Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
2021/09/16 16:33:19
Subject: Re:Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2021/09/19 20:37:35
'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'
- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
2021/09/17 16:00:14
Subject: Re:Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
Duncan Rhodes paints the IlClan (or at least Beta Galaxy)
Not sure on some of his color choices e.g., Leadbelcher for the metallic parts and the blue and red cockpit jeweling but it looks decent overall.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/09/17 16:00:35
'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'
- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
2021/09/17 18:00:18
Subject: Re:Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
Certainly not as good as my old ClickTech Jade Falcon dice, but still.
Yeah, I am going to be using an old set of clicktech Spirit Cats dice that I randomly got a perfectly matched trio of in one of those "pound o' dice" bags from my wife one Christmas. Not anywhere near the faction I will ever be playing, but still a fun bit of serendipity.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/09/17 22:56:18
"By this point I'm convinced 100% that every single race in the 40k universe have somehow tapped into the ork ability to just have their tech work because they think it should."
2021/09/20 18:41:10
Subject: Re:Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
The Tukayyid Salvage Bits Bags at Gen Con and Beyond
Our company, Creative Juggernaut, has been busy leading up to Gen Con. First, we produced hundreds of Stormcrow Tukayyid variants and shipped those to Catalyst for them to sell on their site. Second, we produced a batch of Black Knight Tukayyid variants and got those off as well. For Gen Con itself, we assembled Tukayyid Salvage Bit Bags, (around 700) as a convention release.
We jokingly called these “dime bags” in-house. They are parts and pieces of ‘Mechs that were unfit for release to the public. Some parts are partial casts, some are deformed in some manner, others have air bubbles (which look like damage). Our company believes in being green and rather than send these off to the landfill, we packaged them for resale. Each bag is the same size as the Black Knight and Stormcrow, but are crammed with random parts. The parts are from these two ‘Mechs, as well as some prototypes we did for a Marauder IIC, an UrbanMech, and a Crusader…but mostly Black Knight and Stormcrow parts and pieces.
So what good are they? These bits can be used on bases as battlefield debris for your ‘Mechs to be standing on or next to. The bits can be used to make fallen ‘Mech objective markers for Alpha Strike games. My personal use of these is for when a BattleMech is destroyed in a game. Rather than tip over a model I have worked hard to assemble and paint (risking damage), you can use these parts to mark dead enemies and comrades on the field/map.
I met one person that bought a few bags in hopes of getting enough to assemble a battle damaged Black Knight. No guarantees on such efforts, since the parts are randomly stuffed in the bags. I appreciated his ingenuity and creativity.
We didn’t announce these would be available at Gen Con because you never know until the last minute if they are going to be suitable for sale, etc. As it was, Brent loaded up a piece of luggage with Tukayyid Salvage Bits and lugged them personally to Gen Con. Things were so last minute, I don’t even have a photo of the bags right now.
Eventually, once the dust settles from convention season, these will go up for sale on the Catalyst Game Labs website – along with the Stormcrows and Black Knights. And yes, we are going to produce more ‘Mechs. No, we cannot solve international shipping prices nor are we selling these directly – you have to order them from Catalyst. Catalyst sets the sales price on these. There is no way to preview them online, so there’s no picking and choosing – you get a random bag stuffed with random parts.
We will do some social media posts when we know when they are for sale; but that is handled by Catalyst and there is no guarantee that we will gets a heads up. I would recommend watching their web site since you now know that they have stock of our products.
So what it next? I’m sworn to secrecy, but there are some big things coming from Creative Juggernaut…BIG things.
2021/09/20 19:49:30
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
So glad to see Battletech getting a real, modern push. Probably going to need to look into adding it (back) into my collection again once I figure out how to get started.
2021/09/20 19:54:32
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
LunarSol wrote: So glad to see Battletech getting a real, modern push. Probably going to need to look into adding it (back) into my collection again once I figure out how to get started.
It's been a trip, unearthing a 15 year old collection and starting to rebuild things to play again. The starter set A Game of Armored Combat is actually available again direct from Catalyst right now, you really can't go wrong picking that up.
You just need to buy a copy of the A Game of Armored Combat box. That box alone has years of gaming in it. If you want to go the next step, also buy the Clan Invasion box set. At that point, you have enough BattleTech to play for the rest of your life ... but rest assured, you’ll probably move on to pick up some additional Lance/Star packs.
Now, I say this is theoretically easy because the problem right now is finding any of the new plastic BT miniatures at retail. But keep your eyes peeled, the next print runs of the boxes should be hitting retail later this year or early next.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/09/20 19:58:32
There is nothing wrong with the iron wind metals store, you can get all the battletech minis you need there. some of the unseens and resculpts of the plastics from catalyst are nice to have but they are not even close in the way of options available at ironwind.
GAMES-DUST1947/infinity/B5 wars/epic 40K/5th ed 40K/victory at sea/warmachine/battle tactics/monpoc/battletech/battlefleet gothic/castles in the sky,/heavy gear
2021/09/21 06:41:45
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
well with the quality of the new plastics, but those old ones that came in the box set eeewww.
I have a case the size of a foot locker full of battletech minis almost all of them from ironwind save the old unseens i got back in the 80s/90s. i won't give any of them up, adding to them however........
GAMES-DUST1947/infinity/B5 wars/epic 40K/5th ed 40K/victory at sea/warmachine/battle tactics/monpoc/battletech/battlefleet gothic/castles in the sky,/heavy gear
2021/09/21 08:01:34
Subject: Re:Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
aphyon wrote: There is nothing wrong with the iron wind metals store, you can get all the battletech minis you need there. some of the unseens and resculpts of the plastics from catalyst are nice to have but they are not even close in the way of options available at ironwind.
The second blood asp sculpt stands out as a nightmare, the new sculpt is actually quite nice. although i think some of the really old ones are a bit difficult to assemble
Maybe because i have been building them in metal for 30+ years it doesn't bother me a bit.
GAMES-DUST1947/infinity/B5 wars/epic 40K/5th ed 40K/victory at sea/warmachine/battle tactics/monpoc/battletech/battlefleet gothic/castles in the sky,/heavy gear
2021/09/21 14:25:46
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
There's some truly hideous metal mech sculpts from over the years, but some are still rather charming. The metal versions of the modern Catalyst style sculpts have been really nice so far, but I feel in general like I need to segregate my forces into those that I build using IWM/Ral Partha sculpts and those using the modern aesthetic. They are just lightyears apart.
absurdly basic question from someone who played back in the day, and is considering the basic 2 player starter box --- do you still fill in the damage on a paper sheet? That was, actually, always fun for me.
~ Shrap
Rolling 1's for five decades.
AoS * Konflikt '47 * Conquest Last Argument of Kings * A War Transformed
2021/09/21 14:29:39
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
Shrapnelsmile wrote: absurdly basic question from someone who played back in the day, and is considering the basic 2 player starter box --- do you still fill in the damage on a paper sheet? That was, actually, always fun for me.
Yup! The Starter box with the two mechs comes with abbreviated sheets and a simplified ruleset that only accounts for armor damage and then internal critical rolls, no internal structure bubbles. The AGOAC box has most of the standard rules and uses standard record sheets with all the bubbles you know and love.
For you metal mini fans, these are coming down the pipeline from Iron Wind Metals!
https://www.ironwindmetals.com/index.php/categories/cat-battletech Details:
Summer 2021 Releases
20-5194 Sojourner Prime 60 $15.95
20-5195 Archer ARC-9W 70 $16.95
20-5196 Goliath C 80 $18.95
Web Only New Releases at Gen Con
BT-445 BattleMech Recovery Vehicle $20.00
BT-463 War Crow A 70 $17.00
BT-467 Hierofalcon B 45 $15.00
CoALabaer wrote: Wargamers hate two things: the state of the game and change.
2021/09/21 16:22:27
Subject: Re:Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
A big, big day here for mercenary MechWarriors–the Barnes & Noble exclusive Wolf Dragoons Assault Star ForcePack is available for pre-order! The expected availability date for this item is Dec. 15, 2021, so be sure to….annihilate…your holiday season with this exciting new pack.
But that’s not all. Like the Dragoons, the Gray Death Legion is a fan-favorite, elite mercenary unit revered across the Inner Sphere. As the story of a new incarnation of the GDL plays out in the ilClan Era, we are thrilled to offer this brand-new, full-length novel by original GDL author William H. Keith, set in the classic era of the Legion’s early days!
Wolf Dragoons Assault Star
Pre-order: $30.00 (Barnes and Noble Exclusive)
The Wolf’s Dragoons are the most well-known and respected mercenary command in the Inner Sphere and their MechWarriors are some of the most skilled and feared across hundreds of worlds. Once more, the Inner Sphere is poised for war and the Wolf’s Dragoons are on the forefront.
This B&N Exclusive Expansion set includes the new Annihilator, as well as re-posed Timber Wolf and Rifleman and new variants of the Archer and Blackjack BattleMechs – no assembly required – along with 10 MechWarrior pilot cards and five Alpha Strike cards! Perfect for BattleTech and Alpha Strike action!
Unleash the Wolf’s Dragoon Assault Star on your enemies! This Barnes & Noble exclusive includes:
5 High quality, fully assembled, (Unpainted) miniatures
10 MechWarrior Cards
5 Alpha Strike Cards
A Rock and a Hard Place
A Gray Death Legion novel by William H. Keith
E-pub: $6.99 / Print-on-Demand: $14.95
ALIVE OR DEAD…
Just a few months after their universe-shaking campaign on Helm, and the distribution of the Helm Memory Core, all Grayson Carlyle and his Gray Death Legion want is to settle into their new home on Glengarry. But they barely touch down on-planet when a Lyran Commonwealth general contacts the GDL, intent on hiring them to track down and capture Draconis Combine agents behind a daring raid on Lyons.
Tracking the Kurita raiders to the Draconis border system of Valdis—better known as Wheel—Grayson and his people have their work cut out for them. The system’s main feature is literally a wheel-shaped deep-space station and recharge facility at the Valdis star’s zenith jump point. Its structure means a direct assault with BattleMechs will be extremely risky, both because of the tight quarters and the very real danger of an errant shot or missile depressurizing and destroying the entire station. Also, Grayson will be splitting his force, with Lori Kalmar providing a decoy operation on the nearby mining planet Valdis I, otherwise known as Rock, to draw the Combine’s attention away from Wheel.
It’s a high-risk operation on both ends, but Grayson and the GDL have their orders, and they intend to capture the Draconis operatives one way or the other…even if they have to risk destroying the entire space station to do so…
Shrapnelsmile wrote: absurdly basic question from someone who played back in the day, and is considering the basic 2 player starter box --- do you still fill in the damage on a paper sheet? That was, actually, always fun for me.
Yup! The Starter box with the two mechs comes with abbreviated sheets and a simplified ruleset that only accounts for armor damage and then internal critical rolls, no internal structure bubbles. The AGOAC box has most of the standard rules and uses standard record sheets with all the bubbles you know and love.
Thanks man! I heard the 2 mech starter is actually really fantastic way to begin. Cheers.
~ Shrap
Rolling 1's for five decades.
AoS * Konflikt '47 * Conquest Last Argument of Kings * A War Transformed
2021/09/22 01:10:54
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
Shrapnelsmile wrote: absurdly basic question from someone who played back in the day, and is considering the basic 2 player starter box --- do you still fill in the damage on a paper sheet? That was, actually, always fun for me.
Yup! The Starter box with the two mechs comes with abbreviated sheets and a simplified ruleset that only accounts for armor damage and then internal critical rolls, no internal structure bubbles. The AGOAC box has most of the standard rules and uses standard record sheets with all the bubbles you know and love.
Thanks man! I heard the 2 mech starter is actually really fantastic way to begin. Cheers.
if BTW you played "back in the day" you can jump right in with your old stuff, Battletech has largely been unchanged since... forever more or less
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2021/09/22 05:51:35
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
Shrapnelsmile wrote: absurdly basic question from someone who played back in the day, and is considering the basic 2 player starter box --- do you still fill in the damage on a paper sheet? That was, actually, always fun for me.
Yup! The Starter box with the two mechs comes with abbreviated sheets and a simplified ruleset that only accounts for armor damage and then internal critical rolls, no internal structure bubbles. The AGOAC box has most of the standard rules and uses standard record sheets with all the bubbles you know and love.
Thanks man! I heard the 2 mech starter is actually really fantastic way to begin. Cheers.
if BTW you played "back in the day" you can jump right in with your old stuff, Battletech has largely been unchanged since... forever more or less
Indeed, about the only really good an obvious change was fixing the AMS mechanics over 20 years ago and moving all the max tech rules into the "optional rules book" tactical operations. So it is up to the player group to choose which rules they want or do not want to use, but none are forbidden.
Classic battletech was so well written it has remained almost entirely the same rule set for over 30 years, not something you can say about that other company that's been around as long
GAMES-DUST1947/infinity/B5 wars/epic 40K/5th ed 40K/victory at sea/warmachine/battle tactics/monpoc/battletech/battlefleet gothic/castles in the sky,/heavy gear
2021/09/22 06:49:16
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
Shrapnelsmile wrote: absurdly basic question from someone who played back in the day, and is considering the basic 2 player starter box --- do you still fill in the damage on a paper sheet? That was, actually, always fun for me.
Yup! The Starter box with the two mechs comes with abbreviated sheets and a simplified ruleset that only accounts for armor damage and then internal critical rolls, no internal structure bubbles. The AGOAC box has most of the standard rules and uses standard record sheets with all the bubbles you know and love.
Thanks man! I heard the 2 mech starter is actually really fantastic way to begin. Cheers.
if BTW you played "back in the day" you can jump right in with your old stuff, Battletech has largely been unchanged since... forever more or less
Indeed, about the only really good an obvious change was fixing the AMS mechanics over 20 years ago and moving all the max tech rules into the "optional rules book" tactical operations. So it is up to the player group to choose which rules they want or do not want to use, but none are forbidden.
Classic battletech was so well written it has remained almost entirely the same rule set for over 30 years, not something you can say about that other company that's been around as long
there's a few minor things that have changed,m (IIRC hahcets went back and forth between hitting on the punch chart.. I think now you can electy to do so at a penalty but it's been awhile since I've played so am rusty)
Battletech is very much "the same game your dad played in the 80s"
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2021/09/22 12:33:35
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
Alpha Strike I think was mostly created because fans had been commenting on the fact that the game best supports small skirmish actions but the novels so often had massive regimental on regimental scale battles.
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2021/09/22 22:19:11
Subject: Re:Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
BrianDavion wrote: Alpha Strike I think was mostly created because fans had been commenting on the fact that the game best supports small skirmish actions but the novels so often had massive regimental on regimental scale battles.
Not just the novels but some of the campaign and source books had large battles with dozens of Mechs.
I AM A MARINE PLAYER
"Unimaginably ancient xenos artefact somewhere on the planet, hive fleet poised above our heads, hidden 'stealer broods making an early start....and now a bloody Chaos cult crawling out of the woodwork just in case we were bored. Welcome to my world, Ciaphas."
Inquisitor Amberley Vail, Ordo Xenos
"I will admit that some Primachs like Russ or Horus could have a chance against an unarmed 12 year old novice but, a full Battle Sister??!! One to one? In close combat? Perhaps three Primarchs fighting together... but just one Primarch?" da001
I imagine too that with how stagnant the fanbase/community became (seems the majority of BT players have been playing it for decades, not a lot of churn or turnover, no proper "factions" with distinct ranges to collect, etc) over time players must have amassed very large mech collections that they would want to put on the table in larger numbers to get better use of them.
CoALabaer wrote: Wargamers hate two things: the state of the game and change.
2021/09/23 05:50:39
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
and doing this with another game aimed for larger scale but still keeping the same play time instead of just making the normal game quicker and larger was a very good decision
Alpha Strike also helps for those that come from a newer wargame and feel that using a hex-board is a step back
Harry, bring this ring to Narnia or the Sith will take the Enterprise
2021/09/23 06:23:23
Subject: Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!!!!!
chaos0xomega wrote:I imagine too that with how stagnant the fanbase/community became (seems the majority of BT players have been playing it for decades, not a lot of churn or turnover, no proper "factions" with distinct ranges to collect, etc) over time players must have amassed very large mech collections that they would want to put on the table in larger numbers to get better use of them.
That is not true at all. CBT players are incredibly loyal to their factions and talk GAK to each other about it all the time. as much if not more so than 40K. in fact with the field manuals you can play specific military units within specific factions. there are also very specific units (mechs, vehicles, weapon loadouts, combat tactics etc..) tied to each faction once you get into the lore.
You will never see a Drac piloting a templar. the davions simply would not allow it, and a combine player would not demean themselves by using something they view with such disdain.
When we get new players into the game (which we do quite often) we always encourage them to choose a faction first for both clans and inner sphere and then that directs what minis they need in their collection.
kodos wrote:and doing this with another game aimed for larger scale but still keeping the same play time instead of just making the normal game quicker and larger was a very good decision
Alpha Strike also helps for those that come from a newer wargame and feel that using a hex-board is a step back
You do realise 3d terrain rules for normal games are included in the main rulebook (total warfare)? we have been using them for decades even before catalyst took over.
the problem with Alpha strike in my book is that it removes to much detail that makes the game enjoyable and immersive. Sure the draw is the ability to play bigger games or games faster but in reality players put so much stuff on the table it still takes just as much time to play as a normal game.
GAMES-DUST1947/infinity/B5 wars/epic 40K/5th ed 40K/victory at sea/warmachine/battle tactics/monpoc/battletech/battlefleet gothic/castles in the sky,/heavy gear