12 replies to this topic

[OzBrad]

Right. Hi all names Brad and im from Australia and have a huge question! I first took intrest in the Battletech series when I was well...around 12ish off the top of my head when I saw the Cartoon series on telly,PC gaming and comics

I never really got into the board game due to favouring Games Workshop due to immaturity (yelling and excitement from their shop).

Now finally my question is!.....I want to get into the table top gaming and with amount of small research I have tried doing, it seems there is a mix of new Battletech Rules ( Dark ages, old school etc) and confused?

1.How to play the game? (is there alot of maths involved?)
2.what miniture era are you alooud to use?? ( new,old?)
3.Did you have to have like actual 1500 point army's like Warhammer?
4. Anybody local in Melbourne for introduction or clubs involving Battletech??

Thats about it.

I hope someone could answer my questions

[CoffiNail]

OzBrad, on 06 February 2012 - 02:43 PM, said:

1.How to play the game? (is there alot of maths involved?)
Best option is to grab a Battletech 25th anniversary introductory boxset. Yes like a lot of tabletop there is some math involved. I have not played much TT myself through, so.
2.what miniture era are you alooud to use?? ( new,old?)
What ever era you like. Dark Ages had heroclix style minis and a whole different rule set. The nice thing of BattleTech is it is not like 40k, where what you see is what you get. You want grenades on your Space Marine, better have them on the model.

Battletech is a board game, it started as cardboard punchouts... and can easily still be played as such. You do not need a model, just a place holder for the mech. Want to use your warhammer army as place holder mechs? Feel free!
3.Did you have to have like actual 1500 point army's like Warhammer?
Sort of, but once again you can have scraps of paper if you want.
4. Anybody local in Melbourne for introduction or clubs involving Battletech??
Sorry I cannot help you here, I am in Canada, so no idea

Thats about it.

I hope someone could answer my questions

[Ghost]

1.How to play the game? (is there alot of maths involved?)

Your best bet is to get your hands on a copy of Total Warfare. Unlike 40k you can't just move your units anywhere -- there's a hex map, with rules for rotation, facing, terrain, and more. The amount of information you need in order to play the game is rather large: each unit has its own record sheet, because there are things to keep track of like locational damage, ammo expenditure, and heat levels. In short... Yeah, there's a lot of work involved, but most of it isn't actually any hard math -- at least, not until you start getting into the more advanced rules.

2.what miniture era are you alooud to use?? ( new,old?)

This is mostly just up to the players involved. Generally accepted eras include "3025" "Clan Invasion" and much later, the "Jihad" era. Power levels fluctuate wildly.

3.Did you have to have like actual 1500 point army's like Warhammer?

Games are balanced (or were, anyway) according to a rather arcane system called "Battle Value" that adds up each 'Mech's stats and attempts to render it as an abstract number. There aren't any pre-set point limits, otherwise, unless you and your opponent agree to a target number. Most people choose to build their "army" in groups of four or five units (lances or stars).

4. Anybody local in Melbourne for introduction or clubs involving Battletech??

Wish I could help with that one!

[OzBrad]

Ghost,Coffnail thank you for such a quick easy reply last night I rushed out and randomly bough the following:
Classic Battletech Stinger Mech Minuature Iron Wind

http://www.ebay.com....984.m1439.l2649

BattleTech Miniatures: Mauler Mech 20-809

http://www.ebay.com....984.m1439.l2649

Battletech Miniatures: Blade 20-339 OOP

http://www.ebay.com....984.m1439.l2649

I hope I made the right decision...few 4-5 mechs on a board now that sounds simple and fun
The flat hex map to me personally looks "boring", I will give it a crack though! I have noticed some players use boards like the Flames of War, Warhanner etc. I reckon thats more me scene

Edited by OzBrad, 06 February 2012 - 03:34 PM.

[Stinger]

There are some quick start rules available along with some cut-outs to use in place of miniatures over at bg.battletech.com. As for getting more into it, get the box set it has everything you will need to play the game, minis, maps, and rules. Definitely worth the money.

[CoffiNail]

WELL WORTH THE MONEY!

That intro set is damn sexy... the minis, not as much... but only so much you can do with mass produced intro stuff and keep the price down as well. But the hex maps, the booklets, yeah well worth the rough 50-60 dollars.

[Waffles]

The box set is worth the money if ONLY for the sexy sexy maps and the 2 high quality resin clan minis. The rules are printed on very nice paper as well. The other minis are just a bonus.

[OzBrad]

Sorry one more question. So I want to purchase this big Box set you guys speak of, but was wondering if the Mechs I have purchsed:

[color="#ffa504"]http://www.ebay.com....984.m1439.l2649[/color]

BattleTech Miniatures: Mauler Mech 20-809

[color="#ffa504"]http://www.ebay.com....984.m1439.l2649[/color]

Battletech Miniatures: Blade 20-339 OOP

[color="#ffa504"]http://www.ebay.com....984.m1439.l2649[/color]


Am I able to use these in Quick Strike matches?? Or have I made a mistake ???



Brad.

[Ghost]

No worries, man. You can use pretty much any 'Mech with any of the rules. All you need are the stats and you're good to go. (You can find the QSR rules available for free along with some sample units to try out on the Battletech website.)

Edited by Ghost, 06 February 2012 - 07:34 PM.

[OzBrad]

Ghost, on 06 February 2012 - 07:33 PM, said:

No worries, man. You can use pretty much any 'Mech with any of the rules. All you need are the stats and you're good to go. (You can find the QSR rules available for free along with some sample units to try out on the Battletech website.)

I just briefly read your link and found some examples of Mech Stats, but do I have to find MY exact mechs stats for other games?? Meaning I have to go hunting for one of the original random rule books( random:Battletech 1707 Battletech Master Rules,Battletech 1694 Record Sheets 3055 & 3058 etc) which I have been seeing on Ebay etc?

Brad.

Edited by OzBrad, 06 February 2012 - 07:54 PM.

[Ghost]

Whew, it's about to get complicated. Your best bet is to use Solaris Skunk Werks. From the download page you need both SSW and the Master 'Mech file. Once you've got SSW working, all you have to do is tell it where the master list folder you unzipped the thing into. Voila, you have the stats of all the 'Mechs ever made.

[OzBrad]

Nevermind got them out :)Holey Crap!! Thats alot of infromation lol!...someone once said "Information is Ammunition" also found this site would this be useful do you think??

http://www.masterunitlist.info/Force

Brad.

Edited by OzBrad, 06 February 2012 - 10:06 PM.

[Neovenator]

That last link you have is good for listing all the 'canon' mechs from Battletech and it also includes which era they are from and sourcebook reference, so it can come in quite handy.

Battletech has been produced by mainly three diffent companies over that last couple of decades (FASA, FanPro and Catalyst) and some of the books you mentioned as seeing on ebay may be out of date or older versions of the game (no longer supported).

Catalyst Game Labs offers both Quick Start Rules (introductory rules for the Battletech table top miniatures game) as well as the Quick Strike Rules (these are introductory rules for running Battleforce or larger units of mechs as opposed to smaller units). Both of these are free on their website. They also offer a free pdf on the battletech universe so yo ucan get to know the game universe a bit better without spending extra $$.

My advice would be to download and look through the free stuff from Catalyst 1st before you do anything else. I you are still interested in playing then as many have stated the 25th anniversary intro box set would be you best bet, although it can be hard to find.