Terrain

Terrain is a vital element of combat. Maneuvering your mechs (which aren't the subtlest things) and effectively countering their drawbacks with terrain use - and conversely, exploiting vulnerabilities of the enemies - is a huge part of combat. Furthermore, the type of biome has a global impact on the performance of your troops.

Biomes

 *  Badlands : The Badlands biome is a wind-scoured wasteland with little vegetation and little water. The extreme heat makes it more difficult for 'Mechs to sink heat. Fields of crystalline mineral deposits interfere with targeting systems, making it harder to shoot into them, as well as to shoot out of them.
 * Desert : The Desert biome is a rocky, windswept wasteland with little vegetation and little water. The extreme heat makes it more difficult for 'Mechs to sink heat. Fields of crystalline mineral deposits interfere with targeting systems, making it harder to shoot into them, as well as to shoot out of them.
 * Highlands : The Highlands biome features thick woodlands that provide cover, as well as sudden elevation changes and rocky outcroppings. Areas of marshland offer increased stability.
 * Lowlands : The Lowlands biome features rolling hills and gentle slopes, as well as thick woodlands that provide cover. Areas of marshland offer increased stability.
 * Lunar : The Lunar biome is similar to that of the moon of Terra. There is only a trace atmosphere, which makes sinking heat extremely difficult. Rare patches of ice provide some relief, but there is no cover of any kind aside from fields of boulders and the rims of craters. Radiation fields can offer some protection from enemy targeting, but they cause units in them to accumulate dangerous levels of heat.
 * Martian : The Martian biome is similar to that of the fourth planet of Terra's solar system. The thin atmosphere makes it difficult to sink heat, and it can suddenly whip up dust into swirling storms that provide some amount of cover. Radiation fields can offer some protection from enemy targeting, but they cause units in them to accumulate dangerous levels of heat.
 *  Polar : The Polar biome is marked by ice sheets, thick snow fields, and boreal vegetation. Jagged rocks carved by glaciers thrust up out of the snow, often forming vast, sharp mountain ranges. Heat sinks quite readily in this biome, but occasional pockets of geothermal activity can reduce heat efficiency for any 'Mech that stands in them.
 * Tundra : The Tundra biome is a cold boreal forest, with icy peaks and barren permafrost. Heat sinks slightly more readily in this biome, but occasional pockets of geothermally heated hot springs can reduce heat efficiency for any 'Mech that stands in them.
 * Jungle : The Jungle biome often has climates similar or more extreme than the tropical regions of Terra. Lush plant life and varied fauna are often trademarks, along with hotter than comfortable temperatures for the average human, while thick moisture clinging to exhaust vents improves thermal efficiency.

The most noticeable global effect of different biomes on the performance on your mechs is the way that heat sinking capacity varies with environment, as per the table to the right.

Terrain

 * Destroyed Building: Reduces movement speed and line of sight. Provides Cover.
 * Forest: Reduces movement speed and line of sight. Provides Cover.
 * Geothermal: Halves heat sink effectiveness.
 * Water: Doubles heat sink effectiveness.
 * Marsh: Stability damage taken reduced by 50%.
 * Mineral Field: Reduces movement speed by 10% and gives +4 difficulty to hit units in the field, but units in the field take a +2 difficulty penalty when firing.
 * Road: Increases movement speed.
 * Rough: Reduces movement speed. Stability damage taken increased by 50%.
 * Spore Field: Reduces movement speed and gives +4 difficulty to hit units in the field, but units in the field take +20% damage.