Siege Mech

Siege Mech is a Ranged-class mech in Into the Breach.

Team
The mech is available as part of the Steel Judoka squad.

Strategy
The Siege-mech is the primary highlight of the Steel Judoka, and one of the best artilleries in the game. Unlike other artillery weapons, the cluster missiles do not deal damage on the center of their shot; instead, the weapon deals damage on the surrounding tiles, while simultaneously pushing them. This makes the mech extremely versatile - being able to push and damage multiple enemies at once can generate a lot of value per action, since it might be able to deal with several threats at once, while simultanously being able to kill or wear Vek down. Since it doesn't deal damage at its center, it is also useful for getting webbing Veks of your other mechs or objectives.

Because it is so powerful, the Siege-mech is usually the first priority to upgrade. Its upgrades increase its damage by one - for a total of 2 - and give it building immunity, meaning it will no longer damage buildings even if it hits them. Usually, it is a good idea to upgrade its damage first, so it can oneshot Psions and add some much needed damage to the Judoka; but depending on the map layout, it might be preferable to swap to building immunity beforehand. In general, the building damage isn't a large issue as long as you position your mechs properly, but it should be gotten rid off eventually.

Like most artilleries, the Siege-mech should be placed in a clear "line" that it can move in, so that it can potentially hit and push the entire field from every direction. Furthermore, it is recommended that it is placed further in the back, as it's low health put it at risk by getting killed through scorpions or leapers. Since it only deals one damage at base, and most Vek come with two health, the player should try to use it and push Vek into other things - including your own mechs - or water and hazard tiles to immediately kill them.

In terms of pilot choice, Mafan is by far the strongest. The replenishable shield makes up for the fragility of the mech, while it's preference for the backline renders the healthpoint issue moot. If Mafan comes with +1reactor core already unlocked, the player can also get an upgrade immediately, giving it a significant powerspike early and allowing them to upgrade their other mechs sooner as well. Other good choices include Lilly, Chen, or Harold. Lilly allows the Siege-mech to easily get into a good position from turn one, while Chen boosts the overall mobility of the mech, and Harold can be useful in a bind if the mech should get trapped by a scorpion. When it comes to secondary weapons, the cluster artillery pairs best with passive effects; you could theoretically equip other weapons as well, but because the cluster artillery is already so versatile, they usually don't add much other than straight damage. The "Force Amp" passive deserves a special mention; since the mech will deal a lot of push damage, force amp makes it incredibly powerful.