Fun story! I got my Mercenaries Kickstarter package earlier this month. I ordered seven Salvage Boxes since it’s the only enjoyable lootbox in existence, and because I wanted to try my hand at getting a few ‘Mechs from other ForcePacks. As luck would have it, the first two boxes gave me the Jenner IIC and Griffin IIC for my Spirit Cats, so now I don’t need to order the Clan Cavalry Star (although I still might just for the Black Python).
My luck immediately ran out, however, as the remaining five Salvage Boxes all contained ‘Mechs I’d already received in other ForcePacks or the Mercenaries box itself. You all know that I love bad ‘Mechs, but even I don’t want a lance of JagerMechs and Fleas.
It’s been an especially busy month for BattleTech, so let’s get to the news.
Mercenaries Kickstarter Shipping Update
Some of you may have already received your Mercenaries Kickstarter, while some of you are still waiting (mostly international folks and those who didn’t get it in the first wave). But even if you’ve got your Mercs Kickstarter package, there are a few things worth discussing.
For starters, some of you might have received Salvage Boxes that contained tanks instead of ‘Mechs. Some of you might be okay with that, but most of you probably aren’t superfans of Clan Hell’s Horses military doctrine. CGL has confirmed an error on the manufacturer side and has placed 6,000 vehicles in 300,000 Salvage Boxes. Catalyst is tracking down those affected, but if you were disappointed to find a tank in your Salvage Box and haven’t been contacted yet, reach out to CGL to arrange a replacement.
The digital downloads are up for all backers, and some have already noticed that the BattleTech Cookbook is full of recipes that could easily be searched on the internet. The sources are out of copyright so there’s no risk of anyone getting sued, but they still should have been mentioned in a credits/source listing somewhere in the book. The digital version has been corrected to include these sources, but the print version went out before the corrections could be made. As a gesture to the community, CGL is donating profits from this product to “several charitable organizations.”
And finally, a shipping update. Europe and the UK should expect their orders to start arriving in August. Australia should also receive its packages fairly soon as Rem indicated in a Tuesday Newsday that all product is in-country. Asia is still awaiting updates. Domestic orders are also still awaiting shipment, with orders bracketed into waves based on when you paid and how quickly you verified your address. Those who didn’t have any payment troubles and verified their addresses first got out in wave one, which should be in the process of being distributed (about one-third of wave one). Wave two is on the way, and wave three is pending. Keep an eye on your emails to verify your physical addresses!
And for those who didn’t want in on the Mercs Kickstarter but do want to purchase the new ForcePacks, you can preorder them now on Amazon and at your local games retailers, but a street date won’t be announced until the last Kickstarter backers get their packages. As always, patience is the name of the game.
MetalMercs Will Soon Have A Release Date On Steam
Watch this video on YouTube.
A few years ago, I talked to Gaming Jay about his homage to Crescent Hawks’ Inception, the first BattleTech computer game ever made. What originally began as a spiritual successor then became Battle Mercs, and eventually evolved into MetalMercs (since the BattleTech license is a little too expensive for a single-person indie dev). You’ll notice a lot of similarities between MetalMercs and BattleTech when it comes to the in-game universe and the giant engines of destruction that command the battlefield.
You’ll also notice some similarities between MetalMercs and Crescent Hawks’ Inception, but also quite a few upgrades. MetalMercs is pixelated but features far superior art, animations, music, and visual and sound effects. It’s also a real-time tactics game instead of a turn-based one. You’ll also have a lot more ‘Mechs on the field than you ever saw in Crescent Hawks’ Inception, giving battles a far more epic feel.
You can Wishlist MetalMercs on Steam and download the free demo now. MetalMercs is coming soon, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long to get in on some retro action.
Yet More MechWarrior 5: Clans Deets
It seems that the floodgates are open now that our interview with MechWarrior 5: Clans Narrative Lead Chris Lowrey was posted. Digital Trends posted an article earlier this month with new screenshots and new details. First, we’re told that we’ll be part of a canon unit within the Smoke Jaguar touman. Second, we’re informed that missions can be replayed in the Sim Pod to accumulate XP spent on upgrading pilots and ‘Mechs. Third, we learned that weapon and ‘Mech upgrades will also require research using components from battlefield salvage. So, we won’t salvage a Dragon to add to the Smoke Jaguar army, but we will use bits of it to make our PPCs and lasers hit harder.
You also don’t have to get into the nitty-gritty of the upgrade system if you don’t want to. Speaking to Digital Trends, PGI president Russ Bullock confirmed there’s an auto-assign system that will use what you’ve accumulated to unlock as much stuff as you can. Or you can manually assign technicians and resources to unlock the stuff you really want first.
There’s also more information on the Star management system, called the BattleGrid. This is where the camera becomes a top-down view of the battlefield and you can order your Starmates to perform specific tasks. You can assign two ‘Mechs to guard the objective while you order the remaining three MechWarriors to assist you in patrolling the area. Or you can just get a good top-down view of the battle to see where it would be beneficial to shift your lines to cover a damaged ‘Mech.
Watch this video on YouTube.
On top of the Digital Trends article, PGI has also released short videos showcasing the characters that will star in MechWarrior 5: Clans. The guy giving the impassioned speech on the bridge of the ship in the last trailer is Galaxy Commander Cordera Perez played by Jonathan Latham, an Australian actor who’s really good at just doing an angry, gravelly voice! Perez seems totally unable to say anything without his jaw clenched tight enough to bite through ferro-fibrous armor, and Latham does a great job of delivering that sort of intensity.
Next up is Rory Saper as Star Commander Jayden, the ostensible player character, although I suspect you’ll be able to hop into the controls of your other Starmates’ ‘Mechs if the situation call for it much as you can in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. Saper actually looks a little bit like Jayden, which is important since he offers a lot of meaningful looks in addition to his earnest voice lines.
Finally, we’ve got Kit Commander Ibrahim Ismiril, voiced by Blake Stadel. The hard-assed drill sergeant tearing down his cadets, Stadel was inspired by classic military films like Platoon to empower his “tough love” of the Star, and especially Jayden. He’s not all bad, but he’s certainly a dour individual who rarely shows his softer side.
We might get even more character briefs the closer we get to MechWarrior 5: Clans‘ October release, so stay tuned.
BattleTech Activity Book 3 Reveals New Line Art For Falconer And Dragon Fire
Crack open the BattleTech Activity Book 3 (available as a free PDF download from the CGL website) and you’ll find some new redesigns, and both are favorites of mine. The Falconer is due out later this year for the House Davion ForcePack, and the Dragon Fire still doesn’t have a release date. However, the existence of redesign heavily implies we’ll be getting the Dragon Fire eventually.
These are both grand Second Star League slash Civil War-era ‘Mechs. I think I dig the Dragon Fire just a teensy bit more, but I’d certainly accept a Falconer too (even though it’s basically a faster Caesar). Good things are coming.
As always, we give our thanks to Alan Blackwell and Eldon Cowgur (the guy who does the cover of our Bad ‘Mechs series) for these stellar redesigns.
MechWarrior Living Legends Adds Three New ‘Mechs In Latest Update
The best 100-percent zero-cost, free-to-play, absolutely no money involved MechWarrior game just got a little better. MechWarrior: Living Legends just received its 0.17.0 update which adds three new ‘Mechs: the Hellion, Lobo, and Enfield. I’m not a huge fan of the Lobo, but I am a huge fan of the model Mikhail ‘Daniil’ Lykov produced, and the Hellion and Enfield are both great ‘Mechs. On top of that, MechWarrior: Living Legends has optimized its textures for improved performance and greater detail on ‘Mechs and other units.
There’s also the usual assortment of bug fixes and balance tweaks, which you can read about here. To download the update or the entire game (which I remind you is 100 percent free), head on over to ModDB.
Pixel Portraits Of Powerful ‘Mechs
For the past month, TIEChief has been posting delightful pixel portraits of ‘Mechs on Reddit. It all started with the Thunderbolt as seen above, then the Centurion, Commando, and my favorite, the Dragon. The Sidewinder in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a killer that can take you through the entire game start to finish. I haven’t had quite the same success in the Otomo Dragon, but it’s also pretty good. The only problem is that it’s sometimes hard to see over your giant snout.
Beautiful work, TIEChief!
Dogfighting In The Void
I know BattleTech is all about giant robot warriors fighting for honor and glory, but you can have those same fights in space too. Wild-Cat 144 has provided us with a visual feast for what would be an entirely silent furball. Bonus points for having so many different AeroSpace units.
Freddy Prinze Jr., Sam Witwer, And Other Celebs To Team Up For BattleTech Let’s Plays
Watch this video on YouTube.
I don’t know a whole lot about Freddie Prinze Jr. I know he played the voices of Lt. Vega and Iron Bull in Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, respectively. I know he’s also a wrestling announcer and he’s done a ton of TV and movies, although I haven’t seen much of his work outside of Wing Commander, Scooby-Doo, and Star Wars Rebels.
What I do know is that he’s a real-life celebrity, and he’s a BattleTech fan. Earlier this year, he started posting his painted ‘Mechs to Instagram, which then caught the attention of Rem, CGL’s marketing director, who then grabbed Randall and flew out to Los Angeles to teach him and a bunch of other folks how to play BattleTech. According to the Tuesday Newsday broadcast earlier this month, the names included B. Dave Walters, Alicia Marie, Maude Garrett, and Claire Green.
Things apparently went very well, since after that, Rem reported Prinze would also like to team up with Sam Witwer (who’s also a big BattleTech fan) to do a live BattleTech roleplay on YouTube (along the same lines as Critical Role). The idea is to have a rotating cast of characters to play out scenes using either Alpha Strike or Classic BattleTech. Another recent Tuesday Newsday also reported Macaulay Culkin wants in on the action.
We’re still waiting on details for when this will get off the ground, but apparently, Prinze Jr. has a production company and studio that just needs a quick renovation before some Let’s Plays can be scheduled. Definitely stay tuned next month for more details.
Battle Cobra Makes Its Debut MechWarrior Appearance Thanks To Mod
Another month, another new ‘Mech courtesy of Emil over at The Art Of BattleTech. This time we have a newcomer to MechWarrior: the 40-ton Battle Cobra. The Battle Cobra is an excellent Clan Steel Viper design that eschews the XL engine for greater durability while using hyper-efficient Clan energy weapons, resulting in virtually no loss in speed or firepower. At least, in the Prime configuration, anyway. ComStar even liked it so much they made their own version using Inner Sphere-grade weaponry.
As always, you can head on over to Nexus Mods to download the mod, or you can grab it on the Steam Workshop. Kudos to Joachim Schorn for the model.
Emil has also released new variants for the Mad Dog (based on the original artwork by Steve Venters), including the A, B, C, and D variants. I like all of them way more than the original Prime (which has too little ammo and too few heat sinks). Go pick it up at the usual spots.
CGL News: New Books, GenCon Events, And Anticipated Products
Watch this video on YouTube.
Last week’s Tuesday Newsday had quite a few details for upcoming releases from Catalyst and what we can expect at GenCon. We’ll start with everyone’s favorite: new products! BattleTech fans can expect to see the Star League Assault Lance ForcePack at GenCon, which will include the pre-painted Prometheus Dire Wolf as well as unpainted minis of the Emperor, Helios, Argus, and Coolant Truck. The BattleTech Universe book will be on sale alongside Force Manual: Davion and Volume 2 of the ilClan Recognition Guide. If you’re not going to GenCon, you’ll unfortunately have to wait until later in August for the Recognition Guide and September for the Universe book and Force Manual: Davion.
Con-exclusive BattleTech dice trays and dice sets will be available, and the previously-announced Mercenaries Paint Set may or may not be at GenCon, but it will likely be on sale in September.
As for what’s happening at GenCon, fans can expect the return of the beloved Virtual World Entertainment Pods, which may host a Masters and Minions simulator event as well as an Urbie Derby, the absolute slowest way to engage in a Solaris melee. Tabletop BattleTech events will include the usual boot camp, grinders, and Masters and Minions, as well as an Alpha Strike Academy, Solaris Melee Circuit, an Open Tournament, a Grand Melee, Championship Circuit, painting classes, and more.
A few notes on recent releases to close out. In The Shadow of the Dragon is available now and provides us with a murder mystery set in the capital of the Draconis Combine that involves the highest levels of government. Following the Combine theme, Heir to the Dragon is also available now on audiobook. The Corps: BattleCorps Anthology gets rereleased with a new cover on August 9, and A Skulk of Foxes tells us what the Sea Foxes and the Screaming Eagles have been up to on August 23 (if you’re a Mercenaries Kickstarter backer, you should have received the digital version of this novella earlier in July).
House Steiner’s Flaming Fist
We’ve got Big Red-40Tech to thank for commissioning Alan Blackwell to produce perhaps the best image of a Banshee you’ll ever see. Sadly, it appears to be the BNC-3S model, which is vastly superior to the BNC-3E, but I can’t hold it against either Alan or Big Red. The redesigned mini is clearly an attempt to make the 3S the new “base” model Banshee as it also visually matches the BNC-5S, 9S, and 12S. You’re also unlikely to see a BNC-3E towering triumphantly over the burning wreck of a Timber Wolf.
That said, I do hope that Alan’s second Banshee image will depict one of the unloved Banshee variants. Expect to see this image in Big Red’s planned Banshee video coming next year.
Wolves Wave 3 Coming Soon Following Successful Network Test
While MechWarrior: Living Legends is the best free MechWarrior game, the best free MechAssault game you can get is Wolves. I’ve been told from a very reliable source that Wave 3 will be coming soon and bring with it the Uziel, Puma, Mad Cat, and Ragnarok. We should see some more destructible environments, and hopefully some 4v4 game modes.
I still don’t have a specific release date, but you can keep an eye on the official Wolves website for the release of Wave 3, and download the current Wave 2 to experience authentic MechAssault action.
MechWarrior Online’s Latest Patch Brings A Very Dangerous King Crab
Another month, another MechWarrior Online patch. This month brings the new Argent King Crab legendary ‘Mech, and she’s a beast. Four Light AC/5s, two Heavy PPCs, and three Medium Pulse Lasers round out the base build with a Light 300 engine and endo steel structure. It even has an ECM and a ton of armor quirks. I don’t think this thing will stay remotely cool even with a -10% heat quirk, but I’m certain buildcrafters are already salivating at this ideal mixture of direct-fire weapon slots paired with an ECM and a reduction in Ultra A/C jam chance.
There are also a few ‘Mechs getting the old tune-up. All Linebackers have received an increase in armor and all Commandos now have a 120-degree torso twist angle (up from 95 degrees). There are also some tweaks to the Piranha D, Behemoth 6H, Marauder MAD-B, and Longbow LGB-13NAIS. Read all about ’em in the patch notes.
A few other noteworthy events. This month marks the start of the MWO Champion Series 2024 Tournament Supporter Pack, which supports the upcoming annual tournament. There’s also the Beach Party 2024 event with more loot bags and a pick-a-prize Hero, and there will be a 2-week Patch Science Sale for equipment, weapons, and ‘Mechs that need some science done to them.
This Is Why I Still Like The Hatchetman
The Hatchetman is a dumb ‘Mech. I can understand the argument for the Charger being a big melee bruiser disguised as the world’s worst Assault ‘Mech, but the Hatchetman has no speed to close to melee and no armor to survive the hail of fire it’ll receive after it leaves cover. At best, it’s an ambush predator in urban environments. At worst, it’s a sitting duck.
And yet, there’s nothing more satisfying than a Hatchetman getting to use its signature hatchet. I think Remmor knows this. That’s why I’m showcasing their recent piece of a Hatchetman giving an Archer a very close shave.
BungleTech Celebrates 20th Episode With Special Guest Randall Bills
Randall has surfaced from his world tour to debase himself on the BungleTech podcast. discussing wildly incorrect rules interpretations and beautiful nostalgia for an hour-long interview. It’s a fun discussion, so be sure to listen to BungleTech on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Let’s Get Dangerous!
Valk recently posted this image of what will be Philip Lee‘s ‘Mechs for the GenCon Masters and Minions event. One is definitely a Yen-Lo-Wang done up as Darkwing Duck, and I have absolutely no idea who or what that second ‘Mech is. It’s not an Awesome, it’s not a Kingfisher, and it’s not a Mastodon, so somebody please help me with this. And also remind me who Darkwing Duck’s sidekick was. Kudos to Valk for ruining my childhood.
Everything Still Leads To Crab
It’s been a minute since we’ve seen some sweet Lego ‘Mechs. Here we have a Lego Crab that looks absolutely incredible courtesy of DiscreetProteus on Reddit. Sadly, they don’t have instructions on how to build this ‘Mech yet, but it is real and reportedly “relatively stable.” Here’s hoping we some of the rabid Lego ‘Mech fans get instructions eventually.
I also saw a Lego Locust posted recently. This one is based on a design that’s existed for a while on Rebrickable, but it still looks great. Thanks for sharing, Zero747!
Focht News Network Coming To FanExpo Canada
It’s also been a minute since we’ve heard from Focht News! The boys are getting ready for FanExpo Canada, where they’ll be sharing a table alongside Six Sides of Gaming, Lynnvander Studios, and Unite the Factions. FanExpo takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Center from August 22 to 25. This year’s expo will feature a bunch of celebs, including Simu Liu, Marissa Tomei, Danny Trejo, and the legendary John Cleese! So when you’re done playing BattleTech, see if you can get an autograph. Tickets are available here.
Besides the big show in Toronto, Focht News is hosting Friday Night Aces every Friday at 6 PM on the Six Sides of Gaming channel, games at The Trading Post (Albion Hotel) in Guelph every Saturday, and pickup games at Sir Games A Lot in Barrie every Monday. I never thought I’d ever wish to live in Barrie, but here we are.
Come join the Focht News Network Discord for more news and events in Southern Ontario.
Remember To Always Pay It Forward
Imagine discovering a new game about big stompy robots that seems totally cool, and you’d definitely love to get into it if you just had the time or money (or both). And then imagine some kindly store owner walks up to you and hands you an entire army of (mostly) pre-painted minis to get you started. Would that make you a lifelong fan? Because I suspect Agent00121 is now a lifelong fan.
You can read the full story on their Reddit post, but the TLDR is Agent00121 ran headlong into Tex’s “pay it forward” philosophy. Tex had similar assistance getting into BattleTech many moons ago and has since convinced at least Blackhammer of the Black Pants Legion auxiliary to perform a good deed to a new BattleTech fan in need.
It looks like quite the Jade Falcon army if I were to guess. It’s a bit on the heavy side in terms of ‘Mechs and has way too many ProtoMechs for my tastes, but this is definitely a fantastic start for any newcomer. Remember to catch the Black Pants Legion every day on their Twitch channel, and check out Tex Talks BattleTech on YouTube.
Bundle Of Holding To Hold Massive BattleTech Sale In August
We got a sale to talk about! Bundle of Holding is selling the BattleTech: Total Warfare and BattleTech: TechManual PDFs for the low just $7.95 throughout the month of August. That’s way cheaper than the box sets if you’ve been gifted a bunch of minis but don’t have the rulebooks.
On top of that, pay up to the threshold price of $19.91, and you’ll get four BattleTech operations manuals, including Strategic Operations, Campaign Operations, Tactical Operations: Advanced Rules, and Tactical Operations: Advanced Units & Equipment. That’s a $60 value for less than twenty bucks.
Best of all, 10 percent of all payments go towards Direct Relief, a charity that sends protective gear and critical care medications to medical workers across the US and Canada. The sale goes on all of August, so be sure to head to Bundle of Holding to grab a sweet discount.
She Didn’t Need That Arm Anyway
Watch this video on YouTube.
I want to end this month’s news blast with an incredible animation that popped up on my YouTube feed. PLEXI did an amazing job with this fight between a Mad Cat A and a Wolverine. I can’t imagine that Wolverine surviving more than a few seconds after that last attack, but I’m still rooting for her! Great work, PLEXI!
That’s it for July! Here’s hoping that the rest of you fine folks get your Mercs Kickstarter packages soon, and GenCon brings a slew of new products.
And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.
