![]() This optional rule gives a ’Mech the option of walking backward up or down one level at the risk of falling over. That can result in a unit getting stuck when trying to back away from enemies and forced to turn around and expose its back in order to move up or down a hill. Under normal rules, a unit cannot move into a different level hex while walking backwards. ![]() ![]() (Tactical Operations: Advanced Rules p.97, BattleMech Manual p.110) Backward Level Changes The Active Probe Targeting option allows an active probe to slightly reduce the penalty of shooting through woods so that they provide a benefit in more games. That means that in most games they end up being useless. Active Probe TargetingĪctive Probes are normally only meaningful when playing a scenario that allows for hidden units. If you’re new to BattleTech, I’d recommend trying out some of the options that sound interesting and seeing what you end up enjoying the most. In the past, I’ve used a lot more options like pilot abilities, extreme ranges, more movement modes, and a homebrew experience point system when running a narrative campaign where each player only controlled a single MechWarrior, but I don’t feel like most games need that many extras added on. For optional rules, I currently prefer playing with the several rules down below. I like to play with all sorts of ground forces, but rarely use aerospace units. I prefer playing with hexes in part because it saves me from needing to build up a collection of terrain. Personally, I think BattleTech shines as a narrative game, but I’m happy to just play casual games too. Everyone has different optional rules that they like to use and some that they don’t like at all. Some people prefer casual ’Mech brawls set in 3025, others want to play narrative campaigns tracking the desperate, technologically lopsided fights of the initial Clan Invasion, and others want to earn glory as mercenaries in the abandoned Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. I think if you talked to a group of BattleTech players, you’d get almost as many preferred ways to play as people. Across those, we have access to a ton of options, and then you can find even more house rules shared by BattleTech fans across the internet. ![]() And then rules for playing without hexes are available as a free Miniature Rules pdf. The BattleMech Manual includes some of most popular options from both of those books. Campaign Operations has a selection of optional rules and systems for building a force and linking together battles. Tactical Operations: Advanced Rules includes most of them as well as rules to cover all sorts of environments and situations not covered in Total Warfare. The set of official optional rules are spread out over a few books. Then, there are a bunch of official optional rules that help you customize everything from minor weapon tweaks to big systems like design quirks and formation building rules to match the sort of game you want to play. The game system scales well to any size of battle as long as you have time to play thanks to its alternating, phase-based turn structure. There are about seven playable centuries of the setting’s history that support different available units, technologies, and factions. One of my favorite things about BattleTech is the number of options available for how to play it.
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