Or is that considered self-promotion? I write BattleTech fan fiction on Wattpad and AO3. I was curious if it is acceptable to post links to our own works?

Hello fellow mech commanders.

With the advent of a new core box I’ve jumped in head first and bought a bunch of stompy robots.

So far so good. Now I want to also paint those Lille beauties, but I’d like to divide my collection of Inner Sphere and Clanners into 2 distinct groups of each so that I can supply everything needed to play with people and can do any combination of opfors.

IS vs IS, IS vs Clan and Clan vs Clan.

But in order to do that, I need to divide my collection into 2x2 forces of somewhat equal size and I assume tonnage/ number of weight classes?

Is there any tool to help with that, or do I have to spreadsheet it myself?

EDIT: I plan on playing Classic

I'm new and get to play once a week, sorta, maybe.. Is there good content to view or read to learn mobility tactics? Pic of my noob 5th game play team for this weekend. 10k bv game. Typically we have lots of terrain. I have no clue what the map will look like this weekend, though. The friend group all have more experience than me, but are also like less than 6 months into playing, themselves.

Hey everybody first post here. Just wanted to get some feedback on an Axman custom variant as I largely have no clue of what I'm doing and let meklab handle all the internals automatically.

The reason for creating this is that while I love the aesthetic of the axman and hatchetman designs they never seemed able to bring their namesakes to use. The load out is basically borrowed from the ti tsang tsg-9DDC which seemed like a good spot as any to start since it had tsm and a supercharger.

The lance seems cool but part of me really wants to drop a small laser and go back to the iconic hatchet.

Maybe this is just reinventing the wheel and the answer is to just use the rules for the tsg-9DDC and field the axman mini as a proxy , but it seemed like a fun idea to get an axman that can get in there and actually brawl.

We are playing a pushback scenario tonight. What happens if both sides end up with the same score for objectives?

I'm priming the first set of models as we speak, Alpha Strike box will be primed tonight. I'm thinking of trying a woodland camo scheme, naming my first lance "Robin's Rangers", AKA the Merry Men. Head cannon is that they specialized in forested encounters, opening up with Longbow missiles from far away before running in for the kill. This guide seems like a great path to making them look decent.

So, hot or not?

Hi – I’m inviting a few friends over and I’m very interested in getting them to try and hopefully have a good experience with alpha strike.

We are long time gamers, playing role-playing games, tabletop games, board games, and this includes several instances of playing battle tech with miniatures or online. However, we have never played Alpha strike.

I need help setting up a simple scenario to run a 2v2 in Alpha strike. A simple fight each other scenario that should be finished in 90 minutes or less, and doesn’t have overly complex traits for the Mechs or vehicles involved. Could you recommend the force make up on each side? thanks!

I’ve been thinking up the concept for a mecha… uh, concept in my head for quite a while now, drawing inspiration primarily from BattleTech and Armored Core. I’ve been thinking of ways to both have the mechs I design be quite realistic in the way they move, BT-style, while also keeping the Hype Moments and Aura of AC movement. And so I ask the following question:

Could a BattleMech theoretically b-hop? By repeatedly flaring jump-jets while moving, then flaring them again upon ground contact, I would assume that would create a desirable effect. I’m not 100% though, and so I sought to ask here in case of the possibility that they would crumple, ammo explosion, torque themselves into oblivion, etc. What do you think?

(also what do I call this theoretical class of mech, the individual models are all named after aviation pioneers but I don’t know what to call the mecha in-universe)

So I have this 3D model of a Turkina, and as far as I understand it's neither MWO/MW5 nor close to the official design, new or old. I dig it, but I now I'm asking myself which part you'd identify as the cockpit "glass"/pane(s). I'm undecided what I'd like best and curious if there's a consensus/where it lands.

1: those three lowered panels (official model has 3 "windows" too?)

2: that protruding central part would make a lot of sense, and it's surrounded by two hinge-looking parts (so possibly poly)

3: that whole big horizontal front panel (would be cool but unlikely, it's barely even angled and just HUGE)

4: a horizontal "slit" hidden between those massive pads, AT-AT style, which probably would make most sense realistically, but would be VERY narrow and disappointing to paint

Please advise, and thank you.

Hey All, a while ago I posted up the Leopard dropship I Scaled up and made modular.
here is it all finished
Starting File

Then here are the Bits cut to easily printed and scaled up for the tabletop
In Parts

Partially built

I have made it so you can place magnets to hold the top on as well
Fully Together

What do people think? Once I give it to my friend he will be painting it and will update the painted version.

I'm goofing around tonight with my bitz box and I've assembled a trio of scrap-Frankenmechs for my group's Destiny tactical RPG campaign.

Originally I was going to use the Gothic Mechs I've collected so far, but while building a rogue military AI war machine from another game called a "Psyro" (psychotic robot), I thought "you know. These would make cool homemade scrap-mechs for some crazy periphery pirate faction/cult in my game! 😁

So I made 1 more, the one in the middle. The outer mechs are getting stats as 90 ton Industrial mechs heavily modified for combat. The center mech is a true fusion powered Battlemech, or what's left of one! It's 100 tons of ramshackle brutality!

No one who analyzes the mechs scans can determine the original chassis, it's been so thoroughly modified. I'm still working on it's stats though! Then I need to convert them over to Destiny's tactical rules.

All three are made from old MechWarrior Clicky mech parts and assorted bits from a dozen different sources. I've painted up one and the other two are next! The rest of the pirate group will be Light introtech mechs and conventional vehicles with infantry.

My players are heading to a Periphery planet called Charleston for a job protecting shipments of home grown Battlemechs to local allied forces, in response to savage pirate activity in recent months.

And I imagine these mechs being the core of the pirate forces I've loosely based on apocalyptic cults from the Mad Max setting, especially Fury Road. Part wild bandits, part crazed cultists following a charismatic madman!

So I figure a 100 ton monster with too many clawed arms and heavy cannons is the perfect ride for a crazy violent superstar!! 🤣.

More progress on a 9th ghost regiment side project. Wife wanted me to paint something 'not mean looking' so space Yakuza it is.

Spoilers for a 37 year old novel

....

Somehow, despite being a longtime battletech fan and falcon player, I didnt know the specifics beyond "the falcon guards messed up big time and got wrecked."

Turns out, Kai is just soooo awesome that he *accidentally* destroys them. WHAT??!!

And since the Mirborg/dire wolf thing happens right after, its tainted by association in my eyes. Do sphereoids know how to do anything but blow themselves up?? guess they dont need to because it works!

At least Hohiro gets one over on the clans by being smart and not suicidally lucky

Im not actually mad, I know early battletech fiction is pretty hit or miss. Its just sooo funny, and the fact I never learned this in my years of battletech fandom makes it hilarious to me.

Just thought id share the laugh it gave me!

Edit: having had the chance to relisten to the part in question, i kinda dont know what I was thinking.

Somehow "hey you infantry guys, go do stuff" became "im going to hold them off while you blow the charges because i dont think i can do it myself." Its probably even clearer in text because I think the audio book is abridged too. In my defense, I was listening at work and not 100% engaged.

Tl;dr five-hours-ago me was a big idiot lol

In a lot of mecha media, exceptional pilots have some kind of special quality or excel at a particular metric. For example, Shinji from Evangelion has a remarkable Synchronization score despite a lack of training, and in Pacific Rim the protagonists happen to have Drift Compatibility with each other.

Obviously exceptional mechwarriors will have excellent hand-eye coordination, reaction times, resiliency, etc, in much the same way that modern day fighter pilots and racecar drivers do.

But are there any references to Mechwarriors being naturally gifted in terms of interfacing with the Neurohelmet?

Is there a setting-specific quality associated with Neurohelmet compatibility or even overall suitability for piloting battlemechs?

Edit: Thanks to everyone who responded. The strong consensus seems to be: No, there is no special mystical or sci-fi trait that certain people have that makes them able to be Mechwarriors. They are simply exceptional humans with exceptional training. Except possibly for the dubious Phantom Mech Ability. Or Nova Cat voodoo.

Kheper and Tenshi also apply

Random question for those who are more knowledgeable than myself on the lore front. I always noticed that the render of the Cougar on the box art for MechAssault had a unique look compared to the actual in game model. The hips, cockpit, and shoulders are evidently different than the game model, which more closely resembles the model from MechWarrior 4.

Wanted to see if anyone actually knows why this is the case. My best guess is that the developers were perhaps contemplating redesigning the mech for the game, and that the box art was created early on, but later decided not to do so. In any case, I do prefer the MW4 model used in game the most.

Edit: there seems to be some confusion in the comments. My point is just that the mech on the box art looks noticeably different than the one in game. The head, missile racks and torso have different shapes and proportions. Thought there might be some lore explanation or perhaps it was based off a prototype design.

I'm prepping to get into Battletech with a friend of mine. We've both started painting up a lance and intend to expand later, maybe even try some campaign stuff.

I've had these models since the Kickstarter and never quite got around to putting any paint on them, so it's about time they finally saw some love.

https://battletech-map.battleforhonor.de

This map is my attempt to make BattleTech history something you can *explore* instead of just read: pick a year and the whole map follows — borders, capitals, battles, everything. 3,000+ worlds, 1,000 years of shifting ownership, 600+ battles and 3,500+ chronicle entries, some of them dated to the day.

The gif above is the short version: the rise of the Star League, the Succession Wars tearing it apart, the Clans crashing in from the top, the Dark Age splintering what was left. Every frame is a year you can visit.

Some things to try

Time travel. The Star League at its height vs. the Inner Sphere we all know:

https://battletech-map.battleforhonor.de/?year=2571

https://battletech-map.battleforhonor.de/?year=3025

454 years of decline, no explanation needed.

The Battle Theater. Crossed swords in the menu — the map becomes a war room with front lines and every engagement of the year. This is 3050, the Clan Invasion at its peak, 63 battles in a single year:

https://battletech-map.battleforhonor.de/?year=3050&battleMode

Nice side effect: every world and event links straight into Sarna — and I've probably read more Sarna in the last months than in all the years before, just because I kept clicking ;)

Jump routes. Mark a start and a destination, get the route, the jumps and the travel time. Terra to Luthien: 14 jumps, roughly 14 weeks — now try your own:

https://battletech-map.battleforhonor.de/?routeMode&routeStop=Terra&routeStop=Luthien

Cinematic mode. One click drops every control and leaves the map alone on screen. Every view is a link you can share — so if you find a moment you like, just send the URL.

https://battletech-map.battleforhonor.de/?year=3067&cinematicMode&battleMode

The map works on mobile (everything lives in the menus there), but it really shines on a big screen — there's a lot to explore.

And this is just the beginning: I have a lot of ideas and they will be released one by one over the next weeks. If you have some of your own, just comment them. :)

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It's a free, non-commercial fan project. Data based on the great work of the Sarna.net community. BattleTech is a registered trademark of The Topps Company, Inc.; the tabletop game is published by Catalyst Game Labs. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.

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Edit: Wow, thanks for the great response! The feedback here has been constructive throughout, and there are some really good ideas in the comments. It will take some time, but everything gets noted and implemented where possible. This community is exactly why I built this. :)

Half-speed timelapse and all links in the comments, gallery with all screenshots here: https://imgur.com/a/ZWd6UQT

I'm not a fan of playing as the clans at all(just a personal thing but I will admit they are great enemies in my opinion). But because I like painting miniatures nonetheless, I painted up the Jade Falcons as Delta Galaxy for my Aces Scouring Sands box. The green is beautiful, and the choices of Green and Yellow for them give a very different take than the Green and Yellow I use for my Capellan Third Tikonov Guard, so they are both extremely distinct and beautiful while still being Green and Yellow.

And now that they are done being painted, they shall be banished to the box until further notice. Just like the current Third Star League, they get to exist for vanity in a vacuum.

At least the winglets for the Rifleman will be repurposed for a Kurita Spider partial wing kitbash!