Battletech: New Mechs & Maps On The Eve Of The Refit
A set of new mechs and battlemaps are here to prepare you for the relaunch of Battletech.
Battletech is just a few weeks away from its latest refit (don’t call it a new edition!), and publisher Catalyst Game Labs has released a couple of new products to whet your appetite for hot mech-on-mech action.
21st Centauri Lancers Command Lance
PFormed during the Succession Wars from deserting members of the St. Ives Armored Cavalry, the Lancers went on to distinguish themselves in service to nearly every Great House. The lone exception is House Liao, whom they still hold a grudge against more than three centuries after their founding.
This set of four new mechs is the kind of thing that makes Battletech such an enduring favorite. Portraying the command lance of a specific regiment in a specific era really brings alive the deep, rich lore of the Battletech universe. Two all new mechs are included: the Shockwave and Jade Hawk. The Shockwave excels at long-range fire support while the Jade Hawk is as light as a heavy mech can be. The Jade Hawk bristles with medium range lasers and brutal close combat claws, making it a formidable machine, especially in urban environments. These two brand new mechs are supported by new variants of the iconic Shadow Cat and Stalker.
As usual, these models are unpainted but fully assembled, allowing you to get them onto your tabletop the moment you open the box. The set also includes four MechWarrior pilot cards and four Alpha Strike cards for use in that alternate Battletech format.
BattleMat Fire and Ice 02 Magma Fjords
The latest in Catalyst’s extensive line of neoprene battlemats, Fire and Ice 02: Magma Fjords is another immersive and exciting environment for your games. Varying elevations and environmental features make this a challenging place to set your games of Battletech. Combine it with Fire and Ice 01: Erupting Canyon for an even bigger play area.
Refit and Redeploy
A new starter box, core box and core rulebook are all coming out at the same time later this month. For the first time in decades, this set of core products were all redesigned in conjunction for a simultaneous release. This promises to be a fantastic way to get into one of the most venerable and long running wargames ever produced and I’m pretty excited for it.
The core rules have been updated but not in a sweeping way. Someone who hasn’t played Battletech since the 1980s who picks up the new rules will find themselves very much at home. New players will (hopefully) find that the game’s updates have just given it the kind of polish that we expect from contemporary war games. If you’re an existing player, fear not. All of your models and maps will remain compatible with the update. No mech left behind!
And if you’re just dying to get a taste of Battletech, Catalyst just released a free piece of fiction. You can download Front and Center for free between now and July 31st.
Author James D. Long teaches an important lesson in Front and Center! Foster is a MechWarrior, and isn’t the brightest of the Tamerson’s Tarheels. But when the local Taurians take umbrage with the local government, the Tarheels’ employer, Foster had best learn quick, or he will be like every other over-confident rookie pilot…
Ahh…Battletech! All the excitement of robot combat combined with a scantron test. I love it so much.
