I asked Barby to playtest Battletech with me a few days back. I was teaching her the basics of playing the game using the map sheets that came with the starter box. We put together 200 tonnage lances and just figured out how it goes along the way. I sliced up the record sheets and placed them in plastic sleeves so that we can just mark damage, etc. with dry erase markers.
Some points from the game:
- If the attack roll needed is greater than 12 (like shooting a moving target at long range while running), is it an automatic miss? Or does a raw roll of 12 still count as a hit?
- The Awesome (and any other BattleMech weaponry with a minimum range) can still fire its PPCs even if the enemy is really close (it just has a harder time to hit). My bad, as I had assumed if it's too close, it cannot fire anymore like with the 40K Imperial Guard Basilisk or the WARMACHINE Khadoran Mortar Crew.
- It is actually more efficient to just photocopy the record sheets and use pencils instead of the dry erase marker. Since the record sheet is quite big, it is easy to accidentally erase parts of the damage taken, heat produced or ammo expenditure.
- Albeit using the map sheets is tradition, I prefer the use of 3d terrain. That's just me.
*"If the modified to-hit number is greater than 12, the shot automatically misses."
ReplyDelete*Yup. Some guns have modifiers (the first question and the modifiers for shooting start at page 19 of the 4th Ed Rules).
*Yup. Unless you don't mind laminating the sheets (which would be kinda cool...)
*Well, there are rules for miniature use. Haven't really read them yet, tho'.
Btw, anyone bringing in individual figs? And what should I aim for? I kinda want a heavy/assault lance setup...
(the list I'm playing w/ in Megamek uses an Atlas, 2 Grand Dragons and a Warhammer: 290 tons)
Will you or anyone set a campaign or something? (as I told pork, I was hoping for something w/ a mechwarrior rpg tie-in or something that considers pilot xp...and a 'story'. While I'm for pre-Clan invasion, I'm game for any setting).
For the skirmish-type gaming, we agreed on a 200 tonnage (pointage) with a maximum of four BattleMechs.
ReplyDeleteCampaign comes later when we have a good grip on the rules na.
As far as I can recall, Ryan bought some CBT minis from Mang already. I did the simple math, it'll get you around 2K Php for four CBT mechs.
nice. i also toyed around with the idea of laminating the sheets. pwede naman lalo na if you just use the sheets regularly. though kneaded eraser and soft (5b) pencils work fine.
ReplyDeleteyou can still shoot PPCs at close range with minuses. for extra fun you can turn off their field inhibitor for that desperate close in shot and fire them. you take damage yata but if the price of that is destroying your opponent's mechs. ayus na yun.
jacob we actually have mechawarrior rpg books! :D
hehehe, yeah, an RPG would be nice along w/ the tabletop battles.
ReplyDelete200 tons? what about tech? until what era? custom mech setups ok? (I really hate the 'rear' weapon fittings: if the enemy outflanks you, you deserve to get cooked (^_^) )
Dang. Tough choices for mech list...2 grand dragons and a warhammer? :D (dang, 10 tons left...recon vehicle?)
Is tonnage the better choice for army composition, or BV (what's BV, anyway...battle value?)?
I had BT talk w/ Arvs and Pork last night.
ReplyDeleteArvs states that BV should be the one that determines what mechs we could bring (annoying example: at 200 tons, he could apparently bring 4 Uziels w/ 3x ER PPCs each...granted it's a 3067 mech). I'll try to read up on BV later at 'work' (as I know, from megamek, that the pilot skill is part of the computation. maybe just count mech BV? will check, tho', if that's a 'valid' option).
Also, we found cheapo 'mechs': at the toy/collectibles store before the one w/ expensive busts/statues next to Fortress, we saw these pencil sharpeners topped w/ Macross mecha. At 80 pesos each, we added a Marauder, Warhammer and a Crusader to our current mech miniature pool. We'll check back for a Rifleman or something. There were various Valkyrie/Wasp/Stinger types, and even a Phoenix Hawk LAM (basically a VF-1 in Gerwalk or something), but Arvs didn't get any of those.
Question: Any store that stock (or even special order) CBT stuff in Manila?
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get your Box Set?
Greetings, kev. Welcome to Battletech Philippines.
ReplyDeleteI bought my starter box from Fortress in VMall, Greenhills. AFAIK there's still one starter box available there. If not, we know the owner and we can order from him so it's all good.
Ryan ordered legit CBT miniatures from him as well.
Fortress, Nice!
ReplyDeleteThe store with the guns and warmachine stuff!
How much does it cost? Would Fortress be able to get some metal minis as wel? BT stuff comes in regularly?
Sorry for a lot o' questions, got kinda excited there. ;) Will try to drop by ASAP.
No worries! I'm glad to help.
ReplyDeleteThe starter has a 2,250 Php price tag last I checked. But very worth it. Don't expect top shelf quality though. The maps are quite flimsy, but I got a solution for that (which I'll post here eventually). The figs are crap straight out the box. But they can be easily prettified with effort like what Ryan did.
CBT metal minis are on order basis only. Took Ryan only a month's wait til he got his stuff.
CBT stuff needs some more local support. Hence I put this blog up. I'll try to bring my starter box to Fortress one of these days. The guys there need to be educated on how to play the game, too, anyway.
Thanks Ian.
ReplyDeleteCut up the mapsheets and laminate em', that'll should give you a like modular map. That's what I'm gonna do.
I hope that the new'er (25th anniversary and Clan) box set would have better plastics - say ala-GW.
Actually, I'm getting a transparent acrylic sheet that's 2x2. That should be enough to cover one map and keep the folds down.
ReplyDeleteGW plastics are expensive stuff. If CBT can hack that, hooray for us ^_^
I've only seen the 3rd ed plastics (from the 3rd ed starter box, which I have) and the new intro box, and I think they're quite good. The mechs in the box are listed here: http://sarna.net/wiki/classic_battletech_introductory_box_set
ReplyDeleteWe also found these 'cheapo' (80 php) 'Macross' pencil sharpeners that are almost exactly the same scale as the BT minis, so those are nice, too ('pre-painted', too).
whoah ang haba na pala nito. :D
ReplyDeletewelcome to the blog kev!
kim let me know when you wanna play and where. atleast masabi ko if i'm available. mukhang mabe-busy nanaman. rats!
Dropped by Fortress. Seems someone already bought the last box set. *sigh*
ReplyDeletei think the last box got sold more than a week ago (i was thinking of getting it, too). i got Total Warfare instead...not sure if i'll also get Tech Manual.
ReplyDeleteThe new plastic mechs/lance packs are nice (ala GW - no shrinkage, etc): http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv268/Your_Dark_Messiah/GenCon%2009/?action=view¤t=IMG_0123.jpg
ReplyDeleteHoping that 10bucks is a con exclusive price. heh!
Is there a way or contact number to get hold of Mang/owner so I could formally order and/or reserve a copy of the box set?
kev try joining this forum: htt://z3.invisionfree.com/MWPH/index.php
ReplyDeletelook for mang from in there and just try to send him a private message. we can't just give out his numbers kasi. (not that i know anyways. i just message him thru that forum too.)
hope that helps. btw your post is awesome! can't wait to get a boxed set of the clans. :D