Your BattleTech News Round-Up For December, 2024

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 pretty damn good one. So long as I learn how to paint each mini I own in less than 15 minutes. That’s going to be my unrealistic New Year’s resolution.

I’m also resolving to not get sick before my next Alpha Strike event. From now on, I live in a plastic bubble starting a week before the next tournament, whenever that is.

Anyway, we’re kickin’ down 2024 in style with this final news blast of the year (a day early since even BattleTech news guys need a break). Prepare for festive frivolity and a few surprises that’ll make 2025 the best year of BattleTech yet. Let’s get to it.

Catalyst Updates Kickstarters And Other New Releases

As always, the official Catalyst announcements are bringing us a mess of things to talk about, starting with the Kickstarter. And by this I mean the Clan Invasion Kickstarter! Some of the long-awaited digital fiction, including Emerald Sword, Jaguar’s Leap, and Strength of the Pack are now available for download. This just leaves two scenarios, the Den of Wolves novel, and Expanded Military Briefing: The Clans to finally complete fulfillment.

Back to the Mercenaries Kickstarter, US/Canada is considered complete as of December 22, which means the one-month exclusivity period will be done by January 22. The UK should be done soon, although we won’t get an update on that until January. EU is still in the works, Australia/NZ is still scheduled to begin fulfillment in January, and Asia’s packaging is now complete with shipping to start soon. Details on Asian shipping are discussed in this clip.  

On the fiction front, we’ve got Mike Stackpole with the second Death Kangaroos story, A Night In the Woods. We’ve also got Bryan Young with a free Fox Patrol short story as a Christmas gift to BattleTech fans. Shrapnel #19 is out featuring stories about the Spirit Cat and Sea Foxes, and an updated Dragon Fire variant, and Hot Spots: Hinterlands is available now. 

We’ve also got a brief update on what’s coming as Ray and Aaron talked about upcoming products during a Tuesday Newsday following PAX Unplugged (more on that later). Following ilKhan’s Eyes Only in January, we can expect Force Manual: Mercenaries, Force Manual: Invading Clans, and Force Manual: Steiner over the following months. Retaking of New Avalon: Hotspots Draconis Reach will talk about what’s been going on in the Federated Suns in late 2025, and then we’ll have the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine ForcePacks (although no details are available on those just yet). 

Those looking to relive the rise and fall of Fortress Republic will be happy to note an Ares ForcePack has been teased, but again, details aren’t yet available. Just know the Ares mini exists in plastic and we’re waiting on seeing it in the real.

Oh, and just a reminder: McCarron’s Armored Cavalry ForcePack is available now exclusively at Barnes & Noble.

Commando Versus Hunchback: Who Ya Got?

Honest truth, if the Hunchback ever actually used its namesake hunch, then it’s Hunchback every day of the week. But for some reason, this Hunchback had twin laser pistols and relatively few AC/20 rounds to spare (you can see it try to fire them at around the eight-second mark), so the Commando seems to have come out on top. Either way, Harpy Explains has created a pretty great animation for us.

PAX Unplugged Announces Black Remnant ForcePack And BattleTech Aces Products

PAX Unplugged happened at the beginning of the month, and as the last big convention of the year, Catalyst made a bunch of announcements. There’s stuff we already knew about, like the upcoming release of ilKhan’s Eyes Only next month, the release of the Mercenaries Box Set, the recently-released Shrapnel #19, and upcoming fiction like VoidBreaker, Blood Will Rise from Tom Leveen covering the Capellan attempts to breach the Fortress Wall, and The Long Road by Jason Hansa covering the exploits of Tara Campbell following the Battle of Terra. 

But we’re going to focus on two surprise announcements, the first of which is the Black Remnants Command Lance ForcePack. For those unaware, the Black Remnants is the ongoing actual-play Alpha Strike and Destiny series starring Penny Arcade’s Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and friends as they guide the Black Remnant mercenary company through the ilClan era. The pack includes new variants of the Cyclops and Dragon Fire (which you’ll be able to read about in the recently-released Shrapnel #19), a reposed Flashman, and the Blood Asp Alt. Config I. Each of these ‘Mechs recently appeared in the Black Remnant campaign and provided the unit with a serious power upgrade.

I’ve reached out to Jerry to see what else this collaboration might bring, and I’ll have more to report on that later. 

The second is more news on the long-awaited release of BattleTech: Aces. For those who didn’t get in on the playtest included in the Mercenaries Kickstarter, Aces is an add-on for Alpha Strike that lets you play against an “AI” opponent allowing for single-player or cooperative campaigns. We’ve been waiting years for news on a BattleTech Aces product, and now we’ve got several such products to discuss.

There will be four BattleTech Aces box sets, one linked to each of the ilClan-era sourcebooks. The first one, Scouring Sands, is set in Tamar Rising, while the following expansions will be set in Empire Alone, Dominions Divided, and ilKhan’s Eyes Only. For Scouring Sands, however, folks can expect the Aces deck system and rule book, the Scouring Sands campaign book, some paper terrain including bridges, buildings, rivers, and hills, and some new plastic minis including a Thunderbolt IIC, a Locust IIC 4, a Baboon 6, a Thor H, a Marauder IIC 6, a Rifleman C 2 (with optional Project Phoenix-style fins), a Kraken 3, two Fulcrum tanks, and several turrets and bunkers. MSRP is expected to be $79.99 USD. 

No release date for Scouring Sands was announced, but given how we saw what appeared to be a finished product at PAX Unplugged, it probably won’t be too much longer. Other Aces box sets will include at least two new minis and new paper terrain for a unique planetary biome.

Might I Interest You In A Radical Thunderbolt In These Trying Times?

The Raddest Thunderbolt in the Inner Sphere
byu/Driftwood_Stickman inbattletech

I think we’ve established previously that I’m a fan of ‘Mechs on skateboards. Here’s a Thunderbolt attached to a skateboard through magnets and held aloft through plasma flames. It’s a good look that not even the avant-garde paint job can surpass. Thanks, Driftwood_Stickman.

MechWarrior 5: Clans Trials OF War DLC Now Free 

Last month, PGI announced MechWarrior 5: Clans‘ first DLC: Trials of War, which added a few new horde-based game modes and some new ‘Mech variants. The overall criticism soon after the DLC’s release was that PGI was charging an awful lot of money for not a lot of content. A few weeks later, PGI is now giving away Trials of War as a free update for everyone and refunding anyone who previously purchased it.

“This week, the Trials of War DLC will begin transitioning from a paid add-on to a free one,” PGI wrote in an update in early December. “Plus, anyone who purchased the DLC will receive a full refund.”

One assumes that the market spoke to PGI and said that nobody was willing to spend 20 bucks on a DLC that only adds two game modes and a few ‘Mech variants. Kudos to them for quickly reversing course on a bad deal, and lesson learned on what MechWarriors expect in terms of content for premium DLC.

Personally, I still expect New Game Plus to be a free update, but I’ll start paying Canadian pesos for new ‘Mechs and new missions. And before I forget, Naomi finally got her character bio, which you can check out here.

Randall Writes Hidden Destiny Story For MechWarrior 5: Clans

It makes sense for Randall N. Bills, author of the Founding of the Clans trilogy, to write the story of the Outbound Light, the hapless ComStar Explorer Corps JumpShip that stumbled across the Clan system of Huntress and essentially triggered the political crisis that led to the Clan Invasion. You can download that story for free in PDF form by heading to this link.

However, I can’t help but feel somewhat miffed at how this story is delaying the continuation of the Spirit Cats narrative into the ilClan era. I’d have said so myself in person when he was in Guelph earlier this month, except I was dying of a respiratory infection (I got better). 

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Is Having A Big Christmas Sale

You don’t like the Clans? That’s fine: there’s an entire modern MechWarrior game that doesn’t mention the Clans at all! It’s MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, and after five years of updates, DLC, and mod support, it’s pretty damned good! 

I understand if you’ve been holding off on purchasing MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries to limit the damage to your pocketbook, but I’ve got good news for you! MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries and all its DLC are now 60 percent off on Steam for the duration of the Steam Winter Sale. That ends on January 2 at 10 AM PT, so better act fast to get this incredible game and all of its DLC for as cheap as they’ve ever been.

The Classic Cougar Now Available For MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

Happy to share my latest mech mod for Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries – the classic Cougar originally modelled by Pawel Czarnecki over two decades ago. Link to mod: www.nexusmods.com/mechwarrior5… #battletech #mechwarrior

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— Art of Battletech & Mechwarrior (@artofbattletech.bsky.social) December 19, 2024 at 11:40 AM

Speaking of those mods for Mercenaries, Emil of The Art of BattleTech is once again bringing MechWarrior past to MechWarrior present with the Classic Cougar mod. The model itself was done by Pawel Czarnecki over two decades ago, and now it’s available to play in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. All you gotta do is download the mod via Nexus Mods or the Steam Workshop.

A Cicada With Some Claws

Custom Cicada, doing what it does best (Artwork)
byu/kolboldbard inbattletech

Back when I was first starting to play MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries, a friend told me with absolute conviction that the best thing you could do was sell the starter Commando for a CDA-2A Cicada. It would take years for me to realize this ‘friend’ was trolling me, but I still managed to get through the game’s initial missions in one of the worst ‘Mechs of all time.

I think I would have had a much better time if my ride had the four Light PPCs as depicted in Kolboldbard’s custom Cicada, which was created by Panzerbunn. At least, I assume those are Light PPCs. I don’t know how else a Cicada could put down that many particle blasts. Kudos to the both of you.

VoidBreaker Brings Pivotal Moment To BattleTech On January 24, 2025

Bryan Young’s next era-defining novel, VoidBreaker, is coming at the end of January. This is just a little over a week after the release of ilKhan’s Eyes Only, which may mention some of the events to take place in VoidBreaker, but also might not given how the Sea Foxes are trying very hard to keep their work repairing the HPG network under wraps.

This news comes courtesy of Bleeding Cool, which also revealed the cover art. Once again, it would seem that a Sea Fox protagonist is HALO dropping alongside their Tiburon. Well, the HALO drop is probably unique to the story, but I am seeing a LOT of narratively important Sea Foxes paired with Tiburons. I’m going to request that the next Sea Fox hero gets a Hammerhead.

I’ve been given a preview copy of VoidBreaker, so expect to hear my thoughts on this novel next month.

Always Inspect The Goods

"Supplies have arrived" Another bit done by my amazing buddy https://bsky.app/profile/jbastion.bsky.social . I think it came out pretty good
byu/IronCladFlynt inbattletech

Whether it be small arms, a Galleon tank, or a Achileus light battle armor suit, never take delivery of military hardware without first inspecting the goods. Kudos to jbastion for the image. Also, somebody needs to tell me which unit has the Spanish Galleon (the boat, not a tank manned by Spaniards) sailing into the sunset as its logo! I swear I’ve seen it before, but I can’t remember where.

The Fire Moth Is Finally Coming To MechWarrior Online!

Fire Moth confirmed! Preorders in January! Finally finishing off the original 16 Omnimechs!
byu/Risko_Vinsheen inOutreachHPG

THIS IS NOT A DRILL. The Fire Moth has just been announced for MechWarrior Online. I repeat: the Fire Moth is coming to MechWarrior Online.

This comes courtesy of the MechWarrior Online newsletter, which has since been reposted around social media. The newsletter confirms the existence of the Fire Moth and that pre-orders will begin in January. 

It had always been my understanding that the Fire Moth was excluded from MWO‘s OmniMech roster for being too damned fast. Testing back when the Clans first arrived in MechWarrior Online showed the Fire Moth to be so fast that hit registration was wildly inconsistent, so PGI shelved it in favor of other, less quick light OmniMechs. 

Fast-forward several years and two things have changed. One, internet speeds have generally improved, and two, PGI performed further testing on MWO hit registration during the Super Speed event about four months ago. They found that it was acceleration and deceleration that was problematic to hit registration, so they tweaked the original Fire Moth to have acceleration and deceleration more akin to a Mist Lynx, but with the extreme top speed that we’d expect from the Fire Moth (and in case you need a reminder, that’s in excess of 210 kph with MASC engaged). 

Players can expect the Prime, B, C, D, H, and K official variants, as well as the Hero “Aletha” variant. I’m honestly not sure why the A, E, and F variants weren’t included, but who cares? We’re finally getting the full set of original OmniMechs. And if it’s in MWO, that means it’ll (probably) be available for MechWarrior 5: Clans eventually.

MechWarrior Online Also Gets Two New Legendary ‘Mechs And Luthien Map

Alongside the Fire Moth announcement, MechWarrior Online also got a big patch this month. We’ve got two new Legendary ‘Mechs, a brand-new map, and the usual assortment of quirk adjustments.

First up, the Legendary “Naomi” Cataphract, so called for being the custom ride of Naomi Centrella-Liao. MWO‘s version isn’t an exact copy of the accepted lore as the game doesn’t yet have the Plasma Rifle, but it does have the Heavy PPC, four 10-tube Rocket Launchers, and Guardian ECM. It also has Stealth Armor, some pretty hefty armor quirks, and a 20 percent velocity bonus so you’ll have an easier time hitting with those PPCs and rockets. Consider this ‘Mech an ambush predator.

The Wolverine “Starshot” is a strange beast. Two Snub-Nose PPCs, an SRM-4, six Light Machine Guns, and five jump jets make this a hopping brawler. Smash holes in armor with those PPCs and then crit-seek with the SRMs and machine guns. Big armor quirks make the Starshot as tanky as some heavies, while machine gun rate of fire and range quirks make those Light Machine Guns a little easier to use. What really sets the Starshot apart is the compact gyro which allows both Snub-Nose PPCs to be mounted in the center torso, and a Light Engine that allows it to lose a torso and still fight with nearly full firepower. 

Next, we have the new Luthien map. It’s not quite as pretty as the Luthien depicted in MechWarrior 5: Clans, but it’s got plenty of trees and high rocky formations to break up sightlines. This map is still considered early access, so PGI is looking for constructive feedback.

And finally, we get to the weapon and ‘Mech adjustments. The Heavy Gauss and Clan AC/20 both received range buffs, you can now mount five Clan UAC/5s before suffering ghost heat, and the Clan Beam Laser now does slightly less damage and produces slightly less heat.

Lots of ‘Mech quirks have been tweaked, including multiple Flea, Jenner, Cicada, Griffin, Shadow Hawk, Charger, Gargoyle, Bane, Stone Rhino, and Bull Shark variants. As usual, you can check out the full list of changes on the official MechWarrior Online website.

Jeff May Be Gone, But His Tools Live On

Jeff's Battletech Tools IIC is now live!
byu/TheRealSpork inbattletech

Jeff sadly passed on in October, but those fearing Jeff’s BattleTech Tools may go with him can now breathe a sigh of relief. Jeff’s Tools IIC has recently launched after a team of folks decided to take over. You can check out the new tools here (which are basically the same as the old tools), and you can join the Jeff’s Tools IIC project Discord server here.

The Original MechAssault Pitch Was Really Different

What you see above is a screenshot from a video posted to Twitter (because Twitter is too cheap to allow embeds anymore) of the original pitch video for MechAssault from Day 1 Studios (originally known as Meyer Glass Interactive and now known as Wargaming Chicago-Baltimore). Heinz Schuller got it courtesy of Nick Guida who dug it out of the Day 1 archives. It’s a very different game— a lot slower, a lot more deliberate, and the top-down camera angle makes pretty much every engagement happen at point-blank range. 

What I find really interesting is how the Uziel eliminates that first tank by causing the building beside it to collapse. That sort of destructible environment being used as an actual game mechanic still doesn’t really exist in a MechWarrior game outside of heavy scripting. 

It’s incredible to see what might have been, although the actual version of MechAssault was still the best of the original Xbox Live launch titles. Thanks for sharing, Heinz, and ping me if you ever get down to writing your memoir!

Stephen Toropov Talks About Making Hotspots: Hinterlands And ilKhan’s Eyes Only

This was actually an interview that happened way back at Gen Con, but Catalyst has posted it now that Hinterlands is out and ilKhan’s Eyes Only is just weeks away from releasing. Toropov talks about how he got roped into writing for these books and drops a few interesting hints about what we might expect in ilKhan’s Eyes Only. It’s well worth a look if you’ve got some time to yourself over the New Years.

Sleek, Sexy, And Maybe Too Fast

Black Lanner, 2024, OC
byu/Remmor inOutreachHPG

Ice Ferrets, Vipers, Mongrels — I just can’t get enough of Clan ‘Mechs going way faster than a medium ‘Mech should. The Black Lanner is the epitome of this design philosophy, able to keep up with most light ‘Mechs while having the armor and firepower of a medium design. Never mind that you can get one Black Lanner for the price of nearly two AS7-Ds — an Atlas will never be able to catch you. Remmor’s rendition of the Black Lanner showcases this ‘Mech and her sleek Jade Falcon pilot beautifully. Follow the link if you want wallpapers.

The Unsung King Of Melee ‘Mechs

Berserker
byu/Electrical_Song756 inbattletech

The Berserker was bonkers from day one. ECM, AMS, two Large Pulse Lasers, an ER PPC, and a Hatchet with 100 tons of force behind it. MASC gives it the same top speed as the Mad Cat that’s about to lose its head. If Inner Sphere XL engines didn’t suck so much, this would be the perfect assault ‘Mech. Electrical_Song756 showcases this beautifully with this piece they commissioned from Wood Plank Studios. Thanks for sharing.

MechWarrior Living Legends Celebrates 15th Anniversary With Heavy Metal Mayhem

MechWarrior: Living Legends is turning 15 years old the best way possible: by blowing stuff up. Expect servers to be open to all from December 27th to January 4th for some combined-arms BattleTech action. Head to the MechWarrior: Living Legends website to download and play for free.

Project Helios Brings MechAssault To MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

As promised, Project Helios has arrived for MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. This brand-new mod from TheMonkeyMann and Alexis aims to recreate MechAssault in the more modern game, using a combination of assets from both titles. I’ve been able to play the first mission, and I can confidently say that it manages to recreate the feel of MechAssault perfectly. It’s also a lot easier to install than an Xbox emulator. 

So far, Project Helios just has the first act of MechAssault remade, but it looks and plays like a dream. Check out the full Act 1 playthrough if you’re looking for a taste of what to expect, and head over to Nexus Mods or the MW5: Mercs Steam Workshop page to download.

BungleTech BattleTech Episodes Includes 15 Expert Proclamations (And Me)

I’m a little self-serving on this one, but when the BungleTech boys asked me to provide some advice to BattleTech fans, I had to spread the good word of bad ‘Mechs. Plus there are a bunch of other BattleTech creators offering their good advice, like Tex, Big Red, Mech Frog, Sven, Matt Plog, and many more. It’s a fun episode, so do check it out!

I Will Never Unsee It’s Little Red Nose

Merry Christmas, Mechwarriors! (Hopefully, now with pictures!)
byu/TooScaryMiniatures inbattletech

To end this holiday season, here’s a custom Valkyrie from TooScaryMiniatures. It’s been given the Rudolph treatment alongside a fluffy pine tree and some snow to indicate its home in the Great White North. Finally, a printed Leopard DropShip appears to have become overburdened with all the presents good Spheroid boys and girls will receive on December 25. Hopefully, Rudolph the Valkyrie will be able to get this bird in the air with that nose of his. 

That’s a wrap on 2024! We’ll be back next year to keep you informed on all that’s happening in the world of BattleTech.

And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.