Starting Equipment

Last Updated: Treadnought 1.1.5.2

In the 1.6 update, HBS reworked Battletech’s starter selection process. Starters are now randomly picked from defined pools of mechs, with each pool corresponding to a slot in the starting lance. We've adopted this system to make faction-specific starter mech pools.

When starting a new career, your choice of faction determines the mech pools you roll on. It also determines a relationship bonus (or sometimes malus) with at least one faction in the game. Most factions will have both light and a medium faction-themed pool of mechs. Most factions also roll on 3 generic pools that assign common mechs found everywhere and used by everyone during the Invasion era. Neither good nor bad, these mechs will likely be succession wars era tech and possibly less capable than your faction picks. There are various exceptions to this rule, as you can see below. Comstar pick from 5 custom pools that are restricted to light mechs only.

These pools use Comstar’s canonical mechs and the advanced mechs used by the 5 Great Houses or mercenary troops. The generic Clan pools follow a similar formula, with 2 20/25 ton lists, 2 30 ton lists and a 35/40 ton list providing the 5th pick. These all offer a mixture of Omnimechs, ex SLDF mechs or ex Royal mechs, each with vastly improved capabilities than their Inner Sphere counterparts.

= Starts =

Each start will pick from a number of tables. Below is a list of the tables used, as well the number of picks for each table. This will provide you your starting lance.

Aurigan
Starting planet: Coromodir

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganDirectorate: +50
 * AuriganRestoration: +50

Axumite
Starting planet: Thala

Reputation modifiers:
 * Axumite: +50

BA Platoon
Starting planet: Outreach

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +-20
 * MercenaryReviewBoard: +150

Castile
Starting planet: Asturias

Reputation modifiers:
 * Castile: +50

Chainelane
Starting planet: FarReach

Reputation modifiers:
 * Chainelane: +50

Circinus
Starting planet: Circinus

Reputation modifiers:
 * Circinus: +50

Clans
Starting planet: StranaMechty

Reputation modifiers:
 * ClanBurrock: +20
 * ClanCloudCobra: +20
 * ClanCoyote: +20
 * ClanDiamondShark: +20
 * ClanFireMandrill: +20
 * ClanGhostBear: +20
 * ClanGoliathScorpion: +20
 * ClanHellsHorses: +20
 * ClanIceHellion: +20
 * ClanJadeFalcon: +20
 * ClanNovaCat: +20
 * ClansGeneric: +20
 * ClanSmokeJaguar: +20
 * ClanSnowRaven: +20
 * ClanStarAdder: +20
 * ClanSteelViper: +20
 * ClanWolf: +20

ComGuard
Starting planet: Terra

Reputation modifiers:
 * ComStar: +50

Davion
Starting planet: NewAvalon

Reputation modifiers:
 * Davion: +50
 * Kurita: +-25
 * Liao: +-25

Delphi Compact
Starting planet: NewDelphi

Reputation modifiers:
 * Delphi: +50

Elysia
Starting planet: Blackbone(Nyserta3025+)

Reputation modifiers:
 * Elysia: +50

Hanse
Starting planet: Bremen(HL)

Reputation modifiers:
 * Hanse: +50

Hell's Horses
Starting planet: Niles(Clan)

Reputation modifiers:
 * ClanHellsHorses: +50

Jarnfolk
Starting planet: Trondheim(JF)

Reputation modifiers:
 * JarnFolk: +50

Kurita
Starting planet: Luthien

Reputation modifiers:
 * Davion: +-25
 * Kurita: +50
 * Steiner: +-25

LAM
Starting planet: Irece

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * MercenaryReviewBoard: +100

Liao
Starting planet: Sian

Reputation modifiers:
 * Davion: +-25
 * Liao: +50
 * Steiner: +-25

Lothian
Starting planet: Lothario

Reputation modifiers:
 * Lothian: +50

Magistracy
Starting planet: Canopus

Reputation modifiers:
 * MagistracyOfCanopus: +50

Marian
Starting planet: Alphard(MH)

Reputation modifiers:
 * Marian: +50

Marik
Starting planet: Atreus(FWL)

Reputation modifiers:
 * Marik: +50

Mercenary
Starting planet: Outreach

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +-20
 * MercenaryReviewBoard: +150

Militia
Starting planet: Filtvelt

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganMercenaries: +25
 * AuriganPirates: +-25
 * Davion: +25
 * MercenaryReviewBoard: +25

Oberon
Starting planet: Oberon

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * Oberon: +50
 * Valkyrate: +-25

Outworld
Starting planet: Alpheratz

Reputation modifiers:
 * Outworld: +50

Primitive Mechs
Starting planet: UrCruinne

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganDirectorate: +30
 * AuriganMercenaries: +30
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * AuriganRestoration: +30

Primitive Tanks
Starting planet: Arcadia(LC)

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganMercenaries: +30
 * AuriganPirates: +30

Primitive Clan
Starting planet: Roche

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganDirectorate: +30
 * AuriganMercenaries: +30
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * AuriganRestoration: +30

Royal Mechs
Starting planet: Shadow

Reputation modifiers:
 * ClanFireMandrill: +50

Rusty Dan
Starting planet: UrCruinne

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganDirectorate: +-20
 * AuriganMercenaries: +-20
 * AuriganPirates: +-20
 * AuriganRestoration: +-20
 * MagistracyOfCanopus: +-20

Rasalhague
Starting planet: Rasalhague

Reputation modifiers:
 * Kurita: +-25
 * Rasalhague: +50
 * Steiner: +-25

Solaris
Starting planet: Solaris

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * MercenaryReviewBoard: +100

St. Ives
Starting planet: St.Ives

Reputation modifiers:
 * Ives: +50

Steiner
Starting planet: Tharkad

Reputation modifiers:
 * Steiner: +50

Tanks (IS)
Starting planet: Betelgeuse

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganMercenaries: +25
 * AuriganPirates: +-25
 * Liao: +25
 * MercenaryReviewBoard: +25

Taurian
Starting planet: Taurus

Reputation modifiers:
 * TaurianConcordat: +50

Tortuga
Starting planet: TortugaPrime

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * Davion: +-25
 * TaurianConcordat: +-25
 * Tortuga: +50

Urbies
Starting planet: Betelgeuse

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * MercenaryReviewBoard: +100

Valkyrate
Starting planet: Gotterdammerung

Reputation modifiers:
 * AuriganPirates: +30
 * Oberon: +-25
 * Valkyrate: +50

VTOL
Starting planet: Andurien

Reputation modifiers:
 * Marik: +50

Word Of Blake
Starting planet: EC3040-B42A

Reputation modifiers:
 * WordOfBlake: +50

= The Tables = The tables are formatted like so:

In order to understand these entries it may be helpful to check Sarna or Roguetech's Full List of Mechs.

When pointed to a particular table, the starting mechbay population algorithm adds all of the numerical entry weights up together and then rolls 1dN, where N is the total of the weights in that table. This means that a unit with a weight of 4 has four times the likelihood of being selected than a unit with a weight of 1, but the actual percentage chance of any unit's selection depends on the total weight number of the table.

Wob Medium
= Backgrounds =

Each background career will award a lootbox of bonus equipment on your second day. Similar to starts, these pick from tables.

Merchant
No bonus equipment picks awarded.

Officer
No bonus equipment picks awarded. AWACS awarded directly to roster.

Veteran
= Background Tables =

The tables that backgrounds pick from.