the shape of things to come

ABOUT THIS SECTION
This section focuses mostly on background information for the weapons and equipment commonly used by Inner Sphere and Clan forces in battlefi eld
and support units, and can be used to construct any unit using equipment legal for Total Warfare standard rules games.
All equipment appears in alphabetical order within its respective sections. In general, items listed under Heavy Equipment are used in Combat Vehicle,
Support Vehicle, IndustrialMech, BattleMech, ProtoMech, aircraft, aerospace fi ghter and DropShip construction (though some may be exclusive to just a
few of these units), but not in the creation of battle armor or infantry. Items listed under Battle Armor Equipment—unless otherwise noted—may be used
only in the construction of exoskeletons, power armor and battle armor. Finally, unless otherwise noted, items listed under Infantry Equipment may only be
employed by conventional infantry, battlesuits (including exoskeletons, power armor and battle armor) and Support Vehicles under 5 tons in weight.
Construction Notes
Basic construction data follows each of these descriptions, providing the tech base, unit restrictions, table reference, game play rules and construction
rules. Some of these data blocks may also include a short chart that refers the designer to specifi c tables or core construction rules and links particular
items to particular unit types.
Tech Base data blocks cover whether or not the item(s) described above are available to the Inner Sphere, the Clans or both. Items listed for either or both
tech bases feature their “raw” statistics on either the Weapon and Equipment Tables or in the relevant core construction rules.
The Unit Restrictions line provides information on what featured unit types in this book may carry the described item(s), as well as major disqualifi ers
(such as the restriction of handheld weapons to humanoid-style ‘Mechs).
The Construction Rules line notes any special construction rules for the item that cannot be described by its raw stats from the appropriate table
reference, including location restrictions, formulas for fi nding the weight on variable-weight items and so forth. Simpler items may not have much more
information than a statement on whether the unit may or may not mount multiples of a given item, or if it is restricted to certain mounting locations, or if
actuators and other components must be removed beforehand. More complex entries and core construction components may include a brief chart that
refers the designer to other parts of this book.
The Table Reference line indicates which of the tables at the back of this book contain the listed items, including an item’s applicable tech bases. Because
the Weapon and Equipment Tables separate items by tech base, an item chosen for a unit from one tech base may not reference the statistics for the same
item under a diff erent tech base. (In other words, an Inner Sphere-made BattleMech using an ER large laser must reference the Inner Sphere Weapons and
Equipment Tables, not the Clan table.)
The Game Rules line provides the most relevant rules reference in Total Warfare (where applicable) for a given item, as well as any special addendum
that may aff ect a designer’s choice to carry such equipment. Some items in this section may not have proper rules under Total Warfare (in such cases, no
reference is provided). Game play functions for these items will be expanded in Tactical Operations or other publications, as noted in the Game Rules line.
Finally, note that the Weapon and Equipment Tables at the back of the book organize some equipment under the Industrial Equipment Table when that
equipment does not appear in the Industrial Equipment section (see p. 241). Generally this only occurs when there is no diff erence in technology base and
game stats and hence no need to create two entries (one on the Inner Sphere Tables and one on the Clan Tables).
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