® REVISED EDITION Welcome to the 31st century, a time of endless wars that rage across the known uni- verse. These epic conflicts are won and lost by BattleMechs®, 30-foot-tall, humanoid titans of metal bristling with high-intensity lasers, rapid-fire autocannon and dozens of other lethal weapons; enough firepower to level entire city blocks. Your elite force of MechWarriors® drives these juggernauts into battle, blasting at your opponent’s ’Mechs® in a deadly game of kill or be killed. Will they become instant legends, or forgotten casual- ties? Only your skill and luck will determine their fate. Drawing on years of experience, this book combines the best of the BattleTech board game into a uni- fied whole. BattleTech Master Rules is entirely restructured and streamlined; it is the same game, but like you’ve never seen it before. This book includes the complete game rules, a quick-and- easy scenario creation sys- tem, the Battle Value point system for evaluating ’Mechs and balancing forces and revised and expanded minia- tures rules. This revised edi- tion of BattleTech Master Rules has been updated to incorporate all level 2 weapons and units present- ed in various technical readouts and Field Manuals. ® TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 Dropping to the Ground 21 Location After Attack 44 BattleTech Master Rules 5 Standing Up 21 Falls 44 Level Two BattleTech 6 Stacking 21 Different Elevations 44 Reader Response 6 Accidental Violation 21 Prone BattleMechs 44 COMPONENTS 7 Pavement Movement 21 Physical Attacks Units 7 Bridge Movement 22 by Prone BattleMechs 44 BattleMechs 7 Skidding 22 Physical Attacks against ProtoMechs 8 Piloting Skill Rolls 23 Prone BattleMechs 44 Vehicles 8 Making Piloting Skill Rolls 23 Unit Displacement 45 Infantry Units 9 Falling 23 Accidental Falls from Above 45 Record Sheets 10 COMBAT 26 Domino Effect 45 BattleMech Record Sheet 10 Attack Declaration 26 HEAT 46 ProtoMech Record Sheet 10 Torso Twist/Turret Heat Points 46 Vehicle Record Sheet 11 Rotation 26 Building Up Heat 46 Battle Armor Record Sheet 11 Line of Sight 26 Recording Heat Buildup 47 Infantry Record Sheet 11 Elevation 26 Effects of Heat 47 Mapsheets 11 Intervening Terrain 26 Movement Effects 47 Clear 12 Partial Cover 27 Weapon Attack Effects 47 Light Woods 12 Water Hexes 28 Shutdown Effects 47 Heavy Woods 12 WEAPON ATTACKS 28 Ammunition Effects 48 Rough 12 Ammunition Expenditure 28 MechWarrior Effects 48 Water 12 Firing Arcs 28 BUILDINGS 49 Pavement 12 Forward Arc 29 Building Types 49 Roads 12 Left Side Arc 29 Construction Factor 49 Bridges 12 Right Side Arc 29 Building Elevation 50 Counters 12 Rear Arc 29 Movement Effects 50 Light Buildings 13 Rotating the Firing Arcs 29 Entering Buildings 50 Medium Buildings 13 Firing Weapons 29 Combat Effects 51 Heavy Buildings 13 Base To-Hit Number 30 Attacking Buildings 51 Hardened Buildings 13 Modified To-Hit Number 30 Attacking Units Inside Bridges 13 To-Hit Modifiers 30 Buildings 51 Rubble 13 Prone BattleMechs 32 Combat Within Buildings 52 Fire 13 To-Hit Roll 32 Collapse 52 Smoke 13 Hit Location 34 Basements 53 Dice 13 Damage 34 Gun Emplacements 53 PLAYING THE GAME 14 Recording Damage 35 Turrets 53 Sequence of Play 14 Damage Resolution 35 PROTOMECHS 54 Initiative Phase 14 Transferring Damage 35 Playing the Game 54 Movement Phase 14 Critical Damage 36 Combat 54 Weapon Attack Phase 14 BattleMech Critical Hits 36 Weapon Attacks 54 Physical Attack Phase 15 BattleMech Critical Hit Effects 37 Hit Location 54 Heat Phase 15 Destroying A Unit 39 Damage 54 End Phase 15 BattleMechs 39 Physical Attacks 55 Unequal Numbers of Units 15 Vehicles 39 VEHICLES 56 Warriors 15 Infantry 39 Movement 56 Skills 15 PHYSICAL ATTACKS 39 VTOL Movement 56 Skill Improvement 16 Punch Attacks 40 Naval Movement 58 Damaging a MechWarrior 16 Club Attacks 40 Combat 58 Consciousness Rolls 17 Finding a Club 40 Naval Combat 58 MOVEMENT 18 Hatchets and Swords 41 VTOL Combat 59 Movement Basics 18 Push Attacks 41 INFANTRY 61 Movement Direction 18 Kick Attacks 41 Movement 61 Facing 18 Charge Attacks 42 Infantry Carriers 61 Facing Change 19 Damage 42 Mechanized Battle Armor 61 Movement Modes 19 Location After Attack 42 Combat 62 Standing Still 20 Falls 43 Standard Infantry 62 Walking 20 Death from Above Attacks 43 Battle Armor 62 Running 20 Weapon Attack Phase 43 Clan Battle Armor Variants 63 Jumping 20 Base To-Hit Number 43 Gnome Battle Armor 64 Movement Actions 21 Damage to Target 43 Salamander Battle Armor 64 Facing Change 21 Damage to Attacker 44 Sylph Battle Armor 65 2 Undine Battle Armor 66 Command-Detonated Design the Chassis 115 Inner Sphere Battle Suits 66 Minefields 86 Add Other Equipment 117 Standard Inner Sphere Vibrabomb Minefields 86 ProtoMech Construction 124 Battle Armor 67 Clearing Minefields 86 Design the Chassis 124 Achileus Light Battle Armor 67 Night Combat 87 Add Other Equipment 124 Fa Shih Battle Armor 67 Searchlights 87 Vehicle Construction 126 Fenrir Battle Armor 68 Reversing Arms 87 Design the Chassis 127 Gray Death Light Scout Armor 68 Scavenging and Repair 87 Add Other Equipment 128 Infiltrator Stealth Armor 69 Technicians 87 Outfitting an OmniMech 129 Infiltrator Mk. II Battle Armor 69 Diagnosis 88 Using Add-on Pods 129 Kage Light Battle Armor 69 Obtaining Replacement Parts 88 EQUIPMENT 130 Kanazuchi Assault Battle Armor70 Scavenging 90 Active Probe 130 Longinus Battle Armor 70 Repairs and Replacements 90 Anti-Missile System 130 Purifier Battle Armor 71 Customizing and Retrofits 92 Anti-Personnel Pods 131 Sloth Assault Armor 71 Underwater Operations 94 Artemis IV Fire-Control SPECIAL CASE Movement 94 System 131 RULES 72 Line of Sight 95 Artillery Weapons 131 Anti-BattleMech Infantry 72 Weapon Attacks 95 Autocannon 132 Leg Attacks 72 Physical Attacks 95 Autocannon Munitions 133 Swarm Attacks 72 Hull Integrity 95 C3 Computer 134 Artillery 73 MINIATURES RULES 96 Cargo Space 135 Game Setup 73 Preparing Miniatures 96 Cellular Ammunition Storage Targeting 75 Preparing Terrain 97 Equipment (CASE) 135 Damage 76 Clear 97 ECM Suite 136 Smoke Rounds 76 Hills 97 Endo Steel Internal Onboard Artillery Fire 76 Trees 97 Structure 137 Arrow IV Missile Water 97 Ferro-Fibrous Armor 137 Artillery System 76 Roads/Bridges 98 Flamers 137 Arrow IV System Munitions 76 Buildings 98 Gauss Rifle 137 BattleMech Lifting Capabilities 77 Rubble 98 Hatchet 138 Cargo Carriers 77 Rough Ground 98 Heat Sinks 138 Clearing Woods 78 Swamp 98 Laser 138 Dropping Troops 78 Smoke 98 Light Engines 139 Failed Landing Damage 78 Rules Conversions 98 Machine Gun 139 Failed Landing Location 78 Scale 98 Missile Launchers 139 Dumping Ammunition 78 Movement 98 Missile Munitions 141 Ejecting 79 Stacking 100 Myomer Accelerator Signal Fire 79 Piloting Skill Rolls 100 Circuitry (MASC) 145 Accidental Fires 80 Combat 100 Narc Missile Beacon 145 Intentional Fires 80 Artillery 102 Narc Munitions 146 Effects of Fire 80 CREATING Particle Projector Spreading Fires 80 SCENARIOS 103 Cannon (PPC) 147 Smoke 80 General Rules 103 Stealth Armor System 147 Flak 80 Number of Players 103 Sword 147 Artillery Flak 82 Setup 103 Target Acquisition Gear (TAG) 147 LB-X Cluster Flak 82 Movement and Retreat 103 Targeting Computer 148 Four-Legged BattleMechs 82 Ending the Game 103 Triple-Strength Myomer 148 Construction 82 Determining Victory 103 XL Engines 148 Movement 82 Types of Scenarios 104 COSTS 149 Combat 82 Standup Fight 104 Clan Equipment 149 Heat 83 Hide and Seek 104 BattleMech Costs 149 Hidden Units 83 Hold the Line 104 Infantry Costs 149 Pointblank Shots Extraction 105 ProtoMech Costs 150 from Hidden Units 83 Breakthrough 105 Vehicle Costs 150 Hostile Environments 83 The Chase 106 BATTLE VALUE SYSTEM152 Extreme Temperatures 83 Selecting Mapsheets 106 Calculating BattleMech BV 152 Ice 83 Using the Mapsheet Tables 106 Step 1: Calculate Defensive High/Low Gravity 84 Unit Generation 108 Battle Rating 152 Swamp 84 Force Composition 108 Step 2: Calculate Offensive Vacuum 85 Assigning ’Mechs 109 Battle Rating 153 Improved Positions 85 Experience Level and Skills 114 Step 3: Calculate Final BV 154 LRM Indirect Fire 85 Finishing Touches 114 Calculating Conventional Minefields 86 CONSTRUCTION 115 Vehicle BV 154 Conventional Minefields 86 BattleMech Construction 115 Step 1: Calculate Defensive 3 Battle Rating 154 Color Illustration Step 2: Calculate Offensive Battle Rating 154 Doug Andersen, Les Dorscheid, Clint Langley, Step 3: Calculate Final BV 155 Mark Zug Calculating ProtoMech BV 155 Miniature Painting: Defensive Battle Rating 156 Jörn Brom Offensive Battle Rating 156 Hartwig Nieder-Gassel Infantry Weapon and Equipment Battle Values 156 Terrain Skill/Experience Level Multipliers 158 Michael Immig (city block modules by Ground Zero Games. Other buildings by Snapdragon. RULES CHANGES 160 Terrain hex bases by GHQ). Playing the Game 160 Photography Movement 160 Michael Immig Weapon Attacks 160 Miniature Section Design Physical Attacks 160 John Bridegroom Heat 161 Color Section Design Buildings 161 Fred Hooper Vehicles 161 Infantry 161 Additional Design and Development Special Case Rules 161 The following people have been involved in the creation and development of Construction 162 BattleTech rules, either by writing material that was assimilated into the main body of the rules, serving as the BattleTech developer in the past, or otherwise Equipment 162 contributing to the game in a major way. Samuel B. Baker, Randall N. Bills, Forest G. Brown, Chuck Crain, Chris Hartford, Clare Hess, Scott Jenkins, J. Andrew Keith, James R. Kellar, Dale Kemper, L.R. “Butch” Leeper, Bryan LiBrandi, Jim Long, Jim Musser, Bryan Nystul, CREDITS Mike Nystul, Blaine Pardoe, Boy F. Petersen Jr., Jerry Stenson, Christoffer BattleTech Original Design Trossen, Wm. John Wheeler. Jordan K. Weisman Playtesters for Battletech Master Rules L. Ross Babcock III L. Ross Babcock III, Randall N.