Classic Battletech: Total Warfare (FPR35101) [Hardcover]

Randall Bills; Battletech (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classic Battletech | Publication Date: August 21, 2006

It is the 31st century, a time of endless wars that rage across human-occupied space. As star empires clash, these epic wars are won and lost by BattleMechs, 30-foot-tall humanoid metal titans bristling with lasers, autocannons and dozens of other lethal weapons; enough firepower to level entire city blocks. Your elite force of MechWarriors drives these juggernauts into battle, proudly holding your faction s flag high, intent on expanding the power and glory of your realm. At their beck and call are the support units of armored vehicles, power armored infantry, aerospace fighters and more, wielded by a MechWarrior's skillful command to aid him in ultimate victory. Will they become legends, or forgotten casualties? Only your skill and luck will determine their fate! October of 2006 sees the unveiling of a whole new look and presentation for Classic BattleTech. The basic rules and concepts of the game have not changed: thirty-foot tall metal titans of doom piloted by feudal MechWarrior knights firing lightning bolts, coherent lasers and autocannons in an orgy of destruction across a futuristic landscape of thousands of worlds. These concepts have made Classic BattleTech/MechWarrior one of the most successful science fiction lines ever created, spawning millions of sold MechWarrior PC games, almost a hundred full-length novels, more than ten million sold MechWarrior: Dark Age Collectable Miniatures Game figures, comic books, toys, a cartoon, virtual reality centers, over five-thousand fan-based websites and more. Yet it all began with the original board game, which still conveys all the best the universe has to offer, presented in a whole new way with the publication of the first in a new series of core rulebooks, Total Warfare. TOTAL WARFARE The product of more than twenty years of gaming experience, Total Warfare presents the rules of the Classic BattleTech game system as never before. For the first time, all the rules for various units that have a direct impact

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: FanPro (August 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932564772
• ISBN-13: 978-1932564778
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #825,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth it !!!, October 22, 2006

By 

Andrew Norris (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Classic Battletech: Total Warfare (FPR35101) (Hardcover)

Classic Battletech Total Warfare

Here is my brief overview of the Classic Battletech Total Warfare (TW) book which is the most up to date version of the Classic Battletech game. Just for full disclosure- I play tested the material in this product. Classic Battletech is a game which takes place in 31st century where warriors pilot 30 foot humanoid robots called BattleMechs that reign supreme on the battlefield. There are other units as well such as Infantry, Vehicles, Fighters, etc. but the focus is on the BattleMechs. TW is a quantum leap above its predecessors with fantastic illustrations and periodic short stories to give you some flavor of the Battletech universe. The visual examples are extremely helpful and the right hand sidebar lets you know which section you are in.

TW has a number of rules changes over previous editions although most seem aimed at giving a more distinctive feel for the different types of units. The TW edition also differs from previous editions in that it includes some Aerotech 2 (air/space combat) material although it does not contain construction rules which will be printed in TechManual. TW seems best suited for those who have already played the game or know someone who has already played the game (and preferably has access to maps and counters/miniatures). The hardcover for this hefty 312 page product will ensure years of gaming use (or abuse) Enjoy !!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reference for an old hat like me; maybe too much for beginners, April 5, 2007

By 

T. Cooper "Scolopendra" (Erlanger, KY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Classic Battletech: Total Warfare (FPR35101) (Hardcover)

Yes, it has /everything/. Short of the extremely optional Maximum Tech rules, this really does collate all of the last twenty years of gaming into a single volume. Some more (probably unnecessary) tables added, and in any given game only about a fifth of the book will actually be handy, but overall, it's a good reference. I bought it for a friend and only had time to breeze through it, but even the biggest changes not only make sense (like making physical attacks dependent on the Piloting Skill of the Mechwarrior instead of based on seemingly arbitrary to-hit numbers) but end up matching old editions exactly, just emphasizing the individual Mechwarrior--the skill defines the to-hit numbers, not the to-hit numbers being modified by the skill. Same end result, different emphasis.

Having played BattleTech since 1989 or so all of this is old hat to me and so I enjoy it thoroughly. That being said, I could see how this would be a bit too much for a new player. Much like all modern computer games teach the player how to play by first limiting their options and then broadening the scope, the sheer amount of information in this brick of a book could cow people. I know that Classic BattleTech has (free!) new-player quickstart rules that are essentially equivalent to my second edition rules; they should probably advertise those a bit in the front of this one just to make sure they don't leave anyone behind.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Refrence Book for CBT, May 22, 2007

By 

Kit (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Battletech: Total Warfare (FPR35101) (Hardcover)

If you do not already know how to play Classic Battletech, this book will not help you learn. It assumes that you already know, and that you already own the rule books that will teach you how to play.

That said, Total Warfare is very useful for the player who wants a single book with all the various charts and rules rather than a collection of several books. There is a nice index that makes it easy to find most things, and as with other CBT books it has all the rule sheets right at the back of the book.

The Artwork is beautiful, and has a special section at the end devoted to a 'how to' of painting minitures and kit-bashing that give a good overview of the processes involved with each that provide some very nice tips for anyone who is thinking about getting into that particular hobby.