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Getting Into Classic Battletech
Valkun
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So some friends of mine want to start playing Battletech, the table top strategy game that started the franchise spanning countless games, books, and even an animated TV show. As with anything table top related, there's a huge library of source books, expansions, and accessories available. Where does one get started and what's a must have item that no player should be without? Consequently, how much should one be looking to spend to get into it? Experience from 40k has taught me that this stuff gets expensive fast.
I've also heard criticisms regarding the game in that battlemechs are far outclassed by other unit types in terms of effectiveness per point. Not that it should matter because we'd probably play a lot of mechs even if they're horrible in comparison, but I was curious if it's still an issue.
Once I actually learn some things, I'll try to update this into a proper opening post. But for now, any help or advice on getting started would be greatly appreciated.
I've also heard criticisms regarding the game in that battlemechs are far outclassed by other unit types in terms of effectiveness per point. Not that it should matter because we'd probably play a lot of mechs even if they're horrible in comparison, but I was curious if it's still an issue.
Once I actually learn some things, I'll try to update this into a proper opening post. But for now, any help or advice on getting started would be greatly appreciated.
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In another regard, I'm not certain they're still making BattleTech miniatures at all.
I've never actually played BattleTech with anything but mechs because why even bother, mechs are awesome.
(When my group played battletech, the 'opening cost' was a book, a mat, terrain pieces, and miniatures. I wouldn't expect to spend much more than a hundred bucks or so for a barebones game.)
It comes with a rulebook*, maps, plastic miniatures, dice etc. I suppose that's low enough of a cost to dive in and get a feel for it. Just briefly skimming their quick start guide, do you even really need to buy the mini's? It seems like small hex markers would work just as well.
*Rulebook is not the same as the main $40 rulebook so it's probably very skimmed down in the fluff and some of the more intricate rules are probably cut out as well.
http://www.ironwindmetals.com/catalog/index.php
There's also a separate page specifically listing the recommended introductory products.
You need dice.
You can play with counters to start with, although they need to be able to indicate facing. A hex map will make things slightly easier to start with, but if you already play 40K it won't really be an issue.
If you want to try the game out online or against bots, Megamek is quite good, or at least it was 2 years ago when I last tried it.
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EDIT:
You can basically spend however much you want on the game, since the starting cost is practically free what with the free downloads. It depends on what you're interested in. If you want a miniatures game, you can buy minis, paint, terrain and all the usual paraphernalia -- I believe Iron Wind Metals, linked in the previous post, is the official miniatures manufacturer. If you like the background, there are a ton of novels and sourcebooks. If you want an RPG, there are a lot of materials along those lines as well.
Full product list. It seems kind of grim that the list is 10 pages instead of 1 if you include "Out of Print" items, too.
I don't know if they've fixed it in the past few years, but the last time I checked BattleTech was sorely lacking anything like a fair points system. They had one or two perfunctory attempts at it, but I think the latest, the Battle Value system, was generally acknowledged to be significantly flawed.
Vehicles were badly gimped in the version I last played, but this may have been addressed (they already had optional rules along these lines before). However, it was possible to flood a game with tons of cheap, fast hovertanks, which generally made things no fun for anyone.
Its a really fun game when you get into it, real simple to do terrain as its either Level 1 (half a mech high hits roll on the punch table), level 2 (as high as a mech, blocks LOS), level 3+ (really tall, gives everyone a great view of you when you jump onto it)
Personally I loved my Warhammer with two er ppc's and 2 lbx 20's. Nothing like firing the ppcs, and then using buckshot LBX rounds for extra chances at damaging internals.
Because when the OP was asking about 'Classic Battletech', I had forgotten that they had started republishing the stuff under that title.
Yes; Classic BattleTech is what they named the old game after the Mechwarrior Clix game was released.
I have the starter set, the full rulebook and the new max tech book.
The starter set rulebook contains all the rules you need to run battletech games with Inner Sphere 3025 tech. EG: No clans or C3 networks or whatnot.
The big rulebook contains all the optional rules and later tech stuff.
The max tech book contains a lot of kewl fluff about the weaponry and about 50% of its volume is rules for designing your own mechs / vehicles / dropships / everything.
The revised BattleValue system with the new version is actually pretty damn good. It's never going to be perfect when you start mixing clan vs inner sphere 3025 vs inner sphere 3055 etc... but it's pretty darn close.
The game itself is really optimized to be played with 2-12 units per side in a game. More than that and you end up with just way too much record keeping and turns take hours to get though. If you want large battles you need to use MegaMek.
Swarms of cheap vehicles are only a dick move in that it makes everything take forever because of how many you are deploying. Vehicles themselves are actually pretty well balanced for their points.
The premise of the game and it's fiction is that vehicles are supposed to be a lot more vulnerable than mechs. And they are. In battletech vehicles shine as support units.
2) I like Heavy Gear better, because I always thought the ablative nature of armor in Battletech was cheesy. Heavy Gear is much more rules-intensive, however.
3) Swarms of cheap vehicles are not terribly nasty. Swarms of cheap 'Mechs are VERY nasty when you consider the charging rules. Having twenty Locusts per Daishi to suicide-charge means an IS win.
Edit:
4) MaxTech is pretty fucking cheesy. So are LAM's; feel free to dick-punch anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
EVERY. DAY.
You talking about the new MaxTech or the older (revised master rules) one? Because the newer maxtech book isn't what you are thinking at all.
And nothing is kewler than the Pheonix Hawk LAM from the original printing 3025 book.
Also, I only wish that there were 'Mechs larger than 100T so that the incoming dick-punch would do more than 20 damage with TSM.
It's a shame you can't put arms on a dropship.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
The MechWarrior clix game introduced ultraheavy mechs, who were 130 tons and walked on three legs.
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior/mw_article.asp?cid=40980
They were pretty lame.
135T, actually. I wonder if they will ever get "Classic" rules. Still, that's 6 more damage to Riemann's nuts.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
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"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
Eh. I think the Clans were a terrible addition to the game in terms of story and gameplay. Their 'Mechs look okay, though. Aside from the Clans, I feel the worst thing about BattleTech is its artwork (opinions opinions again), but the original Clan Omni designs weren't horrible.
The little fluff book that comes with the starter set (available via free download) has a ton of the ugliest mechs I've ever seen. All of their humanoid designs look roughly the same and are universally horrendous. They even made the Atlas look ridiculous.
Visited one of the few remaining hobby places in Vegas and apparently they don't carry Battletech merchandise. Are there any good online sites that are worth visiting that are comparable to or better than Amazon.com?
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Is it nationwide phenomenon that hobby and comic book stores are closing up shop? Because here, there's only one left that I know about.
The miniatures aren't as bad as the artwork right?
In my opinion, they are. But you should look for yourself and decide.
http://www.camospecs.com/ -- As far as I know this is the biggest BattleTech miniatures gallery on the Internet
http://ironwindmetals.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=16_21 -- Iron Wind Metals's online catalog.
The plastics that come with the starter set are basically all trash in terms of look and quality (really shitty plastic). But they are good enough to play with anyway.
If you are in the greater Seattle area check out American Eagle (Lake City, just north of Lake City Way & 125th) they have quite a few battletech minis in stock.
Edit: And I cannot emphasize enough how small scale tabletop battletech needs to be. You do not want to play a game with more than 4 mechs on a side starting out. And even if you have the rules all memorized you are only getting up to company (12 mechs) sized engagements. The game just does not work for more than that. So you do not need many figures.
Except the Urbanmech.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
Quineg.
Inner Sphere or bust.
The Gray Death Legion lives on!
I remember the Urbanmech and its ridiculous garbage can with a big gun design from Battletech 3025. Had a blast playing that while it was still around. I take it a replacement for it still hasn't been developed?
Each of the inner sphere states always had both House X name (for their ruling dynasty) and another.
Davion = Federated Suns
Steiner = Lyran Commonwealth
Liao = Capellan Confederation
Marik = Free Worlds League
Kurita = Draconis Combine
The names for Davion / Steiner change depending on the timeline post 3025 because they end up in an alliance, then combining as a single state (Federated Commonwealth) then splitting up again with slightly different names for the halves.
Edit: You all might be interested in the books of Poul Anderson. His books were probably the single most influential source for the setting as it existed prior to the clans. Like as much as Warhammer is the source for everything Blizzard has ever done (and in turn much of Blizzards stuff is based on Moorcock etc...)
It also helps that Anderson was one of the (if the the most) skilled sci-fi author of the later 20th century. Makes for much easier reading than the pulp (at best, utter crap usually) that comprises the actual battletech books.
That is the most current version of the basic (3025 tech only) rules. All the clan and optional stuff is in the hardbacked rulebook released at the same time as that box.
I also get a shoutout in the field manual, capellan confederation ^_^.
Seriously? That's pretty cool.
That is something I always loved about FASA: the little tidbits of character they added to their games, like integrating cool player stories into canon or those Shadowland sidebars in all the SR sourcebooks.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
In the campaign we'll likely be playing, I'll probably be using 3050 IS tech against equivalent Clan tech since it's set during the invasion. Right now, I'm thinking I'll probably be fielding a fast, light, jump capable force with units specializing in certain ranges.
Two 3025 Catapults would be absolutely brutalized by a Mad Cat, as they don't have enough damage output to punch through the Mad Cat's nearly maxxed-out FF armor. Now, if you go with the 3050 Catapults, armed with Arrow-IV's, and they can get the jump on the Mad Cat (and don't miss too many shots), then they might win. You'd need a spotter, though, like a Raven or TAG infantry.
"Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
I would go after the Mad Cat with a few heavy-end mediums with jump jets kitted out for point blank range + physical combat. Especially the Hatchetman.
Why? Check out the to-hit modifiers chart. It's really godsdamned hard to hit a mech that is jumping. Make that just about impossible at long range. You want to swarm into the mad cats face as fast as possible and start pounding on it at point blank range.
Hatchets especially are awesome. A 50 tonner packing a hatchet means 10 damage on the punch hit location table. 1/6 chance of a head shot instead of 1/36. Even better if you can get behind the sucker.