Customer Reviews

Classic Battletech: Maximum Tech (FPR35013)

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Maximum Tech is a sourcebook to add a lot of different optional rules and equipment to the Battletech universe. The book feels a little rushed in it's presentation -- there are a few glaring typos, or diagrams that simply hang there without explanation.
It also, frankly, doesn't actually add all that much. It adds new rules for dueling, which are handy but seem a bit unnecessary to me (it feels a bit ripped from Mechwarrior RPG, actually, though to be fair I do not play 1-1 duels nor do I play Mechwarrior). It's new rules for artillery are only a few pages, and while they do make artillery a new potent force there's not all that much there. There are some awesome rules for "effective vehicles", which make the vehicles already used in earlier products a lot less feeble. This is a very welcome change for my group. It also includes some additional optional rules on critical hits, like making multi-slot items not be destroyed in a single hit. These are really impressive rules that add depth to the game without overly increasing book-keeping.
The guidebook does add some new trinkets for construction of mechs, including the ability to add different turrets on a mech, body mounted cockpits, and some different types of armor. It also adds some additional items and equipment, though I've found most of these items are a bit clunky and not really all that worthwhile. Sure, they hit HARD, but they add so much heat it's getting to the point of impractical. The different armors are, however, a very interesting idea and a lot of fun to play with. It also includes some attempts to make auto-cannons more equitable with the more powerful energy weapons.
Finally, the book includes calculated battle values for every listed mech and variant out there. This can be useful, but most people can find these values online for free so it is a bit redundant.

If I'm coming across rather negative, please don't misinterpret me. This is a book full of optional rules. It is not intended to be some awesome re-imagining of battle-tech, nor to completely change the way the game is played. It does what it does well: it presents several different optional rules for people to incorporate into their game. The new rules are solid and varied enough it's quite possible to thumb through and find some things that are interesting. Not everything is stellar -- the additional extra terrains for example, seem a tad redundant, but if you see an extra rule you don't like, just don't use it. I haven't found anything that is completely fall-out-of-your-chair-awesome, but there are some interesting options in here that make for some good variety to the game.

This is a good book. However, it tries to come across that there are dozens and dozens of variants and tons of super cool awesome rules. That's not the case. There is some variety, there is some extra equipment, but nothing in overabundance (and nothing super broke about the new equipment, by the way. A lot of time is spent trying to "fix" earlier equipment). That's alright though. The core of the battletech game is a solid game, and it fixes a few problems (like artillery) and changes things up.

In short, don't by this book expecting a brand new game or super-new broken equipment. That's not what this book does. It's a nifty addition to the battletech game, but it's not a must-have. I would have few qualms sticking to simply master rules.