Technical Readout: 3050

A major step forward for the BattleTech tabletop game, the Technical Readout: 3050 introduced OmniMechs, a wealth of new variants for existing Inner Sphere BattleMechs, new technology and an entirely new unit type&mdash;Elementals, armored infantry brought along the invading Clans.

The title became later affected by the Unseen issue, which resulted in the 1996 release of Technical Readout: 3050 Revised under the same product number with considerable changes to content. Eventually the title was replaced in 2007 with Technical Readout: 3050 Upgrade which included all-new artwork, more units and adaptation to latest rule developments.

The German edition was published as Hardware-Handbuch: 3052 with altered content (see Technical Readout: 3050 below).

Table of Contents

 * Introduction
 * The Clans
 * The Uncommon Common Enemy
 * Rivalry
 * Bidding
 * Intent
 * Nonmilitary Technology
 * Organization
 * Tactics
 * OmniMechs
 * Elementals


 * Clan 'Mechs
 * Dasher
 * Koshi
 * Uller
 * Puma
 * Dragonfly
 * Fenris
 * Black Hawk
 * Ryoken
 * Vulture
 * Loki
 * Thor
 * Mad Cat
 * Man O' War
 * Masakari
 * Gladiator
 * Daishi


 * Inner Sphere Response
 * Production
 * Technology
 * Strategy
 * Deployment
 * Light 'Mechs
 * Flea
 * Hornet
 * Locust
 * Mercury
 * Stinger
 * Wasp
 * Commando
 * Falcon
 * Firefly
 * Hermes
 * Javelin
 * Spider
 * UrbanMech
 * Valkyrie
 * Firestarter
 * Jenner
 * Ostscout
 * Panther
 * Raven
 * Wolfhound
 * Medium 'Mechs
 * Assassin
 * Cicada
 * Clint
 * Hermes II
 * Sentinel
 * Vulcan
 * Whitworth
 * Blackjack
 * Hatchetman
 * Phoenix Hawk
 * Vindicator
 * Wolf Trap
 * Centurion
 * Crab
 * Enforcer
 * Hunchback
 * Trebuchet
 * Dervish
 * Griffin
 * Hoplite
 * Kintaro
 * Scorpion
 * Shadow Hawk
 * Wolverine
 * Heavy 'Mechs
 * Grand Dragon
 * Ostroc
 * Ostsol
 * Quickdraw
 * Rifleman
 * Axman
 * Catapult
 * Crusader
 * JagerMech
 * Thunderbolt
 * Archer
 * Caesar
 * Cataphract
 * Grasshopper
 * Guillotine
 * Warhammer
 * Marauder
 * Orion
 * Assault 'Mechs
 * Awesome
 * Charger
 * Goliath
 * Hatamoto-Chi
 * Victor
 * Zeus
 * Battlemaster
 * Katana
 * Shogun
 * Stalker
 * Cyclops
 * Mauler
 * Banshee
 * Annihilator
 * Atlas
 * Imp
 * Marauder II


 * Engineers' Tests
 * Weapons
 * ER PPC
 * Extended Range Lasers
 * Pulse Lasers
 * Ultra-Autocannon
 * LB-X Autocannon
 * Gauss Rifle
 * Swarm Long-Range Missiles
 * Thunder Long-Range Missiles
 * Arrow IV Missile Artillery System
 * Single-Shot Missile Launchers
 * Anti-Missile Systems
 * Anti-Personnel Pods
 * Electronics
 * Artemis IV Fire Control System
 * Narc Missile Beacon
 * Streak Short Range Missiles
 * Targeting Computer
 * C³ Computer
 * Beagle Active Probe
 * Guardian ECM Suite
 * Construction Materials
 * Double Heat Sinks
 * Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment
 * Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry
 * Triple Strength Myomer
 * Endo Steel Internal Structure
 * Ferro-Fibrous Armor
 * XL Engines
 * Clan Pilots and Characters
 * OmniMech Construction
 * Outfitting an OmniMech
 * Designing New OmniMechs
 * OmniFighters
 * OmniFighter Types
 * Mounting Pods
 * Designing OmniFighters
 * Battle Armor
 * Movement
 * BattleArmor Under Fire
 * BattleArmor Attacks
 * 'Mechanized' BattleArmor
 * Non-Clan BattleArmor
 * Tables


 * BattleTech Rules Clarifications

Remarks on content

 * The title comprises descriptions of 95 units in total, all from Clan Invasion era, all units or variants of already introduced units were previously unpublished. Furthermore it contains description and rule sets for new unit technologies and unit construction. It contains:
 * 16 OmniMech designs,
 * 79 BattleMech designs, and
 * Technology for 'Mechs and Vehicles (weapons, equipment and construction materiels).
 * The in-character description of the title's contents is given by Adept XXI-sigma Merle Jimmus, ComStar, 8 February, 3052
 * Some content is not listed in the Table of Content:
 * OmniMech (profiles of all included OmniMech units)
 * BattleArmor Record Sheets (5 pages with, each containing 3x5 record sheets for Clan BattleArmor)
 * Index
 * The TRO:3050 used construction rules that are (somewhat inaccurately) called "Fractional Accounting", where 0.25 ton increments were used. Later construction rules would only allow 0.5 ton increment. As a result, the designs presented in this book had to be upgraded later to comply with the new rules. For instance the Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) had its Endo Steel frame and XL Engine mass increased by 0.25 tons each (to 4 and 19.5 tons from 3.75 and 19.25 tons, respectively) and to account for the mass increase, with the Prime variant a ER Small Laser in the right torso was removed. For other variants and designs a similar treatment may have been necessary.

German Edition
Published by licensee FanPro, the German edition of Technical Readout 3050 (TRO 3050) received major revamping, beginning with the title, which was changed to Hardware-Handbuch 3052. According to the imprint, additional texts from other sources (Technical Readout: 2750, Technical Readout: 3055, Wolf's Dragoons, Wolf Clan Sourcebook, ComStar and BattleTech Compendium: The Rules of Warfare were included. The German version is printed as DIN A4, a standard European paper size, which is a little larger then north american Letter.

Table of Content
The original content was restructured and expanded. Where the original TRO 3050 contains only BattleMechs, the German edition adds Clan OmniFighter designs from TRO:3055. The Table of Contents is vastly shortened and reads:

Einleitung (Introduction)

Clans
 * Elementare (Elementals)
 * OmniMechs
 * OmniJäger (OmniFighter)

Freie Innere Sphäre (Free Inner Sphere)
 * Leichte Mechs (Light Mechs)
 * Mittelschwere Mechs (Medium Mechs)
 * Schwere Mechs (Heavy Mechs)
 * Überschwere Mechs (Assault Mechs)

Techdata

Strategische Informationen (Strategical Infornation)

Index

Additional, altered and missing content
The German edition's most extensive addition is the inclusion of all OmniFighter designs from TRO:3055. The chapter Strategical Informations provides additional insights on some Clan concepts, like Bidding, various forms of Trials etc., with content originating from Clan Wolf Sourcebook, on three pages. The last page contains an ad for MechForce Germany.

The chapter Techdata contains all content from original edition's chapter Engineer's Tests, but without any sub-chapter. The described equipment is simply sorted in alphabetical order, rather than functional groups. The original's Introduction is completely replaced by an alternative in-universe introduction, without being credited to a specific person or institution, given sometime after the Battle of Tukayyid, which explains the title alteration from 3050 to 3052. The weapon charts in German edition show all (at that time) available equipment, not just the new equipment presented. The BattleArmor record sheets are somewhat colloquially named Krötenbogen (Toad Sheet).

Spelling and Names
As with other German products prior to 1997 spelling and names (especially places and units) as well as most abbreviations were regularly adjusted. For instance the Mech unit Archer was renamed to Schütze, the Planet Gotterdammerung was respelled to Götterdämmerung, the DCMS (Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery) became VSDK (Vereinigte Streitkräfte des Draconis Kombinats) and so on.