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Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/06 04:21:05


Post by: cpugeek13


So, I played a bit of classic BT back in the day but I’m looking to get into Alpha Strike lately. Got a starter box in the mail, as well as a couple lance packs. I’ve read through the Commander’s Edition rules and I was wondering which optional rules people usually prefer to play with? Also how many points do need for a decent-sized game?

I’m really hoping that the recent attention this ruleset means that Catalyst will support it better in the future!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/06 09:33:13


Post by: leopard


have had a few games, forget the points but circa 1000 springs to mind, ended up with about 8 inner sphere facing about 5 clan and it seemed fine

the main optional rule we went with is rolling each attack individually, so say a four dice attack is four 2d6 rolls not a single one that hits for four damage - we found that lead to very fast brutal games where as individual attacks made movement matter more as you could pull damaged units back etc.

we tried the "pilot die" method and didn't see the point

it is a very good game, not as detailed as the full system (obviously) but does have a very similar flavour to it

not played recently, you see I bought an air unit and my opponent has decided to play other things since..

the only things I don't like are the cards, not as a concept, as a concept they are fine, but the contrast is too low on the check boxes which are too small - made my own for the mechs I have, A7 so slightly larger and black & white with larger check boxes, then laminated

oh and another point thats worth a try, not a rule as such, get a pack of coloured markers, use a different colour for each turn, easy to see what turn what damage was done on


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/06 11:28:42


Post by: Gitzbitah


Welcome! I came from a similar background. From my experience, with a pretty active Alpha Strike group, you've got big set piece games where someone rolls out a company, and you build to match, typically in the 750-1000 range.

Much more common are small pickup games, usually using a 350 list from the Wolfnet tournament. https://wolfsdragoons.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/FINAL-2.1.pdf

Variable damage is a very common rule on the lower end of the point scale, as leopard already laid out for you. At the higher end (750+), we tend to roll once for everything, but will also use formation rules, and allow a certain number of pilot skills and alternate ammo per lance/star/level II.

masterunitlist is an amazing resource. http://www.masterunitlist.info/ I print my list each time, just because going down several sheets of paper is easier for me to keep track of- and they are constantly balancing the points values of the units.

Talk to your opponent, and add on new stuff one thing at a time. Have the artillery game, or the aerospace game, and figure out what is fun for you.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/07 06:41:10


Post by: Charistoph


My local group plays Alpha Strike the last Friday of every month, and occasionally on Saturday when our narrative campaign calls for all hands on deck (so far it has lost us the most units when we do this).

For Fridays, it's usually about 200-300 PV, but we also run in 70 minute intervals to try and get 3 games in the 4 hours we have.

So far we use the Multiple Attack Rolls to help replicate that variability that the Total Warfare rules have.

We've only added variable Skills the last couple games. It's been pretty normal to have everyone use set Skills to make it easier to add up and make it a little easier to get hits in.

We haven't introduced Formation Rules or Special Pilot Abilities as yet for our Friday Night Games, as that can be a bit of a headache to work out at times.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/08 14:24:56


Post by: cpugeek13


Just got the Alpha Strike box today and am really impressed. It is one of the best miniature wargame starter boxes I’ve owned. I played a couple games with my son using the quick-start rules and I think this box would be especially good for non-wargamers or people that played the Battletech video games but don’t have a lot of experience with wargames. It has a lot of toys to play with right from the start with very little rules overhead or other preparation required. Even the cardboard terrain in the box was better than I expected, and I’ll probably continue using the card stock buildings when we play.

The only potential issue I can see with the starter box is that it only has a small amount of special keyword rules and is missing some of the keywords for the included mechs! It’s a little disappointing, but at least it tells players specifically to ignore the other keywords when playing at the “quick-start” level of play.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/08 15:38:00


Post by: Shrapnelsmile


I wonder if the Alpha Strike rules would work well with my old Mechwarrior pre-painted minis? Any thoughts?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/08 16:36:25


Post by: Gitzbitah


 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
I wonder if the Alpha Strike rules would work well with my old Mechwarrior pre-painted minis? Any thoughts?



Scale will be slightly off, but about 90% of the infantry I see used in Alpha Strike is from Dark Age. Sometimes rebased, sometimes not. It's a great way to get started and explore your options before buying the updated models. And far less jarring than on a hex map, where you take up two hexes.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/08 16:40:27


Post by: Charistoph


 Gitzbitah wrote:
 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
I wonder if the Alpha Strike rules would work well with my old Mechwarrior pre-painted minis? Any thoughts?

Scale will be slightly off, but about 90% of the infantry I see used in Alpha Strike is from Dark Age. Sometimes rebased, sometimes not. It's a great way to get started and explore your options before buying the updated models. And far less jarring than on a hex map, where you take up two hexes.

What he said.

Our local game coordinator uses the Infantry ones all the time for like very light hovercraft. He also used the Xantos as a Super-Heavy when we were doing Classic.

So Infantry is good, Vehicles might be a bit questionable. Mechs will have bases which are just so big that it might be to your detriment for like fitting it in to place, etc.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/11 08:58:03


Post by: privateer4hire


I’m old enough to have played in the 80s but the classic game always seemed too complex for me and I also never had a community playing it so I could watch games.

My primary gaming buddy did play in the 80s and he introduced me to alpha strike a few years back but it was only the past couple of years that we started really getting into it.

We have about a half dozen regular players now including classic bt vets and most of them refuse to play the original anymore. They prefer quicker games that still allow for fielding a company per player.

We’re having a lot of fun with it.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/11 18:49:01


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


 privateer4hire wrote:
I’m old enough to have played in the 80s but the classic game always seemed too complex for me and I also never had a community playing it so I could watch games.

My primary gaming buddy did play in the 80s and he introduced me to alpha strike a few years back but it was only the past couple of years that we started really getting into it.

We have about a half dozen regular players now including classic bt vets and most of them refuse to play the original anymore. They prefer quicker games that still allow for fielding a company per player.

We’re having a lot of fun with it.

If the BT vets are of my generation they too might be tired of hypercrunchy game design. Back in the 80s, that's how games were designed and so those of us who were in high school and college simply dealt with it. Since I learned Classic BT back then the mechanics are imprinted in my mind. However, I'm close to 60, and I find it's harder for me to learn similar hypercrunchy games now. Also I've less patience for it. I want to play the damn game, not deal with petty details and rules that use legal notation because the system is that complex. [I'm looking at you Star Fleet Battles and Advanced Squad Leader!] So that's why I'm considering buying Alpha Strike, and as noted earlier I'm fond of the "big battalions" in games so I want company on company. Or larger if feasible.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/11 21:58:02


Post by: privateer4hire


AH, the free quick start rules really give you a good taste of the game (but you probably already knew)

https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AlphaStrikeQuick-Start-Rules.pdf

One optional rule that we use is variable damage. So instead of a heavy being guaranteed to deal out, say, 9 damage on a successful hit, the player rolls 9 dice with each 3+ being actual damage. Otherwise, excellent heavy gunners just erase opponent mechs.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/11 22:34:52


Post by: Charistoph


We use Multiple Attack Rolls in our group.as it keeps some of that Classic Battletech feel as well as reducing dice rolls (when using appropriately grouped dice).

We had one guy one time rolling a bunch of dice all the same color for his 2D6 and picking out winning pairs from it.

Unfortunately, this was in our Narrative campaign, he was basically using a Heavy Company, and our leader was using a Medium Lance to hold him off (as well as the Assault Command Lance, eventually).

We lost a new pilot and Grasshopper that day, and our own Command Lance was shredded.

Picked up a Thunderbolt and Warhammer, though, so not a total loss.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/11 23:23:44


Post by: LunarSol


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
 privateer4hire wrote:
I’m old enough to have played in the 80s but the classic game always seemed too complex for me and I also never had a community playing it so I could watch games.

My primary gaming buddy did play in the 80s and he introduced me to alpha strike a few years back but it was only the past couple of years that we started really getting into it.

We have about a half dozen regular players now including classic bt vets and most of them refuse to play the original anymore. They prefer quicker games that still allow for fielding a company per player.

We’re having a lot of fun with it.

If the BT vets are of my generation they too might be tired of hypercrunchy game design. Back in the 80s, that's how games were designed and so those of us who were in high school and college simply dealt with it. Since I learned Classic BT back then the mechanics are imprinted in my mind. However, I'm close to 60, and I find it's harder for me to learn similar hypercrunchy games now. Also I've less patience for it. I want to play the damn game, not deal with petty details and rules that use legal notation because the system is that complex. [I'm looking at you Star Fleet Battles and Advanced Squad Leader!] So that's why I'm considering buying Alpha Strike, and as noted earlier I'm fond of the "big battalions" in games so I want company on company. Or larger if feasible.



I think too often in the simplicity vs complication discussion people forget that elegance is also an option. My main issue with both CBT and AS is that neither is particularly elegant. AS, for all its simplicity is still loaded with tables to run through when determining target numbers. I feel like much of the complexity of CBT could be retained in a much faster playing game if it took the existing systems and found a way to streamline them into something that could be played dramatically faster. A lot of the games from that time just have a focus on resolution that modern games have learned to incorporate into their systems without really losing flavor on the way.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/12 02:40:27


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


 privateer4hire wrote:
AH, the free quick start rules really give you a good taste of the game (but you probably already knew)

https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AlphaStrikeQuick-Start-Rules.pdf

One optional rule that we use is variable damage. So instead of a heavy being guaranteed to deal out, say, 9 damage on a successful hit, the player rolls 9 dice with each 3+ being actual damage. Otherwise, excellent heavy gunners just erase opponent mechs.
Actually I did not, so thank you. I can give it a try with the two Force Packs I bought at the Barnes and Noble Boxing Day sale. [Mind, I got a restock notice this morning from MM, so I bought it and the IS Battle Lance, but on hold. There's still OoS products on my wish list.]
The variable damage sounds like a good compromise.
 LunarSol wrote:
I think too often in the simplicity vs complication discussion people forget that elegance is also an option. My main issue with both CBT and AS is that neither is particularly elegant. AS, for all its simplicity is still loaded with tables to run through when determining target numbers. I feel like much of the complexity of CBT could be retained in a much faster playing game if it took the existing systems and found a way to streamline them into something that could be played dramatically faster. A lot of the games from that time just have a focus on resolution that modern games have learned to incorporate into their systems without really losing flavor on the way.
You make a good point. It is something I forget. I liked the original Legend of the Five Rings RPG because I thought it was an elegant system that gave the players a lot of control over what their character could do. The mechanics did not interfere with the role-playing, unlike Advanced Dungeons and Dragons which came from the simulationist design side with modifiers for everything. Of course, original D&D and AD&D was a new genre, so mistakes can be forgiven.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/12 04:07:12


Post by: cpugeek13


 LunarSol wrote:


I think too often in the simplicity vs complication discussion people forget that elegance is also an option. My main issue with both CBT and AS is that neither is particularly elegant. AS, for all its simplicity is still loaded with tables to run through when determining target numbers. I feel like much of the complexity of CBT could be retained in a much faster playing game if it took the existing systems and found a way to streamline them into something that could be played dramatically faster. A lot of the games from that time just have a focus on resolution that modern games have learned to incorporate into their systems without really losing flavor on the way.


I couldn’t imagine a Battletech game without its modifier system, it’s what makes it stand out from modern miniature wargames. I think Alpha Strike simplified it enough that it’s easy to memorize after a couple games and quickly becomes second nature. The only other table that you really need to AS is the critical hits table, which I really wish was printed on the mech cards somehow.

I’ve only played a couple games of Alpha Strike so far, but I’m amazed at how it still feels like BT with only a fraction of the rules. However, I do wish they could incorporate the weapons somehow into the shooting mechanics, since I think players new to BT will lose a lot of flavor if they haven’t played CBT.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/12 14:58:15


Post by: catbarf


I agree with both Ancestral Hamster and LunarSol- I've never been able to get into Battletech proper because it's a bit too crunchy for my tastes. The modern use of dice colors and numbers to track movement mode and target modifier is a good example of improving the elegance while keeping the same mechanics, but there's only so much you can do without overhauling the ruleset.

I've liked Alpha Strike enough to finally order the boxed set, but I think the game I would really love to see would just be a simplified and modernized CBT, somewhere in between the two games in terms of crunch. Keep the individual weapons and damage locations, but make it play quickly enough that I can do lance-on-lance in an hour.

I'd definitely be curious to see if there's an elegant way to replace table lookups and modifier computation. Or possibly even get away from the use of 2D6 resolution entirely while still keeping some level of bell curve distribution. Might see if I can homebrew something, but I still plan to do more Alpha Strike as-is and see if I can get some local wargaming newbies into it.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/12 15:17:27


Post by: LunarSol


Alpha Strike feels like it really wants to be played at very large scales where I think the sweet spot is Lance vs Lance or Star vs Star kind of gameplay. The 2 Lance = 1 Star ratio makes that a little more difficult, though the timeline moving forward creates opportunities to mess with that if you were to do a middle ground system.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
cpugeek13 wrote:
 LunarSol wrote:


I think too often in the simplicity vs complication discussion people forget that elegance is also an option. My main issue with both CBT and AS is that neither is particularly elegant. AS, for all its simplicity is still loaded with tables to run through when determining target numbers. I feel like much of the complexity of CBT could be retained in a much faster playing game if it took the existing systems and found a way to streamline them into something that could be played dramatically faster. A lot of the games from that time just have a focus on resolution that modern games have learned to incorporate into their systems without really losing flavor on the way.


I couldn’t imagine a Battletech game without its modifier system, it’s what makes it stand out from modern miniature wargames. I think Alpha Strike simplified it enough that it’s easy to memorize after a couple games and quickly becomes second nature. The only other table that you really need to AS is the critical hits table, which I really wish was printed on the mech cards somehow.

I’ve only played a couple games of Alpha Strike so far, but I’m amazed at how it still feels like BT with only a fraction of the rules. However, I do wish they could incorporate the weapons somehow into the shooting mechanics, since I think players new to BT will lose a lot of flavor if they haven’t played CBT.


A lot of it comes down to little things. Like if you're going to have range modifiers printed on the cards it'd be great to have the actual ranges included. At its core though, the combat engine of Alpha Strike isn't all that different from what you see in Warmachine but it feels a lot more complicated because the neutral state isn't as simple. In Warmachine, you kind of start with RAT 6 vs DEF 12, hit on 6's and apply modifiers from there. Aiming is a special case, cover is a special case, etc, but the baseline roll is very straightforward. It also helps that modifiers are being applied to both sides. Aiming is an effect of the attacker that effects the attackers stat, while Cover is a choice of the Defender and applies to their stat.

So, lets rework SATOR into literally just Warmachine's system and see if its cleaner. Timberwolf T vs Atlas S4 out of the base set. We're going to say Skill 4 is the same as RAT 6, with Skill 1 being RAT 9. In a standard firefight, with both moving at close range, a Skill 4 needs a 5 to hit an Atlas or a 6 to hit a Timberwolf, so lets say an Atlas is DEF 11 and a Timberwolf is DEF 12.

Now we can talk modifiers. These become choices with pretty straightforward effects made to the player who made the choice. I declare Standstill. My mech gets +1 RAT but is reduces to DEF 10. I Jump, I get +1 DEF but suffer -2 RAT. If I'm in cover I get +1 DEF. Lets add more complications via Conditions. Immobilize just reduces a Mech's DEF to 6. Mech's with Heat suffer -1 RAT, etc. Nothing about this changes the rules; it simply reorganizes how they're applied by the actions taken and applies them to the mechs that took the action.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/12 20:30:57


Post by: Chillreaper


There's always the Intro box rules - basically a stripped down version of the main BT rules.

No heat, no crits, no armour/internals just hit points.

The CGL site had a PDF with a big pile of the mechsheets that work with those rules.

Mind you, I just looked at the rules again - the balance is non-existant! A Nova Prime not having to face heat issues? It's a 50 ton nightmare!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/13 06:25:14


Post by: Charistoph


catbarf wrote:I'd definitely be curious to see if there's an elegant way to replace table lookups and modifier computation. Or possibly even get away from the use of 2D6 resolution entirely while still keeping some level of bell curve distribution. Might see if I can homebrew something, but I still plan to do more Alpha Strike as-is and see if I can get some local wargaming newbies into it.

The only way to do that is to increase the number of dice all together. Reducing the dice only flattens the curve. Changing the size of the dice just changes the spread and reach of the curve.

I've seen someone who uses D12s to run his Alpha Strike games, and that bugs the math part of my brain that understands the reason for the Curve. It gets even worse with CBT as the Locations are built around that Curve.

LunarSol wrote:Alpha Strike feels like it really wants to be played at very large scales where I think the sweet spot is Lance vs Lance or Star vs Star kind of gameplay. The 2 Lance = 1 Star ratio makes that a little more difficult, though the timeline moving forward creates opportunities to mess with that if you were to do a middle ground system.

Our group usually has an objective of running 3 70-minue games on our Alpha Strike nights. USUALLY that's about a lance of Clan Mechs or a Star of Inner Sphere Mechs. One might be able to go higher if one went with lighter units.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/13 15:42:53


Post by: LunarSol


I get the appeal of the D12 rolls, but it is definitely a massive difference vs the 36 point curve. I don't think multiple rolls is too bad, particularly if you just announce hits as you go, and aren't playing so seriously that you need to confirm each roll, but it's not ideal. It's one of the areas where a little weapon nuance with a damage value would let them reduce rolls down to 2-4 for most mechs without going all or nothing. It's not bad as is, I'd just really like a bit more damage tracking, than what's in AS currently.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Charistoph wrote:

LunarSol wrote:Alpha Strike feels like it really wants to be played at very large scales where I think the sweet spot is Lance vs Lance or Star vs Star kind of gameplay. The 2 Lance = 1 Star ratio makes that a little more difficult, though the timeline moving forward creates opportunities to mess with that if you were to do a middle ground system.

Our group usually has an objective of running 3 70-minue games on our Alpha Strike nights. USUALLY that's about a lance of Clan Mechs or a Star of Inner Sphere Mechs. One might be able to go higher if one went with lighter units.


This is probably just a result of the people I see playing. Building actual lists that makes sense. The 200 point games in the Wolf Dragoon package are definitely a lot smaller than what I've seen played at the shop and far more my speed.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/13 19:05:02


Post by: Ghaz


Learn More About the Mercenaries Kickstarter on our Pre-Launch Page! Plus, New Releases and Street Dates

Today a slew of elements launch, all pointing towards our coming Kickstarter campaign.

Here’s the rundown:

BACKERKIT PRE-LAUNCH PAGE IS LIVE!

Our preview, pre-launch page is live on BackerKit, right now! This preview page offers a look at what’s coming in the Mercenaries Kickstarter when it launches on March 23 at AdeptiCon. This includes a list of all the ForcePacks that will be available; a new 4” Timber Wolf for Veteran-level and above backers; the Salvage Box: Visigoth aerospace fighter, free to those that back in the first 48 hours; the incredibly exciting Kickstarter Launch Parties that might come to your corner of the Inner Sphere; and playtesting materials you can access right now by registering on the BackerKit pre-launch page!

Sign-up now! https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/8fd3639a-e1cd-44b9-8f15-5279077ad7f8/landing

MERCENARIES KICKSTARTER PREVIEW 03 PDF

We continue our in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the development of the miniatures for this Kickstarter. Preview 03 PDF is now available–for free as always–covering the Ostroc and Mobile HQ!

Catalyst Game Labs web store: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-mercenaries-kickstarter-preview-03

NEW MERCENARY T-SHIRTS

As noted on the BackerKit pre-launch page, we’re trying something different with the t-shirts this time around. Instead of incorporating them as rewards for the Mercenaries Kickstarter, we’re simply releasing them on our store, pairing up a mercenary outfit with a faction.

The first pair is available now:

Illican Lancers
Clan Sea Fox
More factions and mercenary commands will be available in the coming months, covering multiple eras:

February 10: Eridani Light Horse & Star League
March 10: Northwind Highlanders & The Republic of the Sphere
Based upon the success of these first items, more mercenary and faction t-shirts will roll out during the rest of the year.

Stock: This is our first time offering faction t-shirts in this fashion. As such, we’ve been conservative on quantities. However, these are made in the U.S. and Silkworm has been a stalwart company to work with, always willing to run with us when needed. As such, if sales significantly exceed expectations, we can restock within 21 days.

Price: $30 each

Catalyst Game Labs web store:
Clan Sea Fox – https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-clan-sea-fox-t-shirt
Illician Lancers – https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-illician-lancer-t-shirt

THE MERCENARY TALES SERIES

The Mercenary Tales are a new series of short stories tied into the Kickstarter campaign, the new t-shirts, and the preview of ’Mechs and vehicles coming in the Kickstarter. The series kicks off today with Riptides by Randall N. Bills, a new ilClan Era story that features Clan Sea Fox and the Illician Lancers mercenary outfit.

Riptides
The Mercenary Tales, #1, by Randall N. Bills

A new era is dawning…

The Illician Lancers: a mercenary outfit with centuries of honorable tradition, yet somehow always missing the limelight. Especially recently, after their mission failure during the liberation of New Syrtis in 3147 tarnished their once-sterling reputation and left them languishing on the Capellan border. Can Colonel Luciana Araya Morales overcome the shame of those events and restore the Lancers to their former glory?

Meanwhile, as Clan Wolf prepares for its invasion of the cradle of humanity, Ya’el Labov, saKhan of the Sea Fox Khanate, hunts for new opportunities in the currents wafting from Terra. Rumors that the Clan Wolf Khan is using mercenaries as part of his attack plan set the wily saKhan’s mind to spinning. How can he take advantage of this, and make Clan Sea Fox’s star rise even further?

Two people with very different goals are about to embark on a shared mission that, if successful, will change much in the Inner Sphere. And if they are not, their alliance may be doomed to failure before it can even begin…

Price: $1.99

E-publication: https://books2read.com/BattleTechRiptides

CLAN SEA FOX LOSTECH DICE PUCK

The Clan Sea Fox dice puck is now available! This item is the same, high-quality, anodized aircraft-grade aluminum magnet-lidded case as previous Lostech Dice pucks. Includes two 16mm dice, and four 12mm dice.

Stock: This is stock remaining from sales at Gen Con 2022. Once they are gone, it will be some time before they can be restocked.

Price: $49.99

Catalyst Game Labs: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-lostech-dice-clan-sea-fox

INTERSTELLAR OPERATIONS RULEBOOKS RESTOCK

As the “Vintage”-cover printings of the Total Warfare rulebook line have gone out of print, they have been reprinted with new, mercenary-themed covers, and now the Interstellar Operations books have received the same treatment. The two Interstellar Operations covers allowed us to really spread our artistic wings. The incredible size differences of combat units is on display on the Alternate Eras book, while a shot from the Battle of Misery covered in the novel Wolves on the Border, graces the BattleForce cover.

Interstellar Operations: Alternate Eras

Catalyst Game Labs web store: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-interstellar-operations-alternate-eras
DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390967

Interstellar Operations: BattleForce

Catalyst Game Labs web store: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-interstellar-operations-battleforce
DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390968

DOMINIONS DIVIDED STREET DATE

Last but absolutely not least, we’re happy to announce that Dominions Divided‘s street date is officially Friday, January 27.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/14 18:46:10


Post by: Flinty


Random question, can you play alpha strike on hex mats? Or is it just with scenery?

Looking for a pew pew game that can be played on the kitchen table with minimal setup time.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/14 19:11:20


Post by: Ghaz


 Flinty wrote:
Random question, can you play alpha strike on hex mats?

Yes. The Alpha Strike Commander's Edition rulebook has rules for converting Alpha Strike to hex maps.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/14 20:48:16


Post by: Charistoph


 Flinty wrote:
Random question, can you play alpha strike on hex mats? Or is it just with scenery?

Looking for a pew pew game that can be played on the kitchen table with minimal setup time.

Mostly it's just dividing all the inches in half.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/14 22:10:53


Post by: Flinty


Great! Looks like I might have a birthday present idea for myself


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/15 02:58:54


Post by: privateer4hire


 Flinty wrote:
Random question, can you play alpha strike on hex mats? Or is it just with scenery?

Looking for a pew pew game that can be played on the kitchen table with minimal setup time.


It’s been answered already but one of my gaming buddies and I play alpha strike games remotely on table top using identical hex maps.

We have counters with facing noted for the other guy’s mechs. We move by identifying the unit and stating new hex and the hex number it’s facing. Each player records his units damage.

Works well for about a lance for us. And since we live about 90 minutes apart, it really saves on driving time and gas


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/15 08:08:12


Post by: Flinty


Modern play by mail chess nice!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/15 13:04:48


Post by: Albertorius


 Flinty wrote:
Random question, can you play alpha strike on hex mats? Or is it just with scenery?

Looking for a pew pew game that can be played on the kitchen table with minimal setup time.


I personally prefer hexmaps, as it's much easier to set up and adjudicate.

In AS news, yesterday I convinced a friend I play (well, mostly paint) KT with to give it a go at AS, so we spent a couple hours yesterday looking at unit cards, the differences between clan and IS stuff, and how much easier is to play with mixed techs with AS as it's much simplified.

So I ended up making a couple of 800 points lists with stuff I had.

I first made a clan omni trinary with all pilots at skill 2-3, made up of the star I actually have painted plus two others:



Black Hawk (Nova) Prime (3)
Puma (Adder) Prime (3)
Grendel (Mongrel) Prime (3)
Gladiator (Executioner) Prime (2)
Mad Cat (Timber Wolf) Prime (2)
Mad Cat (Timber Wolf) A (3)
Loki (Hellbringer) Prime (3)
Dragonfly (Viper) Prime (3)
Thor (Summoner) Prime (3)
Man O' War (Gargoyle) Prime (3)
Dasher (Fire Moth) Prime (3)
Koshi (Mist Lynx) Prime (3)
Daishi (Dire Wolf) Prime (2)
Shadow Cat Prime (3)
Nova Cat Prime (3)
15 Units, 800 points

So, to fill up 800 points of 3025 era IS stuff, I had to use the siz lances I have painted and make about half of the pilots veterans with skill 3:



Wolverine WVR-6R (4)
Griffin GRF-1N (4)
Longbow LGB-0W (3)
Rifleman RFL-3N (4)
Rifleman RFL-4D (4)
Griffin GRF-1S (4)
Archer ARC-2R (3)
Valkyrie VLK-QA (4)
Shadow Hawk SHD-2H (4)
Commando COM-2D (4)
BattleMaster BLR-1G (3)
Thunderbolt TDR-5S (4)
Warhammer WHM-6R (3)
Archer ARC-2S (3)
Wolverine WVR-6K (3)
Longbow LGB-7Q (3)
Valkyrie VLK-QF (4)
Marauder MAD-3R (3)
Phoenix Hawk PXH-1 (4)
Archer ARC-2R (3)
Wolverine WVR-6M (3)
Locust LCT-1V (4)
Phoenix Hawk PXH-1D (3)
Wasp WSP-1A (4)
24 Units, 800 points

(of course, the test game will be with the single painted star against probably a couple lances or something ^^)


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/15 14:35:20


Post by: Eilif


 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
I wonder if the Alpha Strike rules would work well with my old Mechwarrior pre-painted minis? Any thoughts?

We played the first stand alone version of Alpha Strike with rebased MechWarrior clix. Used measurements as written.
https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2013/12/alpha-strike-game-report-and-review/

Back when you could buy big bulk lots for cheap we bought buckets and then divided up matching forces to each club member. We used the minis for Alpha Strike, Mech Attack, Panzer 8 and other small scale Wargaming rules. The new Battletech plastic Mecha are really cool but I like the larger scale.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/15 16:58:37


Post by: Shrapnelsmile


 Eilif wrote:
 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
I wonder if the Alpha Strike rules would work well with my old Mechwarrior pre-painted minis? Any thoughts?

We played the first stand alone version of Alpha Strike with rebased MechWarrior clix. Used measurements as written.
https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2013/12/alpha-strike-game-report-and-review/

Back when you could buy big bulk lots for cheap we bought buckets and then divided up matching forces to each club member. We used the minis for Alpha Strike, Mech Attack, Panzer 8 and other small scale Wargaming rules. The new Battletech plastic Mecha are really cool but I like the larger scale.


this is very, very cool. Thanks for encouragement.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/16 13:24:27


Post by: Eilif


 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
 Eilif wrote:
 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
I wonder if the Alpha Strike rules would work well with my old Mechwarrior pre-painted minis? Any thoughts?

We played the first stand alone version of Alpha Strike with rebased MechWarrior clix. Used measurements as written.
https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2013/12/alpha-strike-game-report-and-review/

Back when you could buy big bulk lots for cheap we bought buckets and then divided up matching forces to each club member. We used the minis for Alpha Strike, Mech Attack, Panzer 8 and other small scale Wargaming rules. The new Battletech plastic Mecha are really cool but I like the larger scale.


this is very, very cool. Thanks for encouragement.

You're very welcome. As it happens, we were just talking about playing Alpha Strike again at last week's meeting. I've been acquiring N scale structure kits to upgrade from my current papercraft buildings.
If you're playing in MechWarrior scale (N, 1/144, 1/160, 10mm, etc ..) and need structures, these papercraft files are free, easy to make and look pretty good. We used them for years.
https://dungeoncrawlers.com/files/paper-terrain/mechwarrior
They probably be fine as is or scaled down a bit for Traditional Battletech scale.

The structures in the battle report I shared are Heavy gear papercraft Industrial and Commercial sets and are still available free buried in their website..
https://www.dp9.com/downloads/?wpv_aux_current_post_id=2251&wpv_aux_parent_post_id=2251&wpv_view_count=5238-CATTR2798fcda10b461565b4e9a0f879836d8&wpv-type=papercraft


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/16 18:49:58


Post by: Charistoph


DropZone buildings also fit in pretty well, too.

If you have them, Monsterpocalypse might also be able to work.

And that's not also considering the buildings 3D printers have created for Battletech as well. Some of those are just amazing, and will work when you go to Classic, too.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/16 19:45:28


Post by: Flinty


So many good free options on Thingiverse as well as the even more amazing priced exampes


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also thanks for the advice as it looks like it will be leading to some actual gaming for me

Prepare for heavy use of contrast style paints!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 03:56:50


Post by: Eilif


 Charistoph wrote:
DropZone buildings also fit in pretty well, too.

If you have them, Monsterpocalypse might also be able to work.

And that's not also considering the buildings 3D printers have created for Battletech as well. Some of those are just amazing, and will work when you go to Classic, too.


Dropzone! That's the ones I was thinking of. They are 10mm but would probably look great as 6/8mm skyscrapers.

IIRC, Monpoc buildings are great for hex maps, and might look ok if they were the only buildings used, but they're going to be pretty dang small next to even properly sized 6mm buildings.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 07:15:36


Post by: Apple fox


 Eilif wrote:
 Charistoph wrote:
DropZone buildings also fit in pretty well, too.

If you have them, Monsterpocalypse might also be able to work.

And that's not also considering the buildings 3D printers have created for Battletech as well. Some of those are just amazing, and will work when you go to Classic, too.


Dropzone! That's the ones I was thinking of. They are 10mm but would probably look great as 6/8mm skyscrapers.

IIRC, Monpoc buildings are great for hex maps, and would look ok if they were the only buildings used, but they're going to be pretty small next to even properly sized 6mm buildings.


Monpoc ones are good price if you want the quality, as equivalent for 6 and 10 are pricy. But they are small, but do cover what’s needed for a city !
It also depends what’s available, I would spend more for 10mm but it all has a big post tag on it as well.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 12:26:31


Post by: Eilif


I would just say that thisconsidering MonPoc buildings should look closely at battreps like these..

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/after-action-reports/lyran-archers-with-shadow's-fury-vs-clan-jade-falcon/

To judge whether they are big enough for Alpha Strike games where cover matters. They're 3mm scale at best and most can only cover one 6mm Mech. I think they're to small, but ymmv.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 15:16:23


Post by: Charistoph


 Eilif wrote:
Dropzone! That's the ones I was thinking of. They are 10mm but would probably look great as 6/8mm skyscrapers.

I suggested it because I use my Shaltarii hover tanks as Combat Vehicles, and I'm looking to convert the Infantry over to Battleforce Hexes in the near future.

For those who aren't aware of the sizes, here's a couple photos:


*Hopefully they work, it seems Google Photos is being a jerk for image addresses at present.
**Went back and got new links, hopefully they work better.

 Eilif wrote:
IIRC, Monpoc buildings are great for hex maps, and might look ok if they were the only buildings used, but they're going to be pretty dang small next to even properly sized 6mm buildings.

Good to know. No one locally plays MonPoc and I was just thinking of different sci-fi games that were nearly equivalent scale.

From the BatRep you provided, they actually look closer to map scale than 'Mech Scale.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 17:10:31


Post by: Platuan4th


Yeah, I wouldn't recommend the MonPoc buildings for the same reason I wouldn't recommend Bandai's gacha Ultraman buildings. They're a little too small for the scale for Alpha Strike.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 17:53:36


Post by: Apple fox


If you don’t mind going up in size to around 12mm, there are gundam buildings that are huge for a good price.
Plenty of space to hide mecha inside as well, as they are designed to hold the 144 gundam.

The action bases as well for gundam are usable, one of them has a Street second and buildings.
Not big, but stackable, and good price for what you get.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 19:14:44


Post by: Eilif


Apple fox wrote:
If you don’t mind going up in size to around 12mm, there are gundam buildings that are huge for a good price.
Plenty of space to hide mecha inside as well, as they are designed to hold the 144 gundam.

The action bases as well for gundam are usable, one of them has a Street second and buildings.
Not big, but stackable, and good price for what you get.


Got a link to those? Sounds really interesting!

For those wanting/willing to use 1/144 buildings, there's a ton of them on Ali Express and Ebay for 10-20 each. Some are clones of Tomy and some are unique designs. Some even come pre-colored!
Some examples here: https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2017/10/n-scale-buildings-and-other-aliexpress-finds/
Note the P buildings which is relatively scale-less and only 5 bucks.

Really though, if you're using official battletech minis, it's worth digging around on Ali for proper 1/300 buildings. Some interesting stuff there including these interesting pre-built city sections which cost $85 bucks each, but each have 7 buildings included.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804793328302.html
And these individual buildings for 10 bucks each...
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804162047632.html


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Charistoph wrote:
 Eilif wrote:
Dropzone! That's the ones I was thinking of. They are 10mm but would probably look great as 6/8mm skyscrapers.

I suggested it because I use my Shaltarii hover tanks as Combat Vehicles, and I'm looking to convert the Infantry over to Battleforce Hexes in the near future.

For those who aren't aware of the sizes, here's a couple photos:


*Hopefully they work, it seems Google Photos is being a jerk for image addresses at present.

 Eilif wrote:
IIRC, Monpoc buildings are great for hex maps, and might look ok if they were the only buildings used, but they're going to be pretty dang small next to even properly sized 6mm buildings.

Good to know. No one locally plays MonPoc and I was just thinking of different sci-fi games that were nearly equivalent scale.

From the BatRep you provided, they actually look closer to map scale than 'Mech Scale.


Pics aren't showing, but I bet they DZC buildings would be great. Maybe just upload them to Dakka?

As for MonPoc, IMHO they really are map scale, not tabletop. If one already has a bunch of them, nothing wrong with using them, but they're not something I'd purchase for Alpha Strike.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 19:28:05


Post by: LunarSol


I'd assume the MonPoc buildings would make the mechs look too small going by the cardboard in the Alpha Strike box.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 19:50:35


Post by: Apple fox


Search for Bandai Spirits 30 Minute Mission - #06 Customize Scene Base (City Area) @Eilif and they should come up.

Here a YouTube video of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYvfDc9dNHQ

The big ones, I can’t find right now. And forgot the name, I will try and remember to find when I get up.

Also, Outland models has some great buildings that will be huge, if you really want some big towers on a table. But about the 10/12mm scale.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 19:58:58


Post by: Eilif


 LunarSol wrote:
I'd assume the MonPoc buildings would make the mechs look too small going by the cardboard in the Alpha Strike box.


Kind of the opposite. The mon poc buildings make the mechs look too big because the buildings are too small.

Makes Battlemechs look like Gundam.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 20:56:50


Post by: LunarSol


I guess I'm not sure how big Battlemechs are really supposed to be. Are we talking the new MonPoc buildings?



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 21:01:31


Post by: Eilif


I was talking about the old plastic MonPoc buildings. Are those above MonPoc? Never seen them before.

The Office skyscraper buildings look really nice. Still a bit smaller in scale than BT, but big enough in actual size to look fine.

The church is a little small, but YMMV.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 21:05:17


Post by: LunarSol


Added some Alpha Strike buildings:




Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Eilif wrote:
I was talking about the old plastic MonPoc buildings. Are those above MonPoc? Never seen them before.

The Office skyscraper buildings look really nice. Still a bit smaller in scale than BT, but big enough in actual size to look fine.

The church is a little small, but YMMV.


These are the resin buildings for the 2018 MonPoc relaunch. They're definitely larger than the old plastic stuff, which tended to be very skinny to try and look tall.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 21:14:13


Post by: Eilif


I think it's all about how much unity you want in your terrain setup. Those two types of buildings next to each other would be visually jarring to me, but all of one or all of the other type would look fine. Others may feel differently.

Anyone have a picture of the Alpha Strike buldings alongside DZC buildings?

A measurement of the height of the Alpha Strike doorways would be informative as well.

One other thing to consider for terrain is that structures can often be visually re-sized simply by modifying the doorways. Adding a simple "T" (drawn on paper models or with plastic rod on a 3d model) can turn a single doorway into a pair of double doors with a transom and that can knock a building down a scale. Did this for a 15mm building to bring it to 10mm and it worked a treat.
https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/2013/02/new-plastic-buildings-from-proxie-models/



With a few strokes of a pen you could probably knock almost any 10mm paper buildings down to 6/8mm


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 21:23:30


Post by: LunarSol


I probably wouldn't mix them just for aesthetic reasons, but if someone wanted they could probably paint the MonPoc stuff in a way that fit better. Mine are just painted for MonPoc.

Did a bit of doorway checking myself and the Alpha Strike doors don't make a ton of sense but I think they technically work out to the correct scale. They're slightly larger than than the MonPoc doors (10-20%?) but if you go by them then the windows don't make any sense unless the people can't see out of them or have to duck to enter.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 21:34:38


Post by: Eilif


 LunarSol wrote:
I probably wouldn't mix them just for aesthetic reasons, but if someone wanted they could probably paint the MonPoc stuff in a way that fit better. Mine are just painted for MonPoc.

Did a bit of doorway checking myself and the Alpha Strike doors don't make a ton of sense but I think they technically work out to the correct scale. They're slightly larger than than the MonPoc doors (10-20%?) but if you go by them then the windows don't make any sense unless the people can't see out of them or have to duck to enter.


Are you saying the upper floors are too short? Compressed upper floors that don't necessarily match the ground floor or doorways are not unheard of in models and art. Generally it wouldn't bother me much as the eye is drawn to the doorways and as long as the doors are correct, the brain makes assumptions from there.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 21:57:29


Post by: LunarSol


The top of the door comes to slightly above the bottom of the first set of windows. The windows in general are about as tall as the door. It's got 4 rows of windows but it's about 6 doorways tall It doesn't actually bother me but it's kind of weird to think of a way that a building would actually work the way it's designed. Brain mostly goes "that building, yes" though and I don't really care. Curious to compare it to some infantry though.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/17 22:24:52


Post by: Eilif


I see. I kind of let that stuff slide especially if the doors are tall enough to accommodate a person

Buildings often have entrances that are higher or lower than the first floor and it's not unusual for vestibules to span more than a floor especially if connected to a stairway. As for what appear to be windows, they often have little bearing on the precise location of the floor or actually usable windows.

It is a bit jarring though when the ground floor is shorter than floors above.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/18 02:14:51


Post by: Charistoph


Eilif wrote:Pics aren't showing, but I bet they DZC buildings would be great. Maybe just upload them to Dakka?

Got new links, so they should work now.

They aren't the buildings, just the tank and Infantry models compared to Battletech ones.

Eilif wrote: As for MonPoc, IMHO they really are map scale, not tabletop. If one already has a bunch of them, nothing wrong with using them, but they're not something I'd purchase for Alpha Strike.

Map Scale is based on the short length of a 30m hex being a little over 1 1/4" or 30mm. The Mechs when on a hex are MUCH larger than they would literally be. This is often used to describe Dropships as well as buildings, as officially, a landed Aerodyne Dropship is 5 Levels high and a Spheroid Dropships are 10 Levels high, both taking up 7 hexes (1 central and the 6 surrounding ones). This would lead to these units to be oddly proportioned. So 3rd party models are set up to either be properly represented on the map (map scale) or to the Battlmech (Mech scale).

LunarSol wrote:I guess I'm not sure how big Battlemechs are really supposed to be. Are we talking the new MonPoc buildings?

Mechs are 2 Levels tall, with each Level being about 6 meters in height. That means a Battlemech will be 7-12 meters in height. Obviously individual units will vary, such as the Locust and Stinger being closer to 7 meters tall while the Atlas and Annihilator are closer to 12 meters tall.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 09:22:30


Post by: Albertorius


Are regular Elementals any good in AS? They seem quite expensive for the amount of punishment they can deal and suffer coupled with limited movement, so it seems like they would have the same problems as they have in regular Btech.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 10:33:52


Post by: Gitzbitah


 Albertorius wrote:
Are regular Elementals any good in AS? They seem quite expensive for the amount of punishment they can deal and suffer coupled with limited movement, so it seems like they would have the same problems as they have in regular Btech.


Definitely! They've got three primary advantages that make that high cost worth it.

First, the AM special. If they get a melee attack off on mech or vehicle, they cause a crit. That alone is worth the price of admission, if you can reach the enemy.

Second, crazy mobility from hitching a ride on Omnis. With a Dasher you can drop these guys off in any piece of woods within 26" of where they start- it's a massive boost for the offensive power of any light mech. Particularly if you can drop them behind someone, and get that rear attack bonus damage with the Omni taxi, and the BA.

And finally, they are really tough to remove- it's more trouble than it's worth to kill them. Allow me to explain, as they're listed TMM is not impressive. A basic Elemental is TMM 1- but it's Battle Armor, which gives it +1, and it can jump without any negatives for its own firing, giving it another +1. So out in the open, they've got TMM 3 to hit, and they can hide behind level 1 cover.

They definitely require some coordination, but they're devastating when properly used.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 13:27:55


Post by: Albertorius


Good to know, thank you!

How does the game fare when unit numbers are lopsided towards one side? I assume that usually Clan-IS fights would feature more IS units than clanners, particularly if vehicles and infantry are in the menu, so, how does it the rules do in that regard? Does it break if there's (for example) twice as many units in one side?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 14:33:34


Post by: LunarSol


There doesn't seem to be as much Clan/Inner Sphere distinction to Alpha Strike. It's set primarily in the most recent timeline where the two have been in contact long enough for most of technology to have merged so there's not quite as much of a distinction as previous eras.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 14:40:14


Post by: Albertorius


I expect that will boil down to the units chosen, right?

I mean, if I choose nothing but first line omnis with proper veteran pilots on one side and 3025 era mechs with regular pilots in the other to represent a clan invasion early fight, I'd expect there will be big point differences between both.

EDIT:

For example, let's say I want to field this as a "proper" AS nova, mainly with level 2-3 pilots:



There's no formation on the AS book that jumps to my mind for this (except support or command I guess), with Prime variants.

As to points, let's say these, for example:

Black Hawk (Nova) Prime Pilot 3 PV 49
Puma (Adder) Prime Pilot 3 PV 36
Grendel (Mongrel) Prime Pilot 3 PV 55
Gladiator (Executioner) Prime Pilot 2 PV 71
Mad Cat (Timber Wolf) Prime Pilot 2 PV 76
Elemental Battle Armor [Laser] (Sqd5) Pilot 3 PV 23
Elemental Battle Armor [Laser] (Sqd5) Pilot 3 PV 23
Elemental Battle Armor [Laser] (Sqd5) Pilot 3 PV 23
Elemental Battle Armor [Laser] (Sqd5) Pilot 3 PV 23
Elemental Battle Armor [Laser] (Sqd5) Pilot 3 PV 23

That's a total of 394 points, and I'd assume you'd need to field about a full IS company at least, which I guess it's not that much of a difference in minis (12 to 10), but it's 1 unit vs three, right? Is that a problem for the game?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 14:49:07


Post by: Eilif


 LunarSol wrote:
There doesn't seem to be as much Clan/Inner Sphere distinction to Alpha Strike. It's set primarily in the most recent timeline where the two have been in contact long enough for most of technology to have merged so there's not quite as much of a distinction as previous eras.


Sort of. The current Alpha Strike press does seem to be later in the timeline, in terms of the units and cards promoted, but the Battletech universe and Alpha Strike go all the way back. Alpha Strike as a standalone game is a decade old now.

To see what I mean plug a classic Mech name into the MUL
http://www.masterunitlist.info/
and you'll find versions (and Alpha Strike cards) from it's entire history, at various point costs. This is one of the best things about Alpha Strike. You only need the rulebook, figs, terrain and the MUL, so every era and faction of BT is open to you and as with BT, any sourcebook from nearly 40 years previous is applicable.

As for a Clan Invasion game, I don't know how that would play out. Certainly the IS would likely have more units than Clan, but with the abstractions inherent in Alpha Strike, I don't know if it would be relatively equal or tilt towards one side.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 14:58:32


Post by: Albertorius


Ah, sorry, took a while to update the post with the example >_>


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 15:24:47


Post by: LunarSol


 Eilif wrote:
 LunarSol wrote:
There doesn't seem to be as much Clan/Inner Sphere distinction to Alpha Strike. It's set primarily in the most recent timeline where the two have been in contact long enough for most of technology to have merged so there's not quite as much of a distinction as previous eras.


Sort of. The current Alpha Strike press does seem to be later in the timeline, in terms of the units and cards promoted, but the Battletech universe and Alpha Strike go all the way back. Alpha Strike as a standalone game is a decade old now.

To see what I mean plug a classic Mech name into the MUL
http://www.masterunitlist.info/
and you'll find versions (and Alpha Strike cards) from it's entire history, at various point costs. This is one of the best things about Alpha Strike. You only need the rulebook, figs, terrain and the MUL, so every era and faction of BT is open to you and as with BT, any sourcebook from nearly 40 years previous is applicable.

As for a Clan Invasion game, I don't know how that would play out. Certainly the IS would likely have more units than Clan, but with the abstractions inherent in Alpha Strike, I don't know if it would be relatively equal or tilt towards one side.


There's for sure an enormous amount of variant options and timespans to play around with. My point is just that the Alpha Strike rules, particularly out of the box, don't result in IS mechs being notably cheaper than Clans. Even the Clan vs Inner Sphere scenarios that come with the starter rely a lot on the Clan side spending points on Skill upgrades over the mechs themselves being significantly better.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 15:55:56


Post by: Albertorius


There's certainly been a shortening of the gap between clantech and IS-tech the farther you go through the timeline, which makes sense, all told, and also a fair mixing of both, which kinda bother me as by 3150 or whatever there are no real reasons for there to have clantech and IS tech anymore, I think.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 16:01:51


Post by: Charistoph


The real funny thing is that in CBT, Inner Sphere Mechs tend to be more fragile than Clan Mechs. However, with Alpha Strike, Clan Mechs tend to be more fragile than Inner Sphere Mechs. The XL Engine halves the available Structure for a Mech, and almost every Clan Mech has an XL Engine. Meanwhile, the only threat to an Inner Sphere Mech is if you roll a 2 on a Crit Roll to make it go boom, even on something that has way more Ammo Bays than it should like a Crusader.

Usually when making Alpha Strike lists, I've ended up with 4 Clan Mechs vs 5 Inner Sphere Mechs, where as, I can usually get up to 6 Inner Sphere Mechs with Classic. Obviously it boils down to specifics, but they are there.


As a side note, if you like customizing your Mechs, MegaMekLab's latest "test" version, 0.49.11, has an Alpha Strike Card customizer. It won't adjust the Skill, but it can get you the base PV, Stats, and Specials to use to the MUL Custom Card Creator to finish the difference. Too bad it requires a special version of Java to run (and only that Java installed).


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/19 16:50:48


Post by: Albertorius


I mean, that's true as long as the IS mech use an XL-Engine (...or well, yeah, unprotected ammo). Otherwise, I'm not so sure.

For "customizing", the only thing I've done has been going to MUL AS army list construction and selecting the skill level, which then autocalculates the extra PV.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/20 07:02:09


Post by: Apple fox


Depending on the era I still find the clan tech to be rather awesome.

But I do think it feels a lot better to not have them sooo different, so as to not need to so outnumber them ether.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/20 07:51:28


Post by: Albertorius


I painted this assault lance yesterday (pretty quick and dirty to get them painted fast), and I think they are even valid as a formation ^^



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/20 08:01:36


Post by: Apple fox


Ohh wow, that’s coool!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/20 09:19:55


Post by: Albertorius


Thank you

With any luck I may even get to use it this weekend.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/20 13:15:22


Post by: Flinty


Great scheme. They look awesome.

The first tranche of my own stuff has arrived. Beginner box for extra mechs and the hex map. Alpha strike box and rules and stuff are still pending.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/20 15:07:37


Post by: Apple fox


 Flinty wrote:
Great scheme. They look awesome.

The first tranche of my own stuff has arrived. Beginner box for extra mechs and the hex map. Alpha strike box and rules and stuff are still pending.



Both the beginner box, and alpha strike boxes are great.

I have been working hard to get enough for Alpha strike campaign, keeps getting distracted by my own mech forces as I get more in.
But i want to be able to put down all the needed ones painted to start off.
Giving players a great jumping off point if they only need a lance, and can hire in mechs from my own mercenary forces.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/21 02:28:32


Post by: Apple fox


 RaptorusRex wrote:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnfDFdUOZGM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Some Ghost Bear mechs I did.



Some good looking stuff, I had a look at some others as well!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/21 09:25:18


Post by: Graphite


So it looks like I'll be getting into some PBEM Hexmap battletech Vs Flinty once things restock. Which is awesome, because I've liked the look of Alpha Strike for a good while now!

So the CBT beginner's box has turned up, and I must say I'm very impressed with the quality of the pre-assembled mechs. Very nice indeed.

Dug out my unpainted Trinary (Technically a Binary of one Star and Nova?) that I've had for... a while and they're now undercoated. Here we go!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/21 21:52:54


Post by: Flinty


Managed to get some paint down. Tried basic contrast and a slapchop scheme.

Given that the game is about giant stompy mechs, I’m thinking the cleaner style will do just fine, and is much easier. Basing materials are ordered.



Spoiler:









Likely to do different schemes for different lances, but I rather like the teal




Automatically Appended Next Post:
I think my clanners will follow the winter scheme I did for my horizon wars print



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/22 06:04:28


Post by: Apple fox


I do like the teal with the red, will look great on the table.

I find mechs can look cleaner due to the size, even if I like to put a lot of work into it. It’s more often the dramatic or flashy stuff that most people will notice anyway on little mechs.

The clan scheme your going with is super awesome also.


One thing I do like is with alpha strike, can do big games. And the colours people choose look so good when you can get a large number on the field.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/22 12:11:57


Post by: Graphite


 Flinty wrote:
Managed to get some paint down. Tried basic contrast and a slapchop scheme.

Given that the game is about giant stompy mechs, I’m thinking the cleaner style will do just fine, and is much easier. Basing materials are ordered.

Spoiler:


Spoiler:



Spoiler:


Spoiler:


Likely to do different schemes for different lances, but I rather like the teal




Automatically Appended Next Post:
I think my clanners will follow the winter scheme I did for my horizon wars print

Spoiler:


Nice colour schemes, Flinty! My Clanners are going to go for some airbrush grassland camo, because I don't use my airbrushes for actual painting often enough.



(Yes, Ghost Bear usually prefer winter camo, but they're not idiots. Just weird. Because they're Clanners)

Inner Sphere I'm thinking going with some clashing multicoloured Merc scheme that would make Chris Foss think about toning things down a little. 'cos Mercs aren't necessarily sane, don't necessarily have the C-bills for paint every time they change combat zone, and likely regard their mechs as walking billboards.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/22 19:01:22


Post by: Albertorius


Managed to play today, 400 points Clan vs. IS, circa 3050, let's say at the advent of the Clan Invasion

The forces were the Clan Nova I posted upthread vs an IS battle company:



(Everything Skill 3 except the Timber Wolf with Skill 2)



(Everything Skill 4 except the Banshee, the Awesome and the Archer at Skill 3, I think)

It pretty much confirmed what I sort of expected:

- Clan omnis are glass cannons due mostly to XL engines, so they can dish out a lot of damage but can't really take it as much
- Skill level is nice, but it made expensive units even more expensive, particularly the elementals.
- The elementals are very annoying to deal with, but they are simply too flimsy to use in non-built up terrain. Damage output and hit points is equivalent to the lightest IS 'mechs, but they are way slower and more expensive. Skill 3 on these seems too much of an expense.
- Quantity is a quality of its own, and the clans were sorely outmatched in that regard, particularly with the elementals riding the omnis.

The clanners managed to deal a lot of damage (less than usually, probably, due to me failing by one a LOT of rolls, but that's me xD) but the IS mechs had a lot more structure to soak it, so many ended up with multiple crits (we hit a whole lotta fire controls) but still alive. OTOH, the IS had a lot more mechs, so made a lot more to hit rolls per turn, which ended up mattering due to the rule of averages in rolling.

Battle ended with the clan nova reduced to a Puma and three elemental points against like six mechs, at which point we just stopped.

We used the original maps from the old school Btech box, too, for old time's sake ^^
Spoiler:










Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/23 13:48:01


Post by: RaptorusRex




3rd Hussars, Kungsarmé, FRR. Probably going to do some process improvements with re: the splinter camo on the next few 'Mechs I do.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/23 14:40:29


Post by: Apple fox


How different is the game on the hex maps, over playing off them?
Do you think it effects much, or about as close as it possible?

Some really cool painted mechs as well in here, rather cool to keep seeing more!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/23 15:07:44


Post by: Albertorius


Apple fox wrote:
How different is the game on the hex maps, over playing off them?
Do you think it effects much, or about as close as it possible?

Some really cool painted mechs as well in here, rather cool to keep seeing more!

Not much, all in all. If anything, it's easier to get into base to base contact, which maybe makes short range a bit less useful (as btb units can't shoot each other, only can use physical attacks).

It's also easy to revert back to Btech rules for visibility, and those are clear as day and pretty fast to use.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/23 15:17:02


Post by: beast_gts


Alpha Strike Counters Pack - coming soon!

Spoiler:


Alex Chobot wrote:I did a DFA on turn one at the Grinder and all I got was this lousy counter pack.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/23 16:21:00


Post by: Prometheum5


That pack has basically everything I just spent the last week trying to find alternatives for. I was especially frustrated trying to find exactly the kind of road pieces I wanted. Would love to have them in neoprene for flexibility, but these will do just fine.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/23 16:47:36


Post by: Apple fox


 Albertorius wrote:
Apple fox wrote:
How different is the game on the hex maps, over playing off them?
Do you think it effects much, or about as close as it possible?

Some really cool painted mechs as well in here, rather cool to keep seeing more!

Not much, all in all. If anything, it's easier to get into base to base contact, which maybe makes short range a bit less useful (as btb units can't shoot each other, only can use physical attacks).

It's also easy to revert back to Btech rules for visibility, and those are clear as day and pretty fast to use.


Cool it feels so close. We haven’t got that many games in yet, so still feeling out the different things!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/25 14:12:20


Post by: Albertorius


Testing another lance scheme:


Spoiler:



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/25 14:20:42


Post by: Apple fox


I quite like it, looks good on the base as well.
Green looks so great for the panels on cockpits.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/25 18:01:36


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


So my Alpha Strike starter, BT: Beginners Box, and two Lances arrived late yesterday. I now have 27 IS mechs to 5 Clan mechs, so I've the two IS companies I wanted. Just need a Crusader and 2nd Stinger for the Black Widow Company, as I will take Prometheum5's suggestion and use the Wasp from the Alpha Strike box. Have almost finished a test mech (the Blackjack from the Wolf's Dragoons Assault Star) using a mix of Speedpaint and regular paint. Just need to drybrush the base. Will probably use more Speedpaint on the next ones.

Now this is for the future, but is there a place where the preferred mechs used by a given Clan are posted? I wandered through Sarna.net, but both the Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Ghost Bear military and Tourman entries did not say. Anyway, I'd be more interested in Clan Ghost Bear as I hate Jade Falcon, and since I'm planning on painting the 2nd IS company as the Eridani Light Horse (Absolution Green Speedpaint, woohoo!), I don't want the Clan mechs in green as well.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/25 18:42:56


Post by: Prometheum5


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
So my Alpha Strike starter, BT: Beginners Box, and two Lances arrived late yesterday. I now have 27 IS mechs to 5 Clan mechs, so I've the two IS companies I wanted. Just need a Crusader and 2nd Stinger for the Black Widow Company, as I will take Prometheum5's suggestion and use the Wasp from the Alpha Strike box. Have almost finished a test mech (the Blackjack from the Wolf's Dragoons Assault Star) using a mix of Speedpaint and regular paint. Just need to drybrush the base. Will probably use more Speedpaint on the next ones.

Now this is for the future, but is there a place where the preferred mechs used by a given Clan are posted? I wandered through Sarna.net, but both the Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Ghost Bear military and Tourman entries did not say. Anyway, I'd be more interested in Clan Ghost Bear as I hate Jade Falcon, and since I'm planning on painting the 2nd IS company as the Eridani Light Horse (Absolution Green Speedpaint, woohoo!), I don't want the Clan mechs in green as well.


Master Unit List will show you what any faction was using at any given time. I am not nearly as versed on Clan mechs but find that there's a handful that tend to be more specific to a Clan and then most are pretty generally used, plus years of infighting between the Clans allows you to mostly use whatever for the Clan Invasion era stuff.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/25 20:26:54


Post by: Ghaz


 Prometheum5 wrote:
Master Unit List will show you what any faction was using at any given time. I am not nearly as versed on Clan mechs but find that there's a handful that tend to be more specific to a Clan and then most are pretty generally used, plus years of infighting between the Clans allows you to mostly use whatever for the Clan Invasion era stuff.

To add to this, when referencing the MUL, remember to choose the appropriate 'General' option (e.g., Inner Sphere General, IS Clan General or HW Clan General) along with your specific Faction.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/25 22:58:28


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


Thank you both for the replies. The Mad Dog (Vulture) and Executioner (Gladiator) are two of the favored Ghost Bear mechs according to Sarna.net. The former is in the Clan Heavy Striker Star, but the latter in the Clan Invasion box. So I guess the easier and cheaper path is not to sweat the small stuff: I don't like the Clans enough to bother with the details.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 01:42:17


Post by: Gitzbitah


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
So my Alpha Strike starter, BT: Beginners Box, and two Lances arrived late yesterday. I now have 27 IS mechs to 5 Clan mechs, so I've the two IS companies I wanted. Just need a Crusader and 2nd Stinger for the Black Widow Company, as I will take Prometheum5's suggestion and use the Wasp from the Alpha Strike box. Have almost finished a test mech (the Blackjack from the Wolf's Dragoons Assault Star) using a mix of Speedpaint and regular paint. Just need to drybrush the base. Will probably use more Speedpaint on the next ones.

Now this is for the future, but is there a place where the preferred mechs used by a given Clan are posted? I wandered through Sarna.net, but both the Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Ghost Bear military and Tourman entries did not say. Anyway, I'd be more interested in Clan Ghost Bear as I hate Jade Falcon, and since I'm planning on painting the 2nd IS company as the Eridani Light Horse (Absolution Green Speedpaint, woohoo!), I don't want the Clan mechs in green as well.


The Ghost Bears tend to favor very heavy mechs, a few very light designs (Dasher and Dragonfly) and use lots of Elementals. Everything in the Alpha Strike Box works great for Ghost Bear, except maybe the Pouncer until the Late Republic Era. Isorla would easily justify its presence though, so I wouldn't be concerned.

Also, later on in the timeline most of the designs can be used by mercenary force- if you're really not interested in the Clans, you may want to just give them to the ELH.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 02:23:55


Post by: Charistoph


One of the key take aways to remember about Battletech is that there is little reason why Force X couldn't use Force Y's units given enough time.

Salvaging Battlemechs, and even Combat Vehicles, has been a matter of course for centuries, for both the Inner Sphere AND the Clans. It's the ultimate example of recyclying in warfare.

Because of this recyclying, it's not unheard of for Spheroids to be using Clanner 'Mechs, though, though that is much more rare than them using units their nation creates or are created across several nations.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 02:53:34


Post by: H.B.M.C.


Really unless it's a cutting edge design, something that is exceptionally rare (ie. a 2nd Line Clan 'Mech from the Homeworld clans that never came to the IS) or has some particular hang up (ie. the Clans would never use a 'Mech called "Wolverine"), then really anyone should be able to field just about anything.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 04:30:39


Post by: Charistoph


Yeah, file Celestial Mechs under that "no no" list, too.

Of course, one could just toss such things as "Era" and "Faction" and just set to Technology Levels and Types and go from there. Saves a LOT of headaches.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 05:30:26


Post by: H.B.M.C.


Good call on the Celestials. I doubt many people could be bothered to refit them to work with non-cyborg pilots either. Ditto for Society 'Mechs.

The only thing less likely to show up in various places would be a LAMs.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 06:36:06


Post by: Apple fox


There is a list on Sarna as well with % of mechs used in each faction.
It’s probably the best way to get a solid idea of where each faction is on some of the weirdest combinations possible if you want to stick with the faction lore.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 11:50:41


Post by: Eilif


 Charistoph wrote:
One of the key take aways to remember about Battletech is that there is little reason why Force X couldn't use Force Y's units given enough time.

Salvaging Battlemechs, and even Combat Vehicles, has been a matter of course for centuries, for both the Inner Sphere AND the Clans. It's the ultimate example of recyclying in warfare.

Because of this recyclying, it's not unheard of for Spheroids to be using Clanner 'Mechs, though, though that is much more rare than them using units their nation creates or are created across several nations.


I agree to an extent, but the lowest common denominator of "use whatever" can be the fast track to the sort of narrow optimization that strips the BT universe of what makes it so interesting. Play how you want of course, but far better I think to pick an era and faction and build to that. You can always include a few units outside that scope as salvage or some such.

Even an invented mercenary company can have some basic guidelines for force creation based on era, where/how it was created and who/where it has served.

Put another way: when not guided at least somewhat by narrative, Battletech/Alphastrike are likely to devolve into two players playing what is"best".


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Charistoph wrote:

Of course, one could just toss such things as "Era" and "Faction" and just set to Technology Levels and Types and go from there. Saves a LOT of headaches.


Ugh. Now that's the freeway to min max optimization hell.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 12:17:12


Post by: Albertorius


I mean, it can if you want, certainly.

I haven't usually found it to be an issue, but that's down to the players, most certainly.

Thing is, I don't think that enforcing faction limits would help if a player wants to be an ass, as all factions have access to optimized stuff at any given period.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 16:17:58


Post by: Charistoph


H.B.M.C. wrote:Good call on the Celestials. I doubt many people could be bothered to refit them to work with non-cyborg pilots either. Ditto for Society 'Mechs.

The only thing less likely to show up in various places would be a LAMs.

Well, the biggest problem is that they are designed with Small Cockpits, and while that is annoying, it isn't any more difficult than dealing with the Cramped Cockpit of the Stinger or Wolverine. It's not like they were designed with no Gyros and thus requiring DNI or EI to operate.

Still, it could boil down to someone pulling off a Tenshi or file it under "A Dezgra Battlemech is better than NO Battlemech".

And I believe the Septicemia was repurposed by other Homeworld Clans, but as Sarna notes, it is more due to the fact that it doesn't have the Nova CEWS hardwired in to it like its brother 'Mechs the Osteon (which actually is otherwise a great 'Mech) or Cephalus (which would only be considered bad by Clanners due to its teamwork focus).

Eilif wrote:I agree to an extent, but the lowest common denominator of "use whatever" can be the fast track to the sort of narrow optimization that strips the BT universe of what makes it so interesting. Play how you want of course, but far better I think to pick an era and faction and build to that. You can always include a few units outside that scope as salvage or some such.

Even an invented mercenary company can have some basic guidelines for force creation based on era, where/how it was created and who/where it has served.

Put another way: when not guided at least somewhat by narrative, Battletech/Alphastrike are likely to devolve into two players playing what is"best".
....
Ugh. Now that's the freeway to min max optimization hell.

Sorry, but after having played almost weekly (and a little bit more thanks to a narrative campaign) for the last 2 years, I have found the exact opposite to happen. While there are some who like to "optimize" by having Jumping Hunchbacks with Precision Ammo or run nothing but Timber Wolves (he REALLY likes them, even if he overheats them all the time), we haven't seen too many shenanigans, and that's even allowing for Custom designs.

A lot of that comes in to trusting your fellow gamers to obey the first rule of sportsmanship, "Don't be a D***". If you can't trust them to not be a jerk, why are you playing with them?

Albertorius wrote:I mean, it can if you want, certainly.

I haven't usually found it to be an issue, but that's down to the players, most certainly.

Thing is, I don't think that enforcing faction limits would help if a player wants to be an ass, as all factions have access to optimized stuff at any given period.

And that's true, too. There are times to enforce Faction and Era, and times where it really doesn't matter. It's not like there's hard lines in the rulebook about using Faction lines in Total Warfare like there are in every other wargame.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 17:48:28


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


 Gitzbitah wrote:
The Ghost Bears tend to favor very heavy mechs, a few very light designs (Dasher and Dragonfly) and use lots of Elementals. Everything in the Alpha Strike Box works great for Ghost Bear, except maybe the Pouncer until the Late Republic Era. Isorla would easily justify its presence though, so I wouldn't be concerned.

Also, later on in the timeline most of the designs can be used by mercenary force- if you're really not interested in the Clans, you may want to just give them to the ELH.

Thanks for the further replies. I've C&P'd Gitzbitah's above reply into my 'mech inventory list, and will try Sarna.net again for the list Apple Fox mentioned. I'll also remember the advice about isorla and being flexible.

For the moment, I'll focus on the IS mechs, but at the least I'll keep the five from AS for teaching the game. Possibly adding the Heavy Striker Star and a Elemental Star for Clan Invasion scenarios. But that's a maybe. Albertorius, I did note what you mentioned about the elementals earlier. OTOH, elementals are part of the culture shock the IS experienced in the early phases of the Clan Invasion.

Later tonight I'll play the first scenario in AS, and the second if time allows. I'll try it on my BT maps and halve movement and distances as suggested earlier.

An aside. Looking at the mechs included in the forthcoming Eridani Light Horse and Hansen's Rough Riders Force Packs, I can't but think they should have reversed the names, being that the former unit prefers Light/Mediums while the latter Heavy+. Of course, a core of Assault could serve as a fire base for cavalry mechs as well as the rearguard, and even Hansen's will need Light/Mediums for recon and flanking.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 19:05:47


Post by: Prometheum5


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
So I guess the easier and cheaper path is not to sweat the small stuff: I don't like the Clans enough to bother with the details.


Other than totem mechs this is generally my approach to my Clan forces as well


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/26 19:09:41


Post by: Ghaz


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
An aside. Looking at the mechs included in the forthcoming Eridani Light Horse and Hansen's Rough Riders Force Packs, I can't but think they should have reversed the names, being that the former unit prefers Light/Mediums while the latter Heavy+.

The Eridani Light Horse earned that name during the Star League, 300 plus years before the Clan Invasion. It's become something of a myth that a preference for light and medium 'Mechs means that they don't field a significant number of heavy or assault 'Mechs as their entry in Combat Manual: Mercenaries shows otherwise:

LIGHT HORSE COMAND
General Ariana Winston leads the command from a dedicated, independent command company. The company normally attaches itself to the Twenty-first Striker, her former regiment. The company is made up entirely of assault ’Mechs. The company includes jump infantry as well as heavy and assault tanks for headquarters security. The fighter wing often splits into squadrons to support the individual regiments.

TWENTY-FIRST STRIKER
The Twenty-first contains the Third, Fifth, and Seventh Striker Battalions, plus the First Armored Infantry Battalion. The Third and Fifth use mixed light and medium ’Mechs, while the Seventh comprises medium and heavy ’Mechs. The First Armored is a company of fast wheeled tanks and hovertanks, plus three companies of jump infantry.

SEVENTY-FIRST LIGHT HORSE
The 151st, or “Dark Horse Regiment,” contains the Sixth and Eighth Recon Battalions and the Fiftieth Heavy Cavalry Battalion. The Sixth uses light and medium ’Mechs, the Eighth fields medium and heavy ’Mechs, and the Fiftieth consists of heavy and assault ’Mechs.

Since you most likely will only be playing with anywhere from a single Lance to a Company, there is plenty of heavy and assault 'Mechs in their TO&E to field a canonical force.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/29 21:41:50


Post by: Gitzbitah


Dominion Divided is out now. Very good sourcebook, especially for anyone who's into Ghost Bears, Kuritans, Federated Suns.

Standouts are a FedSun exclusive Superheavy variant, and Ravens bearing some very mysterious iconography.

Overall, it's a great story of 3 realms going through some really turbulent times. Much better than Empire Alone, not quite as good as Tamar Rising- but well worth the money.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/29 23:24:12


Post by: H.B.M.C.


Good to see the Davions kicking the Snakes back into their own territory and retaking New Avalon.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/01/31 06:18:09


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


So over the last two days I've played three games of Alpha Strike. Playing scenario #1 twice was not that fun, but I did learn the mechanics, and see the difference between "All or Nothing" and rolling for each damage point. I prefer the latter. In scenario #1 only the Nova Cat T could delete light mechs in one shot, and delete it did, but quantity has a quality all its own, and so the Inner Sphere mechs put paid to those dezgra Jade Falcons, although they lost two mechs and the Phoenix Hawk was crippled.

Scenario #1, play 2: I rolled for each point, and it hurt the surat Jade Falcons, as they shot worse than the freebirths they so despise. So only the Wasp and Phoenix Hawk melted this time. To paraphrase a quote, "Falcons, I'm laughing at the supermen!"

The second scenario was much more fun as it felt like a battle. Inner Sphere beat the dezgra Jade Falcons again. Lost the Recon Lance and the Blackjack, so it was not cheap. The Archer was the MVP, even at long and medium range it would hit with at least 75% of its damage.

So at the moment, the expected Clan tech superiority I expect from the regular game is not there. I've used the MUL to build the Black Widows Command and Fire lances, as well an Eridani Light Horse Assault Lance and Recon Lance, 250 each side, and I'll see how that goes.

A question. Can you use all your Battlefield Support cards in one turn? That's how I played it, but in the Quick Start rules there's nothing preventing it.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/06 15:26:21


Post by: catbarf


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
So over the last two days I've played three games of Alpha Strike. Playing scenario #1 twice was not that fun, but I did learn the mechanics, and see the difference between "All or Nothing" and rolling for each damage point. I prefer the latter. In scenario #1 only the Nova Cat T could delete light mechs in one shot, and delete it did, but quantity has a quality all its own, and so the Inner Sphere mechs put paid to those dezgra Jade Falcons, although they lost two mechs and the Phoenix Hawk was crippled.

Scenario #1, play 2: I rolled for each point, and it hurt the surat Jade Falcons, as they shot worse than the freebirths they so despise. So only the Wasp and Phoenix Hawk melted this time. To paraphrase a quote, "Falcons, I'm laughing at the supermen!"


After trying out the different variants, I really like the version where you roll one 'pilot' die and then a separate die for each damage point, each one combining with the pilot die to form your 2D6 pairs. I think it strikes a good balance between the all-or-nothing of the base rules and the more predictable output of rolling for each point individually, and scales well since you never need more than two colors of dice.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/06 17:19:51


Post by: Prometheum5


 catbarf wrote:
 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
So over the last two days I've played three games of Alpha Strike. Playing scenario #1 twice was not that fun, but I did learn the mechanics, and see the difference between "All or Nothing" and rolling for each damage point. I prefer the latter. In scenario #1 only the Nova Cat T could delete light mechs in one shot, and delete it did, but quantity has a quality all its own, and so the Inner Sphere mechs put paid to those dezgra Jade Falcons, although they lost two mechs and the Phoenix Hawk was crippled.

Scenario #1, play 2: I rolled for each point, and it hurt the surat Jade Falcons, as they shot worse than the freebirths they so despise. So only the Wasp and Phoenix Hawk melted this time. To paraphrase a quote, "Falcons, I'm laughing at the supermen!"


After trying out the different variants, I really like the version where you roll one 'pilot' die and then a separate die for each damage point, each one combining with the pilot die to form your 2D6 pairs. I think it strikes a good balance between the all-or-nothing of the base rules and the more predictable output of rolling for each point individually, and scales well since you never need more than two colors of dice.


Is this a common house rule or an option in the AS rulebook? I'm getting ready to sit down and read the quick start rules for our first AS game and was already thinking about doing damage rolls based on discussion I've seen, but this pilot die approach also sounds neat.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/06 22:13:21


Post by: Charistoph


I haven't seen it in the Commander's Edition, but seen a few people talk about using it, so I believe it is a semi-popular house rule.

The Pilot die does reduce the amount of dice you have to roll. It can even make the rest of the rolls rather pointless, though (ex: if you roll a 1, and need 8, for example).


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/07 05:34:21


Post by: cpugeek13


Does anyone know if the AGoAC box set still includes Alpha Strike cards? I’m seeing mixed info on different websites.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/07 07:27:33


Post by: H.B.M.C.


It sure does.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/07 08:38:06


Post by: cpugeek13




Yeah, I saw that it says they are included there, but when I’ve looked at listing on some e-shops (including Catalyst’s), they only list the 8 pilot cards and don’t mention anything about the AS cards.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/07 09:22:10


Post by: privateer4hire


AH, our group has found clan mechs to not be better than IS balance wise. It’s just that clan mechs are more points efficient in AS : )

Also I highly recommend the following sequence for every attack (seriously):

-Declare attacking unit and its target
-ROLL THE DICE
-if dice result is laughably low, congratulate yourself for not bogging down the game with both of you clicking through a bunch of modifiers
-If dice result is not an obvious miss or an obvious hit, then figure out the modifiers

Rolling first has really sped up our play. It can really slow down the game if every dice roll is preceded by the calculation of every possible modifier involved. Both players start double checking, second guessing, etc.






Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/07 16:48:30


Post by: LunarSol


I've been having better luck since I reorganized the modifiers into Warmachine's RAT/DEF system. It's not that complicated, its just set up in a way that has you checking several states of both mechs multiple times to feel more similar than its clunky big brother.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/07 19:45:44


Post by: Charistoph


cpugeek13 wrote:


Yeah, I saw that it says they are included there, but when I’ve looked at listing on some e-shops (including Catalyst’s), they only list the 8 pilot cards and don’t mention anything about the AS cards.

Odd. The one I got last year has them. And it's not like one cannot use the MUL to get more. It's the Beginner Box that doesn't carry the Alpha Strike Cards, so that might be what is causing the confusion.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/08 10:34:56


Post by: Gitzbitah


 privateer4hire wrote:
AH, our group has found clan mechs to not be better than IS balance wise. It’s just that clan mechs are more points efficient in AS : )

Also I highly recommend the following sequence for every attack (seriously):

-Declare attacking unit and its target
-ROLL THE DICE
-if dice result is laughably low, congratulate yourself for not bogging down the game with both of you clicking through a bunch of modifiers
-If dice result is not an obvious miss or an obvious hit, then figure out the modifiers

Rolling first has really sped up our play. It can really slow down the game if every dice roll is preceded by the calculation of every possible modifier involved. Both players start double checking, second guessing, etc.






Our group uses a little dice we leave next to each unit after it moves. It helps track who has moved and is still left, and you leave it on the TMM for the unit so target acquisition is easy for the opponent. The most you usually add is range and terrain. We usually add the BA, STL, MAS, VTOL and other such mods into the TMM marker die.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/08 18:48:22


Post by: Charistoph


 Gitzbitah wrote:
Our group uses a little dice we leave next to each unit after it moves. It helps track who has moved and is still left, and you leave it on the TMM for the unit so target acquisition is easy for the opponent. The most you usually add is range and terrain. We usually add the BA, STL, MAS, VTOL and other such mods into the TMM marker die.

We do similar as well. It's mostly a holdover from our Classic Battletech play, which includes the colored dice for Attacker Movement type.

STL is hard to add to the TMM die if you're dealing with different ranges, though.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/09 23:15:09


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


cpugeek13 wrote:


Yeah, I saw that it says they are included there, but when I’ve looked at listing on some e-shops (including Catalyst’s), they only list the 8 pilot cards and don’t mention anything about the AS cards.
As a recent purchaser of both the current Beginner's Box and Battletech: AGoAC, I can confirm that the former has no Alpha Strike cards and the latter does include the AS cards and Pilot cards. Between the two boxes there are no duplicate plastic mechs.
EDIT: However, the pack of cards I got must be from the original release as it had a Griffin card instead of an Awesome card.

So now I have 35 IS mechs and 10 Clan mechs. [Miniature Market got me with another one of their sales. The Battletech: AGoAC box was marked down from $47.99 to $35.00 at the time, and MSRP is $59.99. So I put it and the Clan Heavy Striker Star in the cart, plus some non-BT products from my Wishlist, and a Hold from a previous sale for the free shipping. I have to stay away from their website, or they'll suck me in again.]


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 01:32:59


Post by: cpugeek13


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
cpugeek13 wrote:


Yeah, I saw that it says they are included there, but when I’ve looked at listing on some e-shops (including Catalyst’s), they only list the 8 pilot cards and don’t mention anything about the AS cards.
As a recent purchaser of both the current Beginner's Box and Battletech: AGoAC, I can confirm that the former has no Alpha Strike cards and the latter does include the AS cards and Pilot cards. Between the two boxes there are no duplicate plastic mechs.


Awesome, I just ordered AGoAC, another box of clan mechs, and the commander’s edition book. I am really tempted to buy the Clan Invasion box, but it’s a bummer that it doesn’t include cards for the elementals (I know they’re online, but I like using nice shiny cards).

Have my first full game of Alpha Strike this weekend, but I’ve already had a lot of fun painting up the AS box minis.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 02:06:36


Post by: H.B.M.C.


Does the Elemental Star box come with cards?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 04:53:12


Post by: Charistoph


The unboxing video I saw doesn't show them having any.

I never got it because I'm still behind on my Mech collection (but I'm getting closer, just 2 Clan Stars and the Level IIs left aside from the Merc Packs). And even with that, I'm not a fan of the size of base they are on. I've gotten some of the old metal Elementals (and IS Standard BA) and put them on 3/4" Fender Washers, and they can fit in a hex easier with the Mechs they are Mechanized with or going to be doing Anti-Mech Attacks with.

Here's a perspective picture with one next to a CGL Mech and Ironwind Protomechs:


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 05:27:20


Post by: H.B.M.C.


I've got all my BA on proper hex bases, but at a lower density to the plastic ones (so 3 Elementals per base, giving me two stars, as the blister had 30 in there).

The bigger ones - Kanazuchi, Golum, Hauberk, Grenadier - are two to a base to avoid the "Elemental Mosh Pit" problem. I tried putting four Kanazuchis on a base when I first got them but no, that was never going to work.

The hardest ones were the Gnome suits. The metal strip they're on is far thicker than the others, so cutting that off took ages and my hand actually hurt by the end of it.

I also have one star of the newer plastic ones (getting 2 bases in the Clan box twigs my OCD, so I had to order 3 more from Fortress to make up the full unit! ).



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 08:42:09


Post by: Flinty


Standby, drop ship inbound!


I also have a couple of catapults amd a Kintaro on the print bed awaiting processing.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 11:50:37


Post by: Graphite


My Binary (Possibly Trinary? Depends if the Elementals deploy as a Nova) is complete. At least until I get another 5 Clan Mechs in the next couple of days. I've put name labels on the bases, IS names on the front, Clan names on the back to remind me what everything actually is...



Light Star



Heavy Star



Elemental Star



The whole Binary


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 13:10:44


Post by: Flinty


Nuclear launch detected


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 14:27:54


Post by: Chillreaper


 H.B.M.C. wrote:


I also have one star of the newer plastic ones (getting 2 bases in the Clan box twigs my OCD, so I had to order 3 more from Fortress to make up the full unit! ).




You think that's bad, I ended up with a genius plan to "save" money in the previous KS that resulted in me getting 4 points of Elementals...

Four!

I had to blow one of my pack choices on an Elemental box to try to rectify things, but now that means that I have 9 of them.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 14:34:56


Post by: Graphite


 Flinty wrote:
Nuclear launch detected


Hey! None of that! Ares Conventions in effect!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 14:51:19


Post by: Charistoph


Yeah, I never had a hex base that I thought was a proper Infantry size, and since Infantry don't have a Facing, it isn't technically NEEDED for them.

But that also means that a $2 order can make 3 individual units on the table, too, which is just icing.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 15:56:52


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


 Graphite wrote:
 Flinty wrote:
Nuclear launch detected


Hey! None of that! Ares Conventions in effect!
Tell that to the Word of Blake. See where that gets you.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 16:07:39


Post by: LunarSol


Got started on my mechs. I think I'm happy with where its going, but I feel like I'm missing something. Some sort of accent color and obviously the basing. Could go for snow, but my 6x4 mat lends itself to more of a dustbowl scheme. Haven't decided. Any suggestions?



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 16:26:03


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


Personally, since 2012 I've decided that all new minis and terrain acquisitions are either desert-based or themed. Sure, I'd like a variety of terrain and basing, but I can't afford it or store it. So if your mat is desert, I'd run with that. Now for Alpha Strike specifically, I'm doing desert basing, but the Clan mechs will be Rasalhague Dominion, and the IS mechs will be split between Wolf's Dragoons and the Eridani Light Horse. So blue with metallic trim, black with red trim, and green (should be olive drab, but I like the color of Absolution Green Speedpaint so forest green for my mechs). Will probably add a little yellow trim for contrast, and a red head for the Atlas.

If you don't already know about it CamoSpecs has the various faction schemes with pictures. So you can browse there and find a color scheme you like.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 17:19:50


Post by: LunarSol


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:

If you don't already know about it CamoSpecs has the various faction schemes with pictures. So you can browse there and find a color scheme you like.


Spent hours there, just haven't found anything I'm happy with. I feel like I'm close, just need to find something to make it pop.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 17:49:03


Post by: Flinty


What about either the knees or shoulders in a spot colour? Mustard yellow or purple might work well. Alternatively do the old favourite of doing one arm or leg in a different colour. A grey or red?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/10 17:49:57


Post by: Ghaz


Don't forget to also check out https://unitcolorcompendium.com/


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/12 00:41:59


Post by: Charistoph


 Flinty wrote:
What about either the knees or shoulders in a spot colour? Mustard yellow or purple might work well. Alternatively do the old favourite of doing one arm or leg in a different colour. A grey or red?


Something like that. A contrasting color to the blue if you want it to pop out or complimentary color if you want to be more subtle about it.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/12 02:48:39


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


One can paint the mech particolored, which was a medieval and Renaissance thing. [The linked picture is of a medieval styled costume, not a mech.]


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/18 00:25:39


Post by: Flinty


First remote game against Graphite.

Did not go well for my IS mooks
Spoiler:

Starting point, so far so good


Hmm. Not terrible, some damage done to both sides, but more on my side


Well, poop…




I tried closing to minimise the modifiers on my poorer pilots, but had an astounding run of poor initiative rolls, so was always getting the Griffiin shut down amd the vindicator with too many modifiers.

High point was a lucky crit in the Mad Cat engine, which meant we go to see what heat does, amd in this case it stopped my Vindicwtor losing all of its armour for a whole turn as the heat meant a key shot missed.

Good fun. Ran really quickly. Easy to setup and send moves through WhatsApp due to the map hexes. 10/10 would play again


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/20 01:53:50


Post by: cpugeek13


I played a game of AS this weekend with my son. I’ve been using the game to introduce him to wargaming concepts and mechanics. This time I taught him some basic list-building and had him build a 150 pt list. Being a 7-year-old boy, he of course chose three of the biggest most expensive mechs I own (an Atlas, Warhawk, and Warhammer). I chose cheaper mechs (a Locust, Centurion, Dragon, and Archer) and I used the extra points to upgrade their skill to 3.

We played a match, and long story short, I beat him rather handily (it’s tough love!). He learned that size isn’t everything and next time he will include some smaller mechs in his list. I learned something too — how much an upgraded skill level can turn a decent light or medium mech into a monster. Also, the Locust with TMM4 is a beast!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/20 15:56:26


Post by: LunarSol


Found something I liked, painted up everything I've picked up so far:





Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/24 07:40:25


Post by: cpugeek13


Just got my Game of Armored combat box and will double confirm that it does contain AS cards, though unfortunately one of the cards has the Awesome on one side and the Battlemaster on the other, which means you would need to print out a card if you want to use both at the same time. Also includes a Griffin card though the box doesn’t contain a model (it’s in the Beginner box, I think ).

Is it just me or is the finish on these cards different than the ones in the other boxes? They seem less smooth and I’m worried about using dry erase markers on them. Might just need to pick up some card sleeves for them.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/24 13:07:12


Post by: Garfield666


Heh, my box was missing the Awesome card altogether, but has the Griffin card... Not a big deal as I also bought the card-sets and MUL has everything you need.
Finally I am glad to have bought that laminating machine two years ago

Now that my terrain is finished, maybe I can get the stompies on the table the next weeks.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/26 00:45:33


Post by: H.B.M.C.


 LunarSol wrote:
Spoiler:
These look amazing? How long did it take you to paint them?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/26 08:55:47


Post by: Flinty


Does anyone have an Urbanmech they could photograph next to a warhammer or archer, or something equally common?

Printed some for myself and I would like to check scale.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/26 14:33:23


Post by: Shadox




Only have the WhIIC but I hope that helps.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/26 16:51:35


Post by: Flinty


That’s perfect, many thanks!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/27 08:18:38


Post by: Graphite


 Flinty wrote:
First remote game against Graphite.

Did not go well for my IS mooks
Spoiler:

Starting point, so far so good


Hmm. Not terrible, some damage done to both sides, but more on my side


Well, poop…




I tried closing to minimise the modifiers on my poorer pilots, but had an astounding run of poor initiative rolls, so was always getting the Griffiin shut down amd the vindicator with too many modifiers.

High point was a lucky crit in the Mad Cat engine, which meant we go to see what heat does, amd in this case it stopped my Vindicwtor losing all of its armour for a whole turn as the heat meant a key shot missed.

Good fun. Ran really quickly. Easy to setup and send moves through WhatsApp due to the map hexes. 10/10 would play again


This game was great fun, but it absolutely cannot be overstated just how bad Flinty's initiative rolls were. This allowed the scary big clanner mech to play the way it wanted to - concentrate on one enemy at a time, avoid physical attacks, never expose rear armour. I can claim no honour from the victory, though I'm sure the vatgrown guy in the mech will try.

If Flinty had won initiative at any point in the first half dozen turns, things should have been much closer.

Gameplay wise, it absolutely felt like playing CBT with one finger on the fast forward button. Very smooth, but also familiar.

I'm going to be interested to see how this scales up and we get some company/Binary level games going. My feeling is that having more mechs should eliminate the intuitive issue (and after all, AS isn't really meant to be played at this low level - we stuck small to see if PBM worked. WhatsApp was very useful for sending "is this right?" pictures. Which is just as well as I appear to be functionally inumerate and read at least one hex number wrong)


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/27 12:18:00


Post by: Eilif


Glad you enjoyed it. That's shockingly small for an AS game. It's definitely meant to be played at levels higher than Lance vs Lance. If you had fun at 1v2, think you'll find it truly gets humming once you've got 8 units or more per side.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/27 15:32:40


Post by: LunarSol


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
 LunarSol wrote:
Spoiler:
These look amazing? How long did it take you to paint them?


Thanks! If you exclude the month of browsing through color schemes finding something I like it probably took about a week or so. Funny enough, I never really found anything I liked to copy. Initially I was just going with the Space Wolf contrast, gold cockpit and some exposed metal here and there which looked good on its own but really homogenous together. Flailed around a bit initially painting the heads white before I decided to just go for it and spent a couple days picking out spots on all of them.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/28 19:23:22


Post by: Ghaz


 Flinty wrote:
That’s perfect, many thanks!

If you need a better look at the UrbanMech, here's twelve chances to do so...




Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/28 22:25:34


Post by: Flinty


I don’t need 12. 4 will do for now (another one is on the build plate as well)





The stls came with a choice of long and short legs. I maybe should have gone with the shorter legs as these ones look like they should be wearing cocktail dresses


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/28 23:10:16


Post by: H.B.M.C.


"The UM-R65LL, commonly known as the 'Urbie Long Legs', is a rare variant born of a tangled web of manufacturing licenses that saw elements of the original UM-60 design sitting under strict intellectual property holds, requiring the smaller manufacturers to improvise. Shifting to an AC/5, the 'Urbie Long Legs' has a slightly larger engine that, when combined with its non-standard longer legs, allows it to achieve a top speed akin to most Inner Sphere Assault 'Mechs. Unfortunately the reduction in firepower tends to leave it lagging behind in all but policing duties."

I haven't tested whether downgrading the AC/10 to an AC/5 allows you to bump the engine rating up, but that just came to me.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/28 23:37:04


Post by: Ghaz


 Flinty wrote:
I don’t need 12. 4 will do for now (another one is on the build plate as well)

Spoiler:




The stls came with a choice of long and short legs. I maybe should have gone with the shorter legs as these ones look like they should be wearing cocktail dresses

I meant that there were twelve UrbanMechs in the video if you needed a better look, but anyways you will be needing to get another four in the near future. From A Look Back–And Ahead–at BattleTech’s Success on the official BattleTech website:

... four more ForcePacks will finish printing by March, including the Gray Death Legion and Snord’s Irregulars ForcePacks, along with an UrbanMech Lance–four different variants of that iconic ’Mech–and a surprise pack.

While there is no confirmation on which UrbanMech variants will be in the Force Pack, there's a good chance we'll see the popular UM-AIV UrbanMech whose Arrow IV missile launcher is usually armed with nuclear-tipped Arrow IV missiles. What's not to like about that


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/02/28 23:52:12


Post by: Prometheum5


 Ghaz wrote:
 Flinty wrote:
I don’t need 12. 4 will do for now (another one is on the build plate as well)

Spoiler:




The stls came with a choice of long and short legs. I maybe should have gone with the shorter legs as these ones look like they should be wearing cocktail dresses

I meant that there were twelve UrbanMechs in the video if you needed a better look, but anyways you will be needing to get another four in the near future. From A Look Back–And Ahead–at BattleTech’s Success on the official BattleTech website:

... four more ForcePacks will finish printing by March, including the Gray Death Legion and Snord’s Irregulars ForcePacks, along with an UrbanMech Lance–four different variants of that iconic ’Mech–and a surprise pack.

While there is no confirmation on which UrbanMech variants will be in the Force Pack, there's a good chance we'll see the popular UM-AIV UrbanMech whose Arrow IV missile launcher is usually armed with nuclear-tipped Arrow IV missiles. What's not to like about that


Scroggins posted pics of the lance, it's a running AC/10 version, the AC/20 version, MRM version, and the new 3x SRM6 with AES monster.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 00:22:38


Post by: Ghaz


 Prometheum5 wrote:
Spoiler:
 Ghaz wrote:
 Flinty wrote:
I don’t need 12. 4 will do for now (another one is on the build plate as well)





The stls came with a choice of long and short legs. I maybe should have gone with the shorter legs as these ones look like they should be wearing cocktail dresses

I meant that there were twelve UrbanMechs in the video if you needed a better look, but anyways you will be needing to get another four in the near future. From A Look Back–And Ahead–at BattleTech’s Success on the official BattleTech website:

... four more ForcePacks will finish printing by March, including the Gray Death Legion and Snord’s Irregulars ForcePacks, along with an UrbanMech Lance–four different variants of that iconic ’Mech–and a surprise pack.

While there is no confirmation on which UrbanMech variants will be in the Force Pack, there's a good chance we'll see the popular UM-AIV UrbanMech whose Arrow IV missile launcher is usually armed with nuclear-tipped Arrow IV missiles. What's not to like about that


Scroggins posted pics of the lance, it's a running AC/10 version, the AC/20 version, MRM version, and the new 3x SRM6 with AES monster.

I guess the UM-AIV was too much fromage then...


[Thumb - Urbie Group Render1.jpg]


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 01:47:31


Post by: Charistoph


H.B.M.C. wrote:"The UM-R65LL, commonly known as the 'Urbie Long Legs', is a rare variant born of a tangled web of manufacturing licenses that saw elements of the original UM-60 design sitting under strict intellectual property holds, requiring the smaller manufacturers to improvise. Shifting to an AC/5, the 'Urbie Long Legs' has a slightly larger engine that, when combined with its non-standard longer legs, allows it to achieve a top speed akin to most Inner Sphere Assault 'Mechs. Unfortunately the reduction in firepower tends to leave it lagging behind in all but policing duties."

I haven't tested whether downgrading the AC/10 to an AC/5 allows you to bump the engine rating up, but that just came to me.


It leaves 4 tons free to work with. Due to being a Light Mech and having a very low Walk to begin with, if you pumped as much in to Speed as possible without reducing anything else, you can get CBT Walk up to 4 (8"M) with 1/2 ton left. This could be used to upgrade the Small Laser to Medium, a second Small Laser, or improve the Jump Capacity to 3 (or 6"J).

In Alpha Strike terms, it goes from 4"J to 8"/4"J (without adding the 3rd Jump Jet) with a TMM of 1. Short Damage is reduced by 1, but Long Damage is increased by 1 (no matter if the Laser is changed or added to). If no Jump Jet is added, JMPW1 would be added as a Special.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 02:55:13


Post by: Prometheum5


 Ghaz wrote:

Scroggins posted pics of the lance, it's a running AC/10 version, the AC/20 version, MRM version, and the new 3x SRM6 with AES monster.
I guess the UM-AIV was too much fromage then...



It's not the biggest loss because it's easily kitbased with the metal Catapault bit, but would have been a fun choice over another AC/10 version.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 03:45:13


Post by: H.B.M.C.


I'm just jazzed we're getting the MRM version.

That box is a 100% guaranteed purchase for me.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 09:22:28


Post by: cpugeek13


Do Urbanmechs actually have a useful role in AS? It seems that the increase game scale would make it even more difficult for them to contribute to their force.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 10:14:47


Post by: Graphite


 Flinty wrote:
I don’t need 12. 4 will do for now (another one is on the build plate as well)





The stls came with a choice of long and short legs. I maybe should have gone with the shorter legs as these ones look like they should be wearing cocktail dresses


Oh, those have come out rather nicely. Very cool.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 14:11:15


Post by: Flinty


Glad you like them. Your lance is currently curing on the windowsill


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 14:24:57


Post by: Ghaz


 Prometheum5 wrote:
 Ghaz wrote:

Scroggins posted pics of the lance, it's a running AC/10 version, the AC/20 version, MRM version, and the new 3x SRM6 with AES monster.
I guess the UM-AIV was too much fromage then...



It's not the biggest loss because it's easily kitbased with the metal Catapault bit, but would have been a fun choice over another AC/10 version.

From Anthony's Patreon:

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner) wrote:
Robert Moore wrote:I hope they do the one with the Arrow IV, so you can sit in your drop zone and still feel like you at part of the battle!

IWM

Sounds like a kitbash won't be necessary.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 15:03:18


Post by: Graphite


 Flinty wrote:
Glad you like them. Your lance is currently curing on the windowsill


Woop!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 15:31:45


Post by: Prometheum5


 Ghaz wrote:
 Prometheum5 wrote:
 Ghaz wrote:

Scroggins posted pics of the lance, it's a running AC/10 version, the AC/20 version, MRM version, and the new 3x SRM6 with AES monster.
I guess the UM-AIV was too much fromage then...



It's not the biggest loss because it's easily kitbased with the metal Catapault bit, but would have been a fun choice over another AC/10 version.

From Anthony's Patreon:

Benjamin Myers (Bishop Steiner) wrote:
Robert Moore wrote:I hope they do the one with the Arrow IV, so you can sit in your drop zone and still feel like you at part of the battle!

IWM

Sounds like a kitbash won't be necessary.


Interesting. I almost hope he's referring to using the Catapault bit everyone already does because there's a lot of other stuff I'd rather see IWM glacially get to first.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 19:26:52


Post by: Nevelon


 Flinty wrote:
I don’t need 12. 4 will do for now (another one is on the build plate as

The stls came with a choice of long and short legs. I maybe should have gone with the shorter legs as these ones look like they should be wearing cocktail dresses


Sounds like you should break out the green stuff and get those little mechs ready for a night on the town.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 23:05:12


Post by: Gitzbitah


cpugeek13 wrote:
Do Urbanmechs actually have a useful role in AS? It seems that the increase game scale would make it even more difficult for them to contribute to their force.


They absolutely do. If nothing else, the Arrow IV one is relatively cheap and sturdy artillery.

For most of the conventional Urbies, you're getting a mech that is usually as cheap as a light tank- and somewhat more durable. If you need a slow jumping tank (for some reason) it's a great choice.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/01 23:11:39


Post by: Graphite


 Nevelon wrote:
 Flinty wrote:
I don’t need 12. 4 will do for now (another one is on the build plate as

The stls came with a choice of long and short legs. I maybe should have gone with the shorter legs as these ones look like they should be wearing cocktail dresses


Sounds like you should break out the green stuff and get those little mechs ready for a night on the town.


Oh. Oh god. It has to happen.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/09 13:59:50


Post by: Albertorius


Finished a kuritan lance to go with the Panther I painted the other day:



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/09 14:42:39


Post by: H.B.M.C.


I wish Catalyst would make a new Mauler.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/09 14:48:07


Post by: Albertorius


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I wish Catalyst would make a new Mauler.


You and me both :(

I've always liked it, warts and all. It was hilariously explodey, and 4! AC/2 are simply funny as all hell xD


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/09 18:39:55


Post by: Flinty


That’s looking nice en-masse


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/09 19:16:26


Post by: Charistoph


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I wish Catalyst would make a new Mauler.

That, and along with the Hatomato-chi, is one of the reasons to do "faction" packs to try and catch up the last of the TRO 3050 mechs.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/09 19:34:58


Post by: Albertorius


 Charistoph wrote:
 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I wish Catalyst would make a new Mauler.

That, and along with the Hatomato-chi, is one of the reasons to do "faction" packs to try and catch up the last of the TRO 3050 mechs.


Absolutely! the old Hatamoto was a really cool mech, and the one from MWO is kind of horrible, so I would really like to see a better rendition of it. And the Charger, while they're at it.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 08:29:34


Post by: Garfield666


I would also love faction specific lance packs and I don't understand the reasoning against them. You could still use them for any faction due to trade or salvage, but it would be easier to buy 4 fitting mechs in one pack, instead of buying several packs for a single thematically lance... But maybe that's part of the business model.
Being a moron, I couldn't resist starting half a dozen factions at once, so there is always some useful mech in a pack, but still...


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 10:17:54


Post by: Albertorius


I think most people would not have much of a problem with faction packs, particularly if none of the mechs on them are duplicated anywhere else.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 14:59:03


Post by: Shrapnelsmile


What do you feel the upcoming Kickstarter is going to do for Alpha Strike? They've confirmed that AS cards will be included for the units.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 15:15:08


Post by: Apple fox


 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
What do you feel the upcoming Kickstarter is going to do for Alpha Strike? They've confirmed that AS cards will be included for the units.


Is there anything Alpha strike specific that’s missing?

I feel of the top of my head they got alpha strike in a good spot now with the box.

More mechs means bigger games! And variety in games I think the big thing.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 15:37:35


Post by: Ghaz


From the BattleTech Forums:

Cubby wrote:
Kerfuffin(925) wrote:It’s been mentioned that house specific things don’t sell as well. The merc ‘specific’ lances work well cause they can more or less be used by anyone.

"House-specific things don't sell as well" is a bit of a misnomer. Depends what the things are.

Best I can say is that we're very, very aware of the desire for and potential marketing purposes of faction forcepacks.

So I can see a faction's Force Pack being released alongside a faction's Force Manual to drive interest in those books.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 16:03:50


Post by: Flinty


Apple fox wrote:
 Shrapnelsmile wrote:
What do you feel the upcoming Kickstarter is going to do for Alpha Strike? They've confirmed that AS cards will be included for the units.


Is there anything Alpha strike specific that’s missing?

I feel of the top of my head they got alpha strike in a good spot now with the box.

More mechs means bigger games! And variety in games I think the big thing.


Yeah, it just adds the opportunity to extend the game to vehicles. I don't think it needs to do much more than that.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 16:18:55


Post by: Charistoph


 Ghaz wrote:
So I can see a faction's Force Pack being released alongside a faction's Force Manual to drive interest in those books.

True.

The funny thing is the Striker Lance is already halfway to being a Combine Faction Pack.

However, as a side note, doing such a thing would be a Games Workshop-style release pattern. But then, it has worked for them for decades, so it's not necessarily a bad thing. And unless they are putting some "power-creep" variations of current chassis in there along with some new technology that begins breaking the game more than Heavy Lasers, ATMs, or HAGs could have, it won't be treading on the same excesses that GW has become infamous for.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/10 16:52:31


Post by: Ghaz


The JR7-D Jenner is available when you have 'Inner Sphere General' selected on the Master Unit List. Regardless they chose to have some of the most common 'faction specific' 'Mechs in the early Force Packs so those who play those factions could build a force that's representative of their faction. It's the less common 'faction specific' 'Mechs which we'll probably see in a faction's Force Pack (e.g., the Draconis Combine could see the Hatamoto-chi, the Mauler, the Wolf Trap, the Akuma, the No-Dachi, etc)


More Mercenaries Previews, New Miniature, Free Record Sheets, and Adepticon Livestream Detail!

Mercenaries Kickstarter Preview #7, New T-Shirts and Fiction

We continue our in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the development of the miniatures for this Kickstarter. Preview 07 PDF is now available–for free as always–covering the Firestarter and the Skulker Wheeled Scout Tank!

Catalyst Game Labs web store:
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-mercenaries-kickstarter-preview-07

Also available today are the next two t-shirts in our Mercenaries: the Northwind Highlanders and the Republic of the Sphere!

Northwind Highlanders: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/northwind-highlanders-t-shirt
Republic of the Sphere: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-republic-of-the-sphere-t-shirt

Finally, new today is the next short story in the Mercenaries Kickstarter preview series!

Perception of Victory
A BattleTech short short by Michael J. Ciaravella

A WORLD UNDER SIEGE…
After repelling the brutal Capellan Confederation’s vain attempt to capture their planet’s working HPG, the people of Northwind had hoped to get a break from the growing conflict in the wake of the splintering of the Republic of the Sphere. But Capellan ruler Daoshen Liao has other plans for the beleaguered world, sending wave after wave of mercenaries to grind Northwind’s defenses into bloody dust.

Standing against them is what is left of the legendary Northwind Highlanders, particularly the Grey Watch. Already heroes for driving the Capellans off-planet, the valiant warriors of the Watch are now fighting a campaign of attrition, hoping to beat back the rampaging mercenary hordes. But when a Knight of the Republic arrives with universe-changing news, the men and women of the Grey Watch must face a remade Inner Sphere and find their place in it…or perish.

E-publication: https://books2read.com/BattleTechPerceptionofVictory

Now Available: Phoenix Hawk Premium Miniature
Inner Sphere Icon!

First produced by the Terran Hegemony and a staple BattleMech of the Star League Defense Force, the Phoenix Hawk is an extremely mobile, 45-ton design appearing on the rolls of every Successor State army, and most Clans as well.

Now, add it to your own TO&E!

This premium variant uses new modeling techniques being employed to update all BattleMech designs. It comes unassembled and unpainted, with the extra arms and legs to create multiple poses including our first “kneeling” pose.

Catalyst Game Labs web store:
https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-phoenix-hawk-premium-miniature

New Audiobook: “No Greater Honor”
The audiobook version of “No Greater Honor,” the collected chronicles of the Eridani Light Horse mercenary brigade, is now available for your listening pleasure!

https://www.audible.com/pd/BattleTech-No-Greater-Honor-Audiobook/B0BXQTW6L4

TRADITIONS RUN DEEP…

Most mercenary units fly flags on two flagpoles at their headquarters: one with their unit’s flag,
and other bearing the flag of their current employer. However, the Third Regimental Combat
Team—a.k.a. the Eridani Light Horse—leaves one flagpole bare, as a reminder of the death of
the Star League, and the other pole flies the Light Horse’s unit and regimental flags at half-
mast.

What triumphs and tragedies shaped the Eridani Light Horse and its traditions? What drove
them to become a force to be reckoned with, an elite mercenary unit with one of the longest
histories and the deepest traditions in the Inner Sphere? Now, collected for the first time, nine
of BattleTech’s finest authors bring the legacy of this storied unit to life like never before.
Witness the Eridani Light Horse’s origins in the Star League, and follow their evolution all the
way through the Succession Wars and the Clan Invasion to their downfall during the Dark Age
and their resurrection in the uncertain future of the ilClan era.

Featuring stories from:
Joel Steverson
Craig A. Reed, Jr.
Chris Hussey
Randall N. Bills
Jason Hansa
Daniel Isberner
Alan Brundage
Jason Schmetzer
Michael J. Ciaravella

Box Set and Salvage Box Restock
We’ve just received a huge new restock of all of our core box sets and the Salvage Boxes of individual ‘Mechs! They’re available on our web store, and make sure your local game store knows they should be available again through their regular distributors.

Beginner Box (Vindicator cover): https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-beginner-box?_pos=1&_sid=856b1cc09&_ss=r
A Game of Armored Combat: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-a-game-of-armored-combat
Clan Invasion Box Set: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-clan-invasion
Clan Invasion Salvage Box POP: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/battletech-clan-invasion-salvage-box-pop-display-1

ICYMI: Free Record Sheets for Mercenary ForcePacks
We recently uploaded FREE record sheet PDFs for all of our recently released mercenary-themed ForcePacks, including the upcoming Snord’s Irregulars and UrbanMech ForcePack.

Visit our Downloads page to get your copies!

Adepticon Livestream Preview and Schedule

We’re extremely excited to reveal our guest list and schedule for the livestream at AdeptiCon 2023 for the launch of the Mercenaries Kickstarter.

We’d like to thank the Lynnvander Studios team that will be running and hosting our livestream, which will be hosted at www.twitch.tv/Sixsidesofgaming and YouTube.com/sixsidesofgaming

GUESTS

The following BattleTech guests will be available directly at the show for questions, autographs, and handshakes, as well as participating in the livestream.

Randall Bills

Randall N. Bills has been writing and game designing for more than twenty-five years. He’s overseen the publication of hundreds of sourcebooks, rulebooks, boxed games and more for BattleTech across four different companies, as well as creative input on numerous other beloved game universes, including Shadowrun. He’s also written a half-dozen novels–including the Founding of the Clans trilogy–was the lore advisor on Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech computer game, and was the co-story developer for Piranha Games’ MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries computer game. His most recent game publications include the alternate history tabletop miniatures game Leviathans and the Dungeons & Dragons Dragonfire deck builder game.

Loren Coleman

Loren L. Coleman is the owner and publisher of Catalyst Game Labs, and the most prolific writer in the History of the BattleTech Intellectual Property. Since 1994, starting with FASA, Loren has published 13 novels, scripted four computer games, written more than 100 short fiction pieces, and has been a major contributor in dozens of sourcebooks. #annoyingmikestackpole.

Ray Arrastia

Ray Arrastia is the BattleTech Line Developer for Catalyst Game Labs. His passion for the game goes back more than three decades, when he started playing the game at local game stores with friends. For the last 18 years, Arrastia has been a key part of BattleTech in a gamut of roles from QC, art, design, production, development, storyrunning, and management. He is a proud member of the team that has revitalized BattleTech for both the new and old generations of fans.

Brent Evans

Brent Evans is a long-time illustrator and award-winning art director. As an artist, he began freelancing in 1987 and worked in many genres including political cartoons, comics, and children’s books. In 2005, he was hired by gaming visionary Jordan Weisman to work on several games, and immediately distinguished himself as one of the core illustrators for the BattleTech franchise. His creative design and project management style inspired his elevation to Senior Art Director in 2009 for many legendary gaming franchises, including BattleTech, Shadowrun, D&D’s Dragonfire, Valiant RPG, and many more. From 2017-2019, he took on the additional role as Line Developer, leading the overhaul of the BattleTech product line and catapulting the brand into the industry-leading global success it is today. It is said that Brent’s “superpower” is the ability to recruit and develop creative talent.

Additionally, Brent is a graduate of and serves as a Board member for the Game Design & Development program for the University of Washington. In January 2023, he launched his first new franchise creation called LAND & SEA, with a novel trilogy available as an Amazon exclusive.

Anthony Scroggins

Anthony Scroggins is the art director of miniatures design for BattleTech, wrangling a team of ’Mech nerds. Back in the year 2000, he discovered MechWarrior, and has been a fan of BattleTech ever since. A feelance scifi artist for 14 years. Mechs, armor, and space have always been a focus of interest. He lives in rainy Oregon, and has been enjoying the resurgence of tabletop BattleTech in a rapidly growing local gaming community.

Marco Mazzoni (Only Available Saturday and Sunday)

Marco Mazzoni is a concept artist/art director at Harebrained Schemes and a cover illustrator for BattleTech. With a love of the universe that goes back to the late ’80s, he is living his childhood dream of painting mechs and contributing to the recent resurgence.

John Helfers

John Helfers has been working in branded IP development and publishing for more than twenty-five years. During his eighteen years at Tekno Books, at one time the largest book packager in the nation, he managed several New York Times-bestselling novel series, working with such authors as Tom Clancy, Charlaine Harris, Dale Brown, Mercedes Lackey, Stephen Coonts, and many others, as well producing hundreds of anthologies and novels.

Currently, he’s the Executive Editor at Catalyst Game Labs, where he oversees the fiction lines for BattleTech, Shadowrun and Leviathans, publishing more than 1.5 million words of original fiction every year. He lives and works in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Michael Ciaravella

Michael J. Ciaravella is the author of three BattleTech novels (Grey Watch Protocol, Paid in Blood, and The Damocles Sanction) a half-dozen short stories, sourcebooks, and the occasional witty remark. Constantly shocked that he has been playing BattleTech for nearly thirty years, Michael is honored to be allowed to indulge in his passion for writing in a universe that has been close to his heart for as long as he can remember, and working with the team that has done so much to reinvigorate the game we all love. In his remaining free time, Michael is the Chief Executive Officer of Clarion Game Studios, and is a Game Designer known for his work in the Hull Breach, Henchman, and Four Horsemen gaming IPs.

More

And there may be others, from additional BattleTech luminaries to reviewers, industry professionals, and more, all sharing what BattleTech has meant to them.

SCHEDULE

The livestream will be filled with wonderful interviews, round table discussions, and of course, a host of awesome Actual Play Legendary Battles. The current schedule can be found here (subject to change): https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AdeptiCon-Mercenaries-Livestream-Schedule-Sheet1.pdf


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/11 14:12:47


Post by: Garfield666


Is there a set release date for the Urbi lance and Proliferation cycle pack? I think I read after Adepticon somewhere, but I can't find anything...


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/21 16:30:36


Post by: Old-Four-Arms


 Garfield666 wrote:
Is there a set release date for the Urbi lance and Proliferation cycle pack? I think I read after Adepticon somewhere, but I can't find anything...


My FLGS (Belgium) and the Wargengames website (Spain) both mention november..

https://wargenwargames.com/en/battletech/3392-battletech-proliferation-cycle.html


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/21 17:14:45


Post by: Ghaz


 Garfield666 wrote:
Is there a set release date for the Urbi lance and Proliferation cycle pack? I think I read after Adepticon somewhere, but I can't find anything...


https://bg.battletech.com/news/battletech-at-adepticon-mercenaries-kickstarter-launch-party-details-and-product-announcements/

New at the Show
Of course we’re bringing the entire current catalog of available BattleTech box sets, ForcePacks, books and maps–along with faction swag of metal dice, pins, patches and lapel pins. Additionally, we’ll have advance copies of the following items on sale as well; many of these are being flown in, and with the ongoing volatility of shipping, we cannot guarantee they will be there until we’re at the show. (Most of these items will be available through standard distribution by late Spring).


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/21 20:09:31


Post by: H.B.M.C.




Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/21 20:15:50


Post by: infinite_array


So the Company level pledge... gives you more than a company?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/21 21:49:16


Post by: Flinty


I for one am not going to complain


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/21 22:56:05


Post by: H.B.M.C.


I wouldn't read too much into the names.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/25 07:59:04


Post by: Flinty


Managed to get a bit of remote dice rolling sorted with Graphite.

Clanners- Timber Wolf, Pouncer, Loki, Nova prime and Nova S

IS- Archer, 2x warhammer, bushwacker, Griffin, locust, Valkyrie, Blackjack.

No special rules being used. Just a straight up fight to bed the rules in again.

Started with the clan forces pushing down the centre and bottom flank, while my IS forces largely faced them down, and it’s just the lights sprinting and jumping down the top flank.





In the first two firing turns, Graphite hit twice out of the 10 attack rolls, while I was reliably plinking on 10s and 12s to hit. After a quick ride replacement, things started getting close in and messy.

We didn’t quite manage to finish l, amsld si paused it here



I’m down a warhammer and the Griffin, and my Archer is severely leaking smoke. The Clan era are missing the Pouncer and the Nova S, while the Timber Wolf has a single structure point left, and the other Nova is looking a bit wobbly.

Great fun game


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/27 08:50:44


Post by: Graphite


From the Clan point of view, things are looking decidedly sketchy.



Timber Wolf is on its last legs, Hellbringer has a pair of Lights shooting straight into it's rear armour and the Nova is surrounded and pouring out Heat (I tried out the Overheat rule. It does brutal things)

The Clans seem to be a bit of a glass cannon - which is fine, if they can actually roll to hit. How this lot passed their Trial of Position to get a seat in an Omnimech is beyond me...

Anyhow! All my Clanners are now painted, having finished the models from the Starter:



Giving me a full Trinary of Mechs, with the light Star being a Nova:



Onward to painting the Sphere forces!



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/28 15:48:00


Post by: Forar


As someone who grew up on some of the novels (the Gray Death Legion saga mostly, wasn't a huge fan of the early Clan novels, a bunch of the others were hit and miss), and then later the video games (Mechwarrior 2, expansions, Mech Commander 1 & 2, hell even the SNES era MW game), but has never actually played the table top version, I finally decided to get the AS core box, to round out some force packs I got when a buddy and I split a Star Colonel in the last Kickstarter.

Hopefully I can find time this week to give it a trial run to understand the mechanics before I attempt to teach it to my girlfriend and some friends, but are there any tips or common snags I should look out for?

At a glance, I've got almost 40 mechs (and a pack of Elementals), though a few are duplicates with alternative versions, so if I don't worry too much about remaining faction/era accurate, that should be substantial variety right off the bat, and while I'm expecting delays on the current KS, I'm currently in for a Veteran and considering a Company, though with the prices likely being the same or possibly even higher than purchasing at retail, and minimal interest in the Legendary FP's, I'm thinking I may just keep things small and reasonable for now.

Edit: I'm thinking of grabbing the Battlefield Support deck while I'm getting some other stuff. It says it provides cards for 'one side' in a game, is this seriously something that needs a full deck per person, or would I be able to get away with mashing the 55 card expansion with the 25 that come with the core box and just having both/all players draw from the same pile?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/28 20:19:34


Post by: Eilif


For a nice bit of terrain, or a troop lander, Hot Wheels just released a standard car sized (a buck or so at stores) Version of the Lightyear Armadillo. Scales very well for 6mm.

Here's the 3 Armadillos I have.

L to R.
Standard Hot Wheels. Best for 6mm, maybe up to 10mm
Large Hot Wheels. good for 10-15mm
Lightspeed series. 20mm and up, though as we've seen there are some impressive conversions to small scales as well.




[Thumb - IMG_20230328_150528952.jpg]


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/30 14:54:42


Post by: Albertorius


Still on a Battletech mood, as of late ^^

I've been priming and starting to paint buildings:



Also, printed "some" vehicles and IS standard battle armors:



The BA are lovely sculpts, even though a tad bigger than the official toads:



Fun and easy to paint, too, at least at the "be ready to play like, now" level.




I've also started to print the main frames for the StageTop printable gaming table:



They stack really well, which should help for storing them:



By my calculations, I'll need about 15 for 2 Battletech boards:




And I've just got ready for play the vehicles I'll be needing for next friday's game:



Nothing fancy at all, just "table ready".

We're gonna try for a 400 points game of planetary militia defending a city versus a Comstar unit posing as mercs trying to do a extraction, and we're gonna use a lot of new rules for the first time ^^. Hopefully we'll get some right.


The full militia list would be:

Battlemech Lance: Urbie, Urbie, Commando, Enforcer
Support Fire Lance: LRM Carrier, LRM Carrier, SRM Carrier, SRM Carrier
Heavy Battle Lance: Demolisher, Demolisher, Bulldog, Bulldog
Pursuit Lance: Vedette, Vedette, Vedette, Vedette
Garrison: Heavy Wheeled APC, Heavy Wheeled APC, Heavy Wheeled APC, Heavy Wheeled APC, Foot infantry Platoon, Foot infantry Platoon, Foot infantry Platoon, Foot infantry Platoon


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/03/31 18:32:35


Post by: Dysartes


Nice work on the buildings and the infantry/vehicles, Albertorius - really like the exhaust effects on the jumping BA.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/01 08:43:50


Post by: Albertorius


 Dysartes wrote:
Nice work on the buildings and the infantry/vehicles, Albertorius - really like the exhaust effects on the jumping BA.


Thanks! Let's see how they do today ^^


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/01 10:35:41


Post by: Flinty


Graphite and I finished off our play by Whatsapp game with a solid win to the IS.

Our amateur analysis suggested that Ian's star being fitted entirely with training ammo and half-drained Duracells may have contributed to his loss. There were a lot of dead certs that ended up fluffing, and with just the 5 mechs it never got around to swinging around the other way. I'm expecting a future game to be somewhat less easy going on me



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/05 15:28:23


Post by: CaptainKlang


Got a game on sunday we're calling Dropship.

- 350 point lists, take 200
- other 150 are reinforcements
- place a token on the ground, 6 inches from the table center
- standing on token for 1 turn without dying means rest of your list is added
- 5 points for a successful drop
- points for kills = size
- game ends after 10 turns


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/10 22:27:02


Post by: Flinty


Some more 3D printed stuffs!

I’ve done some battle armour as well I understand from Sarna that IS armour has SRM racks that are jettisoned to enable the jump nets to be used, so I fiddled some drop-racks on some of them.





Also, tokens! Done so I can put the actual tmm there for ease of reference.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/11 10:59:57


Post by: Albertorius


Those look very cool

...but traditionally IS standard battle armor has a one-shot SRM-2 or an arm gun, not both as elementals ^_^ (or well, rather: the SRM-2 is one of the arm-mounted gun options)


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/11 12:07:32


Post by: Flinty


Well crap, there goes my research

I mis-read it as having disposable pods, and an arm gun of some kind.

Oh well. They are done now and my level of caring is minimal


Automatically Appended Next Post:
No, wait, there it is. I didn't dream it!

The Longinus version

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Longinus

Equivalent to elemental armour (but not quire as good), arm mount but with pods that needed to be dropped before the jump jects could be used.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/11 18:00:18


Post by: Albertorius


 Flinty wrote:
Well crap, there goes my research

I mis-read it as having disposable pods, and an arm gun of some kind.

Oh well. They are done now and my level of caring is minimal


Automatically Appended Next Post:
No, wait, there it is. I didn't dream it!

The Longinus version

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Longinus

Equivalent to elemental armour (but not quire as good), arm mount but with pods that needed to be dropped before the jump jects could be used.


Ah, gotcha, but that ain't the IS standard, but a Marik-specific one ^^

Currently there's dozens of BA designs, so you can probably choose whichever you prefer them to be XD

From what I can see, though, they are almost equivalent (the Longinus has 0* at medium range for an extra point in squads of 4)

Spoiler:



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/04/17 07:10:27


Post by: Albertorius


Ok, questions time, I'd like to tap into dakka's Btech knowledge to help me a bit with army design.

This is mainly for AS, as that's what I'm starting to play with a friend and what we're testing, but I'd like to be able to use it too in regular Btech (so, would be nice if lances were also useable in regular Btech, even if swapping around).

A while ago, I painted a Draconis Combine Lance, and I kinda liked the results, even though it's probably not very optimized:



I painted it "default Kuritan scheme" or Sword of Light-ish, and I kinda like how it looks.

So now I was thinking about doing a C3-enabled company to play around with those rules in AS. The plan would be to make it pre-Jihad, which seems to be the time where the DC most played around with the C3 concept, and I'd like it to be something of a top of the line company for the era, with things like the first omnis and the like.

Not sure if it's best to have a mech with 2 C3 Masters as company commander or to have two C3M-equipped mechs in the command lance, to be honest, but if I want a double C3M mech it seems I'd be limited to a Battlemaster CM, a Tai-sho, a Sunder OB or a Naginata. Of those, the Tai-sho and the Naginata are... well, not really very pretty ^^.

So, what would you do, dakkaites? Help me out a bit? ^^ Gonna post this here and on the Classic BT thread, just in case, so feel free to answer where you think is more appropiate.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/19 05:54:35


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


https://www.reddit.com/r/battletech/comments/13lamvw/whipped_up_these_snapclosure_buildings_for_alpha/

This creator designed 6mm buildings for Alpha Strike which also double as storage containers. The larger ones hold the cards, and the small towers look like they hold 16mm dice. He's offering the 3D printer files for free at his website.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/19 07:46:02


Post by: H.B.M.C.


That's very clever.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/19 10:27:08


Post by: leopard


thats is very good, concept easily ports to other things and with a bit of care wouldn't be hard to have suitable compartments for specific mechs/vehicles to support them safely

also removes the arguement of "can this mech fully hide behind that building" when the thing can fit inside it


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/19 15:15:57


Post by: H.B.M.C.


leopard wrote:
also removes the arguement of "can this mech fully hide behind that building" when the thing can fit inside it
An issue that literally cannot happen with hexmaps, proving their inherent superiority.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/19 17:44:15


Post by: Flinty


Harder to store your mechs in though


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/19 21:37:29


Post by: leopard


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
leopard wrote:
also removes the arguement of "can this mech fully hide behind that building" when the thing can fit inside it
An issue that literally cannot happen with hexmaps, proving their inherent superiority.


with practice a skilled gamer can start an argument about anything


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/20 02:13:52


Post by: H.B.M.C.


leopard wrote:
with practice a skilled gamer can start an argument about anything
I think you're wrong about that.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/21 08:11:00


Post by: Dysartes


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
leopard wrote:
with practice a skilled gamer can start an argument about anything
I think you're wrong about that.

I don't think there's a requirement of "a skilled gamer" for that, just "a gamer".


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/21 11:44:00


Post by: H.B.M.C.


 Dysartes wrote:
 H.B.M.C. wrote:
leopard wrote:
with practice a skilled gamer can start an argument about anything
I think you're wrong about that.

I don't think there's a requirement of "a skilled gamer" for that, just "a gamer".
I think you're wrong about that too.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/21 17:23:00


Post by: Gitzbitah


Impressive. An argument about whether a skilled gamer, or just a gamer is better at starting meaningless arguments. Looks like you're both winning.

In more on topic issues, I'm getting ready for a salvage box AS tournament this weekend. We bring 200 points of force, all mechs for simplicity's sake, 6-12 to avoid swarms or death stars, and add a mech from a random salvage box each of the three rounds. We open all 3 boxes at the beginning of the event, and can field no more than 235 points. We may improve the salvage mech's skill to 2, if we desire, or leave some other mechs at base to hit near the 235 limit. Each salvage mech can be used only once in the tournament.

It should be a lot of fun! It's going to look very odd seeing fresh from the box bare plastic alongside painted forces.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/21 17:43:03


Post by: Dysartes


Are there bonus points for anyone who manages to paint their salvage box mechs between rounds?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/21 19:34:31


Post by: Flinty


That sounds like fun. It might lead to some unbalanced scenarios, but the base load of mechs should help limit that a bit.

I was just perusing my Mercs pledge and it appears that I may have gone a little overboard and will have a reinforced battalion to play with at the end of the day! I predict that some of these poor guys will never see the table! They are fun to paint though.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/22 05:11:16


Post by: H.B.M.C.


"Slapchop". LOL!

 Gitzbitah wrote:
Impressive. An argument about whether a skilled gamer, or just a gamer is better at starting meaningless arguments. Looks like you're both winning.
You couldn't figure out that I intentionally disagreed specifically to start a pointless arguments about starting arguments? That was the joke!

 Gitzbitah wrote:
In more on topic issues, I'm getting ready for a salvage box AS tournament this weekend. We bring 200 points of force, all mechs for simplicity's sake, 6-12 to avoid swarms or death stars, and add a mech from a random salvage box each of the three rounds. We open all 3 boxes at the beginning of the event, and can field no more than 235 points. We may improve the salvage mech's skill to 2, if we desire, or leave some other mechs at base to hit near the 235 limit. Each salvage mech can be used only once in the tournament.
Wait, you know what's in the salvage boxes prior to the game, or is it blind? You open the box, see what it is, grab a record sheet and go?

Reminds me of an old "Endurance BattleTech" game a friend and I played. We got out roughly 300-ish miniatures, printed out a record sheet for each one, started with I believe two each, and every time one died/withdrew, we just went to the table, grabbed something else, grabbed its sheet, and it walked onto the table next turn. Played over 4 hex-maps, and it worked with other people joining in as well. I'm wondering if it'd be fun to do that again, but more random - mix up the sheets so you never know what you're going to get, or put all the 'Mech names in a hat or something so you draw randomly.



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/22 12:21:28


Post by: Flinty


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
"Slapchop". LOL!



I did a trial to see which style I liked best, and rather than repaint the tester I’m using the slapchop Lance for my printed models as the method hides the layer lines a bit better than the cleaner scheme I’m using on my other mechs


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/22 21:50:29


Post by: Gitzbitah


 Dysartes wrote:
Are there bonus points for anyone who manages to paint their salvage box mechs between rounds?



That.... is just barely possible. LOL I might just try that. Clean immediately, paint on primer after drying, and then speedpaint. Fortunately, I'm running Liao, so I just need to get tan and green on there.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/23 07:58:45


Post by: Dysartes


Suggest it to the TO as a small bonus challenge?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/25 20:16:44


Post by: Albertorius


Finished a Marik Militia lance, might even complete a company eventually ^^



Spoiler:






Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/05/28 18:41:17


Post by: Charistoph


Nice clean work there!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/06/05 06:32:52


Post by: Albertorius


...kinda forgot to post this here ^^

We played this game about a month ago, with the militia vehicles I was painting (variant Capture the Flag rules, with the attacker (ComGuard elements disguised as mercs) having to go grab a black box from a lab inside an urban area defended mostly by conventional militias on a Davion world).

This is how it started (objective is the red marker):



The "mercs" pushed through some mined areas and advanced to the city while the militias jumped to intercept, with almost fanatical bravery from the infantry...



...which was rewarded by being targeted by an extremely effective AS strafer which broke hell onto them:



MVP from the militias were the *RM carriers (the SRM carriers basically deleted a couple mechs by themselves), whereas for the attackers itcertainly were the AS support and the light elements, which managed to grab the black box and run.

We've been using "pilot dice" for attacks (you roll one "pilot" die for all the rolls and then another die for every point of damage: each point of damage hits if the pilot die and the regular die beat the TN), and it really feels better than the "all or nothing" regular approach, even though the aforementioned pilot die has a whole lot of weight into the roll, and rolling a 1 on it means most if not all the damage is not gonna land. Still, we've been liking it so far.

Also, playing AS in hex maps... area effects are (or at least, feel) a lot stronger.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/06/26 03:38:47


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


Earlier, I asked for advice on mechs that Clan Ghost Bear preferred. Recently I purchased the Clan Heavy Striker Star. Three of the five points just so happen to be Ghost Bear preferred mechs: Mad Dog (Vulture), Ice Ferret (Fenris), and Viper (Dragonfly) according to sarna.net. With the Fire Moth that came in the Alpha Strike starter, that's 4 Ghost Bear mechs. Now if the Executioner (Gladiator) would come back in stock at Fortress Miniatures... I'll be painting these as Rasalhague Dominion. So if anyone else is looking for Ghost Bears, the Clan Heavy Striker Star is a good place to start.

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Clan_Ghost_Bear#Military
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Category:Clan_Ghost_Bear_BattleMechs


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/06/27 01:13:01


Post by: Gitzbitah


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
Earlier, I asked for advice on mechs that Clan Ghost Bear preferred. Recently I purchased the Clan Heavy Striker Star. Three of the five points just so happen to be Ghost Bear preferred mechs: Mad Dog (Vulture), Ice Ferret (Fenris), and Viper (Dragonfly) according to sarna.net. With the Fire Moth that came in the Alpha Strike starter, that's 4 Ghost Bear mechs. Now if the Executioner (Gladiator) would come back in stock at Fortress Miniatures... I'll be painting these as Rasalhague Dominion. So if anyone else is looking for Ghost Bears, the Clan Heavy Striker Star is a good place to start.

https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Clan_Ghost_Bear#Military
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Category:Clan_Ghost_Bear_BattleMechs


Very cool! Check out master unit list as well. You can sort by faction and era. It's a great guideline for building lists. http://www.masterunitlist.info/Faction/Details/40 There's a link to the Rasalhague Dominion faction. Just click the era you favor, and it'll show you what are commonly available to the Bears.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/06/27 02:35:15


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


 Gitzbitah wrote:

Very cool! Check out master unit list as well. You can sort by faction and era. It's a great guideline for building lists. http://www.masterunitlist.info/Faction/Details/40 There's a link to the Rasalhague Dominion faction. Just click the era you favor, and it'll show you what are commonly available to the Bears.
Thank you, Gitzbitah. That's quite useful.

Edit: The Hellbringer (Loki) is available to the Rasalhague Dominion starting with the Late Republic period [3101-3130] effectively making the Heavy Striker Star a Rasalhague Dominion star out of the box!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/06/27 04:21:27


Post by: H.B.M.C.


Unfortunately that means your Star will have a Loki.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/08 02:47:40


Post by: Eilif


As the club is murmuring about playing Alpha Strike in 10mm again, I just solidified a deal to bring these two forces back home. I put these together for a friend a decade ago. He moved away to Colorado years ago and recently offered them back to me for a bargain.

They're stock painted MechWarrior clix figs rebased. When I get these back, I'll probably add a few more Mechs from each faction from my collection. Then I'll have flexible, playable forces from:
Dragon's Fury (Kurita)
Swordsworn (Davion)
Steel Wolves
Rasalhague
Spirit Cats


[Thumb - IMG_4304.jpg]
[Thumb - IMG_4303.jpg]


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/08 02:52:34


Post by: Eilif


Delete


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/27 01:53:22


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


So I got two of my friends into Alpha Strike, although at this point only one of them has bought his own stuff. As he prefers Clan this makes dividing the spheres of interest easy. (Though we will each be keeping all the 'mechs from our AS boxes. Besides he has the BT: AGoAC box too, so it not like he never plays IS). So counting today's game he has suffered three straight defeats as Clan. The first two games were not even close. Now in CBT, one used tonnage, not this PV system. Have any of you more experienced players used tonnage in AS for force building, and if so, what were the results?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/27 03:55:38


Post by: Charistoph


Show me where the tonnage rating is on an AS Card. At best all there is SIze.

The problem is Size doesn't tell you anything, and this carries on when you go in to CBT and include Clan Equipment versus Inner Sphere equipment. The equivalent of PV in CBT is Battle Value (BV).

That doesn't even consider all the extra abilities which won't be represented in Size, S, M, L, Armor, or Structure which can notably affect the game.

Such as the Sarath B which can add Heat to a Target on a turret, Overheat itself, and then hit in Physical with MEL and TSM as hard as your base Atlas, yet it weighs in lighter than a Wolverine.

So, PV is important. Skill is important (and taken in to account with Skill rating). But just as important is how well you use what you have.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/27 06:10:44


Post by: Flinty


The MUL has tonnage right next to the PV for each unit, and prints it on the roster sheet so it’s a trivial tweak to use it instead.

The handy thing about playing with friends is that you can agree to uneven points, or fiddle with scenarios so everyone has fun. So give tonnage a shot and it should help the clan side out as they have much higher firepower per ton. But it may be too much in Clan favour.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/27 20:52:18


Post by: Charistoph


Not everyone uses the MUL, just their Cards.

But let's compare 2 Mechs of the same weight :
Marauder MAD-3R

Timber Wolf Z

These are as separated as one can get without going in to Primitive Mechs. But you have to get the Marauder to Skill 0 to come close to matching the PV between them.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/31 04:39:54


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


Does the AS Commander's Rulebook have rules for infantry and battle armor?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/31 08:40:16


Post by: Albertorius


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
Does the AS Commander's Rulebook have rules for infantry and battle armor?


Yes, yes it does.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/31 12:46:34


Post by: Eilif


 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
So I got two of my friends into Alpha Strike, although at this point only one of them has bought his own stuff. As he prefers Clan this makes dividing the spheres of interest easy. (Though we will each be keeping all the 'mechs from our AS boxes. Besides he has the BT: AGoAC box too, so it not like he never plays IS). So counting today's game he has suffered three straight defeats as Clan. The first two games were not even close. Now in CBT, one used tonnage, not this PV system. Have any of you more experienced players used tonnage in AS for force building, and if so, what were the results?

There's no reason to use tonnage if a balanced battle is what you're after. Even Battletech has "Battle Value" (BV) for more accurately comparing units .

Originally Alpha Strike PV was just a fraction of the BV but later they changed it to be a formula based on actual AS stats .

If you want to get advanced/historical one way to go is to look up the units in a battle in BT lore/history and refight that particular engagement.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/07/31 21:54:00


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


 Albertorius wrote:
 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
Does the AS Commander's Rulebook have rules for infantry and battle armor?


Yes, yes it does.
Thanks for the reply.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/21 14:54:43


Post by: Gimgamgoo


Does anyone have a clue when the rulebook will be available again?
It's on the Catalyst website, but there's no way I'm paying this in postage.

I can't stand trying to learn a game from a pdf (I don't mind them for reference) so won't get the full experience (other than the boxed set rules) till that book gets to the UK via retailers.





Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/21 16:14:05


Post by: Apple fox


Ask your store if they have an order for it, some may be waiting on new stock right now for a book order.

My go to store only gets them for a few days, before all sold out.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/21 20:15:29


Post by: Charistoph


Hopefully the international distribution points they are setting up for the Mercenaries Kickstarter will improve the shipping of older materiel like the Commander's book, making it easier to order directly and/or be available at your local store.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/21 20:24:17


Post by: Flinty


Its entirely possible that they are reprinting the thing to include Mercs content. Alternatively distribution has ceased just for now while they make sure they have enough copies for those backers who included it in their Mercs bundles.

The Kickstarter seems to be quite well advanced, so it should be back in a few months time. The only thing I can think of causing a lot of delay is getting the fancy Universe book finalised and printed.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/22 03:19:08


Post by: Charistoph


There's the Cookbook, too. We've seen a copy of the final print of the Universe book, but not the Cookbook.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/22 09:43:58


Post by: beast_gts


 Gimgamgoo wrote:
It's on the Catalyst website, but there's no way I'm paying this in postage.
Postage keeps getting stuck at the max rate in their store (and has done for years now). If you drop them an email they can reset it for you.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/22 17:56:16


Post by: Gimgamgoo


beast_gts wrote:
 Gimgamgoo wrote:
It's on the Catalyst website, but there's no way I'm paying this in postage.
Postage keeps getting stuck at the max rate in their store (and has done for years now). If you drop them an email they can reset it for you.

Thanks. I've messaged them to ask. Hoping it's significantly lower or I'll probably be waiting till next year.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/25 14:15:38


Post by: catbarf


Forgot to post last week that I got a chance to play AS with a hex mat and some terrain I made up for it.



This is after a few turns of fighting, but the gist of it was that I brought two IS lances, while he brought a lance plus a bunch of Scorpions, a SRM carrier, and a Long Tom. We're at 5-10 games apiece so far and wanted to try a more asymmetric scenario and use a couple of optional rules from the DFA Wargaming pack.

A few things we observed:

-The default activation order gives a major advantage to the side with a numerical advantage and makes initiative sinking effective. In the future I think we're going to switch it from 'back-loaded' (rules as written, you only start moving two at a time once you have twice as many remaining units as the opponent) to 'front-loaded' (you move two at a time until you have as many remaining units as the opponent, then alternate one-for-one).

-Area of effect attacks get effectively a wider radius in hex games than in inch games. I can see why they did it this way- anything with a 2" template would have no AOE under hexes- but I'm not sure how I feel about it. The Long Tom was pretty brutal, but the Viking's Arrow IV artillery never amounted to much.

-Per the DFA pack, we played using the Long-Range Targeting rules by default (+1/+2/+3 instead of +0/+2/+4), and I liked this change. It's a minor tweak, but it made long-range fire feel a little less useless and lights a little less susceptible to critical existence failure at short range. Also gave us a reason to use physical attacks. We also used their tweak of +1TMM for sprinting and that gave a defensive option for badly positioned mechs.

-We used the optional rule of rolling for each point of damage and only inflicting it on a 3+. I liked the reduction in lethality and the reduced predictability of damage, but I don't like how all-or-nothing the attacks are in the base rules. We might experiment again with the DFA 'pilot die' mechanic as it produced something in between all-or-nothing base rules and totally separate attacks for each point of damage as given in the rulebook.

-Lastly, overheating to add damage seems to be a really, really bad trade unless a unit is already dead and has nothing to lose. Giving up speed, TMM, and accuracy in future turns (until you forgo shooting to cool down) just to get an extra point of damage kinda sucks. It's also odd that heat is purely linear, in that a light mech doubling its damage from 1 to 2 heats up just as much as an assault increasing from 6 to 7. At this point I'm wondering if we've been missing something major, because the overheat mechanic seems really punishing and better off ignored entirely unless you can find a water feature to sit in.

Overall still a big fan of this ruleset, but a revised rulebook to get rid of the contradictory examples and clean up unclear areas (I still have no idea how C3 networks are supposed to work, if going over half speed on a straight road is supposed to be all it takes to skid out, or if dropships are supposed to have a high chance of crashing and exploding under routine landing conditions) wouldn't be unwelcome.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/26 09:46:21


Post by: Albertorius


Finished the two remaining lances from my Davion Guards company:



Spoiler:







Spoiler:





Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/26 23:04:21


Post by: catbarf


Nice work Albertorius! Those stripes must have taken some serious patience. What's the mech in between the Warhammer (I think?) and Griffin in the second group?

I also finally got around to taking decent photos of the stuff I've been working on:







Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/27 00:45:16


Post by: Vulcan


 Albertorius wrote:
Finished the two remaining lances from my Davion Guards company:



Where's that Phoenix Hawk from? I need to get one!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 catbarf wrote:
Nice work Albertorius! Those stripes must have taken some serious patience. What's the mech in between the Warhammer (I think?) and Griffin in the second group?

I also finally got around to taking decent photos of the stuff I've been working on:



Love the SLDF green! How did you do the cockpits, especially the Marauder 2?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/27 01:18:14


Post by: catbarf


 Vulcan wrote:
Love the SLDF green! How did you do the cockpits, especially the Marauder 2?


I was going more for a jungle camo but it ended up being pretty subtle- oh well. And that's a regular MAD-3R, it's just a Matt Mason sculpt.

Anyways- I start with black, then paint the lower right half (across the diagonal) of each panel with VGC Heavy Red, then paint a crescent along the lower right with VMC Scarlet. I then feather heavily diluted black along the black -> Heavy Red transition, and heavily diluted Heavy Red along the Heavy Red -> Scarlet transition, applying a bunch of very thin layers that each dry in a few seconds. This blends it pretty quickly and without much trouble. Then it's just dot white in the upper left corner, varnish the whole model, and apply a few thin coats of gloss varnish to the canopy panels for shine.

I do all the canopies this way, it's just that some of the sculpts don't make them visible.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/27 01:23:42


Post by: H.B.M.C.


Clear hex-bases are an interesting touch.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/27 04:25:57


Post by: catbarf


Yeah, I never thought I'd use clear bases for any minis game, but for me one of the things that has always stood out about the Battletech setting is warfare across many fronts and in many environments, and I wanted to capture that feeling with terrain-agnostic basing.

I may go back and paint the edges of the bases black though; they do tend to catch the light and spoil the transparent effect. Aside from that I think it works pretty well- you can see on the previous page how clear-based mechs and terrain end up looking on a mat.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/27 05:32:47


Post by: BrianDavion


 Charistoph wrote:
There's the Cookbook, too. We've seen a copy of the final print of the Universe book, but not the Cookbook.


the cookbook I don't expect much from, it'll just be generic recpies with punny names


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/10/27 06:21:14


Post by: Albertorius


 catbarf wrote:
Nice work Albertorius! Those stripes must have taken some serious patience. What's the mech in between the Warhammer (I think?) and Griffin in the second group?


Hatchetman, the li'l original ax murdered of the setting (there weren't rules for it bak when it got released ^^)

I also finally got around to taking decent photos of the stuff I've been working on:







Those look stunning


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Vulcan wrote:
Where's that Phoenix Hawk from? I need to get one!

The Wasp is a 3d sculpt I bought on Cults ^^. The only problem I have with it is that's single pose and I'd love to print me like a dozen... so more poses would have been great xD


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/09 22:29:54


Post by: Ancestral Hamster


So I got my Alpha Strike Succession Wars cards today, and I now have ten Combat Command cards. Are the rules for these in the current AS Commander's Edition? I'd have ordered that book at the same time, but was OoS at the time.

Also ordered four Clan Invasion Blind boxes and got.
1st Hunchback
1st Nightstar
2nd Trebuchet
3rd Warhammer

Slightly annoyed by the 3rd Warhammer, but at least it is not a Rifleman (of which I own three). Three RIflemen is two too many of that firetrap. Although I will admit the two unit/scenario books I own from the mid-80s will need at least one of each Unseen per side as there were only 24 or fewer mechs back then.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/09 23:32:54


Post by: Kanluwen


I'm 100% sold on clear bases. Gotta find some!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/10 20:29:04


Post by: catbarf


 Kanluwen wrote:
I'm 100% sold on clear bases. Gotta find some!


I got mine on Etsy- lots of shops that sell MDF have laser-cut acrylic bases.

Just be sure of whether they're measuring edge-to-edge or corner-to-corner. These are actually corner-to-corner, so a bit undersized for standard 1.25" hexes despite being nominally the same size.

I took advantage of that to make color-coded rings for woods hexes, so the trees can be removed and the mech placed inside the ring and it's still clear that it's in a terrain hex.

Edit: Oh, and you'll also need appropriate glue to prevent them from clouding up. Plasti-Zap Medium CA has worked well for me but it can still frost up a bit if there isn't enough airflow.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/15 14:28:00


Post by: Gimgamgoo


So, apologies for this interruption to the regular chat for a rules question.

I bought into BT recently and have a rather large collection of cgl mechs now. My wife and I have played a few small games of classic, but once the model count gets beyond 2 mechs a side, the games become a bit long for her.

I have the Alpha Strike box and rules, so we tried that, but my wife generally dislikes wargames with measuring, but loved the hex based movement in classic as it felt more like a boardgame. Anyway, I can’t get hold of the AS Commander’s rulebook – the only place in stock seems to be the cgl store and it costs £34 + £118 postage. I did buy a pdf of the book, but trying to learn rules from an old phone is a pain at my age

The main section I’ve been interested in is the section on converting AS to using hexes.

It states that each hex move uses 2” of the AS card movement stat and 1” for climbing a level.

My question… do you pay any proportion of the movement for turning in a hex? I couldn’t see anything in the pdf about it. For all the mech’s I’ve checked, they have double the Classic Movement value in Inches movement. Eg. Wasp has 12”j in AS and Move 6 in Classic.
I want to keep the ‘hex board game’ feel for my wife but using the quicker AS rules. Do I add that it costs 1” for a turn, or just half all the AS card movement values and use that as classic movement?

Apologies if this is all cross-game heresy.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/15 16:50:20


Post by: Flinty


For AS, at the end of movement, the unit can face in any direction. Facing is important for attacks and suchlike, but it doesn't cost any movement. This is at the very top of the first page about movement. Its P32 of my physical book. Not sure what it would be in the PDF.

If turning doesn't cost any movement in normal play, it probably just isn't mentioned in the hex-conversion rules.

I've had a few games of AS using hex maps as you can do remote play with others much more easily.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/15 17:16:44


Post by: Vulcan


Try using Classic BT movement and weapon ranges on hex maps, and use Alpha Strike rules for combat?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/15 18:26:14


Post by: Charistoph


 Vulcan wrote:
Try using Classic BT movement and weapon ranges on hex maps, and use Alpha Strike rules for combat?

The weapon rules don't translate very well with that.

------------------------------
As a side note, the conversion notes state that if things don't seem to have good enough range, than you can use the normal 0-6 for Short, etc.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/16 17:11:37


Post by: Vulcan


 Charistoph wrote:
 Vulcan wrote:
Try using Classic BT movement and weapon ranges on hex maps, and use Alpha Strike rules for combat?

The weapon rules don't translate very well with that.

------------------------------
As a side note, the conversion notes state that if things don't seem to have good enough range, than you can use the normal 0-6 for Short, etc.


I bought Alpha Strike strictly for the minis. I'll have to dig out the actual rules and take a look, see if anything can be done.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/16 17:16:57


Post by: Gimgamgoo


I think for the AS hex games, I'm going to use the AS card values for movement and stick with it counting as 2" per hex move, 1" per level, but add in 1" use for a turn. This should still give the mechs the same or a small increase in movement than the classic values.
Hopefully it will keep the boardgame feel for games with my wife but allow us to use a fair few more models than classic.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 02:01:31


Post by: AegisGrimm


Last weekend I got my 8 year old son to play the first game of Alpha Strike for both of us. I put together two small forces of three mechs each, and we played on a 3'x3' map and used only the most basic rules, so he could get the hang of calculating SATOR and measuring, and taking back shots into consideration. No building destruction or Overheating for extra damage complications.

We did use the optional DFA rules for multiple damage rolls, using a pilot D6, combined with a D6 for every point of damage at the given range, to get the To-Hit rolls. It makes it feel much more like the mechs are firing multiple weapon systems that may or may not hit.

I've been building two competing forces and I played some mechs from my main Rasalhague force (green), and he played a trio chosen from my blue and red Lyrans.

As per usual, he savaged me. I knew I had stacked the deck slightly in his favor, but man, oh, man. While I whittled away at his mechs, he proceeded to kill my Wolverine with his Rifleman at point-blank range by scoring an Ammo Hit when damaging it's first available structure point, and then that Rifleman proceeded to turn and help the Warhammer finish it's job of killing my commander in his Marauder I tried to get my Marauder off the board, but it was down to one structure point, was running hot from an Engine Hit, and had taken TWO fire control hits. At short range, I had to roll 10's just to hit his damaged Warhammer, and even when I managed it once, I of course rolled "No Critical Hit".













Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 02:13:53


Post by: H.B.M.C.


I'm surprised there are enough rules in AlphaStrike that you can actually simplify it further!


Cooling looking table though.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 02:50:35


Post by: AegisGrimm


I know Alpha Strike is pretty polarizing amongst Battletech players, but honestly it worked just fine for me as a casual ruleset, especially for gaming with kids who are right on the edge of being able to handle complicated rules, and considering how much more I can add from the Commander's Edition as we play more games and add in some vehicles, terrain rules, Pilot abilities, etc.. Eventually if I'm lucky enough maybe we'll even use the (pretty slick in my opinion) Jared Blando campaign rules.


I play in somewhat-weekly Battletech games at a gaming store, and frankly after a hard day of work Classic can just sometimes be too mentally fatiguing by the end of a 10K BV game.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 04:52:03


Post by: H.B.M.C.


I was making fun.

Of course such a ruleset makes sense for young kids. I mean, you wouldn't start them on Starfleet Battles until they're at least 10!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 09:15:41


Post by: Albertorius


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I'm surprised there are enough rules in AlphaStrike that you can actually simplify it further!


Cooling looking table though.


Oh it does have a crapton of rules, actually. The commanders edition is surprisingly dense. Sometimes baffingly so.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 13:23:21


Post by: AegisGrimm


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I was making fun.

Of course such a ruleset makes sense for young kids. I mean, you wouldn't start them on Starfleet Battles until they're at least 10!


Oh, no worries. I have seen enough years of your posts to recognize your tone as joking, lol.

I just thought I'd finally mention how it's always been weird to me how extreme some players of Battletech can be about Alpha Strike. About a year ago I met a Battletech community in my area and since then I have been playing "Classic" (oh please nobody start that old naming argument, lol) regularly with them, and two of the three of them almost completely turn their noses up at Alpha Strike as a "lesser" game, which mystifies me. It's obviously different, but now that I have played a game, it's really fun in its own way. Namely, speed!

My son really wants me to get off my butt and paint up my Longbow for the Lyran force so he can use it, and I don't really even want to imagine trying to work an 8 year old with ADD through a chart-tastic combat phase full of modifiers with THAT sucker in normal Battletech, lol. But he totally gets the meaning behind why the damage goes up and down with range in AS.

The plans for the next game is using Overheat because he was already asking about the Heat numbers on his cards, maybe showing how to use Indirect Fire, and I might as well set our games in the early Succession Wars, because once he is shown how to level buildings and/or walk through them, no town is safe.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 13:55:26


Post by: H.B.M.C.


I mean I turn my nose up at AlphaStrike because I just don't see the point, and because I think in its attempts to speed up and streamline BTech is has removed that which makes BTech interesting from a gameplay perspective.

If people like it, then that's cool, but it's just not Battletech to me.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 16:43:57


Post by: Charistoph


I find it useful when a scenario requires a large number of units on the field, like company v company, or company v 3 companies (yes, did that, it was rough).

It's also good for bringing in new players who are used to other games.

Still, it doesn't really do that "Boom, Head Shot!" feel like Classic does.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 18:04:49


Post by: AegisGrimm


 Charistoph wrote:
I find it useful when a scenario requires a large number of units on the field, like company v company, or company v 3 companies (yes, did that, it was rough).

It's also good for bringing in new players who are used to other games.

Still, it doesn't really do that "Boom, Head Shot!" feel like Classic does.


Well, my son effortlessly killed a Wolverine with his second attack in the entire game against it with an Ammo Crit out of nowhere, so it gave him the same feel! Unless a unit has CASE or CASEII, I feel it adequately accomplishes the same "BANG you're dead!" feeling that I got against a new player in a Classic game where I PPC-ed his Hunchback's head off with an Awesome.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 18:26:54


Post by: Vulcan


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I was making fun.

Of course such a ruleset makes sense for young kids. I mean, you wouldn't start them on Starfleet Battles until they're at least 10!


I'm not sure anyone under the age of 40 has the attention span for SFB. Barring an accounting degree...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I mean I turn my nose up at AlphaStrike because I just don't see the point, and because I think in its attempts to speed up and streamline BTech is has removed that which makes BTech interesting from a gameplay perspective.

If people like it, then that's cool, but it's just not Battletech to me.


Agreed. Being a grognard I'm not even fond of all the later periods and technologies. 3060 and beyond, I start losing interest fast. For me, 3025 is where BT is best.

BUT. I acknowledge that's just ME. If you like Ilkhan stuff, Dark Ages, Alpha Strike, heck, if you like ClickyTech, more power to you. So long as you're having fun you're doing it right.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 21:13:32


Post by: AegisGrimm


As a player that's relatively new to the nitty gritty parts of the fluff, I'm actually more interested in playing games set in the Amaris Civil war and early Succession war-eras myself. Even if it's just in Alpha Strike, I am getting one of the Proliferation Cycle packs to field crazy oldies like the Mackie alongside the more normal unseen mechs that date back from that era. Or even some of the mechs that went practically extinct by 3025, like the Shogun, that I have a cool 3D print of from a buddy.

The ilClan era is a bit too foreign to me. I may just be misinformed, but at first blush it almost feels more like it's becoming a high-tech near-future setting to me, rather then the quaintness of the earlier eras being what is essentially the Hundred Year's War, but where the knights wear nuclear powered armor.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/23 23:34:35


Post by: H.B.M.C.


Sarna has a new article on some interesting new terrain. More relevant for AlphaStrike than BTech Proper, but interesting nonetheless.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/24 22:09:26


Post by: BrianDavion


 Charistoph wrote:
I find it useful when a scenario requires a large number of units on the field, like company v company, or company v 3 companies (yes, did that, it was rough).

It's also good for bringing in new players who are used to other games.

Still, it doesn't really do that "Boom, Head Shot!" feel like Classic does.


Maybe but at the same time the classic game can, understandably feel clunky to someone whose grown up playing more uhh.. "modern" table top games. I think both options are GREAT games for their own reasons. But yeah the ability of a lucky hit to swing the game in odd ball directions is one of my favorite parts of battletech, my best story that was was when a King crab got 4 hexes behind my Templar Prime's rear arc (yeah yeah I messed up) I figured I was done for, but he MISSED, and then I torso twisted and managed to fire my arm mounted gauss rifle into my rear arc and..... HEAD SHOT!

It was EPIC!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/24 22:58:50


Post by: Ronin_eX


Yeah, Battletech nails that emergent narrative aspect that my other beloved old-school favourites like Warzone 1st Edition and 2nd Edition 40k do. You end every game with some kind of story, and all of it flowed freely from the way various mechanics interact with each other.

That said, like those other games, this kind of thing scale poorly and so you can miss some of the spectacle of larger-scale conflicts. With 40k 2nd and Warzone, I tend not to care much as both of those are just fine as platoon-level skirmish games (and for 40k, Epic does a better job of scaling up by altering the scale and abstracting things out). But with BTech, the urge to do big games is pretty tempting as it is already in the right scale for larger deployments with a lot of combined arms. But it strains the second you start eyeing company-on-company.

For that, I like Alpha Strike for giving an option for larger games without zooming too far out. Individual units are still important, but abstract enough that I can run large games without having to save table-states between weekends.

It's preferable to trying to streamline the base rules to make a better large-scale wargame, letting them keep their charm while offering an option for people that want to run the bigger conflicts at a manageable level of zoom.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/24 23:25:35


Post by: BrianDavion


It also doesn't help that a lotta the battletech FICTION describes larger conflicts, when your game scales best for lance vs lance but your fiction often describes huge level conflcits it causes problems


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/25 02:36:07


Post by: AegisGrimm


Definitely. Something like the Battle of Luthien against the Clans? Tukayyid? Even a fringe scouting action from one of those battles would seriously tax a normal game of Battletech. I know once a guy that once said he can easily do company v. company (he even claimed battalion!!) sized games in a "couple of hours" with "players that don't take forever to move". I laughed and joked that he had a different definition of "a couple of hours" than me, because his "couple" sounds like "anywhere from six to eight". But Alpha Strike? Company v. Company is easily possible.

Because you can't really do an "Epic" version of Battletech when it's already 6mm, I have always kind if considered things to be the other way. To me, Alpha Strike is the army-scale version of Battletech, where things are admittedly simplified to allow much larger battles to flow sanely, while Battletech proper is the skirmish-level version of mech combat, having a much more detailed damage system that works best with a small number of units that really tell a story as they fight.

Both are really cool, but I don't know when I'd ever get involved in my after-work games of Battletech with anything larger than maybe demi-company. The just become too long and taxing.

But Alpha Strike? I have only played a single game other than watching how-its-played videos, and already I know I'd be perfectly happy with a 4x6 table full of standard 3D wargaming terrain, at least two or three lances of mechs and/or vehicles, and maybe even get crazy and have a couple of aerotech fighters zipping around on some crazy 6-8" tall flight stands just for the spectacle of it. And finish that all in the same timeframe as a relatively chatty 6v6 mech Battletech game.

Zoomed-in stories of individual pilots make for some freaking awesome games, but sometimes, sometimes I want spectacle.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/25 03:04:05


Post by: H.B.M.C.


 AegisGrimm wrote:
Because you can't really do an "Epic" version of Battletech when it's already 6mm...
Didn't stop them from trying.

At least, from a miniature perspective that is.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/25 03:07:42


Post by: AegisGrimm


Admittedly, I've always thought that Battleforce-scale mechs were freaking cool. A Classic game with those would really make the hexes seem more the scale they should be.

Some of the new Catalyst mechs really have to suck in their guts to fit adjacent to each other, though I give Catalyst a pass for making affordable, pretty mechs that are larger than GW Primaris marines, AND having them all in proper scale with each other.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/26 05:19:44


Post by: Eilif


It's a very good thing that both rulesets are supported and Alpha Strike is no longer the unacknowledged love child of Battleforce and Strategic Operations.

I'm a long time fan of the universe, but it's hard to overstate just how little appeal the RPG-like granularity, long playtime and hex maps (yes I know you could play 3d...) of Classic Battletech has for me. I always want spectacle. Give me Alpha Strike's streamlined rules, more units and 3D terrain please!

Still I think it's great there are so many entry points -including starship, squad level infantry and true RPGing- into the Battletech franchise. If there's a scope of gaming you like, Battletech has a ruleset for you, even if you may have to dig a bit to find it



Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/27 05:22:59


Post by: BrianDavion


 Eilif wrote:
It's a very good thing that both rulesets are supported and Alpha Strike is no longer the unacknowledged love child of Battleforce and Strategic Operations.

I'm a long time fan of the universe, but it's hard to overstate just how little appeal the RPG-like granularity, long playtime and hex maps (yes I know you could play 3d...) of Classic Battletech has for me. I always want spectacle. Give me Alpha Strike's streamlined rules, more units and 3D terrain please!

Still I think it's great there are so many entry points -including starship, squad level infantry and true RPGing- into the Battletech franchise. If there's a scope of gaming you like, Battletech has a ruleset for you, even if you may have to dig a bit to find it



the unoffical motto of the "total war series" of books has long been "we've got a rule for that"


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/27 20:50:22


Post by: catbarf


Personally my entry point to the setting was the Mechwarrior games, so the scale I enjoy most is 1-3 lances per side plus additional combat vehicles in support.

I find that scale to be time-consuming, complex, and clunky in Classic, but it plays smoothly in Alpha Strike. It's not really the 'spectacle' I'm after, I just prefer some combined-arms and company-level play and feel AS does it better. I use hex mats rather than miniatures so it's pretty much all the same setup, just a different level of abstraction for play.

Different strokes for different folks. I appreciate that both products exist. There are definitely some elements to Classic that I feel are lacking in Alpha Strike, but it's not enough to spoil the game for me.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/27 23:29:30


Post by: H.B.M.C.


 catbarf wrote:
There are definitely some elements to Classic that I feel are lacking in Alpha Strike...
Like differentiated weapons.

I just can't fathom playing a game like this where everything is boiled down to "Has Gun".


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/28 16:15:52


Post by: Eilif


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
 catbarf wrote:
There are definitely some elements to Classic that I feel are lacking in Alpha Strike...
Like differentiated weapons.

I just can't fathom playing a game like this where everything is boiled down to "Has Gun".


There is some weapon loadout differentiation in the special rules, but overall, you're correct. However, weapon abstraction is the price you pay if you want to put a company of units on the table and finish the game in a reasonable amount of time. I'm almost always on the side of abstraction in the service of faster play and spectacle, but I completely understand why some feel differently.

Also, if one strongly prefers Classic Battletech to Alpha Strike, there is already a thread specifically for them: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/720601.page

That said, when I want a lance-per-player battle that will have nice weapon differentiation and a Battletech "feel" but plays much faster, I have alot of fun with the "Mech Attack" ruleset. The MA damage grid is more abstract than BT's outlines and dots, but I would argue that the weapon damage shapes mechanic makes each weapon type seem even more differentiated and special. I frequently run it at conventions in 28mm and can usually conclude an 8 player game, with inexperienced players, and 4-5 units per player, in about 3 hours including a rules orientation.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/28 23:19:36


Post by: Charistoph


BrianDavion wrote:Maybe but at the same time the classic game can, understandably feel clunky to someone whose grown up playing more uhh.. "modern" table top games.

That's why I said Alpha Strike is good for those coming from that most popular sci-fi tabletop game (which is about the same age as Battletech).

AegisGrimm wrote:Definitely. Something like the Battle of Luthien against the Clans? Tukayyid?

I still remember the shock I had reading the scenario rules for the Battle of Kado-guchi Valley/Valley of Death.

Even Battleforce rules can barely handle it, and that was started with this scenario! A literal Battalion for each model on the field. SMH

I've been tempted to try and recreate this scenario with Alpha Strike for our group. It would have been more amazing at our old LGS, since we could pull 2 of the tables together easily to make it that much more epic. The place we changed to isn't as flexible.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/29 00:39:48


Post by: catbarf


 H.B.M.C. wrote:
 catbarf wrote:
There are definitely some elements to Classic that I feel are lacking in Alpha Strike...
Like differentiated weapons.

I just can't fathom playing a game like this where everything is boiled down to "Has Gun".


That was something that really put me off of it initially. After I gave it a go, I found the end result is that mech variants are still differentiated in a manner similar to CBT. You still feel the presence of that big ol' cannon on the HBK-4G, a CPLT-A1 plays differently from a CPLT-C1, a CGR-1A1 is still an under-gunned meme, and so on. They play very similarly even though the mechanics of resolution are different and you don't roll for individual shots, though there are some variants that end up having the same stats since they're nearly identical to begin with.

Also, one side effect of all the stats being 'baked in' is that the designers took the opportunity to make balance tweaks. AC/2s are more useful, and the Rifleman is a credible mech under AS, especially since flak ammo makes it effective at anti-air. Some mechs that in CBT don't live up to their lore get a new life in AS, with the crunch issues of their design being smoothed over.

The thing that I actually don't like about AS is the way heat is handled. As I mentioned a few pages ago it's something that you can safely ignore most games, and the voluntary overheat mechanic is severely punishing for how little damage it adds and how hard it is to get rid of heat in AS once you accumulate it. It also scales bizarrely- adding a single extra point of damage overheats a Locust exactly as much as it overheats an Atlas. There might be some kind of math under the hood where the relative heat sinking capacity is rolled into their base stats, but it feels odd and means it's virtually never worth it to overheat big mechs. Basically the entire 'heat economy' of CBT is stripped out, and while that does simplify things considerably to suit the scale of the game, it does make a tangible difference where I feel the abstraction of weapons doesn't.

Like I said before- YMMV.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/11/29 02:52:28


Post by: Charistoph


Another good example is the SHD-2D Shadow Hawk. Rather pitiful when shooting in Classic, but pretty close to the Wolverine in Alpha Strike.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/03 00:32:09


Post by: AegisGrimm


I have a rules question from a newbie who is ALSO trying to teach an 8 year old, lol.

So, about jumping movement in Alpha Strike.

I understand the +2 penalty for an attacker who jumps, but what if something like a Wolverine has a 2/3 TMM on it's card and makes a jumping movement? Is the number after the dash higher because it already factors in the incoming attack penalty of TMM+1 from jumping, or do I still add a further +1, giving it a TMM of 4?

It's easy to figure out on something that has a flat TMM on the unit card no matter whether it jumps or not but this is making me possibly overthink things.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/03 04:54:03


Post by: Charistoph


Depends on the variant and the source of the card, honestly.

The cards that are provided by the Master Unit List generally don't show the Jump modifier, even with the JMPS special.

Taking a minute or two to pull out and look at the Wolverine card that came with the Game of Armored Combat, it does appear that they included the Jump TMM after the slash there.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/05 17:39:56


Post by: AegisGrimm


 Charistoph wrote:
Depends on the variant and the source of the card, honestly.

The cards that are provided by the Master Unit List generally don't show the Jump modifier, even with the JMPS special.

Taking a minute or two to pull out and look at the Wolverine card that came with the Game of Armored Combat, it does appear that they included the Jump TMM after the slash there.


Yeah but what really confused me is the cards that DON'T include it, like the Jenner, that only has a single "3" for TMM. I was told that's because the card factors in the Weak Jump Jets (1), but then the Shadow Hawk is a 2/2, and doesn't even state the Weak Jump Jets that the card on MUL has stated.

I'm thinking the cards are just all over the place, and I may just use only MUL-downloaded cards for my games, as they seem the most correct, even if they don't do the Jump Jet math expressly for you.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/05 19:12:08


Post by: Apple fox


The old rules listed the TMM differently, so if you have the base cards. They are listed for that. (You were always using jump.)

Now you choose, adding it on.
You also get a penalty to shooting.

If you have a jump capable mech that’s faster running, it should list 2 versions now I think. I would need to go check that one :0


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/16 04:40:33


Post by: Eilif


Alpha Strike tonight.
In 10mm with Rebased MechWarrior Dark Age Clix figures and Drop Ship. On Dropzone Commander card terrain. All mechs, 350 points per side. Wolf Hunters vs Liao. Other vehicles and copters were just for terrain. We played through 3 turns by which time it was clear my Liao had the upper hand.

I hadn't played in years and had forgotten how much I like it. Really a fun, fast game.

Several other club members have expressed interest and we've got quite a few 10mm armies build from clix so it's likely well be playing it more in the upcoming months. Might give me the impetus to build up the box of n scale structure kits I've got.

[Thumb - IMG_20231211_195656260.jpg]
[Thumb - IMG_20231211_195138454.jpg]
[Thumb - IMG_20231211_195111014.jpg]
[Thumb - IMG_20231211_210711092.jpg]


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/16 19:51:41


Post by: Charistoph


That's pretty epic.

We did something similar with that drop ship using Classic Battletech and HeroScape Terrain. It was pretty epic.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/17 04:45:55


Post by: Eilif


 Charistoph wrote:
That's pretty epic.

We did something similar with that drop ship using Classic Battletech and HeroScape Terrain. It was pretty epic.

Thanks!
It was a good time. Took us a bit to get the flow of the rules but I think we'll be into even bigger battles soon!

I bet Battletech looks great on Heroscape terrain.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/17 17:05:28


Post by: Charistoph


 Eilif wrote:
It was a good time. Took us a bit to get the flow of the rules but I think we'll be into even bigger battles soon!

Alpha Strike can be a little rough when compared to certain other systems, but its the simpler game for Battletech, and good for learning the basics of calculating fire solutions (even if the values are a little different).

 Eilif wrote:
I bet Battletech looks great on Heroscape terrain.

It works rather well, for the most part.





Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/17 17:37:04


Post by: Eilif


 Charistoph wrote:
 Eilif wrote:
It was a good time. Took us a bit to get the flow of the rules but I think we'll be into even bigger battles soon!

Alpha Strike can be a little rough when compared to certain other systems, but its the simpler game for Battletech, and good for learning the basics of calculating fire solutions (even if the values are a little different).

 Eilif wrote:
I bet Battletech looks great on Heroscape terrain.

It works rather well, for the most part.





I'm not usually a fan of hex play but that looks great! I bought a ton of Heroscape to play with my son and a bunch of Planeswalkers (great hex boards...) but he ended up going straight to Grimdark future. At least there's some demand for the stuff these days...

As for the Alpha Strike rules, they're not hard at all, it had just been so long since we played that we were starting from scratch.

Is there a QRF somewhere listing all the special rules. We ended up just ignoring them. I think they'll add alot of flavor, but a reference sheet for them would be really helpfull to keep things moving. I considered just printing copies of the relavent pages from my rulebook, but what I really need is condensed versions that could all fit on one or two pages.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2023/12/18 01:13:36


Post by: Charistoph


 Eilif wrote:
Is there a QRF somewhere listing all the special rules. We ended up just ignoring them. I think they'll add alot of flavor, but a reference sheet for them would be really helpfull to keep things moving. I considered just printing copies of the relavent pages from my rulebook, but what I really need is condensed versions that could all fit on one or two pages.

The QSR covers a few of them, but the Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition book is what has them all. I don't know if someone has made a quick reference guide for them. Some of them can be quite complex.

They can do more than add flavor (depending on the Special), but can completely change how a unit operates. They can also become more interesting when one looks in to things like Special Ammo. Also remember, too, that such things affect the Point Value, so by not using Specials, you could be nerfing your units.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2024/01/23 15:03:01


Post by: beast_gts


CatalystGameLab wrote:
We have been hard at work updating our community guidelines. These guidelines will be in effect across all platforms that are operated by CGL.

We will have more information for the community in the coming weeks.




Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2024/01/25 22:04:12


Post by: Eilif


Another game of Alpha Strike in 10mm on Monday. Rasselhague vs Kurtia with a surprise appearance by LIAO commandos. Also served as a chance to see how much non cardboard N scale terrain I could scrape up.

If I can find the time, I've got some N scale structures I want to get finished.

[Thumb - IMG_20240122_192912351.jpg]
[Thumb - IMG_20240122_202241417.jpg]
[Thumb - IMG_20240122_211753290.jpg]


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2024/01/26 08:59:57


Post by: Gimgamgoo


beast_gts wrote:
CatalystGameLab wrote:
We have been hard at work updating our community guidelines. These guidelines will be in effect across all platforms that are operated by CGL.

We will have more information for the community in the coming weeks.



This seems to have a caused an outcry against CGL on Twitter/X.

I must have read it wrong. All I could realy see, was;

1. Be kind to each other
2. Don't post pirated material on CGL forums and CGL social media sites.

What did I miss for that to cause an outcry?


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2024/01/26 09:46:40


Post by: beast_gts


 Gimgamgoo wrote:
What did I miss for that to cause an outcry?
There's some discussion in the other B'Tech thread.


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2024/01/26 14:04:27


Post by: Gimgamgoo


beast_gts wrote:
 Gimgamgoo wrote:
What did I miss for that to cause an outcry?
There's some discussion in the other B'Tech thread.

Cheers. Spotted it after I'd posted!


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2024/01/26 18:30:40


Post by: chaos0xomega


How many mechs would we say Alpha Strike tops out at for a reasonable game? We think uhh... about 64 Urbanmechs would be realistically playable in a ~3 hour game?

...asking for a friend....


Battletech Alpha Strike is Awesome Too! @ 2024/01/26 19:35:34


Post by: Albertorius


That leaves you about 3 minutes for all interactions with any of those... so lol, no ^^