9 Event Play

The event format provides faster, simplified BattleTech: Outworlds Wastes rules which are more suitable for playing multiple scenarios in a large event, such as at a convention.

9.1 Force Construction

Commanders start with 3,000 BV to acquire initial units for their force. BV costs for all units are listed in the Master Unit List or MegaMekLab. Force construction must follow these rules:

• Commanders have a modified Leopard class DropShip that can hold a maximum of 4 units. Your entire force must fit onto your DropShip.
• Commanders should select units from one faction on the Master Unit List for the era chosen by event organizers. Forces may include units with introductory, standard, and advanced technology. Custom, experimental, and unique units are not permitted.
• Each force must have at least one ’Mech.
• Each force must have at least one Battle Armor unit. If Battle Armor is not available to the faction in the era, then the force must contain at least one non-mechanized conventional infantry unit.
• Each force must have one unit capable of carrying the Battle Armor (or infantry) unit. An OmniMech can carry standard Battle Armor. BattleMechs can carry Battle Armor equipped with magnetic clamps, but receive a -1 MP/-2 inch reduction to their Walking MP (p. 227, TW, p. 39, AS: CE).
• Forces cannot contain aerospace or battlefield support units, including on-map artillery.
• The BV costs of a unit includes all adjustments, to include skill levels, C³, and TAG. Skill levels should generally be close to the average skill levels (see p. 40, TW ). A unit may be no better than Gunnery 3/Piloting 4 and no worse than Gunnery 5/Piloting 6. ProtoMechs always have Piloting 5 and infantry units without anti-’Mech equipment have Anti-’Mech 5.

Commanders must bring the rulebooks for any special equipment not found in BattleTech: Total Warfare or BattleTech: BattleMech Manual. Unit record sheets can be generated using MegaMekLab or similar tools.

BV costs sometimes do not mach between the Master Unit List and MegaMekLab, especially for conventional infantry units, due differences in the official rules. Commanders must use the same source for all BV costs. All record sheets must agree with the BV costs from this source.

Commanders may maintain and improve their force between scenarios with the Force Maintenance rules. Improved forces cannot exceed 5,000 BV and must follow the other rules above. See the sample force tracking sheet. Commanders instead reset their force between scenarios.

Two sample initial forces are provided; the first force is an ilClan era mercenary unit and the second force is an ilClan era Raven Alliance detachment. Pilot names are encouraged, as one of the goals is to develop the personalized lore for your force.

9.2 Force Maintenance

Commanders can spend C-bills they earn in scenarios to improve their force. Possible improvements are listed below. C-bill costs for all units are listed on the Master Unit List. The C-bill cost in MegaMekLab can be used if the Master Unit List does not list a cost.

Train: Pay 500,000 C-bills multiplied by the difference in BV skill multiplier to improve a unit’s skill levels. For example, a Gunnery 4/Piloting 5 pilot has a BV skill multiplier of 1.0 and a 3/4 pilot has a BV skill multiplier of 1.32. Therefore, it costs 160,000 C-bills to train a 4/5 pilot to 3/4. Units cannot be upgraded past 2/3. Skills cannot differ by more than 3. See BattleTech: TechManual p. 315 for the BV skill multiplier table. A unit’s skill levels may be degraded at no C-bill cost. ProtoMechs and infantry units without anti-’Mech equipment have Piloting/Anti-’Mech 5.

Replace: Pay 50% of the C-bill cost, rounded up, to replace a destroyed unit. If the pilot/crew was killed, the replacement cost includes a 5/6 pilot. If an infantry or Battle Armor unit was destroyed, the replacement cost includes 5/6 troops. The new unit may be trained as above. For Omni units, the replacement cost is based upon the cost of the variant on the unit roster. See BattleTech: Total Warfare for the definition of destroyed for different types of units.

Repair: Pay 25% of the C-bill cost, rounded up, to repair all internal damage, critical components, and motive systems for a unit that has not been destroyed. If the pilot/crew was killed, the repair cost includes a 5/6 pilot or crew that may be trained. Armor is repaired for free. For Omni units, the repair cost is based upon the fielded variant.

Recruit: Pay 50% of the C-bill cost, rounded up, to replace troops in an infantry or Battle Armor unit that was not destroyed. For example, to recruit 1 troop in a squad of 4 IS Standard Battle Armor with Lasers, pay 50% of the cost of 1 troop, which is 293,125 C-bills. Damage to Battle Armor troops that survive a scenario is repaired for free.

Omni Refit: OmniMechs and Battle Armor with modular weapon mounts can be temporarily configured as a cheaper variant at no cost. For example, the Carrion Crow C costs 10,336,492 C-bills. The Carrion Crow A costs 9,704,829 C-bills, so a Carrion Crow C can be temporarily configured as a Carrion Crow A for a scenario. A Carrion Crow B costs 15,617,992 C-bills, so a Carrion Crow C cannot be temporarily configured as a Carrion Crow B.

Purchase: Pay the C-bill cost to get a new unit. Commanders must purchase units from their Master Unit List faction and era list. The new unit has a pilot/crew at skill 4/5 and can be trained.

Salvage: Recover enemy units that that were destroyed in a scenario. Pay 50% the C-bill cost, rounded up, to add salvaged enemy units to your force. A War Crow Prime costs 22,057,358 C-bills, so it costs 11,028,679 C-bills to add a salvaged War Crow Prime to your force. The new unit starts at skill 4/5 and can be trained. Alternatively, sell the salvaged unit to earn 25% of the C-bill cost. A salvaged War Crow Prime could be sold to earn 5,514,340 C-bills.

Sell: Sell undamaged units for 50% of the C-bill cost or destroyed units for 25% of the C-bill cost, rounded up. A Locust LCT-1E costs 1,574,200 C-bills and may be sold for 787,100 C-bills. If the Locust LCT-1E was destroyed, then selling it would only yield 393,550 C-bills.

If a commander is using units from a full BattleTech: Outworlds Wastes league list, they may apply all earned C-bills and maintenance costs from the event to their full list. However, only C-bills earned during the event may be used for force maintenance during the event.

9.3 Event Scenarios

Event organizers provide scenarios, which may be either player-vs-GM or player-vs-player. These scenarios award C-bills through completing objectives and receiving base pay. The C-bills awarded in a scenario will tend to follow these guidelines:

• Base Pay: Each force receives a base payment of 500,000 C-bills. This C-bill payment represents the baseline cost of a mercenary contract or supplies sent by a faction.

• Objectives: Forces earn C-bills for completing primary and secondary objectives. This C-bill payment represents bonus pay in a mercenary contract and the value of resources or technology acquired by completing mission objectives.

  • Each primary objective is worth no more than 2,000,000 C-bills and is awarded to every player on a side.
  • Each secondary objective is worth no more than 500,000 C-bills and is awarded to each player individually.

A scenario will have multiple primary and secondary objectives, with each player having the opportunity to earn approximately 5,000,000 C-bills from objectives.

A full list of primary and secondary objectives for each scenario is provided by the event organizers. This list may change during each scenario as new objectives are revealed. A sample list of secondary objectives is provided here:

1. Cripple or destroy a ’Mech.
2. Cripple or destroy a ProtoMech.
3. Cripple or destroy a Combat Vehicle.
4. Cause critical or motive damage on a VTOL unit.
5. Kill at least half of the troops in an infantry unit.
6. Swarm a ’Mech or Combat Vehicle with an infantry unit.
7. Successfully complete a Death from Above attack.
8. Damage an internal section of an opponent’s highest BV unit.
9. Capture a vehicle crew or ’Mech pilot.

9.4 Casual Play

Event organizers may allow commanders to play additional casual scenarios between the official event scenarios. Event organizers will provide a packet of casual play scenarios for the event, if they are allowed.

Commanders use their entire force for a casual scenario. Commanders may temporarily modify the skill levels of their units to balance the BV of each side in a casual scenario. The BV or PV of each side should be within 10% of each other.

Each casual scenario will have a maximum of 5,000,000 C-bills in objectives payments. A commander can accept either all of the objectives pay and repair costs or none of the objectives pay and repair costs. Any objective pay from casual scenarios can be used to improve a force, so long as repair costs have been applied.

9.5 Conversion

Commanders can convert their force from an event into a full BattleTech: Outworlds Wastes force. All of the full Force Construction rules rules apply, with the following modifications.

• Units from the event that are damaged but not destroyed are repaired for free.
• Units from the event that are destroyed but not replaced cannot be added to the new force.
• Units from the event may keep any skill upgrades purchased during the event. Units from the event may also have their skill levels degraded, if desired.
• Commanders may change their faction as long as the units from the event are available on the new faction list. Commanders may use the Advanced Force Construction rules to create a custom faction list.
• Commanders may keep any C-bills earned during the event. If the force ended the event with fewer than 3,000,000 C-bills, then start with 3,000,000 C-bills.

If the event force came from an existing full BattleTech: Outworlds Wastes force, then the commander may apply any force improvements and objective pay earned during their event to their full force, but unit damage is not repaired for free in this case.

9.6 Scenario Packs

The following event scenario packs are available:

• Combined Arms Trainer: Scenario pack (Succession Wars or later)
• Boarding Action: Scenario pack (Succession Wars or later)
• Resupply: Scenario pack (Dark Age or later)
• The Legate: Scenario pack (Dark Age)
• Raven Raid: Scenario pack (ilClan)
• Pride Month 2024: Scenario pack (Dark Age or later)