BattleSpace

BattleSpace was a space combat game set in the BattleTech universe, replacing the outdated AeroTech. It expanded the latter's concepts and incorporated information from the DropShips and JumpShips sourcebook and other Clan Invasion era publications, focusing on WarShips instead of aerospace fighters. It would in turn later be replaced by AeroTech 2; the most recent and up-to-date edition of the aerospace and space combat rules is spread over the most recent set of rulebooks (Total Warfare, TechManual, Tactical Operations, and Strategic Operations). The rules have since undergone considerable change, to the point where the stats for capital ships as published in the original version of the Technical Readout: 3057 (which was conceived as a companion Technical Readout for BattleSpace) had to be changed.

From the back cover
"It is 3056, centuries since the fall of the Star League, and the Successor States of the Inner Sphere face their greatest threat ever &mdash; The Clans, warlike invaders from beyond known space. As the mighty armies of two civilizations clash on the far-flung worlds of humanity, their interstellar armadas wage war in the infinite battlefield of space.

BattleSpace, the new system of aerospace combat in the 31st century, thrusts you straight into the heart of this vast arena, where JumpShips, DropShips, and WarShips fight to carry their deadly 'Mech cargoes into battle. Fully compatible with BattleTech, the BattleSpace game system adds a whole new dimension to the wars of the future.

The BattleSpace game includes a rulebook, a sourcebook that provides the history of naval warfare and the statistics and descriptions of those ships currently in the Inner Sphere, two 22" x 34" full color mapsheets, color counters with stands, ship record sheets, and two six-sided dice.

BattleSpace is a boardgame for 2 or more players ages 12 and up."

Rulebook Contents

 * Introduction
 * Components
 * Counters
 * Record Sheets
 * Mapsheets
 * Dice
 * Game Terms
 * Fire Factor
 * Piloting Skill Rolls
 * Other Rolls
 * Margin of Failure


 * Playing The Game
 * Sequence of Play
 * Initiative Phase
 * Movement Phase
 * Combat Phase
 * End Phase
 * Clan Rules of Engagement


 * Movement
 * Facing
 * Thrust Points
 * Using Thrust Points
 * Stacking Limit
 * Control Rolls
 * Making Control Rolls
 * Special Actions
 * Evade
 * Roll-Over
 * Change Formation
 * Hover
 * Docking
 * Launch/Recover
 * Landing
 * Jump


 * Combat
 * Detection
 * Weapons Fire/Firing Arcs
 * WarShips
 * Fighters
 * Heat
 * Range
 * Making the Attack
 * Damage
 * Armor
 * Applying Damage
 * Determining Fighter Damage
 * Damage to Fighters
 * Critical Damage
 * Critical Damage Effects
 * General Critical Damage
 * JumpShip/WarShip Critical Systems
 * Space Station Critical Damage


 * Optional Rules
 * Advanced Movement Rules
 * Optional Thrust Point Use
 * Optional Facing
 * Atmospheric Operations
 * Space/Atmosphere Interface
 * Atmosphere
 * Ground
 * Asteroids
 * Shuttlecraft
 * Emergency Exit Systems
 * Advanced Point Defense Weapons
 * Docked DropShips
 * Boarding Actions
 * Debris
 * Dropping Troops
 * Attacking the Jump Sail
 * Surface to Orbit Fire
 * Weapons of Mass Destruction
 * Orbit to Surface Bombardment
 * Nuclear Weapons


 * Campaign Operations
 * Hyperspace Travel
 * Jump Point
 * Jump Field Damage
 * Making the Jump
 * Jump Sail Recharging
 * Physical Effects of Hyperspace Travel
 * Detection
 * Deep-Space Rendezvous
 * Docking
 * Moving Damaged Craft
 * Launching /Recovering Small Craft
 * Recovering Fighter Casualties
 * System Transit
 * Fuel Consumption
 * In-Flight Refueling
 * Pilot Modifiers
 * Planetary Landing
 * Liftoff
 * Cargo
 * Maintenance
 * Support Points
 * MPV (Small Craft)
 * MPV (Large Craft)
 * Effects of Maintenance
 * Maintenance Costs
 * Repair
 * Repair Modifiers
 * Component Repair
 * Armor Repair
 * Jump Sail Repair
 * Fighter Repair
 * Crew
 * Crew Quality
 * Crew Requirements


 * Construction Rules
 * DropShip Construction
 * Determine Parameters
 * Determine Propulsion
 * Determine Structure
 * Choose Weapons
 * Space Stations
 * Calculating the Costs
 * Converting AeroTech Craft
 * Movement/Craft
 * Offensive Systems
 * Armor
 * Miscellaneous Stastics
 * Fighter Units


 * Aerobattle
 * Fighter Engagements
 * Modifying BattleSpace
 * Armor Re-scale
 * Weapons Split and Re-scale
 * Expanded Combat Rules
 * Low Atmosphere Rules
 * Altitude Levels
 * Map Scale
 * Movement
 * Air-to-Air Combat
 * Air-to-Ground Fire
 * Return Fire

Sourcebook Contents

 * Introduction
 * History of Naval Warfare
 * Current Events
 * War on the Seas
 * From Sea to Space
 * A New World Order
 * Settling the Stars
 * Interstellar Nations
 * Age of War
 * Birth of the Star League
 * End of an Age
 * Exodus
 * Founding of the Clans
 * Succession Wars
 * Explorer Corps
 * War Renewed
 * Clan Invasion
 * Radstadt
 * Tukayyid


 * Naval Technology
 * DropShips
 * DropShip Systems
 * JumpShips
 * JumpShip Systems
 * WarShips
 * Fighters
 * Weapon Systems
 * Ballistic Weapons
 * Energy Weapons
 * Ship Construction
 * Fighters
 * DropShips
 * JumShips and WarShips
 * Space Stations
 * Clan Navies


 * BattleSpace Scenarios
 * Hide and Seek
 * During the Pentagon Civil War, the House Liao-aligned Congress-class frigates Long March and Noble House battle the House Davion-aligned Black Lion-class battlecruise Michael Norman on 8 October 2802. Historically, all three vessels were destroyed.


 * Dragon's Roar
 * During the Fourth Succession War, House Kurita forces attack the Davion-held planet Niles on 24 May 3029. Four six-fighter squadrons from the 4th An Ting Legion (a mix of Corsair, Lightning, Sabre, Samurai, Shilone, Sholagar and Slayer aerospace fighters) are intercepted by an equal number from the planetary militia (consisting of Corsair, Lucifer, Seydlitz, Sholagar and Sparrowhawk aerospace fighters). The Kurita forces prevailed, their DropShips broke through and the last defenders on the ground surrendered on 3 June.


 * Radstadt
 * The battle of Radstadt on 31 October 3050 was a turning point in the initial Clan Invasion. This chance encounter pitted the flagship of Clan Wolf, the Sovetskii Soyuz class heavy cruiser Dire Wolf, with its DropShips (Snap, Snarl, Howl and Lair) and OmniFighters (a mix of Bashkir, Jagatai, Jengiz and Visigoth fighters) against a mixed group of DropShips (Raven, Gungnir, Sleipnir, Karlshefni and Stöng) and four aerospace fighter squadrons (Corsairs, Seydlitzes, Shilones, Sholagars and Sparrowhawks) from the Free Rasalhague Republic's Flying Drakøns. Historically, Shilone pilot Tyra Miraborg rammed her crippled fighter into the Dire Wolf, landing a lucky hit that killed ilKhan Leo Showers and earned her a place in history.

French
A French edition was published by Jeux Descartes as Battlespace: Le jeu de combat spatial de BattleTech.

Spanish
A Spanish edition was published by Ediciones Zinco in 1996 as BattleSpace: El juego de combate espacial del universo de BattleTech.