“ It is the 31st century, a time of endless wars that rage across human-occupied space. As star empires clash, these epic wars are won and lost by BattleMechs, 30-foot-tall humanoid metal titans bristling with lasers, autocannons and dozens of other lethal weapons; enough firepower to level entire city blocks. Your elite force of MechWarriors drives these juggernauts into battle, proudly holding your faction’s flag high, intent on expanding the power and glory of your realm. At their beck and call are the support units of armored vehicles, power armored infantry, aerospace fighters and more, wielded by a MechWarrior’s skillful command to aid him in ultimate victory. Will they become legends, or forgotten casualties? Only your skill and luck will determine their fate!
The product of more than twenty years of gaming experience, Total Warfare presents the rules of the Classic BattleTech game system as never before. For the first time, all the rules for various units that have a direct impact on the deadly battlefields of the thirty-first century appear in a unified rules set: from BattleMechs to ProtoMechs, Combat Vehicles to Support Vehicles, infantry to aerospace fighters and DropShips. Interwoven and meticulously updated, Total Warfare provides the most detailed and comprehensive rules set published to date for BattleTech—the perfect companion for standard tournament play.
Total Warfare is the single-source rulebook for people who play Classic BattleTech. It is not intended to teach new players the game, but rather to serve as a reference work for people who know the game, while introducing more technologies and expansive rules than appear in the basic box set. The introductory game in the BattleTech line is the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set. New players should pick up that product before diving into this one.
Construction rules for the various units presented in Total Warfare can be found in Classic BattleTech TechManual.
”
Contents
Guardians (short story by Loren L. Coleman)
Introduction
Fiction vs. Rules and Art (a discussion)
3-D Terrain vs. Paper Maps (a discussion)
Standard Vs. Advanced Rules (a discussion)
Classic BattleTech (a tour of the basic book types)
Where to Order and Other Sources of Gaming Support
Components
Units - a discussion of:
BattleMechs
IndustrialMechs
ProtoMechs
Combat Vehicles
Infantry
Conventional Fighters
Aerospace Fighters
Small Craft
DropShips
Support Vehicles
Other Units - a discussion of:
Aerospace Units (JumpShips, WarShips, Space Stations)
Support Vehicles (Rail, Satellites)
Mobile Structures
Record Sheets
Mapsheets
Counters
Dice
Playing the Game
Sequence of Play
Unequal Numbers of Units
Warriors
Skills and Skill Improvements
Damaging a Warrior and Consciousness Rolls
Game Terms
Wolf on the Mountain (short story by Phaedra M. Weldon)
Ground Movement
Movement Basics
Facing
Movement Modes
Stacking
Piloting/Driving Skill Rolls
Movement on Pavement
Falling
Trial of Possession (short story by Kevin Killiany)
Aerospace Movement
Space Movement
Thrust Points
Facing
Special Movement Modes
High-G Maneuvers
Stacking
Atmospheric Movement
Matching Mapsheets to Low-Altitude Hexes
Control Rolls
Fighting Withdrawal (short story by Steven Mohan, Jr.)
Combat
Attack Declaration
Line of Sight
Weapon Attacks
Physical Attacks
Mutual Advantage (short story by Steven Mohan, Jr.)
Heat
Heat Points
Effects of Heat
Aerospace Units
Just Another Day at the Office (short story by David L. McCulloch)
Buildings
Building Types
Movement Effects
Combat Effects
Basements
Chiaroscuro (short story by Randall N. Bills)
ProtoMechs
Eisenjäger (short story by Herbert A. Beas II)
Combat Vehicles
Simple Farmer (short story by Kevin Killiany)
Support Vehicles
Proper Work (short story by Jason M. Hardy)
Infantry
Angels on Our Shoulders (short story by Jason Schmetzer)
Aerospace Units
The Circle (short story by Dan C. Duval)
Creating Scenarios
Back End of Nowhere (short story by David L. McCulloch)
Painting Miniatures
Tables
Inner Sphere & Clan Weapons & Equipment
Additional Inner Sphere & Clan Weapons & Equipment for Battle Armor
Ground Movement
Combat
ProtoMechs and Vehicles
Buildings & Infantry
Aerospace