June 2014 Schedule

BATTLETECH NIGHTS, CATALYST GAME LABS

DATE/TIME	GM	DETAILS	VENUE
06/06 - 6:30p East Lansing	Chuck Wilson	Star League Era: Star League vs. Rim Worlds Army (Alpha Strike Rules)	REP
6/14 - 11a Grand Rapids	Jeff Stone	'Mechs, Munchies & Mayhem (Total War Rules)	BKG
06/27 - 6:30p East Lansing	Aaron Pollyea	Dark Age Era: Filtvelt Coalition and Brotherhood of Randis vs Tortuga Dominion (Total War Rules)	REP

DATE/TIME	DETAILS	VENUE
Every Thursday night in June 6p - 11p Grand Rapids	Big Kidz Games Battletech Pods Regulars Night $10 all night play. Unlimited play for one low price.	BKG

(REP: Replay Entertainment Exchange, BKG: Big Kidz Games, RIW: RIW Hobbies, VWE: Virtual World Entertainment, OHG: Our House Games, WGN: WarGames North, AFK: AFK Games, GMH: Game Masters Hobby, NI: Nostalgia Ink, ODG: Odyssey Games)

Rules standardization for Battletech games in games run by Charles "IronSphinx" Wilson at Replay Entertainment Exchange.

Rules standardization for Battletech - Total War ruleset

Since we have been using Advanced rules on-and-off for the past few years, I would like to codify and standardize what rules players can expect to use at my Battletech games. All the following rules, save one, can be found in Tactical Operations:

Backward Movement (Expanded) [changing levels while walking/driving backwards] (p.22)

Movement Dice [white=walk, red=run, jade=jump, blue=level] (p.27)

Floating Critical (p.77)

Firing When Down [one-arm prop and fire] (p.85)

Expanded Flip Arms [torso-twist AND flip arms at the same time] (p.87)

Rapid Fire AC [light and std AC's can double fire] (p.100)

Energy Weapons [dialing down lasers] (p.102)

Gauss Weapons [powering-down gauss rifles] (p.102)

Rapid Fire Machine Guns [higher rate of fire] (p.102)

Hot-Load Missiles [no minimum on LRM/ATM] (p.102)

Disengage PPC Inhibitor [no minimum on PPC] (p.103)

Retractable Blade [possible critical hit] (p.104)

The following rule is a "house" rule and is used simply to ensure that the entire mapsheets are available for use:

1/2-hexes and 1/4-hexes are to be treated like full-sized hexes for purposes of gameplay.

Note: If there is any question about the disposition of the underlying terrain, then the GameMaster will have sole discretion for deciding what said terrain is (if the "majority terrain" rule doesn't resolve the disposition of said hex).

While I may add special rules that are specific to the scenario, these rules are what players can expect to be used in every game that I run. Please take the time to review said rules and bring any and all questions to the GameMaster "before" the game begins. In future games, I will bring a copy of these rules for quick reference.

Rules standardization for Battletech - Alpha Strike ruleset

While we play Alpha Strike using the Advanced Ruleset (p22-49), the following "Advanced Options" rules will also be "in play" for our Alpha Strike ruleset games:

Advanced Movement Modes (all modes)

Artillery

Alternate Munitions

ECM/ECCM

Ejection/Abandoning units

Fire and Smoke

Hidden Units

Minefields

Special Abilities

All other rules found in the Advanced Options will be implemented on a case-by-case basis depending on whether or not they are applicable to the scenario or units.

The following rules are "house" rules and are used to promote better game balance along with promoting a greater flavor of the Battletech universe that most players are already used to:

Bipedal BattleMechs can torso twist one hex facing left or right, Quad ‘Mechs cannot.

Jumping defense modifier only applies if you jumped in the movement phase of that turn

Jumping unit receives a +1 to hit modifier if they jumped during the movement phase of that turn.

Instead of rolling one set of dice for to-hit rolls, players roll a set of dice for each damage point their unit does at the range for the specified attack. Note: attacking from the rear still does an extra point of damage, however this extra point does not have to be rolled for--so long as at least one shot hits the target, you get the extra one point automatically as per standard AS rules.
Exa: if I'm making a short range attack and my unit does 3 points of damage at short range, then I roll three sets of six sided dice. If I'm making a short range attack that would strike the rear of my target and at least one of my rolls is successful, I apply the extra point of damage.

Physical attacks only require one 2D6 dice roll and apply all damage to target.