How to play Battletech: Standard Turns

[@bruced648]

we use a slightly modified game turn sequence. 1 - initiative - individual units - commanders (lance, company or battalion) ground units (lowest to highest) flying units (lowest to highest) 2 - sensors 3 - movement first - ground units second - flying units **any movement related piloting rolls individual units when skirmish is a lance/star or less commanders: company (2-5 lances or stars) move entire lance/star, not individual units battalion (2-5 company or binary/trinary) move entire company or binary/trinary, not individual units (using commanders initiative eliminates the problem of the initiative sink and uneven units. it also makes formation movement a tactical part of the game. ) 4a - weapon attacks highest initiative to lowest first - flying units second - ground units third - artillery ** make piloting rolls due to damage 4b - physical attacks flying then ground ** make any piloting rolls 5 - heat phase heat sources: movement weapons fired terrain features damage received ** energy = +1 heat per 3 damage ** ballistic = +1 heat per 4 damage ** missiles: - SRM/MRM = +1 heat per 3 total damage - LRM/ELRM = +1 heat per 4 total damage - other missiles/rockets = +1 per 4 total damage resolve any heat scale rolls 6 - end phase actions - morale rules - dump ammo - turn on/off electronic systems - designate artillery targets

[@agamelift]

So, your table does a bit more vicious of a heat scale it sounds like? Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@bruced648]

@Andrew J it makes the heat component more significant. it's management, but with a variable. the real difference is the initiative. by having a company size force (3 lances) and using the commander's initiative, each side has 3 movement sets. that speeds up the game significantly. it also removes the initiative sink problem and uneven forces. unless the entire lance is disabled/destroyed, you have 3 sets of movement. this makes lance tactics a real thing, not 4 individual pieces indistinguishable from the rest of the company.

[@ninjab33z]

As someone who got into the Battletech through the turn based strategy this is really nice to see how the tabletop works

[@agamelift]

I am glad it was a useful video for you! I personally prefer simultaneous combat of Battletech over the turn-based style of HBStech on the PC. In my opinion it's so much more like it is portrayed in fiction and the Mechwarrior series from the late 90s and early 2000s. If you are looking to get into it, the official website is bg.battletech.com. You can view a bunch of fiction over at sarna.net. The beginner box set with two mechs and the Game of Armored Combat box with eight mechs are currently available with the clan invasion kickstarter about to send out its first wave of product. It's a great time to give it a go!

[@shanenice5380]

I lived in PA.it's hard find players! I just play last week with my step father,try get my mom to play,maybe sumeday.we used to play 90s lot,a lot of player's we got to play,ones they got older,they busy,miss that stuff

[@solosailor222]

you have Internet; The World is your Neighborhood. Find or Host want you want, Bro. Even a board game can be virtualized with passionate people. Try DISCHORD as a platform to start

[@skvltdmedia]

Make my own games back in the day, and roll to see what part is damaged was just like this. Very nostalgic! Very number and rule-heavy game though, will be pretty tough getting friends to join in for this one.

[@agamelift]

Yeah it really does take dedicated players securing those time blocks to play and enjoy the game. Our usual times are 4 to 6 hours. But, the rules themselves are actually quit simple and repetitive. Patterns are quickly found and memorised.

[@jctxcboy36]

I have introduced it to my kids....13 and 16 yrs old....they are loving it.....

[@Grumium101]

You can use different colored dice to denote a walk, run, or jump. It makes it easier just using 1 die instead of 2. I generally use white for walk, red for run, and black for jumps. You could use different colors if you do not have those colors.

[@agamelift]

That does make sense, I'll have to look around for some more mini dice and see about implementing that!

[@Grumium101]

@@agamelift Cool. I also use pop-cycle sticks to denote what is being fired in the declare step also. I take them and cut them in half then cut them in half length wise. You can write on them and put what location they are at in the mech and what wep system it is. Like for a right arm med laser I put RA ML then the range 3-6-9 after. It would look like RA/ML/3-6-9 on the stick. I use different colors for each mech or I will write the name of the mech on them if I have enough room. It helps speed up the game some and less writing to do when playing.

[@pigmentpeddler5811]

​@@Grumium101that trick with the sticks is clever, never heard of that one, cheers 👍

[@h2t26]

Thanks for putting this together, very few out there. Though I thought I had some idea of how to play, but some of the things your did confused me more. Like the dice in the front and back and counting them. It would have been nice to have seen you working out the numbers more then hearing it. Trying to get into it, since I have loved the 90's PC games and current Steam game. Wish the location of shot wasn't so heavily based on dice roll. I guess I can think of it as they are both moving and shooting at same time so aiming is difficult.

[@PlasticraicGaming]

The die he puts in front of the mech are to hit modifiers for anyone wanting to shoot at the mech and to show it has activated that turn. He used a six a one point to show activation of the unit but no hit modifier for incoming shots (highly unlikely to get +6 move mod but not impossible with some). The die he puts behind the mech is for shooting modifiers for the mech itself if it wants to shoot. Myself and my friend only put one die down for modifiers for incoming fire and then take into account shooting modifier when it comes to shooting said mechs weapons (I think this is the way most folk keep track)

[@h2t26]

@@PlasticraicGaming thank you..yes i see..that would help. However, he seemed to count all the dice front and back all at once and showed that number on the paper..and that was odd.

[@agamelift]

@@h2t26 Hey, thanks for watching! So i think of it like if you line the two mechs up, face to face. From behind your mech you will see a die closest to you (behind the mech). You will see a die in front of you mech as well. With the opposing mech facing you you will see a die in front of it and finally a die behind it. For YOUR shot at it, you use the dice closest to you (behind your mech and in front of his) and the OPPONENT uses the dice behind his mech and in front of yours. (recreating this scenario may make it more clear.) Using two dice makes it so you know the exact modifiers. You can calculate your shots while waiting on your opponent(s) to finish their final movement and everyone can be on the same page and verify shot #s are correct. As a demo agent, I catch it all the time where players are too low on their to hits or too high.

[@jctxcboy36]

Would be nice to find a video that focuses on these advanced systems....still looking for these videos, if they exist....

[@jctxcboy36]

Sorry for the numerous questions, having to relearn some of the basics. On a crit hit which involves an ammo explosion, like a LRM 15 with a # of 8. Is that 40 damage to that internal structure and does it also cause the adjoining LRM 15 slot to also explode (8) to also cause an additional 40 points of damage totaling 80 points of damage to that internal structure?? Unless the mech has case or Case 2 installed?

[@jctxcboy36]

can you make a video breaking down the GATOR idea on calculating modifiers....looking for a specific breakdown visual. You go through it well, but if someone is not familiar with these sheets, lacks in showing where to find it and how to break it all down!! thanks for video!

[@0623kaboom]

most common thing fo r hex's that fit more than one arc is they land in both arc's ... so if you have a left side or rear possible hex ... instead of defender possible .. that hex is part of both rear and left arc .... makes things a lil simpler

[@HotelCharliHill]

makes sense to me that heat never be resolved until the heat phase.

[@agamelift]

Interestingly it rarely impacts anything before the heat phase would occur in the rules. If you have resolved all weapons fire and PSRs for a mech and there are no physicals, you can calculate heat right there in the shooting phase. I could see for physical attacks, waiting until they complete in case a punch hits a heat related component but, one could easily mark what heat they are at (for example -3 or 4 or 0) and then compensate if need be. Thanks for watching!

[@RogueRAZR]

Missed the pilot skill roll to make the pkp stand up.

[@agamelift]

Haha whoops! Good call, I'll make an annotation.

[@jctxcboy36]

I have got GATOR figured out....Is there a good place to go to get educated on all of the advanced system, Artemis, ECM, Target Computers, etc....???

[@agamelift]

With our final lancemate joining the family I havent had a chance to be too responsive on here, think I had 99 notifications between comments and subscribed channels just the other day haha! But yeah, have you had a chance to get any sorted out? Any further questions on them if so? I'd be happy to go over them but, if it has been two months, perhaps there are specific questions. Thanks for watching!

[@RottenMechGaming]

Great overview thanks for sharing.

[@classiclarry88]

How do you knock over a 95 ton with medium lasers? That's a little silly. He's on flat terrain, not hit by the gauss. Anyway, good overview.

[@theodorefalconer5395]

Pilot had sheer panic from rave party. Fell over

[@tankerd1847]

Does seem a bit silly on paper, but it's trying to simulate the pilot being unable to keep the mech on its feet after withstanding heavy damage. I'm thinking damaged parts, jammed servos, recoil (from projectile and explosive weapons), pilot overcompensation, stuff like that. I don't think it's purely the force of the laser.

[@0623kaboom]

same way a person falls over if they get hit in the face with a snow ball ... or missed with a baseball ... just a basic loss of balance

[@AlaricKerensky]

It is also a situation of "X tons of armor just evaporated" The center of balance of the 'Mech might have just changed, imagine it being like you are carrying a bucket of water in one hand and running along, then suddenly the handle snaps off.

[@classiclarry88]

@@AlaricKerensky That's a fair assessment.

[@power2084]

Two mistakes !! 1- At 10:58 you forgot the piloting skill roll to get up; 2- You forgot to count 1 points of heat to the Peacekeeper for an attempt at getting up.

[@dargo6666]

Can we get a link to the Chart for firing arcs?

[@thodoss2059]

FASA #1^^

[@Pat_Scratchers]

how does he take damage to left leg when right leg is presented. he would have to shoot thru right, yet when battlemaster shoots you then look at facing.

[@agamelift]

Hey Patrick, great question! So the mechs are in those positions to kind of demonstrate various ways shots will connect. The incoming fire to the Battlemaster is done through the front arc (front 3 hexsides). Hit locations are all the same for incoming fire to those hexsides. The Battlemaster torso twisting to fire on the Peacekeeper does not alter the Battlemaster's arcs for receiving damage. As you can see in the video 26:15 i mention the Peacekeeper's front arc ends along the line in front of the Battlemaster. The Battlemaster is now shooting through that side hex rather than the front 3 hexes. This makes it a left side shot utilizing that table. An important detail to keep in mind is that the minis on the hexboard are representations, not exact positions. Explained further, each hex is 30 meters in diameter and a Battlemech is roughly 10 meters tall, the hex itself represents a far larger area than the mech takes up. And yes, it always does come off funny when you are shooting the left side and hitting the right leg. But, another important detail to remember is the mechs are not stationary. Remember, your shots are going towards a RUNNING mech. Or a stationary mech may be shifting its weight or making a handful of steps within a hex to try to dodge weapons fire (imaginatively). I hope that helps clear it up!

[@qwertyman459]

for the battle master were is the artamas system in the rules and how dos it work, or do i need a other rule book. cus i cant find it.

[@shanenice5380]

so many rule books they have

[@h2t26]

@@shanenice5380 I agree, though I heard you only really need Total Warfare and the others are more like optional for type of play.

[@shanenice5380]

@@h2t26 huh?lol

[@AlaricKerensky]

I feel like this is probably a bit difficult for new players to follow. I have played on the TT once, a year ago, so I can follow some mechanics. However, you largely glossed over heat, and why people mark the movement modifiers with dice, or even what the Gunnery skill of a pilot is and how it relates to shooting. Remember, a fresh-faced newbie is already going to be overwhelmed, and your first weapon shot even features minimum range penalties. Many are going to be confused how "2 and 2" is equaling "7".

[@agamelift]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/haDXYqeFjq-lg7s That's my video on heat, have you had a chance to see all the videos in the series? I made these videos a couple years ago and would like to make new ones so I am not sure where I address many of these points unless going just off the video title. But, i do break down each element of the turn, then do a couple full turns of battle. If you have questions, let me know and I can go over it with you!

[@Backdaft94]

Completely agree I’m playing hell trying to figure this stuff out.

[@Goobid4]

I'm so confused on Dice rolls to location and heat

[@agamelift]

Roll 2 D6 for to hit number. If successful roll 2D6 for hit location. If attack such as SRM 2 (2 missiles, two hit locations) roll two PAIRS of D6 for hit locations. For heat, you calculate your heat based on previous turn heat+this turns movement+this turns weapons fire+heat effect from enemies+heat effects from your damage- your heat dissipation. Whatever you get to you roll for that effect, be it ammo explosions or shutdown.

[@Goobid4]

@@agamelift oh ok, that helped a whole ton. For the hit location I just take the number that I rolled and look on the mech sheet for location? Where could this info be for everyone else in my family learning the game. Much appreciated love the tutorial series

[@agamelift]

@@Goobid4 Thanks for the support! How did you acquire the components to play? If you have the starter box you should have a hardboard that has the tables on it. If you have Total Warfare or Battlemech Manual there should be tables in the back of the book.

[@Goobid4]

@@agamelift I have the new box set "a game of armored combat"

[@agamelift]

Thats a great way to start! Two boards with tables should be included within the various contents of the box.

[@michaelbourrell2693]

Artimas IV fire control system Total Warfare page 130

[@agamelift]

What for?

[@michaelbourrell2693]

There was a comment up asking for the info

[@davidbanan.]

35 - 34 = 1 not 6

[@agamelift]

?

[@JaySharp604]

Does anyone else have issues listening to this video clip? My ears hurt. Don't know what it is.

[@brunneng38]

JaySharp604 It’s your ears.

[@agamelift]

Is my voice that bad??? hahaha

[@paulhalcott5824]

No issues here.