetting right across the gap. It's a tight angle, but precise timing and aim allows to land right where we want to be.

We took out a piece of equipment on the conveyor belt whilst jumping across, there's now a turret and a door in front of us, both are quickly destroyed. This opens up the next pathway that we cut through as quickly as possible, leading to a room with the final objective in it. Closing right up allows our lasers to do maximum damage, allowing us to destroy the factory with a single shot.

*Mission time: 36 seconds*
Fast and simple, this is pure speedrunning.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 24 seconds*
The comments of the 2008 run mention that the runner chose to destroy a mech to salvage ammunition, which is something that is not needed when using the inventory glitch. I save time by focusing on the mission objectives only and ignoring all enemy units. Tight cornering, keeping up momentum, and a build that puts a priority on speed over firepower makes a big difference as well.

----------------------------
Operation 3, Mission 1 - Timestamp 15:19

Mechs used:
Thor, 10 ER Laser (M, Clan), 22 Double Heat Sinks, 3 Jump Jets, MASC, 86.8kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

We're back to another mission that is effectively time limited. Just like the other missions of this nature, the MFBs are immediately sent to their objective. The only other thing this mission requires is the destruction of a building. This is done quickly and safely by jumping onto the surrounding terrain, before heading off to clear out the few enemy mechs that could get in the way of the MFBs. An interesting point of difference is that we no longer have the reach the same nav point as the MFBs. Once they hit their objective, we end the mission.

*Mission time: 2 minutes 57 seconds*
I could use a faster mech and take out the enemies quicker, but that won't speed up the MFB. Unless we see some form of glitch or other skip come into play, I think that's a fast as this one will be. During this mission, I took out an enemy Bushwhacker. This wasn't for the mission, it was needed for salvage purposes.

*2008 mission time: 3 minutes*
Another MFB escort mission and just like the others, there is very little room for timesave. Both runs employ a very similar overall strategy and have little to comment on in terms of difference. Such is the nature of these missions.

----------------------------
Operation 3, Mission 2 - Timestamp 18:49

Mechs used:
Annihilator, 10 LRM10 (Clan, 1200 rounds), 24 Double Heat Sinks, MASC, 57.5kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

And now for something completely different. The Annihilator is the slowest mech we will use in the run, plodding along at 57.5kph (or about 71kph with MASC). But fortunately, we won't be doing much moving at all. This mission, we're effectively going to be playing as if we're a stationary missile battery. We have 7 enemy mechs to destroy, made up of 2 separate waves. The first wave activates as we move towards their position. Lancemates are ordered forward to put them in a better position to engage. Sitting stationary improves heat dissipation, and with our LRM based loadout, there's no reason to get any closer.

Once those 3 mechs are down, the 2nd wave activates and it's pretty much a case of rinse and repeat. Lancemates are ordered forward, we take up a stationary position once the enemy comes into range and we drop them before we even see them.

*Mission time: 1 minute 33 seconds*
Despite appearing relatively simple, this mission can throw up a few curveballs depending on enemy behaviour. With the way LRMs spread their damage, kills can be inconsistent. A salvo or 2 to the center torso can might drop an enemy on one run, only for the next time to have all that damage spread across the entire mech meaning it takes twice as long to take him out. Positioning of the 2 Shadowcats and the lone Vulture can be varied and unpredictable as well. This particular run involved an element of luck, with Alan Mattila taking out the Vulture on his own. That doesn't usually happen, and saved us a few seconds in the process.

*2008 mission time: 2 minutes 21 seconds*
The two runs take very different paths here, as I choose to use massive amounts of long range firepower, whereas the 2008 run opts for short range speed. I used that same approach in many other missions, but the wide open spaces of this map allow movement to be set aside in favour of many, many missiles.

----------------------------
Operation 3, Mission 3 - Timestamp 20:38

Mechs used:
Strider, 8 ER Laser (M, Clan), 12 Double Heat Sinks, 1 Jump Jets, MASC, 145.8kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

Another MFB escort mission, but with a much tighter window of success this time. For this mission, we need to defeat 2 waves of enemies and have the MFB's reach their nav point. We start by ordering the MFBs to their objective, then sending our lancemates off to meet a couple enemies. The first wave consists of 3 Striders and an Avatar. The second wave is 2 Avatars, 2 Owens and an Orion. The challenge in this mission comes from the enemies being spread out and approaching from multiple different directions.

Moving straight ahead, we take out the first Avatar and quickly continue onto another part of the map where we find the 2 Avatars and Orion from wave 2. The 2nd enemy wave doesn't activate until the first wave is destroyed, so they're easy targets. Our lancemates take out 2 of the Striders whilst we're here. They then get sent to meet up with the MFBs. There will be a group of Elementals that appear. They aren't required to complete the mission, but they can get in the way of the MFBs, so we want our lancemates to take them out if possible.

After taking out the 3 stationary mechs, we take out the final Strider which triggers wave 2. We sprint across the map to meet the 2 Owens that appear, legging them both just as the MFBs reach their destination, which completes the mission.

*Mission time: 2 minutes 21 seconds*
In preparing for this run, I had O3M3 circled as being one of the more demanding missions. Similar to O2M2, there are many different things that need to happen at once to secure a fast time. However, once I figured out the right approach (using fast mechs to eliminate the enemies as quickly as possible), I was able to push the run into being limited by the MFBs. Although there may be room to improve in the performance overall due to a few missed shots, this appears to be another mission that won't get any quicker without the help of a major breakthrough.

*2008 mission time: 3 minutes 6 seconds*
There some significant similarities between the two runs and their strategies used, although different routes are taken. My timesave comes from identifying the mission critical objectives and ensuring I had them completed before the MFB's reach their objective.

----------------------------
Operation 3, Mission 4 - Timestamp 23:35

Mechs used:
Firefly, 10 ER Laser (M, Clan), 10 Double Heat Sinks, MASC, TAG, 162.0kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

A fast shooting run and gun, we take advantage of water for cooling, a new weapon mechanic – and a rather interesting glitch.

Our first task is to destroy 2 bridges and 2 buildings. We run for the water, taking out the first bridge on the left. The slow shooting is done to ensure we don't overheat before reaching the water. Once in the water, we can fire without worrying about overheating, where we take out the second bridge use our new addition – the TAG laser – on one of the buildings. The TAG functions as an artillery spotting device. As the story goes, there are other friendly mechs on the planet in a similar situation to us. One of them is carrying artillery weapons, and is happy to fire off a few shots when we call for it. Making use of this is important for our speedrun, as it costs us no heat, allowing us to run and gun without losing any speed.

It's also around this point that an enemy near one of the buildings will activate and do us the kind favour of destroying it for us. This is the glitch I mentioned. Mechwarrior 3 retains some information between replays of the same mission. For example, if there is a crater on the ground from an explosion, it will still be there if we restart the mission. If we exit back to the main menu and then launch the mission fresh, that crater won't be there. This doesn't apply to other mechs, buildings, targets etc and I don't know if it's a feature or a bug, but it does have a strange side effect that we take advantage of. The second target building we need to destroy has an enemy mech inside it. When it activates, it moves forward and bumps into the building. If we're playing a mission that has been restarted, that contact will result in the building being destroyed. I don't have an explanation or an understanding beyond that, but I'm definitely not complaining.

Once our first targets are destroyed we continue upriver staying on the land when moving between destinations for maximum speed, then into the water when needing to take out our objectives. Once the 2 laser towers and the bridge are down, we head for the final enemy, dispatching him by taking out a leg.

*Mission time: 1 minute 2 seconds*
Mechwarrior 3 is a game that is generally pretty well made, and the speedruns reflect it. There is very little in the way of bugs or glitches that come into play – but this is one of those rare exceptions. The rest of the mission is a fun balance between speed, accuracy and heat management. Good fun.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 53 seconds*
The two strategies used are actually quite similar: taking out objective buildings at range, using water to manage heat, and ignoring all enemies except the mission critical final mech. In open spaces like this, the biggest factor to mission time is mech speed and in this mission, there is a huge difference between the two runs. The 2008 run is extremely well played for the build used, but when I'm running almost 100kph faster it's a very different result.

----------------------------
Operation 3, Mission 5 - Timestamp 24:56

Mechs used:
Firefly, 2 LRM10 (Clan, 120 rounds) 10 Double Heat Sinks, MASC, TAG, 178.2kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

Another high speed run and gun. We have a straight run to a couple of buildings that we quickly destroy. Key to success here is accurate shooting, and timing through speed management. Run at full speed when firing at the buildings and we'll overshoot the target before we destroy it, but of course we can't slow down too much.

Once the buildings have been taken out, we turn North and run straight for our final objective – a heavy gate that we're going to destroy with our TAG laser. Once the gate is marked, we back up to avoid being killed ourselves, whilst the barrage flies in from overhead.

*Mission time: 1 minute*
Navigating through the city at high speed is a blast when you get it right. The Firefly is a fragile as they come and even a single shot can be deadly. Tight cornering and precise shooting make this mission one of the highlights of the run for me.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 13 seconds*
With this being a relatively simply mission, the strategies used are quite similar. I save time with a faster build, more direct routing, and by maintaining speed and momentum.

----------------------------
Operation 3, Mission 6 - Timestamp 26:19

Mechs used:
Strider, 8 ER Laser (M, Clan), 12 Double Heat Sinks, 1 Jump Jet, MASC, TAG, 147.8kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

O3M6 plays as something of a retread of O3M4. We order our lancemates towards the final objective whilst sprinting onwards and taking out the enemy base on the left. Once again, shooting is done at a measured pace, so as to not overheat and result in a loss of speed. After destroying the first objective, we bypass the second and instead go straight for the enemy Supernova that is waiting for us. This mech is set to activate after we destroy the second objective, so taking him out now makes it an easier process. From there, it's a sprint to the final buildings we need to destroy. We use the TAG laser once more so as to dish out some damage without costing any heat, with the final objective being completed for us by the enemy Avatar. At the start of the mission we set the final objective as a target for our lancemates – this Avatar is recognising that target as an enemy, and so does our job for us to end the mission.

*Mission time: 1 minute 2 seconds*
Relying on the AI in Mechwarrior 3 is a frustrating thing, but in this instance there's no faster way to win. The Avatar at the end has a mixed weapon loadout, with only his LRMs being able to destroy the target for us in a single shot. Unfortunately for us, he can fire any of his weapons as he pleases, so there were many excellent runs lost due to unfavourable RNG. Such is speedrunning life.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 47 seconds*
Just as with the last mission, both runs use very similar strategies, although my run again focuses on outright speed as a priority. This allows me to avoid enemy mechs and take a more direct approach to the objectives.

----------------------------
Operation 4, Mission 1 - Timestamp 27:41

Mechs used:
Bushwacker, 6 SRM6 (Clan, 90 rounds), 10 Double Heat Sinks, 2 Jump Jets, MASC, 117.8kph
Thor, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1080 rounds), 19 Double Heat Sinks, 87.9kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

Another mission with an effective limitation to how quickly it can be completed, but this time it's not the MFB. The run here is relatively simple – we have 3 stationary objectives to take out, all of which are dropped easily as we run past. There are many enemies in the area, all of which are completely ignored. We're fast enough to avoid them. The bulk of this mission is managing heat and speed.

Our real objective is train that spawns into that map at the 3 minute mark. At that point, we can target and destroy it. Getting up close allows for the quickest way for the train to be destroyed. Once the final salvo has been fired, it's just a case of waiting for the explosions to move their way through the train, with the mission ending once the final train car falls.

*Mission time: 3 minutes 9 seconds*
Another mission that seems like it might have more time in it, but might not be as simple in practice. It's somewhat frustrating to have run that is essentially determined by only 5 seconds or so of gameplay. The rest of the objectives can be completed well before the train spawns, with the final timer coming down to how quickly the shot on the train can be made. The real challenge comes from targeting the train as soon as possible whilst avoiding the enemies escorting it. A faster mech can reach the spawn point sooner, but the enemy mechs are still there and would easily destroy anything lighter. Using a heavier much just wouldn't be fast enough. The Bushwhacker is the balanced medium, allowing us to reach our objective just as it spawns, whilst having enough armor to tank a few shots along the way.

*2008 mission time: 3 minutes 31 seconds*
The nature of this mission means that timesaves are effectively limited only to the train destruction sequence. The 2008 run does a good job of completing the mission efficiently, and I used the exact same strategy and build to learn my way around the mission. However, with use of the inventory glitch, I was able to use a loadout that allows the train to be destroyed in a single salvo, which is where the time difference is found.

----------------------------
Operation 4, Mission 2 - Timestamp 31:23

Mechs used:
Firefly, 2 LRM10 (Clan, 120 rounds), 10 Double Heat Sinks, MASC, TAG, 178.2kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

From a mission that can only be described as slow and tedious, we move into something much faster and find our second use of the replay glitch. The objectives here are simple – destroy the village, destroy the laser tower. That's it. LRMs are used for their splash damage, taking out multiple buildings at a time, with a TAG laser giving us additional free firepower. Whilst waiting for the LRMs to reload, we're walking backwards towards our final target. The goal here is to fire our last shot at the village, turn around and immediately fire at the laser tower. With all of that in place, we have the quickest mission of the run.

*Mission time: 35 seconds*
A fast blast of destruction, it's great fun to take out that village so quick. I made many attempts to get the lancemates involved, but wasn't able to get them attacking either target reliably. The destruction of the village is made possible by the same glitch mentioned in O3M4. When loading the mission fresh, 1 LRM salvo destroys 1 building. When reloading the mission, without doing anything at all in the previous play, our LRMs then destroy multiple buildings at a time. A big difference.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 13 seconds*
A major part of my time is the use of the replay glitch mentioned above, but prior to discovering this glitch I had been achieving quicker times than the 2008 run by using faster mechs. The firepower in the 2008 run allows for the village to be destroyed quickly, but moving to that point and then onwards to the laser tower in such a slow mech costs a lot of time.

----------------------------
Operation 4, Mission 3 - Timestamp 32:19

Mechs used:
Strider, 10 ER Laser (M, Clan), 10 Double Heat Sinks, 1 Jump Jet, MASC, 162.0kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
Bushwacker, 5 LRM10 (Clan, 1320 rounds), 14 Double Heat Sinks, 100.1kph
----------------------------

O4M3 is a challenge. On paper, it appears simple – we have two bases to capture. But in practice, there's a lot of work involved. This is one of the few missions that requires our lancemates to actually do some work. As the mission starts, we sprint towards the second base whilst sending our lancemates to the first. Capturing this base requires us to take out 4 Elementals, 2 Annihilators and 2 turrets. We use the water to stay cool once again, with the combination of tiny, agile battle armor and deadly, lumber assault mech presenting us with an imposing challenge.

After securing our objective, we run back to meet our lancemates. Capturing this base requires us to take out 2 Supernovas, 2 turrets and 4 Striker tanks. Our lancemates get to work on the Strikers, whilst we take out the mechs and turrets, ending the mission.

*Mission time: 2 minutes 26 seconds*
Another one of the big, complex challenges, this mission was a source of frustration. It wasn't just about getting the objectives complete, it was about doing it quickly. Having the lancemates in the right place and the right time – and shooting aggressively and accurately – is critical to success in this mission. My final run has a few small holes in it, but when all the elements come together as is needed – as they did here –  I'll take what I can get.

*2008 mission time: 3 minutes 27 seconds*
Following a similar theme to previous missions, the two runs follow the same ideas – using lancemates to attack the base whilst the player completes the landing pad objective – but I save over a minute with a faster mech and more efficient actions.

----------------------------
Operation 4, Mission 4 - Timestamp 35:10

Mechs used:
Firefly, 15 ER Laser (S, Clan), 10 Double Heat Sinks, 1 Jump Jet, MASC, 172.8kph
Annihilator, 10 LRM10 (Clan, 1560 rounds), 24 Double Heat Sinks, 48.6kph
Annihilator, 10 LRM10 (Clan, 1560 rounds), 24 Double Heat Sinks, 48.6kph
Madcat, 6 LRM10 (Clan, 1080 rounds), 19 Double Heat Sinks, 81.0kph
----------------------------

At a few other points of the run, you've seen me use the lancemate command function to take advantage of the enemy AI. Well in this mission, we aren't just taking advantage of it – we're abusing and humiliating it. We're going to take a mission that was clearly designed to be an impressive and awe-inspiring set piece, and make a mockery out of it. This is fun.

The objective is simple. We have to destroy a single object and 2 mechs guarding it. The 2 mechs are are a pair of Daishi, meant to be the most terrifying show of offensive firepower in the game. Our targets are in an armored fortress, defended by at least 3 Mad Cats, 2 Thors, 2 Orions...maybe even more, but we'll be too quick to know for sure.

After taking off straight towards to the objective, we set about breaking the first group of enemies. Directly in front of us is 2 Mad Cats and a Thor. Any of them could drop us in a single shot. But before we get close, we order out lancemates to defend a piece of terrain directly in front of them, which causes all 3 mechs to start attacking the ground at their feet. Distracted, we're able to blow right past them.

As we reach the first line of enemies, we setup for the 2 Daishi by once again ordering our lancemates, this time to defend the main objective itself. From this point, it's a straight run up to the target. There is a 2 part jump to perform. First we Jump Jet over the water and onto the side of the fortress itself. Making sure we keep momentum up, we head for the center. Our Jump Jet fuel is still low from the first jump, so we use a ramped piece of terrain to vault ourselves into the air by timing our jump to coincide with the point in which we hit this steeper slope. And now we see our prey, ignoring our presence and instead focusing on the very ground they guard. As long as we aren't the closest target, we're safe. We fire at the first Daishi before even landing our jump. He's down after a 2nd shot, the other Daishi falls shortly after and then we're free to destroy the final objective, putting an end to the big battle mission before it even really got started.

*Mission time: 44 seconds*
This is another highlight for me, both for the sheer speed, but also for being the most obvious use of manipulating the game in what is, in practice, actually pretty close to a glitchless run. And also because I vividly remember playing this mission back when Mechwarrior 3 was new, where it was a real standout for the impressive scale of the battle.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 25 seconds*
In this instance, the 2008 run takes a very aggressive strategy by going head-on into battle. A well armored heavy mech is used to be able to survive, which is needed given the number of heavy and assault mechs in this mission. My run is only possible thanks to using the nav points to manipulate the enemy AI. Were it not for this, my light mech would be destroyed well before reaching the objective. Prior to discovering this detail, I took a less direct route by swinging wide and approaching the fortress from the side.

----------------------------
Operation 4, Mission 5 - Timestamp 36:28

Mechs used:
Thor, 15 Pulse Laser (M, Clan), 15 Double Heat Sinks, 4 Jump Jets, MASC, 81.0kph
----------------------------

We're back to flying solo, with our lancemates sitting this one out. O4M5 presents a unique challenge, due to the deadly environment and high number of unpredictable Elementals. On paper, this is another relatively simple mission. We have to destroy 4 towers, destroy all enemies and reach a final nav point. The problem comes from the high ambient heat making weapons fire all but impossible, unless standing in one of the water pools at the base of each tower.

Navigation is a problem as well, with the various jutting ledges and corners making manoeuvring a sluggish assault mech more of a problem than you'd think. We;re back into a Thor. We have many faster mechs to choose from, but the combination of firepower and armor is crucial to surviving this mission with the aggressive playstyle needed to finish it quick.

The extremely high ambient heat in this mission means we need to be in the small pockets of available water as much as possible. We take out the first 3 towers in quick sucession. There are 3 Sunders in the area that are all capable of inflicting heavy damage. The first charges straight for us, with the second being destroyed at range from across the lava. They go down quickly enough but can easily cause problems, especially with their heavy hitting weapons throwing our aim off. We're now free to head towards the final tower, where we have another Sunder and 3 Elementals in our way.  The remaining Elementals stay put across the other side of the map, which means we need to take them out from a distance. They're hard to spot and a real pain to hit, but fortunately the pulse lasers we're using make that problem a lot easier to manage. Once the last Elemental is down, we're head to the elevator to end the mission.

*Mission time: 1 minute 32 seconds*
This penultimate mission is a great way to break up the run with something different, but can be a real challenge due to the behaviour of the enemies. The 3 Sunder can often be in slightly different locations, which can be especially challenging when trying to find the first one in the poor visibility, whilst the Elementals run about every which way – usually away from where you need them to be. Getting stuck on the terrain after completing the objectives was not ideal, but further attempts to produce a quicker time were unsuccessful.

I should also mention that there is another glitch that I discovered whilst completing this run, but was unable to successfully use to save time. When the player mech falls into the lava, it explodes. This explosion can destroy the objective towers and enemy units close by. If the mission is restarted at a specific point (I was aiming for just as the explosion was about to begin), the force of the explosion then plays out when the mission restarts. This means that I was able to start a mission, jump into the lava, restart and have some of the objectives explode as the mission begins again. I was able to recreate this glitch a number times, but wasn't able to put it together way that resulted in a faster time that just playing it normally. When using this glitch, I was able to destroying 1 or 2 of the towers. If it was possible to destroy more, then there could be something to explore in regards to using it to score a faster time. I leave this info for future runners to investigate.

*2008 mission time: 2 minutes 2 seconds*
The 2008 run uses more or less the same strategy as I used on my run, however I chose a faster mech and moved more aggressively through the level. This is a very difficult mission to find time on.

----------------------------
Operation 4, Mission 6 - 38:16

Mechs used:
Firefly, 10 ER Laser (M, Clan), 11 Double Heat Sinks, MASC, 162.0kph
Bushwacker, 9 LRM10 (Clan, 240 rounds), 10 Double Heat Sinks, 111.9kph
Bushwacker, 9 LRM10 (Clan, 240 rounds), 10 Double Heat Sinks, 111.9kph
Bushwacker, 9 LRM10 (Clan, 240 rounds), 10 Double Heat Sinks, 111.9kph
----------------------------

The final showdown of the game. The premise is simple, 4 of us, 4 of them. There are no other objectives or requirements, just eliminate all the enemies. We're facing a Cauldron Born, Mad Cat, Supernova and Daishi, all with enough offensive firepower to put us down in a single shot. But once again, we'll be using our lancemate commands to take their attention away from us.

After starting the mission, our lancemates are ordered to defend terrain which sends them on the advance and allows us to close in safely. The first target is the Supernova. Coming to a stop and disengaging MASC is used to get our heat down as quickly as possible, so that we can get our shots off without having to worry about shutting down. The Supernova drops after 2 salvos. We then turn to meet the Cauldron Born, the lighter mech being put away with only a single shot. The Daishi needs 3 and as it falls, the Mad Cat is taken out by LRM fire from our friendlies. The day is won and the run complete.

*Mission time: 42 seconds*
This final mission stands out to me as a great example of the many different ways a player can approach speedrunning Mechwarrior 3. There have been multiple varying strategies used to complete this mission, all played well and impressive in their own right. And it's that variety that I believe makes this game so satisfying to run.

*2008 mission time: 1 minute 1 seconds*
The final mission of the run sees two very different strategies play out. I take advantage of the nav point AI manipulation to allow me use a faster, lighter mech and go straight for the kill. The 2008 run uses the rim of the crater to close to point blank range and take out the enemies with heavy autocannons. This is extremely challenging and so very well played. This mission in the 2008 run is an awesome bit of speedrunning, but also shows how critical mech builds and planning is to Mechwarrior 3 speedruns.

And that's it! Mechwarrior 3 in 30 minutes and 44 seconds.


I'd to thank the Speeddemosarchives community for encouragement and guidance, Pendrokar for the 2008 run which served as a source of inspiration and motiviation, and the Mechwarrior 3 community for suggestions and support.
I hope you've enjoyed this speedrun as much as I did completing it. I'd love to see more people giving Mechwarrior 3 a try and hope this encourages others to look into it themselves.
Thank you for watching and reading!
~ Falconer Gray