Battletech Introductory Rules
Sequence of Play
A Battletech game consists of a series of turns. During each turn, all units on the map have an opportunity to move and fire their weapons.
Each turn consists of several smaller segments of time, 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 later.
Each turn includes the following phases, performed in the following order:
1. Initiative Phase
2. Movement Phase
3. Weapon Attack Phase
4. Physical Attack Phase
5. Heat Phase
6. End Phase
Initiative Phase
One player from each side rolls 2d6 and adds the results together to determine his team’s initiative. The team with the higher result has the initiative throughout the turn. Reroll all ties.
Movement Phase
The team that lost the initiative chooses one unit and moves it first. If this team has more units than the other team that won initiative, it may need to move more than one unit (see unequal numbers rule).
The team that won the initiative then moves one unit. If this team has more units than the team that lost initiative, it may need to move more than one unit (see unequal numbers rule).
Movement alternate between sides until all units have been moved. Each time a player must move a unit, he may designate movement for any unit that has not been destroyed, even if a unit is completely immobile, as long as it is not destroyed it can still be given a move action, and it will remain in its hex. For example, units whose warriors are unconscious are not not destroyed and can be given and immobile move action.
Weapon Attack Phase
The team that lost initiative chooses a unit to declare fire first. If this team has more units than the team that won initiative, the players may need to declare attacks for more than one units as described under unequal numbers. The player controlling the firing unit declares whether it will twist torso or flip its arms, and in which direction. H must declare any attacks he plans to make using his unit’s weapons specifying which weapons he will fire and at what target (s).
The team that won initiative then chooses a unit to declare fire. If this team has more units than the team that lost initiative, the players may be required to declare attacks for more than one unit – see unequal numbers rule). The player controlling the firing unit declares any torso twists and attacks he plans to make using that unit’s weapons, as described above.
The act of declaring attacks alternates between players until all fire has been declared. Each time a player must declare an attack, he must do so for any unit that has not been destroyed, even if the declaration is to make no attack.
Torso/Turret Twist: Torso twists are made when declaring a weapon attack, but the torso remains twisted in the same direction throughout the remainder of the turn. This affects physical attack firing arcs as well; the torso returns to its forward-facing position during the End Phase.
Resolving Weapons Fire: Players resolve weapons fire one unit at a time. The order in which each unit’s successful attack are resolved is up to that unit’s controlling player. All weapons attacks by one unit should be resolved before those of the next unit in order for the players to more easily track which weapons have fired.
All declared attacks must be made, even if the intended target is destroyed before all attacks against it have been resolved. Also, players must resolve all declared weapons fire for the purpose of tracking ammunition and heat. In addition players may not change an attack declaration once made, as the time-scale (and general confusion of battle) makes it impossible to do other than follow through with a declared attack.
Determining Damage: Damage from weapon attacks takes effect next. Players record damage as attacks are resolved, but this damage does not affect the unit’s ability to attack during this phase. This means a unit may make it;s declared attacks in the same phase even if that unit or its weapons are destroyed.
At the end of the phase, all damage takes effect immediately. Players must make any piloting skill rolls required according to the effects of weapon attacks. Damage taken by a unit during the weapon attack phase takes effect before the start of the same turn’s physical attack phase. As needed, piloting skill rolls, and consciousness rolls may be required at the end of the weapon attack phase.
Note that even though the damage does not take effect until the end of the phase, destroyed sections take effect immediately for the purposes of assigning damage. For example, if a mech’s torso is destroyed during the weapon attack phase, the appropriate arm falls off immediately, and so any other damage in the same weapon attack phase that strikes the arms automatically transfers.
Physical Attack Phase
Players repeat the steps given for the Weapon Attack Phase, with all damage from physical attacks taking effect before the Heat Phase. As needed, Piloting Skill Rolls, and consciousness rolls may be required at the end of the physical attack phase.
Heat Phase
Players adjust their units heat scales, to reflect any heat built up or lost during the turn. Resolve any temporary or permanent damage caused by excessive internal heat at this time. Heat effects may damage a warrior, resulting in a Consciousness Roll.
End Phase
Players who warriors were unconscious during the initiative phase of this turn now roll 2d6 to see if the pilot regained consciousness during this turn. Players may also execute any miscellaneous actions remaining in the turn, such as switching heat sinks on or off. The specific rules for such actions state whether or not they take place curing the End Phase.
Players repeat all the steps given above until one team meets its victory conditions for the scenario. Under normal circumstances, the team with the last surviving unit(s) left on the map wins. If the last units from each team are destroyed simultaneously in the same turn or if the last units form each team cannot move and have no ability to damage one another, the game is a draw. The players may set other victory conditions by mutual agreement before play begins.
Torso Twist: Torsos that were turned return to a forward facing position during the End Phase.
Unequal Numbers of Units
Use these rules when both sides don’t have equal numbers. If, prior to any pair of movement or attack declarations, one team has a least twice as many units left to declare for as the other team, the team with twice as many units declares for two units rather than one. If one team has at least three times as many units, it declares for three each time, and so on.
Mechwarriors
The soldiers who pilot BattleMechs are called MechWarriors. Their skills play an important role in keeping a BattleMech moving and fighting effectively in combat. A BattleMech is knocked out of action if its MechWarriro is killed or seriously injured, even if the machine itself suffers only minimal damage.
Skills
Piloting Skill represents a warriors ability to control his machine’s movements.
Gunnery Skill helps determine how easy or difficult it is for the warrior to make a successful shot using his unit’s weapons.
Piloting Skill Rolls When a Battlemech attempts a potentially dangerous maneuver, or when the pilot might lose control of the unit for some other reason, the pilot must make a Piloting Skill Roll. Additionally, a unit’s base to hit number for physical attacks is equal to its piloting skill rating. When modified for movement, terrain and other factors, this number becomes the modified to hit number for such attacks. A shutdown Battlemech or one with an unconscious pilot cannot make a Piloting Skill Roll, and fails it automatically.
Gunnery Skill Rating a unit’s base to hit number is equal to its Gunnery Skill rating. When modified for range, terrain and other factors, this number become the modified to hit number.
Varying Skill Ratings
Roll 1 d6 on the chart below for both piloting and gunnery skill
| d6 | piloting | d6 | Gunnery |
| 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
Skill Improvements
If you wish to continue with your mech warrior in future battles you will need to keep track of experience. If you survive the battle you gain 1 experience point. Improving piloting skill cost 4 experience points and improving gunnery skill costs 8 points. No skill rating can be improved below zero.
Damaging a Mechwarrior:
A mechwarrior can be damaged by head hits, internal ammunition explosions, and excessive heat. A MechWarrior can take up to 5 points of damage, the sixth point of damage kills the MechWarrior. Head Hits the mechwarrior takes 1 point of damage every time the head of the battlemech is hit. The mechwarrior takes 1 point of damage if the Battlemech falls and the mechwarrior fails a piloting test. An internal ammunition explosion causes 2 points of damage. When the life support system takes a critical hit the mechwarrior suffers 1 point of damage every turn that the internal heat is 15 or higher and takes 2 points of damage if the heat is 26 or higher.
Consciousness Rolls
A MechWarrior can survive up to 5 points of damage, but may be knocked unconscious long before taking that much. Every time a Mechwarrior takes a point of damage, the player must roll 2d6 and consult the Consciousness table. The player makes this roll for every point of damage taken, so in that case of an ammunition explosion in a BattleMech, the Mechwarrior will need two consecutive Consciousness Rolls. If the roll result is equal to or greater than the Mechwarrior’s consciousness number, the MechWarrior remains conscious. If the result is less than the consciousness number, the MechWarrior is knocked unconscious. The unit becomes an immobile target. The unit cannot move, fire or take any other action, but its player can still declare that it is not moving. Once a Mechwarrior has been knocked unconscious, no other Consciousness roll need be made in the same turn, regardless of additional damage. Only in the End Phase of a subsequent turn an a controlling player attempt to awaken the warrior.
Equipment: all equipment that does not require action by the warrior to operate still functions while the warrior is unconscious.
Immobile Target: A unit with an unconscious MechWarrior is an immobile target, and may be targeted by aimed shots.
Piloting Skill Rolls: while unconscious they automatically fail.
Recovering Consciousness: During the end phase of each turn after the turn in which the Mechwarrior lost consciousness, the player rolls 2d6. If the result is equal to or greater than the consciousness number for the MechWarriors current degree of damage, the warrior regains consciousness. The player need not roll again to determine consciousness until the MechWarrior takes new damage. A MechWarrior that has taken 6 points of damage is dead and cannot regain consciousness.
1 damage = 3 Consciousness number
2 damage = 5 Consciousness number
3 damage = 7 Consciousness number
4 damage = 10 Consciousness number
5 damage = 11 Consciousness number
6 damage = dead