Re: Battletech – Tales from the Fourth Succession War

I have always been fascinated by the amazing 3D terrain boards that veteran BattleTech players showcase online or at conventions. When started 3D-printing several years ago, I also began printing my own terrain pieces for BattleTech. If I remember correctly, I found these files on Thingiverse and chose this system because it looked quick and easy to build. And, in fact, it is.

Back then, I printed all the tiles needed for  the maps from the original 1980s box. The only additional work was spraying them in different colours.
We used them for some games and this was already a great step forward compared to flat 2D maps. However, some nuisance remained because the pieces are not interlocking and shift apart very easily. In addition, you cannot see what is underneath and the overall look is very basic.
Instead of throwing everything away and buying, printing or building something new I decided to improve what I already had.

Firstly, I made a colour copy of the map section on the family‘s trusty inkjet printer. Just imagine doing this in the late 80s or early 90s.  Back then, a single  colour copy from a copy shop cost around (in today’s money!) 5€… if you had the money, anyway.

1. Gather your tools. A broad brown felt-tip marker was useful, too.
2. Cut the map section and cover it with masking film. Doing this on a cutting map worked great.
3. Carefully cut out the hex tiles. A metal ruler is worth its weight in gold here.
4. Cover the tops of the 3D pieces with double-sided adhesive tape. Cut away the overhanging tape and attach the paper hexes.
5. Colour any white edges with the felt-tip marker. A thick marker saves a bit of time.

I am very happy with the result. It looks way much better than at the beginning! What started as an unplanned Saturday afternoon crafting session and simple test turned out to be surprisingly successful. Fortunately, I had everything I needed at home.

There are still three more pieces to complete: another copy of this and two similar mountain sections. In addition, I would also like to find a way of connecting them so that they do not fall apart in so many parts.

The pumice can easily be applied with a brush, and it can be diluted with water if it gets too thick. I use the carvers only to remove any excess material or to apply some pressure if needed. More layers may be necessary because the texture tends to shrink while drying. In this case I used only one layer.
White is my favourite texture because it can take any colour and I don’t want to have several tubs of texture paste lying around.

The Tech just shook his head. Damn MechJockeys.
When Sheridan entered the Field MechRepairBay, her Crusader was carrying its severed left arm in its right hand. After climbing down from the cockpit, she bluntly announced: “Arm came off. Fix it.”
“How did this happen?” the Tech asked.
“Training exercise.” That was all the explanation he got. Without another word, Sheridan turned around and floated away toward the MechWarrior mess hall, like the whole affair was beneath her.
“Yeah… training exercise,” the Tech thought irritably. Probably tried arm-wrestling a Griffin.
Now it was up to the Chief Tech and his crew to repair the damage. Suitable spare parts were hard to come by on backwater worlds of the Inner Sphere. And to put the lid on it: Kessel was hostile. The MechJockeys knew that perfectly well — but in their minds, the Techs would somehow figure something out anyway.
“Alright, let’s get to it,” the Tech muttered, trying to motivate himself.
Maybe some wire and superglue would do the trick.

A few hours later Sheridan returned to the MechBay and inspected the repaired arm suspiciously.
“What’s that wire sticking out of the elbow actuator?” Sheridan demanded.
“Ah, it’s nothing,” the Tech replied. “We just need to blend it in with the armor during the next camouflage repaint. The actuator works just fine.”
Sheridan stared at the repair for a moment.
“Ugly fix.”
The Tech crossed his arms. “Functional fix.”
After a short pause, Sheridan nodded.
“Fair enough.”

The idea for this project first crossed my mind several years ago, before so many of the newly sculpted mechs from CGL became available. That was when I picked up this special Black Widow Company offer from an Etsy shop.
But then, like so many hobby projects, it stalled and never truly came to life. Now, somehow, I have found new momentum. Let‘s use it!

These resin prints are highly detailed, featuring antennas, machine guns, and other fine elements, but they are also a little fragile. One of the Crusader’s arms had already broken off inside the box. Some of the sculpts follow the classic style, while others seem to take inspiration from the modern BattleTech computer game.

• Kerensky‘s Command lance: Warhammer, Marauder, Crusader, Griffin
• Ikeda‘s Fire lance: two Archer, Wasp, Stinger
• Clavell‘s Recon Lance: Rifleman, Phonix Hawk, Stinger, Stinger

Strange lance formations. Back in our early BattleTech days, we would never have built lances like these. Now I think this captures the feeling of “old” BattleTech quite well with a more narrative approach to the game. The people in the BT-universe have to work with whatever is available – no cherry-picking the best machines from the Technical Readout.