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 may not be hyperbole, but I know many Canadians are feeling anxious about how things are going down there. So let’s all take a deep breath and try to remember that war crimes are for the year 3024, not 2024.
And with that, onto your BattleTech news for October.
MechWarrior 5: Clans Is Here And It’s REALLY Good!
I used to say that MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is the best MechWarrior game ever made, but I think it’s safe to say that the torch has been passed to MechWarrior 5: Clans. I’ve been playing this game ever since it was released on October 16 and loving every minute. Everything is a significant upgrade over Mercenaries; story, cinematics, visuals, music, gameplay, customization, all of it refined to the epitome of what a MechWarrior game should be.
I have had zero technical issues with Clans other than the annoying bug that prevented my custom controls from being saved, but that has since been resolved in a hotfix. This is a great experience from the moment you hit the download button. Two thumbs up. If you’ve been waiting for a narrative-driven MechWarrior game, this is it.
So far my only real complaint is there’s no New Game Plus mode, but I’ll save that discussion for my upcoming review. Suffice it to say, if my biggest complaint is that there’s no better way to play more of it without just starting a new save file, then it’s a good-ass game. You can download MechWarrior 5: Clans on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Surpasses 2 Million Sales Mark
While MechWarrior 5: Clans is enjoying its release, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries publisher Enad Global 7 (EG7) sent out a press release confirming Mercenaries has surpassed 2 million in sales. That’s great for any game, let alone a MechWarrior title. This might make it the best-selling MechWarrior game of all time, but it’s hard to get solid figures for some of these older MechWarrior titles (kudos to Emil for the link).
New Catalyst Products, Previews, And Mercenaries Kickstarter Update
We’ve got tons of new product announcements to go through for October, most of which only recently went on sale!
On the minis side, the Recon & Hunter Lances Battlefield Support Pack is on sale, which contains two each of Skulkers, Behemoths, Ontoses (Ontosii?), and Warriors. We’ve also got the Miniature Carrying Case in Field Camo, and the Revised Battlefield Support Deck out on November 1.
On the fiction side, we’ve got Force Manual: Davion out now and Force Manual: Kurita out tomorrow, Letter of the Law and Heavy is the Head by Phillip A. Lee are both available wherever fine books are sold, and the BattleTech Universe primer is available from the Catalyst game store.
We’ve also received a few previews for upcoming minis. The Dragon Fire, Hellspawn, and Gunsmith all got 3D renders, and we got to see previews of the Davion Force Packs that are due out early next year, which include the Thanatos, Templar, Falconer, Legionnaire, both the Hellspawn and Gunsmith mentioned above, and new sculpts for the Enforcer and Thunderbolt.
On the Mercenaries Kickstarter front, there’s not much to report. CGL said in their latest update that they’ve surpassed 19,000 orders shipped or in the process of being shipped for Canada and the USA (and areas without a rest-of-world hub) with about 1,500 remaining. For international hubs, CGL is still waiting for those additional item shipments to arrive (which we discussed last month), but overall, “things are moving.”
The Whackest Of ‘Mechs
Anyone who’s seen the BattleTech Animated Series will always have a special place in their heart for the Bushwacker. Or anyone who played MechCommander. I remember doing a full playthrough of that game with nothing but Bushwackers and Hollander IIs. It wasn’t quite as effective as my Cougar and Shadow Cat run, but it was still pretty great. Just like this piece by Amesa14. Thanks for sharing.
Jeff Gordon, Creator of Jeff’s BattleTech Tools, Has Passed Away
In Memoriam: Jeffery Gordon, Creator of Jeff's BattleTech Tools
byu/ValkyrieRaptor inbattletech
I never used Jeff’s BattleTech Tools, but I’ve been told by many in the community that his site is a permanent bookmark for many Classic BattleTech players, and even some Alpha Strike players. If you’d like to share your sympathies or send a gift to Jeff’s surviving family, head to the memorial page here.
BattleTech Author Steve Mohan Jr. Has Passed
In addition to Jeff, we’ve lost another BattleTech figure this month. Steven Mohan Jr., author of A Bonfire of Worlds and Ghost Bear’s Lament, has died.
The cause wasn’t immediately known, but I can’t help but feel we got robbed of a good one. I read Bonfire of Worlds and thought it really set up the ilClan era even though he wrote it nearly a decade before.
“All of us at Catalyst were stunned and saddened to hear of Steve’s passing,” said Executive Editor John Helfers. “He was a true fan of BattleTech, and wrote some of the most powerful BattleTech stories ever published. He will be greatly missed by all of us.”
Alpha Strike Tournament Benefiting Children’s Hospital Coming To San Antonio December 7
BattleTech players down in San Antonio, Texas, listen up. An Alpha Strike tournament is coming December 7th at the Battlepub (which should henceforth be spelled BattlePub). The tournament is being organized by Robert Lyon, who is asking for $20 buy-in donations for all attendees. All proceeds will be handed over to Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, which provides critical services to families regardless of their ability to pay. You can pay more, but $20 is the minimum donation amount.
The rules are 350-point armies with games kicking off at noon. Prizes include a first-place trophy, a miniature display case, coffee mugs, Classic BattleTech dice, Recognition Guides, and more.
If you’d like to take part, head to the donation site and make a donation. Even if you can’t be in the area for the tournament, feel free to donate and just tell ’em Sarna sent you.
Classic Marauder Arrives In Lego
I personally much prefer the redesigned Marauder and even some of the Project Phoenix Marauders, but I will say the original Japanese-sourced Marauder design (which was the Zentraedi Officer’s Battle Pods in Super Dimension Fortress Macross) definitely has a unique look to it. And now you can experience that look in Lego thanks to Avoidancegardening on Reddit.
They unfortunately didn’t share the instructions to create this beautiful monster. You’ll have to reach out to them directly if you want to build this yourself, or otherwise reverse-engineer it from the single image we have above.
Autumnal Timber Wolf
Wild-Cat144 is back with another beautiful piece of a Timber Wolf in the Fall. Yes, it’s the time of year when every Mad Cat loses its olive-drab paint and adopts a colorful camouflage containing reds, oranges, and yellows. Or at the very least, red tips on those LRMs. Thanks for sharing, Wild-Cat144.
Fan-Made BattleTech Comic Anthology Coming In 2025
Speaking of Wild Cat, it looks like she’ll be heading a small team to create a BattleTech comic book anthology. Details remain scarce, but expect the official announcement to come early next year, with fan submissions opening up soon after. With any luck, we’ll hopefully see a finished product by the end of 2025.
November Tournament Coming To MechWarrior: Living Legends To Celebrate Latest Patch
I’ve already talked about the latest update for MechWarrior: Living Legends, the best totally free multiplayer MechWarrior game around, which included three new ‘Mechs: the Lobo, the Hellion, and the Enfield. You can read all about it in August’s coverage or this month’s update from the MW:LL dev team.
In addition to the new patch, MW:LL will host a tournament starting November 2. The ThreeV3 tournament has a signup sheet here, so grab two friends and get ready for mayhem. If you want an example of what this sort of tournament looks like, check out this video compilation. All matches begin at 18:00 UTC.
MechWarrior 2 Artist Reveals Process For Making Those Gorgeous Backgrounds
Part of what made MechWarrior 2 so amazing was the pre-rendered cinematics and backgrounds that gave you an impression of what things would look like in a fictional future reality. These days, both MechWarrior 5s do a better job of conveying a ‘realistic’ look than anything that was in MechWarrior 2, but back in the day, these were the best images of a ‘Mech ever produced.
And they were produced by none other than Scott Goffman, the digital artist who did not just the backgrounds for the MechWarrior 2 loading screens, but also the iconic covers for MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat and Ghost Bear’s Legacy.
I recently found this article where Scott spoke about his work on MechWarrior 2 and the early days of PC gaming. Since then, things have changed a lot and Scott doesn’t think that there’s any reason to go back to pre-rendered graphics, but it’s still a very interesting discussion about how visual game design worked back in the ’90s.
Van Zandt BattleTech Festival Coming In Early 2025
For those unaware, Van Zandt is the home planet of Randolph P. Checkers located somewhere in the deep periphery. It’s based on the real-life Texan county of Van Zandt, which will soon host a BattleTech tournament.
On March 15th and 16th, the city of Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas, will host a BattleTech festival at the Canton Civic Center. The event starts at 9 AM Saturday and will include both Classic and Alpha Strike games, tutorial sessions, a painting competition, a silent charity auction, and more.
If you’re looking to take part, tickets are on sale here. If you want to help organize a game or do something else at the festival, submissions must be in before March 1.
Opinion: Moderation Matters. A Lot.
Courtesy of Eldoniousrex
I can’t say that Scott’s expose on the BattleTech Texas Facebook Group comes as a complete shock—lord knows I’ve screened my fair share of horrible comments—but it’s still quite disconcerting to see in stark terms just how openly some known bigots and actual nazis operate within the BattleTech community. Or at least, certain segments of it. And, unfortunately, that segment may be growing.
You can read the full details over on Scott’s website (and I encourage you to do so), but the story centers around how the BattleTech Texas Facebook Group became infiltrated by people who share nazi and white supremacist imagery. Some even call for violence against CGL employees.
I think it’s important to shed light on this phenomenon because it’s absolutely and utterly destructive. You can’t have a healthy community with these sorts of actors in it. If people feel unsafe, they leave, and there’s nothing that makes someone feel unsafe more than a person who literally says that minorities and LGBTQ+ people are subhuman, sick, and don’t deserve to exist.
So how do you stop this sort of thing from happening? I reached out to a friend of mine, a social psychologist who studies fan groups, and he recommends many of the same things Scott did in his article. Moderators and leaders of these social groups have to take an unequivocal stand against bigotry, enshrining anti-hate rules and enforcing them with a no-tolerance policy.
Moderators need to recognize that the people who shout the most about how these anti-hate rules are violating their right to free speech are really just looking for a platform to voice their hate. Don’t let ’em.
The good news is that CGL already has a “BattleTech is for Everyone” policy that prohibits such messaging in any official spaces, and most game stores I’ve ever been to have similar rules against hate speech and violence. It’s just certain online communities (mostly Facebook and a growing number of Twitter accounts) where this sort of bigotry flourishes. Know who and where they are, and be sure to have rules to prevent them from spreading hate.
And since trans kids are the target du jour for these hate groups, here’s a t-shirt where the proceeds will go to trans charities.
Vote Victor! With Help From These Propaganda Posters
Battletech Propaganda Posters
byu/Squirrelnuts5000 inbattletech
I’ve always thought that propaganda doesn’t work on me, and that’s because nobody ever thought to create these propaganda posters. These speak to me on a spiritual level that no political or corporate slogan could ever hope to achieve. Thanks to Squirrelnits5000 for stealing these images from Sarna and turning them into something way cooler.
Commandos Are The Rudest ‘Mechs
I like this image. Not just because it’s a Commando grinding down some support pole holding up a super-high highway, but because it’s the COM-1B variant with the Large Laser in the right arm. Thank you, Lady Red, for doing this commissioned piece for ItsJustEeyore.
Bob Has A Cool Case For Carrying His Minis
I made a thing! A Battletech carrying case for my friend Bob (Clan Sea Fox).
byu/JudgeIgnorantFoot inbattletech
One of the problems I’ve discovered with my growing collection of minis is that they’re not easy to transport. The CGL minis are fairly robust and can endure a bit of torment, but I still don’t want to take the risk of chipping paint or losing an antenna.
My solution was to get a cheap plucked foam case from Amazon, but an even better solution would be this custom BattleTech case from JudgeIgnorantFoot. The case is made from an old toolbox, while the minis are kept from jumbling around via magnets. Everything is metal, except for some of the cool decorative bits glued to the outside.
Bob, you’ve got a cool case.
Nova Cats Will Never Be Cooler Than This
What’s this? What’s this? More Nova Cats hot-dropping from hovering Overlords? In digital pencil? Why yes, I think I will, thank you very much. Thanks to TheRedEpicArt for sharing this piece. It looks good enough for Shrapnel.
How Would You Like To Drive A Grizzly In MW5: Mercs?
It’s still a little too soon for modders to have gotten their hands on MechWarrior 5: Clans to add a bajillion new ‘Mechs (although I’m sure they’re coming), but MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries has been around long enough that it’s getting new ‘Mechs all the time. The latest comes courtesy of SankaraSamsara (aka Emil of The Art of BattleTech) and Wolf, who modeled the Grizzly on CGL’s redesigned miniature, which was itself created by Chris Lowrey, the Narrative Director for MW5: Clans! See? It all comes full circle.
As usual, you can find this fine new specimen over on Nexus Mods or the Steam Workshop page for MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. I always love to see a Clan ‘Mech with a standard engine.
BattleTech Pride Anthology 2025 Canceled
Bad news and good news. The bad news is the BattleTech Pride Anthology 2025 has been canceled. The official announcement came on BlueSky, while Twitter has been the battleground between the former editor-in-chief and a published BattleTech author. According to multiple sources, things were not entirely chummy in the background, even as far back as my interview with the Pride Anthology folks back in July.
There’s a somewhat less heated summary of events available on the Star League Discord Server, but the TLDR is there was an argument between the editor-in-chief and an author, the argument escalated to include many more people (and authors) over several months, and after what one side calls harassment and the other due diligence, the editor decided to just burn the whole thing to the ground on her way out the door.
The good news is, while the Anthology is no more, a new publication will arise in its place. Called “Pirate Point,” the new biannual, LGBTQA-plus-focused fanzine will expand its formatting to include more than just short stories. Submissions can include flash fiction (500-1,000 words), in-universe periodicals and interviews, pictures of minis, fan art, opinion pieces, crosswords and games, RPG hooks, and more.
For more details, check out the official launch announcement document here, and for more discussion, head to the Star League Discord server.
MRC Announces “Cameron Heat” Events For 2025
The MRC has recently announced plans for a series of events to take place through 2025 called the “Cameron Heat” tournament. The first event is scheduled to begin on January 10, 2025, with events to follow in April, July, and October. Each tournament will be three matches, each with different mission objectives, and each using a different list of units that will be pre-submitted before the end of 2024.
Here’s the interesting part: each player will submit their own list, but they won’t be able to use the list that they submit. Instead, the tournament will use a “list-bidding” format where each player will bid for the right to use a list submitted by another player. The points you have to bid are based on your MRC Combat Rank, where new and inexperienced players have the most points and pros have the fewest.
For the full list rules, check out the Google Doc here, but in general, you’ll have requirements for at least one ‘Mech, a maximum quantity of Pulse Laser Damage, a maximum number of jump jets, and no VTOLs, artillery, or AeroSpace fighters.
All players looking to take part will need to have their list submitted no later than December 13, 2024. For more questions, advice on how to create your list, or if you just want to hang out with Classic BattleTech fans, head to the MRC Discord.
The Grand Summoner Arrives In MechWarrior Online
MechWarrior Online skipped a patch last month, but this month brings new balance adjustments and a brand new ‘Mech. The Grand Summoner, or Thor II, is celebrating its grand unveiling with three available variants and one Hero variant.
For those unaware, the Grand Summoner is a post-Jihad ‘Mech that largely replaced the original Thor. Imagine a Summoner with endo steel and no jump jets and you’ve basically got the Grand Summoner. It’s also a take on the MechWarrior 4 version of the Thor, which came with twin UAC/5s, an LRM-15, and four ER Medium Lasers.
MechWarrior Online also gets the B variant, with a bunch of LRMs and ATMs, and the C variant, which comes with two Large Pulse Lasers, a Streak SRM-4, and an Ultra AC/20. The Hero “Talon” variant comes with MASC, two ProtoMech AC/8s, six AP Gauss Rifles, and two Plasma Cannons. You can pick up the Grand Summoner Pack now for $20.
As for the patch notes, there have been a number of adjustments. ProtoMech Autocannons and the Clan ER PPC have all had their heat reduced, while the Magshot and AP Gauss now have longer cooldown. The King Crab and Kodiak now accelerate and decelerate faster, while the Dire Wolf Trial ‘Mech has had its autocannons switched from LB 5-X ACs to regular AC/5s. All Ravens (except for the RVN-3L) now have a Seismic Sensor quirk, all Huntsmans have 10 percent added heat dissipation, and the Linebackers have received a significant set-of-eight overhaul.
Perhaps most interestingly is a change to how Quickplay groups work. A three-person group now has a minimum tonnage of 120 (so no light ‘Mech wolfpacking), and a maximum tonnage of 210 (so no assault blitzing). This same minimum of 40 tons per ‘Mech is maintained for four-man groups but has a maximum of 60 tons per ‘Mech. This forces group players into the mid-range, which is the least-played kind of ‘Mech in MWO. That’s not a problem for me since I like medium ‘Mechs (and I also don’t have two other people to play with), but it’s definitely going to put a stop to groups of veterans stomping all over noobies. It’ll be interesting to see how this change plays out.
There’s more ‘Mechs and weapons with adjustments, so for the full patch notes, head over to MechWarrior Online‘s website here.
MechWarrior Online Championship Series Comes Down To Final Four
Markolai is back with another update for the MechWarrior Online Championship Series, which has been whittled down to the final four. Vigilance will face either the Dark Sea Corsairs, 10th Lyran Guards Revenants, or Mantra in the Grand Finals to determine the best MechWarrior players in the world.
The competitive queue has ended, which means the top teams are getting their fancy rewards shortly, with the top 25 receiving the fancy new Grand Summoner discussed in the previous section. The finalists are fighting over a grand prize of $36,235, but there’s still time for that number to grow if you purchase the MWO Tournament Supporter Pack.
In The Land Of The Rising Suns, Heavy Metal Has But A Single Queen
Rhonda might not be my favorite Classic-era MechWarrior, but you have to admit, flying around the Inner Sphere looking for Star League-era tech is a pretty good gig. Doing so at the hands of a Highlander blaring heavy metal music is just a bonus. Kudos to Twelvecheek for this incredible animation.
The Spooky Season Gets A Clan Upgrade
Normally we discuss the legend of the Black Marauder during the spookiest of seasons, but this year we have something better: the Black Mad Cat, courtesy of Highlighter! You might recognize this as a big-sized Timber Wolf that came in the Mercenaries Kickstarter packages (for those of you who received them anyway), but it’s been mutilated by demons and evil spirits. At least one of whom was named Highlighter.
This thing is gross and terrifying and apparently requires someone to donate their Timber Wolf because I see a third arm in place of the second LRM-20 box. Also, way too many green oozy bits. I will not throw up the Halloween candy I stole from a five-year-old (kidding, he was 45 and diabetic, so I was doing him a favor).
And that’s it for the spooky season here at Sarna! Please enjoy your candy responsibly, and I’m sure the horrors of Mariah Carrey won’t begin for at least a few more days yet.
And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.
thanks Sean!
Thanks for another incredible round-up Sean! It’s been a hell of a year and you’re doing great work keeping us all up to date on the goings on in the fandom.
Thank you for the 3v3 mention!
I agree. Posting and commenting on an article exhorting the need to make Battletech a place where everyone feels welcome and then to make a political comment about an AMERICAN election that demonizes 50% of the American people, is not only tacky but shows a lack of awareness of at least 50% of Battletech fans. Do better.
You’re already lucky these posts haven’t been deleted yet.
The moderation here seems to hate any “dissenting opinions”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance
I have to object. I already spend too much money on Lego and BattleTech, and people keep making very cool BattleMech MOCs :P
Great round up Sean!
Does that new Thunderbolt sculpt have something floating over its shoulder or is that an alternate cockpit piece?
It’s a regular T-Bolt cockpit option. Nice inclusion.
Would totally love to commission Wild-Cat144 one of these days.
Also… here’s hoping we see Clans for sale over on GOG. Not a fan of either of the major PC store fronts, and we did get a GOG release for Mercenaries as soon as the Epic exclusivity ended. Of course… I am kind of guess a part of the reason why we didn’t get a GOG release was because of the very VERY stupid way Piranha games chose to pack the digital collectors edition content locked inside the game.