BattleTech Mercenaries KS: How to Fit Mechs to Factions
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- BattleTech Miniatures Alpha Strike : A quick guide of how I fit mechs and units to the factions and eras I care about. Where do you look up info? How do you organize and tackle something like the Mercenaries KickStarter?
Lookup and record info from:
masterunitlist.info
- In this video, I'm showing looking at models of mechs, directly. This method might be helpful in building out multiple factions from a fixed set of miniatures. This is how I decide how to allocate my minis to the forces I want to build.
- Other good way is by the faction's themselves, which are a tab there on MUL.
- Also available are RAT tables.
Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
0:41 - Spreadsheet Organization for BattleTech
1:22 - Master Unit List, An Example Search
3:43 - KickStarter Faction Organization Method
5:21 - Master Unit List, Pillager Search Example
6:36 - Dog Barking Conclusion
Create your own mercenary company and you can field anything you want, provided it was available at the time period you're playing in.
Very true. Also salvage unlocks all things available. 👍
There’s a good number of mechs that receive refits as the timeline advances to keep them current. The Victor, for instance, has 500 years worth of variants.
That example might not be everyone’s first choice, but if you’re wanting minis, but not wanting 1000 of them, that’s a mech you can use in games taking place from before the First Succession War all the way up to the Jihad and beyond.
Even then, Battle Value exists for the express reason of balancing disparate Tech lvls. So call it whatever year you want & play any/all Mechs & other Units you want.
you can field what ever you want anyways. This is 40k with strict rules about who uses what. Its battletech. In the lore itself you see mechs not produced by factions are still used by them.
I'm glad to see that someone else out there thinks like this. I have a spreadsheet 5 pages that allots Mechs to factions.
Nice video! This is exactly what i tell people who ask about wanting to make as lore-accurate armies as possible
That is excellent to hear. Thank you! Can also of course search by faction too, but because most of us are fitting our chosen Mechs from the KickStarter to a faction, I think doing the search off the mech itself is the way to go. Really appreciate the comment. Thanks.
@@thehobbyhabit yup, I also keep a spreadsheet of my battletech models and how they are/will be painted
Great Video! I forgot all about the MUL. I am starting the Taurians vs SLDF Reuni War. This will help find those stray units that didn't get included in the MegaMek RAT's. Salute o7
there is an easier process!
look at the specific clan/faction random assignment tables. that gives you a foundation of typical base mechs and other units. then select any variant of those you prefer. finally, pick any mech you like to fill out the unit(s). whether it's a Lance/star or company/trinary or battalion/cluster, it's not a difficult process.
the most time consuming aspect is playing the various units to determine which mechs units you actually like.
as for miniatures... no worries, the actual mini isn't required. something that resembles the unit or even a sticky note on a stand-up works just fine
at the end of the day remember - faction specific isn't a rule. everything is available to everyone!
Thanks for the comment. Yes, absolutely, on the “most anything goes” sentiment. Only real restriction is production era. I should try using random assignment table versus this method. I think I didn’t end up sticking with that as it was harder for me to see the mech usage across era. I should make part II video and show that method as well. 👍 Thanks again.
@@thehobbyhabit I also use the TROs of a particular era and put together my own mini list per weight class. usually 6 each light, medium, heavy and assault. from the selected TRO, those are my preferred mechs. then, it's simply a matter of determining which variant I like best.
generally, the smallest force size I build is a battalion (3-5 companies). by having so many slots to fill, it gives you a lot of room to see what mechs can form companies and lances with specific roles.
@@bruced648 Awesome. Yeah. Since I'm interested in building 4 factions across a couple eras, I find sorting on model to see where it fits in, is an easier route for me. It kind of allows me to shop the miniature/model across everything more easily at once. :)
No, sorry, it may be OK'd by CGL but nah, I'm not wasting valuable gaming time on someone that can't show up with minis at least discernable as to what they represent.
Blaster was here... & just 'cause CGL says it's cool doesn't mean I hafta abide post-its, bottlecaps & rocks from the parking lot...
@Blaster CA I absolutely agree with your opinion of having a mini to represent your units. the problem comes up - there is no mini for the mech/vehicle that I want to use. I prefer another mini that is similar, knowing that it's a proxy.
there are nearly 1000 designs for mechs, vehicles, infantry and spacecraft. you can multiply that number with variant options. even after 40 years, they don't have official product made for everything.
the answer is yes it does. cause of the way they portray salvage and such every faction has everyting.
The main issue with MUL as a force availability list is it foes not take into account specific unit's, as in a regiment , availability lists. For example Capellan Death Commandos are in lore anf rules explicitly say they do not even use RATs as they are allowed access to any Inner Sphere mech available.
So even if you are being 100% lore and rule accurate with your force you can ran into trouble if you are trying to play in a tournament that uses strict MUL as a guide.
What is the Merc core box set focused on? It's clans right? What era?
The Mercs boxset is made up of 8 previously unreleased Inner Sphere mechs and two new vehicles/armor assets of which you get a total of 4 (2 each). The era of production dates of the mechs are mostly Succession Wars and Clan Invasion. The miniatures have applications in most eras after production.
@@thehobbyhabit Best Feature I feel about Battletech is how mechs with new variants span most eras.
Way too many Wolf's Dragoons exclusive mechs in the Merc Kickstarter , they're going to need fix that
Huh. Didn’t really notice that actually. Are there force packs which seem WD heavy? Don’t they just mostly use anything IS across the ages?
Some people are super serious I put three light PCS on one of my Panther mech in the 3062 PC mod someone pointed out they were not available until like 3067 LOL. I'm not the one who program the mod
In tabletop is not possible to customize the mech? It's basicly my favorite part in Mechwarrior and HBS Battletech.
Absolutely possible. Generally people pick variant types that are pre-configured. For Alpha Strike rules, that is what is done, only. In the full game, or “Classic” there are mech building rules. I believe those are in the tech manual.
Yeah, one of the great things about Battletech is that it's pretty friendly towards customization. It's a bit difficult for Alpha Strike but technically still possible. The rules for Classic make it a lot easier and battlefield salvage is part of the campaign rules. IIRC, the customization in Mechwarrior 2, including the Mercenaries expansion, were copied exactly from the tabletop game.
You can field anything you like, as long as it is a fit for the time. With salvaging etc, most mechs are distributed through all the factions.
Why are the Spirit Cats not on MUL yet?
Great question. They would obviously not be listed in Dark Age as they are just considered a splinter and identical to Nova Cat. Now, since they are kind of the only thing left in ilClan, they probably should be listed. I think the new Nova Cat novel, being worked on with unknown publishing date, will cement how MUL treats the Spirit Cats.
I'm not sure how accurate that is. The Spirit Cats started as a splinter of RoS after spending five decades as a part of that state. They would then move to the FWL and hang out with the Sea Foxes. They definitely should have a unique unit roster for Dark Age. Fortunately this is represented by the Clan Protectorate in MUL of which the Spirit Cats are a part.
@@melvinlemay7366 ah. Thanks. I guess they are only really holding onto leftover Nova Cat gear from previous/Jihad era as you are right, they would be most heavily Republic of the Sphere based.
You can field anything you want in a skirmish game. If you want to paint something to spec on a lore base? Go ahead and field whatever you want and claim it as salvaged. You would have to come across a real piece of work for anyone to complain what you want to play for a game as far as a skirmish game goes. The lore friendly lists and force construction is for narrative gameplay purposes only.
Yep, the whole 'My Faction!' thing is a part of the hobby I never got into. & I have no idea why such interest in it. I mean, for one thing, there's way too many Factions. So many as to make a mockery of the idea in the first place.
By about the dozenth Faction, all splitting the same types of Units... It's no longer about meaningful limitations. It's just arbitrary & largely a minor tweak on a previously delineated Faction list.
I just don't understand not playing the Mechs/Units I want. As well, playing multiples of the same Mech. [Even if 'Buuut... Variant!'.] So many awesomeness Mechs, why would I waste a chance of using this Mech due playing multiples of that Mech?
Even reenacting the Historical scenarios, 100s of years of back & forth Mech battles, let alone tech sharing treatits & whatnot, means forces need not be disparate much, if at all.
Blaster was here... & Faction nonsense is largely a form of 'gatekeeping' which BT-ers always take umbrage with in that 'other' game!
Never did the BT Faction thing. My group & I always just play our fav Mechs. I don't see the point of depriving myself of this awesomeness Mech or that. It's not like 40ks different Factions literally & figuratively being alien to each other.
Battletech first & foremost has always been about the Mechs. So why put arbitrary limitations on yourself? It's not like there's any inherent Strategic or Tactical advantage to different Mech combos!
Blaster was here... & life's to short to invent imposed limitations on an awesomeness game like Battletech!
Fave mechs is a great way to play. I understand your viewpoint on factions and can respect that. To me I actually find the very minimal self imposed faction and era limitations I use to add a rich amount of flavor to the game. It makes it "pseudo-historical" in nature. I'll bet the majority of players lean into factions and lore in the same way. The most valuable thing to miniature games are actually the IPs not just amazing minis/mechs.
I simply created a whole new game around the battletech system. Whole new factions, some custom rules here and there, and an entire strategic component involving management of war economy, supply and logistics, combined arms etc. One game can last years IRL though lol
There's a much simpler way. Just simply do not care.