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Vega is the second installment of the Dark Age Turning Points series which takes place during the age of the Republic of the Sphere.  Patrick Wynne is returning to action after writing for another Dark Age Turning Points, Liao.  

Chaos Reigns

The opening fiction wastes no time to throw the reader into the very heart of the conflict that dominates the Dark Age.  As the Republic crumbles the manifestations of war are impossible to keep at bay turning former collegues into mortal enemies.

Chaos Reigns is action packed and a brilliant introduction to the PDF and the conflict on Vega.  I can’t wait to delve further into the fray and learn more about the battle and the forces that have thrown this world asunder.

One thing I noticed above all else was the deliberate inclusion of several Dark Age designs that I was first familiar with through the Click-Tech game.  It is nice to see these designs find a home in new BattleTech fiction.

Vega

Included in all Chaos Campaign PDFs is a large and gorgeous atlas of the planet with all pertinate information game masters need to piece together whatever campaign they could want.  This information is not Era specific so even gamers who are not interested in the Dark Age would find it useful.

A small history writeup is accompanied by a mapsheet table and optional Tactical Operations rules dealing with terrain and weather.

The Vega Campaign

A one page summary wraps up the very eventful life of the planet, Vega, in the Dark Age.  The battle for Vega was a three way contest of sorts and saw significant action spread across many years with many different combatants.  It will be interesting to see how the tracks are framed and packaged when there is so much chaos in the timeline.

Overall the section is a good read with just enough information to summarize the military action on the planet.  Think of it as a cheat sheet for the battle that will be fleshed out further in the tracks section.

Random Assignment Tables

I’m very very pleased to see full RAT tables for all three factions (Republic, Combine, and Ghost Bear).  What makes me even happier is to see vehicles and infantry included as well.

Any opportunity the developers take to encourage combined arms games is a welcome addition.  The availability of mixed force compositions can radically change the tracks.  I really enjoy seeing that option encouraged.

As an added era specific bonus there is also an Industrial Mech RAT table snuck onto the next page to add additional options for force selection.  Industrial ‘Mechs are prominently featured in the tracks section so you will be checking this table often if you plan a battle on Vega.

Combatants

It’s a shame to see, but BattleTech PDFs always seem to be referring to page XX over and over again.  A minor grievance really, so back to the review.

Each combatant involved is detailed with stats for experience, RAT table, Commanding Officer name, unit abilities, extra notes, and a full color logo.

The combatants section is splendid with varied and thoughtful unit abilities that are almost all tied to their descriptions and the circumstances of their individual history.  Abilities from A Time of War and Tactical Operations are used but not abused.  The highlights of the section involve neither and are perfectly crafted.  Top honors are split between Amaterasu who are honor bound to never fire upon a crippled opponent and the Vega Republic Standing Guard who suffer a momentary penalty whenever they lose a commander as their chain of command reforms.

At first I thought that the number of combatants seemed short considering the information provided about the Vega campaign.  As it turns out, a number of additional Warlord factions are given force abilities within the tracks themselves.  This interesting twist was a welcome surprise and made the tracks involving said Warlords a little bit more interesting.

Tracks

We have nine tracks to choose from in Vega.  I’ve noticed a slow uptick in the average number of tracks being offered in these PDFs.  I love the tracks most of all and am very happy to see the increase.  To put things into perspective, the very first Turning Points PDF, Luthien had only six tracks.

Vega begins slowly with Dragonet, an attack in force with a few Dark Age tweaks such as the addition of Industrial ‘Mechs.  I’m a bit disappointed that TacOps rules are included as optional bonuses.  In certain instances these make sense but Bracing and Careful Aim don’t tie into the story or offer unique tactical options related to any objective and are better left for the players to add on their own.  Using them as optional bonuses seems like a cop-out.

The next two tracks pick up the pace with very well put together battles.  Power and Chaos has predictable objectives but is saved by the use of killer mechanics within the special rules.  Turncoats will have you guessing who you can trust and make positioning your units in relation to each other a challenge as you attempt to reduce the potential loss from a bad loyalty roll.

Emptiness, Eagles and Snow is a great story and provides a fantastic backdrop for the battle.  The lovers quarrel atop snow covered terrain make up for the run of the mill objectives.  I hardly notice them after reading into the special rules covering the opposing leaders and the avalanche prone terrain.

Not to be outdone, Grudge Match includes a Monorail, pipelines with volatile chemicals and a barren sand blasted flatlands.  The interactive terrain elements is epic and gets my mental gears turing.  Like a good novel or short story, my imagination is drawn into this track.

The tracks continue along these lines.  There is a good mix of objectives along with a few standard bread and butter kill the other guy variety.  Enough of a mix to keep things interesting.  The terrain layout and special rules are dominate features in almost every track and will have your imagination racing.  Optional bonuses fall flat most of time and seem to rely on Tactical Operations rules far too often.  They seem tacked on as an afterthought.

All together, there are several tracks I would really like to try out.  They are not perfect but more than make up for any shortcomings with amazing attention to setting up the battle.  You will see a venerable cornucopia of terrain configurations and force compositions as you read through Vega.

Record Sheets

Wrapping up Vega is an assortment of unique and not so unique record sheets for use in the Campaign.  The Ghost Bear commander and a Vega Warlord each get custom rides, a Pack Hunter and an Atlas respectively.  Three industrial ‘Mechs round out the offering which are not so much unique but required for anyone who does not have the absolute latest record sheets from Catalyst.  Industrial ‘Mechs are included throughout Vega and it seems right to include these as an option for players to get their game on faster.  The mining ‘Mech MOD isn’t half bad if you overlook it’s abismal speed…  Then again if you are on Vega fighting for your life you have to make due with what you have.

The Final Word

Vega is an excellent addition to the Turning Point line and features some great tracks with a lot of imagination put into them.  Maybe it’s the selection of battles to feature but there doesn’t seem to be a dull moment in these pages.

If you are on the fence about the Dark Age, Vega is worth a look.  For the economical price of $5, who could resist?  For less than the price of lunch you can relive  a plethora of battles between the Clans, the Combine, and ruthless Warlords.  Vega is among the best of the Turning Points series and I’m looking forward to more Dark Age PDFs in the future.

The Chaos Campaign system is a personal favorite of mine.  The fast playing abstract campaign system has successfully been ported to almost every era in the BattleTech universe from the Jihad to the historical conflicts of the Succession Wars.  The newest entry into the Chaos Campaign ecosystem comes courtesy of The Wars of Reaving sourcebook.

For a complete review of the sourcebook, Chaos Reaving excluded, visit OurBattleTech.com.

The Chaos Reaving rules annex brings a new dynamic to the Chaos Campaign system.  Instead of a collection of individual tracks, the Chaos Reaving campaign provides a build-it-yourself framework that promises to allow players and gamemasters to play out any Clan faction on any number of worlds involved in the Wars of Reaving.

As a build your own system, the Reaving Campaign presents a menu of choices for the players to select from.  The final sum of these parts make up the individual battles the players will fight as they navigate through their custom length campaign.

BattleField Setup

The first selection to be made is the location for the track and there is a long list of target planets to choose from.  Most of them are specific planets but there are two generic options (Deep Periphery and Occupation Zone) to cover all potential targets.  Each location has a table of information for players and game masters to utilize to spice up the battle.  Each mission will use the Warchest Points and Map Sheet Tables.  Optionally, there are weather conditions, advanced terrain features, gravity, and temperature for those detail minded individuals.  Further into the details are purely roleplaying elements such as the Star type, travel time to the jump point and others meant for an adventurous game master to weave a set of battles into an epic yarn.

With no less than fifty locations to choose from, players are sure to find an interesting location or two to battle on.  The available locations feature an impressive array of optional terrain and weather conditions that ensure that no two planets will seem the same.

The Warchest point cost per location is the base cost per mission on that planet and ranges from 200 to 700 points which covers a wide enough range to accomodate those with a flush warchest and those that have not been so fortunate.

Options

The options section is the next step in mission construction.  Players (or game masters as we will see later) select from a range of options that either help or hurt the players to generate War Chest bonus opportunities (or penalties).

Options present a way to tweak the risk/reward curve for the mission.  You can select a bonus which will decrease both the upfront cost of the track as well as the reward for successfully completing the objectives.  Alternatively you could pay more upfront in order to make an additional reward available to you if you are able to complete your objectives.

This presents new avenues for cash strapped commands to continue the campaign or for the more adventurous to increase the potential windfall.  An important note, these options are selected before you know your objectives or your opponent.

By selecting up to two options, you can create an interesting mix of conditions and potential Warchest Point bonuses.  For example, you could take the seemingly impossible bonus of doubling the opposing force size then temper it by increasing your own force’s skill level.  The end result is +100 Warchest cost for the track and a possible +500 in Warchest Points if you can win your objectives.

There are twenty-one options to choose from.  Seven are cost and victory deductions while the rest add to the cost and potential awards.

The available options are often mirrored from positive to negative with some special positive options.  It is up to the player to keep things interesting as the campaign moves along.  After giving the available options some thought, I like what I see.  While you can very easily treat them as linear elements (help me or hurt me!) when combined you are treated to unique conditions and a delightful selection of possible combinations.

Special Rules

As expected for a campaign involving the Clans, Honor is a prominent feature of the rules which borrows from the Dezgra point system originally published in Total Warfare.  The Honor system presents another resource for players to manage.  Since Dezgra points would carry over between tracks, you will be as concerned with your units current honor as much as their pilot damage, experience points, and ‘Mech repairs.

Each faction in the Reaving campaign follows an Honor level specific to the era allowing for unique situations when your opponent does not match your own units Honor level.  The Honor rules are in my opinion a critical piece to the the Reaving Campaign and provides that special flavor that makes the system unique among other Chaos Campaigns.

Other rules including Forced Withdrawal, Salvage, and Isorla round out the mandatory special rules.

Additional Special Rules

Even more special than above, these additional rules are a tad out there.  While some of them are rather benign and carry no Warchest point impact (Dropping Troops, Special Unit Rules, etc.) others can break any track open.  Care should be taken when exercising any of these rules.

Ultimately, common sense should prevail when shopping the Additional Special Rules section.  I think it would be more reasonable for a Game Master to select these for their players.  Inappropriate use of the Operational Timeframe or Betrayal special rules potentially breaks the game and may quickly ruin the difficulty level of the campaign.  These types of special rules don’t seem to fit the pick your own track construction.  Without context, a turn limit on a track does not fit.  Only when you consider its implications in the light of your objectives and terrain does it become a meaningful addition.

Objectives

The center piece of any track are the objectives.  The Reaving Campaign always begins with one, Win your Bid where you attempt to cripple or destroy your opponent.  From there you can add up to three additional objectives.  There are twelve objectives to choose from ranging from destroying a particular building to escaping the battle with a percentage of your force intact.  Each additional objective increases your base cost while providing additional avenues for Warchest point gain.

The range of objectives is fairly standard.  There are no wildly creative additions to the list which is to be expected due to the standardized format of the campaign.  Suffice to say, you will not find anything more than the usual suspects in the objectives made available to you.  While your objectives will guide your overall strategy, the most thought provoking decisions will be made agonizing over the Options section.

I am happy to see opportunities for a well balanced force to be put to good use.  A fast light force has a great chance at acing a track with a destroy the target objective combined with a force preservation objective.  Available campaign selections that will detract from a player force made exclusively by Daishi variants is a plus.  Even so, almost all of the available objectives can be exploited by an ultra heavy death star type force in one way or another.

Opponent

The opponent section is brief and includes a quick table describing the Warchest point adjustment for an opposing force greater or less than the player’s force.  The actual opposing Clan will depend on the players to figure out from the information contained in the sourcebook.  There are three political balance tables available (for three different years) to find an opponent.  However, if you need to know who was fighting who at such and such a time, you have to consult the other 190 or so pages of the sourcebook.

Then again, since this is a make your own adventure campaign you should design your battles as you like them.  Playing Jade Falcons and hate the Steel Vipers?  Go get ’em.

Setting Up a Game

The next section is a generous double page of concentrated examples that give players a feel for how this whole pick your own campaign system works.  There are three different perspectives presented; a basic campaign with a friend playing the opposing force, a more complicated campaign with a friend picking and playing the opposing force, and a campaign where two players go head to head with a game master moderating the action.  Each example goes a little further into the details and are fantastic and approachable introductions to the thinking behind building a track.

I believe that these examples provide a view into the original intent of the author.  It is fun to see how Mr. Rome thought things would shake out as players sat down at the table to construct their campaign.

Downtime

Activities between tracks are exactly as you would expect with some key changes.  You will be repairing units, healing pilots, and acquiring new equipment in order to keep your force in fighting trim.  You will be dealing with Support Points like in other Chaos Campaigns with some Clan related differences.

The Clan milieu takes center stage when it comes to acquiring new units.  Clans don’t “buy” their weapons of war, they use their merchant caste to trade for them.  This major change from the standard Chaos Campaign really makes it feel like a Clan centric campaign and will make for some careful consideration by the players as they weigh their need for equipment versus their greed in the hunt for a Diamond Shark quality bargain.

The Good, The Bad, and the Clans

I’m happy to see the Chaos Campaign format move to new ground in The Wars of Reaving.  While I enjoy seeing a pick your own track system there are potential pit falls to avoid.  In most cases, the guiding hand of a game master is absolutely necessary in order to keep the campaign balanced and fresh.  A numbers minded player generating his own tracks may fall into a dull loop of maxing his Warchest points through a careful mix of options and objectives.  Analysis paralysis is a real threat to creativity and fun in this case.  The Chaos Reaving can be a perfect tool for game masters though.

The Chaos campaign provides near infinite re-playability value and is the best bang for your buck than any other Chaos Campaign offering to date.  If you are a fan of the Clans and plan on getting the sourcebook anyways you are getting this system thrown in for free.  The modular nature of the system ensures that you can generate a campaign with the size and detail that you want.

The critical thing missing from Chaos Reaving is that spark that makes certain tracks in the rest of the series absolutely spectacular.  It’s the wow factor that can never be duplicated by a modular pick it yourself system.

In the end the greatest strength of Chaos Reaving is also it’s greatest weakness.  While modular, scalable, and replayable it will never be able to trump the creative offerings of the best of the Chaos Campaign series.  That is not to say that Chaos Reaving is not worth your while.  There was obviously a great deal of thought put into the available options and objectives and the potential combinations thereof.  The only way to fully explore the hidden fruits of this campaign system is to get down to business and play it out.  I’ve always had a soft spot for the Jade Falcons, maybe its time for a Reaving campaign of my own…

The Historical Turning Points series gains a new chapter.  This time around we are treated to a Succession War era battle between bitter rivals.

Geoff Swift, a return author for the series is in charge to bring Mallory’s World to life.  Will the Turning Points series continue to impress?

The Desolation of Combat

This single page piece was one of the best and most riveting piece of opening fiction I have read.  The story is an emotional roller coaster beginning with a palpable arrogance that melts away, eventually extracting sympathy from the reader or maybe pity.  The ultimate sacrifice is expertly storied in so few words.  It is a great opening for the PDF and makes me want to read more!

Mallory’s World

After a standard full color map of the world, the Atlas section gives a brief description of the world.  Mallory’s World consists of mainly desert or urban areas in part due to the frequent conflict the world attracts.  I enjoyed reading about the early history of this world which is full of otherwise useless anecdotal information.  While I doubt you or your players will care that Mallory’s World is a major supplier of diapers, you can play your tracks and missions secure in the knowledge that the writers have made such information available to all.

A short list of recommended terrain is included for those wishing to roll suitable random terrain.

Lastly, there is a list of available Tactical Operations terrain enhancements for the adventurous to include in their games.

The Battle for Mallory’s World

In a single page the brief but information packed chronology of the multi-year war at Mallory’s World is presented.  For a single page it packs a significant quantity of details that will form the framework for the tracks presented later.

For anyone unfamiliar with the battle this is a great primer.  If you haven’t read the novels there is a lot to pick up.  The lightweight presentation is a perfect fit and gives a fine overview of this epic Succession Wars era conflict.  From copious combat drops, pincher movements, and single combat between leaders Mallory’s World has it all.

Random Assignment Tables

Tables are provided for Kurita and Davion and include ‘Mechs, Vehicles, and Aerospace.  Infantry tables are absent which is not unexpected given the lack of battle armor during this time.

Interestingly, there are five Land Air ‘Mechs (LAMs) slots included.  Details for their use were provided in TRO: 3085.  No doubt there will be those who will love this addition.  Others won’t be bothered either way.  Now if we could only get official miniatures for the newly imaged LAMs we would be in real business.

Commanders

The commanders section details one commander from each side of the battle.  The first is a relatively unknown from the Davions.  I really appreciate the effort to mix it up.  It would have been more expected to have detailed Ian Davion for the PDF, instead we get to learn more about Eugene Drivers.  The Kurita leader is the slayer of the First Prince, a more obvious choice but well worth the page space.

Each leader is further detailed with a short list of A Time of War skills and attributes.  It does not provide a complete character sheet, more of a framework that players can adapt to use in their campaign if you desire.

Combatants

The combatants for both sides are provided for reference including experience rating, unit abilities, and a brief set of notes.

I found the notes and unit abilities to be especially interesting and entertaining.  I really liked the Mallorian Militia and the Second Legion of Vega.  Both have detrimental abilities that are sure to be a factor if your player group is brave enough to use them.

Tracks

The tracks section includes an amazing eleven tracks to play!

Throughout the tracks the use of conventional and infantry units is heavily encouraged in the game setup and attacker/defender descriptions.  I really appreciate the heavy support of combined arms.

I noted that the individual tracks are not balanced the way I would have expected.  I suspect that the history of the battles was a more important factor in recommended force ratios than game balance.  A perfect example is Just Droppin’ In which looks like a bloodbath for the Hussars.  Looking at the aftermath section of the track, it certainly was.  It is an interesting and I believe deliberate methodology to present an accurate battle even if the results are not likely to change.  I would have liked to see more thought put into the objectives to compensate for the unequal unit strengths but can appreciate the unique perspective at work.

The Defeat of Nobility is a brave new take on the track series which pits Ian Davion in his Atlas against the command lance of the Kurita invaders.  It is historically presented and requires special terrain and a bevy of special rules that force the players to relive history and attempt to rewrite it.  A very bold track.

The final five tracks are built to reflect the massive retaliatory invasion of Mallory’s World by Kurita in 3016.  They are meant to be played in any order as they occur at the same time.

Mr. Swift takes a lot of interesting hooks to make the plethora of tracks in Mallory’s World worth playing.  I felt that the sometimes obvious selection of objectives and mundane bonus options are the only items that detract from this excellent set of tracks.  Like none other, Mallory’s World tells the story of the battles, both the wins and the losses with unwavering focus.

Record Sheets

Record sheets are provided for Morgan Kell and Yorinaga piloting an Archer and Warhammer respectively both of which lack a ‘Mech image.  Oversight or intentional?

Three LAM configurations are also provided for the nostalgic among us.  Here is an excellent chance to get your LAM on if that is the sort of thing that floats your boat.

The Final Word

Mallory’s World is an impressive product as a whole.  A unique mix of terrain, detailed setups and painful regard for historical accuracy offset some more obvious objective and bonus selections.  This PDF is well worth the $5 asking price given the large assortment of tracks.  Your gaming group is sure to find something to like among the tracks on Mallory’s World.  It is a mix of both quality and quantity that make it a must buy for Succession War era buffs and a good investment for casual fans.

The Youling Zhanshi lance pack dossier is the second in the series and covers the Jihad Era.  Once again we have a new remarkable ‘Mech lance fully fleshed out and ready for a mini-campaign on your tabletop.  These two PDF exclusives are budget priced at $3.95 and $1.95 respectively and are meant to be used together for best effect.  Newcomer Craig K. Erne is at the helm for this PDF exclusive.

On My Signal

The opening fiction is a great thrill.  The ambush sequence demonstrates the cutthroat tactics the Liao warriors are willing to use to ensure victory and notoriety.  Like wolves lying in wait the Capellans unleash brutal tactics against trapped foes.  What else would we expect when MechWarriors defend their own turf?

A very good start to the PDF.  The action is fast and a welcome introduction to the Ghost Warriors.

Unit Profile

The unit profile section covers each member of the lance including a black and white portrait, a CamoSpecs painted miniature as well as a small write up on both the pilot and the ‘Mech.

The ‘Mech descriptions offer additional fluff in the way of Quirks.  These Quirks come right out of Strategic Operations and give additional flavor to the unit while increasing complexity.

Missions

There are three missions included for the Youling Zhanshi.  Two of them are standard warchest missions while one is an A Time of War adventure.

The warchest tracks are hit and miss.  Both contain a very well done fluff and description.  I thought that Thieves in the Night was far superior a track than The Head of the Serpent.  Thieves in the Night features an excellent array of non-typical objectives and some interesting special rules and bonuses.  It is everything a Chaos Campaign fan likes in a mission.

The Head of the Serpent falls back on standard objectives and an uninspiring situation report.  Still given the nature of the mission, I can accept that it was the only way to portray the final climactic battle after a long guerrilla campaign.

The A Time of War Adventure is a bit of a mystery for me.  There are two pages of descriptions, one for the players and a GM only section.  The adventure objectives are open ended and the GM is expected to fill in details and prepare additional ‘Mech battles (or none at all depending on the players actions) as necessary to fill in the several months long guerrilla campaign.  Your mileage will undoubtedly vary depending on the strength of your GM.

All together, Youling Zhanshi follows the Lamenkov’s Liabilities formula almost too well.  There is even a copy-paste error on page two identifying the Liabilities as the lance of interest.  My comments on the Liabilities PDF are applicable here, there is not enough in the way of hard content to keep the usual BattleTech group interested.  The Turning Points PDF series seems to be a much better value when you look at the total package.

Character Sheets and Record Sheets

Each member of the lance gets a fully fleshed out RPG record sheet and a ‘Mech record sheet.  Nothing notable here except for perhaps running a bit low on places to fit the copious amount of RPG skills typical for A Time of War.

Jason Zaklan

This add-on PDF features a brief description of Jason Zaklan a covert Death Commando operative on planet at the time of the Fed Suns invasion.  Zaklan has a direct role in the last mission and also potentially the A Time of War adventure.

Given the fact that Jason Zaklan is an inescapable part of the last mission in the Youling Zhanshi PDF I find it curious that the two PDFs were not simply merged together into a $5 product.  I felt the same way with the Liabilities PDF.

Final Words

At a combined price of $5.90, the Youling Zhanshi and Jason Zaklan PDF combo is a potentially short series of BattleTech missions along with an RPG adventure.

The writing is excellent throughout the PDF and is enjoyable to learn the history of this Jihad era battle. I would love to see what Mr. Erne can do with a Turning Points PDF.  He showed some excellent form in the first mission.

The Turning Points series has come full circle and is bravely delving into BattleTech’s future.  Seeing a Dark Age edition was an unexpected surprise and I am anxious to learn more about what I assume to be a wildly misunderstood era.  It can’t be all industrialMechs and TonkaTrucks running around in the ill fated future of our beloved universe, can it?

Newcomer Patrick Wynn is at the helm for this adventure into the unknown.  Will Liao lift our expectations of the future or will the Dark Age continue to be so aptly named?  Let’s dive in to find out!

Harsh Reality

In an instant the reader is thrust into the clustered and confused aftermath of a battle from within the cockpit of an elite warrior of the Republic.  The enemy?  Gone.   The Objective?  Destroyed.

No tears for lost comrades, just a jumbled collection of thoughts from a mind racing to make sense of the mess.

Harsh Reality is an excellent short intro despite the fact that the main action is long past.  The writing is good and we have our first introduction of the Dark Age and the warriors of the Republic.

Liao

A gorgeous full size atlas is followed by a planetary history section.  I am pleased to find that within two paragraphs, the details go from the origins to the more recent history within the Dark Ages.  This is what we wanted to know more about and I am happy to see the writers dive in early.

Mapsheet tables are provided for those wishing to be true to the terrain features of the planet.  Also included are special terrain rules from Tactical Operations to provide additional spice to the gaming table.

The Liberation of Liao

All of this is par for the course up to now.  Turning the page we find a new one page section which describes in more detail the events covered in this Dark Age Turning Point.  The Liberation takes place around 3134 and involves the Big MAC (McCarron’s Armored Cavalry), student uprisings, ambushes and last stands.  Everything a growing story arc needs.

I’m glad to see this new section.  Every bit of information is welcome, especially when there are no official source books to base our thoughts on yet.  This section almost seems like it deserves to be in an Operational Turning Points book.  I’m very happy to see it under the more affordable Turning Points label.

RAT

Random assignment tables are provided for the Capellans, insurgents, and the Republic.  The tables are very complete and include infantry and vehicles.  I really appreciate the extra time taken to provide these.  It is a joy to see combined arms encouraged in official content.  These lists will make it even easier to make combined arms a reality.  Combined with the newly minted Master Unit List, finding corresponding record sheets will be a breeze.

I find it interesting how prevalent Clan technology is in each side of this particular conflict.  Also, ConstructionTech is alive and well in the Liao Insurgents RAT who have a wide selection of AgroMechs, DemoMechs, and LoaderMechs to choose from when they enter battle.  I am curious to see how these will come into play in the Tracks.

Combatants

The combatants section lists a small bio for all forces who saw action on Liao during the time covered.  Forces include iconic units like MAC as well as the lowly student militia and other insurgent elements.

Each unit has a commander, unit experience (Green through Elite), RAT, unit abilities for use in game, notes that add extra detail to the story, and a logo.  Soup to nuts.  Everything you need to know in a few lines of text.  It is a bit condensed but that’s why we love the Turning Points series.

Best unit ability goes to the Liao Republic Standing Guard.  The double edged sword of long ranged expertise is well implemented and makes for interesting choices and strategy in future games with the unit.  I applaud the mix of unit abilities which are varied and personal.  Each feels right for the unit in question and does not rely on boiler plate elements to fill in the blanks.

Tracks

Dark Age Liao provides nine tracks, well above average for the series.

Throughout the tracks, the plethora of special rules and interesting twists and turns make each track unique.  Even when the objectives are the usual suspects the game setup or the special rules come to the rescue to provide a compelling and interesting group of tracks.

The Crisis of Conscious special rule is seen in more than a couple tracks and instantly provides a depth of play that I find very interesting.  All of a sudden it becomes important to rethink how you attack your enemies.  Winning is not possible if you pursue it at all costs.

At times, the special rules become a tad too special for their own good.  The stampedes of Eridani stallions in Country Clamor will take more than one read through to understand fully and will be hell to track in the middle of a ‘Mech battle.  Never-the-less, I do not want to discourage risk taking when making innovative and interesting game mechanics.  All together, the Dark Age Liao tracks scream fun.

Liao has plenty to offer, from combat dropping troops, reinforcements, artillery, mine fields, defecting forces, wild fires and many more Tactical and Strategic Operations add-ins.  I applaud the excellent inventive take on making each track and would love to see more in the future.  Dark Age Liao stands among the best of the Turning Points series and only fails to top them all when it over reaches at times.  Well worth the price of entry.

Record Sheets

Named characters in custom ‘Mechs and special scenario specific vehicles are generously sprinkled throughout the tracks.  The record sheet section of Liao responds appropriately with eight record sheets to make getting your game on easier than ever.

There are cargo vehicles, command centers, and industrial ‘Mechs to fill specific tracks as well as Dark Age era mods for the Koshi, BlackHawk, Yu Huang, and MadCat III.

The Koshi and BlackHawk fit nicely into the Clan stereotype of big weapons and sparse armor.  The Yu Huang is a beastly assault packing dual Gauss Rifles and ancillary medium range weaponry.  The MadCat III packs dual LRM10 with an ERPPC and 2 medium lasers backed by a targeting computer and an excellent speed profile.

The Bottom Line

Dark Age Turning Point Liao is an excellent addition to the new and currently lonely Dark Age era.  BattleTech may have on it’s hands an accidental antagonist by way of the Republic.  There is little love out there for the bold and brave new world of Delvin Stone.

I believe that the Dark Age will be a polarizing era for fans just as the Clans and the Word of Blake have been before.  For those willing to take a chance on this new and misunderstood era, you will find ample support within these pages.  Maybe it was intentional, maybe not, but Catalyst has produced a barn burner with Dark Age Liao.  Nine tracks, eight record sheets and all the trimming we have come to expect from the Turning Points line.  It seems bigger and bolder than Turning Point PDFs before it.

The year is 3058 and both the old and the untested warriors of the Jade Falcons are clamoring for battle.  Operational Turning Points Falcon Incursion covers the series of hit and run raids into the Lyran Alliance ending at Coventry.

Nicholas Marsala is at the reigns of this Operational Turning Point.  Falcon Incursion is the third Operational Turning Point PDF to be released.

Beginner’s Luck

The opening fiction for Falcon Incursion sees the cadets of Coventry Military Academy pressed into quick service to defend against a faceless and menacing Clan Jade Falcon.

The entire sequence covers a firefight against multiple targets and is entertaining to the last.

Introductions

The Introduction section is standard boiler plate for the Turning Points series.  Set in 3058, Falcon Incursion draws inspiration from the novel Malicious Intent by Michael Stackpole and an accompanying Battlecorps fiction “Something More” by Jason Hansa.  Coventry is already captured in BattleTech lore via the Coventry scenario pack.  Seeing the full conflict from beginning to end given the Chaos Campaign makeover is well deserved and is another notch in the BattleTech time-line.  Almost all eras are represented in some fashion through turning points pdfs.

Atlas

No less than five planets are covered in the Atlas section each with a list of attributes and a few paragraphs of description and history.

Most of the information in this section will only be used by role players or campaign builders.  There is ample information to craft additional scenarios in various eras based on the sprawling histories of these planets.  That said, they are not needed to play the games included in this pdf.  Still, they are a welcome addition to the story telling tome.

Rounding out the section are a set of terrain tables, one for each planet.  Tactical Operations additions are also recommended where appropriate which include the likes of mud, planted fields, and ultra heavy woods.

RAT

Random Assignment Tables are provided for the three forces involved in the battle with a new double entry feature which in effect provides some unique variations based on the selected force.

The end effect are psuedo unique tables for Mercenaries, Wolf’s Dragoons, Jade Falcon, Lyran, and Militia.  It’s good to see Catalyst innovating here and not just punching  the stamp to produce the same old tables.

The Falcon’s Incursion

This section provides a matter of factly description of the events that occured during the Falcon’s campaign towards Coventry.  It provides the framework around which the tracks will delve into.  What it lacks is a deeper explanation of why these events occurred.  I found the first paragraph of the section to be shockingly blunt, like reading out of a dated history book.

Those who have read the books concerning this battle may not be so surprised.  I felt a little out of touch.  As good fortune (or design) would have it, the very next section provided some of the details I was seeking.

Personalities

As is due process for the Turning Points series, the leaders of the dueling forces are presented with a brief history, artwork, and A Time of War special abilities.

For the Dragoons, we have the commander of Delta Regiment.  The Falcons have the infamous Marthe Pryde including a summary of the motivations that led to the decision to invade so suddenly without regard for keeping anything they captured.

Combatants

Seventeen units are described with unit commanders, experience, RAT, unit abilities and notes.

I love this section for the subtle clues and bits of story interlaced within.  The notes section in particular is not to be skipped.  The special abilities range from the mundane to the spectacular.

The unit abilities in Falcon Incursion are some of the best I’ve seen.  Not content to rely solely on Tactical Operations additions, Mr. Marsala has crafted an excellent array of unique and well thought out abilities.  From the overly defensive tendencies of the Neerabup Periphery Militia to the desperate measures employed by the Jade Solahma Cluster, you will find many uses for these unique abilities.

This section in particular suffered from copious missed references (See Page X) which were quickly edited and the pdf updated before I could get this review out.  A good thing about BattleCorps is that all updates to a product are made available to you to download.  Make sure you check the box after purchasing to enable email alerts when an update occurs.

How to Use the Campaign

This section gives the setup rules for each side of the conflict and lays the groundwork for modifications to the Chaos Campaign specific to this campaign.

New in this episode of the Turning Points series is an option to spend Warchest points during unit creation to re-roll RAT or random pilot skill roll results.  Another innovative and interesting addition to the series.

The Tracks

We have two generic track in this campaign.  That is two less than either of the previous Operational Turning Points.  Don’t worry, the eleven Touchpoint missions more than make up for the lack of generics.  Even so, owners of the other two Operational Turning Points will be able to easily inject those generic missions into their games for a truly epic length campaign.

Together, the Operational Turning Points pdfs include Recon, Raid, Scout, Flank, Assault, Defend, Interdict, and Strike.  A few of them include variations, like Defend and Assault.  I’m surprised that it was not mentioned in the How to Use the Campaign section that the generics from any series are able to be plugged in.

That is of course assuming this campaign was not meant to be played exactly as presented.  In such a case, the generics will become increasingly tedious compared the more numerous Touchpoints.  And maybe that’s the point.  This campaign was not a drawn out fight on any planet.  Battles were quick and decisive and then the Falcons moved on.

In the end your playing group should find the right balance.  As it stands, eleven Touchpoints with a few raids and recon missions interlaced will keep you busy for quite a while!

Both generic tracks offer non-standard games which will keep things interesting between Touchpoints.

New historical notes mixed into specific tracks help to guide players who may be looking for a more faithful interpretation of a battle for a one off scenario.  A welcome addition for players who are not as interested in a drawn out campaign.

From the very start we are given a very well thought out series of Touchpoints.  Neerabup is a curious chess game of sorts where protecting your command centers comes at the cost of Militia armor.  On to Bucklands where otherwise mundane objectives are spiced up by the inclusion of modified IndustiralMechs piloted by old but cantankerous veterans of a bygone era.

Australia offers mixed objectives and optional defenses available to the Lyran Militia, but only if they take infantry in their unit selection.  A devilish twist that encourages combined arms tactics.

Coventry Military Academy pits ill-trained forces against each other is a battle that forces you to consider very different tactical options.  A disorganized force without leadership is always easier to kill.  Just don’t lose your own leaders in the process!

It goes on and on.  From beginning to end, the Touchpoint tracks are fantastic.  There are linked tracks.  There are air battles.  There are combined arms.  All of them are brilliant combinations that will force you to think and shake up the monotony of “destroy the other guy” objectives.  Falcon Incursion has the best set of tracks ever produced in the entire Turning Points series.

Record Sheets

Three record sheets are provided to enhance your campaign experience.  The first is a curious IndustrialMech modification.  All of two heat sinks is all you have to support a variety of bolted on SRMs and Autocannon.  For such an awful excuse for a ‘Mech, it overflows with character and slips into the Bucklands Touchpoint in the event that players can’t or don’t want to modify their own Industrials.  This is a great example of providing an interesting hook for a track and giving players the tools to immediately jump into the action.

A BattleMaster, complete with unseen artwork, is the personal ride of Rogers of the Waco Rangers.  It is a brawler with astonishing critical hit seeking armaments.  Nothing says keep your distance like seven Streak SRM-2s.

The last entry is a mixed tech Nightsky used by the Dragoon Delta Regiment commander.  It’s mixed tech so as you would expect it is a beast.  The redeeming feature is it’s just slightly off heat scale.  It can produce a stunning amount of damage but will have to stagger weapons to avoid overheating.

The Bottom Line

By far, this is one of the best of the Turning Points series.  Each track is original and extraordinarily well written.  That by itself makes this PDF well worth the price of admission.  Seeing such a successful formula repeated eleven times over makes it a must buy.

For those not so in love with the Chaos Campaign series as I am, Falcon Incursion adds to the burgeoning selection of eras to play in.  If you love the Clans or love to hate them, Falcon Incursion will provide opportunities to play out a massive campaign culminating within the industrial complexes of Coventry.

Catalyst, if you are listening, Nicholas Marsala did a masterful job on this pdf (a drastic improvement over JTP:Tharkad).  Do yourselves a favor and give the man more work.  I’d love to see what other magic he can conjure in other eras.