Strategic Operations

Strategic Operations
Product information
Type	Rulebook
Development	Herbert A. Beas II Randall N. Bills
Primary writing	Paul Bowman Dan C. Duval Kevin Killiany Mike Miller David L. McCulloch Steven Mohan Jr. Herbert A. Beas II Randall N. Bills Joel Bancroft-Connors Térence Harris Chris Hartford Luke Robertson Joel Steverson Kirk Alderfer Ray Arrastia Matt Murray Rick Sardiñas
Pages	448
Cover Artwork	Franz Vohwinkel
Illustrations	Doug Chaffee David R. Deitrick James Hauser Brennan Letts Chris Lewis Duane Loose Matt Plog Klaus Scherwinski Franz Vohwinkel
Publication information
Publisher	Catalyst Game Labs
Product code	35004
First published	2009
ISBN-13	978-1-93485-721-2
Content
Era	Jihad era
Series	Core Rulebooks
Preceded by	Tactical Operations
Followed by	A Time of War

Description

Strategic Operations is the fourth book in the rebranded Classic BattleTech line. It provides advanced rules for aerospace combat and solar system-level campaigns, and reboots the previous BattleForce rules, to allow combat at company, battalion and regimental levels. Strategic Operations won the 2010 Origins Award for Best Miniatures Rules.

In 2021 this book was superseded by Strategic Operations: Advanced Aerospace Rules with the strategic level rules split off and consolidated into Interstellar Operations: BattleForce.

From the Back Cover

“

Forces In Solar System! Liftoff [sic] planet and conquer an entire solar system! Deploy kilometer-long WarShips as escorts, first for JumpShips bridging the gulf between stars, then for detaching DropShips that burn in system to drop troops onto any battlefield. New aerospace tactics will allow you to gain air supremacy to match your grasp of ground tactics. Yet the war for a star system is more than a single battle and a commander that utilizes his supplies and personnel with skill will survive the numerous battles to come. Strategic Operations is the one-source rulebook for advanced rules aerospace assets that open the entire conquest of a solar system. It includes new aerospace movement, combat and advanced aerospace unit construction rules, as well as comprehensive maintenance, salvage, repair and customization rules. Finally, a complete game system—BattleForce—allows players to use their existing miniatures and mapsheets to play quick, fast-paced BattleTech games, from companies to battalions and even regiments.

”

Contents

• Introduction
  • The Naval Factor (in-universe article)
• General Rules
  • Desperate Thrill (short story)
• Advanced Aerospace Movement
  • Punitive Strike (short story)
• Advanced Aerospace Combat
  • Aerospace Technologies (in-universe article)
• Advanced Aerospace Units Construction
  • House Rules (short story)
• Maintenance, Repair, Salvage and Customization
  • War and its Makers (in-universe article)
• BattleForce: Standard Rules
  • Aerospace Operations (in-universe article)
• BattleForce: Advanced Rules
  • Warfare Symbology (in-universe article)
• BattleForce: Conversion Rules
  • Two Seconds of Vengeance (short story)
• Miniatures Rules
• Index
• Record Sheets
• Tables

Notes

• Like Total Warfare and other books in the new series, most of the artwork in the book are pictures of painted miniatures. This book expands the BattleTech eras to play in from previous volumes defining the time periods of the following eras:
  • Age of War era (2398-2569)
  • Reunification War (2570-2597)
  • Star League era (2598-2784)
  • The Succession Wars era is further subdivided into
    • First Succession War era (2785-2827)
    • Second Succession War era (2828-2863)
    • Third Succession War era (2864-3027)
    • Fourth Succession War era (3028-3049)
  • Clan Invasion era (3050-3066)
  • Jihad era (3067 and later)
• This book was intended to be released at Gen Con on 11 August 2009.
• The 2009 printing had the trademarked title BattleTech Strategic Operations.
• In 2021 Strategic Operations received a third printing that removed all BattleForce and Miniatures rules from the volume. Strategic Operations: Advanced Aerospace Rules, while technically a reprint, was given its own article due to the extent of change.
• The short stories House Rules and Two Seconds of Vengeance have yet to reappear in the reorganized core rulebooks.

Gallery

• 

  First printing errata cover (2009). Classic has been removed from the BattleTech header and image enlarged to overlay bottom border.

• 

  The cover of the corrected second printing (2011). "Origins Award Winners" stamp has been added.