Catalyst Game Labs BattleTech: Beginner Box, MCAT35020

Product Information

I use some acronyms in this article, so SRM – Short Range Missile (a shorter ranged missile with a bigger warhead), LRM – Long Ranged Missile (longer range, less punch), AC is Autocannon, and the number is the amount of damage they do and PPC is Particle Projector Cannons, which is like a more damaging, hotter laser. You’ll see these throughout the Battletech articles, because who wants to write out Short Range Missile 15 times in an article. 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'.

We’re taking a look at the three current boxed products (the Beginner Box, A Game of Armored Combat, and Clan Invasion), what’s included in each, and which ones you need to play. 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. This means it is very common in Battletech (and seen in all of these products) to have a base model and a variant included for variety (so there is a Griffin N and a Griffin R in A Game of Armoured Combat, even though there is no Griffin miniature as they assume you’ll have one from the Beginner box). Variants, given they normally change the armament, can completely change the battlefield role. If a model goes from having all guns with a max range of 9 to being able to hit things 21 hexes away, then it makes a big difference to performance on the table.The included mech record sheets include an alternate variant for each of the Light, Medium, and Heavy mechs, including the Griffin from the Beginner Box. Unfortunately there’s no included record sheet for the Vindicator, so unless Catalyst puts one online you’ll need the Record Sheets: Succession Wars PDF to be able to use it. The Rules A Game of Armored Combat includes everything you need to start tossing dice and moving miniatures on your gaming table. Do you have what it takes to plant the banner of victory and become a legend? Leap into the action and find out! The 25th Anniversary Introductory Box Set, published in 2011 and reprinted in 2012, included the same 24 Inner Sphere 'Mechs as the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set, plus two higher quality plastic Clan 'Mechs: a Summoner (Thor) and a Hellbringer (Loki). These latter two 'Mechs are described in the section 'Separate Premium Quality Plastic Miniatures'. 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. Wolverine-6R– The same as the beginner box, the Wolverine functions in the same fashion but comes with the full game rules including heat and internal structure. Heavy Mechs

O: Other Modifiers: A catchall for misc modifiers. In the Beginner Box, it mostly has to do with cover. If your line of sight passes through some trees, the shot is harder to make. In 2022, BattleTech Beginner Box, Second Edition was released with a Vindicator replacing the Wolverine. Resculpts (2019-Present) [ edit ] BattleTech Beginner Boxes and BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat [ edit ]It is the dawn of the thirty-first century. You are a MechWarrior: master of a multi-ton, towering avatar of destruction that is the culmination of more than 3,000 years of battlefield technology development. A precious heirloom passed from parent to child across centuries, an unassailable mark of your station. Whether a soldier-of-fortune or a true-blue patriot, you drop into hot zones across a thousand worlds to expand the star-spanning empire of one of the noble Great Houses. The BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat is a physical game box containing necessary pieces, papers and material to play the general tabletop version of BattleTech. The boxed set as a more developed introduction to BattleTech that complements the more compact BattleTech: Beginner Box boxed set (and its successor BattleTech Beginner Box, Second Edition). 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

I’m sure at this point you are asking, “Is this some subpar version of Battletech with rules so streamlined that it’s basically a kid’s game?” Definitely not as there is still plenty for players to sink their teeth into. Take missiles for example. If you fire off a cluster of 10 missiles at your opponent, you not only have to roll to see if you hit, but also roll to see how many hit, and also where they hit. I will say that without critical hits and heat to manage, the game does lose a bit of its tactical interest. This box doesn’t really get into things like terrain or elevation either. What that means is that after a few scenarios, you will probably start to get a little bored with what you have here. As your mech takes damage, you’ll mark off circles. This tournament offers players the opportunity to wage honorable battle to be one of the 25 Bloodnamed warriors sharing in the legacy of one of the Clan’s founders. Genetically engineered and bred for centuries for honor and glory, Clan warriors lust for a Bloodname for years and many never make the cut. Can you win the Trial of Bloodright? Mad Cat (Timber Wolf)– This is the poster child mech for the clans. The Mad Cat pairs two LRM-20s with two sets of ER Large and Medium Lasers. To complete the picture you’ve got a Medium Pulse Laser and two Machine Guns and 17 double heatsinks. This mech has a lot of long range firepower and armour, and is fast for a heavy mech as well. Once you’ve figured out your target number, you roll 2d6. A roll equal to or greater than your target number is a hit.Eight high-quality, fully assembled (unpainted) miniatures Awesome BattleMaster Catapult Commando Locust Shadow Hawk Thunderbolt Wolverine Do you have what it takes to plant the banner of victory and become a legend? Leap into the action and find out! Contents: