ScrapYard Armory

In a surprise move, Catalyst unleashed a new PDF product based off of the Jihad Turning Points series format.  This time around, the developers chose to take a look back to the Succession Wars.

In the credits the writer Geoff Swift mentions in his special thanks that this is the kick off for the Historical Turning Points series.  Suffice to say we can look forward to many more Historical PDFs in the future!

Opening Fiction

In The Deep opens up the first Historical Touchpoint with a peak into the defense of the secret Davion underwater command center.  While not the most action packed short fiction, it provides a nice introduction to the mindset of the Davion command.  So arrogant.  So self assured.  Nothing a few DEST agents can’t fix!

Galtor III

The Atlas section gives a quick history lesson of Galtor III with mapsheet tables that recommend terrain for battles.  Suggested TacOps add-ons round out the terrain information of the planet.

All together this is what we have come to expect from the Turning Point series.  No surprises so far.

Combatants

In the combatants section we find the first major departure from the Jihad series.  Instead of listing the experience in the awkward number system employed by its predecessors, Galtor uses the more traditional (and easier to understand) system familiar to most BattleTech players by listing the unit as Green, Regular, Veteran, or Elite.

Galtor also includes 3025 faction specific RAT tables to augment those found in Total Warfare and other sources.  A heavy emphasis is placed on making things work for your game.

Each force description, unfortunately, does not include the Notes information that we see in the Jihad series.  I think this is a mistake as I loved looking through the necessarily brief but interesting nuggets of fiction.  Its omission from the Historical Series takes away from the experience.  The units seem to have less character leaving the section dull.  Too much dry information, not enough flavor.

Most interesting unit ability goes to the Seventh Sword of Light for their melee prowess and the accompanying thought provoking ability.  A very good use of player choice in a special ability.

The Tracks

Galtor offers up a generous seven tracks with a tangible anti-Chaos Campaign feel.  These missions are designed to be played as stand alone scenarios instead of a coherent series.

From the mega-fauna of Derry Bay to the explosives laden Star League Depot there are an intelligent array of objectives, bonuses, and special rules within each track. With the exception of Galtorian Nights, the Galtor tracks are well prepared and thoughtful.  Possibly the best of all the Turning Point series.  Well done Geoff Swift!

Played as one-off scenarios you will find plenty of fun battles inside these pages.  This product is the true successor to the scenario packs of old.

Record Sheets

The record sheet section gives us seven designs which happen to include two mediocre (but scenario significant) submarines.  A Hunter Killer Neptune variant provides some extra teeth to an old favorite.  Each faction gets two signature ‘Mechs.  Among the four new ‘Mech offerings not a single one is heat-neutral.  Ah the Succession Wars, how we miss you!

The Combine gets a Dragon and an Atlas.  The Dragon has a curious variety of weapons for almost every range bracket.  The Atlas is a very simple three weapon monster.  I like this Atlas for it’s one-two short range-long range punch.

The Davions don’t hold back with a Thunderbolt (featuring unseen artwork!) and a Marauder (displayed in 3039 silhouette). The TBolt is an Ontos Tank with legs!  The frightening array of medium lasers is tempered by it’s nominal speed.  The Marauder has an impressive mix of weapons that would never be fired all at once during normal fighting, but they lend themselves very well to bracket fire.

Overall the ‘Mechs have good style and add spice to the Galtor scenarios.

The Final Word

The first in the Historical Turning Point series impresses me.  It provided additional detail where appropriate (dedicated RATs, cleaner unit skill presentation) while keeping true to the Turning Points format.  The only slip up is the exclusion of the extra fluff we come to expect in the Combatants section.

The excellent series of Tracks (seven in total, a feat matched only by JTP: Atreus) are some of the best I have seen and make this product a must have for the Succession Wars era player and anyone who likes the Chaos Campaign format.  If you have been clamoring for a break from the Jihad, Catalyst has listened.  Time to make good on your intentions, skip the value menu and slap down a Lincoln for this PDF.  You will not be disappointed.

The irony of it all is that the Historical series would probably not be possible without the prior success of the Jihad Turning Points series.  The early success of JTP: Luthien paved the way for the many Historical products that are surely in the pipeline.

Put a Little Chaos in Your Life

I used to play MechWarrior Dark Age.  I played just about through Fire for Effect before noticing the writing on the wall and moving on to what turned out to be greener pastures (for many of you it might be back to greener pastures).  Despite it’s faults though, the MechWarrior game was a fast playing game that endeared a large number of gamers around the world.

There is no doubt in my mind that the BattleTech community has benefited from MechWarrior’s existence.  That benefit continues even today.  I make use of lots of the old MechWarrior figures I have in BattleTech games today.

I’m sure that there are a lot of gamers who are hanging on to their miniatures despite the closing of Wizkids and the death knell of the game.  To prove that the old Click-Tech game still has a little bit of life to it, I worked out a conversion of the popular Chaos Campaign system.  The Chaos Campaign system is a free download from Catalyst Game Labs.  Converting the rules is an easy affair.

PLAYER FORCE

The initial player Force Size should be large enough to support whatever size game desired.  As a rule of thumb, triple the average point value game you would like to play as a track.

Adam would like to play 400 point games on average during tracks.  He chooses to construct a 1,200 point force to begin his campaign (400 x 3 = 1,200).

Players wishing to add flavor to their campaign are encouraged to stick with a particular faction for force construction.

Faction Pride cards can be added to forces to represent Force Abilities similar to those presented in the Field Manual series of Battletech sourcebooks.

OPPOSING FORCES

Players should put together a collection of figures to represent the opposing forces for the campaign.  Figures should have a Regular experience level (Attack Stat of 9 for ‘Mechs and Vehicles and 7 for Infantry, see below) and be representative of what the Player force should expect to see in combat.  Obviously use what you have available.  It’s your collection so you’ll know what works best.

Ambitious players may want to construct an opposing force collection for each faction they own enabling them to switch out opposing forces to fit the particular Track they are playing.

Experience Levels

Tracks often call for opposing forces with different experience levels.  Some of you out there will probably have a diverse enough collection to fit every scenario.  For those who don’t, you can use the following chart to modify the Attack Value of Opposing Forces for each track.  Choose the way that works best for you.  So long as the challenge scales appropriately, you can’t go wrong.

Restricted Units

Let’s face it.  There are some brutal units in the MechWarrior game.  If players agree, make a shortlist of figures that should never be seen in the campaign.  Highlander Sniper Team comes to mind as well as monster game changers like Danni Haag and the Balac Strike VTOL.  We are here to have fun over a longer haul campaign.  Make it so and avoid the meta-game.

TERRAIN

A standard Chaos Campaign map should be 3 feet by 4 feet.  This slightly expanded size will provide the extra room required to incorporate some of the plot elements covered in a Chaos Campaign track.

CAMPAIGN SPECIAL RULES

There are a lot of optional bonuses and special rules that don’t mesh with MechWarrior without some noodling.  It will be up to the players and possibly a game master to come to an agreement how these unique special rules will be adapted to the MechWarrior game.

Obviously for time constraints and other obvious reasons I am not about to make a comprehensive list of each and every bonus and rule published so far.  However, I will go over a few examples to convey the flavor of what I’m talking about.

Adam is playing through the Chaos Unbound campaign and is playing the Vacationing in the Wasteland track.  Looking at the available optional bonuses he sees Blowing Sand, Lethargy, and Harsh Conditions.

In the Battletech game, Blowing Sand adds a +1 To-Hit penalty to all energy weapons.  This works well with MechWarrior and is a quick conversion.  Any unit with an Energy Attack Type gets a -1 To-Hit penalty.

Lethargy penalizes players with a -2 modifier to all Piloting and Initiative rolls.  Since there is no equivalent to Piloting skill in MechWarrior, Adam chooses to apply this modifier to the To-Hit number for all ‘Mechs using a Melee Attack Type.

Harsh Conditions gives a chance for weapons to fail during the track.  This seems a bit harsh as ‘Mechs have only two weapon types and every other unit type only one.  Adam decides that a weapon failure will result in a -1 damage penalty maximum to the affected Attack Type for the remainder of the Track.

You get the idea.  Use common sense and in the event of a disagreement, dice it and get back to playing.

FORCED WITHDRAWAL

Any unit that has the Salvage Special Ability (and most do except those damned Banson’s Raiders) will be affected by Forced Withdrawal if the track calls for it.

WARCHEST POINT SYSTEM

Use the Warchest system for all Chaos Campaign accounting as described in the PDF.  The only difference comes when it is time to repair or purchase units and equipment.  When it comes to these transactions, you would normally convert your Warchest Points to Supply Points.  Instead we convert them to MechWarrior points.

Force Size Modifier (FSM)

The Force Size Modifier allows players to scale the size of their forces to match their tastes.  The Warchest points will be adjusted up or down depending on how large a force you would like to run.

Divide the total MechWarrior point value of your force by 800 and round to the tenth digit (1.375 becomes 1.4).  This becomes your Force Size Modifier for the rest of the campaign.  Do not adjust this number as your force gains or loses units.  It is always based on what your force started the campaign with.

Technology Rating (TR)

Within the MechWarrior framework, Technology Rating becomes a self imposed handicap (or advantage) for the campaign.  Use it to dial up or down the difficulty of your campaign.  Use the following table to choose your Technology Rating.

Adam has just completed his first Track and is anxious to buy some new units to bolster his force and get back to the action.  Adam looks through his collection and spots a Veteran Legionnaire he wants.  The ‘Mech costs 119 MW Points.

Adam’s force began the campaign with 1,200 MW Points which gave him a Force Size Modifier of 1.5 (1,200 / 800 = 1.5).  Adam chose to give his force a Technology Rating of C (1.0).

Using this information, Adam figures out how many Warchest Points he will need to afford his Legionnaire.  He divides the MechWarrior Point cost of the Legionnaire by his FSM and his TR  to get 80 (119 / 1.5 / 1.0 = 79.33 rounded up to 80).  The new Legionnaire will cost Adam 80 Warchest points.

Upgrading Pilots

The costs for upgrading pilots in Chaos Campaign are absurdly low, so skip them for sanity’s sake.  Some things in life just shouldn’t be bought.  Experience is one of them.  I recommend using an experience system similar to what is presented in Total Warfare (pages 40-41).

If players agree, you can even buy the custom pilots for ‘Mechs in your force.

Purchased units are assumed to come with pilots consistent with their Attack Value.

Repairing Units

Repairs between tracks are based on the value of the unit and how much damage they have received.  Use the following table to determine the Mechwarrior Point repair costs.

Obviously this presents a problem when you have repair vehicles in the game that can repair units during a track.  Players may wish to mitigate this anomaly by disallowing them completely.  This is a harsh change to the game but a necessary one.  If you have a good mission going the temptation would be strong to hold off killing the last opposing unit while you ferry your units to the repair vehicle in order to avoid paying repair costs.

For more tips on balancing your campaign purchase and repair costs see my previous Chaos Campaign post Advanced Unit Costs.

Next Track?

Stay tuned as I present a new After Action Report detailing a Mechwarrior force in the Chaos Unbound campaign Track, Look Who’s Coming to Dinner.

Finally the Jihad Turning Points series visits Atreus, heart of the Free Worlds League and the forsaken incubation chamber for the bastard Word of Blake.

As an unapologetic fan of the Free Worlds League, I’ve been waiting long enough for a better look at the happenings on Atreus.  With new writer Jim Rapkins at the helm, will JTP: Atreus uplift or disappoint?

Opening Fiction

While confusing, the opening fiction is aptly named.  Divided Loyalties features a little subtle action combined with a jumble of unit names and numbers shaken generously with  Word of Blake atrocities.  The Word is winning no friends among its supposed allies.  With the Knights of the Inner Sphere still in play, the Blakists will find it harder and harder to segment and abuse the armies of the Free Worlds League.

We continue to see the cracks in the facade as the Jihad continues.  Just when will the Inner Sphere realize that the emperor has no clothes?

Atreus

The Atreus section gives much more current events than the brief history lesson and general description we have come to expect from prior Turning Points.  A welcome change considering the significant amount of upheaval the planet suffers under Word of Blake control.

Combatants

In typical Marik fashion, the combatants section is brother against brother and a blurred perception of friend and foe.  A sad fate for the mighty Free Worlds League.

Each unit’s notes include careful bits of information that help the reader piece together the bigger story of the battles in and around Atreus including significant yet still mysterious events surrounding the moon of Wendigo.

The Tracks

Atreus gives us seven tracks to play, a new record for the Turning Points series.   The Track costs run the gamut from 400 points to 1,000 points.

I felt that the creativity for the Atreus tracks was subpar for the series. The track objectives without exception were pedestrian and accompanied by uninspired optional bonuses.  Giving goofy names to the same objective does not make a Track interesting.  11 out of 14 objectives involved some form of destroying enemy units.  The rest were not much better and involved simply exiting units off a particular map edge.

Overall, I felt disappointed with the Atreus Tracks. Not only in the Track construction but also the story that they helped to tell.    It boggles my mind that the military units of the Free Worlds league could be so fractured.  It’s frustrating to read the words sometimes, but it is a reality that every Marik fan has to deal with.  Each in their own way, no less.

Record Sheets

For a change, Atreus provides no Warship record sheets.  Instead, we receive three ‘Mechs and one combat vehicle.  Lets take a look.

Albatross Dantalion is a TSM capable variant with a prototypical Blakist energy heavy weapons loadout.  Large VSPs and Capacitor backed PPCs will have your opponents rushing for Reflective Armor.  Speaking of armor, this Albatross has apparently shed it’s glass jaw for a proper amount of Assault ‘Mech worthy armor.

The Mercury Elite Emperor is a simpler refit which shuffles around the weapons for something different and refreshing.  A pair of Silver Bullet Gauss are backed up by dual Snub Nose PPCs.  All of which can be fired without fear of overheating.  A pair of medium pulse rounds out the package for short range situations where heat is a non-issue.

The Peacemaker is a curious light ‘Mech used by the Atreus Police forces.  It has one heat sink.  You read that right, one single solitary heat sink.  It can’t run and not build up heat!  A machine gun, ‘Mech taser and SRM2 provide offense to augment the amazing heat dissipating power the chassis provides.

Rounding out the record sheet section is a Tokugawa heavy tank variant used by the Legionnaires.  It features a single UAC10 backed by dual Streak SRM4 racks with a flamer and AMS for good measure.

The Final Word

While Atreus is a must for Marik fans such as myself, the substandard Tracks and the lack of Warship record sheets may make this a skippable product for others.  Taken as a whole the JTP series is well worth the price of admission but be warned that Atreus is not the best of the breed.

The War of 3039 is a speed bump relative to some of the other more notable wars within the Inner Sphere.  It’s implications however, are on par with the Succession Wars, the Clan Invasion or the Word of Blake Jihad.  It is the story of a nation at the brink that was pulled from the precipice by an unorthodox yet skilled leader; Theodore Kurita.

Historical: War of 3039 was released in the FanPro days and provides a world by world account of the short lived war between the Draconis Combine and the Federated Commonwealth.  It seemed only natural to me that the Chaos Campaign rules could be used to present the battles fought into a story that BattleTech fans could readily re-live.

Re-released, here is a collection of tracks that I previously released in the Community Created Warchest thread.  This collection is updated, proofed, and put together in a handy PDF download.

For more information on the Chaos Campaign system I recommend the following:

• Chaos Campaign Rules
• Errata From the Forums, Scroll down for the official new calculation for Tech Rating

And here is Chaos Campaign: War of 3039 for your gaming enjoyment.

• Chaos Campaign – War of 3039 (PDF, 205K)

Download it, play it, and enjoy!  And while you are at it, I would be grateful for any additional input that would make it even better!  If you come across any issues with balance, grammar, or anything else that could use some spit and polish please let me know.

I hope you enjoy the campaign as much as it was for me to write it!  Happy gaming!

Have you played a game of BattleForce yet?  Strategic Operations has officially hit the streets so you have no excuse.  We all have printable counters available for free download as well as on the Battleshop.  We have plenty of calculated stats available for use via some amazing fans in the forums.  I’ve already had some fun with the QuickStrike variation and my ready stock of MechWarrior figures.  The one thing stopping me from playing some serious games of vanilla Battleforce has been converting the available printable counters into something worth spending some time on.

• Objectives, Commands, and Requests
• Mercenaries
• Misc

The Basics

I’ve been kicking around a few ideas for a simple token construction technique.  My particular variation is only slightly different than the Catalyst recommended method.  I hope you will enjoy the slight but meaningful difference.

Print out you favorite faction’s tokens and cut them out as you would expect, keeping the Radar side together with the unit side.  We are going to fold these two halves together and with a bit of glue attach them.

We are almost there already.  Pretty easy.  Now you could mark up your tokens and start rolling dice.  But I like a little more polish to my game counters.  Get out some clear packing tape (the good stuff.  Cheaper brands will not be as crystal clear.) and place your token on one side of the tape.  Cut another piece and carefully lay it over top.  After pressing around the edges you have a nicely protected and sturdy token.  Cut off the excess and throw the completed token into your game.

A side benefit of the tape is that it will take a dry erase marker quite well.  Your tokens can change their representation if you find yourself using a slightly different organization later on down the line.  Don’t like the markings?  Wipe them away and try something different.

Oh By the Way

Did you notice yet that some of these tokens make perfect tokens for normal BattleTech games?  Buildings, Fire, Minefields, Debris, it’s all here for FREE from Catalyst.  Simply amazing.  By using my packing tape method as above, you get even easier record keeping possibilities.  You can jot down the remaining construction factor right onto the buildings.

Something More Substantial

Now that’s pretty cool, but you know as well as I do that no matter how much weight that tape added, a good stiff breeze will still clear your game faster than Herb with his pockets full of Davy Croketts.

I wanted something that would be more substantial while still easy to move.  I experimented with a few methods but came back to a familiar product.

I use Warmachine 30mm round bases for all of my BattleTech infantry (they don’t have a facing so why mount them on a hex base unnecessarily?).  If you take two bases and connect them together, you get a very nice token that fits very nicely into a standard BattleTech hex.  This was the base for my BattleForce token.

I attached the two sides together with an ample amount of glue from a hot glue gun.  The excess is easy to wipe away and it’s cheap too.

It just so happens that the radar blip circle is the perfect size to fit into the 30mm inset.  Using this as a guide, I cut out samples.  I used tape to seal each token as above and glued it to base with rubber cement.

Now obviously, there is a substantial cost increase with this method.  I like the hefty feel of the finished token though.  It feels almost made for the game.  If you find this idea helpful do leave a note in the comments letting me know.

What Are You Waiting For?

Get in those BattleForce game now!  You haven’t any excuses left!  You can fight a Battalion on Battalion in a few short hours now so why not let loose the dogs of war and smash massive armies together.  BattleForce makes it possible and better tokens make it look even better than ever!

When playing BattleTech I’ve always had an issue with the “lucky” dice people would play with.  Heck even I do it and I felt guilty when I got 2 headshots in a row (he edged the first roll) on Brian in a GenCon Solaris match, so I included one of the dice I like and one I hate as test dice in a little experiment to determine if lucky dice are just something in our heads or if there is some truth to the matter.  The idea for this experiment was from the Giant Battling Robots‘ post.

Hypothesis:

The material removed from dice to create the pips makes the dice slightly weighted.  The 6 side should occur more often because it has more material removed then any other side (making the 6 the lightest side), especially since it is opposite the 1 side that has the least material removed (and thus the heaviest side).  Dropping a die in water will amplify the weighted effects on a die by slowing its decent and allowing the die to right itself so the lightest side is up and heaviest side is down.  Smaller dice would be affected more by the same amount of material removal, but for this test I’m only concerned with standard 16mm 6-sided dice.

Test methods:

Hard Level Smooth Surface – A desk.  I didn’t count any rolls that went off the desk or hit boundary objects (piles of paper).  Dropped from 4″-5″ the die bounces and turns a whole bunch and even more so when dropped at an odd angle or on one of its corners.

Tupperware & Vase – Fail.  These were my first attempts at water tests to enhance weightedness.  For the tupperware, I found that it mostly mattered on what position I held the die in when I dropped it.  If I dropped it from above the water surface, it would impact the water and sink the couple inches very quickly allowing very little time for the die to right itself so the lighter side was up.  If I held it at the surface and dropped it, it would still land similar to how I dropped it, so I tried testing them by dropping them on a corner.  This gives each of the upper sides about a 1 in 3 chance.  The weighted die always landed on 6 (it was one of the upper sides when held) while the others were pretty inconsistent.  But, I think that for a fair die, this would mostly be a test of how that particular corner was rounded so this test wouldn’t show me if or how much a die is weighted.  The vase was simply impractical because it made such a mess and was very slow scooping the wet die out with a big spoon for every roll.  I also couldn’t keep my laptop nearby to enter data.

Water Tube – An older 2lb package of foam coat Smooth Interior Finish from HotWireFoamFactory came in a tube with soft plastic ends that seal quite well.  I put a die in it, filled it with water and flipped it on end.  Every 100 to 200 rolls, I would flick the sides and die to remove any micro air bubbles that may have gathered (usually because it sat still for a while while the commercials weren’t playing).  This test method amplifies the weightedness of a  die because the water slows the die as it falls allowing more time for the die to right itself so the heaviest side is down.

Control: A Weighted Die

This die is actually a tire valve cap I found in the road.  You can see how it is weighted in that it has a female screw thread instead of a 1 side.  I rolled this die 800 times on the desk and then 200 times in the water tube.  You can see the four groups of 200 rolls on the desk, their total, and the total from the water tube.  I only rolled 200 in the water tube because it was quickly discernible how weighted it is.

As you can see the weighted die… is weighted.  However, even on the desk it wasn’t completely reliable.  Excluding the “bad” batch, the weighted die consistently rolled 6 about 5% more then it should have, which is pretty significant since it only should have occurred 17%, for an increase of 30% from normal!  The water tube test successfully amplified how weighted the die was and made the 6 occur a whopping 80% of the time.  During the “bad’ batch, I kinda slacked off dropping the die from only 2″-3″ and on a flat side not giving the die much chance to right itself.

Test Dice:

These dice are from various games or places that I’ve collected over the years.  The last couple are brand new.  All the dice registered at 5 grams on the mail scale, including the Tire Valve Cap.  Measured 10 at a time on a scale at home (+/-1g), the Chessex dice are 5.4g each.  Using the water tube, the test dice were rolled 200 times in 5 groups and then their groups totaled for each die.  Numbered dice were not used as the difference in the amount of material removed from opposing sides is not as great as pipped dice.

White w/black pips and roundish corners	Black w/White pips and roundish corners
Translucent Red w/White pips and sharpish corners	Yellow w/orange speckles and green pips from Chessex
Giant Battling Robots

Conclusion:

From the Desk test of the weighted die, we can see that it is fairly reliably weighted so that the 6 will occur about 22%, 5% more often then it should have at only 17% (i.e. a cheat die that wouldn’t be too obvious).  When tested using the water tube, it becomes tremendously obvious that the die is weighted because the 6 occurs 80% of the time, showing an increase of over 60% above normal.

When using the water tube to test the other dice, none of them showed any side to be significantly weighted nor did any of them show even a fairly reliable consistency of how they landed.

Therefore all of the dice tested, which represent various standard dice, effectively have no weighted side and all the tested dice should be considered Fair Dice.  My hypothesis is false (but I still favor my “lucky dice”).  The only thing I can’t explain is that the 1 occurred just as much as 2, 3, 4, or 5 on the weighted die when rolled on the desk instead of occurring about 5% less.

Recommendation:

Any standard dice should be allowed.  The only exception I have to this rule is using a die in a public game that has a side that is not readily obvious what it is.  Specifically dice that have a logo instead of a number for the 1 or 6 (which were not allowed to be used at GenCon ‘09 in the Solaris matches, though I don’t know the reasons they had).  Not because of fairness, but for good gaming etiquette.  The reason for this is that it slows a game down when you have to check if it was a 1 or 6 or when an opponent asks to check, it can frustrate other players, and I’ve seen the dice owners forget and mistake which number it represented.

Friday is all wrapped up and boy what a long and and exciting day.  Much news to report.  Some of which has already been leaking out into the forums.  I hope I have at least some new perspective on the news.  Either way, I have plenty more pictures to share.

Solaris Melee Challenge II

My second day in the arenas did not go as well as Thursday.  I spent some time running away from an Imp while simultaneously chasing a flighty Panther.  I managed a slight improvement to my bottom line but not enough to vault me into the final.  I am going to need a herculean effort if I am to make it to the final round.  Regardless though, I had fun.

BattleTech Seminar

There was a lot to discuss in the seminar.  We started slightly late due to a room change and once we did start the panel took up the majority of the time discussing what was going on past, present, and future for BattleTech.  Here are some of the notes I took as the seminar unfolded.

• The 25th Anniversary Box Set will be reshuffled due to the unseen licensing issue.
• New Jihad Hot Spots and TROs are in the pipeline.
• The RPG: Time of War is a whole 6 pages from completion.
• Jihad Turning Points: Hesperus II is next. [UPDATE: Hesperus II is the one AFTER next.  Thanks Keiran!]
• Mock-ups were available to show what the MapPacks will look like.  They will also include scenarios as part of the pack.
• Plastic ‘Mech Packs are indeed on the way.  A sample Hellbringer (Loki) was on hand for purchase ($10).

The big news of course was the plastic ‘Mechs.  From the seminar we know the following facts.

• High Impact Plastic.
• Slide Mold.
• Zero Shrinkage and no mold degradation during production.
• Based on CAD drawing so details are very accurate.
• They are being produced by a company called Ghost Studio? (I may have heard that wrong as I cannot find an online reference for such a company, I will try to confirm on Day 3)
• To be released as ‘Mech Lance Packs and are NOT designed with the intent of replacing metal miniatures.

And now for some of the best humorous anecdotes from the event.

• Tara Bills is Herb Beas’ dealer.
• Herb was definitely threatened with Al Gore before the event began.
• Herb is now delegating the destruction of Warships.
• Rule books are now measured in units of Randall.

In addition, I got to fill out my ripped apart Blake Documents pages with more signatures from artists to writers and everything in between.  Everyone I asked was pleasantly surprised that anyone would hang on to such a memento let alone bring it back a year later for some signatures.  I’m happy I got as many signatures as I did.

Canon Events

The canon events continued today.  From what I had gathered after making a few passes by the tables during the day, the battlefield was now being fought over by all three factions.  The Bears, the Wobbies and the Dracs were all on the board and fighting everyone.  In one instance the poor Kuritans were getting crushed between a solid WoB defensive line and a frightening Ghost Bear strike force.

A tally board was on hand to track (I assume) either kill or objectives or both.  Here is what it looked like by the end of the day.

Painting Contest

I entered a ‘Mech into the painting contest because I said I would.  Looking at the other entries, I know I won’t be taking home a prize.  Still, it is another ‘Mech in the case and the exposure is what matters.  I just didn’t give myself the proper amount of time to make the best mini I could.

On the bright side, there were several amazing works on display that will certainly go head to head with any Games Workshop product or any other manufacturer for that matter.  Take a look and tell me those paint jobs aren’t to die for.

Aerospace Lives!

I played in last years Aero Grinder and the Battle for Gabriel.  I was disappointed that Catalyst was not offering any Aerospace this year.  Lo and behold, in the late evening some Catalyst Demo Agents were gathered around a table with Aero Fighters in tow previewing a flight school grinder that will hopefully be a fixture at later conventions.

Miscellaneous (Con-Girls and non-Battletech games)

I played demos for a few more games.  I got in-depth with Malifaux and decided it was not a game I’d be interested in buying into (at this time), despite the gorgeous miniatures and interesting game mechanic.

I chanced a demo of Ergo (a Catalyst offering); a game where you attempt to prove your own existence while disproving the existence of your fellow players.  If that game were available to buy now, I’d have it.  I was stupified by the simplicty of play paired with the maddeningly painful method of determining just who exactly wins.  Sometimes you can manage to figure out who won, but most of the time, it’s really the game that wins.

We are here in Indy for GenCon 2009.  We are excited as ever to get in some great games and have a glance at what Catalyst has to offer the many BattleTech denizens in attendance.

What Would You Like To See?

With the official opening in sight, I want to know from you, the readers who cannot be here, what you want to see and hear from GenCon.  What pictures are you dying to see?  What questions would you like to have asked?  I’m open to any and all suggestions and will have camera in tow to capture all the best that GenCon has to offer.

Before there was GenCon there was Urbie-Lord 3

Before the official start of GenCon madness, we made a trip out to the Game Preserve just north of downtown for a free for all battle with nothing but UrbanMechs.  This is the third time Catalyst Demo Agent “Mattlov” has hosted the event on the day before GenCon.  I was impressed with the setup and the many well painted UrbanMechs that graced the tabletop.

So what exactly happens when you put 17 identical custom built UrbanMechs with Mechanical Jump Boosters, Retractable Blades, a Snub Nose PPC, four Magshot Gauss Rifles, far too few heat sinks to use it all, Triple Strength Myomer, and Tac Ops power-ups?  Absolute hilarity.

At the end of the game, there were ten confirmed kills by actual players.  Gravity came out on top, being responsible for three deaths alone and even a dreaded Stackpole.  However, even when going super critical, a mighty 60XL engine can barely spook nearby squirrels.

Three DFAs were attempted with only a single success. (house rules were in effect to allow DFAs with Mechanical Jump Boosters because we could)

Final honors would go to “Vax Davion” for his impressive performance (being one of only a few players who lived the entire game, had at least one kill, and managed to wow the crowd with style points to boot).

GenCon 2009 is almost upon us.  For those of you going, I’ll be seeing you in Indy.  For those of you not able to make it, I’ll be posting plenty of pictures and stories.

For those on your way, I’ve compiled a list of BattleTech related vendors who you have to pay a visit to in the dealer room.  The next best thing to do in Indy besides the games has always been the sprawling dealer room with every possible type of merchandise available for you to buy.

Catalyst Game Labs / Iron Wind Metals (803 & 911)

Obvious right?  It makes the list by default.  Watch for whatever Catalyst pushes out for the Con, including dead tree Strategic Operations, 25 Years of Art and Fiction and possibly some other super secret releases.  Visit the Iron Wind booth for your metal crack needs.  Keep your eyes peeled for archived ‘Mechs, vehicles, battlearmor and protomechs that you would not otherwise be able to buy so easily.  They also usually have a hearty stack of Fighting Pirrahna Graphics decals available.

Acheson Creations (1735)

Look for their $0.50 bucket of resin cast terrain.  There are several that are highly suitable for BattleTech games.  And for $0.50 everyone can afford to add a few to their collections.

Armorcast (313)

Armorcast offers many fine terrain pieces suitable for BattleTech.  The real reason I’m going is to pick up some cinematic effects.  Their muzzle flash series would be perfect for BattleTech miniatures.  Many CamoSpecs artists are confirmed customers of this innovative and well detailed accessory.

Chessex (117, 1015, & 1621)

Every die you could ever need offered à la carte.  Every BattleTech player worth his salt should be able to determine all 6 locations for a Streak SRM-6 in one throw.  Make it reality without having to buy bricks upon bricks to get all the different colors you need.

Fat Dragon Games (1404)

Makers of fine paper terrain.  I’m going to pay them a visit just to see the quality of their Mecha Terrain set.  If it is everything I’ve heard I may end up picking up the pack.

Crazy Egor (1722)

A legend in the gaming world (at least in mine), Crazy Egor’s is a great place to dig for old out of print games.  Every Con has a different selection so it’s always good to check them out for a gem in the rough.

Opening Fiction

“Heaven’s Door” continues the Turning Point theme of desperation against all odds.  Death is knocking at the door and despite knowing that the end is very near you can’t help but root for them.  At least there is a little satisfaction in knowing some Blakist bastards kicked the bucket alongside the damned.

Sian

Sian is pictured as a lush jungle environment with carefully regulated industry, farming, and social castes to boot.  The tables and maps follow prior Turning Point releases and are fantastic.  I am currently having trouble with cramped text on the map using OSX but not on Windows XP.  Any Apple fans out there have a solution? [edit: see comments for solution]

Combatants

As I assume some would expect, the Liao combatants section is a frustrating two page read.  Exactly who is on what side?  There is friendly fire, betrayal, and suicidal headhunter missions galore.  Could there be any more fitting way to fight on Sian?

Death Commandos have an odd way of showing up unannounced to the horror of Word employed mercenaries.  The commandos have been given some absurd special abilities for tabletop play.  Very cool to see this mysterious unit fleshed out with abilities.

The Tracks

My favorite section in the series of a campaign system I love and support.  Will Sian uplift or disappoint?

There are five tracks included in Sian; on target with New Avalon but not up to the bar set by Luthien and Tharkad.  Each track is also very expensive.  Not a single track is under 600 Warchest points.  The majority push 1,000 points to enter, similar to Tharkad.  These tracks are decidedly for the more experienced commands out there.

While the objectives and most optional bonuses at first blush seem mundane, the tracks are saved by the unique and quirky special rules (as well as a few bonuses) that accompany each track.  Optional bonuses like Artillery strike Live Fire Training, and Command Posts breath life into the mission and make my mind wander thinking of ways for a force to take on the challenges.  I am impressed with the quality of the tracks, by far the best of the Turning Points so far.

Record Sheets

The Battlemech record sheets feature three new unique variants featured in the tracks and combatants fiction.  Cataphract Naomi is a utility heavy ‘Mech that reminds me of other Battlemechs that try to do too much and thus nothing well.  Jinggau Rush is a beast of a machine bristling with experimental tech including a Sniper Artillery Cannon.  Someone will be having fun with this design on the battlefield!  Finishing up the ‘Mechs is a Blakist Seraph that carries a massive Thunderbolt 20 and assorted energy weapons for backup.  A scary design considering the massive armor loadout and C3i.

Sian is another Aerospace lovers wet dream.  Updated record sheets for no less than five warships are included.

Planetary Assault Map

We are still waiting for assault rules but when they come, there will be invasion a plenty using these maps.  Very good work as we have come to expect in the Turning Points series.

For the excellent tracks this is a must buy.  Also a must buy if you are a Warship aficionado.  For others who may only be looking for the fiction and the nuggets of factual Jihad information in the sea of Jihad Hot Spot innuendo and propaganda you might as well.  It’s only $5 right?