Wunderwelten

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Wunderweltenlogo.jpg
Wunderwelten
Product information
Type Magazine
Pages 64-120/issue
Publication information
Publisher Fantasy Productions GmbH
First published 1989-1999
Content

The German fantasy and role-playing magazine Wunderwelten was produced by FanPro Germany and ran for 50 issues, appearing first in April 1989. The discontinuation came as a surprise to many, including the staff, and was only announced in the final issue #50 in 1999.

This article is focused on the magazine's BattleTech-related content.

Overview

As a FanPro house magazine, Wunderwelten naturally had a broad coverage of FanPro's products, most notably the Das Schwarze Auge, BattleTech and Shadowrun game lines. However, it was aimed at a greater audience and was not limited to FanPro products; it featured general reports and articles about fantasy and science fiction literature and gaming, short stories and reviews of other firms' products as well.

Most BattleTech-related content was taken from english-language magazines and sourcebooks, but there was also considerable original content. Both the translations and the original content were usually the work of Reinhold H. Mai, Hartwig Nieder-Gassel and Frank Lenzer.

Canonicity

FanPro held the license to produce the German edition of BattleTech while they published Wunderwelten, and later (from 2001 to 2006) for the entire BattleTech line including original English products. As such, their House Magazine can arguably be regarded as an official soure. However, since it was only published in German, it is not counted among the canonical sources. Original content from Wunderwelten can therefore be regarded as apocryphal at best.

Issue 1

Original content:

  • Portrayal of FASA and a lengthy 5-page interview with Jordan Weisman, L. Ross Babcock III and FASA President Morton Weisman, taken in August 1988 at the FASA offices in Chicago on the eve of the GenCon/Origins game fair. Since Jordan Weisman was called from the room 20 minutes into the interview, the answers were largely given by Ross Babcock and Mort Weisman. This is notable insofar as both of them rarely have had any information published about them otherwise.
  • BattleTech: The Crescent Hawks' Inception review

Translated content:

  • STX-7K Streitaxt (BTX-7K Battleaxe entry from BattleTechnology #0203)

Issue 2

Translated content:

Issue 3

Original content:

Translated content:

Issue 4

Original content:

Translated content:

  • "Hiring Hall - Hassid Ricol: The Red Duke" (from BattleTechnology #0102)
  • "FLK-4E Falke" (FLC-4N Falcon): 'Mech writeup from BattleTechnology #0101
  • "Tharkad on Guard" (from BattleTechnology #0201)

Issue 5

Original content:

Translated content:

  • "On the Shores of a Sea on Gordo" (from BattleTechnology #0201)
  • Optional low gravity and vacuum rules, compiled from "BattleMech combat in Vacuum" (BattleTechnology #0201) and "Low Gravity Combat" (BattleTechnology #11)

Issue 6

Original content:

Issue 7

Original content:

  • Painting guide for BattleTech miniatures
  • ODN-1M Odin: 'Mech writeup for a custom design
  • "Die lange Flucht" (The long flight): Short story, set in early 3030. Kurita forces raid Helios 3, a secret Davion test facility, and are defeated by a MechWarrior piloting a prototype Odin.

Issue 8

Original content:

Translated content:

  • "Assault on St. Andre" and "Goliaths on St. Andre" (from BattleTechnology #0204)

Issue 9

Translated content:

  • "Worldbook - Wheel" (from BattleTechnology #0201)
  • "Black Luthien" (from BattleTechnology #0102)

Issue 10

Translated content:

Issue 11

Translated content:

Issue 12

Original content:

Issue 13

Original content:

Issue 14

Original content:

Issue 15

Original content:

  • Instructions for kitbashing a ODN-1M Odin (see Issue 7) from a Marauder II miniature

Issue 16

Original content:

  • "Mechwerkstatt: BattleTech-Logistik für Fortgeschrittene" ('Mech workshop: Advanced logistics rules): Ruleset and tips for the Game Master to include logistics into a BattleTech campaign, including aspects of the Company Store ploy. Anecdotes from the Cameron's Legion mercenary unit illustrate the application of the rules and procedures.

Issue 17

Original content:

Issue 18

(no BattleTech-specific content)

Issue 19

Original content:

Issue 20

Original content:

  • Detailed rules for double-blind play
  • "Schwarzer Tag": Campaign. A series of sophisticated company-vs.-company training scenarios simulating an objective raid (hostage rescue) under double-blind rules. Designed to teach units how to deal with poor intelligence and adapt to a new tactical situation, the scenarios feature minefields, ambushes, unexpected weather extremes and traps. They are presented as a training run carried out by Cameron's Legion during their garrison duty on Suk II against mock opponents from Hansen's Roughriders. Like with Drachentrick, an expansion pack was offered for sale on disk through FanPro with supplements, BattleForce rules and a MechWarrior RPG scenario.

Issue 21

(no BattleTech-specific content)

Issue 22

Original content:

  • "Inselhüpfen": Extended scenario/mini-campaign, designed for double-blind campaign play. A medium 'Mech company from the 26th Lyran Guards has to find and destroy a submarine base in a Lyran attempt to re-capture the ocean moon Muddy in the Engadin system from the Draconis Combine. The defenders field hovercraft, ships, submarines and water-mobile infantry on water scooters. There is only one island large enough to land a DropShip on, and numerous archipelagos of small, muddy islands that have to be reconnoitered. A strategic world map is provided for strategic movement of units between archipelagos, as are special weather rules including rain season rules.

Issue 23

Original content:

  • "Cargo Queen": MechWarrior RPG Scenario presented as annotated short story, detailing the many pitfalls of boarding of a JumpShip by narrating a boarding action performed by Cameron's Legion's infantry.

Issue 24

Original content

Issue 25

(no BattleTech-specific content)

Issue 26

Original content:

Issue 27

Original content:

Issue 28

Original content:

Issue 29

Original content:

Issue 30

Original content:

Issue 31

Original content:

Issue 32

Original content:

  • "SpielMechaniken", part 1: A guide to playing BattleTech as a boardgame, role-playing game or mixed-type game campaign
  • Ronin! preview

Issue 33

Original content:

Issue 34

Original content:

Issue 35

Original content:

Issue 36

Original content:

Issue 37

Original content:

Issue 38

Original content:

Issue 39

Original content:

Issue 40

Original content:

Issue 41

Original content:

  • "BattleMania": A tongue-in-cheek presentation of rules for BattleTech live-action-play as BattleMechs (not MechWarriors)

Issue 42

Original content:

Translated content:

  • "Alte Feindschaften" (Old enmities): Scenario "Hide and Seek" from the BattleSpace rulebook
  • TYM-1A Toyama: 'Mech stats

Issue 43

Original content:

Issue 44

Original content:

  • "Die BattleTech-Kampagne - Interaktive Feldzüge im Vierten Nachfolgekrieg" (The BattleTech Campaign - Interactive campaigns in the Fourth Succession War): An original campaign ruleset
  • Miniatures presentation (Zhukov, Batu, Lineholder and Marshal)

Issue 45

Original content:

Issue 46

Original content:

Issue 47

Original content:

Issue 48

Original content:

Translated content:

Issue 49

Original content:

Issue 50

Original content:

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