BattlePack: Fourth Succession War

BattlePack: Fourth Succession War is a short scenario pack that was intended to be a supplement to the fourth edition of the boxed set. This book provided scenarios that were meant to be played out by new BattleTech players, as well as some background information on the Fourth Succession War. An annex at the end provided information and record sheets for BattleMechs that would have been new to players who had only been exposed to the boxed set. In addition to the book itself the scenario pack came with a new map ("Woodland", later included in Map Set #6) and 20 stand-up pieces for appearing BattleMechs.

From the back cover
"In the year 3028, the leaders of the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere gathered on the planet Terra as First Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns and Heir-designate Melissa Steiner of the Lyran Commonwealth were joined in marriage. Historians prophesied that their union&mdash;and the union of their two Houses&mdash;would usher in an age of peace and prosperity not seen since the fall of the Star League. But they were wrong&mdash;because even as the marriage ceremony took place, thousands of BattleMechs stood poised to launch one of the largest military campaigns in centuries!

The BattlePack is a new and innovative game supplement that requires only the contents of the BattleTech, 4th Edition boxed set to play, making it ideal for the beginning player while offering seasoned players the opportunity to experience the BattleTech universe as it began. BattlePack: Fourth Succession War is based on events in Michael Stackpole's classic Warrior Trilogy novel series. From the opening salvos until the final shots ring out, this supplement takes you step-by-step through the titanic struggle known as the Fourth Succession War.

This expansion features:


 * Ten new, ready-to-play scenarios.
 * The new, never-before-seen Woodland BattleTech map.
 * Eight additional BattleMech record sheets, four of which are new variants: BJ-3 Blackjack, HOP-4B Hoplite, CTF-2X Cataphract, and CGR-1A5 Charger.
 * 20 full-color stand-up playing pieces."

Contents

 * Introduction
 * How to Use the Scenarios
 * General Scenario Rules
 * Terminology
 * Number of Players
 * Setup
 * Movement and Retreat
 * Ending the Game


 * Personalities
 * Prince Hanse Davion
 * Archon Katrina Steiner
 * Coordinator Takashi Kurita
 * Chancellor Maximilian Liao
 * Captain-General Janos Marik
 * Precentor Myndo Waterly
 * Justin Xiang Allard
 * Colonel Jaime Wolf


 * Prelude to War
 * War Games: Operation Galahad
 * Galahad and Thor
 * Prelude to Invasion


 * Scenarios
 * Scenario 1: The Hammer Falls
 * Scenario 2: Rise of the Revenant
 * Scenario 3: Strike at the Heart
 * Scenario 4: Justice is Served
 * Scenario 5: Operation Intruders Communion
 * Scenario 6: Line in the Sand
 * Scenario 7: The Janos Mistake
 * Scenario 8: In the Claw of the Dragon
 * Scenario 9: At the Gates of Hell
 * Scenario 10: Sic Semper Tyrannis


 * New 'Mechs
 * FS9-H Firestarter
 * WLF-1 Wolfhound
 * BJ-3 Blackjack
 * HCT-3F Hatchetman
 * HOP-4B Hoplite
 * CTF-2X Cataphract
 * CGR-1A5 Charger
 * STK-3F Stalker


 * Record Sheets

German Edition
A German edition was released by Fantasy Productions in 1998, at the same time as the US-release. Unlike previous german editions from FanPro, this contains no noteworthy changes or additions to the original content. The German version is printed as DIN A4, a standard European paper size, which is a little larger then north american Letter.

Spelling and Names
Since 1997 Fanpro seized its practice to translate names of unit designs (i. e. for BattleMechs). Nevertheless names for places, military formations, organizations as well as most abbreviations were regularly adjusted. According to this, for instance the Mech unit Archer kept its original name, while the Planet Gotterdammerung was respelled to Götterdämmerung, the DCMS (Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery) became VSDK (Vereinigte Streitkräfte des Draconis Kombinats) and so on.