To answer in a somewhat official capacity (Catalyst Demo Team), yes, after some long wrangling, the 25th anniversary boxed set has been released. It's contents are described in the above post, and the boxed set is a great way to get yourself started. If you were more interested in just checking out a more full version of the rules set, Total Warfare is the current main rulebook for Battletech and provides all the rules necessary to play from any era from the Star League to the WoB Jihad. (the rules and tech levels have been stratified by these eras in an effort to simplify the system for people only interested in playing in a specific 'era' i.e. those who prefer the 3025 succession wars style of Battletech over others) If you're interested in Role Playing in the Battletech Universe, "A Time of War" The Battletech RPG has also been released in the past year. A through overhaul and completely different mechanics system from the previous 'Mechwarrior' RPG's, that book is intended to let you play groups from simple foot soldiers dodging armored behemoths to the real movers and shakers that throw armies around the inner sphere.

One of the nice things about Battletech, is despite the somewhat die-hard collectors, not that great an initial investment is necessary to start playing Battletech. After the initial investment in a the rulebook, some (optional) maps and a few mechs, you can have an entire campaign. If you want alot of variety in tactical combat (and proper wysiwyg) that involves more minis, but it's completely possible to play with a smaller group.

Is the new Mechwarrior RPG set up for a variety of eras, or will 3025 purists be going through the book with a big sharpie?

Can anyone recommend a good Campaign for Battletech?

We're looking at a casual group this summer that can have forces arrayed against each other, build them up, get a bit strategic outside of the mech-on-mech action.

From what I can tell, it focuses more along the lines of the Word of Blake Jihad.

The default campaign setting presented in the book is during the time of the Jihad, however as with total warfare, the system is scalable to the period of your choosing. Just have to pick up PDF copies of the old house books and you've got your 3025 setting materials.

I believe the presented setting is in the current 'present' timeline of Battletech, so that they can introduce all the toys. If you want to play an earlier era, no sharpie is required, you just don't use all the same gear, and your 'initial conditions' for campaign start are different.

What I'm curious about is how the previous introductory set (pictured above) compares with the 25th Anniversary Edition that is just now out. The one complaint in this thread appears to be that a few of the vehicles in the new box set utilize rules that only appear in an expansion.

Does the previous box set suffer this same issue? As a new player, will I really care, or will the selection of mechs and rules be satisfactory enough to allow me to learn the rule system with my buddies and not yet worry/care about the difference between the "clan" mechs and the non-clan ones?

From the perspective of a person who has no background in Battletech except to know that you get giant robots shooting at one another, is the new box set the one to buy, or should I look for the slightly older one?

The issue comes with the Thor and Loki that are included in the Anniversary boxed set. Those two are clan designs. The other 24 mechs that are included have 3025/3039 versions that have all rules presented in the introductory boxed set rulebook. The other two have multiple weapon configurations that use weapons from the base clan tech to the current SotA in Battletech weaponry.

The other difference is the thick cardboard maps vs the paper maps of the original boxed set.

I'd personally recommend getting the new set, for the extra mechs if nothing else. The new maps are also really good and the new standard that will be used for map packs.

If those are like the old school FASA maps then i am tempted to buy it!

The new maps are pretty nice. They're double-sided, a little less glossy, the edges are bound and they're both 6-fold rather than quartered. All terrain is labeled, rather than just elevations. The background and water has more contrast and the features are a little blurred, making the whole thing look slightly less cartoonish.

Here are a few quick photos, alongside the originals from 2nd Ed ('85).

(new on left, old on right - note that it's the exact same map)


(old on left, new on right)


(pretty obvious on this one...)