BattletechBattleTech is a tabletop wargame where you control giant mech robots with lots of guns and fight it out!
There's some
quick-start rules that explain the basics. Once you've got that, you can move on to other rules! The Battletech Introductory Rulebook has the complete mech rules, and the Battletech Total Warfare rulebook has
everything.
You will calculate move points, ranges, manage (over)heating, run and jump, grab broken-off mek arms and use them as clubs!, fire countless weapons, etc! If you like details and technicalities (are you a DF player or what?), have a look at a record sheet!
But Anvilfolk, that's too complicated!I had someone explain the basic rules in 10m on a Friday night and we started playing! It's actually super easy, and as you play you'll get to know more about each system and how it affects the rules. With time, you'll start loving all the technical details the game has to offer. To show you how deep it is,
here's an
amazing document by people from MekWars Legends' Lyran Alliance, with lots of strategies! You can also start
here for some basic strategies!
Plus, I'm here to talk to you about how we can play this
together, or against each other, using a computer program that does all the calculations for you and tells you what happens, when, and why. It's a great platform for learning! So I present to you...
MegaMekYou can grab MegaMek
here, and
this is how it looks!
But Anvilfolk, that's too ugly!Yeah, well, it's free and it works! Also, DF, so THERE.
MegaMek allows you to build armies and pit them against each other, and it supports lots of more advanced rules like vehicles, buildings, aircraft, infantry, etc. You can play multiplayer or singleplayer against semi-capable bots, and the game will show you to-hit, discriminating modifiers, and all the die-rolls involved. This allows you to figure the rules out slowly as you play.
Now, we can either start from here and fight each other or we could invade the...
MekWars 3025 CampaignMekwars 3025 is the most popular
MekWars server, and it adds a campaign layer on top of regular MegaMek games. You will manage your units (mechs, vehicles, etc) in a massive intergalactic war for over 2000 planets. Your pilots can grow to become better and you can customise your mechs, but don't get too attached... I've been told they die/blow-up at a rate of around 2 per mission!
But Anvilfolk, I don't know much about MegaMek, let alone big MekWars campaigns!That's the wonderful thing about this:
there's a community that wants you around! You will start with the Solaris Training Company. While you're there, people will volunteer to help you get started by fighting you and guiding you during your first battles. This way you learn the game, tactics and the interface.
Here is a simple getting-started guide!
Once you've gotten a few missions under your belt, you'll be able to defect to any of the other factions. From there you'll perform different kinds of missions, pay for repairs, new replacement mechs, and just generally try to advance your faction's situation in the galaxy. As time passes, each faction's assets build new mechs, repair mechs and there generally appears to be an economy going.
I think it's an understatement that there's a lot to do:
What about B12 then?Join the
Steam group!
I'd love to get B12 in on this sweetness. It does seem daunting at first, but with a helpful community and a little reading, you'll get the hang of it in no time. Grab MegaMek and we can start playing some very simple tutorial games between ourselves, and then graduate on to MekWars.
My experience in MekWars has been
really good. I've only gotten two games under my belt, but in both occasions people have been insanely helpful and kind. I'm not going away from Solaris anytime soon, so if you join now we can do tutorial games against each other, and then all join some faction or divide & fight each other!
Bay 12 playing & streaming!- DEATH FROM ABOVE: Xeron's typical tactics at work - the problem being that they DO work, somehow!
- Atlas vs Jenner and Javelin: this was a shorter video supposed to demonstrate that a bigger mek could be tackled by two smaller meks. Guess what?
- Bay12 Battletech: two teams, each with a very large mek, and two lighter meks! We fight, we feint, we duck behind hills, hurt ourselves getting up and then alpha strike someone, overheat, etc (XEROOOOOOOON!!!! )
Currently playing MekWars 3025:- Anvilfolk: Capellan Confederation
- Kanil: Lyran Commonwealth
- ndkid: Lyran Commonwealth
- EuchreJack: Periphery
- RedKing: Free Worlds League
Currently playing MekWars Legends:- Erkki: 7th Free World Legionnaires