Disclaimer:
This article is written to be up-to-date, as of January of 2020. Its information may eventually become out of date. In particular, there are currently rumors that older books will be made available in print-on-demand format, which will make previously expensive collectors items much more available to future gamers. New eras and expansions are likely to be published in the coming decade. The books may undergo another formal restructuring, as the current corebook setup is nearly a decade old at this point. The entry point box sets will also likely be replaced by new products in the future. Some of the linked resources may become dead links as the online presence of the brand continues to decay. Etc. Etc.
This was written while I was in the process of getting into the hobby. It is, essentially, my notes to myself to try and sort it all out in a way that makes sense to me, shared in the hopes that it may assist others. It may contain some errors. I'm fine with that.
I'd also like to mention that nobody pays me to write these things, not even advertisers, which I think should be clear considering how I speak pretty negatively of products even in my positive articles, but it should probably be said.
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| How Lovely |
You probably know the franchise as "Mech Warrior" from the extremely popular and extremely niche video game series derived from the Battletech franchise. However, the video games are not the heart of the brand, even if they wound up being its face.
So let's imagine that, like many nerdy kids who grew up in the 90s, you've occasionally seen glimpses of the giant stompy death machines of Battletech, and now you want to poke your head into this corner of the hobby. To you, I say Welcome! And good luck! See, Battletech as a franchise has gone through a number of mutations as the IP has passed hands over the decades, and now it is extremely difficult for people entering the hobby to decipher what products are current, what products are collectors items, and what products are just obsolete junk. It's also hard to tell what products are supposed to be compatible with each other. Cease your mourning however, for I have guidance! I, a hardcore game nerd have navigated the paper jungle of Battletech, and have compiled this guide for you to use! So, proceed and be enlightened! And once you have a lance of your own, shoot me a message and we can roll dice!
