A QUICK-PLAYING TACTICAL MINIATURES GAME
For centuries, the armies of the Great Houses have fought to reclaim the glory of the fallen Star League, sending regiments of their elite MechWarriors into battle across hundreds of worlds as humanity slid inexorably toward a new Dark Age. The coming of the Clans— descendants of the lost Star League army—did little to stem the slaughter. It only raised the stakes. Alpha Strike is a new, fast-playing form of the BattleTech game of futuristic, armored combat. Developed for the modern tabletop miniatures wargamer, this book brings players the ability to wage war on land, sea, and air using the Quick-Strike game system first devised for truly large-scale play, re-scaled to the tactical level of “classic” BattleTech. Complete with sample armies and a ready-to-play campaign system, all you need besides this book are dice, miniatures, and tabletop terrain to fight for control over the Inner Sphere on land, sea, and air—one world at a time!
®
©2013 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Alpha Strike, Quick Strike, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech and MechWarrior are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Printed in USA.
WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
BATTLETECH Alpha Strike tm
tm
• CATALYST GAME LABS •
Introduction Alpha Strike Basics Alpha Strike vs. Total Warfare What’s Needed to Play Alpha Strike Alpha Strike at a Glance Additional Material
Introductory Alpha Strike
6 6 7 7 8 8
10
Components 11 The Unit Card 11 Setup 11 Choosing Army Lists 11 Placing Terrain 12 Playing the Game 12 Sequence of Play 12 Victory Conditions 13 Movement Phase 13 Terrain 13 Jumping 14 Combat Phase 14 Resolving Weapon Attacks 15 Resolving Physical Attacks 19 Overheating 20 End Phase 20 Damage 20 Heat 20 Special Abilities 21 Special Ability Descriptions 21
Standard Alpha Strike
22
Components 22 Additional Game Terms for Standard Alpha Strike 22 Setup 23 Choosing Scenario Types 23 Choosing Forces 24 Placing Terrain 25 Playing the Game 25 Sequence of Play 25 Victory Conditions 26 Forced Withdrawal (Optional) 27 Movement Phase 27 Unequal Number of Units 27 Terrain 28 Additional Movement Rules 32 Combat Phase 33 Resolving Weapon Attacks 34 Resolving Physical Attacks 42 Overheating 44
End Phase Damage Heat Special Abilities Special Ability Descriptions C3 Networks
44 44 44 45 45 49
Abstract Aerospace System 52 Control Rolls Aerospace Setup The Radar Map Placing Aerospace Forces on the Radar Map Abstract Aerospace Gameplay Abstract Aerospace Movement Abstract Aerospace Combat Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Ground Attacks Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Air Attacks Resolving Ground-to-Air Combat End Phase Ending Air-to-Air Engagements Aerospace Damage
Advanced Options Advanced Movement Modes Climbing Evading Leaping Intentional Falls from Above Sprinting Transporting Non-Infantry Units Advanced Terrain Bridges Buildings Deep Snow Gravel Piles Hazardous Liquid Pools Heavy Industrial Ice Jungle Magma Mud Planted Fields Rails Rough, Ultra Rubble, Ultra Sand Swamp Tundra Water (Expanded) Woods (Expanded) Bogging Down
53 53 53 54 54 54 55 55 58 60 60 61 61
62 62 62 63 63 63 63 63 64 64 64 64 65 65 65 65 65 66 66 66 66 67 67 67 67 67 67 69 70
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Aerospace Units on the Ground Map 70 Aerodyne Units 70 Spheroid Units and Airships 71 Landing Rolls 72 Aerospace Unit Transports 72 Partial Cover 73 Artillery 73 On-Board Artillery vs. Off-Board Artillery 73 Resolving Artillery Attacks 74 Alternate Munitions 76 Alternate Artillery Munitions 76 Alternate Autocannon Munitions 78 Alternate Bomb Munitions (Bombs/Aerospace Missiles) 78 Alternate Narc/iNarc Pods 79 Alternate LRM/SRM Munitions 79 Battlefield Intelligence 82 Battlefield Intelligence Ratio 82 Battlefield Intelligence Benefits 83 Buildings 83 Building Types 83 Movement Effects 84 Attacking Buildings 85 Walls 86
Capital and Sub-Capital Weapons 86 Airborne Targets 86 Ground Targets 87 Concealing Unit Data 87 Blip Counters 87 Concealing Record Sheets 89 Coordinate System 89 Creating a Coordinate 89 Dropping Troops 90 General Dropping Rules 90 High-Altitude Drops 90 Low-Altitude Drops 90 Zipline Drops 91 ECM/ECCM 91 Ejection/Abandoning Units 91 Environmental Conditions 92 Atmospheric Density 92 Darkness 92 Earthquake 92 Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) 93 Gravity 93 Temperature 94 Wind 94 Other Conditions 95
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
3
Exceptionally Large Units 96 Line of Sight 96 Facing Sides and Firing Arcs 96 Mobile Structures 96 Bay Doors and Transport Special Abilities 97 Boarding Actions 98 Expanded Ground Ranges 99 Extreme Range 99 Horizon Range 99 Fire and Smoke 100 Fires 100 Smoke 101 Hidden Units 102 Hiding on the Ground 102 Surprise Attacks from Hidden Units 102 Minefields 102 Minefields at Setup 102 Minefield Types 102 Targeting and Tracking Systems 103 Terrain Conversion 104 Special Abilities 104 Special Ability Descriptions 104 Converting Alpha Strike to Hex Maps 110 Converting Movement and Distances 110 Line of Sight 110 Terrain Levels and Unit Heights 111 Intervening Terrain on Hex Maps 111
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
114
Setting up the Campaign 115 Force Creation 115 Campaign Turns 115 The Total Chaos Campaign System 116 Tracks 116 Situation 116 Warchest Point System 118 Getting Started 118 Warchest Points Between Tracks 118 Skill Advancement 119 Warchest Campaign Record Sheet 119 Tracks 121 Meeting Engagement 121 Breakthrough 122 Assault 123 Counterattack 124 Pursuit 124 Defense 125
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion Era
126
The Clan Invasion The Battle of Tukayyid The Marik-Liao Offensive The Refusal War The Second Star League The St. Ives War The First Combine-Dominion War Key Conflicts and Campaigns The Clan Invasion The Marik-Liao Offensive The Refusal War Operation BULLDOG The St. Ives War The First Combine-Dominion War Factional Overview: Clan Invasion Era Special Alliances and Enmities Special Rule: Clan Honor
126 127 127 127 128 128 128 129 129 129 130 130 130 131 132 132 132
The BattleTech Universe
142
A History of War 142 Colonizing the Stars 142 The Age of War 143 The Star League 143 The Succession Wars 143 The Clan Invasion 143 Civil War Era 144 The Word of Blake Jihad 144 The Dark Age 144 The Realms of Power 145 House Davion (Federated Suns) 145 House Kurita (Draconis Combine) 145 House Liao (Capellan Confederation) 145 House Marik (Free Worlds League) 146 House Steiner (Lyran Alliance) 146 ComStar 146 Word of Blake 146 The Clans 147 The Periphery 147 Universe Terms 148 BattleTech Resources 154 Core Rulebooks 154 Technical Readouts 155 Plot Sourcebooks 155 Historical Sourcebooks 155 Maps, Terrain, and Miniatures 155
CREDITS Project Development Herbert A. Beas II Writing Herbert A. Beas II Joshua Franklin Jason Schmetzer Paul Sjardijn Based on Original BattleForce 2 Rules by Bryan Nystul Strategic Operations BattleForce and Miniatures Rules Kirk Alderfer Ray Arrastia Matt Murray Rick Sardinas Joel Steverson Product Editing Herbert A. Beas II
BattleTech Line Developer Herbert A. Beas II Assistant Line Developer Ben H. Rome
Map of the Inner Sphere Øystein Tvedten Alpha Strike Data Cards Ray Arrastia
Production Staff Art Direction Ray Arrastia Cover Art Alex Iglesias Cover Design Ray Arrastia BattleTech Logo Design Shane Hartley and Steve Walker Evolved Faction Logos Design Jason Vargas Layout Ray Arrastia Map Diagrams Ray Arrastia
Miniatures Painting & Photography CamosSpecs Online: Ray Arrastia, George Bluoin, William Burt, Roy Carl, Chris Dolega, Paul Eckes, Matt Edwards, Dave Fanjoy, Todd Farnholtz, Matt Frederiksen, Joel Hardwick, Phil Hays, Ross Hines, Michael Holzapfel, David Kerber, Frederic Lagoanere, Steve Livingston, Mark Maestas, Steve McCartney, Ryan Peterson, Brian Plunkitt, Mike Raper, Ben Rome, Lance Scarinci, Paul Sjardijn, Edward Smith, Allen Soles, Drew Williams, and Peter Wort.
Additional Design and Development The following people have been involved in the creation and development of Classic BattleTech rules, either by writing material that was assimilated into the main body of the rules, serving as the BattleTech line developer in the past, or otherwise contributing to the game in a major way. Samuel B. Baker, Herbert A. Beas II, Randall N. Bills, Forest G. Brown, Chuck Crain, Chris Hartford, Clare Hess, Scott Jenkins, J. Andrew Keith, James R. Kellar, Dale Kemper, L.R. “Butch” Leeper, Bryan LiBrandi, Jim Long, David McCulloch, Jim Musser, Bryan Nystul, Mike Nystul, Blaine Pardoe, Boy F. Peterson Jr., Rick Raisley, Jerry Stenson, Christoffer Trossen, Wm. John Wheeler. Acknowledgements To Bryan Nystul, for pioneering the original rules. To Randall N. Bills, for agreeing with me that this would make a great core book addition. To Ray Arrastia, who—in addition to making the eleventh-hour efforts to make all of these words look pretty on a page—has likewise championed the idea of making BattleTech stronger, faster, and better, even if he couldn’t have a more direct hand in the writing phase, To Joshua Franklin, for being three steps ahead of us in actually having the rules compiled and ready while we debated the final form. And, of course, to the BattleTech community, for its endless support! The BattleTech Review Team Army List Support: Joel Bancroft-Connors, Brent Ezell, Joshua Franklin, William Gauthier, Keith Hann, Chris Marti, William Pennington, Luke Robertson, Peter Wort. Playtesters: Peter M. Andrew, Jr., Ray Arrastia, Sam Barnes, Henry “Truegrit” Chen, Nick Connor, “Dropkick”, William “MadCapellan” Gauthier, Keith “Xotl” Hann, Térence “Weirdo” Harris, John “Worktroll” Haward, Chris “Alex Knight” Marti, Robert McKittrick, William J. Pennington, Max “Medron Pryde” Prohaska, Sam “Wasp” Snell, Colin “CharlieTango” Toenjes, Jim “Ratboy” Williamson, Peter “wackrabbit” Wort.
©2013 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Alpha Strike, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, ’Mech, BattleMech, MechWarrior and Topps logo are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in USA. Published by Catalyst Game Labs, an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. PMB 202 303 91st Ave NE E502 Lake Stevens, WA 98258 FIND US ONLINE: [email protected] (e-mail address for any BattleTech questions) http://bg.battletech.com/ (official BattleTech web pages) http://www.CatalystGameLabs.com (Catalyst web pages) http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog (online ordering)
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
5
INTRODUCTION
Izanagi Warriors are joined in battle by a Second Sword of Light Gunslinger.
It is a universe at war. Even as humankind reached out to command the stars, the human lust for conflict and conquest could not be overcome as easily as the distances of light years. Driven by the dream of one day ruling all of humanity, mighty empires formed, fell, and rose again. From the chaos of war arose the Star League, the pinnacle of human civilization, a Golden Age where a lasting peace and time of prosperity seemed possible at last. But greed, ambition, and treachery combined to tear it all down once more, plunging all the worlds humans called home into centuries of simmering conflict. Power over billions now rests in the hands of those who can claim noble blood, or the heritage of elite warriors. Generations of warriors have done battle across countless worlds, fighting for a dream long dead, perpetuating the cycle until few could imagine any other way. The most elite among these warriors— like modern-day knights in the neo-feudal realms that now hold sway—are the MechWarriors, those who command the mightiest war machines of the thirty-first century: BattleMechs. The BattleTech universe is a realm of perpetual war between interstellar dynasties and feuding Clans. It is a realm where humankind’s greatest enemy is itself, rather than alien invaders. It is a universe where flags and governments change with regularity on the border worlds, and high-minded ideals like “honor”, “glory”, and “freedom” are the catchphrases of warlords. It is a universe where life is cheap, but BattleMechs are not.
Alpha Strike Basics Alpha Strike is a fast-playing game of armored combat set in the BattleTech universe, where ongoing warfare and neo-feudalism are the norm. In this future, the pinnacle of human technology is the BattleMech, a hulking, robotic war machine weighing up to 100 metric tons, and bristling with weapons and armor. Piloting these BattleMechs are MechWarriors, the elite warriors of the Great House and Clan armies alike. While the battlefield is also home to the vast gamut of infantry, combat vehicles, aerospace fighters, the BattleMech reigns supreme. With the Alpha Strike rules, players simulate battles between armies with miniatures representing the various battlefield units, and model terrain representing the battlefield itself. Statistical data for each battlefield element is tracked using unit cards, measuring the element’s mobility, armor, firepower, and special abilities. Dice are used to resolve attacks between elements, with successful attacks delivering damage that degrades each unit’s performance. The winner of an Alpha Strike scenario is often the player whose army is the last one standing, but—as in real life—tactics and mission objectives can evolve beyond even that simple definition of success.
Alpha Strike vs. Total Warfare
Players familiar with the BattleTech universe through Total Warfare will notice some immediate differences between those game rules and the ones found in Alpha Strike. For example, where Total Warfare relies on the players using map sheets marked with a hexagonal grid to track movement and range, Alpha Strike is primarily a terrain-driven game. In place of hexes, the ideal way to play Alpha Strike is to employ three-dimensional terrain. This can range from professional-quality, painted and flocked foam and scale model buildings—all materials one might find in any hobby store that caters to model railroad hobbyists and war gamers—or the most basic improvised approximations, such as various books for hills, and paper stand-ups for trees. Overall, the primary goal of any terrain used for Alpha Strike is to achieve a reasonable sense of scale with the miniatures the players are using to represent their forces. (For players who prefer using hex maps in place of threedimensional terrain, rules for converting Alpha Strike to hex map play are provided later in this book.) The rules in Alpha Strike also reduce the detail level found in the Total Warfare style of play, abstracting away the various nuances of each unit’s weapons, armor, and structural designs in favor of a faster-playing system. These rules are actually an adaptation of those presented most recently in our Strategic Operations advanced core rulebook (known there as QuickStrike). As a result, they remain fundamentally compatible with the classic BattleTech game rules.
What’s Needed to Play Alpha Strike To play Alpha Strike, you’ll need the following:
Players Alpha Strike is ideally a “player versus player” wargame (though Alpha Strike campaigns can certainly be run with one player acting as a “gamemaster” who merely runs the forces that oppose the players). As a result, it is kind of hard to have a good game of Alpha Strike with less than two players, so you’ll want to invite your friends in. (It’s downright impossible without any players at all.) Rules This book contains all the core rules needed to play Alpha Strike games ranging in complexity from the basic introductory level through the advanced-level rules suitable for strategic campaigns. Sample company-sized army lists or the Clan Invasion era of play are even provided for players interested in quickly jumping straight into gameplay. Supplemental Rules: To maintain the focus on the basics, this rulebook does leave out some details, most notably unit conversion from standard, Total Warfare-style BattleTech, and a more in-depth look at the alternative eras and factiondriven tactics and technologies. For the conversion rules, players will find the rules in Strategic Operations (see pp. 355381, SO). Future supplemental books—both in printed and in downloadable formats—will be provided in the future, offering larger army lists, support for alternate eras of play, and even introducing special rules to simulate factional flavor, tactics, and technologies.
Dice The primary action resolution system in this game involves rolling dice. Like the other rule sets in the BattleTech game line, Alpha Strike uses six-sided dice (D6s), with most players requiring at least two “six-siders” (2D6) to resolve most actions. Extra dice can be helpful, but are not required. Miniatures Alpha Strike uses standard BattleTech miniatures to represent units. The BattleTech Introductory Box Set comes with a set of plastic miniatures and Iron Wind Metals sells BattleTech metal miniatures in both sets and individual packs. Each unit employed in an Alpha Strike army is represented by its own miniature. Miniature Scale: The miniatures described above are roughly sized to the 1:285 scale. For those familiar with railroading modeling and the like, this makes BattleTech’s preferred miniatures generally compatible with Z-scale models and terrain. (Although Z-scale is technically 1:220, BattleTech miniatures do tend to fluctuate slightly in scale, largely for quality and detail purposes. Because of this, BattleTech miniatures can be viewed more as icons that represent specific units, than a truly accurate to-scale representation of a battlefield unit.) Proxy Miniatures: While having the exact miniature matching the make and model of the players’ units is ideal, it may not always be a practical option for those whose resources are limited. Players should therefore feel free to use substitute miniatures to represent their units as “proxies” for any missing units—so long as the substitute miniatures are at least of a size and general shape that appropriately reflects the unit in question. Because likeness can be a subjective thing, however, using proxy figures should only be employed if all other players agree. Unit Cards Alpha Strike cards are available for download from Catalyst Game Labs. Cards for all the Introductory Box Set units are available for free download from the bg.battletech.com website, and sets of cards for other units are available for purchase. Players armed with the unit’s Alpha Strike stats may also fill in blank cards for themselves. The data recorded on an Alpha Strike unit card is described in the Introductory Alpha Strike rules (see pp. 10-21). Tape Measure You will need at least one measuring device, usually a tape measure. A measuring stick marked with 6”, 24” and 42” marks can be useful for determining range, or a laser sight that measures range. A flexible tape measure can be useful for determining movement around obstructions. Players are free to measure at any time. Measurements: For the purposes of this rulebook, the “Imperial” measuring standard (inches and feet) is used, rather than the metric system. For those comfortable with metric standards wishing to make the conversion, 1 inch (1”) is equal to 2.54 centimeters. Because this can lead to some odd fractional centimeter values, however, we would recommend converting from inches to centimeters using a simpler 2.5 multiplier (thus, marking one’s metric-only tape measure at the 15cm, 60cm, and 105cm lengths).
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
7
Tabletop and Terrain A tabletop is the bare minimum, typically 6’ x 4’ or larger. Miniature trees, buildings, hills and other terrain are then added to produce a simulated battlefield. The rough “real world” scale for this battlefield is approximately 7.5 meters per inch, making the recommended table sizes generally equivalent to a battlefield size 360 to 540 meters across. Measurements: Once more, for players who prefer the metric system, 1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters, and 1 foot (1’) equals 30.48cm. The recommended table size mentioned above thus works out to about 183cm x 121cm.
Alpha Strike at a Glance The cores rules for Alpha Strike are divided into four broad sections in this book, as follows: Introductory Alpha Strike: Following this chapter, the Introductory Rules cover the basics of ground-warfare gameplay, and are best recommended for new players. To keep things simple, the Introductory Rules presume that the players’ forces are entirely composed of BattleMechs, the dominant war machine of the BattleTech setting. Standard Alpha Strike: The standard rules are ideal for players who are comfortable and proficient with the introductorylevel game. Standard Alpha Strike covers the broader range of BattleTech ground warfare, introducing infantry, ProtoMechs, combat vehicles, and other ground combat elements into the general experience. Abstract Aerospace System: This chapter covers the use of aerospace assets that operate above the standard-level Alpha Strike (and occasionally interact with it). This system allows players to resolve movement and combat for aerospace and conventional fighters, small craft, and DropShips.
Advanced Alpha Strike Options: The rules in this chapter present more advanced-level options for games played using the standard Alpha Strike rules, including advanced terrain types, artillery weapon rules, buildings, exotic environmental conditions, fire and smoke, and even conversion rules from terrain-based play to hex-grids. Campaign Play: The last of the core rules sections presented in this book presents a rough structure for resolving a campaign using Alpha Strike rules. This system employs a series of mission tracks designed to simulate a textbook planetary invasion between neighboring factions, beginning with the landing process and continuing to the ultimate conclusion of either glorious conquest or heroic defense.
Additional Material
After the core rules chapters, Alpha Strike features two additional chapters: Campaign Setting: Clan Invasion: This chapter is short review of one of the most formative eras in BattleTech history: the Clan Invasion period, from 3050 to 3062. This chapter quickly summarizes the events and major powers involved in the Clan Invasion, while also providing full, playable stats for sample forces from that era. Players can use these armies, together with the core rules in this book, to play out campaigns set in this historical period. The BattleTech Universe: This final chapter in this book presents a short sourcebook on the overall BattleTech setting, describing the history, major factions, and terminology of BattleTech in broad strokes. Alpha Strike Supplementals: Beyond this book, and over the coming months, players will find downloadable content tailored for use with Alpha Strike via the bg.battletech.com website. This not only includes the Quick-Strike Cards that translate classic BattleTech units into Alpha Strike-playable units, but also includes Alpha Strike Eras—full-size documents that detail the major periods of warfare in the BattleTech universe, complete with larger-size, ready-to-play army lists, and special rules additions to add more flavor and depth to your Alpha Strike games.
Common Game Terms The following terms are commonly used when playing Alpha Strike, and most will appear repeatedly throughout this book: Area of Effect (AoE) – An area of effect refers to a circle around a center point that may be affected by certain weapons or items. Examples of AoE items include electronic countermeasures (ECM) suites, and attacks from artillery weapons. Armor and Structure (A and S) – On an Alpha Strike unit’s card, bubbles are used to indicate the how many points of external (Armor) and internal (Structure) damage the unit can sustain before being destroyed. Damage that strikes Structure bubbles dramatically increases the chances of the unit suffering critical damage. Base-to-Base Contact – When two miniatures are physically touching each other on the table, they are said to be in base-tobase contact. Critical Hit (Critical) – In Alpha Strike, a critical hit refers to a special form of internal damage that impairs a unit’s functions
without necessarily destroying it. Critical hits tend to occur as a result of damage to a unit’s Structure, and can affect mobility, firepower, and effectiveness in a variety of ways. D6 – Alpha Strike uses six-sided dice for game play, using D6 as shorthand for each die a player needs to roll to resolve attacks and so forth. A number preceding D6 refers to how many dice are required for a given action (usually 2D6), with the outcome of the roll determined by adding the dice together. Thus, when a player rolls 2D6 and gets a 3 result on one die, and a 4 on the other, the roll result is added up to 7 (3 + 4 = 7). Damage Value (Damage) – A unit’s Damage Value defines the number of points of Armor and/or Structure damage it can inflict against a target with a successful attack at each range bracket. Heat Scale – Some units—notably ’Mechs and aerospace fighters—can potentially overheat as a consequence of combat actions and conditions. The Heat Scale is the part of the unit’s card used to keep track of the unit’s present heat levels in the event it
Common Game Terms (Continued) does overheat. (See Overheat Value, below; if a unit’s heat scale reaches, or exceeds, “S”, the unit is shutdown.) Inch – The distance measurement used most commonly to define range and height in Alpha Strike is the imperial inch, which uses a double quotation for shorthand (1 inch = 1”). For players converting to metric, 1 inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters, but a more easily recommended conversion of 2.5 cm to the inch is recommended for ease of play. Initiative – In Alpha Strike, Initiative is the gameplay mechanism used to determine movement and combat resolution order. Line of Sight (LOS) – The direct line between two units is referred to as the unit’s Line of Sight. This will be the straightest, shortest distance between the units. A “clear LOS” refers to a line of sight that is not blocked by intervening obstructions. An “obstructed LOS” may have one or more objects between the two units. When two units cannot see each other at all through the objects and terrain between them via this straightest distance, LOS is may be considered blocked entirely. Margin of Failure (MoF) – The difference between a target number and a modified roll result that falls below that number is referred to as the roll’s Margin of Failure (or MoF, for short). Margin of Success (MoS) – The difference between a target number and a modified roll result that equals or exceeds that number is referred to as the roll’s Margin of Success (or MoS, for short). Modified Roll – The result of a dice roll after all modifiers are applied is referred to as a Modified Roll. Modifiers – Any number that is added to (or subtracted from) a dice roll, a target number, damage value, or heat value, is referred to as a modifier. Modifiers that apply to a target number are called TN modifiers or to-hit modifiers. Modifiers that apply to the dice roll result are referred to as roll modifiers. Modifiers that apply to a damage result are referred to as damage modifiers. Modifiers may be added or subtracted as appropriate (positive modifiers are added; negative modifiers are subtracted). Movement (Move) – Alpha Strike units measure the distance they can move in each turn of play in inches. When a letter appears after the number of inches an Alpha Strike unit possesses, it indicates the mode of movement the unit employs, which can active special rules and options such as the ability to jump over interceding terrain or use hovercraft movement to cross water features, and so forth. Multipliers – Multipliers are special modifiers that require the player to multiply a roll result, target number, damage value, and so forth, instead of adding or subtracting. Overheat Value (OV) – A unit’s overheat value indicates the number of additional damage points it can deliver in exchange for suffering overheat effects. Point Value (PV) – A unit’s Point Value measures its approximate battlefield strength, based on a combination of its mobility, armor, structure, weaponry, special abilities, and even its pilot or crew’s skill. Point of Impact (POI) – A point of impact is the targeted center of an area-effect attack.
Range – The distance between two units is often referred to as the range between them. Weapons and certain other items tend to have range values, often described as Short, Medium, Long, Extreme and so forth. These “range brackets” are often used to describe a unit’s overall ability to deliver damage to a target, with shorter-ranged attacks typically more devastating and easier to deliver. Round Up – Recurring rules (often involving multipliers) may request that a player “round up,” “round down” or “round normally,” depending upon the situation. Rounding up means to increase a value to the nearest desired number (usually the nearest whole number), regardless of how small the fraction may be. For example, if a value of 3.1 is achieved and a player is asked to “round up to the nearest whole number,” that 3.1 becomes a 4. Round Down – Rounding down means to decrease the value to the nearest desired number—once again, regardless of the decimal. For example, a value of 3.6 that the player must “round down to the nearest whole number” becomes a 3. Round Normally – Rounding normally means that when the value to be rounded falls closer to a lower target number than a higher one, the player must round down. Conversely, values from the midpoint between two possible target numbers and up to the higher number must be rounded up. For example, a value of 3.4 that the player must “round normally” becomes 3, but a value of 3.5 or more (the midpoint between 3 and 4) would be rounded up to 4. Skill Rating (Skill) – In Alpha Strike, a unit’s Skill Rating refers to the unit’s ability to deliver effective attacks and perform certain actions. Better Skill Ratings are generally coupled with lower base target numbers. For this reason, a unit’s Skill may even be referred to by a number, which describes the unit’s target number to execute attacks before applying any modifiers. Special Ability (Special) – Many units in Alpha Strike feature special abilities. Specials are noted on the unit’s data card using simple abbreviations. Each Special represents a unit bonus capability the unit might be able to use in combat. Target Number (TN) – The number that a dice roll must equal or exceed to achieve a successful result. When referring to attack actions specifically, a target number may also be referred to as a to-hit number. Unit – In these rules, the term “unit” refers to any single unit or group that can be fielded in a BattleTech game and moves and attacks as one. When a group is referred to as a “unit” individual group members may be referred to as “Elements”. Unit Size (Size) – In Alpha Strike play, a unit’s size refers to its weight class. This is generally given in a numerical format, with 1 indicating a Light unit, 2 indicating a Medium unit, and so forth. Unit Type (Type) – A unit’s type is its broad classification, which helps identify basic rules for how it moves and acts in gameplay. In the introductory-level rules, only BattleMech unit types are used. Other types include combat vehicles, infantry, aerospace, and so forth.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
9
Introductory Alpha Strike The mercenary unit Ronim was formed from the Draconis Combine Tenth Ghost Regiment, after refusing orders they deemed a “suicide mission.”
The following introductory-level rules are designed to familiarize new players with the basics of the Alpha Strike game system. As such, they focus entirely on ground warfare between BattleMechs (’Mechs), as they are the primary (and most flexible) of BattleTech’s combat units.
Components Introductory Alpha Strike uses miniatures, six-sided dice (D6s), tape measures and tabletop terrain. These items were described in brief in the previous chapter (see pp. 6-9). Unit cards, which track the vital statistics and conditions of each unit in play, are also required. The data they present is described below.
Unit nAme TP:
SZ:
S (+0) OV:
PV: MOVE:
SKILL:
M (+2)
L (+4)
HEAT SCALE
Damage Value: The numbers shown in this part of the unit card indicates the amount of damage points the unit can deliver at each range bracket—S (+0), M (+2), and L (+4). These range brackets, respectively, are Short, Medium, and Long. If a unit cannot deliver damage at a range bracket, it may have either a 0 in that bracket, or a dash (“—”). Overheat Value (OV) and Heat Scale: For BattleMech units, the Overheat Value indicates the number of damage points the unit can add to its attack, in exchange for suffering an equal amount of heat. Overheating is tracked in the four boxes under the heat scale, with each point of overheat given its own box. If the unit suffers 4 or more points of overheating, it will shutdown (indicated by the “S” in the fourth box of the Heat Scale). Armor and Structure (A/S): The white bubbles in this part of the unit card indicate how many points of external armor the unit possesses, while the gray-shaded bubbles track how many points of internal structure it possesses. When a unit PV has <> is damaged, these bubbles are crossed off. A unit that had all of its structure bubbles marked off is considered to be destroyed. SIZE: MOVE: Special Abilities: In Alpha Strike, units that possess special S (+0) beyond M (+2)movement, L (+4) damage, armor, and battlefield abilities structure, will note these abilities as Special Abilities. These features areOV: described on the1unit HEAT SCALE 2 card 3 S using abbreviations, and are further described later in this book. A: ID: In theS:event that multiple units of the same design are used in a given Alpha Strike scenario, players may differentiate SPECIAL: these units with some form of handy identifying information, recorded on the reverse side of the unit card.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
<>
1 2 3 S
A: S: SPECIAL: TM
AlphA strike stAts
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
TM
AlphA strike stAts Advanced Options
The Unit Card
The following items appear on the Unit Card for BattleMech units: Unit: In Alpha Strike, the term “unit” refers to any single element or group of elements that can be fielded in a BattleTech game. Even when a unit represents multiple elements, the unit moves, attacks, and tracks damage as one. Type (TP): The Type field on a unit card indicates the general classification of a unit in two-letter codes. The BattleMech (BM) is the only unit type covered in Introductory Alpha Strike. Point Value (PV): A unit’s Point Value measures its approximate battlefield strength, based on its combat capabilities. Size (SZ): On the unit card, the unit’s size is a numerical value indicating its weight class. BattleMechs tend to come in four sizes, in increasing weight: 1 (Light), 2 (Medium), 3 (Heavy), and 4 (Assault). Movement (Move): On the unit card, the Move field indicates the number of inches the unit may move during a turn of gameplay. When a letter appears after this number of inches, it indicates a special mode of movement the unit might possess, such as the ability to jump (see Jumping, p. 15). Skill: This blank area on the unit card is where the player can indicate the base to-hit number for the unit’s attacks. (A regular-rated MechWarrior commonly has a value of 4, while a value of 1—or even 0—indicates an elite-rated MechWarrior.)
Setup To begin setup, the controlling player for each side rolls 2D6. The player with the highest dice result is the initiative winner, and thus may choose his desired army list first (see Clan Invasion Army Lists, pp. 135-141). The player with the lowest initiative roll selects his army list last (see p. 115).
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Choosing Army Lists
This rulebook includes a list of forces appropriate to the various major factions of the Clan Invasion era. For the purposes of these rules, these forces are called army lists. Before starting play, each player should choose one of these army lists to serve as his force. (For quicker games, players may choose to play with a portion of their chosen armies.) As long the number of units—and the total Point Values of these units—are equal for all players’ armies, the battle will be even.
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Unit Type Restrictions For the purposes of Introductory Alpha Strike, players must restrict all unit selections to BattleMech-type units only (BM). For your convenience, the sample army lists provided in this book are all of the BattleMech unit type, but on-line supplements and resources will offer a greater range of unit types more suitable for the standard Alpha Strike rules.
11
Preparing Unit Cards The data presented in each army list provides the full Alpha Strike stats for the units in that army list. These statistics must be faithfully copied into the appropriate fields on the players’ unit cards. When translating a unit’s Arm/Str values to a unit card, extra armor and structure bubbles (respectively) beyond those of the unit’s stats must be blacked out prior to play, leaving the remaining bubbles untouched. (For example, the Arm/Str values for the AWS-9M Awesome are given in the Capellan Confederation Army List as 8/4. This means that, when translating the Awesome’s stats to a unit card, all but 8 of the Armor bubbles must be blocked out, while all but 4 of its Structure bubbles must be blocked out.) Alternative Army Lists Beyond the lists presented in this book, players may purchase downloadable supplements on-line that present larger and more varied army lists appropriate to any desired era of BattleTech gameplay. Players comfortable with the rules may even create their own custom army lists by either converting standard BattleTech units to Alpha Strike play (using the rules found in our Strategic Operations advanced rulebook), or by translating the unit’s “QuickStrike” stats as found on the BattleTech Master Unit List (www. masterunitlist.info).
Placing Terrain
In Alpha Strike play, any available terrain is usually selected by the agreement of both players. If the terrain features are modular, the players can even alternate turns adding elements to the terrain table, setting up any hills, water features, woods, and so forth suitable for play. Once the terrain is placed, the initiative winner gets the first pick in declaring an edge of the table area to serve as his army’s “home edge”—the side of the battlefield where his units will enter. The opposite edge then becomes the home edge for the player with the lowest initiative roll. In most scenario types, a player’s units may only exit the map safely through that player’s home edge, but some scenarios may allow (or even require) a player’s units to escape the map via other map edges—perhaps even the home edge of the opposing force. Starting Positions Generally, units begin play off the board, and enter the battlefield area only during the first turn. At the players’ option, units may instead begin play already placed on the board within their deployment zones (defined as the whole map area within 10 inches of the units’ home edge). In this latter case, the player who made the higher Initiative roll during set-up may choose whether to begin setting up his units first or second. Once this is decided, each player takes turn placing one of his units on the map within his army’s deployment zone until all units have been placed. Units may be placed with any facing direction desired. If the opposing armies have an unequal number of units, refer to the Unequal Number of Units rule (see p. 27), to determine how many units must be placed by each player in turn.
Playing the Game This section provides an overview of the Alpha Strike gameplay sequence. For simplicity, these rules presume that each game is made up of two sides, controlled either by two players or by two teams of players. Whenever the rules refer to a player, that term can mean a team of players as well as an individual.
Sequence of Play
An Alpha Strike game consists of a series of turns. During each turn, all units on the table will have an opportunity to move and fire their weapons or make physical attacks. Each turn consists of several smaller turn segments, called phases. During each phase, players may take one type of action, such as movement or combat. The players execute the phases in a given order. Specific actions, movement, effects of damage and so on are fully explained in separate sections later in these rules. Each turn includes the following phases, performed in the following order: Step 1: Initiative Phase Each player rolls 2D6 and adds the results together to determine Initiative; re-roll ties. The player with the higher result wins the Initiative for that turn. Because movement and combat are considered to occur simultaneously in the course of an Alpha Strike game turn, the Initiative winner actually executes unit movement and combat actions after the player(s) with the lower Initiative roll. This simulates a greater awareness of the tactical situation. Step 2: Movement Phase The player with the lowest Initiative roll moves one of his units first. Presuming an equal number of units on the two sides, the Initiative winner then moves one of his units, and the players continue alternating their unit movements until all units have been moved. If the number of units per side is unequal, the player with the higher number of units must move more units in proportion to that of his opponent. See the Unequal Number of Units rule (see p. 27) for a helpful guide to handling unequal force numbers. Step 3: Combat Phase As with the movement phase, the player with the lowest Initiative roll acts first in the Combat Phase, but—rather than alternating actions—this player declares and resolves all of his units’ combat actions at this time, followed by the Initiative winner. In the Combat Phase, each unit may execute one attack. Damage from these attacks is resolved immediately, but the effects do not take place until the turn’s End Phase. This means that a destroyed unit will normally have a chance to return fire.
Step 4: End Phase Both players may complete the End Phase simultaneously. In this phase, each player executes any miscellaneous actions remaining for the turn, such as removing destroyed units, or restarting units that shut down from overheating in a previous turn. The specific rules for such actions state whether or not they take place during the End Phase. After resolving all End Phase actions, the turn ends and the players return to Step 1, repeat all these steps until one side meets its victory conditions for the scenario.
Victory Conditions
In Introductory Alpha Strike, victory is most commonly achieved when one player’s army destroys all of the opposing players’ units. Alternative Victory Conditions Players interested in more variety may assign alternate victory conditions for their Alpha Strike games as they wish. Examples of this include “breakthrough” scenarios, where one side’s goal is to move a certain number of its units across the map and off the opposing edge with minimal casualties, or a “capture the flag” type of scenario, where a player’s force might claim victory by moving its units to a pre-designated point and surviving in that position for a certain number of turns.
Movement Phase Every unit has a base Move listed on its unit card. This value is the maximum number of inches the unit may move during its turn. A unit may move in any direction and—at the end of its movement—may face in any direction. Units need not move their full amount; in place of moving, a unit may simply stand still. A unit may make multiple turns, during the course of its movement, to maneuver around obstacles, so long as the inches traveled are within its maximum Move rating. (Using a flexible tape measure, to correctly measure this indirect distance, is highly recommended.) Terrain may prohibit or impede a unit’s movement, as shown on the Movement Cost Table. Minimum Movement As long as a unit is mobile (meaning that its Move has not been reduced to zero through damage or heat effects), it can always move 2 inches in any direction, regardless of the terrain’s movement costs (unless the terrain in question is prohibited). Facing ’Mech units are considered to be facing the same way as the feet of the miniature representing the unit. A unit’s facing affects combat resolution (see Combat Phase, below), and can only be voluntarily changed during the Movement Phase. Stacking During the Movement Phase, a unit may move through a space occupied by other friendly units, but may not move through unfriendly units at the same elevation. If the units occupy different elevations during a unit’s movement (such as when a ’Mech unit with jumping capability uses it to move), the units are considered to be at different elevations and may pass through the same space. Regardless of how they arrive at their destination, units in Alpha Strike may not occupy the same space on the game table, regardless of any differences in elevation.
Terrain
Terrain may impede movement, costing an extra number of inches to enter or pass through. These extra costs are shown on the Movement Cost Table. Note that multiple terrain conditions may combine for higher movement costs (such as when changing elevations while moving through water). Water: ’Mech units entering water must pay the combined cost of the movement, plus the extra movement costs for water terrain and any level change costs. Level Change: ’Mechs may climb onto and over terrain as steep as 2 inches high (per inch of horizontal travel). Doing so costs 1 extra inch of movement per inch of elevation changed. (For an exception, see Jumping, p. 14). Level changes greater than these are considered prohibited terrain in Alpha Strike, too sheer for the ’Mech to traverse. If the unit does not have enough Move allowance remaining to climb to the desired level of terrain, it must remain at the previous level, and cannot move any further.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
13
Movement Cost Table Terrain Type
Movement Cost
Clear
1”
Rough/Rubble
+1”
Woods
+1”
Water
+1”
Level Changes (up or down) Per 1” elevation
+1” (max 2” per 1” travelled)
2” HILL
4” HILL
WOODS
In the Movement Basics Diagram at right, the Vulture has 10 inches of Movement. To move to Point A, it spends 6 inches of the its available Move to get to the hill, 2 inches to move up the hill, and then 2 more inches to move across the hill. As it has run out of Move, the Vulture stops there, and its controlling player can choose any facing for it to end with. The Vulture cannot move to straight to Point B. The 4” elevation change is more than the 2” allowed for elevation changes per 1” travelled. If the player wishes instead to avoid ending up on top of the hill, the ’Mech can move around the hill to reach Point C. In this case, it spends 6 inches to move below the hill, and its remaining 4 inches are spent moving up the gap between the hill and the woods. The Vulture can also move to Point D and end its movement in the Woods. For that, it spends 7 inches of Move to get to the edge of the Woods. Because Woods cost an extra 1 inch per inch traveled through such terrain, the Vulture can only move 1.5 inches into the Woods before running out of Move. If the player would rather place his Vulture in the water, he can move the ’Mech 4 inches to the water’s edge, spend 2 inches of Move for the elevation change into the water, and then 4 more inches of Move to push through 2 inches of water terrain.
2” DEPTH WATER
• movement basics diagram • Maximum Jump Height: For a jump to be legal, the jumping unit must also be able to clear any terrain it is attempting to pass over. A jumping unit can jump over any terrain that is lower in height than its jump Move rating, so a unit with 6 inches of jumping Move may jump over any obstructions less than 6 inches tall. Downward Jumping: When jumping downward (such as off a cliff or building), a jumping unit may safely jump down from any height. Water: Units with jumping capability may jump into water terrain, but not out of it.
Jumping
Any unit with a “j” listed in its Move statistic is a unit that possesses the ability to jump over intervening obstructions. The distance such units can jump is given as the Move value beside the “j”. Jumping is an alternative movement type that cannot be combined with normal ground movement by the same unit in the same Movement Phase. Units with jumping ability do not always have to jump, and some may even have a shorter Move while jumping than the same unit can move on land. (For example, the JR7-K Jenner, with its Move of 14”/6”j, can use 14 inches of Move on the ground, or jump for 6 inches.) A jumping unit ignores terrain costs for the purposes of movement, and may jump in any direction, regardless of its original facing. Jumping movement always follows the shortest path possible; the player simply chooses an end point (up to the unit’s jumping Move allowance), and the unit lands at that location, with any desired facing direction.
Combat Phase In the Combat Phase, each unit may deliver one attack against another unit, be it a physical attack or a weapon attack. If a unit is unable or unwilling to make an attack in the current turn, it may be skipped for that turn. To make an attack, the controlling player declares which unit is attacking, what unit it is attacking, the nature of the attack (weapon or physical), and—if applicable—how much of his unit’s Overheat Value the attack will use (see Overheating, p. 20). The player then resolves combat for that unit, applies any damage to the target, and then moves on to another available unit to repeat the process until all of his units have made their attacks. If the player wishes a unit not to make an attack, or if a unit is unable to make an attack for any reason, the player may pass for that turn.
Once a player has resolved (or skipped) combat actions for all of his units, the opposing player may then do so for all of his units. In Introductory Alpha Strike, the only valid targets for an attack are other units.
Resolving Weapon Attacks
The sequence for resolving weapon attacks is as follows: Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS) Step 2: Verify firing arc Step 3: Determine range Step 4: Determine to-hit number Step 5: Roll to hit Step 6: Determine and apply damage Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
Step 1: Verify Line of Sight Line of sight (LOS) in Alpha Strike is determined by what a unit can “see” from its vantage point on the table. Units can usually be sighted by simply going to the eye level of the attacking unit and looking at the target miniature. If the target miniature can be seen, then the units have LOS to one another. When this is not possible, players may determine line of sight by running a straight measuring tape or a taut string from miniature to miniature, or perhaps even by using a laser pointer. If less than one-third of a miniature is visible behind solid terrain (such as hills or buildings), then the line of sight is considered to be blocked. Non-solid terrain—such as woods—does not automatically block LOS in the same fashion. In the case of such terrain, line of sight is only considered to be blocked when it passes through 6 inches or more of such intervening non-solid obstructions. Woods that intervene, but do not block, LOS will impose a modifier to the attack’s to-hit numbers (see the ToHit Modifiers Table, p. 16). Adjacent Ground Units: Units in base-to-base contact always have line of sight to each other. Intervening Units: Intervening units are not treated as terrain, and thus have no effect on LOS or attacks. Partial Cover: If more than one-third (but less than twothirds) of a target is hidden behind blocking terrain, LOS is not considered blocked. Instead, the target is said to possess partial cover, and the attacker will apply a modifier to his attack to-hit number as a result (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, p. 16). Woods: Units do not receive partial cover from woods terrain. Water: ’Mech units that are standing in Water terrain at a depth (negative elevation) level of 1 inch will receive partial cover benefits from the water. Because the water surrounds the ’Mech, this partial cover applies even if the attacker is standing at a higher level than the target and would ordinarily be able to see the target’s legs. If a unit is completely submerged within water (such as a ’Mech unit standing in water features 2 or more inches deep), LOS to (and from) the submerged unit is considered to be blocked.
LIGHT WOODS TEMPLATE
introduction ELEVATION 5”
2” HILL
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
• line of sight diagrams •
In the Line of Sight diagram, BattleMech A wants to target BattleMech B. From the perspective of BattleMech A, the only thing the controlling player sees between the two units is a woods template. Using a measuring tape drawn between the two units to find how many inches of Woods terrain intervene, the player finds that he is trying to target a unit through 7 inches of light woods intervene. Because this is more than 6 inches, LOS between the two BattleMechs is actually blocked; BattleMech A therefore cannot attack BattleMech B. The controlling player decides instead to target Ground Vehicle C. Unfortunately, when he leans down to the mini’s level to check LOS, he finds that Vehicle C is actually hidden by the low ridge between them. This leaves only Vehicle D, a VTOL currently flying at an elevation level of 5 inches above the table, as the only target that BattleMech A can see from its vantage point. BattleMech A’s player notes that even this LOS passes over the woods terrain between them, and verifies with a straight-edge that the attack will pass through some wooded terrain.
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
15
• alpha strike
firing arcs diagram •
Step 2: Verify Firing Arc Every unit in Alpha Strike has a particular field of fire into which the unit may make attacks. These fields of fire, based on the unit’s type and its facing, are known as firing arcs. A ’Mech unit’s firing arcs extend to the edge of the battlefield in the directions indicated by the diagram. If more than half of the target unit’s base lies outside the attacker’s firing arc, then the attack cannot be made.
To-hit modifiers table RANGE MODIFIERS Range
Distance
Modifier
Short
Up to 6”
+0
Medium
>6” to 24”
+2
Long
>24” to 42”
+4
TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1
Step 3: Determine Range Alpha Strike uses fixed range brackets for all weapon types. To determine a unit’s range, measure the distance from the edge of the attacker’s base to the edge of the target’s base, and compare this number to the Alpha Strike Range Table, to determine what range bracket the target lies in. A unit’s successful attack will deliver a certain amount of damage to the target at each of the indicated ranges, but not all units can deliver damage at every range bracket. If a unit’s damage value in a given range bracket is given as a 0 or a dash (“—”) on its unit card, the unit cannot make a weapon attack at that range. Base-to-Base Contact: Units may not make weapon attacks against targets with which they are in base-to-base contact. Against such units, the attacker may only deliver a physical attack (see Resolving Physical Attacks, p. 19).
Target’s Available MP
Modifier
0-4”
+0
5”-8”
+1
9”-12”
+2
13”-18”
+3
19”-34”
+4
35”+
+5
Jump Capable
+1
TERRAIN MODIFIERS Terrain
Modifier
Woods
+22
Partial Cover
+2
PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS
ALPHA strike range table
Physical Attack Type
Modifier
Charge
+2
Death From Above
+3
Melee
+1
Standard
+0
Distance
Range
Up to 6”
Short
Over 6” and up to 24”
Medium
Target
Modifier
Long
Is Shutdown/Immobile
–4
Over 24” and up to 42”
TARGET MODIFIERS
MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number Once a player has determined that he has LOS to his target, that the target is within the attacking unit’s firing arc, and within a range bracket it can deliver damage to, he must determine the to-hit number. The player’s dice roll must equal or exceed this tohit number in order to score a successful attack against his target. The base to-hit number for all attacks is the unit’s Skill Rating. This number is then modified based on the attack’s range bracket, the target’s movement capability, terrain features, and other miscellaneous situations. The modifiers applicable to Introductory Alpha Strike are shown on the To-Hit Modifiers Table. Unless otherwise stated, all modifiers are cumulative, which means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number to find the final to-hit number.
Attacker
Modifier
Fire Control Hit
+23
Overheated
+ Heat Level [1-3]4
Modifier Modifier is based on the unit’s available movement, modified by heat levels and critical hits (if applicable). For units with multiple movement modes, apply the modifier from the mode that has the highest modifier. Inches actually moved by the unit are irrelevant. 2 Modifier applies if terrain is intervening or occupied by target. 3 This modifier may apply multiple times, but does not apply to physical attacks. 4 Heat modifiers do not apply to physical attacks. 1
WOODS
Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a movement modifier for target’s available movement. Occupying and Intervening Terrain: Terrain is occupied if any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. Terrain is intervening if the Line of Sight passes through it before reaching the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 15). In the To-Hit Roll diagram, Alice’s CTF-3L Cataphract stands at Point A and is attacking an ANV-3M Anvil at Point B. Alice’s ’Mech has a Skill rating of 3, establishing her base to-hit at 3. She then applies the following modifiers: The Anvil is 2 inches away, and thus at short range (no modifier). The Anvil’s available Move is 10”/4”j. The 10” ground movement provides a target movement modifier of +2, while the 4”j provides only +1 (+0 for the 4” movement, +1 for jump capability = +1 total). As the ground movement modifier is higher, +2, is used. Next, Alice adds 2 because the Anvil is in water that provides partial cover. This makes the final, modified to-hit number 7 (3 [Skill Rating] + 0 [short range] + 2 [target movement] + 2 [partial cover] = 7). Alice will need to roll 7 or higher on 2D6 to successfully hit her target. Step 5: Roll to Hit To execute an attack, the controlling player rolls 2D6 for each unit and compares the total to the modified to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack succeeds. Otherwise, the attack fails. Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage When an attack is successful, its damage is applied immediately, but damage effect will not take place until the End Phase. Before damage can be applied, the attack direction and amount of damage must be determined. Attack Direction: When an attack hits a unit, it must be determined whether or not it strikes the target’s front or rear. To determine this, lay a straightedge from the center of the attacker’s base to the center of the target’s base. If the attack enters through the rear hex side of the target’s base, the attack direction is to the target’s rear. Otherwise, the damage applies to the front of the target. If the straightedge crosses at the intersection of two hex sides, the target chooses which side is hit by the attack. Amount of Damage: The base amount of damage delivered by a successful weapon attack is equal to the attacking unit’s damage value at the appropriate range bracket. If the target is at short range, the base damage is that listed in the attacking unit’s S value. For a target at medium range, the M value is used. For a target at long range, the L damage value applies. Add 1 point of damage to any successful attack that strikes its target in the rear. Units that track heat may inflict additional damage on their targets at the expense of overheating. The decision to overheat for additional damage potential must be made when the attack is declared, but before it is resolved (see Overheating, p. 20).
1” DEPTH WATER
introduction
• to-hit roll diagram • Heat Special Ability: Some units have a preponderance of heat-generating weapons. Units with this feature will reflect this in the unit’s stats via the Heat special ability (HT#). The Heat special ability will also include a numeric rating (for example, HT1), which will indicate the number of additional heat points that will be applied to the target in the End Phase of the turn when the attack hits. (This heat applies in addition to the indicated amount of the unit’s normal weapon attack damage, so a unit that can deliver 3 points of damage and has the HT1 special will deliver 3 points of damage plus 1 point of heat.) A unit may be struck by multiple attacks that deliver heat, but no unit may gain more than 2 points of heat per turn in this fashion. Applying Damage The following questionand-answer process covers the recording of damage from a successful attack. Question 1: Does the target unit have armor (Arm) bubbles remaining on its unit card? Yes: Check off one armor bubble for every point of • attack direction damage delivered against the diagram • unit, until all damage is applied or all armor is destroyed. Then proceed to Question 2. No: Proceed to Question 3. Question 2: Is there attack damage remaining? Yes: Proceed to Question 3 to allocate remaining damage. No: The attack is finished. Question 3: Does the target unit have structure (Str) bubbles remaining? Yes: Check off one structure bubble for every point of damage delivered, until all damage is applied or all structure is destroyed. Then proceed to Question 4. No: Proceed to Question 4. Question 4: Is there damage remaining? Yes: The target unit is destroyed. No: Go to Question 5. Question 5: Does the target unit have structure bubbles remaining? Yes: Roll once on the Determining Critical Hits Table (see Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 18). The attack is finished. No: The target unit is destroyed.
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
17
Kevin’s RFL-3N Rifleman begins the turn undamaged, and so it has 4 points of armor and 5 points of structure. This Combat Phase, the ’Mech is hit by weapon attacks from a STK-5S Stalker and a BSW-X1 Bushwacker. After checking the attack directions, Kevin’s opponents find all shots will strike his Rifleman on the front. The Stalker is attacking from medium range and will thus deliver 3 points of damage. Kevin marks off 3 armor bubbles, leaving 1 armor and 5 structure circles for his Rifleman. Because the damage has not marked off any structure bubbles, there is no Critical Hits roll. The Bushwacker, also attacking from medium range, also delivers 3 points of damage. Kevin marks off the last bubble of armor on his Rifleman and 2 points of structure, leaving it with no armor bubbles, and 3 bubbles of structure. Kevin informs his opponent that the attack has hit his structure. This means there is a chance for a Critical Hit. His opponent rolls 2D6, getting a 10 result, and consults the Determining Critical Hit Table. This means the Rifleman has taken a Fire Control Hit. In future turns, the Rifleman will suffer an additional +2 to-hit modifier to its weapon attacks. Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits Any time a hit damages structure, critical damage may occur that further weakens or impairs the target unit. To determine whether a unit suffers a critical hit—and the nature of such damage—the attacker rolls 2D6 and consults the Determining Critical Hits Table. Critical Hits must be clearly marked on the unit’s card. The effects of all critical hits are permanent. If the given critical hit effect does not apply to the unit in question (for example, a weapon hit on a unit that has already had all of its damage values reduced to zero), apply 1 additional point of damage to the unit instead, but do not roll for additional critical hits as a result of this extra damage. Critical Hit Effects The following describes the effects of each critical hit type described in the Determining Critical Hits Table.
Determining Critical Hits table 2d6 Roll
Effect
2
Ammo Hit
3
Engine Hit
4
Fire Control Hit
5
No Critical Hit
6
Weapon Hit
7
MP Hit
8
Weapon Hit
9
No Critical Hit
10
Fire Control Hit
11
Engine Hit
12
Unit Destroyed
This Sunder has clearly taken a Weapon Hit, and likely an MP Hit.
Ammo Hit: Unless the unit has the CASE, CASEII, or ENE special abilities, the unit is destroyed. If the unit has CASE, it suffers 1 additional point of damage (roll again on the Determining Critical Hits Table if this damages structure). If the unit has the CASEII or ENE special abilities, apply no additional damage and treat the result as No Critical Hit. Engine Hit: The unit’s power system has been damaged. The engine hit will cause the unit to generate 1 heat point any time it fires its weapons without delivering any extra damage from overheating. (The unit may still use overheating to add damage to its attacks, but this heat will add to the 1 point generated by the engine hit.) A second Engine Hit critical will destroy the unit. Fire Control Hit: Some mechanism for controlling the unit’s weapons has been damaged. This could represent anything from arm actuator damage to sensor hits. Each Fire Control Hit adds a cumulative to-hit modifier of +2 for all subsequent weapon attacks by the damaged unit. (This modifier will not apply to physical attacks.) MP Hit: Something related to the unit’s ability to move has been damaged. The affected unit loses half of its current Move, rounding normally (to a minimum Move loss of 2 inches). If a unit is reduced to a Move of 0 inches (or less) in this fashion, the unit may no longer move. No Critical Hit: The hit causes not critical effect. Unit Destroyed: The unit has suffered fatal damage and is eliminated from the game. Weapon Hit: This hit represents the destruction of a number of weapons on the affected unit. All damage values are reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0). Weapon Hits do not affect a unit’s physical attack values.
Resolving Physical Attacks
Physical attacks follow a process similar to weapon attacks, but since range is not a factor, several steps are omitted. The process for resolving physical attacks is: Step 1: Determine physical attack type Step 2: Determine to-hit number Step 3: Roll to hit Step 4: Determine and apply damage Step 5: Roll for critical hits (if applicable) Step 1: Determine Physical Attack Type There are three types of physical attack that ’Mechs may perform: Standard, Melee and Special. A unit may only make one physical attack type per turn. Units cannot make a physical attack in the same turn they have made a weapon attack. Standard Physical Attacks: Standard physical attacks consist of punches and kicks where the ’Mech uses its limbs to inflict damage on a target. Standard physical attacks can only occur when the attacker is within 1 inch of its target, and the target is within the attacking unit’s firing arc (see Verify Firing Arcs, p. 16). Melee Physical Attacks: Only ’Mechs with the Melee (MEL) special ability may make Melee physical attacks. The unit uses a weapon to augment its normal physical attack damage. Units that have a Melee special ability may not choose to make a Standard physical attack instead. Melee physical attacks can only occur when the attacking unit is within 2 inches of its target and the target unit is also within the attacking unit’s firing arc (see Verify Firing Arcs, p. 16). Special Physical Attacks: Charge and Death from Above (DFA) attacks are more aggressive and risky physical attacks. Only one of these special physical attacks may be attempted per target, per turn—once a unit has been targeted for a Special physical attack, it cannot be the target of any further Special physical attacks. Charges and Death From Above attacks can only be completed if the attacking unit can move far enough to end its movement in base-to-base contact with its target, and—because of this—these attacks can only be made against targets that have already completed their movement. (In addition, the Death from Above attack may only be attempted by units that have sufficient jumping Move to reach the target.) Step 2: Determine To-Hit Number The base to-hit number for all physical attacks is the unit’s Skill Rating. This number is modified based on the physical attack type chosen, the target’s movement capability, terrain features, and other miscellaneous situations. The modifiers applicable to physical attacks in Introductory Alpha Strike are shown on the To-Hit Modifiers Table. Unless otherwise stated, all modifiers are cumulative, which means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number to find the final to-hit number. Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a movement modifier for target’s available movement. Occupying and Intervening Terrain: Terrain is occupied by a unit if any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. Terrain is intervening if the attacker’s LOS passes through it before reaching the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 15).
Step 3: Roll to Hit Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is successful. Otherwise, the attack fails. Step 4: Determine and Apply Damage When a physical attack is successful, its damage is applied immediately, but does not take effect until the End Phase. All physical attack damage is applied in the same fashion as weapon attack damage. Standard and Melee physical attack damage is equal to the unit’s Size value, though units with the Melee special ability add 1 additional damage point to this number. Special physical attacks use different rules for determining damage, as described below. Charge Attacks In a Charge attack, the attacking unit uses its Charge ground movement to ram Damage table into its target, using its mass and speed to deliver Unit Multiply damage. A successful Size Move by Charge can thus damage 1 .25 both the attacker and the 2 .50 target. The charging unit’s 3 .75 damage is based on its weight and the distance it 4 1 traveled in the Movement Death from Above: Add +1 Phase. To find this damage, damage for Death from Above take the total inches the (DFA) attack attacker traveled, divide that by 2, and multiply by the result by the value shown on the Charge Damage Table, rounding normally. The result is the amount of damage inflicted against the target unit. Damage to Attacker: If the Charge attack is successful, the attacking unit also suffers 1 point of damage if its target is Size 3 or higher. This damage does not count as an attack by the target unit, which may attack normally during its Combat Phase. Death from Above Attack In order to execute a Death from Above (DFA) attack, the attacking unit must have jumping movement. Airborne units may not be targeted by a Death from Above attack. On a successful DFA attack, the attacking unit delivers damage to its target equal to its Charge damage +1 (see the Charge Damage Table). Damage to Attacker: If the DFA attack succeeds, the attacking unit also suffers damage equal to its own Size. This damage does not count as an attack from the target unit, so the target may attack normally during its own Combat Phase. If the DFA is unsuccessful, the attacking unit suffers 1 point of damage (+1 extra damage point if the attacker’s Size is 3 or higher).
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
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Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits Physical attacks may inflict critical hits just like weapon attacks. Refer to Roll for Critical Hits (see p. 18). Death from Above: A successful DFA automatically results in 1 roll on the Determining Critical Hits Table against the target unit, even if the target suffered no structure damage as a result of the attack. If the target did suffer structure damage as a result of the DFA attack, an additional roll for critical hits must be made.
Overheating
Many ’Mechs have an Overheat Value (OV) shown on the unit card. This number reflects the fact that these units have more weapons than they can safely fire. A warrior piloting such a machine can push his unit beyond its safety limits to inflict extra damage. However, the heat build-up caused by such action will slow the unit down and cause its targeting systems to behave erratically until the ’Mech has a chance to cool off. Using Overheat Value An attacking player must announce his use of Overheat Value— and how many points of OV he wishes to use—before resolving the attack’s to-hit roll. A unit with OV can apply anywhere from a minimum of 0 OV points to a maximum equal to the unit’s OV rating. If the attack succeeds, it deals extra damage at the Short or Medium range brackets equal to the OV points used when the attack was announced. For each point of Overheat Value a unit uses in this fashion, one point of Heat is added to the unit’s Heat Scale (see Heat, p. 20). If the overheating unit is in water, it reduces this heat level by 1 point. Heat Special Ability: Attacks using the Heat (HT#) special ability may not be augmented by overheating. Physical Attacks: Physical attacks may not be augmented by overheating. Overheat Long (OVL) Special Ability: If a unit has the OVL special ability, its use of Overheat will also increase its damage value in the Long range bracket in the same manner as it will for Short and Medium range.
End Phase The following describes the rules for the End Phase of an Alpha Strike turn. Both players may complete this phase simultaneously.
Damage
Unless overridden by a special ability, all damage inflicted during the Combat Phase takes effect during the End Phase. This includes all Critical Hit effects as well, and all units that are destroyed must be removed from play at this time.
Heat
The boxed numbers and the letter “S” to the right of the Overheat Value represent the unit’s heat scale. When a unit overheats, the amount by which it overheats is added to the unit’s heat level, which is then marked on the heat scale. A unit’s current heat level will be added to its weapon attack target numbers, and twice its current heat level (in inches) will be subtracted from the unit’s ground movement rating. (Jumping Move is not affected by the heat scale.) Heat scale levels should be marked in pencil, as a unit’s heat will rise and fall throughout game play. Remember that heat levels do not actually change until the End Phase of the turn in which the unit overheated. Thus, modifiers caused by overheating do not impact the attack that causes the overheating to begin with; they will instead affect the unit during its next turn. Heat (HT#) Special Ability: The Heat special ability (see p. 20) reflects units that are capable of raising a target unit’s heat via outside heat sources (such as flamer weapons). In a single turn, no unit may receive more than 2 points of heat from attacks made using this special ability. If a unit capable of building heat has already generated 2 points of heat during the turn from HT# attacks, the unit does not receive any additional heat effects; instead, the extra heat points from these attacks are simply lost.
Maximum Overheat and Heat Scale Effects Using Overheat will add to a unit’s Heat Value and can cause a unit to move slower and be less accurate in later turns. A unit cannot overheat more than the heat scale will allow (see Heat, p. 20).
Shutdown The maximum heat level of 4 appears on the heat scale as an S, which represents automatic shutdown. A unit reaching this level on the heat scale shuts down, and cannot expend Move or attack in the following turn. Attacks against a shutdown unit apply a –4 to-hit modifier, and ignore all target movement modifiers during that turn, including any modifiers for the targets jump capability (if applicable).
The STK-3F Stalker has the following stats on its unit card: Damage (S/M/L) 3/4/2, OV 3, and does not have the OVL special ability. With the OV of 3, it can overheat by up to 3 points in a turn. This mean it can inflict up to 6 points of damage at Short range (3 + 3 = 6), or 7 points at Medium range (4 + 3 = 7), but still delivers only 2 points of damage at Long range because it does not have the OVL special ability. In the next turn, this Stalker can only overheat by 1 additional level, because only one space is left on the heat scale (shutdown). It cannot overheat again by 2 or 3 until it cools down.
Cooling Down Any unit that used Overheating in the current turn will increase its Heat level as mentioned above, and thus will not cool down at all in the End Phase. If a unit outside of water (or in water terrain of less than 2 inches in depth) made a weapon attack in the current turn—but does not use Overheat—its Heat Level will remain unchanged in the End Phase. A unit in water of 2 inches in depth that used only 1 point of Overheat will also not change its current Heat Level in the current End Phase.
Heat levels will thus decrease during the End Phase only as follows: A unit that begins the End Phase as a shutdown unit automatically drops to a Heat Level of 0 (and restarts). A unit does not make a weapon attack in the current turn also reduces its Heat Level to 0. A unit that enters water of 2 or more inches in depth will reduce its Heat Level by 1 point, as long as it did not use any Overheat in the current turn. Caleb’s Loki Prime overheats by 2 in the current turn (but could have gone as high as 3). Caleb marks the 2 box on the Heat Scale of his unit’s card during the End Phase of the turn. Starting with the following turn, and as long as the Loki remains at this heat level, it will lose 4 inches of Move (2 Heat x 2 inches), and suffer a to-hit modifier of +2 to all weapon attacks. Unless the Loki forgoes a weapon attack or enters water deep enough to submerge itself, it will remain at a Heat Level of 2. If, in the next turn, Caleb uses another 2 points of Overheat, his Loki will automatically shut down in the End Phase of that turn, and will thus be unable to move or make weapon attacks for another full turn. If the Loki is not destroyed during the turn in which it is shutdown, it will return to a Heat Level of 0 and restart in that turn’s End Phase.
Special Abilities Special abilities reflect extra features of a unit’s performance created by its equipment or unit type. While most of these provide units with additional benefits, some special abilities may also reflect handicaps or restrictions. If a special ability contradicts the basic gameplay rules, the ability takes precedence. Units may have multiple special abilities. If two special abilities contradict each other, refer to the detailed ability description for additional instructions. The special ability descriptions below describe abilities usable in Introductory Alpha Strike. Any special abilities not found in the list below have no effect in the introductory level of play, but may be used in standard or advanced Alpha Strike.
Introductory alpha strike
Special Ability Descriptions
These abilities are listed by name, with their common abbreviation given in parentheses. Special abilities followed by a numeric designator (#) indicate indicates that may have variable effect based on the number used. For example, a unit with HT1 indicates a unit that can deliver 1 heat point in a successful attack against a targeted unit, while a unit with HT2 can deliver 2 heat points. CASE (CASE) Units with this ability can minimize the catastrophic effects of an ammunition explosion and thus can survive Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 18), but will suffer additional damage. CASE II (CASEII) Units with this ability have superior protection against ammunition explosions and can ignore Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 18). Energy (ENE) A unit with this ability has little to no ammo to explode, and ignores Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 18). Heat (HT#) Units with this ability apply heat to the target’s Heat scale during the End Phase of the turn in which they deliver a successful weapon attack. If the target is a unit type that does not use a Heat Scale, the heat this ability would normally produce is added to the normal attack damage instead (see Determine and Apply Damage, p. 17). Melee (MEL) This special ability indicates that the ’Mech is equipped with a physical attack weapon, and adds 1 additional point of physical attack damage on a successful Melee-type physical attack (see Resolving Physical Attacks, p. 19).
Wolverine II WVR-7H, Mercenary
introduction
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Overheat Long (OVL) A unit with this special ability may overheat up to its OV value and apply that value to its Long range damage value as well as the unit’s Short and Medium range damage values. (A unit without this special ability may only apply the damage benefits of its Overheat capabilities to damage delivered in the Short and Medium range brackets.)
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Standard Alpha Strike
Clan Wolf forces hold fast the gates of the Kerensky Blood Chapel against all contenders.
The following Alpha Strike rules are considered to be suitable for standard-level play. As they cover the broad spectrum of ground units available to armies in the BattleTech setting, they are naturally more expansive than those found in Introductory Alpha Strike game system. While these rules are mainly focused on ground-level warfare, they are also designed to work alongside the aerospace component of the game, which will be covered in the next chapter. For this reason, many references between the two chapters may be expected. Players of standard-level Alpha Strike, however, need not feel obligated to include all of these unit types in a given force.
Components Standard Alpha Strike uses the same basic components found in Introductory Alpha Strike, including miniatures, six-sided dice, tape measures and tabletop terrain. These items were described in brief in the previous chapter (see pp. 10-21). The unit cards, which track the vital statistics and conditions of each unit in play, are likewise used in the same basic fashion as those required for the introductory-level game, but the increased range of unit types will add new data are described in the additional game terms below.
Additional Game Terms for Standard Alpha Strike
The following terms are commonly used when playing standard-level Alpha Strike, and add to those discussed in the introduction of this book: Unit: Under these rules, the term “unit” still refers to any single element or group of elements that can be fielded in an Alpha Strike game, as long as it moves and attacks as one. BattleMechs, IndustrialMech, combat vehicles, support vehicles, conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, DropShips, and mobile structures all operate as single-element units. ProtoMechs operate in five-element groups often referred to as Points, which also act as one unit in gameplay. Conventional battle armor, meanwhile, treats groups of troopers as single unit called a Point or squad (depending on the faction that uses them). The same goes for conventional infantry units, which are fielded in single units of troopers organized as platoons or Points. Unit Type: Where Introductory Alpha Strike covered only BattleMech (BM) unit types, Standard Alpha Strike adds the IndustrialMech (IM), ProtoMech (PM), combat vehicle (CV), support vehicle (SV), aerospace fighter (AF), conventional fighter (CF), spheroid DropShip (DS), aerodyne DropShip (DA), small craft (SC), mobile structure (MS), conventional infantry (CI), and battle armor (BA) unit types. The unit’s type not only determines vital
information like restricted terrains and operating conditions, but also determines what critical hit table is used for the unit as it suffers damage in combat. ’Mechs: Under Alpha Strike, the term ’Mech (by itself ) will generally refer to both BattleMechs and IndustrialMechs. ProtoMechs, which operate in many ways similar to BattleMechs, will nevertheless be referred to separately. DropShips: Under Alpha Strike, the term DropShip (by itself ) will generally refer to both spheroid DropShips and aerodyne DropShips. Ground Units: In Alpha Strike, references to ground units includes ’Mechs, ProtoMechs, infantry, battle armor, and ground vehicles. Ground Vehicles: In Alpha Strike, references to ground vehicles includes any combat vehicle or support vehicle that uses tracked (t), hover (h), or wheeled (w) movement. Wingin-ground effect (WiGE) vehicles, which use the (g) movement type, may often be classified as ground vehicles as well, but also share features with VTOLs and naval vehicles, and thus are not always covered by this term. Air Vehicles: In Alpha Strike, references to air vehicles refer to any combat vehicle or support vehicle that uses VTOL (v) movement, but can also refer to wing-in-ground effect (WiGE) vehicles (g) due to their unique motive system. Air vehicles are not considered true aerospace units in the BattleTech setting, and are thus not governed by the same rules. Naval Vehicles: In Alpha Strike, references to naval vehicles cover any combat vehicle or support vehicle that uses naval (n) or submersible (s) movement. Aerospace Units: In Alpha Strike, references to aerospace units cover any units that have Thrust ratings instead of Move ratings. This includes support vehicles built as fixed-wing or airship units, conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips. Force (or Army): In an Alpha Strike, game, a player’s army list is also known as his force. Epending on the scale of the game being played, a force can range in size from a singleelement unit, to a full regimental combat team or larger. Under these rules, a player’s force includes all of the units on his side of the game. Formation: In an Alpha Strike game, a formation refers to the organization of units within a player’s force. The most common formations used by the various factions in BattleTech typically begin with 4-unit lances, which combine into 3-lance companies, 3-company battalions, and ultimately to 3-battalion regiments. Many factions vary or customize these formations. The Clan factions, for instance, use 5-unit Stars, 2-Star Binaries, 3-Star Trinaries, Clusters comprised of 3 to 5 Binaries or Trinaries, and Galaxies comprised of 3 to 5 Clusters. When the size of a formation is important in the rules, it will be specified. Thrust: Aerospace units in Alpha Strike have a Thrust rating instead of Move. This rating is a point value, rather than a measure in inches, due largely to the more abstract mechanisms that govern aerospace combat in this game. Vehicles: In Alpha Strike, a reference to vehicles without specifying a particular vehicle type includes all combat and support vehicles that use Move ratings (but not Thrust ratings), including Air Vehicles, Ground Vehicles, and Naval Vehicles.
Setup To begin setup, the controlling player for each side rolls 2D6. For the duration of the game setup, the player with the highest dice result is the setup initiative winner. The initiative winner chooses the scenario type, gets the first pick when choosing forces, and wins the right to select the home edge of the map for his army during the game. The player with the lowest initiative roll selects his army list last (see p. 115), and gets to place the terrain.
Choosing Scenario Types
In most games of Alpha Strike, scenarios need not be any more complicated than straight last-man-standing battles between the opposing forces. Below are just a few suggestions players can try to add more spice to their Alpha Strike games. Other possibilities exist, of course, based on the players’ imagination. Planetary Assault Campaign In the Campaign Play chapter (see pp. 114-125), a multiscenario campaign is sketched out that describes the basics of a planetary assault. The “tracks” presented there are designed to serve as a guide for Alpha Strike scenarios that can be used at each key battle point of the campaign. Players are encouraged to consider those tracks as options for individual Alpha Strike scenarios, or simply choose their sides and play out the full assault from start to finish. If playing the full campaign, disregard the standard scenario setup rules presented here. Instead, the setup initiative winner may simply elect to be the attacking force or the defending force for the entire planetary assault campaign, and use the setup rules provided for each track as provided.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Stand-Up Fight Scenario The basic stand-up fight is a straightforward scenario. Two evenly-matched forces—both in numbers and total Point Value—do battle until one side is destroyed or forced to withdraw.
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Hold the Line Scenario In this scenario, one player serves as defender against at least twice as many attacking units. The defender wins by defeating a number of attacking units equal to the defenders’ starting number of units. The attacker wins by defeating all defenders before that occurs.
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
Breakthrough Scenario In this scenario, one player is the attacker, and the other is the defender. Both forces start evenly matched—both in numbers and in total Point Value—but the attacker’s primary goal is to cross the board, from his starting deployment zone, and escape through the defender’s home edge, with at least half of his units surviving to make their escape. The defender wins by preventing this.
The BattleTech Universe
23
Capture the Objective Scenario In this scenario type, the opposing forces are evenly matched in numbers and in total Point Value. During set-up, one or more objective markers are placed on the board along with the terrain (see Objective Markers, p. 25). Depending on player preference, either one side or both sides must then attempt to capture these objective markers during the course of the scenario, while their opponents attempt to prevent this.
Choosing Forces
The small army lists provided in this book are appropriate forces to the various major factions involved in the Clan Invasion era. Designed mainly for quick, introductory-level play, they focus entirely on ’Mech units, but larger, combined-arms armies may be found in our downloadable Alpha Strike Supplemental series. Before starting play, each player should choose one of these army lists to serve as his force. Players interested in shorter games may choose to employ only a portion of these army lists for a given scenario. Alternatively, players may combine two or more army lists per side to create even larger, and more involved forces. Alternative Army Lists Beyond the lists presented in this book, players may purchase downloadable supplements on-line that present larger and more varied army lists appropriate to any desired era of BattleTech gameplay. Players comfortable with the rules may even create their own custom army lists by either converting standard BattleTech units to Alpha Strike play (using the rules found in our Strategic Operations advanced rulebook), or by translating the unit’s “Quick-Strike” stats as found on the BattleTech Master Unit List (www.masterunitlist.info). Force Balancing For the purposes of establishing game balance, every Alpha Strike unit has a Point Value (PV) that provides a numerical estimation of its overall combat ability. Forces with roughly the same total PV and the same numbers of units should thus be of similar combat ability, thus offering an even match. If players choose to use partial (or multiple) army lists, the total PV and number of units for each force should be likewise balanced to have an even game. For greater challenge, of course, players may choose mismatched sides, perhaps trading numbers of units for units that have higher PVs due to greater skill or more powerful units. Total Point Values within 5 percent of each other for such mismatched forces might still suggest a fair fight under these conditions, but the sheer numerical difference will certainly make it a tougher battle for the player whose force is seriously outnumbered. Whatever is decided, players must always remember that the goal is to have fun: Adjusting for Skill: Each Alpha Strike unit’s Point Value presumes that its pilot or crew has a default Skill rating of 4. Assigning Skill ratings other than 4 will thus change the unit’s capabilities and its Point Value must be adjusted accordingly. To find how much, consult the Point Value Skill Rating Multiplier Table, and multiply the unit’s PV by the multiplier corresponding to its pilot’s Skill rating. (All adjusted PVs must be rounded normally, to a minimum PV of 1 point.)
Point Value Skill Rating Table Unit Skill Rating
Point Value Multiplier
Wet Behind the Ears
7
0.68
Really Green
6
0.77
Green
5
0.86
Regular
4
1.00
Veteran
3
1.38
Elite
2
1.82
Heroic
1
2.24
Legendary
0
2.63
Skill Description
Adjusting for C3: Units with C3 equipment may be linked in networks for greater effectiveness. This equipment—noted on units with the C3S, C3M, or C3I special abilities—are fully explained under the rules for such special abilities (see pp. 49-51). To reflect the impact of this equipment on a force’s total PV amount, the use of C3 equipment modifies the PV value of all the units that are linked into the network. The first C3 link a unit makes adds 10 percent the units’ base PVs, plus 5 percent for each additional unit in the network, to a maximum of +30 percent per network. This additional percentage is applied to the PVs of all units in the network, adding to each unit’s base PV, and rounding up to the nearest whole number. For example, a lance-sized force, with 4 units—one with C3M and a PV of 20, plus three units worth 15 PV apiece, all with C3S— are linked together. Per the rules for C3 equipment, the three C3S units are linked to the master (C3M) unit, adding 10 percent for the first link, plus 5 percent each for the other two units linked, for a total of 25 percent. The first unit in the lance thus adds 5 points to its PV (25% x 20 PV = 5 PV) for a modified PV of 25, while each of the other three units adds 4 points (25% x 15 PV = 3.75, round up to 4 PV) for a modified total of 19 PV each. The total PV for the lance is now 82 points. Preparing Unit Cards The data presented in each army list provides the full Alpha Strike stats for the units in that army list. These statistics must be faithfully copied into the appropriate fields on the players’ unit cards. There are two types of unit cards in standard-rules Alpha Strike (see p. 11). Most units (’Mechs, combat vehicles, infantry, aerospace fighters and standard-sized support vehicles) use a basic unit card that provides for only one firing arc. Buildings, large support vehicles, DropShips, and mobile structures, however, can have multiple firing arcs, and thus use the unit card type that facilitates this ability. When translating a unit’s Arm/Str values to a unit card, extra armor and structure bubbles (respectively) beyond those of the unit’s stats must be blacked out prior to play, leaving the remaining bubbles untouched. (For example, the Arm/Str values for the AWS9M Awesome are given in the Capellan Confederation Army List as
8/4. This means that, when translating the Awesome’s stats to a unit card, all but 8 of the Armor bubbles must be blocked out, while all but 4 of its Structure bubbles must be blocked out.)
Placing Terrain
In Alpha Strike play, available terrain is usually selected by the agreement of both players. The player who rolled the lowest for setup initiative places the terrain on the play area, while the initiative winner is the first to select which edge of the table will serve as his force’s home edge (see Starting Positions, below). Objective Markers (Optional) Battles are always fought for something. To reflect this, players may opt to place four (or more) objectives on the map—two within each side’s deployment zones. These objectives reflect some tangible asset to be captured or destroyed by one side, and defended by the other—perhaps important VIPs, rare fuel or ammunition canisters, a building, a disabled unit, and so forth. The exact nature of an objective is limited only by the players’ imaginations; it will not move or attack in game play, and will not count against stacking limits. For a game played using objectives, the player with the lower set-up initiative roll places his opponents’ objectives first. As indicated above, these must be within his own deployment zone, which lies within 10 inches of the table edge opposite of the initiative winner’s home edge. Once the initiative winner’s objectives are placed, the initiative winner places any objectives for his opponent within his own deployment zone. Starting Positions Generally, units begin play off the board and enter the battlefield on the first turn. However, should players agree, units may begin play deployed on the battlefield. In this case, the player with the higher setup Initiative roll may choose whether to begin placing his units first or second. Once that is decided, the players will alternate placing their units on the map. Each unit placed must begin within its controlling player’s deployment zone, defined as the area on the map within 10 inches of that player’s home edge. Players must continue alternating unit placement until all of their units have been placed, giving each placed unit any facing direction desired. If the force sizes are unequal, refer to the Unequal Number of Units rule (see p. 27). Once the nature of the game is decided, all terrain and objectives (if any) are set, and all units are placed in their starting positions, the game can now begin.
Playing the Game This section provides an overview of the Alpha Strike gameplay sequence. For simplicity, these rules presume that each game is made up of two sides, controlled either by two players or by two teams of players. Whenever the rules refer to a player, that term can mean a team of players as well as an individual.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Sequence of Play
An Alpha Strike game consists of a series of turns. During each turn, all units on the table will have an opportunity to move and fire their weapons or make physical attacks. Each turn consists of several smaller turn segments, called phases. During each phase, players may take one type of action, such as movement or combat. The players execute the phases in a given order. Specific actions, movement, effects of damage and so on are fully explained in separate sections later in these rules. Each turn includes the following phases, performed in the following order: Step 1: Initiative Phase Each player rolls 2D6 and adds the results together to determine Initiative; re-roll ties. The player with the higher result wins the Initiative for that turn. Because movement and combat are considered to occur simultaneously in the course of an Alpha Strike game turn, the Initiative winner actually executes unit movement and combat actions after the player(s) with the lower Initiative roll. This simulates a greater awareness of the tactical situation. Step 2: Movement Phase The player with the lowest Initiative roll moves one of his units first. Presuming an equal number of units on the two sides, the Initiative winner then moves one of his units, and the players continue alternating their unit movements until all units have been moved. If the number of units per side is unequal, the player with the higher number of units must move more units in proportion to that of his opponent. See the Unequal Number of Units rule (see p. 27) for a helpful guide to handling unequal force numbers.
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Step 3: Combat Phase As with the movement phase, the player with the lowest Initiative roll acts first in the Combat Phase, but—rather than
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alternating actions—this player declares and resolves all of his units’ combat actions at this time, followed by the Initiative winner. In the Combat Phase, each unit may execute one attack. Damage from these attacks is resolved immediately, but the effects do not take place until the turn’s End Phase. This means that a destroyed unit will normally have a chance to return fire. Step 4: End Phase Both players may complete the End Phase simultaneously. In this phase, each player executes any miscellaneous actions remaining for the turn, such as removing destroyed units, or restarting units that shut down from overheating in a previous turn. The specific rules for such actions state whether or not they take place during the End Phase. After resolving all End Phase actions, the turn ends and the players return to Step 1, repeat all these steps until one side meets its victory conditions for the scenario.
Victory Conditions
In Standard Alpha Strike, victory is most commonly achieved when one player’s army destroys or defeats all of the opposing players’ units. If the last units on each side are simultaneously destroyed, or are rendered immobile and unable to damage each another further, the game becomes a draw. If the Forced Withdrawal rules are in play (see Forced Withdrawal, p. 27), a unit that is forced to withdraw is counted as defeated (but not necessarily destroyed). In an Alpha Strike game, defeated and destroyed units both count toward victory conditions. Alternative Victory Conditions Off course, kill counts alone may not actually be the defining measure of victory in a given scenario. Scenarios where objective markers are in play, for example, will place equal or greater importance on the capture of one or more designated objectives (see Capturing Objectives, below). Alternately, a mixture of victory conditions may be in play, making a scoring system necessary to measure success (see Victory Points, below). Other scenario-specific victory conditions may also be in play, based on the nature of the campaign, and might include objectives like breaking through the enemy’s line and evacuating as many friendly units through the enemy’s home edge as possible. The ultimate goal of the scenario can be anything the players agree upon. Capturing Objectives In Capture the Objective-style scenarios, a defining goal the players must attain is to reach and secure a designated objective, which is usually noted on the playing area by one or more objective markers (see Objective Markers, p. 25). To capture an objective, a unit must move to within 2 inches of the objective marker, and remain within 2 inches of the objective for two consecutive End Phases. At the end of the second End Phase, the objective is considered successfully captured, and removed from the field.
Alternatively, an objective may not be an item to be captured, but instead a designated point the players must merely occupy for a period of time (measured in successive End Phases). In this case, the objective is never removed from play, but is considered occupied so long as an attacking unit remains within 2 inches of the objective marker without any defending units also positioned inside the same radius. The number of turns an objective is occupied in such a fashion must be defined at the start of the scenario. Objective Point Value: For purposes of measuring Victory Points in an objective-based scenario, assign a point value to the objective itself based on the total Point Value of the forces defending them. A recommended Objective Point Value is equal to 0.66 times the defending units’ total Point Value, divided by the number of objectives in play (rounded normally). For example, if the defender fields a force whose total Point Value is 330, with two objectives for his opponent to capture, the point values for capturing each objective would be 109 points (330 x 0.66 = 217.8 ÷ 2 = 108.9, round up to 109). Victory Points As each unit in Alpha Strike is assigned a Point Value, these points can be used as a method to determine the winner in a scenario and the quality of his victory. While there are a great many ways to score a win, based on the scenarios being played, these rules provide a suggested framework for working a scoring system into a scenario. Under this system, players start the scenario with no victory points, and only accrue (or lose) them based on the events described in the Victory Points Table. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. If the difference between the two players’ scores is greater than the number of points used to purchase forces for the winning side, the victory is Decisive. Otherwise, the victory is Marginal. If both players’ scores are tied, the game is considered a draw.
Victory Points Table Event
Points Awarded
Enemy Unit Destroyed
+(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 2)
Friendly Unit Destroyed
–(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 1)
Enemy Unit Withdrawn*
+(Withdrawn Unit’s PV x 1)
Friendly Unit Withdrawn*
–(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 0.5)
Objective Occupied**
+(Objective’s Point Value x 0.25)
Objective Captured**
+(Objective Point Value x 1)
Other Event
Varies (Players’ Choice)
*To count toward Victory Points, the unit must have withdrawn under the Forced Withdrawal rules. **Points are not awarded for occupying the same objective multiple times; do not award points for occupying an objective if it is captured.
Forced Withdrawal (Optional)
Under the Forced Withdrawal rule, crippled units must retreat from the battlefield once they have sustained enough damage to render them useless or in imminent danger of being destroyed (see Crippling Damage, below). A unit making a forced withdrawal must move toward its home map edge at its best possible speed. Once it reaches the home map edge, the unit retreats from battle and is removed from the game. If the withdrawing unit is immobilized before it can reach the map edge, its crew will abandon the unit, and it is considered destroyed for game purposes. Withdrawing units may still attack an enemy unit that is within range of a weapon or physical attack. Forced Withdrawal is an optional rule, so all players should agree to its use in a given scenario before play begins. Crippling Damage For the purposes of the Forced Withdrawal rule, a unit that meets any of the following conditions is considered crippled and will be forced to withdraw: •• The unit has no Armor remaining and been reduced to half its original Structure (round up). If the unit only possessed 1 Structure to start with, it is crippled as soon as it loses all its armor. •• The unit has been reduced to 0 for all Medium and Long range damage values. This condition does not apply to unit whose initial damage values at Medium and Long started at 0. •• The unit has been immobilized through Critical Hit effects.
Movement Phase Every unit has a base Move listed on its unit card. This value is the maximum number of inches the unit may move during its turn. A unit may move in any direction and—at the end of its movement—may face in any direction. Units need not move their full amount; in place of moving, a unit may simply stand still. A unit may make multiple turns, during the course of its movement, to maneuver around obstacles, so long as the inches traveled are within its maximum Move rating. (Using a flexible tape measure, to correctly measure this indirect distance, is highly recommended.) Terrain may prohibit or impede a unit’s movement, as shown on the Movement Cost Table. Minimum Movement As long as a unit is mobile (meaning that its Move has not been reduced to zero through damage or heat effects), it can always move 2 inches in any direction, regardless of the terrain’s movement costs (unless the terrain in question is prohibited).
Facing ’Mech and ProtoMech units are considered to be facing the same way as the feet of the miniature representing the unit. Vehicle and fighter units are considered to be facing in the direction the front side of their miniatures face. Infantry units (including conventional infantry and battle armor) have no distinct facing. A unit’s facing affects combat resolution (see Combat Phase, below), and can only be voluntarily changed during the Movement Phase. Stacking During the Movement Phase, a unit may move through a space occupied by other friendly units, but may not move through unfriendly units at the same elevation. If the units occupy different elevations during a unit’s movement (such as when a ’Mech unit with jumping capability uses it to move), the units are considered to be at different elevations and may pass through the same space. Regardless of how they arrive at their destination, units in Alpha Strike may not occupy the same space on the game table, regardless of any differences in elevation. ProtoMech Movement ProtoMech units are a unique battlefield unit type. Though they are organized and tracked on unit cards in five-member Points like some battle armor, they actually operate as a squad of individual, miniature BattleMechs. For the purposes of standard Alpha Strike, ProtoMechs must always be organized and tracked in Points made up of the same model and variant, but each member of the ProtoMech Point must be represented on the board by its own miniature. During the Movement Phase, each of these ProtoMechs moves independently of each other, in accordance with standard movement rules, and need not stay together while doing so. However, because ProtoMech Points collectively count as a single unit, all active members of the same Point must always move at the same time.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Unequal Number of Units
The Movement Phase requires each player to alternate moving his army’s units. In a turn consisting of an equal number of units on each side, this simple means that each player takes a turn moving a single unit before his opponent does the same, and so on, until all units are moved. But if the numbers of units per side are not equal, this procedure must be altered accordingly. To maintain fairness, unequal numbers of units must be moved in proportion. This means that if, prior to any pair of unit movements, one side has twice as many units left to move as the other side, the player with twice as many units must move two units on his side, rather than one. If a side has three times as many units as its opponent, it must move three units at a time to every one of its opponent’s units moved, and so forth.
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
27
For example, at the beginning of the Movement Phase, Side A has eight units and Side B has five units. Side A wins the Initiative. Before the first pair of movements, Side A does not have double or more the number of units Side B has remaining to move, so Side B moves one BattleMech, then Side A moves one BattleMech. Now, Side A has even units left to move while Side B has four units left to move. Since Side A still does not have twice as many units left to move, each side again moves one BattleMech. Before the third pair of movements, Side A has six units left to move—twice as many as Side B has left to move. This means Side A must now move two units for every one unit that Side B moves. Here is a breakdown of how many units each player would move in this example turn.
Move Number 1
Units Left to Move Side B Side A 5
8
Side B 1
Moves
Side A 1
2
4
7
1
1
3
3
6
1
2
4
2
4
1
2
5
1
2
1
2
Terrain
Terrain can impede the movement of any unit that is incapable of flying over it (such as VTOLs and WiGE units, or units using jumping movement to travel). This difficulty is demonstrated in the form of an extra Move cost per inch of travel through such terrain. These extra costs are shown on the Movement Cost Table. Note that multiple terrain conditions may combine for higher movement costs (such as when changing elevations while moving through water or woods). Prohibited Terrain: Certain unit types (or units lacking in specific equipment) may not enter certain terrain types. These prohibited terrain types and movement restrictions are defined in the Movement Cost Table. Once again, these prohibitions apply only if the unit attempts to move through the terrain. Units that can rise above the underlying terrain (such as VTOLs in flight) will ignore these prohibitions. Water: Units entering water must pay the combined cost of the movement, plus the extra movement costs for water terrain and any level change costs. Water levels are measured as “depth” levels, which count as negative levels of elevation, so higher depth levels indicate deeper water features. Ground units with the amphibious special ability, or units with the hover, WiGE, or naval movement modes, may move across the surface of water terrain as noted in the Movement Cost Table. Submerged units use the Underwater Movement rules below. Level Change: ’Mechs may climb onto and over terrain as steep as 2 inches high (per inch of horizontal travel), while ground vehicles, infantry, and ProtoMechs may only climb onto and over terrain as steep as 1 inch high (per inch of horizontal
travel). Changing levels costs 1 extra inch of movement per inch of elevation changed. (For exceptions, see Jumping, p. 32, and VTOL Movement, p. 31). Level changes greater than these are considered prohibited terrain in Alpha Strike, too sheer for these ground units to traverse. If the unit does not have enough Move allowance remaining to climb to the desired level of terrain, it must remain at the previous level, and cannot move any further. Underwater Movement: Moving across the bottom of a water area—as opposed to moving through the water itself—is rare but does occur, though few units without the submersible movement mode can operate while completely submerged. To be considered underwater, a unit must be completely submerged. For ’Mechs, that means the unit must be in water at least 2 inches in depth, while submersible vehicles must be in water at least 1 inch in depth, and submersible infantry units (including battle armor) must be in water of at least 1 inch in depth. If an underwater unit has the UMU special ability (see p. 48) or has the submarine movement type, it may move as a submarine unit (see Submersible Movement, p. 31). Otherwise, for depths of up to 30 inches, the unit must move along the bottom of the water feature via underwater ground movement, spending 4 inches of Move per inch traveled, plus all standard Move costs for changing levels from one depth to another. Movement on Pavement: In Alpha Strike, moving on a road or paved terrain is identical to moving through clear terrain, but with a few advantages that apply primarily to ground units. For starters, all ground units that travel exclusively on roads for the entire movement pay only 1 inch of Move per inch traveled, plus the terrain costs of any level changes. This means that, even if the road passes through wooded terrain, the woods are not counted as long as the ground unit remains on the paved surface the entire time. In addition, ground vehicles with the wheeled or tracked movement mode (including both combat vehicles and support vehicles) that spend the entire Movement Phase on pavement receive an additional 2 inches of Move to spend. Unit Type Movement As noted in Movement Costs Table, the effects of terrain can vary with the unit’s particular mode of movement. The base costs, as shown on the Movement Cost Table, primarily apply to ’Mechs (and ProtoMechs), but the sheer range of unit types and sizes in BattleTech presents a number of effects on tactical movement. These variations are identified in the Unit Movement Type Table. ’Mechs, ProtoMechs, and battle armored infantry will generally have no movement type noted on their Move stat, which means they use the standard movement rules, with exceptions and modifications as noted in the Movement Cost Table. Hover Movement: Any unit with the hover movement mode is treated as a ground vehicle for purposes of movement rules, but operate under special movement restrictions as shown on the Movement Cost Table. Hover movement mode is noted by a movement code of “h” on the unit’s Move stat. Hover units typically cannot enter woods features, but treat water features as clear terrain for movement purposes, spending 1 inch of Move per inch traveled on the water surface.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
The bloody Battle of Cairo pitted the Word of Blake’s Light of Mankind against Devlin Stone’s allied forces.
29
movement cost table Terrain Type
Move Cost per Inch
Base Move
1”
Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type —
Clear
+0”1
Naval
Paved/Road/Bridge
+0”2
Naval
Rough
+1”
Naval, Wheeled
Rubble
+1”
Naval
Woods
+1”3
Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4
Surface Only
+0”
All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5
Depth 0”-1”
+0”
Ground, Infantry6
Depth 2”-3”
+1”
7
Ground, InfantryF, IndustrialMechs8
Depth 4+”
+6”
7
Ground, InfantryF, IndustrialMechs8
Water
Level Changes (up or down)
9
Per 1” elevation
+1” (’Mechs, ProtoMechs)
Per 1” elevation
+1” (VTOLs in Air)
Per 1” depth
+1” (Submarines in Water)
Per 1” elevation
+2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles)
Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash. 1 +1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 2 All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain. 3 Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”). 4 Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 5 Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”. 6 Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability. 7 This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement. 8 IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability. 9 Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation changes over 2” per 1” travelled Unit Types Key ’Mechs
Includes BattleMechs and IndustrialMechs
ProtoMechs
ProtoMech units only
Infantry
Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
Vehicles
Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
Air
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL or WiGE movement types
Ground
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
Naval
Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
Hover
Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
Sub
Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
Tracked
Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only
VTOL
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL movement type only
Wheeled
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
WiGE
Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
Aerospace
Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
Naval Movement: Any unit with the naval movement mode is considered a surface-operating waterborne unit for purposes of movement rules. Naval movement mode is usually noted by a movement code of “n” on the unit’s Move stat, but some other vehicle units—those noted as having the AMP special ability— can also operate as surface naval vessels by entering water terrain. Naval movement is limited to water features of any depth, and spend 1 inch of Move per inch traveled on the water surface. ProtoMechs: As noted above, ProtoMech are tracked in a player’s army list as five-member groups called Points. All surviving members in a Point of ProtoMechs must always be moved at the same time during the controlling player’s movement turn, but the individual ProtoMechs need not remain close together. Beyond that, ProtoMechs largely follow the same ground movement rules as BattleMechs do, except as noted in the Movement Cost Table. Submersible Movement: Any unit with submarine movement mode is considered a submarine for purposes of movement rules, as long as it is in water of sufficient depth. Submarine movement mode is usually noted by a movement code of “s” on the unit’s Move stat, but some ground units— those noted as having the UMU special ability—can also use submarine movement while submerged. Submersible units are capable of moving three-dimensionally in water, spending 1 inch of Move for every 1-inch increase or decrease in depth levels below the surface of the water. For this reason, the player controlling a submersible unit must keep track of the unit’s level of depth after each Movement Phase. Submersibles cannot move above the surface of the water, but may “surface” by ascending to a depth of 0 inches. Surfaced submersibles are considered to be operating on the surface of the water feature. The maximum depth a submersible unit may descend to is that of the water terrain itself. Tracked and Wheeled Movement: Tracked and wheeled units follow the same basic rules outlined in Movement Basics, with restrictions as noted on the Movement Costs Table. Units that operate using Tracked movement are noted with a movement code of “t”, while units that used Wheeled movement are noted with a “w”. Wheeled vehicles that also have a bicycle “(b)” or monocycle “(m)” notation on their movement codes are wheeled units that may enter Woods. Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Movement: Any unit with VTOL movement mode is considered a VTOL for purposes of movement rules. VTOL movement mode is noted by a movement code of “v” on the unit’s Move stat. Though they are not technically considered aerospace units in BattleTech (but instead are classified as air vehicles), VTOLs are capable of moving three-dimensionally through the air, spending 1 inch of Move for every 1-inch increase or decrease in elevation levels above the map. For this reason, the player controlling a VTOL unit must keep track of the unit’s level of elevation after each Movement Phase. VTOLs cannot move through any terrain that rises higher than their current elevation level. Any VTOL that deliberately descends to the level of the underlying terrain is considered to be attempting a landing, but automatically crashes if the terrain type is prohibited (such as wooded terrain). VTOLs with the amphibious (AMP) special ability may land on water
features, but VTOLs without such abilities will crash if they attempt to “land” in water. Crashing VTOLs suffer 1 damage point, roll for critical damage as per normal combat rules, and are considered immobilized for the remainder of the game. Wheeled Support Vehicles: If a wheeled support vehicle lacks the ORO (Off-Road) special ability, then it must pay an additional 1 inch of Move foe every inch traveled on unpaved terrain. Wing-in-Ground Effect (WiGE) Movement: A unit with Wing-in-Ground Effect (WiGE) movement is noted by a movement code of “g” on its Move stat. WiGE units have a ground movement allowance of 2 inches per turn (even if they have a higher Move stat), and are treated as hover units for purposes of terrain restrictions—until they take off. A WiGE’s takeoff costs 4 inches of movement, which must be spent in a single turn, and places the vehicle at 1 inch of elevation above the level of the underlying terrain. While airborne in this fashion, WiGE vehicles fly one inch of elevation above the underlying terrain, and so are unaffected by water, rubble or rough terrain—but must maneuver around woods or any other terrain types that rise 2 inches or more above the surface. To remain airborne after the turn of takeoff, a WiGE vehicle must move at least 4 inches per turn; otherwise it must land at the end of its movement. (Landing does not cost a WiGE any Move.) WiGE vehicles may only land in clear or paved terrain. Attempt to land a WiGE in any other terrain results in a crash. A WiGE that crashes suffers 1 point of damage, rolls for critical damage as per normal combat rules, and is considered immobilized for the remainder of the game. Aerospace Movement Aerospace units in Alpha Strike use the Abstract Aerospace System (see p. 52) for movement and combat.
Unit Movement Mode Table Movement Mode
Movement Code
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Vehicles Hover
h
Naval
n
Submersible
s
Tracked
t
VTOL
v
Wheeled
w
Wheeled (bicycle)
w(b)
Wheeled (monocycle)
w(m)
WiGE
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
g
Infantry Foot
f
Jump
j
Motorized
m
31
Additional Movement Rules
The following additional rules cover movement not already discussed above. 2” HILL
4” HILL
WOODS
2” DEPTH WATER
• movement basics diagram • In the Movement Basics Diagram at right, the Vulture has 10 inches of Movement. To move to Point A, it spends 6 inches of the its available Move to get to the hill, 2 inches to move up the hill, and then 2 more inches to move across the hill. As it has run out of Move, the Vulture stops there, and its controlling player can choose any facing for it to end with. The Vulture cannot move to straight to Point B. The 4” elevation change is more than the 2” allowed for elevation changes per 1” travelled. If the player wishes instead to avoid ending up on top of the hill, the ’Mech can move around the hill to reach Point C. In this case, it spends 6 inches to move below the hill, and its remaining 4 inches are spent moving up the gap between the hill and the woods. The Vulture can also move to Point D and end its movement in the Woods. For that, it spends 7 inches of Move to get to the edge of the Woods. Because Woods cost an extra 1 inch per inch traveled through such terrain, the Vulture can only move 1.5 inches into the Woods before running out of Move. If the player would rather place his Vulture in the water, he can move the ’Mech 4 inches to the water’s edge, spend 2 inches of Move for the elevation change into the water, and then 4 more inches of Move to push through 2 inches of water terrain.
Jumping Any unit with a “j” listed in its Move statistic is a unit that possesses the ability to jump over intervening obstructions. The distance such units can jump is given as the Move value beside the “j”. Jumping is an alternative movement type that cannot be combined with normal ground movement by the same unit in the same Movement Phase. Units with jumping ability do not always have to jump, and some may even have a shorter Move while jumping than the same unit can move on land. (For example, the JR7-K Jenner, with its Move of 14”/6”j, can use 14 inches of Move on the ground, or jump for 6 inches.) A jumping unit ignores terrain costs for the purposes of movement, and may jump in any direction, regardless of its original facing. Jumping movement always follows the shortest path possible; the player simply chooses an end point (up to the unit’s jumping Move allowance), and the unit lands at that location, with any desired facing direction. Maximum Jump Height: For a jump to be legal, the jumping unit must also be able to clear any terrain it is attempting to pass over. A jumping unit can jump over any terrain that is lower in height than its jump Move rating, so a unit with 6 inches of jumping Move may jump over any obstructions less than 6 inches tall. Downward Jumping: When jumping downward (such as off a cliff or building), a jumping unit may safely jump down from any height. Water: Units with jumping capability may jump into water terrain, but not out of it. Transporting Infantry Some units have the ability to transport conventional and/or battle armored infantry, either in internal compartments (as in the case of units with the IT# special ability), or externally (as in the case of battle armor units with the MEC or XMEC special abilities). The following movement rules apply when transporting infantry units. Infantry Transports: Units with the Infantry Transport (IT#) special ability have transport compartments designed to accommodate infantry and battle armor units. The transport unit may carry any number of infantry or battle armor units as long as the total amount of these units (noted on infantry unit’s card by the CAR# special ability) does not exceed the transporting unit’s IT rating. (For example, the Maxim Heavy Hover Transport has the IT12 special ability. This means it may transport up to 12 units worth of infantry, such as three 4-trooper squads of Cavalier battle armor, each of which has the CAR4 special.) It costs an infantry transport unit 2 inches of Move to mount (pick up) or dismount (drop off ) battle armor or infantry. Mounting infantry must be done at the beginning of the transporting unit’s movement, and airborne transport units must be landed to take on any infantry or battle armor units for transport. (For aerospace units, landing is covered in the advanced options chapter; see Aerospace Units on the Ground Map, pp. 70-73.) Dismounting must be done at the end of the transport’s movement. Airborne vehicle transports (such as VTOLs or WiGEs) may dismount jump-capable infantry (including battle armor or
infantry that have the advanced paratroopers (PAR) special) while airborne, but must use land to dismount all other infantry unit types. Other aerospace units with IT specials may also dismount jump-capable infantry and battle armor as well. Infantry deployed from airborne units must use the Dropping Troops advanced rules (see pp. 90-91). Regardless of the infantry unit’s type, it may not use any Move in the turn it dismounts from its transport, but it may execute attacks during the Combat Phase. It is, however, permissible to mount an infantry unit, move its transport, dismount the infantry, and make attacks with the infantry unit all in the same turn. Mechanized Battle Armor: Battle armor units with the Mechanized (MEC) or Extended Mechanized (XMEC) special abilities may mount OmniMechs and OmniVehicles (units with the OMNI special ability), even if such units lack the Infantry Transport special ability. This allows the battle armor to be quickly transported across the battlefield as a kind of external cargo, but only one battle armor unit may be carried by one Omni unit at a time. Mounting and dismounting battle armor from an Omni unit follows all the same movement rules as does mounting and dismounting infantry from a dedicated infantry transport, requiring any mounting to occur at the start of the transporting Omni’s Movement Phase, at a cost of 2 inches of Move to the Omni, and requiring any dismounting to occur at the end of the Omni’s Movement Phase. As above, battle armor infantry may attack in the turn it dismounts, but it may not use Move. Even though mechanized battle armor mounts up externally on an Omni unit, battle armor units may not attack or be directly attacked while mounted in this fashion—but they can be struck accidentally (see Determine and Apply Damage, p. 38) Extended Mechanized Special Ability: Units with the Extended Mechanized (XMEC) special ability are equipped to mount any type of ’Mech or vehicle (but not fixed-wing support vehicles or aerospace units) in the same manner as mechanized battle armor do. However, the transport mounted by these units will not only have to spend 2 inches of Move to pick up such units, it will lose 2 inches of Move per turn as long as the XMEC unit remains on board. All other rules for mechanized battle armor apply to XMEC units (and their transports) as well. Lara’s force includes two conventional foot infantry platoons and 1 Maxim (infantry variant) hovercraft. Lara’s infantry are not mounted, with a Move of 2f. Each foot infantry platoon has the CAR3 special ability, meaning each requires a transport space of IT3 or more. If both were to travel together, they would need a unit that had a special ability of IT6 or higher. During her Ground Movement Phase, Lara decides to have the infantry mount the Maxim for a short hop across the battlefield. The Maxim has the IT12 special ability, so it can easily transport up to 12 “points” of infantry. It’ll have plenty of space for the foot platoons. The Maxim has a Move of 16 inches. It spends 4 inches to mount both infantry platoons. The Maxim has 12 inches of Move left available.
Lara moves the Maxim 8 inches straight ahead. She then spends 4 inches of additional Move to dismount both infantry platoons. Both platoons may make weapons attacks during the upcoming Combat Phase. Brian’s Star consists of a Grendel B, Night Gyr Prime, Hellion C and two Points of Elemental battle armor. He wants to quickly transport the two battle armor units in his Star. First, Brian looks at the Move available in his Star. The Grendel B has a Move of 14”j. The Night Gyr Prime has 8”j and the Hellion C has a Move of 14”. All three are OmniMechs. Brian decides to have the Grendel and Hellion carry the battle armor. It costs each ’Mech 2 inches of Move to mount the battle armor, reducing both to 12 inches’ Move for this Movement Phase.
Combat Phase In the Combat Phase, each unit may deliver one attack against another unit, be it a physical attack, a weapon attack, or an aerospace attack. Very large units—such as DropShips, some large support vehicles, and mobile structures—may make multiple weapon attacks, based on the number of firing arcs they possess. ProtoMech Points—which operate as multiple units at the same time—may also make multiple attacks, with each individual ProtoMech making one attack apiece. BattleMechs, IndustrialMechs, combat vehicles, infantry, battle armor, conventional fighters and aerospace fighters always only have one attack per turn.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
A speeding Falcon Hawk is blindsided by a Commando IIC.
33
If a unit is unable or unwilling to make an attack in the current turn, it may be skipped for that turn. To make an attack, the controlling player declares which unit is attacking, what the target of its attack will be, the nature of the attack (weapon, physical, or aerospace), and—if applicable—how much of his unit’s Overheat Value the attack will use (see Overheating, p. 44). The player then resolves combat for that unit, applies any damage to the target, and then moves on to another available unit to repeat the process until all of his units have made their attacks. If the player wishes a unit not to make an attack, or if a unit is unable to make an attack for any reason, the player may pass for that turn. Once a player has resolved (or skipped) combat actions for all of his units, the opposing player may then do so for all of his units. In standard Alpha Strike, valid targets for an attack include other units, buildings, other structures (such as bridges), and terrain. The following rules cover weapon and physical attacks, respectively. Aerospace attacks are covered in detail in the Abstract Aerospace System chapter (see Abstract Aerospace Combat, p. 55).
LIGHT WOODS TEMPLATE
ELEVATION 5”
2” HILL
Resolving Weapon Attacks
The sequence for resolving weapon attacks is as follows: Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS) Step 2: Verify firing arc Step 3: Determine range Step 4: Determine to-hit number Step 5: Roll to hit Step 6: Determine and apply damage Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
Step 1: Verify Line of Sight Line of sight (LOS) in Alpha Strike is determined by what a unit can “see” from its vantage point on the table. Units can usually be sighted by simply going to the eye level of the attacking unit and looking at the target miniature. If the target miniature can be seen, then the units have LOS to one another. When this is not possible, players may determine line of sight by running a straight measuring tape or a taut string from miniature to miniature, or perhaps even by using a laser pointer. If less than one-third of a miniature is visible behind solid terrain (such as hills or buildings), then the line of sight is considered to be blocked. Non-solid terrain—such as woods—does not automatically block LOS in the same fashion. In the case of such terrain, line of sight is only considered to be blocked when it passes through 6 inches or more of such intervening non-solid obstructions. Woods that intervene, but do not block, LOS will impose a modifier to the attack’s to-hit numbers (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, p. 37). Adjacent Ground Units: Ground units in base-to-base contact always have line of sight to each other, unless one unit is completely submerged in water and the unit it is in base-tobase contact with is not (see Terrain Modifiers, p. 37), or the units occupy different levels inside adjacent buildings (see Attacking Units inside Buildings, p. 85). Intervening Units: Except for grounded DropShips, buildings, and mobile structures, intervening units have no effect on LOS or attacks. Grounded DropShips, buildings, and mobile structures work like blocking terrain for LOS purposes, and thus can provide full or partial cover.
• line of sight diagrams •
Partial Cover (’Mechs only): If more than one-third (but less than two-thirds) of a ’Mech target is hidden behind blocking terrain, LOS is not considered blocked. Instead, the ’Mech is said to have partial cover, and will apply a modifier to his attacker’s tohit number as a result (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, p. 37). Only ’Mechs can receive partial cover. Woods: Units do not receive partial cover from woods terrain. Water: ’Mech units that are standing in Water terrain at a depth (negative elevation) level of 1 inch will receive partial cover benefits from the water. Because the water surrounds the ’Mech, this partial cover applies even if the attacker is standing at a higher level than the target and would ordinarily be able to see the target’s legs. If a unit is completely submerged within water (such as a ’Mech unit standing in water features of 2 or more inches in depth), LOS to (and from) the submerged unit is considered to be blocked, even from units operating on the water surface (such as hover, WiGE, or naval vehicles). Vehicles capable of traversing water on its surface (such as hover, WiGE, naval, and surfaced submarine vehicles) are considered to be at ground level and receive no terrain modifiers.
Underwater and Torpedo Attacks: Attacks against submerged units can only be made between units that are also submerged (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, p. 37), or by between submerged units and units operating on the surface of the same water feature using torpedoes (see TOR# special ability, p. 48). Indirect Fire: If a unit has the Indirect Fire (IF) special ability, it may still attack targets within its range (and firing arc) even without a direct LOS. To use indirect fire, the attacking unit must not have a valid LOS to its target and there must be a unit friendly to the attacker that does a valid LOS to the target. (This friendly unit is the spotter.) Indirect fire attacks use the range modifier of the attacking unit, the movement modifiers of the target, and terrain modifiers based on the spotter’s LOS. An additional +1 to-hit modifier applies to the attack itself, and another +1 applies if the spotter also makes an attack of its own in the same turn. A unit used as a spotter for an indirect fire attack may be used to spot for more than one IF attack in a turn, but cannot choose more than one target to spot in that same turn. In the Line of Sight diagram, BattleMech A wants to target BattleMech B. From the perspective of BattleMech A, the only thing the controlling player sees between the two units is a woods template. Using a measuring tape drawn between the two units to find how many inches of Woods terrain intervene, the player finds that he is trying to target a unit through 7 inches of light woods intervene. Because this is more than 6 inches, LOS between the two ’Mechs is actually blocked; BattleMech A therefore cannot attack BattleMech B. The controlling player decides instead to target Ground Vehicle C. Unfortunately, when he leans down to the mini’s level to check LOS, he finds that Vehicle C is actually hidden by the low ridge between them. This leaves only Vehicle D, a VTOL currently flying at an elevation level of 5 inches above the table, as the only target that BattleMech A can see from its vantage point. BattleMech A’s player notes that even this LOS passes over the woods terrain between them, and verifies with a straight-edge that the attack will pass through some wooded terrain. Step 2: Verify Firing Arc Every unit in Alpha Strike has a particular field of fire into which the unit may make attacks. These fields of fire, based on the unit’s type and its facing, are known as firing arcs. Firing arcs extend to the edge of the battlefield in the directions indicated by the Firing Arcs Diagram shown here. Note that infantry units, units with
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options • grounded dropships firing arcs diagrams •
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
• alpha strike firing arcs diagram •
• large support vehicle firing arcs diagrams •
35
multiple firing arcs, and turrets are further discussed below. For all other Alpha Strike units, the Standard Firing Arc applies. If more than half of the target unit’s base lies outside the attacker’s firing arc, then the attack cannot be made. Infantry: Infantry units (including battle armor) have a 360-degree firing arc, and so may always attack in any direction. Multi-Firing Arc Units: Some units—typically DropShips, large support vehicles, and mobile structures—use different firing arcs than the standard ground unit firing arcs. Units with multiple firing arcs may only attack targets with the weapons that lie within a given arc (so, a spheroid DropShip, which only presents a left side and right side firing arc while on the ground, can only employ weapons in its left side firing arcs against targets on its left side). Turrets: Units with a Turret (TUR) special ability have some (or all) of their weapons mounted in a turret that has a 360-degree field of fire. A unit using its turret-mounted weapons to deliver an attack can only deliver damage using those weapons. (For more information, see TUR special ability, p. 48). Step 3: Determine Range Alpha Strike uses fixed range brackets for all weapon types. To determine a unit’s range, measure the distance from the edge of the attacker’s base to the edge of the target’s base, and compare this number to the Alpha Strike Range Table, to determine what range bracket the target lies in. A unit’s successful attack will deliver a certain amount of damage to the target at each of the indicated ranges, but not all units can deliver damage at every range bracket. If a unit’s damage value in a given range bracket is given as a 0 or a dash (“—”) on its unit card, the unit cannot make an effective weapon attack at that range. Underwater Ranges: All range brackets for underwater combat are halved. Thus, underwater Short range ends at 3 inches, underwater Medium range ends at 12 inches, and underwater Long range ends at 21 inches. Base-to-Base Contact: Units may not 2” HILL make weapon attacks against targets with which they are in base-to-base contact. Against such units, the attacker may only deliver a physical attack (see Resolving 4” HILL Physical Attacks, p. 42). Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number Once a player has determined that he has LOS to his target, that the target is within the attacking unit’s firing arc, and within a range bracket it can deliver damage to, he must determine the to-hit number. The player’s dice roll must equal or exceed this to-hit number in order to score a successful attack against his target. The base to-hit number for all attacks is the unit’s Skill Rating. This number is then modified based on the attack’s range bracket, the target’s movement capability, terrain features, and other miscellaneous situations. The modifiers applicable to
ALPHA strike range table Distance
Range
Up to 6”
Short
Over 6” and up to 24”
Medium
Over 24” and up to 42”
Long
standard Alpha Strike are shown on the To-Hit Modifiers Table. Unless otherwise stated, all modifiers are cumulative, which means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number to find the final to-hit number. Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a movement modifier for target’s available movement. Occupying and Intervening Terrain: Terrain is occupied if any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. Terrain is intervening if the Line of Sight passes through it before reaching the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 34). In the To-Hit Roll diagram, Alice’s ’Mech is at point A. The ’Mech she is attacking with has a Skill Rating of 3. It cannot see Aaron’s ’Mech (at point B), since that unit is completely submerged. It can see the conventional infantry unit (at C), the large support vehicle (at D), the ’Mech unit at point E, the ProtoMech at point F, and the vehicle at point G. Alice starts with her Skill Rating of 3 and applies the rest of the modifiers. Here are her to-hit numbers: The infantry unit at point C is 16” away, putting it at Medium range, which adds a +2 modifier. They have 2”f Move, giving them a target modifier of +0. The Modified To-Hit Number is 5 [3 (Skill Rating) + 2 (medium range) = 5].
4” DEPTH WATER
1” DEPTH WATER
• to-hit roll diagram •
F
To-hit modifiers table TERRAIN MODIFIERS
RANGE MODIFIERS Range
Distance
Modifier
Terrain
Modifier
Short
Up to 6”
+0
Underwater
+14
Medium
>6” to 24”
+2
Woods
+25
Long
>24” to 42”
+4
Partial Cover
+2
introduction
PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS
TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1 Target’s Available MP
Modifier
Physical Attack Type
Modifier
0-4”
+0
Standard
+0
5”-8”
+1
Melee
+1
9”-12”
+2
Charge
+2
13”-18”
+3
Death From Above
+3
19”-34”
+4
Anti-’Mech Infantry
+1
35”+
+5
Jump Capable
+1
Target
Modifier
Has Stealth Armor
Varies2
Is Shutdown/Immobile
–4
Is Dropping Unit
+3
TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS
Standard Alpha strike
MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS Attacker
TARGET MODIFIERS
Introductory alpha strike
Modifier
Attacking Indirectly
+16
Attacker is a Drone
+1
Attacker is IndustrialMech with: No AFC special
+17
Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
+07
Attacker is Support Vehicle with: Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
+07
Basic Fire Control (BFC)
+17
No AFC or BFC special
+27
Target Element Type
Modifier
Airborne Aerospace
+23
Fire Control Hit (per hit)
Airborne VTOL or WiGE
+1
Overheating
Battle Armor
+1
Spotting for Indirect Fire
DropShip
–2
Anti-’Mech Infantry
2
Advanced Options
+27 +Heat Level (1-3)8 +19
Large (LG, VLG, or SLG special)
–1
Attacker is Conventional Infantry
+3
ProtoMech
+1
Target transporting battle armor
+310
Modifier is based on available movement modified by heat level and critical hits, if applicable. Inches movement is irrelevant. This modifier does not apply to aerospace units. For battle armor targets, Stealth adds +1 at Short and Medium ranges, and +2 at Long range. For all other units, Stealth adds +0 at Short range, +1 at Medium range, and +2 at Long range. 3 Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, conventional fighters, small craft and DropShips. Only applies when target is airborne. Do not apply if attacker is also an airborne aerospace unit. 4 Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved. 5 Target has intervening or occupied Woods terrain. 6 If the spotting unit makes a weapon attack in the same turn as it spots, apply a +2 modifier instead. 7 Fire Control hit effects may apply multiple times. Does not apply to Physical attacks. 9 Not cumulative with the Attacking Indirectly modifier. 10 Applies if target is transporting battle armor as cargo, or using mechanized/extended mechanized infantry specials 1
Abstract Aerospace System
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
37
The large support vehicle at D is 26” away—Long range, which adds 4. It has 5 Move, giving it a target modifier of +2. It is a large support vehicle, which subtracts 1. The Modified To-Hit Number is 8 [3 (Skill Rating) + 4 (long range) + 2 (target movement) –1 (Large) = 8]. The target ’Mech at E is 2” away, making it Short range, which doesn’t add a modifier. It has a Move of 10”/2”j. The 10” has a target movement modifier of +2, the 2”j has a target movement modifier of +0 and +1 jump for a +1 total. The highest target movement modifier of +2 is used. Next, Alice adds 2 because it is in water that provides partial cover. The Modified To-Hit Number is 7 [3 (Skill Rating) + 0 (short range) + 2 (target movement) + 2 (partial cover) = 7]. Though Alice’s unit has LOS to ProtoMech at F, that unit is outside of her firing arc, so no shots at it are possible. The vehicle unit at point G is 8” away, putting it at medium range for a +2 modifier. It has an 8” Move, giving it a target modifier of +1. There are 2” of woods between the attacker and target, for another +2 modifier. The Modified To-Hit Number is 8 [3 (Skill Rating) + 2 (medium range) + 1 (target movement) + 2 (intervening woods) = 8].
Step 5: Roll to Hit To execute an attack, the controlling player rolls 2D6 for each unit and compares the total to the modified to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack succeeds. Otherwise, the attack fails. Partial Cover Effects: If the target’s partial cover is a building or grounded DropShip, an attack that fails by 1 or 2 points will damage the intervening building or DropShip instead (see Buildings and Attacks against Grounded Aerospace Units, p. 83 and p. 60, respectively). Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage When an attack is successful, its damage is applied immediately, but damage effect will not take place until the End Phase. Before damage can be applied, the attack direction and amount of damage must be determined. Attack Direction: When an attack hits a unit, it must be determined whether or not it strikes the target’s front or rear. To determine this, lay a straightedge from the center of the attacker’s base to the center of the target’s base. If the attack enters through the rear hex side of the target’s base, the attack direction is to the target’s rear. Otherwise, the damage applies to the front of the target. If the straightedge crosses at the intersection of two hex sides, the target chooses which side is hit by the attack. In the case of damage delivered to infantry (including battle armor) and Spheroid DropShips on the ground, damage is always determined as if the unit is being hit in the front. Mechanized Battle Armor: If a unit carrying mechanized battle armor (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32) is hit, roll 1D6. On a result of 1–4, the carrying unit suffers the damage normally. On a result of 5–6, the mechanized battle armor takes the damage instead. If this destroys the battle armor unit, any excess damage will be transferred to the carrying unit. Amount of Damage: The base amount of damage delivered by a successful weapon attack is equal to the attacking unit’s damage value at the appropriate range bracket. If the target is at short range, the base damage is that listed in the attacking unit’s S value. For a target at medium range, the M value is used. For a target at long range, the L damage value applies. Damage to Rear: Add 1 point of damage to any successful attack that strikes its target in the rear. Overheat Damage: Units that track heat may inflict additional damage on their targets at the expense of overheating. The decision to overheat for additional damage potential must be made when the attack is declared, but before it is resolved (see Overheating, p. 44). Special Ability Damage: When using special ability rules (such as Indirect Fire, Torpedoes, and Turret-mounted weapons), use the damage values given for the special ability in place of the normal damage values. The damage values of such special abilities (including those noted as AC, ARTX, FLK, IF, LRM, SRM, TOR, and TUR) follow the same range-bracket format as normal damage (see Special Abilities, pp. 45-51) and are counted in the unit’s normal attack damage unless otherwise specified. The Heat special ability (HT#) is a special case, as noted below.
Heat Special Ability: Some units have a preponderance of heat-generating weapons. Units with this feature will reflect this in the unit’s stats via the Heat special ability. The Heat special ability will also include a numeric rating (for example, HT1), which indicates the number of heat points that will apply to the target during the End Phase of the turn when the attack hits. (This heat applies in addition to the standard damage points applied during the attacker’s normal weapon attack, so a unit that can deliver 3 points of damage and has the HT1 special will deliver 3 points of damage in the attack, and 1 point of heat in the same turn’s End Phase.) A unit may be struck by multiple attacks that deliver heat, but no unit may gain more than 2 points of heat per turn in this fashion. If the target of a Heat special does not track heat with a Heat Scale, the Heat special delivers its heat points as damage points instead. Underwater Damage: With the exception of damage from torpedo weapons (units that have the TOR special ability), all damage from underwater weapon attacks that hit a submerged unit is reduced by half (round down, to a minimum of 1). However, to reflect the danger of flooding due to hull breaches, every successful attack against a submerged unit generates a Critical Hit chance, even if there is no structure damage (see Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). If a submerged unit loses all of its armor, it automatically sinks and is considered destroyed. Area of Effect (AOE) Damage: Some weapons and effects are described as Area of Effect (AOE), which can affect all units within a given radius from the point of impact (POI). If a unit is at a different elevation than the POI, the difference in elevation is added to the distance from impact. Thus, a tank on a hill 2 inches away and 2 inches above the POI is treated as if it lies 4 inches from the POI, and would not be affected by an AOE weapon with a 2-inch radius. ProtoMechs: Because they count as one unit in a player’s army list, the damage values for ProtoMech Points are given for the entire five-ProtoMech group. But, since individual ProtoMechs move separately from one another in Alpha Strike, the attacks and damage delivered by each ProtoMech may inflict must be resolved individually. To determine the amount of damage an Individual ProtoMech can deliver based on its five-member Point data, simply cross reference the damage value the entire Point can deliver at each range bracket against the individual ProtoMech’s value in the Individual ProtoMech Values Table (see below). (For example, a
Individual ProtoMech Values table Value (Point)
Value (Individual)
0
0
1 to 7
1
8 to 12
2
13 to 17
3
18 to 22
4
23+
5
Point of five Hydra ProtoMechs can deliver 5 points of damage at Short range, and 3 at Medium. Because the values for both range brackets fall in the 1 to 7 range, the individual Hydras will deliver only 1 point of damage at each range bracket.) This same division is also applied to any special ability features ProtoMechs may have as part of their unit card data (such as IF#, HT#, and so forth). Applying Damage The following questionand-answer process covers the recording of damage from a successful attack. If the target of the attack is an individual ProtoMech, consult the Damage to ProtoMechs rule (see p. 40) to determine the number of • attack direction points of armor and structure diagram • each ProtoMech may sustain. Question 1: Does the target unit have armor (Arm) bubbles remaining on its unit card? Yes: Check off one armor bubble for every point of damage delivered against the unit, until all damage is applied or all armor is destroyed. Then proceed to Question 2. No: Proceed to Question 3. Question 2: Is there attack damage remaining? Yes: Proceed to Question 3 to allocate remaining damage. No: Proceed to Question 6. Question 3: Does the target unit have structure (Str) bubbles remaining? Yes: Check off one structure bubble for every point of damage delivered, until all damage is applied or all structure is destroyed. Then proceed to Question 4. No: Proceed to Question 4. Question 4: Is there damage remaining? Yes: The target unit is destroyed. If the unit is transporting other units (such as infantry), all transported units are destroyed as well. No: Go to Question 5. Question 5: Does the target unit have structure bubbles remaining? Yes: Roll once on the Determining Critical Hits Table (see Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). The attack is finished. No: The target unit is destroyed. If the unit is transporting other units (such as infantry), all transported units are destroyed as well. Question 6: Does the target unit have the BAR special ability, or is it an aerospace unit and the damage delivered from a single attack has exceeded its threshold value? Yes: Roll once on the Determining Critical Hits Table (see Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). The attack is finished. No: Proceed to Question 7. Question 7: Is the target unit a vehicle? Yes: Roll once on the Determining Motive System Hits Table (see Step 7A: Roll for Motive System Damage, p. 42). The attack is finished. No: The attack is finished.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
39
Damage to ProtoMechs Once again, the fact that ProtoMechs are tracked in fivemember units, but operate as individual elements, means that the damage they can sustain is different when attacking ProtoMech units individually. To determine the number of armor bubbles each ProtoMech individually has based on its armor value as a Point, use the Individual ProtoMech Values Table. (For example, a point of Hydra ProtoMechs has 7 armor bubbles; because this falls in the 1 to 7 range, this means that each Hydra can individually sustain only 1 armor bubble before excess damage hits the structure.) Damage cannot transfer between members of a ProtoMech Point. If the damage delivered to an individual ProtoMech exceeds the number of armor bubbles it can sustain, the excess damage hits the ProtoMech’s structure. Because all ProtoMechs— regardless of size—receive only 1 point of structure in Alpha Strike gameplay, this means that any damage that exceeds the individual ProtoMech’s number of armor bubbles will also destroy the ProtoMech’s structure. The destruction of each ProtoMech’s Structure point counts as destruction of the individual ProtoMech itself and finishes the attack. If all 5 structure bubbles in a given ProtoMech Point are marked off, the entire Point is considered to be destroyed (even if it has armor bubbles remaining). Note: In some cases, this approach of dividing armor and structure points across a group of ProtoMechs may leave the Point without any remaining armor before it actually runs out of ProtoMechs. If this occurs, treat each remaining ProtoMech in the group as if it has 1 armor point. Kevin’s RFL-3N Rifleman begins the turn undamaged, and so it has 4 points of armor and 5 points of structure. This Combat Phase, the ’Mech is hit by weapon attacks from a STK-5S Stalker and a BSW-X1 Bushwacker. After checking the attack directions, Kevin’s opponents find all shots will strike his Rifleman on the front. The Stalker is attacking from medium range and will thus deliver 3 points of damage. Kevin marks off 3 armor bubbles, leaving 1 armor and 5 structure circles for his Rifleman. Because the damage has not marked off any structure bubbles, there is no Critical Hits roll. The Bushwacker, also attacking from medium range, also delivers 3 points of damage. Kevin marks off the last bubble of armor on his Rifleman and 2 points of structure, leaving it with no armor bubbles, and 3 bubbles of structure. Kevin informs his opponent that the attack has hit his structure. This means there is a chance for a Critical Hit. His opponent rolls 2D6, getting a 10 result, and consults the Determining Critical Hit Table. This means the Rifleman has taken a Fire Control Hit. In future turns, the Rifleman will suffer an additional +2 to-hit modifier to its weapon attacks. John has a Point of five Centaur ProtoMechs in his force, of which one is presently under attack. As a Point, the Centaurs have 3 points of armor and 5 points of structure. They can deliver 3 points of damage at Short range, 2 at Medium, and 1 at Long (and also possess the IF1 special ability). As all of these
values fall within the 1 to 7 range, it means that the individual Centaurs can sustain 1 point of armor damage, 1 point of structure damage, and deliver 1 point of damage at Short, Medium, and Long range. The attack against John’s lone Centaur delivers 4 points. As the Centaur can only withstand 2 points (1 for armor, and 1 for structure), it is destroyed. John marks off one armor bubble and one structure bubble from his Centaur Point’s unit card. Since the Point is operating as individual units, the remaining damage does not affect the other four ProtoMechs. Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits All units (except infantry and battle armor) can suffer critical hits in standard Alpha Strike. When the conditions for a critical hit check are met (as described below), the attacker rolls 2D6 and consults the Determining Critical Hits Table for the appropriate unit type. The target’s controlling player must then note any Critical Hits clearly on the unit’s card. All critical hit effects will persist for the remainder of the scenario. If a given critical hit effect does not apply to the unit in question (for example, a weapon hit on a unit that has already had all of its damage values reduced to zero), apply 1 additional point of damage to the unit instead, but do not roll for additional critical hits as a result of this extra damage. The following conditions will result in a critical hit check: All Non-Infantry Units: Any time a hit damages structure, the unit may suffer a critical hit. (If the unit is an IndustrialMech, two critical hits rolls must be made.) All Units with BAR Special: Any time a unit with the Barrier Armor Rating (BAR) special ability suffers damage, a critical hit may occur—even if there is armor remaining. (If a unit with the BAR special suffers structure damage, two critical hit checks must be made.) Submerged Units: Units submerged in water must check for critical hits every time they suffer damage of any kind, to check for potential hull breaches. (If a submerged unit also has a BAR special, two critical hit checks must be made.) Aerospace Units: When rolling for critical hits against an aerospace unit, use the Determining Aerospace Critical Hits Table in the next chapter (see p. 58). In addition to the above rules, aerospace units will also face a critical hit check if the damage from a single attack exceeds the aerospace unit’s damage threshold. The damage threshold for an aerospace unit is equal to one-tenth of the unit’s starting armor value, rounded up. Critical Hit Effects The following describes the effects of each critical hit type described in the Determining Critical Hits Table. Ammo Hit: Unless the unit has the CASE, CASEII, or ENE special abilities, the unit is destroyed. If the unit has CASE, it suffers 1 additional point of damage (roll again on the Determining Critical Hits Table if this damages structure). If the unit has the CASEII or ENE special abilities, apply no additional damage and treat the result as No Critical Hit. Crew Killed: The unit’s crew is killed. The unit is treated as destroyed.
Crew Stunned: The unit’s crew is stunned, and the unit may not move or make attacks during the next turn. A unit with a stunned crew is treated as an immobile target. Engine Hit (’Mechs): The unit’s power system is damaged. For ’Mechs units, an engine hit will cause the unit to generate 1 heat point any time it fires its weapons without delivering any extra damage from overheating. (The unit may still use overheating to add damage to its attacks, but this heat will add to the 1 point generated by the engine hit.) A second Engine Hit critical will destroy the unit. Engine Hit (Vehicles): For Vehicle units, the first engine hit will reduce the unit’s Move and damage values at all range brackets by 50 percent (round down, to a minimum of 0 on all values). A second Engine Hit critical will destroy the unit. Fire Control Hit: Some mechanism for controlling the unit’s weapons has been damaged. This could represent anything from arm actuator damage to sensor hits. Each Fire Control Hit adds a cumulative to-hit modifier of The Otomo standard-bearer, a Cyclops, struggles to right itself as Sword of Light and Izanagi Warrior forces push on. +2 for all subsequent weapon attacks by the damaged unit. (This modifier will not apply to Determining Critical Hits table physical attacks.) MP Hit: Something related to the unit’s ability to move has 2d6 ’Mech* ProtoMech** Vehicle been damaged. The affected unit loses half of its current Move, 2 Ammo Hit Weapon Hit Ammo Hit rounding normally (to a minimum Move loss of 2 inches). If a unit is reduced to a Move of 0 inches (or less) in this fashion, 3 Engine Hit Weapon Hit Crew Stunned the unit may no longer move. 4 Fire Control Hit Fire Control Hit Fire Control Hit No Critical Hit: The hit causes no critical effect. 5 No Critical Hit MP Hit Fire Control Hit Unit Destroyed: The unit has suffered fatal damage and is 6 Weapon Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit eliminated from the game. 7 MP Hit MP Hit No Critical Hit Weapon Hit: This hit represents the destruction of a number 8 Weapon Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit of weapons on the affected unit. All damage values—including 9 No Critical Hit MP Hit Weapon Hit those of special abilities that have damage values (such as 10 Fire Control Hit Unit Destroyed Weapon Hit AC, ARTX, FLK, HT, IF, LRM, SRM, TOR, and TUR) are reduced 11 Engine Hit Weapon Hit Crew Killed by 1 (to a minimum of 0). For units with multiple attacks (such 12 Unit Destroyed Weapon Hit Engine Hit as DropShips and mobile structures), a Weapon Hit critical will reduce the damage values at all ranges in a randomly*Roll twice for critical hits on IndustrialMechs, and apply both critical hits. determined arc by 50 percent (round down, to a minimum of 0). **ProtoMech critical hit effects must be tracked separately for individual ProtoMechs. Weapon Hit criticals do not affect a unit’s physical attack values.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
41
Motive Systems Damage table Unit Motive Type
2D6 Roll Modifier
Tracked/Naval
+0
Wheeled/Hovercraft
+1
VTOL/WiGE
+2
2D6 Roll
Motive Effects
2-8
No Effect
9-10
–2” Move*
11
–50% Move*
12+
Unit Immobilized
*To a minimum of 0” Move; round fractions down Step 7A: Roll for Motive Systems Damage Vehicles are inherently more vulnerable to disabling hits than BattleMechs. Whenever a vehicle unit (including combat vehicles and support vehicles) is damaged by an attack, roll 1D6. On a result of 1 through 4, there is no motive system damage. If the 1D6 roll is 5 or 6, roll 2D6 and consult the Motive Systems Damage Table, applying the modifiers indicated by the vehicle’s motive type. A result of “No Effect” means that the vehicle’s motive systems suffer no additional damage this time. All other results indicate that the vehicle has suffered damage that will impair its movement for the rest of the game. Airborne Vehicles: If a VTOL or WiGE unit is reduced to 0 inches of Move as a result of motive systems damage, and the unit is at least 1 inch of elevation above its underlying terrain at the time, the unit will crash into the terrain directly below it. A crashing unit suffers 1 point of damage (rolling for critical hits normally, if applicable) and is immobilized. Submerged Units: If a submerged unit is reduced to 0 inches of Move as a result of motive systems damage, it will immediately sink to the bottom depth of the water terrain directly below it. The sinking unit will suffer 1 point of damage (roll for critical hits normally, if applicable) and is immobilized.
Step 1: Determine Physical Attack Type There are four types of physical attack that units may perform in Alpha Strike: Standard, Melee, Special, and Anti’Mech Infantry. ’Mechs may attempt all three of these physical attack types. ProtoMechs may attempt Standard-type physical attacks only. Vehicle units may only attempt the Charging Special physical attack. Only infantry units (including battle armor) with the Anti-’Mech (AM) special ability may attempt an Anti-’Mech Infantry attack. A unit may only make one physical attack type per turn. Units cannot make a physical attack in the same turn they have made a weapon attack. Standard Physical Attacks: Standard physical attacks consist of punches and kicks where the ’Mech (or ProtoMech) uses its limbs to inflict damage on a target. Standard physical attacks can only occur when the attacker is within 1 inch of its target, and the target is within the attacking unit’s firing arc (see Verify Firing Arcs, p. 35). Melee Physical Attacks: Only ’Mechs with the Melee (MEL) special ability may make Melee physical attacks. The unit uses a weapon to augment its normal physical attack damage. Units that have a Melee special ability may not choose to make a Standard physical attack instead. Melee physical attacks can only occur when the attacking unit is within 2 inches of its target and the target unit is also within the attacking unit’s firing arc (see Verify Firing Arcs, p. 35).
Resolving Physical Attacks
Physical attacks follow a process similar to weapon attacks, but since range is not a factor, several steps are omitted. The process for resolving physical attacks is: Step 1: Determine physical attack type Step 2: Determine to-hit number Step 3: Roll to hit Step 4: Determine and apply damage Step 5: Roll for critical hits (if applicable) Atlas “Big Ben” delivers a brutal punch to the Masakari.
Special Physical Attacks: Charge and Death from Above (DFA) attacks are more aggressive and risky physical attacks. Only one of these special physical attacks may be attempted per target, per turn—once a unit has been targeted for a Special physical attack, it cannot be the target of any further Special physical attacks. Charges and Death From Above attacks can only be completed if the attacking unit can move far enough to end its movement in base-to-base contact with its target, and—because of this—these attacks can only be made against targets that have already completed their movement. (In addition, the Death from Above attack may only be attempted by units that have sufficient jumping Move to reach the target.) Anti-’Mech Infantry Attacks: Units with the Anti-’Mech (AM) special ability can make a special attack against ground units and grounded aerospace units with which they are in base-to-base contact. Although this is called an anti-’Mech attack, any unit on the ground may be targeted in this manner. (VTOLs and WiGEs can only be attacked if landed.) Step 2: Determine To-Hit Number The base to-hit number for all physical attacks is the unit’s Skill Rating. This number is modified based on the physical attack type chosen, the target’s movement capability, terrain features, and other miscellaneous situations. The modifiers applicable to physical attacks in standard Alpha Strike are shown on the To-Hit Modifiers Table. Unless otherwise stated, all modifiers are cumulative, which means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number to find the final to-hit number. Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a movement modifier for target’s available movement. Occupying and Intervening Terrain: Terrain is occupied by a unit if any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. Terrain is intervening if the attacker’s LOS passes through it before reaching the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 34). Step 3: Roll to Hit Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is successful. Otherwise, the attack fails. Step 4: Determine and Apply Damage When a physical attack is successful, its damage is applied immediately, but does not take effect until the End Phase. All physical attack damage is applied in the same fashion as weapon attack damage. Standard and Melee physical attack damage is equal to the unit’s Size value, though units with the Melee special ability add 1 additional damage point to this number. Special physical attacks use different rules for determining damage, as described below. ProtoMechs: ProtoMechs operating individually will only deliver 1 point of damage from a successful physical attack, regardless of the ProtoMechs’ other damage values. Anti-’Mech Infantry: On a successful attack, the infantry unit delivers its normal damage to the target and rolls once for a critical hit on the target unit, even if there is armor remaining. (See Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40.)
Charge Attacks In a Charge attack, the Charge attacking unit (’Mech or Damage table vehicle) uses its ground movement to ram into its Multiply target, using its mass and Unit Size Move by speed to deliver damage. 1 (Light) .25 A successful Charge can 2 (Medium) .50 thus damage both the attacker and the target. The 3 (Heavy) .75 charging unit’s damage is 4 (Assault) 1 based on its weight and Death from Above: Add +1 the distance it traveled in damage for Death from Above the Movement Phase. To (DFA) attack find this damage, take the total inches the attacker traveled, divide that by 2, and multiply by the result by the value shown on the Charge Damage Table, rounding normally. The result is the amount of damage inflicted against the target unit. Damage to Attacker: If the Charge attack is successful, the attacking unit also suffers 1 point of damage if its target is Size 3 or higher. This damage does not count as an attack by the target unit, which may attack normally during its Combat Phase. Death from Above Attack In order to execute a Death from Above (DFA) attack, the attacking unit must have jumping movement. Airborne units may not be targeted by a Death from Above attack. On a successful DFA attack, the attacking unit delivers damage to its target equal to its Charge damage +1 (see the Charge Damage Table). A successful DFA attack will give the attacker the chance to deliver a critical hit, even if the target’s armor is not destroyed (see Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). Damage to Attacker: If the DFA attack succeeds, the attacking unit also suffers damage equal to its own Size. This damage does not count as an attack from the target unit, so the target may attack normally during its own Combat Phase. If the DFA fails, the attacking unit suffers damage equal to 1 plus its own Size value.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
Brian’s is debating whether his VND-3L Vindicator medium ’Mech (Size 2, with a Move of 8”j) will Charge or DFA an enemy CES-3R Caesar (a heavy Size 3 ’Mech). The distance between the two units is 7 inches. If the Vindicator charges, Brian calculates that it will deliver 2 points of damage (7 inches ÷ 2 = 3.5; 3.5 x 0.5 = 1.75, rounding normally to 2) on a successful attack, and will suffer 1 point of damage, because the Caesar is Size 3 or higher. If the Vindicator attempts a DFA instead, it will deliver 3 points of damage on a successful attack (the charge damage calculated above +1), but will suffer 2 points of damage (the Vindicator’s Size value). If the Vindicator misses, it will suffer 3 points of damage for its trouble (the Vindicator’s Size + 1).
The BattleTech Universe
43
Knowing that the to-hit modifier for a DFA is 1 point higher than a charge attack, Brian must now choose between a DFA that will inflict more damage to both ’Mechs, or the less damaging—but slightly easier to pull off—charge. Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits Physical attacks may inflict critical hits just like weapon attacks. Refer to Roll for Critical Hits (see p. 40). Death from Above: A successful DFA automatically results in 1 roll on the Determining Critical Hits Table against the target unit, even if the target suffered no structure damage as a result of the attack. If the target did suffer structure damage as a result of the DFA attack, an additional roll for critical hits must be made. Anti-’Mech Infantry: A successful Anti-’Mech Infantry attack automatically results in 1 roll on the Determining Critical Hits Table against the target unit, even if the target suffered no structure damage as a result of the attack. If the target did suffer structure damage as a result of the Anti-’Mech Infantry attack, an additional roll for critical hits must be made.
Overheating
Many ’Mechs and some aerospace units have an Overheat Value (OV) shown on the unit card. This number reflects the fact that these units have more weapons than they can safely fire. A warrior piloting such a unit can push it beyond its safety limits to inflict extra damage. However, the heat build-up caused by such action will slow the unit down and cause its targeting systems to behave erratically until the ’Mech has a chance to cool off. Using Overheat Value An attacking player must announce his use of Overheat Value— and how many points of OV he wishes to use—before resolving the attack’s to-hit roll. A unit with OV can apply anywhere from a minimum of 0 OV points to a maximum equal to the unit’s OV rating. If the attack succeeds, it deals extra damage at the Short or Medium range brackets equal to the OV points used when the attack was announced. For each point of Overheat Value a unit uses in this fashion, one point of Heat is added to the unit’s Heat Scale (see Heat, p. 44). If the overheating unit is in water, it reduces this heat level by 1 point. Special Ability Damage: Special abilities that deliver damage (or heat) effects (such as ARTX, FLK, HT, IF, LRM, SRM, TOR, and TUR) may not be augmented by overheating. Physical Attacks: Physical attacks may not be augmented by overheating. Overheat Long (OVL) Special Ability: If a unit has the OVL special ability, its use of Overheat will also increase its damage value in the Long range bracket in the same manner as it will for Short and Medium range. Maximum Overheat and Heat Scale Effects Using Overheat will add to a unit’s Heat Value and can cause a unit to move slower and be less accurate in later turns. A unit cannot overheat more than the heat scale will allow (see Heat, p. 44).
The Mad Cat (Timber Wolf) Prime has the following stats on its unit card: Damage (S/M/L) 5/5/4, OV 1, and has the LRM 1/1/2 and IF2 special abilities, but not the OVL special ability. With the OV of 1, it can overheat by 1 point in a turn. This mean it can inflict up to 6 points of damage at Short and Medium range (5 + 1 = 6), but still delivers only 4 points of damage at Long range due to the lack of the OVL special ability. Its IF and LRM special abilities, however, cannot be improved by using OV points. In the next turn, the Mad Cat can overheat by 1 additional level to maintain its augmented damage, raising its heat scale to 2 points. If the Mad Cat does this again for two more consecutive turns, its heat scale will continue to rise until hitting its maximum level (shutdown).
End Phase The following describes the rules for the End Phase of an Alpha Strike turn. Both players may complete this phase simultaneously.
Damage
Unless overridden by a special ability, all damage inflicted during the Combat Phase takes effect during the End Phase. This includes all Critical Hit effects as well, and all units that are destroyed must be removed from play at this time. Aerospace Units: Any airborne aerospace unit that suffered damage from ground units during the current turn must make a Control Roll during the turn’s End Phase or lose altitude. See the Aerospace End Phase rules in the Abstract Aerospace System chapter (see pp. 52-61).
Heat
The boxed numbers and the letter “S” to the right of the Overheat Value represent the unit’s heat scale. When a unit overheats, the amount by which it overheats is added to the unit’s heat level, which is then marked on the heat scale. A unit’s current heat level will be added to its weapon attack target numbers, and twice its current heat level (in inches) will be subtracted from the unit’s ground movement rating. (Jumping Move is not affected by the heat scale.) Heat scale levels should be marked in pencil, as a unit’s heat will rise and fall throughout game play. Remember that heat levels do not actually change until the End Phase of the turn in which the unit overheated. Thus, modifiers caused by overheating do not impact the attack that causes the overheating to begin with; they will instead affect the unit during its next turn. Heat (HT#) Special Ability: The Heat special ability (see p. 47) reflects units that are capable of raising a target unit’s heat via outside heat sources (such as flamer weapons). In a single turn, no unit may receive more than 2 points of heat from attacks made using this special ability. If a unit capable of building heat has already generated 2 points of heat during the turn from HT# attacks, the unit does not receive any additional heat effects; instead, the extra heat points from these attacks are simply lost.
Shutdown The maximum heat level of 4 appears on the heat scale as an S, which represents automatic shutdown. A unit reaching this level on the heat scale shuts down, and cannot expend Move or Thrust, or execute any attacks in the following turn. If the unit contains any special electronics (such as ECM), that equipment will also stop working wile the unit is shutdown. Attacks against a shutdown unit apply a –4 to-hit modifier, and ignore all target movement modifiers during that turn, including any modifiers for the targets jump capability (if applicable). Aerospace Units: Aerospace units that suffer shutdown must consult the Aerospace End Phase rules in the Abstract Aerospace System chapter (see pp. 52-61). Cooling Down Any unit that used Overheating in the current turn will increase its Heat level as mentioned above, and thus will not cool down at all in the End Phase. If a unit outside of water (or in water terrain of less than 2 inches in depth) made a weapon attack in the current turn—but does not use Overheat—its Heat Level will remain unchanged in the End Phase. A unit in water of 2 inches in depth that used only 1 point of Overheat will also not change its current Heat Level in the current End Phase. Heat levels will thus decrease during the End Phase only as follows:
A unit that begins the End Phase as a shutdown unit automatically drops to a Heat Level of 0 (and restarts). A unit does not make a weapon attack in the current turn also reduces its Heat Level to 0. A unit that enters water of 2 or more inches in depth will reduce its Heat Level by 1 point, as long as it did not use any Overheat in the current turn. introduction
Logan’s Vulture Prime overheats by 2 in the current turn, so he marks the 2 box on the unit’s Heat Scale during the End Phase of the turn. Starting with the following turn, and as long as the Vulture remains at this heat level, it will lose 4 inches of Move (2 Heat x 2 inches), and suffer a to-hit modifier of +2 to all weapon attacks. Unless the Vulture forgoes a weapon attack or enters water deep enough to submerge itself, it will remain at a Heat Level of 2. If, in the next turn, Logan uses another 1 point of Overheat, the Vulture will rise to a level of 3 on its Heat Scale. At that heat level, it will lose 6 inches of Move (3 Heat x 2 inches), and suffer a to-hit modifier of +3 to all weapon attacks.
Special Abilities Special abilities reflect extra features of a unit’s performance created by its equipment or unit type. While most of these provide units with additional benefits, some special abilities may also reflect handicaps or restrictions. If a special ability contradicts the basic gameplay rules, the ability takes precedence. Units may have multiple special abilities. If two special abilities contradict each other, refer to the detailed ability description for additional instructions. The special ability descriptions below describe abilities usable in Standard Alpha Strike. Any special abilities not found in the list below have no effect in the standard level of play, but may be used in advanced Alpha Strike games.
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Special Ability Descriptions
These abilities are listed by name, with their common abbreviation given in parentheses. Special abilities followed by a numeric designator (#) indicate indicates that may have variable effect based on the number used. (For example, a unit with HT1 indicates a unit that can deliver 1 heat point in a successful attack against a targeted unit, while a unit with HT2 can deliver 2 heat points.) If multiple numbers, separated by slashes, appear by a special ability’s abbreviation, those values indicate an ability that delivers damage in the Short, Medium, and Long range brackets.
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Advanced Fire Control (AFC) IndustrialMechs and support vehicles equipped with Advanced Fire Control do not suffer to-hit modifiers for their unit type.
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Amphibious (AMP) This ability makes a non-naval unit capable of water movement. Amphibious units pay a total of 4” per inch of water traversed and move as a surface naval unit in water, except that they freely move in and out of water areas.
most weapons and physical attacks by 1 point (to a minimum of 0). Indirect attacks, heat-causing attacks, and area-effect attacks (such as artillery and bombs) are not dampened by the shield and thus deliver full damage. All weapon attacks made by a ’Mech with this ability incur an additional +2 to-hit modifier.
Angel ECM (AECM) An Angel ECM suite has all the advantages of a standard ECM suite. Angel ECM is treated as two standard ECM suites.
Anti-Missile System (AMS) A unit with an AMS reduces the damage from any attack specifically delivered by the IF, SRM, or LRM special abilities by 1 point (to a minimum of 1) as long as the attack comes from the front.
Bomb (BOMB#) Conventional and aerospace fighters, fixed-wing support vehicles, and some battle armor can carry bombs. The number of bombs these units can carry are equal to the number in the ability’s notation (so a unit with BOMB4 carries up to 4 bombs). For most units, these bombs may be of any type, though battle armor units with this ability may only use cluster bombs (see p. 57). (As a special exception, Arrow IV missiles of all types may be carried as bombs, but a unit that uses Arrow IV bombs must count the first Arrow IV missile carried this way as 2 bombs. All remaining bombs are then counted normally.) Each bomb a unit carries reduces its Thrust value by 1. (Battle armor units with bombs suffer no effects on their Move ratings.) A bomb-carrying unit’s card should list how many bombs the unit is carrying in the scenario, which must be equal to or less than the number this ability enables it to carry.
Armored Components (ARM) A unit with this ability ignores the first critical hit chance rolled against it during a single Alpha Strike scenario. The first time circumstances arise that would normally generate an opportunity for a critical hit (such as structure damage), the unit’s controlling player must strike off this ability as “spent” for the remainder of the scenario, and the attacker loses his first opportunity to roll for a critical hit.
Cargo (CAR#) An infantry unit with the Cargo special ability can be carried by a unit with infantry transport space (noted by the IT# special ability). For these units, the number in the ability notation indicates the amount of cargo space it needs to be transported. For example, a squad of Elemental battle armor has a CAR5 special ability, and so would need a unit with IT5 (or higher) to transport it.
Armored Motive Systems (ARS) A unit with this special ability applies a –1 modifier on the Determining Motive Systems Damage roll (see Determining Motive Systems Damage Table, p. 42).
Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment (CASE) Units with this ability can minimize the catastrophic effects of an ammunition explosion and thus can survive Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 40), but will suffer additional damage.
Barrier Armor Rating (BAR) The BAR special indicates a unit that is protected by substandard armor (or commercial-grade armor). Successful attacks against such units always trigger a roll for critical hits, regardless of whether or not the structure is damaged.
Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment II (CASEII) Units with this ability have superior protection against ammunition explosions and can ignore Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 40).
Anti-’Mech (AM) Infantry units with the Anti-’Mech (AM) special ability can make a special attack against any ground units, landed VTOLs and WiGEs, or grounded aerospace units with which they are in base-to-base contact. Anti-’Mech Infantry attacks are treated as a physical attack (see p. 42).
Basic Fire Control (BFC) A support vehicle or IndustrialMech with this ability has an inferior targeting and tracking system, which adds a to-hit modifier of +1 for its attack. (This modifier is listed in the To-Hit Modifiers Table, see p. 37.) BattleMech HarJel (BHJ) A ’Mech protected by HarJel ignores the special “hull breach” critical hit checks required for being attacked while underwater (or in a vacuum). All other causes for critical hit rolls (such as those caused by structure damage and successful DFA attacks) still apply as normal. BattleMech Shield (SHLD) Shield-bearing ’Mechs gain some protection against weapon and physical attacks at the expense of their own attack accuracy. To reflect this, shield-equipped units reduce the damage from
Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) In Alpha Strike, an ECM suite’s area of effect covers a 12-inch radius from the unit that has this special ability. Electronics (including active probes and C3 computers) used by units friendly to the ECM-equipped unit will not be affected by this item, nor will an ECM suite affect other scanning and targeting devices (such as basic or advanced fire control, or TAG). Against hostile electronics, ECM has the following effects: ECM vs. Active Probes, Drones, Narc and iNarc Systems: Active probes, drones, and the Narc/iNarc systems are all covered in the Advanced Options chapter (see p. 62), and will detail the effects of ECM against those systems. ECM vs. C3 Networks: ECM disrupts most enemy C3 networks, preventing their function depending upon the type of C3 network. If a C3 master unit is isolated from the network because it ventures inside the ECM bubble, the C3 master’s entire network is effectively shut off and loses C3 abilities. If the LOS between the C3 master unit and one or more of the units in its network passes through a hostile
ECM radius, only those networked units “cut off” from the C3 master will lose the benefits of C3. (See C3 Networks, pp. 49-51). If a C3i-equipped unit is caught within the ECM bubble, or draws its LOS to all partner C3i units through an ECM bubble, that unit is isolated from the network and loses all C3i abilities. Elementary Engine or Fuel Cell Engine (EE or FC) Units with EE or FC specials use non-fusion engines for power and must have the SEAL special to operate underwater. Units with elementary engines (EE) may not operate in a vacuum, but units that have both fuel cell engines (FC) and the SEAL special may operate normally in a vacuum. Heat-tracking units that use either of these engine types will suffer no heat buildup from an Engine Hit critical effect. Instead, for every turn after receiving an Engine Hit critical, if the unit makes a weapon attack, its controlling player must roll 2D6 in the End Phase of that game turn On a roll of 12, the unit explodes and is destroyed. Energy (ENE) A unit with this ability has little to no ammo to explode, and ignores Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 40). Extended Mechanized (XMEC) Battle armor with this special ability may function as mechanized battle armor, and can ride on any type of ground unit (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32). Fire Resistant (FR) Units with this ability are not affected by infernos or other weapons that generate heat (HT#). If the heat-causing weapon deals damage in addition to causing heat, that damage still applies.
Industrial Triple-Strength Myomers (I-TSM) ’Mechs with Industrial TSM have enhanced musculature that delivers 1 point of additional damage on a successful standard- or melee-type physical attack, but these units also suffer a +2 to-hit modifier for all physical attacks due to the loss of fine motor control. (Industrial TSM also provides a movement boost, but this is already calculated in the unit’s Alpha Strike stats.) Infantry Transport (IT#) The numerical rating associated with this special ability indicates the amount of infantry transport space available. The unit may carry any number of infantry or battle armor units as long as these units’ total cargo requirement does not exceed the transporting unit’s infantry transport rating. Light ECM (LECM) Light ECM functions identically to ECM, but with a reduced radius. Light ECM only creates an ECM bubble with a 2” radius. Mechanized (MEC) Battle armor with this special ability may function as mechanized battle armor, and can ride on any ground unit type that has the Omni special ability (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32). Melee (MEL) This special ability indicates that the ’Mech is equipped with a physical attack weapon, and add 1 additional point of physical attack damage on a successful Melee-type physical attack (see Resolving Physical Attacks, p. 42).
Flak (FLK#/#/#/#) If a unit with this ability misses its to-hit roll by 2 points or less when attacking an airborne aerospace unit, VTOL or WiGE target, the unit will deal damage to its target equal to its FLK rating at the appropriate range bracket.
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Heat (HT#) Units with this ability apply heat to the target’s Heat scale during the End Phase of the turn in which they deliver a successful weapon attack. If the target is a unit type that does not use a Heat Scale, the heat this ability would normally produce is added to the normal attack damage instead (see Determine and Apply Damage, p. 38). Indirect Fire (IF#) The Indirect Fire special ability allows a unit to attack a target without having a valid LOS to it via arcing missiles over the intervening obstacles, similar to how mortars and artillery work. This attack requires a friendly unit with a valid LOS to act as a spotter. The numerical rating for this ability indicates the amount of damage a successful indirect attack will deliver. Because they attack when other weapons cannot, damage from an indirect attack applies in place of the unit’s normal weapon attack (see Indirect Fire, p. 35).
introduction
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Pirate in Victor wielding a Banshee’s head as a makeshift meelee weapon.
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Mimetic Armor System/ Light Mimetic Armor System (MAS/LMAS) Mimetic armors are similar to Stealth systems (see Stealth (STL), p. 48), in that they make a target more difficult to hit with weapon attacks. Unlike Stealth, the modifiers for mimetic armor are based not on the unit’s type and its range, but by the unit’s type and how far it moved in the current turn’s Movement Phase. (Once again, these modifiers do not affect physical attacks against such units.) For attacks made against non-infantry targets with the MAS special, apply an additional +3 to-hit modifier if the unit moved 0 inches in the Movement Phase, dropping to +2 to-hit if the unit moved up to 5 inches, +1 if the unit moved from 5 to 12 inches, and losing the modifier entirely if the unit moved more than 12 inches. For attacks made against battle armor targets with the MAS special, apply an additional +3 to-hit modifier if the unit moved 0 inches in the Movement Phase, dropping to +2 to-hit if the unit moved up to 2 inches, +1 if the unit moved from 2 to 5 inches, and losing the modifier entirely if the unit moved more than 5 inches. A unit equipped with the LMAS special applies only a +2 to-hit modifier if it moved 0 inches, and +1 if it moved up to 2 inches. Off-Road (ORO) Lacking the rugged suspension of combat vehicles, groundbased support vehicles that use the wheeled (w) movement type must pay 2 inches of additional Move for every non-paved inch they move unless they possess the Off-Road special. This ability is not required for any other unit types, including support vehicles that use movement modes other than wheeled. Omni (OMNI) In standard Alpha Strike play, ground-based Omni units (’Mechs or vehicles) may transport a single battle armor unit using the mechanized battle armor rules (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32). Overheat Long (OVL) A unit with this special ability may overheat up to its OV value and apply that value to its Long range damage value as well as the unit’s Short and Medium range damage values. (A unit without this special ability may only apply the damage benefits of its Overheat capabilities to damage delivered in the Short and Medium range brackets.) Stealth (STL) Though various stealth systems exist in the BattleTech universe, the majority are similar enough in function that Alpha Strike does not distinguish between them. These systems make a target more difficult to hit with weapon attacks (but not physical attacks), based on the range and unit type being targeted. For attacks made against non-infantry targets with the STL special, apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier to attacks at Medium range, and an additional +2 to-hit modifier at Long range (or greater). For attacks made against battle armor targets with the STL special, apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier at Short and Medium range, and an additional +2 to-hit modifier at Long range (or greater). Torpedo (TOR#) Torpedo launchers may only be launched by units in water (or on the surface of a water feature), against targets that are also on
or in water (this includes units like hovercraft and airborne WiGEs operating just above the surface of water). Torpedo special ability damage is given in range brackets like a standard weapon attack, and may be fired separately or combined with the standard weapon damage that a submerged unit may deliver in combat. Torpedo attacks ignore underwater range and damage modifiers that affect other weapons. For example, if a submerged unit, with damage values of 2/2/2 and a TOR 3/3 special, fires at a target that is in its underwater Short range bracket, it will deliver 4 points of total damage on a successful attack. (The base damage of 2 for its normal weapons is halved to 1, but the full TOR damage of 3 applies without reduction.) Triple-Strength Myomer (TSM) ’Mechs with the Triple-Strength Myomer special ability can move faster and deliver additional damage in standard- and melee-type physical attacks, but only when running hot. Once a unit with TSM overheats, the following rules apply only to its movement and physical attack capabilities. All other rules for overheating and gameplay apply normally. Movement: When a ’Mech with TSM has a heat scale level of 1 or higher, it gains 2 inches of additional ground Move. If the heat scale is 1, the unit also ignores the loss of 2 inches from overheating, but the overheating effects on Move for heat levels of 2+ remain in effect. (Unlike units with Industrial TSM, units with this ability do not include its movement effects in their normal stats, because the ability is activated only by overheating.) Physical Attacks: When an overheating unit delivers a successful standard- or melee-type physical attack, it adds 1 point to the damage delivered by the attack. Unlike Industrial TSM, this heat-activated version imposes no additional to-hit modifiers. Turret (TUR#) A unit with a turret has some (or all) of its weapons mounted with a 360-degree field of fire. Damage for all turret-mounted weapons are included in the base damage values for the unit, and then separately for the TUR special ability. Thus, when a unit with a turret wishes to make an attack outside of its normal forward field of fire, it must use the damage values for its TUR special ability in place of the unit’s standard damage values. Weapon attacks made using the turret cannot be combined with any other special attack ability (such as IF, FLK, and so on). Some particularly large units—such as mobile structures and very large or super large vehicles—may feature multiple turrets. A unit with multiple turrets may use each turret individually to deliver its attacks (see Exceptionally Large Units, pp. 96-99). Underwater Maneuvering Units (UMU) A unit with the UMU special ability uses the submersible movement rules when it is submerged in water instead of the normal underwater movement rules (see Submersible Movement, p. 31). Watchdog (WAT) A unit with this special ability possesses the Watchdog Composite Electronic Warfare System. For purposes of Alpha Strike, it is treated as if it has both the Light ECM (LECM) special ability, and the Light Active Probe (LPRB). (Active probes are covered in greater detail in the Advanced Options chapter, see pp. 62-113.)
introduction WOODS
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
2” HILL
Abstract Aerospace System
4” HILL
• C3 diagram • Advanced Options
C3 Networks
F The following special abilities cover the various systems available to establish a Command, Control, and Communications (C3) network, as used in standard Alpha Strike play. While each has special features (as noted in the various descriptions below), the basic rules of a C3 network are as follows. Notation and Tracking of C3 Networks C3 networks only receive a numerical notation if the carrying unit has more than one C3 “master” system (C3M, C3BSM, or C3EM) on board. Improved C3 systems (C3I), and C3 “slave” systems (C3S, C3BS, C3RS) do not use numerical notations. C3 networks have limited sizes, based on the special ability involved, so the members of a network should be clearly identified in the event that multiple C3 networks are in use. (Colored markings, symbols on a unit’s card, or even special tokens placed by the units’ miniatures may be helpful in doing this.) Benefits of C3 Networks The members of any given C3 network function as a team, sharing targeting data that enables all members of the network to attack a selected target as if all of them are in the same range bracket as the network’s closest active member with a valid LOS to it. (Even with this benefit, the actual attacker must also have its own valid LOS to the target, and be able to deliver damage against it at its actual range.) Additional benefits of the various C3 systems are defined in their specific special ability descriptions.
For example, four BattleMechs (A, B, C, and D) are part of the same C3 network. BattleMechs B and C are at Long range to a target they can see through an inch of woods; B has a damage value at Long range, but C’s weapons only reach out to Medium range. Meanwhile, ’Mech D is at Short range to the same target, but cannot see it through a hill that stands between them. BattleMech A, however, has an unobstructed view of the target from Medium range. Although they stand at Long range, BattleMechs B and C can attack the target as if it were at Medium range, thanks to ’Mech A’s proximity and LOS to the same unit, but only ’Mech B can deliver damage at Long range. ’Mech A can also attack the target, because it has both LOS and range. ’Mech D cannot make an attack because its LOS to the target is blocked, while ’Mech C is left out only because it has no weapons that can reach that far from its position. If ’Mech D had line of sight to the target instead of ’Mech A, BattleMech’s B and C would enjoy the benefits of the Short range attack modifier, instead of Long range. ’Mech C would remain unable to attack because its own weapons were out of range, but the chances for hits from its companions would be greatly improved.
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
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• C3 configuration diagram •
Losing a C3 Network For standard C3 networks (those with C3M, C3EM, C3RS, and C3S specials), a network member will lose its connection to the network if a hostile ECM bubble covers that member, or blocks its line of sight to the network’s “master” unit. The destruction or shutdown of any C3 unit also removes that unit from its network, but will not affect the entire network unless the destroyed/shutdown unit is the network’s “master”. If the unit destroyed or shutdown is the network’s “master” unit, the entire network—and all active members of it—will lose the benefits of C3. C3 Boosted Systems (C3BSM# or C3BSS) The C3 boosted system works identically to a standard C3 system, and links one master unit (noted by C3BSM) with up to four slaves (noted by C3BSS). These boosted C3 units are unaffected by most ECM effects. Only a hostile Angel ECM will affect a boosted C3 network in the same way as other ECMs affect standard C3 systems. C3 Emergency Master Computer (C3EM#) A C3EM system is an emergency backup for a standard C3 Master system, and activates only during the End Phase of any turn in which the network’s normal C3 master cannot be contacted (either due to destruction or ECM interference). The emergency master runs for 2 consecutive turns (not counting the turn in which it activates), shutting down in the End Phase of the second turn. While running, the C3EM system duplicates all functions of a C3 master computer.
deploying unit’s Short range bracket (this attack receives a –4 to-hit modifier, cannot be made against another unit, and delivers no damage; if the attack misses, the remote sensor will fail to activate). C3 remote sensors must be set to a specific network, require a “master” unit to coordinate with, and cannot exceed the network’s maximum number of four active units. The remote sensor will only operate until the End Phase of the turn after its deployment. For this reason, they are often used as “backups” for destroyed or shutdown members of an active network, or as a temporary substitution for a shorthanded network. C3 Slave Computer (C3S) A unit equipped with a C3 slave can link into a C3 network as described under the C3 Master Computer rules (see p. 51). To be part of a network, C3 slaves must connect to a “master” unit (either a C3M or C3BSM). C3 Improved Computer (C3i) The C3i computer enables up to six units to be part of a C3 network, rather than 4, and requires no C3 master computer to function. Because they have no master, C3i networks cannot be shut down by the loss or ECM interference over one network member. This also means the C3i network cannot branch off to other networks, and works more like a closed system unto itself.
C3 Master Computer (C3M#) The C3 master computer enables up to four units to share targeting information and receive the benefits of the C3 network. One unit in a four-member C3 network must have the C3M system to act as the “master”. The other three units in the network must have C3 equipment of their own to be part of that “master’s” network. These member units can use either their own master computers, or C3 slaves to accomplish this. If a C3 network has multiple “masters”, each “master” needs to designate three other units as part of its network. Units with multiple C3Ms can even use them to coordinate multiple networks via the same “master”, as demonstrated in the C3 configuration Diagrams shown on p. 50. C3 Remote Sensor (C3RS) A unit with this ability can deploy up to 4 remote sensors per game that will act as a stationary C3 Slave Computer (C3S) for one turn. Deploying the remote sensor requires a successful “attack” against a point on the map within the
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
• C3i diagram •
The BattleTech Universe
51
Abstract Aerospace System
The hidden asteroid-base codenamed GABRIEL served the Word of Blake throughout the Jihad.
Aerospace warfare is a significant part of many BattleTech scenarios, although it is often peripheral to the ground war. Because Alpha Strike is mainly a miniatures-driven war game focused on ground-based combat, the abstract rules presented here reflect the use of BattleTech aerospace units as supporting elements to the fighting below. For this reason, this system uses a simplified playing field (called the Radar Map) to represent the airspace above and around the terrain table where the rest of the action is taking place. Abstract Aerospace is considered part of the Standard Alpha Strike rules. For the purposes of these rules, all aerospace covered by these rules are considered “airborne” unless specifically noted otherwise.
Control Rolls
The great speeds and the persistent threat of crashing makes aerospace maneuvering and combat a deadly proposition. As a result, these rules will periodically request a Control Roll on the part of aerospace units, either to avoid collisions or outmaneuver opposing units in air-to-air engagements. This Control Roll—effectively a skill check for piloting— uses the aerospace unit’s Skill Rating for its base to-hit (so an aerospace unit with a Skill of 4 not only has a base to-hit of 4 for weapon attacks, it is also presumed to have a base to-hit of 4 for its Control Rolls as well). As with weapon or physical attacks between ground units, making a Control Roll simply requires the controlling player to roll 2D6, with success measured by meeting or exceeding the base to-hit, plus any modifiers imposed by the situation. If the roll is less than the Control Roll’s modified base to-hit number, it fails.
size), should be kept near the table where the ground battle is being played, so that players can easily move between the two maps. As an abstraction of the local airspace, the Radar Map does not have a fixed scale; aerospace movement on this map is thus not measured in inches, as it is in the ground-level game. Instead, movement is between zones in each of the map’s four main areas, which are described below. The Central Zone The Central Zone corresponds to the ground map playing area. Players should designate the direction on both maps that represents “north” for the purposes of the scenario. The Radar Map should then be oriented so that both it and the ground table use the same direction for “north”. The Inner Ring The Inner Ring reflects the airspace immediately near the ground battle area, but just outside of the immediate reach of ground units. Aerospace units in this area can quickly react to events on the ground battlefield. The Inner Ring is divided (by dotted lines) into six parts. This is solely to aid players in determining each aerospace unit’s direction of approach into and through the Central Zone; for all other intents and purposes, the Inner Ring is treated a single game zone, unlike the Middle and Outer Rings.
The Radar Map sheet, located at the back of the book, represents the airspace around a playing area. It is divided into a series of concentric rings, each of which reflects areas of increasing distance from the ground battle. Each ring is further divided into one or more zones to regulate movement. A copy of the Radar Map (either photocopied from this book, or hand-drawn on a sheet of paper or poster board of suitable
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Aerospace Setup
The Radar Map
Introductory alpha strike
RADAR MAP
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The abstract aerospace game is set up alongside that of the rest of the standard Alpha Strike game setup (see pp. 23-25). Because these rules presume that the players are conducting the aerospace battle as part of a larger action on the ground, the order of setup is the same as that of the ground scenario. For the sake of simplicity, it is recommended that the players set up all of their terrain and ground forces for a scenario, before setting up all of their aerospace forces. In place of terrain, the abstract aerospace system uses a special and separate board called the Radar Map, upon which the players will place the miniatures representing their aerospace units. The details of this map are described below.
introduction
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2 F
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Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
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INNER 3
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CENTRAL ZONE
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Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
9 RING
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The BattleTech Universe
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N © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
• radar map diagram •
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The Middle Ring The Middle Ring represents an intermediate distance from the ground playing area. Aerospace units in this ring are a considerable distance from the battlefield, but fast enough elements can still react to events on the ground. This ring is divided into six zones, lettered A through F. The Outer Ring The Outer Ring represents the farthest distance from the ground playing area at which aerospace units may still be considered part of the fight. This ring is divided into twelve zones, numbered 1 to 12. These zones correspond to the face of a clock, with the 12 o’clock zone located at “due north”.
Placing Aerospace Forces on the Radar Map
Unless a scenario’s rules dictate otherwise (by calling for aerospace units to be placed in specific zones), aerospace forces should begin play in the Outer Ring, directly opposite each other and on the edges of the Radar Map. Their starting positions should be in the Outer Ring zone best corresponding to their side’s ground force deployment on the ground playing area. For example, if one player’s force is entering the ground battle on the south edge of the map, his aerospace units would be placed in Outer Ring zone number 6; his opponent’s force, entering the ground map on the north edge of the map, would thus start its aerospace forces in Outer Ring zone 12. As with ground setup, if the aerospace force sizes are unequal, refer to the Unequal Number of Units rule in the Standard Alpha Strike rules to place the aerospace units (see p. 28).
Abstract Aerospace Gameplay This abstract aerospace system uses the standard Alpha Strike gameplay sequence, with aerospace units for any given side receiving the same Initiative and Movement sequence as their ground forces. Players on each side may move their aerospace units at any time during an Alpha Strike turn sequence, but for the most balanced gameplay, it is recommended that players alternate the movement of aerospace and ground units evenly. For example, when alternating between each other’s moves, if the Initiative winner opts to move a ground unit, his opponent would then move a ground unit in response; if the Initiative winner moves n aerospace unit instead, his opponent would move an aerospace unit as well.
Abstract Aerospace Movement
Aerospace movement on the Radar Map is greatly abstracted, and represents the collective effects of air flow, maneuvering, gravity, and thrust during an aerial battle over large swaths of threedimensional space. Aerospace units on the Radar Map thus have a limited amount of movement between regions, based on their current Thrust ratings. Units with a less than 10 points of Thrust at the start of a turn can move only one zone in that turn. Units with a
current Thrust of 10 or higher can move two zones per turn. If a unit has the Bomb (BOMB#) special, and is carrying bombs in the current scenario, it must reduce its current Thrust by 1 Movement Movement point for every bomb carried Mode Code (to a minimum of 1 Thrust). If a bomb-capable aerospace unit Aerodyne a does not specify that it is carrying Airship i bombs at the start of a scenario, Spheroid p it is presumed to be carrying no bombs at all. Unless an aerospace unit is capable of hovering in place or engaged in air-to-air combat (see below), it must move at least one zone per turn, and each move must be between adjacent zones. The Inner Ring is considered adjacent to all Middle Ring zones, and vice versa. Unlike ground combat, where a miniature can only occupy its own space, the abstract aerospace zones are large enough to accommodate an unlimited number of aerospace units, even if they are on opposing sides. Facing is not tracked in abstract aerospace combat.
Aerospace Unit Movement Mode table
Hovering in Place Any aerospace unit with the Airship (i) or Spheroid (m) movement mode codes beside its Thrust rating may hover in place during the Movement Phase. Hovering allows the unit to remain in its current zone, rather than move out of its current region. Entering and Leaving the Central Zone Any aerospace unit that ends its movement in the Central Zone is assumed to be making a ground attack or attempting to land, unless the unit is lifting off from the ground map in the current turn (see Landing and Liftoff, below). Units that are executing ground attacks or attempting to land must be assigned a flight line across the ground battle table, representing the terrain that the unit will pass over as it flies over the field. This flight line must always follow a straight path. Assigning the flight line is as simple as placing the aerospace unit’s miniature on any edge of the ground table desired, with its front side facing any direction that crosses over at least 24 inches of the ground map. If miniatures are in short supply and are already being used to track the unit’s place on the Radar Map, the mini can be removed from the Radar Map and represented by a token for the turn (or turns) in which it is in the Central Zone. Aerospace units leaving the ground playing area are placed in the Central Zone of the Radar Map at the start of their movement. Exiting the Radar Map Aerospace units moving outward from the Outer Ring are treated as though they have retreated from battle. Such elements are removed from play and cannot reenter the game for the remainder of the scenario. If the Advanced Aerospace Units on the Ground Map rules are in play, units attempting a landing via the Central Zone also exit the Radar Map, but are not considered to have left the battle (see Landing and Liftoff, below).
Landing and Liftoff Under standard Alpha Strike rules, aerospace units are treated as airborne or grounded through the entire game scenario, so landing and liftoff rules do not appear in this chapter. Players wishing to incorporate aerospace landing and liftoff rules in their Alpha Strike games must consult the Aerospace Units on the Ground Map rules, in the Advanced Options chapter (see pp. 70-73). Air-to-Air Engagements If aerospace units from opposing sides end their turn in the same zone, they may engage in air-to-air combat. Aerospace units still engaged in air-to-air combat from the previous turn cannot move out of the zone they are in until the engagement is over. An aerospace unit must be free of all engagements before it can move to a new zone (see Air-to-Air Combat, p. 58).
Abstract Aerospace Combat Unless an aerospace unit is large enough to feature multiple firing arcs, each aerospace unit in the abstract aerospace system may deliver only one attack per turn. Aerospace units in the Central Zone can declare air-to-ground attacks, while aerospace units occupying the same Radar Map zone can declare air-to-air attacks against opposing aerospace units. Aerospace units declaring air-to-ground attacks may choose between four types of attacks: strafing, striking, altitude bombing, or dive-bombing—but bombing attacks may only be made by aerospace units that possess the Bomb (BOMB#) special ability. As with ground units that have such abilities, aerospace units that have Overheat Values (OV) must announce their intention to use OV points to increase their attack damage. Using overheat for aerospace units follows the same rules as presented for ground units in standard Alpha Strike (see Overheating, p. 44). Overheat damage cannot be combined with air-to-ground bombing attacks.
Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Ground Attacks
The sequence for resolving air-to-ground attacks— regardless of type—follows the same process as weapon attacks in standard Alpha Strike: Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS) Step 2: Verify firing arc Step 3: Determine range Step 4: Determine to-hit number Step 5: Roll to hit Step 6: Determine and apply damage Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
Step 1: Verify Line of Sight An airborne aerospace unit always has LOS to a ground unit, unless the ground unit is not completely submerged, underground, or inside a structure. While submerged units and units concealed by structures may not be targeted directly, the spot they occupy may be chosen for a bombing attack. Step 2: Verify Firing Arc For all intents and purposes, an air-to-ground attack is always within an aerospace unit’s firing arc, but because an aerospace unit overflying the ground map must designate a linear flight path over the terrain, any targets chosen by the aerospace unit must lie within an inch of the unit’s path (to either side). The specifics of each air-to-ground attack type are further explained below. For convenience, templates are provided at the back of this book to aid in plotting air-to-ground strafing and bombing attacks. This includes Area of Effect (AOE) templates for bombs, and a 2-inch wide strafing guide template. These templates may be photocopied for use in planning and resolving air-toground attacks. Strafing Attacks: In a strafing run, the attacking aerospace unit identifies a 10-inch long stretch along its flight path over the ground map that will be subject to its strafing run. This stretch is 2 inches wide (centered on the unit’s flight path, and all ground units or landed aerospace units in that stretch— friend or foe—will be subject to this attack. All strafing attacks use the aerospace unit’s forward arc weapons (even if the unit has multiple firing arcs). Striking Attacks: In the striking attack, the aerospace unit targets a specific unit within its flight path. Aerodyne DropShips, small craft, and fighter units, will attack this target using their forward weapons; spheroid DropShips must use their aft arc weapons for the strike attack. Altitude Bombing: Similar to a strafe attack—but with bombs—altitude bombing allows an aerospace unit with the BOMB special ability to select 2 or more points of impact (POIs) along its flight path, attacking each point with a minimum of 1 bomb point per 2 inches along the path. Each successful bomb attack delivered when altitude bombing will use its designated point for the center of impact, affecting any targets within a radius determined by the type of bomb used. If the aerospace unit carries multiple bomb types, it may determine which bombs target which points of impact. (Battle armor with BOMB special abilities may not attempt altitude bombing attacks.) Dive Bombing: An aerospace unit with the BOMB special ability may perform a dive bomb attack against a single point of impact (POI) along its flight path, using one, some, or all of its bomb points to attack. A successful bombing attack will use this point as the center of impact, affecting any targets within a radius determined by the type of bomb used. (Dive bombing is also available to battle armor units that possess the BOMB special ability and which are hovering over the target hex using VTOL movement.)
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
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LIGHT WOODS TEMPLATE
In the Strafing Diagram (at left), the attacking player decides to perform a strafing run and chooses his attack path to maximize damage to his opponent. His strafing attack targets ’Mechs A and B, and infantry C, of his opponents’ forces. While the attacker is careful to keep his attack path away from his ’Mech D, he will be forced to make a strafing attack on his Battle Armor E because it lies within the strafing attack path. The bombing diagram shows the previous example, but instead the attacker has decided to perform an altitude bombing. He chooses a path clear of his ’Mech D and Battle Armor E, and sets the first POI directly over ’Mech B. He decides to continue to a second POI, which must be 2 inches away along the attack path, landing on the edge of a light woods template. The diagram shows the area of effect if HE bombs are used; the bombs dropped on POI 1 affect ’Mech B, and the bombs dropped on POI 2 affect infantry C. Step 3: Determine Range Regardless of the type of attack used, air-to-ground attacks always occur at Short range.
LIGHT WOODS TEMPLATE
• strafing diagram •
LIGHT WOODS TEMPLATE
LIGHT WOODS TEMPLATE
• bombing diagram •
Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number The Aerospace To-Hit Modifiers Table provides additional to-hit modifiers that are used in abstract aerospace combat. When delivering an air-to-ground attack, aerospace units use the attacking unit’s Skill rating as its base to-hit number, as well as any modifiers for damage done to the attacking aerospace unit (such as previous Crew Hit of Fire Control Hit critical hits). Bombing attacks do not apply modifiers for the target’s movement, type, or terrain, but all other air-to-ground attacks must apply these modifiers. Step 5: Roll to Hit Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified tohit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is successful. Otherwise, the attack fails. Strafing: Unlike most Alpha Strike attacks, strafing (and bombing) requires multiple attack rolls to resolve. For strafing, an attack roll is made for all of the targets within the strafing attack area. Successful attacks will deliver strafing damage to the targets, while failed attacks miss them entirely. Striking: Striking attacks require only one attack roll to resolve. Successful striking attacks will deliver the unit’s standard attack damage to the target, while failed attacks miss entirely. Bombing: As with strafing attacks, multiple attack rolls must be made, with one made for every bomb dropped, rather than as a single attack roll. If For every bomb attack that fails, the attacker must roll 1D6 to determine the direction the individual bomb will “scatter”. Using the Area of Effect Template, with the “1” location indicating the direction of the aerospace unit’s flight, the numbers in parentheses indicate the 3 possible directions bombs will scatter from a failed altitude-bombing attack, while the numbers outside of the parentheses indicate the 6 possible directions a failed dive bombing attack will scatter.
Once direction is determined, a second 1D6 roll result—multiplied by 2—will then determine how many inches away from the original POI the missed bomb will actually land.
Aerospace To-hit modifiers table RANGE MODIFIERS Range
AEROSPACE ATTACK MODIFIERS Modifier
Attacker
Modifier
Short +0 Altitude Bombing +3 Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage When determining and applying Medium +2 Dive Bombing +2 damage from an air-to-ground attack, Long +4 Strafing +4 damage is always delivered to the Extreme +6 Striking +2 target’s front arc, regardless of the unit’s actual facing relative to the aerospace MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS unit’s line of attack. Condition Modifier DropShip Attacks: The damage Target Element Type Modifier from a DropShip air-to-ground attack is Attacker is a Drone +1 Airborne Aerospace +2* based on the firing arc used to deliver Attacker is Grounded DropShip –2 Airborne DropShip –2 the attack. Strafing attacks by DropShips Attacker is Tailing the Target –2 Airborne VTOL or WiGE +1 always use the unit’s front arc weapons, Attacker is Support Vehicle with: Small Craft –1 while striking attacks by DropShips Advanced Fire Control (AFC) +0 use the unit’s rear weapon arc if the *Apply only if attacker is not an airborne aerospace Basic Fire Control (BFC) +1 unit is a spheroid DropShip. Grounded unit. Airborne aerospace also includes fixedNo AFC or BFC special +2 DropShips will have multiple firing wing support vehicles, conventional fighters, arcs—grounded spheroid DropShips Fire Control Hit (per hit) +2** small craft, and DropShips. use their side-arc weapons against Overheating +Heat Level (1-3) **Fire Control critical hits may apply multiple times. other ground units, and their frontarc weapons against airborne targets; grounded aerodyne DropShips may fire Each bomb carried (up to the unit’s maximum BOMB special into front, side, and aft arcs against ground targets, and use ability value), will reduce the aerospace unit’s current Thrust their forward-arc weapons against airborne targets. by 1, to a minimum Thrust rating of 1. Thus, for each bomb the Strafing Damage: The damage from a successful strafing unit drops in combat, it reclaims 1 Thrust point. attack is equal to half of the aerospace unit’s Short range damage High Explosive (HE) Bombs: HE bombs deliver 2 points of value (rounded normally, to a minimum of 1 point), with any damage to all ground targets within an AOE of 2 inches from overheat damage added after halving the base damage. the point of impact. Striking Damage: The damage from a successful striking Cluster Bombs: Cluster bombs deliver 1 point of damage to all attack is equal to the aerospace unit’s Short range damage ground targets within an AOE of 6 inches from the point of impact. value, plus any overheat damage effects. Inferno Bombs: Inferno bombs deliver 2 points of Heat Bombing Damage: The exact damage or effects of a effects to all targets within an AOE of 2 inches from the point bombing attack is based on the type of bomb used (see of impact. Against units that do not use a Heat Scale, deliver Bomb Types, below), but will affect any ground targets within this effect as 2 points of damage instead. the area of effect radiating from the point of impact where the bomb landed. If the bomb strikes a water feature, it will Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits deliver this damage to the surface of the water in the same Critical hits from air-to-ground attacks are resolved in the fashion, but may also affect targets submerged beneath the same manner under the abstract aerospace system as they are in water feature. To determine if a submerged unit is within the standard Alpha Strike weapon attacks. As in standard Alpha Strike, radius of a bomb hit on the water, add its depth (in inches) all units (except infantry and battle armor) can suffer critical hits. to its distance from the point of impact. Remember that When the conditions for a critical hit check are met (as underwater damage is halved (round normally, to a minimum described below), the attacker rolls 2D6 and consults the of 1), but will also trigger an automatic critical hit check, even Determining Critical Hits Table for the appropriate unit if the unit still has armor points. type (see p. 40). If the target is an aerospace unit, use the
Bomb Types The three most common types of bombs are as noted below. Additional bomb types are detailed in the Advanced Options chapter (see Alternate Bomb Munitions, pp. 78-79). The types of bombs an aerospace unit carries (if any) must be identified at the start of play. If no bombs are identified at the start of play, the aerospace unit will be presumed to carry no bombs at all.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Determining Aerospace Critical Hit Table (see p. 58). The target’s controlling player must then note any Critical Hits clearly on the unit’s card. All critical hit effects will persist for the remainder of the scenario. If a given critical hit effect does not apply to the unit in question (for example, a weapon hit on a unit that has already had all of its damage values reduced to zero), apply 1 additional point of damage to the unit instead, but do not roll for additional critical hits as a result of this extra damage.
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The following conditions will result in a critical hit check: All Non-Infantry Units: Any time a hit damages structure, the unit may suffer a critical hit. (If the unit is an IndustrialMech, two critical hits rolls must be made.) All Units with BAR Special: Any time a unit with the Barrier Armor Rating (BAR) special ability suffers damage, a critical hit may occur— even if there is armor remaining. (If a unit with the BAR special suffers structure damage, two critical hit checks must be made.) Submerged Units: Units submerged in water must also check for critical hits every time they suffer damage, to check for potential hull breaches. (If the submerged unit also has a BAR special, two critical hit checks must be made.) Aerospace Armor Thresholds: In addition to the above, aerospace units must also roll on the Determine Aerospace Critical Hits Table if the damage from a single attack exceeds the unit’s damage threshold, even if the damage does not strike off any structure bubbles. If an aerospace unit’s “armor threshold” does not appear on its unit card, its value is equal to the aerospace unit’s starting armor value, divided by 10, and rounded up. Damage delivered to an aerospace unit throughout the scenario will not reduce the unit’s armor threshold. Aerospace Critical Hit Effects The following describes the effects of each critical hit type described in the Determining Critical Hits Table. Crew Hit: The first Crew Hit critical adds a +2 to-hit modifier to all weapon attacks and Control Rolls required of the aerospace unit for the remainder of the scenario. The second Crew Hit critical kills the crew, and the unit is treated as destroyed. Crew Killed: The unit’s crew is killed. The unit is treated as destroyed. Docking Collar Hit: This unit cannot dock with a JumpShip. This critical hit has no effect in standard Alpha Strike play. Door Hit: All doors on one randomly determined cargo bay are damaged and no longer function. Units may no longer enter or exit this cargo bay. Engine Hit (Aerospace Fighters, Conventional Fighters, and Fixed-Wing Support Vehicles): The unit’s power system is damaged. For fighters and fixed-wing support vehicles, the first engine hit reduces the unit to half its Thrust rating (round down, to a minimum of 1 Thrust lost). A second Engine Hit critical will reduce the unit’s Thrust to 0 and cause it to crash. Aerospace units already on the ground will shut down and are considered destroyed. Engine Hit (DropShips/Small Craft): For small craft and DropShip units, the first Engine Hit critical will reduce the unit’s Thrust by 25 percent (round normally, with a minimum of 1 Thrust lost). The second hit will reduce the unit’s Thrust by 50 percent of its original Thrust rating (once more, round normally, to a minimum of 1 Thrust lost). A third Engine Hit critical will reduce the unit’s Thrust to 0 and cause it to crash. Aerospace units already on the ground will shut down and are considered destroyed. Fire Control Hit: Some mechanism for controlling the unit’s weapons has been damaged. This could represent anything from arm actuator damage to sensor hits. Each Fire Control Hit adds a cumulative to-hit modifier of +2 for all subsequent weapon attacks by the damaged unit. (This modifier will not apply to physical attacks.) Fuel Hit: The unit’s fuel tank is hit. The unit crashes and is treated as destroyed.
KF Boom Hit: This unit cannot be transported to another system by a JumpShip. This critical hit has no effect on standard Alpha Strike play. Thruster Hit: The unit loses 1 Thrust. If the unit is reduced to 0 Thrust, it crashes and is destroyed. A Thruster Hit critical may only occur once to an aerospace unit; future critical hits to the same unit are treated as a No Critical Hit result. No Critical Hit: The hit causes no critical effect. Weapon Hit: This hit represents the destruction of a number of weapons on the affected unit. All damage values—including those of special abilities that have damage values (such as AC, ARTX, FLK, HT, IF, LRM, SRM, TOR, and TUR) are reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0). For units with multiple attacks (such as DropShips and mobile structures), a Weapon Hit critical will reduce the damage values at all ranges in a randomly-determined arc by 50 percent (round down, to a minimum of 0). Weapon Hit criticals do not affect a unit’s physical attack values.
Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Air Attacks
If two opposing aerospace units end their Movement Phase in the same region on the Radar Map, they may engage in combat if one or both choose to do so. When one aerospace unit declares an attack against another aerospace unit, it creates an engagement. (Aerospace units that have Overheat Values, like some ground units, must announce their intention to use OV points to increase their attack damage as well.) Because an engagement automatically will force both units to maneuver for advantage, if the defending unit in an air-toair attack has not yet declared its own attack yet, it may decide immediately whether it will return the attack, or save its action for its own attack against a different target (such as another opposing aerospace unit in the same zone, or an air-to-ground attack (if the engagement happened in the Central Zone). If the defender chooses not to return the attack when an engagement is initiated, it cannot choose to engage its attacker later in the same turn. Air-to-air engagements automatically end when one of the engaged units is destroyed and has no other opposing units engaging it. For another way to end an engagement, consult the Ending Air-to-Air Engagements rules (see pp. 61).
Determining Critical Hits table 2d6
Aerospace*
DropShip**
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Fuel Hit Fire Control Hit Engine Hit Weapon Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit Weapon Hit Engine Hit Fire Control Hit Crew Killed
KF Boom Hit Docking Collar Hit No Critical Hit Fire Control Hit Weapon Hit Thruster Hit Weapon Hit Door Hit No Critical Hit Engine Hit Crew Hit
*Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, airships and conventional fighters. **Includes small craft.
The sequence for resolving air-to-air attacks follows roughly the same process as weapon attacks in standard Alpha Strike: Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS) Step 2: Establish Engagement Control Step 3: Determine range Step 4: Determine to-hit number Step 5: Roll to hit Step 6: Determine and apply damage Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable) Step 1: Verify Line of Sight Airborne aerospace units in the same zone on the Radar Map always have LOS to each other. Step 2: Establish Engagement Control When two aerospace units engage in aerial combat, the pilots and crews of both units must make Control Rolls to determine their levels of control over the engagement. In abstract aerospace combat, this Control Roll uses the pilots’ Skill ratings as the base to-hit, and applies a +2 modifier to each unit for being in the atmosphere (see Control Rolls, p. 53). If one unit succeeds at its Control Roll, while its opponent fails, the unit with the successful roll has successfully outmaneuvered its opponent and is now tailing it. An aerospace unit that is being tailed cannot deliver an effective attack against its opponent, while the tailing unit will receive a –2 to-hit modifier on its attacks against the unit it is now tailing. If both units fail their Control Rolls, or both units succeed, neither unit may tail the other. Side A has three aerospace fighters, A1, A2 and A3. Side B has three aerospace fighters, B1, B2 and B3. All units are Skill 4, and each has a Thrust rating of 6. Side A won Initiative for this turn, and both sides moved all their fighters into the same zone. Side A starts the Combat Phase as the Initiative winner. A1 makes an attack on B1. B1 chooses to return fire. Both A1 and B1 make Control Rolls. Both have a target of the Skill rating 4, plus 2 for being in atmosphere, for a final target of 6. A1 rolls 2D6 and succeeds with a 7 result. A1 adds half its Thurst rating of 6 for a modified Control Roll of 10 (7 + [6 ÷ 2] = 7 + 3 = 10). B1 rolls 2D6 and fails its Control Roll with a 5. B1 thus adds only a quarter of its Thrust rating of 6 for a modified Control Roll of 7 (5 + [6 ÷ 4] = 5 + 1.5 = 6.5, round up to 7). Because A1 succeeded and B1 failed, A1 is now tailing B1. Because A1’s modified Control Roll is higher than B1’s modified Control Roll, A1 chooses the range of the attack and selects Short range. A1 receives a –2 to-hit modifier for tailing B1. B1 cannot fire in its rear arc and so is unable to hit A1. A2 then makes an attack on B1. B1 has already declared its attack on A1, even though it ended up unable to fire. A2 rolls a 6, succeeding by 0, but that is enough to add half its Thrust rating of 6 for a modified Control Roll of 9 (6 + [6 ÷ 2] = 6 + 3 = 9). B1 rolls an 11, which succeeds, so B1 also adds
half its Thrust Rating of 6 for a modified Control Roll of 14 (11 + [6 ÷ 2] = 11 + 3 = 14). Because B1’s modified Control Roll is higher than A2’s, B1 chooses the combat range and selects Long range. (Since B1 cannot attack A2, after all, its pilot uses the successful roll to keep A2 far away.) A3 makes an attack on B1. Once again, B1 is unable to fire back because it declared its attempt to do so against A1. A3 rolls a 4 and fails its Control Check. B1 rolls an 8 and succeeds. Because B1 succeeded and A3 failed, B1 is now tailing A3 and declares that it is doing so at Short range. A3 is unable to attack B1 because it is now being tailed by B1. Now it is Side B’s turn for the Combat Phase. Side A has already declared all its attacks, so only the unresolved Side B units will be acting now. B1 already declared its attack during Side A’s attacks, and is thus skipped. B2 makes an attack on A1. B2 rolls a 7 and adds half its Thrust for a total of 10. A1 also rolls a 7 and adds half its Thrust for a total of 10. Because of the ties, B2’s attack on A1 will happen at Medium range. (B2 is already committed to attacking A1.) B3 makes its attack on A2. B3 rolls a 10 and adds half Thrust for a total of 13. A2 rolls a 6 and adds half Thrust for a total of 9. B3 chooses Short range. Step 3: Determine Range If both units failed at their Control Rolls when establishing engagement control in the previous step, the engagement takes place using the Long range bracket during this turn, and combat proceeds to Step 4. If either unit succeeded at its Control Roll in Step 2, add half of each successful unit’s current Thrust rating (rounded down) to its own roll result. (If one unit succeeded and the other failed, the unit that failed its Control Roll may only add onequarter of its current Thrust to its Control Roll result instead— once again, rounding down.) The unit with the higher of these two Thrust-modified roll results may decide the range bracket at which combat takes place. If both Thrust-modified results are identical, then the aerospace unit with the highest margin of success (MoS) from Step 2 decides the range bracket. If both the Thrust-modified die roll results and both unmodified MoS are the same, combat takes place using the Medium range bracket. Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number The Aerospace To-Hit Modifiers Table (see p. 57) provides the to-hit modifiers that are used in abstract aerospace combat. When delivering an air-to-air attack, aerospace units use the attacking unit’s Skill rating as its base to-hit number, as well as any modifiers for range and damage done to the attacking aerospace unit (such as previous Crew Hit of Fire Control Hit critical hits). Air-to-air attacks do not apply modifiers for the target’s movement or terrain, but all other applicable modifiers shown in the Aerospace To-Hit Modifiers Table apply.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
59
Step 5: Roll to Hit Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified tohit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is successful. Otherwise, the attack fails.
Verify Line of Sight For ground-to-air combat purposes, all non-aerospace units (including grounded aerospace units) not submerged in water, underground, or within a structure always have line of sight to airborne aerospace units.
Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage When an attack is successful, its damage is applied immediately, but damage effect will not take place until the End Phase. Before damage can be applied, the attack direction and amount of damage must be determined. Attack Direction: In air-to-air combat, an aerospace unit is always treated as though it is being attacked through its forward arc, unless its attacker is tailing it. If the attacker is tailing the target, the damage is resolved as though the attack hits the unit in its rear arc. Amount of Damage: As with ground units, the base amount of damage delivered by a successful air-to-air weapon attack is equal to the attacking unit’s damage value at the appropriate range bracket. Unlike ground units, aerospace units in standard Alpha Strike have four range values, rather than three. For targets at short range, the base damage is that listed in the attacking unit’s S value. For a target at medium range, the M value is used. For a target at long range, the L damage value applies. For targets at extreme range, the E damage value is used. Damage to Rear: Add 1 point of damage to any successful attack that strikes its target in the rear. Overheat Damage: Aerospace units that track heat may inflict additional damage on their targets at the expense of overheating, in the same manner as ’Mechs can. The decision to overheat for additional damage potential must be made when the attack is declared, but before it is resolved (see Overheating, p. 44). Special Ability Damage: Aerospace units do not use special abilities in abstract aerospace combat. Heat Special Ability: Aerospace units may not use Heat special abilities in abstract aerospace combat.
Verify Firing Arc All non-aerospace units (including grounded aerospace units) may consider an airborne aerospace target within its firing arc if any part of the airborne aerospace unit’s flight path crosses into or through its forward firing arc. Grounded Spheroid DropShips: Grounded spheroid DropShips always consider airborne aerospace units to fall within their front firing arc.
Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits As with standard Alpha Strike, any damage to an aerospace unit that marks off structure bubbles will require a roll on the Determine Aerospace Critical Hits Table, using the column appropriate for the aerospace unit type that suffered the damage (see p. 58). Armor Thresholds: In addition, aerospace units must also roll on the Determine Aerospace Critical Hits Table if the damage from a single attack exceeds the unit’s damage threshold, even if the damage does not strike off any structure bubbles. If an aerospace unit’s “armor threshold” does not appear on its unit card, its value is equal to the aerospace unit’s starting armor value, divided by 10, and rounded up. Damage delivered to an aerospace unit throughout the scenario will not reduce the unit’s armor threshold.
Resolving Ground-to-Air Combat
Any time an aerospace unit enters the Central Zone on the Radar Map, it must pass over some part of the ground battlefield, and thus may be subject to ground-to-air weapons fire. Groundto-Air fire is resolved using the standard weapon attack rules in standard Alpha Strike, but with the following modifications.
Determine Range To determine the range between a non-aerospace unit to an airborne aerospace unit, measure from the edge of the attacker’s base to the nearest point along the airborne aerospace unit’s flight path that also lies within the attacker’s forward arc, then add 12 inches to that distance. If the attacking unit is standing within 2 inches of the aerospace unit’s flight path, disregard the above measurement rules and treat the range to the target as Short. Determine To-Hit Aerospace units do not receive a target movement modifier when in flight, but instead apply a +2 to-hit modifier for being an airborne aerospace unit (plus an additional –2 modifier if the unit is a DropShip). Grounded Aerospace Units: Treat any attack against an aerospace unit that is grounded as an attack against another ground unit, but disregard the target movement modifier and instead apply a –4 immobile target to-hit modifier. Determine and Apply Damage In Alpha Strike games, all damage against airborne aerospace units is resolved as if the aerospace unit is being hit in its front arc, regardless of the direction the attack comes from. All other damage rules for attacking airborne aerospace units apply as indicated in the rules for determining and applying damage in air-to-air combat (see p. 60). Roll for Critical Hits All rules for resolving critical hit effects against airborne aerospace units apply as indicated in the rules for determining critical hits on aerospace units in air-to-air combat (see p.60).
End Phase The aerospace aspect of an Alpha Strike End Phase adds a number of actions unique to aerospace movement and combat. Aside from Ending Air-to-Air Engagements (see below), these actions—like others in the End Phase—may be completed simultaneously.
After resolving all End Phase actions for the ground and aerospace parts of the battle, the turn ends and the players return to the Initiative Phase.
Ending Air-to-Air Engagements
During the End Phase of a turn, the players controlling units involved in an air-to-air engagement can choose to continue the battle into the next turn or break off the engagement. Each ending of an air-to-air engagement must be resolved separately, with the turn’s Initiative winner choosing the order of engagements to resolve for his aerospace units. If both players choose to continue the engagement, the engaged aerospace units must remain in the same region during the next turn’s Movement Phase. If both players choose to end the engagement, the units disengage. If one player chooses to continue the engagement and the other wishes to end it, both players must repeat the engagement control roll in Step 2 of the air-to-air combat rules (see p. 59) to determine if the engagement continues. In the event of a tie this time, the unit with the higher unmodified MoS decides if the engagement continues. If the unmodified MoS is also a tie, the decision lies with the player controlling whichever unit has the higher current Thrust (if that too is tied, the Control Roll must be repeated until there is a winner). If both sides fail their Control Rolls, the engagement automatically breaks off. Only if a unit has no engagements remaining can it move to another region during the next Movement Phase and then it must move out of the region (see Abstract Aerospace Movement, p. 54). In the air-to-air battle described earlier, after all weapons fire is resolved, none of the units are destroyed, now have they suffered any damage to change their Thrust values. At this point, the units are in the following positions: A1: Tailing B1 at Short range and at Medium range from B2. A2: Engaged with B1 at Long range and B3 at Short range. A3: Tailed by B1 at Short range. B1: Tailed at Short range by A1, at Long range from A2 and tailing A3 at Short range. B2: Engaged with A1 at Medium range. B3: Engaged with A2 at Short range. During the End Phase, each unit can attempt to break engagements. Side A decides A1 want to break its engagements on it and starts with B1. B1 chooses to break, so that engagement is automatically broken. Next, A1 tries to break from B2. Both have the same target number of Skill 4, plus 2 for being in an atmosphere. A1 rolls an 8 and B2 rolls a 12. A1 is still engaged by B2 and so must remain in the region next turn. A2, seeing A1 fail to break, decides to stay engaged with B1. B1 chooses to break. Both have the same target number of Skill 4 plus 2 for being in an atmosphere. A2 rolls a 4 and B1 rolls a 7. B1 breaks its engagement with A2.
With B1 now escaping, A2 chooses to try and keep its engagement with B3. A2 succeeds and B3 fails, so both remain engaged for next turn. A3 is engaged with B1. It chooses to try and keep engaged with B1. B1 wants to continue its engagement with A3. Because A3 is being tailed by B1, A3’s target number is Skill 4 plus 2 for atmosphere and 2 for being tailed. He rolls a 6 and fails. B1 has a target number of Skill 4 plus 2 for atmosphere minus 2 for tailing. B1 rolls a 3 and fails. Because both units failed, the engagement automatically breaks. A1 is still engaged by B2, and so must stay in the region next turn. A2 is still engaged by B3, and so they must both stay in the region next turn. A3 and B1 are no longer engaged with anyone. Both must move next Movement Phase.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Aerospace Damage
Unless overridden by a special ability, all damage inflicted during the Combat Phase takes effect during the End Phase. This includes all Critical Hit effects as well, and all units that are destroyed must be removed from play at this time. Any airborne aerospace unit that suffered damage during the current turn must make a Control Roll during the turn’s End Phase or lose altitude, applying a +2 to-hit modifier for atmospheric flight, and another +4 to-hit modifier if the unit has suffered a Thruster Hit critical. If the roll result succeeds, the aerospace unit remains in its current zone. If the roll fails, the unit automatically falls one zone “inward” on the Radar Map. This new zone must be adjacent to the zone the aerospace unit was operating in at the time it suffered the damage, with the controlling player choosing the new zone if there is more than one option. Falling out of a zone due to a failed roll automatically ends all air-to-air engagements the unit is involved in at the time, leaving all of its opponents in the original zone. If an airborne aerospace unit is in the Central Zone when it fails its Control Roll, it crashes at the end of its flight path over the ground map and is considered destroyed. Thrust Loss and Aerospace Shutdown Under these abstract rules, any airborne aerospace unit that is reduced to a Thrust of 0 as a result of damage or critical hits, or which shuts down from excess heat, will fall one zone “inward” on the Radar Map per turn as above. This fall will continue until the aerospace unit regains is Thrust, restarts from shutdown, or crashes by falling past the Central Zone. An aerospace unit that falls from the Central Zone crashes at the edge of the ground map (at an unoccupied location of the player’s choice). Crashed aerospace units are treated as destroyed, along with all units they are transporting at the time (if any). As with the aerospace damage rules above, an aerospace unit that falls due to Thrust loss automatically ends all engagements it is involved in. If the advanced Aerospace Units on the Ground Map rules are in play, an aerospace unit experiencing Thrust Loss or shutdown effects may attempt a forced landing instead, using the landing rules established under those rules (see pp. 71-73).
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
61
Advanced Options The dread Opacus Venatori, the Word of Blake’s elite strike unit, stalk their latest prey. Precenter Beirth leads them into battle with his read and white Archangel.
This section has an assortment of optional rules that can be added to Alpha Strike to represent unusual circumstances or unit types in the game. Because they are optional, and introduce greater complexity than found in standard Alpha Strike, these rules are considered advanced, and should only be used if the players agree.
a single turn, but any unit that has not completed its climb may not deliver attacks of any kind during the current turn. If attacked, units using Climbing movement are treated as though they have only half their Move (rounded down) when finding their Target Movement Modifiers, and lose any Target Movement Modifiers for jump capability.
Advanced Movement Modes
Alice’s Assassin has a Move of 14”j, but is faced with a cliff face that is 16 inches high, so she cannot get to the top using jump jets alone. She chooses to use Climbing movement to ascend the cliff face. At the beginning of Turn 1, her ’Mech begins its ascent. At 2 inches of Move per inch of climbing, the Assassin expends all of its available Move to climb 7”. As the ’Mech has not completed its climb this turn, it may not attack. If attacked this turn, the target movement modifier for the Assassin will be treated as if the Assassin has a Move of 7” (14” ÷ 2 = 7”, with no jumping). In the Ground Movement Phase of Turn 2, the Assassin ascends another 7”. It is still not high enough to reach the summit, so the ’Mech will need to climb for one more turn, and once again cannot make any attacks this turn. In the third turn, the Assassin will complete its climb after spending another 4 inches of Move on the final 2 inches of height climbed. Its remaining 10 inches of Move can be spent on the surface of the terrain is has just ascended, and it once more enjoys the target movement modifier of a unit that has a 14”j Move.
Several expanded movement modes may be used in Alpha Strike as advanced options.
Climbing
’Mechs, ProtoMechs, infantry, and battle armor with the Anti’Mech (AM) special ability may use Climbing movement. Climbing allows a unit to ascend or descend terrain up that rises more steeply than they can normally handle in standard Alpha Strike. (For ’Mechs, that normal maximum is 2 inches of height per inch of ground travel; for ProtoMechs and infantry, the normal maximum is 1 inch of height per inch of ground travel.) Ground vehicles cannot use Climbing movement. Climbing movement costs a unit 2 inches of movement per inch of height climbed. The unit need not complete its climb during
Evading
All units may choose to use Evasive movement during the Movement Phase. Evading does not change the unit’s normal Move (or Thrust) rates or terrain restrictions, but an evading unit cannot execute attacks of any kind. In exchange, all attacks against the evading unit will apply an additional tohit modifier based on the unit’s Skill rating, as shown in the Advanced Target Movement Modifiers Table (at right).
Leaping
Only ’Mech and ProtoMech units may use Leaping movement. Leaping enables a ’Mech (or ProtoMech) without jump jets to rapidly descend any number of levels, even though this action always damages the unit. A leap costs 4” of Move, and places the unit at the lowest height in any desired terrain within an inch of the unit’s starting location. (The Move cost for Leaping is regardless of the destination terrain, or the difference in heights between the starting and ending points.) A Leaping unit automatically suffers 1 point of damage for every 6” of elevation it leaps downward, checking for Critical Hits as normal. ’Mechs or ProtoMechs leaping down a distance of more than 12” will also suffer an automatic MP Critical Hit.
Intentional Falls from Above
Any ’Mech, ProtoMech, or ground vehicle may intentionally move off of a higher terrain feature to drop onto a lower one at a cost of 2” of Move. The unit that intentionally falls in this manner automatically ends its Move immediately upon falling and suffers 1 point of damage for every 6” of elevation (or fraction thereof ) difference between the starting level of its fall and its destination, resolving critical hits per normal rules. Unlike leaping, units do not suffer an automatic MP critical for falls over 12” in height, but vehicle units will require a check for motive systems damage, as per normal. If the intentional fall places the unit in terrain that is prohibited to the unit’s type, the unit is destroyed. If another unit occupies the location where a unit is deliberately falling, treat the result as a Death From Above attack (see p. 43), even if the falling unit is not a ’Mech, applying a +2 to-hit modifier to this “attack”. Regardless of the outcome, the falling unit must be placed as close to its starting point as possible, in a base-to-base contact with the unit it has just fallen upon.
Sprinting
Any ground unit may use Sprint movement. To find a unit’s Sprint speed, multiply its current ground Move by 1.5 and round up. (Sprinting may not be applied to jumping Move.) Thus, a unit with a current Move of 12” would have a Move of 18” when sprinting (12” x 1.5 = 18”). A sprinting unit may not make attacks. Attacks against Sprinting units use the unit’s modified Move rate, but also receive an additional –1 to-hit modifier.
Transporting Non-Infantry Units
The following rules apply to transport units, DropShips and Small Craft. They do not apply to the transport of infantry
Advanced Movement Mode Costs table Move Cost per Inch
Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
Climbing (per inch climbed)
+2”
Vehicles, Aerospace Units, Battle Armor*
Evading
+0”
—
Leaping
4Ӡ
All except ’Mechs and ProtoMechs
Intentional Fall
2Ӡ
All except ’Mechs, ProtoMechs, and Ground Vehicles
Sprinting
+0”‡
Aerospace Units, Naval, VTOL
Terrain Type
*Battle armor with the AM special ability may also use Climbing movement. † Unit suffers 1 damage per 6” fallen (or fraction thereof) (see Leaping and Intentional Falls, p. 63). ‡ Multiply unit’s current ground Move by 1.5, rounding up (see Sprinting, p. 63).
Advanced Target Movement Modifiers table Advanced Movement Type
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
To-Hit Modifier
Climbing
*
Sprinting
–1**
Advanced Options
Evading (Evading Unit’s Skill) Skill 6-8
+1
Skill 5
+2
Skill 4-3
+3
Skill 2-1
+4
*Treat Climbing unit as if it has half its normal Ground Move, with no jump. **Use the unit’s Sprinting Move for the base target movement modifier. units by units with the Infantry Transport (IT#) special ability (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32). Ground Unit Transport: All non-aerospace units are considered ground units for purposes of entering or exiting a transport unit. This process is called embarking (for entering) and disembarking (for exiting). Units may not disembark into prohibited terrain. Embarking and disembarking must be performed during the Ground Movement Phase. Mounting/Embarking: Units may only mount from baseto-base contact with a transport unit. It costs the mounting unit 2” to enter the transport unit. Dismounting/Disembarking: It costs the dismounting unit 2” of Move to exit the transport unit and is placed in baseto-base contact with the transport unit.
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
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Units as Cargo: Many of the larger civilian DropShips have thousands of tons of cargo space available. While designed for consumer goods, this space may be converted to carry units as cargo. Each unit transported in this fashion takes 110 percent of its weight in cargo space. The extra weight represents extra materials used to protect the unit during transport. To be transported, a unit’s weight must not exceed the capacity of the cargo bay. Units transported in this fashion are not combat ready and may not embark or disembark, or launch or recover. Instead, they must be unloaded as regular cargo. As cargo bay doors are not designed with military machines in mind, only one unit (regardless of size) may be loaded or unloaded per turn. Units unloaded in this fashion are combat ready after 30 turns.
Advanced Terrain The introductory and standard rules presume the scenario takes place in mild weather and average terrain conditions. The following rules provide additional terrain types and conditions can be added to any Alpha Strike game for even more dramatic effect. Used in conjunction with the environmental conditions rules that cover atmospheric, lighting, and gravitational factors later in this chapter (see pp. 92-95), these advanced rules can create exotic conditions for any battle. Prohibited Terrains: Certain unit types—or units lacking in specific equipment—may be prohibited from entering certain terrain types. These prohibited terrain types and movement restrictions are defined in the Advanced Terrain Movement Costs Table. Unless stated otherwise, these prohibitions apply only if the unit in question attempts to move through the terrain. Units that can rise above such terrain (such as aerospace units and VTOLs in flight, or units that can employ jumping movement) will ignore these prohibitions as long as they remain above the terrain’s height.
Bridges
Although bridges are technically elevated roads crossing gaps or water, and can thus be represented by standard rules for road/paved terrain, the reality is that many bridges in the
BatleTech universe are not built with modern war machines in mind. Combined with the fact that bridges may be targeted and damaged, the following rules reflect these particular features. Bridges, like buildings, receive a Construction Factor (CF) that reflects their overall strength and stability. This can be any value from 1 to 50. If a bridge suffers damage from attacks or other conditions, the damage points are subtracted from its CF value. A bridge reduced to a CF of 0 is destroyed. Weight Limits: As the bridge’s current CF value also represents its weight capacity, the CF value of the bridge corresponds to the maximum size class of units that may safely cross that bridge (in addition, of course, to being of a physical size wide enough for the miniature to stand upon). A bridge with a CF of 21 or more may support units of Size 4. Bridges with a CF of 20 or less may only support units up to Size 3. A bridge that has a CF of 10 points or less may only support units up to Size 2. Bridges of 5 CF or fewer may only support Size 1 units. If a unit that exceeds a bridge’s Size limit attempts to use it, the bridge immediately collapses once the unit moves onto it. All units on a bridge when it collapses will fall and suffer 1 point of damage per 3 inches (or fraction thereof ) of difference between the starting level and destination level, rolling for critical hits as normal. If the unit falls into prohibited terrain as a result of a bridge collapse, it is destroyed.
Buildings
The rules for buildings are covered later in this chapter. See Buildings (pp. 83-86).
Deep Snow
Though it can be a boon to a BattleMech’s heat levels, deep snow is nearly impossible for wheeled vehicles to traverse, and can slow down or even mire most other ground unit types (though hovercraft, WiGE vehicles, and airborne VTOLs ignore these effects, as do any units employing jumping movement). Any ground unit moving into or through deep snow may become stuck in such terrain per the rules for Bogging Down (see p. 70). Any heat-tracking unit in deep snow may subtract 1 extra heat level during the End Phase of a turn when overheating (see p. 44).
Gravel Piles
Gravel piles represent any type of rock or dirt piles that are not compacted. Gravel piles must be assigned an elevation, but this elevation cannot be more than 2 inches higher than the lowest terrain adjacent to the pile. Units moving through a gravel pile must apply elevation change costs in addition to the added +1 inch per inch of movement into and through gravel pile terrain. Units passing through gravel piles may become stuck in the loose material (see Bogging Down, p. 70).
Hazardous Liquid Pools
Hazardous liquid pools are pools of corrosive fluids or otherwise destructive liquid chemicals that can damage any unit that comes into contact with them. Hazardous liquid pools follow all the rules for water terrain with the following additional effects. Any unit that that begins its turn in, enters, or becomes even partially submerged in, a hazardous liquid pool suffers 1 point of damage, plus an additional 1 point of damage for each full 2 inches of Move spent travelling through this terrain feature. This damage is doubled for any unit that is not a BattleMech and does not have the SEAL special ability.
Heavy Industrial
Heavy industrial terrain describes a convoluted and relatively high-density mix of power lines, generators, cooling ponds, water towers, and other elements. This terrain type can only be defined on clear or paved underlying terrain areas, within 6 inches of any number of buildings in the playing area. Heavy industrial terrain affects line of sight and to-hit rolls in the same manner as light woods (see Woods, p. 69). Unintended Explosions: Due to the volatile mix of equipment common to heavy industrial zones, the potential for an unintentional explosion exists any time an attack made into heavy industrial terrain misses its intended target or delivers damage to the terrain (be it from an area-effect attack or deliberate targeting of the terrain). When one of these situations occurs, the attacker rolls 2D6. On a result of 5 or higher, an unintended explosion takes place, inflicting 1 point of damage to all units within a 2 inch radius of the target point (in the event of a missed attack, the center point is considered to be the unit that was targeted to start with). In addition, all terrain within 2 inches of the target point bursts into flame (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
Ice
As it represents where water surfaces have frozen over, ice transforms the surface of all water terrain in an Alpha Strike scenario into the equivalent of clear terrain for movement purposes—but not without a risk. With the exception of those units using hover or WiGE movement modes, all ground units traversing ice must spend additional Move per inch of travel when doing so, to reflect the extra care used to control or avoid falls and slides.
In addition, as long as the ice is not frozen solid (see below), there is a chance it may break beneath a ground unit. For every 2 full inches of ice terrain a ’Mech, ProtoMech, or ground vehicle using the tracked or wheeled movement types attempts to cross, the controlling player must roll 2D6. (Units that use jumping movement, or which simply remained stationary on this terrain for a full turn, require this roll only if they end their Movement Phase on the ice.) On a result of 6 or higher, the ice breaks in a 2-inch radius around the unit. The unit that breaks through the ice in this fashion falls through the water beneath, and lands at the bottom of the water feature, suffering 1 point of damage and checking for hull breach as per standard Alpha Strike underwater damage rules (see p. 39). For the remainder of the scenario, any broken areas of ice are treated as water. Mobile structures automatically break any ice they traverse (even if it is frozen solid). Due to their thrusters and great mass, any spheroid-type small craft, and all DropShip units, automatically break any ice features they attempt to land upon (even if it is frozen solid). All other aerospace units—including aerodyne small craft, fighters, and airship or fixed-wing support vehicles— and VTOL or WiGE vehicles that attempt to land on ice use the same rules for ground vehicles as noted above. Naval units cannot move on ice, but submersible naval units may operate in the water below ice that has not been frozen solid. Submerged units that attempt to surface under ice will automatically cause the ice to break for a 2-inch radius around the surfacing unit. Frozen Solid Ice can alternatively be designated as frozen solid. Ground units moving across frozen solid ice do not roll to break the ice unless they are a mobile structure, a crashing aerospace unit, or a DropShip that is landing (or lifting off ) from an icy surface.
Jungle
As with the advanced woods terrain (see Woods, p. 69), jungle terrain comes in light, heavy, and ultra-heavy densities. Jungle terrain affects Line of Sight in the same manner as woods, but is more restrictive to move through, costs more Move per inch of travel, and is more resistant to being destroyed rules (see Terrain Conversion, p. 104). Light Jungle: Light jungle should stand 4 inches above the underlying terrain. A total of 6 inches of light jungle terrain blocks line of sight. Heavy Jungle: Like light jungle, heavy jungle should also stand 4 inches above the underlying terrain. Heavy jungle is harder to see through than light jungle and costs more Move per inch of travel. A total of 4 inches of heavy jungle terrain blocks line of sight. Ultra-Heavy Jungle: Ultra-heavy jungle should rise 6 inches above the underlying terrain. This is the most restrictive of the jungle terrain types to see and pass through. Just 2 inches of ultra-heavy jungle will block line of sight.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
65
Magma
The runoff from volcanic activity in various forms, magma represents liquefied rock. Magma comes in two broad forms in Alpha Strike: liquid, or partially-solidified crust. Liquid Magma Liquid magma should be assigned a depth level, like water terrain. If a liquid magma terrain feature has no specified depth, presume it has a depth of 2 inches. Any unit other than a BattleMech (or an IndustrialMech that does not have the SEAL special) is destroyed if it enters liquid magma. Airborne units can fly over liquid magma, but if they attempt to land in it or lower themselves to the level of the terrain, such units are immediately destroyed. If a ’Mech begins its turn in, enters, or becomes even partially submerged in liquid magma, it will suffer an additional point of Heat on its Heat Scale in the End Phase to that turn. In addition, if the unit has no armor remaining, it suffers 1 point of damage, plus an additional 1 point of damage for each full 2 inches of Move spent travelling through this terrain feature after losing its armor. (IndustrialMechs that come into contact with liquid magma with no armor points remaining are automatically destroyed.) Units in liquid magma can also become stuck (see Bogging Down, p. 70).
Magma Crust Ground units may traverse magma crust as if it is clear terrain, but—much as when crossing ice—do so at a risk of falling through. For every 2 full inches of magma crust terrain a ’Mech, ProtoMech, or ground vehicle using the tracked or wheeled movement types attempts to cross, the controlling player must roll 1D6. (Units that use jumping movement require this roll only if they end their Movement Phase on the magma crust, but must apply a +2 modifier to the roll.) On a result of 6 or more, the crust breaks in a 2-inch radius around the unit, and becomes liquid magma. The unit that breaks through magma crust in this fashion falls into the liquid magma and suffers the effects of that terrain type immediately. For the remainder of the scenario, any broken areas of magma crust are treated as liquid magma. If a heat-tracking unit (BattleMech or grounded aerospace fighter) is still on a magma crust during the End Phase, it adds 1 Heat to its Heat Scale. A spheroid aerospace unit (small craft or DropShip) automatically turns a magma crust area into liquid magma if it attempts to land on it. If the landing unit is larger than 2 inches, then an area of effect equal to the landing unit’s size is converted to liquid magma. If the entire area covered by the landing unit is now liquid magma, the unit is destroyed. If only part of the landing area is now in liquid magma, the unit suffers 1 point of damage to its aft location.
Mud
In Alpha Strike, terrain classified as mud reflects terrain where the soil is soft and wet enough to bog down vehicular and ’Mech units. All ground units moving through mud terrain (unless they employ hover or WiGE movement types) may become stuck. See Bogging Down (p. 70). A spheroid-type aerospace unit (small craft or DropShip) that attempts to land in mud terrain automatically converts the mud in its landing area into rough terrain.
Planted Fields
Planted fields have no effect on movement. However, they rise 2 inches above the underlying terrain and impart a +1 tohit modifier for every 4 full inches of planted fields intervening between the attacker and target. A total of 12 inches of planted fields blocks Line of Sight. Attacks against infantry (including battle armor) that are in planted fields receive an additional +1 to-hit modifier. A landing spheroid aerospace unit (small craft or DropShip) automatically converts all planted fields in its landing area to rough terrain. In addition, any planted fields within 2 inches of such landing units may catch fire from the exhaust on a 2D6 roll result of 6 or higher (see Fire and Smoke, p. 100).
Rails
Calvin Magdaleno treads carefully around the active volcanos of Rigil Kentaurus.
In Alpha Strike, rails refer to anything from old-style train tracks to the high-tech monorails used by advanced magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicles. Rails provide the fixed route followed by vehicles that use the special rail motive type, but are also treated as roads for movement purposes (in that moving along a rail ignores most other underlying terrain conditions for movement
Sand
Sand terrain has no effect on ’Mech or ProtoMech units, and most vehicle motive types, but will affect any infantry (including battle armor) that uses ground movement, and wheeled vehicles that lack the Dune Buggy (DUN) special ability. In addition to the above, wheeled vehicles without the Dune Buggy (DUN) special may also get stuck (see Bogging Down, p. 70).
introduction
Swamp
Black Hawk A accompanied by Slyph Battle Armor, Beta Galaxy, Clan Snow Raven.
costs). Aside from this, all ’Mechs, ProtoMechs, and ground vehicles that do not use the rail motive type, treated rails as rough terrain. Unless a scenario specifically states otherwise, every 2-inch long section of rail terrain may be attacked as a building with a CF of 5 (see Buildings, pp. 83-86). If a section of rail is destroyed and a rail vehicle proceeds to come along, the rail vehicle will crash at the broken section, suffering its Move in damage to the first car that collides with the broken segment, while all cars in the train behind it (if any) suffer half the unit’s Move. Any cars that survive this damage are immobilized for the remainder of the scenario.
Rough, Ultra
Ultra-rough terrain represents a variety of truly shattered landscapes, including ultra woods/jungles that have been reduced to rough ground.
Rubble, Ultra
Ultra-rubble terrain represents destroyed buildings made of the hardest, military-spec materials, making such an area exceptionally difficult to navigate. Destroyed Castles Brian structures and similar fortresses are examples of ultra-rubble.
All units moving into or through swamp terrain that use ground movement (not including hover or WiGE movement types) other than may get stuck (see Bogging Down, p. 70). If a unit becomes stuck in Swamp, roll 2D6 again. On a result of 12, a 2-inch radius area of swamp becomes quicksand (see below). Swamp terrain that becomes quicksand remains so for the rest of the scenario. Units that use VTOL, WiGE, or aerospace movement (other than DropShips) automatically become stuck in swamp terrain if they attempt to land in it. DropShips that land in swamp terrain check transform all non-swamp terrain beneath them into swamp terrain, and check for bog down as a ground vehicle. Quicksand: Any unit entering quicksand, or within an area when quicksand is created as described above, will automatically become stuck (see Bogging Down, p. 70). Any unit beginning its movement in quicksand may attempt to escape using the rules for escaping a bog down. If an attempt to escape quicksand fails, any unit still mired in such terrain after starting its turn in it will sink 2 inches during that turn’s End Phase. If the unit sinks deeper into the quicksand than its own height, the unit is destroyed.
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Tundra
In Alpha Strike, tundra terrain represents arctic tundra, which includes a mix of shallow soils, low-growing vegetation, and permafrost that can present a treacherous environment for heavy units, especially once the battle starts. To reflect this, all ground units except for those using hover and WiGE movement types may become stuck in tundra terrain (see Bogging Down, p. 70).
Water (Expanded)
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
The standard-level Alpha Strike rules convey the basic features of water terrain that is largely placid and relatively shallow. The following additions, appropriate for advancedlevel Alpha Strike games, offers players more variety in water terrain by introducing the effects of extreme depths and rapid currents (rapids). Extreme Depth: Any water terrain of 11 inches in depth or more is considered to be of extreme depth. In extreme depths, any unit that is not specifically a submarine—including BattleMechs,
67
Advanced Terrain movement cost table Terrain Type Base Move Clear Paved/Road/Bridge Woods Light Heavy Ultra-Heavy Water Surface Only Depth 0”-1” Depth 2”-3” Depth 4”-10” Depth 11+” Rapids Level Changes (up or down)10 Per 1” elevation Per 1” elevation Per 1” depth Per 1” elevation Buildings Light Medium Heavy Hardened Deep Snow Gravel Piles Hazardous Liquid Pool Heavy Industrial Ice Jungle Light Heavy Ultra-Heavy Magma Crust Liquid Mud Planted Fields Rail Rough Ultra Rough Rubble Ultra Rubble Sand Swamp Tundra
Move Cost per Inch
Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
1” +0”1 +0”2
— Naval, Rail Naval, Rail
+1”3 +2”3 +3”
Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4 Vehicles All except Infantry
+0” +0” +1”7 +6”7 +8”7, 9 +1”
All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5 Ground, Infantry6, Ground, Infantry6, IndustrialMechs8 Ground, Infantry6, IndustrialMechs8 Ground, Infantry6, IndustrialMechs8 As Water of appropriate Depth
+1” (’Mechs, ProtoMechs) +1” (VTOLs in Air) +1” (Submarines in Water) +2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles) +1”11 +2”11 +3”11 +4”11 +1”12 +1”12 As Water12 +0”/+1”13 +1”12
Air, Naval, Rail Air, Naval, Rail Air, Naval, Rail Air, Naval, Rail Wheeled Naval, Rail As Water Naval, Rail Naval
+2” +3” +4”
Vehicles Vehicles All except Infantry
+0”12 +1”12 +1”12 +0” +0”/+1”14 +1” +2” +1” +2” +0”/+1”12, 15 +1”/+2”12, 16 +0”12
Infantry, Naval, Rail, Wheeled All except ’Mechs Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval Naval, Rail, Wheeled Naval, Rail, Wheeled Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval, Rail
Advanced Terrain movement cost table (Continued) Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash. 1 +1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 2 All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain. 3 Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”). 4 Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 5 Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”. 6 Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability. 7 This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement. 8 IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability. 9 Non-submarine units at this depth (including units with UMU special) may suffer damage. See Water (Expanded) (p. 67). 10 Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation changes over 2” per 1” travelled unless using Advanced Movement Modes (see p. 62). 11 Infantry units do not pay any additional Move cost for Buildings; ProtoMechs pay only +1” Move for all Buildings 12 Units in this terrain type may bog down and/or suffer damage. See specific terrain rules. 13 Only ’Mech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +0” Move cost. 14 Rail units in this terrain must move along the rail and pay +0” Move cost. All other units apply the +1” Move cost. 15 Only infantry units and wheeled units without the Dune Buggy (DUN) special apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain. 16 Only ’Mech and ProtoMech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +2” Move cost. Unit Types Key ’Mechs
Includes BattleMechs and IndustrialMechs
ProtoMechs
ProtoMech units only
Infantry
Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
Vehicles
Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
Air
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL or WiGE movement types
Ground
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
Naval
Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
Hover
Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
Rail
Combat or support vehicles with rail movement type only
Sub
Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
Tracked
Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only
VTOL
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL movement type only
Wheeled
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
WiGE
Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
Aerospace
Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
and other non-submarine units with UMU special abilities— must make a critical hit check at the end of the Movement Phase where it enters or remains at such depths. Apply all critical hit effects immediately, before the Combat Phase. (If a unit entering or operating at extreme depths does not have a critical hit check appropriate for its type—such as infantry units with the UMU special—apply 1 point of damage to the unit instead.) Rapids: Waters of 1-inch depth or more may be designated as rapids. At the start of a scenario, rapids water terrain must be assigned a direction of flow. During gameplay, any units moving through rapids water terrain, or operating on its surface (with the exception of vehicles using the hover or WiGE movement modes) must make a 2D6 roll at the end of
any Movement Phase where the unit is still in or on the water’s surface. If the roll result is less than the unit’s Skill rating +2, the unit will be moved 2 inches in the direction of the flow.
Woods (Expanded)
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Under standard Alpha Strike, there is only one “type” of woods terrain. At the advanced level of play, woods come in three levels of density: light, heavy, and ultra-heavy. In addition, advanced-level woods apply terrain modifiers for every 2 full inches of intervening or occupied terrain, rather than a flat amount. A 6-inch stretch of intervening light woods, for example, would apply a +3 to-hit modifier for weapon attacks.
69
Advanced Terrain To-Hit Modifiers table Advanced Terrain Modifiers Terrain
Modifier
Underwater
+1*
Woods (per 2”) Light
+1
Heavy
+2
Ultra-Heavy
+3
Buildings
**
Heavy Industrial
+1
Jungle (per 2”) Light
+1
Heavy
+2
Ultra-Heavy Planted Fields (per 4”)
+3 +1†
Target Movement Modifiers Target Is Bogged Down
Modifier ‡
*Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved. **Buildings block Light of Sight, providing either partial or full cover as a hill of equivalent size. † Apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier if target is an Infantry unit. ‡ Treat bogged down target as if it has a Target Movement Modifier of +0.
Light Woods: Light woods works in the same fashion as standard Alpha Strike woods and should stand 4 inches above the underlying terrain. A total of 6 inches of light woods terrain blocks line of sight. Heavy Woods: Like light woods, heavy woods should also stand 4 inches above the underlying terrain. Heavy woods are harder to see through than light woods and cost more Move per inch of travel. A total of 4 inches of heavy woods terrain blocks line of sight. Ultra-Heavy Woods: Ultra-heavy woods should rise 6 inches above the underlying terrain. This is the most restrictive of the woods terrain types to see and pass through. Just 2 inches of ultra-heavy woods will block line of sight.
Bogging Down
Some terrain conditions may actually stick a unit in place, as noted in the description of such conditions. Any time a unit starts its movement in a terrain area or enters a terrain area that may cause it to get stuck and for each full 2” the unit continues through the terrain area, the controlling player must make a 2D6 roll with a target number equal to the unit’s
Skill rating. If this roll fails, the unit ends its Movement Phase immediately, and is stuck at the point in the terrain it had just traversed when the roll failed. Escaping once bogged down requires a new bog down check at the start of the unit’s next movement phase. If this roll fails, the unit remains bogged down for the turn, and attacks against it will ignore its usual target movement modifier. Otherwise, the unit escapes and may move normally. Units using jumping movement may be bogged down upon landing, but automatically escape if they use jumping movement to leave the terrain in the next turn. Any unit that uses hover or WiGE movement, and any VTOL or aerospace unit that does not land in the terrain that can bog down ground units, automatically ignore these rules. Tundra, Magma Crust, Deep Snow and Mud apply a +1 modifier to the target number to avoid bog down.
Aerospace Units on the Ground Map Under the abstract aerospace system designed to work with standard Alpha Strike rules, aerospace units are either landed on the ground (grounded), or airborne for the duration of the scenario. The following rules cover additional options for using aerospace units on the ground map, including options for landing and liftoff operations for aerospace units. Unless otherwise specified, these rules apply to all units that expend Thrust instead of Move in inches, which not only covers aerospace units, but also airship and fixed-wing support vehicles. Unless specified otherwise by scenario rules, aerospace units may begin any scenario landed or in flight.
Aerodyne Units
While on the ground, aerodyne-type aerospace units (including conventional and aerospace fighters, aerodyne small craft, and fixed-wing support vehicles) may “taxi”, moving as a wheeled vehicle unit with Move rate equal to their Thrust rating, in inches. An aerospace unit may not lift off during a turn in which it expended ground Move. Aerodyne Liftoff To lift off from the ground, all aerodyne aerospace units require a continuous runway of clear or paved terrain with no elevation changes, and at least 2 points of current Thrust. The runway area must be at least 14 inches long (8 inches, if the unit possesses the VSTOL special ability). The width of this runway depends on the size of the aerospace unit; standard-sized units such as fighters require only 1 inch in width, while large units (with the LG special) require a 2-inch wide runway, and very large units (with the VLG special) require a runway 4 inches wide. Under these rules, the unit must begin its turn at one end of this minimum length of runway, facing its opposite end. The unit then spends the entire Movement Phase lifting off. This action requires
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
A flight of STU-K5 Stukas trailed by a flight of SYD-21 Seydlitz, Fifth Alliance Air Wing, Outworlds Alliance.
no roll, and any units—friendly or otherwise—that occupy the runway are ignored. (For simplicity, these rules presume that all units in the path of an aerospace unit’s liftoff avoid the departing unit’s launch path.) At the end of the Movement Phase, an aerodyne unit that performs a liftoff action is removed from the ground map and placed on the Central Zone of the Radar Map (see Abstract Aerospace Movement, p. 54). Regardless of the unit’s Thrust rating, a liftoff action takes its entire movement, so it cannot expend further Thrust in the same turn it lifts off. Aerodyne Landing Aerodyne units require a minimum of 10 inches to land (4 inches, if they feature the VSTOL special), and the same runway width needed for takeoff. In an emergency, these units may attempt to land in any terrain, but doing so will result in damage as described in Landing Damage, below. To attempt a landing, an aerodyne aerospace unit must begin its turn in the Central Zone on the Radar Map, and select a flight path that lines up with the intended runway. The unit is then removed from the Radar Map and ends its movement on the ground map at the end of its landing path on the runway—or, if any terrain feature intervenes along the selected path, placed in base-to-base contact with the intervening terrain feature. To complete the landing, the controlling must make a Control Roll to assess the landing’s success, and resolve any landing damage as described below (see Landing Rolls, p. 72). Once more, any ground units within the landing area are ignored for simplicity.
Abstract Aerospace System
Spheroid Units and Airships
Spheroid aerospace units and airships cannot “taxi”, and may not move while grounded. Unlike aerodyne units, airships and spheroid aerospace units may only lift off and land vertically, and thus only require a flat landing area large enough to hold the miniature’s base. Spheroid and Airship Liftoff As long as it has any Thrust available, a grounded airship can liftoff at the start of any Movement Phase. Grounded spheroid aerospace units require at least 2 Thrust, and may likewise liftoff at the start of any Movement Phase. Under these rules, no roll is required for a spheroid unit or airship to lift off. At the end of the Movement Phase, an aerospace unit that performs a liftoff action is removed from the ground map and placed on the Central Zone of the Radar Map (see Abstract Aerospace Movement, p. 54). Regardless of the unit’s Thrust rating, a liftoff action takes its entire movement, so it cannot expend further Thrust in the same turn it lifts off.
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Airship and Spheroid Landing To attempt a landing, airships and spheroid aerospace units must begin their turn in the Central Zone of the Radar Map. The controlling player then nominates one point on the ground map that will serve as the unit’s landing zone. As with aerodyne unit landings, any intervening units are presumed to automatically evade the aerospace unit’s landing action, though any terrain or structures present may be damaged as described below.
71
Airships require a landing area that is comprised of either clear or paved terrain, which must be of uniform elevation, and large enough to hold the unit’s miniature. All other spheroid aerospace units may land upon virtually any terrain of uniform elevation—including clear, paved, woods, jungle, or even buildings. However, the act of landing in upon any terrain other than paved will cause terrain damage, and may result in damage to the landing unit as well. Landing airships inflict no damage to the terrain they land in, while spheroid aerospace units will cause terrain damage on any landing area that is not paved. If the landing area for a spheroid unit contains any type of woods, jungle, or buildings, these terrain features are automatically destroyed. Wooded and jungle terrain destroyed in this fashion is automatically converted to rough terrain; buildings in the landing zone of a spheroid unit are converted into rubble. In addition, the elevation level of any non-paved terrain covered by the landing spheroid unit—to a minimum diameter of 4 inches centered on the unit’s midpoint—is reduced by one level.
Landing Rolls
An aerospace unit attempting a landing must make a successful Control Roll when doing so. The target number for an aerospace unit’s Control Roll is equal to the unit’s Skill, plus any of the appropriate modifiers as indicated in the Landing Roll Modifiers Table. If the roll succeeds, but the unit’s landing area includes obstructing terrain, the unit will suffer landing damage. If the Landing Roll fails, the unit will crash.
Landing Roll Modifiers table Condition
Modifier
Operating in Atmosphere
+2
Thruster Hit Damage
+4
No Thrust or Shutdown
+6
Inappropriate Landing Area*
+2
Landing Area is Paved
–2
*This condition applies if the landing area includes any change in elevation, includes any structures or terrains other than clear or paved, or is too short or small for the unit’s needs. Landing Damage An aerospace unit landing in terrain other than will suffer damage. For aerodyne units, fixed-wing support vehicles, and airships, this means any terrain other than clear or paved within the unit’s chosen runway area or landing point, including elevation changes. For spheroid aerospace units, this means only a variation in terrain elevations within the landing site. A landing unit’s movement ends immediately when it encounters such obstructions, with the unit’s miniature placed in contact with the offending terrain or structures. The unit will then apply damage equal to its own weight/size class. Spheroid units apply this damage to the unit’s rear; all other units apply landing damage to the nose. Roll for critical hits from landing damage normally, as applicable. A unit destroyed by landing damage is treated as if it has crashed (see below). Crashes Aerospace units destroyed in the air rain harmless debris on the battlefield, but aerospace units that shut down while in flight may crash. Under these rules, any aerospace unit that crashes is automatically destroyed, as is all of its cargo, including any transported units. If the crashing aerospace unit is a DropShip attempting a landing, its crash will fill a 4-inch diameter area centered on the intended landing zone with ultra rubble terrain (see Advanced Terrain, p. 67). If the rules for fire and smoke are also in effect, the crash area will also burst into flame on a 2D6 roll of 6 or higher (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
Aerospace Unit Transports
When aerospace units are transported by other units, the liftoff and landing operations are respectively referred to as launching and recovery. Units with the aerospace transport (AT#) or small craft transport (ST#) special abilities are the only units capable of launching or recovering aerospace units and transporting them while airborne. Fixed-wing support vehicles are treated as ground vehicle units for transport purposes—thus requiring the appropriate vehicle transport specials instead (VTM#, VTH#, VTS#)—and may not launch or recover from a transport unit unless that transport unit possesses a flight deck (FD) or helipad (HP) special. Airship support vehicles can be transported as vehicles, but can only launch or recover from a flight deck.
Aerospace units may be launched from grounded transports, but cannot be recovered unless the transport has a flight deck or helipad. Otherwise, they must embark and disembark as cargo. Fixed-wing support vehicles and VTOLs must use flight decks and helipads as appropriate for all launch and recovery operations. The rules for launching or recovering an aerospace unit are the same as those for liftoff and landing (respectively), but replace the need for prepared runways by launch catapults and arresting gear that also eliminate the Landing Roll modifiers for inappropriate landing areas. Additional changes to the landing and liftoff rules for launching and recovery are as follows: Airborne Aerospace/Small Craft Launch and Recovery: Aerospace units launching from airborne transports must end their launching movement in the same Radar Map zone as the transporting unit that launches them. Aerospace units cannot be recovered by airborne transports unless they are in the same Radar Map zone and neither aerospace unit is engaged in combat. The maximum number of aerospace units that can be launched by an aerospace transport per turn is equal to the number of doors (D#) associated with the aerospace transport bay. Flight Deck/Helipad Launch and Recovery: Any weight class aerospace unit (and any size class unit up to 3) may launch or recover on a flight deck or helipad. Only one aerospace unit may launch or recover from a flight deck or helipad at a time, and only one unit may launch or recover each turn.
Partial Cover
While on the ground, DropShip-type aerospace units may provide partial cover for BattleMechs as if they were a building (see Partial Cover, p. 34). If a unit receiving partial cover from a grounded DropShip is missed by an attack by a margin of 2, the DropShip absorbs the attack damage instead.
Artillery Most artillery in Alpha Strike are area-effect weapons that only target points of impact (POIs) on the battlefield, delivering damage to all units within a blast radius. Units with an artillery attack capability (indicated by the ART special) can deliver an additional artillery-only attack in the same turn as it also executes a physical or weapon attack. Artillery attacks are made and resolved in the Combat Phase. The following rules cover the use of artillery in advanced Alpha Strike games.
introduction
On-Board Artillery vs. Off-Board Artillery
Introductory alpha strike
Compared to most weapon attacks, artillery weapons on the ground map have tremendous range—far greater than may even be practical for use on a single game map. Because of this, it is possible to execute artillery attacks by units that are not on the ground map against targets that are on the map—and vice versa. When a unit equipped with artillery weapons is deployed on the ground map, all of its artillery attacks against other units that are both on the board and within 34 inches of the attacking weapon will be referred to as on-board artillery attacks. On-board artillery attacks deliver the damage in the same turn as the attack is made, and will adhere to on-board artillery rules. Off-board artillery attacks refer to any artillery attacks made where the attacking unit is more than 34 inches away from the target, or where either the attacking artillery unit or its target lies beyond the end of the ground map. At such distances, artillery attacks will spend time in transit, delivering damage a turn or more after the attack is fired, and will use the off-board artillery attack rules.
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Artillery Range and Damage table Artillery Name
Special
Max Range
Damage
Arrow IV (IS)
ART-AIS
90”
3(2)
Area of Effect 2” (NA)
Arrow IV (Clan)
ART-AC
100”
3(2)
2” (NA)
Thumper
ART-T
240”
2
2”
Sniper
ART-S
200”
3
4”
Long Tom
ART-LT
340”
5/2
6”
Cruise Missile/50
ART-CM5
360”
8
2”
Cruise Missile/70
ART-CM7
1000”
11/2
6”
Cruise Missile/90
ART-CM9
1360”
16/6
8”
Cruise Missile/120
ART-CM12
1700”
22/14
6”
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Artillery Cannons Thumper Cannon
ART-TC
42”
1
2”
Sniper Cannon
ART-SC
42”
2
2”
Long Tom Cannon
ART-LTC
42”
3
2”
73
Resolving Artillery Attacks
in remembering when the turn arrives to resolve the attack, as well as “proving” the attack’s accuracy in the event of any potential disputes that might arise between players when the incoming strike finally hits. If the target of the artillery attack is a unit rather than a fixed POI, or the target itself lies beyond the edge of the map, the attacking player should note the target unit and/or its computed distance in inches, instead of any coordinates.
Step 1: Choose a Target Unless the artillery weapon is attempting a direct-fire attack, using homing rounds, or is an artillery cannon, declaring an artillery attack requires only that the controlling player chooses a single point of impact (POI) within the artillery weapon’s attack range (see the Artillery Range and Damage Table, p. 73). Artillery attacks may only target specific units if the attacker is using homing rounds, the attack is being made using artillery cannons, or the attacker is attempting a direct-fire on-board artillery attack. Direct-fire artillery attacks can only be made by on-board artillery units.
Step 3: Determine To-Hit Number Like a standard weapon attack, the base to-hit number for an artillery attack is the attacking unit’s Skill rating. As long as the attack is not aimed at a specific unit, however, none of the modifiers the normal weapon attack modifiers for range bracket, target’s movement, terrain features, and other miscellaneous situations are applied. Instead, the attacker must apply the to-hit modifiers shown in the Artillery To-Hit Modifiers Table (see p. 75). As with weapon attacks, all of these modifiers are cumulative, which means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number to find the final to-hit number. Further explanation of these modifiers and any exceptions are discussed below. Direct Fire: If an on-board artillery attacker has a valid Line of Sight to its target under all applicable Alpha Strike rules, the attacker may attempt to deliver a direct-fire attack against the POI or target unit. Direct-fire attacks may not employ spotters, and apply the Direct-Fire Artillery modifier as shown in the Artillery To-Hit Modifiers Table. In addition, a direct-fire on-board artillery attack must also apply any the standard weapon attack modifiers for intervening terrain and—if the target is a unit—the target’s type and movement modifiers. (Immobile target modifiers are never applied to a direct-fire artillery attack.) If the attacker is executing a direct-fire artillery attack with an artillery cannon (ART-TC, ART-SC, or ART-LTC specials), the standard weapon range bracket modifiers will also apply to the attack’s to-hit number. (All other artillery weapons are considered to be at Short range for direct-fire on-board artillery attacks.) Indirect Fire: Indirect fire is considered to be the standard means of firing an artillery weapon. All off-board artillery attacks and all on-board artillery attacks not using the direct fire rules notes above must apply the indirect-fire artillery attack to-hit modifier. Indirect-fire artillery can use spotters, but does not require them to make the attack (unlike indirect LRM fire). Artillery attacks using indirect fire may not target a unit unless homing rounds are used, or the attacking weapon is an artillery cannon (ART-TC, ART-SC, or ART-LTC specials). Indirect artillery attacks do not apply range band or terrain modifiers. Artillery Spotters: If a friendly unit has line of sight to the target POI, it can provide the spotter modifiers as shown on the Artillery To-Hit Modifiers Table. Unless an artillery weapon attack is being made against the same POI repeatedly (and requires corrective spotting), artillery spotter modifiers may apply only when the spotting occurs in the same turn that the attacking artillery weapon is fired, not when it hits. Artillery spotting automatically occurs as long as the friendly spotting unit has a valid line of sight to the artillery attack’s chosen POI, and requires no roll. Artillery spotting modifiers may only be applied for artillery attacks made against a point of impact, not when the target is another battlefield unit.
The sequence for resolving artillery attacks is as follows: Step 1: Choose a target Step 2: Determine range and flight time Step 3: Determine to-hit number Step 4: Roll to hit Step 5: Determine and apply damage Step 6: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
Step 2: Determine Range and Flight Time If the artillery-firing unit and its target are both on the board, measure the range between them as normal. Artillery units located beyond the map’s edge must be computed by first determining which map edge the artillery attack is coming from, and how far beyond that edge the attack lies (in inches). Add this number to the shortest number of inches measured between the map’s edge and the attack’s target point (or unit) on the map. (If the target, rather than the attacker, is the one beyond the map’s edge, this same technique applies to find the range.) Time in Flight: The damage from any on-board artillery attack will be delivered in the same turn it is fired. For any artillery attack made beyond 34 inches in range, consult the Off-Board Artillery Flight Time Table to find the number of turns the attack will take from the turn it is fired to the turn it actually strikes. Coordinates: In the event that an artillery attack will spend 1 turn or more in flight, the attacking player should record the turn when the attack will strike, as well as the target’s X-Y coordinates on a piece of scrap paper. A recommended coordinate system for Alpha Strike is discussed later in this chapter (see Coordinates, p. 89. Committing this data to writing will aid the attacking player
Off-Board Artillery Flight Time table Distance 34” 90” 170” 240” 300” 340”
Flight Time (turns) 0 1* 2* 3* 4* 5*
*Cruise Missiles (ART-CM#) compute their flight times as 1 + (Distance/170”) turns.
Artillery To-Hit Modifiers table Situation
To-Hit Modifier
Direct-Fire Artillery
+4
Indirect-Fire Artillery
+7
Each successive shot at the same target POI*
–1
Friendly unit acting as spotter when attack fired
–1
Spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH
–2
Spotter has RCN**
–1
Spotter made an attack during spotting turn
+1
*Applies only if a spotter has LOS to the target POI in the turn in which the attack is resolved. **Do not apply this modifier if the spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH.
Subsequent Attacks on the Same Point of Impact: Once an artillery attack successfully hits its chosen POI, the coordinates become “locked in”, and the artillery weapon may continue to attack that same POI without requiring to-hit roll until it changes targets. Artillery attacks do not “lock on” when the target is a unit. Pre-plotted Points of Impact: If the scenario permits, players with artillery units may start an Alpha Strike game with a number of pre-plotted points of impact that their artillery units can already hit automatically (as if they successfully “locked on” as above). The number of pre-plotted POIs the players may have can be subject to scenario rules, an agreement between the players, or even the use of the Battlefield Intelligence optional rule described later in this chapter (see p. 82). Pre-plotted POIs must be marked on the board during setup. Homing Rounds Artillery-fired homing rounds (including Arrow IV homing missiles and Copperhead artillery munitions) are specifically designed to damage a single target unit, rather than delivering area-effect damage. Unless alternate munitions rules are in effect (see pp. 76-82), only the Arrow IV artillery systems may fire homing rounds. Like artillery, homing rounds are fired at a targeted POI, with the flight time calculated based on that fixed point. On the turn the homing missile is calculated to arrive at its destination, one target unit within 34” of the homing round’s POI must be successfully “painted” by a unit with target acquisition gear (TAG or LTAG specials). To paint a target, the TAG- or LTAG-equipped unit must make a special attack roll, using all the appropriate rules for a standard weapon attack within the unit’s TAG equipment range. (LTAG works only at Short range, but TAG works at Short and Medium range brackets.) As with artillery attacks, painting attacks using TAG or LTAG equipment is an additional attack that may be made
in addition to any other weapon or physical attacks the unit attempts during the same turn. The target of a painting attack need not be the same target used for the unit’s weapon or physical attacks. If the painting attempt fails, other friendly LTAG- or TAGequipped units within the same 34” radius of the incoming homing round may attempt to designate a target for it in the same fashion. If no painting attempts succeed by the time the homing round arrives, the homing round automatically misses. If multiple target-painting attempts succeed in the same turn against multiple targets, the attacker may decide which of these targets are struck by the incoming homing round. Conversely, if multiple homing rounds are set to arrive in the same turn, each round may choose its own target from those that have been successfully painted by friendly units. This applies even if there are more incoming rounds than targets that have been painted, so it is possible to have multiple homing rounds strike the same target in the same turn. Successful target designation does not guarantee a homing round will hit; for each unit that is successfully designated and targeted by a homing round, the attacker must make a separate 2D6 to-hit roll. Unlike all other artillery attacks, however, this to-hit number is set at 4, and is not modified for any conditions under these rules. If successful, the target is struck by the homing round; on a result of 3 or less, the round misses, and detonates harmlessly without scatter. Step 4: Roll To-Hit To resolve an artillery attack, the controlling player rolls 2D6 for each round on the turn it arrives (rather than the turn where the attack is made) and compares the total to the modified to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack succeeds. Otherwise, the artillery attack fails, and will scatter as appropriate. Artillery Scatter: If an artillery attack’s to-hit roll fails, its missed shot will scatter much like a failed dive bombing attack, with a new point of impact determined at random. Using the Area of Effect Template, with the “1” location indicating the map’s “northern” direction, the attacker rolls 1D6 and uses the numbers outside of the parentheses to find which of the 6 possible directions the missed artillery attack will scatter. Once direction is determined, a second 1D6 roll result— multiplied by 2 (1 for missed shots by artillery cannons)—then determines how many inches from the original POI the missed shot will actually land. The new location becomes the center of the actual impct, and damages targets within the Area of Effect as appropriate to that weapon. Artillery units cannot “lock onto” a scatter location. Homing Rounds: As noted above, homing rounds can only roll to-hit against a target that has been successfully “painted” by a friendly unit in the turn they arrive. The to-hit for each homing round is set at 4, with no additional modifiers applied. If successful, the target is hit. Unsuccessful homing round attacks detonate harmlessly away from any valid targets and do not scatter.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
75
Step 5: Determine and Apply Damage The attack damages all units within its listed area of effect. If the damage value on the Artillery Range and Damage Table has a value after a slash, the weapon delivers the damage left of the slash to the inner 2-inch radius area of effect around the impact point, while the damage value right of the slash applies to all targets for the next 4 inches outward from that (to a maximum radius of 6 inches away from the impact point). All units—friend or foe—whose bases are even partially within the area of effect, suffer damage equal the listed amount for that radius. If two damage values from the same artillery attack cover the target’s location, use the value for the inner damage radius. The damage values and radii for each artillery weapon type is shown on the Artillery Table. The damage and radius values shown in parentheses refer to homing rounds, which deliver their damage only to the target unit and have no area of effect in Alpha Strike.
Alternate Munitions In most Alpha Strike scenarios, it is assumed that all units are equipped with their default (standard) munitions. For players interested in greater variety, a number of alternative options are available, which may be employed by those units which possess compatible special abilities. Many have damage modifiers as shown on the alternate munitions table. Additional special effects of these munitions are further described in the appropriate section. Players should agree to the use of specialty munitions during the game setup, and record which of their units are using which types of specialty munitions. In gameplay, an attacking player who wishes to use specialty munitions need only declare that his attack will make use of its alternative ammunition (and what type of alternate ammunition it is). The player then rolls for a weapons attack as normal, using the base range and damage values for the special ability that works with the unit’s alternate munitions. If the attack is successful, adjust the ability’s normal damage values and other special effects as appropriate to the rules for the specialty ammo type used. Note that an attack using specialty munitions replaces the unit’s normal attack values for its requisite special ability. Unless otherwise noted, use of alternate munitions does not provide the unit with an extra bonus attack, but will modify the standard weapon attacks of the unit accordingly.
To avoid confusion, each unit that can employ alternate munitions may select only one non-standard munitions type per special weapon attack. Infantry units (including battle armor) cannot make use specialty ammo under these rules. Aerospace units capable of carrying bombs may employ alternative bomb munitions/ aerospace missiles, but may not employ the other alternative munitions types discussed below.
Alternate Artillery Munitions
Various types of artillery munitions are available in Alpha Strike, but not all of them are available to all artillery weapon types, while none are available to the artillery cannons (ART-TC, ART-SC, or ART-LTC). The special abilities required to carry these alternative munitions will be indicated in its rules below. Air-Defense Arrow IV Air-Defense Arrow IV missiles require the ART-AC or ARTAIS specials. These missiles may be used to deliver direct-fire ground-toair attacks against any airborne targets in the Central Zone or Inner Ring on the Radar Map. Unlike standard artillery attacks, air-defense Arrow attacks may not be made in the same turn the firing unit executes a standard weapon or physical attack. In place of artillery attack rules, air-defense Arrow’s are resolved as standard ground-to-air weapon attacks (see Ground to Air Combat, p. 60). For targets in the Central Zone that are engaged in air-to-ground actions, treat the airdefense Arrow as if it is attacking at Short range. If the target is in the Central Zone, but is not attempting to land or engaging in air-toground combat, the air-defense attack is made at Medium range. If the target is in the Inner Ring, the attack is made using the Long range bracket. An additional –2 to-hit modifier is then applied to represent the improved homing capabilities of the Arrow missiles. Air-defense Arrow IVs may not target ground units (including grounded aerospace units), nor may they target airborne units beyond the Inner Ring on the Radar Map. Air-defense Arrow IVs will not scatter on a missed attack. The damage value for an air-defense Arrow IV is 2 points. Air-defense Arrow IV missiles do not deliver area of effect damage. Cluster Cluster artillery munitions are available to units with the ART-AIS, ARTAC, ART-LT, ART-S, and ART-T specials. Attacks using cluster munitions are resolved using standard artillery rules,
but increase their area of effect radius over standard rounds from the same artillery weapon type by 2 inches (for a total of 4” for ART-AIS, ART-AC, and ART-T specials; 6” radius for ART-S specials; and 8” for ART-LT specials). Missed shots using cluster munitions will scatter as per normal artillery rules. The damage from cluster artillery is based on the weapons’ standard artillery damage, but is reduced by 1 point. This modified damage applies to all targets within the first 4” radius away from the impact point. For targets beyond 4”, and up to the weapon’s maximum radius of effect, cluster artillery delivers half its modified damage (rounded down). Thus, a cluster shot from an ART-LT weapon, which ordinarily inflicts 5 points to the point of impact, would be reduced to 4 points of damage to all targets within 4” of impact, and 2 points of damage to all targets from 4” to 8” away. Copperhead Copperhead munitions are available only to units with the ART-LT, ART-S, and ART-T specials. Attacks using Copperhead rounds are resolved using the artillery homing round rules, and as such have no area of effect in Alpha Strike. Copperhead munitions will not scatter on a missed attack. The damage a Copperhead hit delivers is based on the attacker’s artillery weapon type. For attacks with the ART-LT special, the damage is 3 points; for attacks made with the ART-S special, the weapon delivers 2 damage points; for the ART-T special, Copperhead ammo delivers 1 point per hit. Flechette Flechette artillery munitions are available to ART-LT, ART-S, and ART-T specials. Attacks using flechette rounds are resolved using standard artillery rules, and deliver damage with the same area of effect radius as standard rounds from the same artillery weapon type (6” radius for ART-LT; 4” radius for ART-S; 2” radius for ART-T). Flechette artillery munitions will scatter on a missed attack, as per normal artillery rules. Against conventional infantry units and jungle or woods terrain types, flechette ammunition doubles the artillery weapon’s normal damage value. Against all other unit types, flechette artillery munitions inflict no damage. Illumination Illumination artillery munitions are available to units with the ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-LT, ART-S, and ART-T specials. Attacks using illumination rounds are resolved using standard artillery rules. The area of effect radius for illumination rounds fired using the ART-S or ART-T specials is 4”; for ART-AIS, ART-AC, and ART-LT specials, the radius is 6” from the point of impact. Illumination artillery munitions will scatter on a missed attack, as per normal artillery rules. Illumination artillery inflicts no damage, but instead lights up the area of effect, eliminating all darkness modifiers to and between units within that area (see Darkness, p. 92). The light from these rounds lasts for 10 turns, and burn out in the End Phase of the tenth turn.
Inferno IV Inferno IV artillery missiles are available only to units with the ART-AIS or ART-AC specials. Attacks using Inferno IV rounds are resolved using standard artillery rules. As with standard Arrow missiles, the area of effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point of impact. Inferno IV artillery missiles will scatter on a missed attack, as per normal artillery rules. Instead of damage, Inferno IV artillery missiles automatically ignite all terrain within the area of effects (except for water rapids). Units, terrain, and building within this area will suffer effects from these fires as indicated in the rules for fire (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101). The fire delivered by an Inferno IV will follow all of the standard rules for fire, including smoke, fire spread, and so forth. Treat all units in an area struck by an Inferno IV as if they entered the fire in that turn. Smoke Smoke artillery munitions are available to units with the ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-LT, ART-S, and ART-T specials. Attacks using Smoke rounds are resolved using standard artillery rules. Regardless of the weapon used, the area of effect radius for Smoke rounds is 4”. Smoke artillery shots will scatter on a missed attack, as per normal artillery rules. Smoke artillery inflicts no damage, but instead fills the area of effect with smoke. Treat this as heavy smoke for the first 2 inches away from the impact point, and light smoke for the radius from 2 inches to 4 inches. This smoke will rise 4 inches above the underlying terrain for line of sight purposes. Once delivered, smoke obeys all relevant rules for drift and dissipation. (See Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101.) Thunder Thunder artillery munitions are available only to units with the ART-AIS or ART-AC specials. Attacks using Thunder munitions are resolved using standard artillery rules. As with standard Arrow missiles, the area of effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point of impact. Thunder missiles will scatter on a missed attack, as per normal artillery rules. Instead of damage, Thunder artillery missiles deliver a conventional minefield to the target area. This minefield has a density value of 2, and follows all of the rules for minefields (see pp. 102-103). Units within an area when it is struck by a Thunder missile do not need to check for mines as they move out of the area later, as they can tell where the mines have landed—but they will need to check for mines if they re-enter the mined area later.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Thunder-Active Thunder-Active artillery munitions are available only to units with the ART-AIS or ART-AC specials. Attacks using Thunder-Active rounds follow are of the rules for Thunder artillery munitions noted above, except the minefield delivered consists of active mines, rather than conventional mines.
77
Alternate Autocannon Munitions
Various types of autocannon munitions are available in Alpha Strike. All of these alternate munitions require the unit to possess an AC special ability. The rules for these munitions are detailed below. Attack and damage modifiers are also summarized in the Alternative Munitions Table Armor Piercing Armor piercing ammunition applies a +1 to-hit modifier to the attack, whether it is made using only the AC special ability, or as part of the unit’s standard weapon attack. When an attacker using armor piercing ammunition delivers a successful attack, reduce the damage value for the AC attack by 1, to a minimum of 1 damage point. The attacker then rolls 2D6. If the result is 10 or better, the attacker rolls once on the target’s Critical Hit table, even if it still has armor points remaining. This effect occurs whether or not the unit delivers a standard weapon attack or an attack using only its AC special ability. If the target is an aerospace or infantry unit (including battle armor), armor piercing ammunition is treated as standard autocannon fire, neither suffering a damage loss nor delivering the extra chance for a critical hit. Flak Flak ammunition applies a –2 to-hit modifier to the attack, whether it is made using only the AC special ability, or as part of the unit’s standard weapon attack. Flak ammunition is only effective against airborne units, including aerospace units, airships, VTOLs, and WiGEs. When targeting such units, the autocannons of the unit can make an attack using the rules for the Flak (FLK) special ability, with the same damage values as its AC special. Because of this, if the attack misses by 2 points or less, the flak ammo will still score a hit. For example, if a unit using Flak ammunition has standard attack values of 4/4/1 and an AC2/2/0 special, it could attack airborne units with its normal weapon attack and—thanks to the Flak ammo—still deliver 2/2/0 damage to the target on a shot that misses by 2 or less. Flechette When an attacker using flechette ammunition attacks any conventional (non-battle armor) infantry or wooded/jungle terrain, it adds the appropriate damage values of its AC special for the range against such targets. Against all other targets, the attacker must subtract half of its AC special damage values (rounded down) from the unit’s normal attack values. If a unit with flechette ammo attempts to use only its AC special ability to make the attack, ignore the rules above and instead deliver twice the AC ability’s damage to conventional infantry and word or jungle terrain targets, but halve the AC ability’s damage (rounded down, to a minimum of 0) to all other targets. Precision When an attacker using precision ammo delivers a standard weapon attack, apply no to-hit modifier to the attack, but add 1 point of damage to a successful weapon attack if the target has a Move of 10” or more.
If a unit using precision ammunition chooses to attack with only its AC special ability, it applies a –2 to-hit modifier to the attack instead of receiving the damage bonus indicated above. Tracer A unit using tracer ammunition eliminates any to-hit modifiers for dusk or dawn conditions, and reduces all other darkness modifiers by 1 point. This effect occurs whether or not the unit delivers a standard weapon attack or an attack using only its AC special ability.
Alternate Bomb Munitions (Bombs/Aerospace Missiles)
Standard Alpha Strike rules already cover the use of standard (high-explosive) bombs, cluster bombs, and Inferno bombs. The following additional bomb types may be carried by any aerospace unit, VTOL, or airship with the BOMB special, and may be employed as indicated. An aerospace unit can generally carry as many bombs as its BOMB# special indicates. Unless otherwise stated, each of the bombs described below occupy 1 bomb “slot”, and is expended whether or not its attack is successful. Arrow IV Missiles: A special exception to the above, standard, homing, and air-to-air Arrow IV missiles reduce the total number of bomb slots an airborne unit has by 1. Additional Arrow IV missiles, and all other bomb types (including the light air-toair Arrow IV) occupy 1 slot each. Thus, an aerospace unit with the BOMB8 special may carry up to 7 Arrow IV missiles, or 1 Arrow IV missile and 6 bombs of other types, or 8 non-Arrow IV missile bombs. Air-to-Air Arrow IV The air-to-air Arrow IV is a special weapon that enhances the unit’s air-to-air attacks, and does not behave as a bomb at all. Instead of making a bombing attack, an airborne unit may use its air-to-air Arrow IV as an extra weapons attack in air-to-air combat. This attack may be attempted against targets in the Medium range bracket or closer, and is resolved as a normal air-to-air attack (see pp. 58-60). A successful hit by an air-to-air Arrow IV delivers 2 points of damage to the target. Air-to-air Arrow IV missiles may not be used against ground targets. Arrow IV (Homing or Standard) The standard Arrow IV bomb is an air-to-ground weapon, and may not be used against airborne units. Unlike standard bombs, standard and homing Arrow IV bombs are resolved using the appropriate artillery attack rules, with non-homing Arrow IVs treated as standard artillery attacks, and homing Arrow IVs treated as homing rounds. (See Artillery, pp. 73-76.) If the attack is made while the airborne unit is over the ground map, this attack is resolved using the on-board artillery rules. If the attack is made from the Central Zone or Inner Ring without the airborne unit on the ground map, the attack is resolved as offboard artillery. Beyond the Inner Ring, Arrow IV bombs may not attack ground targets.
Inferno (Advanced Rules) Inferno bombs may not be used against airborne units. In addition to delivering Heat as described in the standard rules, Inferno bombs using advanced rules will also create a fire that covers the area of effect (unless the terrain is water rapids). This fire will burn for 10 turns, following the rules presented later in this chapter (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
Thunder Thunder bombs are deployed in the same manner as conventional high-explosive bombs, and will scatter as per those rules on a missed bombing attack (see p. 56). Instead of delivering damage, Thunder bombs seed a 2-inch diameter area with conventional mines. This minefield will have a density of 4. (See Minefields, pp. 102-103.)
Laser-Guided Laser-guided bombs are identical to standard highexplosive bombs in damage and gameplay, but if a friendly unit successfully paints the bomb’s target area with a TAG system in the same turn as the bombing attack is made, the bombing attack receives an additional –2 to-hit modifier.
Torpedo Torpedo bombs target individual units that must be in (or under) water. Because of this, unlike standard bombs, torpedoes must also apply the target’s movement modifier when making their to-hit roll. A successful hit from a torpedo bomb inflicts 1 point of damage to the target, and generates an automatic Critical Hit check, even if the unit still has armor points remaining.
Light Air-to-Air Arrow The light version of the air-to-air Arrow IV has the same attack range and follows all the rules of the standard air-to-air Arrow IV (see p. 78), except that a successful attack by a light air-to-air Arrow delivers only 1 point of damage to the target. Furthermore, unlike all other Arrow IV missiles, the light airto-air Arrow does not reduce the maximum number of bomb slots the aerospace unit may carry. Rocket Launcher The rocket launcher is a special, one-shot weapon pod that enhances the unit’s air-to-ground attacks, but does not behave as a bomb at all. Instead of making a bombing attack, an airborne unit may use its rocket launcher to augment airto-ground strike attacks. A successful strike attack by a unit that declares it is using its rocket launchers will deliver an additional 1 point of damage per rocket launcher committed to the strike. If the rocket launcher bombs are used independently, all launchers committed to the attack must be combined and resolved as a single air-to-ground strike attack, with damage for a successful attack equal to 1 point per launcher. Rocket launchers may not be used against airborne targets, or as part of a strafing attack. TAG TAG may be carried as a special bomb pod that enables an airborne unit to designate targets in the same manner as ground-based units. TAG thus does not use the bomb rules, but instead requires the unit make a separate air-to-ground attack against the target of its choosing along its flight path over the ground map. The rules to resolve TAG attacks in this manner are the same as an air-to-ground strike attack (see pp. 55-58). This TAG action may be combined with the unit’s other air-toground strafing or striking attacks, or it may be resolved against targets that lie beyond these attack areas, as long as the target is still under the airborne unit’s flight path. TAG used by airborne units may not be used to designate other airborne units. Unlike the other bomb types indicated under these rules, TAG “bombs” are reusable, and not expended when the airborne unit them on an attack.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Alternate Narc/iNarc Pods
Instead of firing a standard homing pod, a iNarc launcher may fire the following specialty pods. These alternative pods will require one of the following special abilities to use, as specified in their rules: CNARC, SNARC, or iNARC.
Standard Alpha strike
ECM (iNarc only) ECM pods are available only with units that possess the iNARC special. When a unit with ECM pods delivers a successful iNarc attack to the target, the target will be treated as if it is operating within a hostile standard ECM field for the entire following turn (from Initiative to End Phase).
Abstract Aerospace System
Explosive (Compact Narc, Standard Narc, iNarc) Regardless of whether the pod is fired from a CNARC, SNARC, or iNARC special, the damage for explosive pods is equal to 1 point for every 2 pods that hit the target (round down). Haywire (iNarc only) Haywire pods are available only with units that possess the iNARC special. When a unit with haywire pods delivers a successful iNarc attack to the target, the target will suffer a +1 to-hit modifier on all its weapons attacks and may not spot for indirect attacks for the entire following turn (from Initiative to End Phase).
Alternate LRM/SRM Munitions
Instead of firing standard missiles, most SRM or LRM launchers may fire the following specialty pods. These alternative missiles will require one of the following special abilities to use, as specified in their rules: SRM or LRM. Heat-Seeker Heat-seeker missiles are available to units with the LRM or SRM specials. If targeting a heat-tracking unit that is currently overheating, apply 1 additional point of damage to the target on a successful hit from the unit’s standard weapon attack. If the attacker chooses to attack with just its LRM or SRM special, heat-seeker missiles apply a –2 to-hit modifier for attacks against the overheating target, instead of the damage modifier. If the target is not overheating, or is a unit that does not have a Heat scale, heat-seekers have no special effect.
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
79
Inferno Inferno missiles are available only to units with the SRM special. A unit firing Inferno missiles converts its SRM damage value to HT damage, applying a maximum of 2 Heat points to any target that tracks Heat. Heat in excess of 2 is lost, even in the event of multiple Inferno missile hits. For example, a unit with SRM: 1/1 would make an HT1 attack. The normal SRM special damage is then subtracted from the normal weapon attack damage when attacking a unit that tracks Heat. Against units that do not track Heat, Inferno missiles deliver standard damage instead. DropShips ignore Inferno effects. Magnetic Pulse Magnetic pulse missions are available to units that possess the LRM or SRM specials. When a unit with magnetic pulse weapons delivers a successful attack to any target other than conventional infantry—either as a standard weapon attack or an attack just using the unit’s magnetic pulse-equipped LRM or SRM special—the target will suffer a +1 to-hit modifier on all its weapons attacks for the entire following turn (from Initiative to End Phase). Multiple hits from magnetic pulse missiles will not increase this effect. Magnetic pulse missiles deliver no physical damage to a target, so attacks using just the LRM or SRM special that is equipped with magnetic pulse missiles will deliver no damage. If a unit using magnetic pulse missiles delivers a standard weapon attack, subtract the damage from the LRM or SRM special that is using the magnetic pulse missiles from the total damage value of the unit’s normal weapon attack. Mine Clearance Mine clearance missiles are available to units with the LRM or SRM special. Attacks using mine clearance missiles must be aimed at a point of interest on the map, rather than another unit. Mine clearance missile attacks must then be resolved as an attack using the unit’s LRM or SRM special by itself. Instead of delivering damage, mine clearance missiles reduce the density of any minefields in the target area by an amount equal to the unit’s LRM or SRM special at that range—whichever is using the mine clearance missiles. If this reduces the minefield’s density to or below 0, the minefield has been cleared entirely. (See Minefields, pp. 102-103.) Mine clearance missiles inflict minimal damage on a target unit. If an attacker using mine clearance munitions executes a standard weapon attack against a target, subtract three-quarters of the unit’s mine clearance-using LRM or SRM special appropriate for that range (rounded down, to a minimum of 0) from the total attack damage. The area of effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point of impact. If the attacker misses its target, the mines will scatter 2 inches in a random direction and produce a minefield of half its normal density (rounded down to a minimum of 0). If a mine-clearance attack misses its target or hits terrain where there is no minefield, there is no further effect.
Semi-Guided Semi-guided missiles are available only to units with the LRM special. If targeting a unit that has been successfully designated by a friendly TAG in the same turn, apply 1 additional point of damage to the target on a successful hit from the unit’s standard weapon attack. If the attacker using semi-guided missiles chooses to attack with just its LRM special, apply a –2 to-hit modifier for attacks against a target that has been successfully designated by a friendly TAG in the same turn, instead of the damage modifier. Smoke Smoke missiles are available to units with the LRM or SRM specials. Attacks using smoke missiles must be aimed at a point of interest on the map, rather than another unit. Smoke missile attacks must then be resolved as an attack using the unit’s LRM special by itself. Instead of delivering damage, Thunder missiles deliver a conventional minefield to the target area. This minefield has a density equal to the damage value of the unit’s LRM special at that range (to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5) and follows all of the rules for minefields (see pp. 102-103). Multiple minefields delivered to the same area will not stack or change this density value.
Alternate Munitions Table Weapon
To-Hit Modifier
Damage
Required Special Ability
Artillery Air-Defense Arrow IV Cluster Copperhead
*
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
*
See Rules
Flechette
+0
See Rules
ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
Illumination
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
Inferno IV
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC
Smoke
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
Thunder or Thunder-Active
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC
Armor Piercing
+1
+0*
AC
Flak
–2
+0*
AC
Flechette
+0
+0*
AC
Precision
+0/–2*
+1/0*
AC
*
+0
AC
Air-to-Air Arrow IV
+0*
2
BOMB
Arrow IV
+0
+0
BOMB
Inferno (Advanced Rules)
+0
+0
BOMB
Laser-Guided
–2*
2
BOMB
Light Air-to-Air Arrow
+0*
1
BOMB
Rocket Launcher
+0*
+1
BOMB
TAG
+2
NA
BOMB
Thunder
+0
Mines
BOMB
Torpedo
+0*
+0
BOMB
ECM
+0
+0*
INARC
Explosive
+0
*
CNARC, SNARC, INARC
Haywire
+0
+0*
INARC
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Autocannon
Tracer Bombs
Narc/iNarc
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
LRM/SRM +0/–2*
+1/+0*
LRM, SRM
Inferno
Heat-Seeking
+0
*
SRM
Magnetic Pulse
+0
+0*
LRM, SRM
Mine Clearance
+0
+0*
LRM, SRM
+0/–2*
+1/+0*
LRM
+0
+0*
LRM, SRM
Semi-Guided Smoke Swarm/Swarm-I
+0
+0*
LRM
Tandem Charge
+0
+0*
SRM
Thunder
+0
*
LRM
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
*See Item rules.
81
Instead of delivering damage, smoke missiles fill a 2-inch radius of effect from the target area with smoke that rises 4 inches above the underlying terrain. If the normal LRM or SRM damage for the launcher is less than 3, this is treated as light smoke. LRMs and SRMs using smoke munitions deliver heavy smoke if their normal damage values are 3 or more. Once delivered, smoke obeys all relevant rules for drift and dissipation. (See Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101.) Smoke missiles inflict no damage on a target unit. If an attacker using smoke missiles executes a standard weapon attack against a target, subtract the damage values of the unit’s LRM or SRM special—whichever is using the smoke rounds—as appropriate for that range. The area of effect radius for smoke missiles is 2” from the point of impact. If the attacker misses its target, the missiles will scatter 2 inches in a random direction and produce light smoke with a radius of 1 inch and a height of 2 inches. Swarm/Swarm-I Swarm and Swarm-I missiles are available only to units with the LRM special. If a standard weapon attack, or one using just the LRM special, misses its intended target, and other units—friend or foe—are within 2” of the target at the time, the attacker must randomly determine one of these alternate targets to attack, and make a new attack roll to hit that unit. If this subsequent attack hits, it will deliver damage equal to the attacker’s LRM special only. If multiple units are within the 2-inch radius around the missed primary target, continue randomly picking targets from the remaining units until the Swam attack either succeeds, or until there are no more units to try to attack within 2 inches of the original target. Swarm-I LRMs: Attacks using improved Swarm (Swarm-I) missiles work the same as the standard Swarm attacks described above, except that Swarm-I missiles ignore units friendly to the attacker. Tandem Charge Tandem charge missiles are available only to units with the SRM special. As long as the target of a tandem charge missile attack is a ’Mech, ProtoMech, or vehicle, these missiles apply no special to-hit modifiers or damage modifiers. Upon a successful attack against these units, in addition to the damage delivered, the attacker rolls 2D6. If the result is 10 or better, the attacker then rolls once on the target’s Critical Hit table, even if the target still has armor points remaining. This effect occurs whether or not the unit delivers a standard weapon attack or an attack using only its AC special ability. If the target is an aerospace or battle armor unit, tandem charge missiles are treated as standard SRM fire, with no bonus chances for a critical hit. If the target of a tandem charge missile attack is conventional infantry, reduce the attack’s damage by 1 point (to a minimum of 0). Thunder Thunder missiles are available only to units with the LRM special. Attacks using Thunder missiles must be aimed at a point of interest on the map, rather than another unit. Thunder missile attacks must then be resolved as an attack using the unit’s LRM special by itself.
Instead of delivering damage, Thunder missiles deliver a conventional minefield to the target area. This minefield has a density equal to the damage value of the unit’s LRM special at that range (to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5) and follows all of the rules for minefields (see pp.102-103). Multiple minefields delivered to the same area will not stack or change this density value. Units within an area when it is struck by Thunder mines do not need to check for mines as they move out of the mined area, as they can tell where the explosives landed—but they will need to check for mines if they re-enter the mined area later. Thunder missiles inflict no damage on a target unit. If an attacker using Thunder munitions executes a standard weapon attack against a target, subtract the damage values of the unit’s LRM special appropriate for that range. The area of effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point of impact. If the attacker misses its target, the mines will scatter 2 inches in a random direction and produce a minefield of half its normal density (rounded down to a minimum of 0).
Battlefield Intelligence Battlefield intelligence, in Alpha Strike, refers to the net effectiveness of a force’s reconnaissance assets, communications specialists, and technical analysts in putting together data that a military force can put to practical use in combat. This rule attempts to reflect this factor by establishing the opposing sides’ Battlefield Intelligence Ratio (BIR), and using it in conjunction with other special rule effects that can occur in advanced Alpha Strike games, such as artillery, use of hidden units, and initiative modifiers.
Battlefield Intelligence Ratio
The effectiveness of battlefield intelligence depends on the relative capabilities of each force’s intel and communications assets, with the ratio of the difference in those ratings. To determine the battlefield intelligence rating (BI rating) for a force, add up the appropriate point values for the intelligencecapable units each force has, as shown on the Battlefield Intelligence Rating Table. To then determine the two sides’ battlefield intelligence ratio (BI ratio), divide the larger rating by the smaller, and round normally to the next whole number. The result is the ratio of the smaller BI rating to the larger one. If either force has a BI rating of zero, treat its opponent as having a rating of 1, with a BI ratio of 1:0. If the BI ratio at the start of an Alpha Strike scenario is 1:1, no special bonuses are granted to either side. For any other result, the number on the left represents the force with the lower BI rating, and the number on the right represent the force with the higher BI rating. The force with the higher rating gains multiple benefits, as described below.
Battlefield Intelligence Rating table Item in Player’s Force
BI Rating Points
Each ground unit with the Recon (RCN) special ability
2
Each non-DropShip aerospace unit
1
Each non-DropShip aerospace unit with the Recon special ability
2
Each DropShip
2
Each point of MHQ special ability
1
Battlefield Intelligence Benefits
Most of these benefits are based on the number on the higher-rated force’s side of the BI ratio, and can change through the course of the scenario as intelligence assets are gained or lost. Thus, players must recomputed the BI ratio again during the End Phase of any turn in which either force loses (or gains) a unit that can affect its BI rating. A changed ratio may alter the benefits applied in the following turn. Each player must reveal his force’s BI rating to use this rule, but they are not required to provide a detailed breakdown of points until the end of the game. Area Knowledge If the Hidden Units rules are in play (see p. 102), the force with the larger BI rating may start play with a number of units
hidden anywhere except in their opponent’s deployment zone. To determine the number of units that may begin play hidden, divide the total number of units the force has by the number of those units that possess the Recon (RCN) special ability (see p. 108), rounding normally to the nearest whole number. The result is the number of units that may be hidden—up to a maximum number equal to half of the player’s force. Initiative Bonus Changing intelligence assets are most felt in the forces’ ability to react to developments in the course of the battle. This ability is reflect by modifiers that apply to the rolls each force makes in its the Initiative Phase. The force with the higher value in the battlefield intelligence ratio adds that number to its Initiative roll, while the force with the lower value in the ratio applies the lower number as his Initiative bonus. Thus, if the BI ratio between the two forces at the start of a game is 2:1, the player whose force has the higher BI rating receives a +2 modifier to his Initiative roll, while his opponent adds +1 to his Initiative roll. Pre-Plotted Artillery If the player with the higher value in the BI ratio has artillery in his force, he may choose to designate a number of preplotted points of impact for his artillery equal to his BI ratio value, minus 1. His opponent receives no such advantage, even if he has a BI ratio value above 0. Thus, in the instance of a game where the BI ratio is 2:1, the player with the higher BI ratio value would receive 1 pre-plotted artillery impact point (2 – 1 = 1), while his opponent receives none. (For rules on preplotted artillery POIs, see Artillery, pp. 73-76.)
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Buildings In standard Alpha Strike, any buildings present on the battle map are, at best, a piece of terrain that the combat units can use for cover. Objective-driven scenarios may add to their value slightly by establishing one or more buildings as key to one side’s victory over another. The following advanced rules add greater depth to the use of buildings in Alpha Strike play.
Building Types
Buildings are divided into four broad categories that define both their structural strength and overall size in Alpha Strike. These categories are Light, Medium, Heavy and Hardened. Each of these building types is further described by its construction factor (CF)—a value that approximates how much damage the building can sustain before it is reduced to rubble.
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Jackson Davion directs Mechwarriors in prototype Legionnaires from the cockpit of his Battlemaster.
83
Alpha Strike Buildings table Building Type
Move Cost per Inch*
CF Range (Default)
Weight Capacity (per 1” height)
Damage Absorption* Infantry Non-Infantry
Collapse Damage (per each 4” height)
Light
+1”
1-5 (5)
1
2
1
1
Medium
+2”
6-15 (12)
2
4
2
2
Heavy
+3”
16-30 (25)
3
6
3
3
Hardened
+4”
31-50 (40)
4
8
4
4
*No additional Move cost for Infantry (including battle armor); ProtoMechs Move cost in buildings is +1”, regardless of type **See Attacking Units inside Buildings (p. 85) Light Buildings: Light buildings in Alpha Strike run the gamut from small tents, huts, and sheet metal hangars to small family homes, convenience stores, and shops. The maximum CF for a Light building in Alpha Strike is 5. This is also its typical CF, if no other CF value is specified. Medium Buildings: Medium buildings are sturdier, moderatesized structures, such as warehouses, office buildings, apartment complexes and the like. These buildings comprise the bulk of most residential settlements and commercial complexes in the BattleTech setting. Medium buildings have a maximum CF of 15, and a default CF of 12. Heavy Buildings: Heavy buildings are large, reinforced structures, including factories, hospitals, government buildings, and permanent command centers. Heavy buildings can have a CF as high as 30 in Alpha Strike, with a default CF of 25. Hardened Buildings: Hardened buildings are armored or otherwise battle-reinforced fortifications, built specifically to withstand siege warfare and perhaps any explosives shy of a nuclear blast. Hardened buildings in Alpha Strike can have a maximum CF of 50, with a default of 40.
Movement Effects
The Movement Cost per Inch column on the Alpha Strike Buildings Table defines the additional Move cost for most units to maneuver around (or through) buildings. In addition, unless noted otherwise below, any unit that moves through a building will deliver 1 point of incidental damage to that building for every inch of travel within the structure. Infantry: Infantry units (including conventional and battle armored units) do not apply additional Move costs when moving through buildings, regardless of the building type. Infantry units also inflict no damage to buildings by moving through them. For building weight capacity purposes (see Climbing and Standing on Buildings, below), all non-battle armor infantry units are treated as if they have a size class of 0. ProtoMechs: ProtoMech units move through buildings at an additional Move cost of +1” per inch of movement, regardless of the building’s type.
Climbing and Standing on Buildings A ’Mech, ProtoMech, or infantry unit can move to the roof of building rather than staying on the ground in order to gain a better vantage point over the battlefield. Infantry and ProtoMechs: Infantry and ProtoMechs may move between levels only while inside a building. Each inch of building height changed in this fashion costs the unit 1 inch of Move. ’Mechs Outside of Buildings: Along the outside of buildings, ’Mechs can climb up and down the structures’ face in the same manner as they can ascend or descend the changes in ground levels, with a maximum level change of 2 inches in height per inch of forward movement. Jump-capable ’Mechs may alternatively jump onto a building’s rooftop, as long as they have sufficient jumping Move to reach that height. ’Mechs Inside Buildings: ’Mech units may not change levels once they are inside a building. Building Weight Capacity: Each 1-inch level of a building has a weight capacity limit listed in the Alpha Strike Buildings Table. This value is an abstraction of the tonnage limits for buildings in that class, and is the maximum total of the size classes of all units attempting to occupy the same 1-inch level—but only applies to ground units that do not possess the Large, Very Large, or Super Large special abilities. (Non-battle armor infantry units are treated as if they have a size class of 0 for the purposes of building weight capacity.) If the total number of all size class values for all ground units on a single level exceeds this capacity, the entire structure will collapse (see Building Collapse, p. 85). For example, a medium building—weight capacity 2—can support up to 2 light ’Mechs on any given 1-inch level, including the rooftop, because the combined size classes for the two ’Mechs would be 1 + 1 = 2. If the building were 2 inches tall, a medium ’Mech—with its size class of 2—would be able to occupy the first 1-inch level on its own as well, but the building would collapse if so much as one battle armor squad—size class 1—joined it, because the two units together would total 3 points (2 for the medium ’Mech, plus 1 for the battle armor). Aerospace Units, Large Units, and Buildings: If an aerospace unit, or a unit with the Large, Very Large, or Super Large specials, attempts to enter or land upon a building, the structure will automatically collapse (see Building Collapse, p. 85). If the building is specifically identified as a hangar, this rule may be ignored, but the unit can only enter and remain at ground level.
Attacking Buildings
Under these rules, buildings may be attacked in the same manner as any other unit type. Attacks against buildings are resolved as if the buildings have 0” Move, with an additional –4 to-hit modifier applied, because of their immobile nature. Damage to a building is applied to the building’s CF. A building’s type will remain unchanged, regardless of its current CF. Thus, a heavy building reduced to only 3 points of CF will still be treated as a heavy building for movement, weight capacity, and damage absorption purposes. Attacking Units Inside Buildings Units inside buildings can still be attacked, either by other units within the same structures, or by units attacking from the outside. Either way, the buildings themselves provide substantial cover that affords a level of protection to those units being attacked. This is represented by the building’s Damage Absorption values, which indicate how many points of damage from each attack against a unit inside the building is instead delivered by the building itself. This amount of damage varies with the nature of the building type, the nature of the units being targeted, and whether the attack comes from units outside of the same building or inside. Infantry Units: Infantry units inside buildings may not be attacked directly. Instead, the attacker must fire on the building itself, relying on the collateral damage to injure the infantry within. This attack thus uses the to-hit modifiers for attacking the building, rather than the infantry inside. The damage delivered to the infantry unit will be equal to the Damage Value of the successful attack, minus the Damage Absorption value for the building type shown in the Infantry column of the Alpha Strike Buildings Table (to a minimum of 0 points of damage delivered to the infantry unit).
For example, if a unit capable of delivering 5 points of damage attempts to attack an infantry unit inside a medium building, the building suffers 4 points of that damage to its CF, while the infantry unit takes the remaining 1 point. Non-Infantry Units: Non-infantry units inside buildings may be attacked directly, but the building will absorb damage as shown on the non-infantry Damage Absorption column. In this case, no additional to-hit modifiers for cover from the building apply while making the attack, but the building’s Damage Absorption effect must be subtracted from the damage delivered, to a minimum of 0 points of damage delivered to the target. Once again, the damage absorbed by the building counts against its current CF. Attacks from Within the Same Building: If attacker and its target are inside the same building, reduce the building’s Damage Absorption values by half (round down). Building Collapse All damage delivered to a building is applied to the building’s construction factor, reducing its integrity. If the building’s CF is reduced to 0, it will collapse. Likewise, if a building’s weight capacity is exceeded at any level, it will collapse. Any infantry units within a collapsing building—including battle armor—are automatically destroyed in a collapse. Non-infantry units inside or on top of a collapsing building will suffer damage based on the height of the building and the building’s type. This collapse damage is shown in the Alpha Strike Buildings Table, with the collapse damage value multiplied by every 4 full inches of building height (round down, to a minimum of 1). Add 1 more point of damage to any units that are standing on the building’s rooftop when it collapses. Collapse damage is not reduced by the building’s damage absorption factor.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
85
If the collapse is caused by damage from a unit’s movement while exiting the building, the exiting unit is treated as if it is outside the building when it collapses, and thus suffers no collapse damage to itself. Eric’s ’Mech has taken shelter in an 8” tall medium building that had already been reduced to 10 CF by previous damage. The building automatically sustains 1 point of damage as Eric’s unit enters, and now has a CF of 9. Eric’s opponent, Tom, has heavy ’Mech 8 inches away from the building which attacks Eric’s ’Mech for 4 points of damage. Looking at the Damage Absorption value for non-infantry unit in a medium building, Tom sees the building will absorb 2 of those 4 points, while the other 2 points hit Eric’s unit. The building is now down to 7 CF. Tom’s next unit then opens up. It also delivered 4 points of damage, which distributes in the same way: placing 2 points on the building and striking Eric’s unit with the other 2. The building’s CF is now 5. Tom’s third unit is a heavy bruiser that can deliver a staggering 6 points of damage to Eric’s ’Mech on a direct attack, but instead he chooses to hit the building itself. The building is reduced to 0 CF by the attack. This time, Eric’s ’Mech takes no damage from the attack, because it was not aimed specifically at him—but the building is now collapsing. As the medium building is 8 inches high, its collapse will deliver 4 points to Eric’s ’Mech (2 inches per each 4 inches of building height). Having already sustained 4 points of the damage from the previous attacks, Eric’s ’Mech is in sorry shape indeed.
Walls
Walls have the same types and CF ratings as buildings, and units must pay the same Move penalties for any wall they cross. Walls may be attacked and take damage just like buildings. However, because they cannot be occupied in the same fashion as buildings, walls cannot provide the protection of a building’s damage absorption factor unless the target is within 2 inches of the wall, the line of sight between the attacker and target crosses the wall, and the wall does not completely block line of sight.
Capital and SubCapital Weapons Capital and sub-capital weapons are large weapons that are seen only on truly massive installations, mobile structures, and WarShips. Because these weapons are designed to fire at escape velocity, their use is almost exclusively limited to combat between units in orbital space and beyond. Much of this is beyond the general scope of the ground war game presented in this book, but advanced level players may yet encounter units with these items in their games, and wish to demonstrate their effectiveness. The following basic Alpha Strike rules reflect the use of capital and sub-capital weapons in advanced Alpha Strike gameplay. They
presume all units involved are making use of the standard Alpha Strike game rules as a base, plus the Abstract Aerospace System. Capital and sub-capital weapons are represented by multiple special abilities, each of which includes damage values at the Short, Medium, Long, and Extreme range values. CAP and SCAP specials indicate direct-firing capital and sub-capital weapons found on aerospace units, while SDS-C and SDS-SC specials correspond to direct-firing capital and sub-capital weapons found on non-aerospace units and structures. MSL and SDS-CM specials indicate missile-type capital and sub-capital weapons, as fired by aerospace and non-aerospace units, respectively. In the rules below, these special ability abbreviations will be used to indicate which classes of weapons are being referenced.
Airborne Targets
When used against airborne aerospace units, capital and subcapital weapons are resolved as a separate weapon attack against the target, which can be made in addition to normal air-to-air or ground-to-air weapon attacks. The effectiveness of the attack will vary with the type of weapon and the nature of the target. The following rules generally presume combat is occurring between airborne units. Additional rules covering ground-to-air fire are specified when needed. Effective Range The effective range of an attack using capital or subcapital weapons is treated as 1 range bracket shorter than the engagement range between air-to-air combatants (to a minimum of Short range). This reflects the much longer reach of these weapons. For example, if an aerospace unit engaged in air-to-air combat is using the Medium or Short range brackets for attacks against its opponent, its capital missiles (MSL) will attack as if it the units are at Short range; if the aerospace units are fighting at Long range, the MSL ability attacks as if it is at Medium range. Extreme Range: Units with capital or sub-capital weapons that possess an Extreme range damage value may use them to attack targets in adjacent zones on the Radar Map, even if they are not involved in an air-to-air engagement. As above, this is resolved as if the target is at Long range, with all appropriate modifiers. Ground-to-Air: Capital and sub-capital weapons fired from the ground can automatically engage any unit in the immediate airspace of the ground map as if it is at Short range. Airborne units in the Inner Ring can be targeted from the ground as if they are at Medium range. Airborne units in the Middle Ring can be targeted from the ground as if they are at Long range. Airborne units in the Outer Ring can be targeted from the ground as if they are at Extreme range. Modifiers All attacks made using any capital or sub-capital weapons in air combat apply a +2 to-hit modifier as long as combat takes place within an atmosphere. (If using advanced environments rules, thin, trace, and vacuum atmospheric densities eliminate this modifier.) In addition to this, all attacks using the CAP or SDS-C special abilities suffer a +5 to-hit modifier when attacking a unit that does not have the LG, VLG, or SLG special. Attacks made using the SCAP or SDS-SC specials apply a +3 to-hit modifier against targets
that do not have the LG, VLG, or SLG specials. Attacks against airborne units made using the MSL or SDS-CM specials do not apply modifiers based on the target’s size, but may apply tohit modifiers if the target possesses the point defense (PNT) special ability (see p. 108). Damage The damage delivered by a successful attack using CAP, SDS-C, SCAP, or SDS-SC specials deliver its full damage to the target unit as indicated by the attack’s effective range bracket. Attacks delivered using the MSL or SDS-CM specials deliver damage as indicated in their effective range brackets as well, unless the target has a point defense (PNT) special ability that can reduce the damage or eliminate the attack (see Point Defense, p. 108).
Ground Targets
When used against the ground map, capital and sub-capital weapons are resolved as a special artillery attack against a selected point of impact (see Artillery, pp. 73-76). This attack, as in the case of airborne targets, may be made in addition to normal weapon attacks. Under these rules, capital and sub-capital weapons may all be fired from any airborne unit that possesses the relevant special (CAP, SCAP, or MSL), but ground-based units—included landed aerospace units, mobile structures, and fixed installations (buildings)—may only deliver surface attacks using missiles, represented by the MSL or SDS-CM special abilities. Air-to-Ground Attacks Air-to-ground attacks using capital or sub-capital weapons resolve in the same turn that they are fired. If delivered from directly above the ground target (the Central Zone on the Radar Map), such attacks are treated as a direct-fire artillery strike, but reduces the to-hit modifier by –4 (to a final attack modifier of +0). If delivered from any other zone on the Radar Map, treat air-to-ground attacks from capital and sub-capital weapons as an indirect-fire artillery attack with the same –4 modifier applied (for a final attack modifier of +3). Adjusting Fire: If a friendly unit with TAG is on the map and successfully designates the targeted POI, apply an additional –2 to-hit modifier (see TAG, pp. 109). Missed air-to-ground attacks will scatter as per the artillery rules. Surface-to-Surface Attacks Of all capital and sub-capital weapons, only capital and subcapital missiles may attempt surface-to-surface attacks under these rules. When fired from a ground position to another ground position, capital and sub-capital attacks are resolved using the artillery attack rules, but applying the atmospheric modifier to-hit as appropriate. If the attack is made by a unit capable of movement, an additional +2 to-hit modifier applies (even if the unit has not moved). When attacking surface-to-surface, all capital and subcapital missiles use the range and flight times of a Cruise Missile/120 (see Artillery, pp. 73-76).
Capital and Sub-Capital Weapon To-Hit Modifiers Situation
Modifier
Attacking in Atmosphere*
+2
Airborne Attack Modifiers
introduction
CAP or SDS-C vs. Small Target**
+5
SCAP or SDS-SC vs. Small Target**
+3
MSL or SDS-CM vs. Small Target**
+0
Point Defense (1 damage)†
+1
Point Defense (2+ damage)†
Auto-Fail
Ground Attack Modifiers Air-to-Ground Attack (from Central Zone)
+0
Air-to-Ground Attack (from any other zone)
+3
Surface-to-Surface Attack (Non-Stationary)
+2
Ground Target designated by friendly TAG
–2
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
*If Atmospheric Pressure rules are used, +0 for Thin, Trace, or Vacuum **Small Targets include all units that do not possess LG, VLG, or SLG specials † Point defense only affects MSL or SDS-CM attacks Missed surface-to-surface attacks will scatter as per the artillery rules. Ground Attack Damage The area of effect of a MSL or SDS-CM attack against ground targets is a 6-inch radius from the point of impact. All units, terrain, and buildings within 4 inches of the impact point will suffer full damage from the attack. All units, terrain, and buildings from 4 to 6 inches away will suffer half that damage (rounding down).
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Concealing Unit Data Often, the fog of war and successful use of strategy means that military forces will clash without full and comprehensive knowledge of each others’ abilities. To reflect this more realistic element of warfare, players may attempt to conceal their force compositions and unit capabilities until the units themselves can actually see one another. Warning: Use of these rules may require a gamemaster or other neutral third party, as they present numerous options for cheating. Players should thus carefully consider whether or not this set of rules is appropriate for their style of game play.
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Blip Counters
Blip Counters introduces a fog-of-war concept that conceals information by keeping even most telling visual representation of a player’s unit—its own miniature—from revealing itself too soon. With this rule, players begin setup
87
using tokens instead of actual miniatures. These tokens—referred to as “blip counters”—will thus indicate each unit’s position on the battlefield until it gets close enough to be seen or otherwise identified by sensor systems, leaving the opponent guessing until that time. Prior to beginning play, each of these blip counter tokens must be assigned a unique number or letter corresponding to a ground unit in the controlling player’s force. (Airborne aerospace units cannot be represented by blip counters.) Even when a unit is represented by a simple token, it must obey all of its normal movement restrictions. For example, a blip counter representing a unit with a hover movement type may not enter wooded terrain. While this might enable a particularly observant opponent to speculate about the unit’s nature based on its actions, a cagey player can add greater uncertainty to such guesses by moving his blip counters in a manner more consistent with a different unit type, such as having his ’Mechs also avoid woods as if they cannot pass through them. A unit continues to be represented by a blip counter under these rules until it is identified, at which point the token must be replaced by a representative miniature. Additional data about the unit—including its variant model and overall battle conditions— may then be determined using the Concealing Unit Data rules that follow these. A blip is identified when any of the following conditions are met:
Visual Spotting: At the end of the Movement Phase, if an opposing unit has LOS to a blip counter and is within the visual range appropriate for the atmospheric condition (see Visual Spotting Range Tables, p. 89), the unit is identified. Remember to account for the difference in both units’ heights when determining LOS between blip counters and units, using the Unit Heights Table. Sensor Spotting: At the end of the Movement Phase, if an opposing non-infantry unit—regardless of LOS—is within 10” of a blip-counter, its electronic sensors will identify it. This sensor range is extended to 12” if the sensing unit has a Light Active Probe (LPRB), 18” if it has an Active Probe (PRB), or 26” if it has the Bloodhound probe (BH) special abilities. If the unit represented by the blip counter has the Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) special ability, it will negate the LPRB and PRB range boosts, but not the BH. If the unit has an Angel ECM (AECM) special, it will also negate the BH ability. Remote Sensor Spotting: At the end of the Movement Phase, remote sensors will reveal any opposing blip counters within 20”, if the sensor has LOS to the blip counter. If the remote sensor has no LOS, it will still reveal the blip counter’s nature once it comes within 10”, unless the unit represented by the blip counter has either the Stealth (STL) or is using/under the radius of an ECM effect friendly to the unit. Remote sensors will automatically reveal the nature of any blip counters they come into base contact with, unless the units have the Stealth (STL) or Mimetic Armor System (MAS) abilities. Aerospace Spotting: If an opposing aerospace fighter is in the Central Zone of the Radar Map, during daylight, all blip counters on that side are revealed. Self-Revelation: Any time a unit represented by a blip counter conducts a direct weapon attack, a physical attack, or an anti-’Mech attack, its nature as a unit must be revealed. Indirect-fire attacks from a unit represented by blip-counter, and area-effect attacks delivered by such units, will not reveal the attacker’s identity. Hidden Units and Blip Counters If the Hidden Units rules are in play (see p. 102), the hidden units do not receive blip counters until they move, and can only be revealed up until that point under the conditions outlined in the Hidden Units rules. A hidden unit that moves while no opposing unit has LOS to it may use a blip counter in place of the unit’s miniature, but must follow all of the remaining rules for blip counters as above. Stealth Technology and Blip Counters Blips that represent units that possess ECM capabilities, stealth armor (STL), or the mimetic armor system (MAS), may only be identified by visual spotting. If the blip is covered by the ECM bubble of a friendly unit, it also may only be identified by visual spotting.
Visual Spotting Range Table Atmospheric Condition
Maximum Range
Pitch Black
2”
Night, Moonless Night, Blizzard
4”
Fog, Blowing Sand
6”
Dusk, Dawn, Rain (Torrential)
10”
Rain, Snow
14”
Normal Daylight
40”
Unit Heights Table Unit Type
Height
BattleMechs/IndustrialMechs
2”
Superheavy ’Mechs
3”
ProtoMechs, Vehicles, Infantry, Fighters
1”
Submarines
1”
Large (LG) Support Vehicles, Small Craft
2”
Very Large (VLG) Support Vehicles
3”
Super Large (SLG) Support Vehicles
4”
Aerodyne DropShips
5”
Spheroid DropShips
10”
Mobile Structures
Variable
Note: Airborne units, including VTOLs, are automatically revealed if a LOS can be traced to their current altitude
Concealing Record Sheets
Under these 6'j 8'j
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
4/4/3 6/6/3 4/4/2 2/3/2
1 0 1 1
8/4 7/4 9/4 5/5
PV Specials 18 20 20 14
AMS FLK1/1/1, CASE LRM 1/1/1, IF1
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Battle Lance
Advanced Options
Unit Type HUR-WO-R4L Huron Warrior THR-1L Thunder CTF-3L Cataphract VND-3L Vindicator
Size Move 2 3 3 2
10' 10' 10' 8'j
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2/3/3 5/5/1 3/3/2 2/2/2
0 0 0 0
5/2 7/3 6/3 5/4
PV Specials 15 15 15 11
AC2/2/0, CASE FLK1/1/1 CASE
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
Pursuit Lance
The BattleTech Universe
Unit Type CDA-3F Cicada CLNT-2-3U Clint RVN-3L Raven JA-KL-1532 Jackal
Size Move 2 2 1 1
16'j 12'j 12' 14'
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2/2/1 2/2/1 2/2/0 1/1/1
0 1 0 1
4/2 2/3 3/2 3/1
PV Specials 13 11 7 9
ENE ENE CASE, ECM, PRB, RCN, TAG, SNARC AMS
135
Clan Invasion: House Kurita Company (160 PV)
Pursuit Lance
Cavalry Lance
Fire Lance
Unit Type AS7-K Atlas APL-1M Apollo THG-11E Thug HTM-27T Hatamoto-Chi
Unit Type DRG-5K Grand Dragon DRG-5K Grand Dragon DAI-01 Daikyu LNC25-01 Lancelot
Unit Type DMO-1K Daimyo PNT-10K Panther JR7-K Jenner MON-66 Mongoose
Size Move 4 2 4 4
6' 8' 8' 8'
Size Move 3 3 3 3
12' 12' 10' 12'
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
3/3/3 2/3/3 4/4/2 3/3/2
2 0 0 1
10/4 6/5 8/6 8/6
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2/3/2 2/3/2 3/4/3 3/3/1
0 0 0 1
5/3 5/3 6/3 5/3
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2 1 1 1
10' 8'j 14'/6'j 16'
3/3/1 2/2/1 2/2/0 2/2/0
0 0 1 0
4/3 3/3 2/3 3/2
PV Specials 22 12 16 16
IF1, OVL, CASE, AMS IF2 SRM 2/2, CASE SRM 1/1, CASE
PV Specials 14 14 16 14
IF1, CASE IF1, CASE CASE ENE
PV Specials 11 8 9 8
CASE CASE ENE, PRB, RCN
Clan Invasion: House Davion Company (158 PV)
introduction
Command Lance
Introductory alpha strike
Unit Type AS7-RS Atlas GUN-1ERD Gunslinger BL-6-KNT Black Knight JM6-DG JagerMech
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
4 4 3 3
6' 6'/2'j 8' 8'
3/4/1 5/5/3 3/3/1 4/4/3
1 0 2 0
10/8 8/4 7/6 4/3
PV Specials 18 23 16 16
IF1 ECM, PRB, RCN ENE, PRB, RCN CASE
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Striker Lance
Advanced Options
Unit Type CLNT-2-3U Clint DV-7D Dervish HCT-5S Hatchetman ENF-5D Enforcer
Size Move 2 2 2 2
12'j 10'j 8'j 10'j
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2/2/1 3/3/2 2/2/1 2/2/2
1 0 1 0
2/3 5/5 5/2 5/2
PV Specials 11 14 10 13
ENE LRM 1/1/1, IF1, CASE FLK1/1/1, CASE, MEL FLK1/1/1, CASE
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
Pursuit Lance
The BattleTech Universe
Unit Type CN9-D Centurion SCB-9A Scarabus STH-1D Stealth JVN-10P Javelin
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2 1 2 1
12' 20' 18'/14'j 12'j
2/2/2 2/1/0 3/3/0 2/2/0
0 0 0 0
5/2 3/1 5/2 2/3
PV Specials 11 8 12 6
FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE ENE, ECM, TAG, MEL PRB, RCN
137
Pursuit Lance
Cavalry Lance
Assault Lance
Clan Invasion: House Steiner Company (159 PV)
Unit Type BNC-5S Banshee ZEU-9S Zeus STK-5S Stalker PPR-5S Salamander
Unit Type FLC-8R Falconer BH-K305 Battle Hawk BSW-X1 Bushwacker BZK-F3 Hollander
Unit Type NGS-4S Nightsky VT-5S Vulcan WLF-2 Wolfhound COM-5S Commando
Size Move 4 4 4 4
8' 8' 6' 8'
Size Move 3 1 2 1
10'j 10'j 10' 10'
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
4/4/4 3/4/3 3/3/2 3/5/4
1 0 4 0
8/4 7/6 7/4 8/4
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
3/4/3 3/3/0 3/3/2 2/2/2
1 0 0 0
6/3 3/1 5/3 2/3
PV Specials 21 16 14 18
IF1, CASE IF1, CASE, AMS LRM 2/3/4, IF4, CASE
PV Specials 22 8 12 10
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2 2 1 1
12'j 16'/12'j 12' 12'
3/3/0 2/2/1 3/3/1 2/2/0
0 0 0 0
5/2 3/2 4/3 2/2
AMS AC1/1/0, IF1, CASE
PV Specials 12 9 11 6
ENE, MEL CASE ENE CASE
Clan Invasion: House Marik Company (164 PV)
introduction
Guard Lance
Introductory alpha strike
Unit Type ON1-M Orion GLT-5M Guillotine HRC-LS-9000 Hercules HMR-3C Hammer
Size Move 3 3 3 1
8' 8'j 10' 10'
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
3/4/2 4/4/1 3/3/2 4/4/1
0 0 0 0
7/3 6/6 7/3 3/3
PV Specials 14 15 16 10
LRM 1/1/1, FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE, SNARC CASE FLK1/1/1, AMS
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Fire Lance
Unit Type ALB-3U Albatross AWS-9M Awesome
Size Move 4 4
8' 8'
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
4/4/3 4/4/3
2 1
7/4 8/4
17 18
PV Specials
TMP-3M Tempest
3
8'j
5/5/2
0
7/3
18
HER-5S Hermes II
2
12'
2/2/1
0
4/3
9
FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
Striker Lance
The BattleTech Universe
Unit Type TR1 Wraith ZPH-1 Tarantula ANV-3M Anvil TBT-7M Trebuchet
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2 1 3 2
14'j 16'j 10'/4'j 10'j
3/3/0 2/2/0 3/3/0 3/3/2
0 0 0 0
5/3 2/1 5/5 4/2
PV Specials 13 7 14 13
ENE ENE, ECM LRM 1/1/1, IF1, CASE, SNARC
139
Clan Invasion: Clan Jade Falcon Binary (224 PV)
Battle Star
Unit Type
Strike Star
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
Gladiator (Executioner) B Mad Cat (Timber Wolf ) A Thor (Summoner) Prime Cauldron Born (Ebon Jaguar) D Vulture (Mad Dog) Prime
4 3 3 3 3
10”/8”j 10' 10'j 10' 10'
5/5/2 7/7/3 4/4/4 5/5/4 4/4/4
0 1 0 1 2
9/5 8/4 6/4 6/4 5/3
Unit Type
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
2 3 2 1 1
18' 10' 10'j 12' 16'/8'j
3/3/2 4/4/2 3/3/3 3/3/2 3/2/1
1 3 1 0 0
5/3 4/4 5/3 3/2 3/2
Black Lanner Prime Loki (Hellbringer) Prime Black Hawk (Nova) A Uller (Kit Fox) Prime Hankyu (Arctic Cheetah) Prime
PV Specials 29 29 23 22 24
CASE, OMNI, AMS CASE, OMNI FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE, OMNI CASE, OMNI LRM 1/1/2, IF2, CASE, OMNI
PV Specials 23 27 24 11 11
IF1, CASE, ECM, OMNI OVL, CASE, ECM, PRB, RCN, OMNI, AMS CASE, OMNI, AMS CASE, OMNI IF1, CASE, ECM, PRB, RCN, OMNI, TAG
Clan Invasion: Clan Wolf Binary (225 PV)
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Battle Star
Unit Type Daishi (Dire Wolf ) A Gladiator (Executioner) Prime Kingfisher Prime Loki (Hellbringer) Prime Man O' War (Gargoyle) A
Size
Move
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
4 4 4 3 4
6' 10'/8'j 8' 10' 10'
7/8/5 4/4/4 6/6/3 4/4/2 4/4/3
0 0 1 3 3
10/5 9/5 9/7 4/4 7/4
PV Specials 29 27 24 27 27
CASE, OMNI, AMS CASE, OMNI IF1, CASE, OMNI OVL, CASE, ECM, PRB, RCN, OMNI, AMS OVL, ENE, OMNI
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
Cavalry Star
Unit Type Mad Cat (Timber Wolf ) Prime Dragonfly (Viper) Prime Ryoken (Stormcrow) C Fenris (Ice Ferret) Prime Dasher (Fire Moth) Prime
Size Move 3 2 2 2 1
10' 16'j 12' 16' 26'
Damage (S/M/L)
OV
Arm/Str
5/5/4 3/3/0 4/4/2 3/3/2 3/3/0
1 0 0 0 0
8/4 4/2 6/3 5/2 1/1
PV Specials 27 15 19 17 13
LRM 1/1/2, IF2, CASE, OMNI CASE, OMNI, AMS FLK1/1/1, CASE, OMNI CASE, PRB, RCN, OMNI SRM 1/1, CASE, OMNI
141
The BattleTech Universe Devlin Stone, in his custom Atlas II, leaves a destroyed Word of Blake Arcangel in his wake.
Welcome to the Inner Sphere, thousands of planets colonized by humankind. Once, it was united under the Star League, but for three hundred, the Sphere was consumed by savage wars. Until a new enemy appeared—the Clans. Powerful, ruthless, and bred for combat, the Clans struck hard, overwhelming world after world in a blitzkrieg unlike any other. In the spirit of the Star League, ancient enemies reunited, forming the second Star League to halt the Clan advance. But the victory was short-lived. Old rivalries quickly returned, and soon war raged across the Inner Sphere anew. Armies once again vie for dominance on countless battlefields, fighting for House and Clan, with the MechWarriors leading the charge. It is a universe at war.
A History of War The history of the BattleTech universe spans over a thousand years and covers the rise, fall, and rebirth of many empires, heroes, and villains. The following overview represents a highly simplified version of this deep history.
Colonizing the Stars
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, two men—Thomas Kearny and Takayoshi Fuchida—discovered the principles behind faster-than-light travel. Although no one believed them at first, less than a century later, the Kearny-Fuchida drive finally helped humankind take its place among the distant stars with the first extra-solar colony established on the world of New Earth in 2116. Within another one hundred years, the human sphere of influence included six hundred extra-solar colonies, all founded within 120 light-years of Terra. In 2236, several colony worlds—chafing under an increasingly restrictive Terran Alliance—launched a rebellion against their homeworld government. In response to this so-called Outer Reaches Rebellion, the Terran Alliance government suddenly severed all ties to its colonies beyond a thirty light-year radius, whether such worlds wanted independence or not. As “Mother Terra” drew inward, new alliances formed among the distant colonies, desperate to survive in a universe void of Terran trade and Terran security. These alliances eventually formed the five states of the Inner Sphere: the Capellan Confederation, the Draconis Combine, the Federated Suns, the Free Worlds League, and the Lyran Commonwealth.
The Age of War
In the year 2398, the Capellan Confederation declared war against the Free Worlds League over the world of Andurien and its neighboring systems. Soon afterward, conflict spread out across human-occupied space as the other interstellar alliances and empires fell upon one another in a savage series of wars. This period of constant fighting—spanning nearly two centuries and hundreds of worlds—saw the creation of the first BattleMechs and the birth of the Ares Conventions. The BattleMech, invented by the Terran Hegemony in 2439, would soon become the ultimate weapon in conventional ground warfare, blending superior mobility, resilience, adaptability, and firepower in a single package piloted by an individual warrior. After its proven trial by fire in 2443, the technology quickly spread to the other realms of the Inner Sphere, revolutionizing the face of modern warfare. Equally significant were the Ares Conventions. First proposed by Capellan Chancellor Aleisha Liao, the Conventions were an interstellar agreement to limit warfare and avoid the horrors of mutually assured destruction across entire worlds. Unfortunately, while their spirit would survive even into the thirty-first century, the Ares Conventions also legitimized the concept of resolving political and economic disputes through war by establishing rules for “limited warfare”. By the time the Age of War ended in 2571, warfare had been so revolutionized by the BattleMech and the Ares Conventions that conflicts now resembled personal duels or chess matches more than full-on bloodshed.
The Star League
Also referred to as the Golden Age of Humankind, the first Star League era began when the five Great Houses of the Inner Sphere joined with House Cameron—lords of the Terran Hegemony—to create the Star League in 2571. The result of brilliant diplomacy and military cunning, the Star League unified the six largest states of the Inner Sphere in a single confederacy of nations. But while the Star League ended war between the Great Houses, its first order of business upon its formation was to declare war on the Periphery realms that held out against the alliance. Driven by the ideal of bringing all of humanity under one rule, the Star League launched the Reunification War against the Periphery realms. Ultimately victorious, the Star League reigned over all worlds without contest for over two hundred years. Under the leadership of the Cameron family, and the ever-watchful protection of the Star League Defense Force, the Star League ushered in a time of relative peace and prosperity—a pinnacle of human civilization. But like all great empires, the Star League was destined to fall…
The Succession Wars
In 2766, Stefan Amaris, lord of the Rim Worlds Republic— then largest of all the Periphery states—killed the young First Lord Richard Cameron and his family in a bloody coup years in the making. Having lured the trusting SLDF away from Terra to quell a sudden Periphery-wide revolt, the Rim Worlds troops swiftly seized and shattered the Terran Hegemony, ultimately forcing the Star League’s commanding general, Aleksandr
Kerensky, to fight a long and bloody war of liberation. Though ultimately victorious some seven years later, Kerensky saw the League he fought for torn asunder by the surviving House Lords—each of whom claimed the right to take the throne left vacant by the lost Cameron family. Desperate to avoid the coming conflicts, Kerensky led the bulk of the Star League Defense Force to parts unknown— and, in so doing, left the Inner Sphere to almost three hundred years of constant warfare. The Succession Wars, as they came to be known, effectively threw the Ares Conventions into the fire as the Houses tore into each other with every weapon in their arsenal. Whole worlds were wiped out by chemical, nuclear, and biological weapons, while JumpShips and factories of every kind were targeted in a bid to destroy the enemy’s infrastructure. Technology vital for the survival of interstellar empires became nearly irreplaceable as the specialized factories and parts were quickly lost, forcing a return to the kind of low-intensity warfare espoused by the nearly forgotten Ares Conventions. This change left the Inner Sphere in a virtual stalemate until Houses Steiner and Davion allied in 3028 and launched the devastating Fourth Succession War that nearly ripped the Capellan Confederation in two. By 3030, a single mighty empire—led by the marriage of Steiner and Davion rulers— united almost half of the Inner Sphere under its banner, and though they met defeat when trying to conquer the Draconis Combine in 3039, an eventual Steiner-Davion conquest of the entire Inner Sphere seemed all but assured. Until, in the waning days of the 3040s, a new enemy appeared…
The Clan Invasion
After centuries in exile, the descendants of Aleksandr Kerensky’s long-departed SLDF forces returned to the Inner Sphere with a vengeance. Tearing their way through the Periphery in 3048, the warriors of the Clans—with their strange customs, advanced BattleMechs, and battle-armored infantry—were at first seen by the people of the Inner Sphere as alien invaders. Their attacking forces smashed through the front-line troops of the Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine alike, and nearly destroyed the newborn Free Rasalhague Republic that lay between them. It took unprecedented cooperation between the Great Houses and the might of ComStar’s army to halt the invasion in 3052, but at a terrible price. The Clan Invasion sparked a surge in the technological renaissance that had only just begun in the Inner Sphere. Within a few years, the threatened nations of the Inner Sphere had pushed military production and sophistication to nearStar League levels, and even mighty WarShips—lost since the early years of the Succession Wars—once more flew under the banners of the Great Houses. Unfortunately, ComStar’s victory against the Clans at Tukayyid had only bought a fifteen-year truce, and in the effective absence of a mutual threat, the realms of the Inner Sphere once more turned envious eyes upon each other. Even as some leaders worked tirelessly toward a more lasting end to the Clan threat, the machinations of others divided the Federated Commonwealth in two and ignited the worlds around Terra in war.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
143
Civil War Era
In 3060, the Successor States and ComStar re-formed the Star League in an effort to destroy the Clan threat once and for all. The allied forces, united under a new Star League Defense Force, combined to destroy the Smoke Jaguar Clan, effectively shattering the head of the Clans’ militant Crusader faction. But as the allies won a formal end to the Clan invasion, tensions mounted at home between the sundered Federated Commonwealth states, while a resurgent Capellan Confederation launched its own campaign to reclaim many of its long lost territories. The FedCom Civil War finally erupted in 3062 and raged until early 3067, savaging two founding members of the reborn Star League—the Federated Suns and the Lyran Alliance—while igniting several other conflicts in their bordering nations as well. In the aftermath of the conflict, Houses Davion and Steiner stood once more apart, their realms battered. Although some dared look to a bright future in the hopes that the new Star League would finally contain war throughout the Inner Sphere, others saw a reborn League that had stood idly by as its member states nearly destroyed one another. On the eve of the Star League conference in November of 3067, the future of the Inner Sphere hung in the balance.
The Word of Blake Jihad
At the Star League conference in 3067, the leaders of the Capellan Confederation, Federated Suns, and Lyran Alliance shocked their fellow House Lords by declaring the new Star League a failure and pulling out of the alliance. The Star League’s supporters reacted with universal dismay, but one—the Word of Blake—took this event hardest of all. Formed in 3052, after the Clans’ defeat at Tukayyid, the Word of Blake represented the fanatical, quasi-religious factions that left ComStar when its new leadership moved for a more secular and open relationship with the Inner Sphere. Though seen as radicals and often derided by their former ComStar brethren, the Word of Blake built its strength quickly, seizing Terra from ComStar in 3058 and gradually expanding its influence throughout the Periphery, Free Worlds League, and the abandoned worlds near Terra. By 3064, the Word had won probationary membership in the new Star League, and anticipated their full membership in 3067 as the realization of a great prophecy. When instead the Star League disbanded, the most radical elements in the Word of Blake launched a string of attacks that inadvertently ignited a war across the entire Inner Sphere—a holy war of immense proportions. In just a few short months, the Word’s disastrous efforts to force the Star League to re-form at gunpoint unleashed a conflict that pitted the entire Inner Sphere against them and saw the use of terrible weapons not seen since the Third Succession War. Ultimately, it took a coalition of allied states, commanded by a resistance leader named Devlin Stone, to bring down the Word of Blake’s reign of terror. By then, billions had died and whole worlds were wiped off the interstellar maps, rendered uninhabitable by the rampant use of nuclear and biological weapons. In the wake of their victory, Stone and his allied forged the Republic of the Sphere, a new realm at the heart of the Inner Sphere, dedicated to the ideals of strength and unity for peoples of all realms.
The Dark Age
The Republic Era (as it was officially called) began with a rocky start, but did eventually usher in a new age of peace. For a time, the various Houses and Clans turned toward the task of rebuilding from the Jihad, restoring their bombed-out infrastructure, and working to minimize conflict. Generations grew up who knew the horrors of war only through history books, or the occasional “brush war”. The Republic was a beacon to all, an egalitarian realm where the right to rule was no longer limited to one’s bloodline, and no longer had to be taken by force. Yet even this was not to last. In the year 3132, over three-quarters of the Inner Sphere’s entire interstellar communications network suddenly went down amid rumors of strange attacking forces. Immediately panicked, the populations of many worlds feared the worst, and took up arms, certain that war was coming. The Great Houses once again mobilized their armies, and factories long converted to civilian pursuits hastily returned to the business of building weapons. Before long, the fighting began anew, raging on every border. The Republic of the Sphere buckled beneath the onslaught of enemies new and old, while ancient enmities returned with a vengeance, igniting front lines that stabilized decades before. The Dark Age, as it is now known, continues today. But many suspect that a new dawn is coming, even as the Clans and Houses tear into each other once more.
The Realms of Power
The Federated Suns is very liberal when it comes to personal freedom and trade, with a free market economy that allows its citizens to pursue personal profit. Militarily, they prefer combinedarms warfare and strategic initiative, valuing the virtues of the mobility and maneuvering over brute force and savagery.
The BattleTech setting is that of a universe trapped in the throes of eternal war. Though there have been periods of peace, the sheer number of worlds and the ambitions of their farflung leaders have all but ensured that somewhere, somehow, armies have fought and bled for someone’s cause. Even during the golden days of the first Star League, conflicts have raged, pitting man against man in an ongoing struggle for supremacy. At the heart of these struggles stand the Great Houses and realms described below.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
House Kurita (Draconis Combine)
House Davion (Federated Suns)
Founded: 2317 Seen by many as a realm that glorifies warfare, House Davion’s Federated Suns has one of the Inner Sphere’s most capable military forces, and their First Prince is seen as one of the mightiest rulers in the Sphere. Primarily settled and ruled by descendants of Terra’s Western Europe, the Federated Suns has adopted a nobility system based on feudal England and France, and professes the ideals of personal freedom and rule of law above all else. House Davion’s archenemies are its neighbors, House Liao’s Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine, ruled by House Kurita. During the Fourth Succession War, the Federated Suns united with House Steiner’s Lyran Commonwealth to create the Federated Commonwealth. Under this union, Houses Davion and Steiner conquered half the Confederation, and went on to challenge the might of House Kurita in the War of 3039. But this alliance eventually sundered during the FedCom Civil War in the 3060s. Now threatened by the Word of Blake and their Jihad, the Federated Suns once more stands beside its old enemies, united against a common threat.
Founded: 2319 Patterned on the culture of feudal Japan, and ruled by a hierarchy of warlords loyal to the shogunate ideals of the ruling House Kurita, the Draconis Combine is a realm whose warriors and citizenry embrace the tenets of bushido—the ancient Japanese Way of the Warrior. To the people of the Combine, honor and duty are the very cornerstones of society, without which there can be nothing. While these social mores have made the Combine’s military one of the most fearsome and fanatical on the battlefield, it was the modernist reforms of Coordinator Theodore Kurita that transformed the DCMS into an even more deadly force. Hard pressed during the Clan invasion—to the point where their own capital of Luthien teetered on the brink of a Clan occupation—the “Dragon” repaid its would-be conquerors by leading the charge to Annihilate Clan Smoke Jaguar. Today, riddled with internal enemies in the form of the reactionary Black Dragon Society, while fighting a war of attrition against the Word of Blake, Coordinator Hohiro Kurita and his supreme warlord, Kanrei Kiyomori Minamoto, have struggled to achieve the twin goals of unifying their realm and turning back the deadly Word of Blake offensive. A particularly harsh and xenophobic society, the Draconis Combine maintains a socialist market economy and a rigid leadership divided into social castes. Militarily, the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery continues to struggle with the twin ideals of personal honor and glory, and the need to function as a unit against a determined enemy. Thus, in battle it is as common to see a lone Combine warrior challenge a superior force as it is to see entire formations combine their might to bring down an enemy.
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
145
House Marik (Free Worlds League)
House Liao (Capellan Confederation)
Founded: 2366 Originally settled by people from Terra’s Asian nations, one can see the roots of Chinese and Russian culture in people of House Liao’s Capellan Confederation. The smallest of the five Great Houses after centuries of unrelenting warfare, House Liao has come to embrace the harsh reality of police state politics and ruthless control to ensure their nation’s survival against its enemies. The Maskirovka, the Capellan secret police, keeps a cold and calculating eye on the Confederation’s people, who must earn their rights to be citizens, rather than expect such rights from birth. Nearly shattered by House Davion in the Fourth Succession War, the Confederation teetered on the edge of extinction until its latest Chancellor, Sun-Tzu Liao, rose to form the Trinity Alliance with the Magistracy of Canopus and the Taurian Concordat and reclaim much of what his realm lost in the Fourth Succession War. After bringing the renegade St. Ives Compact back into the fold and launching his wildly successful Xin Sheng political movement, Sun-Tzu’s reign promised the Confederation a return to its former glory—until the Word of Blake Jihad erupted and soon engulfed his state in a new Sphere-spanning war. Although the Confederation effectively stands alone against the Blakist menace, with only its allies in the Magistracy of Canopus for support, House Liao has maintained its determination to survive the worst that war can throw at it. For the people of this realm, the needs of the state will always take precedence over those of its individuals. This fact is as evident in the seemingly fanatical nature of the Capellan soldiery as it is in the open market communism that dominates the nation’s economy.
Founded: 2271 Unlike the other feudal realms of the Inner Sphere, the Free Worlds League is—at least on paper—a democracy. Although largely run by the Marik family for centuries (due to various circumstances and the provisions of an “emergency resolution” passed centuries ago), the League is actually a conglomerate of many smaller states and planets that allied long ago, and stands today as the oldest of the Successor States. Though internally divisive by nature and riddled with bureaucracy, the League has existed in relative peace for many years, and even escaped the worst of the Fourth Succession War. A civil war nearly sundered the realm in the 3030s, but the League recovered and gradually rose in stature over the decades since, fighting only a small and very effective war in 3057 while harboring the breakaway Word of Blake after that group’s formation. Becoming the arms dealer for the Inner Sphere after the Clans’ arrival, the Free Worlds’ industry and economy boomed, but with the start of the Jihad, even the people of the League were not immune. Shocked to learn that their CaptainGeneral, Thomas Marik, was actually an impostor set on the throne by ComStar many years ago, the League has begun to unravel at its seams. Today, at least three leaders have risen with a claim to the title of Captain-General, putting the entire realm on the verge of collapse. Defining itself as a nation of tolerance and open-mindedness, it comes as little surprise that the Free Worlds League also maintains an open market capitalist economy, which has helped to make it one of the most economically and socially progressive powers in the Inner Sphere. However, with a military made up of regional forces, the performance of its troops can vary with the political situation at home.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
House Steiner (Lyran Alliance)
Founded: 2341 Originally known as the Lyran Commonwealth, House Steiner’s Lyran Alliance is widely recognized as a nation of merchants and industrialists first, and warriors a distant second. Settled and dominated by predominantly Germanic and Scottish cultures, and ruled by the Steiner family through a combination of political intrigue and brute economic force, the Lyran state is united in the pursuit of status and wealth. Often on the defensive in the Succession Wars, House Steiner’s peace initiatives sparked the creation of the Federated Commonwealth, but when the Clans invaded, the Lyran half of that alliance suffered the bulk of their assault. The strain of this event and others led to the sundering of the Federated Commonwealth, the birth of the Lyran Alliance, and the eruption of the FedCom Civil War. In the wake of that conflict, the battered Alliance stood ready to reclaim its lost glories under a new Archon, only to see the start of the Word of Blake Jihad firsthand with a surprise assault on their own capital world of Tharkad. Like the Federated Suns, the Lyran state enjoys an open market economy that boasts centuries of stability and success, boosted by the presence of some of the Inner Sphere’s most industrialized worlds. Although the reforms of the Federated Commonwealth era improved Lyran martial prowess, the influence of the socalled “social generals” and widespread confidence in “bigger equals better” firepower has returned House Steiner’s realm to a time when it was widely seen as militarily inept. Indeed, the Lyran solution to most problems is typically negotiation, barter, or covert action—but with their resources and wealth, the armies of House Steiner can often field heavier and more numerous forces than their enemies, producing a virtual wall of steel against an enemy advance.
ComStar
Founded: 2785 Jerome Blake, the last administrator of the original Star League’s communications network, founded ComStar in the wake of the Star League’s final collapse. As an independent and ostensibly neutral international organization, ComStar’s role was to rebuild and administer the hyperpulse generator network that made interstellar communications possible across the Inner Sphere. To secure ComStar’s neutrality, Blake and mercenary forces in his employ seized Terra to spare it the turmoil of the Succession Wars, establishing the central hub of ComStar’s power. After Blake’s death, his followers—considering him a visionary and a saint—gradually transformed ComStar into a quasi-religious order, a veritable church, devoted to “the word of Blake” with a mandate to preserve the secrets of the lost Star League from the Inner Sphere’s ultimate collapse. In the centuries that followed, ComStar provoked or played an influential role in the raging Succession Wars, operating entirely from the shadows while maintaining their neutrality to all powers. But when the Clan Invasion revealed a greater threat that would require Inner Sphere unity to defeat, a schism erupted within ComStar between the devout followers of Blake’s word who believed it was ComStar’s time to rise and rule all, and those who believed ComStar should secularize and share its power with the Inner Sphere nations. The Schism, as it came to be known, set the stage for a broiling war between the so-called “reformist” ComStar and the reactionary Word of Blake, which would culminate in the Word of Blake Jihad. Not a realm in their own right, ComStar claims among its membership people from all corners of the Inner Sphere. As a
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
147
result, ComStar has none of the cultural identity the Great Houses may claim, nor does it boast the industrial capacity of hundreds of worlds. Nevertheless, the reformed Order still stands as a curious combination of interstellar relief organization and communication company to its allied realms, with economic and political power far exceeding its size. The Com Guards—ComStar’s military arm— represents one of the most sophisticated and well-trained armies in the Inner Sphere, preferring truly combined-arms tactics and elaborate command and control networks, though many of its warriors suffer from an identity crisis prompted by the Schism and the upheavals since.
Word of Blake
Founded: 3052 A reactionary breakaway faction of ComStar, the Word of Blake represents the original quasi-mystical version of Jerome Blake’s interstellar communications legacy, which formed after ComStar defeated the Clans in the Battle of Tukayyid. Committed to the presumed prophecies of Jerome Blake, which claimed that the Inner Sphere was destined to collapse and that ComStar would rise up to reunite humanity under its banner, the “Blakists” could not reconcile their faith with the reformist mission launched by ComStar’s new leaders. Under the leadership of Demona Aziz, former Precentor of Atreus, the Word of Blake found a safe haven on Gibson in the Free Worlds League, where they rebuilt, reorganized, and eventually grew strong enough to take Terra from their “heretic” brethren in 3058. Aggressive and determined to ensure the success of Blake’s vision, the Word gradually expanded its influence and international standing throughout the lawless worlds of the nearby Chaos March, claiming more territory than ComStar had ever claimed in its entire history. Though internally divided
among several sects, the Word of Blake nevertheless managed to maintain its focus and unity until the final meeting of the new Star League council in 3067, when—according to Blakist prophecies— they believed they would be recognized by the other realms as a legitimate power with a leading stake in Inner Sphere politics. When the Star League instead disbanded, many in the Word of Blake took this as the ultimate betrayal of Blake’s vision, and lashed out. The result was the Jihad—a virtual holy war between the Word of Blake and its allies and the rest of the Inner Sphere. Like ComStar, the Word of Blake’s military emphasizes teamwork and combined arms, and benefits from a technology base that dates back to the original Star League. Their quasi-religious fervor, however, has made the followers of “Blake’s true vision” far more deadly and determined in combat, especially now that they feel the entire universe has turned against them.
The Clans
Founded: 2822 After the collapse of the original Star League, General Aleksandr Kerensky—leader of the Star League Defense Force—led roughly eighty percent of the SLDF on an Exodus from the Inner Sphere, rather than witness the coming collapse of the realm he had fought so hard to save. After wandering the interstellar void for over a year, these survivors of the Star League settled a distant cluster of worlds known as the Pentagon and the Kerensky Cluster. Under the leadership of Aleksandr’s son Nicholas, these exiles formed a new society that would one day return to the Inner Sphere as the Clans.
Determined to harness the violence inherent in humankind— which he felt could not be contained or eradicated—and to ensure the survival of colonies desperate to fill every necessary niche his new society would need, Nicholas instituted a castebased system where everyone had a role, and the warrior was considered the pinnacle. Led by an original 800 loyal officers, whose bloodlines would continue in a eugenics program determined to produce the perfect warriors, the Clans became a society where might makes right, be it in politics or on the battlefield—but where rampant bloodshed could at least be contained to those trained for battle. During the so-called “Golden Century” after their formation, the Clans made immense technological and genetic breakthroughs, including the development of OmniMechs, battle armor, and the powered Elemental phenotype. Convinced over the centuries that they were the saviors of the Inner Sphere their forebears had left behind, the Clans returned to the Inner Sphere in 3048 on a mission of conquest. With the ultimate goal of seizing Terra and reforming the Star League in their image, the Clans tore through nearly a quarter of the Inner Sphere in less than two years’ time, endangering the survival of both the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, while nearly destroying the entire Free Rasalhague Republic. At the Battle of Tukayyid, however, ComStar won a fifteen-year truce with the Clans, giving the Inner Sphere desperately needed breathing room to rebuild and upgrade their armies. This truce would eventually give the Inner Sphere nations enough time to re-form the Star League themselves and destroy one of the invading Clans, effectively winning a lasting end to the Clan Invasion, but not before several invading Clans had established a home on Inner Sphere worlds. Of the original twenty Clans created by Nicholas Kerensky, only fourteen remained in 3060. Though each has developed a unique identity over the centuries, most today are loosely aligned along Crusader or Warden political lines (favoring the Inner Sphere’s conquest or protection, respectively). As of 3075, seven Clans—the Diamond Sharks, Ghost Bears, Hell’s Horses, Jade Falcons, Nova Cats, Snow Ravens, and Wolves—have secured territories in the Inner Sphere. Reliant on socialized economies and the brutal discipline of the warrior caste, these Clans now struggle to hold onto their hard-won territories with honor as the Word of Blake Jihad swirls around them. In battle and elsewhere the Clans have developed a sense of personal honor that includes formal contests (“Trials”) to resolve conflicts at any level and ensure that their warriors remain strong and ready for battle. Their custom of bidding forces before battle helps to reduce waste in combat by minimizing the Clan’s risk in each conflict. However, as many Clans realized that their Inner Sphere opponents would not adhere to the same level of honor, their tactics and technologies have begun to adapt, making the Clans more ruthless and deadly than ever.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
The Periphery
The Periphery is the collective term used to describe the many realms and independent worlds that exist beyond the borders of the Great House states. Many include the refugees of the Succession Wars, while others are minor powers in their own right. Pirates and privateers stalk the space lanes of these far-flung territories, often crossing paths with other wanderers and merchants from the Inner Sphere. Lacking the resources and support of the larger interstellar realms closer to Terra, the Periphery worlds are generally poorer, less industrialized, less populous, and more untamed than the rest of the Inner Sphere. These factors combine with the fiercely independent nature of most Periphery peoples and the all-pervasive threat of piracy to give these fringe realms a “frontier” feel. Many of the Inner Sphere realms thus tend to view the worlds and people of the Periphery as technologically and culturally backward—and this underestimation has bred more than its fair share of conflict. Though once on par with the Inner Sphere (after their subjugation to the Star League), the cultures, economies, and technological sophistication of the Periphery worlds now vary greatly from realm to realm and even world to world. In the last few decades, however, several of the Periphery’s larger realms have shown remarkable growth that has even made the mighty Successor States take notice.
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
The BattleTech Universe
149
cLan Jade FaLcon occupation Zone
Capital (City, WoRld)
Wolf City, Arc-Royal
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official)
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
inhabited Worlds
n/a
Founding year
3057
Currency
Kerensky
Capital (City, WoRld)
Hammarr, Sudeten
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official)
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
59
Founding year
3050
Currency
Kerensky
RuleR:
Archon Peter Steiner-Davion
GoveRnment:
Constitutional Monarchy (with German Feudal stylings)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Tharkad City, Tharkad
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English and German (official), Scottish Gaelic, Italian, French
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (protestant), Judaism, Islam
inhabited Worlds
368
Founding year
2341
Currency
Kroner
Great House
GoveRnment:
Clan (Caste-driven, Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
GoveRnment:
House steiner (Lyran aLLiance)
cLan
Khan Phelan Kell
Khan Marthe Pryde Clan (Caste-driven, Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
inhabited Worlds
cLan WoLF (in-exiLe) RuleR:
RuleR:
cLan
Inner Sphere: General term used to describe a region of space roughly one thousand light-years across, composed of more than two thousand populated planets, with Terra (Earth) at the center. This area is further divided into geopolitical regions, where one power or another holds sway. For most of the centuries since human-kind took to the stars, the vast majority of these worlds have belonged to one of the five Great Houses. Smaller powers have come and gone over this same time period. Any world or geopolitical power outside the Inner Sphere is said to lie in the Periphery, considered the frontier of the known universe. —Encyclopedia Galactica
cLan diaMond sHark
GoveRnment:
Clan (Caste-driven, Warrior-dominant hierarchy with mercantile stylings)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Camora, Twycross
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official)
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
inhabited Worlds
LEGEND
3
Map compiled by COMSTAR. From information provided from the COMSTAR EXPLORER CORPS and the STAR LEAGUE ARCHIVES on Terra. © 3067 COMSTAR CARTOGRAPHIC CORPS
Anti-spinward
Spinward
MAXIMUM JUMP: APPROXIMATELY 30 LIGHT YEARS
Founding year
3067
Currency
Kerensky
Captain-General Thomas Marik
GoveRnment:
Parliamentary Confederacy (operating under military rule)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Atreus City, Atreus
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Urdu
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (Catholic), Judaism, Islam
Coreward
30 LIGHT YEARS
120 LIGHT YEARS OR 26,8 PARSECS
House Marik (Free WorLds LeaGue) RuleR:
Rimward
inhabited Worlds
334
Founding year
2271
Currency
Eagle
Great House
Khan Barbara Sennet
cLan
RuleR:
GHost Bear doMinion cLan nova cat
GoveRnment:
Clan (Caste-driven, Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
RuleR:
Khan Santin West
GoveRnment:
Clan (Caste-driven, Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
Capital (City, WoRld)
New Barcella, Irece
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official)
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
Capital (City, WoRld)
Silverdale, Alshain
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official)
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
inhabited Worlds
51
Founding year
3050
Currency
Kerensky
inhabited Worlds
14
cLan
Khan Bjorn Jorgensson
cLan
RuleR:
Founding year
3060
Currency
Combine Ryu
In stewardshIp
cLan WoLF occupation Zone House kurita (draconis coMBine)
GoveRnment:
Clan (Caste-driven, Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
RuleR:
Coordinator Theodore Kurita
Capital (City, WoRld)
Tamar City, Tamar
GoveRnment:
Autocracy (Japanese feudal stylings)
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Imperial City, Luthien
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
Japanese (official), Arabic, English
dominant ReliGion(s):
Shinto (official), Buddhism, Islam
inhabited Worlds
80
Founding year
3050
Currency
Kerensky
inhabited Worlds
323
Founding year
2319
Currency
Ryu
Great House
Khan Vlad Ward
cLan
RuleR:
cLan snoW raven
House Liao (capeLLan conFederation)
RuleR:
Khan Lynn McKenna
GoveRnment:
Clan (Caste-driven, Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
Capital (City, WoRld)
None
GoveRnment:
Dictatorship (Chinese feudal stylings)
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Zi-jin Cheng (Forbidden City), Sian
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
Chinese (Mandarin, official), Chinese (Cantonese), Russian, English, Hindi
dominant ReliGion(s):
Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism
inhabited Worlds
167
Founding year
2366
Currency
Yuan
inhabited Worlds
2
Founding year
3064
Currency
Kerensky
House davion (Federated suns) Princess-Regent Yvonne Steiner-Davion
GoveRnment:
Constitutional Aristocracy (Western European feudal stylings)
Capital (City, WoRld)
New Avalon City, New Avalon
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), French, German
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (Catholicism), Buddhism, Judaism
515
Founding year
2317
Currency
Pound
Great House
RuleR:
inhabited Worlds
cLan
Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao
Great House
RuleR:
tHe Hanseatic LeaGue GoveRnment:
Mercantile Alliance (with German feudal stylings)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Commerce, Bremen
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
German (official), English, Spanish
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (Protestant), Judaism
inhabited Worlds
24
Founding year
2891
Currency
None (Barter)
(est)
riM coLLection RuleR:
President William Roberts
GoveRnment:
Democracy
Capital (City, WoRld)
New Promise, Gillfillan’s Gold
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English, German, Scottish Gaelic, Italian, Greek
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (Protestant), Judaism, Islam
inhabited Worlds
6
Founding year
3048
Currency
Lyran Kroner
Minor peripHery state
The Council of Merchants
deep peripHery state
RuleR:
nueva castiLe Umayyad Caliphate (C) & Castilian Principalities (P)
GoveRnments:
Feudal Monarchy (C) Monarchy (with Spanish stylings, P)
Capital (WoRlds)
Granada (C) Asturias (P)
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
Arabic, English & Russian (C) Spanish & German (P)
dominant ReliGion(s):
Islam (C) Christianity (P)
inhabited Worlds
2 (C) 7 (p)
Founding year
2830 (C) 2392 (P)
Currency
None (Barter)
circinus Federation RuleR:
President Calvin McIntyre
GoveRnment:
Military Dictatorship
Capital (City, WoRld)
Zachariah, Circinus
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English, German, Spanish, Greek
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity, Judaism, Islam
inhabited Worlds
8
Founding year
c. 2775
Currency
Skull
Minor peripHery state
Caliph Lise Burrill (C) King Joseph Noye (P)
deep peripHery state
RuleRs:
Marian HeGeMony Caesar Julius O’Reilly
GoveRnment:
Dictatorship (with Romanesque republican stylings)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Nova Roma, Alphard
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English and Latin (official), German, Spanish, Greek
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (Lutheran), Judaism, Islam
inhabited Worlds
Coreward
MAXIMUM JUMP: APPROXIMATELY 30 LIGHT YEARS
Map compiled by COMSTAR. From information provided from the COMSTAR EXPLORER CORPS and the STAR LEAGUE ARCHIVES on Terra. © 3067 COMSTAR CARTOGRAPHIC CORPS
Spinward
120 LIGHT YEARS OR 26,8 PARSECS
Anti-spinward
30 LIGHT YEARS
Rimward
2920
Currency
Talent
MaGistracy oF canopus RuleR:
Magestrix Emma Centrella
GoveRnment:
Monarchy (Matriarchal)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Crimson, Canopus IV
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Chinese (Mandarin)
dominant ReliGion(s):
Buddhism, Christianity, Wicca, Judaism
inhabited Worlds
44
Founding year
2530
Currency
Dollar
peripHery state
LEGEND
26
Founding year
peripHery state
RuleR:
coMstar Primus Sharilar Mori
GoveRnment:
Corporate (with reformed mystical trappings)
Elected Prince Regent Christian Månsdottir
Capital (City, WoRld)
Memoria, Tukayyid
GoveRnment:
Representative Democracy
Capital (City, WoRld)
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), others by realm of birth
Erinyes, Orestes Swedenese (official), English, Japanese, German, Swedish
dominant ReliGion(s):
None
dominant lanGuaGe(s): dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (Protestant), Shinto, Judaism
inhabited Worlds
7
Founding year
3034
Currency
Krona
Minor poWer
RuleR:
inhabited Worlds
n/a
Founding year
2785
Currency
C-Bill
Minor poWer
Free rasaLHaGue repuBLic
RuleR:
outWorLds aLLiance Word oF BLake
Corporate Confederacy (with mystical trappings)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Hilton Head Island, Terra
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), others by realm of birth
dominant ReliGion(s):
Word of Blake
inhabited Worlds
6
Founding year
3052
Currency
C-Bill
taurian concordat GoveRnment:
Constitutional Monarchy (with democratic sub-government)
Capital (City, WoRld)
Samantha, Taurus
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), Spanish, French
dominant ReliGion(s):
Deism (official), Christianity (Catholic), Judaism, Islam
inhabited Worlds
47
Founding year
2335
Currency
Bull
Parliamentary Confederacy
Capital (City, WoRld)
Farmindas, Alpheratz
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), Japanese, French
dominant ReliGion(s):
Christianity (Gregorian), Muslim, Agnostic, Shinto
inhabited Worlds
37
Founding year
2417
Currency
Escudo
caLderon protectorate RuleR:
(Regent) Baron Cham Kithrong
GoveRnment:
Constitutional Monarchy (currently under military regency)
Capital (City, WoRld)
New Taurus, Erod’s Escape
dominant lanGuaGe(s):
English (official), Spanish, French
dominant ReliGion(s):
Deism (official), Christianity (Catholic), Judaism, Islam
inhabited Worlds
6
Founding year
3066
Currency
Protectorate Bull
Minor peripHery state
Protector Grover Shraplen
peripHery state
RuleR:
President Mitchell Avellar
GoveRnment:
peripHery state
GoveRnment:
Minor poWer
RuleR:
Precentor William Blane, Ruling Conclave
RuleR:
Glossary Alpha Strike: The BattleTech Miniatures Wargame uses a host of terms to convey the numerous concepts covered in the universe and in game play. While not all-inclusive, this list of terms will allow new players to quickly acclimate themselves to the universe of BattleTech. Several terms in this glossary are standard scientific terms, often used in the real world. As the universe of BattleTech attempts to remain as close to “reality” as possible—while allowing players to interact with the great stories waiting to unfold—such terms are used liberally.
Universe Terms
The following terms are commonly used by people living in the BattleTech universe: Abtakha – A term used by the Clans to refer to a warrior adopted by the Clan after first being captured. Aerospace Fighter – Any combat-capable aircraft that can operate equally well in space and in atmosphere. Age of War – The period of history before the founding of the first Star League, during which time many of the Great Houses formed and the BattleMech was created. The Age of War was characterized by the widespread use of unlimited warfare, until the various states signed the Ares Conventions. AgroMech – An IndustrialMech designed for use in agricultural settings. Ares Conventions – The archaic rules of warfare that first codified (and accidentally legitimized) the use of limited warfare in settling disputes between the realms of the Inner Sphere. While no longer technically in effect, the Ares Conventions are often cited and held as the ideal for limited warfare. Autocannon – A common ballistic weapon used in personal as well as tactical combat, using conventional chemical or explosive reactions to deliver slug munitions to a target in rapid fire. Battle Armor – A set of powered personal armor, weighing up to two tons. Also referred to as battlesuits, battle armor can withstand damage from some of the heaviest battlefield weapons. BattleMechs – The pinnacle of military technology, BattleMechs are armed and armored bipedal or quadrupedal war machines that stand anywhere from eight to twelve meters in height and are piloted by MechWarriors. Bloodhouse – The trueborn genetic successors of the Clans’ founding warriors are grouped into Bloodhouses, each of which bears the name and the genetic legacies of a founding warrior. Bloodname – The ultimate achievement of a trueborn Clan warrior, the winning of a Bloodname—which identifies the warrior’s genetic link to one of the Clans’ original founders— enables the warrior to pass his genes along to the next generation through the Clan eugenics program. Bloodright – A trueborn Clan warrior’s genetic link to a Clan founder is referred to as the warrior’s Bloodright. If the warrior is proven worthy enough, he may receive an opportunity to win a Bloodname in a Trial of Bloodright, thereby ensuring the passing of his own genetic legacy to the next generation of warriors.
Brotherhoods – Cabals of MechWarriors who aid (and sometimes hinder) the rulers of the Great Houses. Clans – The descendants of the original Star League Defense Force, forged into a new society that uses ritualized warfare and a code of honor in combat, and which maintains order using a strict caste system that segregates warriors, laborers, scientists, and technicians. Combat Vehicles – Any ground vehicle (including tracked, wheeled, hovercraft, or Wing-in-Ground Effect vehicles) or VTOL designed expressly for battlefield use, but not including BattleMechs, ProtoMechs, fighters, or battle armor. Combined-Arms Combat – The integrated deployment of various types of military assets (such as infantry, ’Mechs, and combat vehicles) as a single force. ComStar – The organization that took over interstellar communications (and Terra) shortly after the fall of the original Star League. ConstructionMech – An IndustrialMech designed to aid in building construction. Conventional Fighter – Any combat-capable aircraft (except for VTOL vehicles) that can operate in atmosphere. Cybernetics – Any technology implanted in the human body or grafted to the human nervous system, to replace or repair a damaged body part, or to physically enhance the user. DropShips – Large space vessels used to ferry supplies, personnel, and equipment from JumpShips or WarShips to other vessels or to and from a planet’s surface. Elemental – Term used to describe the genetically bred battle armor warriors used by the Clans, as well as their “standard” battle armor design. Enhanced-Imaging Implant – A neural cybernetic implant developed by the Clans for a direct connection between a MechWarrior, fighter pilot, battlesuit trooper, or ProtoMech Warrior to control their machines in battle without a neurohelmet. The technology is considered dangerous, as it eventually induces madness in the user. Eugenics Program – The Clan system of producing increasingly superior warrior generations by selective pairing of genetic material and artificial wombs. Families – Influential people who can trace their lineage back centuries and whose power and influence can rival that of a landed noble. Titles and BattleMechs within these families are often passed down from generation to generation. ForestryMech – An IndustrialMech designed for use in logging forests. Freeborn – Any member of Clan society produced by the natural mating of parents, rather than by the carefully selected artificial means used in the eugenics program. Gauss Weaponry – Any ballistic weapon described as a Gauss weapon delivers its rounds using magnetic propulsion, rather than a chemical or explosive reaction. Gauss weapons are typical more powerful than conventional ballistics, but expensive and more energy-intensive.
Glossary (Continued) Great Houses – The five most powerful families of the Inner Sphere, and the star empires they rule: House Davion (Federated Suns), House Kurita (Draconis Combine), House Liao (Capellan Confederation), House Marik (Free Worlds League), and House Steiner (Lyran Alliance/Commonwealth). The ruler of a Great House is called a House Lord. House Lord – The ruling member of one of the Great Houses. •• House Cameron – The extinct Great House that ruled the Terran Hegemony and the first Star League. •• House Davion – The Great House that rules the Federated Suns. •• House Kurita – The Great House that rules the Draconis Combine. •• House Liao – The Great House that rules the Capellan Confederation. •• House Marik – The Great House that rules the Free Worlds League. •• House Steiner – The Great House that rules the Lyran Alliance. Holovid – Also known as “tri-vid”, a common video medium in the BattleTech universe that projects three-dimensional images using lasers. Hyperpulse Generator (HPG) – The most common form of interstellar communication, based on the hyperspace principles developed by Thomas Kearny and Takayoshi Fuchida (see Kearny-Fuchida Drive, below). IndustrialMechs – Also referred to as WorkMechs, IndustrialMechs are bipedal or quadrupedal machines similar to BattleMechs in design, but which are usually unarmed and built for civilian use. Inner Sphere – A region of space surrounding Terra and extending roughly 600 light-years outward, and largely dominated by the five Great House empires. In general terminology, the Inner Sphere can also refer to all realms, peoples, and technologies not of the Clans. Jihad – Term applied to the war launched when the second Star League disbanded and the Word of Blake struck out against all Inner Sphere realms. Jump Points – The point in any star system where gravitational forces are low enough to permit the proper formation of the K-F jump field is referred to as a jump point. Normal space traffic enters and departs from the zenith and nadir jump points of a system (located due “north” and “south” of the system’s star, respectively), but non-standard (or “pirate”) points may also be located based on the interaction of planets, moons, and other bodies within the system. JumpShips – Spacecraft that can “jump” through hyperspace, instantaneously transporting themselves and their crews to other star systems up to 30 light-years away. Kearny-Fuchida (K-F) Drive – The technology at the core of a JumpShip (or WarShip) that transports such vessels through hyperspace is referred to as the Kearny-Fuchida (or K-F) drive, after the scientists who first developed hyperspace theory, Thomas Kearny and Takayoshi Fuchida.
Laser – The most common form of energy weapon in the BattleTech universe, short for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Light-Year – A unit of distance based on the distance traveled by light in a vacuum over the course of 1 Terran year. A light-year is approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers in distance. Limited Warfare – The (generally) accepted practice of withholding nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons as an aid in conquering planets; winning battles through use of ’Mechs, tanks, and infantry with minimal civilian casualties. Those Houses, Clans, and groups that follow the Ares Conventions practice the concept of limited warfare. Lostech – General term used during the Succession Wars to describe lost technology from the first Star League. ’Mech – An abbreviation of BattleMech (also used for IndustrialMechs, but not for ProtoMechs). MechWarrior – The pilot of a BattleMech. Metric System – The denizens of the BattleTech universe all use the metric system in everyday life. Land distances are always given in meters and kilometers; temperature is always given in Celsius; weight is described in grams, kilograms and metric tons, and so forth. MiningMech – An IndustrialMech designed for mining and excavation. Minor Houses – Any powerful family that rules a smaller interstellar realm, Periphery state, or territory within a Great House empire. Myomer – Bundles of polyacetylene fibers that simulate the work of human muscles when exposed to electrical current. Small-scale myomers are used mainly in medicine to replace damaged human tissue, while larger myomers are primarily used to control the limbs and main weapons of ’Mechs, ProtoMechs, and battle armor. Neural Impulse Helmet (Neurohelmet) – The device that allows a BattleMech pilot to “drive” a ’Mech, allowing the giant machine to walk upright and balance its own weight. OmniFighter – An aerospace fighter built for rapid reconfiguration between missions. OmniMech – A ’Mech built for rapid reconfiguration between missions. OmniVehicle – A Combat or Support Vehicle built for rapid reconfiguration between missions. Particle Projector Cannons (PPCs) – A high-powered energy weapon that uses magnetic accelerators to fire highenergy proton or ion bolts that cause damage through both impact and high temperature. Periphery – The smaller, less powerful realms that lie along the fringes of the Inner Sphere are collectively known as the Periphery. Although often overlooked by the Great Houses, several Periphery states have grown in stature to become true powers in their own right, such as the Magistracy of Canopus, Taurian Concordat, and the Outworlds Alliance. Beyond these realms, in the lessexplored reaches of space, lies the Deep Periphery, which includes many states only recently discovered by the denizens of the Inner Sphere.
introduction
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
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Glossary (Continued) Power Armor – See Battle Armor. Phenotype – A genetically bred human form developed by the Clan eugenics system to perfect their warrior caste in specialized roles. Clan phenotypes include Elementals (bred for battle armor warfare), fighter pilots (bred for aerospace combat), and MechWarriors (bred for BattleMech combat). ProtoMech – A Clan-designed unit similar in many ways to a BattleMech, but weighing only 2 to 9 tons and controlled by ProtoMech Warriors, who make use of enhanced-imaging neural implants to directly interface with their machines. Scorched-Earth – A military tactic or strategy that consists of devastating or destroying all land, buildings, and resources while advancing (or retreating) so as to leave nothing salvageable to the enemy. Sibko – A Clan term, derived from “sibling companies”, that describes a group of trueborn warriors from a single genetic pairing. Slug Thrower – A generic term applied mostly to small arms that fire ballistic rounds, rather than laser bolts, particle beams, or otherwise project energy damage. Small Craft – Any aerospace craft between an aerospace fighter and a DropShip in weight and size is described as a Small Craft. This includes many surface-to-orbit shuttles. Star League – The original alliance of the Great Houses of Cameron, Davion, Kurita, Liao, Marik, and Steiner, as well as the Periphery realms, effectively uniting all of humanity from 2570 through 2781. In 3060, the name was used again to declare the Inner Sphere’s alliance against the Clans; this “Second Star League” only lasted from 3060 to 3067. Successor States – The realms ruled by the Great Houses of Davion, Kurita, Liao, Marik, and Steiner, who were once united under the Star League. Succession Wars – The period from the fall of the first Star League to the Clan Invasion in 3048 where each Great House waged war against the others to recreate the Star League. Support Vehicle – Any ground vehicle (including tracked, wheeled, hovercraft, or Wing-in-Ground Effect vehicles), VTOL, airship, fixedwing aircraft, train, or satellite designed for civilian, industrial, or other non-battlefield use. Terra – The name for Earth in the BattleTech universe. Humanity’s homeworld. Terran Hegemony – The destroyed realm that once included Terra and formed the central power of the original Star League under the rule of House Cameron. Trueborn – A member of the Clans produced using the Clan eugenics system, rather than by natural methods. Unlimited Warfare – The concept of using total war to overpower an enemy, including the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) to quickly destroy as many of the enemy as possible, in complete defiance of the spirit of the Ares Conventions. WarShip – A combat-capable JumpShip, capable of in-system travel like a DropShip, is referred to as a WarShip. Wing-in-Ground Effect (WiGE) Vehicle – An uncommon Combat or Support Vehicle type, WiGE vehicles are a hybrid of hovercraft and true aircraft that can achieve great speeds. Word of Blake – The fundamentalist breakaway faction of ComStar that formed after the Battle of Tukayyid. VTOL Vehicle – A VTOL vehicle is any non-fixed wing aircraft that travels by using rotors for lift.
BattleTech Resources Alpha Strike is set in the universe of BattleTech, a futuristic universe of armored combat that is far deeper than any mere board game can hope to encompass. The BattleTech Introductory Box Set offers players an excellent starting point to learn about the classic war game and its universe, which is vibrant, strong and still growing after more than twentyfive years in print. The fictional universe—and the valiant struggles of its dynamic, human characters—has been enjoyed by millions of fans around the world. To convey the universe to the BattleTech community (as well as to demonstrate how players can take that universe and integrate it into the game system), Catalyst Game Labs publishes several different lines of rulebooks, sourcebooks, and campaign packs to support campaigns of every style and scale. While far from an allinclusive list, the following provides an overview of the primary series of products published by Catalyst Game Labs (or FanPro LLC/FASA) for use with BattleTech.
Core Rulebooks
Following the introduction to the game through the BattleTech Introductory Box Set, the core rulebooks lay the foundation of detailed “classic” game play (and the universe that goes with it) for the various aspects of BattleTech. Total Warfare, the first in this series of core rulebooks, delivered the basic rules of armored combat in the thirty-first century, the rules for fighting with BattleMechs, ProtoMechs, aerospace fighters, infantry, and more. Alpha Strike is derived from these rules, with the rules in this book dramatically simplifying those of Total Warfare and others in the core line. Covered with a breadth and a visual presentation never before achieved, Total Warfare launched a series that will act as the bedrock for any type of game the players may wish to undertake, including the role-playing aspect covered in A Time of War. While this volume is not technically part of the core rulebook series, Alpha Strike is designed as a standalone source for resolving faster playing games in the BattleTech setting. Each rule in this book corresponds to others used in the rest of the core rules, however, so Alpha Strike players looking for an even more immersive experience will undoubtedly find the other core rulebooks invaluable.
©2010 WizKids, Inc. All rights Reserved. HexPack: Lakes and Rivers, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech and WK Games are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY. NOT INTENDED FOR USE OF PERSONS 12 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER.
WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
Made in China
Miniatures not included. • One 18” x 22” full-color gameboard-quality mapsheet, with a different map printed on either side. • Four punch-out-and-ready-to-play gameboard-quality HexTile sheets. • Sixteen page booklet. Contents:
The BattleTech Introductory Box Set is required to
use HexPack: Lakes and Rivers.
HexPack: Lakes and Rivers is a flexible map system aid for the BattleTech game system. for use in conjunction with other pre-printed Designed mapsheets (such as those from the Introductory Box Set), the system’s flexibility allows for easy modifications to existing mapsheets, increasing the enjoyment of a given scenario as players quickly change the terrain to bring new excitement to each game they play! A booklet contains two ready-to-play scenarios, which include expanded play options such as clearing woods, buildings and additional weather conditions.
Technical Readouts
book format available through battlecorps.com. More such sourcebooks, e-books, and game aids will continue to appear in the future, allowing players to explore the stunning events of the current Jihad and the historical wars that have shaped every faction to date. You’ve defeated your opponent across all the terrain that the BattleTech Introductory to offer and now you want more Box Set has worlds to conquer. Grab your dice and start rolling, because this product is for you!
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©2011 The Topps Company Inc. All Rights Reserved. BattleTech The Wars of Reaving, BattleTech, Classic BattleTech,ISBN-13: xxx BattleMech, and ’Mech are registered trademarks $24.99 and/or trademarks of The Topps Company Inc. in the United States and/or otherWEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in USA. www.catalystgamelabs
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HISTORICAL: LIBERATION OF TERRA
Historical Sourcebooks
The Historicals series delves into the pivotal wars of the Inner Sphere’s thousand-year history, with important personalities, maps of individual attack waves and regiment listings, along with a campaign framework that allows players to enact every aspect of each of these important conflicts. Liberation of Terra, Volumes I and II, are currently available in print, while the on-line exclusive Turning Points series offers a look at pivotal battles of the Jihad and other eras in an electronic VOLUME II • A BATTLETECH SOURCEBOO K
In 2777—after ten years of savage fighting in the Periphery—Genera l Alaksandr Kerensky and the Star League Defense Force launched the final phase in the war against Stefan Amaris, the Usurper of the Star League. For two more years, the greatest army ever forged by humankind would wage a planetby-planet war for the heart of the League itself, ultimately landing on mankind’s homeworld of Terra. As the single greatest campaign ever fought in human history, Operation LIBERATION would change the fate of generations to come.
Historical: Liberation of Terra, Volume 2 describes the final years of the civil war that ultimately brought about the end of the first Star League. Covering the fighting that followed Kerensky’s conquest of the Rim Worlds Republic and the early stages of the Hegemony campaign to the final conclusive battles on Terra itself, this book provides a hard look at the last days of the Star League Era, and the fateful decisions that would eventually pave the way for centuries of Succession Wars to come.
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©2013 The Topps Company Inc. All Rights Reserved. BattleTech Historical: Liberation of Terra II, BattleTech, BattleMech, and ’Mech are registered trademarks Classic BattleTech,ISBN-13: xxx $24.99 and/or trademarks of The Topps Company Inc. in the United States and/or otherWEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in USA. WWW.CATALYSTGAMELAB
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The Wars of Reaving sourcebook details the Clans from 3067 through the end of the Jihad era and includes detailed reports, faction updates, personalities, units, and equipment that have a hand in this widespread orgy of war. Essential gameplay statistics, maps, and a complete campaign allow players to immerse themselves completely within these Wars of Reaving.
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THE WARS OF REAVING • A BATTLETECH SOURCEBOO K
Descendants of the Star League Defense Force, they returned to the Inner Sphere in 3050 with violence and honor. Stalled by the combined might of the Inner Sphere, the Clans have been waiting for the chance to strike for Terra once more. But fractures within Nicholas Kerensky’s Great Society have widened. A new enemy threatens to destroy the Clans once and for all: themselves. The resulting Wars of Reaving touches every Clan: some will be destroyed, all will be forever altered.
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The Clans.
BattleTech has always been a dynamic universe with progressing story lines that shake things up, uniting and shattering factions, developing characters into beloved (or despised) icons of this war-torn universe. Such events breathe life not only into the fiction players read, but into the games they play. The most recent universeshaking story line is set in the Dark Age, a new age of Sphere-spanning war, based on events first foreshadowed with the Word of Blake Jihad. Look for future Dark Age-era sourcebooks that will continue to shock, amaze and entertain for years to come.
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With so much of the BattleTech universe focused on war, the vehicles, BattleMechs, and other tools of modern tactical warfare often play a significant role in a character’s identity. The Technical Readouts are the ultimate guidebooks to the weaponry and war machines of the thirty-first century. With fully illustrated entries and detailed statistics, these reference books also provide insight into the design philosophies and battlefield preferences of the various factions that vie for power across the Inner Sphere and beyond. Pre-filled record sheets to track the status and capabilities of the various units found in the Technical Readout books are published separately in the Record Sheets series, many of which are available both in a downloadable format and in print. Alpha Strike players will also find data cards for many of the units featured in these Technical Readouts in the form of our downloadable Quick-Strike Cards and Alpha Strike Cards.
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Maps, Terrain, and Miniatures
introduction
While Alpha Strike is a game designed for miniatures and three-dimensional terrain, the original, classic BattleTech game began as a tabletop system that uses pre-printed hexagonal map sheets to regulate movement and combat in game play. Using a hexagonal grid in place of modeled hills and woods, these maps provide solid visual references to find range, lines of sight, and terrain features that can affect a battle without requiring a great an investment in storage space that can come with miniature terrain. Miniatures or counters used with these maps are, however, fully compatible with Alpha Strike’s style of play, so players can use either system with ease. TM
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The Master Unit List
Having a tough time keeping all your ’Mech stats straight? (Don’t worry; so do we!) Over nearly thirty years, the BattleTech has introduced literally thousands of unique BattleMechs, vehicles, fighters, and infantry—and the list just keeps on growing. Fortunately, a dedicated corps of volunteers have banded together to bring you the BattleTech Master Unit List (http://www.masterunitlist.info/): a web-based database made for the busy army builder. The MUL helps players find stats and references to the range of official units published for use with BattleTech, and we are constantly working to keep this list up to date and useful to players from any rule set! Many of the units on the MUL include “Quick-Strike” stats— records easily convertible to Alpha Strike play. Just multiply a unit’s Quick-Strike MP values by 2 to find its inches of Move in Alpha Strike, and divide its Battle Value by 100 (rounding normally) to find Alpha Strike Point Value. It’s that simple! And if you can’t find a unit you’re looking for, just check back periodically as we continue to update for units new and old alike!
Introductory alpha strike
Standard Alpha strike
Abstract Aerospace System
Advanced Options
Alpha Strike Campaign Rules
Era Setting: The Clan Invasion
Coming Soon: Alpha Strike Era Supplementals!
This book has given you only a taste of the variety of eras and technology seen by the denizens of the BattleTech universe. As the centuries passed after humanity reached the stars, the wars and the machines unleashed to fight them each brought with it a flavor and style all its own. Coming soon, Catalyst Game Labs will present affordable, download-ready supplements for those ready to explore the ages of war beyond the days of the Clan invasion! Complete with larger, more varied army lists, special rules expansions for era and faction-style play, and bonus fiction to boot, these Alpha Strike Era Supplementals will add endless depth to your Alpha Strike games!
The BattleTech Universe
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© 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
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(+0)M (+2) M (+2) S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) SS(+0) L (+4)
ARC
SPECIAL: ARC
S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) SPECIAL:
SPECIAL: ARC
S:
OV: HEAT SCALE SPECIAL: A: ARC
S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)S:S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
SPECIAL:
SPECIAL:
1
HEAT SCALE
2 3 L (+4)
S
A: 1 2 3 S S:
SPECIAL: SPECIAL:
TM
large unit stats
PV
<>
MOVE:
A: SPECIAL:
PV
<>
A: SPECIAL:
PV
<>
MOVE:
TM
large unitalpha stats strike stats
© 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
unit name TP:
TM
STRAFING TEMPLATE - UP TO 10” LONG
ARC
OV: HEAT SCALE SPECIAL:
SPECIAL:
PV
RADAR MAP
12
1
11
2 F
10
A
INNER 3
E
CENTRAL ZONE
B
9 RING
4
D
C
8 5
7
6
N © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
1
(3-4)
6 (1-2)
AREA OF EFFECT TEMPLATES
Attack Direction
2 (5-6)
3 4
(3-4)
(1-2)
Direction
POI
5
1
6
Attack
2” E AOE AT L P TEM
2
(5-6)
POI
5
3
4 6” AOE TEMPLATE
ATTACK PATH
STRAFING TEMPLATE - UP TO 10” LONG © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
WARCHEST CAMPAIGN RECORD SHEET Track Title:
Track Title:
Date/Duration: Force Name:
Date/Duration: Starting WP:
Force Name:
Track Cost:
Faction:
Faction:
Starting WP: Track Cost:
Options Used
+/-
Options Used
+/-
Objectives Gained/WP Earned
+/-
Objectives Gained/WP Earned
+/-
Downtime Costs
+/-
Downtime Costs
+/-
Final WP:
Final WP:
Track Title:
Track Title:
Date/Duration: Force Name:
Date/Duration: Starting WP:
Force Name:
Track Cost:
Faction:
Faction:
Starting WP: Track Cost:
Options Used
+/-
Options Used
+/-
Objectives Gained/WP Earned
+/-
Objectives Gained/WP Earned
+/-
Downtime Costs
+/-
Downtime Costs
+/-
Final WP:
Final WP:
CAMPAIGN NOTES
© 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved.Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
PAGE 163 • alpha strike firing arcs • • large support vehicle firing arcs diagrams •
FIRING ARCS
• grounded dropships firing arcs •
PAGE 164
alpha strike Special Abilities table Special Ability
Abbr.
Effect Summary
Page
Active Probe
PRB
Adds to the range of sensor spotting and reveals hidden units up to 18' away
104
Advanced Fire Control
AFC
Unit possesses standard military sensors and targeting systems
45
Aerospace Transport
AT#
Unit can transport, launch, and recover # aerospace/conventional fighters
104
Amphibious
AMP
Non-naval unit capable of water movement
46
Angel ECM
AECM
Blocks hostile LPRB, PRB and C3 specials within 12' diamater
46
Anti-’Mech
AM
Enables infantry swarming attacks
46
Anti-Missile System
AMS
Reduce damage from attacks by units with IF, LRM, or SRM
46
Armored Component
ARM
Ignore the first critical hit
46
Armored Motive System
ARS
–1 to Motive Systems damage checks
46
Artillery Autocannon
Unit possesses # artillery weapons of X type Unit delivers # damage with its autocannon weapons; can use alternate AC ammo
104-105 105
BAR
BAR
All attacks check fro critical hit
46
Basic Fire Control
BFC
–1 to-hit modifier to this unit's weapon attacks
46
BattleMech HarJel
BHJ
BattleMech Shield
SHLD
Bloodhound Bomb
BH BOMB#
Booby Trap
BT
Bridgelayer
BRID
Immune to hull breach in vacuum or underwater
46, 105
Reduces some damage, but adds +2 to-hit modifier to this unit's weapon attacks
46
Adds to the range of sensor spotting and reveals hidden units up to 26' away
105
This unit can carry # bombs
46
Unit may self-destruct, damaging all units within 2' radius
105
Unit can create temporary bridges
105
C3/C3I Boosted System
C3BS#
Enables C3/C3I functions immune to all but AECM special
49-51
C3 Emergency Master Computer
C3EM#
Temporary backup for C3M special
49-51
C3 Master Computer
C3M#
Enables C3 network with up to 3 units that have C3S or C3RS specials
49-51
C3 Remote Sensor
C3RS#
Functions as static C3S special, connects with C3M special
49-51
C3 Slave Computer
C3S#
Enables C3 network connection with a unit that has C3M special
49-51
C3 Improved Computer
C3I#
Enables C3 network with up to 5 other units with C3I special
Capital
CAP
Unit has non-missile capital-scale weapons
105-106
Unit can transport #-thousand tons of cargo
106
Unit occupies # tons of transport space
46
Cargo Transport (Kilotons) Cargo Cargo Transport (Tons) CASE/CASE II Crew Critical-Resistant
CK# CAR# CT# CASE/CASE II CRW#
Unit can transport # of tons of cargo Unit can survive Ammo Hit critical hits
49-51
46 21, 46
Unit can temporarily produce # infantry to defend against boarding actions
106
CR
Applies –2 modifier to Critical Hit rolls (No Critical on resulty of 1 or less)
106
Unit has # doors for loading/unloading other units or cargo
106
Unit is a remote-controlled drone (diabled by hostile AECM, ECM, LECM, WAT specials)
106
Door
D#
Drone
DRO
Drone Carrier Control System
DCC#
Ejection Seat
ES
Unit can control # units with DRO special
106
Unit equipped with ejection system that may save pilot
106
Electronic Countermeasures
ECM
Blocks hostile LPRB, PRB and C3 specials within 12' diamater
Elementary or Fuel Cell Engine
EE/FC
Unit uses a non-fusion engine type; environment restrictions may apply
46-47 47
Energy
ENE
Unit has little to no ammo-dependent weapons; immune to Ammo Hit critical
Engineering
ENG
Unit can clear rubble and woods hexes
106
21, 47 106
Environmental Sealing
SEAL
Unit may operate in hostile environments
Extended Mechanized
XMEC
Enables Mechanized Infantry rules with any ’Mech or Vehicle unit
47
FR
Unit ignores fire and attacks using Heat (HT#) special
47
FF
Unit capable of extinguishing fires within 2' radius
107
Fire Resistant Firefighter Flak
SPECIAL ABILITIES
ARTX-# AC#/#/#/#
FLK#/#/#/#
Unit may still inflict # damage against airborne units on missed attacks
47 107
Flight Deck
FD
Unit may launch or recover fighers and VTOLs
Heat
HT#
Attacks from this unit generate # heat to target in addition to damage
HELI
Unit may launch or recover VTOLs
107
Unit may make an a special bonus attack with # iNarc beacons
107
Unit can fire over intervening terrain
47
Unit delivers +1 physical attack damage, but with +2 to-hit modifier
47
Helipad iNarc Indirect Fire Industrial TSM
INARC# IF# I-TSM
21, 47
Large
Abbr.
Effect Summary
Page
IT#
Unit can carry up to # tons of infantry units
47
LG
Unit is considered large sized (fills 2' radius)
107
Light Active Probe
LPRB
Adds to the range of sensor spotting and reveals hidden units up to 12' away
107
Light ECM
LECM
Blocks hostile LPRB, PRB and C3 specials within 2' diamater
47
Light TAG
LTAG
Unit can designate targets within Short range for artillery attacks
107
Long-Range Missiles Maglev ’Mech Transport Mechanized Melee Mimetic Armor Systems Mine Dispenser Minesweeper Missile Mobile Headquarters Mountain Troops Narc Missile Beacon
LRM#/#/#/#
Unit delivers # damage with its LRM weapons; can use alternate LRM ammo
107
MAG
Unit is a rail-based vehicle restricted to maglev rails
107
MT#
Unit can transport and drop # 'Mech units
107
Battle Armor unit may ride on 'Mech or vehicle units with OMNI special
47
MECH MEL MAS/LMAS
Unit delivers +1 physical attack damage
21, 47
Attacks against this unit suffer additional to-hit modifiers based on its movement
48
MDS#
Unit may deploy # 1-point density minefields
107
MSW
Unit can clear minefields
107
Unit delivers # damage with capital or sub-capital missile weapons
107
MSL#/#/#/# MHQ# MTN CNARC#/ SNARC#
Unit provides battlefield intelligence capability
107
Enables infantry to climb 2' elevations per 1' ground travel
107
Unit may make an a special bonus attack with # compact/standard Narc beacons
107-108
Off -Road
ORO
This support unit may move off-road as a combat unit
48
Omni
OMNI
Omni-unit; 'Mech and vehicle omnis can carry 1 unit with MEC or XMEC specials
48
Overheat Long
OVL
Unit can use Overheat ability at Long Range bracket
Paratroopers
PAR
Enables infantry deployment from airborne units as jump infantry
21, 48 108
Point Defense
PNT#
Impedes or destroys incoming damage from MSL special
108
ProtoMech Transport
PT#
Unit can transport and drop # ProtoMech units
108
Rail
RAIL
Unit is a rail-based vehicle restricted to conventional train rails
108
Reactive Armor
RCA
Unit is resistant to damage from ARTX, BOMB, IF, LRM, MSL, and SRM specials
108
Recon
RCN
Unit provides battlefield intelligence capability
108
Reflective Armor
RFA
Unit is resistant to damage from ENE or Heat specials; susceptible to ARTX, BOMB
108
Remote Sensors Dispenser
RSD#
Unit may deploy up to # remote sensors
108
Saw
SAW
Unit can clear woods hexes
108
Searchlight
SRCH
Unit eliminates modifiers for night combat
Short Range Missiles
SRM#/#
Space Craft Transport
ST#
Space Defense System
SDS-X#
Space Ops Adaptation Stealth
Unit delivers # damage with its SRM weapons; can use alternate SRM ammo
108 108-109
Unit can transport, launch, and recover # small craft
109
Unit can deliver # damage to large aerospace units with X-type weapons
109
SOA
Unit is equipped for operation in vacuum
109
STL
Attacks against this unit suffer additional to-hit modifiers based on its range
48
Unit has non-missile sub-capital weapons
109
Sub-Capital
SCAP
Super Large
SLG
Unit is considered super-large sized (fills 6+' radius)
109
Target Acquisition Gear
TAG
Unit can designate targets within Short and Medium range for artillery attacks
109
Unit may make an a special bonus attack with # taser weapons
109
Taser Torpedo Trenchworks Engineers Triple-Strength Myomer Turret
BTAS#/MTAS# TOR#/#/# TRN TSM TUR #/#/#
Unit may make a separate underwater attack
48
Unit can fortify terrain in a 2' radius area
109
Additional Move and +1 physical attack damage when unit is 1+ on heat scale
48
Unit has one or more turrets with 360° field of fire and extra attacks
48
Underwater Maneuvering Unit
UMU
Unit is capable of underwater movement as a submersible
48
Variable Range Targeting
VRT
Enables cycling through different targeting and tracking modes
109
Vehicle Transport
VTX#
Unit can transport and deploy # vehicle units of X size
109
Very Large
VLG
Unit is considered very-large sized (fills 4' radius)
109
VSTOL
Enables shorter take-off and landing areas
109
WAT
Unit has combined LPRB and LECM specials
48
VSTOL Watchdog
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Special Ability Infantry Transport
PAGE 165
alpha strike Special Abilities table
PAGE 166
Movement Cost Table Terrain Type
p. 14
To-hit modifiers table
Movement Cost
RANGE MODIFIERS
1”
Range
Distance
Modifier
Rough/Rubble
+1”
Short
Up to 6”
+0
Woods
+1”
Medium
>6” to 24”
+2
Water
+1”
Long
>24” to 42”
+4
Clear
Level Changes (up or down) Per 1” elevation
+1” (max 2” per 1” travelled)
ALPHA strike range table Distance
Range
Up to 6”
Short
Over 6” and up to 24”
Medium
Over 24” and up to 42”
Long
p. 16
TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1
p. 16
Target’s Available MP
Modifier
0-4”
+0
5”-8”
+1
9”-12”
+2
13”-18”
+3
19”-34”
+4
35”+
+5
Jump Capable
+1
TERRAIN MODIFIERS
Determining Critical Hits table 2d6 Roll
Effect
2
Ammo Hit
3
Engine Hit
4
Fire Control Hit
5
No Critical Hit
6
Weapon Hit
7
MP Hit
8
Weapon Hit
9
No Critical Hit
10
p. 18
Terrain
Modifier
Woods
+22
Partial Cover
+2
PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS Physical Attack Type
Modifier
Charge
+2
Death From Above
+3
Melee
+1
Standard
+0
TARGET MODIFIERS
Fire Control Hit
Target
Modifier
11
Engine Hit
Is Shutdown/Immobile
–4
12
Unit Destroyed
MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS Attacker
INTRODUCTORY RULES
Charge Damage table Unit Size
Multiply Move by
1
.25
2
.50
3
.75
4
1
p. 19
Death from Above: Add +1 damage for Death from Above (DFA) attack
Modifier
Fire Control Hit
+23
Overheated
+ Heat Level [1-3]4
Modifier Modifier is based on the unit’s available movement, modified by heat levels and critical hits (if applicable). For units with multiple movement modes, apply the modifier from the mode that has the highest modifier. Inches actually moved by the unit are irrelevant. 2 Modifier applies if terrain is intervening or occupied by target. 3 This modifier may apply multiple times, but does not apply to physical attacks. 4 Heat modifiers do not apply to physical attacks. 1
p. 24
p. 26
Victory Points Table
Unit Skill Rating
Point Value Multiplier
Enemy Unit Destroyed
Wet Behind the Ears
7
0.68
Friendly Unit Destroyed
–(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 1)
Really Green
6
0.77
Enemy Unit Withdrawn*
+(Withdrawn Unit’s PV x 1)
Green
5
0.86
Friendly Unit Withdrawn*
–(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 0.5)
Regular
4
1.00
Objective Occupied**
+(Objective’s Point Value x 0.25)
Veteran
3
1.38
Objective Captured**
+(Objective Point Value x 1)
Elite
2
1.82
Other Event
Heroic
1
2.24
Legendary
0
2.63
Skill Description
Event
PAGE 167
Point Value Skill Rating Table
Points Awarded +(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 2)
Varies (Players’ Choice)
*To count toward Victory Points, the unit must have withdrawn under the Forced Withdrawal rules. **Points are not awarded for occupying the same objective multiple times; do not award points for occupying an objective if it is captured.
Determining Critical Hits table 2d6
’Mech*
ProtoMech**
Vehicle
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Ammo Hit Engine Hit Fire Control Hit No Critical Hit Weapon Hit MP Hit Weapon Hit No Critical Hit Fire Control Hit Engine Hit Unit Destroyed
Weapon Hit Weapon Hit Fire Control Hit MP Hit No Critical Hit MP Hit No Critical Hit MP Hit Unit Destroyed Weapon Hit Weapon Hit
Ammo Hit Crew Stunned Fire Control Hit Fire Control Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit Weapon Hit Weapon Hit Crew Killed Engine Hit
*Roll twice for critical hits on IndustrialMechs, and apply both critical hits. **ProtoMech critical hit effects must be tracked separately for individual ProtoMechs.
p. 41
Unit Movement Mode Table Movement Mode
p. 31
Movement Code
Vehicles Hover
h
Naval
n
Submersible
s
Tracked
t
VTOL
v
Wheeled
w
Wheeled (bicycle)
w(b)
Wheeled (monocycle)
w(m)
WiGE
g
Infantry
Motive Systems Damage table Unit Motive Type
2D6 Roll Modifier
Tracked/Naval
+0
Wheeled/Hovercraft
+1
VTOL/WiGE
+2
2D6 Roll
Motive Effects
f
Jump
j
Motorized
m
Individual ProtoMech Values table Value (Point)
Value (Individual)
0
0
2-8
No Effect
1 to 7
1
9-10
–2” Move*
8 to 12
2
11
–50% Move*
13 to 17
3
12+
Unit Immobilized
18 to 22
4
23+
5
*To a minimum of 0” Move; round fractions down
p. 39
STANDARD RULES
Foot p. 42
PAGE 168
p. 30
movement cost table Terrain Type
Move Cost per Inch
Base Move
Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
1”
—
Clear
+0”1
Naval
Paved/Road/Bridge
+0”2
Naval
Rough
+1”
Naval, Wheeled
Rubble
+1”
Naval
Woods
+1”3
Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4
Surface Only
+0”
All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5
Depth 0”-1”
+0”
Ground, Infantry6
Depth 2”-3”
+1”
7
Ground, InfantryF, IndustrialMechs8
Depth 4+”
+6”
7
Ground, InfantryF, IndustrialMechs8
Water
Level Changes (up or down)9 Per 1” elevation
+1” (’Mechs, ProtoMechs)
Per 1” elevation
+1” (VTOLs in Air)
Per 1” depth
+1” (Submarines in Water)
Per 1” elevation
+2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles)
Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash. 1 +1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 2 All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain. 3 Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”). 4 Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 5 Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”. 6 Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability. 7 This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement. 8 IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability. 9 Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation changes over 2” per 1” travelled
STANDARD RULES
Unit Types Key ’Mechs
Includes BattleMechs and IndustrialMechs
ProtoMechs
ProtoMech units only
Infantry
Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
Vehicles
Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
Air
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL or WiGE movement types
Ground
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
Naval
Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
Hover
Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
Sub
Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
Tracked
Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only
VTOL
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL movement type only
Wheeled
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
WiGE
Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
Aerospace
Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
TERRAIN MODIFIERS
RANGE MODIFIERS Range
PAGE 169
p. 37
To-hit modifiers table Distance
Modifier
Terrain
Modifier +14
Short
Up to 6”
+0
Underwater
Medium
>6” to 24”
+2
Woods
+25
Long
>24” to 42”
+4
Partial Cover
+2
PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS
TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1 Target’s Available MP
Modifier
Physical Attack Type
Modifier
0-4”
+0
Standard
+0
5”-8”
+1
Melee
+1 +2
9”-12”
+2
Charge
13”-18”
+3
Death From Above
+3
19”-34”
+4
Anti-’Mech Infantry
+1
35”+
+5
Jump Capable
+1
MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS Attacker
TARGET MODIFIERS Target
Modifier
Has Stealth Armor
Varies
Is Shutdown/Immobile
–4
Is Dropping Unit
+3
2
TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS Target Element Type
Modifier
+16
Attacker is a Drone
+1
Attacker is IndustrialMech with: No AFC special
+17
Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
+07
Attacker is Support Vehicle with: Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
+07
Basic Fire Control (BFC)
+17
No AFC or BFC special
+27
Airborne Aerospace
+2
Fire Control Hit (per hit)
Airborne VTOL or WiGE
+1
Overheating
Battle Armor
+1
Spotting for Indirect Fire
DropShip
–2
Anti-’Mech Infantry
3
Modifier
Attacking Indirectly
+27 +Heat Level (1-3)8 +19
Large (LG, VLG, or SLG special)
–1
Attacker is Conventional Infantry
+3
ProtoMech
+1
Target transporting battle armor
+310
Modifier is based on available movement modified by heat level and critical hits, if applicable. Inches movement is irrelevant. This modifier does not apply to aerospace units. For battle armor targets, Stealth adds +1 at Short and Medium ranges, and +2 at Long range. For all other units, Stealth adds +0 at Short range, +1 at Medium range, and +2 at Long range. 3 Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, conventional fighters, small craft and DropShips. Only applies when target is airborne. Do not apply if attacker is also an airborne aerospace unit. 4 Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved. 5 Target has intervening or occupied Woods terrain. 6 If the spotting unit makes a weapon attack in the same turn as it spots, apply a +2 modifier instead. 7 Fire Control hit effects may apply multiple times. Does not apply to Physical attacks. 9 Not cumulative with the Attacking Indirectly modifier. 10 Applies if target is transporting battle armor as cargo, or using mechanized/extended mechanized infantry specials 1
STANDARD RULES
2
PAGE 170
Aerospace To-hit modifiers table RANGE MODIFIERS
p. 57
Advanced Movement Mode Costs table
AEROSPACE ATTACK MODIFIERS
Range
Modifier
Attacker
Modifier
Short
+0
Altitude Bombing
+3
Terrain Type
Medium
+2
Dive Bombing
+2
Long
+4
Strafing
+4
Extreme
+6
Striking
+2
TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS Target Element Type
Modifier
Airborne Aerospace
+2*
Airborne DropShip
–2
Airborne VTOL or WiGE
+1
Small Craft
–1
*Apply only if attacker is not an airborne aerospace unit. Airborne aerospace also includes fixedwing support vehicles, conventional fighters, small craft, and DropShips. **Fire Control critical hits may apply multiple times.
Condition
MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS Modifier
Attacker is a Drone
+1
Attacker is Grounded DropShip
–2
Attacker is Tailing the Target
–2
Move Cost per Inch
Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
Climbing (per inch climbed)
+2”
Vehicles, Aerospace Units, Battle Armor*
Evading
+0”
—
Leaping
4Ӡ
All except ’Mechs and ProtoMechs
Intentional Fall
2Ӡ
All except ’Mechs, ProtoMechs, and Ground Vehicles
Sprinting
+0”‡
Aerospace Units, Naval, VTOL
Attacker is Support Vehicle with: Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
+0
Basic Fire Control (BFC)
+1
No AFC or BFC special
+2
Fire Control Hit (per hit) Overheating
+2** +Heat Level (1-3)
*Battle armor with the AM special ability may also use Climbing movement. † Unit suffers 1 damage per 6” fallen (or fraction thereof) (see Leaping and Intentional Falls, p. 63). ‡ Multiply unit’s current ground Move by 1.5, rounding up (see Sprinting, p. 63).
Advanced Target Movement Modifiers table
p. 54
Aerospace Unit Movement Mode table Movement Mode
Movement Code
Aerodyne
a
Airship
i
Spheroid
p
Advanced Movement Type
Determining Critical Hits table 2d6
Aerospace*
DropShip**
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Fuel Hit Fire Control Hit Engine Hit Weapon Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit No Critical Hit Weapon Hit Engine Hit Fire Control Hit Crew Killed
KF Boom Hit Docking Collar Hit No Critical Hit Fire Control Hit Weapon Hit Thruster Hit Weapon Hit Door Hit No Critical Hit Engine Hit Crew Hit
*Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, airships and conventional fighters. **Includes small craft.
To-Hit Modifier
Climbing
*
Sprinting
–1**
Evading (Evading Unit’s Skill)
p. 58
ABSTRACT AEROSPACE RULES
p. 63
Skill 6-8
+1
Skill 5
+2
Skill 4-3
+3
Skill 2-1
+4
*Treat Climbing unit as if it has half its normal Ground Move, with no jump. **Use the unit’s Sprinting Move for the base target movement modifier.
p. 72
Landing Roll Modifiers table Condition
Modifier
Operating in Atmosphere
+2
Thruster Hit Damage
+4
No Thrust or Shutdown
+6
Inappropriate Landing Area*
+2
Landing Area is Paved
–2
*This condition applies if the landing area includes any change in elevation, includes any structures or terrains other than clear or paved, or is too short or small for the unit’s needs.
Base Move Clear Paved/Road/Bridge Woods Light Heavy Ultra-Heavy Water Surface Only Depth 0”-1” Depth 2”-3” Depth 4”-10” Depth 11+” Rapids Level Changes (up or down)10 Per 1” elevation Per 1” elevation Per 1” depth Per 1” elevation Buildings Light Medium Heavy Hardened Deep Snow Gravel Piles Hazardous Liquid Pool Heavy Industrial Ice Jungle Light Heavy Ultra-Heavy Magma Crust Liquid Mud Planted Fields Rail Rough Ultra Rough Rubble Ultra Rubble Sand Swamp Tundra
Move Cost per Inch
Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
1” +0”1 +0”2
— Naval, Rail Naval, Rail
+1”3 +2”3 +3”
Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4 Vehicles All except Infantry
+0” +0” +1”7 +6”7 +8”7, 9 +1”
All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5 Ground, Infantry6, Ground, Infantry6, IndustrialMechs8 Ground, Infantry6, IndustrialMechs8 Ground, Infantry6, IndustrialMechs8 As Water of appropriate Depth
+1” (’Mechs, ProtoMechs) +1” (VTOLs in Air) +1” (Submarines in Water) +2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles) +1”11 +2”11 +3”11 +4”11 +1”12 +1”12 As Water12 +0”/+1”13 +1”12
Air, Naval, Rail Air, Naval, Rail Air, Naval, Rail Air, Naval, Rail Wheeled Naval, Rail As Water Naval, Rail Naval
+2” +3” +4”
Vehicles Vehicles All except Infantry
+0”12 +1”12 +1”12 +0” +0”/+1”14 +1” +2” +1” +2” +0”/+1”12, 15 +1”/+2”12, 16 +0”12
Infantry, Naval, Rail, Wheeled All except ’Mechs Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval Naval, Rail, Wheeled Naval, Rail, Wheeled Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval, Rail Naval, Rail
ADVANCED OPTIONS
Terrain Type
p. 68
PAGE 171
Advanced Terrain movement cost table
PAGE 172
Advanced Terrain movement cost table (Continued)
p. 69
Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash. 1 +1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 2 All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain. 3 Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”). 4 Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 5 Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”. 6 Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability. 7 This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement. 8 IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability. 9 Non-submarine units at this depth (including units with UMU special) may suffer damage. See Water (Expanded) (p. 67). 10 Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation changes over 2” per 1” travelled unless using Advanced Movement Modes (see p. 62). 11 Infantry units do not pay any additional Move cost for Buildings; ProtoMechs pay only +1” Move for all Buildings 12 Units in this terrain type may bog down and/or suffer damage. See specific terrain rules. 13 Only ’Mech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +0” Move cost. 14 Rail units in this terrain must move along the rail and pay +0” Move cost. All other units apply the +1” Move cost. 15 Only infantry units and wheeled units without the Dune Buggy (DUN) special apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain. 16 Only ’Mech and ProtoMech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +2” Move cost. Unit Types Key ’Mechs
Includes BattleMechs and IndustrialMechs
ProtoMechs
ProtoMech units only
Infantry
Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
Vehicles
Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
Air
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL or WiGE movement types
Ground
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
Naval
Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
Hover
Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
Rail
Combat or support vehicles with rail movement type only
Sub
Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
Tracked
Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only
VTOL
Combat or support vehicles with VTOL movement type only
Wheeled
Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
WiGE
Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
ADVANCED OPTIONS
Aerospace
Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
Advanced Terrain Modifiers Terrain
Distance Modifier
Underwater
+1*
Woods (per 2”) Light
+1
Heavy
+2
Ultra-Heavy
+3
Buildings
**
Heavy Industrial
+1
p. 74
Off-Board Artillery Flight Time table Flight Time (turns)
34” 90” 170” 240” 300” 340”
0 1* 2* 3* 4* 5*
*Cruise Missiles (ART-CM#) compute their flight times as 1 + (Distance/170”) turns.
Jungle (per 2”) Light
+1
Heavy
+2
Ultra-Heavy
+1†
Is Bogged Down
To-Hit Modifier
Situation
Target Movement Modifiers Target
Modifier ‡
*Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved. **Buildings block Light of Sight, providing either partial or full cover as a hill of equivalent size. † Apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier if target is an Infantry unit. ‡ Treat bogged down target as if it has a Target Movement Modifier of +0.
p. 75
Artillery To-Hit Modifiers table
+3
Planted Fields (per 4”)
Direct-Fire Artillery
+4
Indirect-Fire Artillery
+7
Each successive shot at the same target POI*
–1
Friendly unit acting as spotter when attack fired
–1
Spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH
–2
Spotter has RCN**
–1
Spotter made an attack during spotting turn
+1
*Applies only if a spotter has LOS to the target POI in the turn in which the attack is resolved. **Do not apply this modifier if the spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH.
p. 73
Artillery Range and Damage table Artillery Name
Special
Max Range
Damage
Arrow IV (IS)
ART-AIS
90”
3(2)
2” (NA)
Arrow IV (Clan)
ART-AC
100”
3(2)
2” (NA)
ART-T
240”
2
2”
Sniper
ART-S
200”
3
4”
Long Tom
ART-LT
340”
5/2
6”
Cruise Missile/50
ART-CM5
360”
8
2”
Cruise Missile/70
ART-CM7
1000”
11/2
6”
Cruise Missile/90
ART-CM9
1360”
16/6
8”
Cruise Missile/120
ART-CM12
1700”
22/14
6”
ART-TC
42”
1
2”
Thumper
Area of Effect
Artillery Cannons Thumper Cannon
PAGE 173
p. 70
Sniper Cannon
ART-SC
42”
2
2”
Long Tom Cannon
ART-LTC
42”
3
2”
ADVANCED OPTIONS
Advanced Terrain To-Hit Modifiers table
PAGE 174
p. 81
Alternate Munitions Table Weapon
To-Hit Modifier
Damage
Required Special Ability
Artillery Air-Defense Arrow IV Cluster Copperhead
*
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
*
See Rules
Flechette
+0
See Rules
ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
Illumination
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
Inferno IV
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC
Smoke
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC, ART-T, ART-S, ART-LT
Thunder or Thunder-Active
+0
See Rules
ART-AIS, ART-AC
Armor Piercing
+1
+0*
AC
Flak
–2
+0*
AC
Flechette
+0
+0*
AC
Precision
+0/–2*
+1/0*
AC
*
+0
AC
Autocannon
Tracer Bombs Air-to-Air Arrow IV
+0*
2
BOMB
Arrow IV
+0
+0
BOMB
Inferno (Advanced Rules)
+0
+0
BOMB
Laser-Guided
–2*
2
BOMB
Light Air-to-Air Arrow
+0*
1
BOMB
Rocket Launcher
+0*
+1
BOMB
TAG
+2
NA
BOMB
Thunder
+0
Mines
BOMB
Torpedo
+0*
+0
BOMB
Narc/iNarc ECM
+0
+0*
INARC
Explosive
+0
*
CNARC, SNARC, INARC
Haywire
+0
+0*
INARC LRM, SRM
LRM/SRM +0/–2*
+1/+0*
Inferno
Heat-Seeking
+0
*
SRM
Magnetic Pulse
+0
+0*
LRM, SRM LRM, SRM
Mine Clearance
+0
+0*
+0/–2*
+1/+0*
LRM
Smoke
+0
+0*
LRM, SRM
Swarm/Swarm-I
+0
+0*
LRM
Tandem Charge
+0
+0*
SRM
Thunder
+0
*
LRM
Semi-Guided
ADVANCED OPTIONS
*See Item rules.
Building Type
Move Cost per Inch*
Weight Capacity (per 1” height)
CF Range (Default)
Damage Absorption* Infantry Non-Infantry
PAGE 175
p. 84
Alpha Strike Buildings table
Collapse Damage (per each 4” height)
Light
+1”
1-5 (5)
1
2
1
1
Medium
+2”
6-15 (12)
2
4
2
2
Heavy
+3”
16-30 (25)
3
6
3
3
Hardened
+4”
31-50 (40)
4
8
4
4
*No additional Move cost for Infantry (including battle armor); ProtoMechs Move cost in buildings is +1”, regardless of type **See Attacking Units inside Buildings (p. 85)
Battlefield Intelligence Rating table
p. 83
Atmospheric Condition
BI Rating Points
Item in Player’s Force Each ground unit with the Recon (RCN) special ability
2
Each non-DropShip aerospace unit
1
Each non-DropShip aerospace unit with the Recon special ability
2
Each DropShip
2
Each point of MHQ special ability
1
p. 89
Visual Spotting Range Table Maximum Range
Pitch Black
2”
Night, Moonless Night, Blizzard
4”
Fog, Blowing Sand
6”
Dusk, Dawn, Rain (Torrential)
10”
Rain, Snow
14”
Normal Daylight
40”
Unit Heights Table Unit Type
Height
BattleMechs/IndustrialMechs
2”
Superheavy ’Mechs
3”
ProtoMechs, Vehicles, Infantry, Fighters
1”
Submarines
1”
Large (LG) Support Vehicles, Small Craft
2”
Modifier
Very Large (VLG) Support Vehicles
3”
+2
Super Large (SLG) Support Vehicles
4”
Aerodyne DropShips
5”
CAP or SDS-C vs. Small Target**
+5
Spheroid DropShips
10”
SCAP or SDS-SC vs. Small Target**
+3
Capital and Sub-Capital Weapon To-Hit Modifiers Situation Attacking in Atmosphere*
p. 87
Airborne Attack Modifiers
MSL or SDS-CM vs. Small Target**
+0
Point Defense (1 damage)†
+1
Point Defense (2+ damage)
†
Auto-Fail
Mobile Structures
Variable
Note: Airborne units, including VTOLs, are automatically revealed if a LOS can be traced to their current altitude
Air-to-Ground Attack (from Central Zone)
+0
Air-to-Ground Attack (from any other zone)
+3
Surface-to-Surface Attack (Non-Stationary)
+2
Ground Target designated by friendly TAG
–2
*If Atmospheric Pressure rules are used, +0 for Thin, Trace, or Vacuum **Small Targets include all units that do not possess LG, VLG, or SLG specials † Point defense only affects MSL or SDS-CM attacks
ADVANCED OPTIONS
Ground Attack Modifiers
PAGE 176
p. 120
Alpha Strike Campaign Support Point Tables Equipment Repairs, Purchases, and Rearming Table Activity
SP Cost
Repairs ’Mech or Fighter Armor ’Mech or Fighter Structure ProtoMech Armor and Structure Battle Armor Unit DropShip Armor and Structure Vehicle/Other Armor Vehicle/Other Structure Purchases ’Mech or Fighter ProtoMech Battle Armor Unit Vehicle/Other Rearming Standard Rules Ammunition Advanced Options Ammunition (see p. 76)
10 per point* 20 per point* 25 per point 3 per point 20 per point* 5 per point* 10 per point* Size x 250** Size x 50** 200* Size x 100** 10 50
*Multiply SP cost by 2 for Clan technology units **Size is the Size class of the unit desired; 1 = Light, 2 = Medium, 3 = Heavy, 4 = Assault (2x if LG, 4x if VLG, 8x if SLG)
Personnel Hiring and Healing Table Activity
SP Cost
Hiring MechWarrior or Fighter Pilot ProtoMech Pilot (clan only) Battle Armor Squad/Point DropShip Crew Vehicle/Small Craft Crew Conventional Infantry Unit (Foot) Conventional Infantry Unit (Motorized) Conventional Infantry Unit (Jump) Healing MechWarrior or Fighter Pilot DropShip/Other Crew Vehicle/Small Craft Crew Conventional Infantry Unit (Any)
200* 150* 500 60 per point**
Note: All new hires to a player’s force are treated as Green (Skill rating 5), unless SP is spent on Skill advancement up front. *Multiply SP cost by 2 for Clan units **Healing infantry repairs damage to unit, so cost is based on points of armor/structure in the unit.
Skill Advancement Table Activity Improve MechWarrior or Fighter Pilot Skill Improve ProtoMech Unit Skill Improve Vehicle Crew Skill Improve DropShip Crew Skill Improve Battle Armor Unit Skill Improve Conventional Infantry Unit Skill
SP Cost* 200 400 100 1,000 800 500
Note: All Skill improvements decrease the unit’s base Skill rating by 1, to a minimum of 0. *Multiply SP cost by 3x if the unit did not take part in the previous track.
CAMPAIGN RULES
30* 500 25* 200 60 100 200 300