Editing Death From Above

{{otheruses|the combat maneuver|the show or other uses|Death From Above (disambiguation)}}
:''"'''DFA'''" redirects here on the assumption that it refers to Death From Above. You may be looking for [[Degenerative Feedback Anomaly]] instead.''
:'''Highlander Burial''' and '''Jump-Kick''' redirect here.

'''Death from Above''' (DFA) is a type of [[physical attack]] maneuver in which the attacking [['Mech]] engages its [[jump jets]] to jump and then land (drop) on its target.

==Characteristics==
Although the details differ depending on the overall ruleset, Death from Above is invariably a risky and difficult maneuver that inflicts a great deal of damage to the target but usually also some damage to the attacker. It cannot be performed by 'Mechs without jump jets. Many MechWarriors consider this tactic reckless, but admit it gives a strong advantage to BattleMechs equipped with jump jets.<ref>''Technical Readout 3025'' p. 36</ref>

==History==
Death from Above seems to be a tactic as old as jump jets, first fielded on the ''[[Wasp]]'' which entered service in [[2464]]. 

It was pioneered by [[BattleMech]]s like the ''Wasp'' during the [[Reunification War]]. As the war got underway, [[Light 'Mech|light]] and [[Medium 'Mech|medium 'Mech]] [[MechWarrior (pilot)|pilots]] often found themselves confronted by heavier opponents against whom their standard weapon payloads were insufficient. Searching for a way to inflict greater damage on their opponents, these pilots began using their [[jump jets]] to launch their 'Mechs into the air and smashing their legs into the enemy's head or chest in what was then dubbed the '''Jump-Kick''' maneuver. While gaining some popularity among light 'Mech pilots, the designers had never foreseen this use of their 'Mechs and so had never built the machines around this function. The end result was that, after just one or two good jump-kicks, a 'Mech's lower leg assemblies would actually be torn off from their bodies, leaving them dangerously immobilized; the ''Wasp'' in particular suffered from this. The problem was solved when the designers replaced the stress bars along the actuator paths with monomolecular stress-resistant material, and by [[2610]] nearly all light 'Mechs had been updated with this fix.<ref>''Technical Readout: 3025'', p. 10</ref>

When performed by a ''[[Highlander]]'' BattleMech (or possibly any [[Assault 'Mech|assault]] class 'Mech), this attack is sometimes referred to as a "'''Highlander Burial'''", because a light 'Mech can be crushed and literally buried into the earth by the ''Highlander''&#39;s impact.<ref>''Technical Readout: 2750'', p. 52</ref> In fact, the ''Highlander'' was redesigned specially to perform it better.<ref name=TRO2750p52-53>''Technical Readout: 2750'', pp. 52-53, "HGN-732 Highlander 'Mech Profile"</ref><ref name=ACtA02>''Combat Manual Mercenaries'', p. 58</ref> 
The [[Northwind Highlanders]] were specialized in this type of attack.

During the [[Dark Age]], [[Clan Jade Falcon]]'s followers of the [[Mongol Doctrine]] chose DFA as one of their main tactics. For the conquest of [[Terra]], [[Clan Wolf]] created a BattleMech, the ''[[Amarok]]'', with a defense system specifically designed to counter and deflect DFA attacks. The system saw a short live use, though it was a great help during the [[IlClan Trial]].<ref>''Hour of the Wolf'', p. 278</ref>

==Notable casualties==
* [[Colonel]] [[Fiona Cochraine]], commanding officer of [[Cochraine's Goliaths]], was killed by [[Andrew Redburn]] in the battle of [[St. Andre]] at the beginning of [[Fourth Succession War]] in [[3028]].<ref>''Warrior: Riposte'', pp. 253-254 - Prince Hanse Davion is debriefed on the battle of St. Andre.</ref>
* Marshal [[Carl Sanders]] of the [[Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry]] was killed by a [[Stinger]] performing a DFA attack in the [[Battle of Glenmora (3028)]].<ref>''Wolf's Dragoons'', p. 40: "Glenmora"</ref>
* [[Jasek Kelswa-Steiner]], leader of [[Stormhammers]], was killed in this way by a [[Clan Jade Falcon]] commander during the battle of [[Coventry]] in [[3148]].<ref name=ACtA20>''A Splinter of Hope/The Anvil'', p. 126</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File: Historical Liberation of Terra I cover.gif|''Royal Black Watch'' ''Highlander'' executing a DFA attack during the ''[[Amaris Civil War]]''
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
*''[[Technical Readout: 2750]]''
*''[[Technical Readout: 3025]]''

[[Category:Strategic and Tactical Doctrines]]