Play faster as a BattleTech newcomer: Sometimes you can roll first and think later!

[@almostgoodvariant]

Of course, keep etiquette in mind: Always say what you’re rolling for before you roll it so the people you’re playing with know what’s going on.

[@almostgoodvariant]

Just played my first game of Alpha Strike and I can report that you can totally roll first and calculate later in Alpha Strike as well 😉

[@antimuppet]

If you have enough dice in enough colors, you can throw attacks for multiple weapons at once. Say you have an Awesome, three pairs of dice let you make the PPC attacks at the same time.

[@Naibuno]

Very solid advice, and some fantastic examples. Thanks for the videos!

[@hankscorpio8928]

Great vid.

[@benparker2522]

definitely my favorite video of yours so far, we're always looking for ways to make the base game faster

[@almostgoodvariant]

Glad to hear it’s of help! I’ve got a couple more in the pipeline, we’ll see if any of it is new/usable information for you.

[@elcamnino7]

I tend to choose the weapons I'm going to shoot, announce targets and roll. Like your recommendation, I'll calculate after if it is worth doing. I also don't calculate heat until after I complete damage assignment, so I tend to overheat a bit.

[@agamelift]

This is an excellent video. Now that I think about it you helped me to recognize i unknowingly have done this at times before. Ill keep this in mind, thank you!

[@anselmoffrisia2930]

That's great advice! Thanks for the good explanation and examples too.

[@gamerhalim4717]

One my favorite board games and my kids.

[@taemien9219]

Average IS pilot, ran, firing at long range through a few light woods hexes, target JR7-D moved over flat terrain in a straight line at its full movement.. declare firing and roll 2d6... get a 12. Woot hit.. now lets see what the modifier was... 4 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 4... = 16... ...well crap. To be honest this trick really only works if you know the target number is going to be really low. And you don't wish to declare a shot that will expend ammo and heat, as you do have the benefit of knowing if a shot will be impossible (13+) or automatic hit (

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

I do this for a lot of games.

[@ProBloggerWorld]

Sometimes, we use timers to speed up rounds like chess players do to limit your time to plan and execute your move. All must agree this cannot be enforced, so this is of limited use. In my experience, there is no magic bullet to speed up the rounds. People want to win, the game is complex, and so people take their time. All participants complain as long as it is not their move. You got the people who do not calculate in advance in larger settings but simply wait until it is their turn. Only if you change the whole frame or take the sting out of losing you got a serious chance to get into "speed mode".

[@hankscorpio8928]

We did this with X-Wing for leagues and tournaments and they instantly became more fun.

[@nicholasberry5766]

Thanks.

[@MrJack556]

After we get the game all set up we usually just roll to see who won then put it all back in the box

[@almostgoodvariant]

Damn, that’s genius

[@morgoth775]

What do you use for a laser pointer here? I know a laser level would do the line well, but that seems rather bulky to play with.

[@almostgoodvariant]

It’s an Army Painter laser line. It’s like 10€ or so which isn’t too much but I’m sure you could find something similar for cheaper somewhere else, if you’re so inclined.

[@twoheadedboypt2]

So, if your rolls suck, does that mean you still count for heat usage or can you claim You're not shooting?

[@almostgoodvariant]

You’re probably joking but certainly not, you need to announce whatever you’re rolling before you actually do it

[@dallassukerkin6878]

Good lord! What's happened to this game? We always used to describe it as chess with violence ... and contemplating a move could take quite some time. It's turn based for crying out loud - *fast* doesn't come into it. Calculate the odds and try to figure out where you opponent will move in response to your move. Have a smoke and a drink and take it easy!

[@almostgoodvariant]

Nothing happened to the game, and that’s exactly the thing, probably. People mostly moved on from 80s game design. BT is intensely crunchy and slow for a lot of people (which I personally enjoy), so why not make it ever so slightly faster by cutting down on needless time spent on calculations that might not matter much anyway. When you’re already rolling to hit, you’re past the point of making meaningful decisions anyway, and this is quite literally taking it even easier!

[@shobooknight]

Well excuse me for wanting to get at least one decent sized game done within a day

[@dallassukerkin6878]

@@shobooknight :grins: Then off you go and play with some amateurs who just make a move based on the shape of a cloud they saw or some such BS :) A Lance on Lance engagement takes an evening, Company on Company takes all day ... bigger than that then play BattleForce instead ... or do what we did and write up a campaign of engagements for larger scale actions..