FOUR Favorite Indie Mech Games - Sorry, Battletech

[@Berserkerworks]

Thank you for the mention Adam! Im looking forward to seeing what you kitbash out of your gencon haul.

[@josabar8561]

Battletech Alpha Strike is great, same great world, less crunchy rules. best played with 8-16 models at or around company scale. Simple to learn but deep once you get into it so you can keep learning and growing it.

[@brotherman539]

My local store usually runs an AS night where everyone brings 200 PV, typically a lance or star, and we just go at it for whatever the scenario brewed up that day is. Good fun for a large gathering and a weekend hobby night, can recommend as a quicker adjacent alternative from Battletech.

[@sub-optimalwargaming9311]

Yeah, love Alpha Strike. Played a bit of OG BT recently, and it was fun, but Alpha Strike is the version of the game I play the most.

[@retrojon_]

My friends and I once played a free for all with 24 mechs on the field, split between the 3 of us! That game took around to 4 hours to finish! We ended up introducing a nuclear strike roll to help randomly clear mechs off the field and speed things up lol. Definitely don't exceed 16 mechs unless you have more players to use them.

[@rcdemoral1982]

100%. Alpha Strike is where it's at. I don't think that I could play Battletech rules for more than a game or two

[@sub-optimalwargaming9311]

@@rcdemoral1982 I enjoyed the couple I played, but Alpha Strike is like what I wanted BTech to be when I was a kid, fast easy to pick up and still feels like you have crazy huge kill machines

[@weirdguy564]

I have four Mech games I would recommend. 1. Alpha Strike (BattleTech). It is NOT the same as full BattleTech. It is way simpler and easier, plus the stat cards come with the miniatures (technically, those boxes are sold for the cards, and it is the mech "tokens" that are extra to get around a license deal with Iron Wind Metals). Yes, I said stat cards. The entire mech stats fit on a playing card. 2. MechaForce. This is an 8-page rulebook for big stompy robots that move on a hex map, can have jump jets, and generate heat from shooting and moving. Does that sound familiar to you BattleTech players? It even includes design rules, though there are only two guns, two lasers. and two missiles, a small flamer. The main thing is that the mechs don't have hit locations, but they still do have individual weapons. It is a bit more detailed than Alpha Strike, but nowhere as complex as classic BattleTech. The game also uses the special dice used with RPG's, like D12's and D20, though only for damage. Shooting is your classic 2D6. Also, there are stats for a generic tank, APC, infantry squad, attack helicopter, and transport helicopter, but no design rules for those "other" units. 3. Core Mech Warfare. This is actually a set of rules for tabletop wargaming using 1:144 scale Gundam Model Kits, aka "Gunpla". This time the robots are grouped into three size classes, and the mechs generate a random number of energy points at the start of their turn, and you use that up to move, shoot, and melee attack (yes, there are beam-sabers). There is a free rulebook you can download, and is the exact same rules as the full game. The full rulebook just adds the design rules so you can stat out your favorite Gundam, or make your own. 4. CAV Strike Operations. The "other" mech game from way back. Never as popular as BattleTech, yet it is still around. The main thing that differentiates it from other mech games is that armor that can bounce off attacks. Also, there are no fists on the mechs, so no hand-to-hand combat. There are also other units like tanks, anti-grav tanks, and aircraft. It is the product of Reaper Miniatures.

[@markvaughan7530]

I second looking at Alpha Strike. I am a Classic BattleTech player/GM, and the couple of times I have played Alpha Strike, it ran really fast and was quite streamlined versus Classic BT. AS uses a business card sized record sheet, versus the full page sheet used in Classic, and the ones you get with any of the model packs are laminated so that you can use a dry erase marker on it.

[@Zectifin]

my favorite mech game is Heavy Gear. I grew up on the PC games and found out it was based on a tabletop so got a north army, but it was stolen in 2012 before I could really get into it. Ive been thinking about getting back into it again. very cool rules back then. not sure how much theyve changed. it was neat cus the gears weren't that big, maybe the size of a crisis suit, so you still had infantry who were weak and moved super slow compared to gears and vehicles, but could hold down a building in cover so were super could at being defensive and could carry a lot of heavy weapons.

[@greywhizard]

I remember when Dreampod 9 started that universe as a rpg

[@Wolfineer_]

I did love playing Heavy Gear on pc, so much part customising and robo skating fun

[@daltonmccormick5221]

Came to the comments to suggest Heavy Gear Blitz. It's 12mm scale so in-between 6mm and 28mm and has a large miniatures range from Dream Pod 9.

[@YahBoiCyril]

Been trying to get into this. Starting to accumulate some minis for as proxies for my alpha strike stuff.

[@CTCParadox]

Heavy Gear is amazing. Such an in depth universe. NuBlitz is super light compared to say the old 2e RPG tactical rules. But still great.

[@Riddler_von]

I’m a lore first guy. Heavy Gear was a great game the og version anyway

[@Metoollhead]

C'mon, no Heavy Gear Blitz? Really recommend that one's for anybody who likes VOTOMS. Fast rules, zippy robots, and awesome combined arms gameplay. Also, the rules are free to DL on drivethru RPG. Got some batreps on my channel if you're interested.

[@riggermortisfpv526]

Gruntz 15mm although not specifically a mech game, makes a fantastic 15mm scale mech game.

[@robertdean52]

It looks like there are 133 historical miniatures events, 1164 non-historical miniatures events, and 362 miniatures hobby events listed for Gen Con. That’s a total of 1659 listed miniatures events, which would be a very respectable convention by itself. But, as you say, that’s just a drop in the bucket of the 24,000 or so events this year.

[@maskalumni6037]

Horizon Wars is another very good mech rule set. Also Battletech Alpha Strike is the simpler less crunchy version of BT where you can field up to 20 mechs per side.

[@DogansPCRiot]

Poor CAV, not small enough to be indie but not big enough to be brought up.

[@jordanflorio9021]

May I ask the whole anem for me to search?

[@worthstream]

​@@jordanflorio9021CAV strike operations. It's from reaper miniatures, so not exactly indie, but not really mainstream either.

[@owenthomas5103]

It's great to see big channels with lots of subs supporting good indie games.

[@axanax2534]

Weasel-Tech is top of my list. it's the best anime inspired solo focused mech game out there! You create a squadron of six pilots and six support staff that are subject to both on table combat and between game events with the Social System really driving an emergent narrative. It's currently released by Nordic Weasel Games through Wargame Vault but Modiphius has purchased the IP and will be slamming it up and releasing it in the future, most likely under a new name. Flames of Orion is a heck of a lot of fun and we have a good play group going in my area and features heavily this weekend at Into The Dungeon Fest. Horizion Wars is the one game I've been meaning to get to the table for years but still have yet to. It's more combined arms focused then mech focused which I think is very cool, an intelligent way to deal with unit damage, and has solo play which is always a big plus. I still love Battletech: Alpha Strike quite a bit and the new Battletech: Aces solo add on make for a very interesting game.

[@basstedson]

Nice to see Ramshackle games getting a shout out, I've seen the owner in a few facebook groups being a super helpful guy to begginers in game systems so they deserve it in my book.

[@BlUsKrEEm]

Weasel Tech (from Nordic Weasel) needs more love. It's a solo or coop narrative mech fame, that has a lot of focus on campaign play, the ground crew, and relationship building. It's got a very Macross feel to it. There is one expansion, that adds in a second campaign against kaiju sized aliens that is really rad.

[@thewaterbear]

I recommend Heavy Gear Blitz to anyone looking for the mechanical sweet spot between Battletech & 40k The Silhouette System is great!

[@oskar6661]

That's a curious endorsement...as both Battletech and Warhammer 40K are...absolutely terrible wargames. Unless you mean scale or something.

[@thatorangeguy3646]

@@oskar6661 id love to hear how battletech is terrible? 40k i can understand past 5th but battletech is very much a solid game

[@thewaterbear]

@@oskar6661 I mostly meant bookkeeping lol But the 'scale' of DICE is a factor as well. Battletech is always 2 dice add them up every time forever, and 40K fluctuates quickly from 1 die to 90+ dice, roll some of those same dice again, not including the chance to possibly reroll either one of those groups. It can be a bit much sometimes lol. HGB is 1-6ish, pick the highest, and the other dice can boost your highest die even higher, with one possible reroll. So you can technically roll as low as 1 for your result, or as high as like 13 if things get statistically crazy. I like the spice of variety it provides without the need for a literal BUCKET to roll with.

[@thatorangeguy3646]

@@thewaterbear so battletech is a "terrible" game because you roll 2 dice per weapon instead of 6? Wow what a shallow argument

[@LightsGameraAction]

very glad to see a heavy gear endorsement. I was thinking about it the entire video. Great minis, too. If you like older mecha anime like Votoms, Patlabor, or Sakura Wars, the aesthetic is [chef kiss].

[@Miscast]

Great to see more love for Mek28 and Flames of Orion!! Lets gooooo!

[@LucidDakou]

Heavy Gear is another really good mech wargame. It's been my favorite of the genre for a long time. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of people who seem to know about it that I've been able to find.

[@Boshea241]

For another Ash Barker mech game, I've seen some people use Gunpla models for Gamma Wolves. That may work for the 28mm games

[@johnbruce4004]

"Hi my name is John and I'm Mech curious". Interesting divergence, thanks for widening horizons. Hope it does well.

[@captainferrite]

Miniatures are the smallest part of Gencon, until they invent nanotures

[@nbell63]

I am a Dad & I approve this message.

[@Naomi27Wargaming]

@captainferrite nanotures? WDYM? Googled YTed but not convincing results of anything in particular

[@G004Morning]

​@@Naomi27Wargamingit's a joke lol, like nano-tures are smaller than mini-atures haha

[@Naomi27Wargaming]

@@G004Morning oh My! I can't believe I couldn't get it, haha

[@G004Morning]

@@Naomi27Wargaming all good lol

[@bruced648]

I started with Battledroids, palladium Robotech, mekton and several others. over the years I've tried about a dozen mecha combat games. some are tactical war games, some are role-playing. while there are interested concepts and game mechanics in many of these, as a complete game without new versions getting published every few years, battletech is the most consistent. from scalability, to lore, to design freedom, to rules consistency. it seems like most newer mecha games are trying to reinvent battletech in their own ways. for those reasons, I'll continue to play and support battletech.

[@mechaman88]

My biggest wish is that there was something official in the scale/balance (and cohesively coallated) of Destiny/Override (DFA's mod of Destiny with AS/TW mods) for the inbetween level. I find AS a bit too abstracted, and while I love CBT, the time / scale issue exists and I acknowledge it.

[@keikan300]

Shout-out for Mekton!!!

[@bruced648]

@mechaman88 the problem with Destiny and the DFA system, is that combat is abstract. while both standard battletech and Alpha Strike are both rules strict tactical war games. due to the fluid movement of the role-playing elements of Destiny and the incompatible pilot/gun skill systems, they do not combine. personally, I use Mechwarrior 2nd edition rpg with standard battletech rules. it's the only rpg mechanics that can be used directly with the standard rules.

[@argokarrus2731]

​@@mechaman88 the BattleMech Manual rules afaik should be this

[@JERRYR708]

Been collecting Battletech for 40 years and will try Steel Rift because I can still use BT minis.

[@CyberSammael]

I am still a big fan of CAV from Reaper, both the first edition of the rules and the minis. Second edition isn't bad necessarily but it took away some of my favourite parts of first edition - graceful degradation, more in-depth electronic warfare, etc.

[@jirga_jirga]

Horizon Wars should definitely be on the list.

[@RyanEdwardsVA]

@@jirga_jirga oh yeah. Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark that just came out is awesome. Not exclusively Mechs, but they're in there.

[@jirga_jirga]

@@RyanEdwardsVA I love innovative game mechanics the game has. Also the whole combined arms approach is nice.

[@greywhizard]

Mobil Frame Zero. Traditionally your mechs are made of LEGOS.

[@oskar6661]

So you found a way to play a game more expensive than even GW...clever...

[@jp_nichts]

I was holding my breath during the second half of this, waiting to see if MFZ would be mentioned

[@greywhizard]

@@oskar6661 not really. There are companies that sell kits for some pretty nice MFZ kits or you can just use GW kits or even 3D printed kits. It’s a mini agnostic system. You could even use Battletech or other other scaled mech minis.

[@samurguybriyongtan146]

how’s the system? Super crunchy? Light?

[@greywhizard]

@@samurguybriyongtan146 I unfortunately have not had a chance to play it yet.

[@cantis]

I've been getting into Battletech Alpha Strike, I'm an old BT player from the 80's and the rules are 'heavy' and playing takes a long time! Alpha Strike is fast and easy play in the same lore space and you can play out company+ size engagements with a combined arms feel and it 'works'. That said I'll have to look at the games he's covering here.

[@MichaelTopa-n7v]

The Alpha Strike rules by Catalyst games is another ruleset that would fit for a streamline ruleset for Mechs. The rule system has a basic mech on mech on combat but offers many optional rules from vehicles, VTOL's, infantry, aero-space, artillery, pilot abilities, special ammunition, special command abilities, aerospace, advance terrain and weather. The rules are streamlined compared to the Catalyst Battletech rules and plays faster and easier for many units and for combined arms battles.

[@thatorangeguy3646]

catalyst own the IP they certainly did not make alpha strike. if anything they gutted it by removing so much including mech generation

[@kamerionsmith4551]

@@thatorangeguy3646 catalyst didnt remove anything. stop lying

[@CarlosUnbound]

Lancer is my favorite Mech based game. It's got an RPG light element and the combat is pretty solid. The setting is pretty interesting as well. Not everyone's cup of tea but worth a look if you are Mech curious.

[@christophrendeavor]

Thanks for highlighting some really rad indie games! Love the Hivescum crew and their podcast.

[@nerdfatha]

Have fun at Gen Con! I hope to ho again some day. Another fast an easy mech game is the Wargamevault classic, Armor Grid: Mech Attack. The damage tables are fun to fill in for the damage done by different weapons.

[@PeepoStrong]

Currently playing with my daughter (4 years) - Tiny Epic Mechs - not much like a mech games you are describing here, but fast and fun

[@SC0URG3.]

Gamma Wolves, also by Ash Barker. The hardcover rules are readily available online, and allow for plenty of kit-bashing/customization. Lancer, the TTRPG, also converts to a more narrative-driven wargame experience if you don't mind using a hex-based grid system. Great rules system overall, and is a sneaky gateway drug to convert some D&D players into wargamers.

[@winewithhedda]

No Horizon Wars? I'd add it to your list of mech games to try out.

[@VanAleph]

Lancer and Heavy Gear (which just got a new Edition) are technically Pen&Paper RPGs, but they have crunchy, miniatures-based combat

[@03dashk64]

Heavy Gear is also a mini game called Heavy Gear Blitz

[@tomryan3768]

I want to add that Steel Psalm chaged the scale AFTER the Kickstarter ended and as a $60 backer I'm more than a little pissed about it. I backed a Mork Borgified 6mm mech game but now it's something else.

[@oskar6661]

Phew, that sucks.

[@BetaRayBill32]

They said they would keep conversions for 6mm in the rules and so far there's nothing that would make it hard to play in 6mm.

[@tomryan3768]

@@BetaRayBill32 I didn't see anything in the PDF we got.

[@MikeJMurdock]

One I been playing alot is a skirmish mech game called Heavy Gear Blitz by Dream Pod 9. I do enjoy the rule set and like battletech it does have combined arms elements since you can bring tanks, infantry, and helicopters/VTOLs as well I do need to play more flames of orion and try out mek28. problem is finding people in my local area so I might just use TTS or something else to play with others

[@cjwestphal397]

Mech Attack by Armor Grid Games is another good indie mech game. It's like a faster, distilled version of Battletech, where it tracks heat within each turn (but never across multiple turns), but each mech (or vehicle) has an armor-representing block of columns and rows of squares that you have to chew downwards through to illustrate accumulated damage, and each different type of weapon in the game does a different arrangement of squares that you mark off, almost like Tetris pieces.

[@anvil242]

Talon games has CAV / Armored Might (Currently going through a rebranding). The Mech's stats degrade as it takes damage

[@mindlasher]

I thought that you were going to mention CAV: Strike Operations from Talon Games. They had teamed up with Reaper Miniatures to have their minis made. I enjoyed that game. Unfortunately the table top scene kinda died in my area.

[@timothymorgan1175]

I have two games that I love for mecha(yeah, I am mainly an anime fan.) Mekton is a fun RPG that can be used as a mini game. Next is Heavy Gear and Jovian Chronicles from Dream Pod 9. Heavy Gear has 12- to 20-foot-tall (3.7 to 6.1 m) machines usually weighing between 5 and 12 tons, that resemble robotic humanoids. They seat a single pilot inside the chest and head unit. They are based on the mecha shown in the anime Armored Troopers Votoms. Jovian Chronicles is set in the Solar system when each planet is it's own nation. There are ships, but the mechas(Called Exo-Armors) are based on early Mobile Suit Gundam types of mecha.

[@Redmow51]

Very disappointed these 2 games were not in this video: Heavy Gear Blitz and CAV Strike Operations. Heavy Gear Blitz is an amazing game. Haven't tried CAV but I did purchase the rule book in it's 1st edition form.

[@LaBambaMan]

Heavy Gear Blitz is my recommendation. Excellent, fast paced mecha combat that feels very different from most mech games. Great line of miniatures and the guys writing it are committed to making a good game. I also wrote some official fiction for it, so yes, I may be a tad biased.

[@Riddler_von]

I don’t understand the most underrated wargame that no one talks about is… Car Wars. So fun fast as a two player game and new versions that are pretty damn good. Everyone seems to forget Steve Jackson games. Why.

[@bruced648]

I absolutely agree. car wars is fantastic. also Ogre, another classic game.

[@BlackDouglas1000]

I played Car Wars a ton back in the day. Gaslands is my auto duel game of choice now.

[@gavinmoss3653]

It was cool to see you at gencon, by the battle tech area. I hope you tube treats you well.

[@MonkeyKing715]

I know it is out of the theme a bit but my favorite "mech" type game is warmachine. The simplified body part damage and slams and throws it feels like a basic battletech (though not in theme).

[@treybaker5440]

I get it. CBT isnt for everyone. But I am all about it these days, and frankly, its difficulty is very overstated. I love all the built in narrative, and the attention to detail that makes it feel like the decisions you make on the table matter. The older I get, the more I like crunchy rules.

[@el33ment]

Cmon, I've been playing CBT with my now 9-year old son, we played one game of beginner's boxset rules 2 years ago ("Daddy, too simple, but mechs do pew pew pew so it's nice"), then several games of GOAC ruleset, and after that expanding into some of the TW rules. We are not native English-speakers, I'm doing GATOR calculations only for the tougher spots and it's really fun. One issue CBT is suffering from is presentation of the rules (even in the boxsets it is, in my opinion, merely acceptable, while Total War absolutely needs to be broken down and put together again by competent editor). Another issue is that there is basically no easy-to-follow guides on youtube - most of the creators are too eager to go full throttle into nitty-gritty niche/complex rules, which harms the perception of the game.

[@saigancat]

Agreed, 99% of the core game loop is described in the AGoAC book, everything else is just tables and corner cases.

[@MacDhomnuill]

@@el33mentsame, my 8yo can do GATOR on his own and track his own heat. Admittedly he like Alpha Strike better because he can get all his mechs on the table.

[@treybaker5440]

That's my point though. A lot of the trepidation comes from online talk and memes from people playing "streamlined" games. When you actually play through AGOAC though, it becomes clear that the core loop is really simple, and the rest is "roll on chart, do what chart says". After that, sure it gets more complex, but all that stuff ends up being essentially optional add-ons for players to implement depending on how in depth they want to go.

[@DiggingForFacts]

@@el33ment For basic introduction, I think I like 4 hands on deck best. It's a small channel from Germany, and there's probably plenty of room for improvement, but they've done a few basic battlereports and each one sort of scales up the complexity of things.

[@gregarious_one]

I love the Battletech crunch AND that the fact the rules haven't changed over 40 years. That is refreshing and nearly unique in today's constantly updated rules landscape. However, everyone gets to play what they want to play! Missed you at Gen Con 2024, Adam!

[@Malcadon]

There is a Front Mission- & Chromehounds-inspired supplement for the 8-page pocket RPG 'Rogue Space' called 'MECHS!'. It is a dirt-simple rule-set with simple mech customization. But you have to supply your own sci-fi setting. While not a made for wargaming, you can still use it as such if you like friendly, scenario-driven wargames (a referee would be highly recommended).

[@leesweeney8879]

Battle Droids for the win, with SSD sheets like SFB. I prefer Polyversal as it is 6-8mm combined arms Sci-Fi. Mechs, tanks, fliers, infantry, even naval. For Mek 28, the old plastic kits for mecha were that size.

[@Will_GM_for_Food]

I would add Heavy Gear to the list, since they've been chugging along for decades now.

[@exequielfri1352]

There is Horizon Wars, a 6mm agnóstic mech game. I played it using battletech minis. Also, You should check Revelations Skirmish. Its a 12mm scale combined arms game. But you can use an only mechs army. You can buy the STL of your models or ask for printed models

[@Wolfineer_]

Oooh you have my attention for 6mm mech rulesets! I have a big pile of RobotechRPGTactics regret that I've just avoided looking at, might be a reason to finally paint them.

[@mechaman88]

Same, though my regret is the scale for 6mm is wonky. They seem 'small' for the scale, TBH

[@seannyhan2254]

I think Heavy Gear Blitz is a great Mech game.

[@maxbrooks5468]

Mek 28 sounds really fun! I'm gonna try it out, a friend of mine who DMd for us really wants us to play Mek Borg and/or Steel Psalm.

[@argmcrae]

A great one is Samurai Robot Battle Royale. It's miniature agnostic like alot of the games mentioned. Pick your common scale for your game, decide on point level(military grade or super anime mecha), then play. Works on a limb activation system with quality dice. You activate limbs to do actions, activate legs to walk, jump, or kick, arms to shoot, punch, swing sword, torsos to fire chest cannons/missiles, or activate jetpacks/wings. Roll dice to see if the action goes off, roll high enough and you can do the thing and perform another action with that limb. As you take damage, you dice quality degrades. When you roll poorly on degraded dice bad things happen. Limbs break, mechs stumble, pilots pass out. Really fun beer and pretzels game that can have some crazy things happen

[@nERVEcenter117]

I quite like the Battlesuit Alpha spin of Fistful of Lead. Fairly simple to bash together familiar Battletech or Gundam mechs, and fairly simple to actually run the game. If the goal is to get stuff on the table, it's great. Unlike my preconceptions, its use of close- and long-range thresholds on a d10 add some strong flavor as well as strategic crunch.

[@deathmachine777]

I love mechs. I have painted some in the past but may need to try one of these.

[@77Arcturus]

BATTLETECH was also my first tabletop hardcore war game with AXIS & ALLIES being a bit more lighter so i did not really consider it as hardcore when i purchased BATTLETECH afterwards. Being a big ROBOTECH anime fan this was a dream come true a realistic military and science approach to mech warfare with magnificent lore. When i got my Commodore Amiga 500 home computer and saw there was a BATTLETECH game for it called THE CRESCENT HAWK'S INCEPTION it was just a matter of time before i left tabletop gaming and just played all the video games which came out for it mainly due to space constraints which video gaming solved. Still there was always something about the BATTLETECH video games which felt half done and like certain things were left out so there was never that sense of completeness i got from the tabletop game and its spinoffs. Even the fantastic HBS release of BATTLETECH did not have full company three lance set ups, infantry, air units etc with players only being able to take a lance of four mechs into battle. I did love the HEAVY GEAR video games those felt very complete and like a military mech simulator though they were real time and not turn based. Here is hoping the tabletop mech games mentioned in this great informative video will find themselves in the digital video game realm someday with the completeness of the WARHAMMER 40,000 video games that are out there like GLADIUS: RELICS OF WAR and CHAOS GATE. Thanks for the excellent video letting us know there is more than BATTLETECH out there when it comes to mech warfare games. Have a great weekend! ☕

[@NuSocTheKelDor]

Wild that I just started getting into Battletech, and now you put this video out. Will be good to come back to for the more model agnostic games here.

[@Misterfairweather]

Great video choice, Battletech was my first tabletop game in the early 90's as a kid in middle school too! It still holds a spot in my nostalgia but it is a bit cumbersome to get folks to commit to.

[@freiermann7]

Thanks for this video! My kid and I play a lot of Battletech, he is obsessed with it, but are always interested in trying out new games. Appreciate this info!

[@knightwatchgames]

We're designing a Mech game that focuses on scavenging the parts your need from the battlefield, while in battle. Kind of like making the parachute as you jump from the plane. Mechs of Mayhem. Unique system that marries the chassis type with a combat role. More information soon.

[@phazon_kiwi]

Funny timing, I asked you about painting Battletech minis on your recent twitch stream!

[@TheNurglitch]

I have a mech-brawling game designed for 2-4 players, which I'm calling "Titanomachina." It's currently on TTS, but I'm hoping enough people like it to run a successful crowd-funding campaign for a meat-space copy.

[@justinnelson1839]

D12 Alpha Strike for the win. Simple, very fast, and I can still intake all the fabulous lore and models.

[@jfridy]

Being the smallest game at a con that had 75,000 attendees is still a lot of minis... And Catalyst Games sets up a life sized inflatable Urbanmech at the front of the convention center.

[@wmerrifield]

It's kind of an odd one, but it might be interesting to look at Mobile Frame Zero. The notable thing about it is that you make your force of mechs by building them out of Lego bricks (a couple of inches tall). And terrain is typically made out of Lego too. This also means that when things take damage and systems get destroyed, you break those bricks off of the model and instant rubble! (They also have a space battle version too.)

[@liberalhyena9760]

I’m going to take a wild but confident guess on the subject - and even title - of the next Snarling Badger game: Magical Mystery Mechs, which can also be played, according to player preference, as Murderous Monster Mechs, making it the ultimate mech game incorporating all wargame genres. This, I predict, will be previewed by the long-awaited robot squirrels who, I feel sure, will finally make their debut in the next Snarl mini-game.

[@XanderTuron]

Nothing like some different ways to enjoy big stompy mechs

[@marcbennett9232]

I played a mech game many years ago called CAV that I quite enjoyed. not sure what happened to it.

[@pharniel]

Shoutout to other's who started on BTech in the 80's. I do miss those Ral Partha models. And yeah, the rules are largely unchanged since 1986. This is why all the video game adaptations, even the turn based on one by the original creator, changed the heck out of things.

[@77Arcturus]

Ah Ral Partha models, those were awesome. Used to spend summer afternoons painting them in the early 1990's. Loved the detail on them from the battlemechs to the tank units. Yes the rules for the tabletop game have pretty much stayed the same which is one of the reasons i played it from the mid 1980's to the 1990's when i finally switched over completely to computer gaming. Its too bad the video games were never an exact reproduction of the tabletop game though HBS version with the original creator Jordan Weissman in 2018 was the closest in my opinion. Its too bad they did not take it to its max potential considering when they went over to PARADOX it could have been a huge amount of DLC releases to further flesh out the game and eventually create a sequel. Their former partnership with PARADOX would have been perfect for this but supposedly the style of licensing or something to that effect was not to PARADOX liking. Seems to always be something popping out of the woodwork to keep BATTLETECH reaching its full potential in the video game realm. So far the best digital version of BATTLETECH for me was Ralph Reed's MECHFORCE on the Commodore Amiga 500. It was pretty much tabletop BATTLETECH minus the shareware graphics.

[@tempusavatar]

Thanks for the video. Ash Barker's Steel Rift came up on your list, but nobody talks about his earlier game, GAMMA WOLVES. Whatever scale you like (you can use Gundam models if you want,) squads of 3-6 models, 'Mordheim' elements (manage your roster and inventory, collect treasure and roll for random equipment, pilots accrue experience & injuries.) it doesn't get enough love.

[@MacDhomnuill]

The problem with Gamma wolves and steel rift is that the PDF rulebooks cost as much as a box of four miniatures for BattleTech and battletech intro rules are free.

[@tempusavatar]

@@MacDhomnuill that's the difference between a company trying to sell you models vs. a company trying to sell you a ruleset. If GMG didn't make any profit on rules sales they wouldn't make anything

[@BetaRayBill32]

I think Gamma Wolves suffered from bad timing on the release. It didn't help that Ash went heavy into Battletech on his channel at the same time; I can't imagine that made Osprey happy. I've been hoping the solo rules would get a digital release but it seems like the game might be dead.

[@tempusavatar]

@@BetaRayBill32 to paraphrase Ash, the pandemic hit and everyone was looking for solo rules, also he couldn't have guests in his studio to play with. Also as said many times, an author can finish a game and move on to other projects, it doesn't mean the game is 'dead.' You could play it tomorrow.

[@MacDhomnuill]

@@tempusavatar catalyst is most definitely in the selling rules and miniatures category as are most companies. The difference is one publisher thinks they should get paid 5 to 10 times the going rate per page and the other knows that they will make more sales thus more money by selling at a reasonable price point. Case in point the Alpha Strike box set has a 40 page rule book (70% of the games complete rules), a bound short fiction story, 15 heavy card stock buildings, punch board trees and tokens, a universe primer booklet, 52 cards (unit cards, pilot cards, and battle field support cards), heavy stock QRS, two six sided dice and 13 fully assembled miniatures. For $70 msrp.

[@RyanEdwardsVA]

Uncle Adam won't like it because he doesn't like custom dice even when they're done well, but for the rest of us I'll happily shill for the indie title Mobile Arms: Endless Destiny published by Black Site Studios. I've played a good amount of mech games - including Steel Rift (which is pretty tight) - and Mobile Arms is my favorite so far. The dice being various combinations of heat, surges, and hits keeps things exciting where both mech building and gameplay are concerned, and the rules are a tiny booklet but not at all lacking in depth. It's a very deliberate game where facing is paramount and careful consideration leads to frantic bursts of activity. It may take a few games for a new player to see it's full depth - especially once you start adding in pilots - but it really is a sleek, clever, fast and fun game.

[@mattlesmeister4694]

Absolutely love Mobile Arms

[@chadnine3432]

Bot Wars. I haven't tried it, but it looks very cool. Ash has done a few videos on the game. It's all the saturday morning cartoon shows (Transformers, MASK, Dino Riders, GI Joe) mashed into one crazy miniatures wargame.

[@alexroman6424]

So funny to see Steel Psalm get a shout out. I love the Forbidden Psalm ruleset

[@Capng123]

The game I always recommend is Horizon Wars, currently in 2nd edition "Midnight Dark". It's a D12 system that plays VERY differently from typical wargames but in a logically satisfying way. It's a combined arms game at 6/10mm scale but you can just play mechs if you want.

[@liberalhyena9760]

As I suspected - though could not confirm as DRD did not reply to my enquiry - the Steel Rift starter box is OOP. I received a copy today from an eBay seller though it would seem I would have done better to hold off as on visiting the DRD website today I see there is a new ‘Quick Build’ set with simpler (non-modular) models, which now makes it suitable for children over five rather than twelve, as with the original set. Other accessories, not present in the original set, include 2D terrain. A 15% discount is currently available while they’re at Nova.

[@Ayoosi]

I've been rewriting a homebrew Battletech ruleset. I love BT but CBT just is too crunchy and AS simply is not crunchy enough. I've taken ideas from 40k 3rd edition and OPR GDF to make a system that simulates what I love about BT while making play faster. The goal is to have it scalable from 4-8 mechs per player per game where the mechs operate individually like CBT, up to a company-sized element where the mechs are placed into squads (lances) and the game flows more like older 40k. Super simplified critical damage, armor values become a saving throw and structure values become wounds/HP essentially. Weapons are simplified and put into banks of similar weapons that roll as one weapon but do increased damage to speed play (with advanced rules to potentially roll these banks differently, to go for one-roll one-hit big damage, or many-rolls less-damage on average) with heat corresponding. Keywords are used to give special abilities to chassis and weapons so there is some complexity to the game but not in the number-crunching per shot method of CBT.

[@legogodzilla]

I like Monsterpocalypse, which has Mechs in it and therefore counts. However, Monsterpocalypse is actually cursed as hell, and is dying an ignoble death.

[@alphaleigpyne]

I like the Steel Rift ATV Freelances, it sort of reminds me of the Tau Empire with the orchard orange colour scheme for T'au. Good movie inspired tank colour scheme for the Authority mechs.

[@VanHoering]

I dunno if it still exists, but there used to be a Canadian publisher called Dream Pod 9 who made 2 sweet mech miniatures wargames/rpgs called Heavy Gear and Jovian Chronicles. They all used the Silhouette system, which allowed players to manage individual characters for RPG scenarios and play battles with one streamline system based on a handful of d6.

[@scuttlefish4667]

Still around

[@jfridy]

Battletech: Alpha Strike is a nice attempt to pull the camera back and fight 4x4 battles in an hour, or actually finish larger fights. Battle Suit Alpha is the Fistful of Lead System from Wiley Games as a mecha system.

[@Quincyishidaawesome]

I could be wrong, but 4 inches is about the size of most HG Gundam kits, as well as the super customizable 30 Minute Mission line

[@justsiga]

Enjoy gen con! Looking forward to the loot video

[@nevinbeaver1111]

Not to be a GW fanboy, but in addition to BTech AS, I also quite like Titanicus. It's the first mech game I've played where your Titan feels like a giant lumbering walker. Of course the minis/books are crazy expensive, but fun to put together.

[@dndsl3436]

Not quite a mech game but Full Spectrum Dominance is an interesting 6mm sci-fi game too

[@BetaRayBill32]

After looking at it for a long time I picked up a Steel Rift starter during their 4th of July sale. I'm looking forward to assembling the models and getting it on the table.

[@Whichendup]

You know what is also about 4 inches tall for great kit-bashing fodder? Action figures! G.I. Joe, Marvel, Star Wars all have ~4 inch tall lines of action figures. If you want to kit-bash with some plastic and/or putty you can use those figures as a base skeleton to build on.

[@aqualithmedia]

I know that there's a mech game in the works based on Brent Evans' LAND&SEA. Looking to see how that turns out. Great to see all these suggestions for alternatives! Much to research.

[@The93spiderfreak]

Very cool! Thanks for the suggestions. Gonna check these out later.

[@michaelgrey1351]

I'm really keen on seeing Gav Thorpe and Andy Chambers' Zeo Genesis. It's an anime-themes mech agme, influence by works like Appleseed. It's in alpha right now too, but looks really promising.

[@captainferrite]

I don't have high hopes for that one... despite the pedigree, the first alpha looked... eh, competent but uninspired.

[@basstedson]

​@@captainferrite to be fair to them, isn't that the point of alpha testing, make sure the basics work first then add flair

[@the23flavors]

Awesome topic Uncle Atom, im excited to print out 28mm scale mechs to try these games out.

[@grendelb3298]

Great video! I loved Battletech in the late 90s. I played it every week. Trying to get back into it is so hard. I used to love the lore, but their releases for box sets, novels, and source books is so confusing to me. Got the Beginner and core set, but buying mechs is really difficult for me. Having a streamlined rule set, while still using my favorite battletech minis, sounds amazing.

[@lucentv]

I'm actually looking for some indie group to make a mech game with "converting", fully knocking off Transformers.

[@cargo_vroom9729]

I second the Steel Rift recommendation. The ruleset is really tight and interesting. Force creation has some depth but also if you know the system you can stat out mech in a couple minutes. The official models are awesome and the material quality is very high. They're really fun to assemble and kitbash. The company reps on Death Ray Designs discord seem like really good guys and it's a nice community for fans of all things mech.

[@readwatchlisten2863]

As a Battletech die heart, I can still appreciate this video. Good Job.

[@CaptainBipto]

Have you checked out Gamma Wolves: A Game of Post-Apocalyptic Mecha Warfare by Osprey Publishing? Just wondering what your thoughts are on this game.

[@codycrabb9747]

Nice to see Ramshackle games getting more attention.

[@mr.pavone9719]

I enjoyed Renegade Nuns On Wheels with their take on 'mechs. TWERPS Mechi-Tech was incredibly simple too, only 4 pages of rules.

[@stevenmccollum2765]

There was a game called C.A.V. Which I that was an interesting game because it wasn’t as lore heavy and easy to play.

[@danteunknown2108]

I'm another vote for Mech Attack. Me and a friend used old Mech Warrior Clix figures and those rules to have a great time. It's not the most balanced or rules deep but it's great fun to build mecha and quick to play.