So you’ve come back from a show having tried a game, or someone’s suggested it would be fun, the idea of big stompy robots just appeals, or you’ve just rediscovered the tin of metal ‘Mechs you or some random family member stashed away a couple of decades ago. Whatever, it sounds fun, but…

Where do you start? There are so many things you could buy it can all get a bit bewildering.

Here’s what you need to know.

Please note: the CGL website can be in a bit of a state of flux. If these links are broken, please let me know!

Updated October 2026: Catalyst have just overhauled the whole entry-level range. There’s a new Core Rulebook, a new Core Box and a new Starter Box, replacing Total Warfare, A Game Of Armoured Combat and the Beginner Box respectively. This page has been rewritten to match.

There are two sets of rules for BattleTech.

• First off, there is what’s variously called just “BattleTech” (its official name), “Classic BattleTech”, “Total Warfare”, “A Game Of Armoured Combat”, “the Core Rules” or “that game I used to play many years ago.” It involves not very many ‘Mechs on a side, a map or terrain with a hex grid on it, and one big sheet of paper per ‘Mech with dots to cross off on each arm, leg, etc.
• Secondly, there’s its brash new cousin, “Alpha Strike” – the aim here is you can get many more ‘Mechs a side in the same amount of time, and each ‘Mech has a single small card with a handful of stats.

Important things to know:

• You can use the same models for both. All of them.
• The stat sheets or cards are a free download for both BattleTech and Alpha Strike.
• The rules for BattleTech hadn’t changed much in 40 years, and the 2026 Core Rules are the first real tidy-up in all that time. It’s very much not a new edition: some streamlining and a few tweaks. If you used to play it back in the day, you’ll still be right at home. Your old ‘Mechs, maps and record sheets all still work. (Catalyst reckon fewer than 0.05% of record sheets need a small tweak, and only for a couple of obscure bits of kit.)

Ok. What would you like to do?

I’d like to dip my toe in the water but not spend too much…

Particularly if you’re really not used to the game at all, there’s the new Starter Box (around £28), which replaces the old Beginner Box. You get two ‘Mechs (a Hammerhead and a Kontio), a 12-page quick-start rulebook, a short lore booklet, half-page record sheets, pilot cards, tokens, two maps and dice. Nice touch: the back of each record sheet previews some of the extra equipment and rules from the full game, so it points you towards what comes next.

It’s a very good basic version of the game, and suitable for the younger player. If you’ve any aptitude for gaming at all, though, you’ll outgrow it quickly, and you’d be better off going straight to the Core Box.

I’ve played BattleTech (or Alpha Strike) and liked it (whether in the past or at a show, club, etc)…

Go for the new Core Box (around £60), the replacement for “A Game Of Armoured Combat”. You get 8 ‘Mechs, two of each weight class: Solitaire and Hollander (light), Eris and Uziel (medium), Rakshasa and Vulture Mk IV (heavy), Regent and Mad Cat Mk II (assault). Plus a 72-page rulebook, a record sheet booklet, two double-sided mapsheets (so four maps), a poster map, tokens, pilot cards, dice and Sagas, a new lore primer to introduce you to the universe and help you pick a faction.

One thing to be aware of if you’re coming back to the game: the new boxes are set in the current ilClan era (3151 onwards) rather than the classic 3025 Succession Wars. Doesn’t matter a jot for the rules, but the ‘Mechs are a newer, shinier crowd than you might remember.

If you (now or later) also decide you want to try Alpha Strike, all the ‘Mechs can be used for that and the box includes Alpha Strike cards. The Alpha Strike rules are a free download right here. Great value for money as a BattleTech starter set, and a cheap way to get started in Alpha Strike, too.

If you expect to wind up playing lots of Alpha Strike, though, see the next section.

I really really like Alpha Strike: give me all the Alpha Strike!

You need (obviously enough) the Alpha Strike box set. Thirteen, count ’em, 13 ‘Mechs, a bunch of counters, a whole slew of cardboard buildings and terrain pieces, the rules, a universe primer, another novella and all the Alpha Strike cards for the ‘Mechs. Reason to buy this over the Core Box? If you know you want to play Alpha Strike, there’s more ‘Mechs for the buck (13 for about £80 vs 8 for about £60), and the extra terrain and counters are helpful.

No opponent handy? Have a look at the Aces boxes: Alpha Strike campaigns you play solo or cooperatively, with a deck of AI cards running the enemy and a branching story where your choices shape what happens next. Aces: Scouring Sands is out now, with nine ready-to-play ‘Mechs, 70 AI cards and some terrain, and Aces: Snowblind is due very soon. One catch: an Aces box isn’t a complete game on its own. You’ll still need the Alpha Strike rules (the free quick-start rules will do to begin with) and some more ‘Mechs to build your own force from. The Alpha Strike box set covers both nicely. And yes, the Aces ‘Mechs are good for everything else, too.

If you later change your mind, you can get the BattleTech sheets for all the ‘Mechs here, but you will need a set of the BattleTech rules, for which the best bet is now the new Core Rulebook (see below). (Alternatively, just buy the Core Box and then you have more ‘Mechs and hex maps as well as a rulebook!)

I have loads of old ‘Mechs, I just want the latest rules.

Grab a copy of the new BattleTech Core Rulebook and off you go. It’s a 270-odd page book that takes over from Total Warfare as the rulebook for the game. It’s built on the BattleMech Manual (so if you’ve got that, it’ll all look very familiar), but don’t go buying the BattleMech Manual or Total Warfare now: the Core Rulebook is the way forward. It’s been polished by six months of public playtesting, and adds a new Missions section for setting up anything from a quick pick-up game to a big battle. Catalyst have put out a separate Core Rules Changes document if you just want to know what’s different.

Your old ‘Mechs are still perfectly good for the game. They always are.

Where do I go from there?

That depends. More ‘Mechs? There’s the other box sets: grab whichever of the Core Box and Alpha Strike box you don’t have (remember, the ‘Mechs are good for both versions of the game), or the Mercenaries box. And then there’s a whole load of forcepacks with between 4 and 6 ‘Mechs a pack, plus the new ilClan-era Recognition Guides.

And while it’s still on the shelves, the old “A Game Of Armoured Combat” box is still a great source of ‘Mechs: 8 more for your collection, plus two more hex maps. Grab one before it disappears.

These all come with the Alpha Strike cards, and once again (let’s all say it together) the BattleTech record sheets are just a free download away.

After that? If you’re playing Alpha Strike, the expanded rules are in Alpha Strike: Commander’s Edition. For BattleTech, the Core Rulebook has you covered for ‘Mechs. Tanks, infantry and aerospace only appear in it as simplified Battlefield Support, with the full rules for those promised in an upcoming sourcebook.

Or play both.

Both is good.

After that?

If you’ve got this far, the BattleTech universe is your oyster. Pick a favourite faction. Start reading the novels. Grab the sourcebooks for the era that interests you. Just go for it!

Find a club or a store with like-minded folks to play with.

Paint your ‘Mechs.

Oh, and buy more ‘Mechs. You can never have enough ‘Mechs.

And support your local gaming store if you can. Ask them to order stuff in. Because that’s how we get the UK distributors to import more stuff!