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I played Battletech back in the 90s with the box set from the time but moved on to GW games pretty quick. Fast forward to now and I'm getting into it again. I'm trying to build a solid starting point for the basic game so I can move into later periods and higher techs later on. For now I want to start at the start. When is the "Beginning" of the game? 3025? I'm basically familiar with the Star League>Succession Wars>Clan invasion>Word of Blake>Dark Age timeline so not a total noob. Really what I need is what products to get to paint a "complete" picture of the beginning of the in-game universe. So far I have the new beginner box, A Game of Armored Combat (one of, like, 8 people world-wide that managed to get one it seems), and Succession Wars technical readout (because it bills itself as a good starter product). The problem I have now is that the Succession Wars book has mechs with gauss rifles, CASE, anti missile systems, and a few other techs that aren't detailed in AGoAC. What product am I missing to get those rules? I don't want to dive into the ER lasers, ultra ACs, streak, clan tech, etc... yet . Just the basics.
Thanks in advance.

 Cannibal wrote:
I played Battletech back in the 90s with the box set from the time but moved on to GW games pretty quick. Fast forward to now and I'm getting into it again. I'm trying to build a solid starting point for the basic game so I can move into later periods and higher techs later on. For now I want to start at the start. When is the "Beginning" of the game? 3025? I'm basically familiar with the Star League>Succession Wars>Clan invasion>Word of Blake>Dark Age timeline so not a total noob. Really what I need is what products to get to paint a "complete" picture of the beginning of the in-game universe. So far I have the new beginner box, A Game of Armored Combat (one of, like, 8 people world-wide that managed to get one it seems), and Succession Wars technical readout (because it bills itself as a good starter product). The problem I have now is that the Succession Wars book has mechs with gauss rifles, CASE, anti missile systems, and a few other techs that aren't detailed in AGoAC. What product am I missing to get those rules? I don't want to dive into the ER lasers, ultra ACs, streak, clan tech, etc... yet . Just the basics.
Thanks in advance.

The general "default" starting point is the same that it was for the original game, that is, 3025/Third Succession War, mainly because it's a time where the tech level coincides with the Level 1 rules, but also because the engagement level tend to be lower, with more raids and such with small forces than bigger engagements.

The Succession Wars TRO details stuff at the Star League tech level, which is higher and not part of the Level 1 set of rules.

The tech there is "Star League Era" tech that has some of the advancements, but not nearly all of them.

So a couple points to get you going:

1. Find yourself the Battlemech Manual. Should still be in print and available. It handles all things 'Mech, and nothing else. All the rules for 'Mechs, latest errata (as of last year), equipment rules, that sort of thing. It's a great book to learn MOST of Battletech and understand how the rules work without adding in too much other stuff.

2. MegaMek Lab. This is the pseudo-official record sheet generator. It has all the stuff you're looking for for introductory 'Mechs, all the way up to the most advanced stuff from 3150. It is all sortable and such. Also, you can design your own 'Mechs as well.

After that, Total Warfare will be your next step.

Feel free to fire any questions my way!

Sell me on MegaMek lab, as I'm still using Solaris Skunk Werks.

Awesome, thanks everyone. I'll get the mech manual. AGoAC only has stats for the 8-9 mechs that come in the new starters. What technical readout or other resource do I need to get the full lineup of 3025 mechs? I played in the 90s so I want rules for the unseen too.

Yeah, I could use a source for the succession wars record sheets. Drive through RPG has pretty much everything BUT succession wars.

Get a 'Mech building program, people would have made all the record sheets already. The 'Mech program should have the ability to print as well.

 Cannibal wrote:
What technical readout or other resource do I need to get the full lineup of 3025 mechs? I played in the 90s so I want rules for the unseen too.

The simple answer is "none".

TROs aren't like GW's Codices, in that they don't really have anything you need to play. They're more elaborate fluff books than anything else. Record sheet books give you the in-game stats to play the 'Mechs, but as I said above this can be replicated (often for free) via 'Mech building programs and the fact that the community would have built files for every 'Mech under the sun.

So outside of the main rulebook you don't really need anything else.

 Cannibal wrote:
Awesome, thanks everyone. I'll get the mech manual. AGoAC only has stats for the 8-9 mechs that come in the new starters. What technical readout or other resource do I need to get the full lineup of 3025 mechs? I played in the 90s so I want rules for the unseen too.

Hm, the most "current" and complete 3025 era tech readout would be TRO: 3039. That would get you stats and fluff of most of 3025 era's mechs, aerospace fighters and conventional vehicles, plus Level 1 versions of a fair amount of Star League era mechs with the associated fluff, and even the "Unseen" mechs (but without pictures) as the Project Phoenix section.

As for stats, you can simply download MegaMekLab, which comes with a complete library of all official mechs (and some unofficial ones) and sort by era and tech level. That will get you everything without context, but can check up Sarna.net and read the fluff anyways, so...

I don't need pictures, I have Robotech RPG tactics models Thank you everyone, looks like I'm getting meklab.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Sell me on MegaMek lab, as I'm still using Solaris Skunk Werks.

Simply? SSW is out of date now. It has not been updated in several years. Several TROs worth of designs are not with the files and have to be hand input. Equipment errata has made minor changes that SSW has not incorporated. Battle Value changes are not updated either, so balancing a game that way could be compromised.

I like SSW too, it's showing its age. The only thing I really like it for these days is being able to print the charts on the sheets for easy reference.

I still don't like the user interface for MML that much, but SSW simply isn't changing with the evolving (slowly) Battletech universe.

 Mattlov wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Sell me on MegaMek lab, as I'm still using Solaris Skunk Werks.

Simply? SSW is out of date now. It has not been updated in several years. Several TROs worth of designs are not with the files and have to be hand input. Equipment errata has made minor changes that SSW has not incorporated. Battle Value changes are not updated either, so balancing a game that way could be compromised.

I like SSW too, it's showing its age. The only thing I really like it for these days is being able to print the charts on the sheets for easy reference.

I still don't like the user interface for MML that much, but SSW simply isn't changing with the evolving (slowly) Battletech universe.

I was wondering the same thing myself.

I use a combination of SSW and HM Pro still - but it's not as if I play the game in any sort of group and need to keep up to date with the latest hotness. I could still get away with photocopies of my 3rd edition sheets if it wasn't for the fact that nobody photocopies anything these days.

HMP is even WORSE in terms of being out of date.

One of the things with SSW is that it was made to emulate the old functionality/interface of The Drawing Board. That's what made it so useful.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
One of the things with SSW is that it was made to emulate the old functionality/interface of The Drawing Board. That's what made it so useful.

The Drawing Board was more buggy than 'Mech creation software I've ever used!

But the interface was perfect. The drag'n'drop method worked for everything!

I do remember TDB fondly from back in the day, yeah. I spent many an afternoon tinkering with it.

 Albertorius wrote:
I do remember TDB fondly from back in the day, yeah. I spent many an afternoon tinkering with it.

I stopped messing with it when it said two gauss rifles only required a two ton targeting computer.

 Mattlov wrote:
1. Find yourself the Battlemech Manual. Should still be in print and available.

Catalyst just announced the new printing of the BattleTech Manual is available starting today...

https://bg.battletech.com/news/record-sheets-succession-wars-and-battlemech-manual-reprint-now-available/

 Ghaz wrote:

 Mattlov wrote:
1. Find yourself the Battlemech Manual. Should still be in print and available.

Catalyst just announced the new printing of the BattleTech Manual is available starting today...

https://bg.battletech.com/news/record-sheets-succession-wars-and-battlemech-manual-reprint-now-available/

Saw this as well. I'm like OP and new to Battletech here, so forgive my ignorance...but if I already have the Total Warfare book, do I need the Battlemech Manual?

 weasel_beef wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:

 Mattlov wrote:
1. Find yourself the Battlemech Manual. Should still be in print and available.

Catalyst just announced the new printing of the BattleTech Manual is available starting today...

https://bg.battletech.com/news/record-sheets-succession-wars-and-battlemech-manual-reprint-now-available/

Saw this as well. I'm like OP and new to Battletech here, so forgive my ignorance...but if I already have the Total Warfare book, do I need the Battlemech Manual?

Not really, no. The Manual is just 'Mechs only, but also includes some equipment rules and optional rules from Tactical Operations. But if you want to do just 'Mechs and have a much less clunky rulebook, it's handy.

Sort of...

The BTech Manual contains a bunch of stuff from Tactical and Strategic Operations, and cuts out all the non-Mech stuff from Total War.

You will want to look at getting more Mechs too. Get the lance packs whilst you can as they are good value for money.