In this article we’ll look at some house rules for the four skills for Force Comanders: Tactics, Strategy, Leadership and Negotiation, and how they can be used in tabletop games or campaigns (e.g. Campaign Operations or Chaos Campaign).
Determining Skills
There are two methods for determining the skills of Tactics, Strategy, Leadership and Negotiation in the official rules set. The minimum requirement to be a Force Commander is to have a tactics/strategy or leadership skill of at least 1.
In Campaign Operations, for each “Officer” designated (usually one per lance/formation), you roll 1d6 and add 1 for Regular, 2 for Veteran and 4 for Elite skill level (CO p. 34).
In A Time of War, players can make their character using the points system or life path system. For Veteran characters you can use 6000 XP for the character generation, for Elite use 7000 XP.
In non campaign scenarios you may wish to fix the skills at Elite (8), Veteran (6) and Regular (4). When running an OpFor the GM can determine or roll the skills of the opposing Force Commander.
If a Force Commander has more than 6 units without any subcommander they receive a -1 for extra unit. Each subcommander can effectively manage 6 units (note Clan Commanders can always command a typical Star with more units, even up to 10 vehicles as there are 2 vehicles to a point within a Star, and an additional two units)
E.g. A force Commander with Tactics 6 is commanding 8 units. The other Lance Commanders have been killed. The Force Commander would get a -2 to their Tactics and Strategy skill tests.
Force Commander is untrained in Leadership (In ATOW this means a non 0+ value) they receive a -2 to all Tactics and Strategy tests due to their lack of authority.
Tactics
The tactics skill reflects the ability to react and act during a scenario and in BattleTech is represented by rolling initiative.
During a scenario, the Force Commander rolls initiative for the entire for and then adds his tactics skill to that roll (this replaces the Tactical Operations: Advance Rules +2). If the Force Commander is crippled/in forced withdrawal (or fails a morale roll if using those rules) then command passes to the next in command (in a company his goes Captain>1st Lt>2nd Lt). Even if a Force Commanders unit is destroyed, the Force Commander may continue to use their tactics skill if they have access to communications equipment.
Formation Initiative: When using the Tactics skill, you may choose to roll initiatives separately for each formation (e.g. for each lance) using the Formation Initiative Rules (Initiative Deck of at this link). In a coherent command, each lance rolls its initiative and adds be Force Commanders tactics skill in place of the Lance Commanders Skill (even if the Lance Commanders skill is higher – the price of poor leadership).
ECM: If an active ECM field blocks LoS between a Force Commander and Lance Commander during the initiative phase, the player must use the Lance commanders skill for that lance. If communication is re-stabilised, then in the next turn initiative is once again rolled with the addition of the Force Commanders tactics skill. ECM can also block Communications Equipment (below).
Quirks: Command unit/Mech and Battle Computer, both can add to initiative scores as per CO.
Communications Equipment: Units such as Mobile HQ’s, DropsShips and Command bunkers may include communications equipment. As per TO: AR pg. 162, these may add to initiative scores. 1-2 tons of communications equipment gives no benefit, 3-6 tons gives a +1 to initiative, 7 tons gives a +2 to initiative.
Distracted in Battle: A unit which activity engaged in battle (either fired, was fired on, or used run or jump movement, gets a -2 to its tactics skill to represent the distraction of battle).
Subcommanders: For each Subcommand in the Company/Trinary/Level II, the Force Commander receives a +1 (Max of +2).
Strategy
The Strategy skill represents a commanders ability to read the terrain, predict enemy movements and move their own troops. There are no rules currently in the rules set for Strategy, but below is a system similar to that used by MekHQ (MegaMek).
Strategy Test: When ever two forces meet in Battle, e.g. at the start of a scenario, or when two forces enter the same hex in a hex based campaign, both Force Commanders roll 2d6 and add their strategy skill plus any modifiers as shown below. The Force Commander who rolled the highest, achieves strategic initiative and gets one strategy point to spend per margin of success on the roll.
| Situation | Modifier |
| Movement Advantage | Find the units slowest walking/cruise movement. For each 1 point above or below the opposing force +1 or -1 from the roll |
| Recon | +1 if the force has at least 1 recon unit per lance, or 1 recon formation per Company/Trinary/Level 2 (or a formation made of 75% light units). |
| Active Probe | +1 if the force has an a unit with an active probe (not cumulative) |
| Defending a fixed position | -4 |
| AeroSpace/Conventional AirCraft Spotter plane | +1 |
| Satellite/DropShip recon telescopes | +1 |
| Force Commander Injures | -1 per hit |
| Local area knowledge/guide | +1 flat/+2 hilly/+3 mountainous/+4 extreme e.g. lunar surface |
| Communications equipment | 3-6 Tons: +1, 7 Tons +2 |
| Command Unit/Mech | +2 |
Strategic Initiative Points
The player can spend strategic initiative points on any of the below options:
Deployment (1 pt): you may choose your deployment edge on the scenario map
Forced deployment (2 pt): during the first turn the enemy must walk on to the map. Your forces may choose to delay deployment until turn 2.
Flanking (2 pts): you may choose two adjacent map edges for deployment, e.g. S and W but not N and S.
Escarpment (4 pts): you may choose three adjacent map edges for deployment e.g. N, W and E
Enclosed (8 pts): all map edges may be used for deployment. Enemy player must deploy within 6 hexes of the centre of the map.
Terrain (1-2 pts): for 1 point a player may choose one map sheet and reroll the choice on the random map table. For 2 points a player may choose a map to be replaced from the random map table. (This is only an option during a meeting engagement – when attacking a fixed defensive position the GM chooses the terrain).
Weather (1 pt): a player may reroll the weather conditions. This may be used repeatedly to reroll.
Time of day (1-4 pts): For each point a play may move the time of day from Day light>dawn/dusk>night (partial moon)>night (No moon)
Hidden (2-4 pts): A player may place 25% of their forces in hidden deployment anywhere on the map per 4 points
Predesignation (4 pt): A player may choose one map and select 5 predesignated artillery hexes.
Weather and Conditions
Some Tracks include optional weather bonuses. For each weather category roll on the appropriate table. All Weather Conditions can be found in Tactical Operations: Advanced Rules.
Minor
| Roll (2d6) | Weather Type |
| 2-6 | Light Rain |
| 8-9 | Light Rain and Light Gale |
| 10 | Light Fog OR Light Snowfall |
| 11 | Light Hail |
| 12 | Roll again on Major Weather |
Major
| Roll (2d6) | Weather Type |
| 2-6 | Heavy Rain |
| 8-9 | Heavy Rain and Moderate Gale |
| 10 | Heavy Fog OR Moderate Snowfall |
| 11 | Heavy Hail OR Sleet |
| 12 | Roll again on Severe Weather |
Severe
| Roll (2d6) | Weather Type |
| 2-6 | Gusting Rain |
| 8-9 | Gusting Rain + Strong Gale |
| 10 | Torrential Downpour OR Heavy Snowfall |
| 11 | Torrential Downpour, Strong Gale and Lightning Storm |
| 12 | Roll again on Extreme Weather |
Extreme
| Roll (2d6) | Weather Type |
| 2-6 | Torrential Downpour and Strong Gale |
| 8-9 | Torrential Downpour, Strong Gale and Lightning Storm |
| 10 | Torrential Downpour, Storm and Lightning Storm OR Storm plus Ice Storm |
| 11 | Tornado F1-F3 |
| 12 | Tornado F4 |
Leadership skill
The Leadership skill can be used to effect rolls for morale (during game play, TA:AR pg. 197), morale (outside of game play, CO pg. 217).
When ever such a test is required, roll 2D6 and and the leadership skill against a target number of 8. For each Margin of success you may add 1 to the above tests, and the reverse for margin of failure. Modifier the roll as follows:
| Situation | Modifier |
| Leading from the front – Force Commander is currently engaged in the battle | +2 |
| On the way out – Force Commanders Mech is Crippled | -2 |
| Force Commander injured | -1 per hit |
Negotiation
As per Campaign Operations, the negotiation skill can be used when generating a contract. Each MoS allows the player to change one roll of the contract up or down one result (Command Rights. Salvage Rights, Support Rights or Transportation Terms).
ComStar 