Battle Report: Intro Rules

Hi!

I managed to get two games of Battletech using the basic edition that I had downloaded yesterday.

I printed out the map sheet which is a bit bigger than A4 paper and stuck the two sheets together. For some reason my printer refused to print out the stand up counters which was a bit of a shame so after a bit of head scratching, I settled on using two old Mechwarrior Dark Age battle armour figures and painted one bright red and the other blue.

I also printed out the record sheets and quick reference guide found in the introductory rules:

 Handy Dandy

Thus armed I tried out the basic rules that the introductory set comes with.

Tiny Proxy Mechs!

My first game didn't last very long as both mechs charged at each other firing everything they had and after the Griffin managed to hit the opposing Wolverine in the centre torso with a PPC and LRM strike, it looked like it was going to be a bit one sided but in return the Wolverine managed to hit its opponent in the head with a lucky Autocannon volley.

The next couple of turns saw the Griffin strike the Wolverine repeatedly in the torso but didn't manage to concentrate it's fire to bring down it's foe. In return the Wolverine struggled to hit until a second shot to the Griffins head saw it taken out of the action.

Game One post action repair report

Game two was a bit more of a drawn out affair as I started to realise the two mechs have different styles of play. The Griffin has more of a long range punch whilst the Wolverine is a close range fighter. The Griffin attempted to keep its distance as much as possible, sniping at the rapidly approaching Wolverine but suffered some truly rubbish shooting. 

For much of the game the two mechs stalked each other around the patches of cover, before thundering out to try and gain the upper hand. The Wolverines superior short range firepower was beginning to show as the Griffin had taken damage to almost every location but it almost turned the table late on as it repeatedly won initiative and managed to get into the Wolverine's rear arc so it couldn't shoot back but repeatedly flubbed it's own attacks.

Eventually, the Griffin made a mistake and didn't quite get out of short range from the marauding Wolverine and despite using every salvo of it's LRM and repeatedly hitting the opposing machine with PPC fire, the Wolverine finally blew off it's leg ending the game.

Game two post action repair report.

Whee! I really enjoyed playing the basic game, despite it feeling very different from the usual sort of a game I play. Initiative really makes a difference as it repeatedly turned the tide of the game as each mech desperately tried to maneuver itself into an advantageous position. It actually feels a bit cinematic as the damage begins to build and ammunition runs low and a lucky shot at that critical moment really gets quite exciting.

I'm hoping that my proper map sheets arrive tomorrow so I can try out a few different from my mechs using the cardboard counters I have drawn up and I'm looking forward to familiarising myself fully with the basic rules before trying out some of the more advanced stuff including critical hits and heat!

Once I have got myself used to the rules up to the level I am comfortable with, I'm hoping to start a mini campaign with Magistracy forces backed up by the mercenary unit, Wilson's Hussars pitted against Red's Marauders and some sneaky Free Worlds League infiltrators...

I'll see if I can get another game or two in tomorrow and see how I get on so watch this space!

All the best!