House Rules - BattleTech Classic

Note: This is a living document and will be update frequently.
Last Modified: 2025-08-08

— Getting Started —

Intro

Please review the following documents found below that includes details on the MRC (MechCommander Review Circuit) format we play.

• Season 4
• Season 5

The mission statement of any of our current/future house rules is to add extra flavor to MRC but never to change/remove any rules that are required by the MRC format.

Books Used

MRC uses the core rules books such as but not limited to:

• BattleMech Manual
• Total Warfare
• Tech Manual

These books form the basis for most games in BattleTech. We do recommend that newer players start with the BattleMech Manual, and slowly expand into the other books as they feel ready. BattleTech can be a complicated game with many moving parts, so it’s best to go slow when learning new rules

— Building a Army List —

Playable Era

KWS and the MRC format does not require play in a specific Era. It is required that the same era is used for player’s lists in a specific game instance. We have added addition playable eras that are missing from MRC with the BV calculated by splitting the difference between the two closest MRC playable eras.

Battle Value

KWS and the MRC format uses BV to balance forces for gameplay. We require the BV for a game to be between 5,000 BV and 10,000 BV. We recommend the following BV levels for play.

Eras:

• 4th Succession War (Intro Tech) Tutorial
  • 3,000 BV
• 4th Succession War
  • 6,000 BV
• Clan Invasion
  • 7,500 BV
• Civil War
  • 7,500 BV
• Jihad
  • 9,000 BV
• Republic / Dark Age
  • 9,000 BV
• ilClan
  • 10,000 BV

Legend:
Adopted from MRC in red.
Created for Kamloops Wargaming Society in green during MRC Season 4.

Note:
Currently our most played eras are the following two: Civil War and Dark Age.

Please note that Event Organizers may have their own BV cap in place for their events.

Equipment Rules

KWS and MRC does not ban specific equipment. It is required that players use appropriate equipment for the era they are playing in. Equipment rules for later eras can be found in the Tech Manual. As long as you and your opponent agree on what to use.

Units Rules

KWS and MRC only allows units found on the Master Unit List (MUL). Players must build their force from the units listed on the MUL for the Era and Faction they choose.

Only units of the following type are allowed for use:

• Battlemechs
• Omnimechs
• Land-Air Mechs (LAM)
• Industrialmechs
• Protomechs
• Battle Armor
• Combat Vehicles (including VTOLs)
• Infantry
• Aerospace (Aero vs Aero ONLY)

Please note that Event Organizers may restrict unit allowed in place for their events.

The following restrictions must be used when creating a force for use: (This is commonly called list building)

• All units must be found in the same single Faction MUL for the Era of Play.
• Max of 2 for any one unit in a force. (example:2 Warhammers. Both can be the same Variant or two different ones.)
• 2 to 6 units per force

Uniques and Solaris units

• Units from the Solaris (SOL) MUL are not allowed
• Players may take a single Unique unit in their list… but this unit must be available to the faction/era they have selected and cannot have the rules level of Experimental on the MUL.
  • For example, a player could take the GRF-1E “Sparky” Griffin as part of a Lyran Commonwealth list in the Late Succession War era.

Pilot Skill

KWS and MRC requires that pilot skill restrictions be in place for games played. Pilots must have their gunnery and piloting skills kept with-in 2 of each other.

Example: A pilot skill of 3 gunnery and 5 piloting is acceptable A pilot skill of 2 gunnery and 8 pilot is not acceptable

Please note that Event Organizers may require skills within 1 or 2 for their events.

— Optional Rules —

Active Optional Rules (MRC)

KWS and MRC encourages the use of the following optional rules. Games do not have to use these rules for tracking in the MRC.

• Backwards Level Change (p15 BM)
• Floating Critical (p45 BM)
• Careful Stand (p19 BM)
• One-Armed Prone Fire (p30 BM)
• Enhanced Flamers (p99 BM)
• Machine Gun Rapid Fire Mode (p101 BM)
• Expanded Arm Flipping (p25 BM)
• Engine Explosions (p47 BM)

Other optional Rules found in other BattleTech rule books or supplements can be used as long as the Core Rules are still followed.

Active Optional Rules (KWS)

• Special ammos are allowed but please verify weapon, timeline, and tech base availability.
  • Special ammos will be audited by referee and/or oppponent. Assume nothing from TacOps is allowed unless mentioned in the following lines.
  • NOTE: When playing clans assume you do not have access and verify you can access the special ammo, since most special ammos are blocked to clans except for their ProtoMechs.
• Active Probe:
  • Targeting Optional Rule (p110 BMM)
    • NOTE: This makes probes not useless.
  • CUSTOM: Can be used for spotting indirect fire if in range, not requiring LOS but with an additional +1 penalty.
• AMS:
  • Used as a weapon – (p98 Tac-Ops)
  • Enhanced Missile Defense – (p98 Tac-Ops)
  • CUSTOM: 3 hex range around mechs to protect itself or friendlies.
• Conventional Infantry:
  • ZIP LINES – (p187 Tac-Ops)
• Damage:
  • Expanded Damage Modifiers rule (p53 BM)
• ECM:
  • ECCM Standard Rules – (p98 Tac-Ops)
  • ECM Ghost Targets – (p100 Tac-Ops)
• Movement:
  • Leaping – (p20 Tac-Ops)
• PPC:
  • Disengaging Inhibitor – (p101 Tac-Ops)
• Initiative:
  • Front loaded initiative.
  • Initiative streak compensation.
• Shutting Off Equipment – (p97 Tac-Ops)
  • NOTE: Very helpful for a Gauss Rifle that has run out of ammo that does not want to get critically hit.
• Restrictions on equipment:
  • Pulse Lasers:
    • Only half of the units in your force may be equipped with Clan Large Pulse Lasers.

Active Optional Rules for Story Scenarios (KWS)

• Added option to use LRM/SRM Smoke ammo from Tactical Operations (p183 Tac-Ops)
• Mercenaries may take one unit that is not available to them on the MUL where and when it makes sense and is agreed upon by both players and/or any organizer/referee.

— Noteable MRC Information —

Leaving the Map

Any unit that leaves the map for any reason other than Forced Withdraw will be considered destroyed for Combat Score purposes.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Voluntary withdraw
• Pushed off map edges
• Falling off map edges
• Skidding off map edges

Any unit that has left the map for any reason may not return to the game.

Time Limits

MRC requires a maximum 3 hour time limit, and a 15 turn limit for games.

Please Note: Event organizers may reduce time or turn limits for their events!

Crippled Units

The designation of crippled is used for combat score. A unit is considered crippled when one of the following conditions are met. (These can be found on page 81 of the BBM).

• Four or more points of damage to the Mechwarrior
• The destruction of all sensor critical slots
• One gyro and one engine critical hit
• Two engine critical hits
• A side torso location is destroyed
• Internal structure damage in either three or more limbs or two or more torso locations (torso internal structure damage does not count towards crippling damage if that location still has front armor).
• The loss of all weapons. This is triggered if a Mech loses all weapons (either through damage or ammunition depletion) with a range greater than five hexes and if it can no longer cause more than 5 points of combined weapons damage. This does not apply if the mech did not start with the ability to do 5 or more damage, or the ability to do damage at range greater than five hexes; in this case the Mech can never trigger this condition.

If a unit meets any of these conditions that unit is considered Crippled. A Crippled unit can still shoot and move, but can not score any objective points, contest objectives, or score in anyway other than Combat Score.

Players/EOs are encouraged to use Forced Withdrawal rules alongside Crippled Status. Forced Withdrawal can be found on page 81 of the BMM.

MRC requires Crippled Status to be used.

Please Note: Event organizers may modify forced withdrawal for their events.