BattleTech Master Rules, Revised Edition

BattleTech Master Rules, Revised.jpg
BattleTech Master Rules, Revised
Product information
Type Rulebook
Development Randall N. Bills
Primary writing Jordan K. Weisman
L. Ross Babcock III
Sam Lewis
Pages 176
Cover Artwork Mark Zug
John Bridegroom (design)
Illustrations Earl Geier
Mike Jackson
Scott James
Jeff Laubenstein
John Paul Lona
Kevin Long
Dave Martin
Chris Moeller
Jim Nelson
Mike Nielsen
Allen Nunis
Matthew Plog
Loston Wallace
Matt Wilson
Publication information
Publisher FASA
FanPro (reprints)
Product code 1707 (FASA edition)
10984, 35000, 35020 (FanPro editions)
First published 2001
2002 (softcover reprint)
2004 (hardcover reprints)
ISBN-10 1555604994
ISBN-13 978-1555604998
MSRP Depending on printing/edition:
  • $22.00 (FASA edition)
  • $24.99 (FanPro softcover edition)
  • $34.99 (FanPro hardcover edition)
  • n/a (FanPro limited edition)
Content
Preceded by BattleTech Master Rules
Followed by Total Warfare


Description[edit]

One of the final FASA products to be published, the 2001 BattleTech Master Rules, Revised Edition rulebook superseded the 1998 BattleTech Master Rules as the principal rulebook for general boardgame BattleTech play in its time. Despite the altered cover and revised content, it retained the earlier rulebook's product number (FASA #1707) but had a different ISBN. It was in turn eventually superseded by the Total Warfare rulebook in 2006.

Notably, there are (at least) four different versions of this book, with different covers and product numbers:

  • The first printing, FASA product code 1707, ISBN 1555604994, was a softcover book that came out in 2001, the year FASA closed its doors.
  • FanPro LLC, upon having acquired the license to what was now branded "Classic BattleTech", republished it for a second printing as a Classic BattleTech softcover book in 2002, with the FanPro product number 10984 and a new ISBN (1932564454).
  • A third printing, called "Corrected Third Printing, second printing by FanPro LLC" in the imprint, was a 2004 hardcover book with yet another new product code (FanPro 35000).
  • Also in 2004, 1000 numbered copies of a "leatherbound" limited hardcover edition were produced to celebrate BattleTech's 20th anniversary, with product code 35020.

From the back cover[edit]

THE FUTURE OF WARFARE IS HERE!

Welcome to the 31st century, a time of endless wars that rage across the known universe. These epic conflicts are won and lost by BattleMechs, 30-foot-tall, humanoid titans of metal bristling with high-intensity lasers, rapid-fire autocannon and dozens of other lethal weapons; enough firepower to level entire city blocks. Your elite force of MechWarriors drives these juggernauts into battle, blasting at your opponent's 'Mechs in a deadly game of kill or be killed. Will they become instant legends, or forgotten casualties? Only your skill and luck will determine their fate.

Drawing on years of experience, this book combines the best of the BatteTech board game into a unified whole. BattleTech Master Rules is entirely restructured and streamlined; it is the same game, but like you've never seen it before. This book includes the complete game rules, a quick-and-easy scenario creation system, the Battle Value point system for evaluating 'Mechs and balancing forces and revised and expanded miniatures rules. This revised edition of BattleTech Master Rules has been updated to incorporate all level 2 weapons and units presented in various technical readouts and Field Manuals.

Contents[edit]

  • INTRODUCTION
  • COMPONENTS
    • Units
    • Record Sheets
      • BattleMech Record Sheet
      • ProtoMech Record Sheet
      • Vehicle Record Sheet
      • Battle Armor Record Sheet
      • Infantry Record Sheet
    • Mapsheets
      • Clear
      • Light Woods
      • Heavy Woods
      • Rough
      • Water
      • Pavement
      • Roads
      • Bridges
    • Counters
      • Light Buildings
      • Medium Buildings
      • Heavy Buildings
      • Hardened Buildings
      • Bridges
      • Rubble
      • Fire
      • Smoke
    • Dice
  • PLAYING THE GAME
    • Sequence of Play
      • Initiative Phase
      • Movement Phase
      • Weapon Attack Phase
      • Physical Attack Phase
      • Heat Phase
      • End Phase
      • Unequal Numbers of units
    • Warriors
      • Skills
      • Skill Improvement
      • Damaging a MechWarrior
      • Consciousness Rolls
  • MOVEMENT
    • Movement Basics
      • Movement Direction
    • Facing
      • Facing Change
    • Movements Modes
      • Standing Still
      • Walking
      • Running
      • Jumping
    • Movement Actions
      • Facing Change
      • Dropping to the Ground
      • Standing Up
    • Stacking
      • Accidental Violation
    • Pavement Movement
      • Bridge Movement
      • Skidding
    • Piloting Skill Rolls
      • Making Piloting Skill Rolls
      • Falling
  • COMBAT
    • Attack Declaration
      • Torso Twist/Turret
      • Rotation
    • Line of Sight
      • Elevating
      • Intervening Terrain
      • Partial Cover
      • Water Hexes
  • WEAPON ATTACKS
      • Ammunition Expenditure
    • Firing Arcs
      • Forward Arc
      • Left Side Arc
      • Right Side Arc
      • Rear Arc
      • Rotating the Firing Arcs
    • Firing Weapons
      • Base To-Hit Number
      • Modified To-Hit Number
      • To-Hit Modifiers
      • Prone BattleMechs
      • To-Hit Roll
      • Hit Location
    • Damage
      • Recording Damage
      • Damage Resolution
      • Transferring Damage
    • Critical Damage
      • BattleMech Critical Hits
      • BattleMech Critical Hits Effects
    • Destroying A Unit
      • BattleMechs
      • Vehicles
      • Infantry
  • PHYSICAL ATTACKS
    • Punch Attacks
    • Club Attacks
      • Finding a Club
      • Hatchets and Swords
    • Push Attacks
    • Kick Attacks
    • Charge Attacks
      • Damage
      • Location After Attack
      • Falls
    • Death from Above Attacks
      • Weapon Attack Phase
      • Base To-Hit Number
      • Damage to Target
      • Damage to Attacker
      • Location After Attack
      • Falls
    • Different Elevations
    • Prone BattleMechs
      • Physical Attacks by Prone BattleMechs
      • Physical Attacks against Prone BattleMechs
    • Unit Displacement
      • Accidental Falls from Above
      • Domino Effect
  • HEAT
    • Heat Points
      • Building Up Heat
      • Recording Heat Buildup
    • Effects of Heat
      • Movement Effects
      • Weapon Attack Effects
      • Shutdown Effects
      • Ammunition Effects
      • MechWarrior Effects
  • BUILDINGS
    • Building Types
      • Construction Factor
      • Building Elevation
    • Movement Effects
      • Entering Buildings
    • Combat Effects
      • Attacking Buildings
      • Attacking Units Inside Buildings
      • Combat Within Buildings
      • Collapse
    • Basements
    • Gun Emplacements
      • Turrets
  • PROTOMECHS
    • Playing the Game
    • Combat
      • Weapon Attacks
      • Hit Location
      • Damage
      • Physical Attacks
  • VEHICLES
    • Movements
      • VTOL Movement
      • Naval Movement
    • Combat
      • Naval Combat
      • VTOL Combat
  • INFANTRY
  • SPECIAL CASE
  • RULES
    • Anti-BattleMech Infantry
      • Leg Attacks
      • Swarm Attacks
    • Artillery
      • Game Setup
      • Targeting
      • Damage
      • Smoke Rounds
      • Onboard Artillery Fire
      • Arrow IV Missile Artillery System
      • Arrow IV System Munitions
    • BattleMech Lifting Capabilities
    • Cargo Carriers
    • Clearing Woods
    • Dropping Troops
      • Failed Landing Damage
      • Failed Landing Location
    • Dumping Ammunition
    • Ejecting
    • Fire
      • Accidental Fires
      • Intentional Fires
      • Effects of Fire
      • Spreading Fires
      • Smoke
    • Flak
    • Four-Legged BattleMechs
      • Construction
      • Movement
      • Combat
      • Heat
    • Hidden Units
      • Pointblank Shots from Hidden Units
    • Hostile Environments
      • Extreme Temperatures
      • Ice
      • High/Low Gravity
      • Swamp
      • Vacuum
    • Improved Positions
    • LRM Indirect Fire
    • Minefields
      • Conventional Minefields
      • Command Detonated Minefields
      • Vibrabomb Minefields
      • Clearing Minefields
    • Night Combat
      • Searchlights
    • Reversing Arms
    • Scavenging and Repair
      • Technicians
      • Diagnosis
      • Obtaining Replacement Parts
      • Scavenging
      • Repairs and Replacements
      • Customizing and Retrofits
    • Underwater Operations
      • Movement
      • Line of Sight
      • Weapon Attacks
      • Physical Attacks
      • Hull Integrity
  • MINIATURES RULES
    • Preparing Miniatures
    • Preparing Terrain
      • Clear
      • Hills
      • Trees
      • Water
      • Roads/Bridges
      • Buildings
      • Rubble
      • Rough Ground
      • Swamp
      • Smoke
    • Rules Conversions
      • Scale
      • Movement
      • Stacking
      • Piloting Skill Rolls
      • Combat
      • Artillery
  • CREATING SCENARIOS
    • General Rules
      • Number of Players
      • Setup
      • Movement and Retreat
      • Ending the Game
      • Determining Victory
    • Types of Scenarios
      • Standup Fight
      • Hide and Seek
      • Hold the Line
      • Extraction
      • Breakthrough
      • The Chase
    • Selecting Mapsheets
      • Using the Mapsheet Tables
    • Unit Generation
      • Force Composition
      • Assigning 'Mechs
      • Experience Level and Skills
      • Finishing Touches
  • CONSTRUCTION
    • BattleMech Construction
      • Design the Chassis
      • Add Other Equipment
    • ProtoMech Construction
      • Design the Chassis
      • Add Other Equipment
    • Vehicle Construction
      • `Design the Chassis
      • Add Other Equipment
    • Outfitting an OmniMech
      • Using Add-on Pods
  • EQUIPMENT
  • COSTS
    • Clan Equipment
    • BattleMech Costs
    • Infantry Costs
    • ProtoMech Costs
    • Vehicle Costs
  • BATTLE VALUE SYSTEM
    • Calculating BattleMech BV
      • Step 1: Calculate Defensive Battle Rating
      • Step 2: Calculate Offensive Battle Rating
      • Step 3: Calculate Final BV
    • Calculating Conventional Vehicle BV
      • Step 1: Calculate Defensive Battle Rating
      • Step 2: Calculate Offensive Battle Rating
      • Step 3: Calculate Final BV
    • Calculating ProtoMech BV
      • Defensive Battle Rating
      • Offensive Battle Rating
    • Infantry Weapon and Equipment Battle Value
    • Skill/Experience Level Multipliers
  • RULES CHANGES
    • Playing the Game
    • Movement
    • Weapon Attacks
    • Physical Attacks
    • Heat
    • Buildings
    • Vehicles
    • Infantry
    • Special Case Rules
    • Construction
    • Equipment

Notes[edit]

  • In the imprint of the first edition (FASA #1707) of BattleTech Master Rules, Revised, Les Dorscheid was erroneously credited for the cover art. This was apparently a holdover from the original (unrevised) book where Les Dorscheid had indeed created the cover art. Subsequent reprint editions of the revised edition by FanPro correctly credited the cover art to Mark Zug, instead.
  • FanPro published an errata document, dated 1 October 2004, for the 1st (FASA #1707) and 2nd (FanPro #10984) printing of this book. These errata are all worked into the corrected third printing (FanPro #35000).
  • In line with established practice on the Sarna.net BattleTechWiki, the Infobox template going with this product article displays the cover image and ISBN codes of (only) the first printing, not of subsequent printings. The template does not allow for several images or ISBN to be included.