Mud and Treachery – Tukayyid Battletech Event

A narrative Alpha Strike campaign event in Bad Emstal

On May 3 and 4, 2025, a piece of BattleTech history was brought back to life in Bad Emstal-Sand: The Strategy Game Friends Bad Emstal e.V. hosted the narrative Alpha Strike event “Mud and Treachery” – a campaign game about the dramatic events on Tukayyid in the year 3052.

Text and pictures

Text created according to keyword list. Pictures from https://bsky.app/profile/nanander.bsky.social und Strategiespielefreunde Bad Emstal e.V.
Event announcement on T3: Mud and Treachery – Tukayyid Battletech Event – BattleTech: Alpha Strike Tournament in Bad Emstal | T³

With 18 participants, the event was fully booked, which impressively shows how great the interest in narrative BattleTech events is. In a friendly and open atmosphere, BattleTech fans from near and far came together to re-enact the iconic Battle of Tukayyid – a turning point in the Clan Invasion that still holds a firm place in the Lore universe.

Mud and Treachery - Tukayyid Battletech Event

Not a tournament – but a shared immersion in the BattleTech universe

In contrast to classic tournaments, the focus of this event was not on competitive play, but on the fun of shared narrative depth. Players could join either the ComStar defense force or the attacking Steel Viper clan. What was particularly pleasing was that newcomers were also very welcome. If required, the association even provided suitable armies so that anyone could play – without having to bring their own miniatures.

The historical background: Clan Steel Viper vs. ComStar

In May 3052, Clan Steel Viper was the fourth attacking clan to land on Tukayyid – and the fifth to retreat. Due to heavily defended mountain passages, the Vipers opted for a risky landing 30 kilometers away from the target area. Between them and their destination: the notorious “Devil’s Bath” area, an inhospitable terrain with geysers, treacherous mud and jagged granite pillars.

But as is usual in the BattleTech universe, those who seek glory do not shy away from adverse conditions – even if the mud is knee-deep and the geysers are unpredictable.

Alpha Strike in action: flexible army lists and narrative focus

The game was played using Alpha Strike, BattleTech’s fast-paced ruleset that rewards tactical skill and strategic planning. The missions were varied: sometimes the aim was to hold control points, sometimes a targeted strike against enemy elite units. The PV range of the missions varied – from 250 to 400 points. If you had 400 PV in your luggage, you were definitely well equipped.

Sets of rules, dice and tools such as MasterUnitList.com were recommended – and those who had planned wisely brought several lists with them to be able to react flexibly to changing scenarios.

Conclusion: Mud, steel and storytelling

“Mud and Treachery” was no ordinary tabletop event. It was a lovingly crafted campaign game that kept the spirit of BattleTech alive: Great stories, legendary duels, epic battles and a strong community. With this event, the Strategiespielefreunde Bad Emstal e.V. association proved that there can be real highlights in the tabletop calendar beyond ranking lists and victory trophies.

If you don’t just want to play BattleTech, but experience it, you should mark future events of this kind in your diary.

Voices of the participants

Finally, some feedback directly from the players who left their comments on T3 – there could hardly be better praise:

#Shinkatsukyu:
“The Tukayyid event in Bad Emstal was once again a highlight this year. 4 fun games with great players on beautiful, thematically very coherent boards. I’m already looking forward to the next one!”

#7Kashbuggs:
“This is now the 3rd event in a row for me and I’m thrilled again. […] The players make this event so unique. […] A small suggestion: Short explanations of the rules for the scenarios would be helpful – this would also save time. Nevertheless, everything was great as usual!”

#6Sharon-Byrnes:
“No stress, mega nice people. A weekend of Alpha Strike only. Can’t wait for the next one!”

#5Ironbreaker:
“Another great event with super nice opponents. I learned a lot of new rules again. […] I missed having dinner together like last year, and Saturday was a bit too long for me – maybe the mission size could be adjusted.”

#4Mike:
“My first time in Bad Emstal – I was nervous but got a great reception. Great atmosphere, learned a lot. Time management could be improved – for example with fixed time limits per game.”