Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!

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**Nomeny**

Plus there's the part where they cannibalize their retail market; they're probably better off just running campaigns straight through Backerkit.

**Ghaz**

Nomeny wrote:
Plus there's the part where they cannibalize their retail market; they're probably better off just running campaigns straight through Backerkit.

From further back in the thread (emphasis added):

Ghaz wrote:

RESTOCKS

We’re pleased to announce a major ForcePacks restock—the third printing of these products, for any MechWarriors keeping count! They’re available on the Catalyst Game Labs web store and through retail distribution. With the arrival of this ForcePacks reprint into the warehouse, Catalyst has printed and placed in the market over 600,000 ForcePacks in the last 36 months!

That does not sound like they've 'cannibalized their retail market' when it comes to the Force Packs.

**chaos0xomega**

Thats a lot of mechs, somewhere between 2.4 and 3.6 million.

**Gitzbitah**

For something like Leviathan, yes, you'll cannibalize your audience. For something like Battletech? It's all but impossible. Master unit list has over 80 factions. Each faction has many subgroups, which all paint their mechs differently. Each sourcebook they're putting out now contains new factions, and revitalizes interest in old ones. Battletech players are one of the very few groups that start their hobby lives with enough mechs (You could use AGOAC for months of campaigning)- but can Always use more.

**Charistoph**

Gitzbitah wrote:
For something like Leviathan, yes, you'll cannibalize your audience. For something like Battletech? It's all but impossible. Master unit list has over 80 factions. Each faction has many subgroups, which all paint their mechs differently. Each sourcebook they're putting out now contains new factions, and revitalizes interest in old ones. Battletech players are one of the very few groups that start their hobby lives with enough mechs (You could use AGOAC for months of campaigning)- but can Always use more.

And 'Mech-wise, the only limitation to using a 'Mech is the time-frame the scenario is placed in. Factions are rather meaningless on that front. Other units are more faction-dependent, but unless one is deliberately setting up such a narrative-focused scenario, there is no reason to stick to even that.

**aphyon**

Gitzbitah wrote:
For something like Leviathan, yes, you'll cannibalize your audience. For something like Battletech? It's all but impossible. Master unit list has over 80 factions. Each faction has many subgroups, which all paint their mechs differently. Each sourcebook they're putting out now contains new factions, and revitalizes interest in old ones. Battletech players are one of the very few groups that start their hobby lives with enough mechs (You could use AGOAC for months of campaigning)- but can Always use more.

That is the blessing and the curse. you only need 4 of 5 minis to play a full game with a full army. super cheap buy in from the start, but there are so many factions and faction specific units, and you only need to add that one there or those two over there....and then you end up with a giant case with hundreds of minis.

**H.B.M.C.**

And you don't even need actual minis to play BattleTech...

... says the guy with nearly 500 'Mechs.

**Orlanth**

Ghaz wrote:
Nomeny wrote:
Plus there's the part where they cannibalize their retail market; they're probably better off just running campaigns straight through Backerkit.

From further back in the thread (emphasis added):

Ghaz wrote:

RESTOCKS

We’re pleased to announce a major ForcePacks restock—the third printing of these products, for any MechWarriors keeping count! They’re available on the Catalyst Game Labs web store and through retail distribution. With the arrival of this ForcePacks reprint into the warehouse, Catalyst has printed and placed in the market over 600,000 ForcePacks in the last 36 months!

That does not sound like they've 'cannibalized their retail market' when it comes to the Force Packs.

I can see where you are getting this. Many miniatures companies thrive on their crowdfunding campaigns. Archon Studios are almost exclusively crowdfunded, Mantic is about halfway, however Battletech is a long established franchise and not beholden to buy and forget sales patterns.
Yes there will be a massive sales spike compared to usual sales, and long periods of out of stock. but there is follow up. Battletech is not going to go away.

**H.B.M.C.**

Friend of mine's parents went to the states not all that long ago, and he had them drop by a B&N to pick up the Wolf's Dragoons box.

Turns out he told 'em to get two, and he gave one to me, so that was nice.

[EDIT]: And that means I now have 8 Mad Cats. That's the single 'Mech I have the most of, overtaking Zeus and Catapults.

**cannonfodr**

aphyon wrote:
Gitzbitah wrote:
For something like Leviathan, yes, you'll cannibalize your audience. For something like Battletech? It's all but impossible. Master unit list has over 80 factions. Each faction has many subgroups, which all paint their mechs differently. Each sourcebook they're putting out now contains new factions, and revitalizes interest in old ones. Battletech players are one of the very few groups that start their hobby lives with enough mechs (You could use AGOAC for months of campaigning)- but can Always use more.

That is the blessing and the curse. you only need 4 of 5 minis to play a full game with a full army. super cheap buy in from the start, but there are so many factions and faction specific units, and you only need to add that one there or those two over there....and then you end up with a giant case with hundreds of minis.

I don't have a mech problem. I can quit any time. Really.

**Thargrim**

aphyon wrote:
Gitzbitah wrote:
For something like Leviathan, yes, you'll cannibalize your audience. For something like Battletech? It's all but impossible. Master unit list has over 80 factions. Each faction has many subgroups, which all paint their mechs differently. Each sourcebook they're putting out now contains new factions, and revitalizes interest in old ones. Battletech players are one of the very few groups that start their hobby lives with enough mechs (You could use AGOAC for months of campaigning)- but can Always use more.

That is the blessing and the curse. you only need 4 of 5 minis to play a full game with a full army. super cheap buy in from the start, but there are so many factions and faction specific units, and you only need to add that one there or those two over there....and then you end up with a giant case with hundreds of minis.

When you say 4 -5 minis do you mean for classic BT or alpha strike? I was kinda under the impression classic BT was the more played version but on youtube most battle reports seem to be of alpha strike.

I have a bunch of mechs but haven't got to play this game this year as much as I would've liked. I also got a bit of painting paralysis on picking a clan to paint and then realized i'm probably going to split them all up between ghost bear/ jade falcon/ clan wolf anyway. I'm just not the type to paint all my mechs in the same coherent scheme.

**Flinty**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Friend of mine's parents went to the states not all that long ago, and he had them drop by a B&N to pick up the Wolf's Dragoons box.

Turns out he told 'em to get two, and he gave one to me, so that was nice.

[EDIT]: And that means I now have 8 Mad Cats. That's the single 'Mech I have the most of, overtaking Zeus and Catapults.

Surely you can ever have enough madcats!

**Gitzbitah**

Thargrim wrote:
aphyon wrote:
Gitzbitah wrote:
For something like Leviathan, yes, you'll cannibalize your audience. For something like Battletech? It's all but impossible. Master unit list has over 80 factions. Each faction has many subgroups, which all paint their mechs differently. Each sourcebook they're putting out now contains new factions, and revitalizes interest in old ones. Battletech players are one of the very few groups that start their hobby lives with enough mechs (You could use AGOAC for months of campaigning)- but can Always use more.

That is the blessing and the curse. you only need 4 of 5 minis to play a full game with a full army. super cheap buy in from the start, but there are so many factions and faction specific units, and you only need to add that one there or those two over there....and then you end up with a giant case with hundreds of minis.

When you say 4 -5 minis do you mean for classic BT or alpha strike? I was kinda under the impression classic BT was the more played version but on youtube most battle reports seem to be of alpha strike.

I have a bunch of mechs but haven't got to play this game this year as much as I would've liked. I also got a bit of painting paralysis on picking a clan to paint and then realized i'm probably going to split them all up between ghost bear/ jade falcon/ clan wolf anyway. I'm just not the type to paint all my mechs in the same coherent scheme.

Most players I know play both, but Alpha Strike is played more frequently. It definitely is the one you'll see the most videos of- for any reasonable time frame, Battletech caps out at 4 mechs to a side, while Alpha Strike could easily handle 12 on 12 with vehicle, artillery, and aerospace support in that timeframe. It's a far more visually impressive game.

Classic is crunchy and deep, very immersive- but slow. It is all but unchanged since the 80s, a relic.
But if you bust out a mapsheet and a couple of record sheets, it's a good bet you'll find a game, with someone who can't believe it's been so long since I played this.

Alpha Strike is a vibrant modern game. It's an easy entry point for new players, and a chance for old players to finally fight the huge battles described in the novels and sourcebooks without taking a week off of work.

**aphyon**

Thargrim wrote:
aphyon wrote:
Gitzbitah wrote:
For something like Leviathan, yes, you'll cannibalize your audience. For something like Battletech? It's all but impossible. Master unit list has over 80 factions. Each faction has many subgroups, which all paint their mechs differently. Each sourcebook they're putting out now contains new factions, and revitalizes interest in old ones. Battletech players are one of the very few groups that start their hobby lives with enough mechs (You could use AGOAC for months of campaigning)- but can Always use more.

That is the blessing and the curse. you only need 4 of 5 minis to play a full game with a full army. super cheap buy in from the start, but there are so many factions and faction specific units, and you only need to add that one there or those two over there....and then you end up with a giant case with hundreds of minis.

When you say 4 -5 minis do you mean for classic BT or alpha strike? I was kinda under the impression classic BT was the more played version but on youtube most battle reports seem to be of alpha strike.

I have a bunch of mechs but haven't got to play this game this year as much as I would've liked. I also got a bit of painting paralysis on picking a clan to paint and then realized i'm probably going to split them all up between ghost bear/ jade falcon/ clan wolf anyway. I'm just not the type to paint all my mechs in the same coherent scheme.

I do not consider alpha strike battletech, i mean it is technically but to me i have been playing since 1987 there is only one way i will play it. so normally a lance V lance is a 4 on 4 or a clan V clan is a 5 on 5. clans V inner sphere is 5 on 8.

Flinty wrote:
H.B.M.C. wrote:
Friend of mine's parents went to the states not all that long ago, and he had them drop by a B&N to pick up the Wolf's Dragoons box.

Turns out he told 'em to get two, and he gave one to me, so that was nice.

[EDIT]: And that means I now have 8 Mad Cats. That's the single 'Mech I have the most of, overtaking Zeus and Catapults.

Surely you can ever have enough madcats!

I have one.......and the model i use is actually the stealth marauder....i never liked the madcat and actively avoided it. now the cauldron born on the other hand.

**Ghaz**

Here's two who need no introduction...

**chaos0xomega**

I have no idea what I'm looking at.

**VictorVonTzeentch**

The mech is a Dervish I think and the tank a Manticore.

**Charistoph**

VictorVonTzeentch wrote:
The mech is a Dervish I think and the tank a Manticore.

Correct.

**BrianDavion**

chaos0xomega wrote:
I have no idea what I'm looking at.

the mech is the dervish the tank is almsot certainly the patton/Rommel

**Ghaz**

BrianDavion wrote:
... the tank is almsot certainly the patton/Rommel

Uh, no. It is the Manticore.

**BrianDavion**

Ghaz wrote:
BrianDavion wrote:
... the tank is almsot certainly the patton/Rommel

Uh, no. It is the Manticore.

whoops, well shows how much attention I pay to tanks

**aphyon**

yeah, that giant box on the front end is kind of hard to miss. i would love to see some other tanks make the cut like the challenger X, alacorn, ajax, and the HEAT variant of the ontos

**Thargrim**

Is that premium timber wolf TC variant any good in classic BT? I got mine in the mail today just cause I liked how it looks, the casting quality of the mini is....not great, some muddled details, almost some mold slippage on one of the 4 included legs. It needs some cleanup work, I think I was happier with the premium stormcrow from a while back.

**Charistoph**

5/8/5 with 2 Large Pulse Lasers, 2 ERMLs, and 2 Streak SRM-6s, and usable with Total Warfare rules.

It depends mostly on how much you like such a set up, really.

**H.B.M.C.**

That's a very dangerous close-range brawler. Extremely accurate, very manoeuvrable, can punch big holes with its lasers and then follow-up with crit-seeking missiles that never miss.

It's a fantastic design.

**aphyon**

Only a clanner would consider their large pulse lasers "short range" LOL

The variant i like (D model) is more of a mix, twin ERPPCs backed up by 4 streak 6s

**Nomeny**

Ghaz wrote:
Nomeny wrote:
Plus there's the part where they cannibalize their retail market; they're probably better off just running campaigns straight through Backerkit.

From further back in the thread (emphasis added):

Ghaz wrote:

RESTOCKS

We’re pleased to announce a major ForcePacks restock—the third printing of these products, for any MechWarriors keeping count! They’re available on the Catalyst Game Labs web store and through retail distribution. With the arrival of this ForcePacks reprint into the warehouse, Catalyst has printed and placed in the market over 600,000 ForcePacks in the last 36 months!

That does not sound like they've 'cannibalized their retail market' when it comes to the Force Packs.

Rather nice to know I'm wrong about this! Thank you.

**Ghaz**

Now Available: New Beginner Box, Shrapnel #10

Two big new products are available today, MechWarriors – don’t miss out!

Beginner Box (Vindicator Edition)

~~$19.99~~ $24.99

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CONTENTS

2 high-quality, fully assembled (unpainted) miniatures
12-page Rulebook
8 wet-erase Record Sheets
24 page fiction novella
4-page Universe Primer
4 Pilot Cards
One 18″ x 22″ full-color paper maps (double-sided)
Punchboard of additional BattleMechs and terrain
2 dice

Catalyst Game Labs web store: https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/battletech-getting-started/products/battletech-beginner-box

Shrapnel #10

E-Pub: $6.99
Print-on-Demand (via Amazon): Coming Soon!

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Tom Leveen
Jason Hansa
Lance Scarinci
Jennifer Bixby
Giles Gammage
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Harvey Roberts
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James Bixby
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E-Publication: https://books2read.com/BattleTechShrapnelIssue10

Print-on-Demand: Coming Soon!

**H.B.M.C.**

If that box had a new map in it, I'd get it.

**BrianDavion**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
If that box had a new map in it, I'd get it.

nope only new thing is the vindictor.