The Tech Factory
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| The Tech Factory | |
|---|---|
| Product information | |
| Type | Magazine |
| Development | Gregg Dieckhaus |
| Primary writing | Gregg Dieckhaus, Jay Clendenny, Allen Phelps |
| Cover Artwork | Kent Logsdon (many CAD illustrated covers) |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Tech Factory |
| First published | 1993 |
| Content | |
The Tech Factory was a fan-made, unofficial BattleTech publication that ran for 13 issues. The first 3 issues were entitled The Mech Factory, but the publisher was contacted by Sam Lewis of FASA requiring a name change. In issue #4, the publisher claims that "all along we have been talking to FASA and had been told it was OK to print The Mech Factory." Sam Lewis explained by phone that when The Mech Factory transitioned from a Fanzine to a more proper nationally distributed magazine that they would need to become a generic science-fiction magazine and change names. The magazine was altered into the nearly identical The Tech Factory product with added coverage of Legions of Steel and Star Fleet Battles.
Known content
Contents
Issue 1 (The Mech Factory)
Light Blue Cover: B&W Illustration of 'Mech identified as the Warlord WLD-1P.
ARTICLES: Scenarios, Play Aids, The Tech Lab, QUADS-A close look at four legged Battlemechs. 12 New BattleMechs including two Goliath variants, the Yellow Jacket YJ-3A Quad BattleMech and the Cricket CRK-7J Quad BattleMech.
Note: Two of the Introductory Level technology Goliath variants in this issue might be of notable interest to some players. The GOL-1C is a variant with an AC/10 rather than a PPC. It also mounts two SRM6 launchers. The GOL-1E mounts a Large Laser, AC/10 and two SRM4's.
Issue 2 (The Mech Factory)
Orange Cover: B&W Illustration of 'Mech identified as the ALN-ASSAULT-2 (1993)
Issue 3 (The Mech Factory)
Green Cover: B&W Illustration of 'Mech identified as the Fullback A.
ARTICLES: "The Defense of Gateway Bridge, Arctic Force Revisited"
Issue 4 (The Tech Factory)
Yellow Cover: B&W Illustration of Pioneer Commando from Legions of Steel game.
ARTICLES: SFB & Legions of Steel content (10 pages); Ask FASA (1 page of Q&A from the support area of the GEnie online service): ammo dump, TSM, water jumping, quad turret, smoke, DFA, underwater; Vehicles: Nitro NTO-1B, Caddy CAD-1C, Hunter HNT-5VK, Sniper Attack Sub, Mtn. Lion Armored Car, Stormhawk VTOL, LRM Hover; Annihilator ANH-TD Mech; Pioneer PNR-2 Mech; Ryoken-W Omnimech; Sticky Situations (Scenario); Face-off at Numur (Underwater Scenario); Table of Vehicle statistics (3 pages); Review: Solaris: The Reaches; Review: Dune II Computer Game
Issue 5 (The Tech Factory)
Pink Cover: B&W Illustration of 'Mech identified as a JagerMech JM6-TD.
Issue 7 (The Tech Factory)
Blue Cover: B&W Illustration of an Unseen Locust featuring arms with hands. A detachable gun appears to be grasped in the right arm. (1995)
Mechs:
- Whizzer WZR-7L (30 tons)
- Bowman BMN-4H (55 tons)
- TigerShark TS-4 (55 tons)
- Drake DKE-7Z (90 tons)
- Gargantuan (100 tons)
Issue 12 (The Tech Factory)
"BattleTech and Starfleet Battles"
Orange Cover: B&W Illustration featuring two Clan Elementals. Issue price of $4.75. (1997)
ARTICLES: 7 New BattleMechs including Skyblazer and Star Hawk, Infantry & Elementals, "Pirates" (fiction), Dune Mini-Campaign (What-if Scenario), Review: First Strike, Review: BattleTech Collectible Card Game, Review: Starfleet Battles Campaign Designers Handbook
Issue 13 (The Tech Factory)
"BattleTech Desert Force 500" (1997)
BattleMechs Presented in The Tech Factory
- Aerator ART-2B
- Annihilator ANH-TD
- Arachnoid AAC-1
- Assault ALN-1
- Assault ALN-2
- Aurora ARA Prime
- Aurora ARA A
- Aurora ARA B
- Awesome AWS-MB
- Awesome Jr. AWS-JR
- Bandersnatch BNDR-TD
- Barracuda Prime
- Barracuda A
- Barracuda B
- BattleMaster BLR-TD
- BattleMaster IID
- Behemoth IS
- Big Red
- Black Shark
- Bowman BWM-4H
- Bug Out BUG-1B
- Caddy CAD-1C
- Charger CGR-9ZJ
- Cheeta CHT-2P
- Commando COM-3H
- Cricket CRK-7J
- Cricket CRK-9B
- Cyclone CYC Prime
- Cyclone CYC A
- Cyclone CYC A2
- Cyclone CYC B
- Deceiver VR-1
- Deceiver VR-2
- Drake DKE-7Z
- Eagle EGL-1E
- Field Marshal CMD-2FM
- Fullback Prime
- Fullback A
- Fullback B
- Gargantuan
- Gator (Clan)
- Gator GTR-42
- General CMD-1G
- Goliath GOL-1C
- Goliath GOL-1E
- Goliath GOL-TD
- Grand Panther PNT-9G
- Halfback Prime
- Halfback A
- Halfback B
- Hunchback HBK-TD
- Hunter HNT-5VK
- JagerMech JM6-TD
- Jaguar JAG-4U
- Katyusha KSA-30M
- King Necromancer KNCO-3G
- Komodo IIC
- Macho MCO-4A
- Microhammer MCH-2F
- Necromancer NCO-13
- Nitro NTO-1B
- Path Finder PF-1A
- Pioneer PNR-S2
- Pioneer PNR-S3
- Pixie PIX-3
- Playmaker PM5
- Pocket Titan PKT-1
- Predator PCA-1
- Predator PCA-2
- Reaper RPR-Y5
- Rifleman RFL-4L
- Roadrunner BBP-01
- Sandpiper SDP-2O
- Sky Blazer Prime
- Sky Blazer A
- Sky Blazer B
- Sledgehammer SLH-2A
- Slug SLG-3S
- Star Hawk STR-6B
- Stormcrow W
- Taskmaster
- Thantos THS-4A
- Thrasher THR-5T
- ThunderHawk
- Thunderstrike TDS-5S
- Tight End
- Timber Wolf E
- Timber Wolf Hydra
- Turbo Hunchback HBK-4T
- Viper VPR-3X
- Wakizashi WKS-3X
- Warhammer WHM-TD
- Warlord WLD-1P
- Whizzer WZR-7L
- Wolf Spider 2
- Wolf Spider
- Wolverine WVR-TD
- Yellow Jacket YJ-3A