Top products from r/battletech

Here's my mini guide to the intellectual property.

Tabletop

For the Classic BattleTech miniature tabletop approach, ideally you want to buy miniatures (plastic lance packs or pewter at Iron Wind Metals), the main Total Warfare rulebook at Amazon or DriveThruRPG pdfs, and buy or print hex maps. There is also the option to buy the new BattleMech Manual instead of Total Warfare, which has reorganized the mech vs mech rules, and has everything you need to play a game with Mechs, only (Total Warfare also includes vehicles, airships, and infantry rules).

Alternatively, you could go 'tabletop lite' and get the aforementioned lance packs/IWM minis and the Alpha Strike rulebook (hard cover or pdf) for a slimmed down version of BattleTech that plays faster and uses open terrain boards like 40k, not hex maps. The Alpha Strike rules also include conversion for hex map play if you prefer it, and the Total Warfare rulebook includes Classic conversion for open board play rules as well.

There is also a way to "test" play for free or with minimal investment for both Classic and Alpha Strike:

Classic BattleTech:

• Quick start Classic BattleTech rules (free).
  
  
• Print free paper standees. Put them on paper bases that fit in hexes and can show sides of the hex clearly. Or proxy miniatures. If proxying, go for 32mm scale models. Technically, BattleTech is 6mm scale, but the mechs themselves are close to the size of a human at 32mm.
  
  
• Hex map sheets (print on big paper).
  
  
• Record sheets and stats for specific mechs. You should start with the premade starter box mech sheets here.
  
  Alpha Strike:
  
  
• Download the quick start Alpha Strike rules (free)
  
  
• Print mech standees (link above), or proxy minis.
  
  
• Play on terrain tables at your FLGS or at home.
  
  You can print the Alpha Strike stat cards for your mechs from the Master Unit List online. They also come with the Lance Packs if you bought them, and I believe are also in MekHQ (see below).
  
  Note: BattleTech game products are supported by tons of lore literature, with different editions and publishers over the years. 90% of literature out there is fluff, not rules. Ask here and we'll help you navigate that world, it's deep and confusing. We'll help you understand which books are good next steps for rules, and good next steps for lore if you care about that.
  
  Also, if you end up reading about other mechs in sourcebooks or novels or find
  something on Sarna.net you like, you can find their stats on MechHQ, a free companion software from the makers of the free MegaMek. MechHQ can print record sheets for pretty much any mech, or you can copy stats from the program into blank record sheets, which you can get here. MechHQ is just generally useful.
  
  If you go the Classic route you can also wait for the next release of the intro box due out in a few months. Note that Classic is the most versatile experience; there are rule books to turn your tabletop battles into campaigns, abstract from mech vs. mech to battalion vs. battalion, mix the RPG into the game to control a single MechWarrior that fights individual battles or commands entire planetary invasions, simulate space battles and even entire mercenary or great house campaigns that give you missions. Sky is the limit on the rulesets for this kind of play, but requires books. Lots of books.
  
  This is mostly a 1v1 experience.
  
  Pen and Paper RPG
  
  This really is an extension of Classic BattleTech, fully integratable with the tabletop war game, but I'm putting it separate because some people prefer just an RPG.
  
  The latest version of the RPG rules can be found in the book A Time of War, and you can buy any and all sourcebooks and novels for your history fix and setting-building. Others would be better than I to recommend where to start in the novels, but the 5 main house sourcebooks are the best historical overview. Almost all books can be found cheap on DriveThruRPG as pdfs, and some hardcopies are available at places like Amazon. This is mostly a 2+ group experience.
  
  Keep in mind, the combat rules are very simple, character vs. character. If you want to play an RPG as a mech pilot (MechWarrior) and then fight in mechs, you'll have to convert into Classic BattleTech. The RPG really was designed as a supplemental game system for the Classic BattleTech world to satisfy RPGers, but it isn't really that well-regarded as a stand-alone RPG system like D&D and other deep RPGs.
  
  Video Games
  
  For computer gaming, check out the free-to-play (with IAP) MechWarrior Online for the FPS, the old MechWarrior 2, 3, and 4 abandonware games for simulation style play, or the new tactical BattleTech game released by Hairbrained Schemes. You could also poke around with MechCommander Gold, an old RTS style game. Very dated, but being limped along by longtime fans as abandonware, free. There is also the fan-supported MechWarrior: Living Legends, an insanely extensive mod for Crysis Wars made by fans, and is free. And finally, you can wait for MechWarrior 5, the latest in the simulation franchise, when it gets released in a year or two. These are solo experiences outside multiplayer.
  
  Hybrid Tabletop and Video Games
  
  Mixing tabletop and video games, you can also download the fan-made MegaMek that is a 2d version of tabletop (warning, huge learning curve, it's open source, free). It can be combined with companion software MekHQ to run a campaign, and you could join the online campaign community at mekwars.org that run a global persistent campaign using MegaMek. They are quite newbie friendly. You can also attempt to play tabletop straight on Tabletop Simulator(TTS), the popular $20 Steam board game physics engine (note you can play tons of boardgames on TTS, not just BattleTech). These are mostly 1v1 experiences, but MegaMek does come with (shitty) bot play. You really should have the full tabletop rules before cracking MegaMek, because it does a lot behind the scenes, but you can get away with quickstart or more on TTS. Also TTS can be used to run campaigns with multiple players remotely.
  
  I would say those are the primary ways to get into BattleTech.
  
  I started off with a map pack, some random minis, and bought Total Warfare. From there, I downloaded blank record sheets and filled them out using MekHQ. That was my start for a few months of gaming.
  
  After that, I bought the expanded rules compilation published by Catalyst over a few years (TechManual, Tactical Operations, Strategic Operations, Campaign Operations, Interstellar Operations, and finally A Time of War to complete the collection). They did a good job of taking all the disparate rules and spinoff products from the past and brought them into one consistent and updated book series. Some haven't been printed in a bit, but should be reprinted soon. All are available as pdfs on DriveThruRPG.
  
  That's pretty much the core line of all rules most recently published for any conceivable scope, scale, and advanced rule you might ever be interested in. After that, I downloaded MegaMek and spent hours working out how it works, with help from here.
  
  Then I started to buy up lore. I picked up PDFs of the main House Sourcebooks, and then Technical Readouts for a few of the eras that were interesting. I bought some old sourcebooks from garage sales and online because they looked cool and interesting. Grabbed a Historical (like a Sourcebook but for a particular event or period of history), and an eyeing getting into the novels soon. DriveThruRPG sells much of them in PDF.
  
  I think that's a reasonable way into the franchise. There is a lot out there, but if you focus on the core rules for Classic BattleTech from Catalyst and realize most of the rest is either lore or expansion content, the rest is gravy.

Well first of all welcome to the game! It really is a fantastic system with an extremely deep lore (deeper than 40K IMHO) and an evolving timeline giving you the opportunity to fit your battles into any portion of the game's history.

Battletech is the miniatures-based board game on hexmaps that makes up the foundation of the Battletech hobby. Mechwarrior is the RPG extension, often used in conjunction with Battletech. Classic Battletech was a rebranding thought up in the 2000's to help keep people from confusing tabletop Battletech and the Mechwarrior Clix game that was popular at the time.

I would recommend that you start with the Introductory Box Set. It includes intro rules, maps, and lots of figures for you to get started with. Here is the convenient amazon link for you:
http://www.amazon.com/Battletech-Introductory-Box-Set-OP/dp/193687685X

The miniatures in the box have been recently updated and represent classic mechs that have been around throughout the game's timeline. They are supplied unpainted (dark greyish) and all but two of them are assembly-free.

If the game tickles you, I would recommend that your next purchase be Total Warfare. This is the core rulebook, and covers everything you need for 95% of the games you will want to play with Battletech. The Techmanual might be a good buy too if you want to start customising mechs for yourself. Iron Wind Metals provides the current range of pewter figures for you to spend your paycheque on.

If you don't want to paint than don't. Simple. This is not a WYSIWYG game like Warhammer. It's a board game with tabletop qualities and most people use proxies in some form or another. Only about 20% of the huge number of cannon variants have models even closely resembling them, so don't get too bent out of shape about how your figures look. If you want to base coat (spray paint) different forces different colours it might help inform your force arrangements, but other than that it's just gravy.

Similarly there is no hard rules for army creation like in Warhammer. The fluff provides us with some lose unit formations and a wealth of cannon units to choose from, but the universe is left deliberately open-ended to make sure that you can customize to your heart's content.

Make sure you ask around here if you have any questions. Most people enthusiastic about Battletech love to talk about it, whether its rules or unit design of the rich lore. And have fun!

Depends on how you like to consume lore.

The house books mentioned by someone else are histories of the major houses. Useful, but the free downloads lack art from what I recall.

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/House_Liao_(The_Capellan_Confederation)

(More on Sarna).

Speaking of: http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page
Is the wiki. Great for overviews and references, not a super run read through, and lacks lots of tiny details.

The books are most common (beyond playing games like MW again). I'd say grab the first of the Warrior Trilogy (rereleased for $5 on Amazon Kindle). See how you like the writing. It's pretty aged. Feels very 80s action pulp, but the universe is explored through more stories and characters than reading straight up histories. Also, keep a phone on hand to reference mechs and factions while reading Sarna.

https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Legends-Warrior-Garde-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B07LG34PT5/

Welcome to the game; it’s my favorite, hope you enjoy. The beginner box is a great place to start.

If you end up enjoying that, I’d recommend getting the main rulebook for ‘Mechs, the Battlemech Manual, and a digital copy of the “records sheet 3039 Unabridged” digital copy so you can print them easily.

Then some 3039 miniatures and you’re on your way!

If you have more questions, stop by anytime.

https://www.amazon.com/Circus-Fear-Widescreen-Greeting-Birthday/dp/B000AZD0U2/ref=asc_df_B000AZD0U2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312031372212&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8181980107931937863&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9018733&hvtargid=pla-635668195670&psc=1

The Battlemech Manuel is $30 on Amazon and the the most current book. You can also buy a map set for another $30 (or just play Terrain). And the Alpha Strike Lance Packs use the same Minis as Battletech. You will need about 8x Mechs to play a lance vs lance engagement. Lastly you need a digital copy of the Mech record sheets. The 3039 has most of the core designs you will want to play with.

That said, there are both quick start rules, sheets, paper mechs, and maps that you can print out if you just want to play the game. You can also forgo the official record sheet and use one of the various software tools or websites that are freely available online.

I haven't heard about a reprint but the book still has good availability from the usual sources that I check:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1941582397/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1_olp?crid=2N8A352P4F6XW&keywords=shattered+fortress+battletech&qid=1556050957&s=gateway&sprefix=shattered+fortress%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

Also, it's worth it. One of my favorite technical documents.

Although the older books are no longer in print, they have been reissued in ebook form. I found a few via Amazon.

Most people recommend the Warrior Trilogy as it starts right when most of the BT lore begins are the start of the 4th Succession War ~3025.

The Gray Death Saga is also a great start, I think, and I prefer the focused story of these books very the grand political intrigue of Warrior. It really hammers home that 3025 is almost post-apocalyptic fiction which I love.

> I don't know anybody else who plays it, and I don't know the game and its hundreds of rulebooks well enough to teach it to my gaming buddies.

> Now what?

Battletech Manual: Most current rulebook focusing on mech only combat, with rules streamlined and cleaned up (not changed though) from the Total Warfare rules.

So, one book that was designed specifically to help make the rules easier to understand from the previous edition, not hundreds. I would think if you really wanted to it wouldn't be hard to learn the rules and teach them to your friends, especially considering my friends and I were playing the game back around the age of 11.

That's assuming you don't want to get it in PDF form, or get the Total Warfare rules, which are the same except not quite as cleaned up and also including rules for vehicles, infantry, aircraft and whatever else besides just mech combat.

There are also map packs available if you need them, and you could either use generic markers for mechs or buy some models from Ironwind Metals or eBay if you needed those. That's assuming the Catalyst box sets don't come out soon. I see the starter box set slated for this year up on various sites for pre-order, although no date is set beyond '2018' yet.

Not sure if this will help with you being in New Zealand, but you can currently get the Beginner Box on Amazon for $20 (Prime Eligible):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AZD0U2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_.C21Cb86MPN0D

At the very least, if you knew someone trustworthy in the US, you could have them order it and then ship it to you.

Yeah I'm a little confused on the sequence of them all but this set comes with a Battlemaster and the Timber Wolf pictured as well as some much nicer plastic minis and 2 high quality hexboards.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0979204712/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467243851&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=battletech+total+warfare&dpPl=1&dpID=61t-CFsf1JL&ref=plSrch


Literally the first search option on amazon (unless you aren't in the us) 29.95 with free shipping with prime.

Are you talking about this starter set?

And thanks for the tips!

Several of the Alpha Strike boxes are still available on many places online. I even linked to one on Amazon being sold for less than its original retail price. Although, I actually meant to link to this one, which is only $12: https://www.amazon.com/Catalyst-Game-Labs-35715CAT-BattleTech/dp/B00SYI25WG/ref=pd_bxgy_21_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00SYI25WG&pd_rd_r=W6QXBFHQ35WADW23PDV7&pd_rd_w=B43AK&pd_rd_wg=8pNaT&psc=1&refRID=W6QXBFHQ35WADW23PDV7

EDIT: And this one is in stock and sold by Amazon itself: https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Assault-Lance-Board-Game/dp/B00QY3BZRO/ref=pd_bxgy_21_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00QY3BZRO&pd_rd_r=1TPYRZDQ5CF3DXHATCM1&pd_rd_w=NKMZ1&pd_rd_wg=cRO1M&psc=1&refRID=1TPYRZDQ5CF3DXHATCM1

EDIT2: And most the packs are still available from Catalyst themselves: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/pages/search-results?q=lance%20pack

It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!


Here is link number 1 - Previous text "One"

Here is link number 2 - Previous text "Two"



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^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete

This should be a link to the tech manual -> https://www.amazon.com/Battletech-Techmanual-Classic-Catalyst-Game/dp/0979204720/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F1QF7PS0G5809A6BJHRM

Anyway, tech manual is the least important of the core rulebooks. Most of the work contained in it should instead be conducted using a computer program such as SSW, as Building units by hand is tedious and should be avoided. The most important point in the book is the construction of capital ships and dropships, for which a good program does not exist (yet?), but campaigns rarely concern themselves with this content.

I'll gladly order one.

Is this the right one?

Uh, I got my Total Warfare book from Amazon here in Germany. And it was in English (though they had the German version in stock too, mine had "language: English: in the product description), with free Prime shipping. What country are you in?

Edit: here you go, and dirt cheap! http://www.amazon.de/Total-Warfare-Classic-Battletech-Randall/dp/1932564772/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1462197035&sr=8-3&keywords=battletech+total+warfare

Hey, you'll buy the CBT rulebook and use that to facilitate battles with vehicles and mechs:

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Battletech-Total-Warfare-FPR35101/dp/1932564772

An easier/more cost-effective method could be to buy the CBT Introductory box set:
http://www.amazon.com/Battletech-25th-Anniversary-Introductory-Box/dp/1934857599/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345122682&sr=1-1&keywords=battletech+box

This way you'll get everything you need to run a game, including 26 'mechs of varying weights. Should be fine if playing from an IS perspective (Only 2 Clan omnis in the box).

Iron Wind Metals sells other minis, if you want more. I personally bought a truckload of old MWDA minis and am using those with the miniatures rules (no hexes).

http://www.amazon.com/Robotech-Tactics-Starter-Board-Game/dp/1574572156

or

https://palladium-store.com/1001/product/55100-Robotech-RPG-Tactics-Box-Set.html

That link shows me the first result priced at $29.33

https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Battlemech-Manual-Catalyst-Game/dp/194158232X

This one.

We have actually been playing a campaign at our FLGS for a couple years now. We used Starter Book: Sword and Dragon first http://bg.battletech.com/test/getting-started/starterbook-sword-and-dragon/ which introduces you to the warchest system: an abstract campaign management system. I think it's a good middle ground between tracking each c-bill and actuator, but still keeping you accountable for your damage. It also uses what is called Touchpoints. Basically what this means is that there are a bunch of generic missions you can do (like scouting, raiding supply lines, or participating in a frontal assault) against randomly generated OpFor, but when you choose (and have completed the pre-requisite mission) you can start a Touchpoint. It's a tough, usually high-risk-high-reward "story mission". Then you switch, your opponent picks a mission, you generate the OpFor and play until he/she completes a touchpoint mission. The final Touchpoint in Sword and Dragon pits your two now very experienced (or ragged and battered) companies against each-other. It made for one hell of a game.

From there we jumped off into Total Chaos https://www.amazon.com/Battletech-Total-Chaos-Unnumbered/dp/1936876434 which expanded on the Warchest system adding rules to buy infantry, battle armor, aero fighters, anything. It is set in the Jihad era, and covers multiple Touchpoints(and background missions you can choose to fill out each one) each year for the years 3067-3085ish.

Lastly, the newest book, Campaign Operations has rules for randomly generating mercenary, pirate, or house forces of any size from a single lance to a houses entire armed forces. It also contains rules for operating your unit: paying pilots, hiring people, buying supplies, defection, etc. As well as generating contracts, pay, level of operational intensity, negotiating salvage rights, you name it. It lets you roll a few dice and then just play battletech, or it lets you get nitty-gritty and randomly generate the weather and gravity conditions on the randomly generated planet for your randomly generated guerilla warfare contract.
http://bg.battletech.com/test/core-rulebooks/campaign-operations/

Sorry for the wall. If y'all have any more questions, please feel free to pm me or ask here. I'm not a catalyst rep, but I'll do my best. :)

I was actually trying to recommend Total Chaos - A Jihad campaign sourcebook.

https://www.amazon.com/Battletech-Total-Chaos-Unnumbered/dp/1936876434/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465911926&sr=8-1&keywords=total+chaos+battletech

I was looking at this one but still debating on either from amazon or a recommendation from a wargaming channel. I know a bunch of channels get advertisements for what they use

6' x 4' Double-Sided Mouse Pad Rubber Battle Mat: Vernal Grass + Siberia + Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q8YQLXS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fZAZDb28DDBDS

Those Battle Manuals are the only two. They didn't sell well and there will not be more. Though there should be an updated all-in-one Alpha Strike book coming out in the near future. As for more content. Any of the Battletech source books that use the Chaos Campaign (included in the ASC), Warchest system (after 2008/9) can be used as Alpha Strike Content. Getting physical copies of those books can be a Challenge, but the most recent one of Shattered Fortress should still be findable.

Sword and Dagger by Ardath Mayhar was the very first book, but it's gotten a bit pricey. It is the lead up to the Warrior Trilogy and gives background to the overall reason for the 4th Succession War.

I think I made it through two chapters of Dark Age, just couldn't do it.

Ok, that's great info thanks.

So, what's the difference, aside from being published 9 years apart, from the Classic Battletech Techmanul (2008) and the Battletech battlemech Manual (2017) ? In theory, could they work in conjunction with eachother?

Another question that I didn't ask in the OP, some printouts I'm seeing around just have a list of weapons with no range modifiers on them - is there a list of all weapons with damage and range modifiers?

I also couldn't find this in the Beginner's Box rules - regarding missiles there is a section on clustering damage but each LRM or SRM on the mechs only have a Qty of 1 - can you only shoot one missile at a time? Or can you just shoot multiple up to your ammo count? We also didn't play with heat yet, so I figure this could come into play...

This answer comes in two flavors:

Infantry was added to the Battletech rules set as means of expanding the tactical possibilities and increasing the replay value of the game.

Crunch wise, the rules were tacked on and will take hundreds of men to reliably threaten a mech on a game field. In the absence of situational objectives or scenarios, they simply do not function at the level the rulset was intended to play at.

Fluff wise, units of soldiers represent some of the background 'noise' against which the story of stompy robots is told. Books such as Mercenary's Star by William Keith and Close Quarters by Victor Milan, show a much more personal interaction between foot soldiers and mechs, and will answer your question in a very entertaining fashion. But ultimately the focal points of Battletech are the mechs, not the infantry, and the stories generally bear this out.

In modern land warfare, infantry IS the battle, everything else exists to help him do his job: Make the other guy die for his faction..

• Recon vehicles to find enemy.
  
• Artillery to blow up the enemy before he gets there.
  
• Trucks, APCs, and helicopters to carry him to the battle.
  
• AFVs, IFVs, and gunships to carry the weapons into battle that he cant.
  
• Tanks to reduce the strong-points and to kill the vehicles he cant.
  
• Air support to do the same when there are no tanks around that can.
  
• Anti-aircraft systems to shoot down the enemy air support that is trying to same to him.
  
  in reference to your other thread: What part of this ballet do you think a battlemech will dance in?
  ****
  Bonus question time-
  
  In Battletech, a battle armor unit is a better representation* of the threat infantry represents to an armored unit on a battle field.
  
  In reality, the physics of the Battletech universe is incompatible with our own, so without accounting for that, a comparison is essentially meaningless. (It would be bloody cool to have battle armor kicking around in real life though)