6 replies to this topic

[Baron_Chachatte]

Hello !

I'm really interested (and few other friends) by starting playing CBT. I've read tons of topics about this mythic TT game, and I've got many questions. So, I hope someone will have the extrem generosity to explain me how proceed. Before asking questions, I want to say that I'm not going to buy the Introductory Box Set, which is a good way to start too, because the figs quality is very bad, and that's a very important point for me : I'm going to buy Iron Winds Metals and/or Ral Partha figs separately. I'll list you all that I already have :

- Total Warfare rulebook (PDF)
- TechManual (PDF)
- HeavyMetal Map

Now, here are my questions :

1. I've read that the TechManual is the "2nd core book" for BT : does it mean that Total Warfare is obsolete, or that TechManual is an "extension" (with some modifications and additions, like the new BV 2.0) ?

2. I'm first interested by the Succession Wars era MAX (Inner Sphere only), but I've seen many Technical Readout books, and I don't really sure on which I should invest. I think it's the Technical Readout 3025, but I'm not really sure ; I've seen the Technical Readout 3025 Updated, the Technical Readout 3026, and the list is exaustive...

3. What about the Record Sheets books ? Which should I buy with which Technical Readout ? It's the same problem with the Technical Readout books, they're so many... Is a PDF version avalaible ?

4. What about the Master Rules Hard Back, the Battletech Companion, the Combat Operations/Equipment and the Maximum Tech Revised books ? Are they useful for my era limit ?

5. What about the Scenario/Sourcebooks ? What are they, exactly ?

6. What about Solaris sets, maps, etc ? What does it bring to the "basic" game ?

Thanks to read me, I hope someone will illuminate my future days by helping me playing this Awesome game with all I need, my budget's not without limits, but my desire is (sic). I'm going to search answers by my own way too.

PS : sorry for my english, I try to do my best. Don't hesitate to correct me, the best way to progress.
PS² : I'm french, so if a french guy comes over here, use and abuse of french !

Edited by vking8000, 25 September 2012 - 10:58 AM.

[Exilyth]

1. While Total Warfare contains all the basic rules for playing the game, Techmanual contains construction rules for creating your own units. So, Techmanual is an extension.

2. Technical Readout 3039 contains all units from Technical Readout 3025 and 3026, so Technical Readout 3039 might be a good start for succession wars era units.

3. You should get the same record sheets as the technical readout, e.g. Record Sheets 3039 contains record sheets for the units in Technical Readout 3029.

4. All the books you listed are from the old edition of the game.
Master Rules has been replaced by Total Warfare.
Rules from Combat Equipment have been spread over Total Warfare and Tactical Operations.
Maximum Tech has been spread all over the place, but mostly into Tactical operations and Strategic Operations.
I don't know about Combat Operations.

If I was starting with the game, I'd get the newer books. Total Warfare is a good start and should last you a long time. Next book would be Tactical Operations, which contains more advanced rules and rules for larger engagements.

The rule books are era agnostic in that they contain equipment and rules from (almost) all eras.

5. Scenario books contain scenarios which enable you to play certain battles from important events in the timeline. Sometimes, they also contain suggestions on how to combine the scenarios into a campaign.

Sourcebooks provide background information on a certain faction or event, e.g. Shattered Sphere contains information about the Steiner Davion civil war in the late 3060ies.

6. The solaris box was a stand alone game that portrayed the arena fights on solaris. It ran on a smaller timescale and had special rules.
The solaris map pack contains maps of the arenas on solaris.


The official page of the board game has a nice introductory guide:
http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=400

An overview over the eras in battletech can be found here:
http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=1633


Record sheets for the units from the introductory box set can be found here, along with other freebies:
http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=27

Edited by Exilyth, 25 September 2012 - 01:16 PM.

[Slade Deleportas]

Also, you can go take a look at Solaris Skunk Werks http://www.solarisskunkwerks.com/ This is a VERY nice mech creator, and if you download the Master File contains all 'mechs from all eras, so no need to go out and buy the Record Sheets. And yes it's legit, coded by the same guy as did the MUL (Master Unit List) on the Catalyst site.

[Baron_Chachatte]

First, thanks to all for the help.

I'm looking to buy and play (to start) two lances of BattleMechs, and play once lance vs one lance.
I need some help to do balanced lances, if possible. I've already bought an AS7-D and painted it, so I would like to include it in one of the two lances (and it's my prefered Mech' too). If someone can help me with its experience.

Thanks a lot.

[Slade Deleportas]

Under Skunk Werks, when you open a 'Mech there is a number at the bottom called BV, that's the equivalent to the number of points a Warhammer fig is wortt in an army. get two balanced lances and it should be ok... But tactics/luck of the dice mean a lot too. lol

[Ranger207]

Of course, BV is widely thought/known to be somewhat unbalenced. Some people have other feelings though...
I would suggest getting MegaMek. It's not an offical Battletech product, but all it is is basiclly a way to play on your computer. It doesn't have the rules, so you still have to buy the rulebooks, but if you want to play a game and don't have any friends around, it's a good substitute.
If you haven't already, go to Sarna.net. It's a reference book for Battletech. If someone mentions a 'Mech that you don't know, or you want more information on some event or war, of if you want to know all the books and novels your favorite character is in, Sarna is the place to go. Take note, though - by it's very nature as a wiki, it's subject to some innaccurices, and of course, they don't go into as much detail on stuff as, say, a TRO or something.
Finally, I would recomend going to the Battletech forums here. Those people are really nice and helpful, and there is a wealth of knowledge on those forums. One of my favorite places on the internet is the Fan Articles board, where experienced players anylyze units from a player's perspective.

[Pht]

I'll second the recomendation to get your toes wet with megamek.

It will let you get a feeling for the game without having to remember tons of rules and dice rolls, so you can get an idea of the working flow of the game, and how adding various advanced rules into the game changes the game play.

Also, if you want to print out your own record sheets from, say, solaris skunk werks, you need to google up "do pdf" - it installs itself as a virtual printer that can take any printing output and make a pdf from it. Great way to make blank RS and such!