BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat – It’s Time To Join Up

It’s time to get your BattleTech on! BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat is an awesome miniature tabletop wargame. It has been around for over 30 years and is still going strong.

If you like wargaming, then BattleTech should be at the top of your list. This game can be played solo or with friends, making it perfect for any situation.

The rules are easy to learn but provide enough depth that they never feel boring or repetitive. BattleTech also offers a ton of customization options so you can make this game your own!

What is in the BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat Box?

Lighting streaks through the air and the roar of Autocannons answer back, welcome to the war! The BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat box set is a great way to get started playing BattleTech.

Eight high-quality, unpainted plastic miniatures are included with the complete ruleset. These include common ’Mechs found in the Inner Sphere including an Awesome, BattleMaster, Catapult, Commando, Locust, Shadow Hawk, Thunderbolt, and Wolverine.

Along with the plastic ones, you get nine cardboard ‘Mechs including a Griffin. All the ‘Mechs, plastic and cardboard, include reference sheets that show the weapons, stats, and other characteristics of the ‘Mechs.

While this box does include the punchboard Griffin and reference sheet, you can only get the high-quality plastic miniature in the BattleTech Beginner Box. This ready-to-play set also includes two double-sided maps, cardboard terrain tokens for your battlefield, pilot cards with special abilities that let you spice up your gameplay, and two six-sided dice.

To supplement your gameplay, you also get a record sheet booklet with pre-filled “mech sheets and a blank to copy, two cards that combine all the needed tables into one easy-to-use place for both players, as well as Alpha Strike cards for all the included ‘Mechs!

As a bonus, it also comes with a BattleTech Universe Primer providing an overview of the game world, its history, and its factions, and the short story “Eyestorm” by William H. Keith, Jr that gives you a glimpse into the lives of a MechWarrior.

• Eight high-quality, fully assembled (unpainted) miniatures
• 56-page Rulebook
• 16-page Record Sheet Booklet
• 16-page Universe Primer
• 24-page fiction novella “Eyestorm”
• 8 Pilot Cards
• Two heavy-stock reference sheets
• 2 18” x 22” full-color paper maps (hexed, double-sided)
• Sheet of die-cut cardboard ‘Mechs & terrain tokens
• Two six-sided dice

Who is the BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat Box for?

BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat Box is designed for intermediate players, someone who has either played the BattleTech: Beginner Box or another wargame and isn’t afraid to get down and dirty with rules and is willing to learn.

This BattleTech box set isn’t for somebody who has never played a tabletop wargame before. If you have no idea what BattleTech or tabletop wargames are, then this probably won’t be the best place to start your gaming journey.

BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat is also great for BattleTech fans who want to play BattleTech in a more competitive way. The game itself can be played at varying levels, from casual skirmish games all the way up to tournament-style level play and it’s easy to scale the rules so that you are playing on your comfort level and still have fun.

Some knowledge of BattleTech is helpful but not required (you can learn everything you need in the rules). You should also check out our full review on BattleTech Alpha Strike here which was designed with beginners in mind and contains most of the same content minus some customization options.

My experience with the BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat Box

I have played BattleTech for almost twenty years now and I still love it. This BattleTech Box set will definitely do the same for you.

The top-quality ‘Mech miniatures included all look like what real walking tanks would, as compared to the skinny chicken-legged older versions. If you’re really interested in learning how to paint miniature models then this would be excellent practice but even if you aren’t, unpainted minis don’t detract from gameplay much.

The two lances (a lance is 4 ‘Mechs) that the box comes with are perfect for you and a friend to get playing right away. The matches are intense and brutal, plus the scenarios inside the rule book give you plenty of ways to expand your play style.

And the rule book even comes with a section on how to design your own BattleMechs! While the construction rules aren’t exhaustive, you would need to get the BattleTech BattleMech Manual for that, it still allows you to create the ‘Mech of your dreams.

The only problems I have with this box set are the paper maps and the dice. Just like the BattleTech Beginner Box, the maps that come inside this set are printed on normal paper.

They feel flimsy and can rip easily. I wish it would have been printed on the heavier paper that the rule book is on.

Also, it only comes with two six-sided dice. While you can play the game with only those dice, it can be a little bit of a pain. Even the rule book suggests have multi-color dice to help track the movement of each Mech, plus the two you would need for shooting.

Tips and strategy for new BattleTech players

The core of the game is all about rolling six-sided dice. The more you roll, the better your chance to hit or damage an opponent.

For beginners it can be a little cumbersome at first so here are some tips that will help make things easier:

1. All Mechs have their own rolls for movement and combat – keep this in mind when planning out what Mechs do each turn. Also, consider how far they can move while still being able to fire upon any enemy units in range (mechs don’t walk very fast).
2. Keep track of where your ‘Mech’s weapons are pointing! You may think you are firing on an enemy but if you aren’t lined upright, there is no damage done.
3. Use cover whenever possible but stay within line of sight. Cover will help protect your Mech from taking damage, but you can’t shoot at something if it is beyond-line-of-sight (which means the enemy unit cannot be seen by any unit on your side).
4. Keep your units together! Mechs do not function well on their own. In fact, they are much more effective when supporting other friendly units within line of sight and range.
5. Try to keep all your weapons pointed towards one opponent until it’s destroyed! This is called “focus firing” because you take down one enemy before turning to another. Try to concentrate fire on Mechs that pack a lot of firepower but have less armor.
6. Your pilots also have their own skills, which affect the rolls for combat-related tasks – so keep an eye on them!

Why should you get the BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat Box?

If you are an experienced wargamer and looking for an alternative to games like Warhammer 40k, then the BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat box set is for you. It has fantastic expandability, such as incorporating aerospace fighters, tanks, and infantry, as well as in-depth tactical gameplay to scratch your itch.

Even if you don’t have a lot of wargaming experience, then this box would still be a great buy. Anyone with a little bit of time would be able to pick up this game and get going.

If you already purchased the BattleTech Beginner Box, this is the next logical step in your BattleTech journey! The amount of plastic ‘Mechs, Mechwarrior cards, and Alpha Strike sheets you get with this box make it well worth the price.

Verdict:

BattleTech is a tactical game with great depth, perfect for BattleTech fans who want more or new gamers looking for an easy way into the genre. If you want to know more about the BattleTech universe, check out my Supreme BattleTech Guide.

There’s only one word I can say: buy! Buy it now and get yourself some Mechwarriors ready because it’s time to join up!