Battletech Intro Thread

For the discussion of any other tabletop games. e.g. Malifaux, Dropzone Commander, Infinity etc.
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Primarch
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Battletech Intro Thread

Post by Primarch » Tue Feb 28, 2023 7:33 am

Koji and I were playing Battletech at the last games day and had a few people asking questions, so I figured I'd do a full game introduction thread. (TLDR at the end).

What is Battletech?

Battletech (abbreviated to BT from here on in), is a boardgame/wargame hybrid, where players control a squad of mechs and try to kill or cripple all of the enemy mechs on the board. It has a LONG history, originally launching in 1984. It has a lot of die hard fans despite changing publishers several times, and until a recent renaissance due to kickstarter, a lack of presence in FLGS's.

I (used to) play a video game called Mechwarrior...

Yep, that is BT. Mechwarrior is the simulator version of the game where you pilot one of the mechs around the battlefield. There is an online version (MWO) and a new offline version (MW5:Mercenaries). There is also a BT game called Battletech by Hare-Brained Schemes and it is a pretty good representation of the tabletop game. There are loads of free mods available to make it even closer to the tabletop.

Is the game difficult?

No, but it can be if you want it to be. There are a ton of rules available covering everything from an infantryman with a rifle up to a space battleship. However, most of those will never, ever be relevant except in the most fringe cases and fielded by the most obsessive of players. The game is mainly mechs vs. mechs with a few conventional military assets thrown in for variety. The core rules aren't that difficult to pick up and you can just add in more advanced rules when you need them.
For a standard 4v4 game it shouldn't take much longer than most other game systems once you know what you are doing.
A bigger game 8v8 should be playable in a full day of gaming. Games bigger than that are possible if you want to try them, but there is a fast play ruleset that massively simplifies things to allow for huge battles.
The game does involve a fair few tables and charts, plus checking damage boxes on your mech's record sheet, but for a skirmish game it isn't that complex. It's simpler than Malifaux for example as all models kind of do the same thing, just in different amounts.

What are the main principles of the game?

BT puts a lot of emphasis on positioning and speed. Mechs can shoot better when stationary, but are themselves easier to hit. Each weapon has different ranges where it is effective, so getting into a range that favours you is important. Cover and concealment can really swing a key turn. The facing of your mech determines which guns can fire and how much armour is facing an opponent's guns.
The other key principle is a form of resource management. Every gun generates heat for your mech. Too much heat can slow you down, mess up your accuracy, cause your mech to shut down for a turn or perhaps cause the mech to explode. Mechs have heat sinks that can reduce your heat, but most mechs can create more heat than they can safely get rid of if they shoot every gun every turn. Damage to the mech can also cause overheating.
The winner will usually be the player that gets into the best position and fires the most efficiently throughout the game (assuming average rolls).

How about factions? Are there many options to choose from?

Lore-wise, there are loads of choices, though there are only humans in the game. (The BT setting has no sentient aliens). Your force can be a professional military from one of the Great Houses, a militia from a frontier world, a rag-tag bunch of pirates, a merc company or one of the Clans.
In game terms, there are two options. Inner-Sphere (the vast assortment of human colonies centred on Earth), or Clan (Self-imposed exiles from the Inner-Sphere who decided to get really really good at fighting and then launch a massive invasion of the Inner-Sphere.
IS forces (houses, militia, pirates and mercs) all have access to the same mechs and vehicles, though with different (and non-binding) preferences. Clans have significantly better gear and pilots but are double the points cost and have some restrictions on targeting when played with their full rules.
There are paint scheme guides for the houses and the clans (plus mercs and the like that feature in the lore), but variants on those schemes, or your own original mercs/pirates/militia are all fine.
Aside from the Clan honour rules, there are no racial/army/force special rules for any faction. The background for your force is purely for narrative purposes. You don't get a bonus to hit just because you painted your mechs a certain colour.

Is the game balanced?

Yes, insofar as everyone has access to the same toys and the same rules. Mechs are not balanced with each other and have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the map and terrain. A slow moving long range sniper will do better on an open map than in a city fight, whereas a mech with a load of short range weapons will prefer the city fight.
Clans are different to IS mechs and will usually win a 1v1 duel. They are way more expensive though, so 1v1 shouldn't usually happen. A lucky head hit or critical will quickly level the playing field. Better tech doesn't matter if the pilot is a bloody smear in the cockpit.
Points can also be balanced by adjusting pilot skill. Even the heaviest of assault mechs won't do well if the pilot doesn't know his arse from his elbows.

Do you have to play on a board?

No, not really. The quick-play/mass battle rules are meant to be played on a normal wargame tabletop, and there are rules for converting the skirmish game as well. I currently don't have any suitable terrain (it is roughly 6mm scale I believe), so play on a board.

What do I need to play?

The core rules are all in a book called Total Warfare, available as a PDF or as a hard copy. You will also need some mech datasheets, found in a series called Technical Readouts. (TRO for short), these cover all of the mechs available in a particular era. TRO:3025 for example. Older mechs are usually still playable, but with better guns as the eras change. Map sheets are handy unless you want to build terrain, you can probably find some online. You'll also need some d6, various colours organized in pairs works well to speed up play. A pencil is also essential.
Beyond that, you will need minis. The game originally came with 2D cardboard figures, but now there are a lit more options. You can get metal minis from Ral Partha Europe or Iron Wind Metals in the US. These figures aren't always in scale with each other. Catalyst Games Lab, the current producer of the game has started releasing plastic minis through a kickstarter, which look great. There is another KS coming in March if you want to get the figures at a discount. Finally, there is a good selection of STL files for 3D printing available for free. Jus printed out a bunch of models for me at roughly 900-1000 yen each and they look fantastic.

If you need a link to the 3D files, or need help tracking down books, PM me.

For a standard sized game, 4 mechs is enough to play. For Clans, you probably only need 2-3 for a game.

There are rules for playing campaigns, where your pilots can learn new skills, improve their abilities and so forth. For that you'll probably want about a dozen mechs and tanks.

Lore?

BT has a load of novels focusing on different mercenary groups, house militaries and the like. There are also background books for the settings like the TRO's that include mech histories and Era Readouts that provide an overview of the key factions at different points in the setting.


TL;DR

Battletech is a game that can be played as a 1v1 duel between big stompy robots all the way up to a planetary invasion (by big stompy robots). It has a cheap buy in cost (Jus' 3D printing service makes it easy to get the mechs you want), and is super easy to transport to a gaming day. If you played and enjoyed the video games, you'll probably like the tabletop version too.


If you want to try the game, let me know!


I'll do my best to answer any questions below.
Painted Minis in 2014: 510, in 2015: 300, in 2016 :369, in 2019: 417, in 2020: 450

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