The Secret to Dominating Battletech as a Mercenary Commander!

[@alexdavis4284]

This intro was so immersive. I honestly just wanted to hear the rest of that made up story

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

I knew I needed something to spice it up! Glad you liked it!

[@Kaiju-Driver]

As a 3 year player myself, I found this very helpful! My new pilots like how accessible the game is.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

I think the biggest problem Battletech has in general is too many options... and that doesn't seem like a bad problem to have!

[@kierdalemodels]

Excellent stuff. Thanks for introducing a good number of options, too.👍

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

There is so much I could have covered! Ah, if only time was not finite.

[@WilliamBrothers]

Great video. I bought Campaign Operations a couple years ago and shelved it after seeing how in depth it is. I recently opened it up again and have started working on my own spreadsheet. I should have looked at your video first as I see you made one. As far as the new Mercenaries box, I was a little disappointed too with the only two contracts, however I made a spreadsheet generating my own contracts while using information from Campaign Operations. It still says in line with the simplicity of the Mercenaries box rules

[@ambitionforge5020]

Dude. Keep up the excellent work!

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Thank you!

[@nicholasberry5766]

Great topic. I'm starting my first campaign right now. I think I'm going to use war chest points but start with the 3,000 BV in Mercenaries and use that booklet's repair rules.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

I think it is more or less the same as the Campaign Operations rules for converting Warchest points into supply points... I'll have to do a side-by-side with both books in front of me to try and see any differences.

[@ulricgrey5219]

Campaign operations has how to create forces.... then i see you go over that so... never mind carry on mechwarrior...

[@ResetIncoming]

Excellent video and i look forward to checking out your Merc spreadsheet! Btw i think if you created a video on how to build a Merc company from scratch using one of the linked alpha strike campaign pdfs in your description, it would be a great resource for us noobies!

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Like an example? I will certainly add it to the list!

[@ResetIncoming]

@@MatanuskaMechworks yeah like an example company. I have read these pdfs but I have a difficult time wrapping my head around all the steps since I’m mostly a visual learner.

[@Kamikaze_Senpai]

This a fantastic guide!

[@ObiwanNekody]

10:48 I share your pain. I wish there was a 'buy PDF and pre-order next printing' option.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Seriously.... its been months!

[@ObiwanNekody]

@@MatanuskaMechworks indeed.

[@whitefoxplays]

Great video!! Thinking of doing a little of both methods to do a Merc campaign "Through the Eras".

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Is it going to be on the podcast? ;)

[@whitefoxplays]

@@MatanuskaMechworks hopefully so!!! 😁

[@rburt3]

The good news is HS:Hinterlands should fix using the newer mercs campaign stuff with BV2 and PV. I think Mech Commander's Handbook will also tweak and expand/enhance this style of campaign for "regular" forces (as opposed to irregular/mercs) too.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

I don't think I have seen these products yet... I may have to go digging for info on them!

[@Spartaner251]

​@@MatanuskaMechworks They're new releases for 2025

[@Atlas3060]

@@MatanuskaMechworks You haven't seen them because they're slated for release in 2025, mostly talk on forums and Discord is where I heard about them. Hot Spots Hinterlands is supposedly going to come out November 2024, which was why one of the recent Shrapnel Magazine issues was Hinterlands themed. Not sure if they're sticking to that or not.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Wow that is too bad, because I can't access anything on the forums that need you to sign in. I don't know who moderates it but I tried to sign up like 8 times over the last 4 years and nobody ever approves it.

[@Atlas3060]

@@MatanuskaMechworks Yeah the forum architecture is old as hell, they're doing their best at times with it.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

Love the introduction, it really sets a great tone!

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Thank you! I can spin a yarn as long as it is kind of vague 😅

[@ben2741]

If I inherited a family mech, definitely would die before surrendering it

[@RecklessFables]

Sell it and invest in Defiance Industries stock. Legacy secured.

[@NavSingh8472]

These are great videos! Keep them coming. I’ve been a collector for a while now, I’ve picked up all the sets so far and I’m still waiting for the mercenaries stuff to come in. Based on what I’ve got I’m going to try to make 4-5 factions. Kurita battalion Davion battalion Steiner company Kell Hounds company Along with that I’m going to try to create my own custom mercenary company led by the son of Harimandar Singh who was the baddie in the first Gray Death legion book, this fellow is going to try to be more honorable but he has a soft spot for Kurita and doesn’t mind working for them. The only thing I’m struggling with is on how to separate my mechs appropriately so that they can make sense in each faction. My buddies are more warhammer players so I’m probably going to be carrying the factions alone for now and hosting the games. To keep things simple for now I’m going to focus on Alpha Strike with the Guerrilla miniatures games d12 system for each damage point.

[@PRC533]

I also prefer to play Alpha Strike with the variable damage rules using D12s. It skews the modifiers to be a bit less overpowered and makes things easy while not being an all or nothing dice roll.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Thanks! I may have a solution for you... kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKuzkqKmp9hseMU

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

I also play with multiple damage rolls. It just makes sense. This is a pretty good video that covers the math curves involved and convinced me that it's better: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2LVZnarraqlaNEsi=wYwvxDFqdcc_RQDX

[@WarmasterDeath]

just started using the campaign operations book to build my own merc company, need to cobble another book or two to figure out fuel and ammo, but it turns out paying for an overlord dropship is HILARIOUSLY expensive, thankfully i rolled in the upper third and we're playing in the era that doubles the budget (though given my buddies are playing Comstar and Word of Blake, 9i think my museum aquisitions branch may be in trouble!)

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

If you are using the warchest system at all, the rules for that start on page 164 or so in the chaos campaign section!

[@WarmasterDeath]

@@MatanuskaMechworks ooh! ill have to check that out!

[@ooftaZone]

Have only thumb through Campaign Ops searching for the cliff notes. Still not following how reputation system in it works. Though is best source to get understanding of objectives, options, and special rules. Chaos_Campaign_Succession_Wars looks to have the most up dated Chaos Warchest/Supply Points costs. Started the players off as corporate owners of mercenary company. They pick from rotating missions (simulate missions being completed by competitors) from a mission's board. Mech and pilot assets is far as everyone wanted to go. Trying to find manageable Tracks and objective awards has been tough. Any pick-up game they dominate the table. Come chaos campaign their constantly circling the drain. Still learning, and developing it Recently added Solaris VII for Track down time loss/earnings and contacts building.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

I like the mercenary campaign system, it feels like an improvement over the older rules by streamlining mercenary contracts into a system that doesn’t feel like I need to have a session 0 just for the contract to get players into the game. Which is what I would hope for from a newer product that is aimed at getting more people to play with the larger game systems. I also like that it is a more straightforward reference, the Campaign book covers so much that it can be easy to miss something or can be difficult if you aren’t familiar with it to understand where to reduce the granularity without stripping out what makes the campaign system work.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Well put. I would have no complaints had the set come with a few more contracts to play through, rather than just the two opposed ones.

[@Ruggedtoaster]

@@MatanuskaMechworks yes me too, I’m hoping that we get “contract packs” like the shrapnel missions and narrative prompts. I would be willing to pay for pdfs like the turning point booklets, I’ve just managed to get some local players to get into the Froncs Reach turning point campaign and it’s been a nice framework for a narrative campaign were I could plug in more customized missions to keep it from being a series of grinder missions. It added an emphasis on salvaging and stealing resources ranging from supplies to battlemechs that helped give a purpose to the campaign and give some nice benefits to players that played the objectives but didn’t punish players that focused on scrapping their opponents.

[@AbokaseeRed]

Can "Convict, Chef, Childrens Author, Government Food Contractor" also be an origin?

[@ObiwanNekody]

@@AbokaseeRed there's almost certainly MechWarrior 3ed edition life paths that would correlate with those. I would suggest the 'Social General'

[@JosephMitchell-zw3db]

Nice😊

[@mikegould6590]

Destiny also has a system, but to say it's "hand-wavey" is an understatement. XP as a currency doesn't feel right in a Mercenary setting. I have Mercenaries arriving soon, so I'll likely use that.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Ah, yeah I didn't include that one for a reason 😅

[@mikegould6590]

@@MatanuskaMechworks An understandable one. I find myself having to find other resources to deal with this problem, so seeing your video was timely.

[@fred9za]

What's always confused me is surely before buying everything we should have a budget and I can never know where to find a set starting budget

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Campaign Operations! There is a table in the force creation section that you roll 2d6 on, then add modifiers for the Era and the type of force you are building. I believe I referenced it in the video but don't have a timestamp handy on my mobile.

[@fred9za]

@@MatanuskaMechworks thank you I will re read my copy of campaign ops as clearly I'm as blind as a bat

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

@fred9za me too... combination of middle age, too much screen time, and painting tiny mechs 😅

[@fred9za]

Finally found it its on pages 11 and 12 of the fourth version of the manual.

[@norrinzelkarr8572]

Is the box set now generally available for Mercenaries? I can only find the preview things on the Catalyst site.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

I think around half of the Kickstarter has been sent out, but I don't think it hits retail until next month or so

[@ObiwanNekody]

Blackjack in the ilKahn era... Ouch.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

gotta start somewhere!

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

The BlackJack is a Okay... bit long in the tooth, but so are many other mechs out there that are also still serving on countless battlefields across the Sphere... It's not a Charger or an UrbanMech, which are extremely niche at best, the Blackjack can at least fill a role in a Lance abd have sone degree of flexibility/versatility in combat...

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

Additionally, not piloting a brand new cutting edge Mech nor one of those golden oldies that have been the stars of recruiting posters and propaganda films since the First Star League era, means you don't get singled out by enemies as a high value target from the moment they notice you.

[@ObiwanNekody]

(edit: apperently I misheard) Readily available? Newly released? Only about half of my LGS have gotten their Kickstarters. It hasn't hit stores yet either...

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

I definitely didn't say Mercenaries was readily available... 😅 Are you talking about when I was commenting on where to get Campaign Operations? That wasn't a part of the Kickstarter.

[@ObiwanNekody]

​@@MatanuskaMechworksi could have sworn I heard you say 'two readily available methods...'. But apparently I misheard. The Campaign Operations book is in the same out of stock no estimate for next printing that Alpha Strike commander's edition is in too... 😢 Dead tree rulebooks for Battletech are hard to come by these days.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Oh no it is? Maybe I better order one from somebody now then... I can eat ramen for a week lol.

[@ObiwanNekody]

@@MatanuskaMechworks 6 left in stock at Aries at the moment. Probably not as important to also have the PDF as with base rules.

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Yeah I do have the pdf from catalyst directly, so it will get updates. Guess I can wait until next printing for the actual book, along with AS:CE 😒

[@dr.death4377]

Mercenary handbook 1980 editon has everything you need to run i merc unit and suppy your company,

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

That's a little bit out of print...

[@MatanuskaMechworks]

Also, pretty sure you got your date wrong... seeing how battletech celebrated its 40th anniversary this year....