We Dutch Battletech guys are playing a new campaign. Preparations included building our forces within the guidelines set by the campaign gamemaster. In my case, these were
- Arkab Legion, being able to use Draconis Combine and mercenary mechs
- Only Inner Sphere mechs
- Tech level: 3055
- 10,000 points of Battle Value 2, including pilot upgrades
It was thus necessary to answer two questions:
- Which mechs are legal? I use the Battletech faction list as reference, and was allowed to chose mechs from the Draconis Combine, Inner Sphere general, and Mercenary general categories. Be sure to import the list into Excel or OpenOffice Calc for easier reading. The faction list can also be used for checking the tech level, though it’s not always accurate. I used mechs that were published in TRO 3052 and the associated record sheets.
- What are the BV2 values of these mechs? The prime mechbuilding software these days is HeavyMetal Pro, which costs money. Luckily, there’s a free alternative: Solaris Skunk Werks. It uses BV2, computes pilot modifiers and can be used for building your force. Best of all, it’s written in Java, so it also works with Linux.
- Another nice tool for building forces that fit your chosen faction are the Faction Assignment & Rarity Tables. They show mech distribution for all important factions in the 3025-3050. You can use them to build a random force or to guide you in building a force that is true to the spirit and background of your force.
Update:
- Catalyst now publish an official faction list, the Master Unit List. It’s available as PDF, but also as searchable online version. BV2 and a force builder are included!