Battletech Introductory Box Set: 25th anniversary edition.

Yeah I know this doesn't have much to do with the campaign...but it is well worth mentioning.

So B-Tech has been around for about 25 years, and I've been rolling the dice for most of those.
To celebrate the folks over at Catalyst Labs are releasing a new starter box.

Here is what it contains...

• 24 unpainted, ready-to-play plastic BattleMech minis
• 2 unpainted, premium-quality plastic BattleMech minis
• One 12-page full-color quick-start rulebook will have players into the action in minutes
• 36-page book of pre-generated BattleMech Record Sheets
• One 80-page full-color rulebook
• Inner Sphere at a Glance, a 56-page full-color book of universe background and BattleMech technical data
• One 16-page full-color Painting and Tactics Guide
• Two heavy-duty cards of compiled tables
• Two 18″ x 24″ game-board quality maps

MSRP is $49.99.  But considering the minis you get that is not too bad of a deal.

Pretty much all of the original mechs from the 3025 book (leaving out the unseen), plus two clan mechs (Thor and Loki). 

EDIT:  Found an unboxing video over on Youtube. (thanks PurplePawnBlog)

Due to hit the shelves Very soon...meaning within a month.

Couple of reviews of the box set...
http://critical-hits.com/2011/03/28/battletech-introductory-box-set-preview-review/

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/battletech-25th-anniversary-intro-box-set-miniatures-game-review.htm

So if you're looking to expand your collection, or get into the game...this is the place to start.

Player Dossier: Harry "Flashy" Flashman

1st Davion Guards Dossier



Type: Mechwarrior

Name:  Harry Flashman

Callsign: Flashy

Unit: 1st Davion Guards, 7th Company

Battlemech: Flashman FLS-8K

Specialty:  Lasers, ER Lasers, Women

Flashy (Harry Flashman) is a charismatic man and the image of an ideal Federated Commonwealth officer. He claims only three natural talents: Mech piloting, facility with foreign languages, and womanizing. He's become an expert cricket bowler, but that was through hard effort (he needed sporting credit at Rugby School, and was afraid to play rugby football). He can also display a winning personality, when he wants to, and is very skilled at flattering those more important than himself without appearing servile.

As he admits, Flashy is a coward, who will flee from danger if there is any way to do so, and on some occasions collapses in funk. He has one great advantage in concealing this weakness: when he is frightened, his face turns red, rather than white, so that observers think he is excited, enraged, or exuberant - as a hero ought to be.

After his expulsion from school for drunkenness, Flashy looked for an easy life. He had his wealthy father buy him an Lyran officer's commission in the fashionable 10th Donegal Guards stationed in the system of Chateau. The 10th, commanded by Marshal Sarah Steiner, was a unit of renown in Lyran space.  Flashy threw himself into the social life that the 10th offered and became a leading light of Chateau society. A duel with another officer over a courtesan led to his being relocated to a different continent on Chateau. There he met and deflowered Elspeth Morrison, daughter of a wealthy Lyran weapons developer, whom he had to marry in a "shotgun wedding".  Though he was kicked out of the 10th for "actions unbecoming an officer".  The day he was to ship out, The Clans struck Chateau, wiping out the 10th and none lived to tell the tale.  He fled the system along with the other refugees.

Unfortunately, his language talent and his habit of flattery brought him to the attention of the Morgan Kell.  Flashy having weaseled his way into a royal banquet on Tharkad, found himself rubbing elbows with the Grand Duke of Arc-Royal.  After hearing Flashy's version of escaping Clan Wolf on Chateau, Morgan offered him a position with the Kell Hounds.

His first action with the Hounds was the 2nd battle of Twycross, against Clan Jade Falcon.  Flashy, in fleeing from the Falcon Guard, led them right into the trap that had been set by Kai Allard-Liao.  Battle turned in favor of the FedCom forces, when Falcon Guard were lured into a deep canyon where Kai Allard-Liao detonated planted powerful explosives in the canyon walls. Resulting in Jade Falcon Guards destruction by being buried under rock and rubble.  Flashy close enough to the mouth of the canyon, that his Shadow Hawk battlemech was only partially buried from the rock slide.  A video crew captured the image of the Shadow Hawk emerging from the rubble that had claimed nearly 50 Falcon mechs.  Flashman's fame of the incident was only surpassed by Kai Allard-Liao.   

Flashy survived the ensuing debacle by a mixture of sheer luck and unstinting cowardice. He became an unwitting hero: The Defender of Luithen's primary LRM ammo factory, where he was the only surviving Kell Hound from his company.  Flashy was found by the relieving troops in his armless shutdown Shadow Hawk surrounded by destroyed Smoke Jaguar battlemechs. Of course, Flashy arrived at the Ammo factory by accident, collapsed in terror rather than fight, was forced to stand and fight by his subordinate, and was 'pegged' for a complete coward. He had been trying to surrender with the arms of his kneeling Shadow Hawk upraised when the the primary ammo storage warehouse was hit.  Every mech within 200m was destroyed, except for Flashy who only lost the arms of his mech to the blast due to the kneeling position.  The reinforced lower walls of the warehouse protected everything under 5m.  Happily for him, all inconvenient witnesses had been killed.

This incident set the tone for Flashy's life. Always in spite of his best efforts to evade his duty. He was often selected for especially dangerous jobs because of his heroic reputation. He met many famous people, and survived some of the worst military disasters, always coming out with more heroic laurels.

Despite his admitted cowardice, Flashy was a dab hand at fighting when he had to. It should be pointed out that most of these acts of 'bravery' were performed only when he had absolutely no choice, and to do anything else would have resulted in his being exposed as a coward and losing his respected status in society, or being shot for desertion. When he could act like a coward with impunity, he invariably did.

Flashy left the Kell Hounds on Arc-Royal to join with the 1st Davion Guards on New Avalon in Davion space.  He did so to get out of Lyran space and away from transplanted Clan Wolf in Exile who's Clan warriors would see right through Flashy and jeopardize his reputation.  He thought he would be safe, back on a capitol world, living the life in the upper echelons of society.  Then Operation Bulldog was launched and Harry Flashman was once again in the middle of the major conflicts of his time.

Harry had managed to hide on one of the invasion Jumpships, missing his invasion drop to the northern part of Port Arthur.  Just as he was about to be discovered, he snuck into a batch of reserve mechwarriors that had recently arrived.  He was assigned to replace combat losses of the 7th Company.  Upon joining the 7th he was assigned, of all mechs, a Flashman class heavy mech. 

Player Dossier: Benjamin "Patriot" Martin

1st Davion Guards Dossier

Type: Mechwarrior

Name:  Benjamin Martin

Callsign: Patriot

Unit: 1st Davion Guards, 7th Company

Battlemech: Guillotine GLT-3N

Specialty:  Lasers, SRM's

At the beginning of the War of 3039 between the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine,

Benjamin Martin is a veteran of the Fourth Succession Wars and a widower raising his seven children.  He is living in the Rochester system and is a second cousin to Field Marshal James Sandoval, The Duke of Robinson.  Martin is called to Robinson and offered a Company command for the Invasion of the Draconis Combine. Fearing the consequences of a war, Martin declines to posting. Ashamed of his father's perceived cowardice, Martin's eldest son, Gabriel, enlists in the Federated Suns Military against his father's wishes.

Colonel Tavington, Fourth Ghost Regiment

A within months the Draconis Combine has launched a counterattack which includes landings on Rochester.  Gabriel returns home to Rochester, having been wounded in early action.  His unit was wiped out, but he escaped capture returning with valuable information about Combine forces. The Martins open their estate to wounded / recovering veterans of the conflict.  However Draconis Combine forces soon arrive at the Martin estate.  A lance of the Fourth Ghost Regiment, led by the ruthless Colonel William Tavington.  They arrest Gabriel as a spy and intend to execute him back at their camp. When Benjamin's next eldest son Thomas attempts to free Gabriel, he is shot and killed by Colonel Tavington. Tavington orders the Estate burned, and the wounded shot.

On their way back to camp, the Fourth Ghost Lance is ambushed by Martin and two of his sons, freeing Gabriel in the process. Gabriel and Benjamin decide to rejoin the Federated Suns army and fight the Combine Forces on Rochester, leaving the rest of the children in the care of his sister-in-law, Charlotte. Due to his battlefield experience, Benjamin is appointed a Captain and put in charge of the local militia. His goal will be to keep The Fourth Ghost Regiment occupied in order to prevent them from marching north to the higher populated areas of Rochester. Benjamin recruits and trains his force with the assistance of Major Jean Villeneuve, a retired Lyran Tank commander, who is assigned to Martin's militia unit.

Benjamin's militia uses guerrilla warfare with limited Mechs, Tanks and infantry, harassing Combine supply lines and capturing goods. These tactics earn him the disdain of Colonel Tavington who is willing to use whatever means necessary to capture Martin and crush his militia.  Tavington learns the identities of some of the militia members and proceeds to attack their families and burn their homes. Benjamin's family is forced to flee Charlotte's plantation, after it is burned, and settle along the coast with a group of former servants.

During his campaign, Tavington rides into a town known to support the militia and has the inhabitants locked in the church. He then orders the church burned, killing all inside, including Gabriel Martin's new wife Anne Howard. In a rage, Gabriel and a small group of militia attack Tavington's encampment. Before Benjamin is able to arrive to support his son, Gabriel is killed by Tavington.

Heartbroken, Benjamin leads the militia in a decisive battle against Tavington. The Rochester militia forces prevail over the Fourth Ghost Regiment and Benjamin kills Tavington. 

Now 20 years later, all his children are grown and have lives of their own.  Martin at 54 still feels he has something to offer the Federated Suns in their battle against the Clans.  Needing every able bodied Mechwarrior, the Federated Suns quickly took Martin back.  He was assigned to the 1^st Davion Guards, a unit that would be at the forefront of the Jaguar counter offensive.  Fed Suns media made his posting to the unit wide spread on many media outlets. The idea being to show the Draconis Combine allies that even a veteran of the last two conflicts between the Dracs and the Suns is in full support of liberating Combine space and removing the Clans from the Inner Sphere.  Little did they know he is really bat%&$^ CRAZY!

(Written by Patsfreak, Edit by RangerRob)

Mission #8: Mission Briefing

Mission 8: City Fight!

The city of Kobe is burning.  Yesterday all Smoke Jaguar officials and military police forces left the city.  The citizens of Kobe rejoiced figuring the Jags were consolidating their forces to deal with the invasion.  This was not the case.  Apparently in reprisal for the populace up north turning against the Smoke Jaguars, The Jags have entered the city and started leveling buildings.  They are trying to make an example of the city and people of Kobe. 

 

Primary Objectives:
+ Defend the Capital building

+ Defend the Morimoto Castle

+ Defend Kobe civilians

Secondary Objectives:
+ Defend all other buildings

+ Eliminate all opposing Jaguar forces

Mission Briefing:

Should be straight forward, get hose Clanners out of Kobe.  Of most importance is the civilians, we are here to protect them.  There are a couple of buildings that command wishes us to protect.  First is the Capital building.  Figure that the Jags will be looking to make an example of it.  Second is the old Morimoto Castle.  It is of deep historical significance here on Port Arthur, try to keep the Jags from leveling it.

Remember you will be mostly on pavement and concrete so be careful with your turns when running through the city.  As you know metal mech feet can slip on the smooth surface.  I don't want to see a holo-vid on the invasion news of one of you sliding through a building you are trying to protect, or worse slide into a group of civilians.  Furthermore, watch your fire.  I can understand a missed shot or two, just try not to do too much damage to the primary buildings we are trying to protect.

I'm sure that some House Kurita "big wigs" will be watching the situation closely.  How we act will go far toward strengthening  or weakening the New Star League.  House Davion mechwarriors defending Draconis Combine citizens is something that was unthinkable as few as 10 years ago.

Make us proud.

Expected Jaguar forces:

"Ghost Bear Star"

Kodiak: Star Captain Johnson (2/3)

Grizzly: Star Commander Damon (2/3)

Nova B: Mechwarrior (3/4)

Shadow Hawk IIC: Mechwarrior (3/4)

Fire Moth B: Mechwarrior (3/4)

"Jade Falcon Star"

Bane 2 (Kraken 2): Star Captain Sabathia (2/3)

Night Gyr Prime: Star Commander Teixeira (2/3)

Stormcrow (Ryoken) B: Mechwarrior (3/4)
Conjurer (Hellhound): Mechwarrior (3/4)
Cougar D: Mechwarrior (3/4)

Good Luck!

Nash out. 

Rules: 

We will be using the building rules in this game.  

For simplicity each large building will take 80 points of damage. (90% of the buildings on the table will be large) 

Each small building will take 40 points of damage.  

The Two primary buildings you are to defend will take 120 points of damage.

  

Remember the damage remaining is the amount of weight a building can hold.  So Jumping an 85 ton mech onto a 80 point building will bring it down, you along with it.  

We will review the skidding rules before we start.  

We will skip the basement rules.  

We will review the falling rules, as in falling off a building, or having a building fall from under you. 

Any shot that misses a mech will hit a building being used as cover if any. 

If the target did not have partial cover from a building, shots will hit the building next in the line of fire unless it is out of range for the weapon shot.  I have some small "post-it's" we will be placing on buildings to track damage.  

We will also review "Rubble" rules (as in how to move through it) as a destroyed building makes rubble.

(for the record, The City of Kobe is named after the 6th largest city in Japan...not the Lakers basketball player)

 

Smoke Jaguar Dossier: Fire Moth (Dasher)

Smoke Jaguar Dossier

Type: Battlemech

Name: Fire Moth (Dasher)

Mech Class: Light

Weight: 20 Tons

Tech Base: Clan (Omni)

Description:
The Fire Moth is a light Clan OmniMech intended for scouting, and is often deployed by Clan Ghost Bear. With a running speed of 162.0 km/h, accelerating up to 216.0 km/h with the MASC system installed on the 'Mech's chassis, the Fire Moth is easily one of the fastest designs ever created, the reason the Inner Sphere gave it the codename of Dasher.

The Fire Moth was originally designed by Clan Cloud Cobra scientists as an infantry support OmniMech. The high-placed arms were positioned in order for a pair of infantry "pods" underslung on the arms of the prototype Fire Moth. Designed to ease transporting elementals into battle, the "pods" were discarded after the first field test, but the arms were never adjusted.

Clan Ghost Bear came into possession of the Fire Moth when Clan Cloud Cobra traded the design for 5 years of trade considerations. Both the Ghost Bears and Clan Hell's Horses make extensive use of the Fire Moth for reconnaissance, dueling and infantry support. Because the Fire Moth is poorly armed and armored, and infantry support is a lack-luster assignment, the Fire Moth is frequently assigned to warriors who are older and lack bloodname before they reach solahma units. These warriors tend to be extremely aggressive.

Typical of many light 'Mechs in its liberal use of lightweight materials, the Fire Moth's superior speed comes from its 200 XL Fusion Engine. An Endo Steel chassis saves additional space. Two tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor act as the only barrier between an enemy and the 'Mech's fragile internals, although the 'Mech relies much more on its speed than its durability for survival. The standard preinstalled ten double heat sinks have little trouble dissipating the 'Mech's heat.

Armament: 
For such a light design, the Fire Moth has an excellent array of short-range weapons in its default configuration, one of the reasons for its superb performance in raids and guerilla warfare. Each arm mounts an ER Medium Laser as primary weapons. An SRM-6 and SRM-4 rack provide the Fire Moth with additional striking capability and allow it to exploit breaches in enemy armor. However, the heavy weapons load means that the Fire Moth lacks advanced electronics of any sort.

Variants:
* Alt Config. A - Taking advantage of the 'Mech's ridiculous speed, this configuration acts as an artillery spotter and a typical scout, mounting an Active Probe for detecting hidden units and a TAG system for designating artillery fire. The weapons payload was greatly reduced to fit in the electronics, however, and the Fire Moth A mounts only a single Streak SRM-4 for self-defense.

* Alt Config. B - A close combat configuration, the Fire Moth B replaces the ER Medium Lasers with Medium Pulse Lasers. Dual Machine Guns easily dispose of any infantry the 'Mech may encounter, and an A-Pod secures the 'Mech's legs against any that manage to close in.

* Alt Config. C - An attempt to use the design for indirect fire support, the Fire Moth C mounts dual LRM-5 missile racks, as well as an Anti-Missile System to prevent any retribution by its target.

* Alt Config. D - A simple harasser and guerrilla warfare specialist, the Fire Moth D simply utilizes five ER Medium Lasers for excellent short-range firepower, made all the more deadly by an advanced Targeting Computer. This configuration also mounts a Flamer for anti-infantry and incendiary use.

Captain Nash's Analysis:  Hit this mech once and it should drop.  Trouble is hitting it, she is one of the fastest you have faced.  Normally used in a scout role or a fast troop transport for Battle Armor.

Tech Readout: http://www.solaris7.com/TRO/HTMLBattleMech/BattlemechInfo.asp?ID=580

Smoke Jaguar Dossier: Cougar

Smoke Jaguar Dossier

Type: Battlemech

Name: Cougar

Mech Class: Light

Weight: 35 Tons

Tech Base: Clan (Omni)

Description:
After the Refusal War with Clan Wolf, Falcon Khan Marthe Pryde decided to upgrade the 'Mechs her Clan fielded as they rebuilt. Rather than waste precious resources designing a new OmniMech from the ground up, she instructed her scientists to improve upon existing designs. The design the scientists chose to modify was the Adder. Though the two 'Mechs are visually similar and share the same weight, the Falcon Cougar is slower and better armed, though it only has five and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor. This process enabled the Falcon scientists to produce a new design in roughly half the time it would have taken them otherwise.


Though the Cougar first appeared among Jade Falcon forces during the battle of Coventry, it has since been seen in other Clan forces, most notably Clan Smoke Jaguar, where it was first spotted on Port Arthur during Operation Bulldog. Because it was built on the original Puma chassis and looks very similar to that 'Mech, many Inner Sphere units mistakenly believed they knew the Cougar's capabilities. Not many lived to learn from their mistakes.

Armament: 
The Jade Falcon scientists continued to closely mimic the Adder in the Cougar's weapon systems. The primary configuration uses a pair of LRM-10s and Large Pulse Lasers for a combination of direct and indirect fire support.


Variants:
* Alt. Config. A - The most popular alternate configuration, the Cougar A is built around a pair of LRM-20s, each with an Artemis IV FCS. This configuration is supported by a pair of ER Medium Lasers and a Small Pulse Laser.

* Alt. Config. B - Similar to the Adder Prime, the Cougar B uses a pair of ER PPCs for direct fire support. It has an ER Medium Laser for close range. Six additional double heat sinks help to dissipate the heat these weapons generate.

* Alt. Config. C - A configuration that has more of a mixture of long- and short-range weapons, the C is built around a single Gauss Rifle. It is complemented by five ER Medium Lasers that allow the Cougar C to stay on the field for a long time.

* Alt. Config. D - The final original configuration which uses an ER Large Laser and an Ultra Autocannon/10 for sniping and a pair of SRM-4s to finish off its opponents at close range.


Captain Nash's Analysis:  This might be the slowest light clan mech ever made.  That means she carries a lot of firepower.  Should not be that much of an issue for you guys.

Tech Readout: http://www.solaris7.com/TRO/HTMLBattleMech/BattlemechInfo.asp?ID=1039

Smoke Jaguar Dossier: Shadow Hawk IIC

Smoke Jaguar Dossier

Type: Battlemech

Name: Shadow Hawk IIC

Mech Class: Medium

Weight: 45 Tons

Tech Base: Clan

Description:
The Shadow Hawk IIC is a second-line Clan BattleMech based upon the Shadow Hawk that was first fielded by the Star League. The inexpensive unit is protected by seven and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor, mounted on a weight-saving Endo Steel chassis. This medium 'Mech can reach a respectable top speed of 97 km/h, though it also carries enough jump jets to vault up to 180 meters at a time. 

Armament: 
The first version of the Shadow Hawk IIC that Inner Sphere forces encountered is meant for close-range fighting, and appears to be designed with urban warfare in mind. Two Medium Pulse Lasers are incredibly accurate in close. Four Streak SRM-2s are best at exploiting holes in an enemy's armor, while the Streak technology ensures the missiles will inflict no collateral damage. An ER Medium Laser and ER Small Laser rounds out the weaponry. Ten double heat sinks take care of most heat, especially since the Streaks will build no heat if they do not achieve a lock and fire.




Captain Nash's Analysis:  This mech has more incommon with the inner sphere Phoenix Hawk than the Shadow Hawk.  Wait for it to slow down, or ignore it.

Tech Readout: http://www.solaris7.com/TRO/HTMLBattleMech/BattlemechInfo.asp?ID=884