Rules Level

Description

BattleTech has various levels of play with scalable complexity as more advanced rules are introduced. There are variety of options for players of every skill level, from quick matches with very few units, to grand campaigns stretching over multiple theaters with combined arms warfare.

Rules

Quick-Start Rules

The BattleTech: Beginner Box contains a partial rule set which does not include many rules that could be considered too complex for beginners, like tracking heat, and limits turns to three phases: Initiative, Movement, and Weapon Attack. Though not phases, Resolving Weapons Fire and Determining Damage are also covered. Importantly, GATOR is introduced as a mnemonic device for completing attack phases. Combat is limited to BattleMechs only. It has superseded older quick-start rules, such as those found in the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set.

Basic Rules

Published in BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat, this level of play is more complex, introducing players to heat management, piloting skill rolls, critical effects, and other core rules. It increases the phases to the standard six, introducing the Physical Attack Phase, Heat Phase, and End Phase. The rules are still limited to BattleMechs. The book also contain simplified construction rules for players to modify their 'Mechs. It has superseded older introductory rulebooks, such as the one included in the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set.

The rules in BattleTech: Clan Invasion could be considered a companion to the basic rules for Inner Sphere 'Mechs in A Game of Armored Combat, as they cover more exotic Clan weapons and equipment, such as their OmniMechs, their ritualized form of warfare, Zellbrigen, and new units like Elemental Battle Armor.

Intermediate Rules

The BattleMech Manual is a rulebook for BattleMech combat only. Building upon the previous, simplified rules, it is described as an "alternate presentation" of the rules in Total Warfare, intended to provide a "one-stop BattleMech play experience". It is a bridge between the basic rules and Total Warfare, covering the full complexity of BattleMech combat, including rules for their most common weapons and equipment, but it does not include construction rules.

Standard Rules

Total Warfare contains all the standard, "Tournament Legal" rules, weapons, and equipment used in official games. Furthering the complexity of the previous rulebooks, Total Warfare introduces rules for using Infantry, Battle Armor, ProtoMechs, Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles, Aerospace units, and more. It also includes guides for constructing scenarios for play, painting miniatures, and even a few short stories.

The Tech Manual contains the construction rules and statistics that were used to build the canon "Tournament Legal" units. While unit construction is not part of the standard rule set for playing games, this is the book that allows the player to build their own custom units. It also contains numerous short technical overviews of various weapons and equipment, as well as overviews of the technology behind BattleMechs themselves.

Advanced & Experimental Rules

Advanced equipment is in production "in-universe" but have rules generally considered too complex for lower rule sets and too tedious for standard, tournament games, though this is ultimately up to player or official agreement on their use. There is a very rough correspondence to Level 2 equipment under FASA's old tournament rules.

Experimental equipment is being prototyped or has gone out of production. There is a very rough correspondence to Level 3 equipment under FASA's old tournament rules. They are also considered rare and exotic technologies which are not generally used in standard, tournament games or lower, though this is ultimately up to player or official agreement on their use.

Both can be found throughout the rulebooks below:

Tactical Operations contains the rules and equipment that deal with or are useful on the tactical level of game play, including artillery, ECCM, advanced construction, combat, and movement rules, and more.

Campaign Operations contains the rules that deal with or are useful for players to build and run their own campaigns, including complex formations, special pilot abilities, solar system generation, and more.

Strategic Operations contains the rules and equipment that deal with or are useful on the strategic level of game play, including advanced construction and combat rules for aerospace units, rules for aerospace operations, involving units like WarShips, construction rules for FrankenMechs, and more.

Alpha Strike

Parallel to the above are the simplified rules of Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition, which are geared towards handling large amounts of units without the complexity of standard, tournament rules. A major difference is Alpha Strike's "terrain-driven" gameplay instead of hex-based gameplay: it requires a tape measure and can be played on any 3D terrain. Alpha Strike Quick Start Rules are available to introduce the system at its most basic, and there is also a Alpha Strike Companion volume which provides select, simplified rules drawn from the advanced rulebooks above.

Also See

Gameplay rules levels published in Tactical Handbook, BattleTech Compendium, Maximum Tech, BattleTech Master Rules, Maximum Tech Revised, and BattleTech Master Rules, Revised Edition.