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From: moore@gibbs.oit.unc.edu (Hall Moore)
Subject: Btech: Omega Rules 1.2.2 part 1/2
BattleTech Omega Rules
Rev. 1.2.2
Part 1 of 2
The following changes apply. (Note: These are changes. All rules
which are not contradicted remain in effect.) All new rules are
Copyright 1992 by Hall L. Moore III. Permission granted to copy,
use, and distribute; as long as no profit is made and this copyright
notice remains intact. All other rights reserved. BattleMech,
BattleTech, Mechwarrior, and 'Mech are trademarks of FASA corp, used
without permission.
New BattleTech Rules read me
These new rules (hereafter known as Omega rules) were written over
a period of four years by me (Hall Moore) with much help and play
testing provided by Patrick Melody, Steve Lindsey, and others. These
rules make radical changes to the BattleTech game and may not be for
you. First of all, some changes (espec. new missile rules) require
COMPLETE redesigning of all Battlemechs (FASA designs won't work). This
is a tremendous amount of work (believe me). (A compendium of Omega
Battlemechs is now available: send mail if interested.) Secondly, Omega
rules place emphasis on more realistic and / or faster and / or more
dramatic wargaming. In our campaign, advanced technology is ubiquitous:
50+% of our 'mechs have endo-steel, all but 2 designs (out of over 100)
have 2x heat sinks, C3 is universal, etc. We don't really worry about
limited spare parts or cost (just like the Pentagon). Our designs are
all optimized for maximum battlefield effectiveness: not economy, not
maintainability. We often run battles with >1000 tons of 'mechs to a
side. We prefer assault and heavy 'mechs, but some mediums and a few
lights are seen from time to time. Some may not like this style: don't
use our rules. Some may even accuse us of munchkinitis: don't bother
flaming us (we all have 3050 double strength asbestos longjohns). When
we want to roleplay, we play AD&D or Shadowrun. When we want to
wargame, we play Battletech at the company level. You don't have to
play this way. These rules as posted probably DO have some (many?)
holes / inconsistencies / unclear areas in them. Send mail with
comments, questions, and suggestions. Have fun!
Hall Moore (moore@gibbs.oit.unc.edu)
Patrick Melody (melod-pj@lancelot.csc.ncsu.edu)
If you are mailing from a non North American site, please include the
IP number of your site if possible: our name servers might not know your
domain name.
Note on grammar: Often the rules will refer to a 'mech: eg. "the
target 'mech". This term reflects our (almost) exclusive usage of
'mechs, rather than vehicles, VTOLs, etc. Usually, the reference
applies for any unit.
Note on updates: All (we hope) sections which have been changed
since the last release have been marked with '+++' rather than '*'.
New Autocannon Rules
*Machine guns and all autocannons with the exception of AC/20s can
fire multiple rounds in the same turn.
(This brings the smaller ACs up to a reasonable rate of fire. 1
round every 10 seconds is not TOO unreasonable for a large gun (AC/20),
but is ridiculous for a smaller caliber weapon (AC/2 and 5). Many
modern weapons in the 20-30 mm class have rates of fire >50 rounds /
sec, and even 120 mm MBT (main battle tank) guns can fire more than one
rounds in 10 sec. Some people have commented that FASA rules already
state that AC's fire multiple rounds per turn. I must have missed this,
but semantics are not the point. The point is that the vanilla AC/2
sucks completely, but the new one is great.)
*This extra fire uses extra ammo and generates extra heat (like
the old AC/5 Ultra).
+++Each AC round does damage according to the AC number (eg. each
AC/2 hit does 2 points of damage). Each machine gun hit does 1 point of
damage.
*Fractional heat quantities are always rounded up for each weapon
before being added to heat scale (2 MGs firing 4 rounds each generate 2
heat, not 1 (0.4 + 0.4 = 0.8 -> 1) or 0 (0.4 -> 0 + 0.4 -> 0 = 0)).
Inner Sphere Autocannons
Weapon Max Rounds/Turn Heat/Round Ammo/Ton
AC/20 1 5 5
AC/10 2 3 10
LB 10-X 2 2 10
AC/5 4 2 20
Ultra AC/5 4 / 4 1 20
AC/2 10 1 50
Machine gun 10 0.1 200
Clan Autocannons
Weapon Max Rounds/Turn Heat/Round Ammo/Ton
LB 20-X 1 4 5
LB 10-X 2 2 10
LB 5-X 4 1 20
LB 2-X 10 0.5 50
Ultra AC/20 1 / 1 4 5
Ultra AC/10 2 / 2 2 10
Ultra AC/5 4 / 4 1 20
Ultra AC/2 10 / 10 0.5 50
Machine gun 10 0.1 200
*A modifier based on the number of rounds fired is applied, and
the hit roll made.
Rounds Fired 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Modifier -1 -1 -2 -2 -2 -2 -3 -3 -3
+++If a hit is made, roll on the appropriate table to see how many
rounds actually hit. Machine guns use the AC/2 table
Autocannon: AC/2
Rounds Fired: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
3 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
4 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
5 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3
2d6 6 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4
7 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4
8 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5
9 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6
10 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6
11 2 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8
12 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Autocannon: AC/5 AC/10
Rounds Fired: 2 3 4 2
2 1 1 1 1
3 1 1 1 1
4 1 1 1 1
5 1 1 1 1
2d6 6 1 1 2 1
7 1 1 2 1
8 1 2 2 2
9 1 2 3 2
10 2 2 3 2
11 2 3 4 2
12 2 3 4 2
+++LB-X ACs may still fire conventional ammo or cluster ammo. If
standard ammo is used, use treat the LB-X as a standard autocannon,
using the above tables. Cluster ammo still gives -1 on the target
number. This is in addition to any bonuses for multiple rounds. If
cluster ammo is used, roll on the appropriate table below to determine
how many 1 point fragments hit.
Autocannon: LB 2-X
Rounds Fired: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
3 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
4 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4
5 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5
2d6 6 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 6
7 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7
8 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8
9 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9
10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11
11 1 3 4 5 7 8 9 11 12 13
12 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Autocannon: LB 5-X LB 10-X LB 20-X
Rounds Fired: 1 2 3 4 1 2 1
2 1 1 1 2 3 5 8
3 1 1 2 3 3 6 9
4 1 2 3 4 4 7 10
5 1 3 4 5 4 8 11
2d6 6 2 3 5 7 5 10 13
7 2 4 6 9 5 11 14
8 3 5 8 10 6 12 15
9 3 6 9 12 7 14 16
10 4 7 11 15 8 16 18
11 4 9 13 17 9 18 19
12 5 10 15 20 10 20 20
*Ultra ACs may fire at double normal rate of fire. If double fire
is selected, the AC gets two attacks in a single turn. Two hit rolls
are made: one for each attack. For each attack that hits, roll on the
appropriate AC table above (non LB -X) to determine how many rounds
strike. If the hit roll for the SECOND attack is a 2, the weapon jams
and is useless for the remainder of the battle.
*Each individual round or fragment which hits gets a separate hit
location roll (yes, it is a lot of rolling, but there's no other way to
preserve the shotgun effect).
(Note on AC tables: As you have probably noticed, the AC/2 and LB
2-X have a much lower (rounds hit) / (rounds fired) ratio than the 5,
10, and 20 cannons. The rationale behind this is that the rate of fire
bonus is a result of spraying fire over a large area. This means that a
hit is more likely, but it is unlikely that all rounds will hit. On the
other hand, the LB 20-X fires cluster ammunition in a very tight
pattern. This means that the to-hit bonus is small, but when a hit is
scored, more fragments hit. Intermediate ACs fall in between these two
extremes. If anyone is interested in a more mathematically precise
explanation for the exact numbers on the tables, send mail.)
*Clan LB-X autocannons now have the following tonnage/crit
requirements:
Autocannon Tons Crits
LB-2X 4 1
LB-5X 5 2
LB-10X 7 4
LB-20X 9 7
(With Omega rules autocannons, the double fire rate of Ultras make
them clearly superior to LB-Xs. The only advantage LB-Xs have is the
ability to use cluster ammo, which we did not feel was comparable to the
ability to fire twice. However, from a construction viewpoint, Ultras
weighed the same as same class LB-Xs, and cost one less critical space,
so LB-Xs became pointless unless you were really bent on using cluster
munitions. Not wishing to make a class of weapon non-viable, we
slightly reduced the ton/crit requirements for LB-Xs.)
New Missile Rules
*Missile racks may no longer be reloaded under battle conditions.
Each 'mechwarrior may fire only as many missiles during a battle as each
of his missile racks hold (an SRM 2 holds 2 missiles, etc.). (No real
fighting vehicle has self reloading missile racks on the scale described
by FASA. Those with reloads generally have only 1-4 in the ready to
fire position (e. g. Roland, TOW). Often, they require that their crews
get out to reload. Vehicles with really large scale missile racks (10+
missiles: (usually only rocket pods hold these numbers)) often have no
reloads of their own, but require separate vehicles to carry more. If
you look at the size of the missiles in BattleTech artwork, it's easy to
see that all the reloads suggested by FASA could not possibly fit in the
'mech. A prime example of this is the Mad Cat on the cover of the heavy
omnimech miniatures box. Our response to this was to say that an LRM 15
had 15 missiles in it, period. When they were gone, you're out of ammo.
To further increase realism, we made each individual missile more
powerful.)
+++Arrow IVs are now called Arrow Vs because it doesnUt break our
hash table.
*The number of missiles which may be fired from a given rack in a
single turn is extremely limited (see chart below). (There are two
reasons for this. First, we didn't want a 'mech to be able to fire all
of its missiles at once: that would kill anything (see damage values
below). Furthermore, when real life missiles are mounted as close
together as FASA missiles, they can't be launched together. If you try
it, the blast of exhaust from one missile destabilizes its neighbors and
accuracy is badly degraded, if not completely lost.)
*A separate to-hit roll is made for each missile fired on a given
turn. Each missile may have a separate target (penalties for secondary
targets apply).
+++SRMs do 15 points of damage and generate 5 heat per missile.
LRMs do 10 points of damage and generate 3 heat per missile. Arrow Vs
do 25 points of damage and generate 8 points of heat (6 heat for clan
versions). (After further play testing, the heat for SRMs was raised
from 3 to 5. The cooler version was a little too good.)
*Damage from missile hits is no longer broken up into groups. All
damage from a given missile is applied to a single location (can you say
'OUCH', boys and girls...). This INCLUDES Arrow V missiles.
*Streak technology may be used with any SRM rack. The streak unit
is built in to the SRM rack and takes up no critical locations.
*Narc technology no longer exists (magnetic missiles??? let's be
serious).
*Swarm technology no longer exists (no more swarms of missiles).
*An AMS unit may engage one missile per turn. If multiple
missiles are fired at a 'mech in a single turn, the pilot of the target
'mech may choose which missile to engage. This decision to engage may
be made AFTER the attacker rolls 'to hit', but must be made BEFORE any
hit locations are rolled. (AMS will not fire at a missile that would
have missed anyway, but you can't decide to engage after you find out
which missile is going to hit a really disagreeable location.) AMS has
a base target number of 4, modified by the defender's movement and heat.
A successful roll results in the destruction of the missile in question,
with no damage to the defender from that missile. Any attempt to engage
a missile uses 2d6 units of ammunition. If this exceeds the available
ammunition, the results of the to-hit roll still stand. Arrow V
missiles MAY be engaged with AMS.
+++AMS units have firing arcs just like any other weapons. An AMS
unit may only engage missiles which are fired by a unit within its
firing arc.
*On all missile racks, one half of all critical spaces (rounded
up) must be designated as ammunition. (Note that the SRM 2 uses its
only critical location for ammo). A hit on any of these locations
explodes all remaining missiles in the rack.
Missile Guidance
*All missiles are now guided. There are six types of missiles:
Streak (STR), infrared (IR), semi-active radar homing (SARaH), active
radar (AR), anti-radiation missiles (ARMs), and laser guided missiles
(LGMs). In addition, there are countermeasures against these missiles.
A given missile must use one and only one of the above guidance methods.
Various guidance types may be mixed on a single missile rack. (FASA
'missiles' are actually more like rockets. Real missiles have guidance
mechanism(s).)
Streak
*Streak missiles are wire guided, optically tracked missiles.
Inside each missile is a spool of wire. When the missile is fired, it
unreels wire behind it. The operator of the missile guides the missile
by simply keeping his sighting cross hairs on the target for the
duration of the missile's flight. A computer tracks the missile and
transmits course corrections to it via the wire. In game terms, Streak
missiles function much like their original counterparts. If the hit
roll is failed, the missile does not fire. If the hit roll succeeds,
the missile fires and hits. Only SRMs and CRMs (see infantry rules for
CRMs) may use Streak guidance.
+++Streak racks may have other types of missiles (or rocket pods)
loaded in them. (We always allowed for this, but I don't think that it
was stated anywhere.)
Infrared
+++IR missiles home in on the heat given off by a Battlemech.
They use normal missile hit numbers (4 / 6 / 8 at S / M / L range, with
modifiers to LRMs and Arrows fired within minimum range). In addition,
the attacker receives a bonus based on the quantity of heat generated
by and inflicted on (infernos, flamers) the target during the PREVIOUS
turn. To find this number, add up all the heat points generated by the
target due to movement (walk, run, or jump), weapon fire, inferno and
flamer attacks the target sustained, etc. The following modifiers
apply: 0 at 0 heat, -1 at 1-10, -2 at 11-20, -3 at 21-30, -4 at 31-40,
-5 at 41-50, etc. (Actually, considering current state-of-the-art, and
considering the amount of heat generated by a Battlemech, it is hard to
believe that an IR missile could possibly miss.) IR missle attacking a
target in an infernoed hex have a +2 modifier to their target number.
IR missle attacking a target in a burning woods hex have a +1 modifier
to their target number.
Semi-Active Radar Homing
*SARaH missiles home in on radar waves reflecting off of their
target. They require a friendly unit to illuminate the target with the
Artemis IV system. The target must be illuminated from the same
direction (plus or minus one hex side) as the inbound missiles. The
illuminating unit must have LOS to the target, but the firing unit need
not. If the firing unit has LOS and Artemis, it may provide its own
illumination. If the firing unit does not have LOS, a friendly unit may
provide illumination. The use of a friendly unit for illumination
incurs no penalty, and there is no penalty if the firing unit cannot
establish LOS. SARaH missiles get a modifier to the final hit number
based on the target's tonnage: -2 for light 'mechs, -2 for medium
'mechs, -3 for heavy 'mechs, and -3 for assault 'mechs. It is no longer
necessary for each launcher to have its own personal Artemis. Artemis
usage must be declared during the reaction phase. There is no upper
limit to the useful range of Artemis (in reality, EM radiation strength
decreases according to the square of the distance, but it's a real pain
to do lots of bonus-decrease-due-to-range calculations).
Active Radar
*AR missiles work in much the same way as SARaH missiles, except
for the fact that they provide their own target illumination. For this
reason, no LOS to the target is needed (not even from another friendly
unit) and there is no penalty if a LOS cannot be established. However,
due to the fact that the radar illumination provided by the small radar
unit in the missile is much weaker than that of the Artemis unit, AR
missiles receive only the following bonus, based on target tonnage: -1
for light 'mechs, -1 for medium 'mechs, -2 for heavy 'mechs, and -2 for
assault 'mechs.
Anti-Radiation Missiles
*ARMs are very similar to SARaH missiles in that they home in on
radar waves provided by something else. An Artemis unit which is
providing illumination for SARaH missiles is like a bright searchlight
shining across the battlefield. ARMs home in on active Artemis units.
An ARM may only be fired at a target with Artemis, and only during an
attack phase in which the target is providing illumination for SARaH.
ARMs get a -3 bonus on their hit numbers, and ECM and chaff are
ineffective. ARMs must be launched from within the firing arc of the
target Artemis unit.
Laser Guided Missiles
*LGMs make use of a friendly unit for guidance. The friendly unit
shines a weak laser on the target with TAG, and the missile homes in on
the dot. The TAGging unit must make a successful hit roll based on TAG
ranges, movement (attacker and defender), etc. If the TAG is
unsuccessful, ALL missiles relying on that TAG will miss. If the TAG
hits, each LGM using that TAG will hit on a roll of 4 or better on 2d6.
Laser guided LRMs and Arrows fired from within minimum range suffer
standard minimum range penalties on this roll. It is possible for two
units to TAG the same target, but the firing unit must specify which TAG
each missile will attempt to use. If that TAG fails, those missiles
will miss, regardless of the results of the other TAG attempt(s). Note
that the movement and condition of the firing unit do not affect the
probability of a hit: only the TAGging units are important. C3 units do
not provide TAG capability. The TAGging unit must make its TAG attempt
from the same general side as the missile firing unit: the inbound
missiles must have a reasonable chance of "seeing" the laser spot.
+++LGM hits are determined as follows. When a TAG is successfully
made (the hit roll is successful), determine a hit location for the TAG
(make a note of this location, no damage is done by the TAG itself).
Roll 2d6 for each inbound missile as noted above. A 2-3 misses, 4-7
hits at a random location, and 8+ hits at the same location hit by the
TAG.
Countermeasures
*Expendables: Expendables are countermeasures which provide
temporary protection and are 'used up' or expended. This class includes
flares, chaff, and smoke screens
*Flares are used to decoy IR missiles. Three flares weigh 0.25
tons. A 'mech equipped with flares (no matter how many) must designate
one critical space for flares (see chaff below). If this location is
hit, no more flares may be fired. When an IR missile is fired at a
player he may elect to use flares, but does not have to. Use of flares
proceeds as follows. First, all IR missile hit rolls are made. If any
missiles hit, flares are fired. The defender rolls 2d6 for each
successful missile. The target number is 7, and this number is never
modified. A success indicates that the missile has been diverted by the
flares and will miss. After all rolls have been made, 2d6 are rolled to
find out how many flares were used. If this number is greater than the
number of remaining flares, the results still stand. Note that a single
burst of flares (2d6) can divert any number of inbound missiles. If
flares are mounted in the legs, the may not be used when the 'mech is in
depth 1 water.
*Chaff is used to decoy SARaH and AR missiles. Three chaff
cartridges weigh 0.25 tons. A 'mech equipped with chaff must have one
critical location for chaff, as with flares. However, is the player so
chooses, both flares and chaff may be placed in the same critical
location. A hit on this spot would destroy both the flares and the
chaff. Chaff usage is resolved in the same way as flare usage. If
chaff are mounted in the legs, the may not be used when the 'mech is in
depth 1 water.
+++Smoke screens are generated by spraying oil on a 'mech's heat
sinks. A player declares that he is using his smoke screen during the
reaction phase. For the following attack phase (weapon and physical),
the hex occupied by that 'mech is obscured by smoke. All attacks into
or out of the smoked hex are at +2, and the smoke blocks LOS (as any
other smoke). Furthermore, all attempts to use laser or optical
designation (TAG or Streak) in to or out of a hex which is filled with
smoke for any reason are at +4. One critical space must be devoted to
smoke screen equipment, and each use requires 0.25 tons of oil. Smoke
screens are not effective on turns when the smoking mech has moved 10 or
more hexes or has jumped. Smoke screens may not be used if all of a
'mech's heat sinks have been destroyed.
*Non-Expendables: These are countermeasures which can be used
indefinitely without being used up. This class includes IRCM and ECM
*Infrared countermeasures (IRCM) attempt to confuse IR missiles
with a rapidly pulsating heat source. It requires 1 ton and 1 critical
space on the 'mech. When in use, all attempts to hit with IR missiles
are at +1. If the critical location is hit, the IRCM unit becomes non-
functional.
+++ECM attempts to jam the guidance radar used by missiles. An
ECM unit has a rating of I, II, or III. An ECM unit may be set in the
reaction phase to operate in any mode equal to or less than its rating,
or it may be turned off entirely. ECM I requires 1 ton and 1 critical
space on a 'mech. ECM II requires 2 tons and 3 crits on a 'mech. ECM
III requires 7 tons and 10 crits on a 'mech (Inner Sphere tons / crits.
See below for Clan numbers).
*Mode I gives a +1 penalty to SARaH and AR missiles aimed at the
'mech. Mode I generates 1 heat point.
*Mode II adds +1 to the target number for any radar guided missile
aimed at any target within 3 hexes of the ECM II unit. In addition, C3
units and Beagle probes within 2 hexes are jammed, as are C3 links
passing within 2 hexes. Mode II generates 2 heat points.
*Mode III gives +1 to all radar guided missiles aimed at any
target within 7 hexes of the unit, it jams C3 and Beagle units within 4
hexes, (as well as disrupting C3 links passing within 4 hexes), and it
gives +2 to all radar guided missiles aimed at targets within 2 hexes of
the unit. Mode III generates 4 heat points.
*ECM modifiers are cumulative, so a 'mech with ECM mode I standing
2 hexes from a 'mech with ECM mode III would add +3 to AR and SARaH
target numbers.
+++NOTE: A hidden unit may not use ECM to jam C3 or missiles. If
it does this, it will be exposed. It may, however jam Beagle Probes
without being discovered (that's the point of jamming the probe). A
unit with a Beagle Probe which is being jammed will know that it is
being jammed.
Firing on Hexes and Infantry
*The above six types of guidance mechanisms are not well suited to
targeting hexes and infantry units. They are not (usually) strong IR or
RADAR emitters (see Artemis exception below). They are not good RADAR
reflectors, and any such reflections are filtered out by ground-clutter
eliminating software. There is no practical way to TAG a them either.
Standard missiles receive a +2 modifier when fired at hexes or infantry
(this is in addition to the +1 for firing at infantry).
Rocket Pods
*A 'mech pilot may elect to load any or all of the tubes on his
LRM or SRM (Streak or non-Streak) missile racks with rocket pods. Each
pod carries a large number of unguided rockets which are fired together
and saturate the target HEX with submunitions. They have the same
ranges as the missiles which go in their rack (SRM racks hold SRM
rockets, LRM racks hold LRM rockets, Arrow V rockets do not exist).
Rockets may only be fired at hexes, using standard modifiers for such
shots. Rocket pods may carry explosive, inferno, FAScaM, or
countermeasures warheads. Regular missiles do not carry inferno,
FAScaM, or countermeasures payloads. AMS may not engage rocket salvos.
If the attack roll for a rocket salvo fails, use standard scatter rules
to determine the hex hit. No rocket may scatter beyond its maximum
range.
Explosive Rockets
*A salvo of explosive rockets saturates the hex hit with small
bombs. Any armored unit in the hex hit will take 4 one point hits from
LRM rockets, and 6 one point hits from SRM rockets These hits are
assigned to randomly determined locations. Infantry platoons in a hex
hit with explosive rockets are wiped out completely.
Countermeasures Rockets
*Instead of the normal explosive warhead, rocket pods can be
fitted with countermeasures warheads. These include payloads of chaff,
flares, and smoke. In the REACTION phase, a player with countermeasures
warheads may declare fire at any hex within range and LOS. These
attempts are resolved before the weapon and physical attack phases. The
player fires the rockets at the hex, and the actual hex hit is
determined. The payload of countermeasures is activated in the hex the
rockets hit. During the weapon and physical attack phases, attacks
through such a hex are penalized as follows. IR missiles receive
penalties of +2 for each rocket salvo which deployed flares in a hex
through which it must fly. SARaH and AR missiles are penalized +2 per
rocket salvo which deployed chaff in a hex through which they must fly.
In both cases, an LRM or an SRM rocket salvo will deploy countermeasures
in one hex. One rocket pod will smoke one hex. All weapon attacks are
then resolved using standard smoke rules: attacks into or out of a
smoke hex are at +2 (+4 for TAG and Streak), and smoke blocks LOS.
Countermeasures remain effective for 1 turn (weapon and physical
attacks). Under no circumstances can a countermeasures salvo do damage
to any unit.
FAScaM (Thunder) warheads
*Rocket pods can also be fitted with FAScaM warheads. One rocket
pod will mine one hex. If a unit is in a hex which is hit by a FAScaM
munition, it takes no damage, but must roll to avoid hitting a mine when
leaving the hex.
Inferno Rockets
+++Rockets may be fitted with inferno warheads. The hex hit is
engulfed in flames for two entire turns, beginning with the current
weapon phase. Armored units ('mechs, armored vehicles, etc.) receive 10
extra heat points for each movement phase in which they begin movement
in an Infernoed hex. They receive 10 heat points for each flamed hex
through which they move on a given movement phase. There is no heat
added for ending movement in a flaming hex. Multiple inferno hits do
not increase this heat, but they do extend the duration of the fire (2
turns per pod). Vehicles need not roll to avoid explosion when attacked
with infernos. Any unarmored unit in an Infernoed hex is immediately
destroyed. Note that hexes which have been infernoed are hotter than
burning woods. A unit which begins movement in or moves through a hex
of burning woods gets 5 extra heat points. As with infernos, there is
no penalty for ending movement in burning woods.
+++New Arrow Rules
(Rules for Arrow Vs have been rewritten to such an extent that
they deserve their own section, separate from other missiles.)
*Each Arrow V launcher carries 5 cruise missiles. One missile may
be fired per turn. Inner Sphere Arrows generate 8 heat, Clan versions
generate 6 heat.
*All Arrows have an inertial navigation system. In addition, they
have one of the following guidance mechanisms as secondary guidance: AR,
IR, or laser.
*Arrow ranges are as follows ((min) S / M / L). Inner Sphere:
(12) 1-17 / 18-34 / 35-85. Clan: (6) 1-17 / 18-34 / 35-102. Arrow
missiles may only fly 17 hexes in a single turn. All Arrow launches and
movement takes place in the weapon phase.
*Arrows are never affected by terrain, with the exception of
partial cover.
*Arrows are no longer treated as artillery. Arrows may be fired
by two different methods: direct and indirect.
Direct Fire Arrows.
*If the firing unit is within 17 hexes of the intended target,
direct fire may be used. Direct fire uses only the secondary guidance
mechanism (AR, IR, or laser). Such fire is resolved using the above
missile rules for the secondary guidance mechanism employed.
Indirect Fire Arrows.
*Indirect fire may be used at any range, with or without line of
sight, with or without a specific target. Indirect fire is resolved in
three distinct phases.
*Launch: At the time of launch, A specific target MAY be
chosen, but this is not necessary.
For IR and AR Arrows, a base target number is determined at
launch. If a specific target is chosen, this number is based on
range (4 @ short, 6 @ medium, etc.). If no target is chosen at
launch, then 8 is the base target number. If a specific target is
chosen, the attacking pilot may later decide to attack a different
target. In this case, the base target number is 8.
LG Arrows do not have a base target number, nor are they
fired at a specific target. If the total length of the desired
flight path is 17 hexes or less, the attack may be resolved in the
same round as the launch (proceed directly to Attack). If the
total distance is more than 17 hexes, proceed to Flight.
*Flight: An Arrow in flight mode must move at least 9 hexes
and no more than 17 hexes each weapon phase. It may change facing
by a total of three hexsides during each weapon phase. It may
only change facing by one hexside in a given hex. The pilot of
the launching unit may fly the Arrow along any course which meets
the above criteria.
*Attack: If the Arrow begins the weapon phase within 17
hexes of an enemy unit, it may attack that unit. The pilot of the
launching unit may decide whether or not to attack. The launching
pilot may choose a pre-attack flight path which will allow attack
from an advantageous angle (eg. he may fly the missile past the
target, turn it around, and attack from the rear). The attack is
resolved as follows:
*AR / IR: The base target number written down at launch is
modified by guidance mechanism (heat generated last turn /
IRCM for IR and 'mech size / ECM for AR), smoke (+2 if the
target is in a smoked hex. Smoke in hexes other than that
of the target unit does not affect the Arrow.), target
movement in the most recent movement phase, and / or partial
cover. The target number is NOT modified for the attacking
pilotUs gunnery skill. A +1 penalty for indirect fire is
added to the final number. Once this number is obtained,
the attack roll and hit roll are made as usual.
*LG: If a friendly unit attempts to TAG for the Arrow in
question, the Arrow will attempt to attack. The attack is
resolved using the above rules for LGMs.
Alternate Arrow V Payloads
*Arrow Vs may be fitted with the following alternate warheads:
explosive submunitions, countermeasures, FAScaM, and Inferno. These
missiles do not use any of the standard guidance mechanisms (IR, AR,
LGM, ARM). Instead, they rely on terrain following radar. In game
terms, this means that at launch, no target is chosen. Rather, a flight
path is designated. Any five hexes on the flight path are designated
target hexes. The missile is launched and flown along the chosen flight
path as described by the above Arrow V rules. (Note that the flight
path must obey the listed turning restrictions.) When the missile
overflies a target hex, it deploys its payload in that hex. Explosive
submunitions inflict the same damage as explosive rocket pods. FAScaM
Arrows mine the target hexes. Any unit in the hex when it is mined must
roll to safely leave the hex. Inferno Arrows spread napalm in the
target hexes. Heat and damage is the same as inferno rockets.
Countermeasures Arrows are fired and moved in the reaction phase (like
countermeasures rockets). Countermeasures are dispensed in each target
hex when the missile overflies it. Treat these hexes as a hex hit by
rocket countermeasures. All three types of countermeasures are
available for Arrows.
New Inner Sphere Missile Stats
Rack Weight Critical Heat per Maximum shots Cost per
Type Spaces Missile per Turn Missile
SRM 2 1.5 1 5 1
SRM 4 3 2 5 1 8,000
SRM 6 4.5 3 5 1
Streak Unit 0.5 0 na na Streak unit costs
20,000
LRM 5 2.5 2 3 1
LRM 10 5 3 3 2 8,000
LRM 15 7.5 4 3 3
LRM 20 10 5 3 4
Arrow V 15 12 8 1 50,000
TAG 0.5 1 na na na
New Clan Missile Stats
Rack Weight Critical Heat per Maximum shots Cost per
Type Spaces Missile per Turn Missile
SRM 2 1 1 5 1
SRM 4 2 1 5 1 na
SRM 6 3 2 5 1
Streak Unit 0 0 na na na
LRM 5 2 1 3 1
LRM 10 4 2 3 2 na
LRM 15 6 3 3 3
LRM 20 8 4 3 4
Arrow V 12 9 6 1 na
TAG 0.5 1 na na na
Clan Countermeasures
*4 flares or 4 chaff weigh 0.25 tons. 3 smoke screens weigh .5
tons.
*ECM I and IRCM are the same as Inner Sphere.
*ECM II takes 2 tons and 2 crits. Clan ECM Mode II gives +1 to
radar missiles within 4 hexes and jams C3, etc. within 3 hexes. It
generates 2 heat.
*ECM III takes 6 tons and 8 crits. Clan ECM Mode III gives +1 to
radar missiles within 9 hexes, jams C3, etc. within 6, and adds +2 to
radar missiles within 3 hexes. It generates 4 heat.
END PART 1
--
* For purposes of complying with the New Jersey Right to Know Act,
contents of this post partially unknown.
Article 1779 (6 more) in rec.games.mecha:
From: moore@gibbs.oit.unc.edu (Hall Moore)
Subject: Btech: Omega Rules 1.2.2 part 2/2
Nntp-Posting-Host: gibbs.oit.unc.edu
Organization: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Distribution: rec.games.mecha
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1993 20:50:39 GMT
BattleTech Omega Rules
Rev. 1.2.2
Part 2 of 2
The following changes apply. (Note: These are changes. All rules
which are not contradicted remain in effect.) All new rules are
Copyright 1992 by Hall L. Moore III. Permission granted to copy,
use, and distribute; as long as no profit is made and this copyright
notice remains intact. All other rights reserved. BattleMech,
BattleTech, Mechwarrior, and 'Mech are trademarks of FASA corp, used
without permission.
New BattleTech Rules read me
These new rules (hereafter known as Omega rules) were written over
a period of four years by me (Hall Moore) with much help and play
testing provided by Patrick Melody, Steve Lindsey, and others. These
rules make radical changes to the BattleTech game and may not be for
you. First of all, some changes (espec. new missile rules) require
COMPLETE redesigning of all Battlemechs (FASA designs won't work). This
is a tremendous amount of work (believe me). (A compendium of Omega
Battlemechs is now available: send mail if interested.) Secondly, Omega
rules place emphasis on more realistic and / or faster and / or more
dramatic wargaming. In our campaign, advanced technology is ubiquitous:
50+% of our 'mechs have endo-steel, all but 2 designs (out of over 100)
have 2x heat sinks, C3 is universal, etc. We don't really worry about
limited spare parts or cost (just like the Pentagon). Our designs are
all optimized for maximum battlefield effectiveness: not economy, not
maintainability. We often run battles with >1000 tons of 'mechs to a
side. We prefer assault and heavy 'mechs, but some mediums and a few
lights are seen from time to time. Some may not like this style: don't
use our rules. Some may even accuse us of munchkinitis: don't bother
flaming us (we all have 3050 double strength asbestos longjohns). When
we want to roleplay, we play AD&D or Shadowrun. When we want to
wargame, we play Battletech at the company level. You don't have to
play this way. These rules as posted probably DO have some (many?)
holes / inconsistencies / unclear areas in them. Send mail with
comments, questions, and suggestions. Have fun!
Hall Moore (moore@gibbs.oit.unc.edu)
Patrick Melody (melod-pj@lancelot.csc.ncsu.edu)
If you are mailing from a non North American site, please include the IP
number of your site if possible, our name servers might not know your
domain name.
Note on grammar: Often the rules will refer to a 'mech: eg. "the
target 'mech". This term reflects our (almost) exclusive usage of
'mechs, rather than vehicles, VTOLs, etc. Usually, the reference
applies for any unit.
Note on updates: All (we hope) sections which have been changed
since the last release have been marked with '+++' rather than '*'.
New Infantry Rules
*There are essentially three kinds of infantry. The Inner Sphere
fields foot and jump infantry, and the Clans field Battlearmor (note:
Inner Sphere battlearmor is disallowed). Motorized infantry is obtained
by mounting foot or jump platoons in vehicles, or by mounting
battlearmor points on omnimechs.
*A foot or jump platoon (infantry platoon) consists of groups of 4
soldier squads. A foot platoon has 6 squads (24 troops total) and a jump
platoon has 5 squads (20 troops total). There are various types of
squads, each acting as a distinct component of the platoon, and squad
types may be mixed and matched to form platoons in any manner. A foot
platoon has 1 walking MP and a jump platoon has 3 jumping MPs (or 1
walking MP). Motorized infantry movement is governed by their vehicles.
*A battlearmor point consists of 5 elementals wearing battlearmor.
A point has 3 jumping or 2 walking MPs. Battlearmor units are
considered armored units.
*Infantry receive no gunnery skill modifiers.
*Infantry platoons may 'stack' in the same hex with one other unit
of any type (2 platoons, 1 platoon and one 'mech, etc.).
*Attacks against infantry have a +1 modifier to the target
numbers. This includes battlearmor.
*Infantry units do not face any particular hex side. They may
move in any direction and may change direction at any time. Infantry do
not spend extra MPs due to terrain. Infantry can never enter water.
Infantry Platoon Squads
*There are 8 kinds of squads: rifle, laser, flamer, minesweeper,
anti-'mech, CRM (Close Range Missile), TAG, and Artemis. Each squad in
a platoon attacks as a unit. Each squad makes a single hit roll,
independent of the rest of the platoon. Each squad must fire at a
single enemy unit, but a platoon may fire at as many different targets
as it has squads.
*Individual squads may not be targeted. Rather, the platoon as a
whole must be targeted. How damage is applied varies from weapon to
weapon. In general, one point of damage kills one soldier. However,
this is not always the case. For "tight pattern" weapons (Lasers, PPCs,
and Gauss Rifles), one hit kills one randomly chosen soldier. (A single
Gauss rifle slug can only hit one soldier, even though it does 15 points
of damage. These are obviously not good weapons for anti-infantry
operations.) For explosive ordinance (AC shells, missile warheads), one
hit may affect one (random) squad. In the case of a hit by an AC/20,
AC/10, AC/5, SRM, or LRM; the squad would be wiped out. An AC/2 hit
would kill 2 members of a squad. In the case of an LB-X hit, each 1
point shard that hit would kill one random soldier. Rockets are the
most effective anti-infantry weapons. For details on their operation,
see the missile section.
+++Anti-personnel pods no longer do 0-5 points of damage. Instead
roll on the
LB 20-X cluster ammunition table to determine damage. Randomly
determine which soldiers are killed for each platoon in that hex. (0-5
damage was way too wimpy for a large explostion (0.5 tons of material,
though that probably isn't all explosive) at that close range against
unarmored targets. Also you only get to use them once.)
Rifle Squads
*A rifle squad is composed of four soldiers, each armed with
automatic rifles. These rifles have an attack range of 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6
(the old rifle squad shot out to 2 hexes = 60 m = cheap handgun ranges,
not assault rifle ranges). These weapons are ineffective against any
armored unit. Each rifle squad does 1d6 damage against other infantry
units. For each soldier killed in the squad, subtract 1 from the die
roll, with a minimum of 1. (A squad in which two soldiers have been
killed fires and hits. If the damage roll is 1, 2, or 3; then 1 enemy
soldier is killed. On a 4, 2 are killed; on a 5, 3 are killed, and on a
6, 4 are killed.) To determine which soldiers are hit, randomly select
from the entire target platoon.
Small Laser Squads
+++The four soldiers in a laser squad carry the one medium laser,
along with its power supply and targeting equipment. It is the same as
a standard BattleTech medium laser, with attack ranges of 1-3 / 4-6 / 7-
9 and a damage of 5. These soldiers also carry side arms with ranges of
0 / 1 / 2. These weapons are only useable against unarmored units.
They do 1-3 points of damage to enemy infantry. A laser squad may not
fire its laser and side arms in the same turn. A laser squad with 1 or
2 soldiers killed or missing may still operate, but cannot move without
abandoning their weapon. A laser squad with 3 or 4 soldiers killed may
not fire or move. See inter-squad transfer below.
Flamer Squads
*The members of a flamer squad each carry light flamers. They
have an attack range of 1 / 2 / 3. Together, they add 6 heat to armored
units, and do 8 damage to infantry (8 soldiers killed). For each member
of the squad missing or killed, subtract 1.5 heat points (round up) and
2 damage. Flamers may be used to set woods on fire (successful attack
on the woods hex required). Multiple flamer hits on armored units cause
the unit to suffer 6 extra heat points for the number of turns equal to
the number of flamers that hit.
Minesweeper Squads
*Minesweeper squads have the equipment and training to clear a hex
of mines. Four squad-turns are required to clear a hex of mines. A
platoon with one such squad must spend four turns in a hex to clear it.
A platoon with two mine squads clears a hex in two turns, etc.
Minesweeper squads carry side arms as a laser squad. Minesweepers may
not attack on a turn in which they are clearing mines. A squad with 1
soldier missing requires 5 turns to clear a hex. 2 soldiers missing
requires 8 turns to clear a hex. 3 soldiers missing requires 16 turns.
CRM Squads
+++A CRM (close range missle) squad carries a single CRM-4
launcher assembly. CRMs are missiles (following Omega missile rules)
which have a range of 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6. They do 8 damage per missile.
Streak versions are available. SARaH and LGM versions must have another
friendly unit to provide Artemis or TAG support. CRM squads can only
fire one missile per turn. Once all missiles have been launched, the
squad cannot reload without withdrawing from the battle or entering
shelter. If the squad wishes to reload on the battlefield, the platoon
must enter a friendly or neutral building where CRMs have previously
been stored. Reloading requires one turn. The squad cannot carry more
than 4 missiles. CRM squads may also reload if they spend one turn in a
friendly vehicle which is carrying extra CRMs. CRMs may not carry
FAScaM or countermeasures. CRMs may not be targeted at infantry, but
CRM squads carry side arms, like laser squads. They may not use their
side arms in a turn in which they fire or reload their CRM launcher. A
CRM squad with 1 or 2 soldiers killed or missing may still operate, but
cannot move without abandoning their launcher. A CRM squad with 3 or 4
soldiers killed may not fire or move. See inter-squad transfer below.
TAG Squads
*A TAG squad carries TAG laser designation equipment. TAG ranges
are normal (1-5 / 6-10 / 11-15). TAG squads carry side arms, like laser
squads. They may not fire their side arms in a turn in which they use
their TAG. A TAG squad with 1 or 2 soldiers killed or missing may still
operate, but cannot move without abandoning their equipment. A TAG
squad with 3 or 4 soldiers killed may not TAG or move (without losing
their equipment). See inter-squad transfer below.
Artemis IV Squads
*An Artemis squad carries a radar unit which can provide
illumination for SARaH missiles. Like laser squads, they carry side
arms which may not be used in conjunction with the Artemis unit. Squads
with active Artemis units MAY be fired on with ARMs. The ARM(s)
receives the standard -3 bonus for Artemis activity and is not subject
to the +1 and +2 infantry attack penalties. An Artemis squad with 1 or
2 soldiers killed or missing may still operate, but cannot move without
abandoning their equipment. An Artemis squad with 3 or 4 soldiers
killed may not operate or move. See inter-squad transfer below.
Anti-'mech Squads
*Some infantry platoons are specially trained to attack
BattleMechs. They are armed and and can attack like any one other type
of squad (their primary function). However, if they are in the same hex
as a BattleMech during an attack phase, they may elect to make an anti-
'mech attack. The target number for such an attack is 5, modified by
the defender's movement, terrain, etc. The target number is further
increased by two for each member of the squad killed or missing. If the
attack roll is successful, one leg of the defending 'mech receives one
critical hit. The hit location is randomly determined (1-6), but the
attacker may pick the leg (R / L). The squad may not fire their weapons
during a turn in which they perform an anti-'mech attack.
Attacks in the Same Hex
*Infantry versus Infantry: Rifle and flamer units have a base TN
of 2 when attacking infantry units in the same hex. All other units
have a base TN of 4 when using their sidearms to attack infantry in the
same hex.
*Infantry versus 'Mechs: Rifle squads and Minesweeper squads may
not attack BattleMechs. Anti-'mech squad attacks are discussed above.
CRM units have a base TN of 6 to attack at 0 hexes. Flamer, TAG, and
Laser squads have a base TN of 2 at 0 hexes. TAG and Artemis squads at
0 hexes may provide designation from any side they choose. These rules
also apply to vehicles.
*'Mech versus Infantry: BattleMechs (and vehicles) have a base TN
of 8 to attack infantry in their own hex.
Inter-Squad Transfer
+++Many infantry squads cannot move all of their equipment if they
lose some of their soldiers. If troops in one squad are killed, troops
may be transferred into the damaged squad from any other squad.
Soldiers must transfer from a unit in the same hex, but it may be a
different platoon. Due to comprehensive training, the soldiers which
are transferred need not be from the same type of squad. For example,
if 2 soldiers are killed in a CRM squad, 2 soldiers may be transferred
from a rifle squad. An exception to this rule is anti-'mech squads.
While most training is duplicated from soldier to soldier, anti-'mech
training is not. Transferred troops enable an anti-'mech squad to
recover its primary function, but the squad keeps the penalties on anti-
'mech attacks. For example, an anti-'mech CRM squad loses 2 soldiers.
Two new troops are transferred in from a non-anti-'mech squad. The
squad can now move with its CRM launcher and fire it normally, but the
base TN for anti-'mech attacks is still 9. If the replacement troops
come from another anti-'mech squad, the anti-'mech penalty is removed.
Clan Battlearmor
+++Each elemental in a battlearmor point has 11 points of armor in
a single location. Armament for each elemental consists of:
One missile pack (choose 1):
1) CRM-2 pack. Like the CRM missile above, but with range
1-3 / 4-6 / 7-9. An elemental may launch only one
missile per turn. Streak versions are available
2) TAG unit (as squad above) and 1 CRM missile
3) Artemis unit (as squad above) and 1 CRM missile
One anti-armor weapon (choose 1):
1) an ER small laser
2) a flamer (6 heat to armored units, 8 damage to infantry)
One anti-personnel weapon: (range 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 ; 1-3 points
damage)
*All elementals within a point need not be identical.
*Elementals follow targeting and stacking rules given for
infantry, where applicable.
*Each elemental fires independently of the rest of the point. It
may choose up to two targets (primary and secondary), receiving +1 to
hit the secondary (just like a 'mech). The anti-personnel weapon can
only be fired against unarmored targets.
*When a battlearmor point is attacked, the elemental hit is
randomly determined and damage assessed against his suit. When all 11
points of armor are gone the suit is breached and out of action. Excess
damage is "wasted", not transferred anywhere. Damage from a mine
affects a randomly chosen elemental and does 6 points of damage to him /
her.
*It takes 4 elemental turns to clear a mined hex. This may be in
the form of 1 elemental working 4 turns, 2 working 2 turns each, etc.
During mine clearing turns, no attacks may be made.
New Vehicle Rules
These rules refer to tracked, wheeled, and hovercraft vehicles for now,
not VTOLs or naval vessels.
Vehicle Construction
*Vehicles now have sections with critical slots, just like 'mechs.
These slots are filled with engine/weapons/etc, just as with a 'mech.
section # of crit spaces
front 12
rear 12
left side 12
right side 12
turret / top 12
(vehicles that have no turret simply refer to this location as the
top)
*Internal structure costs 10% of vehicle tonnage, with point
allocations as follows: left and right sides each get tonnage*0.2
points; front and rear sections and turret/top each get tonnage*0.3
points. Round to the nearest point.
*Use vanilla rules to determine vehicle type, engine rating, lift
factor and max tonnage. Hovercraft no longer have a minimum engine
tonnage requirement.
*Fusion engines require six critical locations: three in the front
section & three in the rear section.
*XL fusion engines require an extra three critical locations in
each side for the IS, or two critical locations in each side for the
Clans.
*ICE engines require three critical locations: three in the front
section & three in the rear section. ICE weighs twice as much as the
same rating fusion engine. ICE requires one critical location for fuel,
which may be located in any section that has engine crits. (Same holds
for XL ICE.) This fuel weighs 5% of vehicle tonnage. A critical hit to
this location ignites the fuel, destroying the vehicle. Three critical
hits on an ICE will shutdown the vehicle, but will not cause it to
vaporize. ICE engines have the same number of heat sinks as an
identically rated fusion engine.
*XL ICE engines require an extra three critical locations in each
side for the IS, or two critical locations in each side for the Clans.
*Vehicles may only be equipped with energy weapons if they are
fusion powered.
*Lift equipment (needed and required only for hovercraft) weighs
10% of vehicle tonnage. It requires two critical locations each in the
front, left side, right side, and rear sections. Two lift equip.
critical hits will halve vehicle move rate. Four lift equip. critical
hits will immobilize the vehicle. (Count a destroyed section as two lift
equipment critical hits if vehicle has lift equip.)
*Drive train equipment (all vehicles) require three critical
locations each in the left and right sides. Two drive train critical
hits will halve move rate. Four drive train critical hits will
immobilize the vehicle. (Count a destroyed side section as three drive
train critical hits .)
*A vehicle may have a turret on its top. This costs 5% of vehicle
weight.
*One location must be allocated for the pilot/crew/cockpit, the
actual location being up to the designer. Cockpit/controls weigh 5% of
vehicle tonnage. For the vehicle to operate in hostile environments
there must be two crit locations allocated for life support in the same
section as the pilot/crew. This life support weighs one ton. A
critical hit on life support results in death of crew if vehicle is
operating in a hostile environment (this includes underwater). A
critical hit on the cockpit results in death of crew.
*Armor is allocated among hit locations as with 'mechs.
*No vehicle may be equiped with jump jets, MASC, 3x myomer, or
hatchets.
*"Omnivehicles" are prohibited.
Vehicle Combat
*Vehicles expend movement points just as 'mechs do, but have the
same terrain restrictions as in vanilla rules. Vehicles use heat
scales, just like 'mechs, building heat when firing weapons, and
suffering the same penaties as mechs when too much heat is built up.
Vehicles generate 1 HP when moving at cruise speed, and 2 HP when moving
at flank speed. Vehicles with turrets may rotate the turret to face any
direction during the reaction phase.
*Vehicles take damage much like 'mechs. Use the table below to
determine hit location when a vehicle is hit. Armor penetrations
require critical rolls as with 'mechs, with critical hits being
determined as with 'mechs. If a vehicle suffers the destruction of an
entire section, it is not immediately destroyed as in vanilla rules.
Inferno hits affect vehicles as they affect 'mechs; the vehicle will not
be destroyed outright.
Hit location table
Number front rear left side right side
2 crit(roll) crit(roll) crit(roll) crit(roll)
3 rear front right side left side
4 left side left side front front
5 left side left side front front
6 front rear left side right side
7 turret/top turret/top turret/top turret/top
8 front rear left side right side
9 right side right side rear rear
10 right side right side rear rear
11 rear front right side left side
12 crit(front) crit(rear) crit(left side) crit(right side)
New Miscellaneous Rules
C3 Networks
*It is no longer necessary for a lance command mech with a C3
master unit to have a C3 slave unit in order to tie into a company
command C3 master. The lance commander's master can perform the link to
the supermaster. This system allows 13 'mechs to be linked together as
follows:
Master Unit
____(5 tons, 5 crits)____ one lance
/ | __\________|______
Master Unit Master Unit | Master Unit \
(5 tons, 5 crits) (5 tons, 5 crits) |(5 tons, 5 crits) \
/ | \ / | \ | / | \ |
Slave Slave Slave Slave Slave Slave |_Slave Slave Slave_|
Slaves are 1 ton, 1 crit
*If the LOS between two C3 units passes through a hex within
jamming range of an active ECM II or III unit, the link is broken. The
link is restored as soon as the LOS does not pass through an ECM field.
Note that friendly units do not jam friendly C3.
Laser Guided Artillery
+++In addition to standard artillery, laser guided artillery is
available. When laser guided artillery is fired, a target hex is
chosen, just as with regular artillery. The time of arrival of the
shell on the mapsheet is determined in the same manner as standard
artillery. In the turn in which the shell arrives, a friendly unit
must TAG a target within 5 hexes of the target hex. If the TAG is
successful, 2d6 are rolled. A 2-3 misses, 4-8 hits at a random
location, and 9+ hits at the same location hit by the TAG. If the TAG
is unsuccessful, the shell will miss. If the shell misses, determine
the hex hit just as if it were a standard artillery shell aimed at the
specified hex. Note that it is possible for a laser guided shell to
"miss" its target (failed TAG roll or failed hit roll), but then
scatter and hit the hex occupied by the intended target anyway.
(Laser guided artillery exists in the real world, so we thought
Battletech should have it too. Also, standard artillery shots with
long hang times usually eliminated accuracy. It's pretty impossible to
determine where units are going to be located several turns in the
future, so you basically only hit the enemy if you were lucky. This
changes that.)
Jumping 'Mechs
*Any 'mech which jumps during the movement phase has LOS to / from
all units on the board during the following weapon phase.
(Yes, jumping is much less swell now. We figured that if you
jumped up into the air, things like trees, smoke, and low hills wouldn't
be in the way, and that if you had LOS to a target, then the target has
LOS to you. In practice, we sometimes allow big hills, etc. to block
LOS to even a jumping 'mech (At the referee's disgression).)
Piloting Rolls Due to Damage
*Use the following numbers instead of standard base 20:
Class Damage Threshold
Light 15
Medium 20
Heavy 25
Assault 30
*If the damage threshold is exceed multiple times, the piloting
roll modifier goes up. Ex. For every 25 points of damage sustained in
a single phase, a heavy 'mech must make a piloting roll at +1 (+1 at 25
- 49, +2 at 50 - 74, etc.).
(We figured that little 'mechs should fall down easier than big
ones. Also, 200 points of damage in a turn should knock you down more
often than 20. We tend to play out rather epic battles with LOTS of
'mechs. Concentrating fire often yields damage of 250+ to a single
'mech in a turn: something of which FASA probably never thought (if FASA
thinks at all...).)
AirMech Jumpflight Rule Modifications
(We never really liked FASA jumpflight rules, so we ditched most
of them.)
*When jumping in Airmech mode, the LAM skims hovercraft-like a
meter or two above the ground surface using the following adjusted
movement point costs:
1 MP enter rough/water hex
1 MP go up a level or change facing by 1 side
0 MP go down a level / take off / land
+++Jumpflying generates 2 heat.
*If all jump jets are destroyed while jumpflying, the LAM
automatically falls.
*+1 to all piloting rolls for being in AirMech mode.
*+1 to all piloting rolls made while jumpflying per jump jet
destroyed.
+++Destruction of a jump jet while jumpflying forces a piloting
roll to avoid falling.
*LOS to all units rule for jumping does not apply to jumpflying
LAMs.
*No piloting roll needed to enter / leave water hex.
*A jumpflying airmech may not go under water.
+++Jumpflying LAMs can use smoke screens, provided they move less
than 10 hexes, even though they are considered to be jumping for
targeting purposes (+3 to hit).
*Mines cannot harm jumpflying LAMs.
+++Jumpflying LAMs may not punch, kick, or DFA. They may charge.
+++Jumpflying LAMs may not change facing by more than 2 hex sides
in a single hex. (No jumpflying on a dime.)
Minimum Ranges
*Energy and Ballistic weapons no longer have minimum ranges. The
only weapons with minimum ranges are Clan & Inner Sphere Arrow Cruise
Missiles and Inner Sphere LRMs.
(Most (if not all) missiles must fly a certain distance before
they stabilize and begin tracking the target. For safety reasons, all
missiles fly even further than this before arming their warheads.
Missile minimum ranges make sense. We could not, however, figure out a
single reason why ballistic and energy weapons had minimum ranges.)
Construction
*Fusion engines automatically have engine rating / 25 heat sinks
built in. These heat sinks do not show up on the critical chart. Any
additional heat sinks must be placed on the crit table and cost tonnage.
(FASA has long held that ER / 25 heat sinks need not appear on the
crit chart (at least, that's how 3050 sheets (Battletech reinforcements)
were printed). However, you only got 10 with the engine, and this
difference made proofreading new 'mech designs difficult (are there
enough / too many HSs on the crit table?). We implemented this rule to
make things a little more seamless (and, big 'mechs can blow off lots of
heat now = more weapons for LOTS of damage = battles go faster).)
*There is no longer any restriction on the quantity of armor which
can be placed on a given location. If you spend the tonnage for it,
pile it on.
(This was originally implemented to allow players to beef up the
R/L Torsos on their 'mechs. Since the side torsos only have the
internal structure of legs, but must cover both front and rear, there
was never enough armor to go around. Since then, this rule has been
pushed to the limits. One of our Marauder II variants sports no less
than 36 tons of armor.)
*Omnimechs may mount hand actuators with any arm weapon (even
PPCs, Gauss Rifles, etc.), provided that the critical spaces are
available.
(This prohibition always seemed kind of silly.)
*Omnimechs can mount more armor than their chassis have.
(We implemented this rule because most modern MBTs (Main Battle
Tanks), IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), and APCs (Armored Personnel
Carriers) can be fitted with add-on armor. This is new armor bolted on
over the original stuff. We figured that if current armies can add
armor to a chassis, so can the clans. As a result, most of our Omnimech
chassis have only a token amount of armor: 3-4 tons. The rest is added
when specific configurations are designed.)
+++Omnimechs may mount MASC in pods. (From the description, MASC
seemed to be a special circuitry box that altered the control signals to
the legs, not a special kind of myomer, so we decided MASC should be
able to be pod mounted.)
*ALL fractional tonnages are rounded to the nearest quarter ton.
(This makes 'mech design much easier, because you don't have to
remember what rounds to the nearest whole, half, and quarter ton.)
Beagle Probe
+++The Beagle Active Probe generates 2 heat when used. (used in
reaction phase)
+++The Beagle Active Probe can detect mined hexes and any armored
unit.
*The Beagle Active Probe gives LOS through smoked hexes, as long
as the target is within range of the probe. This does NOT negate any
weapon penalties for firing into a smoked hex. The penalties for firing
through a smoked hex (using Beagle to establish LOS) are the same as the
penalties for firing into a smoked hex normally.
(The Beagle probe seemed rather limited in its usefulness. We
thought up a few other things it could reasonably do and added them on.)
Flamers
+++'Mech flamers give 10 heat points to armored targets, and
completely destroy any unarmored targets. Multiple flamer hits simply
cause armored units to suffer 10 extra heat for the number of turns
equal to the number of flamers that scored a hit.
Targeting Computers
*Targeting computers may NOT be used to target specific locations
on an enemy 'mech.
(We could never come up with any good justification for the rule
that specific locations could be targeted, but the head could not be
targeted in this way. If you can target specific locations, the head
should be fair game. Since we didn't want Clan pilots blowing
everyone's heads off, we entirely dropped the specific location rule.)
*Targeting computers still provide a -1 bonus on all target
numbers for weapons connected to them.
+++Targeting computers may be used in conjunction with TAG.
(We've always allowed this since we thought vanilla rules did
also, but net discussions indicated vanilla rules are unclear on this
point.)
Mine Fields
*When a battlemech is damaged by a land mine, 5 points of damage
are applied to the armor (if any) and 1 point is applied directly to the
internal structure, regardless of how much armor remains. Critical hits
are checked in the normal fashion. If the 5 point group penetrates the
armor, additional damage is transferred to the internal structure as
usual. Critical hits are only checked once per mine.
(Land mines were always too lame. Big 'mechs could trudge right
through all but the largest of fields. Now that any 'mech could find a
hip destroyed at any time while in a mine field, even the big boys are
looking for alternate routes. Real life minefields are quickly fatal to
even the biggest of MBTs. Armored units always need infantry /
specialized vehicles to clear mines for them.)
Engine Hits
*The first engine hit destroys 1 / 2 of the heat sinks (single or
double) which came with the engine (engine rating / 25, rounded down).
The second engine hit destroys the rest of these 'free' heat sinks.
Engine hits no longer generate extra heat: the missing heat sinks are
enough.
(In the original rules, the first hit generated 5 heat per round;
the second hit generated 10. Since each engine came with 10 single heat
sinks "for free," this was equivalent to destroying 1 / 2 of the "free"
HSs per hit. Under these new rules, however, the 400 engine can come
with 16 double HSs, for a total of 32 "free" heat points per turn. In
light of this, the once crippling engine hit (+5 heat points) became
less than a slap on the wrist. With this rule, engine hits really hurt;
like they should.)
TAG Ranges
*TAG ranges are now as follows: 1-5 / 6-10 / 11-15.
(This is a result of a LARGE mistake on my part. We keep all of
our 'mech sheets on computer in the form of SuperPaint (tm) documents
(FASA charges $$ for REALLY lame sheets). I misread the rulebook and
typed the 6-10 / 11-15 ranges into 40+ documents. It was easier to
change the rule than correct the mistakes. You need not make this
change: you didn't screw up.)
Vaporizing Units
+++If a fusion engine powered unit receives 3 engine critical hits
the engine explodes, completely vaporizing the unit (no salvage
allowed). When this happens, the hex formerly occupied becomes a rough
hex (unless it was a water hex), any unit that was stacked on that hex
with the unit that vaporized is destroyed, and any 'mech standing in an
adjacent hex must make a piloting roll at +2 to avoid a fall. The pilot
of the unfortunate unit must make a piloting roll at +5 to eject
safely. If this roll is failed, the pilot is killed.
Hit Locations
*If a 2 is rolled for a hit location, the critical does not
automatically go to the center torso. Instead a second location roll is
made to determine hit location. An automatic critical hit goes to that
location in addition to appropriate damage. Criticals stack up, so
rolling 2,2,2,12 is 3 criticals to the head.
DFAs and Other Charges
+++'Mechs attempting a DFA or charge MAY fire weapons during the
weapon phase of the turn on which they charge. Damage sustained during
the weapon phase by the unit attempting the charge / DFA does not
require that a piloting roll be made before the charge / DFA may be
attempted. Rather, the modifier for the damage (+1, +2, etc.) is added
to the target number for the charge / DFA . (For example, if a light
'mech attempts a DFA and sustains 30 points of damage during the weapon
phase, the piloting roll for the DFA will be at +2.) The target number
for ALL charges is 3, modified for the movement method employed: 4 when
walking, 5 when running, and 6 when jumping. This number is modified by
the target's movement, but not by terrain. This number is further
modified by the piloting skills of the attacker and target: add the
attacker's and subtract the defender's. Damage to the attacker and
defender from ground charges is as described in vanilla rules. Damage
to the defender from a DFA is 'mech tonnage / 10 * 3 (as in vanilla
rules), but is assigned on the punch table in two groups of half the
total (unless the total is odd, in which case, one group is 1 larger
than the other). Damage to the attacker from a DFA is 'mech tonnage / 5
(as in vanilla rules), but half goes to each leg directly (no rolling on
the kick table, unless there is an odd damage point, in which case, roll
/ flip a coin / etc. to see which leg gets it). This assumes a 'mech
with two legs. For 4, 3, or 1 legged 'mechs, divide damage evenly among
the legs. Piloting rolls following the charge / DFA are as in vanilla
rules.
(These changes came about as a result of a fundamentally stupid
flaw in the rules: the base TN for a DFA is 8 (5 + 3 for jumping),
while the TN for an *ACCIDENTAL* fall from above is 7. This means that
is is easier to fall on someone by accident, when you are out of control
than when you are in control and trying to hit them! Not to mention the
fact that you always got shot down in flames during the preceding weapon
phase. We thought that the DFA idea was great, but only Max Sterling
could pull one off. These rules make a DFA a more viable option. I
reasoned that, if the average charge was running and had a TN of 5, then
the base should be 3 (+2 for running = 5). A jumping charge should be
at +3 (= 6), not +5 (= 8).)
Accidental Falls From Above
+++Speaking of which, the TN for a hit from an accidental fall
from above is now 9. (7 was just too damn likely. A BattleMech
occupies much less than 58.3% of a hex, but that's the probability of a
hit with a TN of 7. BTW, we played one battle in which a Kurita Mauler
failed its drop-from-orbit piloting roll, went out of control, scattered
on to a hex occupied by a defending Battlemaster, and rolled a
successful hit for a fall from above. We decided to treat it as a DFA
and rolled damage, piloting rolls, etc. according to those rules. The
Mauler pilot (me), who had just failed two easy piloting rolls, rolled
three 12s in a row, hitting the Battlemaster in the head with both legs
(29 points of damage to the head = dead Battlemaster), then made a next
to impossible piloting roll (12 number three) to avoid falling
afterwards. The Mauler got off with 9 points of damage (4 to one leg
and 5 to the other) while taking out a Battlemaster before the shooting
even began :-)
Damage From Falls
+++Units that fall into water only suffer half the usual damage
from the fall.
END PART 2
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