Classic Battletech Is Awesome: the Thread!

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**Rihgu**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Rihgu wrote:
Today it was trending on Twitter alongside #GoWokeGoBroke, so if it's making those types mad it's about to go the opposite of broke, most likely.
Were these two things related at all?

Yes, people (on Twitter) seemed really mad about the Rommel tank being renamed, an author being fired, and "the worst types of Warhammer folk migrating to Battletech" (which apparently drove the first two changes).

In my experience, whenever a show/game/movie has this much backlash from the people who see everything as PC culture/cancelling/culture war it ends up being wildly popular, and also not related to any of those 3 things. (See also, on the opposite side of the culture war, the Hogwarts Legacy video game)

And because I just now became aware that my comments could be construed as support for a specific end of the culture war, by "those types" I mean culture warriors in general. See my "see also" comment above

**Vulcan**

Rihgu wrote:
Formosa wrote:
Anyone else thinking that Battletech is about to explode in popularity ?

Today it was trending on Twitter alongside #GoWokeGoBroke, so if it's making those types mad it's about to go the opposite of broke, most likely.

Which has what to do with BattleTech?

I mean, sure, one could argue that BT has been 'woke' since the 1980s, what with Natasha Kerensky being a major MechWarrior character and all, and all the female and minorities in leadership roles... but it wasn't done for political/'earn brownie points with an incredibly outspoken segment of the population that doesn't even play the game" reasons; it was done because it made SENSE within the context of the story at the time.

EDIT: Ah, I see now. Good point.

**DEZOAT**

Vulcan wrote:
Rihgu wrote:
Formosa wrote:
Anyone else thinking that Battletech is about to explode in popularity ?

Today it was trending on Twitter alongside #GoWokeGoBroke, so if it's making those types mad it's about to go the opposite of broke, most likely.

Which has what to do with BattleTech?

I mean, sure, one could argue that BT has been 'woke' since the 1980s, what with Natasha Kerensky being a major MechWarrior character and all, and all the female and minorities in leadership roles... but it wasn't done for political/'earn brownie points with an incredibly outspoken segment of the population that doesn't even play the game" reasons; it was done because it made SENSE within the context of the story at the time.

EDIT: Ah, I see now. Good point.

I hate to say but Battletech was never "woke" in the mid 80s by the way. Science Fiction you can getting way with it , in games and story telling. Sex sell not woke . Fasa had in the beginning been trouble with some of their art works both female one the Great Natasha Kerensky minus the blue shirt in the Black Widow poster which would be used in the Scenario book. The other was the topless female Mechwarrior Sorenson's Sabres poster which was change with cooling vest would be used in the Scenario book. When the Battletech Clan box set was Kickstarted there were no woke it was Battletech fan base that supported the Kickstarter and why it did so well. Here the funny thing Mercenary was suppose to be Kickstarted in Dec 2022 but was change to Mar 2023. Why? I think it has to do with the fired author back in July 2022 if you think I'm wrong check FB page on Cat Lab on it . The angry was 492 . The like and love were 252. I think the change Mar 2023 was hoping that everyone would clam down before the Kickstarter Mercenary starts. That all I'm going to say. Oh I'am going to support the Kickstarter when starts. The big question how well is going to do?

**Flinty**

The clan invasion had 11k backers and made $2.5m. The backer kit page currently has 14k people signed up, so unless they make an absolute hash of it, I imagine it will be somewhere in the same ball park.

**Overread**

It could also go much bigger. The first KS has been the first really big explosion of Battletech into the market in a long while.

Not just in terms of the volume of updated models,but the marketing and buzz around it as well (both company end and community end).

My prediction is if they've kept up with marketing and kept up with things post KS really well; then the second kickstarter should blow the first out of the water.

THAT is excluding financial variation socially between the first and the second.

So what we could see is a greater number of backers but perhaps not as much being spent per backer as in the first campaign due to variations in finical pressures.

**Miguelsan**

I hate my dice. Had a small game yesterday 3 55ers vs Catapult, Wolverine and Commando. Both Griffins opened on the Commando's back, and missed most of the shots. My Wolverine-5M got under the Catapult min range, and only managed to tickle it. Then I kicked the Catapult (it was a 5 or a 6 IIRC) and managed to face plant myself.

M.

**aphyon**

Hey at least you got some game time in, the dice happen to us all.

I had a bit of a rematch. one of the guys saw our previous game and wanted to do the clan VS IS assault mech battle.

He brought some jade falcons and i brought a lance of second swords backed up by some eridani-

The clan force-
.stone rhino
.turkina
.warhawk
.gladiator
.dire wolf

The combine
.battlemaster C3 master
.hatamoto chi 28t
.warhammer 8D
.Akuma 2X

Eridani light horse
.cyclops
.highlander
.banshee
.thunderbolt

Most of his falcons just did the stay away, hide in the back and snipe thing. the gladiator and daishi came out to play

The clan player requested a fight to the death instead of allowing forced withdrawl, he started regreting that request pretty quickly.

Since most of the clanners clustered on my side of the table the eridani were not in the fight much for the first part of the game. the warhammer was MVP in the early game as he soaked fire from 4 assault mechs for the better part of 3 turns. as far as damage output that went to the Akuma who scored 7 crits on the direwolfs center torso, 5 in one turn.

In other fun happenings on turn 3 the thunderbolt attempted a second turn in a row MASC.....and broke leg acutators in both legs

so he was gimped for the rest of the game clanners won the game with the gladiator and turkina remaining.

Spoiler:

The second game i got was much faster---

I am running a themed rolly polly lance ala scobol mech works so i have a grand crusader, gunslinger, tempest and a cerberus (played by an awsome 9Q as my cerberus was at home on the paint table).

It actually started out well enough for me and then took a drastic turn.....turns out the grand crusader doesn't have CASE and does have AMS ammo, 2 tons of it in it's center torso....and when it explodes and sets off the 6 tons of LRM 20 ammo......well i didn't bother rolling the 688 points of blast damage on the gunslinger standing next to him.

Spoiler:

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

Miguelsan wrote:
My Wolverine-5M got under the Catapult min range...

That's not a good thing. Catapult wants to jump around using 4 Med Lasers. You want to engage that thing at range, where modifiers and limited ammo will make its LRMs largely ineffective.

**Charistoph**

aphyon wrote:
It actually started out well enough for me and then took a drastic turn.....turns out the grand crusader doesn't have CASE and does have AMS ammo, 2 tons of it in it's center torso....and when it explodes and sets off the 6 tons of LRM 20 ammo......well i didn't bother rolling the 688 points of blast damage on the gunslinger standing next to him.

One reason not to use the Stackpole rule.

Still, how does an AMS Ammo hit set off the LRM Ammo? Damage goes in, not out. I mean sure, it cooks off the 'Mech's internals, but the rules usually don't consider the rest of the Ammo to go off.

**aphyon**

We actually LOVE the old ammo explosion rules. makes the game more interesting.

The old max tech ammo rules explode all of the ammo in the mech if the initial bin does enough damage to destroy the other torsos. it is the concept of an explosive force in a confined space magnifying the damage.

You calculate the total damage the ammo would have done and divide it by 3
.point of source-within the hex/2" full damage, within 1 hex/2-4" 2/3 of the damage and the second ring of hexes 4-6" take 1/3 damage all in 5 point hits.
If you have CASE the effect is the same as above but it is directed behind the mech in a cone. not destroying the mech in question, just the torso the ammo was in. CASE II is obviously the best since it just blows the one bin and 2 points of rear armor.

**Albertorius**

Finished a Panther, from the Polygon Masterworks Patreon

Spoiler:

I've always loved the little guy, and the sets have enough variation to assemble dozens, if I so choose.

And I probably will ^^

For example, the designer did a "KAZE" semi joke version with paired katanas, which... yeah, but the pieces allow me to do this:

You take a Panther 10K, put on it the XL reactor from the 13K to make it 5/8, add in the extra jump jet and put on it the sword, a snub PPC, 3 MLs and 2 MPLs (or X-pulse, dunno), and you get the "lost" Panther 15K. Not sure how good it would be, but it looks like fun at least.

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

Redone BattleAxe.

[EDIT]: I can't seem to embed the pic, so I've changed it to a link to the post.

**Albertorius**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Redone BattleAxe.

[EDIT]: I can't seem to embed the pic, so I've changed it to a link to the post.

I... don't seem to see it on that forum >_>

**Old-Four-Arms**

Albertorius wrote:
H.B.M.C. wrote:
Redone BattleAxe.

[EDIT]: I can't seem to embed the pic, so I've changed it to a link to the post.

I... don't seem to see it on that forum >_>

Original image can be found on Eldoniusrex's website :

https://www.astray3.com/

(scroll down a bit..)

**Prometheum5**

Nice to see the Battleaxe didn't really need a drastic overhaul, just some cleanup and fixing the silly mismatched arms. Even the metal minis is pretty solid, other than the annoying missile hatches and the wonky SRM mount. I can't decided if I'm more excited for the Proliferation pack or Snord's pack but they are both high on my list.

**Albertorius**

Old-Four-Arms wrote:
Albertorius wrote:
H.B.M.C. wrote:
Redone BattleAxe.

[EDIT]: I can't seem to embed the pic, so I've changed it to a link to the post.

I... don't seem to see it on that forum >_>

Original image can be found on Eldoniusrex's website :

https://www.astray3.com/

(scroll down a bit..)

Nice, thank you!

**Ghaz**

The BattleTech forum won't show an attachment if you're not logged in. Direct link at https://www.astray3.com/2023/03/04/get-ready-to-go-primitive/

**Thargrim**

Premium phoenix hawk is an instant buy, though I kinda wish they gave more info on when this week it'll go on sale.

Really hoping iron wind metals puts out a jade phoenix too. I do find it a bit odd CGL is pushing the ilclan era so hard with the sourcebooks and novels but not so much with the plastic product. Sure they have a lot of catchup to do with the past eras but at this rate it could be years before something like the hierofalcon is in plastic.

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

Maybe if we're lucky the KS after the one after this one will cover Dark Age.

They've still got to do the Great Refusal/Civil War/Jihad side of things.

I want plastic classic IS Omnis and Wobbie 'Mechs!

**Charistoph**

Maybe, the next biggest events are The Refusal War, Operation Bulldog/Taskforce Serpent, and the FedCom Civil War before we get to Jihad.

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

Refusal War's a little small, given that it's mainly a Jade Falcon/Wolf affair.

Great Refusal gives us IS vs Clans, Civil War didn't leave anyone out as the two nations fighting cover most of the IS, and obviously the Jihad covers everything.

I do wonder if they could kickstart a Jihad though.

**Miguelsan**

With extra Toastermechs!

M.

**Charistoph**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Refusal War's a little small, given that it's mainly a Jade Falcon/Wolf affair.

Great Refusal gives us IS vs Clans, Civil War didn't leave anyone out as the two nations fighting cover most of the IS, and obviously the Jihad covers everything.

While it is limited in sphere-wide events for a time, this is probably one of the greatest proliferation of designs (which we're already partway through) till after the Blakes' temper tantrum is complete.

H.B.M.C. wrote:
I do wonder if they could kickstart a Jihad though.

Most likely it will be listed under a different name, such as "Waterly's Reprisal" (deliberately giving a bad name to leave an easier name open) or something.

**Gitzbitah**

Thargrim wrote:
Premium phoenix hawk is an instant buy, though I kinda wish they gave more info on when this week it'll go on sale.

Really hoping iron wind metals puts out a jade phoenix too. I do find it a bit odd CGL is pushing the ilclan era so hard with the sourcebooks and novels but not so much with the plastic product. Sure they have a lot of catchup to do with the past eras but at this rate it could be years before something like the hierofalcon is in plastic.

The sculptor of the Hierofalcon has already completed the Jade Phoenix and Ion Sparrow as well- but he was unwilling to share the release date of them. I'm really glad of it, that model has a really interesting wing joint that is far sturdier than most.

edit- There is hope- we will have a plastic Regent soon, which is a very quick turn around from ilclan metal to plastic.

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

Hopefully the Jade Phoenix will have alternate parts. I'd love a WYSIWYG Jade Phoenix A.

Wonderful beast of a machine.

**Ghaz**

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

**Flinty**

$15 for one mech seems a little steep.

**Formosa**

it comes with other bits but yeah its a bit steep, I might get one once I see exactly what it comes with to make a frankenmech.

**Thargrim**

Compared to a primaris lieutenant it's not that bad. But the added 8 bucks to ship one to me brings up the hurt a slight bit. I'm too used to getting stuff from from my lgs and amazon with free shipping. I'm still going to get one though, i'm fond of the phoenix hawk design. And the past premium minis i've had like the AC stormcrow and Wolfhound IIC were decent. The timberwolf TC has muddled details though so hopefully the phoenix hawk is a bit more crisp.

**Ghaz**

Flinty wrote:
$15 for one mech seems a little steep.

It's cheaper than a metal Phoenix Hawk from Iron Wind Metals.