Topic: Calling all battletech/mechwarrior players! where do I begin?

[Evolutionary Fault]

I'm considering getting into a mechwarrior type game, and I have a few friends that seem interested too; but I've run into a problem with the rules. I know there's several core rule sets for battletech, and tons of add on packages, AND a (simplified?) version or two under the title of mechwarrior.

I really want to pick up a core rule set, and run some proxies (or cheap ebay figs), but I just don't know where to start.  I've read that the later editions have little clickers (clix?) in the bases to speed it up, but that scares me (I like big D&D style rosters), but it seems to appeal to one of the other players.  Furthermore, I don't want to wind up getting figures that don't mesh with the editions (or eras, or etc).

For you veterans that have been playing for some time; which book (or even box set) do you recommend for new players to get a foot in the door?  I'm leaning towards a battletech edition, and maybe an addon for urban type games; but I'm not sure what to hunt for.

Likely the games will be mostly one on one, with no more than 5 mechs each (a lance is four, yes?), and I don't see any of us getting excited of infantry/tanks (that's why we play 40k); it's all mechs for us.  also, I don't mind searching around (or even downloading) older/oop books; as eBay supports retro hobbies better than my LGC supports games workshop ones.

Thanks in advance!

[The GrimSqueaker]

The thing is are you wanting to roleplay (MechWarrior), wargame (BattleTech), or a combination of the both (which is what I'm presuming)? The basic BattleTech sets allow you to use card based proxies for the Mechs so you don't need to use any expensive or real models for them on the board. They're all paper based stat machines after all. When I started playing we'd flop out a few map sheets and cardboard avatars on a table on the train and blow through a few games on the way home.

This sort of thing will get you started on the wargaming side of things. Comes with models rather than the old card stock and a set of hex maps. ----> Amazon.com: Battletech, 25th Anniversary Introductory Box Set: Catalyst Game

[Evolutionary Fault]

Thanks!

EDIT: I asked a whole bunch of silly questions, then did some research, so I retyped everything after 'thanks'

Well, I read the 'welcome to battletech' page from catalyst, which answered a lot of my questions.  The biggest thing throwing me off was those clix figures (apparently MW:Dark Ages, then later MW:Age of Destruction); which got discontinued, unbeknownst to me.  I just snagged the 25th anniv box set; for that price you really can't go wrong (i've spent more on 40k bitz orders, lol).  I'm certainly not into the RPG version, it's probably a little too involved for me (right now anyway).

My only question is about the tiles/tile packs: is there something to hold them together (or is the gameboard recessed?), or am I better off going with the measuring tapes/terrain (i read there was a conversion system)?

I lied; two questions.  Given that the Age of destruction is done; is it worth grabbing around a dozen models and the associated book; or is it pretty much the same as battletech (or oversimplified?).  considering I probably won't make it to the interstellar level of battletech, is AoD (or DA?) a different enough to play for variety?

My new goal with this is going to be to get as many people at work hooked on tabletops...i'm starting a club at the local rec center, and could use the influx of members, which of the two games is better for that? (OK, three questions...)