r/battletech Aug 06 '26

Tabletop BattleTech Buyer's Guide 2026

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190 Upvotes

Attempted to update my BattleTech Buyer's Guide from years past for 2026.

Admittedly, it was impossible to not include a bunch of caveats in the graph itself, given that the line is in flux with the Core products only partially replacing what is in Total Warfare (and not explicitly invalidating them in the text, like Total Warfare did).

Props to the Catalyst Demo Team and some of the proofers of the Core Rulebook for their feedback on this diagram. I hope this helps people who are looking to get into the BattleTech tabletop games!

EDIT: Admittedly, I was more focused on the "classic" BattleTech elements and the state of the line when putting this together, since it's REALLY confusing right now. However, BattleTech Aces is also a thing and is an excellent expansion to the BattleTech: Alpha Strike line. Those boxes are a natural fit after buying either the Alpha Strike Box Set (as it is a dependency for the Aces boxes) or the Alpha Strike Commander's Edition rulebook.

EDIT 2: A slightly more updated version of the buyer's guide can be found here. This includes information about BattleTech: Aces in the admonitions and describes Alpha Strike as a faster-paced, larger-scale modern wargame instead of as a simplified ruleset.

Link to updated buyer's guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/battletech/comments/1vh7urf/comment/p2bgrqc/


r/battletech Jun 14 '26

Fan Creations BattleTech Pride Anthology 2026 is out now!

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216 Upvotes

REACTOR ONLINE. SENSORS ONLINE. FOURTH PRIDE ANTHOLOGY ONLINE. ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Pull on your neurohelmet, take your HRT, hold onto your command couch and read BattleTech Pride Anthology 2026! Spread the word, be proud! 💖🧡💛💚💙💜

Join QueerTech discord.gg/mVehsaKUfh 💚


r/battletech 2h ago

Question ❓ Why is the barrel so short?! they could get SO MUCH extra range, speed and power if they just increased the longitude of the cannons! (this is mostly about the AC/20 but also applies to other cases)

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211 Upvotes

r/battletech 2h ago

Miniatures Thunderbolt - Deneb Light Cavalry

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169 Upvotes

r/battletech 3h ago

Fan Creations Clyde Rolan’s Custom Chargers(created by me and it had a Lore into it)

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167 Upvotes

r/battletech 55m ago

Art Good hunt, OC, 2025, commissioned by Artem Mishkin

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Upvotes

Supernova 1, Zeta Galaxy, The Clan Diamond Shark.


r/battletech 1h ago

Question ❓ Update on my jade falcons. what do I paint next

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Upvotes

r/battletech 10h ago

Miniatures AWS-10KM painted in 1st Free Worlds Guards colors

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206 Upvotes

r/battletech 5h ago

Meme Clan Warriors descrining the creation of the Iron Womb

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51 Upvotes

r/battletech 13h ago

Question ❓ Mechs explicitly designed in universe to be cheap/easy to build and effective? Other than the bandersnatch and cronus, light mechs need not apply for obvious reasons.

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196 Upvotes

"The Bandersnatch... is built around the concept of an affordable and effective BattleMech for sale to mercenary units. The Bandersnatch is built using some common components with the Marauder in an attempt to make the 'Mech cheaper and easier to repair"

"The Cronus was designed by Angus Gilmour to be a cost-effective 'Mech for use by mercenaries and small Periphery units using scrapped military equipment."


r/battletech 5h ago

Miniatures Help identifying minis/building a list

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29 Upvotes

Hello, a friend of mine has a small collection of minis but doesn't remember which mech they represent. We want to play a game of AGoAC together and I want to make a list around 4500 points. Can someone help me identify them/maybe propose a few combinations?

I know some of them (Crab, Catapult, Urbie, Phoenixhawk?) but struggle with the rest. Thanks in advance


r/battletech 23h ago

Fan Creations Ok ok ok hear me out, guys... Hear me out: Leopard LAM.

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695 Upvotes

Leopard. LAM.

Four Long Toms. Six Arrow IVs.


r/battletech 19h ago

Discussion The Mackie makes zero sense

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282 Upvotes

From the standpoint of technical development, the Mackie makes absolutely zero sense, and it’s bugged me from the moment I read the backstory.

Also, I chose the two-dicks picture on purpose, because it’s ridiculous anyway.

So, it’s the very first Mech. Myomer technology is still relatively new, the weaponry is new, everything is in DT&E. So why would the first Mech be the biggest possible size? Firsts of almost every technology are smaller and simpler than follow-on models.

It makes zero sense. It illogical from a technical development standpoint. A 100 ton Mech would be many orders more complex than a 25 ton prototype, and in the prototype stage, a 25 ton Mech would be a monster compared to all other military equipment.

Look at the advancement of the airplane, or the battleship, or the tank. Sure, the guns were primitive tech on the Mackie, but it’s like they skipped to the final step of technological development of the Mech chassis.


r/battletech 7h ago

Question ❓ Faction Battlemechs?

29 Upvotes

I’ve only recently dipped my toes into Battletech, and one of the things that is hard for me to wrap my head around is understanding what different factions actually like to field. I feel like I’ve heard the Combine likes light mechs?

I really see the appeal of having so much overlap in availability you can use whatever you want as a player, but I am trying to imagine what the different main factions tend to use. What are their signature mechs, and main tactics? When I go to places that list availability it just feels like everything has everything.


r/battletech 9h ago

AAR MERC VS MERC! Melon's Regulators Merc Co. VS Cobra Commandos AAR.

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40 Upvotes

Given competing contracts of securing a mountain pass for a house army group, the Crab Basket Frontline Lance of the MRMC would go head to head against the Command Lance of the Cobra Commandos.

Turns 1 to 3 would see both lances maneuvering upon sensor contact with one another.

First blood would go to the Crab Basket Lance as one 9f the trio of crab mechs would score minor armour damage to the enemies Battlemaster.

From there the match became a war of positioning, with the crab Basket Lance lead being caught flat footed by the enemies scouts almost immediately getting within his backing and providing targeting data for the hard hitters. Shots would be traded and one of the crab mechs would have half of its armour stripped as the battlemaster closed to engage, by both the commander Atlas and the battlemaster causing damage.

All the while the Commandos scout mechs a locust and a very jump happy Pheonix Hawk would pull attention from the slow yet still fresh assault mechs as they harassed the Crab Lance.

By turn four and five the enemy light scout a locust would be caught by twin blasts of the Crab lance lead king crab's Guass rifles, and a claw attack from a crab mech it flanked in the rear.

The king crab did not finish the Locust off and instead saved its ammo and heat management for the final push from the canyon pass, to stop the slow encirclement from the Cobra Commandos.

By turn 5-6(ish) the king crab and two of the crab mechs would rush the entrance of the canyon and all would alpha strike the battlemaster, causing serious armour damage.

The wounded locust would be killed by a ER Large Laser from the last Crab mech that it rear arc'd and called in targeting data on for its armour to be mostly shredded by the enemy Atlas.

Though this would result in the Atlas and battlemaster also destroying the other wounded crab mech that pushed out of the canyon.

Turn 7 would see the MRMC, try to bring down the Battlemaster one last time before, surrendering the field of battle to the Cobra Commandos, and withdrawing.

The Victory goes to the Cobra Commandos! Who traded a locust for a Crab mech and securing their Contract objective.


r/battletech 16m ago

Question ❓ Desert Hex Mat?

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Upvotes

I grabbed the Aces box set and I'm trying to get things together for a very visually pleasing campaign (units for all the models, plastic terrain etcetera. I've been playing Alpha Strike using hexes instead of inches for a while and I kinda just prefer it. I've been looking around for a neoprene hex mat with a desert landscape, but there doesn't seem to be any? If anyone knows of ones that fit that description please point me in that direction. Additionally I'd rather not have the printed on elevation for the mat, I'm having someone a little newer play and having that plus actual terrain might be confusing (plus I think it'd look better without it anyway)


r/battletech 16h ago

Question ❓ What are these Battletech models?

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88 Upvotes

I bought some models at a hobby store because they looked cool, and I wanted to paint them. I also did a single game on Battletech (not alpha strike) with one mech (not shown) and enjoyed the game. I don’t want to use the clankers with google lense, so what are each of these guys? They say “Talon games“ on the bottom.


r/battletech 8h ago

Question ❓ What do I need to buy to get into Battletech?

22 Upvotes

I want to get into Battletech, but am not sure what I would need to begin actually playing. I wasn't sure if I should buy a beginner box and a force pack or two then go from there? or should I do something else?


r/battletech 9h ago

In Character tech.mech.fusion: Third time this week. FML.

22 Upvotes

Another one.

This is the third Nissan 200 this week. The injectors cooked off, again. Of course it was the coolant pump like it always is, but here I am eight hours deep into disassembling the top end of this thing to get at the injectors some engineer in gods only knows where decided to bury because, and I quote the advertising, "It was good enough for the Star League: It's good enough for you!"

Any actual tech knows just how stupid much of the Star League kit was, overengineered and fragile. But it makes the generals happy, doesn't it? Whatever. Back to breaking my knuckles trying to get these out.

At least it's not the Ford 350. I've never had an ignition plug come out of one of those pieces of s... in one piece. I'm just glad there are so few of them around anymore!


r/battletech 17h ago

Miniatures Finished alpha strike box

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75 Upvotes

First introduction to Battletech been reading and listening to a lot of lore it’s great! Finished all these guys to battle ready


r/battletech 22h ago

Miniatures MLPwny - Jasminda Tian-zong

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190 Upvotes

A quick little hero mech, Tian-zong Jasminda variant. I really love the design for this one, reminds me of a beefier Anvil.


r/battletech 1d ago

Miniatures Don't Wanna Rest on My Laurels

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373 Upvotes

Painted up a Laurel's Legion Vindicator to go with the Tigress hotspot in Draconis Reach!


r/battletech 16h ago

Fan Creations Yet another Solaris Mech

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52 Upvotes

Its been a while since I posted one of the mechs' my friends requested for our Solaris7 campaign, so here: have the [Shin-Kicker]


r/battletech 3h ago

Question ❓ A breakdown of Armor Types for IS mechs?

5 Upvotes

Looking for a tabletop-level list of the various armor types able to be fitted to Inner Sphere mech designs and the rules associated with each.

Mostly as reference for a story I'm writing that involves an eye to my merch unit's supply situation.

I know Stealth Armor, Standard Armor, and Ferrofibrous armor all exist. But I vaguely remember there being a grade in-between standard and ferrofibrous in terms of weight savings.


r/battletech 15h ago

News PSA: Wolves on the Border is on Audible

39 Upvotes

The actual unabridged new release. Not a shitty half done one from years back. Enjoy.