Starterbook: Wolf and Blake

Starterbook: Wolf and Blake is a companion to Total Warfare that allows players to play as both the Black Widow Company and the Opacus Venatori, company-sized units from Wolf's Dragoons and Word of Blake, respectively. Following on the success of Starterbook: Sword and Dragon, Wolf and Blake uses the standard rules in Total Warfare, plus some additional ones that it introduces from Tactical Operations, serving as a bridge between those two core rulebooks.

Wolf and Blake begins with a short story for each unit so that players can get a feel for them, then gives a history of both units involved. The twelve MechWarriors each have a full-page write up of their biography, including a portrait and info about their personal 'Mech. Some of those 'Mechs field experimental equipment from Tactical Operations, notable the Variable-Speed Pulse Laser (Small, Medium, and Large), Supercharger, Actuator Enhancement System, Modular Armor, Blue Shield Particle Field Damper, Laser Reflective Armor, and PPC Capacitors.

While they are ostensibly the main reason for the book, the scenario tracks are only a fraction of the book. As with Sword and Dragon, there are some tracks that are for both sides, while others are specific to one of the two units. They culminate with a series of battles involving both units, as they square off against each other. In order to play these tracks the players must have, at the least, Record Sheets: 3050 Upgrade Print Edition.

From the back cover
"Black Widow Company

A Wolf's Dragoons independent command, the Black Widow Company is one of the most famous units of all time: they are reborn from the fires of Blakist treachery to prove to the entire Inner Sphere that the Dragoons are still to be respected... and feared.

Opacus Venatori

A melding of the most elite warriors with the Word of Blake’s Manei Domini cyborg soldiers, the Opacus Venatori&mdash;piloting the new cutting-edge Celestial-series OmniMechs&mdash;are a hunter-killer force without equal... and they’ve got Wolf blood in sight.

A new series, the Starterbooks are a perfect way to jump into the further excitement of the Classic BattleTech universe. Starterbook: Wolf and Blake provides a short synopsis of the history leading up to the Jihad&mdash;the current war sweeping the Inner Sphere&mdash;as well as a brief history and personal dossiers on the members of these two elite combat commands. Comes with record sheets for everyone in both the commands, including ten, never-before-seen ’Mech variants/configurations mounting experimental technologies. Finally, a unique track system allows players to develop their own scenarios&mdash;players will be stomping across futuristic battlefields in no time!

Starterbook: Wolf and Blake is a fiction-bridge between the universe history presented in Total Warfare and the current storyline begun in the Dawn of the Jihad (or Blake Ascending: A Jihad Compilation) sourcebook, while providing a sneak peak at some of the advanced technologies that will premier in Tactical Operations. Can be used with Iron Wind Metals’ Wolf and Blake ’MechPack: Wolf’s Dragoons, Wolf and Blake ’MechPack: Word of Blake 1 and Wolf and Blake ’MechPack: Word of Blake 2."

Contents

 * Samadh
 * Dulce et Decorum Est
 * Introduction
 * A Brief History: Dawn of the Jihad
 * The Black Widow Company
 * The Black Widow Company Personnel
 * Captain Stacy Church
 * Lieutenant Jacob Kincaid
 * Francine
 * Calvin Magdaleno
 * Lieutenant Eirene Rondema
 * Orrin Fletcher
 * Michael Ramirez
 * Max Henricksen
 * Lieutenant Wyatt Rolfe
 * Neil Gibson
 * Halle Yost
 * Russel Madison


 * Opacus Venatori
 * Opacus Venatori Personnel
 * Berith
 * Kendali Morris
 * Mi Tomitaki
 * Rufus Black Bear
 * Havalah Cazer
 * Achillius St. John
 * Kari Marita
 * Bryn Rivenschild
 * Elizabeth Rodriguez
 * Cassius Montague
 * Portia Thomas
 * Jacqueline Norman


 * Rules Annex
 * Advanced MechWarrior Abilities
 * BattleMech Quirks
 * Advanced Weapons and Equipment
 * Advanced Weapons and Equipment Costs
 * Calculating BV (Addendum)
 * Constructing a Battle Force (Addendum)
 * Wolf and Blake Campaign: Tempest Rising
 * Warchest Point System
 * Tracks
 * Record Sheets