Part 1: Preparing for the Batchall – Building and Painting the Force

Intro: Dare to Refuse My Batchall?

Living in an area without a regular nearby BattleTech scene means that opportunities to roll dice and trade fire are few and far between. Rather than chasing competition for its own sake, tournaments have become my best way to get my BattleTech fix, a chance to meet players, play games, travel, and enjoy the shared energy of the community.

So when Batchall by the Bay appeared in the events section of our regional Discord, a Wolfnet 350 Alpha Strike event held March 8–9 2025 in Santa Cruz, CA, it felt like the perfect way to take the plunge.

I entered the event with very little overall experience, both with tabletop wargaming and Alpha Strike itself. That didn’t stop the enthusiasm. I spent plenty of time diving into Wolfnet 350 rules, scenarios, and battle reports to understand what I was getting into. Still, with my lack of experience, I wasn’t so much worried about how my list would perform, I was worried about how I would perform. I knew I would be taking my fair share of beatdowns along the way, but that was part of the learning experience I was looking forward to.

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Choosing a Faction: Clan Ghost Bear

The event was called Batchall by the Bay, so choosing a Clan force felt right. If I was going to accept the Batchall, it would be as a Ghost Bear.

Their lore, all about honor, family, and ferocity, resonated more than the other Clans. Living in California and often residing in bear country, the symbolism felt personal. Their paint scheme helped seal the deal: the cool greys and blues of Delta Galaxy are striking, and for a novice painter, the simplicity of that scheme was both approachable and rewarding.

I had also just finished playing through MechWarrior 5: Clans and spent plenty of time in MechWarrior Online, so the idea of fielding favorites like the Timber Wolf and Stone Rhino was irresistible. This would be my first full Clan force, and without a defined playstyle, I leaned into what Clans do best, fast-moving, hard-hitting mechs that could strike decisively. It was equal parts appreciation for the faction, aesthetic appeal, and a dash of “why not?” energy.

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Building for Battle: My First List-Building Exercise

Building a Wolfnet 350 list is an art form, one that rewards flexibility, foresight, and scenario awareness. Of course, I didn’t fully grasp all that yet. With only a few practice games behind me, the list-building process was more about excitement and learning than optimization.

I set out to build a balanced list, one that combined speed, firepower, and durability while also including some of my favorite Clan mechs. To keep things manageable, I decided to use the miniatures I already had, a self-imposed rule that wouldn’t last beyond this tournament. At this stage, my collection didn’t include any vehicles, so this would be an all-BattleMech and battle armor force.

The tournament was restricted to the Jihad Era. Having not yet reached that point in the lore, I was fairly unfamiliar with the setting’s context and factions, but I had enough high-level understanding to guide my choices. The Wolfnet 350 format allows for a 350 PV force with up to 15 total units, but only 250 PV may be deployed per game. Each list must follow the Rule of 2, meaning no more than two of the same chassis or model, and extreme pilot skills (2 or 6) are limited to two total. This encourages variety and balance in force composition.

More experienced wargamers can really maximize their units within those rules, tailoring lists to excel in the different objective-driven scenarios. Each round in a Wolfnet 350 tournament features one of several missions that reward board control, maneuvering, and positioning over raw damage output. I wasn’t quite there yet. My goal was much simpler: to bring a thematic, cohesive Ghost Bear force to the table and see how it performed.

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Final Force List: Clan Ghost Bear (350 PV)

Batchall by the Bay – March 2025

• Behemoth (Stone Rhino): The tank of the force and a personal favorite from MWO, bringing firepower and staying power.
  
• Grizzly: Not yet having a Kodiak in my collection and discovering a Grizzly in a Salvage Box, I was always going to include the early Ghost Bear totem mech.
  
• Mad Cat (Timber Wolf) E: The iconic Clan mech and centerpiece of the list.
  
• Ryoken (Stormcrow) H: Fast and efficient, designed to close quickly and apply pressure.
  
• Shadow Cat H: A high-speed hunter and objective taker with jump mobility.
  
• Black Hawk (Nova) C: A solid midweight for covering fire and flank support.
  
• Puma (Adder) H: A small but efficient sniper platform to complement the heavier mechs.
  
• Dasher (Fire Moth) E: A lightning-fast objective runner and battle armor carrier.
  
• Rogue Bear Heavy Battle Armor (x2 squads): Thematic Ghost Bear infantry offering good damage and utility.
  
• Off-Board Artillery Support (Sniper): A light touch of indirect fire for flexibility in scenario play.
  

The list had a strong thematic identity, fast, ferocious, and fitting for Clan Ghost Bear. It leaned into strengths rather than min-maxing, and while it wasn’t optimized for every scenario, it looked great on the table and felt cohesive. I decided that all the units would be skill 4,with the exception of the Fire Moth at skill 5 to make it all fit in 350pv. The mix of OmniMechs and battle armor brought a sense of unity and purpose. For a first effort, I was happy with the composition.

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Painting the Bears: Bringing the Force to Life

Once the list was locked and I knew what was hitting the table, it was time to make them look the part. Every force feels more real once the paint starts going on. This project became my first real attempt to paint a cohesive Clan detachment, and I wanted it to look unmistakably Ghost Bear.

I followed a straightforward process inspired by the Slap Chop approach that worked for my Kell Hounds project. It was fast, efficient, and focused on achieving a presentable tabletop standard. The goal was to create something clean and cohesive rather than perfect. Delta Galaxy’s grey and blue scheme fit that perfectly: simple shapes, strong color contrast, and a clear sense of identity.

As always, I wanted to move quickly and efficiently, so I batched all the units together, working in phases to keep momentum. Here was the process:

• Prime: I primed with Army Painter’s Black spray primer, followed by a Uniform Gray zenithal coat. This created natural shading and helped me visualize where the light would hit each ‘Mech.
  
• Drybrush: I used a drybrush of Citadel’s Praxeti White to build subtle highlights that would work with the contrast paint to create shadows and depth.
  
• Contrast Paints: For the Ghost Bear scheme, I went with Wolf Grey Speedpaint (Ashen Stone for the regular paint equivalent) from Army Painter’s BattleTech Mercenaries Paint Set as the base color. I added blue panel details using Talassar Blue from Citadel’s Contrast line.
  
• Cockpit Color: I couldn’t resist the allure of Warpstone Glow for the mech cockpits.
  
• Details: For metal details and weapon barrels, I used Basilicanum Grey from Citadel’s Contrast line. I added laser details with red, blue, and green acrylics from the Army Painter BattleTech Mercenaries Set, matching the laser colors from the MechWarrior games.
  
• Basing: I kept things simple and consistent. Vallejo Diorama FX Earth Texture set the ground, followed by a generous coat of Citadel Agrax Earthshade to bring out that gritty, muddy realism.
  
• Decals: I applied Fighting Piranha Ghost Bear decals, numbering decals, and base markers from Defiance Industries using Micro-Set and Micro-Sol.
  
• Matte Varnish: Finally, I hit the miniatures with a spray Matt Varnish from AK to finish the job and tie everything together.
  

When the last mech was sealed and based, seeing the full star assembled was an exciting payoff. Clean, consistent, and ready for the tabletop. I’d give myself a C+ for execution. Some details could have been sharper, and a few mechs showed my inexperience. But looking back now, I can see how far I’ve come since then. For a novice effort, I was proud of the result.

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Commander’s Notes

Looking back, theorycrafting, building, and painting this list was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. From signing up for the tournament to fielding a fully painted Clan force for the first time, every step felt like a milestone on a journey.

While I’m still refining my list-building skills today, this project reminded me why I’ve fallen in love with the hobby, the creativity, the learning curve, and the enjoyment of seeing it all come together with a purpose. The Batchall was issued, and I was ready to answer.

Next up: the event itself, plenty of lessons learned, and a few memorable moments of Ghost Bear glory.