1993 Update Flyer

Colloquially known as the 1993 Update Flyer, this booklet does not appear to have a proper title. It was released by FASA as a free advertisment handout to promote the BattleTech universe in 1993.

It is 8 pages including the front and back cover.

Contents

• Down & Out in Temp Town (by Scott Jenkins), a short story of just over 2 pages depicting a down-on-his-luck Wolverine pilot being recruited by a fellow MechWarrior for Theodore Kurita and the Explorer Corps around the time when they began searching for the Clan capital world of Strana Mechty
• A centerfold section advertising various current (as of 1993) BattleTech products:
  • Novels: Assumption of Risk, Blood of Heroes, Main Event, The Far Country {sic}
  • Boxed products: BattleSpace, CityTech Second Edition, Explorer Corps Campaign Set
  • Game Supports: BattleTech Mech Recognition Cards, BattleTech Tactical Handbook
  • Sourcebooks: Solaris: The Reaches, MechWarrior Companion, Mercenary's Handbook: 3055
  • Scenarios: Day of Heroes, Hot Spots, Luthien
• New 'Mechs: RD-1R Roadrunner, TZ-1 Devil

The Explorer Corps Campaign Set that was advertised here as a boxed product was never published in this form. The project was instead reduced to what became the Explorer Corps sourcebook. In a similar vein, the summary given for (The) Far Country is markedly different from the content of the novel that was ultimately published under this name.

Canonicity

Technically, the 1993 Update Flyer meets all criteria for a canonical product as laid out by the Line Developer. However, in typical FASA fashion the two new 'Mechs featured were thinly veiled references to another intellectual property (the Looney Tunes characters of The Road Runner and The Tasmanian Devil), and apparently pose a possible copyright problem for BattleTech.

The Roadrunner 'Mech has since been expressly declared apocryphal, possibly also because 15-ton 'Mechs were not considered legal for a time. Similarly, the Devil has been re-introduced as a variant of the Howler (Baboon) since, with significantly different stats compared to the version published in the Update Flyer while the Update Flyer version was said to be apocryphal. Considering that the Flyer as such is a canonical source, it may be more accurate to describe the existence of these two 'Mechs as described as Canon Rumors instead.