Classic Battletech: Technical Readout: Project Phoenix (FPR35032)

Great book. I bought it because I play Mechwarrior Online, and soon there will be an in-game package called Project Phoenix. I remember seeing a book for that released years ago, so I thought it would be worth checking out.While some people mock the abundance of illustrations, I love them. Iron Winds actually made molds for every one of them, too, which means I will be ordering some minis just as soon as I find a local TT group. There really wasn't a ton of mechs revitalized for the Project Phoenix, so noting the lack of models is a little silly. Gaining illustrations on every variant is a nice touch I feel could have been used in other TROs.I do have one little nitpick that keeps me from giving it a full 5 stars. I nearly did anyway, but this flaw has actually caused a few problems with my discussion group. While the illustrations are well labeled, the technical data does not actually give a variant number to each variant, and when it does, it does not note the loadout of those variants. So, in trying to figure out who built the Archer ARC-CW, I am forced to look elsewhere than the guide that should contain the info! The image clearly shows a STAGGERING 180 missile tubes, and as a LRM freak, this is AWESOME. But not knowing which factory it came from... or whether these are LRM or simply Streaks... You can see the frustration. I would love to run one of these in MWO. The ability to shed one ton of ammo with a single volley makes me quiver at the knees.Fix this little blip for the next edition, and I will likely buy a new copy!

thank

This technical readout has all of the unseen Battlemechs when the game first came around, and it re-vamps the Battlemechs with current era tech. The sketches of the 'mechs are the new re sculpts of the Battletech miniatures, and i thought that it was the older drawings, but nevertheless seriously cool!

NOTE ** - This review is for the Project Phoenix Technical Readout. For some reason it's also appearing on the FanPro Technical Readout 3067 page, despite not being a review of that book. - **I've purchased a few of the newer CBT items recently and I have been surprisingly impressed with all of them, with one minor exception.This product, unfortunately, is that one minor exception.The page count is listed at 104; this is correct but about 32 pages are simply additional pictures of variants of the mechs covered in pages ~6-72. As is this is a pretty flimsy book for a TechReadout; the fact that about a third is simply padding is a bit weird. This should probably have been released as an addendum to a larger readout for an additional ~$10 instead of being released for $20.Based on the "in universe" timeline they should probably just merge this with 3067 Tech Readout and remove the additional pictures. It would fit, and again, is light enough on data that it really seems like it should not be a standalone product.There is one other thing that really strikes me as odd considering the somewhat lacking page count here. At this point, in the current Classic Battletech product catalog, the versions of the Project Phoenix mechs that were originally published in the FASA 3050 or 3055 supplements do not seem to exist. 3050 revised, and 3055 revised both lack a Project Phoenix section. This leaves us with the versions of these mechs published in 3039 and this manual.I'm a bit puzzled by this omission. I would have really preferred that they add an additional page detailing variant specs, per mech, as opposed to the recognition guide that is included. That would honestly justify this as a standalone product; and to be honest I had assumed that information was included when I purchased this. A majority of these mechs were very much present in all of the fiction released about the 3050s so their omission seems glaring.All in all, it is nice to see the older designs resurrected, but this book is simply lacking when compared to anything else in the Classic Batteltech catalog.I should note the copy sent to me by amazon is the WizKids/FanPro printing from ~2005. It is possible that newer versions from Catalyst are revised or modified in some way.Unfortunately there does not appear to be a Catalyst published version on Amazon.com, nor have I heard of any changes made by them in current printings...

Arrived on time and was as described.

I have been a fan of battletech going back to 1985, so I loved this book

By far the smallest and weakest of the tech books, while it brings bank the unseen mechs it comes across as rushed. A lot of wasted pages of variant artwork that could have been put to better use. Worth ten bucks, but otherwise just pick up the record sheets and save yourself some money.