the shape of things to come

The one exception is the Equipment section, which includes
sourcebook fi ction as well as rules. In this case, the sourcebook
fi ction entries for each piece of equipment are set apart in a
distinctive graphic presentation, allowing readers to tell at a
glance what is fi ction and what are rules.
FICTION VS. ART
TechManual follows the graphic design format established
by Total Warfare, wedding art to the book’s visual presentation
in order to enhance the players’ experience. In this case, the
graphic presentation represents that of a computer from
House Kurita’s Luthien Armor Works, one of the Inner Sphere’s
largest suppliers of military hardware (see A Time of War, p. 17,
Total Warfare).
As with fi ction, while art plays an important role in bringing
the Classic BattleTech universe to life, it should never be
construed as rules.
COMPONENTS
Through Total Warfare, a game of Classic BattleTech simulates
the various combat units most commonly seen in the crossfi re
between the Great Houses and Clans of the Inner Sphere.
This volume enables players to simulate the design process
for those units that can be fi elded in a standard rules Total
Warfare game, including BattleMechs, Combat and Support
vehicles, ProtoMechs, aerospace fi ghters, DropShips and even
infantry (conventional and battle armored).
Though the units in Total Warfare are varied, many of the
construction processes behind them function along similar
lines. This chapter serves as a primer for the terms and concepts
central to building these Classic BattleTech units, defi ning the
basics of each unit type as well as the core concepts of weight,
space and even the principles behind rounding and the use of
Blank Record Sheets.
Players who already own Total Warfare will note a strong
similarity between this section and that book’s Components
section (see p. 21, TW). Just as understanding the basics of the
various unit types is important for using them in the game,
players should also understand the basics of each unit before
attempting to create unique designs. To make this book as
useful as possible, those basics are included here; subsequent
sections build on that foundation to provide a complete
understanding of in-universe concepts of the various unit
types, as well as the rules for their construction.
UNITS
In these rules, the term “unit” refers to any single element
that can be fielded in a Classic BattleTech game, be it a
BattleMech, IndustrialMech, ProtoMech, Combat Vehicle,
conventional infantry platoon (or battle armor Point or squad),
Small Craft, conventional fi ghter, aerospace fi ghter, DropShip
or any Support Vehicle. In game play, units are the smallest
element that moves and acts on its own.
Terminology: Unless specifically stated otherwise, the
following terminology is used throughout this book:
• The word “’Mech” by itself refers to BattleMechs,
OmniMechs, and IndustrialMechs.
• The word “fi ghter” by itself refers to conventional and
aerospace fi ghters.
• The word “vehicle” by itself refers to all Combat and
Support vehicles.
• The word “infantry” by itself refers to conventional (nonbattle
armor) infantry.
• The word “battle armor” or “battlesuit” refers to battle
armor and exo-skeletons, military and non-military [also
known as Power Armor (Light) suits, or PA(L)s for short].
• The term “aerospace unit” refers to all non-Support
Vehicle aerospace units: conventional fi ghters, aerospace
fi ghters, Small Craft and DropShips.
BattleMechs
BattleMechs—the most powerful ground-based war
machines ever built—dominate the battlefi elds of the thirtyfi
rst century. These huge, humanoid vehicles stand eight to
fourteen meters tall and weigh as much as 100 tons. Generally
faster, more maneuverable, better armored and more heavily
armed than any other combat unit, these titans are often
equipped with enough fi repower to fl atten everything but
another ’Mech.
In the armies of the thirty-fi rst century, two broad classes
of BattleMechs exist: the basic BattleMechs favored by the
Inner Sphere, representing variations of and improvements
on the original ’Mech technology, and the modular machines
that gave the Clans their initial edge, known as OmniMechs.
BattleMechs and OmniMechs are classifi ed as light, medium,
heavy or assault, indicating their relative weight and
determining their overall capabilities in battle.
BattleMechs also come in two primary chassis confi gurations,
with bipedal machines far more common than the fourlegged
quads.
IndustrialMechs
IndustrialMechs are rare on the battlefi eld, but widely used
across the commercial and industrial sectors of the Inner
Sphere. Born even before the fi rst BattleMechs, by the time
of the Star League era, these myomer-driven ’Mechs played a
role in various aspects of life, from farming, construction and
loading DropShip cargo bays to police work and so on. After
the fall of the Star League, these IndustrialMechs (also known
as UtilityMechs or WorkMechs) fell into disuse, their parts
often scavenged to repair BattleMechs. As the Succession
Wars raged on, the technology needed to build and repair
’Mechs declined and the Successor States concentrated their
dwindling technological resources on the BattleMechs they
needed to continue fi ghting.
Though the numbers of IndustrialMechs dwindled by
the early half of the thirty-first century, the technological
renaissance of the past few decades has fi nally reached beyond
the military sector. These rare machines are making a strong
comeback, as the civilian demand for their use drives the
market and companies rush to fi ll the void. In some rare cases,
poorer worlds have even dragooned these IndustrialMechs
into military service, adding weapons in an eff ort to fi eld a
stronger defense force.
INTRODUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
BASICS
BATTLEMECH
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRIALMECH
CONSTRUCTION
PROTOMECH
CONSTRUCTION
COMBAT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
SUPPORT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
INFANTRY
CONSTRUCTION
BATTLE ARMOR
CONSTRUCTION
AEROSPACE UNIT
CONSTRUCTION
WEAPONS AND
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
INFANTRY WEAPONS
AND EQUIPMENT
COSTS AND
AVAILABILITY
BATTLE VALUE
INDEX
RECORD SHEETS
9