the shape of things to come

Michael wants to design a fast
and flexible scout and attack unit,
and decides on a hovercraft, which
he chooses to name the Hephaestus.
In preparation for the design process,
he gets a copy of a blank Ground Vehicle Record
Sheet ready.
Nathaniel is designing an airborne
vehicle ideal for recon and attack
missions, and selects a VTOL motive
type. He chooses the name Yellow
Jacket for this unit. Nathaniel prepares
a blank VTOL Record Sheet to aid in his design.
Patrick has a more conventional
battle tank in mind for his vehicle,
and so decides that his unit, the
Zhukov, will be a tracked vehicle.
Patrick notes from the Combat Vehicle Record Sheet
Table that he will use a Ground Vehicle Record Sheet
for his design.
Rick is looking for a rare item in
the Classic BattleTech universe: a
submersible coastal defense unit.
Naming this craft the Neptune, he
decides on a naval (submarine) motive type. Rick
must use a Naval Vehicle Record Sheet to plan out
his design.
CHOOSE TECHNOLOGY BASE
Combat Vehicles may be constructed using either Clan or
Inner Sphere technology bases. Vehicles constructed using
either tech base may be built as OmniVehicles.
Because he plans to create this
design for a Clan game, Michael
chooses a Clan Technology Base for
his Hephaestus, and further decides
to maximize its fl exibility by developing
it as an OmniVehicle.
Nathaniel chooses the Inner
Sphere Technology Base for his Yellow
Jacket, and has elected not to
make it an OmniVehicle.
Patrick sees his Zhukov as a barebones
Capellan-made design, and so
he selects an Inner Sphere Technology
Base and opts not to make it an Omni.
Rick chooses an Inner Sphere Technology
Base for his Neptune, and also
decides not to make it an Omni.
CHOOSE WEIGHT (TONNAGE)
As noted above, depending on the Combat Vehicle’s chosen
motive type, its maximum weight will vary greatly (see p. 96).
Designers are free to choose any tonnage desired (in full-ton
increments, starting from 1 ton) up to the maximum weight for
their Combat Vehicles, though in the age of BattleMechs, few
Combat Vehicles weigh less than 20 tons. The total weight of the
Combat Vehicle’s engine, weapons, armor and other components
may not exceed this amount. Any unspent tonnage left after the
creation process must be noted as cargo, if the Combat Vehicle
still has space to spare, or is classifi ed as wasted tonnage.
This Pinto Attack VTOL sweeps through the ruins of Harlech during the height of the Word of Blake assault on Outreach.
WB
INTRODUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
BASICS
BATTLEMECH
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRIALMECH
CONSTRUCTION
PROTOMECH
CONSTRUCTION
COMBAT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
SUPPORT VEHICLE
CONSTRUCTION
CONV. INFANTRY
CONSTRUCTION
BATTLE ARMOR
CONSTRUCTION
AEROSPACE UNIT
CONSTRUCTION
WEAPONS AND
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
INFANTRY WEAPONS
AND EQUIPMENT
COSTS AND
AVAILABILITY
BATTLE VALUE
INDEX
RECORD SHEETS
97