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Battletech: Adding Vehicles To Your Game
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ส.ค. 2024
- You've played a lot of mech on mech games - and you're feeling its time to graduate to a bigger world. What are some of the core concepts of vehicles, and how do they differ from mechs? What are the pros and cons? How does adding vehicles change the flavor of your battletech game? Listen to me ramble about my musings on the topic!
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Hovercraft Tip: Don't end your movement over a water hex. One bad hit to the lift system and it will sink like a rock.
That is a GREAT safety tip!
This tip is OSHA-approved right here
Step 1: invite all your buddies to bring their favorite mech.
Step 2: match each mech with an Alacorn.
Step 3: park all Alacorns on a hill in the back.
Step 4: let your buddies bring their mechs out and wander around the field.
Step 5: ???
Step 6: you now have no more friends.
Hahaha thats awesome!
If they all bring Hellstars, you should look for new friends tho!
Step 6: all friends use the "dropping mech" rule, ends in a boring slaughterhouse where nobody enjoys the tactical aspect of the terrain.
Step 7 : nobody plays boring one sided tactical game, you keep yourfriend and learn to enhoy the fun together.
Step 7: Profit
VTOLs are very useful in ANY force as they can easily provide an invading army without satellite imagery with real-time, as well as precision strikes on key elements. I love using VTOLs and LAMs just for that reason alone, plus the morale factor against the opposing forces.
Me too. Absolutely love VTOLs, maybe more than tanks.
@@CrankyOldGamer Yeah, do you remember how we dealt with the Iraqis in the opening days of the original Gulf War? Apaches ruled the day! My Warrior AH-7A2-T are known for breaking any opponent within two attacks... They only let me use 2 of anything I personally design per game, and I wonder why...?
@@thysvandenbos5111 lol Ill bet!
I use Maximum tech book it allows vehicles to last longer. I also use the Tactical Handbook for Arty rules. If you use Mechs with Armor it's a great mix. Infantry can also be great to be used on players who never had to fight them. Keep them in woods.
Manning field guns.
I started playing Battletech in 2017. I've become known as a Tread Head among those I play Battletech with. I tend to bring a single lance of Mechs (or star if playing clans), and then at least 10 tanks. How I play is I tend to us Mechs to distract the enemy while using my combat vehicles as fire support.
Love it. To me Battletech is best when played as Total Warfare, using mechs, tanks, and infantry. Absolute blast.
@@CrankyOldGamer The only Infantry I own at the moment are Clan Elementals. But I plan on shoving money into the Mercenaries Kickstarter coming in March and getting my hands on more infantry and tanks. My most recent purchase was a Karnov Transport VTOL and two J. Edgar hovertanks.
Excellent review of the different aspects of vehicles. I've been using vehicles for decades now, in our last game with extreme muddy conditions the mechs couldn't leave the roads without falling down. The Hover craft were ripping around the tabletop without worries.
Thank you! We're going to be doing more tanks and Total warfare in our games more and more - next stop infantry!
@@CrankyOldGamer Bring forth the Ground Pounders
The Capellans have some serious "dick move" vehicles in their arsenal - The Regulator Hovertank and Pixiu come to mind...
Damn Capellans....
Organizational I have a mech regiment and a vehicle/ infantry regiment.
Tactically I have two mech Lance's and two non mech lances. The exact makeup changes according to METTC
One of the best things I’ve added to my force is tanks. They’re major dakka for cheap. They’re sorta squishy. But not as bad as they say. I think of them as mobile pillboxes. Park them in a good fire lane with some cover and it’ll pay its BV. They’re great for flankers too. Also tanks CAN mount jump jets. Look up the Kanga tank. I threw em on a Patton in ambush once. Point blanked the first turn, then DFA’d him. So much salt.
Ha I love that! I could have sworn the tech manual said you can't add jump jets - I'll have to re-look that up. Is the Kanga a tank that was provided by the designers but one you can't design? I like your approach to use of tanks too, I've used hovercraft srm carriers (Harasser) and they are very effective and causing opponent to think about their mech placement.
@@CrankyOldGamer its in tro 2750 and there is one in TRO 3145
Long story short gentlemen. Pay attention to your opponents sheets. It’s usually a waste of time, and there aren’t many standard designs that even mount them. But if you’re running a custom game, it can be a real nasty surprise. JJ on a hovertank makes sense since it basically just kicked the movement costs in the dangling bits. But then again, the tactics fuckery, and middle fingers to the rules, is one thing this IP does pretty well.
@@Sapper21b10 DFA'ed by a hovertank?!? Man, I wish I coulda' seen that!
Back in college I played around the rules and came up with a custom "all semi-omni" vehicle army. Everything above 40 tons (medium bridge capacity) got a jump jet config for logistics reasons. Never once thought of parking a tank on a dude's face though. Well played!
Apollo Mutt it was on a lark. Luckily it landed. Because it was pure explodium and got flattened. But worth the price of admission.
I’ve been gearing up to get back into the game (last time I played was… late 90s? Early 00s?) and reading up on the newer timeline. I’ve been getting some ideas for a combined arms merc company after seeing what Liao has been up to. After the Clan invasion they started using something called “augmented lances” that are a regular Mech or vehicle lance but with battle armor (2/4 squads respectively) accompanying them.
We always played some degree of combined arms (one of us played Clan Wolf, so no vehicles but a sprinkling of Elementals) and tanks and VTOLs really add an interesting strategic layer. Able to carry heavier weapon payloads per tonnage, faster on average, but considerably easier to disable.
So now I’m looking out for battle armor minis and some hover APCs. Go ahead and and chase my scout Mech lance, just don’t mind the 4 Maxims and 32 battle armor screaming around your flank. 😆
Plus the mental image of a flight of transport VTOLs disgorging a whole companies of infantry into and urban zone is pretty cool.
And for those who need some real world reference for what a WiGE is, look up “erkanoplan”. More hovercraft/jet aircraft rather than hovercraft/helicopter.
Also one advantage of Mechs have over combat vehicles that you missed is there’s no tanks with giant hatchets.
Great review! Liked all the angles you took on this. I will argue to the death over the Schreks in CBT. Overpowered! 😆
Hahaha thanks! I think the Schrek is terrifying too!
Just a reminder there are tanks in the game with jumpjets. Which is cool and ridiculous
I stand corrected! What a weird little tank!
Yep, the Kanga and I've got two of them! LOL!
hey, if it good enough for Star Fox's Landmaster it's good enough for me
The upcoming Mercenaries Kickstarter will have vehicles (tracked, wheeled, hover, VTOL, fixed-wing, rotary-winged) included as part of it.
For sure. My next video will cover great tanks for newcomers and where to source them.
I am mostly here to figure out how to use those Hetzer four-wheelers. Although I suspect hover craft is more fitting for my rough terrain regiment.
Getting any vehicles on the table to me is a big win!
I'm looking at fast-moving tanks for scouting, spotting, and adding heavy firepower on cheaper, faster platforms that can get in the rear fast.
Check out Deathray Designs. They have a ton of really well designed vehicles.
J. Edgars with TAG, for when I positively and absolutely need my Semi Guided LRMs to kill a big 'Mech super fast.
Also I've trained my fellow players to hate J. Edgars because of this. The target movement modifiers are so rage inducing for some of them.
I need to check this tank out!
Marksman Artillery for the win.
I've never tried it, but I hear if you can time / line things up well it can be SUPER devastating.
if you are simply out to blow stuff up, then simply choose your favorite items.
if you a playing a time period specific game (2550, 2750 even 3025), then vehicles are a much greater consideration. especially in the 3rd and 4th succession wars. a typical regiment (3 battalions) would have the following:
1st battalion
1st company mech
2nd company mech
3rd company armor
2nd battalion
1st company armor
2nd company armor
3rd company infantry
3rd battalion
1st company armor
2nd company infantry
3rd company infantry
support company
1 Lance command units
1 Lance artillery
1 Lance aero or vtol
yes, these are a hypothetical creation. but if you are playing an extended campaign and utilizing salvage plus contract rights, a full regiment of mechs, especially in good working condition, is very rare.
again, if your not playing a campaign, then this is irrelevant.
Interesting piece. Funny enough, I have always played tanks as using the same "torso twist" as mechs. I somehow missed that they could rotate the turret to any hexside.
You know I looked back at the rules and as I read them its as little ambiguous, Ill try to find the reference and post.
The Po LB 10-X is my homeboy. Cheap, decent weapon for most situations, reasonable armor, and a lance or so can get things done.
That is a sweet little tank!
@@CrankyOldGamer Redesigning existing chassis is one of my favorite parts of Battletech. I'm a big fan of installing TAG on fast, mobile vehicles (Pegasus, Warrior, um . . . Po . . .) and calling in the semi-guided LRMs.
I have only really started playing in the last year, I'm not new to wargaming so I wanted the full Battletech experience. I play with more experienced (decades of experience) Battletech force. I had insisted on playing games with all types of farces with my friends. so we have played games with tanks, Hovercraft, Vtols, troops, Artillery, Aero forces and non-combat vehicles. Things I have learned so far, rifle platoons can shoot the Gyro out of a locust (my locust), vehicles take motive crits very easily. Vtols don't like being hit in the rotor, hover craft are great on open fields(and crossing rivers), not so much near woods or mountains. SRM carriers in city fights are death on threads. Inferno Srms are a hindrance to mechs, but Lethal to Troops and vehicles.
Good analysis! It really does lend itself to that expanded "rock paper scissors" concept. I really like that it does change given more different types of units but doesn't break the game.
@@CrankyOldGamer It all depends what you want from battletech. Some folk just want mech vs mech combat. I wanted a the full wargame experience.
@@PlasticraicGaming agreed. Theres no right way to play. I do love a combined arms approach personally
Saladins, Saladins for days!
Such a good tank!!!!
Been playing around with combined arms a while now, with mixed results. Energy-based vees, I'd rather have one Awesome than two Shreks (with a better AWS pilot to balance the BV) because then I get the extra toughness from not dying if I lose an arm, side, or leg. Some ammo-based tanks however are friggin' terrifying! (The Jes-II for example throws twice as many LRMs as an Archer, and it costs less. God damn!) Vees also come on top for those jobs I just don't wanna spend a lot of money on; BAP recon, arty spotting, infantry transport (get in, drop the kids off, get out), etc. Use the VTOL with the BAP to find the enemy; use the recon mech to the enemy.
Long story short; if you think you're gonna take some hits, plan to wade through weird terrain (why?), or you need double-heatsinks, or ya just wanna punch some bitches, send the 'mechs. Everything else? Give vees a chance!
I love this! Great ideas on what roles to give what units. I am excited to try infantry and transports next - like a Karnov!
@@CrankyOldGamer Karnovs are the I load my AC5 mediums with flak ammo! That shitty Hermes II of mine has saved my ass a few times by motive-critting Karnovs before they dropped off whatever nastiness they were carrying. (Plus, it's not like I'm really gonna scare any 'mechs with a single AC-5, so I might as well use it for ghetto-AAA.)
When you said "mech on mech action" I immediaterly pictured the Robot Chicken sketch of the robot humping the washing machine. I'm not well, am I?...
LOL!
Artillery!
YES!!!!
Love me some artillery - need to get that next!
I really want to do aerospace would love a video on it
really enjoyed this learnt somethings too which is great or rather relearnt them the hover 20% engine and no DHS having read the Tech manual after I learn that now hover and vtols have variable suspension factor Good job keep up the good work
Thank you! Im glad you found it helpful!
I prefer to bring in vehicles for a single function per match, else they end up getting used more than mechs and we all know we’re here for big stompy robots. You can have your artillery support, airstrike, recon, etc be in cheap vehicle form but we’re here for mech combat. Of course the exception is AlphaStrike which is exactly what its for and if the opfor is very mech-poor and its basically a skeet shooting or curbstomp mission :P
Ha I love it! I was concerned coming back to Btech and looking at stats and in a few games that the vehicles were superior. I think there is definitely a willing suspsension of disbelief with mechs because you are 100% right - we're here for the mechs. Otherwise its just a 6mm tank game. I've found it definitely changes the way I approach list building.
Only a few vehicles are really awkwardly balanced schrek is a prime example even compared to other tanks look at schrek vs manticore or patron even being a little fragile the schrek is just got way to much firepower and is cheaper then either of the examples
Mechs vs Vehicles when the idea of mobility. Mechs may operate on a moon with out the need for environmental sealing on moons and are able to stay mobile as motive hits drag tanks down. The most success I have had with vehicles is when defending. The turrets make things easy to shoot from any angle.
As a Steiner player the idea of mechs alone is never true. Steiner has entire regiments of vehicles. Vehicles offer tactical flexibility by filling the roles of battle with tanks like the Patton and Rommel. The LRM carrier could replace the Archer in indirect fire role freeing my Archer to stick with the Awesome in my lance. Or using a MBT could permit me to take specialist mechs like a Firestarter and Vulcan.
...
As IFV the tanks can drop off the infantry and stick around for a fight. Battle mechs are incapable of transporting. Other than battle armor with magnetic clamps or omnimechs. If your ever getting a omnimech please get a battle armor squad as riders. Omni vehicles have a big advantage when transporting troops. An omni Bandit hover craft may carry a jump infantry platoon of commandos and a battle armor squad as rider. Including the tanks of Ajax and Manteuffel can have battle armor riders. The simple Maultier or Blizzard may drop off a BA squad. Then smoke with missile in rough terrain or a building making them hard to hit or put the clear hexes of terrain within range of the infantry.
Command and control for vehicles as force multipliers. A lance of Skulker wheeled vehicles are good for spotting for artillery or command and control. Getting the heavy C3 Master out of a mech permits a mech to do what it does best. Smash.
Vehicles armor maybe greater than a mechs or better in lots of cases when bunkering. A good example of this would be to try to dig out a Shrek PPC Carrier. The all energy setup makes that vehicle last. When the armor is stripped from one side and the tank is still mobile. Rotate the side opens up fresh armor. The weakness is the turret if jammed or destroyed the vehicle is dead. A gauss rifle in the Alicorn takes a hit. It blows the turret off. The risks are there but well worth the investments as in WoB crews with C3i implants are the stuff of nightmares.
I will take a Centipede for BAP (Beagle Active Probe). This will save me BV to drop in a combat Battlemech to sniff out hidden Urbanmechs. Or Pegasus to replace a Raven for mobile NARC delivery and E-War. With a better pilot and gunner. I use the Galleon Light Tank as a stand in for Stingers and Wasps. The BV of this vehicle gets good as tracked vehicles do not need good drivers. A 2/6 or 2/7 will swat a Locust. The 3058 upgrade does this job better.
The Savanna Master or Gabriel are lighting vehicles that may flank on turn two. When you are not running Bouncing Betty Thunder Mines or Artillery like Thumpers, Infernos, and Arrow 4 they are a big threat. Battle Armor (BA) deployed from these vehicles get into position fast or could be dropped off at the mechs feet. Living the experience of a J. Edger flanking a Hunchback detonating the ammo and the Rocket Launcher Lightning, more recently, nuking a Raptor Omnimech. Vehicles are never push overs. The cool thing of combined arms is your games may get smaller making a tactical or low intensity battle fast, fun, and interesting. Vehicles offer lots of options from mech support, SPAA, and squishy moving. Who in their right minds would keep a APC on the map to spot for (IDF) indirect fired LRM’s. 😊
The right tool for the right job! I have a ton of vehicles I need to get painting on, Im actually looking forward to it - when I can get the time!
@@CrankyOldGamer Same. But I have two barrels bent on some partisans and more recently two Shrek's. Mail person for shore. I may have to order a new turret for the Shrek's. Sorry for the long post. Some times my hands just go free.
@@Magermh all good man, I appreciate it!
Sorry to break it to you but there are vehicles that have jump jets. Been a couple of decades since I've played but it was a hovercraft, maybe it was called Zephyr? I'll google it and let you know what it's called. Anyway, great video!
Yeah I heard recently - that is crazy!!!
shreks are pure direct fire support, their armor is lackluster plus not as all terrain. Awesomes can be both direct fire and play vanguard, just soaking up damage as it closes to the center of the map. Play an awesome in small unit games for the versatility, switch out for shreks when going total warfare :)
Oh yeah. A line of Shreks in a big game would be terrifying
I’m learning and gearing up, getting ready to pull some friends/family into Battletech and in that process, it is my understanding the Battletech ideal scale is 6mm (1/285) but I’m not sure if that should be the case for the vehicle minis on the table, what do you think?
That is correct - 6mm scale. You'll find even in Iron Wind Metals sculpts that the internal.consistency with respect to scale is all over the place - some things too large or too small. So you'll see inconsistencies even in their own lines, and I think its something of an accepted norm that models dont always look 100% right next to each other. But yes, any vehicles 6mm or 1/285th will work just fine.
I find artilery is critical to add to the game. it really disentivises just digging in somewhere and blasting. But then with covid I have been playign exclusively with megamek so the computer keeps track of all the fiddly things. Doing it on the table would be very different and annoying I expect.
Its been forever since I played with artillery but as I recall it can be absolutely punishing
@@CrankyOldGamer it adds a whole layer of strategy. You set up designated target hexes where artilery is automatic hitting, before the start of the game. So the obvious spots of cover, the choke points etc. It's a whole startegic layer where you plan where you are going to lure the enemy and where you are going to be fighting ahead of time. Then during the game is a while tactical layer, because artilery fires then two turns of movement happen (or more depending on how far off board they are) so you need to predict where the enemy will be. Or lure them in. Maybe leave a mech where it will be easily backstabbed to lure the enemy I to your artilery barrage... Or maybe avoid that obvious good cover because it's artilery bait... It's a whole layer of tactics and strategy without which the game isn't as much fun in my experience.
But yeah getting a 25 point headshot with a long tom is punishing and can be a match alerting experience. My poor battlemaster.
The problems is finding them. The last two manufacturers have not done a good job producing them. Etay 3d printed ones look only so so but only person with some supply. They do not do the whole 3025 list.
I have found vehicles at Death Ray Designs and they are fantastic
Clan hells horses vehicle star: 6x epona (4 prime, 2 ppc variants), 4 athena sniper tanks. No fun allowed for mechs here
Lol love it!
Tanks are less mobile than mechs but pack a lot more danger per BV than mechs... combined arms forces are far more deadly than 'mech only forces... at low BV values vehicles are extremely powerful
Yes agreed. I find vehicles well worth the bv in almost any game.
My gaming group has put a 'unit cap' on me.. because i use tanks and infantry and they dont like it.. hehe
A smart man knows that the initiative order needs dump units like infantry! I commend you sir!
@@CrankyOldGamer hehe I am a sneaky girl. What can I say.
@@ShadowMinxHobbies I stand corrected! Good on ya Shadow Minx!
@@CrankyOldGamer eh.. I have too many infantry I need to paint to be cranky about it. Hehe
vtol isnt exclusivly helicoper he;ll most time vtol means a jet not a chopper
vtol means vertical take ofand landing all helicopers are vtols so calling it a vtol is redicules a jet that can virticaly land or fly up is what most militeries mean when say vtol
the first vtol jet is the british barrior from the 80s so we had vtol jets for generations
Absolutely!
BattleMechs and Vehicles both handle like cars, or ironically, tanks. They can't sidestep. Sure, you see it happen all the time in the books, but the hex nature of the game prohibits such movement. Even when playing hexless, you can't sidestep.
Personally, I can understand why since being able to bounce forward by "strafe running" would make the game broken AF.