Catalyst Game Labs BattleTech: Beginner Box, MCAT35020

Product Information

The BattleTech Introductory Box Set was published in 2014 with miniatures for the standard group of 24 'Mechs that had been in several prior box sets. The molds and sculpts were revised from those used for the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set and 25th Anniversary Introductory Box Set. Also a different plastic and improved molding process was used. The 2014 BattleTech Introductory Box Set also included two premium quality plastic miniatures: a Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) and a BattleMaster BLR-4S from Project Phoenix. These replaced the Thor and Loki that were included in the 25th Anniversary Introductory Box Set. These two came on dedicated sprues and required assembly, unlike the base 24 models they accompanied. These two form a separate line and are described in the section 'Separate Premium Quality Plastic Miniatures'. Vindicator-1R– A lighter mech than the Griffin, it carries a PPC, LRM-5, Medium Laser, and Small Laser. It has slightly less damage at range, but will do more up close, and has slightly less armor than the Griffin. To make up for it the pilot of the Vindicator is more skilled, so you’ll be landing more of those shots. A Russian edition was published in 2020 by Hobby World as BattleTech: Настольная игра. [1] [2] Gallery [ edit ] Clan Invasion is nice to have, but of the three products I would get this last. You get a full Clan army (as Omnimechs are something you pay through the nose for), but you’ll inevitably want to branch out after a few games to add more Omnimechs or Clan versions of old Inner Sphere designs. If you are putting off committing to big rulebooks and like the level of game you are getting from the AGoAC box, then Clan Invasion is a solid buy to try the Clan era out, and to give you an Opfor for your Inner Sphere Mechs. it has stripped down rules vs the full version. It has flat terrain, so no worrying about what different heights have to offer. No heat, so no random bad things can happen to you. No...flanking? Im not sure what else is missing, this is my first time in the game. This is a great way to learn the basics, and left me craving more.

What beginner's box would it be without some mechs themselves. Included will be two models unpainted for you to slap on some design. Maybe you have been inspired by the video game on steam, or want to create a mech of legends. There is also a map sheet, reference cards, and accessories to get those big stompy robots on the table. Battletech: A Game of Armoured Combat (AGoAC) is a true starter set, providing a bigger, fatter rulebook, 8 miniatures giving two complete Lances, and everything needed to play the game. You have full sized record sheets, points, the ‘full’ rules for mech combat, and even rules for designing your own mechs. The Dark Age period represents a jump forward in time of some five decades from the end of the Word of Blake Jihad in 3081. The following documents can be used to catch up on the events, personalities and changes of the new setting. Touring the Stars

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Importantly the core of the rules, movement, cover, GATOR (the process to work out what you need to roll to hit) and damage are all there making the transition to the full rules easier, as there is nothing to unlearn, just more detail to add in. Conclusion If you have been worn down and tempted by John to get yourself into Battletech, Catalyst Game Labs have now announced that they will be releasing an entry-level box this Autumn, stomping forward with the BattleTech Beginner Box. The rulebook covers the non-advanced rules for battletech, and you could add Mech Record Sheets from outside the box for the Succession Wars period without necessarily encountering many problems. The game is really the 3025 default that has been the core of Battletech forever. Conclusion

The Beginner box retails fairly cheaply (cheaper than the smallest current 40k starter), and contains a starter rulebook, 2 mechs, a map, set of cardboard terrain counters and standees, a set of mech sheets and a short fiction book. The Beginner Box is a complete game experience, and with the standees included you can play a Lance vs Lance game. This game gives a simpler experience than classic Battletech, and I’ll go into why this is important for reasons other than the obvious in a bit. The BattleTech: Beginner Box, Second Edition, also known as the Vindicator Edition, is a physical game box containing the necessary pieces, papers, and material to serve as an introduction to the tabletop version of BattleTech. The boxed set is a more compact, lower-priced introduction that complements the fuller BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat boxed set. This edition supersedes the BattleTech Beginner Box.You have the following miniatures, all of which are Battletech classics and worth having in your collection: Light Mechs Battletech is confusing to get into (that’s half the point of writing this article) and it’s coming at you with a lot of supplements and things tagged as rulebooks which are in fact optional/advanced rules. Catalyst Game Labs had sold Thor and Loki miniatures in 2009, thus prior to the release of the 25th Anniversary Introductory Box Set. These miniatures were announced as being developed in partnership Ghost Studios. The plastic used was high detail HIPS (High Impact Poly Styrene). Commando-2D– The Command has an SRM-6, SRM-4 and Medium Laser, making it much more heavily armed than the Locust. Heavier than the Locust, the Commando has less armour and speed, both of which help keep light mechs alive. Medium Mechs BattleTech is the world's greatest armored combat game. Inside this box you'll discover epic clashes, dynamic characters, and a myriad of gaming experiences for any type of player: miniatures to RPG play, hobby painting to fiction, and beyond.

A gazeteer of the worlds that compose the Republic. (Note: Not all worlds are fully described.) 3132-3134 INN 3135 PDA Journals 3136 LinkNet 3136 Levin’s List Movement phase: Each player, starting with the loser of initiative, can move their mechs. Mechs move a specific amount of hexes as either a walk, run, or jump. Clan Invasion looks like a starter set, but it absolutely is not. The content is similar to the A Game of Armoured Combat box, but you need the A Game of Armoured Combat rulebook (and ideally the models) as this set contains only the additional rules for the Clan units and improved Inner Sphere tech of the Clan Invasion. It also contains updated record sheets for the models in AGoAC with variants for the period of the Clan Invasion. for two minis is an OK price. Add in dice, tokens, a map and a base rulebook and you really have deal. Though you really need to point out that the rules are the bare minimum. Between Beginners Box, the “A Game of Armoured Warfare” box and the “Total Warfare” book are major differences. Walking, running, flying, skidding and all that. But it’s a really solid start.

GETTING STARTED: AS A BOARD GAME…

Certain reports suggest that the plastics used for basic 24 'Mechs in this set may differ from that used in the previous edition, that is the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set, but the sculpts appear unchanged. At present, there is not a way known to distinguish a miniature originating from the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set in 2007 and one originating from the 25th Anniversary Introductory Box Set in 2011 or 2012. I could talk for a long time about 80s wargame design, and to a large extent Battletech is unchanged from when I first played it (though the miniatures are much better). Modern audiences who didn’t grow up when tabletop wargaming was becoming popular don’t remember the growing pains when non-historical wargaming was working out whether it was an rpg combat system with miniatures or a wargame (see also Warhammer Fantasy Battle 1st edition, Rogue Trader, Laser Burn, Chainmail, Star Fleet Battles, etc). Needless to say a lot of these 80s games featured a character sheet mechanic, and Mech Record Sheets are a fixture of Battletech. Battlemaster-1G– 85 tons and carrying a profusion of different weapons. With it’s only long range firepower being a single PPC, the Battlemaster is all about close range engagements, with six Medium Lasers, two machine guns and an SRM-6. With potentially 32 heat from firing all weapons and only 18 heatsinks, you will very clearly have to manage heat on this mech, but you can mitigate this by planning ahead. Mech Variants

An in-universe look at the major factions, their histories and their status quo as of 3130. Republic of the Sphere Each player will field a group, called a lance, of one or more mechs. Usually, a Lance maxes out at 4 mechs. For the first scenario in this box, they recommend a Griffen mech and a Wolverine mech in a 1v1 matchup.Great online store for board games. They always arrive perfectly and undamaged which is important to me. Deployment in Three… Two… One! This Beginner Box includes everything you need to start playing the game of armoured ‘Mech combat. If you enjoy playing the BattleForce game included in the Interstellar Operations: BattleForce book, you may find these counters useful in your games. Basic Counters Hit Location and Damage: Once all hits have been determined, you roll 2d6 for each hit to see where it lands on your target. For each hit, you mark off a number of circles on that location equal to the damage of a weapon. Once all the circles in a location are filled, that part of the mech is destroyed. If both legs, the torso, or the head are destroyed, the mech is turned to scrap. Combat is easy to jump in to in the Beginner Box. Game Experience: