the shape of things to come

With Total Warfare (TW), the game of Classic BattleTech was
carefully reworked from its previous incarnations to clarify
confusing or contradictory information—folding in many years’
worth of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), playtesting reports
and game play. At the same time, the various rules sets that defi ned
conventional ground warfare in BattleTech were united under a
single source for the maximum possible variety in standard rules
play. For the fi rst time in well over a decade, vehicles, battle armor,
infantry and BattleMechs were reunited with aerospace fi ghters,
conventional fi ghters and DropShips in a single, streamlined set
of rules, enhanced for better interaction.
Classic BattleTech TechManual (TM)—the second new, core
rulebook published for Classic BattleTech—continues on the path
set down by Total Warfare, presenting players with a single rules
source devoted to the creation of battlefi eld units that adhere to
the standard Classic BattleTech rules as presented in Total Warfare.
Combining the construction rules from more than ten years’ worth
of Classic BattleTech products, TechManual revises and clarifi es the
construction of Classic BattleTech units, and unifies many that
have become isolated in various products over the years.
This book contains a number of rules changes from previous
editions. We feel confi dent that these are the most complete, clear
and concise rules for Classic BattleTech ever presented.
These rules supersede all previously published construction
rules, including the BattleTech Manual, BattleTech Compendium,
BattleTech Compendium: The Rules of Warfare, BattleTech Master
Rules (standard and revised editions), and older editions of
the Classic BattleTech boxed set. Also superseded by this book
are the fi ghter and DropShip construction rules from AeroTech,
BattleSpace and AeroTech 2 (standard and revised editions), as
well as the battle armor construction rules from Classic BattleTech
Companion, the infantry platoon construction rules in Combat
Operations and the Support Vehicle construction rules featured in
Combat Equipment.
To use these rules, designers will need paper and pencils, as
well as copies of the Blank Record Sheets found at the back of this
book. Some may fi nd a calculator handy as well. The Heavy Metal
series of construction programs enables players to automate
much of the process.
FICTION
As described in Total Warfare, fiction plays a pivotal role in
bringing the Classic BattleTech universe to life. Whether “story
fi ction” that places readers inside the heads of the characters in
that universe, or “sourcebook fi ction” that places the reader in
the universe as though living among those characters, both work
hand-in-hand to immerse players in this vibrant milieu.
Total Warfare concentrated on story fi ction, including twelve
diff erent short stories, with only two sourcebook fi ction sections.
TechManual provides nine “sourcebook fiction” sections that
expound upon the various aspects of military units in the
BattleTech universe, from the point of view of various characters
within that universe.
FICTION VS. RULES
It is important to remember that regardless of the critical role
fi ction plays in immersing players in the Classic BattleTech universe,
such fiction should never be construed as rules. As with Total
Warfare, to eliminate confusion about which sections are fi ction and
which are rules, the fi ction sections have a unique look, compared
to the uniform presentation of the various rules sections.