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 Ghaz wrote:

Mercenaries Box Set (GenCon)
1 - 2x Maxim (Size 2, Striker, 16"h)
2 - 2x Galleon (Size 1, Scout, 12"t)
2x Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor (Ambusher, 6"j) - WolfNet Ep. 50 confirmed

Gotta love having 4 APCs, but only 2 units of Infantry...

The Clan Invasion box only had two points of Elementals. Also note that the Battle Armor hasn't confirmed as of yet as being in the Mercenaries box.

 Charistoph wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:

Mercenaries Box Set (GenCon)
1 - 2x Maxim (Size 2, Striker, 16"h)
2 - 2x Galleon (Size 1, Scout, 12"t)
2x Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor (Ambusher, 6"j) - WolfNet Ep. 50 confirmed

Gotta love having 4 APCs, but only 2 units of Infantry...

Maxim's the only troop transport there, barring the experimental Galleon Maxwell variant. Despite it's very cargo transport name, the Galleon's a scout vehicle. I suspect they mixed it up with the Goblin early on, and just kind of ran with it.

The galleon is iconic, one of the original unseen's, the design is taken from the crusher joe movie. so, i understand why they went with it, even though i do love my goblin IFVs.

 Gitzbitah wrote:
Maxim's the only troop transport there, barring the experimental Galleon Maxwell variant. Despite it's very cargo transport name, the Galleon's a scout vehicle. I suspect they mixed it up with the Goblin early on, and just kind of ran with it.

That moment when one's memory gets mixed up and you don't check and verify...

Well, I finally jumped in with the Alpha Strike box set. I actually have no idea what I want to do with the models outside of a painting project at this point, and I'm kind of at a loss what to do next. Couple questions:

- Are their any Lance/Star packs that people consider must haves? I was surprised to see the AS box mixed up the other starters and had a few iconic units I was originally looking at already packed in, but I still feel like a couple packs would flesh out my collection.

- I am at a complete loss for a paint scheme. I know it doesn't really matter but I'm feeling very stuck. Kind of liking the Raven Alliance fluff lately, though I'm not a big teal fan. Seen plenty of examples, I'm just.... completely paralyzed by choice, which is kind of how I feel about everything in the franchise.

So question - as I was lucky enough to get a few models over christmas.

What do you all find best for cleaning these plastics? Simple hobby blade and careful scrape/cut/trim? Or is there a trick I'm missing?

 LunarSol wrote:
- I am at a complete loss for a paint scheme. I know it doesn't really matter but I'm feeling very stuck. Kind of liking the Raven Alliance fluff lately, though I'm not a big teal fan. Seen plenty of examples, I'm just.... completely paralyzed by choice, which is kind of how I feel about everything in the franchise.

For a potential paint scheme, check out CamoSpecs and Unit Color Compendium. Once you find a paint scheme that you like, you can check out the unit's background at the BattleTech Wiki.

 Ghaz wrote:

 LunarSol wrote:
- I am at a complete loss for a paint scheme. I know it doesn't really matter but I'm feeling very stuck. Kind of liking the Raven Alliance fluff lately, though I'm not a big teal fan. Seen plenty of examples, I'm just.... completely paralyzed by choice, which is kind of how I feel about everything in the franchise.

For a potential paint scheme, check out CamoSpecs and Unit Color Compendium. Once you find a paint scheme that you like, you can check out the unit's background at the BattleTech Wiki.

Yeah, been spending days there. Lots of things I like is the problem, nothing I'm wildly in love with though.

At the moment, I'm thinking of doing something like painting an urban camo scheme with blue highlights. Might do something like leave the Inner Sphere stuff mostly grey while making the Clan stuff more predominantly blue. Still not sure I'm in love with that idea though.

 LunarSol wrote:
Might do something like leave the Inner Sphere stuff mostly grey...

Draconis Combine, 1st Genyosha:

... while making the Clan stuff more predominantly blue.

Clan Coyote, Delta Galaxy:

Have you tried Camopedia for some real life camo scheme inspiration?

Given the various organisational levels within the Inner Sphere, is 4 bases of BA the right amount? Or is there so much variation across the IS, that 4 bases is 'close enough' to most of the ways the Great Houses organise their BA?

 Ghaz wrote:
All of the Mercenaries Force Packs (excpet for the Objectives Force Pack) are supposed to be legal Alpha Strike formations (e.g., all units in a Striker/Cavalry Lance must have a minimum ground Move of 10” or a jumping Move of 8”j. No units in a Striker/Cavalry Lance may be of Size 4 or above and at least 50 percent of the Striker/Cavalry Lance must be of the Striker or Skirmisher unit roles.). This comes into determining where the unallocated 'Mechs such as the Shogun and Merlin might fit in the Lances/Stars that still need to be filled out.

Good stuff. Doesn't make it any less cluttered. And I doubt most people give a gak about the AS rules anyway.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And I doubt most people give a gak about the AS rules anyway.

It's from the BattleTech Forums, so I would have to disagree with you on that (plus it will be coming to Total Warfare in the Force Manuals).

 Overread wrote:
So question - as I was lucky enough to get a few models over christmas.

What do you all find best for cleaning these plastics? Simple hobby blade and careful scrape/cut/trim? Or is there a trick I'm missing?

Sharp blade and cutting/shaving, rather than scraping, has worked pretty well for me. I think these are PVC, or at least behave very much like it, so scraping seems to give more burrs than a clean finish.

 Charistoph wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:

Mercenaries Box Set (GenCon)
1 - 2x Maxim (Size 2, Striker, 16"h)
2 - 2x Galleon (Size 1, Scout, 12"t)
2x Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor (Ambusher, 6"j) - WolfNet Ep. 50 confirmed

Gotta love having 4 APCs, but only 2 units of Infantry...

When did the Galleon light tank get an infantry complement? Last I heard it was just 3 lasers with (relatively) high-speed tank treads.

 Ghaz wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And I doubt most people give a gak about the AS rules anyway.

It's from the BattleTech Forums, so I would have to disagree with you on that (plus it will be coming to Total Warfare in the Force Manuals).

I think his point is that alpha strike isn't real BattleTech for most of us. several of the guys in our group play both classic and AS, i have no interest in it because it removes all the depth that makes BattleTech what it is.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Given the various organisational levels within the Inner Sphere, is 4 bases of BA the right amount? Or is there so much variation across the IS, that 4 bases is 'close enough' to most of the ways the Great Houses organise their BA?

A BA Platoon can number between 3-5 Squads. A Company is 3 Platoons. Most Inner Sphere Lances (either Mech or Vehicle) run as 4, so Omnimechs will usually run in that number (if CGL will ever put the IS ones in to plastic). So a base 4 bases would make sense.

What doesn't make sense is putting them on the same base size as the Battlemechs as it doesn't leave room to put two of them in a hex.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Good stuff. Doesn't make it any less cluttered. And I doubt most people give a gak about the AS rules anyway.

Honestly, I think that those who really care already know, and those who don't know wouldn't understand it.

Alpha Strike is picking up, especially as it is a good gateway system for those coming from another less-detailed system like Warhammer.

Vulcan wrote:

 Charistoph wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:

Mercenaries Box Set (GenCon)
1 - 2x Maxim (Size 2, Striker, 16"h)
2 - 2x Galleon (Size 1, Scout, 12"t)
2x Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor (Ambusher, 6"j) - WolfNet Ep. 50 confirmed

Gotta love having 4 APCs, but only 2 units of Infantry...

When did the Galleon light tank get an infantry complement? Last I heard it was just 3 lasers with (relatively) high-speed tank treads.

As noted earlier, I misremembered.

AS is good for mass battles in the BT universe that take an hour or two, as opposed to an evening.

I don't personally think that AS plays Battletech well, but it doesn't really have to, not more than Epic needs to play 40k. It's simply to games in the same setting that do different things at different scales (engagement scale in both cases, actual scale in the second too).

I would not really play AS to scratch the Btech itch, but it's a cool game for what it is.

 aphyon wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And I doubt most people give a gak about the AS rules anyway.

It's from the BattleTech Forums, so I would have to disagree with you on that (plus it will be coming to Total Warfare in the Force Manuals).

I think his point is that alpha strike isn't real BattleTech for most of us. several of the guys in our group play both classic and AS, i have no interest in it because it removes all the depth that makes BattleTech what it is.

And my point was that the post came from the BattleTech Forums, where Alpha Strike is as much BattleTech as Total War is and they would disagree with his opinion.

My FLGS's group doesn't use the force construction rules in the AS book and a few of the more swingy special rules - pilot traits for one - are excised. So, YMMV.

 Ghaz wrote:
And my point was that the post came from the BattleTech Forums, where Alpha Strike is as much BattleTech as Total War is and they would disagree with his opinion.

Don't know why you're calling it "Total War". That'd be like saying "Oh I play BattleMech Manual! Have you heard of that game?". It's the name of a book. Not the game.

BattleTech is BattleTech. AlphaStrike is a different game, and it is decidedly not BattleTech.

Albertorius wrote:I don't personally think that AS plays Battletech well, but it doesn't really have to, not more than Epic needs to play 40k. It's simply to games in the same setting that do different things at different scales (engagement scale in both cases, actual scale in the second too).

I would not really play AS to scratch the Btech itch, but it's a cool game for what it is.

It depends on what you're qualifying as "Battletech". Battletech is an vast network of systems, some of which have nothing to do with active 'Mechs on the battlefield, yet still involve many of the same base mechanics in determining roll targets. Alpha Strike is actually a little more forgiving since the target numbers are usually lower, over all.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
And my point was that the post came from the BattleTech Forums, where Alpha Strike is as much BattleTech as Total War is and they would disagree with his opinion.

Don't know why you're calling it "Total War". That'd be like saying "Oh I play BattleMech Manual! Have you heard of that game?". It's the name of a book. Not the game.

BattleTech is BattleTech. AlphaStrike is a different game, and it is decidedly not BattleTech.

Total Warfare and Battlemech Manual are actually the same ruleset. Since there are multiple systems in the Battletech universe, noting which base system you're using is rather important. Alpha Strike IS part of Battletech now as much as Total Warfare is. The earliest forms of it were in the Valley of Death scenario of the Luthien Sourcebook.

 Charistoph wrote:

Vulcan wrote:
When did the Galleon light tank get an infantry complement? Last I heard it was just 3 lasers with (relatively) high-speed tank treads.

As noted earlier, I misremembered.

No biggie. I was just worried that I didn't remember it right...


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
And my point was that the post came from the BattleTech Forums, where Alpha Strike is as much BattleTech as Total War is and they would disagree with his opinion.

Don't know why you're calling it "Total War". That'd be like saying "Oh I play BattleMech Manual! Have you heard of that game?". It's the name of a book. Not the game.

BattleTech is BattleTech. AlphaStrike is a different game, and it is decidedly not BattleTech.

Yeah, it's a lot more like BattleForce than BattleTech. Same universe, different feel.

That doesn't make it a bad game, mind you. Just not the same as BattleTech.

 Charistoph wrote:

Albertorius wrote:I don't personally think that AS plays Battletech well, but it doesn't really have to, not more than Epic needs to play 40k. It's simply to games in the same setting that do different things at different scales (engagement scale in both cases, actual scale in the second too).

I would not really play AS to scratch the Btech itch, but it's a cool game for what it is.

It depends on what you're qualifying as "Battletech". Battletech is an vast network of systems, some of which have nothing to do with active 'Mechs on the battlefield, yet still involve many of the same base mechanics in determining roll targets. Alpha Strike is actually a little more forgiving since the target numbers are usually lower, over all.

So, same as 40k and Epic, then. Different systems in the same setting.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Vulcan wrote:

Yeah, it's a lot more like BattleForce than BattleTech. Same universe, different feel.

That doesn't make it a bad game, mind you. Just not the same as BattleTech.

Exactly

 Charistoph wrote:
Total Warfare and Battlemech Manual are actually the same ruleset.

Yeah. We know that. And that wasn't the point I was making. The two above me got it.

 Charistoph wrote:
Alpha Strike IS part of Battletech now as much as Total Warfare is.

No. Total Warfare is the name of a rulebook. The rulebook for BattleTech, the game.

AlphaStrike is a different game as, just as those above me have said, Epic and 40k are different games, but are both in the 40k universe.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
And my point was that the post came from the BattleTech Forums, where Alpha Strike is as much BattleTech as Total War is and they would disagree with his opinion.

Don't know why you're calling it "Total War". That'd be like saying "Oh I play BattleMech Manual! Have you heard of that game?". It's the name of a book. Not the game.

BattleTech is BattleTech. AlphaStrike is a different game, and it is decidedly not BattleTech.

Maybe it's because CGL calls it that? From Restocks of Core Products; Major Update of Coming Releases:

Formerly known as Combat Manuals, this rebooted line of sourcebooks is fully compatible with Total Warfare or Alpha Strike play.

As the others have stated, BattleTech covers the entire line, so it's the best way to specify which game is being referred to.

This feels like splitting hairs.

 RaptorusRex wrote:
This feels like splitting hairs.

It's Ghaz's overly literal mindset bleeding through.

AlphaStrike isn't BattleTech in the same way that Kill Team isn't Warhammer 40,000.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 RaptorusRex wrote:
This feels like splitting hairs.

It's Ghaz's overly literal mindset bleeding through.

AlphaStrike isn't BattleTech in the same way that Kill Team isn't Warhammer 40,000.

Actually, it seems to be your dislike of Alpha Strike coming through again. I also see you didn't bother to address the fact that CGL made the same distinction first.