Over at RobotViking, io9 pal Ed Grabianowski freaks out with glee:

MechWarrior will return to PCs and show up on the Xbox 360 someday soon, and BattleTech co-creator Jordan Weisman is at the helm once again. Are we ready for an intense tactical mech war game in destructible urban environments, with three of your friends joining your assault lance? Yes. Yes we are. . . . To summarize what we know at this point: the game is a reboot, not a sequel. It takes place at the beginning of the Fourth Succession War. Multi-player is a major priority, and they really want to have a four-player co-op mode so you can team up with your friends and form a full lance. Better video game technology will make the game more tactically rich, and improve the feel of "piloting a giant war machine" rather than "being a giant robot." Players will have to use different types of mechs to accomplish various battlefield goals - tactical information will be crucial, so scout mechs will have a vital role even at higher levels of gameplay. No more "lock on, fire and forget." You'll have to actively acquire and maintain targets, and the dense urban environments (which appear to blow up nicely) make for great hit and run tactics.

via Robot Viking

Veteran gamers have fond memories of the original Solaris VII boxed set for classic Battletech, and now Wizkids is revisiting the homeworld of battlemech arena combat with new rules and cards. In the last two years, the company abandoned the collectible aspect of Mechwarrior (their click-based version of tabletop mech warfare), releasing non-random "action packs" with preset units instead of randomized booster packs. 2007's Solaris VII action packs allowed players to fight it out on arena hex maps, but a few weeks ago, Wizkids released a free rules update that could make Solaris VII so much more.

First up: the Solaris VII Campaign Rules. In addition to being an overall update to the Mechwarrior rules system, adjusted for hex maps instead of open terrain, it also allows your arena pilots to have ongoing careers. Create a stable of mechs, track your winnings and build your reputation with the rabid fans of giant robot combat. Since damaged mechs will need expensive repairs, and destroyed mechs will need to be replaced, battles will involve much more strategy than the old "last one standing" matches. Better still, the rules have been streamlined, so a mech vs. mech battle can be played in 20 minutes. To facilitate Solaris VII campaigns, Wizkids also designed a spreadsheet that will make it easy to track your stable's progress.

As if that weren't enough cool free stuff, they're also offering a full set of Rally Cards in pdf format, with an open license to print them for use in the arenas. The Rally Cards represent unexpected events or maneuvers that help keep arena combat fresh and unpredictable. If giant robot arena combat were real, I'd be a season ticket holder. Image by: Wizkids.

The MechWarrior Solaris VII Campaign pack materials are now available! [Wizkids]

Catalyst Games, the current license holder for Classic Battletech, is steadily releasing a series of sourcebooks that cover the 14-year Word of Blake Jihad in great detail. Word of Blake is a splinter group of ComStar, the interstellar communications company that tied the far-flung planets of the Inner Sphere together. When religious fanatics control all of your communications, well...that's probably not going to end well. In this case, planet-nuking ensued. But you can fight against the rising tide of Blakist terror with Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, including stats on important Inner Sphere political and military figures and an all-new technical readout on the Celestial Series OmniMechs. Image by: Paizo.com.

Speaking as someone who has personally fought a Mechwarrior battle over a reactor whose cooling tower looked suspiciously like an empty bottle of Coke, the Reactor set (pictured) is the ideal target for your assault lance to obliterate. The City Block and Manufacturing Facility sets will also see heavy combat, while the Wilderness set adds a touch of color. Each piece is cast in resin and fully painted and comes with a unique Battlemech. If cotton ball smoke bombs aren't cutting it anymore, Gail Force Nine also has laser-cut plastic smoke and fire markers. They have licensed products for a few other sci-fi miniatures games as well, including AT-43 and Warmachine. Image by: Gail Force Nine.

Car Wars, Steve Jackson Games. Yes, the rules are flawed. It can take two hours to play through two minutes of action. And the "miniatures" were really 2D paper cars. But you can't beat the concept: Road Warrior style running battles between heavily armed and armored cars and trucks. If you've ever gone to a car dealership and asked which options package includes "Autocannon," this is the game for you. Photo by: Steve Jackson Games.

Star Wars Miniatures, Wizards of the Coast. Another game where the concept outshines the rules themselves, which were shoehorned into the Star Wars setting from Wizards' D&D miniatures game. They aren't bad rules, just a little dry. But anything that allows you to recreate the Battle of Hoth is a sure winner. Bonus: you can own your own Stormtrooper army. Photo by yowzer.

Heroclix, Wizkids. If you're looking for a comic book themed miniatures game, Heroclix is pretty much your only option. Luckily, it's a great game. You can choose between both Marvel and DC universes (or mix and match), and unless your tastes run to the impossibly obscure, a version of your favorite character already exists. Heroclix is a quick-playing game that captures the action of a good comic book fight scene.

Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop. I'm going to confess that I've never played Warhammer 40K, so I can't speak to the rules. The minis are gorgeously sculpted, and the game's near ubiquity means that it will never be hard to find an opponent. Line up your Space Marines against your buddy's Tyranids and make your own "What if Earth waged all-out war against the aliens from Aliens?" scenario. Photo by: Games Workshop.

BattleTech/Mechwarrior, FASA/Wizkids. Whichever flavor you prefer, this classic game of warring giant robots is the godfather of sci-fi minis games. Old-school BattleTech featured metal minis you painted yourself, an intricate and detailed combat system, and the occasional hour-long turn. Bolstered by a rich backstory of galactic politics and conquest, the franchise was revitalized when Wizkids released a clix version. The larger-scale, prepainted miniatures negate the need for paperwork, and the game itself presents a compelling version of combined arms sci-fi warfare.

Top photo by: Catalyst Game Lab.