How to play Battletech...(questions within)

[Elbows]

As many people know, I love mechs.  I love mecha.  While my first love has long been Robotech, I've abandoned any hope of a 1/285th scale Robotech project since Kevin Siembeda is a swindling criminal.

Move over to Battletech.  Like the early fluff, like the novels, like anything 3025-3050.  So much so that I created an alternate skirmish ruleset called Elbowtech.  It was a quick-design with fun playability, but was hindered by the rather poor battlemechs available on the market.  Defend the nostalgia all you want, but the plastic mechs from Catalyst games are pretty horrid when compared to anything else available.  Couple this with absurd Iron Wind Metals prices (they're shockingly proud of rather mediocre sculpts), and I'm left scratching my head.

Playing the new Battletech computer game beta (bought into the Kickstarter) has fired up a passion in me for some Battletech.  I'm probably going to refine/update Elbowtech but I'm still stuck with the problem of crappy mechs/minis.  They're so bad, that while I own maybe 80 of them, I can't see myself spending a ton of time trying to paint such shallow/mediocre sculpts (there are a few good ones in there, a few...).

Enter PGI.  Pirahna Games Interactive.  They produce the exorbitantly priced Mechwarrior Online game and released their 3D models to people to produce their own minis (you've probably seen tons of these out there).  They're not "supposed" to be on commercial sale but that lasted all of five minutes once the models were released to the public.  Even Catalyst Games (the owners of Battletech tabletop at the moment) were showing off some very pretty 3D model based miniatures which have yet to really appear...

So, it seems I have the rules figured out (my own), but I'm trying to find attractive quality Battletech minis.  I'd settle for either the 3025 original designs or the pretty MWO models - but the sources I've found for those are around $12 a miniature - which is cost prohibitive for my appetite.  What are other people doing?  This has been a frustration of mine for a long time.

[Predatorpt]

Since you mention such a precise price - $12 - I assume you already know of these guys? 

http://www.warhansa.com/index.php/katalog/robomechs.html

[Elbows]

Yep.  At $12 a pop, I'm "eeeehhh", and the range isn't complete (something I'd be picky about if I make this my next big project).

Scurv, I'm not sure where the 3D models are, I'm just trying to plan out how to take my B-grade project to an A-grade one at some point.  But yes I'd be looking at 1/285th or N-Scale for normal play.

[Hobby Services]

Not to mention the obvious, but what's wrong with the Reaper CAV range?  Most of the BTech players I know (a very small pool, admittedly...the game's fan base has shrunken greatly around here, much like its old peer Star Fleet Battles) have been using CAV figs since they came out in metal almost 20 years ago, and the Bones plastic versions are just stupidly cheap.

Probably some useful figs in the huge Dream Pod 9 Heavy Gear ranges as well, but they're the other end of the price spectrum.

[Elbows]

Yeah, Scurv.  The companies like Warhansa are obviously downmodeling them or simply copying the basic shapes - 3D printing them and then doing resin copies, etc.

Hobby Services - simply don't like the CAV range.  They're almost as bad as most of the "new" Battletech stuff.  I did consider using the Bones ones to hack-n-slash my own models, but they're quite large by comparison to most of the Btech range. 

This is more of a rant as to why there is not a good range of Btech mechs sculpted nicely and reasonably priced.  For example, Iron Wing Metals charges between $14-18 for what equates to a single 28mm figure(!)...and to make it even worse they're often multi-part metals which is borderline inexcusable.

[warlord frod]

Elbows as you know from my posts in the "post a picture of the last game you played" thread I am a huge fan and wait with great expectation for you to tweek your rules even more. I happen to have many of the original Ral Partha figs and like them a lot. I didn't think they were that expensive and I know they made quite a few of the mechs listed in the Tech Readouts. Given that I do not plan on buying anymore I don't share your frustration but I understand and sympathize.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I was always a Macross fan, so that is my definition of a nice mech.

I have not been impressed with most of the Battletech sized vehicles.

Maybe there is an opportunity for someone with the 3D modelling  skills to design a range of mecha that does not infringe anyone's IP, can cover a range of weight classes and weapons and can fit three plus bodies with options to a standard sprue. Put it on Kickstarter and see how it flies.

To prove it can be done, have a look at
https://www.maelstromsedge.com/58/Epirian%20Hunter%20Warmechs/

[precinctomega]

http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/Science_Fiction.html

[Scroll to bottom]

EM4's mechs and spacecraft are almost perfectly scaled as mechs and aircraft for 6mm sci-fi.  I used them extensively to develop Horizon Wars and the mechs also pull double-duty as combat robots at 15mm and 28mm.  They're cheap as chips and although they're hardly cutting edge in design, there no arguing with £2.65 for two light, two medium and one heavy mech!

[Steelwraith]

http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/Science_Fiction.html

[Scroll to bottom]

EM4's mechs and spacecraft are almost perfectly scaled as mechs and aircraft for 6mm sci-fi.  I used them extensively to develop Horizon Wars and the mechs also pull double-duty as combat robots at 15mm and 28mm.  They're cheap as chips and although they're hardly cutting edge in design, there no arguing with £2.65 for two light, two medium and one heavy mech!

They look like they'd do the trick, all right. Those fighters could work for Aerotech, and not pay Iron Wind's obscene prices. The planes look like they're the old Silent Death range from the 1990s. Sadly, I too have basically given up on the Micro-Armour Robotech Kickstarter. While I won't call Kevin S. a swindling thief, I will say he's never met a deadline he could ever make. Dude's got projects folks have waited twenty years for, and he still hasn't done anything on them. I will say, though, the CAV range does provide 6mm PA Infantry, which nobody else seems to make.

[YPU]

I'm a huge mech fan myself, and 1/300 is one of my preferred scales butI too feel that in general there aren't nearly enough good looking models out there. Say what you want about the warhansa stuff, it at least shows that the sculpts went trough the hands of an adequate designer somewhere in the game studio.

Maybe there is an opportunity for someone with the 3D modelling  skills to design a range of mecha that does not infringe anyone's IP, can cover a range of weight classes and weapons and can fit three plus bodies with options to a standard sprue. Put it on Kickstarter and see how it flies.

Skill wise there are plenty out there. Ideally, you would also get a decent designer on board getting that work done before the Kickstarter goes life is a bit of an expensive investment for most.The kickstarter could repay that, if it gets funded at all. 

[precinctomega]

the CAV range does provide 6mm PA Infantry, which nobody else seems to make.

CAV is 10mm.  For 6mm power armoured infantry, you can get it from Brigade Models, Sayiner Microtoys, Microworld Games, Vanguard Miniatures or Onslaught Miniatures, depending upon the type and style of power armour you favour.  There are others, I just don't have them at the front of my mind, right now.

Horizon Wars has a Facebook group, if you're not allergic to the blue-thumbed menace (just search for "Horizon Wars").  I encourage small manufacturers to post news of 6mm and 10mm stuff (and occasionally a smidgen of 15mm) there, and lots of members post pics of their own 6mm armies.  Because Horizon Wars is intentionally miniatures-neutral, a lot of people's armies are really imaginative blend of manufacturers - and scales, as a 28mm robot is as good as a 6mm mech, and a robot drone is a robot drone whether it's supposed to be 2ft tall or 20ft tall!

R.

[YPU]

  Because Horizon Wars is intentionally miniatures-neutral, a lot of people's armies are really imaginative blend of manufacturers - and scales, as a 28mm robot is as good as a 6mm mech, and a robot drone is a robot drone whether it's supposed to be 2ft tall or 20ft tall!

Have to agree there, I've found 15mm power armor a good source for 6mm mechs of below 28mm stature. The old mechwarior clix game also had the elementals power armors, they are too large for 6mm power armor but make very good "small" mechs. Small as in still the size of a APC. I really should get more of those before all of them vanish into forgottenes, anybody have some lying around? 

[Elbows]

Yeah, and while I know there are robot options out there, at the end of the day - I want it to be Battletech.  I can cope with 3rd party stuff for infantry and tanks and other "meh" stuff, but I'd like to be able to identify the mechs as Battletech mechs in some way/shape/form.

[Elbows]

Nah, 1/285th is about as big as I'm interested in - it's pushing the imagination even at that scale that all the weapons aren't in range...all the time.