MechWarrior 5 Ashes & Ascension Guide: What to Do First

Quick Answer

Choose Career → Ashes & Ascension Quickstart to begin in 3058, then follow the First Whitting Conference Priority Transmission.

Once Operation Bulldog starts, check Days to Launch and your available ‘Mechs before deploying. The campaign runs from Matamoras through Albiero.

Ashes and Ascension adds 18 campaign missions to MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, following Operation Bulldog’s offensive against Clan Smoke Jaguar. Along the way, you can recover valuable Clan equipment, acquire new BattleMechs, and collect ten fixed High-Reward Crates.

The biggest challenge is keeping your company ready for the next fight. One mission may leave enough time for basic armor repairs but not a complete rebuild. Another may offer a heavier drop limit while several of your strongest machines are still undergoing repairs.

Having enough tonnage available does not mean you have enough working machines to fill it. A reliable reserve can be worth more than another expensive chassis that will spend the next several deployments in the Mech Lab.

How do you start Ashes and Ascension?

The simplest option is the 3058 Ashes & Ascension Quickstart in Career mode. You can also enter the campaign with an eligible existing Career.

The First Whitting Conference begins the transition into Operation Bulldog. Before accepting the conference contract, finish any company preparations or travel you want to complete independently. The campaign then controls the sequence of travel and deployments.

If the Priority Transmission is missing, your existing Career does not show the expected start, or you are unsure when to accept the contract, follow how to start Ashes and Ascension before committing your company.

How should you prepare for Operation Bulldog?

Start with the machines you can deploy, not the ones you hope to finish repairing.

The campaign can move into another operation before major damage has been repaired. A machine may survive a battle but lose its primary weapon, require extensive structural work, or remain unavailable when the next assignment begins.

Before each deployment, check:

• Days to Launch: Will the machines you are counting on be ready in time?
• Available lance: Can you field enough working ‘Mechs without depending on unfinished repairs?
• Pilots and equipment: Are your assigned pilots available, and do the selected machines have working weapons and ammunition?
• Mission objective: Does the assignment require reconnaissance, concentrated firepower, protecting an allied position, or reaching a particular target?

A fresh 3058 Career makes these decisions especially important because the company begins with limited reserves. An established Career may have enough spare machines and equipment to absorb more losses, but damaged machines still need to be ready before they can deploy.

If the deployment screen warns that a selected ‘Mech is still being worked on, check its repair order against the mission deadline. If the machine cannot be ready, choose an available replacement rather than assuming the higher tonnage limit will solve the problem.

There is no need to fill every available ton if doing so requires bringing an unsuitable or badly equipped machine.

Operation Bulldog: where do you go next?

Operation Bulldog progresses through five campaign locations:

• Matamoras: The opening offensive introduces short preparation windows and the need to preserve your initial lance.
• Janette: Reconnaissance, Nova Cat positions, and the confrontation with Star Colonel Gregor Nostra.
• Hanover: Landing operations, priority-target engagements, counterattacks, and support for the Crater Cobras.
• Bangor: Consecutive operations put pressure on your available machines as the SLDF fights to maintain its position.
• Albiero: The offensive reaches its final stages as the remaining Smoke Jaguar forces attempt to hold their positions and withdraw.

The missions do not all ask you to clear the battlefield. Sometimes identifying a target, destroying an installation, holding a defensive position, or returning to a marked waypoint is enough to advance.

Pay attention when the objective changes. Continuing an unnecessary fight after receiving a withdrawal order can cost weapons and armor that you will need in the next deployment.

The complete Ashes and Ascension walkthrough follows the campaign from Matamoras through Bangor and Albiero, including deployment limits, repair windows, mission objectives, difficult encounters, and the final Operation Bulldog battle.

Which Clan ‘Mechs should you keep?

Ashes and Ascension introduces 13 new Clan BattleMech chassis, including the Huntsman, Hunchback IIC, Nova Cat, Marauder IIC, Stone Rhino, and Bane.

You can encounter desirable Clan machines well before your company has the time or resources to rebuild them. A salvaged assault ‘Mech may offer impressive firepower, but repairing it can compete with the money and preparation time needed to keep the rest of your lance operational.

Before committing to a purchase or salvage choice, consider whether the machine fills a role your current roster lacks and can become usable within the time available. Working Clan weapons and replacement components may provide a more immediate improvement than another damaged chassis.

For the full chassis list, variants, acquisition options, equipment choices, and when a purchase or repair is worthwhile, see the Ashes and Ascension Clan ‘Mechs and Salvage Guide.

Where are the 10 High-Reward Crates?

There are 10 fixed High-Reward Crates distributed across the Operation Bulldog campaign. These contain valuable weapons and equipment that can help replace combat losses or expand your available loadouts.

They are not the same as ordinary battlefield pickups.

Red pickup markers identify the fixed High-Reward Crates, while blue markers can represent random supplies such as ammunition. Finding a blue pickup does not mean you have recovered that mission’s fixed reward.

Not every campaign mission contains one of the ten crates. Searching every ordinary battlefield for a red marker can waste time and expose your lance to unnecessary fighting.

Before leaving a mission with a fixed reward, check its location so you do not have to abandon the collection when the withdrawal objective appears.

The All 10 High-Reward Crates & Rewards list identifies the relevant missions, their weapon rewards, and available location maps.

What if your company is struggling halfway through the campaign?

Repeated Clan engagements can leave several machines under repair at once. The situation becomes particularly difficult when a short deployment deadline follows a battle that destroyed expensive components.

At that point, focus on restoring enough combat capability for the next mission rather than rebuilding every damaged machine to its ideal configuration.

A few decisions can keep the campaign moving:

• Several machines are unavailable: Check which repairs can finish before the next deployment. Keep working reserves in service.
• You have insufficient C-Bills: Avoid optional purchases or extensive refits until the immediate lance can be repaired and equipped.
• Your lance is losing weapons repeatedly: Preserve replacement equipment and avoid exposing already damaged components to another unnecessary engagement.
• The next drop limit is higher: Increase your deployed tonnage only when you have suitable machines ready to use it.
• You are repeatedly failing the same battle: Check whether the objective requires a particular action or position rather than simply destroying more enemies.

Some battles are easier with heavier machines, but increased tonnage alone will not compensate for missing weapons, unavailable pilots, or a lance that cannot sustain another engagement.

As Operation Bulldog approaches its conclusion, keeping enough working equipment for the next deployment becomes more important than collecting every possible salvage item. Once Albiero is complete, you can return to longer-term Career projects without the same immediate campaign deadlines.