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Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User




I saw those in person and the prototype new box at gencon 50... pretty fantastic new sculpts
   
Made in gb
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain





Earth

wow they look great, but... scale change? or is it just the pics?
   
Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User




 Formosa wrote:
wow they look great, but... scale change? or is it just the pics?


I don't think so...a little bulkier maybe...I didn't ask tho
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

 Formosa wrote:
wow they look great, but... scale change? or is it just the pics?

Battletech figs have never been to scale...

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in au
Owns Whole Set of Skullz Techpriests






Versteckt in den Schatten deines Geistes.

Yeah but those look huge.

Industrial Insanity - My Terrain Blog
"GW really needs to understand 'Less is more' when it comes to AoS." - Wha-Mu-077

 
   
Made in us
Stubborn Temple Guard






The Battlemaster is big, but the others are not really too large. And the BM is mostly bulky, feeling like an assault 'Mech instead of a tall medium.

27th Member of D.O.O.M.F.A.R.T.
Resident Battletech Guru. 
   
Made in gb
Martial Arts SAS




United Kingdom

 Charistoph wrote:
Am lovin' that T-Bolt!


Hahaha god damn it, it wasn't that long ago when I asked my kids to pick a mech each that they wanted to play with; one wanted a Thunderbolt and the other wanted a Griffin, both of which had pretty nasty models at the time. So I mashed up a primitive Thunderbolt and a .. 9M I think to make a better looking Thunderbolt and I purchased a Super Griffin to stand in for a regular Griffin. Now Catalyst are releasing new plastic minis of both and hot damn, they look good! I can't wait to get my hands on the two new boxes!

   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran






 TalonZahn wrote:
Those look.... larger.

Assuming that is a standard BattleTech hex map, they look pretty comparable to current BattleMech miniatures.

That said, BattleTech is notorious for not being able to maintain consistent sizes for their miniatures across the whole product line. This results in some 'Mechs that are supposed to weigh 25-30 tons being as large as 'Mechs that are supposed to weight 90-100 tons.
   
Made in us
Krazed Killa Kan





SoCal

They're using thicker designs that resemble the Mechwarrior Online designs in use by the video game part of the license. These are inherently beefier looking.

They've needed to make that change for a long time.

   
Made in us
Abel





Washington State

Saw the new 'Mechs at Gencon. They are bigger in just about every sense. Bulkier, taller, I didn't ask about a scale chance, but it's pretty obvious they changed the scale a bit. Which is a good thing in my opinion. You're only ever playing with a couple mechs on the table anyways. Having bigger, more detailed models will only help the game.

We're also one step closer to the Clans...

Catalyst Game Labs dropped the BattleTech: BattleTech Manual to little/no fan fare. It's a rules... compendium? Has all the rules for BattleTech in it- basic rules, advanced rules, Technmanual, Tactical Ops... all in one nice, 150 page rule book. All the rules for Mechs, FAQ's, Errata, etc. etc., no fluff. As a side note, the beta for this book came out back in January 2017, with the final release the end of July 2017 (Gencon was the first time I saw it).

Here is the release from Catalyst Games.

Things are moving along with Battletch. I haven't seen this much movement in the game since the first Introductory box set came out in what, 2007?

Kara Sloan shoots through Time and Design Space for a Negative Play Experience  
   
Made in jp
Battleship Captain






The Land of the Rising Sun

They just need to weather the new lawsuit with Harmony Gold. Because certain things can never go away. Crossing my fingers so we finally get those new figures.

M.

Jenkins: You don't have jurisdiction here!
Smith Jamison: We aren't here, which means when we open up on you and shred your bodies with automatic fire then this will never have happened.

About the Clans: "Those brief outbursts of sense can't hold back the wave of sibko bred, over hormoned sociopaths that they crank out though." 
   
Made in us
Fresh-Faced New User




I used to follow the fiction and enjoyed that, but I stopped following with some of the new dark age 3145 stories. I never liked the lack of consistent scale for the minis though so I never really got into the TT game. Does anyone know a good place to get caught up on the current story-line?
   
Made in gb
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain





Earth

Elephant in the room, the old models are pretty bad compared to what can be produced these days, they are in more need of an update that Abbadon, that is the biggest barrier to getting people I know into the game, the new sculpts are very welcome.
   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran






 Formosa wrote:
Elephant in the room, the old models are pretty bad compared to what can be produced these days, they are in more need of an update that Abbadon, that is the biggest barrier to getting people I know into the game, the new sculpts are very welcome.

The "old models" are such a small percentage of the hundreds of miniatures available for BT that I really have a hard time believing it has any significant impact on the sales or popularity of the game. Aside from that, all the "unseen" mechs (which are some of the oldest designs) have already been re-sculpted at least once.
   
Made in gb
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain





Earth

 mdauben wrote:
 Formosa wrote:
Elephant in the room, the old models are pretty bad compared to what can be produced these days, they are in more need of an update that Abbadon, that is the biggest barrier to getting people I know into the game, the new sculpts are very welcome.

The "old models" are such a small percentage of the hundreds of miniatures available for BT that I really have a hard time believing it has any significant impact on the sales or popularity of the game. Aside from that, all the "unseen" mechs (which are some of the oldest designs) have already been re-sculpted at least once.


The old models are anything pre mwo to be honest, some of them are really nice, but I'm already a battletech fan, compare the BT mechs to mechs from any other modern miniatures game and you can easily see, objectively, that the poorer sculpts, low detail and difficulty in getting them (zero store presence) is a turn off for a large part of the market. The miniatures have desperately needed updating to compete and bring in a new audience, and dare I say it, a complete redesign of the game to a similar sales format and scale to xwing, a much larger scale, lance on lance (initially) combat and refined rules (not as watered down as alpha strike) would help this game sell more or at least get its face out there,

as much as some may disagree, a battletech style xwing game would be the best way to go, £30 for one mech with its cards, quirks, named pilots, variants etc. All lend themselves very well to that format, you could even do £20 for a light, £30 for a med, £40 for a heavy and £50 for an assault, people will pay it, look at 40k, Star Wars armada etc.
   
Made in us
Second Story Man





Astonished of Heck

 Formosa wrote:
 mdauben wrote:
 Formosa wrote:
Elephant in the room, the old models are pretty bad compared to what can be produced these days, they are in more need of an update that Abbadon, that is the biggest barrier to getting people I know into the game, the new sculpts are very welcome.

The "old models" are such a small percentage of the hundreds of miniatures available for BT that I really have a hard time believing it has any significant impact on the sales or popularity of the game. Aside from that, all the "unseen" mechs (which are some of the oldest designs) have already been re-sculpted at least once.


The old models are anything pre mwo to be honest, some of them are really nice, but I'm already a battletech fan, compare the BT mechs to mechs from any other modern miniatures game and you can easily see, objectively, that the poorer sculpts, low detail and difficulty in getting them (zero store presence) is a turn off for a large part of the market. The miniatures have desperately needed updating to compete and bring in a new audience, and dare I say it, a complete redesign of the game to a similar sales format and scale to xwing, a much larger scale, lance on lance (initially) combat and refined rules (not as watered down as alpha strike) would help this game sell more or at least get its face out there,

"Old" is a relative term. For many of us, "old" is when we were able to get unseen models in plastic. (I wish I still had mine). When comparing most of the Ironwind models to Heavy Gear or CAV, they are some obvious needs for an update.

I do agree that MWO has done an amazing job reimagining many of the models to be up and current, and the up and coming box set's models do an amazing job keeping up with that design scheme.

 Formosa wrote:
as much as some may disagree, a battletech style xwing game would be the best way to go, £30 for one mech with its cards, quirks, named pilots, variants etc. All lend themselves very well to that format, you could even do £20 for a light, £30 for a med, £40 for a heavy and £50 for an assault, people will pay it, look at 40k, Star Wars armada etc.

I'm of two different opinions on that. I do like having the deeper damage model available, but having the Alpha Strike model vamped to be appreciable to the FFG or even WarmaHordes crowd to allow for larger numbers of models to be placed on the table and played quickly would be a very good thing.

Are you a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Hound?
Megavolt wrote:They called me crazy…they called me insane…THEY CALLED ME LOONEY!! and boy, were they right.
 
   
Made in us
Stubborn Temple Guard






 Formosa wrote:
 mdauben wrote:
 Formosa wrote:
Elephant in the room, the old models are pretty bad compared to what can be produced these days, they are in more need of an update that Abbadon, that is the biggest barrier to getting people I know into the game, the new sculpts are very welcome.

The "old models" are such a small percentage of the hundreds of miniatures available for BT that I really have a hard time believing it has any significant impact on the sales or popularity of the game. Aside from that, all the "unseen" mechs (which are some of the oldest designs) have already been re-sculpted at least once.


The old models are anything pre mwo to be honest, some of them are really nice, but I'm already a battletech fan, compare the BT mechs to mechs from any other modern miniatures game and you can easily see, objectively, that the poorer sculpts, low detail and difficulty in getting them (zero store presence) is a turn off for a large part of the market. The miniatures have desperately needed updating to compete and bring in a new audience, and dare I say it, a complete redesign of the game to a similar sales format and scale to xwing, a much larger scale, lance on lance (initially) combat and refined rules (not as watered down as alpha strike) would help this game sell more or at least get its face out there,

as much as some may disagree, a battletech style xwing game would be the best way to go, £30 for one mech with its cards, quirks, named pilots, variants etc. All lend themselves very well to that format, you could even do £20 for a light, £30 for a med, £40 for a heavy and £50 for an assault, people will pay it, look at 40k, Star Wars armada etc.


Battletech tried that with a Clix game, remember? Customizable pilots and gear! Fast play!

It didn't work, even after they stopped with random boosters.

What you suggest for cost is ASTRONOMICAL. No one will pay that much for a 'Mech sculpt even with everything to use that unit in any time line. Battletech has THOUSANDS of available units. No one would pay that much to have enough to form complete forces. Not to mention a relatively small company like Catalyst could never possibly afford to release units at a fast enough pace to catch up with what already exists. And if you say "just use new stuff" please refer back to my comment about the Clix version.

The people that get into Battletech usually like the crunchiness of the fluff. And they like building forces of their favorite units. Maybe a battalion or so. Some people go full regiment! Or MORE! You can't do that at $30+ per miniature. CAV tried that at $20 per mini basically back in the day, and no one bought that. Not even the minis, really. Catalyst knows VERY DAMN WELL that whatever they put out has to be popular with both old and new players, or it will simply fail, and be a waste of their limited funds. They cannot afford that. The "X-Wing Sales Model" cannot work with Battletech. Also, most Battletech players don't want pre-paints, and with the proliferation of chassis through the Inner Sphere, how do you choose WHICH scheme to paint that particular release in? Especially something like a Thunderbolt, which could be found in any army or the Inner Sphere?

The current batch of sculptors/modelers is doing a much better job at putting out higher quality minis. The direction the game is going right now is positive, but it isn't getting there QUICKLY. I want to see the pace pick up, but it simply isn't feasible. Catalyst doesn't have GW money to simply throw at a problem. They don't even have Infinity money to throw at problems.

27th Member of D.O.O.M.F.A.R.T.
Resident Battletech Guru. 
   
Made in gb
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain





Earth

 Mattlov wrote:
 Formosa wrote:
 mdauben wrote:
 Formosa wrote:
Elephant in the room, the old models are pretty bad compared to what can be produced these days, they are in more need of an update that Abbadon, that is the biggest barrier to getting people I know into the game, the new sculpts are very welcome.

The "old models" are such a small percentage of the hundreds of miniatures available for BT that I really have a hard time believing it has any significant impact on the sales or popularity of the game. Aside from that, all the "unseen" mechs (which are some of the oldest designs) have already been re-sculpted at least once.


The old models are anything pre mwo to be honest, some of them are really nice, but I'm already a battletech fan, compare the BT mechs to mechs from any other modern miniatures game and you can easily see, objectively, that the poorer sculpts, low detail and difficulty in getting them (zero store presence) is a turn off for a large part of the market. The miniatures have desperately needed updating to compete and bring in a new audience, and dare I say it, a complete redesign of the game to a similar sales format and scale to xwing, a much larger scale, lance on lance (initially) combat and refined rules (not as watered down as alpha strike) would help this game sell more or at least get its face out there,

as much as some may disagree, a battletech style xwing game would be the best way to go, £30 for one mech with its cards, quirks, named pilots, variants etc. All lend themselves very well to that format, you could even do £20 for a light, £30 for a med, £40 for a heavy and £50 for an assault, people will pay it, look at 40k, Star Wars armada etc.


Battletech tried that with a Clix game, remember? Customizable pilots and gear! Fast play!

It didn't work, even after they stopped with random boosters.

What you suggest for cost is ASTRONOMICAL. No one will pay that much for a 'Mech sculpt even with everything to use that unit in any time line. Battletech has THOUSANDS of available units. No one would pay that much to have enough to form complete forces. Not to mention a relatively small company like Catalyst could never possibly afford to release units at a fast enough pace to catch up with what already exists. And if you say "just use new stuff" please refer back to my comment about the Clix version.

The people that get into Battletech usually like the crunchiness of the fluff. And they like building forces of their favorite units. Maybe a battalion or so. Some people go full regiment! Or MORE! You can't do that at $30+ per miniature. CAV tried that at $20 per mini basically back in the day, and no one bought that. Not even the minis, really. Catalyst knows VERY DAMN WELL that whatever they put out has to be popular with both old and new players, or it will simply fail, and be a waste of their limited funds. They cannot afford that. The "X-Wing Sales Model" cannot work with Battletech. Also, most Battletech players don't want pre-paints, and with the proliferation of chassis through the Inner Sphere, how do you choose WHICH scheme to paint that particular release in? Especially something like a Thunderbolt, which could be found in any army or the Inner Sphere?

The current batch of sculptors/modelers is doing a much better job at putting out higher quality minis. The direction the game is going right now is positive, but it isn't getting there QUICKLY. I want to see the pace pick up, but it simply isn't feasible. Catalyst doesn't have GW money to simply throw at a problem. They don't even have Infinity money to throw at problems.


I see one main error in your reply, you assume I would want this to be immediate, that simply wouldnt work, I agree with you, its something that would need a build up and most likely a partnership with WOTC, which simply wont happen.

Another Error is that no, they did not try it with the clicks system, that is completely different, the random drops, the terrible balance, the awful models and paintjobs, ergh, its totally different from Xwing, which on the whole is pretty well made and the models and paint jobs are also good (not amazing, look at star trek attack wing for how bad they could have been).

I do agree that people may not spend that much on a mech, but the numbers i used are off the top of my head and could of course use tweaking, we know that people are willing to spend a lot in a similar game, but that doesnt mean of course it would work for battletech, its just an idea, that I personally think would work. The pre paints comment is completely subjective and doesnt really matter, if you dont like the colours, repaint them like myself and all of friends do, its all about the sculpts really, if they are good it will sell, if they are bad it will not sell.

And yes the current sculptors are doing better as the new mechs in the new box shows, and I am very happy they are updating the models, as I have said before, the biggest barrier to the people I know (cant speak for everyone) is the outdated sculpts and lack of availability.

If nothing else the card system would most certainly work for battletech, its cheap, very cheap, you release a set for mech chassis, with all the relevant info on them, pilot cards, special pilot cards and chassis, expand to include card sets for the great houses and clans, wobbies etc. in fact I may just make a set myself and see how it does with my mates, you could even expand it to include different manufacturers of weapons for slight differences, a set of quirk cards, the more I think about this the more I fail to understand how anyone couldnt see it as a good idea for the game, and inject some much needed cash into catalyst.
   
Made in us
Stubborn Temple Guard






 Formosa wrote:

If nothing else the card system would most certainly work for battletech, its cheap, very cheap, you release a set for mech chassis, with all the relevant info on them, pilot cards, special pilot cards and chassis, expand to include card sets for the great houses and clans, wobbies etc. in fact I may just make a set myself and see how it does with my mates, you could even expand it to include different manufacturers of weapons for slight differences, a set of quirk cards, the more I think about this the more I fail to understand how anyone couldnt see it as a good idea for the game, and inject some much needed cash into catalyst.


The reason it doesn't work is there are too many units in Battletech. Let's say each unit gets 5 cards. Introtech variant, Star League tech variant, Jihad Variant, Special Pilot card, Special Faction card.

Just a quick count through my Inner Sphere light 'Mechs only tells me that I now have about 450 cards for them. And most older 'Mechs are running with 6+ variants in each era, how do you choose which variants get cards? Granted, I have a very large collection. But I'd end up with several thousand cards that aren't going to enhance the game beyond what it already has. I have all that stuff in printable format on my computer. You could release 10 units a month, and you won't be done with INFANTRY for almost 2 years. As of writing this, there are 3200 'Mech variants. Let's say that there are 4 variants on average for each chassis, leaving 800 'Mechs for release. It would take too long to release everything. And when you get into numbers like that, cost does become an issue, because someone has to WRITE all of that.

Also, most Battletech players love their ability to customize 'Mechs for campaigns and RPGs. The card idea does not allow that very vital aspect to the Battletech universe.

I just don't see it working.

27th Member of D.O.O.M.F.A.R.T.
Resident Battletech Guru. 
   
Made in gb
Highlord with a Blackstone Fortress






Adrift within the vortex of my imagination.

I think they are rescaling the game, interesting, as it will force players to recollect.

I wonder how the community will take that?

n'oublie jamais - It appears I now have to highlight this again.

It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. By the juice of the brew my thoughts aquire speed, my mind becomes strained, the strain becomes a warning. It is by tea alone I set my mind in motion. 
   
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Abel





Washington State

 Orlanth wrote:
I think they are rescaling the game, interesting, as it will force players to recollect.

I wonder how the community will take that?


There isn't much of a community left besides the people that have been playing for a long time. I hate to stereotype here, but today's gamers have grown up on instant gratification from video games and card games. When it comes to table top games, X-wing is being held up as the gold standard for competitive game play. When it comes to models, GW has the market cornered on plastic models. Other companies are getting there. Try and get a mid 20's gamer into Battletech. Bad, bad, models. WTF is a Hex Map? Is this a bubble sheet? I have all these weapons and I can't shoot them all because I'll blow up because of heat?

I have nostalgia for playing Battletech back in the late 80's. Now, almost 40's years later, it's the same game using the same models and people are freaking out because Catalyist is updating the models and finally interjecting a sense of scale into the game? The game is all but dead, with the only people still playing the old neck beards and die hards like me. If Catalyst wants this game to take off, they need to totally, completely overhaul the entire system and start back over from square one.

In regards to larger models on the table... I'll point to GW and Privateer Press that have put HUGE models on the table in the US$120 range, and players are not only embracing them with open arms, but buying multiples of them to place on the table. Imperial Knight Titans. Gar-Gaunts. Daemon Princes. All the monsters in Age of Sigmar. Roboute Guiliman, Moritan, Battle Engines, Colossals, Gargantuans... You can't walk by a table of these games and not see at least one big model on the table. There is a market for it. If the model is pretty enough, has a solid set of rules, and doesn't break the US$120 range, it will sell. Do the mech's have to be 12" tall? No. Make 'em 6" tall, and scale them correctly. Come up with a new rules system. Make it fast, make it easy. And then we'll see a revitalization of the game with people mentioning Battletech in the same breath as X-Wing, 40K, or Warmachine/Hordes.

Kara Sloan shoots through Time and Design Space for a Negative Play Experience  
   
Made in gb
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain





Earth

 Mattlov wrote:
 Formosa wrote:

If nothing else the card system would most certainly work for battletech, its cheap, very cheap, you release a set for mech chassis, with all the relevant info on them, pilot cards, special pilot cards and chassis, expand to include card sets for the great houses and clans, wobbies etc. in fact I may just make a set myself and see how it does with my mates, you could even expand it to include different manufacturers of weapons for slight differences, a set of quirk cards, the more I think about this the more I fail to understand how anyone couldnt see it as a good idea for the game, and inject some much needed cash into catalyst.


The reason it doesn't work is there are too many units in Battletech. Let's say each unit gets 5 cards. Introtech variant, Star League tech variant, Jihad Variant, Special Pilot card, Special Faction card.

Just a quick count through my Inner Sphere light 'Mechs only tells me that I now have about 450 cards for them. And most older 'Mechs are running with 6+ variants in each era, how do you choose which variants get cards? Granted, I have a very large collection. But I'd end up with several thousand cards that aren't going to enhance the game beyond what it already has. I have all that stuff in printable format on my computer. You could release 10 units a month, and you won't be done with INFANTRY for almost 2 years. As of writing this, there are 3200 'Mech variants. Let's say that there are 4 variants on average for each chassis, leaving 800 'Mechs for release. It would take too long to release everything. And when you get into numbers like that, cost does become an issue, because someone has to WRITE all of that.

Also, most Battletech players love their ability to customize 'Mechs for campaigns and RPGs. The card idea does not allow that very vital aspect to the Battletech universe.

I just don't see it working.


I have been brainstorming this with my mates today, and yes I see what your saying, its a lot of mechs, but you only need to do the base chassis, the customisabilty comes from the cards themselves, the weapon cards are easy to do, there are a lot of weapons but its very doable, the mechs may be more difficult, but its also doable, for example, rather than the 19 different types of Hunchback, you just do 3 or 4, the weapons are what makes most of those variants anyway, so just having the slots available for the cards like a balistic slot, you want that hunchie with an ac/10 instead of the 20, use a different weapon card.

I am Going to try this method with friends of mine and see how it does, if it helps streamline the game and works, I will let you all know, I may even make the cards available if it does work.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Tamwulf wrote:
 Orlanth wrote:
I think they are rescaling the game, interesting, as it will force players to recollect.

I wonder how the community will take that?


There isn't much of a community left besides the people that have been playing for a long time. I hate to stereotype here, but today's gamers have grown up on instant gratification from video games and card games. When it comes to table top games, X-wing is being held up as the gold standard for competitive game play. When it comes to models, GW has the market cornered on plastic models. Other companies are getting there. Try and get a mid 20's gamer into Battletech. Bad, bad, models. WTF is a Hex Map? Is this a bubble sheet? I have all these weapons and I can't shoot them all because I'll blow up because of heat?

I have nostalgia for playing Battletech back in the late 80's. Now, almost 40's years later, it's the same game using the same models and people are freaking out because Catalyist is updating the models and finally interjecting a sense of scale into the game? The game is all but dead, with the only people still playing the old neck beards and die hards like me. If Catalyst wants this game to take off, they need to totally, completely overhaul the entire system and start back over from square one.

In regards to larger models on the table... I'll point to GW and Privateer Press that have put HUGE models on the table in the US$120 range, and players are not only embracing them with open arms, but buying multiples of them to place on the table. Imperial Knight Titans. Gar-Gaunts. Daemon Princes. All the monsters in Age of Sigmar. Roboute Guiliman, Moritan, Battle Engines, Colossals, Gargantuans... You can't walk by a table of these games and not see at least one big model on the table. There is a market for it. If the model is pretty enough, has a solid set of rules, and doesn't break the US$120 range, it will sell. Do the mech's have to be 12" tall? No. Make 'em 6" tall, and scale them correctly. Come up with a new rules system. Make it fast, make it easy. And then we'll see a revitalization of the game with people mentioning Battletech in the same breath as X-Wing, 40K, or Warmachine/Hordes.


Thank you for explaining it in a much better way than I did, this game, as much as I love it, really really needs new life breathed into it, and frankly, keeping the system the way it is puts people off (again, the ones I know).

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/09/17 16:09:33


 
   
Made in us
Regular Dakkanaut





Jacksonville, FL.

Alpha Strike is Catalysts' attempt at making the game faster and easier to play. I have tried it several times and found it quite enjoyable as well as quicker as 'Mechs tend to die faster than in standard play. Granted everyone will have their preferences, Catalyst appears to be making an attempt at giving everyone rulesets they may enjoy.

Shiny! 
   
Made in gb
Yu Jing Martial Arts Ninja




North Wales

I played a couple of games of Alpha Strike the other week.

Very enjoyable. Despite the simplification it still managed to capture the feel of a larger scale game of Battletech.

Pushing the heat of my Warhammer in a desperate attempt to keep its damage output respectable after its weapons were damaged, only to get the legs shot up and being caught out in the open, practically unable to move or shoot properly... Yeah, there was far more flavour in it than I expected.

The only problem that I've found with Alpha Strike is having a table set up with 6mm scale terrain. Battletech is easy peasy - just plonk a couple of hexmaps down. Alpha Strike made me start printing and constructing cardstock buildings - I hate having to do that!
   
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Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

If those new mechs are in the starter, I will seriously consider buying another starter!

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Inspiring SDF-1 Bridge Officer






 Chillreaper wrote:
I played a couple of games of Alpha Strike the other week.

Very enjoyable. Despite the simplification it still managed to capture the feel of a larger scale game of Battletech.

Pushing the heat of my Warhammer in a desperate attempt to keep its damage output respectable after its weapons were damaged, only to get the legs shot up and being caught out in the open, practically unable to move or shoot properly... Yeah, there was far more flavour in it than I expected.

The only problem that I've found with Alpha Strike is having a table set up with 6mm scale terrain. Battletech is easy peasy - just plonk a couple of hexmaps down. Alpha Strike made me start printing and constructing cardstock buildings - I hate having to do that!


I must admit that everytime I've played Alpha Strike I've done it using hexmaps. It's just part of the Btech experience, for me. Also, much easier for... well, for everything.
   
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 Chillreaper wrote:

The only problem that I've found with Alpha Strike is having a table set up with 6mm scale terrain. Battletech is easy peasy - just plonk a couple of hexmaps down. Alpha Strike made me start printing and constructing cardstock buildings - I hate having to do that!


The rule book for AS has rules for playing on mapsheets...

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Mississippi

Sad to see the dumping on the Mechwarrior clix game, it did have it moments, and I still have all my minis.

I do think if they came back out with a line of prepainted models (mechs, vehicles and infantry), they could make a pretty penny off it if the game was decent. I liked the Z scale of Mechwarrior Dark Age, it made the models hefty without being too big that you couldn't fit a few lances on a decent sized table for a rumble.

To me, MA's failing was in its rules - the command points were too limiting, picking up and clicking the dials led to misplaced models and the interactions between the abilities wasn't well-balanced (Damn Davion Armor-Piercing mechs vs. my Heavy Armor Highlanders...). MA v2 put the nail in the coffin with the customization cards that invalidated the older static mechs.

Modelwise though, I'd use them in a heartbeat for modern games. Yes, some of the redesigns are bad, but I quite like some of them - like the Mad Cat 2, Jupiter and Thunder Fox.

As for which paint scheme? Doesn't entirely matter, just look at something like the A-Wing in the X-Wing game. There's a dozen possible paint schemes just from looking at the cards alone, but it comes in your choice of red & white or blue & white. Pick a "generic" scheme that's easy enough to paint over and those who want a specific faction can dress them up while those who are just interested in the game can play them in the colors they come painted.

I mean, in classic BT play, your faction didn't have any affect on the Mech's game play - short of Clan vs. Inner Sphere.

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Astonished of Heck

Yeah, Mech Clix had a lot of problems. One was the lifting up and putting it down. Convenient to have all the information right there, but lousy when millimeters are making the difference. And then there were the Special Skills which helped kill your unit when you used them. Using AP ammo suddenly treats my tank as getting a hit is a lousy mechanic, for example.

I did like how it encouraged a combined arms approach to the game, and how they did get good looking models of Infantry and vehicles as well as 'Mechs out there.

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Versteckt in den Schatten deines Geistes.

 Orlanth wrote:
I think they are rescaling the game, interesting, as it will force players to recollect.


BTech players have had badly scaled weird looking 'Mechs in the past. This is no different.


 Chillreaper wrote:
The only problem that I've found with Alpha Strike is having a table set up with 6mm scale terrain. Battletech is easy peasy - just plonk a couple of hexmaps down. Alpha Strike made me start printing and constructing cardstock buildings - I hate having to do that!


That's specifically the reason why I'm not interested in it. I've mentioned this before in this thread, but I like the non-ambiguous binary nature of BTech proper. The map sheets define pretty much everything. You're either in LOS, or not. In range, or not. No measuring. Just counting.

I love terrain, but I can't be bothered collecting 6mm terrain for one game when my 28mmh/32mm terrain fits with everything from 40K to Necromunda to RPGs.

If Alpha Strike was map based I'd be all over it, but alas, it is not.


This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/09/21 06:35:56


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