Customer Reviews

Classic Battletech: Total Warfare (FPR35101)

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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 !!!

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.

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.

Fantastic book. Very well constructed. Great book for the advanced player, as the intro states. Well written and illustrated with lots of pictures to WOW the eye. All the fiction is another plus to the book. This is a must have for the Battletech player and/or collector. Top notch job done on this one.

Before I get started - this book flat out tells you it is not for new players. These rules will not help you learn how to play.

That said this book is absolutely fantastic - the production work is beyond belief. Every page is full color with photos, the rules are organized in an intelligent manner (finally), and each chapter starts with a brief piece of fiction that covers the universe pretty throughly. Instead of the lineart of the previous editions full color photos of extremely well painted miniatures for the game - not only do you get nice looking pictures but it even helps explain some of the rules of the game.

The rules of the game have been collected, cleaned up, organized in one style, and in general improved upon. These are much much better then the last edition put out by FASA.

If you enjoy Battletech pick this up. If you enjoyed and of the Mechwarrior, Mechcommander, or MechAssault games go pick up the free pdfs from www.classicbattletech.com and see if you like it and then pick this up if you do.

This book has just about every rule ever written for the Battletech universe in it. It doesn't answer some of the other questions that seem to come up often when people sit down and play. I am not looking at it right now, but things like falling and physical attacks seem to occur often in game and we can never find a rule for them. It's a good book, but I think with a little time and watching over some dedicated gamers play the game, they could make it better.

If you are gonna play Battletech, this is the book you need to have.

However it is definitely a step down from previous editions. The index is not very helpful and references things weirdly. Such as "Death From Above" says "See DFA". Seems like the acronym would point to the full name, to me. Not to mention things I want to look up are not easily found.

Also, this book doesn't contain the rules required to build new 'mechs, which is one of the greatest things about Battletech. To build 'mechs you need the technical manual, because this one doesn't have a few pieces of critical information. The tragedy is the technical manual ONLY has those few pieces of information.

Battletech is one of the best games ever, so you should definitely play. Go to a convention and sign up for a newbie-friendly event and learn there and use this book as a reference.

It is really nice to have all the rules and regs for Classic Battletech in one book. This has all the play rules you would need to play every aspect of the game. Everything from Battlemechs to the new Protomechs. It also has rules for aerospace fighters and dropships. But if you want to build your own, this book doesn't have any construction rules. For that you have to get the Tech Manual, which is one problem I have with the book. One other thing is it is pretty confusing to find what you need. But if you want all the rules in one, handy place. This is the book for you.

I've been playing Battletech since the 2nd Edition came out, and the Total Warfare book is in my opinion the end product of people who love the game. While it may seem over the top for new players, old campaigners will find the book a much needed addition to their library as the Classic Battletech universe expands.

This book is your one stop shop for all the Battletech rules. They ommited the construction rules, but if you have like me several different versions already, that isnt a problem at all.
Even the fiction included was of a high level.