TechManual

• Community Outreach - Dropping The Hammer On MegaMek
• Your BattleTech News Round-Up For July, 2024
• Bad ‘Mechs - Dasher II
• Community Outreach - BattleTech Pride with Anthology Authors Detocroix, Albatross, And Blimpy
• Talking MechWarrior 5: Clans With Narrative Director Chris Lowrey
• Read more →

BattleTech Community Ads

This Product contains Rules
This official BattleTech product is or contains either a rulebook or additional rules.
For what official products are the latest and include the most up-to-date rules, please see this article

TechManual
Product information
Type	Rulebook
Development	Herbert A. Beas II
Primary writing	Herbert A. Beas II Ken Horner Nick Marsala David L. McCulloch Mike Miller Joel Steverson Andreas Zuber
Pages	352
Cover Artwork	Franz Vohwinkel (Original Cover Art) Doug Chaffee (2018 Cover Art)
Illustrations	Doug Chaffee Mike Jackson Chris Lewis Duane Loose Matt Plog Klaus Scherwinski Franz Vohwinkel
Publication information
Publisher	Catalyst Game Labs
Product code	35002
First published	2007
ISBN-10	0979204720
Content

Contents

Description [ edit ]

TechManual is the second core book in the rebranded Classic BattleTech line. This particular book provides all of the construction rules for tournament-legal units that were presented in Total Warfare. In addition, TechManual introduced the updated Battle Value system—branded "BV 2.0" by fans. TechManual also provides fictional descriptions of the various units that it provides game statistics for, as well as for the weapons and equipment they use, including long-awaited dates of introduction. Similar to Total Warfare, each section of game data is preceded by a fictional introduction, though TechManual's fiction is of a technical nature. Finally, TechManual contains blank record sheets for all the units it covers and tables for the weapons and equipment contained therein.

From the back cover [ edit ]

A companion volume to Total Warfare, the Classic BattleTech TechManual combines all the construction rules for the various units presented in that core rules set. Streamlined and updated, it contains all the core weaponry and equipment from previous rules set, as well as the newest, bleeding edge technologies. More than just a rulebook, however, the TechManual presents numerous sourcebook-style treatises, providing the in-universe context for these units and the technologies of their development. A must have resource for any BattleTech aficionado!

Contents [ edit ]

• Introduction
• Construction basics
• BattleMech construction
• IndustrialMech construction
• ProtoMech construction
• Combat vehicle construction
• Support vehicle construction
• Conventional infantry platoon construction
• Battle armor construction
• Aerospace unit construction

• Weapons and Heavy Equipment
  • Heavy equipment
  • Industrial equipment
  • Battle armor equipment
  • Conventional infantry equipment
  • Costs and Availability
    • Basic cost calculations
    • Availability
    • Battle Values
    • Index
    • Record sheets
    • Tables

    Notes [ edit ]

    • Like Total Warfare, most of the artwork in the book are pictures of painted miniatures.
    • FanPro published its own Classic BattleTech TechManual in 2007 with product code 35103 and the same art as the first Catalyst printing.
    • TechManual contains some errors; errata and clarifications are available at the BattleTech Errata Page.
    • In 2018, a new edition of TechManual was published incorporating then-current errata. The book reused art from the 1994 Tactical Handbook art work by Doug Chaffee.