Getting into BattleTech: A guide for newbies Well you've heard of BattleTech through one source or another (computer games, card games, the novels, ect.) and now you want to experience the real thing. You typed in BattleTech in your search engine and suddenly realized that there's a hell of a lot of books that you can buy for this game. If you don't happen to be rich and just want to get started there's a lot of choices you have to make. It doesn't help that you have no clue where to start and you don't want to sound like an idiot on the Btech forums. Well I myself started playing this game not too long ago and in the interests of promoting the hobby, I'm willing to share what I learned. Following below is a section devoted to those who have never played a wargame before on how to begin this really great hobby. Following that there's a section for those who have played a wargame but not BattleTech. This second section can also serve as a second step for those who follow the advice on the first section. Getting into BattleTech: Beginners So just what is BattleTech? Well for those that somehow stumbled into this site without a clue to what the real game is about, let me tell you. Basically, humanity has settled a large part of the galaxy and turned some basic construction Mechs (if you don't know what a Mech is then how did you find this site in the first place?) into huge war machines. Human space was united under the Star League and all was well. Of course nothing lasts forever and it fell apart. The five great houses began a series of Succession Wars, (they're kinda like a galactic version of our World Wars) each one trying to become the First Lord of a new Star League. BattleMechs are the weapons of choice although you'll still find tanks, VTOLs, infantry, and other conventional weapons on the battlefield (although no rules are provided for them in the basic game, see the advanced section). Besides the five Houses there's also mercenary groups, Periphery kingdoms, and bandits to help make things even more interesting. If you've never played a wargame before then the best way to get started is to pick up a copy of the BattleTech 4th edition game. It comes with a rulebook, two map sheets, record sheets for all the Mechs that come in the basic game, dice, and a small booklet for newbies to help them on their way. It also comes with lots of stand-up cardboard counters to represent the Mechs in the game. Plenty of people who are into Btech just use the cardboard counters and never use anything else. I personally prefer miniatures because although expensive they look really cool. It's really a matter of personal opinion and not something to worry about when your first starting out. The next thing I suggest you get after the main game is the First Strike scenario book. It gives tips and strategies for playing the game to go along with the rules that you just bought, how you should use your Mechs in battle to beat the enemy, and nine scenarios to play, including a three-part campaign (battles linked by a story, where the results of one carry over to the next). I highly recommend this book to new players. It goes beyond the rules and helps you give variety to your game. Finally, the last thing beginners should get is the 4th Succession War scenario book. This product is also geared heavily toward beginners. It comes with a new map, new cardboard counters representing new Mechs, record sheets for the new Mechs, and a book with battles to fight that take place in the 4th succession war. If you want more of everything to add to the basic game then this product is a good one to get. Another product that you can get if you want to continue playing in the time period the basic game takes place in (3025) is Technical Readout: 3025. It provides stats to plenty of new Mechs to keep you satisfied and describes them in detail. Next Page