TEXT: A QUICK-PLAYING TACTICAL MINIATURES GAME
  
  ©2013 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Alpha Strike, Quick Strike, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech and MechWarrior are 
  registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and 
  the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Printed in USA.
  WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
  ®
  For centuries, the armies of the Great 
  Houses have fought to reclaim the 
  glory of the fallen Star League, sending 
  regiments of their elite MechWarriors 
  into battle across hundreds of worlds as 
  humanity slid inexorably toward a new 
  Dark Age. The coming of the Clans—
  descendants of the lost Star League 
  army—did little to stem the slaughter. 
  It only raised the stakes. 
  Alpha Strike is a new, fast-playing form 
  of the BattleTech game of futuristic, 
  armored combat. Developed for the 
  modern tabletop miniatures wargamer, 
  this book brings players the ability to 
  wage war on land, sea, and air using the 
  Quick-Strike game system first devised 
  for truly large-scale play, re-scaled to 
  the tactical level of “classic” BattleTech. 
  Complete with sample armies and a 
  ready-to-play campaign system, all 
  you need besides this book are dice, 
  miniatures, and tabletop terrain to fight 
  for control over the Inner Sphere on land, 
  sea, and air—one world at a time!
  
  BATTLETECH
  tm
  ALpHA STrikE
  tm
  • CATALYST GAME LABS •
  
  IntroductIon 
  6
  Alpha Strike Basics 
  6
  Alpha Strike vs. total Warfare 
  7
  What’s Needed to Play Alpha Strike 
  7
  Alpha Strike at a Glance 
  8
  Additional material 
  8
  Introductory AlphA StrIke 
  10
  Components 
  11
  the Unit Card 
  11
  Setup 
  11
  Choosing Army Lists 
  11
  Placing terrain 
  12
  Playing the Game 
  12
  Sequence of Play 
  12
  Victory Conditions 
  13
  Movement Phase 
  13
  terrain 
  13
  Jumping 
  14
  Combat Phase 
  14
  Resolving Weapon Attacks 
  15
  Resolving Physical Attacks 
  19
  Overheating 
  20
  End Phase 
  20
  Damage 
  20
  Heat 
  20
  Special Abilities 
  21
  Special Ability Descriptions 
  21
  StAndArd AlphA StrIke 
  22
  Components 
  22
  Additional Game terms for Standard Alpha Strike 
  22
  Setup 
  23
  Choosing Scenario types 
  23
  Choosing Forces 
  24
  Placing terrain 
  25
  Playing the Game 
  25
  Sequence of Play 
  25
  Victory Conditions 
  26
  Forced Withdrawal (Optional) 
  27
  Movement Phase 
  27
  Unequal Number of Units 
  27
  terrain 
  28
  Additional movement Rules 
  32
  Combat Phase 
  33
  Resolving Weapon Attacks 
  34
  Resolving Physical Attacks 
  42
  Overheating 
  44
  End Phase 
  44
  Damage 
  44
  Heat 
  44
  Special Abilities 
  45
  Special Ability Descriptions 
  45
  C3 Networks 
  49
  AbStrAct AeroSpAce SyStem 52
  Control Rolls 
  53
  Aerospace Setup 
  53
  the Radar map 
  53
  Placing Aerospace Forces on the Radar map 
  54
  Abstract Aerospace Gameplay 
  54
  Abstract Aerospace movement 
  54
  Abstract Aerospace Combat 
  55
  Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Ground Attacks 
  55
  Resolving Aerospace Air-to-Air Attacks 
  58
  Resolving Ground-to-Air Combat 
  60
  End Phase 
  60
  Ending Air-to-Air Engagements 
  61
  Aerospace Damage 
  61
  AdvAnced optIonS 
  62
  Advanced Movement Modes 
  62
  Climbing 
  62
  Evading 
  63
  Leaping 
  63
  Intentional Falls from Above 
  63
  Sprinting 
  63
  transporting Non-Infantry Units 
  63
  Advanced Terrain 
  64
  Bridges 
  64
  Buildings 
  64
  Deep Snow 
  64
  Gravel Piles 
  65
  Hazardous Liquid Pools 
  65
  Heavy Industrial  
  65
  Ice 
  65
  Jungle 
  65
  magma 
  66
  mud 
  66
  Planted Fields 
  66
  Rails 
  66
  Rough, Ultra 
  67
  Rubble, Ultra 
  67
  Sand 
  67
  Swamp 
  67
  tundra 
  67
  Water (Expanded) 
  67
  Woods (Expanded) 
  69
  Bogging Down 
  70
  
  3
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Aerospace Units on the Ground Map 
  70
  Aerodyne Units 
  70
  Spheroid Units and Airships  
  71
  Landing Rolls 
  72
  Aerospace Unit transports 
  72
  Partial Cover 
  73
  Artillery 
  73
  On-Board Artillery vs. Off-Board Artillery 
  73
  Resolving Artillery Attacks 
  74
  Alternate Munitions 
  76
  Alternate Artillery munitions 
  76
  Alternate Autocannon munitions 
  78
  Alternate Bomb munitions (Bombs/Aerospace 
  missiles) 
  78
  Alternate Narc/iNarc Pods 
  79
  Alternate LRm/SRm munitions 
  79
  Battlefield Intelligence 
  82
  Battlefield Intelligence Ratio 
  82
  Battlefield Intelligence Benefits 
  83
  Buildings 
  83
  Building types 
  83
  movement Effects 
  84
  Attacking Buildings 
  85
  Walls 
  86
  Capital and Sub-Capital Weapons  
  86
  Airborne targets 
  86
  Ground targets 
  87
  Concealing Unit Data 
  87
  Blip Counters 
  87
  Concealing Record Sheets 
  89
  Coordinate System 
  89
  Creating a Coordinate 
  89
  Dropping Troops 
  90
  General Dropping Rules 
  90
  High-Altitude Drops 
  90
  Low-Altitude Drops 
  90
  Zipline Drops 
  91
  ECM/ECCM 
  91
  Ejection/Abandoning Units 
  91
  Environmental Conditions 
  92
  Atmospheric Density 
  92
  Darkness 
  92
  Earthquake 
  92
  Electromagnetic Interference (EmI) 
  93
  Gravity 
  93
  temperature 
  94
  Wind 
  94
  Other Conditions 
  95
  
  Exceptionally Large Units 
  96
  Line of Sight 
  96
  Facing Sides and Firing Arcs 
  96
  mobile Structures 
  96
  Bay Doors and transport Special Abilities 
  97
  Boarding Actions 
  98
  Expanded Ground Ranges 
  99
  Extreme Range 
  99
  Horizon Range 
  99
  Fire and Smoke 
  100
  Fires 
  100
  Smoke 
  101
  Hidden Units 
  102
  Hiding on the Ground 
  102
  Surprise Attacks from Hidden Units 
  102
  Minefields 
  102
  minefields at Setup 
  102
  minefield types 
  102
  Targeting and Tracking Systems 
  103
  Terrain Conversion 
  104
  Special Abilities 
  104
  Special Ability Descriptions 
  104
  Converting Alpha Strike to Hex Maps 
  110
  Converting movement and Distances 
  110
  Line of Sight 
  110
  terrain Levels and Unit Heights 
  111
  Intervening terrain on Hex maps 
  111
  AlphA StrIke  
  cAmpAIgn ruleS 
  114
  Setting up the Campaign 
  115
  Force Creation 
  115
  Campaign turns 
  115
  The Total Chaos Campaign System 
  116
  tracks 
  116
  Situation 
  116
  Warchest Point System 
  118
  Getting Started  
  118
  Warchest Points Between tracks 
  118
  Skill Advancement 
  119
  Warchest Campaign Record Sheet 
  119
  Tracks 
  121
  meeting Engagement 
  121
  Breakthrough 
  122
  Assault 
  123
  Counterattack 
  124
  Pursuit 
  124
  Defense 
  125
  erA SettIng:  
  the clAn InvASIon erA 
  126
  the Clan Invasion 
  126
  the Battle of tukayyid 
  127
  the marik-Liao Offensive 
  127
  the Refusal War 
  127
  the Second Star League 
  128
  the St. Ives War 
  128
  the First Combine-Dominion War 
  128
  Key Conflicts and Campaigns 
  129
  the Clan Invasion  
  129
  the marik-Liao Offensive 
  129
  the Refusal War 
  130
  Operation BULLDOG 
  130
  the St. Ives War 
  130
  the First Combine-Dominion War 
  131
  Factional Overview: Clan Invasion Era 
  132
  Special Alliances and Enmities 
  132
  Special Rule: Clan Honor 
  132
  the bAttletech unIverSe 
  142
  A History of War 
  142
  Colonizing the Stars  
  142
  the Age of War  
  143
  the Star League  
  143
  the Succession Wars 
  143
  the Clan Invasion  
  143
  Civil War Era  
  144
  the Word of Blake Jihad  
  144
  the Dark Age 
  144
  The Realms of Power 
  145
  House Davion (Federated Suns) 
  145
  House Kurita (Draconis Combine) 
  145
  House Liao (Capellan Confederation) 
  145
  House marik (Free Worlds League) 
  146
  House Steiner (Lyran Alliance) 
  146
  ComStar 
  146
  Word of Blake 
  146
  the Clans 
  147
  the Periphery 
  147
  Universe terms 
  148
  BattleTech Resources 
  154
  Core Rulebooks 
  154
  technical Readouts 
  155
  Plot Sourcebooks 
  155
  Historical Sourcebooks 
  155
  maps, terrain, and miniatures 
  155
  
  5
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Project Development
   Herbert A. Beas II
  Writing
   Herbert A. Beas II
   Joshua Franklin
   Jason Schmetzer
   Paul Sjardijn
  Based on Original BattleForce 2 Rules by
   Bryan Nystul
  Strategic Operations BattleForce and 
  Miniatures Rules
   Kirk Alderfer
   Ray Arrastia
   Matt Murray
   Rick Sardinas
   Joel Steverson
  Product Editing
   Herbert A. Beas II
  BattleTech Line Developer
   Herbert A. Beas II
   
  Assistant Line Developer
    Ben H. Rome
  Production Staff
   
  Art Direction
    Ray Arrastia
   
  Cover Art
    Alex Iglesias
   
  Cover Design
    Ray Arrastia
   
  BattleTech Logo Design
    Shane Hartley and Steve Walker
   
  Evolved Faction Logos Design
    Jason Vargas
   
  Layout
    Ray Arrastia 
   
  Map Diagrams
    Ray Arrastia
   
   
  Map of the Inner Sphere
    Øystein Tvedten
   
  Alpha Strike Data Cards
    Ray Arrastia 
  Miniatures Painting & Photography
  CamosSpecs Online: Ray Arrastia, 
  George Bluoin, William Burt, Roy Carl, 
  Chris Dolega, Paul Eckes, Matt Edwards, 
  Dave Fanjoy, Todd Farnholtz, Matt 
  Frederiksen, Joel Hardwick, Phil Hays, Ross 
  Hines, Michael Holzapfel, David Kerber, 
  Frederic Lagoanere, Steve Livingston, 
  Mark Maestas, Steve McCartney, Ryan 
  Peterson, Brian Plunkitt, Mike Raper, 
  Ben Rome, Lance Scarinci, Paul Sjardijn, 
  Edward Smith, Allen Soles, Drew Williams, 
  and Peter Wort.
  Additional Design and Development
  The following people have been involved in the creation and 
  development of Classic BattleTech rules, either by writing material 
  that was assimilated into the main body of the rules, serving as the 
  BattleTech line developer in the past, or otherwise contributing to the 
  game in a major way.
  Samuel B. Baker, Herbert A. Beas II, 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, David McCulloch, Jim Musser, Bryan Nystul, Mike Nystul, Blaine 
  Pardoe, Boy F. Peterson Jr., Rick Raisley, Jerry Stenson, Christoffer 
  Trossen, Wm. John Wheeler.
  Acknowledgements
  To Bryan Nystul, for pioneering the original rules. To Randall N. Bills, 
  for agreeing with me that this would make a great core book addition. 
  To Ray Arrastia, who—in addition to making the eleventh-hour 
  efforts to make all of these words look pretty on a page—has likewise 
  championed the idea of making BattleTech stronger, faster, and better, 
  even if he couldn’t have a more direct hand in the writing phase, To 
  Joshua Franklin, for being three steps ahead of us in actually having 
  the rules compiled and ready while we debated the final form. And, of 
  course, to the BattleTech community, for its endless support!
  The BattleTech Review Team
  Army List Support: Joel Bancroft-Connors, Brent Ezell, Joshua 
  Franklin, William Gauthier, Keith Hann, Chris Marti, William Pennington, 
  Luke Robertson, Peter Wort.
  Playtesters: Peter M. Andrew, Jr., Ray Arrastia, Sam Barnes, Henry 
  “Truegrit” Chen, Nick Connor, “Dropkick”, William “MadCapellan” Gauthier, 
  Keith “Xotl” Hann, Térence “Weirdo” Harris, John “Worktroll” Haward, 
  Chris “Alex Knight” Marti, Robert McKittrick, William J. Pennington, 
  Max “Medron Pryde” Prohaska, Sam “Wasp” Snell, Colin “CharlieTango” 
  Toenjes, Jim “Ratboy” Williamson, Peter “wackrabbit” Wort.
  credItS
  ©2013 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
  Alpha Strike, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, ’Mech, 
  BattleMech, MechWarrior and Topps logo are registered 
  trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, 
  Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. No 
  part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a 
  retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any 
  means, without the prior permission in writing of the 
  Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any 
  form other than that in which it is published. Catalyst 
  Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are 
  trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC.
  Printed in USA.
  Published by Catalyst Game Labs,
  an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC.
  PMB 202 303 91st Ave NE E502 
  Lake Stevens, WA 98258
  FIND US ONLINE:
    precentor_martial@catalystgamelabs.com
    
  (e-mail address for any BattleTech questions)
   http://bg.battletech.com/
    
  (official BattleTech web pages)
   http://www.CatalystGameLabs.com
    
  (Catalyst web pages)
   http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog
    
  (online ordering)
  
  It is a universe at war. Even as humankind reached out to 
  command the stars, the human lust for conflict and conquest 
  could not be overcome as easily as the distances of light years. 
  Driven by the dream of one day ruling all of humanity, mighty 
  empires formed, fell, and rose again. From the chaos of war arose 
  the Star League, the pinnacle of human civilization, a Golden Age 
  where a lasting peace and time of prosperity seemed possible at 
  last. But greed, ambition, and treachery combined to tear it all 
  down once more, plunging all the worlds humans called home 
  into centuries of simmering conflict.
  Power over billions now rests in the hands of those who can 
  claim noble blood, or the heritage of elite warriors. Generations 
  of warriors have done battle across countless worlds, fighting 
  for a dream long dead, perpetuating the cycle until few could 
  imagine any other way. the most elite among these warriors—
  like modern-day knights in the neo-feudal realms that now hold 
  sway—are the mechWarriors, those who command the mightiest 
  war machines of the thirty-first century: Battlemechs.
  the BattleTech universe is a realm of perpetual war between 
  interstellar dynasties and feuding Clans. It is a realm where 
  humankind’s greatest enemy is itself, rather than alien invaders. It 
  is a universe where flags and governments change with regularity 
  on the border worlds, and high-minded ideals like “honor”, “glory”, 
  and “freedom” are the catchphrases of warlords.
  It is a universe where life is cheap, but Battlemechs are not.
  AlphA StrIke 
  bASIcS
  Alpha Strike is a fast-playing game of armored combat set in the 
  BattleTech universe, where ongoing warfare and neo-feudalism 
  are the norm. In this future, the pinnacle of human technology is 
  the Battlemech, a hulking, robotic war machine weighing up to 
  100 metric tons, and bristling with weapons and armor. Piloting 
  these Battlemechs are mechWarriors, the elite warriors of the 
  Great House and Clan armies alike. While the battlefield is also 
  home to the vast gamut of infantry, combat vehicles, aerospace 
  fighters, the Battlemech reigns supreme.
  With the Alpha Strike rules, players simulate battles between 
  armies with miniatures representing the various battlefield units, 
  and model terrain representing the battlefield itself. Statistical data 
  for each battlefield element is tracked using unit cards, measuring 
  the element’s mobility, armor, firepower, and special abilities. Dice 
  are used to resolve attacks between elements, with successful 
  attacks delivering damage that degrades each unit’s performance.
  the winner of an Alpha Strike scenario is often the player whose 
  army is the last one standing, but—as in real life—tactics and 
  mission objectives can evolve beyond even that simple definition 
  of success.
  Izanagi Warriors are joined in battle by a  Second Sword of Light Gunslinger.
  IntroductIon
  
  7
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Dice
  the primary action resolution system in this game involves 
  rolling dice. Like the other rule sets in the BattleTech game 
  line, Alpha Strike uses six-sided dice (D6s), with most players 
  requiring at least two “six-siders” (2D6) to resolve most actions. 
  Extra dice can be helpful, but are not required.
  Miniatures
  Alpha Strike uses standard BattleTech miniatures to represent 
  units. the BattleTech Introductory Box Set comes with a set of 
  plastic miniatures and Iron Wind metals sells BattleTech metal 
  miniatures in both sets and individual packs. Each unit employed 
  in an Alpha Strike army is represented by its own miniature.
  Miniature Scale: the miniatures described above are 
  roughly sized to the 1:285 scale. For those familiar with 
  railroading modeling and the like, this makes BattleTech’s 
  preferred miniatures generally compatible with Z-scale models 
  and terrain. (Although Z-scale is technically 1:220, BattleTech 
  miniatures do tend to fluctuate slightly in scale, largely for quality 
  and detail purposes. Because of this, BattleTech miniatures can 
  be viewed more as icons that represent specific units, than a 
  truly accurate to-scale representation of a battlefield unit.)
  Proxy Miniatures: While having the exact miniature matching 
  the make and model of the players’ units is ideal, it may not always 
  be a practical option for those whose resources are limited. 
  Players should therefore feel free to use substitute miniatures to 
  represent their units as “proxies” for any missing units—so long as 
  the substitute miniatures are at least of a size and general shape 
  that appropriately reflects the unit in question. Because likeness 
  can be a subjective thing, however, using proxy figures should 
  only be employed if all other players agree.
  Unit Cards
  Alpha Strike cards are available for download from Catalyst 
  Game Labs. Cards for all the Introductory Box Set units are 
  available for free download from the bg.battletech.com 
  website, and sets of cards for other units are available for 
  purchase. Players armed with the unit’s Alpha Strike stats may 
  also fill in blank cards for themselves. the data recorded on an 
  Alpha Strike unit card is described in the Introductory Alpha 
  Strike rules (see pp. 10-21).
  Tape Measure
  You will need at least one measuring device, usually a tape 
  measure. A measuring stick marked with 6”, 24” and 42” marks 
  can be useful for determining range, or a laser sight that 
  measures range. A flexible tape measure can be useful for 
  determining movement around obstructions. Players are free 
  to measure at any time.
  Measurements: For the purposes of this rulebook, the 
  “Imperial” measuring standard (inches and feet) is used, rather 
  than the metric system. For those comfortable with metric 
  standards wishing to make the conversion, 1 inch (1”) is 
  equal to 2.54 centimeters. Because this can lead to some odd 
  fractional centimeter values, however, we would recommend 
  converting from inches to centimeters using a simpler 2.5 
  multiplier (thus, marking one’s metric-only tape measure at 
  the 15cm, 60cm, and 105cm lengths).
  ALPHA STRIKE vS. TOTAL WARFARE
  Players familiar with the BattleTech universe through Total 
  Warfare will notice some immediate differences between 
  those game rules and the ones found in Alpha Strike. For 
  example, where Total Warfare relies on the players using map 
  sheets marked with a hexagonal grid to track movement and 
  range, Alpha Strike is primarily a terrain-driven game. 
  In place of hexes, the ideal way to play Alpha Strike is 
  to employ three-dimensional terrain. this can range from 
  professional-quality, painted and flocked foam and scale 
  model buildings—all materials one might find in any hobby 
  store that caters to model railroad hobbyists and war 
  gamers—or the most basic improvised approximations, 
  such as various books for hills, and paper stand-ups for trees. 
  Overall, the primary goal of any terrain used for Alpha Strike is 
  to achieve a reasonable sense of scale with the miniatures the 
  players are using to represent their forces.
  (For players who prefer using hex maps in place of three-
  dimensional terrain, rules for converting Alpha Strike to hex 
  map play are provided later in this book.) 
  the rules in Alpha Strike also reduce the detail level found 
  in the Total Warfare style of play, abstracting away the various 
  nuances of each unit’s weapons, armor, and structural designs 
  in favor of a faster-playing system. these rules are actually an 
  adaptation of those presented most recently in our Strategic 
  Operations advanced core rulebook (known there as Quick-
  Strike). As a result, they remain fundamentally compatible 
  with the classic BattleTech game rules.
  WHAT’S NEEDED TO PLAy ALPHA STRIKE
  to play Alpha Strike, you’ll need the following:
  Players
  Alpha Strike is ideally a “player versus player” wargame (though 
  Alpha Strike campaigns can certainly be run with one player 
  acting as a “gamemaster” who merely runs the forces that oppose 
  the players). As a result, it is kind of hard to have a good game of 
  Alpha Strike with less than two players, so you’ll want to invite your 
  friends in. (It’s downright impossible without any players at all.)
  Rules
  this book contains all the core rules needed to play 
  Alpha Strike games ranging in complexity from the basic 
  introductory level through the advanced-level rules suitable 
  for strategic campaigns. Sample company-sized army lists or 
  the Clan Invasion era of play are even provided for players 
  interested in quickly jumping straight into gameplay. 
  Supplemental Rules: to maintain the focus on the basics, 
  this rulebook does leave out some details, most notably unit 
  conversion from standard, Total Warfare-style BattleTech, 
  and a more in-depth look at the alternative eras and faction-
  driven tactics and technologies. For the conversion rules, 
  players will find the rules in Strategic Operations (see pp. 355-
  381, SO). Future supplemental books—both in printed and 
  in downloadable formats—will be provided in the future, 
  offering larger army lists, support for alternate eras of play, 
  and even introducing special rules to simulate factional flavor, 
  tactics, and technologies. 
  
  Advanced Alpha Strike Options: the rules in this chapter 
  present more advanced-level options for games played using 
  the standard Alpha Strike rules, including advanced terrain types, 
  artillery weapon rules, buildings, exotic environmental conditions, 
  fire and smoke, and even conversion rules from terrain-based play 
  to hex-grids.
  Campaign Play: the last of the core rules sections presented 
  in this book presents a rough structure for resolving a campaign 
  using Alpha Strike rules. this system employs a series of mission 
  tracks designed to simulate a textbook planetary invasion 
  between neighboring factions, beginning with the landing 
  process and continuing to the ultimate conclusion of either 
  glorious conquest or heroic defense. 
  ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
  After the core rules chapters, Alpha Strike features two 
  additional chapters:
  Campaign Setting: Clan Invasion:  this chapter is short 
  review of one of the most formative eras in BattleTech history: 
  the Clan Invasion period, from 3050 to 3062. this chapter quickly 
  summarizes the events and major powers involved in the Clan 
  Invasion, while also providing full, playable stats for sample forces 
  from that era. Players can use these armies, together with the core 
  rules in this book, to play out campaigns set in this historical period.
  The BattleTech Universe: this final chapter in this book 
  presents a short sourcebook on the overall BattleTech setting, 
  describing the history, major factions, and terminology of 
  BattleTech in broad strokes. 
  Alpha Strike Supplementals: Beyond this book, and over the 
  coming months, players will find downloadable content tailored 
  for use with Alpha Strike via the bg.battletech.com website. this 
  not only includes the Quick-Strike Cards that translate classic 
  BattleTech units into Alpha Strike-playable units, but also includes 
  Alpha Strike Eras—full-size documents that detail the major 
  periods of warfare in the BattleTech universe, complete with 
  larger-size, ready-to-play army lists, and special rules additions to 
  add more flavor and depth to your Alpha Strike games.
  Tabletop and Terrain
  A tabletop is the bare minimum, typically 6’ x 4’ or larger. 
  miniature trees, buildings, hills and other terrain are then added 
  to produce a simulated battlefield. the rough “real world” scale 
  for this battlefield is approximately 7.5 meters per inch, making 
  the recommended table sizes generally equivalent to a battlefield 
  size 360 to 540 meters across.
  Measurements: Once more, for players who prefer the metric 
  system, 1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters, and 1 foot (1’) equals 
  30.48cm. the recommended table size mentioned above thus 
  works out to about 183cm x 121cm.
  AlphA StrIke  
  At A glAnce
  the cores rules for Alpha Strike are divided into four broad 
  sections in this book, as follows: 
  Introductory Alpha Strike: Following this chapter, the 
  Introductory Rules cover the basics of ground-warfare gameplay, 
  and are best recommended for new players. to keep things 
  simple, the Introductory Rules presume that the players’ forces are 
  entirely composed of Battlemechs, the dominant war machine of 
  the BattleTech setting.
  Standard Alpha Strike: the standard rules are ideal for players 
  who are comfortable and proficient with the introductory-
  level game. Standard Alpha Strike covers the broader range of 
  BattleTech ground warfare, introducing infantry, Protomechs, 
  combat vehicles, and other ground combat elements into the 
  general experience. 
  Abstract Aerospace System: this chapter covers the use of 
  aerospace assets that operate above the standard-level Alpha 
  Strike (and occasionally interact with it). this system allows players 
  to resolve movement and combat for aerospace and conventional 
  fighters, small craft, and DropShips. 
  the following terms are commonly used when playing Alpha 
  Strike, and most will appear repeatedly throughout this book:
  Area of Effect (AoE) – An area of effect refers to a circle around 
  a center point that may be affected by certain weapons or items. 
  Examples of AoE items include electronic countermeasures (ECm) 
  suites, and attacks from artillery weapons.
  Armor and Structure (A and S) – On an Alpha Strike unit’s card, 
  bubbles are used to indicate the how many points of external (Armor) 
  and internal (Structure) damage the unit can sustain before being 
  destroyed. Damage that strikes Structure bubbles dramatically 
  increases the chances of the unit suffering critical damage.
  Base-to-Base Contact – When two miniatures are physically 
  touching each other on the table, they are said to be in base-to-
  base contact. 
  Critical Hit (Critical) – In Alpha Strike, a critical hit refers to a 
  special form of internal damage that impairs a unit’s functions 
  without necessarily destroying it. Critical hits tend to occur as a 
  result of damage to a unit’s Structure, and can affect mobility, 
  firepower, and effectiveness in a variety of ways.
  D6 – Alpha Strike uses six-sided dice for game play, using D6 
  as shorthand for each die a player needs to roll to resolve attacks 
  and so forth. A number preceding D6 refers to how many dice are 
  required for a given action (usually 2D6), with the outcome of the 
  roll determined by adding the dice together. thus, when a player 
  rolls 2D6 and gets a 3 result on one die, and a 4 on the other, the 
  roll result is added up to 7 (3 + 4 = 7).
  Damage value (Damage) – A unit’s Damage Value defines the 
  number of points of Armor and/or Structure damage it can inflict 
  against a target with a successful attack at each range bracket.
  Heat Scale – Some units—notably ’mechs and aerospace 
  fighters—can potentially overheat as a consequence of combat 
  actions and conditions. the Heat Scale is the part of the unit’s card 
  used to keep track of the unit’s present heat levels in the event it 
  CoMMon GAME TErMS
  
  9
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  does overheat. (See Overheat Value, below; if a unit’s heat scale 
  reaches, or exceeds, “S”, the unit is shutdown.)
  Inch – the distance measurement used most commonly 
  to define range and height in Alpha Strike is the imperial 
  inch, which uses a double quotation for shorthand (1 inch = 
  1”). For players converting to metric, 1 inch is equal to 2.54 
  centimeters, but a more easily recommended conversion of 
  2.5 cm to the inch is recommended for ease of play.
  Initiative – In Alpha Strike, Initiative is the gameplay 
  mechanism used to determine movement and combat 
  resolution order. 
  Line of Sight (LOS) – the direct line between two units is 
  referred to as the unit’s Line of Sight. this will be the straightest, 
  shortest distance between the units. A “clear LOS” refers to a 
  line of sight that is not blocked by intervening obstructions. An 
  “obstructed LOS” may have one or more objects between the 
  two units. When two units cannot see each other at all through 
  the objects and terrain between them via this straightest 
  distance, LOS is may be considered blocked entirely.
  Margin of Failure (MoF) – the difference between a target 
  number and a modified roll result that falls below that number 
  is referred to as the roll’s margin of Failure (or moF, for short).
  Margin of Success (MoS) – the difference between a target 
  number and a modified roll result that equals or exceeds that 
  number is referred to as the roll’s margin of Success (or moS, 
  for short).
  Modified Roll – the result of a dice roll after all modifiers are 
  applied is referred to as a modified Roll.
  Modifiers – Any number that is added to (or subtracted 
  from) a dice roll, a target number, damage value, or heat value, is 
  referred to as a modifier. modifiers that apply to a target number 
  are called tN modifiers or to-hit modifiers. modifiers that apply to 
  the dice roll result are referred to as roll modifiers. modifiers that 
  apply to a damage result are referred to as damage modifiers. 
  modifiers may be added or subtracted as appropriate (positive 
  modifiers are added; negative modifiers are subtracted).
  Movement (Move) – Alpha Strike units measure the 
  distance they can move in each turn of play in inches. When 
  a letter appears after the number of inches an Alpha Strike 
  unit possesses, it indicates the mode of movement the unit 
  employs, which can active special rules and options such as 
  the ability to jump over interceding terrain or use hovercraft 
  movement to cross water features, and so forth.
  Multipliers – multipliers are special modifiers that require 
  the player to multiply a roll result, target number, damage 
  value, and so forth, instead of adding or subtracting.
  Overheat value (Ov) – A unit’s overheat value indicates the 
  number of additional damage points it can deliver in exchange 
  for suffering overheat effects. 
  Point value (Pv) – A unit’s Point Value measures its 
  approximate battlefield strength, based on a combination of 
  its mobility, armor, structure, weaponry, special abilities, and 
  even its pilot or crew’s skill. 
  Point of Impact (POI) – A point of impact is the targeted 
  center of an area-effect attack.
  Range – the distance between two units is often referred to 
  as the range between them. Weapons and certain other items 
  tend to have range values, often described as Short, medium, 
  Long, Extreme and so forth. these “range brackets” are often 
  used to describe a unit’s overall ability to deliver damage to a 
  target, with shorter-ranged attacks typically more devastating 
  and easier to deliver.
  Round Up – Recurring rules (often involving multipliers) 
  may request that a player “round up,” “round down” or “round 
  normally,” depending upon the situation. Rounding up means 
  to increase a value to the nearest desired number (usually the 
  nearest whole number), regardless of how small the fraction 
  may be. For example, if a value of 3.1 is achieved and a player 
  is asked to “round up to the nearest whole number,” that 3.1 
  becomes a 4.
  Round Down – Rounding down means to decrease the 
  value to the nearest desired number—once again, regardless 
  of the decimal. For example, a value of 3.6 that the player must 
  “round down to the nearest whole number” becomes a 3.
  Round Normally – Rounding normally means that 
  when the value to be rounded falls closer to a lower target 
  number than a higher one, the player must round down. 
  Conversely, values from the midpoint between two possible 
  target numbers and up to the higher number must be 
  rounded up. For example, a value of 3.4 that the player must 
  “round normally” becomes 3, but a value of 3.5 or more (the 
  midpoint between 3 and 4) would be rounded up to 4.
  Skill Rating (Skill) – In Alpha Strike, a unit’s Skill Rating 
  refers to the unit’s ability to deliver effective attacks and 
  perform certain actions. Better Skill Ratings are generally 
  coupled with lower base target numbers. For this reason, 
  a unit’s Skill may even be referred to by a number, which 
  describes the unit’s target number to execute attacks before 
  applying any modifiers.
  Special Ability (Special) – many units in Alpha Strike feature 
  special abilities. Specials are noted on the unit’s data card using 
  simple abbreviations. Each Special represents a unit bonus 
  capability the unit might be able to use in combat.
  Target Number (TN) – the number that a dice roll must 
  equal or exceed to achieve a successful result. When referring 
  to attack actions specifically, a target number may also be 
  referred to as a to-hit number.
  Unit – In these rules, the term “unit” refers to any single unit 
  or group that can be fielded in a BattleTech game and moves 
  and attacks as one. When a group is referred to as a “unit” 
  individual group members may be referred to as “Elements”.
  Unit Size (Size) – In Alpha Strike play, a unit’s size refers to its 
  weight class. this is generally given in a numerical format, with 1 
  indicating a Light unit, 2 indicating a medium unit, and so forth.
  Unit Type (Type) – A unit’s type is its broad classification, 
  which helps identify basic rules for how it moves and acts in 
  gameplay. In the introductory-level rules, only Battlemech unit 
  types are used. Other types include combat vehicles, infantry, 
  aerospace, and so forth.
  CoMMon GAME TErMS (ConTinuEd)
  
  The mercenary unit Ronim was formed from the Draconis Combine Tenth Ghost Regiment, after refusing orders they deemed a “suicide mission.”
  Introductory AlphA StrIke
  
  11
  introduction
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  Damage value: the numbers shown in this part of the 
  unit card indicates the amount of damage points the unit can 
  deliver at each range bracket—S (+0), m (+2), and L (+4). these 
  range brackets, respectively, are Short, medium, and Long. If 
  a unit cannot deliver damage at a range bracket, it may have 
  either a 0 in that bracket, or a dash (“—”).
  Overheat value (Ov) and Heat Scale: For Battlemech units, 
  the Overheat Value indicates the number of damage points the 
  unit can add to its attack, in exchange for suffering an equal 
  amount of heat. Overheating is tracked in the four boxes under 
  the heat scale, with each point of overheat given its own box. If 
  the unit suffers 4 or more points of overheating, it will shutdown 
  (indicated by the “S” in the fourth box of the Heat Scale).
  Armor and Structure (A/S): the white bubbles in this part 
  of the unit card indicate how many points of external armor 
  the unit possesses, while the gray-shaded bubbles track how 
  many points of internal structure it possesses. When a unit 
  is damaged, these bubbles are crossed off. A unit that has 
  had all of its structure bubbles marked off is considered to 
  be destroyed. 
  Special Abilities: In Alpha Strike, units that possess special 
  battlefield abilities beyond movement, damage, armor, and 
  structure, will note these abilities as Special Abilities. these 
  features are described on the unit card using abbreviations, 
  and are further described later in this book. 
  ID: In the event that multiple units of the same design are 
  used in a given Alpha Strike scenario, players may differentiate 
  these units with some form of handy identifying information, 
  recorded on the reverse side of the unit card.
  Setup
  to begin setup, the controlling player for each side rolls 
  2D6. the player with the highest dice result is the initiative 
  winner, and thus may choose his desired army list first (see 
  Clan Invasion Army Lists, pp. 135-141). the player with the 
  lowest initiative roll selects his army list last (see p. 115).
  CHOOSING ARMy LISTS
  this rulebook includes a list of forces appropriate to the 
  various major factions of the Clan Invasion era. For the 
  purposes of these rules, these forces are called army lists. 
  Before starting play, each player should choose one of these 
  army lists to serve as his force. (For quicker games, players may 
  choose to play with a portion of their chosen armies.)
  As long the number of units—and the total Point Values 
  of these units—are equal for all players’ armies, the battle 
  will be even.
  Unit Type Restrictions
  For the purposes of Introductory Alpha Strike, players 
  must restrict all unit selections to Battlemech-type units only 
  (Bm). For your convenience, the sample army lists provided 
  in this book are all of the Battlemech unit type, but on-line 
  supplements and resources will offer a greater range of unit 
  types more suitable for the standard Alpha Strike rules.
  the following introductory-level rules are designed to 
  familiarize new players with the basics of the Alpha Strike 
  game system. As such, they focus entirely on ground warfare 
  between Battlemechs (’mechs), as they are the primary (and 
  most flexible) of Battletech’s combat units. 
  componentS
  Introductory Alpha Strike uses miniatures, six-sided dice 
  (D6s), tape measures and tabletop terrain. these items were 
  described in brief in the previous chapter (see pp. 6-9). 
  Unit cards, which track the vital statistics and conditions of 
  each unit in play, are also required. the data they present is 
  described below.
  THE UNIT CARD
  the following items appear on the Unit Card for Battlemech 
  units:
  Unit: In Alpha Strike, the term “unit” refers to any single 
  element or group of elements that can be fielded in a 
  BattleTech game. Even when a unit represents multiple 
  elements, the unit moves, attacks, and tracks damage as one.
  Type (TP): the type field on a unit card indicates the general 
  classification of a unit in two-letter codes. the Battlemech 
  (Bm) is the only unit type covered in Introductory Alpha Strike.
  Point value (Pv): A unit’s Point Value measures its approxi-
  mate battlefield strength, based on its combat capabilities.
  Size (SZ): On the unit card, the unit’s size is a numerical 
  value indicating its weight class. Battlemechs tend to come 
  in four sizes, in increasing weight: 1 (Light), 2 (medium), 3 
  (Heavy), and 4 (Assault).
  Movement (Move): On the unit card, the move field 
  indicates the number of inches the unit may move during a 
  turn of gameplay. When a letter appears after this number 
  of inches, it indicates a special mode of movement the unit 
  might possess, such as the ability to jump (see Jumping, 
  p. 15).
  Skill: this blank area on the unit card is where the player 
  can indicate the base to-hit number for the unit’s attacks. (A 
  regular-rated mechWarrior commonly has a value of 4, while a 
  value of 1—or even 0—indicates an elite-rated mechWarrior.)
  TM
  TM
  AlphA strike stAts
  AlphA strike stAts
  TP: 
  SZ: 
  MOVE: 
  SKILL:
  SIZE:    MOVE:    
   S (+0) 
  M (+2) 
  L (+4)
   
   S (+0) 
  M (+2) 
  L (+4)
   
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  A:
  S:
  A:
  S:
  OV:      | HEAT SCALE
  OV:   | HEAT SCALE
  1
  1
  2
  2
  3
  3
  S
  S
  PV:
  PV
  Unit  
  nAme
  <<DESIGNATION>>
  <<MECH>>
  
  plAyIng  
  the gAme
  this section provides an overview of the Alpha Strike gameplay 
  sequence. For simplicity, these rules presume that each game is 
  made up of two sides, controlled either by two players or by two 
  teams of players. Whenever the rules refer to a player, that term 
  can mean a team of players as well as an individual.
  SEqUENCE OF PLAy
  An Alpha Strike game consists of a series of turns. During each 
  turn, all units on the table will have an opportunity to move and 
  fire their weapons or make physical attacks. Each turn consists of 
  several smaller turn segments, called phases. During each phase, 
  players may take one type of action, such as movement or combat. 
  the players execute the phases in a given order. Specific actions, 
  movement, effects of damage and so on are fully explained in 
  separate sections later in these rules.
  Each turn includes the following phases, performed in the 
  following order:
  Step 1: Initiative Phase
  Each player rolls 2D6 and adds the results together to determine 
  Initiative; re-roll ties. the player with the higher result wins the 
  Initiative for that turn. 
  Because movement and combat are considered to occur 
  simultaneously in the course of an Alpha Strike game turn, the 
  Initiative winner actually executes unit movement and combat 
  actions after the player(s) with the lower Initiative roll. this 
  simulates a greater awareness of the tactical situation.
  Step 2: Movement Phase
  the player with the lowest Initiative roll moves one of his units 
  first. Presuming an equal number of units on the two sides, the 
  Initiative winner then moves one of his units, and the players 
  continue alternating their unit movements until all units have 
  been moved.
  If the number of units per side is unequal, the player with the 
  higher number of units must move more units in proportion to 
  that of his opponent. See the Unequal Number of Units rule (see p. 
  27) for a helpful guide to handling unequal force numbers.
  Step 3: Combat Phase
  As with the movement phase, the player with the lowest 
  Initiative roll acts first in the Combat Phase, but—rather than 
  alternating actions—this player declares and resolves all of 
  his units’ combat actions at this time, followed by the Initiative 
  winner.
  In the Combat Phase, each unit may execute one attack. 
  Damage from these attacks is resolved immediately, but the 
  effects do not take place until the turn’s End Phase. this means 
  that a destroyed unit will normally have a chance to return fire.
  Preparing Unit Cards
  the data presented in each army list provides the full Alpha 
  Strike stats for the units in that army list. these statistics must 
  be faithfully copied into the appropriate fields on the players’ 
  unit cards. 
  When translating a unit’s Arm/Str values to a unit card, extra 
  armor and structure bubbles (respectively) beyond those of 
  the unit’s stats must be blacked out prior to play, leaving the 
  remaining bubbles untouched. (For example, the Arm/Str values 
  for the AWS-9m Awesome are given in the Capellan Confederation 
  Army List as 8/4. this means that, when translating the Awesome’s 
  stats to a unit card, all but 8 of the Armor bubbles must be blocked 
  out, while all but 4 of its Structure bubbles must be blocked out.)
  Alternative Army Lists
  Beyond the lists presented in this book, players may purchase 
  downloadable supplements on-line that present larger and more 
  varied army lists appropriate to any desired era of BattleTech 
  gameplay. Players comfortable with the rules may even create their 
  own custom army lists by either converting standard Battletech 
  units to Alpha Strike play (using the rules found in our Strategic 
  Operations advanced rulebook), or by translating the unit’s “Quick-
  Strike” stats as found on the Battletech master Unit List (www.
  masterunitlist.info). 
  PLACING TERRAIN
  In Alpha Strike play, any available terrain is usually selected by 
  the agreement of both players. If the terrain features are modular, 
  the players can even alternate turns adding elements to the 
  terrain table, setting up any hills, water features, woods, and so 
  forth suitable for play. 
  Once the terrain is placed, the initiative winner gets the first 
  pick in declaring an edge of the table area to serve as his army’s 
  “home edge”—the side of the battlefield where his units will 
  enter. the opposite edge then becomes the home edge for the 
  player with the lowest initiative roll. 
  In most scenario types, a player’s units may only exit the map 
  safely through that player’s home edge, but some scenarios may 
  allow (or even require) a player’s units to escape the map via other 
  map edges—perhaps even the home edge of the opposing force.
  Starting Positions
  Generally, units begin play off the board, and enter the 
  battlefield area only during the first turn. At the players’ option, 
  units may instead begin play already placed on the board within 
  their deployment zones (defined as the whole map area within 10 
  inches of the units’ home edge). 
  In this latter case, the player who made the higher Initiative 
  roll during set-up may choose whether to begin setting up his 
  units first or second. Once this is decided, each player takes turn 
  placing one of his units on the map within his army’s deployment 
  zone until all units have been placed. Units may be placed with 
  any facing direction desired. 
  If the opposing armies have an unequal number of units, refer 
  to the Unequal Number of Units rule (see p. 27), to determine how 
  many units must be placed by each player in turn.
  
  13
  introduction
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  movement phASe
  Every unit has a base move listed on its unit card. this value 
  is the maximum number of inches the unit may move during 
  its turn. A unit may move in any direction and—at the end 
  of its movement—may face in any direction. Units need not 
  move their full amount; in place of moving, a unit may simply 
  stand still. A unit may make multiple turns, during the course 
  of its movement, to maneuver around obstacles, so long as 
  the inches traveled are within its maximum move rating. 
  (Using a flexible tape measure, to correctly measure this 
  indirect distance, is highly recommended.)
  terrain may prohibit or impede a unit’s movement, as 
  shown on the movement Cost table.
  Minimum Movement
  As long as a unit is mobile (meaning that its move has not 
  been reduced to zero through damage or heat effects), it can 
  always move 2 inches in any direction, regardless of the terrain’s 
  movement costs (unless the terrain in question is prohibited).
  Facing
  ’mech units are considered to be facing the same way as the 
  feet of the miniature representing the unit.
  A unit’s facing affects combat resolution (see Combat Phase, 
  below), and can only be voluntarily changed during the 
  movement Phase.
  Stacking
  During the movement Phase, a unit may move through a 
  space occupied by other friendly units, but may not move 
  through unfriendly units at the same elevation. If the units 
  occupy different elevations during a unit’s movement (such 
  as when a ’mech unit with jumping capability uses it to move), 
  the units are considered to be at different elevations and may 
  pass through the same space.
  Regardless of how they arrive at their destination, units 
  in Alpha Strike may not occupy the same space on the 
  game table, regardless of any differences in elevation. 
  TERRAIN
  terrain may impede movement, costing an extra number of 
  inches to enter or pass through. these extra costs are shown 
  on the movement Cost table. Note that multiple terrain 
  conditions may combine for higher movement costs (such as 
  when changing elevations while moving through water).
  Water: ’mech units entering water must pay the combined 
  cost of the movement, plus the extra movement costs for 
  water terrain and any level change costs.
  Level Change: ’mechs may climb onto and over terrain as 
  steep as 2 inches high (per inch of horizontal travel). Doing so 
  costs 1 extra inch of movement per inch of elevation changed. 
  (For an exception, see Jumping, p. 14). Level changes greater than 
  these are considered prohibited terrain in Alpha Strike, too sheer 
  for the ’mech to traverse. If the unit does not have enough move 
  allowance remaining to climb to the desired level of terrain, it 
  must remain at the previous level, and cannot move any further.
  Step 4: End Phase
  Both players may complete the End Phase simultaneously.
  In this phase, each player executes any miscellaneous 
  actions remaining for the turn, such as removing destroyed 
  units, or restarting units that shut down from overheating in a 
  previous turn. the specific rules for such actions state whether 
  or not they take place during the End Phase.
  After resolving all End Phase actions, the turn ends and the 
  players return to Step 1, repeat all these steps until one side 
  meets its victory conditions for the scenario.
  vICTORy CONDITIONS
  In Introductory Alpha Strike, victory is most commonly 
  achieved when one player’s army destroys all of the opposing 
  players’ units. 
  Alternative victory Conditions
  Players interested in more variety may assign alternate 
  victory conditions for their Alpha Strike games as they wish. 
  Examples of this include “breakthrough” scenarios, where one 
  side’s goal is to move a certain number of its units across the 
  map and off the opposing edge with minimal casualties, or a 
  “capture the flag” type of scenario, where a player’s force might 
  claim victory by moving its units to a pre-designated point and 
  surviving in that position for a certain number of turns.
  
  Maximum Jump Height: For a jump to be legal, the jumping 
  unit must also be able to clear any terrain it is attempting to pass 
  over. A jumping unit can jump over any terrain that is lower in 
  height than its jump Move rating, so a unit with 6 inches of jumping 
  Move may jump over any obstructions less than 6 inches tall.
  Downward Jumping: When jumping downward (such as off a cliff 
  or building), a jumping unit may safely jump down from any height.
  Water: Units with jumping capability may jump into water 
  terrain, but not out of it. 
  Combat Phase
  In the Combat Phase, each unit may deliver one attack against 
  another unit, be it a physical attack or a weapon attack. If a unit is 
  unable or unwilling to make an attack in the current turn, it may 
  be skipped for that turn.
  To make an attack, the controlling player declares which unit 
  is attacking, what unit it is attacking, the nature of the attack 
  (weapon or physical), and—if applicable—how much of his unit’s 
  Overheat Value the attack will use (see Overheating, p. 20). The 
  player then resolves combat for that unit, applies any damage to 
  the target, and then moves on to another available unit to repeat 
  the process until all of his units have made their attacks. If the 
  player wishes a unit not to make an attack, or if a unit is unable to 
  make an attack for any reason, the player may pass for that turn. 
  In the Movement Basics Diagram at right, the Vulture has 10 
  inches of Movement. To move to Point A, it spends 6 inches of 
  the its available Move to get to the hill, 2 inches to move up the 
  hill, and then 2 more inches to move across the hill. As it has run 
  out of Move, the Vulture stops there, and its controlling player 
  can choose any facing for it to end with.
  The Vulture cannot move to straight to Point B.  The 4” 
  elevation change is more than the 2” allowed for elevation 
  changes per 1” travelled.
  If the player wishes instead to avoid ending up on top of 
  the hill, the ’Mech can move around the hill to reach Point C. 
  In this case, it spends 6 inches to move below the hill, and its 
  remaining 4 inches are spent moving up the gap between the 
  hill and the woods.
  The Vulture can also move to Point D and end its movement 
  in the Woods. For that, it spends 7 inches of Move to get to the 
  edge of the Woods. Because Woods cost an extra 1 inch per 
  inch traveled through such terrain, the Vulture can only move 
  1.5 inches into the Woods before running out of Move.
  If the player would rather place his Vulture in the water, 
  he can move the ’Mech 4 inches to the water’s edge, spend 
  2 inches of Move for the elevation change into the water, 
  and then 4 more inches of Move to push through 2 inches 
  of water terrain.
  JuMping
  Any unit with a “j” listed in its Move statistic is a unit that 
  possesses the ability to jump over intervening obstructions. The 
  distance such units can jump is given as the Move value beside 
  the “j”. Jumping is an alternative movement type that cannot be 
  combined with normal ground movement by the same unit in the 
  same Movement Phase. Units with jumping ability do not always 
  have to jump, and some may even have a shorter Move while 
  jumping than the same unit can move on land. (For example, the 
  JR7-K Jenner, with its Move of 14”/6”j, can use 14 inches of Move 
  on the ground, or jump for 6 inches.)
  A jumping unit ignores terrain costs for the purposes of 
  movement, and may jump in any direction, regardless of its 
  original facing. Jumping movement always follows the shortest 
  path possible; the player simply chooses an end point (up to 
  the unit’s jumping Move allowance), and the unit lands at that 
  location, with any desired facing direction.
  MoveMent Cost table
  Terrain Type
  Movement Cost
  Clear
  1”
  Rough/Rubble
  +1”
  Woods
  +1”
  Water
  +1”
  Level Changes (up or down) 
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (max 2” per 1” travelled)
  • movement basics diagram • 
  WOODS
  4” HILL
  2” HILL
  2” DEPTH 
  WATER
  
  15
  introduction
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  In the Line of Sight diagram, BattleMech A wants to target 
  BattleMech B. From the perspective of BattleMech A, the only 
  thing the controlling player sees between the two units is a 
  woods template. Using a measuring tape drawn between the 
  two units to find how many inches of Woods terrain intervene, 
  the player finds that he is trying to target a unit through 7 
  inches of light woods intervene. Because this is more than 6 
  inches, LOS between the two BattleMechs is actually blocked; 
  BattleMech A therefore cannot attack BattleMech B.
  The controlling player decides instead to target Ground 
  Vehicle C. Unfortunately, when he leans down to the mini’s 
  level to check LOS, he finds that Vehicle C is actually hidden 
  by the low ridge between them. This leaves only Vehicle 
  D, a VTOL currently flying at an elevation level of 5 inches 
  above the table, as the only target that BattleMech A can 
  see from its vantage point. BattleMech A’s player notes that 
  even this LOS passes over the woods terrain between them, 
  and verifies with a straight-edge that the attack will pass 
  through some wooded terrain.
  Once a player has resolved (or skipped) combat actions for 
  all of his units, the opposing player may then do so for all of 
  his units.
  In Introductory Alpha Strike, the only valid targets for an 
  attack are other units. 
  RESOLvING WEAPON ATTACKS
  the sequence for resolving weapon attacks is as follows:
  Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS)
  Step 2: Verify firing arc
  Step 3: Determine range
  Step 4: Determine to-hit number
  Step 5: Roll to hit
  Step 6: Determine and apply damage
  Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
  Step 1: verify Line of Sight
  Line of sight (LOS) in Alpha Strike is determined by what 
  a unit can “see” from its vantage point on the table. Units 
  can usually be sighted by simply going to the eye level of 
  the attacking unit and looking at the target miniature. If the 
  target miniature can be seen, then the units have LOS to one 
  another. When this is not possible, players may determine 
  line of sight by running a straight measuring tape or a taut 
  string from miniature to miniature, or perhaps even by using 
  a laser pointer. 
  If less than one-third of a miniature is visible behind solid 
  terrain (such as hills or buildings), then the line of sight is 
  considered to be blocked. 
  Non-solid terrain—such as woods—does not automatically 
  block LOS in the same fashion. In the case of such terrain, 
  line of sight is only considered to be blocked when it passes 
  through 6 inches or more of such intervening non-solid 
  obstructions. Woods that intervene, but do not block, LOS will 
  impose a modifier to the attack’s to-hit numbers (see the To-
  Hit Modifiers Table, p. 16).
  Adjacent Ground Units: Units in base-to-base contact 
  always have line of sight to each other.
  Intervening Units: Intervening units are not treated as 
  terrain, and thus have no effect on LOS or attacks.
  Partial Cover: If more than one-third (but less than two-
  thirds) of a target is hidden behind blocking terrain, LOS is 
  not considered blocked. Instead, the target is said to possess 
  partial cover, and the attacker will apply a modifier to his 
  attack to-hit number as a result (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, 
  p. 16).
  Woods: Units do not receive partial cover from woods terrain.
  Water: ’mech units that are standing in Water terrain at a 
  depth (negative elevation) level of 1 inch will receive partial 
  cover benefits from the water. Because the water surrounds the 
  ’mech, this partial cover applies even if the attacker is standing 
  at a higher level than the target and would ordinarily be able 
  to see the target’s legs. If a unit is completely submerged 
  within water (such as a ’mech unit standing in water features 
  2 or more inches deep), LOS to (and from) the submerged unit 
  is considered to be blocked.
  LIGHT WOODS
  TEMPLATE
  2” HILL
  ELEVATION 5”
  • line of sight diagrams • 
  
  Step 2: verify Firing Arc
  Every unit in Alpha Strike 
  has a particular field of fire 
  into which the unit may make 
  attacks. these fields of fire, 
  based on the unit’s type and 
  its facing, are known as firing 
  arcs. A ’mech unit’s firing arcs 
  extend to the edge of the 
  battlefield in the directions 
  indicated by the diagram. 
  If more than half of the 
  target unit’s base lies outside 
  the attacker’s firing arc, then 
  the attack cannot be made.
  Step 3: Determine Range
  Alpha Strike uses fixed range brackets for all weapon types. to 
  determine a unit’s range, measure the distance from the edge of 
  the attacker’s base to the edge of the target’s base, and compare 
  this number to the Alpha Strike Range table, to determine what 
  range bracket the target lies in.
  A unit’s successful attack will deliver a certain amount of 
  damage to the target at each of the indicated ranges, but not 
  all units can deliver damage at every range bracket. If a unit’s 
  damage value in a given range bracket is given as a 0 or a dash 
  (“—”) on its unit card, the unit cannot make a weapon attack at 
  that range.
  Base-to-Base Contact: Units may not make weapon attacks 
  against targets with which they are in base-to-base contact. 
  Against such units, the attacker may only deliver a physical attack 
  (see Resolving Physical Attacks, p. 19).
  Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number
  Once a player has determined that he has LOS to his target, 
  that the target is within the attacking unit’s firing arc, and within 
  a range bracket it can deliver damage to, he must determine the 
  to-hit number. the player’s dice roll must equal or exceed this to-
  hit number in order to score a successful attack against his target.
  the base to-hit number for all attacks is the unit’s Skill Rating. 
  this number is then modified based on the attack’s range 
  bracket, the target’s movement capability, terrain features, 
  and other miscellaneous situations. the modifiers applicable 
  to Introductory Alpha Strike are shown on the to-Hit modifiers 
  table. Unless otherwise stated, all modifiers are cumulative, 
  which means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number to 
  find the final to-hit number. 
  alPHa strike range table
  Distance
  Range
  Up to 6”
  Short
  Over 6” and up to 24”
  medium
  Over 24” and up to 42”
  Long
  RANGE MODIFIERS
  Range
  Distance
  Modifier
  Short
  Up to 6”
  +0
  medium
  >6” to 24”
  +2
  Long
  >24” to 42”
  +4
  TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1
  Target’s Available MP
  Modifier
  0-4”
  +0
  5”-8”
  +1
  9”-12”
  +2
  13”-18”
  +3
  19”-34”
  +4
  35”+
  +5
  Jump Capable
  +1
  TERRAIN MODIFIERS
  Terrain
  Modifier
  Woods
  +22
  Partial Cover
  +2
  PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS
  Physical Attack Type
  Modifier
  Charge
  +2
  Death From Above
  +3
  melee
  +1
  Standard
  +0
  TARGET MODIFIERS
  Target
  Modifier
  Is Shutdown/Immobile
  –4
  MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS
  Attacker
  Modifier
  Fire Control Hit
  +23
  Overheated
  + Heat Level [1-3]4
  to-Hit Modifiers table
  1Modifier Modifier is based on the unit’s available movement, modified by heat 
  levels and critical hits (if applicable). For units with multiple movement 
  modes, apply the modifier from the mode that has the highest modifier. Inches 
  actually moved by the unit are irrelevant.
  2Modifier applies if terrain is intervening or occupied by target.
  3This modifier may apply multiple times, but does not apply to physical attacks.
  4Heat modifiers do not apply to physical attacks.
  • alpha strike 
  firing arcs diagram •
  
  17
  introduction
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  Heat Special Ability: Some units have a preponderance of 
  heat-generating weapons. Units with this feature will reflect 
  this in the unit’s stats via the Heat special ability (Ht#). the Heat 
  special ability will also include a numeric rating (for example, 
  Ht1), which will indicate the number of additional heat points 
  that will be applied to the target in the End Phase of the turn 
  when the attack hits. (this heat applies in addition to the 
  indicated amount of the unit’s normal weapon attack damage, 
  so a unit that can deliver 3 points of damage and has the Ht1 
  special will deliver 3 points of damage plus 1 point of heat.) A 
  unit may be struck by multiple attacks that deliver heat, but no 
  unit may gain more than 2 points of heat per turn in this fashion. 
  Applying Damage
  the 
  following 
  question-
  and-answer process covers 
  the recording of damage from 
  a successful attack. 
  question 1: Does the target 
  unit have armor (Arm) bubbles 
  remaining on its unit card?
  Yes: Check off one armor 
  bubble for every point of 
  damage delivered against the 
  unit, until all damage is applied 
  or all armor is destroyed. then 
  proceed to Question 2.
  No: Proceed to Question 3.
  question 2: Is there attack damage remaining?
  Yes: Proceed to Question 3 to allocate remaining damage.
  No: the attack is finished.
  question 3: Does the target unit have structure (Str) 
  bubbles remaining?
  Yes: Check off one structure bubble for every point of 
  damage delivered, until all damage is applied or all structure 
  is destroyed. then proceed to Question 4.
  No: Proceed to Question 4.
  question 4: Is there damage remaining?
  Yes: the target unit is destroyed.
  No: Go to Question 5.
  question 5: Does the target unit have structure bubbles 
  remaining?
  Yes: Roll once on the Determining Critical Hits table (see 
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 18). the attack is finished.
  No: the target unit is destroyed.
  Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a 
  movement modifier for target’s available movement.
  Occupying and Intervening Terrain: terrain is occupied if 
  any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. terrain 
  is intervening if the Line of Sight passes through it before 
  reaching the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 15).
  In the To-Hit Roll diagram, Alice’s CTF-3L Cataphract 
  stands at Point A and is attacking an ANV-3M Anvil at Point 
  B. Alice’s ’Mech has a Skill rating of 3, establishing her base 
  to-hit at 3. She then applies the following modifiers: 
  The Anvil is 2 inches away, and thus at short range  
  (no modifier).
  The Anvil’s available Move is 10”/4”j. The 10” ground 
  movement provides a target movement modifier of +2, 
  while the 4”j provides only +1 (+0 for the 4” movement, +1 
  for jump capability = +1 total). As the ground movement 
  modifier is higher, +2, is used. 
  Next, Alice adds 2 because the Anvil is in water that 
  provides partial cover.
  This makes the final, modified to-hit number 7 (3 [Skill 
  Rating] + 0 [short range] + 2 [target movement] + 2 
  [partial cover] = 7). Alice will need to roll 7 or higher on 2D6 
  to successfully hit her target.
  Step 5: Roll to Hit
  to execute an attack, the controlling player rolls 2D6 
  for each unit and compares the total to the modified to-hit 
  number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals 
  or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack succeeds. 
  Otherwise, the attack fails.
  Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage
  When an attack is successful, its damage is applied 
  immediately, but damage effect will not take place until the 
  End Phase. Before damage can be applied, the attack direction 
  and amount of damage must be determined.
  Attack Direction: When an attack hits a unit, it must be 
  determined whether or not it strikes the target’s front or rear. to 
  determine this, lay a straightedge from the center of the attacker’s 
  base to the center of the target’s base. If the attack enters through 
  the rear hex side of the target’s base, the attack direction is to the 
  target’s rear. Otherwise, the damage applies to the front of the 
  target. If the straightedge crosses at the intersection of two hex 
  sides, the target chooses which side is hit by the attack.
  Amount of Damage: the base amount of damage delivered 
  by a successful weapon attack is equal to the attacking unit’s 
  damage value at the appropriate range bracket. If the target is 
  at short range, the base damage is that listed in the attacking 
  unit’s S value. For a target at medium range, the m value is 
  used. For a target at long range, the L damage value applies. 
  Add 1 point of damage to any successful attack that strikes 
  its target in the rear.
  Units that track heat may inflict additional damage on their 
  targets at the expense of overheating. the decision to overheat 
  for additional damage potential must be made when the attack 
  is declared, but before it is resolved (see Overheating, p. 20).
  • to-hit roll diagram • 
  WOODS
  1” DEPTH 
  WATER
  • attack direction
  diagram • 
  
  Ammo Hit: Unless the unit has the CASE, CASEII, or ENE special 
  abilities, the unit is destroyed. If the unit has CASE, it suffers 1 
  additional point of damage (roll again on the Determining Critical 
  Hits table if this damages structure). If the unit has the CASEII or 
  ENE special abilities, apply no additional damage and treat the 
  result as No Critical Hit.
  Engine Hit: the unit’s power system has been damaged. the 
  engine hit will cause the unit to generate 1 heat point any time 
  it fires its weapons without delivering any extra damage from 
  overheating. (the unit may still use overheating to add damage 
  to its attacks, but this heat will add to the 1 point generated by 
  the engine hit.) A second Engine Hit critical will destroy the unit.
  Fire Control Hit: Some mechanism for controlling the unit’s 
  weapons has been damaged. this could represent anything from 
  arm actuator damage to sensor hits. Each Fire Control Hit adds 
  a cumulative to-hit modifier of +2 for all subsequent weapon 
  attacks by the damaged unit. (this modifier will not apply to 
  physical attacks.)
  MP Hit: Something related to the unit’s ability to move has 
  been damaged. the affected unit loses half of its current move, 
  rounding normally (to a minimum move loss of 2 inches). If a unit 
  is reduced to a move of 0 inches (or less) in this fashion, the unit 
  may no longer move.
  No Critical Hit: the hit causes not critical effect.
  Unit Destroyed: the unit has suffered fatal damage and is 
  eliminated from the game.
  Weapon Hit: this hit represents the destruction of a number of 
  weapons on the affected unit. All damage values are reduced by 
  1 (to a minimum of 0). Weapon Hits do not affect a unit’s physical 
  attack values.
  Kevin’s RFL-3N Rifleman begins the turn undamaged, 
  and so it has 4 points of armor and 5 points of structure. This 
  Combat Phase, the ’Mech is hit by weapon attacks from a 
  STK-5S Stalker and a BSW-X1 Bushwacker. After checking the 
  attack directions, Kevin’s opponents find all shots will strike his 
  Rifleman on the front. The Stalker is attacking from medium 
  range and will thus deliver 3 points of damage. Kevin marks 
  off 3 armor bubbles, leaving 1 armor and 5 structure circles 
  for his Rifleman. Because the damage has not marked off any 
  structure bubbles, there is no Critical Hits roll.
  The Bushwacker, also attacking from medium range, also 
  delivers 3 points of damage. Kevin marks off the last bubble of 
  armor on his Rifleman and 2 points of structure, leaving it with 
  no armor bubbles, and 3 bubbles of structure.
  Kevin informs his opponent that the attack has hit his 
  structure. This means there is a chance for a Critical Hit. His 
  opponent rolls 2D6, getting a 10 result, and consults the 
  Determining Critical Hit Table. This means the Rifleman has 
  taken a Fire Control Hit. In future turns, the Rifleman will suffer 
  an additional +2 to-hit modifier to its weapon attacks.
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits
  Any time a hit damages structure, critical damage may occur 
  that further weakens or impairs the target unit. to determine 
  whether a unit suffers a critical hit—and the nature of such 
  damage—the attacker rolls 2D6 and consults the Determining 
  Critical Hits table. Critical Hits must be clearly marked on the 
  unit’s card. the effects of all critical hits are permanent.
  If the given critical hit effect does not apply to the unit in 
  question (for example, a weapon hit on a unit that has already 
  had all of its damage values reduced to zero), apply 1 additional 
  point of damage to the unit instead, but do not roll for additional 
  critical hits as a result of this extra damage.
  Critical Hit Effects
  the following describes the effects of each critical hit type 
  described in the Determining Critical Hits table.
  deterMining CritiCal Hits table
  2d6 Roll
  Effect
  2
  Ammo Hit
  3
  Engine Hit
  4
  Fire Control Hit
  5
  No Critical Hit
  6
  Weapon Hit
  7
  mP Hit
  8
  Weapon Hit
  9
  No Critical Hit
  10
  Fire Control Hit
  11
  Engine Hit
  12
  Unit Destroyed
  This Sunder has clearly taken a Weapon Hit, and likely an MP Hit.
  
  19
  introduction
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  Step 3: Roll to Hit
  Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified 
  to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll 
  equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is 
  successful. Otherwise, the attack fails.
  Step 4: Determine and Apply Damage
  When a physical attack is successful, its damage is applied 
  immediately, but does not take effect until the End Phase. 
  All physical attack damage is applied in the same fashion as 
  weapon attack damage. Standard and melee physical attack 
  damage is equal to the unit’s Size value, though units with 
  the melee special ability add 1 additional damage point to 
  this number. Special physical attacks use different rules for 
  determining damage, as described below.
  Charge Attacks
  In a Charge attack, the 
  attacking unit uses its 
  ground movement to ram 
  into its target, using its 
  mass and speed to deliver 
  damage. 
  A 
  successful 
  Charge can thus damage 
  both the attacker and the 
  target. the charging unit’s 
  damage is based on its 
  weight and the distance it 
  traveled in the movement 
  Phase. to find this damage, 
  take the total inches the 
  attacker traveled, divide 
  that by 2, and multiply 
  by the result by the value 
  shown on the Charge Damage table, rounding normally. 
  the result is the amount of damage inflicted against the 
  target unit.
  Damage to Attacker: If the Charge attack is successful, 
  the attacking unit also suffers 1 point of damage if its target 
  is Size 3 or higher. this damage does not count as an attack 
  by the target unit, which may attack normally during its 
  Combat Phase.
  Death from Above Attack
  In order to execute a Death from Above (DFA) attack, the 
  attacking unit must have jumping movement. Airborne units 
  may not be targeted by a Death from Above attack. On a 
  successful DFA attack, the attacking unit delivers damage 
  to its target equal to its Charge damage +1 (see the Charge 
  Damage table). 
  Damage to Attacker: If the DFA attack succeeds, the 
  attacking unit also suffers damage equal to its own Size. this 
  damage does not count as an attack from the target unit, 
  so the target may attack normally during its own Combat 
  Phase. If the DFA is unsuccessful, the attacking unit suffers 
  1 point of damage (+1 extra damage point if the attacker’s 
  Size is 3 or higher).
  RESOLvING PHySICAL ATTACKS
  Physical attacks follow a process similar to weapon attacks, 
  but since range is not a factor, several steps are omitted. the 
  process for resolving physical attacks is:
  Step 1: Determine physical attack type
  Step 2: Determine to-hit number
  Step 3: Roll to hit
  Step 4: Determine and apply damage
  Step 5: Roll for critical hits (if applicable) 
  Step 1: Determine Physical Attack Type
  there are three types of physical attack that ’mechs may 
  perform: Standard, melee and Special. A unit may only make 
  one physical attack type per turn. Units cannot make a physical 
  attack in the same turn they have made a weapon attack.
  Standard Physical Attacks: Standard physical attacks 
  consist of punches and kicks where the ’mech uses its limbs to 
  inflict damage on a target. Standard physical attacks can only 
  occur when the attacker is within 1 inch of its target, and the 
  target is within the attacking unit’s firing arc (see Verify Firing 
  Arcs, p. 16).
  Melee Physical Attacks: Only ’mechs with the melee (mEL) 
  special ability may make melee physical attacks. the unit uses 
  a weapon to augment its normal physical attack damage. 
  Units that have a melee special ability may not choose to make 
  a Standard physical attack instead. melee physical attacks can 
  only occur when the attacking unit is within 2 inches of its 
  target and the target unit is also within the attacking unit’s 
  firing arc (see Verify Firing Arcs, p. 16).
  Special Physical Attacks: Charge and Death from Above 
  (DFA) attacks are more aggressive and risky physical attacks. 
  Only one of these special physical attacks may be attempted 
  per target, per turn—once a unit has been targeted for a Special 
  physical attack, it cannot be the target of any further Special 
  physical attacks. Charges and Death From Above attacks can 
  only be completed if the attacking unit can move far enough 
  to end its movement in base-to-base contact with its target, 
  and—because of this—these attacks can only be made against 
  targets that have already completed their movement. (In 
  addition, the Death from Above attack may only be attempted 
  by units that have sufficient jumping move to reach the target.)
  Step 2: Determine To-Hit Number
  the base to-hit number for all physical attacks is the unit’s 
  Skill Rating. this number is modified based on the physical 
  attack type chosen, the target’s movement capability, terrain 
  features, and other miscellaneous situations. the modifiers 
  applicable to physical attacks in Introductory Alpha Strike are 
  shown on the to-Hit modifiers table. Unless otherwise stated, 
  all modifiers are cumulative, which means they are added to 
  the unit’s base to-hit number to find the final to-hit number. 
  Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a 
  movement modifier for target’s available movement.
  Occupying and Intervening Terrain: terrain is occupied by 
  a unit if any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. 
  terrain is intervening if the attacker’s LOS passes through it 
  before reaching the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 15).
  CHarge  
  daMage table
  Unit 
  Size
  Multiply  
  Move by
  1
  .25
  2
  .50
  3
  .75
  4
  1
  Death from Above: Add +1 
  damage for Death from Above 
  (DFA) attack
  
  end phASe
  the following describes the rules for the End Phase of an Alpha 
  Strike turn. Both players may complete this phase simultaneously.
  DAMAGE
  Unless overridden by a special ability, all damage inflicted 
  during the Combat Phase takes effect during the End Phase. 
  this includes all Critical Hit effects as well, and all units that are 
  destroyed must be removed from play at this time.
  HEAT
  the boxed numbers and the letter “S” to the right of the 
  Overheat Value represent the unit’s heat scale. When a unit 
  overheats, the amount by which it overheats is added to the unit’s 
  heat level, which is then marked on the heat scale.
  A unit’s current heat level will be added to its weapon attack 
  target numbers, and twice its current heat level (in inches) will be 
  subtracted from the unit’s ground movement rating. (Jumping 
  move is not affected by the heat scale.) Heat scale levels should 
  be marked in pencil, as a unit’s heat will rise and fall throughout 
  game play.
  Remember that heat levels do not actually change until the End 
  Phase of the turn in which the unit overheated. thus, modifiers 
  caused by overheating do not impact the attack that causes the 
  overheating to begin with; they will instead affect the unit during 
  its next turn. 
  Heat (HT#) Special Ability: the Heat special ability (see p. 20) 
  reflects units that are capable of raising a target unit’s heat via 
  outside heat sources (such as flamer weapons). In a single turn, 
  no unit may receive more than 2 points of heat from attacks 
  made using this special ability. If a unit capable of building heat 
  has already generated 2 points of heat during the turn from Ht# 
  attacks, the unit does not receive any additional heat effects; 
  instead, the extra heat points from these attacks are simply lost.
  Shutdown
  the maximum heat level of 4 appears on the heat scale as an S, 
  which represents automatic shutdown. A unit reaching this level 
  on the heat scale shuts down, and cannot expend move or attack 
  in the following turn. 
  Attacks against a shutdown unit apply a –4 to-hit modifier, and 
  ignore all target movement modifiers during that turn, including 
  any modifiers for the targets jump capability (if applicable). 
  Cooling Down
  Any unit that used Overheating in the current turn will increase 
  its Heat level as mentioned above, and thus will not cool down at 
  all in the End Phase. 
  If a unit outside of water (or in water terrain of less than 2 inches 
  in depth) made a weapon attack in the current turn—but does 
  not use Overheat—its Heat Level will remain unchanged in the 
  End Phase. A unit in water of 2 inches in depth that used only 1 
  point of Overheat will also not change its current Heat Level in the 
  current End Phase.
  Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits
  Physical attacks may inflict critical hits just like weapon attacks. 
  Refer to Roll for Critical Hits (see p. 18).
  Death from Above: A successful DFA automatically results in 1 
  roll on the Determining Critical Hits table against the target unit, 
  even if the target suffered no structure damage as a result of the 
  attack. If the target did suffer structure damage as a result of the 
  DFA attack, an additional roll for critical hits must be made.
  OvERHEATING
  many ’mechs have an Overheat Value (OV) shown on the unit 
  card. this number reflects the fact that these units have more 
  weapons than they can safely fire. A warrior piloting such a 
  machine can push his unit beyond its safety limits to inflict extra 
  damage. However, the heat build-up caused by such action will 
  slow the unit down and cause its targeting systems to behave 
  erratically until the ’mech has a chance to cool off.
  Using Overheat value
  An attacking player must announce his use of Overheat Value—
  and how many points of OV he wishes to use—before resolving 
  the attack’s to-hit roll. A unit with OV can apply anywhere from 
  a minimum of 0 OV points to a maximum equal to the unit’s OV 
  rating. If the attack succeeds, it deals extra damage at the Short 
  or medium range brackets equal to the OV points used when the 
  attack was announced.
  For each point of Overheat Value a unit uses in this fashion, 
  one point of Heat is added to the unit’s Heat Scale (see Heat, p. 
  20). If the overheating unit is in water, it reduces this heat level 
  by 1 point.
  Heat Special Ability: Attacks using the Heat (Ht#) special 
  ability may not be augmented by overheating. 
  Physical Attacks: Physical attacks may not be augmented  
  by overheating. 
  Overheat Long (OvL) Special Ability: If a unit has the OVL 
  special ability, its use of Overheat will also increase its damage 
  value in the Long range bracket in the same manner as it will for 
  Short and medium range.
  Maximum Overheat and Heat Scale Effects
  Using Overheat will add to a unit’s Heat Value and can cause 
  a unit to move slower and be less accurate in later turns. A unit 
  cannot overheat more than the heat scale will allow (see Heat,  
  p. 20). 
  The STK-3F Stalker has the following stats on its unit card: 
  Damage (S/M/L) 3/4/2, OV 3, and does not have the OVL special 
  ability. With the OV of 3, it can overheat by up to 3 points in a 
  turn. This mean it can inflict up to 6 points of damage at Short 
  range (3 + 3 = 6), or 7 points at Medium range (4 + 3 = 7), but 
  still delivers only 2 points of damage at Long range because it 
  does not have the OVL special ability.
  In the next turn, this Stalker can only overheat by 1 
  additional level, because only one space is left on the heat 
  scale (shutdown). It cannot overheat again by 2 or 3 until it 
  cools down.
  
  21
  introduction
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  SpecIAl AbIlItIeS
  Special abilities reflect extra features of a unit’s performance 
  created by its equipment or unit type. While most of these 
  provide units with additional benefits, some special abilities may 
  also reflect handicaps or restrictions. If a special ability contradicts 
  the basic gameplay rules, the ability takes precedence.
  Units may have multiple special abilities. If two special 
  abilities contradict each other, refer to the detailed ability 
  description for additional instructions. 
  the special ability descriptions below describe abilities 
  usable in Introductory Alpha Strike. Any special abilities not 
  found in the list below have no effect in the introductory level 
  of play, but may be used in standard or advanced Alpha Strike.
  SPECIAL ABILITy DESCRIPTIONS
  these abilities are listed by name, with their common 
  abbreviation given in parentheses. Special abilities followed 
  by a numeric designator (#) indicate indicates that may have 
  variable effect based on the number used. For example, a unit 
  with Ht1 indicates a unit that can deliver 1 heat point in a 
  successful attack against a targeted unit, while a unit with Ht2 
  can deliver 2 heat points.
  CASE (CASE)
  Units with this ability can minimize the catastrophic effects of 
  an ammunition explosion and thus can survive Ammo Hit critical 
  hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 18), but will suffer additional damage.
  CASE II (CASEII)
  Units with this ability have superior protection against 
  ammunition explosions and can ignore Ammo Hit critical hits 
  (see Ammo Hit, p. 18).
  Energy (ENE)
  A unit with this ability has little to no ammo to explode, and 
  ignores Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 18).
  Heat (HT#)
  Units with this ability apply heat to the target’s Heat scale 
  during the End Phase of the turn in which they deliver a 
  successful weapon attack. If the target is a unit type that does 
  not use a Heat Scale, the heat this ability would normally 
  produce is added to the normal attack damage instead (see 
  Determine and Apply Damage, p. 17).
  Melee (MEL)
  this special ability indicates that the ’mech is equipped 
  with a physical attack weapon, and adds 1 additional point of 
  physical attack damage on a successful melee-type physical 
  attack (see Resolving Physical Attacks, p. 19). 
  Overheat Long (OvL)
  A unit with this special ability may overheat up to its OV 
  value and apply that value to its Long range damage value as 
  well as the unit’s Short and medium range damage values. (A 
  unit without this special ability may only apply the damage 
  benefits of its Overheat capabilities to damage delivered in 
  the Short and medium range brackets.)
  Heat levels will thus decrease during the End Phase only 
  as follows: 
  A unit that begins the End Phase as a shutdown unit 
  automatically drops to a Heat Level of 0 (and restarts). 
  A unit does not make a weapon attack in the current turn 
  also reduces its Heat Level to 0. 
  A unit that enters water of 2 or more inches in depth will 
  reduce its Heat Level by 1 point, as long as it did not use any 
  Overheat in the current turn. 
  Caleb’s Loki Prime overheats by 2 in the current turn (but 
  could have gone as high as 3). Caleb marks the 2 box on 
  the Heat Scale of his unit’s card during the End Phase of 
  the turn. Starting with the following turn, and as long as 
  the Loki remains at this heat level, it will lose 4 inches of 
  Move (2 Heat x 2 inches), and suffer a to-hit modifier of +2 
  to all weapon attacks. Unless the Loki forgoes a weapon 
  attack or enters water deep enough to submerge itself, it 
  will remain at a Heat Level of 2.
  If, in the next turn, Caleb uses another 2 points of Overheat, 
  his Loki will automatically shut down in the End Phase of 
  that turn, and will thus be unable to move or make weapon 
  attacks for another full turn. If the Loki is not destroyed during 
  the turn in which it is shutdown, it will return to a Heat Level of 
  0 and restart in that turn’s End Phase.
  Wolverine II WVR-7H, Mercenary
  
  the following Alpha Strike rules are considered to be suitable 
  for standard-level play. As they cover the broad spectrum of 
  ground units available to armies in the BattleTech setting, they are 
  naturally more expansive than those found in Introductory Alpha 
  Strike game system. 
  While these rules are mainly focused on ground-level warfare, 
  they are also designed to work alongside the aerospace 
  component of the game, which will be covered in the next 
  chapter. For this reason, many references between the two 
  chapters may be expected. Players of standard-level Alpha Strike, 
  however, need not feel obligated to include all of these unit types 
  in a given force.
  componentS
  Standard Alpha Strike uses the same basic components found 
  in Introductory Alpha Strike, including miniatures, six-sided dice, 
  tape measures and tabletop terrain. these items were described 
  in brief in the previous chapter (see pp. 10-21). the unit cards, 
  which track the vital statistics and conditions of each unit in play, 
  are likewise used in the same basic fashion as those required 
  for the introductory-level game, but the increased range of unit 
  types will add new data are described in the additional game 
  terms below.
  ADDITIONAL GAME TERMS  
  FOR STANDARD ALPHA STRIKE
  the following terms are commonly used when playing 
  standard-level Alpha Strike, and add to those discussed in the 
  introduction of this book:
  Unit: Under these rules, the term “unit” still refers to any single 
  element or group of elements that can be fielded in an Alpha 
  Strike game, as long as it moves and attacks as one. Battlemechs, 
  Industrialmech, combat vehicles, support vehicles, conventional 
  fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, DropShips, and mobile 
  structures all operate as single-element units. Protomechs 
  operate in five-element groups often referred to as Points, which 
  also act as one unit in gameplay. Conventional battle armor, 
  meanwhile, treats groups of troopers as single unit called a Point 
  or squad (depending on the faction that uses them). the same 
  goes for conventional infantry units, which are fielded in single 
  units of troopers organized as platoons or Points.
  Unit Type: Where Introductory Alpha Strike covered only 
  Battlemech (Bm) unit types, Standard Alpha Strike adds the 
  Industrialmech (Im), Protomech (Pm), combat vehicle (CV), 
  support vehicle (SV), aerospace fighter (AF), conventional fighter 
  (CF), spheroid DropShip (DS), aerodyne DropShip (DA), small craft 
  (SC), mobile structure (mS), conventional infantry (CI), and battle 
  armor (BA) unit types. the unit’s type not only determines vital 
  Clan Wolf forces hold fast the gates of the Kerensky Blood Chapel against all contenders.
  StAndArd  
  AlphA StrIke
  
  23
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Setup
  to begin setup, the controlling player for each side rolls 
  2D6. For the duration of the game setup, the player with the 
  highest dice result is the setup initiative winner. the initiative 
  winner chooses the scenario type, gets the first pick when 
  choosing forces, and wins the right to select the home edge 
  of the map for his army during the game. the player with the 
  lowest initiative roll selects his army list last (see p. 115), and 
  gets to place the terrain.
  CHOOSING SCENARIO TyPES
  In most games of Alpha Strike, scenarios need not be 
  any more complicated than straight last-man-standing 
  battles between the opposing forces. Below are just a few 
  suggestions players can try to add more spice to their Alpha 
  Strike games. Other possibilities exist, of course, based on the 
  players’ imagination. 
  Planetary Assault Campaign
  In the Campaign Play chapter (see pp. 114-125), a multi-
  scenario campaign is sketched out that describes the basics of 
  a planetary assault. the “tracks” presented there are designed 
  to serve as a guide for Alpha Strike scenarios that can be used 
  at each key battle point of the campaign. 
  Players are encouraged to consider those tracks as options 
  for individual Alpha Strike scenarios, or simply choose their 
  sides and play out the full assault from start to finish. If playing 
  the full campaign, disregard the standard scenario setup 
  rules presented here. Instead, the setup initiative winner may 
  simply elect to be the attacking force or the defending force 
  for the entire planetary assault campaign, and use the setup 
  rules provided for each track as provided.
  Stand-Up Fight Scenario
  the basic stand-up fight is a straightforward scenario. 
  two evenly-matched forces—both in numbers and total 
  Point Value—do battle until one side is destroyed or forced 
  to withdraw.
  Hold the Line Scenario
  In this scenario, one player serves as defender against at 
  least twice as many attacking units. the defender wins by 
  defeating a number of attacking units equal to the defenders’ 
  starting number of units. the attacker wins by defeating all 
  defenders before that occurs.
  Breakthrough Scenario
  In this scenario, one player is the attacker, and the other 
  is the defender. Both forces start evenly matched—both in 
  numbers and in total Point Value—but the attacker’s primary 
  goal is to cross the board, from his starting deployment zone, 
  and escape through the defender’s home edge, with at least 
  half of his units surviving to make their escape. the defender 
  wins by preventing this.
  information like restricted terrains and operating conditions, 
  but also determines what critical hit table is used for the unit 
  as it suffers damage in combat.
  ’Mechs: Under Alpha Strike, the term ’mech (by itself) will 
  generally refer to both Battlemechs and Industrialmechs. 
  Protomechs, which operate in many ways similar to 
  Battlemechs, will nevertheless be referred to separately.
  DropShips: Under Alpha Strike, the term DropShip (by 
  itself) will generally refer to both spheroid DropShips and 
  aerodyne DropShips. 
  Ground Units: In Alpha Strike, references to ground units 
  includes ’mechs, Protomechs, infantry, battle armor, and 
  ground vehicles.
  Ground vehicles: In Alpha Strike, references to ground 
  vehicles includes any combat vehicle or support vehicle that 
  uses tracked (t), hover (h), or wheeled (w) movement. Wing-
  in-ground effect (WiGE) vehicles, which use the (g) movement 
  type, may often be classified as ground vehicles as well, but 
  also share features with VtOLs and naval vehicles, and thus 
  are not always covered by this term. 
  Air vehicles: In Alpha Strike, references to air vehicles refer 
  to any combat vehicle or support vehicle that uses VtOL (v) 
  movement, but can also refer to wing-in-ground effect (WiGE) 
  vehicles (g) due to their unique motive system. Air vehicles are 
  not considered true aerospace units in the BattleTech setting, 
  and are thus not governed by the same rules.
  Naval vehicles: In Alpha Strike, references to naval vehicles 
  cover any combat vehicle or support vehicle that uses naval 
  (n) or submersible (s) movement.
  Aerospace Units: In Alpha Strike, references to aerospace 
  units cover any units that have thrust ratings instead of move 
  ratings. this includes support vehicles built as fixed-wing or 
  airship units, conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small 
  craft, and DropShips.
  Force (or Army): In an Alpha Strike, game, a player’s army 
  list is also known as his force. Epending on the scale of the 
  game being played, a force can range in size from a single-
  element unit, to a full regimental combat team or larger. 
  Under these rules, a player’s force includes all of the units on 
  his side of the game.
  Formation: In an Alpha Strike game, a formation refers to 
  the organization of units within a player’s force. the most 
  common formations used by the various factions in BattleTech 
  typically begin with 4-unit lances, which combine into 3-lance 
  companies, 3-company battalions, and ultimately to 3-battalion 
  regiments. many factions vary or customize these formations. 
  the Clan factions, for instance, use 5-unit Stars, 2-Star Binaries, 
  3-Star trinaries, Clusters comprised of 3 to 5 Binaries or trinaries, 
  and Galaxies comprised of 3 to 5 Clusters. When the size of a 
  formation is important in the rules, it will be specified.
  Thrust: Aerospace units in Alpha Strike have a thrust 
  rating instead of move. this rating is a point value, rather 
  than a measure in inches, due largely to the more abstract 
  mechanisms that govern aerospace combat in this game.
  vehicles: In Alpha Strike, a reference to vehicles without 
  specifying a particular vehicle type includes all combat and 
  support vehicles that use move ratings (but not thrust ratings), 
  including Air Vehicles, Ground Vehicles, and Naval Vehicles.
  
  Adjusting for C3: Units with C3 equipment may be linked in 
  networks for greater effectiveness. this equipment—noted on 
  units with the C3S, C3m, or C3I special abilities—are fully explained 
  under the rules for such special abilities (see pp. 49-51). to reflect 
  the impact of this equipment on a force’s total PV amount, the 
  use of C3 equipment modifies the PV value of all the units that 
  are linked into the network. the first C3 link a unit makes adds 
  10 percent the units’ base PVs, plus 5 percent for each additional 
  unit in the network, to a maximum of +30 percent per network. 
  this additional percentage is applied to the PVs of all units in the 
  network, adding to each unit’s base PV, and rounding up to the 
  nearest whole number. 
  For example, a lance-sized force, with 4 units—one with C3m 
  and a PV of 20, plus three units worth 15 PV apiece, all with C3S—
  are linked together. Per the rules for C3 equipment, the three C3S 
  units are linked to the master (C3m) unit, adding 10 percent for 
  the first link, plus 5 percent each for the other two units linked, for 
  a total of 25 percent. the first unit in the lance thus adds 5 points 
  to its PV (25% x 20 PV = 5 PV) for a modified PV of 25, while each 
  of the other three units adds 4 points (25% x 15 PV = 3.75, round 
  up to 4 PV) for a modified total of 19 PV each. the total PV for the 
  lance is now 82 points. 
  Preparing Unit Cards
  the data presented in each army list provides the full Alpha Strike 
  stats for the units in that army list. these statistics must be faithfully 
  copied into the appropriate fields on the players’ unit cards. 
  there are two types of unit cards in standard-rules Alpha 
  Strike (see p. 11). most units (’mechs, combat vehicles, infantry, 
  aerospace fighters and standard-sized support vehicles) use a 
  basic unit card that provides for only one firing arc. Buildings, large 
  support vehicles, DropShips, and mobile structures, however, can 
  have multiple firing arcs, and thus use the unit card type that 
  facilitates this ability.
  When translating a unit’s Arm/Str values to a unit card, extra 
  armor and structure bubbles (respectively) beyond those of the 
  unit’s stats must be blacked out prior to play, leaving the remaining 
  bubbles untouched. (For example, the Arm/Str values for the AWS-
  9m Awesome are given in the Capellan Confederation Army List as 
  Capture the Objective Scenario
  In this scenario type, the opposing forces are evenly matched 
  in numbers and in total Point Value. During set-up, one or more 
  objective markers are placed on the board along with the terrain 
  (see Objective Markers, p. 25). Depending on player preference, 
  either one side or both sides must then attempt to capture these 
  objective markers during the course of the scenario, while their 
  opponents attempt to prevent this.
  CHOOSING FORCES
  the small army lists provided in this book are appropriate 
  forces to the various major factions involved in the Clan Invasion 
  era. Designed mainly for quick, introductory-level play, they focus 
  entirely on ’mech units, but larger, combined-arms armies may 
  be found in our downloadable Alpha Strike Supplemental series. 
  Before starting play, each player should choose one of these army 
  lists to serve as his force. 
  Players interested in shorter games may choose to employ only 
  a portion of these army lists for a given scenario. Alternatively, 
  players may combine two or more army lists per side to create 
  even larger, and more involved forces.
   
  Alternative Army Lists
  Beyond the lists presented in this book, players may purchase 
  downloadable supplements on-line that present larger and more 
  varied army lists appropriate to any desired era of BattleTech 
  gameplay. Players comfortable with the rules may even create 
  their own custom army lists by either converting standard 
  Battletech units to Alpha Strike play (using the rules found in our 
  Strategic Operations advanced rulebook), or by translating the 
  unit’s “Quick-Strike” stats as found on the Battletech master Unit 
  List (www.masterunitlist.info). 
  Force Balancing
  For the purposes of establishing game balance, every Alpha 
  Strike unit has a Point Value (PV) that provides a numerical 
  estimation of its overall combat ability. Forces with roughly the 
  same total PV and the same numbers of units should thus be 
  of similar combat ability, thus offering an even match. If players 
  choose to use partial (or multiple) army lists, the total PV and 
  number of units for each force should be likewise balanced to 
  have an even game. 
  For greater challenge, of course, players may choose mismatched 
  sides, perhaps trading numbers of units for units that have higher 
  PVs due to greater skill or more powerful units. total Point Values 
  within 5 percent of each other for such mismatched forces might 
  still suggest a fair fight under these conditions, but the sheer 
  numerical difference will certainly make it a tougher battle for the 
  player whose force is seriously outnumbered. Whatever is decided, 
  players must always remember that the goal is to have fun: 
  Adjusting for Skill: Each Alpha Strike unit’s Point Value 
  presumes that its pilot or crew has a default Skill rating of 4. 
  Assigning Skill ratings other than 4 will thus change the unit’s 
  capabilities and its Point Value must be adjusted accordingly. to 
  find how much, consult the Point Value Skill Rating multiplier 
  table, and multiply the unit’s PV by the multiplier corresponding 
  to its pilot’s Skill rating. (All adjusted PVs must be rounded 
  normally, to a minimum PV of 1 point.)
  Point value skill rating table
  Skill Description 
  Unit Skill 
  Rating 
  Point Value  
  Multiplier
  Wet Behind the Ears 
  7
  0.68
  Really Green 
  6
  0.77
  Green 
  5
  0.86
  Regular 
  4
  1.00
  Veteran 
  3
  1.38
  Elite 
  2
  1.82
  Heroic 
  1
  2.24
  Legendary 
  0
  2.63
  
  25
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  plAyIng 
  the gAme
  this 
  section 
  provides 
  an 
  overview of the Alpha Strike 
  gameplay 
  sequence. 
  For 
  simplicity, these rules presume 
  that each game is made up of 
  two sides, controlled either by 
  two players or by two teams of 
  players. Whenever the rules refer 
  to a player, that term can mean a team 
  of players as well as an individual.
  SEqUENCE OF PLAy
  An Alpha Strike game consists of a series of 
  turns. During each turn, all units on the table 
  will have an opportunity to move and fire their 
  weapons or make physical attacks. Each turn 
  consists of several smaller turn segments, 
  called phases. During each phase, 
  players may take one type of action, 
  such as movement or combat. the 
  players execute the phases in a given 
  order. Specific actions, movement, 
  effects of damage and so on are 
  fully explained in separate sections 
  later in these rules.
  Each turn includes the following 
  phases, performed in the following order:
  Step 1: Initiative Phase
  Each player rolls 2D6 and adds the results together to 
  determine Initiative; re-roll ties. the player with the higher 
  result wins the Initiative for that turn. 
  Because movement and combat are considered to occur 
  simultaneously in the course of an Alpha Strike game turn, 
  the Initiative winner actually executes unit movement and 
  combat actions after the player(s) with the lower Initiative roll. 
  this simulates a greater awareness of the tactical situation.
  Step 2: Movement Phase
  the player with the lowest Initiative roll moves one of his 
  units first. Presuming an equal number of units on the two 
  sides, the Initiative winner then moves one of his units, and 
  the players continue alternating their unit movements until 
  all units have been moved.
  If the number of units per side is unequal, the player 
  with the higher number of units must move more units in 
  proportion to that of his opponent. See the Unequal Number 
  of Units rule (see p. 27) for a helpful guide to handling unequal 
  force numbers.
  Step 3: Combat Phase
  As with the movement phase, the player with the lowest 
  Initiative roll acts first in the Combat Phase, but—rather than 
  8/4. this means that, when translating the 
  Awesome’s stats to a unit card, all but 8 
  of the Armor bubbles must be blocked 
  out, while all but 4 of its Structure 
  bubbles must be blocked out.)
  PLACING TERRAIN
  In Alpha Strike play, available terrain 
  is usually selected by the agreement 
  of both players. the player who 
  rolled the lowest for setup 
  initiative places the terrain 
  on the play area, while the 
  initiative winner is the first 
  to select which edge of the 
  table will serve as his force’s 
  home edge (see Starting Positions, below). 
  Objective Markers (Optional)
  Battles are always fought for something. to 
  reflect this, players may opt to place four (or more) 
  objectives on the map—two within each side’s 
  deployment zones. these objectives reflect 
  some tangible asset to be captured or 
  destroyed by one side, and defended by 
  the other—perhaps important VIPs, rare 
  fuel or ammunition canisters, a building, 
  a disabled unit, and so forth. the exact 
  nature of an objective is limited only 
  by the players’ imaginations; it will not 
  move or attack in game play, and will not 
  count against stacking limits.
  For a game played using objectives, the player 
  with the lower set-up initiative roll places his opponents’ 
  objectives first. As indicated above, these must be within his own 
  deployment zone, which lies within 10 inches of the table edge 
  opposite of the initiative winner’s home edge. Once the initiative 
  winner’s objectives are placed, the initiative winner places any 
  objectives for his opponent within his own deployment zone.
  Starting Positions
  Generally, units begin play off the board and enter the 
  battlefield on the first turn. However, should players agree, 
  units may begin play deployed on the battlefield. In this case, 
  the player with the higher setup Initiative roll may choose 
  whether to begin placing his units first or second. 
  Once that is decided, the players will alternate placing 
  their units on the map. Each unit placed must begin within its 
  controlling player’s deployment zone, defined as the area on 
  the map within 10 inches of that player’s home edge. Players 
  must continue alternating unit placement until all of their 
  units have been placed, giving each placed unit any facing 
  direction desired. 
  If the force sizes are unequal, refer to the Unequal Number 
  of Units rule (see p. 27). 
  Once the nature of the game is decided, all terrain and 
  objectives (if any) are set, and all units are placed in their 
  starting positions, the game can now begin.
  
  Alternatively, an objective may not be an item to be captured, 
  but instead a designated point the players must merely occupy for a 
  period of time (measured in successive End Phases). In this case, the 
  objective is never removed from play, but is considered occupied 
  so long as an attacking unit remains within 2 inches of the objective 
  marker without any defending units also positioned inside the 
  same radius. the number of turns an objective is occupied in such a 
  fashion must be defined at the start of the scenario.
  Objective Point value: For purposes of measuring Victory 
  Points in an objective-based scenario, assign a point value to 
  the objective itself based on the total Point Value of the forces 
  defending them. A recommended Objective Point Value is equal 
  to 0.66 times the defending units’ total Point Value, divided by the 
  number of objectives in play (rounded normally). For example, if 
  the defender fields a force whose total Point Value is 330, with 
  two objectives for his opponent to capture, the point values for 
  capturing each objective would be 109 points (330 x 0.66 = 217.8 
  ÷ 2 = 108.9, round up to 109).
  victory Points
  As each unit in Alpha Strike is assigned a Point Value, these 
  points can be used as a method to determine the winner in a 
  scenario and the quality of his victory. While there are a great 
  many ways to score a win, based on the scenarios being played, 
  these rules provide a suggested framework for working a scoring 
  system into a scenario.
  Under this system, players start the scenario with no victory 
  points, and only accrue (or lose) them based on the events 
  described in the Victory Points table. the player with the most 
  points at the end of the game wins. If the difference between 
  the two players’ scores is greater than the number of points used 
  to purchase forces for the winning side, the victory is Decisive. 
  Otherwise, the victory is marginal. If both players’ scores are tied, 
  the game is considered a draw.
  alternating actions—this player declares and resolves all of his units’ 
  combat actions at this time, followed by the Initiative winner.
  In the Combat Phase, each unit may execute one attack. 
  Damage from these attacks is resolved immediately, but the 
  effects do not take place until the turn’s End Phase. this means 
  that a destroyed unit will normally have a chance to return fire.
  Step 4: End Phase
  Both players may complete the End Phase simultaneously.
  In this phase, each player executes any miscellaneous actions 
  remaining for the turn, such as removing destroyed units, or 
  restarting units that shut down from overheating in a previous 
  turn. the specific rules for such actions state whether or not they 
  take place during the End Phase.
  After resolving all End Phase actions, the turn ends and the 
  players return to Step 1, repeat all these steps until one side meets 
  its victory conditions for the scenario.
  vICTORy CONDITIONS
  In Standard Alpha Strike, victory is most commonly achieved 
  when one player’s army destroys or defeats all of the opposing 
  players’ units. If the last units on each side are simultaneously 
  destroyed, or are rendered immobile and unable to damage each 
  another further, the game becomes a draw. 
  If the Forced Withdrawal rules are in play (see Forced Withdrawal, 
  p. 27), a unit that is forced to withdraw is counted as defeated (but 
  not necessarily destroyed). In an Alpha Strike game, defeated and 
  destroyed units both count toward victory conditions.
  Alternative victory Conditions
  Off course, kill counts alone may not actually be the defining 
  measure of victory in a given scenario. Scenarios where objective 
  markers are in play, for example, will place equal or greater 
  importance on the capture of one or more designated objectives 
  (see Capturing Objectives, below). Alternately, a mixture of 
  victory conditions may be in play, making a scoring system 
  necessary to measure success (see Victory Points, below). Other 
  scenario-specific victory conditions may also be in play, based 
  on the nature of the campaign, and might include objectives 
  like breaking through the enemy’s line and evacuating as many 
  friendly units through the enemy’s home edge as possible. 
  the ultimate goal of the scenario can be anything the players  
  agree upon.
  Capturing Objectives
  In Capture the Objective-style scenarios, a defining goal the 
  players must attain is to reach and secure a designated objective, 
  which is usually noted on the playing area by one or more 
  objective markers (see Objective Markers, p. 25). to capture an 
  objective, a unit must move to within 2 inches of the objective 
  marker, and remain within 2 inches of the objective for two 
  consecutive End Phases. At the end of the second End Phase, the 
  objective is considered successfully captured, and removed from 
  the field.
  viCtory Points table
  Event
  Points Awarded
  Enemy Unit Destroyed
  +(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 2)
  Friendly Unit Destroyed 
  –(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 1)
  Enemy Unit Withdrawn*
  +(Withdrawn Unit’s PV x 1)
  Friendly Unit Withdrawn*
  –(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 0.5)
  Objective Occupied**
  +(Objective’s Point Value x 0.25)
  Objective Captured**
  +(Objective Point Value x 1)
  Other Event
  Varies (Players’ Choice)
  *To count toward Victory Points, the unit must have withdrawn under the Forced 
  Withdrawal rules.
  **Points are not awarded for occupying the same objective multiple times; do not 
  award points for occupying an objective if it is captured.
  
  27
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Facing
  ’mech and Protomech units are considered to be facing 
  the same way as the feet of the miniature representing the 
  unit. Vehicle and fighter units are considered to be facing in 
  the direction the front side of their miniatures face. Infantry 
  units (including conventional infantry and battle armor) have 
  no distinct facing.
  A unit’s facing affects combat resolution (see Combat Phase, 
  below), and can only be voluntarily changed during the 
  movement Phase.
  Stacking
  During the movement Phase, a unit may move through a 
  space occupied by other friendly units, but may not move 
  through unfriendly units at the same elevation. If the units 
  occupy different elevations during a unit’s movement (such 
  as when a ’mech unit with jumping capability uses it to move), 
  the units are considered to be at different elevations and may 
  pass through the same space.
  Regardless of how they arrive at their destination, units in 
  Alpha Strike may not occupy the same space on the game 
  table, regardless of any differences in elevation. 
  ProtoMech Movement
  Protomech units are a unique battlefield unit type. though 
  they are organized and tracked on unit cards in five-member 
  Points like some battle armor, they actually operate as a squad 
  of individual, miniature Battlemechs. For the purposes of 
  standard Alpha Strike, Protomechs must always be organized 
  and tracked in Points made up of the same model and variant, 
  but each member of the Protomech Point must be represented 
  on the board by its own miniature. During the movement 
  Phase, each of these Protomechs moves independently of each 
  other, in accordance with standard movement rules, and need 
  not stay together while doing so. However, because Protomech 
  Points collectively count as a single unit, all active members of 
  the same Point must always move at the same time.
  UNEqUAL NUMBER OF UNITS
  the movement Phase requires each player to alternate 
  moving his army’s units. In a turn consisting of an equal 
  number of units on each side, this simple means that each 
  player takes a turn moving a single unit before his opponent 
  does the same, and so on, until all units are moved. But if the 
  numbers of units per side are not equal, this procedure must 
  be altered accordingly.
  to maintain fairness, unequal numbers of units must be 
  moved in proportion. this means that if, prior to any pair of unit 
  movements, one side has twice as many units left to move as 
  the other side, the player with twice as many units must move 
  two units on his side, rather than one. If a side has three times as 
  many units as its opponent, it must move three units at a time 
  to every one of its opponent’s units moved, and so forth.
  FORCED WITHDRAWAL (OPTIONAL)
  Under the Forced Withdrawal rule, crippled units must 
  retreat from the battlefield once they have sustained enough 
  damage to render them useless or in imminent danger of 
  being destroyed (see Crippling Damage, below). A unit making 
  a forced withdrawal must move toward its home map edge at 
  its best possible speed. Once it reaches the home map edge, 
  the unit retreats from battle and is removed from the game. 
  If the withdrawing unit is immobilized before it can reach the 
  map edge, its crew will abandon the unit, and it is considered 
  destroyed for game purposes. Withdrawing units may still 
  attack an enemy unit that is within range of a weapon or 
  physical attack. 
  Forced Withdrawal is an optional rule, so all players should 
  agree to its use in a given scenario before play begins. 
  Crippling Damage
  For the purposes of the Forced Withdrawal rule, a unit that 
  meets any of the following conditions is considered crippled 
  and will be forced to withdraw:
   • the unit has no Armor remaining and been reduced 
  to half its original Structure (round up). If the unit only 
  possessed 1 Structure to start with, it is crippled as soon 
  as it loses all its armor.
   • the unit has been reduced to 0 for all medium and Long 
  range damage values. this condition does not apply to 
  unit whose initial damage values at medium and Long 
  started at 0.
   • the unit has been immobilized through Critical Hit effects.
  movement phASe
  Every unit has a base move listed on its unit card. this value 
  is the maximum number of inches the unit may move during 
  its turn. A unit may move in any direction and—at the end 
  of its movement—may face in any direction. Units need not 
  move their full amount; in place of moving, a unit may simply 
  stand still. A unit may make multiple turns, during the course 
  of its movement, to maneuver around obstacles, so long as 
  the inches traveled are within its maximum move rating. 
  (Using a flexible tape measure, to correctly measure this 
  indirect distance, is highly recommended.)
  terrain may prohibit or impede a unit’s movement, as 
  shown on the movement Cost table.
  Minimum Movement
  As long as a unit is mobile (meaning that its move has 
  not been reduced to zero through damage or heat effects), 
  it can always move 2 inches in any direction, regardless of 
  the terrain’s movement costs (unless the terrain in question 
  is prohibited).
  
  travel). Changing levels costs 1 extra inch of movement per 
  inch of elevation changed. (For exceptions, see Jumping, p. 32, 
  and VTOL Movement, p. 31). Level changes greater than these 
  are considered prohibited terrain in Alpha Strike, too sheer 
  for these ground units to traverse. If the unit does not have 
  enough move allowance remaining to climb to the desired 
  level of terrain, it must remain at the previous level, and cannot 
  move any further.
  Underwater Movement: moving across the bottom of a water 
  area—as opposed to moving through the water itself—is rare but 
  does occur, though few units without the submersible movement 
  mode can operate while completely submerged.
  to be considered underwater, a unit must be completely 
  submerged. For ’mechs, that means the unit must be in water 
  at least 2 inches in depth, while submersible vehicles must be 
  in water at least 1 inch in depth, and submersible infantry units 
  (including battle armor) must be in water of at least 1 inch in 
  depth. If an underwater unit has the UmU special ability (see 
  p. 48) or has the submarine movement type, it may move as a 
  submarine unit (see Submersible Movement, p. 31). Otherwise, for 
  depths of up to 30 inches, the unit must move along the bottom 
  of the water feature via underwater ground movement, spending 
  4 inches of move per inch traveled, plus all standard move costs 
  for changing levels from one depth to another.
  Movement on Pavement: In Alpha Strike, moving on a road 
  or paved terrain is identical to moving through clear terrain, but 
  with a few advantages that apply primarily to ground units. For 
  starters, all ground units that travel exclusively on roads for the 
  entire movement pay only 1 inch of move per inch traveled, plus 
  the terrain costs of any level changes. this means that, even if the 
  road passes through wooded terrain, the woods are not counted 
  as long as the ground unit remains on the paved surface the 
  entire time.
  In addition, ground vehicles with the wheeled or tracked 
  movement mode (including both combat vehicles and support 
  vehicles) that spend the entire movement Phase on pavement 
  receive an additional 2 inches of move to spend.
  Unit Type Movement
  As noted in movement Costs table, the effects of terrain can 
  vary with the unit’s particular mode of movement. the base costs, 
  as shown on the movement Cost table, primarily apply to ’mechs 
  (and Protomechs), but the sheer range of unit types and sizes in 
  BattleTech presents a number of effects on tactical movement. 
  these variations are identified in the Unit movement type table. 
  ’mechs, Protomechs, and battle armored infantry will generally 
  have no movement type noted on their move stat, which means 
  they use the standard movement rules, with exceptions and 
  modifications as noted in the movement Cost table. 
  Hover Movement: Any unit with the hover movement mode 
  is treated as a ground vehicle for purposes of movement rules, 
  but operate under special movement restrictions as shown on 
  the movement Cost table. Hover movement mode is noted 
  by a movement code of “h” on the unit’s move stat. Hover units 
  typically cannot enter woods features, but treat water features as 
  clear terrain for movement purposes, spending 1 inch of move 
  per inch traveled on the water surface.
  For example, at the beginning of the Movement Phase, 
  Side A has eight units and Side B has five units. Side A wins the 
  Initiative. Before the first pair of movements, Side A does not 
  have double or more the number of units Side B has remaining 
  to move, so Side B moves one BattleMech, then Side A moves 
  one BattleMech. Now, Side A has even units left to move while 
  Side B has four units left to move. Since Side A still does not 
  have twice as many units left to move, each side again moves 
  one BattleMech. Before the third pair of movements, Side A 
  has six units left to move—twice as many as Side B has left to 
  move. This means Side A must now move two units for every 
  one unit that Side B moves.
  Here is a breakdown of how many units each player would 
  move in this example turn.
  TERRAIN
  terrain can impede the movement of any unit that is incapable 
  of flying over it (such as VtOLs and WiGE units, or units using 
  jumping movement to travel). this difficulty is demonstrated in 
  the form of an extra move cost per inch of travel through such 
  terrain. these extra costs are shown on the movement Cost 
  table. Note that multiple terrain conditions may combine for 
  higher movement costs (such as when changing elevations while 
  moving through water or woods).
  Prohibited Terrain: Certain unit types (or units lacking in 
  specific equipment) may not enter certain terrain types. these 
  prohibited terrain types and movement restrictions are defined 
  in the movement Cost table. Once again, these prohibitions apply 
  only if the unit attempts to move through the terrain. Units that 
  can rise above the underlying terrain (such as VtOLs in flight) will 
  ignore these prohibitions.
  Water: Units entering water must pay the combined cost of 
  the movement, plus the extra movement costs for water terrain 
  and any level change costs. Water levels are measured as “depth” 
  levels, which count as negative levels of elevation, so higher 
  depth levels indicate deeper water features. Ground units with 
  the amphibious special ability, or units with the hover, WiGE, or 
  naval movement modes, may move across the surface of water 
  terrain as noted in the Movement Cost Table. Submerged units use 
  the Underwater movement rules below.
  Level Change: ’mechs may climb onto and over terrain as 
  steep as 2 inches high (per inch of horizontal travel), while 
  ground vehicles, infantry, and Protomechs may only climb onto 
  and over terrain as steep as 1 inch high (per inch of horizontal 
  Move
  Number
  Units Left to Move
  Moves
  Side B
  Side A
  Side B
  Side A
  1 
  5
  8
  1
  1
  2
  4
  7
  1
  1
  3
  3
  6
  1
  2
  4
  2
  4
  1
  2
  5
  1
  2
  1
  2
  
  29
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  The bloody Battle of Cairo pitted the Word of Blake’s Light of Mankind against Devlin Stone’s allied forces. 
  
  MoveMent Cost table
  Terrain Type
  Move Cost per Inch
  Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
  Base move
  1”
  —
  Clear
  +0”1
  Naval
  Paved/Road/Bridge
  +0”2
  Naval
  Rough
  +1”
  Naval, Wheeled
  Rubble
  +1”
  Naval
  Woods
  +1”3
  Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4
  Water
  Surface Only
  +0”
  All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5
  Depth 0”-1”
  +0” 
  Ground, Infantry6
  Depth 2”-3”
  +1”7
  Ground, InfantryF, Industrialmechs8
  Depth 4+”
  +6”7
  Ground, InfantryF, Industrialmechs8
  Level Changes (up or down)9
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (’mechs, Protomechs)
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (VtOLs in Air)
  Per 1” depth
  +1” (Submarines in Water)
  Per 1” elevation
  +2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles)
  Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including 
  attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash.
  1+1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 
  2All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain.
  3Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”).
  4Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 
  5Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”.
  6Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability.
  7This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement.
  8IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability.
  9Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation changes 
  over 2” per 1” travelled 
  Unit Types Key
  ’mechs
  Includes Battlemechs and Industrialmechs
  Protomechs
  Protomech units only
  Infantry
  Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
  Vehicles
  Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
  Air
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL or WiGE movement types
  Ground
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
  Naval
  Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
  Hover
  Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
  Sub
  Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
  tracked
  Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only 
  VtOL
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL movement type only
  Wheeled
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
  WiGE
  Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
  Aerospace
  Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
  
  31
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  features, but VtOLs without such abilities will crash if they 
  attempt to “land” in water.
  Crashing VtOLs suffer 1 damage point, roll for critical 
  damage as per normal combat rules, and are considered 
  immobilized for the remainder of the game.
  Wheeled Support vehicles: If a wheeled support vehicle lacks 
  the ORO (Off-Road) special ability, then it must pay an additional 
  1 inch of move foe every inch traveled on unpaved terrain.
  Wing-in-Ground Effect (WiGE) Movement: A unit with 
  Wing-in-Ground Effect (WiGE) movement is noted by a 
  movement code of “g” on its move stat. WiGE units have a ground 
  movement allowance of 2 inches per turn (even if they have a 
  higher move stat), and are treated as hover units for purposes of 
  terrain restrictions—until they take off. A WiGE’s takeoff costs 4 
  inches of movement, which must be spent in a single turn, and 
  places the vehicle at 1 inch of elevation above the level of the 
  underlying terrain. While airborne in this fashion, WiGE vehicles 
  fly one inch of elevation above the underlying terrain, and so 
  are unaffected by water, rubble or rough terrain—but must 
  maneuver around woods or any other terrain types that rise 2 
  inches or more above the surface.
  to remain airborne after the turn of takeoff, a WiGE vehicle 
  must move at least 4 inches per turn; otherwise it must land 
  at the end of its movement. (Landing does not cost a WiGE 
  any move.) WiGE vehicles may only land in clear or paved 
  terrain. Attempt to land a WiGE in any other terrain results in a 
  crash. A WiGE that crashes suffers 1 point of damage, rolls for 
  critical damage as per normal combat rules, and is considered 
  immobilized for the remainder of the game.
  Aerospace Movement
  Aerospace units in Alpha Strike use the Abstract Aerospace 
  System (see p. 52) for movement and combat.
  Naval Movement: Any unit with the naval movement mode 
  is considered a surface-operating waterborne unit for purposes 
  of movement rules. Naval movement mode is usually noted by 
  a movement code of “n” on the unit’s move stat, but some other 
  vehicle units—those noted as having the AmP special ability—
  can also operate as surface naval vessels by entering water 
  terrain. Naval movement is limited to water features of any depth, 
  and spend 1 inch of move per inch traveled on the water surface.
  ProtoMechs: As noted above, Protomech are tracked in 
  a player’s army list as five-member groups called Points. All 
  surviving members in a Point of Protomechs must always 
  be moved at the same time during the controlling player’s 
  movement turn, but the individual Protomechs need not 
  remain close together. Beyond that, Protomechs largely follow 
  the same ground movement rules as Battlemechs do, except 
  as noted in the movement Cost table. 
  Submersible Movement: Any unit with submarine 
  movement mode is considered a submarine for purposes of 
  movement rules, as long as it is in water of sufficient depth. 
  Submarine movement mode is usually noted by a movement 
  code of “s” on the unit’s move stat, but some ground units—
  those noted as having the UmU special ability—can also use 
  submarine movement while submerged. 
  Submersible units are capable of moving three-dimensionally 
  in water, spending 1 inch of move for every 1-inch increase or 
  decrease in depth levels below the surface of the water. For this 
  reason, the player controlling a submersible unit must keep 
  track of the unit’s level of depth after each movement Phase. 
  Submersibles cannot move above the surface of the water, 
  but may “surface” by ascending to a depth of 0 inches. Surfaced 
  submersibles are considered to be operating on the surface 
  of the water feature. the maximum depth a submersible unit 
  may descend to is that of the water terrain itself. 
  Tracked and Wheeled Movement: tracked and wheeled 
  units follow the same basic rules outlined in movement 
  Basics, with restrictions as noted on the movement Costs 
  table. Units that operate using tracked movement are noted 
  with a movement code of “t”, while units that used Wheeled 
  movement are noted with a “w”. Wheeled vehicles that also 
  have a bicycle “(b)” or monocycle “(m)” notation on their 
  movement codes are wheeled units that may enter Woods.
  vertical Take-Off and Landing (vTOL) Movement: Any 
  unit with VtOL movement mode is considered a VtOL for 
  purposes of movement rules. VtOL movement mode is noted 
  by a movement code of “v” on the unit’s move stat. 
  though they are not technically considered aerospace units 
  in BattleTech (but instead are classified as air vehicles), VtOLs 
  are capable of moving three-dimensionally through the air, 
  spending 1 inch of move for every 1-inch increase or decrease 
  in elevation levels above the map. For this reason, the player 
  controlling a VtOL unit must keep track of the unit’s level of 
  elevation after each movement Phase. 
  VtOLs cannot move through any terrain that rises higher 
  than their current elevation level. Any VtOL that deliberately 
  descends to the level of the underlying terrain is considered 
  to be attempting a landing, but automatically crashes if the 
  terrain type is prohibited (such as wooded terrain). VtOLs 
  with the amphibious (AmP) special ability may land on water 
  unit MoveMent Mode table
  Movement Mode
  Movement Code
  Vehicles
  Hover
  h
  Naval
  n
  Submersible
  s
  tracked
  t
  VtOL
  v
  Wheeled
  w
  Wheeled (bicycle)
  w(b)
  Wheeled (monocycle)
  w(m)
  WiGE
  g
  Infantry
  Foot
  f
  Jump
  j
  motorized
  m
  
  AdditionAl MoveMent Rules
  The following additional rules cover movement not already 
  discussed above.
  Jumping
  Any unit with a “j” listed in its Move statistic is a unit that 
  possesses the ability to jump over intervening obstructions. The 
  distance such units can jump is given as the Move value beside 
  the “j”. Jumping is an alternative movement type that cannot be 
  combined with normal ground movement by the same unit in the 
  same Movement Phase. Units with jumping ability do not always 
  have to jump, and some may even have a shorter Move while 
  jumping than the same unit can move on land. (For example, the 
  JR7-K Jenner, with its Move of 14”/6”j, can use 14 inches of Move 
  on the ground, or jump for 6 inches.)
  A jumping unit ignores terrain costs for the purposes of 
  movement, and may jump in any direction, regardless of its 
  original facing. Jumping movement always follows the shortest 
  path possible; the player simply chooses an end point (up to 
  the unit’s jumping Move allowance), and the unit lands at that 
  location, with any desired facing direction.
  Maximum Jump Height: For a jump to be legal, the jumping 
  unit must also be able to clear any terrain it is attempting to pass 
  over. A jumping unit can jump over any terrain that is lower in 
  height than its jump Move rating, so a unit with 6 inches of jumping 
  Move may jump over any obstructions less than 6 inches tall.
  downward Jumping: When jumping downward (such as off a cliff 
  or building), a jumping unit may safely jump down from any height.
  Water: Units with jumping capability may jump into water 
  terrain, but not out of it. 
  transporting infantry
  Some units have the ability to transport conventional and/or 
  battle armored infantry, either in internal compartments (as in the 
  case of units with the IT# special ability), or externally (as in the case 
  of battle armor units with the MEC or XMEC special abilities). The 
  following movement rules apply when transporting infantry units.
  infantry transports: Units with the Infantry Transport 
  (IT#) special ability have transport compartments designed to 
  accommodate infantry and battle armor units. The transport unit 
  may carry any number of infantry or battle armor units as long 
  as the total amount of these units (noted on infantry unit’s card 
  by the CAR# special ability) does not exceed the transporting 
  unit’s IT rating. (For example, the Maxim Heavy Hover Transport 
  has the IT12 special ability. This means it may transport up to 12 
  units worth of infantry, such as three 4-trooper squads of Cavalier 
  battle armor, each of which has the CAR4 special.)
  It costs an infantry transport unit 2 inches of Move to mount 
  (pick up) or dismount (drop off) battle armor or infantry. Mounting 
  infantry must be done at the beginning of the transporting unit’s 
  movement, and airborne transport units must be landed to take 
  on any infantry or battle armor units for transport. (For aerospace 
  units, landing is covered in the advanced options chapter; see 
  Aerospace Units on the Ground Map, pp. 70-73.) 
  Dismounting must be done at the end of the transport’s 
  movement. Airborne vehicle transports (such as VTOLs or WiGEs) 
  may dismount jump-capable infantry (including battle armor or 
  In the Movement Basics Diagram at right, the Vulture has 10 
  inches of Movement. To move to Point A, it spends 6 inches of 
  the its available Move to get to the hill, 2 inches to move up the 
  hill, and then 2 more inches to move across the hill. As it has run 
  out of Move, the Vulture stops there, and its controlling player 
  can choose any facing for it to end with.
  The Vulture cannot move to straight to Point B.  The 4” 
  elevation change is more than the 2” allowed for elevation 
  changes per 1” travelled.
  If the player wishes instead to avoid ending up on top of 
  the hill, the ’Mech can move around the hill to reach Point C. 
  In this case, it spends 6 inches to move below the hill, and its 
  remaining 4 inches are spent moving up the gap between the 
  hill and the woods.
  The Vulture can also move to Point D and end its movement 
  in the Woods. For that, it spends 7 inches of Move to get to the 
  edge of the Woods. Because Woods cost an extra 1 inch per 
  inch traveled through such terrain, the Vulture can only move 
  1.5 inches into the Woods before running out of Move.
  If the player would rather place his Vulture in the water, 
  he can move the ’Mech 4 inches to the water’s edge, spend 
  2 inches of Move for the elevation change into the water, 
  and then 4 more inches of Move to push through 2 inches 
  of water terrain.
  • movement basics diagram • 
  WOODS
  4” HILL
  2” HILL
  2” DEPTH 
  WATER
  
  33
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Lara moves the Maxim 8 inches straight ahead. She 
  then spends 4 inches of additional Move to dismount both 
  infantry platoons. Both platoons may make weapons 
  attacks during the upcoming Combat Phase.
  Brian’s Star consists of a Grendel B, Night Gyr Prime, 
  Hellion C and two Points of Elemental battle armor. He wants 
  to quickly transport the two battle armor units in his Star.
  First, Brian looks at the Move available in his Star. 
  The Grendel B has a Move of 14”j. The Night Gyr Prime 
  has 8”j and the Hellion C has a Move of 14”. All three 
  are OmniMechs. Brian decides to have the Grendel and 
  Hellion carry the battle armor. It costs each ’Mech 2 inches 
  of Move to mount the battle armor, reducing both to 12 
  inches’ Move for this Movement Phase.
  combAt phASe
  In the Combat Phase, each unit may deliver one attack 
  against another unit, be it a physical attack, a weapon attack, 
  or an aerospace attack. Very large units—such as DropShips, 
  some large support vehicles, and mobile structures—may 
  make multiple weapon attacks, based on the number of 
  firing arcs they possess. Protomech Points—which operate 
  as multiple units at the same time—may also make multiple 
  attacks, with each individual Protomech making one attack 
  apiece. Battlemechs, Industrialmechs, combat vehicles, 
  infantry, battle armor, conventional fighters and aerospace 
  fighters always only have one attack per turn.
  infantry that have the advanced paratroopers (PAR) special) 
  while airborne, but must use land to dismount all other 
  infantry unit types. Other aerospace units with It specials may 
  also dismount jump-capable infantry and battle armor as well. 
  Infantry deployed from airborne units must use the Dropping 
  Troops advanced rules (see pp. 90-91).
  Regardless of the infantry unit’s type, it may not use any 
  move in the turn it dismounts from its transport, but it may 
  execute attacks during the Combat Phase. It is, however, 
  permissible to mount an infantry unit, move its transport, 
  dismount the infantry, and make attacks with the infantry unit 
  all in the same turn.
  Mechanized Battle Armor: Battle armor units with the 
  mechanized (mEC) or Extended mechanized (XmEC) special 
  abilities may mount Omnimechs and OmniVehicles (units 
  with the OmNI special ability), even if such units lack the 
  Infantry transport special ability. this allows the battle armor 
  to be quickly transported across the battlefield as a kind of 
  external cargo, but only one battle armor unit may be carried 
  by one Omni unit at a time.  
  mounting and dismounting battle armor from an Omni 
  unit follows all the same movement rules as does mounting 
  and dismounting infantry from a dedicated infantry transport, 
  requiring any mounting to occur at the start of the transporting 
  Omni’s movement Phase, at a cost of 2 inches of move to the 
  Omni, and requiring any dismounting to occur at the end of 
  the Omni’s movement Phase. As above, battle armor infantry 
  may attack in the turn it dismounts, but it may not use move.
  Even though mechanized battle armor mounts up externally 
  on an Omni unit, battle armor units may not attack or be directly 
  attacked while mounted in this fashion—but they can be struck 
  accidentally (see Determine and Apply Damage, p. 38)
  Extended Mechanized Special Ability: Units with the 
  Extended mechanized (XmEC) special ability are equipped 
  to mount any type of ’mech or vehicle (but not fixed-wing 
  support vehicles or aerospace units) in the same manner 
  as mechanized battle armor do. However, the transport 
  mounted by these units will not only have to spend 2 inches 
  of move to pick up such units, it will lose 2 inches of move per 
  turn as long as the XmEC unit remains on board. All other rules 
  for mechanized battle armor apply to XmEC units (and their 
  transports) as well.
  Lara’s force includes two conventional foot infantry 
  platoons and 1 Maxim (infantry variant) hovercraft. Lara’s 
  infantry are not mounted, with a Move of 2f. Each foot 
  infantry platoon has the CAR3 special ability, meaning 
  each requires a transport space of IT3 or more. If both 
  were to travel together, they would need a unit that had a 
  special ability of IT6 or higher.
  During her Ground Movement Phase, Lara decides to 
  have the infantry mount the Maxim for a short hop across 
  the battlefield. The Maxim has the IT12 special ability, so it 
  can easily transport up to 12 “points” of infantry. It’ll have 
  plenty of space for the foot platoons. The Maxim has a 
  Move of 16 inches. It spends 4 inches to mount both infantry 
  platoons. The Maxim has 12 inches of Move left available. 
  A speeding Falcon Hawk is blindsided by a Commando IIC.
  
  Partial Cover (’Mechs only): If more than one-third (but less 
  than two-thirds) of a ’mech target is hidden behind blocking 
  terrain, LOS is not considered blocked. Instead, the ’mech is said 
  to have partial cover, and will apply a modifier to his attacker’s to-
  hit number as a result (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, p. 37). Only 
  ’mechs can receive partial cover. 
  Woods: Units do not receive partial cover from woods terrain.
  Water: ’mech units that are standing in Water terrain at a 
  depth (negative elevation) level of 1 inch will receive partial 
  cover benefits from the water. Because the water surrounds the 
  ’mech, this partial cover applies even if the attacker is standing at 
  a higher level than the target and would ordinarily be able to see 
  the target’s legs. 
  If a unit is completely submerged within water (such as a ’mech 
  unit standing in water features of 2 or more inches in depth), LOS 
  to (and from) the submerged unit is considered to be blocked, 
  even from units operating on the water surface (such as hover, 
  WiGE, or naval vehicles).
  Vehicles capable of traversing water on its surface (such 
  as hover, WiGE, naval, and surfaced submarine vehicles) are 
  considered to be at ground level and receive no terrain modifiers.
  If a unit is unable or unwilling to make an attack in the current 
  turn, it may be skipped for that turn.
  to make an attack, the controlling player declares which unit is 
  attacking, what the target of its attack will be, the nature of the attack 
  (weapon, physical, or aerospace), and—if applicable—how much of 
  his unit’s Overheat Value the attack will use (see Overheating, p. 44). 
  the player then resolves combat for that unit, applies any damage 
  to the target, and then moves on to another available unit to repeat 
  the process until all of his units have made their attacks. If the player 
  wishes a unit not to make an attack, or if a unit is unable to make an 
  attack for any reason, the player may pass for that turn. 
  Once a player has resolved (or skipped) combat actions for all 
  of his units, the opposing player may then do so for all of his units.
  In standard Alpha Strike, valid targets for an attack include other 
  units, buildings, other structures (such as bridges), and terrain. 
  the following rules cover weapon and physical attacks, 
  respectively. Aerospace attacks are covered in detail in the Abstract 
  Aerospace System chapter (see Abstract Aerospace Combat, p. 55).
  RESOLvING WEAPON ATTACKS
  the sequence for resolving weapon attacks is as follows:
  Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS)
  Step 2: Verify firing arc
  Step 3: Determine range
  Step 4: Determine to-hit number
  Step 5: Roll to hit
  Step 6: Determine and apply damage
  Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
  Step 1: verify Line of Sight
  Line of sight (LOS) in Alpha Strike is determined by what a unit 
  can “see” from its vantage point on the table. Units can usually 
  be sighted by simply going to the eye level of the attacking unit 
  and looking at the target miniature. If the target miniature can 
  be seen, then the units have LOS to one another. When this is not 
  possible, players may determine line of sight by running a straight 
  measuring tape or a taut string from miniature to miniature, or 
  perhaps even by using a laser pointer. 
  If less than one-third of a miniature is visible behind solid terrain 
  (such as hills or buildings), then the line of sight is considered to 
  be blocked. 
  Non-solid terrain—such as woods—does not automatically 
  block LOS in the same fashion. In the case of such terrain, line of 
  sight is only considered to be blocked when it passes through 6 
  inches or more of such intervening non-solid obstructions. Woods 
  that intervene, but do not block, LOS will impose a modifier to the 
  attack’s to-hit numbers (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, p. 37).
  Adjacent Ground Units: Ground units in base-to-base 
  contact always have line of sight to each other, unless one unit 
  is completely submerged in water and the unit it is in base-to-
  base contact with is not (see Terrain Modifiers, p. 37), or the units 
  occupy different levels inside adjacent buildings (see Attacking 
  Units inside Buildings, p. 85). 
  Intervening Units: Except for grounded DropShips, buildings, 
  and mobile structures, intervening units have no effect on LOS 
  or attacks. Grounded DropShips, buildings, and mobile structures 
  work like blocking terrain for LOS purposes, and thus can provide 
  full or partial cover. 
  LIGHT WOODS
  TEMPLATE
  2” HILL
  ELEVATION 5”
  • line of sight diagrams • 
  
  35
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Underwater and Torpedo Attacks: Attacks against 
  submerged units can only be made between units that are also 
  submerged (see the To-Hit Modifiers Table, p. 37), or by between 
  submerged units and units operating on the surface of the 
  same water feature using torpedoes (see TOR# special ability, 
  p. 48).
  Indirect Fire: If a unit has the Indirect Fire (IF) special ability, 
  it may still attack targets within its range (and firing arc) even 
  without a direct LOS. to use indirect fire, the attacking unit 
  must not have a valid LOS to its target and there must be a 
  unit friendly to the attacker that does a valid LOS to the target. 
  (this friendly unit is the spotter.) 
  Indirect fire attacks use the range modifier of the attacking 
  unit, the movement modifiers of the target, and terrain 
  modifiers based on the spotter’s LOS. An additional +1 to-hit 
  modifier applies to the attack itself, and another +1 applies if 
  the spotter also makes an attack of its own in the same turn. 
  A unit used as a spotter for an indirect fire attack may be 
  used to spot for more than one IF attack in a turn, but cannot 
  choose more than one target to spot in that same turn.
  In the Line of Sight diagram, BattleMech A wants to 
  target BattleMech B. From the perspective of BattleMech A, 
  the only thing the controlling player sees between the two 
  units is a woods template. Using a measuring tape drawn 
  between the two units to find how many inches of Woods 
  terrain intervene, the player finds that he is trying to target 
  a unit through 7 inches of light woods intervene. Because 
  this is more than 6 inches, LOS between the two ’Mechs is 
  actually blocked; BattleMech A therefore cannot attack 
  BattleMech B.
  The controlling player decides instead to target Ground 
  Vehicle C. Unfortunately, when he leans down to the mini’s 
  level to check LOS, he finds that Vehicle C is actually hidden 
  by the low ridge between them. This leaves only Vehicle 
  D, a VTOL currently flying at an elevation level of 5 inches 
  above the table, as the only target that BattleMech A can 
  see from its vantage point. BattleMech A’s player notes that 
  even this LOS passes over the woods terrain between them, 
  and verifies with a straight-edge that the attack will pass 
  through some wooded terrain.
  Step 2: verify Firing Arc
  Every unit in Alpha 
  Strike has a particular 
  field of fire into which the 
  unit may make attacks. 
  these fields of fire, based 
  on the unit’s type and 
  its facing, are known as 
  firing arcs. Firing arcs 
  extend to the edge of 
  the battlefield in the 
  directions indicated by 
  the Firing Arcs Diagram 
  shown here. Note that 
  infantry units, units with 
  • alpha strike 
  firing arcs diagram •
  • grounded dropships firing arcs diagrams • 
  • large support vehicle firing arcs diagrams • 
  
  standard Alpha Strike are shown on the To-Hit Modifiers Table. 
  Unless otherwise stated, all modifiers are cumulative, which 
  means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number to find the 
  final to-hit number. 
  Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a movement 
  modifier for target’s available movement.
  Occupying and Intervening Terrain: Terrain is occupied if 
  any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. Terrain is 
  intervening if the Line of Sight passes through it before reaching 
  the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 34).
  In the To-Hit Roll diagram, Alice’s ’Mech is at point A. The 
  ’Mech she is attacking with has a Skill Rating of 3. It cannot 
  see Aaron’s ’Mech (at point B), since that unit is completely 
  submerged. It can see the conventional infantry unit (at C), 
  the large support vehicle (at D), the ’Mech unit at point E, the 
  ProtoMech at point F, and the vehicle at point G. Alice starts 
  with her Skill Rating of 3 and applies the rest of the modifiers. 
  Here are her to-hit numbers:
  The infantry unit at point C is 16” away, putting it at Medium 
  range, which adds a +2 modifier. They have 2”f Move, giving 
  them a target modifier of +0. The Modified To-Hit Number is 5 
  [3 (Skill Rating) + 2 (medium range) = 5].
  multiple firing arcs, and turrets are further discussed below. For all 
  other Alpha Strike units, the Standard Firing Arc applies.
  If more than half of the target unit’s base lies outside the 
  attacker’s firing arc, then the attack cannot be made.
  Infantry: Infantry units (including battle armor) have a 
  360-degree firing arc, and so may always attack in any direction.
  Multi-Firing Arc Units: Some units—typically DropShips, large 
  support vehicles, and mobile structures—use different firing arcs 
  than the standard ground unit firing arcs. Units with multiple 
  firing arcs may only attack targets with the weapons that lie 
  within a given arc (so, a spheroid DropShip, which only presents 
  a left side and right side firing arc while on the ground, can only 
  employ weapons in its left side firing arcs against targets on its 
  left side). 
  Turrets: Units with a Turret (TUR) special ability have some (or 
  all) of their weapons mounted in a turret that has a 360-degree 
  field of fire. A unit using its turret-mounted weapons to deliver an 
  attack can only deliver damage using those weapons. (For more 
  information, see TUR special ability, p. 48).
  Step 3: Determine Range
  Alpha Strike uses fixed range brackets for all weapon types. To 
  determine a unit’s range, measure the distance from the edge of 
  the attacker’s base to the edge of the target’s base, and compare 
  this number to the Alpha Strike Range Table, to determine what 
  range bracket the target lies in.
  A unit’s successful attack will deliver a certain amount of 
  damage to the target at each of the indicated ranges, but not 
  all units can deliver damage at every range bracket. If a unit’s 
  damage value in a given range bracket is given as a 0 or a dash 
  (“—”) on its unit card, the unit cannot make an effective weapon 
  attack at that range. 
  Underwater Ranges: All range brackets for underwater 
  combat are halved. Thus, underwater Short range ends at 3 inches, 
  underwater Medium range ends at 12 inches, and underwater 
  Long range ends at 21 inches.
  Base-to-Base Contact: Units may not 
  make weapon attacks against targets with 
  which they are in base-to-base contact. 
  Against such units, the attacker may only 
  deliver a physical attack (see Resolving 
  Physical Attacks, p. 42).
  Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number
  Once a player has determined that he has 
  LOS to his target, that the target is within 
  the attacking unit’s firing arc, and within 
  a range bracket it can deliver damage to, 
  he must determine the to-hit number. The 
  player’s dice roll must equal or exceed this 
  to-hit number in order to score a successful 
  attack against his target.
  The base to-hit number for all attacks 
  is the unit’s Skill Rating. This number is 
  then modified based on the attack’s range 
  bracket, the target’s movement capability, 
  terrain features, and other miscellaneous 
  situations. The modifiers applicable to 
  ALPHA strike rAnge tAbLe
  Distance
  Range
  Up to 6”
  Short
  Over 6” and up to 24”
  Medium
  Over 24” and up to 42”
  Long
  • to-hit roll diagram • 
  F
  1” DEPTH 
  WATER
  4” DEPTH 
  WATER
  2” HILL
  4” HILL
  
  37
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  RANGE MODIFIERS
  Range
  Distance
  Modifier
  Short
  Up to 6”
  +0
  medium
  >6” to 24”
  +2
  Long
  >24” to 42”
  +4
  TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1
  Target’s Available MP
  Modifier
  0-4”
  +0
  5”-8”
  +1
  9”-12”
  +2
  13”-18”
  +3
  19”-34”
  +4
  35”+
  +5
  Jump Capable
  +1
  TARGET MODIFIERS
  Target
  Modifier
  Has Stealth Armor
  Varies2
  Is Shutdown/Immobile
  –4
  Is Dropping Unit
  +3
  TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS
  Target Element Type
  Modifier
  Airborne Aerospace
  +23
  Airborne VtOL or WiGE
  +1
  Battle Armor
  +1
  DropShip
  –2
  Large (LG, VLG, or SLG special) 
  –1
  Protomech
  +1
  TERRAIN MODIFIERS
  Terrain
  Modifier
  Underwater
  +14
  Woods
  +25
  Partial Cover
  +2
  PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS
  Physical Attack Type
  Modifier
  Standard
  +0
  melee
  +1
  Charge
  +2
  Death From Above
  +3
  Anti-’mech Infantry
  +1
  MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS
  Attacker
  Modifier
  Attacking Indirectly
  +16
  Attacker is a Drone
  +1
  Attacker is IndustrialMech with:
  No AFC special
  +17
  Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
  +07
  Attacker is Support Vehicle with:
  Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
  +07
  Basic Fire Control (BFC)
  +17
  No AFC or BFC special
  +27
  Fire Control Hit (per hit)
  +27
  Overheating
  +Heat Level (1-3)8
  Spotting for Indirect Fire
  +19
  Anti-’Mech Infantry
  Attacker is Conventional Infantry
  +3
  target transporting battle armor
  +310
  to-Hit Modifiers table
  1Modifier is based on available movement modified by heat level and critical hits, if applicable. Inches movement is irrelevant. This modifier does not apply to aerospace units.
  2For battle armor targets, Stealth adds +1 at Short and Medium ranges, and +2 at Long range. For all other units, Stealth adds +0 at Short range, +1 at Medium range, 
  and +2 at Long range.
  3Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, conventional fighters, small craft and DropShips. Only applies when target is airborne. Do not apply if attacker is also an airborne 
  aerospace unit.
  4Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved.
  5Target has intervening or occupied Woods terrain.
  6If the spotting unit makes a weapon attack in the same turn as it spots, apply a +2 modifier instead.
  7Fire Control hit effects may apply multiple times. Does not apply to Physical attacks.
  9Not cumulative with the Attacking Indirectly modifier.
  10Applies if target is transporting battle armor as cargo, or using mechanized/extended mechanized infantry specials
  
  Step 5: Roll to Hit
  to execute an attack, the controlling player rolls 2D6 for each 
  unit and compares the total to the modified to-hit number 
  identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals or exceeds 
  the modified to-hit number, the attack succeeds. Otherwise, the 
  attack fails.
  Partial Cover Effects: If the target’s partial cover is a building 
  or grounded DropShip, an attack that fails by 1 or 2 points will 
  damage the intervening building or DropShip instead (see 
  Buildings and Attacks against Grounded Aerospace Units, p. 83 and 
  p. 60, respectively). 
  Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage
  When an attack is successful, its damage is applied immediately, 
  but damage effect will not take place until the End Phase. Before 
  damage can be applied, the attack direction and amount of 
  damage must be determined.
  Attack Direction: When an attack hits a unit, it must be 
  determined whether or not it strikes the target’s front or rear. to 
  determine this, lay a straightedge from the center of the attacker’s 
  base to the center of the target’s base. If the attack enters through 
  the rear hex side of the target’s base, the attack direction is to the 
  target’s rear. Otherwise, the damage applies to the front of the 
  target. If the straightedge crosses at the intersection of two hex 
  sides, the target chooses which side is hit by the attack.
  In the case of damage delivered to infantry (including battle 
  armor) and Spheroid DropShips on the ground, damage is always 
  determined as if the unit is being hit in the front.
  Mechanized Battle Armor: If a unit carrying mechanized 
  battle armor (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32) is hit, roll 1D6. On 
  a result of 1–4, the carrying unit suffers the damage normally. On 
  a result of 5–6, the mechanized battle armor takes the damage 
  instead. If this destroys the battle armor unit, any excess damage 
  will be transferred to the carrying unit. 
  Amount of Damage: the base amount of damage 
  delivered by a successful weapon attack is equal to the 
  attacking unit’s damage value at the appropriate range 
  bracket. If the target is at short range, the base damage 
  is that listed in the attacking unit’s S value. For a target 
  at medium range, the m value is used. For a target at 
  long range, the L damage value applies. 
  Damage to Rear: Add 1 point of damage to any successful 
  attack that strikes its target in the rear.
  Overheat Damage: Units that track heat may inflict additional 
  damage on their targets at the expense of overheating. the 
  decision to overheat for additional damage potential must be 
  made when the attack is declared, but before it is resolved (see 
  Overheating, p. 44).
  Special Ability Damage: When using special ability rules 
  (such as Indirect Fire, torpedoes, and turret-mounted weapons), 
  use the damage values given for the special ability in place of 
  the normal damage values. the damage values of such special 
  abilities (including those noted as AC, ARtX, FLK, IF, LRm, SRm, 
  tOR, and tUR) follow the same range-bracket format as normal 
  damage (see Special Abilities, pp. 45-51) and are counted in the 
  unit’s normal attack damage unless otherwise specified. the Heat 
  special ability (Ht#) is a special case, as noted below.
  The large support vehicle at D is 26” away—Long range, 
  which adds 4. It has 5 Move, giving it a target modifier of +2. 
  It is a large support vehicle, which subtracts 1. The Modified 
  To-Hit Number is 8 [3 (Skill Rating) + 4 (long range) + 2 (target 
  movement) –1 (Large) = 8].
  The target ’Mech at E is 2” away, making it Short range, 
  which doesn’t add a modifier. It has a Move of 10”/2”j. The 10” 
  has a target movement modifier of +2, the 2”j has a target 
  movement modifier of +0 and +1 jump for a +1 total. The 
  highest target movement modifier of +2 is used. Next, Alice 
  adds 2 because it is in water that provides partial cover. The 
  Modified To-Hit Number is 7 [3 (Skill Rating) + 0 (short range) + 
  2 (target movement) + 2 (partial cover) = 7].
  Though Alice’s unit has LOS to ProtoMech at F, that unit is 
  outside of her firing arc, so no shots at it are possible.
  The vehicle unit at point G is 8” away, putting it at medium 
  range for a +2 modifier. It has an 8” Move, giving it a target 
  modifier of +1. There are 2” of woods between the attacker and 
  target, for another +2 modifier. The Modified To-Hit Number is 
  8 [3 (Skill Rating) + 2 (medium range) + 1 (target movement) + 
  2 (intervening woods) = 8].
  
  39
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Point of five Hydra Protomechs can deliver 5 points of damage 
  at Short range, and 3 at medium. Because the values for both 
  range brackets fall in the 1 to 7 range, the individual Hydras will 
  deliver only 1 point of damage at each range bracket.)
  this same division is also applied to any special ability 
  features Protomechs may have as part of their unit card data 
  (such as IF#, Ht#, and so forth).
  Applying Damage
  the following question-
  and-answer process covers 
  the recording of damage 
  from a successful attack. If 
  the target of the attack is 
  an 
  individual 
  Protomech, 
  consult 
  the 
  Damage to 
  ProtoMechs rule (see p. 40) 
  to determine the number of 
  points of armor and structure 
  each Protomech may sustain.
  question 1: Does the target unit have armor (Arm) bubbles 
  remaining on its unit card?
  Yes: Check off one armor bubble for every point of damage 
  delivered against the unit, until all damage is applied or all 
  armor is destroyed. then proceed to Question 2.
  No: Proceed to Question 3.
  question 2: Is there attack damage remaining?
  Yes: Proceed to Question 3 to allocate remaining damage.
  No: Proceed to Question 6.
  question 3: Does the target unit have structure (Str) 
  bubbles remaining?
  Yes: Check off one structure bubble for every point of 
  damage delivered, until all damage is applied or all structure 
  is destroyed. then proceed to Question 4.
  No: Proceed to Question 4.
  question 4: Is there damage remaining?
  Yes: the target unit is destroyed. If the unit is transporting 
  other units (such as infantry), all transported units are 
  destroyed as well.
  No: Go to Question 5.
  question 5: Does the target unit have structure bubbles 
  remaining?
  Yes: Roll once on the Determining Critical Hits table (see 
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). the attack is finished.
  No: the target unit is destroyed. If the unit is transporting 
  other units (such as infantry), all transported units are 
  destroyed as well.
  question 6: Does the target unit have the BAR special 
  ability, or is it an aerospace unit and the damage delivered 
  from a single attack has exceeded its threshold value?
  Yes: Roll once on the Determining Critical Hits table (see 
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). the attack is finished.
  No: Proceed to Question 7.
  question 7: Is the target unit a vehicle?
  Yes: Roll once on the Determining motive System Hits table 
  (see Step 7A: Roll for Motive System Damage, p. 42). the attack 
  is finished.
  No: the attack is finished.
  Heat Special Ability: Some units have a preponderance of 
  heat-generating weapons. Units with this feature will reflect 
  this in the unit’s stats via the Heat special ability. the Heat 
  special ability will also include a numeric rating (for example, 
  Ht1), which indicates the number of heat points that will 
  apply to the target during the End Phase of the turn when 
  the attack hits. (this heat applies in addition to the standard 
  damage points applied during the attacker’s normal weapon 
  attack, so a unit that can deliver 3 points of damage and has 
  the Ht1 special will deliver 3 points of damage in the attack, 
  and 1 point of heat in the same turn’s End Phase.) A unit may 
  be struck by multiple attacks that deliver heat, but no unit 
  may gain more than 2 points of heat per turn in this fashion. 
  If the target of a Heat special does not track heat with a 
  Heat Scale, the Heat special delivers its heat points as damage 
  points instead.
  Underwater Damage: With the exception of damage from 
  torpedo weapons (units that have the tOR special ability), all 
  damage from underwater weapon attacks that hit a submerged 
  unit is reduced by half (round down, to a minimum of 1). 
  However, to reflect the danger of flooding due to hull breaches, 
  every successful attack against a submerged unit generates a 
  Critical Hit chance, even if there is no structure damage (see 
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). If a submerged unit loses all 
  of its armor, it automatically sinks and is considered destroyed. 
  Area of Effect (AOE) Damage: Some weapons and effects 
  are described as Area of Effect (AOE), which can affect all 
  units within a given radius from the point of impact (POI). If 
  a unit is at a different elevation than the POI, the difference in 
  elevation is added to the distance from impact. thus, a tank on 
  a hill 2 inches away and 2 inches above the POI is treated as if 
  it lies 4 inches from the POI, and would not be affected by an 
  AOE weapon with a 2-inch radius. 
  ProtoMechs: Because they count as one unit in a player’s 
  army list, the damage values for Protomech Points are given 
  for the entire five-Protomech group. But, since individual 
  Protomechs move separately from one another in Alpha Strike, 
  the attacks and damage delivered by each Protomech may 
  inflict must be resolved individually. 
  to determine the amount of damage an Individual Protomech 
  can deliver based on its five-member Point data, simply cross 
  reference the damage value the entire Point can deliver at each 
  range bracket against the individual Protomech’s value in the 
  Individual Protomech Values table (see below). (For example, a 
  • attack direction
  diagram • 
  individual ProtoMeCH  
  values  table
  Value (Point)
  Value (Individual)
  0
  0
  1 to 7
  1
  8 to 12
  2
  13 to 17
  3
  18 to 22
  4
  23+
  5
  
  values fall within the 1 to 7 range, it means that the individual 
  Centaurs can sustain 1 point of armor damage, 1 point of 
  structure damage, and deliver 1 point of damage at Short, 
  Medium, and Long range. 
  The attack against John’s lone Centaur delivers 4 points. As 
  the Centaur can only withstand 2 points (1 for armor, and 1 for 
  structure), it is destroyed. John marks off one armor bubble 
  and one structure bubble from his Centaur Point’s unit card. 
  Since the Point is operating as individual units, the remaining 
  damage does not affect the other four ProtoMechs.
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits
  All units (except infantry and battle armor) can suffer critical 
  hits in standard Alpha Strike. 
  When the conditions for a critical hit check are met (as described 
  below), the attacker rolls 2D6 and consults the Determining 
  Critical Hits table for the appropriate unit type. the target’s 
  controlling player must then note any Critical Hits clearly on the 
  unit’s card. All critical hit effects will persist for the remainder of 
  the scenario.
  If a given critical hit effect does not apply to the unit in question 
  (for example, a weapon hit on a unit that has already had all of 
  its damage values reduced to zero), apply 1 additional point of 
  damage to the unit instead, but do not roll for additional critical 
  hits as a result of this extra damage.
  the following conditions will result in a critical hit check:
  All Non-Infantry Units: Any time a hit damages structure, the 
  unit may suffer a critical hit. (If the unit is an Industrialmech, two 
  critical hits rolls must be made.)
  All Units with BAR Special: Any time a unit with the Barrier 
  Armor Rating (BAR) special ability suffers damage, a critical hit 
  may occur—even if there is armor remaining. (If a unit with the 
  BAR special suffers structure damage, two critical hit checks must 
  be made.) 
  Submerged Units: Units submerged in water must check for 
  critical hits every time they suffer damage of any kind, to check 
  for potential hull breaches. (If a submerged unit also has a BAR 
  special, two critical hit checks must be made.) 
  Aerospace Units: When rolling for critical hits against an 
  aerospace unit, use the Determining Aerospace Critical Hits table 
  in the next chapter (see p. 58). In addition to the above rules, 
  aerospace units will also face a critical hit check if the damage from 
  a single attack exceeds the aerospace unit’s damage threshold. 
  the damage threshold for an aerospace unit is equal to one-tenth 
  of the unit’s starting armor value, rounded up.
  Critical Hit Effects
  the following describes the effects of each critical hit type 
  described in the Determining Critical Hits table.
  Ammo Hit: Unless the unit has the CASE, CASEII, or ENE special 
  abilities, the unit is destroyed. If the unit has CASE, it suffers 1 
  additional point of damage (roll again on the Determining Critical 
  Hits table if this damages structure). If the unit has the CASEII or 
  ENE special abilities, apply no additional damage and treat the 
  result as No Critical Hit.
  Crew Killed: the unit’s crew is killed. the unit is treated  
  as destroyed. 
  Damage to ProtoMechs
  Once again, the fact that Protomechs are tracked in five-
  member units, but operate as individual elements, means 
  that the damage they can sustain is different when attacking 
  Protomech units individually. to determine the number of 
  armor bubbles each Protomech individually has based on its 
  armor value as a Point, use the Individual Protomech Values 
  table. (For example, a point of Hydra Protomechs has 7 armor 
  bubbles; because this falls in the 1 to 7 range, this means that 
  each Hydra can individually sustain only 1 armor bubble before 
  excess damage hits the structure.)
  Damage cannot transfer between members of a Protomech 
  Point. If the damage delivered to an individual Protomech 
  exceeds the number of armor bubbles it can sustain, the excess 
  damage hits the Protomech’s structure. Because all Protomechs—
  regardless of size—receive only 1 point of structure in Alpha 
  Strike gameplay, this means that any damage that exceeds the 
  individual Protomech’s number of armor bubbles will also destroy 
  the Protomech’s structure.
  the destruction of each Protomech’s Structure point counts 
  as destruction of the individual Protomech itself and finishes the 
  attack. If all 5 structure bubbles in a given Protomech Point are 
  marked off, the entire Point is considered to be destroyed (even if 
  it has armor bubbles remaining).
  Note: In some cases, this approach of dividing armor and 
  structure points across a group of Protomechs may leave the 
  Point without any remaining armor before it actually runs out of 
  Protomechs. If this occurs, treat each remaining Protomech in the 
  group as if it has 1 armor point. 
  Kevin’s RFL-3N Rifleman begins the turn undamaged, 
  and so it has 4 points of armor and 5 points of structure. This 
  Combat Phase, the ’Mech is hit by weapon attacks from a 
  STK-5S Stalker and a BSW-X1 Bushwacker. After checking the 
  attack directions, Kevin’s opponents find all shots will strike his 
  Rifleman on the front. The Stalker is attacking from medium 
  range and will thus deliver 3 points of damage. Kevin marks 
  off 3 armor bubbles, leaving 1 armor and 5 structure circles 
  for his Rifleman. Because the damage has not marked off any 
  structure bubbles, there is no Critical Hits roll.
  The Bushwacker, also attacking from medium range, also 
  delivers 3 points of damage. Kevin marks off the last bubble of 
  armor on his Rifleman and 2 points of structure, leaving it with 
  no armor bubbles, and 3 bubbles of structure.
  Kevin informs his opponent that the attack has hit his 
  structure. This means there is a chance for a Critical Hit. His 
  opponent rolls 2D6, getting a 10 result, and consults the 
  Determining Critical Hit Table. This means the Rifleman has 
  taken a Fire Control Hit. In future turns, the Rifleman will suffer 
  an additional +2 to-hit modifier to its weapon attacks.
  John has a Point of five Centaur ProtoMechs in his force, of 
  which one is presently under attack. As a Point, the Centaurs 
  have 3 points of armor and 5 points of structure. They can 
  deliver 3 points of damage at Short range, 2 at Medium, and 1 
  at Long (and also possess the IF1 special ability). As all of these 
  
  41
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Crew Stunned: the unit’s 
  crew is stunned, and the unit 
  may not move or make attacks 
  during the next turn. A unit 
  with a stunned crew is treated 
  as an immobile target.
  Engine 
  Hit 
  (’Mechs): 
  the unit’s power system is 
  damaged. For ’mechs units, an 
  engine hit will cause the unit to 
  generate 1 heat point any time 
  it fires its weapons without 
  delivering any extra damage 
  from overheating. (the unit 
  may still use overheating to 
  add damage to its attacks, but 
  this heat will add to the 1 point 
  generated by the engine hit.) A 
  second Engine Hit critical will 
  destroy the unit.
  Engine Hit (vehicles): For 
  Vehicle units, the first engine 
  hit will reduce the unit’s move 
  and damage values at all range 
  brackets by 50 percent (round 
  down, to a minimum of 0 on 
  all values). A second Engine Hit 
  critical will destroy the unit.
  Fire Control Hit: Some 
  mechanism 
  for 
  controlling 
  the unit’s weapons has been 
  damaged. this could represent 
  anything from arm actuator 
  damage 
  to 
  sensor 
  hits. 
  Each Fire Control Hit adds a 
  cumulative to-hit modifier of 
  +2 for all subsequent weapon 
  attacks by the damaged unit. 
  (this modifier will not apply to 
  physical attacks.)
  MP Hit: Something related to the unit’s ability to move has 
  been damaged. the affected unit loses half of its current move, 
  rounding normally (to a minimum move loss of 2 inches). If a 
  unit is reduced to a move of 0 inches (or less) in this fashion, 
  the unit may no longer move. 
  No Critical Hit: the hit causes no critical effect.
  Unit Destroyed: the unit has suffered fatal damage and is 
  eliminated from the game.
  Weapon Hit: this hit represents the destruction of a number 
  of weapons on the affected unit. All damage values—including 
  those of special abilities that have damage values (such as 
  AC, ARtX, FLK, Ht, IF, LRm, SRm, tOR, and tUR) are reduced 
  by 1 (to a minimum of 0). For units with multiple attacks (such 
  as DropShips and mobile structures), a Weapon Hit critical 
  will reduce the damage values at all ranges in a randomly-
  determined arc by 50 percent (round down, to a minimum of 0). 
  Weapon Hit criticals do not affect a unit’s physical attack values.
  The Otomo standard-bearer, a Cyclops, struggles to right itself as Sword of Light and Izanagi Warrior forces push on.
  deterMining CritiCal Hits table
  2d6
  ’Mech*
  ProtoMech**
  Vehicle
  2
  Ammo Hit
  Weapon Hit
  Ammo Hit
  3
  Engine Hit
  Weapon Hit
  Crew Stunned
  4
  Fire Control Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  5
  No Critical Hit
  mP Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  6
  Weapon Hit
  No Critical Hit
  No Critical Hit
  7
  mP Hit
  mP Hit
  No Critical Hit
  8
  Weapon Hit
  No Critical Hit
  No Critical Hit
  9
  No Critical Hit
  mP Hit
  Weapon Hit
  10
  Fire Control Hit
  Unit Destroyed
  Weapon Hit
  11
  Engine Hit
  Weapon Hit
  Crew Killed
  12
  Unit Destroyed
  Weapon Hit
  Engine Hit
  *Roll twice for critical hits on IndustrialMechs, and apply both critical hits.
  **ProtoMech critical hit effects must be tracked separately for individual ProtoMechs.
  
  Step 1: Determine Physical Attack Type
  there are four types of physical attack that units may 
  perform in Alpha Strike: Standard, melee, Special, and Anti-
  ’mech Infantry. ’mechs may attempt all three of these physical 
  attack types. Protomechs may attempt Standard-type physical 
  attacks only. Vehicle units may only attempt the Charging 
  Special physical attack. Only infantry units (including battle 
  armor) with the Anti-’mech (Am) special ability may attempt an 
  Anti-’mech Infantry attack.
   A unit may only make one physical attack type per turn. Units 
  cannot make a physical attack in the same turn they have made 
  a weapon attack.
  Standard Physical Attacks: Standard physical attacks consist 
  of punches and kicks where the ’mech (or Protomech) uses its 
  limbs to inflict damage on a target. Standard physical attacks can 
  only occur when the attacker is within 1 inch of its target, and the 
  target is within the attacking unit’s firing arc (see Verify Firing Arcs, 
  p. 35).
  Melee Physical Attacks: Only ’mechs with the melee (mEL) 
  special ability may make melee physical attacks. the unit uses a 
  weapon to augment its normal physical attack damage. Units that 
  have a melee special ability may not choose to make a Standard 
  physical attack instead. melee physical attacks can only occur 
  when the attacking unit is within 2 inches of its target and the 
  target unit is also within the attacking unit’s firing arc (see Verify 
  Firing Arcs, p. 35).
  Step 7A: Roll for Motive Systems Damage
  Vehicles are inherently more vulnerable to disabling hits than 
  Battlemechs. Whenever a vehicle unit (including combat vehicles 
  and support vehicles) is damaged by an attack, roll 1D6. On a 
  result of 1 through 4, there is no motive system damage.
  If the 1D6 roll is 5 or 6, roll 2D6 and consult the motive Systems 
  Damage table, applying the modifiers indicated by the vehicle’s 
  motive type. A result of “No Effect” means that 
  the vehicle’s motive systems suffer no additional 
  damage this time. All other results indicate that 
  the vehicle has suffered damage that will impair its 
  movement for the rest of the game. 
  Airborne vehicles: If a VtOL or WiGE unit is 
  reduced to 0 inches of move as a result of motive 
  systems damage, and the unit is at least 1 inch 
  of elevation above its underlying terrain at the 
  time, the unit will crash into the terrain directly 
  below it. A crashing unit suffers 1 point of damage 
  (rolling for critical hits normally, if applicable) and 
  is immobilized.
  Submerged Units: If a submerged unit is reduced 
  to 0 inches of move as a result of motive systems 
  damage, it will immediately sink to the bottom depth 
  of the water terrain directly below it. the sinking 
  unit will suffer 1 point of damage (roll for critical hits 
  normally, if applicable) and is immobilized.
  RESOLvING PHySICAL ATTACKS
  Physical attacks follow a process similar to 
  weapon attacks, but since range is not a factor, 
  several steps are omitted. the process for resolving 
  physical attacks is:
  Step 1: Determine physical attack type
  Step 2: Determine to-hit number
  Step 3: Roll to hit
  Step 4: Determine and apply damage
  Step 5: Roll for critical hits (if applicable) 
  Motive systeMs  
  daMage table
  Unit Motive Type 
  2D6 Roll Modifier
  tracked/Naval
  +0
  Wheeled/Hovercraft
  +1
  VtOL/WiGE
  +2
  2D6 Roll
  Motive Effects
  2-8
  No Effect
  9-10
  –2” move*
  11
  –50% move*
  12+
  Unit Immobilized
  *To a minimum of 0” Move; round fractions down
  Atlas “Big Ben” delivers a brutal punch to the Masakari.
  
  43
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Charge Attacks
  In a Charge attack, the 
  attacking unit (’mech or 
  vehicle) uses its ground 
  movement to ram into its 
  target, using its mass and 
  speed to deliver damage. 
  A successful Charge can 
  thus damage both the 
  attacker and the target. the 
  charging unit’s damage is 
  based on its weight and 
  the distance it traveled in 
  the movement Phase. to 
  find this damage, take the 
  total inches the attacker 
  traveled, divide that by 2, 
  and multiply by the result by the value shown on the Charge 
  Damage table, rounding normally. the result is the amount of 
  damage inflicted against the target unit.
  Damage to Attacker: If the Charge attack is successful, 
  the attacking unit also suffers 1 point of damage if its target 
  is Size 3 or higher. this damage does not count as an attack 
  by the target unit, which may attack normally during its 
  Combat Phase.
  Death from Above Attack
  In order to execute a Death from Above (DFA) attack, the 
  attacking unit must have jumping movement. Airborne units 
  may not be targeted by a Death from Above attack. On a 
  successful DFA attack, the attacking unit delivers damage 
  to its target equal to its Charge damage +1 (see the Charge 
  Damage table). A successful DFA attack will give the attacker 
  the chance to deliver a critical hit, even if the target’s armor is 
  not destroyed (see Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40). 
  Damage to Attacker: If the DFA attack succeeds, the 
  attacking unit also suffers damage equal to its own Size. this 
  damage does not count as an attack from the target unit, so 
  the target may attack normally during its own Combat Phase. 
  If the DFA fails, the attacking unit suffers damage equal to 1 
  plus its own Size value. 
  Brian’s is debating whether his VND-3L Vindicator 
  medium ’Mech (Size 2, with a Move of 8”j) will Charge or 
  DFA an enemy CES-3R Caesar (a heavy Size 3 ’Mech). The 
  distance between the two units is 7 inches.
  If the Vindicator charges, Brian calculates that it will 
  deliver 2 points of damage (7 inches ÷ 2 = 3.5; 3.5 x 0.5 = 
  1.75, rounding normally to 2) on a successful attack, and 
  will suffer 1 point of damage, because the Caesar is Size 3 
  or higher. 
  If the Vindicator attempts a DFA instead, it will deliver 
  3 points of damage on a successful attack (the charge 
  damage calculated above +1), but will suffer 2 points of 
  damage (the Vindicator’s Size value). If the Vindicator 
  misses, it will suffer 3 points of damage for its trouble (the 
  Vindicator’s Size + 1).
  Special Physical Attacks: Charge and Death from Above 
  (DFA) attacks are more aggressive and risky physical attacks. 
  Only one of these special physical attacks may be attempted 
  per target, per turn—once a unit has been targeted for a 
  Special physical attack, it cannot be the target of any further 
  Special physical attacks. Charges and Death From Above 
  attacks can only be completed if the attacking unit can move 
  far enough to end its movement in base-to-base contact 
  with its target, and—because of this—these attacks can only 
  be made against targets that have already completed their 
  movement. (In addition, the Death from Above attack may 
  only be attempted by units that have sufficient jumping move 
  to reach the target.)
  Anti-’Mech Infantry Attacks: Units with the Anti-’mech 
  (Am) special ability can make a special attack against ground 
  units and grounded aerospace units with which they are in 
  base-to-base contact. Although this is called an anti-’mech 
  attack, any unit on the ground may be targeted in this manner. 
  (VtOLs and WiGEs can only be attacked if landed.)
  Step 2: Determine To-Hit Number
  the base to-hit number for all physical attacks is the unit’s 
  Skill Rating. this number is modified based on the physical 
  attack type chosen, the target’s movement capability, terrain 
  features, and other miscellaneous situations. the modifiers 
  applicable to physical attacks in standard Alpha Strike are 
  shown on the to-Hit modifiers table. Unless otherwise stated, 
  all modifiers are cumulative, which means they are added to 
  the unit’s base to-hit number to find the final to-hit number. 
  Shutdown Units: Shutdown units do not receive a 
  movement modifier for target’s available movement.
  Occupying and Intervening Terrain: terrain is occupied by 
  a unit if any part of the unit’s base is in contact with the terrain. 
  terrain is intervening if the attacker’s LOS passes through it 
  before reaching the target (see Verify Line of Sight, p. 34).
  Step 3: Roll to Hit
  Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified 
  to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll 
  equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is 
  successful. Otherwise, the attack fails.
  Step 4: Determine and Apply Damage
  When a physical attack is successful, its damage is applied 
  immediately, but does not take effect until the End Phase. 
  All physical attack damage is applied in the same fashion as 
  weapon attack damage. Standard and melee physical attack 
  damage is equal to the unit’s Size value, though units with 
  the melee special ability add 1 additional damage point to 
  this number. Special physical attacks use different rules for 
  determining damage, as described below.
  ProtoMechs: Protomechs operating individually will only 
  deliver 1 point of damage from a successful physical attack, 
  regardless of the Protomechs’ other damage values.
  Anti-’Mech Infantry: On a successful attack, the infantry 
  unit delivers its normal damage to the target and rolls once 
  for a critical hit on the target unit, even if there is armor 
  remaining. (See Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits, p. 40.)
  CHarge  
  daMage table
  Unit Size
  Multiply  
  Move by
  1 (Light)
  .25
  2 (medium)
  .50
  3 (Heavy)
  .75
  4 (Assault)
  1
  Death from Above: Add +1 
  damage for Death from Above 
  (DFA) attack
  
  The Mad Cat (Timber Wolf) Prime has the following stats on 
  its unit card: Damage (S/M/L) 5/5/4, OV 1, and has the LRM 1/1/2 
  and IF2 special abilities, but not the OVL special ability. With the 
  OV of 1, it can overheat by 1 point in a turn. This mean it can 
  inflict up to 6 points of damage at Short and Medium range (5 
  + 1 = 6), but still delivers only 4 points of damage at Long range 
  due to the lack of the OVL special ability. Its IF and LRM special 
  abilities, however, cannot be improved by using OV points.
  In the next turn, the Mad Cat can overheat by 1 additional 
  level to maintain its augmented damage, raising its heat 
  scale to 2 points. If the Mad Cat does this again for two more 
  consecutive turns, its heat scale will continue to rise until 
  hitting its maximum level (shutdown). 
  end phASe
  the following describes the rules for the End Phase of an Alpha 
  Strike turn. Both players may complete this phase simultaneously.
  DAMAGE
  Unless overridden by a special ability, all damage inflicted 
  during the Combat Phase takes effect during the End Phase. 
  this includes all Critical Hit effects as well, and all units that are 
  destroyed must be removed from play at this time.
  Aerospace Units: Any airborne aerospace unit that suffered 
  damage from ground units during the current turn must make 
  a Control Roll during the turn’s End Phase or lose altitude. See 
  the Aerospace End Phase rules in the Abstract Aerospace System 
  chapter (see pp. 52-61).
  HEAT
  the boxed numbers and the letter “S” to the right of the 
  Overheat Value represent the unit’s heat scale. When a unit 
  overheats, the amount by which it overheats is added to the unit’s 
  heat level, which is then marked on the heat scale.
  A unit’s current heat level will be added to its weapon attack 
  target numbers, and twice its current heat level (in inches) will be 
  subtracted from the unit’s ground movement rating. (Jumping 
  move is not affected by the heat scale.) Heat scale levels should 
  be marked in pencil, as a unit’s heat will rise and fall throughout 
  game play.
  Remember that heat levels do not actually change until the End 
  Phase of the turn in which the unit overheated. thus, modifiers 
  caused by overheating do not impact the attack that causes the 
  overheating to begin with; they will instead affect the unit during 
  its next turn. 
  Heat (HT#) Special Ability: the Heat special ability (see p. 47) 
  reflects units that are capable of raising a target unit’s heat via 
  outside heat sources (such as flamer weapons). In a single turn, 
  no unit may receive more than 2 points of heat from attacks 
  made using this special ability. If a unit capable of building heat 
  has already generated 2 points of heat during the turn from Ht# 
  attacks, the unit does not receive any additional heat effects; 
  instead, the extra heat points from these attacks are simply lost.
  Knowing that the to-hit modifier for a DFA is 1 point higher 
  than a charge attack, Brian must now choose between a 
  DFA that will inflict more damage to both ’Mechs, or the less 
  damaging—but slightly easier to pull off—charge.
  Step 5: Roll for Critical Hits
  Physical attacks may inflict critical hits just like weapon attacks. 
  Refer to Roll for Critical Hits (see p. 40).
  Death from Above: A successful DFA automatically results in 1 
  roll on the Determining Critical Hits table against the target unit, 
  even if the target suffered no structure damage as a result of the 
  attack. If the target did suffer structure damage as a result of the 
  DFA attack, an additional roll for critical hits must be made.
  Anti-’Mech Infantry: A successful Anti-’mech Infantry attack 
  automatically results in 1 roll on the Determining Critical Hits 
  table against the target unit, even if the target suffered no 
  structure damage as a result of the attack. If the target did suffer 
  structure damage as a result of the Anti-’mech Infantry attack, an 
  additional roll for critical hits must be made.
  OvERHEATING
  many ’mechs and some aerospace units have an Overheat 
  Value (OV) shown on the unit card. this number reflects the fact 
  that these units have more weapons than they can safely fire. A 
  warrior piloting such a unit can push it beyond its safety limits to 
  inflict extra damage. However, the heat build-up caused by such 
  action will slow the unit down and cause its targeting systems to 
  behave erratically until the ’mech has a chance to cool off.
  Using Overheat value
  An attacking player must announce his use of Overheat Value—
  and how many points of OV he wishes to use—before resolving 
  the attack’s to-hit roll. A unit with OV can apply anywhere from 
  a minimum of 0 OV points to a maximum equal to the unit’s OV 
  rating. If the attack succeeds, it deals extra damage at the Short 
  or medium range brackets equal to the OV points used when the 
  attack was announced.
  For each point of Overheat Value a unit uses in this fashion, 
  one point of Heat is added to the unit’s Heat Scale (see Heat, p. 
  44). If the overheating unit is in water, it reduces this heat level 
  by 1 point.
  Special Ability Damage: Special abilities that deliver damage 
  (or heat) effects (such as ARtX, FLK, Ht, IF, LRm, SRm, tOR, and 
  tUR) may not be augmented by overheating. 
  Physical Attacks: Physical attacks may not be augmented by 
  overheating. 
  Overheat Long (OvL) Special Ability: If a unit has the OVL 
  special ability, its use of Overheat will also increase its damage 
  value in the Long range bracket in the same manner as it will for 
  Short and medium range.
  Maximum Overheat and Heat Scale Effects
  Using Overheat will add to a unit’s Heat Value and can cause 
  a unit to move slower and be less accurate in later turns. A unit 
  cannot overheat more than the heat scale will allow (see Heat, 
  p. 44). 
  
  45
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  A unit that begins the End Phase as a shutdown unit 
  automatically drops to a Heat Level of 0 (and restarts). 
  A unit does not make a weapon attack in the current turn 
  also reduces its Heat Level to 0. 
  A unit that enters water of 2 or more inches in depth will 
  reduce its Heat Level by 1 point, as long as it did not use any 
  Overheat in the current turn. 
  Logan’s Vulture Prime overheats by 2 in the current turn, 
  so he marks the 2 box on the unit’s Heat Scale during the 
  End Phase of the turn. Starting with the following turn, 
  and as long as the Vulture remains at this heat level, it will 
  lose 4 inches of Move (2 Heat x 2 inches), and suffer a to-hit 
  modifier of +2 to all weapon attacks. Unless the Vulture 
  forgoes a weapon attack or enters water deep enough to 
  submerge itself, it will remain at a Heat Level of 2.
  If, in the next turn, Logan uses another 1 point of 
  Overheat, the Vulture will rise to a level of 3 on its Heat 
  Scale. At that heat level, it will lose 6 inches of Move (3 
  Heat x 2 inches), and suffer a to-hit modifier of +3 to all 
  weapon attacks. 
  SpecIAl AbIlItIeS
  Special abilities reflect extra features of a unit’s performance 
  created by its equipment or unit type. While most of these 
  provide units with additional benefits, some special abilities may 
  also reflect handicaps or restrictions. If a special ability contradicts 
  the basic gameplay rules, the ability takes precedence.
  Units may have multiple special abilities. If two special 
  abilities contradict each other, refer to the detailed ability 
  description for additional instructions.
  the special ability descriptions below describe abilities 
  usable in Standard Alpha Strike. Any special abilities not 
  found in the list below have no effect in the standard level 
  of play, but may be used in advanced Alpha Strike games.
  SPECIAL ABILITy DESCRIPTIONS
  these abilities are listed by name, with their common 
  abbreviation given in parentheses. Special abilities followed 
  by a numeric designator (#) indicate indicates that may have 
  variable effect based on the number used. (For example, a 
  unit with Ht1 indicates a unit that can deliver 1 heat point in a 
  successful attack against a targeted unit, while a unit with Ht2 
  can deliver 2 heat points.) If multiple numbers, separated by 
  slashes, appear by a special ability’s abbreviation, those values 
  indicate an ability that delivers damage in the Short, medium, 
  and Long range brackets.
  Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
  Industrialmechs and support vehicles equipped with 
  Advanced Fire Control do not suffer to-hit modifiers for their 
  unit type.
  Shutdown
  the maximum heat level of 4 appears on the heat scale as 
  an S, which represents automatic shutdown. A unit reaching 
  this level on the heat scale shuts down, and cannot expend 
  move or thrust, or execute any attacks in the following turn. 
  If the unit contains any special electronics (such as ECm), that 
  equipment will also stop working wile the unit is shutdown.
  Attacks against a shutdown unit apply a –4 to-hit modifier, 
  and ignore all target movement modifiers during that turn, 
  including any modifiers for the targets jump capability (if 
  applicable). 
  Aerospace Units: Aerospace units that suffer shutdown 
  must consult the Aerospace End Phase rules in the Abstract 
  Aerospace System chapter (see pp. 52-61). 
  Cooling Down
  Any unit that used Overheating in the current turn will 
  increase its Heat level as mentioned above, and thus will not 
  cool down at all in the End Phase. 
  If a unit outside of water (or in water terrain of less than 
  2 inches in depth) made a weapon attack in the current 
  turn—but does not use Overheat—its Heat Level will remain 
  unchanged in the End Phase. A unit in water of 2 inches in 
  depth that used only 1 point of Overheat will also not change 
  its current Heat Level in the current End Phase.
  Heat levels will thus decrease during the End Phase only  
  as follows: 
  
  most weapons and physical attacks by 1 point (to a minimum of 
  0). Indirect attacks, heat-causing attacks, and area-effect attacks 
  (such as artillery and bombs) are not dampened by the shield and 
  thus deliver full damage. All weapon attacks made by a ’mech 
  with this ability incur an additional +2 to-hit modifier.
  Bomb (BOMB#)
  Conventional and aerospace fighters, fixed-wing support vehicles, 
  and some battle armor can carry bombs. the number of bombs 
  these units can carry are equal to the number in the ability’s notation 
  (so a unit with BOmB4 carries up to 4 bombs). For most units, these 
  bombs may be of any type, though battle armor units with this ability 
  may only use cluster bombs (see p. 57). (As a special exception, Arrow 
  IV missiles of all types may be carried as bombs, but a unit that uses 
  Arrow IV bombs must count the first Arrow IV missile carried this way 
  as 2 bombs. All remaining bombs are then counted normally.)
  Each bomb a unit carries reduces its thrust value by 1. (Battle 
  armor units with bombs suffer no effects on their move ratings.) A 
  bomb-carrying unit’s card should list how many bombs the unit is 
  carrying in the scenario, which must be equal to or less than the 
  number this ability enables it to carry. 
  Cargo (CAR#)
  An infantry unit with the Cargo special ability can be carried by a 
  unit with infantry transport space (noted by the It# special ability). 
  For these units, the number in the ability notation indicates the 
  amount of cargo space it needs to be transported. For example, a 
  squad of Elemental battle armor has a CAR5 special ability, and so 
  would need a unit with It5 (or higher) to transport it. 
  Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment (CASE)
  Units with this ability can minimize the catastrophic effects of 
  an ammunition explosion and thus can survive Ammo Hit critical 
  hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 40), but will suffer additional damage.
  Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment II (CASEII)
  Units with this ability have superior protection against 
  ammunition explosions and can ignore Ammo Hit critical hits (see 
  Ammo Hit, p. 40).
  Electronic Countermeasures (ECM)
  In Alpha Strike, an ECm suite’s area of effect covers a 12-inch 
  radius from the unit that has this special ability. Electronics 
  (including active probes and C3 computers) used by units friendly 
  to the ECm-equipped unit will not be affected by this item, nor 
  will an ECm suite affect other scanning and targeting devices 
  (such as basic or advanced fire control, or tAG).
  Against hostile electronics, ECm has the following effects:
  ECM vs. Active Probes, Drones, Narc and iNarc Systems: 
  Active probes, drones, and the Narc/iNarc systems are all covered 
  in the Advanced Options chapter (see p. 62), and will detail the 
  effects of ECm against those systems.
  ECM vs. C3 Networks: ECm disrupts most enemy C3 networks, 
  preventing their function depending upon the type of C3 network. 
  If a C3 master unit is isolated from the network because it ventures 
  inside the ECm bubble, the C3 master’s entire network is effectively 
  shut off and loses C3 abilities. If the LOS between the C3 master unit 
  and one or more of the units in its network passes through a hostile 
  Amphibious (AMP)
  this ability makes a non-naval unit capable of water movement. 
  Amphibious units pay a total of 4” per inch of water traversed and 
  move as a surface naval unit in water, except that they freely move 
  in and out of water areas.
  Angel ECM (AECM)
  An Angel ECm suite has all the advantages of a standard ECm 
  suite. Angel ECm is treated as two standard ECm suites.
  Anti-’Mech (AM)
  Infantry units with the Anti-’mech (Am) special ability can 
  make a special attack against any ground units, landed VtOLs 
  and WiGEs, or grounded aerospace units with which they are in 
  base-to-base contact. Anti-’mech Infantry attacks are treated as a 
  physical attack (see p. 42).
  Anti-Missile System (AMS)
  A unit with an AmS reduces the damage from any attack 
  specifically delivered by the IF, SRm, or LRm special abilities by 1 point 
  (to a minimum of 1) as long as the attack comes from the front.
  Armored Components (ARM)
  A unit with this ability ignores the first critical hit chance rolled 
  against it during a single Alpha Strike scenario. the first time 
  circumstances arise that would normally generate an opportunity for 
  a critical hit (such as structure damage), the unit’s controlling player 
  must strike off this ability as “spent” for the remainder of the scenario, 
  and the attacker loses his first opportunity to roll for a critical hit.
  Armored Motive Systems (ARS)
  A unit with this special ability applies a –1 modifier on the 
  Determining motive Systems Damage roll (see Determining 
  Motive Systems Damage Table, p. 42).
  Barrier Armor Rating (BAR)
  the BAR special indicates a unit that is protected by substandard 
  armor (or commercial-grade armor). Successful attacks against 
  such units always trigger a roll for critical hits, regardless of 
  whether or not the structure is damaged. 
  Basic Fire Control (BFC)
  A support vehicle or Industrialmech with this ability has 
  an inferior targeting and tracking system, which adds a to-hit 
  modifier of +1 for its attack. (this modifier is listed in the to-Hit 
  modifiers table, see p. 37.)
  BattleMech HarJel (BHJ)
  A ’mech protected by HarJel ignores the special “hull breach” 
  critical hit checks required for being attacked while underwater 
  (or in a vacuum). All other causes for critical hit rolls (such as those 
  caused by structure damage and successful DFA attacks) still 
  apply as normal.
  BattleMech Shield (SHLD)
  Shield-bearing ’mechs gain some protection against weapon 
  and physical attacks at the expense of their own attack accuracy. 
  to reflect this, shield-equipped units reduce the damage from 
  
  47
  introduction
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  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  Industrial Triple-Strength Myomers (I-TSM)
  ’mechs with Industrial tSm have enhanced musculature 
  that delivers 1 point of additional damage on a successful 
  standard- or melee-type physical attack, but these units also 
  suffer a +2 to-hit modifier for all physical attacks due to the 
  loss of fine motor control. (Industrial tSm also provides a 
  movement boost, but this is already calculated in the unit’s 
  Alpha Strike stats.) 
  Infantry Transport (IT#)
  the numerical rating associated with this special ability 
  indicates the amount of infantry transport space available. 
  the unit may carry any number of infantry or battle armor 
  units as long as these units’ total cargo requirement does not 
  exceed the transporting unit’s infantry transport rating.
  Light ECM (LECM)
  Light ECm functions identically to ECm, but with a 
  reduced radius. Light ECm only creates an ECm bubble with 
  a 2” radius.
  Mechanized (MEC)
  Battle armor with this special ability may function as 
  mechanized battle armor, and can ride on any ground unit 
  type that has the Omni special ability (see Transporting 
  Infantry, p. 32).
  Melee (MEL)
  this special ability indicates that the ’mech is equipped 
  with a physical attack weapon, and add 1 additional point of 
  physical attack damage on a successful melee-type physical 
  attack (see Resolving Physical Attacks, p. 42). 
  ECm radius, only those networked units “cut off” from the C3 
  master will lose the benefits of C3. (See C3 Networks, pp. 49-51).
  If a C3i-equipped unit is caught within the ECm bubble, or 
  draws its LOS to all partner C3i units through an ECm bubble, 
  that unit is isolated from the network and loses all C3i abilities.
  Elementary Engine or Fuel Cell Engine (EE or FC)
  Units with EE or FC specials use non-fusion engines for 
  power and must have the SEAL special to operate underwater. 
  Units with elementary engines (EE) may not operate in a 
  vacuum, but units that have both fuel cell engines (FC) and 
  the SEAL special may operate normally in a vacuum. 
  Heat-tracking units that use either of these engine types 
  will suffer no heat buildup from an Engine Hit critical effect. 
  Instead, for every turn after receiving an Engine Hit critical, if 
  the unit makes a weapon attack, its controlling player must 
  roll 2D6 in the End Phase of that game turn On a roll of 12, the 
  unit explodes and is destroyed.
  Energy (ENE)
  A unit with this ability has little to no ammo to explode, and 
  ignores Ammo Hit critical hits (see Ammo Hit, p. 40).
  Extended Mechanized (XMEC)
  Battle armor with this special ability may function as 
  mechanized battle armor, and can ride on any type of ground 
  unit (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32).
  Fire Resistant (FR)
  Units with this ability are not affected by infernos or 
  other weapons that generate heat (Ht#). If the heat-causing 
  weapon deals damage in addition to causing heat, that 
  damage still applies.
  Flak (FLK#/#/#/#)
  If a unit with this ability misses its to-hit roll by 2 points or 
  less when attacking an airborne aerospace unit, VtOL or WiGE 
  target, the unit will deal damage to its target equal to its FLK 
  rating at the appropriate range bracket.
  Heat (HT#)
  Units with this ability apply heat to the target’s Heat scale 
  during the End Phase of the turn in which they deliver a 
  successful weapon attack. If the target is a unit type that does 
  not use a Heat Scale, the heat this ability would normally 
  produce is added to the normal attack damage instead (see 
  Determine and Apply Damage, p. 38).
  Indirect Fire (IF#)
  the Indirect Fire special ability allows a unit to attack a 
  target without having a valid LOS to it via arcing missiles over 
  the intervening obstacles, similar to how mortars and artillery 
  work. this attack requires a friendly unit with a valid LOS to 
  act as a spotter. the numerical rating for this ability indicates 
  the amount of damage a successful indirect attack will deliver. 
  Because they attack when other weapons cannot, damage 
  from an indirect attack applies in place of the unit’s normal 
  weapon attack (see Indirect Fire, p. 35).
  Pirate in Victor wielding a Banshee’s head as a makeshift meelee weapon.
  
  or in water (this includes units like hovercraft and airborne WiGEs 
  operating just above the surface of water). torpedo special ability 
  damage is given in range brackets like a standard weapon attack, 
  and may be fired separately or combined with the standard 
  weapon damage that a submerged unit may deliver in combat. 
  torpedo attacks ignore underwater range and damage 
  modifiers that affect other weapons. For example, if a submerged 
  unit, with damage values of 2/2/2 and a tOR 3/3 special, fires at a 
  target that is in its underwater Short range bracket, it will deliver 
  4 points of total damage on a successful attack. (the base damage 
  of 2 for its normal weapons is halved to 1, but the full tOR damage 
  of 3 applies without reduction.)
  Triple-Strength Myomer (TSM)
  ’mechs with the triple-Strength myomer special ability can 
  move faster and deliver additional damage in standard- and 
  melee-type physical attacks, but only when running hot. Once 
  a unit with tSm overheats, the following rules apply only to its 
  movement and physical attack capabilities. All other rules for 
  overheating and gameplay apply normally. 
  Movement: When a ’mech with tSm has a heat scale level of 
  1 or higher, it gains 2 inches of additional ground move. If the 
  heat scale is 1, the unit also ignores the loss of 2 inches from 
  overheating, but the overheating effects on move for heat levels 
  of 2+ remain in effect. (Unlike units with Industrial tSm, units with 
  this ability do not include its movement effects in their normal 
  stats, because the ability is activated only by overheating.)
  Physical Attacks: When an overheating unit delivers a 
  successful standard- or melee-type physical attack, it adds 1 point 
  to the damage delivered by the attack. Unlike Industrial tSm, this 
  heat-activated version imposes no additional to-hit modifiers.
  Turret (TUR#)
  A unit with a turret has some (or all) of its weapons mounted 
  with a 360-degree field of fire. Damage for all turret-mounted 
  weapons are included in the base damage values for the unit, and 
  then separately for the tUR special ability. thus, when a unit with a 
  turret wishes to make an attack outside of its normal forward field 
  of fire, it must use the damage values for its tUR special ability in 
  place of the unit’s standard damage values.
  Weapon attacks made using the turret cannot be combined 
  with any other special attack ability (such as IF, FLK, and so on). 
  Some particularly large units—such as mobile structures and 
  very large or super large vehicles—may feature multiple turrets. 
  A unit with multiple turrets may use each turret individually to 
  deliver its attacks (see Exceptionally Large Units, pp. 96-99).
  Underwater Maneuvering Units (UMU)
  A unit with the UmU special ability uses the submersible 
  movement rules when it is submerged in water instead of the normal 
  underwater movement rules (see Submersible Movement, p. 31).
  Watchdog (WAT)
  A unit with this special ability possesses the Watchdog Composite 
  Electronic Warfare System. For purposes of Alpha Strike, it is treated 
  as if it has both the Light ECm (LECm) special ability, and the Light 
  Active Probe (LPRB). (Active probes are covered in greater detail in 
  the Advanced Options chapter, see pp. 62-113.)
  Mimetic Armor System/ 
  Light Mimetic Armor System (MAS/LMAS)
  mimetic armors are similar to Stealth systems (see Stealth (STL), 
  p. 48), in that they make a target more difficult to hit with weapon 
  attacks. Unlike Stealth, the modifiers for mimetic armor are based 
  not on the unit’s type and its range, but by the unit’s type and how 
  far it moved in the current turn’s movement Phase. (Once again, 
  these modifiers do not affect physical attacks against such units.)
  For attacks made against non-infantry targets with the mAS 
  special, apply an additional +3 to-hit modifier if the unit moved 
  0 inches in the movement Phase, dropping to +2 to-hit if the unit 
  moved up to 5 inches, +1 if the unit moved from 5 to 12 inches, and 
  losing the modifier entirely if the unit moved more than 12 inches.
  For attacks made against battle armor targets with the mAS 
  special, apply an additional +3 to-hit modifier if the unit moved 
  0 inches in the movement Phase, dropping to +2 to-hit if the unit 
  moved up to 2 inches, +1 if the unit moved from 2 to 5 inches, and 
  losing the modifier entirely if the unit moved more than 5 inches.
  A unit equipped with the LmAS special applies only a +2 to-hit 
  modifier if it moved 0 inches, and +1 if it moved up to 2 inches.
  Off-Road (ORO)
  Lacking the rugged suspension of combat vehicles, ground-
  based support vehicles that use the wheeled (w) movement type 
  must pay 2 inches of additional move for every non-paved inch 
  they move unless they possess the Off-Road special. this ability is 
  not required for any other unit types, including support vehicles 
  that use movement modes other than wheeled.
  Omni (OMNI)
  In standard Alpha Strike play, ground-based Omni units (’mechs 
  or vehicles) may transport a single battle armor unit using the 
  mechanized battle armor rules (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32).
  Overheat Long (OvL)
  A unit with this special ability may overheat up to its OV value 
  and apply that value to its Long range damage value as well 
  as the unit’s Short and medium range damage values. (A unit 
  without this special ability may only apply the damage benefits 
  of its Overheat capabilities to damage delivered in the Short and 
  medium range brackets.)
  Stealth (STL)
  though various stealth systems exist in the Battletech universe, 
  the majority are similar enough in function that Alpha Strike does 
  not distinguish between them. these systems make a target more 
  difficult to hit with weapon attacks (but not physical attacks), 
  based on the range and unit type being targeted. 
  For attacks made against non-infantry targets with the StL special, 
  apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier to attacks at medium range, 
  and an additional +2 to-hit modifier at Long range (or greater).
  For attacks made against battle armor targets with the StL special, 
  apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier at Short and medium range, 
  and an additional +2 to-hit modifier at Long range (or greater).
  Torpedo (TOR#)
  torpedo launchers may only be launched by units in water (or 
  on the surface of a water feature), against targets that are also on 
  
  49
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  introductory 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  For example, four BattleMechs (A, B, C, and D) are part 
  of the same C3 network. BattleMechs B and C are at Long 
  range to a target they can see through an inch of woods; 
  B has a damage value at Long range, but C’s weapons 
  only reach out to Medium range. Meanwhile, ’Mech D 
  is at Short range to the same target, but cannot see it 
  through a hill that stands between them. BattleMech A, 
  however, has an unobstructed view of the target from 
  Medium range. 
  Although they stand at Long range, BattleMechs B 
  and C can attack the target as if it were at Medium range, 
  thanks to ’Mech A’s proximity and LOS to the same unit, 
  but only ’Mech B can deliver damage at Long range. 
  ’Mech A can also attack the target, because it has both 
  LOS and range. ’Mech D cannot make an attack because 
  its LOS to the target is blocked, while ’Mech C is left out 
  only because it has no weapons that can reach that far 
  from its position.
  If ’Mech D had line of sight to the target instead of 
  ’Mech A, BattleMech’s B and C would enjoy the benefits 
  of the Short range attack modifier, instead of Long range. 
  ’Mech C would remain unable to attack because its own 
  weapons were out of range, but the chances for hits from 
  its companions would be greatly improved.
  C3 NETWORKS
  the following special abilities cover the various systems 
  available to establish a Command, Control, and Communications 
  (C3) network, as used in standard Alpha Strike play. While each 
  has special features (as noted in the various descriptions below), 
  the basic rules of a C3 network are as follows.
  Notation and Tracking of C3 Networks
  C3 networks only receive a numerical notation if the carrying 
  unit has more than one C3 “master” system (C3m, C3BSm, or 
  C3Em) on board. Improved C3 systems (C3I), and C3 “slave” systems 
  (C3S, C3BS, C3RS) do not use numerical notations. C3 networks 
  have limited sizes, based on the special ability involved, so the 
  members of a network should be clearly identified in the event 
  that multiple C3 networks are in use. (Colored markings, symbols 
  on a unit’s card, or even special tokens placed by the units’ 
  miniatures may be helpful in doing this.)
  Benefits of C3 Networks
  the members of any given C3 network function as a team, 
  sharing targeting data that enables all members of the network 
  to attack a selected target as if all of them are in the same range 
  bracket as the network’s closest active member with a valid LOS 
  to it. (Even with this benefit, the actual attacker must also have 
  its own valid LOS to the target, and be able to deliver damage 
  against it at its actual range.) Additional benefits of the various C3 
  systems are defined in their specific special ability descriptions. 
  • c3 diagram • 
  F
  WOODS
  2” HILL
  4” HILL
  
  • c3 configuration diagram • 
  
  51
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  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  standard 
  alpha strike
  deploying unit’s Short range bracket (this attack receives a 
  –4 to-hit modifier, cannot be made against another unit, and 
  delivers no damage; if the attack misses, the remote sensor 
  will fail to activate). 
  C3 remote sensors must be set to a specific network, 
  require a “master” unit to coordinate with, and cannot 
  exceed the network’s maximum number of four active units. 
  the remote sensor will only operate until the End Phase of 
  the turn after its deployment. For this reason, they are often 
  used as “backups” for destroyed or shutdown members 
  of an active network, or as a temporary substitution for a 
  shorthanded network. 
  C3 Slave Computer (C3S)
  A unit equipped with a C3 slave can link into a C3 network as 
  described under the C3 master Computer rules (see p. 51). to 
  be part of a network, C3 slaves must connect to a “master” unit 
  (either a C3m or C3BSm).
  C3 Improved Computer (C3i)
  the C3i computer enables up to six units to be part of a C3 
  network, rather than 4, and requires no C3 master computer 
  to function. Because they have no master, C3i networks 
  cannot be shut down by the loss or ECm interference over 
  one network member. this also means the C3i network 
  cannot branch off to other networks, and works more like a 
  closed system unto itself.
  Losing a C3 Network
  For standard C3 networks (those with C3m, C3Em, C3RS, and 
  C3S specials), a network member will lose its connection to the 
  network if a hostile ECm bubble covers that member, or blocks 
  its line of sight to the network’s “master” unit. 
  the destruction or shutdown of any C3 unit also removes 
  that unit from its network, but will not affect the entire 
  network unless the destroyed/shutdown unit is the network’s 
  “master”. If the unit destroyed or shutdown is the network’s 
  “master” unit, the entire network—and all active members of 
  it—will lose the benefits of C3.
  C3 Boosted Systems (C3BSM# or C3BSS)
  the C3 boosted system works identically to a standard C3 
  system, and links one master unit (noted by C3BSm) with up 
  to four slaves (noted by C3BSS). these boosted C3 units are 
  unaffected by most ECm effects. Only a hostile Angel ECm will 
  affect a boosted C3 network in the same way as other ECms 
  affect standard C3 systems.
  C3 Emergency Master Computer (C3EM#)
  A C3Em system is an emergency backup for a standard C3 
  master system, and activates only during the End Phase of 
  any turn in which the network’s normal C3 master cannot be 
  contacted (either due to destruction or ECm interference). the 
  emergency master runs for 2 consecutive turns (not counting 
  the turn in which it activates), shutting down in the End Phase 
  of the second turn. While running, the C3Em system duplicates 
  all functions of a C3 master computer.
  C3 Master Computer (C3M#)
  the C3 master computer enables up to four units to share 
  targeting information and receive the benefits of the C3 
  network. One unit in a four-member C3 network must have 
  the C3m system to act as the “master”. the other three units in 
  the network must have C3 equipment of their own to be part 
  of that “master’s” network. these member units can use either 
  their own master computers, or C3 slaves to accomplish this. 
  If a C3 network has multiple “masters”, each “master” needs 
  to designate three other units as part of its network. Units 
  with multiple C3ms can even use them to coordinate multiple 
  networks via the same “master”, as demonstrated in the C3 
  configuration Diagrams shown on p. 50.
  C3 Remote Sensor (C3RS)
  A unit with this ability can deploy up to 4 remote sensors 
  per game that will act as a stationary C3 Slave Computer 
  (C3S) for one turn. Deploying the remote sensor requires a 
  successful “attack” against a point on the map within the 
  • c3i diagram • 
  
  The hidden asteroid-base codenamed GABRIEL served the Word of Blake throughout the Jihad.
  AbStrAct AeroSpAce SyStem
  
  53
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  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  size), should be kept near the table where the ground battle 
  is being played, so that players can easily move between the 
  two maps. 
  As an abstraction of the local airspace, the Radar map does 
  not have a fixed scale; aerospace movement on this map is 
  thus not measured in inches, as it is in the ground-level game. 
  Instead, movement is between zones in each of the map’s four 
  main areas, which are described below.
  The Central Zone
  the Central Zone corresponds to the ground map playing 
  area. Players should designate the direction on both maps 
  that represents “north” for the purposes of the scenario. the 
  Radar map should then be oriented so that both it and the 
  ground table use the same direction for “north”.
  The Inner Ring
  the Inner Ring reflects the airspace immediately near the 
  ground battle area, but just outside of the immediate reach of 
  ground units. Aerospace units in this area can quickly react to 
  events on the ground battlefield. 
  the Inner Ring is divided (by dotted lines) into six parts. this 
  is solely to aid players in determining each aerospace unit’s 
  direction of approach into and through the Central Zone; 
  for all other intents and purposes, the Inner Ring is treated a 
  single game zone, unlike the middle and Outer Rings.
  Aerospace warfare is a significant part of many Battletech 
  scenarios, although it is often peripheral to the ground 
  war. Because Alpha Strike is mainly a miniatures-driven war 
  game focused on ground-based combat, the abstract rules 
  presented here reflect the use of Battletech aerospace units 
  as supporting elements to the fighting below. For this reason, 
  this system uses a simplified playing field (called the Radar 
  map) to represent the airspace above and around the terrain 
  table where the rest of the action is taking place. 
  Abstract Aerospace is considered part of the Standard 
  Alpha Strike rules. For the purposes of these rules, all aerospace 
  covered by these rules are considered “airborne” unless 
  specifically noted otherwise.
  CONTROL ROLLS
  the great speeds and the persistent threat of crashing makes 
  aerospace maneuvering and combat a deadly proposition. 
  As a result, these rules will periodically request a Control Roll 
  on the part of aerospace units, either to avoid collisions or 
  outmaneuver opposing units in air-to-air engagements.
  this Control Roll—effectively a skill check for piloting—
  uses the aerospace unit’s Skill Rating for its base to-hit (so an 
  aerospace unit with a Skill of 4 not only has a base to-hit of 4 
  for weapon attacks, it is also presumed to have a base to-hit of 
  4 for its Control Rolls as well). 
  As with weapon or physical attacks between ground units, 
  making a Control Roll simply requires the controlling player 
  to roll 2D6, with success measured by meeting or exceeding 
  the base to-hit, plus any modifiers imposed by the situation. 
  If the roll is less than the Control Roll’s modified base to-hit 
  number, it fails.
  AeroSpAce Setup
  the abstract aerospace game is set up alongside that of the 
  rest of the standard Alpha Strike game setup (see pp. 23-25). 
  Because these rules presume that the players are conducting 
  the aerospace battle as part of a larger action on the ground, 
  the order of setup is the same as that of the ground scenario. 
  For the sake of simplicity, it is recommended that the players 
  set up all of their terrain and ground forces for a scenario, 
  before setting up all of their aerospace forces.
  In place of terrain, the abstract aerospace system uses 
  a special and separate board called the Radar map, upon 
  which the players will place the miniatures representing their 
  aerospace units. the details of this map are described below.
  THE RADAR MAP
  the Radar map sheet, located at the back of the book, 
  represents the airspace around a playing area. It is divided 
  into a series of concentric rings, each of which reflects areas 
  of increasing distance from the ground battle. Each ring is 
  further divided into one or more zones to regulate movement. 
  A copy of the Radar map (either photocopied from this book, 
  or hand-drawn on a sheet of paper or poster board of suitable 
  RADAR MAP
  © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
  Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use. 
  A
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  • radar map diagram • 
  
  current thrust of 10 or higher can 
  move two zones per turn. 
  If a unit has the Bomb (BOmB#) 
  special, and is carrying bombs 
  in the current scenario, it must 
  reduce its current thrust by 1 
  point for every bomb carried 
  (to a minimum of 1 thrust). If a 
  bomb-capable aerospace unit 
  does not specify that it is carrying 
  bombs at the start of a scenario, 
  it is presumed to be carrying no 
  bombs at all.
  Unless an aerospace unit is 
  capable of hovering in place or engaged in air-to-air combat (see 
  below), it must move at least one zone per turn, and each move 
  must be between adjacent zones. the Inner Ring is considered 
  adjacent to all middle Ring zones, and vice versa. 
  Unlike ground combat, where a miniature can only occupy 
  its own space, the abstract aerospace zones are large enough 
  to accommodate an unlimited number of aerospace units, even 
  if they are on opposing sides. Facing is not tracked in abstract 
  aerospace combat.
  Hovering in Place
  Any aerospace unit with the Airship (i) or Spheroid (m) movement 
  mode codes beside its thrust rating may hover in place during the 
  movement Phase. Hovering allows the unit to remain in its current 
  zone, rather than move out of its current region.
  Entering and Leaving the Central Zone
  Any aerospace unit that ends its movement in the Central Zone 
  is assumed to be making a ground attack or attempting to land, 
  unless the unit is lifting off from the ground map in the current 
  turn (see Landing and Liftoff, below). Units that are executing 
  ground attacks or attempting to land must be assigned a flight 
  line across the ground battle table, representing the terrain that 
  the unit will pass over as it flies over the field. this flight line must 
  always follow a straight path.
  Assigning the flight line is as simple as placing the aerospace 
  unit’s miniature on any edge of the ground table desired, with 
  its front side facing any direction that crosses over at least 24 
  inches of the ground map. If miniatures are in short supply and 
  are already being used to track the unit’s place on the Radar map, 
  the mini can be removed from the Radar map and represented 
  by a token for the turn (or turns) in which it is in the Central Zone. 
  Aerospace units leaving the ground playing area are placed in 
  the Central Zone of the Radar map at the start of their movement.
   
  Exiting the Radar Map
  Aerospace units moving outward from the Outer Ring are 
  treated as though they have retreated from battle. Such elements 
  are removed from play and cannot reenter the game for the 
  remainder of the scenario.
  If the Advanced Aerospace Units on the Ground Map rules are 
  in play, units attempting a landing via the Central Zone also exit 
  the Radar map, but are not considered to have left the battle (see 
  Landing and Liftoff, below).
  The Middle Ring
  the middle Ring represents an intermediate distance from the 
  ground playing area. Aerospace units in this ring are a considerable 
  distance from the battlefield, but fast enough elements can still 
  react to events on the ground. this ring is divided into six zones, 
  lettered A through F.
  The Outer Ring
  the Outer Ring represents the farthest distance from the ground 
  playing area at which aerospace units may still be considered part 
  of the fight. this ring is divided into twelve zones, numbered 1 
  to 12. these zones correspond to the face of a clock, with the 12 
  o’clock zone located at “due north”.
  PLACING AEROSPACE FORCES ON THE RADAR MAP
  Unless a scenario’s rules dictate otherwise (by calling for 
  aerospace units to be placed in specific zones), aerospace forces 
  should begin play in the Outer Ring, directly opposite each other 
  and on the edges of the Radar map. their starting positions 
  should be in the Outer Ring zone best corresponding to their 
  side’s ground force deployment on the ground playing area. 
  For example, if one player’s force is entering the ground battle 
  on the south edge of the map, his aerospace units would be placed 
  in Outer Ring zone number 6; his opponent’s force, entering the 
  ground map on the north edge of the map, would thus start its 
  aerospace forces in Outer Ring zone 12.
  As with ground setup, if the aerospace force sizes are unequal, 
  refer to the Unequal Number of Units rule in the Standard Alpha 
  Strike rules to place the aerospace units (see p. 28). 
  AbStrAct 
  AeroSpAce 
  gAmeplAy
  this abstract aerospace system uses the standard Alpha Strike 
  gameplay sequence, with aerospace units for any given side receiving 
  the same Initiative and movement sequence as their ground forces. 
  Players on each side may move their aerospace units at any time 
  during an Alpha Strike turn sequence, but for the most balanced 
  gameplay, it is recommended that players alternate the movement 
  of aerospace and ground units evenly. For example, when 
  alternating between each other’s moves, if the Initiative winner 
  opts to move a ground unit, his opponent would then move a 
  ground unit in response; if the Initiative winner moves n aerospace 
  unit instead, his opponent would move an aerospace unit as well.
  ABSTRACT AEROSPACE MOvEMENT
  Aerospace movement on the Radar map is greatly abstracted, 
  and represents the collective effects of air flow, maneuvering, 
  gravity, and thrust during an aerial battle over large swaths of three-
  dimensional space. Aerospace units on the Radar map thus have 
  a limited amount of movement between regions, based on their 
  current thrust ratings. Units with a less than 10 points of thrust at 
  the start of a turn can move only one zone in that turn. Units with a 
  aerosPaCe  
  unit MoveMent 
  Mode table
  Movement 
  Mode
  Movement 
  Code
  Aerodyne
  a
  Airship
  i
  Spheroid
  p
  
  55
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Step 1: verify Line of Sight
  An airborne aerospace unit always has LOS to a ground 
  unit, unless the ground unit is not completely submerged, 
  underground, or inside a structure. While submerged units 
  and units concealed by structures may not be targeted 
  directly, the spot they occupy may be chosen for a  
  bombing attack.
  Step 2: verify Firing Arc
  For all intents and purposes, an air-to-ground attack is 
  always within an aerospace unit’s firing arc, but because an 
  aerospace unit overflying the ground map must designate a 
  linear flight path over the terrain, any targets chosen by the 
  aerospace unit must lie within an inch of the unit’s path (to 
  either side). the specifics of each air-to-ground attack type are 
  further explained below.
  For convenience, templates are provided at the back of this 
  book to aid in plotting air-to-ground strafing and bombing 
  attacks. this includes Area of Effect (AOE) templates for bombs, 
  and a 2-inch wide strafing guide template. these templates 
  may be photocopied for use in planning and resolving air-to-
  ground attacks.
  Strafing Attacks: In a strafing run, the attacking aerospace 
  unit identifies a 10-inch long stretch along its flight path over 
  the ground map that will be subject to its strafing run. this 
  stretch is 2 inches wide (centered on the unit’s flight path, and 
  all ground units or landed aerospace units in that stretch—
  friend or foe—will be subject to this attack. All strafing attacks 
  use the aerospace unit’s forward arc weapons (even if the unit 
  has multiple firing arcs).
  Striking Attacks: In the striking attack, the aerospace 
  unit targets a specific unit within its flight path. Aerodyne 
  DropShips, small craft, and fighter units, will attack this target 
  using their forward weapons; spheroid DropShips must use 
  their aft arc weapons for the strike attack.
  Altitude Bombing: Similar to a strafe attack—but with 
  bombs—altitude bombing allows an aerospace unit with the 
  BOmB special ability to select 2 or more points of impact (POIs) 
  along its flight path, attacking each point with a minimum of 1 
  bomb point per 2 inches along the path. Each successful bomb 
  attack delivered when altitude bombing will use its designated 
  point for the center of impact, affecting any targets within a 
  radius determined by the type of bomb used. If the aerospace 
  unit carries multiple bomb types, it may determine which 
  bombs target which points of impact. (Battle armor with BOmB 
  special abilities may not attempt altitude bombing attacks.)
  Dive Bombing: An aerospace unit with the BOmB special 
  ability may perform a dive bomb attack against a single point 
  of impact (POI) along its flight path, using one, some, or all 
  of its bomb points to attack. A successful bombing attack will 
  use this point as the center of impact, affecting any targets 
  within a radius determined by the type of bomb used. (Dive 
  bombing is also available to battle armor units that possess 
  the BOmB special ability and which are hovering over the 
  target hex using VtOL movement.)
  Landing and Liftoff
  Under standard Alpha Strike rules, aerospace units are 
  treated as airborne or grounded through the entire game 
  scenario, so landing and liftoff rules do not appear in this 
  chapter. Players wishing to incorporate aerospace landing 
  and liftoff rules in their Alpha Strike games must consult the 
  Aerospace Units on the Ground Map rules, in the Advanced 
  Options chapter (see pp. 70-73).
  Air-to-Air Engagements
  If aerospace units from opposing sides end their turn in the 
  same zone, they may engage in air-to-air combat. Aerospace 
  units still engaged in air-to-air combat from the previous turn 
  cannot move out of the zone they are in until the engagement 
  is over. An aerospace unit must be free of all engagements 
  before it can move to a new zone (see Air-to-Air Combat, p. 58).
  AbStrAct 
  AeroSpAce 
  combAt
  Unless an aerospace unit is large enough to feature multiple 
  firing arcs, each aerospace unit in the abstract aerospace 
  system may deliver only one attack per turn. Aerospace units 
  in the Central Zone can declare air-to-ground attacks, while 
  aerospace units occupying the same Radar map zone can 
  declare air-to-air attacks against opposing aerospace units. 
  Aerospace units declaring air-to-ground attacks may 
  choose between four types of attacks: strafing, striking, 
  altitude bombing, or dive-bombing—but bombing attacks 
  may only be made by aerospace units that possess the Bomb 
  (BOmB#) special ability.
  As with ground units that have such abilities, aerospace 
  units that have Overheat Values (OV) must announce their 
  intention to use OV points to increase their attack damage. 
  Using overheat for aerospace units follows the same rules 
  as presented for ground units in standard Alpha Strike (see 
  Overheating, p. 44). Overheat damage cannot be combined 
  with air-to-ground bombing attacks.
  RESOLvING AEROSPACE AIR-TO-GROUND ATTACKS
  the sequence for resolving air-to-ground attacks—
  regardless of type—follows the same process as weapon 
  attacks in standard Alpha Strike:
  Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS)
  Step 2: Verify firing arc
  Step 3: Determine range
  Step 4: Determine to-hit number
  Step 5: Roll to hit
  Step 6: Determine and apply damage
  Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
  
  In the Strafing Diagram (at left), the attacking player 
  decides to perform a strafing run and chooses his attack path 
  to maximize damage to his opponent. His strafing attack 
  targets ’Mechs A and B, and infantry C, of his opponents’ forces. 
  While the attacker is careful to keep his attack path away from 
  his ’Mech D, he will be forced to make a strafing attack on his 
  Battle Armor E because it lies within the strafing attack path.
  The bombing diagram shows the previous example, but 
  instead the attacker has decided to perform an altitude 
  bombing. He chooses a path clear of his ’Mech D and Battle 
  Armor E, and sets the first POI directly over ’Mech B. He decides 
  to continue to a second POI, which must be 2 inches away 
  along the attack path, landing on the edge of a light woods 
  template. The diagram shows the area of effect if HE bombs 
  are used; the bombs dropped on POI 1 affect ’Mech B, and the 
  bombs dropped on POI 2 affect infantry C.
  Step 3: Determine Range
  Regardless of the type of attack used, air-to-ground attacks 
  always occur at Short range.
  Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number
  the Aerospace to-Hit modifiers table provides additional to-hit 
  modifiers that are used in abstract aerospace combat.
  When delivering an air-to-ground attack, aerospace units use the 
  attacking unit’s Skill rating as its base to-hit number, as well as any 
  modifiers for damage done to the attacking aerospace unit (such as 
  previous Crew Hit of Fire Control Hit critical hits). Bombing attacks 
  do not apply modifiers for the target’s movement, type, or terrain, 
  but all other air-to-ground attacks must apply these modifiers.
  Step 5: Roll to Hit
  Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified to-
  hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals 
  or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is successful. 
  Otherwise, the attack fails.
  Strafing: Unlike most Alpha Strike attacks, strafing (and 
  bombing) requires multiple attack rolls to resolve. For strafing, an 
  attack roll is made for all of the targets within the strafing attack 
  area. Successful attacks will deliver strafing damage to the targets, 
  while failed attacks miss them entirely. 
  Striking: Striking attacks require only one attack roll to resolve. 
  Successful striking attacks will deliver the unit’s standard attack 
  damage to the target, while failed attacks miss entirely. 
  Bombing: As with strafing attacks, multiple attack rolls must 
  be made, with one made for every bomb dropped, rather than 
  as a single attack roll. If For every bomb attack that fails, the 
  attacker must roll 1D6 to determine the direction the individual 
  bomb will “scatter”. Using the Area of Effect template, with the 
  “1” location indicating the direction of the aerospace unit’s flight, 
  the numbers in parentheses indicate the 3 possible directions 
  bombs will scatter from a failed altitude-bombing attack, while 
  the numbers outside of the parentheses indicate the 6 possible 
  directions a failed dive bombing attack will scatter. 
  LIGHT WOODS
  TEMPLATE
  LIGHT WOODS
  TEMPLATE
  LIGHT WOODS
  TEMPLATE
  LIGHT WOODS
  TEMPLATE
  • strafing diagram • 
  • bombing diagram • 
  
  57
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Each bomb carried (up to the unit’s maximum BOmB special 
  ability value), will reduce the aerospace unit’s current thrust 
  by 1, to a minimum thrust rating of 1. thus, for each bomb the 
  unit drops in combat, it reclaims 1 thrust point.
  High Explosive (HE) Bombs: HE bombs deliver 2 points of 
  damage to all ground targets within an AOE of 2 inches from 
  the point of impact.
  Cluster Bombs: Cluster bombs deliver 1 point of damage to all 
  ground targets within an AOE of 6 inches from the point of impact.
  Inferno Bombs: Inferno bombs deliver 2 points of Heat 
  effects to all targets within an AOE of 2 inches from the point 
  of impact. Against units that do not use a Heat Scale, deliver 
  this effect as 2 points of damage instead.
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits
  Critical hits from air-to-ground attacks are resolved in the 
  same manner under the abstract aerospace system as they are in 
  standard Alpha Strike weapon attacks. As in standard Alpha Strike, 
  all units (except infantry and battle armor) can suffer critical hits. 
  When the conditions for a critical hit check are met (as 
  described below), the attacker rolls 2D6 and consults the 
  Determining Critical Hits table for the appropriate unit 
  type (see p. 40). If the target is an aerospace unit, use the 
  Determining Aerospace Critical Hit table (see p. 58). the 
  target’s controlling player must then note any Critical Hits 
  clearly on the unit’s card. All critical hit effects will persist for 
  the remainder of the scenario.
  If a given critical hit effect does not apply to the unit 
  in question (for example, a weapon hit on a unit that has 
  already had all of its damage values reduced to zero), apply 
  1 additional point of damage to the unit instead, but do not 
  roll for additional critical hits as a result of this extra damage.
  Once direction is determined, a 
  second 
  1D6 
  roll 
  result—multiplied 
  by 2—will then determine how many 
  inches away from the original POI the 
  missed bomb will actually land. 
  Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage
  When determining and applying 
  damage from an air-to-ground attack, 
  damage is always delivered to the 
  target’s front arc, regardless of the unit’s 
  actual facing relative to the aerospace 
  unit’s line of attack.
  DropShip Attacks: the 
  damage 
  from a DropShip air-to-ground attack is 
  based on the firing arc used to deliver 
  the attack. Strafing attacks by DropShips 
  always use the unit’s front arc weapons, 
  while striking attacks by DropShips 
  use the unit’s rear weapon arc if the 
  unit is a spheroid DropShip. Grounded 
  DropShips will have multiple firing 
  arcs—grounded spheroid DropShips 
  use their side-arc weapons against 
  other ground units, and their front-
  arc weapons against airborne targets; 
  grounded aerodyne DropShips may fire 
  into front, side, and aft arcs against ground targets, and use 
  their forward-arc weapons against airborne targets.
  Strafing Damage: the damage from a successful strafing 
  attack is equal to half of the aerospace unit’s Short range damage 
  value (rounded normally, to a minimum of 1 point), with any 
  overheat damage added after halving the base damage.
  Striking Damage: the damage from a successful striking 
  attack is equal to the aerospace unit’s Short range damage 
  value, plus any overheat damage effects.
  Bombing Damage: the exact damage or effects of a 
  bombing attack is based on the type of bomb used (see 
  Bomb Types, below), but will affect any ground targets within 
  the area of effect radiating from the point of impact where 
  the bomb landed. If the bomb strikes a water feature, it will 
  deliver this damage to the surface of the water in the same 
  fashion, but may also affect targets submerged beneath the 
  water feature. to determine if a submerged unit is within the 
  radius of a bomb hit on the water, add its depth (in inches) 
  to its distance from the point of impact. Remember that 
  underwater damage is halved (round normally, to a minimum 
  of 1), but will also trigger an automatic critical hit check, even 
  if the unit still has armor points. 
  Bomb Types
  the three most common types of bombs are as noted 
  below. Additional bomb types are detailed in the Advanced 
  Options chapter (see Alternate Bomb Munitions, pp. 78-79). 
  the types of bombs an aerospace unit carries (if any) must be 
  identified at the start of play. If no bombs are identified at the 
  start of play, the aerospace unit will be presumed to carry no 
  bombs at all.
  RANGE MODIFIERS
  Range
  Modifier
  Short
  +0
  medium
  +2
  Long
  +4
  Extreme 
  +6
  TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS
  Target Element Type
  Modifier
  Airborne Aerospace
  +2*
  Airborne DropShip
  –2
  Airborne VtOL or WiGE
  +1
  Small Craft
  –1
  AEROSPACE ATTACK MODIFIERS
  Attacker
  Modifier
  Altitude Bombing
  +3
  Dive Bombing
  +2
  Strafing
  +4
  Striking
  +2
  MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS
  Condition
  Modifier
  Attacker is a Drone
  +1
  Attacker is Grounded DropShip
  –2
  Attacker is tailing the target 
  –2
  Attacker is Support Vehicle with:
  Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
  +0
  Basic Fire Control (BFC)
  +1
  No AFC or BFC special
  +2
  Fire Control Hit (per hit)
  +2**
  Overheating
  +Heat Level (1-3)
  aerosPaCe to-Hit Modifiers table
  *Apply only if attacker is not an airborne aerospace 
  unit. Airborne aerospace also includes fixed-
  wing support vehicles, conventional fighters, 
  small craft, and DropShips.
  **Fire Control critical hits may apply multiple times.
  
  KF Boom Hit: this unit cannot be transported to another 
  system by a JumpShip. this critical hit has no effect on standard 
  Alpha Strike play.
  Thruster Hit: the unit loses 1 thrust. If the unit is reduced to 0 
  thrust, it crashes and is destroyed. A thruster Hit critical may only 
  occur once to an aerospace unit; future critical hits to the same 
  unit are treated as a No Critical Hit result.
  No Critical Hit: the hit causes no critical effect.
  Weapon Hit: this hit represents the destruction of a number 
  of weapons on the affected unit. All damage values—including 
  those of special abilities that have damage values (such as AC, 
  ARtX, FLK, Ht, IF, LRm, SRm, tOR, and tUR) are reduced by 1 (to a 
  minimum of 0). For units with multiple attacks (such as DropShips 
  and mobile structures), a Weapon Hit critical will reduce the 
  damage values at all ranges in a randomly-determined arc by 50 
  percent (round down, to a minimum of 0). Weapon Hit criticals do 
  not affect a unit’s physical attack values.
  RESOLvING AEROSPACE AIR-TO-AIR ATTACKS
  If two opposing aerospace units end their movement Phase in 
  the same region on the Radar map, they may engage in combat if 
  one or both choose to do so. When one aerospace unit declares an 
  attack against another aerospace unit, it creates an engagement. 
  (Aerospace units that have Overheat Values, like some ground 
  units, must announce their intention to use OV points to increase 
  their attack damage as well.)
  Because an engagement automatically will force both units 
  to maneuver for advantage, if the defending unit in an air-to-
  air attack has not yet declared its own attack yet, it may decide 
  immediately whether it will return the attack, or save its action for 
  its own attack against a different target (such as another opposing 
  aerospace unit in the same zone, or an air-to-ground attack (if 
  the engagement happened in the Central Zone). If the defender 
  chooses not to return the attack when an engagement is initiated, 
  it cannot choose to engage its attacker later in the same turn.
  Air-to-air engagements automatically end when one of the 
  engaged units is destroyed and has no other opposing units 
  engaging it. For another way to end an engagement, consult the 
  Ending Air-to-Air Engagements rules (see pp. 61).
  the following conditions will result in a critical hit check:
  All Non-Infantry Units: Any time a hit damages structure, the 
  unit may suffer a critical hit. (If the unit is an Industrialmech, two 
  critical hits rolls must be made.)
  All Units with BAR Special: Any time a unit with the Barrier Armor 
  Rating (BAR) special ability suffers damage, a critical hit may occur—
  even if there is armor remaining. (If a unit with the BAR special suffers 
  structure damage, two critical hit checks must be made.) 
  Submerged Units: Units submerged in water must also 
  check for critical hits every time they suffer damage, to check for 
  potential hull breaches. (If the submerged unit also has a BAR 
  special, two critical hit checks must be made.) 
  Aerospace Armor Thresholds: In addition to the above, 
  aerospace units must also roll on the Determine Aerospace 
  Critical Hits table if the damage from a single attack exceeds the 
  unit’s damage threshold, even if the damage does not strike off 
  any structure bubbles. If an aerospace unit’s “armor threshold” 
  does not appear on its unit card, its value is equal to the aerospace 
  unit’s starting armor value, divided by 10, and rounded up. 
  Damage delivered to an aerospace unit throughout the scenario 
  will not reduce the unit’s armor threshold.
  Aerospace Critical Hit Effects
  the following describes the effects of each critical hit type 
  described in the Determining Critical Hits table.
  Crew Hit: the first Crew Hit critical adds a +2 to-hit modifier to 
  all weapon attacks and Control Rolls required of the aerospace 
  unit for the remainder of the scenario. the second Crew Hit critical 
  kills the crew, and the unit is treated as destroyed. 
  Crew Killed: the unit’s crew is killed. the unit is treated as destroyed. 
  Docking Collar Hit: this unit cannot dock with a JumpShip. 
  this critical hit has no effect in standard Alpha Strike play.
  Door Hit: All doors on one randomly determined cargo bay are 
  damaged and no longer function. Units may no longer enter or 
  exit this cargo bay.
  Engine Hit (Aerospace Fighters, Conventional Fighters, 
  and Fixed-Wing Support vehicles): the unit’s power system is 
  damaged. For fighters and fixed-wing support vehicles, the first 
  engine hit reduces the unit to half its thrust rating (round down, to 
  a minimum of 1 thrust lost). A second Engine Hit critical will reduce 
  the unit’s thrust to 0 and cause it to crash. Aerospace units already 
  on the ground will shut down and are considered destroyed.
  Engine Hit (DropShips/Small Craft): For small craft and 
  DropShip units, the first Engine Hit critical will reduce the unit’s 
  thrust by 25 percent (round normally, with a minimum of 1 thrust 
  lost). the second hit will reduce the unit’s thrust by 50 percent 
  of its original thrust rating (once more, round normally, to a 
  minimum of 1 thrust lost). A third Engine Hit critical will reduce 
  the unit’s thrust to 0 and cause it to crash. Aerospace units already 
  on the ground will shut down and are considered destroyed.
  Fire Control Hit: Some mechanism for controlling the unit’s 
  weapons has been damaged. this could represent anything from 
  arm actuator damage to sensor hits. Each Fire Control Hit adds 
  a cumulative to-hit modifier of +2 for all subsequent weapon 
  attacks by the damaged unit. (this modifier will not apply to 
  physical attacks.)
  Fuel Hit: the unit’s fuel tank is hit. the unit crashes and is 
  treated as destroyed. 
  deterMining CritiCal Hits table
  2d6
  Aerospace*
  DropShip**
  2
  Fuel Hit
  KF Boom Hit
  3
  Fire Control Hit
  Docking Collar Hit
  4
  Engine Hit
  No Critical Hit
  5
  Weapon Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  6
  No Critical Hit
  Weapon Hit
  7
  No Critical Hit
  thruster Hit
  8
  No Critical Hit
  Weapon Hit
  9
  Weapon Hit
  Door Hit
  10
  Engine Hit
  No Critical Hit
  11
  Fire Control Hit
  Engine Hit
  12
  Crew Killed
  Crew Hit
  *Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, airships and conventional fighters.
  **Includes small craft.
  
  59
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  half its Thrust Rating of 6 for a modified Control Roll of 14 
  (11 + [6 ÷ 2] = 11 + 3 = 14). Because B1’s modified Control 
  Roll is higher than A2’s, B1 chooses the combat range and 
  selects Long range. (Since B1 cannot attack A2, after all, its 
  pilot uses the successful roll to keep A2 far away.)
  A3 makes an attack on B1. Once again, B1 is unable to 
  fire back because it declared its attempt to do so against 
  A1. A3 rolls a 4 and fails its Control Check. B1 rolls an 8 and 
  succeeds. Because B1 succeeded and A3 failed, B1 is now 
  tailing A3 and declares that it is doing so at Short range. A3 
  is unable to attack B1 because it is now being tailed by B1.
  Now it is Side B’s turn for the Combat Phase. Side A has 
  already declared all its attacks, so only the unresolved Side 
  B units will be acting now.
  B1 already declared its attack during Side A’s attacks, 
  and is thus skipped.
  B2 makes an attack on A1. B2 rolls a 7 and adds half its 
  Thrust for a total of 10. A1 also rolls a 7 and adds half its 
  Thrust for a total of 10. Because of the ties, B2’s attack on 
  A1 will happen at Medium range. (B2 is already committed 
  to attacking A1.)
  B3 makes its attack on A2. B3 rolls a 10 and adds half 
  Thrust for a total of 13. A2 rolls a 6 and adds half Thrust for 
  a total of 9. B3 chooses Short range.
  Step 3: Determine Range
  If both units failed at their Control Rolls when establishing 
  engagement control in the previous step, the engagement 
  takes place using the Long range bracket during this turn, and 
  combat proceeds to Step 4.
  If either unit succeeded at its Control Roll in Step 2, add half 
  of each successful unit’s current thrust rating (rounded down) 
  to its own roll result. (If one unit succeeded and the other 
  failed, the unit that failed its Control Roll may only add one-
  quarter of its current thrust to its Control Roll result instead—
  once again, rounding down.) 
  the unit with the higher of these two thrust-modified roll 
  results may decide the range bracket at which combat takes 
  place. If both thrust-modified results are identical, then the 
  aerospace unit with the highest margin of success (moS) from 
  Step 2 decides the range bracket. If both the thrust-modified 
  die roll results and both unmodified moS are the same, combat 
  takes place using the medium range bracket.
  Step 4: Determine To-Hit Number
  the Aerospace to-Hit modifiers table (see p. 57) provides 
  the to-hit modifiers that are used in abstract aerospace 
  combat. When delivering an air-to-air attack, aerospace 
  units use the attacking unit’s Skill rating as its base to-hit 
  number, as well as any modifiers for range and damage 
  done to the attacking aerospace unit (such as previous 
  Crew Hit of Fire Control Hit critical hits). Air-to-air attacks 
  do not apply modifiers for the target’s movement or terrain, 
  but all other applicable modifiers shown in the Aerospace 
  to-Hit modifiers table apply.
  the sequence for resolving air-to-air attacks follows roughly 
  the same process as weapon attacks in standard Alpha Strike:
  Step 1: Verify line of sight (LOS)
  Step 2: Establish Engagement Control
  Step 3: Determine range
  Step 4: Determine to-hit number
  Step 5: Roll to hit
  Step 6: Determine and apply damage
  Step 7: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
  Step 1: verify Line of Sight
  Airborne aerospace units in the same zone on the Radar 
  map always have LOS to each other.
  Step 2: Establish Engagement Control
  When two aerospace units engage in aerial combat, the 
  pilots and crews of both units must make Control Rolls to 
  determine their levels of control over the engagement. In 
  abstract aerospace combat, this Control Roll uses the pilots’ 
  Skill ratings as the base to-hit, and applies a +2 modifier to 
  each unit for being in the atmosphere (see Control Rolls, p. 53). 
  If one unit succeeds at its Control Roll, while its opponent 
  fails, the unit with the successful roll has successfully 
  outmaneuvered its opponent and is now tailing it. An 
  aerospace unit that is being tailed cannot deliver an 
  effective attack against its opponent, while the tailing unit 
  will receive a –2 to-hit modifier on its attacks against the 
  unit it is now tailing. 
  If both units fail their Control Rolls, or both units succeed, 
  neither unit may tail the other.
  Side A has three aerospace fighters, A1, A2 and A3. Side 
  B has three aerospace fighters, B1, B2 and B3. All units are 
  Skill 4, and each has a Thrust rating of 6.
  Side A won Initiative for this turn, and both sides moved 
  all their fighters into the same zone.
  Side A starts the Combat Phase as the Initiative winner. 
  A1 makes an attack on B1. B1 chooses to return fire.
  Both A1 and B1 make Control Rolls. Both have a target 
  of the Skill rating 4, plus 2 for being in atmosphere, for a 
  final target of 6. A1 rolls 2D6 and succeeds with a 7 result. 
  A1 adds half its Thurst rating of 6 for a modified Control 
  Roll of 10 (7 + [6 ÷ 2] = 7 + 3 = 10). B1 rolls 2D6 and fails 
  its Control Roll with a 5. B1 thus adds only a quarter of its 
  Thrust rating of 6 for a modified Control Roll of 7 (5 + [6 ÷ 
  4] = 5 + 1.5 = 6.5, round up to 7). 
  Because A1 succeeded and B1 failed, A1 is now tailing 
  B1. Because A1’s modified Control Roll is higher than B1’s 
  modified Control Roll, A1 chooses the range of the attack 
  and selects Short range. A1 receives a –2 to-hit modifier for 
  tailing B1. B1 cannot fire in its rear arc and so is unable to 
  hit A1.
  A2 then makes an attack on B1. B1 has already declared 
  its attack on A1, even though it ended up unable to fire. A2 
  rolls a 6, succeeding by 0, but that is enough to add half its 
  Thrust rating of 6 for a modified Control Roll of 9 (6 + [6 ÷ 2] 
  = 6 + 3 = 9). B1 rolls an 11, which succeeds, so B1 also adds 
  
  verify Line of Sight
  For ground-to-air combat purposes, all non-aerospace units 
  (including grounded aerospace units) not submerged in water, 
  underground, or within a structure always have line of sight to 
  airborne aerospace units.
  verify Firing Arc
  All non-aerospace units (including grounded aerospace units) 
  may consider an airborne aerospace target within its firing arc if 
  any part of the airborne aerospace unit’s flight path crosses into 
  or through its forward firing arc.
  Grounded 
  Spheroid 
  DropShips: 
  Grounded 
  spheroid 
  DropShips always consider airborne aerospace units to fall within 
  their front firing arc.
  Determine Range
  to determine the range between a non-aerospace unit to an 
  airborne aerospace unit, measure from the edge of the attacker’s 
  base to the nearest point along the airborne aerospace unit’s 
  flight path that also lies within the attacker’s forward arc, then add 
  12 inches to that distance.
  If the attacking unit is standing within 2 inches of the aerospace 
  unit’s flight path, disregard the above measurement rules and 
  treat the range to the target as Short.
  Determine To-Hit
  Aerospace units do not receive a target movement modifier 
  when in flight, but instead apply a +2 to-hit modifier for being an 
  airborne aerospace unit (plus an additional –2 modifier if the unit 
  is a DropShip). 
  Grounded Aerospace Units: treat any attack against an 
  aerospace unit that is grounded as an attack against another 
  ground unit, but disregard the target movement modifier and 
  instead apply a –4 immobile target to-hit modifier.
  Determine and Apply Damage
  In Alpha Strike games, all damage against airborne aerospace 
  units is resolved as if the aerospace unit is being hit in its front arc, 
  regardless of the direction the attack comes from.
  All other damage rules for attacking airborne aerospace units 
  apply as indicated in the rules for determining and applying 
  damage in air-to-air combat (see p. 60).
  Roll for Critical Hits
  All rules for resolving critical hit effects against airborne 
  aerospace units apply as indicated in the rules for determining 
  critical hits on aerospace units in air-to-air combat (see p.60).
  end phASe
  the aerospace aspect of an Alpha Strike End Phase adds a 
  number of actions unique to aerospace movement and combat. 
  Aside from Ending Air-to-Air Engagements (see below), these 
  actions—like others in the End Phase—may be completed 
  simultaneously.
  Step 5: Roll to Hit
  Roll 2D6 for each unit and compare the total to the modified to-
  hit number identified in the previous step. If the dice roll equals 
  or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the attack is successful. 
  Otherwise, the attack fails.
  Step 6: Determine and Apply Damage
  When an attack is successful, its damage is applied immediately, 
  but damage effect will not take place until the End Phase. Before 
  damage can be applied, the attack direction and amount of 
  damage must be determined.
  Attack Direction: In air-to-air combat, an aerospace unit is always 
  treated as though it is being attacked through its forward arc, unless 
  its attacker is tailing it. If the attacker is tailing the target, the damage 
  is resolved as though the attack hits the unit in its rear arc.
  Amount of Damage: As with ground units, the base amount 
  of damage delivered by a successful air-to-air weapon attack is 
  equal to the attacking unit’s damage value at the appropriate 
  range bracket. Unlike ground units, aerospace units in standard 
  Alpha Strike have four range values, rather than three. For targets 
  at short range, the base damage is that listed in the attacking 
  unit’s S value. For a target at medium range, the m value is used. 
  For a target at long range, the L damage value applies. For targets 
  at extreme range, the E damage value is used.
  Damage to Rear: Add 1 point of damage to any successful 
  attack that strikes its target in the rear.
  Overheat Damage: Aerospace units that track heat may inflict 
  additional damage on their targets at the expense of overheating, 
  in the same manner as ’mechs can. the decision to overheat for 
  additional damage potential must be made when the attack is 
  declared, but before it is resolved (see Overheating, p. 44).
  Special Ability Damage: Aerospace units do not use special 
  abilities in abstract aerospace combat.
  Heat Special Ability: Aerospace units may not use Heat special 
  abilities in abstract aerospace combat.
  Step 7: Roll for Critical Hits
  As with standard Alpha Strike, any damage to an aerospace unit 
  that marks off structure bubbles will require a roll on the Determine 
  Aerospace Critical Hits table, using the column appropriate for the 
  aerospace unit type that suffered the damage (see p. 58). 
  Armor Thresholds: In addition, aerospace units must also roll 
  on the Determine Aerospace Critical Hits table if the damage 
  from a single attack exceeds the unit’s damage threshold, even 
  if the damage does not strike off any structure bubbles. If an 
  aerospace unit’s “armor threshold” does not appear on its unit 
  card, its value is equal to the aerospace unit’s starting armor 
  value, divided by 10, and rounded up. Damage delivered to an 
  aerospace unit throughout the scenario will not reduce the unit’s 
  armor threshold.
  RESOLvING GROUND-TO-AIR COMBAT
  Any time an aerospace unit enters the Central Zone on the 
  Radar map, it must pass over some part of the ground battlefield, 
  and thus may be subject to ground-to-air weapons fire. Ground-
  to-Air fire is resolved using the standard weapon attack rules in 
  standard Alpha Strike, but with the following modifications. 
  
  61
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  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  With B1 now escaping, A2 chooses to try and keep its 
  engagement with B3. A2 succeeds and B3 fails, so both 
  remain engaged for next turn.
  A3 is engaged with B1. It chooses to try and keep engaged 
  with B1. B1 wants to continue its engagement with A3. 
  Because A3 is being tailed by B1, A3’s target number is Skill 4 
  plus 2 for atmosphere and 2 for being tailed. He rolls a 6 and 
  fails. B1 has a target number of Skill 4 plus 2 for atmosphere 
  minus 2 for tailing. B1 rolls a 3 and fails. Because both units 
  failed, the engagement automatically breaks.
  A1 is still engaged by B2, and so must stay in the region 
  next turn.
  A2 is still engaged by B3, and so they must both stay in 
  the region next turn.
  A3 and B1 are no longer engaged with anyone. Both 
  must move next Movement Phase.
  AEROSPACE DAMAGE
  Unless overridden by a special ability, all damage inflicted 
  during the Combat Phase takes effect during the End Phase. 
  this includes all Critical Hit effects as well, and all units that are 
  destroyed must be removed from play at this time.
  Any airborne aerospace unit that suffered damage during the 
  current turn must make a Control Roll during the turn’s End Phase 
  or lose altitude, applying a +2 to-hit modifier for atmospheric 
  flight, and another +4 to-hit modifier if the unit has suffered a 
  thruster Hit critical. If the roll result succeeds, the aerospace unit 
  remains in its current zone. If the roll fails, the unit automatically 
  falls one zone “inward” on the Radar map. this new zone must be 
  adjacent to the zone the aerospace unit was operating in at the 
  time it suffered the damage, with the controlling player choosing 
  the new zone if there is more than one option. 
  Falling out of a zone due to a failed roll automatically ends 
  all air-to-air engagements the unit is involved in at the time, 
  leaving all of its opponents in the original zone.
  If an airborne aerospace unit is in the Central Zone when it 
  fails its Control Roll, it crashes at the end of its flight path over 
  the ground map and is considered destroyed.
  Thrust Loss and Aerospace Shutdown
  Under these abstract rules, any airborne aerospace unit that 
  is reduced to a thrust of 0 as a result of damage or critical hits, or 
  which shuts down from excess heat, will fall one zone “inward” 
  on the Radar map per turn as above. this fall will continue until 
  the aerospace unit regains is thrust, restarts from shutdown, or 
  crashes by falling past the Central Zone. An aerospace unit that 
  falls from the Central Zone crashes at the edge of the ground 
  map (at an unoccupied location of the player’s choice). Crashed 
  aerospace units are treated as destroyed, along with all units 
  they are transporting at the time (if any).
  As with the aerospace damage rules above, an aerospace 
  unit that falls due to thrust loss automatically ends all 
  engagements it is involved in.
  If the advanced Aerospace Units on the Ground Map rules are 
  in play, an aerospace unit experiencing thrust Loss or shutdown 
  effects may attempt a forced landing instead, using the landing 
  rules established under those rules (see pp. 71-73).
  After resolving all End Phase actions for the ground and 
  aerospace parts of the battle, the turn ends and the players 
  return to the Initiative Phase.
  ENDING AIR-TO-AIR ENGAGEMENTS
  During the End Phase of a turn, the players controlling units 
  involved in an air-to-air engagement can choose to continue 
  the battle into the next turn or break off the engagement. 
  Each ending of an air-to-air engagement must be resolved 
  separately, with the turn’s Initiative winner choosing the order 
  of engagements to resolve for his aerospace units.
  If both players choose to continue the engagement, the 
  engaged aerospace units must remain in the same region 
  during the next turn’s movement Phase. 
  If both players choose to end the engagement, the  
  units disengage. 
  If one player chooses to continue the engagement and 
  the other wishes to end it, both players must repeat the 
  engagement control roll in Step 2 of the air-to-air combat rules 
  (see p. 59) to determine if the engagement continues. In the 
  event of a tie this time, the unit with the higher unmodified moS 
  decides if the engagement continues. If the unmodified moS is 
  also a tie, the decision lies with the player controlling whichever 
  unit has the higher current thrust (if that too is tied, the Control 
  Roll must be repeated until there is a winner). If both sides fail 
  their Control Rolls, the engagement automatically breaks off. 
  Only if a unit has no engagements remaining can it move to 
  another region during the next movement Phase and then it must 
  move out of the region (see Abstract Aerospace Movement, p. 54).
  In the air-to-air battle described earlier, after all 
  weapons fire is resolved, none of the units are destroyed, 
  now have they suffered any damage to change their Thrust 
  values. At this point, the units are in the following positions:
  A1: Tailing B1 at Short range and at Medium range from B2.
  A2: Engaged with B1 at Long range and B3 at Short range.
  A3: Tailed by B1 at Short range.
  B1: Tailed at Short range by A1, at Long range from A2 
  and tailing A3 at Short range.
  B2: Engaged with A1 at Medium range.
  B3: Engaged with A2 at Short range.
  During the End Phase, each unit can attempt to break 
  engagements.
  Side A decides A1 want to break its engagements on it 
  and starts with B1. B1 chooses to break, so that engagement 
  is automatically broken.
  Next, A1 tries to break from B2. Both have the same 
  target number of Skill 4, plus 2 for being in an atmosphere. 
  A1 rolls an 8 and B2 rolls a 12. A1 is still engaged by B2 and 
  so must remain in the region next turn.
  A2, seeing A1 fail to break, decides to stay engaged with 
  B1. B1 chooses to break. Both have the same target number 
  of Skill 4 plus 2 for being in an atmosphere. A2 rolls a 4 and 
  B1 rolls a 7. B1 breaks its engagement with A2.
  
  this section has an assortment of optional rules that can be 
  added to Alpha Strike to represent unusual circumstances or 
  unit types in the game. Because they are optional, and introduce 
  greater complexity than found in standard Alpha Strike, these 
  rules are considered advanced, and should only be used if the 
  players agree.
  AdvAnced 
  movement modeS
  Several expanded movement modes may be used in Alpha 
  Strike as advanced options.
  CLIMBING
  ’mechs, Protomechs, infantry, and battle armor with the Anti-
  ’mech (Am) special ability may use Climbing movement. Climbing 
  allows a unit to ascend or descend terrain up that rises more 
  steeply than they can normally handle in standard Alpha Strike. 
  (For ’mechs, that normal maximum is 2 inches of height per 
  inch of ground travel; for Protomechs and infantry, the normal 
  maximum is 1 inch of height per inch of ground travel.) Ground 
  vehicles cannot use Climbing movement.  
  Climbing movement costs a unit 2 inches of movement per inch 
  of height climbed. the unit need not complete its climb during 
  a single turn, but any unit that has not completed its climb may 
  not deliver attacks of any kind during the current turn. If attacked, 
  units using Climbing movement are treated as though they have 
  only half their move (rounded down) when finding their target 
  movement modifiers, and lose any target movement modifiers for 
  jump capability.
  Alice’s Assassin has a Move of 14”j, but is faced with a cliff 
  face that is 16 inches high, so she cannot get to the top using 
  jump jets alone. She chooses to use Climbing movement to 
  ascend the cliff face. At the beginning of Turn 1, her ’Mech 
  begins its ascent. At 2 inches of Move per inch of climbing, the 
  Assassin expends all of its available Move to climb 7”. As the 
  ’Mech has not completed its climb this turn, it may not attack. 
  If attacked this turn, the target movement modifier for the 
  Assassin will be treated as if the Assassin has a Move of 7” (14” 
  ÷ 2 = 7”, with no jumping).
  In the Ground Movement Phase of Turn 2, the Assassin 
  ascends another 7”. It is still not high enough to reach the 
  summit, so the ’Mech will need to climb for one more turn, and 
  once again cannot make any attacks this turn.  In the third turn, 
  the Assassin will complete its climb after spending another 
  4 inches of Move on the final 2 inches of height climbed. Its 
  remaining 10 inches of Move can be spent on the surface of the 
  terrain is has just ascended, and it once more enjoys the target 
  movement modifier of a unit that has a 14”j Move. 
  The dread Opacus Venatori, the Word of Blake’s elite strike unit, stalk their latest prey. Precenter Beirth leads them into battle with his read and white Archangel.
  AdvAnced 
  optIonS
  
  63
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  units by units with the Infantry transport (It#) special ability 
  (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32).
  Ground Unit Transport: All non-aerospace units are 
  considered ground units for purposes of entering or exiting a 
  transport unit. this process is called embarking (for entering) 
  and disembarking (for exiting). Units may not disembark into 
  prohibited terrain. Embarking and disembarking must be 
  performed during the Ground movement Phase.
  Mounting/Embarking: Units may only mount from base-
  to-base contact with a transport unit. It costs the mounting 
  unit 2” to enter the transport unit. 
  Dismounting/Disembarking: It costs the dismounting 
  unit 2” of move to exit the transport unit and is placed in base-
  to-base contact with the transport unit.
  EvADING
  All units may choose to use Evasive movement during the 
  movement Phase. Evading does not change the unit’s normal 
  move (or thrust) rates or terrain restrictions, but an evading 
  unit cannot execute attacks of any kind. In exchange, all 
  attacks against the evading unit will apply an additional to-
  hit modifier based on the unit’s Skill rating, as shown in the 
  Advanced target movement modifiers table (at right). 
  LEAPING
  Only ’mech and Protomech units may use Leaping 
  movement. Leaping enables a ’mech (or Protomech) without 
  jump jets to rapidly descend any number of levels, even 
  though this action always damages the unit. A leap costs 4” of 
  move, and places the unit at the lowest height in any desired 
  terrain within an inch of the unit’s starting location. (the move 
  cost for Leaping is regardless of the destination terrain, or the 
  difference in heights between the starting and ending points.) 
  A Leaping unit automatically suffers 1 point of damage for 
  every 6” of elevation it leaps downward, checking for Critical 
  Hits as normal. ’mechs or Protomechs leaping down a distance 
  of more than 12” will also suffer an automatic mP Critical Hit.
  INTENTIONAL FALLS FROM ABOvE
  Any ’mech, Protomech, or ground vehicle may intentionally 
  move off of a higher terrain feature to drop onto a lower one 
  at a cost of 2” of move. the unit that intentionally falls in this 
  manner automatically ends its move immediately upon falling 
  and suffers 1 point of damage for every 6” of elevation (or 
  fraction thereof) difference between the starting level of its 
  fall and its destination, resolving critical hits per normal rules. 
  Unlike leaping, units do not suffer an automatic mP critical for 
  falls over 12” in height, but vehicle units will require a check for 
  motive systems damage, as per normal.
  If the intentional fall places the unit in terrain that is 
  prohibited to the unit’s type, the unit is destroyed.
  If another unit occupies the location where a unit is 
  deliberately falling, treat the result as a Death From Above 
  attack (see p. 43), even if the falling unit is not a ’mech, 
  applying a +2 to-hit modifier to this “attack”. Regardless of 
  the outcome, the falling unit must be placed as close to its 
  starting point as possible, in a base-to-base contact with the 
  unit it has just fallen upon.
  SPRINTING
  Any ground unit may use Sprint movement. to find a unit’s 
  Sprint speed, multiply its current ground move by 1.5 and 
  round up. (Sprinting may not be applied to jumping move.) 
  thus, a unit with a current move of 12” would have a move of 
  18” when sprinting (12” x 1.5 = 18”). 
  A sprinting unit may not make attacks. Attacks against 
  Sprinting units use the unit’s modified move rate, but also 
  receive an additional –1 to-hit modifier.
  TRANSPORTING NON-INFANTRy UNITS
  the following rules apply to transport units, DropShips and 
  Small Craft. they do not apply to the transport of infantry 
  advanCed MoveMent  
  Mode Costs table
  Terrain Type
  Move Cost 
  per Inch
  Prohibited Movement 
  Mode/Unit Type
  Climbing  
  (per inch climbed)
  +2”
  Vehicles, Aerospace Units, 
  Battle Armor*
  Evading
  +0”
  —
  Leaping
  4”†
  All except ’mechs  
  and Protomechs
  Intentional Fall
  2”†
  All except ’mechs, 
  Protomechs,  
  and Ground Vehicles
  Sprinting
  +0”‡
  Aerospace Units,  
  Naval, VtOL
  *Battle armor with the AM special ability may also use Climbing movement.
  †Unit suffers 1 damage per 6” fallen (or fraction thereof) (see Leaping and 
  Intentional Falls, p. 63).
  ‡Multiply unit’s current ground Move by 1.5, rounding up (see Sprinting, p. 63).
  advanCed target  
  MoveMent Modifiers table
  Advanced Movement Type
  To-Hit 
  Modifier
  Climbing
  *
  Sprinting
  –1**
  Evading (Evading Unit’s Skill)
  Skill 6-8
  +1
  Skill 5
  +2
  Skill 4-3
  +3
  Skill 2-1
  +4
  *Treat Climbing unit as if it has half its normal Ground Move, with no jump.
  **Use the unit’s Sprinting Move for the base target movement modifier.
  
  Batletech universe are not built with modern war machines in 
  mind. Combined with the fact that bridges may be targeted and 
  damaged, the following rules reflect these particular features. 
  Bridges, like buildings, receive a Construction Factor (CF) that 
  reflects their overall strength and stability. this can be any value 
  from 1 to 50. If a bridge suffers damage from attacks or other 
  conditions, the damage points are subtracted from its CF value. A 
  bridge reduced to a CF of 0 is destroyed.
  Weight Limits: As the bridge’s current CF value also represents 
  its weight capacity, the CF value of the bridge corresponds to the 
  maximum size class of units that may safely cross that bridge (in 
  addition, of course, to being of a physical size wide enough for the 
  miniature to stand upon). A bridge with a CF of 21 or more may 
  support units of Size 4. Bridges with a CF of 20 or less may only 
  support units up to Size 3. A bridge that has a CF of 10 points or 
  less may only support units up to Size 2. Bridges of 5 CF or fewer 
  may only support Size 1 units. 
  If a unit that exceeds a bridge’s Size limit attempts to use it, 
  the bridge immediately collapses once the unit moves onto it. All 
  units on a bridge when it collapses will fall and suffer 1 point of 
  damage per 3 inches (or fraction thereof) of difference between 
  the starting level and destination level, rolling for critical hits 
  as normal. If the unit falls into prohibited terrain as a result of a 
  bridge collapse, it is destroyed.
  BUILDINGS
  the rules for buildings are covered later in this chapter. See 
  Buildings (pp. 83-86). 
  DEEP SNOW
  though it can be a boon to a Battlemech’s heat levels, deep 
  snow is nearly impossible for wheeled vehicles to traverse, 
  and can slow down or even mire most other ground unit types 
  (though hovercraft, WiGE vehicles, and airborne VtOLs ignore 
  these effects, as do any units employing jumping movement). 
  Any ground unit moving into or through deep snow may 
  become stuck in such terrain per the rules for Bogging Down (see 
  p. 70). Any heat-tracking unit in deep snow may subtract 1 extra 
  heat level during the End Phase of a turn when overheating (see 
  p. 44). 
  Units as Cargo: many of the larger civilian DropShips have 
  thousands of tons of cargo space available. While designed for 
  consumer goods, this space may be converted to carry units as 
  cargo. Each unit transported in this fashion takes 110 percent of its 
  weight in cargo space. the extra weight represents extra materials 
  used to protect the unit during transport. to be transported, a 
  unit’s weight must not exceed the capacity of the cargo bay.
  Units transported in this fashion are not combat ready and may 
  not embark or disembark, or launch or recover. Instead, they must 
  be unloaded as regular cargo. As cargo bay doors are not designed 
  with military machines in mind, only one unit (regardless of size) 
  may be loaded or unloaded per turn. Units unloaded in this 
  fashion are combat ready after 30 turns.
  AdvAnced terrAIn
  the introductory and standard rules presume the scenario 
  takes place in mild weather and average terrain conditions. the 
  following rules provide additional terrain types and conditions 
  can be added to any Alpha Strike game for even more dramatic 
  effect. Used in conjunction with the environmental conditions 
  rules that cover atmospheric, lighting, and gravitational factors 
  later in this chapter (see pp. 92-95), these advanced rules can 
  create exotic conditions for any battle.
  Prohibited Terrains: Certain unit types—or units lacking in 
  specific equipment—may be prohibited from entering certain 
  terrain types. these prohibited terrain types and movement 
  restrictions are defined in the Advanced terrain movement Costs 
  table. Unless stated otherwise, these prohibitions apply only if 
  the unit in question attempts to move through the terrain. Units 
  that can rise above such terrain (such as aerospace units and 
  VtOLs in flight, or units that can employ jumping movement) 
  will ignore these prohibitions as long as they remain above the 
  terrain’s height.
  BRIDGES
  Although bridges are technically elevated roads crossing 
  gaps or water, and can thus be represented by standard rules 
  for road/paved terrain, the reality is that many bridges in the 
  
  65
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  In addition, as long as the ice is not frozen solid (see 
  below), there is a chance it may break beneath a ground 
  unit. For every 2 full inches of ice terrain a ’mech, Protomech, 
  or ground vehicle using the tracked or wheeled movement 
  types attempts to cross, the controlling player must roll 2D6. 
  (Units that use jumping movement, or which simply remained 
  stationary on this terrain for a full turn, require this roll only if 
  they end their movement Phase on the ice.) On a result of 6 or 
  higher, the ice breaks in a 2-inch radius around the unit. the 
  unit that breaks through the ice in this fashion falls through 
  the water beneath, and lands at the bottom of the water 
  feature, suffering 1 point of damage and checking for hull 
  breach as per standard Alpha Strike underwater damage rules 
  (see p. 39). For the remainder of the scenario, any broken areas 
  of ice are treated as water.
  mobile structures automatically break any ice they traverse 
  (even if it is frozen solid).
  Due to their thrusters and great mass, any spheroid-type 
  small craft, and all DropShip units, automatically break any 
  ice features they attempt to land upon (even if it is frozen 
  solid). All other aerospace units—including aerodyne small 
  craft, fighters, and airship or fixed-wing support vehicles—
  and VtOL or WiGE vehicles that attempt to land on ice use the 
  same rules for ground vehicles as noted above.
  Naval units cannot move on ice, but submersible naval 
  units may operate in the water below ice that has not been 
  frozen solid. Submerged units that attempt to surface under 
  ice will automatically cause the ice to break for a 2-inch radius 
  around the surfacing unit. 
  Frozen Solid
  Ice can alternatively be designated as frozen solid. 
  Ground units moving across frozen solid ice do not roll to 
  break the ice unless they are a mobile structure, a crashing 
  aerospace unit, or a DropShip that is landing (or lifting off) 
  from an icy surface.
  JUNGLE
  As with the advanced woods terrain (see Woods, p. 69), 
  jungle terrain comes in light, heavy, and ultra-heavy densities. 
  Jungle terrain affects Line of Sight in the same manner as 
  woods, but is more restrictive to move through, costs more 
  move per inch of travel, and is more resistant to being 
  destroyed rules (see Terrain Conversion, p. 104).
  Light Jungle: Light jungle should stand 4 inches above the 
  underlying terrain. A total of 6 inches of light jungle terrain 
  blocks line of sight. 
  Heavy Jungle: Like light jungle, heavy jungle should also 
  stand 4 inches above the underlying terrain. Heavy jungle is 
  harder to see through than light jungle and costs more move 
  per inch of travel. A total of 4 inches of heavy jungle terrain 
  blocks line of sight.
  Ultra-Heavy Jungle: Ultra-heavy jungle should rise 6 inches 
  above the underlying terrain. this is the most restrictive of the 
  jungle terrain types to see and pass through. Just 2 inches of 
  ultra-heavy jungle will block line of sight.
  GRAvEL PILES
  Gravel piles represent any type of rock or dirt piles that are 
  not compacted. Gravel piles must be assigned an elevation, 
  but this elevation cannot be more than 2 inches higher than 
  the lowest terrain adjacent to the pile. Units moving through 
  a gravel pile must apply elevation change costs in addition to 
  the added +1 inch per inch of movement into and through 
  gravel pile terrain. 
  Units passing through gravel piles may become stuck in the 
  loose material (see Bogging Down, p. 70).
  HAZARDOUS LIqUID POOLS
  Hazardous liquid pools are pools of corrosive fluids or 
  otherwise destructive liquid chemicals that can damage any 
  unit that comes into contact with them. Hazardous liquid 
  pools follow all the rules for water terrain with the following 
  additional effects.
  Any unit that that begins its turn in, enters, or becomes even 
  partially submerged in, a hazardous liquid pool suffers 1 point 
  of damage, plus an additional 1 point of damage for each full 
  2 inches of move spent travelling through this terrain feature. 
  this damage is doubled for any unit that is not a Battlemech 
  and does not have the SEAL special ability.
  HEAvy INDUSTRIAL 
  Heavy industrial terrain describes a convoluted and 
  relatively high-density mix of power lines, generators, 
  cooling ponds, water towers, and other elements. this 
  terrain type can only be defined on clear or paved underlying 
  terrain areas, within 6 inches of any number of buildings in 
  the playing area.
  Heavy industrial terrain affects line of sight and to-hit rolls 
  in the same manner as light woods (see Woods, p. 69).
  Unintended Explosions: Due to the volatile mix of 
  equipment common to heavy industrial zones, the potential 
  for an unintentional explosion exists any time an attack made 
  into heavy industrial terrain misses its intended target or 
  delivers damage to the terrain (be it from an area-effect attack 
  or deliberate targeting of the terrain). When one of these 
  situations occurs, the attacker rolls 2D6. On a result of 5 or 
  higher, an unintended explosion takes place, inflicting 1 point 
  of damage to all units within a 2 inch radius of the target point 
  (in the event of a missed attack, the center point is considered 
  to be the unit that was targeted to start with). In addition, all 
  terrain within 2 inches of the target point bursts into flame 
  (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
  ICE
  As it represents where water surfaces have frozen over, ice 
  transforms the surface of all water terrain in an Alpha Strike 
  scenario into the equivalent of clear terrain for movement 
  purposes—but not without a risk. With the exception of those 
  units using hover or WiGE movement modes, all ground units 
  traversing ice must spend additional move per inch of travel 
  when doing so, to reflect the extra care used to control or 
  avoid falls and slides.
  
  Magma Crust
  Ground units may traverse magma crust as if it is clear terrain, 
  but—much as when crossing ice—do so at a risk of falling 
  through.
  For every 2 full inches of magma crust terrain a ’mech, 
  Protomech, or ground vehicle using the tracked or wheeled 
  movement types attempts to cross, the controlling player must 
  roll 1D6. (Units that use jumping movement require this roll only 
  if they end their movement Phase on the magma crust, but must 
  apply a +2 modifier to the roll.) On a result of 6 or more, the crust 
  breaks in a 2-inch radius around the unit, and becomes liquid 
  magma. the unit that breaks through magma crust in this fashion 
  falls into the liquid magma and suffers the effects of that terrain 
  type immediately. For the remainder of the scenario, any broken 
  areas of magma crust are treated as liquid magma.
  If a heat-tracking unit (Battlemech or grounded aerospace 
  fighter) is still on a magma crust during the End Phase, it adds 1 
  Heat to its Heat Scale.
  A spheroid aerospace unit (small craft or DropShip) 
  automatically turns a magma crust area into liquid magma if it 
  attempts to land on it. If the landing unit is larger than 2 inches, 
  then an area of effect equal to the landing unit’s size is converted 
  to liquid magma. If the entire area covered by the landing unit 
  is now liquid magma, the unit is destroyed. If only part of the 
  landing area is now in liquid magma, the unit suffers 1 point of 
  damage to its aft location.
  MUD
  In Alpha Strike, terrain classified as mud reflects terrain where 
  the soil is soft and wet enough to bog down vehicular and ’mech 
  units. All ground units moving through mud terrain (unless they 
  employ hover or WiGE movement types) may become stuck. See 
  Bogging Down (p. 70).
  A spheroid-type aerospace unit (small craft or DropShip) that 
  attempts to land in mud terrain automatically converts the mud 
  in its landing area into rough terrain.
  PLANTED FIELDS
  Planted fields have no effect on movement. However, they 
  rise 2 inches above the underlying terrain and impart a +1 to-
  hit modifier for every 4 full inches of planted fields intervening 
  between the attacker and target. A total of 12 inches of planted 
  fields blocks Line of Sight. Attacks against infantry (including 
  battle armor) that are in planted fields receive an additional +1 
  to-hit modifier.
  A landing spheroid aerospace unit (small craft or DropShip) 
  automatically converts all planted fields in its landing area to 
  rough terrain. In addition, any planted fields within 2 inches of 
  such landing units may catch fire from the exhaust on a 2D6 roll 
  result of 6 or higher (see Fire and Smoke, p. 100). 
  RAILS
  In Alpha Strike, rails refer to anything from old-style train tracks 
  to the high-tech monorails used by advanced magnetic levitation 
  (maglev) vehicles. Rails provide the fixed route followed by 
  vehicles that use the special rail motive type, but are also treated 
  as roads for movement purposes (in that moving along a rail 
  ignores most other underlying terrain conditions for movement 
  MAGMA
  the runoff from volcanic activity in various forms, magma 
  represents liquefied rock. magma comes in two broad forms in 
  Alpha Strike: liquid, or partially-solidified crust. 
  Liquid Magma
  Liquid magma should be assigned a depth level, like water 
  terrain. If a liquid magma terrain feature has no specified depth, 
  presume it has a depth of 2 inches.
  Any unit other than a Battlemech (or an Industrialmech that 
  does not have the SEAL special) is destroyed if it enters liquid 
  magma. Airborne units can fly over liquid magma, but if they 
  attempt to land in it or lower themselves to the level of the terrain, 
  such units are immediately destroyed. If a ’mech begins its turn in, 
  enters, or becomes even partially submerged in liquid magma, it 
  will suffer an additional point of Heat on its Heat Scale in the End 
  Phase to that turn. In addition, if the unit has no armor remaining, 
  it suffers 1 point of damage, plus an additional 1 point of damage 
  for each full 2 inches of move spent travelling through this terrain 
  feature after losing its armor. (Industrialmechs that come into 
  contact with liquid magma with no armor points remaining are 
  automatically destroyed.)
  Units in liquid magma can also become stuck (see Bogging 
  Down, p. 70).
  Calvin Magdaleno treads carefully around the active volcanos of Rigil Kentaurus.
  
  67
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  SAND
  Sand terrain has no effect on ’mech or 
  Protomech units, and most vehicle motive 
  types, but will affect any infantry (including 
  battle armor) that uses ground movement, and 
  wheeled vehicles that lack the Dune Buggy 
  (DUN) special ability.
  In addition to the above, wheeled vehicles 
  without the Dune Buggy (DUN) special may also 
  get stuck (see Bogging Down, p. 70).
  SWAMP
  All units moving into or through swamp 
  terrain that use ground movement (not 
  including hover or WiGE movement types) other 
  than may get stuck (see Bogging Down, p. 70). If 
  a unit becomes stuck in Swamp, roll 2D6 again. 
  On a result of 12, a 2-inch radius area of swamp 
  becomes quicksand (see below). Swamp terrain 
  that becomes quicksand remains so for the rest 
  of the scenario.
  Units that use VtOL, WiGE, or aerospace 
  movement (other than DropShips) automatically 
  become stuck in swamp terrain if they attempt to 
  land in it. DropShips that land in swamp terrain 
  check transform all non-swamp terrain beneath 
  them into swamp terrain, and check for bog down 
  as a ground vehicle.
  quicksand: Any unit entering quicksand, 
  or within an area when quicksand is created as 
  described above, will automatically become 
  stuck (see Bogging Down, p. 70). Any unit 
  beginning its movement in quicksand may 
  attempt to escape using the rules for escaping a 
  bog down. If an attempt to escape quicksand fails, any unit 
  still mired in such terrain after starting its turn in it will sink 2 
  inches during that turn’s End Phase. If the unit sinks deeper 
  into the quicksand than its own height, the unit is destroyed.
  TUNDRA
  In Alpha Strike, tundra terrain represents arctic tundra, 
  which includes a mix of shallow soils, low-growing vegetation, 
  and permafrost that can present a treacherous environment 
  for heavy units, especially once the battle starts. to reflect 
  this, all ground units except for those using hover and WiGE 
  movement types may become stuck in tundra terrain (see 
  Bogging Down, p. 70).
  WATER (EXPANDED)
  the standard-level Alpha Strike rules convey the basic 
  features of water terrain that is largely placid and relatively 
  shallow. the following additions, appropriate for advanced-
  level Alpha Strike games, offers players more variety in water 
  terrain by introducing the effects of extreme depths and rapid 
  currents (rapids).
  Extreme Depth: Any water terrain of 11 inches in depth or 
  more is considered to be of extreme depth. In extreme depths, any 
  unit that is not specifically a submarine—including Battlemechs, 
  costs). Aside from this, all ’mechs, Protomechs, and ground 
  vehicles that do not use the rail motive type, treated rails as 
  rough terrain. 
  Unless a scenario specifically states otherwise, every 2-inch 
  long section of rail terrain may be attacked as a building with a 
  CF of 5 (see Buildings, pp. 83-86). If a section of rail is destroyed 
  and a rail vehicle proceeds to come along, the rail vehicle will 
  crash at the broken section, suffering its move in damage to 
  the first car that collides with the broken segment, while all 
  cars in the train behind it (if any) suffer half the unit’s move. 
  Any cars that survive this damage are immobilized for the 
  remainder of the scenario.
  ROUGH, ULTRA
  Ultra-rough terrain represents a variety of truly shattered 
  landscapes, including ultra woods/jungles that have been 
  reduced to rough ground.
  RUBBLE, ULTRA
  Ultra-rubble terrain represents destroyed buildings made 
  of the hardest, military-spec materials, making such an area 
  exceptionally difficult to navigate. Destroyed Castles Brian 
  structures and similar fortresses are examples of ultra-rubble.
  Black Hawk A accompanied by Slyph Battle Armor, Beta Galaxy, Clan Snow Raven.
  
  advanCed terrain MoveMent Cost table
  Terrain Type
  Move Cost per Inch
  Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
  Base move
  1”
  —
  Clear
  +0”1
  Naval, Rail
  Paved/Road/Bridge
  +0”2
  Naval, Rail
  Woods
  Light
  +1”3
  Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4
  Heavy
  +2”3
  Vehicles
  Ultra-Heavy
  +3”
  All except Infantry
  Water
  Surface Only
  +0”
  All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5
  Depth 0”-1”
  +0” 
  Ground, Infantry6, 
  Depth 2”-3”
  +1”7
  Ground, Infantry6, Industrialmechs8
  Depth 4”-10”
  +6”7
  Ground, Infantry6, Industrialmechs8
  Depth 11+”
  +8”7, 9
  Ground, Infantry6, Industrialmechs8
  Rapids
  +1”
  As Water of appropriate Depth 
  Level Changes (up or down)10
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (’mechs, Protomechs)
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (VtOLs in Air)
  Per 1” depth
  +1” (Submarines in Water)
  Per 1” elevation
  +2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles)
  Buildings
  Light
  +1”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  medium
  +2”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  Heavy
  +3”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  Hardened
  +4”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  Deep Snow
  +1”12
  Wheeled
  Gravel Piles
  +1”12
  Naval, Rail
  Hazardous Liquid Pool
  As Water12
  As Water
  Heavy Industrial
  +0”/+1”13
  Naval, Rail
  Ice
  +1”12
  Naval
  Jungle
  Light
  +2”
  Vehicles
  Heavy
  +3”
  Vehicles
  Ultra-Heavy
  +4”
  All except Infantry
  Magma
  Crust
  +0”12
  Infantry, Naval, Rail, Wheeled
  Liquid
  +1”12
  All except ’mechs
  mud
  +1”12
  Naval, Rail
  Planted Fields
  +0”
  Naval, Rail
  Rail
  +0”/+1”14
  Naval
  Rough
  +1”
  Naval, Rail, Wheeled
  Ultra Rough
  +2”
  Naval, Rail, Wheeled
  Rubble
  +1”
  Naval, Rail
  Ultra Rubble
  +2”
  Naval, Rail
  Sand
  +0”/+1”12, 15
  Naval, Rail
  Swamp
  +1”/+2”12, 16
  Naval, Rail
  tundra
  +0”12
  Naval, Rail
  
  69
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  any movement Phase where the unit is still in or on the water’s 
  surface. If the roll result is less than the unit’s Skill rating +2, 
  the unit will be moved 2 inches in the direction of the flow.
  WOODS (EXPANDED)
  Under standard Alpha Strike, there is only one “type” of 
  woods terrain. At the advanced level of play, woods come 
  in three levels of density: light, heavy, and ultra-heavy. In 
  addition, advanced-level woods apply terrain modifiers for 
  every 2 full inches of intervening or occupied terrain, rather 
  than a flat amount. A 6-inch stretch of intervening light 
  woods, for example, would apply a +3 to-hit modifier for 
  weapon attacks.
  and other non-submarine units with UmU special abilities—
  must make a critical hit check at the end of the movement Phase 
  where it enters or remains at such depths. Apply all critical hit 
  effects immediately, before the Combat Phase. (If a unit entering 
  or operating at extreme depths does not have a critical hit check 
  appropriate for its type—such as infantry units with the UmU 
  special—apply 1 point of damage to the unit instead.)
  Rapids: Waters of 1-inch depth or more may be designated 
  as rapids. At the start of a scenario, rapids water terrain must 
  be assigned a direction of flow. During gameplay, any units 
  moving through rapids water terrain, or operating on its 
  surface (with the exception of vehicles using the hover or 
  WiGE movement modes) must make a 2D6 roll at the end of 
  advanCed terrain MoveMent Cost table (Continued)
  Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including 
  attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash.
  1+1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 
  2All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain.
  3Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”).
  4Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 
  5Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”.
  6Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability.
  7This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement.
  8IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability.
  9Non-submarine units at this depth (including units with UMU special) may suffer damage. See Water (Expanded) (p. 67).
  10Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation 
  changes over 2” per 1” travelled unless using Advanced Movement Modes (see p. 62).
  11Infantry units do not pay any additional Move cost for Buildings; ProtoMechs pay only +1” Move for all Buildings 
  12Units in this terrain type may bog down and/or suffer damage. See specific terrain rules.
  13Only ’Mech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +0” Move cost.
  14Rail units in this terrain must move along the rail and pay +0” Move cost. All other units apply the +1” Move cost.
  15Only infantry units and wheeled units without the Dune Buggy (DUN) special apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain.
  16Only ’Mech and ProtoMech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +2” Move cost.
  Unit Types Key
  ’mechs
  Includes Battlemechs and Industrialmechs
  Protomechs
  Protomech units only
  Infantry
  Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
  Vehicles
  Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
  Air
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL or WiGE movement types
  Ground
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
  Naval
  Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
  Hover
  Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
  Rail
  Combat or support vehicles with rail movement type only
  Sub
  Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
  tracked
  Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only 
  VtOL
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL movement type only
  Wheeled
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
  WiGE
  Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
  Aerospace
  Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
  
  Skill rating. If this roll fails, the unit ends its movement Phase 
  immediately, and is stuck at the point in the terrain it had just 
  traversed when the roll failed. 
  Escaping once bogged down requires a new bog down check 
  at the start of the unit’s next movement phase. If this roll fails, the 
  unit remains bogged down for the turn, and attacks against it will 
  ignore its usual target movement modifier. Otherwise, the unit 
  escapes and may move normally.
  Units using jumping movement may be bogged down upon 
  landing, but automatically escape if they use jumping movement 
  to leave the terrain in the next turn. Any unit that uses hover or 
  WiGE movement, and any VtOL or aerospace unit that does not 
  land in the terrain that can bog down ground units, automatically 
  ignore these rules.
  tundra, magma Crust, Deep Snow and mud apply a +1 modifier 
  to the target number to avoid bog down.
  AeroSpAce  
  unItS on the 
  ground mAp
  Under the abstract aerospace system designed to work with 
  standard Alpha Strike rules, aerospace units are either landed 
  on the ground (grounded), or airborne for the duration of the 
  scenario. the following rules cover additional options for using 
  aerospace units on the ground map, including options for landing 
  and liftoff operations for aerospace units. Unless otherwise 
  specified, these rules apply to all units that expend thrust instead 
  of move in inches, which not only covers aerospace units, but also 
  airship and fixed-wing support vehicles.
  Unless specified otherwise by scenario rules, aerospace units 
  may begin any scenario landed or in flight. 
  AERODyNE UNITS
  While on the ground, aerodyne-type aerospace units (including 
  conventional and aerospace fighters, aerodyne small craft, and 
  fixed-wing support vehicles) may “taxi”, moving as a wheeled 
  vehicle unit with move rate equal to their thrust rating, in inches. 
  An aerospace unit may not lift off during a turn in which it 
  expended ground move.
  Aerodyne Liftoff
  to lift off from the ground, all aerodyne aerospace units require 
  a continuous runway of clear or paved terrain with no elevation 
  changes, and at least 2 points of current thrust. the runway area 
  must be at least 14 inches long (8 inches, if the unit possesses the 
  VStOL special ability). the width of this runway depends on the 
  size of the aerospace unit; standard-sized units such as fighters 
  require only 1 inch in width, while large units (with the LG special) 
  require a 2-inch wide runway, and very large units (with the VLG 
  special) require a runway 4 inches wide. 
  Under these rules, the unit must begin its turn at one end of this 
  minimum length of runway, facing its opposite end. the unit then 
  spends the entire movement Phase lifting off. this action requires 
  Light Woods: Light woods works in the same fashion as 
  standard Alpha Strike woods and should stand 4 inches above the 
  underlying terrain. A total of 6 inches of light woods terrain blocks 
  line of sight. 
  Heavy Woods: Like light woods, heavy woods should also 
  stand 4 inches above the underlying terrain. Heavy woods are 
  harder to see through than light woods and cost more move per 
  inch of travel. A total of 4 inches of heavy woods terrain blocks 
  line of sight.
  Ultra-Heavy Woods: Ultra-heavy woods should rise 6 inches 
  above the underlying terrain. this is the most restrictive of the 
  woods terrain types to see and pass through. Just 2 inches of 
  ultra-heavy woods will block line of sight.
  BOGGING DOWN
  Some terrain conditions may actually stick a unit in place, as 
  noted in the description of such conditions.
  Any time a unit starts its movement in a terrain area or enters 
  a terrain area that may cause it to get stuck and for each full 2” 
  the unit continues through the terrain area, the controlling player 
  must make a 2D6 roll with a target number equal to the unit’s 
  advanCed terrain  
  to-Hit Modifiers table
  Advanced Terrain Modifiers
  Terrain
  Modifier
  Underwater
  +1*
  Woods (per 2”)
  Light
  +1
  Heavy
  +2
  Ultra-Heavy
  +3
  Buildings
  **
  Heavy Industrial
  +1
  Jungle (per 2”)
  Light
  +1
  Heavy
  +2
  Ultra-Heavy
  +3
  Planted Fields (per 4”)
  +1†
  Target Movement Modifiers
  Target
  Modifier
  Is Bogged Down
  ‡
  *Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface 
  and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved.
  **Buildings block Light of Sight, providing either partial or full 
  cover as a hill of equivalent size.
  †Apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier if target is an Infantry unit.
  ‡Treat bogged down target as if it has a Target Movement Modifier 
  of +0.
  
  71
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  SPHEROID UNITS AND AIRSHIPS 
  Spheroid aerospace units and airships cannot “taxi”, and may 
  not move while grounded. Unlike aerodyne units, airships and 
  spheroid aerospace units may only lift off and land vertically, 
  and thus only require a flat landing area large enough to hold 
  the miniature’s base.
  Spheroid and Airship Liftoff
  As long as it has any thrust available, a grounded airship 
  can liftoff at the start of any movement Phase. Grounded 
  spheroid aerospace units require at least 2 thrust, and may 
  likewise liftoff at the start of any movement Phase. Under 
  these rules, no roll is required for a spheroid unit or airship 
  to lift off. 
  At the end of the movement Phase, an aerospace unit that 
  performs a liftoff action is removed from the ground map and 
  placed on the Central Zone of the Radar map (see Abstract 
  Aerospace Movement, p. 54). Regardless of the unit’s thrust 
  rating, a liftoff action takes its entire movement, so it cannot 
  expend further thrust in the same turn it lifts off.
  Airship and Spheroid Landing
  to attempt a landing, airships and spheroid aerospace 
  units must begin their turn in the Central Zone of the Radar 
  map. the controlling player then nominates one point on the 
  ground map that will serve as the unit’s landing zone. As with 
  aerodyne unit landings, any intervening units are presumed 
  to automatically evade the aerospace unit’s landing action, 
  though any terrain or structures present may be damaged as 
  described below.
  no roll, and any units—friendly or otherwise—that occupy 
  the runway are ignored. (For simplicity, these rules presume 
  that all units in the path of an aerospace unit’s liftoff avoid the 
  departing unit’s launch path.) 
  At the end of the movement Phase, an aerodyne unit that 
  performs a liftoff action is removed from the ground map and 
  placed on the Central Zone of the Radar map (see Abstract 
  Aerospace Movement, p. 54). Regardless of the unit’s thrust 
  rating, a liftoff action takes its entire movement, so it cannot 
  expend further thrust in the same turn it lifts off.
  Aerodyne Landing
  Aerodyne units require a minimum of 10 inches to land 
  (4 inches, if they feature the VStOL special), and the same 
  runway width needed for takeoff. In an emergency, these units 
  may attempt to land in any terrain, but doing so will result in 
  damage as described in Landing Damage, below.
  to attempt a landing, an aerodyne aerospace unit must 
  begin its turn in the Central Zone on the Radar map, and 
  select a flight path that lines up with the intended runway. 
  the unit is then removed from the Radar map and ends its 
  movement on the ground map at the end of its landing path 
  on the runway—or, if any terrain feature intervenes along 
  the selected path, placed in base-to-base contact with the 
  intervening terrain feature. 
  to complete the landing, the controlling must make a 
  Control Roll to assess the landing’s success, and resolve any 
  landing damage as described below (see Landing Rolls, p. 
  72). Once more, any ground units within the landing area are 
  ignored for simplicity.
  A flight of STU-K5 Stukas trailed by a flight of SYD-21 Seydlitz, Fifth Alliance Air Wing, Outworlds Alliance.
  
  Landing Damage
  An aerospace unit landing in terrain other than will suffer 
  damage. For aerodyne units, fixed-wing support vehicles, 
  and airships, this means any terrain other than clear or paved 
  within the unit’s chosen runway area or landing point, including 
  elevation changes. For spheroid aerospace units, this means only 
  a variation in terrain elevations within the landing site.
  A landing unit’s movement ends immediately when it 
  encounters such obstructions, with the unit’s miniature placed in 
  contact with the offending terrain or structures. the unit will then 
  apply damage equal to its own weight/size class. Spheroid units 
  apply this damage to the unit’s rear; all other units apply landing 
  damage to the nose. Roll for critical hits from landing damage 
  normally, as applicable. A unit destroyed by landing damage is 
  treated as if it has crashed (see below).
  Crashes
  Aerospace units destroyed in the air rain harmless debris on 
  the battlefield, but aerospace units that shut down while in flight 
  may crash. Under these rules, any aerospace unit that crashes 
  is automatically destroyed, as is all of its cargo, including any 
  transported units. 
  If the crashing aerospace unit is a DropShip attempting a 
  landing, its crash will fill a 4-inch diameter area centered on the 
  intended landing zone with ultra rubble terrain (see Advanced 
  Terrain, p. 67). If the rules for fire and smoke are also in effect, the 
  crash area will also burst into flame on a 2D6 roll of 6 or higher 
  (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
  AEROSPACE UNIT TRANSPORTS
  When aerospace units are transported by other units, the liftoff 
  and landing operations are respectively referred to as launching 
  and recovery.
  Units with the aerospace transport (At#) or small craft transport 
  (St#) special abilities are the only units capable of launching or 
  recovering aerospace units and transporting them while airborne. 
  Fixed-wing support vehicles are treated as ground vehicle units 
  for transport purposes—thus requiring the appropriate vehicle 
  transport specials instead (Vtm#, VtH#, VtS#)—and may not 
  launch or recover from a transport unit unless that transport 
  unit possesses a flight deck (FD) or helipad (HP) special. Airship 
  support vehicles can be transported as vehicles, but can only 
  launch or recover from a flight deck.
  Airships require a landing area that is comprised of either 
  clear or paved terrain, which must be of uniform elevation, and 
  large enough to hold the unit’s miniature. All other spheroid 
  aerospace units may land upon virtually any terrain of uniform 
  elevation—including clear, paved, woods, jungle, or even 
  buildings. However, the act of landing in upon any terrain other 
  than paved will cause terrain damage, and may result in damage 
  to the landing unit as well.
  Landing airships inflict no damage to the terrain they land in, 
  while spheroid aerospace units will cause terrain damage on any 
  landing area that is not paved. If the landing area for a spheroid 
  unit contains any type of woods, jungle, or buildings, these terrain 
  features are automatically destroyed. Wooded and jungle terrain 
  destroyed in this fashion is automatically converted to rough terrain; 
  buildings in the landing zone of a spheroid unit are converted into 
  rubble. In addition, the elevation level of any non-paved terrain 
  covered by the landing spheroid unit—to a minimum diameter of 
  4 inches centered on the unit’s midpoint—is reduced by one level. 
  LANDING ROLLS
  An aerospace unit attempting a landing must make a successful 
  Control Roll when doing so. the target number for an aerospace 
  unit’s Control Roll is equal to the unit’s Skill, plus any of the 
  appropriate modifiers as indicated in the Landing Roll modifiers 
  table. If the roll succeeds, but the unit’s landing area includes 
  obstructing terrain, the unit will suffer landing damage. If the 
  Landing Roll fails, the unit will crash.
  landing roll Modifiers table
  Condition
  Modifier
  Operating in Atmosphere
  +2
  Thruster Hit Damage
  +4
  No thrust or Shutdown
  +6
  Inappropriate Landing Area*
  +2
  Landing Area is Paved
  –2
  *This condition applies if the landing area includes any change in elevation, 
  includes any structures or terrains other than clear or paved, or is too short or 
  small for the unit’s needs.
  
  73
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  ArtIllery
  most artillery in Alpha Strike are area-effect weapons 
  that only target points of impact (POIs) on the battlefield, 
  delivering damage to all units within a blast radius. Units with 
  an artillery attack capability (indicated by the ARt special) can 
  deliver an additional artillery-only attack in the same turn as it 
  also executes a physical or weapon attack. Artillery attacks are 
  made and resolved in the Combat Phase.
  the following rules cover the use of artillery in advanced 
  Alpha Strike games.
  ON-BOARD ARTILLERy vS. OFF-BOARD ARTILLERy
  Compared to most weapon attacks, artillery weapons on 
  the ground map have tremendous range—far greater than 
  may even be practical for use on a single game map. Because 
  of this, it is possible to execute artillery attacks by units that 
  are not on the ground map against targets that are on the 
  map—and vice versa.
  When a unit equipped with artillery weapons is deployed 
  on the ground map, all of its artillery attacks against other 
  units that are both on the board and within 34 inches of the 
  attacking weapon will be referred to as on-board artillery 
  attacks. On-board artillery attacks deliver the damage in the 
  same turn as the attack is made, and will adhere to on-board 
  artillery rules. 
  Off-board artillery attacks refer to any artillery attacks made 
  where the attacking unit is more than 34 inches away from the 
  target, or where either the attacking artillery unit or its target 
  lies beyond the end of the ground map. At such distances, 
  artillery attacks will spend time in transit, delivering damage a 
  turn or more after the attack is fired, and will use the off-board 
  artillery attack rules. 
  Aerospace units may be launched from grounded 
  transports, but cannot be recovered unless the transport has 
  a flight deck or helipad. Otherwise, they must embark and 
  disembark as cargo. Fixed-wing support vehicles and VtOLs 
  must use flight decks and helipads as appropriate for all 
  launch and recovery operations.
  the rules for launching or recovering an aerospace unit are 
  the same as those for liftoff and landing (respectively), but 
  replace the need for prepared runways by launch catapults and 
  arresting gear that also eliminate the Landing Roll modifiers for 
  inappropriate landing areas. Additional changes to the landing 
  and liftoff rules for launching and recovery are as follows:
  Airborne Aerospace/Small Craft Launch and Recovery: 
  Aerospace units launching from airborne transports must 
  end their launching movement in the same Radar map zone 
  as the transporting unit that launches them. Aerospace units 
  cannot be recovered by airborne transports unless they are 
  in the same Radar map zone and neither aerospace unit is 
  engaged in combat. the maximum number of aerospace 
  units that can be launched by an aerospace transport per 
  turn is equal to the number of doors (D#) associated with the 
  aerospace transport bay. 
  Flight Deck/Helipad Launch and Recovery: Any weight 
  class aerospace unit (and any size class unit up to 3) may launch 
  or recover on a flight deck or helipad. Only one aerospace unit 
  may launch or recover from a flight deck or helipad at a time, 
  and only one unit may launch or recover each turn.
  PARTIAL COvER
  While on the ground, DropShip-type aerospace units may 
  provide partial cover for Battlemechs as if they were a building 
  (see Partial Cover, p. 34). If a unit receiving partial cover from 
  a grounded DropShip is missed by an attack by a margin of 2, 
  the DropShip absorbs the attack damage instead. 
  artillery range and daMage table
  Artillery Name
  Special
  Max Range
  Damage
  Area of Effect
  Arrow IV (IS)
  ARt-AIS
  90”
  3(2)
  2” (NA)
  Arrow IV (Clan)
  ARt-AC
  100”
  3(2)
  2” (NA)
  thumper
  ARt-t
  240”
  2
  2”
  Sniper
  ARt-S
  200”
  3
  4”
  Long tom
  ARt-Lt
  340”
  5/2
  6”
  Cruise missile/50
  ARt-Cm5
  360”
  8
  2”
  Cruise missile/70
  ARt-Cm7
  1000”
  11/2
  6”
  Cruise missile/90
  ARt-Cm9
  1360”
  16/6
  8”
  Cruise missile/120
  ARt-Cm12
  1700”
  22/14
  6”
  Artillery Cannons
  thumper Cannon
  ARt-tC
  42”
  1
  2”
  Sniper Cannon
  ARt-SC
  42”
  2
  2”
  Long tom Cannon
  ARt-LtC
  42”
  3
  2”
  
  in remembering when the turn arrives to resolve the attack, as 
  well as “proving” the attack’s accuracy in the event of any potential 
  disputes that might arise between players when the incoming 
  strike finally hits. 
  If the target of the artillery attack is a unit rather than a fixed 
  POI, or the target itself lies beyond the edge of the map, the 
  attacking player should note the target unit and/or its computed 
  distance in inches, instead of any coordinates. 
  Step 3: Determine To-Hit Number
  Like a standard weapon attack, the base to-hit number for 
  an artillery attack is the attacking unit’s Skill rating. As long as 
  the attack is not aimed at a specific unit, however, none of the 
  modifiers the normal weapon attack modifiers for range bracket, 
  target’s movement, terrain features, and other miscellaneous 
  situations are applied. Instead, the attacker must apply the to-hit 
  modifiers shown in the Artillery to-Hit modifiers table (see p. 75). 
  As with weapon attacks, all of these modifiers are cumulative, 
  which means they are added to the unit’s base to-hit number 
  to find the final to-hit number. Further explanation of these 
  modifiers and any exceptions are discussed below.
  Direct Fire: If an on-board artillery attacker has a valid Line 
  of Sight to its target under all applicable Alpha Strike rules, the 
  attacker may attempt to deliver a direct-fire attack against the POI 
  or target unit. Direct-fire attacks may not employ spotters, and 
  apply the Direct-Fire Artillery modifier as shown in the Artillery 
  to-Hit modifiers table. In addition, a direct-fire on-board artillery 
  attack must also apply any the standard weapon attack modifiers 
  for intervening terrain and—if the target is a unit—the target’s 
  type and movement modifiers. (Immobile target modifiers are 
  never applied to a direct-fire artillery attack.) 
  If the attacker is executing a direct-fire artillery attack with 
  an artillery cannon (ARt-tC, ARt-SC, or ARt-LtC specials), the 
  standard weapon range bracket modifiers will also apply to the 
  attack’s to-hit number. (All other artillery weapons are considered 
  to be at Short range for direct-fire on-board artillery attacks.)
  Indirect Fire: Indirect fire is considered to be the standard 
  means of firing an artillery weapon. All off-board artillery attacks 
  and all on-board artillery attacks not using the direct fire rules 
  notes above must apply the indirect-fire artillery attack to-hit 
  modifier. Indirect-fire artillery can use spotters, but does not 
  require them to make the attack (unlike indirect LRm fire). Artillery 
  attacks using indirect fire may not target a unit unless homing 
  rounds are used, or the attacking weapon is an artillery cannon 
  (ARt-tC, ARt-SC, or ARt-LtC specials). Indirect artillery attacks do 
  not apply range band or terrain modifiers.
  Artillery Spotters: If a friendly unit has line of sight to the target 
  POI, it can provide the spotter modifiers as shown on the Artillery 
  to-Hit modifiers table. Unless an artillery weapon attack is being 
  made against the same POI repeatedly (and requires corrective 
  spotting), artillery spotter modifiers may apply only when the 
  spotting occurs in the same turn that the attacking artillery 
  weapon is fired, not when it hits. Artillery spotting automatically 
  occurs as long as the friendly spotting unit has a valid line of sight 
  to the artillery attack’s chosen POI, and requires no roll.
  Artillery spotting modifiers may only be applied for artillery 
  attacks made against a point of impact, not when the target is 
  another battlefield unit.
  RESOLvING ARTILLERy ATTACKS
  the sequence for resolving artillery attacks is as follows:
  Step 1: Choose a target
  Step 2: Determine range and flight time
  Step 3: Determine to-hit number
  Step 4: Roll to hit
  Step 5: Determine and apply damage
  Step 6: Roll for critical hits (if applicable)
  Step 1: Choose a Target
  Unless the artillery weapon is attempting a direct-fire attack, 
  using homing rounds, or is an artillery cannon, declaring an 
  artillery attack requires only that the controlling player chooses 
  a single point of impact (POI) within the artillery weapon’s attack 
  range (see the Artillery Range and Damage table, p. 73). 
  Artillery attacks may only target specific units if the attacker 
  is using homing rounds, the attack is being made using artillery 
  cannons, or the attacker is attempting a direct-fire on-board 
  artillery attack. Direct-fire artillery attacks can only be made by 
  on-board artillery units.
  Step 2: Determine Range and Flight Time
  If the artillery-firing unit and its target are both on the board, 
  measure the range between them as normal.
  Artillery units located beyond the map’s edge must be computed 
  by first determining which map edge the artillery attack is coming 
  from, and how far beyond that edge the attack lies (in inches). Add 
  this number to the shortest number of inches measured between 
  the map’s edge and the attack’s target point (or unit) on the map. 
  (If the target, rather than the attacker, is the one beyond the map’s 
  edge, this same technique applies to find the range.)
  Time in Flight: the damage from any on-board artillery attack 
  will be delivered in the same turn it is fired. For any artillery attack 
  made beyond 34 inches in range, consult the Off-Board Artillery 
  Flight time table to find the number of turns the attack will take 
  from the turn it is fired to the turn it actually strikes. 
  Coordinates: In the event that an artillery attack will spend 1 
  turn or more in flight, the attacking player should record the turn 
  when the attack will strike, as well as the target’s X-Y coordinates 
  on a piece of scrap paper. A recommended coordinate system for 
  Alpha Strike is discussed later in this chapter (see Coordinates, p. 
  89. Committing this data to writing will aid the attacking player 
  off-board artillery  
  fligHt tiMe table
  Distance
  Flight Time (turns)
  34”
  0
  90”
  1*
  170”
  2*
  240”
  3*
  300”
  4*
  340”
  5*
  *Cruise Missiles (ART-CM#) compute their flight times as 1 + (Distance/170”) turns.
  
  75
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  in addition to any other weapon or physical attacks the unit 
  attempts during the same turn. the target of a painting attack 
  need not be the same target used for the unit’s weapon or 
  physical attacks.
  If the painting attempt fails, other friendly LtAG- or tAG-
  equipped units within the same 34” radius of the incoming 
  homing round may attempt to designate a target for it in the 
  same fashion. If no painting attempts succeed by the time 
  the homing round arrives, the homing round automatically 
  misses.
  If multiple target-painting attempts succeed in the same 
  turn against multiple targets, the attacker may decide which 
  of these targets are struck by the incoming homing round. 
  Conversely, if multiple homing rounds are set to arrive in the 
  same turn, each round may choose its own target from those 
  that have been successfully painted by friendly units. this 
  applies even if there are more incoming rounds than targets 
  that have been painted, so it is possible to have multiple 
  homing rounds strike the same target in the same turn.
  Successful target designation does not guarantee a homing 
  round will hit; for each unit that is successfully designated 
  and targeted by a homing round, the attacker must make 
  a separate 2D6 to-hit roll. Unlike all other artillery attacks, 
  however, this to-hit number is set at 4, and is not modified 
  for any conditions under these rules. If successful, the target is 
  struck by the homing round; on a result of 3 or less, the round 
  misses, and detonates harmlessly without scatter.
  Step 4: Roll To-Hit
  to resolve an artillery attack, the controlling player rolls 
  2D6 for each round on the turn it arrives (rather than the 
  turn where the attack is made) and compares the total to the 
  modified to-hit number identified in the previous step. If the 
  dice roll equals or exceeds the modified to-hit number, the 
  attack succeeds. Otherwise, the artillery attack fails, and will 
  scatter as appropriate.
  Artillery Scatter: If an artillery attack’s to-hit roll fails, its 
  missed shot will scatter much like a failed dive bombing attack, 
  with a new point of impact determined at random. Using the 
  Area of Effect template, with the “1” location indicating the 
  map’s “northern” direction, the attacker rolls 1D6 and uses 
  the numbers outside of the parentheses to find which of the 
  6 possible directions the missed artillery attack will scatter. 
  Once direction is determined, a second 1D6 roll result—
  multiplied by 2 (1 for missed shots by artillery cannons)—then 
  determines how many inches from the original POI the missed 
  shot will actually land. the new location becomes the center 
  of the actual impct, and damages targets within the Area of 
  Effect as appropriate to that weapon. Artillery units cannot 
  “lock onto” a scatter location.
  Homing Rounds: As noted above, homing rounds can only 
  roll to-hit against a target that has been successfully “painted” 
  by a friendly unit in the turn they arrive. the to-hit for each 
  homing round is set at 4, with no additional modifiers applied. 
  If successful, the target is hit. Unsuccessful homing round 
  attacks detonate harmlessly away from any valid targets and 
  do not scatter.
  Subsequent Attacks on the Same Point of Impact: 
  Once an artillery attack successfully hits its chosen POI, the 
  coordinates become “locked in”, and the artillery weapon may 
  continue to attack that same POI without requiring to-hit roll 
  until it changes targets. Artillery attacks do not “lock on” when 
  the target is a unit.
  Pre-plotted Points of Impact: If the scenario permits, 
  players with artillery units may start an Alpha Strike game 
  with a number of pre-plotted points of impact that their 
  artillery units can already hit automatically (as if they 
  successfully “locked on” as above). the number of pre-plotted 
  POIs the players may have can be subject to scenario rules, 
  an agreement between the players, or even the use of the 
  Battlefield Intelligence optional rule described later in this 
  chapter (see p. 82). Pre-plotted POIs must be marked on the 
  board during setup.
  Homing Rounds
  Artillery-fired homing rounds (including Arrow IV homing 
  missiles and Copperhead artillery munitions) are specifically 
  designed to damage a single target unit, rather than delivering 
  area-effect damage. Unless alternate munitions rules are in 
  effect (see pp. 76-82), only the Arrow IV artillery systems may 
  fire homing rounds.
  Like artillery, homing rounds are fired at a targeted POI, 
  with the flight time calculated based on that fixed point. 
  On the turn the homing missile is calculated to arrive at its 
  destination, one target unit within 34” of the homing round’s 
  POI must be successfully “painted” by a unit with target 
  acquisition gear (tAG or LtAG specials). to paint a target, the 
  tAG- or LtAG-equipped unit must make a special attack roll, 
  using all the appropriate rules for a standard weapon attack 
  within the unit’s tAG equipment range. (LtAG works only 
  at Short range, but tAG works at Short and medium range 
  brackets.) As with artillery attacks, painting attacks using tAG 
  or LtAG equipment is an additional attack that may be made 
  artillery to-Hit  
  Modifiers table
  Situation
  To-Hit 
  Modifier
  Direct-Fire Artillery
  +4
  Indirect-Fire Artillery
  +7
  Each successive shot at the same target POI*
  –1
  Friendly unit acting as spotter when attack fired
  –1
  Spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH
  –2
  Spotter has RCN**
  –1
  Spotter made an attack during spotting turn
  +1
  *Applies only if a spotter has LOS to the target POI in the turn in which the 
  attack is resolved.
  **Do not apply this modifier if the spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH.
  
  to avoid confusion, each unit that can employ alternate 
  munitions may select only one non-standard munitions type per 
  special weapon attack.
  Infantry units (including battle armor) cannot make use 
  specialty ammo under these rules. Aerospace units capable 
  of carrying bombs may employ alternative bomb munitions/
  aerospace missiles, but may not employ the other alternative 
  munitions types discussed below.
  ALTERNATE ARTILLERy MUNITIONS
  Various types of artillery munitions are available in Alpha Strike, 
  but not all of them are available to all artillery weapon types, while 
  none are available to the artillery cannons (ARt-tC, ARt-SC, or 
  ARt-LtC). the special abilities required to carry these alternative 
  munitions will be indicated in its rules below.
  Air-Defense Arrow Iv
  Air-Defense Arrow IV missiles require the ARt-AC or ARt-
  AIS specials.
  these missiles may be used to deliver direct-fire ground-to-
  air attacks against any airborne targets in the Central Zone or 
  Inner Ring on the Radar map. Unlike standard artillery attacks, 
  air-defense Arrow attacks may not be made in the same turn the 
  firing unit executes a standard weapon or physical attack. 
  In place of artillery attack rules, air-defense Arrow’s are 
  resolved as standard ground-to-air weapon attacks (see Ground 
  to Air Combat, p. 60). For targets in the Central Zone that are 
  engaged in air-to-ground actions, treat the air-
  defense Arrow as if it is attacking at Short range. 
  If the target is in the Central Zone, but is not 
  attempting to land or engaging in air-to-
  ground combat, the air-defense attack 
  is made at medium range. If the target 
  is in the Inner Ring, the attack is made 
  using the Long range bracket. An 
  additional –2 to-hit modifier is then 
  applied to represent the improved 
  homing capabilities of the 
  Arrow missiles.
  Air-defense 
  Arrow 
  IVs 
  may 
  not 
  target 
  ground 
  units (including grounded 
  aerospace units), nor may 
  they target airborne units 
  beyond the Inner Ring on 
  the Radar map. Air-defense 
  Arrow IVs will not scatter 
  on a missed attack.
  the damage value for an air-defense Arrow 
  IV is 2 points. Air-defense Arrow IV missiles do 
  not deliver area of effect damage.
  Cluster
  Cluster 
  artillery 
  munitions 
  are 
  available to units with the ARt-AIS, ARt-
  AC, ARt-Lt, ARt-S, and ARt-t specials.
  Attacks using cluster munitions are 
  resolved using standard artillery rules, 
  Step 5: Determine and Apply Damage
  the attack damages all units within its listed area of effect. If 
  the damage value on the Artillery Range and Damage table has 
  a value after a slash, the weapon delivers the damage left of the 
  slash to the inner 2-inch radius area of effect around the impact 
  point, while the damage value right of the slash applies to all 
  targets for the next 4 inches outward from that (to a maximum 
  radius of 6 inches away from the impact point). All units—friend 
  or foe—whose bases are even partially within the area of effect, 
  suffer damage equal the listed amount for that radius. If two 
  damage values from the same artillery attack cover the target’s 
  location, use the value for the inner damage radius.
  the damage values and radii for each artillery weapon type 
  is shown on the Artillery table. the damage and radius values 
  shown in parentheses refer to homing rounds, which deliver 
  their damage only to the target unit and have no area of effect 
  in Alpha Strike.
  AlternAte 
  munItIonS
  In most Alpha Strike scenarios, it is assumed that all units are 
  equipped with their default (standard) munitions. For players 
  interested in greater variety, a number of alternative 
  options are available, which may be employed 
  by those units which possess compatible special 
  abilities. many have damage modifiers as shown 
  on the alternate munitions table. Additional 
  special effects of these munitions are further 
  described in the appropriate section.
  Players should agree to the use of specialty 
  munitions during the game setup, and 
  record which of their units are using 
  which types of specialty munitions. 
  In gameplay, an attacking player 
  who wishes to use specialty munitions 
  need only declare that his attack 
  will make use of its alternative 
  ammunition (and what type of 
  alternate ammunition it is). the 
  player then rolls for a weapons attack 
  as normal, using the base range and 
  damage values for the special ability 
  that works with the unit’s alternate 
  munitions. If the attack is successful, adjust 
  the ability’s normal damage values and other special 
  effects as appropriate to the rules for the specialty 
  ammo type used. 
  Note that an attack using specialty munitions 
  replaces the unit’s normal attack values for 
  its requisite special ability. Unless otherwise 
  noted, use of alternate munitions does not 
  provide the unit with an extra bonus attack, 
  but will modify the standard weapon attacks 
  of the unit accordingly.
  
  77
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Inferno Iv
  Inferno IV artillery missiles are available only to units with 
  the ARt-AIS or ARt-AC specials.
  Attacks using Inferno IV rounds are resolved using standard 
  artillery rules. As with standard Arrow missiles, the area of 
  effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point of impact. 
  Inferno IV artillery missiles will scatter on a missed attack, as 
  per normal artillery rules.
  Instead of damage, Inferno IV artillery missiles automatically 
  ignite all terrain within the area of effects (except for water 
  rapids). Units, terrain, and building within this area will suffer 
  effects from these fires as indicated in the rules for fire (see 
  Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101). the fire delivered by an Inferno 
  IV will follow all of the standard rules for fire, including smoke, 
  fire spread, and so forth.
  treat all units in an area struck by an Inferno IV as if they 
  entered the fire in that turn.
  Smoke
  Smoke artillery munitions are available to units with the 
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-Lt, ARt-S, and ARt-t specials.
  Attacks using Smoke rounds are resolved using standard 
  artillery rules. Regardless of the weapon used, the area of 
  effect radius for Smoke rounds is 4”. Smoke artillery shots will 
  scatter on a missed attack, as per normal artillery rules.
  Smoke artillery inflicts no damage, but instead fills the 
  area of effect with smoke. treat this as heavy smoke for the 
  first 2 inches away from the impact point, and light smoke 
  for the radius from 2 inches to 4 inches. this smoke will rise 4 
  inches above the underlying terrain for line of sight purposes. 
  Once delivered, smoke obeys all relevant rules for drift and 
  dissipation. (See Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101.) 
  Thunder
  thunder artillery munitions are available only to units with 
  the ARt-AIS or ARt-AC specials.
  Attacks using thunder munitions are resolved using 
  standard artillery rules. As with standard Arrow missiles, the 
  area of effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point of 
  impact. thunder missiles will scatter on a missed attack, as per 
  normal artillery rules.
  Instead of damage, thunder artillery missiles deliver a 
  conventional minefield to the target area. this minefield has 
  a density value of 2, and follows all of the rules for minefields 
  (see pp. 102-103). Units within an area when it is struck by a 
  thunder missile do not need to check for mines as they move 
  out of the area later, as they can tell where the mines have 
  landed—but they will need to check for mines if they re-enter 
  the mined area later. 
  Thunder-Active
  thunder-Active artillery munitions are available only to 
  units with the ARt-AIS or ARt-AC specials.
  Attacks using thunder-Active rounds follow are of the 
  rules for thunder artillery munitions noted above, except 
  the minefield delivered consists of active mines, rather than 
  conventional mines. 
  but increase their area of effect radius over standard rounds 
  from the same artillery weapon type by 2 inches (for a total of 
  4” for ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, and ARt-t specials; 6” radius for ARt-S 
  specials; and 8” for ARt-Lt specials). missed shots using cluster 
  munitions will scatter as per normal artillery rules.
  the damage from cluster artillery is based on the weapons’ 
  standard artillery damage, but is reduced by 1 point. this 
  modified damage applies to all targets within the first 4” 
  radius away from the impact point. For targets beyond 4”, and 
  up to the weapon’s maximum radius of effect, cluster artillery 
  delivers half its modified damage (rounded down). thus, a 
  cluster shot from an ARt-Lt weapon, which ordinarily inflicts 
  5 points to the point of impact, would be reduced to 4 points 
  of damage to all targets within 4” of impact, and 2 points of 
  damage to all targets from 4” to 8” away.
  Copperhead
  Copperhead munitions are available only to units with the 
  ARt-Lt, ARt-S, and ARt-t specials.
  Attacks using Copperhead rounds are resolved using the 
  artillery homing round rules, and as such have no area of 
  effect in Alpha Strike. Copperhead munitions will not scatter 
  on a missed attack.
  the damage a Copperhead hit delivers is based on the 
  attacker’s artillery weapon type. For attacks with the ARt-Lt 
  special, the damage is 3 points; for attacks made with the 
  ARt-S special, the weapon delivers 2 damage points; for the 
  ARt-t special, Copperhead ammo delivers 1 point per hit.
  Flechette
  Flechette artillery munitions are available to ARt-Lt, ARt-S, 
  and ARt-t specials.
  Attacks using flechette rounds are resolved using standard 
  artillery rules, and deliver damage with the same area of effect 
  radius as standard rounds from the same artillery weapon 
  type (6” radius for ARt-Lt; 4” radius for ARt-S; 2” radius for 
  ARt-t). Flechette artillery munitions will scatter on a missed 
  attack, as per normal artillery rules.
  Against conventional infantry units and jungle or woods 
  terrain types, flechette ammunition doubles the artillery 
  weapon’s normal damage value. Against all other unit types, 
  flechette artillery munitions inflict no damage.
  Illumination
  Illumination artillery munitions are available to units with 
  the ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-Lt, ARt-S, and ARt-t specials.
  Attacks using illumination rounds are resolved using 
  standard artillery rules. the area of effect radius for 
  illumination rounds fired using the ARt-S or ARt-t specials is 
  4”; for ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, and ARt-Lt specials, the radius is 6” 
  from the point of impact. Illumination artillery munitions will 
  scatter on a missed attack, as per normal artillery rules.
  Illumination artillery inflicts no damage, but instead lights 
  up the area of effect, eliminating all darkness modifiers to and 
  between units within that area (see Darkness, p. 92). the light 
  from these rounds lasts for 10 turns, and burn out in the End 
  Phase of the tenth turn. 
  
  If a unit using precision ammunition chooses to attack with 
  only its AC special ability, it applies a –2 to-hit modifier to the 
  attack instead of receiving the damage bonus indicated above.
  Tracer 
  A unit using tracer ammunition eliminates any to-hit modifiers 
  for dusk or dawn conditions, and reduces all other darkness 
  modifiers by 1 point. this effect occurs whether or not the unit 
  delivers a standard weapon attack or an attack using only its AC 
  special ability.
  ALTERNATE BOMB MUNITIONS  
  (BOMBS/AEROSPACE MISSILES)
  Standard Alpha Strike rules already cover the use of standard 
  (high-explosive) bombs, cluster bombs, and Inferno bombs. 
  the following additional bomb types may be carried by any 
  aerospace unit, VtOL, or airship with the BOmB special, and may 
  be employed as indicated.
  An aerospace unit can generally carry as many bombs as its 
  BOmB# special indicates. Unless otherwise stated, each of the 
  bombs described below occupy 1 bomb “slot”, and is expended 
  whether or not its attack is successful.
  Arrow Iv Missiles: A special exception to the above, standard, 
  homing, and air-to-air Arrow IV missiles reduce the total number 
  of bomb slots an airborne unit has by 1. Additional Arrow IV 
  missiles, and all other bomb types (including the light air-to-
  air Arrow IV) occupy 1 slot each. thus, an aerospace unit with 
  the BOmB8 special may carry up to 7 Arrow IV missiles, or 1 
  Arrow IV missile and 6 bombs of other types, or 8 non-Arrow IV  
  missile bombs.
  Air-to-Air Arrow Iv
  the air-to-air Arrow IV is a special weapon that enhances the 
  unit’s air-to-air attacks, and does not behave as a bomb at all. 
  Instead of making a bombing attack, an airborne unit may use its 
  air-to-air Arrow IV as an extra weapons attack in air-to-air combat. 
  this attack may be attempted against targets in the medium 
  range bracket or closer, and is resolved as a normal air-to-air 
  attack (see pp. 58-60). A successful hit by an air-to-air Arrow IV 
  delivers 2 points of damage to the target.
  Air-to-air Arrow IV missiles may not be used against  
  ground targets.
  Arrow Iv (Homing or Standard)
  the standard Arrow IV bomb is an air-to-ground weapon, and 
  may not be used against airborne units. Unlike standard bombs, 
  standard and homing Arrow IV bombs are resolved using the 
  appropriate artillery attack rules, with non-homing Arrow IVs 
  treated as standard artillery attacks, and homing Arrow IVs treated 
  as homing rounds. (See Artillery, pp. 73-76.)
  If the attack is made while the airborne unit is over the ground 
  map, this attack is resolved using the on-board artillery rules. If 
  the attack is made from the Central Zone or Inner Ring without 
  the airborne unit on the ground map, the attack is resolved as off-
  board artillery. Beyond the Inner Ring, Arrow IV bombs may not 
  attack ground targets.
  ALTERNATE AUTOCANNON MUNITIONS
  Various types of autocannon munitions are available in Alpha 
  Strike. All of these alternate munitions require the unit to possess 
  an AC special ability. the rules for these munitions are detailed 
  below. Attack and damage modifiers are also summarized in the 
  Alternative munitions table
  Armor Piercing 
  Armor piercing ammunition applies a +1 to-hit modifier to the 
  attack, whether it is made using only the AC special ability, or as 
  part of the unit’s standard weapon attack.
  When an attacker using armor piercing ammunition delivers a 
  successful attack, reduce the damage value for the AC attack by 
  1, to a minimum of 1 damage point. the attacker then rolls 2D6. 
  If the result is 10 or better, the attacker rolls once on the target’s 
  Critical Hit table, even if it still has armor points remaining. this 
  effect occurs whether or not the unit delivers a standard weapon 
  attack or an attack using only its AC special ability.
  If the target is an aerospace or infantry unit (including battle 
  armor), armor piercing ammunition is treated as standard 
  autocannon fire, neither suffering a damage loss nor delivering 
  the extra chance for a critical hit.
  Flak 
  Flak ammunition applies a –2 to-hit modifier to the attack, 
  whether it is made using only the AC special ability, or as part of 
  the unit’s standard weapon attack.
  Flak ammunition is only effective against airborne units, 
  including aerospace units, airships, VtOLs, and WiGEs. When 
  targeting such units, the autocannons of the unit can make an 
  attack using the rules for the Flak (FLK) special ability, with the 
  same damage values as its AC special. Because of this, if the attack 
  misses by 2 points or less, the flak ammo will still score a hit.
  For example, if a unit using Flak ammunition has standard 
  attack values of 4/4/1 and an AC2/2/0 special, it could attack 
  airborne units with its normal weapon attack and—thanks to the 
  Flak ammo—still deliver 2/2/0 damage to the target on a shot 
  that misses by 2 or less.
  Flechette 
  When an attacker using flechette ammunition attacks any 
  conventional (non-battle armor) infantry or wooded/jungle 
  terrain, it adds the appropriate damage values of its AC special 
  for the range against such targets. Against all other targets, 
  the attacker must subtract half of its AC special damage values 
  (rounded down) from the unit’s normal attack values.
  If a unit with flechette ammo attempts to use only its AC special 
  ability to make the attack, ignore the rules above and instead 
  deliver twice the AC ability’s damage to conventional infantry and 
  word or jungle terrain targets, but halve the AC ability’s damage 
  (rounded down, to a minimum of 0) to all other targets.
  Precision 
  When an attacker using precision ammo delivers a standard 
  weapon attack, apply no to-hit modifier to the attack, but add 1 
  point of damage to a successful weapon attack if the target has a 
  move of 10” or more. 
  
  79
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Thunder
  thunder bombs are deployed in the same manner as 
  conventional high-explosive bombs, and will scatter as per 
  those rules on a missed bombing attack (see p. 56). Instead 
  of delivering damage, thunder bombs seed a 2-inch diameter 
  area with conventional mines. this minefield will have a 
  density of 4. (See Minefields, pp. 102-103.)
  Torpedo
  torpedo bombs target individual units that must be in (or 
  under) water. Because of this, unlike standard bombs, torpedoes 
  must also apply the target’s movement modifier when making 
  their to-hit roll. A successful hit from a torpedo bomb inflicts 1 
  point of damage to the target, and generates an automatic 
  Critical Hit check, even if the unit still has armor points remaining. 
  ALTERNATE NARC/INARC PODS
  Instead of firing a standard homing pod, a iNarc launcher 
  may fire the following specialty pods. these alternative pods 
  will require one of the following special abilities to use, as 
  specified in their rules: CNARC, SNARC, or iNARC.
  ECM (iNarc only) 
  ECm pods are available only with units that possess the 
  iNARC special. When a unit with ECm pods delivers a successful 
  iNarc attack to the target, the target will be treated as if it is 
  operating within a hostile standard ECm field for the entire 
  following turn (from Initiative to End Phase).
  Explosive (Compact Narc, Standard Narc, iNarc)
  Regardless of whether the pod is fired from a CNARC, SNARC, 
  or iNARC special, the damage for explosive pods is equal to 1 
  point for every 2 pods that hit the target (round down).
  Haywire (iNarc only)
  Haywire pods are available only with units that possess the 
  iNARC special. When a unit with haywire pods delivers a successful 
  iNarc attack to the target, the target will suffer a +1 to-hit modifier 
  on all its weapons attacks and may not spot for indirect attacks for 
  the entire following turn (from Initiative to End Phase). 
  ALTERNATE LRM/SRM MUNITIONS
  Instead of firing standard missiles, most SRm or LRm 
  launchers may fire the following specialty pods. these 
  alternative missiles will require one of the following special 
  abilities to use, as specified in their rules: SRm or LRm.
  Heat-Seeker 
  Heat-seeker missiles are available to units with the LRm or 
  SRm specials.
  If targeting a heat-tracking unit that is currently overheating, 
  apply 1 additional point of damage to the target on a successful 
  hit from the unit’s standard weapon attack. 
  If the attacker chooses to attack with just its LRm or SRm 
  special, heat-seeker missiles apply a –2 to-hit modifier for attacks 
  against the overheating target, instead of the damage modifier.
  If the target is not overheating, or is a unit that does not 
  have a Heat scale, heat-seekers have no special effect.
  Inferno (Advanced Rules)
  Inferno bombs may not be used against airborne units.
  In addition to delivering Heat as described in the standard 
  rules, Inferno bombs using advanced rules will also create a fire 
  that covers the area of effect (unless the terrain is water rapids). 
  this fire will burn for 10 turns, following the rules presented 
  later in this chapter (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
  Laser-Guided 
  Laser-guided bombs are identical to standard high-
  explosive bombs in damage and gameplay, but if a friendly 
  unit successfully paints the bomb’s target area with a tAG 
  system in the same turn as the bombing attack is made, the 
  bombing attack receives an additional –2 to-hit modifier.
  Light Air-to-Air Arrow 
  the light version of the air-to-air Arrow IV has the same 
  attack range and follows all the rules of the standard air-to-air 
  Arrow IV (see p. 78), except that a successful attack by a light 
  air-to-air Arrow delivers only 1 point of damage to the target.
  Furthermore, unlike all other Arrow IV missiles, the light air-
  to-air Arrow  does not reduce the maximum number of bomb 
  slots the aerospace unit may carry.
  Rocket Launcher
  the rocket launcher is a special, one-shot weapon pod 
  that enhances the unit’s air-to-ground attacks, but does not 
  behave as a bomb at all. Instead of making a bombing attack, 
  an airborne unit may use its rocket launcher to augment air-
  to-ground strike attacks. A successful strike attack by a unit 
  that declares it is using its rocket launchers will deliver an 
  additional 1 point of damage per rocket launcher committed 
  to the strike. 
  If the rocket launcher bombs are used independently, all 
  launchers committed to the attack must be combined and 
  resolved as a single air-to-ground strike attack, with damage 
  for a successful attack equal to 1 point per launcher.
  Rocket launchers may not be used against airborne targets, 
  or as part of a strafing attack.
  TAG
  tAG may be carried as a special bomb pod that enables 
  an airborne unit to designate targets in the same manner as 
  ground-based units. tAG thus does not use the bomb rules, 
  but instead requires the unit make a separate air-to-ground 
  attack against the target of its choosing along its flight path 
  over the ground map. 
  the rules to resolve tAG attacks in this manner are the 
  same as an air-to-ground strike attack (see pp. 55-58). this 
  tAG action may be combined with the unit’s other air-to-
  ground strafing or striking attacks, or it may be resolved 
  against targets that lie beyond these attack areas, as long as 
  the target is still under the airborne unit’s flight path. tAG 
  used by airborne units may not be used to designate other 
  airborne units.
  Unlike the other bomb types indicated under these rules, 
  tAG “bombs” are reusable, and not expended when the 
  airborne unit them on an attack.
  
  Semi-Guided 
  Semi-guided missiles are available only to units with the LRm 
  special.
  If targeting a unit that has been successfully designated by a 
  friendly tAG in the same turn, apply 1 additional point of damage to 
  the target on a successful hit from the unit’s standard weapon attack. 
  If the attacker using semi-guided missiles chooses to attack with 
  just its LRm special, apply a –2 to-hit modifier for attacks against a 
  target that has been successfully designated by a friendly tAG in 
  the same turn, instead of the damage modifier. 
  Smoke 
  Smoke missiles are available to units with the LRm or SRm specials.
  Attacks using smoke missiles must be aimed at a point of 
  interest on the map, rather than another unit. Smoke missile 
  attacks must then be resolved as an attack using the unit’s LRm 
  special by itself. 
  Instead of delivering damage, thunder missiles deliver a 
  conventional minefield to the target area. this minefield has a 
  density equal to the damage value of the unit’s LRm special at that 
  range (to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5) and follows all of the 
  rules for minefields (see pp. 102-103). multiple minefields delivered 
  to the same area will not stack or change this density value. 
  Inferno 
  Inferno missiles are available only to units with the SRm special. 
  A unit firing Inferno missiles converts its SRm damage value to 
  Ht damage, applying a maximum of 2 Heat points to any target 
  that tracks Heat. Heat in excess of 2 is lost, even in the event of 
  multiple Inferno missile hits. For example, a unit with SRm: 1/1 
  would make an Ht1 attack. the normal SRm special damage is 
  then subtracted from the normal weapon attack damage when 
  attacking a unit that tracks Heat. 
  Against units that do not track Heat, Inferno missiles deliver 
  standard damage instead. 
  DropShips ignore Inferno effects.
  Magnetic Pulse 
  magnetic pulse missions are available to units that possess the 
  LRm or SRm specials. 
  When a unit with magnetic pulse weapons delivers a 
  successful attack to any target other than conventional 
  infantry—either as a standard weapon attack or an attack 
  just using the unit’s magnetic pulse-equipped LRm or SRm 
  special—the target will suffer a +1 to-hit modifier on all its 
  weapons attacks for the entire following turn (from Initiative 
  to End Phase). multiple hits from magnetic pulse missiles will 
  not increase this effect.
  magnetic pulse missiles deliver no physical damage to a target, 
  so attacks using just the LRm or SRm special that is equipped 
  with magnetic pulse missiles will deliver no damage. If a unit 
  using magnetic pulse missiles delivers a standard weapon attack, 
  subtract the damage from the LRm or SRm special that is using 
  the magnetic pulse missiles from the total damage value of the 
  unit’s normal weapon attack.
  Mine Clearance 
  mine clearance missiles are available to units with the LRm or 
  SRm special.
  Attacks using mine clearance missiles must be aimed at a point 
  of interest on the map, rather than another unit. mine clearance 
  missile attacks must then be resolved as an attack using the unit’s 
  LRm or SRm special by itself. 
  Instead of delivering damage, mine clearance missiles reduce 
  the density of any minefields in the target area by an amount 
  equal to the unit’s LRm or SRm special at that range—whichever 
  is using the mine clearance missiles. If this reduces the minefield’s 
  density to or below 0, the minefield has been cleared entirely. 
  (See Minefields, pp. 102-103.)
  mine clearance missiles inflict minimal damage on a target unit. 
  If an attacker using mine clearance munitions executes a standard 
  weapon attack against a target, subtract three-quarters of the 
  unit’s mine clearance-using LRm or SRm special appropriate for 
  that range (rounded down, to a minimum of 0) from the total 
  attack damage. 
  the area of effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point 
  of impact. If the attacker misses its target, the mines will scatter 2 
  inches in a random direction and produce a minefield of half its 
  normal density (rounded down to a minimum of 0).
  If a mine-clearance attack misses its target or hits terrain where 
  there is no minefield, there is no further effect.
  
  81
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  alternate Munitions table
  Weapon
  To-Hit Modifier
  Damage
  Required Special Ability
  Artillery
  Air-Defense Arrow IV
  *
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC
  Cluster
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Copperhead
  *
  See Rules
  ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Flechette
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Illumination
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Inferno IV
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC
  Smoke
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  thunder or thunder-Active
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC
  Autocannon
  Armor Piercing
  +1
  +0*
  AC
  Flak
  –2
  +0*
  AC
  Flechette
  +0
  +0*
  AC
  Precision
  +0/–2*
  +1/0*
  AC
  tracer
  *
  +0
  AC
  Bombs
  Air-to-Air Arrow IV
  +0*
  2
  BOmB
  Arrow IV
  +0
  +0
  BOmB
  Inferno (Advanced Rules)
  +0
  +0
  BOmB
  Laser-Guided
  –2*
  2
  BOmB
  Light Air-to-Air Arrow
  +0*
  1
  BOmB
  Rocket Launcher
  +0*
  +1
  BOmB
  tAG
  +2
  NA
  BOmB
  thunder
  +0
  mines
  BOmB
  torpedo
  +0*
  +0
  BOmB
  Narc/iNarc
  ECm
  +0
  +0*
  INARC
  Explosive
  +0
  *
  CNARC, SNARC, INARC
  Haywire
  +0
  +0*
  INARC
  LRM/SRM
  Heat-Seeking
  +0/–2*
  +1/+0*
  LRm, SRm
  Inferno
  +0
  *
  SRm
  magnetic Pulse
  +0
  +0*
  LRm, SRm
  mine Clearance
  +0
  +0*
  LRm, SRm
  Semi-Guided
  +0/–2*
  +1/+0*
  LRm
  Smoke
  +0
  +0*
  LRm, SRm
  Swarm/Swarm-I
  +0
  +0*
  LRm
  tandem Charge
  +0
  +0*
  SRm
  thunder
  +0
  *
  LRm
  *See Item rules.
  
  Instead of delivering damage, thunder missiles deliver a 
  conventional minefield to the target area. this minefield has 
  a density equal to the damage value of the unit’s LRm special 
  at that range (to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5) and 
  follows all of the rules for minefields (see pp.102-103). multiple 
  minefields delivered to the same area will not stack or change 
  this density value. 
  Units within an area when it is struck by thunder mines do 
  not need to check for mines as they move out of the mined 
  area, as they can tell where the explosives landed—but 
  they will need to check for mines if they re-enter the mined  
  area later. 
  thunder missiles inflict no damage on a target unit. If an 
  attacker using thunder munitions executes a standard weapon 
  attack against a target, subtract the damage values of the unit’s 
  LRm special appropriate for that range. 
  the area of effect radius for these rounds is 2” from the point 
  of impact. If the attacker misses its target, the mines will scatter 2 
  inches in a random direction and produce a minefield of half its 
  normal density (rounded down to a minimum of 0).
  bAttlefIeld 
  IntellIgence
  Battlefield intelligence, in Alpha Strike, refers to the net 
  effectiveness of a force’s reconnaissance assets, communications 
  specialists, and technical analysts in putting together data that 
  a military force can put to practical use in combat. this rule 
  attempts to reflect this factor by establishing the opposing 
  sides’ Battlefield Intelligence Ratio (BIR), and using it in 
  conjunction with other special rule effects that can occur in 
  advanced Alpha Strike games, such as artillery, use of hidden 
  units, and initiative modifiers.
  BATTLEFIELD INTELLIGENCE RATIO
  the effectiveness of battlefield intelligence depends on the 
  relative capabilities of each force’s intel and communications 
  assets, with the ratio of the difference in those ratings. to 
  determine the battlefield intelligence rating (BI rating) for a 
  force, add up the appropriate point values for the intelligence-
  capable units each force has, as shown on the Battlefield 
  Intelligence Rating table. to then determine the two sides’ 
  battlefield intelligence ratio (BI ratio), divide the larger rating 
  by the smaller, and round normally to the next whole number. 
  the result is the ratio of the smaller BI rating to the larger one. If 
  either force has a BI rating of zero, treat its opponent as having a 
  rating of 1, with a BI ratio of 1:0. 
  If the BI ratio at the start of an Alpha Strike scenario is 1:1, no 
  special bonuses are granted to either side. For any other result, 
  the number on the left represents the force with the lower BI 
  rating, and the number on the right represent the force with the 
  higher BI rating. the force with the higher rating gains multiple 
  benefits, as described below.
  Instead of delivering damage, smoke missiles fill a 2-inch radius 
  of effect from the target area with smoke that rises 4 inches above 
  the underlying terrain. If the normal LRm or SRm damage for the 
  launcher is less than 3, this is treated as light smoke. LRms and SRms 
  using smoke munitions deliver heavy smoke if their normal damage 
  values are 3 or more. Once delivered, smoke obeys all relevant rules 
  for drift and dissipation. (See Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101.) 
  Smoke missiles inflict no damage on a target unit. If an attacker 
  using smoke missiles executes a standard weapon attack against 
  a target, subtract the damage values of the unit’s LRm or SRm 
  special—whichever is using the smoke rounds—as appropriate 
  for that range. 
  the area of effect radius for smoke missiles is 2” from the point 
  of impact. If the attacker misses its target, the missiles will scatter 
  2 inches in a random direction and produce light smoke with a 
  radius of 1 inch and a height of 2 inches.
  Swarm/Swarm-I 
  Swarm and Swarm-I missiles are available only to units with the 
  LRm special.
  If a standard weapon attack, or one using just the LRm special, 
  misses its intended target, and other units—friend or foe—are 
  within 2” of the target at the time, the attacker must randomly 
  determine one of these alternate targets to attack, and make a 
  new attack roll to hit that unit. If this subsequent attack hits, it will 
  deliver damage equal to the attacker’s LRm special only. 
  If multiple units are within the 2-inch radius around the missed 
  primary target, continue randomly picking targets from the 
  remaining units until the Swam attack either succeeds, or until there 
  are no more units to try to attack within 2 inches of the original target.
  Swarm-I LRMs: Attacks using improved Swarm (Swarm-I) missiles 
  work the same as the standard Swarm attacks described above, 
  except that Swarm-I missiles ignore units friendly to the attacker.
  Tandem Charge 
  tandem charge missiles are available only to units with the  
  SRm special.
  As long as the target of a tandem charge missile attack is a 
  ’mech, Protomech, or vehicle, these missiles apply no special 
  to-hit modifiers or damage modifiers. Upon a successful attack 
  against these units, in addition to the damage delivered, the 
  attacker rolls 2D6. If the result is 10 or better, the attacker then 
  rolls once on the target’s Critical Hit table, even if the target still 
  has armor points remaining. this effect occurs whether or not the 
  unit delivers a standard weapon attack or an attack using only its 
  AC special ability.
  If the target is an aerospace or battle armor unit, tandem charge 
  missiles are treated as standard SRm fire, with no bonus chances 
  for a critical hit.
  If the target of a tandem charge missile attack is conventional 
  infantry, reduce the attack’s damage by 1 point (to a minimum of 0).
  Thunder 
  thunder missiles are available only to units with the LRm special.
  Attacks using thunder missiles must be aimed at a point of interest 
  on the map, rather than another unit. thunder missile attacks must 
  then be resolved as an attack using the unit’s LRm special by itself. 
  
  83
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  hidden anywhere except in their opponent’s deployment 
  zone. to determine the number of units that may begin 
  play hidden, divide the total number of units the force has 
  by the number of those units that possess the Recon (RCN) 
  special ability (see p. 108), rounding normally to the nearest 
  whole number. the result is the number of units that may 
  be hidden—up to a maximum number equal to half of the 
  player’s force.
  Initiative Bonus
  Changing intelligence assets are most felt in the forces’ ability 
  to react to developments in the course of the battle. this ability 
  is reflect by modifiers that apply to the rolls each force makes 
  in its the Initiative Phase. the force with the higher value in the 
  battlefield intelligence ratio adds that number to its Initiative roll, 
  while the force with the lower value in the ratio applies the lower 
  number as his Initiative bonus. thus, if the BI ratio between the 
  two forces at the start of a game is 2:1, the player whose force 
  has the higher BI rating receives a +2 modifier to his Initiative roll, 
  while his opponent adds +1 to his Initiative roll.
  Pre-Plotted Artillery
  If the player with the higher value in the BI ratio has artillery 
  in his force, he may choose to designate a number of pre-
  plotted points of impact for his artillery equal to his BI ratio 
  value, minus 1. His opponent receives no such advantage, 
  even if he has a BI ratio value above 0. thus, in the instance of 
  a game where the BI ratio is 2:1, the player with the higher BI 
  ratio value would receive 1 pre-plotted artillery impact point 
  (2 – 1 = 1), while his opponent receives none. (For rules on pre-
  plotted artillery POIs, see Artillery, pp. 73-76.)
  buIldIngS
  In standard Alpha Strike, any buildings 
  present on the battle map are, at best, 
  a piece of terrain that the combat units 
  can 
  use 
  for 
  cover. 
  Objective-driven 
  scenarios may add to their value slightly by 
  establishing one or more buildings as key 
  to one side’s victory over another. 
  the following advanced rules add 
  greater depth to the use of buildings in 
  Alpha Strike play.
  BUILDING TyPES
  Buildings are divided into four broad 
  categories that define both their structural 
  strength and overall size in Alpha Strike. 
  these categories are Light, medium, Heavy 
  and Hardened. Each of these building types 
  is further described by its construction 
  factor (CF)—a value that approximates how 
  much damage the building can sustain 
  before it is reduced to rubble.
  BATTLEFIELD INTELLIGENCE BENEFITS
  most of these benefits are based on the number on the 
  higher-rated force’s side of the BI ratio, and can change 
  through the course of the scenario as intelligence assets are 
  gained or lost. thus, players must recomputed the BI ratio 
  again during the End Phase of any turn in which either force 
  loses (or gains) a unit that can affect its BI rating. A changed 
  ratio may alter the benefits applied in the following turn.
  Each player must reveal his force’s BI rating to use this rule, 
  but they are not required to provide a detailed breakdown of 
  points until the end of the game.
  Area Knowledge
  If the Hidden Units rules are in play (see p. 102), the force 
  with the larger BI rating may start play with a number of units 
  battlefield intelligenCe 
  rating table
  Item in Player’s Force
  BI Rating 
  Points
  Each ground unit with the Recon (RCN) special ability
  2
  Each non-DropShip aerospace unit
  1
  Each non-DropShip aerospace unit with the Recon 
  special ability
  2
  Each DropShip
  2
  Each point of mHQ special ability
  1
  Jackson Davion directs Mechwarriors in prototype Legionnaires from the cockpit of his Battlemaster.
  
  Climbing and Standing on Buildings
  A ’mech, Protomech, or infantry unit can move to the roof of 
  building rather than staying on the ground in order to gain a 
  better vantage point over the battlefield.
  Infantry and ProtoMechs: Infantry and Protomechs may move 
  between levels only while inside a building. Each inch of building 
  height changed in this fashion costs the unit 1 inch of move. 
  ’Mechs Outside of Buildings: Along the outside of buildings, 
  ’mechs can climb up and down the structures’ face in the same 
  manner as they can ascend or descend the changes in ground 
  levels, with a maximum level change of 2 inches in height per inch 
  of forward movement. Jump-capable ’mechs may alternatively 
  jump onto a building’s rooftop, as long as they have sufficient 
  jumping move to reach that height.
  ’Mechs Inside Buildings: ’mech units may not change levels 
  once they are inside a building.
  Building Weight Capacity: Each 1-inch level of a building has 
  a weight capacity limit listed in the Alpha Strike Buildings table. 
  this value is an abstraction of the tonnage limits for buildings in 
  that class, and is the maximum total of the size classes of all units 
  attempting to occupy the same 1-inch level—but only applies to 
  ground units that do not possess the Large, Very Large, or Super 
  Large special abilities. (Non-battle armor infantry units are treated 
  as if they have a size class of 0 for the purposes of building weight 
  capacity.) If the total number of all size class values for all ground 
  units on a single level exceeds this capacity, the entire structure 
  will collapse (see Building Collapse, p. 85).
  For example, a medium building—weight capacity 2—can 
  support up to 2 light ’mechs on any given 1-inch level, including 
  the rooftop, because the combined size classes for the two ’mechs 
  would be 1 + 1 = 2. If the building were 2 inches tall, a medium 
  ’mech—with its size class of 2—would be able to occupy the first 
  1-inch level on its own as well, but the building would collapse 
  if so much as one battle armor squad—size class 1—joined it, 
  because the two units together would total 3 points (2 for the 
  medium ’mech, plus 1 for the battle armor).
  Aerospace Units, Large Units, and Buildings: If an aerospace 
  unit, or a unit with the Large, Very Large, or Super Large specials, 
  attempts to enter or land upon a building, the structure will 
  automatically collapse (see Building Collapse, p. 85). If the building 
  is specifically identified as a hangar, this rule may be ignored, but 
  the unit can only enter and remain at ground level.
  Light Buildings: Light buildings in Alpha Strike run the gamut 
  from small tents, huts, and sheet metal hangars to small family 
  homes, convenience stores, and shops. the maximum CF for a 
  Light building in Alpha Strike is 5. this is also its typical CF, if no 
  other CF value is specified.
  Medium Buildings: medium buildings are sturdier, moderate-
  sized structures, such as warehouses, office buildings, apartment 
  complexes and the like. these buildings comprise the bulk of 
  most residential settlements and commercial complexes in the 
  Battletech setting. medium buildings have a maximum CF of 15, 
  and a default CF of 12.
  Heavy Buildings: Heavy buildings are large, reinforced 
  structures, including factories, hospitals, government buildings, 
  and permanent command centers. Heavy buildings can have a CF 
  as high as 30 in Alpha Strike, with a default CF of 25.
  Hardened Buildings: Hardened buildings are armored or 
  otherwise battle-reinforced fortifications, built specifically to 
  withstand siege warfare and perhaps any explosives shy of a 
  nuclear blast. Hardened buildings in Alpha Strike can have a 
  maximum CF of 50, with a default of 40.
  MOvEMENT EFFECTS
  the movement Cost per Inch column on the Alpha Strike 
  Buildings table defines the additional move cost for most units 
  to maneuver around (or through) buildings. In addition, unless 
  noted otherwise below, any unit that moves through a building 
  will deliver 1 point of incidental damage to that building for every 
  inch of travel within the structure.
  Infantry: Infantry units (including conventional and battle 
  armored units) do not apply additional move costs when moving 
  through buildings, regardless of the building type. Infantry units 
  also inflict no damage to buildings by moving through them. For 
  building weight capacity purposes (see Climbing and Standing on 
  Buildings, below), all non-battle armor infantry units are treated as 
  if they have a size class of 0.
  ProtoMechs: Protomech units move through buildings at an 
  additional move cost of +1” per inch of movement, regardless of 
  the building’s type.
  alPHa strike buildings table
  Building Type
  Move Cost per 
  Inch*
  CF Range (Default)
  Weight Capacity  
  (per 1” height)
  Damage Absorption*
  Collapse Damage (per 
  each 4” height)
  Infantry
  Non-Infantry
  Light
  +1”
  1-5 (5)
  1
  2
  1
  1
  medium
  +2”
  6-15 (12)
  2
  4
  2
  2
  Heavy
  +3”
  16-30 (25)
  3
  6
  3
  3
  Hardened
  +4”
  31-50 (40)
  4
  8
  4
  4
  *No additional Move cost for Infantry (including battle armor); ProtoMechs Move cost in buildings is +1”, regardless of type
  **See Attacking Units inside Buildings (p. 85)
  
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  alpha strike
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  aerospace system
  advanced options
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  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  For example, if a unit capable of delivering 5 points of 
  damage attempts to attack an infantry unit inside a medium 
  building, the building suffers 4 points of that damage to its CF, 
  while the infantry unit takes the remaining 1 point.
  Non-Infantry Units: Non-infantry units inside buildings 
  may be attacked directly, but the building will absorb damage 
  as shown on the non-infantry Damage Absorption column. 
  In this case, no additional to-hit modifiers for cover from the 
  building apply while making the attack, but the building’s 
  Damage Absorption effect must be subtracted from the 
  damage delivered, to a minimum of 0 points of damage 
  delivered to the target. Once again, the damage absorbed by 
  the building counts against its current CF. 
  Attacks from Within the Same Building: If attacker and 
  its target are inside the same building, reduce the building’s 
  Damage Absorption values by half (round down).
  Building Collapse
  All damage delivered to a building is applied to the building’s 
  construction factor, reducing its integrity. If the building’s CF 
  is reduced to 0, it will collapse. Likewise, if a building’s weight 
  capacity is exceeded at any level, it will collapse.
  Any infantry units within a collapsing building—including 
  battle armor—are automatically destroyed in a collapse. 
  Non-infantry units inside or on top of a collapsing building 
  will suffer damage based on the height of the building and 
  the building’s type. this collapse damage is shown in the 
  Alpha Strike Buildings table, with the collapse damage value 
  multiplied by every 4 full inches of building height (round 
  down, to a minimum of 1). Add 1 more point of damage to 
  any units that are standing on the building’s rooftop when it 
  collapses. Collapse damage is not reduced by the building’s 
  damage absorption factor.
  ATTACKING BUILDINGS
  Under these rules, buildings may be attacked in the same 
  manner as any other unit type. Attacks against buildings are 
  resolved as if the buildings have 0” move, with an additional 
  –4 to-hit modifier applied, because of their immobile nature.
  Damage to a building is applied to the building’s CF. A 
  building’s type will remain unchanged, regardless of its 
  current CF. thus, a heavy building reduced to only 3 points 
  of CF will still be treated as a heavy building for movement, 
  weight capacity, and damage absorption purposes. 
  Attacking Units Inside Buildings
  Units inside buildings can still be attacked, either by other 
  units within the same structures, or by units attacking from 
  the outside. Either way, the buildings themselves provide 
  substantial cover that affords a level of protection to those 
  units being attacked. this is represented by the building’s 
  Damage Absorption values, which indicate how many points of 
  damage from each attack against a unit inside the building is 
  instead delivered by the building itself. this amount of damage 
  varies with the nature of the building type, the nature of the 
  units being targeted, and whether the attack comes from units 
  outside of the same building or inside.
  Infantry Units: Infantry units inside buildings may not 
  be attacked directly. Instead, the attacker must fire on the 
  building itself, relying on the collateral damage to injure the 
  infantry within. this attack thus uses the to-hit modifiers for 
  attacking the building, rather than the infantry inside. the 
  damage delivered to the infantry unit will be equal to the 
  Damage Value of the successful attack, minus the Damage 
  Absorption value for the building type shown in the Infantry 
  column of the Alpha Strike Buildings table (to a minimum of 0 
  points of damage delivered to the infantry unit). 
  
  presume all units involved are making use of the standard Alpha 
  Strike game rules as a base, plus the Abstract Aerospace System.
  Capital and sub-capital weapons are represented by multiple 
  special abilities, each of which includes damage values at the 
  Short, medium, Long, and Extreme range values. CAP and SCAP 
  specials indicate direct-firing capital and sub-capital weapons 
  found on aerospace units, while SDS-C and SDS-SC specials 
  correspond to direct-firing capital and sub-capital weapons 
  found on non-aerospace units and structures. mSL and SDS-Cm 
  specials indicate missile-type capital and sub-capital weapons, as 
  fired by aerospace and non-aerospace units, respectively. In the 
  rules below, these special ability abbreviations will be used to 
  indicate which classes of weapons are being referenced.
  AIRBORNE TARGETS
  When used against airborne aerospace units, capital and sub-
  capital weapons are resolved as a separate weapon attack against 
  the target, which can be made in addition to normal air-to-air or 
  ground-to-air weapon attacks. the effectiveness of the attack will 
  vary with the type of weapon and the nature of the target.
  the following rules generally presume combat is occurring 
  between airborne units. Additional rules covering ground-to-air 
  fire are specified when needed.
  Effective Range
  the effective range of an attack using capital or sub-
  capital weapons is treated as 1 range bracket shorter than the 
  engagement range between air-to-air combatants (to a minimum 
  of Short range). this reflects the much longer reach of these 
  weapons. For example, if an aerospace unit engaged in air-to-air 
  combat is using the medium or Short range brackets for attacks 
  against its opponent, its capital missiles (mSL) will attack as if it 
  the units are at Short range; if the aerospace units are fighting 
  at Long range, the mSL ability attacks as if it is at medium range. 
  Extreme Range: Units with capital or sub-capital weapons that 
  possess an Extreme range damage value may use them to attack 
  targets in adjacent zones on the Radar map, even if they are not 
  involved in an air-to-air engagement. As above, this is resolved as 
  if the target is at Long range, with all appropriate modifiers.
  Ground-to-Air: Capital and sub-capital weapons fired from 
  the ground can automatically engage any unit in the immediate 
  airspace of the ground map as if it is at Short range. Airborne units 
  in the Inner Ring can be targeted from the ground as if they are at 
  medium range. Airborne units in the middle Ring can be targeted 
  from the ground as if they are at Long range. Airborne units in 
  the Outer Ring can be targeted from the ground as if they are at 
  Extreme range.
  Modifiers
  All attacks made using any capital or sub-capital weapons in 
  air combat apply a +2 to-hit modifier as long as combat takes 
  place within an atmosphere. (If using advanced environments 
  rules, thin, trace, and vacuum atmospheric densities eliminate 
  this modifier.) 
  In addition to this, all attacks using the CAP or SDS-C special 
  abilities suffer a +5 to-hit modifier when attacking a unit that 
  does not have the LG, VLG, or SLG special. Attacks made using the 
  SCAP or SDS-SC specials apply a +3 to-hit modifier against targets 
  If the collapse is caused by damage from a unit’s movement 
  while exiting the building, the exiting unit is treated as if it is 
  outside the building when it collapses, and thus suffers no 
  collapse damage to itself.
  Eric’s ’Mech has taken shelter in an 8” tall medium building 
  that had already been reduced to 10 CF by previous damage. The 
  building automatically sustains 1 point of damage as Eric’s unit 
  enters, and now has a CF of 9.
  Eric’s opponent, Tom, has heavy ’Mech 8 inches away from 
  the building which attacks Eric’s ’Mech for 4 points of damage. 
  Looking at the Damage Absorption value for non-infantry 
  unit in a medium building, Tom sees the building will absorb 
  2 of those 4 points, while the other 2 points hit Eric’s unit. The 
  building is now down to 7 CF.
  Tom’s next unit then opens up. It also delivered 4 points of 
  damage, which distributes in the same way: placing 2 points 
  on the building and striking Eric’s unit with the other 2. The 
  building’s CF is now 5. 
  Tom’s third unit is a heavy bruiser that can deliver a staggering 
  6 points of damage to Eric’s ’Mech on a direct attack, but instead 
  he chooses to hit the building itself. The building is reduced to 0 
  CF by the attack. This time, Eric’s ’Mech takes no damage from 
  the attack, because it was not aimed specifically at him—but the 
  building is now collapsing.
  As the medium building is 8 inches high, its collapse will 
  deliver 4 points to Eric’s ’Mech (2 inches per each 4 inches of 
  building height). Having already sustained 4 points of the 
  damage from the previous attacks, Eric’s ’Mech is in sorry 
  shape indeed.
  WALLS
  Walls have the same types and CF ratings as buildings, and 
  units must pay the same move penalties for any wall they cross. 
  Walls may be attacked and take damage just like buildings. 
  However, because they cannot be occupied in the same fashion 
  as buildings, walls cannot provide the protection of a building’s 
  damage absorption factor unless the target is within 2 inches of 
  the wall, the line of sight between the attacker and target crosses 
  the wall, and the wall does not completely block line of sight.
  cApItAl And Sub-
  cApItAl WeAponS 
  Capital and sub-capital weapons are large weapons that are 
  seen only on truly massive installations, mobile structures, and 
  WarShips. Because these weapons are designed to fire at escape 
  velocity, their use is almost exclusively limited to combat between 
  units in orbital space and beyond. much of this is beyond the 
  general scope of the ground war game presented in this book, 
  but advanced level players may yet encounter units with these 
  items in their games, and wish to demonstrate their effectiveness.
  the following basic Alpha Strike rules reflect the use of capital 
  and sub-capital weapons in advanced Alpha Strike gameplay. they 
  
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  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  missed surface-to-surface attacks will scatter as per the 
  artillery rules.
  Ground Attack Damage
  the area of effect of a mSL or SDS-Cm attack against ground 
  targets is a 6-inch radius from the point of impact. All units, 
  terrain, and buildings within 4 inches of the impact point 
  will suffer full damage from the attack. All units, terrain, and 
  buildings from 4 to 6 inches away will suffer half that damage 
  (rounding down). 
  conceAlIng  
  unIt dAtA
  Often, the fog of war and successful use of strategy means 
  that military forces will clash without full and comprehensive 
  knowledge of each others’ abilities. to reflect this more 
  realistic element of warfare, players may attempt to conceal 
  their force compositions and unit capabilities until the units 
  themselves can actually see one another. 
  Warning: Use of these rules may require a gamemaster or 
  other neutral third party, as they present numerous options 
  for cheating. Players should thus carefully consider whether or 
  not this set of rules is appropriate for their style of game play.
  BLIP COUNTERS
  Blip Counters introduces a fog-of-war concept that 
  conceals information by keeping even most telling visual 
  representation of a player’s unit—its own miniature—from 
  revealing itself too soon. With this rule, players begin setup 
  that do not have the LG, VLG, or SLG specials. Attacks against 
  airborne units made using the mSL or SDS-Cm specials do not 
  apply modifiers based on the target’s size, but may apply to-
  hit modifiers if the target possesses the point defense (PNt) 
  special ability (see p. 108).
  Damage
  the damage delivered by a successful attack using CAP, 
  SDS-C, SCAP, or SDS-SC specials deliver its full damage to the 
  target unit as indicated by the attack’s effective range bracket. 
  Attacks delivered using the mSL or SDS-Cm specials deliver 
  damage as indicated in their effective range brackets as well, 
  unless the target has a point defense (PNt) special ability 
  that can reduce the damage or eliminate the attack (see Point 
  Defense, p. 108).
  GROUND TARGETS
  When used against the ground map, capital and sub-capital 
  weapons are resolved as a special artillery attack against a 
  selected point of impact (see Artillery, pp. 73-76). this attack, 
  as in the case of airborne targets, may be made in addition to 
  normal weapon attacks.
  Under these rules, capital and sub-capital weapons may all be 
  fired from any airborne unit that possesses the relevant special 
  (CAP, SCAP, or mSL), but ground-based units—included landed 
  aerospace units, mobile structures, and fixed installations 
  (buildings)—may only deliver surface attacks using missiles, 
  represented by the mSL or SDS-Cm special abilities.
  Air-to-Ground Attacks
  Air-to-ground attacks using capital or sub-capital weapons 
  resolve in the same turn that they are fired.
  If delivered from directly above the ground target (the 
  Central Zone on the Radar map), such attacks are treated as 
  a direct-fire artillery strike, but reduces the to-hit modifier 
  by –4 (to a final attack modifier of +0). If delivered from any 
  other zone on the Radar map, treat air-to-ground attacks from 
  capital and sub-capital weapons as an indirect-fire artillery 
  attack with the same –4 modifier applied (for a final attack 
  modifier of +3). 
  Adjusting Fire: If a friendly unit with tAG is on the map and 
  successfully designates the targeted POI, apply an additional 
  –2 to-hit modifier (see TAG, pp. 109).
  missed air-to-ground attacks will scatter as per the 
  artillery rules.
  Surface-to-Surface Attacks
  Of all capital and sub-capital weapons, only capital and sub-
  capital missiles may attempt surface-to-surface attacks under 
  these rules. When fired from a ground position to another 
  ground position, capital and sub-capital attacks are resolved 
  using the artillery attack rules, but applying the atmospheric 
  modifier to-hit as appropriate. If the attack is made by a unit 
  capable of movement, an additional +2 to-hit modifier applies 
  (even if the unit has not moved).
  When attacking surface-to-surface, all capital and sub-
  capital missiles use the range and flight times of a Cruise 
  missile/120 (see Artillery, pp. 73-76). 
  CaPital and sub-CaPital 
  WeaPon to-Hit Modifiers
  Situation
  Modifier
  Attacking in Atmosphere*
  +2
  Airborne Attack Modifiers
  CAP or SDS-C vs. Small target**
  +5
  SCAP or SDS-SC vs. Small target**
  +3
  mSL or SDS-Cm vs. Small target**
  +0
  Point Defense (1 damage)†
  +1
  Point Defense (2+ damage)†
  Auto-Fail
  Ground Attack Modifiers
  Air-to-Ground Attack (from Central Zone)
  +0
  Air-to-Ground Attack (from any other zone)
  +3
  Surface-to-Surface Attack (Non-Stationary)
  +2
  Ground target designated by friendly tAG 
  –2
  *If Atmospheric Pressure rules are used, +0 for Thin, Trace, or Vacuum
  **Small Targets include all units that do not possess LG, VLG, or SLG specials
  †Point defense only affects MSL or SDS-CM attacks
  
  visual Spotting: At the end of the movement Phase, if an 
  opposing unit has LOS to a blip counter and is within the visual 
  range appropriate for the atmospheric condition (see Visual 
  Spotting Range tables, p. 89), the unit is identified. Remember 
  to account for the difference in both units’ heights when 
  determining LOS between blip counters and units, using the Unit 
  Heights table. 
  Sensor Spotting: At the end of the movement Phase, if an 
  opposing non-infantry unit—regardless of LOS—is within 10” of 
  a blip-counter, its electronic sensors will identify it. this sensor 
  range is extended to 12” if the sensing unit has a Light Active 
  Probe (LPRB), 18” if it has an Active Probe (PRB), or 26” if it has the 
  Bloodhound probe (BH) special abilities. If the unit represented 
  by the blip counter has the Electronic Countermeasures (ECm) 
  special ability, it will negate the LPRB and PRB range boosts, but 
  not the BH. If the unit has an Angel ECm (AECm) special, it will also 
  negate the BH ability.
  Remote Sensor Spotting: At the end of the movement Phase, 
  remote sensors will reveal any opposing blip counters within 20”, 
  if the sensor has LOS to the blip counter. If the remote sensor has 
  no LOS, it will still reveal the blip counter’s nature once it comes 
  within 10”, unless the unit represented by the blip counter has 
  either the Stealth (StL) or is using/under the radius of an ECm 
  effect friendly to the unit. Remote sensors will automatically reveal 
  the nature of any blip counters they come into base contact with, 
  unless the units have the Stealth (StL) or mimetic Armor System 
  (mAS) abilities.
  Aerospace Spotting: If an opposing aerospace fighter is in the 
  Central Zone of the Radar map, during daylight, all blip counters 
  on that side are revealed.
  Self-Revelation: Any time a unit represented by a blip 
  counter conducts a direct weapon attack, a physical attack, 
  or an anti-’mech attack, its nature as a unit must be revealed. 
  Indirect-fire attacks from a unit represented by blip-counter, and 
  area-effect attacks delivered by such units, will not reveal the 
  attacker’s identity.
  Hidden Units and Blip Counters
  If the Hidden Units rules are in play (see p. 102), the hidden units 
  do not receive blip counters until they move, and can only be 
  revealed up until that point under the conditions outlined in the 
  Hidden Units rules. A hidden unit that moves while no opposing 
  unit has LOS to it may use a blip counter in place of the unit’s 
  miniature, but must follow all of the remaining rules for blip 
  counters as above.
  Stealth Technology and Blip Counters
  Blips that represent units that possess ECm capabilities, 
  stealth armor (StL), or the mimetic armor system (mAS), may 
  only be identified by visual spotting. If the blip is covered by the 
  ECm bubble of a friendly unit, it also may only be identified by 
  visual spotting.
  using tokens instead of actual miniatures. these tokens—referred 
  to as “blip counters”—will thus indicate each unit’s position on 
  the battlefield until it gets close enough to be seen or otherwise 
  identified by sensor systems, leaving the opponent guessing until 
  that time. Prior to beginning play, each of these blip counter tokens 
  must be assigned a unique number or letter corresponding to a 
  ground unit in the controlling player’s force. (Airborne aerospace 
  units cannot be represented by blip counters.)
  Even when a unit is represented by a simple token, it must 
  obey all of its normal movement restrictions. For example, a blip 
  counter representing a unit with a hover movement type may 
  not enter wooded terrain. While this might enable a particularly 
  observant opponent to speculate about the unit’s nature based 
  on its actions, a cagey player can add greater uncertainty to such 
  guesses by moving his blip counters in a manner more consistent 
  with a different unit type, such as having his ’mechs also avoid 
  woods as if they cannot pass through them.
  A unit continues to be represented by a blip counter under 
  these rules until it is identified, at which point the token must be 
  replaced by a representative miniature. Additional data about the 
  unit—including its variant model and overall battle conditions—
  may then be determined using the Concealing Unit Data rules 
  that follow these. 
  A blip is identified when any of the following conditions are met:
  
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  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
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  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  probe (LPRB), 16” for the standard probe (PRB), and 26” for the 
  Bloodhound (BH). A probe-equipped unit completes its scan 
  just before it declares its attacks. No die roll is required for 
  this scan; the opponent simply lets the attacking player know 
  the variant or configuration of the selected unit, as well as its 
  current heat level and damage status, move, and movement 
  modes. the attacking player must request this information; it 
  need not be volunteered.
  An active probe’s scan is blocked if LOS between the 
  scanning unit and the target passes through or into an 
  opposing unit’s ECm bubble, or is blocked by solid terrain 
  (such as walls, buildings, and hills). the Bloodhound active 
  probe can override these ECm effects unless they are being 
  generated by an Angel ECm. 
  Short Range: If an attacking unit is within short range of 
  its target and has a valid LOS to it, the opposing player must 
  reveal the current damage (if any), heat level (if applicable), 
  move, movement mode and variant/configuration of each 
  unit in the target unit—but only if the attacking player 
  requests this information. If the attacker fails to do so, his 
  opponent does not have to volunteer it.
  Stealth Technologies: In addition to ECm effects, stealth 
  armor (StL) and mimetic armor (mAS) will defy an enemy’s 
  ability to determine the details about a unit. If a unit equipped 
  with such abilities is targeted by the sensors a unit using either 
  of the above methods to scan or identify it, the controlling 
  player may still conceal the information, explaining simply 
  that the sensor sweep cannot determine any particular details.
  coordInAte 
  SyStem
  Several Advanced Options require the use of a coordinate 
  system to identify locations on the playing surface. the 
  following rules present a universal way of doing so. 
  CREATING A COORDINATE
  to plot artillery fire on non-hexed terrain, the players will 
  need to create an X and Y-axis next to the play area edges. 
  As easy way to do this is to first agree on which direction 
  on the map corresponds to “north”, and then running strips 
  of masking tape along the edges of the map. On these tape 
  strips, players would then mark the name of each axis, with tick 
  marks at regular intervals (1-inch intervals are recommended), 
  that can be used to indicate a coordinate number starting 
  from 0 at the appropriate end. 
  It is generally recommended that the X-axis should 
  describe the west-to-east direction, with 0 on the X-axis 
  being the western-most edge of the map; the Y-axis would 
  then run north-to-south, with 0 on the Y axis corresponding 
  to the northern-most edge of the map. this would make an 
  X-Y coordinate of 0, 0 correspond with the north-west corner 
  of the map. Players interested in a more abstract coordinate 
  system need not bind themselves strictly to this system 
  of inches and numbers, of course, so long as the system 
  CONCEALING RECORD SHEETS
  Under these data-concealment rules, players may not view 
  their opponents’ record sheets before announcing attacks 
  against their targets. the attacking player is entitled to know 
  what units he can see by name (but not its specific variant 
  or configuration—for example “BattleMaster” but not “BLR-
  1G BattleMaster”). In this way, players are forced to rely more 
  on memory and instinct. this rule simulates the difficultly in 
  telling each enemy unit’s precise condition in the middle of 
  a fluid battle.
  Even with this rule in place, it remains possible to identify 
  a unit’s exact variant and conditions, but only through close-
  quarters observation and the use of active probes. these 
  methods are detailed below, but players should beware that 
  even in these cases, the data obtained will be but a fleeting 
  glimpse of a unit’s operational status in one moment in time—
  lost as soon as the two units break line of sight or sensors 
  become occluded. Furthermore, neither of these methods can 
  ever be used to reveal the Skill level of the unit’s crew, nor can 
  it reveal the Point Value of the unit being targeted. 
  Active Probes: Units equipped with active probes have 
  an extended view of the battlefield, enabling them to gain 
  information about targets without moving into Short range. 
  Each unit with an active probe special can scan a single 
  enemy unit within its probe’s range: 12” for the light active 
  visual sPotting range table
  Atmospheric Condition
  Maximum Range
  Pitch Black
  2”
  Night, moonless Night, Blizzard
  4”
  Fog, Blowing Sand
  6”
  Dusk, Dawn, Rain (torrential)
  10”
  Rain, Snow
  14”
  Normal Daylight
  40”
  unit HeigHts table
  Unit Type
  Height
  Battlemechs/Industrialmechs
  2”
  Superheavy ’mechs
  3”
  Protomechs, Vehicles, Infantry, Fighters
  1”
  Submarines
  1”
  Large (LG) Support Vehicles, Small Craft
  2”
  Very Large (VLG) Support Vehicles
  3”
  Super Large (SLG) Support Vehicles
  4”
  Aerodyne DropShips
  5”
  Spheroid DropShips
  10”
  mobile Structures
  Variable
  Note: Airborne units, including VTOLs, are automatically revealed if a LOS can 
  be traced to their current altitude
  
  the scattering rules for any unit that misses its intended drop 
  point are the same as those used for air-to-ground bombing 
  attacks, and will reference those rules as appropriate (see 
  Resolving Air-to-Ground Attacks, pp. 55-58).
  Aerospace Transports: Some aerospace units may even have 
  aerospace transport (At#) or small craft transport (St#) abilities, 
  but these unit types are not “dropped” under these rules. the 
  launching and recovery of aerospace units by their airborne 
  transports is covered earlier in this chapter, under Aerospace Unit 
  Transports (see p. 72).
  HIGH-ALTITUDE DROPS
  the high-altitude drop keeps its transport relatively safe from 
  ground fire. to perform a high-altitude drop, the transporting 
  aerospace unit must begin its movement Phase on the Inner Ring 
  or Central Zone of the Radar map, at which point its controlling 
  player declares that the transport is dropping ground units to 
  the map, and which units it will drop. the dropping units are 
  then placed in the Central Zone on the Radar map, while the 
  transporting unit is free to continue its movement normally.
  During the following movement Phase, each of the dropping 
  units chooses an unoccupied point of impact on the ground 
  map (which may not contain another unit), and rolls 2D6 against 
  a target number of 5. If the roll is successful, the dropping unit 
  lands in the target point with any facing direction desired. If roll is 
  unsuccessful, the unit suffers 1 point of damage for every point by 
  which it missed the roll, and will scatter in the same fashion as a 
  missed dive bombing attack (see p. 56). Scattered units must also 
  determine their facing at random.
  Attacks Against Dropping Units: Standard air-to-air attacks 
  (but not ground-to-air attacks) may be made against dropping 
  units during the turn they are on the Radar map. these attacks 
  apply the normal air-to-air combat rules, but do not apply the 
  airborne aerospace target modifier. In the turn the dropping 
  units arrive on the ground map, they may be attacked as normal 
  ground units, but apply a +3 target to-hit modifier in place of the 
  unit’s normal target movement modifier.
  Attacks by Dropping Units: Dropping units may not make 
  attacks during the turn they are on the Radar map, nor may they 
  move or make attacks the turn they land on the ground map.
  Attacks Against Transport Units: Regardless of the drop 
  operation itself, airborne transport units may be targeted as 
  normal for air-to-air. Airborne transports that choose to drop 
  troops from the Inner Ring, rather than the Central Zone, may not 
  be targeted by normal ground-to-air attacks.
  LOW-ALTITUDE DROPS
  the low-altitude drop exposes its transport to additional risks 
  from ground fire, but delivers its payload of troops to the field 
  faster. to perform a low-altitude drop, the transporting aerospace 
  unit must end its movement Phase on the Central Zone of the 
  Radar map and declare a flight path over the ground map. the 
  transport’s controlling player must declare the unoccupied points 
  along this path that each dropping unit will target for landing. 
  Before the end of the same movement Phase, each of these 
  dropping units must roll 2D6 against a target number of 5. If the 
  roll is successful, the dropping unit lands in the target point with 
  any facing direction desired. If roll is unsuccessful, the unit suffers 
  agreed upon is fine-tuned enough to allow for reliable tracking 
  of coordinate-based information (such as artillery target points), 
  and create a regular grid.
  Recording a Coordinate
  When recording an item using the coordinate system, the 
  players should be sure to keep the same recording formats as one 
  another, to eliminate confusion (for example, always recording 
  X-Y coordinates X-first, followed by Y). Additional clarifying data 
  may be required as the situation warrants, such as specifying one 
  set of coordinates holds a hidden unit, while another is the pre-
  plotted point of impact for an incoming artillery attack. 
  droppIng troopS
  there are several ways to deliver troops to a battlefield from 
  airborne transports. the first method, and the one typically 
  preferred by these troops, is largely covered by previous rules in 
  this book, with transport units landing and forces disembarking 
  under their own power (see Transporting Infantry, p. 32, and 
  Non-Infantry Transports, p. 63). For a variety of reasons—not 
  least of which being the safety of the transport itself—landing is 
  not always an option, and troops must be dropped in from the 
  air. Below are the three main forms of combat drops, each one 
  described separately: high-altitude drops, low-altitude drops, and 
  zipline drops. 
  GENERAL DROPPING RULES
  All of these drop methods require that the transporting unit be 
  able to carry the unit type being dropped. For the purposes of these 
  rules, an airborne unit is capable of transporting and dropping 
  infantry troops if it possesses the infantry transport (It#) special. An 
  airborne unit that can carry Protomechs will have the Protomech 
  transport (Pt#) special. Airborne units that can transport vehicles 
  will have the vehicle transport specials (Vtm#, VtH#, or VtS#). 
  ’mech units can only be carried and dropped by airborne units 
  with the ’mech transport special (mt#). If an airborne unit does not 
  possess an appropriate transport special for the type of unit it is 
  transporting, or is attempting to transport such units via raw cargo 
  capacity (represented by the Ct# and CK# specials), it cannot use 
  the dropping troops rules for that unit type.
  Units that are delivered to the battlefield under these rules 
  always land at the end of the movement Phase in the appropriate 
  turn, and may occupy terrain types restricted to their movement 
  mode. Because all of these rules require that the dropping units 
  must roll to hit their selected landing zone, dropped troops may 
  scatter. If a dropped unit scatters or otherwise lands in terrain 
  that is prohibited to its movement type, the dropped unit is 
  automatically destroyed. If a dropped unit lands on top of another 
  unit’s position, however, the controlling player may simply move 
  the dropping unit to the nearest unoccupied (and legal) terrain to 
  this landing point.
  Dropped units may not move or attack in the same turn that they 
  arrive on the map. Attacks against such units will suffer a +3 target 
  movement modifier, regardless of the unit’s actual move stats. 
  
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  advanced options
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  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  ECCm effects, or a combination of 1 ECm and 1 ECCm effect 
  over a given area.
  Mobile Headquarters: Units with a mobile Headquarters 
  (mHQ) special ability rated 7 or higher (see p. 107) may use 
  their communications equipment to duplicate the effects of 
  a single ECm/ECCm field. However, while doing so, these units 
  lose all other benefits of the mHQ special. 
  ejectIon/
  AbAndonIng 
  unItS
  Ejection systems allow mechWarriors and fighter pilots to 
  quickly abandon their machines in time of need. Indeed, many 
  such units feature automatic ejection systems that trigger in 
  the event of a catastrophic explosion, blasting the pilots to 
  safety. Vehicles and Industrialmechs that lack the Ejection Seat 
  (ES) special do not generally feature ejection systems as such, 
  but their crews can still bail out in much the same fashion.
  During the End Phase of any turn, a player may announce 
  that the pilot or crew of a unit is ejecting or abandoning his 
  machine. Regardless of the unit type, the action takes effect 
  immediately. (If the unit is a ’mech or fighter that is suffering 
  an Ammo Hit critical, the ejection system will automatically 
  engage in the End Phase to save the pilot.) 
  Ejection and egress systems will not function underwater, 
  nor may any unit other than an aerospace unit employ ejection 
  rules in vacuum. An ejected pilot or crew is treated as a foot 
  infantry platoon with 0 armor points, only 1 point of structure, 
  and a maximum ground move of 2”. If the unit being abandoned 
  is not destroyed, its electronic systems (including C3 and ECm 
  systems) will continue to function, and its miniature must 
  remain on the field to mark its position until such time as the 
  unit is destroyed or otherwise removed from play.
  1 point of damage for every point by which it missed the roll, 
  and will scatter in the same fashion as a missed dive bombing 
  attack (see p. 56). Scattered units must also determine their 
  facing at random.
  Attacks Against Dropping Units: Because they are 
  dropped from a lower altitude and land in the current turn, 
  units delivered by low-altitude drops may be attacked as 
  normal ground units, but apply a +3 target to-hit modifier in 
  place of the unit’s normal target movement modifier.
  Attacks by Dropping Units: Dropping units may not move 
  or make attacks the turn they land on the ground map.
  Attacks Against Transport Units: An airborne transport 
  unit operating over the ground map may be targeted as 
  normal by air-to-air attacks, as well as by ground units 
  executing ground-to-air attacks against a strafing unit.
  ZIPLINE DROPS
  the zipline drop is specific to dropping conventional 
  foot- or jump-based infantry units and battle armor from an 
  airborne VtOL air vehicle. to perform a zipline drop, the VtOL 
  (or airship) unit must simply move to the location on the 
  ground map where it wishes to drop its infantry. As it moves, 
  it can declare multiple landing points for the dropping units 
  it carries. Unlike other vehicle-based infantry deployments, 
  zipline drops do not cost the transporting unit any move.
  Resolve the landing of all dropping infantry is the same 
  manner as a low-altitude drop. If the drop roll fails, however, 
  the scattered infantry unit will suffer only 1 point of damage, 
  regardless of the roll’s failure margin.
  ecm/eccm
  Alpha Strike units with the ECm, Angel ECm (AECm), and 
  Watchdog (WAt) special abilities may use these items for their 
  usual purpose of defeating enemy probes and C3 networks, or 
  set these systems to a special mode called ECCm (Electronic 
  Counter-Countermeasures). Switching to ECCm mode and 
  back may be performed during the unit’s End Phase in any 
  turn. While in ECCm mode, an ECm suite will completely 
  negate the effects of any hostile ECms within its range, unless 
  multiple systems are present or overlapping in an area. 
  When multiple ECm systems are in effect or creating 
  overlapping bubbles, it is necessary to determine the total 
  number of ECm suites covering the affected areas (per side). 
  Whichever side has the higher number of ECms covering an 
  area “wins” for that area, and the effects that cover the area 
  as based on how many suites were running in standard ECm 
  mode or ECCm mode. If the total effects match, all effects are 
  cancelled out. For example, an area where a side has 1 ECm 
  field in play, it can be countered by 1 enemy ECm in ECCm 
  mode, but if the first side had 2 ECms in the field, a single 
  enemy ECm in ECCm mode would not be able to overpower 
  the two ECm fields together.  (Note that for the purposes of 
  this rule, the Angel ECm count as 2 ECm fields, which may 
  both be set for ECm and ECCm modes separately, so the Angel 
  ECm can create a 2 overlapping ECm effects, 2 overlapping 
  
  conditions are being used, apply a –2 modifier to the rolls for 
  determining wind strength category, to a minimum roll result of 1 
  (representing no wind; see Wind, p. 94). Rainfall, snow, and smoke 
  may not be present at “heavy” levels, and tornadoes will not occur. 
  Water terrain may exist in trace atmospheres.
  Thin Atmospheres
  In thin atmospheres, subtract 4” from the move rating for 
  VtOLs, WiGE and hover movement modes. 
  most weather conditions may exist in thin atmospheres, 
  but they will be slightly weaker than normal. If random wind 
  conditions are being used, apply a –1 modifier to the rolls for 
  determining wind strength category, to a minimum roll result of 1 
  (representing no wind; see Wind, p. 94). tornadoes may not occur 
  above the F3 level in a thin atmosphere. 
  Water terrain may exist in thin atmospheres.
  Thick Atmospheres
  In high-pressure atmospheres, add 2” to the move rating for 
  VtOL, WiGE and hover movement modes. 
  All weather conditions may exist in thick atmospheres, and can 
  be slightly stronger than normal. If random wind conditions are 
  being used, apply a +1 modifier to the rolls for determining wind 
  strength category, to a maximum roll result of 6 (representing 
  storm winds; see Wind, p. 94). 
  Water terrain may exist in thick atmospheres.
  very Thick Atmospheres
  At the highest level of atmospheric pressure, all units move at 
  normal rates. 
  All weather conditions in very thick atmospheres may be much 
  stronger than normal. If random wind conditions are being used, 
  apply a +2 modifier to the rolls for determining wind strength 
  category, with any modified roll result of 7+ triggering tornado 
  conditions (see Wind, p. 94). Water terrain may exist in very thick 
  atmospheres.
  DARKNESS
  Fighting under the various level of darkness (from dusk and 
  dawn to pitch blackness) imposes to-hit modifiers as shown in the 
  Environmental Conditions to-Hit modifiers table (see p. 95). these 
  modifiers are negated if the attacking unit is a Battlemech or has 
  the Searchlight (SRCH) special ability. these units may turn their 
  lights on or off during the End Phase of any turn, illuminating all 
  terrain and units within a 2” radius around the light-bearing unit 
  (including the light-bearing unit itself). All attacks against units in 
  an illuminated area ignore the darkness modifiers.
  Aerospace units never apply modifiers for darkness, and may 
  not be illuminated by searchlights.
  EARTHqUAKE
  Earthquakes affect all units on the battlefield. If a scenario in 
  which earthquakes might occur does not specify a specific turn 
  for the event, players may decide to randomly determine an 
  earthquake event during the End Phase of each turn by rolling 
  2D6, and declaring the start of an earthquake on a result of 12. 
  Earthquake effects will then begin before the movement Phase of 
  the following turn.
  envIronmentAl 
  condItIonS
  Under the standard Alpha Strike rules, battlefield conditions 
  are presumed to be favorable—or at least mundane—with 
  all combat resolved in normal gravity, during daylight hours, 
  and with no environmental phenomena to speak of. Of course, 
  between the sheer variety of worlds in the Battletech universe, 
  and the vast range of climates found on every one, natural forces 
  and strategic considerations often make “favorable battlefield 
  conditions” unlikely.
  this section describes a variety of environmental conditions that 
  may be introduced to Alpha Strike games to approximate many 
  unusual or extreme planetary conditions and weather effects on 
  the battlefield. Note that these rules reflect abstractions of such 
  conditions, and are hardly all-inclusive; players seeking greater 
  variety, to reflect even more exotic conditions, are encouraged 
  to assign any modifiers and restrictions they feel best reflect 
  whatever unusual situation they unleash upon their battle tables.
  ATMOSPHERIC DENSITy
  the following details varying degrees of atmospheric density 
  from none (complete vacuum), to very high. Unless otherwise 
  noted, all unit types may be employed in these atmospheric 
  conditions, so long as they have been properly equipped for 
  such conditions. these rules will therefore presuppose such 
  preparations are made.
  vacuum
  Non-Battlemech units that lack the SOA or SEAL special abilities, 
  or units that possess the EE special (even if they do have the SEAL 
  special), cannot operate in vacuum, nor can any vehicles using 
  the VtOL, WiGE, hover, or airship motive types. If any of these 
  prohibited units are exposed to vacuum for any reason, they are 
  immediately destroyed. Non-spheroid aerospace units operating 
  in vacuum may land and take-off as if they were spheroid units. 
  Even units properly prepared for vacuum can be compromised 
  easily by damage. Any non-aerospace and non-infantry unit that 
  suffers damage while operating in vacuum must roll 2D6 to check 
  for a hull breach effect. On a result of 8 or greater, the unit must 
  make an immediate Critical Hit roll appropriate to its type, but 
  may reroll any Ammo Hit critical hits.
  Vacuum represents a complete or nearly complete lack of 
  atmosphere, and so may not be combined with any wind conditions 
  or weather, including fire and smoke. Water terrain cannot persist in 
  vacuum, and so units of the naval and submersible motive types 
  cannot function in this condition, and such terrain features must be 
  treated as empty, negative-level indentations in the terrain, such as 
  craters, or ice that has frozen solid.
  Trace Atmosphere
  trace atmosphere follows the same basic rules as vacuum, 
  except that the hull breach effect will only occur on a 2D6 roll of 
  10 or greater. 
  Some weather conditions may exist in trace atmospheres, but 
  they will be generally far weaker than normal. If random wind 
  
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  introductory 
  alpha strike
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  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  combat units. As a result of these conditions, all weapon attacks 
  made in or through an area affected by EmI suffer a +2 to-hit 
  modifier, all probe special abilities (including BH, LPRB, and 
  PRB) are deactivated, and all ECm special abilities (including 
  AECm, ECm, and LECm) double their effective range in inches.
  Conventional infantry making weapon attacks in or through 
  an EmI-affected area ignore the to-hit modifier effects.
  GRAvITy
  Operating outside of standard gravity may speed up or slow 
  down any battlefield unit, based on the relative difference 
  from the 1.0 G terran standard. to determine a unit’s move 
  rating in non-standard gravity, divide the unit’s normal move 
  by the planet’s G rating and round normally. For example, a 
  unit with a move of 12”, would have a move of 17” on a world 
  with a G-rating of 0.7 (12 ÷ 0.7 = 17.14, rounded to 17). On a 
  high-gravity world with a G-rating of 1.2, however, the same 
  unit would be reduced to 10” (12 ÷ 1.2 = 10).
  Gravity affects all types of move, including VtOL, WiGE, 
  hover, and jumping. the minimum move a unit may be 
  reduced due to high gravity effects is 1”. 
  most units are not prepared for the stress of movement 
  beyond their design specs. to reflect this, if gravity effects 
  provide any non-infantry unit with move beyond its normal 
  values, it may use that move for up to 2 consecutive movement 
  Phases without any detrimental effects. If used for a third 
  consecutive turn, the unit will automatically suffer an mP Hit 
  critical hit (see p. 41) after completing its movement.
  Under these rules, only units that use move experience 
  gravity effects. Aerospace units, which employ thrust, ignore 
  these rules for simplicity.
  If and when an earthquake event occurs, the player who 
  rolled for the earthquake event rolls 2D6 again to determine 
  the strength of the quake. For all quakes, a to-hit modifier for 
  all attacks will be applied equal to this quake strength roll, 
  divided by 2 (and rounding down). In addition, if the roll result 
  is 8 or higher, all ground units will suffer 1 point of damage 
  before the start of the movement Phase, resolving any critical 
  hits as normal. If the quake strength roll result is 12, in addition 
  to this damage and the attack modifiers, fissures will open up 
  as described below.
  Fissures
  Roll 2D6 for every ground unit and building on the 
  battlefield. On a result of 2, a fissure opens beneath the unit or 
  structure. the terrain in the 2” area of effect around these units 
  or structures will be reduced by 1D6 inches, and converted to 
  rough terrain, with all units in the fissure radius suffering 1 
  point of damage (rolling critical as normal).
  For buildings in a fissure area, apply 2D6 damage to the 
  building’s CF. If the building is not destroyed after this, roll 2D6, 
  adding the building’s weight capacity value to the result. If 
  this modified roll is 9 or higher, the building remains standing. 
  If the modified roll is 8 or less, the building will collapse (see 
  Buildings, pp. 83-86).
  ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI)
  In Alpha Strike, electromagnetic interference can be either a 
  localized occurrence or something that affects all units on the 
  battlefield. It represents high concentrations of heavy metals, 
  background radiation, intense solar activity, or other conditions 
  that play havoc even on the advanced sensors of BattleTech 
  Khan Phelan Kell leads Clan Wolf’s Golden Keshik against the Word of Blake.
  
  Wind Force Categories
  the following are the wind force categories used under these 
  rules, and their gameplay effects. Note that units which are 
  submerged or otherwise sheltered from the wind may ignore 
  these effects. 
  Wind Force 0: Negligible to breezy wind imposes no gameplay 
  effects at this wind force category.
  Wind Force 1: Light gale force winds slow unarmored infantry 
  forces. Conventional infantry units with the “f” movement mode 
  lose 2” of move. If this reduces their move to 0 or less, the unit 
  may either move 2” or deliver an attack, but cannot perform both 
  actions in the same turn.
  Wind Force 2: moderate gale force winds hinder unarmored 
  infantry. Conventional infantry units with the “f” or “j” movement 
  mode lose 2” of move. If this reduces their move to zero, these 
  units may either move 2” or deliver an attack, but cannot perform 
  both actions in the same turn.
  Wind Force 3: Strong gale force winds impose a +1 to-hit 
  modifier for all attacks made by all units. Airships lose 1 thrust, 
  and will crash if reduced to 0 thrust as a result. Battle armor units 
  lose 2” of move, and conventional infantry units lose 4” of move. 
  If an infantry or battle armor unit’s move is reduced to 0, it may 
  either move 2” or deliver an attack, but cannot perform both 
  actions in the same turn.
  Wind Force 4: Storm winds impose a +2 to-hit modifier for all 
  attacks made by all units. Airships and conventional infantry may 
  not operate effectively in storm wind conditions, while battle armor 
  units will lose 2” of move. If already deployed in these conditions, 
  apply 1 point of damage every turn until the unit moves into a 
  building or other suitable shelter. Conventional infantry units 
  may move 2” each turn during storm wind conditions, but may 
  execute no attacks. Battle armor units, if reduced to a move of 0”, 
  may either move 2” or attack, but cannot perform both actions in 
  the same turn.
  At a wind force category of 4, tornado effects may be possible 
  (see below).
  Tornado
  tornados are extremely focused weather phenomena that can 
  affect multiple units, but may only occur when in conjunction 
  with wind forces at level 4 conditions (see above). During the End 
  Phase of any turn where the winds are at a force category of 4, roll 
  2D6. If the result is 12, a tornado forms and touches down on the 
  map immediately in the current End Phase.
  Initial Placement: tornados use the 2” radius area of effect 
  template, and touch down on any randomly-chosen point of the 
  map in the same End Phase they are . (If desired, a different player 
  may determine the tornado’s initial point of impact.) If units, 
  buildings, or terrain are caught within the area of a tornado’s 
  effect, they will suffer damage appropriate to their type, as 
  outlined below.
  Tornado Duration and Force Rating: At the time a tornado’s 
  template is placed, a 2D6 roll must be made, the result of which 
  equals the number of turns the tornado will remain on the 
  field. A second 2D6 roll is then needed, to find the tornado’s 
  strength rating (F rating), as listed on the tornado Force  
  Rating table.
  TEMPERATURE
  Extremes of hot or cold may prevent certain units from 
  operating on the battlefield. For simplicity, advanced Alpha Strike 
  breaks these down into three temperature ranges: Cold, Normal 
  and Hot. these rules apply only to ground-level units; aerospace 
  units ignore extreme temperature rules.
  Normal temperatures have no effect on game play, beyond 
  any weather conditions added to them. they run the range of 
  seasonal temperatures that a human body can survive, given 
  proper attire and equipment.
  Cold: In extreme cold (below –30 degrees Celsius), 
  conventional infantry units will suffer 1 point of damage for 
  every five turns of gameplay. Units in extreme cold, and that are 
  capable of overheating, automatically reduce their heat levels by 
  1 point during any End Phase in which they are overheated (to a 
  minimum Heat level of 0).
  Hot: In extreme heat (above 50 degrees Celsius), conventional 
  infantry units will suffer 1 point of damage for every five turns of 
  gameplay. Units capable of overheating, will automatically add 
  1 point to the heat effects any time they use Overheat during 
  a weapon attack. (this additional heat will not add to the unit’s 
  damage output, but will max out at shutdown). Non-infantry 
  units incapable of overheating reduce their move by 2” when 
  operating in extreme heat environments.
  WIND
  Under standard Alpha Strike gameplay, wind conditions 
  are presumed to be little more than a gentle breeze at worst, 
  suitable for little more that determining the direction of 
  smoke drifts. Under these rules, wind has five force categories, 
  ranging from 0 (still air to breezy winds) to 4 (storm winds and  
  possible tornadoes). 
  the effects of each wind force category are detailed below. 
  Wind strength (and direction) may be selected at the start of the 
  scenario, or randomly determined by rolling 1D6 and consulting 
  the Prevailing Winds table provided here. Wind strength may be 
  steady throughout a scenario, set during the setup phase of the 
  game. But for even more dramatic effects, players may opt for 
  variable winds. With variable winds, the players may take turns 
  randomly determining the wind force categories that will affect 
  each game turn during the End Phase of its preceding turn.
  Wind Direction
  Wind directions may be randomly determined using the same 
  rules for determining the scatter direction of a missed dive-
  bombing attack. this involves using the 2-inch diameter template, 
  lining up the direction corresponding to the number 1 with the 
  north direction on the ground map, and then using 1D6 to find 
  the wind direction that corresponds to the result’s outcome on 
  the template. If the variable wind option is in effect, wind direction 
  can also be randomly determined from turn to turn.
  Atmospheric Density
  these rules may be used in conjunction with the Atmospheric 
  Density rules (see p. 92), to simulate weather effects in conditions 
  other than terran-standard. For convenience, the modifiers for 
  atmospheric density are provided in the Prevailing Winds table.
  
  95
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  OTHER CONDITIONS
  Environmental (planetary) conditions not listed in this 
  section have no additional effects beyond the to-hit modifier 
  they impose (see Environmental To-Hit Modifiers Table, below).
  Tornado Movement: tornadoes move during the 
  End Phase of every turn after their initial placement, and 
  dissipate during the End Phase of their last turn. to find the 
  direction a tornado will move, roll 1D6 to determine the 
  tornado’s direction of travel (using the area effect template 
  to do so), and then roll another 1D6—multiplying he result 
  by 2—to find the number of inches it will move. If a tornado’s 
  movement sends it off a hill, it will skip a distance of inches 
  equal to the height of the hill, avoiding all units within that 
  area before touching down again to continue its movement 
  with its remaining inches.
  Tornado Damage: tornadoes immediately damage all 
  battlefield units, buildings, and terrain that they come into 
  contact with, either by being within the tornado’s template 
  when it touches down, or be being struck by the moving 
  tornado template. Against battlefield units, the damage from 
  a tornado is equal to its F rating (Large, Very Large, and Super 
  Large units only suffer this damage once per hit.) 
  Against terrain and buildings, a tornado will deliver 3 
  times its F rating in damage to the target’s terrain Factor 
  or Construction Factor (as appropriate). Damage done by 
  a tornado takes place immediately in the End Phase. Use 
  the Terrain Conversion rules (see p. 104) to find the effects 
  of damage on terrain, and the Buildings rules (see pp. 83-86) 
  to find the effects of damage on buildings. If the underlying 
  terrain is paved or water, it will remain unchanged by 
  tornado damage.
  Damage from tornadoes takes effect immediately during 
  the End Phase in which the tornado makes contact with the 
  units, buildings, and/or terrain in question. Roll for all critical 
  hits as normal.
  Prevailing Winds table
  1D6 Roll
  Wind Type
  Force Category
  1-2
  None
  0
  3
  Light Gale
  1
  4
  moderate Gale
  2
  5
  Strong Gale
  3
  6
  Storm
  4
  atMosPHeriC density roll Modifiers
  Atmospheric Pressure
  Modifier
  Vacuum
  No Wind
  trace Atmosphere
  –2*
  thin Atmosphere
  –1*
  thick Atmosphere
  +1*
  Very thick Atmosphere
  +2**
  *Minimum modified result = 1; Maximum modified result = 6
  **Maximum modified result = 8; On 7+ modified result, treat as Tornado
  tornado forCe rating table
  2D6 Roll
  Tornado Rating
  2-3
  F1
  4-6
  F2
  7-10
  F3
  11
  F4
  12
  F5
  environMental to-Hit 
  Modifiers table
  Environmental Condition
  Modifier
  Blowing Sand
  +2
  Earthquake
  +1 to +6
  Electromagnetic Interference
  +2*
  Geyser
  +2**
  Heavy Fog
  +1
  Darkness
  Dusk or Dawn
  +1
  moonless Night
  +3
  Night
  +2
  Pitch Black
  +4
  Rainfall
  Light to Heavy
  +1
  torrential Downpour
  +2
  Smoke
  Light
  +1**
  Heavy
  +2**
  Snowfall and Hail
  Light to Heavy
  +1
  Sleet
  +1
  Blizzard
  +2
  Winds
  Wind Force 0 to 2
  +0
  Wind Force 3
  +1
  Wind Force 4
  +2
  tornado, F1 to F3
  +2**
  tornado, F4
  +3**
  tornado, F5
  +4**
  *EMI only affects weapon attacks through an EMI-affected area of any size; 
  does not affect infantry attacks.
  **Applies only to attacks that pass through this environmental feature, 
  regardless of attacker type.
  
  attacked or make attacks: Fore, Left Side, Right Side, and Aft. Each 
  of these arcs covers a 90-degree area radiating out from the unit’s 
  center point, and will not overlap. Units with the tUR special may also 
  make additional 360-degree attacks using each separate turret, but 
  turrets are not facings that can be attacked directly. 
  A unit with multiple facings and firing arcs will present its 
  firing arc data separately on its unit card, but all damage—
  regardless of facing—will be delivered to the unit’s overall 
  armor and structure values.
  DropShip Firing Arcs
  Grounded DropShips use different firing arcs than other 
  exceptionally large units.
  Spheroid DropShips: Grounded spheroid DropShips can only 
  use their left side and right side weapons against other ground 
  units, with these side arcs treated as having 180-degree fields 
  of fire that do not overlap. the fore-arc weapons of a spheroid 
  DropShip can only engage airborne targets. A grounded spheroid 
  DropShip cannot use its Aft weapons at all in Alpha Strike.
  Aerodyne DropShips: Grounded aerodyne DropShips may 
  attack ground units using the same standard fore, side, and aft 
  firing arcs as other exceptionally large units. In addition, their fore-
  arc weapons may also engage airborne targets.
  MOBILE STRUCTURES
  mobile structures, as the name implies, are truly massive units 
  that are effectively moving buildings. Extremely rare in combat, 
  these units are actually treated as multiple, conjoined segments—
  each with its own armor, structure, and firepower—that move as 
  one. On the unit’s data card, mobile structures use a structure map, 
  with each segment identified as a numbered 
  hexagonal piece (which, on the ground map, 
  is equivalent to a 2-inch diameter area).
  Mobile 
  Structure 
  Facings: 
  mobile 
  structures are ponderously slow, and so 
  designed to move in any direction desired 
  without turning. For this reason, these 
  units generally have no set “front”, but still 
  use fore, side, and aft arcs for gameplay 
  purposes. If a player wishes to change the 
  facing direction of a ground- or water-
  based mobile structure, however, the unit’s 
  facing can only be changed by 60 degrees 
  per movement Phase. (It thus takes three 
  full turns for a mobile structure on ground 
  or in water to complete a 180-degree turn.)
  Attacking Mobile Structures
  mobile structures are attacked in the 
  same manner as buildings (see Buildings, 
  p. 83-86), and apply the –4 Immobile target 
  modifier in addition to their movement 
  rate modifier (to reflect their gigantic size. 
  Attacks must be resolved against individual 
  mobile structure sections, rather than 
  against the unit as a whole, with damage 
  marked off against the armor and structure 
  values of the individual section. 
  exceptIonAlly 
  lArge unItS
  Occasionally, ground units may share the ground fight with 
  particularly large units that dwarf even the Battlemech, and have 
  a greater distribution of firepower to boot. Among the most 
  common of these units are DropShips, which become veritable 
  fortresses when grounded, but other units—such as large-size 
  support vehicles and mobile structures—may appear from time 
  to time In Alpha Strike games that are as equally enormous.
  the following rules roughly describe the additional abilities of 
  these large units, which includes not only DropShips by default, 
  but any unit that possesses the Large, Very Large, or Super Large 
  special abilities (LG, VLG, SLG).
  LINE OF SIGHT
  All exceptionally large units (including grounded DropShips) 
  are considered to block line of sight in the same fashion as a 
  building or hill, and thus can provide partial cover between units. 
  Attacks that miss a targeted unit that has partial cover from an 
  exceptionally large unit will strike the exceptionally large unit 
  instead if the margin of failure (moF) is 2 or 1.
  Attacks by an exceptionally large unit trace line of sight from 
  the unit’s uppermost height.
  FACING SIDES AND FIRING ARCS
  Except for grounded DropShips (shown below), most exceptionally 
  large units have four main facings and firing arcs which can be 
  
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  Mobile Structure Critical Hits: Critical hits to mobile 
  structures are likewise resolved by section, rather than against 
  the whole, and use the mobile Structure Critical Hits table. 
  Critical hits that stun or kill a mobile structure’s gunners affect 
  only the weapons in the affected section (stunned gunners are 
  unable to fire for 1 full turn after the critical hit; killed gunners 
  renders all weapons in that section inoperative). A critical hit 
  to a mobile structure’s weapons will reduce the structure’s 
  overall weapon damage values at all ranges by 1 (including 
  those assigned to special abilities, such as LRm, SRm, tUR, and 
  so forth). Critical hits to a structure’s ammunition will result in 
  no effect if the structure has no ammunition in that section, 
  or create a building fire in that section (resolved using the Fire 
  and Smoke rules, see pp. 100-101).
  Destroying a Mobile Structure: Destroying a mobile 
  structure requires the destruction of over half of the unit’s 
  sections, or enough sections to break the unit into two parts. 
  Unlike other exceptionally large units, mobile structures 
  cannot fire weapons in any direction that would pass through 
  2 or more inches of the structure itself. Attacks against a mobile 
  structure cannot target any segments that the attacking unit 
  cannot trace a valid LOS to. (this generally means that central 
  sections typically cannot be targeted at all, except by air units.)
  A destroyed mobile structure creates ultra-heavy rubble 
  that fills the terrain covered by all of its sections. If an airborne 
  mobile structure is destroyed over a ground map, it will crash 
  on the ground map, covering an area twice the diameter of its 
  longest section, and destroying all units, buildings, and woods 
  or jungle terrain types within that area.
  Mobile Structure Movement
  mobile structures may be designed to travel on land, air, or 
  water, but their sheer size enables them to shrug off terrain 
  conditions that would slow most other units. the mobile 
  Structure movement Costs table defines the base move costs 
  for ground and naval-based mobile structures. Airborne 
  mobile structures follow the movement rules for airships.
  BAy DOORS AND TRANSPORT SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Especially large units tend to feature transport bays and bay 
  doors, expressed as special abilities. these abilities are closely 
  linked, establishing the number and types of units a transport 
  may carry (noted by its transport specials), and how many 
  of each unit type the transport may deploy per turn (noted 
  by the number of doors associated with the bay). Doors are 
  only tracked on DropShips and larger transport units. Combat 
  vehicles with the Infantry transport (It#) special ability do not 
  keep track of doors, and may therefore deploy some or all of 
  their infantry units in a single turn.
  When doors are tracked on a unit, they appear as numbers 
  preceded by the letter D after the relevant transport bay 
  special. For example, a DropShip with a special of “At6D2” 
  indicates that is has an aerospace transport bay with a 
  capacity of 6 aerospace units (At6) that uses 2 doors (D2). A 
  unit entering or exiting a transport unit must use the doors 
  associated with its transport bays; ’mech units must use the 
  doors associated with the ’mech transport (mt) bay, vehicles 
  must use the doors for a vehicle transport (Vtm#, VtH#, or 
  • grounded dropships firing arcs diagrams • 
  • large support vehicle firing arcs diagrams • 
  
  VtS#) bay, and so on. If a door serves a cargo transport (Ct# or 
  CK#) bay, any unit type may use the door to enter or exit. Units 
  may not enter or exit a transport unit that does not have either a 
  cargo bay (Ct#) of sufficient capacity, or a bay appropriate to the 
  unit’s type. 
  Non-infantry units embark and disembark from transport bays 
  in accordance with the Transporting Non-Infantry Units rules in 
  this chapter (see p. 63). Infantry units (including battle armor) use 
  the Transporting Infantry rules found in the standard Alpha Strike 
  rules (see p. 32). Up to 2 units can enter or exit from an appropriate 
  bay door per turn.
  See the appropriate transport bay (At#, CK#, Ct#, It#, mt#, Pt#, 
  St#, Vtm#, VtH#, VtS#) types in the Special Abilities section (pp. 
  104-109), for more information about the various unit transport 
  bays and their capabilities.
  BOARDING ACTIONS
  Exceptionally large units (including DropShips) may be the 
  target of boarding actions by infantry units (including battle 
  armor). the following rules enable players to resolve this process.
  Boarding Exceptionally Large Units 
  the process for boarding an exceptionally large unit begins 
  with a grappling attack, either by an infantry transport unit come 
  to deliver its troops, or by infantry units moving on their own 
  power. While attempting a grapple, the attacking unit may not 
  make any weapon attacks against its target. 
  Infantry Transport Units: Any non-large infantry transport unit 
  that can reach base-to-base contact with a targeted exceptionally 
  large unit (or hover directly above it, as in the case of VtOLs and 
  airships) may grapple the target to conduct boarding actions. 
  VtOL and airship vehicles may attempt to grapple exceptionally 
  large units from above, but must do so from directly above or 
  in base-to-base contact. All other unit types that can reach the 
  target unit must be in base-to-base contact with it, and at the 
  same elevation level. 
  Infantry Units: Infantry units can attempt to board and seize 
  control of an exceptionally large unit unless they possess a motive 
  type other than foot, jump, motorized, or VtOL. If the target is a 
  naval vessel, infantry with UmU movement may attempt to board 
  the unit as well, as long as they can reach the unit’s present depth 
  level. Grounded DropShip units can only be boarded at ground 
  level, regardless of the infantry unit’s motive type. 
  The Grapple Check: Any unit that fulfills the requirements and 
  ends the movement Phase in base-to-base contact as defined above, 
  may attempt a grapple in place of an attack during the following 
  Combat Phase. this grappling action is successful on a 2D6 roll of 6 
  or higher (8 or higher, if the target unit is completely submerged). 
  A successful roll attaches a grapple to the target unit that allows 
  infantry units to board it. If a grappling roll fails, the attacking units 
  can attempt the action again at the end of the following turn’s 
  movement Phase, provided it is still adjacent to the target.
  Maintaining and Ending a Grapple: A grappling unit can 
  end its grapple at will during the End Phase of any turn. Unless 
  the target is immobile, the grappling unit must reroll its grapple 
  check every turn to maintain contact with the target. Infantry-
  only units that succeed on a grapple do not need to maintain it 
  once they have boarded a target unit.
  Mobile struCture  
  MoveMent table
  Terrain
  Movement Cost
  Clear, Paved, Bridge, Road
  1”
  Rough, Gravel, Sand, tundra
  +0”
  Light or Heavy Woods/Jungles
  +0”
  Ultra-Heavy Woods/Jungles
  +1”
  Water
  Depth 0”
  +0”
  Depth 1”-2”
  +1”*
  Depth 3”-15”
  +2”*
  Depth 16” or more
  +0”**
  Level Change
  1”
  +0”
  2”
  +2”
  3” or more
  +4”†
  Building/Walls
  Light, medium, Heavy
  +0”
  Hardened
  +1”
  Heavy Industrial
  +1”
  *Level change cost not included. To enter water of 3” depth or deeper, a mobile 
  structure must have the SEAL special ability. Water mobile structures run 
  aground and become immobile in water less than 6” in depth.
  **Only water-based mobile structures can enter this terrain.
  †Only submersible water-based mobile structures in water can make level changes 
  this extensive; ground-based mobile structures cannot climb over terrain 
  features 3” or higher per inch of forward travel.
  deterMining  
  CritiCal Hits table
  2d6 Roll
  Mobile Structure
  2
  No Critical Hit
  3
  No Critical Hit
  4
  No Critical Hit
  5
  No Critical Hit
  6
  Weapon Hit
  7
  Gunners Stunned
  8
  Weapon Hit
  9
  Gunners Killed
  10
  turret Locked
  11
  Ammo Hit*
  12
  Weapon Hit
  *If section does not have ammo, no critical effect; 
  otherwise section catches fire as Building (see Fire 
  and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
  
  99
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  critical effect, and the unit may not move, expend thrust, or 
  execute attacks until its defending crewmen return to duty. 
  to return defending crewmen to duty, the unit must remove 
  a number of defending infantry units equal to its CRW value.
  Friendly Reinforcements: Using the same basic rules as 
  hostile boarding units, friendly units may grapple and board 
  an exceptionally large unit to reinforce its defense as well. 
  the key difference is that a boarding action from any friendly 
  unit is automatically successful if the units meet the necessary 
  requirements for grappling and boarding.
  expAnded  
  ground rAngeS
  For the sake of tabletop play, weapon ranges on the ground 
  map are limited to 42 inches in the Long range band. At the 
  players’ option, two additional range bands can be added at 
  which the truly superlative mechWarriors and vehicle crews 
  may attack one another. Only units capable of delivering 
  damage at Long range may use either of these range options, 
  as they are detailed below. 
  Aerospace units already employ Extreme range as a 
  standard rule, but these units may not employ Horizon range.
  EXTREME RANGE
  Only units that can deliver damage at the Long range 
  bracket may use this rule. the Extreme range bracket for 
  ground combat measures from 42 inches to 60 inches. the 
  to-hit modifier for this range bracket is +6, and the damage 
  value for any successful attack made in this range bracket is 
  equal to the unit’s Long range damage value, minus 1 (to a 
  minimum of 0 damage). All other rules regarding line of sight 
  effects apply at Extreme range.
  Units may not employ Overheat for attacks made at Extreme 
  range unless they also possess the OVL special ability. C3 
  special abilities may still be used in conjunction with Extreme 
  range, but a +2 range modifier and the damage-reduction 
  effects at Extreme range will still be applied, regardless of 
  how close a friendly C3 network unit gets to the target of an 
  Extreme range attack. 
  HORIZON RANGE
  Only ground units that can deliver damage at Extreme 
  range (see above) may use this rule. Horizon range (also known 
  as LOS Range) is a range “bracket” that effectively measures 
  from 60 inches to the edge of the ground map itself. to to-hit 
  modifier for this range bracket is +8, and the damage value for 
  any successful attack made at this range is equal to one half 
  of the unit’s Long range damage value, rounded down (to a 
  minimum of 0). All other rules regarding line of sight effects 
  apply at Horizon range.
  Units may not employ Overheat for attacks made at Horizon 
  range unless they also possess the OVL special ability. C3 
  special abilities of all types have no effect in modifying attacks 
  made at Horizon range.
  Resolving Boarding Combat
  Starting with the same Combat Phase in which the units 
  grapple and board a target unit, boarding combat may 
  begin. Boarding combat does not count as the exceptionally 
  large unit’s Combat Phase action, as these units cannot 
  directly target the boarding parties inside of them. Instead, 
  the boarding infantry fights with any defending infantry on 
  board the exceptionally large unit, as well as any crew the unit 
  deploys in its own defense, or friendly reinforcements the unit 
  can obtain via a friendly boarding action (see below). 
  All infantry defending the exceptionally large unit can 
  engage the boarding party infantry as normal, treating all 
  attacks as if they take place at Short range. 
  the boarding units may engage either the defending 
  infantry in the same way, or attack the exceptionally large unit 
  itself. In both cases, the damage delivered by the boarding 
  party will be that of its Short range damage value. (Attacks 
  against the exceptionally large unit itself are automatically 
  successful and do not require a roll.) Infantry units fighting in 
  a boarding action may move as normal, but cannot leave the 
  confines of the exceptionally large units except to return to 
  their grappling transports.
  If the exceptionally large unit that has been boarded uses 
  Evading movement (see p. 63), lifts off (DropShips only), or crashes 
  into another unit or terrain element while boarding combat is 
  still ongoing, all units engaged in the boarding action (friend and 
  foe alike) will suffer a +2 to-hit modifier for their attacks in that 
  turn. As with normal ground combat, all infantry units involved in 
  boarding combat can deliver only one attack per turn.
  If all defending infantry on a boarded unit are destroyed, 
  the unit falls under control of the boarding party. the captured 
  unit may be controlled by the opposing player in the following 
  turn, but will have an effective Skill rating equal to that of the 
  most experienced boarding infantry unit, with a +2 modifier.
  If all attacking infantry units in a boarding action are destroyed, 
  the unit resumes normal operation in the following turn.
  If an exceptionally large unit that has been boarded is 
  destroyed before boarding combat is resolved, all units on 
  board—friendly, hostile, and cargo alike—are destroyed 
  along with it. 
  Additional Boarding Action Rules
  the following additional rules cover extra options a unit 
  defending against hostile boarders may use to try and resist 
  a boarding action.
  Defending Crew: Exceptionally large units that can be 
  boarded will general defend themselves using their own 
  onboard infantry or crew. to do so, a unit with the Crew 
  special (CRW#) may takes a temporary, self-inflicted Crew 
  Stunned (or Crew Hit) critical during the Combat Phase to gain 
  a number of infantry units that will defend against boarding 
  parties. the number of additional infantry mustered in this 
  fashion is equal to the number given with the special ability, 
  and each of these infantry units will possess a move of 2”f, 2 
  Armor, 1 Structure, and a damage value of 1 point at Short 
  and medium range. If a unit takes a second Crew Stunned or 
  Crew Hit critical while its crew is defending against boarders in 
  this fashion, the unit is treated s if it has suffered a Crew Killed 
  
  fIre And Smoke
  Fire is commonplace in any battlefield, but its use in Alpha 
  Strike games can significantly slow down gameplay. thus the 
  following rules, designed to simulate the creation, effects, spread, 
  and containment of fire and smoke, are reserved as an advanced 
  option like the rest of the rules in this chapter. 
  Resolving Fire and Smoke Effects
  When fire and smoke effects are in use, the following process 
  is added to the End Phase of every turn to resolve fire and 
  smoke actions:
  Step 1: Check for smoke dissipation.
  Step 2: Drift smoke.
  Step 3: Check to see if the fire spreads.
  Step 4: Add new smoke from existing fires.
  Step 5: Check to see if the fire burns out (including any new fires).
  FIRES
  there are two types of fires in Alpha Strike: those set intentionally, 
  and those started by accident. the creation of both fire types 
  is resolved using a 2D6 roll any time terrain is hit by weapons 
  fire (accidental hits to terrain, under these rules, occur any time 
  a unit standing behind partial cover is missed by a margin of 1 
  or 2 points—in which case the structure or terrain between 
  the attacker and unit may be set ablaze—or when damage is 
  delivered to the terrain by use of area-effect weapons, missed 
  indirect fire attacks, attacks against units inside buildings, or the 
  detonation of minefields). If the right equipment or munitions are 
  used, fires may be started in virtually any terrain.
  the Fire tables (see right) show the base target numbers for 
  starting fires in all common types of terrain. the number to the 
  left of the slash is the target number for starting an intentional fire, 
  while the number to the right is the target number for starting one 
  accidentally. the target number is modified as per the conditions 
  outlined in the Fire Starting target modifiers. (If no modifier is 
  shown for a given condition, presume that the modifier for that 
  condition is 0.) Any base target number or modifier given as “NA” 
  indicates a terrain or condition that cannot be set on fire normally. 
  Attacks using Inferno munitions (see Alternate Munitions, pp. 76-
  82) automatically start fires in all terrain and conditions except for 
  vacuum, underwater, or rapids water. 
  Once a fire starts, place a 2-inch diameter marker on the point 
  where the attack took place that started the fire.
  Fires may not spread unless there is a wind direction to spread 
  them with. Consult the rules for wind to determine the direction 
  and strength of the prevailing wind (see Wind, pp. 94-95.)
  Fire Damage and Effects
  Under these rules, fires will affect units as well as terrain and 
  buildings. these effects are outlined below.
  Fire Damage to Units: Heat-tracking units that enter or move 
  through a burning area build up 1 point of Heat during the End 
  Phase of that turn. this Heat is applied to any heat caused by 
  Overheat attacks and damage to the unit. If a unit that does not 
  track heat enters or passes through a fire area, it will suffer 1 point 
  of damage instead. Large, Very Large, and Super Large units in 
  fire tables
  Fire Starting Base Target (Intentional/Unintentional)
  Water
  Clear
  Paved
  Rough
  Jungle
  NA
  11/11
  NA
  12/12
  7/10
  Woods
  Building
  Industrial
  Magma
  6/9
  9/10
  4/6
  4/6
  Condition
  Target Modifier
  Terrain
  Deep Snow
  +3*
  Geyser
  +3
  Ice
  +4*
  mud
  +5*
  Planted Fields
  –2
  Swamp
  +5*
  tundra
  +0*
  Underwater
  NA
  Atmospheric Pressure
  Vacuum
  NA
  trace
  +5**
  thin
  +3
  thick 
  –2
  Very thick
  –4
  Temperature
  Cold
  +1
  Hot 
  –2
  Wind
  Wind Force 2
  +1
  Wind Force 3
  +2
  Wind Force 4
  +4
  tornado (Any)
  NA**
  Rain
  Light to Heavy
  +1
  torrential Downpour
  +2
  Snowfall and Hail
  Light to Heavy Snow
  +1
  Sleet
  +1
  Blizzard
  +2
  Special Ability/Effect
  Indirect Fire (IF)
  +1
  Heat (Ht)
  –2
  Inferno munitions
  Auto†
  Fire Spreading 
  From Downwind
  +1
  Across Water/Paved terrain
  +3 (per 2” distance)
  *Fire in these conditions burn out by themselves after 1D6 turns unless set by 
  Inferno munitions.
  **Inferno munitions auto-set fires in these conditions. (Inferno fires in tornado 
  automatically burn out after 1 turn.)
  †Infernos may even ignite water surfaces (other than rapids), liquid pools, and 
  paved terrain
  
  101
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  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
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  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  smoke and the other representing light smoke—are highly 
  recommended to help track spreading and drifting smoke.
  Light and Heavy Smoke: Heavy smoke is created by fires 
  set using Inferno munitions, or by fires burning from ultra-
  heavy woods/jungle terrain, heavy buildings, or hardened 
  buildings. All other fires create light smoke. Light smoke rises 
  2 inches above the underlying terrain and affects line of sight 
  in the same manner as light woods (imposing a +1 to-hit 
  modifier). Heavy smoke rises 4 inches above the underlying 
  terrain and affects line of sight as heavy woods (imposing a 
  +2 to-hit modifier).
  Drifting Smoke: As noted above, smoke may drift across 
  the battlefield in the direction of the prevailing wind, creating 
  a 2-inch wide path of smoke that will stretch across 2 inches 
  of terrain times the wind force level (see Wind, p. 94)—to a 
  maximum of 6”. When smoke reaches this maximum distance, 
  it automatically dissipates.
  Dissipating Smoke: In addition to dissipating beyond a 
  distance of 6 inches from its source fire, smoke may dissipate 
  during the End Phase of any turn after the one in which it 
  appeared. For all smoke not directly located over a burning 
  fire, roll 2D6, adding +1 to the result for wind force 2, +2 for 
  wind force 3, +5 for wind force 4, and +10 for any form of 
  tornado. If the result is 10 or more, the trail of smoke will be 
  reduced from heavy to light smoke. If the smoke is already 
  light, the smoke trail will dissipate.
  Shifting Winds: If the winds change strength and/or 
  direction during the game, all smoke must move in accordance 
  with each change in wind direction and strength. If smoke 
  markers are used, the players must move these in accordance 
  with the wind strength or direction changes, following the 
  basic rules for drifting smoke above—except, in this case, the 
  smoke will not “stretch” from the source fire so much as move 
  wholesale in the new direction. Smoke rising directly above a 
  fire source will not be affected by shifting winds.
  contact with fire will suffer 1 point of damage for every 2 linear 
  inches of the unit’s length that is in contact with the fire. 
  DropShip units, and units that possess the Fire Resistant 
  (FR) special may ignore all fire effects. mobile structures, 
  meanwhile, may be set ablaze if they enter a burning area 
  on a 2D6 roll with a base target number of 12 (applying all 
  appropriate modifiers as shown in the Fire tables). 
  Fire Damage to Buildings and Terrain: Fire reduces the 
  Construction Factor or terrain Factor of any buildings or terrain 
  features it comes into contact with by 2 points per turn (see 
  Terrain Conversion, p. 104). If a building’s Construction Factor or 
  a terrain item’s terrain Factor is reduced to zero, the fire burns 
  out. If an area set ablaze does not contain any buildings or terrain 
  features with a CF or tF, the fire burns itself out after one turn.
  Spreading Fires
  In the End Phase of any turn after a fire starts in a given area, it 
  may spread to any other flammable area within a 120-degree arc 
  downwind of itself. Resolve this potential spread as a fire starting 
  check for an intentional fire, but with an additional +1 modifier. 
  Fires attempting to spread into otherwise inflammable 
  terrain may jump over such terrain to ignite flammable terrain 
  or structures up to 2 inches away (times the current wind force 
  level). However, fire attempting to jump over such hindrances 
  must apply another +3 modifier to the roll to start a fire in the 
  destination area. 
  Extinguishing Fires
  Under these rules, units may deliberately attempt to stop a 
  fire through one of the following methods: 
  Area-Effect Attack: 4 points of damage from any area 
  effect weapon (other than one using Inferno munitions) will 
  extinguish a 2-inch fire radius.
  Infantry Firefighting: Infantry units (including battle armor) 
  in base-to-base contact with a fire template may engage in 
  firefighting operations instead of attacking in that turn. 
  In the End Phase of a turn spent fighting the fire, the 
  unit rolls 2D6, applying a +1 modifier to the roll result for 
  each additional infantry unit fighting the same fire. If the 
  modified roll equals or exceeds 10, the fire is extinguished.
  Killing the Fuel Source: A final option in firefighting 
  is to hasten the destruction of the terrain or buildings 
  currently ablaze. With this method, the unit trying to 
  extinguish the blaze targets the terrain or structure that is 
  currently burning and attempts to hasten its reduction to 
  a tF or CF of 0.
  SMOKE
  If the wind is completely calm, smoke will only rise in the 
  area containing the fire. Otherwise, during the End Phase 
  of each turn after a fire starts, smoke will spread and drift 
  in a 2” wide path, following the wind currents away from 
  the fire. Smoke will continue to persist for 2 turns after a 
  fire burns out, unless it is dissipated by other conditions. 
  As long as a fire burns, it continues to create smoke that 
  spreads downwind in this fashion. Smoke markers—each 
  one 2 inches in diameter, with one side representing heavy 
  • fire and smoke diagram • 
  
  Because minefields are most often set off by the passage of units, 
  minefields make their “attacks” during the movement Phase, and 
  resolve them against all targets within the field’s radius as soon 
  as a unit triggers them. to determine the damage and likelihood 
  of detonation, minefields receive a density rating between 1 and 
  5. Unless otherwise noted, the chance for a detonation is equal 
  to the target number shown in the minefield Density table rolled 
  on 2D6, while the damage inflicted by a detonating minefield is 
  equal to its current density rating. Each time a minefield explodes, 
  its density rating drops by 1 point. Once a minefield’s density 
  rating falls to 0, it is removed from play. 
  Aside from the command-detonated minefield type, minefields 
  may only explode when a unit enters the field’s area of effect. Units 
  exiting a minefield area may do so without fear of detonation. It 
  is possible for most minefields to be triggered multiple times in a 
  single turn, if multiple units pass through the same mined area.
  MINEFIELDS AT SETUP
  If a scenario’s rules or 
  other 
  conditions 
  prescribe 
  the placement of minefields 
  before the start of play, the 
  controlling player may secretly 
  place such fields using a map 
  tracking coordinate system 
  (see Coordinate System, p. 
  89), 
  and 
  recording 
  each 
  field’s center point as an X-Y 
  coordinate on scrap paper. 
  MINEFIELD TyPES
  the following details the various types of minefields used 
  in Alpha Strike. If a scenario does not specify the minefield type 
  in play, players may presume that the fields are comprised of 
  standard (conventional) mines.
  Active Mines: Active minefields detonate and deliver damage 
  against ground units in the exact same way conventional mines 
  do. In addition, however, these mines may also be set off by units 
  that use jumping movement to pass over them. When a jumping 
  unit passes over an active mine minefield, check for a minefield 
  detonation as usual, but apply a –3 modifier to the roll result. If 
  the modified result equals or exceeds the field’s target number, 
  the jumping unit triggers the minefield and suffers damage along 
  with all other units in the field’s radius. Only units using jumping 
  move are targeted by active mines in this way; VtOLs and WiGEs 
  at 2-inches of elevation or higher will not set off active minefields. 
  All other units passing through an active mine minefield using 
  ground movement check for detonation and resolve damage as 
  though they entered a conventional minefield.
  Conventional Mines: Whenever a ground unit enters an area of 
  a minefield, its controlling player must roll 2D6, checking against 
  the minefield target number as appropriate to the field’s density 
  in the minefield Density table. If the number is equal to or greater 
  than this target number, the field explodes and delivers its density 
  value as damage. Apply a –1 modifier to the detonation roll if 
  the unit entering the minefield is any type of infantry (including 
  battle armor), and a –2 roll modifier if the unit entering the field is 
  a hovercraft or WiGE at less than 2-inches of elevation.
  hIdden unItS
  Prior to the start of play, the defender (and/or attacker, 
  according the scenario) may hide his units on the map. Each 
  player must write down the X-Y coordinates (see p. 89) at which a 
  unit is hidden and designate its facing. 
  Unless the player plans to move a hidden unit during the 
  movement Phase, hidden units are not counted for purposes 
  of determining unequal numbers of units. If he plans to move 
  a hidden unit during a turn, he must reveal it at the start of his 
  movement Phase. If a player plans to attack using a hidden unit, 
  he must reveal it at the beginning of the Combat Phase.
  HIDING ON THE GROUND
  most units may be hidden on the ground map (including 
  grounded airborne units). Large, very large, or super large 
  support vehicles, and grounded DropShips may be hidden in 
  buildings, under water (if applicable) and in any area if the area 
  within a 1” radius of the unit is within 1” of their height on the 
  battlefield. mobile structures and airborne units may not be 
  hidden. Additionally, no unit may hide in a clear or paved (road/
  bridge) hex, or on the surface of water. All other terrain and unit 
  types are valid.
  Detecting Hidden Ground Units: Hidden units remain hidden 
  until they attack or move, or until an enemy unit moves in to base-
  to-base contact or ends its movement in base-to-base contact or 
  is a unit with LRPB or PRB special ability and ends its movement 
  such that the hidden unit is within range of the probe.
  If a unit attempts to enter the area covered by the base of a 
  hidden unit, the hidden unit is revealed. If the move would violate 
  the stacking rules (see Stacking, p. 27), the unit attempting to 
  stack ends its movement before doing so.
  SURPRISE ATTACKS FROM HIDDEN UNITS
  If an enemy unit moves within 2” of a hidden ground unit, the 
  hidden unit may immediately make a surprise attack. this attack 
  may be augmented by overheating. the base to-hit number for the 
  attack is the Skill Rating of the attacker, modified only for unrepaired 
  critical hits to the attacker. Damage takes place immediately; 
  however, the attacker cannot move, fire, execute orders or issue 
  requests for commands for the rest of the current turn.
  mInefIeldS
  In Alpha Strike play, minefields of any type cover a 2-inch radius 
  area of effect unless otherwise stated (such as in the case of 
  weapon-delivered minefields). though the nature of minefields 
  differs with the minefield type deployed, the following rules cover 
  all types of minefields. 
  minefields act as area-effect weapons, like artillery strikes, 
  and thus damage all ground units within their field radius when 
  detonated. Airborne aerospace units, VtOLs, and WiGEs operating 
  at a minimum of 2 inches above mined terrain, will not be affected 
  by minefields, but hovercraft and WiGEs operating below the 
  2-inch altitude will be affected by minefield detonations.
  Minefield  
  density table
  Density
  Target Number
  5
  5+
  4
  6+
  3
  7+
  2
  8+
  1
  9+
  
  103
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  damage or other effects equal to that of a standard minefield 
  type of equal density, so command-detonated inferno mines 
  will deliver 2 points of heat upon detonation, while command-
  detonated conventional mines will deliver damage equal to 
  their current density values.
  tArgetIng 
  And trAckIng 
  SyStemS
  Under normal Alpha Strike gameplay, combat units 
  employ a range of layered sensor and targeting systems 
  that result in a very generalized, all-aspect effectiveness 
  in combat. At the players’ discretion, some or all of the 
  non-infantry units in a given force may employ a variety of 
  specialized targeting and tracking systems instead. these 
  systems must be engaged for the entire scenario and—with 
  the exception of variable-range targeting—may not be 
  turned off or adjusted (though they may be reconfigured 
  between battles in a campaign).
  the effects of these specialized targeting and tracking 
  system arrangements are outlined as follows.
  Long-Range Targeting: A unit using long-range targeting 
  replaces its normal range modifiers for weapon attacks 
  with the following: Short range (+1), medium 
  range (+2), Long range (+3), Extreme range (+4), 
  Horizon range (+6).
  Short-Range Targeting: A unit using 
  short-range 
  targeting 
  replaces 
  its 
  normal range modifiers for weapon 
  attacks with the following: Short 
  range (–1), medium range (+2), 
  Long range (+5), Extreme range 
  (+7), Horizon range (+10).
  variable-Range 
  Targeting: 
  Provides an exception to the rule 
  prohibiting in-game changes to 
  targeting systems, but requires 
  that the unit possesses the variable-
  range targeting (VRt) special ability. 
  this targeting system type allows the 
  unit to switch between short-range, long-
  range, or standard targeting during the 
  End Phase of any turn.
  Anti-Aircraft Targeting: Attacks by this unit 
  against airborne units of any type (including 
  all aerospace units, VtOL and Airship 
  vehicles, and WiGE vehicles operating 
  at or higher than 2 inches above 
  the terrain) receive a –2 to-hit 
  modifier. Against all other targets 
  (including grounded aerospace 
  units and vehicles), a +1 to-hit 
  modifier applies instead.
  EMP Mines: Electromagnetic pulse (EmP) minefields 
  receive a density rating just like conventional minefields, and 
  use the same target numbers and modifiers to determine 
  whether or not they are detonated as a unit enters their area 
  of effect. However, regardless of their density, EmP mines can 
  only detonate once per game (per 2” area), and thus drop 
  instantly to a density of 0 once they make an attack. 
  moreover, instead of delivering damage to target units 
  like a conventional minefield, EmP mines create a temporary, 
  4-inch radius ECm field that is hostile to all units (regardless 
  of side). this ECm bubble disrupts all systems that can be 
  affected by ECm until the end of the current turn. (treat this 
  as an ECm field with the strength of 3 ECm suites, if using the 
  ECm/ECCm rules on p. 91). Any non-infantry unit affected by 
  EmP mines suffers a +2 to-hit modifier for 3 Combat Phases 
  after the attack. In addition, heat tracking units caught within 
  the radius of an EmP mine detonation apply an automatic 
  +1 level to the Heat scale during the End Phase following 
  the detonation. Units that do not track heat suffer 1 point of 
  damage instead.
  Inferno Mines: Inferno mines resolve the chances of a 
  successful attack against any passing units in the exact same 
  manner as a conventional minefield of equal density rating. 
  Against any units that do not track heat, these mines will also 
  deliver damage as a conventional field of the same density 
  rating. For units within their area of effect that do track heat, 
  however, Inferno mines will deliver 2 points of heat instead, 
  which must be added at the End Phase. 
  In addition to these effects, if the fire and smoke rules are 
  in use (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101), a detonating 
  Inferno mine minefield will fill the field’s area of effect 
  with fire.
  Command-Detonated Mines
  Any of the above minefield 
  types may be designated 
  as command-detonated 
  minefields. If a command-
  detonated minefield type 
  is not designated at the 
  start of play, it is resolved 
  as a conventional command-
  detonated field. 
  A command-detonated minefield is not 
  set off by the passage of units, but instead 
  must be triggered by an active unit that 
  is “friendly” to the minefield’s controlling 
  side and which ends its movement Phase 
  with direct LOS to the minefield. 
  Hostile ECm in the area will not 
  block the signal to detonate a 
  command-detonated 
  minefield. 
  Each detonation of a command-
  detonated minefield reduces the 
  field’s density by 1 point.
  When a command-detonated 
  minefield is triggered, all units in 
  the field’s area of effect will suffer 
  
  SpecIAl AbIlItIeS
  Special abilities reflect extra features of a unit’s performance 
  created by its equipment or unit type. While most of these 
  provide units with additional benefits, some special abilities may 
  also reflect handicaps or restrictions. If a special ability contradicts 
  the basic gameplay rules, the ability takes precedence.
  Units may have multiple special abilities. If two special abilities 
  contradict each other, refer to the detailed ability description for 
  additional instructions.
  the special ability descriptions below describe abilities usable 
  in advanced-level Alpha Strike games. these abilities add to 
  those already discussed in the introductory and standard Alpha 
  Strike rules.
  SPECIAL ABILITy DESCRIPTIONS
  these abilities are listed by name, with their common 
  abbreviation given in parentheses. Special abilities followed 
  by a numeric designator (#) indicate indicates that may have 
  variable effect based on the number used. If multiple numbers, 
  separated by slashes, appear by a special ability’s abbreviation, 
  those values indicate an ability that delivers damage in the 
  Short, medium, and Long range brackets. (For example, a 
  unit with AC 2/2 indicates a unit that can deliver 2 points of 
  autocannon damage at Short and medium range in a successful 
  attack against a targeted unit, while a unit with AC 3/2/2 can 
  deliver 3 points of autocannon damage at Short, and 2 points at 
  medium and Long ranges.) 
  Active Probe (PRB)
  Units equipped with active probes have an extended view 
  of the battlefield, enabling them to provide information about 
  targets without moving into the target’s Short range bracket. the 
  active probe’s effective range is 18”, automatically confers the 
  Recon (RCN) special ability upon its user, and enables it to detect 
  hidden units (see Hidden Units, p. 102), identify incoming sensor 
  blips, or even discover the capabilities of unknown hostile units 
  that fall within this range (see Concealing Unit Data, pp. 87-89).
  Hostile ECm systems, including Angel ECm (AECm) and 
  standard ECm (ECm) will overwhelm the active probe’s abilities.
  Aerospace Transport (AT#)
  A unit with this special ability can transport, launch and recover 
  the indicated number of aerospace or conventional fighters (see 
  Aerospace Unit Transports, p. 72).
  Artillery (ARTX-#)
  this special ability lets a unit make an artillery attack, with an 
  abbreviation for each type of artillery replacing the “X” in the 
  ability’s acronym. Each different type of artillery a unit carries is 
  listed separately, with the number indicating the number of that 
  type carried. For example, a unit with two Long tom artillery 
  weapons would record this as ARtLt-2. 
  Refer to the Artillery Abbreviations table, below (see the 
  Bomb (BOmB#) special ability, p. 105, for Arrow IV missiles 
  carried as bombs).
  terrAIn 
  converSIon
  At the controlling player’s option, a unit may employ its 
  firepower to raze terrain features in a 2-inch radius area, rather 
  than attack any other units or buildings. this action is called 
  “converting terrain”, as the result of move successful actions will 
  change the terrain type to something else.
  the terrain Factor and Conversion table identifies each terrain 
  type’s terrain Factor (tF)—the number of damage points the 
  terrain feature can sustain before it is damaged or destroyed. Each 
  point of damage inflicted by a unit’s attack eliminates 1 point of 
  tF from the terrain. If any other terrain features (woods, buildings, 
  pavement and so on; see p. 85 for Buildings) are present in the 
  area, they must be eliminated before the underlying terrain can 
  be damaged. Once the targeted terrain is reduced to a tF of 0, the 
  area is replaced with a new terrain, as prescribed in the table. Note 
  that any area which converts to a “sub-level” indicates terrain that 
  has effectively been dug open by raw damage. Note also that use 
  of weapons to convert terrain may result in an unintentional fire 
  effect (see Fire and Smoke, pp. 100-101).
  Units with the Saw (SAW) and/or Engineering (ENG) special 
  abilities may use these abilities to clear woods. A unit attempting 
  to clear woods with this equipment must be in the wooded area 
  to do so. the unit forgoes its normal attacks, and automatically 
  delivers 3 points of damage to the woods, without risk of an 
  accidental fire.
  terrain faCtor  
  and Conversion table
  Terrain
  TF
  New Terrain
  Clear/Rough
  200
  Sub-Level (1”)
  Snow
  12
  mud
  Dirt Road
  6
  Rough*
  Gravel Piles
  30
  Rough
  Gravel Road
  15
  Rough*
  Ice
  12
  **
  Jungle
  25
  Rough
  magma Crust
  9
  magma Liquid
  Paved
  60
  Rough
  Paved Road
  45
  Rough*
  Planted Fields
  9
  Rough
  Sand
  30
  Sub-Level (1”)
  tundra
  21
  Rough
  Woods
  20
  Rough
  *The Road still counts, but units must pay 1” additional Move per inch traveled 
  along them.
  **If the underlying terrain is water, the area becomes water; otherwise ice is 
  removed from the area and the underlying terrain remains undamaged.
  
  105
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  to the booby-trapped unit’s weight/size class times half its 
  move. For example, a booby-trapped assault ’mech with a 
  move of 6” would deliver 12 points of damage (Size 4 x [move 
  6” ÷ 2] = 12) to all units in its area of effect.
  Airborne Booby Traps: A booby trap that is activated in the 
  air by units using on the Radar map has no effect in Alpha Strike 
  gameplay. Airborne units on the ground map that activate a 
  booby trap inflict damage in a 2” radius around a point of their 
  designated flight path, as chosen by the player. All units on the 
  ground within that area of effect suffer damage equal to the 
  booby-trapped unit’s weight/size class. thus, while a heavy 
  aerospace fighter with a booby trap would inflict no damage 
  on the Radar map, if it were flying over the ground map and 
  chose to self destruct, its damage to all units within a 2” radius 
  of a point on its flight path would be 3 points.
  Bridgelayer (BRID)
  A unit with this special ability may deploy a temporary 
  bridge capable of spanning gaps up to 2 inches in width. 
  multiple bridges may be linked together to extend the reach 
  of an existing bridge. Deploying or extending a bridge takes 
  one turn, during which the bridgelayer unit cannot move. 
  After the bridge is deployed, the bridgelaying unit may 
  move normally. A bridge does not need to be deployed such 
  that each side of the bridge rests on solid ground; it may be 
  deployed as a makeshift dock extending into water.
  Bridges placed by bridgelayer units are temporary in nature. 
  Once a bridgelayer unit places a bridge, it may not place 
  another for the remainder of the scenario unless it removes 
  the original. Removing one of these temporary bridges may 
  only be done by non-infantry bridgelayer units, and requires 
  the unit to remain in base-contact with the bridge being 
  removed for the entire turn, with no other units passing over 
  the bridge in that same turn.
  All bridgelayer bridges automatically float on water, as they 
  contain integral flotation devices by design. Bridges placed by 
  a non-infantry unit with this ability have a CF of 18 and may 
  support units of Size class 3. the bridge may be targeted as 
  a building and will be destroyed once its CF is reduced to 0. 
  A bridge reduced to 10 points or less may only support units 
  up to Size 2. Bridges reduced to 5 or fewer points it may only 
  support Size 1 units. 
  If a unit that exceeds a bridge’s Size limit attempts to use 
  it, the bridge immediately collapses once the unit moves 
  onto it. All units on a bridge when it collapses will fall and 
  suffer 1 point of damage per 3 inches (or fraction thereof) of 
  difference between the starting level and destination level, 
  rolling for critical hits as normal. If the unit falls into prohibited 
  terrain as a result of a bridge collapse, it is destroyed.
  Infantry Bridgelayers: Infantry with this ability may erect 
  a bridge using gear and parts carried with them for the task, 
  but may only do so once per scenario. Infantry bridgelayers 
  require 2 turns to complete their bridges, which possess a 
  starting CF of 8, and can support units up to Size 2. 
  Capital Weapons (CAP)
  Capital weapons are large weapons that are seen only on 
  truly massive installations, mobile structures, and WarShips. 
  Autocannon (AC#/#/#/#)
  this unit mounts a significant number of autocannons 
  and may fire them together as an alternative weapon attack 
  instead of a standard weapon attack. this ability enables the 
  unit to use alternate autocannon ammo for modified effects 
  (see Alternate Munitions, p. 76).
  BattleMech HarJel (BHJ)
  A ’mech protected by HarJel ignores the additional critical 
  hit chance incurred by suffering damage while operating 
  underwater or in a vacuum. Critical hit chances from normal 
  structure damage (and other sources) still apply.
  Bloodhound Active Probe (BH)
  An enhanced version of the standard active probe (PRB), 
  the Bloodhound probe offers all the same features, but with 
  an effective range of 26”. Bloodhound probes automatically 
  confer the Recon (RCN) special ability upon their users, and 
  enable them to detect hidden units (see Hidden Units, p. 102), 
  identify incoming sensor blips, or discover the capabilities 
  of unknown hostile units that fall within this range (see 
  Concealing Unit Data, pp. 87-89). 
  In addition to these standard features, the Bloodhound is 
  also unaffected by standard and light ECm specials (ECm and 
  LECm). Presently, only the Angel ECm (AECm) can overwhelm 
  the sensing abilities of the Bloodhound.
  Booby Trap (BT)
  the booby trap is a last-ditch weapon. A unit with this ability 
  has devoted considerable mass toward a devastating self-
  destruct mechanism designed inflict damage on nearby units 
  as well. the booby trap may be activated during the Combat 
  Phase, in place of a weapon or physical attack. Once activated, 
  the system automatically destroys the unit and delivers an 
  area-effect attack to all units within a 2” radius. Activated on 
  the ground, all units in the area of effect suffer damage equal 
  artillery 
  abbreviation table
  Artillery Type
  Abbreviation
  Arrow IV (IS)
  AIS
  Arrow IV (C) 
  AC
  thumper
  t
  Sniper
  S
  Long tom
  Lt
  Cruise missile/50
  Cm5
  Cruise missile/70
  Cm7
  Cruise missile/90
  Cm9
  Cruise missile/120
  Cm12
  thumper Cannon
  tC
  Sniper Cannon
  SC
  Long tom Cannon
  LtC
  
  control vehicle is airborne or in orbit, in which case range is 
  functionally limitless for a ground game. In space, drones need 
  only remain within LOS to their controller, as the actual range 
  limit is more than 100,000”.
  Drones enveloped in a hostile ECm field shut down during the 
  End Phase of the turn in which they were trapped by the field. 
  they remain shut down until the ECm field is no longer present. 
  Drones restart automatically in the End Phase of the turn in which 
  the ECm field is removed. If the drone control unit is caught by a 
  hostile ECm field, all of its drones shut down until the ECm field is 
  no longer present. In addition, if the LOS from a drone control unit 
  to its drone passes through an ECm bubble, the drone will shut 
  down. this is frequently avoided by the use of Satellite uplinks for 
  drone control. If the drone control unit is eliminated, the drones 
  shut down for the rest of the game.
  When not affected by hostile ECm, and as long as their control 
  units (see below) are operational, drone units may move, attack, 
  spot for indirect fire, and use special abilities as an equivalent 
  unit of the same motive type and capabilities. the Skill rating of a 
  drone is equal to that of its controller’s Skill, plus 1.
  Drone Carrier Control System (DCC#)
  Units with the drone carrier control system (DCC) special ability 
  may control units with the drone (DRO) special. the numerical 
  value of this ability indicates the number of drones the unit can 
  control. All drones controlled by this unit will shut down if the 
  control unit is destroyed, disabled, or enveloped in hostile ECm 
  fields.
  Dune Buggy (DUN)
  A unit with this special ability can move more easily over Sand 
  (see Advanced Terrain, p. 64).
  Ejection Seat (ES)
  the pilot of a unit with an ejection seat may abandon his unit at 
  any time using the unit’s on-board ejection system. the pilot with 
  an ejection seat is also automatically ejected if his unit suffers an 
  Ammo Hit critical and does not feature a CASE or CASEII special 
  (see Ejection/Abandoning Units, p. 91).
  Engineering (ENG)
  A unit with this special ability can clear woods just like a unit 
  with the Saw special ability (see Saw, p. 107). In addition, a unit 
  with this ability can clear a path through rubble. It takes 1 turn for 
  a group of 4 or more units with the Engineering special to clear a 
  2” long path of rubble, 2 turns for 3 units, 3 turns for 2 units and 4 
  turns for 1 unit. 
  An area cleared by engineering units does not actually change 
  its terrain type; the clearing action simply creates a narrow, clear 
  path through it that units may use to pass through the terrain as if 
  it is clear. (For further explanation, see Terrain Conversion, p. 104.)
  Environmental Sealing (SEAL)
  A unit with this special ability may operate in hostile 
  environments (including underwater, vacuum, and so forth). 
  Aerospace units, Protomechs, combat vehicles and support 
  vehicles built as submarines are automatically treated as if they 
  have this ability.
  Because their use is almost exclusively limited to combat between 
  units in orbital space and beyond, their use is beyond the general 
  scope of the ground war game presented in this book.
  Nevertheless, in certain limited instances where they may be 
  used, consult the Capital and Sub-Capital Weapons rules (see pp. 
  86-87).
  Cargo Transport, Kilotons (CK#)
  this ability is identical to the Cargo transport–tons ability, 
  except that the numerical designation for this special ability 
  represents cargo capacity in 1,000-ton lots. this may be a decimal 
  value, so a unit with CK3.57 would have a cargo capacity of 3,570 
  tons (1,000 tons x 3.57 = 3,570 tons). 
  Cargo Transport, Tons (CT#)
  Units with this special ability have bays or other internal space 
  set aside for carrying bulk cargo such as munitions, supplies and 
  the like. this space is not generally suited for transporting battle-
  ready units like vehicles, ’mechs, or infantry, and such units may 
  not be dropped or deployed from cargo bays as a result—though 
  they can be carried as cargo (see Units as Cargo, p. 64).
  this ability usually applies to DropShips, and is always used 
  in conjunction with the Door (D#) special ability. the numerical 
  value in this ability indicates how many tons of cargo the unit may 
  transport.
  Crew (CRW#)
  Non-DropShip units with this ability can temporarily inflict a 
  Crew Stunned critical hit on themselves, while DropShip units can 
  temporarily inflict a Crew Hit critical on themselves instead. Doing 
  so enables these units to deploy a number of infantry units—
  equal to the number rating of this ability—as additional marines 
  to aid in repelling enemy boarding parties. these foot infantry 
  units have a move of 2”f, 2 Armor points, 1 Structure point, and 
  Damage Values of 1 at Short and medium range (see Boarding 
  Actions, p. 98). 
  Critical-Resistant (CR)
  A unit with this special ability features special armor or other 
  protective features that reduces the chance and severity of a 
  critical hit (including damage to structure, damage effects 
  from armor-penetrating weapons, and hull breaches while 
  in vacuum or underwater). Any time an attack on this unit 
  prompts a roll on its Critical Hits table, apply a –2 modifier 
  to the Critical Hit roll. modified critical results of 1 or less are 
  treated as No Critical Hit results. 
  Door (D#)
  this ability indicates the number of ingress/egress doors 
  available on a DropShip, small craft, or support vehicles’ transport 
  bays. Each door a unit has is tied to a particular bay, and can 
  accommodate a limited number of units per turn (see Transporting 
  Non-Infantry Units, p. 63).
  Drone (DRO)
  Units with this special ability are unmanned units capable 
  of movement and (occasionally) combat. Ground drones 
  must stay within 900” of their control vehicle, unless the 
  
  107
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Maglev (MAG)
  A variation of the Rail (RAIL) special ability (see Rail, p. 108), 
  units with magnetic levitation (maglev) systems may only 
  travel along rail terrain designated for maglev units.
  ’Mech Transport (MT#)
  A unit with this special ability can transport, deploy, and 
  drop the indicated number of ’mechs. this ability usually 
  applies to DropShips, and is always used in conjunction with 
  the Door special ability (see Transporting Non-Infantry Units, 
  and Dropping Troops, pp. 63 and 90, respectively).
  Mine Dispenser (MDS#)
  this ability allows a unit to create minefields in areas through 
  which it travels (see Minefields, p. 102). Record this ability as 
  mDS# where # is the number of mine dispensers mounted on 
  the unit. Each mine dispenser deploys a density 1 minefield. 
  multiple deployments in the same location increase the density 
  of the minefield by 1 each, to a maximum density of 5.
  Minesweeper (MSW)
  A unit with a minesweeper automatically clears any 
  minefields it is in base contact with at the end of the movement 
  Phase (see Minefields, p. 102). During the minesweeper’s 
  Combat Phase, it may not execute any attacks, but must roll 
  2D6 to clear the minefield, applying a +4 modifier to the result 
  if the minesweeping unit is not infantry. If the result is 10 or 
  better, the minefield is cleared and removed from the map. If 
  the result is 5 or less, the minefield detonates for its full effects. 
  Any other roll result means the minefield is not cleared.
  Missile (MSL #/#/#/#)
  Units with this special ability are aerospace units that have 
  been outfitted with capital and/or sub-capital scale missile 
  launchers. though these weapons are treated as artillery 
  when attacking the ground, they cannot use alternative 
  munitions under these rules.
  Consult the Capital and Sub-Capital Weapons rules to 
  resolve combat using these weapons (see pp. 86-87).
  Mobile Headquarters (MHq#)
  the standard mHQ is equipped with a wide array of special 
  equipment to coordinate engagements over a large area. 
  this ability provides different bonuses depending on the 
  numerical rating (see Battlefield Intelligence, p. 82).
  Mountain Troops (MTN)
  Infantry units with this special ability may climb 2 inches 
  per inch moved forward in a turn.
  Narc Missile Beacon (CNARC# or SNARC#)
  A unit with the CNARC# or SNARC# special ability may make 
  an extra weapon attack using its Narc missile beacon device. A 
  unit hit by a Narc beacon will not suffer damage from the Narc 
  itself, but will suffer 1 additional point of damage from any 
  Indirect Fire (IF), LRm, or SRm attacks for the rest of the game—
  unless the unit is within a friendly ECm bubble. Standard Narc 
  beacon launchers (indicated by SNARC) have a maximum 
  Firefighter (FF)
  Firefighter units may put out fires within 2” of their position. 
  this action requires a 2D6 roll of 8+, made in place of a weapon 
  attack. Reduce this target number by 1 for each turn the unit 
  spends fighting a fire, and for each additional unit engaged in 
  fighting the same fire (to a maximum target number modifier 
  of –3).
  Flight Deck (FD)
  A unit with this special ability can be used as a landing area 
  by an aerospace fighter, conventional fighter, small craft, fixed-
  wing support vehicle, airship support vehicle, or VtOL unit.
  Helipad (HELI)
  A unit with this special ability can be used as a landing area 
  by a unit with VtOL movement.
  Improved Narc Missile Beacon (iNARC#)
  A unit with the INARC# special ability may make an extra 
  weapon attack using its iNarc missile beacon device. A unit hit 
  by an iNarc beacon will not suffer damage from the iNarc itself, 
  but will suffer 1 additional point of damage from any Indirect 
  Fire (IF), LRm, or SRm attacks for the rest of the game—unless 
  the unit is within a friendly ECm bubble. the iNarc beacon 
  launcher is usable up to the medium range bracket. 
  Instead of their normal attack, iNarc launchers may fire 
  specialty ammo (see Alternate Munitions, p. 76).
  the numerical value of this ability indicates the number of 
  extra iNarc beacon attacks the unit can deliver in a single turn.
  Large (LG)
  Large units cover a 2” radius area. Large units block LOS.
  Light Active Probe (LPRB)
  Light active probes function in the same way as standard 
  active probes, but only have an effective range of 12”. As 
  with standard probes, light probes automatically confer the 
  Recon (RCN) special ability upon their users, and enable them 
  to detect hidden units (see Hidden Units, p. 102), identify 
  incoming sensor blips, or discover the capabilities of unknown 
  hostile units that fall within this range (see Concealing Unit 
  Data, pp. 87-89).
  Hostile ECm systems, including Angel ECm (AECm) and 
  standard ECm (ECm) will overwhelm the light active probe’s 
  abilities.
  Light Target Acquisition Gear (LTAG)
  A unit with Light tAG can “paint” targets for artillery homing 
  rounds (see Artillery, p. 73) in the same way as a unit with 
  standard target acquisition gear (tAG). Light tAG may only be 
  used in the Short range bracket.
  Long-Range Missiles (LRM#/#/#/#)
  this unit mounts a significant number of long-range missile 
  launchers and may fire them together as an alternative 
  weapon attack instead of a standard weapon attack. this 
  ability enables the unit to use alternate LRm ammo for 
  modified effects (see Alternate Munitions, p. 76).
  
  Recon (RCN)
  the recon ability works in conjunction with the mobile 
  Headquarters (mHQ#) ability (see Battlefield Intelligence, p. 82).
  Reflective Armor (RFA)
  A unit with reflective armor is resistant to damage from energy 
  weapons, including flamers, but is much more susceptible to 
  physical attacks, area-effect weapons, and armor-penetrating 
  hits. If a unit with this special is struck by an air-to-ground strafing 
  attack, or by a weapon attack by a unit with the ENE special, or by 
  an attack using the Ht special, reduce this damage (or heat) by 
  half before applying it. (Round this damage down, to a minimum 
  of 1 point of damage or heat applied from that attack type.) 
  If, on the other hand, a unit with this ability suffers damage 
  from any physical attack, an area-effect attack, or by any attack 
  using the ARt, BOmB, FLK, or mSL specials, double the damage 
  applied by that attack. 
  For all other attacks against a unit with reflective armor, reduce 
  the total damage applied by 1 point (to a minimum of 1 point).
  Finally, all critical hits suffered by a unit equipped with reflective 
  armor apply a +2 modifier on the unit’s Critical Hits table. modified 
  critical results of 13 or higher are treated as Engine Hits.
  Note that this damage reducing (and increasing) effect even 
  covers general attacks by such units that possess such abilities, so 
  if a unit that can deliver 4 points of damage at Short range attacks 
  a target ’mech with reflective armor, and the attacker also has the 
  Ht2 special, the attack will deliver 3 points of damage (4 – 1 = 3), 
  plus 1 point of heat (Ht2 ÷ 2 = 1).
  Remote Sensor Dispenser (RSD#)
  A unit with this ability may deploy 1 remote sensor per turn per 
  Remote Sensor Dispenser. (the number of dispensers the unit is 
  carrying is indicated in the special ability’s abbreviation.) When 
  deployed, sensors are stationary and rest on the surface of the 
  underlying terrain. A remote sensor has no armor to speak of, and 
  is automatically destroyed in the End Phase of any turn that ends 
  with an opposing unit in base-to-base contact with them.
  Alternatively, the sensor may be destroyed if it takes 1 point of 
  damage. Attacks against a sensor apply a –2 to-hit modifier. Each 
  type of sensor may also be carried as a bomb (taking 1 bomb 
  slot) by any unit that possesses the BOmB# special ability. Once 
  deployed, remote sensors may be used to spot for indirect or 
  artillery attacks, as if they were a friendly unit, but they apply an 
  additional +3 to-hit modifier. 
  Remote Sensors can also reveal units (see Hidden Units, p. 102), 
  unless they are affected by hostile ECm systems, including Angel 
  ECm (AECm) and standard ECm (ECm), which will overwhelm 
  their abilities.
  Saw (SAW)
  A unit with this special ability may forego its attack to clear an 
  area of woods (see Terrain Conversion, p. 104).
  Searchlight (SRCH)
  Units equipped with a searchlight ignore the to-hit modifiers 
  for combat in darkness (see Darkness, p. 92).
  Short Range Missiles (SRM #/#)
  this unit mounts a significant number of short-range missile 
  launchers and may fire them together as an alternative weapon 
  range of medium, while Compact Narc beacon launchers (CNARC) 
  have a maximum range of Short. 
  Instead of their normal attack, Narc launchers may fire specialty 
  ammo (see Alternate Munitions, p. 76).
  the numerical value of this ability indicates the number of extra 
  Narc beacon attacks the unit can deliver in a single turn.
  Paratroops (PAR)
  these units may dismount from airborne transport units 
  (including aerospace units) just like jump infantry.
  Point Defense (PNT#)
  Unless it is shut down, a unit protected by a point defense 
  system automatically engages any missiles that attack it. Unlike 
  an anti-missile system (AmS), the point defense system may 
  engage Arrow IV, capital or sub-capital missiles as well as missile 
  attacks delivered using the IF, SRm, and LRm specials. 
  Point defense has a 360-degree arc of fire, and is always 
  successful, so no to-hit roll is required. Point defense generates 
  a number of “defensive damage points” equal to the ability’s 
  numerical rating. thus, a unit with a PNt6 special would generate 
  6 points of “defensive damage” per turn. this damage is distributed 
  among incoming missiles at the controlling player’s discretion. 
  If an incoming missile delivers no damage to begin with, any 
  amount of defensive damage from a point defense ability will 
  destroy the incoming missile before it can attack.
  For all other incoming missiles, 1 point of defensive damage 
  will apply a +1 to-hit modifier to the missile’s attack roll, and 
  reduce the incoming attack’s damage value by half (rounded 
  down, to a minimum of 0 points). If 2 or more points of defensive 
  damage are assigned to an incoming missile attack, the attack is 
  eliminated entirely. 
  ProtoMech Transport (PT#)
  A unit with this special ability can transport, deploy, and drop 
  the indicated number of Protomechs. this ability usually applies 
  to DropShips, and is always used in conjunction with the Door 
  special ability (see Transporting Non-Infantry Units and Dropping 
  Troops, pp. 63, 90, respectively).
  Rail (RAIL)
  A unit with the Rail special can only move along rails.
  Reactive Armor (RCA)
  A unit with reactive armor is resistant to damage from explosive 
  ordnance, particularly those delivered by artillery and missile 
  weaponry. If a unit with this special is struck by damage from 
  any area-effect attack, or by any attacking using the ARt, BOmB, 
  mSL, or FLK specials, reduce the damage from these attacks by 
  half before applying it (rounding down). For any attack against 
  a unit with reactive armor by a unit with the IF, LRm, or SRm 
  specials, reduce the amount of attack’s damage by half of the LRm 
  or SRm special’s value at the appropriate range (rounding up). If 
  reactive armor reduces damage below 1 point, treat the attack as 
  delivering 1 point.
  Note that this damage reducing effect even covers general 
  attacks by units that possess such abilities, so if a unit that can 
  deliver 4 points of damage at Short range attacks a target with 
  reactive armor, and the attacker has the SRm 2/2 special, the 
  damage delivered is 3 points (4 points total – (2 ÷ 2) = 3).
  
  109
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  the taser attack itself delivers no damage, but a successful 
  hit will cause either interference or shutdown any target 
  that is not conventional infantry, a DropShip, or possesses 
  the LG, VLG, or SLG ability. Conventional infantry, DropShips, 
  and units with the LG, VLG, or SLG abilities ignore the taser 
  effects entirely. 
  When a taser attack hits a target that can be affected by it, 
  the attacker rolls 2D6, applying a –2 if using a BtAS special, a 
  –2 if the target is a Battlemech, and a +2 modifier if the target 
  is battle armor infantry. On an 8+, the target is shut down for 1 
  turn. On a 7 or less, the target suffers interference effects that 
  apply a +1 to-hit modifier to all of its attack and Control rolls 
  the unit makes for 1 turn (additional taser hits do not add to 
  this effect). taser effects wear off in the End Phase of the turn 
  after a taser’s successful attack.
  Trenchworks/Fieldworks Engineers (TRN)
  Each turn these infantry units may convert a 2” radius area 
  of effect into a fortified area. Attacks against infantry units in 
  a fortified area suffer an additional +2 to-hit modifier. Heat, 
  Inferno and area effect weapons ignore this modifier.
  variable-Range Targeting (vRT)
  Units equipped with variable-range targeting may switch 
  between short-range, long-range or standard targeting 
  during the End Phase of any turn (see Targeting and Tracking 
  Systems, p. 103).
  vehicle Transport (vTM#, vTH#, or vTS#)
  Vehicles differ from other units in that the type of bay 
  necessary for transport differs by vehicle weight. the 
  Vehicle transport special ability also indicates the maximum 
  weight class of vehicle a given bay can accommodate, as 
  defined below:
  medium Vehicle transport (Vtm#) bays can handle units of 
  Size class 1 and 2 that do not have the Large (LG), Very Large 
  (VLG), or Super Large (SLG) specials.
  Heavy Vehicle transport (VtH) bays can hold units of Size 
  class 1 through 4 that do not have the Large (LG), Very Large 
  (VLG) or Super Large (SLG) specials.
  Super-Heavy Vehicle transport (VtS) bays can accommodate 
  units of Size class 1 through 4, including those that have the 
  Large (LG) special, but not the Very Large (VLG) or Super Large 
  (SLG) specials. 
  Full rules regarding how to drop and deploy non-infantry 
  units from a transport are presented elsewhere in this 
  chapter. For air vehicles (including VtOLs and airship units), 
  see Aerospace Unit Transports, p. 72. For other non-infantry 
  transports, see Transporting Non-Infantry Units, p. 63. the 
  Dropping Troops rules (see p. 90) may also be used for some 
  vehicle units.
  very Large (vLG)
  A unit with this ability fully occupies a 4” radius area. Very 
  Large units block LOS.
  very-Short Takeoff and Landing (vSTOL)
  this ability allows a unit to lift off and land in a shorter 
  amount of space than regular aerodyne units (see Aerospace 
  Units on the Ground Map, p. 70).
  attack instead of a standard weapon attack. this ability 
  enables the unit to use alternate SRm ammo for modified 
  effects (see Alternate Munitions, p. 76).
  Small Craft Transport (ST#)
  A unit with this special ability can transport/ launch, 
  and recover the indicated number of Small Craft. this 
  ability usually applies to DropShips, and is always used in 
  conjunction with the Door special ability (see Transporting 
  Non-Infantry Units, p. 63).
  Space Defense System  
  (SDS-C #/#/#/#, SDS-CM #/#/#/#, SDS-SC #/#/#/#)
  Any non-DropShip unit or installation with SDS weapons is 
  a unit that carries large weapons designed almost exclusively 
  for use against WarShips. these capital or sub-capital weapons 
  are generally too large to use effectively in ground combat, 
  and are generally reserved to target incoming DropShips 
  and WarShips, though SDS missiles (SDS-Cm) may also be 
  employed as artillery.
  In the limited instances where these weapons may be 
  used, consult the Capital and Sub-Capital Weapons rules (see 
  pp. 86-87).
  Space Operations Adaptation (SOA)
  A unit with this special ability can operate in vacuum (see p. 
  92), but is not capable of spaceflight on its own.
  Sub-Capital (SCAP)
  Sub-capital weapons are smaller-scale versions of the 
  capital weapons used on WarShips and SDS batteries. their 
  use is still almost exclusively limited to combat between units 
  in orbital space and beyond, and so is generally beyond the 
  general scope of the ground war game presented in this book.
  Nevertheless, in certain limited instances where they may 
  be used, consult the Capital and Sub-Capital Weapons rules 
  (see pp. 86-87).
  Super Large (SLG)
  Super Large units occupy a 6” radius area or larger. Super 
  Large units block LOS.
  Target Acquisition Gear (TAG)
  tAG is used to designate targets for homing artillery attacks. 
  A unit with this ability may designate targets in the Short and 
  medium range brackets (see Artillery, p. 73).
  Taser (MTAS# or BTAS#)
  A unit with the mtAS# special is carrying a ’mech taser; a 
  unit with the BtAS# special carries a battle armor taser. 
  For mtAS special abilities, the # in this special indicates the 
  quantity of taser weapons mounted by the unit in question, 
  each of which may attempt one attack per turn against any 
  targets that lie in the unit’s firing arc and within its Short range 
  bracket. 
  For BtAS special abilities, the # in this special represents the 
  maximum number of taser attacks the unit can make for the 
  entire scenario. 
  All taser attacks are resolved separately, and may be made 
  in addition to the unit’s normal weapon or physical attacks.
  
  can move 14”j can therefore move up to 7 hexes on a map. Each 
  unit must be placed in a hex, and facing a hex side (rather than a 
  hex corner), for firing and attack arc purposes. Units larger than 
  a single hex in size must at least be centered on a single hex or 
  otherwise placed in such a way that the hexes they occupy are 
  clearly recognized.
  Finding Range: to determine ranges on a hex map, find the 
  shortest path to the target and count the hexes between target 
  and attacker. Begin this count with the hex immediately adjacent 
  to the attacker’s hex along the line of sight and include the 
  target’s hex in the range value. this total number of hexes from 
  the attacker to the target equals the range between them. 
  Weapon attacks in Alpha Strike may be attempted at or within 
  the hex-converted range brackets in use: Short (0-3 hexes); 
  medium (4-12 hexes); Long (13-21 hexes). Physical attacks of all 
  types can only be performed between units that are in the same 
  or adjacent hexes.
  Base-to-Base Contact: Under hex-based rules, a unit in an 
  adjacent hex qualifies for base-to-base contact.
  Area-Effect Templates: the conversion for area effects follows 
  the same approach as above, with an AoE always centered on a 
  hex. thus, a 2-inch radius Area of Effect will affect only one hex. 
  Each additional 2 inches of AoE radius extends the area by 1 hex 
  in all directions, so a 6-inch radius AoE will affect the target hex, as 
  well as all hexes within 2 hexes of that impact point. 
  LINE OF SIGHT
  In order to attack a target in hex map play, a clear line of sight 
  (LOS) must exist between the target and the attacker. A straight 
  line running from the center of the attacking unit’s hex to the 
  center of the target unit’s hex defines the LOS between them. 
  Any hexes through which this line passes lie 
  along the LOS, even if the line barely crosses 
  a given corner of a hex.
  If a LOS falls straight down the border 
  between hexes, the defender determines 
  which hex it passes through, which will 
  impose all modifiers for the terrain in the 
  chosen hex on any attacks made between 
  the two units (see Intervening Terrain on Hex 
  Maps, pp. 111-112). 
  the hexes containing the attacking 
  and target units are not considered when 
  determining LOS, and they almost never 
  interfere with LOS (see Intervening Terrain 
  on Hex Maps, pp. 111-112 for any exceptions 
  to this rule).
  Adjacent Ground Units: Units in adjacent 
  hexes always have LOS to each other, unless 
  one unit is completely underwater and the 
  adjacent unit is not (see Terrain Modifiers, p. 
  37). Likewise, if both units are in adjacent 
  building hexes but at different levels, LOS 
  may not exist (see Attacking Units Inside 
  Buildings, p. 85).
  Airborne Aerospace Units and LOS: 
  Airborne aerospace units always have LOS 
  to one another.
  convertIng 
  AlphA StrIke  
  to hex mApS
  For players who don’t have the 
  table space or storage room for 
  miniature terrain, hexagonal-gridded 
  maps (hex maps) are a convenient 
  and easily converted alternative. 
  For this convenience, Catalyst Game 
  Labs produces hex maps suitable 
  for Battletech game play both in 
  the form of high quality, individual 
  HexPacks, 
  and 
  downloadable, 
  printer-ready mapPacks.  
  the following rules outline how 
  to convert Alpha Strike from inches-
  based movement and range, and 
  eyesight-based 
  sighting, 
  to 
  a 
  system compatible with hex maps.
  CONvERTING MOvEMENT 
  AND DISTANCES
  the core conversion between 
  Alpha Strike terrain play, and hex 
  map rules, is 2” per 1 hex and 1” 
  per 1 level of elevation. A unit that 
  A TerrAin expAnsion For The inTroducTory Box seT
  A TerrAin expAnsion For The inTroducTory Box seT
  35140
  35140
  Hexpack: lakes and rivers
  Hexpack: lakes and rivers
  TM
  TM
  A TerrAin expAnsion For The inTroducTory Box seT
  TM
  TM
  ©2010 WizKids, Inc. All rights Reserved. HexPack: Lakes and Rivers, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech and WK Games 
  are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the 
  Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. 
  WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
  You’ve defeated your opponent across all the terrain that the BattleTech Introductory Box Set has 
  to offer and now you want more worlds to conquer. Grab your dice and start rolling, because 
  this product is for you!
  HexPack: Lakes and Rivers is a flexible map system aid for the BattleTech game system. Designed 
  for use in conjunction with other pre-printed mapsheets (such as those from the Introductory Box 
  Set), the system’s flexibility allows for easy modifications to existing mapsheets, increasing the 
  enjoyment of a given scenario as players quickly change the terrain to bring new excitement to 
  each game they play! A booklet contains two ready-to-play scenarios, which include expanded 
  play options such as clearing woods, buildings and additional weather conditions.
  The BattleTech Introductory Box Set is required to use HexPack: Lakes and Rivers.
  Contents:
  One 18” x 22” full-color gameboard-quality mapsheet, with a different map printed on either side.
  •	
  Four punch-out-and-ready-to-play gameboard-quality HexTile sheets.
  •	
  Sixteen page booklet. 
  •	
        Miniatures not included.
  Made in China
  THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY.  
  NOT INTENDED FOR USE OF PERSONS 
  12 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER.
  
  111
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  ProtoMechs, Ground vehicles and Infantry: Protomechs, 
  most ground-based combat and support vehicles, and 
  infantry rise 1 level above the level of the underlying hex. 
  Naval vehicles: While submerged, submarines subtract 
  their depth from the surface of the water hex they occupy 
  (normally Depth 0), but then add 1 level to represent the depth 
  of the hex they occupy. thus, a submarine operating at Depth 
  1 is considered to be underwater. Non-submersible vessels and 
  submarines at Depth 0 rise 1 level above the water surface.
  Large vehicles and Multi-hex Units: Vehicles with the 
  LG, VLG, or SLG specials, and other units that occupy multiple 
  hexes (including mobile structures, but not DropShips), rise 
  2 levels above the level of the underlying hex terrain unless 
  otherwise stated. DropShip heights are covered below. If, for 
  any reason, a multi-hex unit occupies underlying terrain of 
  multiple heights, the highest level is used as the underlying 
  terrain for LOS purposes.
  Airborne Non-Aerospace Units: VtOLs and WiGE vehicles, 
  or other units using similar movement modes (such as a battle 
  armor unit using VtOL move), add their elevation +1 to the 
  level of the underlying hex (+2 if the airborne unit has the LG, 
  VLG, or SLG specials).
  Grounded Aerospace Units: For purposes of LOS, treat 
  grounded fighters as vehicles, rising 1 level above the level of 
  the underlying hex they occupy. Grounded small craft rise 2 
  levels above the underlying terrain. For grounded DropShips, 
  treat aerodyne units as if they rise 5 levels above the underlying 
  terrain, and spheroids as if they stand 10 levels high.
  INTERvENING TERRAIN ON HEX MAPS
  Any terrain that lies in the hexes along the LOS between 
  the attacker and the target—but not including the hexes 
  actually occupied by the attacker and target—has the 
  potential for being considered intervening terrain. the key 
  deciding factor in whether or not a piece of terrain intervenes 
  is its height relative to those of the attacker and its target, 
  and includes the height of any underlying terrain. Only 
  Airborne Aerospace Units vs. Non-Aerospace Units: All 
  non-aerospace units (including grounded aerospace units) 
  not submerged in a water hex always have LOS to airborne 
  aerospace units. Aerospace units making air-to-ground attacks 
  can only attack non-airborne units along their designated 
  attack path, which must be a straight row of hexes passing 
  over the hex map.
  TERRAIN LEvELS AND UNIT HEIGHTS
  For purposes of determining LOS in hex play, both terrain 
  and units receive standard heights that define their three 
  dimensional aspects in the absence of actual eye-and-ruler 
  sighting. the below rules are also summarized on the Unit 
  Heights table.
  Terrain Levels
  In the hex maps published for Battletech, the level (or 
  depth) of any hex is marked on the map when it is other than 
  0. Hexes with levels higher than 0 are also referred to as hills, 
  while hexes lower than 0 are referred to as sinkholes (unless 
  they are filled with water or something similar).
  Woods/Jungle: For line of sight purposes, woods and 
  jungle terrain rise 2 levels above that of the underlying hex 
  they occupy, so the treetops on a level 1 hill are considered 
  to be at level 3. Units occupying woods hexes are standing on 
  the underlying terrain, not on top of the trees, unless they are 
  airborne (such as VtOLs). 
  Buildings: Buildings rise above the level of the underlying 
  hex they occupy for a number of levels equal to the building’s 
  height level. For instance, a level 2 building on a level 4 hex 
  puts the roof at 6 levels above the hex map’s ground level.
  Water: Water hexes descend to a specific depth below 
  the surface. the surface of a water feature is treated as open 
  terrain of the same level as the lowest surrounding land 
  terrain, but its depth represents the water feature’s “floor”—
  the deepest point any unit might go. Water thus intervenes 
  for LOS purposes only if units are partially or fully submerged 
  within it. A ’mech standing in depth 1 water, for example, 
  would be partially submerged (and would receive partial 
  cover as a result), because its lower half would be underwater, 
  while its upper half would be above the water surface.
  Other Terrain Features: Other terrain features and 
  conditions outlined in Alpha Strike follow their standard line 
  of sight rules, with any prescribed terrain heights translated 
  normally from inches to levels. 
  Unit Heights
  A unit’s height rises above that of the underlying terrain, 
  and is given in levels. When terrain is not given a height, it may 
  be presumed to be “Level 0”, the game board’s base ground 
  level (also its “sea level”, or Depth 0, if water is present). Units 
  trace line of sight from their uppermost levels, so a 2-level tall 
  Battlemech standing atop a 3-level hill effectively draws a line 
  of sight from 5 levels above the ground level. Unit heights 
  breakdown as such:
  ’Mechs: ’mechs rise 2 levels above the level of the 
  underlying hex. Superheavy ’mechs rise 3 levels above the 
  underlying terrain.
  unit HeigHts table
  Type
  Height*
  ’mechs
  2 levels
  Superheavy ’mechs
  3 levels
  Protomechs, vehicles, infantry and fighters
  1 level
  Submarines
  1 depth
  Large support vehicles and small craft
  2 levels
  Very large support vehicles
  3 levels
  Super large support vehicles
  4 levels
  Aerodyne DropShips
  5 levels
  Spheroid DropShips
  10 levels
  mobile structures
  Varies
  *A unit’s height levels (or elevations, if airborne) must be included in the level 
  of the underlying hex for determining a unit’s total height; the height of 
  aerospace units for LOS purposes is irrelevant while airborne.
  
  Woods/Jungle: 3 or more hexes of intervening woods/jungle 
  terrain blocks LOS. 
  Hills: Intervening hills block any LOS that passes through their 
  hexes and height levels.
  Water: Intervening water blocks LOS unless both the attacker 
  and target are on/above the surface (or both the attacker and 
  target are completely submerged and no other terrain intervenes). 
  Other Units: Except for grounded DropShips, mobile structures, 
  and units with the LG, VLG, or SLG specials, intervening units have 
  no effect on line of sight or attacks. Grounded DropShips, mobile 
  structures, and units with the LG, VLG, and SLG specials block any 
  LOS that passes through their hexes and height levels.
  Partial Cover (’Mechs only)
  Only ’mechs (including superheavy ’mechs) can receive partial 
  cover from terrain. Protomechs, vehicles, and infantry cannot 
  receive partial cover in hex map play, nor can large support 
  vehicles, mobile structures, grounded small craft and grounded 
  DropShips, or any other unit types that rise more than a single 
  level above the underlying terrain. 
  to receive partial cover, a ’mech must be adjacent to a hex 1 level 
  higher than the level of the underlying hex the ’mech occupies, and 
  the elevated hex must lie between the ’mech and its attacker. the 
  attacking unit must also have an LOS level equal to or lower than the 
  target ’mech’s height; an attacking unit whose LOS begins above the 
  target ’mech’s height ignores the partial cover effect. In other words, 
  an attacker firing downhill at a target ’mech thus negates its target’s 
  partial cover. (See Water Hexes, below for the exception.)
  the intervening obstruction providing partial cover must be a 
  solid terrain type, such as a hill, a building, or DropShip. Bridges 
  and woods do not provide partial cover.
  terrain features that have levels, such as trees and buildings, 
  can intervene in LOS. For example, rubble would not intervene, 
  though the hex containing the rubble might (depending on its 
  underlying level).
  For example, a ’mech standing at level 0, and targeting a vehicle 
  parked on a level 1 hill, would consider a hex of intervening 
  woods on level 0 terrain to be intervening (because the woods 
  rise 2 levels high). 
  terrain along the LOS between two hexes is considered to be 
  intervening if any of the following conditions apply:
   • the level of the terrain or feature is equal to or higher than 
  the level of both units.
   • the terrain or feature is adjacent to the attacker and equal to 
  or higher than the attacker’s level.
   • the terrain or feature is adjacent to the target and equal to or 
  higher than the target’s level.
  Terrain Modifiers
  As long as the intervening terrain does not block line (see 
  below), intervening terrain will apply the same to-hit modifiers 
  as described in non-hex Alpha Strike play. Remember that 
  any Alpha Strike terrain modifiers based on inches of terrain 
  intervention must convert this effect to hexes at a rate of 2 
  inches per hex. 
  Blocking Terrain
  the following intervening terrain types will block LOS as 
  defined below.
  Buildings and Bridges: Intervening building hexes block any 
  LOS that passes through the building at any level. Bridges do not 
  block line of sight.
  
  113
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  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Partial cover does not block LOS; it simply adds the partial 
  cover modifier to the attacker’s to-hit number. the attack is then 
  resolved normally. If the partial cover is a building or grounded 
  DropShip, a failed attack that misses the target unit by 2 points 
  or less will damage the building or DropShip instead (see 
  Buildings and Aerospace Units on the Ground Map, pp. 83 
  and 70 respectively). 
  the to-hit modifiers for attacking a unit that 
  has partial cover are the same as in standard 
  Alpha Strike gameplay. 
  Water Hexes
  A Depth 1 water hex provides partial cover 
  for a standing ’mech occupying that hex. 
  Because the water surrounds the ’mech, this 
  partial cover applies even if the attacker is at 
  a higher level than the target.
  Depth 2 or deeper water completely blocks 
  LOS between the ’mech standing in that hex and 
  any non-naval units on the surface. this means 
  that units above the water, such as hover or 
  WiGE vehicles, never have LOS to a submerged 
  unit, even if they occupy the same water hex.
  vehicles: Hovercraft and WiGEs moving 
  over water, amphibious vehicles, and naval 
  vessels operating on the water surface, rise 
  their listed number of levels in unit height above 
  the surface level of the water hex. Submarines can be at 
  any depth on or under the water, with their height for LOS 
  purposes based on that depth level. 
  • grounded dropships firing arcs diagrams • 
  • firing arcs diagram • 
  
  The Kerensky Blood Chapel lies in ruins. But the Wolves succeeded in holding out against the might of the Clans long enough to abscond with everything in the repository. 
  AlphA StrIke cAmpAIgn ruleS
  
  115
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
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  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  FORCE CREATION
  In this campaign, the players are divided in to two sides: 
  Attacker and Defender. Each side may then use either the 
  sample army lists presented in this book (see pp. 135-141), 
  or pick and choose forces from our forthcoming Alpha Strike 
  supplements. the recommended force sizes for this campaign 
  should be about a battalion’s worth of troops (roughly 36-45 
  units). As the sample armies in this book are about company 
  sized (10-12 units), this can be acheived either by using the 
  same sample army lists multiple times, or mixing army lists 
  from multiple factions, if preferred. 
  A balancing mechanism—such as the point values shown in 
  the army lists—should be used to ensure that both forces are 
  roughly equivalent. Having both forces match in total point 
  values will ensure a relatively fair fight, so the players’ skills 
  and tactics then determine who wins the world, rather than 
  merely the size of their armies. If greater realism or challenge 
  is preferred, players may wish to play out this campaign 
  using unbalanced forces, to see whose tactics might fare best 
  against overwhelming—or even hopeless—odds.
  CAMPAIGN TURNS
  At the campaign level, each turn has three phases: 
  track, Determine Outcome, and Logistics. these phases are 
  described below.
  Track Phase
  During the track Phase, the actual engagement is played 
  out to its conclusion. the tracks presented in this book will 
  use standard Alpha Strike rules to resolve tracks, with some 
  advanced options applied as necessary.
  the tracks in the planetary assault campaign begin on 
  p. 121 with Meeting Engagement. the other tracks include 
  Advance, Assault, Counterattack, Pursuit and Defense. this 
  campaign always begins with Meeting Engagement. 
  Players are encouraged to read all tracks prior to making 
  decisions about the forces they will use in each one. this will 
  help to ensure that both sides have made informed decisions 
  on when to deploy the bulk of their force versus simply sending 
  in the scouts. It is not always in an army’s best interests, after 
  all, to bring everything it has to a single firefight.
  Determine Outcome Phase
  When the track ends, the players resolve the outcome of the 
  track that was just played, and also identify which track will 
  follow (if any). Any additional consequences of the track are 
  resolved in this phase as well. 
  Warchest points (WP) are awarded at this phase, based on 
  the previous track’s outcome. Because both teams must pay 
  the next track’s cost in WP to continue the campaign, once one 
  side or another lacks the points do so, that side has run out of 
  logistical support and has effectively lost the campaign. If both 
  sides cannot afford the track’s WP cost, whichever side has 
  the lowest number of Warchest points remaining has lost the 
  campaign. (If there is still a tie, the Defender wins by default.)
  the following rules are intended to help provide players 
  with a framework for running a campaign of linked battles 
  and scenarios using the Alpha Strike game rules. the sample 
  campaign provided is that of a straightforward planetary 
  assault, where one force acts as the attacking army and the 
  other force is the defender. the outcomes of each battle 
  scenario can impact the strength and logistical support each 
  force has remaining, presenting opportunities for salvage or 
  repair accordingly, rather than defining victory and defeat 
  simply by which side is left standing. through this campaign 
  approach, it may not be necessary for one side to win every 
  battle in order to win the war.
  these rules are designed to present players with a relatively 
  basic and balanced campaign. Players interested in more of 
  a challenge may consider this chapter a mere framework, 
  however, intended more to serve as an inspiration and 
  baseline, which may be adjusted and customized to best suit 
  their own gaming tables. 
  Track System: this campaign uses the flexible Chaos 
  Campaign track system, which is used in many Battletech 
  publications today. tracks published in a number of different 
  books (such as Total Chaos) and in downloadable PDF-
  exclusive format (such as Turning Points series) can likewise 
  serve as inspiration for an Alpha Strike campaign.
  Warchest Points: to represent the resources of 
  participating armies in a campaign without delving 
  too deeply in things like currency, medical supplies, 
  quartermaster operations, and so forth, the campaign 
  system in this book uses Warchest points (WP). Warchest 
  points represent an abstraction of all of these elements in 
  a force’s logistics and such, and are used as the campaign 
  goes on to make repairs, purchase replacement parts, or 
  pay for the various phases of each campaign. As a general 
  rule, each track of a campaign costs a certain number of 
  WP to begin, and rewards WP at its conclusion. Additional 
  elements of each track can increase or decrease these 
  rewards, as will be discussed more in depth later.
  SettIng up the 
  cAmpAIgn
  the campaign in this chapter presents players focuses on a 
  single planetary assault campaign, where one side serves as 
  the attacking force, and the other as the planet’s defending 
  force. the planetary conquest objective is pursued through 
  a series of engagements, the focus of which will change 
  depending on who wins each one. As the campaign rages 
  on, attrition will become a key factor in permitting or denying 
  victory, so players on both sides should consider carefully 
  how many units from their army lists they choose to commit 
  to each fight. Additional objectives, for added spice, may be 
  added at the players’ discretion.
  
  effects specific to that track. In addition, the Warchest point 
  (WP) system enables player groups to choose what direction 
  the campaign takes. 
  Because the players can decide which route to take between 
  tracks, the total Chaos campaign system can be replayed often, 
  using different tracks, forces, and mission selections. Gamemasters 
  and players may decide how much detail they wish to delve into, 
  and may add further scenarios for sub-campaigns and supporting 
  actions within the track framework. this gives a very organic feel 
  to the campaign, in which the objectives, methods, and style of 
  the campaign are all up to the players’ tastes. 
  TRACKS
  Each track centers on a core plot line or mission, focused on a 
  single event or scenario. 
  tracks are broken into several sections: Situation, Game Setup, 
  Warchest, Objectives, Special Rules, Aftermath, and Next Track. 
  these sections are defined further as follows.
  SITUATION
  the track’s Situation provides its setting, the general where 
  and when about the track. this includes a short fiction entry, to 
  provide some context for the players.
  Game Setup 
  the track’s Game Setup indicates what terrain features and 
  force sizes and other elements the players will need to resolve the 
  mission at hand. If hex maps are use, this part of the track will 
  provide terrain tables that may be used in selecting mapsheets 
  for the scenarios therein. 
  the Alpha Strike Campaign Flowchart helps illustrate the 
  progress of the campaign based on which side wins each 
  engagement. If the Attacker wins, the next track played is 
  identified by the arrows marked “A”. If the Defender wins, the next 
  track played is identified using the arrows marked “D”.
  Logistics Phase
  the Logistics Phase is the final part of the Alpha Strike campaign 
  turn. In this phase, the players may use the simplified logistics 
  rules presented here to salvage, repair, or even replace units 
  between tracks. this may be done using WP (as recommended), 
  or by another system the players can agree upon.
  After the Logistics Phase, as long as the opposing sides have 
  enough resources to do so, the campaign will continue with the 
  next track Phase.
  the totAl chAoS 
  cAmpAIgn SyStem
  the total Chaos campaign rules provide an open-ended 
  framework that easily allows players to employ a variety of 
  published tracks to create their own unique gaming expe-
  riences using forces of their own creation. Designed for both 
  player-on-player games and games where one player always 
  serves as an impartial gamemaster, each track provides 
  a general structure to assist players and gamemasters in 
  creating the opposing forces and adding other battlefield 
  • alpha strike campaign flowchart • 
  
  117
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Alternatively, if the players had decided to use a 
  simple number-of-units standard to determine force 
  sizes, then John would select up to 9 units from his 12-
  ’Mech force (12 x 75% = 9). 
  Warchest 
  the Warchest section of each track describes how many 
  Warchest Points (WP) the track costs and, if applicable, 
  additional bonus options that may be purchased to add 
  advantages to either side. track costs are an abstract 
  number that reflects the combination of travel, distance, 
  time, reputation, logistical support, and other intangibles 
  considered the force must expend to get prepare for and take 
  part in the events of the track. 
  Both teams must have enough WP to pay their applicable 
  track costs in order to participate. If a team does not have 
  enough WP, they may either go into Warchest debt (see 
  Warchest Debt, p. 118) or surrender the campaign by default. 
  If both teams cannot pay the track cost at the time, the team 
  with the greater amount of remaining WP wins the campaign. 
  If both teams have the same number of remaining XPs and 
  cannot afford to purchase the track, the Defender wins the 
  campaign.
  teams are not required to use the options listed is a track’s 
  Warchest section, and may run the track without them. 
  However, if a team chooses to use one or more option to 
  improve their chances, that option’s costs are applied to the 
  team’s WP cost for the track and the effects apply throughout 
  all actions in the track. multiple options may be in effect 
  during a track, and all costs for the options are cumulative to 
  the appropriate side. 
  Objectives
  Objectives indicate the track goals a given team must 
  achieve, with the player receiving the indicated WP for each 
  of his objectives reached. Unless otherwise indicated, these 
  rewards are cumulative. Note that some objectives may yield 
  a negative reward, indicating that it is in the player’s best 
  interest to avoid “achieving” that objective.
  Note that attrition is a big part of this campaign: both teams 
  may run out of Warchest points rapidly.
  Special Rules
  the Special Rules section indicates which special rules 
  apply to the track, if any. Special rules that are not already 
  featured elsewhere in this book will be described in this part 
  of the track.
  Aftermath and Next Track
  the Aftermath section is used to indicate whether logistics 
  (see Logistics, p. 116) are possible, and for which team. this 
  section is followed by Next Track, which indicates the tracks 
  which may be selected next, based on which team won the 
  current one.
  Maps 
  As a basic rule, the map area used in a track should 
  be appropriate for the size of the forces involved. the 
  recommended 4-foot by 6-foot table size is ideal for Alpha Strike 
  games where the players may field armies up to a battalion 
  in size per side. Large ground map areas provide more room 
  for tactical considerations such as wide flanking maneuvers 
  and encouraging the use of longer-range weapon attacks and 
  artillery, while smaller play areas encourage a more desperate 
  and brutal up-close-and-personal approach to play. 
  Careful consideration regarding the map size will help 
  ensure a maximum playability for both sides. 
  Player Forces
  Each track defines the forces each player may field (called 
  the player’s “deployed force”) based on a percentage each 
  player’s total army strength (known as the player’s “total 
  force”). this percentage must be applied to whatever system 
  is used to balance the forces used in the tracks. Players should 
  feel free to use any system they prefer, be it total Point Value, 
  total weight values, number of units, and so on.
  Occasionally, a track may further define the strength of one 
  side’s force relative to that of its opponent. When addressing 
  this aspect, the same balancing mechanism should be used to 
  ensure the overall conditions of the track function as intended.
  Because all force strengths are given in percentages, armies 
  of virtually any size will work in these campaign tracks. the 
  battalion-strength forces indicated under Force Creation are 
  merely a recommendation. 
  Revealing Forces: Both teams must create their armies 
  without knowledge of the opposing team’s composition. 
  teams are revealed at the same time during the game setup, 
  and cannot be changed once revealed. Prior to that, the 
  players need only identify the balancing metrics that they 
  already agreed upon.
  the only exception to this occurs if a team violates the track 
  rules concerning deployed force size for any reason, such 
  as deploying 51% of its total PV in forces when only 50% is 
  permitted by the track rules. In this situation, the team that 
  violated the rule must adjust its force until it no longer violates 
  the deployment rules. After this, the team that did not violate 
  the rules can adjust its force in any way desired, by adding, 
  exchanging or removing units as its players see fit. these 
  adjustments are acceptable as long as they stay within the 
  deployment rules of the track.
  If both teams violated the track’s deployment rules, both 
  must change their forces and reveal at the same time again.
  In setting up forces for the track Pursuit (see p. 
  124), John determines that his total force comprises 
  12 ’Mechs totaling 200 PV. As the participants in this 
  campaign have agreed to use PV as the standard for 
  building their forces, this means that John’s deployed 
  force—defined as 75 percent in the track’s rules—
  must not exceed 150 PV (200 x 75% = 150). 
  
  Warchest Debt 
  If the player’s team lacks sufficient WP to purchase any of the 
  tracks available to it, it may opt to go into Warchest debt in order 
  to participate in one more track. Players may not use this option to 
  purchase services, equipment, and the like; it may only be applied 
  toward purchasing one more track for their forces to get through. 
  As the player gains WP during the track, they must use these 
  points to pay off any debts first, until their Warchest rises to a 
  positive number. 
  A player may not put his team into Warchest debt twice in a 
  row. If debt still exists after the track, the player must sell off assets 
  until the force can pur chase its next track, or concede defeat.
  WARCHEST POINTS BETWEEN TRACKS
  Because the Warchest system serves as an abstract method of 
  accounting and force management, spending WP between tracks 
  is simple. Player are welcome to add as much detail as desired in 
  managing their forces; these rules are merely provided for players 
  who wish to run campaigns with minimal time spent on the 
  mundane aspects of force management. 
  Converting Warchest Points to Support Points
  In order to use WP between tracks, the team’s controlling player 
  converts them to Support Points (SP). this is done by taking the 
  number of WP the player intends to spend, and multiplying 
  that number by 10. this is the amount of SP available for use in 
  repairing, purchasing, upgrading, and advancing the team’s force. 
  For example, a player’s force with 800 WP available at the end of 
  one track, might decide to spend 100 points of this toward repairs 
  and upgrades between tracks, which would convert to 1,000 SP 
  (100 WP x 10 = 1,000 SP).
  Converting Support Points to C-Bills
  the most universal currency found in the Battletech universe 
  in most eras is the C-bill. While not generally discussed in this 
  rulebook, C-bills are a valid means of establishing force balance in 
  Battletech games, especially those that might interact with the A 
  Time of War role-playing system. Players who have 
  access to Battletech materials that include C-bill 
  costs for goods, services, and equipment not 
  directly covered by this Warchest system 
  may convert their Support Points to 
  C-bills and use those supplemental 
  rules as they see fit. 
  When 
  converting 
  Support 
  Points to C-bills, multiply the 
  force’s SP total by 10,000. 
  C-bills can be converted back 
  to Support Points by simply 
  dividing the total number of 
  C-bills possessed by 10,000.
  WArcheSt poInt 
  SyStem
  the Warchest point system is an abstraction of the rewards and 
  opportunities that arise out of combat. Beyone mere monetary 
  concepts, Warchest also represents factors such as renown, 
  contacts, being at the right place at the right time. It represents 
  opportunities, whether to participate in a particular battle, fight 
  under certain environmental modifiers, or acquire a Battlemech. It 
  represents a host of resources—both material and otherwise—a 
  given force needs to proceed in its campaign.
  GETTING STARTED 
  Regardless of how the group comes to the table, each force 
  begins its campaign with 1,000 Warchest points. this starting 
  balance of WP is used for only purchasing tracks, track options, 
  and other items in the logistical phases between tracks. these 
  starting WP are not used to pur chase a player’s beginning forces. 
  At the end of each track, one or both sides will be awarded WP 
  based on the objectives they completed. these are added to the 
  appropriate force’s total WP score.
  Between tracks, players may use their WP to increase personnel 
  experience, repair and rearm units, and purchase other group 
  abilities or equipment. All WP expenditures must occur before the 
  beginning of the next track. Players may not spend WP during a 
  track, even if it is split into a mini-campaign. Keep in mind that the 
  next track must also be paid for from the Warchest.
   
  
  119
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  times the listed Support Point cost. this represents that 
  while personnel can advance their skills outside of combat 
  through training, it is a more time consuming and financially 
  expensive proposition. 
  Units may only advance their Skill ratings by 1 increment 
  between tracks, even if there is enough SP handy for more. 
  For example, a mechWarrior can improve his Skill Rating by 
  reducing it by 1, but he may not improve his Skill Rating by 2 
  or more levels. For skill advancement between tracks, use the 
  Skill Advancement table. 
  WArcheSt 
  cAmpAIgn record 
  Sheet
  While players can track their campaigns in whatever form 
  they find most useful, the Campaign Record Sheet provided in 
  this book may be used to track exactly what optional rules are 
  in effect during a given track. the sheet also allows for players 
  to track the damage received in a track, objectives achieved, 
  salvage taken, and so on.
  Repairs, Purchases, and Rearming
  Players can use SP to make repairs and to purchase new 
  units or personnel. Any units that have not had all of their 
  armor and structure marked off in gameplay can be repaired. 
  Otherwise, these units may be destroyed. In the aftermath 
  of a track, one or both sides may have an opportunity to 
  salvage dead units from the field. Salvageable units can 
  then be repaired using the same rules as units that have not 
  been completely marked off. to determine if a unit can be 
  salvaged, consult the Salvage rules (see below).
  When repairing, purchasing, or rearming units, use the 
  Equipment Repairs, Purchases, and Rearming table to find 
  the appropriate costs based on the unit type. For personnel, 
  use Personnel Hiring and Healing table. For simplicity’s 
  sake, as long as the force’s controlling players can afford the 
  SP to do so, repairs and healing are fully completed prior 
  to the commencement of the next track (unless track rules 
  specifically state otherwise).
  All new and replacement personnel are considered Green 
  (Skill rating 5) unless the player spends additional SP to 
  advance the new personnel’s Skill to Regular (Skill rating 4) in 
  advance (see Skill Advancement, p. 119). 
  Salvage
  A unit that has had all of its armor and structure bubbles 
  marked off in gameplay is considered destroyed for tactical 
  purposes, but for most such units there remains a chance that 
  the remains can be salvaged and repaired later. Depending on 
  the specific track rules, salvage may be possible by whichever 
  side won the previous track. 
  When salvage is allowed between tracks, any unit that 
  has been completely marked off by damage will receive a 
  chance to be salvaged unless it is a conventional infantry 
  unit (of any kind), an aerospace unit that crashed, or any unit 
  type that had its last points of armor or structure marked off 
  due to artillery or bomb damage.
  For each marked-off unit that may be salvaged, the side 
  that won the track rolls 2D6. On a result of 9 or higher, the 
  destroyed unit is salvageable, and may be repaired using SP, or 
  scrapped for half its normal selling price (see Selling, below). If 
  the roll is 8 or less, the destroyed unit is too far gone to be of 
  any use.
  Selling
  SP can be generated from the sale of units. Only units that 
  have been fully repaired can be sold. to find the selling price for 
  a unit, find their purchase price as indicated on the Equipment 
  Repairs, Purchases, and Rearming table, and divide this result 
  by 2, then convert from SP back into WP by dividing this SP 
  value by 10, and rounding up. this final result is the number of 
  points added back to the players’ WP.
  SKILL ADvANCEMENT
  Between tracks, any personnel that participated in the last 
  track may advance their skills. those that did not participate 
  in the last track may also advance their skills, but at three 
  WARCHEST CAMPAIGN
  RECORD SHEET
  © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc.                     
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  CAMPAIGN NOTES
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  • warchest campaign record sheet • 
  
  alPHa strike CaMPaign suPPort Point tables
  equiPMent rePairs, PurCHases, and rearMing table
  Activity
  SP Cost
  Repairs
  ’mech or Fighter Armor
  10 per point*
  ’mech or Fighter Structure
  20 per point*
  Protomech Armor and Structure
  25 per point
  Battle Armor Unit
  3 per point
  DropShip Armor and Structure
  20 per point*
  Vehicle/Other Armor
  5 per point*
  Vehicle/Other Structure
  10 per point*
  Purchases
  ’mech or Fighter
  Size x 250**
  Protomech
  Size x 50**
  Battle Armor Unit
  200*
  Vehicle/Other
  Size x 100**
  Rearming
  Standard Rules Ammunition
  10
  Advanced Options Ammunition (see p. 76)
  50
  *Multiply SP cost by 2 for Clan technology units
  **Size is the Size class of the unit desired; 1 = Light, 2 = Medium, 3 = Heavy, 4 = Assault (2x 
  if LG, 4x if VLG, 8x if SLG)
  Personnel Hiring and Healing table
  Activity
  SP Cost
  Hiring
  mechWarrior or Fighter Pilot
  30*
  Protomech Pilot (clan only)
  500
  Battle Armor Squad/Point
  25*
  DropShip Crew
  200
  Vehicle/Small Craft Crew
  60
  Conventional Infantry Unit (Foot)
  100
  Conventional Infantry Unit (motorized)
  200
  Conventional Infantry Unit (Jump)
  300
  Healing
  mechWarrior or Fighter Pilot
  200*
  DropShip/Other Crew
  150*
  Vehicle/Small Craft Crew
  500
  Conventional Infantry Unit (Any)
  60 per point**
  Note: All new hires to a player’s force are treated as Green (Skill rating 5), 
  unless SP is spent on Skill advancement up front.
  *Multiply SP cost by 2 for Clan units
  **Healing infantry repairs damage to unit, so cost is based on points of 
  armor/structure in the unit.
  skill advanCeMent table
  Activity
  SP Cost*
  Improve mechWarrior or Fighter Pilot Skill
  200
  Improve Protomech Unit Skill
  400
  Improve Vehicle Crew Skill
  100
  Improve DropShip Crew Skill
  1,000
  Improve Battle Armor Unit Skill
  800
  Improve Conventional Infantry Unit Skill
  500
  Note: All Skill improvements decrease the unit’s base Skill rating by 1, to a 
  minimum of 0.
  *Multiply SP cost by 3x if the unit did not take part in the previous track.
  
  121
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Defender 
  the Defender consists of up to 33% of the defending team’s 
  total force.
  the Defender enters through its home edge in initiative order. 
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 100
  Options: 
  the following options may be purchased by the indicated 
  sides for this track:
  +100 Mined Out: (Defender only) Recon teams have 
  managed to place a number of conventional minefields 
  equal to the number of ’mechs and vehicles the Defender has 
  deployed. these minefields all have a Density rating of 1. (See 
  Minefields, pp. 102-103)
  OBJECTIvES
  the following objectives apply in this track:
  Make their Acquaintance: the first team that destroys or 
  cripples (see p. 27) at least 50% of the units of the opposing 
  force wins. [+200] 
  SPECIAL RULES
  the following special rules are in effect for this track: 
  Forced Withdrawal 
  Both forces must adhere to the optional Forced Withdrawal 
  rules (see p. 27). 
  NEXT TRACK
  there can be no salvage for either side subsequent to this 
  engagement. Neither side may spend WP to repair, replace, or 
  rearm units at the end of this track.
  Attacker Won: Breakthrough (p. 122) 
  Defender Won: Pursuit (p. 124)
  meetIng 
  engAgement
  SITUATION
  And now, again, a battle is joined.
  Some say that you get true measure of your enemy when you 
  first face them in combat. This is true enough to be said, and true 
  enough to be repeated, but it is not a whole truth.
  Surely, the first time your weapon strikes out at those who 
  face you, you do not merely test the manufacture of their 
  armor. The flesh and bone beneath it all might give sooner 
  than the metal.
  But you cannot know the measure of your enemy until you 
  bring him close to death.
  Let us see then, who has come to face us.
  GAME SETUP
  In the initial confrontation between two forces, it is rare for 
  either to have an immediate tactical advantage. 
  When using terrain, each team picks an equal number 
  of terrain features, including hills, and places them on the 
  playing area one at a time. If using hex maps, each team picks 
  an equal number of mapsheets for play, and places them one 
  at a time in any legal configuration. 
  the Defender’s force selects its home edge first; the 
  Attacker’s home edge is the opposite of the Defender’s. 
  Attacker 
  the Attacker consists of up to 33% of the attacking team’s 
  total force. 
  the Attacker enters through its home edge in initiative order. 
  A company of BattleMechs from the Twenty-Second Avalon Hussars RCT, Federated Suns (House Davion).
  
  Defender 
  the Defender consists of up to 
  60% of the defending player’s total 
  surviving force. Units that were 
  used in the prior track are available 
  for use, but may not be repaired 
  between tracks.
  the defending player deploys 
  his entire force prior to Initiative.
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 300 
  Options: 
  the following options may be 
  purchased by the indicated sides 
  for this track:
  +100 
  Getting 
  a 
  Grip: 
  (Attacker 
  only) 
  the 
  Attacker 
  may automatically win initiative 
  a number of times equal to the 
  number of 4-unit lances, 5-unit 
  Stars, or 6-unit Level IIs it has 
  deployed at the start of this 
  track (depending on the player’s 
  preferred method of organization). 
  the Attacker may use this ability 
  after Initiative has been rolled.
  OBJECTIvES
  the following objectives apply in this track:
  Push Through: the Attacker must move at least half the 
  number of units his force begins the track with off the Defender’s 
  home edge. If the Defender cripples or destroys half of the 
  Attacker’s units before this occurs, the Defender wins the track. 
  [+200] 
  Hold the Field: If one team has lost its entire force to destruction 
  or withdrawal from the playing area, the other team successfully 
  holds the field. [+100]
  SPECIAL RULES
  the following special rules are in effect for this track: 
  Forced Withdrawal 
  Both forces must adhere to the optional Forced Withdrawal 
  rules (see p. 27). 
  NEXT TRACK 
  the side that holds the field when the track ends may salvage 
  any destroyed units. Both sides may use WP after this track to 
  perform repairs and such. (See Warchest Points Between Tracks, pp. 
  118-119.)
  Attacker Won: Assault (p. 123) 
  Defender Won: Counterattack (p. 124)
  breAkthrough
  SITUATION
  The initial force is cast aside, and on we march. Haste is of the 
  utmost concern, but discipline is the crucial virtue. It is all too easy, 
  now, to push too far and find ourselves over extended.
  It is the moment of strategy where balance in all things is the only 
  path to victory. Our own flaws are now our enemy as much as the 
  weaponry arrayed before us.
  GAME SETUP 
  the first battle is done, and the Attacker has won a distinct 
  advantage. 
  When using terrain, the Attacker picks the terrain features that 
  will be used, but the Defender places them.
  When using hex maps, the Attacker chooses the mapsheets 
  used for this track, and places them in any legal configuration. 
  the Defending force selects its home edge first; the Attacker’s 
  home edge is the opposite of the Defender’s. 
  Attacker 
  the Attacker consists of up to 75% of the attacking player’s 
  total surviving force. Units that were used in the prior track are 
  available for use, but may not be repaired between tracks.
  the attacking force enters through its home edge in initiative 
  order after the Defender has deployed its entire force.
  
  123
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  off the map 1 turn away from the Attacker’s home edge. 
  this artillery lance is available for supporting fire using 
  both homing and standard Arrow IV rounds. two points 
  of impact may be pre-plotted after the Defender has 
  finished setting up the terrain, but before the Defender has 
  deployed his forces.
  +200 Requesting Swift Delivery: (Defender Only) 
  Beyond any artillery (see Artillery, pp. 73-76) the Defender 
  already has available, an additional force equipped with two 
  Arrow IV launchers is positioned off the map 1 turn away from 
  the Defender’s home edge. this artillery group is available for 
  support fire using both homing and standard Arrow IV rounds. 
  two points of impact may be pre-plotted after the Defender 
  has finished setting up the terrain, but before the Defender 
  has deployed his own units.
  +200 Obscured Intent: (Defender Only) Up to 25% of the 
  number of defending units may be deployed using Hidden 
  Unit rules (see Hidden Units, p. 102).
  +200 More Mines: (Defender Only) During setup, the 
  Defender may secretly place a number of conventional 
  minefields (see Minefields, p. 102) equal to the number of 
  defending units may be deployed. these minefields have a 
  Density rating of 2.
  OBJECTIvES 
  the following objectives apply in this track:
  Conquer: the Attacker must cripple or destroy all 
  Defender units without losing more than 50% of his total 
  deployed force. If the Attacker loses more 
  than 50% of his total force, the Defender 
  wins. [+600]
  Hold the Field: If one team has lost 
  its entire force due to destruction or 
  withdrawal from the playing area, the 
  opposing team successfully holds the 
  field. [+100]
  SPECIAL RULES 
  there are no special rules in effect 
  for this track.
  NEXT TRACK 
  the side that holds the field 
  when this track ends may salvage 
  any destroyed units. Both sides 
  may use WP after this track to 
  perform repairs and such. (See 
  Warchest Points Between Tracks, 
  pp. 118-119.)
  Attacker Won: None. the 
  Attacker has won the campaign!
  Defender Won: Counterattack 
  (p. 124)
  ASSAult
  SITUATION
  At last, the final confrontation is before us. Our prior success 
  has led us here, the longed-for decisive moment. It is now that 
  our enemy is the most dangerous, when we have left nothing for 
  them to lose. They cannot fall further. 
  So let us see who wants victory more.
  GAME SETUP
  Building upon prior success, the Attacker is ready to inflict a 
  final, fatal blow to the Defenders. the Defenders’ backs are to 
  the wall now; can they turn it around?
  When using terrain, the Defender picks the terrain features 
  that will be used, and places them.
  When using hex maps, the Defender picks the mapsheets 
  for play, and places them in any legal configuration. 
  the Defender’s force selects its home edge first; the 
  Attacker’s home edge is the opposite of the Defender’s. 
  Attacker 
  the Attacker consists of up to 100% of the attacking player’s 
  total force. Units that were used in the prior track are 
  available for use, but units that were salvaged in the 
  track immediately prior to this (if any) are not available 
  for use.
  the Attacker enters through its home 
  edge in initiative order after the Defender 
  has deployed its entire force.
  Defender 
  the Defender consists of up to 100% 
  of the defending player’s total surviving 
  force. Neither the units that the Defender 
  used, nor any units he salvaged in the 
  track immediately prior this one, are 
  available for use.
  the Defender deploys his entire 
  force prior to Initiative.
   
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 300 
  Options: 
  the following options may be 
  purchased by the indicated sides for this track:
  +400 Fire Mission, Over: (Attacker Only) 
  Beyond any artillery (see Artillery, pp. 73-
  76) the Attacker already has available, 
  an additional force equipped with 
  four Arrow IV launchers is positioned 
  
  purSuIt
  SITUATION 
  An early misstep by the invaders has led to their rout. They did 
  not sufficiently anticipate us, and now we must make their retreat 
  painful and bloody. It is foolish to consider them defeated, but if we 
  succeed now, we may turn them upon fiercer defenses.
  GAME SETUP 
  the initial exchange has turned in the defenders’ favor. the 
  hostiles flee, with the defenders in close pursuit. Will they break as 
  they run, or will they turn this campaign around?
  When using terrain, a long rectangular area is preferred. the 
  Defender picks the terrain features that will be used, but the 
  Attacker places them. It must be possible to trace two traversable 
  paths between the edges of the playing area that further apart. 
  If this is not possible, terrain features must be deleted until it is 
  possible again.
  When using hex maps, the Defender picks the mapsheets for 
  play, and places them in any legal configuration.
  the Defender selects his home edge first; the Attacker’s home 
  edge is the opposite of the Defender’s. the edges chosen must be 
  the map sides that are furthest apart.
  Attacker 
  the Attacker consists of up to 75% of the attacking player’s total 
  force. Units that were used in the prior track are available for use.
  the Attacker enters through the Defender’s home edge in 
  initiative order.
  Defender 
  the Defender consists of up to 75% of the defending player’s 
  total surviving force. Units that were used in the prior track are 
  available for use.
  the Defender enters through his own home edge 3 turns after 
  the Attacker deployed, in initiative order.
   
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 300 
  Options: 
  the following options may be purchased by the indicated sides 
  for this track:
  +100 Fire For Effect, Danger Close: (Attacker Only) Beyond 
  any artillery (see Artillery, p. 73) the Attacker already has available, 
  an additional force of two Arrow IV launchers is located off-map, 
  2 flight turns beyond the Attacker’s home edge. this group 
  is available for support fire using both homing and standard 
  munitions. two points of impact may be pre-plotted after the 
  Defender has finished setting up the terrain, but before the 
  Defender has placed his forces.
  counterAttAck
  SITUATION 
  Our mistakes have led us to this battle, where we seek to undo 
  them. We should take comfort that our success has purchased this 
  opportunity. We still breathe, and we still have an opportunity to end 
  our enemy. A moment of true equilibrium, and we must disrupt theirs 
  while maintaining ours.
  GAME SETUP 
  Despite earlier setbacks, the combatants face a battle where 
  the tide may turn back in their favor, or for it to turn against them. 
  When using terrain, each team picks an equal number of terrain 
  features, including hills, and places them on the playing area 
  one at a time. When using hex maps, each team picks an equal 
  number of mapsheets for play, and places them, one at a time, in 
  any legal configuration. 
  Both players then roll for Initiative. the winner of this Initiative 
  roll selects his force’s home edge first; the Attacker’s home edge is 
  the opposite of the Defender’s. 
  Attacker 
  the Attacker consists of up to 50% of the player’s total force. 
  Units that were used in the prior track are available for use, as are 
  any units that were salvaged in the prior track.
  the Attacker enters through their home edge in initiative order. 
  Defender 
  the Defender consists of up to 50% of the player’s total surviving 
  force. Units that were used in the prior track are available for use, 
  as are any units that were salvaged in the prior track.
  the Defender enters through their home edge in initiative order. 
   
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 100 
  Options: 
  No options are available for purchase with this track.
  OBJECTIvES 
  the following objectives apply in this track:
  Hold the Field: If one team has lost their entire force due to 
  destruction or withdrawal from the playing area, the other team 
  successfully holds the field. [+100]
  SPECIAL RULES 
  there are no special rules in effect for this track.
  NEXT TRACK 
  the side that holds the field when the track ends may salvage any 
  destroyed units. Both sides may use WP after this track to perform 
  repairs and such. (See Warchest Points Between Tracks, pp. 118-119.)
  Attacker Won: Breakthrough (p. 122)
  Defender Won: Pursuit (p. 124)
  
  125
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Defender 
  the Defender consists of up to 100% of the defending 
  player’s total surviving force. Units that were used and not 
  destroyed in the prior track are available for use. Units that 
  were salvaged in the track immediately prior to this one (if 
  any) are not available for use.
  the Defender deploys his entire force prior to Initiative.
   
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 300 
  Options: 
  the following options may be purchased by the indicated 
  sides for this track:
  +200 Urgent Support Need: (Both Attacker and Defender) 
  Beyond any artillery (see Artillery, p. 73) already available, an 
  additional force with two Arrow IV launchers is 1 flight turn 
  beyond the controlling player’s home edge, and available for 
  support fire using both homing and standard ammunition. 
  the Defender may pre-plot two points of impact after he 
  has finished setting up the terrain, but before any units are 
  deployed. (the Attacker may not pre-plot any points of impact.)
  +200 Obscured Intent: (Defender Only) Up to 25% of the 
  number of defending units may be deployed using Hidden 
  Unit rules (see Hidden Units, p. 102).
  +200 Even More Mines: (Defender Only) During setup, 
  the Defender may secretly place a number of conventional 
  minefields (see Minefields, p. 102) equal to the number of 
  defending and attacking units may be deployed. these 
  minefields have a Density rating of 4.
  OBJECTIvES 
  the following objectives apply in this track:
  Defeat: the Defender must cripple or destroy all Attacker 
  units without losing more than 50% of his original number of 
  units. the Attacker wins if the Defender loses more than 50% 
  of his total number of units. [+600] 
  Hold the Field: If one team has lost their entire force due 
  to destruction or withdrawal from the playing area, the other 
  team successfully holds the field. [+100]
  SPECIAL RULES 
  there are no special rules in effect for this track.
  NEXT TRACK 
  the side that holds the field when the track ends may 
  salvage any Destroyed units. Both sides may use WP after 
  this track to perform repairs and such. (See Warchest Points 
  Between Tracks, pp. 118-119.)
  Attacker Won: Counterattack (p. 124)
  Defender Won: None. the Defender has won this campaign!
  OBJECTIvES 
  the following objectives apply in this track:
  Close the Noose: (Defender Only) Cripple or destroy at 
  least 50% of the total number of attacking units. [+300] 
  Hold the Field: If one team has lost its entire force due to 
  destruction or withdrawal from the playing area, the other 
  team successfully holds the field. [+100]
  SPECIAL RULES 
  the following special rules are in effect for this track: 
  Forced Withdrawal 
  Both forces must adhere to the optional Forced Withdrawal 
  rules (see p. 27). 
  NEXT TRACK 
  the side that holds the field when the track ends may 
  salvage any destroyed units. Both sides may use WP after 
  this track to perform repairs and such. (See Warchest Points 
  Between Tracks, pp. 118-119.)
  Attacker Won: Counterattack (p. 124)
  Defender Won: Defense (p. 125)
  defenSe
  SITUATION 
  They undoubtedly regret coming here now, but they do not yet 
  realize that they have traveled light years to their graves. We end 
  them in today’s conflict, but despite their earlier failures, this will 
  not be an easy task. 
  We must succeed, but cannot underestimate our foe.
  GAME SETUP 
  Subsequent to a successful chase, the remaining Attacker 
  forces have been led in to a prepared position. Will the 
  hammer strike the anvil, or will it break upon its foe?
  When using terrain, the Defender picks the terrain features 
  that will be used, and places them.
  When using hex maps, the Defender picks the mapsheets 
  for play, and places them in any legal configuration. 
  the Defender selects their home edge first; the Attacker’s 
  home edge is the opposite of the Defender’s. 
  Attacker 
  the Attacker consists of up to 100% of the attacking player’s 
  total force. Units that were used in the prior track are available 
  for use. Units that were salvaged in the prior track (if any) are 
  available for use.
  the Attacker’s force enters through its home edge in initiative 
  order after the Defender has deployed its entire force.
  
  Few periods of history in the Inner Sphere bred as much conflict 
  and as much change as the period known as the Clan Invasion. 
  the arrival of the Clans of Kerensky, elite warriors genetically 
  bred from the excellent stock of the long-departed Star League 
  Defense Force, put a shock into an Inner Sphere already still 
  reeling from both the gutting of the Capellan Confederation 
  and theodore Kurita’s brilliant defense of the Draconis Combine 
  against the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth in the War 
  of 3039. In 3050 the Federated Commonwealth, the Draconis 
  Combine and the nascent Free Rasalhague Republic staggered 
  beneath the onslaught of the Jade Falcons, the Wolves, the Ghost 
  Bears and the Smoke Jaguars.
  though the Clans’ initial thrust was stopped at tukayyid, 
  the rest of the decade was far from peaceful. In 3057 the Free 
  Worlds League and the Capellan Confederation combined to 
  savage the Federated Commonwealth in a surprise attack. the 
  Commonwealth, still struggling to deal with the deaths of its 
  founding monarchs, Hanse Davion and melissa Steiner-Davion, 
  was unable to repulse the attack on its soft underbelly, and its 
  Sarna march collapsed into a balkanized collection of warring 
  protostates labeled the Chaos march.
  Even that wasn’t enough. Energized by the change 
  demonstrated as possible by the Clan invasion and the marik-Liao 
  Offensive, Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon fought a near-genocidal 
  war based on ideological differences. A new Star League was 
  formed, and a Clan destroyed. the Capellan Confederation began 
  a conflict to reclaim its breakaway St. Ives Compact. Even the 
  Combine was unable to stay focused, letting dissidents draw 
  them into a conflict with the Ghost Bears. In fourteen short years, 
  war brought change even the most optimistic planners of the 
  previous generation could never have imagined.
  THE CLAN INvASION
  In 3049, the Clans launched Operation REVIVAL, retracing 
  the months-long Exodus Road. the Wolves first struck at an 
  airless moon known as the Rock, where elements of the Kell 
  Hounds mercenary regiments were chasing pirates. the Wolves 
  quickly pacified the moon and captured some of the pirates and 
  mercenaries, in a pattern of intelligence-gathering that would be 
  repeated by each Clan as they neared their invasion corridors.
  Once the invasion began in earnest, regiment after regiment 
  fell before the scythe of the Clan juggernaut. Both the Federated 
  Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine saw the heirs to 
  their thrones put in danger. Prince Victor Steiner-Davion of 
  the Commonwealth escaped, but Hohiro Kurita, son of Gunji-
  no-Kanrei theodore Kurita, was captured and only freed by 
  concerted efforts by the Combine’s yakuza. Both realms struggled 
  to find a weapon against the invasion, until Colonel Jaime Wolf 
  of the illustrious Wolf’s Dragoons mercenary regiments called a 
  Mad Cat (Timber Wolf), Puma (Adder), Pouncer, Masakari (Warhawk) and a point of Elementals. Alpha Galaxy, Wolf -in-Exile.
  erA SettIng: the 
  clAn InvASIon erA
  
  127
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  As with all such schemes, thomas marik found out about the 
  death of his son, and about Victor Davion’s attempt to hide it 
  from him. Incensed as any father would be, he plotted revenge. 
  Sun-tzu Liao, chancellor of the Capellan Confederation and 
  marik’s putative son-in-law thanks to his betrothal to marik’s 
  daughter, Isis, was eager to involve his realm. 
  In a surprise attack the armies of the Free Worlds League 
  and the Capellan Confederation, heavily supported by 
  mercenaries, stabbed deep into the Sarna march, the narrow 
  portion of space that connected the Lyran Commonwealth 
  and the Federated Suns. the area, whose defenses had 
  been drawn off to bulwark the Clan border’s porous lines, 
  was quickly shattered. Old loyalties rose as worlds threw 
  off the reins of any interstellar government and declared 
  independence.
  Victor Davion attempted to respond quickly, but there 
  simply wasn’t sufficient regiments in the Federated Suns-half 
  of the Commonwealth to drive the Free Worlds and Capellan 
  forces back out. He ordered up reinforcements from the 
  Lyran half of the realm, taking the chance weakening the 
  Clan border to pound the marik and Liao forces. Before those 
  orders could be implemented, however, the political aspect of 
  marik’s attack struck.
  Katherine Steiner-Davion, Victor’s younger sister and regent 
  of the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth, withdrew 
  her half of the realm in denial of Victor’s actions and to save it 
  from Free Worlds aggression. She issued a call for all traditionally 
  Lyran regiments to return home to the newborn Lyran Alliance. 
  many regiments in the path of the marik-Liao advance heeded 
  this call and withdrew before battle was joined.
   Unable to call back the regiments from the Clan border, 
  and weakened by defections, Victor had no choice but to sue 
  for peace.
  THE REFUSAL WAR
  Even as the Federated Commonwealth shuddered beneath 
  the attacks of the Free Worlds League and the Capellan 
  Confederation, the Clans were in no position to capitalize on 
  the opportunity.
  two political ideologies dominated the Clans: the Wardens 
  and the Crusaders. Both groups used the writings of Aleksandr 
  and Nicholas Kerensky to justify their beliefs. the Wardens 
  believed the Clans were meant to protect the Inner Sphere, 
  while the Crusaders believed they were meant to conquer it. 
  the Crusaders had succeeded in forcing Operation REVIVAL 
  and bringing the Clans to the Inner Sphere. the Wardens, 
  however, celebrated the halting of the invasion forced by 
  the truce of tukayyid, and their foremost voice—ilKhan Ulric 
  Kerensky—controlled the Clans’ path. the Crusaders forced 
  a trial on the ilKhan, trying to refute the truce. Defeated 
  politically, Ulric turned to another path. He challenged his 
  attackers to a trial of Refusal, claiming the whole of Clan Wolf 
  to defend it. the Jade Falcons won the opportunity to enforce 
  the Grand Council’s will, and combat between the two Clans 
  erupted across the occupation zones.
  the Wolves and Falcons had a long history of enmity, and 
  it showed in the combat. the ferocity of the trials between 
  the two Clans approached levels of savagery not seen since 
  summit on Outreach and revealed a bombshell: the Dragoons 
  were advance scouts for Kerensky’s heirs, now dedicated to 
  defending the Inner Sphere.
  Armed with knowledge from the Dragoons and recovered 
  Star League-era technology finally starting to appear from 
  their factories, the Inner Sphere powers began to plan their 
  first counterattacks. the Combine, lacking the Federated 
  Commonwealth’s larger industrial base, used guile to defeat 
  the Smoke Jaguars on Wolcott. the Commonwealth launched 
  a successful attack on twycross, destroying the elite Falcon 
  Guards Cluster before withdrawing. 
  the Clans, incensed by their losses to the “barbarian 
  Spheroids,” decided to strike back. the Nova Cats, activated by 
  ilKhan Ulric Kerensky, fought alongside the Smoke Jaguars on 
  the Combine capital Luthien. the DCmS, warned in advance, 
  prepared for a costly attack, but were succored at the last 
  minute by the arrival of Wolf’s Dragoons and the Kell Hounds, 
  mercenaries sent by Prince Hanse Davion to aid his Outreach 
  Conference allies. the Clans were defeated, but the remaining 
  Clans were only made more determined. Soon, ComStar, who 
  had been secretly meeting with the Clans, discovered their 
  true target: terra. 
  THE BATTLE OF TUKAyyID
  ComStar, stewards of humanity’s homeworld since the 
  end of the Star League, had no intention of handing over 
  its only planet. the Com Guards’ military commander, 
  Precentor martial Anastasius Focht, brokered a proxy battle 
  on the Rasalhague world tukayyid. If the Clans won, ComStar 
  would surrender terra and serve as custodians of the Clans’ 
  occupation. If ComStar won, the Clans would halt their 
  advance for fifteen years. to face them, ComStar assembled 
  the full fifty-regiment might of its Com Guards.
  the twenty-day Battle of tukayyid was a conflict for the 
  history books even before it began, as the toumans of seven 
  Clans descended on the pastoral world. Com Guard divisions 
  battled Clan Galaxies across seven different engagement 
  zones, spending blood and treasure like candy to defeat the 
  Clansmen. In the end, only the Wolves—the paramount Clan 
  of the invasion—succeeded in defeating the Com Guards, 
  while the Ghost Bears fought them to a draw. the Com Guards 
  claimed the victory and the Clan invasion ground to a halt.
  In the aftermath, ComStar itself underwent a schism, as 
  its devout fled the fast-secularizing order and founded the 
  splinter Word of Blake in the Free Worlds League. 
  THE MARIK-LIAO OFFENSIvE
  One of the levers Hanse Davion used to build the Outreach 
  Accords that helped hold the Clans at bay was treatment 
  for Captain-General thomas marik’s son Joshua at the New 
  Avalon Institute of Science. though the treatment continued 
  after Hanse Davion’s death in 3052, leukemia remained too 
  tough an opponent for even the vaunted NAIS. Joshua marik 
  died in 3057. Victor Steiner-Davion, still uneasy on his throne 
  after the assassination of his mother in 3056, decided on a 
  dangerous plan: he hid Joshua marik’s death and substituted 
  a double in the cancer ward, hoping to keep the weapons 
  shipments and industrial support coming.
  
  On Strana mechty, the Clan capital world, having destroyed the 
  Smoke Jaguars, the Star League challenged the Clans to a trial 
  of Refusal over the invasion, and won. All the Clans except the 
  Wolves agreed to be bound to the decision, and the Star League 
  established an embassy on Huntress. Anastasius Focht, Victor 
  Davion and the rest of task Force Bulldog began the long journey 
  back to the Inner Sphere.
  Although he was lauded as a hero of Star League, Victor 
  Davion had an unpleasant surprise waiting for him: in his 
  absence, his sister Katherine had usurped his throne on 
  New Avalon and now ruled the entire former Federated 
  Commonwealth. Without a home, Victor Davion entered 
  ComStar as its new precentor martial.
  THE ST. IvES WAR
  At the end of the Fourth Succession War the St. Ives 
  Commonality of the Capellan Confederation, led by maximilian 
  Liao’s eldest daughter, Candace, seceded from the Confederation 
  and allied itself with the Federated Suns. Sun-tzu Liao, leader of 
  the Confederation, never gave up on the dream of reclaiming all 
  the worlds lost in the Fourth Succession War.
  In 3058 his opportunity rose, and he used a series of rogue 
  attacks and media manipulation to begin a war to reclaim 
  the Compact. the combat was brutal and unconventional. 
  Sabotage, guerrilla tactics and even chemical and nerve agent 
  attacks were used, until in the end the Compact surrendered 
  rather than be destroyed.
  THE FIRST COMBINE-DOMINION WAR
  the destruction of the Smoke Jaguars 
  restored the lost pride of the Draconis 
  Combine, both its people and its military. It 
  also made many believe that the traditional 
  values of the realm of the Dragon were 
  the cause of the Jaguars’ destruction, not 
  the diversity and cooperation of the Star 
  League. these radicals grew in power 
  quietly amongst the DCmS and the 
  Combine’s peoples, until a flashpoint 
  was reached when rogue regiments 
  attacked the Clan Ghost Bear capital 
  at Alshain.
  the resulting war was short, 
  brutal and sharp. Regiments and 
  Clusters clashed on worlds all along 
  the border, bringing conflict to the 
  recently-reclaimed Combine worlds 
  who were just getting used to being 
  free of the Clans. Afraid it might ignite 
  a general resumption of the invasion, the 
  Combine agreed to a ritual combat on the 
  contested world Courcheval. though the 
  Combine lost, the war was ended.
  the Pentagon wars that had caused the Clans to form in the first 
  place. World by world, Star by Star, Wolf slew Falcon and Falcon 
  slew Wolf. the Wolves split into three task forces, each fighting its 
  won way into the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. 
  Khan Natasha Kerensky, the Black Widow of Wolf’s Dragoons, 
  led the Wolves’ Alpha Galaxy toward the cursed—at least by 
  the Clans—world of twycross, where she was killed even as the 
  Wolves destroyed their Falcon opponents. Former ilKhan Ulric 
  Kerensky led his Delta Galaxy toward the Falcon capital on Wotan, 
  where he was killed by treachery. Khan Phelan Kell, scion of the 
  Inner Sphere and son of Kell Hounds founder morgan Kell, led his 
  Beta Galaxy into the Lyran Alliance, pursued by the Falcons. On 
  morges they defeated the Falcon Gamma Galaxy, but their victory 
  was too little, too late.
  the Jade Falcons named the Wolves dead and Absorbed them, 
  until a lone Wolf warrior, Vlad of the Ward Bloodhouse, emerged 
  and challenged the decision. Slaying the Falcon saKhan, Vlad 
  brought Clan Wolf back from the dead. In the Lyran Alliance, Khan 
  Phelan Kell named his survivors Clan Wolf-in-Exile, and named 
  them a Warden haven for any Wolf who chafed under the newly-
  Crusader Wolves of Vlad Ward.
  THE SECOND STAR LEAGUE
  In 3058 a Jade Falcon attack on the Lyran world of Coventry 
  drew a massive response. Regiments from all the Successor States 
  responded to calls for help, eventually helping to drive the Falcons 
  offworld. the spirit of cooperation drove the Inner Sphere leaders 
  to a radical idea. In a summit held on tharkad and named for 
  the final victory over the Falcons on Coventry, 
  they brought about an amazing event: the 
  reformation of the Star League, aligning all 
  the Inner Sphere states against the Clans.
  the Second Star League, as it came to 
  be called, chose as its chief opponent Clan 
  Smoke Jaguar. the League’s strategists 
  postulated that in order to get the Clans to 
  take them seriously, they needed to fight on 
  the Clans’ terms. they declared a Clan trial 
  of Annihilation against the Jaguars, and 
  set out to prosecute it. they formed 
  two main task forces: task Force 
  Serpent and task Force Bulldog.
  task Force Serpent, led by 
  AFFC marshal of the Armies 
  morgan Hasek-Davion, left the 
  Inner Sphere to attack the Jaguar 
  homeworld, Huntress, directly. task 
  Force Bulldog was much larger, and 
  attacked the Smoke Jaguar Occupation 
  Zone. Clan Nova Cat, who shared the Smoke 
  Jaguars’ zone, were suborned and came over to 
  the Star League. the Jaguars collapsed under the 
  attack, fleeing into the Periphery, with the 
  Bulldog task force in pursuit, all the way to 
  the Clan Homeworlds.
  
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  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  3051 – Rasalhague, Free Rasalhague Republic
  Combatants: Free Rasalhague Republic, Clan Wolf
  the capital of the young Free Rasalhague Republic had 
  plenty of time to prepare for the onslaught of the Clans, but 
  they didn’t prepare for the speed and cunning of Clan Wolf, 
  or the battlefield experience of Khan Natasha Kerensky, 
  who’d returned from a half-century’s experience with Wolf’s 
  Dragoons to lead her former comrades in battle against the 
  Inner Sphere. A fierce battle of feint and counterfeint, the 
  Wolves claimed Rasalhague in a matter of days.
  3052 – Luthien, Draconis Combine
  Combatants: Draconis Combine, Clan Smoke Jaguar and 
  Clan Nova Cat
  After the dual defeats dealt the Smoke Jaguars—first the 
  death of ilKhan Leo Showers at Radstadt and then theodore 
  Kurita’s defeat of a Jaguar invasion on the Combine planet 
  Wolcott, the Jaguars and their Nova Cat allies made showing 
  their supremacy over the Combine a priority. In a rare show of 
  cooperation, both Clans attacked Luthien, the Combine capital. 
  It was only through careful planning, skill and the assistance 
  of mercenaries sent from the Federated Commonwealth that 
  the Combine was victorious.
  3052 – Tukayyid, Free Rasalhague Republic
  Combatants: ComStar, the Clans
  the battle on tukayyid was the largest single conflict since 
  they days of the Star League. more than twenty Galaxies of 
  Clan Omnimechs faced more than fifty regiments of ComStar’s 
  veteran Com Guards. the two forces were fighting a proxy 
  battle for terra itself, the ultimate goal of the Clans’ invasion 
  and the baseworld for the vast ComStar organization. At the 
  end of twenty days of combat, the Com Guards emerged 
  victorious and halted the invasion for fifteen years.
  THE MARIK-LIAO OFFENSIvE
  With the Clan offensive halted by the truce of tukayyid, 
  much of the Inner Sphere breathed a sigh of relief and 
  returned to old hatreds. though many of the Inner Sphere’s 
  leaders kept their focus on the Clan threat, their methods left 
  much to be desired. Incensed by a botched intelligence plot, 
  Captain-General thomas marik and Chancellor Sun-tzu Liao 
  launched a blitzkrieg into the Federated Commonwealth’s 
  Sarna march.
  3057 – Liao, Federated Commonwealth
  Combatants: Capellan Confederation, Federated 
  Commonwealth
  the ancestral homeworld of the Liao family had 
  been taken in the Fourth Succession War, and few in the 
  Confederation had forgotten this loss. When the marik-
  Liao Offensive launched, the Capellans dropped all eight 
  of the warrior house orders on the planet, overwhelming 
  its defenders in a lightning assault. Within short order, as 
  the rest of the Sarna march disintegrated into the so-called 
  Chaos march, the Capellans reclaimed the homeworld of 
  their founders.
  key conflIctS  
  And cAmpAIgnS
  the Clan Invasion Era is easily the most action-packed and 
  politically-charged era of Battletech play. In the short span 
  of a decade the Inner Sphere was more radically altered than 
  ever before, and the introduction of the Clans changed the 
  very face of the game. Players building games in the Clan 
  Invasion have their choice of construction technology and 
  high-profile action to reenact, and those who are founding 
  role-playing campaigns have incredible events to place their 
  games around in nearly any game year.
  THE CLAN INvASION 
  the impact of the Clan juggernaut on the Inner Sphere 
  cannot be overestimated. In two short years, the very face of 
  warfare changed. Inner Sphere armies learned the value of 
  advanced technologies and superior training, and thanks to 
  the Outreach Accords, the first seeds of the resurrected Star 
  League were planted.
  3050 – Trellwan, Federated Commonwealth
  Combatants: Federated Commonwealth, Clan Jade Falcon
  the combat on trellwan marked one of the earliest—
  and certainly the highest-profile—engagements between 
  the invading Clans and the Armed Forces of the Federated 
  Commonwealth. Victor Ian Steiner-Davion, scion of the 
  two ruling Houses of the Federated Commonwealth, was a 
  novice battalion commander in the twelfth Donegal Guards 
  defending the world. though he fought well, Steiner-Davion 
  was soon evacuated against his wishes to keep him from 
  falling into Jade Falcon hands.
  3050 – Turtle Bay, Draconis Combine
  Combatants: Draconis Combine, Clan Smoke Jaguar
  the Smoke Jaguar assault on turtle Bay was swift and brutal, 
  as befitted the Jaguars’ method of warfare. the defenders, the 
  Sixteenth Legion of Vega and Sho-sa Hohiro Kurita, heir to the 
  Combine throne, were crushed almost immediately, and Hohiro 
  was captured. It was only through the efforts of the yakuza that 
  Hohiro was freed and smuggled off-world, though the Jaguars 
  retaliated by obliterating the city of Edo from orbit.
  3051 – Alyina, Federated Commonwealth
  Combatants: Federated Commonwealth, Clan Jade Falcon
  Alyina was one of the first worlds the Jade Falcons struck 
  upon the resumption of their invasion, after having withdrawn 
  to elect a new ilKhan after the death of the first war leader. 
  Here Prince Victor Steiner-Davion’s tenth Lyran Guards, one 
  of the first regiments trained in the tactics taught by the 
  Dragoons on Outreach. though the Guards fought well, the 
  Falcons had also learned new tactics and drove the Guards off-
  world. A guerrilla campaign sprung up, aided by Kai Allard-
  Liao, who’d been left behind, presumed dead.
  
  3059 – Luzerne, Clan Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone
  Combatants: Clan Smoke Jaguar, Star League Defense Force
  though most of the combat in the Smoke Jaguar Occupation 
  Zone was fought in the SLDF’s favor, thanks to the dual assets 
  of surprise and overwhelming force, Luzerne turned out to be 
  a tougher nut to crack. A heavier than expected Smoke Jaguar 
  naval presence cost the SLDF forces more than they expected, 
  and the follow-on ground forces had a more difficult fight  
  than projected.
  3059 – Matamoras, Draconis Combine
  Combatants: Clan Smoke Jaguar, Draconis Combine
  the Smoke Jaguars were not a Clan noted for defensive thinking; 
  once they’d absorbed the first shock of the Inner Sphere’s assault, 
  several Clusters of Smoke Jaguars counterattacked into the 
  Draconis Combine, hoping to draw pressure off their occupation 
  zone and halt the Star League invasion. the SLDF, though, had 
  planned for this counterattack—and while matamoras was more 
  exposed than many had hoped, it’s citizenry had been preparing 
  for a renewed Clan invasion for almost a decade. Here, as in other 
  places, the Smoke Jaguar attackers were all but swallowed up.
  3059-3060 – Huntress, Clan Homeworlds
  Combatants: Star League Defense Force, Clan Smoke Jaguar
  Along with the combined assault on the occupation zone, the 
  SLDF assembled a multinational task force and launched it on 
  a deep raid at the Smoke Jaguar homeworld, Huntress. Led by 
  morgan Hasek-Davion, hero of the Fourth Succession War, task 
  Force Serpent succeeded in capturing Huntress and dismantling 
  the Jaguars’ industry, though it was nearly destroyed when the 
  Jaguars’ remnant arrived back and attacked them. Only the timely 
  arrival of task Force Bulldog saved them. 
  3060 – Strana Mechty, Clan Homeworlds
  Combatants: Star League Defense Force, the Clans
  the ultimate goal of the Star League Defense Force was to halt 
  the Clan invasion and bring peace to the Inner Sphere. After the 
  victory at Huntress, the SLDF pursued the last Smoke Jaguars 
  to Strana mechty, capital of the Clans, and demanded a trial of 
  Refusal concerning the invasion. the SDLF won this trial, halting 
  the invasion begun with Operation REVIVAL, thought both the 
  Jade Falcons and the Wolves refused to be bound by this decision.
  THE ST. IvES WAR
  Even as the Star League, of which Sun-tzu Liao had been 
  appointed First Lord, was dismantling the Smoke Jaguars, the 
  chancellor of the Capellan Confederation was looking to his 
  nation’s own interests. the breakaway St. Ives Compact, formerly 
  the St. Ives Commonality, had left the Confederation at the end 
  of the Fourth Succession War. With most of the Inner Sphere’s 
  attention focused on the Clans, Sun-tzu put plans into action to 
  reclaim the lost commonality.
  3060 – Denbar, St. Ives Compact
  Combatants: St. Ives Compact, Capellan Confederation
  As events on Hustaing forced the Confederation and the 
  Compact into open warfare, Denbar became one of the many 
  battlegrounds of that conflict, as the Blackwind Lancers and the 
  3057 – Nanking, Federated Commonwealth
  Combatants: Free Worlds League, Federated Commonwealth
  Nanking hosts a production facility for Kallon Industries, but the 
  conflict was more for Nanking’s strategic place in the Sarna march. 
  Although Free Worlds-sponsored mercenaries made early gains, 
  the planet’s defenders held out until a nearby militia regiment, 
  the Woodstock Reserve, made planetfall. the arrival of the Reserve 
  gave the AFFC defenders new hope, but reinforcements from 
  nearby marik mercenaries seemed to seal their fate until those 
  new-arriving mercenaries were destroyed by sabotage.
  3057 – Oliver, Federated Commonwealth
  Combatants: Free Worlds League, Federated Commonwealth
  Oliver was one of the worlds taken from the Free Worlds 
  League during the Fourth Succession War, and was one of the 
  primary targets of the resurgent Free Worlds League military. 
  Home to Brigadier Corporation, a Battlemech manufacturer, it 
  deserved the attention of two frontline marik regiments instead 
  of the mercenaries many other planets received. Its Federated 
  Commonwealth defenders fought hard, but could not defeat the 
  assault and retreated in the face of their outnumbering attackers.
  THE REFUSAL WAR
  the Refusal War was the Inner Sphere’s first contact with inter-
  Clan warfare, though this first exposure was far more violent than 
  most Clan trials. trapped into a political challenge he could not 
  win, ilKhan Ulric Kerensky maneuvered his opponents into open 
  combat, pitting the whole of the Wolf Clan against the whole of 
  the Jade Falcon Clan.
  3057 – Wotan, Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
  Combatants: Clan Wolf, Clan Jade Falcon
  the conflict between Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon flared on 
  many worlds of the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone, but one axis 
  of attack culminated on Wotan, where saKhan Vandervahn Chistu 
  waited to face the former ilKhan, Star Colonel Ulric Kerensky. 
  Kerensky, attacking what he believed one of the last few Jade 
  Falcon holdouts, accepted an offer of single combat—but then 
  died, when Chistu’s forces attacked his Star with artillery weapons.
  3057 – Morges, Federated Commonwealth
  Combatants: Clan Jade Falcon, Clan Wolf
  Even as the rest of the Wolf touman died fighting the Jade 
  Falcons, saKhan Phelan Ward led his Beta Galaxy into the Lyran 
  Alliance, where they faced the Jade Falcons’ Vau Galaxy. After 
  defeating the Falcons, and learning of the defeat of the rest of 
  the Wolves, Ward—given back his surname Kell as a new Clan 
  Bloodname—kept his Wolves in the Alliance as a new Clan Wolf-
  in-Exile.
  OPERATION BULLDOG
  In the wake of a Jade Falcon attack on Coventry, the Inner 
  Sphere powers gathered on tharkad and mad history: they 
  agreed to reform the Star League, and reform the Star League 
  Defense Force. Gathering their strength, and declaring the Clans 
  their enemy, the Inner Sphere powers moved against the Smoke 
  Jaguars, the most violent of the Clans, destroying them in their 
  occupation zone and pursuing them to the Clan Homeworlds.
  
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  introduction
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  aerospace system
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  campaign rules
  era setting: 
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  the battletech  
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  people, and allowed the Compact to be reabsorbed into 
  the Confederation.
  THE FIRST COMBINE-DOMINION WAR
  Although the Star League had cooperated to destroy 
  the Smoke Jaguars and the Nova Cats had joined the Inner 
  Sphere, erasing the former occupation zone, many in the 
  Draconis Combine’s more reactionary sects ached to reclaim 
  the worlds lost to the Ghost Bears, as well. many questioned 
  why the Star League, having established its legitimacy, did 
  not immediately move to eject the rest of the Clans. tired 
  of waiting, the Black Dragon Society, the Combine’s most 
  reactionary group, maneuvered the realm into war against 
  the Ghost Bears.
  3062 – Alshain, Ghost Bear Dominion
  Combatants: Clan Ghost Bear, Draconis Combine
  Of all the regiments of the DCmS, the Alshain Avengers 
  were most dedicated to recapturing the worlds of the lost 
  Alshain military District. All three regiments went rogue, and 
  though one was stopped the other two attacked the Ghost 
  Bear capital at Alshain. the Ghost Bears, who had sat out much 
  of the recent fighting, were perhaps the strongest Clan in the 
  Inner Sphere; they annihilated the attacking force, and then 
  declared war on the Combine.
  new-formed Hustaing Warriors battled against each other for 
  control of the world. the battles on both sides were personal—
  the actions of a rogue Lancers battalion on Hustaing had 
  touched off the entire conflict.
  3060-61 – Nashuar, St. Ives Compact
  Combatants: St. Ives Compact, Capellan Confederation
  Nashuar first hosted Star League peacekeepers during 
  the conflict, but tensions soon rose and the Star League 
  peacekeepers were quickly replaced with regular Capellan 
  regiments. Over the rest of the conflict Nashuar became a 
  meatgrinder world, where units were fed in against fresh units 
  hoping to break the stalemate. By the end of the conflict, 
  Nashuar had become so devastated they declared their own 
  cease-fire to wait out the campaign.
  3061 – St. Ives, St. Ives Compact
  Combatants: St. Ives Compact, Capellan Confederation
  As the capital of the Compact, St. Ives was the lynchpin of 
  the entire campaign. Although it was heavily-garrisoned, a 
  combination of heavy conventional fighting and the terror 
  of the Black may nerve gas attacks perpetrated by thuggee 
  agents, took its toll. the final Compact withdrawal from St. 
  Ives was the last straw in the realm’s existence—Duchess 
  Candace Liao soon sued for adjudicated peace for her 
  
  outrageous theorists ever imagined the Clans. With incredibly 
  advanced technology, unmatched martial skills and the resolve 
  of a glacier, the Clans steamrolled the veteran armies of the 
  Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, and all but 
  swallowed the still-young Free Rasalhague Republic whole.
  SPECIAL ALLIANCES AND ENMITIES
  the Clan Invasion Era spawned more alliances and shared 
  agendas than any other era in history. Beginning with the 
  coalitions among the Clans—the political philosophies defined 
  as Warden and Crusader—that launched Operation REVIVAL, 
  and leading to the short-lived alliance between ComStar and 
  the Clans, the general agreements founded on Outreach in 
  3051, the détente between the Draconis Combine and the 
  Federated Commonwealth in the face of the Clans, the marik-
  Liao agreements that culminated in Operation GUERRERO, the 
  resumption of the Star League and the many small deals that 
  brokered wars and peace alike, people seemed to always build 
  alliances.
  the Clan Invasion also saw the end of several alliances, as well. 
  the Federated Commonwealth, the great experiment founded in 
  the Fourth Succession War, failed under the duress of the marik-
  Liao Offensive. the Clans finally drove a final wedge in the third 
  Succession War-era Concord of Kapetyn, when the Draconis 
  Combine ignored all other matters to face the Clans. the same 
  marik-Liao alliance that shattered the Federated Commonwealth 
  itself collapsed when the engagement of Isis marik and Sun-tzu 
  Liao fell apart during the St. Ives reconquest. At the same time, the 
  Capellans fostered closer ties with the Periphery realms nearest it, 
  the taurian Concordat and the magistracy of Canopus.
  In the Periphery more alliances rose and fell. magestrix Emma 
  Centrella of Canopus tried to build a pan-Periphery alliance 
  against the looming Clan threat, though few responded. One 
  who did was Protector Jeffrey Calderon of the taurian Concordat, 
  who worked with her to build the treaty of taurus, a mutual-
  cooperation pact between the two Periphery realms that led to a 
  massive new colonization effort.
  the schism in ComStar that led to the formation of the Word 
  of Blake also led to strange bedfellows; the Word, ejected from 
  terra and distrusted by almost every Successor State, found safe 
  haven in the Free Worlds League. ComStar, suddenly faced with 
  becoming a secular organization and rebuilding the trust it had 
  lost during the Clan Invasion, built every alliance it could.
  SPECIAL RULE: CLAN HONOR
  When the Clan Invasion of the Inner Sphere began, Clan 
  warriors and their technology held an overwhelming advantage 
  across many battles. Yet, to achieve that technological and 
  training edge in their resource poor homeworlds, the Clans had 
  come to ritualize warfare as a means of minimizing waste while 
  still facilitating combat. this created the tenets of Clan honor, 
  particularly the pre-battle practice of bidding and the dueling 
  practice known as zellbrigen.
  3062 – Courcheval, Draconis Combine
  Combatants: Clan Ghost Bear, Draconis Combine
  With rogue elements of the AFFS attacking the underbelly of 
  his realm, and his honor at stake with so many units going rogue, 
  Coordinator theodore Kurita needed to finish the conflict with 
  the Ghost Bears as quickly as possible. He arranged for a final 
  combat between the two sides on the world of Courcheval, a sort 
  of honor duel that would decide who would keep Courcheval and 
  end the war. the Ghost Bears won, claiming the world and, their 
  honor sated, retreated back behind the borders of their Inner 
  Sphere Dominion.
  fActIonAl 
  overvIeW: clAn 
  InvASIon erA
  the Clan Invasion changed the very face of the Inner Sphere 
  in ways that no one had even imagined were possible before the 
  Fourth Succession War. Hanse Davion’s assault into the Capellan 
  Confederation should have warned the strategists of the Inner 
  Sphere that rapid change was possible, but not even the most 
  
  133
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  In a scenario that pits a force from Clan Jade Falcon, 
  played by Ben and Paul, against a force from House Steiner, 
  played by Bill and Mike, the Clan officers have decided to 
  use bidding to determine who will command the attack. All 
  players involved have chosen to use the army lists provided 
  in this book, which would give the Falcons up to 10 units to 
  choose from, while the Steiners have a full company of 12 
  ready to go.
  Ben, performing his best Jade Falcon imitation, 
  proclaims to the Inner Sphere opponents:
  “I am Ben of Clan Jade Falcon! What forces does House 
  Steiner have to stand against our awesome might?”
  After the snickering dies down, Bill speaks for the Steiner 
  force, and states that they have a company (12 ’Mechs). Ben 
  then nods, thanks Bill, turns to Paul, and bids that he can 
  defeat these “Spheroid surats” with 8 BattleMechs. Paul 
  scoffs (he’s doing his best Jade Falcon impression as well), 
  and declares that he can defeat these “Steiner scum” with 5 
  ’Mechs. Ben—who’s probably played against Bill before—
  won’t match that, so command of the Falcon force will go 
  to Paul. 
  And Paul must fight using 5 ’Mechs, against Bill’s 
  12. Paul will select the 5 ’Mechs deployed from the Jade 
  Falcon army list, and will be making all Initiative rolls for 
  the Jade Falcon team during the scenario. He chooses one 
  of these—a Masakari (Warhawk) Prime—to serve as his 
  command unit. Ben chooses a Thor (Summoner) Prime as 
  his machine.
  If Paul’s Masakari is destroyed before the scenario ends, 
  and Ben’s Thor is still in play, Ben may elect to call in up to 
  3 more units to reinforce the Clan side (Paul’s 5 + Ben’s 3 = 
  Ben’s last bid of 8). 
  This scenario rewards 1,000 WP to its victors. If the 
  Falcons win the scenario with Paul’s numbers, which 
  are 42% of the Steiners’ force numbers (5 ÷ 12 = 0.4167), 
  the Clan force will collect an additional 25 percent of the 
  Warchest reward, because Paul has bid down at least 50% 
  from his opponent’s force size (but not as much as 60%; 
  100% –  42% = 58%; 5% reward bonus x 5 increments of 
  10% below the enemy force = 25% bonus). Victory by Paul 
  thus equates to a 1,250 WP reward.
  If Paul is beaten, but Ben wins instead with his 3 
  reinforcement units, the additional reward bonus drops 
  to 15%, because Ben’s force of 8 ’Mechs is about 67% of 
  the Steiner force, meaning it comes only 3 increments of 
  10% below the enemy’s numbers (100% – 67% = 33%; 5% 
  reward bonus x 3 increments of 10% below the enemy force 
  = 15% bonus). Ben’s victory will thus only win the Clan 
  force 1,150 WP.
  Zellbrigen
  In addition to bidding, which reaps honor for Clan 
  commanders, the Clans also developed a set of personal 
  honor rules, which are best demonstrated by the concept 
  of zellbrigen. Zellbrigen is nothing less than the notion of 
  choosing a single opponent to defeat and doing so one-on-
  Bidding
  Bidding is a competitive practice within each Clan wherein 
  the prospective leaders in a battle to take an objective bid to 
  do so with the least amount of force. Against Inner Sphere 
  opponents, it became common for Clan commanders to 
  bid forces as low as half their enemy’s number, as the Clans’ 
  superior technology and training made them more than 
  twice the equal of any “Spheroid” opponent. Competing Clan 
  officers who felt they could do better would occasionally go 
  below this minimum strength—known as the “cutdown”—to 
  win the right to lead the charge and reap greater honor upon 
  their victories.
  While the Inner Sphere’s tactics in the Clan Invasion 
  eventually weakened this tradition, players can still reflect 
  this practice in their games by reducing the sizes of any force 
  built using a Clan faction army list when fighting an Inner 
  Sphere opponent. If multiple players are running the Clan 
  force, they may even mirror the bidding practice more closely 
  by declaring how many units they believe they can win the 
  scenario with, with the player who chooses the smallest 
  number winning “command” in the battle. to accomplish 
  this, the Inner Sphere player must indicate the size of his 
  force (but not its composition), leaving the “Clanners” to their 
  bidding war.
  this bid winner is committed to lead the fight with the 
  lowest number of units he bid, but he gets the honor of rolling 
  all Initiatives for his side and choosing all of the units for the 
  Clan force that will be deployed under his command. Of these 
  units, the bid winner must select one to represent himself, 
  while the player with the next lowest bid must select another 
  of the units as his own ride. 
  Bidding and Gameplay: the scenario is then fought out 
  normally, but if the bid winner’s designated unit is destroyed 
  or crippled, the player who had the second lowest bid may 
  choose to bring in reinforcements to bring the total Clan 
  force—including all destroyed or defeated units—up to 
  his last bid amount. these reinforcements are chosen from 
  the same army list used by the bid winner, but are chosen 
  by the second-lowest bidder. they will then arrive from the 
  Clan players’ home edge during the movement Phase of the 
  following turn. 
  If the second-lowest bidder is destroyed or crippled before 
  the bidding winner, these reinforcements may not enter, nor 
  may reinforcements from any other Clan players after the 
  second-lowest bidder.
  Bidding and Rewards: If the players are using any form 
  of scoring system—including Warchest points—in a battle 
  where bidding takes place and the Clan side wins, the Clan 
  player may add 5 percent to his winnings for every 10 full 
  percent of units his force numbers below that of the opposing 
  force (to a maximum reward bonus of +50 percent). If the Clan 
  force outnumbers its opposition in a scenario where bidding 
  is in play, however, any reward for victory is automatically 
  reduced by 25 percent. the ratio of Clan forces is based on 
  the number of units committed to the scenario by the time 
  it ends.
  
  break LoS with its challenger, or move beyond the challenger’s 
  weapons range. to receive assistance, another unit on the duelist’s 
  side must attack its challenger or the challenger must be struck by 
  area-effect weapons fired by its opponent’s side.
  Once a duel is voided, the challenger may choose another 
  target, or call in its own assistance to bring down its chosen 
  opponent. 
  voiding Zellbrigen: If zellbrigen duels are voided repeatedly 
  by any party in a scenario, the Clan player using zellbrigen may 
  declare the entire opposing force “dezgra” (disgraced), and release 
  all Clan units from the rules of engagement. If bidding rules are 
  in play (see Bidding, p. 133), the Clan player may even call in the 
  reinforcements of the second-lowest bidder to help finish off a 
  disgraced opponent (if they have not already been called in).
  Maximum Zellbrigen: At the strictest level of zellbrigen, Clan 
  mechWarriors (but not vehicle crews or infantry) will refuse to 
  engage in physical combat, and thus may not execute physical 
  attacks in any scenario where zellbrigen is in play. Furthermore, at 
  the strictest levels of zelbrigen, Clan warriors of all types will not 
  retreat, and thus may ignore the usual Forced Withdrawal rules. 
  maximum zellbrigen was rare even in the Clan Invasion, but 
  not unheard of. In general, it was practiced mostly by Clans Jade 
  Falcon and Smoke Jaguar against non-mercenary opponents 
  from the Inner Sphere, or by all Clans when fighting against one 
  another. Players using these rules therefore do not need to follow 
  “maximum zell” if they do not wish to do so.
  one, targeting no other unit until the duel is finished. many Clans 
  demonstrate varying degrees of adherence to zellbrigen, which 
  generally broke down against Inner Sphere opponents by the end 
  of the Clan Invasion era. 
  the following rules demonstrate the how the core concepts 
  of zellbrigen should be played out in Alpha Strike games, but it 
  should be noted that they apply only to forces built using Clan 
  army lists. Inner Sphere forces are under no obligation to honor 
  the Clan dueling tradition, but as doing so tends to prevent 
  technologically superior Clan machines from massing fire on a 
  single opponent, many “Spheroids” have humored the Clans to 
  try and control the potential damage.
  Declaring a Challenge: Only a Clan unit that is not already 
  engaged with an active opponent may declare a new target 
  under zellbrigen. Declaring a target occurs in the Combat Phase, 
  and is delivered at the same time as a weapon attack. technically 
  speaking, Clan units consider the highest level of honor in 
  choosing an opponent that is equal to or better than itself, so there 
  is less honor in an assault ’mech challenging, say, a conventional 
  infantry unit. If no other target is present to choose from except 
  for one that is inferior in some way, the Clan unit may choose that 
  target or wait for a better, more honorable alternative.
  voiding a Challenge: A duel is voided if a duelist evades its 
  challenger for 3 consecutive turns, or receives assistance from any 
  allied unit even one time while the duel is still taking place. to 
  evade a challenger under these rules, the duelist must willfully 
  
  135
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Clan InvasIon: House lIao Company (168 pv)
  BATTLE LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  HUR-WO-R4L Huron Warrior
  2
  10"
  2/3/3
  0
  5/2
  15
  tHR-1L thunder
  3
  10"
  5/5/1
  0
  7/3
  15
  AC2/2/0, CASE
  CtF-3L Cataphract
  3
  10"
  3/3/2
  0
  6/3
  15
  FLK1/1/1
  VND-3L Vindicator
  2
  8"j
  2/2/2
  0
  5/4
  11
  CASE 
  PURSUIT LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  CDA-3F Cicada
  2
  16"j
  2/2/1
  0
  4/2
  13
  ENE
  CLNt-2-3U Clint
  2
  12"j
  2/2/1
  1
  2/3
  11
  ENE
  RVN-3L Raven
  1
  12"
  2/2/0
  0
  3/2
  7
  CASE, ECm, PRB, RCN, tAG, SNARC
  JA-KL-1532 Jackal
  1
  14"
  1/1/1
  1
  3/1
  9
  AmS
  COMMAND LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  AWS-9m Awesome
  4
  8"
  4/4/3
  1
  8/4
  18
  mR-V2 Cerberus
  4
  8"
  6/6/3
  0
  7/4
  20
  AmS
  EmP-6A Emperor
  4
  6"j
  4/4/2
  1
  9/4
  20
  FLK1/1/1, CASE
  CPLt-C1 Catapult
  3
  8"j
  2/3/2
  1
  5/5
  14
  LRm 1/1/1, IF1
  
  Clan InvasIon: House KurIta Company (160 pv)
  CAVALRY LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  DRG-5K Grand Dragon
  3
  12"
  2/3/2
  0
  5/3
  14
  IF1, CASE
  DRG-5K Grand Dragon
  3
  12"
  2/3/2
  0
  5/3
  14
  IF1, CASE
  DAI-01 Daikyu
  3
  10"
  3/4/3
  0
  6/3
  16
  CASE
  LNC25-01 Lancelot
  3
  12"
  3/3/1
  1
  5/3
  14
  ENE
  PURSUIT LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  DmO-1K Daimyo
  2
  10"
  3/3/1
  0
  4/3
  11
  PNt-10K Panther
  1
  8"j
  2/2/1
  0
  3/3
  8
  CASE
  JR7-K Jenner
  1
  14"/6"j
  2/2/0
  1
  2/3
  9
  CASE
  mON-66 mongoose
  1
  16"
  2/2/0
  0
  3/2
  8
  ENE, PRB, RCN
  FIRE LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  AS7-K Atlas
  4
  6"
  3/3/3
  2
  10/4
  22
  IF1, OVL, CASE, AmS
  APL-1m Apollo
  2
  8"
  2/3/3
  0
  6/5
  12
  IF2
  tHG-11E thug
  4
  8"
  4/4/2
  0
  8/6
  16
  SRm 2/2, CASE
  Htm-27t Hatamoto-Chi
  4
  8"
  3/3/2
  1
  8/6
  16
  SRm 1/1, CASE
  
  137
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Clan InvasIon: House DavIon Company (158 pv)
  STRIKER LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  CLNt-2-3U Clint
  2
  12"j
  2/2/1
  1
  2/3
  11
  ENE
  DV-7D Dervish
  2
  10"j
  3/3/2
  0
  5/5
  14
  LRm 1/1/1, IF1, CASE
  HCt-5S Hatchetman
  2
  8"j
  2/2/1
  1
  5/2
  10
  FLK1/1/1, CASE, mEL
  ENF-5D Enforcer
  2
  10"j
  2/2/2
  0
  5/2
  13
  FLK1/1/1, CASE
  PURSUIT LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  CN9-D Centurion
  2
  12"
  2/2/2
  0
  5/2
  11
  FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE
  SCB-9A Scarabus
  1
  20"
  2/1/0
  0
  3/1
  8
  ENE, ECm, tAG, mEL
  StH-1D Stealth
  2
  18"/14"j
  3/3/0
  0
  5/2
  12
  PRB, RCN
  JVN-10P Javelin
  1
  12"j
  2/2/0
  0
  2/3
  6
  COMMAND LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  AS7-RS Atlas
  4
  6"
  3/4/1
  1
  10/8
  18
  IF1
  GUN-1ERD Gunslinger
  4
  6"/2"j
  5/5/3
  0
  8/4
  23
  ECm, PRB, RCN
  BL-6-KNt Black Knight
  3
  8"
  3/3/1
  2
  7/6
  16
  ENE, PRB, RCN
  Jm6-DG Jagermech
  3
  8"
  4/4/3
  0
  4/3
  16
  CASE
  
  Clan InvasIon: House steIner Company (159 pv)
  CAVALRY LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  FLC-8R Falconer
  3
  10"j
  3/4/3
  1
  6/3
  22
  BH-K305 Battle Hawk
  1
  10"j
  3/3/0
  0
  3/1
  8
  AmS
  BSW-X1 Bushwacker
  2
  10"
  3/3/2
  0
  5/3
  12
  AC1/1/0, IF1, CASE
  BZK-F3 Hollander
  1
  10"
  2/2/2
  0
  2/3
  10
  PURSUIT LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  NGS-4S Nightsky
  2
  12"j
  3/3/0
  0
  5/2
  12
  ENE, mEL
  Vt-5S Vulcan
  2
  16"/12"j
  2/2/1
  0
  3/2
  9
  CASE
  WLF-2 Wolfhound
  1
  12"
  3/3/1
  0
  4/3
  11
  ENE
  COm-5S Commando
  1
  12"
  2/2/0
  0
  2/2
  6
  CASE
  ASSAULT LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  BNC-5S Banshee
  4
  8"
  4/4/4
  1
  8/4
  21
  ZEU-9S Zeus
  4
  8"
  3/4/3
  0
  7/6
  16
  IF1, CASE
  StK-5S Stalker
  4
  6"
  3/3/2
  4
  7/4
  14
  IF1, CASE, AmS
  PPR-5S Salamander
  4
  8"
  3/5/4
  0
  8/4
  18
  LRm 2/3/4, IF4, CASE
  
  139
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Clan InvasIon: House marIK Company (164 pv)
  FIRE LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  ALB-3U Albatross
  4
  8"
  4/4/3
  2
  7/4
  17
  FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE
  AWS-9m Awesome
  4
  8"
  4/4/3
  1
  8/4
  18
  tmP-3m tempest
  3
  8"j
  5/5/2
  0
  7/3
  18
  HER-5S Hermes II
  2
  12"
  2/2/1
  0
  4/3
  9
  STRIKER LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  tR1 Wraith
  2
  14"j
  3/3/0
  0
  5/3
  13
  ENE
  ZPH-1 tarantula
  1
  16"j
  2/2/0
  0
  2/1
  7
  ANV-3m Anvil
  3
  10"/4"j
  3/3/0
  0
  5/5
  14
  ENE, ECm
  tBt-7m trebuchet
  2
  10"j
  3/3/2
  0
  4/2
  13
  LRm 1/1/1, IF1, CASE, SNARC
  GUARD LANCE
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  ON1-m Orion
  3
  8"
  3/4/2
  0
  7/3
  14
  LRm 1/1/1, FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE, SNARC
  GLt-5m Guillotine
  3
  8"j
  4/4/1
  0
  6/6
  15
  CASE
  HRC-LS-9000 Hercules
  3
  10"
  3/3/2
  0
  7/3
  16
  FLK1/1/1, AmS
  HmR-3C Hammer
  1
  10"
  4/4/1
  0
  3/3
  10
  
  Clan InvasIon: Clan JaDe FalCon BInary (224 pv)
  BATTLE STAR
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  Gladiator (Executioner) B
  4
  10”/8”j
  5/5/2
  0
  9/5
  29
  CASE, OmNI, AmS
  mad Cat (timber Wolf) A
  3
  10"
  7/7/3
  1
  8/4
  29
  CASE, OmNI
  thor (Summoner) Prime
  3
  10"j
  4/4/4
  0
  6/4
  23
  FLK1/1/1, IF1, CASE, OmNI
  Cauldron Born (Ebon Jaguar) D
  3
  10"
  5/5/4
  1
  6/4
  22
  CASE, OmNI
  Vulture (mad Dog) Prime
  3
  10"
  4/4/4
  2
  5/3
  24
  LRm 1/1/2, IF2, CASE, OmNI
  STRIKE STAR
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  Black Lanner Prime
  2
  18"
  3/3/2
  1
  5/3
  23
  IF1, CASE, ECm, OmNI
  Loki (Hellbringer) Prime
  3
  10"
  4/4/2
  3
  4/4
  27
  OVL, CASE, ECm, PRB, RCN, OmNI, AmS
  Black Hawk (Nova) A
  2
  10"j
  3/3/3
  1
  5/3
  24
  CASE, OmNI, AmS
  Uller (Kit Fox) Prime
  1
  12"
  3/3/2
  0
  3/2
  11
  CASE, OmNI
  Hankyu (Arctic Cheetah) Prime
  1
  16"/8"j
  3/2/1
  0
  3/2
  11
  IF1, CASE, ECm, PRB, RCN, OmNI, tAG
  
  141
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Clan InvasIon: Clan WolF BInary (225 pv)
  BATTLE STAR
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  Daishi (Dire Wolf) A
  4
  6"
  7/8/5
  0
  10/5
  29
  CASE, OmNI, AmS
  Gladiator (Executioner) Prime
  4
  10"/8"j
  4/4/4
  0
  9/5
  27
  CASE, OmNI
  Kingfisher Prime
  4
  8"
  6/6/3
  1
  9/7
  24
  IF1, CASE, OmNI
  Loki (Hellbringer) Prime
  3
  10"
  4/4/2
  3
  4/4
  27
  OVL, CASE, ECm, PRB, RCN, OmNI, AmS
  man O' War (Gargoyle) A
  4
  10"
  4/4/3
  3
  7/4
  27
  OVL, ENE, OmNI
  CAVALRY STAR
  Unit Type
  Size
  Move
  Damage (S/M/L)
  OV
  Arm/Str
  PV
  Specials
  mad Cat (timber Wolf) Prime
  3
  10"
  5/5/4
  1
  8/4
  27
  LRm 1/1/2, IF2, CASE, OmNI
  Dragonfly (Viper) Prime
  2
  16"j
  3/3/0
  0
  4/2
  15
  CASE, OmNI, AmS
  Ryoken (Stormcrow) C
  2
  12"
  4/4/2
  0
  6/3
  19
  FLK1/1/1, CASE, OmNI
  Fenris (Ice Ferret) Prime
  2
  16"
  3/3/2
  0
  5/2
  17
  CASE, PRB, RCN, OmNI
  Dasher (Fire moth) Prime
  1
  26"
  3/3/0
  0
  1/1
  13
  SRm 1/1, CASE, OmNI
  
  Welcome to the Inner Sphere, thousands of planets colonized by 
  humankind. Once, it was united under the Star League, but for three 
  hundred, the Sphere was consumed by savage wars. Until a new 
  enemy appeared—the Clans.
  Powerful, ruthless, and bred for combat, the Clans struck hard, 
  overwhelming world after world in a blitzkrieg unlike any other. In 
  the spirit of the Star League, ancient enemies reunited, forming the 
  second Star League to halt the Clan advance.
  But the victory was short-lived. Old rivalries quickly returned, and 
  soon war raged across the Inner Sphere anew. Armies once again vie 
  for dominance on countless battlefields, fighting for House and Clan, 
  with the MechWarriors leading the charge. 
  It is a universe at war. 
  A hIStory of WAr
  the history of the BattleTech universe spans over a thousand 
  years and covers the rise, fall, and rebirth of many empires, heroes, 
  and villains. the following overview represents a highly simplified 
  version of this deep history.
  COLONIZING THE STARS 
  At the beginning of the twenty-first century, two men—thomas 
  Kearny and takayoshi Fuchida—discovered the principles behind 
  faster-than-light travel. Although no one believed them at first, 
  less than a century later, the Kearny-Fuchida drive finally helped 
  humankind take its place among the distant stars with the first 
  extra-solar colony established on the world of New Earth in 2116. 
  Within another one hundred years, the human sphere of influence 
  included six hundred extra-solar colonies, all founded within 120 
  light-years of terra. 
  In 2236, several colony worlds—chafing under an increasingly 
  restrictive terran Alliance—launched a rebellion against their 
  homeworld government. In response to this so-called Outer 
  Reaches Rebellion, the terran Alliance government suddenly 
  severed all ties to its colonies beyond a thirty light-year radius, 
  whether such worlds wanted independence or not. As “mother 
  terra” drew inward, new alliances formed among the distant 
  colonies, desperate to survive in a universe void of terran trade 
  and terran security. these alliances eventually formed the five 
  states of the Inner Sphere: the Capellan Confederation, the 
  Draconis Combine, the Federated Suns, the Free Worlds League, 
  and the Lyran Commonwealth.
  Devlin Stone, in his custom Atlas II, leaves a destroyed Word of Blake Arcangel in his wake.
  the bAttletech 
  unIverSe
  
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  Kerensky, to fight a long and bloody war of liberation. though 
  ultimately victorious some seven years later, Kerensky saw the 
  League he fought for torn asunder by the surviving House 
  Lords—each of whom claimed the right to take the throne left 
  vacant by the lost Cameron family.
  Desperate to avoid the coming conflicts, Kerensky led the 
  bulk of the Star League Defense Force to parts unknown—
  and, in so doing, left the Inner Sphere to almost three hundred 
  years of constant warfare.
  the Succession Wars, as they came to be known, effectively 
  threw the Ares Conventions into the fire as the Houses tore 
  into each other with every weapon in their arsenal. Whole 
  worlds were wiped out by chemical, nuclear, and biological 
  weapons, while JumpShips and factories of every kind were 
  targeted in a bid to destroy the enemy’s infrastructure. 
  technology vital for the survival of interstellar empires became 
  nearly irreplaceable as the specialized factories and parts 
  were quickly lost, forcing a return to the kind of low-intensity 
  warfare espoused by the nearly forgotten Ares Conventions.
  this change left the Inner Sphere in a virtual stalemate 
  until Houses Steiner and Davion allied in 3028 and launched 
  the devastating Fourth Succession War that nearly ripped 
  the Capellan Confederation in two. By 3030, a single mighty 
  empire—led by the marriage of Steiner and Davion rulers—
  united almost half of the Inner Sphere under its banner, and 
  though they met defeat when trying to conquer the Draconis 
  Combine in 3039, an eventual Steiner-Davion conquest of the 
  entire Inner Sphere seemed all but assured. 
  Until, in the waning days of the 3040s, a new enemy 
  appeared…
  THE CLAN INvASION 
  After centuries in exile, the descendants of Aleksandr Kerensky’s 
  long-departed SLDF forces returned to the Inner Sphere with 
  a vengeance. tearing their way through the Periphery in 3048, 
  the warriors of the Clans—with their strange customs, advanced 
  Battlemechs, and battle-armored infantry—were at first seen by 
  the people of the Inner Sphere as alien invaders. their attacking 
  forces smashed through the front-line troops of the Federated 
  Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine alike, and nearly 
  destroyed the newborn Free Rasalhague Republic that lay 
  between them. It took unprecedented cooperation between 
  the Great Houses and the might of ComStar’s army to halt the 
  invasion in 3052, but at a terrible price.
  the Clan Invasion sparked a surge in the technological 
  renaissance that had only just begun in the Inner Sphere. 
  Within a few years, the threatened nations of the Inner Sphere 
  had pushed military production and sophistication to near-
  Star League levels, and even mighty WarShips—lost since the 
  early years of the Succession Wars—once more flew under the 
  banners of the Great Houses.
  Unfortunately, ComStar’s victory against the Clans at tukayyid 
  had only bought a fifteen-year truce, and in the effective absence 
  of a mutual threat, the realms of the Inner Sphere once more 
  turned envious eyes upon each other. Even as some leaders 
  worked tirelessly toward a more lasting end to the Clan threat, the 
  machinations of others divided the Federated Commonwealth in 
  two and ignited the worlds around terra in war.
  THE AGE OF WAR 
  In the year 2398, the Capellan Confederation declared war 
  against the Free Worlds League over the world of Andurien 
  and its neighboring systems. Soon afterward, conflict spread 
  out across human-occupied space as the other interstellar 
  alliances and empires fell upon one another in a savage series 
  of wars. this period of constant fighting—spanning nearly 
  two centuries and hundreds of worlds—saw the creation of 
  the first Battlemechs and the birth of the Ares Conventions. 
  the Battlemech, invented by the terran Hegemony in 2439, 
  would soon become the ultimate weapon in conventional 
  ground warfare, blending superior mobility, resilience, 
  adaptability, and firepower in a single package piloted by 
  an individual warrior. After its proven trial by fire in 2443, the 
  technology quickly spread to the other realms of the Inner 
  Sphere, revolutionizing the face of modern warfare.
  Equally significant were the Ares Conventions. First 
  proposed by Capellan Chancellor Aleisha Liao, the Conventions 
  were an interstellar agreement to limit warfare and avoid the 
  horrors of mutually assured destruction across entire worlds. 
  Unfortunately, while their spirit would survive even into the 
  thirty-first century, the Ares Conventions also legitimized the 
  concept of resolving political and economic disputes through 
  war by establishing rules for “limited warfare”.
  By the time the Age of War ended in 2571, warfare had been 
  so revolutionized by the Battlemech and the Ares Conventions 
  that conflicts now resembled personal duels or chess matches 
  more than full-on bloodshed.
  THE STAR LEAGUE 
  Also referred to as the Golden Age of Humankind, the first Star 
  League era began when the five Great Houses of the Inner Sphere 
  joined with House Cameron—lords of the terran Hegemony—to 
  create the Star League in 2571. the result of brilliant diplomacy 
  and military cunning, the Star League unified the six largest 
  states of the Inner Sphere in a single confederacy of nations. But 
  while the Star League ended war between the Great Houses, its 
  first order of business upon its formation was to declare war on 
  the Periphery realms that held out against the alliance.
  Driven by the ideal of bringing all of humanity under one 
  rule, the Star League launched the Reunification War against 
  the Periphery realms. Ultimately victorious, the Star League 
  reigned over all worlds without contest for over two hundred 
  years. Under the leadership of the Cameron family, and the 
  ever-watchful protection of the Star League Defense Force, 
  the Star League ushered in a time of relative peace and 
  prosperity—a pinnacle of human civilization.
  But like all great empires, the Star League was destined 
  to fall…
  THE SUCCESSION WARS
  In 2766, Stefan Amaris, lord of the Rim Worlds Republic—
  then largest of all the Periphery states—killed the young First 
  Lord Richard Cameron and his family in a bloody coup years in 
  the making. Having lured the trusting SLDF away from terra to 
  quell a sudden Periphery-wide revolt, the Rim Worlds troops 
  swiftly seized and shattered the terran Hegemony, ultimately 
  forcing the Star League’s commanding general, Aleksandr 
  
  THE DARK AGE
  the Republic Era (as it was officially called) began with a rocky 
  start, but did eventually usher in a new age of peace. For a time, 
  the various Houses and Clans turned toward the task of rebuilding 
  from the Jihad, restoring their bombed-out infrastructure, and 
  working to minimize conflict. Generations grew up who knew 
  the horrors of war only through history books, or the occasional 
  “brush war”. the Republic was a beacon to all, an egalitarian realm 
  where the right to rule was no longer limited to one’s bloodline, 
  and no longer had to be taken by force.
  Yet even this was not to last.
  In the year 3132, over three-quarters of the Inner Sphere’s 
  entire interstellar communications network suddenly went down 
  amid rumors of strange attacking forces. Immediately panicked, 
  the populations of many worlds feared the worst, and took up 
  arms, certain that war was coming. the Great Houses once again 
  mobilized their armies, and factories long converted to civilian 
  pursuits hastily returned to the business of building weapons.
  Before long, the fighting began anew, raging on every border. 
  the Republic of the Sphere buckled beneath the onslaught of 
  enemies new and old, while ancient enmities returned with a 
  vengeance, igniting front lines that stabilized decades before.
  the Dark Age, as it is now known, continues today. But many 
  suspect that a new dawn is coming, even as the Clans and Houses 
  tear into each other once more.
  CIvIL WAR ERA 
  In 3060, the Successor States and ComStar re-formed the Star 
  League in an effort to destroy the Clan threat once and for all. 
  the allied forces, united under a new Star League Defense Force, 
  combined to destroy the Smoke Jaguar Clan, effectively shattering 
  the head of the Clans’ militant Crusader faction. But as the allies 
  won a formal end to the Clan invasion, tensions mounted at home 
  between the sundered Federated Commonwealth states, while a 
  resurgent Capellan Confederation launched its own campaign to 
  reclaim many of its long lost territories.
  the FedCom Civil War finally erupted in 3062 and raged until 
  early 3067, savaging two founding members of the reborn Star 
  League—the Federated Suns and the Lyran Alliance—while 
  igniting several other conflicts in their bordering nations as well. 
  In the aftermath of the conflict, Houses Davion and Steiner stood 
  once more apart, their realms battered. Although some dared 
  look to a bright future in the hopes that the new Star League 
  would finally contain war throughout the Inner Sphere, others 
  saw a reborn League that had stood idly by as its member states 
  nearly destroyed one another.
  On the eve of the Star League conference in November of 3067, 
  the future of the Inner Sphere hung in the balance.
  THE WORD OF BLAKE JIHAD 
  At the Star League conference in 3067, the leaders of the 
  Capellan Confederation, Federated Suns, and Lyran Alliance 
  shocked their fellow House Lords by declaring the new Star 
  League a failure and pulling out of the alliance. the Star League’s 
  supporters reacted with universal dismay, but one—the Word of 
  Blake—took this event hardest of all.
  Formed in 3052, after the Clans’ defeat at tukayyid, the Word of 
  Blake represented the fanatical, quasi-religious factions that left 
  ComStar when its new leadership moved for a more secular and 
  open relationship with the Inner Sphere. though seen as radicals 
  and often derided by their former ComStar brethren, the Word of 
  Blake built its strength quickly, seizing terra from ComStar in 3058 
  and gradually expanding its influence throughout the Periphery, 
  Free Worlds League, and the abandoned worlds near terra. By 
  3064, the Word had won probationary membership in the new 
  Star League, and anticipated their full membership in 3067 as the 
  realization of a great prophecy.
  When instead the Star League disbanded, the most radical 
  elements in the Word of Blake launched a string of attacks that 
  inadvertently ignited a war across the entire Inner Sphere—a 
  holy war of immense proportions. In just a few short months, the 
  Word’s disastrous efforts to force the Star League to re-form at 
  gunpoint unleashed a conflict that pitted the entire Inner Sphere 
  against them and saw the use of terrible weapons not seen since 
  the third Succession War.
  Ultimately, it took a coalition of allied states, commanded by a 
  resistance leader named Devlin Stone, to bring down the Word of 
  Blake’s reign of terror. By then, billions had died and whole worlds 
  were wiped off the interstellar maps, rendered uninhabitable by 
  the rampant use of nuclear and biological weapons. In the wake 
  of their victory, Stone and his allied forged the Republic of the 
  Sphere, a new realm at the heart of the Inner Sphere, dedicated to 
  the ideals of strength and unity for peoples of all realms.
  
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  the Federated Suns is very liberal when it comes to personal 
  freedom and trade, with a free market economy that allows its 
  citizens to pursue personal profit. militarily, they prefer combined-
  arms warfare and strategic initiative, valuing the virtues of the 
  mobility and maneuvering over brute force and savagery. 
  HOUSE KURITA (DRACONIS COMBINE)
  Founded: 2319
  Patterned on the culture of feudal Japan, and ruled by 
  a hierarchy of warlords loyal to the shogunate ideals of the 
  ruling House Kurita, the Draconis Combine is a realm whose 
  warriors and citizenry embrace the tenets of bushido—the 
  ancient Japanese Way of the Warrior. to the people of the 
  Combine, honor and duty are the very cornerstones of society, 
  without which there can be nothing. While these social mores 
  have made the Combine’s military one of the most fearsome 
  and fanatical on the battlefield, it was the modernist reforms 
  of Coordinator theodore Kurita that transformed the DCmS 
  into an even more deadly force. 
  Hard pressed during the Clan invasion—to the point where 
  their own capital of Luthien teetered on the brink of a Clan 
  occupation—the “Dragon” repaid its would-be conquerors by 
  leading the charge to Annihilate Clan Smoke Jaguar. today, 
  riddled with internal enemies in the form of the reactionary 
  Black Dragon Society, while fighting a war of attrition against 
  the Word of Blake, Coordinator Hohiro Kurita and his supreme 
  warlord, Kanrei Kiyomori minamoto, have struggled to achieve 
  the twin goals of unifying their realm and turning back the 
  deadly Word of Blake offensive. 
  A particularly harsh and xenophobic society, the Draconis 
  Combine maintains a socialist market economy and a rigid 
  leadership divided into social castes. militarily, the Draconis 
  Combine mustered Soldiery continues to struggle with the 
  twin ideals of personal honor and glory, and the need to 
  function as a unit against a determined enemy. thus, in battle 
  it is as common to see a lone Combine warrior challenge a 
  superior force as it is to see entire formations combine their 
  might to bring down an enemy.
  the reAlmS  
  of poWer
  the BattleTech setting is that of a universe trapped in the 
  throes of eternal war. though there have been periods of peace, 
  the sheer number of worlds and the ambitions of their far-
  flung leaders have all but ensured that somewhere, somehow, 
  armies have fought and bled for someone’s cause. Even during 
  the golden days of the first Star League, conflicts have raged, 
  pitting man against man in an ongoing struggle for supremacy.
  At the heart of these struggles stand the Great Houses and 
  realms described below.
  HOUSE DAvION (FEDERATED SUNS)
  Founded: 2317
  Seen by many as a realm that glorifies warfare, House 
  Davion’s Federated Suns has one of the Inner Sphere’s most 
  capable military forces, and their First Prince is seen as one of 
  the mightiest rulers in the Sphere. Primarily settled and ruled 
  by descendants of terra’s Western Europe, the Federated Suns 
  has adopted a nobility system based on feudal England and 
  France, and professes the ideals of personal freedom and rule 
  of law above all else. 
  House Davion’s archenemies are its neighbors, House Liao’s 
  Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine, ruled by 
  House Kurita. During the Fourth Succession War, the Federated 
  Suns united with House Steiner’s Lyran Commonwealth to 
  create the Federated Commonwealth. Under this union, 
  Houses Davion and Steiner conquered half the Confederation, 
  and went on to challenge the might of House Kurita in the 
  War of 3039. But this alliance eventually sundered during the 
  FedCom Civil War in the 3060s. Now threatened by the Word 
  of Blake and their Jihad, the Federated Suns once more stands 
  beside its old enemies, united against a common threat. 
  
  HOUSE MARIK (FREE WORLDS LEAGUE)
  Founded: 2271
  Unlike the other feudal realms of the Inner Sphere, the Free 
  Worlds League is—at least on paper—a democracy. Although 
  largely run by the marik family for centuries (due to various 
  circumstances and the provisions of an “emergency resolution” 
  passed centuries ago), the League is actually a conglomerate of 
  many smaller states and planets that allied long ago, and stands 
  today as the oldest of the Successor States.
  though internally divisive by nature and riddled with 
  bureaucracy, the League has existed in relative peace for many 
  years, and even escaped the worst of the Fourth Succession 
  War. A civil war nearly sundered the realm in the 3030s, but the 
  League recovered and gradually rose in stature over the decades 
  since, fighting only a small and very effective war in 3057 while 
  harboring the breakaway Word of Blake after that group’s 
  formation. Becoming the arms dealer for the Inner Sphere 
  after the Clans’ arrival, the Free Worlds’ industry and economy 
  boomed, but with the start of the Jihad, even the people of the 
  League were not immune. Shocked to learn that their Captain-
  General, thomas marik, was actually an impostor set on the 
  throne by ComStar many years ago, the League has begun to 
  unravel at its seams. today, at least three leaders have risen with 
  a claim to the title of Captain-General, putting the entire realm 
  on the verge of collapse.
  Defining itself as a nation of tolerance and open-mindedness, it 
  comes as little surprise that the Free Worlds League also maintains an 
  open market capitalist economy, which has helped to make it one of 
  the most economically and socially progressive powers in the Inner 
  Sphere. However, with a military made up of regional forces, the 
  performance of its troops can vary with the political situation at home.
  HOUSE LIAO (CAPELLAN CONFEDERATION)
  Founded: 2366
  Originally settled by people from terra’s Asian nations, one can 
  see the roots of Chinese and Russian culture in people of House 
  Liao’s Capellan Confederation. the smallest of the five Great Houses 
  after centuries of unrelenting warfare, House Liao has come to 
  embrace the harsh reality of police state politics and ruthless 
  control to ensure their nation’s survival against its enemies. the 
  maskirovka, the Capellan secret police, keeps a cold and calculating 
  eye on the Confederation’s people, who must earn their rights to be 
  citizens, rather than expect such rights from birth. 
  Nearly shattered by House Davion in the Fourth Succession 
  War, the Confederation teetered on the edge of extinction until 
  its latest Chancellor, Sun-tzu Liao, rose to form the trinity Alliance 
  with the magistracy of Canopus and the taurian Concordat and 
  reclaim much of what his realm lost in the Fourth Succession War. 
  After bringing the renegade St. Ives Compact back into the fold 
  and launching his wildly successful Xin Sheng political movement, 
  Sun-tzu’s reign promised the Confederation a return to its former 
  glory—until the Word of Blake Jihad erupted and soon engulfed 
  his state in a new Sphere-spanning war.
  Although the Confederation effectively stands alone against the 
  Blakist menace, with only its allies in the magistracy of Canopus 
  for support, House Liao has maintained its determination to 
  survive the worst that war can throw at it. For the people of this 
  realm, the needs of the state will always take precedence over 
  those of its individuals. this fact is as evident in the seemingly 
  fanatical nature of the Capellan soldiery as it is in the open market 
  communism that dominates the nation’s economy.
  
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  the battletech  
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  COMSTAR
  Founded: 2785
  Jerome Blake, the last administrator of the original Star 
  League’s communications network, founded ComStar in the 
  wake of the Star League’s final collapse. As an independent 
  and ostensibly neutral international organization, ComStar’s 
  role was to rebuild and administer the hyperpulse generator 
  network that made interstellar communications possible 
  across the Inner Sphere. to secure ComStar’s neutrality, Blake 
  and mercenary forces in his employ seized terra to spare it the 
  turmoil of the Succession Wars, establishing the central hub of 
  ComStar’s power.
  After Blake’s death, his followers—considering him a 
  visionary and a saint—gradually transformed ComStar into 
  a quasi-religious order, a veritable church, devoted to “the 
  word of Blake” with a mandate to preserve the secrets of the 
  lost Star League from the Inner Sphere’s ultimate collapse. 
  In the centuries that followed, ComStar provoked or played 
  an influential role in the raging Succession Wars, operating 
  entirely from the shadows while maintaining their neutrality 
  to all powers. But when the Clan Invasion revealed a greater 
  threat that would require Inner Sphere unity to defeat, 
  a schism erupted within ComStar between the devout 
  followers of Blake’s word who believed it was ComStar’s 
  time to rise and rule all, and those who believed ComStar 
  should secularize and share its power with the Inner Sphere 
  nations. the Schism, as it came to be known, set the stage 
  for a broiling war between the so-called “reformist” ComStar 
  and the reactionary Word of Blake, which would culminate in 
  the Word of Blake Jihad.
  Not a realm in their own right, ComStar claims among its 
  membership people from all corners of the Inner Sphere. As a 
  HOUSE STEINER (LyRAN ALLIANCE)
  Founded: 2341
  Originally known as the Lyran Commonwealth, House 
  Steiner’s Lyran Alliance is widely recognized as a nation of 
  merchants and industrialists first, and warriors a distant 
  second. Settled and dominated by predominantly Germanic 
  and Scottish cultures, and ruled by the Steiner family through 
  a combination of political intrigue and brute economic force, 
  the Lyran state is united in the pursuit of status and wealth.
  Often on the defensive in the Succession Wars, House 
  Steiner’s peace initiatives sparked the creation of the 
  Federated Commonwealth, but when the Clans invaded, the 
  Lyran half of that alliance suffered the bulk of their assault. 
  the strain of this event and others led to the sundering of the 
  Federated Commonwealth, the birth of the Lyran Alliance, 
  and the eruption of the FedCom Civil War. In the wake of that 
  conflict, the battered Alliance stood ready to reclaim its lost 
  glories under a new Archon, only to see the start of the Word 
  of Blake Jihad firsthand with a surprise assault on their own 
  capital world of tharkad.
  Like the Federated Suns, the Lyran state enjoys an open market 
  economy that boasts centuries of stability and success, boosted 
  by the presence of some of the Inner Sphere’s most industrialized 
  worlds. Although the reforms of the Federated Commonwealth 
  era improved Lyran martial prowess, the influence of the so-
  called “social generals” and widespread confidence in “bigger 
  equals better” firepower has returned House Steiner’s realm to a 
  time when it was widely seen as militarily inept. Indeed, the Lyran 
  solution to most problems is typically negotiation, barter, or 
  covert action—but with their resources and wealth, the armies of 
  House Steiner can often field heavier and more numerous forces 
  than their enemies, producing a virtual wall of steel against an 
  enemy advance.
  
  among several sects, the Word of Blake nevertheless managed to 
  maintain its focus and unity until the final meeting of the new Star 
  League council in 3067, when—according to Blakist prophecies—
  they believed they would be recognized by the other realms as 
  a legitimate power with a leading stake in Inner Sphere politics. 
  When the Star League instead disbanded, many in the Word 
  of Blake took this as the ultimate betrayal of Blake’s vision, and 
  lashed out. the result was the Jihad—a virtual holy war between 
  the Word of Blake and its allies and the rest of the Inner Sphere. 
  Like ComStar, the Word of Blake’s military emphasizes teamwork 
  and combined arms, and benefits from a technology base that 
  dates back to the original Star League. their quasi-religious fervor, 
  however, has made the followers of “Blake’s true vision” far more 
  deadly and determined in combat, especially now that they feel 
  the entire universe has turned against them. 
  THE CLANS
  Founded: 2822
  After the collapse of the original Star League, General Aleksandr 
  Kerensky—leader of the Star League Defense Force—led roughly 
  eighty percent of the SLDF on an Exodus from the Inner Sphere, 
  rather than witness the coming collapse of the realm he had 
  fought so hard to save. After wandering the interstellar void for 
  over a year, these survivors of the Star League settled a distant 
  cluster of worlds known as the Pentagon and the Kerensky 
  Cluster. Under the leadership of Aleksandr’s son Nicholas, these 
  exiles formed a new society that would one day return to the 
  Inner Sphere as the Clans.
  result, ComStar has none of the cultural identity the Great Houses 
  may claim, nor does it boast the industrial capacity of hundreds of 
  worlds. Nevertheless, the reformed Order still stands as a curious 
  combination of interstellar relief organization and communication 
  company to its allied realms, with economic and political power 
  far exceeding its size. the Com Guards—ComStar’s military arm—
  represents one of the most sophisticated and well-trained armies 
  in the Inner Sphere, preferring truly combined-arms tactics and 
  elaborate command and control networks, though many of its 
  warriors suffer from an identity crisis prompted by the Schism and 
  the upheavals since. 
  WORD OF BLAKE
  Founded: 3052
  A reactionary breakaway faction of ComStar, the Word of Blake 
  represents the original quasi-mystical version of Jerome Blake’s 
  interstellar communications legacy, which formed after ComStar 
  defeated the Clans in the Battle of tukayyid. Committed to the 
  presumed prophecies of Jerome Blake, which claimed that the 
  Inner Sphere was destined to collapse and that ComStar would 
  rise up to reunite humanity under its banner, the “Blakists” could 
  not reconcile their faith with the reformist mission launched by 
  ComStar’s new leaders.
  Under the leadership of Demona Aziz, former Precentor of 
  Atreus, the Word of Blake found a safe haven on Gibson in the Free 
  Worlds League, where they rebuilt, reorganized, and eventually 
  grew strong enough to take terra from their “heretic” brethren 
  in 3058. Aggressive and determined to ensure the success of 
  Blake’s vision, the Word gradually expanded its influence and 
  international standing throughout the lawless worlds of the 
  nearby Chaos march, claiming more territory than ComStar 
  had ever claimed in its entire history. though internally divided 
  
  149
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  THE PERIPHERy
  the Periphery is the collective term used to describe the 
  many realms and independent worlds that exist beyond the 
  borders of the Great House states. many include the refugees 
  of the Succession Wars, while others are minor powers in their 
  own right. Pirates and privateers stalk the space lanes of these 
  far-flung territories, often crossing paths with other wanderers 
  and merchants from the Inner Sphere.
  Lacking the resources and support of the larger interstellar 
  realms closer to terra, the Periphery worlds are generally 
  poorer, less industrialized, less populous, and more untamed 
  than the rest of the Inner Sphere. these factors combine with 
  the fiercely independent nature of most Periphery peoples and 
  the all-pervasive threat of piracy to give these fringe realms a 
  “frontier” feel. many of the Inner Sphere realms thus tend to 
  view the worlds and people of the Periphery as technologically 
  and culturally backward—and this underestimation has bred 
  more than its fair share of conflict.
  though once on par with the Inner Sphere (after their 
  subjugation to the Star League), the cultures, economies, and 
  technological sophistication of the Periphery worlds now vary 
  greatly from realm to realm and even world to world. In the 
  last few decades, however, several of the Periphery’s larger 
  realms have shown remarkable growth that has even made 
  the mighty Successor States take notice. 
  Determined to harness the violence inherent in humankind—
  which he felt could not be contained or eradicated—and to 
  ensure the survival of colonies desperate to fill every necessary 
  niche his new society would need, Nicholas instituted a caste-
  based system where everyone had a role, and the warrior was 
  considered the pinnacle. Led by an original 800 loyal officers, 
  whose bloodlines would continue in a eugenics program 
  determined to produce the perfect warriors, the Clans became 
  a society where might makes right, be it in politics or on the 
  battlefield—but where rampant bloodshed could at least 
  be contained to those trained for battle. During the so-called 
  “Golden Century” after their formation, the Clans made 
  immense technological and genetic breakthroughs, including 
  the development of Omnimechs, battle armor, and the powered 
  Elemental phenotype.
  Convinced over the centuries that they were the saviors 
  of the Inner Sphere their forebears had left behind, the 
  Clans returned to the Inner Sphere in 3048 on a mission of 
  conquest. With the ultimate goal of seizing terra and re-
  forming the Star League in their image, the Clans tore through 
  nearly a quarter of the Inner Sphere in less than two years’ 
  time, endangering the survival of both the Lyran half of the 
  Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, while 
  nearly destroying the entire Free Rasalhague Republic. At the 
  Battle of tukayyid, however, ComStar won a fifteen-year truce 
  with the Clans, giving the Inner Sphere desperately needed 
  breathing room to rebuild and upgrade their armies. this 
  truce would eventually give the Inner Sphere nations enough 
  time to re-form the Star League themselves and destroy one 
  of the invading Clans, effectively winning a lasting end to 
  the Clan Invasion, but not before several invading Clans had 
  established a home on Inner Sphere worlds.
  Of the original twenty Clans created by Nicholas Kerensky, 
  only fourteen remained in 3060. though each has developed 
  a unique identity over the centuries, most today are loosely 
  aligned along Crusader or Warden political lines (favoring 
  the Inner Sphere’s conquest or protection, respectively). As 
  of 3075, seven Clans—the Diamond Sharks, Ghost Bears, 
  Hell’s Horses, Jade Falcons, Nova Cats, Snow Ravens, and 
  Wolves—have secured territories in the Inner Sphere. Reliant 
  on socialized economies and the brutal discipline of the 
  warrior caste, these Clans now struggle to hold onto their 
  hard-won territories with honor as the Word of Blake Jihad 
  swirls around them.
  In battle and elsewhere the Clans have developed a sense 
  of personal honor that includes formal contests (“trials”) to 
  resolve conflicts at any level and ensure that their warriors 
  remain strong and ready for battle. their custom of bidding 
  forces before battle helps to reduce waste in combat by 
  minimizing the Clan’s risk in each conflict. However, as many 
  Clans realized that their Inner Sphere opponents would 
  not adhere to the same level of honor, their tactics and 
  technologies have begun to adapt, making the Clans more 
  ruthless and deadly than ever. 
  
  Coreward
  Spinward
  Anti-spinward
  Rimward
  MAXIMUM  JUMP: APPROXIMATELY 30 LIGHT YEARS
  30 LIGHT YEARS
  120 LIGHT YEARS OR 26,8 PARSECS
  Map compiled by COMSTAR.
  From information provided from the COMSTAR EXPLORER CORPS 
  and the STAR LEAGUE ARCHIVES on Terra.
  © 3067 COMSTAR CARTOGRAPHIC CORPS
  L E G E N D
   
  House steiner (Lyran aLLiance)
  RuleR:
  Archon Peter Steiner-Davion
  Great House
  GoveRnment:
  Constitutional Monarchy  
  (with German Feudal stylings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Tharkad City, Tharkad
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English and German (official), 
  Scottish Gaelic, Italian, French
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (protestant), 
  Judaism, Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  368
  Founding year
  2341
  Currency
  Kroner
  cLan Jade FaLcon occupation Zone
  RuleR:
  Khan Marthe Pryde
  cLan
  GoveRnment:
  Clan (Caste-driven,  
  Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Hammarr, Sudeten
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  59
  Founding year
  3050
  Currency
  Kerensky
  House Marik (Free WorLds LeaGue)
  RuleR:
  Captain-General Thomas Marik
  Great House
  GoveRnment:
  Parliamentary Confederacy
  (operating under military rule)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Atreus City, Atreus
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), Spanish, 
  Greek, Romanian, Urdu
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (Catholic), Judaism, 
  Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  334
  Founding year
  2271
  Currency
  Eagle
  cLan WoLF (in-exiLe)
  RuleR:
  Khan Phelan Kell
  cLan
  GoveRnment:
  Clan (Caste-driven,  
  Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Wolf City, Arc-Royal
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  n/a
  Founding year
  3057
  Currency
  Kerensky
  cLan diaMond sHark
  RuleR:
  Khan Barbara Sennet
  cLan
  GoveRnment:
  Clan (Caste-driven,  
  Warrior-dominant hierarchy 
  with mercantile stylings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Camora, Twycross
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  3
  Founding year
  3067
  Currency
  Kerensky
  Inner Sphere: General term used to  
  describe a region of space roughly one 
  thousand light-years across, composed 
  of more than two thousand populated 
  planets, with Terra (Earth) at the center. 
  This area is further divided into geopolitical 
  regions, where one power or another 
  holds sway. For most of the centuries since 
  human-kind took to the stars, the vast 
  majority of these worlds have belonged 
  to one of the five Great Houses. Smaller 
  powers have come and gone over this 
  same time period. Any world or geopolitical 
  power outside the Inner Sphere is said to 
  lie in the Periphery, considered the frontier 
  of the known universe.
  —Encyclopedia Galactica
  
  cLan WoLF occupation Zone
  RuleR:
  Khan Vlad Ward
  cLan
  GoveRnment:
  Clan (Caste-driven,  
  Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Tamar City, Tamar
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  80
  Founding year
  3050
  Currency
  Kerensky
  cLan nova cat
  RuleR:
  Khan Santin West
  cLan
  GoveRnment:
  Clan (Caste-driven,  
  Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  New Barcella, Irece
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  14
  In stewardshIp
  Founding year
  3060
  Currency
  Combine Ryu
  cLan snoW raven
  RuleR:
  Khan Lynn McKenna
  cLan
  GoveRnment:
  Clan (Caste-driven,  
  Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  None
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  2
  Founding year
  3064
  Currency
  Kerensky
  GHost Bear doMinion
  RuleR:
  Khan Bjorn Jorgensson
  cLan
  GoveRnment:
  Clan (Caste-driven,  
  Warrior-dominant hierarchy)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Silverdale, Alshain
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  51
  Founding year
  3050
  Currency
  Kerensky
  House kurita (draconis coMBine)
  RuleR:
  Coordinator Theodore Kurita
  Great House
  GoveRnment:
  Autocracy 
  (Japanese feudal stylings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Imperial City, Luthien
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  Japanese (official), Arabic, 
  English
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Shinto (official), Buddhism, 
  Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  323
  Founding year
  2319
  Currency
  Ryu
  House Liao (capeLLan conFederation)
  RuleR:
  Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao
  Great House
  GoveRnment:
  Dictatorship  
  (Chinese feudal stylings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Zi-jin Cheng (Forbidden City), 
  Sian
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  Chinese (Mandarin, official), 
  Chinese (Cantonese), Russian, 
  English, Hindi
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  167
  Founding year
  2366
  Currency
  Yuan
  House davion (Federated suns)
  RuleR:
  Princess-Regent  
  Yvonne Steiner-Davion
  Great House
  GoveRnment:
  Constitutional Aristocracy  
  (Western European feudal stylings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  New Avalon City, New Avalon
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), French, 
  German
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (Catholicism), 
  Buddhism, Judaism
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  515
  Founding year
  2317
  Currency
  Pound
  
  Coreward
  Spinward
  Anti-spinward
  Rimward
  MAXIMUM  JUMP: APPROXIMATELY 30 LIGHT YEARS
  30 LIGHT YEARS
  120 LIGHT YEARS OR 26,8 PARSECS
  Map compiled by COMSTAR.
  From information provided from the COMSTAR EXPLORER CORPS 
  and the STAR LEAGUE ARCHIVES on Terra.
  © 3067 COMSTAR CARTOGRAPHIC CORPS
  L E G E N D
   
  nueva castiLe    
  Umayyad Caliphate (C) & Castilian Principalities (P)
  RuleRs:
  Caliph Lise Burrill (C)
  King Joseph Noye (P)
  deep peripHery state
  GoveRnments:
  Feudal Monarchy (C)
  Monarchy (with Spanish 
  stylings, P)
  Capital (WoRlds)
  Granada (C)
  Asturias (P)
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  Arabic, English & Russian (C)
  Spanish & German (P)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Islam (C) 
  Christianity (P)
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  2 (C) 
  7 (p)
  Founding year
  2830 (C)
  2392 (P)
  Currency
  None (Barter)
  Marian HeGeMony
  RuleR:
  Caesar Julius O’Reilly
  peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Dictatorship (with Romanesque 
  republican stylings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Nova Roma, Alphard
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English and Latin (official), 
  German, Spanish, Greek
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (Lutheran), 
  Judaism, Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  26
  Founding year
  2920
  Currency
  Talent
  circinus Federation
  RuleR:
  President Calvin McIntyre
  Minor peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Military Dictatorship
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Zachariah, Circinus
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English, German, Spanish, 
  Greek
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity, Judaism, Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  8
  Founding year
  c. 2775
  Currency
  Skull
  MaGistracy oF canopus
  RuleR:
  Magestrix Emma Centrella
  peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Monarchy (Matriarchal)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Crimson, Canopus IV
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), Spanish, 
  Greek, Romanian, Chinese 
  (Mandarin)
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Buddhism, Christianity, Wicca, 
  Judaism
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  44
  Founding year
  2530
  Currency
  Dollar
  tHe Hanseatic LeaGue
  RuleR:
  The Council of Merchants
  deep peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Mercantile Alliance (with 
  German feudal stylings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Commerce, Bremen
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  German (official), English, 
  Spanish
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (Protestant), 
  Judaism
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  24 
  (est)
  Founding year
  2891
  Currency
  None (Barter)
  riM coLLection
  RuleR:
  President William Roberts
  Minor peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Democracy
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  New Promise, Gillfillan’s Gold
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English, German, Scottish 
  Gaelic, Italian, Greek
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (Protestant), 
  Judaism, Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  6
  Founding year
  3048
  Currency
  Lyran Kroner
  
  Word oF BLake
  RuleR:
  Precentor William Blane,  
  Ruling Conclave
  Minor poWer
  GoveRnment:
  Corporate Confederacy 
  (with mystical trappings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Hilton Head Island, Terra
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), others by 
  realm of birth
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Word of Blake
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  6
  Founding year
  3052
  Currency
  C-Bill
  coMstar
  RuleR:
  Primus Sharilar Mori
  Minor poWer
  GoveRnment:
  Corporate (with reformed 
  mystical trappings)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Memoria, Tukayyid
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), others by 
  realm of birth
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  None
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  n/a
  Founding year
  2785
  Currency
  C-Bill
  taurian concordat
  RuleR:
  Protector Grover Shraplen
  peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Constitutional Monarchy
  (with democratic sub-government)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Samantha, Taurus
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), Spanish, 
  French
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Deism (official), Christianity 
  (Catholic), Judaism, Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  47
  Founding year
  2335
  Currency
  Bull
  Free rasaLHaGue repuBLic
  RuleR:
  Elected Prince Regent  
  Christian  Månsdottir
  Minor poWer
  GoveRnment:
  Representative Democracy
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Erinyes, Orestes
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  Swedenese (official), English, 
  Japanese, German, Swedish
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (Protestant), Shinto, 
  Judaism
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  7
  Founding year
  3034
  Currency
  Krona
  outWorLds aLLiance
  RuleR:
  President Mitchell Avellar
  peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Parliamentary Confederacy
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  Farmindas, Alpheratz
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), Japanese, 
  French
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Christianity (Gregorian), 
  Muslim, Agnostic, Shinto
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  37
  Founding year
  2417
  Currency
  Escudo
  caLderon protectorate
  RuleR:
  (Regent) Baron Cham Kithrong
  Minor peripHery state
  GoveRnment:
  Constitutional Monarchy
  (currently under military regency)
  Capital  
  (City, WoRld)
  New Taurus, Erod’s Escape
  dominant 
  lanGuaGe(s):
  English (official), Spanish, 
  French
  dominant 
  ReliGion(s):
  Deism (official), Christianity 
  (Catholic), Judaism, Islam
  inhabited 
  Worlds
  6
  Founding year
  3066
  Currency
  Protectorate Bull
  
  Alpha Strike: The BattleTech Miniatures Wargame uses a host 
  of terms to convey the numerous concepts covered in the 
  universe and in game play. While not all-inclusive, this list of 
  terms will allow new players to quickly acclimate themselves to 
  the universe of BattleTech.
  Several terms in this glossary are standard scientific terms, 
  often used in the real world. As the universe of BattleTech 
  attempts to remain as close to “reality” as possible—while 
  allowing players to interact with the great stories waiting to 
  unfold—such terms are used liberally.
  UNIvERSE TERMS
  the following terms are commonly used by people living in 
  the BattleTech universe:
  Abtakha – A term used by the Clans to refer to a warrior 
  adopted by the Clan after first being captured.
  Aerospace Fighter – Any combat-capable aircraft that can 
  operate equally well in space and in atmosphere.
  Age of War – the period of history before the founding of the 
  first Star League, during which time many of the Great Houses 
  formed and the Battlemech was created. the Age of War was 
  characterized by the widespread use of unlimited warfare, until 
  the various states signed the Ares Conventions.
  AgroMech – An Industrialmech designed for use in 
  agricultural settings. 
  Ares Conventions – the archaic rules of warfare that first 
  codified (and accidentally legitimized) the use of limited warfare 
  in settling disputes between the realms of the Inner Sphere. 
  While no longer technically in effect, the Ares Conventions are 
  often cited and held as the ideal for limited warfare.
  Autocannon – A common ballistic weapon used in personal as 
  well as tactical combat, using conventional chemical or explosive 
  reactions to deliver slug munitions to a target in rapid fire.
  Battle Armor – A set of powered personal armor, weighing 
  up to two tons. Also referred to as battlesuits, battle armor can 
  withstand damage from some of the heaviest battlefield weapons.
  BattleMechs – the pinnacle of military technology, 
  Battlemechs are armed and armored bipedal or quadrupedal 
  war machines that stand anywhere from eight to twelve meters 
  in height and are piloted by mechWarriors.
  Bloodhouse – the trueborn genetic successors of the Clans’ 
  founding warriors are grouped into Bloodhouses, each of which 
  bears the name and the genetic legacies of a founding warrior.
  Bloodname – the ultimate achievement of a trueborn Clan 
  warrior, the winning of a Bloodname—which identifies the 
  warrior’s genetic link to one of the Clans’ original founders—
  enables the warrior to pass his genes along to the next 
  generation through the Clan eugenics program.
  Bloodright – A trueborn Clan warrior’s genetic link to a Clan 
  founder is referred to as the warrior’s Bloodright. If the warrior is 
  proven worthy enough, he may receive an opportunity to win a 
  Bloodname in a trial of Bloodright, thereby ensuring the passing 
  of his own genetic legacy to the next generation of warriors.
  Brotherhoods – Cabals of mechWarriors who aid (and 
  sometimes hinder) the rulers of the Great Houses.
  Clans – the descendants of the original Star League Defense 
  Force, forged into a new society that uses ritualized warfare 
  and a code of honor in combat, and which maintains order 
  using a strict caste system that segregates warriors, laborers, 
  scientists, and technicians.
  Combat vehicles – Any ground vehicle (including tracked, 
  wheeled, hovercraft, or Wing-in-Ground Effect vehicles) or 
  VtOL designed expressly for battlefield use, but not including 
  Battlemechs, Protomechs, fighters, or battle armor.
  Combined-Arms Combat – the integrated deployment of 
  various types of military assets (such as infantry, ’mechs, and 
  combat vehicles) as a single force.
  ComStar – the organization that took over interstellar 
  communications (and terra) shortly after the fall of the original 
  Star League.
  ConstructionMech – An Industrialmech designed to aid in 
  building construction.
  Conventional Fighter – Any combat-capable aircraft 
  (except for VtOL vehicles) that can operate in atmosphere.
  Cybernetics – Any technology implanted in the human 
  body or grafted to the human nervous system, to replace or 
  repair a damaged body part, or to physically enhance the user.
  DropShips – Large space vessels used to ferry supplies, 
  personnel, and equipment from JumpShips or WarShips to 
  other vessels or to and from a planet’s surface.
  Elemental – term used to describe the genetically bred 
  battle armor warriors used by the Clans, as well as their 
  “standard” battle armor design.
  Enhanced-Imaging Implant – A neural cybernetic implant 
  developed by the Clans for a direct connection between a 
  mechWarrior, fighter pilot, battlesuit trooper, or Protomech 
  Warrior to control their machines in battle without a 
  neurohelmet. the technology is considered dangerous, as it 
  eventually induces madness in the user.
  Eugenics Program – the Clan system of producing 
  increasingly superior warrior generations by selective pairing 
  of genetic material and artificial wombs.
  Families – Influential people who can trace their lineage 
  back centuries and whose power and influence can rival that of 
  a landed noble. titles and Battlemechs within these families are 
  often passed down from generation to generation. 
  ForestryMech – An Industrialmech designed for use in 
  logging forests.
  Freeborn – Any member of Clan society produced by the 
  natural mating of parents, rather than by the carefully selected 
  artificial means used in the eugenics program.
  Gauss Weaponry – Any ballistic weapon described as a 
  Gauss weapon delivers its rounds using magnetic propulsion, 
  rather than a chemical or explosive reaction. Gauss weapons 
  are typical more powerful than conventional ballistics, but 
  expensive and more energy-intensive.
  GLoSSArY
  
  155
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  Great Houses – the five most powerful families of the 
  Inner Sphere, and the star empires they rule: House Davion 
  (Federated Suns), House Kurita (Draconis Combine), House 
  Liao (Capellan Confederation), House marik (Free Worlds 
  League), and House Steiner (Lyran Alliance/Commonwealth). 
  the ruler of a Great House is called a House Lord.
  House Lord – the ruling member of one of the Great Houses.
   • House Cameron – the extinct Great House that ruled 
  the terran Hegemony and the first Star League.
   • House Davion – the Great House that rules the 
  Federated Suns.
   • House Kurita – the Great House that rules the Draconis 
  Combine.
   • House Liao – the Great House that rules the Capellan 
  Confederation.
   • House Marik – the Great House that rules the Free 
  Worlds League.
   • House Steiner – the Great House that rules the Lyran 
  Alliance.
  Holovid – Also known as “tri-vid”, a common video medium 
  in the BattleTech universe that projects three-dimensional 
  images using lasers.
  Hyperpulse Generator (HPG) – the most common form 
  of interstellar communication, based on the hyperspace 
  principles developed by thomas Kearny and takayoshi 
  Fuchida (see Kearny-Fuchida Drive, below).
  IndustrialMechs – Also referred to as Workmechs, 
  Industrialmechs are bipedal or quadrupedal machines similar 
  to Battlemechs in design, but which are usually unarmed and 
  built for civilian use.
  Inner Sphere – A region of space surrounding terra and 
  extending roughly 600 light-years outward, and largely 
  dominated by the five Great House empires. In general 
  terminology, the Inner Sphere can also refer to all realms, 
  peoples, and technologies not of the Clans.
  Jihad – term applied to the war launched when the 
  second Star League disbanded and the Word of Blake struck 
  out against all Inner Sphere realms.
  Jump Points – the point in any star system where 
  gravitational forces are low enough to permit the proper 
  formation of the K-F jump field is referred to as a jump point. 
  Normal space traffic enters and departs from the zenith and 
  nadir jump points of a system (located due “north” and “south” 
  of the system’s star, respectively), but non-standard (or 
  “pirate”) points may also be located based on the interaction 
  of planets, moons, and other bodies within the system.
  JumpShips – Spacecraft that can “jump” through 
  hyperspace, instantaneously transporting themselves and 
  their crews to other star systems up to 30 light-years away.
  Kearny-Fuchida (K-F) Drive – the technology at the core 
  of a JumpShip (or WarShip) that transports such vessels 
  through hyperspace is referred to as the Kearny-Fuchida (or 
  K-F) drive, after the scientists who first developed hyperspace 
  theory, thomas Kearny and takayoshi Fuchida.
  Laser – the most common form of energy weapon in 
  the BattleTech universe, short for Light Amplification by 
  Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
  Light-year – A unit of distance based on the distance 
  traveled by light in a vacuum over the course of 1 terran year. A 
  light-year is approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers in distance.
  Limited Warfare – the (generally) accepted practice of 
  withholding nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons as 
  an aid in conquering planets; winning battles through use of 
  ’mechs, tanks, and infantry with minimal civilian casualties. 
  those Houses, Clans, and groups that follow the Ares 
  Conventions practice the concept of limited warfare.
  Lostech – General term used during the Succession Wars 
  to describe lost technology from the first Star League.
  ’Mech – An abbreviation of Battlemech (also used for 
  Industrialmechs, but not for Protomechs).
  MechWarrior – the pilot of a Battlemech.
  Metric System – the denizens of the BattleTech universe 
  all use the metric system in everyday life. Land distances are 
  always given in meters and kilometers; temperature is always 
  given in Celsius; weight is described in grams, kilograms and 
  metric tons, and so forth.
  MiningMech – An Industrialmech designed for mining 
  and excavation.
  Minor Houses – Any powerful family that rules a smaller 
  interstellar realm, Periphery state, or territory within a Great 
  House empire.
  Myomer – Bundles of polyacetylene fibers that simulate 
  the work of human muscles when exposed to electrical 
  current. Small-scale myomers are used mainly in medicine 
  to replace damaged human tissue, while larger myomers 
  are primarily used to control the limbs and main weapons of 
  ’mechs, Protomechs, and battle armor. 
  Neural Impulse Helmet (Neurohelmet) – the device 
  that allows a Battlemech pilot to “drive” a ’mech, allowing the 
  giant machine to walk upright and balance its own weight.
  OmniFighter – An aerospace fighter built for rapid 
  reconfiguration between missions.
  OmniMech – A ’mech built for rapid reconfiguration 
  between missions.
  Omnivehicle – A Combat or Support Vehicle built for 
  rapid reconfiguration between missions.
  Particle Projector Cannons (PPCs) – A high-powered 
  energy weapon that uses magnetic accelerators to fire high-
  energy proton or ion bolts that cause damage through both 
  impact and high temperature.
  Periphery – the smaller, less powerful realms that 
  lie along the fringes of the Inner Sphere are collectively 
  known as the Periphery. Although often overlooked by 
  the Great Houses, several Periphery states have grown in 
  stature to become true powers in their own right, such 
  as the magistracy of Canopus, taurian Concordat, and 
  the Outworlds Alliance. Beyond these realms, in the less-
  explored reaches of space, lies the Deep Periphery, which 
  includes many states only recently discovered by the 
  denizens of the Inner Sphere.
  GLoSSArY (ConTinuEd)
  
  Power Armor – See Battle Armor.
  Phenotype – A genetically bred human form developed by the 
  Clan eugenics system to perfect their warrior caste in specialized roles. 
  Clan phenotypes include Elementals (bred for battle armor warfare), 
  fighter pilots (bred for aerospace combat), and mechWarriors (bred 
  for Battlemech combat).
  ProtoMech – A Clan-designed unit similar in many ways to 
  a Battlemech, but weighing only 2 to 9 tons and controlled by 
  Protomech Warriors, who make use of enhanced-imaging neural 
  implants to directly interface with their machines.
  Scorched-Earth – A military tactic or strategy that consists of 
  devastating or destroying all land, buildings, and resources while 
  advancing (or retreating) so as to leave nothing salvageable to the enemy.
  Sibko – A Clan term, derived from “sibling companies”, that 
  describes a group of trueborn warriors from a single genetic pairing.
  Slug Thrower – A generic term applied mostly to small arms 
  that fire ballistic rounds, rather than laser bolts, particle beams, or 
  otherwise project energy damage.
  Small Craft – Any aerospace craft between an aerospace fighter 
  and a DropShip in weight and size is described as a Small Craft. this 
  includes many surface-to-orbit shuttles.
  Star League – the original alliance of the Great Houses of Cameron, 
  Davion, Kurita, Liao, marik, and Steiner, as well as the Periphery realms, 
  effectively uniting all of humanity from 2570 through 2781. In 3060, 
  the name was used again to declare the Inner Sphere’s alliance against 
  the Clans; this “Second Star League” only lasted from 3060 to 3067.
  Successor States – the realms ruled by the Great Houses of Davion, 
  Kurita, Liao, marik, and Steiner, who were once united under the Star 
  League.
  Succession Wars – the period from the fall of the first Star League 
  to the Clan Invasion in 3048 where each Great House waged war 
  against the others to recreate the Star League.
  Support vehicle – Any ground vehicle (including tracked, wheeled, 
  hovercraft, or Wing-in-Ground Effect vehicles), VtOL, airship, fixed-
  wing aircraft, train, or satellite designed for civilian, industrial, or other 
  non-battlefield use.
  Terra – the name for Earth in the BattleTech universe. Humanity’s 
  homeworld.
  Terran Hegemony – the destroyed realm that once included terra 
  and formed the central power of the original Star League under the 
  rule of House Cameron.
  Trueborn – A member of the Clans produced using the Clan 
  eugenics system, rather than by natural methods.
  Unlimited Warfare – the concept of using total war to overpower 
  an enemy, including the use of weapons of mass destruction (WmDs) 
  to quickly destroy as many of the enemy as possible, in complete 
  defiance of the spirit of the Ares Conventions.
  WarShip – A combat-capable JumpShip, capable of in-system 
  travel like a DropShip, is referred to as a WarShip.
  Wing-in-Ground Effect (WiGE) vehicle – An uncommon Combat 
  or Support Vehicle type, WiGE vehicles are a hybrid of hovercraft and 
  true aircraft that can achieve great speeds.
  Word of Blake – the fundamentalist breakaway faction of ComStar 
  that formed after the Battle of tukayyid.
  vTOL vehicle – A VtOL vehicle is any non-fixed wing aircraft that 
  travels by using rotors for lift.
  GLoSSArY (ConTinuEd)
  bAttletech 
  reSourceS
  Alpha Strike is set in the universe of BattleTech, a futuristic 
  universe of armored combat that is far deeper than any 
  mere board game can hope to encompass. the BattleTech 
  Introductory Box Set offers players an excellent starting point 
  to learn about the classic war game and its universe, which 
  is vibrant, strong and still growing after more than twenty-
  five years in print. the fictional universe—and the valiant 
  struggles of its dynamic, human characters—has been 
  enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.
  to convey the universe to the BattleTech community (as 
  well as to demonstrate how players can take that universe 
  and integrate it into the game system), Catalyst Game 
  Labs 
  publishes 
  several 
  different lines of rulebooks, 
  sourcebooks, and campaign 
  packs to support campaigns 
  of every style and scale. 
  While far from an all-
  inclusive list, the following 
  provides an overview of the 
  primary series of products 
  published by Catalyst Game 
  Labs (or FanPro LLC/FASA) 
  for use with BattleTech.
  CORE RULEBOOKS
  Following the introduction to 
  the game through the BattleTech 
  Introductory Box Set, the core 
  rulebooks lay the foundation of 
  detailed “classic” game play (and 
  the universe that goes with it) for 
  the various aspects of BattleTech. 
  Total Warfare, the first in this series 
  of core rulebooks, delivered the 
  basic rules of armored combat in 
  the thirty-first century, the rules 
  for fighting with Battlemechs, 
  Protomechs, aerospace fighters, 
  infantry, and more. Alpha Strike is derived from these rules, with 
  the rules in this book dramatically simplifying those of Total 
  Warfare and others in the core line.
  Covered with a breadth and a visual presentation never 
  before achieved, Total Warfare launched a series that will act 
  as the bedrock for any type of game the players may wish 
  to undertake, including the role-playing aspect covered in 
  A Time of War. 
  While this volume is not technically part of the core 
  rulebook series, Alpha Strike is designed as a standalone 
  source for resolving faster playing games in the BattleTech 
  setting. Each rule in this book corresponds to others 
  used in the rest of the core rules, however, so Alpha Strike 
  players looking for an even more immersive experience will 
  undoubtedly find the other core rulebooks invaluable.
  
  157
  introduction
  introductory 
  alpha strike
  standard 
  alpha strike
  abstract 
  aerospace system
  advanced options
  alpha strike 
  campaign rules
  era setting: 
  the clan invasion
  the battletech  
  universe
  book format available through battlecorps.com. more such 
  sourcebooks, e-books, and game aids will continue to appear 
  in the future, allowing players to explore the stunning events 
  of the current Jihad and the historical wars that have shaped 
  every faction to date.
  MAPS, TERRAIN,  
  AND MINIATURES
  While Alpha Strike is a game 
  designed for miniatures and 
  three-dimensional terrain, the 
  original, classic BattleTech game 
  began as a tabletop system that 
  uses pre-printed hexagonal map 
  sheets to regulate movement and combat in game play. 
  Using a hexagonal grid in place of modeled hills and woods, 
  these maps provide solid visual references to find range, lines 
  of sight, and terrain features that can affect a battle without 
  requiring a great an investment in storage space that can 
  come with miniature terrain. miniatures or counters used with 
  these maps are, however, fully compatible with Alpha Strike’s 
  style of play, so players can use either system with ease.
  THE MASTER UNIT LIST
  Having a tough time keeping all your ’mech stats straight? 
  (Don’t worry; so do we!) Over nearly thirty years, the Battletech 
  has introduced literally thousands of unique Battlemechs, 
  vehicles, fighters, and infantry—and the list just keeps on 
  growing. Fortunately, a dedicated corps of volunteers have 
  banded together to bring you the Battletech master Unit 
  List (http://www.masterunitlist.info/): a web-based database 
  made for the busy army builder. the mUL helps players find 
  stats and references to the range of official units published for 
  use with Battletech, and we are constantly working to keep 
  this list up to date and useful to players from any rule set!
  many of the units on the mUL include “Quick-Strike” stats—
  records easily convertible to Alpha Strike play. Just multiply a unit’s 
  Quick-Strike mP values by 2 to find its inches of move in Alpha 
  Strike, and divide its Battle Value by 100 (rounding normally) 
  to find Alpha Strike Point Value. It’s that simple! And if you can’t 
  find a unit you’re looking for, just check back periodically as we 
  continue to update for units new and old alike!
  COMING SOON:  
  ALPHA STRIKE ERA SUPPLEMENTALS!
  this book has given you only a taste of the variety of 
  eras and technology seen by the denizens of the BattleTech 
  universe. As the centuries passed after humanity reached 
  the stars, the wars and the machines unleashed to fight 
  them each brought with it a flavor and style all its own. 
  Coming soon, Catalyst Game Labs will present affordable, 
  download-ready supplements for those ready to explore the 
  ages of war beyond the days of the Clan invasion! Complete 
  with larger, more varied army lists, special rules expansions 
  for era and faction-style play, and bonus fiction to boot, 
  these Alpha Strike Era Supplementals will add endless depth 
  to your Alpha Strike games! 
  TECHNICAL 
  READOUTS
  With so much of  
  the BattleTech universe 
  focused on war, the 
  vehicles, 
  Battlemechs, 
  and 
  other 
  tools 
  of 
  modern tactical warfare 
  often play a significant 
  role in a character’s 
  identity. the Technical 
  Readouts 
  are 
  the 
  ultimate guidebooks to the weaponry and war machines 
  of the thirty-first century. With fully illustrated entries and 
  detailed statistics, these reference books also provide insight 
  into the design philosophies and battlefield preferences of 
  the various factions that vie for power across the Inner Sphere 
  and beyond.
  Pre-filled record sheets to track the status and capabilities 
  of the various units found in the Technical Readout books 
  are published separately in the Record Sheets series, many of 
  which are available both in a downloadable format and in 
  print. Alpha Strike players will also find data cards for many of 
  the units featured in these Technical Readouts in the form of 
  our downloadable Quick-Strike Cards and Alpha Strike Cards.
  PLOT SOURCEBOOKS
  BattleTech has always been a 
  dynamic universe with progressing 
  story lines that shake things up, 
  uniting and shattering factions, 
  developing characters into beloved 
  (or despised) icons of this war-torn 
  universe. Such events breathe life 
  not only into the fiction players 
  read, but into the games they play.
  the 
  most 
  recent 
  universe-
  shaking story line is set in the Dark 
  Age, a new age of Sphere-spanning war, based on events first 
  foreshadowed with the Word of Blake Jihad. Look for future 
  Dark Age-era sourcebooks that will continue to shock, amaze 
  and entertain for years to come.
  HISTORICAL SOURCEBOOKS
  the Historicals series delves 
  into the pivotal wars of the Inner 
  Sphere’s thousand-year history, 
  with 
  important 
  personalities, 
  maps of individual attack waves 
  and regiment listings, along with 
  a campaign framework that allows 
  players to enact every aspect of 
  each of these important conflicts.
  Liberation of Terra, Volumes I and 
  II, are currently available in print, 
  while the on-line exclusive Turning Points series offers a look 
  at pivotal battles of the Jihad and other eras in an electronic 
  ISBN-13: xxx 
  $24.99
  WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
  www.catalystgamelabs.com
  THE WARS OF REAVING  •  A BATTLETECH SOURCEBOOK
  35306
  A ClAns sourCebook
  ©2011 The Topps Company Inc. All Rights Reserved. BattleTech The Wars of Reaving, BattleTech, Classic BattleTech,  
  BattleMech, and ’Mech are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company Inc. in the United States and/or other 
  countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in USA.
  ®
  STAR LEAGUE ERA 
  SUCCESSION WARS ERA
  CLAN INVASION ERA
  JIHAD ERA
  CIVIL WAR ERA
  DARK AGE ERA
  Descendants of the Star League 
  Defense Force, they returned to the 
  Inner Sphere in 3050 with violence 
  and honor. Stalled by the combined 
  might of the Inner Sphere, the 
  Clans have been waiting for the 
  chance to strike for Terra once 
  more. But fractures within 
  Nicholas Kerensky’s Great 
  Society have widened. A new 
  enemy threatens to destroy 
  the Clans once and for all: 
  themselves. The resulting 
  Wars of Reaving touches 
  every Clan: some will be 
  destroyed, all will be 
  forever altered.
  The Wars of Reaving 
  sourcebook details 
  the Clans from 3067 
  through the end of the 
  Jihad era and includes 
  detailed reports, 
  faction updates, 
  personalities, units, 
  and equipment that 
  have a hand in this 
  widespread orgy 
  of war. Essential 
  gameplay statistics, 
  maps, and a 
  complete campaign 
  allow players to 
  immerse themselves 
  completely within 
  these Wars of 
  Reaving.
  The Clans.
  The Wars of Reaving Cover.indd   1
  7/11/2011   8:22:07 PM
  ISBN-13: xxx 
  $24.99
  WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
  WWW.CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
  HISTORICAL: LIBERATION OF TERRA VOLUME II  •  A BATTLETECH SOURCEBOOK
  35233
  A STAR LEAGUE SOURCEBOOK
  ©2013 The Topps Company Inc. All Rights Reserved. BattleTech Historical: Liberation of Terra II, BattleTech, Classic BattleTech,  
  BattleMech, and ’Mech are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company Inc. in the United States and/or other 
  countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Printed in USA.
  ®
  STAR LEAGUE ERA 
  SUCCESSION WARS ERA
  CLAN INVASION ERA
  JIHAD ERA
  CIVIL WAR ERA
  DARK AGE ERA
  In 2777—after ten years of savage 
  fighting in the Periphery—General 
  Alaksandr Kerensky and the Star 
  League Defense Force launched 
  the final phase in the war against 
  Stefan Amaris, the Usurper of the 
  Star League. For two more years, 
  the greatest army ever forged by 
  humankind would wage a planet-
  by-planet war for the heart of the 
  League itself, ultimately landing on 
  mankind’s homeworld of Terra. As 
  the single greatest campaign ever 
  fought in human history, Operation 
  LIBERATION would change the fate 
  of generations to come.
  Historical: Liberation of Terra, Volume 2 
  describes the final years of the civil war that 
  ultimately brought about the end of the 
  first Star League. Covering the fighting that 
  followed Kerensky’s conquest of the Rim 
  Worlds Republic and the early stages of the 
  Hegemony campaign to the final conclusive 
  battles on Terra itself, this book provides a 
  hard look at the last days of the Star League 
  Era, and the fateful decisions that would 
  eventually pave the way for centuries of 
  Succession Wars to come.
  A TerrAin expAnsion For The inTroducTory Box seT
  A TerrAin expAnsion For The inTroducTory Box seT
  35140
  35140
  Hexpack: lakes and rivers
  Hexpack: lakes and rivers
  TM
  TM
  A TerrAin expAnsion For The inTroducTory Box seT
  TM
  TM
  ©2010 WizKids, Inc. All rights Reserved. HexPack: Lakes and Rivers, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech and WK Games 
  are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the 
  Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. 
  WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM
  You’ve defeated your opponent across all the terrain that the BattleTech Introductory Box Set has 
  to offer and now you want more worlds to conquer. Grab your dice and start rolling, because 
  this product is for you!
  HexPack: Lakes and Rivers is a flexible map system aid for the BattleTech game system. Designed 
  for use in conjunction with other pre-printed mapsheets (such as those from the Introductory Box 
  Set), the system’s flexibility allows for easy modifications to existing mapsheets, increasing the 
  enjoyment of a given scenario as players quickly change the terrain to bring new excitement to 
  each game they play! A booklet contains two ready-to-play scenarios, which include expanded 
  play options such as clearing woods, buildings and additional weather conditions.
  The BattleTech Introductory Box Set is required to use HexPack: Lakes and Rivers.
  Contents:
  One 18” x 22” full-color gameboard-quality mapsheet, with a different map printed on either side.
  •	
  Four punch-out-and-ready-to-play gameboard-quality HexTile sheets.
  •	
  Sixteen page booklet. 
  •	
        Miniatures not included.
  Made in China
  THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY.  
  NOT INTENDED FOR USE OF PERSONS 
  12 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER.
  
  TM
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  © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
  Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use. 
  Cut along the thiCk lines
  
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   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
  TM
  large unit stats
  TP: 
  SZ: 
  MOVE: 
  SKILL:
  A:
  S:
  PV:
  unit  
  name
  OV:      | HEAT SCALE
  1
  2
  3
  S
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
  TM
  large unit stats
  alpha strike stats
  TP: 
  SZ: 
  MOVE: 
  SKILL:
  SIZE:    MOVE:    
   S (+0) 
  M (+2) 
  L (+4)
   
  SPECIAL: 
  A:
  S:
  OV:   | HEAT SCALE
  A:
  S:
  1
  2
  3
  S
  PV:
  PV
  unit  
  name
  <<DESIGNATION>>
  <<MECH>>
  OV:      | HEAT SCALE
  1
  2
  3
  S
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
  TM
  large unit stats
  alpha strike stats
  TP: 
  SZ: 
  MOVE: 
  SKILL:
  SIZE:    MOVE:    
   S (+0) 
  M (+2) 
  L (+4)
   
  SPECIAL: 
  A:
  S:
  OV:   | HEAT SCALE
  A:
  S:
  1
  2
  3
  S
  PV:
  PV
  unit  
  name
  <<DESIGNATION>>
  <<MECH>>
  OV:      | HEAT SCALE
  1
  2
  3
  S
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
  TM
  large unit stats
  alpha strike stats
  TP: 
  SZ: 
  MOVE: 
  SKILL:
  SIZE:    MOVE:    
   S (+0) 
  M (+2) 
  L (+4)
   
  SPECIAL: 
  A:
  S:
  OV:   | HEAT SCALE
  A:
  S:
  1
  2
  3
  S
  PV:
  PV
  unit  
  name
  <<DESIGNATION>>
  <<MECH>>
  OV:      | HEAT SCALE
  1
  2
  3
  S
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
  TM
  large unit stats
  alpha strike stats
  TP: 
  SZ: 
  MOVE: 
  SKILL:
  SIZE:    MOVE:    
   S (+0) 
  M (+2) 
  L (+4)
   
  SPECIAL: 
  A:
  S:
  OV:   | HEAT SCALE
  A:
  S:
  1
  2
  3
  S
  PV:
  PV
  unit  
  name
  <<DESIGNATION>>
  <<MECH>>
  OV:      | HEAT SCALE
  1
  2
  3
  S
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
  SPECIAL: 
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
   ARC
   S (+0) M (+2) L (+4)
  © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
  Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use. 
  Cut along the thiCk lines
  
  RADAR MAP
  © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
  Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use. 
  A
  B
  C
  D
  E
  F
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  CENTRAL
  ZONE
  INNER
  RING
  N
  A
  B
  C
  D
  E
  F
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  CENTRAL
  ZONE
  INNER
  RING
  
  AREA OF EFFECT TEMPLATES
  © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
  Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use. 
  5
  1
  4
  (3-4)
  (1-2)
  Attack
  Direction
  5
  3
  6
  (5-6)
  POI
  POI
  4
  1
  (3-4)
  Attack Direction
  (1-2)
  (5-6)
  5
  3
  5
  6
  2
  ATTACK PATH
  STRAFING TEMPLATE - UP TO 10” LONG
  POI
  POI
  ATTACK PATH
  STRAFING TEMPLATE - UP TO 10” LONG
  POI
  POI
  4
  4
  1
  (3-4)
  1
  (3-4)
  (1-2)
  Attack
  Direction
  Attack Direction
  (1-2)
  (5-6)
  5
  3
  5
  3
  6
  6
  (5-6)
  POI
  POI
  2
  2
  2
  ”
   
  A
  O
  E
   
  T
  E
  M
  P
  L
  A
  T
  E
  6”
   A
  OE
   T
  EM
  PL
  AT
  E
  
  WARCHEST CAMPAIGN
  RECORD SHEET
  © 2013 The Topps Company, Inc. Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, ’Mech and BattleMech are trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc.                     
  All rights reserved.Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC. Permission to photocopy for personal use.
  CAMPAIGN NOTES
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  Track Title:
  Starting WP:
  Track Cost:
  Options Used
  +/-
  +/-
  Force Name:
  Faction:
  Objectives Gained/WP Earned
  Downtime Costs
  Final WP:
  Date/Duration:
  +/-
  
  • alpha strike firing arcs •
  • grounded dropships firing arcs • 
  • large support vehicle firing arcs diagrams • 
  pAGE 163
  FirinG ArCS
  
  pAGE 164
  SpECiAL ABiLiTiES
  Special Ability
  Abbr.
  Effect Summary
  Page
  Active Probe
  PRB
  Adds to the range of sensor spotting and reveals hidden units up to 18" away 
  104
  Advanced Fire Control 
  AFC 
  Unit possesses standard military sensors and targeting systems
  45
  Aerospace transport 
  At# 
  Unit can transport, launch, and recover # aerospace/conventional fighters 
  104
  Amphibious 
  AmP 
  Non-naval unit capable of water movement 
  46
  Angel ECm 
  AECm
  Blocks hostile LPRB, PRB and C3 specials within 12" diamater
  46
  Anti-’mech 
  Am 
  Enables infantry swarming attacks
  46
  Anti-missile System 
  AmS 
  Reduce damage from attacks by units with IF, LRm, or SRm  
  46
  Armored Component 
  ARm 
  Ignore the first critical hit 
  46
  Armored motive System
  ARS 
  –1 to motive Systems damage checks 
  46
  Artillery 
  ARtX-# 
  Unit possesses # artillery weapons of X type
  104-105
  Autocannon 
  AC#/#/#/# 
  Unit delivers # damage with its autocannon weapons; can use alternate AC ammo
  105
  BAR 
  BAR 
  All attacks check fro critical hit
  46
  Basic Fire Control
  BFC
  –1 to-hit modifier to this unit's weapon attacks
  46
  Battlemech HarJel 
  BHJ 
  Immune to hull breach in vacuum or underwater
  46, 105
  Battlemech Shield 
  SHLD 
  Reduces some damage, but adds +2 to-hit modifier to this unit's weapon attacks
  46
  Bloodhound 
  BH 
  Adds to the range of sensor spotting and reveals hidden units up to 26" away 
  105
  Bomb 
  BOmB# 
  this unit can carry # bombs 
  46
  Booby trap 
  Bt 
  Unit may self-destruct, damaging all units within 2" radius 
  105
  Bridgelayer 
  BRID 
  Unit can create temporary bridges 
  105
  C3/C3I Boosted System 
  C3BS# 
  Enables C3/C3I functions immune to all but AECm special
  49-51
  C3 Emergency master Computer 
  C3Em# 
  temporary backup for C3m special
  49-51
  C3 master Computer 
  C3m# 
  Enables C3 network with up to 3 units that have C3S or C3RS specials
  49-51
  C3 Remote Sensor 
  C3RS# 
  Functions as static C3S special, connects with C3m special
  49-51
  C3 Slave Computer 
  C3S# 
  Enables C3 network connection with a unit that has C3m special
  49-51
  C3 Improved Computer 
  C3I# 
  Enables C3 network with up to 5 other units with C3I special
  49-51
  Capital 
  CAP 
  Unit has non-missile capital-scale weapons 
  105-106
  Cargo transport (Kilotons) 
  CK# 
  Unit can transport #-thousand tons of cargo 
  106
  Cargo 
  CAR# 
  Unit occupies # tons of transport space 
  46
  Cargo transport (tons) 
  Ct# 
  Unit can transport # of tons of cargo 
  46
  CASE/CASE II 
  CASE/CASE II 
  Unit can survive Ammo Hit critical hits 
  21, 46
  Crew
  CRW#
  Unit can temporarily produce # infantry to defend against boarding actions
  106
  Critical-Resistant
  CR
  Applies –2 modifier to Critical Hit rolls (No Critical on resulty of 1 or less)
  106
  Door 
  D# 
  Unit has # doors for loading/unloading other units or cargo
  106
  Drone 
  DRO 
  Unit is a remote-controlled drone (diabled by hostile AECm, ECm, LECm, WAt specials)
  106
  Drone Carrier Control System 
  DCC# 
  Unit can control # units with DRO special
  106
  Ejection Seat 
  ES
  Unit equipped with ejection system that may save pilot 
  106
  Electronic Countermeasures 
  ECm 
  Blocks hostile LPRB, PRB and C3 specials within 12" diamater
  46-47
  Elementary or Fuel Cell Engine 
  EE/FC 
  Unit uses a non-fusion engine type; environment restrictions may apply
  47
  Energy 
  ENE 
  Unit has little to no ammo-dependent weapons; immune to Ammo Hit critical
  21, 47
  Engineering 
  ENG 
  Unit can clear rubble and woods hexes 
  106
  Environmental Sealing 
  SEAL 
  Unit may operate in hostile environments 
  106
  Extended mechanized 
  XmEC 
  Enables mechanized Infantry rules with any ’mech or Vehicle unit
  47
  Fire Resistant 
  FR 
  Unit ignores fire and attacks using Heat (Ht#) special
  47
  Firefighter
  FF
  Unit capable of extinguishing fires within 2" radius
  107
  Flak 
  FLK#/#/#/#
  Unit may still inflict # damage against airborne units on missed attacks
  47
  Flight Deck 
  FD 
  Unit may launch or recover fighers and VtOLs 
  107
  Heat 
  Ht# 
  Attacks from this unit generate # heat to target in addition to damage
  21, 47
  Helipad 
  HELI 
  Unit may launch or recover VtOLs 
  107
  iNarc 
  INARC# 
  Unit may make an a special bonus attack with # iNarc beacons
  107
  Indirect Fire 
  IF# 
  Unit can fire over intervening terrain 
  47
  Industrial tSm 
  I-tSm 
  Unit delivers +1 physical attack damage, but with +2 to-hit modifier
  47
  alPHa strike sPeCial abilities table
  
  pAGE 165
  SpECiAL ABiLiTiES
  Special Ability
  Abbr.
  Effect Summary
  Page
  Infantry transport 
  It# 
  Unit can carry up to # tons of infantry units
  47
  Large 
  LG 
  Unit is considered large sized (fills 2" radius)
  107
  Light Active Probe 
  LPRB 
  Adds to the range of sensor spotting and reveals hidden units up to 12" away 
  107
  Light ECm 
  LECm 
  Blocks hostile LPRB, PRB and C3 specials within 2" diamater
  47
  Light tAG 
  LtAG 
  Unit can designate targets within Short range for artillery attacks
  107
  Long-Range missiles 
  LRm#/#/#/#
  Unit delivers # damage with its LRm weapons; can use alternate LRm ammo
  107
  maglev 
  mAG 
  Unit is a rail-based vehicle restricted to maglev rails 
  107
  ’mech transport 
  mt# 
  Unit can transport and drop # 'mech units
  107
  mechanized 
  mECH 
  Battle Armor unit may ride on 'mech or vehicle units with OmNI special
  47
  melee 
  mEL 
  Unit delivers +1 physical attack damage 
  21, 47
  mimetic Armor Systems 
  mAS/LmAS 
  Attacks against this unit suffer additional to-hit modifiers based on its movement
  48
  mine Dispenser 
  mDS# 
  Unit may deploy # 1-point density minefields 
  107
  minesweeper 
  mSW 
  Unit can clear minefields
  107
  missile 
  mSL#/#/#/#
  Unit delivers # damage with capital or sub-capital missile weapons
  107
  mobile Headquarters 
  mHQ# 
  Unit provides battlefield intelligence capability
  107
  mountain troops
  mtN
  Enables infantry to climb 2" elevations per 1" ground travel
  107
  Narc missile Beacon 
  CNARC#/
  SNARC# 
  Unit may make an a special bonus attack with # compact/standard Narc beacons
  107-108
  Off -Road 
  ORO 
  this support unit may move off-road as a combat unit
  48
  Omni 
  OmNI 
  Omni-unit; 'mech and vehicle omnis can carry 1 unit with mEC or XmEC specials
  48
  Overheat Long
  OVL
  Unit can use Overheat ability at Long Range bracket
  21, 48
  Paratroopers
  PAR
  Enables infantry deployment from airborne units as jump infantry
  108
  Point Defense 
  PNt# 
  Impedes or destroys incoming damage from mSL special
  108
  Protomech transport 
  Pt# 
  Unit can transport and drop # Protomech units
  108
  Rail 
  RAIL 
  Unit is a rail-based vehicle restricted to conventional train rails 
  108
  Reactive Armor
  RCA
  Unit is resistant to damage from ARtX, BOmB, IF, LRm, mSL, and SRm specials
  108
  Recon 
  RCN 
  Unit provides battlefield intelligence capability
  108
  Reflective Armor
  RFA
  Unit is resistant to damage from ENE or Heat specials; susceptible to ARtX, BOmB
  108
  Remote Sensors Dispenser 
  RSD# 
  Unit may deploy up to #  remote sensors 
  108
  Saw 
  SAW 
  Unit can clear woods hexes 
  108
  Searchlight 
  SRCH 
  Unit eliminates modifiers for night combat 
  108
  Short Range missiles 
  SRm#/#
  Unit delivers # damage with its SRm weapons; can use alternate SRm ammo
  108-109
  Space Craft transport 
  St# 
  Unit can transport, launch, and recover # small craft
  109
  Space Defense System 
  SDS-X#
  Unit can deliver # damage to large aerospace units with X-type weapons 
  109
  Space Ops Adaptation 
  SOA 
  Unit is equipped for operation in vacuum 
  109
  Stealth 
  StL 
  Attacks against this unit suffer additional to-hit modifiers based on its range
  48
  Sub-Capital 
  SCAP 
  Unit has non-missile sub-capital weapons
  109
  Super Large 
  SLG 
  Unit is considered super-large sized (fills 6+" radius)
  109
  target Acquisition Gear 
  tAG 
  Unit can designate targets within Short and medium range for artillery attacks
  109
  taser 
  BtAS#/mtAS#
  Unit may make an a special bonus attack with # taser weapons
  109
  torpedo 
  tOR#/#/#
  Unit may make a separate underwater attack 
  48
  trenchworks Engineers
  tRN
  Unit can fortify terrain in a 2" radius area
  109
  triple-Strength myomer 
  tSm 
  Additional move and +1 physical attack damage when unit is 1+ on heat scale 
  48
  turret 
  tUR #/#/#
  Unit has one or more turrets with 360° field of fire and extra attacks 
  48
  Underwater maneuvering Unit 
  UmU 
  Unit is capable of underwater movement as a submersible
  48
  Variable Range targeting 
  VRt 
  Enables cycling through different targeting and tracking modes 
  109
  Vehicle transport 
  VtX# 
  Unit can transport and deploy # vehicle units of X size
  109
  Very Large 
  VLG
  Unit is considered very-large sized (fills 4" radius)
  109
  VStOL 
  VStOL 
  Enables shorter take-off and landing areas
  109
  Watchdog 
  WAt 
  Unit has combined LPRB and LECm specials
  48
  alPHa strike sPeCial abilities table
  
  pAGE 166
  MoveMent Cost table
  Terrain Type
  Movement Cost
  Clear
  1”
  Rough/Rubble
  +1”
  Woods
  +1”
  Water
  +1”
  Level Changes (up or down) 
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (max 2” per 1” travelled)
  alPHa strike range table
  Distance
  Range
  Up to 6”
  Short
  Over 6” and up to 24”
  medium
  Over 24” and up to 42”
  Long
  RANGE MODIFIERS
  Range
  Distance
  Modifier
  Short
  Up to 6”
  +0
  medium
  >6” to 24”
  +2
  Long
  >24” to 42”
  +4
  TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1
  Target’s Available MP
  Modifier
  0-4”
  +0
  5”-8”
  +1
  9”-12”
  +2
  13”-18”
  +3
  19”-34”
  +4
  35”+
  +5
  Jump Capable
  +1
  TERRAIN MODIFIERS
  Terrain
  Modifier
  Woods
  +22
  Partial Cover
  +2
  PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS
  Physical Attack Type
  Modifier
  Charge
  +2
  Death From Above
  +3
  melee
  +1
  Standard
  +0
  TARGET MODIFIERS
  Target
  Modifier
  Is Shutdown/Immobile
  –4
  MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS
  Attacker
  Modifier
  Fire Control Hit
  +23
  Overheated
  + Heat Level [1-3]4
  to-Hit Modifiers table
  1Modifier Modifier is based on the unit’s available movement, modified by heat 
  levels and critical hits (if applicable). For units with multiple movement 
  modes, apply the modifier from the mode that has the highest modifier. Inches 
  actually moved by the unit are irrelevant.
  2Modifier applies if terrain is intervening or occupied by target.
  3This modifier may apply multiple times, but does not apply to physical attacks.
  4Heat modifiers do not apply to physical attacks.
  deterMining CritiCal Hits table
  2d6 Roll
  Effect
  2
  Ammo Hit
  3
  Engine Hit
  4
  Fire Control Hit
  5
  No Critical Hit
  6
  Weapon Hit
  7
  mP Hit
  8
  Weapon Hit
  9
  No Critical Hit
  10
  Fire Control Hit
  11
  Engine Hit
  12
  Unit Destroyed
  CHarge daMage table
  Unit Size
  Multiply Move by
  1
  .25
  2
  .50
  3
  .75
  4
  1
  Death from Above: Add +1 damage for Death from 
  Above (DFA) attack
  P. 14
  P. 18
  P. 16
  P. 16
  P. 19
  inTroduCTorY ruLES
  
  pAGE 167
  Point value skill rating table 
  Skill Description 
  Unit Skill 
  Rating 
  Point Value  
  Multiplier
  Wet Behind the Ears 
  7
  0.68
  Really Green 
  6
  0.77
  Green 
  5
  0.86
  Regular 
  4
  1.00
  Veteran 
  3
  1.38
  Elite 
  2
  1.82
  Heroic 
  1
  2.24
  Legendary 
  0
  2.63
  viCtory Points table
  Event
  Points Awarded
  Enemy Unit Destroyed
  +(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 2)
  Friendly Unit Destroyed 
  –(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 1)
  Enemy Unit Withdrawn*
  +(Withdrawn Unit’s PV x 1)
  Friendly Unit Withdrawn*
  –(Destroyed Unit’s PV x 0.5)
  Objective Occupied**
  +(Objective’s Point Value x 0.25)
  Objective Captured**
  +(Objective Point Value x 1)
  Other Event
  Varies (Players’ Choice)
  *To count toward Victory Points, the unit must have withdrawn under the Forced 
  Withdrawal rules.
  **Points are not awarded for occupying the same objective multiple times; do not 
  award points for occupying an objective if it is captured.
  unit MoveMent Mode table
  Movement Mode
  Movement Code
  Vehicles
  Hover
  h
  Naval
  n
  Submersible
  s
  tracked
  t
  VtOL
  v
  Wheeled
  w
  Wheeled (bicycle)
  w(b)
  Wheeled (monocycle)
  w(m)
  WiGE
  g
  Infantry
  Foot
  f
  Jump
  j
  motorized
  m
  individual ProtoMeCH  
  values  table
  Value (Point)
  Value (Individual)
  0
  0
  1 to 7
  1
  8 to 12
  2
  13 to 17
  3
  18 to 22
  4
  23+
  5
  deterMining CritiCal Hits table
  2d6
  ’Mech*
  ProtoMech**
  Vehicle
  2
  Ammo Hit
  Weapon Hit
  Ammo Hit
  3
  Engine Hit
  Weapon Hit
  Crew Stunned
  4
  Fire Control Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  5
  No Critical Hit
  mP Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  6
  Weapon Hit
  No Critical Hit
  No Critical Hit
  7
  mP Hit
  mP Hit
  No Critical Hit
  8
  Weapon Hit
  No Critical Hit
  No Critical Hit
  9
  No Critical Hit
  mP Hit
  Weapon Hit
  10
  Fire Control Hit
  Unit Destroyed
  Weapon Hit
  11
  Engine Hit
  Weapon Hit
  Crew Killed
  12
  Unit Destroyed
  Weapon Hit
  Engine Hit
  *Roll twice for critical hits on IndustrialMechs, and apply both critical hits.
  **ProtoMech critical hit effects must be tracked separately for individual ProtoMechs.
  Motive systeMs  
  daMage table
  Unit Motive Type 
  2D6 Roll Modifier
  tracked/Naval
  +0
  Wheeled/Hovercraft
  +1
  VtOL/WiGE
  +2
  2D6 Roll
  Motive Effects
  2-8
  No Effect
  9-10
  –2” move*
  11
  –50% move*
  12+
  Unit Immobilized
  *To a minimum of 0” Move; round fractions down
  P. 26
  P. 41
  P. 42
  P. 24
  P. 31
  P. 39
  STAndArd ruLES
  
  pAGE 168
  MoveMent Cost table
  Terrain Type
  Move Cost per Inch
  Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
  Base move
  1”
  —
  Clear
  +0”1
  Naval
  Paved/Road/Bridge
  +0”2
  Naval
  Rough
  +1”
  Naval, Wheeled
  Rubble
  +1”
  Naval
  Woods
  +1”3
  Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4
  Water
  Surface Only
  +0”
  All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5
  Depth 0”-1”
  +0” 
  Ground, Infantry6
  Depth 2”-3”
  +1”7
  Ground, InfantryF, Industrialmechs8
  Depth 4+”
  +6”7
  Ground, InfantryF, Industrialmechs8
  Level Changes (up or down)9
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (’mechs, Protomechs)
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (VtOLs in Air)
  Per 1” depth
  +1” (Submarines in Water)
  Per 1” elevation
  +2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles)
  Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including 
  attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash.
  1+1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 
  2All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain.
  3Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”).
  4Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 
  5Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”.
  6Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability.
  7This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement.
  8IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability.
  9Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation changes 
  over 2” per 1” travelled 
  Unit Types Key
  ’mechs
  Includes Battlemechs and Industrialmechs
  Protomechs
  Protomech units only
  Infantry
  Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
  Vehicles
  Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
  Air
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL or WiGE movement types
  Ground
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
  Naval
  Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
  Hover
  Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
  Sub
  Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
  tracked
  Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only 
  VtOL
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL movement type only
  Wheeled
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
  WiGE
  Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
  Aerospace
  Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
  P. 30
  STAndArd ruLES
  
  pAGE 169
  RANGE MODIFIERS
  Range
  Distance
  Modifier
  Short
  Up to 6”
  +0
  medium
  >6” to 24”
  +2
  Long
  >24” to 42”
  +4
  TARGET MOVEMENT MODIFIERS1
  Target’s Available MP
  Modifier
  0-4”
  +0
  5”-8”
  +1
  9”-12”
  +2
  13”-18”
  +3
  19”-34”
  +4
  35”+
  +5
  Jump Capable
  +1
  TARGET MODIFIERS
  Target
  Modifier
  Has Stealth Armor
  Varies2
  Is Shutdown/Immobile
  –4
  Is Dropping Unit
  +3
  TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS
  Target Element Type
  Modifier
  Airborne Aerospace
  +23
  Airborne VtOL or WiGE
  +1
  Battle Armor
  +1
  DropShip
  –2
  Large (LG, VLG, or SLG special) 
  –1
  Protomech
  +1
  TERRAIN MODIFIERS
  Terrain
  Modifier
  Underwater
  +14
  Woods
  +25
  Partial Cover
  +2
  PHYSICAL ATTACKS MODIFIERS
  Physical Attack Type
  Modifier
  Standard
  +0
  melee
  +1
  Charge
  +2
  Death From Above
  +3
  Anti-’mech Infantry
  +1
  MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS
  Attacker
  Modifier
  Attacking Indirectly
  +16
  Attacker is a Drone
  +1
  Attacker is IndustrialMech with:
  No AFC special
  +17
  Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
  +07
  Attacker is Support Vehicle with:
  Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
  +07
  Basic Fire Control (BFC)
  +17
  No AFC or BFC special
  +27
  Fire Control Hit (per hit)
  +27
  Overheating
  +Heat Level (1-3)8
  Spotting for Indirect Fire
  +19
  Anti-’Mech Infantry
  Attacker is Conventional Infantry
  +3
  target transporting battle armor
  +310
  to-Hit Modifiers table
  1Modifier is based on available movement modified by heat level and critical hits, if applicable. Inches movement is irrelevant. This modifier does not apply to aerospace units.
  2For battle armor targets, Stealth adds +1 at Short and Medium ranges, and +2 at Long range. For all other units, Stealth adds +0 at Short range, +1 at Medium range, 
  and +2 at Long range.
  3Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, conventional fighters, small craft and DropShips. Only applies when target is airborne. Do not apply if attacker is also an airborne 
  aerospace unit.
  4Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved.
  5Target has intervening or occupied Woods terrain.
  6If the spotting unit makes a weapon attack in the same turn as it spots, apply a +2 modifier instead.
  7Fire Control hit effects may apply multiple times. Does not apply to Physical attacks.
  9Not cumulative with the Attacking Indirectly modifier.
  10Applies if target is transporting battle armor as cargo, or using mechanized/extended mechanized infantry specials
  P. 37
  STAndArd ruLES
  
  pAGE 170
  aerosPaCe unit 
  MoveMent Mode table
  Movement Mode
  Movement Code
  Aerodyne
  a
  Airship
  i
  Spheroid
  p
  RANGE MODIFIERS
  Range
  Modifier
  Short
  +0
  medium
  +2
  Long
  +4
  Extreme 
  +6
  TARGET TYPE MODIFIERS
  Target Element Type
  Modifier
  Airborne Aerospace
  +2*
  Airborne DropShip
  –2
  Airborne VtOL or WiGE
  +1
  Small Craft
  –1
  AEROSPACE ATTACK MODIFIERS
  Attacker
  Modifier
  Altitude Bombing
  +3
  Dive Bombing
  +2
  Strafing
  +4
  Striking
  +2
  MISCELLANEOUS MODIFIERS
  Condition
  Modifier
  Attacker is a Drone
  +1
  Attacker is Grounded DropShip
  –2
  Attacker is tailing the target 
  –2
  Attacker is Support Vehicle with:
  Advanced Fire Control (AFC)
  +0
  Basic Fire Control (BFC)
  +1
  No AFC or BFC special
  +2
  Fire Control Hit (per hit)
  +2**
  Overheating
  +Heat Level (1-3)
  aerosPaCe to-Hit Modifiers table
  *Apply only if attacker is not an airborne aerospace 
  unit. Airborne aerospace also includes fixed-
  wing support vehicles, conventional fighters, 
  small craft, and DropShips.
  **Fire Control critical hits may apply multiple times.
  deterMining CritiCal Hits table
  2d6
  Aerospace*
  DropShip**
  2
  Fuel Hit
  KF Boom Hit
  3
  Fire Control Hit
  Docking Collar Hit
  4
  Engine Hit
  No Critical Hit
  5
  Weapon Hit
  Fire Control Hit
  6
  No Critical Hit
  Weapon Hit
  7
  No Critical Hit
  thruster Hit
  8
  No Critical Hit
  Weapon Hit
  9
  Weapon Hit
  Door Hit
  10
  Engine Hit
  No Critical Hit
  11
  Fire Control Hit
  Engine Hit
  12
  Crew Killed
  Crew Hit
  *Includes fixed-wing support vehicles, airships and conventional fighters.
  **Includes small craft.
  advanCed MoveMent  
  Mode Costs table
  Terrain Type
  Move Cost 
  per Inch
  Prohibited Movement 
  Mode/Unit Type
  Climbing  
  (per inch climbed)
  +2”
  Vehicles, Aerospace Units, 
  Battle Armor*
  Evading
  +0”
  —
  Leaping
  4”†
  All except ’mechs  
  and Protomechs
  Intentional Fall
  2”†
  All except ’mechs, 
  Protomechs,  
  and Ground Vehicles
  Sprinting
  +0”‡
  Aerospace Units,  
  Naval, VtOL
  *Battle armor with the AM special ability may also use Climbing movement.
  †Unit suffers 1 damage per 6” fallen (or fraction thereof) (see Leaping and 
  Intentional Falls, p. 63).
  ‡Multiply unit’s current ground Move by 1.5, rounding up (see Sprinting, p. 63).
  advanCed target  
  MoveMent Modifiers table
  Advanced Movement Type
  To-Hit 
  Modifier
  Climbing
  *
  Sprinting
  –1**
  Evading (Evading Unit’s Skill)
  Skill 6-8
  +1
  Skill 5
  +2
  Skill 4-3
  +3
  Skill 2-1
  +4
  *Treat Climbing unit as if it has half its normal Ground Move, with no jump.
  **Use the unit’s Sprinting Move for the base target movement modifier.
  landing roll Modifiers table
  Condition
  Modifier
  Operating in Atmosphere
  +2
  Thruster Hit Damage
  +4
  No thrust or Shutdown
  +6
  Inappropriate Landing Area*
  +2
  Landing Area is Paved
  –2
  *This condition applies if the landing area includes any change in elevation, 
  includes any structures or terrains other than clear or paved, or is too short 
  or small for the unit’s needs.
  P. 57
  P. 63
  P. 58
  P. 54
  P. 72
  ABSTrACT AEroSpACE ruLES
  
  pAGE 171
  advanCed terrain MoveMent Cost table
  Terrain Type
  Move Cost per Inch
  Prohibited Movement Mode/Unit Type
  Base move
  1”
  —
  Clear
  +0”1
  Naval, Rail
  Paved/Road/Bridge
  +0”2
  Naval, Rail
  Woods
  Light
  +1”3
  Air, Hover, Naval, Rail, Wheeled4
  Heavy
  +2”3
  Vehicles
  Ultra-Heavy
  +3”
  All except Infantry
  Water
  Surface Only
  +0”
  All except Hover, Naval, WiGE5
  Depth 0”-1”
  +0” 
  Ground, Infantry6, 
  Depth 2”-3”
  +1”7
  Ground, Infantry6, Industrialmechs8
  Depth 4”-10”
  +6”7
  Ground, Infantry6, Industrialmechs8
  Depth 11+”
  +8”7, 9
  Ground, Infantry6, Industrialmechs8
  Rapids
  +1”
  As Water of appropriate Depth 
  Level Changes (up or down)10
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (’mechs, Protomechs)
  Per 1” elevation
  +1” (VtOLs in Air)
  Per 1” depth
  +1” (Submarines in Water)
  Per 1” elevation
  +2” (Infantry, Ground Vehicles)
  Buildings
  Light
  +1”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  medium
  +2”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  Heavy
  +3”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  Hardened
  +4”11
  Air, Naval, Rail
  Deep Snow
  +1”12
  Wheeled
  Gravel Piles
  +1”12
  Naval, Rail
  Hazardous Liquid Pool
  As Water12
  As Water
  Heavy Industrial
  +0”/+1”13
  Naval, Rail
  Ice
  +1”12
  Naval
  Jungle
  Light
  +2”
  Vehicles
  Heavy
  +3”
  Vehicles
  Ultra-Heavy
  +4”
  All except Infantry
  Magma
  Crust
  +0”12
  Infantry, Naval, Rail, Wheeled
  Liquid
  +1”12
  All except ’mechs
  mud
  +1”12
  Naval, Rail
  Planted Fields
  +0”
  Naval, Rail
  Rail
  +0”/+1”14
  Naval
  Rough
  +1”
  Naval, Rail, Wheeled
  Ultra Rough
  +2”
  Naval, Rail, Wheeled
  Rubble
  +1”
  Naval, Rail
  Ultra Rubble
  +2”
  Naval, Rail
  Sand
  +0”/+1”12, 15
  Naval, Rail
  Swamp
  +1”/+2”12, 16
  Naval, Rail
  tundra
  +0”12
  Naval, Rail
  P. 68
  AdVAnCEd opTionS
  
  pAGE 172
  advanCed terrain MoveMent Cost table (Continued)
  Note: Airborne units (including Air vehicles and Aerospace units) ignore all terrain conditions until they attempt to occupy the same space and level of them (including 
  attempts to land or liftoff). If airborne units attempt to enter terrain prohibited to them, treat the result as a crash.
  1+1” Move cost for wheeled support vehicles without Off-Road (ORO) special ability. 
  2All Tracked or Wheeled units gain an extra 2” of Move on any turn where the unit spends its entire Move on this terrain.
  3Infantry units reduce Move cost to enter this terrain by 1” (to minimum of +0”).
  4Wheeled units with the bicycle (b) or monocycle (m) movement modes may move through this terrain. 
  5Wheeled or Tracked vehicles with the Amphibious (AMP) special ability can move on water surfaces at a Move cost of +1”.
  6Infantry units can move through water of any Depth only if they have the UMU special ability.
  7This is the cost to move along the bottom of a water area. No additional cost applies if using submarine movement.
  8IndustrialMechs can only enter water of 2” depth or greater if they have the environmental sealing (SEAL) special ability.
  9Non-submarine units at this depth (including units with UMU special) may suffer damage. See Water (Expanded) (p. 67).
  10Infantry, ground vehicles, ProtoMechs, and WiGEs may not perform elevation changes greater than 1” per 1” travelled. ’Mechs may not make elevation 
  changes over 2” per 1” travelled unless using Advanced Movement Modes (see p. 62).
  11Infantry units do not pay any additional Move cost for Buildings; ProtoMechs pay only +1” Move for all Buildings 
  12Units in this terrain type may bog down and/or suffer damage. See specific terrain rules.
  13Only ’Mech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +0” Move cost.
  14Rail units in this terrain must move along the rail and pay +0” Move cost. All other units apply the +1” Move cost.
  15Only infantry units and wheeled units without the Dune Buggy (DUN) special apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain.
  16Only ’Mech and ProtoMech units apply the +1” Move cost in this terrain; all other units in this terrain apply +2” Move cost.
  Unit Types Key
  ’mechs
  Includes Battlemechs and Industrialmechs
  Protomechs
  Protomech units only
  Infantry
  Includes conventional infantry and battle armor
  Vehicles
  Includes all motive types covered by Air, Ground, and Naval
  Air
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL or WiGE movement types
  Ground
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled, tracked, hover, WiGE, or rail movement types
  Naval
  Combat or support vehicles with naval or submarine movement types
  Hover
  Combat or support vehicles with hover movement type only
  Rail
  Combat or support vehicles with rail movement type only
  Sub
  Combat or support vehicles with submarine movement type only
  tracked
  Combat or support vehicles with tracked movement type only 
  VtOL
  Combat or support vehicles with VtOL movement type only
  Wheeled
  Combat or support vehicles with wheeled movement type only
  WiGE
  Combat or support vehicles with WiGE movement type only
  Aerospace
  Includes conventional fighters, aerospace fighters, small craft, and DropShips
  P. 69
  AdVAnCEd opTionS
  
  pAGE 173
  advanCed terrain  
  to-Hit Modifiers table
  Advanced Terrain Modifiers
  Terrain
  Modifier
  Underwater
  +1*
  Woods (per 2”)
  Light
  +1
  Heavy
  +2
  Ultra-Heavy
  +3
  Buildings
  **
  Heavy Industrial
  +1
  Jungle (per 2”)
  Light
  +1
  Heavy
  +2
  Ultra-Heavy
  +3
  Planted Fields (per 4”)
  +1†
  Target Movement Modifiers
  Target
  Modifier
  Is Bogged Down
  ‡
  *Only if attacker is also underwater (or is on the water surface 
  and using TOR special); all underwater ranges are halved.
  **Buildings block Light of Sight, providing either partial or full 
  cover as a hill of equivalent size.
  †Apply an additional +1 to-hit modifier if target is an Infantry unit.
  ‡Treat bogged down target as if it has a Target Movement Modifier 
  of +0.
  artillery range and daMage table
  Artillery Name
  Special
  Max Range
  Damage
  Area of Effect
  Arrow IV (IS)
  ARt-AIS
  90”
  3(2)
  2” (NA)
  Arrow IV (Clan)
  ARt-AC
  100”
  3(2)
  2” (NA)
  thumper
  ARt-t
  240”
  2
  2”
  Sniper
  ARt-S
  200”
  3
  4”
  Long tom
  ARt-Lt
  340”
  5/2
  6”
  Cruise missile/50
  ARt-Cm5
  360”
  8
  2”
  Cruise missile/70
  ARt-Cm7
  1000”
  11/2
  6”
  Cruise missile/90
  ARt-Cm9
  1360”
  16/6
  8”
  Cruise missile/120
  ARt-Cm12
  1700”
  22/14
  6”
  Artillery Cannons
  thumper Cannon
  ARt-tC
  42”
  1
  2”
  Sniper Cannon
  ARt-SC
  42”
  2
  2”
  Long tom Cannon
  ARt-LtC
  42”
  3
  2”
  off-board artillery  
  fligHt tiMe table
  Distance
  Flight Time (turns)
  34”
  0
  90”
  1*
  170”
  2*
  240”
  3*
  300”
  4*
  340”
  5*
  *Cruise Missiles (ART-CM#) compute their flight times as 1 + (Distance/170”) turns.
  artillery to-Hit  
  Modifiers table
  Situation
  To-Hit 
  Modifier
  Direct-Fire Artillery
  +4
  Indirect-Fire Artillery
  +7
  Each successive shot at the same target POI*
  –1
  Friendly unit acting as spotter when attack fired
  –1
  Spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH
  –2
  Spotter has RCN**
  –1
  Spotter made an attack during spotting turn
  +1
  *Applies only if a spotter has LOS to the target POI in the turn in which the attack 
  is resolved.
  **Do not apply this modifier if the spotter has LPRB, PRB or BH.
  P. 74
  P. 70
  P. 75
  P. 73
  AdVAnCEd opTionS
  
  pAGE 174
  alternate Munitions table
  Weapon
  To-Hit Modifier
  Damage
  Required Special Ability
  Artillery
  Air-Defense Arrow IV
  *
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC
  Cluster
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Copperhead
  *
  See Rules
  ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Flechette
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Illumination
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  Inferno IV
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC
  Smoke
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC, ARt-t, ARt-S, ARt-Lt
  thunder or thunder-Active
  +0
  See Rules
  ARt-AIS, ARt-AC
  Autocannon
  Armor Piercing
  +1
  +0*
  AC
  Flak
  –2
  +0*
  AC
  Flechette
  +0
  +0*
  AC
  Precision
  +0/–2*
  +1/0*
  AC
  tracer
  *
  +0
  AC
  Bombs
  Air-to-Air Arrow IV
  +0*
  2
  BOmB
  Arrow IV
  +0
  +0
  BOmB
  Inferno (Advanced Rules)
  +0
  +0
  BOmB
  Laser-Guided
  –2*
  2
  BOmB
  Light Air-to-Air Arrow
  +0*
  1
  BOmB
  Rocket Launcher
  +0*
  +1
  BOmB
  tAG
  +2
  NA
  BOmB
  thunder
  +0
  mines
  BOmB
  torpedo
  +0*
  +0
  BOmB
  Narc/iNarc
  ECm
  +0
  +0*
  INARC
  Explosive
  +0
  *
  CNARC, SNARC, INARC
  Haywire
  +0
  +0*
  INARC
  LRM/SRM
  Heat-Seeking
  +0/–2*
  +1/+0*
  LRm, SRm
  Inferno
  +0
  *
  SRm
  magnetic Pulse
  +0
  +0*
  LRm, SRm
  mine Clearance
  +0
  +0*
  LRm, SRm
  Semi-Guided
  +0/–2*
  +1/+0*
  LRm
  Smoke
  +0
  +0*
  LRm, SRm
  Swarm/Swarm-I
  +0
  +0*
  LRm
  tandem Charge
  +0
  +0*
  SRm
  thunder
  +0
  *
  LRm
  *See Item rules.
  P. 81
  AdVAnCEd opTionS
  
  pAGE 175
  battlefield intelligenCe 
  rating table
  Item in Player’s Force
  BI Rating 
  Points
  Each ground unit with the Recon (RCN) special ability
  2
  Each non-DropShip aerospace unit
  1
  Each non-DropShip aerospace unit with the Recon 
  special ability
  2
  Each DropShip
  2
  Each point of mHQ special ability
  1
  alPHa strike buildings table
  Building Type
  Move Cost per 
  Inch*
  CF Range (Default)
  Weight Capacity  
  (per 1” height)
  Damage Absorption*
  Collapse Damage (per 
  each 4” height)
  Infantry
  Non-Infantry
  Light
  +1”
  1-5 (5)
  1
  2
  1
  1
  medium
  +2”
  6-15 (12)
  2
  4
  2
  2
  Heavy
  +3”
  16-30 (25)
  3
  6
  3
  3
  Hardened
  +4”
  31-50 (40)
  4
  8
  4
  4
  *No additional Move cost for Infantry (including battle armor); ProtoMechs Move cost in buildings is +1”, regardless of type
  **See Attacking Units inside Buildings (p. 85)
  CaPital and sub-CaPital 
  WeaPon to-Hit Modifiers
  Situation
  Modifier
  Attacking in Atmosphere*
  +2
  Airborne Attack Modifiers
  CAP or SDS-C vs. Small target**
  +5
  SCAP or SDS-SC vs. Small target**
  +3
  mSL or SDS-Cm vs. Small target**
  +0
  Point Defense (1 damage)†
  +1
  Point Defense (2+ damage)†
  Auto-Fail
  Ground Attack Modifiers
  Air-to-Ground Attack (from Central Zone)
  +0
  Air-to-Ground Attack (from any other zone)
  +3
  Surface-to-Surface Attack (Non-Stationary)
  +2
  Ground target designated by friendly tAG 
  –2
  *If Atmospheric Pressure rules are used, +0 for Thin, Trace, or Vacuum
  **Small Targets include all units that do not possess LG, VLG, or SLG specials
  †Point defense only affects MSL or SDS-CM attacks
  visual sPotting range table
  Atmospheric Condition
  Maximum Range
  Pitch Black
  2”
  Night, moonless Night, Blizzard
  4”
  Fog, Blowing Sand
  6”
  Dusk, Dawn, Rain (torrential)
  10”
  Rain, Snow
  14”
  Normal Daylight
  40”
  unit HeigHts table
  Unit Type
  Height
  Battlemechs/Industrialmechs
  2”
  Superheavy ’mechs
  3”
  Protomechs, Vehicles, Infantry, Fighters
  1”
  Submarines
  1”
  Large (LG) Support Vehicles, Small Craft
  2”
  Very Large (VLG) Support Vehicles
  3”
  Super Large (SLG) Support Vehicles
  4”
  Aerodyne DropShips
  5”
  Spheroid DropShips
  10”
  mobile Structures
  Variable
  Note: Airborne units, including VTOLs, are automatically revealed if a LOS can 
  be traced to their current altitude
  P. 84
  P. 89
  P. 83
  P. 87
  AdVAnCEd opTionS
  
  pAGE 176
  alPHa strike CaMPaign suPPort Point tables
  equiPMent rePairs, PurCHases, and rearMing table
  Activity
  SP Cost
  Repairs
  ’mech or Fighter Armor
  10 per point*
  ’mech or Fighter Structure
  20 per point*
  Protomech Armor and Structure
  25 per point
  Battle Armor Unit
  3 per point
  DropShip Armor and Structure
  20 per point*
  Vehicle/Other Armor
  5 per point*
  Vehicle/Other Structure
  10 per point*
  Purchases
  ’mech or Fighter
  Size x 250**
  Protomech
  Size x 50**
  Battle Armor Unit
  200*
  Vehicle/Other
  Size x 100**
  Rearming
  Standard Rules Ammunition
  10
  Advanced Options Ammunition (see p. 76)
  50
  *Multiply SP cost by 2 for Clan technology units
  **Size is the Size class of the unit desired; 1 = Light, 2 = Medium, 3 = Heavy, 4 = Assault (2x 
  if LG, 4x if VLG, 8x if SLG)
  Personnel Hiring and Healing table
  Activity
  SP Cost
  Hiring
  mechWarrior or Fighter Pilot
  30*
  Protomech Pilot (clan only)
  500
  Battle Armor Squad/Point
  25*
  DropShip Crew
  200
  Vehicle/Small Craft Crew
  60
  Conventional Infantry Unit (Foot)
  100
  Conventional Infantry Unit (motorized)
  200
  Conventional Infantry Unit (Jump)
  300
  Healing
  mechWarrior or Fighter Pilot
  200*
  DropShip/Other Crew
  150*
  Vehicle/Small Craft Crew
  500
  Conventional Infantry Unit (Any)
  60 per point**
  Note: All new hires to a player’s force are treated as Green (Skill rating 5), 
  unless SP is spent on Skill advancement up front.
  *Multiply SP cost by 2 for Clan units
  **Healing infantry repairs damage to unit, so cost is based on points of 
  armor/structure in the unit.
  skill advanCeMent table
  Activity
  SP Cost*
  Improve mechWarrior or Fighter Pilot Skill
  200
  Improve Protomech Unit Skill
  400
  Improve Vehicle Crew Skill
  100
  Improve DropShip Crew Skill
  1,000
  Improve Battle Armor Unit Skill
  800
  Improve Conventional Infantry Unit Skill
  500
  Note: All Skill improvements decrease the unit’s base Skill rating by 1, to a 
  minimum of 0.
  *Multiply SP cost by 3x if the unit did not take part in the previous track.
  P. 120
  CAMpAiGn ruLES
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/BattleTech [multi]/Core Rulebooks/Alpha Strike/Alpha Strike.pdf