Tactical Operations - 6 December 2019 (v3.03)

[Xotl]

PDF, third release, p. 311, Field Guns:

"Each Field Gun requires a number of troopers equal to its weight in tonnage to operate (to a minimum of 2 troopers per Field Gun)."
Change to:
"Each Field Gun requires a number of troopers equal to its weight in tonnage to operate, rounding up (to a minimum of 2 troopers per Field Gun)."

[Xotl]

There's a bit of a contradiction in the 3.02 errata versus the current print of TacOps:

TacOps p 285 says "In ground combat, Artillery Cannon attacks may be resolved normally or using the rules for indirect LRM fire (see p. 111, TW),"

TacOps errata v3.02 says different (and wrong).  The current print of TacOps is right (the statement above), and the next TacOps errata release will be updated to reflect this.

[Xotl]

I've uncovered some older rulings (and a couple things I noticed while typing them up) that were not incorporated into the current printing.  I'm enclosing them here in a single post for convenience's sake.  They will appear in the next major TacOps errata revision (3.1).  All references are to the PDF, 3rd release:

pp. 18-19, Evading (Movement Mode)
Add a clarifying note that, despite the 'Mech-centric nature of the text, any unit that has Running or Flanking MP can use Evading.  In addition, a unit does not have to run/flank to evade (it can just walk/cruise, and would also generate less heat as a result).

p. 32, Expanded Movement Costs
Add footnote 24 to "Sand"

p. 33
Note to self, move the #6 footnote up to p. 32.

p. 35, Expanded Movement Costs
Add footnote 23 to "Torrent"

p. 44, Fire Tables
"§Except under the following conditions: in Vacuum and Trace Atmospheric Pressures and in Tornado F1-F3 and Tornado F4+, no fire is possible. For Castles Brian hexes, fire is not automatic; instead, divide the standard Heavy and Hardened modifiers in half (round down) and apply a +2 modifier when making the roll to start a fire."
Change to:
"§Except under the following conditions: in Vacuum and Trace Atmospheric Pressures and in Tornado F1-F3 and Tornado F4+, no fire is possible. For Castles Brian hexes, fire is not automatic; instead, divide the standard Heavy and Hardened modifiers in half (round down) and apply a +2 modifier when making the roll to start a fire. Otherwise, any hex (whether water, clear and so on) struck by any of these munitions is automatically on fire. Do not check for weather conditions extinguishing fires in the turn they are started by these munitions. At the start of the following turn, however, they are treated as a standard fire; meaning that such a fire in a Water or Clear hex would be extinguished at the end of that turn."

p. 50, Ice
"Every time a unit enters a hex not using careful movement (see p. 63)"
Change to:
"Every time a unit enters an ice-coated hex not using careful movement (see p. 63)"

p. 51, Swamp, Quicksand
"During every End Phase after the turn in which the swamp hex becomes a quicksand hex, the unit will sink 1 level; apply a +3 modifier to the Piloting Skill Roll to get unstuck from a quicksand hex, as well as a cumulative +3 modifier for each level under the surface."
Change to:
"During every End Phase after the turn in which the swamp hex becomes a quicksand hex, the unit will sink 1 level (treat 'Mechs one level down as in partial cover; they are unable to fire any leg-mounted weapons). Apply a +3 modifier to the Piloting Skill Roll to get unstuck from a quicksand hex, as well as a cumulative +3 modifier for each level under the surface."

p. 57, Fog
Change both references to Careful Movement from "p. 62" to "p. 63"

p. 62, Bog Down Rules
"Jump-capable units that use Walking or Running movement to enter tundra, magma, deep snow or mud may get stuck,"
Change to:
"Jump-capable units that use Walking or Running movement to enter sand, tundra, liquid magma, deep snow or mud may get stuck,"

p. 62, Bog Down Rules
"Additional Modifiers: For tundra, magma crust, deep snow and mud hexes,"
Change to:
"Additional Modifiers: For tundra, deep snow and mud hexes,"

p. 63, Careful Movement, fourth paragraph, last sentence
"In all other terrain, the crash ends the vehicle’s movement, and the vehicle sustains damage to its Front side as if it had charged."
Change to:
"In all other terrain, the crash ends the vehicle’s movement, and the vehicle sustains damage to its Front side as if it had charged an identical unit to itself."

p. 63, Careful Movement, fourth paragraph, last sentence
"If both fog and ice are present, the modifiers are cumulative,"
Change to:
"If both fog and ice are present, the movement modifiers are cumulative,"

p. 64, Careful Movement
Between "Hover and WiGE Vehicles" and "Terrain Factor", add a new subsection: "ProtoMechs"
"ProtoMechs use their Gunnery Skill to check when moving through a hex at full speed. Treat a ProtoMech like a vehicle if it fails."

p. 105, Heat Sink Coolant Failure
Change this section's name to "Heat Sink Coolant Failure ('Mechs Only)"

p. 221, Visual Range Tables
Move Gusting Rain up to the same row as Heavy Rain.  Also, add Torrential Downpour and Ice Storm to the Heavy Rain row (and delete the extra space between the slash and Blowing Sand)

p. 221, Sensor Spotting, third paragraph
"A result of 7 or 8 means the sensor detects any unit within its short range. A result of 5 or 6 means the sensor detects units out to its medium range. A result of 2 to 4 means the sensor detects units out to its long range."
Change to:
"A result of 7 or 8 means the sensor detects any unit within its short range band. A result of 5 or 6 means the sensor detects units within its medium range band. A result of 2 to 4 means the sensor detects units within its long range band."

p. 222, Infrared Sensors
"add 1 additional hex if the unit has been hit by an inferno attack, or is standing in a hex that is on fire."
Change to:
"add 1 additional hex if the unit has been hit by an inferno attack in the last turn, or is standing in a hex that is on fire."

p. 222, Infrared Sensors, last paragraph
"Units that are not “hot” cannot be detected by an IR sensor scan."
Change to:
"Units that are not “hot” (i.e. those without one or more heat points on a Heat Scale) cannot be detected by an IR sensor scan."

p. 224, Change "Undewater Combat" to "Underwater Combat"

[Xotl]

3.03 has been released.  This update is much longer page-length-wise, though it actually features slightly fewer rulings.

There's two sections to this one: "new additions", which has everything new to version 3.0-3.03, and a collected "full errata" section, which is all errata for TacOps, period.  This is standard practice for core rulebook errata releases, but when I originally finished v3.0 last year it was hours before I went on vacation I didn't have the chance to do things properly before I took off.

In this release I've trimmed a few typo reports that slipped by me the first time (I generally leave those out because they aren't important to the average reader and take up a lot of space if all left in).  I've also cut a few obsolete/double-entries, and outright removed three entries - on CASE II, Airburst Mortar ammo, and AP Mortar ammo - that were new to v3.0 but have since been replaced here in this thread with more updated rulings.  Also, a conflict between how Artillery Cannons & Indirect worked in the third release of TacOps vs. 3.02 has been corrected.  No sense keeping the old rulings around to potentially spread confusion.

No new rulings have been added.  Everything in that regard is the same as 3.02 - the goal here was just ease of use, not new material (hence the tiny version number increase).

All-new rulings made since TacOps was reprinted will appear in the next major errata release, which will be 3.1.  Cheers.

[BirdofPrey]

Errata to the eratta:
Pg. 2

* Lance Movement (p. 24)
Under “Unusual Unit Types”, second sentence
“For example, the Clans use units of ten, called Stars.”
Change to:
“For example, the Clans use units of five, called Stars.”

Clan vehicular stars contain ten units (a point being 2 vehicles), and Lance movement relates to vehicles, so the first sentence should be the correct one.

(On a side note, my copy of TO which should be up to date as of the most recent printing [Corrected Second printing] says 'units of five, called stars' on page 24)


To clear up any confusion between vehicle stars and mech stars perhaps the section should say
“For example, the Clans use units of ten vehicles, called Stars.”

[Xotl]

Errata to the eratta:
Pg. 2Clan vehicular stars contain ten units (a point being 2 vehicles), and Lance movement relates to vehicles, so the first sentence should be the correct one.

(On a side note, my copy of TO which should be up to date as of the most recent printing [Corrected Second printing] says 'units of five, called stars' on page 24)


To clear up any confusion between vehicle stars and mech stars perhaps the section should say
“For example, the Clans use units of ten vehicles, called Stars.”

Thanks - I've reupped the file and deleted that entry (since it isn't represented in the new printing any more).  The file number is the same, though the date has been updated.  This is the only change.

[Garner]

Hi Xotl,

Can I clarify a slight discrepancy/redundancy on the errata on Artillery Cannons. Page 26 and page 84 of the errata both modifiy:

Artillery Cannons (p. 285)
1) Under “Game Rules”, first paragraph, second sentence

The entry on page 26 has the replacement text:

“In ground combat, Artillery Cannon attacks may be resolved normally or using the rules for indirect LRM fire (see p. 111, TW),”

The entry on page 84 has the replacement text:

“In ground combat, Artillery Cannon attacks are resolved using the same to-hit modifiers as indirect LRM fire (see p. 111, TW),”

Does this mean that while I can fire directly or indirectly, either way will incur the same (relevant) to-hit modifiers?

[Xotl]

Hi Garner,

"In ground combat, Artillery Cannon attacks may be resolved normally or using the rules for indirect LRM fire (see p. 111, TW),"

is intended to be the correct text (emphasis on the "or"); thanks for the catch.  I'll be upping a 3.04 later on.

[Xotl]

Third release PDF, p. 282, Armored Components, first paragraph, last sentence:

"The only exception is the cockpit location, which adds 1 ton of armor to the cockpit weight."
Change to:
"The only exception is cockpit systems (including Cockpit Command Consoles), which adds 1 ton of armor to the cockpit weight."

[Xotl]

COMPLETE GHOST TARGETS OVERHAUL

This will be featured in the upcoming 3.1 TacOps errata release, but I'm enclosing it here until that is released.  It completely replaces the Ghost Targets rules as currently found in all printings of Tactical Operations.

If you have any questions, as always, Errata General Discussion is the place, not any active errata thread.

[link deleted - see TacOps errata v3.1 and later]

[SCC]

TacOps, first printing

Anti-Radiation (ARAD) Missiles box (p. 368) header is missing missile/launcher types

The current errata for ARAD is off but it's so bad I'm taking it to the rules questions

EDIT: Asked that question, see here: http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,26824.new.html

[Paul]

PDF, Second Printing, p. 354

"The Arrow IV Homing Missile does not make its own to-hit roll. Instead, the homing missile may only attack units that have been successfully designated by a friendly TAG unit in the turn of the missile’s arrival."

CHANGE TO:

PDF, Second Printing, p. 354

"The Arrow IV Homing Missile does not make its own to-hit roll. Instead, the homing missile may only attack targets that have been successfully designated by a friendly TAG unit in the turn of the missile’s arrival."

[Xotl]

PDF, third release

* Void-Signature System (p. 349)
Under “Game Rules”, add a fifth bullet point after the rest:

“When the Void-Signature System is engaged, any ECM on the unit has no effect, other than to make the Void-Signature System functional.”

[Xotl]

PDF third release p. 181

"If an artillery attack is made from Altitudes 1-8, the attack lands
the turn after it was fired; if it is made from Altitude 9, the attack
lands two turns after it is fired."

Change to:

"If an artillery attack is made from Altitudes 1-8, the attack lands
the turn after it was fired; if it is made from Altitude 9 or 10, the attack
lands two turns after it is fired."

[Yeti]

PDF third release p413 in the Infantry Construction Data table

Beast-Mounted Infantry gets an Intro Date of ES/ES

change to PS/PS

People were riding on animals a long time before they invented space flight.

[BeeRockxs]

PDF third release page 382, Inner Sphere Weapon And Equipment BV Table (Addendum)
The PPC (Heavy) + PPC Capacitor and ER PPC + PPC Capacitor are missing the double dagger footnote that the other PPC + Capacitor combinations have.
These combinations also explode like the others and should have the same double dagger, because they logically should also reduce the BV for explodiness.

PDF third release page 383, Inner Sphere Weapon And Equipment BV Table (Addendum)
The M-Pod is also missing the double dagger footnote that the other explosive equipments have, denoting reduced BV for being explosive.

[Xotl]

PDF third release page 382, Inner Sphere Weapon And Equipment BV Table (Addendum)
The PPC (Heavy) + PPC Capacitor and ER PPC + PPC Capacitor are missing the double dagger footnote that the other PPC + Capacitor combinations have.
These combinations also explode like the others and should have the same double dagger, because they logically should also reduce the BV for explodiness.

I do not have my books in front of me at the moment, but this is already noted in the current errata (p. 106).  Can you confirm it has not been implemented in the current (third) release of Tactical Operations?  If it hasn't, I'll update the in-progress errata.

[BeeRockxs]

You're right, it's in there. What's missing is the double dagger for the M-Pod.
Edit: Nevermind, I just confirmed with Welshman that the M-Pod should not subtract one from defensive BV, but the 5 BV should be added to the defensive BV of the unit. So the M-Pod is actually missing the single dagger in the table that signifies that it's defensive BV.

[Xotl]

PDF, third release, p. 281:

"When a location containing a slot of Modular Armor is hit, the damage is subtracted from the Modular Armor capacity first."

AFTER THIS ADD

"If any damage remains, it should be treated as a new attack against the unit's armor using the remaining damage, and then applying the effects of the armor (if any) against that damage. Concerning eligibility of penetrating critical hits, or armor piercing weaponry, resolve such effects based on the capabilities of the underlying armor."

[AJC46]

suggesting a change to protomech AC wording to remove confusion over being able to use alternate ammo.

current: "ProtoMech Autocannons use the same rules as standard autocannons. When mounted on ProtoMechs, ProtoMech ACs are treated in the
same manner as ballistic weapons on vehicles, and so do not generate heat."

according to the Line Dev Herb in the battlechat today Proto AC's can load and use all the alternate ammo types usable by standard and light autocannons and the current wording in TO doesn't say it can causing confusion it just says uses the same rules not if it can use alternate ammo. and this is my suggestion for clearing the confusion also got rid of some redundant info too.

"Protomech ACs PACS use the same rules as standard autocannons, and can use all standard and special AC ammunition types available to standard or light ACs"

"for figuring out the chances for Armor piercing rounds working with the PAC the PAC/2 uses the (L)AC/2's chances the PAC/4 uses the (L)AC/5's and the PAC/8 uses the AC10 armor piercing chances"

well?

[jymset]

Dev-Level Errata:

p. 408, Extended LRM 20
Change Heat from "12(12)" to "10(10)"

[Paul]

p. 185
"The base to-hit number is modified normally for the attacker’s movement and for firing through (not into) woods and for other terrain features."

CHANGE TO:
"The base to-hit number is modified normally for all other to-hit modifiers such as the attacker’s movement and for firing through (not into) woods and for other terrain features."

[Pa Weasley]

p. 384
Clan Weapons and Equipment Table [Addendum]
Improved Heavy Laser (Small), (Medium), and (Large) are not listed as being explosive though they are described as such on p. 321 and in the Heavy Weapon and Equipment Combat Data table on p. 406. Should they should be treated as Gauss weapons for the purpose of defensive BV explosive penalty calculations?

[Paul]

p. 311:


"parts, but they may not be fi red in the same turn that the platoon has moved or delivered any attack using its own infantry weapons."

AFTER THIS ADD:
"Unlike regular infantry attacks, field guns may not be used to attack targets in the same hex as the attacker. Any infantry unit with Field Guns cannot engage in Anti-'Mech attacks such as Leg and Swarm Attacks."

[Paul]

p.275:

"Modular (Omni) Technology: Unless otherwise noted, all of the items presented below may be pod-mounted on appropriate modular or Omni unit types."

CHANGE TO:

"Modular (Omni) Technology: Unless otherwise noted, all of the items presented below may be pod-mounted on appropriate modular or Omni unit types. The following items may not be pod-mounted: Armor (except Modular Armor), Structure, Cockpits, Engines, Gyros, Musculature, Muscular enhancers (such as AES and MASC).

p.288:

"Except for the shield (which may only be installed as fixed equipment), OmniMechs may mount all of these weapons as pods or as fixed equipment. A ’Mech can mount only one physical attack weapon per location, unless one of the weapons is a shield or spikes."

CHANGE TO:

"OmniMechs may mount all of these weapons as pods or as fixed equipment. A ’Mech can mount only one physical attack weapon per location, unless one of those weapons is a shield or spikes, such that a single location might have a single physical attack weapon, one shield and spikes."


<>


"Shields are hard-mounted, and so Shield-based movement modifiers apply to the unit at the time of construction."

CHANGE TO:
"Shields may be pod-mounted, and so Shield-based movement modifiers apply to the unit once the Shields are added."

[Paul]

p. 100

REPLACE:
"For this purpose, the Angel ECM suite (p.279) counts as two ECM or ECCM suites, or the player can chose to run the Angel at 1 ECM and 1 ECCM."

WITH:
"For this purpose, Angel ECM may only be countered by Angel ECCM.  Standard (Guardian) ECCM does not interfere with Angel ECM in any way. Similarly, 1 Angel ECCM can counter any amount of non-Angel ECM.  Alternatively, the player may elect to operate his Angel ECM Suite as if it were two standard ECM Suites, losing the additional jamming abilities of the Angel Suite but gaining the ability to operate ECM and ECCM simultaneously.  As with the election to operate an ECM suite in ECCM mode, the decision to operate an Angel Suite as two standard suites must be made in the End Phase of the preceding turn."

[SCC]

Working from the current (3.03, 2013-01-03) here, pages 102 and 103, mirrored else where in the document.

Page 102, in the section for titled ’Mech Mortar Ammunition (p. 373)

“’Mech Mortars (see p. 324) and Battle Armor Mortars (see p. 263, TM) may use a variety of ammunition types. If a unit with a ’Mech Mortar does not specify its ammo type, use the rules for Armor-Piercing (Shaped-Charge) ammo.

However according to the next page (103) BA Mortars aren't allowed to use Armor-Piercing (Shaped-Charge) ammo (Note: This is probably because BA Mortars have a different base damage to 'Mech Mortars)

On the next page (103 again) the section on Anti-Personnel (AP) Mortars (p. 374) is lacking a bit on changing the header

[SCC]

TacOps, of course, first printing, Conventional Infantry Armor Table, pages 317 and 318 no correcting errata that I can find

Myomer, Suit has Availability of X-X-E and Introduction of 3047 and the Myomer, Vest has Availability of X-X-E and Introduction of 3045. Both of these dates are during the Succession Wars, as such their Succession Wars Availability codes should be changed to something other than X (Unavailable)

Additionally several of the Faction Specific kits have Availability codes that indicate they where available before they were introduced, these codes either need to be changed or a note added to indicate that the dates provided are the dates of adoption, not introduction

[HABeas2]

Hello,

TacOps, of course, first printing, Conventional Infantry Armor Table, pages 317 and 318 no correcting errata that I can find

Myomer, Suit has Availability of X-X-E and Introduction of 3047 and the Myomer, Vest has Availability of X-X-E and Introduction of 3045. Both of these dates are during the Succession Wars, as such their Succession Wars Availability codes should be changed to something other than X (Unavailable)

Additionally several of the Faction Specific kits have Availability codes that indicate they where available before they were introduced, these codes either need to be changed or a note added to indicate that the dates provided are the dates of adoption, not introduction

The Availability codes are correct for the myomer armor. Though 3045 and 3047 are Succession Wars era, they represent essentially the very end of that era, leaving some 300 years of that period in which the armor type did not exist at all. Allowing for its extremely limited usage in this period, the myomer armor types simply were not available in significant enough supply in these very-trailing years of the era to merit a better grade than "X".

Thank you,

- Herbert Beas

[Paul]

p. 382

In the ’MECH INTERNAL STRUCTURE MODIFIER TABLE ADDENDUM table:

Composite 1.0

CHANGE TO:

Composite 0.5