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Rules Modifications And Additions - Maximum Tech
      The following rules in the Maximum Tech book will be changed as indicated. Additional rules modifications, clarifications, and additions may be defined at any time by the Campaign Master.

Expanded Critical Damage
      The Expanded Critical Damage rule (page 17) will not be used. Except for engines and gyros, any piece of equipment is knocked out of action by a single critical hit.

Engine Explosions
      With the Engine Explosions rule (page 19), the authors of Battletech display a new level of stupidity! They, themselves, admit at the beginning of the rule that it defies reality and doesn't make any sense. No self respecting person with an education in science beyond grade school would use this rule. It would be best if players pretended that the portion of the page in Maximum Tech was blank. Fusion engines do not create huge explosions when destroyed.

Target Movement Modifiers
      The Expanded Target Movement Modifiers table (Maximum Tech, page 20) will not be used. The only real purpose of this table is to make fast vehicles harder to hit, and no one would want that, since vehicles might begin to rival battlemechs on the battle field, and that would be far too much like reality for the Battletech universe.

Vehicle Crews
      The following crew sizes are set independent of the Maximum Tech Vehicle Crews rules (page 28).
      MASH. MASH vehicles have two crew members per operating (Surgeons) theater, plus one driver / nurse. Therefore, MASH crews come in sizes of MASH 3, MASH 5, MASH 7, MASH 9, and MASH 11.
      Mobile HQs. Mobile HQs have three crew members per initiative bonus (Staff Officers), plus one driver (Vehicle Crew Member). Mobile HQ crews come in sizes of HQ 3 and HQ 6. The unit commander does not count as part of the crew.

Crew Numbers And Abilities
      The crew sizes specified in the Vehicle Crews rule (Maximum Tech, page 28) may vary. The size of any vehicle which could have more than three crew members may arbitrarily be declared to have fewer than the maximum allowable crew members. The minimum number of crew members in this case shall always be three. For example, a 75 ton tank could have five crew members. However, if all the tank's weapons are in its turret, only four crew members are required (commander, gunner, assistant gunner, and driver). The tank may want to declare that it only has a crew of four. For campaign purposes such declarations must be made when the vehicle is first acquired, and may not be changed subsequently.
      A vehicle may not be declared to have more crew members than the Multiple Crewmen rule normally permits.

Multiple Crewmen
      The last sentence of this rule in Maximum Tech (page 28) implies that a vehicle with multiple crewmen firing at more than one target would incur the "standard +1 secondary-target modifier". This statement is ambiguous and needs clarification.
      As written, the rule implies that if a vehicle fires at more than one target, the extra targets will all receive the +1 secondary-target modifier. This shall not be the case. The secondary-target modifier shall be applied on a per crew member basis, not to the vehicle as a whole. Each individual crew member who mans the weapons in a position (front, side, etc.) may engage any target normally, without a modifier. If that crew member fires at a second target, then the secondary-target modifier shall apply.
      A special case shall exist for turrets. A turret with multiple gunners may fire at multiple targets without a secondary-target modifier, however, all targets must be within the firing arc defined by the facing of the turret as it fires at the first target. A turret has the same arc of fire as for a mech (60°, or 30° to either side of its facing).

Lance Movement
      This rule (Maximum Tech, page 28) may or may not be used, at the discretion of the Game Master. If not specified as "in use", it shall be ignored. Also, the rule may be applied on a specific case basis within a scenario (i.e., some vehicles may be required to use Lance Movement, and others may not).
      The rule, while logical to a certain extent for the real world, is inconsistent with the rules for battlemech movement, and appears to be as much a curtailment of vehicle abilities as a simulation of reality. For consistency, battlemechs should be required to move by lance also. Since this is not likely to happen, vehicles will not automatically be so restricted.

Vehicle Critical Hit Effects
      Clarifications are needed for some of the critical hits described in the Vehicle Critical Hit Effects (Maximum Tech, page 32).

Infantry Organization
      Under the rules (Maximum Tech, page 36), infantry may be organized into platoons or squads. For administrative purposes in the campaign, infantry will always be recorded as squads of one to seven persons. The controlling player will also designate a platoon organization for each squad (i.e., each squad must be assigned to a platoon), with a maximum of four squads per platoon (three squads per platoon for Jump Infantry).
      At the start of a battle, the controlling player may designate whether the squads in a platoon are operating individually or as groups. Squads within any one platoon may be organized in any manner the controlling player wishes. A platoon of four squads could operate as a single platoon, as four single squads, or in groups of squads (ex. two individual squads and one group containing two squads).
      Any time two or more squads from the same platoon begin a movement phase in base-to-base contact, those squads may merge to form a larger group. At the start of a movement phase, any platoon or group of squads may split into smaller units (minimum one squad each). Any time two or more squads from the same platoon begin a movement phase in base-to-base contact or together in a group, those squads may combine to form a new squad, provided the total personnel in the new squad do no exceed seven.
      A group is treated as a platoon for the purposes of all infantry related rules. Any platoon or group which is reduced to the size of a squad (7 or fewer individuals) may take advantage of the +1 To-Hit modifier for infantry squads (Maximum Tech, page 36). Note that this specifically changes the rule in the last paragraph of Squad Deployment.
      If Field Guns (Maximum Tech, page 38) are assigned to a motorized infantry platoon, the size of the groups must be sufficient to allow all of the guns assigned to the platoon to be fielded. Note that a squad, operating independently, may only have a single AC/2 gun. Three squads are required to use a Gauss Rifle. All other field guns require at least two squads in a group to man one gun.

Infantry Digging In
      The Digging In rule (Maximum Tech, page 36) requires infantry to declare and be restricted by a facing. This rule is stupid, and will not be used in the campaign. An infantry unit which has dug in retains its ability to fire in all directions.

Infantry Morale
      The infantry rules allow for infantry breaking morale (Maximum Tech, page 37). Unless specifically required in a scenario, these rules will not be used. Battlemechs and vehicles do not suffer morale breaks. While morale is a reasonable rule, for fairness within the campaign, infantry will not be permanently saddled with a restriction not placed on other units.

Field Guns
      The Field Guns rule (Maximum Tech, page 38), will include standard autocannons (A/C), the Gauss Rifle, the Light Gauss rifle, all Ultra A/C weapons, and the LB series of autocannons as Field Guns.
      When a field gun is lost by a unit due to damage to the infantry, an amount of ammunition proportional to the gun, or guns, lost is also destroyed. Ammunition destroyed in this manner does not cause additional damage to the infantry. If any rounding is necessary, round any partial shots of ammunition up in favor of the infantry unit (ex. a unit with 37 rounds of ammunition has one of its guns destroyed along with 9.25 rounds of ammunition, leaving 27.75 rounds, which become 28 remaining rounds of ammunition).
      An infantry unit which heals after a battle does not replace its field guns as the number of troops rises. The guns are considered destroyed, and must be replaced.
      If a motorized infantry squad is equipped with Field Guns and is assigned a transport vehicle (APC), the transport vehicle must either be able to carry any assigned guns internally, or tow the guns. To carry an infantry unit's field guns, a vehicle must have sufficient cargo capacity for both the infantry unit, all of its guns, plus one ton of ammunition per gun. To tow an infantry unit's field guns, the rules for Trailers (Maximum Tech, page 76) will be used, with each gun counting as a trailer. In this case the vehicle need only carry the infantry and the one ton of ammunition internally. Hovercraft and VTOLs may carry, but not tow, field guns. Field guns may not be fired while being towed by, or carried in, an infantry carrier. An infantry unit with field guns may not fire the field guns in the turn the unit mounts into, or dismounts from, a carrier. Damage to towed guns is in accordance with the Trailers rule, with any hit to a towed field gun destroying the gun.
      Unlike other units, field guns may be resupplied with ammunition in the field. If one or more transports or cargo carriers, with the appropriate type of ammunition for the field guns, remains stationary for one turn, while adjacent (next hex for the hex game, base-to-base contact for miniatures) to an infantry unit with field gun(s), and the infantry unit takes no other action in the same turn, one ton of ammunition per remaining gun may be unloaded from the transport to the unit with the field guns. A unit equipped with field guns may resupply with ammunition before it runs out of ammunition, however, the total amount of ammunition with the field guns may never exceed the equivalent of one ton per gun. Transports always carry ammunition in units of one ton. If any part of a ton is offloaded, the entire ton is considered expended.

Infantry Equipment Costs
      Some infantry equipment (ex. Heavy Armor) states "... increases the cost of the platoon by ... C-Bills" (Maximum Tech, page 39). In all cases, this cost modifier will be added after any cost multipliers (ex. Camo Suits) are applied.

LRM Infantry
      The rules provide no purchase cost for LRM Infantry (Maximum Tech, page 39). LRM Infantry units shall have the same purchase cost as equivalent SRM Infantry.

Anti-Battlemech Infantry, Vehicles
      The rules (Maximum Tech, page 40) permit only infantry with Anti-Battlemech Training to execute swarming attacks against vehicles. This is just plain stupid. Infantry has been close assaulting vehicles since battle wagons and chariots were first introduced on the field of battle, and they continue to have that capability to the current day. There is no reason to assume this will change in the future. Any infantry unit may execute a swarm attack against a vehicle, but not a battlemech.

Anti-Battlemech Infantry, Swarm To Control Vehicles
      The rules (Maximum Tech, page 40) permit this idiotic maneuver. This is the sort of situation used in really bad war or action movies, and only in such movies. Ignoring the impossibility of training infantry to operate all know types of combat vehicles, and the possibility that a crew will switch sides and actively fight at full capacity against their former comrades, the simple act of breaching most well armored combat vehicles will generally render them, at best, only partially operable, if not effectively destroyed. Therefore, this moronic rule will not be used in the campaign. Instead, a vehicle which succumbs to a Swarm To Control Vehicle attack is rendered inoperable for the remainder of the battle. No additional damage is caused to the vehicle by the Swarm To Control Vehicle attack.

Repairs
      See the previous section on Repairing Combat Units. Those rules heavily modify the Scavenging And Repair rules in Maximum Tech starting on page 56.

Vehicles
      The modified vehicle combat rules from the Maximum Tech book will be used in the campaign's battles.
      All vehicles will be given internal structure in their body. The number of points of internal structure will be equal to the tonnage of the vehicle divided by five. A vehicle will still cease to operate when all of the internal structure points for one location, other than the turret, have been destroyed.
      A vehicle will be "truly destroyed" only if all body internal structure points are eliminated under the conditions described in the Destroyed vs. Truly Destroyed rule on Maximum Tech page 57, or if it has an I.C.E. engine and suffers a Fuel Tank explosion.

Component Status
      This entire rule is deleted. The following shall determine whether or not any piece of equipment, including engines and gyros, may be repaired.
      A piece of equipment which is "destroyed" cannot be repaired. Except for equipment with two critical slots, any piece of equipment shall be considered to be destroyed if one-half or more of its critical slots have been hit. For a two critical slot piece of equipment, two hits shall destroy it, but on a single critical hit, it will be destroyed only on a 50% die roll (on a D6, a 4, 5, or 6 will cause destruction). This determination is made when a repair is attempted on the equipment.
      Note that there is significant difference between equipment "not functioning" and being "destroyed". Except for engines and gyros, all equipment ceases to function when it receives its first critical hit. Equipment is destroyed only according to the above rule.

Technicians
      The term "technician" in the campaign shall be taken to mean what the Maximum Tech book (page 58) lists as "Technician/Battlemech". The term "mechanic" shall mean "Technician/Mechanic".
      Technicians are able to maintain and repair both mechs, vehicles, and VTOLs (arbitrary decision by the Senior Campaign Master). Mechanics maintain vehicles and VTOLs. Aerospace Technicians will maintain only aerospace vehicles.

Construction Chapter
      The Construction chapter of the Maximum Tech rules (pages 64-77) will not be used, with the exception of the following sections.

New Targeting And Tracking Systems
      Maximum Tech (page 65-66) allows for a number of new Targeting Systems. While interesting rules, there are problems with identifying the new targeting systems in combat units, and the design programs do not yet handle all of these rules.
      The Long-Range Targeting, Short-Range Targeting, Anti-Aircraft Targeting, and Multi-Trac Targeting systems will be allowed in the campaign. The Variable-Range Targeting system and the Multi-Trac II system have weight and critical slot requirements which are not supported by any available design program, and so will not be allowed in the campaign.
      These new targeting systems will be considered to be software add-ons for the existing fire control equipment of a mech or vehicle. This means that all existing mechs and combat vehicles will be assumed to have unmodified or "standard" Targeting Systems installed in them (this shall apply specifically to mechs traditionally noted as having "anti-aircraft" systems).
      To modify a fire control system, the player need only declare prior to a battle which type of system each battlemech or vehicle has installed. If no declaration is made, the standard, unmodified, fire control system shall be assumed.

MASH Units
      Contrary to the statement in Maximum Tech on page 75 (4th paragraph of the MASH Units rule), the standard MASH Truck has only a single operating theater, not five theaters. Further, for the campaign, no MASH vehicle may have more than five operating theaters.
      The text also indicates that a MASH includes at least one MASH vehicle plus a number of support vehicles and a medical staff. In this campaign, the additional vehicles for a MASH unit must include a total transport capability of 40 tons of internal cargo plus 10 tons of internal cargo per operating theater in the MASH unit. Each vehicle must be able to carry a minimum of 2 tons and a maximum of 20 tons of internal cargo. A MASH unit which is not accompanied by all of its vehicles is not operational.

Coolant Systems
      A coolant truck (Maximum Tech, page 75) may not move in any turn in which another unit hooks up to the truck, cools from the truck, or disconnects from the truck.
      One coolant truck crew member is required to handle the hookup for each coolant system. In any turn in which a unit hooks up to the truck, cools from the truck, or disconnects from the truck, a crew member must be in attendance to the hookup. If all crew members are attending hookups, the coolant truck may not use its weapons.

Trailers
      The Trailers rule (see first full paragraph on page 77 of Maximum Tech) requires that all trailer after a destroyed trailer are also destroyed. This shall not be used. Any trailers behind a destroyed trailer are undamaged by the destruction of the one trailer, but are considered to have been cut loose by the destruction.

Mobile HQs
      For a unit to gain the initiative bonus of a Mobile HQ (Maximum Tech, page 77), the unit commander must be present in the Mobile HQ. If the commander is not present in the Mobile HQ, then it provides no initiative bonus.
      If a Mobile HQ suffers a Commander Killed critical hit, use the following table to determine the result.

Equipment
      The following equipment rules (Maximum Tech, pages 79-95) will and will not be used, as indicated.


      Parts of the Missiles rule (page 90) will be used, and parts will not be used, as indicated.

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Contents Previous Next Updated 20 June 1999.