Technical Readout: 3050

TRO 3050.JPG
Technical Readout: 3050
Product information
Type Technical Readout
Development Sam Lewis
Donna Ippolito (Senior Editor)
Kent Stolt (Assistant Editor)
Primary writing J. Andrew Keith
Jim Musser
Pages 240
Cover Artwork Jim Nelson
Illustrations Joel Biske
Jim Nelson
Dana Knutson
Steve Venters
Publication information
Publisher FASA
Product code 8614
First published 1990
ISBN-10 1555600905
ISBN-13 978-1555600907
MSRP $18.00
Content
Era Clan Invasion era
Timeline 3051[1]
Series Technical Readouts
Followed by Technical Readout: 3050 Revised


Description[edit]

A major step forward for the BattleTech tabletop game, the Technical Readout: 3050 introduced OmniMechs, a wealth of new variants for existing Inner Sphere BattleMechs, new technology and an entirely new unit type—Elementals, armored infantry brought along by the invading Clans.

The title became later affected by the Unseen issue, which resulted in the 1996 release of Technical Readout: 3050 Revised under the same product number with considerable changes to content. Eventually the title was replaced in 2007 with Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade which included all-new artwork, more units and adaptation to latest rule developments.

The German edition was published as Hardware-Handbuch: 3052 with altered content (see Technical Readout: 3050#German Edition below).

Table of Contents[edit]

Introduction
The Clans
The Uncommon Common Enemy
Rivalry
Bidding
Intent
Nonmilitary Technology
Organization
Tactics
OmniMechs
Elementals
Clan 'Mechs
Dasher
Koshi
Uller
Puma
Dragonfly
Fenris
Black Hawk
Ryoken
Vulture
Loki
Thor
Mad Cat
Man O' War
Masakari
Gladiator
Daishi
Inner Sphere Response
Production
Technology
Strategy
Deployment
Light 'Mechs
Flea
Hornet
Locust
Mercury
Stinger
Wasp
Commando
Falcon
Firefly
Hermes
Javelin
Spider
UrbanMech
Valkyrie
Firestarter
Jenner
Ostscout
Panther
Raven
Wolfhound
Medium 'Mechs
Assassin
Cicada
Clint
Hermes II
Sentinel
Vulcan
Whitworth
Blackjack
Hatchetman
Phoenix Hawk
Vindicator
Wolf Trap
Centurion
Crab
Enforcer
Hunchback
Trebuchet
Dervish
Griffin
Hoplite
Kintaro
Scorpion
Shadow Hawk
Wolverine
Heavy 'Mechs
Grand Dragon
Ostroc
Ostsol
Quickdraw
Rifleman
Axman
Catapult
Crusader
JagerMech
Thunderbolt
Archer
Caesar
Cataphract
Grasshopper
Guillotine
Warhammer
Marauder
Orion
Assault 'Mechs
Awesome
Charger
Goliath
Hatamoto-Chi
Victor
Zeus
BattleMaster
Katana
Shogun
Stalker
Cyclops
Mauler
Banshee
Annihilator
Atlas
Imp
Marauder II
Engineers' Tests
Weapons
ER PPC
Extended Range Lasers
Pulse Lasers
Ultra-Autocannon
LB-X Autocannon
Gauss rifle
Swarm Long-Range Missiles
Thunder Long-Range Missiles
Arrow IV Missile Artillery System
Single-Shot Missile Launchers
Anti-missile systems
Anti-Personnel Pods
Electronics
Artemis IV Fire Control System
Narc Missile Beacon
Streak Short Range Missiles
Targeting Computer
C³ computer
Beagle Active Probe
Guardian ECM Suite
Construction Materials
Double Heat Sinks
Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment
Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry
Triple Strength Myomer
Endo Steel Internal Structure
Ferro-fibrous armor
XL Engines
Clan Pilots and Characters
OmniMech Construction
Outfitting an OmniMech
Designing New OmniMechs
OmniFighters
OmniFighter Types
Mounting Pods
Designing OmniFighters
BattleArmor
Movement
BattleArmor Under Fire
BattleArmor Attacks
"Mechanized" BattleArmor
Non-Clan BattleArmor
Tables
BattleTech Rules Clarifications

Remarks on content[edit]

  • The title comprises descriptions of 95 units in total, all from Clan Invasion era, all units or variants of already introduced units were previously unpublished. Furthermore it contains description and rule for new unit technologies and unit construction. It contains:
    • 16 OmniMech designs,
    • 79 BattleMech designs, and
    • Technology for 'Mechs and Vehicles (weapons, equipment and construction materials).
  • The in-character description of the title's contents is given by Adept XXI-sigma Merle Jimmus, ComStar, 8 February 3052
  • Some content is not listed in the Table of Content:
    • OmniMech (profiles of all included OmniMech units)
    • BattleArmor Record Sheets (5 pages with, each containing 3x5 record sheets for Clan BattleArmor)
    • Index
  • The TRO:3050 used construction rules that are (somewhat inaccurately) called "Fractional Accounting", where 0.25 ton increments were used. Later construction rules would only allow 0.5 ton increment. As a result, the designs presented in this book had to be upgraded later to comply with the new rules. For instance, the Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) had its endo steel frame and XL engine mass increased by 0.25 tons each (to 4 and 19.5 tons from 3.75 and 19.25 tons, respectively) and to account for the mass increase; with the Prime variant, an ER small laser in the right torso was removed. For other variants and designs, a similar treatment may have been necessary.

Notes[edit]

  • Copyright date of the first edition was 1989 on the back cover, 1990 in the indicia.
  • Trademarked as BattleTech Technical Readout: 3050.
  • The Revised Second Printing was also copyright 1990.

Foreign-Language Editions[edit]

German[edit]

Hardware-Handbuch 3052.jpg
Hardware-Handbuch 3052
Product information
Language German
Contribution Reinhold H. Mai (Translation & Editor), Dietrich Limper (Layout & Montage), André Helfers (Montage), Ralf Hlawatsch, Michael Immig, Silvia Jettkant (Copy-Editors), MechForce Germany (Technical Consultancy) and A to Z Printing & Publishing (Printing)
Pages 260
Publication information
Publisher Fantasy Productions
First published 1994
ISBN-10 3890649203
ISBN-13 978-3890649207

Published by licensee FanPro, the German edition of Technical Readout: 3050 (TRO 3050) received major revamping, beginning with the title, which was changed to Hardware-Handbuch 3052. According to the imprint, additional texts from other sources (Technical Readout: 2750, Technical Readout: 3055, Wolf's Dragoons, Wolf Clan Sourcebook, ComStar and BattleTech Compendium: The Rules of Warfare were included. The German version is printed as DIN A4, a standard European paper size, which is a little larger then North American Letter.

Alterations[edit]

Table of Contents[edit]

The original content was restructured and expanded. Where the original TRO 3050 contains only BattleMechs, the German edition adds Clan OmniFighter designs from TRO:3055. The Table of Contents is vastly shortened and reads:

Einleitung (Introduction)

Clans

Elementare (Elementals)
OmniMechs
OmniJäger (OmniFighter)

Freie Innere Sphäre (Free Inner Sphere)

Leichte Mechs (Light Mechs)
Mittelschwere Mechs (Medium Mechs)
Schwere Mechs (Heavy Mechs)
Überschwere Mechs (Assault Mechs)

Techdata

Strategische Informationen (Strategic Information)

Index

Additional, Altered and Missing Content[edit]

The German edition's most extensive addition is the inclusion of all OmniFighter designs from TRO:3055. The chapter Strategic Information provides additional insights on some Clan concepts, like Bidding, various forms of Trials etc., with content originating from Wolf Clan Sourcebook, on three pages. The last page contains an ad for MechForce Germany.

The chapter Techdata contains all content from original edition's chapter Engineer's Tests, but without any sub-chapter. The described equipment is simply sorted in alphabetical order, rather than functional groups. The original's Introduction is completely replaced by an alternative in-universe introduction, without being credited to a specific person or institution, given sometime after the Battle of Tukayyid, which explains the title alteration from 3050 to 3052. The weapon charts in German edition show all (at that time) available equipment, not just the new equipment presented. The BattleArmor record sheets are somewhat colloquially named Krötenbogen (Toad Sheet).

Spelling and Names[edit]

As with other German products prior to 1997 spelling and names (especially places and units) as well as most abbreviations were regularly adjusted. For instance the Mech unit Archer was renamed to Schütze, the planet Gotterdammerung was respelled to Götterdämmerung, the DCMS (Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery) became VSDK (Vereinigte Streitkräfte des Draconis Kombinats) and so on.

Spanish[edit]

A Spanish edition was published by Ediciones Zinco in 1994 as BattleTech manual técnico 3050: El retorno de Kerensky.

Covers[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Technical Readout: 3050, p. 46: The Outreach summit has happened but the Clans have not yet renewed their invasion