CLASSIC BATTLETECH RULEBOOK
CLASSIC BATTLETECH RULEBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
5
COMPONENTS BattleMech Playing Pieces Record Sheets Armor Diagram ’Mech Data Warrior Data Critical Hit Table Heat Data and Heat Scale Mapsheets Clear Light Woods Heavy Woods Rough Water Dice
6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
PLAYING THE GAME Sequence of Play Initiative Phase Movement Phase Weapon Attack Phase Physical Attack Phase Heat Phase End Phase Unequal Numbers of BattleMechs MechWarriors Skills Skill Improvement Damaging a MechWarrior Consciousness Rolls
MOVEMENT
13 13 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 16
Movement Basics Movement Direction Facing Facing Change Movement Modes Standing Still Walk ing Running Jumping Movement Actions Facing Change Dropping to the Ground Standing Up Stacking
9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12
Table of Contents
Accidental Violation Piloting Skill Rolls Mak ing Piloting Sk ill Rolls Fa Falling
COMBAT Attack Declaration Torso Twist Line of Sight Level Intervening Terrain Partial Cover Water Hexes
WEAPON ATTACKS
Ammunition Expenditure Firing Arcs For ward Arc Left Side Arc Right Side Arc Rear Arc Rotating the Firing Arcs Firing Weapons Base To-Hit Number Modified To-Hit Number To-Hit Modifiers Prone BattleMechs To-Hit Roll Hit Location Damage Recording Damage Damage Resolution Transferring Damage Critical Damage BattleMech Critical Hits BattleMech Critical Hit Effects Destroying a BattleMech
PHYSICAL ATTACKS Base To-Hit Number Modified To-Hit Number Punch Attacks Club Attacks Finding A Club Physical Weapon Attacks Push Attacks Kick Attacks Charge Attacks
16 16 16 18 19 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 25 25 27 28 28 28 29 29 30 30 32 32 32 32 33 33 34 34 34 34 34
Damage Location After Attack Falls Death from Above Attacks Weapon Attack Phase Damage to Target Damage to Attacker Location After Attack Falls Different Levels Prone BattleMechs Physical Attacks Against Prone BattleMechs BattleMech Displacement Accidental Falls from Above Domino Effect
HEAT Heat Points Building Up Heat Recording Heat Buildup Effects of Heat Movement Effects Weapon Attack Effects Shutdown Effects Ammunition Effects MechWarrior Effects
SCENARIOS Scenario 1: Final Exam Scenario : Trial by Fire Scenario 3: Divide and Conquer
PLAYING BATTLETECH
BattleTech Tactics Initiative Movement Weapon Attacks Physical Attacks BattleTech Forces Scouts Strikers Skirmishers Brawlers Missile Boats Snipers Juggernauts
CONSTRUCTION Design the Chassis Add Other Equipment
EQUIPMENT BLANK RECORD SHEET TABLES
35 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 37 37 38 39 39 39 39 39 40 40 40 40 41 41 43 44 45 45 45 46 49 50 51 51 51 52 52 52 53 54 55 55 56 61 63 64
CREDITS BattleTech Original Design Jordan K.Weisman L. Ross BabcockIII Sam Lewis Project Development Randall N. Bills Perpetual War by Randall N. Bills A Brief History of the Inner Sphere by Michael A. Stackpole Diane Piron-Gelman Christoffer"Bones"Trossen Factions by Diane Piron-Gelman Scenarios and Playing BattleTech by Bryan Nystul Material from Technical Readout: 305 by Blaine L. Pardoe BoyF.Petersen, Jr. Anthony Pryor Dale L. Kemper Shaun Duncan L. R. Butch Leeper L. Ross BabcockIII JordanK.Weisman Forest Brown Kevin Stein Material from MechWarrior, Second Edition, by Donna Ippolito Sam Lewis Material from 0-Year Update by Jim Musser Donna Ippolito BoyF.Petersen, Jr. Material from BattleTech Master Rules, by Bryan Nystul Project Editing Michelle Lyons BattleTech Line Developer Randall N. Bills
Table of Contents
3
PRODUCTION STAFF Art Direction Randall N. Bills Graphic Design & Layout Jim Nelson Layout Update Adam Jury Classic BattleTech Rulebook Cover Art Franz Vohwinkel Classic BattleTech Universe Cover Art Franz Vohwinkel B&W Illustrations Mathew Plog Color Illustrations Franz Vohwnkel Poster Map of the Inner Sphere Øystein Tvedten Acknowledgements Thefollowingauthorsneedtobethankedforhelpinginonewayoranothertosuccessfullyshapealivingand breathinguniverseoverthecourseoftheselastfifteenyears: KenSt.Andre,DorothyElizabethBaker,SamuelBrownBaker II,HerbertA.BeasII,MikeBently,RandallN.Bills,MarkBloom, DavidBoyle,HughBrowne,JimBrunk,AlexBund,BrentCarter, RobertN.Charrette,LorenL.Coleman,DaveCoriveau,Chuck Crane,RobertCruz,WarnerDoles,ElizabethT.Danforth,Phillip J.DeLuca,ShaunDuncan,D.BradFrazee,TaraGallagher,Eric Garvis,CoryGlaberson,AdamGratun,C.R.Green,Dan“Flake” Grendell,ThomasS.Gressman,EricHart,ChrisHartford,Michael T.Herbert,ClareW.Hess,KarlHiesterman,DetlefHowe,Todd Huettel,LisaM.Hunt,WalterH.Hunt,ChristopherHussey, DonnaIppolito,EvanJamieson,ScottJenkins,StuartJohnson, J.AndrewKeith,WilliamH.Keith,Jr.,DaleL.Kemper,Stephen Kenson,PeterKillinger,PatrickKirkland,CamilleKlein,Rodney Knox,MichaelKoennecke,JamesLanigan,PatrickL.Larkin, DavidLadyman,JeffreyLayton,MichaelLee,SamLewis,Bryan LiB¢randi,JamesD.Long,ChristineMackay,LaurieMair,Gene Marcil,StephanéI.Matis,ArdathMayhar,PatrickMcCormack, DavidL.McCulloch,RichardK.Meyer,VictorMilán,TanjaMöstel, MichaelMulvihill,SharonTurnerMulvihill,JimMusser,Bryan Nystul,MikeNystul,GeorgeO’Dahjungle,MelOdom,Heiko Oertel,MikeO’Green,BlaineLeePardoe,GeoffPass,Michael Pellicciotti,BearPeters,TomPeters,BoyF.Petersen,Jr.,Donald G.Phillips,DianePiron-Gelman,AnthonyPryor,SusanPutney, PeterL.Rice,WilliamScammell,LesterW.Smith,PeterSmith, BrantSponberg,JerryStenson,RickDavidStuart,JohnThiesen, RobertThurston,ChristofferTrossen,AshleyWatkins,Robt. Wells,Wm.JohnWheeler,AndreasZuber,GabrielZupcan and last,butcertainlynotleast,L.RossBabcockIII,JordanWeisman andMichaelA.Stackpole. Tothesculptorspastandpresent,whohavecreatedavast, awardwinningBattleTechminiatureline:C.Atkin,B.Bugge,B. Charrette,J.Garrity,S.Garrity,J.Grace,J.Guthrie,B.Hubbuch,J. Johnson,R.Kerr,R.Kyde,P.Lewis,T.Meier,S.Saunders,D.Summers,
W.Vail,G.Valley,J.VanSchaik,J.Wilhelm,J.Winterandanyone elsewemighthavemissed. Additionally,toalloftheartistswhohavebreathedvisual lifeintosuchavibrantuniverse.OfparticularnoteareDoug Chaffee,MarkZug,LesDorshied,JimNelson,ChrisMoeller, KevinMcCann,DuaneLoose,FranzVohwinkel,FredHooper,and MathewPlog. Toalloftheeditorsthathaveturnedauthormanuscripts intoprintedproducts—thanks! Finally,toeverylicenseethatBattleTechhaseverhad;thank youforbringingthewonderfulworldofBattleTechtonewaudi encesandunexpectedhorizons. Playtesters Muchasweappreciateandrecognizetheeffortsofthose whohavegonebeforeus,thelististooextensivetoreprinthere. Thanksagaintoallthosewhohaveworkedtomakethisgame whatitistoday. Thanks ThankstoalloftheBattleTechfans,past,presentandfuture. You’vemadethistwenty+yearridepossibleandwehopeyou’ll joinusforanotherexcitingandfunfilledfifteenyears! Special Thanks ToMathewPlogandespeciallyFranzVohwinkel,whotook myartnotesandunderaverytightdeadlinecreatedoneofthe bestsinglebodiesofBattleTechartworkeverpublished;toJim Nelsonwhotooktheextratimetocreateagraphicstyleand presentationthattakesboththeClassic BattleTech Universe and Classic BattleTech Introductory Rulebook toanewlevel. Copyright© 2002-2006WizKids, Inc.AllRights Reserved.ClassicBattleTech, BattleTech,’Mech,BattleMech,MechWarriorandWKGameslogoareregistered trademarksand/ortrademarksofWizKids,IncintheUnitedStatesand/orother countries.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,or transmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthepriorpermissioninwriting oftheCopyrightOwner,norbeotherwisecirculatedinanyformotherthanthat inwhichitispublished.. Version2.0(October2006)•PublishedbyFanProLLC 1608N.Milwaukee•Suite1005•Chicago,IL60647 Find us online:
[email protected] (e-mailaddressforanyClassicBattleTechquestions) http://www.classicbattletech.com (officialClassicBattleTechwebpages) http://www.fanprogames.com (FanPro web pages) http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior/ (officialMechWarriorwebpages) http://www.wizkidsgames.com ( Wiz Kids web pages) http://www.studio2publishing.com (onlineordering,salesanddistribution)
Credits
INTRODUCTION
C
lassic BattleTech (CBT ) simulates combat between various military vehicles in the thirty-first century. The kings of the battlefield are the 30-foot-tall humanoid titans known as BattleMechs. However, a myriad other military units bring additional fun to any game, from Combat Vehicles to Support Vehicles, infantry to aerospace units and more. While the full depth and enjoyment of Classic BattleTech can be experienced through a combined-arms use of ’Mechs, vehicles, infantry and so on, the following three-tiered system has been created to simply and easily transition players into everything Classic BattleTech has to offer. The Quick-Start Rules introduce players to the basic concepts of the game through ’Mech vs. ’Mech combat; a sneak peak at similar quick-start rules for vehicles and infantry are also given. The Classic BattleTech Introductory Rules—found in this rulebook—then broaden and flesh out the rules for the game, staying with ’Mech vs. ’Mech combat for ease of understanding and enjoyment. All of that then leaves a player prepared to leap into Classic BattleTech Total Warfare and the complete rules for all aspects and units of standard Classic BattleTech play. Classic BattleTech Quick-Start Rules Players new to the BattleTech game system should download and read the Classic BattleTech Quick-Start Rules (see www.classicbattletech.com/leap). The Quick-Start Rules lay out the basic rules of the game and allows players to jump right in; for the fictional backdrop across which the Classic BattleTech game is played, players can download and read the Classic BattleTech Universe book (see www.classicbattletech.com/leap). Once players have tackled the Green section of the QuickStart Rules, they’ll be primed to move on to these introductory rules. While players are free to experience the Veteran and Elite section of the Quick-Start Rules before moving to the introductory rules found in this rulebook, those sections introduce vehicles and infantry, whose full rules sets are found in Classic BattleTech Total Warfare. Classic BattleTech Introductory Rules The rules presented in the Classic BattleTech Introductory Rulebook are considered the introductory rules of Classic BattleTech. The introductory rules use the technology available in 3025, including all ’Mechs and weapons described in Technical Readout: 3025. The Classic BattleTech Introductory Rulebook is divided into seven main sections. Playing the Game outlines the basic sequence of BattleTech play—the different phases of a game
turn and the fundamental game mechanics. The Movement section describes the rules governing BattleMech movement. Combat contains the rules for resolving BattleMech weapons and physical attacks. Scenarios contains three BattleTech scenarios to test your skills and familiarize you with play, as well as demonstrating the variety of possible BattleTech missions. These scenarios can be played again and again or modified to create an endless array of different battles. Playing BattleTech provides an in-depth look at the tactics involved in becoming an expert player, once the basics have been learned. Construction provides instructions for custom-designing new ’Mechs from the ground up. Finally, the Equipment section provides descriptions for various weapons carried by BattleMechs. Readers new to BattleTech should note that the game’s fictional universe has progressed chronologically since it first appeared in 1985. Millions of words worth of background fiction has been published in game supplements, scenarios and sourcebooks—as well as in the numerous BattleTech novels, which represent some of the richest back-ground source material for the game. Currently, BattleTech is set in the year 3071-72. Though the Classic BattleTech Universe book brings new players up to speed circa 3067, the rules are specifically kept at the year 3049, before a major technological innovation introduced many advanced weapons and equipment. As this is an introductory rules set, those more advanced rules and weaponry are not covered here. Classic BattleTech Standard Rules The rules presented in Total Warfare are considered the standard rules of Classic BattleTech; the rules expand on the introductory rules by adding various advanced technologies and additional rules for infantry, vehicles and so on, as described in the rest of the Technical Readout series beyond 3025. They represent all tournament appropriate rules: the “big” Classic BattleTech tournaments run directly by FanPro at the Origins International Games Expo®, any Gen Con Game Fair® and many other conventions all use the rules presented in Total Warfare. Once players have familiarized themselves with the rules presented in the Introductory Rulebook and tackled several games, they can move on to the standard rules of the game as presented in Total Warfare. Note that if players have not already done so, the Veteran and Elite section of the Classic BattleTech Quick-Start Rules lay out the basics of vehicle and infantry combat and are a prefect way to catch of glimpse of all that Total Warfare has to offer (see www.classicbattletech.com/leap).
Introduction
5
COmpONENTS
p
layers will find a series of PDF downloads at www.classicbattletech.com/leap which provide additionalmaterialoractasgameaidstothe Classic BattleTech Introductory Rulebook.
Classic BattleTech Quick-Start Rules Asdescribedintheintroduction,theQuick-Start Rulesare aneasywaytoleapintotheactionoftheClassic BattleTech gamesystemandlaythegroundworkfortherulesprovidedin thisrulebook. The Quick-Start Rulesalsocontainamapthatplayerscan continuetouseastheybeginplayingwiththerulesinthe Introductory Rulebook. Classic BattleTech Universe Theperfectcompanion to therulebook, the Classic BattleTech Universebookprovidesinformationonthefictional backdropagainstwhichtheexcitinggamesof Classic BattleTech takeplace. Classic BattleTech Introductory Record Sheets Pre-generatedrecordsheetscoveringthetwenty-four ’MechsdetailedintheClassic BattleTech Universebook. The Classic BattleTech Introductory Record Sheetsalsocontainscountersforeachofthosetwenty-four’Mechs,allowing playerstoprintandcut-outready-madeplayingpieces. Additional Materials Needed to Play the Game Playerswillneedtoprovidetwosix-sideddice. Additionally,whilethemapprovidedintheClassic BattleTech Quick-Start Rulescanbeusedwhenplayinggamesusingthe Introductory Rulebook ,playerswillquicklyfindthatoneofthe easiestwaystomakeanalreadyplayedscenariofreshandnewis toplayitonadifferentmap.Map Set Compilation #1(published byFanProLLC),contains24maps,providingawideselectionof ready-madeterrainforgameplay;notethatthescenariosinthe ScenariosectionarebestplayedusingtheClassic BattleTechmap, whichiscontainedinClassic BattleTech Map Set Compilation #1.
BATTLEMECH PLAYING PIECES BattleMechs—themostpowerful ground-based war machineseverbuilt—dominatethebattlefieldsofthethirtyfirstcentury.Thesehuge,humanoidvehiclesstandtentotwelve meterstallandweighasmuchas100tons.Theyarefaster,more maneuverable,betterarmoredandmoreheavilyarmedthanany othercombatunit.Equippedwithparticleprojectorcannons, lasers,rapid-fireautocannonsand missiles,thesebehemoths packenoughfirepowertoflatteneverythingbutanother’Mech.
Components
Asnotedabove,theClassic BattleTech Introductory Record Sheetscontainsready-madeplayingpiecesthatrepresenttwenty-fourdifferentBattleMechdesigns.Theseplayingpiecesare usedtoshowthepositionofeach’Mechonthemapsheetand tokeeptrackofitsmovementduringthegame.Toassemblethe playingpieces,cutthemoutalongthedottedlines,including cuttingtheslotsintothefrontandreartabs.Oncethat’sdone, foldbothtabsoverandscissorthetwoslotstogether. Inplaceofthesepieces, playerscanuseBattleTechminiatures.IronWindMetalsmanufacturesacompletelineofminiaturesdesignedforusewith BattleTechmapsheets(seewww. ironwindmetals.com).Ifplayingpiecesandminiaturesare unavailable,playermayusecountersoranyotheritemtorepresenteachBattleMech.Nearlyanyappropriatelysizeditem willdo,aslongasitcontainsamarktoindicatewhichwaythe BattleMechisfacingatalltimes. Terminology:Intheserules,theterm“unit”referstoany mobileelementthatcanbefieldedinaClassic BattleTechgame. WhilethisonlyappliestoBattleMechsfortheseintroductory rules(i.e.theword’Mechandunitareinterchangeableinthese rules),thedefinitionisintroducednowtomakeaneasiertransitionwhenotherunits(infantry,vehiclesandsoon)areaddedto therules,eitherthroughtheClassic BattleTech Quick-Start Rules, orClassic BattleTech Total Warfare.
RECORD SHEETS BattleMechRecordSheetsenableaplayertoeasilymonitortheoperatingstatusofhis’Mechs.Eachsheetprovidesa summaryofthearmorandweaponscapabilitiesofaparticular machine,spacestorecordanydamagethe’Mechsustainsduringcombat,andotherusefulinformation.Everyrecordsheet containsfiveparts:anArmorDiagramsection,’MechDatasection,WarriorDatasection,CriticalHitTable,andHeatScale. Armor Diagram TheArmorDiagramonthetoright-handsideofthe recordsheetshowsthearrangementofarmorplatingonthe BattleMech.Eachcirclerepresentsapointofarmor.Circles inexcessofaspecificBattleMech’sarmorplatingarefilledin priortoplay.Asweaponhitsdestroya’Mech’sarmor,theplayer checksoffthearmorbyfillingintheaffectedcircles. TheInternalStructureDiagram,directlybelowtheArmor Diagram, showsthe locations ofthe BattleMech’sinternal structuresandisusedtotrackdamagetothoselocations.The DamageTransferDiagram,whichappearsatthebottomofthe CriticalHitTable,showswheredamagewillbetakenortransferredwhenapartoftheBattleMechalreadydestroyedtakes additionaldamage. (Fora completeexplanationofdamage
rulesanddirectionsforusingthedifferentarmordiagrams,seetheCombat section,beginningonp.19). Foreaseofreferenceduringgame play,nexttothenameofeachlocation onboththearmordiagram,aswellas theinternalstructurediagram,alineis providedtofillinthatsection’sstarting ArmorValue(orinthecaseoftheinternalstructure,thestartinginternalstructurevalue).
Critical Hit Table T he Cr it ic al Hi t Ta bl e s how s t he physicallocationoftheBattleMech’s critical equipment, weapons, and ammunition.Eachpartofthe’Mech’s body,suchastheLeftArm,RightLeg,or CenterTorso,isreferredtoasalocation. Eachlineinalocation(therearesixin theheadandlegs,twelveinotherlocations)isreferredtoasacriticalslot,or simplyslot.Eachslotusuallyrepresents aparticularweaponorotherpieceof ’Mech Data equipmentsusceptibletodestruction. Locatedintheupperleft-handcorner, Most equipmentoccupies so much thissectionoftherecordsheetliststhe spaceinthe’MechthatitrequiresmulBattleMech’smostimportantstatistics, tipleslotsonthetable. includingtheBattleMechtype,tonnage, movement,andweaponsinventory. Heat Data and Heat Scale Locatedinthebottomright-hand Warrior Data corner,theHeatDataandHeatScale Thissectionliststhename,skillsand helptheplayertrackeach’Mech’sinterconditionoftheMechWarriorpiloting nalheatbuildup,aswellasindicatehow theBattleMech. manyheatsinksa’Mechmounts(circles underneaththenumericalvalueinthe
TM
ARMOR DIAGRAM Head(
LeftTorso ( )
)
RightTorso ( )
’MECH RECORD SHEET
'MECH DATA
WARRIOR DATA
Type:
Name:
Movement Points:
G u nn e ry S k li l :
Tonnage:
Walking: Running: Jumping:
Hits Taken Consciousness#
Weapons & Equipment Inventory Qty T ype
P i lo t in g S ki l l: 1 3
2 5
3 4 5 6 7 10 11 Dead
(hexes)
Loc Ht Dmg M in Sht Med Lng Center Torso ( )
LeftArm ( )
Left Leg ( )
RightArm ( )
Right Leg ( )
Center Torso R e ar ( )
Left Torso Rear ( )
CRITICAL HIT TABLE Left Arm 1 . S ho u ld e r 2. UpperArmActuator 3. LowerArm Actuator 1-3 4. HandActuator 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
S e ns o rs L i fe S u p po r t
E n gin e E n gin e E n gin e G yr o G yr o G yr o
1 . G yr o 2 . E n gin e 3 . E n gin e 4-6 4 . E n gin e 5. 6.
1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
Shoulder UpperArm Actuator LowerArm Actuator HandActuator
DamageTransfer Diagram
) 30* 29
Right Arm ( ) Center Torso ( )
Left Leg ( )
26* 25* 24* 23* 22* 21
Right Leg ( )
20* 19* 18* 17* 16
HEAT DATA
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Heat Scale Overflow
R gi ht T or so (
27
Right Leg
1 . Hp i 2. UpperLegActuator 3. LowerLegActuator 4. Foot Actuator 5. 6.
Head )
28*
1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
Left Leg
Le tf To rso (
Left Arm ( )
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
Right Torso
Engine Hits Gyro Hits Sensor Hits Life Support
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
Right Arm
L i fe S u p po r t S e ns o rs C o ck p ti
Center Torso 1. 2. 3. 1-3 4 . 5. 6.
Left Torso
INTERNAL STRUCTURE DIAGRAM
Head 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Right Torso Rear ( )
Hip UpperLeg Actuator LowerLeg Actuator Foot Actuator
Heat Sinks: Heat Effects Level* 30 Shutdown 28 Ammo Exp.avoidon 8+ 26 Shutdown,avoid on 10+ 25 –5MovementPoints 24 +4Modifier to Fire 23 Ammo Exp.avoidon 6+ 22 Shutdown,avoid on 8+ 20 –4Movement Points 19 Ammo Exp.avoidon 4+ 18 Shutdown,avoid on 6+ 17 +3Modifier to Fire 15 –3MovementPoints 14 Shutdown,avoid on 4+ 13 +2Modifier to Fire 10 –2Movement Points +1Modifier to Fire 8 5 – 1 M o ve m en t P o n i ts
15* 14* 13* 12 11 10* 9 8* 7 6 5* 4 3 2 1 0
© 2006 WizKids, Inc. Classic BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved.
Components
Permissionto photocopy forpersonal use.
HeatDatasectionallowplayerstomarkoffheatsinksasthey aredamaged).Asheatbuildsup,theplayerchecksofftheboxes intheHeatScalefromlowtohigh(usuallywithapencil,asheat willfluctuateupandwontheHeatScaleallthroughagame). Atcertainlevelsofheatbuildup(thoseheatlevelswithasterisks),correspondinginformationintheHeatDatadescribesthe heat’seffectonthe’Mech’soperation.Theblankspacemarked HeatOverflowatthetopoftheHeatScaleisusedtorecordheat generatedinexcessof30points.
MAPSHEETS The22-by-17inchmapsheetsusedinBattleTech aredividedintosix-sided areascalledhexes(short forhexagon).Theplayers use these hexesto regulatemovementand combatbymovingunits fromhextohexduring aturn.Eachhexonthe mapsheetrepresentsan areaofground30meters across(roughly100feet). The forests, rivers, hills and rough areason a BattleTech m a ps h ee t representatypicalmixtureoftheterrainfoundonthehabitable worldsoftheInnerSphere.Thefollowingsymbolsrepresent eachtypeofterrainasdescribed,andtheaccompanyingtext givesanoverviewoftheterrain’seffects.Specificrulesregard ingtheeffectofterrainonmovementandcombatappearinthe Movement andCombat sections. Level Thelevelofahexistheheighttowhichitrisesabovethe prevailingterrain.Allterrainhasalevel;thelevelofahex is independentofthetypeofterrainitcontains,suchaswoodsor water.Hexeswithlevelshigherthan0arealsoreferredtoashills. Ifitisnotmarkedonthemap,assumeahex’slevelis0. Thisheightisexpressedintermsoflevels.Level1is6meters high(waist-hightoaBattleMech):aBattleMechstandingbehind aLevel1hillmaybepartiallyhidden.Level2terrainis12meters high(thesameheightasaBattleMech):aBattleMechstanding behindLevel2terrainiscompletelyhidden.Level3terrainis18 metershigh,andsoon.Thelevelofahexisconsideredequalto thehighestlevelpresentinit. Sublevels:Hexeswithlevelslowerthan0arereferredtoas sinkholes.ThesehexesaremarkedinSublevelsthatcorrespond tolevelsinreverse;aSublevel1hexis6metersdeep,whilea Sublevel2hexis12metersdeepandsoon. Ifanypartofahexcontainsasublevel, theentirehexis consideredtobethedeepestsublevelmarkedinthehex.The exceptiontothisruleisifthereisalsoalevelgreaterthan0 markedinthesamehex,inwhichcasethelevelofthehilltakes precedenceinthehexasdescribedabove.
Components
Clear Clearterrainrepresentsfields,meadowsand othergrasslands.Thegroundisfirmandmaybe gentlyrolling,butitsleveldoesnotchangesignificantlyfromonesideofthehextotheother.Ifahexis notclearlymarkedascontaininganotherterraintype, assumeitisClear. Light Woods Lightwoodsterrainiscoveredwithsparsetrees ofupto 12metersinheight.BattleMechscannot crossthisterrainaseasilyasclearterrain.Unlessthe woodisrelativelylarge,unitsmayhavelineofsight throughlightwoods.WhenLightWoodsaffectlineof sight,theydosofor2levelsabovetheleveloftheirhex. (SeeIntervening TerraininCombat ,p.20). Heavy Woods Heavilywoodedterrainiscoveredthicklywith 12-meter-tall trees, making movementthrough theseareasverydifficult.Lightwoodsoftenborder heavywoods.Itisverydifficulttoseethroughheavy woods.AswithLightWoods,HeavyWoodsaffectline ofsightfor2levelsabovetheleveloftheirhex.(See Intervening TerraininCombat ,p.20). Rough Roughterrainrepresentsbroken,rockyandjumbledground.Thoughfirm,theunevennessofthistype ofterrainmakesitmoredifficulttocrossthanclear terrain.Commonlyencounterednearcliffsandbluffs, roughgroundmayalsobeformedasaresultofthe destructionofwoods. Water Waterterrainhexesarecoveredbystreams,rivers,swamps,pondsorlakes.AWaterhexisdefinedby depthlevels(see Levels).Depth0waterisveryshallow,onlyankle-deeponaBattleMech,andrepresents terrainsuchasstreams,swampsorshallowponds. Depth1wateris6metersdeep,or1levelbelowground level(aboutwaist-highonaBattleMech).Depth2water is 12 metersdeep,deepenoughtojustcoveraBattleMech.Depth3 wateris18metersdeep,andsoon. Waterhexeseffectivelyhavetwolevels,thesurfaceofthe waterandthebed(orfloor)ofthebodyofwatertheyrepresent. Thelevelofthesurfaceisequaltothelevelofthehex.Thelevel ofthebedisequaltothelevelofthehexminusthedepthofthe water.Forexample,foraDepth2riverinaLevel3hex,thesurface isatLevel3whiletheriverbedisatLevel1. Evenwhenashallowstreamfillsonlypartofahex,that entirehexisconsideredaWaterhex,asdescribedinSublevels.
DICE BattleTechrequiresplayerstousetwosix-sideddice,preferablyoftwodifferentcolors.Ifthesituationrequirestheplayerto rollonedie,therulesindicatethisinshorthandas1D6.Unless otherwisenoted,theabbreviation2D6meanstheplayerrolls bothdiceandaddstheresultstogether.
pLAYING THE GAmE
T
hissectionprovidesthesequenceofplayforBattleTech andpresentsthebasicrulesforplayingMechWarriors inBattleTech. Tobeginagame,theplayerslayouttheBattleTech mapsheetsonatableortheflooreitherinaway agreeduponbyallplayers,or—ifusingaFanProLLCorFASA scenariopack—accordingtotheGame Setup ofthescenarioto beplayed. Next,theplayersfilloutrecordsheetsforeachoftheir BattleMechsinvolvedinthebattle.Ifdesired,playerscanpho-
tocopytheappropriaterecordsheetsprovidedinCBT .(ThevariousBattleTech Technical Readout bookscontainalargeselection ofadditional’Mechdesigns,andthecorresponding BattleTech Record Sheets contain completedrecord sheetsfor these designs.)Ifallplayersagree,BattleMechsmaybecreatedusing theConstruction rules,p.55.
SEQUENCE OF PLAY ABattleTech gameconsistsofaseriesofturns.Eachturn represents10 secondsofgametime. Duringeachturn, all
Playing the Game
BattleMechsonthemaphaveanopportunitytomoveandfire theirweapons.Eachturnconsistsofseveralsmallersegments oftime,calledphases.Duringeachphase,playerswilltakeone specifictypeofaction,suchasmovementorcombat. Theplayersexecutethephasesofeveryturninaspecific order.Specificactions,movement,effectsofdamage,andsoon arefullyexplainedinseparatesectionslaterinthisbook.Each turnincludesthefollowingphases,performedinorder: InitiativePhase MovementPhase WeaponAttackPhase PhysicalAttackPhase HeatPhase EndPhase
INITIATIVE PHASE 1.Oneplayerfromeachsiderolls2D6andaddstheresults togethertodeterminehisteam’sInitiative.Theteamwiththe higherresulthastheInitiativethroughouttheturn.Rerollatied result.
MOVEMENT PHASE
10
Theactofdeclaringattacksalternatesbetweenplayers untilallfirehasbeendeclared.Eachtimeaplayerisrequiredto declareattacksforaBattleMech,hemaydeclareanattackfor anyBattleMechthathasnotbeendestroyed,evenifthedeclarationisnottomakeanyattacks. 6.WeaponsfireisresolvedoneBattleMechatatime.All weaponsattacksbyoneBattleMechshouldberesolvedbefore thoseofthenextBattleMechinorderfortheplayerstomore easilytrackwhichweaponshavefired. Notethatalldeclaredattacksmustbemade,evenifthe intendedtargetisdestroyedbeforeallattacksagainstithave beenresolved;alldeclaredweaponsfiremustberesolvedfor thepurposeoftrackingammunitionandheat.Inaddition,all declaredattacksmustbemadebecausetheWeaponAttack Phaserepresentsonlyafewsecondsoftime,duringwhichthe generalconfusionofbattlemakesitimpossibletochangetar getsorrealizethatthetargetisdestroyedintimetochoosenot tofire. 7.Damagefromweaponsattackstakeseffect.Players recorddamageasattacksareresolved,butthisdamagedoes notaffecttheBattleMech’sabilitytoattackinthisphase.This meansaBattleMechmaymakeitsdeclaredattacksevenifthe BattleMechoritsweaponsaredestroyed.Attheendofthe phase,alldamagetakeseffectimmediatelyandplayersmust makeanyPilotingSkillRollsrequiredaccordingtotheeffects ofweaponsattacks.NotethatdamagetakenbyaBattleMech duringtheWeaponAttackPhasetakeseffectbeforethestartof thesameturn’sPhysicalAttackPhase.
2.TheteamthatlosttheInitiativechoosesoneBattleMech andmovesitfirst. Ifthisteamhasmoreunitsthantheteam thatwontheInitiative,itmayneedtomovemorethanone BattleMech,asdescribedin Unequal Numbers of BattleMechs, p.11. 3.TheteamthatwontheInitiativemovesoneBattleMech. IfthisteamhasmoreBattleMechsthantheteamthatlostthe Initiative,itmayneedtomovemorethanoneBattleMech,as describedinUnequal Numbers of BattleMechs, p.11. MovementalternatesbetweensidesuntilallBattleMechs havebeenmoved.Eachtimeaplayerisrequiredtomovea BattleMech,hemaydesignateamovementforanyBattleMech thathasnotbeendestroyed,evenifthemoveistosimplystand (orlie)immobile.
8–11.RepeatSteps4through7forphysicalattacks,with alldamagefromtheseattackstakingeffectbeforetheHeat Phase.NotethattorsotwistsarenotmadeduringSteps8or9. TorsotwistsaremadeduringWeaponAttackdeclaration,but thetorsoremainstwistedinthesamedirectionthroughout theremainderoftheturn,affectingphysicalattackfiringarcs aswell.
WEAPON ATTACK PHASE
HEAT PHASE
4.TheteamthatlosttheInitiativechoosesaBattleMech todeclarefirefirst.IfthisteamhasmoreBattleMechsthanthe teamthatwontheInitiative,itmayneedtodeclareattacksfor morethanoneBattleMechasdescribedin Unequal Numbers of BattleMechs, p.11. TheplayercontrollingthatBattleMech declareswhetherthatBattleMechwilltwistitstorsoandin whichdirection.Hemustdeclareanyattacksheplanstomake usinghisBattleMech’sweapons,specifyingwhichweaponshe willfireandatwhattarget(s). 5.TheteamthatwontheInitiativechoosesaBattleMech todeclarefirenext.IfthisteamhasmoreBattleMechsthanthe teamthatlosttheInitiative,itmayberequiredtodeclareattacks formorethanoneBattleMechasdescribedinUnequal Numbers of BattleMechs, p.11. TheplayercontrollingthatBattleMech declaresanytorsotwistandattackssheplanstomakeusing thatBattleMech’sweaponsasdescribedabove.
12. PlayersadjusttheirBattleMechs’ HeatScaletoreflect anyheatbuiltuporlostduringtheturn.Resolveanytemporary orpermanentdamagecausedbyexcessiveinternalheatatthis time.SeeHeat, p.38 forspecificrulesregardingthisphase.
Playing the Game
PHYSICAL ATTACK PHASE
END PHASE 13.PlayerswhoseMechWarriorslostconsciousnessin apreviousturnnowroll2D6toseeifthepilotregainedconsciousnessduringthisturn. 14. Playersexecuteanymiscellaneousactionsremaining intheturn,suchasswitchingheatsinksonoroff.Thespecific rulesforsuchactionswillstatewhetherornottheytakeplace duringtheEndPhase.Torsosthathavebeentwistedreturntoa forward-facingpositionatthistime. 15. RepeatSteps1through14untiloneteammeetsitsvictoryconditions.Undernormalcircumstances,theteamwiththe
lastsurvivingBattleMechleftonthemapwinsthescenario.If thelastBattleMechsfromeachteamaredestroyedsimultaneously,thegameisadraw.Theplayersmaysetothervictoryconditionsbymutualagreementbeforeplaybeginsorbyusingthe Victory Conditions givenforeachscenariointheFanProLLCor FASAscenariopackbeingplayed.
UNEQUAL NUMBERS OF BATTLEMECHS TheMovementPhase,WeaponAttackPhaseandPhysical AttackPhaserequireeachplayertoalternatemovingordeclaringattackswiththeirBattleMechs.Inaturnconsistingofan equalnumberofBattleMechsoneachside,eachplayersimply takesaturnmovingordeclaringasingleBattleMech’saction, thentheotherplayerdeclaresmovementoranactionforone BattleMech,andsoon.IfthenumberofBattleMechsoneach sidearenotequal,however,thisproceduremustbealtered. If,priortoanypairofmovementorattackdeclarations,one teamhastwiceasmanyBattleMechslefttodeclareforasthe otherteam,theteamwithtwiceasmanyBattleMechsdeclares fortwoBattleMechsratherthanone.Ifoneteamhasthreetimes asmanyBattleMechs,itdeclaresforthreeeachtime,andsoon. For example, at the beginning of the Movement Phase, Side A has 8 BattleMechs and Side B has 5 BattleMechs. Side A wins the Initiative. Before the first pair of movements, Side A does not have double or more the number of BattleMechs Side B has remaining to move, so Side B moves one BattleMech, then Side A moves one BattleMech. Now, Side A has 7 BattleMechs left to move while Side B has 4 BattleMechs left to move. Since Side A still does not have twice as many BattleMechs left to move, each side again moves one BattleMech. Before the third pair of movements, Side A has 6 BattleMechs left to move, twice as many as Side B has left to move. This means Side A must now move two BattleMechs for every one BattleMech Side B moves. Here is a breakdown of how many BattleMechs each player would move in this example turn.
Move No. 1 2 3 4 5
Side B BattleMechs Left to Move 5 4 3 2 1
Side A BattleMechs Left to Move 8 7 6 4 2
Side B Moves 1 1 1 1 1
Side A Moves 1 1 2 2 2
MECHWARRIORS ThehumansoldierswhopilotBattleMechsarecalled MechWarriors.Theirskillsplayanimportantroleinkeeping aBattleMechmovingandfightingeffectivelyincombat.A BattleMechwillbeknockedoutofactionifitsMechWarrioris killedorseriouslyinjured,eveniftheBattleMechsuffersonly minimaldamage.
SKILLS Thoughwarriorsactuallyhavemanydifferentskills,forthe purposesoftheBattleTech gametheyuseonlytwoskillsincombat,PilotingandGunnery.Skillshavearating;thelowertheskill ratingthebettertheskill. AMechWarrior’sPilotingSkillrepresentshisskillatcontrollinghis machine’s movements, including keeping his BattleMechfromfallingdownasdiscussedin Piloting Skill Rolls (see Movement, p.13).AMechWarrior’sGunnerySkillhelps determinehoweasyordifficultitisforthepilottomakeasuccessfulshotusingtheBattleMech’sweapons,asdiscussedin Firing Weapons (seeCombat,p.19). Default Skill Ratings:MechWarriorsofaverageskillhavea PilotingSkillratingof5anda GunnerySkillratingof4. Making Piloting Skill Rolls WhenaBattleMechattemptsa potentiallydangerous maneuver,orwhenthepilotmightlosecontroloftheunitfor someotherreason,thepilotmustmakeaPilotingSkillRoll(see Piloting Skill Rolls, p. 16 inMovement ). Additionally,aunit'sbaseto-hitnumberforphysicalattacks isequaltoitsPilotingSkillrating(seePhysical Attacks,p.32). Shutdown and Unconscious BattleMechs:Ashutdown BattleMechoronewithanunconsciouspilotcannotmakea PilotingSkillRoll,andsofailsitautomatically(see Shutdown Effects,p.40). Gunnery Skill Rating Aunit’s baseto-hitnumberisequaltoitsGunnerySkillrating.Whenmodifiedforrange,terrainandotherfactors,thisnumber becomesthemodifiedto-hitnumber(see Firing Weapons,p.22). Varying Skill Ratings Rather than giving theirMechWarriorsthe standard PilotingandGunnerySkillratings,playerscanrollrandomlyat thebeginningofthegametoassignaPilotingandGunnery SkillratingtoeveryMechWarrior.Thisrandomgenerationusuallyproducesaninterestingmixofinexperiencedandseasoned fighters.TousetheRandomMechWarriorSkillsTable,theplayer rolls1D6todeterminetheMechWarrior’sPilotingSkillrating andrepeatstherolltodeterminehisGunnerySkillrating.
RANDOM MECHWARRIOR SKILLS TABLE Die Roll (1D) 1 2 3 4 5 6
Piloting Skill 6 6 5 5 4 4
Playing the Game
Die Roll (1D) 1 2 3 4 5 6
Gunnery Skill 4 4 4 4 3 3
11
SKILL IMPROVEMENT
CONSCIOUSNESS ROLLS
PlayersmaywanttousetheMechWarriorstheycreatein futurescenariosorinBattleTech campaigngames—assuming, ofcourse,thattheMechWarriorsurvivesthecurrentbattle. Thisisanoptionalrulethatshouldonlybeusedifallplayers agreeandwillallbekeepingtrackofskilladvancementfor theirforces. Inthiscase, playersshouldkeeptrackofExperiencePoints foreachMechWarriorwhosurvivesascenario.Eachwarriorwho survivesearns1ExperiencePoint.Inaddition,eachplayermust awardabonusExperiencePointtooneoftheMechWarriorson theenemyteamwhosurvivedthescenario(iftherewereany survivors),basedonhisopinionofwhichMechWarriorwasthe bravest,scoredthemostdamage,oranyotherdesiredcriteria. Aftereachscenario, anyMechWarriormayspendaccumulatedExperiencePointsonskillimprovement.ImprovingPiloting Skillcosts4points,whileimprovingGunnerySkillcosts8points. Eachimprovementreducestheimprovedskill’sratingby1. Classic BattleTech RPG (originallycalled MechWarrior, 3rd Edition) , theroleplayinggamefortheBattleTech universe,offers amorecomprehensivecharactercreationsystemandskill advancementthatcanbeusedinplaceoftheserules. Maimum Skill Ratings:Noskillratingcanbeimproved beyondaratingof0.
AMechWarriorcansurvivewithupto5pointsofdamage, buthemaybeknockedunconsciouslongbeforetakingthat muchdamage.EverytimetheMechWarriortakesapointof damage,theplayermustroll2D6attheendofthatphase,before makinganyPilotingSkillrolls, andconsulttheMechWarrior ConsciousnessTable.Thisrollismadeforeverypointofdamage taken,sointhecaseofanammunitionexplosion,thepilotwill maketwoconsecutiveconsciousnessrolls. Ifthedierollresultisequaltoorgreaterthantheconsciousnessnumber,theMechWarriorremainsconscious.Ifthe resultislessthantheconsciousnessnumber,theMechWarrior isknockedunconscious.TheBattleMechbecomesanimmobile target,unabletomove,fire,ortakeanyotheraction.Noequipment(exceptheatsinks)onthe’Mechfunctionsaslongasthe pilotisunconscious. Immobile Target:A’Mechwithanunconsciouspilotisan immobiletarget,andthereforemaybetargetedbyaimedshots asdescribedonpage28. Piloting Rolls:AnyPilotingSkillRollsthattheplayermust makefortheBattleMechwhilethepilotisunconsciousautomaticallyfail. Recovering Consciousness:DuringtheEndPhaseofeach turnfolllowingtheturninwhichtheMechWarriorlostconsciousness,theplayerrolls2D6.Iftheresultisequaltoorgreater thantheconsciousnessnumberfortheMechWarrior’scurrent degreeofdamage,theMechWarriorregainsconsciousness.The playerneednotrollagaintodetermineconsciousnessuntilthe MechWarriortakesnewdamage.AMechWarriorwhohastaken 6hitsisdeadandcannotregainconsciousness.
DAMAGING A MECHWARRIOR ThreetypesofdamagetoaBattleMechcanalsodamage theMechWarriorinside:headhits,falling,andinternalammunitionexplosions.Inaddition,excessiveheatbuildupcanresult indamagetotheMechWarrioriftheBattleMech’slifesupport systemtakesdamage. AMechWarriorcantake5pointsofdamagebeforedying fromhisinjuries. Head Hits TheMechWarriortakes1pointofdamagewheneverthe BattleMech’sheadishit,evenifthehitdoesnotpenetratethe ’Mech’sarmor. Falling IftheBattleMechfalls,theMechWarriormustmakeaPiloting SkillRoll.Ifhefailstheroll,thepilottakes1pointofdamage. Ammunition Explosions Aninternalammunitionexplosioncauses2pointsof damagetotheMechWarriorasaresultoftheelectricshockhe receivesthroughhisneurohelmet. Excess Heat Whenthelifesupportsystemshavetakenacriticalhit, theMechWarriorsuffers1pointofdamageeveryturnthatthe BattleMech’sinternalheatis15orhigherontheHeatScaleat theendoftheHeatPhase.Everyturnthattheheatis26orhighercauses2pointsofdamagetotheMechWarrior.
1
Playing the Game
In Turn 3, a Grasshopper takes a hit to the head from an attack with a medium laser. Though the laser does not penetrate the head’s protective armor, the Grasshopper’s pilot takes 1 point of damage. He took 2 points of damage in previous attacks, and so now has a total of 3 points of damage. The player consults the MechWarrior Consciousness Table and rolls a 6, 1 point less than his pilot needed to remain conscious. The Grasshopperwill not be able to move or fire during Turn 4. In the End Phase of Turn 4, the player rolls 2D6 again. If he rolls a 7 or higher, the MechWarrior regains consciousness, and his BattleMech will be able to move and fire normally during Turn 5.
MECHWARRIOR CONSCIOUSNESS TABLE Total Damage Point 1 2 3 4 5 6
Consciousness Number 3 5 7 10 11 Dead
mOVEmENT
attleMechschangetheirpositionandlocationonthe mapsheetbyperforminganyoneofseveralmovementsormovementactions.DuringtheMovement Phaseof eachturn, each playermustchooseone modeofmovement(walking,running,orjumping) thathisBattleMechwilluseduringthatturn. WhenitishisturntomoveaBattleMech, theplayermust announcewhatmovementmodeheisusing.Withinthelimitsof therules,theplayeralwayschooseshowaBattleMechmoves.
B
maynotentercertaintypesofterrain.Theseterraintypesand movementrestrictionsappearontheMovementCostTable. Level Change Whilemovingforward,aBattleMechmaychangelevelor depthbyonly1or2levelsperhex.(Thisruledoesnotapplyto ajumpingunit.See Jumping, p.15).Levelchangesgreaterthan theseareconsideredprohibitedterrain.
move Allowed
Minimum Movement ABattleMechmustpossesssufficientMP AsshownatthetopoftheMovementCost topaythecostofenteringeachnewhex.A Not Not Table,p.14,aBattleMechmustspend1moveBattleMechcan alwaysmoveintothe hex Allowed Allowed mentpoint(MP)toenterahex.Thetypeof directlyinfrontofitatthebeginningofthe terrainwithinahexaddsmoreMPcosts,as MovementPhase,however,regardlessofthetershownundertheMPCostPerHex/TerrainCost raincost,provideditistheonlyexpenditureofMP columnofthetable.Aunitcanalsotaketwo theBattleMechmakesinthatturn.Thiskindof Not Not otheractions—facingchangeandstanding movecanonlybemadeiftheBattleMechhas Allowed Allowed up—attheMPcostshownonthetable. atleast1MPtospend(i.e.,ismobile)andthe Thecontrollingplayeralwaysstartswitha BattleMechisnotprohibitedfromenteringthat move basecostof1MPforaBattleMechtoenteranew terrain.ABattleMechthatentersahexunderthese Allowed hex.TheplayerthenconsultstheMovementCostTable conditionsisconsideredtohaveusedrunningmovement. andaddsupMPrequired,basedonthetypeofhexbeing AproneBattleMechwithonly1MPavailablecanmakea enteredand/ortheactionbeingtaken.SuchadditionalmodisingleattempttostandusingtheMinimumMovementrule. fiersarecumulative. Water:Waterhexeshaveadepththatfunctionsinthesame Prone BattleMech Movement wayasalevel(seep.8),butinreverse.BattleMechsenteringWater ABattleMechthatisproneatthebeginningofitsmovehexesmustpaytheMPcostforenteringwater,plusthecostof mentmaydeclarewalkingorrunningmovementbutmaynot enteringthehex,plusthecostforthelevelchange(ifany). jump.The’MechcanuseitsMPtoattempttostand(seeStanding Difficult or Prohibited Terrain: Forsometerrain,aplayer Up,p.16).ThoughaproneBattleMechcannotcrawlintoanother mustmakeasuccessfulPilotingSkillRoll(seep.16)inorderto hex,itmaychangeitsfacinginthehexitoccupiesatthestanremainstandingonceitentersthatterrain.Also,aBattleMech dardcostof1MPperhexside.
MOVEMENT BASICS
Movement
13
MOVEMENT COST TABLE Movement Action/Terrain Type MP Cost Per Hex/Terrain Cost Cost to Enter Any Hex 1 TerrainCostWhenEnteringAnyNewHex Clear +0 Rough +1 Light Woods +1 Heavy Woods +2 Water Depth 0 +0 Depth 1 +11 Depth 2+ +31 LevelChange(upordown) 1 level +1 2 levels +2 3+ levels Prohibited2 MovementActions Facing Change 1/hexside Dropping to the Ground 1 Standing Up 2/attempt 1 MP cost to move along the bottom of the water hex; level change MP cost not included; Piloting Skill Roll required to prevent falling 2 BattleMechs may not change more than 2 levels in a single hex.
FACING Everyhexonthemaphassixedges,calledhexsides.In BattleTech, everyBattleMechmustbeorientedtofaceone ofthosesixhexsides.ABattleMechisconsideredtobefacing thewayitsfeetarepointing.ABattleMech’sfacingaffectsboth movement(seebelow)andcombat(seeCombat,p.19),andcan onlybechangedduringtheMovementPhase. Violations:BattleMechsnotclearlyfacingahexsidecan berealignedtooneofthetwoclosesthexsidesbytheopposingplayer.
FACING CHANGE Changing aBattleMech’s facingcosts 1MP perhexsidechanged.Forexample,a180-degreeturnwouldcosta BattleMech3MP. A player wants to move the BattleMech in the diagrams at left from Hex A to Hex B. The BattleMech is currently facing Hex C, however, and so cannot legally move to Hex B. If the BattleMech changes its facing, as shown in Figure 2, the BattleMech can now legally move into Hex B. This facing change costs 1 MP. If the player wanted to move the BattleMech into Hex D (without moving backward), the BattleMech would have to make a two-hexside facing change, at a cost of 2 MP. In the diagram to the left, the BattleMech in Hex A has 4 MP (walkLight ing) or 6 MP (running). Deth 1 The player declares that the BattleMech will walk Clear this turn. It will cost all 4 Level Deth of the BattleMech’s avail2 1 able MP to walk straight ahead into Hex B (1 MP) and then forward again into the Heavy Woods in Hex C (3 MP). It would cost all 4 MP for the BattleMech to move into Hex B (1 MP), then change its facing (1 MP) and move into the Light Woods in Hex D (2 MP). The BattleMech’s walking MP of 4 is not enough to get it to Hex E because it would have to move forward into Hex B (1 MP), then change its facing one hexside (1 MP), then enter the Depth 1 Water hex (2 MP), which would require an additional 1 MP for the level change (total 5 MP). Finally, if the player wanted to move his BattleMech from Hex A directly to Hex F, he would first have to change facing (1 MP), and then, after climbing 2 levels (2 MP), enter the open terrain (1 MP).
Heavy
MOVEMENT DIRECTION ABattleMechcanmoveforwardintothehexitisfacingor backwardintothehexdirectlytoitsrear.Itcannotmoveintoany otherhexunlessitfirstchangesitsfacing(seeFacing, below). ThediagrambelowshowsthetwohexesthataBattleMechmay enterwithoutchangingitsfacing. Backward Movement Duringthecourseofitsmovement,a BattleMechcan moveforward,backwardandchangedirectioninanymanner theplayerchooses, aslongas theBattleMechpossessesthe requirednumberofMovementPoints.ABattleMechmaynot, however,runbackward. Level Change:BattleMechsmovingbackwardmaynot changelevels.
MOVEMENT MODES AtthebeginningofeachBattleMech’smovement,aplayermustselectoneofthefollowingmovementmodesforhis BattleMech.ABattleMechmaynotcombinemovementmodes duringaturn.
1
Movement
BattleMechsmustbestandingatthestartoftheturnin ordertojump.WhenaBattleMechjumps,itcanmove1hexfor IftheplayerdeclaresthattheBattleMechwillstandstill, everyavailableJumpMP.Itmayjumpinanydirection,regardtheBattleMechstaysinthehexinwhichitstartedtheturn.It lessofitsoriginalfacing.Theplayerchoosesatargethexforthe mayexpendnoMPduringtheturn.Itdoesnotmoveatall,not BattleMechtojumpinto,thentheBattleMechtravelstothathex eventochangefacing.Standingstillgeneratesnoheat,gives alongtheshortestpossibleroute.ABattleMechcanjumpover nopenaltytoweaponsfire,andallowsattackerstofireonthe andintoanyhex,regardlessofterraintype.Ifthispathcrossesa BattleMechwithouttargetmovementpenalties. levelhigherthanthesumoftheBattleMech’sJumpMPplusthe levelofthehexthejumpstartedin,thentheBattleMechcannot WALKING makethejump.Ifthereismorethanonepossiblepathbetween IftheplayerdeclaresthattheBattleMechwillwalk,the theBattleMechanditsgoalhex,theplayermaydeclarewhich BattleMechmayexpendanumberofMPuptoitswalkingMP pathhisBattleMechtakes. rating.AwalkingBattleMechsuffersasmallpenaltytoitstoWater:Jumpjetscannotbefiredwhilesubmergedin hitnumberwhenfiringweapons.Asamovingtarget,awalkwater,soa’MechstandinginDepth2ordeeperwatercaningBattleMechmayalsobehardertohit.Thesecombateffects notjump.Ifa ’MechisstandinginDepth1water, itmaynot appearontheappropriateTo-HitModifierTablesintheCombat firejumpjetslocatedinitslegs,butitmayuseanyjetslocated section,p.19 , andareexplainedthere. inthetorso,eachoneproviding1JumpingMP.Forexample,a Heat:Walkingcreates1pointofheatforBattleMechs. ’MechwithaJumpingMPof5thathasonejumpjetineachleg andeachtorsolocationmayonlyuse3MPwhenjumpingout RUNNING ofDepth1water. ABattleMechcanmovefurtherinaturnwhenrunCritical Damage: BattleMechs that jump with ningthanitcanwalking.Theplayermayspenduptothe destroyedhiporlegactuatorsoradamagedgyro RunningMPratingoftheBattleMecheachturn. Level 7 mustmakeaPilotingSkillRolltoavoidfalling ABattleMechthatisrunningsufferspenalwhentheyland.(SeePiloting Skill Rolls,p.16). tiestoitsto-hitnumberwhenfiringweapDeth 1 Clear Heat:Jumpinggeneratesagreat ons,butitsspeedmaymakethe dealofheat,costing1HeatPoint BattleMech a more difficult path 1 for every hex jumped with targettohit.Theseeffectsare path 2 aminimumcostof3Heat explainedinthe Combat secpath 3 Points.EvenifaBattleMech tion,p.19. onlyjumps1hex,itbuildsup Backward Movement: 3HeatPointsforthatjump. NoBattleMechcanmovebackwardwhilerunning. Deth 1 The BattleMech in Hex A of Water: NoBattleMech can the diagram above has a Jumping MP of enterWaterhexesofDepth1ordeeper 6. The BattleMech jumps to Hex B, 4 hexes whilerunning,thougharunningBattleMech away. Because the BattleMech is using jump mayleaveorchangefacinginaWaterhex. movement, it spends only 1 MP for every hex that it Heat: RunningcreatesmoreheatforaBattleMech(2Heat moves, ignoring all terrain costs for the hexes it passes Pointsperturn)thanwalkingdoes. over and for the hex in which it lands. As it lands, the playMP Reduction:CertaindamagetoaBattleMechmay er can face the BattleMech in any direction he chooses at reduceitsWalkingMPrating.Whensuchdamageoccurs,the no extra cost. To reach Hex B with the facing shown by BattleMech’srunningspeedmustberecalculated.Aunit’s walking or running, the BattleMech would have had to RunningMPratingisalwaysequaltoitsWalkingMPtimes1.5, spend at least 13 MP. roundingup. The BattleMech could have jumped into Hex B by Critical Damage: Aftertheendofitsmovement,a'Mech at least three paths, as indicated on the diagram. Path thatrunswithdamagedhipactuatorsorgyrosmustmakea 1 cannot be chosen because a hill in the intervening terPilotingSkillRolltoavoidfalling.(SeePiloting Skill Rolls,p.16). rain has a level of 7 and the ’Mech has a Jump MP rating of 6, but the player still could have chosen Path 2 or 3. If JUMPING the level of Hex A was 1 or higher, then the ’Mech could NotallBattleMechscanjump.Ajump-capableBattleMech have traveled to its destination along Path 1, because willbelistedashavingJumpingMP.Jumpingallowsthemost the unit’s Jump MP (6) plus the level of the starting hex flexibilityinmovement,butgeneratesagreatdealofheat. (1) would equal or exceed the level of the intervening Jumpingalsomakesithardertofireweaponsaccurately,buta hilly terrain. jumpingBattleMechmakesamoredifficulttargetthanarunningorwalkingBattleMech.Theseeffectsareexplainedinthe Combat section,p.19.
STANDING STILL
Movement
15
MOVEMENT ACTIONS BattleMechsmaytakeseveralmovementactionsaside fromsimplymovingforwardandbackwardacrossterrain,as describedbelow.
FACING CHANGE EveryhexsidebywhichaBattleMechchangesitsfacing costs1MP.SeeFacing, p.14.
DROPPING TO THE GROUND AplayermaychoosetohavehisBattleMechdroptothe groundduringcombat.Usually,hewilldothisattheendof movementtohideormakeattacksagainsttheBattleMech moredifficult. Thisactioncreatesnoadditionalheat, causesnofalling damage,andcosts1MP.TheBattleMechdropswiththesame facingithadwhilestandingandisautomaticallyfacedown,as inanunintentionalfall(seeFalling, p.18).The’Mechisthereafter consideredprone,andtoregainitsfeetitmustattempttostand asdescribedinStanding Up.
STANDING UP TheplayermaychoosetohaveaBattleMechattempt toregainitsfeetafterfallingordroppingtotheground.Each attempttostandcosts2MP.ABattleMechmaystandduring thesameturnthatitfell,aslongasitstillhassufficientMPto maketheattemptandwasnotjumpingthatturn.BattleMechs mayonlyattempttostandduringtheMovementPhase.A BattleMechmayattempttostandevenifmissingonelegorone orbotharms. IfaBattleMechbeginstheMovementPhaseprone,itmust declarewhetheritwillwalkorrunbeforeitattemptstostand. ForafallenBattleMechtostandup,theplayermustmake asuccessfulPilotingSkillRoll(seebelow).Iftheattemptisnot successful,theBattleMechfallsagain,takingfallingdamage. Theunitmaymakerepeatedattemptstostandaslongasithas MovementPointsavailable. OncetheBattleMechsuccessfullystands, itmayfacein anydirection(atnocost),regardlessofitsfacingwhileon theground,andmayeitherwalkorrunusinganyremaining MovementPoints. Heat:Eachattempttostandcreates1pointofheat. Minimum Movement:AproneBattleMechwithonly1MP availableatthebeginningofitsturnmaymakeoneattempt tostandusingtheMinimum Movement exceptionnotedin Movement Basics,p.13.
STACKING DuringtheMovementPhase,aBattleMechmaymove through hexesoccupied by other friendly BattleMechs, butitmaynotmovethroughahexoccupiedbyanenemy BattleMech.ItalsomaynotenditsmovementinahexoccupiedbyanotherBattleMech. ItisimportanttonotethatwhileonlyoneBattleMechcan occupyahex,itdoesnotactuallytakeuptheentirehex.A30-
1
Movement
meter-widehexoffersplentyofroomfora12-meter-tall’Mech tomovearoundandavoidfire.Simplyput,aBattleMechtacticallycontrolsthehexitoccupies,butdoesnotphysicallyfillit.
ACCIDENTAL VIOLATION IfaBattleMechinadvertentlyviolatesthestackingrules, theresultisafallasdescribedinthe Domino Effect rule,p.37. Themostcommonsituationinwhichthiswilloccuriswhena BattleMechmovesintoahexwithafriendlyBattleMechthat hasterrainthatrequiresaPilotingSkillRoll,andtheplayerfails theroll.IftheBattleMechthatfellcannotmanagetostandup andmoveoutofthehex,aDominoEffectfallwillresult.
PILOTING SKILL ROLLS PlayersmustmakePilotingSkillRollsfortheirMechWarriors underavarietyoftreacherouscircumstances,usuallytoavoid falling.AlloftheeventsthatrequireaPilotingSkillRollarelisted onthePilotingSkillRollTableonp.17 .
MAKING PILOTING SKILL ROLLS ThePilotingSkillRollTableliststheeventsthatrequire aplayer tomakea PilotingSkillRollforhisBattleMech’s MechWarrior.Eachtimeoneoftheseeventsoccurs,theplayer addsthefollowingmodifierstohisMechWarrior’sPilotingSkill: allindicatedmodifiersfortheeventplusadditionalmodifiers fromanyothereventstakingplaceinthesamephase,including thoselistedunderPre-existingDamageonthePilotingSkillRoll Table.TheresultingnumberistheModifiedPilotingSkill. TomakethePilotingSkillRoll,theplayerrolls2D6.Ifthe resultisequaltoorgreaterthantheModifiedPilotingSkill,the BattleMechavoidsfalling.IftheresultislessthantheModified PilotingSkill,theBattleMechfalls. Movement Phase:PilotingSkillRollsrequiredbecauseof movement(enteringwater,tryingtostandup,avoidingfalling damage,andsoon)mustbemadeimmediatelyfollowingthe action.MultiplerollsmayberequiredduringtheBattleMech’s movementforaturn.Forexample,ifaBattleMechismovingthrough3hexesofDepth1water,theplayermustmakea PilotingSkillRollwhentheBattleMechenterseachofthethree Waterhexes. IftheBattleMechfallsduringtheMovementPhaseandhas atleast2MPremaining,itmayattempttoregainitsfeetthatturn. Weapon Attack Phase: AllPilotingSkillRollsrequired becauseofweaponsattacksmustbemadeattheendofthe WeaponAttackPhaseoftheturn.NotethataBattleMechonly makesonePilotingSkillRollfortaking20+DamagePointsin asinglephase,regardlessofhowmanypointsofdamageover 20ittakes.Allweaponsattacksareresolvedbeforetheplayers makeanyrequiredPilotingSkillRolls.BattleMechsthatfallduringtheWeaponAttackPhasebegintheturn’sPhysicalAttack Phaseinaproneposition. Physical Attack Phase: AllPilotingSkillRollsrequired becauseofphysicalattacksaremadeattheendofthePhysical AttackPhase.Resolveallphysicalattacksbeforemakingany PilotingSkillRolls.
PILOTING SKILL ROLL TABLE BattleMech’s Situation Damage to BattleMech BattleMech takes 20+ Damage Points in one phase BattleMech reactor shuts down Leg/foot actuator destroyed Hip actuator destroyed Gyro hit Gyro destroyed Leg destroyed Physical Attacks on BattleMech BattleMech was kicked BattleMech was pushed BattleMech was successfully charged/death from above attack Unit’s Actions BattleMech missed kick BattleMech makes a successful charging attack BattleMech made death from above attack BattleMech entering Depth 1 Water hex BattleMech entering Depth 2 Water hex BattleMech entering Depth 3+ Water hex BattleMech attempting to stand BattleMech j umping with damaged gyro or leg/foot/hip actuators BattleMech jumping with destroyed leg BattleMech running with damaged hip or gyro Special Case MechWarrior tr ying to avoid damage when his BattleMech is falling Pre-eisting Damage Per leg/foot actuator previously destroyed Per hip actuator previously destroyed Gyro previously hit Leg previously destroyed
Modifier +1 +3 1 +1 +2 +3 Automatic Fall 2 Automatic Fall 3 0 0 +2 0 +2 +4 4 –1 0 +1 0 per Preexisting Damage, below per Preexisting Damage, below per Preexisting Damage, below +1/level fallen 7
+1 +2 5 +3 +5 6
1 Only during the turn that the reactor shuts down. If the MechWarrior must make a Piloting Skill Roll for a ’Mech with a shut-down reactor, the BattleMech automatically falls; in either case, if the 'Mech falls, the warrior automatically takes 1 point of damage. 2 The modifier for a destroyed gyro is +6 whe n making a Piloting Skill Roll to avoid damaging the MechWarrior during an automatic fall. 3 The modifier for a destroyed leg is +5 when making a Piloting Skill Roll to avoid damaging the MechWarrior during an automatic fall. 4 Automatic fall if death from above attack is unsuccessful. 5 Ignore all modifiers from previous critical hits on that leg. 6 Do not add modifiers for other damaged actuators in the leg. 7For purposes of falling, a 'Mech only rises 1 level above the underlying terrain.
During the Weapon Attack Phase, a BattleMech whose MechWarrior has a Piloting Skill of 5 takes 40 points of damage and loses 2 leg actuators. The player makes one Piloting Skill Roll for taking 20 or more points of damage, and two more for losing 2 leg actuators. The modified Piloting Skill Target Number for each of the three rolls is 8 [5 (Piloting Skill) + 1 (20+ points of damage) + 1 (damaged leg actuator) +1 (damaged leg actuator)].
During the Physical Attack Phase, the same BattleMech is kicked in the leg by two other BattleMechs, in the process losing another actuator and taking 23 more points of damage. The player must make four more Piloting Skill Rolls: two for being kicked t wice, one for losing a leg actuator, and one for the 23 points of damage. The modified Piloting Skill Target Number for each of the four rolls is 9 [5 (Piloting Sk ill) + 2 (existing actuator damage) + 1 (another damaged leg actuator) + 1 (20+ points of damage)].
Movement
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FALLING WhenaBattleMechfalls,themachinewillalwayssuffer damageanditspilotmaysufferdamageaswell.Theamount ofdamagetakenbytheBattleMechdependsonitsweightand thedistanceitfalls.WhetherornottheMechWarriorsuffersan injurydependsonaPilotingSkillRoll. Determining Location After a Fall TodeterminethelocationofaBattleMechafterafall,the playersmustusetheirjudgmentandthefollowingguidelines tocreateareasonableoutcome.Locationafterafallshouldbe determinedbytheactionthatcreatedthefall. Ingeneral,whenaBattleMechfallswhilemovingfromone leveltoanother,theBattleMechwillfallintothelowerofthe twohexes.IfthefalloccursduringtheMovementPhaseonlevel ground,theBattleMechfallsinthehexitwasentering.Ifafall occursbecauseofweaponsfire,aphysicalattack,oranyother reasonrelatedtocombat,theBattleMechfallsinthehexitcurrentlyoccupies. TofindthenumberoflevelstheBattleMechfell,subtract thelevelofthehexintowhichtheBattleMechfellfromthelevel ofthehexfromwhichitfell. Collisions: IfaBattleMechfallsintoahexoccupiedby anotherBattleMech,thesecondBattleMechmightalsotakedamagedependingonhowtheBattleMechfalls.IftheBattleMech fellfromahex2ormorelevelsabovethelandinghex,usethe Accidental Falls from Aboverules,p.37. IftheBattleMechfellfrom ahexonly1or0levelshigher,usetheDomino Effect rules,p.37. Facing After a Fall WhenaBattleMechfalls,ittakesdamageanditsfacing maychange.ThisfacingchangedeterminestheBattleMechHit LocationTableusedwhenassigningdamagefromthefall. Todeterminetheunit’sfacingafterthefallandthearea oftheBattleMechthattakesdamagefromthefall,roll1D6and consulttheFacingAfteraFallTable. AfallenBattleMechliesproneandfacedown. BattleMechs thatfallontheirsidesorbackautomaticallyrollovertolieon theirfrontsaftertakingdamage.
The BattleMech in the diagram was entering a Water hex and failed its Piloting Skill Roll. The player rolls 1D6 with a result of 3 and consults the Facing After a Fall Table. The BattleMech is now facing 2 hexsides to the right (clockwise) of its original facing and takes the damage from the fall on its right side (note that since the ’Mech fell in water, it only takes half the normal damage from falling, see below). It is now prone and face down in the Water hex.
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Movement
FACING AFTER A FALL TABLE Die Roll (1D) 1 2 3 4 5 6
New Facing Same Direction 1 Hexside Right 2 Hexsides Right Opposite Direction 2 Hexsides Left 1 Hexside Left
Hit Location Front Right Side Right Side Rear Left Side Left Side
Falling Damage to a B attleMech ABattleMechalwaystakesdamagefromafallequalto1 pointforevery10tonsthattheBattleMechweighs(rounding up)timesthenumberoflevelsplus1thattheBattleMechfell.If itfallsintoaWaterhex,treattheWaterhexasaLevel0hexand applyonlyhalftheresultingdamage(roundingup). Dividethedamageintogroupingsof5pointseach:in otherwords,formasmany5-pointgroupsaspossible,assigning anyremainingpointstoonesmallergroup,anddetermineahit locationforeachgroup.Forexample,aBattleMechthatsuffers 33pointsoffallingdamagetakessixgroupsof5-pointhitsand one3-pointhit.Todeterminethelocationofthedamage,use theappropriatecolumnoftheBattleMechHitLocationTable,p. 28 inCombat,asspecifiedbytheFacingAfteraFallTable. IfthefalloccursduringtheMovementPhase,resolvethe damageasithappens. A Grasshopper in a Level 1 hex attempts to stand during the Movement Phase. The MechWarrior fails his Piloting Skill Roll, and the BattleMech falls again into the same hex. The BattleMech fell from a Level 1 to a Level 1 hex (the same one) and so fell 0 levels. The player rolls a 1 on the Facing After a Fall Table and finds that the BattleMech landed on its face. It takes the falling damage on its front. The Grasshopper suffers 7 points of damage (70 tons divided by 10 is 7; the number of levels fallen plus 1 equals 1; 7 x 1 = 7). These 7 points are divided into one group of 5 and one of 2. The player then uses the Front column of the BattleMech Hit Location Table to determine the location of the damage. Falling Damage to the MechWarrior TodetermineifthepilottookdamagewhentheBattleMech fell,theplayermakesasecondPilotingSkillRollaftereveryfall. First,applyallstandardmodifierstothetargetnumber,then addanadditional+1totheMechWarrior’sPilotingSkilltarget numberforeverylevelfallen.Ifthedierollresultisequaltoor greaterthanthismodifiedPilotingSkilltargetnumber,thenthe MechWarrioravoidedtakinganydamage.Ifthedierollresultis less,theMechWarriortakes1pointofdamage.
COmBAT
A
ftertheplayerscompletetheMovementPhaseofthe turn,BattleMechsengageincombat.BattleMechs usetwoformsofcombat:weaponattacksandphysicalattacks.BattleMechsmakeweaponattacksusing armamentssuchasmissiles,lasersandautocannons. Forphysicalattacks,theBattleMechsusetheirownmassive weighttoinflictdamageontargets. In BattleTech, bothweaponandphysicalattacksfirstinflict damageon theouterarmorthatprotectseveryBattleMech. Whenanattackorseriesofattacksdestroysallofalocation’s ArmorPoints,anyremainingdamageaffectstheinternalstructureoftheBattleMechinthatlocation.EveryattackthatdamagesaBattleMech’sinternalstructuremayresultinacritical hitthatcanknockoutaweaponormovementsystem,oreven destroytheBattleMechcompletely.
ATTACK DECLARATION As described in Playing the Game(p.19),allattacksare declaredbeforeanyareresolved.Onlythoseweaponattacksthat weredeclaredduringweaponattackdeclarationareresolvedin theWeaponAttackPhase.Likewise,onlythosephysicalattacks declaredduringphysicalattackdeclarationareresolvedin thePhysicalAttackPhase.Allattacksthataredeclaredmust beresolved,eveniftheintendedtargetisdestroyedbeforeall attacksagainstithavebeenmade(thoughanattackmaybe abortediftheModifiedTo-HitNumberisgreaterthan12;see Modified To-Hit Number, p.23).Likewise,attacksthatwerenot declaredcannotbemade,eveniftheopportunitypresentsitself duringthecourseofplay.
Combat
1
TORSO TWIST
INTERVENING TERRAIN
AspartofeachBattleMech’sweaponattackdeclaration,the playerscantwistthetorsosoftheirBattleMechs.Thistwistlasts fortheremainderoftheturn,affectingfiringarcsforboththe WeaponAttackandPhysicalAttackPhases.Thetorsoreturnsto itsforwardpositionintheEndPhase. ABattleMechcantwistitstorsoonehexside(60degrees) totheleftorrightofthedirectioninwhichitsfeetarepointing. ThisnewalignmentmodifiesaBattleMech’supperbodyfiring arcasdescribedinFiring Arcs, p.22. Formovementandhitlocationpurposes,however,theBattleMechisstillconsideredtobe facinginitspre-twistdirection.
TerrainalongtheLOSbetweentheattackerandthetarget thatisactuallyintheLOS(notincludingthehexesoccupiedby theattackerandtarget)iscalled interveningterrain.Theterrain ofthehexesalongtheLOSbetweentheattackerandtarget mayormaynotinterveneinLOS,dependingonitslevelrelativetotheattackerandtarget.Likewise,featuresoftheterrain inthehexesalongtheLOSbetweentheattackerandtarget (water,woods,andsoon)mayormaynotactuallyintervenein LOS,dependingontheirlevelrelativetotheattackerandtarget.Onlyfeaturesoftheterrainthathavelevels,suchastrees, canactuallyinterveneinLOS.Forexample,roughterrainwould notbeintervening,thoughthehexcontainingtherough mightbe.Usethefollowingguidelinestodetermineifterrainis intervening. TerrainalongtheLOSbetweentwoBattleMechsisinterveningif: •Theleveloftheterrainorfeatureisequaltoorhigherthan thelevelofbothunits;or •Theterrainorfeatureisadjacenttotheattackerandequal toorhigherthantheattacker'slevel;or •Theterrainorfeatureisadjacenttothetargetandequal toorhigherthanthetarget'slevel.
LINE OF SIGHT Inordertomakeanattackagainstatarget, theremustbea clearlineofsight(LOS)betweentheattackerandtheintended target.TheLOSbetweentwoBattleMechsisdefinedbyastraight linerunningfromthecenteroftheattackingBattleMech’shex tothecenterofthetargetBattleMech’shex.Anyhexesthatthis linepassesthrougharealongtheLOS,evenifthelinebarely crossesahex.IftheLOSpassesexactlybetweentwohexes,itis uptotheplayerofthetargetedBattleMechtodecidewhichof thetwohexestheLOSpassesthrough. ThehexescontainingtheattackingandtargetBattleMechs arenotconsideredindeterminingLOS,andtheyneverinterveneorinterferewithLOSinanyway(however,see Water Hexes, p.21 foranexceptiontothisrule). Adjacent BattleMechs: BattleMechsin adjacenthexesalwayshaveLOSto eachother.However,ifaBattleMech isunderwaterandaBattleMechin anadjacenthexisnot,thenLOSis blocked
LEVEL Ahex’slevelismarkedonthe map.Hexeswithlevelshigherthan0 Level 2 Level 1 arealsoreferredtoashills.Hexeswith levelslowerthan0arealsoreferred toassinkholes.AllaffectLOSinthe sameway.Hexeswhoselevelscannot Level 1 bedeterminedshouldbeassumedto beLevel0. Woods: Woodsrise2levelsabovethelevels ofthehextheyarein.BattleMechsoccupyingWoodshexesare standingontheunderlyingterrain,notontopofthetrees. Water:WaterhexesdescendtoaspecificDepthlevel,but thesurfaceofthewaterisequaltotheheightofthesurrounding terrain.TheDepthisthelevelofthebottomofthebodyofwater, notitssurface.Thismeansthatwaterintervenesforpurposesof lineofsightasifitisequaltotheheightofthesurroundingterrain,whileaBattleMechinthewaterstandsonthebottom,at theDepthlevelofthehex. BattleMechs: StandingBattleMechsrise2levelsabove thelevel ofthehextheyarein for purposes ofLOS.Prone BattleMechsrise1levelabovethelevelofthehextheyarein.
0
Combat
Effects of Intervening Terrain InterveningterrainhasthefollowingeffectsonLOS. Hills:Interveninglevels(hills)blockLOS. Light Woods: ThreeormorehexesofinterveningLightWoodsblockLOS.Onehex ofinterveningLightWoodscombined Level 1 withoneormorehexesofintervening HeavyWoodswillalsoblockLOS. Heavy Woods: Twoormorehexes ofinterveningHeavyWoodsblockLOS. OnehexofinterveningHeavyWoods combinedwithoneormorehexesof interveningLightWoodswillalsoblock LOS. Water:Interveningwaterblocks LOSunlessboththeattackerandtargetarecompletelysubmergedandno otherterrainintervenes.Seealso Water Hexes, p.21 , andPartial Cover, p.21. BattleMechs:InterveningBattleMechshave noeffectonLOSorattacks. The diagram above illustrates some of the principles governing line of sight. The BattleMech in Hex A wants to make an attack this turn. It is standing in a Level 0 hex, therefore it is considered to be at Level 2 for purposes of LOS. Checking LOS for the BattleMech in Hex A to the other ’Mechs shown, we find the following conditions: ’Mech A has clear LOS to the ’Mech in Hex B, because the Level 2 hill in the hex occupied by the target does not apply when checking LOS. Line of sight to the ’Mech in Hex C is blocked by that same hill, however, because it is inter-
vening and equal to or higher than both the attacker and the target. LOS to the ’Mech in Hex D passes directly between a Clear hex and a Light Woods hex. The target player chooses for the LOS to be affected by the light woods. This choice does not block LOS, however, because the heavy woods in the target hex are not intervening, and therefore have no effect on LOS. LOS to the ’Mech in Hex E passes through a Level 1 hill and one hex of light woods, so it is not blocked. The ’Mech in Hex F is standing on a Level 1 hill, making its total Level 3. None of the woods between the units in Hexes A and F are equal to or higher than both units. The light woods adjacent to Level 1 Hex A are equal to or higher than the ’Mech in Hex A, so those woods are intervening. The heavy woods adjacent to Hex F are not equal to or higher than the ’Mech in Hex F, so those woods are not intervening. This means only one hex of Light Level 2 Woods intervenes, so there is a clear LOS between the units. The LOS to the ’Mech in Hex G is blocked because there are three Light Woods hexes intervening. You can use the diagram to practice finding LOS with the other units. Try to determine how many targets each unit can see, and compare your results to the correct results that follow: Hex B has 6 targets, Hex C has 5 targets, Hex D has 5 targets, Hex E has 6 targets, Hex F has 6 targets, and Hex G has 4 targets.
PARTIAL COVER OnlyastandingBattleMechcanreceivepartialcoverfrom terrain.Toreceivepartialcover,a'Mechmustbeadjacenttoa hexonelevelhigherthantheleveloftheunderlyinghexit occupies,andthathexmustliebetweenitandtheattacking unit.Forexample,a'MechstandingonLevel0terrainisatLevel 2fordeterminingLOS.AnadjacentLevel1hexlyingbetween theattackerandthetargetwouldprovidepartialcover.ThefiringunitmustalsohaveanLOSlevelequaltoorlowerthanthe defendingunits'sLOSlevelinorderforthetargettoreceivepartialcover.Inotherwords,anattackerfiringdownhill(regardless ofhowmanyhexesliebetweenattackerandtarget)negatesits target'spartialcover. Theinterveninglevelcanbeahill;a'Mechdoesnotreceive partialcoverfromwoods.PartialcoverdoesnotblockLOS,butit addsa+1modifiertotheattacker'sto-hitnumber.Theattackis thenresolvednormally,butifthehitlocationrollindicatesaleg, theattackstrikesthecoverinstead(see To-Hit Modifiers,p.23).
WATER HExES ADepth1Waterhexprovidespartialcoverforastanding BattleMechoccupyingthathex.Becausethewatersurrounds the’Mech,thepartialcoverapplieseveniftheattackerisat ahigherlevelthanthetarget.Depth2ordeeperwatercompletelyblocksLOStoandfromtheBattleMechstandinginthat hex,whileLOSisblockedtoaprone’MechinDepth1ordeeperwater. The diagram at left illustrates some examples of par tial cover. BattleMechs C and D have partial cover from Deth 1 BattleMech A because each is adjacent to a hex with is one level below its own LOS height, along the LOS from BattleMech A. BattleMech A has no LOS to ’Mech B because it is standing in Depth 1 water, making the Level 1 hill higher than its level. No BattleMechs have parLevel 2 Level 3 tial cover from ’Mech B, though LOS is blocked to ’Mech A. Only ’Mech B has partial cover from ’Mech D. Though there is a Level 2 hill Level 2 adjacent to ’Mech C along the LOS, it doesn’t provide partial cover because ’Mech D has a higher level than ’Mech C. Level 1 Since ’Mech B is in water, it has partial cover against ’Mech D even though ’Mech D is uphill. The ’Mechs in Hexes B and D have partial cover from the ’Mech in Hex C. Even though ’Mech B is lower than ’Mech C, the water still provides partial cover.
WEAPON ATTACKS D ur in g t he We ap on A t ta ck P h as e, p la ye rs u se t h ei r BattleMechs’armamentstoattempttoinflictdamageontargets. ForoneBattleMechtofireatanother,theattackingBattleMech musthaveaclearlineofsighttothetarget,andthetargetmust bewithintherangeandfiringarcoftheweaponstheattacking playerwishestouse.Theattackingplayerthencalculatesthe likelihoodofashothittingthetargetbasedontherangetothe target,movementofthetargetandattacker,interveningterrain, andotherfactors. PlayersfireeachweapononaBattleMechindividually,and canfireasmanyorasfewoftheirBattleMech’sweaponsatthe targetastheywish,withintherestrictionsdescribedbelow. Unlessotherwisestatedintherules,eachweaponmaybefired onlyonceperturn. Iftheattackhitsthetarget,theattackingplayerdetermines thedamagelocation,andthetargetplayerrecordstheresulton thedamagedBattleMech’srecordsheet. Notethattherulesforweaponattacksprovidegeneral rulesforfiringarcs,inflictingdamage,andcriticalhits.These rulesalsoapplytophysicalattacks(p.32).
AMMUNITION ExPENDITURE BattleMechscarryalimitedamountofammunitionformissilelaunchers,machineguns,autocannonsandotherballistic
Combat
1
andmissileweapons.WeaponsthatrequireammunitionindicatethenumberofshotsavailableforthatweaponintheAmmo columnoftheWeaponsandEquipmentTable(p.60 ).Notethat a“shot”inthiscaserepresentsasingleuseoftheweapon,nota singlemissileorroundofammunition.Forexample,anLRM-20 withonetonofammohassixshots,sotheweaponcanbefired sixtimes,eachshotlaunchingtwentymissiles.Amachinegun withatonofammocanbefired200times.Everytimeoneof theseweaponsisfired,ashotofammoisexpended. TherecordsheetforeachBattleMechindicatestheavailablenumberofshotsforeachweaponintheactualcritical slot(s)ontheCriticalHitTable.Theplayershouldkeepatally ofshotsfiredusingtheCriticalHitTable,makingahashmark (whentheattackisdeclared)nexttotheappropriateammoslot everytimehefiresthecorrespondingweapon.Whenthenumberofmarksequalstheamountofammocarriedinthatslot, thatbinisempty.IfnootherbinsintheBattleMechcarrythat typeofammo,theweaponisoutofammunitionandcannot befiredfortherestofthegame.Eachweaponcandrawammo fromanyammobinthatcarriestheexactsametypeofammunition.Theammoneednotbecarriedinthesamelocationas theweapon.Forexample,anLRM15intheleftarmcoulduse LRM15ammocarriedinanylocation,butcouldnotuseLRM5, 10,or20ammo.
FIRING ARCS IfanattackingBattleMechhasLOStoitsintendedtarget,theattackingplayercanthencheckthefiringarcsofhis BattleMech’sweaponstoseewhichweaponscanhitthetarget. Therearefourfiringarcs:theforwardarc,leftsidearc,rightside arc,andreararc.Thefollowingdiagramsillustratetheboundariesforeacharc.Todeterminetheexactboundariesoftheforward,leftsideandrightsidefiringarcs,drawstraightlinesfrom thefiringunitthroughHexesAandB,asshownintheappropriatediagram.Thefiringarcincludesthehexesbetweenthetwo lines,aswellasthehexesthroughwhichtheselinespass. (Notethatthefollowingfiringarcsextendfromthefiring unittotheedgeoftheplayingarea.ThemaximumrangesfordifferentweaponsaredescribedontheWeaponsandEquipment Table,p.60).
FORWARD ARC Weapons mounted in the three forward t o rs o l o c at i on s , t h e Forward Arc l eg s, o r t he h ea d o f a BattleMech mayfire only attargetsintheforwardarc.Armmountedweaponsmayfireintothe forwardarcplustheappropriatesidearc. Leg-Mounted Weapons: Leg-mountedweaponsmay notfirethroughahexthatprovidesthefiring’Mechwithpartial cover.
Combat
LEFT SIDE ARC Weaponsmounted intheleftarmmay fireattargetsinthe leftsidearcandforwardarc.
c A r m r A f t L e c r A e d i S t f e L
RIGHT SIDE ARC Weapons mounted in the right arm mayfireattargetsintherightsidearcand forwardarc.
REAR ARC We a p o n s R i g h t A mountedinanyof r m A r c the three rear torso locations may only fire into the rear arc. R i g Weaponsmayalsoberearh t mountedontheheadandlegs.All S i d rear-mountedweaponsareindicated e A byan(R)ona’Mech’srecordsheetandmay r c onlyfireattargetsintherearfiringarc. Todeterminetheboundariesofa’Mech’s reararc,drawa straightlinestartinginHexAandpassingthroughHexB,and anotherlinestartinginHexAandpassingthroughHexCon theRearArcDiagram.Therearfiringarc includesthe hexesbetween the two lines,aswellasthehexesthroughwhich theselinespass. Leg-Mounted Weapons:Legmountedweaponsmaynot firethroughahexthatproRear Arc videsthefiring’Mechwith partialcover.
ROTATING THE FIRING ARCS Duringweaponattackdeclaration,BattleMechscanrotate theirtorsoonehexsidetotheleftorrightwhilekeepingtheir feetpointedstraightahead.ThismeansthataBattleMechcan moveinonedirectionwhilefiringinanother.ABattleMech’s upper-bodyfiringarcsaredeterminedbythedirectionin whichitstorsoisturned,notbythe’Mech’sfacing;leg-mountedweaponfiringarcs,includingkickattacks,arealwaysaligned withthefeet. WhentheBattleMech’storsorotates, allupper-bodyfiring arcsrotatewithitasshowninthediagramonthenextpage. Prone ’Mechs: Prone’Mechsmaynottwisttheirtorsos.
FIRING WEAPONS AfteraplayerhasdeterminedthatatargetiswithinLOS andhasdeterminedthefiringarcofhisweapons,theBattleMech maymakeaweaponattack.Theplayercountstherangeinhexes tothetargettodeterminethebaseto-hitnumberfortheattack. Foreachweaponhewillfire,theplayerdeterminesiftheshotis
Torso Forward
Torso Twisted Left
Torso Twisted Right
moreorlessdifficultthannormalbyfactoringinterrain,movementandotherconditions.Thesefactorswilladdmodifiersto thebaseto-hitnumbertocreateamodifiedto-hitnumber.The moredifficulttheshotisbecauseofdistance,concealmentby terrainormovement,thehigherthemodifiedto-hitnumber. Theplayerthenrolls2D6toseeiftheattackhitsthetarget.Ifthe resultisequaltoorgreaterthanthemodifiedto-hitnumber,the attackhitsitstarget.Ifthefiredweaponrequiresammunition, theplayermarksoffoneshotofammunition. Eachweaponmaybefiredonlyonceperturn.
BASE TO-HIT NUMBER Thebaseto-hitnumberforaweaponattackisequaltothe firingBattleMech’sGunnerySkillLevel.
MODIFIED TO-HIT NUMBER Themodifiedto-hitnumberequalsthebaseto-hitnumber plusallmodifiersforrange,minimumrange,movement,terrain,andotherfactorsdiscussedinTo-Hit Modifiers, below.Ifthe modifiedto-hitnumberisgreaterthan12,theshotautomaticallymisses.IfaplayerdeterminesthathisBattleMech’sdeclared attackwillautomaticallymiss,hecanchoosenottomakethe attack,therebyavoidingwastingtheammunitionandbuilding upheat.Hemaynotswitchhisattacktoanothertarget.
TO-HIT MODIFIERS Thebaseto-hitnumbermaybemodifiedbyanumberof factors,includingrange,terrain,movement,multipletargets, heat,damageandproneand/orimmobiletargets.Allmodifiers arecumulative.
Therangesforall availableweapons appear on the WeaponsandEquipmentTable,p.60 . Aweapon’smaximum rangeisdividedintothreedistances:short,mediumandlong. Findthedistancetothetargetintherowfortheappropriateweapon,anddetermineiftheBattleMech’scurrentrange isshort,medium,longoroutofrange.Ashotatshortrange requiresnoto-hitmodifier.Amediumrangeshothasa+2to-hit modifier,whileashotatlongrangehasa+4modifier. Weaponscannothitatargetatadistancegreaterthan theweapon’slongrange,butBattleMechsmayfireattargets beyondlongrangejusttogetridofammunition. Minimum Range Modifier Someweapons,suchasparticleprojectorcannons,autocannonsandlong-rangemissiles(LRMs),aredesignedtobe firedatlong-rangetargets.Whenfiredatclose-rangetargets, theylosemuchoftheireffectiveness.Theminimumeffectiverangeofeachavailableweapon—therangeatwhichthe weaponbecomeslesseffectivethannormal—appearsonthe WeaponsandEquipmentTable,p.60. Playerscanusethefollowingformulatodeterminethe minimumrangemodifier:[Min.Range]–[ TargetRange]+1= MinimumRangeModifier. In the Minimum Range diagram below, a 'Mech mounts a particle projector canon (PPC), which has a minimum effective range of three hexes. If the 'Mech is firing the PPC at a target unit three hexes away, the modifier would be +1 (3 (minimum range) – 3 (target range) +1 = 1). If the target unit is only two hexes away, the modifier is +2 (3 (minimum range) – 2 (target range) +1 = 2). If the target is one hex away, the modifier is +3 (3 (minimum range) – 1 (target range) +1 = 3); these numbers assume a Gunnery Skill of 4. If the ’Mech in the above example allows its target to move to within 2 hexes of its position, the player must modify the BattleMech’s to-hit number because the target stands inside its weapon’s minimum effective range. The Base ToHit Number is 4 because the MechWarrior’s Gunnery Skill Level is 4, and the Minimum Range Modifier is +2. This gives the attacking ’Mech a Modified To-Hit Number of 6, the same as if the target were at medium range.
Range Modifier Thefartherawaythetargetisfromthe Short Medium Long firingBattleMech,themoredifficultitwill 7 6 5 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 8 8 betohit.Therangemodifierforanattack isdeterminedbytherangetothetarget, Minimum Minimum Range Range whichisthedistancebetweentheattackingBattleMechanditstarget.Todetermine range,findtheshortestpathtothetargetandcountthehexes Attacker Movement betweentheattackerandthetarget,startingwiththehexadjaAmovingattackermustconstantlyadjusthisaimtocomcenttotheattacker’shexalongthelineofsightandincluding pensateforhismovement,soanattackingBattleMech’stohit thetarget’shex.Thistotalnumberofhexesbetweenattacker numberismodifiedbyitsownmovementusingthevaluesin andtargetistherange. theAttackModifiersTable.Theattackermovementmodifieris basedonthemovementmodetheattackingBattleMechused intheturn,regardlessoftheactualMPordistancemoved.
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3
Target Movement Amovingtargetishardertohit,andsoanattacking BattleMech’sto-hitnumberisalsomodifiedbyitstarget’smovementusingthevaluesintheAttackModifiersTable.Thetarget movementmodifiersarebasedonthehexestraversedrather thanthenumberofMovementPointsspent.Ifthetargetmoved bothbackwardandforwardintheturn,basethemovement modifieronthenumberofhexesmovedfromthehexinwhich theBattleMechlastreverseditsmovement.Forexample,ifthe targetmovedbackward3hexesandthenforward2hexes,the targetmovementmodifierwouldbebasedonlyonthefinal2 hexesofmovement,resultinginaTargetMovementModifierof 0.Notethatifthetargetjumpedinthecurrentturn,theplayer mustaddajumpmodifierinadditiontothemodifierforthe numberofhexesmoved.
The diagram above illustrates the modifiers to the to-hit number that we have discussed so far. The Jenner has used its Walking movement of 7 MP to move from Hex A to Hex B. Though it expended 7 MP in the move, it actually traveled 5 hexes as shown. The JagerMechhad to use running movement to get from Hex C to Hex D facing the Jenner.It spent a total of 5 MP but only traveled 2 hexes. Finally, the Atlasdid not move, and remained standing in Hex E. All of the ’Mechs have standard Gunnery Skills of 4. The Jenneris firing four medium lasers at the Atlas. The target is 4 hexes away, which is in the medium range for the lasers, adding a Range Modifier of +2. The Jenner used Walking movement this turn, so the Attacker Movement Modifier is +1. The target did not move. The Base To-Hit Number is 4, so the Modified To-Hit Number is 7 (Base 4 + Range 2 + Attacker Movement 1 = 7). The JagerMechis attacking the Jennerwith its AC/5s. The JagerMechused Running movement this turn, so it must add an Attacker Movement Modifier of +2 to its to-hit number. The target traveled 5 hexes, so there is a Target Movement Modifier of +2. The range to the tar-
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get is 2 hexes, which is in short range for the AC/5s. The AC/5, however, has a minimum range of 3. This means an attack at a range of 3 would be modified by +1, while an attack made at 2 hexes range—such as this attack—is modified by +2. The Modified To-Hit Number for the JagerMech’s AC/5s is 10 (Base 4 + Attacker Movement 2 + Target Movement 2 + Minimum Range 2 = 10). The Atlasis launching its LRMs at the JagerMech. The range to the target is 4 hexes, which is short range for that weapon, but the LRMs have a minimum range of 6. This means there is a Minimum Range Modifier of +3 applied to the attack. The Atlasdid not move, so no attacker movement modifier is applied. The JagerMech spent 5 MP running, but only traveled 2 hexes, so there is also no target movement modifier applied. The Modified To-Hit Number for the LRM attack is 7 (Base 4 + Minimum Range 3 = 7). Terrain Modifiers Terraincanaffecttheprobabilityofasuccessfulshotby forcingtheattackertoaccountforinterveninglandfeatures andpartialcover.Specificterrainmodifiersappearbelow. Light Woods: Addaterrainmodifierof+1ifthetarget occupiesa LightWoodshex.Additionally, modifythe to-hit numberby +1perhexofLightWoodsinterveningbetween theattackerandthetarget.(Thewoodsmustbeinterveningas definedinLine of Sight, p.20. IfthetreetopsliebelowtheLOS betweentheBattleMechs,donotapplythismodifier.) Heavy Woods:Addaterrainmodifierof+2ifthetarget occupiesaHeavyWoodshex.Additionally,modifytheto-hit numberby+2perhexofHeavyWoodsinterveningbetween theattackeranditstarget.(Thewoodsmustbeinterveningas definedinLine of Sight,p.20. IfthetreetopsliebelowtheLOS betweentheBattleMechs,donotapplythismodifier.)Notethat ifmorethan1HeavyWoodshexintervenesbetweentheattackerandthetarget,LOSisblocked. Water:WaterofDepth0hasnoeffectontheto-hitnumber. 'MechsstandinginDepth1waterreceivepartialcover(see Partial Cover ,p21). ABattleMechstandinginaDepth2(ordeeper)Waterhex, orlyingproneinaDepth1(ordeeper)Waterhex,cannotfireon orbefiredonbyotherBattleMechs. Partial Cover: Partial cover onlyapplies to standing BattleMechs.Adda+1terrainmodifiertotheto-hitnumberif thetarget'Mechisparticallyconcealsed(seeLine of Sight,p.20). Whena'Mechreceivesthepartialcovermodifier,resolvedamageusingthestandard'MechHitLocationTable,butanyhits againstthetarget'slegsstriketheinterveningterrain. Multiple Targets Modifier AplayermaydeclarethathisBattleMechwillengagemore thanonetargetinaturnandallocatedifferentweaponsystems tofireatdifferenttargets. Theplayerdesignatesoneofthetargetsastheprimarytarget.Ifanyofthedeclaredtargetsareintheattacker’sforwardarc,
oneofthosetargetsmustbetheprimarytarget.Iftheattacker isdeclaringattacksonlyagainsttargetsinthesideandreararcs, anytargetmaybechosenastheprimarytarget.Theremaining targetsareconsideredsecondarytargets,andtheplayermust addamultipletargetsmodifiertotheto-hitnumbersforthose attacks.Againstsecondarytargetsintheforwardarc,themodifieris+1;againstsecondarytargetsinthesideandreararcs,the modifieris+2.Thismodifierisnotcumulative—themodifierfor thethirdandeachsubsequenttargetisstillonly+1(or+2). Physical Attacks:Thismultipletargetsmodifierdoesnot applytophysicalattacksinanyway. Heat and Damage Modifiers TheattackingBattleMechmaybeforcedtomodifyitsbase to-hitnumberforcurrentcombatdamageandheatbuildup. Modifiersfortheseconditionsarediscussedin BattleMech Critical Hits, p.30 , andBuilding Up Heat, p.39. TheHeatScale sectionoftherecordsheetssummarizesthemodifiersforthe effectsofheatbuildup. Lower Arm Actuator:Certain’Mechsaredesignedwithoutlowerarmactuatorsinoneorbotharms.Such’Mechsdo notsufferthemodifiertoweaponattacksbecausetheydonot includethatactuator,thoughthemissingactuatorstillaffects physicalattacks. Firing at Immobile Targets IfaBattleMechchoosestofireatanimmobiletarget, such asawoodedhexoraBattleMechthatisshutdownorwhose MechWarriorisunconscious,adda –4modifierto theto-hit number. Note thatthismodifierdoesnotapplyto attacks againstactiveBattleMechsthataresimplyremainingstationary, nordoesitapplytoproneBattleMechsor’Mechswithdestroyed gyrosortwodestroyedhipactuators.SuchBattleMechsarestill assumedtobemovingwithintheirhexandmustbefiredupon asforanormaltarget. Aimed Shots: Attacksagainstimmobiletargetsmaybe aimedatspecifichitlocations.Forrulesregardingthiskindof attack,seep.28.
PRONE BATTLEMECHS ProneBattleMechsmaystillmakeweaponsattacks,and, becausetheyarelargelystationary,theyoftenmakebetter targets. Firing When Down ABattleMechthathasfallenordroppedtothegroundmay firesomeofitsweaponsaslongasneitherofitsarmshasbeen destroyed.ThepilotusesonearmtosupporttheBattleMechas itfires,sotheweaponsonthatarmcannotfire.Thepilotmayfire alltheweaponsmountedontheotherarm,andtheBattleMech mayfireanyweaponsmountedinitsheadortorso.Aprone BattleMechmaynotfireitsleg-mountedweapons.Adda+2tohitmodifierforfiringwhendown. Attacking Prone Targets ABattleMechthathasfallenorispronemakesaneasier targetforanopponentinanadjacenthexandamoredifficult targetatlongerranges.Applya–2modifiertotheto-hitnumberofanyphysicalorweaponattackmadeagainstaprone BattleMechfromanadjacenthex.Adda+1to-hitmodifierforall otherattacksmadeagainstaprone’Mech.
TO-HIT ROLL Foreachattack,theplayermakesato-hitrollbyrolling 2D6.Iftheresultisequaltoorgreaterthanthemodifiedto-hit number,theattacksucceeds. Cluster Hits Theshort-rangeandlong-rangemissilelaunchersareconsideredclusterweapons,asthedamageinflictedbyahit(asuccessfulattack)dependsonhowmanyofthefiredmissilesactuallyreachedthetarget. Tomakeamissileattack,theplayercalculatesthemodified to-hitnumberandmakestheto-hitroll,justasforotherweapons.Onasuccessfulattack,theplayermustalsodeterminehow manyofthemissileshitthetargetbyrolling2D6andconsulting theClusterHitsTable. First,findthesizeoftheweapononthetoprowofthe table.Cross-referthisnumbertothedie-rollresultintheleft column.Theresultisthenumberofmissilesthatactuallyhitthe target. An Atlasfires its 20-pack long-range missile launcher and hits its target. The attack is successful, and the attacking player must now determine how many of his 20 missiles actually hit the target. He rolls 2D6 with a result of 8. He finds that number in the left-hand column of the Cluster Hits Table, then reads across the row to the 20 weapon size column, which shows that 12 of his missiles reached their target.
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5
ATTACK MODIFIERS TABLE All Attacks: Weapons and Physical Attacker Movement (Modifiers are cumulative) Stationary Walked Ran Jumped Prone Terrain Light Woods Heavy Woods Water Depth 1 Depth 2 Partial Cover Target Prone Immobile Movement Moved 0–2 hexes Moved 3–4 hexes Moved 5–6 hexes Moved 7–9 hexes Moved 10-17 hexes Moved 18-24 hexes Moved 25+ hexes Jumped Weapon Attacks Only Attacker BattleMech Damage Sensor Hit Shoulder Hit UpperorLowerArmActuator(each) Heat 0–7 8–12 13–16 17–23 24+ Range and Terrain Range Short Medium Long Minimum Range Target Secondary target in forward arc Secondary target in side or rear arc
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Modifier
None +1 +2 +3 +2 +1 per intervening hex; +1 if target in Light Woods +2 per intervening hex; +2 if target in Heavy Woods +1 (see Partial Cover ,p.21) BattleMechs cannot fire into or out of Depth 2+ water +1 (see Partial Cover ,p.21) –2 from adjacent hex; +1 from all others –4 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +1 additional
+2 +4 for weapons in arm, disregard other damaged actuators in arm +1forweaponsinarm None +1 +2 +3 +4
None +2 +4 [Minimum] – [Target Range] +1 (see Minimum Range Modifier,p.23) +1 +2
ATTACK MODIFIERS TABLE (CONTINUED) Physical Attacks Only Attacker BattleMech Damage Shoulder Hit UpperorLowerArmActuatorHit(each) Hand Actuator Hit Hip Actuator Hit UpperorLowerLegActuatorHit(each) Foot Actuator Hit Other Modifiers Charging attack Death from Above attack
No punching or physical weapon attack with arm; no clubbing attacks; +2 to pushing attack (each) +2topunchingandphysicalweaponattackwitharm;half damage for punching attack with arm; +2 to clubbing attacks +1 to punching attack with arm; no clubbing attacks; no physical weapon attacks with arm No kicking attacks +2andhalfdamagetokickingattackwithleg +1 to kicking attack with leg Modify for relative Piloting Skills (p. 34) Modify for relative Piloting Skills (p. 35)
CLUSTER HITS TABLE Die Roll (D) 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2
3 5 10 11 1
3 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4
Weapon Size 5 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 6 5 6
HIT LOCATION
Front
When an attack hits its target, the firingplayermustdeterminepreciselywheretheattackhitthetarget. Hitlocationisdeterminedbythe e directionoftheattackandthe d i S facingofthetarget. t
t n o r F
F r o n t
L e f t S i d e
h g i R
Rear
Aa D
When an attack hits a BattleMech, it hitsfromeitherthefront,rear,left,orrightsideofthetarget. Layastraightedgefromthecenteroftheattacker’s hexto thecenterofthetarget’shex.Comparethehexsidecrossedby thestraightedgetothediagramonthelefttofindthesideof theBattleMechhitbythefire.Ifthestraightedgecrossesexactly
3 3 4 5 5 5 5 7 7 9 9
10 3 3 4 6 6 6 6 8 8 10 10
1 4 4 5 8 8 8 8 10 10 12 12
15 5 5 6 9 9 9 9 12 12 15 15
0 6 6 9 12 12 12 12 16 16 20 20
attheintersectionoftwosides,thetargetchooseswhichsideis hitbytheattack. TodeterminewhichsideofaBattleMechishit, usethefacingofastandingBattleMech’sfeettodetermineitsfrontside, regardlessoftorsotwist.IfthetargetBattleMechisprone,use thehexsidetowardwhichitsheadispointingasitsfacing. Determining Hit Location Todeterminetheexactlocationofahit,theattackerrolls 2D6andconsultstheappropriatecolumnofthe'MechHit LocationTable. SRMs: Theattackerrollsaseparatehitlocationforeach short-rangemissile(SRM)thathits. LRMs: Theattackermakesonehitlocationrollforevery 5long-rangemissiles(LRM)thathitthetarget.Groupthemissilesthathitintogroupsof5;inotherwords,formasmany5-
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'MECH HIT LOCATION TABLE D Roll * 3 5 10 11 1
Left Side L. Torso (critical) Left Leg Left Arm Left Arm Left Leg Left Torso C.Torso Right Torso Right Arm Right Leg Head
Front/Rear C. Torso (critical) Right Arm Right Arm Right Leg Right Torso C.Torso Left Torso Left Leg Left Arm Left Arm Head
Right Side R. Torso (critical) Right Leg Right Arm Right Arm Right Leg Right Torso C.Torso Left Torso Left Arm Left Leg Head
*Aresultof2mayinflictacriticalhit.Applydamage tothearmorinthatsectioninthenormalmanner,but theattackingplayeralsorollsonceontheDetermining CriticalHitsTable,p.30.
pointgroupsaspossible,assigninganyremainingpointstoone smallergroup,anddetermineahitlocationforeachgroup. TheAtlas from the previous example hits its target with an LRM 20 and inflicts 12 points of damage. The straightedge shows that the attack strikes the target’s left side. Because the attack is an LRM attack, the damage is divided into 5-point groups. In this case, the attack hits in two groups of 5 points of damage, plus one group of 2 points of damage. The attacking player rolls to determine hit location for each of the three groups, with results of 8, 4, and 11. Consulting the column for left-side hits, he finds that the 5-point groups of damage hit the target’s center torso and left arm. The remaining 2-point group strikes the target’s right leg. Aimed Shots PlayersmaymakeaimedshotsagainstBattleMechsthat areshutdownorwhosepilotsareunconscioususinganyweaponsotherthanmissilelaunchers.Whenfiringonanimmobile BattleMech(seeFiring at Immobile Targets,p.25),theattackingplayercanmakeanaimedshotbynamingatargetlocation.Against anyhitlocationexceptthehead,theplayermakestheto-hitroll usingthestandard–4to-hitmodifierforfiringatanimmobiletarget.Iftheattackissuccessful,theplayerrollsagain:onaresultof 6,7,or8,hisshothitsthedesignatedlocation.Foranyotherresult, theplayerrollsnormallyontheBattleMechHitLocationTable. (Thisrollmaystillresultintheattackstrikingthedesiredlocation.) If theattackeris taking an aimedshot at thetarget BattleMech’shead,modifytheto-hitnumberby+3ratherthan thenormal–4.Iftheshothits,theplayerrolls2D6.Onaresultof 6,7,or8,theshothitsthehead.Foranyotherresult,rollnormally ontheBattleMechHitLocationTable.
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DAMAGE Eachattackthatsuccessfullyhitsthetargetdoesdamage. Everyweapondoesaspecificamountofdamage,whichappears ontheWeaponsandEquipmentTable,p.60 . Eachmissiletypedoesthesameamountofdamageat anyrange,butthenumberofmissilesthathitdetermineshow muchdamageamissileattackinflicts.Long-rangemissileshave aDamageValueof1,andshort-rangemissileshaveaDamage Valueof2foreachmissilethathitsitstarget.
RECORDING DAMAGE Followthestep-by-stepprocedureoutlinedinDamage Resolution (seebelow)todeterminetheeffectsofdamage. Torso Destruction IfaBattleMech’srightorlefttorsohasallofitsinternalstructuredestroyed,thecorrespondingarmisblownoffimmediately andcansustainnofurtherdamage(seeBattleMech Critical Hit Effects, p.30).Thecorrespondinglegisnotdamaged.Ifthecentertorsoisdestroyed,theentireBattleMechisdestroyed(see Destroying a BattleMech, p.32). Leg Destruction WhenaBattleMechlosesoneleg,eitherthroughacriticalhit orthedestructionoftheleg’sinternalstructure,theBattleMech automaticallyfalls.AnimmediatePilotingSkillRollwitha+5 modifierismade(plusanymodifiersforotherdamage;the+5 modifierforlegdestructionreplacesallpre-existingmodifiers fordamagetothatleg),toavoiddamagingtheMechWarrior. Insubsequentturns,theBattleMechmayattempttostand onitsremainingleg,butthepilotmustadda+5modifierto thePilotingSkillRollplusanymodifiersforotherdamage.If theBattleMechmanagestostand,ithasaWalkingMPof1and cannotrun.Totakeintoaccountthemissingleg,add+5toany PilotingSkillRollmadethereafter.TheBattleMechmaystilljump (minusthepowerofthejumpjetsonthemissingleg),butthe pilotmustmakeaPilotingSkillRolleachtimethe’Mechlands. Forpurposesofattackermovement, suchanattemptto standisconsideredarun.Ifthe'Mechstaysprone,itcanstill changeitsfacingonhexsideperturn;itisconsideredtohave walkedifitchangesitsfacing.
DAMAGE RESOLUTION Toapplydamagefromanattack,taketheamountofdamagetheattackinflictsandthehitlocationoftheattack,andstart atStep1.Answereachquestionwithyesorno,andfollowthe instructions. 1. Is there armor in the location? Yes: CheckoffonearmorcircleontheArmorDiagramin theappropriatelocationforeverypointofdamagetaken,until alldamageisappliedorallarmorinthelocationisdestroyed. GotoStep2. No:ProceedtoStep3. . Is there damage remaining? Yes: GotoStep3toallocateremainingdamage. No:Attackisfinished.
3. Is there internal structure in the location? Yes:CheckoffoneinternalstructurecircleontheInternal StructureDiagramintheappropriatelocationforeverypointof damagetaken,untilalldamageisappliedorallinternalstructureinlocationisdestroyed.GotoStep4. No: ProceedtoStep6. . At the beginning of the current phase, were there any components in the location that could sustain a critical hit? Yes:RollonceontheDeterminingCriticalHitsTable.Apply theeffectsofanycriticalhitstothelocation.Excesscriticalhits thatcannotbeappliedarenottransferred.GotoStep5. No: RollonceontheDeterminingCriticalHitsTable.Any criticalhitsareappliedtothenextlocationinward(seeDamage TransferDiagram).GotoStep5. 5. Is there internal structure remaining in the location? Yes:Attackisfinished. No:Thelocationandallcomponentscontainedinitare destroyed.Thedestructionofcomponentsinthisfashionwill notcauseammunitionexplosions,butotherwiseallcomponentsinthelocationareaffectedasthoughtheywerecritically hit.GotoStep6. . Is there damage remaining? Yes:GotoStep7toallocateremainingdamage. No: Attackisfinished. . Was the damage resulting from an ammunition eplosion? Yes:Theremainingdamagetransferstothenextlocation inward(seeDamageTransferDiagram),directlytotheinternal structure.GotoStep3. No: Damagetransferstothearmorofthenextlocation inward(seeDamageTransferDiagram).GotoStep1.
TRANSFERRING DAMAGE BattleMechscansurvivethedestructionofanybodysectionexcepttheheadorcentertorso.Ifasectionisdestroyed andthesamelocationtakesanotherhit,orifexcessdamage remainsfromtheshotthatdestroyedthelocation,thatdamage transfersto(affects)theouterarmorofthenextlocationinward. Excessammunitionexplosiondamageistransferreddirectlyto theinternalstructureofthenextlocationinward.Thisprinciple isillustratedontheDamageTransferDiagramatleft. Da mag e t o a missin g a rm o r legtransferstothetorsoonthe sameside(leftlegorarmdamage istransferredtothelefttorso,right armorlegdamageistransferred totherighttorso).Additionaldamagetoadestroyedsidetorsolocationtransfersto thecentertorso. Damagefromadestroyedheador centertorsodoesnottransfer. Damagefromtherearfiringarc thathitsamissinglimbistransferred to the appropriaterear torsolocaDAmAGE
tion.Forexample,damagefromtherearthathitsamissingleft legwouldbetransferredintotheleftreartorso. A Grasshopper’s left arm is hit by an attack from a PPC (Damage Value 10), a large laser (Damage Value 8), and two 5-point groups of long-range missiles (Damage Value of 1 per missile hit or 5 points per group). Before this turn, the BattleMech still had its full Armor Value of 22 in that arm. The PPC hit reduces the Armor Value by 10, so 10 circles are filled in. The laser hit does 8 points of damage, and so 8 more circles are filled in, leaving 4 circles. The first group of missiles reduces the Armor Value by another 5 points, but since the Grasshopper’s remaining Armor Value is 4, that leaves 1 point of damage that the hit location cannot absorb. The remaining 1 point of damage from the first group of missiles transfers to the ’Mech’s internal structure, and so 1 circle is filled in on the Internal Structure Diagram, leaving only 10 circles out of the original 11. The last group of missiles reduces the internal structure by another 5 points. Five more circles are filled in on the Internal Structure Diagram, leaving 5. If theGrasshopper’s left arm takes a hit from a weapon that inflicts 5 or more points of damage, it will be completely destroyed.
CRITICAL DAMAGE EverytimetheinternalstructureofaBattleMechtakesdamage,eitherfromaweaponattack,aphysicalattackoranammo explosion,aninternalcomponentmaytakecriticaldamage. TodeterminewhetheraBattleMechtakescriticaldamage fromanattackthatdamagestheinternalstructure,theattacking playerrolls2D6andconsultstheDeterminingCriticalHitsTable. Onaresultof8orhigher,thetargetBattleMechtakescritical damage.Thehighertheresult,themoreseriousthedamage.If theBattleMechtakescriticaldamage,thetargetplayerrolls2D6 andconsultstheBattleMech’sCriticalHitTabletodetermine thepreciselocationofthedamage,asdescribedin BattleMech Critical Hits, p.30. Eachsuccessfulattackthatdamagesinternalstructurecreatesonlyoneopportunityfortheattackertoinflictacriticalhit, regardlessofthenumberofinternalstructurecirclesthatasingleweapon(orotherattack)destroyed(seeHit Location Critical Hits foranexception).Theattackingplayerrolls2D6onlyonce foreachpotentialcriticalhit. Thelocationofthedamagedeterminestheexactnatureof thecriticalhit.EachpartofaBattleMech’sbodycanbeaffected byseveraltypesofcriticalhits.Further,everytypeofBattleMech cansufferdifferentcriticalhits,dependingonthearrayofweaponsandotherequipmentitcarries.TheCriticalHitTableforeach typeofBattleMechappearsontherecordsheetforthattype.A partiallyblankCriticalHitTablethatcanbe customized forall BattleMechsisprovidedonallblankBattleMechRecordSheets. Hit Location Critical Hits:Certainresultsonthehitlocationtablesprovidethechanceforacriticalhit,eveniftheinternalstructurewasnotdamagedbytheattack.Theseareresolved byrollingontheDeterminingCriticalHitsTablejustasforother
TRANSFER DIAGRAm
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checksforcriticalhits.Thischanceisinadditiontothenormal rollforacriticalhitprovidedbydamagingtheinternalstructure. Forexample,ahitlocationresultof2againstaBattleMechwith notorsoarmorleftwouldprovidetworollsontheDetermining CriticalHitsTable.Ifthe’Mechhadarmorinthelocationhit, therewouldstillbeonechanceforacriticalhit.
DETERMINING CRITICAL HITS TABLE D Roll 2–7 8–9 10–11 12
Effect No Critical Hit Roll 1 Critical Hit Location Roll 2 Critical Hit Locations Head/Limb Blown Off/Roll 3 Critical Hit Locations*
*Roll3criticalhitlocationsiftheattackstrikesthetorso.
BATTLEMECH CRITICAL HITS Whenanattackerinflictsacriticalhitonatarget,thetarget playerfindsthedamagedlocationontheCriticalHitTableon hisBattleMech’srecordsheet,thenrollsdiceforeachcriticalhit andmarksoffthedamageinflictedontheCriticalHitTable. Head or Leg Hits:Ifthecriticalhitisinflictedonthe BattleMech’sheadorlegs,roll1D6,findtheresultontheCritical HitTableandmarkoffthedamagedlocation.Ifthecritical locationrolledcannottakeacriticalhitorhasalreadybeen destroyedbyacriticalhit,rollthedieagain. Torso or Arm Hits: Ifthecriticalhitstrikesthetorsoor armsoftheBattleMech,theplayerrollsbothdice.Theresultof thefirstdietellswhichhalfoftheCriticalHitTableforthatlocationisaffected,andtheresultoftheseconddieidentifiesthe locationhit.TheCriticalHitTablefortheselocationsisdivided intotwosetsof6criticalslots,labeled1–3and4–6. Theresultofthefirstdieidentifieswhichsetofslotstakes thehit.Onaresultof1,2,or3,theshothitsalocationinthefirst setofcriticalslots.Onaresultof4,5,or6,theattackhitsalocationinthesecondsetofcriticalslots.Theresultofthesecond dierollidentifiesthecriticalslotthattakesthehit. A Grasshoppertakes a critical hit to the left arm. The defending player rolls the first die with a result of 3. This means the critical hit will affect a slot in the first half of the Critical Hit Table for the left arm (labeled 1–3). The player rolls the second die with a result of 2, inflicting a critical hit on the ’Mech’s upper arm actuator. Eachweaponandotherpieceofequipmentfillsatleast oneslotontheCriticalHitTable.Iftheplayerrollsdamagefor aslotforwhichthereisnocomponent;aslotthathasalready takenacriticalhit,herollsbothdiceagain. Notethatsomeweaponstakeupmultipleslotsonthe CriticalHitTable.Asinglecriticalhitdisablesanyweaponor
30
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equipmentexcepttheengine,gyro,andsensors.(Aheatsink criticalhit,however,destroysonlythespecificheatsinkthatis hit.)Iftheplayerrollsdamageforaslotforwhichthereisno componentoraslotthathasalreadytakenacriticalhit,herolls bothdiceagain. Transferring Criticals:Ifallofthepossibleslotsinthe damagedareatookcriticalhitsinpreviousphases,orifthere werenoitemsthatcouldbeaffectedbycriticalhitsinthelocationinthefirstplace,thecriticalhittransferstothenextlocationpertheDamageTransferDiagram.Criticalhitstothecenter torsoandheaddonottransfer.
BATTLEMECH CRITICAL HIT EFFECTS Eachtypeofcriticalhitaffectsa’Mech’s performancein aspecificway,asdescribedbelow.Thecriticalhitlocationsare arrangedalphabeticallybyitem;thelocationoftheitemonthe ‘Mech(head,leg,torso,arm)isnotedinparentheses. Ammunition Ifacriticalhitdestroysaslotcarryingammunition,the ammothereexplodes.TheMechWarriorautomaticallytakes2 DamagePointsasaresultofthefeedbackreceivedthroughher neurohelmet.Inaddition,theBattleMechtakesdamagetoits internalstructure. CalculatethetotalDamageValueofallammocarriedin theslotandapplythattotaltotheInternalStructureDiagram (ammunitionexplosiondamagestartstheDamage Resolution processatStep3,asdescribedonpage28). Acriticalhittoanammoslotonlyexplodestheammoin thatslot.Itexplodeswithaforceequaltotheammo’sDamage Valuetimestheshotsremaining.Missileammoexplodeswith aforceequaltothenumberofmissilesremainingtimestheir DamageValue.Forexample,1fulltonofmachinegunammo explodeswithaforceof400pointsofdamage(2x200),while 1fulltonofSRM2ammoexplodeswithaforceof200pointsof damage(2x2x50). Arm Blown Off (Arm) Thiscriticalhitoccurswhentheplayerrollsaresultof12on theDeterminingCriticalHitsTableandthelocationhitisanarm. Thehitblowsoffthearm,andtheweaponsmountedinthat armarenolongeravailabletothe’Mech.Thearmmaybepicked upandusedasaclubpertherulesforClub Attacks, p.33. Cockpit (Head) Acriticalhitto thecockpitdestroysthatslot, killsthe MechWarriorandputstheBattleMechoutofcommissionfor thegame. Engine (Torso) BattleMechengineshave3pointsofshielding.Eachcritical hittoanengineslotdestroys1pointofshielding.Aspointsof shieldingaredestroyed,theamountofheatescapingfromthe BattleMech’sfusiondriveincreases. Thefirsthitincreasesthe’Mech’s heatbuildupby5points perturn.Thesecondhitresultsin10(total)pointsofaddedheat
buildupperturn,andthethirdcriticalhittoanengineslotshuts downtheengineandputstheBattleMechoutofcommission fortherestofthegame. Foot Actuator (Leg) Thiscriticalhitdestroysthemuscle(actuator)inthefoot. For eachfoot actuator damaged, reduce the BattleMech’s WalkingMPby1andadda+1modifiertoanysubsequent PilotingSkillRoll.APilotingSkillRollisrequiredwheneverthe BattleMechjumps.Kickattacksmadewiththeaffectedleghave a+1to-hitmodifier. Theseeffectsarecumulativewithotherlegandfootactuatordamage. Gyro (Torso) ThegyroscopeisaBattleMech’smostsensitivepieceof machinery.ItkeepstheBattleMechuprightandabletomove. Thegyrocansurviveonly1criticalhit;theseconddestroysit. Afterthefirstcriticalhittothegyro,theplayermustmake aPilotingSkillRolleverytimethedamagedBattleMechrunsor jumpswithamodifierof+3.Makethisrollattheendofeach suchmove. WhenaBattleMech’sgyroisdestroyed(afterasecondcriticalhit),the’Mechautomaticallyfallsandcannotstandupagain. BattleMechswithadestroyedgyromaymakeweaponsattacks perFiring When Down,p.25 , andmaychangetheirfacingbyone hexsideperturnprovidedtheyhaveatleast1MPavailable. Whena'Mech'sgyroisdestroyedthe'Mechautomaticallyfallsandcannotstandupagain;animmediatePiloting SkillRollismade,witha+6modifier,toavoiddamagingthe MechWarrior. 'Mechswithadestroyedgyromaymaymakeweaponattacks perFiring When Down,p.25,andmaychangefacingbyonehexsideperturnprovidedtheyhaveatleast1MPavailable.A'Mech withadestroyedgyroisnotconsideredimmobile. Hand Actuator (Arm) AcriticalhittothehandactuatordestroysthemusclescontrollingtheBattleMech’swristandhand.Adda+1to-hitmodifiertoallpunchesmadewiththisarm.Inaddition,the’Mech cannolongermakeclubbingattacksandhatchetattackswith thisarm.Thiseffectiscumulativewiththeeffectsofdestroyed armactuators. Head Blown Off (Head) AhitblowsoffaBattleMech’sheadwhentheplayerrolls aresultof12ontheDeterminingCriticalHitsTablewhenthe locationhitisthehead.ThiscriticalhitdestroystheBattleMech’s headlocation,killstheMechWarriorandputstheBattleMech outofcommissionfortherestofthegame. Heat Sink Onecriticalhittoaheatsinkdestroystheheatsinkand reducestheBattleMech’sabilitytodissipateheat.Forexample,if aBattleMechisdesignedtodissipate16pointsofheatperturn and3ofitsheatsinkshavebeendestroyed,itcannowonlydissipate13pointsofheatperturn.
Hip (Leg) Ahipcriticalhitfreezestheaffectedleginastraightposition.TheBattleMech’sWalkingMPiscutinhalf(roundup).Add a+2modifiertoanyPilotingSkillRollsrequired,andmakea PilotingSkillRolleveryturnthatthedamagedBattleMechruns orjumps.The’Mechcannotmakekickattacks. Afterahipcriticalhit,ignoreallmodifiersfromprevious criticalhitsonthatleg.Notethatthismeansitispossiblefora ’Mech’sperformancetoactuallyimproveafterahipcriticalhitif ithadsufferedpreviouscriticaldamagetothesameleg.Since thelegbecomeslockedinastraightposition,itservesasasort ofcrutch,makingmovementeasierinsomecasesthanmoving onanumberoffree-flexingdamagedactuators. AcriticalhittothesecondhipreducestheBattleMech’s MovementPointsto0andaddsanother+2modifiertoits PilotingSkillRolltargetnumber. Jump Jet (Leg/Torso) Whenajumpjetexhaustporttakesacriticalhit,thatjump jetcannolongerdeliverthrust.Thisdecreasesthedistancethe BattleMechcanjump.Foreachexhaustporthit,reducethe BattleMech’sJumpingMPby1. Leg Blown Off (Leg) Thiscriticalhitoccurswhentheplayerrollsaresultof12on theDeterminingCriticalHitsTablewhenthelocationhitisaleg. WhenaBattleMech’slegisblownoff,the’Mechautomatically fallsandtakesnormalfallingdamage,thoughitmightbeableto standupagain.See Leg Destruction, p.28. Thelegmaybepicked upandusedasaclubpertherulesforClub Attacks, p.33. Life Support (Head) ABattleMech’slife-supportsystemprotectsitspilotfrom themachine’sinternalheatand keeps himaliveon airless worldsandinhostileenvironments.In BattleTech, thelife-supportsystem’smainfunctionistoprotectthepilotfromtheheat generatedbythe’Mech’sfusionreactor,movementandweaponssystems. Anycriticalhitknocksthissystemoutpermanentlyand leavesthepilotvulnerabletoincreasedheat.TheMechWarrior takes1pointofdamageeveryHeatPhasethattheBattleMech’s internalheatrangesfrom15–25,and2pointsofdamagefor everyturnthatitsinternalheatisabove25ontheHeatScale. Alife-supportcriticalhitalsoeliminatesthe’Mech’sinternalairsupply.Ifthe’Mechissubmerged(inDepth2ordeeper waterorproneinDepth1ordeeperwater)intheEndPhaseof anyturn,thepilotwilltake1pointofdamage. Lower Arm Actuator (Arm) ThiscriticalhitdestroystheactuatorintheBattleMech’s lowerarm.Adda+1modifiertotheto-hitnumberforweapons firingfromthatarmanda+2modifierforallclubbingattacks andanypunchesorhatchetattackswiththisarm.Damagefrom puncheswiththisarmishalved(rounddown). Theseeffectsarecumulativewithotherarmandhand actuatordamage.
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Missing Actuators:SomeBattleMechsaredesignedwithoutoneorbothlowerarmactuators.These’Mechsdonotsuffer theweaponattackmodifierforthemissingactuators,though themodifiersforphysicalattacksstillapply. Lower Leg Actuator (Leg) Thiscriticalhitdestroysthemuscle(actuator)inthelower leg.Foreachlegactuatordamaged,reducetheBattleMech’s WalkingMPby1andadda+1modifiertoanysubsequent PilotingSkillRoll.TheplayermustmakeaPilotingSkillRoll whenevertheBattleMechjumps.Kickattacksmadewiththe affectedleghavea+2to-hitmodifierandinflicthalfdamage (rounddown). Theseeffectsarecumulativewithotherlegandfootactuatordamage. Sensors (Head) WhenaBattleMechtakesacriticalhittothesensors, add a+2modifiertotheto-hitnumbereverytimethe’Mechfires itsweapons.Asecondsensorhitmakesitimpossibleforthe BattleMechtofireanyofitsweapons.Criticalhitstosensorsdo notaffectphysicalattacks. Shoulder (Arm) Acriticalhittothislocationfreezestheshoulderjoint.The ’Mechmaynotpunchormakeahatchetattackwiththatarm. Itmaynotmakeclubbingattacks,andaddsa+2modifierto pushingattackto-hitnumbersforeachdamagedshoulder.Add a+4modifiertotheto-hitnumberforallweaponattacksmade withweaponsmountedonthatarm.Afterashouldercriticalhit, ignoreallotherweaponsfiremodifiersfromcriticalhitstothat arm. Upper Arm Actuator (Arm) ThiscriticalhitdestroystheactuatorintheBattleMech’s upperarm.Adda+1modifiertotheto-hitnumberforweapons firingfromthatarmanda+2modifierforallclubbingattacks,as wellasanypunchesorhatchetattackswiththisarm.Damage frompuncheswiththisarmishalved(rounddown). Theseeffectsarecumulativewithotherarmandhand actuatordamage. Upper Leg Actuator (Leg) Thiscriticalhitdestroysthemuscle(actuator)intheupper leg.Foreachlegactuatordamaged,reducetheBattleMech’s WalkingMPby1andadda+1modifiertoanysubsequent PilotingSkillRoll.TheplayermustmakeaPilotingSkillRoll whenevertheBattleMechjumps.Kickattacksmadewiththe affectedleghavea+2to-hitmodifierandinflicthalfdamage (rounddown). Theseeffectsarecumulativewithotherlegandfootactuatordamage.
someweaponsystemsoccupymorethanoneslotontheCritical HitTable,thefirstcriticalhitknocksoutthe weapon.Additional criticalhitstoamultislotweaponhavenofurthereffect,other thantomaketheequipmentmoredifficulttorepair.Forexample, aparticleprojectorcannonfills3criticalslots.ThePPCisdisabled, however,assoonasoneofitsthreecriticalslotstakesahit.
DESTROYING A BATTLEMECH Underthespecificconditionsdescribedbelow,aBattleMech must be considered destroyed. Note that a“destroyed” BattleMechmaynotbeactuallyphysicallydestroyed.Itsimply isrenderedtacticallyuselessandisreferredtoasa“missionkill.” SuchBattleMechsareoutofthegame,buttheymayberepaired laterifplayersareplayinganextendedcampaign.Destroyed BattleMechsareremovedfromthemapintheendofthephase inwhichtheyweredestroyed,andhavenofurthereffecton gameplay.
BATTLEMECHS ABattleMechisconsidereddestroyedandoutofthegame ifitsMechWarriordiesortheBattleMechsuffers3enginehits. Notethatthedestructionofthehead,cockpit,orcentertorso hasthesameeffectsandrendersaBattleMechdestroyed. MechWarrior Survival:TheMechWarriordieswhenthe ’Mech’shead,cockpitorcentertorsoisdestroyedbyanammunitionexplosion.
PHYSICAL ATTACKS BattleMechscanmakesevendifferenttypesofphysical attacks:punching,clubbing,pushing,kicking,charging,death fromaboveorphysicalweaponattacks(thislastattackrequires thatthe’Mechmountsa specificphysicalattackweapon; in theseintroductoryrules,thatisonlyahatchet). Inordertomakeaphysicalattack,theunitmustbeadjacenttoitstargetandthetargetmustbewithintheattacking ’Mech’sforwardfiringarc(see Punch Attacks,Charge Attacks,and Death from Above Attacks forexceptions). Therulesforphysicalattacksassumeboththeattackerand targetareBattleMechsstandingatthesamelevel.Specialrules regardingdifferentlevelsandprone’Mechsappearattheend ofthissection. Multiple Physical Attacks:ABattleMechmayonlymakea singletypeofphysicalattackinasingleturn:charging,clubbing, deathfromabove,kick,punch,pushorphysicalweaponattack. Evenifa’Mechmountstwophysicalweapons,itcanonlymake asinglephysicalweaponattack.Whenmakingasinglepunch attack,aplayercanpunchwithoneortwoarms.
BASE TO-HIT NUMBER Thebaseto-hitnumberforaphysicalattackisequaltothe attackingunit’sPilotingSkillRating(seeSkills,p.11).
MODIFIED TO-HIT NUMBER Weapons and Equipment Weaponsystemsaresurprisinglydelicate,andsoasinglecriticalhitdisablesaweaponorotherinternalcomponent.Though
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Themodifiedto-hitnumberequalsthebaseto-hitnumber plusthemodifierforthespecificphysicalattackasnotedonthe PhysicalAttackModifiersTable.Allotherstandardmodifiersfor
PHYSICAL ATTACK MODIFIERS TABLE Attack Type Charging Clubbing Physical Weapon (Hatchet) Death From Above (DFA) Kicking Punching Pushing
Modifier +0* –1 –1 +0*† –2 +0 –1
*Whenever one unit charges another, compare their Piloting Skill ratings and use the difference between the two skill ratings as a modifier to the to-hit number. If the target’s skill rating is lower, add the modifier to the to-hit number. If the attacker’s Piloting Skill rating is lower, subtract the modifier from the t-hit number †All the normal attack modifiers apply, including the attacker’s jumping movement, but the roll is not modified for terrain.
weaponattacksalsoapply,suchasattackermovementmodifier,targetmovementmodifier,damagetoactuators,terrainand soon,unlessspecificallystatedotherwisebytherulesforeach attacktype.Thesoleexceptionsareheatandsensormodifiers, whichneverapply. Aswithweaponattacks,ifthemodifiedto-hitnumberis greaterthan12,thephysicalattackautomaticallymisses.Ifa playerdeterminesthathisunit’sdeclaredphysicalattackwill automaticallymiss,hecanchoosenottomaketheattack,therebyavoidingtheneedtomakeaPilotingSkillRollforafailed attack.Ifthemodifiedto-hitnumberis2orless,thephysical attackautomaticallyhits.
’Mech punch locAtion tAble
D Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6
Left Side Left Torso Left Torso Center Torso Left Arm Left Arm Head
Front/Rear Left Arm Left Torso Center Torso Right Torso Right Arm Head
Right Side Right Torso Right Torso Center Torso Right Arm Right Arm Head
PUNCH ATTACKS Inasingleturn, aBattleMechmaypunchwithoneorboth arms.Itcaneitherdeliverapunchusingitsarmorfiretheweaponsonthatarm,butitmaynotdoboth.Weaponsmountedin thetorso,legsorheadmaybefiredinthesameturnasapunch attackismadewithoutaffectingthepunch. Allpunchattacksmustbemadeagainsttargetsinthe attackingBattleMech’sforwardorsidefiringarcs.Ifthetargetis intherightorleftarc,thenonlytherightorleftarmrespectively maypunch.Ifthetargetisintheforwardarc,thenbotharms maybeusedinthepunchattack.
ABattleMechcannotmakeapunchattackusingashouldersufferingfromcriticaldamage,andanyarmactuatordamageonthepunchingarmmakessuccessmoredifficultandwill reducethedamageinflicted. See Modified To-Hit Number ,p.32,todeterminethetarget numberforapunchattack. ThepunchfromeacharmhasaDamageValueof1forevery 10tons(orfractionof10tons)thattheattackerweighs.Reduce thedamagebyhalfforeacharmactuator(upperorlowerarm,not hand)damagedornotpresent,withtheseeffectsbeingcumulative. Inotherwords,ifbotharmactuatorsaremissing,reducethedamagetoone-quarterofitsoriginalvalue(roundfractionsdown). Determinethehitlocationbyrolling1D6andconsulting the’MechPunchLocationTable. Multiple Targets:A’Mechcanmaketwopunchesattwo differenttargetsandignoresthesecondarytargetmodifier. Missing Actuators:ABattleMechdoesnotneedhands(or handactuators)topunch.Note,however,thatBattleMechsnot equippedwithahandonthepunchingarmmustaddthe+1 modifierasforahandactuatorcriticalhit.Likewise,BattleMechs thatdonotcomeequippedwithalowerarmactuatoronthe punchingarmmustadda+2modifiertotheto-hitnumberand theyinflictonlyhalfdamage(rounddown)withthepunch. A Grasshopper with Piloting Skill rating 5 and a damaged upper arm actuator punches a JagerMech standing in light woods on the right side with one fist. Because the Grasshopper has a damaged arm actuator, the player adds a to-hit modifier of +2 and reduces the normal damage by half (rounding down). Neither unit moved, and so the Modified To-Hit Number is a 8: 5 (Piloting Skill Rating) +0 (punching attack modifier) +2 (damaged upper arm actuator) +1 (light woods) = 8. The player rolls an 8 and hits the target. The Grasshopper weighs 70 tons, so its punch has a normal Damage Value of 7 (70 divided by 10), but this is reduced to 3 because of the damaged actuator. The attacking player rolls a 3 on the ’Mech Punch Location Table, which means the attack hits the target’s center torso.
CLUB ATTACKS To a t ta ck a no th er B a tt le Me ch w it h a c lu b, a ll t he BattleMech’sshouldersandhandactuatorsmustbeundamaged, andnoarm-mountedweaponscanhavebeenfiredin thatsameturn,thoughweaponsmountedinthetorso,legsand headmaybefired.Thetargetmustbeintheforwardfiringarc. See Modified To-Hit Number ,p.32,todeterminethetarget numberforaclubattack. Asuccessfulattackwithaclubdoes1pointofdamagefor every5tonsthattheattackingBattleMechweighs.Rollnormally onthe’MechHitLocationTable. Missing Actuators:ABattleMechmusthavehands(or handactuators)touseaclub.Likewise,BattleMechsthatdonot comeequippedwithlowerarmactuatorsorwhoseloweror upperarmactuatorsaredamagedmustadda+2modifierto theto-hitnumberforeachmissing/damagedactuator.
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FINDING A CLUB WheneveranattackblowsoffoneofaBattleMech’slegsor arms,thelimbremainslyinginthehexwheretheBattleMech tookthedamage.BattleMechsthatlateroccupythathexmay pickupthearmorleganduseitasagiantclub.ABattleMech maynotfireweaponsormakephysicalattacksduringtheturn thatitpicksupaclub. Otherobjectsmayalsobeusedasclubs. IftheBattleMech isinawoodedhex,itmayuprootatreeanduseitasa club. Uprootedtreesmaybeusedforonlyonesuccessfulclubattack.
Shoulder Actuators: Eachdamagedshoulderactuator adds+2tothepushing’Mech’stargetnumber. If the ’Mech in Hex A is successfully pushed by the BattleMech in Hex B, it moves into Hex C. If the ’Mech in Hex A is successfully pushed by a BattleMech in Hex D, it will be forced into Hex E. In both cases, the pilot of the target ’Mech must make a Piloting Skill Roll to remain standing, and its attacker will advance into Hex A. Note that the ’Mech in Hex A cannot push either of its opponents because neither of them lies directly in front of it.
PHYSICAL WEAPON ATTACKS SomeBattleMechscomeequippedwithhatchets.Like otherweapons,hatchetshaveweightandtakeuponeormore slotsontheArmsectionoftheCriticalHitTable.Tousethe hatchet,aBattleMechmusthaveafunctioninghandactuator andshoulderinthearminwhichthehatchetismounted. See Modified To-Hit Number ,p.32,todeterminethetarget numberforaphysicalweaponattack(hatchet). A’Mechcaneitherdeliveraphysicalweaponattackusing itsarmorfiretheweaponsonthatarm,butitmaynotdoboth. CriticalHits:Likeweapons, acriticalhittoanyslotforany physicalweapondestroystheequipment,renderingituseless fortherestofthegame.
’MECH KICK LOCATION TABLE D Roll 1–3 4–6
Left Side Left Leg Left Leg
Front/Rear Right Leg Left Leg
Right Side Right Leg Right Leg
PUSH ATTACKS ABattleMechusesbotharmstomakeapushingattack againstitstarget,whichmustbeanotherBattleMech.Thetarget ’Mechcannotexecuteachargeattackthisturn. ABattleMechmaymakenoarm-mountedweaponattacks intheturnthatitmakesapushingattack.Alltorso-,leg-and headmountedweaponsmaybefirednormally.Pushingattacks canbemadeagainstatargetinthehexdirectlyinfrontofthe attacker(basedontheorientationofitsfeet,notitsupperbody asinthecaseofatorsotwist). See Modified To-Hit Number ,p.32,todeterminethetarget numberforapushattack. Asuccessfulpushattackdoesnotdamagethetarget. Instead,itmovesthedefendingBattleMechintotheadjacent hexinthedirectionthatitisbeingpushedbytheattacker.If thepushissuccessful,theattackingBattleMechadvancesinto thehexformerlyoccupiedbyitstarget(unlikeachargeattack, thisdoesnotrequiretheadditionalexpenditureofMPs).Atthe sametime,thedefendermustmakeasuccessfulPilotingSkill Rollorfall.SeealsoBattleMech Displacement ,p.37. Multiple Pushes: Onlyonepushattackmaybedeclared againstasingletargetperturn.Iftwo’Mechsarepushingeach other,resolvebothattemptsandapplytheneteffect.Ifboth attacksfail,nothinghappens.Ifbothattackssucceed,neither ’Mechmoves,andbothmustmakePilotingSkillRollsorfall.If onlyoneofthepushattackssucceeds,resolveitasusual. Prohibited Terrain:Ifthehextowhichthetargetunit wouldbedisplacedisprohibitedterrain(exceptintoahexmore thantwolevelslowerthanthetarget’scurrenthex,whichwould resultinanautomaticfall;seeBattleMech Displacement ,p.37), neithertheattackernorthetargetmove;allothereffectsoccur, however,includinganyPilotingSkillRollstoavoidfalling.
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KICK ATTACKS Noweaponsmountedonthatlegcanfireintheturnin whichthe’Mechkicks.Tomakeakickingattack,bothhipsmust beundamagedandtheBattleMech’stargetmustbeinoneof thethreeforward-archexes,basedonthefacingofthefeet(not theupperbody,asinthecaseofatorsotwist). See Modified To-Hit Number ,p.32,todeterminethetarget numberforakickattack. KickshaveaDamageValueof1pointforevery5tons ofthe attackingBattleMech’sweight.Forexample,a 70-ton Grasshopper ’skickwouldinflict14DamagePoints.Determine thelocationofthedamagebyrolling1D6andconsultingthe ’MechKickLocationTable. ABattleMechthathasbeensuccessfullykicked(regardless ofwhatlocationtookthedamage)mustmakeaPilotingSkill Roll.IftheattackingBattleMechmissesitskick,itmustmakea PilotingSkillRoll. Critical Damage:Reducethisdamagebyhalfforeach upperandlowerlegactuatordamagedonthekickingleg,with theseeffectsbeingcumulative.Forexample,iftwolegactuatorsaremissing,reducethedamagetoone-quarteritsoriginal value,roundingfractionsdown.
CHARGE ATTACKS InorderforaBattleMechtocharge,thetargetmustbein thehexdirectlyinfrontofthechargingBattleMech(disregardingtorsotwists)atthebeginningofthePhysicalAttackPhase. ThechargingBattleMechmaynotmakeanyweaponattacksin thesameturn.
ChargingattacksmustbedeclaredduringtheMovement Phase,butlikeallotherphysicalattacks,theyareresolvedduring thePhysicalAttackPhase.ThismeansthatthechargingBattleMech canonlyattackBattleMechsthathavefinishedtheirmovement.It alsomeansaBattleMechthatischargingcannotbethetargetofa chargeordeathfromaboveattack,becauseitsmovementwillnot befinisheduntiltheendofthePhysicalAttackPhase. ThechargingBattleMechmustspendMovementPointsto enterthetargethex,whetherornotthechargeissuccessful.If aBattleMechdoesnothaveenoughMovementPointsleftover fromitsMovementPhasetoenterthetargethex,itmaynot makeachargingattack. See Modified To-Hit Number ,p.32,todeterminethetarget numberforachargeattack. IftheattackingBattleMechtakesdamageduringthe WeaponAttackPhasethatforcesthewarriortomakeaPiloting SkillRoll,theplayershouldrollasnormal.Afailedrollmeansthe attackautomaticallymisses.Resolvethefallnormallyattheend oftheWeaponAttackPhase. IfthetargettakesdamageduringtheWeaponAttackPhase thatrequiresaPilotingSkillRollandtherollsfails,resultingina fall,thechargecannotbemade. MP Loss:AchargingunitthatlosesMPduetodamagecan stillmakeachargingattackthatturn. Multiple Attacks:ABattleMechmayonlybethetargetof onechargingordeathfromaboveattackinagiventurn. Prohibited Terrain:Ifthetargetoccupiesprohibited terrainfortheattacking’Mech,theattackercannotcharge (meaningtheplayercannotdeclareachargeattackduringthe MovementPhase). Unusual Targets:ABattleMechmaybeforcedtoaccidentallychargeahillundercertaincircumstances.
DAMAGE Iftheattacksucceeds, bothBattleMechstakedamagefrom thecollision.Thedefendertakes1pointofdamageforevery 10tonsthatthechargingBattleMechweighs,multipliedbythe numberofhexesmovedbytheattackerintheMovementPhase (notethatthisishexesmoved,notcountingthehexcontainingthetarget,andnotMPexpended).ThechargingBattleMech takes1pointofdamageforevery10tonsthetargetweighs (roundfractionsup). Dividethedamageresultingfromchargingattacksinto5pointgroupings.TheattackingplayerrollsonceontheappropriateHitLocationTableforeachgroup. Unusual Targets:Ifachargeattackismadeagainstatargetwithnotonnage,suchasahill,thedamagetotheattackeris calculatedusingtheattacker’stonnageratherthanthetarget’s. A 65-ton JagerMech moves 5 hexes and declares a charging attack against another BattleMech. If the charging attack is successful, the target takes 33 points of damage (6.5 for the JagerMech’s tonnage multiplied by 5 for the number of hexes it moved, rounded up).
LOCATION AFTER ATTACK Ifthechargingattacksucceeds,thedefendingBattleMech isforcedtomovejustasifithadbeenpushed,andtheattacker advancesintothedefender’shex.(See BattleMech Displacement , p.37).Iftheattackermissesthetarget,theattackingplayerplacestheattackingBattleMechinthehextotherightorleftofits forwardarc. Prohibited Terrain:Ifthehextowhichthetargetunit wouldbedisplacedisprohibitedterrain(exceptintoahexmore thantwolevelslowerthanthetarget’scurrenthex,whichwould resultinanautomaticfall;seeBattleMech Displacement ,p.37), neithertheattackernorthetargetmove;allothereffectsoccur, however,includinganyPilotingSkillRollstoavoidfalling.
FALLS Afteranysuccessfulchargingattack,boththeattacking anddefendingBattleMechsmustmakePilotingSkillRollsmodifiedby+2,plusallotherapplicablemodifiers,orfallinthehex theycurrentlyoccupy.
DEATH FROM ABOVE ATTACKS AdesperateMechWarriorpilotingajump-capable’Mech canliterallyleapontohistarget,withtheaimofbringingthe fullweightofhismachinecrashingdownonthevictim’shead. Thistypeofattack,knownamongMechWarriorsas“deathfrom above,”isextremelydifficultandalwaysresultsinsomedamage totheattacker(’Mechlegswerenotdesignedtotakethiskind ofstress).Itisrarelyattemptedexceptasalast-ditchmeasure. InordertoexecuteaDFA,theattackermusthaveenough MPandbeabletojumpintothehexcontainingthetarget.The attackerthenliterallyjumpsintothehexcontainingthetarget, thoughitstopsjustshortofthathexuntilthePhysicalAttack Phase(seeWeapon Attack Phase,p.10). DFAattacksmustbedeclaredduringtheMovementPhase, butlikeallotherphysicalattacks,theyareresolvedduringthe PhysicalAttackPhase.ThismeansthattheattackingBattleMech canonlyattackBattleMechsthathavefinishedtheirmovement. ItalsomeansaBattleMechthatismakingaDFAcannotbethe targetofachargeorDFA,sinceitsmovementwillnotbefin isheduntiltheendofthePhysicalAttackPhase. ABattleMechmakingaDFAcannotbethetargetofphysicalattacks,butmaybethetargetofweaponattacks. Multiple Attacks:ABattleMechmayonlybethetargetof onechargingorDFAattackinagiventurn. Stacking: ABattleMechdoesnotcountasstackedinahex whileexecutingadeathfromaboveattackuntilitcompletes itsattack.Assoonasitlands,normalstackinglimitsapply(see Stacking,p.16).
WEAPON ATTACK PHASE TheattackingB attleMechcannotmakeanyweaponattacks duringaturninwhichitisexecutingaDFA. DuringtheW eaponAttackPhase,theattackingBattleMech isconsideredtobeadjacenttothetargethexalongthepath thattheattackingBattleMechwilltravelduringthejump,and
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facingthetargethex.Ifthepathofthejumppassesexactly betweentwohexesadjacenttothetarget,theattackermust choosewhichonehewilloccupy.ForthepurposeofdeterminingLOS,theattackingBattleMechisconsideredtobeintheair abovethehex,standingonelevelhigherthanthetargethexor thelevelofthehextheattackerisin,whicheverishigher. See Modified To-Hit Number ,p.32,todeterminethetarget numberforadeathfromaboveattack. Iftheattackissuccessful,bothBattleMechstakedamage asdeterminedbelow.Iftheattackmisses,thejumping’Mech crashestothegroundandtakesdamage(seeFalls,below). Falls:IftheattackingBattleMechtakesdamageduringthe WeaponAttackPhasethatforcesthepilottomakeaPiloting SkillRoll,theplayershouldrollasnormal.Afailedrollmeans thattheattackautomaticallymisses.Resolvetheattacker’sfall andendinglocationpertherulesbelow. A Jenner is making a death from above attack from Hex A on an Atlas. The Jenner’s path during the jump is as shown in the illustration on the previous page. During the Weapon Attack Phase, the Jenner is considered to be in Hex B, as though it were standing on a Level 2 hill (the target hex’s level +1). The Atlas may fire against the Jenner’s front side with any weapons that it can bring to bear at a Range of 1. Other BattleMechs on the map can check for LOS and fire as though the Jenner were in Hex B at Level 3.
B
Level 1
DAMAGE TO TARGET Todeterminedamagetothetargetfromadeathfrom aboveattack,dividetheweightoftheattackingBattleMech by10andmultiplytheresultby3,roundingup.Forexample,a Jenner withaweightof35tonsinflicts11pointsofdamage. Dive thedamage into 5-pointgroups. Determinethe attackdirectionasthoughtheattackhadcomefromtheattackingBattleMech’sstartinghex,thendeterminethehitlocationof eachgroupofdamagebyrolling1D6andconsultingthe’Mech PunchLocationTable,p.33.
DAMAGE TO ATTACKER Theattackertakesdamageasiffromasuccessfulattackon itslegs.Todeterminetheamountofdamage,dividetheattacker’sweightby5.Dividetheresultinto5-pointgroups,thenroll 1D6foreachgroupofdamageandconsulttheFrontcolumnof the’MechKickLocationTabletofindthelocationhit.
LOCATION AFTER ATTACK Attheendofadeathfromaboveattack, theattackerlands inthetarget’shex.IftheDFAissuccessful,thetargetispushed onehexinthedirectionoppositetheattack.Iftheattackfails,the targetchoosesanadjacenthexandmovestoit,evenifimmobile
3
Combat
orprone.Thismotionmightresultinaccidentalfallsfromabove oradominoeffect;see BattleMech Displacement ,p.37. Ifthetargetunitcannotbedisplacedintotheappropriate hex(forexample,iftheterrainIprohibited),thehexchosenmust beascloseaspossibletotheoriginalhexsidethroughwhichthe target’Mechwouldhavemoved.Forexample,ifthe direction oftheattackwouldhavepushedthe’MechthroughHexside A,thecontrollingplayerthenlooksatHexsidesBorFtoseeif thosehexesarepassable,thenatHexsidesCorE,thenfinallyat HexsideD.Iftwoequallydistanthexes,suchasBorF,areopen, theappropriateplayerchooseeitherone,asdescribedabove. Ifallthesurroundinghexescontainimpassableterrain,the target’Mechcannotbedisplaced.Forexample,thetarget’Mech maybeonLevel0terrainsurroundedbyLevel3orhigherhills. Inthiscase,iftheattacksucceeds,thetargetisdestroyed.Ifthe attackfails,theattackerisdestroyed.
FALLS Asuccessfuldeathfromaboveattackmaycauseboth BattleMechstofall.BothMechWarriorsmustmakePilotingSkill Rolls,thetargetaddinga+2modifierandtheattackeradding a+4modifier.IfeitherBattleMechfailsthisroll,theunittakes damageasfroma0-levelfall. Onanunsuccessfulattacktheattackerautomaticallyfalls, takingdamageasthoughthe’Mechhadfallen2levelsontoits backside(seeFalling,p.18).
DIFFERENT LEVELS Therulesforpunching,clubbing,kickingandchargingattacks assumethattheopposingBattleMechsareatthesamelevel. ABattleMechmaymakeaphysicalattackagainstanother BattleMechonlyifboth’Mechsarewithin1levelofeachother. TheDifferentLevelsTableshowswhichtypesofphysicalattacks canbemadeinvarioussituations.Notethatplayersmustuse differentHitLocationTablestodeterminethelocationofdamagefrompunching,clubbingorkickingattacksagainstan opponentonvariouslevels.
PRONE BATTLEMECHS Thefollowingspecialrulesapplytoprone’Mechsforphysicalattacks.
PHYSICAL ATTACKS AGAINST PRONE BATTLE MECHS Theonlyphysicalattacksthatcanbemadeagainstaprone BattleMecharekicksanddeathfromabove.BattleMechscannot chargeproneBattleMechs.Determinethelocationofsuccessfulattacksofthesetypesusingtheappropriatecolumnofthe ’MechHitLocationTable,p.28.Notethatdamagefromdeath fromaboveattacksagainstprone’Mechsisdeterminedusing theRearcolumnofthetable,regardlessoftheattackdirection. Different Levels: AproneBattleMechthatis1levelhigherthantheattacking’Mechcanalsobehitbypunchandclub attacks.Theseattacksalsousethe’MechHitLocationTable.
BATTLEMECH DISPLACEMENT BattleMechsthataremovedfromtheirhexesasaresultof theiropponent’sactionsaresaidtobedisplaced.Displacement canresultfromcharging,pushinganddeathfromabove
DOMINO EFFECT A domino effect results when a BattleMechis disTarget is: Allowed Physical Attack placed by a charge, StandingBattleMech1levelhigher Charge,Punch(Kicktable),Club(Kicktable),PhysicalWeapon(Kicktable) push, ordeath from StandingBattleMech1levellower Charge,Kick(Punchtable),Club(Punchtable),PhysicalWeapon(Punchtable) Prone’Mech1level higher Punch, Club, PhysicalWeapon above attack, or as Prone ’Mech 1 level lower None a result of another d om in o e ff ec t o r Note:AdeathfromaboveattackcanalwaysbemadeiftheBattleMechhasthenecessaryJumpingMP. AccidentalFallsfrom Above, into a hex containing another BattleMechwhenthe attacks.Itcanalsoresultfromaso-calleddominoeffectasa levelofthehexitisenteringis1or0levelslowerorhigherthanthe stringofBattleMechsaredisplacedintooneanother. hexfromwhichitwasdisplaced. ABattleMechcannotbedisplacedintoahexthatisimpassIfa BattleMechaccidentallyfalls1levelor less,oris abletoit(seeMovementCostTable,p.14).Thisincludeshexesat forcedintoahexoccupiedbyanotherBattleMech,thesecond higherlevelsthanthedisplacedunitcanmoveupwardinasingle BattleMechisnormallyforcedoutofthehexinthedirectionof hex.Ofcourse,BattleMechscanbedisplaceddownwardanynumthepush.ThesecondBattleMechcanavoidthisbymovingout beroflevels,thoughthisresultsinanaccidentalfall(seebelow). ofthehex,aslongasitisneitherfacingthefirstBattleMechnor IftherulescallforaBattleMechtobedisplacedintoanillefacingdirectlyawayfromit. galhex,thedisplacementcannotoccur.Unlessthespecificrules ThepilotsofbothBattleMechsmustmakePilotingSkillRolls oftheattackoractionstateotherwise,inthesecasesneitherthe toavoidfalling.Whenthedominoeffectpushoriginatesfrom targetBattleMechnortheattackingBattleMechismoved.All oneofaBattleMech’sfoursidehexes,however,theBattleMech otherusualeffectsofthedisplacingactiontakeplace,including canavoidthedominoeffectbymoving1hexdirectlyforward damageandanyrequiredPilotingSkillRolls. orback.Inordertomoveoutoftheway,itmusthavesufficient MPremainingfromtheMovementPhase,bebothmobileand ACCIDENTAL FALLS FROM ABOVE standingandtheplayermustmakeasuccessfulPilotingSkill AnaccidentalfallfromaboveresultswhenaBattleMechis RollforthatBattleMech. displacedbyacharge,pushordeathfromaboveattack,orasa IfthePilotingSkillRollwasnotsuccessful,theBattleMech resultofanotheraccidentalfallfromaboveortheDominoEffect wouldhavefallenandmissedthischancetostepoutoftheway. intoahexcontaininganotherBattleMech,andthelevelofthe ThedominoeffectcontinuesaslongasBattleMechsremain hexitisenteringis2levelsormorelowerthanthehexitwas inhexesadjacenttooneanotherinthedirectionoftheeffect displacedfrom.Ifthelevelis1or0lessorgreaterthanthelevel andnoneofthemmanagestostepoutoftheway. ofthehexitwasdisplacedfrom,adominoeffectoccursinstead. WhenaBattleMechaccidentallyfalls2levelsormoreintoa The BattleMech in Hex A has fallen 1 hexoccupiedbyanotherBattleMech,makeato-hitrollwithaBase level into Hex B. The BattleMech stand To-HitNumberof7,modifiedbytargetmovementandterrainonly. ing in Hex B will be forced into Hex ABattleMechmaynotintentionallyfallfromabove. C and must make a Piloting Heavy Woods Skill Roll to avoid falling. The Falling BattleMech Hits Target BattleMech in Hex C, howIftheto-hitrollissuccessful,treattheaccidentalfallasa ever, can try to avoid the successfuldeathfromaboveattack.Determinetheamount Level 1 domino effect by moving. ofdamageinflictedonthetargetBattleMechbydividingthe First, the player must weightofthefallingBattleMechby10.Dividethedamageinto make a Piloting Skill Roll. If 5-pointgroups,thenroll1D6foreachgroupofdamageand the roll fails, the ’Mech will consultthe’MechPunchLocationTable.Determinedamageto fall into Hex D, and if another thefalling(“attacking”)BattleMechasnormalforafall,withthe ’Mech occupied that hex, the domino BattleMechfallingonitsback. effect would continue. If the roll is successful and the ’Mech has at least 1 MP left from the Falling BattleMech Misses Target previous Movement Phase, it may move one hex directly Iftheto-hitrollisnotsuccessful,thefallingBattleMech backward into Hex E, ending the domino effect. If the landsinanadjacenthex,asclosetothehexthatitfellfromas BattleMech had 3 or more MP left, it could choose to move possible,andtakesthestandarddamagefromfalling.Noother forward into the heavy woods hex. BattleMechstakedamage.Iftherearemultipleadjacenthexes equallyclosetothehextheBattleMechfellfrom,randomly determinewhichhexisentered.
DIFFERENT LEVELS TABLE
Combat
3
HEAT
O
neofthemostsevereproblemsfacinganyBattleMech incombat isinternalheat buildup.Thoughevery BattleMechcandissipateheatthroughitsheatsinks (devicesdesignedtodrawheatawayfromthermal systems)orbystandinginwater,theBattleMechbuilds upheatwheneveritmovesorfiresitsweapons. Evenwhenusingbothofthosemethodstocoolitssystems,ahighrateofactivitycommonlyproducesmoreheat
3
Heat
thanaBattleMechcandissipate.ItispossibleforaBattleMech tooverheatandcontinuetofunction,butapilotwhopushes hisBattleMechpastitslimitseventuallymustpaytheprice.As aBattleMech’sinternalheatincreases,itmovesmoreslowlyand itsweaponsfirebecomeslessaccurate.Ifitsinternalheatreachesacertainlevel,theammunitionthatitcarriesmayexplode. TheBattleMech’sfusionreactormayevenshutdown,causing theBattleMechtobecomeinactiveandimmobileuntiltheheat dropsbelowacertainpoint.
HEAT POINT TABLE Activity Walking Running Jumping
Heat Points +1 per turn +2 per turn +1 per hex (minimum of 3 per turn) AttemptingtoStand +1perattempt Weapons Fire Per Weapons and Equipment Table, p. 60 Heat Sink –1 per operational heat sink –1 additional per heat sink under water (maximum 6 points) First Engine Hit +5 per turn SecondEngineHit +10(total)perturn
HEAT POINTS PlayerstracktheinternalheatofaBattleMechbythenumberofHeatPoints(HP)itbuildsup.Thegreaterthenumberof HeatPoints,thegreaterthe’Mech’sinternalheat.Theplayer keepstrackofhisBattleMech’sHeatPointsusingthecolumn ofboxesonthe’MechrecordsheetlabeledHeatScale.The HeatScalerecordsheatlevelsfrom0to30HeatPoints.The HeatOverflowboxisusedtotrackheatlevelsabove30.Asthe BattleMech’sinternalheatreachesvariouslevelsontheHeat Scale,theBattleMechwillsuffertheadverseeffectslistedfor thoselevels.
BUILDING UP HEAT Differentactivitiesbuildupheatatdifferentrates.Agood MechWarriorbalancesthetacticalvalueofanactivityagainst theheatitwilladdtohisBattleMech.TheHeatPointTableindicatesthenumberofHeatPointsgeneratedbyvariousactivities anddamage.It alsoshowsthenumberofHeatPointsthata BattleMechcandissipatethroughitsheatsinksorbystanding inaWaterhex.Heatsinksdissipate1pointofheatperturn. Jumping:Notethatjumpinggeneratesmoreheatthan walkingorrunning,eveniftheBattleMechmovesonly1hex. Thisisbecausefiringthejumpjetsaddsaminimumof3Heat Points.TheHeatPointcostforjumpingdependsonthelength ofthejump.Thefartherthejump,thelongerthejumpjets areusedandthemoreheattheygenerate.Todeterminethe numberofHeatPointsgeneratedbyjumping,countthehexes moved.Ifthe’Mechjumps3orfewerhexes,theHeatPointcost is3points.Ifthenumberofhexesmovedis4ormore,theHeat Pointsgeneratedequalsthenumberofhexesjumped. Water: Heatsinksdissipatetwiceasmuchheatwhenthey areunderwaterintheHeatPhase.WhenaBattleMechisstandinginDepth1water,onlythoseheatsinksmountedinthelegs areunderwater.A’MechstandinginDepth2ordeeperwater orproneinDepth1ordeeperwateriscompletelysubmerged, soallofitsheatsinksareconsideredunderwater.Regardlessof
howmanyheatsinksareunderwater,however,the’Mechcan shednomorethananadditional6pointsofheatperturnby beingunderwater. Shutting Off Heat Sinks:AMechWarriormayactually wishtobuildupheatinsomesituations.Buildingupheatis mosteasilyaccomplishedbyshuttingoffasmanyheatsinksas desiredduringtheEndPhaseofanyturn.Heatsinksshutoffin suchawaydissipatenoheatinthefollowingHeatPhaseand mayonlybeswitchedbackonduringasubsequentEndPhase.
RECORDING HEAT BUILDUP DuringtheHeatPhaseofeveryturn, eachplayeraddsup theHeatPointsbuiltupbyhisBattleMech.Hesubtractstheheat dissipatedbyhisBattleMech’sheatsinksandanyadditionaldissipationifhisBattleMechoccupiesaWaterhex.Theresultmay bepositiveornegative.Addthisnumbertothecurrentlevelof heatshownontheHeatScaleontheBattleMech’srecordsheet. Ifthenumberisnegative,adjusttheHeatScaledownward;ifthe resultispositive,adjusttheHeatScaleupward.Thelevelofheat shownontheHeatScalecannotdropbelow0. WesuggestthatplayersmarktheHeatScalewithapencil, becausetheheatwillriseandfallmanytimesduringthegame. More than 30 Heat Points:Itispossiblefora’Mech’sheat leveltoriseabove30.Heatinexcessof30hasnoadditionaleffect onthe’Mechbeyondthepowerplantshutdownat30pointsof heat.Itdoes,however,increasethetimeittakestorestartthe ’Mech,astheheatlevelmustdropbelow30beforethe’Mech’s reactorcanbestarted.Markanyheatgeneratedbeyond30in theHeatOverflowboxontherecordsheet.IfthereisnoHeat Overflowboxontherecordsheetbeingused,simplywritethe extraheatatthetopoftheHeatScale.Whendissipatingheat, theHeatOverflowmustbedissipatedbeforetheHeatScalecan bereducedbelow30.
EFFECTS OF HEAT TheeffectsofexcessiveheatcausetheBattleMechtofunctionlessefficiently.Itwillmovemoreslowly,firelessaccurately andpossiblyshutdownorevenexplode.Someoftheseeffects arepermanent,butothersarenegatedwhenthe’Mechcools. TheBattleMechsuffers the effectslisted below after theheatlevelfortheturnhasbeenadjustedasdescribedin Recording Heat Buildup.
MOVEMENT EFFECTS At5,10,15,20and25HeatPoints,subtractthenumberindicatedfromtheBattleMech’sWalkingMP.Forexample,at5Heat Points,subtract1fromtheBattleMech’sWalkingMPaslongasthe heatisatorabove5.RememberthatRunningMPare1.5timesthe currentWalkingMP;iftheWalkingMParereduced,theBattleMech’s RunningMPmustalsoberecalculated,roundingfractionsup. Thiseffectisnotcumulativewithanypreviousheat-caused lossofMovementPoints.WhenaBattleMech’sheatbuildup reaches5ontheHeatScale,itsWalkingMParereducedby1. Whenthebuildupreaches10ontheHeatScale,itsWalkingMP arereducedby2total,not2more.
Heat
3
Whentheheatbuildupisreducedbelowthepointatwhich theeffectoccurs,theBattleMechregains1WalkingMP,though previouslossesremaininforce.Thus,iftheheatfallsbelow10 ontheHeatScale,the–2MPeffectisremoved,butthe–1MP effectisstillinforceuntiltheheatdropsbelow5. Jumping:NotethataBattleMech’sJumpingMParenot affectedbythereductioninWalkingMPduetoheatbuildup.
WEAPON ATTACK EFFECTS At8, 13,17and24HeatPoints, addthenumberindicated totheBattleMech’sbaseto-hitnumberforweaponattacks.For example,at8HeatPoints,add1toallbaseto-hitnumberswhile theheatisatorabove8.Treattheseeffectslikemovement effects;theyarenotcumulativeandmaybenegatedbyreducingtheheatbuildup.
SHUTDOWN EFFECTS At14,18,22,26and30HeatPoints,aBattleMechattempts toshutdownitsfusionreactorautomaticallyasa safety procedure.Until theMechWarriorrestartsthe reactor,the BattleMechisaffectedbyshutdownasdescribedinShutdown BattleMechs, below. ThiseffectmaybeavoidediftheMechWarriorisableto overridethe fusionreactor’ssafetyshutdownprocedure,as indicatedbytheAvoidnumberlistedwiththeeffect(shutdowncannotbeavoidedat30+HeatPoints).Theplayerrolls 2D6onceduringtheHeatPhaseifthe’Mech’sheatisator above14.Iftheresultisequaltoorgreaterthanthehighest Avoidnumbercorrespondingtohis’Mech’sheatlevel,thepilot avoidsshutdownforthatturn.Ifheataccumulationreaches2 ormoretriggerlevelsinoneturn,roll2D6onlyonce,against thehighestAvoidnumber. Shutdown BattleMechs WhenaBattleMechshutsdown,itcantakenoactionsand allofitsequipmentceasestofunction.(SeealsoPilotingSkill Table,p.17).Itcannotmakeattacksormove,andcannotbuild upheatbyitsownactions.Evenenginecriticalhitswillnotgenerateextraheatwhilethe’Mechisshutdown.Outsideinfluencessuchasfireandflamers,however,cancreateheatbuildup. AshutdownBattleMech’sheatsinkswillstillworkandso willcontinuetodissipatetheexcessheat.Foreveryturnthatthe ’Mechisshutdown,theheatlevelwilldropasusual.Theplayer mayattempttorestartthereactorduringeachHeatPhase.To dothis,theplayerrolls2D6.Iftheresultisequaltoorgreater thanthehighestcurrentAvoidnumber,hecanrestartthereactor.ABattleMechmaymoveandfireintheturnfollowingthe turninwhichthereactorwasrestarted.Whentheheatdrops below14ontheHeatScale,thereactorrestartsautomatically, evenifthepilotisoutofaction. Aimed Shots:AshutdownBattleMechmaybetargetedby aimedshots(p.28).
0
Heat
AMMUNITION EFFECTS IftheheatlevelreachesorexceedsanAmmoExplosion thresholdof19,23,or28HeatPoints,theammunitioncarried intheBattleMechmightexplode.Theexplosionmaybeavoidedbypureluck,asindicatedbytheAvoidnumber.Toseeif the’Mechavoidsanexplosionwhentheheatlevelreachesan AmmoExplosionthreshold,theplayerrolls2D6onceduringthe HeatPhaseifthe’Mech’sheatisatorabove19.Iftheresultis equaltoorgreaterthanthehighestAvoidnumbercorrespondingtohis’Mech’sheatlevel,thepilotavoidsanammunition explosionforthatturn.Ifheataccumulationreaches2ormore triggerlevelsinoneturn,roll2D6onlyonce,againstthehighest Avoidnumber. WhenaBattleMech’s ammoexplodesduetooverheating, theammunitioncriticalslotwiththemostdestructiveammo rackexplodesfirst.Anammorackisdefinedasthedamage thatoneturn’sworthofshotswilldo.Thus,arack ofmachine gunammohasaDamageValueof2,anAC/10’sDamageValue is10,anLRM15hasaDamageValueof15,andanSRM6has aDamageValueof12.Whenthe’Mechcarriestworackswith equivalentDamageValues,theBattleMech’spilotchooses whichammoexplodes.Alloftheappropriateammotypeina singlecriticalhitslotexplodes.Ifthereismorethanonecritical hitslotwiththeappropriateammotype,theonewiththemost shotsremainingwillexplode.Iftherearetwoormorelocations withanequalnumberofshotsremaining,randomlydetermine theonethatexplodes. Resolvetheexplosionfollowingtherulesin BattleMech Critical Hit Effects,p.30.
MECHWARRIOR EFFECTS I f t he l if e- su pp or t s ys te ms s u ff er a c r it ic al h it , t he MechWarriorsuffers1pointofdamageforeveryturnthatthe BattleMech’sinternalheatreaches15ormore.Foreveryturn thattheheatrisesorremainshigherthan25,theMechWarrior suffers2pointsofdamage. A Jennerbegins a turn with a Heat Scale reading of 6. During the turn, it fires all four of its Medium Lasers and runs (generating a total of 14 Heat Points). The BattleMech only has 10 heat sinks. They dissipate 10 of the 14 Heat Points, leaving 4 to build up. During the Heat Phase, these 4 points are added to the 6 already on the Heat Scale, bringing the total to 10. In the next turn, the BattleMech must reduce its Walking MP by 2 and add +1 to its to-hit number for weapons attacks. If the BattleMech repeats these actions in the next turn, the player must add 4 more Heat Points to the Heat Scale, bringing the total to 14. The player must roll a 4 or higher on 2D6 to avoid having his BattleMech’s fusion reactor shut down. Even if he avoids the shutdown, he must still reduce the Jenner’sWalking MP by 2, until its heat falls below 10 on the Heat Scale. At the same time, the ’Mech fires its weapons with a +2 to-hit modifier.
SCENARIOS
T
hissectionprovidesthreeready-to-playgamesituationscalledscenarios.Eachonedescribesthemapsheetsusedforthescenario,theforceseachsideor playerusesandthevictoryconditionsandanyspecial rulesforthescenario. NewplayersshouldbeginwiththeQuick-Start Rules.After playingwiththoserulesafewtimes,theplayerscanthenmove ontothefollowingscenariosusingthecompleterulesinthis book.Eachoneislongerandmorecomplexthantheprevious scenario,soplaythemintheordertheyappear. Thethreescenariosinthissectionillustratethevarietyof missionsyoucanplayusingthe BattleTechgamesystem.After youhaveplayedthem,creatingyourownscenariosshouldbe easy.Tohelpyouget started,eachscenarioincludesideasfor modifyingittocreatenewscenarios. Terrain:Thefollowingscenariosassumesthatplayershave accesstotwocopiesofthestandardClassicBattleTechMap, whichcanbefoundinClassic BattleTech Map Set Compilation #1. However,almostanymapsheetsfromMap Set Compilation #1(or anyotherClassic BattleTechmapsheets)canbeusedinplaceofthe standardClassic BattleTechmapsheetsshownineachscenario.
SCENARIO 1: FINAL ExAM “Buttonup,lockdownandstandby.” Afterthreemonthsofdailyexercises, theinitializationprocedurehasbecomesecondnature,almosttedious—untiltoday, thatis. “Wehavedropclearance.Deployatmymark.” Thistimethepressureisreallyon: twostudentsenterthe electronicarenaaslancecommanders,eachleadingagroup ofthreejuniorstudentsintosimulatedbattle.Andonlyoneof thoselancecommanderswillbegoingtothemilitaryacademy battleschool. “Three,two,one,GO!” Asthevirtualrealityofthesimulatorcomesintoview,the ’Mechsopenfire….
SITUATION WhenanInnerSpheretrainingofficerfeelsthathisstudents areready,heteststheircombatandleadershipskillswitha“final exam.”Beforestartingtheirsimulatedbattle,hesitsdownwith bothstudentsandgravelytellsthemthatthemilitaryacademy canonlyacceptonecadet.TheloserwillsimplyhavetoabandonhisdreamsofbecomingaMechWarrior.
Scenarios
1
Infact,thetrainingofficerismakingthisallup,butthe deception—whichisastandardpracticeintheInnerSphere— usuallycreatesthekindoffiercecompetitionMechWarriorswill faceonthebattlefield. Thisscenariore-createsthetypical“finalexam”experiencedbynearlyallstudentMechWarriorsintheInnerSphere. Thescenarioalsosimulatesthelance-on-lanceengagements thatcomprisemostBattleMechwarfare.
DEPLOYMENT Seethedefender’s Deployment ,above.
VICTORY CONDITIONS Thewinneristheplayerorteamthatcripplesordestroys alloftheotherplayer’sorteam’sBattleMechsfirst.
SPECIAL RULES Forthepurposesofthisscenario,a’Mechisconsidered crippledunderthefollowingconditions:oneorbothlegsare destroyed,allofitsweaponsaredestroyed,itsgyroisdestroyed orithastakentwoenginecriticalhits. Ifa’Mechexitsthemapforanyreason,itisconsidered destroyedandmaynotre-enterthescenario.
VARIATIONS Thisscenariocanbereplayedwithanynumberofvariations.Modifyingtheterrainortheforcesoneachsidearetwoof manypossiblewaystomixitup.
GAME SET-UP Lay out the BattleTechmapsheetsasshownabove.Inthe remainingscenariorules,theplayingareaformedbythemapsheetsiscalledsimplythemap.
DEFENDER Thetrainingofficerhaschosenmixedlancesoflightand medium’Mechsforthetrialandhassuppliedthedefending lancecommanderwithaheavyCatapult . LanceCommanderHorace(Piloting5,Gunnery 4), CPLT-C1 Catapult Cadet Winston (Piloting5,Gunnery 4),SDR-5VSpider Cadet Johansson (Piloting5,Gunnery 4), COM-2D Commando Cadet Rodriguez (Piloting5,Gunnery 4),TBT-5NTrebuchet
DEPLOYMENT ThedefenderchoosesoneBattleMechandplacesitonany hexalongthewestedgeofthemap.Theplayersalternateplacingtheir’Mechsuntilalleight’Mechsareonthemap.Playthen beginswiththeInitiativePhaseofthefirstturn.
Force Selection Thesimplestwaytomodifythescenarioisbyalteringthe rosterof’Mechseachsideuses.Hereisonesuggestedalternate arrangementfortheattacker’sanddefender’sforces: Attacker: DRG-1N Dragon,ENF-4REnforcer ,HER-2SHermes II ,JR7-D Jenner Defender: CLNT-2-3T Clint , HBK-4G Hunchback , PNT-9R Panther ,QKD-4GQuickdraw PlayerscanalsodeterminetheirforcesbysettingatonnagelimitforeachsideandthenselectanyBattleMechsthey want.Forexample,bothsidesmightagreeona200-tonlimit fortheir’Mechlances.Aftertheteamsselecttheir’Mechs,the matchupmightlooklikethis: AttAcker forces
DefenDer forces
BattleMech Tonnage Zeus 80 Dervish 55 Assassin 40 Commando 25 Total Tonnage = 00
BattleMech Tonnage Atlas 100 Panther 35 Jenner 35 Spider 30 Total Tonnage = 00
Thismethodmaynotalwaysproduceanevenlymatched battle,butitisaquickandeasywaytochooseforcesthatare roughlybalanced—anditgivestheplayersmorecontrolover theirforces.
ATTACKER Tokeepthetestfair,thetrainingofficerhasgivenboth sidesanidenticalselectionofBattleMechs. LanceCommanderPushkin(Piloting5,Gunnery 4), CPLT-C1 Catapult Cadet Shotugama (Piloting5,Gunnery 4),SDR-5VSpider Cadet Armstrong (Piloting5,Gunnery 4), COM-2D Commando Cadet Keenan (Piloting5,Gunnery 4),TBT-5NTrebuchet
Scenarios
Terrain Theterraininthisscenariocanbevariedbysettingupthe mapsheetsdifferently.Forexample,turningthemapsheetsso theyarefacingoppositedirectionswillcreateasignificantlydifferentbattlefield.Orplayerscanplacethemapsheetssothat theirnarrowsidestouch,ratherthantheirwidesides.Seethe followingtwoscenariosforexamplesofsuchlayouts.
SCENARIO : TRIAL BY FIRE “Assaultlance, report—whatisyourstatus?” “Thereisnoassaultlance!Theyambushedusaswecame outofthepass.Getmeoutofhere!” TheloneMechWarriorstruggledtocalmhisfrazzlednerves duringthelongsecondsthatpassedbeforehiscommlinkcrackledwithhiscommander’sresponse. “ Ma in f or ce u n ab le t o r e ac h y ou r p re se nt p o si ti on . RedezvousatDropZoneBeta.” Theorderwasadeathsentence.Betawasacrossenemy lines. Backattheacademy,theMechWarriorhadwantednothingmorethantogetintotheaction.Nowhewasintheaction, allright.Hisfather’s’Mechwasruinedandhislancemateswere dead.TheyoungMechWarriorfeltpanicclosinginbutforcedit outofhismind,resolvingthathewouldnotbecomeanother casualty. “Yessir!Onmyway…”
SITUATION Justasawarisaseriesofbattles,somostbattlesarea seriesofengagements.Inonesuchengagement,alanceof noviceMechWarriorsisambushedandnearlywipedout,leavingoneinexperiencedpilotalonewithhisdamaged’Mech.The onlywaybacktohisunitisacrossenemylines.Ifhecangetto therendezvouspointintime,thelonewarriorcanjoinupwith therestofhisunitandwithdrawforrepairs.Ifnot,hewillprobablybecapturedbytheenemy.
Deployment Aftertheattacker’s ’Mechsaredeployed,thedefendermay placehis’Mechanywherewithinthreehexesofthewestedge ofthemap,withanyfacingdesired.
ATTACKER Three’Mechsstandbetweenthewounded Zeusandits rendezvouspoint.Fortunatelyforthedefender,theyarepiloted byrookieMechWarriorsevengreenerthanhim. Sergeant Hoffmann (Piloting5,Gunnery 5), JM6-S JagerMech MechWarrior Adjani(Piloting6,Gunnery 5),CDA-2ACicada MechWarrior Lucas (Piloting6,Gunnery 5), COM-2D Commando Deployment Theattackersetsupfirst. Hecanplacehis’Mechsonany ClearLevel0hexeswithinsixhexesoftheeastedgeofthemap, withanyfacingdesired.
VICTORY CONDITIONS Thegameendsinvictoryforthedefenderifthe Zeuscan moveofftheeastedgeofthemapordestroyalloftheattacking ’Mechs.Ifthe Zeusisdestroyed,thegameendsinvictoryforthe attacker.
SPECIAL RULES Theattackersareunpreparedforthearrivalofthe Zeusin theirarea.Tosimulatetheirsurprise,thedefenderautomatically winstheInitiativeinthefirstturn. Thedefending’Mechmaysafelyexitthemapattheeast edgeonly.Ifitleavesthemapatanyotheredge,theattacker winsthescenario. Anyattacking’Mechthatexitsthemapisconsidered destroyed.
VARIATIONS GAME-SET-UP Lay out the BattleTechmapsasshown.
DEFENDER ThedefenderisaloneMechWarriorinadamaged Zeus. Torepresentdamagesufferedinanearlierbattle,thedefendingplayerrollshitlocationsontheFrontsidecolumnforfour attacksagainstthe Zeus,eachoneinflicting5pointsofdamage. Theseattacksareresolvedbeforeplaybegins.Fortheseattacks, rerollanyheadhitsanddonotrollforcriticalhits,evenifthe ’Mech’sinternalstructureisdamage.
Playingthescenarioasachaseisasimplewaytovaryit. Alltherulesstaythesame,buttheattackersdonotdeployon themap. Instead, thedefenderplaceshis’Mechonthe map first,thenreceivesoneturnofmovement.Theattackersenter themapduringtheMovementPhaseofthesecondturn.Each attacking’Mechentersthemapfromthewestedgeandstarts itsmovementofftheboard,sothefirstfullhexthe’Mechenters countsasitsfirsthexofmovement.
MechWarriorT hompson(Piloting5,Gunnery 4), ZEU-6S Zeus
Scenarios
3
SCENARIO 3: DIVIDE AND CONQUER Explosionsshookthegroundasthebattleragedtoafever pitch.Thetwocompaniestoreintooneanotherwithallofthe fire-powertheycouldmuster,vaporizingarmorandfusingthe componentsbeneath. Slowlybutsurelytheattackersdroveawedgeintothe defendingforce,drivingitapart.Theattackingforcedestroyed halfofthedefending’Mechforce,butlosttwo-thirdsofitsown ’Mechsintheprocess. Unwillingtosurrenderandwithnoreinforcementswithin range,bothcommandersgrimlyorderedtheirremaining’Mechs toholdtheirground.
SITUATION Theattackershavemanagedtodividethedefendingforce. Thisdevelopmentgivestheattackersadefiniteadvantage, becausetheycanconcentratetheirfireononegroupofdefendersbeforetheremainingdefenderscomewithinrange.
ATTACKER TheattackingforceconsistsofasinglelancepiecedtogetherfromtheremnantsofSeymore’sCompany. Captain Seymore (Piloting4,Gunnery 3),AS7-D Atlas Lieutenant Marks (Piloting4,Gunnery 4),DRG-1NDragon MechWarriorKanazawa(Piloting5,Gunnery 4), DV-6M Dervish MechWarriorO’Rourke(Piloting5,Gunnery 4), JR7-D Jenner
DEPLOYMENT Theattackersetsupafterallthedefending’Mechsareset up.Hecanattackthedefender’slancesinanyorderhelikes.Ifhe wantstoattackthereconlancefirst,hecansetuphis’Mechsin thenortheastcorneroftheeastmapsheet,intherowofhexes numbered1510through1517.Ifhewantstoattackthecommandlancefirst,hecanplacehis’Mechsinthesouthwestcornerofthewestmapsheet,intherowofhexesnumbered1510 through1517.
VICTORY CONDITIONS Thewinneristheteamthatcripplesordestroysallofthe opposingteam’sBattleMechsfirst.
SPECIAL RULES
GAME SET-UP Lay out the BattleTechmapsheetsasshown.
DEFENDER Thedefendingforceconsistsoftwoweakenedlancesof three’Mechseach. Command Lance Lieutenant Blake (Piloting4,Gunnery 3),AWS-8Q Awesome Sergeant Petersen (Piloting5,Gunnery 3), GHR-5H Grasshopper MechWarrior Lee (Piloting5,Gunnery 4),ENF-4REnforcer Recon Lance Sergeant Alvarez (Piloting4,Gunnery 4),CLNT-2-3TClint MechWarriorTheissen(Piloting5,Gunnery 4), CDA-2A Cicada MechWarrior Jones (Piloting5,Gunnery 4),SDR-5VSpider
DEPLOYMENT Thedefendersetsupfirst.The’Mechsofthecommand lancecanbeplacedalongthemap’swestedgeinanyhexes thatliewithin6hexesofthemap’snorthedge.The’Mechsof thereconlancecanbeplacedalongthemap’seastedgeinany hexesthatliewithin6hexesofthemap’ssouthedge.
Scenarios
Forthepurposesofthisscenario,a’Mechisconsidered crippledunderanyofthefollowingconditions:one orboth legsaredestroyed,allofitsweaponsaredestroyed,itsgyrois destroyed,orithastakentwoenginecriticalhits. Ifa’Mechexitsthemapforanyreason,itisconsidered destroyedandmaynotre-enterthescenario. Toreflectthedefenders’disruptedcommandstructure,the defendingteammustsubtract2fromallofitsInitiativerolls.
VARIATIONS Forasmaller(andshorter)game, removetheGrasshopper , CicadaandDragonandfollowallotherrules. Ifthreeplayerswanttotrythescenario,twoplayerscan sharecommandofthedefendingside.Inthiscase,eachdefendingplayercontrolsoneofthedefenderlances.Thetwoplayers taketurnsrollingInitiativefortheirside.Ifatanytimethetwo playerscannotagreeonwhich’Mechtomoveordeclarefire with,bothroll2D6.Theplayerwiththehigherresultdecidesthe defendingside’sactionfortheremainderofthatphase. Foramorechallenging(andlonger)game,playthescenarioundernighttimeconditions.Inthiscase,allweaponattack to-hitnumbersreceiveanaddition+2modifier.(Addingnighttimeconditionsisasimplewaytovaryalmostany BattleTech scenario.)Alternatively,playerscanintroducefogconditions. Fogconditionscanbesimulatedsimplybyincreasingtheto-hit modifiersforcertainrangedattacks.Short-rangeandphysical attacksreceivenospecialmodifiers(fogdoesnotaffectsuch close-rangeattacks),butanymedium-rangeattackreceivesa +3modifierinsteadofthestandard+2.Anylong-rangeattack receivesa+6modifierinsteadofthestandard+4.
pLAYING BATTLETECH
Y
oucanhaveplentyoffunplaying BattleTechbythe seatofyourpants,movingeachBattleMechinturn andgivinglittlethoughttoyournextmoveoryour opponent’s strategy. As with most games, however,playingisfun—butwinningisevenmorefun! LearninghowBattleTechworksandhowtouseyourforcesto besteffectwillmakeyouabetterplayerandwillultimately makeyourgamemoreenjoyable. Thebestwaytolearnisbydoing.Inordertoeventuallybecomeabetterplayer,youbeginbyplayingplentyof BattleTech.That’showtheauthorofthissectionlearnedwhat heisabouttotellyou,andplaying BattleTechiscertainlymore funthanreadingaboutplayingBattleTech!Thefollowinghints andtips,however,shouldgiveyouanedgeoveryouropponent: thinkofitasashortcutonthewaytoamoregratifyinggame. BattleTech Tacticsdescribesthegamesintermsthattake youbeyondtherulesandthenumbers,showingyouhowto really play thegame.Thissectionwillhelpyoulearnhowtouse your’Mechstoyouradvantageandofferinsightintowhatyour opponentmightdowithhis’Mechs. Onceaplayerstartstousethemoreadvancedunits(such asvehiclesandinfantry),weapons,equipmentandspecialcase rulesfoundintheTotal Warfare,itisimportanttonotethatall ofthesetacticsarestillapplicabletogameplayandwillinsure thatasyour’Mechadvancesintechnology,yourskillandexpertiseatplayingwilladvancealongwithit.
BATTLETECH TACTICS Knowing thebasics of BattleTechtacticswillhelpyouavoid themistakesmostoftenmadebynewplayers.Thefollowing informationanswersquestionsyoumightnotevenknowtoask, suchas,“Whyshouldn’tIleavemy Spider standingintheopen?” and“Whatisthemosteffectivedistancefromtheenemyfor metopositionmy Awesome?”Thissectionsuggestsanswersto theseandotherthornyquestions. Organizedintosectionsthatcorrespondtothephasesofa BattleTechturn,thistacticaladvicewillshowyouhowtocrush yourfoesineachstageofthegame.
INITIATIVE Unfortunately,youhavetoworkwiththeInitiativeyou roll;nothingreallychangesthatresult.ButknowingthepotentialeffectsofwinningorlosingtheInitiativeandhowtotake advantageofeithersituationisvitaltoplayingandwinning BattleTech.
Losing the Initiative IfyoulosetheInitiative,don’tdespair!Youmaynotbeable toturnittoyouradvantage,butifyouplayyourcardsright,you don’thavetoloseanyground. Unlessyourforcesoutnumberorout-massyouropponent’sforces,thebesttactictousewhenyoulosetheInitiative isto“goonthedefensive.”Thistacticworksespeciallywellifyou arefieldinglight,fastBattleMechs.Becauseyoumaymoveyour ’Mechsbeforeyouhavetheopportunitytolearnwhatyour opponentplanstodo,youshouldmoveyour’Mechsawayfrom enemy’Mechsandseekcoverinheavywoodsor“deadzones” behindhillsorotherterrainfeatureswheneverpossible. Theorderinwhichyoumoveyour’Mechsprovidesanother opportunitytoexercisestrategy.Ingeneral,delaymovingyour fastest’Mechsaslongaspossible;themoreyouknowabout youropponent’sstrategy,themorelikelyitisthatyouwillbe abletoputyourfast’Mechstogooduse.Atfirst,movethose ’Mechswiththefewestmovementoptions,includingslowmoving’Mechsand’Mechsthathavefallendown(theyrarely domorethansimplystandup).’Mechspositionedfarfromthe enemyalsorepresentagoodchoiceforanearlymove,because youropponentisunlikelytotrytooutflanksuchdistanttargets. Inaddition,declarethemovementforany’Mechsyouintendto havestandstillatthistime,becausestandingstillcountsasa “move”andforcesyouropponenttomoveagainwithoutlearningmuchofanythingaboutyourstrategy.Even’Mechsthatare immobileduetopilotunconsciousness,thelossofbothlegs, andsoon,canbedeclaredstationarytoexpenda“move.” Whenchoosingwheretomove, takeintoaccountthe movementcapabilityoffthose’Mechsyouropponenthasyet tomove.Ifhisorherremaining’Mechsarefasterthanyoursand canoutflankyouregardlessofhowfaryoumove,findanice woodedhexforyourunittooccupyandtrytokeepaClearterrainhexatyourback.Afterall,ifyou’regoingtolettheenemy getbehindyou,atleastdenyhimtheluxuryoftreecover. Formoremovementtactics,seeMovement below. Winning the Initiative ItisalwaysbettertowintheInitiativethantoloseit,butyou mustknowhowtotakeadvantageofwinningtheInitiative. WinningtheInitiativegivesyoutheopportunityto“go ontheoffensive.”Youmoveyour’Mechsafteryouropponent andwillalwaysmoveatleastoneofyour’Mechslastduringthe InitiativePhase.Thisgivesyouanedge,becauseyoucanwatch youropponent’smovementandthenrespond,ratherthan beingforcedtoguessatwhatheorshemightdo.Thisisyour chancetostrike.
Playing BattleTech
5
Youshouldalwaysplananoverallstrategyforyourattack, butdon’thesitate tochange yourplanned movement to respondeffectivelytoyouropponent’smoves.Ingeneral,move yourfastest’Mechslast,usingyourknowledgeoftheenemy’s positiontoattackhisorher’Mechs’mostvulnerablesides.
MOVEMENT The hear t of the BattleTechgameiseffectivemaneuvering. Gamesoftenarewonorlostonthestrengthofthecompetent, well-thought-outmovementofeach’Mech.Movementisintimatelyconnectedtobothattackingyourenemiesanddefendingyourown’Mechs.Successfullybalanced,thesefactorsleads towinningmovementstrategy. Bymovingdefensively,youmakeitasdifficultaspossible forenemy’Mechstoattackyousuccessfully.Inthiscase,you shouldmoveyour’Mechsasfarasyoucanandendyourmovementinthebestavailablecover.Whenmovingtoaccomplish offensivegoals,youmustconsiderthebestwaytomaneuver yourBattleMechsintofiringpositionagainstyouropponent’s ’Mechs,makingsureyourweaponsareinrangeandtheenemy appearsintheappropriatefiringarcs. Thefollowinginformationoutlinestheeffectsofvarious typesofmovementinBattleTech.Suggestionsforbothoffensiveanddefensivetacticsappearundereachtopic.
TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS Moved 0–2 hexes Moved 3–4 hexes Moved 5–6 hexes Moved 7–9 hexes Moved 10-17 hexes Moved 18-24 hexes Moved 25+ hexes Jumped
0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +1
Target Movement Themainthingtokeepinmindwhenmovingyour’Mech defensivelyisthatthefurthera’Mechmovesduringtheturn, thehigheritstargetmovementmodifier.Thismakesshots againstyour’Mechmoredifficult,resultinginalongerlifespan. Forexample,light’Mechsoftencarryminimalarmsandarmament.These’Mechsrarelysurviveastand-upfight,butifthey keepmovingtheyarehardtohit.Ingameterms,aSpider is lightlyarmored,butifitjumps7or8hexeseveryturn,theopponentmustadda+4modifiertoeveryattack,makinghisorher shotsconsiderablymoredifficult.
Playing BattleTech
Thefollowingtargetmovement modifiersshowthat eachmodifierrepresentsarangeofmovement.Forexample, movementofboth3and4hexesgivesyour’Mecha+1Target MovementModifier.Ifyoumove4hexes,youreceivethesame modifierasformoving3.Ifyoumoveyour’Mech3,5,7,or10or morehexes,youreceivethehighestmodifierpossiblewiththe leastamountofmovementnecessary(whichmaybeimportant whenitisyourturntoattack). Asaruleofthumb,nevermove2hexeswhenyoucanmove 3.Nevermoveyour’Mech4hexeswhen5willputthe’Mechina similarposition.Wheneverpossible,moveyour’Mechtogetthe highesttargetmovementmodifierpossible.Itcanliterallysave your’Mech! Terrain Youwillalwaysbenefitfromusingtheterraintoyour advantage,thoughsometypesofterrainaremoreadvantageousthanothersincertaincircumstances. Particularlyifyouareplayingalightorjump-capable ’Mech,keepyour’Mechinwoodswheneverpossible.Standing inaWoodshexisaneasywaytomakeyouropponent’sshots moredifficult.Ifyouintendtoattackyouropponentduringthe turn,positionyourBattleMechsothatitisstandinginwoods butdoesnothavetoshootthroughwoods(remember,you don’taddamodifiertoyourattacksforthewoodsyour’Mech occupies).Ifyoudon’tintendtoattack,thenthemorewoods betweenyouandyouropponent,thebetter! Alsodon'tforgettousehillsandwaterterrainforpartial cover.Whilea+1to-hitmodifiermaynotappearthatsignificant,itcanbe,especiallywhenagoodportionofanysuccessful hitsmightstrikecoveranddonodamage.Ofcoursemoving throughwatercarriesitsownrisks,suchas takinglongerto crossthesamenumberofnon-waterhexes,nottomentionall thedangerousPilotingSkillRolls.Butifyou'vegota'Mechwith heatsinksinthelegs,suchasthe Awesomeand Zeus,theextra heatdissipationjustmightbeworthwhile. Thoughitdoesnotreallyqualifyasterrain,theedgeofthe mapmayofferatacticaladvantage.Inmostscenarios,’Mechs maynotmovethroughorenterthehalf-hexesalongtheedge ofthemap.Ifyoupositionyour’Mechinoneofthefullhexes ontheedgeofthemapwithitsbackturnedtothemapedge, thismeansyouropponentcannotshootatyourback.Because mostscenarios,however,alsocountas“destroyed”any’Mech thatleavesthemap,evenaccidentally,thisdefensivetactic posescertainrisks.A’Mechstandingattheedgeofthemap canbemovedoffthemapifanother’Mechsuccessfullypushes orchargesit,and anydeath-from-aboveattackagainstthat unitwillalsopushitoffthemap.Playersmustbalancethisrisk againstthebenefitofcoveringtheir’Mech’sback.
Facing Carefullyconsiderthefinalfacingofa’Mechwhenmoving.Ifyouplantoattack,youmustmakesurethe’Mechends itsmovementinafacingthatallowsittofireonitstarget. Rememberthatyoucantorsotwisttochangethefiringarcsof someweapons. Defensively,youcanuseyourfacingchoicetoprotect a’Mechthathassufferedsignificantdamagetoonesidebut nottheother.Byfacingsothatmostenemyattackswillhitthe undamagedsideofthe’Mech,youdecreasethechanceofsufferinghitstothedamagedside.Forexample,ifyour’Mechhas sufferedmoredamagetotheleftarm,torso,andleg,trytoface your’Mechsoattackswillrollontherightsidecolumnofthehit locationtable.Attacking’Mechsshouldalsokeepthisprinciple inmind.Trytomoveyour’Mechssothattheycanlaunchattacks atthemoredamagedsideoftheirtargets. A’Mech’sfacingattheendoftheturnalsoaffectsitsmovementinthenextturn.Trytothinkaturnaheadandsetupeach ’Mechforitsnextmovewhenpossible.Forexample,ifyouthink youwillwanta’Mechtorunveryquicklytowardtheenemy inthenextturn,don’tfacethe’Mechtowardroughterrainor woods.Thatwouldrequirefacingchangesormovingthrough difficultterrainduringtheturn,whichwillslowitsadvance.
Ifyouaresimplyconcernedwithkeepingyour’Mechalive, whichisoftenthecaseifitisdamagedorifitisalight’Mechand youlosttheInitiative,don’tworryaboutmovingquickly.Jump your’Mechifpossible;the’Mech’sheatfactorisnotimportantif youarenotattacking,andjumpingaddsanadditionalmodifier toyouropponent’sto-hitnumber. Ifyouplantoattackduringtheturn, movementisawhole differentstory.Basically,neverjumpwhenarunwilldo,and neverrunwhenyoucangetbywithawalk.Ifyouthinkyour ’Mechcansurviveit,juststandstill. Whenontheattack,onlyjumpyour’Mechifdoingsowill allowyoutopositionthe’Mechatyouropponent’sback.The hefty+3modifiertoyourattackto-hitnumberforjumpingwill makeyourshotsdifficult,sotheybettercount! Runningmovementispreferabletojumping,asitonly imposesa+2modifier.Userunningmovementtogainagood firingposition,suchasaWoodshexorPartialCover.Intheright situations,runningcanalsoallowyoutocirclearoundbehind youropponent. Ifyouhavetomoveandfire,yourbestoptionistowalk,as walkingmovementaddsonlya+1modifiertoyourattackto-hit number.Unlessyour’Mechisveryfast,however,walkingwon’t getyouveryfar.Trytocrossatleast3hexesduringyourmove sothatyour’Mechreceivesthe+1TargetMovementModifierto youropponent’sshots. Togiveyour’Mechthebestchanceofsuccessfullyattack ingatarget,allowthe’Mechtostandstill.Butkeepinmindthat thisstrategyworksonlyifthe’Mechhasgoodcoverorisfar awayfromitstargets;otherwise,astanding’Mechmaybecome asittingduckforreturnfire.Thetacticofstandingandshootingworksparticularlywellforslow’Mechsequippedwithlongrangeweapons,suchasthe Awesome—andifyoucanposition sucha’Mechonahill,preferablyinaniceclumpofwoods,the ’Mechcancomfortablysnipeatenemy’Mechsfromitsvantage pointwithnothingtofearfromopposing’Mechswhoseweaponscannotreachit. Theguidingprincipleofattackermovementis, ifyouwant toattackandyoudon’tneed tomove,don’tmove.
Attacker Movement InTargetMovement, weadvisedyoutomoveyour’Mechs asfaraspossibletoachievethemaximumpossibletargetmovementmodifier.Ifyouplantoattackduringthe turn,however, youalsoneedtoconsidertheeffectofyour’Mech’smovement onitsto-hitnumber.Themovementmodeyouuseeachturn— StandingStill,Walking,Running,orJumping—determinesthe attackermovementmodifier.Simplyput,thefasteryoumove, theharderitwillbetohityourtarget. Thisconsiderationmakesitimportantforyoutodecide whetheryouwillbeontheoffensiveordefensiveduringthe turnwhenchoosingyour’Mech’smovementmode.Youmust alsoconsideryour’Mech’spositiononthemaprelativetoyour opponent,aswellastherangeandfiringarcsofyourweapons.
Weapon Range Offensivemaneuveringisbasedontherangeandfiring arcsofyour’Mech’sweapons.Ideally,youwanttheenemyat shortrangeandwithinthefiringarcofallyourweapons.This isnotalwayspossible,butbyconsideringyour’Mechsweapons whenyoumove,aswellasyouropponent’sweapons,youcan beinthebestavailablepositiontoattack. Inadditiontoshort,mediumandlongrange,rememberthatsomeweaponshaveaminimumrange.Byfiringsuch weaponstooclosetoyourtarget,youruntheriskofmissing thetargetcompletely.Inreal-worldterms,aminimumrange mightallowamissiletimetoarmorprovidetheproperdistance tofocusalaser.Ingameterms,takingashotinsideaweapon’s minimumrangeaddsasubstantialtargetmodifier.
Dropping to the Ground ’MechsrarelygopronebecauseitisdifficulttofireweaponslyingdownandtheplayermustmakeaPilotingSkillRollto standthe’Mechbackupagain.Insomesituations,however,this maneuverwillsurpriseyouropponentandcompletelyprotect your’Mechfromdamage. Movingyour’MechbehindaLevel1Hillandthendropping itpronetakesyour’Mechoutoflineofsightandmakesitinvulnerabletoattack(unlesstheenemycancirclearoundthehill).A ’MechthatdropsproneinDepth1Wateralsowillbeinvisibleas thoughitwerestandinginDepth2Water.Inboththesecases, youeffectivelyhideyourBattleMechinsituationsthatnormally wouldgiveyourenemyseveralgoodshotsatyou,robbinghim oftheopportunity.
Playing BattleTech
Weapons & Equipment Inventory
(hexes)
Qty T ype
Loc Ht Dmg Min Sht Med Lng
1
LRM 15
RA
5 1/Msl 6
7
14 21
1
LRM 15
LA
5 1/Msl 6
7
14 21
2
Medium Laser
CT
3
5
—
3
6
9
1
Medium Laser
LT
3
5
—
3
6
9
1
Medium Laser
RT
3
5
—
3
6
9
For example, say you have a Trebuchet, which mounts three medium lasers and t wo LRM-15 racks. Your most potent weapons are your LRMs, which also have the considerable range of 21 hexes. But you are already fairly close to your opponent and want to inflict as much damage as possible. In this case, you also need to bring your lasers to bear. But how? First, look at your weapon ranges. Short range for your long-range missiles is 1–7 hexes. For the medium lasers, it is only 1–3 hexes. So it looks like the best option is a range of 3 hexes, where both weapons are at short range. But then you see that your LRMs also have a minimum range of 6, which means they get less accurate up close, starting at 6 hexes. At a range of 3 hexes, the LRMs will add +4 to the to-hit number to account for minimum range, the same modifier as if they were firing at a longrange target! The best option is to find a compromise between the two weapons. The best range for LRMs is always 7 (what is known as the “optimum range”), because this is within short range but beyond minimum range. Firing at this range, however, will place your medium lasers at long range; using the lasers at long range wastes their potential, because together they can inflict as much damage (on average) as your missiles. To make the best use of both weapons, attack at a range of 6 hexes. This is medium range for your lasers (+2 to hit), and only just inside the minimum range of your LRMs (+1 to hit). This range offers you the best chance of hitting with all of your weapons. Anotherfactortokeepinmindwhenchoosingwhereto moveistherangeofyouropponent’sweapons.Ifyour’Mech hasarangeadvantageagainstyouropponents’Mech,besure tousethatadvantage.Forexample,ifyouhaveaPanther and youropponentisplayinga Hunchback , yourmosteffective optionistostayoutofrangeofhisAC/20whilefiringyourPPC, whichhastwicetherangeoftheautocannon.Inthiscase,keep yourPanther 10to12hexesawayfromthe Hunchback .Youwill befiringfrommediumrange,whilehisweaponswillbeunable toreachour’Mech. Ifyouropponenthastherangeadvantageoveryour’Mech, youcanprotectyour’Mechbymovinginclose,aparticularly effectivetacticifhisweaponsarelimitedbyminimumranges.
Playing BattleTech
ACicadacandowellagainstamonsterlikethe Awesome,for example,bymovingadjacenttoit.The Awesome’sPPCswillsuffera+3to-hitmodifierforattackingwithintheweapon’sminimumrange,whileyour’Mech’sattacksareunmodified.Inthis case,however,youshouldtrytostaybehindthe Awesomeso thatitcan’tpunchandkickyou;physicalattackshavenominimumrange!
The following example and illustration shows how to use movement tactics in a game. Your ’Mech is a Trebuchet. At this point i n the game you are out of ammo for your LRMs, so your only weapons are 3 medium lasers. Your ’Mech is in Hex A, and has a Walking MP 5 and Running MP 8. Your opponent lost the Initiative and moved his ’Mech into Hex B (not a very good move, as you will see). How should you respond? That depends on your opponent’s ’Mech and how aggressively you want to play. If your opponent is in a damaged or relatively weak ’Mech, you might choose to Walk and move 2 hexes forward, turn left, and enter the Heavy Woods in Hex C. This will place you face-to-face with your opponent. Walking movement gives you a +1 attacker movement modifier. You are standing in Heavy Woods (+2 terrain modifier) and you crossed 3 hexes (+1 target movement modifier) for a total modifier of +3 to your opponent’s attacks. If your opponent is in a heavy or undamaged ’Mech, you should take the opportunity to shoot at his back. You can put your ’Mech into position for this attack by running. Turn left, then move 3 hexes. Turn right, and move 2 more hexes into Hex D. If you want to attack by kicking, use your final movement point to turn 1 hex side to the right. This movement puts you directly behind his ’Mech, where most of his weapons will be unable to fire on your unit. You can fire your weapons at pointblank range and
make physical attacks on his back armor as well. In addition, because you crossed 5 hexes, your opponent must add a +2 modifier to his attacks. Torso Twist Whenm Whenmov ovin ingy gyou ourBa rBattl ttleMe eMechs chs,,reme rememb mbert erthat hatth theyc eycan an performtorsotwists;theextrahexsideineitherdirectionprovidesagreatdealofflexibilityintheirfiringarcs.Forexample,a ’Mechcarryingaweaponmountedinanarmcantwistitstorso andfireatanenemy’Mechdirectlybehindit. Itisesp Itisespeci eciall allyim yimport portant anttor toreme emembe mberth rtheadv eadvant antage ageof of torsotwistswhenmovingyour’Mechs defensively.Whenfacinga’Mech w it i t h a p ow ow er e r f ul ul a rm rm mountedweaponinone XL XR armandnoweaponin If oonent has If oonent has weaon in left weaon in right the other other arm(such ar, ove to ar, ove to as the Awesome the Awesome and this hex this hex Panther ),youcanactu) ,youcanactuallypositionyour’Mech sothatyouropponent cannothityourunit! The diagra diagram m at left left showsthis“magichex”— rememberitwell.
WEAPON ATTACKS G e ne r a lly, i t ’s b e st to alwaysfireeveryweapon thathasachanceofhittingthetarget thathasachanceofhittingthetarget,,becauseonecannever predictwhichweaponwillmeanthedifferencebetweenvic-predictwhichweaponwillmeanthedifferencebetweenvic toryanddefeat.playersshouldalso,however,consideroverheatingproblemsanda’Mech’sammunitionsupplieswhenmaking sammunitionsupplieswhenmaking weaponattacks. Heat Themainl Themainlimi imiton tonaBatt aBattleM leMech ech’’soveral soverallfi lfirep repowe oweris risheat heat.. Nearlyeverythinga’Mechdoesgeneratesheat,andweapons fireiscertainlynoexception.Whenchoosingwhichandhow manyweaponstofire, manyweaponstofire,heatisusuallythedecid heatisusuallythedecidingfactor. ingfactor. Afew Afew’M ’Mec echd hdes esig igns ns,,such suchas asth the eCicada Cicada,canfirealltheir ,canfirealltheir weaponsandmoveatfullspeedinthesameturnandnever eventhinkaboutoverheating.These’Mechsarerarehowever, andusuallylackmuchofapunch.MostBattleMechs,suchas theEnforcer the Enforcer ,suffermoderateheatproblemsiftheyfireallof ,suffermoderateheatproblemsiftheyfireallof theirweaponsatonce.It’sfairlyeasytomanagetheheatlevel ontheseunits,however,becauseyouwillrarelyneedtofire the’Mech’sfullweaponsarraysimultaneously.With’Mechslike these,goaheadandoverheatwheneveryoufeelconfidentof goaheadandoverheatwheneveryoufeelconfidentof asuccessfulattack.Onmoredifficultshots,simplyholdofffir ingatleastoneweaponthatrequiresammunition.You’llavoid overheatingandconserveammoatthesametime. Thent Thenthe herea reare re’Me ’Mech chswi swith threa realhe lheat atpro probl blem ems, s,suchas suchas theDervish the Dervishandthe andtheCatapult Catapult .Fortunately,these’Mechsusually .Fortunately,these’Mechsusually carrytwodistincttypesofweapons,shortrangeandlongrange.
Ratherthanfiringallyourweapo Ratherthanfiringallyourweaponseverytimeyouattack nseverytimeyouattackand and hopingtohitsomething,onlyfirethoseweaponsthathavea goodchanceofhitting. goodchanceofhitting.Atlongrange,fireyourLRMs Atlongrange,fireyourLRMsandskip andskip theshort-rangestuff.Whenthetargetisupclose,fireonlythe mediumlasers. Final Finally ly,,takealo takealooka okatth ttheHe eHeatS atScal calein einthel thelow owerr errigh ightco tcorrneroftherecordsheet.Notethattherearenoadverseeffectsfor aheatlevelof1–4points.Thismeansyoucanexceeda’Mech’s heatsinkcapacityby4pointsbeforeithasanyeffectonyour ’Mechatall.Thisisimportant.Aclassicexampleofusingthe lowerlimitoftheHeatScaleeffectivelyisthe Awesome,whichis Awesome,whichis armedwith3PPCsand28heatsinks.FiringallthreePPCsgenerates30HeatPoints.Assumingthe’Mechstandsstill,thisbrings the Awesome’s Awesome ’sheatlevelto2. heatlevelto2.Thismeansthatthe Thismeansthatthe Awesomecan Awesome can fireallthreePPCsfortwoconsecutivephasesbeforetheplayer mustconsidertheeffectsofheat.Inthethirdturn,ifitfiresonly Inthethirdturn,ifitfiresonly twoPPCstheheatwilldropbac twoPPCstheheatwilldropbackdownto0, kdownto0,evenifthe’Mech evenifthe’Mech runs.Usingthisknowledge,an Awesomepilotcanmaintaina Awesomepilotcanmaintaina steadybarrageof3-3-2shotswithoutanylossofperformance duetooverheating. Ammunition Most Most’M ’Mech echsc scarr arryan yanam ampl ples esupp upply lyof ofam ammu munit nitio ionf nfor oran an averageBattleTechgame(twoteamsoffour’Mechseach,battlingontwomapsheets).Ifyourweaponscarrylessthanten shots,however, however,orifthegameisplayedwithsignificantlylarger orifthegameisplayedwithsignificantlylarger forces,youwillhavetoconserveyourammunitio youwillhavetoconserveyourammunition. n. Thee Theeas asies iestw tway ayto toco cons nserv ervea eamm mmun unit itio ioni nist stoc ocho hoos osen enot ot totakeshotswithato-hitnumberof11or12.Ingeneral,ifthe to-hitnumberis10,youmustdecideifthechancetoscoreahit youmustdecideifthechancetoscoreahit isworththeammunitionyouwasteiftheshotmisses.Unless thetargetisheavilyarmoredandtheshotisunlikelytocause criticaldamage,it’susuallyworthit. it’susuallyworthit. Asasec Asasecond ondaryc arycons onside iderat ration ion,,player playersma smaywan ywantto ttored reduce uce theirammoloadstodecreasethepoten theirammoloadstodecreasethepotentialdamageofamm tialdamageofammo o explosions.Someweapons,mostnotablymachinegunsand SRM-2s,carrylargesuppliesofammunitionpercriticalspace, whichcaninflictsubstantialdamageifhit. whichcaninflictsubstanti aldamageifhit.Ifyoufeelinclinedto Ifyoufeelinclinedto reducetheriskofexplosionattheexpenseofbattlefieldenduranceandyouropponentagrees,youcancarrya“lightload,” reducingthetotalamount reducingthetotalamountofammunitio ofammunitioncarriedforanyof ncarriedforanyof yourweapons.Writeanysuchchangesclearlyonyourrecord sheetsoyouropponentalsoknowsexactlyhowmuchammo youarecarrying.Keepinmindthatyoucan’treverseyourdecisionhalfwaythroughthescenario: sionhalfwaythroughthescenario:onceyouhitthefield onceyouhitthefield,y ,you’ve ou’ve gotonlytheammunitionindicatedonyourrecordsheet. Concentrated Fire A’Mech A’Mechcan cantake takeman manyhi yhitsb tsbefor eforebe ebeing ingdest destroy royed, ed,socon socon-centrateyourattacksonasingl centrateyourattacksonasingletargetwheneverpos etargetwheneverpossible sible.By .By takinganentire’Mechoutofactionmorequickly,youdenyyour opponenttheuseofthat’Mech.Ifyouspreadyourattacksacross manytargets,youmayinflictdamageonthemallbutyou’re unlikelytodestroyanyofthem. unlikelytodestroyanyofthem.Evendamaged’Mechs Evendamaged’Mechscanconcancontinuetofireback,butadestroyed’Mechisnolongerathreat. tinuetofireback,butadestroyed’Mechisnolongerathreat.
Playing BattleT B attleTech ech
Therefore,concentratingfireagainstasingletargetisusually preferableevenwheneasiertargetspresentthemselves.
PHYSICAL ATTACKS Don’to Don’tover verlo lookt okthec hechan hancet cetoin oinfl flict ictafe afewex wextra trapoi points ntsof of damagebymakingphysicalattacks.Themainriskinmaking physicalattacksistha physicalattacksisthatyoumustbeadjace tyoumustbeadjacenttoyourtarget nttoyourtargetto to executekicks,punchesandothersuchattacks,whichusually putsyouatriskforphysicalattacksinreturn.Also,ifyouand/or youropponentdecidestomakeaweaponsattackatsuchclose range,alltheweaponsarelikelytohit—apotentiallydeadly situation. Punching Punc Punchi hingatt ngattack ackshav shavenum enumer erou ousadv sadvan antag tages es.. Firs First, t, a punchistheonlytypeofphysicalattackthatdoesnotcause damagetotheattacking’Mech.But,perhapsmoreimportantly, damagetotheattacking’Mech.But, perhapsmoreimportantly, yourolltheattack’shitlocationonthePunchHitLocationTable, whichoffersa1in6chancetohitthetarget’shead. whichoffersa1in6chancetohitthetarget’ shead.Thatmeans Thatmeans apunchissixtimesmorelikelytohita’Mech’sheadthanaregularweaponsshot! Becau Because seyo youc ucann annot otma makea keapu punc nchi hing ngat attac tackw kwith ithan anar arm m thatfiredaweaponduringthecurrentturn,youmustdecide topunchbeforeyoudeclareyourweaponattacks.A’Mechcan punchoncewitheacharminasingleturn. Whenadj Whenadjacen acentto ttoothe other’Me r’Mechs chs,,largeBa largeBattl ttleMec eMechss hsshou hould ld almostalwayspunch almostalwayspunchratherthanfiring ratherthanfiringarm-mount arm-mountedweapedweapons.Forexample,the Atlas ons.Forexample,the Atlascarriesamediumlaserineach carriesamediumlaserineach armthatdoes5pointsofdamageatacostof3HeatP armthatdoes5pointsofdamageatacostof3HeatPoints oints.A .A punch,however,willdo10pointsofdamage,costsnoheat,and theplayerrollsonthePunchHitLocationTable.Beforeslug gingawayhowever,keepinmindthatamissingordamaged armactuatorsadds armactuatorsaddsa a +1to-hitmodifie +1to-hitmodifiertopunching rtopunchingattacks attacks (seep.33). Clubbing ’Mechs ’Mechsra rarel relyu yusec seclub lubst stoa oatta ttacko ckoppo pponen nents ts,,becaus becausep eplay lay-ersrarelyfightscenariosinwhichsuitableclubsareavailable. ersrarelyfightscenarios inwhichsuitableclubsareavailable. Other’Mech’slimbsmakegoodclubs,forexample,butfew attacksresultinalimbbeingblown attacksresultinalimbbeingblownoff. off.’Mechscanuproottrees ’Mechscanuproottrees touseasclubs,butmustspendafullturndoingso.Finally,a ’Mechmustusetwohandstowieldacl ’Mechmustusetwohandstowieldaclub. ub.Obviouslythisattack Obviouslythisattack offersfewadvantagesoverapunchattack. Physical Weapons (Hatchets) Thou Though ghno none ne ofth of the e’Mec ’ Mechs hsin inth the eClassic Classic BattleTech Universe bookcomeequippedwithhatches,someBattleMechsdo.These massiveweaponsfunctio massiveweaponsfunctionjustlikeaclub, njustlikeaclub,excepta’Mechcan excepta’Mechcan wieldthemwithonehand. Pushing Thebes Thebestsi tsitua tuatio tionfo nforus rusing ingapu apush shing ingatt attack ackisa isagai gains nsta ta ’Mechstandingatthetopofahillorontheedgeofthemap. Thoughsomeplayerswouldrecommendachargingattack underthesecircumstances,apushcanbejustaseffectiveand causesnodamagetotheattacking’Mech.
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Mosts Mostscena cenarios riosca call llfor forth the e“destructi destruction on””ofa ofany ny’Mec ’Mechs hsthat that leavethemap,eitherintentionallyoraccidentally.Ifanenemy Mechisstandingattheedgeofthemap,apushoffthemap can“kill” can“kill”the’Mechforgamepurposes the’Mechforgamepurposes,caus ,causingnodamageto ingnodamageto your’Mech,. A s uc uc ce ce ss ss fu fu l p us us h a tt tt ac ac k m ay ay a ls ls o c au au se se t he he t a rg rg et et BattleMechtofall;thisisaparticularlyeffectiveattackifthetarget’Mechfallsdownahill.Especiallyforaheavy’Mech,afall downahillcanbemoredamagingthantwopunchattacks.It’s true—thebiggertheyare,thehardertheyfall. Kicking Succes Successfu sfulkick lkickatta attacks ckscanca cancause usealotof alotofdam damage age,,often often effectivelycripplinga’Mech.Kickattacksofferagoodchoice foradditionalattacksinaturn.(A’Mechcannotkickwithaleg thatfiredaweaponinthatturn,butfewBattleMechshavelegmountedweaponssothisisnotmuchofarestriction.)Asan addedbonus, addedbonus,a a ’Mechthatiskickedmustmakeasuccess ’Mechthatiskickedmustmakeasuccessful ful PilotingSkillRollorfalldown. Onthed Onthedown ownsi side, de,ifyou ifyoumi miss ssakic akick, k,you youmus mustma tmakea keasuc suc-cessfulPilotingSkillRolloryour’Mechfalls.Thisisagoodreason fornotmakingakickattackiftheattackreq fornotmakingakickattackiftheattackrequiresahigh uiresahighto-hit to-hit number.IfyourMechW number.IfyourMechWarrior arriorhas has apoorPilotingSkillor apoorPilotingSkillor the ’MechhassuffereddamagethataffectsPilotingSkillRolls,you mayprefertomakeapunchattackratherthanakickattack. Charging Acha Acharg rgin inga gatt ttac ackc kcan anbe betr trem emen endo dous usly lyda dama magi ging ngto toan an opponent, opponent,especiallywhentheattacking’Mechpossesses especiallywhentheattacking’Mechpossessesa a combinationofspeedandweight. combinationofspeedandweight.Fast, Fast,heavy’Mechssuchas heavy’Mechssuchas Dragonsand DragonsandQuickdraw Quickdraw smakegoodchargingattacks,asdo s makegoodchargingattacks,asdo Cicadas(morespeedthanweight)and Cicadas(morespeedthanweight)andBanshees(moretonnage Banshees(moretonnage thanspeed).Acharging’Mechcannotmakeanyweaponattacks intheturnitcharges,however,andsotheplayermustweigh thisdisadvantageagainstthepotentialdamagethecharging attackmightinflict. Ingener Ingeneral, al,charging chargingatta attacks ckshav havealo ealowpr wproba obabil bilityo ityofsu fsucccessandcausedamagetothecharging’Mech.Onlyifyour ’Mechisdamagedorhaslostitsrangedweaponsshouldyou considerachargingattack,andthenonlyiftheirisagood,cl andthenonlyiftheirisagood,clear ear pathbetweenyour’Mechandthetarget. Death From Above (DFA) Thisat Thisattac tackis kisvery verydif diffic ficult ulttop topull ullof offan fandc dcoul ouldca dcause useyou your r ’Mechseriousdamage.Thatbeingsaid,deathfromaboveis oneofthemostdramatic,enjoyablemovesyoucanexecute inBattleTech in BattleTech,andnearlyalwaysearnstheappreciationofyour ,andnearlyalwaysearnstheappreciationofyour opponentandonlookers.Itisconsideredgoodformtoyellout “DeathFromAbove!”whenattemptingthisboldmaneuver.You mightevengetaroundofapplause! Inpract Inpractic ice, e,yoush youshoul ouldonl donlymak ymakeadeat eadeath-f h-fro rom-a m-abo bove ve attackasalastresort.Useitprimarilywhenyourjump-capable ’Mechisseverelydamagedorindangerofbeingdestroyedsoon anyway.Thisattackallowsyoutogooutwithabanginsteadof awhimper.
BATTLETECH BATTLETECH FORCES Noteve Notevery’M ry’Mec echisap hisappr prop opri riat atefo eforeve reverytyp rytypeofsc eofsceenario,somatchthemachinetothemissionwhenchoosing BattleMechs.T BattleMechs.Thissectionwillhelpyoudothatbyprovid hissectionwillhelpyoudothatbyprovidinga inga feelforthestrengthsandweaknessofthevariousunitsavailableinBattleTech ablein BattleTech.Thisinformationisparticularlyhelpfulwhen .Thisinformationisparticularlyhelpfulwhen yougettochoosethe’Mechsyouwilluseforascenario,butit alsocanhelpyoumakethebestuseofyourforceswhenyouare assignedaparticularmixof’Mechs,allofwhicharenotnecessarilyidealforthetaskathand. sarilyidealforthetaskathand.Thebestcomm Thebestcommandersmakethe andersmakethe mostofwhattheyhaveandexpertlyfitsquarepegsintoround holes. Forthes orthesake akeofdi ofdisc scus ussi sion on,,wehave wehavediv divid idedth edthe’Me e’Mechs chs availableinBattleTech availableinBattleTechintosevenbroadcategories intosevenbroadcategories:sco :scouts, uts,strikstrikers,skirmishers,brawlers,missileboats,snipersandjuggernauts. The’Mechsassignedtoeachcategoryaredeployedinasimilar fashionbyvirtueoftheirmovementcapabilitiesandweapons complements.Eachcategorydescriptionprovidesadiscussion ofthecharacteristicsof’Mechsincludedinthatcategoryand theiruseingameplay,followedbybriefcommentsoneach specific’Mech.Ifplayerspurchaseanyofthevarioustechnical readoutsthatincludemanyotherBattleMechdesigns,theyonly needtocompareeachdesign’srelativecharacteristicstothose foundheretofindinwhichcategorytheybelong. TheHou TheHousena senameth methatap atappea pearsi rsinpar nparent enthes hesesaf esafter tereach each ’MechdescriptionindicatestheSuccessorStatethatmostcommonlyusesthe’Mech.
SCOUTS Theseex Theseextre tremel melyfa yfast’ st’Mec Mechsr hsrush ushahe aheado adofth fthema emainf inforc orce, e, usingspeedtoachievetheirobjectivesandavoidtheenemy. Thesetypesof’Mechsaremostusefulincampaign Thesetypesof’Mechsaremostusefulincampaignsettings settings whereintelligence-gatheringisimportant,buttheyalsocanbe usefulinstandardscenarios.Usethemwhenyouneedtoreach anobjectivequickly,suchas“capturetheflag”games,orwhen youexpecttheoppositiontofieldveryfast’Mechs. Thou Though ghpro prote tect cted edonl onlybyli ybyligh ghtarm tarmor or,,scout scoutsar sarenot enot defenseless.Movingattheirmaximumspeedmakesscouts virtuallyinvulnerablebecausetheiropponentsmustovercome animpressivetargetmovementmodifiertomakeasuccess fulweaponsattackagainstthem.Thosescoutsthatcanjump shoulddosoasoftenasispractical.Headfortheheaviest woodsavailableandusethemforcover,ormoveintoadead zonebehindahill.It’smoreimportanttoprotectascoutfrom attackthantogetinastrikewithitsmeagerweaponry.Hold yourfireuntilyouhavetheopportunitytostrikeanopponentin theback,whereevena theback,whereevenarelativelyweak relativelyweakattackcanpenetrate attackcanpenetratethin thin reararmorandscorecriticalhits. Scouts Scoutsw work orkb best estw when hent team eamed edup upwit with hmed medium iuma and ndhea heavy vy ’Mechsthatcanprovidecoveringfireandpresentmorethreateningtargetsfortheopponenttoattack; eningtargetsfortheopponenttoattack;afast-movingSpider afast-movingSpider is is likelytobeignoredinfavorofastationaryCatapult likelytobeignoredinfavorofastationary Catapult .Ideally,this .Ideally,this match-upbuysthescoutthetimeitneedstomoveintopositionforattacksontheenemy’srear.
SDR-5V Spider Th e Spider isthefastest’Mechavailableinthe isthefastest’Mechavailableinthe Classic BattleTechgame—infact,speedisitsonlyrealasset.Withlittle BattleTechgame—infact,speedisitsonlyrealasset.Withlittle armorandonlytwomediumlasers,itisnotdesignedforheavy combat.TheSpidershouldjumpatleast7hexeseachturn,into TheSpidershouldjumpatleast7hexeseachturn,into woodswheneverpossible.(Marik) ASN-21 Assassin Thou Though ghi it tis isb bet ette ter rar arme med dth than ant the he Spider ,the ,the Assassinstill Assassinstill lacksenoughweaponrytobeconsideredausefulstrike’Mech. Infact,the Assassin Infact,the Assassin’smainweaknessisalackoffirepower,as ’smainweaknessisalackoffirepower,as wellasflimsylegarmor.Tocountertheseweaknesses,keepthe Assassinmovingandtakepartialcoverwheneverpossibleto Assassinmovingandtakepartialcoverwheneverpossibleto protectthefragilelegs.Tryto“stab”youropponentintheback inkeepingwiththe’Mech’snamesake.(Davion) snamesake.(Davion) CDA-2A Cicada Unli Unlike kemo most stot othe hers rsco cout ut’M ’Mec echs hs,,the theCicada Cicadacannotjump. cannotjump. Itisbestusedinopenterrainwhereitcanuseitsconsiderable runningspeedtocirclebehindlikelytar runningspeedtocirclebehindlikelytargets. gets.The TheCicada Cicadawillnot willnot overheatevenifitconstantlyrunsandfires.Itssturdystructure allowsittoholdupwellforascout’Mech,anditcaneasilyafford tolosebotharmstoenemyattackswithnolossofeffectiveness.Ratherthanhidinginwoods,this’Mechshouldcontinually moveathighspeed.(Marik) CLNT-2-3T Clint The Clint ’sautocannongivesitanimpressiveattackrange ’sautocannongivesitanimpressiveattackrange fora’Mechofitssizeandspeed. fora’Mechofitssizeandspeed.Totakeadvantageofthisass Totakeadvantageofthisasset, et, keeptheClint keepthe Clint movingawayfromtheenemy,usingitsmobilmovingawayfromtheenemy,usingitsmobilitytostayoutofrangeoftheopponent’sshort-rangeweapons. Snipeawaywiththeautocannonuntilthatweaponrunsoutof ammo,thencloseintoattackwiththelasersorfleethebattlefield.(Liao)
STRIKERS Notasfas Notasfastassc tasscout outs, s,these’Me these’Mechs chssacr sacrifi ificeso cesomesp mespeed eed foraheaviercomplementofclose-rangeweapons.Theydash foraheaviercomplementofclose-rangeweapons. Theydash in,standtoe-to-toewiththeenemy, in,standtoe-to-toewiththeenemy,thenunloadamassivebarthenunloadamassivebarrageofweaponsfire.Commandersoftensendanentirelanceof strikersintothemidstoftheenemy,orderingthemtoconcentratefireonasingleenemy’Mechandthuseliminatingamediumorheavy’Mechinafewturns umorheavy’Mechinafewturns..Playerssho Playersshouldbeprepared uldbepreparedto to sacrificethese’Mechstoenemyfireinexchangeforasignificant damageagainstenemy’Mechs.Useboldtacticswhendeployingstrikers;boldstrategiesgetthebestresults. Deplo Deployst ystrik rikers erswit withhe hheavi avier’ er’Mec Mechst hsthat hatcan canpro provid videlo elongngrangecoveringfire,butmakesurethese’Mechscankeepup withthestriker’Mechs—bothtypesof’Mechsneedtostick togethertodistracttheenemy.Anyofthe’Mechsintheskir mishersgroupwouldservethispurpose.Tosurvivelongenough toclosewiththeiropponents,strikersneedtokeepmoving, stayinginwoodsorbehindpartial stayinginwoodsorbehindpartialcoverwheneve coverwheneverpossibl rpossible e untiltheyreachmediumorshortrangeto untiltheyreachmediumorshortrangetothetarget. thetarget.Thenlet Thenlet ‘emhaveit!
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COM-2D Commando Thoughitlacksthespeedofsomeotherlight’Mechs, the Commandowieldsthefirepowerof’Mechstwiceitssize.Itgains thisadvantageatacost;itmountsonlyshort-rangeweapons andalimitedsupplyofammunition.Inaddition,itslightarmor protectionmeansitcannotstanduptomuchpunishment. Ifemployedproperly,however,theCommandocanbeavery effectivequick-strike’Mech.(Steiner)
combatsituation.Enemiesoftenunderestimatethethreatit posesbecauseitlackspowerfulweaponssuchasPPCsorheavy autocannon.Becausethe’Mechactuallycarriessignificantfirepowerandtheheatsinkstouseit,youcanusethe’Mech’sperceivedfailingstoyouradvantage.TheGrasshopper rarelyfaces heatorammunitionproblems,allowingyoutoriskdifficult shots.Trytotargetweakerenemy’Mechsbyjumpingintorange andfiring.(Liao,Davion)
JR7-D Jenner TheJennerhasexcellentfirepowerforalight’Mech. This, coupledwithitstremendousspeed,makethe Jenner agood ’Mechforblitzkriegmissions. Jenner s areperhapsusedbest ingroups,wheretheycandelivermassedlaserfireagainstan unsuspectingenemy,thenquicklyfleethefrontlinesbeforethe enemyripstheirlightarmortoshreds.This’Mechcanoverheat ifitfiresandjumps,sotrytouserunningmovementduringthe turnofattack.(Kurita)
BRAWLERS
SKIRMISHERS Skirmishersareversatile’Mechswiththemobility,armor andfirepowertotakethefighttotheenemyandinflictserious damage.Unlikemostothertypesof’Mechsdescribedhere,skirmisherscanbeusedinavarietyofwaysdependingonthesituationathandandtheterrain. Commanderscommonlyusethese’Mechsintandemwith lighterorslower’Mechstoprovidemobilefiresupport.Theskirmishersharasstheenemyforceswhilethespecial-use’Mechs maneuverintoposition.Skirmishersoftendrawheavyrecon duty,probingdeepintoenemyterritorywherelighter’Mechs wouldfalltoenemyattacksbeforetheycouldreturntofriendly lineswithintelligenceontheenemypositions.Forscenarios involvingbreakingthroughenemy-heldpositions,skirmishers offermanyadvantages. Skirmishersshouldnotbesentonmissionsofdirectassault. Theirfirepower,whilerespectable,isnotsufficienttotakeout heavyorassault’Mechsquickly.Tosucceedinadirectassault, skirmishersneedsupportfromsnipersand/ormissileboats. Combined,such’Mechscantakeoutheavyoppositionwithno problem. HER-2S Hermes II Afast’Mechw ithgoodarmorp rotection,theHermes II lacks substantialfirepower,makingitbestusedagainsttargetslighter thanitself.BecausetheHermes II hasthespeedtokeepupwith light’Mechsandcarriesfarmorearmorthanmostlight’Mechs, itcansurvivelongenoughtodestroytheminrunningbattles. Whenfacedwithstrongopposition,useitsspeedtokeepthe Hermes II atmediumtolongrangeandfiretheautocannon. Don’tgiveintothetemptationtoclosewithheavy’Mechs;you won’tlastlongagainstthem.(Marik) GHR-5H Grasshopper Oneofthebestall-aroundBattleMechsintheClassic BattleTech Universe Book , theGrasshopper fightswellinany
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These’Mechslackthemobilityofskirmishersbutmakeup fortheirlesserspeedwithlongerrangeweaponsand/orheavierarmor.These’Mechsoftenformthebackboneofanassault forceoractasmobileescortsforthepainfullyslowjuggernauts thatoftencomprisethemainpunchofanassault. Althoughthese’Mechscannotfighteffectiverunningbattles,theyarewellsuitedtoavarietyofothertasks.Theyshine indefensivebattlesorinattacksagainststationarytargets,and canusetheirslightadvantageinmaneuverabilitytotakeout enemyassault’Mechs.Twoorthreeofthese’Mechsshouldbe abletooutflankandeliminateanyoneslowenemy’Mech.Use themtoflushsnipersandmissileboatsfromtheirpositions. ENF-4R Enforcer The Enforcer isasolidall-aroundBattleMech.Itstwomain weaponssharethesamerangeprofile,allowingittomakeconcentrated,effectiveattacksontheenemy.TheEnforcer ’sjump jetsmakeitfairlymobile,allowingittocloseinanduseits weaponseffectively.Ifneedbe,suchmobilitycanalsobeused tokeepfaster’Mechsfromeasilyout-flankingitortoquickly getbehindslower’Mechs.(Davion) DRG-1N Dragon Theexcellentmobilitya ndarmoro ft heheavyDragoncome atthecostofsignificantweaponry—mostmedium’Mechscan out-guntheDragon.Againstslow,heavyjuggernautssuchas theHunchback andCyclops,usethe Dragon’ssuperiormovementtokeepoutofrangeoftheenemy’slargerweapons. Againstlighter’Mechs,movetheDragonintomakeeffective physicalattacks.Afull-speedchargeattackfroma Dragoncan destroyalight’Mechinonefellswoop.(Kurita)
MISSILE BOATS TheclassofBattleMechsknownas“missileboats”are armedprimarilywithlong-rangemissiles.Thisallowsthemto staysafelyfarawayfromenemyforcesandraindowndevastatingfirewithlittleriskofbeingattackedthemselves.Tomakethe mostofthese’Mechs,accompanyingforcesmustmoveforward andpreventtheenemyfromclosingin,ataskusuallyaccomplishedbyskirmishersorstrikelances.Moveeachofyourmissileboatsintoa“nest;”agoodfiringpositionfarfromtheenemy position(aboutonemapsheetaway).Ideallythisspotshould havewoodsforcoverandatleastonelevelofheighttoprovide lineofsighttomostofthe’Mechsontheboard.Hex1303on theBattleTechmapispopularforthispurpose,especiallyifthe
enemyisinthedirectionofHex1403;theattacking’Mechgains partialcoverfromthehill. WTH-1 Whitworth Colloquiallyknownasthe“ Worthless,”themuch-maligned Whitworthcanbequiteeffectiveifusedproperly.Themainreasonforthe’Mech’sbadreputationisitslackoffocus.Armed withapairofLRMlaunchersandthreemediumlasers,the Whitworthcarriestwodistinctgroupsofweapons.Onlytenheat sinksmeansitcan’tfireallofitsweaponsatonceanyway.To besttakeadvantageofthis’Mechcapabilities,usethe’Mech’s jumpcapabilitytomoveitintoagoodfiring“nest.”Don’tworry aboutfiringintheturnyoumove,becauseyour’Mechwilloverheatandtheshotwillprobablymiss.Fromyourposition,concentrateonfiringyourLRM’satdistanttargets.Ifanyenemies closewithintheLRM’sminimumrange,the Whitworth’sarmor, goodfora’Mechitssize,allowsittoswitchtothemediumlasers ratherthanfleeing.(Davion,Kurita) TBT-5N Trebuchet The Trebuchet canbecharacterizedasaheavierversionof theWhitworth,thoughitlacksthelighterunit’sjumpcapability.BecausetheTrebuchet ’smissileracksarelarger,itisabetter barrage’Mech.Withoutjumpjets,though,ittakesalittlelonger tomoveintofiringposition.TheTrebuchet alsosuffersfroma insufficientsupplyofammunition.Ifitrunsoutofmissilesduringbattle,itcanclosewiththeenemyanduseitsmediumlasers tostayinthefight,inmuchthesamewayasbrawler’Mechs. (Marik) DV-6M Dervish In some ways, the Dervishismorelikeaskirmisherthana missileboat,buttwofactorsplaceitinthiscategory.Itsmaneuverabilityallowsittomovequicklyintofiringposition,andits severeoverheatingproblemspreventitfromusingallofits weaponsinthewayagoodskirmishermust.Tousethis’Mech effectively,trytokeeptheDervishawayfromtheenemyand functioningasalightweightmissileboatuntilitsLRMammois spent.Atthatpoint,bringitintobrawlwiththeenemyasshort range.AmplesuppliesofSRMammoallowtheDervishtoslugit outaslongasitcansurvive.(Davion) CPLT-C1 Catapult The heavy Catapult exemplifiesthemissileboat’Mech,with jumpcapabilitytomoveintoagoodpositionandapotentpair ofmissileracks.TheCatapult ’smainadvantageoverothermissileboatsisitsfifteenheatsinks,whichallowthe’Mechtofire mostofitsweaponsandjumpwithoutriskingoverheating.The Catapult ’slimitedsupplyofammomeansitwillultimatelyhave toclosewiththeenemy,butitsheavyarmorandfourmedium lasersmakeitagoodclose-rangefighteraswell.(Liao)
SNIPERS Thoughslow-moving,these’Mechscarrypowerful,longrangeweaponry.Becausetheydon’thavetoclosewiththe enemytofighteffectively,however,theirlackof speedrepre-
sentsonlyaminorweakness.Mostsniper’Mechssetupa“sniper nest”onthebattlefield,inmuchthesamewayasmissileboats takeupandmaintainastrategicposition.Unlikemissileboats, however,snipersarearmedwithdirect-fireweaponryandcannotattackfromhiding.Tocompensateforthisnecessity,choose asnipernestfarfromtheenemyforcethatprovidescoverin theformofwoodsand/orPartialCover.Astheenemyadvances onyourposition,attackwhilestayingstationary.Asadditional protection,assignstrikerorbrawler’Mechstokeepfastenemy ’Mechsawayfromthesnipers PNT-9R Panther The Panther istrulyfearsomeforsuchasmallBattleMech. ItsLord’sLightPPCcandealseriousdamagefromadistance, andthe’Mechcarriessufficientheatsinkstomaintainasteady barrageoffirewhileonthemove.Heavyarmorandjumpcapabilityroundoutthiseminentlyuseful’Mech’scapabilities.In fact,theonlydrawbacktothePanther ’sall-aroundperformance isitsslowmovementrate.ThePanther isbestsuitedtofightsin confinedterrain,suchasforestsandcities.Inopenterrain,the Panther shouldkeepitsdistance,usingitsrangeadvantageto thefullest.Becausethe Panther isslow,faster’Mechsshould provideshort-rangecoveringfire.(Kurita) VND-1R Vindicator TheCapellanConfederationlovesthis’Mechforgoodreason.Anexcellentbalanceoffirepower,armorandheatsinks makethe Vindicator oneofthebestmediumBattleMechs around.Unlikemany’Mechsitssize,the Vindicator canuse jumpingmovementandkeepupasustainedbarrage.Tocounteracttheinherentinaccuracyoffiringwhilejumping,place anExperiencedMechWarriorinthe Vindicator .Ifpilotedbya RegularMechWarrior,this’Mechisbetteroffstandingstilllike othersnipers,becauseitwillhaveamuchbetterchanceofhittingitstarget.(Liao) JM6-S JagerMech The JagerMechisunder-gunnedforaheavy’Mechand haspaper-thinarmor,especiallyintheback.Itsweaponsinflict relativelyminordamagebutdopossesexceptionalrange. Combinedwithaslowmovementrate,this’Mechissuited onlyforsniperdutywellbehindthemainlineofcombat.Find agoodsnipernestforthe JagerMechandleaveitthere;ample heatsinksandahealthysupplyofammoallowthe JagerMech tofirecontinuously.Positionafewfriendly’Mechsintheareato preventenemiesfromclosingwiththe JagerMech,becauseitis essentiallyhelplessupclose.(Davion,Liao) ZEU-6S Zeus The Zeusrepresentsapoorcompromisebetweenspeed, firepowerandarmor.MuchlikethesmallerDragon,the Zeus’s largeengineleaveslittleroomforarmaments.Keepitfarfrom theenemyanduseitsarrayoflong-rangeweaponstofulleffect. The Zeuscannotoverheat,allowingforlongersustainedfire than’Mechssuchasthe AwesomeorBanshee,evenwhenonthe move.(Steiner)
Playing BattleTech
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AWS-8Q Awesome The Awesometrulydeservesitsname.Itisslowmoving,to besure,butthemassedfirepowerofitsthreePPCsmorethan makesupforanylackofspeed.Atthebeginningofascenario, maneuverthe Awesomeintoshootingpositiononahillorother appropriate“snipernest.”Thenletitstandstillandpoundat theoppositionwithitsthreemassiveweapons.Ithasenough heatsinkstofireallitsweaponscontinuouslyforseveralturns withoutoverheating.Themostcommontacticforthis’Mech istofireallthreePPCsfortwoturns,bringingthe Awesome’s heatscaleto4,thenfireonlytwotocooldown.Inthisway,the pilotachievesmaximumfirepowerwithoutanylossofmobility. (Marik) BNC-3E Banshee Amassiveengineandthickarmorplatingleavelittleroom forweaponryonthisunpopularassault’Mech.Whenusinga Bansheeaspartofyourforce,youmustcapitalizeonitsstrengths oritwillendupbeinga95-tonpaperweight.Againstaslowmovingenemy,usetheBansheeasastandardsniper,gunning atlongrangewhileyouropponentsadvance.Iftheenemiesare fast,theywillprobablycloseinquicklytonegateyourrange advantage.Inthissituation,usetheBansheeintheroleforwhich itwasoriginallyintended:anultra-heavyclose-assaultvehicle.If youfaceanenemy’Mech5or6hexesawayacrossclearterrain, forgetaboutfiringweapons;goforthechargeattack!A Banshee runningatfullspeedcanseriouslydamageorevendestroyan opposing’Mechwithasinglechargeattack.(Davion,Steiner)
JUGGERNAUTS Juggernautsareslow-moving’Mechswithexcellentshortrangefirepower.Lackinglong-rangeweaponsorspeed,juggernautsmustrelyonbruteforcetomaneuvertheirwaytowithin attackdistanceoftheenemy.These’Mechsareusuallyverywell armoredsothattheycanwithstandheavyfireastheyslowly advancetowardtheenemy.Intheory,thisarmorissufficientto allowthemtogetinafewsuccessfulshots—whichisallthey needtotakeouttheiropponents.Teamupjuggernautswithskirmishersorstrikersasescorts,assigningthesmaller’Mechstoflank theenemy’Mechsandthreatenthemwithattacksagainsttheir backs,essentiallyshepherdingthemtowardyourjuggernauts! Thethreejuggernautsshownbelowallcarrythemassive AC/20.ThemostdamagingweaponintheClassic BattleTech Introductory Rulebook ,theAC/20inflicts20pointsofdamageto asinglelocationwhenithits.Thisisenoughtopenetratethe armorofmost’Mechsandcanevendestroyalight’Mechwitha singleattack!Becausethispowerfulweaponhasarangeofonly 9hexes,mostenemieswilltakegreatpainstopositionthemselvesexactly10hexesawayfroma’Mechcarryingthisauto-
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Playing BattleTech
cannon.Tocounterthis,usethejuggernautsagainstopponents armedwithweaponsofsimilarrangeprofile,suchasmedium lasersorSRMs.Theseopponentswillhavetoclosetowithin rangeofyourAC/20iftheywanttoattack. HBK-4G Hunchback The Hunchback candeliverdevastatingshort-rangefirepowerwithitsautocannon,provideditcangetcloseenough tothetarget.Itsback-upweaponsarealsoshort-range,andso theHunchback needstogetinclosetohaveanyeffectatall. Forthisreason,itisbestusedindefensivesituationswherethe opponenthasnochoicebuttocometoyouoratleasttryto movepastyou.Trytoanticipatewhentheenemy’Mechwillbe inrangeofyourcannonandplantoremainstationaryorwalk (ifnecessary)thatturnsothatyourshotwillbeasaccurateas possible.TheHunchback doesn’thavemuchammotospareand usuallygetsonlyafewchancesatagoodshot.Makeeachone count!(Marik) CP-10-Z Cyclops UnlikemostBattleMechsitssize,theCyclopsgivesup armorprotectioninfavorofspeedandfirepower.Unfortunately theCyclopscarriesmainlyshort-rangeweaponry,soitmust advanceclosetotheenemy,exposingitselftofire,toattack.To helpkeeptheCyclopsalive,keepitmoving.Trytomoveatleast 3hexesperturnsoyouropponenthasato-hitmodifieragainst you.LiketheHunchback ,theCyclopsisbestsuitedtodefensive missionswheretheenemyforcescometoyou.Itcanfireaway withitsLRMsuntilthetargetsarewithin9hexesandthenlet loosewithitsshort-rangeweapons.Withanample20rounds foritsAC/20,theCyclopsshouldattackwiththatweaponif eventhesmallestchanceexistsoftheshothittingitstarget. Youshouldneverpassuptheopportunitytoinflictsomuch damage.(Davion) AS7-D Atlas Don’ttellyouropponent,butthe Atlasisn’tasscaryasit looks.Thismassive’Mechispainfullyslowandcarriesanarsenalofexclusivelyshort-rangefirepower,withtheexceptionof asingleLRM-20rack.Inthe rightsituation,however,the Atlas canbeadevastatingweapon.Likealljuggernauts,itisathome inadefensiverole.Inanyothersituation,runasfastasyoucan towardtheenemy.Don’tworryabouttakingcover;thatwilljust slowyoudown.The Atlashasmorearmorthananyother’Mech inthegameandcaneasilywithstandwhateveryouropponent throwsatit.Trytomoveadjacenttoanenemy’Mechwhenever possibleandmakea punchattackinsteadofusingmedium lasers;apunchinflictstwiceasmuchdamageandgeneratesno heat!(Kurita)
CONSTRUCTION
T
hefollowingsystemmakesitpossibleforplayersto constructuniqueBattleMechsusinganylegalmixof speed,armorandweaponstheydesire.Thesedesigns canthenbepittedagainstothercustomandstandard machinesonthebattlefield. InordertodesignaBattleMech,aplayerwillneedapiece ofscratchpaper,apen,theWeaponsandEquipmentTable,and ablankBattleMechRecordSheet. Duringconstruction,youmustkeeptrackoftwoprimary factors:tonnageandcriticalspace.Each’Mechhasalimited amountofeachavailable,sothesefactorswillgovernhowmuch andwhatkindofequipmentyoucanmountinyour’Mech.
andsensors)ineachlocation.Youcanrefertothesenumbers asyoudesignyour’Mechtomakesureyoudonotexceedthe spacelimitationsofeachlocation. Arm Actuators: Toopenupmoreslots,aplayermaychoose toremoveactuatorsfromhisdesign’sarms.Handactuatorsmay beremovedinthisfashion,andlowerarmactuatorscanbe removedifthehandisalsoremovedfromthatarm.BattleMechs lackingtheseactuatorssufferpenaltieswhenmakingcertain physicalattacks,asexplainedinCombat,p.19.
DESIGN THE CHASSIS Thisstagecreatesthe’Mech’sbasicframework, orchassis. Tostarttheconstructionprocess,theplayermustdeterminethe tonnageofthe’Mech.Thiswill,inturn,determinetheinternal structure’smass.Finally,every’Mechmusthaveacockpit,which isalsoaddedatthisstage.
Tonnage BattleMechsweighbetween20and100tons(increasingin incrementsof5tons).Withintheselimits,theplayermaychoose anytonnage.RecordtheBattleMechtonnageatthetopofthesheetofscratch Choose Tonnage CRITICAL SPACE TABLE paper.ThetotalweightoftheBattleMech’s BattleMechsweighbetween20and engine,weapons,armorandothercom100tons(measuredin5-tonincrements). Location Open Critical Slots ponentsmaynotexceedorfallshortof Withintheselimits,theplayermaychoose Head 1 thisamount.Asyouaddcomponentsto anytonnage.RecordtheBattleMechtonCenter Torso 2 the’Mech,keeparunningtotalofthe nageatthetopofthesheetofscratch Right Torso 12 tonnageremainingforyour’Mech. paper.ThetotalweightoftheBattleMech’s Left Torso 12 engine,weapons,armorandothercomRight Arm 8* Critical Space ponentsmaynotexceedorfallshortof Left Arm 8* EachrecordsheetprovidesaCritical thisamount. Right Leg 2 HitTabledescribingeverypartofthe Left Leg 2 BattleMech’sbody.Certainsectionsofthis Bryan is designing a BattleMech. He tablearealreadyfilledin,becausecertain decides it will be a heavy fire-support *Additionalspacecanbemadein componentsandequipmentmustbe ’Mech with good armor. He also has thearmsbyremovingactuators.Each locatedinspecificbodylocations.Ashe a name in mind: the Catapult. Heavy armcanhaveasmanyas10open choosesthe’Mech’svariousdesigneleBattleMechs weigh between 60 and criticalslots. ments,theplayerassignstheBattleMech’s 75 tons. Bryan chooses to make his additionalheatsinks,jumpjetsandweapCatapulta 65-ton ’Mech. onstodifferentpartsofitsbodyandplaces theminaslotforthatlocationontheCriticalHitTable. Allocate Tonnage for Internal Structure Rememberthatcertainitemstakeupmorethanonecritical Theinternalstructuretakesup10percentofaBattleMech’s slotonthetable.Theseitemsshouldbespeciallynotedonthe totalweight.TheInternalStructureTableshowsthenumber tables,becauseacriticalhittoanyoneoftheseslotsdestroys oftonsofinternalstructurerequiredbyeveryBattleMechofa theentirecomponentorpieceofequipment,andfurtherhitsto givenweight,andthenumberandallocationoftheBattleMech’s otherslotsassignedtothesameitemhavenofurthereffect(see internalstructurecircles.Thehead’sinternalstructureisnotlistsamplerecordsheet,p.6). edonthetable,becauseallBattleMechheadstakeup3internal TheCriticalSpaceTablesummarizesthenumberofopen structurecircles. criticalslots(criticalslotsnotautomaticallyassignedtospecific Markoutany excesscirclesonthe Internal Structure equipmentinevery’Mech,suchastheengine,gyro,lifesupport Diagramoftherecordsheettoindicatethenumberofcircles thatmakeupeachhitlocation.
Construction
55
INTERNAL STRUCTURE TABLE Total ’Mech Tonnage Factor 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
Tons of Internal Structure
Center Torso Circles
L/R Torso Circles
Each Arm Circles
Each Leg Circles
Maimum Armor
2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 10.0
6 8 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 21 22 23 25 27 29 30 31
5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
4 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
69 89 105 119 137 153 169 185 201 211 217 231 247 263 279 293 307
The Internal Structure Table shows that a 65-ton ’Mech has 6.5 tons of internal structure. Bryan has 58.5 tons left (65 – 6.5 = 58.5). Add Cockpit EveryBattleMechmusthaveacockpit,whichcontainsthe MechWarrior’scontrolstation,life-supportsystemandelectronicsensors.AllBattleMechcockpitsweigh3tons,regardless oftheBattleMech’soveralltonnage.Subtract3tonsfromthe BattleMech’sremainingtonnage. Every ’Mech must have a cockpit, and the Catapult is no exception. Bryan has 55.5 tons left (58.5 – 3 = 55.5).
TonnagexDesiredWalkingMP=EngineRating WalkingMPx1.5=RunningMP TheFusionEngineTable,p.57, liststhetonnagetakenup byenginesofvariousratings.
ADD OTHER EQUIPMENT Afterthe’Mech’s frameworkisdesigned, theplayermust chooseandaddtheremainingelementsoftheBattleMech. Theseelementsincludetheengine,gyroscope,armor,jumpjets andweaponsandotherequipment. Theseadditionalelementsneednotbeaddedinanyparticularorder,becausethedesignprocessofteninvolvesabitof give-and-takeasthe’Mechnearscompletion.Forexample,you maynotknowhowmanyheatsinksyouwanttoadduntilafter youhavechosenthe’Mech’sweapons.Likewise,someplayersalwaysassignarmorfirst(usuallyapplyingthemaximum amounttheBattleMechcancarry),whileotherswaittoseehow muchtonnageisleftafteraddingweapons.
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Determine Engine Rating EachBattleMechcarriesonefusionplanttopoweritsmovementandothersystems.Therelativeoutputofthispowerplant ismeasuredbyitsenginerating.ABattleMech’sengineratingis determinedbythe’Mech’sweightanddesiredspeed.Multiply theBattleMech’stonnagebythedesiredWalkingMP.Theresult isthe’Mech’senginerating.Notethatthe’Mech’sRunningMP canalsobecalculatedatthistimebymultiplyingtheWalking MPby1.5androundingup.
Construction
Because the Catapultis intended to fight at longrange, high speed is not a concern. Bryan decides to give the ’Mech a Walking MP rating of 4. This means the Catapulthas an engine rating of 260 (4 x 65 = 260). Looking at the Fusion Engine Table, a 260-rated engine weighs 13.5 tons. Subtracting the weight of the engine leaves Bryan with 42 tons (55.5 – 13.5 = 42). The Running MP of the Catapultis 6 (4 x 1.5 = 6).
fusion enGine tAble
Engine Rating 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205
Engine Manufacturer Omni GM Pitban Omni Nissan VOX GM GM DAV VOX Leenex Nissan Omni GM VOX DAV DAV Nissan Hermes DAV GM GM GM Vlar Magna Hermes Leenex Omni GM GM LTV VOX DAV Omni GM GM DAV Nissan Nissan Vlar
Engine Tonnage 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.5 3.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.5 4.5 5.0 5.0 5.5 5.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 7.0 7.0 7.5 7.5 8.0 8.5 8.5
Add Gyroscope EveryBattleMechmustbeequippedwithapowerfulgyroscopetokeepituprightandabletomove.Theexactsizeofa BattleMech’sgyroscopedependsonitsenginerating.Divide theBattleMech’sengineratingby100(roundingup).Theresultingnumberistheweightofthegyroscopeintons.Subtractthis figurefromthetonnageremaining.
Engine Rating 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 375 380 385 390 395 400
Engine Manufacturer GM Core Tek DAV VOX Leenex GM Pitban Magna Magna Strand Magna Vlar GM Core Tek VOX Pitban Omni GM Vlar GM Magna GM Pitban VOX VOX Leenex VOX Vlar Magna LTV Hermes Hermes Magna GM GM LTV Magna Hermes LTV
Engine Tonnage 9.0 9.5 10.0 10.0 10.5 11.0 11.5 12.0 12.5 13.0 13.5 14.0 14.5 15.5 16.0 16.5 17.5 18.0 19.0 19.5 20.5 21.5 22.5 23.5 24.5 25.5 27.0 28.5 29.5 31.5 33.0 34.5 36.5 38.5 41.0 43.5 46.0 49.0 52.5
The Catapult’sengine rating of 260 means that it needs a 3-ton gyroscope (260 ÷ 100 = 2.6, rounded up to 3). This leaves Bryan with 39 tons (42 – 3 = 39).
Construction
5
JUMP JET WEIGHT TABLE Mech Tonnage 20–55 60–85 90–100
Jump Jet Weight .5 tons/Jump MP 1 ton/Jump MP 2 tons/Jump MP
Determine Jump Capability BattleMechsmaybeequippedwithjumpjetsintheirlegs and/orbackstoallowjumpmovement.Theweightofthejump jetsdependsontheweightoftheBattleMechandtheJumping MPdesired,asshownintheJumpJetWeightTable. E ac h j um p j et g i ve s t he B a tt le Me ch o n e J um pi ng MovementPoint,sothataBattleMechwithfourjumpjetswould haveaJumpingMPof4.ABattleMechcannotbeconstructed withJumpingMPgreaterthanitsWalkingMP. Criticals:Assignonecriticalslotineitheralegortorso locationtoeachjumpjet’sexhaustport. Though it is designed for long-range support, because of its slow speed, Bryan decides to give it jump jets. Looking at the Jump Jet Weight Table, Bryan sees that each Jump MP will cost him a ton. He decides to give his ’Mech the maximum Jumping MP of 4, at a cost of 4 tons. This leaves him with 35 tons (39 – 4 = 35). Each jump jet exhaust port requires a critical slot. Bryan places two in the right and left torsos, leaving 10 critical slots open in those locations. Add Heat Sinks Heatsinksdissipateheatproducedbymovement,weapons fireandotheractions.EveryBattleMechcomesequippedwith 10heatsinksaspartofthedesignthatdonottakeuptonnage (buttheymaytakeupcriticalslots,see Criticals, below).Most BattleMechs,however,needmorethan10heatsinkstogetrid ofexcessheatefficiently.Extraheatsinkscanbeacquiredatthe costof1tonperheatsink. Criticals: Anumberofheatsinksequaltotheenginerating dividedby25(rounddown)areassumedtobeanintegralpart oftheengine.Theseheatsinksareonlydestroyediftheengine istotallydestroyed,andsocannottakecriticalhits.Forexample, iftheplayeradds5heatsinks(foratotalof15)toaBattleMech carryinganengineratedat210,8ofthesesinks(210÷25=8.4, roundeddownto8)areconsideredintegraltotheengineand donothavetobeassignedtocriticalslots.Theother7[10(origi nalequipment)+5(extra)–8(unallocated)]mustbeassigned tocriticalslots.Eachheatsinkfillsonecriticalslot.Notethatthis allocationofcriticalslotsappliesonlytothoseheatsinksthat arenotintegraltotheengine. The Catapult is intended to have some heavy weaponry, so it will need more than the standard ten heat sinks, but Bryan does not want to spend too much
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Construction
tonnage at this point; there must be enough tonnage left for all the weapons he wants to add. As such, he figures adding five additional heat sinks should be sufficient, at a cost of 5 tons. Subtracting the weight of the heat sinks leaves Bryan with 30 tons (35 – 5 = 35). Next Bryan figures out the number of heat sinks that must be assigned to critical slots. The engine rating divided by 25 rounded down equals 10 (260 ÷ 25 = 10.4). With 15 heat sinks total, he will need to assign 5 of them to critical slots (15 – 10 = 5). He places one heat sink in the open slot in the head and two heat sinks in each leg location. This fills all open critical slots in the head and legs. Add Armor ArmorhelpsprotecttheBattleMech’sinternalstructure andcriticalcomponents.Foreachtonofarmorselected,the BattleMechhas16ArmorPoints. DeterminethetotaltonnageofarmortheBattleMech willcarry.Armormustbeaddedin1/2-or1-tonincrements. Multiplythetonnageofarmorchosenby16tofindthe’Mech’s totalArmorPoints. DividethetotalArmorPointscarriedbytheBattleMech amongtheelevendifferentlocationsshownontheArmor Diagram.TheplayerchoosestheexactnumberofArmorPoints usedtoprotectagivenarea,butthenumberofArmorPointsin asinglelocationmaynotexceedtwicethenumberofInternal Structurecirclesinthatlocation.Forexample,ifaBattleMech has10InternalStructurecirclesinitsleftarm,thentheleftarm cancarrynomorethan20ArmorPoints.Theonlyexceptionto thisruleisthatallBattleMechsmaycarryupto9ArmorPoints ontheirheads. Notethatthecenter,leftandrighttorsolocationsmount bothfrontandreararmor.Thearmorallocatedtothefrontofa torsolocationcannotbeusedtoprotecttherearofthatlocation,andviceversa.Thetotalarmorallocatedtothefrontand rearofatorsolocationcannotbegreaterthantwicethenumberofthelocation’sInternalStructurecircles. UsetheArmorDiagramonthe recordsheettoindicatethenumberofArmorPointsprotectingeachpartofthe BattleMech’sbody.Markoutanyexcesscirclesinthesameway asfortheInternalStructureDiagram. Maimum Armor: Foreaseofreference,themaximum totalArmorFactorforeachtonnageof’Mechisshownonthe InternalStructureTable(p.56).Notethatitisalwayspermissible fora’Mechtohavethemaximumpossiblearmor,evenifthis requiresleavingafewpointsofarmorunallocated.Forexample, a50-ton’Mechcanhaveamaximumarmorfactorof169.In ordertogetthismuchstandardarmor,a’Mechmusthave11 tonsofarmor(11x16=176).Theextra7pointsofarmorthat cannotbeassignedaresimplylost. Bryan knows he wants to mount a lot of weaponry on his ’Mech and so he does not assign the maximum amount of armor. Instead, he makes sure that every location will be well protected. He assigns 10 tons of armor to
the Catapult , giving it a total Armor Factor of 160 (10 x 16 = 160). This leaves him with 20 tons for weapons and equipment (30 – 10 = 20). Now Bryan must assign the armor to the eleven locations on the Catapult. Each arm is assigned 13 points of armor, while each leg is assigned 18 points of armor. The head gets the maximum 9 points of armor, and each side torso gets 27. Bryan puts 19 on the front and 8 on the rear. Finally, Bryan puts 35 points of armor on the center torso, placing 11 in the rear and 24 on the front. Checking his math, he confirms that he has assigned all 160 Armor Points (13 + 13 + 18 + 18 + 9 + 27 + 27 + 35 = 160). As a final check, he multiplies each section’s internal structure by 2 to make sure he has not exceeded a section’s maximum armor capacity; he has not.
TM
ARMOR DIAGRAM Head (9)
Left Torso (19)
Right Torso (19)
’MECH RECORD SHEET
'MECH DATA
WARRIOR DATA
Type: CPLT-C1 CATAPULT Movement Points: Walking: Running: Jumping:
Name: Tonnage:
4 6 4
G un ne ry S ki ll :
65
Tech Base: Inner Sphere 2561
Weapons & Equipment Inventory
P il ot in g S ki ll : 1 3
2 5
3 4 5 6 7 10 11 Dead
(hexes)
Qty T ype
Loc Ht Dmg Min Sht Med Lng
1
LRM 15
RA
5 1/Msl 6
7
14
21
1
LRM 15
LA
5 1/Msl 6
7
14
21
2
Medium Laser
CT
3
3
6
9
1
Medium Laser
LT
3
5
—
3
6
9
1
Medium Laser
RT
3
5
—
3
6
9
5
Hits Taken Consciousness#
—
Center Torso (24)
Left Arm (13)
Left Leg (18)
Right Torso Rear (8) Heat
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
S ho ul de r Upper Arm Actuator L RM 15 L RM 15 LRM 15 Roll Again
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1. Jump Jet 2. Jump Jet 3. Medum Laser 4. Ammo (LRM 15) 8 5. Roll Again 6. Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again
Life Support S en so rs C oc kp it Single Heat Sink S en so rs Life Support
Center Torso 1-3
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
E ng in e E ng in e E ng in e G yro G yro G yro
4-6
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
G yro E ng in e E ng in e E ng in e Medium Laser Medium Laser
Left Torso
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
INTERNAL STRUCTURE DIAGRAM
Head
Left Arm
Add Weapons, Ammunition and Other Equipment 1-3 Everyweaponorpieceofequipmentplacedona BattleMechweighsacertainamount,asshowninthe TonscolumnoftheWeaponsandEquipmentTable.Select 4-6 theweaponsandequipmentthatthenewBattleMech willcarry. Ammunition: Addat least 1 ton (1/2 tonfor 1-3 machineguns)ofammunitionforeachclassofmissile launcherorballisticweapon.Byclass,wemeaneachdistincttypeoflauncheraswellasthenumberofmissiles 4-6 inthesalvo.Forexample,a’MechwithanSRM-4,SRM-6, LRM-5andLRM-20wouldhavetohaveatleast4tonsof ammunition,oneforeachlauncher.Ontheotherhand, a’MechwithfourSRM-2launcherswouldonlyrequire 1tonofammo,becauseallfourlaunchersarethesame class,andthereforecandrawammofromthesamebin. Thisrequiredammunitionprovidesavaryingnumberof shots,dependingonthelauncherorweapon.(Notethat one-shotweaponscanhavenoadditionalammo). Criticals:Thenumberofopencriticalslotsremainingon theCriticalHitsTableinagivenlocationlimitsthenumber ofweaponsandotherequipmentthatmaybeplacedinthat location.Manyweaponstakeupmorethanonecriticalslot,as shownontheWeaponsandEquipmentTable.Forexample,the centertorsohasonly2slotsleftopenonitsCriticalHitTable, butaPPCtakesup3spaces.Therefore,theplayercannotplacea PPCinaBattleMech’scentertorso. ThecriticalslotsforanAC/20weaponcanbesplitbetween twoadjacentlocations.Forallotherweaponsandequipment, allcriticalslotsmustbeinasinglelocationunlessthedescrip tionoftheitemspecificallystatesotherwise. Thelocationchosenforaweaponwillgovernitsfiringarc. Weaponssplitbetweentwolocationshavethefiringarcofthe mostrestrictivelocation.Forexample,anAC/20splitbetween therightarmandtherighttorsowouldfireasarighttorso weaponintotheforwardfiringarconly.Weaponscanberearmountedinthehead,torso,orlegs,inwhichcasetheweapon shouldbemarkedwithan(R)ontherecordsheet.
Engine Hits Gyro Hits Sensor Hits Life Support
Right Arm 1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
Shoulder Upper Arm Actuator LRM 15 LRM 15 LRM 15 Roll Again
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again
Right Torso 1. Jump Jet 2. Jump Jet 3. Medium Laser 1-3 4. Ammo (LRM 15) 8 5. Roll Again 6. Roll Again 1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
Left Leg 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again Roll Again
Right Leg
Hip Upper Leg Actuator Lower Leg Actuator Foot Actuator Single Heat Sink Single Heat Sink ©
Right Leg (18)
Center Torso Rear (11)
Left Torso Rear (8)
CRITICAL HIT TABLE
Right Arm (13)
Damage Transfer Diagram
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Hip Upper Leg Actuator Lower Leg Actuator Foot Actuator Single Heat Sink Single Heat Sink
Head Le ft To rs o (1 5)
Scale Overflow
Ri gh t To rs o (1 5) 30* 29 28* 27
Left Arm (10)
Right Arm (10)
25* 24* 23*
Center Torso (21) Left Leg (15)
26*
22* 21
Right Leg (15)
20* 19* 18* 17* 16
HEAT DATA Heat Sinks: Heat Effects Level* 15 30 Shutdown Single 28 Ammo Exp. avoid on 8+ 26 Shutdown, avoid on 10+ 25 –5 Movement Points 24 +4 Modifier to Fire 23 Ammo Exp. avoid on 6+ 22 Shutdown, avoid on 8+ 20 –4 Movement Points 19 Ammo Exp. avoid on 4+ 18 Shutdown, avoid on 6+ 17 +3 Modifier to Fire 15 –3 Movement Points 14 Shutdown, avoid on 4+ 13 +2 Modifier to Fire 10 –2 Movement Points +1 Modifier to Fire 8 –1 Movement Points 5
15* 14* 13* 12 11 10* 9 8* 7 6 5* 4 3 2 1 0
2006 WizKids, Inc. Classic BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
Eachtonofammunitionoccupies1criticalslot,butthat slotneednotbeinthesamelocationastheweaponthat usestheammo.Notethatthoughmachinegunammocanbe acquiredinhalf-tonlots,acriticalslotcanaccommodateafull tonofMGammo. Bryan decides to start with the large weapons and work his way down. For the long-range support that he is looking for, he gives the Catapult twin LRM-15 launchers (7 tons each for a total of 14 tons) with 1 ton of ammunition for each launcher. He mounts each launcher in the right and left arms respectively, after deciding to remove the Hand and Lower Arm Actuators in each location; an ammo slot goes to each of the right and left torsos. After choosing the main weapons for the Catapult, Bryan sees that he has 4 tons left (20 – 7 – 7 – 1 – 1 = 4). He chooses 4 medium lasers (1 ton each). He places two medium lasers in the center torso (which fills it) and than one medium laser in the right and left torsos respectively. The CPLT-C1Catapult is complete!
Construction
5
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT TABLE Heat
Damage
Minimum Range
Short Range
Medium Range
Long Range
Tons
Critical Slots
Ammo Per Ton
3 8 3 1 10
2 8 5 13 10
— — — — 3
1 1–5 1–3 1 1–6
2 6–10 4–6 2 7–12
3 11–15 7–9 3 13–18
1 5 1 0.5 7
1 2 1 1 3
— — — — —
Ballistic Weapons Autocannon/2 Autocannon/5 Autocannon/10 Autocannon/20 Flamer (Vehicle) Machine Gun
1 1 3 7 3 0
2 5 10 20 2 2
4 3 — — — —
1–8 1–6 1–5 1–3 1 1
9–16 7–12 6–10 4–6 2 2
17–24 13–18 11–15 7–9 3 3
6 8 12 14 0.5 0.5
1 4 7 10 1 1
45 20 10 5 20 200
Missile Weapons LRM 5 LRM 10 LRM 15 LRM 20 SRM 2 SRM 4 SRM 6
2 4 5 6 2 3 4
1/Msl 1/Msl 1/Msl 1/Msl 2/Msl 2/Msl 2/Msl
6 6 6 6 — — —
1–7 1–7 1–7 1–7 1–3 1–3 1–3
8–14 8–14 8–14 8–14 4–6 4–6 4–6
15–21 15–21 15–21 15–21 7–9 7–9 7–9
2 5 7 10 1 2 3
1 2 3 5 1 1 2
24 12 8 6 50 25 15
Other Equipment Hatchet Heat Sink
0 –1
* —
— —
— —
— —
— —
** 1
** 1
— —
Type Energy Weapons Flamer Large Laser Medium Laser Small Laser PPC
*’MechTonnage÷5 **’MechTonnage÷15
0
Construction
EQUIpmENT
T
hissectiondescribesandprovidesrulesforthemost commonweaponsandequipmentusedbyInner Sphereforces.AlthoughrecoveredStarLeagueweaponsandequipmentalongwiththeadvancedweaponryoftheClansarebecomingmuchmorecommon, theyaremoreadvancedandsoarenotincludedin
thisintroductoryrulesset.Gamerulesforadditionalweapons andequipmentcanbefoundin Classic BattleTech Total Warfare, whiletheconstructionrulesforthatsameequipmentcanbe foundin Classic BattleTech TechManual. Thestatisticsforheat produced,DamageValue,range,andtonnageofeachweapon andpieceofequipmentinthissectionappearintheWeapons andEquipmentTablein Construction,p.60.
Equipment
1
AUTOCANNON Anautocannonisarapid-firing,auto-loadingweapon thatfireshigh-speedstreamsofhigh-explosive,armor-piercing shells.Lightautocannonrangeincaliberfrom30to90mm,and heavyautocannonmaybe80to120mmorlarger.
FLAMERS Thetypicalflamethrowercarriedby’Mechstapsintothe heatgeneratedbythefusionreactortocreateapowerfulbut short-rangedburstoffire.Theseweaponsarerarelymounted on’Mechsduetotheirpoorheat-to-damageratio,buttheycan beusefulincendiaryweapons. Undernormalcircumstances,aflamerdoesnotcauseheat damagetoatarget.Ifallplayersagree, however,theymaychoose(eachtime the’Mechfires)toadd2tothetarget BattleMech’sHeatScaleforthatturn asaresultoftheflamerattack,rather thandoing2pointsofdamage. Vehicle Flamer T he s o- ca ll ed v eh ic le f la me r usesammunitionsuppliedbyfuel intanksratherthantappingintothe fusionreactor.Assuch,itisconsid eredaballisticratherthanenergy weapon.Despitetheweapon’sname, BattleMechs mayalso mountthis typeofflamer,buttheymustaccommodatetheheatgeneratedbyfiring theweaponusingheatsinksinthe usualway.
HATCHET Some BattleMechs come equippedwith hatchets. Likeother weapons,hatchetsaccountforpartof aBattleMech’sweightandtakeupone ormorelocationsontheArmsectionofthe CriticalHitTable.Tousethehatchet,aBattleMechmusthavea functioninghandactuatorinthearminwhichthehatchetis mounted. ABattleMechusesahatchettomakephysicalattacksper thestandardclubattackrules,butitcanmakethisattackwith onlyonearm,ratherthanthetwoneededtoswingaclub. ThoughaBattleMechmaymounttwohatchets,oneineacharm, itcanonlymakeonehatchetattackperturn.Weaponsmounted onthearmnotcarryingtheattackinghatchetmaybefiredin theturn’sWeaponAttackPhase.Hatchetsweigh1tonforeach 15tons,orfractionthereof,oftheBattleMech’stotalweight. Hatchetstakeup1criticalslotforeachtonthattheyweigh.
HEAT SINKS Heatsinksaredevicesdesignedtoprotectanengineand othercomponentsfromheatbuildupbysheddingacertain
Equipment
amountofengine-andweapons-generatedheat.Heatsinks dissipate1pointofheatperturn.
LASER Laserisanacronymfor“LightAmplificationbyStimulated EmissionofRadiation.”Whenusedasaweapon,alaserdamagesitstargetbyconcentratingextremeheatonasmallarea. BattleMechlasersaredesignatedassmall,mediumandlarge.
MACHINE GUN ThoughrarelycarriedbyBattleMechs, thehighrateoffire producedbymachinegunsmakesthemexcellentanti-infantry weapons.
MISSILE LAUNCHERS Missilelaunchersaredevicesused todeliverself-propelledandself-guidedmunitionstoinflictdamageona target. Long-Range Missiles (LRM) Lon g- ran ge missile rac ks f ire indirectsalvosofhigh-explosivemissilesatdistanttargets.Becauseofthe waytheyarefired,LRMssufferpenaltieswhentryingtohittargetsnearthe firing’Mech. Short-Range Missiles (SRM) SRMsaredirect-trajectorymissileswithhigh-explosiveorarmorpiercingexplosivewarheads.Theyare accurateonlyatrangesoflessthan 300metersbutaremorepowerful thanLRMs. Single-Shot Missile Launchers BattleMechssometimescarrya single-shotversionofastandardmissilelauncher.Suchasystemisdesignatedby“OS”(one-shot) followingthemissilenomenclature,suchasLRM-20(OS).Any typeofmissileweaponcanbesingle-shot,includingallSRMs andLRMs. Theplayerdoesnotpurchaseanyammunitionforthis launcherbecauseitcanbefiredonlyonceduringthegame.All otherperformancecharacteristicsarethesameasformulti-shot launchersofthesametype. Single-shotlaunchersweighhalfatonmorethanthestandardmissilelauncherofthesametype.
PARTICLE PROJECTOR CANNON (PPC) APPCconsistsofamagneticacceleratorfiringhigh-energy protonorionboltsthatcausedamagethroughbothimpactand hightemperature.PPCsareamongthemosteffectiveweapons availabletoBattleMechs.
TM
ARMOR DIAGRAM Head (
Left Torso ( )
)
Right Torso ( )
’MECH RECORD SHEET
'MECH DATA
WARRIOR DATA
Type:
Name:
Movement Points:
Gunnery Skill:
Tonnage:
Walking: Running: Jumping:
Hits Taken Consciousness#
Weapons & Equipment Inventory Qty Type
Piloting Skill: 1 3
2 5
3 7
4 5 6 10 11 Dead
(hexes)
Loc Ht Dmg Min Sht Med Lng Center Torso ( )
Left Arm ( )
Left Leg ( )
Right Arm ( )
Right Leg ( )
Center Torso Rear ( )
Left Torso Rear ( )
Heat
CRITICAL HIT TABLE
INTERNAL STRUCTURE DIAGRAM
Head
Left Arm 1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
S houlder Upper Arm Actuator Lower Arm Actuator Hand Actuator
Life Support Sensors Cockpit Sensors Life Support
Center Torso
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
1-3
Left Torso 4-6
1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Engine Engine Engine Gyro Gyro Gyro
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Gyro Engine Engine Engine
Right Arm 1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
©
) 30* 29
Right Arm ( )
Center Torso ( )
26* 25* 24* 23* 22* 21
Left Leg ( )
Right Leg ( )
20* 19* 18* 17* 16
HEAT DATA
15*
Heat Sinks:
Right Leg
Damage Transfer Diagram
Overflow
Right Torso (
27
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Head )
Left Arm ( )
1. 2. 3. 1-3 4. 5. 6.
Hip Upper Leg Actuator Lower Leg Actuator Foot Actuator
Left Torso (
Scale
28*
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
Left Leg 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Shoulder Upper Arm Actuator Lower Arm Actuator Hand Actuator
Right Torso
Engine Hits Gyro Hits Sensor Hits Life Support
1. 2. 3. 4-6 4. 5. 6.
Right Torso Rear ( )
Hip Upper Leg Actuator Lower Leg Actuator Foot Actuator
Heat Effects Level* 30 Shutdown 28 Ammo Exp. avoid on 8+ 26 Shutdown, avoid on 10+ 25 –5 Movement Points 24 +4 Modifier to Fire 23 Ammo Exp. avoid on 6+ 22 Shutdown, avoid on 8+ 20 –4 Movement Points 19 Ammo Exp. avoid on 4+ 18 Shutdown, avoid on 6+ 17 +3 Modifier to Fire 15 –3 Movement Points 14 Shutdown, avoid on 4+ 13 +2 Modifier to Fire 10 –2 Movement Points +1 Modifier to Fire 8 –1 Movement Points 5
2006 WizKids, Inc. Classic BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of WizKids, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
14* 13* 12 11 10* 9 8* 7 6 5* 4 3 2 1 0
