Review: Battletech: The Fox's Teeth

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The Fox's Teeth: Exploits of McKinnon's Raiders
Produced by Jordan K. Weisman
Written by L. Ross Babcock III, Patrick L. Larkin, Richard Meyer, William H. Keith, Jr., Richard Meyer, Walter Hunt, Lisa Hunt, Evan Jamison, Samuel Brown Baker II, and Dorothy Elizabeth Baker
48 pages
MSRP ??
FASA 1606

The Fox's Teeth is a scenario book for Battletech (the 1985 version.) It is centered on a House Davion/Federated Suns unit, McKinnon's Company of the 7th Crucis Lancers. It features a history section, details of the full 12-mech company, and 14 scenarios including a 4-scenario campaign.

It starts out with a history House Davion and the formation of the Federated Suns, and a gazetteer of some important locations - the capital, New Avalon, New Syrtis, the home of the ambition brother-in-law of the Prince of the Federated Suns, and others. Then it segues into a history of McKinnon's unit.

Unlike the heavy-firepower assault-troop Black Widows, McKinnon's company is more standard. A heavy Command Lance, a Medium Lance headed by a heavy mech, and the all-jump capable Recon Lance with two mediums and two lights. The troops reflect a similar mix, though - the wiley commander, the wiley commander's younger and more irresponsible brother, the cold professional with a grudge over her arm injury, and even a religious fanatic. Most of the mechs are undamaged, but a few have special issues - over-heating guns, armor limits from previous severe damage, and gyro issues to name three. The unit is famed through its history as raiders, guerrilla warfare experts, and being sneaky and clever.

The scenarios really use the personalities of the mechwarriors, too. One scenario is centered on the younger brother getting pushed into a tough mission to make up for previous errors, another had a duel with a twist between one of McKinnon's mechwarriors and the husband of a wife he seduced, and still another has the enemy dealing with command while their frequency is blotted out with the religious fantastic's incessant Old Testament quotes.

The scenarios also have some really unique elements. One is in, and under, water - complete with rules for underwater mech warfare. Another features buried mechs in ambush in a desert, and rules for that. The campaign features a crate of valuable supplies and rules picking up and carrying a crate. It's get-the-McGuffin except you've got to tote it around the map and not get killed trying to make off with it. Mechs without hands - Warhammers and Marauders or Riflemen, say - have issues here.

War Stories: I played some of these scenarios. I didn't really love the big 4-scenario campaign, though. It wasn't that great for solo play when I tried it. I really liked a few other of the scenarios - the underwater fight, for example, and the desert ambush. There is a bizarre mass-of-lights-vs.-standard-lance scenario that is a lot of fun, too.

Overall: While I didn't enjoy this as much as Tales of the Black Widow Company, I think this is almost equally as good for a Battletech player who wants new rules for early Battletech and a solid block of enjoyable scenarios to play out.