Mech Commander Gold: Salvage a Mad Cat in Op1 Mis3, the cheap-o way!

This video was prompted by someone who asked about salvaging the Mad Cat in Operation 1 Mission 3. I had to think for a bit to come up with a clever way to do that!

Many players have struggled with the problem at the end of Operation 1 Mission 3: There's a Mad Cat-A that sorely outclasses their Mechs. Blowing up the fuel tanks usually takes it out. Of course, salvaging that Mad Cat would be even better! The question is, how do you do that? Catching the Mad Cat in the middle of the fuel tanks usually results in its total destruction, leaving an unsalvageable pile of molten scrap.

Alternatively, one could replay this mission many times, hoping to defeat the Mad Cat in battle and salvage it. But with its deadly weapons, that promises to be a painful experience.

Here, I present a clever and easy way to get that Mad Cat early on in the mission without having to play through the entire thing and reload, starting all over again if you don't get it!

It's also cheesy. And cheap-o. But it works, and it's the quickest solution to the question that was posed to me.

The bridge to the extraction point (and the Mad Cat) gets blown by an airstrike soon after you start. However, quickly race a Mech over at the start of the mission (pause the game if your fingers aren't quite that fast enough), take out the Saracen, then run on to the Mad Cat.

(See my video on Op1 Mis3, Part 1 of 2, for my mission walkthrough, which also has me running a Mech over to deal with the Mad Cat early on.)

Here, Lynx does exactly that. He destroys the Saracen, then runs his Commando over to the T-junction where the roads meet, and the Mad Cat comes running out to meet him. I run him away, up the hill. Rather than have his Mech destroyed and him possibly killed by tangling with the Clanner, I have him eject from his Mech once the Mad Cat is clear of the fuel tanks.

Now the Mad Cat will usually run on to stand over your ejected Mech...in plain sight for your artillery strikes to take it out! (This is the same tactic I used in the opening of Operation 3 Mission 6. See my video on it, here on Youtube!)

I drop a Large Artillery Strike and a Small Artillery Strike on the Mad Cat, timed so that they hit almost simultaneously. BOOM! The cockpit goes, and the Mad Cat becomes a salvage piece, complete with all its weapons, right here!

And what did it cost me? The Basic Sensor of Lynx's Commando, lost when he ejected. That's all it took!

(Note: Depending on your luck, you may need to reload if your strikes destroy the Mad Cat totally. Usually, it takes at least 2 artillery strikes, one of which must be Large, to turn the Mad Cat-A into a salvage piece!)

TO VIEWERS:
I'm happy to take any other questions on Mech Commander or discuss tactics/loadouts/anything pertaining to the game...except for cheating. Cheaters disgust me, and don't deserve my help. If you're a known cheater like MLVStan or Stockfreck, don't waste my time.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• Mech
• Commander
• Gold
• Salvage
• Mad
• Cat

[rushworxDOTnet]

how may tries did it take to get this... I can only salage it 1 in 10 tries, and to save the weapons its even harder

[Carsomyr80]

@rushworxDOTnet Less than 10.

[skylineGTRfanatic]

how you eject your pilot?

[Carsomyr80]

@skylineGTRfanatic Home+mouse left-click on the Mech you want to eject from.

[deliriouscouture]

instead of ejecting the mech, you could get him to lure the mad cat out and blow the tanks, timing it so that the mad cat isn't too close to the tanks that it gets fried. it's very difficult to get the airstrikes timed right to even destroy the mech, let alone salvage it. there's another mission later on where the mad cat is placed at the extraction point, and you can airstrike it after finding it with a spy drone. it takes a very long time (but it's worth it).

[Carsomyr80]

@deliriouscouture ...which is why I came up with this method. And the method you describe in the other mission you mentioned is something I already showed in the video I uploaded on that mission, almost a year before your post.

[DrainBlut]

It is especially important to replay for salvages on the harder setting or missions will become nearly impossible later on. Another example is the 6th or so mission that has the Catipult mech; naturally you should replay that again and again until you salvage because it gives you a Heavy mech quite early for free.(You can't actually buy one until much later and then you have to pay a fortune for it. Salvaging=free minus repairs.)

[DrainBlut]

Did not need a video for this. I did this on my own at age 10 the first time I played it when the game was new. Just run away until it stops following you... then bomb it to death. If it explodes, meaning you don't salvage, then restart the mission and try again.(Get used to that because you'll replay most missions in this game several times trying to get a good salvage)

[linx4355]

poor lynx :(

[Alexeiv03]

MAD CAT PILOT U MAD?

[a0classcriminal]

For people who still play this awesome game: an easier way is to run your mech to the bridge like here, but instead of ejecting just turn tail and run like hell right after touching the bridge the Mad Cat comes from. Run north to the base with turrets - after a while, the MC will just give up and stand still, as long as you remain off his radar. Bomb it.

This lets you keep one extra mech for the final part of the mission, when 2 Firestarter A's jump you. Lifesaver on veteran difficulty.

[ReachManA239]

This was my first salvaged Smoked Jaguar mech. I mean, SMOKE Jaguar

U MAD?

[I3loodIust]

I <3 this game! Thanks for the beta :D

[naichiuolphi]

I remember when I first played this game, I would simply do it. And I didnt even care about salvages and etc. I got all the Mad Cats on the game, I think, at least the early ones, and even the Hoolander II. And today because I got without internet I started it all over again, it took me like many plays to salvage the Hoolander D: Got the gauss, though. Nice video. Good times!

[Reskilober]

Hah! Actually tried this and it worked the first try! Had to actually reload the bridge bits more than the arty thing!

[LordLoreFonde]

Now every mission gets a lot more funny with it! XD