Table of Contents

• Modern Battletech System - page 5
• Terrain - Page 5
• Line of Sight and Cover - Page 5
• Forced Withdrawal - Page 6
• Reliability - Page 6
• Expanded Phases - Page 7
• Fog of War - Page 7
• Modified Equipment Rules - Page 8
• Alpha Strikes - Page 8
• Cluster Weapons - Page 9
• Intelligence - Page 9
• Multiplayer Rules - Page 9
• Quick and Dirty Point Value - Page 9
• Initiative - page 10
• Building a Combat Command - Page 12
• Command Traits - Page 14
• Faction Rules - Page 17
• Building Your Army List - Page 25
• Campaign Operations - Page 28
• Characters - Page 30
• Scenarios - Page 32
• Missions - Page 36
• New Battlefield Support - Page 40

Getting Started

In order to get started in Battletech you will need a few things. A pair of six sided dice, access to a printer, a table to play on, a tape measure, and some sort of token to represent your units. Depending on your preferred method of play, you will need either the Total Warfare book (or Battletech Manual) or the Alpha Strike Compendium. Lastly, a familiarity with the Master Unit List (masterunitlist.info) will go a long way to help you with understanding force building.

New & Modified Rules

In the following sections, many of the rules are new to Modern Battletech (LC). However, some rules are modified versions of those found within the official rulebooks. Players using this set of rules for their games are advised to use the modified version of the rules, but you are free to decide which version you like better. Keep in mind that the rules here are balanced in assuming you are using the complete Modern Battletech ruleset.

Hexless Play

The Modern Battletech rules are meant for hexless play on a table using inches. While Total Warfare suggest using a scale of 1:2 when converting hexes to inches, LC uses a 1:1 scale. There is no need to change your unit sheets.

If players wish to use their hex maps, it is as easy as converting the inches back into hexes. In instances where this might not be as simple, there will be notes detailing the correct procedure.

Target Movement Modifiers

Target Movement Modifiers (TMM) are a big part of the Total Warfare ruleset. To simplify them, Modern Battletech uses a similar system. Instead of having to move the full distance in inches to get the proper TMM, you just need to move. Your unit's TMM is determined by their method of movement and max distance within that method.

For example, an Atlas can normally move 3" walking or 5" running. If the Atlas moved 1", it would have a TMM of +1 in the LC system. If it ran 4", it would now have a +2. Apply the same logic when using Sprinting and Jumping movement forms. Jumping still always has a +1 in addition to the normal modifier.

Terrain

In the spirit of making our models look cool on the battlefield, terrain can help really bring to life conflicts within the 31st Century. There are many different types of terrain, but they really come down to a few categories: Static terrain, like buildings and roads. Area Terrain, like forest and water. Height, like hills and craters.

In order to move up or down "levels" on 3D terrain, simply measure the vertical distance and round up. This is the minimum needed to move up or down the terrain. Same method of jump capable units.

Before play, determine the terrain types with your opponents for the purpose of the TMM modifiers they provide. For Area Terrain it is important to understand the boundaries of that terrain. While a few trees to be used to represent a forested area, they should be arranged in a way to provide some foot print of where that forest is, without impeding models from entering it too much. When in doubt, it is always good to have the discussion with your opponent what is fair and what isn't.

When using hexless map setups, terrain behaves a bit differently than it does in Total Warfare.

When entering an area terrain, your movement is reduced by the MP reduction as normal. However, this only applies to you once. So, moving into Light Woods only reduces your total movement by 1", instead of costing 2" to move at the rate of one.

When shooting into, through, or out of terrain consider the following:

• If your target is at least within 1" of the edge, they are considered covered by the terrain if it provides them a bonus.
• If you are shooting through at least 1" of terrain, you incur a penalty to attack as if you were shooting through that terrain type. However, you do not stack for everything 1" beyond the first. If there are two types of terrain in the way, both stack together. This can be Light and Heavy Woods, for example.
• If you are more than 1" from the edge of area terrain, while within it, you apply the penalty for shooting through that terrain.
• If you are base to base with another unit, you do not apply modifiers for terrain except for Smoke.

Line of Sight and Cover

Modern Battletech uses a true line of sight system. If a model can see at least 25% of another model, it is considered a valid target for a direct attack. Any unit at least 25% obscured by cover, is given a +1 to their TMM. In addition, any shots that would normally hit any location covered from the attack is negated.

On the flipside, a unit in cover cannot use weapons against a target where those weapons would be covered the terrain. If there is doubt on whether a weapon is covered by the terrain, it cannot fire if more than half the location is covered by the terrain or unit regardless of what is represented on the model.

Forced Withdrawal

For the most part, the rules for Forced Withdrawal are unchanged from those in Total Warfare and Alpha Strike. Two key points when using the Modern Battletech system. Forced Withdrawal is NOT an optional rule. It is enforced to ensure the combat is more believable.

As a minor addendum to it, if a unit is unable to comply with its movement to withdraw (ie, it has lost a leg or it is dangerous to move) the pilot must eject at the end of its movement phase following the same rules for normal pilot ejection.

Reliability

Morale is one of those other optional things that have been in both Tactical Operations and Alpha Strike. In Modern Battletech, this rule is also NOT optional. Reliability plays an important role in the mechanics of both standard play and the campaign. LC has its own version based off the lessons learned from using the other two variants in the official books.

Making a Panic Check

The Panic Check is a 2d6 roll against a base target number equal to the unit's Reliability Rating (see page 11), plus all applicable modifiers listed in the Panic Check Table. If the roll is equal to or higher than this modified target number, the unit's morale remains intact and it may continue to act normally. Otherwise, the unit is considered Broken and must immediately make go into Forced Withdrawal.

A Routed unit must retreat from the battlefield as if under Forced Withdrawal. However, a Routed cannot make attacks against any target alongside the normal Forced Withdrawal rules.

If a unit does not recover their nerve before they exit the map, they are considered removed from play for the purposes of the scenario.

Any unit unable to follow the Forced Withdrawal rules, ie through loss of motion or inability to stand, must eject or surrender the unit. They are considered immediately removed for the purpose of the scenario scoring.

Rolling two 6s always passes Panic Checks regardless of any modifiers that take it beyond 12. Conversely, results of two 1s always fails a Panic Check. If a Panic Check is failed in this manner the unit immediately abandons the field. If this is a Battlemech, the pilot attempts an ejection. If this is any other units, they abandon their equipment and leave the field in panic. They are considered destroyed for the results of the scenario.

Recovering Nerve

At the end of the turn, any unit may attempt to recover their nerve. This roll is simply another Panic Check with all the appropriate modifiers. If the check is successful, the unit can act as normal. If the check fails, the unit continues to be Broken.

Expanded Phases

In order to expand upon certain rules and pieces of equipment present in the setting, the game is broken down into the following expanded phases. Do note that if no such units or rules are being used as to utilize these phases, then they may be skipped for the scenario unless they do come into play.

• Phase 1: Initiative
• Phase 2: Artillery Attacks
• Phase 3: Ground Movement
• Phase 4: Aerospace Movement
• Phase 5: Sensors and Spotting
• Phase 6: Artillery Strikes
• Phase 7: Weapon Attack Phase
• Phase 8: Physical Attack Phase
• Phase 9: Damage, Panic, and Heat

The two new phases are "Sensors and Spotting" and "Damage, Panic, and Heat". The sensors and spotting checks are where players resolve their sensor checks, spot for indirect attacks, and use weapons such as NARC or TAG. When using NARC, you may only use Homing or Nemesis pods in this phase. All other pods are used in the Weapon Attack phase. Homing or Nemesis pods that successfully stick to a target take effect immediately.

The Damage, Panic, and Heat phase is where you make your Panic Checks, as needed, calculate heat, and resolve any final damage needed.

Fog of War

In order to use the Fog of War rules, as stated here, you will need some kind of tokens for each of your units. These can be paper, hex bases, or even models. Something generic to represent a unit without revealing what it is. On each token you should denote the type of unit it is (Battlemech, vehicle, etc) on one side. On the other, have something written or color coded to link back to a specific unit.

We will assume sensors in this time are able to detect most anything on the battlefield (save Hidden units) and regardless of the size of your map, these tokens are all deployed on the same map.

At the end of each movement phase, a new phase is inserted before the shooting phase, the Sensors and Spotting Phase. Here, each player takes turns attempting to detect opposing units who are hidden via the Fog of War Rules. All units are assumed to have a base sensor range of 12".

Use the following table to determine the Target Number needed to identify a unit. Each 2d6 roll is based on a unit's piloting/driving skill. If the unit equals or exceeds the target number, the unit is revealed and replaced with the proper model.

First, apply any detection range modifiers to both the sensing unit and the target unit.

Shooting at Unidentified Units

You may still target and fire at unknown units, however you must add an additional +1 to the attack. Any damage resolved against the target should be done as secretly as possible to avoid meta gaming the target.

Modified Equipment Rules

Performing an Alpha Strike

Inspired by the rules developed by Death From Above Gaming, the Alpha Strike rule is an alternative method of rolling dice for shooting your weapons. The difference between it and Chain Firing (normal method) your weapons is that it is one big dice roll. The all or nothing nature of this method means that when rolling for location, your groupings tend to be much more focused on one area of the target.

When using Alpha Strike, first declare such before rolling. Choose one dice to be your base dice. Then pick various other dice to represent the different weapons or To Hit Numbers you are firing with. These can be different colors, sizes, etc. Make sure you explain to your opponent before hand so there is no confusion.

Once the dice pool is rolled, compare all dice to your base dice. If the weapon dice and the base dice add up to hit your target, then the hit is successful just as it normally would be when firing normally.

Cluster Weapons

Instead of using a cluster table to resolve hits by cluster weapons, the Modern Battletech system uses a simple dice rolling mechanic. If a cluster weapon hits the target, select a number of dice equal to the normal damage cluster size of that weapon. For example a SRM 6 does a maximum of six damage clusters of two points. Roll those dice and on a 3+ the cluster hits. All cluster weapons do a minimum of one cluster of damage upon a successful to hit roll. LRMs and MRMs do a minimum of two damage if no clusters hit.

In the case of an unknown damage cluster amount, always default to a 2 point damage cluster. Infantry deal damage in 2 point clusters unless using support weapons or field guns.

Use the table below to see which modifiers might apply to the target number needed for a Cluster Confirmation Roll when making Missile attacks.

Intelligence

Modern Battletech uses the Battlefield Intelligence rules starting on page 154 of the Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition. This is an optional rule that players may wish to use if certain Combat Commands have rules that effect it. There are certain support units present in this book that also have an effect on Battlefield Intelligence.

Multiplayer Rules

Players wishing to play team games are able to do so relatively easily. Just remember that rules only work on allies if it explicitly says it effects allies or friendly units. If the rule effects units from that particular combat command, they do not have any effect on your teammates.

When rolling for initiative, each team will pick one player to roll for their team. This is generally the player who has the highest Intelligence rating or most experienced commander on the field. However, it is up to the players to decide. If a player rolls, they may only use abilities that their forces possess to effect the Initiative roll.

Quick and Dirty Point Value

While the actual rules for Battle Value into Point Value are long and complicated, the average seems to hover around 1 Point Value equally 45 Battle Value. If you must convert to and from Battle Value for any reason, you can use this ratio as a quick method of calculation.

Initiative

Instead of using the normal initiative of Battletech, players will now use the following system which is much more dynamic in nature and reflective of the board state.

It starts with the normal, opposing 2d6 rolls. This roll is considered the Force Initiative. All special rules, quirks, and equipment normally only apply to this roll. This initiative is used for nothing else outside of breaking ties for the following initiative rules.

When rolling initiative, instead roll it for each unit present on the board. If playing with more than two lances, it is advised that a "unit" represent a lance/star/level II instead of individual units. When using formations as the "unit" make the roll on the highest modifier of that formation.

Each unit rolls a 2d6 and adds/subtracts from that roll if they meet the following modifiers. The final number is the initiative "slot" they take up in that movement turn. The player who has the highest initiative value moves that specific unit. If two players have the same initiative value, the loser of the Force Initiative moves a unit first. Then it is alternating as long as units are in that same value. For example, if Player A has one Battlemech that rolled a 12 and Player B had two Battlemechs roll a 12. If Player B lost Force Initiative, they would move one Battlemech first and then Player A would move. Player B would move their last unit in the 12 slot until moving on to the number 11 slot.

Damage received on your units will now translate to loses in initiative; a downed assault 'mech will now struggle to keep pace even with other 'mechs of its same weight class. This also gives light and medium units the ability to use their speed to outmaneuver heavier forces instead of allowing the game to devolve into a battle between only giants.

Lastly, it creates scenarios where certain units and equipment can truly shine through as worth the tonnage rather than be relegated to very niche duties in very specific scenarios.

Combat Commands

In this section, you will use the rules to build your combat command. You are welcome to use any combat command previously printed in official material, recreate them with the following rules, or create your own. The following rules are intended to help balance the Force building process for the game. It is highly encouraged that both parties use this system, even if playing an established cannon combat command. There may be a future update where the combat commands are redone for balance sake.

Step 6: Reliability Rating

Not all warriors will stand and fight against insurmountable odds. Even the most skilled commands might not wish to take heavy losses to achieve their objectives. Choosing a Reliability Rating gives units under this Combat Command a base target number for the purposes of Morale (see page 6). All units start out as Questionable. From there they can increase the overall Reliability Rating of their command by paying the Command Point cost associated below. Note, you do not need to purchase the previous rank of experience in order to gain a higher rating.

Step 7: Support Composition

When creating your Combat Command, you will want to consider how you want to build your forces. Some smaller Commands may only have access to Battlemechs while larger Combat Commands may be able to muster entire Combined Arms offensives. Choosing your Support Composition here allows you to bring certain types of Battlefield Support.

Note that this does not have an effect on what units you can normally field from your availability list. It is only for Battlefield Support in cases where it is used for balancing Point Values or for scenario purposes.

Building Your Army List

Force Commanders and Sub-Commanders

An important concept for some scenarios, morale, and objectives is your battlefield commander. The Force Commander is the unit who is in overall charge of your forces on the battlefield. They can be selected from any unit you wish. Each lance (or equivalent) will have a Sub-Commander who is in charge of the lance. Note that the Force Commander counts as the commander of their lance.

All of your forces' Command Special Rules are assigned directly to your Commanders. Each time you suffer a loss of one of your commanders, randomly determine which Command Special Rule they took with them. For the remainder of the scenario, you can no longer use that special rule for your forces.

In addition, the loss of your Force Commander not only causes an immediate Panic Test, but you suffer a -2 penalty to your initiative for the rest of the scenario.

Experience Rating

Unless otherwise overwritten elsewhere, all pilots are considered to start out at a Regular rating. When adjusting the Experience Rating of a unit, use the tables below. Units must be upgrades one rating at a time, meaning they cannot go from Regular to Elite in one step. Additionally, if you go down a step, the unit less PV equal to its upgrade cost.

Availability List

When choosing units to fill out your formations, you must only choose units that are available to your forces. These availability list are chosen when creating the Combat Command, see page page 11. These availability list can be found on the Master Unit List website.

When choosing units from the list, those which are on your faction's list cost no additional Point Value. Units within your Common Ally's list cost an additional +1 Point Value to field. Units within your Common Enemy's list cost an additional +2 Point Value to field. Fielding units not on any of your availability list incurs a +4 Point Value penalty. You cannot field more than one non-available unit per Formation.

Mismatched Point Value

Player forces who are mismatched on Point Value can choose to field Battlefield support to make up the point difference. This can be either the stardard Battlefield Support or Combined Arms support. The amount of Point Value is equal to the difference between the forces.

Example: Luke's forces are 32 PV below Corey's force's total. He chooses to purchase a pair of Field Gun (Heavy) for 16 PV a piece, bringing his total equal to Corey's.

Formations

The last part of force building is setting your units up in formations. Depending on your combat command's faction, this may be done in a number of ways. The smallest organizational unit within the Innersphere is the Lance. A Lance consist of four combat units, normally of the same type. Though some forces has experimented a bit with this (via Demi-Companies and Augmented Lances), we can assume that generally that is how combat commands assemble their forces. Other factions might have different preferences and arrange their units in groups of 5, 6, and even 7.

However you choose to arrange your forces, they must fit within the basic criteria of your faction. You may only field complete formations, unless agreed upon by your opponent or campaign situation.

This is to encourage players to bring what they want to play with to the field and let the PV imbalance system balance out the differences.

Once you have arrayed your forces into formations, you must pick which formation will house your Force Commander and which unit is your Force Commander. This Force Commander's unit is considered your Command. You can only have one Command per Force, regardless of how many different combat commands are on the same side. Each additional Formation must as a Sub-Commander designated.

If your Force Commander is incapacitated or killed, your units may be forced to make a Panic Check. As such, your Command formations receives the Shielding rule for free while within 8" of your Force Commander.

Campaign Operations

Submitting Results

Once the scenario's outcome and victory points are tallied, it is time to submit the score to the organizers. They will determine the method of submission and how often the scores are updated. Generally it is advised to pick a day to adjust every week or bi-weekly.

One player should be in charge of submitting the results, that player being determined amongst those involved in the scenario. If a campaign organizer was present during the scenario as an observer, they might be able to tally the results right there without the need for a player to be responsible.

Modifying Forces During the Campaign

Aside from gaining experience for pilots, a player might wish to modify their unit roster in one of two ways.

First, they can elect to add a new unit to their roster by either filling out a previously unfilled spot or replacing an existing unit. If replacing an existing unit they have the option to put it in a strategic reserve. Units in strategic reserve are not able to be fielded by the player unless they are put into another active formation. The other option is for a player to sell that unit at a reduced cost.

Additional Rules

The following are new and modified rules to add flavor to your campaigns. These rules can be used in conjunction with the Community Campaign System or separately.

Characters

When a player submits his roster, each pilot or crew on his initial force is treated as a "character". A character is defined as a pilot or crew that operates a non-Battlefield Support unit. So any Mechwarrior, Vehicle Crew, Battle Armor pilots, Infantry, or Aerospace pilots you choose to bring along.

Characters can gain experience as they survive scenarios. Once a character reaches a certain experience level they have the option to gain an Special Pilot Ability as outlined in both Campaign Operations and Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition.

Gaining Experience

After each scenario, the players record which surviving character participated. For every five scenarios a character has survived, a player may choose to upgrade them to the next tier by paying the Victory Point cost associated with the next Experience Rating. A player may only choose to do this once per Scenario ending and only on eligible characters.

Experience Gain

Rating	VP Cost
Regular (4/5)	1 VP
Veteran (3/4)	3 VP
Elite (2/3)	6 VP
Heoric (1/2)	12 VP
Legendary (0/1)	24 VP

Gaining Special Pilot Abilities

Characters that increase their Experience Rating may choose to gain SPAs associated with their experience rating, (see page 92 of Alpha Strike: Commander's Edition). However, this can only be done once regardless of any further Experience Rating gains. So it may be a good idea to wait until the character is of sufficient rating to gain higher tier SPAs or multiple lower tier ones.

Character Injuries and Death

Normally after each battle, a character's injuries are healed via Victory Point expenditure. If a player does not have the Victory Points, or does not wish to spend them, the character's injuries must be submitted to the campaign organizers so they can be sure to record them to carry on into the next battle. Characters who are injured cannot be eligible to increase their Experience Rating until they are fully healed.

Scenario Generator

The follow steps are meant to help players generate new scenarios for play. Using the random tables it is possible to create a wide variety of mission styles that are meant for faster play for concrete results. These can be used either in the campaign setting or for pickup games.

Missions

Before terrain is placed, each side should roll one Mission per formation present in their force.

8. Reconnaissance

Roll a d6: On a 4+ the objectives are part of your opponent's force, on a 1-3 the objectives are buildings or similar terrain features. You randomly generate one objective per two units in your Force. In order to recon an objective a unit must be within sensor range (see Fog of War). Make a piloting skill (following the same rules as Fog of War) to recon the target. If successful, you gain one Victory Point.

9. Assassinate

Your forces are headhunting an enemy warrior. You have one target per Formation in your opponent's force. This target is the unit with the most tonnage in each Formation. If an Assassinate target is destroyed at the end of the scenario, gain 3 Victory Points.

10. Evacuate

Your forces must rush to protect and evacuate a threatened position. For each formation in the enemy's force deploy four Combat Vehicle (Heavy APC) in the center 6" of the battlefield. These APCs must follow the rules for Forced Withdrawal towards your home edge. For each unit that remains active at the end of the scenario you gain one Victory Point. If you manage to get half of these units off the board (meaning they have the MP to go at least an inch off the battlefield) you gain an additional three Victory Points.

11. Extraction

Important intel, tech, or VIP lays at the center of the board. This objective can be picked up by any unit with hands (mechs, battle armor, infantry) or vehicles with cargo capacity. They must end their movement within 1" of the objective and cannot make any attacks in a shooting phase they are picking up the objective. If your force is within possession of the objective at the end of the scenario, gain three Victory Points. If you get the objective off the battlefield on your home edge you gain five Victory Points.

12. Breakthrough

Your forces need to push through the enemy lines in order to make a hole in their battle lines. For this mission, you gain one Victory Point for each unit you manage to get off map on your opponent's home edge.

13. Withstand

Your orders are to hold your position and dig in. If you manage to lose less Point Value than your opponent in this scenario you gain three Victory Points.

14. Attrition

Your orders are to engage and destroy the enemy. If you manage to destroy more Point Value than your opponent in this scenario you gain three victory Points.

15. Defend

An important building or piece of infrastructure is vital to the war effort. Your force must defend three buildings per Formations in the attacker's force. These buildings follow the stats of the Building in the Mission Support Units table. Each surviving building is worth two Victory Points. The placement of these buildings is generally on your half of the battlefield. Buildings can be anything from actual buildings to things like bridges, silos, or other terrain features that you and your opponent agree on.

In addition, your force can deploy two Turrets (see Mission Support Units) per three buildings.

16. Shatter

Command wants the enemy force utterly defeated. If you manage to destroy two-thirds of your opponent's value (rounding up) you gain seven Victory Points.

17. Counterattack

Your orders are to push the enemy back to their own lines. At the end of the scenario, tally the number of friendly units within 6" of your opponent's board edge. Gain one Victory Point for each unit there. You get an additional three Victory Points if the enemy forces do not have any units within 6" of your home edge at the end of the scenario.

18. Demoralize

Your aim is not to necessarily destroy your enemy, but to make him rout from the field. During the scenario, tally the number of times your opponent fails a Panic Check. If that number is greater than the number of failed test your forces had to make at the end of the scenario, you gain five Victory Points.

19. Dominance

Generate objectives as if you are playing a Capture Mission. Instead of one objective being your goal, all of the objectives are your target. If you control two thirds of the objectives (rounding up) at the end of the scenario you gain seven Victory Points.

New Battlefield Support