Faction Focus: The Magistracy of Canopus

Hi!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have settled on the Magistracy of Canopus as the setting of my games and campaign and figured it might be a bit of a plan to take a look at the region to give me some ideas for how to develop the campaign.

Founded in 2530 by Kossandra Centrella, a former captain of the Free Worlds League Military, the Magistracy of Canopus is one of the larger powers in the Periphery. Consisting of roughly forty worlds, many of which are poor in resources.

A Matriarchal and libertine society, the Magistracy in years past concentrated almost all of its efforts on the entertainment industry with pleasure planets, mighty casinos and nature retreats, the collapse of the Star League and following Succession Wars has seen the Magistracy struggle as it's few industrial worlds have been seized by the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation and the drop in transport between worlds has resulted in unrest and famine. The wars also saw tourism dry up and replaced with refugees and pirates.

Now the Magistracy relies on cottage level industry and education levels for the realm have fallen dangerously low. In order to revitalise the fortunes of her realm, the current Magistrix, Kyalla Centrella has begun opening negotiations with nearby realms offering advanced medical training, one of the few sciences the Magistracy is capable of producing, in return for industrial components.

Kyalla Centrella, Magistrix of Canopia

The Canopian military is similarly stretched and is one of the smallest in the Periphery which is becoming an issue with the increased investment in Magistracy industry and agriculture, the region is getting unwanted interest from pirate bands and some of the nearby Successor States. 

As with much of the Periphery, Mechs are rare in the Magistracy so the armed forces limited Mech forces are generally held in reserve on strategic planets and conventional forces are used to soften up raiders before the Mechs are employed to finish them off.

Magistracy Locust

The military are seen as a necessary evil by many Canopians but they are willing to volunteer to defend their homes at time of need and as such, the Magistrix has been hiring small, impoverished mercenary units to both give her forces some beefing up and act as trainers to her small military.

Magistracy Mech Warrior

The industrial level of the Magistracy is so low that there are only two plants capable of producing Mechs, and a lack of components means that they produce only about sixty a year as well as a handful of armoured vehicles and Aerospace fighters. The Mechs produced by these two plants are a Phoenixhawks, Wasps, Stingers and Locusts. The Mech units of the Magistracy do field other designs but these are rare as the lack of components means that other designs are difficult to maintain and most units typically have at least some repair work needing done to keep them in  functioning order.

Now what I've written thus far is canon and based on reading the Periphery handbook and perusing Sarna.net, the Battletech Wiki. What follows is going to be my own take on things!

I hope to put together some of my own elements to add into the setting and will take a peek at them in a later post but hopefully this will give a brief overview of the Magistracy of Canopus!

Navigating Battletech

Hi!

During my initial ponderings on Battletech over on my Tales From Farpoint blog, several folks commented on the fact that the Battletech universe is rather intimidating as there are 35 years worth of background material to wade through. Coupled with the various eras, powers, forces and campaigns, it can be a bewildering game to try and get into.

In this post, I hope to share my initial thoughts on delving into such a setting and how I begin my Battletech journey!

First off, I have the Classic Battletech Universe book which I got as a free pdf from DRIVE THRU RPG. Essentially it's a small overview of the Battletech setting, it's timeline and assorted major and some of the minor powers. It's only 51 pages with lots of full colour illustrations but I found it to be a good starting point.

I also got the Battletech Quick-Start Rules, which are from the previous edition but the rules themselves are unchanged and it has the basic rules for the game which will allow you to get playing pretty much straight away, especially as it contains record sheets for four mechs and a map sheet you can print out. I'll be using these to trial the game in the morning!

There's also the BATTLETECH HOMEPAGE which has free downloads of the new edition Quick-Start Rules. This is very similar to the previous edition but you get record sheets for two mechs and a different colour map sheet. It's one of the best things about the game, the basics haven't changed much in 30 years!

I also found the Record Sheets here for the new boxed set which contains a fair few mech record sheets to record damage, ammunition expenditure and so on.

I do like that the core rules are free and they even include gaming counters and whatnot to get you going. In fact all you need to supply is some D6's and a pencil and you're ready to rock!

These resources are invaluable in getting going with the game and finding out a bit about the lore and as they are free, it literally costs nothing to try out, other than printer ink.

I must admit that the more I explore the game, the more I realise it is all scalable. The basic game allows you to play with giant stompy robots with a brief outline of the different combatants but you can ramp it up with advanced rules, delve into the background and incorporate so many different elements to the game that it can make your head spin. But it also encourages you to pick and choose what you want.

For example, the more advanced rulebooks run to several hundred pages of dense text but much of the contents are options to add extra elements such as Aerospace combat, advanced movement and new tech. Essentially you can choose how far you want to develop the game.

Just want to shoot up your enemies and stomp around? Play the basic game! Want to run interstellar campaigns with all sorts of extra elements? Battletech has got you covered as it can literally be as granular as you want it to be. I feel that there is a sliding scale of complexity within the game itself that allows you to go for the level you feel suits you best.

It's the same with the background, you can choose one of the many powers and run a generic force or delve into individual unit histories with named pilots and mechs with all manner of quirks but there is absolutely nothing to stop you from creating your own forces, nations or whatnot. The Inner Sphere is vast and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make your own force!

As I am just starting out with Battletech, I have settled for using the basic Quick-Start rules for my first few games and have got the action taking place in 3025, a period of minor border raids and the calm before the next great conflict. Technology is at it's low ebb with mechs being rare and civilisation crumbling but with the glimmering hope of improvements brought about by rediscovered Lostech.

As I get used to the game, I hope to move to more advanced options and may move to different eras or regions of space but for the time being, I'll be sticking with the barbarous Periphery region with all it's ne'er do wells, cutthroats and down and out mercenaries.

Tomorrow I hope to try out the game using the materials I have sourced so watch this space!

In the meantime, All the best!

Where to Begin?

Hi!

As I mentioned in my introductory post, I want to explore various time periods of the Battletech universe but the question is where to begin?

As you get further into the timeline for Battletech, the more complex the rules get due to a renaissance in technology due to the invasion of the clans so I figured that as I was just starting out with the game, I'd keep it simple by begin my exploration of Battletech by looking at 3025.

During this period, the Inner Sphere has undergone several hundred years of devastating warfare so technology is decidedly lower level with the great houses armies having battered each other to a standstill. Similarly, society and culture has regressed to a neo feudal state in many worlds, especially out towards the Periphery which is where I am planning on initially setting the action.

The industrial base of each of the great houses have been hammered with many mech factories destroyed and higher tech systems no longer possible to construct. This means that Battle Mechs are rare and valuable and objects of awe and fear for planetary populations and with many planets struggling to survive, raids from marauding pirates or other powers conducting resource grabs, it's an interesting period of low level skirmishes between the great Succession Wars which wrack the Inner Sphere.

Magistracy of Canopus

To keep things low level, I have settled on hosting my forthcoming games and campaign in the Periphery, a somewhat technically backward and lawless frontier region of space that has been settled by those looking for a new life free from the Successor States. Even here, war has ravaged the lesser powers and an already unstable region may descend into barbarism.

My initial gaming will be based primarily in the Magistracy of Canopus, one of the larger Periphery states after reading about Wilson's Hussars, the rather washed up mercenary company that has found itself stuck in the Periphery without much prospects being hired by agents of the Magistrix Kyalla Centralla, the ruler of the Magistracy.

The Canopians were once the richest of the Periphery states, but their fortunes have waned greatly as the Free Worlds League annexed many of their industrial worlds leaving them with their core systems and other, less valuable planets. Coupled with their lack of technology and the smallest military of the region, the Magistrix has begun tentative diplomacy with several of the Inner Sphere powers offering advanced medical skills, one of the few advanced sciences that its battered state can still perform in return for tech and industrial investment.

With this slight increase in wealth and industry comes the threat of renewed raiding from other powers and pirates. Seeing her military is badly overstretched, Kyalla has begin hiring small impoverished mercenary units to bolster her defences and train her forces in order to defend what they have while the laborious process of rebuilding society begins.

There are several other powers in the region to be contended with. Firstly the Free Worlds League borders Canopian space and Marik is sure to try to use the lull in the fighting to try and annex further worlds from the seemingly weak Periphery state. There is also the Capellan Confederation to be contended with, the Aurigan Coalition and the Tauran Concordat, not to mention the host of pirate, freebooter and lawless mercenary forces that litter the region to contend with.

While much of the action will be using Classic Battletech and Alphastrike, I do want to explore some small skirmishes with groups of intelligence officers, mercs and adventurers conducting all manner of covert operations and skulduggery as well. There is also the chance to look at a bit of space combat too but I'll need to really read through my copy of The Periphery Sourcebook to get me a good grounding in the setting before I try to play more games.

Hopefully I'll be able to post some more gubbins later today with an overview of the Magistracy and its forces as it will help me incorporate the what I learn into the setting and in turn help develop a possible campaign and dramatis personae.

In the meantime, watch this space!

Hex Maps

Hi!

My Battletech project has started to come together as I had noticed that RAL PARTHA EUROPE was selling packs of hex maps for 10 for £10 so I've picked up a pack and eagerly await its arrival so I can try some classic Battletech.

Apparently the pack will contain sheets from set one and two of the original collection as well as some Solaris ones so I'm hoping for a good variety of terrain for my mechs to fight over. I'm especially hoping to get one of the original maps as it was the design that I remember best:

I also spotted that you can now buy shiny neoprene hex maps but at present, I think they are probably a bit on the expensive side at £25 each but I may invest in one at some point in the future but figure for a project that I am trying to keep cheap, the paper ones combined with my usual gaming table will do the trick.

Speaking of which, I'm interested to see how playing using the hex map versus gaming terrain affects the way the game plays so I'll need to try out both styles once the maps arrive to see how things go. There's also the option of Alphastrike which looks like a nice, quick but still tactical option that is worth exploring too.

Essentially, Alphastrike is the wargame version of Battletech, allowing you to field larger forces including combined arms with ease. I currently have the original version with the companion volume adding lots of extra stuff but a new Commander's edition has been released which combines the two and revises them so next month may see me get the pdf of that.

Having followed the Death From Above Wargaming channel on Youtube who have posted quite a few battle reports using the system, I must admit it looks rather good and I've already tried out a couple of quick games of it with two lances of Mechs. I found it to be a great fun option but have thus far only used the basic rules featured in the book so will need to delve further to see what a more advanced game will involve.

With things coming together, I shall need to organise my forces. Using my paper counters, I have two companies built and ready and they've already featured in a campaign over on my Tales From Farpoint blog.

First up, there's Wilson's Hussars, a down and out mercenary company who have found themselves washed up on the Periphery with mechs that are on their last legs and few prospects.

Wilson's Hussars

I originally read about them in the Mercenary Handbook and the artwork and description really called to me as I liked the thought of having the lowliest of forces and making an effort to regain their glory days through a campaign or two as they fight for various powers on the Periphery before possibly moving back to the Inner Sphere.

According to the background found in the Mercenary Handbook, bad luck and poor command by their now deceased commander has left the group washed up in the Outworld Alliance following a catastrophic defeat and abandonment by their previous employer.

Captain David Wilson, the new commander of the Hussars is desperate to take any employment he can get for his troops, even piracy. Fortunately for them, the Magestrix Kyalla of Canopus has been offering contracts with small, impoverished mercenary units and has recently hired the Hussars to defend Rynn's Steading, a seemingly low priority world that the Canopians have settled. Unbeknownst to most, the world has several caches of Lostech and an abandoned Starleague facility.

Only time will tell whether Wilson's Hussars will ride to glory of ignominy but thus far, they have held their own against the foes they find themselves pitted against, Red's Marauders.

Red's Marauders

Red Redowski is a pirate captain operating from a base deep in the Periphery. His origins are unknown but over the last two years he has lead his company on repeated raids hitting the Magistracy of Canopus, Tauran Concordat and Aurigan Coalition making off with valuable salvage, slaves and tech at each turn.

A sizable bounty has been placed on his head by several states and the arrival of his dropship, The Reaver in system is a sure sign of trouble. Red's Marauders are surprisingly well equipped for a pirate force and whilst their mechs are patched and motley looking, they are all in perfect running order leading some to suspect they have either a large supply of parts and replacement mechs at their base or have a patron who funds their raids.

During a recent raid on Rynn's Steading, the Marauders encountered a lance of Wilson's Hussars lead by Captain Wilson himself. Destaining the poor reputation of Wilson's Wimps and the decrepit state of their mechs, Red led the attack only to find his mech shot out from under him and his force thrown back in disarray. Red managed to eject from the cockpit of his Thunderbolt and swore vengeance on the two bit losers who dented his pride.

This victory has seen Wilson's Hussars regain some pride and the salvage they've collected as well as equipment the Canopians have supplied has started the long process of repairing both their morale and their mechs.

The Marauders have retreated off world to lick their wounds but Red is determined to teach the Hussars a lesson in humility and is planning on hitting the world of Rynn's Steading again, especially as whispers of valuable booty has found its way to his spies ears...

Over the course of today, I hope to post more information on each force and the campaign I plan on setting up so watch this space!

Introduction

Hi!

I've found myself investigating Battletech for the first time in about twenty years and have decided that I'm going to have a bash at running a blog based on my experiences.

My first experience with Battletech was in about 1994 when I picked up the 3rd edition boxed set from my local Virgin Megastore (back when they stocked miniatures for a bit) for £20. I had recently got out of the Warhammer hobby for various reasons but still wanted a miniatures game to play and Battletech was the first one I found.

I must admit that when I got home and opened the box, I wasn't too impressed with what I found as the miniatures were pretty poor quality plastic and for some reason wouldn't take a coat of paint no matter how hard I tried. The game seemed interesting with the hex map and record sheets but I never really engaged with it and moved on to other wargames such as Void, Vor, Warzone and Chronopia.

Over the ensuing years, I picked up the odd book or pdf when they were on promo from places like Drivethru RPG and so on but I never really got past a glance at the artwork before moving on to some other game that had caught my eye. This changed in 2020 with the Lockdown meaning I was furloughed from work and stuck in the house and while looking for something to watch on Youtube happened upon DEATH FROM ABOVE WARGAMING. Here was a new channel showing battle reports which actually made the game look fun!

This gets me onto the main reason for starting this blog. I want to try playing Battletech, immerse myself in the background and explore the setting and even explore the different methods of play.

Now I am going to be starting things with the basics as I need to familiarise myself with the core game so will no doubt be making some newbie mistakes along the way!

Looking around the interwebs, I was surprised to see that older editions of Battletech are really hard to find, not to mention super expensive so I'll be making a start with the new intro set,

There are two different versions, the Beginner Box and the Game of Armored Combat which has more miniatures as well as complete rules but I figure the Beginner Box will do to get me going and if needs be, I'll see if I can find my old 3rd edition rulebook which I'm sure I have somewhere!

I'm also swithering about miniatures at the moment as whilst the figures are nice, they are a wee bit expensive for my tastes and the sculpts seem to be getting a much needed refresh as some of the original ones are showing their age.

At present, I'm planning on using the paper tokens I've made:

Wilson's Hussars

They're cheap and cheerful and I think I'll be able to play some games with them without spending a fortune as a regular lance will set you back about £25-£40. I had hummed and hahed about individual mechs costing between £5 and £10 but as you only need four miniatures for a complete lance, which is pretty much all I'd be fielding, I may crack and pick up a few once I get the hang of things as there is something visually appealing about having actual mech miniatures on the table that paper cannot do!

 I'm also keen on exploring the different eras of Battletech, be it the Star League, Succession Wars, Clan Invasion, Jihad or Dark Age and the assorted tech levels for each.

This is going to involve an awful lot of reading as I try to digest the massive amount of information that the books cover but plan on starting small with a general overview of the 3020's as it has the lowest level of tech and some iconic mechs to play around with.

Hopefully folks will find my meandering through the Inner Sphere interesting and do feel free to post any comments you may have.

In the meantime, All the best!