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I'm afraid I don't have any experience with Catalyst's paints since my own collection is pretty complete at the moment. If you're just looking for black and white, I'm a fan of Reaper's Pure Black and Pure White.
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Sep 23, 2023 21:12
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Idk anything about painting but I have some paints from when I was going to work on some 40k minis. These mechs seem like they would be good painting practice. Big, some detail but nothing insane, sturdy. I will have to look at a lot of official art to get a feel for how mechs are "supposed" to look, though. They probably don't look like the twelve-polygon models I remember from MW2 in the 90's.
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Sep 23, 2023 21:18
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Explodingdice posted:How is the catalyst pack of paints? I ran out of black and white yesterday and still have a ton of mechs to get a basecoat on. If you want to handbrush black primer then Vallejo Mecha Black is the best. If you want to airbrush then it's the same. Games Workshop Black Legion Contrast is probably the most versatile black you can get - it's both very liquid and covers absurdly well for something with a wash-like consistency. For white if you want to paint white get an off-white - GW Ulthuan Grey, Vallejo Deck Tan or something along those lines. For pure white artist inks are great for airbrushing and if you want to handbrush Liquitex Heavy Body Titanium White (or equivalent) is probably better (or at least cheaper) than any hobby formulation. I've found Army Painter as a rule to be the budget option. Cheap and just about functional paints. Get them if they're the only thing available or if you have a tight budget but there are far better options available. Their original Speedpaints line had serious issues (they reactivated with water like watercolours) so if you're not sure what you're getting into I would avoid. I think the Catalyst pack are supposed to be v2 Speedpaints so they should be OK but both GW Contrast and Vallejo Xpress are probably better if you have access. Edit - Also if you're up for more advanced techniques I've been painting my stuff with a mixture of airbrushed acrylics and oil washes and it's literally cheating. I can get the basecoats for an entire company down in about an hour.
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Sep 23, 2023 21:22
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Arquinsiel posted:The paint comes off well with a variety of techniques. What's safe to strip catalyst plastics with?
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Sep 23, 2023 21:23
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LaSquida posted:What's safe to strip catalyst plastics with? 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. This boi has gone in the bath like 3x now as I tried to work out the colours for the Draconis Suns RCT (I ended up going with green in the end...) 
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Sep 23, 2023 21:25
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Z the IVth posted:I think the Catalyst pack are supposed to be v2 Speedpaints so they should be OK but both GW Contrast and Vallejo Xpress are probably better if you have access. They are v1s, sadly.
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Sep 24, 2023 01:31
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Many thanks to everyone for the paint guidance. I'm off this afternoon to see what I can turn up, but I have two game shops and an art supply store in town so I'm reasonably confident. I know one shop has games workshop paints and the other army builder. I'm going to be chasing down a white and a black primer, and I should probably pick up a purple and a red to get some basic marik and kurita units. With any luck I'll have some mechs actually painted up in a week or so.
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Sep 24, 2023 10:50
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Explodingdice posted:Many thanks to everyone for the paint guidance. I'm off this afternoon to see what I can turn up, but I have two game shops and an art supply store in town so I'm reasonably confident. I know one shop has games workshop paints and the other army builder. I'm going to be chasing down a white and a black primer, and I should probably pick up a purple and a red to get some basic marik and kurita units. With any luck I'll have some mechs actually painted up in a week or so. I use Army Painter most of the time and buy Vallejo or GW only if there's a certain shade that AP doesn't have, or since I paint white a lot, for their apothecary white contrast. Fortress Minis and Games (for some reason) sells Army painter at 33% discount, so you can get a ton of paint very cheap. https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41...=ANNAB1&PC=U531
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Sep 24, 2023 19:15
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LaSquida posted:Please drop me a PM! Will do!
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Sep 25, 2023 02:54
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Any recommendations for keeping models neat and safely stored? Just generic hobby boxes? Is there any brand that people really like? I saved the little plastic inserts for everyone, if that matters. I'm mostly worried about buying something and then the models not fitting (or just one model being too bulky or something) It looks like I'm going to stop with about 22 units - 2 from beginner box, 8 from AGOAC, 7 from clan invasion, and 5 blind boxes. Robots are so cool 
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Sep 26, 2023 18:40
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big cummers ONLY posted:Any recommendations for keeping models neat and safely stored? Just generic hobby boxes? Is there any brand that people really like? I saved the little plastic inserts for everyone, if that matters. I'm mostly worried about buying something and then the models not fitting (or just one model being too bulky or something) I have a Feldherr case that holds 26, so about appropriate for how many you have. It's pretty good quality. Slots sized well enough everything has fit so far.
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Sep 26, 2023 18:59
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big cummers ONLY posted:Any recommendations for keeping models neat and safely stored? Just generic hobby boxes? Is there any brand that people really like? I saved the little plastic inserts for everyone, if that matters. I'm mostly worried about buying something and then the models not fitting (or just one model being too bulky or something) Stick magnets (either neodymium disc magnets or magnetic sheet) to the bases and store them in a metal toolbox or a plastic case with a metal sheet. Or just chuck them into a box. The rubbery plastic they're made of is functionally indestructible anyway.
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Sep 26, 2023 19:00
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SkyeAuroline posted:I have a Feldherr case that holds 26, so about appropriate for how many you have. It's pretty good quality. Slots sized well enough everything has fit so far. On the other hand, you are spending quite a bit of money to immediately run out of space because you bought more robots.
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Sep 26, 2023 19:20
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I use the aforementioned Feldherr’s cases and foam trays. They have a tray that has 12 big slots perfect for mechs, even the bigger ones fit neatly in and 12 is just a nice BattleTech number as it’s a company of mechs. I believe it’s this one https://www.feldherr.net/hs050bt05-50-mm-2-inch-half-size-foam-tray-for-12-big-mechs/a-56948@ Also pro tip, I did this before I got too many mechs and bought Feldherr bags: the AGOAC box is actually the exact size that you can fit the AGOAC mechs and two lance packs or a total of four lance packs in it. Cut the non-mech part of the AGOAC plastic tray off and you can slot them in like so: 
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Sep 26, 2023 19:30
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I've been a fan of Feldherr and KR multicase. But I also store a lot of minis in square metal cookie/chocolate/tea boxes that I pick up from second hand shops for like 1-2 bucks each. Just glue/green stuff a small magnet in the base and you're good to go. I pretty much always take a metal box check whenever I pass a second hand shop and I have a few minitutes to waste.
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Sep 26, 2023 19:32
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Arquinsiel posted:This is what I went with. There's a whole range of foam options for their cases. Yeah, to be clearer: the 26 slot case was a stopgap so I had anything for storage, and I wasn't expecting to need any more any time soon (correctly - I've plateaued at 24 mechs because I can't get myself to paint what I already have). Get one of the marginally larger ones at minimum if you plan on expanding.
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Sep 26, 2023 19:37
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Just napkin math, but does the hag40 seem like a poor upgrade to a mech versus just installing twin lrm20s with Artemis? Same crit space but 4 tons lighter. The hag not being bothered by Ams seems like the main benefit, I haven't really played games where you get many shots with sight lines unobstructed enough for the slight extra range to matter much. Sharkopath fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Sep 28, 2023 |
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Sep 28, 2023 17:24
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Clan LRMs are indeed mega bullshit. The HAG, meanwhile, is actually sorta balanced. Naturally it's not gonna compete.
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Sep 28, 2023 17:35
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The real advantage of the HAG is the 8 hex short range and the fact that its medium range bracket is gigantic. At long range you probably don't want to be taking shots anyway because the cluster hit penalty is impossible to mitigate. They're also intentionally over-costed in a way that keeps them on a more even footing with most IS equipment. A lot of the late-era Clan equipment is; and some things (the Clan Rotary Autocannons for example) are even flat-out worse than their IS counterparts. They're good weapons, they're just intentionally not designed to compete with the best Clan weapons.
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Sep 28, 2023 18:15
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A lot of the OG Clan weapons are grossly overpowered. Clan LPLs are literally the best sniping weapon in the game because it has 20 hex range and a built in -2 to-hit at all ranges, Clan ER Mediums are basically IS Large Lasers for the same weight/space as an IS Medium, cERPPCs are flat out 50% better than their IS counterparts, etc. Thankfully, the grossness of Clan weaponry becomes less of an issue the further in the timeline you get, because /everyone/ starts fielding them. rather than just one subsection of the setting who use their technological edge to style on their opponents with lovely tactics.
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Sep 28, 2023 18:29
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I think it might be better if the ammo economy was higher for the hags, and that's a change you can make without messing with existing variants. 4 shots for the 40, 5 for the 30 etc.
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Sep 28, 2023 18:32
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Rorahusky posted:A lot of the OG Clan weapons are grossly overpowered. Clan LPLs are literally the best sniping weapon in the game because it has 20 hex range and a built in -2 to-hit at all ranges, Clan ER Mediums are basically IS Large Lasers for the same weight/space as an IS Medium, cERPPCs are flat out 50% better than their IS counterparts, etc. The original Rifleman IIC was a monster because it had 4 Clan LPLs and a targeting computer. Thankfully they changed the rules and it couldn't make absurdly accurate called shots every turn.
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Sep 28, 2023 18:45
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Sharkopath posted:Just napkin math, but does the hag40 seem like a poor upgrade to a mech versus just installing twin lrm20s with Artemis? There's really not a lot of point to any cluster weapon besides cLRMs unless you are The Society and have the iATM. They are just an absurdly broken weapon. The absurd power of an iATM just shows you the kind of bells and whistles you have to put on something to make a better weapon.
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Sep 28, 2023 20:05
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I have a buddy who wants to get the AS Commander's Edition. He sees that it is in stock at various retailers online, but the FLGS is also getting a few with the Kickstarter. Are there any known errata changes in the book that will differentiate it from the copies currently on shelves?
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Sep 29, 2023 11:09
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Atlas Hugged posted:I have a buddy who wants to get the AS Commander's Edition. He sees that it is in stock at various retailers online, but the FLGS is also getting a few with the Kickstarter. Are there any known errata changes in the book that will differentiate it from the copies currently on shelves? You can identify the edition based on the year printed on page 5. There was a huge update in the summer with dozens of pages of changes https://bg.battletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Alpha-Strike-Commanders-Edition-2023-07-28-v6.02.pdf An older copy of the book will serve you just fine because most of the changes tend to be very small, mainly correcting wording to be more exact etc. Some things have seen proper updates like infantry mounting and dismounting transports
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Sep 29, 2023 15:21
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Where would I start if I wanted to know more about the backstory of this game? We've been playing enough and I've dumped enough money into models that I feel like I should know something about what I'm fielding. I have no idea if the metaplot is a space opera or whatever you would call 40k
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Sep 30, 2023 03:31
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Sarna.net is the wiki for everything, and it is really one of the best laid-out and maintained fan wikis around. Just start popping through articles, with the general stuff like timeline and history, and then just clicking on whatever piques your interest.
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Sep 30, 2023 03:58
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The BattleTech Universe sourcebook that's going to be coming out of the latest Kickstarter campaign would be perfect, but until then yeah Sarna's honestly your best bet. You can always check out other specific sourcebooks depending on your interests once you've got a handle on the setting.
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Sep 30, 2023 04:00
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Len posted:Where would I start if I wanted to know more about the backstory of this game? We've been playing enough and I've dumped enough money into models that I feel like I should know something about what I'm fielding. I have no idea if the metaplot is a space opera or whatever you would call 40k BattleTech doesn't have the cosmic space horrors of 40K, just horrible rich people.
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Sep 30, 2023 05:48
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Len posted:Where would I start if I wanted to know more about the backstory of this game? CGL has some free documents on their website, one is a primer. https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/free-downloads/products/battletech-primer Here's a link to all their free stuff. https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/free-downloads
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Sep 30, 2023 06:08
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PerniciousKnid posted:BattleTech doesn't have the cosmic space horrors of 40K It does have a few, it just has way more horrible rich people. The cosmic horrors are comparatively rare.
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Sep 30, 2023 08:15
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And nobody knows about them because to everyone else in the inner sphere, you just disappeared.
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Sep 30, 2023 08:24
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PoptartsNinja posted:It does have a few, it just has way more horrible rich people. The cosmic horrors are comparatively rare. Can you really call an overgrown space chicken a cosmic horror? Unrelated edit- I recently got the grasslands 2 battlemat (base/lunar) and really like it. Any recommendations for others I could get to expand my play area? Was debating between another grasslands mat or one of the tukayyid ones which look really nice but may be a little niche? Z the IVth fucked around with this message at 13:45 on Sep 30, 2023 |
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Sep 30, 2023 09:16
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You can call it anything you like as long as you're out of earshot.
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Sep 30, 2023 13:19
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Speaking of battlematts why is the lunar neoprene one formatted the way it is? The font color they chose is an absolute nightmare to read
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Sep 30, 2023 14:58
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I’ve got the paper version and it’s practically unusable to at least one member of my group who has vision problems, but it’s at the very least annoying to look at. I’m going to 3D print up the hills for it though and see if we can make it work because 🤷🏼♂️
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Sep 30, 2023 16:37
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Finally saw my first head crit that destroyed a cockpit during my last game It was my Adder  Love this goofy rear end game 
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Sep 30, 2023 19:16
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Len posted:Speaking of battlematts why is the lunar neoprene one formatted the way it is? The font color they chose is an absolute nightmare to read It was one of the first set and lessons were learned.
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Sep 30, 2023 22:09
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Which mats are more recent / better? I'm looking at getting one of the neoprenes too (in fact was looking at the grass/lunar one!) so I'd quite like to know which ones to avoid / grab. Edit: Oh, hey folks. I recently picked up Game of Armored Combat, the most recent Mechmanual, and the Heavy Lance box. Already convinced my buddy to start playing too, and he's now got a bunch of 3d printed models mid-paint. Giant robots and hex grids forever. dingo with a joint fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Oct 1, 2023 |
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Oct 1, 2023 01:56
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The actual layout of the lunar map is real fun to play on, they just chose the worst possible print color for it
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Oct 1, 2023 01:58
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