BattleTech: The Warhammer Alternative NOBODY Wants To Play

[@MrSkullhead1]

Forget the algorithm! There's more to life than 40k. Here's to more Battletech videos! Subscribed!

[@shanekhiu9884]

Battletech is so underrated. It's more open and offers greater freedom than Warhammer. You're free to create your own units.

[@noblegalifreyan4551]

I agree most people need to take of the grimdark lense and actually play something else aside from 40k or it's knockoffs like OPR.

[@gabrielnguyen5580]

yeah bro imagine being a warmaster youtube channel (dope af tho) battletech is hella fun

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

For some, the downside of Battletech is that you are not into relatively big robots, the tabletop has not very much to offer. It is the Generalist game (having múltiple factions) VS a Specialist game (focused on said mechs).

[@bruced648]

40+ years of playing Battletech! 37 years of playing 40k. the primary reason Battletech is my game of choice... standard battletech rules - ONE version. nothing nerfed, banned, restricted or removed. 40k - TEN versions and hundreds of rules updates and addendums. constantly adjusting, nerfs, bans, restrictions or removed units. I'll stick with the game that has proven rules and an average cost per plastic miniature at $6. (yes, the metals are $12-$24) but proxies are not just permitted but encouraged.

[@JMcMillen]

There have been a few rule tweaks since the original release of Battledroids. Jump jets got heavier for heavy and assault mechs (originally all were 0.5 tons), also they are limited by the mechs walk speed (the original Griffon had a 5/8/6 movement). Now you don't have to allocate EVERY heat sink on the record sheet, which has both good and bad points. And they did change the rules for partial cover by making it easier to hit but you ignore leg hits vs the old way where it was harder to hit but hits used the punch table. Edit: also, no arm flipping. That's why rear mounted weapons were a thing.

[@bruced648]

@JMcMillen you are correct about the items you've listed. and there are a few other things. but the fundamental game rules have not changed. that's the difference between the two games. 40k has had fundamental changes to the core mechanics. depending on the version, some changes are quite drastic.

[@cykeok3525]

Yeah, BattleTech doesn't keep revising the rules and unit lists, for the exclusive purpose of making the players buy more models... which is basically what 40k REVOLVES AROUND.

[@jizzwizard4077]

LAMs.

[@bruced648]

@jizzwizard4077 what about LAMs? they were never removed or retcon'd. CGL has them in the 'alternate era's' book.

[@TheBrokensaintvxvx]

Worth noting: You dont need anything but the rules to play battletech. The game is entirety miniature agnostic, meaning you can use whatever minis, scraps or paper, screws, loose change you have on hand

[@jackp492]

To be fair all games are

[@TheBrokensaintvxvx]

@@jackp492 Sure, but sometimes people need that reminder that you don't need plastic faff to play a game

[@TheLofren]

unless you go to play at a cgl event, like 40k, which you can play with any mini unless you go to a GW event

[@TheBrokensaintvxvx]

@@TheLofren The latter part of your comment is based solidly on what the rules are for said event. I've used my Piper gobys at a GW event and they said it was fine. BUT, this misses the point. If you really want to get sweaty into the game, sure, but if it's just with buds or at a LGS, they don't care.

[@willydstyle]

@@jackp492 that's not entirely true. Games that rely on TLoS need minis as you are relying on the physical dimensions of your minis to determine line of sight. BT has abstracted LoS based on height levels of units and terrain, so it really doesn't need minis at all.

[@catscrath25alpha83]

“Battletech is a historical wargame of a time that has yet to happen yet.” Is an incredibly accurate description.

[@RecklessFables]

I refer to BattleTech as retro future sci-fi. It's what the future looked like to people from the '80s.

[@CarbonBallas]

Love it

[@earlgrayman982]

The Battletech universe sans Jumpdrives and Mechs looks a lot like our current day world complete with warring nations and starlink, I mean, Comstar. Although I feel like people in the war torn future of battletech watch a lot less porn and get some more exercise and worry about their pronouns less. Otherwise its a spot on depiction.

[@bnashtay2278]

@@earlgrayman982lmao

[@quecksilber457]

@@earlgrayman982 Comstar - as if StarLink was made by fundamentalists. Oh wait...

[@earlgrayman982]

@@quecksilber457 You should get that autism diagnosed brah.

[@martinMARTIN244]

I was surprised my usual 40k group tried Alpha Strike with me, and complained about the math. They didn't like how all the modifiers were plugged into the one calculation to hit, and how the to--hit roll had to be recalculated for every mech on every turn. In short, I think GW has somehow brainwashed my friends into thinking 40k is simpler.

[@DoomStarRequiem]

My playgroup tried CBT and they claimed it was faster and easier than 40k. Hahahaha

[@volkerp.2262]

​@@DoomStarRequiem if you start play Battletech with similar miniature count as WH40K they will complain about the two Month of game time. 😅

[@DoomStarRequiem]

@@volkerp.2262 oh Lord no... I'd go Alpha strike if we were gonna use our 40k board..

[@Balrogthebuff]

They obviously are not 2nd Ed 40K players then! 😁

[@snarkymcsnarkface1863]

That or your friends lick windows and eat paint... Go with The GW option... or they could just be closet capellans

[@horriblypink]

Its Not a 40k Alternative, that's the first problem with trying to get people into battletech is trying to tell them its Warhammer

[@noblegalifreyan4551]

It's not and that worst part about Warhammer fans. They desperately want to move away from 40k but always are looking for 40k in games that aren't 40K. They end up getting confused and frustrated and proceed to buy a blood angel army box out of frustration. It's why don't want close minded players to play against because they are setting themselves up for failure.

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

True that!

[@dakkath414]

I love Battletech Classic for the feeling of taking my enemies apart piece by piece. As far as price goes: 40k and Battletech are both going to cost you about $6 a model. Battletech you only need 4 models, you don't have to put them together, they don't have to be wysiwyg, and there's no stupid tactical rocks.

[@thorveim1174]

hell, in battletech, a rock can replace any model as long as it fits in an hex and it has an arrow pointing to where its facing and yeah they would have a hard time enforcing any wysiwyg when the only way to get anything else than the default configuration is to convert your models

[@eldergeeks7301]

There might be a Tactical Urbie....

[@theyellowjesters]

What is wysiwyg?

[@thorveim1174]

@@theyellowjesters "what you see is what you get", basically ruling that a model's equipment and weapons must be accurately represented on the model itself. The opposite of it is called Proxying (where for exemple your model has a sword but you consider that in the next game he will count as having an axe instead) The pro of WYSIWYG is that it makes the game more readable: your opponent wont need to look at your list every 5 minutes to know what you are equipped with, he just has to look at your model. The con is... It usually means you have to purchase a lot more models or to know how to magnetize to swap between options between games

[@theyellowjesters]

@@thorveim1174 oh my! As cool as wysiwyg sounds for the look of the board, and perhaps for a game channel with budget that makes sense, I would not be able to afford that kind of play haha. We've substituted units for dice, dinky cars, I once used a super small ball of paper too haha

[@phaedrosx]

PSA: Clan Invasion is not a starter set, it clearly says so on the box.

[@barazo1011]

I was at a Barnes and Noble picking up Combat Arena Lair of the Beast. While there, I grabbed my first box of Battletech, looking forward to painting them. Might dip my toes into the game.

[@Androsynth75]

I played Battletech and 40k as a kid. Circled back around a few years ago. None of my 40k stuff carried over and the pricing and predatory nonsense from the developer made me laugh. Never played it again. All my Battletech stuff still worked fine. Just picked up some modern minis (which I didn’t need), a few new sourcebooks (also didn’t need) and read up on all the new characters and eras. Everything I kept plays super nice with everything I bough 30 years later.

[@beylethdirons2160]

I am laughing so hard that it was MechAssault and ClickyTech that got you into Battletech. A weird path, but glad to have you in the flock.

[@davivanatorable]

Paraphrasing from another comment on another video, that was what funally convinced me: You can just be the guy that has all the battletech stuff, you don't need to convince a friend to mortgage their house for an army.

[@ObiwanNekody]

Indeed.

[@xedrickOG]

Here is where this statement is wrong: battletech is cheap and you dont need to field armies. Its mainly played with smaller skirmishes

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

You have a point. The scope of the battles is different because the look and feel of both universes varies a lot despite being in the sci-fi umbrella. ​@@xedrickOG

[@xedrickOG]

@fernandozavaletabustos205 not just the look and feel. The very fundamenta of the settings are different

[@ObiwanNekody]

Battletech is also older than Game of Thrones 😊 Battledroids: 1984 Battletech: 1985 (name changed) Warhammer 40k: 1987 BattleTech: The Animated Series : 1994 MechWarrior 2: 1995 Game of Thrones book: 1996

[@lelouchvibritannia7809]

Battledroids? Literally 1984

[@noblegalifreyan4551]

The books are referred to a song of ice and fire.

[@shmoe360]

Me and some friends got into Battletech in the last year. I love it so much, easier than trying to keep up with 40k and so many options for armies and timeperiods to play in. Classic is WAAAY easier to get into than it seems if you use Flechs Sheets automation features. Theres a good tutorial on KZbin somewhere that explains it, but it basically shows you all your mechs details AND allows you to automate most if not all record keeping and even the dice rolling. You can learn most of the system with the basic rules and following along the automation in Flechs. I would recommend getting the Battlemech Manual along with your first boxed set or packs of models however, as it has all the rules you should need to get started with. So manual, movement dice (some dice in 3 different colours), and the mechs you want. There you go, everything you need to play a full and rich tabletop wargame!

[@MrBeenReadyy]

Battletech rules! I got in via the video game on PC about 6 months ago and it pulled me in, I cant beleive I didnt know about this franchise as someone who has has loved giant robots his whole life; the community in my area is amazing, and Ive already palyed in two tournaments; the entire world of BT/mechwarrior is deep and fun and hope a lot of people find the game via this video! Thanks for making it

[@andrewtrenkel]

I fear the kind of person that started in the dark age part of the setting

[@DangerSpecsBroadcast]

The stories between how you and I got into Battletech are so similar it’s scary. Same video game, same pamphlet, same hobby store, same Dark Ages board game, same newfound love later in life. You’re freakin me out, man.

[@manofaction1807]

One of the greatest games ever made. I started playing, we had 2 sided mechs on cardstock. I still have a few FASA mechs, and have been in and out for over 2 decades....

[@Krystalchan2009]

6:09 another note about playing Battletech in modern day with those 3d models is the fact Table Top Sim exists. Which allows you to play with anyone and with any mech you can upload into it.

[@wreckedsine7453]

I got into this stuff with the video games. First Mechassault. And now after like a decade, MechWarrior 5 Clans. God i love the Timber Wolf

[@cequrkv4169]

I started playing it almost 30years ago, with only five member of a gaming association interested. We finished two years after holding game sessions o full companies against where each player only manage his own mech. Crazy organisation and funny interaction with the extra turns for comes and strategies.

[@seanv3997]

Been playing btech since 1990. Btech friends have been friends for life. Only one newer LGS near by recently started doing some btech events. The rest of my time has been on kitchen tables and con events. It’s a great universe, rich with lore. It’s an awesome Tt game that has spawned some of the best video games as well. Many of our players got to the table from playing Mechwarrior video games. Thanks for shouting it out, it’s really worth a try for sure.

[@catboxvideo]

I have been playing BattleTech since the beginning and am now starting my five year old on the tabletop. The game is a wargame plane and simple. The lore is amazing and very very in depth. Another big thing to remember, In the core rules BattleTech states that you can use anything as a unit on the board so long as all players know what is what. i have played a match where my unit was made of a Salt Shaker (Phoenix Hawk) Pepper Mill (Hunchback) along with others... so long as everyone knows what is front and what they represent, use what you have. Also you can always find players of every era - Star League, 1st - 4th Succession Wars, Clan Invasion, what ever... Or you are more than welcome to have equipment from any previous era in your game. Battlemechs were kept running for hundreds of years and yes the tech may be old, but a class 10 autocannon hits for the same damage no matter how old it is

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

Why do I love Battletech? Because me and some friends were able to literally play the game just fine with random pebbels we found. Don't need stupid expensive minis, the rules are MADE for proxying.

[@mithrasofcascadia]

I got into Battletech purely because there are Highlanders in space. And I picked up a set of Highland Command Lance, but still need to paint them....

[@jameswhite3532]

More battletech please

[@vanringo]

As a battletech player since 1985, I had been playing battletech for over 10 years before I heard of Warhammer 40k. To this day I have not played Warhammer. I refuse to. I don't like CGL, but I can still play without having to spend hundreds of dollars every year.

[@hakkensensai]

I play Warhammer 40k and Alpha Strike. For my Warhammer army I have 4,000 points of combined World Eaters, Khorne Daemons, and Chaos Knights. For Alpha Strike I have both versions of the beginner boxes, the game armored combat, clan invasion, clan invasion: reinforcements, alpha strike, 4 of the lance/star packs, 4 of the single mech salvage boxes. And I have spent a fraction on BattleTech than I have on Warhammer 40k, and I have enough Mechs and other units that all of my friends can play with needing to invest a dime into it.

[@MC-pt8kv]

With plastic BattleTech now, their are vehicles and units in 40k that will cost more than your entire BattleTech collection. And your units will almost always be viable since every mech gets updated varients as the timeline advances.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

Also alpha strike has rules for playing on hexes as well which is nice because it shrinks the play space enough to fit on the average kitchen table and means that you can still play without have to use tape measures to figure out distance and movement so its better for playing with kids or more casually.

[@kudosbudo]

except line of sight is a pain on hexes. i had to use a los app to work out if shots were possible.

[@KorrothDyahwanre]

When I've explained battletech to non players, I've called chess on a board with trees and hills and the pieces shoot. I've been playing since 1991 with a friend who got into it during its Battledriods phase. I never got into Warhammer because I found this first and the minis were cheaper.

[@theowagner7211]

im from brasil and i would love to play battletech but the problem is to buy it cos dolar and euro are too expensive for us and to 3d print them is going to cost like 300 reais (53,46 dolars) so its hard to start a hobby like that in here (sorry for bad english)

[@theowagner7211]

i've played mechwarrior and battletech (pc version)

[@comradecosmonaut563]

You can play with pictures and tokens. Rules do not require miniatures.

[@Funkin_Disher]

Megamek, its free!

[@theowagner7211]

@@Funkin_Disher where?

[@iantellam9970]

You can play the game without the minis, just use card standees or whatever you want.

[@1nONLY_DRock]

At my LGS, the owner's saying Battletech is the only game that's actually growing in players and participation right now.

[@SonySteals]

"Nobody wants to play" - on the market since 1984 and still going xDDD

[@Handi_Crafts]

Then why is it so hard to find games IRL. When warhammer players outnumber battletech players heavily finding someone to play with is difficult, the same can be said for the Star Wars & Marvel tabletop games.

[@kryz9648]

@@Handi_Craftsbecause BT players have friends?

[@MarquisLeary34]

@@Handi_Crafts It's all your area, bud. Here, it's not hard at all to get a BT session going.

[@lotspeech288]

​@Handi_Crafts Southern Assault IV next month currently has over 130 players signed up on the east coast. There's a couple other big tourneys too this year

[@noblegalifreyan4551]

The problem is a lot of modern wargamers don't have a consistent friend group. They tend to treat their LGS like a matchmaking lobby. It's why 40k dominates because it's the easiest and most consistent games to get in. Most people don't want to put in the effort of getting friends into it. They just want players to play against.

[@seisont]

I clicked this thinking it would be a BattleTech lore video about a 'mech that was designed as an alternative to the Warhammer.

[@mikusheep]

I should also note that Alpha Strike (a simpler ruleset taylored to quicker games and larger numbers of units) is also really fun as an alternative to the classic ruleset ESPECIALLY when played with hexmap conversion rules

[@endoftheworldgaming7547]

Battletech tabletop very much is like baseball. It's not terribly fun from moment to moment, but the highlights can be delightful. This change depending on what tech level/era you play in, (Third Succession War battles be like "did I roll a head shot with the AC20? No? Goody. I get to shoot at the Battlemaster another 40 times! Glory to Purple Bird!") And some people don't like wargames where you can play six or seven turns and **NOTHING** dies.

[@Et3rnalFlam31]

I got into alpha strike during 2023s Black Friday sale at one of my local shops bought the equivalent to what would have been the leviathan box from 10th edition 40K for like still half the price, but what drew me in was playing a very modded but stupid fun run of mech warrior 5 with some of my co workers prior to me getting any box set also just love playing alpha strike with the hex mats as it added some great variety

[@kla4600]

I've always preferred the BattleTech aesthetic. 40K is creative and varied and wonderful, but just about 25% too goofy for me.

[@zoewhyumadbro3090]

got into battletech about 5 months ago and have never looked back at 40k since. it feels nice to just buy a box of 4-6 mechs thats about half the price of a box of marines and have a full army. also, getting free beginner rules from CGL and not having to buy codices is great for your wallet. i got freinds into the game a couple weeks ago, who just build their own cardboard standees for teh mechs they like and dont spend a single cent on products, who still have a blast playing the game (i personally prefer plastic minis). honestly, my only gripe with the game is probably how incredibly convoluted the formating in the total warfare book is. then again, the mech manual exists and is formated very nicely, so its not an issue. Love the omega btw, really have to get one when i get over my fear of metal models XD

[@AlBakerDev]

I played original BattleTech in the 80s, thanks to my dad… it was great

[@markstephens5673]

I've been a classic player since Battletech started. Yes playing the game in this manner is more time consuming, but also feels more realistic in my opinion. Mix this with running a continuous campaign with pilots increasing their skills and mechs being modified to meet the players style and I've yet to have someone who played more than once get tired of coming back for more. But to each his own, after all its gaming and there's pretty much something out there for everyone.

[@freakygoblin3068]

Have you tried the Mercenaries Handbook? I had the 3055 edition from 1993 one and it was a useful addition for that style of campaign. Revised version is apparently available but no idea how good/useful it is.

[@verysilentmouse]

algorithm bought me here for battletech started battletech in 89 Started Alpha Strike in 23 love both

[@Silksistired]

Yeah i've seen battletech boxes in my local hobby store (in the UK) and this definitely has made me consider getting one

[@ryansta]

Anything promoting Battletech is a winner ! Great Lore to dive in to.

[@derloco2035]

Being honest: Even when I played more Warhammer (WHFB and 40k) than Battletech that old Game of Armoured Combat box from the early 2000s was my first step into tabletop wargaming. It was also a computer game that brought me into this great fictional universe in the first place - Mechwarrior3 with it's great campaign during the end of the clan invasion. Battletech is still a great game and really deserves much more attention with it's deep lore that is on par with Warhammer's (maybe even deeper than it's better known competition) and old school but still fun rules to play.

[@andersonfaleiro6527]

There is life beyond the games produced by GW. I fully support exploring more games and healthier alternatives to the abusive relationship with Warhammer and GW's business model. For more content like this.

[@blissfulbadger]

I love that you can get a regiment for the cost of some GW armies. So many options, so many ways to play, so much more affordable!

[@dinowizard0213]

I found out about it from the video games, then when I went to my local games store they had Battletech in the same aisle as Warhammer.

[@jamesc.7216]

I too got into Battletech from video games, although I started with Mechwarrior 2 on the Playstation. I never got the chance to play the official game because it wasn't available anywhere nearby where I lived but we had the card game and Wizkids minis. The kickstarters really brought this franchise back to life after all the legal problems finally got resolved.

[@genghisphilip335]

I love battletech because of the pulpy lore -- it can be tongue-in-cheek while respecting the emotional resonance of its story. Also, there is a third method to playing -- check out Death from Above's 'Override' system. It's between Classic and Alpha Strike and it is AWESOME.

[@dragunokdaox3781]

you just keep hitting all the correct things ive wanted, thank you good sir

[@bryant9113]

I recommend the game of armored combat box to people because it has so many staple mechs that are easy to learn how to play

[@ObiwanNekody]

Brave person, admitting you liked/started eith Mech Assault and MW: Dark Age.

[@Handi_Crafts]

heh

[@Balrogthebuff]

@@Handi_Crafts Battletech players are very accepting of wrong opinions. We even accept the Liao Fanboys!

[@ConfessionGang]

The battle tech group at my lgs on saturdays is a dedicated Dad group

[@zzbeers]

I prefer BattleTech over 40k cause the world is way more believable and way less depressing.

[@admiralwalrus3963]

Battletech is a game where you go to get away from GW’s moronic ideas of business The virgin “Wahh you cant print our models! They cost so much to make!” GW vs. the Chad “Fuck yeah print some mechs and get your friends into it ” CGL.

[@allthenamesiwantedweretaken]

Tbf, CGL is just as anti-3D printing as GW, they just aren't as public and outcrying about it as GW is. They actively hunt and take down 3d models that look too similar to official CGL models, and have taken down unofficial models of mechs when they release official models after the fact.

[@admiralwalrus3963]

@@allthenamesiwantedweretaken true enough but i believe they did put out a statement a while back to where as long they bring in people who buy the models they’ll allow it to pass

[@AAhmou]

​@@admiralwalrus3963 Also they realize there is no way they could provide models for every unit in the game, so they let it slide.

[@comradecosmonaut563]

CGL has been forced to be more "IP protective" by corpos above them but until then were ambivalent.

[@Finwolven]

@@allthenamesiwantedweretaken they're not anywhere near as 'anti-printing as GW is'. That's a full-blown lie. All they have done is said 'you can't put 3d-printed models of the stuff we produce into our official channels'. That's it. That and 'you can't sell .stl:s and call them with trademarked names and put Battletech logos on your storefronts'.

[@seankavanagh3742]

I have taken the plunge and I will never look back, 40 what? 😂

[@TheRagestorm]

As someone who just started playing Battletech end of last year, and moreso Alpha Strike, I've had a rough time trying to convince friends that have been diving into Warhammer that Battletech is worth looking into. And I feel this video did a phenomenal job of giving a brief overview and highlighting some of the differences and how things translate. Great vid!

[@Handi_Crafts]

I mean tell them to calculate the cost of a full 2k point army then 20 mechs in battletech the difference is night and day

[@eugenerodriguez9644]

Come for the ease of play and low cost. Stay for the lore and role play. In cannon you can build your own faction (merc unit). Just pick units or do a whole RPG campaign. That's something you can't do in Warhammer. OH the rules have had very little changes since the 80's! Unlike some games that change as soon as you learn them. Subscribed to support new Battletech vids!

[@jccraftmage2313]

This is the exact same way I got into battletech! I loved mechassault and blew my mind with MW Dark Age.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

I loved mech assault but my first mech game was Mechwarrior 2 about a year earlier. I set up an eBay account and convinced my mom to let me bid on the game. I don’t regret a thing

[@bjack1547]

Excellent job providing a very tight and concise history of Battletech

[@nikthedestroyalator6796]

I kinda live in the middle of nowhere and it's hard enough to find people that play 40k, but finding people who play battletech is near impossible.

[@GarredHATES]

I really wanna try it, watching Battletech videos to try convince my self to finally take the plunge

[@gavinshickle1814]

I would recommend that Alpha Strike starter box. The asking price isn't insurmountable even if you have to pay full retail. Which you probably wouldn't have to pay. And Alpha Strike is more accessible to new players than traditional Battletech rules. And if you like Alpha Strike you can always try out the more traditional rules.

[@GarredHATES]

@@gavinshickle1814 Im more interested in traditional, I like a bit of crunch

[@comradecosmonaut563]

BUY A GAME OF ARMORED COMBAT. DO IT. JUMP IN.

[@th3b33f]

I also got into the hobby with Mech Assault to Dark Age. They get a lot of hate but as a kid, it was a really nice start. I still cherish my MechAssault 2: Lonewolf copy.

[@crazytiger800]

I mean, it is also the closest thing we have for a proper Gundam (or mecha in general) simulationist board game for a good long while. So many flavors of giant robots. Slow walking turrets, literal Mobile Suits that is super fast, even bigger walking bricks, Warhammer-style titans... And you can customize each and every single one of them, and build your own list.

[@Timber-Wolf]

I started back when Batlletech was mostly a FASA IP in the early 80's. Still one of my favorite TT games along with the fairly new OPR GDF :)

[@physetermacrocephalus2209]

The mechwarrior clix game was absolutely awesome despite the gacha element and I personally specialized in wrecking people with DI Morgan assault tanks by always fielding them in water so I could cheese thier energy weapons and overheat mechanic. Usually the only thing that would end up giving me trouble was bikes or jumpjet infantry but even then there had to be a lot of them.

[@ShulgiAdad]

Late '80s. Saturday game in my quarters on post, playing into the small hours of the morning with great friends. Damn, I miss those times. Some of those friends had tried Rogue Trader before, but just found more joy in Battletech. I love Citadel/GW models (I still buy them to paint... someday) but I haven't played 40K since the Harlequins were originally released. Perhaps it's long past time I got back into BT (Hell, I still have several of my metal minis from those early days).

[@JaxTheReaper21]

I've got too much invested in 40k to switch to another game, unfortunately. I also don't know anyone else who is interested in the Battletech universe. Back when I was younger and they had the Mechwarrior Dark Age stuff coming out all the time, it was a different story. And I think MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf back on the original Xbox was my first introduction to the Battletech universe. Nice video btw Handi.

[@aphyonmortath8377]

I loved warhammer......when it was still warhammer which is why i went back to playing 5th ed with a large group of like minded players, but before that, long before that, i was a battle tech player. I still am to this day.

[@AccessAccess]

Played battletech in the late 80's and early 90's. But we never used actual miniatures, only cardboard cutouts mounted on plastic stands with pictures of mechs on them. They came in the original sets. We never had any interest in actual miniatures, or on playing with a non-hex system. Primarily we played mechwarrior, it was a campaign / character based game system similar to D&D, just as much a role-playing game as a wargame. Campaigns could go on for several months or even a year plus, just depends on how long your characters survived and if players were interested in continuing the campaign.

[@DoomStarRequiem]

Stumbled on your channel.. fellow old Battletech fan here. Although MechWarrior 2 was my intro to the setting..

[@johannesbowers7467]

I have played Battletech since the first FASA Boxes hit bookstore shelves in the 80's. There is nothing more fun than showing someone what a Wolverine dropkicking a light building full of infantry looks like, what a 1legged Spider in a "Your asskicking contest" feels like, or the revenant power of a Warhammer so riddled with damage that other mechs have to pick it up and pivot you like a weaponized riot shield. Hail to the King baby.

[@dovakindva8461]

I like battletech because I got to read a novel when I was a child, so it is quite nostalgic for me. Also I like (in this case not so big) robots.

[@jcboysha117]

Kerensky is pleased with this video. Even Blake approves!

[@ZandarRatesGames]

Entry level Battletech player; I've been loving the lore and how you can connect your units to it. BTW there are online tools like Flechs Sheets that speed up classic waaaaay more.

[@PaulGaither]

I was 9 in Christmas 1993 when my aunt bought me the Warhammer 40k starter box, paints, and some guide books because she knew that I liked making model cars and airplanes. I was struck with decision paralysis + I didin't trust the boys I knew to be careful and respectful of my things, so I never painted or played it... but I sure did read the books and catalogue cover to cover countless times over. However, I was introduced to Battletech with the Mechwarrior 3 demo and I was hooked. Been a Battletech fan since. I still have nostalgia for "Oldhammer" and might get into it some time, but I have zero interst in modern 40k.

[@warriorofultramar1301]

Back when FASA had control, there were rules for creating your own mechs. I made a tag team of two mechs. One was a light mech but so fast hitting it was as near impossible. It had some light defensive weapons, but also a TAG system. Its ‘partner’ was a 100ton that had 2 ArrowIV artillery systems on it. Now as long as the TAG system on the little mech hit, the ArrowIV artillery would automatically hit. Now I had some complaints from friends I played with who had said since the shots were artillery, that they took an extra turn to hit the target, which would give the mechs I was shooting time to move out of the way. Customer service back then was exquisite. FASA had a service line you could call and an actual FASA employee would answer any questions you had about their games. I presented my question about artillery travel time and the employee said that as long as the mech being fired upon by the artillery was on the same map, it would be hit in the same turn. So with this info I basically banned my own mech from games we played. Every now and then one of them would try and take them on but not very often. As they never lost a conflict they were in.

[@cassandratastrophe9000]

Big fan of both! I've been saying for years we need a Game of Thrones style Battletech tv show following the FedCom Civil War about the politics and logistics at least as much as about the giant stompy robots.

[@luisvilla5228]

Hell yeah, I’d love to see more miniature games

[@ELIASFA3]

The issue is that, no matter what, with any other game outside of gw products even if you wanted to try it out, it's a "good luck finding people" kind of experience, had that already with Infinity and got lucky to find one or two active groups and tabletop sim is awful for wargames imo.

[@comradecosmonaut563]

What makes BT great is there are fans lurking, some playing since the 80s, that will magically appear out of the woodwork if you start putting the word out locally.

[@thorveim1174]

@@comradecosmonaut563 and even out of them, you could always happen around a warhammer player (so someone already into wargames) that experienced the battletech setting through the video games and would then be interested in giving its tabletop version a shot

[@comradecosmonaut563]

@thorveim1174 Exactly. Younger folks recognizing mechs from the MW series has been the number 1 new player lure in my area.

[@kryptonianguest1903]

​@@comradecosmonaut563BigRed40Tech did a video a while back called, "How MechWarrior saved Battletech."

[@noblegalifreyan4551]

The problem is that wargames are treated like Matchmaking lobbies in game instead of servers that you can hop in and get some games in. If the server has no players then most people will just go back to match making.

[@klortikterra4423]

legit, you might be the reason i got into BattleTech, and I'm not gonna complain ... see my 48 something IS mechs, and 27 Clan mechs.

[@KireektheAndroid]

Game Ogre love! Excellent video. My history with BattleTech is very similar to yours.

[@Ottomatic38]

The legions of mechwarriors continue to grow.

[@TimberwolfCY]

Been playing BT since the early 90's, when I discovered MechWarrior 2 had a related boardgame. Good stuff. The stability of the game has def been a huge draw over the years; if you knew how to playin 1992, you still know how to play in 2024, essentially. Cost is a lot less, but you still feel like you get what you're paying for. The lore is rich and believable, with layers of complexity and perspectives. There's just so much to it, it's great. I love 40k, but I honestly stopped during 5th ed, some due to IRL stuff but a lot of it due to things that you mentioned. Regardless my heart will always be with BattleTech.

[@RedCrusader-ph2vk]

My first exposure to Battletech was playing the Sega Genesis game on my Dad's laptop. I thought it was really cool, and it's what sparked my interest in war mechs as a kid. I mostly forgot about it for a very very long while, until relatively recently when I listened to Warrior Pope of New Avalon by Stringstorm. Given that I hate GW for killing TTS, I'm more likely to try the tabletop for Battletech than I am 40K. Especially since the minis seem to be MUCH less expensive. I've been itching for Men of Iron stuff, so maybe Battletech might scratch that for me since GW isn't touching that part of the lore outside the ironkin.

[@calebhebert2733]

All the mech heads I know don't like cgl. They just 3d print everything. And I haven't heard any good things about any of the newer books and such. I like bt though. But there doesn't seem to be anyone around playing it irl

[@jonathanblair9731]

I played Battletech with the second edition back in the 80s. Now, I'm playing Battletech Alpha Strike.

[@johnkeel8392]

The Lore is awesome. Very much more intrigue than always the same "epic-scale-war".

[@punishedfink]

Your story about battletech discovery is almost the same as mine. Except I found out about classic thanks to play mechwarrior 4 mercs after knowing about dark age.

[@Tibruk64]

I love classic battletech, it's been doing great locally and the community support with fan apps like Flech's sheets make is so much easier to get games going

[@RumblesBettr]

The fact that Btech doesnt require a freaking tape measure to play makes it better. Nerds measuring tiny figures is painful to see

[@eyeundone]

Love to see battletech! It hits my heart with nostalgia. And I like the way the game has progressed.

[@noblegalifreyan4551]

I have a full comstar lance. I enjoy the game and all it's crunchiness. What annoys me is that people in the Warhammer community often use Battletech or Star wars legion as a threat to leave to go play but never ends up following through other than buying minis out of spite. Most of the 40k fandom is basically a toxic girl who always threatens to leave after so much abuse but comes back.

[@TheOtherCoinflipper]

For the novels, I highly, highly recommend The Sword and The Dagger. It gets you a good blend of the faction drama, the giant mechs, and is well written. Saga of Grey Death Legion trilogy is decent too if you want more of an action movie feeling to your books. TS&TD is just so good though.

[@Asytra]

The coolest thing about BATTLETECH is that you essentially get two games. The newer and faster Alpha Strike rules, which allow for massive battles playable in a reasonable timeframe, and the full BATTLETECH rules, a crunchier but VERY cinematic game. There's also ACES coming which allows for cooperative play against an "AI" ruleset.

[@williamhissom3921]

You showed a pic off the same mech when describing a clan mech LOL. Ill forgive you cause of the contect LOL. Huge BT fanboy here. Love your work