ScrapYard Armory

Put a Little Chaos in Your Life

I used to play MechWarrior Dark Age.  I played just about through Fire for Effect before noticing the writing on the wall and moving on to what turned out to be greener pastures (for many of you it might be back to greener pastures).  Despite it’s faults though, the MechWarrior game was a fast playing game that endeared a large number of gamers around the world.

There is no doubt in my mind that the BattleTech community has benefited from MechWarrior’s existence.  That benefit continues even today.  I make use of lots of the old MechWarrior figures I have in BattleTech games today.

I’m sure that there are a lot of gamers who are hanging on to their miniatures despite the closing of Wizkids and the death knell of the game.  To prove that the old Click-Tech game still has a little bit of life to it, I worked out a conversion of the popular Chaos Campaign system.  The Chaos Campaign system is a free download from Catalyst Game Labs.  Converting the rules is an easy affair.

PLAYER FORCE

The initial player Force Size should be large enough to support whatever size game desired.  As a rule of thumb, triple the average point value game you would like to play as a track.

Adam would like to play 400 point games on average during tracks.  He chooses to construct a 1,200 point force to begin his campaign (400 x 3 = 1,200).

Players wishing to add flavor to their campaign are encouraged to stick with a particular faction for force construction.

Faction Pride cards can be added to forces to represent Force Abilities similar to those presented in the Field Manual series of Battletech sourcebooks.

OPPOSING FORCES

Players should put together a collection of figures to represent the opposing forces for the campaign.  Figures should have a Regular experience level (Attack Stat of 9 for ‘Mechs and Vehicles and 7 for Infantry, see below) and be representative of what the Player force should expect to see in combat.  Obviously use what you have available.  It’s your collection so you’ll know what works best.

Ambitious players may want to construct an opposing force collection for each faction they own enabling them to switch out opposing forces to fit the particular Track they are playing.

Experience Levels

Tracks often call for opposing forces with different experience levels.  Some of you out there will probably have a diverse enough collection to fit every scenario.  For those who don’t, you can use the following chart to modify the Attack Value of Opposing Forces for each track.  Choose the way that works best for you.  So long as the challenge scales appropriately, you can’t go wrong.

Restricted Units

Let’s face it.  There are some brutal units in the MechWarrior game.  If players agree, make a shortlist of figures that should never be seen in the campaign.  Highlander Sniper Team comes to mind as well as monster game changers like Danni Haag and the Balac Strike VTOL.  We are here to have fun over a longer haul campaign.  Make it so and avoid the meta-game.

TERRAIN

A standard Chaos Campaign map should be 3 feet by 4 feet.  This slightly expanded size will provide the extra room required to incorporate some of the plot elements covered in a Chaos Campaign track.

CAMPAIGN SPECIAL RULES

There are a lot of optional bonuses and special rules that don’t mesh with MechWarrior without some noodling.  It will be up to the players and possibly a game master to come to an agreement how these unique special rules will be adapted to the MechWarrior game.

Obviously for time constraints and other obvious reasons I am not about to make a comprehensive list of each and every bonus and rule published so far.  However, I will go over a few examples to convey the flavor of what I’m talking about.

Adam is playing through the Chaos Unbound campaign and is playing the Vacationing in the Wasteland track.  Looking at the available optional bonuses he sees Blowing Sand, Lethargy, and Harsh Conditions.

In the Battletech game, Blowing Sand adds a +1 To-Hit penalty to all energy weapons.  This works well with MechWarrior and is a quick conversion.  Any unit with an Energy Attack Type gets a -1 To-Hit penalty.

Lethargy penalizes players with a -2 modifier to all Piloting and Initiative rolls.  Since there is no equivalent to Piloting skill in MechWarrior, Adam chooses to apply this modifier to the To-Hit number for all ‘Mechs using a Melee Attack Type.

Harsh Conditions gives a chance for weapons to fail during the track.  This seems a bit harsh as ‘Mechs have only two weapon types and every other unit type only one.  Adam decides that a weapon failure will result in a -1 damage penalty maximum to the affected Attack Type for the remainder of the Track.

You get the idea.  Use common sense and in the event of a disagreement, dice it and get back to playing.

FORCED WITHDRAWAL

Any unit that has the Salvage Special Ability (and most do except those damned Banson’s Raiders) will be affected by Forced Withdrawal if the track calls for it.

WARCHEST POINT SYSTEM

Use the Warchest system for all Chaos Campaign accounting as described in the PDF.  The only difference comes when it is time to repair or purchase units and equipment.  When it comes to these transactions, you would normally convert your Warchest Points to Supply Points.  Instead we convert them to MechWarrior points.

Force Size Modifier (FSM)

The Force Size Modifier allows players to scale the size of their forces to match their tastes.  The Warchest points will be adjusted up or down depending on how large a force you would like to run.

Divide the total MechWarrior point value of your force by 800 and round to the tenth digit (1.375 becomes 1.4).  This becomes your Force Size Modifier for the rest of the campaign.  Do not adjust this number as your force gains or loses units.  It is always based on what your force started the campaign with.

Technology Rating (TR)

Within the MechWarrior framework, Technology Rating becomes a self imposed handicap (or advantage) for the campaign.  Use it to dial up or down the difficulty of your campaign.  Use the following table to choose your Technology Rating.

Adam has just completed his first Track and is anxious to buy some new units to bolster his force and get back to the action.  Adam looks through his collection and spots a Veteran Legionnaire he wants.  The ‘Mech costs 119 MW Points.

Adam’s force began the campaign with 1,200 MW Points which gave him a Force Size Modifier of 1.5 (1,200 / 800 = 1.5).  Adam chose to give his force a Technology Rating of C (1.0).

Using this information, Adam figures out how many Warchest Points he will need to afford his Legionnaire.  He divides the MechWarrior Point cost of the Legionnaire by his FSM and his TR  to get 80 (119 / 1.5 / 1.0 = 79.33 rounded up to 80).  The new Legionnaire will cost Adam 80 Warchest points.

Upgrading Pilots

The costs for upgrading pilots in Chaos Campaign are absurdly low, so skip them for sanity’s sake.  Some things in life just shouldn’t be bought.  Experience is one of them.  I recommend using an experience system similar to what is presented in Total Warfare (pages 40-41).

If players agree, you can even buy the custom pilots for ‘Mechs in your force.

Purchased units are assumed to come with pilots consistent with their Attack Value.

Repairing Units

Repairs between tracks are based on the value of the unit and how much damage they have received.  Use the following table to determine the Mechwarrior Point repair costs.

Obviously this presents a problem when you have repair vehicles in the game that can repair units during a track.  Players may wish to mitigate this anomaly by disallowing them completely.  This is a harsh change to the game but a necessary one.  If you have a good mission going the temptation would be strong to hold off killing the last opposing unit while you ferry your units to the repair vehicle in order to avoid paying repair costs.

For more tips on balancing your campaign purchase and repair costs see my previous Chaos Campaign post Advanced Unit Costs.

Next Track?

Stay tuned as I present a new After Action Report detailing a Mechwarrior force in the Chaos Unbound campaign Track, Look Who’s Coming to Dinner.

2009 is in the books.  It has been a year filled with ups and downs for BattleTech fans. I’d like to take a moment and look back and recognize my top commentators and tops posts from the year gone by.

Top Commentators (in no particular order)

• Adam Isherwood
• Paint it Pink
• Quigs
• EastwoodDC

This blog would not be nearly as good without the support of the community that visits.  I thank each and every one of you out there who took the time to leave a comment with particular emphasis to those who have provided a consistent presence.  It is your participation that helps keep the community alive and active.  Thank you all.

Top Posts (based on number of visits)

Here are the top 10 ScrapYard posts of 2009.

1. Litko Releases Mecha Token Set
2. GenCon 2009 Day 2
3. Mechwarrior Figures for Classic BattleTech Redux
4. GenCon 2009 Day 3
5. Making the Mini Reseen Warhammer
6. GenCon 2009 Day 1
7. BattleTech Campaign Systems for Dummies
8. GenCon 2009 Day 4 and Wrap-up
9. Fair Dice
10. Chaos Campaign Advanced Unit Costs

Thanks to all of my readers for making 2009 a year to remember.  Cheers to you and yours this New Year!

The ScrapYard wishes everyone out there in the BattleTech community warm holiday wishes.  The Holiday season is time for family and friends, good food and generous spirits.

Catalyst Game labs and Iron Wind Metals are doing their part to make the season bright.

• Limited Edition Combo Deal, DFA Jade Hawk and Hatchetman only $30
• Reduced prices on all core rulebook PDFs
• Experimental TRO: Mercenaries only $5

Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season!

Just to be clear, this is always going to be a BattleTech blog.  While I will likely pick up Leviathans and play a few rounds with friends, BattleTech will always be my wargaming bread and butter.  But, I recognize when a company is shaking off the status quo and trying something new.

Late November Catalyst Game Labs released the Lieutenant’s Manual, the Quick Start rules for their new intellectual property Leviathans.  For a $2.99 price tag you get 32 pages of material that include a novella primer, the basic game rules, a small map, and some well illustrated cut out counters.  Everything you need to host your first skyward battle.

Catalyst has decided to license Leviathans under Creative Commons. Long story short, you are free to download and share the material to your hearts content.  Catalyst has gone so far as offering a free and legal torrent for interested gamers to download the release.

The Lieutenant’s Manual at it’s core is the gaming equivalent of the BattleTech Quick Start rules.  Quick Start rules are always free for every game Catalyst makes.  BattleTech, Shadowrun, Eclipse Phase all have free Quick Start rules for free.

Catalyst is simultaneously generating positive buzz while bringing in money from a product that they would otherwise have given away for free.  It’s brilliant.  The few people who are throwing down three Washingtons are declaring themselves trend-setters and are rewarding what they see as good behavior by a game company they love.  Given the amount of negative publicity generated by other gaming companies recently, the gaming community as a whole really needed a hug.

Do nice guys finish last?  Sometimes yes, but in this case I hope not.  Catalyst should be rewarded for it’s innovative business strategy.  I’m voting with my wallet and I hope that you do too.  Even if you are not a fan of the upcoming Leviathans release, with your $2.99, you can have your voice heard.  Let them know that you appreciate a company willing to take chances.

Catalyst has broken the mold here and I hope that they succeed.

Adam Jury is the “Pant-Rocking” Lead Graphics Designer for Catalyst Game Labs.  His hands play a key role in the look and feel of BattleTech products.

DiceCast recently sat down with Adam and talked about all things Catalyst.  What’s it like working at a game company?  How would you get a foot in the door if you’d like to freelance?

All good stuff.  Give a listen to the podcast if you have a spare 20 min.

Best quote from the cast:

Adam Jury: All of his photographs were of puppies.

Dice Cast: Wasn’t that kind of disturbing in a way?

AJ: It was a bit wierd.  I don’t know if there is a giant market for puppy photographs but it wasn’t where he was spending most of his time.

DC: Puppy pictures.

AJ: Yes and I do mean four legged puppies.

Priceless.

Salvage is the lifeblood of any BattleTech force.  Going too long without an influx of scrap to pick through will make any commander sweat.  Having a few piles of broken down beat up ‘Mechs on the battlefield  adds to the BattleTech milieu.

I picked up some great looking terrain pieces at a HMGS event this year and just got around to painting them up.  These are from Acheson Creations.  The scaling is just about right for BattleTech games.  Just looking at the big ‘Mechs makes you think of the Archer or Longbow.

Each piece is made out of a type of hard plastic.  On each piece there were bubbles and pot mark imperfections from either the casting process or the material.  I spent some time with an exacto knife cleaning it up as best I could.  The plastic is very forgiving.  I can’t say that these are the most detailed terrain pieces I’ve seen but for debris markers or simple ambiance, they work fine.

Painting them was easy.  I didn’t feel the need to do a super fine detail job since they are supposed to look rusted and beat down.  After priming black, I dry brushed the ground with Beasty Brown, Plauge Brown, and Khaki.  The ‘Mechs started with Cold Grey, followed by Sombre Grey, and a diluted wash of Bloody Red, Brassy Brass, and Beasty Brown.  Add in a few clumps of static grass and they are ready for the next game.

The Price IS Right

And now the best part, the price.  Each of these cost just $0.50.  For two quarters a piece these are a steal.  Acheson Creations was at this past GenCon and is a familiar sight at HMGS events.  Another great reason to go to conventions and skip shipping charges and minimum orders.  Next opportunity should be Cold Wars 2010.  Mark your calendars and get your game on!

Finally the Jihad Turning Points series visits Atreus, heart of the Free Worlds League and the forsaken incubation chamber for the bastard Word of Blake.

As an unapologetic fan of the Free Worlds League, I’ve been waiting long enough for a better look at the happenings on Atreus.  With new writer Jim Rapkins at the helm, will JTP: Atreus uplift or disappoint?

Opening Fiction

While confusing, the opening fiction is aptly named.  Divided Loyalties features a little subtle action combined with a jumble of unit names and numbers shaken generously with  Word of Blake atrocities.  The Word is winning no friends among its supposed allies.  With the Knights of the Inner Sphere still in play, the Blakists will find it harder and harder to segment and abuse the armies of the Free Worlds League.

We continue to see the cracks in the facade as the Jihad continues.  Just when will the Inner Sphere realize that the emperor has no clothes?

Atreus

The Atreus section gives much more current events than the brief history lesson and general description we have come to expect from prior Turning Points.  A welcome change considering the significant amount of upheaval the planet suffers under Word of Blake control.

Combatants

In typical Marik fashion, the combatants section is brother against brother and a blurred perception of friend and foe.  A sad fate for the mighty Free Worlds League.

Each unit’s notes include careful bits of information that help the reader piece together the bigger story of the battles in and around Atreus including significant yet still mysterious events surrounding the moon of Wendigo.

The Tracks

Atreus gives us seven tracks to play, a new record for the Turning Points series.   The Track costs run the gamut from 400 points to 1,000 points.

I felt that the creativity for the Atreus tracks was subpar for the series. The track objectives without exception were pedestrian and accompanied by uninspired optional bonuses.  Giving goofy names to the same objective does not make a Track interesting.  11 out of 14 objectives involved some form of destroying enemy units.  The rest were not much better and involved simply exiting units off a particular map edge.

Overall, I felt disappointed with the Atreus Tracks. Not only in the Track construction but also the story that they helped to tell.    It boggles my mind that the military units of the Free Worlds league could be so fractured.  It’s frustrating to read the words sometimes, but it is a reality that every Marik fan has to deal with.  Each in their own way, no less.

Record Sheets

For a change, Atreus provides no Warship record sheets.  Instead, we receive three ‘Mechs and one combat vehicle.  Lets take a look.

Albatross Dantalion is a TSM capable variant with a prototypical Blakist energy heavy weapons loadout.  Large VSPs and Capacitor backed PPCs will have your opponents rushing for Reflective Armor.  Speaking of armor, this Albatross has apparently shed it’s glass jaw for a proper amount of Assault ‘Mech worthy armor.

The Mercury Elite Emperor is a simpler refit which shuffles around the weapons for something different and refreshing.  A pair of Silver Bullet Gauss are backed up by dual Snub Nose PPCs.  All of which can be fired without fear of overheating.  A pair of medium pulse rounds out the package for short range situations where heat is a non-issue.

The Peacemaker is a curious light ‘Mech used by the Atreus Police forces.  It has one heat sink.  You read that right, one single solitary heat sink.  It can’t run and not build up heat!  A machine gun, ‘Mech taser and SRM2 provide offense to augment the amazing heat dissipating power the chassis provides.

Rounding out the record sheet section is a Tokugawa heavy tank variant used by the Legionnaires.  It features a single UAC10 backed by dual Streak SRM4 racks with a flamer and AMS for good measure.

The Final Word

While Atreus is a must for Marik fans such as myself, the substandard Tracks and the lack of Warship record sheets may make this a skippable product for others.  Taken as a whole the JTP series is well worth the price of admission but be warned that Atreus is not the best of the breed.

The War of 3039 is a speed bump relative to some of the other more notable wars within the Inner Sphere.  It’s implications however, are on par with the Succession Wars, the Clan Invasion or the Word of Blake Jihad.  It is the story of a nation at the brink that was pulled from the precipice by an unorthodox yet skilled leader; Theodore Kurita.

Historical: War of 3039 was released in the FanPro days and provides a world by world account of the short lived war between the Draconis Combine and the Federated Commonwealth.  It seemed only natural to me that the Chaos Campaign rules could be used to present the battles fought into a story that BattleTech fans could readily re-live.

Re-released, here is a collection of tracks that I previously released in the Community Created Warchest thread.  This collection is updated, proofed, and put together in a handy PDF download.

For more information on the Chaos Campaign system I recommend the following:

• Chaos Campaign Rules
• Errata From the Forums, Scroll down for the official new calculation for Tech Rating

And here is Chaos Campaign: War of 3039 for your gaming enjoyment.

• Chaos Campaign – War of 3039 (PDF, 205K)

Download it, play it, and enjoy!  And while you are at it, I would be grateful for any additional input that would make it even better!  If you come across any issues with balance, grammar, or anything else that could use some spit and polish please let me know.

I hope you enjoy the campaign as much as it was for me to write it!  Happy gaming!

The Last Day of Zeta: A BattleTech Scenario

This scenario is based on the BattleCorps fiction of the same name.  It is one of the sadder tales within the BattleCorps library. On the barren and desolate surface of Mars one of the most storied units in the Inner Sphere meets it’s end .  The is hope that their sacrifice was not in vain.  Something lies within the sands of Mars.  The Dragoons knew something even ComStar was unaware of.  And that made the Word of Blake very very upset.

SITUATION

The Dismal D’s are gone.  All of the Dragoon Jumpships are either captured or destroyed.  No help is coming.  Zeta is surrounded by the Word of Blake Protectorate and there is no escape.

Weaker Mechwarriors would have given up.  They would have surrendered and prayed for the mercy of their defeaters.

But Zeta are not just any Mechwarriors.  They are the Zeta Battalion of Wolf’s Dragoons.

GAME SETUP

Arrange two maps as shown below.  The west map is Moonscape 1 and the east map is Moonscape 2.

DEFENDER

The Defender consists of elements from Wolf’s Dragoons Zeta Battalion.

Deployment

Zeta may begin the game anywhere on the battlefield.

ATTACKER

The Attacker is made up of several waves of units from the Word of Blake Protectorate.

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave 3

Deployment

Wave 1 enters the game on turn 1 from any single map edge.  Waves 2 and 3 enter the game from any single map edge at the end of the turn during which the preceding wave is completely crippled or destroyed.

SPECIAL RULES

Buried in the Sand

Before the Defender deploys, the Word of Blake player may deploy up to two squads of Purifier Battle Armor as hidden units anywhere on the battlefield per Total Warfare pg 259.  These units may be hidden in clear hexes.

Extreme Cold (-50 C)

‘Mechs dissipate an additional 2 heat per turn.

Low Gravity (0.38 G)
(Tactical Operations pg 55)

Apply a +3 to-hit modifier to all missile and ballistic weapon attacks.

Multiply falling damage by 0.38 and round up.

‘Mechs and battle armor are capable of moving faster in lower G environments.  Use the following table to determine an adjusted walking and jumping MP.  Then recalculate the running MP normally.

(Game Note: We toned down the actual speed increase associated with Mars gravity due to some rather dramatic results from playtesting.  We knew something was seriously wrong when an assault star of clan Omnis gets steamrolled in four turns by Wave 1.  In this instance, we chose to trump the game rules as written in order to preserve game balance.  I hope you won’t mind.)

Every time a unit spends more MP than it’s standard running MP or jumps farther than it’s normal jumping MP, make a pilot skill roll.  If the roll fails, the ‘Mech takes 1 internal armor damage to each leg for every MP expended over it’s normal running MP and roll for possible criticals.

Trace Atmosphere
(Tactical Operations pg. 54)

Whenever any unit takes damage, roll 2D6.  On a result of 12 the section is breached.  Also, if all external armor is destroyed the section is automatically breached.

No End in Sight

In the unlikely event that the Wolf’s Dragoons player makes it past the third wave, simply repeat Wave 1 and so on until all of the Wolf’s Dragoons are destroyed.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

The Dragoons may claim a Marginal Victory if they can defeat Wave 1 and half of Wave 2.  They achieve Complete Victory if they defeat Wave 2 and a Major Victory if they can defeat half of Wave 3.

The Word of Blake may claim a Major Victory if they can destroy the unbelievers with Wave 1 alone.  They achieve a Complete Victory if they defeat the Dragoons with Wave 2 and a Marginal Victory if they have to bring in Wave 3.

And with it we now have BattleForce record sheets! Get it here.

This is a moment I have been waiting a long time for.  Many thanks go to Catalyst Demo Agent “SkyHigh” for making this recent addition possible.

BattleForce and QuickStrike Made Easy

With easy access to BattleForce record sheets, the gates have been opened to put Strategic Operations to full use.  BattleForce is only the tip of the iceberg.  QuickStrike is a great way to make use of the new record sheets.  You can play fast paced skirmishes or epic regimental slug-fests with relatively minimal setup.  At least you won’t have to fill out countless sheets by hand or bother with the very complicated BattleForce conversion.

BattleTech Force Balancer

An easy way for you to manage your lances/stars is by using the BattleTech Force Balancer.  Get it for free via SourceForge.  You can setup your lances to make the best use of your BattleMechs movement modes.  Another terrific fan produced program.

A great day for BattleTech.  Now get those games running!