These rules are designed to provide some added flavor to the existing Battletech game. I recommend them for specific scenarios or for on-going campaigns. For general Battletech game play, I use the standard Battletech rules as printed.
Rules for Specific Units
A number of the Battlemechs and vehicles in the technical readouts published by FASA have various advantages and disadvantages listed in their descriptions that are not reflected in any game mechanics. These rules provide a way to model those effects on the Battletech playing field.
3025
- Spider: The spider's unusual jump system allows it impressive manuverability while airborne and makes it a hard to hit target. To reflect this, a spider pilot may take evasive action while jumping. Doing so costs 2 jump movement points. (reducing the 'mech's maximum jump distance to 6 hexes) All units firing on an evading spider suffer a +2 penalty to hit. The 'mech's big disadvantage is that it has no ejection system for the pilot.
- Urbanmech: Because of its low squat profile, the urbanmech gains a +2 cover bonus when it is standing behind partial cover rather than the usual +1.
- Whitworth: The whitworth's unusually slender leg assemblies are a very poor design. Under high stress they are prone to catastrophic failure, leaving the 'mech crippled on the battlefield. To reflect this, every time the 'mech jumps, the pilot must make a piloting skill roll. If the roll fails, the 'mech suffers one point of internal structure damage to each leg. If either of the 'mech's legs takes damage as a result of the 'mech falling down, roll for a critical hit against that leg.
- Clint: The clint's sophisticated Sloane 220 Lockover targeting and tracking system gives it a -1 bonus to hit with it's Autocannon. Note that the system is tuned to work specifically with the Armstrong Autocannon and will not provide this bonus if the weapon is replaced or modified.
- Centurion: The centurion's Luxor autocannon is notorious for jamming during battle. To represent this, the weapon jams on a to-hit roll of 2 much like an ultra autocannon.
- Scorpion: This 'mech's extremely low center of gravity and wide stance give the pilot an -1 bonus to all piloting skill rolls in addition to the normal bonus provided by four legged 'mechs. Unfortunately, Infantry standing in the same hex as a scorpion may fire at the 'mech's back armor regardless of the 'mech's facing.
- Quickdraw: The quickdraw may make use of the "flipping arms" optional rule even though it has a full set of arm actuators.
- Marauder-L The mismatched armament of the marauder-L causes all kinds of problems for the 'mech's targeting and tracking system. To reflect this, the 'mech suffers a +1 penalty to hit when firing its large laser.
- Goliath: To represent the unusual torso structure of the goliath, the firing arc of the 'mech's LRM racks and machine guns do not change when the 'mech torso twists. Furthermore, the goliath may stand but may not move if one of its legs is destroyed.
- Cyclops: The cyclops' distinctive head cowling provides a small degree of protection to the 'mech's vulnerable cockpit. The 'helmet' provides two additional points of armor for the 'mechs head. This armor is only effective against attacks from above the 'mech. This includes all LRM attacks and any attacks made from above the 'mech.
3026
- Partisan Air Defense Tank A platoon of partisans can be slaved together into a poor man's C3 network. One of the four tanks must be designated as the master node. If that node is destroyed the network collapses. While the network is active all four tanks must always fire at the same target. They may calculate range as if they were using a C3 system. (LOS and terrain penalties are still worked out separately from each firing unit.) All four tanks in the network share the gunnery skill of the master node but the slave nodes suffer a +1 penalty to hit.
- Schrek PPC Carrier The schrek's low profile and angular armor give a +1 to-hit penalty to all autocannon, machine gun, and gauss rifle attacks made against it.
3050
- Spider The spider's complex jump jet system provides the same benefits in 3050 that it provided in 3025. The spider does not have an ejection system.
- Urbanmech The urbanmech's updated weaponry has not affected the cover bonus described in its 3025 entry above.
- Clint The recovery of Star League technology has allowed the clint's sophisticated Sloane 220 Lockover targeting system to be recalibrated for use with the 'mech's new ER PPC. As a result, the 'mech receives a -1 bonus to hit with that weapon.
- Whitworth The recovery of Star League technology has done nothing to correct the whitworth's chronic leg problems. The 'mech still suffers the penalties described in its 3025 entry above.
- Scorpion Although the scorpion has grown even rarer in 3050, it still benefits from its stability and suffers from its poor armor placement. (See 3025 above)
- Goliath The goliath's unusually stable frame grants it a -1 bonus to hit when firing its gauss rifle. This bonus is lost if the 'mech suffers any leg or gyro critical hits. The 'mech's LRM racks do not rotate when the 'mech torso twists. The goliath may not move if one of its legs is destroyed.
- Cyclops The cyclops' helmet provides the same benefit in 3050 as it did in 3025.
Carrying Capacity
The Battlemech carrying capacity listed in the Battletech master rules absurdly small. In my campaigns, I usually raise the carrying capacity of a battlemech to 10% of its total weight in each arm.
Aerospace Fighters
These optional rules are designed to make atmospheric aircraft and aerospace fighters in Battletech behave more like actual aircraft. In particular, these rules seek to address the laughably slow speed and pitifully short endurance that air units have under the printed Battletech rules. Note that using these rules will significantly increase the power of such units. Scenarios should be adjusted accordingly.
Fuel
The pitifully short endurance of Battletech aircraft has long been an annoyance for me. In my Battletech campaigns, I usually increase the fuel reserve of all aircraft and aerospace fighters by a factor of three to five to solve that problem. Note that this significantly reduces the impact of fuel on the game which may or may not be desireable depending on what players want out of the game.
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