Sell me on the Battlemech manual

[StoneRhino]

What content is there in the BMM that is not available in the core rules books? I have been playing since the 90s and prefer combined arms games, making a mech only book seem rather questionable for me. What was added that is not available elsewhere?  ???

[Tai Dai Cultist]

The ability to run an all-mech game with only needing to reference 1 rulebook.

If you're interested in the auxiliary forces, the BattleMech Manual is inherently of limited value.

[StoneRhino]

The ability to run an all-mech game with only needing to reference 1 rulebook.

If you're interested in the auxiliary forces, the BattleMech Manual is inherently of limited value.

Is there anything in it at all that is not present in TW,TacOps, StratOps, and TechManual?

[Tai Dai Cultist]

More up to date on errata.  Plus some new fiction.

Ruleswise, it's deliberately a largely re-packaging of the existing rules that affect BattleMechs in play into one tome.

Edit: I think the main contribution to new crunch is calling out canonical quirks for the already-published mechs out there.

[Frabby]

Quoth Sarna:
"New rules appearing in the book are limited to simplified rulesets for fire and smoke; artillery, mines, and airstrikes; and a few terrain or weather conditions." Mind that these simplifications are optional, not rules changes.

[Daryk]

I think there might have been a quirk or two that weren't in the earlier books.  I only picked it up in pdf.

[StoneRhino]

Edit: I think the main contribution to new crunch is calling out canonical quirks for the already-published mechs out there.

So the book pushes for the inclusion of the quirks into the game? Does that affect the BV?

[StoneRhino]

Quoth Sarna:
"New rules appearing in the book are limited to simplified rulesets for fire and smoke; artillery, mines, and airstrikes; and a few terrain or weather conditions." Mind that these simplifications are optional, not rules changes.

Are the simplified rules significantly different to the point of changing aircraft and artillery units?

[nckestrel]

Are the simplified rules significantly different to the point of changing aircraft and artillery units?

There are no units, you buy individual attacks.  You buy a bomb attack or an artillery strike.

[Brakiel]

So the book pushes for the inclusion of the quirks into the game? Does that affect the BV?

Quirks are still optional. The point is that it's a one stop reference for mechs, so it contains lots of optional rules outside of Total Warfare.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

IIRC the BMM doesn't ever discuss any kind of force balancing mechanics, BV or otherwise.

[Paul]

They did a great job cleaning up or enhancing rules explanations. It’s definitely a powerful teaching tool for new players.
The ‘Support’ mechanism I’m particularly impressed with: I think it’s a really clever way to include those elements without the rules and paper overhead that comes with them.

[SteelRaven]

I use the BM almost exclusively. I'm all a budget so getting the entire TW collection is a little unrealistic right now but the BM covers just about everything regarding mech vs mech combat.

[Xotl]

What content is there in the BMM that is not available in the core rules books? I have been playing since the 90s and prefer combined arms games, making a mech only book seem rather questionable for me. What was added that is not available elsewhere?  ???

The book was intended to pull existing content together into a better form, rather than introduce new content.  As such, if you just want new stuff, the book probably isn't for you.

At the same time, there really was a lot of work put into that new form, so if there was anything about your ability to understand or use the TW rules at the table that frustrated you (or you just don't feel like having to haul around two very big books everywhere, plus the very large errata documents for each, plus IntOps if you're playing in the Dark Age), I think you'll really appreciate the BMM.  For example, I'd hate to have to figure out any aspect of displacement using TW alone, or hidden units.

In terms of pure new content, there are:

1) the Battlefield Support rules.  These are beautiful, in that they give you in five pages what the existing TW/TO rules take literally 70 to provide: artillery, air support, and minefields.  They do the base job, but leave the focus solidly on the mechs actually on the table.

2) the quirks section.  Old quirks often received heavy rewrites to make them less broken, to cover more situations, to add errata.  Nine all-new quirks were added.  Then all this was applied to a new list covering every base mech chassis ever made, which had never been done before.  Quirks are still optional, however: this just makes it much better if you do like using them.

3) the "simplified" rules variants. Dropping mechs is there (from StratOps), but in a version that doesn't require you to use the aero maps or to know anything about the aerospace rules.  Fire and smoke is there, in a modified form that doesn't take all day to calculate fire and smoke spread.  Some TO terrains are there, but without all the annoying bog down stuff.

4) the Common Misconceptions section.  Semi-new, in that we've never really done anything like this before but ultimately it's a restatement of the existing rules.  Still, I've heard again and again from players all over the world that "man, I read that and I found things I've been doing wrong for decades".

One small note: there's no new fiction in the book, because other than some cute one-line blurbs for the weapon section there's no fiction or fluff in the book whatsoever.  This was a deliberate decision, to keep the focus on the rules.

I wrote up a blog post a while back that explains the thinking behind the book in detail.  It should help you give a better idea as to what it is and if you might find it useful:

https://bg.battletech.com/news/news-and-announcements/what-is-the-battlemech-manual/

It's out of print at the moment, but there's plenty of copies in secondary channels still.  However, the pdf can be had for 10 bucks, and will be upgraded to the new printing once that arrives in a few months, so that might be a good, affordable way to get a feel for it.

[Tymers Realm]

Speaking as someone who hadn't really been an active BT player for some 20+ years, the BMM is a decent pickup to getting back into BT.
Beyond the Mech-only rules, the BMM has..

• Tourny-legal, into the Dark Ages, gear lists
• Quirks listings explained
• A general listing of what Mechs carry what quirks
• A chapter on BT misconceptions
• A rather decent layout and is relatively easy to use

Getting the PDF now would be a good thing. But I'd wait for the reprint in physical. Xtol explains it better in this post from the Errata thread.

[Daryk]

*snip*
One small note: there's no new fiction in the book, because other than some cute one-line blurbs for the weapon section there's no fiction or fluff in the book whatsoever.  This was a deliberate decision, to keep the focus on the rules.
*snip*

And that is most appreciated!  I still haven't read all the fiction scattered in the other rulebooks, despite having had them for years.  I buy rule books for the rules.

[Bedwyr]

The BMM's greatest role is that of a teaching tool. The FAQ style additions plus better explanations *and especially* color coded, chart supported explanations including the new GATOR acronym and dice roll visuals all make it a better book for general Mech combat. There is no really new material, but if you're introducing new players to the game or just like good teaching explanations, this is a really good book.

[Hellraiser]

I don't have it yet and not sure I ever will.

But it seems to be a great buy for anyone that doesn't have the entire collection already.

Or only wants 1 book for mechs specifically.

Or only wants 1 book to carry to games that gets them a lot of stuff from TO/SO.

Or maybe someone just starting out who does like vehicles but only dabbles in TO/SO & so TW + BMM is a solid combo of 2 books that will get most anyone what they need for a table top game.

[Euphonium]

Sounds like having the BMM in dtf to take to games and TW/TO/etc in pdf to print off the odd optional rule when needed might be a good combo

[Sartris]

I run with TW and BMM with the rest on my phone

[StoneRhino]

I'm trying not to be negative about the book even though other books or ideas are passed on because "no budget" or "low interest", even though we have TW+core and intro rules books. The intro book of the last starter box only covered mechs IIRC, which should make that the equivalent of the BMM. With TW and other core books being reprinted and reskinned, there is plenty of mech rules present.

It doesn't sound like a lot was added with the BMM. What appears to be added would have been better off printed in the core books as additional optional rules, and gut the BMM project and have that cash reassigned to more new stuff, or revising the TW reprint for clarity if the BMM would bring about such then thats effectively an admission that TW needs better management of information.

I don't have the book, and as someone else said, I'm unlikely to buy it. I am almost curious enough to get the PDF. I almost pulled the trigger, but then saw that they are putting out a 35th year version of the BMM. I'll probably get it just because muh 35 year anniversary, skim through it, then shelve it for all eternity in a display that I would like to set up "Someday"tm. This is ignoring my feelings of mech only games. However, i do hate the idea of reverting back to pre-TW/pre-Maxtech days where all other units were watered down to be nothing more then easy kills. Where the only justification of assigning points to those units were to give the other guy easy kills for some reason. Not saying that is happening, but by splintering things into mechs and not mechs seems like a step backwards. Unless CGL is planning on doing smaller books for all unit types, but that runs into the budget issue, fracturing the player base by unit type usage, and interest.

I hope that CGL makes a pile of cash off of the BMM so that the CGL crew can make a living off of keeping the game going. I just wonder how the cost of creating and printing the BMM stacks up against adding to the combat manual line, even if its pdf or print on demand. I guess with the BMM out of print that it is unlikely that it's contents means anything for me in the sense of introducing new players to the game and pointing them towards the next step to getting into the game beyond the 2 intro boxes. Until there seems more of a reason to have it i'll put it off until the 35th year anniversary edition rolls out. I'll put my money into some of the intro boxes instead since we'll have TW in print again.

Again, I hope that the BMM sold well and understand it wasn't geared with someone like me in mind. I am looking at it through the lens of someone that is interested in and has brought in people to the game.  Since its out of print for the time being its not an issue to not have a copy to help guide individuals to the appropriate book for them, though id want them getting TW for the full spectrum of unit rules even if they play mech only forces, I wouldn't want them not to have an idea how the opposing units work unlike another game where you need to buy a ton of books for different forces to know what they can do short of playing against them all and learning through experience only.

[NeonKnight]

I can honestly say I love the BMM because while (yes) the rules are the same as those found in TOTAL WARFARE, they are definitely cleaned up and more concise and easier to read/find.

heck just look at the Work Xotl did with cleaning up the confusion of Pushing/Displacing/Falling that existed in the TW rules to the BattleMech Manual.

[Frabby]

I admittedly don't get to play the game a lot these days, but I can say that at this time BMM is my go-to rulebook during play while TW and the other core rulebooks are relegated to second-tier "research" duty.

[wolfspider]

You asked to sell me on the Battlemech manual?
I say because it will have a kick a$$ cover and some new art!

[Ice_Trey]

If you prefer combined arms, there's absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to Total Warfare.

However, if you're running legacy versions of the game from before Total Warfare, there are going to be other issues you run into, like not being able to find support for certain pieces of weapons, and more importantly, having difficulty playing with people at public settings like LGS'es due to differences in rules, especially when it comes to the vehicles and infantry, which got the biggest changes overall.

It's kind of like having an old computer still running on Windows 3.1.
If you're offline and only use it for some legacy software, then there's really no problem, but you're up the creek if you're looking to add new hardware, play Steam games, or surf Youtube.

[Greatclub]

The intro book of the last starter box only covered mechs IIRC, which should make that the equivalent of the BMM.

Anyone know if that's true? I was under the impression that the starter boxes only included introtech rules.

[Sartris]

I think he means equivalent in focus. Mechs only in the intro box, BMM focuses on mechs.

The last introbox did have some basic rules exceptions to play with the Mad Cat mini included. It also had combined arms quick startish rules for vehicles and infantry in the scenarios section.

[StoneRhino]

I can honestly say I love the BMM because while (yes) the rules are the same as those found in TOTAL WARFARE, they are definitely cleaned up and more concise and easier to read/find.

heck just look at the Work Xotl did with cleaning up the confusion of Pushing/Displacing/Falling that existed in the TW rules to the BattleMech Manual.

I would love to, but right now the only options to review that work is to buy the pdf or wait for the annivesary printing. I don't know of a local shop that carries BT(even after years of pushing and working on building a group at one) so I cannot take a look through it. Being able to look through it would likely help push me towards purchasing it sooner rather then later. As for any work that is done that helps clean up some of the rules, its appreciated since I have been since 1995 the one explaining the rules and anything that helps in that way is appreciated, which is why I have been mulling over the purchase of the pdf at $10 to be famiilar with it when the anniversary printing is out.  :thumbsup:

[StoneRhino]

You asked to sell me on the Battlemech manual?
I say because it will have a kick a$$ cover and some new art!

Bruh, the mechporn is a strong selling point. :drool: I'm definitely buying the 35 year anniversary ..whatever they toss out there. I may never use that book, but im buying it for that reason alone. The mechporn is bonus. I might just put it on the table so that people passing by have to see it.

That firestarter image, the local shop used the full version for their wargaming facebook page for a good 6 months. Thing is, not a damn thing Battletech in the shop that I and others brought in other then some used novels tucked in some odd place in a box. That was kind of a win for me. So new mechporn to have on a table is always great.

I do like the throwbacks of the TW reprinting that I want to get so I can retire my black cover TW edition, and to poke at all of the "I used to play Battletech back in the days". That way I can drop the new intro boxes on em. ;D

[Bosefius]

Anyone know if that's true? I was under the impression that the starter boxes only included introtech rules.

It's not accurate, except in that they both focus on mechs only. The box sets only cover the bare basics, as you said it's Introtech level. The BMM is comprehensive, allowing play from the dawn of mechs (with "primitive" gear) all the way through the Dark Ages.