BattleTroops (Rulebook)

BattleTroops
Product information
Type	Rulebook
Development	Sam Lewis Jordan Weisman L. Ross Babcock III
Primary writing	Sam Lewis
Pages	44
Cover Artwork	Tom Miller
Illustrations	Joel Biske
Publication information
Publisher	FASA
Product code	1637
First published	1989
Content

Description

The BattleTroops Rulebook contains the guidelines that allow players to conduct infantry-based small unit actions in the BattleTech Universe of the pre-Clan Invasion era in the Inner Sphere. Focusing on small unit actions, the system bridges the gap between the MechWarrior/RPG 1st or 2nd edition and the BattleMech-based Classic BattleTech, it uses an original set of rules and deals with several situations allowing a good range of versatility.

The rules are divided in three broad stages, basic combat (only standard weapons and grenades) that allow battles between squads in different types of terrain and inside buildings. Optional rules that allow to incorporate special equipment such as area effect weapons (LAWs, SRM, Recoilless Riles), combat armor (not BattleArmor), support weapons and the way the troops interact with them it is perfectly possible to take your opponent's heavy weapons and use them against him) and finally and most interesting, the inclusion of vehicles and BattleMechs and their interaction with troops. from mounting/dismounting a vehicle, to infernos, to climbing a BattleMech and placing a satchel charge on the cockpit. A small brief on Inner Sphere platoon compositions round the contents.

The book is focused on events during the Fourth Succession War presenting four scenarios set during this era.

A sourcebook, Clan Troops, introduces new rules and their respective control counters and permits the use of Battle Armor, rafts, anti-BattleMech operations, artillery, clan weapon profiles update, errata and miniatures rules conversion (i.e. playing without a map). The scenarios depicted in Clan troops describe events during the Clan Invasion up to the Battle of Tukayyid.

Contents

• BATTLETROOPS
  • Components
  • Counters
    • Stand-Up Figures
    • Firing Arcs
    • Hand Grenades
    • HE Impact
    • Breach
    • Rubble and Splinters
    • Flamers
    • 'Mech Weapons
    • Floor
    • Prone
    • Vehicle Template
    • 'Mech Template
    • Fallen 'Mech Template
  • Mapsheets
    • Buildings
    • Undergrowth
    • Trees
    • Contour Lines
  • Record Sheets
  • Dice
• PREPARATION FOR PLAY
  • Mapsheet Layout
  • Filling Out the Record Sheet
• SEQUENCE OF PLAY
  • Initiative Phase
    • Only first turn has an Initiative phase, future turns alternate sides
  • Movement Phase
  • End Phase
• MOVEMENT
  • Movement Points
    • An uninjured standard trooper has 8 movement points
  • Movement Costs
  • Stairways
    • Moving up or down stairways uses 3 movement points per level
  • Placement of Firing Arcs
  • Going Prone
  • Standing Up
  • Prepare Weapon/Grenade
  • Throw Grenade
  • Stacking
• COMBAT
  • Firing Arc
    • Firing arcs use either 6, 4, or 2 movement points. This is based on available movement points after movement by a trooper is concluded.
    • A semiautomatic weapon like a rifle gets only one shot in its firing arc. After the shot the firing arc counter is removed. Automatic weapons like a SMG get multiple successive shots in the same arc per position moved in that arc by an enemy trooper. After automatic weapons fire the firing arc counter remains in place and active.
  • Line-of-Sight
    • Terrain Elevation Death Zone
  • Ranged Combat
    • Base To-Hit Number
      • Base to hit at short range for a weapon is 6, and for long range is 8.
    • To-Hit Modifiers
      • Injuries to a trooper as well as terrain features affect To-Hit.
  • Hand-to-Hand Combat
  • Resolve Attack
    • Combat is not simultaneous like in the 'Mech board games, instead being instantaneously applied and affecting the future actions of a trooper after that instant within the same turn.
  • Damage
    • Damage can be Lethal indicated with L or Bruising indicated by a B. A weapon that has 2L and 1B damage would do two points of lethal followed by one point of bruising damage.
  • Damage Effects
    • An uninjured trooper starts with 10 health boxes. The player rolls 2D6 to determine the start box for damage. A 11 or 12 starts at box 10. The player marks down successive boxes with damage, skipping over previously marked boxes. Thus any weapon that produces 2L or 2B damage can kill or incapacitate a trooper in one hit if that player rolls a 2 on 2D6. A standard rifle does 5L.
• SPECIAL WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
  • Hand Grenades
    • Grenade Damage
  • Armor
• OPTIONAL RULES
  • Weapons
    • Exchanging Weapons/Ammo
    • Area-Effect Weapons
    • Support Weapons
  • Jump Troops
  • Leadership
    • Experience Level
    • Morale
    • Leaders
  • MechWarrior: The BattleTech Role Playing Game Integration
    • Weapon Conversion
  • BattleTech/CityTech Integration
    • Filling Out the 'Mech Record Sheet
    • Movement
    • Combat
    • Heat
    • Consciousness Rolls
    • Anti-'Mech Fire
  • Mines
  • Fire
  • Buildings
  • Vehicles
    • Movement
    • Combat
    • Riding Vehicles
    • Open Hatch
    • Crew Abandonment
  • Hidden Units
  • Vehicle vs. Vehicle or 'Mech Combat
    • Movement
    • Fire Combat
    • Physical Combat
• PLATOON ORGANIZATION
  • Standard Platoons are made of 28 soldiers comprising of 4 Squads of 7 soldiers each.
• SCENARIOS
  • Side Show
  • Dragon Hunting
  • Race Against Time