Rules for r/BattleTech

What role is the Fafnir supposed to fill, and in what environment? 100 tons, 2x heavy Gauss rifles, 2x med lasers, 1 pulse laser, 19.5 tons of armor and an ECM.

Disregarding purposes of ego or tech demonstration, the base model Fafnir, while packing a massive punch, is mid range at best. It isn't capable of chasing anything down, doesn't have the range to shoot what it can't catch. So the best option to me that it is built as a line breaker or breakthrough mech. It's slow speed and medium range aren't problems when the target has no intention or capability of retreating.

Interested to hear what people think.

Some recent editions. The red ones are 7th Sword of Light while the white one is 17th Benjamin Regulars. Why? I already have a red Rifleman.

(Sorry for horrific quality, my phone camera isn’t exactly new) Mainly Rasalhague with the two ghost bear mechs

https://preview.redd.it/xiiqzxux98yd1.png?width=329&format=png&auto=webp&s=66595337e66284e4c70f67cafbe5298d68558572

So I'm a big Flames of War and Team Yankee player. And want to add my love of indirect death to my Alpha Strike.
Now I don't want to be too evil, but I think a lance of the above would be more than sufficient to be annoying with out getting the table flipped over.

The plan is use these guys indirectly (as you'd expect) using a light mech, vehicle or even an Infantry team on a hill with the Forward Observer skill.

The Alpha Strike book (Commanders Edition p47) says they get a +4 to hit...does that apply to indirect?
Can some one please run me through the equation?

Skill + ? = to hit roll???

No rules questions here, I'll let the book confuse me first LOL, but I am very curious about Mobile Structures. Strictly from a lore perspective, have they been written about? If yes, could you toss the titles my way please. I'm overly intrigued with the prospect of a massive land fortress written into the BT Universe just bowling over whatever gets in it's way.

I was bored this afternoon so I started making HD logos for each of the major factions, I started with comstar and next Im going to do the great houses, the star league, the periphery, maybe a couple clans, then last and definitely least, house liao

Hi all!

Just bought the alphastrike box, and I'm a bit confused so I thought I'd double check with you lovely people.

Question1:
- Woods say that if your line of sight goes through 6" of woods, then it counts as blocked terrain

- blocked terrain provides partial cover

- under the partial cover modifier, it mentions that woods do not provide partial cover.

I take this to mean that woods NEVER provide partial cover, neither when it's less than 6" nor when it's more than 6"? Or does it just not provide partial cover when it's less than 6" of woods?

Question 2:

In the scenario below, there's 2 mechs opposite of each other. When you measure LoS through the upper line, it passes through 6" of wood and would thus be considered blocked. If you measure from the below line, it does not pass through any woods at all.
- Is this attack blocked?
- If not blocked, does it gain benefit of the 'woods' target modifier?

https://preview.redd.it/5daetwbw56yd1.png?width=1749&format=png&auto=webp&s=f63df916f548d103444c6e0663d2190bb1c193e5

Thanks for your time! :)

I was chin wagging with a mate at our last game and we agreed that the tonnage system is great for the game and in universe grouping of mechs, but it's horroribly inaccurate if it was to be used in real life.

A modern battle tank of today is an average of 70 tons and is about the same size as a locust, minus the legs.

Surely assault mechs would be in the thousands of tons.

What are your thoughts?

For many years D&D and Pathfinder RPGs had their rules free online. It was handy for when you wanted to sift through all the options from years of books. Things were hyperlinked and (decently) searchable, so if you wanted to find a **feat** that had something to do with **illusions**, you could get a list pretty easily. If you were running a game and forgot just how a Brain Collector's psychic powers interacted with mindless undead like zombies, a few clicks could get to the full rules.

More recently, Wizards of the Coast has put some of the starter rules up for free, and then set it up so if you buy a book from them and link the purchase to your online account, you can access the digital version of the rules in that book. If you set up a 'campaign' for your friends to join, a handful of them also get access to whatever rules you have unlocked. This to me feels like a decent compromise between ease of use and making sure the publisher makes money.

So, all of that is to preface, I was trying to build a lance that used TAG spotters and a Catapult with homing Arrow IV, and even with Sarna to give me page references . . . oof, it's a bit of a chore to flip through my PDFs (let alone if I only had physical books).

And then I started wondering about using Long Tom Cannons, and I had to try to remember, uh, where are the rules for artillery, and do the artillery *cannons* work the same way, or are there special rules? And why, when the Tech Manual or Tactical Operations has an entry for a weapon do you still have to flip to a big table in the back of the book and skim along a line to figure out what the weapon's stats are?

So like, is there any hint that Catalyst is considering a system to let us access the rules online, where we could easily consolidate all this stuff? Like, you click on Long Tom Cannons, and they have the stats, and the blocks of pertinent text for how to use them, and even a list of units that mount them? I'd pay for that service.

How does stack against favorites like the locust or the flea

https://preview.redd.it/9szqt4bo45yd1.jpg?width=876&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3461878bae15849021b1d49e811adc7883efd8a6

Mine's either the vapor eagle or the marauder IIC! I think the vapor eagle looks sick as hell and the loadout is extremely fun to play with. The LPL + TTC works really well to maximize your BV efficiency by allowing you to choose a cheaper pilot and still make some pretty egregious shots. I would still like to run one that trades some secondary weaponry for an ER PPC, for a fun fast sniper mech.

Black Marauder, Bad Batch, Godzilla, and Care Bear as examples

For me, it's the Penetrator. Obvious innuendo aside, it's a great 'Mech that's so wildly misnamed that I can never quite bring myself to put it on the table.

Not one single variant model possesses a single weapon capable of dealing TACs which, I feel like falls short of a pretty basic bar to entry when it comes to talking about... penetration even in a military context...

What other Mechs just fall too far short of their name to be worth explaining no matter how good (or comically bad) they might be?

Rules are simple, too voted unit in the comments gets a brand new crab.

I have never had such a love / hate relationship with a mech as I do the King Crab. The aesthetics are amazing and the thing just oozes malice, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what to do with the stupid thing. And yet I keep bringing it out, time after time.

I understand its 'role' is to advance unrelentingly on the enemy and pummel them at any range, but it is so slow that I can't get close. Even my most recent opponent's Marauder II was nimble enough to just lightly hop out of range, or over a hill, etc to break line of sight or get behind me. And as for mediums or lights, forget it. They are the electrons orbiting the nucleus of my KGC-000.

Even for those rare occasions that I get within range and have a reasonable shot, I run out of ammo immediately. And somehow it always seems to be 9+ to hit, so I'm landing 1/4 of my AC-20s. Meanwhile there is always someone behind me, peppering my rear armor.

I'm halfway decent with Atlases and Highlanders, and all mechs of lighter classes. But whenever I bring a King Crab it just turns into a big game of 'keep away' and I can't do anything with it.

Any strategy advice would be greatly appreciated.

I posted this a while back but I finally finished inking it.

By that I mean which one is that perfect combination of cheap, reliable, easy to operate and easy to maintain. It's not flashy or cutting edge but can hold its own against more sophisticated weapons and does an adequate job in any role it's put in. It's also a bargain for the price and well within the budget of any military, paramilitary, security force, rebel group, terrorist organization or pirate band and made cheaper by how ubiquitous it is throughout the Inner Sphere.

Potential new player here. What is the difference between the Battletech Alpha Strike box and the Battletech A Game of Armored Combat box?

Will either box give me enough to get to the table or does it suffer from the GW curse of "Here's something neat. Now give us more money so you can actually play"?

The retail prices have Alpha a few dollars cheaper. I'm not sure where to start as a new player.

Thank you.

https://preview.redd.it/qtmu4hly54yd1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b608a59f8b4e7c5da80214f5fd48ddac295b2e2

https://preview.redd.it/t6viqtbz54yd1.jpg?width=824&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f188023cc89713437abc6ca1565326404c4e3fc2

Two, five

Two five ten and twenty

I could be the tank at your next inspection

My turret’s lubed up and I’m angled for deflection

I can’t overrun a world but I’ll stop a revolution

Who can a blame a girl? Call me ICE not fusion

Baby do you like BV?

You’ll save an awful lot with me

It’s like four hundred and a bit of change

For five damage at a decent range

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Cruise for five plus flank for three

Spin your turret 360

Target mech and load AP

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Cruise for five plus flank for three

Mgun TAC the enemy

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Mgun TAC the enemy

Well, I got hit with a pellet and a motive crit

Then crew stunned immobile fuel tank oh shit

You don’t have to fret, I’m cheap and I’m quick

Attrition’s my thing, cause I’m a combat vic

And baby don’t you like BV?

Six thousand for a company!

Just four hundred and a bit of change

For five damage at PPC range

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Cruise for five plus flank for three

Spin your turret 360

Target mech and load AP

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Cruise for five plus flank for three

Mgun TAC the enemy

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Min range is a cause for glee

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Mgun TAC the enemy!

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Charge attacks are always free!

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

It shoots mechs and infantry!

V-E-D-E-T-T-E

Roll 2d6 to step on me!

Whew, it’s hot in here!

Does someone have a plasma rifle?

Woo, you want some Vedette?

Okay, three lances.

I’ll call the New Earth Company

I know it's really clear from some of the Unseen like the Warhammer and the Marauder they're lovingly repurposed anime Mecha, but what about the Blackjack?

I have a panther, and centurion set aside. I need to get a warhammer for sure. Out of what i have left unpainted, what would make sense to include?

Thunderbolt, sentinel, jenner, blackjack, wolfhound x2, hatchetman x2, enforcer, griffin, nightsky, grasshopper, banshee, atlas x2

I also have these but doubt they are appropriate... marauder 2A, longbow, nightstar, king crab, penetrator, corsair, raven, stalker

Really happy with how these are turning out. Trying out a lot of techniques I've never tried before.

Just spitballing here, but I’ve been reading the “A Time of War” rulebook and this campaign concept won’t leave my brain.

The players would be part of a Clan Diamond Shark merchant fleet tasked with finding and securing new markets in the Inner Sphere. Along the way they’d fight pirates, more traditional clan forces, and maybe strong-arm a few uncooperative planetary governments with Trials of Possession for trade rights. >!Eventually they might even claim an ocean world for sea fox rewilding.!<

Kind of like Rogue Trader or Traveller with battlemechs.

Does this seem like a viable campaign concept to you?