A project close to my heart is here: “War for Worlds” – a new take on BattleTech strategy

The war in BattleTech never ends – it only changes the level on which it is waged.

Many of you know the feeling: We love the heated, tactical battles of BattleTech: Alpha Strike. But when the smoke clears and the last unit has fallen, the question often remains: What was the big picture? What were we actually fighting for?

This is precisely why I wrote “War for Worlds” . I wanted to create a system that would give our battles a real, tangible context and elevate us from mech pilots to planetary commanders.

Why I developed “War for Worlds”

While the official rules often focus purely on tactical combat, I wanted to open the door to the next level: The strategic war for entire planets.

With this rulebook you can bring your own planetary battles to life.

My goal during development was very clear: I wanted to add a strategic layer to BattleTech Alpha Strike without slowing down the flow of the game. It is aimed at all of you – commanders, strategists and game masters – who no longer want to look at their battles in isolation, but are keen to build an empire and manage supply lines.

What you can expect: My design philosophy

For me, “War for Worlds” is more than just a series of scenarios. I’ve designed a modular system that seamlessly weaves planning and logistics into the action of Alpha Strike. These are the features I’m most proud of:

• Strategic movement: You not only push individual mechs across the playing field but also command entire battle groups on a planetary map as an operative. You decide whether to conquer cities or destroy critical infrastructure. The (tactical) battles are fought according to the BattleTech Alpha Strike rules.
• Logistics as a weapon: I wanted supplies to really count. In the system, you have to maintain supply lines to spaceports or bases. If you’re cut off, you can’t carry out repairs and you’re at a massive disadvantage in battle – just like in a real campaign.
• The thrill of the unknown: The aspect of secret mission objectives was particularly important to me. You never know at the beginning whether your opponent wants to conquer the planet or whether he is only here to sabotage your industry or protect his headquarters. This forces you to cleverly camouflage your moves.
• Every location counts: I have worked out different location types and mission types. A battle in an industrial zone plays completely differently to an urban assault in a city or the defense of a spaceport.

How you play

I have deliberately kept the sequence of events clear. The game is divided into strategic rounds: Initiative – Movement – Combat – Conclusion. You plan your moves on the map, and as soon as enemy battle groups meet, you carry out the battle in the classic Alpha Strike way. Afterwards, you take care of repairs and reinforcements – but only if your logistics are in place.

Get the rulebook

I am making this work available to you as a non-commercial fan project. You can freely use and share the complete PDF with all the tables, mission descriptions and templates I created.

👉 Click Download to download “War for Worlds”

As a thank you, I have created a sample map with location types and paths. Have fun with it.

My wish for you

This eBook is aimed at anyone who not only wants to play BattleTech Alpha Strike, but wants to experience it. I wish you every success in building your campaign – and may your mechs never be without supplies.

Have fun !

Sören Spieckermann (Mechstrategen.de)

Legal notice: This is a fan project. BattleTech, Alpha Strike and related trademarks are owned by The Topps Company, Inc. and are used under license by Catalyst Game Labs. My project is not officially affiliated with these companies.