2019 Clan Invasion Crowdfunding Campaign

This article is about the crowdfunding campaign. For the actual product, see BattleTech: Clan Invasion.

Promtional Image for the 2019 Clan Invasion Kickstarter

In 2019, Catalyst Game Labs ran a crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter platform for the BattleTech: Clan Invasion boxed set. It was successful beyond expectations, and led to a slew of additional digital and physical products, many of them new and some exclusive to the crowdfunding campaign.

Background

CGL announced on 13 June 2019 that they would run a crowdfunding campaign for a boxed boardgame set that was set in the Clan Invasion era of ca. 3050 and beyond, instead of the Succession Wars era of around 3025 that all previous boxed sets of the game had used for setting (though technically, Clan units and rules had been included within the rulebooks and box contents to one extent or another as early as the CityTech, 2nd Edition boxed set).

Fans had repeatedly requested such a boxed set in the past, but CGL had been uncertain whether or not it was a viable product. One problem was the high production costs, especially creating molds for the plastic OmniMech miniatures that would be included; another was that the Clan Invasion brought new technologies to the game which came with a significant expansion of the rules, and might thus primarily appeal to experienced players, whereas previous boxed sets were aimed at new players.

By 2019 BattleTech was perceived to be in a general upswing though (boosted through Harebrained Schemes' successful BattleTech video game that had a very successful crowdfunding campaign in 2015), and CGL was also already in the process of redesigning and updating 'Mech art. Thus CGL committed to producing a Clan Invasion boxed set. The crowdfunding campaign specifically sought to fund the 3D models and high-end tooling necessary to create redesigned models of the OmniMechs that originally debuted in Technical Readout: 3050, beginning with a star of five OmniMechs released as the core of the BattleTech: Clan Invasion box set, with additional options available as stretch goals.

Campaign

The campaign proper was launched on 17 July 2019 through the Kickstarter funding platform, and lasted until 18 August 2019.

This was Catalyst Game Labs' first crowdfunding campaign for BattleTech, but it was neither CGL's first crowdfunding campaign (they had previously had similar, successful campaigns for other games, namely Shadowrun) nor was it the first crowdfunding campaign for BattleTech, having been preceded by the 2015 crowdfunding for the HBS BattleTech video game and a 2013 campaign for certain miniatures.

The stated funding goal was only 30,000 US$, a low bar to guarantee the campaign would become a success. This was surpassed in less than seven minutes after the campaign went live. During the early period of the campaign, numerous stretch goals were actually exceeded before they could be posted to the website. While some stretch goals consisted of additional physical products, some enabled upgrades to planned products (such as the addition of Elementals to the Clan Invasion Box Set), and yet others created events.

By the end of the campaign, the total funding raised was $2,586,421, with additional funds raised from late backers. CGL later indicated that they had only expected to raise around one million, and that two million had been their most optimistic forecast. In an update on 13 November 2020, they said the campaign had reached well over $ 5M.

The campaign featured a number of different levels of possible funding, with various rewards available, drawn from existing and new products. The names of the individual reward levels reflected ranks within the hierarchy of the Clans, as well as a number of other recognizable terms from the BattleTech universe.

Rewards

The following products were available through the Kickstarter, either as core items, stretch goals, or add-ons:

Name	Item Type	Status
BattleTech: Legends	Art Book (digital)	New
BattleTech: Legends	Art Book	New and exclusive
Camospecs Unit Art Manual	Art Book (digital)	New
Shrapnel (magazine)	Magazine	New
Break-Away	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Den of Wolves	Short Story (digital)	New
A Dish Served Cold	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Fall From Glory	Novel (digital)	Pre-existing
The Field Is Lost	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Forging Of Blood	Novel (digital)	New
Honor & Glory	Short Story Series	New
A New Game	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Nothing Ventured	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Prometheus Unbound	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Rules of Engagement	Novella	New
The Spider Dances	Short Story (digital)	Pre-existing
Visions of Rebirth	Novel (digital)	Pre-existing
CamoSpecs Online: A Guide to Faction Paint Schemes	Reference Text	New
Batchall	Scenario (digital)	New
Diminishing Returns	Scenario (digital)	New
Grand Melee	Scenario (digital)	New
Last Stand	Scenario (digital)	New
Trial of Position	Scenario (digital)	New
BattleTech: Battle of Tukayyid	Scenario (digital)	New
BattleTech Tactical Companion App	Proof of Concept App (digital)	New and Exclusive
Expanded Clan Invasion Guide	Sourcebook	New
Clan Juggernaut	Digital Wallpaper	New and Exclusive
Inner Sphere Response	Digital Wallpaper	New and Exclusive
Technical Readout: 3050	Digital Wallpaper	New and Exclusive
BattleTech Leather Dice Bag	Accessory	New and Exclusive
Challenge Coins	Accessory	New and partially exclusive
Challenge Coins Collector Set	Accessory	New and partially exclusive
Clan Juggernaut	Poster	New and exclusive
Clan and Inner Sphere 'Mech Recognition Poster	Poster	New and exclusive
Clan Daggerstar Dog Tag	Accessory	New and exclusive
Clan Daggerstar Keychain	Accessory	New and exclusive
Double-sided Poster Set	Poster	New
Faction Dice	Accessory	New
Faction Dice Collector Set	Accessory	New and exclusive
Faction Pack	Accessory	New and exclusive
Inner Sphere 3025/3052 Map	Map	New and exclusive
Lapel Pin	Accessory	New and exclusive
Lapel Pin Collector Set	Accessory	New and exclusive
Faction Patch	Accessory	New
Patch Collector Set	Accessory	New and exclusive
Tactical Map Case	Accessory	New
Faction T-Shirt	Accessory	New and exclusive
T-Shirt Collector Set	Accessory	New and exclusive
UrbanMech Plushie	Accessory	New
BattleTech: Beginner Box	Box Set	Pre-existing
BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat	Box Set	Pre-existing
Clan Invasion	Box Set	New
Clan Invasion with exclusive box cover art	Box Set	New and exclusive
Clan Command Star	ForcePacks	New
Clan Heavy Striker Star	ForcePacks	New
Clan Fire Star	ForcePacks	New
Clan Support Star	ForcePacks	New
Clan Heavy Battle Star	ForcePacks	New
Clan Heavy Star	ForcePacks	New
Clan Striker Star	ForcePacks	New
Clan Ad Hoc Star	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Command Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Battle Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Direct Fire Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Heavy Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Striker Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Fire Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Heavy Battle Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Urban Lance	ForcePacks	New
Inner Sphere Support Lance	ForcePacks	New
ComStar Command Level II	ForcePacks	New
ComStar Battle Level II	ForcePacks	New
Battlemat: Alpine	Battlemat	Pre-existing
Battlemat: Desert	Battlemat	Pre-existing
Battlemat: Lunar	Battlemat	Pre-existing
Battlemat: Savanna	Battlemat	Pre-existing
Map Pack: Alien Worlds	Map Pack	New
Map Pack: Grasslands	Map Pack	Pre-existing
BattleMat: Strana Mechty	Battlemat	New
Map Pack: Battle of Tukayyid	Map Pack	New
Clan Retaliation	Miniature Set	New and exclusive
Clan Elemental Star	Star Pack	New
Legendary MechWarriors Pack	Miniature Set	New and exclusive
Inner Sphere Retaliation	Miniature Set	New and exclusive
MechWarrior Pilots I	MechWarrior Card Set	New
MechWarrior Pilots II	MechWarrior Card Set	New and exclusive
MechWarrior Pilots III	MechWarrior Card Set	New and exclusive
MechWarrior Pilot Deck: Battle for Tukayyid	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Champions of the Inner Sphere I	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Champions of the Inner Sphere II	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Mercenaries of the Inner Sphere I	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Mercenaries of the Inner Sphere II	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Warriors of Kerensky I	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Warriors of Kerensky II	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Warriors of the Clans	MechWarrior Card Set	New
Fortress	Miniature Set	New and exclusive
Salvage Box	Miniature Set	New
UrbanMech Salvage Box	Miniature Set	New and exclusive
Legendary MechWarriors Salvage Box	Miniature Set	New and exclusive
Warhammer Statue	Miniature Set	New and exclusive
Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
BattleMech Manual	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
MechWarrior: Destiny	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
MechWarrior: Legends	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Premium Record Sheets	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Reinforcements: Record Sheet Book 1 (record sheets)	Record Sheets	New
Reinforcements: Record Sheet Book 2 (record sheets)	Record Sheets	New
Reinforcements: Die-Cut Pack 1	Game Aid	New
Reinforcements: Die-Cut Pack 2	Game Aid	New
BattleTech Reinforcements: Clan Invasion	Game Aid	New
Tactical Operations (bundle)	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
TechManual	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Technical Readout: Clan Invasion	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Technical Readout: Succession Wars	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Total Warfare	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Campaign Operations	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Strategic Operations	Sourcebook	Pre-existing
Lostech Faction Dice (Wave 1)	Accessory	Pre-existing
Lostech Faction Dice (Wave 2.5)	Accessory	Pre-existing
BattleTech Novels: Overlord Collection	Novels	New
BattleTech Novels: Leathersoft Collection	Novels	New
BattleTech Novels: Leathersoft Bundle	Novels	New
BattleTech Novels: Hardback Collection	Novels	New
BattleTech Novels: Hardback Bundle	Novels	New
Battlemat: Alpha Strike	Battlemat	New
Map Pack: Deserts	Map Pack	New
Foil Jigsaw Puzzles	Puzzles	Pre-existing
Foil Jigsaw Puzzles Bundle	Puzzles	Pre-existing
Foil Posters	Puzzles	Pre-existing
Tactical Dice Kit	Accessory	New
Initiative Deck	Game Aid	New

Higher Pledge Rewards

Individuals who backed at certain levels were eligible to submit a character who would be canonized in the BattleTech universe. The higher the level of the pledge, the more prominent the character would be, with custom artwork included at higher levels. It was also possible to purchase the canon character reward as a US$200 add-on. Those who backed at the second highest level were guaranteed that their canon character would star in upcoming fiction, allowed to make several stretch goal decisions and were invited to participate in a BattleTech strategy meeting at Origins, Gen Con, or one of Catalyst's online summits alongside Catalyst leadership team and primary writers. Those who backed at the Full Kerensky level were guaranteed that their canon character would star in upcoming fiction, and a free copy of everything produced for BattleTech over the two years following the Kickstarter campaign, including limited edition items. Furthermore, backers at this level were invited, along with a friend, to attend a three-day excursion featuring social events, gaming, and a seat at a high-level strategy summit; this offer came with a US$500 stipend towards travel costs.

Stretch Goals

A special "What Would Victor Do?" live-stream event was also funded as a stretch goal, as well as a series of four-play Co-Op Missions within the upcoming MechWarrior 5 computer game staring Randall Bills, Brent Evans, Russ Bullock and a fourth, unnamed staff member. Another live-stream event was also funded, repeating the "Beard-Off" challenge between staff members from Catalyst and Harebrained Schemes.

Campaign issues

During the course of the campaign, the backer reception to the announced contents of the various Star and Lance Packs was somewhat mixed. This led Catalyst Game Labs to engage in a consultation exercise, announced via the updates page, in which opinions were sought on the makeup of the various packs, particularly from those who were backing the campaign at the highest pledge levels. As a result, a number of the Star Packs which had already been announced saw their contents amended, and three previously-announced packs - the Clan Light Fire Star, Clan Pursuit Star and the Berserker Lance - were removed from the lineup, effectively becoming Vaporware.

The MechWarrior Pilot Decks would be both positively and negatively effected by the unexpected popularity of Canon Character pledges. With an estimated 2,780 characters generated from the campaign, the Pilot Decks were massively expanded to provide additional opportunities for backer appearances, but the sheer scale of the custom backer art required would impact their completion. While the Wave 1 Pilot Decks were completed and shipped, the additional Wave 2 decks - Battle of Tukayyid, Mercenaries of the Inner Sphere I and Warriors of Kerensky II - could not be completed in the time available, resulting in Catalyst Game Labs taking the best 55 cards completed for those decks and producing one single new deck - Heroes of the Clan Invasion - issued to those who selected any of the Wave 2 decks along with CGL store credit for the value of the unproduced decks and a promise they would be hopefully revisited in the future.

The Camospecs: A unit Art Manual was ultimately canceled with Catalyst stating that the project "ended up far larger than anything we expected."

Remaining Content

As of 24 March 2023, the remaining digital items that are to be delivered on are:

• Scenario #4 Grand Melee
• Scenario #5 Batchall
• Expanded Military Briefing
• Honor & Glory (2nd installment)
• Honor & Glory (3rd installment)
• Honor & Glory (4th installment)
• Den of Wolves
• New canon character Chapter-Serial
• What Would Victor do?
• MechWarrior 5 Unleashed
• Camospecs: A Guide to Faction Paint Schemes
• Beard-Off Rematch

External Links

• Kickstarter campaign page