BattleTech Master Rules

BMR redirects here.

References among the fanbase to the "BattleTech Master Rules" (or "BMR") may actually mean the vastly more widespread BattleTech Master Rules, Revised Edition, which is treated as a separate product article.

BattleTech Master Rules
Product information
Type	Rulebook
Development	Bryan Nystul
Primary writing	Jordan K. Weisman L. Ross Babcock III Sam Lewis
Pages	161
Cover Artwork	Les Dorscheid
Illustrations	Doug Anderson John Bridegroom Les Dorscheid Earl Geier Mike Johnson Scott James Clint Langley Jeff Laubenstein John Paul Lona Kevin Long Dave Martin Chris Moeller Jim Nelson Mike Nielsen Allen Nunis Matthew Plog Loston Wallace Matt Willson Mark Zug
Publication information
Publisher	FASA
Product code	1707
First published	1998
ISBN-10	1555603521
ISBN-13	978-1555603526
MSRP	$20.00
Content
Preceded by	BattleTech Compendium: The Rules of Warfare
Followed by	BattleTech Master Rules, Revised

Description

Until the 2006 release of Total Warfare, BattleTech Master Rules (and later in its revised edition) was the primary ruleset for the board game, restructured and streamlined from the BattleTech Compendium: The Rules of Warfare, its predecessor. The book contained the complete game rules, a scenario creation system, introduced the Battle Value point system and also presented expanded and revised miniatures rules. The intent of the book was not to provide quick rules to new players, but act as a reference manual for the more experienced players.

BattleTech Master Rules took home the "Best Science-Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures Rules" from Origins in 1998.

From the back cover

“

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 drive 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 BattleTech 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.

”

Contents

• Components – descriptions
  • Units
    • BattleMechs
    • Vehicles
    • Infantry
  • Record Sheets – explanations
  • Mapsheets – terrain descriptions
  • Counters building and other marker descriptions

• Playing The Game – basic rules
  • Phases
  • Skills, skill improvement, MechWarrior damage

• Movement – combat moves
  • Basics, modes, and actions
  • Stacking and piloting skill roles

• Combat – weapons and physical attacks
  • Attack Declarations
  • Line of sight
  • Weapon attacks
    • Firing arcs
    • Firing weapons
    • Damage
    • Destruction
  • Physical attacks
    • Punch, club, push, kick, and charge attacks
    • Death from Above attacks
    • Different elevations
    • Prone BattleMechs and unit displacement
  • Heat points and effects

• Buildings
  • Types
  • Movement and combat effects
  • Gun emplacements

• Vehicles
  • Movement
  • Combat

• Infantry
  • Movement and combat
  • Battle armor (Clan and Inner Sphere)

• Special Case Rules
  • Anti-BattleMech Infantry
  • Artillery
  • BattleMech lifting and cargo carriers
  • Clearing woods
  • Dropping troops
  • Dumping ammunition
  • Ejecting
  • Fire
  • Flak
  • Four-Legged BattleMechs
  • Hidden Units
  • Hostile environments
  • Improved positions
  • LRM indirect fire
  • Minefields
  • Night combat
  • Reversing Arms
  • Scavenging and repair
  • Underwater operations

• Miniatures Rules
  • Preparing Miniatures and terrain
  • Rules Conversions

• Creating Scenarios
  • General rules
  • Types of scenarios
  • Selecting mapsheets
  • Unit generation

• Construction rules
  • BattleMechs
  • Vehicle
  • OmniMechs

• Equipment
  • Active Probe
  • Anti-missile system
  • Anti-Personnel Pods
  • Artemis IV FCS
  • Artillery Weapons
  • Autocannon
  • C3 computer
  • Cargo Space
  • CASE
  • ECM
  • Endo Steel internal structure
  • ferro-fibrous armor
  • Flamers
  • Gauss rifle
  • Hatchet
  • Heat sinks
  • Laser
  • Machine Gun
  • Missile Launchers
  • Missile Munitions
  • Narc Missile Beacon
  • Particle Projector Cannon
  • Sword
  • Target Acquisition Gear
  • Targeting Computer
  • Triple-Strength Myomer
  • XL Engines

• Costs

• Battle Value System
  • Calculating BattleMech, combat vehicle, infantry, weapon and equipment values
  • Skill and experience level multipliers
• Rules Changes – from the preceding ruleset
• Record Sheets [blank]
  • BattleMech
  • Quad BattleMech
  • Ground Vehicle
  • VTOL
  • Naval
  • Battle armor
  • Infantry

• Tables
  • Piloting Skill Roll
  • Movement Cost
  • BattleMech Kick Location
  • Facing After Fall
  • BattleMech Punch Location
  • BattleMech Hit Location
  • Missile Hits
  • Determining Critical Hits
  • Attack Modifiers
  • Ground Vehicle Hit Location
  • Ground Vehicle Critical Hits
  • Heat Point
  • Building Modifiers
  • Inferno Ammo Explosion

Notes

• As noted above, this title was not intended for new players, as the sheer amount of material could be daunting. However, for any repeat player it did provide most every rule that might be used in Level 1 or 2 play, including at official tournaments. The title revised the first Battle Value point system that was introduced in Maximum Tech, allowing units to be compared numerically and forces to be formed with similar overall strengths.

• There is no copyright or trademark information on the credits page.