I have noticed that any time I even skim the issue of "list-building" or faction-specific mechs, I get flooded by people telling me I don't need to, who all seem to neglect one simple fact: That I want to.

Sydney has the most pre-orders of any city in the world for the Mercenaries kickstarter. BT is growing every year, and with CGL at our backs I think the barren days might finally be over.

some points of interest between battletech and 40k; battletech was introduced as Battledroids in 1984. due to a George Lucas lawsuit, the game was renamed battletech in 1985. Warhammer 40k was introduced as Rogue Trader in 1987. the 2nd version rules renamed the game as Warhammer 40k. battletech is enjoying the 5th release of the basic rules. thru the 5 releases, nothing has been nerfed, restricted, removed or banned. there is a small corporate detail of the 'unseen' designs due to a lawsuit by Harmony Gold, but that didn't stop people from being able to use them. overall, you can set each of the 5 released rules sets next to each other and they are nearly identical. only a few clarifications and a couple of adjustments. thus, the term 'release'. GW has produced 10 versions of WH 40k. with each version, thereare significant changes to how the game plays. more importantly, various units were changed. this meant nerfs, restrictions, limited banning or outright removal. thru the 10 versions, the game turn sequence has remained basically the same. however, they way various units interact has changed with each version. some, to the point of being nearly unplayable. if you set each core book next to each other, they are not the same! there are some basic similarities, but the game play is significantly different, thus the term 'version'. when battletech began, the game was miniatures agnostic. the box set included paper cut-outs which changed to card stock cut-outs in later box sets. miniatures were originally 3rd party and are currently made by the CGL. WH 40k (Rogue Trader) was originally miniatures agnostic. the core book included pages at the back which were to be copied and cut out. those were the game pieces. as the miniatures became more prevalent and with the release of the 2nd version box set, miniatures started to dominate the game. after the 3rd released rules and box set, the tournament play popularity grew exponentially. by 4th release box set, miniatures agnostic was gone and the push for 'official product' miniatures took over. then, unit specific painting. while both games play very differently, the have some points of common ground. each has over 100 novels of stories and lore. both have a variety of video games. each provide a large variety of factions to explore with their unique histories and influence on the game. there are plenty of source books and material support. as I have experienced both games from the day they first landed on the store shelves (i still have my original Battledroids and Rogue Trader) my perspective is unique. i prefer the small unit tactics of 40k (1 commander and 1 or 2 squads of 10 troops). but i play battletech on a large scale (planetary invasion with fleets of warships down to landing craft and all the fighting units and support). they are both set in the 'grim dark' future of constant war. 40k is more of a 'one-off' game. where battletech plays best as a campaign with role-play aspects added.

Another note to 40K refugees... Welcome aboard; do not talk about aliens. There are good reasons for the lack of aliens. If you want the long lecture about why we don't want aliens, feel free to ask. We do not want aliens. Just... Don't talk about aliens.

You might want to invest in a new mic.

Printing your own plastic things is becoming easier and easier everyday. Maybe they should just face the facts that their time may be running out it's not the first time technology has put companies out of business and it won't be the last.

I came to battletech from 40k because GW just doesn't care and are actively attacking fans.

"After all, you used to play 40K." Emotional damage!

I had no issue finding people to play battle tech with. All I did was ask my local game store to stock Battletech and players arrived on their own.

Valid points! As someone who fell in love w/ MW in the early 90s & wanted to play BT it seemed hard to find a group without spending all my time at comic/game shops & so in the late 90s I got into 40k which was great, but even then the constant rule creep & especially the cost to build the army(ies) I wanted was just nuts especially as a husband & father with a rapidly growing family so I largely bought used. Well those armies got stolen & I moved & then stumbled into the MW heroclix which is a pale comparison of BT but rekindled my love for the universe as did the new MW4! Well time has passed & my love for MW & the memories of playing that & the clix game with my oldest son who is now 23 resulted in him sending me a pic of his new aGoAC box set so I decided after seeing how the community has grown, the fact I can use anything for a model & the ability to play long distance with my son finally got me into the OG BT. We have a great local community, but with how sensitive & antagonistic some people can be that can change in a heartbeat but you work with what you got & try to protect that. The fact that CGL really does a lot to make the barrier for entry so low is outstanding compared to GW especially the fact you don't need to have the exact model (WYSIWYG) or even have it painted is outstanding though I would add that whike it is a great way to get into the game or try your hand at new units before dropping the cash on them painted & accurate (enough) minis makes tge game not only easier & quicker to play but makes for a much more enjoyable gaming experience especially from an aesthetician standpoint because who doesn't want to see a table of even poorly painted giant stompy death robots! Anyways I'll get off my soapbox, but definitely encourage anyone on the fence to download the quick rules from CGL & give it a try whether you are new to tabletop wargaming or have enough 40k minis to put a kid through college. Thanks for a good video & look forward to checking out more of your content.

I know that the Clan Invasion: Reinforcements box comes with a large array of stand-up punch-outs. They may not be the nice paintable minis, but it is a very low investment for entry and access to multiples of nearly ALL of the mech options. It was $23 as of the writing of this on the Catalyst webstore. Also, the open beta for the Mercenaries box has a variety of paper cutouts for support units and infantry. I don't know about you, but i've never seen a selection like this for less than potentially $50 investment, which would include the PDF copy of Total Warfare (with the most basic tier to the kickstarter for access to the free open beta files.

Kind of wondering if Henry Cavil will make the migration to the Battletech universe. I was never a 40k player myself, but I did know about it. Steiner scout squad ftw.

The one thing i wish battletech would pay more attention to is the non mech units. But i get it, its a game with the focus on giant walking mechs

:grins: I started playing BattleTech in the mid-80's, first using stiff card with things like "Marauder" written on them, along with the Mech and pilot name. Later I took to using the Reinforcements card 'figures', in plastic stands that were often self-fabricated from cut up document binding strips. Never, ever, bought a single mini but did buy every novel, sourcebook and Unit Scenario book released :D. On the other end of the spectrum one of my mates used to craft his own figures - Kurita scum he may be but very talented in modelling :). Very nice those Sword of Light units looked too ... right up to the moment I salvaged them :chuckles: Capt. Dallas Sukerkin, Merchant Adventurers Company, Thackstone's Battalion, 3rd Crucis Lancers RCT, AFFS

The Facebook community may or may not be like that, I don't hang out there. However the Reddit community is very welcoming especially to 40k players and we tend to be quite helpful to new players and people looking to get into the hobby. I've never seen anyone answer a question about what paint to get with "You don't need to paint!" if anything it's rather encouraged to start painting.

as someone who "played" 40k for all of a few hours and only collected the models and books, and never interacts with the fandom as a whole, battletech and 40k are both cool. Neat models, good books, good games. i want to get an IS lance for Davion and a Clan Star for Steel Viper, and i'll probably never touch a tabletop with them

Hailing from the inland tracts of barren Australian desert. We actually have a thriving BattleTech community here. Not so much 40K though.

Switching to Battletech has so far been the best thing I've ever done for my hobby life. While the box sets to buy individual units is annoying, I just usually buy the box and see what the options are. The game is complex, but the actual rules are rather simple once you wrap your head around it. The only complexity from there is if you want to run other units such as Infantry, Battle Armor, Tanks, Aircraft, ect. Or when critical components break off. Battletech is also far more narrative of a game. For 40k it's 'I move closer, I shoot you, you die.' For Battletech it's 'I run around the back, making myself harder to hit as I zoom by, I shoot you, hitting your weaker rear armor, breaking internal and damaging your reactor!' The amount of narrative instances that just write stories because of the complexity cannot be overstated. It's beautiful

Looking forward to the continuing videos, my dude!

At one point, 40k people actively spreading the rumour that modern battletech minis were still the old metal Ral Partha ones... Yeah, I'm glad CGL finally got their supply situation sorted out. You encounter the odd grognard in the community, but that is every community.

They are putting out mystery boxes so you can get a random mech for only $10

Is there still a stream of people coming from 40K? I would think that the vast majority of 40K players at the moment are getting hyped for the next edition.

A succinct overview; my only real problem with battletech is that rules lookups can take a minute; an example of which is the infamous Ultra Autocannon lookup, a trap most new players fall into in which one person tries to find where it explains that they use a cluster roll rather than make two attacks by scouring the index of Total Warfare.

I first discovered Battletech in the 90's. There were Battletech simulator pods at Parramatta Westfields. It was an expensive game, but still drew quite a crowd. Damn I miss those days. Bought the Game of Armoured Combat Box about a year ago.... Been trying to find some one to play with since. Heard there's a place at Gosford that hosts games, but mostly 40k, and occasionally Battletech. But that's 2 buses and a train each way for me.

I do like both universes, both have problems. For me battloetech is closer to realism since its closer to known physics, although I feel it would need a bit of a cleanup of some of the silly/irrelevant tech if they ever made a series/film of it. But the fairly recent Paradox Battletech definitely showed you can put a big storyline out that really works well, the universe has depth.

3D printing the model you want always helps.

Randomly came across this, Clanner Mechwarrior here and owner of 40k Kill Team Octarius. When I say Mechwarrior, I mean I don't play the board game. But this vid caught my eye due to my dual fandom, and I just wanna say, it's a neat comparison that makes me more interested in the Battletech wargame. You know, considering I do play 40k wargames here and there. And a lot of Mechwarrior, ever since 2, when I was 6 years old. It's heartening to see little videos like this aimed at people who are game 'refugees' as you say. It brightened my day a little. I've scratched the surface of the various problems with the tabletop communities behind both games and I can honestly say, people take themselves too seriously. This video didn't, though. :) Good on you

Im new to BT and love seeing that the Aussie scene is alive!

Saying this as someone who migrated from 40K, Battletech's rules are _sooooo_ much easier to wrap your head around. No BS like the nesting dolls of stratagems, command point faffery exceptions to every rule, different exception because of different factions... Ugh, never GW again. Battletech might have a steeper learning curve at the start, but once you know the rules, that's it. You and your opponent are playing the same game from the same book.

Looking forward to more battletech videos

I'd be down to see this video re-recorded, otherwise this is some good shit

Depressed Star Wars fan here… sick of shit with the IP, jumped to Warhammer and cant get to the tabletop due to PRICE.. now chilling with battletech instead.

We might be soft, but we play alpha strike exclusively. It is closer to a skirmish game that can scale up nicely. We play company level battles pretty often. Alpha strike does not have the depth of classic battle tech, but doesn't have the record keeping either. They are both very good, very well loved games. It is a matter of personal preference. If you are new to the bt miniatures universe, welcome!

You have an Titanicus force and migrate to BT. TITANS: THE OMNISIAH HAS ABANDONED US! Why is the GOD ENGINE 🥵

I don't know, I still love my Warhammer lore from Games Workshop, Battletech's game system it looks to be better than the tabletop of Warhammer 40k, but as the lore aspect of Battletech looks not very interesting to me tbh.

I’ve got to find a group that plays locally. I dislike the material Catalyst uses for its models. I buy my models from Iron wind metals. Gotta have those old funky 80s sculpts.

Macross does not won the mechs. Studio Nue created the mechs, and owns the designs of the mechs. Big West created the audiovisual product Macross, and Tatsunoko productions owned the rights of distribution of Macross. Tatsunoko sold "all rights" to Harmony Gold. But since everything Tatsunoko had was was distribution rights, not even the ownership of Macross the sudiovisual product. But Harmony Gold did not understand that and believed all rights meant they were the sole owners of all the IP. All this was uncovered when Big West sued Tatsunoko productions in Japan. FASA corporation licensed toys from Twentieth Century Imports. And they do not own the righst on the design. As I said Studio Nue owns the rights. So Harmony Gold sued FASA Corporation and nearly anyone. But the king was naked. Harmony Gold does not even own Macross, and they made Robotech using material from the Macross sudiovisual product. FASA IP ended up in the hands of Topps, which licensed Battletech to Catalyst Game Labs.

Battletech was, is, and always will be better than 40k. It's the best tabletop game in existence.

oh dear what a joke a lot of us old guard battleTech fans are also old guard 40k fans as well played both from the 80s onwards.

I know WH40K is a nightmare for Latinamerican fans (regarding the miniatures of course), so how is collecting Battletech different?

Do you all have aphantasia? People are commended for their ability to play notational chess, but fail to paint the minis &….

hey bro, the audio is extremely quite might wanna work on that, but love the message

....ok someone has either had a very bad experience with facebook or maaaaaybe a little sensitive. Its all dry humor here bucko. Nice vid.

I am not trying to be mean, but there is something wrong with your microphone.

Based Hellkite!

I am everything but a refugee, I play both since the early 90s and will do so untill my death.

Was difficult to listen to, but good video

Just have fun. Battletech has an enormous some would say over written universe to play in. Don't worry about having everything painted. Just relax and play with giant stompy robots.

I agree on all points, save the BLP situation... Genuinely speaking, that situation is a can of words that is a such a 'he-said-she-said' shitfest I can't defend it either way and haven't followed enough to put my opinion out. Though that unicorn story is...so ridiculous I have to give it credit

'Model agnostic' isn't enforceable tho. CGL may say it's OK but you can't force your opponent to play against even unpainted minis, let alone bottlecaps & scraps of paper. As much as I love the game, I wouldn't play against someone without legit minis. It's a nice+quaint idea but largely in effect not true. Espousing it as a universal truism isn't responsible. As well, GW isn't warhammer-ing all things 'fanmade'. As long as people aren't trying to monetize their 'fan' works there's no probs. I guarantee if there was as big a threat from fan works to CGL as there is to GW, CGL would be cracking down too. But selling it as GW goin after all fanmade stuff is just flatout ridiculousness. Blaster was here... & there's also no way CGL is ok with re-casters!

I don't paint my Battletech minis for the same reason I do not paint my 40k minis, my hands are shaky as fuck and it hurts to do it

Please leave your unironic love for actual fascism at the door.

Blaine Lee Pardoe being fired is a positive for the game

I have invited many onto my show for a friendly debate to convince me that painting your miniatures is necessary to enjoy the game (I paint mine quasi-regularly, when the mood strikes me). I have yet to meet a single taker.

Having trouble hearing you even on max volume on my phone. Will watch this on my TV later but I will say that Battletech is way more welcoming. In the several years I was a 40k fan with the exception of FLGS regulars here and Imperial Guard fans, most 40k people I met were absolute dickheads especially when it came to playing a certain way. I have yet to meet grognards in Battletech but I know they exist here as with any community. Battletech has some fun tabletop, video games and I have to say the fan animations I have both watched (and been part of!) have been wonderful showing how much love the community has. I am unsure what your message is in the video for now, but I want you to know coming over here has to be one of the best decisions I made because quite frankly big stompy robots are my thing.