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This book is not to be confused with the 1987 ''[[BattleTech Manual|Battle'''T'''ech Manual]]'' rulebook.
 
This book is not to be confused with the 1987 ''[[BattleTech Manual|Battle'''T'''ech Manual]]'' rulebook.
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A second printing was announced on the official [[BT forums]] in December 2018, and was released in PDF on 22 January 2019. The reprint features errata corrections and further rewordings and clarifications, as well as new cover art.<ref>[https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63672.msg1464159#msg1464159 MechCon 2018 Rundown post on BattleTech forum]</ref>  A third printing was released on 17 March 2020: in addition to the usual errata corrections, this printing added an index. A fourth printing was released on 23 April 2021, featuring errata corrections as well as another change of cover art.
  
 
==Description==
 
==Description==
The Manual is intended as a self-contained rulebook for players who wish to focus on [[BattleMech]] combat, with an emphasis on tabletop gameplay (as opposed to being a reference manual like previous core rulebooks). While it thus leaves out all other unit types, and was deliberately written to be as concise as possible and to eliminate rules vagaries, it is not intended to be a purely introductory product. It contains a few pieces of equipment from ''[[Interstellar Operations]]'', many pieces of equipment taken from ''[[Tactical Operations]]'', and a few of the optional rules found in that book and ''[[Strategic Operations]]''. No construction rules are included. In terms of product progression, it is meant to slot in between ''[[BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat|A Game of Armored Combat]]'') and the full tournament ruleset of ''[[Total Warfare]]''. Its general layout matches that of the rulebook in ''A Game of Armored Combat''.
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The Manual is intended as a self-contained rulebook for players who wish to focus on [[BattleMech]] combat, with an emphasis on tabletop gameplay (as opposed to being a reference manual like previous core rulebooks). While it thus leaves out all other unit types, and was deliberately written to be as concise as possible and to eliminate rules vagaries, it is not intended to be a purely introductory product. It contains a few pieces of equipment from ''[[Interstellar Operations]]'', many pieces of equipment taken from ''[[Tactical Operations]]'', and a few of the optional rules found in that book and ''[[Strategic Operations]]''. No construction rules are included. In terms of product progression, it is meant to slot in between the introductory box set (either the ''[[25th Anniversary Introductory Box Set]]'' or its replacement, ''[[BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat|A Game of Armored Combat]]'') and the full tournament ruleset of ''[[Total Warfare]]''.
  
 
New rules appearing in the book are limited to simplified rulesets for fire and smoke; artillery, mines, and airstrikes; and a few terrain or weather conditions. Additionally, the ''BattleMech Manual'' features a [[Design Quirks]] section that brings together all 'Mech-based quirks published to date, updates them, adds nine new ones, and then applies the result to an included list of all 'Mech units in the game released prior to ''[[Technical Readout: Prototypes]]'' (when quirks first began being added to each [[Technical Readout]] unit entry). As such, the ''BattleMech Manual'' provides an official quirk listing for all 'Mechs published prior to ''TRO: Prototypes'' (though it only lists quirks present on every example of a machine; quirks applicable only to individual variants were left out).
 
New rules appearing in the book are limited to simplified rulesets for fire and smoke; artillery, mines, and airstrikes; and a few terrain or weather conditions. Additionally, the ''BattleMech Manual'' features a [[Design Quirks]] section that brings together all 'Mech-based quirks published to date, updates them, adds nine new ones, and then applies the result to an included list of all 'Mech units in the game released prior to ''[[Technical Readout: Prototypes]]'' (when quirks first began being added to each [[Technical Readout]] unit entry). As such, the ''BattleMech Manual'' provides an official quirk listing for all 'Mechs published prior to ''TRO: Prototypes'' (though it only lists quirks present on every example of a machine; quirks applicable only to individual variants were left out).
  
While the rules were reworded and their layout changed, the base ruleset included in the ''BattleMech Manual'' matches that of the fifth printing and later of ''[[Total Warfare]]'', with later changes introduced in one being mirrored in the other as new printings of each are released.
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While the rules were reworded and their layout changed, the base ruleset included in the ''BattleMech Manual'' matches the fourth printing of ''[[Total Warfare]]'' (plus all errata through to the June 2017 errata releases). The rules were not altered beyond the addition of the aforementioned optional simplifications.
  
 
==From the Back Cover==
 
==From the Back Cover==
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==Contents==
 
==Contents==
<div class="desktop-3-col">
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<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">
 
* '''INTRODUCTION'''
 
* '''INTRODUCTION'''
 
*** Vs. ''Total Warfare''
 
*** Vs. ''Total Warfare''
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** The MechWarrior
 
** The MechWarrior
 
*** Skills
 
*** Skills
*** Damaging A Warrior
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*** Damaging A Warrior <!-- sic; lots of title case errors in TOC -->
 
* '''PLAYING THE GAME'''
 
* '''PLAYING THE GAME'''
 
** Deploying 'Mechs
 
** Deploying 'Mechs
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*** Levels and Height
 
*** Levels and Height
 
*** Intervening Terrain
 
*** Intervening Terrain
*** Other 'Mechs and LOS <!-- Intervening 'Mechs in earlier printings -->
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*** Other 'Mechs and LOS <!-- Intervening 'Mechs in earlier editions -->
 
*** Water Hexes
 
*** Water Hexes
 
** Firing Arcs
 
** Firing Arcs
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BattleMech Manual 2nd Print front cover.png|''BattleMech Manual'' cover, 2nd printing
 
BattleMech Manual 2nd Print front cover.png|''BattleMech Manual'' cover, 2nd printing
 
BattleMech Manual 3rd Print front cover.jpg|''BattleMech Manual'' cover, 3rd printing
 
BattleMech Manual 3rd Print front cover.jpg|''BattleMech Manual'' cover, 3rd printing
BattleMech Manual 4th Print front cover.png|''BattleMech Manual'' cover, 4th-6th printings
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BattleMech Manual 4th Print front cover.png|''BattleMech Manual'' cover, 4th printing
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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* [http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/158360190691/this-is-why-you-do-betas A follow-up article] detailing some of the results of feedback collected in the Beta to date was posted to the CGL official Tumblr in March 2017. As a result of user feedback, additional advanced equipment from ''Tactical Operations'' and ''Interstellar Operations'' was added to the final release.
 
* [http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/158360190691/this-is-why-you-do-betas A follow-up article] detailing some of the results of feedback collected in the Beta to date was posted to the CGL official Tumblr in March 2017. As a result of user feedback, additional advanced equipment from ''Tactical Operations'' and ''Interstellar Operations'' was added to the final release.
 
* [http://bg.battletech.com/news/battlemech-manual-final-release/ A further follow-up article] published immediately following the book's final release detailed more of the specific changes made between the Beta and the final.
 
* [http://bg.battletech.com/news/battlemech-manual-final-release/ A further follow-up article] published immediately following the book's final release detailed more of the specific changes made between the Beta and the final.
 
==Printing Notes==
 
A second printing was announced on the official [[BT forums]] in December 2018, and was released in PDF on 22 January 2019. The reprint features errata corrections and further rewordings and clarifications, as well as new cover art.<ref>[https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63672.msg1464159#msg1464159 MechCon 2018 Rundown post on BattleTech forum]</ref>  A third printing was released on 17 March 2020: in addition to the usual errata corrections, this printing added an index. A fourth printing was released on 23 April 2021, featuring errata corrections as well as another change of cover art. An errata-corrected fifth printing was released on 7 February 2022, and an errata-corrected 6th printing on 6 October 2022.
 
  
 
==Errata==
 
==Errata==

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