Frosthammer wrote:
let see if i can help...this is what i know at this stage of life
Frosthammer has got most of it.
Wizkids (not WOTC as someone stated earlier) picked up the BT licence and released the collectable clix game Mechwarrior Dark Age- plastic figures roughly scaled to approx 10mm. Game set some 60 years after previous storyline. Wizkids got taken over by Topps who carried on releasing Mechwarrior figures, with 2nd edition before ceasing all production.
Fanpro used to continue releasing Classic Battletech products underlicence from Wizkids. When they revamped the core CBT rulebooks, the first one, Total Warfare, was under Fanpro badge.
I forget what happened to Fanpro but they morphed into Catalyst, with IIRC the same people involved. As Catalyst they introduced an Introductory Box Set (with 24 cheap plastic mechs) and then carried on releasing core rulebooks with Tech Manual, Tactical Operations and Strategic Operations, plus RPG "A Time of War". Plus Technical Raed Outs, Record Sheets, Hexpack terrain and Housebooks/era reports.
The rules are essntially the same as before. If you know how to play the old FASA rules then you know how to play Battletech! What the new rules do is give more clarifications and explanations of how variours rules interract. If you want to play with just Mechs then you can stick with the 65 pagee Introductory rulebook (that is also available as free to download from Catalyst website). You only really need the 300 page Total Warfare book if you want more detail or want to add vehicles/infantry.
To be honest we tend to play using the Introductory Rulebook, only referring to the other corebooks for reference.
Re the plastic mechs in the Intro Box Set, I would say their detail is maybe slightly better than the old CityTech plastics. I paid £25 for my first Intro Box Set- I think that is good value as you get Intro rulebook, record sheets for all 24 mechs plus the mechs themselves. That is effectively less than £1 per mech- excellent value.
I liked them so much I bought a second set so that I could paint up 2 opposing forces. They do paint up well. If you don't want them then feel free to send them to me- I'll cover your postage!!
As has been commented the 2 plastic Omnimechs, Thor and Loki, are of better quality and are made with a different grade of plastic. It would be amazing if all their plastic mechs could be made to that standard but then you would pay for it.
The metal figures have passed from Ral Partha to Ironwind. They still make many of the old classiss but have continued releasing new minis for different time periods. Not all of their scuplts are to my taste but there is a huge range of styles which should appeal. Ral Partha Europe have the UK licence- I have bought most of my figures from them to avoid being hit for customs charges or transatlantic postage costs.
I will say that the new Intro Box Set and Total Warfare both look amazing- great production values- full colour and lots of pictures of gorgeous painted minis and terrain. If you have the old rulebooks/TRO's then you don't absolutely need to buy them but I still think they are worth it.
My favourite of Catalyst releases is Starterbook: Sword and Dragon. One of 2 Starterbooks released so far giving you background to Davion/Kurita war o0f 3039 and some neat campaign rules. My next Battletech purchase is one each of new Hexpacks (durable thick glossy colour hex maps with additional hex tiles for variety of terrain- so far Cities and Roads, and Lakes and Rivers IIRC).
Cheers
James
