Hi! This video was delightful. It took you all of two minutes to earn my subscription. The intro describing how there's no wrong way to enjoy giant stompy robots was especially lovely.
So glad I watched this! Been playing Alpha Strike for around 2 years and I have SLEPT on this Special Command Abilities. Gotta change that soon, they look rad.
That was a very good and comprehensive intro. I did this out of order and started with your narrative campaign. I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to more. I subscribed on the strength of that campaign and your message at the end of this video makes me glad I did. I’m with the channel for the ride and I wish you great success.
Was loving every bit of this video already, but as a newfound Battletech fan who is also Black and Queer, that message at the end earned you a verbal "Hell Yea!" from me while watching and a sub as we speak. Looking forward to more from you
I think the Alpha Strike Tokens Pack is an excelent addition to the box set. In some ways it feels like it completes it. The tokens are better and cover stuff the basic set doesn't! The additional terrain is neat. The inclusion of various templates is nice. And the cardboard quick ref sheets it comes with are good. It's one of those things were you might balk at spending $20 on cardboard but it's just so much more useful than I expected. The extra set of cardboard buildings is easily the least interesting thing in the pack, and at first glance it might look like that's basically what you're getting.
I will always love classic, it was my first tabletop wargame. But the time constraint really does make those games a slog for me now... Alpha strike may not have the same amount of detail but as long as I'm putting down my favorite mechs and rolling some dice I'm happy!
My loyalties lie with the Free Rasalhague Republic. Even my merc unit is based there. Does "bat shit crazy" count as a special command ability? 😮😂🎉😊 Very good info here, nice job on the video!
Thanks for the video. I have been playing classic since the late 80s. Keen to explore Alpha. Really appreciate your closing comments, re leaving negativity on the other side of the door.
I didn't know about special command abilities, thanks for adding that tot he video. Also thank you for the note about community. I tried joining a battle tech discord today and within 20 minutes someone posted a hateful meme targeting minorities. Made me feel really unwelcome, so its nice to see you call that sort of thing out.
One optional rule I like to use in Alpha Strike is variable damage. The nature of rolling a single to hit for all damage means you get these big spikes and lulls of damage in the game which can feel really bad. Instead, I like to roll for each point of damage individually. Instead of rolling 2d6 a bunch of times you can use sets of different colored ones for each point. Alternatively you can go the more extreme route and roll a D12, which I what I ended up doing. Yes that changes the statistics of the game a bit, but I like it a lot more. Modifiers have always been a huge issue in CBT because of how the 2D6 bell curve works out. I feel like Alpha Strike works well in a D12 system though and it's been fun so far.
I saw Ash from Guerilla Miniature Games does the D12, I don't have as many of those as I have separate D6 sets though 😅 I like the idea of the pilot die but it doesn't really click with me as much. We use the multiple rolls optional rule, and I think a lot of public events do as well, so you are spot on!
@@MatanuskaMechworks Yeah the pilot die that DFA uses doesn't click with me either, it just doesn't seem to flow as well. I think it's just as easy to limit a single crit per attack.
Completely different beast IMO. If you want to introduce people to classic, going with one of the starter boxes and playing intro rules is probably the best for that.
Does Alpha Strike only use 2D terrain or are there rules for elevation? I have a lot of Heroscape terrain. Not enough, mind you - one can never have enough HS terrain.
That was an excellent guide. I think you covered everything well, from the very essentials to going deep with the optional rules. I’ve been playing AS for a couple of years now and have barely dipped into the options rules yet.
Oh man, there are so many as well! Definitely will require an optional rules video by some point, but as of now I have way too many scripts in the works and not enough hours in the day 😅 Great problem to have as a content creator though!
Well done! I started switching over to AS from Classic about 8-9 years ago when I was introducing my teenage cousins to wargaming. To start, we used my collection of WizKids click tech mechs and tanks on my Dropzone Commander cardboard city terrain. We had great fun!! 😁 My group still plays AS three times as often as Classic.
@@MatanuskaMechworks imho there are no sides but still I appreciate you being supportive cuz I love Battletech and Mechwarrior. Now I have to make a trans pride dire wolf so be back after 10th when I'll buy it and some starters
ok....NO Dark Ages Mechs (they unbalance the game), NO C3 stuff (lame and not in the spirit of BT), if you take IF mechs bring a spotter chopper with a level 7 pilot
Ok this fascinates me because I know precious little about that era... why do Dark Age units unbalance the game? What features make them so unbalanced?
@@MatanuskaMechworksi dont find them particualr crazy if anything most dark age mechs are pretty mid, i can beat the shit out of most with fedcom mechs, this is of course in classic, in term of new tech i find tspemp annoying but i also enjoy the asymmitry of it but thats the only tech i see any form of a problem no more likely to anything major then a guass to the head, as for C3 considering its balancing rule for is tech to run some what equal to clan tech as the dark age progresses mechs start getting more clan tech and if you add that with C3 it will hurt, i still allow both out of fairness since i dont allow custom mechs.
I haven't even tried one of those in Alpha Strike yet... I wonder how different the rules for the EMP weaponry is in AS vs. Classic? Will add it to my list of things to look at!
![KKND Krossfire (1998) [PS1] -Mission easy ePSXe emulator for android /password-JFGCUZ](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/814Ffic7ojQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Looks like a Victor is a Striker of size 4 (but does jump 8)
That's awesome! Is it all variants? Might have to make a victor lance 😎
@@MatanuskaMechworks looks like just the 9A, but not 9B or 9D. (Those are the only cards I've got copies of right now)
Bummer... I will have to check out the Master Unit List and see what else I can group with it then!
@@gwensdad2003MUL seems to list all the Victors as Skirmishers, but if the card lists it as a Striker that's interesting to say the least
@Enderdragon91 the MUL basically stands as errata, when there is a conflict, right?
Good video. Keep em coming.
Thank you! Big fan of your own content so this is high praise!
Great paint scheme. Great video! Thanks for the good watch.
Thank you too!
Hi! This video was delightful. It took you all of two minutes to earn my subscription. The intro describing how there's no wrong way to enjoy giant stompy robots was especially lovely.
I just love the mechs not the method! Glad to have you aboard!
Recently a friend of mine realized that old Micromachines make for good alpha strike proxies and terrain.
I never had many of those sadly... I think my brother absconded with most of those. But great idea!
lego can work a charm too
@@ScryeTheMindless ooooo, that would make for great hills....
So glad I watched this! Been playing Alpha Strike for around 2 years and I have SLEPT on this Special Command Abilities. Gotta change that soon, they look rad.
To be honest I still sleep on them more than I should. Time to change that!
That was a very good and comprehensive intro.
I did this out of order and started with your narrative campaign. I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to more. I subscribed on the strength of that campaign and your message at the end of this video makes me glad I did. I’m with the channel for the ride and I wish you great success.
Thank you for the kind words! Looking forward to making more!
Was loving every bit of this video already, but as a newfound Battletech fan who is also Black and Queer, that message at the end earned you a verbal "Hell Yea!" from me while watching and a sub as we speak. Looking forward to more from you
Great vid. Battletech is for everyone!
Correction: anyone, not everyone. Making stuff for ”everyone” results in a grey sludge that no one likes.
I think the Alpha Strike Tokens Pack is an excelent addition to the box set. In some ways it feels like it completes it. The tokens are better and cover stuff the basic set doesn't! The additional terrain is neat. The inclusion of various templates is nice. And the cardboard quick ref sheets it comes with are good. It's one of those things were you might balk at spending $20 on cardboard but it's just so much more useful than I expected. The extra set of cardboard buildings is easily the least interesting thing in the pack, and at first glance it might look like that's basically what you're getting.
That's a purchase I hadn't considered! Lovely insight, thanks for sharing!
thank you for this, i was just thinking of getting into alpha strike since i am running out of time for classic games myself
I will always love classic, it was my first tabletop wargame. But the time constraint really does make those games a slog for me now... Alpha strike may not have the same amount of detail but as long as I'm putting down my favorite mechs and rolling some dice I'm happy!
My loyalties lie with the Free Rasalhague Republic. Even my merc unit is based there. Does "bat shit crazy" count as a special command ability? 😮😂🎉😊
Very good info here, nice job on the video!
If it doesn't, it should!
Good introductory video, nicely done 👍
Thank you! Glad that folks are finding it handy!
Thanks for the video. I have been playing classic since the late 80s. Keen to explore Alpha. Really appreciate your closing comments, re leaving negativity on the other side of the door.
If it's not Infantry, it's support!
😉
I didn't know about special command abilities, thanks for adding that tot he video. Also thank you for the note about community. I tried joining a battle tech discord today and within 20 minutes someone posted a hateful meme targeting minorities. Made me feel really unwelcome, so its nice to see you call that sort of thing out.
Glad you liked the video, but no thank yous are necessary for the latter part... just seems like common sense. If only it were common right?
One optional rule I like to use in Alpha Strike is variable damage. The nature of rolling a single to hit for all damage means you get these big spikes and lulls of damage in the game which can feel really bad. Instead, I like to roll for each point of damage individually. Instead of rolling 2d6 a bunch of times you can use sets of different colored ones for each point. Alternatively you can go the more extreme route and roll a D12, which I what I ended up doing. Yes that changes the statistics of the game a bit, but I like it a lot more. Modifiers have always been a huge issue in CBT because of how the 2D6 bell curve works out. I feel like Alpha Strike works well in a D12 system though and it's been fun so far.
I saw Ash from Guerilla Miniature Games does the D12, I don't have as many of those as I have separate D6 sets though 😅
I like the idea of the pilot die but it doesn't really click with me as much. We use the multiple rolls optional rule, and I think a lot of public events do as well, so you are spot on!
@@MatanuskaMechworks Yeah the pilot die that DFA uses doesn't click with me either, it just doesn't seem to flow as well. I think it's just as easy to limit a single crit per attack.
Useful video, thanks for making it mate
Glad it helped!
Alpha Strike is a good way to introduce new players to the classic Battletech? Or is a complete different beast?
Completely different beast IMO. If you want to introduce people to classic, going with one of the starter boxes and playing intro rules is probably the best for that.
Does Alpha Strike only use 2D terrain or are there rules for elevation? I have a lot of Heroscape terrain. Not enough, mind you - one can never have enough HS terrain.
There are rules for elevation! It costs more inches of movement to go uphill, for example.
Really like the video. I got the starter box set.
You are in for a great time then! The game plays pretty fast once you get in the groove too!
Nice video, hope you continue!
Get ready then, because tomorrow I have another on the way, and I think you will like this one 😉
@@MatanuskaMechworks oh, thanks. I really like your videos!
Very informative!
Glad it was helpful!
That was an excellent guide. I think you covered everything well, from the very essentials to going deep with the optional rules. I’ve been playing AS for a couple of years now and have barely dipped into the options rules yet.
Oh man, there are so many as well! Definitely will require an optional rules video by some point, but as of now I have way too many scripts in the works and not enough hours in the day 😅
Great problem to have as a content creator though!
Well done! I started switching over to AS from Classic about 8-9 years ago when I was introducing my teenage cousins to wargaming. To start, we used my collection of WizKids click tech mechs and tanks on my Dropzone Commander cardboard city terrain. We had great fun!! 😁 My group still plays AS three times as often as Classic.
Love the dropzone commander terrain! Still get a lot of use out of it1
Hey as trans girl I really appreciate inclusivity :3
I'm proud of you! Just making a statement early on to make it clear which side I am on 😅
@@MatanuskaMechworks imho there are no sides but still I appreciate you being supportive cuz I love Battletech and Mechwarrior. Now I have to make a trans pride dire wolf so be back after 10th when I'll buy it and some starters
Welp, you've just earnt yourself another subscriber.
ok....NO Dark Ages Mechs (they unbalance the game), NO C3 stuff (lame and not in the spirit of BT), if you take IF mechs bring a spotter chopper with a level 7 pilot
Ok this fascinates me because I know precious little about that era... why do Dark Age units unbalance the game? What features make them so unbalanced?
@@MatanuskaMechworksi dont find them particualr crazy if anything most dark age mechs are pretty mid, i can beat the shit out of most with fedcom mechs, this is of course in classic, in term of new tech i find tspemp annoying but i also enjoy the asymmitry of it but thats the only tech i see any form of a problem no more likely to anything major then a guass to the head, as for C3 considering its balancing rule for is tech to run some what equal to clan tech as the dark age progresses mechs start getting more clan tech and if you add that with C3 it will hurt, i still allow both out of fairness since i dont allow custom mechs.
I haven't even tried one of those in Alpha Strike yet... I wonder how different the rules for the EMP weaponry is in AS vs. Classic? Will add it to my list of things to look at!
@@MatanuskaMechworks Phoenix hawk L is a mech with tsemp, that is a light mech you can try out with it.
Would a skill 7 pilot even know how to spot for indirects while keeping a vtol up in the air?
Learned from the video and salute to your ethics 🫡 Subscribed.
Welcome aboard!