GMG Reviews – Battletech Starter Sets (2024) by Catalyst Game Labs

Went to Target today and didn't see any BT on the shelf for the first time in a while. BT Essentials box was usually always available. No vacant slot either.

Beginner here I'm trying to play this game and I can't find these boxes.

I'd love to see a video explaining the differences between the different battletech "games". With a quick rundown of how to prepare and start a game.

Shame I'd like to see dark age minis. I like the various superlight mechs.

Any release date for EU known?

What is new from the last version

I have a question that you probably don’t have an answer to, but maybe someone in the community knows. At one point in time, Dr B Bonzai conically exists with the Battletech universe. Is that still the case? Was he retconned out? Do they just not talk about it anymore? Does anyone know?

Lets all be honest we be waiting for the new stuff

Damn, I just picked up the prior edition yesterday, didnt see this one shelves. Oh well!

After I just got the old GoAC and Alpha Strike boxes. 😭

I have bought 2 copies of evertything from both kickstarters up to this point. The fact that they do not stop releasing content is both a blessing and a curse. Storing all of this is a real pain.

Yeah Battletech! GMG FTW! Thanks for more BT content.

2:34 = Errrr……Uhh~mmmmmmm, No. (Gimme HH~AoD 30K 1.0 Contemptors/Leviathans any day of the week, )

Well, I have those mechs in GoAC already, but I don't have them painted up for a different faction, so I guess I'll be buying this whenever it hits the shelves in the UK. The Ilclan stuff is interesting but I still spend most of my time playing Alpha Strike in 3025 – always up for a new setting though!

Quick Start Rules make Alpha Strike superfluous. Nothing QSR can't do that AS does. & with the bonus of not having to learn two completely different Rulesets!

Hey! The Shadow Cat is a mech that doesn't actually suck…

Wish I'd gotten into this instead of Warhammer at the beginning, might have saved myself a lot of money lol. Such great value!

Cool! Would like to know about the quality of miniatures, compared to the older boxes. I heard old ones are a bit "soapy"

Imagine if they did just one cool thing like put in some cross-sections of a Mac with little arrows, pointing to different parts of the catapult or something just like literally anything eyecandy for the military tech nerds, which comprise a major portion of the audience

When are they shipping out the kick starter?

Following because of The Sword vinyl in background

Can't wait for the full Mercenaries expansion

Getting back into the game during this BattleTech renaissance, for me feels like I'm honoring my 12 year old self that played the hell out of the 2nd edition box with paper standees. I'm glad you gave the game a chance a few years ago and are having a blast with it.

Hey that discount code matches my password. I feel like Catalyst does it right with their tabletop starter. Heck back in the day you only got standees but now the include a bunch of minis. Also offering lighter versions to pick up and play.

Battletech is so cost effective. Some companies have such a different approach

The Beginners set comes with a coupon, use it for the GOAC box, where you get another coupon. Use that coupon for The clan invasion box, I think it ALSO comes with a coupon, use it for the Alpha strike box set. So just with the boxed sets you wind up with 18 inner sphere mechs, and 15 clan mechs, if I am not mistaken with weight skewed to slightly heavier mechs on the IS side. So, Roughly company sized formations on either side, all at 20% off, from Catalyst. Iff you add in the Target Essentials box, you get 2 MORE mechs, and Duelling rules, Also another coupon to spend on another box of Stompy robots (x2)

The only major downside to battletech, is the PVC models.

I have to say though, the latest mercenary boxes seem to use a harder variant of PVC that is pretty much "scrapable" to remove mold lines (at least my Northwind Highlander set did)… Are the models still identical to the first AGoAC box, or is the plastic a touch "harder" in this new variant? It makes a world of difference to how well you can finish these models.

Love Battletech and glad to see you featuring it frequently

Excellent review! Nice to see you getting yourself into Battletech and getting the lore and all that stuff down.

That box art is bitchin.

I've got such a large collection that I've yet to buy any of these sets yet but I'm tempted to get them now.

It's a little funny how Catalyst and all their novels are focused on the new IlClan Era, their writers are all excited about that new time, while 99% of their tabletop gaming crowd are just like, "That's neat, I hope you guys have a good time doing all that," before going right back to 3025 or 3050.

It's as if when GW decided to move the 40K timeline forward all their players just went, "That's cute, you have fun with Primorus Marines, we'll be over here playing games with giant foamball cactuses and never reading a word of it."

I've got to disagree with the slow speed of classic battletech. I had the previous big box starter set, the one that came with several plastic mechs. I played out both sides of the first scenario, which was using the hunchback v.s either the commando (I believe it was the commando, but I could be wrong) either way I did the opening moves along the map, then got to combat….and shot with that big AC on the hunchback….one shot happened to be all it took location hit straight to the cockpit of the opposition. Boom, match over. But it did get me hooked into the universe and the game even more. Nice reviews, though, thanks.

Is there a release date for these new box sets? Hoping to get one for my birthday in April.

Are the maps the same? Or did they print new hexmaps?

Hope they keep these in stock and accessible!

I like that the are the same price as the last releases unlike other companies. I think I have 2 copies of the earlier versions.

If you have the boxsets from a few yrs ago, what exactly do these add?

So they added ilclan stuff is new? I thought it was not changing

I'm not going to lie i wish they did more dark age stuff. i love that timeline mercenaries, make shift mechs, and all the classic inner sphere and clan mechs.
But i am glad they are continuing to expand battletech. In Ontario, Canada, we have a few wonderful groups that are continuing with games weekly, so i can see battletech lasting long into the future of tabletop gaming

While people may not mind getting more of the Jihad, since it was literally skipped over in the storyline when a new company took over and wanted to start fresh with the Dark Age so they could ignore the previous lore and release new stuff, I think most people don't mind skipping the Dark Age, as while it wasn't as bad toward the end, most of the Dark Age is pretty rough….

I’ve got a lot of battletech, but it turns out that I don’t have any of the mechs in the Game of Armored Combat box. The mechs alone would cost around $50. With the other things, it feels like a good deal for someone without those mechs. When I started watching this, I was a “no” on buying the box. Now I am a maybe, but I think I should wait till I get my Kickstarter order.

Good morning from Norway! 11:50 am. Coffee☕️ in hands for new vid😁 Glad we kinda dont have to re-purchase the boxed sets, though the GoaCombat Ibwill get for the extra tidbits of ilClan. And extra mechs dosent hurt!
Sidenote:Yeah I effed up my Wolverine with Zealot yellow Army Painter speedpaint, read the lower right accurate color description, the Zealot is orangishyellow😂 My homebrewed FRR/ R.D loyal merc group is supposed to be yellow with red and blue

I really want to like battletech , but the small scale Just doesn't interest me at all. Bigger is better in this case 😉

So they basically repackaged the existing box sets they had….I cannot wait until catalyst loses the license for Battletech.

SLDF colours not mercs! They really want to sell the Third Star League, which will be around for years to come*

*Star League Extended Warranty Not Guaranteed.

Wow, i thought u had given up on bt stuff!!!😮🥺

😃🙂👏👍

Saturday morning reviews!! 🎉🎊🥳🤩