Battletech: Mercenaries Box Set - First Look

[@chromacypher8409]

Got the exclusive. I was pleased.

[@MARiNZ0]

I feel like playing AS on hex maps is being slept on. It became my favorite way to play BT. You don't need nearly as much table space and it's a great way to play a quick game with your friends. Just follow the rules for hex map play in the AS Commander's Edition book.

[@Thearmedpainter]

Trying to line terrain up on hexes is not the easiest thing in the world to do, that’s why my mdf designs dropped the hex plates. Making plates for them ended up with really weird bases. The hex maps with pre printed terrain are hard to visually process at a glance in terms of elevation and so forth. That’s one of my main issues with Classic is trying to process various elevations on a 2d map with 3d minis. I much prefer traditional wargame methods to Classic. I like the RP aspects that Classic provides that current war games don’t. All a matter of what you want to get out of it.

[@timunderbakke8756]

I’ve done it before, and it works for a “classic but quick” but I really don’t like it for alpha strike proper.

[@mystiqblackcat]

I've played a few AS games on hex maps, I like it, but more importantly everyone that I talk into trying it likes it as well. Got 1 friend into Battletech because of it.

[@oldschooltommyim]

I have lots of the Death Ray Designs infantry, motorized infantry, and support vehicles and highly recommend them. Catalyst has stated that they will not be producing infantry for the foreseeable future and wanted to do more battle armor but who knows now with the bad reception of the IS Standard from the latest kickstarter.

[@Thearmedpainter]

Always love reading that someone likes what we make at DRD :)

[@danroberts007]

I know what I'll be shopping for at Adepticon 2025 now. ;-)

[@shanenice5380]

I want more mechs

[@lord17c]

some cool mechs here.

[@efarias2180]

Always been a fan of classic over Alpha Strike. Classic gives a certain level of technical detail such as dealing with critical hit components, heat, loss of weapons, Alpha Strike has those details but they are watered down. Classic feels more immersive to me, but different strokes for different folks. If you want to play Alpha Strike with those maps, there is a conversion in the Alpha Strike rulebook. I have played that and enjoyed that over using a measuring tape. Also, the battle support is a neat addition, it adds vehicles to your games without excessive record keeping and keeps the gameplay focused on the mech combat. Got my KS back in October and am currently running the campaign with my gaming group. Great review!

[@TRLAuthor]

Once again, I fail to understand why people complain about LAMs when there are Mechs like the Firefly running around that are LITERALLY JETS WITH LEGS.

[@Stormeris]

LAMs used to be overpowered, but they have been nerfed to shit, but i think people don't fight against them often enough to realize that.

[@derekburge5294]

The sheer complexity throws many off, rules-wise, while the rest have passing knowledge of mechanical engineering and reach for the nearest bottle at the idea of all those moving parts.

[@timunderbakke8756]

For me, LAMs break the immersion of the world. They don’t move like other mechs, and it makes no sense why the universe uses all the other tech when they have access to LAMs. I don’t care about game power per se. It just doesn’t feel right in universe

[@bishopsteiner7134]

@@timunderbakke8756 the same reason we use attack helos AND tanks, today. LAMs are mobile and tactically versatile, but fragile AF compared to normal mechs. And would also be many times more expensive to build, maintain and train pilots for. Just the tooth to tail would keep their number slow, same reason high maintenance craft like the F-14 were killed off in the IRL Navy.

[@ObiwanNekody]

​@@derekburge5294if you can swallow the violations of the square cube law i really don't see how this is a much bigger stretch.

[@snowstalker36]

Glad they're including merc contracts right in the box.

[@timunderbakke8756]

Looking good, I’ll probably end up with this box even if it’s so heavily slanted for classic. I love the look of some of these models, and it’s really cool they gave you some cardboard infantry stand ins for the short term. Now that I’ve learned from another commenter, I may need to peek at DRD’s infantry

[@danroberts007]

@@timunderbakke8756 the cardboard tokens for both infantry and vehicles are also useful as you can have two stands in a hex. With the tokens you can have one physical model in the hex and a cardboard token underneath it for the second vehicle/infantry unit. Very good to have in the box!

[@Thearmedpainter]

Coupon code in the description ;)

[@j3errym]

Ex classic but since Alpha Strike released only Alpha Strike. My Pledge will hopefully arrive soon. I use classic maps, scale 1/2 hex is 1", allows bigger battles, the hex terrain card and plastic fits and half-hex allows ubits to hug terrain etc. Worls great have demoed at cons and AS is far more popular. I have noticed Classic games end up after hours playing out like AS, with AS a campaign can be played over 2-4 sessions. Aces is great for training and playing solo, I also wish they would focus on AS more. All tge recent campaigns have AS options and at least all force boxes have AS cards. Would like support system fleshed out more for AS.

[@thedocklighter]

The Battlefield Support Asset deck includes cards for vehicles that can be found in the various battlefield support force packs in the KS that will also release later, and for the punch board units in Mercenaries so you can try out the BS rules before getting the BS force packs. The deck also includes various infantry and fixed emplacements cards. I agree they need to put more AS product, especially to cover the Battlefield support. Maybe more decks like Clan Invasion & Succession Wars. Right now we have to use photocopy or printed record sheets from websites and apps for many units, especially non-mech units.

[@Darkstar_456]

What are the mechs you are most excited for from the new kickstarter?

[@verysilentmouse]

That ceaser has hardened armour which is why it's got gobs of armour

[@nathanwheeler2047]

I just learning AS always played classic. Like both wished my kickstarter would come in

[@danroberts007]

Go down to your office supply store and buy a box of 8.5"x11" sheet protectors. A lot cheaper (and thinner) than laminating all those mech sheets. They work great. Thanks for the sneak peek in the box! I got mine a week ago but haven't looked through the cards, so it was good to see what those were all about. re: Alpha Strike vs. Classic, I think you'd be surprised. I've had a few different groups of gaming friends get into BT recently and they've all gone for Classic for some reason. I've never played Alpha Strike even though I own the rulebook, etc. 'cause every time a possible game comes up, Classic is on the menu. That said, I think you're 100% correct that Alpha Strike is the easier game to get into, learn and play on the table so it should, in theory, pull in more new players. They do have that Alpha Strike starter box available, so maybe their thinking is: that's where people go to get started on that path and beyond that, the new minis and AS cards are good enough. Not sure. The company seems to be plenty busy supporting BT, Shadowrun, boardgames, etc. Getting into selling Alpha Strike terrain might be... a bridge too far. I'll see myself out. ;-)

[@shanenice5380]

good idea.

[@DustinClark]

Great video overview. I'm curious which Special Abilities you prefer within Alpha Strike. Some of the units/cards you reviewed are "paying the tax" for the ECM, RCN, and PRB abilities - all of which are cool, but not all of which are advantageous in tournaments/matched play rules. That Flea though - STL armor is definitely something that's starting to make me think more about a Capellan list.

[@whitefoxplays]

Great unboxing! I think the way Classic vs Alpha Strike is presented as "easier to get in to" is the problem. You kind of touched on it, but they should really present Classic as more of the narrative gameplay as you mentioned, because people coming from TTRPGs would find it easier to learn, where as you say people coming from other wargames would find AS easier to learn. Both are true. I'd argue, as a father, that my kids found Classic easier to learn(mechanically speaking) because counting hexes for movement and understanding facing is easier, plus using the Quick Start half record sheets in the Beginner & AGoAC boxes is easier then learning tape measure movement, line of sight, facing in AS. (abstract & strategy is harder for kids in general at first). As a side note, like the Clan Invasion box, the Mercs box are expansions and do not have full rules for play like the Armored Combat or AS box.

[@Thearmedpainter]

I think more “classic lite” options would be a good idea, those half sheets are awesome and easy to play with.

[@almostgoodvariant]

Hexmap Alpha Strike is actually (in my opinion) the superior version of Alpha Strike and I’ve successfully played it with children!

[@TheSarge23]

@@Thearmedpainter The Death From Above (another great BT YT channel!) mixed/hybrid-rules are my preferred way to play. They combine the quickness of Alpha Strike with the armor system that makes BT unique. You should check their rules (and content, their battle reports are pretty cool!) out. :)

[@danroberts007]

@@Thearmedpainter FYI, you get additional half-sheets from the "Premium Record Sheets: Clan Invasion" sets 1 & 2. These include both Inner Sphere & Clan mech sheets laminated in full color. Pretty nice!

[@whitefoxplays]

@@Thearmedpainter 100%!! I've started filling a OneNote with ideas for something like that, because besides the half sheets in the starter boxes, CGL actually created a doc with 100+ half sheets for all the Clan Invasion kickstarter Mechs.

[@Avtarangel]

Just checked Master Unit list Caesar CES-5R does indeed have A:15 S:3

[@Ruggedtoaster]

Hex terrain is good for alpha strike if you have less room to play, you get functionally bigger maps that fit on a kitchen table. But yeah classic in my opinion is in a better place with this release and it doesn’t bring much to alpha strike players besides getting the mechs/tanks in themselves. Alpha strike needs its own fully converted campaign rules because that is the thing i think catalyst is missing right now. Its the game system that makes bigger games more viable to the average player but without an structure for how do that (a conversion system for everything covered in the mercs manual from repair costs, to travel and monthly expenses in PV) means people default to playing pick up grinder matches.

[@bishopsteiner7134]

well, as the guy who did the Caesar, I appreciate your appreciating it. But almost all IS Heavies of this era ar 4/6 not the 5/8 of your clan tech Mad Dog. HArdened Armor FTW, lol.

[@omnivision616]

You can play AS on hex maps though.

[@Thearmedpainter]

@@omnivision616 it’s not very conducive to 3D terrain and 3D elements. Personally I’m not interested in playing AS on hex maps, if I’m going to play on a hex map I’d prefer to play classic. I play AS for the more main stream wargame feel. When I play CBT it’s for the crunch and narrative aspects.

[@gstillings5140]

We still see more classic than AS around here. Classic's downside is the time it takes to run a game. The upside is you can run extremely detailed campaigns and our group has for close to 35 years now. Alpha Strike is a much quicker skirmish style version of the game for when you want to throw out some mechs and be done in an hour.

[@Stormeris]

Why convert caesar to uziel, when IWM has a perfect Uziel mini based on the MW4 model

[@wolfshadow7428]

CLASSIC OVER ALPHA STRIKE ANY DAY..........................................

[@Thearmedpainter]

May not be a channel you like then lol. Everything I do is AS and other more mainstream wargame systems.

[@billable1861]

@@Thearmedpainterhate to tell you but I play classic too and I’m brand new but I have an interest in learning AS I just felt like it would be easier to learn once I learned classic.

[@andrewbrown1328]

Was that map double sided?

[@thedocklighter]

IS Map poster - 3151, rev. side: 3058 Map sheets: 1 - River Valley, rev. side: Scattered Woods; 2 - Lake area, rev. side: Woodland.

[@andrewbrown1328]

@thedocklighter thanks , I need to get two of those posters then I do like a good map to go with my fluff

[@MrCptCaveman]

Am I being daft or is your reading of jmpw# wrong. From my understanding it's tmm+1-# not tmm-#. So a mech with tmm3, jmpw1 would end up with a final modifier of 3(3+1-1) not 2. While the same with jmps1 would end up, as you say, 4.

[@Thearmedpainter]

I may have been thinking weak 2 and got my math wrong, happens sometimes. Without listening to my video at work I cannot pull the actual numerical example I gave. A mech with tmm 3 that jumps would have +1 and then -# from JMPW. A mech with tmm 3 that jumps would have + 1 from jumping and then +# from JMPS on top.

[@kenwalker-ze7ht]

BT Classic for D&D refugees, Alpha strike for ex 40K players.

[@danroberts007]

all the ex-40K players in my area are choosing Classic. I have no explanation for this, but more BT players of either version is all good!

[@TheSarge23]

Thank you for sharing this, so I can vicariously live through you, while I wait for my KS shipment to... Do whatever it is doing to reach us EU backers. :D

[@Thearmedpainter]

😥 I wish CGL had handled this better.

[@TheSarge23]

@@Thearmedpainter It will get here. :) I'm just hoping for "before Christmas" right now, so that I'll have a few days free to concentrate on all the minis. :D

[@TheTrashball]

​@@TheSarge23 you and me both, brother

[@nyandyn]

Give me Alpha Strike with Classic record sheets. I know DFA Override exists, but you need to custom record sheets and the Destiny RPG rulebook.

[@billable1861]

What’s DFA override?

[@nyandyn]

@@billable1861 The "Override" rules from Death from Above Wargaming, based on the Destiny RPG rules. The complexity is somewhere in between classic BT and AS. Justin really ought to try it at least once :)

[@carabus0354]

Sorry but I have to disagree with the Classic/Alpha Strike comment. However I did start playing when Battletech first came out. We play Total Warfare as well on terrain.

[@Thearmedpainter]

I venture to say everyone I speak to who disagrees started with classic. My channel is primarily focused on AS and similar style games so heads up on that lol.

[@carabus0354]

@@Thearmedpainter I figured that a long time ago when I first started watching lol

[@Metal_Carnage]

I'm pretty sure there are AS cards for the vehicles in the pack you didn't open. I remember cracking open AS cards for vehicles when I unboxed my mercenary box. The Support rules for vehicles and infantry are an abstract way of bringing in vehicles and infantry to classic. I play alpha strike and classic. I prefer classic and, in my area, there has been more engagement. I'd say Alpha Strike is more approachable for newer war gamers. Classic has nostalgia and is appealing because it offers a different experience vs current mainstream wargames. I feel like Alpha Strike requires less support than classic because there is less nuance in the game. Play is mostly single player vs player army games. different unit types play very similarly, and the ranges and terrain don't play as big of a part in the game. Both communities are important to Battletech. Catalyst produces hex maps for classic because there's nothing else on the market that fits the rules well. 3d hills for classic make it look a lot better, but they are bulky to store. Logistically it would be a big burden to catalyst to have ready-made hills on the shelf. Official STLs would be nice. people who do 3d printing could have hills and Catalyst wouldn't need to worry about storing and shipping bulky product. I know Thunderhead has STLs that match the map sheets for grasslands and desert map packs. I'm not sure if they've been updated for the city or savannah packs. Catalyst has produced terrain for Alpha Strike in the box and counter set. The cardstock buildings are really nice for what they are. The trees are only ok until you can go out to a hobby/train store and pick up nicer looking versions. The counter set also includes punchboard terrain features for woods, water and rough terrain. Catalyst has put out mats for Alpha Strike. I don't find them useful because they are basically neoprene classic mats without the hex grid printed on them. you'd have to buy 4 of them @ $40 each to cover a table. 3rd party mats are cheaper in an area coverage comparison. likewise Alpha Strike uses miniatures terrain. There are wargaming and train companies that already make terrain in appropriate scales. Much like the hills for classic you're looking at bulky items to have to store and ship. classic

[@poxous3854]

Do you need to say "I play alpha strike" 12 times a video? We know.

[@Thearmedpainter]

I’ll probably continue to do that because I don’t play classic and I get comments frequently about that so it’s something I’m concerned with. I also feel CGL favors pushing CBT when the trend as far as I’ve seen is that Alpha Strike is on the rise and pulls in a lot more new players not to mention drawing in much larger attendance numbers on average at events, so I tend to mention AS a lot to continue raising awareness for the system. Hopefully you enjoy the channel and videos otherwise but if not I hope you find content that suits your interests / liking better.

[@jamessmith5666]

When you think about it, Classic and Alpha are a bit mixed up. Maps are abstract terrain Cardboard tokens are abstract units AlphaStrike rules are abstract and unit cards are abstract. And as for Classic; Miniatures are detailed Record sheets are detailed Rules are detailed 3D terrain is detailed. Basically, Alphastrike should be the map game and Classic should be the 3d terrain game.

[@omnivision616]

Absolutely not.

[@shanenice5380]

machine gun u have to repl😢them.its better.u can't used them.if u don't.if u get critical roll.u mech will explode more