Atención

Blip Counters introduces a fog-of-war concept that conceals information by keeping even most telling visual representation of a player’s unit—its own miniature—from revealing itself too soon. With this rule, players begin setup that do not have the LG, VLG, or SLG specials. Attacks against

airborne units made using the mSL or SDS-Cm specials do not apply modifiers based on the target’s size, but may apply to- hit modifiers if the target possesses the point defense (PNt) special ability (see p. 108).

Damage

the damage delivered by a successful attack using CAP, SDS-C, SCAP, or SDS-SC specials deliver its full damage to the target unit as indicated by the attack’s effective range bracket. Attacks delivered using the mSL or SDS-Cm specials deliver damage as indicated in their effective range brackets as well, unless the target has a point defense (PNt) special ability that can reduce the damage or eliminate the attack (see Point

Defense, p. 108).

GROUND TARGETS

When used against the ground map, capital and sub-capital weapons are resolved as a special artillery attack against a selected point of impact (see Artillery, pp. 73-76). this attack, as in the case of airborne targets, may be made in addition to normal weapon attacks.

Under these rules, capital and sub-capital weapons may all be fired from any airborne unit that possesses the relevant special (CAP, SCAP, or mSL), but ground-based units—included landed aerospace units, mobile structures, and fixed installations (buildings)—may only deliver surface attacks using missiles, represented by the mSL or SDS-Cm special abilities.

Air-to-Ground Attacks

Air-to-ground attacks using capital or sub-capital weapons resolve in the same turn that they are fired.

If delivered from directly above the ground target (the Central Zone on the Radar map), such attacks are treated as a direct-fire artillery strike, but reduces the to-hit modifier by –4 (to a final attack modifier of +0). If delivered from any other zone on the Radar map, treat air-to-ground attacks from capital and sub-capital weapons as an indirect-fire artillery attack with the same –4 modifier applied (for a final attack modifier of +3).

Adjusting Fire: If a friendly unit with tAG is on the map and successfully designates the targeted POI, apply an additional –2 to-hit modifier (see TAG, pp. 109).

missed air-to-ground attacks will scatter as per the artillery rules.

Surface-to-Surface Attacks

Of all capital and sub-capital weapons, only capital and sub- capital missiles may attempt surface-to-surface attacks under these rules. When fired from a ground position to another ground position, capital and sub-capital attacks are resolved using the artillery attack rules, but applying the atmospheric modifier to-hit as appropriate. If the attack is made by a unit capable of movement, an additional +2 to-hit modifier applies (even if the unit has not moved).

When attacking surface-to-surface, all capital and sub- capital missiles use the range and flight times of a Cruise missile/120 (see Artillery, pp. 73-76).

CaPital and sub-CaPital

WeaPon to-Hit Modifiers

Situation Modifier

Attacking in Atmosphere* +2

Airborne Attack Modifiers

CAP or SDS-C vs. Small target** +5

SCAP or SDS-SC vs. Small target** +3

mSL or SDS-Cm vs. Small target** +0

Point Defense (1 damage)† ₊₁

Point Defense (2+ damage)† _Auto-Fail

Ground Attack Modifiers

Air-to-Ground Attack (from Central Zone) +0 Air-to-Ground Attack (from any other zone) +3 Surface-to-Surface Attack (Non-Stationary) +2 Ground target designated by friendly tAG –2

*If Atmospheric Pressure rules are used, +0 for Thin, Trace, or Vacuum **Small Targets include all units that do not possess LG, VLG, or SLG specials

visual Spotting: At the end of the movement Phase, if an opposing unit has LOS to a blip counter and is within the visual range appropriate for the atmospheric condition (see Visual Spotting Range tables, p. 89), the unit is identified. Remember to account for the difference in both units’ heights when determining LOS between blip counters and units, using the Unit Heights table.

Sensor Spotting: At the end of the movement Phase, if an opposing non-infantry unit—regardless of LOS—is within 10” of a blip-counter, its electronic sensors will identify it. this sensor range is extended to 12” if the sensing unit has a Light Active Probe (LPRB), 18” if it has an Active Probe (PRB), or 26” if it has the Bloodhound probe (BH) special abilities. If the unit represented by the blip counter has the Electronic Countermeasures (ECm) special ability, it will negate the LPRB and PRB range boosts, but not the BH. If the unit has an Angel ECm (AECm) special, it will also negate the BH ability.

Remote Sensor Spotting: At the end of the movement Phase, remote sensors will reveal any opposing blip counters within 20”, if the sensor has LOS to the blip counter. If the remote sensor has no LOS, it will still reveal the blip counter’s nature once it comes within 10”, unless the unit represented by the blip counter has either the Stealth (StL) or is using/under the radius of an ECm effect friendly to the unit. Remote sensors will automatically reveal the nature of any blip counters they come into base contact with, unless the units have the Stealth (StL) or mimetic Armor System (mAS) abilities.

Aerospace Spotting: If an opposing aerospace fighter is in the Central Zone of the Radar map, during daylight, all blip counters on that side are revealed.

Self-Revelation: Any time a unit represented by a blip counter conducts a direct weapon attack, a physical attack, or an anti-’mech attack, its nature as a unit must be revealed. Indirect-fire attacks from a unit represented by blip-counter, and area-effect attacks delivered by such units, will not reveal the attacker’s identity.

Hidden Units and Blip Counters

If the Hidden Units rules are in play (see p. 102), the hidden units do not receive blip counters until they move, and can only be revealed up until that point under the conditions outlined in the

Hidden Units rules. A hidden unit that moves while no opposing

unit has LOS to it may use a blip counter in place of the unit’s miniature, but must follow all of the remaining rules for blip counters as above.

Stealth Technology and Blip Counters

Blips that represent units that possess ECm capabilities, stealth armor (StL), or the mimetic armor system (mAS), may only be identified by visual spotting. If the blip is covered by the ECm bubble of a friendly unit, it also may only be identified by visual spotting.

using tokens instead of actual miniatures. these tokens—referred to as “blip counters”—will thus indicate each unit’s position on the battlefield until it gets close enough to be seen or otherwise identified by sensor systems, leaving the opponent guessing until that time. Prior to beginning play, each of these blip counter tokens must be assigned a unique number or letter corresponding to a ground unit in the controlling player’s force. (Airborne aerospace units cannot be represented by blip counters.)

Even when a unit is represented by a simple token, it must obey all of its normal movement restrictions. For example, a blip counter representing a unit with a hover movement type may not enter wooded terrain. While this might enable a particularly observant opponent to speculate about the unit’s nature based on its actions, a cagey player can add greater uncertainty to such guesses by moving his blip counters in a manner more consistent with a different unit type, such as having his ’mechs also avoid woods as if they cannot pass through them.

A unit continues to be represented by a blip counter under these rules until it is identified, at which point the token must be replaced by a representative miniature. Additional data about the unit—including its variant model and overall battle conditions— may then be determined using the Concealing Unit Data rules that follow these.

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the battletech universe probe (LPRB), 16” for the standard probe (PRB), and 26” for the

Bloodhound (BH). A probe-equipped unit completes its scan just before it declares its attacks. No die roll is required for this scan; the opponent simply lets the attacking player know the variant or configuration of the selected unit, as well as its current heat level and damage status, move, and movement modes. the attacking player must request this information; it need not be volunteered.

An active probe’s scan is blocked if LOS between the scanning unit and the target passes through or into an opposing unit’s ECm bubble, or is blocked by solid terrain (such as walls, buildings, and hills). the Bloodhound active probe can override these ECm effects unless they are being generated by an Angel ECm.

Short Range: If an attacking unit is within short range of its target and has a valid LOS to it, the opposing player must reveal the current damage (if any), heat level (if applicable), move, movement mode and variant/configuration of each unit in the target unit—but only if the attacking player requests this information. If the attacker fails to do so, his opponent does not have to volunteer it.

Stealth Technologies: In addition to ECm effects, stealth armor (StL) and mimetic armor (mAS) will defy an enemy’s ability to determine the details about a unit. If a unit equipped with such abilities is targeted by the sensors a unit using either of the above methods to scan or identify it, the controlling player may still conceal the information, explaining simply that the sensor sweep cannot determine any particular details.

coordInAte

SyStem

Several Advanced Options require the use of a coordinate system to identify locations on the playing surface. the following rules present a universal way of doing so.