It’s Christmas time, except for those in Canada. Because of the mail strike (which for the record, I totally support), all our Catalyst and Iron Wind Metals orders aren’t going to be here until January at the earliest. So my Christmas isn’t going to be here until next month, but oh boy, it’ll be a […]
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Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends! I’m Canadian though, so I’m doing things a bit differently. November has been a MONTH, so I’m spending the last weekend of it up in the wilds of the Canadian North with a select group of friends where I will get totally bent. I will then come back, […]
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One of the Clans we’re going to see a lot more of in the ilClan era is Clan Sea Fox. These industrious spacefarers have seemingly taken over the Inner Sphere, replacing ComStar as the de-facto communications web thanks to their numerous interstellar dealings and have even replaced the telecommunications company’s common currency. That said, we […]
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Welcome! It has been a busy month, from a brand-new MechWarrior game releasing to stellar reviews, to many new official product announcements, to a beloved fan-zine self-destructing. All of this happening while in less than a week an American election could spell the end of the Western world as we know it. That may or […]
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BattleTech is a massive universe spanning hundreds of planets with larger-than-life characters, but at the center of it all are the massive walking war machines we know and love. ‘Mechs make the BattleTech world go ’round, and there’s nobody at Catalyst with more passion for ‘Mechs than Johannes Heidler, Associate Developer for ‘Mech Design. They […]
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It’s September, and you know what that means. I’ve been planning on what to do with my grey pile of shame. It has grown exponentially since receiving my Mercs shipment (apologies for the brag to many of you who still haven’t received yours) and so I’ve been deciding on what units to insert each of […]
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Earlier this year, Sarna reached out to Catalyst Game Labs to see if we could interview Creative Director Randall N. Bills. Then Randall decided to jet-set around the globe on a BattleTech world tour, and it’s been really hard to get our schedules aligned. Thankfully, Randall was able to spare an hour just before heading […]
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August has been busy. If it wasn’t a camping trip or a wedding or a Jack & Jill party (which is a weird but fun heteronormative event I’d never attended before) it was disease. I luckily managed to just get some spiteful little bug instead of COVID, but pretty much everyone else I know has […]
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What’s great about the recent spat of BattleTech novels is many of them are pushing the boundaries of the universe’s fiction. That’s not to say there isn’t still plenty of big, stompy ‘Mech action, but a universe can’t run on giant robots. It’s the human stories that drive the narrative, and it doesn’t get more […]
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Fun story! I got my Mercenaries Kickstarter package earlier this month. I ordered seven Salvage Boxes since it’s the only enjoyable lootbox in existence, and because I wanted to try my hand at getting a few ‘Mechs from other ForcePacks. As luck would have it, the first two boxes gave me the Jenner IIC and […]
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Hey guys. It’s June. That means several wonderful things. First, it was my birthday. Second, the Mercenaries Kickstarter is being shipped, which is a wonderful birthday gift. And third, it’s Pride month, which means the 2024 BattleTech Pride Anthology is here. It’s the month that keeps on giving. And it’s giving way more than just […]
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In terms of BattleTech writers, Bryan Young is relatively new, but he’s made a big impact in a short amount of time. He’s rehabilitated the hated Clan Jade Falcon into something a little more likable in A Question Of Survival and Without Question, the Fox Patrol is already a beloved mercenary unit, and VoidBreaker will […]
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April showers? More like May showers. And they’ll also certainly bring hordes of angry mosquitoes even this close to the urban centers of Southern Ontario. But you know what makes inclement weather and ravenous insects bearable? Spirit Cat Irregulars reinforcements! I love all these little guys, from the Crimson Hawk‘s goofy sculpt to the Avalanche […]
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Did you know the Locust IIC is over 40 points in Alpha Strike? The Fire Moth Prime is close to 30, and there’s even a Kit Fox that’s 40 points. My point is, it’s hard to find a cheap Clan ‘Mech to round out a 200-point Star. Even Elementals are around the same point value […]
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It was a busy month! We’ve had AdeptiCon and KerenskyCon happen this month, which means we have a lot of stuff to cover. And since I don’t really have anything else to complain about this month, we’ll just jump straight to the news! Catalyst Announces New BattleTech Products At AdeptiCon Before we get into the […]
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A lot of what keeps BattleTech going is the fiction. I may have been introduced to the BattleTech universe through the MechWarrior video games, but what truly hooked me as a wee lad was reading my first BattleTech novel. My first book was Freebirth. With its intricate look at the inner workings of Clan society […]
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I’ve been writing for Sarna long enough to know that there’s a lot of stuff happening in the BattleTech world pretty much all the time. There’s also a lot of opinionated people that love to share their thoughts–sometimes more crassly than others. Trying to get the word out while also making sure everyone plays nice […]
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Normally this is when Southern Ontario enters its deep freeze, with heaps of snow up to my shoulders where the removal services can’t get to fast enough. But this year, it’s been relatively snow-free. In fact, we’ve had more above-freezing days this month than any other February on record. Yesterday it was 16 degrees C […]
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The year of BattleTech‘s 40th anniversary continues with yet another interview with brand stewards Catalyst Game Labs. This time we managed to snag Eric Salzman, a longtime fan who broke into writing and then ascended to become BattleTech‘s Fact-Check Director. This guy knows more about the universe than I ever will, which is why he’s […]
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Ugh. I’m sick again. The very first party I go to after recovering from COVID I come down with… something. I tested negative for COVID-19, but my friend tested positive the very next day, so maybe mine was a false negative and I actually caught COVID for the second time in less than a month. […]
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We’re starting the year off with a bang here at Sarna. We’re asking the tough questions, getting the unexpected answers, and determining where BattleTech will go over the course of 2024. I recently sat down with BattleTech Line Developer Ray Arrastia and Assistant Line Developer Aaron Cahall for the lowdown on what’s coming to BattleTech […]
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I’d managed to avoid COVID for nearly three years, but my luck finally ran out just a few days before Christmas. I can now say from firsthand experience this disease sucks. Holiday plans dashed, gatherings with friends and family delayed, and my throat and sinuses are a mangled mess. Also, mint flavors are now… different. […]
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As a bit of a treat for year’s end, we sat down with BattleTech Art Director Brent Evans to have a chat on a variety of subjects. We talk about redesigning classic ‘Mechs, where AI fits into your next BattleTech campaign, and why we haven’t seen more AeroSpace fighters get the redesign treatment (and why […]
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I recently saw Eye of the Beholder, a documentary on Amazon that looks at the art of Dungeons & Dragons. While it was fascinating looking at how D&D’s art has evolved over the years, one of the more interesting facets of the documentary was the existence of a massive market for D&D art collectors. Original […]
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I’m pretty sure I’d like November more if Canada celebrated Thanksgiving this month instead of last. Halloween already sucks most of the air out of October so there’s not a lot left for a turkey to breathe. Worse yet, November brings the grey months to Ontario. I probably won’t see the sun again until sometime […]
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