Although it's been some time since I opened up MegaMek (multiple regiments make each week of a contract LOOOONG), I still love Battletech and its imagined universe, especially the era of 3025 until right before the Clans arrived. Clan Tech ruined it for me - just like how the Clans ruins all things.
Dirty Clanners. (Tex will gladly tell you all about it - and it is worth the time).
Long before computer games did all the math for us, FASA brought us a tabletop wargame, and from there came rules to play as individual Mechwarriors, the pilots of the Battlemechs, themselves.
Because all the cool tough guys smoked in the '80s.
I've always considered the individual Mechwarriors to be fluff in a game of big, stompy robots, but a pilot's Gunnery and Piloting skills can have an impact on the game, both then and now and even through Catalyst Games' Alpha Strike, a Battletech tabletop wargame.
As can be seen by the cover image, I am using my old softcover to generate today's PC, not the fancy new Catalyst Games (they own Battletech and other FASA games, now) hardback version. Full disclosure, I am using the 2nd Edition rules, but I like the 1st Edition cover more.
Actor George Peppard, in his role as John Smith, of the A-Team. Also what Art Heathco happens to look like in 3025.
The first step towards a Mechwarrior of my own is to assign priorities from 0-4. We go from there.
Arthur 'Art' Heathco, Captain, Heathco's Hammers
Race (0) - Human
Attributes (2) - 24
Build: 4
Reflexes: 6
Intuition (has half the value of number assigned): 6 (3)
Learn: 4
Charisma: 4
Characteristics
Athletic (18- (Build+Reflexes) =8
Physical (18- (Reflexes+Intuition) =9
Mental (Intuition+Learn) =7
Social (Intuition+Charisma) =
Advantages (1) - 1pt
Wealth - 5K C-Bills
Skills (4) - 24 (nothing higher than LRN (4))
Advanced University (Battlemech MOS, Leadership Training FOS) (18 points)
Gunnery/'Mech 6 (+4) (experience)
Piloting/'Mech 5 (experience)
Leadership 2
Strategy 2
Tactics 3 (experience)
Survival 2 (+2)
Medtech 1
Small Arms 1
Battlemech (3) - Heavy, Warhammer
Equipment - slug-throwing pistol, reloads, fixed-blade knife, grenades, survival gear
Assets: commander of 'mech company, personal wealth
Edge: 2
A proud graduate of Sanglamore on Skye, Arthur's education led to a commission in a Steiner border regiment. After a decade of experience in raids and counter-raids, Art became an anomaly amongst the Steiner upper ranks - a competent tactician and strategist. Being (rightfully) seen as a threat to more senior commanders, Art was sent to the Steiner-Marik border to ensure his competence stayed relevant, yet far away from the political sphere. There, he participated in a disastrous campaign that brought him to his current situation.
Like many merc companies, Heathco's Hammers was formed from the remains of a larger unit. In this case, a full combined arms regiment that saw heavy raiding and retaliatory raiding along the Steiner-Marik border. When the dust finally settled, Art was the surviving senior officer, so gathered loyal troops to his private banner and went solo. It has so far paid off, as the Steiner paymasters are happy to let Heathco's mercs do the necessary dirty work of eternal war. Surprisingly, it is working out well for Captain Heathco and his company, Heathco's Hammers.
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A Mechwarrior isn't a Mechwarrior without a 'mech and a mercenary unit to serve with. I gave in to temptation and used MegaMek to whip up the rest of Heathco's company and their 'mechs. The unit's greatest flaw is the Fire Lance's dependence on LRMs. The current (and cheapest) solution is to keep tons of reloads on hand, because it is still cheaper than buying an additional 'mech. The second greatest flaw is a lack of techs and parts to keep all the 'mechs in top condition. Then again, that is a common condition for most mercenaries in 3025.
Command Lance
Warhammer - Captain Arthur 'Art' Heathco (E)
Awesome - Mechwarrior Joshua Nguyen (R)
Wolverine-M - Mechwarrior Patricia 'Trisha' Crabtree (V)
Wolverine-M - Mechwarrior Declan McCleod (R)
Fires Lance
Archer - Lieutenant Harley Longworth (V)
Thunderbolt - Mechwarrior Kirsten Aldridge (R)
Catapult - Mechwarrior Gerard 'Jerry' McKinley (R)
Phoenix Hawk - Mechwarrior Isabelle 'Belle' Drake (V)
Recon Lance
Phoenix Hawk - Lieutenant Erika Jansdottir (V)
Firestarter - Mechwarrior Dennis 'Denny' Harrington (R)
Griffin - Mechwarrior Jans 'Pickles' Claussen (E)
Wolverine-M - Mechwarrior Sebastian 'the bastard' Schwarzkopf (R)
Support Staff
Master Sergeant Hamish McElroy (E)
Sergeant Miles Pennison (V)
Sergeant Ichihime Yamaguchi (V)
Corporal Gunnar Bannerman (R)
Corporal Helmut Bannerman (R)
Corporal Ursula von Trapp (R)
Corporal Shirley Temple (R)
Rifle Platoon (for security)
Lieutenant Cora Majewski (V)
Sergeant First Class Angus MacKenzie (E)
Sergeant Edward 'Fast Eddie' Simpson (V)
Sergeant Ernesto Hernandez (R)
Sergeant Lars Ulrich (R)
27 enlisted troops who don't get names because I am lazy (R)
The company even has an unofficial theme song: a fine explanation of the mercenary Mechwarrior lifestyle. "I am a problem-solver, I just use some different tools," indeed.
Some excellent Battlemech line art of two of my favorite 'mechs - both of which can be found in the Hammer's ranks.
Awesome, by ShimmeringSword on DeviantArt
Catapult, by ShimmeringSword on DeviantArt
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Story time - a lifetime ago, I attended GenCon, sometime in the mid-90s, and played a small role in a massive walk-in, die, walk-out, all-day Battletech game simulating one of the Battles of Tukayyid (Tex tells the story better - so very, very much better than Wikipedia. Language warning, I guess).I walked in, was assigned to the Inner Sphere, and handed two 'mech sheets: an Awesome and a Catapult. The Catapult fired one salvo before being destroyed by a star of Elementals. The Awesome lasted one or two turns longer before suffering a similar fate. I might have even killed dirty Clanners.
It doesn't matter - it was a glorious day of random gaming. If I close my eyes, I can still see the paper maps spread over the tables, covered with washers that represented all the destroyed 'mechs.
In the end, the Clanners lost.
Because their entire Clan culture is dumb.
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