Combat Manual Mercenaries preview

[Adrian Gideon]

Hey.
Those are gorgeous suggestions.
Please send me a PM.

[Klat]

Lone Wolves special rules are awesome. This book has my Alpha Strike group buzzing and it's wonderful. Thank you to all involved.

[Pat Payne]

The random rolls were intended for faceless opfors or supplemental forces (henchmen) not home campaign PC mercs. 
The book is about making faction flavored forces for existing canon factions, I can't tell you what the faction you made up should have?  That's like asking me to list your home rules?

Unfortunately the way the rules are written it implies the random-roll table is mandatory for all unlisted (homebrew) merc units, and not just "Red Force" OPFOR units.

Players using an unlisted mercenary Combat Command must
roll randomly for each Special Command Ability. For each SCA,
roll 2d6 and consult the Special Command Ability Assignment
Table below.

Please note, I'm not against the random table in theory, especially if the player is road-testing a new force or has no clear fluff in their mind, but it would be nice to give more "rules-observant" players an option to use the new SCAs in their homebrew units.

[ActionButler]

Sure, I can pick any units I want and play with them, but my opponent will have all sorts of extra advantages if he chose to stick perfectly to your rules...which don't meaningfully restrict him from producing "munchkin" forces. Indeed, by carefully picking what faction and command he wants, he can force all sorts of special rules onto the table, while I'd be restricted to what's written on my unit cards.

Realistically, that seems completely fair to me.  Yes, by sticking to the new force building rules, one player can collect a variety of bonuses.  That player is limited to the units available to his/her faction, though. 

By not sticking to the new rules and building an Invasion-era merc unit completely tricked out with Clan equipment, the other player doesn't get the advantage of those new rules, but can take a lance full of Timber Wolves to use against an opponent using Late-SW equipment.

[Von Ether]

Lone Wolves special rules are awesome. This book has my Alpha Strike group buzzing and it's wonderful. Thank you to all involved.

I'm a big fan of rules like the Lone Wolves. Separates the men from the munchkins.  ;D

[Louie N]

What is the "Date" of the combat Manual.

I get the impression that it is 3050, but it does have Clan references.

Thanks

[nckestrel]

It covers the late Succesion Wars and early Clan Invasion.  So ~3010s to ~3054.

[ColBosch]

There is no specific date, as this is a supplementary rulebook rather than a plot sourcebook.

[nckestrel]

There is no specific date, as this is a supplementary rulebook rather than a plot sourcebook.

But if somebody sees something crucial to building a force in that time frame (3020-3054) that is not covered in the book, that would be excellent feedback...
Merc X wasn't formed until 3040, and the Combat Manual doesn't mention that, for example.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

It'd be natural to ask the follow-on question:

If one is interested in Mercs (or fill-in-the-faction) outside one of those two eras... will the paradigm of future Alpha Strike "sourcebooks" covering other eras of the BattleTech timeline continue to be single faction or single era with multiple factions?


I know the answer that'd be given in this forum is "we can't say"... so my modified version of that question is:

Have you made that decision yet?

[Adrian Gideon]

How about, "its too early to say."

We've already looked at just some of the ways to expand, and I'm sure there are other angles we haven't thought of yet. But it's just way too early to comment on how, when or even if.

So no, no decision at this time.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

How about, "its too early to say."

We've already looked at just some of the ways to expand, and I'm sure there are other angles we haven't thought of yet. But it's just way too early to comment on how, when or even if.

So no, no decision at this time.

Fair enough.

Y'all are off to a great start with what you have going now.

[Adrian Gideon]

Thanks. And while the answer was "no decision now," I hope it bolsters confidence to know that expanded support is something we've been thinking about all the way.

[NeonKnight]

It covers the late Succesion Wars and early Clan Invasion.  So ~3010s to ~3054.

Just a thought, but is it possible to include the following on the cover/back cover?



Thus people know it covers those eras?

and would be in keeping with the Lance Pakcs



Again just a thought.

[Wrangler]

Wow, their including the old Charger in the packs. 

[ColBosch]

Wow, their including the old Charger in the packs.

Uh, yeah. That set's been out for a bit now.

[Wrangler]

Uh, yeah. That set's been out for a bit now.

Not everyone gets the Lance Packs, when one has most of old minis.

[Von Ether]

Getting ready for a game tonight. So on my phone, I put together a Lone Wolf company in under 10 min.

I thus announce that CGL's mission with the Combat Merc Manual has been accomplished.

[Der Einfallslose]

I love the Idea with this Mini Scenarios.

[Karasu]

Been doing a bit of tabulating (can't help myself...) of Notable personalities and noticed some interesting things.

There's only 1 Skill 0 pilot, and that's (unsurprisingly) Natasha.  There's 2 skill 1 pilots: Phelan Kell and "El Guapo".  Has anyone else ever heard of El Guapo before, because the name really doesn't ring any bells for me.

Charles Bear's Crusader is a bit of a beating stick!  5 damage at Short range without any upgraded tech.  Although I can't tell what role it is: Technically it's too fast to be a Juggernaut, but too short-ranged for a Brawler.  I see that some Hunchbacks make their way into the Juggernaut category.  Think he fits there?

There's a number of personalised 'Mechs that I'd like to see the actual Battletech stats for.

[nckestrel]

El Gaupo is the notable pilot from the Banshee entry in Technical Readout 3039.

Yeah, I'd put Bear as a Juggernaut.

[Pat Payne]

"El Guapo".  Has anyone else ever heard of El Guapo before, because the name really doesn't ring any bells for me.

Of course, I've heard of El Guapo. In a way, all of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be *the actual* El Guapo!

 ;D

Also, El Guapo does *not* have a plethora of pinatas not balloons, as I'd mistakenly mentioned before, and which we shall never speak of again...