


One of the most popular recon 'Mechs of the Succession Wars, the Wasp carries only average armor, but its SRM rack gives it a powerful punch against other light 'Mechs in close-quarters combat. Its heavy weapon loadout can be deadly to other light 'Mechs - most do not even carry a weapon that can respond to an LRM rack at range. The Thorn is fielded not as a scout but as a rapid-reaction fire support ‘Mech. It is popular both as a scout and a training ‘Mech. One of the three most popular scout 'Mechs-along with the Locust and Wasp-the Stinger's (relatively) heavy armor and jump capability make it arguably the most survivable. It is fast and carries a heavy weapons loadout, but sometimes runs into problems with heat generation. The Mercury is designed as a fast raider, rather than a scout like most light 'Mechs. Almost all variants run into problems with heat buildup, as the Locust does not carry extra heat sinks. Many Locust variations exist, some adding more lasers and others adding SRM or LRM racks. It is cheap, lightly armored and even more lightly armed, but blazingly fast and maneuverable. The Locust is one of the most popular scout 'Mechs in the Inner Sphere, as well as one of the most numerous 'Mechs ever produced. As such it mounts jump jets and fairly heavy armor for a light ‘Mech at the expense of firepower and some speed. The Hornet is a light ‘Mech designed for scouting in urban environments. Source: BattleTech TRO 3025 (Revised Edition).The Flea is most notable for its service in the Wolf's Dragoons mercenary company. The Flea is a standard scout ‘Mech - fast, agile, and lightly armed. Source: BattleTech TRO: 3025 (Revised Edition).Those that are designed for combat prefer hit-and-run tactics or brutal ambushes to minimize return fire. Light 'Mechs, due to their lack of armor and weaponry, tend to be scouts and avoid combat as best as possible. Older 'Mechs have seen combat for decades if not centuries and are absolutely battle proven. However, their 'Mechs tend to be survivors, easy to maintain and repair. Even with innovations gleaned from the Clan invasions and the Grey Death memory cache, the Inner Sphere tends to lag behind the Clans in technical ability. Made up of the great houses fractured by the fall of the Star League, the Inner Sphere lost the technical ability to design and build new BattleMechs for centuries.
