’Mech Brawl 3030 Additional Rules

I’ve previously covered the idea of the ’Mech Brawl 3030 format and its force building rules. This post will present the list of optional BattleTech rules that the format uses in games. This list shouldn’t surprise anyone who has read my earlier post on optional rules.

Additional Rules

When playing a ’Mech Brawl 3030 game, the following optional rules are used:

• Backward Level Changes (BMM p.15, TO:AR p.20)
• Careful Stand (BMM p.19, TO:AR p.22)
• Design Quirks (BMM p.82, CO p.225)
• Enhanced Flamers (BMM p.99)
• Floating Criticals (BMM p.45, TO:AR p.75)
• Forced Withdrawal (BMM p.81, TW p.258)
• Partially-Occupied Hexes (BMM p.16, TO:AR p.20)

Design Notes

For the most part, this list of optional rules reflects my preferences for BattleTech.

Backward Level Changes: This option allows a ’Mech to go up or down a level while moving backwards at the risk of falling. I like playing with this rule when also using the Forced Withdrawal rules since it makes it easier for a withdrawing ’Mech to keep its front facing the enemy on the dense terrain of most mapsheets.

Careful Stand: This option helps to keep ’Mechs that are suffering Piloting Skill Roll modifiers due to actuator or gyro damage in the game by giving them a bit easier way to get back on their feet.

Design Quirks: I think this is probably the most contentious option on the list. The design quirks are not taken into account for battle value, so they make some units a better value than others. In a tournament-focused format, I think using them would be a mistake, but a more casual format like ’Mech Brawl 3030 feels like a good spot for them.

Enhanced Flamers: This option is just a small boost to flamers, but it makes them a bit more relevant and is really the only way anything in the format will be manipulating heat since it doesn’t feature inferno missiles or plasma weapons.

Floating Criticals: I don’t know why anyone would ever play without this option. Floating criticals add a lot more swinginess to the game with the ability to get through armor crits in more locations. That’s especially true with the sort of designs available in 3030 since they don’t have CASE.

Forced Withdrawal: The main purpose of this rule is to accelerate the end of games. It forces units to start falling back once they’ve taken enough damage. Scenarios for ’Mech Brawl 3030 will often end once one side’s remaining units are all in forced withdrawal.

Partially-Occupied Hexes: This rule just patches the movement rules to make it so that a prone or immobile ’Mech doesn’t prevent enemy units from moving through its hex.